I Don’t Care If You’re Paleo {Paleo Cookbook Giveaway}
By admin
Please friends, if there is one thing that I want you to take away from my blog its this… there is no “magic diet” for weight loss. Atkins, cabbage, HGC, etc… those diets are fads and fads only hang around for a short amount of time.
Here’s what I mean: When you follow one of these restrictive diets you will lose weight, BUT (and this is a big but for a reason) as soon as you introduce normal food back into your daily life that weight will just pile right back on again.
Paleo pesto chicken with sweet potato fries and salad
Recently, I’ve had clients tell me that they were thinking about going on the “paleo diet” and they asked me my thoughts.
Never shy to give my opinion, I answered back that there is no such thing as a paleo diet.
Eating paleo is a nutritional lifestyle that some choose. It’s not a short term way to drop 20 pounds by vacation time.
It’s just the same as if someone followed a vegan diet (like I did for 2 years), or a vegetarian diet, or heck if they ate “American”. It’s a term to classify an actual nutrition lifestyle.
Will you lose weight going paleo? Chances are yes, because you will be eliminating processed foods and high carbs, which will help to decrease your overall calories. But if you think that going paleo for just 4 short weeks is the solution to your weight loss prayers, then you will be disappointed.
Is Eating Paleo A Good Thing?
Well, that’s up to you. Since being vegan, I’ve opened my eyes up to people’s nutritional choices. I think that if it works for you, if it helps you eat better, more nutritious foods and you feel awesome then yes, it’s fabulous.
Do I eat paleo? Good heavens no! Though I did experiment with it back when I was vegan (the pegan project)!
I don’t follow any diet except a clean one. I am no longer willing to put labels on my own eating habits as I am now more aware of what my body wants and needs. And I give in to those desires and requirements.
BUT, I do think that a lot of paleo elements are great to incorporate into a diet.
A few of the paleo beliefs that I incorporate into our kitchen:
- No dairy (here’s the reason behind that)
- Lots of fresh fruits and veggies (just a given)
- Low grain (paleo is grain-free but we do use oatmeal, rice and quinoa)
- Nut flours (I try to keep our gluten intake down to a minimum and bake with only flour alternatives)
- Organic grass fed meats (no antibiotics, hormones, etc for us)
As you see, there are quite a few elements that we agree with. My choices above were not based on a paleo diet, they just happen to be similar beliefs! So if you are paleo, or are thinking about it, then go for it. If it works for you… awesome!
I personally think that every diet has some great elements that we can use. Which is why I think my personal nutrition right now is a hodge podge of several healthy diets!
Paleo Cookbook Package Giveaway
So when the nice people of Adams Media asked if I would like copies of two different paleo cookbooks, I said sure! I love adding to my cookbook collection!
I received:
–> Paleo Smoothies: 150 Smoothie Recipes For Ultimate Health
I was really excited for both. I tend to find a good shake and just stick to it forever, so I was in need for a change! Our dinners were the same, week after week I felt as if we were eating the same old things. I needed some foodspiration.
I really liked both books, the Spicy Paleo has over 200 recipes, and they are all pretty simple. That is extremely important as I don’t get home until late. I want something fast to just throw together.
This was our first meal:
Chicken Cashew Curry. Except that I left out the chicken and replaced it with all sorts of veggies to make it vegan (we still eat vegan 2-3 nights/week). It was delicious and like the title of the book, was full of spice!
It was a hit in our home! I’ve tried a few other recipes and all of been great so far. Up next are sweet potato latkes. I’ll let you know how they come out!
What I don’t like is the lack of pictures. I actually don’t buy cookbooks myself that don’t have pictures. I want to know what something is suppose to look like and I want to see how pretty it is plated! Just a personal preference. This book has no pictures, but at least the recipes have turned out great!
As for the smoothies… I am in smoothie paradise! I have made almond shakes, berry bombs and this:
I love using lavender to cook/bake when I get a new idea but it’s one of those things that just sits up in my cabinets going unused. When I saw a smoothie that called for lavender, I got super giddy. It’s the little things people.
This shake includes:
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 1/2 tsp dried lavender
- 1/4 cup strawberries
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 1/2 banana
That’s it! Lavender has such a unique taste that is both relaxing and invigorating all at once. No?
A bonus of this book… it has pictures! Not of every smoothies (there are 150) but of many. The pictures definitely made me excited to try more “exotic” recipes!
Your Turn To Win
Those same nice folks that sent me these books, were kind enough to send one of you a copy of each as well. They are sitting on my dining room table just begging to be mailed out!
To enter all you have to do is…
1. Leave a comment down below telling me what goes into your favorite shake.
Get additional entries by:
1. Following me on Twitter and tweeting how about this awesome giveaway! Make sure to leave an additional comment letting me know!
2. Liking the Facebook page and sharing about this giveaway on your page!
A random winner will be chosen Friday! Good luck!
**While these books were given to me, I did not receive monetary compensation. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.**