June Whole30/Whole30 Approved Bacon BBQ Sauce

I started my first Whole30 on June 1st. After several weeks of falling off of the Paleo wagon and cheating too much, I decided I needed to get myself back on track. I gained back 5lbs and I'm not happy about that. I had planned on trying the Whole30 program at some point and this just seemed like the best time to do it. 

My Whole30 experience is going well so far, but it has been a little difficult. I have gone throw the detox period over the last couple of days. I've been experiencing some minor headaches and fatigue, but I think the worst is behind me. It's only day 4 for me, but I do feel better today than I did yesterday.

The hardest part of my Whole30 so far has been letting go of my raw honey. On Paleo you're allowed to have raw honey and I usually put a tsp of it in my tea in the morning. Drinking my tea black just isn't my thing. I've pretty much decided to give up my tea until July 1st. The other difficult thing has been trying to find some sugar-free things. Most importantly sugar-free bacon and sugar-free BBQ sauce. Now this is not your conventional "sugar-free" where they use artificial sweeteners instead. This is really SUGAR FREE. I'm having a terrible time finding sugar-free bacon, but someone on a Whole30 forum might have helped me. She said that if you go to the grass fed meat section at Whole Foods and ask the butcher in the back for sugar-free bacon, that he will give it to you. She thinks its called "Sunny Side Up Bacon". I will call Whole Foods and ask before venturing back. If I really can't find it then I will have to resort to making my own which I am kind of excited to try. My husband asked for pulled pork and ribs for dinner this week and I bought them without realizing that I don't have a sugar-free BBQ sauce recipe. I've never made BBQ sauce before and my organic bottle stuff from the grocery store contains organic raw sugar. Obviously, that's a no no while doing Whole30. I searched through some Whole30 forums and Googled a few recipes and I came up with this one. It is sort of a mix between Civilized Caveman's Beasty BBQ Sauce recipe and Nom Nom Paleo's Cherry BBQ Sauce recipe.

Whole30 Approved Bacon BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1 medium-large white onion 
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 6 ounce can of organic tomato paste (sugar-free)
• 1/2 cup organic beef stock
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp bacon fat or ghee
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 8-14 Mejool dates (pits removed)
• 3-4 slices of bacon (cut up into small pieces)

Directions

Combine all ingredients (except bacon) in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour mixture and bacon into a large sauce pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 60 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool before jarring and storing in the refrigerator. 

Paleo-friendly post workout smoothies

These are the two post work out smoothies I drink most often.

Chocolate Banana Hemp Protein Smoothie

• 1 cup homemade almond milk (or store bought if you don't make your own)
• 1 large banana
• 2-3 organic kale leaves (washed well)
• 1 tbsp of chai seeds (or 1 tbsp of ground flax seeds)
• 1 serving of organic chocolate hemp protein powder (unsweetened if you can find it)
• 4 ice cubes

Blend ingredients until smooth.

Apple Cinnamon Protein Smoothie

• 1 whole apple (I use the whole apple because there are nutrients in the core and seeds. You can omit the core if you wish)
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• 1 cup homemade almond milk (or store bought)
• 2-3 organic kale leaves (washed well)
• 1 tbsp of chai seeds (or 1 tbsp of ground flax seeds)
• 1 serving of unflavored or vanilla protein powder (I used a Paleo friendly powder I got from True Nutrition)
• 4 ice cubes

Blend all ingredients in the blender. This one is a bit chunkier but yummy.

Homemade Reusable Disinfecting Wipes

Today I made my own disinfecting wipes. Goodbye Clorox wipes, hello homemade reusable wipes. I've seen a couple of different sanitizing solution recipes but this is the one that I used.

Homemade Reusable Disinfecting Wipes

You will need

• Old t-shirts or reusable baby wipes
• Old empty baby wipes containers (I used old Cottonelle wipes containers)
• Scissors (if using t-shirts)
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol or white vinegar
• 2 tbsp Castile Soap (You cannot use vinegar with castile soap because they cancel each other out. If using vinegar then use Soap Nuts or other dish soap in place of the castile soap)
• 1/2 tbsp Tea Tree Oil
• Optional: Other essential oils for a nicer fragrance. I may add orange or lemon EO in the future

Directions

• If using old t-shirts then cut them into your desired sized wipes.
• Put the wipes into the containers. You can fold them or just throw them into the container. Your choice.
• Mix the water, alcohol, soap, and tea tree oil together.
• Pour solution over your wipes. This solution made enough for me to cover two containers worth of wipes. If you're making more than two containers then make more solution.
• Shake the containers a little bit so the solution gets all over.
• Let the wipes sit for a few hours so that the solution can soak through all of the wipes. 

Tips

• More or less solution may be needed depending on the size of your container and how many wipes you can fit into it.
• These wipes should only be used on non-porous surfaces. Try on a small inconspicuous area if you are unsure if they are safe on a certain surface.
• Ribbed shirts are nicer for scrubbing and they grab dirt and dust better

Toxic-free action plan completion update

Hello all. I apologize for being a few days late on my update but here I am. I have not completed all of my goals, but I have completed most. Here is my original plan of action with the updates in red.

• Plan of Action

• Food
• Replace coconut milk coffee creamer with homemade almond milk.-Complete: I have made my homemade almond milk, but I also kicked my coffee habit. I am using the almond milk in my smoothies though.
• Discontinue use of store bought chocolate and replace with homemade.-Complete: I have one bag of Enjoy Life Chips left that I'll probably use to make cookies, but other than that I am done buying chocolate. I had chocolate hazelnut sea salt bark that I made and was using as a chocolate fix, but it all gone. I will have to make some more.
• Only store food in glass or stainless steel containers.-Complete: I store my food in glass jars or pyrex dishes. I have two stainless steel water bottles and one glass water bottle. I also bought a stainless steel water pitcher.
• Avoid microwave use when at all possible.-Complete: I only use it to sanitize my dish sponge.
• Eat only organic non-GMO food, and only buy from companies supporting the non-GMO movement.-Complete: I have not purchased any food that is not organic and non-GMO unless it was for my husband because he's stubborn. The only time I do purchase anything like that for him is when he goes with me to the grocery store which isn't very often. He knows he won't get his ice cream if he doesn't come with me.
• Research which bulk supply stores are the best for purchasing organic non-GMO foods (i.e. BJ's, Costco, or Sam's Club) and become a member.- Semi Complete:  I have visited BJ's and was disappointed with the selection. I have heard many good things about Costco's selection but I have not been there yet. The Sam's Club is far away and will most likely not be an option for me. I plan to go into Costco and find out if they have a trial pass so that I can try it out before deciding to become a member.
• Beauty Care
• Research toxins and get rid of my products that contain harmful chemicals, hormones, and toxins. -Complete:  I have cleaned out all of my cabinets and discarded anything that contains toxic chemicals (I had to save a few of my husband's products but I'm slowly working them out.) I refer to ewg.org for all of my research on harmful toxins.
• Make homemade deodorant, toothpaste, make-up remover/facial cleansing wipes, and lip balm.-I have made deodorant and toothpaste, but I have not made make-up remover wipes or lip balm. I do not think I will be making the make-up remover wipes. Its an added expense that is not really necessary for me. I generally clean off my make up with coconut oil or jojoba oil. I do plan on making lip balm in the future, but I am currently using non-toxic brands like Yes to Carrots. In a sense I've completed the non-toxic part of the goal, but I have not completed my goal to make some homemade products like lip balm.
• Only buy products that are non-toxic and use homemade when possible.-Complete: I've switched to Dr. Bonners for hand soap, my make-up is non-toxic, and I have made deodorant and body butter.
• Reduce make-up use to only special occasions (i.e. date night, gatherings, holidays, celebrations/parties).-Complete: I try not to wear make-up as often as I used to and only reserve it for special occasions.
• Use only organic coconut oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, and almond oil for moisturizer, cleanser, and hair care.-Complete:  I use coconut oil and jojoba oil for moisturizer, leave in conditioner, make-up remover, facial cleanser, and deodorant.

If any of you have created an action plan let me know. I'd love to hear your success stories, and if you've hit any bumps in the road.

Paleo beginners guide

I've recently had a few friends ask me about the Paleo lifestyle, and because I'm a Paleo advocate, this excites me. I've had to explain the diet and what to buy over and over again so I decided to post a little beginner's guide. This way in the future I can direct any new comers to this post and they'll have most if not all of the info they'll need to decide whether or not they'd like to make this lifestyle change. Yes that's right, it's a lifestyle change. If you go into this thinking its just another diet, then the likelihood of you failing is going to be higher. I usually suggest that everyone gives it at least 30 days. That's 30 days of commitment to eating Paleo, and NO cheating. After the 30 days I want you to evaluate how you feel. What are the changes you've noticed in your energy levels, sleeping habits, eating habits, weight, and muscles. If after the 30 days are over you feel like you "NEED" to "cheat" then do, and monitor how you feel. I guarantee you won't feel good afterwards. Some side effects of "cheating" that I noticed are headaches, nausea, stomach pains, gas and diarrhea. Sounds pleasant right? Not so much. I went into Paleo thinking I was only going to do it for 30 days, but it changed my life. After the 30 days were up I felt so great that I never wanted to eat "conventionally" again. Of course I have eaten those awful grains and processed foods from time to time at social gatherings and what not, but I assure you I curse myself every time. It not so hard to become committed to a lifestyle change when reverting back to bad behavior causes you to be sick. Some may see these "cheating side effects" as inconvenient but I love them. They keep me on target and remind me why I stopped eating those foods to begin with. So 30 days...give it a shot. You won't be disappointed. If after 30 days of committed Paleo eating you do not feel better, stronger, lighter, and more energized than please message me and let me know. I honestly do not know a single person who gave it their all and did not like the results. So without further ado, here is my beginner's guide to eating Paleo.

Paleo

What to eat

• Meats 
• Beef (preferably grass-fed and organic)
• Poultry (preferably pastured and organic)
• Pork (preferably organic)
• Fish/seafood (preferably wild caught or sustainable farm raised)
• Wild game
• Eggs (preferably pastured and organic)
• Vegetables (preferably organic)
• Fruits (preferably organic and in moderation)
• Nuts and Seeds (in moderation)
• Healthy fats
• Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (preferably organic)
• Ghee or Clarified Butter
• Animal fats
• Water, Coffee, and Tea (coffee and tea should be taken black)

What NOT to eat

• Grains (including corn)
• Dairy
• Legumes 
• Gluten
• Soy
• Sugar
• Processed Foods
• Other oils (canola oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, grape seed oil)
• Peanuts 

My Paleo household staples

• Organic chicken breast- I try to buy organic pasture farm raised when I can
• Organic grass-fed ground beef
• Wild caught shrimp and sea scallops
• Wild caught salmon and tilapia
• Organic pork chops
• Organic bacon- I try to buy fresh organic farm raised when I can
• Organic eggs- I buy organic pasture raised when I can
• Organic broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, onions, romaine, spinach, kale, collard greens, zucchini, green beans, and eggplant.
• Organic bananas, apples, raspberries, lemons, and dates
• Raw honey
• Organic ghee
• Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
• Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Raw almonds- I soak them and use them to make homemade almond milk
• Dry roasted almonds (eat by themselves, mixed in trail mix, or make your own almond butter)
• Unsweetened coconut milk
• Dry roasted unsalted cashews, walnuts, and hazelnuts
• Organic garlic and ginger
• Organic unsweetened cocoa powder
• Organic fair trade coffee and tea
• Himalayan pink sea salt
• Seasonings and spices

The meats and produce I've listed under my "staples" aren't the only ones you can eat. They just happen to be the ones that I buy the most. If you're wondering why I choose organic, pastured, and grass fed meats and produce, here are a couple of articles explaining this choice. Educate yourself on where your food comes from and it could save your life.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/03/19/caged-vs-free-range-chicken-eggs.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/05/18/american-meat-is-even-more-disgusting-than-you-thought.aspx

To Learn More About Sustainable Agriculture

There are SO many great Paleo food bloggers out there who have fantastic recipes and websites. A few of my favorites are 

http://nomnompaleo.com/

http://www.againstallgrain.com/

http://fastpaleo.com/

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/#axzz2SY8TKEn9

Marks Daily Apple has a wealth of information. Any time I have a question regarding anything to do with Paleo I go there. It helped me a lot when I first started out.

I hope this beginners guide was helpful. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. If you embark on the Paleo journey then I hope you are successful and fall in love with this lifestyle as I have. Its so simple! Just eat REAL food and stay away from processed foods, grains, dairy, gluten, sugar and legumes. Happy eating!

Toxin-free Plan of Action Update and homemade deodorant

Hello folks! I feel as though I've been neglecting my blog lately, and for that I apologize. I've been busy lately. I started my post surgical physical therapy and so far it's going well. I'm still experiencing pain but it is better than it was prior to the surgery. I've realized that two of my action plan due dates are coming up on May 1st, so I thought I'd update you on my progress. Here are the things that I still need to complete by May 1st.

• Food toxins
• Replace store bought coconut milk and almond milk beverages with homemade almond milk.
• Research which bulk supply stores carry organic non-GMO foods.
• Beauty care
• Find a toxin-free toothpaste
• Make facial cleansing wipes and lip balm

If you read my original list then you'll see that I've come a long way. There are still some things I'm working on, but I'm getting closer and closer to a toxic-free lifestyle. I've realized that there are things out of my control. There are toxins in things I don't even realize or things that I might not have control over. I've come across several items that I didn't even think about when I created my initial action plan. I didn't consider candles, cookware/bake ware, the plastics that foods are already packaged in, toilet paper, hand soap containers, tap water, etc. Every day I'm realizing more and more that this is a LONG journey. There are things I cannot afford to change right now, and things that are going to take time to change. There is a good possibility that I will never get every single toxic thing out of my house, and I'm okay with that. YES I would LOVE to live COMPLETELY toxin-free, but in this day and age that's almost impossible. I would literally need to live in the wood somewhere living off of my own land with no modern conveniences and stores. My goal is to eliminate as many toxins as I possibly can.

The most recent thing I've checked off of my action plan was switching out the plastics for glass, stainless steel, and aluminum. I posted pictures of the food that I switched into glass jars last month, but today I went another step further. On April 7th I posted about the Specialty Bottle website that sells glass bottles and jars for a great price. I purchased a few things and they arrived today and I'm very satisfied. I purchased a 32oz swing top glass bottle, three aluminum 4oz bottles with pump tops, and two 4oz glass bottles one with a pump and one with a spray top. The swing top bottle I will be drinking out of, the aluminum bottles are for hand soap and dish soap, and I'm using the 4oz glass bottles for my jojoba oil. I put jojoba oil in my hair to hydrate and tame the frizz, and I also use it as moisturizer. It can get messy when handling the bottle that it comes in, so I bought these glass bottles. Now I can spray it in my hair or pump it into my hand. I'm very pleased with my purchase.

On Sunday I made my own deodorant. I used cocoa butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil, magnesium oil, tea tree oil, and non-GMO corn starch. I think it turned out well since I just winged it, and it works great. So far it has lasted at least 12 hours. I haven't officially timed it but I put it on in the morning and by time I go to get in the shower at night it still smells like the deodorant and not sweat. The only modifications I will make in future batches is to use more cocoa butter, less jojoba oil, and I will add an essential oil for fragrance. It mostly smells like cocoa butter but with a hint of tea tree oil. I'd like it to smell more like "normal" deodorant. I'll probably add lavender or citrus essential oil in the future. The reason I'd use more cocoa butter and less jojoba oil is because it currently melts too fast when applied. It is solid at room temperature, but not as solid as I would like it to be. These modifications would make the consistency harder and less malleable. It would still melt onto the skin when applied, but should not melt as quickly as it does now. 

Here is a rough estimate of the recipe that I used (this does not include the above modifications).

1/2 cup cocoa butter

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/8 cup jojoba oil

1/8 cup magnesium oil

1 tsp tea tree oil

2 tbsp non-GMO cornstarch

I will continue to work on my toxin-free action plan and I will update you about my progress. If you are also on this journey please feel free to comment below. I'd love to hear what things you've gotten rid of, what you're still struggling with, and any advice or questions you may have.

Have a great day and may your journey to a toxic-free life be a prosperous one!

Paleo Chocolate Hazelnut Sea Salt Brownies

The original brownie recipe I use is from Against The Grain. That recipe is great but I wanted to kick it up a notch. I'm on a big chocolate and hazelnut kick so I decided to make a chocolate hazelnut brownie. Once I put the batter into the pan it only seemed natural to add some Himalayan pink sea salt to the top because chocolate and sea salt are absolutely delicious together. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. It's super easy and delicious!

Paleo Chocolate Hazelnut Sea Salt Brownies

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Coconut oil or ghee

1/2 Cup Unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 Cup Raw honey

1/2 Cup Hazelnuts

2 tsp Cinnamon

2 eggs beaten

Himalayan pink sea salt or sea salt of choice (to taste preference)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and 8x8 pan with coconut oil.

In a small saucepan melt the coconut oil and honey over low heat. While the mixture is melting, crush up your hazelnuts. I put them in a plastic baggy and hit them with a rolling pin a few times. You don't want them too small otherwise they'll be like powder instead of crunchy. Once they're an ideal size set them aside. Once the coconut oil and honey are melted stir in the cinnamon and cocoa powder. Then, take the saucepan off of the heat and add the eggs. Continuously stir the batter so that the eggs do not scramble. Once mixed well stir in the hazelnuts, and then put batter into the greased pan. Sprinkle the sea salt on top of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

Organic Collard Greens Recipe

Collard greens are one of my favorite vegetables. I've made them vegetarian style, made them with smoked turkey, and today I made them with farm fresh bacon. I'm pretty sure these are the tastiest ones I've ever made. If you try the recipe I hope you enjoy them too.

Ingredients

(Makes 3 servings)

• One bunch of organic collard greens (cut and cleaned)
• 3 small organic onions or 1 medium (chopped)
• 3 cloves of organic garlic (chopped)
• 3-4 strips of bacon (cut into 1/2-1 inch pieces) (I used organic bacon I got from a farm)
• 64 oz Pacific Organic Free Range Chicken Broth
• 2 cup of water
• 2 tbsp Franks Red Hot Sauce
• A couple dashes of cayenne pepper (can omit if you don't like spicy greens)
• Several cracks of pepper

Directions

After you've cut up the collards, onion, garlic, and bacon, combine them all in a pot. Pour the chicken broth and water into the pot. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Turn the stove on and cook on medium-high heat for 30 minutes, and then medium-low heat for 2 hours. Enjoy!

Cheap Mason Jars

Good Sunday afternoon! 

I was browsing around Pinterest, because I'm a Pinterest addict, and I found a great pin that I wanted to share. I came across a website that sells really cheap mason jars (price wise, not quality). Now if you're like me and you're trying to get rid of plastic storage containers or you're an avid canner, this is a great find. I'm a little bummed that I'm finding this now after I already stocked up on jars, but it might come in handy for future purchases. They even have different shaped jars, corked bottles, glass bottles in all sizes for all uses, and jars meant for candling. Enjoy!
http://www.specialtybottle.com/ecomasonjarsmi.aspx

Dinner

Sausage, peppers and onions with kelp noodles.