Are you a Yo-Yo?

My friend emailed me and asked me to blog about yo-yo dieting.  According to Merriam-Webster, “yo-yo” refers to “a condition or situation marked by regular fluctuations from one extreme to another.”  In other words, we try to follow Paleo as much as we can: eating lean meats, lots of vegetables, and a little bit of fruit, but then we go off the deep end, and down 3 beers with a cheeseburger and fries.  We all are a yo-yo dieter at some point.

Here is the story of my friend:  He tries to follow a strict Paleo diet, but works in an environment where sweets are endless.  Every other day is someone’s birthday or baby shower or retirement party, and because apparently the only available item to serve at parties is donuts and candy, this type of food is prevalent in their office on a daily basis.  This scenario probably sounds familiar.  I swear people look at me as if I have sprouted another head when I tell them I do not want a cookie or a piece cake.

So what should you do?  Eat candy and donuts Monday through Friday and take off on the weekend?  No!  Pretend you do not have a sweet tooth and sit and sulk while everyone else enjoys delicious chocolate?  No!  Avoid partaking in the treats, but then devour a whole bag of Oreos on the weekend by yourself?  No!  Have delicious Paleo treats and/or meals that satisfy your sweet tooth?  YES!

Here are 5 meals/snacks that are Paleo, but will surely satisfy your sweet tooth. 

1. Paleo Chocolate Coconut Milkshake – Throw a ripe banana in the freezer for 20 or so minutes, then blend banana, some raw cocoa powder (no exact measurement required), some unsweetened shredded coconut, and cold coconut milk to cover all those ingredients.  Blend it all together and enjoy your Paleo Chocolate Coconut Milkshake.
2. Ginger Apple Shredded Pork in the Crockpot – recipe borrowed from Paleomg.com – Basically, pork, onion, apples, cinnamon, ginger, etc. – Throw it all in your crockpot!  Full recipe can be found here (I omitted the honey and it still tasted amazing): http://paleomg.com/honey-ginger-apple-shredded-pork/
3. Paleo Pumpkin Not Pie – ½ cup of canned pumpkin, ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce, a dash of pumpkin pie spice, and almonds on top
4. Sweet Potato Casserole – Bake your sweet potatoes, whip in some coconut milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and throw toasted pecans on top.
5. Berries and Milk – Throw some dethawed blueberries in a dish with cold coconut milk, and add a heaping spoon of almond butter.  Yum, yum!

There are plenty of sweet Paleo snacks and meals, but these are five of my favorites.  They are all super easy to make, guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth, and all can be pre-made and brought to work…… so while everyone is enjoying their chocolate cake, you can enjoy your Paleo Chocolate Coconut Milkshake!

~ Savannah FitNut aka Morgan McNeal