Heres one encouraging story and before/after pictures from NorCal Strength and Conditioning… click here.

Try using apple sauce to sweeten baked desserts and skip sugar all together when it comes to coffee and grapefruit… both can and should be enjoyed without the addition of natural or artificial sweeteners.

Paleo Shrimp Scampi
(I NEVER measure so forgive me for not being acurate… )

Shrimp (fresh or frozen… I used frozen)
Broccoli (again fresh or frozen, I just happend to have some fresh)
About 2 Cups Spaghetti Squash (I had about this much leftover from the previous week)
Minced Garlic
Coconut Oil
Olive Oil Butter (probably not Paleo but…)
Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper
Parsley
1/2 Lemon

I combined some coconut oil, olive oil butter and olive oil in a big pan (don’t ask me why all the mixing, it came out really good ok!).  Let it melt, then added the garlic.  Sauteed for a bit then added the broccoli.  Cook until bright green, then added the spaghetti squash.  Add salt, pepper and parsley then continue to sautee until warm.  Add shrimp and 1/2 lemon… continue to cook until shrimp is warm/cooked through and there you go!  It had the perfect flavor and again, the spaghetti squash gives you the texture of angel hair pasta… YUM!!!!

We’re all human and if not for the agricultural revolution, we’d never know what bread, pasta, cookies and cake even tasted like… but we do.  We know how delicious it is and the incredible way we feel when we throw away “Paleo” and just indulge in what we crave.  Should I or anyone else really be shamed for giving in every once and a while?  I’m here to say, no… absolutely NOT!

There are many times I feel a cheat meal is completely justified… in fact, I had a few of those this past weekend.  There were 8 CrossFit NFT athletes who busted/froze their butts off at the Garage Games this past weekend and considering the amount of work we did and the amount of calories we burned associated with that work, there was definitely room for a little cheat.  This is a WHEN situation: the OCCASIONAL major workout overload/celebratory dinner (notice this doesn’t mean workout 3 times a day to cheat everyday).  Other situations I would put in this category?  Birthday/Baby/Bridal and Office parties.  All of which are pretty OCCASIONAL, unless you have too many friends, then I suggest cutting back and keeping a top 10 , but I don’t think you should have to look like the freak at the party just for the sake of staying Paleo.

As for the HOW.  We dined at a Japanese Steakhouse and I’ll say that just about everyone put a mini cheat on their plate.  By this I really mean having some fried rice or sushi with their veggies and protein.  This could have easily been a medium cheat by having a noodle dish or several beers, but what would have been worse is a complete change of ethnic cuisine.  We very well could have ended up at an Italian restaurant with bread, mozzarella cheese sticks and fettuccine alfredo (all of which I would have inhaled!).  As you can see, there’s a big difference of HOW you “cheat”. 

I hear people all the time saying they crave this or that and I’m not here to say NO, but rather to remind you to be smart and stay strong!  Don’t throw all the hard work you do down the drain for a three-day binge of  cupcakes, pizza and beer.  Choose wisely and instead of completely falling off,  just let a foot or two come off the wagon… you’ll recover quicker, crave the bad stuff less and feel A LOT better about yourself than if you had let that wagon drive a mile down the road before you tried to get back on.

This article is GREAT… in fact, this whole WEBSITE is GREAT… I highly suggest browsing through some of this stuff.  I’ve heard of this site before but never really got into it… what have I been missing!!

I can’t wait for school to start and then be over so I can have a fulfilling career as an Ethetician and Massage Therapist with more time to devote to this blog and our athletes… countdown to 2011 starts now!  Thanks to you ALL for being the force that drives us to make our dreams come true, we’re so very lucky to have friends like you!

I hope you’re all doing and feeling better now that we’re almost 4 weeks in.  Here comes the last 3 weeks so make sure you limit those “cheat meals” and really get down to business! 

I’ve been getting some good emails with recipes so I’ll share them with you here:

Crab Cakes with Paleo Mayo (from Justin’s Email)

For the mayo I’m pretty sure my girlfriend used the alton brown mayo
recipe on the food network site and just omitted the sugar and
switched the oils. Make sure to use regular olive oil because if you
use evoo it can be too strong a taste of olive oil.

For the crab cakes I used the canned crab meat from Costco (its in a
green can, real crab not artificial) almond flour, mayo, an egg,
garlic powder, some pepper, chopped onion, celery, and lemon juice. I
don’t really have exact measures because I don’t measure ingredients
when I cook. (Make into patties and cook in a pan, using coconut or
olive oil, until golden brown)

The Result: They weren’t as crisp as a typical crab cake but they
tasted pretty close and were still really good.

Chicken “Spaghetti” (from ME)

I found a “Paleo” tomato sauce from Costco last weekend (uses only tomatoes, garlic, salt and spices) so I threw that in the crock pot with some chicken tenderloin (breast will work too) for a couple hours.  How simple is that!?

For the “spaghetti” I bought a spaghetti squash (these are oval yellow squashes available in the produce section, I got mine from Wal-Mart) and halved it, rubbed olive oil, salt and pepper on the inside and then placed it cut side down on a baking sheet.  Cover it with aluminum foil and bake on 350 for about 30 mins.  Take it out after 30 and flip it over, bake covered for another 15 mins.  Once it’s easily punctured with a paring knife on the outside, take the halves out and then shred the insides with a fork.  Just dig the fork in and scrape down, there you have ”spaghetti”!  You can saute the squash in a pan with some different seasonings then place that on your plate with your chicken and sauce and enjoy! 

The Result: The squash has a similar texture to angel hair pasta and is buttery and slightly sweet so it made for a delicious dinner!  This was even better heated the next day!

Sweet Potato Smoothie (from Dave’s Email)

Hey – btw – I found an awesome change for my smoothie the other day and it was amazing. Sweet Potato – yes, I’m not joking. I heard from the Robb Wolf podcast how the veggie sugar is better for restoring post-workout muscle glycogen as opposed to fruit sugar, which apparently restores liver glycogen more.

So anyway, I randomly googled sweet potato smoothie and found this: http://www.squidoo.com/JJtatershake

My recipe from last night was-

1 cup milk
6 half-frozen strawberries
1 banana
1/2 sweet potato (smallish in size), steamed with skin removed – cut into small chunks.
1 scoop protein powder
add some bits of ice chips or small ice cubes to make it more of a smoothie, rather than milkshake.

The Result: It tasted pretty good to, not weird how I imagined it would be with a potato in it. Feel free to share it – I think it’s a good recipe.

Here are some other sites to check for good stuff!  Let me know if you came up with your own concoction… I’d love to hear how it tastes!

http://www.paleofood.com/
http://everydaypaleo.com/
http://livingpaleo.com/paleo-recipes/overview.html

What to Eat:

-All of the lean meat, fish, seafood, eggs you can eat
-All of the non starchy vegetables you can eat
-Moderate fruit
-Moderate healthy fats
-Moderate nuts and seeds

What NOT to Eat: 

-No grains cereals or pastas (that means “whole” grains too!)
-No legumes
-No dairy products, UNLESS you’re trying to get BIG (eggs are meat)
-No processed foods – make it yourself!
-No sugars.  Agave, organic honey, molasses, pure spun golden sunshine….it doesn’t matter.  They are all equally bad for you.
-No artificial sweeteners.  These are not food!  Creepy laboratory products with sketchy safety records, artificial sweeteners have been shown to produce an insulin response. 

When to Eat: 

-ALWAYS start with Breakfast (try to eat within 30-60 minutes of waking up) even if it’s a small meal, this makes a big difference of how you feel the rest of the day.
-Try to have Lunch within 5 hours of Breakfast
-Try to have Dinner within 5 hours of Lunch 
    **Even if you have to eat late, you’re body still needs substance to burn while you sleep to aid in recovery.How Much to Eat: 

-Protein: About the size of the palm of your hand (in thickness as well)
-Vegetables: Eat until you’re full, unless you’re goal is to slim down, then scale back and keep a majority of eating them to POST WOD.
-Fruit: Moderate amounts, think 1 apple or banana per day.  They’re good for you but they also have a lot of sugar so they can hinder fat/weight loss (if that’s your goal). 
-Nuts: Hand-fulls, unless you’re goal is to get BIG.  Then, crap-tons!

If You MUST “Cheat”: 

-Limit yourself to 1, that’s ONE cheat meal a week IF YOU MUST.  If you crave something, hold out to the meal you designate as a “cheat meal”.  THEN GET BACK ON THE BANDWAGON IMMEDIATELY!
-They make Gluten Free beer… and it’s good! (Find it at New Leaf Market)
- Gluten Free Cocktail: The NorCal Margarita:  
2 shots (4 oz) of clear alcohol – Preferably Tequila or Gin since they’re paleo!
Juice of one lime
Club soda
Ice

Other Good Things: 

-Fish Oil: Try to get about .5g per 10lbs of body weight per day.  They sell good stuff at Costco: 400 capsules for $10… Eat WITH fat so you’re body can absorb it easier. 
-Natural Calm: It’s a magnesium supplement that aids in stress and sleep relief. Find it at New Leaf Market. 
-Resources: Robbwolf.com, The Paleo Diet, The Paleo Diet for Athletes   

MEAT: 

“In order to get enough protein and calories you should eat animal food at almost every meal”

-Animals, including fish, raised in commercial farms are not healthy so try to get:
   -Grass Fed Beef (Available at New Leaf Market)
   -USDA Certified Organic Meat
   -Wild Caught Fish
   -Locally Raised Animals (Lots of farms are in or around Tallahassee, go exploring!)
   **If unable to do any of the above, then eat the leanest cuts you can and trim visible fat.
-Eggs are good.  Eggs from birds allowed to forage and run around are better. Try to get a brand with Omega-3’s (Egglands Best is a good choice).
-Buffalo, Elk, Venison and other types of wild game are excellent choices if you can get them. 
 

VEGETABLES:  

Time to get creative.  Non starchy vegetables should be a big part of each meal, especially POST WOD.  Virtually all vegetables offer excellent nutritional value. 

-When possible choose organic, locally grown vegetables that are in season. Each of these factors will improve nutritional value. 

-Experiment with sautéing, roasting and grilling your veggies.  Try different recipes and different ethnic foods.  Learn to use herbs and spices.  This stuff should taste good!
-Peppers, squashes, eggplant, garlic, leeks, onions broccoli, cauliflower, avocado, carrots, green peppers, cabbage, celery, kale, spinach, tomatoes, radish, parsnips, mushrooms….
-Avoid starchy vegetable – mostly potatoes.  If you must eat starch (it happens) try yams and sweet potatoes and eat them only POST WOD.
-Avoid legumes. Peanuts, beans, peas, lentils and soybeans should be avoided. 

 FRUIT:  

A Paleo Diet allows and encourages lots fruit consumption however; there are a few issues with fruit consumption.  We need to consider how the fruit was grown as well as the type of fruit to evaluate nutritional value.  We also need to consider pesticide exposure.  It’s better to have moderate amounts of fruit since they add sugar (even though it’s “natural”) to your diet.   

-If you can grow your own fruit or pick wild fruit – go for it!
-Scavenge the local farmers market for fresh local seasonal fruit.  Organic is best.
-Try to avoid fruit from far away. Flying in kiwis from New Zealand is not really helping our health.
-Avoid GMO (genetically modified organism) fruit.  Period.
-A little fruit juice occasionally can be okay but, fruit juice is really candy.
-Wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly to minimize pesticides.
-Some fruits like bananas have a high glycemic load and should be avoided if you are trying to loose fat.
-Berries!  Eat lots of berries! 
 

FATS:  

Fat is good for you. FAT DOES NOT MAKE YOU FAT (UNLESS YOU EAT THE WRONG TYPES). Fat is essential to your well being and happiness.  (Having the proper fat profile makes a huge difference to your mental outlook and moods).  Fat is a great source of energy.  Fat triggers our sense of being full. Fat is an essential part of many of your cellular and hormonal processes.  We sicken and die fairly quickly without adequate intake of essential fats. 

However….there is many bad fats in our food supply. 

Fat from healthy animals is good for you! Chicken, duck, goose, lamb, beef and pork fat can all be eaten and is an excellent choice for cooking because of heat stability.  Lard is internal fat from around the kidneys.  Lard from naturally (not grain) fed pork and beef is a very good choice.  Lard from grass fed animals is hard to find though, so butter can be used instead. 

NUTS & SEEDS:  

Filling and nutritious.  Nuts and seeds are packed with fatty acids, enzymes, antioxidants and lots of vitamins and minerals, especially potassium and magnesium.  They do contain some protein, but animal protein will be a lot more filling when it comes to a meal or snack.   Focus on Omega-3 filled nuts. Lots of nuts have a bad ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fats.   

Omega-3 and omega-6 are types of essential fatty acids – meaning we cannot make them on our own and have to obtain them from our diet. Both are polyunsaturated fatty acids that differ from each other in their chemical structure. In modern diets, there are few sources of omega-3 fatty acids, mainly the fat of cold water fish such as salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, black cod, and bluefish. There are two critical omega-3 fatty acids, (eicosapentaenoic acid, called EPA and docosahexaenoic or DHA), that the body needs. Vegetarian sources, such as walnuts and flaxseeds contain a precursor omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid called ALA) that the body must convert to EPA and DHA. EPA and DHA are the building blocks for hormones that control immune function, blood clotting, and cell growth as well as components of cell membranes.  

Here are the best choices:
-Walnuts
-Macadamia nuts
-Pecans 

Nuts in moderation are very healthy but over-eating them can stall weight loss.  Cashews especially are delicious but surprisingly high in carbohydrate and contain too much Omega-6. 

Peanuts are not nuts. Do not eat peanuts or peanut butter.  Peanuts contain lectins and other anti-nutrients which can cause some real health problems. 

Note:  Lots of packaged, shelled nuts are covered in trans fats!  Read the label!  Its best to buy raw, unsalted nuts and spice them at home.  When in doubt, buy walnuts and/or macadamia nuts. 

 COOKING FATS 

Butter: Not really paleo, butter contains milk solids and water as well as fat.  Butter from grass fed cows is very good for cooking and enhancing the flavor of steamed vegetables.  

Making butter better!  

Melt butter in a sauce pan over low heat. Remove butter from heat and let stand for a few minutes, allowing the milk solids to settle to the bottom.  Skim the clear yellow liquid from the top and strain into a container.  You have just made Ghee!  Ghee stores well frozen. 

Coconut oil is good for you and a good choice for cooking.  Choose organic, cold processed coconut oil. 

Olive oil is very healthy.  Go for the extra virgin, cold pressed and use liberally. Olive oil does not have great heat stability so use something else for high heat frying. 

OTHER FATS  

Flaxseed oil is very good but…it should not be heated at all and oxidizes rapidly.  Store flaxseed oil in the refrigerator and use quickly.