Diet Decisions

Warning:  Vegetarians need not read this! 

Joe went in on 1/2 a cow with a friend, had it butchered, and brought home some of the spoils yesterday. He took out each meat part, explained what it was and how we could cook it.  He even said, "Have you ever seen such beauty?" while holding up some steak. He looked at me with *almost* the same adoration on our wedding day.

I've watched Joe grow in his passion for food over the past few years. He's become much pickier about what goes into his body, so much so that he's pretty much taken over the grocery shopping. He's a true caveman now, eating lots of carefully selected meat, fish, eggs, and vegies.  Lots of raw cultured butter, kefir, and coconut oil.  The only carbs he really eats are sweet potatoes and squash. 

In this alternate universe of his, pork rinds are a healthier choice than plain popcorn, heavy cream is better than skim milk, and greasy bacon is better than chicken breast.  Just ask him about the time he ate a whole stick of butter (well, he got through 3/4 of it) to see if it would boost his energy.  He is on a strict "paleo diet", and as much as I tisk tisked the whole thing at first, a year later he's got a washboard stomach, rarely gets sick, and has more energy than he knows what to do with.  His idea of fun is to get blood tests done and watch the doctor look amazed at how low his triglycerides can be on a mostly bacon diet.  When he "cheats" and has something "forbidden", he feels sick the rest of the day.  

Now, if Joe is doing the grocery shopping in our household, where do I come in?  Where does Siena come in?  If Joe is Tarzan, must I be Jane and Sisi a little monkey? 

After many an eye roll, I'm starting to head in the paleo direction.  I gave up cereal quite a while ago, because it does nothing for me besides spike sugar cravings for the rest of the day.  So for breakfast, Joe makes his pile of bacon, eggs, and vegies, and puts a little aside for me.  Or I'll have kefir and wild blueberries and a hard boiled egg. 

For lunch, I do my own non-paleo thing. This is my chance to eat grains or pasta.  For the past week, I've been into Trader Joe's microwaveable bibimbap with heaps of kimche on top. Sooo good, and a little rice is not gonna kill me. 

My dinner is always paleo, because I refuse to cook two dinners. And practically speaking, paleo dinners are very easy to cook.  I choose a meat from the fridge and start marinading it during Sisi's second nap.  I pop a few sweet potatoes or squash in the pressure cooker for 7 minutes.  I stir fry a few vegetables with the aforementioned meat, and bam.  Dinner in 20 minutes or less!  We keep it semi-interesting by rotating meats, spices, and vegies.  I also feel really good ending the day with such rich, satisfying meals that leave me full but not bloated the way a pasta dish might. But I still have bread and pastries from time to time, and still have to have a daily dose of sugar.  I've never been a fanatical dieter (except that random 1 year stint as a vegan) so I'm okay having one foot in and one foot out.  But I wonder if a year from now I'll be full-on paleo. We'll just have to see!

I'm guessing that all the healthy fats I'm consuming must be wonderful for Sisi's breastmilk, because she's got leg rolls galore and a triple chin.  And you know what else is made of fat?  BABY'S BRAINS. So hopefully her's is growing well, too.

We just started feeding Sisi solid foods. So far she's had avocados, egg yolk, squash, sweet potato, liver, and a little bit of apple sauce (to make the liver taste good).  She loves it all, and swallows most of it!  We end each meal with a few sips of water from mommy's cup, which makes her beam with pride.We skipped the rice cereal completely after reading some research that babies actually don't produce the enzyme to digest complex carbohydrates until they are about 1 year old.  So I guess Siena is on the paleo diet, too!  I'm not really doing that on purpose, it just so happens the most nutrient rich easily digestable foods for babies tend to be paleo-approved.  I'm using the Nourishing Traditions website as a reference.  It's a great resource for those who don't want to take their pediatrician's advice blindly.

And since somehow every post leads to that baby sleep issue (sorry guys for beating a dead cow!), you know that wives tale about getting baby to sleep longer by feeding solids?  I really really don't want to jinx it, but she's given me several 10-11 hour stretches the past week.  Could be a coincidence though since she's also on a schedule now.

Oh yeah, one more thing, Joe even has the dogs on a paleo diet.  They get raw beef scraps (also from our 1/4 cow) exclusively now.  Thanks to that cow for feeding our entire family!  We're saving a lot of money too.

PESTO AND BASIL'S DINNER.