what i love most about paleo

All my adult life, and a fair amount of my childhood, has revolved around food and cooking. Not just the necessity of eating, the sheer joy of it. I simply adore it.

Much of that time has also been dedicated to health, though not always in ways that turned out to be so healthy. I've followed Adele Davis, Atkins, Fit for Life, vegetarian diets, low carb, low fat, high protein, low protein, low sugar, no sugar, all natural, mostly artificial. I've consulted with herbalists and a medical intuitive. Geez! At one very odd point in my life, I even tried Nutrisytem and ate food from little packets. That doesn't sound too foodie-like, most certainly.

One of the hardest aspects of food and health in my quest was the business of giving up food for health. Every healthy step forward seemed to involve doors slammed in the face of foods, all kinds of foods. More than eating them, often, I missed cooking those no-no foods. I missed playing in the kitchen, even cleaning and chopping, but mostly roasting, braising, and simmering. I missed turning the pages of Bon Appetit and Gourmet. I missed Martha Stewart and Ina Garten. So, often, I'd stray. Just a little at first, then before I knew it, I was making gourmet pizza again. And huge, fluffy cinnamon rolls, and lasagne.

Out of nowhere, it seemed, I slammed head first into a wall I couldn't ignore. The pain was unbearable; the other symptoms had become undeniable. It wasn't new, none of it was new, but now it was in my face in a way I could not ignore.  Maybe it was an age thing, maybe environment, could be stress-induced, I have no clue. I only know that there came a time when I simply had to sit up straight and listen to my body. I wanted to cry that day, that week, that month, that whole first year.

I followed the advice that I still give others, "Eat what you love that really works for your body. Ignore everything else on those food lists. Don't eat the "avoid" foods, but don't dwell on them either. And don't even consider trying to force yourself to eat foods you don't like just because they may be good for you. Ever!" As I did this, I found more and more and more foods I could not, cannot eat. Damn! Gluten-free alone has never worked for me. I had to eliminate all grains, all dairy, anything and everything artificial or enhanced.

Then I bumped into Paleo, that weird sounding world, oddly fixated on WOD and fat. Gee! This was the food I ate, and almost everyone was excited about it. Almost everyone on the Paleo sites and blogs and pages, I mean. Sure, occasionally there's some butter or potatoes or cheese. No big deal there, I can do a little subbing. I could read cookbooks again without getting teary. And magazines. And blogs! Lots of blogs!

As I was looking over recipes, food pics, and ideas from other bloggers this morning, I had a crystal clear vision of what really draws me almost magnetically to Paleo meals, food choices, and lifestyle.
I get to work toward healthy and healthier. I get to mostly avoid pain. I get to eat real food. And best of all! I still get to be a foodie while doing it.

I get to do this with little sacrifice, really no sacrifice. Have a hard time believing it? Check out these delightful recipes and articles from and about other bloggers.

Pumpkin pie bars
What's in the fridge, Whole9?
warm apple onion relish
Balanced Bites' Pumpkin Pancakes 

Next time I'll focus on the beast.

my favorite whole30 words

"Start now. Today. This minute."

Those are the words that prompted me to start the Whole30 for the first time. I see that morning clearly, amazingly so, really, in my mind. I was lying in bed on a Saturday morning, being lazy and reading whatever caught my eye on Facebook. I followed a link to the Whole9 website and started reading through comments and then the specifics of the Whole30. I'd heard about the Whole30 but never really examined it before that morning. It was mid-morning early last October. I'd already eaten a very unusual breakfast, unusual for me anyway since I almost never do sweet: fresh Paleo apple crisp with an almond crust, sweetened with stevia and topped with whipped coconut milk. It was certainly not Whole30 approved. But it didn't matter. I followed their directions. I started right then. Right after reading the detailed description on their website.

No fanfare. No big prep. No worrying. I walked into my bathroom, weighed myself one last time, and just started. And I am so glad I did.

Of all the delightful things they have to say, and they are excellent writers, those words remain my favorites.

"Start now. Today. This minute."

really? are you kidding me?

I took a health assessment survey today that my employer has been encouraging. I'd passed on the idea a month or two ago, but today I gave in to the $150 they were dangling in front of my nose. That could buy the spices from Penzey's I've been resisting or a supply of Primal Pacs or the Whole9 telephone consultation that's been sounding so tempting. So I sold out, took the darned survey, answered all their questions about diet and weight and health and exercise and self-esteem.

This was a long survey and in retrospect possibly not worth the money when you get right down to it. Especially since it's not really money; it's one of those annoying Visa cards that they load as you go. Still, I did it; it's done.

After they processed all my information which included not a single question about allergies or food intolerances, they said they were formulating my personal report. (Oh, did I mention this was an online survey? "They" refers to the program.) The report would tell me how healthy I am, and the follow-up virtual consultation would tell me what I could do to improve my health. Sure enough, after about 60 seconds, up popped my personal evaluation.

The report said I was at a healthy weight (yay!), applauded my non-smoker status, made a cautious suggestion that I might want to work on my exercise program, and then addressed diet. Apparently, my lack of healthy whole grains and sufficient dairy products is grave. That was mentioned over and over and over. They gave me all kinds of disgusting ways in which I might add grains. Of course, along with that I should limit my fat intake. They gave me lots of artificial low-fat suggestions. Apparently, they think I eat enough vegetables, but I should really increase my daily servings of fruit.

People are taking these surveys, thinking there's something to them. You know they are. Then they're following the outrageous recommendations or feeling guilty that they're not. This is not okay, not even for $150.

oh my, did she write this just for me?

You'd think with all the cookbooks around that it would be surprising to find one that's very much different than the others. This is not to say the others are bad, not in the least. I'm guessing I have somewhere between two and three hundred cookbooks, and I'm not ready to part with a single one. I love to look through them randomly. I get ideas for some related dish, some adaptation that I might try. I play off them, the recipes and the pictures alike. But I rarely follow a recipe, even in Paleo cookbooks. So many ingredients that I can't eat or even handle without penalty are in those books, too. Still, I love them.

I was fascinated by the idea of Melissa Joulwan's new book, Well Fed. I knew a little about her but not a lot. I'd read "The Clothes Make the Girl" and enjoyed it, though I didn't visit with regularity. I knew she had a connection to Whole9 and commented knowledgeably on the Whole30 blogs. I'm seriously in love with the Whole30, as you must know if you've been here before, so that was encouraging. Ginger Lemon Girl's review was impressive. Okay, I thought, better add this to my bookshelf. First I downloaded the preview that Ms. Joulwan offers free, at The Clothes Make the Girl. Then I ordered the book from Amazon.

I was expecting a good book. I'd seen the preview. I'd liked it. But still, I have been just a little bit blown away by how very much I like every little detail of this book. It's practical. It's beautiful. It's well organized and well written. Beyond that, it speaks to me, answers my preparation questions, and offers hints and tips I can actually use. Maybe more exciting though, at least for me, is that I can use (have used) these ideas and these recipes just as they are. For me that's monumental.

I cook, more accurately I live to cook, and yet I still am frustrated at times that if I want to stay healthy and avoid pain, I must cook virtually all my meals everyday. Sometimes I wish I could just open a can or pour a bowl of cereal, even though I have never liked cans and never did eat cereal. I'd like to be able to put something on our plates and in my mouth without having to romance the kitchen every single time. Well Fed to the rescue. From the detailed descriptions of planning weekly food purchases that include not just what but how much, to the equally detailed methods for having this food ready throughout the week by spending a bit of time prepping in advance, to just what to do with it all when mealtime approaches, this book seemed to be talking to me, personally, directly. I kept thinking, "I could do that!" I don't really need inspiration, I need organization, but she gave me both. And the best part...you need not know on Sunday what you'll feel like eating on Thursday. The flexibility is perfect for those of us who just can't, won't maybe, plan meals and menus.

Still the best part, the the mayonnaise icing on the cauliflower cake, I can eat every ingredient in every recipe I've read so far. They're not filled with butter or cheese or sweeteners or other questionable foods. These are Paleo recipes, of course, but stick close to basics. Paleo basics that is; these recipes are far from mundane. They are also not overly complicated for the most part. I have absolutely nothing against overly complicated, just not every time I cook. The first recipe I tried was the antithesis of complicated, Caramelized Coconut Chips. They took almost 7 minutes from start to plate. Not complicated, just really good, as in not a morsel left on the plate, and GK doesn't usually touch coconut. Oh, that recipe is in her trial download, too.

The chapter on sauces could be my favorite, but...I could probably say that about each one.

I cannot wait to put more of these ideas to work in my kitchen. While I love holiday food prep and celebrations, I have a whole new plan to set in motion once these holiday meals are done. I'm excited and motivated and ready to go.

To Melissa and everyone else involved with the creation of Well Fed, thanks so much, though you really didn't have to write a whole cookbook just for me.