A Paleo Life: A Cost Experiment

A friend of mine messaged me the other day and asked me if I would be willing to share with everyone how much we are spending on food.  It's funny because I had just talked to a Paleo friend of mine about it just before that. 

My Paleo friend said she feels like she spends less on food.  I have only been doing this for under two weeks but I felt like I was spending MORE and to be honest, I don't really care if I spend more.  I think it is kinda sad that Americans worry so much about how much they spend on food.  In all honesty, food should be one of the things we spend the most money on.  GOOD food nourishes our bodies and keeps us happy and healthy.  Anyway, I will get off my soap box....

So to try and figure out how expensive/inexpensive it is to eat Paleo, I will tell you all how much I spent on food this month.  Then at the end of the month I will tell you what is left, then we can kind of get an idea of cost.

Here is what I had left in my freezer(meat): 7 pork chops, 1 whole chicken and 3 chicken breasts.

We went to 3 stores today: Sam's Club, Price Chopper and The Mustard Seed(health food store).  Here is a quick breakdown of what we got and spent.

SAM'S CLUB
We spent: $197.47($158.53 on just food)
(this includes toilet paper, a big thing of coffee and some sales books for GH. So subtract about $38.94 since we are only talking about food)

Here is a list of the big things we got:
7lbs of bacon
10lbs of ground beef
7lbs of pork shoulder
6lbs of Cod fillets
Organic apples
Beef jerky
Cashews
Avocados
Veggie Medley
Bananas

The first paycheck of the month has the most leftover so we like to go to Sam's and stock up.  I usually wouldn't buy a pork shoulder but I found an awesome recipe that I want to try called TexMex Crockpot Carnitas

PRICE CHOPPER
* I will tell you that Price Chopper isn't the cheapest grocery store in the world but I really like their produce.  They have a lot of organic veggies and their produce is much better than Walmart.

We spent: $67.85

We mainly got some of the veggies that we didn't want in bulk or that Sam's didn't have like spinach, onions and artichokes. We also got several spices and some Tapioca flour so I can try a new Paleo bread recipe.  We had to get 2 half gallons of Almond Milk(that's what Corbin drinks) and coffee creamer(yes we cheat with coffee creamer! lol). I also got some Olive Oil mayo(since we know I SUCK at making my own) and some Stevia in the Raw(for when I want to sweeten something but not use sugar).

THE MUSTARD SEED
*This place is pretty over priced but they are the only health food store in the area so they get away with it.

We spent: $61.34

The main purpose for going there was to get freshly made almond butter(about $10/lb) and some supplements for me. We also got a super foods mix for Brian to put into his smoothies and a few other little things.

Really, besides the almond butter, going to Mustard Seed was just cause we wanted to. :)

So that's the breakdown....I will update when we go to the store again since I am sure we will end up needing more veggies or fruit.  I haven't meal planned or anything lately though.  I am enjoying throwing things together and making my own random meals. We have a few recipes we want to try, so we will just make them on whatever day ends up being best.  Our life has been crazy hectic lately!

A Paleo Life: It's been one week!

Well today is Sunday so it has been one week since we began this awesome diet! I have done a lot better than I ever thought I would. I have had opportunities to cheat and eat something bad for me but have turned it down because I didn't WANT to eat it.  I don't think I can say I have felt like this before on a diet.  Usually I feel deprived and have to resist to cheat all the time....with this, I simply don't want to cheat.

I have learned a few things this week.  For one, there are so many different "Paleos" out there with their own idea of how we should eat.  Some are super hardcore! One said something along the lines of "cavemen didn't bake so even paleo-friendly baked goods aren't okay". Well, your right, they obviously didn't have a Kitchenaid and oven handy.....however I am not trying to BE a caveman. I am trying to eat the food our bodies were meant to eat, the food humans have eaten since the beginning of time. If making a baked goodie out of gluten-free ingredients makes me happy, I am going to do it.  It makes it easier and more realistic for me.  Regardless to if I eat baked goods or not, I am eating a million times better than ever before and that counts for something....a big something!

Here are some things we tried that I totally loved!
Paleo Breakfast Bread
Chocolate Frosting Shots

The breakfast bread is sooooo good! Even Corbin liked it! The Chocolate frosting....pretty much AMAZING!! I used it as a dip for strawberries and it was seriously so good! These two things will be served quite often around here I bet! :)

As for results so far...
My weight hasn't changed since my last post but you can certainly see a difference.  I feel like my waist is slimming down quite a bit, as well as my arms.  I should probably do some measurements to keep track better.
I am drinking lots more water and am actually loving veggies.  I have never eaten so many veggies in my life, but now I love them and prefer them. :)


I am very excited to continue with this journey! Hope you enjoy reading about it. :)

A Paleo Life: How its going

Well today is day 5 of this journey.  So here is an update on how its going.

I kinda forgot to mention that I did cheat on my first day! (who does that right? lol) In my defense, my husband and I went on a date(which doesn't happen all that often) and we went to a movie.  We got popcorn and soda :( but no candy!  Since then I have been sticking to it quite well. I am starting to get used to vegetables and eating when I am hungry and not because its "meal time". I am mainly snacking here and there all day, so yay for that metabolism boost!

I've read that eventually you will stop craving carbs and sugars and I can say that is probably true.  I will admit, I am an ice cream person and was a huge carb lover(hence why I am chubby lol). At first it was a little hard to not have crackers with my Paleo Chili or ice cream as a dessert.  But as the days go by I find it to be easier to restrain the urge.  Now, if I want something sweet, I grab some berries or grapes.  If I want a snack, I have some veggies with my Paleo friendly Ranch dip or some beef jerky.

I am now hooked on researching everything Paleo.  It's amazing how many resources there are for this out there.  A whole new world has opened up for me! I really want to stick to this! I kind of have a problem with giving up on things like diet/exercise but this is fun for me right now and I hope that fun stays around. 

Now let's talk about the fun part! I think I am finally brave enough to share my weight with everyone and will let you know as it goes down. :) For a few weeks I would fluctuate between 175-180 depending on how much I ate the day before.  Before I began Paleo, I was pretty much at 180.  Well this morning I was down to 175!! :) My current goal weight is 155 so not too far to go.  Wish me luck! :)

A Paleo Life: Casey saves the day!

So, I told myself I would be completely honest on here....so here it goes!

I have been sticking to the Paleo diet but it has been a little tough! I never realized how many carbs I ate in a day, or how much processed junk.  Kinda grosses me out now.

One thing I was having an issue with is raw veggies.  I like them, but I mainly like them with a dip or something.  Most of my life I didn't really eat my veggies, so this is kind of a new thing.
So, I decided I would allow myself to have some veggie dip until I got used to it.  I bought the Organic kind. Yes, I know, it has milk...but I figured if I am going to stick to this diet, I need to ease into some things or else I will get frustrated and cave in(no pun intended! lol).

Well today my friend Casey told me about her "Ranch" recipe.  Here it is:

"Ranch":
1/2 cup Vegannaise
Soy milk(or your choice of any other non-dairy milk ie: Almond or Coconut)
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
-Mix the milk and Vegannaise until you reach desired consistency.  Stir in onion and garlic powder. Season to taste.

I made it a little differently.  I used Olive Oil mayo (store bought since we all know I can't handle mayo making!) and Coconut milk in mine.  It was seriously so good...and something I don't have to beat myself up over.  I used just a little bit on my salad tonight at dinner...and I went back for seconds!!

I am so happy! Finally something I like, that I can have and not feel bad about it.  I am pretty proud of myself so far I must say.  Yes it has only been like 3 days, but in this short time I have drastically changed my eating habits.  I never realized how poorly I was eating before! I can now feel good about everything I put into my body....and I like that! :)

A Paleo Life: Homemade Mayo Attempt

Last night I decided to try to make my own Paleo friendly mayo so that I could turn it into a veggie dip. We learned making mayo is certainly not my strong point.....at all.  It is honestly quite time consuming and kind of difficult.  Okay, maybe difficult isn't the word exactly, perhaps the problem was that I don't do well with being patient when I cook. :)

So I would like to take the opportunity to share something with you all.  I stumbled upon a blog that has a demo video! Awesome! See the blog here: Homemade Paleo Mayo Cooking Demo

I did not try again after I found this video however.  I had already wasted half a dozen eggs on my little experiement turned bad.  I might give it another try down the road though.  I think I will try the baconnaise recipe next time.  I'm not sure that I will like the olive oil kind, even if I make it right. :)

A Paleo Life: The Beginning

My husband and I have recently decided to change our eating habits and live a much healthier lifestyle.  We have always thought that what the first humans ate, was probably what we should be eating.  It just makes sense to us.  After further research and talking with a few friends, we found what some refer to as the Paleo/Primal diet.  I researched it a bunch more and decided it was perfect for us! I personally could eat meat every single day, I grew up that way.  Brian and I are most certainly carnivores! :)

Disclaimer: Before anyone gets all crazy on me....This is just OUR journey...keyword: OUR! We will probably not follow it 100% to start out(baby steps!!!) and there will be times I will cheat or mess up.  We are only human.  We are trying our best and that's okay with us, so let it be okay with you. :)

For more information on the Paleo lifestyle, see these links.

Ultimate Guide to Eating Paleo

Paleolithic Diet Explained

Both links are great visual explanations! 

Today, St. Patty's Day, we started our journey!!

First, I decided all no-no foods had to go! If its not in my house, I won't eat it. As I cleaned my pantry out, I realized how horribly we were eating.  The pantry was pretty much bare when we were done.  We did keep a few things for the kids though, since they aren't going to be as easy to switch.

Here is what I got rid of:

Yeahh...we like Ramen!

 This is what our pantry looks like post-clean.

The top shelf is for the boys.  We plan on avoiding canned vegetables and eating as much fresh veggies as possible, but again, baby steps.

Then it was on to the fridge!! I just threw out what was in there that was a no-no, so here is what we kept.

Yes I am keeping my coffee creamer.  I can't cut the coffee just yet! :) We also kept a few condiments but honestly they will probably go soon.

The fridge is kind of a disaster right now from having family in town and a birthday party. We have an over abundance of salsa. Lots of random veggies left too.

Now for the freezer.  Pretty much only had to pitch a few Lean Cuisines.

Yes I am aware that the Bacardi is a no-no.  However, Brian recently bought it so I wasn't gonna make him throw it out! :)

After our massive food purge....we went grocery shopping.  First we hit up the local health food store, then onto the grocery store and finally to Sam's Club.  We would prefer to buy local veggies/fruits and grass-fed beef and such but the farmer's market hasn't started up just yet so the regular store will have to do for now.

Here is what we got:

YUMMM!!!

I am actually extremely excited to do this.  Meat and veggies sounds just fine to me! I love that we can have eggs, that will make breakfast super easy.  Oh! We will continue to eat butter.  We bought a big thing of it from the health food store, so it's the good kind.  I have just heard so many great things about butter and just can't ditch it. I might change my mind later, but for now we use it!

Neither of us are Irish, at all, but we happen to enjoy St. Patrick's Day(especially since it's so close to Corbin's birthday).  So tonight we will eat Corned Beef and red potatoes.  Potatoes are one of those if-y foods for this diet, but I say its a veggie so we will eat it. 

So that's all for our first day.  I will continue to update you all on how it is going.  Hopefully I will get a chance to blog more often.  :)

Stripping Diapers with RLR

I am going to share with you all the way I strip my diapers.  You will probably find other ways to do this as well but this is the way I do it.  I first tried RLR about a year ago and now it is the only thing I fully trust to deep clean my diapers.

So get yourself a packet of RLR HERE.

Before we start, you need clean diapers.  So do your regular wash routine to get them clean.  

If you have a lot of diapers, consider splitting them up into 2-3 batches.  I split mine up into 2.

 1. Fill your washer with HOT water, a packet of RLR and your diapers.

2. Close the lid and let it agitate for a minute or so.

You should see lots of suds!

 3. Let it soak!!! I suggest letting it soak for several hours, if not overnight.  I personally let it soak all night long.

4. After letting it soak, let it agitate for a minute again. (the bubbles suds will settle from sitting). Then get a measuring cup and start scooping all the suds off the top.  This is a kind of lengthy process but trust me, its better than doing a million rinses.  I have a utility sink next to my washer so I scoop and dump the suds in the sink. 

You want to remove as much of the suds as you can. 

5.  Now to rinse! Turn your washer back on and let it run through a cycle.  I can add a double rinse on mine automatically so I do that.  Continue to rinse, rinse, rinse and lift the lid to check on it every once in awhile.  If you can still see suds or some soap residue floating on the top of the water, you need to keep rinsing.  I will use my scoop to get rid of some of the suds during the rinse phase.  

See the soap lingering around?

6. Once you can lift the lid and see clear water, YOUR DONE! You can go ahead and dry your diapers as usual!

I hope these directions were clear.  If you have a question, please comment on this post. :)

Cheers to clean diapers!!!