I discovered Paleo eating through “Paleo for Athletes.” I was into my second season of triathlon and looking to improve both my health and my fitness, as well as lose a few pounds. I read the book the summer of 2010 after reading about it on the BeginnerTriathlete.com message boards then promptly decided there was NO WAY I could give up my yogurt, cheese, bagels, etc. It was FAR too extreme. Crazy even.
Then in September I suffered a fractured first metatarsal that took forever to heal. I was in and out of the boot, on and off crutches, in and out of casts until the middle of December. I tried to stay focused on nutrition, but threw way too many pity parties and gained 10lbs.
In January 2011, I started rehabbing and light training, and went back to my standard “athlete’s” diet. Despite training, and eating “healthy” the weight refused to budge. At the end of February, frustrated and knowing that I needed to change something, I dug out my copy of “Paleo for Athletes” and read it again. In early March I went 100% Paleo and, despite a few non-Paleo slips here and there, have pretty much maintained it about 95-100% ever since.
Over the past year I’ve read as much as possible about Paleo living and, since I love to cook, have also made a considerable investment in some very good Paleo cookbooks. Then I discovered Balanced Bites, Diane Sanfilippo and “Practical Paleo.”
I am so excited about this book!
One of the biggest things I like about the book is the large format.
So many of the books I’ve read on Paleo nutrition have very complicated and scientific descriptions for the digestive processes and the biological reasons why Paleo eating works. I’ve been trying to encourage my friends and family to follow my example, but many times they want to know why something is bad but their eyes glaze over when I go into “science” mode. Diane explains the processes clearly but does not skimp on information or over simplify.
Then you get into the 30-day meal plans. While the actual meal plans themselves are similar (with certain omissions or substitutions depending on the plan), it does make it easier if you have different family members following certain protocols. Diane’s plans also make very good use of leftovers, something that most books do not, and is a real pet peeve of mine.
One of the road blocks I see with many people who are considering Paleo is that they are afraid or intimidated by actually cooking! Practical Paleo presents quite a few basics for the new or inexperienced cook, but they are also good refreshers for those who are more advanced.
I had a chance to test many of the recipes. they are well presented and very tasty. I’m going to be reviewing several of them over the next couple of weeks, but my early favorites are Butternut Sage Soup, Chicken Liver Pâté, Sweet Potato Pancakes, and the most amazing Carrot Gingerbread Muffins.
I have plans to send this book to several friends and family members, but I’d like to send one to YOU! Just do these two things:
1. Follow this blog (so you don’t miss out on the recipe reviews!)
2. Leave a comment below letting me know you’ve done #1 above and tell me what you hope to discover in this book.
I’ll select a winner by random on August 12th and post the winner right here.
