In the Zone

People are reading my blog and seeing the food I eat at uni, and they're starting to ask me about primal eating and Zone. Awesome! I love talking about this stuff!! Mostly because it's made such a difference to my life, but also because I find it really interesting. But it's not always easy to explain over a Funky Green Smoothie in the staffroom, so for those who want to know more, here's a great link to a free article from Crossfit Journal...
http://journal.crossfit.com/2004/05/zone-meal-plans-crossfit-journ.tpl

I've also noticed that, upon hearing about primal eating, most people's first questions are a) how do you feel full without starchy carbs?; and b) what do you eat for breakfast?

When it comes to feeling full, my own personal experience is that, as long as I include enough 'good' fat and plenty of veges in my meal, feeling satisfied is almost guaranteed. What I don't get, is the heavy, 'I've eaten too much and I feel gross' feeling that I used to get with starchy carbs. But really, who enjoys feeling like that on a regular basis?

For a good, simple guide to primal eating, check out this post from Mark's Daily Apple...

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-to-the-primal-eating-plan/

As for the second concern, there are plenty of options! We love bacon, eggs, avocado, spinach & tomato; smoothies (I've posted one recipe, happy to post more if people want?); paleo pancakes (also posted already). Others go for fruit, nuts & yoghurt...or even a steak! As an example of a primal, zone friendly breakfast, here's a recipe for one of our real favourites - N-oatmeal (or 'faux porridge', for the Brits out there). This recipe was posted on Mark's Daily Apple, and then Jojo Ninja played with it to make it meet her Zone requirements. It's amazing!

N-oatmeal

1/3 mashed banana (I use 1/2 if it's a small banana)

3.5 tbsp LSA (Linseed, Sunflower, & Almond mix)

1/2 tbsp almond butter

5 tbsp coconut cream

1 egg

1/2 tbsp PURE maple syrup (I leave this out & add extra fresh fruit - blueberries are good - before serving instead)

(1 block protein, 2 blocks carbs - if you use the maple syrup or add extra fruit, 5 blocks fat)

Whisk together eggs and coconut cream VERY well. Give your mashed banana and almond butter a really good mix and add it to the egg mix, then stir in LSA. Warm in a saucepan on a super low heat. Stir frequently, and don’t let it heat up too quickly or the egg will scramble, and that’s not good!

Yesterday, I added some cinnamon and some mixed spice to it whilst heating.Then, before serving, added chopped up white peach & some cooked bacon (for another block of protein). BOOM! If you can't get your head around that combo, think the sweet/spicy/savoury flavour mix that you got back in the days you used to order french toast with bacon & fresh fruit for brunch... ;-)

This also reheats really well in the microwave - just add a bit of water & stir frequently.