Alright, you know the drill and I’m in charge here. I throw the deck of cards all over the floor and then you pick them up while I point and laugh… Man, I love this game! Just kidding – but you have to admit that game kicks ass when you’re the one throwing the cards…
Let’s get serious now, no more games. So, here we are, it’s February and the New Year’s resolutions have lost their steam and 30 day challenges are over. You’re probably looking forward to eating something besides eggs for breakfast, salad for lunch and chicken and broccoli for dinner. Yeah, a burger (with the bun and maybe a side of onion rings) sounds damn tasty right now…
Sure, paleo eating is one of the best things you can do for your body, performance and health but more times than not you end up eating the same thing over and over and over… Can you say BORING?? Your taste buds have seen about as much action as someone in this situation (trust me – watching paint dry is downright riot worthy in comparison…). Seriously, it’s a wonder you’ve been able to subside on eggs and chicken this long without growing feathers and a beak. This is hardcore food fatigue here folks and I’m going to be brutally honest with you – are you ready for this? Wait for it… THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD REASON FOR IT!!! Yep, you heard me – if you’re in a state of Chronic Food Fatigue Syndrome (CFFS) it’s no one’s fault but your own. Do you feel victimized? Well don’t; because even if you are suffering from a nasty case of CFFS – I’ve got a solution for you so that it never happens again. This has got to be one of the best ideas I’ve ever had – no joke (although that says a lot about my past ideas…). So, here’s my thought and where the 52 Pick-Up comes in…
There are how many weeks in a year? Come on, you know this one – pretend this is Jeopardy and you’ve wagered everything. That’s right – there are 52 weeks every single year – no exceptions. Now, what if every week you added just ONE new food or ONE new recipe to your grocery cart or menu? Think about it – by the end of the year, you’d have 52 NEW taste adventures for your ‘bored buds’ and it doesn’t even seem like a lot of work now does it? ONE new food or recipe every 7 days – if you can’t commit to that, then you have more issues than my last boyfriend… I’m not saying something new EVERY day but throw caution to the wind once a week. If you’re in a chicken rut, try getting crazy with some beef, pork, fish, bison – or get really wild. If broccoli and spinach are the only vegetables you’ve ingested in the past two weeks, take a stroll through the produce department and branch out. Check out these EXTENSIVE lists for more vegetable and fruit options than you even knew existed. There are hundreds of different herbs and spices to use on your foods. Here’s a list of 8 a great options to get you started. And, guess what? You may think I’m ‘nuts’ here – but nuts and olive oil aren’t your only fat options. Try coconut oil, olives, coconut meat, coconut chips, avocado and guacamole. Seriously, look at all these options! And we haven’t even touched the recipe possibilities. How can you justify your CFFS? I mean really – go sell crazy somewhere else…
I know what you’re thinking, “Who’s got time for this cooking thing?” Am I right? (Don’t even try to pretend you weren’t thinking it.) Well, rest easy folks; you don’t have to be a gourmet chef or spend hours in the kitchen to make a great tasting meal. There are so many great paleo cookbooks that are full of excellent, quick, easy options. And there’s this great tool that can help you find tons of options for free!! So now what’s your excuse? Let’s make the next 52 weeks an eating adventure! Your body and your taste buds will be forever grateful!
This is a game we can all win! Let’s Play 52 Pick-Up – Stack your deck!
“eggs for breakfast, salad for lunch and chicken and broccoli for dinner”? Where’s the steaks and roasts, mannnn?
You have things figured out!
Great stuff
Hi Amy. I’m strict paleo during week. Cheat a little on weekends. But my blood work shows high cholesterol. I’ve had high cholesterol even before paleo. I train 5 days a week and have been active in martisl arts and weight training all my life. (Martisl arts since 4 yr old). So I eat right. Workout a lot what’s my issue and how do I fix it?
Ernie!
It’s tough to say without some more information about you. Consider your family health history and there may be some diet components that you need to modify. I’d love to help you get it figured out. Let me know if you’re interested – http://robbwolf.com/about/team/amy-kubal/ and you can also check out Chris Kresser’s High Cholesterol Action Plan – http://chriskresser.com/announcing-the-high-cholesterol-action-plan if you’d like.
If you REALLY want to have an in depth understanding of cholesterol, register for free at lecturepad.org and navigate to Dr. Thomas Dayspring’s two part lectures on lipid, lipid transport and what really matters in terms of blood levels. There is a lot more to it than “high cholesterol.” It is encyclopedic and free!
Ed- doc daysprings material is central to the risk assessment program. And yes, lecture pad is amazing!
she’s absolutely right — i can’t think of anything LESS boring than my current LC-P diet!
I love this article! I have fallen in love with cookbooks from the many paleo-lifestyle authors. Great guidance Robb!
I mean, great guidance Amy. Looking forward to listening to Healthy Comedy. First 2 minutes in and you are already throwing zingers!
Thanks Paul! And keep listening to the podcast – we’re still rusty and it’s definitely going to get funnier!! 🙂
When CFFS strikes us we play the alphabet game. We assign 3 letters to each day over a week period (gives us some flexibility to ignore a few difficult letters) and our meals must include compliant food that start with those letters. Makes for interesting combinations, challenging shopping and planning. I try and bargain for the ‘T’ and the ‘W’. Tequilla and Wine!
I have to admit, I got to a point where I got sick of eggs… and they fell out of the rotation for a while…
We had orange beef started in homemade beef stock, braised kraut (homemade kraut, beef stock for the braise), and apples with onions for dinner tonight. Nope, don’t see anything boring there, 🙂 When I get stuck, my go-to cook books are The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking, and The All Around the World Meat Cookbook. Neither is strictly paleo but with a few tweaks, both offer many interesting and exciting new ideas.
Very true! Seasonal eating has helped me quite a bit- I think I have practiced my own watered down version on 52 pickup just from that. Love the comparison though- with all these great foods out there Paleo eating should be anything but boring. Even if it is I think that’s ok- my guess is that most of our evolution didn’t include a different meal every day or week for that matter but I will certainly appreciate the variety I become accustomed to! 🙂 Nice article and thoughts.
For the “no time to cook” crowd, crock pots and outdoor smokers are wonderful inventions that will handle some nice slow cooking for you while you’re at work.
Nothing quite like a pork shoulder, rubbed down with a mix of savory aromatics like thyme and marjoram, some crushed juniper berries or crumbled bay leaves, and some hickory powder or cinnamon, then tossed in the smoker before leaving for work and left alone at about 200 – 225 F for 12+ hours…