Body Scrub

What could be more cavegirl chic than making your own body scrub aka Paleo Polish? I love this one from Lauren Conrad's new website, thebeautydepartment.com  

photo credit: pauladeen.com

Craving something sweet?

This. stuff. is. amazing. If you haven't tried it yet then next time you're at Whole Foods grab it. It's made with coconut milk and sweetened with Agave. My favorite way to eat it? 2 scoops (ok fine, sometimes 3...or 4) with toasted coconut and almonds on top. Or you can make a shake with it- just add a bananna and some frozen pineapple.

Nekter Juice Bar

Nekter just opened up in Newport Beach, CA and it's quickly become a local hot spot. There is only one word to describe how I feel about this place- OBSESSED. What could be more Paleo than drinking cold pressed vegetables? Most cities have some type of juice bar so find one near you and give it a try. It's a quick way to load up on veggies and surprisingly delicious. The first couple times it was a little intense but I always have them add a little apple and lemon.

Holiday Eating

My girlfriend Aubrey asked me if I planned on eating Paleo over Thanksgiving- I would like to say that I have an entire Paleo Thanksgiving spread planned out and I wish I had some amazing recipes for you... unfortunately this is not the case.

One of the things that has helped me change my eating habits and stick to Paleo is that I don't deprive myself to the point I look at eating this way as something difficult or "bad." Too often we get stuck in this mentality of constantly depriving ourselves on the newest fad diet and then we feel guilty for not having the self control to stick to it so we quit and move on to the next one.

For me, being able to stick with Paleo and adopting it as an entire change in my lifestlyle I've learned to give myself cheat days for those times when I'm really craving something...this clearly includes holidays.

I will however take this time to share a favorite Fall recipe, Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

Ingredients:

1lb ground white meat turkey 

1 Spaghetti Squash

2 sliced of Pancetta 

1 can crushed tomatoes (no salt added)

1 carrot, shredded.

1 celery stalk, chopped finely 

1 onion, minced 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

Basil 

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 375. Next, cut the squash in half and scoop out seeds. I prefer to bake mine, rind side up, for 30-40 minutes. Alternatively, you can microwave is for 6-8 minutes or boil it for about 20 minutes. 

While your squash is cooking, you can start on the sauce. Add Pancetta slices to a medium sized sauté pan and cook until crispy on medium high heat. Remove from pan onto a paper towel. Add 1 table spoon of Olive Oil to the pan and sauté carrot, onion, garlic, and celery until translucent. Turn heat to low and add crushed tomatoes and simmer for an hour or so. 

Once the spaghetti squash has cooled use a fork to scrape the edges to loosen the strands. (This will make sense once you start doing it and it will look just like spaghetti). 

Next, add the squash to the sauce and let is sit for a few minutes to absorb the flavor. Add fresh basil and serve...I like to serve mine in the squash shell. 

Coconut Water

If you haven't tried coconut water I would strongly recommend it. It's pretty much nature's Gatorade- it has 5 essential electrolytes that your body needs to stay hydrated in order to perform optimally. My favorite brand is Zico. Some people don't love the taste right away- if this is the case try mixing it with a splash of juice or a little lemon. 

Coconut water is also great for making ice cubes because it doesn't melt as fast as water so it doesn't water down your drinks. 

Bison Burgers-Coconut Cayenne Sauce, Avocado, Caramelized Onions

1 lb Bison meat 
2 tablespoons Olive Oil 
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 half avocado 
Caramelized onions (1/4 red onion) 
Lettuce (to use as bun) 


Seasoning 
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
14/ teaspoon cayenne pepper 
Pepper to taste 


1) Pre-heat non-stick pan on medium high heat. 
2) Make 2 equal-size hamburger patties from the bison meat- do not overwork the meat. 
3) Season both sides with seasoning mix and place in pan.
4) Cover the burgers with a stainless steel bowl or something else heat-proof and cook for 6 minutes. Turn the burgers over and season with mixture. Cover and continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes- for medium.
5) While burgers rest caramelize onions in the same pan. Once they are done deglaze pan with coconut milk and sprinkle in seasoning mixture to taste. 
6) Place burgers on lettuce, pour sauce evenly on both, and top with avocado and onions. 

Paleo Brownies?

I was in Maine for my sisters wedding and met an awesome girl named Ali. We got to chatting and I mentioned that I do Crossfit and had just started Paleo and the hardest part for me is no dessert...well thanks to Ali I have found a healthy solution to my chocolate cravings- her brother's company based out of San Diego called Paleo Treats. 

I have a huge sweet tooth and I don't know what I'd do without Paleo Treats. Check out their website to learn more about this awesome company that let's you have your brownies and eat them too : )

Opening a package of Paleo Treats is like Christmas morning for me!