Hell-O it's not Jell-O

Last night I was experimenting with creating a super healthy, yet super delicious dessert/snack. My initial thought was a healthy Paleo Ice Cream, but I don't have an ice cream machine yet (pending Christmas present). So what's the next best thing? Yogurt? Pudding? Yup!

Warning folks: If you choose to make the following recipe, know that you will probably become addicted. It's simple and fast to make and you will be scarfing it down in no time.

Here is what you'll need:

The Basics:
3 Tablespoons chia seeds
1 Tablespoon hot water
1 Can of coconut milk
1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 Teaspoon cinnamon


Healthier:
1 Tablespoon cocoa nibs
Add berries and raw coconut after chilled

Naughtier:
1 Tablespoon honey
2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 Tablespoons dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Throw into a bowl, mix, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (to allow for the chia sees to absorb liquid). *over night is best. Devour. I'm not joking, it really is that easy.

Favorite things about this recipe: 

• Easy 
• Delectable
• Adjustable to your taste
• No guilt if you eat too much
• Good source for omega-3s
• Extremely satisfying (will not leave you craving)

Spins on the dish:

DeliaMiah: Heat up the coconut milk to the chia seeds faster (warm gooey goodness).
GoJenGo: "Love the primal pudding - I've been making a pumpkin pie version for a while by adding a few spices - cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg, and even a tbsp of pureed pumpkin. A few drops of vanilla stevia sweeten it perfectly. Yesterday, I added a handful of pork rinds to it and it was like pumpkin pie bread pudding. YUM!!"

I know it's not the most handsome creation, but neither is hash or chicken fried steak and we still love 'em! Can't wait to go home and have some 'Hell-O it's not Jell-O' (or Paleo Pudding) for lunch!

Enjoy!

Krista

Primal Team wins Reality TV Competition

I’ve been following Expedition Impossible on ABC all summer and was THRILLED that The Modern Gypsies won last Thursday. The show started off pretty good, compared to other summertime tv, but once I learn that this team had been living the Primal lifestyle and spent years volunteering their time helping others all over the world…I was hooked. 

The show was created by Mark Burnett (Survivor, The Apprentice, Shark Tank, etc.) featuring 13 teams competing expedition style against each other for $150,000 and 3 Ford Explorers. The Modern Gypsies won 9 out of the 10 stages of the race proving that there may just be something to this Primal thing.

In this interview, they explain how the Primal lifestyle helped them to train for the competition:

You’ve said that the Primal lifestyle was a big part of your training. What did you mean by that?

Being Primal keeps you ready for anything. It was perfect training for a competition that is constantly varied and unknown. When Mark Burnett, producer of Expedition Impossible and Survivor, designed this show, he must have had the Primal Blueprint in mind. Combine long distances, bursts of intense activity and constant problem solving with a survival of the fittest style competition and you have Grok in his daily life!

Further into the article they go on to explain how at first they were looked at as the “crazy guys with mustaches that didn’t eat bread or candy,” but after a while food became limited some beans and bread in Morocco.

Of course America, including myself, fell for team No Limits. How couldn’t you? Erik (lost his sight years ago) was guided by Jeff (just an all-around awesome leader), and Ike (former Marine) with his broken ankle made it across the finish line in 2^nd place. They had the most heart, helped out other teams, and were just plain inspirational. 

 

The show turned out to be better than I expected and now I can’t wait for season 2! How amazing would it be to test yourself in a competition like this?

Krista

P.S. If you would like to learn more about The Modern Gypsies, check out their blog on their current adventures.

Food this week...

Tacos! Minus the tortillas and chips - still delicious. :)

Dulce de Leche...happened by accident. I had a can of sweetened condensed milk that was about to expire from my pre-primal days so I made dulce de leche for Mark. He's been dipping Ritz Crackers in it for dessert all week. Sweet n' salty goodness.

I did allow myself a nice treat (20%) - spooned over Total Fage Greek Yogurt.

Also, made BBQ Beef Brisket. So tender and satisfying - didn't need dessert after this meal.

Hungry now?

Krista

Paleo vs. Primal

**See chart below if you are more of a visual person for a quick skim through of the specific differences (me).**

There are a few different versions of the Paleo and Primal diet depending on whose book/website you read. Loren Cordain’s version focuses more on eating lots of lean meat, vegetables with some fruit, no sugar (artificial is OK – wtf?), limit fats (avoid saturated –  bummer), and the usual no dairy/grains/legumes. Robb Wolf’s is similar to this, but he eats green beans (legume), allows yams/sweet potatoes (athletes), and grass-fed butter is OK if you can tolerate it. 

If you read the forums you will find that the Paleo diet varies by person. What Robb Wolf really stresses, and I encourage as well, is to go 100% Paleo for 30 days. Then experiment with adding foods to your diet to find out what works for your body (butter, potatoes, you get the idea).

OK, so what’s Primal? Mark Sisson introduced the Primal Blueprint as a lifestyle. This is what I follow, because it is more flexible and works for me: 80/20 rule, some dairy (cream, full fat Greek yogurt, cheese, butter – hell yes), more fats (another hell yes), wine (this one gets a WAHOO!), and focuses more on the quality of life. The Primal Blueprint incorporating play, sleep, sun, while avoiding stress, trauma, and chronic cardio. 

Neither of these are a one size fits all solutions. Do what works best for you.