Can you tell I love talking to you? It really does brighten my day. This week for Wellness Wednesday I am rounding up the questions you sent over and answering the things you need to know! There are so many topics I could write about with wellness, but I thought I would take a break and get to the questions you were hoping to have answered. Read on for more!
Q: Trying to incorporate more veggies in my life, any super easy tasty recipes? For like broccoli? Cauliflower? I tried just roasting with salt and pepper. Yuck
A: Veggies are always the answer. For me roasting them with olive oil, salt, pepper and GARLIC is the way to go. I love everything prepared in the oven this way. I also love turning cauliflower into buffalo bites with some buffalo wing sauce and some cajun spices. Tessemae’s also has a marinade that is to die for.
Q: What are lunch/snack ideas?
A: There are SO MANY lunch ideas it’s hard to narrow it down. My new favorite thing to do though (if I’m pressed for time) is to slow cook some chicken on the weekend and then either cut it or shred it. Next I make some quinoa and store that in the fridge. Then eat day I mix a little of each with a greens mix and change the flavor up with some Paleo dressing (I like Tessemae’s brand, linked above) or some Trader Joe’s salsa. You can also add things like olives, tahini, diced tomatoes and other veggies as well. You can even prep them in mason jars in advance a few days at a time! You can also turn these into wraps for a change- I LOVE the Paleo wraps from the Siete brand.
As for snacks, dried fruit, muffins, healthy chips (I like the Siete brand) and apples and peanut butter are some of my favorites.
Q: I have been wondering about how healthy meat really is for you. Is it really OK to eat? And all types? These more meat based diets make me nervous due to antibiotics, hormones, and processing. So I’m curious your thoughts!
A: I am mostly a chicken girl- and I try to buy organic whenever possible. I’m not the type of Paleo person who eats nothing but meat every day. Paleo for me is more about not having anything processed and not eating anything with added sugar. I also don’t eat dairy, and yes I do miss cheese. That said I also do a lot with organic, lean ground turkey. I personally need to increase my protein so this is one of the best ways I know how. I am often tempted to be a vegetarian but I don’t think that would work for my lifestyle.
Q: What do you eat when you go out to eat?
A: My number one rule for eating out is PORTION CONTROL. When I go out to eat I do my best not to have anything sugar-laden. Going out to eat is cheat no matter what you do, so I try to make the best choices I can. Even a salad likely comes with dressing filled with sugar. I stick with salad and get avocado instead of dressing or get chicken with a sauce that likely has minimal sugar. I avoid pasta unless I want a treat and dessert is a gift to myself. When eating those things, I don’t eat the whole plate. I eat slowly and don’t over eat- and that helps immensely. I give myself some wiggle room and try to enjoy my meal, but truth be told since eating as clean as I do, it’s become that much harder not to. I have had many nights where I have to come home and rub peppermint oil on my tummy because it is NOT happy with me. Over time though I know the restaurants I can get away with eating at that won’t make me deathly ill.
Q: How do you avoid sweets in the teacher’s lounge or other situations at school?? I’m a teacher too and it’s the worst environment for dieting.
A: One of the BEST pieces of advice I EVER got about eating Paleo is to plan your cheats. NEVER have a cheat you weren’t expecting to have. I stick to this. I know that Friday night is pizza night for Mike and I when we aren’t on a detox or a cleanse, so on Fridays I eat extra clean otherwise. If you know you’re going out to dinner on Saturday- it’s a planned cheat- eat away. Then makeup for it the rest of the day. (and I say that intentionally- for me it’s not a cheat day- it’s a cheat meal.) As for the teacher’s lounge, I pack myself some homemade treats and I’m just as happy. When we are hosting company I even bake myself my own muffins and I have a field day! (needless to say I also don’t frequent the teacher’s lounge all that often- #introvertsunite)
Q: What non dairy milk have you found that doesn’t have loads of garbage ingredients?
A: This one was so easy! Califia Farms in hands down the best milk I have found to date. There is NOTHING in it and it tastes GREAT! Their coffee creamers are also amazing. Read your ingredients because there are some flavors that have added sugar but for the most part, they are the best you can get!
Q: What cookbook recommendations do you have?? Love the websites so far but also want to know if there’s a good book you see as a staple.
A: Great question! These are the cookbooks/nutrition plans I love the most. (though I’m sure there are SO many more!)
I can tell you that it DOES get easier. Once you’re through a detox you really don’t crave the foods that you used to. Also after you’ve detoxed and you DO cheat, you’ll feel like such garbage it will likely traumatize you away from doing it again. Last year Mike and I got our hands in some processed Halloween candy and we legitimately had a candy hangover for weeks. We ached, were tired and just felt all around miserable. We never did it again. This year we stuck with Paleo chocolate from Eating Evolved and called it a day.
