Going Paleo???

I start this by saying that I have been sick three times this winter.  Now that may not be too many times for some, however I have gone probably in the neighborhood of about 4 years without getting so much as a cold, so three times in about 3-4 months was huge.  And these weren't just little colds with the sniffles, I have had a stomach bug, the flu, and a fever that kept me in bed for 4 days.  I simple couldn't get up, of coarse we note that this was over spring break.  Kind of a debbie downer of a break.  It was during this last bout that I thought maybe my diet needed some tweaking.  Was I not getting enough fruits and veggies, was I eating too many processed foods?  I was also struggling with some big time depression, and breakthrough allergy symptoms in the middle of winter.  What is that??  (I do allergy shots, and take allergy medicine daily which I'd like to get off of).  So a change was definitely in order.

During the middle of my daughter's spring break (she has two weeks), she went with me to Barnes and Noble to do some searching for a different way to eat to clean out the junk in my system. I didn't think that I ate poorly, limited or eliminated the proceed food, ate fruits and veggies, maybe not the recommended amount, but they were there.  We finally settled on a Paleo cookbook that looked like something I could use, and my family would like.

This was the winner.  How could you not like the pancakes on the front cover.  I can totally do that! :)  It provided me with a start on my journey to clean up my eating.  I'll share my favorite little tip that the authors have in this book.  It's homemade nut milk.  I usually put milk in my coffee, and seen an how dairy is off the menu, this is the perfect substitute for my morning cup.  

Take 1 cup raw almonds add 3 cups of filtered water, and soak at room temperature for at least 24 hrs.  I have let mine sit for up to 2-3 days before processing.  Place soaked almonds and water into a blender for about 1-2 minutes until nuts are finely chopped.  Cover a strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth, and strain the nut pulp from the liquid.

I've used some already this morning in my coffee, what a great substitution for milk.  There are several different nut milks that they make in this cookbook that I plan on trying like walnut, pecan, and cashew milk, and they have recipes that you can use these milks for in the cookbook.

I'm about 2-3 weeks into my new adventure, and the family is on board, and I feel better.  Can I know it's just the diet, and nothing else?  No, but it feels good to feel better, and eating more fruits and veggies, and less process food never hurt anyone!  I'll keep revamping some of my favorite recipes to fit my new way of eating.  Excited!