not preaching, just sharing my love of paleo

2012 came and went faster than I can say, “I do.”  It was a big year (got married, turned 30) and somehow this blog got pushed to the back burner.  I’ve missed the creative outlet of artlovefashion, the research, the writing, the sharing and the feedback.  Even though 2013 is already a few months deep, its time for me to start again fresh and thank all the subscribers (old and new) who have stuck with me, so thank you!

When it comes to eating (ok, eating healthy) I prefer the term ‘lifestyle choice’ over the toxic word ‘dieting.’  (This isn’t a ‘diet’ post per say, it’s more of a reflection on a ‘lifestyle choice’ I’m trying out, thanks to the uber-fab Miss Natalie B.)

I like to think of myself as a pretty healthy person overall.  I get to the gym when I can and I bring my meals to work so I eat healthiest during the weekday (or so I thought.)  On the weekends it’s a different story and I don’t think twice when reaching for that 2nd (ok, 4th) slice of pizza…or have much regret…until my pants feel a little more snug Monday morning than I remember them fitting Friday afternoon.  Several months ago my cousin came over for dinner as we try to do once a week (but in this case several weeks had passed since our last visit) and as soon as she took off her coat my jaw hit the floor when I saw how much weight she had lost since we last saw one another (I’m talking like 15lbs and she was small to begin with.)  She started raving about eating Paleo and I was intrigued but I hated the thought of restricting what one can/ cannot eat because that would feel too much like a ‘diet.’  She had me try some of her go-to snack she always carries around with her – a homemade trailmix…it was more delish than I wanted to admit.  I tried to convince her that what I was eating during the day was just as healthy as Paleo but she dismissed my fiber bars as being as healthy as cookie dough and cringed at the sight of my favorite honey flavored Greek yogurt.  I decided to just try being a little Paleo after my next trip to the grocery store.  Needless to say I have never felt better since trying Paleo (sorry if that sounds gimmicky, but its true) and although I’m not eating Paleo all the time, it has helped me maintain my weight during those insane weeks I cannot get to the gym and end up ordering takeout for dinner here and there.  There are also some phenomenal health benefits to this way of eating but I’ll let you find that out on your own if you’re so inclined why Paleo?

Ok, so here’s the Paleo breakdown:

Paleo is all about lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds- this ‘lifestyle choice’ avoids dairy, grain, processed food, sugar, legumes and starch.  Instead of my beloved fiber bar I now pack a Larabar for breakfast (carrot cake is their best flavor- avoid chocolate coconut.)  Instead of peanut butter on a banana I snack on almond butter with my banana.  Like Natalie, I too now carry around a beloved ‘trailmix’ although mine is much less exciting since it only consists of golden raisins and almonds but it really is a perfect snack.  Now I reach for this yummy mixture instead of a string cheese or Greek yogurt.  It really didn’t take much for me to tweak my daily eating habits and eating Paleo doesn’t require a lot of prep work.  Here are some really yummy Paleo recipes which are tasty enough to make even if you don’t want anything to do with Paleo:

Elana’s Chicken Salad with Almonds                                  Elana’s Carrot Banana Muffins

Nom Nom Paleo Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms                Everyday Paleo Sausage, Egg & Sweet Potato Hash

xoxo,

Lauren