paleo – Do The Work Today

Happy Sunday. I hope everyone has been able to find some time to rest and relax.

While I love lazy Sundays, it also means meal prep for Team Harrison. This week is particularly unique, because it’s the first time we are integrating our new diet with the kids meals. This means we will be trying to remove diary, gluten, nuts, and animal protein as much as possible. This doesn’t mean we are going to force the kids to follow some strict diet, but rather change the foods we put in front of them and see how it goes. I thought I had convinced Scout that Hemp milk was delicious, but she said it was gross so I bought her regular grass fed, organic Whole Milk. Remember, this is a journey, so nothing is going to happen overnight.

For the first half of the week, I am preparing Lettuce Wraps, Vegan Lasagna, Kale and White Bean Soup, Pesto Chickpea Pasta, and some Greensbury Organic Free Range Chicken tenders with gluten free crust.

A few people reached out and asked me if I wouldn’t mind sharing some of the recipes, so today I’ll share the Lettuce Wraps.

This recipe is derived is from Longeve, the company where I buy my plant based protein crumbles. Thus far, I’ve only used this product for the Lettuce Wraps and Vegan Lasagna, but I am really impressed at the quality and taste of their product. I’ve modified the recipe to fit my nutritional needs, but you can find the original recipe here.

FILLING:

1 1/2 cups of Longeve crumbles

1/4 cup of coconut aminos

2 tsp of toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp of sunflower butter

2 tsp of ginger, fresh grated

1 tsp of sriracha

1 cup of mushrooms (for my diet I use shiitake or maitake), finely chopped

1 shallot, diced

2 tbsp of coconut oil

2 tsp of garlic, chopped

1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped

1 cup of carrots, finely chopped

1/2 cup of scallions, sliced

14 oz can of bamboo shoots, drained and chopped

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

1 head of Bibb lettuce, separated for wraps

1 tbsp of sesame seeds toasted

1 cup of mung bean sprouts

SAUCE:

1/4 cup of coconut aminos

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

PREPARATION:

(1) Prepare the Longeve crumbles by adding 3/4 cup of hot water and let sit for 5 minutes

(2) Whisk the coconut aminos, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, sunflower butter, grated ginger and sriracha until smooth and put aside for later

(3) Heat the coconut oil to in a large skillet over medium to high heat.

(4) Add garlic

(5) Add mushrooms

(6) Add Longeve crumbles and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently

(7) Add shallots and lower heat to medium and cook for 3-4 minutes more, while continuing to stir

(8) Add garlic, carrot, scallions, and bamboo shoots and cook for 2-3 minutes more, stirring occassionally

(9) Add Cilantro

(9) Add the prepared sauce mixture to the skillet and stir to combine all the ingredients. Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes

(10) Remove from heat, salt and pepper to taste

(11) Place two spoonfuls of the cooked mixture into the Bibb Lettuce leaf. Drizzle some sauce and top with bean sprouts, scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

I hope you enjoy.

Happy Saturday morning.

I hope everybody had a good and productive week. I know for me, it was a hard one. I completed my Prolon fast and successful lost 10 lbs in six days. It just goes to show (1) how much crap I put into my body while in Cape Cod and (2) how amazing the human body is at detoxing and cleansing if you give it the chance.

Today, I wanted to touch on the simplest form of movement that I think is one of the easiest and most beneficial activities to add to your daily routine – walking. Did you know that the American Heart Association (where my wife Angie worked for 16 years) recommends a minimum 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity every week with a goal of 300 minutes each week? For me that’s 6 days of trail walking for 50 minutes.

Walking is amazing, easy form of activity that humans have been doing since the beginning of time.

If you are currently following a Paleo or Keto diet, did you know that our ancestors walked an average of 5-7 miles every day? They were constantly on the move.

Walking also gives you time to think and reflect. I am very fortunate that we live on a street that has access to the Barton Creek Greenbelt. This affords me miles and miles of wilderness trails with uneven terrain and beautiful views. More importantly, I can take my dog Ziggy and let her off the leash so she gets her daily exercise. Some days, I stop and find somewhere to sit and meditate. It is very important for us to connect with nature. We all need to smell, hear and experience nature for our bodies to be in harmony.

My brother-in-law, Tony Dorsett always mentions that the healthiest old people in his lake community are the ones he sees walking every morning.

When I worked at AOL, it was very common to have walking work meetings. Everyone would meet and walk across the campus and discuss business while getting some fresh air and exercise.

Now in the time of Covid, it’s important to social distance, so perhaps meeting someone new and going for a walk outdoors is a way to connect.

No matter what your goals might be, adding a daily walk can only help. It provides aerobic exercise, fresh air and time to clear your head.