Paleo Success Stories - "This Is My Life Now, I Enjoy It And It Makes Sense To Me"

Meet Jane Nolan. After struggling with yo-yo dieting for years she embraced the Paleo diet and has fantastic results with it. 

Here is her inspiring story: 

"I have struggled with my weight pretty much all my adult life. My parents opened a newsagents when I was 15 and I’ve had a sweet tooth ever since. In the last 8 years I have had two big weight losses and then put even more weight back on. When I’m ignoring the problem I eat & drink what I like when I like – when I’m happy & celebrating and when I’m bored & tired. Complete mindless eating.

I was quite often get into "food ruts" as I call them – eating the same thing for ages. So I was probably on a porridge & juice for breakfast, shop bought wrap or sambo with crisps & a diet coke for lunch and then for dinner it would have been a chicken and a jar of some sauce with rice or pasta for dinner. The funny thing is I always felt that wasn’t tooooooo bad. Could have been worse eh? Add on top of that regular meals out. Wine on Fri & Sat nights (possibly a bottle both nights...!) and of course “treats” – cos sure didn’t I deserve it after a busy day/week/weekend whatever the reason I always deserved it! Sweets in the office on a Friday, cake & a coffee on a Saturday – every day was a treat day!

It Was Affecting Me In More Ways Than Weight..... 

A couple of people asked me was I asthmatic as I would be wheezy when playing golf or cycling. I suppose my body was working hard to lug my 18 plus stone around.  I’d also have a fair bit of heartburn and burping. My mum is on reflux tablets (as was her Dad) and I could see myself heading that way too. And my feet would be so achy after playing a round of golf. 

Something Had To Change..... 

I just knew I couldn’t keep going the way I was. I was moving up a dress size and more clothes in my wardrobe didn't fit me then did.Friends were encouraging me to do something but I knew I would need help. A friend recommend No 17 Personal Training on Merrion Sq and I started with Sophie there on July 1^st this year. They recommend Paleo eating and that's when it all fell into place. Three 30min sessions a week and eating clean - to date I’ve lost 3stone in almost four months. I have always loved exercising but I would often go for a swim and then have a large hot chocolate and muffin afterwards.... Pointless really. The penny has finally dropped that's it’s all about the food. I can’t exercise my way out of a bad diet.

My Diet & Lifestyle Changes 

Breakfast now is usually a 3 egg (1 full & 2 egg whites) scrambled egg with veggies. Sometimes I will have something different - I had 2 mackerel & half an avocado this morning. I bring in my own lunch and that has been key for me. A lunchbox full of chopped veggies – the usual, cucumber, courgettes, celery, white cabbage, broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes, rocket etc etc with a either a pork chop, steak, chicken breast, lamb steak. And dinner is kinda similar – lots of veggies with protein. I vary the veggies by cooking them different ways and also make sure I have different proteins sources during the week so it doesn’t turn into another food rut. Lots of water and a couple of coffees (have to have a drop of milk in them) and that's about it. I don’t weigh or measure out anything – I can’t cope with being hungry so I just eat loads of good stuff.

My diet has changed and while I’m doing this for weight loss at the moment I have significantly reduced alcohol – really only special occasions until I am nearer my goal. 

I have also been working out with Sophie in No17 Personal Training 30mins three times a week before work and love that - we really work up a sweat in a very short space of time. It is great to be at the desk at 9am with your workout done. She pushes me hard but is very encouraging and she gives me a proper talking to (read as ass kicking!) when I confess to having had a glass of something or a slice of something else.

I cycle 3miles in and out to work just cos its so much quicker then the bus. I’ve recently plucked up the courage to join Dublin Wheelers which I know I couldn’t have done before I started Paleo. Early days yet but hoping I can keep up.

This Is My Life Now..... 

My mam asked me recently how long was I going to have to stay on Paleo – I said till I’m 80! It works for me and I really really like it. You feel healthy, sleep great and it’s just good regular food. When I first heard about Paleo I focused too much on what you can’t have. As soon as I figured out the tasty variety you can have with food that works on Paleo it was so much easier to wrap my head around.

Update 20/3/2014 - 

Had a great January thanks to signing up for the Irish Paleo Giirl Facebook group - and I'm not just saying that. I went to Lanzarote for chrimbo and thoroughly enjoyed it so was having a drink most nights.. Made a pact that my last drink & chocolate was just before midnight on Dec 31st and had my food shoppping done so hit the ground running come Jan 1st. Thanks to that group, the support and encouragment and eating really clean and being back in the gym I lost 13lbs during January. Chuffed.

 

Have continued my PT sessions in No 17 with Sophie - lots of weights and kettlebells. Been trying to keep up with the Dublin Wheelers - something i couldn't have considered last year. Have signed up for a 4mile fun run in Dunboyne next week and the 10k Great Run in April - and persuaded my sister to join me for the fun run.

 

Food has been the biggest part without a doubt.My guidelines for myself are:

 

-  Protein at every meal

- Good variety of veggies

- Never go hungry - snacks in the bag at all times

 

As I said this is me for life – I’ve found a way of eating that suits me, I enjoy and makes sense to me."

If you have a success story you would like to share please email me theirishpaleo@gmail.com. 

Review: Delicious Baked Foods From Paleo Crunch

Those of us who eat Paleo know how difficult it can be to find treats which fit in with our food philosophy. Sure treat foods should not make up a large part of our diets, whether they are Paleo or not, but wouldn't life be very dull if we never had treats?! 

The past few weeks have been pretty hectic for me. I had a big exam on Saturday last so the past few weeks have been taken up with studies at every spare minute. This left very little time for cooking - my husband pretty much took over all the cooking - so I have not had much time to spend making myself tasty treats. 

When Una of Paleo Crunch offered to send me some samples of her baked foods I jumped at the chance! We all know that studying usually leads to a little more comfort eating than usual and the odd treat is very much appreciated in between the constant stream of revision. It just makes things a little easier and more enjoyable to have a little something nice to eat when we are working hard. 

The package arrived and I ripped it open with anticipation! I had expected to get a couple of slices of her selection but was thrilled to find full cakes of a variety of baked foods - a banana bread, an almond and linseed bread, a multi-seed loaf, a carrot cake and a chocolate brownie. 

The food was delicious! My son (who is Type 1 diabetic and who I try to keep as close to paleo as possible) loved the food too. He brought the bread to school for his lunch and also enjoyed sharing the cakes! I also brought some carrot cake and banana bread into work to share and the girls really enjoyed it. So it will definitely be well received in any home - Paleo or not. It was such a treat to have healthy bread and cake available for me when I was short on time and it was equally nice to have them fit in with my food philosophy. 

The banana bread (pictured above) was moist and delicious with the right level of sweetness. The carrot cake was amazing - fruity, moist and so moreish. But the brownie was FAB! It was easily the nicest brownie I have EVER had, hands down. It was moist, chocolatey and just delicious. I was just sad it wasn't bigger!

I knew I would not be able to eat everything so I sliced the breads up and froze them on a baking sheet and then once frozen I put them into freezer bags. This was great as it meant I could take a slice or two out as I needed them. 

Una kindly sent me a list of ingredients for the foods I received:

Banana bread: Bananas Ground almond Coconut Coconut oil Mixed spice Eggs Honey

Ground Almond and linseed bread: Ground almond Linseed Coconut flour Eggs Coconut oil

Carrot Cake: Ground almond Honey Spices Carrots Raisins Walnuts Eggs

Brownie: Avocado Chocolate Cocoa Honey Coconut flour Eggs

Multi-seed Bread: Ground almond Honey Mix of seeds Linseed Eggs Coconut oil

Here is a menu of the foods she currently makes:

How Do I Order? 
Orders can be placed directly through the Facebook page "Paleo Crunch" by private message or by text on 0879044052.

Loaves start at €7 and brownies/carrot cake squares are 4 for €5.

I have already decided I will be ordering a Paleo birthday cake for myself next month from Una! I am already excited about it! :)

I would definitely recommend Una's food. She is an enthusiastic Paleo eater and is very active in her local Crossfit community. She is professional and easy to approach.

Check out her facebook page for great recipe ideas and tips to keeping it Paleo. It is so great to see others flying the flag for Paleo living in Ireland.

Restaurant Review: Sauvage Paleo Restaurant, Berlin

I am just back from a lovely weekend away with my husband in Berlin. We had a lovely weekend of sightseeing, relaxation, wine and delicious food. It is a beautiful city with so much to see and it is so steeped in history.

A highlight of the trip was of course my much anticipated Paleo meal on Saturday night! As those of us who eat Paleo food know, it is so difficult to eat out and have the type of food we like to eat. We are usually left to make do with whatever foods we can adapt to our needs and steak is usually the outcome. (not that there is anything too bad about a good steak!) 

So I was absolutely thrilled to discover that there was a 100% Paleo restaurant to be visited in Berlin (friends joked it was the ONLY reason I was visiting Berlin!) 

I was so excited to visit the restaurant and we hit off on Saturday evening for our reservation at 8.30pm.

The company have restaurants in two locations in Berlin - one called Neukolln in Pflugerstrausse which is more casual and views itself as both a dining place and a meeting place for health enthusiasts and which also holds Paleo cookery classes. The second is in Winnstrause and is called the Prenzlauerberg restaurant. We visited the latter and we really did get the refined dining experience promised by their website (here)  

The restaurant is set on a quiet street and is has a lovely intimate and slightly rustic setting which is very in keeping with the Paleo theme. Lit largely by candle light and decorated with minimal decor, the interior is also dotted with unique pieces of art work like the one above of our table of hunter gatherers tackling a bear to the ground. All of this added to the atmosphere and the general theme of the food. 

The moment I got my hands on the menu I got goosebumps! This might sound ridiculous for those of you who may not understand the passion of Paleo and good nourishing food. For me seeing a menu of food with excellent ingredients, nutrient dense super-foods and a philosophy so close to my own it is like I wrote the menu myself is so exciting. 

I think I could liken it to the thrill some ladies get from seeing a pair of Louis Vuitton shoes in a shoe shop window or purchasing the newest MAC Viva Glam Collection by RiRi before anyone else. For me, good, real food is my passion but unfortunately it is not always easy to find a restaurant which fits my philosophy so closely. This is the feeling I got as soon as I started reading the menu in Sauvage. 

You are first met with an introduction to Paleo and what it is about. It is a comprehensive explanation and well explained. Next you are met with a range of Paleo cocktails with such delicious and nutritious ingredients they make you almost forget they are alcoholic! I choose a delicious vodka, honey, kombucha and ginger one which was delicious (and possibly a little lethal!) 

My non Paleo husband also dined with me and choose an organic beer which he was very taken with.

We were also given a complementary amuse bush of a very tasty coconut soup, pate with onion marmalade and a Paleo cracker. It was tasty and warming. 

The menu was wonderful with several tapas style options which you could choose as a starter or order several if you choose to share. There was also plenty of variety. 

For starters I choose a duck consommé which came served with a Paleo cassava bread. It was delicious and fresh and felt very nourishing! My husband choose a pork belly dish which came served with a purple sauerkraut and a spiced apple sauce. He loved it and was definitely happy despite his non Paleo tendencies. 

Our main courses were just as delicious. I choose the grass-fed beef which came served with a macadamia crumble, coconut puree, wild broccoli and a licorice jus. It was delicious! Alan opted for a rack of lamb with pistachio thyme crust which came with a sun-dried tomato purée, stir-fried sprout and a cumin jus.

I also choose a lovely shiraz to go along with my steak at the suggestion of the waitress and it went very well. 

All in all my Paleo meal was amazing. I really enjoyed the whole experience and would definitely recommend visiting this restaurant. From start to finish it was so exciting to be in a restaurant where I could eat everything on the menu and all the items were chosen for their nutrient density. Each page of the menu had little snippets of information about the nutritional profile of the foods such as explaining the Omega ratios in grassfed beef versus regular beef.

If you love great food, are passionate about good ingredients and are looking for a real food experience in Berlin, visit this restaurant. You wont be disappointed.