My Super Protein Breakfast Smoothie

People need protein to function. And healthy fat. And carbs from good sources, such as vegetables. I have been on a mission to get extra protein in, since consuming good amounts of protein during pregnancy reduces the risks of toxemia & pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure that can lead to seizures and brain damage), helps red blood cell production, as well as, along with fats, increase satiety after eating.

Various forms of protein

My Super Protein Breakfast Smoothie
1 frozen banana
1 cup Original Almond Milk (or other full fat milk)
1 tsp Spirulina
powder (has 2g protein!)
1 scoop 365 Whey Protein Powder, Vanilla
1 tbsp raw, local honey
1 tbsp Chia Seeds

1/2 tsp ginger, ground
1/4 tsp Probiotic Powder
(probiotics are extremely important to digestion and overall health!)
2 tbsp almond butter
ice

According to www.myfitnesspal.com, this smoothie has 581 calories (which I don't really care about, as long as I'm getting them from healthy fats, proteins and carbs), 70 carbs, 25g fats, 28g protein. To up protein to 44g, add an extra protein powder scoop. To lower carbs, leave out the banana and add extra ice.

*note: I don't believe that protein powder is the best way to get protein. I believe most of our nutrition should come from whole food sources. However, while I am pregnant, I'm not ready to add raw eggs to my smoothie to up the good fat and protein, and there aren't a ton of other ways to get 16g protein per serving (scoop). It's another thing you should do your own research on and make your own informed decision. We research tv's and cars, why not our health decisions? Including medications, doctors, procedures, etc. But now I'm getting onto a whole different topic :)

Pumpkin Bread Smoothie

I don't have a picture, because I'm drinking it. Here, look at a picture of a pumpkin. Now pretend it's turned into my smoothie.

I LOVE pumpkin in food. Smoothies, pudding, etc. Big fan here, Holly knows. I guess I'm starting early this year! Last time I was pregnant, I did pumpkin everything, that was almost two years ago, so maybe it's a pregnancy thing, who knows.

Pumpkin Bread Smoothie
1 cup canned coconut milk
1/4 cup Canned Pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie seasoning
1/2 -1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Maple Syrup

sprinkle of coconut flakes
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp probiotic powder
1 frozen banana (optional)
ice

Blend until ready to drink! Enjoy :)

Zucchini Spaghetti

This was really good, even my husband & the kids were big fans!

Julienne 2-3 small zucchinis, steam for a few minutes with some butter/coconut oil in a lidded pan, then add meat (I used chopped chicken from a roasted chicken), and sauce. I also added crushed garlic and Organic Italian Herb Seasoning. You could add any other vegetables or seasonings you'd like - onions, peppers, sausage, etc.

Quinoa Dish

This was super good. I had quinoa leftover from the night before, so I heated it with butter or coconut oil in a pan, then added quartered zucchini, halved little tomatoes, & chicken. Quinoa is a seed that has a good amount of protein, not as much as meat, but has lots of other good stuff.

To make quinoa:
Rinse very well, to get the bitter saponin off.
Lightly boil, covered, with chicken broth, water or a safe milk. (chicken broth for savory, water or milk to use as a sweet cereal type).
Take lid off after it's at a light, rolling boil/simmer, to boil off extra liquid.
Serve hot or cold, with seasonings (maple syrup & nuts, almond butter, salt & pepper, spices, etc.)

Use in place of hot cereal or rice.

Cauliflower "Rice" & Venison steak

Hmm, I seem to have misplaced the picture. Imagine creamy white "rice" and steaming steak, with spinach salad on the side.

Since going Primal/Paleo means no grains, including rice, I have seen people using cauliflower "rice" on their food blogs. Looked yummy & fun, so I tried it. It was yummy! Next time, I will add more butter and salt.

Just put small cut pieces of cauliflower in the food processor and pulse until the desired size. I heated mine in a pan, then added salt for seasoning. The next day, I added some butter and steak strips. Delicous!

For the steak, I just put them in a baking stone and baked in the oven on 350 for 20-25 minutes. Seasoned with homemade Herbamare.

Various meals throughout the last few months

Toast & Egg bake, with avocados & tomatoes

Dill & Lemon Salmon & Rice

Best. Pancakes. Ever.

Peanut Butter & Raw Honey with Fried Zucchini

Chicken Salad, Tomatoes & Spinach Sandwiches

Lemon Cashew Cheesecake

I've been slacking on uploading pics and blogging, so here are a few!

Lemon Cashew Cheesecake

This was really yummy! It was slightly too acidic for my mouth, so I'm going to put just a tablespoon less of lemon juice into it. My husband was really impressed with it, and while he'll be quick to tell you it's not like "real" cheesecake, he still liked it just fine as a dessert.

The Sunny Raw Kitchen's Raw Cheesecake

Rules

I know, you've all been dying to know what I've been up to. Well, besides gestating - homeschool, my aunt got a kidney transplant, you know, same ol, same ol ;)

I've been learning about the Primal Blueprint Diet. I'm very excited about it.

I'm the kind of person who needs rules. If I don't have rules, I am often not taking care of myself as I need to be. When I was nursing E3, I had food rules for her health - no gluten, dairy, soy, rice, corn, potatoes (white). I also have learned much about refined/processed sugars and have a desire to avoid them. I also respond poorly to processed sugars, most specifically cane sugar. I am grumpy the next few days after consuming it, I'm not a pleasure to be around. As a Christian, it's important for me to have a good attitude, and be in control of my emotions and responses. Things that make that difficult do not have a place in my life.
I haven't been doing a great job of keeping processed foods out of my diet and I've been eating to excess. I've been eating not only because I'm hungry, but because I'm bored, or something looks good. The only food rules I've had are no gluten or soy, and the no gluten rule is the only thing that has really saved me from gaining a TON of excess weight. It's good and normal to gain weight during pregnancy. But it needs to be from healthy foods and things like the placenta, extra blood volume (it almost doubles during pregnancy!), and the actual baby, not because I can't control my eating and I'm eating unhealthy things, gaining unhealthy weight.

I stumbled upon a blog called Enjoying Healthy Foods. I'm LOVING it! As I was reading through (I'll read completely through a blog from current to beginning), I was noticing that the meals Lindsey makes are things I could have eaten while nursing E3, and everything are things I can eat now (no gluten/soy). She uses lots of vegetables, good meat, fruits and coconut oil (my favorite!). She kept mentiong Paleo and, while I've heard of people doing it, I wasn't sure what all in entailed, so I looked it up. I found Paleo and Primal, and the differences. I've decided to go with the Primal, because of the differences explained in the link.
I'm really excited about it, and have already been much more purposeful in what I'm eating and buying. I'm also learning some new things, like Food Combining, which are very important to understand for optimal health and digestion. I hope you will take a look and let me know what you think of Primal Diet, and maybe even start it with me! I'm still extremely new to it all, so I'm learning as I go, also applying principles I've learned over the last few years.