PALEO: How I do it and Why I love it

Paleo has become a passion of mine. If you follow me on Instagram @jessicamooch , Twitter @jessicamooch or Facebook, undoubtedly you've seen my somewhat obsessive, albeit excited posts and pics relating to eating paleo. The reason I post these photos and tweet is because I want others to know how ridiculously easy it is to eat paleo and more importantly, how super healthy it is for you.

Disclaimer: This was not something I did overnight. And, although I state it's easy, that doesn't mean I don't have struggles with this life choice. I can also assure you that Travis does NOT like paleo as he is a lover of bread and pasta. I'm trying to get him over to the dark side.... muahahahaha.

HOW I DO IT
I'll start this off with a confession. I drink coffee with *gasp* creamer, French vanilla to be exact. Lord, how would I start the day any other way? 1-2 cups and no caffeine after 10 am. Coffee creamer is NOT paleo, but I never said I followed it religiously. I'd say I'm more 80/20. For breakfast, I usually eat oatmeal with chia seeds (superfood!), or fruit. By mid-morning, I get the munchies so I eat one of my coconut butter melts or more fruit. I've found being prepared helps tremendously to keep one from visiting the vending machine for junk food. Coconut butter melts are basically coconut butter (the meat and oils of coconut pureed into a butter consistency), then I usually add raw local honey, chia seeds, and either fruit or chocolate vegan protein powder. Place into molds in the fridge, and your hunger is satiated in a couple bites, plus, it's paleo and SUPER yummy. I keep those at work. I also keep a baggie of nuts or dried fruit or my homemade fruit leather or fruit roll ups. Hint: If someone wants to get me a gift, I'd like a food dehydrater.

Strawberry and peach fruit roll ups - sweetened with raw local honey

Lunch time. Once again, being prepared. If I don't bring leftovers or food for lunch, I'm screwed. I've started taking a gallon size baggie of spinach or kale to work in the event I do get hungry throughout the day or my lunch wasn't enough. Lifesaver!

This Amazon coconut water is, by far, the BEST coconut water on earth!!

Supper, I haven't altered too much at home. Except if I cook with pasta, I get the gluten free kind (not paleo, but better than wheat or whole grains), and if there's bread, I just don't eat it. We eat lots of fresh veggies from the garden or farmer's market or grandma's garden. And I feel ZERO guilt eating a huge, juicy, bloody steak or having 2nd or 3rd helpings as long as it's meat or veggies.

Snacks for me are fruit or yogurt (not paleo), protein shakes or fruit smoothies. Oliver also LOVES my smoothie concoctions and any Annie's organic snacks - the Cheddar Bunnies, the fruit snacks, the knock off teddy grahams, and above all, he LIVES for Annie's organic mac-n-cheese (fortunately, I can get a variety pack of 12 boxes at Costco for a deal!)

This blend was two bananas, ice, almond butter, almond milk, and egg white protein powder. Stay away from soy and whey!!! (hey! that rhymed! :P)

Paleo, for me, is about making careful nutritious choices. Or, a lesser of the evils choice. For example, Oliver loves hot dogs, like any kid. When we get hot dots, I buy turkey franks. I also try to buy organic, grass fed meats. (Travis wasn't too keen on the idea of me having chickens in the yard.... party pooper). For you boozers out there *nervously looks away*, most wines are gluten free and there are some apple ales/hard cider that are gluten free (less of the evils). Avoid summer shandy's, wheat beers, blue moon, and dark alcohol. If you're gonna have the hard stuff, go with clear liquids, like vodka, gin, tequila (the clear one....is it silver??).

Now, the backbone to my paleo transformation comes from replacing basics from my cupboards. Toss out your white flour, distilled white sugar, cornstarch, and margarine. In their place, have gluten free flour (made from flax seed meal, quinoa, etc), organic cane sugar, arrowroot powder, coconut oil, organic butter or ghee. Finally, destroy all FOOD DYES!!!!

WHY I LOVE IT

Can you imagine never feeling bloated, lethargic, and/or weighed down? I knew that gluten was 'bad' and I knew certain foods made me feel shitty, but being able to narrow it down to wheat and grains and sugar was eye-opening. I read through many cook books, blogs, and studies, but finally found a 'hard facts', historical evidence, light-bulb-turning-on book to fully understand what I was about to undergo....The Paleo Manifesto.

It gives the scientific and historical background of the paleo lifestyle or "caveman diet". Genetically, our bodies are designed to eat meat, fruits, veggies, and nuts - essentially what nature provides or grows. NOT grains and processed food and sugars. The early humans lived off the land and what nature provided. When the agricultural boom started and grains were planted and introduced, scientists discovered that the skeletal remains of the humans after this monumental point in history actually had far worse dental decay, brittle bones, and died young largely from chronic inflammatory diseases. Those of the 'cavemen' had strong bones, little to no decay in their teeth, and minimal indication of disease, and were actually significantly taller. Unfortunately, for our early ancestors, their issue wasn't their diet, it was survival of the fittest against beasts and other mammals as well as natural elements. Paleo is what our bodies were meant to do/eat/live. Yes, we evolve, as science shows millennia after millennia, but what grains and gluten and processed sugar have done for the human digestive system is appalling and inflammatory!

Try a month of paleo or 'mostly paleo', heck! try 2 weeks! I challenge you.... I double dog dare you! This is nutrition and general well-being. I don't count points or calories. I don't step on a scale every day. I don't get measurements.

So forgive my obnoxious #paleo posts and indulge me my joy toward being the healthy woman God created me to be.

Sleep woes and tattoos

Things are ... quiet. Meaning my body is functioning properly. I have had no flares, discomfort, diarrhea, constipation, bleeding, nothing. I have regular BM's (as mom calls them). My last Remicade IV infusion was March 2014. Since about that time, I have also been free from other medications. That's 4 months without prescribed medications! I haven't been free from medication in probably almost 10 years. It's liberating and a little scary.

I will say this, I still struggle sleeping. The reason I loved Ambien SO MUCH is because that shit works. I could drink an espresso at 9pm, take 10 mg of Ambien, and i'd be snoozing within 20 minutes. Now? Well, despite the couple of herbs and holistic/homeopathic measures I have tried, I still struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep. I'm probably getting 6 hours average a night, which is terrible for so many reasons. Ironically, my kid finally starts sleeping 11 hours straight at night and I can't even sleep when he is. That is probably more frustrating than anything. So, I don't want to say that all my endeavors are necessarily a success....yet. But that's ok. I'm not going to give up trying to find something that will work for me. If I could just do an 'on/off' switch for my brain, i'd be the happiest girl alive! That's my problem - I cannot shut my brain off. I lay there and think

"yay! If I fall asleep in the next 30 minutes, I'll get about 7 hours of sleep".....45 minutes later, "crap, I hope I fall asleep soon, I'm only going to get 6 hours if I'm lucky"....goes over agenda for tomorrow .....work stuff.....did Oliver poop today?.....crap, when did I schedule my haircut?.....i wish I had more money.....mo' money mo' problems.....I LOVE my new tattoo.....maybe I should check on Oliver?.....what if he stopped breathing????!!!!????......stop being paranoid, he's fine...........what is Travis DOING downstairs til 12:30?!......probably watching Dr. Who......I should file my nails.....ugh, if i don't fall asleep soon, I'm only going to get 5 hours of sleep......I wonder what my Sanford balance is.....I wish I had more money.......maybe we should get a minivan........I wish Oliver ate better tonight.......He's so cute.....I have the cutest baby ever!!!........why am I still awake??!!.....

I've tried Valerian root, calms forte, teas. I just don't know if I truly have the capability of falling asleep in under 2 hours and getting continuous restful sleep. The only period of time that I was getting decent sleep was when Oliver actually was sleeping through the night and I was taking Ambien. I am now struggling with whether I want to get back on it.

Alluding to my LOVE my tattoo statement, I got a tattoo on Saturday. It says and the sun shone upon her. It's from Lord of the Rings Return of the King. The context of the text is Eowyn, the Elven princess realizes she is in love. At that point, she doesn't want to be a swordslayer anymore. She wants to nurture and love things that grow. The line is “And then her heart changed, or at least she understood it; and the winter passed, and the sun shone upon her.” I felt this was appropriate for me. When Oliver came earth side, something in me changed. I felt a different kind of love. Not necessarily the love I have for Travis, which is expansive and wonderful and almost telepathic. This kind of love was a nurturing love, a fierce protecting type of love. I wanted to provide for him the way God has provided for me by meeting mammal's needs when he created Earth. I wanted to be whole and clean and pure for him and our relationship. I wanted to give him the best breastmilk I could provide. I wanted to give him an optimal beginning. This was Eowyn's enlightening. This is my journey.

Genesis 1:29 - And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Genesis 9:3 - Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.