Paleo Coffee Conundrum

So as I alluded to here, here and here about my first few days of the 30-day paleo experiment we are embarking on, coffee has been one of my biggest challenges.

I toyed with the idea of forgoing coffee entirely, but decided in the end that enduring the hellish withdrawal to get to the other side of my fierce caffeine dependency was just not something I felt like dealing with.

The problem is.. I like my coffee creamy. And sweet.  And it is difficult to create creamy sweetness with non-sugar, non-dairy, non-soy items. Here's a rundown of my failed (and eventually successful) attempts to continue clutching to my morning ritual of warm, creamy, delicious uppers.

ATTEMPT #1

COFFEE + COCONUT MILK + CINNAMON
Verdict? Decently sweet and palatable, but not at all creamy.  I used the kind of coconut milk that comes in the milk-carton, rather than the canned type (which is creamier).  So, too watery.

ATTEMPT #2

COFFEE + ALMOND MILK + CINNAMON
Verdict? Awful. Undrinkable. Somehow the combination of these ingredients made for an unbearably bitter taste.  I tried to choke it down for the sake of my addiction, but couldn't do it. (Hence why I question the source of my day 2 headache)

This is the point at which I went to the interwebs for some ideas, and found some recipes for paleo coffee creamer.  I found one from Deliciously Organic that seemed simple enough (and didn't involve eggs, like some, which grossed me out), and was easily adaptable for various flavors.  So I gave it a try...

ATTEMPT #3

COFFEE + PALEO COFFEE CREAMER (pureed dates + canned coconut milk + cinnamon)
Verdict? MUCH better. The dates and coconut milk provide a little bit of creamy sweetness.  However, I started to notice that the bitterness from Attempt #2 came along as I drank my coffee.  I theorized that for some reason the cinnamon was getting increasingly bitter, so on my next batch I left out the cinnamon, and that was definitely much better.  However, since the pureed dates is by no means liquid, it does mean that, especially towards the end of the cup of coffee, you end up kind of chewing your coffee. So... the best option so far, and totally doable, but not ideal. Which is when I finally tried...


ATTEMPT #4
COFFEE + BUTTER + COCONUT OIL (aka Bulletproof Coffee)
Verdict? The holy grail of delicious paleo coffee!!

Putting butter and coconut oil in your coffee sounds super gross, I know, it's why it took me a week and 3 failed attempts at making delicious coffee before I finally decided to give it a try.  But it results in a super creamy, tasty, delicious coffee that might even be better than regular non-paleo coffee choices, I swear! To make it you put about 1 tbsp coconut oil, 1 tbsp grass-fed, unsalted butter or ghee and coffee in a blender and voila....

And the result is kind of like the best damn latte you've ever had - super creamy, with a little bit of foam on top, with a really nice flavor too. I usually have to sweeten my coffee, but it's not even necessary with this (but I did throw a little vanilla extract in it which gave it a nice flavor).  You can certainly flavor this with any other spices or flavorings to kick it up a notch too. 

But for real, this stuff is liquid creamy coffee heaven, and I clearly saved the best for last.  Paleo Coffee Conundrum is officially over.   Bonus points that there are major health benefits (getting the good, healthy oils and fats you need which also help slow down the absorption of the coffee so the caffeine crashes and spikes are no more).  

So there you have it! Now excuse me while I continue to sip on my epically delicious cup of coffee....

TIGER BLOOD! March: Days 6 & 7

Well here we are, at the end of Day 7, our first full week of paleo! We are one quarter of the way there, hurrah! 

According to the Whole30 folks, days 6 & 7 are the "I just want a nap" phase, during which time your body is struggling to adjust to processing and getting energy from your new fuel sources (since it can no longer rely on the quick and easy fuels you used to give it such as grains and sugars, etc.)

I think Phil and I would say we both have felt a wee bit sleepy, but not significantly more than normal.  I think this whole time I've personally been about a half a day to a day ahead of this whole timeline... on the evening of Day 5 I passed out on the couch before dinner.  And that was about the most "I just want a nap" I have felt. 

I have noticed, however, that my workouts have felt just a tad more laborious, which makes sense. I feel a touch like I'm running through sludge.  And that's all I have to say about that. 

Yesterday, on day 6, I had the challenge of navigating spending a full day at a symposium in Denver which involved a catered lunch.  Not knowing what food would be served (but expecting it to be non-paleo friendly in some way or another), I tried to go into it as prepared as possible given I wouldn't have access to a refrigerator or microwave (and therefore many portable food options would be out of the question).  So I put together a little "paleo survival kit" for myself, to try to ensure no matter what the lunch option was I wouldn't starve...

My "survival kit" included:

• raw broccoli
• almonds 
• a Lara Bar
• an Epic Bar 
• an orange.  

The catered lunch involved choices such as: a veggie wrap, turkey sandwich, potato chips, and brownies.  Not at all paleo friendly. So I deconstructed a turkey sandwich and MacGuyvered a lettuce wrap with turkey and tomatoes.  I know deli meat is not ideal, because it is so highly processed and likely pumped full of sugar, but I did the best with what I could.  I only ended up eating the almonds, orange, Lara Bar and half of my Epic Bar out of my kit, and while I was quite hungry when I got home, I was by no means uncomfortably ravenous. So I survived, hooray!

Day 7 has also proven to be the day I finally mastered delicious, creamy paleo coffee. I have alluded to this experiment I have embarked on many times already, and I will soon share my conclusions.  Get excited.... 

Now calm down. Imagine Zack restraining hugging you into a state of zen.

Since Phil's mom is in town, Day 7 has also involved experimenting with real-world-paleo aka eating out.  We went out to lunch at a Mexican restaurant with my parents, and we both got fajitas minus the tortillas-cheese-sourcream-etc. (similar to our day 1 dinner experiment).  We considered trying one of the more paleo-friendly restaurants in town for dinner, and did even waltz into Fresh Thymes, an all-gluten free restaurant that's known for having paleo friendly choices, but we ended up very overwhelmed by the place.  Instead of sitting down and having a chance to mull over a menu and chat with a waiter, it was more counter-style eating, and it just felt too overwhelming to deal with at the time.  We still want to try it someday, because it sounds delicious (particularly their gluten free mac-n-cheeseOMNOMNOM).  So we bailed, and hit up Whole Foods for some delicious steaks and headed home instead.  Never did I think I'd see the day that I'd willingly opt out of eating out in lieu of cooking at home. That's paleo, for ya, apparently.

On to week 2!!

Switcheroo

There has been a lot brewing on the house front, but so far none of it is complete enough to share, but I do want to take a break from my TIGER BLOOD! March paleo focus and get back to the house stuff by sharing one small crafty project that got a little switcheroo after the holidays.  You may have seen here my super cheap and easy DIY holiday banner... well after the holidays went back from whence they came, I still loved the idea of using the twine and clothespin in that spot for decoration.  So I just traded out the holiday schwag for some Instagram prints that have previously been shoved in a drawer, and voila! A nice, personal touch that provides an otherwise blank and boring half-wall with something pretty to look at. 

This project was actually perfect for these Instagram prints - I got a bunch printed out a while ago, thinking they'd be great to have on hand to hang up in frames, etc., but only after I ordered them did I remember that they are such a funky size they really don't fit into most standard frames.  Nowadays many people make Instagram-friendly square frames, but I have yet to acquire any of those.  So this was a great way to get to display these square photos of super un-square people (harhar), instead of shoving them in a drawer like has been the case thus far.

Hopefully I can share the big updates we've made to our living spaces and bedroom very soon! (hint: there IS such a thing as a new couch smell!)

TIGER BLOOD! March : Days 4 & 5

Day 5 is coming to a close, and we are still alive and functioning, squee! According to the Whole30 folks and their timeline, days 4 & 5 are the "KILL ALL OF THE THINGS" phase, during which time you are supposed to be a major grump because you are being deprived of tasty treats and thrown out of your comfort zone and getting your hormones regulated, etc.

Well, we managed to stay pretty grump free, and didn't kill any of the things! Hurrah! Maybe a few grumblings here and there, and I may or may not have almost snapped Phil's head off for a benign, Candy Crush related comment.  Phil said it best, though, when I asked him if he wanted to kill all of the things... he said "No... I more just want to push all of the things over a little."  I imagine a grumpy little kid pouting and shoving their playmate down in the sandbox for stealing their toy. Sounds about right.

However, it has been hard to feel deprived when indulging in tasty comfort foods like this....

(Spaghetti squash with italian meatballs in marinara sauce - umyums. We would happily eat this during non-paleo times as well.)

The most noticeable thing I've noticed (yes my mastery of the English language is astounding) is how not hungry I've been (which I alluded to in terms of how filling paleo is and how easy it is to stop eating when full here).  I've actually had to worry more than anything that I'm not getting enough food throughout the day - and not because I'm intentionally depriving myself, but because I just haven't gotten as hungry.  I'm sure this is because I'm eating more filling foods that provide more sustainable energy and fulfillment than usual, and food is no longer viewed at as a pleasurable thing to be endlessly craved and indulged in.  It's just an interesting observation, and fascinating to have a mental and physical switch of thinking of food almost purely as fuel.  Learning. Growing. Continued.

Oh and I also discovered that I find kombucha delicious, which is nice, since it is not only paleo-approved, but paleo-recommended (probiotics and such).  I just have to not at all think about what it really is (mushroom-fungus-jellyfish-water) when I drink it, otherwise I'd blow mushroom-fungus-jellyfish-water-chunks (how's that for a delightful image?!).

Also, thanks to paleo, I cooked and ate beets for the first time ever! And they were tastycakes.

Beets, beans and beef! Alliteration: a great way to make your lame paleo meal seem more exciting.

TIGER BLOOD! March: Day 3

According to the Whole30 folks, day 3 should be a continuation of the detox hangover that started around day 2.  I'm happy to say that I felt much better today than I did yesterday, my headache is gone and I feel pretty energetic (could be because I've been working on making my coffee drinkable, thus maintaining my caffeine intake much better today than yesterday, which I will write more about later once I've perfected the art of delicious paleo coffee).






Having just eaten lunch, one thing I've noticed is how filling paleo food is.  Today is the second day in a row I haven't been able to finish the food I brought for lunch because I felt so full.  A lot of people fear feeling so hungry if they eat this way, and while I definitely have times throughout the day that I'm hungry (but no hungrier than normal), by no means following a meal do I feel unsatisfied. 






This concept brings to light just an interesting observation about the kind of food we eat and how our bodies and brains react to it.... there are many times in the past when I have been at the brink of feeling full or stuffed to the brim, and have happily continued eating.  Because when you are eating deliciously processed food, your mouth and brain just wants wants wants more more more.  When you are feeling full, that next bite of cake or pizza still looks delicious and your craving to continue the yums overpowers your body's signal that it's down for the count.  (I know there's some neurosciencey explanation for this - my best nonneuroscientist explanation is sugars/processed foods activitate pleasure centers in the brain, release endorphins which make you feel good, and your brain says OH give me some more of THAT good stuff!! And so on and so forth... some would say this is even akin to the way your brain reacts with an addiction. Food for thought [harhar]). 






This doesn't happen on paleo.  When you are full - that last steamed carrot or next bite of ground beef just isn't appealing.  Not because it doesn't taste good, but because you just simply feel done eating. (See: neurosciencey stuff - pleasure centers not activated so brain isn't called into action to crave more food, it's just responding purely to the body's responses for a change).  It been shockingly easy to just put the fork down, bag up my leftovers and call it good.  It's all of a sudden magically simple to listen to my body when it says it's full, instead of my brainmouth (yes that's a thing now) that says "MORE MORE MORE."  I guess this is stuff I've read about and known about as far as how food and our brain and cravings work, etc., but it's just fascinating and enlightening to experience it directly.




In addition to paleo balsamic vinaigrette that Phil whipped up on day 1, I've now also mastered paleo mayonnaise (recipe from this cookbook)...

I was intimidated by all of the cooking and preparation, but so everything is really simple to make (mostly just involves throwing stuff in a blender), and I won't lie, it's been kind of fun experimenting and learning how to make this stuff (which is a shocking statement coming from me, the person who probably hates cooking the most in the universe). Learning. Growing.




ALSO - it's great to now have validation for my jar hoarding.  I started keeping empty jars a while back thinking "we'll have a use for these some day," and voila. Someday is now.  It's great having random jars on hand to fill with things like mayonnaise, date paste, and coffee creamer (more on that soon).




On to day 4!

TIGER BLOOD! March: Days 1 & 2

Well it's finally arrived - TIGER BLOOD! March commenced yesterday.  I'm trying to juxtapose my experiment with the 30-day timeline that the folks over at Whole30 created, just to see how my experience is stacking up to what seem to be the most commonly experienced phases...

DAY 1
According to Whole30 day 1 has been deemed "So, What's the Big Deal?" during which time you are supposed to have a pompous sort of confidence of your ability to seamlessly eat paleo for the next 30 days (or more).  For myself, I would rename Day 1: "Crap, This is Actually Going to Take Work?"  Beyond doing lots of research and buying out the entire contents of Whole Foods, we did little to prepare, perhaps expecting the pompous confidence of Day 1 too much.

Breakfast was easy - eggs. Duh.

Lunch was a bit harder, given I wasn't going to be home. So I packed up some sliced fruit and veggies and some almonds and figured it wasn't too bad.  I actually didn't get around to eating any of it until I got home later that day, so I swapped the almonds for an apple and almond butter (which just so happens to be my favorite snack of all time so I am thrilled to have a green light to consume it).  Ideally, some form of meat would have been ideal here, but that's where our poor planning came into play. No cooked meat to be had.

Dinner was also a bit of a challenge because we ended up joining my family for dinner at my parent's house.  Luckily they let us cook fajitas for them, and we just said a tearful "no, thank you" to the tortillas and cheese, and chowed down on as much chicken, steak, peppers and onions as we could muster.

We both left dinner still somewhat hungry and not sure what to do about that.  Are we supposed to be hungry? Is this our body still adapting to the new way of being fueled? Did we genuinely not eat enough? We both had a small snack (cashews for me, grapefruit for Phil) when we got home, and called it a night. All in all, not too bad. We survived.

The real snag came when we started thinking ahead to the rest of the week, though.  Lunch, at work, in particular, feels challenging. So we ended up doing a bit of the "Sunday CookFest" thing that we've heard so much about.  We cooked up a bunch of ground beef, steamed some veggies, hard-boiled some eggs, made some (shockingly delicious) paleo-friendly salad dressing so that we'd have some easy grab-and-go options for the next day or two.  Then we also made a running list of what we realized we'd need that we forgot/hadn't realized we'd need. A learning process, it most definitely is and will continue to be.

So all in all, I'd say day 1 was totally successful, but came with a bit of a reality check as far as the amount of planning/prepping and overall effort it will take (which we already knew about and expected, but you know.  Reality and stuff.)

DAY 2
According to the Whole30 folks, this is supposed to be the onset of a two-day hangover, during which time you are essentially detoxing from all of the crap you ate right before starting your paleo experiment (which, for me, was an immense amount of crap).  I'd say I started feeling the hangover late in day 1, with a headache that has lasted through to the end of day 2.  Of course, my headache may have been in part due to caffeine withdrawal due to struggling to find a paleo-friendly way to make my coffee palatable (more on that to come!)

Feeling much more "So, What's the Big Deal," today after our CookFest yesterday, given packing up breakfast and lunch today was a breeze (hardboiled eggs and berries for breakfast, leftover fajita chicken and steamed veggies for lunch, almonds and fruit for a snack).  Dinner was a quick and easy salmon and brussel sprouts.

And, of course, the mid-day reminder that having a compadre in this experiment is priceless!

TIGER BLOOD! March: T-Minus 1 Day

What a great send off to gluteny, sugary, processed deliciousness on our last day before embarking on our paleo experiment...

Goodbye, pizza. Goodbye, beer. Goodbye, cake, I hold you dear.