Whole30 Challenge Day 1! Happy New Year!

I’m very excited to begin the new year right! Today begins my bi-annual Paleo cleanse where I go strict Paleo for 30 days (or more) in January and June. Today I had a lovely brunch in Tribeca with one of the best omelettes you can find in the city. Then for dinner I made a delicious 4 hour chili with grass fed beef, peppers, onions, and tomatoes. My freezer is currently stocked with pre-assembled turkey burgers, beef burgers, cooked beef stew, cooked and raw chicken and cooked vegetables so there’s no excuse. Plus I’ve always got Stamina grill as a backup!

Ready for 2014!

It looked like this:

Whole30 Challenge! Day 20 – My favorite paleo dessert

Those Bluth’s had the right idea with their banana stand.

Not only is there always money in a banana stand, there’s also always delicious treats! My favorite dessert is taking a frozen banana and eating it with a spoon after it has thawed for 5 min. You could also add a little cashew or almond butter if you’re feeling crazy!

Easy and delicious!

Whole30 Challenge! Day 19 – Fail Dog

I fell off the wagon pretty hard Friday and Saturday and I admit waking up Sunday was not fun. Either way, I’m going to keep trucking and pick up where I left off.

I still have 10 days left to be at my healthiest for my birthday and think I can do it! And hopefully I have come even closer to getting that consecutive 30 days that I’ve been after.

You learn the most from your failures, not your successes.

Whole30 Challenge! Day 18 – casual morning jog

It looks much dearier than it is 🙂

I decided to do a quick 3 miles and ab ripper x after my last two runs (8 mi Sunday and 6 mi Tuesday).

Whole30 Challenge! Day 17 – Quick breakfast

Every morning I try to dedicate 10 minutes of multi tasking to making a quick two egg omelette. Here’s one of my favorites – onions, leafy green (kale today) and a couple bites of avocado. Keeps me full and working hard!

Whole30 Challenge! Day 16 – TED Inspiration

TED talk recommendation for inspiration!

Limited choice is the place of creativity. I think of this every time I’m out to eat!

In this TED talk, Phil Hansen speaks about how in art school he developed an unruly tremor in his hand that kept him from creating the pointillist drawings he loved. Hansen was devastated, floating without a sense of purpose. Until a neurologist made a simple suggestion: embrace this limitation … and transcend it.

We can all take a page from his book. When it comes to eating Paleo, the limited choice actually makes it much easier to decide what to order out and I feel I have more creativity in the kitchen.

Whole30 Challenge! Day 15 – Baked Tilapia

Wooohooo halfway through my whole30 challenge!

Quick weekday recipe for baked tilapia:

Ingredients:
Tilapia filets
Olive or coconut oil
Veggies of your choice
Spices: salt, pepper, garlic, paprika

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Rub oil and spices on tilapia filets
Add tilapia and frozen veggies to aluminum covered baking pan
Bake 10-15 minutes and flip to cook for a couple more minutes until fish is flaky and veggies are cooked
Let sit for 3 minutes then serve

Whole30 Challenge! Day 14 – NYC Bacon Bash

Oooooh Bacon Bash NYC. I have been eating too healthy and was not able to enjoy this without massive heart burn 😦

However, here are the highlights:

Dark chocolate covered bacon

Bacon chili (no beans!)

Lots of bacon aficionados

Whole30 Challenge! Day 13 – Quick Shrimp Salad

There is nothing better than summer. Especially when summer entails yoga, walking and biking along the river, and kayaking in the river, and ends with a spectacular salad for dinner.

Summer Shrimp Salad

Ingredients:
1 lb cooked shrimp
1/2 lb string beans
1 package of mushroms
1/2 package of grape tomatoes
3 leaves of your choice of greens
Coconut oil
Ginger, salt, pepper, garlic, chili powder

Directions:
-Clean and chop up vegetables
-Place greens and halved tomatoes in a large bowl
-Place 1-2 tbsps of coconut oil in a large skillet
-Add string beans and mushrooms to skillet and cook until soft
-Add spices to taste
-Once cooked, add to salad
-Remove tails from shrimp and cut into thirds, add to salad
-Serve

Whole30 Challenge! Day 12 – Fine dining in Tribeca

The best meals are the ones outside with good friends and a good view.

This is my favorite place to eat my Whole Foods to go.