Fabulous Grain Free Granola Recipe and Why We Eat Mostly Paleo

My husband loves to have a bowl of cereal right before bed.  He has been doing this since he was a kid he says.  He doesn't like having all those carbs in his belly right before he goes to bed, however.  So he was really excited when I found this recipe for a grain free granola in a cookbook I bought for the kids, Eat Like a Dinosaur.  Everyone loves it that has tried it so far...my Father in Law even saying I should give it out as a gift this Christmas!  This is some tasty granola!

Here is the recipe with the modifications I've made:

Grain-Free Granola

1 1/2 Cups of sliced almond
1 1/2 Cups coconut flakes, chopped (I use this I purchase from Amazon)
1 Cup of walnuts or almonds (ground in the food processor)
1 Cup of macadamia nuts, finely chopped
1 Cup of dried cranberries
4 fresh medjool dates, chopped to the size of the cranberries
1/2 Cup coconut oil, melted and extra for greasing pan (sometimes I use butter instead)
1/3 Cup of raw honey
2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Combine almonds, coconut flakes, nuts, and fruit in a bowl.  Whisk together oil, honey, and cinnamon in another bowl.  Pour oil-honey mixture over nuts and fruit and mix.  Spread into a well greased glass baking dish.  Bake at 275 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to prevent burning.  Store in airtight container at room temperature.

And Why We Eat Paleo...

The Paleo Diet is gluten free, dairy free and full of whole foods.  Most of the food eaten is just meat,  vegetables, and fruit.  There are no artificial sweeteners, colors, or processed foods in the diet.  The diet is also very low carb and low sugar.

Something is obviously wrong in our world.  So many kids have all kinds of allergies, disorders, and cancer is so prevalent.  I believe this is due in large part to all the toxins in our environment, but the changes in our diet are at fault also.  So much of what people eat is processed junk.  People don't cook from scratch anymore.  So our guts are full of yeast and bacteria overgrowth, and food intolerances, allergies, and asthma are now common.  People just accept allergies and asthma as part of their lives.  Go to Disneyland (or anywhere else you see a random sample of our population) and people are obese, with big bellies.  And they have the accompanying health problems that go with their size...diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart problems.

I started serving Paleo food at home because I liked that it keeps blood sugar stable, helps keep inflammation down, and fights yeast overgrowth in the gut (because sugar and carbs feed yeast).  I also liked that it is free of many of the common food allergens.  I had never been gluten free but noticed that quickly after starting the diet, my belly became flatter as I stopped eating gluten.  I read Wheat Belly and better understood why.  It is written by a cardiologist who clearly explains how wheat has been altered to increase yields for farmers and, due to being altered, it is now causing all kinds of problems for people (celiac, IBS, allergies, obesity, etc.)  He says if you get out your grandma's old family pictures and look at the people, you will not see these "wheat bellies" that are so common today.  Very interesting stuff in this book.  Another good one is Why We Get Fat: And What To Do About It.  Here is an interview with the author and an interesting article about why people have trouble losing weight.

The Paleo Diet is not perfect and I know there is no perfect diet.  My husband does some intense workouts several times a week and enjoys them very much.  He needs to supplement with some carbs before and after these workouts so he can have the energy needed for the long workouts.  We also aren't super strict about following it in its entirety.  I still happily serve potatoes (chips too) and some gluten free, carb heavy treats like GF homemade pizza, pancakes, and Mac N Cheese on occasion.  We just eat far fewer carbs than the average American and make most of our food from scratch.  And we also do some dairy and alcohol as we desire.  But we are really enjoying coconut and almond milk, hot dogs and hamburgers without buns, and looking for ways to eat more healthily.

My husband's cousin has started eating Paleo and was joined by some friends at work.  They've all lost weight but the exciting thing is that the people that have done before and after blood work are seeing big improvements in their triglycerides, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels!

I feel better than I ever have since starting this way of eating and I don't miss the bread at all!  The cravings for sugar, flour based treats, and bread are gone.  And I used to love the bread basket at restaurants.  It was seriously a highlight!  Speaking of restaurants, I don't really crave their food anymore either.  Me who LOVED treating myself by going out to dinner.  Now I am happier eating at home.  Never in a million years would I ever thought I'd be here...


Moneysaver:  I buy the ingredients for the granola at Trader Joe's.  Their nuts and dried fruits are so much more affordable than other stores.  I need to look into Costco too.