Tag Archive for Paleo Christmas Party

Hate Your Thighs, Stomach, and Butt? What’s Changed in 2014; Holiday Recipes

December 2, 2014 / / Comments Off on Hate Your Thighs, Stomach, and Butt? What’s Changed in 2014; Holiday Recipes

thanksgiving2014Last November (2013), I had a theme running called Change Your Brain, Change Your Body.  Here’s the premise:  our every word and action is precipitated by our thoughts, and our thoughts make habit patterns in our brain.  These “habits” are chemical and structural in nature; they’re as real and concrete as a tree or a rug or a skin cell.

If you have Bad Habits that have led to you being overweight or sick ( such as the habit of eating every time you’re lonely or stressed, eating sugar/grain flour, or binging on the weekend); then the simple desire to change, or the feeling of hating body parts, won’t make a dent in the brain patterns you’ve nurtured and developed.  Those things are like steel train tracks, and getting rid of them requires a solid plan that focuses on getting rid of destructive old thought patterns and replacing them with productive new thought patterns.

When I work with a client who needs to lose weight or change eating habits that have led to poor health, I have them work just as much – or more – on their Brain Plan as I do on their Food Plan.

Here’s a quote from a Nov. 2013 post:

It’s been over a week now that I’ve challenged you to Change your Thinking if you want to Change Your Body; and I’m specifically talking about those negative thought patterns that I’ve heard so many people express: I hate my thighs, if only they were thinner; I hate my stomach; I hate my butt; I want to lose weight; If only I could lose 10 pounds…. etc etc etc. Ask yourself how long you’ve been spinning on these exact same thoughts and how well they’ve allowed you to change. How long?

Change doesn’t happen when you keep doing the “same old same old”; negative thought patterns NEVER produce positive results.  Stop thinking about what you don’t like on your body, and start focusing on improving your mind. Focus on being kinder, more loving, more productive, healthier, more energetic – anything other than weight and calorie counts. Use Mantras, Meditation, and Prayer; write positive or meaningful quotes on 10 or 20 sticky’s and post them all over: your mirrors, wallet, fridge, doors, car. PRACTICE changing your thoughts. 

I asked some questions at the end of 2013, and I’ve been thinking about them for the past few weeks:

What did I manifest this year?  What did I change?  What’s stayed the same? What will I work on?

Don’t let 2015 be more of what bugs you about yourself, be different!  Get in touch with me and we’ll develop a plan to free you from destructive habits.    If those destructive habits include food addiction, it’s going to take awhile.  If it’s just a matter of information… not so long.

On to something more fun: Thanksgiving Recipes, and a Paleo Party Invite.

If you’re in my area ( Northern Virginia ), I’m hosting a Paleo Christmas Party on Friday, December 12, from 12-2.  Everyone is invited!  Bring – or don’t! – a Grain Free, Sugar Free, Real Whole Food appetizer, dessert, or main dish.  If you aren’t on the Evite list, send me your email so I can put you on it 🙂

Last, a few recipes we made for Thanksgiving:

* Low Carb Green Bean Casserole – this was EXCELLENT!  A few changes:  1. I didn’t use Avocado oil, too expensive and I love the taste of butter.   2.  I added a quarter cup of raw yogurt, it acts like sour cream.  This dish is going to be a tradition at our house.

* My sister wrapped medium sized sweet potato chunks in bacon  and then roasted them- EXCELLENT!

*  Low Carb Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake – OMG Delicious:

CRUST:
1 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1 cup coconut oil or butter
3/4 cup Swerve (or erythritol and 2 tsp stevia glycerite)
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 egg

FILLING:
3 8-ounce packages Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup Swerve (or erythritol and 1 tsp stevia glycerite)
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 dash ground cloves

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
CRUST: In a medium sized bowl combine all the ingredients. Press onto bottom of 9 inch springform pan.

FILLING: Beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup of the Swerve and vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Remove 1 cup plain batter; place in small bowl. Stir remaining 1/4 cup Swerve, pumpkin and spices into remaining batter. Spoon pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of reserved plain batter. Cut through batters with knife several times for marble effect.

If using a springform pan, wrap the outside of it with tin foil so any oils don’t leak out into oven. Bake 55 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Cut into 12 slices. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator. Serves 12

Category: Cooking, Mind/Body, No Recipe Paleo Meals, Paleo Recipe, RWF / Tags: , , , , ,

Paleo Christmas Party Recipe Links

December 14, 2013 / / Comments Off on Paleo Christmas Party Recipe Links

table at partyYou can have a Christmas party without grains and sugars –  we proved it yesterday:)  Thank you to everyone who brought the delicious food, and thanks for braving my snowy, hilly, driveway.  I’ve got the recipes links for about half of the food that was shared, and the whole recipe for the cauliflower soup.  NOTE:  No one expected “cauliflower soup” to be so delicious, but it was.  OMG:  herb-y, hot, creamy, wintery and warming.

Magic Cookie Bars, All Day I Dream About Food.  The sweetened condensed milk takes 90 minutes to make, plan accordingly.

Bacon Jam from the cookbook, Beyond Bacon.

Goji Berry Sea Salt Drops, from Food Babe.

Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with Manchego cheese, and Bacon wrapped dates NOT stuffed – both versions are delicious.

Paleo Snickerdoodles, Elana’s pantry.

Paleo Molassas Spice Cookies, Elana’s pantry.

Paleo Coconut Milk Bread, The Spunky Coconut.

Peanut butter Caramel Shortbread bars, All Day I Dream About Food.

Peanut Butter Cookies, Elana’s Pantry ( these were supposed to be Vegan, but I used butter)

Star Butter Cookies, Elana’s Pantry

Paleo Pecan Sandies, Elana’s Pantry

Chunky Monkey Muffins, Primal Cravings cookbook

Sorry, there was a lot more food on the table, but no cards with links on them:(  I’ll do a better job monitoring that next year I promise!

The Cauliflower Soup Recipe:

2 leeks, including 2 bunches of greens, roots trimmed

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 celery rib, with extra leaves, coarsely chopped

2 tbsp finely minced garlic

2 tsp curry powder –   this ingredient surprised me bc I tasted NO hot spicyness at all

2 tsp ground ginger

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth (more if necessary)

Juice of half a lemon

1 head cauliflower, cored and broken into florets

1 cup half and half

salt and pepper to taste

Cut leeks in half lengthwise. Wash to remove dirt.   Pat dry and thinly slice crosswise.   (2) Heat oil w the butter in heavy pot over low heat. Wilt the leeks and celery w leaves until softened, 10 minutes, add garlic during the last 5 minutes.  (3)  Stir in the curry powder and ginger, cook over low heat to permeate the vegetables, 1 minute.  (4) Add broth, lemon juice, and cauliflower florets. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the cauliflower is very tender, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly. (5) Puree in a food processor until very smooth, adding half and half though the feed tube.  Add extra broth for desired consistency. Season w Salt and Pepper.   Sprinkle with crystalized ginger or sliced scallions.

 

Category: Cooking, RWF / Tags: , , , , , ,

What’s So Good About Paleo Desserts? A Lot.

December 2, 2013 / / Comments Off on What’s So Good About Paleo Desserts? A Lot.

hunters headOhhh!  Four questions on the worthiness or effectiveness of “Paleo Desserts”! I get it:  how can sweets made with almond and coconut flour, which aren’t low fat or calorie free, be good for us?  We’ve been told for 25 years that if we want to “cheat”, we need to either eat the fake low cal/low fat stuff, or make it a “real” cheat day and just go for it, then diet later.  How’s that working out for America?

Here’s a few reasons why desserts made without grains and sugar are actually good for you.  One, they’re made without grains and sugar, two of the MOST ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCES IN THE WORLD.   According to both old and new research, foods made with flour and sugar are MORE desirable than cocaine in rat, mouse, and human studies.  It makes sense:  these substances trigger “opioid / pleasure” centers in your brain.

Most of us know this feeling:  we have a cookie or a piece of cake, and it sets off a craving for more, independent of how full or hungry we are.  What about moderation?  I admit that works for some people ( that number’s getting smaller as more and more people develop food addictions), but not most.  Alcoholics and Drug Addicts can’t “moderate” their substance abuse, they have to stay away from it because even a little bit triggers the desire.  It’s the same with flours and sugars.  It doesn’t take much. Heck! It doesn’t even take putting it in your mouth!  Sometimes the THOUGHT/SMELL/SIGHT of foods made with flour and sugar set off the desire. That’s how powerful they are.

Reason 2:  unless you’re allergic to nuts and eggs, Paleo desserts won’t trigger or cause inflammation, headaches, stomach bloat, immune suppression, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, high bad LDL, or any of the other illnesses, mood disorders, or diseases that Grains and Sugar cause.  As a matter of fact, if Nutrient Density is your goal, most of the desserts are pretty Nutrient Dense.  Eat foods that are Nutrient Dense and your BODY RUNS BETTER.

Reason 3:  eliminate foods with Grains and Sugar, up your Fat and Protein,  and your ENTIRE APPETITE DECREASES.  Honest.  The constant hunger, the eating every couple of hours, the obsessive thoughts of food, they disappear when you’re not consuming carbs that burn up in a few hours.  Ping-ponging Blood Sugar has BAD consequences for our weight and our health.  I get all my Nutrition clients to buy Glucometers and test their blood sugar.  I do it too.  Trust me, these Paleo Desserts DON’T MESS WITH THE BLOOD SUGAR, and that’s a BIG DEAL.  We Want Even Blood Sugars ALL DAY LONG.  Eliminate flours and sugars and that happens.

All behavior is BELIEF DRIVEN.  If you don’t smoke, it’s because you think smoking is gross and deadly.  If you don’t drink, it’s because you know hangovers hurt, and you could do something real dumb while you’re drunk.  If you don’t do Heroin or Cocaine, it’s because you know they’re dangerous.

Believe This:  Grains and Sugars are deadly and fattening.  (Let this be your MANTRA this week.) Every time and for every body, even kids.  Become Passionately Averse to them, and life becomes so much better:  weight, mood, inflammation, hormones, etc etc etc.    Drop your fear of fat.  Your body is made out of Water, Fat, and Protein.  Carbohydrates are used to build nothing. We need some carbs for energy and vegetables and fruits supply more than enough.

Back to the original question, are Paleo Desserts really better than Normal Desserts?  YES!! Speaking of Paleo Desserts, if you’re in the area, I’m having a Paleo Indulgences Christmas Party Friday, December 13, from noon to 2.  Everyone’s Invited!  Need recipe ideas?               All Day I Dream About Food, PaleoOMG, and Elana’s Pantry are great places to start.  It’s wonderful to be able to indulge without the bloat, the guilt, or the food hangover.  Trust me.

Here’s a pic of some Peanut Butter cookies I made last night, which were EXCELLENT! Here’s the recipe .

peanut butter cookies

 

Category: Cooking, Question of the Week / Tags: , , , ,
 
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