Primal/Paleo Lifestyle

Recently I started reading more blogs relating to healthy eating, urban homesteading, self sufficiency and the like. I ran across one called Crunchy Chicken by a lady who lives right here in the Northwest. She and I share a lot of similar ideas about how we want to contribute to creating a healthy family and healthy planet. In the last few weeks she's been talking about the Primal/Paleo lifestyle discussed on Mark's Daily Apple. How I understand it is this: Eat the way the hunter-gatherers ate; eat lots of meat, eggs, veggies, fruit, nuts and berries; skip all refined/packaged products, sugar, grains and dairy; exercise regularly but at a moderate intensity.

The more I think about this lifestyle, the more I like it. I've always subscribed to the theory that eating foods in their most natural form is the healthiest for our bodies. So I thought I'd give it a try for a couple of weeks and see how I feel. I'll try to document my progress and various recipes I try while following this lifestyle. For the most part my meals won't change all that much while eating this more natural way. Dinner usually consists of some sort of meat and a couple of veggie and/or fruit side dishes. So that will be virtually the same. The only difference is that I won't make pasta or rice go go along with it. Lunch will consist of mostly leftovers I think or an egg dish. It's breakfast that is really going to stretch my recipe muscles a bit. I'm a die hard cheerios eater...and that doesn't fit this lifestyle at all. I need something that's quick to make in the morning that's filling. So I'm on a quest to find a go-to breakfast that fits into the Primal lifestyle. Below are the 2 breakfasts I've had the last couple of days. I'm think the porridge I made this morning may be the breakfast I choose most of the time over these next couple of weeks. But it's not that quick to make. So I may have to make a large batch over the weekend to use throughout the week. Give these recipes a try and let me know what you think!

Primal Porridge
Ingredients:
1/2 C Almonds (can use any tree nuts here)
1/4 C sesame seeds  (can use any tree nuts or seeds)
1 Banana
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 C Almond milk
1/4 C ground flax seed

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a blender until well incorporated. Pour mixture into a saucepan and warm on medium-low heat stirring constantly for a few minutes until mixture thickens to your desired consistency. This shouldn't take more an a very few minutes. Top with berries, nuts or a drizzle of maple syrup. (note: sesame seeds will turn green when cooked. This will give your porridge a very slight greenish color. Do not be alarmed! The taste is still the same, it's just the color that's changed. If this bothers you substitute other nuts or seeds for the sesame seeds.  )


Primal Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 banana
1 C Almond milk
1 handful of almonds or other tree nuts
1/4 C ground flax seed
1-2 C frozen fruit of your choice (i used frozen strawberries, blueberries and blackberries)
1-2 Tbs maple syrup to taste (sweeter fruits will require less sweetener, berries will require more)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a blender then enjoy!