Starting Week 3 of the 30 Day Paleo Challenge

This week starts week 3 of Cascade CrossFit's 30 Day Paleo Challenge. I think I've figured out how to get by without my non-paleo cheats and discovered some nasty secrets about our food.

Breakfast used to be the very non-paleo oatmeal.  I've started pre-making some chicken and bacon and bringing it to the office. With half an avocado, it makes a delightful breakfast.

Another one of my cheats has been a Muscle Milk protein shake as my post workout nutrition.  The first week, I tried a fig and banana smoothie. It tasted okay, but didn't have very much protein, only coming from the almond milk.  But it seemed like it was too much (naturally occurring) sugar and not enough protein to support the crazy CrossFit WODs.

As that week ended, I thought about using pasteurized egg whites. They're safe to eat raw and several of the manufacturers have recipes for smoothies on their websites. I ended up making my own concoction and have been drinking that post workout.

Coffee Banana Protein Smoothie

1 banana, broken into pieces

1/2 cup pasteurized egg whites

1/2 cup almond milk

1 heaping tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup cold coffee

2 heaping tablespoons almond butter 

Combine in a blender and blend until smooth.

Making the smoothie is something I have to do in the morning, so it has changed my morning routine a little.  When I was using the protein powder, I was able to put it in my bottle the night before and then add water after CrossFit.

I've also noticed that different almond butters act do a better job of thickening than others.  The all natural, only contains almonds almond butter seems to require more than my local grocery stores natural, no mix almond butter. 

Food manufacturers sneak wheat into all kinds of things.  The smoked almonds we were eating, had wheat and soy added to them.  What is up with that?  It made them non-paleo and I've switched just to roasted almonds.  Yesterday, I tried roasting my wasabi almonds.  The first batch was a bust and the second batch didn't last long enough for pictures, though the wasabi taste was muted during the roasting process. I've got to figure out how to get more wasabi in there, post-roasting, and make it stick to the almonds.  That's one of the things I'll work on during week 3, I think.

So, two more weeks to go.  With some small changes (from paleo-ish to strict paleo) and some pre-planning, eating paleo is okay. I still feel good and with as much energy as before.  Living clean takes a little bit of work, but it seems worth it.