Paleo Lifehacks: Keeping Costs Down

So I did a vlog today instead of writing an article, so you'll get my info from the horses mouth!

I will, however, add my food log for Day 13 below. I ate my chocolate bar that I'd been saving since before Halloween. I'll post a review tomorrow. It was super good. I had no business "treating" myself due to my last few days of behavior on set, but hey. At least it was a Paleo delicacy. More challenges tomorrow.

I'm also not weighing myself because I know eating this way is going to work and I don't want to be so focused on the scale or be a person who weighs themselves every day or every week. I'm in it for the sake of wellness and confidence and I'm gonna hope that this new "system" works out for me. I am curious to know how I'm doing after two weeks, but the results should be telling in how my clothes fit as time goes on. Just gotta sit tight and keep choosing wisely.

Mixed Berry Smoothie
Cashews
Dried Cranberries
Banana

Eggs, Bacon, Pepper, Onion, Mushroom

Apple
Paleo Chocolate Banana Crunch Bar from Hu Kitchen

Chicken
Sweet Potato

A Paleo Guide to Alcohol

Let me preface this with the fact that IF you are trying to lose weight, drinking is just a waste of calories. However, I know that if you're trying to make a lifestyle change, that you're going to run into celebratory or social evenings where you will be expected or would like to partake. So, with that weighing heavy on my mind (due to Halloween), I will deliver some of the information I have collected from the interwebs.

Technically, the distillation process should get rid of any gluten still in the drink, but if that were the case, we would have gluten free options, because you can never truly tell if that has 100% happened.

Therefor, it is best to avoid BEER. Yes, I'm sorry. Barley and Wheat feature heavily on the ingredients list for this evil concoction, so it is definitely best to avoid it. Even gluten free beer is made from sorghum which is a gluten free grain, so therefor, not exactly Paleo, but if you want a beer super bad, it's the best option.

I like to substitute a low sugar hard cider- mostly made from pears or apples. It is best to avoid the brands with extra sugar. Good= ACE, Strongbow, Crispin. Bad: Angry Orchard, Woodchuck. Those are just some suggestions. Just check the label to see if there's a ton of added sugar or anything before you buy it.

For the Renaissance Faire inclined, like myself, you'll be happy to know that it LOOKS LIKE MEAD'S BACK ON THE MENU BOYS! Yes mead is made from distilled honey so it checks out 100% and it can be sweet and delicious if that's what you're after. 

Wine, both Red and White is often the best recommended alcoholic beverage according to my research. Red is more recommended than white. It comes in organic brands, it can be good for your heart, and contains antioxidants. White wine is stripped of the antioxidants which, as far as I can tell is one of the only reasons it's not as recommended as red. I don't particularly like red, so I'm glad to see that white is an alright option. It should do me well during the holidays. 

When it comes to harder alcohols, Vodka made from potatoes and grains is bad, but vodka made from fruit is alright. Rum made from sugar cane and not molasses is ok. Brandy and cognac seem to be made from distilling wine, so they pass. Tequila is made from agave, so it passes as well.

Definitely avoid Bourbon, Scotch, and Gin. 

With all that information, you can see that even if you want to make this into a lifestyle, you don't have to be afraid of social situations or suffer from anxiety over what to choose. Now you have a few go to options. However, I just want to iterate that I am not claiming that drinking is healthy OR that it will help you lose weight. This is just a guide to help you do the least damage if you are going to have a drink or two along the way and I wanted to put it out there as the holiday season comes upon us because that's often the hardest time for people to stick to whatever lifestyle choices they're making. There are lots of other, more detailed guides out there, but I wanted something quick and dirty for my readers. Feel free to post any other articles or research in the comments. What's your favorite Paleo cocktail?  

Hunger Games Capitol Stew

Here's the thing. I love food way too much for my own good. The only way I can get myself to make regularly healthy choices is to mix things up a bit and make things that excite me. With all this cold weather, it's comfort food time. Nothing is better than snuggling up with a good book and a piping hot meaty dinner! That's right people, I'm talking stew.

I try to eat Paleo most of the time and as much as I love soups and stews most of them include dairy and/or cream. However, this recipe was devised specifically for Paleo folks who love The Hunger Games and who want their own parachute to deliver Lamb and Plumb stew directly to their kitchen. Get ready for the guilt free delicious!

• 3 lb. boneless lamb shoulder or leg, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-1/2- to 2-inch pieces
• 3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium parsnip, corsely chopped 
• 2 medium carrot, coarsely chopped 
• 1 to 2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. celery seed
• 1 cup red wine
• 3 cups low-salt beef broth
• 1 cup of water
• 2 cups peeled pearl onions
• 1 cup prunes, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbs. lemon juice
• baking parchment

1. Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F.
2. Spread the lamb on paper towels to dry for 10 minutes before browning.
3. In a 6-quart oven safe pot, heat the oil over medium to medium-high heat. 
4. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Brown the meat well and then transfer it to a large bowl.
5. Once all of the lamb is browned, remove the pot from the heat to let it cool for a few minutes.
6. Add 3 Tbs. of the fat to the pot. (If there is not enough, add extra virgin olive oil to equal 3 Tbs.) 
7. Return the pot to medium heat, then add the yellow onion, and coarsely chopped carrot. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spatula, until the vegetables begin to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. 
8. Stir in the ginger, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and celery seed, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes.
9. Add the wine, stirring with the wooden spatula to dissolve any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Raise the heat to medium high and boil to reduce by about half, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the beef broth and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil.
10. Return the lamb to the pot along with any juice. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer.
11. Crumple a 12x16-inch piece of parchment, then flatten it out. Place the parchment directly on the surface of the stew, allowing the ends to come up the sides of the pot. Cover and put in the oven.
12. After 1 hour of stewing, add the pearl onions, carrot pieces, and prunes to the pot. Cover with the parchment and lid, and cook until the lamb is fork-tender, about 1 and a half hours.
13. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Degrease the stew by laying a clean paper towel over the surface of the stew and gently pushing it into all the bumps and dips, then quickly peeling it off. Repeat as necessary with more paper towels. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Let us know what you think of the recipe? Good? Bad? Real or not real? Are there other types of geeky recipes you'd like to see us Paleo-ify? Let us know in the comments!

Onion Stuffed Toad Steak

The new name of the game is how do I make meat interesting? I always need my protein, but at the end of the day, chicken and steak can get boring. Plus, in celebration of classic video game love, I've recently discovered a recipe that's not only filling, but equal parts adorable and delicious. 

Onion Stuffed Toad Steak

Ingredients

• Portabello
• 1 small Onion
• Garlic
• Steaks
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 tsp Balsamic vinegar
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1. Prep your onion by chopping it up.
2. Mince a 2 cloves of garlic. 
3. Heat a pan on medium heat and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil in the pan.
4. Add your garlic.
5. After 20-30 seconds, place your Portabello cap top down in the pan. Add your chopped onion into the natural bowl created by the cap. Drizzle 2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar over the onions. 
6. Cook on each side for about 3-5 minutes until the mushroom is soft and the onions look sautéed and transluscent. Note: When you flip the portabello, the onions will probably spill out. Just do your best to tuck them under the cap and frankly, you can stuff them back inside when its time to serve them anyways. 
7. Sprinkle both sides of your steak with onion and garlic powder. Add salt and pepper to taste and then massage your seasonings into the steak.
8. Heat another pan on medium heat and add extra virgin olive oil. 
9. Fry up your steak evenly on each side until the internal temperature is right. I prefer between 130-140 degrees for medium rare. 
10. Plate your steak and put your toad portabello on top! You can even drizzle a little more balsamic over the top if you want to get really fancy! I usually serve it with some sort of green vegetable. So get cooking and make your own!

Beef Baratheon with Portabello (or How to Cook a Steak)

Recently, I realized I didn't know how to cook a steak. Yes, dear Slayers, your faithful leader who is so full of delicious recipes couldn't even make a simple steak. My thinking is that if I don't know how to do it, there's gotta be someone else out there learning to cook who doesn't know how to do it either. Needless to say, I've picked up a few new skill points in Cooking and I'd like to share them with you.

This is not the kind of fillet mignon and potatoes you'll find in find dining. This is well seasoned meat to go with a bed of sautéed veggies. It should fill and fuel you without any extra fills or non-paleo comforts. I imagine it's the kind of thing Stannis Baratheon has grown accustomed to eating on Dragonstone. So let's get our meat hats on and fry ourselves up something delicious. 

Beef Baratheon with Portabello

Deviant Art

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 Steaks or 1 large steak to cut in half
• Chili Powder
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic and Onion Powder
• Sweet Pepper
• Small Onion
• 1 large Portabello
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil spray

1. Prep all your veggies. Chop up the onion and the pepper and cut your portabello into slices. 
2. Mince two cloves of garlic.
3. Set a frying pan on the stove on medium heat. 
4. Spray the pan liberally with extra virgin olive oil. and let it heat up for about a minute. 
5. Then add your minced garlic. Watch it carefully and as soon as it begins to brown (about 15-30 seconds), add your onions, portabello, and pepper. Use a spatula to stir it around and keep the garlic from burning to the bottom of the pan. 
6. Season veggie pan with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Continually watch these sautéing vegetables during the rest of the cooking process. Every few minutes you'll want to move and flip them around in the pan so they cook evenly and don't burn. 
7. Set a second pan on medium heat.
8. Now season the beef by sprinkling a little chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper on each side. Massage it gently so that everything is spread evenly across the meat.
9. Add your steak to the pan and cook it for about 8 minutes on each side or till the internal temperature is where you want it to be. If you have an internal meat thermometer, the USDA says 125 degrees is rare, 145 is medium rare, 160 is medium and 170+ is well done.  You will want to flip it every 4-5 minutes or so that it doesn't burn or sear the meat on either side. 
10. When your meat is done, turn off the stove and plate the veggies. 
11. The plate your beef and voila, you've made yourself a juicy steak with veggies!

Paleo Ghibli Feast

Seriously! Is there anything more appetizing than food in a Ghibli film? The answer is no. Between Calcifer's bacon and Spirited Away's smorgasbord of savory delicacies, I just want to float into my television and stuff my face full of delicious food every time one of these movies plays. 

Sometimes a person just needs to look at an appetizing sumptuous plate of food to feel a sense of comfort wash over them. At least, that's my belief. That doesn't always happen when you're cooking healthy and on a budget. I get so focused on just getting something made that suits my nutritional needs that I forget to take joy in the process of cooking and I certainly don't do anything that takes a longer amount of time. Sometimes it's important to treat yourself to something over the top. However, with the Holidays coming up, it's easy to fall prey to all sorts of sugary, over-sauced vittles, each one teaming with more calories than the last. It's not always easy to treat yourself well during this season when your instincts are tell you to pig out!

Well fear not! This recipe is sure to catch your eye in the same sumptuous way as all those bad choices will and fill you with all fuel you need to attack your workouts and get through the day. It's roast hen with sweet and savory root vegetables like onions, carrots, parsnips, and turnips. Be advised, this is not the kind of dish that you whip up quickly for dinner. It takes a bit of time and attention, but on the plus side, the effort is worth the juicy, tender reward.

Paleo Ghibli Feast

Serves

2

Cook time

30 minutes prep. ~100 minutes cook time.

Ingredients

• 2 Cornish game hens (each 1 - 1 1/2 pounds)
• 4  medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths
• 4  medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths
• 2  small turnips, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1/2  sweet onion, cut into wedges
• 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1  clove garlic, minced
• 2  teaspoons  crushed dried rosemary
• 2  teaspoons  crushed dried oregano
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Peel and chop vegetables into 1.5 inch cubes.
3. Mix oil, balsamic, rosemary, oregano, salt and minced garlic into a small bowl.
4. Place hens in the center of the ba
5. king dish and surround them with carrots, parsnips, turnips, and onions.
6. Take your small bowl containing the mixture of the oil and seasonings. Use a brush or a spoon to dress the hens and the vegetables.
7. Place the dish in the oven for 80 minutes. Every 20 minutes, toss, the vegetables in the dish and return it to the oven.
8. When the 80 minutes are up, remove the dish to check on the hens. They are done with they're no longer pink and the drumsticks move easily in their sockets. If you have a food thermometer, the internal temperature should be 180 degrees Farenheit. 
9. When the hens are done, move them to a serving platter and turn the oven up to 450 degrees. Cover the hens and keep them warm till the vegetables are done cooking. 
10. Stir vegetables and cover the baking dish. Return them to the oven and continue roasting them for 20 minutes. They are done when they are tender. 
11. Place hens on plates and surround them with the vegetables. 
12. Serve and devour. Don't worry, you won't turn into pigs!

Air Nomad Pumpkin Naan

There certainly are a lot of Paleo "sandwich" recipes out there that call for lettuce wraps. Honestly, I love lettuce, but since it's crunchy and breaks easily, it makes for one messy wrap in my opinion. For that reason, I've been on the hunt for another type of wrap that both fits the Paleo guidelines and does it's job. I feel like that can't be too much to ask. 

These pumpkin wraps have a very neutral taste so they're good for doing any sort of wrap from burgers with a fried egg to dressed sautéed vegetables. I even enjoy them for breakfast wraps or with a light spread of cashew butter. They're light and flexible and frankly they remind me of something an Air Nomad would eat with their vegetarian diet. I could totally imagine Tenzin and his family munching on these between his training sessions with Korra. Now you can munch on them too!

Air Nomad Pumpkin Naan

Serves
4-5

Ingredients

• 2 tbs coconut oil
• 1.5 cups tapioca flour
• 5 large eggs
• 8 oz pumpkin puree
• .5 tsp of sea salt

1. Heat 1/2 tbs of the coconut oil in a pan on medium heat for a few minutes.
2. While the oil is heating, add all the other ingredients to a large bowl and mix thoroughly until smooth.
3. Pour 1/5 of the batter into the pan and spread across the bottom evenly. It should be as thin as the pan will allow.
4. Let it cook until the bottom is slightly browned. When you feel you can safely flip it, then do so. Keep flipping from side to side to keep the bread from burning. It should take about 3-5 minutes on each side.
5. Repeat till you're out of batter.

Prestidigitation Paleo French Fries

I love french fries. It's terrible. Why are they so good and yet so horrendous for you? I also love sweet potato fries EVEN MORE, and yet they're only mildly better for you than the latter. Of course, neither is Paleo unless cooked in the right oil. It's a vicious cycle where I want them, but everything I defend the choice with is really just an excuse to eat something I shouldn't be eating anyways. 

On the other hand, I love vegetables, but I'm getting really bored of salads and steaming. Don't get me wrong, broccoli will always be delicious and filling, but sometimes you want something with a little more pizazz. Salads serve a purpose, but they don't fill me with comfort or satisfy my need for something warm and a little sweet.

Lately, these conflicting feelings have left me with the incredible urge to make things taste or feel like other more delicious and unhealthy things. Call it culinary prestidigitation if you will. I'm a huge fan of D&D and I play a gnome bard who is constantly using prestidigitation to transform things into other things. She wants blue hair today? Great! She decides to turn a screaming blue jay into a songbird so she can enjoy natures melody? Go! She decides to make a piece of quartz look like an astral diamond to pay for new equipment? What an idea! So after all that fun around the gaming table, I've been thinking about the things a gnome bard would do in the kitchen if she had to eat right, but wanted to enjoy all of her unhealthier cravings at the same time. Just like slaying mindflayers on your way to the Underdark, cooking is a necessity, but it's always better when it's fun! Thusly, I had an idea to create a recipe for vegetables that tricked me into thinking I was eating fries. Since I like sweet potato fries, I decided to go for carrots because of their natural sweetness. Anyone care to gather round the fire pit at the Project Reroll tavern to see a magic trick? 

Prestidigitation Paleo French Fries

Ingredients: 

• 8 carrots sliced into 3/4 inch thick "fries" or sticks. Use your best judgement as far as length.
• 4 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• sea salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment and spread your carrots evenly across it. 
3. Add your extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Sprinkle the garlic powder over all the fries.
5. Roll your carrots back and forth across the parchment until everything is evenly coated in the seasoning and oil. 
6. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and flip your fries.
8. Replace the sheet in the oven for 10 more minutes. 
9. Remove from the oven and enjoy the mouth watering results of your magic trick!

Do you have any culinary magic you perform to stay healthy but eat yummy? By all means, share in the comments so all of our Slayers can enjoy your creative ideas! 

Tomorrow is the due date for the our first Mini Slayer Halloween Challenge! I'm looking forward to hearing about your adventures! 

Stitch's All Purpose Paleo Mango Salsa

I love fruit, especially when I'm trying to come down off of eating too many sweets (ahem... the Halloween Call of Cthulu and Hocus Pocus viewing party I attended with amazing pumpkin crumb cake, pumpkin juice, and candy... WOOPS). Idealy, if you're eating Paleo, you don't want to go overboard with the sweets, but if I'm feeling really sugar addicted, I'll have 3 or 4 servings for a few days and then gradually drop that down to one or two throughout the course of the week. 

Picking up a piece of fruit is easy but it's not always interesting. Sometimes, just picking up an apple or banana and easting it isn't appealing. My favorite fruit of all time happens to be mango so I decided to devise a mango salsa either for eating straight, Paleo style, or for eating with chips, chicken, talapia, salmon or anything else other people want to pair it with. It's an easy way to get in some more fruit, a few veggies, and of course to spice up an otherwise simple meal! 

Stitch's All Purpose Paleo Mango Salsa

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups of peeled and diced mangos
• 1 small tomato, diced
• 1 sweet red pepper, diced
• 1 avocado, pitted, skinned, and diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• cayenne pepper to taste (I don't like things super spicy, so you may want to adjust this factor based on what you like. I start with a pinch and do taste tests while mixing to find the right balance)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cucumber, diced
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 1 whole lime, juiced

1. Chop, dice, and dump all your ingredients into a mixing bowl. 
2. Mix thoroughly. It's important because you don't want the salt or the spicy bits to get stuck in one particular clump or place
3. Serve and eat it! 

Baked Chocobo with Greens and Sweet Potato

Everyone is playing the new Final Fantasy MMO but me and it's driving me to madness. It's the kind of thing I would absolutely love to play but can't afford to spend the money on for the amount of enjoyment I'd get out of it at this point. I know as soon as I decide to give in and buy it, they'll all be bored and switch to something else. So I've decided to do something a little... drastic?

I'm going to kill and eat all of the chocobos until there are none left and my friends won't have mounts  for their adventures, they all flock back to ME, and hopefully play Pokemon X/Y instead!

Mwahahaha...MwahahahAHAHA... MWAHAHAHAHAAHAH! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Ahem. So anyways.

The best part is, this Paleo recipe is DELICIOUS and super easy to whip up. Without further ado, here's my recipe for:

Baked Chocobo with Greens and Sweet Potato

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breasts
• 1 bundle of asparagus
• 3 Sweet Potatoes
• 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Take a baking sheet and line it with aluminum foil.
3. Cut off the butts of the asparagus and check for mold (GROSS, but do it just in case or you'll need all the white mages).
4. Wash the asparagus and then lay it out evenly on the baking sheet. 
5. Drizzle 2 tbs of  extra virgin olive oil on the the asparagus followed by salt, pepper and a teaspoon of garlic powder.
6. Once that's done, use your hands to evenly toss the asparagus with the seasonings and oil. 
7. Cut the excess fat from the chicken and then use a knife to score the top of the breast 3-5 times. 
8. Place the chicken in a baking dish and add 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. 
9. Roll the chicken around in the marinade until it thickens and everything is evenly coated. Warning: When you put all of the ingredients in that dish, it will look wrong because everything will seem like it's in a sea of oil. Once the garlic powder and the oil/balsamic gets rubbed into the chicken a bit, there will be far less extra marinade in the dish, so just trust me. 
10. Put both the asparagus and the chicken in the oven.
11. Set two timers; one for asparagus and one for the chicken. Set the asparagus timer for 11 minutes and the chicken for 25 minutes.
12. When the asparagus is done, take it out of the oven while the chicken continues to bake and cover it. 
13. Wash sweet potatoes and dry carefully so that they don't steam in the microwave. 
14. Scour them with a knife 3-5 times on each side.
15. Wrap each potato in a piece of paper towel. 
16. Put each one in the microwave for five minutes (Make sure you do it individually or they won't cook all the way through). 
17. Pull your chicken out when the timer goes off. Check to make sure it's cooked all the way through.
18. Serve your chocobo meal and eat it. EAT IT WHILE THE CHILDREN CRY. 

Tink's Baked Sweet Potato and Pixie Dust

Ok, so I'm a glutton for Once Upon A Time. It's definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. This season has a special focus on Peter Pan, one of my all time favorite stories. There's nothing better than enjoying a guilty pleasure show with some guilty pleasure food. I wish I could eat bon bons and ice cream while I watch but if I did that every time I craved something sweet, I'd be the size of a house again. With that in mind, I've gone in search of other sweet tooth appeasing vittles that pack more of a nutritional punch! 

Today I'm going to share one of my very favorite and extremely simple Paleo deserts courtesy of everyone's favorite fairy, Tinkerbell! She just made her first appearance on Once Upon a Time last night! This recipe takes an hour to prepare, so often I'll get it started right after I finish cooking dinner so that I'll have an hour to eat, digest and feel ready for my deliciously sweet treat! Without further ado, here's my recipe for: 

Tink's Baked Sweet Potato and Pixie Dust

Cook time: 1hour

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

Baked Potato (try to choose a small-ish one that fits in the palm of your hand).

2 tsp Coconut Oil

Pixie Dust! (Also known as cinnamon!)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Scrub your sweet potato in cool water and remove all imperfections and stringy bits. I don't mind the potato ends, but sometimes people do. If that's you, then use a small pairing knife to cut off the tips of the potato on each end.
3. Dry the potato carefully with a towel. If you don't, it will steam in the oven instead of bake.
4. Use your knife to stab a few holes into your sweet potato.
5. Measure out your coconut oil and carefully rub it over your potato until it's coated and glistening like the second star to the right! 
6. Place the potato on a foil lined baking sheet and put it in the oven for 30 minutes.
7. After 30 minutes, flip the potato. 
8. After the second 30 minute bake, remove it from the oven. You may notice that there's a syrupy residue. This is perfectly normal. Just remove any burnt bits from the potato before putting it on a plate. It almost always just sticks to the foil.
9. Use a knife to cut the skin from one end to the other and then press them together with your fingers to open up the potato. 
10. Use your knife to break up the inside of the potato a bit.
11. Now for the pixie dust! Take your cinnamon and use your finger to tap it onto the potato. You can be the judge of how much you need. I usually just give it maybe 5 finger taps at most depending on the size of the potato. You can use your fork to mash/mix everything up.
12. Give your treat little bit of time to cool or you'll burn yourself, but in about 5 minutes or so, depending on your own personal taste, it should be ready to put in your face mouth Bangarang style!

What do you eat to satisfy your sweet tooth? Please share your suggestions with your fellow slayers in the comments!

The Vanellope Von Schweetz Smoothie!

Sometimes, you just need something sweet, but if you're a stickler for health, then indulging yourself with ice cream or froyo everytime isn't really the best option. Well folks, I'm here to tell you that not only can you satisfy your sweet tooth, but you can get another serving of veggies at the same time so you can be both sweet and tough like Vanellope from Wreck it Ralph!

It took me a while to realize that fresh fruit smoothies are the bomb. They can serve as a great breakfast on the go or a small one can make a good snack later in the day, plus I sneak in some spinach (don't worry you can't taste it) so I can get another serving of vegetables without having to force them down via salad or sneak them into my omelette. I don't make mine with dairy, so they do satisfy the Paleo requirements. I shouldn't have to say this, but in order to make this recipe, you will need a blender. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup Almond Milk (You can buy it at the store, although there are usually some preservatives in it, or you can make it yourself).
• 1 cup Frozen Peaches (You can make or buy these ready frozen)
• 1 cup Frozen Mangoes (Same as above!)
• Banana
• 1 Cup of Spinach
• Optional: Add any other fruit you like!

1. Add both frozen fruits to the blender.
2. Break your banana in half and add both halves to the blender (if you're not a huge banana fanatic, only add one half or it will be SUPER banana flavored, which I happen to like). 
3. Add in a handful of spinach (that's generally about 1 cup). 
4. Then pour in your cup of Almond Milk.
5. Remember to cover the blender with the lid. Plug it in and then blend until everything is completely smooth. You want to make sure it's as smooth as possible so that you don't have tiny spinach leave particles floating around in there. The smoother it is, the less noticeable it will be. It will probably add a very "fresh" taste to the smoothie, but it's really not noticeable when you use a strong fruit like mangoes to cut it. 
6. Pour and enjoy! This generally makes 1.5-2 servings depending on how much smoothie you want to drink. I like to keep the half in the fridge for later or share it with someone.

The No Gym, No Problem Workout

On Monday I gave some insight into excuses and what a slippery slope they are. One of the biggest excuses I hear is that people can't afford a gym membership, don't have time to commute to one, travel to much to take advantage of a membership, or hate exercising in public so weight loss is out of reach for them. So, I'm going to give you a tool to combat that excuse. 

The main line is: Just because you don't own a gym membership (for whatever reason you choose) doesn't mean you can't workout. You can do the following workouts in your house, at the park, or in a hotel room. It's totally up to you. You don't even have to buy a bunch of equipment or free weights to be effective!

I have a few workouts that I cycle through on days when I don't have time to get back and forth from the gym.

The first one is simple. Basically, Run. When it comes to cardio, distance running is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Without a gym membership, you can do that outside when the weather is good. I'll run in rain or in snow (as long as the sidewalk is clear). The only thing that forces me personally to go to the gym for a run is intense heat. It just completely deflates me and I can't perform well enough to get in the burn that I like. That's really only an issue in the summer. You can also try a HIIT running workout with sprints, if that's more your thing. Science tells us it may be even more effective than distance running when it comes to getting an optimal calorie burn for the whole day and strengthening your heart. If you need a training program to get started as a beginner runner, I recommend Couch to 5k and of course, my favorite, the Zombies, Run 5k Trainer app. 

Another option is yoga (or as I refer to it, Avatar training). I have attended a lot of yoga classes in my life throughout college and at the gym. I'm a big fan of vinyasa and you can easily do that in your home if you clear a bit of floor space. If you don't have access to a few free classes to get the hang of it and learn some positions and cycles, then there's a lot of great resources on youtube. You can put together your own warm ups and create goals for working on some of the harder positions. The only cost is a yoga mat and you can find those under $20 at drug stores or sporting goods shops. 

The last option is one of my all time favorites: The bodyweight circuit or the "Starbuck Special," as I like to call it. What I love about it is that it's simple and it's easy to increase the intensity from week to week as you get stronger. The idea is to cycle through a string of repeated exercises that target different areas of the body about 4 times. Here are some exercises you can choose from.

• Sit-ups
• Pilates body roll ups
• Leg lifts
• Planks
• Pushups (adjusted or regular)
• Rows *
• Squats
• Lunges
• Bicep Curls *
• Lateral Oblique Lifts *

* NOTE: If you don't want to buy free weights or resistance bands, you can try taking an empty milk jug and filling it with sand, rocks, or cement. I've also taken a small bag and filled it with heavy hardcover books. Do whatever you need do to pick up something heavy. 

There are a lot of options and you don't need to include all of them each time. I like to increase the reps by 2 every week or increase my plank time by 5-10 seconds. To help get you started, I'll give you the circuit I started with. 

Warm up: 5 minutes of high knees, jumping jacks, or a 5-10 minute easy run outdoors. 

1. 15 squats
2. 10 push-ups
3. 20 lunges
4. 10 Pilates body roll ups.
5. 10 rows on each side.
6. 10 lateral oblique lifts on each side
7. 30 seconds plank.
8. 20 Jumping Jacks

Repeat 4 times.

Cool down: Stretching. Make sure to stretch your quads, arms, and back. You'll be feeling the burn later!

I usually finish in 22-30 minutes.

You can decide how to increase the intensity of your circuit over time. Add reps, add cycles. It's up to you to continue to challenge yourself. It may seem simple, but I guarantee you'll work up a crazy sweat and you'll definitely feel the burn. The nice thing is you can pretty much do these circuits every day without harming yourself because you're not living crazy amounts of weight like in a free weight routine. All I can say is my best body results came when I alternated running with bodyweight circuits. 

What's your no excuses workout? What do you do when you don't have a gym to lean on for support and equipment? Please share in the comments!

10 Ways to Get Back On Track with Your Diet

So many people fall off the diet wagon and give up completely. 

Think about the first time you were faced with the "Game Over" screen. Did you rage quit and never pick up the controller again? If you're like me, you said to yourself, "Ef this, I'm gonna win this thing!" Then you restarted the level. So why should your diet be any different? Sure, "losing" at your diet can be just so damn DELICIOUS whereas losing in a video game results in rage mode, but in the end it's all the same. You set a goal. You worked hard at it and you fell short. It doesn't mean the goal goes away. It's still there waiting for you. All you have to do is press reset.

For some reason that "reset button" is really hard to push when it comes to diets. Everything is a choice and the more you practice moving back and forth between planned indulgence and healthy choices, the easier it is to return to your diet. Getting back on track is a mental muscle and it's just as important as any that you'll flex in the gym. 

So many people tell me they're "all or nothing," and I definitely struggled with that for a long time. I was either 100% perfect or I utterly fell apart and just destroyed myself with bad choices. It's impossible to keep the "all or nothing" attitude up forever. It's time to accept your humanity. 

Newsflash: YOU ARE IMPERFECT. Le gasp!

At some point you're going to slip or just really want a cupcake. It all comes down to a choice. How you handle what follows that choice that will determine how successful you are with your weight loss. 

So, what I've decided to do is give you my ten tips for getting back on track with your diet. Hopefully this will make that reset button a little easier to push.

1. Assess: Why did you choose to slip? Were you putting too much pressure on yourself? Are there emotional stress factors that are overwhelming you? If you can target the "why," you'll be able to heal whatever is really ailing you. If you don't take time to do this step, then you're shooting yourself in the foot. Cheating on a diet can be symptom of other things that you need to confront and heal in your life so look at it as an opportunity get healthy in other ways.
2. Forgive Yourself: Once you've put your finger on the source of your slip and you've thought about it and how you can improve whatever is ailing you, forgive yourself. If you keep beating yourself up, you're just putting MORE pressure on the situation- pressure that could lead you down the road to other bad decisions. Rest in the knowledge that you've done right by yourself in the "Assess" phase and start putting one foot in front of the other again.
3. Decide: This sounds silly, but you have to DECIDE to get back on track. You can sit around and say "I should do more to fix my health issues" all day long. I gotta tell you, it's not the same as DOING something about it. What day are you re-starting the level? What hour? Right now? Good! Now go! Stop putting it off and making excuses! That is a long slippery slope and do you want to know the worst part? You're smart, so you'll watch yourself making excuses and start hating yourself even more for lying to yourself. What are you waiting for, Player 1? PRESS START!
4. Purge: You've been relaxing. Eating whatever. I'm willing to bet there are half eaten bags of candy by the couch and leftover pizza in the fridge. Cookies in the jar? Do whatever you have to do to get rid of that stuff. I'd say toss it, but if you eat it, you eat it. Invite someone over for a leftover party. Give it to your room mate. Just get it gone and don't buy more.
5. Create A Comfortable Environment: Environment is everything for me. If I'm trying to get back on track and I walk into a house littered with the refuse of my bad behavior, I have a much harder time readopting better habits. After you've purged the house of any leftover bad food, create the best possible environment for your success. Clean your room, wash the dishes in the kitchen. Do you have all the pots and pans you need for cooking? Does your scale have batteries in it? Are your running clothes season-appropriate?
6. Find Other Indulgences: Even if you create the perfect environment for success, you'll still get cravings. They don't just go away. Find stuff other than food that makes you happy. Is there a new video game coming out that you're dying to sink your teeth into? A book you've been waiting to read? A spa treatment that's absolutely to die for? Every time you want all the cupcakes in the land, start doing one of those other things. Nine times out of ten, they'll distract you enough that you'll forget all about what you were craving.
7. Grocery Shopping: You've purged your house of bad foods, now its time to fill your coffers with delicious healthy food. Make sure you have everything you need to cook food for yourself for the next week. When I already have fresh fruits, veggies, plus a list of healthy recipes I want to try and all their ingredients all at my finger tips, I'm way less tempted to run to the corner for Pad Thai. If you're looking for great healthy recipes that you can make easily, quickly and on a budget, I refer you to this Nerd Fitness article written by my Paleo cooking guru, Catspaw. 
8. Track Everything: Get back on the scale. Take your measurements. Track your calories or keep a food journal. Make sure you're getting at least 64 oz of water a day. Just stay accountable. When I fall of the wagon I go off the grid. It's fine, but when it's over it's over. I need to start seeing what I'm eating or I'll go wild and pretend it's not happening. Seeing your choices can be as encouraging as it can be chastening. When you look at your week and see you've kept completely Paleo for four days without realizing it, you'll be so proud of yourself for making all those good choices! 
9. One Week Cleanse: Once you have your diet plan in place and you've prepped your home and your kitchen, it's time to stick to it completely for one week. This is more of a mental cleanse than a physical one, but the idea is to make good choices for a full week after whatever slip you may have had. This is to prove to yourself that, well, that's all it was, "just a slip." It wasn't a derailment. You're still plowing ahead and committed. How do you know? Cause you've been back at it for a week! Good for you! I'd throw confetti if I could. How about another week? Challenge accepted.
10. Recommit to Your Exercise Plan: Diet is only part of health equation. When I eat like crap, it makes me feel lazy and going to the gym seems super lame. I swear it's like magic- or science even! Make sure you get back out there during that one week cleanse period. Don't worry if you've backslid with your fitness, just get yourself back in the habit of going. The rest will follow. 

Ah, there it is, the reset button.

Now press start!

Embrace Your Inner Rogue: Get Paid

Today's post is going to be a bit of a departure from focusing on the physical and nutritional side of weight loss. After all, you're weight and fitness are not the only elements that determine your happiness. There's this sneaky little bastard called "Quality of Life" and I'm finding that it's pretty important too. 

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been experiencing a lot of stress because it feels like my creative career is going nowhere. I can create things all I want, but if I can't figure out how to monetize my creative endeavors or the skills I use to create them, then how can I expect to pay the bills by doing what I love? Yes, dear readers. It would seem I have a few more stats to reroll on this here quest for greatness.

As actors we're taught to take any job that will have us at the beginning of our careers. Get out there, get the experience, get the exposure, and eventually it will fall into place. Maybe I'm luckier than I give myself credit for, but I have no problem finding unpaid gigs. I've been doing them for years. For every paid acting job I've had, I've probably had eight unpaid full scale productions in which I've been abused by directors, other actors, or frankly, just plain knocked around by an overall unprofessional process. I'm not saying I didn't learn from these experiences or didn't benefit at all, but for the most part, I gained roles to put on my resume and nothing else. That's not without value, but at a certain point, you have to ask yourself if it's worth the time and the energy to commit yourself to unpaid pursuits with guaranteed experience vs. working less, but being able to focus all of your energy on getting those elusive paid opportunities. 

This goes for writing as well. I've been so honored to have so many fellow bloggers ask me to join their staff of unpaid writers/reviewers, but at this point, I don't have have any more time to pour into more unpaid work. I'm organizing the future of Project Reroll so that my amazing community of readers can flourish and share what they've learned on their own health journeys. I already review and discuss geeky topics as an occasional guest-host with my friends on the Anomaly Podcast (which you need to check out if you haven't!). Plus, I am currently managing a very lengthy and involved post production process on a web series that I wrote/produced with a friend. When I turn down these unpaid opportunities, I'm not being snobby. There just aren't enough hours in the day for me not to get paid for any more extra time and effort. My dance card is pretty darn full.

I know I'm not the only artist or entrepreneur going through this struggle, but over the last few days I've realized something surprising. I might be the one who is standing in my way. How am I supposed to receive currency in exchange for goods if I'm afraid to place an actual value on my skills. Obviously, waiting for someone to pay me for things that I've very publicly given away for free is a terrible marketing plan. 

So here's my new goal; It's time to embrace my inner rogue. Would Jayne Cobb work for free? Even Han Solo wanted pay for his fair cut for saving Princess Leia from the Death Star. Bronn might give Tyrion color commentary for free but when it comes to his sword, he's paid to use it in Lannister gold. Well boys, step aside. There's a new rogue for hire in town and her name is Anne!

So how to start on this quest? Like any of the other skills I've "rerolled," I started by creating steps to help me break down my overall goal into more manageable bite sized pieces.

• Step 1: Determine my marketable skills and be prepared to place an actual value on them. For me these would be acting, writing, and creativity/life coaching. I'm going to think very critically about how to turn these skills into marketable business ventures and place actual values on them so that I can charge for my services. When you fear no one will ask you how much you're worth, it doesn't seem worth going to the trouble to price your skills, but if you don't, then you'll be caught with your pants down when someone does! The ensuing frazzlement could lose you the gig... and they may be confused by your lack of pants. Of course, that doesn't mean I can't cut deals for friends or for projects that I really want to do, but then I'll be ready when someone says, well how much do you charge for that? 
• Step 2: Do some research on what you should charge. If you get confused or nervous about what you can ask for when it comes to compensation, look into what your peers are charging and how they've managed to get paid jobs in their fields. For me this will mean looking at people I know with similar experience levels who are getting paid and seeing how I can emulate or even undercut them when it comes to price. This step comes to you directly from my uncanny ability to "win" at the Auction House in every MMO ever. Time to get some real-life bags of gold. Lok'tar Ogar, people.
• Step 3: Be prepared to negotiate and to face conflict. You need to accept the fact that with this new great power to get paid for your work will come more responsibility on your part. If people are actually paying you, they'll have every right to be demanding of your time. You'll have to develop firm hand when it comes to scheduling you're time and dealing with clients. You'll need to come to the table with a strong sense of self and what you do. If you can't face conflict productively or negotiate business deals without collapsing in on yourself like a dying star, then being an entrepreneur isn't for you. You are the CEO, the production line, and customer service rep all in one. You'll get all the praise, all the cash, and all the grief so you have to prepare yourself to deal with all of that. 
  



By Wosukoart on Deviant Art

• Step 4: Update Your Websites/Create a Store. When you embrace your inner goblin and start shamelessly hawking your wares with a hearty, "I got what you need," you'll need somewhere to direct your traffic. For me, that will mean creating a public listing of my services so that I can give someone my business card with a quick pitch and then send them to my website for a more detailed breakdown of what I'm prepared to offer them. This ties in with the first step of figuring out what you can sell, but in this case, you'll also have to think about how you're going to make it the most appealing deal your client can find. 

Clearly I'm at the beginning of this process and I have no business talking like a know-it-all about this stuff, but this is where I am with it right now. I'll post more about this as I move through the steps and hopefully my depression will dissipate as I make a more active effort to handle this stressful issue in my life. I hope my conclusions and my process provide some inspiration if anyone else in a similar conundrum. If you have any advice for me or other readers, please leave it in the comments!

Primal in Practice

This past weekend, I took a trip home for a family event and decided it was the perfect chance to practice getting away from my Nutrisystem food and start eating Primal for every meal I could with a few indulgences for carrot cake with white chocolate icing and candied ginger at the big event on Saturday night (SO WORTH IT!). I also had a cousin staying with us who is very knowledgeable about healthy recipes and my father who is a caterer, so I made plans to create and try some new Primal recipes with their help. Needless to say, this experience came with some ups and downs, but the important thing was that I kept going.

My only failure happened Friday. I thought I was being smart at the garage party where they were serving hotdogs and bratwurst. Obviously I couldn't eat the buns. I took the romaine they had for Caesar salad and removed the croutons and cheese. Added a spoonful of grilled chicken and cut up a hotdog and bratwurst on top, followed by a spoonful of onions and a spoonful of tomato with one packet of ketchup (I know... terrible but I needed something for dressing that wasn't the ceasar dressing). Had I known there was guacamole upstairs, that whole thing would have gone down very differently. At any rate, I tossed it, ate it (surprisingly good), and then had a chance to look up the hotdog/bratwurst on Paleo Central for stats... only to find that they are really not great options. Obviously I should have checked that before I put the food in my mouth but I was wearing a fabulous dress with no pockets and my bag was all the way upstairs. Sorry guys, I got lazy. Womp womp. It was my one of my first times at bat for the weekend and ultimately I did MUCH better as the days progressed. Baby steps! If you fail and wipe the raid, just rez and make another attempt.

As far as ordering/selecting food while out, my biggest win was ironically also on Friday. I ordered a 12 piece sashimi meal with seaweed salad and pickled ginger. I left out the soy sauce since I didn't think it was worth it to expend my Primal "20%" for the day on a condiment.

Another highlight was cooking broiled swordfish with my dad on Sunday night. He taught me that when seasoning, you should use a little oil to help "carry the flavor," but we were very stingy with the extra virgin olive oil so that we could keep it as healthy as possible- only about one tsp for enough fish to serve three people. Then we used a bit of salt and pepper on both sides and let it sit for about an hour to season (something I would have never thought to do. Most recipes I have tried just say, season it, but give no length of time). Then we popped it in the broiler for about 10 minutes or so and voila! While the seasoning/broiling went on, we sliced some cucumber very thinly and tossed it with 1 tbs vinegar. Every 10 minutes or so we'd toss it again and when we were ready to serve the fish, we plated it and mixed the cucumber with some store-bought seaweed salad. Delicious! Sadly I don't have a broiler in NYC so this isn't a meal I can take back home with me.

I also relied on a staple salad for a few meals. It included baby romaine, 2 oz of chopped up turkey breast, 1/4 orange pepper, broccoli slaw, and 2 tbs low fat raspberry vinaigrette. The second time around, I substituted home made guacamole for the vinaigrette and that was the BEST EVER!

When we ate out at the Bass Pro shop on our way up to Michigan, I ordered the maple glazed salmon with broccoli and substituted a side salad of onion, baby tomatoes, and cucumber for the wild rice listed on the menu. They had no offerings for low fat dressings, so I ordered the raspberry vinaigrette and just dipped my fork in it for every bite to minimize how much I used.

Having been thwarted by vinaigrette all weekend and feeling like the stuff we bought at the store wasn't exactly natural, Dad and I took matters into our own hands and made our own dressing from scratch. Here's the recipe for a single serving. It's super simple if you have the ingredients on hand. In his honor, I'm naming it after his first and only World of Warcraft character.

Caldephron's Raspberry Vinaigrette

• 2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Sherry Wine Vinegar
• 1 tsp fresh squeezed Lime Juice
• 10 raspberries mashed up into the mixture.

My favorite thing that we made all weekend was the following egg white casserole. It was completely Paleo, very filling, and the most savory of all the things that we cooked. Thanks so much to my cousin Mel for the recipe! I know it will be a staple for me moving forward. Hmm. You know, "Mel" isn't that far away from Mal, so we'll call it...

Can't Stop the Signal Egg White Casserole

Serves 4-6

• Preheat Oven to 375 Degrees
• Wash and chop up one sweet pepper (other options to add: mushroom, onion, tomato, etc. Get creative!).
• Sauté pepper (and any other veggies!) in lime juice in a skillet (with a cover. This will be used later.). This should take 3-5 minutes depending on desired softness.
• Place sautéed peppers on a plate and put to the side.
• Add 4 cups fresh spinach. Add in more lime juice if needed.
• Cover and let steam for 3 minutes.
• Uncover and put on plate with peppers.
• Fill a casserole dish with your sautéed spinach and peppers.
• Cut up about 2-3 oz. of turkey and spread evenly on top.
• Pour 1.5 cups of egg whites on top.
• Add 1/2 cup of salsa on top.
• Place in oven for 25-30 minutes.
• Check to make sure it's not runny by giving the dish a shake. It should stand solid with very little "juice."
• Cut into pieces and serve!

I'd say the weekend was a very successful learning tool and the biggest take away was that I can totally see myself putting this lifestyle change into practice. I do have a few more Nutrisystem meals to finish up, which I'm almost sad about since I was enjoying all the fresh real food this weekend, but I don't want to be wasteful. Once all those meals are done, it'll be Primal all the way for Project Reroll!

Eating Primal: The Game of Thrones Diet

While the Paleo diet can be described as "The Caveman Diet," I've heard people refer to The Primal Blueprint as a more "Medieval Diet"- or as I like to think of it; The Game of Thrones diet. 

Now we're cookin' with wildfire (Note: Cooking with wildfire is not recommended. Proceed at your own risk!). 

Think like a sellsword traveling the King's Road, a man of The Night's Watch, or a member of the Dothraki Horde. 80% of your diet consists of lean meats that are high in protein, eggs, vegetables, fruits, tubers (like sweet potatoes), and nuts (but not peanuts!). You may have a very limited supply of bread, red wine, full fat dairy items, and yes, even deserts if you happen to make it to King's Landing with enough coin, but winter is coming and these delights come at a cost. Therefore they should only be about 20% of your diet.

The main thing to remember is no processed foods. If you indulge in something like a slice of cake or an ice cream sundae, that's your 20% for the whole day. Allotting yourself half a cup of milk daily for tea or coffee seems to be fine, or using a bit of vinegar to aid in your cooking, or the occasional 2 tbs of salad dressing. From what I've found in my research, it's most important to avoid grains as much as possible but again, if you want to make that treat your full 20% for the day and forgo milk in your coffee/tea or a slice of cheese with your fruit, then by all means, indulge away.

So we've covered "The Medieval." Let's talk about the Science. 

Why no grains? Why nuts, but no peanuts? Hell, how can full fat items like milk and nuts, not to mention and high sugar items like dried fruit help you get healthy and lose weight. 

The truth is, grains have gluten and it turns out that most people are so used to how it makes them feel that they don't even realize they have an intolerance. Removing it from your diet for a while and letting your body cleanse/adjust before ingesting small amounts again will help you find out how your body reacts to it. You may find your get stomach aches after eating grains because as they break down in your gut, it can cause inflammation that will disrupt the body's ability to break down food properly, clearly something that is not conducive to weight loss. These effects can also instigate issues with allergies, arthritis, asthma and many other more series medical issues such as Crohn's disease, lupus, and multiple sclerosis. When the affects are seen in the brain, gluten allergies can be linked to depression, anxiety, and other behavioral diseases like bipolar disorder or even schizophrenia.

As for peanuts, they are actually legumes (this category also includes some varieties of beans, lentils, garbanzos, peas, and soybeans). Eating plants is healthy, but what we consume when we eat legumes is actually the seed and it breaks down differently in your body because it contains lectins which can cause inflammation. 

When it comes to fats, the body does require some fatty acids. It does not produce them on its own and therefor we do need to consume some fats, but we need to focus on the right kind and the right amounts. In a nutshell (pun intended!), you want to get your fat from the most chemically uncomplicated source so that it breaks down easily in the body causing the least inflammation and gut/digestion disruption in the breakdown. Thats why olive oil, raw cashews, lean meats, and some full fat cheese are limited on our menu, but not exterminated. What we want to focus on avoiding are trans-fats which have been chemically altered to increase shelf life they often include "hydrogenated" ingredients and will wreak havoc on the body. 

Sugars? Same story. You want to limit yourself to natural sugars found in fruits, but obviously you want to avoid super saturated sugar items like dried fruit because you get a lot less bang for your buck.

In other words:

Daenerys=80%

Sansa=20%

One thing that attracts me to the Primal Blueprint is that it refers to a whole way of life, not just the food you use to fuel yourself through it. It wants us to adopt the behaviors that kept our ancestors lean, fit, and energetic. These are the basic bullet points.

Keep moving, even at a slow pace. You don't have to do crazy amounts of cardio every day, but you should be adopting an active lifestyle where, like our ancestors, you move around a low aerobic pace for long periods of time. Take a scouting mission beyond the wall, traverse the Dothraki Sea, escort Jaime Lannister to  Kings landing. 

Strength training keeps you lean and your muscles compact. People did hard labor daily! Go smithing with Gendry, spar with The Mountain! 

Speed is important. In the game of thrones, you win or you die. This is a dangerous world and sometimes you need to make an expedient escape from King's Landing to avoid throwing in your fate with Ned Stark or run from white walkers and wildings through deep snow. These aren't daily events, but they do happen and you should prepare yourself! Think like Petyr Baelish. Avoid trauma and always ally yourself with the winning side in any conflict. Be like Arya and become the water dancer! Slip through the shadows catching cats, and adjust to new circumstances as quickly as possible. 

Get sleep! If you're following these guidelines, you'll need your rest in order to face a long day at the head of your Khalasar tomorrow. How else will you have the energy to cross the narrow sea and take back the Iron Throne?

Be adventurous and get outside. Learn something! A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone. Tyrion might be small, but he never gives up and he certainly enjoys his sardonic sense of humor when faced with even the grimmest of circumstances. Get out there and make the most of what you have! If you've always dreamed of pissing off the edge of the world, go to the wall and do it!

That's pretty much it when it comes to applying Project Reroll logic to the Primal Blueprint. If you have any suggestions or questions about the Primal Blueprint lifestyle, please feel free to discuss in the comments! I'm doing my best to learn everything I can to make my transition smooth.

Here are some other resources for information:

• I've found that writing on The Primal Blueprint can sometimes seem frustratingly vague as to the specifics of the 80/20 Paleo/Primal split. This article from Shade of Ashes is the best that I've found about actually putting the diet into practice. It didn't hurt that she basically opened the door to consuming every food I love at the Renaissance Faire! 
• Mark's Daily Apple provides a great list of articles to read on The Primal Blueprint when it comes to adopting both the lifestyle and the diet changes. 
• This article from Nerd Fitness was the first resource I read on Paleo  and recently a guest writer, Darrin from TheGuyCanCook.com wrote a great article on using Game of Thrones as an inspiration for facing your fear of the kitchen and cooking up delicious, healthy food.
• For more information on the science of gluten breakdown, check out this article on Whole9Life.
• For more information on the science of peanut/lectin breakdown, check out this article on Whole9Life.
• Just for fun: I heard about this Game of Thrones inspired recipe book, which I now WANT.