Paleo Challenge...Now we're in May!

May is a big month for us.  We have two birthdays (Josiah is 8, Jeremiah is 5)...Anniversary (9 yrs on Cinco de Mayo)...and this year we have Haley graduating with her Bachelors Degree...along with two music dates for the band and the various other daily busyness-things we do.  When I am busy, sometimes I forget to eat.  That is a bad time to go shopping, or out to lunch, or even look at food.  How can I combat this issue?

One thing I have learned is to ALWAYS have healthy food with me.  We live 10 miles outside of town, so driving back and forth to the house once we're in town isn't an option.  I have gotten into the habit of packing at least a small lunch bag with things that I know won't ruin my progress.  Things like boiled eggs, cut up veggies, an apple, a couple of servings of almonds...anything that fits into the plan.  But for days (like today) when I was too tired to get out of the house on time, much less pack a lunch, I resolve to find the MOST healthy option available on short notice.  Here are some options I've discovered recently:

• Carne Asada with Pico de Gallo
• I picked this up at my favorite Taqueria recently.  They were FLABBERGASTED when I didn't want the tort, the beans, the cheese.  It was absolutely delish, and I could only eat HALF of the HUGE portion they gave me...so I shared it with my hubby....see? It improves relationships too!
• Steamed Veggies & Chicken
• I LOVE LOVE LOVE Chinese Food, but I HATE HATE HATE MSG!  And most Chinese style cuisine is LOADED with carbs.  But I discovered at our local Charlie's that I could order ANY meat and veggies STEAMED!  There is no fatty oil, no MSG, no gooey sugary sauces, and no cornstarch.  I don't feel deprived at all!
• Salad with meat
• Any restaurant that serves salad and meat will usually make you a salad with some sort of grilled or poached meat sliced on top of it.  But remember that most restaurants put cheese or fatty dressing on their salads, so ask for that on the side, or like me - not at all.  My favorite place to order this is our local Francisco's, with the fajita meat.
• Meat, Ala Carte
• Again, any restaurant that serves meat will usually allow you to order their meat ala carte.  So if I'm dying for a burger at someplace like Applebee's, I usually order the patty (no cheese, please - or other fatty condiments) with EXTRA veggies (lettuce, tomato, etc) and a side salad (hold the croutons, cheese & dressing please).  Then I cut up part of the burger and eat it with the veg/salad .  The meat adds enough flavor to the salad that it really doesn't need the dressing.
• When in doubt, stop at the grocery
• If I've sprinted out of the house and I don't know what to do, I will stop at a conveniece store (LAST RESORT) and pick up a small pack of jerky and a little sack of almonds and have just a few.  The high protein content kills the extreme hunger of a busy day until I can get something more substantial.  Then, for usually less that I would spend on eating out, I can drop into any grocery store and pick up something fresh and healthy in the produce area, as well as a pack of ready-to-eat/already cut up chicken breast, or other animal protein option.

The main thing I try to remember is to NEVER leave home without a bottle of water.  Thirst is often mistaken for hunger.  I spent a LONG TIME learning to recognize the difference between hunger and thirst.  If you feel sick, headachey, or just generally lethargic, you are probably thirsty/dehydrated.  If you feel LOOPY, dizzy, or faint, you are probably over-hungry.  In addition to these signs, I usually notice that I need to eat something about every 3 hours, even if it's just a handful of nuts.  If I go much longer than that, I usually lose my ability to choose wisely and just wolf down whatever is within reach.

Strategize your day and make your goal an important part of planning your day, your grocery shopping, your appointments, etc.  It pays.  Sometimes it pays slowly, but it's better than looking back 20 years from now wishing you had made those changes "back then" like I did!