Lately, I have been working on taking my eating habits one step further beyond Paleo. I’ve been eating ultra low carb (aka: Ketogenic – or Low Carb High Fat) and it was going really well for about a month… and then I cheated, and cheated some more, and… ate carbs. Carbs, oh glorious carbs!!! As my brain was convincing me that I MUST have them, my body is reminding me that I am nearly 40, and things aren’t processing the same way as they once had when I was 25.
So, the cheating had to stop. Just two days back into the program, I have to tell you how good it feels! It really is worth it for me to watch exactly what I eat.
The hardest part about both Paleo and Keto is that my nose still works as a 5 year old child. The smells of food, not cool!! I’m so hardwired to want those foods and I SWEAR are being piped out deliberately from restaurants and bakeries!
- Me – walking by a bakery with the aroma off cookies in the air
- Brain – “I want everything! Squeee!”
- Me – driving past a wood fired pizza restaurant
- Brain – “Pull over, it’s too good to resist!”
It’s everywhere, and I can’t help but notice how unfair it is. I feel like a food addict, unable to escape the foods that I so very much have to avoid. Even when I am just at home, my children still have to eat, and I’m not cooking them all ultra low carbs at all times. Ex: Yesterday I cooked up mac n’ cheese (organic!) for them, and literally had to put a lid on it after spooning out the glorious carbs onto their plates. What I, a child? Perhaps, yes! Or, maybe just maybe my mind has been so over-programmed of sweets or processed foods or (gasp!) fast food. Or perhaps, this is just the way addiction works? You have to truly CHANGE the way of thinking. Rewire.
And so the reprogramming begins. Eating well (thanks to Paleo) and avoiding sugars (thank you Keto) has indeed helped me dramatically with what I like. My taste buds are for the most part reprogrammed! I had a Starbucks Vanilla Latte and was so disappointed. Well, not really… I was happy dancing! I no longer love Vanilla Lattes, as they are entirely too sweet! Nothing like a good ol’ cup of coffee with a splash of heavy cream to start the day.
If you are changing your habits like me, note that it’s no party at first and it take a while for taste buds to desire different things. And the nose? HA, the nose “thinks” it knows what I want, but that will just have to adjust in time too.
Enjoy this recipe I’ve made, thanks to Caveman Keto (and some adjustments of my own!) Cheers!
- 1 lb Chicken Thighs – cubed
- 1/2 lb Boneless Cooked Ham – cubed
- 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
- 3-4 slices of deli sliced Swiss cheese
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese (full fat!)
- 1 Egg
- salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a glass 9×13 casserole dish place in cubed chicken, ham, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Lay cheese slices over the meat and mushrooms. In a separate bowl, mix together softened cream cheese with heavy cream, egg and garlic powder. Pour mixture over meat/mushrooms. Bake for 40 minutes.
The Chocolate Bottle 