I’m a bit of an all-or-nothing kind of girl. My life, particularly where it relates to food and exercise, has been filled with periods of “good” and “bad”, “on” or “off”. It wasn’t until recently (like last week when I blogged about progress) that I realized I’ve actually found a semblance of balance. It turns out that my balance looks a lot like a teeter-totter, not something straight across and even but rather something that goes up and down. Still it’s fairly balanced. I don’t eat perfectly Paleo, but I get back to what nourishes my body pretty quickly, and I don’t workout with perfect intensity every time, but on most days I get my workout done. The thought that I’m finding some consistency in my habits, even if what is consistent is that there is variability, is one that I welcome. It feels good.

I remember when I first started eating Paleo and learning about what is best to put in our bodies. I wanted organic fruits and vegetables only, grass-fed meat and dairy only, everything the best that we could get. I was all-in for sure. I recognized the value of that and wanted to do everything that I could to help properly nourish my family. But it can get expensive and sometimes it can be difficult to adhere to all of the best principles. So what’s a person to do? Throw in the towel and eat cupcakes and pasta because they’re easy to get? I don’t think so.

In my opinion, the answer is to do the best with what you have! In general, choose the best quality fats and protein that you can afford. Coconut oil, ghee, olive oil, avocado oil – these are all great fat sources. Canola oil and processed vegetable oils? Not so much. In fact, I avoid these oils as best that I can and never use them at home. As for meat, if you are cooking with a fattier cut, it’s worth it to splurge on grass-fed or pasture-raised, especially if you plan on eating the fat (like chicken skin). Fat from these sources is actually healthy for you, but it’s a different story with conventional, feed-lot animals. If this is what you can afford or have access to, though, don’t despair and give up. Consider sticking to lean protein or removing the extra fat from other cuts. Here’s the thing: it’s better to go with the lean (conventionally produced) protein than to skip it all together and head to the pasta aisle. Your body gets abundant nourishment from protein and risks inflammation and leaky gut from grains.

The same goes for organic fruits and vegetables. I would love to eat homegrown all the time, but that’s not realistic for my family. I’d also like to eat locally and organically all the time, but even that isn’t practical for us all the time. That doesn’t mean I give up on the desire to support our local farmers and focus on organic produce, it just means that sometimes I have to make a different choice. As often as we can, we choose local, organic produce but in the end, I’d rather eat conventional zucchini than no zucchini at all. I have to have my zoodles!

If you’re choosing when to buy organic, I recommend you shop judiciously. Check out the Environmental Working Group’s dirty dozen:

1. Apples
2. Strawberries
3. Grapes
4. Celery
5. Peaches
6. Spinach
7. Sweet bell peppers
8. Nectarines
9. Cucumbers
10. Cherry tomatoes
11. Snap peas
12. Potatoes

If you can get these organic, do! If you can’t, though, these foods still offer valuable vitamins and minerals and are worth keeping on the menu. Just wash really well and peel when you can, but don’t stop eating vegetables because you can’t get organic.

Here are the Clean 15. These foods don’t have a lot of pesticide residue or have a thick peel so you can stick to conventional to meet your budget.

1. Avocadoes
2. Sweet corn
3. Pineapples
4. Cabbage
5. Sweet peas – frozen
6. Onions
7. Asparagus
8. Mangoes
9. Papayas
10. Kiwis
11. Eggplant
12. Grapefruit
13. Cantaloupe
14. Cauliflower
15. Sweet potatoes

You don’t have to be perfect to nourish your body. Just remember to do the best that you can and never stop learning and striving to support your life with delicious, healthy food. It’s totally worth it!

P.S. If you have any questions you want to put out there, please leave a comment and I’ll be happy to explain more!

I write a Paleo-based blog and I’m a personal trainer at a gym. I wonder sometimes if these two parts of my life mean that I should have this whole Paleo thing figured out. I know what to eat and how to move to be my healthiest, but do I always do that? Heck no! I sure wish I did, but that just isn’t realistic for me at this time. When I decided to become a trainer and then again when I started this blog, I also decided that I wasn’t going to let that “failure” stop me. I believe we are all a work in progress and that it is in the striving that we become who we were meant to be.

My Oxford dictionary says “progress” is “forward or onward movement towards a destination.” I like that. I can honestly say that I am making progress in my journey towards health. I think about things that have changed in my life and can’t remember the last time I had jarred mayonnaise or Heinz ketchup. Meals at home are solidly in the realm of meat/loads of veg/healthy fat and I know what to look for on a restaurant menu. While I don’t always make that best choice, I often do, and if I’m feeling like a treat in the evening, almonds and raisins are insanely good together. I do have to watch that a bit though….

I’d secretly (or not so secretly now) love to be a Paleo Purist. There are a couple of champion bloggers and cookbook authors out there that seem to have the whole thing nailed. They eat healthy, delicious Paleo meals all the time and have reached a point where they only very rarely feel the need to indulge. And if they indulge, it’s with a Paleo-friendly treat. OK. That’s not me. I’d like it to be, but it’s really not. My balancing act is a little more wobbly.

The reason I yearn for that, though, is because I know that when my eating and hormonal response and sleep and life are aligned in that way, I am my healthiest version of me. Ant that is something worth striving for.

Unfortunately, I have decades of food issues and habits and desires that run incredibly deep and some of them are very difficult to untangle and resolve. While some people discover a path to health and it is straight and clear and uncluttered, my journey is a little more meandering. I am learning to come to grips with that, but it’s not easy.

In order for me to make progress in my Paleo life, I’ve begun practicing a sort of “crowding out” policy. Instead of actively removing foods that are less healthy, I just make sure there isn’t much room for them. I figure the more healthy foods fill my day, the better off I’ll be, so when a craving strikes, I’ll be less likely to reach for some sort of junk food and more likely to grab some veggies and guacamole or whip up a Paleo banana bread. And for me, that’s progress.

To support this crowding out philosophy, I am actively looking for new ways to bring greater health and more super-foods into my day. I recently made my first batch of sauerkraut and I’m really excited because it was on my list of things to learn this year and now I know that it’s shockingly simple. It is full of probiotics and is an incredibly healthy food that I happily have next to my eggs each morning. I’m also considering learning how to use grass-fed gelatin, another food with some wonderful healthy benefits. Learning new things is exciting and no matter where you are in your own journey, trying something new can breathe fresh life into it.

There’s a reason everyone knows the saying, “It’s about progress, not perfection.” If we allow ourselves to become crippled by the need to be perfect, then we don’t get to taste the joys that arise along the way. Instead of being blocked by what we might consider a slip, let’s celebrate the healthy steps we take each day! I am sure there are many!

Tell me: What progress have YOU made on YOUR journey?

P.S. Ice cream is one of my favorite non-Paleo foods. For Memorial Day, I plan to make one of these Paleo-friendly ones. I’m thinking Coffee Ice Cream with Salty-Sweet Almonds might be the winner! Let the crowding out begin!

Let’s say you’ve realized that by eating differently you can improve your health, your mind, and your quality of life. (By the way, it’s true!) What is the next question you might ask yourself?

HOW DO I START TODAY, RIGHT NOW, IMMEDIATELY??? WHAT EXACTLY DO I DO?

I think it’s a completely valid question because beginning anything new can be a bit overwhelming and often there is so much information available that it can create a kind of paralysis that keeps us from reaching our goals. We might look at all the new research available or have an inkling of how our pantry needs to be reordered, and it all might seem like it’s just too much.

I get it, I really do – but I want to remind you that you don’t have to do a complete overhaul of your life to begin seeing the benefits of eating healthier. In fact, taking smaller steps may even increase your chance of success because each small, incremental change will become an integral part of who you are. By making a lot of small changes, you might not even realize just how different your life has become – until you look back at where you were and where you are now.

When you look down your path to the future, if you start to feel a little panicky about all the changes that you want to make, then scale back. That anxious feeling is a sign that you’re trying to do too much at once. Instead, figure out what one small change you can make this week and then spend some time practicing it. You might surprise yourself after a few weeks when you see your own transformation.

That being said, some of us respond to change of a greater magnitude. I tend to fall into this category of all-or-nothing. I find that fresh start, that feeling of complete change, quite exhilarating. I’ve discovered, though, that when I take a step back and review those big changes, they’ve actually been incremental. For example, over 18 months ago I decided to complete a Whole 30 challenge. It completely altered how I look at food and what I now know to be healthy. (Previously I was all-in for the Standard American Diet (SAD) – except it wasn’t making me feel healthier.) I wish I could say that from that moment forward I was 100% Paleo because I KNOW it makes me healthier. But I wasn’t. I’m still a work in progress. So although I completely revised how I like to eat and how I strive to eat, it’s still baby steps for me. I still need to regroup periodically and evaluate where I am and then make progress from that point. It’s a little like 2 steps forward, 1 step back. But that’s totally OK. That’s how I make my own incremental changes. And when I look back to where I was then and what my nutrition looks like today, I am truly pleased and proud of the progress I’ve made. I’m not perfect, but I like where I’m going.

So back to that earlier question: How do you start? It’s easy! PLAN. PREP. ACT.

PLAN: Take some time to consider what change or changes you want to make first. When in doubt, go very small. Set a goal that you know you can reach. Make it easy! Make it a sure thing. Don’t worry about any other changes or even about actually doing this one. Just make a plan. Maybe it’s something like buy one new vegetable at the store or find one new recipe to cook. Simply start daydreaming about what you would like to do differently this week. The planning stage is quite creative and can be really relaxing. You’re visualizing a goal that you’d like to achieve – it’s quite powerful to spend some time visualizing yourself achieving that goal too so don’t be afraid to see your success!

PREP: Now it’s time to get a little more serious about your goal(s) so that you can get ready to make them a reality. Start gathering together the things that you need to make it a successful week. Do you need a new water bottle? Do you have some protein that needs to be defrosted? Have you searched the recipe page here or the internet or your bookshelves for some tasty recipes? Have you made a shopping list? This is where you start getting more concrete with your goal. Remember, the goal should be small so the prep will also be relatively easy.

ACT: Get moving! Whatever change you’ve decided to make this week is perfect! Don’t over think it, just do it! Sometimes we get bogged down in the details but there’s really no need. By taking those first steps, like swapping in eggs for your cereal on a single day or two or doubling your veggie serving on Mon-Wed-Fri, you will quickly see that each accomplishment creates a new opportunity to succeed. Before you know it, you’ll be celebrating your accomplishments every week. And that’s a good thing!

Don’t be afraid to start your transformation! Each day brings a new opportunity to start fresh, eat healthier, live more vibrantly. You deserve it!

Looking for a couple meal ideas? Try these:

Pot Roast with Asparagus

Easy Meat Sauce on Spaghetti Squash

Cajun Chicken on Cauliflower Rice

So many of us have lives that are overrun with tasks and obligations that seem to leave us little or no time for anything else. From work to school to kids with sports and families to care for, sometimes it can seem a bit overwhelming. When you add to that a desire to lead a healthy life…well that involves eating right and exercising and finding time to rest. What’s a person to do?

The first thing to consider is that the moment we begin treating our bodies with the care and attention that they deserve, time starts to expand. Think about it. When we’re spiraling down in a flurry of endless activity and all we have time to eat is something processed from a box or grabbed from a drive-thru, our energy decreases dramatically. Then we’re too tired to exercise and think that we don’t have the time anyway, so why not just go take a nap? On the flip side, when we fuel our bodies with healthy, nutritious food that provides us with consistent energy instead of a carb-crash and help our muscles and minds feel energized by creating a regular flow of blood and oxygen through exercise, then we end up creating pockets of free time because we aren’t sluggish or distracted.

I realize that it’s hard at times and that, in the beginning, it seems like you’ll never have more time or energy, but trust me, you will!

One of the things that I hear quite frequently from people is that Paleo or Eating Clean requires a lot more time in the kitchen. There’s truth in this. You do have to start prepping and cooking more – breakfast is something you cook rather than something you pour from a box and lunch is no longer a quick sandwich. I get it! Truly I do. But once you have a few routines under your belt, it gets a lot easier. And if you plan for the occasional emergency, before you know it, you’ll be a pro!

Busy Week? Prep on the Weekend!

If you find that your weeks are too crazy to cook, then take some time on the weekend to ensure that you have things on hand. There are many different ways to handle weekend prep. I’ve said this before, but if you haven’t seen my Whole 30 Fast 5 post, you should really check it out. I get these things ready nearly every week. Use your weekend to get a few extra veggies ready to go as well. Maybe that means cooking up a batch of roasted broccoli or washing/peeling carrots, celery, and snap peas. Make some ranch dressing or guacamole to go along with it and you’ll be in business. You can even prep a giant bowl of salad with lettuce, bell peppers, and carrots and put a lid on it for the beginning of the week. When you’re ready to eat, toss in a few cherry tomatoes and top with your favorite Paleo dressing and you’ve got a side for any protein you want. Like meatballs!

Busy Night? Use Your Slow Cooker!

I love my slow cooker. One of my favorite things to do is challenge myself to get dinner ready while I’m scrambling up some eggs for breakfast. That means get some meat seasoned, veggies cut, and the whole thing going in the slow cooker in about 5 minutes. I know that some people insist on browning their meat and precooking certain vegetables, but I’m lazy. If I’m using my slow cooker, it’s because I need to get in and out in a hurry and have something tasty when I get home. Check out this Pork Shoulder with Sage or my favorite from Nom Nom Paleo Slow Cooker Kalua Pig.

Busy All the Time? Use Your Freezer!

If you are someone who is constantly running around, who never has a moment to spare in the kitchen, then the freezer is your friend. It means you’ll need to do a little prep on the weekend or maybe even a cooking marathon, but in a day or two you can have several different things cooked and tucked away in your freezer. In my own freezer, you’ll often find this or this or even this. I tend to save things in two different ways: single-serve or large batch. I like to have both on hand because if I come home from somewhere and need lunch in a hurry, then grabbing a single serving of meat sauce from the freezer can satisfy me in about 10 minutes with nothing more than a microwave. Other times, I save several servings of something because I know a day will come when I don’t feel like cooking and my kind of take-out is the one I take out of the freezer!

Emergency? Try This!

Have you ever had a day when your kid’s soccer game went too long or you stayed late at work? What about coming home after running just one last errand and suddenly you’re starving? These are the moments when you’re tired, exhausted even, and really don’t want to cook. Maybe this is one of those times where delivery seems the only option. It’s not! When you’re really hungry, it can be tough to think straight and our old habits kick in and we think, we truly believe, that what will taste best is pizza or Chinese food or a giant burrito. What I have found is that during these moments, if I can just summon enough energy to make an omelet or open a can of tuna and mix it with mayo, lemon, and a few cherry tomatoes, then I am home free. You’re hungry and your body needs fuel. Don’t give it junk – give it what it really needs and your emergency can become your success.

Prioritizing health and wellness in a busy life can be challenging, but I assure you, it’s totally worth it and absolutely doable!