Verdict Is In

After much debate (and a few days of postponement), the Spencers officially began a regimen involving a mix of Paleo/Advocare/Crossfit that we are calling our “24 Day Challenge.” Advocare actually has a weight loss challenge that is called the 24 day challenge where you stick to a diet similar to Paleo (for at least the first 10 days) and use products to achieve some increased weight loss results over that time period. We decided to use the products recommended for the traditional 24 Day Challenge and maintain a Paleo diet the whole time. I’m challenging myself to also attend Crossfit at least 5 days a week throughout the challenge.

We started this up last Wednesday which officially makes today Day 6. I have worked out 4 of the past 6 days and we’ve been pretty good about sticking with the diet. Last week, I didn’t really do a lot of meal planning so a lot of our food was kind of hodge-podge of whatever we had that sort of fit the diet thrown together into some semblance of a meal. This week, I sat down with my favorite recipe app (epicurious anyone?) and searched for some awesome meals to plan for the week. I went to Sprouts yesterday and stocked up on TONS of fresh produce as well as some snacks for William, who had gotten kind of cranky last week when deprived of his normal daily snacks of cheese and crackers and chips and salsa.

Last night, I made a meal that was so good I didn’t even notice I was “dieting.” I thought I’d share the recipe for other friends who browse the blog and might be looking for something yummy and either “Paleo” or just on the healthy side.

Grilled Salmon with Mango Salsa

Ingredients:
1 Large Salmon filet
2 mango’s (peeled, pitted and diced)
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (I used a little more)
¼ cup chopped red onion (used about half of a large red onion)
Juice of one fresh lime
1 serrano chili (seeded, and minced)
1 tsp grated lime peel
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped or minced)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Prepare the grill and heat to medium-high. Meanwhile, combine the first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Mix in 1 ½ tablespoons of the olive oil. Season your salmon with salt and pepper or your favorite herb combo and brush with remaining ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Grill until done, ( I like to put salmon in a foil pouch to keep it from sticking to the grill and I grill about 10-12 minutes). Top with the salsa and serve!

I heated up a can of black beans mixed with a can of chopped green chiles to serve with this (Black beans are not technically paleo, but I was ok with that). It was a delicious meal and quick and easy to prepare.

Tonight, I’m trying a “Paleo Spaghetti” that uses spaghetti squash in place of the noodles. If it turns out well, I’ll post the recipe tomorrow.