So I have mentioned a few different times on here that I have been reading and following a Paleo diet.  A few posts have even been tagged "Paleo".  What does that mean?  Well, the short answer is that it is a diet based on how the caveman would have eaten - meat, vegetables, fruits, seeds and nuts.  No refined sugars, grains or dairy! 

I actually grew up allergic to dairy, so that is easy for me, but the grains is usually where people get caught up. Being diabetic and having to deal with erratic blood sugar levels, removing grains has been amazing for me.  I really feel great.  Some might say that it is removing gluten from your diet, which I would likely agree, but I dont like using the processed foods that removed gluten either because the carbohydrate level is still typically the same and doesnt help me with my blood sugars. 

If you have been struggling with blood sugars and diet, it is worth a try.  My philosophy is that everyone is different and not every diet is perfect for everyone, so make it what works for you. There is somewhat of an 80/20 rule in my life and diet, Paleo meals 80-85% of the time makes a huge difference in my mood and energy levels. 
 
If you want some more information read Robb Wolf or Dr. Loren Cordain.

Came across this pretty cool video showing what 2000 calories looks like, puts your meals into perspective.

With my PALEO diet in full swing, it is important to plan ahead and make quick meals for the go! My amazing wife spent sometime getting me all set for the week!

I'm always looking for healthy snacks that I can bring to work because when 3 o'clock comes around, I'm starving.  If I don't have something near I usually will end up snacking on something thats not so good.  These egg muffins are not only great in the morning but also to bring with you for a mid afternoon snack.  The best part is that they are so easy to make and can be customized easily. The recipes we used are below but like I said, almost anything works in these!  

We cooked up a package of Trader Joes chicken breakfast sausage & a package of bacon and put one or the other in all of the muffins.  We also sauteed a package of mushrooms and an onion together.  Just pour a little bit of the egg mixture in the muffin tin, add the ingredients you like and then pour more of the mixture on top, leaving about 1/2 inch from the top.   You can get creative here, almost any ingredient would work.  Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes (or until done). 

YUM! Great option for Mexican tacos!  Yes, I used some Trader Joes black bean with jalapeno.  I modify my Paleo slightly with some legumes or as most people call them, beans.  Let me know in the comments if you want the recipe :) 

Moving to another country can be difficult if you don't know anyone, which my wife and I didn't, but Crossfit is definitely a great community.  I have been trying to get to a class 2-3 times a week and it really helps that my company will cover 2 of those.  Really awesome.  I have been noticing my blood sugar levels stay much more consistent throughout the day when I have been working out.  However, I am still seeing some real HIGHS when I am done with my WODs or "workout of the day", which has led me to be more proactive to injections immediately post workout.  

We are always testing out interesting new recipes we find on Pinterest.  The other day we came across some cookies that were gluten-free and did not contain any grains and actually  looked good, so we tried 'em.  Peanut butter cookies with seriously only 4 simple ingredients?!?  We were completely surprised when we ended up LOVING them!  Plus, the recipe says it only has 36 calories per cookies..can't beat that for a sweet treat. [Note: these do not contain cane sugar, but plenty of honey for sweetening that will certainly raise blood sugar levels]

Ingredients: 
1 Cup Peanut Butter 
1 Cup Honey 
1 TSP Baking Soda 
1 Egg 
Optional - Add some Cacoa (or coco) powder to add chocolatey flavor. It also adds some thickening to consistency. 

Mix the peanut butter + honey first, then add an egg and baking soda.  You can either try to put them in sloppy balls like cookies or spread the mixture all out on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes on 350 degrees. They’re delicious & soft! .... a healthier version of peanut butter cookies :) Enjoy! 

Everyone knows that December is a always a busy month with shopping and traveling, you tend to be 'ut and aboot (just practicing my Canadian for when we move to Vancouver next month - more to follow). 

With traveling usually comes the unhealthy fast food dinner options filled with sugar and carbs. One pretty good option to eat a low carbohydrate (not low calorie) is at In N Out :) mmmmmm! Sorry for those that are not on the West Coast, since it is only available out here.  On the menu they only have three options: Double Double, Cheeseburger & Hamburger, all with an option for a side of fries.  What many people don't know is that you can get any of them "Protein Style" which means they substitute the high carb bun for a large piece of leaf lettuce.  I always do a Double patty Hamburger.  Pretty good and tasty option for PWD that are trying to watch carb intake. Happy Holidays and enjoy a protein style burger :)  

Being raised in the San Diego area and going to college there, Mexican food has always been a food staple in my life.  From Carne Asada/California/Breakfast burritos to fish/calamari tacos to chicken tamales!  Any form of mexican food was usually consumed multiple times a week and could even be hazily eaten at some odd times of the night.  One of the best nights of the week in San Diego was Taco Tuesday.  Ok, yes the tacos were amazing, but the $2 beers always helped provide some fun on Tuesday nights, but also led to not so fun Wednesday work days!  

However, you are probably reading this, thinking to yourself, CARB overload! Yes, you are correct, but I was sort of able to manage in college, but now it leads to chaotic blood sugar levels, even without the beers.  (NOTE: Tacos are much better for me when it come to blood sugar levels, they are manageable, but burritos never work.)  

So the healthier low carb option for burritos and tacos is to replace the tortilla with a romaine lettuce leaves, or what we like to call, "lettuce boats".  Have a taste for yourself & happy Taco Tuesday to all!

Here is a little treat for your Friday evening... baked apple slices.  I know it isn't your typical (high calorie) apple crisp recipe, but trust me, it is still really tasty!  This is gluten & dairy free if you use Earth Balance instead of butter.  
Just a warning for PWD, this will still raise your blood sugar so measure out agave nectar/honey & apples to get correct carb count. 

Thanks to everyone for the encouraging comments on my new foray into sharing my experiences with Diabetes.  I will try to keep fresh posts with a focus on topics typically less discussed. However, many posts hopefully will be relevant to people without Diabetes as well.  I BET if people were to try some of my nutrition and exercise habits they would probably see more results than their traditional DIETING.  Forget the “South Beach Diet”, what if people tried the “Diabetic Diet”; don’t know if that sounds marketable though? 

One of the many great experiences during our trip to Thailand was the Thai cooking class we took in Chiang Mai.  We spent four hours learning how to cook a few different dishes: pad thai, stir fry, coconut soup (tom kha) and curry.  

I chose to cook the noodle-free, diabetic friendly option of Cashew Nut Chicken and to my surprise it came out really tasty.  Michelle cooked her favorite pad thai or what our instructor called “The Boring Dish”, haha.  She also cooked some green curry for me, which was nice and spicy.