So, the MSCF Nutrition Challenge is over and I won! Yay me!

Here are my stats for the 30 day Challenge.

Weight: 180.6 down to 171.8 = 8.8 lbs! I impress even myself. :)

Chest: 41 inches down to 40 = less man-boob is a win.

Waist: 35.75 down to 34.25 = 1.5 inches… I need a belt!

Bicep: 12, no change. Not a place where my body stores fat.

Thigh: 22 down to 21.5 = again, not a place where my body typically stores fat, but a small change is still good.

Was a busy week last week, then I had to travel to Chicago for work. But, it was still a good week. I revisited the eggplant lasagna: http://www.crossfitrebellion.com/eatthis/2011/05/eggplant-lasagna.html

Plus, we cooked up a big ass turkey breast. Yeah, it is close to Thanksgiving, but I don’t tire of turkey. 

I whipped up some macaroons for a snack. Just your basic coconu macaroons, except instead of sugar, I added some caramelized fresh pineapple. Yum.

So, week 1 i had those awesome muffin-fritatas. Week 2, it was pretty much egg/veggie scrambles. I was feeling a little burnt on the texture of those types of eggs. SO, I found a nice recipe on http://everydaypaleo.com/, for a hash.

Its pretty simple… brown from lean sausage.. lump, or take it out of the casings or even chop up pre-cooked chicken types… I went with a Pork and Garlic kind from whole foods. Drain excess fat, and add a couple tablespoons of coconut oil along with 3 sweet potatoes that you have shredded. Cook while moving it around a lot, then throw in a bunch of cinnamon. Bam! Hash!

Then, serve a poached egg on top. That nice soft white and runny yolk is a nice break from the scramble or omelet texture. If you dislike poaching like I do, you can try the cheat method… start out like you are going to fry an egg. Right after you drop the egg in the pan, put in an ounce or so of water in and slap a lid on it. Don’t walk away as this cooks the egg real quick, but you get that same soft egg white texture as a poached.

A nice, cold weekend with lots of time on the soccer field and ice rink demands something warming. CHILI!

I used a combination of ground bison and chucked bison for the meat, and lots of onions and multi-colored peppers. I also made it nice ans spicey to warm you up quicker. Lean, mean and tasty!.

I found a couple interesting, relevant things from a site I check every day, BoingBoing.net. If you don’t visit that site, you should. Do it now. It is about all things literary, scientific, political, internet, etc.

First: http://tiny.cc/9d4kl - Though, not Paleo-specific, the link is a short write up about a new book called Wheat Belly, about how wheat… modern wheat, is not like ancient wheat, or even the wheat from the 1960’s. Also that wheat and wheat products are the leading cause of obesity and the associated health problems. Interesting article about an interesting book. I added the kindle edition on my wishlist… now I just need that kindle… which is the only thing on my xmas list from my wife… so I should get it… or I will abuse her… more. :)

Next, and not nearly as depressing… some dude has put up a website/blog with all the recipes from George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. Its a nice mix of medieval recipes and geekdom. Many of them are not paleo friendly, but there look to be a few good ones. Check it out: http://tiny.cc/axdvk

This weekend marked my first complete week. I must say that I am not craving any shit like I thought I would.

It was a big cooking weekend. In fact, i’d say I had a cooking extravaganza.

Saturday, I tried out a “carb replacement” type recipe and made Almond Flour Waffles: http://tiny.cc/s1mpn - They didn’t quite crisp up in my waffle iron like a normal waffle would, but they were definitely tasty. Next time I think I will add some cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, etc to make them ‘pumpkin pie-y’.

Next for snacking fun I made some Paleo Hummus (http://tiny.cc/uykpe) and some Liver Pate (no recipe link). I have some veggie sticks for dipping (carrots, celery, peppers, etc). I have been having, nuts, fruit (dried and fresh), and jerky, as well as what I made last week for snacking and wanted to expand my options a bit. Also, fruit has a high calorie content and nuts have a high fat content and I still need to watch out for that shit.

Lastly, I also made this: http://tiny.cc/rxqut ; It is entitiled Eggplant Lasagna, but I don’t think it that is terribly accurate. The consistency doesn’t really feel the same, but turns out more like a chili. Regardless of name, it is fucking outstanding. A ton of veggies in there, and the ground meat (I used beef) makes it filling and warming. The perfect thing for this shitty cold weather that has settled in.

Oh, almost forgot, my awesome wife whipped up a Carrot and Parsnip soup that she heard about from a friend at work. Damned good stuff.

I forgot to add that at the beginning of the nutrition challenge, we took some measurements. We shall see how they look at the end of 30 days.

Weight: 180.6 clothed - already impressive since I was pushing 2-hundy about 2 years ago

Waist: 35.75 at pants line /37 accross beer belly button

Chest: 41 across my nips (non-erect).

Thigh: 22 at widest part way up high /19.5 in the middle

Bicep: 12 /12.5 flexed

Sexxxy factor: 100 - extra measurement added my Tammy

Ok, so my Sis pointed out this article to me about Paleo: 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2011/10/27/141666659/the-paleo-diet-not-the-way-to-a-healthy-future?sc=fb&cc=fp

Let me start by saying that this is a poorly written article. I am not sure what the point is that the author is trying to make. The title “The Paleo-Diet: Not The Way To A Healthy Future” would lead you to believe that she is going to bash the diet, but she really doesn’t. 

I am not going to pick the article apart, except to say that for every point she has against the paleo-diet, she says there are exceptions. She claims science is on her side, but cannot point to any evidence except nutritionist opinions and paleo-anthropologists, and not long term, in-depth nutritional studies.

She approaches it as a paleo-anthropologist, and she has a point. The ‘Paleo’ name is really just marketing. Just like today’s man, paleo man was wide-spread, and had its influences both cultural and environmental. You cannot pin down the exact diet of a people who live everywhere in the world for such a long span of time. So, lighten the fuck up.

It’s not about being 100% historically accurate. Its about not eating shit. Get your meal from an animal and vegetables. Not from mass-produced, genetically altered grains and other shit in a box. The paleo diet movement is popular in certain circles, and besides the food aspect, exercise is a huge part of it. This isn’t an Atkins style “lose that 20 lbs” diet, it is part of a healthier lifestyle of eating right and being active.

Yes, it is work. You have to pay closer attention to what you buy at the market. Packaged foods are laden with sugar and shit. Yes, you spend more time preparing meals, yes you spend more money on food. Grains are cheap, that’s how the population has grown so much in the last 3000 years. But, considering the alternative, I will do the work.

Look at me ranting. Enough of that.

Also, this is a funny interview with a paleo guy: http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/263270/february-03-2010/john-durant

So, for the past couple of days I have been enjoying a tasty Thai Chicken soup. I was going put up a pic of it today at lunch, but I ate it. Anyways… its Coconut Milk (lite), chic broth, lemongrass, thai basil (from my garden) and thai curry paste as the base. Coconut Milk to Broth ratio is roughly 1:2, the rest is all to taste. Once that gets to a low boil, add some thinly sliced chicken and a bunch of veggies. In this batch I used cauliflower and carrots. It all cooks in about 15 minutes, top with some extra thai basil leaves shredded. The kids really enjoyed it as well.