The Primal Holla! page 2

[theholla]

This week, I finally got back to feeling like myself. Primal eating is becoming second-nature at this point. My 20% is probably more like 10% now. I'm still using some condiments that have tiny amounts of industrial oils or sugar in them, as well as eating some fermented soy. I just really love the flavor. I'm also eating haricots verts, even though they are technically a legume.

Tuesday, 10-05-10

Breakfast: two eggs scrambled in butter with crimini mushrooms and spinach

Lunch: BAS! baby spinach, spring mix, cherry tomatoes, tiny shrimp, cucumber, homemade blue cheese dressing (buttermilk, mayo, Greek yogurt, blue cheese, mustard)

Dinner: Crispy fried cod chunks (dredged in almond meal, chili powder, paprika, and sea salt, fried in coconut oil), green beans sauteed in butter with chili powder, "ice cream" (coconut milk, frozen banana, vanilla extract)

Activity: 75 minutes of walking. It was cold and rainy, and an all-around miserable day for it.


Wednesday, 10-06-10

Breakfast: eggs scrambled in butter with bell pepper and raw cheddar

Lunch: BAS! romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, regular tomatoes, avocado, tiny shrimp, homemade blue cheese dressing

Snack: Dark chocolate, handful pecans

Dinner: awesome squid stir-fry, glass of pinot grigio. I cut the squid into rings (but left the tentacles whole) and soaked it in pinot grigio. I heated up some coconut oil and tossed in garlic, then carrots, then scallions and baby bok choy. I cooked it about half way, then added the marinated squid and a sauce of sriracha, sesame oil, fish sauce, tamari, apple cider vinegar, a few drops of honey, and more garlic. When the squid had firmed up, I adjusted the seasonings and served it in a bowl. Mr. Holla and I had a blast chowing down. Tentacles are fun.

Activity: 35 minutes of walking, a couple sets of pushups


Thursday, 10-07-10

Breakfast: eggs scrambled in butter with raw cheddar, green beans sauteed in butter with chili powder

Lunch: BAS! romaine lettuce, smoked sockeye salmon, blue cheese, pecans, 1/2 a golden delicious apple, balsamic vinaigrette. So freakin' good.

Snack: cucumber and carrot pieces dipped in tzatziki (Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil), one kalamata olive, some pecans

Dinner: albacore tuna sashimi, soy sauce, wasabi, miso-veggie soup (veggie broth, organic white miso, sesame oil, scallions, baby bok choi, shiitake mushrooms), "ice cream" (coconut milk, blueberries, strawberries, vanilla extract)

Activity: 35 minutes of walking, judo club practice. I jacked up my left shoulder doing rolls. I hope it is back in working order by Tuesday!


Friday, 10-08-10

Breakfast: 2 hardboiled eggs, golden delicious apple, almond flax butter

Lunch: was out of food at home, so I got a Cosi Greek salad with added salmon (romaine, feta, olives, tomato, cucumber, onion, salmon, vinaigrette)

Dinner: tried Mr. Holla's favorite rotisserie chicken. I liked the skin, but found the actual meat to be dry and bad-tasting. He's holding out hope that I just didn't like the lemon marinade, which is a fair point. Wound up eating 2 more hardboiled eggs, pecans, and spring mix with balsamic vinaigrette, and drinking some whiskey.

Activity: 40 minutes of walking. I am so damn sore!

Had an interesting conversation with the hubs. He's kind of convinced, and ready to try cutting out grains except for very select occasions. I'm excited.

[theholla]

Friday, 10-15-10

Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled in butter with cheddar chevre and crimini mushrooms

Lunch: BAS! spring mix, tomatoes, red onion, h-b egg, shredded carrots, salmon, pesto vinaigrette

Snack: pecans and frozen berries

Dinner: Mediterranean-ish cod stew (olive oil, garlic, onions, vegetable broth, clam juice, sea salt, black pepper, parsley, tomatoes, kalamata olives, fresh lemon juice, saffron, cod), sliced gala apple with cocoa and mascarpone

Activity: 35 minutes of walking. I have a groin pull from landing wrong during Tuesday's judo practice.


Saturday, 10-16-10

Breakfast: 2.5 eggs scrambled in butter with spinach and gouda, frozen berries

[theholla]

I can't remember what I ate the rest of Saturday, except that it involved a lot of mascarpone

Sunday, 10-17-10

Brunch: 2.5 eggs scrambled in butter with gouda, raw cheddar, spinach, and chives

While at the sports bar: 1 gin & tonic (I though I was craving it, but don't think I'll need another for a while), 1 glass of bourbon

Snack: way too many cashews, sliced granny smith apple with almond butter

Dinner: grilled squid marinated in and stuffed with a mixture of red onion, shredded carrot, kimchi, chili paste, apple cider vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil, and a drop of honey; bok choi sauteed with garlic and tamari in olive oil

Activity: cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning


Monday, 10-18-10

Breakfast: big granny smith apple with almond-flax butter. Had an awful stomach ache afterwards.

Lunch: BAS! romaine, avocado, feta, egg, tomato, cucumber, olives, vinaigrette

Snack: cashews. I think I need to get my nut habit under control.

Dinner: seared albacore tuna marinated in tamari, fish sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, lime juice, and garlic, fried in coconut oil; stir-fried broccoli in coconut oil with garlic and tamari

Activity: 45 minutes of walking, some push-ups before work


Tuesday, 10-19-20

Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled in butter with cheddar chevre and rainbow chard

Lunch: went out for lunch with a coworker. I figured it was as good a time as any to indulge a craving since I'm probably going to have to start doing elimination diets soon, so I had tofu with string beans, tomatoes, and onion in a Thai red curry sauce, with a glass of green tea. Delicious. I must be crazy for craving tofu.

[jazmin]

I really enjoy your journal - thanks for all the detailed food descriptions. I was a vegetarian for 18 years, so I really don't know how to cook anything, especially seafood. I have already copied your crab cake recipe into my file and I'm going to try it this week. If you have a second, could you tell how you did the breading for your catfish? I love it, but haven't had it in years and have no idea how to make it with an almond crust. Sounds delicious!

Good luck on your continued journey.

To share some lady stuff (all other readers look away if not fond of TMI): I have had an IUD for years (NOT the kind that makes your periods lighter, unfortunately) and this weekend, just one week into the PB, I had the most horrible series of cramps and bleeding in my life - I could barely breathe - and it was two weeks before my period was supposed to start. So I went into the doctor Monday and she told me it might have to do with my IUD needing to be switched out, not to worry, but now that I see your post, I wonder if it's not my IUD at all, but if maybe there is something that happens in the first little while after you start your PB that causes menstruation to go all wonky. I haven't seen anything on this, but I will let you know if I do. So hopefully you don't have anything bad going on, and it is just a side effect of our bodies getting reprogrammed on the PB... I will keep my fingers crossed for you. And BTW, I LOVE having an IUD. When I get mine switched out, I am going to switch to the nice Mirena that reduces your periods by 75%...)

[elwyne]

I have the Mirena and I loooooooooooove it. No periods, rare spotting, cramps not too bad even. Mood swings are a bitch... or maybe that's just me.

[jazmin]

I have the Mirena and I loooooooooooove it. No periods, rare spotting, cramps not too bad even. Mood swings are a bitch... or maybe that's just me.

Mz. Holla, where you at???
Well, until you get back, do you mind if I ask elwyne more about her IUD?

[Thread Hijack Begin]

Hi Elwyne! Good morning! Can I ask you how long you have had your Mirena?
I just got mine put in a couple of weeks ago (and every five years is quite often enough for THAT harrowing experience, I can say that for sure!) I am just starting my first period since getting it, and the only thing I have going on other than some mild cramping is a two-day headache. Not sure if it may just be my body getting used to its new hormone mix.

ANY-way...how long before your periods disappeared completely? And you still get PMS? But just no bleeding? I am confused, but happy!

Any info you care to share would be gladly appreciated here.


[/End Thread Hijack]

Come back Holla! I really miss your funny style!

[theholla]

Awwww...hey guys! Thanks for reading. In case you didn't notice, I'm not exactly the best at keeping up with a journal

I'm glad to hear you ladies are loving your IUDs - I'm a bit nervous since I haven't talked to too many women who've had one, with the exception of my gynecologist, who loves hers, and my mom, who had one of the riskier early models back in the 70s.

The breading for the catfish is still a work in progress. Don't get me wrong - it's delicious, but the the structural integrity leaves something to be desired. So far, the best technique I've experimented with is making the almond meal in the blender, mixing in some seasonings (Old Bay, chili powder, whatever you want), and spreading it on a plate. Then, I pat the catfish very dry, dip it in a beaten egg (I should probably brush it on, but I'm lazy), and then pressing it into the seasoned almond meal on both sides. I fry it in coconut oil over medium heat. Some of the crust falls off but enough of it stays on, and yes, I do scoop the crispy little bits of almond out of the oil and put them back on top of the fish when I serve it. No shame, yo.

My lady issues are just getting worse and worse. Plus, as an extra bonus, the IBS symptoms are now cycling with my hormones. Yayyy! You can read all the gory, whoa-is-me details here: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum...-for-solutions. Anyway, I have an ultrasound this week to make sure I'm not growing any new fibroids, and I'm working with a new gastroenterologist who seems pretty neat so far: she wasn't worried about my bizarre diet, she recommended that I drink more kefir, she wants to test vitamin D levels, and she didn't try to prescribe me any medication during my first visit. Here's hoping! Since my periods have gotten worse since I started the PB, I may experiment with cutting some saturated fat and replacing it with monounsaturated fat, since I think saturated fat can have an impact on hormone production. Bah. I've been loving all the butter.

I should probably clean up my diet again (half a bar of chocolate is not a good snack, no matter how high the cocoa content is), so here's my push to start food journaling again:

Sunday, 11-21-10

Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled in butter with cheddar chevre, broccoli, and scallions. 1 cup of strawberry kefir - I had bought it as a treat for Mr. Holla, but for some reason he never drank it. I'm going to try to pick up some of the plain stuff today so that I'm not tempted by the sweet stuff.

Lunch: sliced banana and ricotta cheese (more like a snack)

Snack: cashew pieces, a slice of blueberry chevre, and too much 85% chocolate. Ah, I love going to Trader Joe's.

Dinner: jerk salmon with onions and yellow peppers fried in coconut oil, way too much frozen mango, bottle of Stella Artois

Activity: still super sore from carrying that metal card catalog yesterday, so I left it at lugging my groceries across town and cleaning the hell out of my house.

[theholla]

dMonday, 11-22-10

Breakfast: Greek yogurt with banana and pecans (Mr. Holla is getting sick of eggs every day)

Lunch: BAS! spring mix, cherry tomatoes, red onion, avocado, roast beef (I finally found another meat I like!), homemade blue cheese dressing (kefir, greek yogurt, blue cheese, pepper, chives)

Snack: Some cashews, and chocolate chips and shredded coconut that I bought for baking but am now just eating :O

Dinner: we had vegan company, so...miso soup with tofu, scallions, and shiitake mushrooms; brocooli sauteed in sesame oil, garlic, and ginger; some homemade brown bread they brought over (it was actually pretty tasty, but I still don't feel like I'm missing much); "ice cream" made from coconut milk, mango, banana, vanilla, and a teeny bit of maple syrup

Tuesday, 11-23-10

Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled in butter with monterey jack and broccoli, a cup of half strawberry/half plain kefir. I still can't really get into the plain stuff, so I think I'll have to start doing some smoothies with it.

Lunch: BAS! spring mix, red onion, pear, gorgonzola cheese, smoked trout, homemade shallot-balsamic vinaigrette

Dinner: met some friends at the local pizzeria/brew pub, where primal eating isn't really an option (they get cranky when you don't order off the menu). I got the fried fish with sweet potato fries, and drank a glass of the coffee stout. My stomach wasn't loving it, but my taste buds sure were, haha!

Wednesday, 11-24-10

Breakfast: Nope. Have a gallbladder ultrasound scheduled, so no food or water for me :/ In good news, it feels pretty easy to skip the meal. Yay fat metabolism!

Lunch: BAS! baby spinach, scallions, cherry tomatoes, cahsews, tiny shrimp, homemade miso-ginger dressing; pecans and more baking chocolate; a cup of half strawberry/half plain kefir.

So, my gallbladder is fine, but it turns out I have an accessory spleen! Wooo!!!

[theholla]

I just had a very easy and tasty meal. Sauteed 4 small minced garlic cloves and some ginger in olive oil. Added green Thai chili paste and 3 oz coconut milk. Simmered it for a couple minutes and added 8 oz defrosted broccoli and 6 oz cooked shrimp. Covered and heated everything through. Soooooo good. Dessert was some mascarpone mixed with cocoa powder and vanilla extract on a very small gala apple. Also very, very delicious.

Thanksgiving through New Years was just an orgy of poor food choices. I felt like crap. It is very satisfying to be back on track again.

[mummybeelee]

As a newbie I am loving your journal! I love cooking and baking and am missing the process of spending time tinkering in the kitchen more than the actual food. I am enjoying the primal foods I am eating (sooo tasty!) but your journal has given me some fresh ideas. Thank you!!

Your attitude to the primal life and life in general is wonderful as well