Flower Fields

Looks like spring time is here! Kiddies and mama out on a flower field trip.

Beware of MONSTER TRUCKS

When big sis takes lil' bro's monster truck...

And it refuses to be used as a curling iron and attacks...

Park Fun With Friends

100% Paleo

Emilia and I had a healthy, pancake treat this morning! Paleo pancakes made from only two ingredients - bananas and eggs. Added some cut up strawberries, and, just in case syrup was needed, I have Coconut nectar. But no sweetener was required since the pancakes were delicious as is!

At the end of last year, especially with the holidays and the inability to exercise, I fell off the Paleo-eating lifestyle. I definitely notice there is a difference in energy level. I was more sluggish and more "bloated" associated with the intake of sugars and grains. My weight had gone back up a few pounds as well.

So, I love New Years and always use it as a kick-start to get back into positive habits. Since January, I have been focusing on healthy habits... going to sleep earlier (no late night bloggings anymore), getting consistent exercise and knee rehab, and back to eating Paleo. In fact, my former chiropractor was hosting an "8-Week Paleo Challenge" which I signed up for as extra motivation.

The Paleo Challenge starts and ends with hydrostatic body fat and composition measurements, which is known as the gold standard (most accurate) for body fat measurements. We have a scale at home that does have body composition measurement breakdown through bioelectrical impedance analysis and I have always measured in the "athletic" range.. which is where I want and expect to be. The bioelectrical impedance analysis though is not as accurate, and now I know, it is actually 3-4% lower than actual. I always thought I was in the athletic range and attributed it to good family genes, but now I know.. nope. If I want to be athletic, then I have to work for it. So, it was an eye opener getting my initial accurate body composition numbers. Yup. Knee injury was my excuse to becoming "lazy", and the numbers reflect it.

I am mentally back on track with being disciplined and consistent. Currently I am at the half-way point of the Paleo Challenge and it feels great to be 100% Paleo. My energy is back up and I can tackle the early morning workouts and also still have good amount of energy for the rest of the day. Weight is back down to where I like it to be. Two years ago I would have thought being 100% Paleo is crazy. Now, I am surprised it took me this long to optimize my food intake for efficient body performance.

A misconception people have of the Paleo diet, is that it means you get free range to eat any and all kinds of meat. Not true. You should still eat a balanced diet with meat consumption in moderation and other details such as eating in a way to naturally balance out your body's omega6 to omega3 ratios. I modify the Paleo for what works best for my body - lean protein, lots of variety of veggies and fruits. No processed foods, refined sugars, grains, beans, dairy, or nuts for me. (Nuts are Paleo, but I always feel not right when I eat nuts. Besides, Liam is allergic to nuts.) Family sort of goes along with it since I'm the one doing the shopping! We eat organic turkey, chicken/eggs, and bison meat (also sardines and beef tendon, though only me). All other meats are once in a while.

I aim to eat a pound of leafy greens a day (based on reading recommended nutritional intake from several sources from the raw food community), and 2-3 servings of fruit. On top of that, I try to eat foods that lower the omega6 intake and increase the omega3s. And yes, I DO have dessert! Healthy dessert. The kids and I eat banana strawberry "ice cream" almost every weekend. I recently tried Paleo brownies with yams and unsweetened cocoa powder. The texture is cakey-like and tastes very similar to a brownie if you follow the instructions. I would, however, next time, reduced the amount of sweetener to 1/8th cup, reduce the coconut oil/butter to 1/8th cup, and increase the cocoa powder by 1 Tbsp. This would still give a brownie-like treat, but lightening it a little.

And, since we have avos that fell off the trees from the recent storm... another avo recipe! Avocado Chocolate Mousse recipe! Super easy and decadent.

All in all, I am finally at a point where I am happy with my way of eating. It has taken 2 years to change to a healthier eating lifestyle and it now comes natural and easy without feeling like I am "missing out". As Paleo is becoming more main stream, there are even friends and co-workers that have started to go Paleo 80% and have felt the benefits. We share recipes, and help with research and discuss the finer details of what we should eat to optimize nutrition intake. So.. going Paleo, one of my 2012 New Years Resolution, is finally complete! Now I need to continue with getting my knee back to 100% so I can to catch up and complete the rest of the goals from 2012 and 2013!

MIA

It's been a while since we have posted... for the usual reasons - juggling all of ours and the kiddies' schedules and priorities of things that need to be done. Also, my New Years resolution this year is to reduce the amount of time I spend on the computer at home, which means no more blogging after the kids go to bed, and means more sleep for me and a less cranky mama... sort of. Downside though, as you can tell, is less updates.

So updates...

We missed doing parties for the kiddies' actual birthdays, Liam's at the end of last year and Emilia's this year. Mama didn't get around to planning their birthdays in time, so we finally put together a belated, joint Liam and Emilia's Un-Birthday party with a few neighborhood families and friends this past weekend. The theme was a "Cooking Party" where the kiddies would create their own personal dish, a casserole of various healthy assortments of food. While the food was cooking in the oven, the kiddies had the option of decorating their own apron or a placemat.

The kiddies each had their own mini loaf pan where they would choose the ingredients they want and scoop them into the pan. Layers of different veggies, meat, pasta, sauces, cheese,etc.. and viola! Everyone had their unique dish prepared. All the pans went into the oven at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes.

While their food was baking, the kiddies went in to creative action with decorating foam "placemats" with LOTS of stickers and markers. Ryan was great with preparing for this party! I was in charge of planning the food and details of the party, Ryan was in charge of the setup. He found a place to rent kiddie size tables and chairs.

They each had their own cakes. Emilia had requested for a purple cake, and I just so happen to know of a Filipino bakery that makes a bright, purple yam cake! And Liam, had a TLC cake made by Mary Poppins (nanny) with wholesome ingredients, egg-free, nut-free chocolate cake.

A kid-interactive party was a success! Thanks to the help of friends (Carey with setup and cleanup!) and Mary Poppins (best chocolate cake!). The kids had fun and I think the kid-party was quite tolerable for the adults too. =P Not pictured here, but I did cook up food for the adults too. It is my new go-to recipe for the masses, a VERY EASY and delicious 20-hour slow cooker Kalua Pig. I followed the recipe and bought the recommended Hawaiian Red Lava Sea Salt, but modified to slow-cook for 16-hours + 4 hours on warm, and added all-natural, concentrated liquid smoke.

If we get around to doing AvocadoFest this year, Kalua Pig is definitely on the menu. =)