Take Me Back To Summer Salad- AIP Paleo Recipe

I am sooooo tired of this wretched winter weather!  Last night, I decided to make a nice summery salad for dinner.  The beautiful, bright colors brought sunshine to my plate.  The fresh mixture of flavors brought warmth to my soul.  It was the perfect combination of foods to make winter's cold bitterness disappear for a brief moment.

If you're sick of winter, try this revitalizing salad. It's also AIP approved.

Take Me Back To Summer Salad

For the Chicken:

1 Organic Chicken Breast, skinless and boneless

1 Tbsp Organic Oregano

1 Tbsp Organic Thyme

1 Tbsp Coconut Oil, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour melted Coconut Oil over breast. Sprinkle herbs onto chicken breast ( feel free to use whichever herbs you like).  Once oven is at temperature, place chicken breast on shallow Baking Sheet and put in oven. Cook until internal temp reaches 165 degrees ( about 35 to 40 minutes).  Let chicken rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Cut into strips and lay on top of salad.

For the salad:

Bunch of dandelion greens

1 Roasted Beet, quartered

4 large organic Strawberries, sliced

1 avocado, chopped

1/2 Fennel Bulb, sliced

Place all ingredient in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss. Plate.

For dressing:

3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Organic Honey

Salt to taste

Whisk ingredients together in small bowl. Add to salad and toss.  You can reserve some to pour over chicken breast if you like.

This is such an easy recipe, with great healthy benefits. Not only can it help rid you of the winter doldrums, but, it can help to nourish your body with vitamins and minerals.  I've chosen the ingredients based on their health benefits, especially when our bodies need it most.

Enjoy!

Back On The Sugar Detox!

Well, I said I'd have a decision by today. And, I do.  I'm going back on The 21-Day Sugar Detox.  I've spent the last couple of days spiraling downward in my health.  This has made my decision very easy.

The only foods I had added back to my diet were fruits, pecans, almonds, dark chocolate, and raw dairy.  I think the natural sugars in the fruit have cause my Candida to act up.  I noticed the dark chocolate had not only sugar in it, but also, soy lecithin ( which can cause allergic reactions in some people). And, although I thought I could get away with eating raw dairy products, it appears that is not so.  It does seem, however, I can tolerate goat and sheep milk products.  The nuts don't seem to cause a reaction either, thankfully.

So, tomorrow, I am starting The 21-Day Sugar Detox again.  I didn't want to start today because I had to juice the rest of my fruits, so I wouldn't waste them.  My husband agreed to eat the bananas.  I also needed to restock my grass-fed meats, organic chicken, and veggies for the week.  My shopping trip led to an awkward accident with a shopping cart which you can read about in my post on Facebook.

For this go-round of The 21-Day Sugar Detox, I'm doing level 3 again. But, I'm not doing all of the Autoimmune modifications.  I'm going to allow myself egg yolks, pecans, almonds, sheep and goat dairy, and cooked tomatoes.  If any of these foods cause a reaction, they're out.

Sometimes, the journey to healing takes longer than we hoped.  This can be extremely discouraging.  But, the key is to pick yourself up and do, what you know in your heart, is right. I know now that it's going to take longer to reintroduce foods into my system.  Bottom line is, I was on the right track.  I felt much better than I had in a long time. In reality, The 21-Day Sugar Detox could turn into the 365-day sugar detox.  Or, it could even be the lifetime sugar detox. It's okay. I'll do it as long as is necessary.

I'll fill you all in, as I go along. I'm not going to post updates every day because, who knows how long I'll be doing this detox thang.  Plus, I have so much stuff I want to share with y'all.  Like, did you check out the photo above, of my Super Bowl spread? It was so awesome. I had slow cooker Asian style wings, lettuce cup nachos, and Paleo chicken strips. Yum!  For dessert, I made paleo brownies and frozen banana, mint chocolate chip "ice cream".  Dessert was terrible!  It proved, not everything can be made paleo. Blech!

Besides going back on the detox, I've been creating new pieces for my Etsy shop.  I just love when I get to be creative!  My new line is the Wicked Collection, which is a little more Victorian gothic.  And, I added a couple of vintage pieces, too.  You can see them at Boho and Mo.

Even with so much going on, I still always have time for your comments and emails. Let me know if you have any questions, or want me to cover a specific topic. 

Goodnight and God Bless!

Did I Stay? Or, Did I Go Paleo?

So, after blogging for 22 days in a row, I figured I deserved a couple of days off.  Although, it was nice to have the time to work on other things, I missed writing.  Besides, I have been getting tons of emails asking whether or not I stuck with a paleo diet after my 21 days was done.  The answer is YES. I stuck with it.

The only foods I've added, so far, are some fruits and Dark Chocolate Bar.  Happily, I've been able to make my fruit and veggie juice again. And, I'm able to enjoy my bananas, too!

On Saturday, it will have been thirty days since I stopped eating nightshade veggies.  I can then start adding them back into my diet, one by one.  I've already decided to start with cooked tomatoes, since they're the least inflammatory.  If I don't have a reaction, I can keep them in my diet.  But, if I do have a reaction, I have to remove them and try again in three weeks.  We'll see how that goes.

I've decided to stay paleo, for the most part.  I will try to add some raw dairy or goat and sheep milk products from time to time. I actually bought some goat milk cream cheese and sour cream in preparation for when I'm ready.  I'll be using them to make some treats for Super Bowl Sunday.  That night should be a real test whether or not I can handle eating those foods.

Since finishing The 21-Day Sugar Detox, I have no desire to go back to my old way of eating.  I have felt so much better, I don't want to feel sick again. The program taught me to eat within certain parameters.  It taught me to appreciate the foods I am allowed.  At the same time, it showed me I could live happily without the foods that hurt me.  For that, I am grateful.

I'm going to take tomorrow off from blogging. I will return on Saturday with some yummy recipes for a paleo Super Bowl Sunday.  For tonight, I'll leave you with some photos of some of the meals I've cooked this week.  I'm working on compiling a cookbook with recipes I cooked during my detox.  Those of you who asked for the recipes should have them soon.

As always, should you have any questions or need my help, email me or COMMENT below.  Tmoperillo@gmail.com

Goodnight and God Bless!

The 21-Day Sugar Detox- Day 20

Hey! There's a chicken in my CrockPot!

Wow! Only one day left of The 21-Day Sugar Detox!  I'm excited and nervous at the same time. I'm sure everything will be fine.  But, I know the task of adding foods back into my diet could possibly bring  back some of my symptoms.  That makes me nervous.

Luckily, I didn't have much time to fret over that today.  It's housecleaning day.  Knowing I would be busy all day, I put my chicken in the Crock-Pot and let it do it's thing.  I scrubbed, wiped, and laundered my day away. At around 3 PM, I ate my lunch, standing at the kitchen counter.  Since I didn't have time to make a proper lunch, I threw some beef from last night's dinner on some lettuce leaves, added some chunked avocado and a splash of red wine vinegar. Voila!

I really have noticed a huge increase in my energy level.  Before this detox, I would wake up tired. I barely had the energy to get dressed in the morning.  Now, I can clean all day with energy to spare.  The second best improvement is the lack of bloating and stomach upset.  My tummy is now completely flat.  I don't worry about eating anymore, because I know my stomach will not hurt afterward.  It's wonderful!

Now, for the downside, my skin is a complete disaster.  My body is detoxing everything; and, it showing in my skin.  I have breakouts on my face, legs, and chest.  In one way, I'm happy. I know these breakouts mean my body is releasing the toxins.  However, I hate looking like a pimply, rashy mess.  I hope this doesn't last too long.

At 6 PM, my chicken was done. I wanted a light dinner. So, I made a simple side salad of arugula, cucumber, avocado, and Greek olives.  Simple and delicious!  The chicken was so tender, it melted in my mouth.  

So, tomorrow is my last day of The 21-Day Sugar Detox.  I will be planning my meals for the week.  What will I do with so much freedom?  I have a few ideas, that's for sure!

I bid you a goodnight.  I can't wait for tomorrow to come! I hope I can get some sleep tonight.  As always, if you need my help, email me or comment below. I'll be back tomorrow with an update.

Goodnight and God Bless!

The 21-Day Sugar Detox- Day 19

I'm writing this post as the wind howls around me.  I can hear it banging against the windows. It's a bitter cold, windy night.  I am, however, tucked under my Snuggie, with a fire roaring in the fireplace.  I have just experienced a very good day.  Another good day is under my belt.

I thought I'd go into more detail for you, on what constitutes a good day.  A good day for me means, I have the energy to do the things I need to do. It also means, my pain is at a level I can tolerate.  Since I've gone completely grain-free, my gastrointestinal problems have almost disappeared.  I actually went grain-free two weeks before I started The 21-Day Sugar Detox.  By grain-free, I mean no rice, wheat, corn, or gluten-free mixed flours. I only use Coconut Flour or Almond Flour.  But, the energy and pain levels improved after I began this particular detox.

As a bonus, this program has taught me I don't need those grains anymore. I've been able to find substitutes for all my favorites, pasta, rice, potatoes, and bread.  I've also learned to like foods I didn't much care for before, butternut squash and brussel sprouts. It's taught me how to ADAPT.  Most people view living without these foods as a loss or punishment.  Before this happened to me, I thought about it that way too.  Now, I think about those foods as a punishment.  If I eat them, I'll get sicker.  I could eventually lose my life by eating them.  If that's not the definition of punishment, I don't know what is.  Food does not make us happy.  Food sustains our life.  We should eat to live, not to be happy.

Obviously, we want to eat foods that taste good.  I eat many foods that taste absolutely delicious.  These foods nourish and heal me. That's the difference!  These foods don't harm me.  Yes, it's harder to do. I mean, I can't just pop into any restaurant and order off the menu nonchalantly. I have to plan more, prepare more, and cook more.  But, my life is worth it. Isn't yours?

Speaking of delicious meals, I roasted a beautiful, grass-fed rib roast for dinner.  It was perfectly cooked, medium rare.  On the side, I served mashed cauliflower with Coconut Milk and chives.  Does that sound like I was suffering?  I can assure you, I was not.

Trust me, I know taking that first step to changing your eating habits is tough.  You question your resolve, your strength, and your willpower.  I had to change my way of thinking.  I am not punishing myself. I am keeping myself alive.  So what if I can't eat real pasta again.  I can walk up a flight of stairs, without pain again.  So what if I can never enjoy a regular birthday cake again. I don't have to cover the rashes on my face under layers of makeup, because they aren't there anymore.  Those are trade-offs I'm willing to make!

So, I ask that you take all this in.  Isn't your life worth saving?  If you need any help getting started, just email me or comment below.  Having been through it, I can help you make the transition.  All you have to do is ask.

And, for those of you already on your journey, hang in there. You're proving your health and your life is worth saving. Congratulations!