Why All the Confusion? (aka, Is Peanut Oil Paleo?)

What is Peanut Oil?

As the name suggests, this is the oil that’s derived from peanuts. (It is also known as groundnut oil or arachis oil.)

In the US, peanut oil is commonly used in restaurants (think Chick Fil A if you’re from the South), and it’s often touted for its health benefits.

Peanut oil typically has:
— 46% Mono-unsaturated fats
— 32% Poly-unsaturated fats, and
— 17% Saturated fats

So, it’s definitely not as high in monounsaturated fats (MUFA) as an oil like olive oil (which has typically over 70% MUFA) and yet has a ton of polyunsaturated fats, which can be easily oxidized and cause the oil to go rancid.

Another key reason for why peanut oil became so popular is its high smoke point — 446F (230C). This is higher than an oil like olive oil, whose smoke point typical ranges between 338-446F (170-230C). And the more refined the peanut oil (or any oil for that matter), the higher its smoke point will be.

Is Peanut Oil Paleo?

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Simple Paleo Crumbled Fish Sauté

One of the things I love about fish (apart from its deliciousness) is just how fast it cooks!

And, as an extra bonus, fish defrosts quickly if you buy it frozen.

All of this adds up to a super fast meal!

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Paleo Ropa Vieja Zucchini Boats

This recipe was a huge hit with my family – you can substitute any type of squash for the zucchinis.

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Paleo Is NOT for Everyone: 7 Reasons it Might Be Right for You

I’ve struggled with staying in shape for most of my life.  Every morning when I’d wake up, one of the first thoughts to cross my mind was how much I hated being fat and out of shape.  I thought about it probably 10 times as much as I thought about anything else during the day.

And here’s the scary part – this was after I had lost 50 pounds via running and eating very low calorie.  I wasn’t obese at that point in my life, but I was nowhere close to where I wanted to be.  I struggled every day to get a little bit more in shape.

Any of that sound familiar?  Ever felt like losing weight and staying in shape was a constant struggle?

Well, I found the Miracle Solution, and for just $9.95 plus shipping and handling, you too can eat anything you want, sit in front of your TV all day, and have six-pack abs…..

Yeah.  Right.

I didn’t find a miracle solution, and you’re not going to either.  What I did find was a diet and lifestyle that made staying in-shape and healthy a lot easier and a lot more fun.

I think everyone should go Paleo, but the choice is yours.  If you are in a mood to be persuaded, then keep reading (otherwise, get lost!):

7 Reasons You Should Go Paleo

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No Time To Cook Paleo? – My 3-Step System to Never Being Hungry No Matter How Busy You Are!

When Life Gets Hectic…

If you’re like me, then there are a lot of periods of your life when things get crazy hectic, and I mean really crazy hectic!

During those periods (e.g., finals at school, when all your kids are suddenly at home during the summer, or when work is overbearing), what you eat becomes less of a concern as Everything Else takes over!

I definitely recall that when my workload at the law firm increased, my diet would take a dramatic turn for the worse (let’s not even talk about my sleep and exercise!). Suddenly, the vending machine would unceasingly call my name and every dish on every take-out menu would make my mouth water.

I thought those stressful times were over when I quit the law firm life a month ago, but then the wedding planning kicked in. I’m sure anyone who has ever planned their own wedding will sympathize with me when I say that the week leading up to the wedding was definitely a bit stressful (and that’s a huge understatement)!

And to have to cook during that week for the entire family?? Hell, NO!

Thankfully, I had a system in place already which made eating healthy and Paleo for that week a breeze, and I’m going to share with you that amazing 3-step system in this post.

And don’t worry, I’m not just giving you some general fluff advice like “remember to plan your meals in advance” – these are concrete step-by-step details!

Download Our Favorite Paleo Recipes For Free

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The Ultimate Paleo Coffee

Watch the Bloopers at the End!

This coffee is what I’ve been loving recently! And I’m showing you how to make it in my very first video on YouTube – I even designed my channel art last night (*feeling smug*).
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Paleo Primer Book Review – How To Eat Your Way To Less Stress

Book Title:

The Paleo Primer

Authors:

Keris Marsden and Matt Whitmore

How To Eat Your Way To Less Stress

1. Your Daily Brew
I’ve been on a bit of a coffee craze since meeting Dave Asprey (the Bulletproof coffee guy) a few months ago.

From barely being able to make instant coffee, I now buy cool “third-wave” coffee and own a grinder and coffee maker!

But is coffee good for you? Is coffee even Paleo?
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Simple Paleo Seaweed (Kombu) Salad

Do you end up eating the same foods over and over because you’re too scared to cook new foods?

I was just like that before. I would look at something odd in the supermarket, say “I’ve never seen this before,” and then move on.

Unfortunately, that leads to a rather boring diet.

I got over this (for the most part) by just being brave, taking the plunge, and forcing myself to buy the weird looking vegetable/fruit/meat, and then googling how to cook it when I got home.

So, today, I want to introduce you to this simple seaweed recipe so that if you ever see seaweed sold (usually in Asian supermarkets), you’ll push past your fear and try it!
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4 Reasons Why You Should Be Eating Seaweed

Seaweed? I can see you closing this post already! Don’t!!

I know it’s not a common food, but it’s super healthy and really easy to prepare – I’ve got a recipe coming in a few days.

So, what’s so great about a food that has the word “weed” in it??
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5 Essential Tips for Creating Healthy Paleo Habits

Have you ever felt like you’ve been trying forever to reach the same goal? Like you’re constantly struggling to stay on track – occasionally making progress – but often stalling or regressing? Maybe you lose a little weight only to regain it, or you eat healthier for a while only to cheat for a week or 2?

Most of us don’t like to talk about the constant ebb and flow struggle to eat healthy and get in shape, because it makes us feel like failures for never reaching our goals. It’s a situation that almost everyone faces, but unfortunately, it’s an issue that very few people solve.

I’d go so far as to say that it’s the normal condition for most people to never actually reach 99% of their health and fitness goals.

Whether you’ve been trying to lose 50 pounds for the last decade or have been dreaming about having six-pack abs since high school, it’s frustrating, depressing, and painful to never achieve our long term health goals.

There’s a Missing Link

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What do you eat if you don’t eat bread? – My Paleo Wedding Menu

I hate how some people think that Paleo is not delicious to eat.

Have you ever had people ask you: “What do you eat if you don’t eat bread?”

I get asked this a lot, and my reaction is usually a fake laugh while inside my head, I’m thinking “ARE YOU CRAZY??”

But they’re not crazy, because we’re so bombarded by the food industry with crappy food that we forget what truly good food really is. One of my first reactions to Paleo many moons ago was: “What can you eat if there’s no cereal for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, and pasta for dinner?”

I was faced again with this issue when planning my wedding (which is this Saturday). I have 60 non-Paleo family and friends attending, and they’re probably all wondering “ARE THEY GOING TO SERVE ME JUST BACON AND SWEET POTATOES?” (That’s a pretty delicious image, but not really wedding style.)

So, I had to go in search of a caterer who would cook a scrumptiously delicious and visibly beautiful wedding meal. Many of you probably think that was seriously difficult. After all, it’s hard to even find a single Paleo restaurant to eat at!

But it was surprisingly not hard at all, and Joshua Charles is the man who is making my wedding so special. I can’t thank him and Marian enough for making our Paleo Wedding dream become reality. (His team is even going to cook EVERYTHING in olive oil, coconut oil, or butter/ghee!)

In case you don’t believe me, here is the menu and some photos from the tasting (courtesy of my good friends, Caroline and Wayne, who did the tasting in California for us while we were still in NYC).
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Mushrooms Sauteed with Red Wine and Rosemary

Jeremy and I have been doing quite a bit of wine tasting in preparation for the upcoming wedding (we’re having a wine and food pairing plus a separate dark chocolate tasting in lieu of desserts after dinner).

With 15 bottles of wine to taste and only a handful of friends close by, we sadly ended up with several mild hangovers and more than a few unfinished bottles of wine!

So this mushroom dish soaked up a little bit of our unfinished good wine (although you can use any cheap red wine for this). It’s a delicious, quick, and easy side dish to go with a beef dish (like a steak or a roast).

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Paleo Green Beans and Potatoes

Are These Paleo?

I’m sure many of you are wondering whether this is even a Paleo recipe! But rest assured – it is!

For why Green Beans are Paleo, read this article.

For why Potatoes are Paleo, read this post.

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7 Proven Ways that Ditching Grains will Change Your Life

Sometimes we have the remarkable ability to convince ourselves that something is fantastic when we actually hate it.

For instance, when I was 19 or 20, I had just lost a lot of weight. My diet (based on a couple years of reading and researching mainstream health information) generally consisted of eating a lot of low-fat, high-fiber whole grains. Hello Fiber One.
And it worked (sort of). I worked my butt off every day by running or playing sports, and I religiously avoided almost all high-fat, high-calorie foods. I managed to stay relatively slim (although always with a few extra pounds of fat that I could never completely shed). And yet…

I hated every minute of eating that way.

I was constantly hungry and tempted to cheat on my diet.

Still, at the time, because I had just lost a bunch of weight, I somehow convinced myself that I loved eating and living that way. I remember telling everybody about it.

Learn to Enjoy Life (and Stop Eating Grains)

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Quick Paleo Fajitas and Counting My Blessings

A terrific friend gave me this amazing book: The Magic by Rhonda Byrne. The magic of the book is practicing being grateful for what you have and for the people in your life.

Most of us say “Thank You” when we receive something, but feeling true gratitude doesn’t always come naturally (I know it doesn’t for me!). And feeling true gratitude is what will allow us to open our hearts and minds to other great things.

And so, here I am on Day 1 of my Magic Practice:

Count Your Blessings.

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