Valentine's Day Curry!

This afternoon I whipped up a nice primal lunch: lean organic beef, raw cheddar, and seared tomatoes. I cooked up the beef and tomatoes in a skillet, then added a dash of salt and curry right before removing them from the heat. 

YUM! 

Super satisfying! 

The tomatoes added just the right amount of sweetness, and the curry was a fun and unusual twist on an otherwise simple meal. Total prep time? under 10 minutes.

Did you know that curry is actually a mix of spices? It traditionally has cloves, saffron, black pepper and turmeric, along with fennel, cinnamon and coriander.

Together, these spices provide some pretty excellent health benefits! Coriander, for example, reduces inflammation, prevents diabetes, lowers cholesterol, and is a good source of nutrients like iron, and magnesium, according to WHFoods.org

Cinnamon improves memory, and turmeric is antibacterial... Those reasons are good enough for me! :)  

Happy Valentine's Day! 

Quinoa Queen

I love quinoa. I love its slight crunch, its faint nutty flavor, and its high protein content. I appreciate the fact that it is a complex carbohydrate, which means it will take some time for my body to break it down into energy - so I'll be full for much longer! And did you know that some South American tribes use its chemical compounds to heal skin injuries?

Here, delicious quinoa is mixed with red bell peppers, red onion,
and broccoli (the veggies were sautéed in coconut oil).
I threw in a can of tuna for good measure - Lunch!

Lately, though, I've heard mutterings about the plight of the poor indigenous people who harvest the seed that America has come to crave. Right now, the families in Peru and Bolivia who used to live on it can no longer afford to eat what they harvest. A pound of quinoa costs more than a chicken. For now, they are eating a lot of fast food. Sad. Still, my mother bought a 60-pound bag of the stuff, so my boycott will have to wait another 57 pounds. Will you limit your consumption? Keep it the same? Boycott it completely?

Delicious avocados are an afternoon snack.
Here they're sprinkled with crunchy red salt! Yum!

Zoup and Zalad

Woke up today and didn't feel super hungry, so I heated up a bowl of broth and drank it, along with some coffee.

I ate again at around 2:00 p.m. - an avocado with salt. The high/healthy fat combo filled me up, and gave me enough energy run run and bike a few miles in the early evening.

I came home, chugged some water, and enjoyed this delicious salad: Mixed greens, beef, red onion, tomatoes, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. I topped it with olive oil and salt and pepper. YUMZ!

Nuts! Nuts and dates! Dates and nuts!

I'll never forget rolling up to that macadamia nut farm near Cairns, Australia... On board our tour bus was a jovial driver/tour guide, a tentative Asian couple, and the other half of my failing relationship. My relationship didn't survive the trip, but my new love for "macs" (as the Aussies call them) did!

Lately, with somewhat limited food choices, I've been drawn to more decadent snacks. Three plump dates and the same number of macadamia nuts gives me crunchy and chewy textures, and sweet and salty flavors - yum!

Not only are macadamia nuts delicious, they're great for you! They contain complete proteins, vitamin E, and a good dose of fiber. Dates, too, pack a delicious punch! Not only does eating them provide some protection against oral and breast cancer, but they are excellent sources of iron (great for the ladies when Aunt Flo comes for a visit), and vitamin A - which is important key to good vision!

Together, when eaten in moderation, they are a tasty way to satisfy cravings and do your body some good too!

Payback

After several days of eating things like pita bread, monkey bread, and banana bread, my joints were screaming! My body decided that it was payback time, and I paid big. Now, after a day at the gym, and a full day of nutritious foods, my knees are only slightly stiff, and my elbow's tendonitis isn't quite so painful.

For a long time I thought joint pain was something old people griped about. I didn't realize how debilitating and limiting it could truly be. The best way I can describe it is to say that it feels like the connective tissue is stripped and about to break. Regular movement feels like you're rolling on rusty hinges. No bueno.

If there is great news, it's that there is now such a clear link between that pain and my diet.

Today I enjoyed:

Breakfast: Bacon, 2 eggs, 2 squash, followed by coffee with coconut oil.

Lunch: Spring greens with a tuna salad (tuna, onions, Greek yogurt) topped with blueberries.

Snack: Macadamia nuts and 3 dates.

Post-workout: Protein shake.

Dinner: Beef patties with avocado, and plenty of roast veggies!

Feelin' good!

I hope you like clean things, because week 2 was a wash!

Did tons of travel and too little planning, which means that last week was a wash! However, I'm back home and back on track! 

Day 7: One week of awesome!

So I'm one week in, and I have to say this has been a relatively painless transition.

I'm enjoying healthier skin, a tighter tummy, and focus that has improved incredibly!

Since most of my previous "cheats" involved processed carbs (donuts, cookies, pizza, cake, too many slices of toast), removing it completely as an option has proved to be the most effective means of not cheating!

And in the absence of processed grains, I've found myself happily snacking on sweet fruits when I'm craving sugar, healthy fats when I want to feel satisfied, and veggies when I simply want to snack.


Seven days down, 53 to go!