Gluten

 WOOOOO HOOO for Friday! What a week it has been, I am almost done with all of my projects/presentations/papers that my teachers like to cram in during the last few weeks of school. I think, if I were a professor, I would give all of my assignments the second week of class.. Just saying.
 I am highly impressed with the response to "say no to dairy" I'm telling you, it makes sense and as surprising as it is (I ALWAYS cooked with & ate cheese) I don't miss it at all, even my craving for frozen yogurt has passed :) While we are on the "say no to ___" boat, lets travel down the gluten road.
 First off, what exactly is gluten you ask? WELL.... Most people associate it with grains, which is correct, sort of. It is actually a protein composite, and even though it is most commonly found in wheat and grain products, gluten sneaks up everywhere. Basically, gluten is what makes foods thicker, sticky, chewy, gooey,  or "fake" flavorful. Even if you were not born with a direct gluten allergy, many people will develop an intolerance because it is so destructive on our bodies. We were not meant to ingest gluten, our bodies freak out when we flush our system with it and it does whatever it takes to get it the heck out. Major issues can arise when this becomes a vicious cycle, never giving our bodies time to heal from the shock we gave it.  If you want to do some more research Click here for an easy to read Paleo based article. Or here for a Women's Health article.
My two cents on this, in case you were wondering.....
 Just because you claim to eat "gluten free" doesn't mean you are eating healthy, or that you are going to lose weight. Actually, my guess is you would probably gain weight and end up being more out of whack than before you started. Gluten free does not = healthy or calorie free. You take away something (gluten) you have to add something in it's place, and from the labels I've read, that something seems to come in the form of empty fat & calories. In today's bandwagon market there is everything from cake mix to ice cream marked with the infamous gluten free banner, but HELLO how does that even make sense in the grand scheme of health? If someone is restricting their diet because of an allergy or disease they suffer from, they need to be as conscious as ever about what they put into their bodies. People who are just trying to be the healthiest they can, well Gluten is a good thing to limit, but there is so much more to balance everything out.  Now, don't get me wrong or label me the nasty food police, I understand needing a special indulgence EVERY NOW & THEN. The issue comes with our society's backwards way of thinking. We as humans have a hard time owning our feelings or taking responsibilities that go against the normal daily grind. We are flat out scared, but it has to change.
What does all of this have to do with Paleo?!? My rant was a long way of saying, going Paleo isn't just changing what you stuff your face with. It's a complete, complicated lifestyle change. You HAVE to change the way you think and be ready to be snuffed by someone who will probably never care enough to understand.
 WheW, I feel better now :) So, on a lighter note, as a whole the hubs and I are really starting to notice a difference with our Paleo lives. Not only do we both have more energy (which was something he was really striving for) and better digestive "procedures" but our workouts are starting to show improvement as well. Last week I conquered the band free pull ups and last night I battled double unders. I still hate double unders with a passion, almost as much as running, and they make me say things that would embarrass my momma (of course I married the double under king, which just makes me more aggravated at the situation) but even with a healing quad, I didn't scale them and it didn't take me 5 hours to complete. That right there is proof my body is improving. I've been working on those stupid things since week 1 of crossfit. This video here is an example of someone I would like to hit in the face. He makes them look so easy, and this is after he did a WOD. Seriously, him and Perry can go live on an island together and have double under competitions all day long...........  

Last week I said my amazing crock pot was slaving away on our dinner, and it did a wonderful job. So easy and tasted wonderful. It may even be cooking right now to be enjoyed again tonight :). It's just too easy for when you are too busy to spend an hour in the kitchen! Even non-Paleo eaters can really enjoy this one! They will never even know you are feeding them right ;)

Easy pulled pork


2-3 lb. meat (we used a boneless shoulder roast)
2 yellow onions - sliced
1 green pepper - sliced (optional)
1/2 - 1 cup organic chicken broth
salt
garlic powder
paprika
black pepper
white pepper
chili powder
( I also used my rosemary grinder, garlic sea salt grinder and Perfect Pinch's roasted garlic and bell pepper seasoning - apparently I like to season with garlic!)

*When I made it this time, I did not use a green pepper because I was serving Basalmic acorn squash chips with it. If your not doing a side, add the pepper to give you your greens and make a complete meal!  

Get ready for some complicated instructions....... here we go.......

1) put 1 of the sliced onions on the bottom of the crock pot.
2) Season your meat then put it on top of the onions
3) pour the broth over the meat. (If you have meat on the 2lbs side, use about a 1/2 cup. If you have closer to 3 lbs. use about 1 cup.)

4) put the other sliced onion on top and add some more spice

5) Cook on low for 8-10 hours (more like 8 hours - if you are going to be gone & let it cook for more than 8, I would add a little more broth to it)

6) No peeking :) when it's done, shred with 2 forks 

Enjoy this beautiful Easter weekend and take a second to reflect on all it means. We are all so blessed!

You may not really be what you eat, but what you eat can really affect what you are.