Point blank - I must be honest that I cheated on this paleo lifestyle. It is said that to get in the habit of something you must do it for 21 days straight… I was working on full paleo for just this week. Before this I was introducing my lifestyle to the paleo way, but had not yet attempted to make the transfer complete. I must make clear that paleo is a lifestyle, not just a diet, as it involves changing so many aspects of your life including sleep, exercises, mood, food, etc.

Although I broke the “rules” I cannot beat myself up for it because then it would become a negative experience. Psychologically, I need to keep paleo inside a friendly and can do attitude. Some things that made it difficult to stay on track were the fact that eating out, while possible, can be a pain. You should always have pre-made meals/snacks on hand, as you are most likely to be tempted by the delicacies offered to you.

Tip - It’s important to know what’s going into your meals.

Let’s start off with the meals I’ve had.

Thursday (Oct 27^th)

Breakfast - Omelet with assorted veggies and an acai smoothie. (You may see that the omelet included cheese which is not Paleo. But everything else was!!).

Snack - Starbucks – Blended London Fog with Oranges and Coconut Milk, Pumpkin Spice Syrup, Sugar-Free Vanilla, Sugar-Free Cinnamon Dolce, and Caramel drizzle on bottom of the cup. I also purchased a Protein Bistro Box but did not eat peanut butter or the multi-grain roll.

Lunch – Costco Chicken Caesar Salad (The Parmesan Cheese was not Paleo and I did not use dressing) (I commend myself for not having a bite of pizza…. It smelled AMAZING)

Snack – Hummus snack pack with carrots and cucumbers

Snack – Paleo Pumpkin Brownies and Chocolaty Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I must admit … I had a bad night and went to bed without eating dinner.

Friday (Oct 28^th)

Breakfast – More Pumpkin Brownies!! (So Good)

Lunch – Pecan Crusted Chicken with Sautéed Veggies and Organic Green Beans with Nitrate free Bacon and Onions.

Snack – Pineapple Slices

Dinner – Homemade Butternut Squash Soup

Desert – Homemade Raspberry Mango Sorbet with Coconut milk and Dark Chocolate sweetened with wildflower honey

Saturday (Oct 29^th)

No Breakfast (slept in)

Snack – Pumpkin Brownies and Raspberries

Second Snack – Pineapple slices

Lunch – Salad with Organic Veggies

Dinner – Homemade Butternut Squash Soup (again),

Desert - Butternut Squash Pie with Pecan Crust with dark choco drizzle and homemade blueberry and mango sorbet

Sunday (Oct 30^th)

Breakfast – Protein Smoothie

Snack – Starbucks London Fog Blended Drink with Coconut milk and SF Vanilla Syrup

Lunch – Stone Fire Trip Tip Petite Meal with Greek Salad and Iced Tea

Snack – I had to break all rules at this point. It was raining and I blew a flat. I was crashing hard and needed a sugar fix. Green Tea Frap from Starbucks did the trick.

Dinner – Protein Drink

Monday (Oct 31^st)

Breakfast – Boiled Eggs with Himalayan Salt, Grapes

Lunch – Salad Farm - Steak strips with grilled organic veggies and corn on the cob. (Parmesan cheese) (Would have had a picture but yelp didn’t save it) Raspberry Lemonade

Snack – Lolli and Pops bulk candy … It’s Halloween and I was crazy to think I could withstand the sweet temptation

Dinner – Paleo Coconut Organic Chicken Strips with Peach Mustard Dressing and Zoodles

Tuesday (Nov 1^st)

Breakfast – Red Grapes and flavored water

Snack – Carrots with hummus and some Cucumbers

Lunch – Chipotle – Barbacoa Bowl w/ brown rice, black beans, barbacoa, cheese, and sour cream. Also guac and chips. (This was not a paleo meal at all but it was easy and feels healthier than other fast food options)

Dinner – Zoodles and Miracle Noodles with veggie & grass fed/organic ground beef sauce.

Wednesday (Nov 2^nd)

Breakfast – Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes

Snack – green organic grapes

Lunch – Organic Chicken Nuggets with green grapes and strawberries.

Snacks – Paleo Vanilla Bean Cookies

Dinner – Lettuce Wrap (Hamburger with out the bun) (Grilled onions, tomato’s, bacon, mustard, avocado)

I’m an emotional eater/non-eater so while I did a lot better this week than I have the entire time I have been trying to eat Paleo, it’s still nowhere near perfect. I’m also a bored eater and like to be munching on substance. Grapes are pretty good at quenching any kind of craving because they are sweet, juicy, and crunchy; they also have lots of texture. I recommend always having paleo sweets on hand in the house or with you when you go out to give you the little kick or craving you need throughout the day.

Some stuff to take in to consideration (https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean_fifteen_list.php)

Clean Fifteen

• - [* A small amount of sweet corn, papaya and summer squash sold in the United States is produced from GE seedstock. Buy organic varieties of these crops if you want to avoid GE produce (EWG)].
• -Avocados
• -Sweet Corn
• -Pineapples
• -Cabbage
• -Sweet Peas Frozen
• -Onions
• -Asparagus
• -Mangos
• -Papaya’s *
• -Kiwi
• -Eggplant
• -Honeydew Melon
• -Grapefruit
• -Cantaloupe
• -Cauliflower

Dirty Dozen (Buy ALL Organic)

• -Strawberries
• -Apples
• -Nectarines
• -Peaches
• -Celery
• -Grapes
• -Cherries
• -Spinach
• -Tomatoes
• -Sweet bell peppers
• -Cherry tomatoes
• -Cucumbers
• -Also:
• -Hot Peppers
• -Kale/Collard Greens

(EWG)

Almost everything needs to be Organic, Grass-Fed, No Nitrates, Raw, Etc.

For the entire list of pesticide rankings from 1-50 (1 being worst and 50 being best) visit https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/list.php

The thing about Paleo however is that as complicated as it seems, it’s pretty simple and healthy. There is so much hype about this lifestyle and the change is often extreme from our own lifestyles so it seems to be a huge and complicated mess. When you get right down to the grit of it, you are eating healthier and producing a better life for yourself. It’s by no means easy but it’s straightforward. It’s we who can over complicate the simplest things.

Debbie, the lady I live with, is also transitioning to a Paleo lifestyle (buddy system) and she has noted some interesting things about her body’s reaction.

• Not craving sugar or sugary products
• Not craving breads and wheat
• Not as tired or lagging in the day
• Gets full on a smaller amount of food
• Enjoying the recipes
• Loosing weight
• Less bloating
• Going to the bathroom regularly

One thing we love is Deserts and while not all of the items we have made have been triumph’s, there have been some that blow my mind and become addicting. I will be sharing a Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe as well as the Paleo Pumpkin Brownie Recipe with you! (Below)

Eating out is not the easiest because finding restaurants that serve grass-fed organic meats and organic veggies is not always the easiest.

However, we thought it would be difficult to find all the paleo necessities we need, and yet there are many places to get them. Most grocery stores carry paleo friendly items, although they are expensive, its quick and easy. You can also order everything you need online. There are many paleo friendly meat vendors who deliver the meat to your home as well as online companies who source and deliver other paleo products to your house. A little researching online goes a long, long way.

Now that this article and my adventure have come to a close, I will continue to transition and use the paleo lifestyle but I will also have my moments… normal moments to indulge in whatever I please. For right now, that means PIZZA! [Btw you can make paleo pizza as they make paleo pizza crust (Julian’s Bakery) and many organic ingredients to top it off with.] However I’m lazy and want someone to hand me a slice so that I may stuff it into my face. I do not feel that I will indulge in sugary items because by now they make me feel sick and that’s not healthy. I love the way I’m beginning to feel while on paleo, I’m hoping those who try it might as well.

I want to note that I realize there is not always the money, resources, etc to accomplish buying the best products possible but you also should note where you are spending unnecessary money elsewhere in your life that you could put towards a better diet.

I do recommend people try to make their lives healthier by getting enough sleep, watching what they put into their bodies, and getting outside to enjoy fresh air everyday. Making your life better is not supposed to be a negative experience and while this new way of eating feels like a big change, you are just buying different ingredients to go into the same items you usually make. Honestly, in some ways and in certain recipes the paleo ingredients taste better and make the meal more wholesome. Any full paleo trooper will say the same; you can’t become paleo over night, as it is a process. If you have managed to accomplish this feat, then right on and tell us how to do it! Otherwise, take your time and be proud of the accomplishments you make.

Paleo Chocolate Chip Recipes

http://paleogrubs.com/chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe...

Paleo Pumpkin Brownie Recipe (Link Below)

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/brownies/marbled-chocola...

to make this recipe paleo substitute:

3oz cream cheese => 3oz organic butter

1/2 c. sugar => 1/2 c. Maple Sugar

1 tbsp All Purpose Flour => 1 tbsp Tapioca Flour

1 1/4 c. All Purpose Flour => 1 1/4 c. Almond/Coconut Flour

3/4 tsp of Paleo Baking Powder. (look up how to make your own on google)

6oz unsweetened chocolate => 6oz (however much you like) 100% pure cocoa

2 1/4 c. Sugar => 2 1/4 c. Date Sugar

1/4 c. Milk => 1/4 c. Almond/Coconut Milk

Walnuts => Pecans (Optional transition)

Here is a guide of what is not allowed on a strictly Paleo diet.

http://paleogrubs.com/foods-to-avoid

EWG. "CLEAN FIFTEEEN - EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce." EWG. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2016.

EWG. "DIRTY DOZEN - EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce." EWG. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2016.