Here are some tips and information related to my blog, my recipes, foods I use, and what kind of diet is this woman even eating?!? I am NOT an nutritionist and I am NOT a doctor. I'm just a girl who really likes food and doesn't mind doing a bit of research, and therefore please be aware that these are just my personal beliefs and opinions (and you know what they say about opinions, right?).
This page will grow as I share more recipes and get questions about things. Hope this helps out!
REGARDING RECIPE QUANTITIES
If you follow my blog you may start to
notice that I frequently give a small "range" of the amount of certain
items you should use in a recipe, such as "1-2 tbsp. seasoning." I provide this range because I often don't measure when I make up a recipe, but sort of "eyeball it." So my eyeballing of things will cause me to approximate. However, when I make a recipe again, I always use the higher number of
the "range." If you don't love an ingredient as much, use the lower
amount. Remember, you can always fix under-seasoning, but it's super hard to fix over-seasoning (usually it ruins the dish).
REGARDING CERTAIN INGREDIENTS
I
am aware that many Paleo individuals believe that cooking with any type of olive oil is a
big no-no and is carcinogenic when heated above 200-250°F. I would advise you to do
ample research about this and then make your decision. I still cook
with it but I understand that some people prefer not to, and honestly
it'll taste good no matter what fat you use! I do frequently use coconut oil or Kerrygold butter to cook as well. I have never used lard or ghee, but on occasion I use bacon fat for a savory recipe if I happen to have some and bacon flavoring sounds like it would work with the recipe.
REGARDING MY "DIET" VS. PALEO AND/OR CLEAN EATING
I am not a "Paleo Perfectionist" in the least, but I eat and cook a lot of Paleo recipes. I have been exploring different "diets" or eating "lifestyles" THOUGH and this is where I'm at:
I do believe that first and foremost we should strive to eat as much real food as possible. That is, foods that are not highly processed. You may have heard of shopping the "perimeter" of your grocery store. Doing so will keep your cart full of foods that aren't processed to the point of being a food "product." I avoid foods that have ingredients I cannot pronounce, or have man-made ingredients like corn syrup in them. I also avoid artificial sweeteners, and my wheat and soy consumption is very minimal. I generally stick to fresh produce (not always organic, more on that below), lean proteins, and once in awhile grains such as rice or quinoa. I will probably increase my consumption of grains a bit this year simply because they stretch meals farther and I'm trying to pay off a lot of debt right now (i.e. savings is important and my grocery bills could definitely do with a few cuts). I also eat fats including nuts and nut butters, butter, and cooking oils.
For sweeteners I generally use pure maple syrup, local honey, or stevia. Truvia is NOT stevia. It is processed and no better than Equal or Splenda. I eat some dairy because it doesn't bother me unless I eat a LOT. I tolerate yogurts pretty well, I also tolerate heavy cream (I use it on the very few days that I make coffee), and cheese. Some people are sensitive to lactose though so I would say avoid dairy at all costs if you are! If you have some sensitivity but are dying for cheese or milk, try goat products. Seriously they tend to agitate people less than cow products.
REGARDING PURCHASING ORGANIC FOOD
I have written about organic produce and wholesome meats here. Basically, my opinion is that if you can afford all organic, good for you!, but if you can't that's really ok too and in my opinion you aren't going to roll over dead from an apple that was not organically grown. I joined a food co-op to help defray the costs of getting organic produce, but for a lot of people, especially us urbanites, that may not be possible or it may be cost prohibitive. Especially if you live in a food desert.
To me, it's better to eat produce, conventional or organic, than to not eat produce at all. I think you really have to prioritize based on a combination of your health concerns and your budget, e.g. grass-fed beef versus conventional, organic apple versus conventional, organic milk versus conventional, and on and on. But everyone has their own concerns and priorities, so educate yourself.
