That’s What It’s All About

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Kim Ludeman

It’s not about calorie counting. It’s not about low-carb, high protein or low-fat. It’s not about comparing yourself to others. It’s not about being the thinnest, leanest or skinniest. It’s not about wasting money on pills, powders and potions. It’s not about extremism. It’s not about the latest fad or diet trend. It’s not about being the best chef. It’s not about being perfect and having everything firgured out right now. It’s not about microwave results. It’s not about having all the answers to every question.

Feeling confident and strong no matter what the scale says!

It is about finding what works for your body and no one elses. It’s about trial and error and having the patience to find your way. It’s about looking forward, not behind. It’s about seeking health over being “skinny”. It’s about being supported in your journey. It’s about finding balance and being ok with where you are at. It’s about making positive changes and choices. It’s about setting realistic goals. It’s about a journey, not a destination.

Change your mind- change your life!

The Naked Label

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Kim Ludeman

As you may or may not have noticed, I haven’t been posting much on here lately and for that I apologize. I have been working 60 hours a week at the gym and the cart with only Saturdays off to be with my hubs. Thanks for your patience and stickin with me!

(Ps, there’s a peacock in our neighborhood who sounds just like the “snipe” named Kevin from the Disney/Pixar movie, UP. Thus, we have nicknamed him Kevin. I almost hit him with my car one day backing up, but thankfully I saw his bright blue feathers in my rear view mirror!)

Since I have been working so much I haven’t really had time to try any new recipes We’ve been sticking to a lot of ground beef, microwaved yams and easy veggies like spinach and broccoli. Today is the first day I have actually batch cooked (=made more than one meal) which feels awesome!

I made a roast chicken (for chicken salad- yummm!!!)

Deviled eggs with Paleo aioli,

Urban Poser’s Bacon Chive Biscuits,

sauteed collards and bacon,

spicy ground turkey (which I put with mustard and avocado-OMG) and

garlicky roasted cauliflower. And, I did all the dishes ;0)

So, I have been wanting to post a new recipe but since I haven’t had time, I wanted to share some awesome recipes with you. The Naked Label is a group of nutritionists and and other health providers that have a ‘tell it like it is’ approach to sharing information. They are not all Paleo but definitely have a clean eating take on food. You can find some of my recipes on their site too! They have a free cookbook that has some great (not all Paleo) recipes that you can adjust to suit your own dietary preferences.

I love the book and design of their website. They even have a directory for nutritionists in your area! So, if you get a chance, check out The Naked Label on Facebook!

Ten Tips for Making Eating Healthy More Affordable

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Kim Ludeman

I don’t know about you, but I spend a lot of money on food.

A.Lot.

It can get expensive when you’re trying to do all organic, grass fed, pastured, free range blah blah blah.

To help with the cost, here are some tips to help you trim back the excess costs and keep your grocery bills smaller:

1) Buy in Bulk. Utilize the bulk sections at Winco, Fred Meyer and Whole Foods for things like whole grains (if you eat them), nuts, seeds, almond flour, coconut flour, almond butter, honey and more. Buying pre-packaged items like this can be more expensive. Some places let you bring your own containers which can help you save money. This applies to meat as well. You will save money buying half a cow or pig or going in on some with a family.

2) Avoid expensive packaged foods. Packaged foods (bars, mixes) can cost a ton. See what ingredients you can get in the bulk section and buy boxed or bagged items sparingly.

3) For meals, maximize on veggies. Produce will be the cheapest thing you buy and when cooked or served with fats like extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, lard, tallow or butter, it will be more filling. Just use meat as a side to the meal and make veggies with fat the main dealio.

4) Spread out your proteins. Use one protein per meal. IE: have eggs with kale or spinach for breakfast, deli meats or canned salmon and avocados for lunch, broccoli and stew meat stir fry for dinner.

5) Meatless meal. Each day or every other day or even once a week, have a meal that relies on veggies and fats versus animal proteins. I suggest making this meal dinner to aid in digestion, sound sleep and best use of the carbs from veggies.

6) Eat Eggs. These little guys are cheaper than cuts of meat and can be just as filling. Try them as omelets, scrambled, muffins, fried, poached, baked in avocados, stir frys, fried cauliflower rice, hardboiled or deviled.

7) Go for Ground. This is one I stick to a lot. Ground meat is usually cheaper than cuts of meats. I love to get Meat Plus from Pat N Tams which has heart and liver mixed in! I get my ground turkey from Costco and ground chicken from Whole Foods.

8) Find the Frozen Foods. Frozen veggies and meats can be a lot cheaper than fresh and also last longer. Watch out for extra additives, but

9) Dirty Dozen rule for produce. Stick to the dirty dozen for organics and buy all the others regular. According to the Environmental Working Group, these are the 12 most and least pesticide contaminated produce foods:

12 Most Contaminated

Peaches

Apples

Sweet Bell Peppers

Celery

Nectarines

Strawberries

Cherries

Pears

Grapes (Imported)

Spinach

Lettuce

Potatoes

12 Least Contaminated

Onions

Avocado

Sweet Corn (Frozen)

Pineapples

Mango

Asparagus

Sweet Peas (Frozen)

Kiwi Fruit

Bananas

Cabbage

Broccoli

Papaya

10) Fat helps keep you full. Egg yolks, avocados, nuts, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, lard and tallow will help keep blood sugar more stable and keep hunger and snackiness at bay.

Do you have any tips to share about saving money?? How do you afford to eat healthy??

You Are More Beautiful Than You Think

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Kim Ludeman

This short clip from Dove is amazing.

I know I do this same thing and sell myself short. Just for today, do one thing that makes you feel beautiful. I went and had my makeup done at Ulta. Loved it.

What will you do??

Heavenly Coconut Blueberry Muffins

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Kim Ludeman

In 13 hours, my hubby and I will be leaving for Redmond, Oregon to stay at the Eagle Crest Resort for our 4th anniversary which is on Thursday. Sometimes I can’t believe it’s only been four years- I guess Tim and I are old souls. We desperately need a break and this could not have come at a better time.

Yesterday I made some delicious Paleo blueberry muffins but I cannot remember where I saw the recipe!! Eek. So, I am openly admitting this is not my recipe, but some genius who knows coconut flour better than I do.

I also made some uh-may-zing goat cheese and spinach stuffed chicken thighs. They were soooo good Tim ate them straight out of the pan (ok, so I did too). I paired them with whipped creamy sweet potatoes….it was a feast of the carb fanatics for sure.

Did I mention that my Magic Bullet blew up when I was making my morning buttered coffee?? Yup, butter, coffee and water all over my kitchen. So, I got a new one from Costco. It came with huge cups, multiple blades and a blender attachment. Kitchen geek heaven.

Heavenly Coconut Blueberry Muffins

Makes 12

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut flour

4 tablespoons melted coconut oil (add in last)

4 tablespoons coconut milk

6 eggs

1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch salt

2 packets truvia (or whatever sweetener you want)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400.

Add dry ingredients into a mixing bowl (I recommend a Kitchen Aid or electric beaters as coconut flour can be lumpy). Add in wet ingredients, saving coconut oil right before the blueberries so it doesn’t harden and get lumpy. Mix really really well. Spoon into muffin cups or tin and bake @ 400 for 17-20 minutes, or until tops of muffins brown slightly.

Serve with a pat of grass fed butter or coconut whipped cream (whip chilled full fat coconut milk with a little vanilla until it becomes like whipped cream!)

My just rolled out of bed for buttered coffee face :0)

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!

4 Delicious Paleo Dinner Recipes (Including Smoky Yummy Drummies!)

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Kim Ludeman

Only 5 more days until Tim and I take off for our long Anniversary weekend in Bend!! I seriously could not be more excited to get away than I am right now. It’s been 4 years of hard work, but man has it ever been worth it!! I love this guy! He melts my heart, makes me laugh and takes amazing care of my sometimes too fragile heart.

This man has been doing super strict Paleo for just over two weeks now and he has dropped at least ten pounds (men!!!), stopped snoring, has deeper sleep and brighter skin and eyes. It’s amazing!! I love Paleo more now than ever, lol. Since Tim sleeps better, that means I do too!

However, being 6′ 4″ and 250 means he needs to eat a lot of food and since he’s not eating out guess who is making all of his food. Yup. It’s really challenged me to come up with creative, tasty foods that keep him feeling full. So, I thought I would share some of my favorite go to recipes that make leftovers and are easy to re-heat.

Sauteed Kale and Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:

1 bag pre-chopped kale from Trader Joes (or regular kale from the store)

1 large sweet onion, quartered

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Sea salt to taste

Directions:

Chop into quarters, leaving it in longer strips. Melt coconut oil in a large saute pan on medium heat and add onions. Stir for about 8 minutes or until onions are almost clear. Add in garlic and saute for 2 min or until aromatic. Next, add in kale and saute until all the leaves are coated with oil and a nice dark, bright green (probably 5 minutes). Add in spices and stir.

Collards and Bacon

Ingredients:

1 bag pre-chopped collards from Trader Joe’s (or chard from the store)

2 medium sized shallots, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4-5 strips bacon

1 tbs apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup water

1/4 tsp white pepper

Sea salt to taste

Directions:

Cut bacon into small pieces and cook in large saute pan on medium heat until slightly browned. Add in diced shallots and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add in collards, water and ACV. Stir and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes. You don’t want brown collards, but bright green collards. Add salt and pepper and serve.

Smoky Yummy Drummies

Ingredients:

5-6 free range/pastured/no cage/grass eating/whateveryouwanttocall it chicken drumsticks

2 tablespoons EVOO or coconut oil

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika (I love Costco’s brand- $3!!)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Sea salt

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350. Wash and pat down chicken with a paper towel. Place in a large glass baking pan. Drizzle oil over drums and rub in with your hands (wash first please!) or brush. In small bowl, mix all spices. Dust spices over oily drums and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Rosemary Roasted Carrots

Ingredients:

2 pounds carrots (whole or baby)

1-2 tbs coconut oil

1 teaspoon ground rosemary

3/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400. Wash, peel and rinse carrots and cut into whatever shape you’d like (I did coins). You can do little hearts too. Put into large bowl with all other ingredients and mix well. Pour carrots onto large baking sheet or pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until carrots are tender.

I hope this gives you a little something to try this Easter weekend. I wish you the best of rest and relaxation and celebration this weekend!!

Living a Healthy Life is Not Easy and Anyone Who Says Differently is Lying

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Kim Ludeman

I’m not going to lie, these last two weeks have been killer. I lost a relationship with my Dad (loooong story), quit my gym for being mistreated, helped friends through a suicide crisis, got a new job and am trying to juggle working 50 hours a week away from home while making sure there is freshly prepared Paleo food for Tim to eat (he’s in week two of his Paleo cleanse!) and juggling my clients. I kinda feel like I am going to crash, lol. I haven’t hit the wall yet, but rest assured, it is coming.

So, I apologize for Wednesdays missing post. I was at my new job :0) I have been wanting to stop running my own business for a while now. It’s exhausting and super difficult. I wont bore you with all my whining about it, but will say that I spend more time doing things I don’t like and am not good at then I do doing the things I love. And life is way too short for that. So, I have been interviewing at a number of gyms trying to find a good fit. I finally accepted a position at Boom Fitness in Tualatin (waaaay too conveniently located next to Peets, Lululemon, Whole Foods and REI, just to name a few) doing personal training and nutrition consulting which I am really excited about.

One thing I am realizing is that living a healthy life is not easy. Balancing work with play, exercise with rest, strictness with moderation, carbs with protein….it’s just not easy. I want you to take a big breath and nod your head and say, “living a healthy, balanced life is not easy.” And then, smile really big because you know that you are doing the very best you can and learning more and more. Stop beating yourself up for not meeting your too high expectations for yourself. Stop berating yourself for not looking like a Victoria Secret model or CrossFit athlete. Stop whining because you can’t cook like Rachel Ray or Julia Child. Just stop. Stop and take a moment to think of all the awesome ways you take care of yourself and your family.

Take a minute to re-commit to what you want to do. What do you want to do? Do you know what living a healthy life even looks like for you? I know for me it means the following:

-First, taking care of myself emotionally by praying, journaling, time with friends and lot’s of affirmation from my husband who knows me better than anyone.

-Working out hard three times a week and walking as much as I can.

-Eating strict Paleo 90% of the time balanced with the occasional glass of wine or cream in my coffee.

-Learning more and more by studying articles and books about subjects I like (ie: cooking, fitness, Paleo, nutrition, healthy pregnancy, religion, self-help).

-Helping others as much as I can.

-Cooking healthy food that is tasty, easy and fun for me and my hubs.

These are some of the things that I want to direct most of my energy toward because I know that when these things are in place, I feel balanced and healthy. I know it’s going to get bad when I:

-Compare myself to others (whether it be trainers, athletes, models, friends)

-Indulge in negative self-talk (the little voice in your head that reminds you how bad you are)

-Have unhealthy relationships in my life

-Spend too much time watching tv or being unproductive on purpose (ie lazy)

So, all that to say, take care of yourself dear friend. You are worth the time, money and energy that it takes to live a healthy life. You deserve the very best from this life. Don’t be dragged down by too high of expectations for yourself and others. Expectations are the enemy of happiness. Remember, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. 67% of Americans are overweight and a whopping 34% are obese! You are in the minority! Keep reminding yourself of all these awesome things you are doing and chose to commit to those things every day.

What do you do to keep yourself healthy and balanced??

Traditional Irish Carrot Soup Gone Paleo

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Kim Ludeman

Is anyone else as excited about the Boy Meets World spin off Girl Meets World?? Oh man!! I follow the shows feed on Facebook and they just started filming!! Boy Meets World was one of my most favorite shows growing up. Last year, Tim and I got all of the seasons from the library and watched them. It amazed me how good, pure and wholesome that show was, which when compared to what’s on tv today, is like a stream in the desert. No kidding. I am pretty sensitive about what I watch and shows like BMW make me miss the gold ol’ days of tv for kids. Growing up is hard to do sometimes.

For St. Patty’s Day (which I never do anything on, although some year I think it could be entertaining to go to Kells) I made this traditional Irish Carrot Soup. I think sometimes I idealize life as an Irishman/woman. I had very romantic notions about this soup and its ability to transport me to jaw dropping cliffs and sea swept country sides of rolling green. And while I can tell you from experience that that does not happen, it is still a darn tasty soup, especially suited for this wacky cold weather we are enduring.

Maybe you could look at pictures of Ireland while you eat it or listen to celtic tunes on Spotify to enhance it’s Irishness? Here are some pics to get you in the mood….

Traditional Irish Soup Gone Paleo

Inspired by New Seasons Market

Ingredients:

2 pounds carrots

1 large onion (I used sweet)

5 cloves garlic

5 whole cloves

4 cups chicken or beef broth

2 tablespoons EVOO

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (totally used bottled)

Salt and pepper to taste

Full fat coconut milk or heavy cream

Minced parsley

Directions:

Heath the oil in a large sauce pan.

Add the carrots, onion, garlic, and cloves, and cook until the onion is translucent, 5-8 minutes.

Add 3 1/2 cups of the stock or broth, cover, and simmer, stirring frequently
until the carrots are very soft, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove the cloves from the stock/broth and discard.
Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor in batches and process until smooth.

Return to the same saucepan and stir in the lemon juice.
Season with salt & pepper and, if needed, thin with the remaining 1/2 cup stock or broth to thin it out if you want.

Serve in bowls with a drizzle of cream.
Sprinkle with minced parsley or place a sprig in the center of the cream.

Perfect Paleo Sweet Potato Bacon Pizza!

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Kim Ludeman

We don’t make pizza very often around here because no matter how you slice it, it’s still not the healthiest food choice. But….every now and then we pull out our pizza pan and slicer and indulge in some Paleo pizza!

Our first trip to Eagle Crest in 2010.

Not gonna lie, this week has been a rough one so far and I am super anxious for Tim and mines anniversary trip to Eagle Crest the first week of April. I am going to check out a CF box in Redmond which will be a blast. They seem really cool there.

Due to an unfortunate event at the gym, I am officially leaving Clackamas Physical Conditioning. It’s a long (well not that long, but probably not blog appropriate) story and I will spare you the deets. Needless to say, I am trying to decide between CrossFit or a regular gym. It’s a tough decision and I would love some feedback from you!!

Anyways, enough of that. Here’s your recipe!

Perfect Paleo Sweet Potato Bacon Pizza

Ingredients:

Crust:

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch sea salt

3 eggs

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

Optional: 1 teaspoon thyme, oregano or basil

Sauce:

1 4 oz can tomato paste

2 teaspoons basil

1 teaspoon oregano

Black pepper to taste

1 cup water (or more depending on preferred consistency)

Cheese: (Optional)

1 cup soaked cashews (soak at least an hour, overnight preferred)

3-4 tbs nutritional yeast (large flake) depending on taste

Salt/pepper to taste (like 1/8 tsp)

2 tablespoons EVOO

2 cloves garlic

2 tbs lemon juice

2-3 tbs water (to thin it out)

Parmesan Cheese: (Optional)

1/3 cup sesame seeds

3 tbs nutritional yeast

Pinch salt

Toppings:

Small sweet potato/yam

Handful spinach

5 strips bacon

Directions:

Picture from Caveman Strong

1) Crust*

Pre-heat oven to 375. Pull out a baking sheet or pizza pan and cover with parchment paper. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Mixture should be slightly runny. Pour into middle of pan and use a spatula to flatten it out. You want the crust to be a about a quarter of an inch thick and even. (Good luck!). Bake for 20 minutes and flip over for next step.

2) Sauce

Mix all ingredients into small mixing bowl and add water until desired consistency is reached. Pour onto pizza and use spoon to spread it around, leaving a little space at the edge for crust.

3) Cheese

Put all ingredients into your food processor or Magic Bullet and process until smooth, adding water if mixing stalls. Blend until desired consistency is reached. Pour on top of sauce and swirl it around using a spoon. Make pretty swirly designs if you’re the creative type.

4) Parmesan Cheese Topping

Use spice grinder or Magic Bullet to grind all three ingredients for about 10-15 seconds. Tada! Dairy free parmesan cheese!

4) Toppings

Cook your bacon in the oven or stove. Cut into small pieces.

I cheated and cooked my yam in the microwave (peel it, wrap it in a paper towel and cook for about 3 min). You can saute, bake or microwave your yam but it must be cooked before going on your pizza. I cut mine into thin coin slices.

First, lay down your spinach. Then your yam and then the bacon.

Put it back in the oven under normal or low broil for about 5 minutes to heat it up. Nothing needs to cook or melt, so really this step is optional, but it also crisps the edges of the yams and bacon, so I recommend it. I know this list looks forever long, but it took me about 25 minutes start to finish. And….about 5 minutes to eat my two slices :0)

Slice and eat!

*= This crust is the best I have found and it will hold up if you don’t use too much sauce. The more sauce you use, the less sturdy your crust will be. I recommend keeping a fork handy. If this is your first time making a coconut flour crust, just know it will not be crunchy, but rather on the “soft, doughy” side.

All right friend! Have a wonderful day and I will see you on Friday when I finally master the art of vanilla frosting and almond flour cupcakes!!

Paleo Indulgences Frosting

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Kim Ludeman

I had the best weekend. Period. It started with seeing some of my favorite Paleo foodies at the cart on Friday, The Credicotts! Cain is the editor of the awesome Paleo Magazine and his wife, Tammy, writes an amazing blog and is the renowned author of Paleo Indulgences. I got to chit chat with them for a bit which always gets me pumped to be a part of the Paleo community.

Saturday was my day with hubs and a workout day. Last Wednesday we did barbell high pulls. My.Traps.Hate.Me. So, my energy was a little low since doing anything with my upper body was simply out of the question. Then, hubs and I spent all day Saturday cooking and hanging out in our jammies. Be jealous. It was awesome.

Sunday I hung out with a good friend and we made some killer Paleo pizza and got awesome pedicures. My toes look soooo good!! Now if only the weather would lighten up a bit so I could actually bust out my flip flops without freezing my footsies off!! I also cooked up a ton! I made sauteed collards, sauteed kale and onions, egg baked avocado, roasted chicken, clarified butter, salmon salad, southwest aioli and Irish carrot soup!! Needless to say the house smelled amazing!!

I also worked on Paleo Indulgences Vanilla Frosting recipe, which of course, I somehow managed to butcher. I can’t follow recipes!!! I am not sure what happens in my brain, but somehow I manage to screw it up just about every time. I think the problem was that I didn’t sift the coconut flour. Darn you sifter!!! Anyways, if you sift the coconut flour, you will have a mellow, smooth vanilla frosting (which I am totally adding vanilla beans to!).

Vanilla Frosting

From Paleo Indulgences

Ingredients:

1/2 cup palm shortening
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbls arrowroot starch
2 tsp coconut flour, sifted
Pinch sea salt
2 Tbls coconut oil, melted

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients except coconut oil in medium bowl, use a mixer to blend until fully combined.

2. With mixer on low, slowly add the coconut oil, blending until completely smooth.

3. Frosting can be stored in the refrigerator up to a week. Let is soften a bit at room temp and fluff it up with a mixer before using.

Check back on Wednesday for a Paleo pizza recipe that is to die for!! Trust me! Happy Monday everyone!

Train Your Body-Change Your Life

Eating and Moving for a Healthier Life!

That’s What It’s All About

The Naked Label

Ten Tips for Making Eating Healthy More Affordable

You Are More Beautiful Than You Think

Heavenly Coconut Blueberry Muffins

4 Delicious Paleo Dinner Recipes (Including Smoky Yummy Drummies!)

Living a Healthy Life is Not Easy and Anyone Who Says Differently is Lying

Traditional Irish Carrot Soup Gone Paleo

Perfect Paleo Sweet Potato Bacon Pizza!

Paleo Indulgences Frosting