Today I sit down to write about my attempt at making a healthy Paleo and also "delicious" snack that I found off the internet. I'm sure you readers have heard of Paleo, read about it, or at least heard someone brag about how they are on the Paleo Diet.
For those of you that don't know about Paleo, let me break down the basics for you.
This caveman "diet," or "lifestyle" as hardcore Paleoers prefer to call it, is based on the idea that we should only be eating what the caveman ate about 2.5 million years ago. At this time, these Paleolithic men and women were only eating meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Thanks to solid nutrition, our intelligence, strength, and fitness skyrocketed. Human beings flourished, and we made incredible gains in our species.
However, the cultivation of grains and legumes screwed up this process of growth about 10,000 years ago. The cavemen diet believes that our bodies have not been fully adapted to take in these massive amounts of grains and carbohydrate intake that our modern food pyramid loves to advertise. The widespread low fat, high carbohydrate diet has swept our world, making us fat and sick. We have more diabetes, more cancer, and more obesity. Thankfully this "fat is evil' campaign has slowly begun to die down. People are realizing that these toxic foods, once considered good for you, (margarine, cereal), are actually making us sick. The foods that were once considered bad for you (butter, meat), are actually good for you.
Although I'm definitely not 100% Paleo, and will never be 100% Paleo, I try to go about it the best I can. I'm thankful that I learned this information now, instead of 50 years from now when it's harder to turn back the clock of awful nutrition. I'm also still not saying that this diet works for everyone. Indeed, some people may feel perfectly well and healthy with some bread or pasta in their diet.
However, if you do feel sluggish and terrible during the day, even though you think you are eating "healthy," I suggest you examine this Paleo Diet. Many people consider it just a fad, but I certainly think it makes a lot of sense. I, myself, try to live a life of 80/20. I focus on putting good fats and lots of veggies into my body 80% of the time, while there are occasional meals (20% of the time) when I eat popcorn, a cheeseburger, candy, or a big bowl of ice cream. You gotta live a little. Plus, the more you work on having that healthy base, there's no reason to feel guilty about treating yourself! Exercise, eat well when you can, but don't freak out if you have some pizza or something. Life is a balance. It's not all or nothing. Especially for us females, there's something about being on your period that makes me throw logic and healthy eating out the window. I have definitely had period days where I sit on the couch and eat ice cream out of the tub. Don't sweat it- sometimes you need that. Like I said previously, there's nothing wrong with you and a marriage of junk food and your favorite TV show. When you have such a hectic life, it's good to do what makes you happy every once in awhile.
Alright, now that I have wasted this entire blog post talking about Paleo, I might as well just add in a bit about my adventure into cauliflower popcorn.
I was trying to come up with a healthy snack, so I read all these reviews about how this stuff is "So great! Tastes just like popcorn!"and "Perfectly delicious Paleo snack" and "My toddler thinks this really is popcorn!"
First of all, I must point out that popcorn is 100% my favorite food. I like ice cream, but there's something about hot buttered popcorn that just makes my mouth water at any moment.
Anyway, I decided I would try this cauliflower popcorn, thinking it might be a good substitute for my popcorn cravings. So, I went to the store and bought two huge things of cauliflower. Turns out I only needed one. I butchered one of them on my counter (there was cauliflower EVERYWHERE), rubbed it in coconut oil, threw on some cayenne pepper and paprika like a chef pro, and popped those suckers into the oven at 425 degrees. I was confused as to if I should roast them or bake them: some sites said bake, others said roast.
So I baked them.
After 20 minutes I took them out, put a little more spices on them, and voila. It was absolutely awful. I don't know if I just didn't leave them in long enough or what, but they just kind of tasted like shoes with a bit of paprika. Those reviewers were liars, and if my toddler had tried that and accepted it as a popcorn, I would have been so ashamed. As a result, I don't think I'll be trying that recipe again. I have made kale chips before, and those actually came out quite delicious. But for anyone out there who thought about making these, think again, or do the complete opposite of what I did. Roast them and don't put any spices on them. Whatever, just BE CAREFUL. After I made this awful batch of baked shoes, I just made a bowl of real popcorn over the stove. And I ate it. And ya know what? It was fantastic. I didn't feel bad about it at all.
Sorry about the long post. I got a bit carried away today, as I only planned to talk about Paleo very briefly. One last thing, here's a picture of how my cauliflower should have looked. I wouldn't dare post a picture of mine.
This looks slightly appetizing, but seriously, if you are in the mood for popcorn, just make popcorn. Don't ruin your taste buds or your kitchen like I did.
Talk to ya guys later!
Sincerely,
Anne Elliot
