Lacasse - Paleo home cooking : flavorful recipes for a healthy, gluten-free lifestyle

First Published in 2015 by Victory Belt Publishing Inc.

Copyright 2015 Sonia Lacasse

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher.

ISBN-13: 978-1-628600-68-1

This book is for entertainment purposes. The publisher and author of this cookbook are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any adverse effects arising directly or indirectly as a result of the information provided in this book.

Book design by Yordan Terziev and Boryana Yordanova

RRD 0115

To my daughter, my best friend in the entire universe, who has turned my world upside down on more than one occasion and without whom I wouldnt be where I am today. Thank you for being such an amazing woman, for being such a breath of fresh air, and for rocking my world day after day after day.

I love you with all my heart, today, tomorrow, and for eternity.

Index

For as long as I can remember, I have struggled with my weight. As such, I have fallen victim to the diet syndrome more times than I can count on my fingers. In an effort to rid my body of unwanted pounds, I would starve myself and eat rabbit food for months. Sure, the fat would come off, and fairly quickly, too, but it was only a matter of time before I gained it all back because I never knew how to feed my body properly and, more importantly, make it stick.

Several years ago, I decided that I not only wanted to shed some (ahemfifty to sixty) pounds, but also wanted to get in better shape physically. I had already quit smoking two years prior and dramatically lowered my alcohol consumption the year after that, going from several drinks a day to drinking only on the weekends. Eventually, under that new regimen, the need to drink alcohol completely subsided, and now I only indulge in the very occasional drink.

I figured that if Id been able to quit smoking and drinking, two things that I thought were impossible for me to do, then surely I would be able to adopt better eating habits as well as learn to move my body a little bit. My official resolution that year was to be active for a minimum of thirty minutes a day, at least six days a week. I invested in an elliptical machine and a couple of sets of dumbbells and started training at home. I was extra motivated, and that half hour a day soon became an hour. The pounds started to come off, and I felt so much better, so energized, so pumped! I looked forward to my exercise sessions, but before long I began to feel like I needed more, like I needed a tangible goal.

Thats when I started running and set a goal to run a 10K at the Marathon de Montral in September 2010. Not only did I achieve that goal, I surpassed it! I actually ran a half-marathon that year, which I completed in 2 hours, 1 minute, and 40 seconds. I will never, ever forget that time.

Truth is, though, I really hate running. It is much too slow and monotonous for my taste. Plus, I tend to get bored when I do the same thing over and over, day after day after day. So I started cycling instead, but then I got bored with that, too. But over the years, Ive always found new ways to stay motivated and keep my body active by trying all kinds of different exercises, such as resistance training, yoga, Zumba, rowing, and, more recently, CrossFit and weight lifting. The latter I absolutely adore; I think Ive finally found something that I wont get bored with anytime soon. Ive even invested in a small home gym and hired a personal coach so I can work out in the comfort of my own home. To this day, I still make it my business to be physically active at least five days a week, for a minimum of sixty minutes per day. Another resolution that stuck!

For sure you must think that I absolutely love exercising! Well, the truth is, I dont always enjoy it and oftentimes would gladly skip it, but I love the results. I know just how good it is for me, for my body and for my health, and how it makes me feel so much better about myself. Plus, I must admit, it feels great to be in good shape.

Now that exercise is a part of my daily life, I wouldnt dream of quitting. Im no athlete and I struggle sometimes, but I know that the only way I will improve is if I keep going. And that is exactly what I intend to do.

Im convinced of the importance of exercise and think that everyone should move their body on a daily basis. The key is to experiment with different sports until you find one that you enjoy. Whether its swimming, tennis, racquetball, lacrosse, squash, badminton, basketball, skiing, hockey, ballet, tap dancing, karate, kickboxing, spinning, aerobics, or power walking around the neighborhood, theres simply no way you wont be able to find a sport that fits your budget, interests, and lifestyle.

Get out there and get movin!

Being active is just one part of the equation. Back then, my food choices werent always optimal. I realized that I also had to relearn how to nourish my body, and to learn how to cook healthy yet tasty and appetizing meals for myself and my family. Thats when my blog, The Healthy Foodie, came into existence. It was a way for me stay on track and to keep a record of recipes Id created and meals Id eaten. What started as a simple online food diary soon became a real passion. It inspired me and helped me expand my boundaries and make tons of new discoveries through sharing recipes, ideas, and information with other like-minded people.

For most of my life, Ive been what I humorously refer to as a Hard-Corus Humanus Carnivorous. I bet you can tell that I really, really love meat. A meal without at least some kind of animal protein was a concept I could barely grasp. I kept telling all who would listen that I could never, ever become a vegetarian.

But then the funniest thing happened: When I decided to turn my life around and take a walk down the healthy path, I practically became a vegetarian, mainly for ethical reasonsI couldnt stand the way the poor animals were being treatedbut also because I wanted to do what I believed at the time was best for my health. I gave up on eating meat, with the exception of the occasional lean chicken and fish. Whey protein powder and dairy products, namely low-fat cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, became my preferred sources of protein.