29 September 2014

Lifestyle : My Paleo Journey


Smoked salmon on bed of beansprout, baby tomatoes, sliced onion, chive and shredded coconut - my typical Paleo lunch menu

My 80/20 Paleo snack - mix nuts, blueberries and flax seed 

Kale and chicken breast in clear vegetable soup - Paleo dinner

80/20 Paleo breakfast of banana, mix nuts, sultanas, berries and pomegranate 

Dinning out menu choice of Tuna steak on bed of steamed vegetable and olive oil

Satay or spiced beef and chicken on skewer, the best Paleo dinner!

Dining out menu choice for brunch of poached eggs on bed of smoked salmon and spinach. 
Skip the Hollandaise sauce!

A Paleo must, coconut oil

Another Paleo choice for dining out, Sushi salad with no dressing

Homemade mayonnaise with almond oil


Captain and I, we are quite peculiar when it comes to eating. We do not belong to any diet group; not vegetarian, not vegan, not lactose free or gluten free, but we have our phases. For an example, when we travel to the US we usually go vegetarian. Well, why not when we can take advantage of the best of many vegetarian restaurants which we can only dream of here in Dubai. Sometimes we would go gluten free or fully organic, just to take advantage of what the places we visit has to offer. But a few month ago, I was attracted to a type of eating style called Paleo. I'm sure to many of you Paleo is a no brainner but to those whom may not be too familiar of this word, allow me to give a bit of explanation.


Paleo or Paleolithic diet or in plain English, Caveman/Stone-Age/Hunter-Gatherer diet is a type of diet that was designed to allow us to eat the closest possible to the way human did during the Paleolithic or Stone Age era where agriculture was not known of. Human back then eat what they gathered or hunted - meat, fish, nuts and fruits. Robb Wolf the author of Paleo Solution, The Original Human Diet and probably the person that started the whole Paleo craze, claimed that it is the healthiest way we can eat as it gives us what the body needs to stay lean, strong and energetic. Research has shown that today's diet or eating habit that filled with process and refined food, sugar and trans fat was the main contributor to diseases like obesity, cancer, heart problem, Alzheimer, Parkinson and depression. The idea is to eat lean proteins, lots of fresh fruits, vegetable and healthy fats, the cleanest possible. Not bad, huh?


So there I was, drawn, intrigued, all hyped up and excited to start living healthy life and try my best to go Paleo for as long as I could. Before that lets see what are the dos and don'ts of Paleo diet :



Dos

Oil - Olive, Canola, Coconut
Coconut milk/cream
Balsamic
Coconut flour
Almond Flour
Nuts except peanuts
Meat - Beef, lamb, chicken
Fish and seafood
Veggies
Fruits
Salt


Don'ts

Wheat- even whole wheat
Grains and seeds including rice, quinoa, corn, oats, cereals
Beans - cheakpeas, red beans, black beans, peas
Bread of any kind
Pastas even whole wheat
Rice even brown or wild rice
Sugar, added sugar, artificial sugar even honey
Dairy and its product
Alcohol 


As I scrolled the don'ts section I had to do 'double take' a few times. What?? No quinoa? And oats?? But these are the good stuff, stuff that are healthy! This can't be right. So I did more reaserch and found out that grains and seeds were not part of our ancestors' diet as they were only available after the knowledge or agriculture. Bummer! Still, I went with it. Was it hard?  Well, honestly I might be an Asian but I can really do without rice. I was never a fan of pasta, hardly eat bread unless it's really good bread and milk, what am I, 3? But, after a while I was missing cheese.. and then quinoa and a month later rice. I then started incorporating some of these things I missed back in my diet, you know, a scoop of rice every couple of weeks, a tablespoon of Parmesan with my salad once in a while, some quinoa and flax seed... (Oh, c'mon! Flax seed is good for health!).


Then it came the time for my vacation and what is a trip to Italy without the fresh Mozzarella and Burrata? Well, lets just say I tripped and savored every bite of those cheeses. Back in Dubai I tried going back on track but I found myself trying to justify the healthy things under the don't list that I was told by every health book I read as good for our body like grains, honey and seeds. After much deliberation and further consideration , I agree that too much of 'good' things is never good for me and decided that I will continue eating the Paleo way but once in a while I am going to give my self a break and have that scoop or rice or slice of bread with cheese, a dash of milk with my coffee.. after all there are people who live to be 90 or more and some I am pretty sure do not even know how to spell Paleo let alone know what it is all about. Conclusion is, I'm sure Paleo is good (or not?) but for me moderation prevails.




post signature

18 comments:

  1. again im hungry! jajaja kisses!

    Un Rincón Para Mis Botas blog
    http://fiorellaechegaray.blogspot.com.es/2014/09/hanging-in-my-closet.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. All of it looks delicious, but I've read a lot lately that says what our "ancestors" ate is largely speculation and probably varied a great deal by region. (And may have included more insects as protein sources than I think any of us are willing to eat!) Still, I think we can't go wrong by limiting processed foods, and eating as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible. I avoid sugar as much as possible and most flours, but am not willing to give up my coffee, cheese or wine!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've tried Paleo and read Marks Daily Apple blog (he's another paleo guy on the web). I've been vegetarian, vegan, etc and I find when I'm on a certain diet plan that excludes certain food groups that I get bored. So even though I like Paleo - I gotta have me some rice and oats and cheese etc. lol

    I like to consider myself a flexetarian .. I like it all and try to eat it all in moderation :-)

    Your dishes look divine though !! I'd happily eat paleo if those dishes were on the menu.

    Monica, www.pear-shaped-gal.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha! I like that flexetarian sounds like, Monica! I guess I'll join you. One thing about being on whatever diet plan, is the question of if we could sustain it. So flexetarian is best!

      Delete
  4. Considering the fact that skeletal evidence shows that most of our early ancestors didn't live past their 30s, I'm not sure that following their dietary example is such a good idea! I do, agree, however that our modern diet filled with processed foods isn't great either.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I guess skip process and try to eat as clean and as natural as possible could be a good compromise to our ancestors diet

      Delete
  5. You're making me hungry! Such a healthy lifestyle :)
    <3
    katsfashionfix.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I had never heard of this diet before. Paleo huh? Sound very interesting.

    Hahahahaha i was happy that the mozzarella got you!! And I fully get you going for the best that a place can offer - why not!! I would too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, mozzarella is my weakness.. I just caved in!

      Delete
  7. Oh, good for you! Lovely photos, and I admire your attitude about food ... eat the best and cleanest of what is available! I'd be hard pressed to do without grains or pasta, but I eat both without sugars in them or on them beyond what they metabolize into. Whole grains, as little processing as possible, but limits are essential. I do much less beef, much more fish and lots more veggies ... rice is my downfall. I eat it at least twice a week (Mexican! Can't do without!) but in limited amounts. No delicious, deep dark peppery red wine? Can't do it. But I really watch the quantity for calories.
    You have my admiration, and I'll be interested to see how you work with this very clean and delicious looking approach!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sounds like a touch diet, but you can do it Mrs C. I'm sure 6 months down the line you will start to feel the difference...energy and health wise. I'm definitely tempted to try it. I've been hearing a lot about the Paleo diet. One things for sure...I need to cut all the processed sugars....boo:(. Good luck on your paleo eating journey:)!

    ReplyDelete
  9. So delectable Mrs. C - thanks for sharing! Why don't you link up any OOTD post this week to the TREND SPIN linkup which I am co-hosting with Laura and Erin. This linkup goes live starting Monday at 1am PST...hope to see your pretty face there!

    Rebecca
    www.redtagchiclosangeles.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hubby has tried various diets but he has always favoured the paleo one (but he is not super strict but avoids bread, pasta etc). I am trying to cut down the carbs in my food and replace potatoes and rice with veggie mash and/or salads. It works fine during weeks but on weekends I do allow myself to cheat as one needs that break from time to time as you say! Good luck!! xx

    ReplyDelete
  11. I've heard great things about the paleo diet and think it's a great principal to follow! I, however, could not give up grains like brown rice and quinoa I don't think (and at least those are healthy). Props to you though, and these dishes all look excellent!

    Jacy
    www.lovelenore.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I've heard that the paleo diet works really well for some people, but there are a few things on the don't list that I absolutely know I can't live without, like oats - and cheese! And I find that the more I tell myself i can't have something, the more I want it. So I stick with eating in moderation. Any diet is all about finding what works for you :)
    xox,
    Cee

    ReplyDelete
  13. I did this Paleo Diet for a while too but I miss my cheese and pastas. How are you doing, Mrs. C?

    xo Jo

    http://www.whiterosesandcoffee.com

    ReplyDelete

Say your thoughts!