A cookbook that nourishes the body and the soul. Explore ancient traditions and learn how they can improve your life. This cookbook...
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Melissa McEwen
This blog is about the intersection between evolutionary biology and food. But also about practical applications, sustainable agriculture, and general tasty things. I originally started eating this way to heal from chronic health problems and...it worked!
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NOvember
In the next few days something important is coming up. No, not Halloween. It's my own made-up holiday called NOvember. I thought about doing a 30-day-community total-paleo challenge, but with travel and general business it's just not feasible. Instead I'm looking to knock off some small bad habits. I'm just going to say no to them for one month and hope their spell is broken.
My workplace is right next to a gourmet grocery store, so lately I've been indulging in more chocolate than usual. Even if it's expensive dark chocolate, it's still sugar and my teeth will thank me for ditching them. I'd also like to see what happens to my energy levels.
Just Say NO BTW this is Dolfin, my fav chocolate ever :)
I'm also eliminating other marginal sugars that tend to sneak in like honey in tea and commercial kombucha. When I crave something sour like kombucha I'll go with kvass or pickles.
This is a challenge for those of us who have been following evolutionary nutrition for awhile. We know what to eat...we just have some bad habits hanging on.
Any takers? What would you say no to next month?
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Nice.
Nice.
I'm on day 16 of a 39 day
I'm on day 16 of a 39 day cleanup, but I LOVE the name NOvember, so I'm joining in. I'm going to say no coffee for the month of November. I'm not sure if it's harming me, but it's definitely not helping, so it's OUT.
Thanks for your awesome blog and the inspiration.
No need to ditch chocolate
No need to ditch chocolate folks! If you are not against using dairy fat, all you need to do to get a great sugar free chocolate fix is this: 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 heaping tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 2-3 drops stevia extract, splash of vanilla extract. Use a wire whisk to whip it up (takes about 2 minutes). You have a terrific instant chocolate mousse! Cocoa powder (not dutch) contains a nice array of minerals, a small bit of carbs, and not a whole lot of caffine. I use Ghirardelli.
I've been thinking about this
I've been thinking about this for a bit recently too, so I'm in.
Coffee stays but out go the dried fruit (aaaargh!), nuts, nightshades and the little dairy I have on the odd occassion. I'm thinking about doing a 3 day a week FitDay log just to see what me macros etc pan out as too.
NOvember, no obsessive
NOvember, no obsessive behaviour for me! I eat paleo for my physical health so I can give myself an inner paleo by making NOvember OFM, an Obsession Free Month!
I'm saying NO to chocolate
I'm saying NO to chocolate and sugar. Thanks for inspiring me, I really enjoy reading your blog.
I was toying with a
I was toying with a NOvember-type cleanup of my diet, too. I am going to continue to work on reducing sugar and dairy to almost nil (excepting dark chocolate and butter).
My local Whole Foods just
My local Whole Foods just starting carrying this brand of 88% dark chocolate:
http://www.chocolatebar.com/products.php?product=3.5oz.-All%252dNatural-...
I love it because the squares are individually wrapped, so I don't overeat like I do when presented with an entire bar, and a single square is only 1.25g of sugar. Just a suggestion as an alternative to cutting out the chocolate completely. I really look forward to eating a square after dinner at night - my one indulgence for the day.
I'm was just thinking about
I'm was just thinking about giving up chocolate, and your post has motivated me to go ahead and do it. Also, I tend to binge on almonds, so I will give up those also for November.
I am in. No cheats from a
I am in. No cheats from a pastoralist version of a paleo diet. It is the sweet stuff that taunts me, I will have to make sure that I do not come into contact with my Mom's pumpkin and pecan pies at Thanksgiving.
I used to do a square of the
I used to do a square of the Lindt 85% cocoa almost every evening (I'm a diabetic and it is very low in sugar). Their higher level bars I find chalky. So now I eat one square of Vintage Plantation 100% bar instead. No sweetener of any kind. It tastes smoother to me than other brands. It is expensive, but the squares are small and a bar lasts a long time.
I have almost quit drinking diet sodas, so I'll stop those completely during November.
Hey, I'm from the country
Hey, I'm from the country your chocolate is from. So I can't quit that! ;)
NOvember will be less time on the computer. If it works out the way I want. After 3 years, reading and studying about paleo is still fun, but sometimes I wish all these great blogs would disappear.
Eh, okay--no Entenmann's. I
Eh, okay--no Entenmann's. I promise.
Sounds like a great idea to
Sounds like a great idea to me. Chocolate is my weak link as well. Even if it's the *good* dark chocolate, it's still an indulgence I don't *need*. So chocolate of any kind for NOvember!
I think I will give up
I think I will give up chocolate, coffee, all dairy and commercial kombucha.
Neat idea. I'll play too. I'm
Neat idea. I'll play too. I'm down to about 1 diet soda per day (from many many more) and I'll kick those to the curb completely. No more diet sodas for me.
I go probably go completely
I go probably go completely un-dairy. I've just been having a little cheese here and there, mainly.
Lindt has some nice 99%
Lindt has some nice 99% chocolates. I eat a square every night, let it melt slowly in my mouth. It took a while to get used to the bitterness, but now I love the stuff and even the 85% stuff tastes sickeningly sweet.
For NOvember, no almond
For NOvember, no almond butter, honey, yogurt, maple syrup. They're off the table (and out of the pantry). Thanks for the challenge.
NOvember! Love it. We
NOvember! Love it. We generally have MOvember here in New Zealand but as I hate moustaches, NOvember might be more my bag.
Fish and chips + dark chocolate might be my main vices. I will start with the fish & chips first. Even though I get gluten free battered fish and kumara (sweet potato) chips, they are still fried in canola oil (nobody fries in beef tallow here in NZ anymore). As much as I'd like to think my GF F+C are semi primal, fish and pineapple in batter, all fried in a GE idustrial oil isn't that much primal at all.
That will just leave dark chocolate and black coffee as my last holdouts. I'd need some convincing to ditch those... especially as it is still CHOCtober!
Aa...shipoopi. Chocolate and
Aa...shipoopi. Chocolate and nut butter it is :)
No alcohol binges. Alcohol,
No alcohol binges. Alcohol, caffeine, sugar... all these drugs are hard to kick.
Re: Halloween. It will be interesting how Paleos are approaching it. Here's hoping some kids arrive home with a bag full of turkey legs.
I'm going egg, nightshade and
I'm going egg, nightshade and even Ghee-free until Thanksgiving. Just to "check." Meat & veggies with spices & fats only, with a few berries here & there. It was daunting enough that I outlined the whole month of meals so I wouldn't run out of inspiration. Reading your blog actually has helped keep my Primal instinct fresh as well. Thanks for that!
I've gone 8 days without
I've gone 8 days without chocolate and I'm glad I did, I tend to get bipolar when I eat a lot of it for some reason. I feel way better now.
This is so applicable to me
This is so applicable to me right now. I have been going a little nuts with the chocolate for a couple months now. It seems I just decided I could have as much as I want b/c I never "cheat" with anything else. Well, I'm eating way too much of it now and I've been trying to cut myself off for awhile. It jacks me up a little bit and makes me crave more sugar. I'm going to take your challenge, I know it certainly can't hurt to cut back on the choco-crack!
I'm with ya on the chocolate.
I'm with ya on the chocolate. Too many temptations at work and home right now and it will just keep getting worse in the next couple of months.