To master your personal chemistry set (your metabolism) is a long road. Some of you are just starting now, realizing what you’ve been throwing down the hatch all these years is working against you. The switch to the diet your body evolved to best process isn’t easy. By many measures, the standard American diet is laden with some pretty toxic stuff (literally – Google top killers of Americans), some of which is proving out to have addictive properties (HFCS to name one) and worse yet, the way out is really tough. As you’ve seen it takes altering your lifestyle in at least a few ways to be get the right fuel, let alone from quality sources, let alone consistently, let alone without losing your friends/job in the process… and on and on. Thankfully the rewards outweigh these and you’re starting to see how you can strike a balance.
Several of you coasted nicely through week one and two of the 8-week Challenge and are now hitting cravings – physical and psychological – for sweets and old favorites. Some cravings are easily swatted away by hydrating better, eating enough dietary fat (check out this great series from Mark Sisson on Smart Fuels), and eating enough variety of fruits and vegetables (see my note below). Many cravings (most) are psychological attachments, though. As much as I empathize with the “My sweet tooth is not to be reckoned with” line, I also roll my eyes (figuratively of course) because I know how defeating that mentality can be to actually effectively dealing with cravings (believe me, my sweet tooth is not to be reckoned with). As Sisson says, “Outsmart your body. You are the alpha, so you best be dog whisperin’ those wacky cravings.”
Sisson is a Primal eating promoter and describes potential specific cravings and possible correlates in his “How to Dog Whisper Your Food Cravings”. While research supporting a causal correlation between cravings and deficiencies is sorta sketchy, all of his suggestions are great nutritionally (albeit not necessarily paleo). Also, here’s a rather classic account of the sugar craving process when going paleo.
Here are a few recipes and important articles to do some informed low glycemic-load (and higher GL) treating/cheating. Disclaimer: this doesn’t mean eat these every day! Focus on 80% whole, fresh foods (meat, veg’s, nuts, oils). In that wiggle room, go nuts on the paleo/primal treats if it means replacing the processed crap.
- My favorite are Navitas sweetened cacao nibs. They require no prep and are portion-control-friendly (versus a whole batch of
something lying about). About 1 tablespoon will wipe out a sweet tooth for a day. These little nuggets probably cost as much as gold per pound but are worth every morsel. You can find them at Whole Foods. - Jicama: about and recipes
- Primal Alternatives For Non-Primal Snacks
- Cocoa and Coconut Snacks
- ‘Bread’ Sticks (not paleo; raw cheese)
- Dark Chocolate (amazing) Beet Cake – Mariessa will have to post the recipe to comments
- Paleo Treats http://paleotreats.com/
- Another simple one
- Primal Pineapple Banana Upside Down Cake
- Is All Chocolate Created Equal?
Also, I have been reviewing food logs and this batch of Challengers are not as alcohol-moderation-challenged as the last group was. The issue it seems for this group (also like the last group) is DLG’s. Dark Leafy Green vegetables. Check out my original post on vegetables, as well as these excellent posts on DLGs. Not only are you handing away your Challenge kitty money by avoiding DLG’s, but you are doing yourself a disservice by not getting enough DLG’s. Eat your DLGs!!
DLG’s should be:
- Delicious
- Serve as your multivitamin if eaten in quantity and variety
- Make you feel satisfied and full
- Eaten in a large quantity, in variety and comprise the large majority of your carbohydrate intake (fruit coming in after that)
WOD 04/28/10
A. Turkish Get Up 3-3-3 (each arm)
Use barbell if the 2 pood is not heavy enough
B. 5 Rounds
30 Kettlebell Swings
30 Double Unders
yay ! i love remy’s post … i love eating primal .. rawr !
thought i’d share this really delish recipe i concocted for Banana Bread…hope you all enjoy it!
Banana Bread Recipe
* Pre-heat oven to 325 F
* Cook time – 50-55 min (depending on your oven)
Ingredients:
* 1/3 cup pure honey – (or you can substitute agave nectar, maple syrup or stevia)
* 4 tablespoons applesauce (unsweetened)
* 2 eggs (or 3 egg whites)
* 3 ripe bananas mashed (really mushy)
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla
* 1 2/3 cup of almond meal (I used 1/2 flaxseed meal and ½ almond meal)
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 3 tablespoons water
- cinnamon (optional)
- walnuts (optional)
Directions:
* Combine honey/splenda with applesauce.
* Mash bananas and egg whites together. Add vanilla.
* Gradually add almond/flaxseed meal mix with wisk/mixer (whichever you prefer).
*Add cinnamon/walnuts if you want. Fold in the water/baking powder.
*Pour into baking dish and
* don’t forget to grease the pan…
**also, it’s REALLY good if you toast it and put some almond butter on it. great, now i’m hungry…
OMG Remy, this was the perfect post for me today, your so right about week 3…I thought I was going to keel over and die yesterday if I didn’t get chocolate. So I made some Paleo Candy bars, I realize its still a cheat but better than eating the kit kat I really wanted because I saw a commercial on them:) And I just happen to be making up for my DLG’s this week by eating eggs whites and spinach as I write this!
Let me tell you about cravings…In all honesty, a bite or two of some sort of dark chocolate usually does the trick. Anything too much more than that and I end up regretting my choice. Sugar headaches are not fun. Can’t wait to try that banana bread though!
Chocolate Beet Cake
. Eat any leftovers with a spoon.
2 large beets or 2 cups of grated beets
1-1/2 cups almond meal
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup of honey
1 tsp baking powder (optional)
3 eggs
Pre-heat oven to 180. Peel beets and boil in water for 40-60 min, or until tender and cooked through. Remove from pan and leave to cool. Once cool, grate and remove access liquid. Place grated beets in a lg mixing bowl along with other ingredients ad combine well using a wooden? spoon. Line a cake tin with baking paper and poor in mixture. Bake for 50-60 min or until cooked. Perform knife test: clean means done. Note: if not using baking powder, separate 2-3 eggs and beat whites until stiff peaks form, then fold into beet mixture. This will help in aerating the cake.
Topping (Mariessa’s addition): whip heavy cream with berries. Serve on top or on the side
Chocolate’s always been my greatest weakness. Well, that and gladiator movies. I’ve steadily weaned myself off the former by progressively getting darker and darker (chocolate). I started with 62% cacao, then 70%, then 86%…now I’m eating baker’s chocolate, and I just need an ounce or so every coupla days and I’m good. Yes it’s bitter (my brother raided my choco stash one day and was quite sure I tried to poison him), but you do get used to it, and I’ve developed a keener appreciation for chocolate now that I know it in its raw form. And dark chocolate pairs well with fresh berries and a splash of a full bodied red wine (which I’m quite certain is 100% paleo. Yup, absolutely positive).
OK once again the logo is covering the names of who post the comments…WTF????
Thanks for the recipe-can’t wait to make it.
Remy, I think you should just come to the realization that we all are drunken sailors:)))
Interesting post, thanks Remy!
Good Lawd. I look like Pippi Longstocking’s trashy older sister in that landing photo. Faaaaaaantastic.
NIce post Remy. Lots of good ideas, and delicious recipes. I have moved to dark chocolate (85%) to satisfy my sweet tooth and it works pretty well. Those and raisins too. Pretty darn delicious.
Sometimes when I crave donuts, pizza and ice cream, I just just shoot heroin and then go rob a bank to get my fix. It’s a great way to stay Paleo.
Pippi’s HOT older sister
next time I’ll photoshop out the bra straps and photoshop in some lipgloss.