*Thanks to my guest blogger, Lindsey! Her paleo ways made me want to ask her how she did it! She’s lost weight and looks amazing! Enjoy this post:
Back in August (so about 9 months ago), my sister and I decided to do a “30 day paleo test.” We told ourselves we’d try to make it 30 days, and see if there were any results at the end of a month. So with a goal in site, we started mapping out paleo options. We quickly learned that there are numerous websites dedicated to paleo. Sites like nomnompaleo, paleOMG, and the Civilized Cavemanwere incredibly helpful and inspirational.  
The first few weeks were difficult; weaning your body off most carbohydrates, sugar, legumes, and dairy isn’t easy, especially when your former diet was informed by Southern cooking, and always contained either gravy, biscuits, or batter of some sort. But on any given day now, my diet consists of: 
Proteins: Chicken, beef (if you’re strict, it’s grass-fed only), lamb, fish, seafood, and lots and lots of eggs. My husband (who doesn’t really do paleo, but as a result of living with me ends up eating that way more so than not), also introduced tuna tartare into our dinner options, which has been great.
Turkey Soup!
Veggies: Asparagus, zucchini, broccoli, spinach, and carrots are my go-to. Chopping-up some carrots to include in a cast-iron skillet when baking a whole chicken is delicious. And there is no amount of garlic that is too much to include with the asparagus. 
Paleo garlic chicken and broccoli
Fruit: I am not a huge fan of fruit, but I do eat apples and bananas (one of either every day). My sister also includes any variety of berries in her diet. 

Snacks: Kale chips (homemade) and nuts (excluding peanuts), are my go-to for snacking. For the kale chips, I buy the giant bag of kale at the grocery store, remove the stems, toss them in olive oil, cover in some cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt, spread on a baking sheet and bake for 10 – 15 
minutes. 
Paleo Tuna Tar Tare
Desserts: There are great paleo-friendly dessert recipes online. However, (and this is a non-starter for some very strict followers), I usually just grab a few squares of dark chocolate.
Alcohol: Most paleo sites will caution you to limit your alcohol intake. Clearly high-carbohydrate options like beer and the dark liquors are off the table. I try to stick with red wine (hey, it’s just fermented fruit, right?!)
Paleo roast chicken and carrots (that looks amazing!)
My sister and I made it successfully through our 30 day paleo test. I quickly discovered my favorite lunch option during the week is a salad with avocado, walnuts, pepper, and oil and vinegar. For dinner, we regularly alternate fish and chicken dishes. One of my favorite dinners is an “Italian” dish of meatballs over sautéed zucchini. And after that first 30 days, I noticed I was shedding pounds andfeeling better in general. Nothing motivates you to stick with something like seeing results. So we continued…
Now, more than nine months in, it really has become a lifestyle – second nature in fact. The good news: I can fit into my clothes I had relegated to a box labeled “skinny clothes” that I thought I’d never be able to wear again. The bad news: I’m terrified to ever eat a piece of bread again. 
In January, I added-in a “cheat”: cheese. Some people argue that cheese is ok if it’s really high-quality and from grass-fed cows. I don’t know if that’s generally considered correct or not, but I have really enjoyed having that as an option again, and think I can keep doing paleo for the foreseeable future with cheese in my life again. My absolute favorite: Cowgirl Creamery’s Midnight Moon.  And finally, one of my favorite recipes, courtesy of my sister:
Carrot Ginger Soup


2 shallots, roughly diced
3 tablespoons shaved fresh ginger
2 ½ pounds of carrots, chopped
5 cups organic chicken broth
1 cup coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauté the shallots and ginger on medium heat in olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until the shallots are transparent. Then add the carrots and the chicken stock. Boil for 30 – 45 minutes, or until carrots are soft. Blend with a hand mixer until smooth, and then add the coconut milk and salt and pepper. Blend again. Serve and enjoy!
Do you think you could do Paleo? What did you think of Lindsey’s experience? 
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