Paleo Chocolate Nut Muffins

Paleo Chocolate Nut Muffins

4 eggs

4 cups of "flour"
I used 2 cups of blended raw almonds
and 2 cups of shredded coconut

a couple tablespoons of sunflower butter

about 2 cups of dark chocolate chips

1/4 cup of coconut oil

a little ground ginger

some baking soda

1 cup of pecans soaked and stirred in some vanilla and honey for the topping

This fills up around 12 baking cups and then goes into a 325 degree oven for 25 minutes

Standup Desk

UPDATE: I have been perfecting my standing desk after first making it 2 years ago. I had to condense it to fit in the corner of my baby's room. I have recently added a 27 inch Dell monitor to my workflow. It has to sit at an angle now, but it works and has increased my productivity as a graphic designer. I definitely recommend it. Just try it and if you get tired you can use a barstool occasionally. I will update again when I get a separate office. Let me know if you have any questions.

A sample of my meals

​Here is a sample of my meals from this week. I follow the paleo lifestyle and stick to mostly protein and veggies with some high quality fats like olive oil, coconut oil and avocados. The last photo is a giant paleo cupcake. I used a mixture of almond and coconut flours instead of wheat flour.

Sugar Detox

This month I attempted to do a sugar detox. I limited myself to less than 2 pieces of fruit a day and tried to cut out all sugar. I gave in 3 separate times to small pieces of chocolate and I had a sip of orange juice a couple times.

I don't see much change in the photos. Some bloat went away. I noticed a change mentally. I had less energy spikes and dips throughout the day. I could concentrate better. I could also get by with less meals in a day. I rarely had intense hunger, although that is mostly due to my paleo diet.

​I plan on keeping my sugar low from now on. I need to not buy any dark chocolate and only have sweets once a week at the most. There is a whole guide to it if you want to try. I didn't read it, but the idea inspired me. I hope I inspire you to set a goal today!

February Sugar Detox Before/After

Book of the Month: The Paleo Diet

My mom gave me this book for christmas, among others, off of my wishlist. I just finished it 2 minutes ago and it has convinced me to get a little stricter in my diet and exercise. 

I read The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf about a year ago after listening to his Paleo Solution podcast for awhile. I started the diet pretty slowly over the course of a couple months. I had been gluten free for a couple months after a doctor diagnosed me with ulcerative colitis and prescribed 4 pills a day. I figured out that I didn't suffer the symptoms when I went gluten free and even more so after cleaning up my diet to paleo standards. Anyways, in that book he recommended this book as a resource, so I finally got it a year later. This is one of the first books on paleo. It originally came out in 2002, but this is an updated 2010 version. The newer version includes some of Dr. Cordain's updated stances on certain foods. He originally listed canola oil as a healthy oil, but has changed based on newer research. The book goes over the course of human history and the foods we evolved on. He explains how the agricultural revolution introduced new foods like dairy and grains that we weren't designed to eat. And in the 10,000 years since, most of us do not have the gut to deal with these foods. I have lost more than 20 lbs in the last year and it was extremely easy. I love food and I was never hungry. I basically eat some good protein, lots of veggies, some fruits and nuts and then treat myself to the occasional coffee, dark chocolate and wine. I would really recommend this book along with The Paleo Solution. You will lose fat, get healthy, be happier and live longer!