Lyme disease is a battle that must be waged on many fronts, and diet is one of them, as it can help combat lyme-induced inflammation. The Paleo diet is considered anti-inflammatory, and has been recommended to me by numerous doctors and nutritionists, so I’m pretty sure it’s a good bet. Plus, I’ve tried every diet modification on the planet, and I seem to feel best on Paleo. So, Paleo it is.
You can read about the Paleo diet in glorious detail here, but these are the headlines:
- In: Animals, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, fats.
- Out: Gluten, dairy, added sugar, legumes, grains, anything processed.
I am sure some of you are freaking out, but the Paleo diet is completely doable, if you are motivated, which I am. I’ve gotten to the point that feeling better is more important than anything I’m not putting in my mouth. This was a process and did not happen overnight, and I still have occasional moments of regret and remorse for my lost digestion and food choices, but 99.9% of the time I am perfectly happy with what I’m eating. And importantly, what I’m not eating.
And remember, I am on a liquid diet for breakfast and lunch, so I only need to navigate one solid meal per day, which makes things easier.
The Paleo diet has also been proven to be helpful with many GI and autoimmune conditions, so if you or somebody you know is struggling, you may want to check it out.
I cook most days, and it’s always Paleo, but I have done a horrible job of sharing my Paleo meals, tips and tricks. I will try to remedy that beginning with this post.
This is a simple stir fry I made the other night. The vegetables are carrots, summer squash, spinach, and celery. There are chicken thighs underneath.
I simply cubed the chicken thighs and sauteed them with a touch of ghee. (This is the brand I buy – must be organic and grass fed). Then I plated the chicken and popped it into an oven set at 200 degrees to keep it warm. Then I added a little more ghee to the pan and sauteed my vegetables. Once they were a little soft, I added a splash of water (normally I would use homemade bone broth, but we are in the process of moving, and I haven’t had time to make any) and a blend of spices — I used tumeric, corriander, cumin and nutmeg. I stirred it all up, and then added the juice of a blood orange, and a bit of fresh ginger. I put the lid on the pan and let the veggies simmer until crisp tender. Then I added the chicken back in to let the flavors combine, and that was it. I garnished with chopped cilantro. Including chopping, I don’t think this meal took more than 30 minutes from start to finish.
It was fast, Paleo, simple and tasted great. This can be served over cauliflower rice, or over mashed cauliflower, or used as the inside of a lettuce wrap or omelette. If you have non-Paleo family members, you could easily serve this with quinoa or brown rice, as I did for my daughter.
If you tolerate onions and garlic (I don’t), this dish would be even better if you added them, but it had plenty of flavor without.
I don’t know if this seems easy or hard to you, but honestly, chopping and stirring are the only skills required.
I hope this was helpful in some way, and I will do a better job of including food posts, as I am constantly cooking.
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