Paleo Doesn't Suck

If you live in or are from the Central Florida area, then you are familiar with the key perception that divides natives and transplants - whether or not Orlando sucks. In general, those of us from here think Orlando sucks as a place to live. On the other hand, transplants (especially in their mid-late 20s), are always telling you how much Orlando doesn't suck and boasting about how much they  love life. Now, I am only here temporarily, but I have to admit that I am coming around. I am currently taking the view that Orlando doesn't suck as much as it used to. 

Look at that beautiful froth.

Orlando is plagued by chains, franchises and tourists attractions. However, the city and all the suburbs around it (including mine) have really done a good job of starting to be more than Disney. Now, I am fortunate to live in quaint, what used to be "small town," where I can walk to food, drink, exercise, church, shopping etc. Winter Garden isn't alone, Winter Park, Mount Dora, Baldwin Park, Thornton Park, all have unique businesses, a local feel and their own identity. I even found an adorable coffee shop this week (Achilles Art Cafe) in a strip mall in the middle of MetroWest across from a Walmart. What still sucks is Orlando traffic, having to drive 20-40 minutes to get to any of these places, and quite honestly, the lack of food options on par to the quality I was used to in Nashville. Particularly, I signed up for ClassPass here and just to be the one person that ClassPass is losing money on, I end up spending my savings in fuel driving all over Orlando at 6:30 in the morning to work out. (P.S. Currently obsessed with TRUFiT Endurance). 

Another thing that sucks? Studying for the bar exam, but i'll save that rant for another time. 

What doesn't suck? Paleo. Most people, when they hear of a restricted diet or that someone is doing Paleo just assume its awful and make this internal sad face for everything you are depriving yourself of. Yet, while there are restrictions on Paleo (no grains, no dairy, no legumes, no refined sugars, no processed foods) it isn't a diet about what you cannot eat, it is a diet about all the wonderful things you can eat. For example, compare butternut squash and pasta. Butternut squash tastes delicious, steamed or roasted or sauteed. Pasta tastes delicious after I add sauce, cheese, salt, pepper, and . . . butternut squash to it. Butternut squash is full of good nutrients for me. Pasta contributes almost no nutritional value and is in fact harmful to many people's digestive systems. Query: why would I choose pasta over butternut squash?

My List of Reasons Paleo Doesn't Suck:

*Disclaimer, this is based on my experience, I am in no way promising you will have the same experience. Remember a healthsyle is about finding what works for you. 

Wild Tuna Steak w/Carrot &Radish Salad,
Steamed Kale

• Real Food tastes Really Good. Basically Paleo tells you to eat more delicious foods. Leave off rice in exchange for extra steak topped with grass fed butter and garlic with roasted veggies? Done. 
• For dinner tonight I had chicken wrapped in bacon - if you feel sad for me I feel sad for you.
• It opens you up to trying new foods. Since April, I went from not eating seafood, to now having eaten sole, mahi, salmon, scallops, shrimp and tuna. 
• Cooking is easier when you don't have to add a ton of ingredients to make your food taste good. Quality food tastes good on its own (SHOCKER). 
• It keeps you full. I eat three meals a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. I don't have sudden hunger strikes forcing me to immediately get a snack for risk of potentially strangling the next person to look at me. 
• Choosing to purchase local produce and meats, or at a minimum quality produce and meats, results in a vote with your dollar supporting sustainable agriculture and food with actual nutrients in it. 
• You don't have to worry about whether what you are putting in your body is bad for you -i.e. has chemicals in it, is too processed, is going to give you cancer in 30 years etc. 
• You will likely save in doctor's bills multiples of what you spend on groceries.
• Now for what you are really wondering? Paleo keeps/makes you skinny. Not only do you lose unhealthy weight on a Paleo diet, but for the most part you don't have to worry about bloating or "feeling fat" even when you are stuffing your face. Seriously, for the first time ever in my entire post-pubescent life I wore a bikini all day in the presence of the opposite sex without feeling self-conscious for even a second. 

Now to make good on my promise about my homemade beef jerky and to avoid (heaven forbid) leaving a post without a recipe: 

For starters, you can make jerky in a dehydrator or in an oven (or the sun-drying if you want to be really down-homey). I made mine in the oven following this recipe. Rather than retake you step by step, here is my general feedback:

My Snack Packs!

• The Good News - This stuff is really delicious and it will keep for up to 6 months in a sealed container at room temperature. I use mine in snack packs when travelling. Except as noted above, I usually don't feel the need to snack, so I haven't put much of a dent in my beef jerky yet. 
• DO NOT get a brisket as recommended in the recipe. Brisket generally has a thick layer of fat on it because it is intended to be smoked or slow roasted for BBQ. This means you have lots of butchering to do and that is a pain. Instead look for a lean cut without extra padding, like a flank steak.
• Read the recipe in its entirety first, then re-read it.
• The recipe takes place over a few days. This is true. Making jerky is an exercise in patience. You really do freeze it for 90 minutes, slice it, marinate it over night, dry it out for 6 hours, then let cool for 24 hours.
• If you do not have all the ingredients for the marinade, ITS OKAY. Make a different marinade using what you have, google some other options. The process will work all the same. 

Bottom Line: If you are at a place in life (literally or figuratively) that sucks, try out a Paleo diet to add something the doesn't suck to your life for change!