Calories, Recipes and New Series

After a wonderful meal on Saturday with my bride and her grandmother, I came up with an idea for a series of posts.

My feeling about the current state of paleo/primal/ancestral wellness/EF is that even though the basic principles and guidelines are easy to understand  (and discussed add nauseum, why do we like to complicate simple things so much?), there is also so much additional information available that is seems many people are still struggling a bit with achieving the success they are looking for. When I say success I specifically mean weight loss as the majority of people jump into this stream with the goal of shedding some weight. I know that after 3 months of eating nothing but REAL FOOD, the difference for people is unbelievable. People just FEEL SO much BETTER, simple as that. Plenty of posts and sites dedicated to that and an initial weight loss phase, but the majority of people are not getting the long term weight loss results they are after.

Why is that do you think?

From everything I can tell, most people are simply eating too much. Too many calories, yup I said it, too many calories. So is it really that simple? Calories in calories out? Or is it all the other factors; high fat, Leptin, food reward theory, insulin resistance, will power, metabolic issues, macro/micro nutrients, etc, etc…

I have over the last 6-7 years formulated my own theory that it is ALL OF THESE THINGS! That’s right, all of them plus factors we don’t yet know, influence, and add to it. Everything factors into a very very complex and  very individual equation. I think of it as a pyramid with many levels of different factors. But the very bottom of the pyramid, the foundation, is the simplest and most understandable, too many calories. With too many calories, even when they are all REAL FOOD calories, it becomes practically impossible to loose weight. I’m sure someone can point me to some study that shows that certain tribes or people eat 3500 calories a day and are lean and not in the slightest overweight, but OVERALL, from everything I have observed and discussed with many people, it’s the total calories that get us into trouble if we are serious about loosing some weight. (and of course I’m assuming here that we are talking about eating real food/primal/paleo/EF and not the standard American diet)

I have asked this question often, but I really haven’t gotten any answers about it. How many calories do we really need a day and how was it decided that  this number needs to be around 2200-2500 per day? I’m convinced that for someone who spends eight hours a day sitting in an office, even if they have a solid taxing 30 minute workout in the morning before or after work, that calorie count is most likely sufficient around 1600-1800.

Do you know how easy it is to eat two very delicious and satisfying meals per day and come in around 1600-1800 calories?

I’ve decided to do a series of posts to show you exactly that. The trick to me about all of this is to have the meal be truly satiating and satisfying. If you deprive yourself, cravings will take a hold sooner or later or you will find yourself out and about very hungry and you will give in to your earlier established neuro pathways and you will  derail your little project of trying to shed a few pounds.

So let’s take a look at our Saturday nights dinner.

Fresh Salmon topped with onion, olives and peppadew pepper. Avocado, cilantro and lemon rice.And not pictured, spring mix salad with cucumber, onion, tomato and balsamic and olive oil dressing. Dinner for four so let’s look at the breakdown from My Fitness Pal: (I like this tracking application and very easy to use on your iPhone/smartphone)

CAL-CARB-FAT-PROTEIN

Generic – Indian Basmati Rice Cooked, 1 cup cooked	180	48	0	4
Berrio – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 3 Tbsp (15ml)	360	0	27	0
Berrio – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 0.5 Tbsp (15ml)	60	0	5	0
Butter – Unsalted, 2 tbsp	204	0	23	0
Generic – Yellow Tomatoe (Raw), 8 oz	32	6	0	2
Alessi – Balsamic Vinegar, 3 Tbsp. (15ml)	60	15	0	0
Central Market Organics – Spring Mix, 4 cups	40	6	0	2
Avocado – Hass Raw, 1 whole medium	328	1	34	3
Bulk Green Olives – Large, 12 green olives large	120	1	1	0
Cilantro – Cilantro Fresh – Sprig, 5 sprig	5	0	0	0
Generic – Pepperdew, 2 oz.	80	18	0	0
Generic – Sweet Vidalia Onion – Medium – 1 Slice/ .25″ Thick, 1 slice	0	0	0	0
Fresh – Lime Juice, 0.5 fl oz (31g)	4	2	0	0
Fresh – Shallots (Australian), 1/4 cup raw	16	2	0	1
Fresh – Salmon, 16 ounce	800	0	46	90
Add Food Quick Tools	2,289	99	136	102

You can see that total calories for one person is shy of 600. Total Carbs, less than 25, Fat 34 and Protein 25.5.

BOOM!!! If I do say so myself. Look at all the yummy the real food ingredients including good fats like butter, extra virgin olive oil and avocado.

I’ve not seen my avocado cilantro lime rice anywhere else I think. It’s my own little creation. Simply make some rice (add a drizzle of olive oil with the rice and get it hot. Then add water, covering the rice and bring to a boil. Cover and put on low heat. About 15-20 minutes) when it’s cooked add some chopped cilantro, your butter, a bit of fresh lime juice and mash one hass avocado through it.Have you ever tried that?

Since I really really hate over cooked salmon, I like making it in the toaster oven. Put your fish on some tinfoil and sprinkle the salmon with seasoning that you like,  drizzle with a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil. Next just toast it and keep an eye on it. 4 -5 ounce slices of salmon only need about 3 minutes and it’s done. In a separate pan sauté your onions, olives and peppadew peppers on low heat in extra virgin olive oil. Serve that over your salmon. Spring mix salad with tomato and onion and a dressing of 3 tablespoons balsamic and 1.5 table spoon of olive oil.

Like this you can easily eat two very satiating meals a day plus room for a small third meal or snacks and still come in at that 1600-1800 total calorie count for the day.

Ok, give some feedback on this. What do you all think??

BE HAPPY and EAT GOOD FOOD