Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Apple Cider Paleo Donuts


This recipe for apple cider paleo donuts is inspired by the amazing apple orchards in my adopted state of New Jersey. Apple cider donuts are commonly found at farm stands, primarily in the autumn, and usually accompanied by glasses of hot apple cider. Contrary to its image, New Jersey retains its rural and agricultural flavor throughout much of the state. (It is known as “The Garden State” after all.) The apple industry here is vibrant and farms have survived development and other economic pressures by promoting orchards as educational and recreational experiences. Consumers contribute to the preservation of the farming heritage by patronizing local farms. Farms in turn have used festivals, school tours, u-pick operations along with roadside retail to survive and thrive by meeting consumer demands. We enjoy patronizing local farms and have always looked forward to indulging in cider donuts when visiting them. This recipe for cider paleo donuts allows us to enjoy this treat while sticking with our paleo diet.
My husband was initially shocked at the sight of my newly purchased mini-donut maker. He thought I had really gone off the deep end. (Oh, he of little faith!) But in spite of his skepticism, these donuts are grain-free, gluten-free, casein-free, soy free and contain only natural sugars. So I consider them a bonafide paleo treat. And these paleo donuts go great with some eggs and coffee at breakfast. You can also serve them as an after school snack. (Something my boys love.) They are fairly quick and easy to make – you don’t need to drag out your stand mixer. And the $20 for the mini-donut maker seems like a worth while investment.

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Paleo Banana Bread

Recipes:

  • 3 bananas (about 1 ½ cups) mashed
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ¼ cup vegan shortening
  • 2 cups blanched almond flour
  • ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  1. Place bananas, eggs, vanilla, honey and shortening in a food processor
  2. Pulse ingredients together
  3. Pulse in almond flour, salt and baking soda
  4. Scoop batter into a greased 7.5 x 3.5 magic line loaf pan
  5. Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes
  6. Remove from oven and allow to cool
  7. Serve with Dandelion Root Coffee (optional)
The paleo diet is the diet the human body is supposed to follow, and as such, all the positive results gained from following the paleo foundations seamlessly fall into place:
  • Increased Energy
  • Clearer, Smoother Skin
  • Weight Loss Results
  • Better Performance and Recovery
  • Stronger Immune System 

Monday, March 18, 2013

Exploring The Fastest Way To Lose Weight Sensibly

Making the Plan
If you are looking for the fastest way to lose weight you are probably dreaming a little dream; a dream of a fit and muscular body and one that has shed pounds dramatically overnight. There is no way to do it without any effort. Plan your way to get rid of the fat before you begin.

The fastest way you can lose weight can be seen as one of the ways given below.

1. Weight training
2. Weight loss pills
3. Weight loss through alternative medicines
4. Crash dieting

Planning Your Dieting and Exercise Regimen
Let us see some statistics first. All that we eat is stored up or burned off. Dried fruits with syrup 1 serving would have 120 calories. This means you will have to walk for over half an hour or cycle for 20 minutes in order to burn the calories you ingested. Similarly roasted poultry with skin roasted would have 250 calories per serving. This entails 1 ½ hour walking or yes, 40 minutes of cycling. Tough on the cycle, but then if you go easy on the food, it will reflect on your health.

A medium sized banana has 104 calories with 27 grams of carbohydrates. It has practically no fat and about 2 grams of protein. It is one of the best energy foods. Here is how your vegetables square up. Comparing 1 cup of each there is approximately the same amount of calories around 40 calories in cauliflower, cabbage or broccoli.

Burning off 250 calories will take by a 25 year old male of average height would require him to cycle for 29 to 32 minutes. For a female the time would be 36 minutes.

Cycle of Metabolism
This is what happens. When we eat, the food is converted into sugars and then cycled through our metabolism. The body requires some amount of energy for the metabolic activity. On an average one would require about 2000 calories of energy. The break up of carbohydrates, proteins and fats is 45%, 30% and 25% (actually you would require some of this percentage to be fibers); you would need per meal (assume 3 meals per day) 75g carbohydrates, 50g protein and 18g fats.

When there are excess calories, it gets stored as fat. This is the reserve supply for the body. But when the person does no exercise the fats get deposited more. So, the first thing to do is to plan a proper exercise regimen. Crash dieting is not recommended since it will only make you eat more. The moment the fats are all burned off (when you begin dieting) the metabolism will go into starvation mode; you will hurt yourself.

The fastest way to lose weight is through your will power. It is the way you stick to the plan and then see the results for yourself. Weight loss pills are ready for you but they may not work for some people. Also one does not really know what side effects there could be. When the calories in the food intake are lesser that you burn (+what your body needs for metabolic activities) you begin to slim down. The excess exercises burn off the calories and your body begins to lose weight. It is just a matter of getting started.