Clementine Cake

Proof that grain free and sugar free is as delicious as can be!

Grain-free eating can be very intimidating. For our whole lives we have been eating breads, cereal, pasta, cookies, rice, crackers, and, least we forget, cakes! Of course, this is only the tip of the iceberg of grain-based foods. So, to say that you are going to remove all grain from your diet can seem completely overwhelming. However, it doesn't have to be. Knowledge is power, and perception is reality. My suggestion to you is to learn about how, and why, you can remove and substitute grains before you actually take the actions to do so. Some great sites to get started are:

Mark's Daily Apple
Robb Wolf

Banana Almond Bread with Pecans

 Second topic up for Paleo discussion is walk around a lot. On average, men walk just of 7000 steps and women just over 5000 according to a 2004 study by Dr. Catrine Tudor-Locke. That's about 3 1/2 miles for men and under 3 for women. However, it is suggested that we walk at least 10,000 steps (about 5 miles) per day. And under paleo "standards", that child's play. We should spend several hours walking each day. Not just the recommended 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Dark Chocolate Coconut Muffins



Starting a paleo/primal lifestyle is one thing. Staying on track is another. Sure, the concept is simple: only eat foods our earliest ancestors had access to, walk around a lot, sprint sometimes, lift heavy things, spend most of your time outdoors, and sleep long nights. But we live in America in the 21st century, people. We aren't that naive. The good thing is, we don't have to be.

Better Way to Start Your Day

If I had to describe the word nutrition in one sentence, it would be "nutrition is the key to life". Literally! If we do not provide our body with nourishment, it will perish. However, there are several levels of nourishment that we can attain. Let's use the USDA Beef grading system terms to define. At the top, we have Prime nutrition where our diet and lifestyle provide us with the necessary macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals to thrive in this world. Next down is Choice nutrition where we have to supplement our diet and lifestyle to access all of the necessary macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals to sustain in this world. A step down from that is Select nutrition where we follow a diet and lifestyle to loosely progress towards better nourishment, however we are usually caught in the tangled web of nutrition information available and not sure where to go. Lastly, and I believe this is where most people fall, is the Standard nutrition. People's diet and lifestyle is providing them just enough nourishment to survive, and many have no idea how to access the higher levels of nutrition.

Mission Impossible: Pancakes

My mission: cook pancakes every weekend. Enjoy life :)

So this post is a long time coming! Thanks for being patient, those of you whom I've promised that I was going to post it. 

My favorite part of my weekends is pancakes. It started when I was a kid. My Mom, Dad and I went to the cafe at the golf course right down the road from my house every Sunday for breakfast. Mom got the Belgium waffles topped with fresh fruit and a side of bacon. Dad got the western omelet with toast and bacon. I got the short stack of pancakes. Everyyyyy week until I was about 16 (when I entered the official working world). It was great; Dad would read the "snooze"paper, Mom would read the USA Today, I read the Comics; we all ate together and chatted causally about life with the sun shining down on us (we ate on the patio), the golfers practicing on the putting green, everyone with a smile on their face... ahh, memories!