Why does eating bacon every day offend you?

Naturally, that is a rhetorical question.  I am kinda taken back by all the questionably negative feedback, questioning of this diet, snarly looks when I'm eating, eager friends and family wanting to know when this challenge ends so I can drink with them again, etc etc etc. I'm not offended by it by any means and completely understand where the skepticism is coming from (safe to say I too was a skeptic until a couple weeks ago), I guess I just wasn't fully prepared for all the "care and concern".

I've had conversations with people who were truly deeply offended that my fruit intake is limited to apples at this point, or that I eat 2-3 cups of sautéed broccoli, asparagus and mushrooms as a side dish to my breakfast, which consists usually of 3 eggs, 3 pieces of bacon, 1/2 an avocado and sometimes a little bit of sweet potato hash (I'll fill you in on that recipe too...nom! nom!).  And I get it!  I mean sometimes I look at my plate and question how I'm going to pack it all in...and then some how the whole plate disappears and I'm ready for a snack in 2-3 hours.  I'm not starving my self by any means, people!  This is the best I've ever eaten as a matter of fact.  I eat intuitively - when I want and till I'm satisfied.  I eat whole, nutritious meals and do not skip any.  When I grocery shop, those "expensive" cuts of meat that I used to skip out on buying, now I buy.  Know why?  Because I'm not spending my money on all the crappy boxed stuff sitting in the aisles.

I understand this is not for everyone and we all question or doubt what is unknown to us.  I never expected to feel as good or as strong as I have these past couple weeks.  So to answer the question, when is this diet challenge over.  I think it's safe to say it's not a challenge or fad diet with an expiration date, but a lifestyle choice.

I distinctly recall putting it out there, to the "universe" that I want to take my health and wellness to a whole new level and that's exactly what I am doing. 

What changes are you making to improve your health and wellness?

Cheers to bacon! Hooorah!

Poor Man's Sicilian Pale-izza

Now I know what you are thinking...some Sicilian out there is reading this post in pure disgust.  How can you take such an Italian staple and just annihilate it!?!?  I get it! Really, I do, but having the energy to work out and working towards a lean, sculpted body is simply worth it.

So with that...I bring you...(drum roll please....)  a Paleo approved PIZZA!

Ok, so sorry I only have a picture of the final product - one day I'll improve on my photography skills and take pictures of steps along the way.

So for now, be creative, use your imagination.

For the crust:

• 1-2 Yams (FINELY GRATE them so it's like a pulp-you can use a food processer or kick it old school with the hand held cheese grater)

Add:

• 2 eggs
• a dash of sea salt
• dash of oregano
• dash of thyme
• a good dash of garlic and onion powder

Mix with your hands (don't be a sally, roll up your sleeves and get in there!)

Prepare your cookie sheet with parchment paper, set your oven to 375 degrees

Make your pizza crust patties and lay them out on the parchment paper lined cookie sheet - flatten/thin them out to your desired thickness.

Toss them in the oven for 35-40 minutes.  You may want to flip them over 25-30 minutes in.  Cooking time will vary depending on how thick you make your crust.

For the Tomato Sauce:

Dice up 2-3 tomatoes
Dice up 1 onion

Coat your medium sized pot with olive oil and toss in the onions till browned.
When onions are nice and carmelized, toss in diced tomatoes

add a good heaping tablespoon of tomato paste
1/4 -1/2 cup water
a good dash of basil
good dash of oregano
sea salt sprinkle

let sauce stew on low to medium heat

For the Meat Topping:

Ground Beef
Italian Sausage
Bacon (why not?  It makes everything better!)
Shallot

Fry up 1-2 slices of bacon, carmelize your shallot, toss in your meats and let them brown up good - VOILA meat topping DONE.

Once the crust and sauce is done, assemble your Paleo-izza and STUFF YO FACE!...Uh, I mean, Manja!

Thanks for reading my awesome blog!  Hope you feel inspired :-)

I beat the system! Paleo Cookies!

I must disclaim first that due to the Paleo challenge Ive been partaking in, Im at the point where the sweet tooth cravings are few and far in between and an apple tastes über sweet...being that said...here is a recipe for a sweet potato cookie I concocted.

Peel 2 sweet potatoes and finely grate them

Mix in 2 eggs
Add a heavy dash of cinnamon and nut meg
Another dash of almond extract

Mix well, scoop into patties, flatten them out on the cookie sheet

I lined my cookie sheet with parchment paper...helps take out the excess moisture

Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes

Zach and I discussed potential improvement opportunities and we thought some orange zest would go lovely! Or even finely shred up some apple.

Enjoy!!!

Prep Yo Self Before Yo Wreck Yo Self

So, I have found that this whole Paleo thing is a complete piece of cake (sugar free naturally), if you prepare a head of time and don't allow yourself to be left with out food readily available...at all times!

Here are a few things that I have been doing to keep myself on track:

1. Take Romaine Lettuce and cut it up, put it inside a zip lock bag with a wet paper towel and it will keep the lettuce nice and fresh for an extended period of time.  Then you can grab the lettuce as you need, whether it be to pack a salad, eat a quick snack or make a quick dinner.

2. Buy a lunch box equipped with frost packs to keep your food fresh.  Having a hard time deciding which one to buy?  Ask yourself one simple question when out shopping, "would a construction worker rock this thing?"  If the answer is, "yes", you have found the one.

3. Make sure you have a sufficient stack of tupperware containers (sorry hippies...plastic is our friend).

4.  Grocery shop on a routine schedule so you aren't left with out fresh food at home.  Trust me, you do not want to be with out bacon for one second during this whole Paleo thing.  Especially if you have a male partner in your life who has also gone Paleo with you.  I made that mistake ONCE and it nearly resulted in me changing my Facebook status to "it's complicated".

5.  Cook in LARGE Portions and LOVE left overs - food ALWAYS taste better the next day (WHY AM I YELLING!?!?!?).

6. Peel your veggies ahead of time and put them in zip lock bags or tupperware containers so you can grab and go.  I'm a huge fan of the apple slicer thingy - this is weird, but I'm more likely to scarf down an apple when it's sliced perfectly in those yummy little wedges.  (don't buy the pre-sliced ones for goodness sake, they coat that crap in acid to prevent them from turning brown...that's gross!  You mine as well just poor acid poison down your throat).

7.  Keep an emergency stash of almonds or cashews in your desk drawer or wherever you work to bust out in case of an emergency. 

8.  If you know you cook with certain ingredients all the time, like onions, garlic etc, dice it up a head of time and keep in tupper ware containers.  My mom always kept fresh diced garlic in the freezer to have readily available when she needed it.  You can actually do the same with parsley.

9.  BE CREATIVE!  Sick of eating chicken, broccoli and yams?  Don't be scared to be creative, think of the foods that you absolutely LOVE to eat, cut out the ingredients in them that you can't have and replace them with ingredients that you CAN have.

10.  Check this awesome blog frequently for other recipe iDias.  :-)

Paleo Stuffed Mushrooms

Ok, finally got to sit down in front of a functioning computer.  Try these yummmmm-ooo Paleo friendly stuffed Portabella mushrooms...

(Warning - I'm part Italian and don't follow instructions well, so my measurements are approximate and in the form of "dash", "pinch", "handful" etc...you get the point...use your imagination.  Cooking is all about improvisation, right??)

6 Portabella Mushroom caps (wipe clean with wet paper towel)
1 Pyrex dish, drizzle olive oil

Place 6 Portabella caps (remove the stem/stub thingy) inside the Pyrex dish

Prep your stuffing in a separate bowl:

1.5 cups raw ground beef (80%/20% - we like our FAT!)
3 hot Italian sausage links squeezed out of casings
1 egg
a good handful of parsley (fresh parsley is best!)
a dash of cumin
a dash of sea salt
a dash of thyme
a dash of ground mustard
1 diced up shallot
1-2 cloves diced garlic
1/4 diced up eggplant

Feel free to add spinach or kale to the stuffing for a little extra suttin'-suttin'

Mix the stuffing with your hands till binded, then scoop individual patties for each mushroom.

Bake for 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees

Manja!  Enjoy!

Full of Great iDias!

Hello Fellow Paleo health nuts! Welcome to my new blog. Your probably trying to figure out how to pronounce my blogs name. My last name is Dias, pronounced, Dee-aaas...get it now? Paleo iDias...ideas...get it? Clever, I know! You are impressed and will undoubtedly frequent visit this awesome blog for Paleo recipe and prep ideas. I'm also currently doing crossfit and a 6 week paleo challenge. Before/after pics and lots of other great bathroom reading material to follow shortly! Enjoy!