Effectively immediately, you can now view my posts at my new hangout:  Primal Chat.  You’ll find the same great stuff you have always found (at least I hope so) and I think you’ll find some pretty cool new features.  Primal Chat is a test in progress, but I’m already liking what I see.  In an email conversation with THE Mark Sisson, here is what he had to say:  “Great job getting PrimaChat up and running. And great idea on the tagline – “Resolve to Evolve”… nice.“  One day up and running and I already have the “endorsement” from the GrokFather of them all!

The new site has an email newsletter I’m testing, social media links in the sidebar, book recommendations, a clever plug-in that lets you zoom in on pictures, videos and better navigation overall.  I really love the site and think you will, too.  Are you ready to “Resolve to Evolve?”  If so, come check it out.

On a related note, the first #primalchat was held on Twitter tonight.  Holy cow, the amount of people and conversation for 1 1/2 hours was overwhelming.  It was chaos and anarchy all at the same time.  There must be an art to doing these chats via Twitter, but I didn’t get the memo.  Well, there’s always more to learn.

I gained a few more friends in the Primal world and I hope that others new or foreign to living Primal can pick up some common knowledge from our talk.

There are so many misconceptions about eating/living/going Primal (or Paleo).  The book, Primal Blueprint, is in the Top 20 in 3 categories under Health, Mind and Body.  That shows definitive interest in the topic.  But, there are many on the Fringe that need to know more about what being Primal is really about.  No, we don’t wear loin cloths nor carry clubs (well, maybe a few).  We’re not a “cult,” as one person mentioned in a recent blog post.  Primal folks are plain old everyday folks – the major difference is that we care about our bodies and have learned that our major food sources are tainted which can cause lifelong health problems.  We eat right now so that our bodies will enjoy a longer life later.

Healthcare costs are on the rise.  We can trust the government to do something about it (uh, yeah….).  But at the core, we must affect change at the grassroots level in the meantime and that means informing people that the way they eat is all wrong.  Our society is killing themselves everyday.  Companies put out ads and products that lead us down the path of poor health, even though they appear to be doing otherwise.  We see attractive middle aged ladies swinging while eating the latest Jello-Mousse product with the caption “Me O-Clock.”  Sure it’s a 60-calorie treat and if consumed by itself could be a nice indulgence every now and then.  But our society doesn’t stop at just one or two, do we?  “Hey, it’s low cal, so I can go for a few extra!”  And we do.

And if that isn’t enough, the sweetened products that say no or low calorie – can be as abusive to our bodies as adding the sugar in.  It’s called insulin response – and in some people, even sweeteners can elicit that response and pull you in to the horrible whirlpool called diabetes.  That’s where the Primal Blueprint and going Primal can help.  It’s all about moderating our insulin folks.  It’s a simple concept but often misunderstood.  And easily so since many of us didn’t get a degree in biology – but when you look into it, its not so tough.

OK, I’m going to get off my soapbox and invite you to tomorrow night’s inaugural PrimalChat on Twitter.  To participate, first log onto Twitter (assuming you have an account – if not, it’s pretty easy to do so).  From there you can use Twitter’s search bar or you can Google for other various Twitter search engines.  As you ask questions or answer, simply add “#primalchat” to the end of your message.  This is  called a hashtag and allows others to search for conversations occurring about primalchat in real-time.  You can reply directly to a person or pose a question – either way as long as you use the hashtag, others can more readily find your comments, even if they don’t normally follow you.  Twitter “chats” or forums like this are a great way to meet others, find new info and gain new friends.

I hope you can join the first #PrimalChat tomorrow night, Wednesday, 3/10/10 at 8 PM CST for the launch. The topic will be “WHY Go Primal?” and is fairly open-ended.  I see it as a chance for anyone to ask questions and seek to get answers from the wide variety of Tweets who are Primal.  You can use the #primalchat hashtag between now and then for any questions or leave them in the comment section below in preparation of the event.

Are you planning to join?  If so, leave a comment!

One thing that I learned a long time ago is that the exercise weight really means nothing if you can’t control the weight.  Your attempt will only be half way done because your form will stop you from completing it as you should and you’ll usually end up getting injured.  I got lucky on my squatting.  I was going for a personal best this time around.  I’m really focusing on the deepness of my squat so that I can fully work the thigh/quadricep.  Last time around I felt myself lean forward a bit as I came down.  It’s fairly common to round the back when you squat, so I always pick a point on the wall to look up at.  By looking up, you keep your neck up which helps to keep your back from rounding.  This is highly suggested!  Despite viewing that spot, I felt my back round a bit.  I was able to finish the set, re-focus where my feet should be, pointing slightly out – and then I was able to knock out the rest.

With the bench press, I wasn’t so lucky.  Proper form, as this video shows, has you planting your feet, spacing out your hands on the bar, etc.  I recommend the following:  Practice first with no weight.  As you place your hands on the bar, arch your back so you can squeeze your shoulder blades together.  This makes you “tight” and lifts your chest up so you can recruit those muscles to assist in the lift rather than make it an arm focused move.  With your shoulders squeezed, lift the weight and as you descend the weight, BREATHE IN.  The air in your lungs will tighten you up more and assist in powering the bar up off the chest.  When you lift the bar up, do so as explosively as you can and push the air out forcefully.
I was handling this part just fine but I believe my weak/left side faltered, my right side kicked in to overbalance and I tweaked my right shoulder.  Either way, that bad boy still hurts after 2 days, so I’m resting it one more day before any other shoulder-related exercises are involved.

Lesson for the day:  whether you are performing bodyweight exercises or resistance weight exercises – know how the exercise should be performed first before attempting.  Slight variations can cause your body to incorporate the wrong muscles which can lead to injury.  And injury means you’re stuck at home or on the couch or unable to perform. And that can be frustrating if used to an active lifestyle – trust me!

FINALLY, the most invaluable tip I’ve used again and again – and suggested to my client when I was a personal trainer.  Ready?  When you are performing reps, count down rather than up.  For example: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1.  The mind embraces those smaller numbers and as you get down there is a more definitive end to that set.  Try it and tell me what you think.

The ingredients were nothing short of evil.  Butter, coconut oil, cocoa powder, nuts – your basic compilation of ingredients that would have Richard Simmons crying to his mom for hours on end.  But here’s the catch:  the world wants you to think that these ingredients are evil.  Borrowing a question from the Matrix – which pill do you want to take – blue or red?  If you choose the blue pill, then you can stop reading at this point and believe what Conventional Wisdom incorrectly tells you in “study after study” – that saturated fat is bad for your heart, cholesterol is hazardous, etc.  If you choose the red pill – then keep reading my friend.  And welcome to a new world.

The nutritional statement you see to the left is taken from my entry into the DailyBurn site so I could see the totals from the Primal Nanaimo Bars.  As you can see, the caloric content and fat are quite high in a world that would have us believe that all fat is bad.  I took the ingredients outlined in the recipe I gave, placed it in a smaller baking pan, and that made 9 bars.  You could obviously change the serving size up for a lesser amount of calories and fat, but I wanted to be fair in my serving size information.  So we end up with 532 calories; 500 of them coming from fat.  I need to explain at the very least here that Primal folks do not eat this kind of recipe everyday but would view this as a luxury or cheat snack.  Most Primal meals consist of high fat, but it is usually accompanied with a protein source as well as a nutritionally dense carbohydrate source coming from a fruit or vegetable.  In every sense this is a Primal dessert and not intended to be defined as anything but that.

With that in mind, can all that fat really be good for you?  Take the red pill, if you haven’t already, and you will discover – the studies on saturated fat are flawed and only show correlation to heart issues.  Correlation only mind you – not cause.  Don’t take my word for it – check out Mark Sisson’s explanation on Saturated Fat for full blown studies and all the scientific jargon you could ever hope for.

Here is where most people get it horribly wrong, so let me stress this point:  Fat is good – and even better in a “Primal” lifestyle or environment.  Eating Primal is all about moderating insulin production.  When we eat grains, cereals, pasta (even whole grains) – they are still carbs at the very least and cause the body to secrete insulin to counteract the increase in blood sugar and gluten from those carbs.  Overactive insulin production in our bodies, prompted by too many carbs in our diet, eventually causes insulin resistance which leads to diabetes (and obesity).  When insulin is released, it allows the carbs to be shuttled into our body’s cells for use as an energy source – this is why athletes and runners often talk about “carbing up” so they can use carbohydrates as a fuel source.  BUT oddly enough, insulin blocks fat from being used as an energy source – and steers those fats into our fat cells.  As they swell – we get the proverbial “love handles” or “saddlebags;”  the basic chub that plagues 2/3 of our nation.

Moderating the insulin reaction by eating healthy carbs from fruits and vegetables, we increase our sensitivity to insulin and stave off diabetes.  Bear in mind – just because you’re Primal and eat veggies or fruits doesn’t mean you can eat as many as you like.  We’re talking about low glycemic creatures that are nutritionally dense but low in sugars.  Those items include but are not limited to cherries, berries, avocados, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, applese, kiwis, apricots, etc.

Sorry if I got all scientific and medical on ya there, but let’s circle the wagons back to how this relates to the Nanaimo bars.  Although this recipe has almost 57 grams of fat – the carbohydrate grams only add up to 8 grams.  That means the body will transport this fat into our body cells to be used as energy AS LONG AS WE DON’T INGEST HIGH CARBS AT THE SAME TIME.  If we did that, like add some ice cream, or eat one following a high carb meal – then we’d be in trouble.  The fat in these bars also ends up blunting insulin secretion.  The fat in these bars will also satiate.  That means you should feel pretty full from eating one.  And that’s a good thing because eating too many is putting too many eggs in your nutritional basket.  Your body still needs protein and fiber coming from your plant sources.  Just like too much protein can be toxic, so it is with consuming just fat.  You need nutritional variety for all of the body’s functions – it’s the percentage of the variety that is messed up in Conventional Wisdom.

So, let’s summarize – the Nanaimo Bars are tasty and full of precious, saturated fat.  In a Primal environment, they are an acceptable snack as they lack the high carbs that cause a flood of insulin to run through our bodies.  This and any other dessert recipe are never a substitute for a great Primal meal like a steak, eggs, salmon, bacon or so many other tasty Primal entrees.  Just because you eat Primal doesn’t mean you have to strictly eat high fat, moderate protein and low carb all the time.  As long as you eat that way 80% of the time, you will supply the body with what it needs to maintain or lose weight and enjoy activity worthy of a 20-30 year old.

In conclusion and using the Matrix again to assist, Morpheus had this to say to Neo:  “I’m trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You’re the one that has to walk through it.”

Are YOU ready?  If questions still linger, please post them in the comments section.  If you’ve walked through that door and have gone Primal, feel free to share how it has changed your life.

All of that will change with this recipe, I fear.

I did some searching and came across a new site for me, Club Fritch, a fun site put together by a married couple living in Canada.  I don’t know about you, but I thought our friends up north did a GREAT job with the Olympics as well as show us ignorant folk what a BEAUTIFUL country they have.  But I digress…

The only disclaimer I would add add on this recipe is this:  studies have shown that sweeteners like Stevia cause an insulin response, much like sugar consumption.  The sweet flavors hit the tongue and in some folks, it is the same as processed carbs or sugar.  So, what I’m saying is that like most other Primal desserts – enjoy in moderation within the confines of the 80/20 rule.  But the bottom line is this:  ENJOY!  (Or, if you’re like me, I’m already experiencing that insulin response just by reading this recipe and checking out the picture!)

Thanks again to Gillian and Ryan at Club Fritch for sharing this!

Nutty Primal Nanaimo Bars  (Buttercream Version)

Crust

• 1 cup brazil nuts
• ½ cup coconut oil
• dash salt
• 1 tbsp stevia extract
• ¼ tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder

Blitz brazil nuts until a course powder.  Add the rest of the ingredients and blend well.  Spoon onto a greased (with butter or coconut oil) cookie pan (9×9).  Bake for 25 minutes at 350’F.  Cool and chill.

Buttercream Layer

This is not really a custard; but the original Nanaimo bar custard layer isn’t really a custard either.  So go ahead and enjoy!

• 1 1/8 cup butter, soft
• ¼ tsp vanilla
• 1 1/3 tbsp stevia extract (or another sweetener to taste)
• ¼ cup coconut flour

Whip the butter in a food processor.  Add the remaining ingredients and blend well.  Spoon onto chilled crust layer and return to fridge to chill more.

Hard Chocolate Topping

• ½ cup coconut oil
• 3/8 cup cocoa powder
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ½ tbsp stevia extract

Melt all ingredients together in a saucepan over low heat.  Cool slightly.  Spoon over well-chilled custard layer.  Chill further!

When the final layer is hard (about 20 minutes); cut into squares and enjoy!  Store in the refrigerator.

The cheesecake alternative is still “Primal” or shall we say 80/20 Primal with the use of cream cheese.

Cheesecake Layer (instead of custard)

• 3/4 cup butter, soft
• 1/8 cup almond butter (or another nut butter of your choice)
• 1/8 cup cream cheese
• ¼ tsp vanilla
• 1 1/3 tbsp stevia extract (or another sweetener to taste)

Whip the butter in a food processor.  Add the remaining ingredients and blend well.  Spoon onto chilled crust layer and return to fridge to chill more.

Oh, Canada!  You’ve given me another reason to love you.  Already cold enough in South Dakota, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere any cooler, but if I did…

If your name is not on this list, please post a comment and I’ll gladly add you to the tribe.

@RogerDeRok
@Food Renegade
@paleo4life
@Little MissGrok
@paleopolice
@JoyfulAbode
@PrimalArturo
@GirlGonePrimal
@primaleats
@timconradinc
@TheRealPaleoDan
@Acmebike
@nyculla
@clayberg
@CastleGrok
@rnikoley
@ThePaleoDiet
@Mark_Sisson (He is the Chief after all!)
@SandySommerRKC
@Grass_Fed_Beef
@NourishedMama
@PrimalLadyRosy
@livingtree
@BestSelf
@rsgrice
@swedishsteel
@IronDisciple
@stevecooksey
@khaled_allen
@pureprimal
@johndurant
@liliakai
@tarynrom
@kettlebellwitch
@EatingPaleoNYC
@PaleoBlog
@man_vs_world
@PrimalStegosaur
@melissamcewen
@lovestoclimb
@misathemeb
@NEKLocalvore
@jrosevear
@emmcubed
@robotnikdotcom
@coachstevew
@bryceb
@NorthernMonkeyG
@dakeyne
@PrimalEating
@mwhities
@JoJoB823
@Chris_Plank
@PaleoPrincess
@urbanbluegrass
@DianaRenata
@desavoir
@dclaryjr
@TheSethAffect
@juniebrunner
@jpickett1968 (That’s me!)

Again, please let me know if you’d like to be added to this list or join the tribe of Primal folk. The more the merrier!

Life can get complicating.

One minute you’re doing what you think you enjoy. You’re knee deep in the tasks you need to get done. You’re busy. You’re feeling a delusional sense of accomplishment. The next minute you suddenly find yourself driving down a dead end street and you can’t remember how you got there. And for some odd reason, you continue to drive down that street, knowing it will eventually end. But for some reason you just have to keep driving.

Why do we do that to ourselves?

So many parts of my life have been enjoyable as of late. I have a good family, a great house, a thriving blog (that makes me no money but I still enjoy it) and supportive people around me. My health has increased exponentially as has my wealth of information. But something has been holding me back. This something has been feeding on me. This something was the proverbial monkey on my back – and it was getting fed so much it was taking root. It was firmly embedded within me and together we were driving down that deep, dark, dead end street. For how long we have been going down that street, I can’t really say. I just couldn’t get rid of it.

Today that monkey and me parted ways. Let’s face it – most of us have this baggage, these monkeys on our backs. This baggage has many names. Let’s skip the cliches by naming them and let’s just skip to the chase. You know the baggage is there. What holds you back from naming it, claiming it and then getting rid of it once and for all? Is it fear? Is it habit? Is it complacency? How can we allow ourselves to be compromised by this baggage?

BEING COMPROMISED BY THE BAGGAGE
You can bet you are experiencing some baggage in your life if one or more of the following are taking place:

• You rationalize. Deep down inside you know you’re worth so much and you can do so much more. But a part of you realizes you’re not reaching your potential. So you rationalize why it’s OK to be sub-standard. You accept rather than challenge yourself. You allow others to tell you what you can or can’t do. The John Locke character from ABC’s LOST says, “Don’t tell me what I can’t do.” But you’re not THAT guy anymore – you’re busy rationalizing why you can’t do something. Like begin a new start, break an old habit, start a fitness program, etc.
• You aren’t fulfilled. You look at yourself and you begin to find other ways to be happy instead of making things right. Some people turn to food or drugs or alcohol, etc. You’re looking for answers but can’t find them. What you can’t find is happiness. And you can’t find happiness because deep down inside you know the answer, but you simply run from it.
• You daydream more and more. What’s a guy/gal to do when they can’t find contentment or challenge? They give up living the dream, finding the dream – and they simply think about the dream. This isn’t the goal setting type of dream. This is the type of dream that demonstrates you’ve given up. All that’s left is the dream because everything else has become a nightmare.

TAKE OUT THE BAGGAGE
Now that we have identified if you’ve got baggage and how it is holding you back, how do you get rid of it?

• Identify your goals. In the busy shuffle of life, we can all too often forget who we are or what we want to become. Grab a pen and pencil and begin to make a comprehensive list of everything you want to do or become. Don’t allow negative thoughts to come into the picture. Just keep writing.
• Number your goals. Did you honestly think I was going to have you write down goals and then perhaps weed them out or rank them?? Heck, no! Let’s simply put numbers next to the goals in the order you wrote them. Many productivity folks will tell you that the best way to get things done is to start at the top of the pile and work your way down. No prioritization needed. Just get it done. Start numbering.
• Take action. Taking action takes many forms but it begins with one step. Don’t try to conquer the world. Just take one step today and then two steps tomorrow. Start with your first goal. Identify one or two things that you need to fulfill that goal. Make them easy wins or easy steps. When you see that a few steps CAN be taken, you will feel a sudden surge of success and be more encouraged to take the next steps. Taking that first step is a necessary piece. That’s called progress.

As you continue down this road of obtaining goals, you’ll soon find your baggage is quickly fading. For extra help, find support to get out from under your baggage. There is power in numbers. Challenge a friend and help them with their goals. Imagine the happiness the two of you can obtain simply by helping each other.

This “Baggage Theory” of mine relates easily enough to fitness, weight loss and resurgence – both physical and mental. It can be applied in many ways. So, start today. Start right now. Make your list without a moment’s hesitation.

Claim your baggage. Head for the exit (just like in the picture above). Walk through the sliding glass doors and get ready. Your goals and your future are not so far away as you might think.

What are your goals? What is the baggage you’re going to shed?

My favorite site, MarksDailyApple.com, released some pretty cool news today.  The topic of living and eating Primal/Paleo is popping up all over.  The message is getting out.  Mark Sisson, author of Primal Blueprint as well as MarksDailyApple.com, announced today that the site’s traffic is one of the top 5 in fitness.  This is due to not only the daily postings of Mark and his staff, but to the relevance of this topic.  The site never lacks for material and you can be sure to find many topics from Mark’s earlier postings or from the community that Mark has established.

In addition to the site, Mark’s first printing of Primal Blueprint sold out in December of 2009 and the second printing is out.  Over at Amazon, as of today’s numbers, the book is #4 in the Exercise & Fitness category, #11 in Weight Maintenance and #20 in the Weight Loss area.  Primal Blueprint has arrived – but I don’t believe for a second it has reached its peak.

I love Primal Blueprint and talking about Primal Blueprint.  Heck, I live Primal Blueprint – just ask my family.  When I got my t-shirt today (another great part of my good day), my wife said, “You mean to tell me cavemen live in California, too?!”  Little does she know that is where Mark and many other Primal folk live.  Wouldn’t she be interested to know that Mark’s followers are not only across the states, but across the world.  I’ve seen folks post from Austrlia, Ireland, Afghanistan and many other countries.  People are getting Primal and “Grokkin’ On” all over.  Perhaps even your neighbor…

The latest offerings from Mark’s camp are well timed and should really take things to the next level.  Primal Leap is the title of a package of goodies Mark looks to put out soon including a guidebook/journal, a Quick-Start 30 day guide to getting Primal, a much anticipated and the long awaited Primal Cookbook, a DVD, audiobook and a poster for extra inspiration and motivation.  I for one am very excited about this package of goodies and according to the post today, there is something guaranteed for everyone.

If you are new to this site or to the Primal Blueprint, please check out my book review here or do a search to find the other many postings I have categorized as Primal.  I hope they guide you to the same conclusion I have arrived at.  Living Primal is a highly functional plan that works for most anyone.

Final note:  I do not make any money by endorsing the Primal Blueprint or Mark’s site.  I wish I did, but I don’t.  I advocate for its utilization because I care.  And that’s how I roll.  My Grandfather died due to diabetes and obesity.  I don’t want to see another person go that route due to ignorance.  So for many years to come I want to spread the message of better health.
It’s interesting how modern day health can be improved by using age old practices.  And with the tools Mark and his team kick out, we can all get Primal, and in the best shape of our lives, without a mastodon in sight.

I placed my purchase into the refrigerator for it to thaw for tomorrow night’s dinner.  I jumped on the internet and as I was perusing the grocery store’s website to see what other plans they might have to improve my health and that of my fellow South Dakotans, I came across a “service” the chain also offers – a partnership with NuVal. (Cue the sinister music.)

Before talking about Nu-Val, have you ever heard of Dr. David Katz?  He’s another by-product of Oprah’s long succession of mainstreaming docs into making them household names alongside Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz.  Katz is an internal medicine physician by trade, but he has a hard time coming to terms with what Paleo/Primal is really all about.  He also has a hard time admitting a low carb diet is superior in this post by Dr. Michael Eades.  The opinion of Katz is closely mirrored by Dr. Ornish and Barry Sears.  That means, of course, the study must be flawed and they all know better, right?  (Sarcasm……sorry about that…)  Jimmy Moore, a popular low-carb personality also takes exception to Katz. Clearly Katz is Conventional Wisdom at its best.

OK, back to NuVal.  NuVal is a nutritional scoring system.  They use the “ONQI” algorithm to determine the nutritional value of food and the score is placed on the food by the price.  Designed to help shoppers pick better foods, NuVal looks to be a dream come true.  Sadly, the dream is short lived.  The ONQI factor uses a numerator and denominator to arrive at the score.  “Nutrients considered to have generally favorable effects on health are placed in the numerator, where higher values increase the NuVal Score.”  These items include the amount of fiber, vitamins, omega-3′s, magnesium, etc.  Sounds good.   “Nutrients with generally unfavorable effects on health are placed in the denominator, where higher values decrease the NuVal Score.”  These items include trans fat, sodium, sugar, cholesterol and saturated fat.  Uh…saturated fat.  Problem.

When you review the scores, it’s almost comical.  But sad at the same time.  Coconut earns a score of 24 while bananas rank at 91.  Chicken breast earns a score of 39 while Unprocessed Wheat Bran earns a score of 100.  My how far Conventional Wisdom has come – about 2 inches.  And the genius behind NuVal is…..you guessed it.  Dr. David Katz.

Groan.

Next thing ya know – we’re going to hear NuVal is fronted by Monsanto.

The idea of a nutritional labeling system is noble.  Having a system to assist people make better choices is better than nothing I suppose.  It’s just sad that the topics of saturated fat and quality carbohydrates are still misunderstood.  If only Conventional Wisdom could be replaced by Primal Wisdom, this subject would be unnecessary.  Then we’d all understand that if it’s packaged and processed, we just leave it on the shelf.

Conventional Wisdom is persistent indeed.  But bear in mind, Primal has been around just a bit longer.

Just a bit.

What do you think?  Should we have a nutritional labeling system or should we determine a guide for shoppers to use?  How can we bring Conventional Wisdom to its knees?

So many times people ask the question, “I don’t have time to prepare food when it comes to eating healthy – so how am I supposed to make that happen?  Uh, this post is about the Crock Pot, so let’s assume that would be the answer…DING!  You are correct!  The greatest joy of using a Pot is its ability to make mass amounts of food that can be later stored in the freezer or refrigerator for the week to come.  Come home from work, re-heat the goods and you just saved yourself 30 minutes or more in food preparation (each meal by the way).

This is as simple as food preparation gets:

1. Find your meat choices.  Brown them in a skillet or turn your crock pot up to brown it along with some olive oil for flavor and a healthy dose of fat.
2. Add vegetables of choice – oftentimes that would be carrots, onions, peppers, celery, etc.
3. Add chicken or beef stock if needed.
4. Set dial to 200 or Warm.
5. That’s it.  By the end of day your dish is ready.  Best of all, you should have enough left over to last a few days.

After making breakfast this morning, on a whim I decided to throw together some Primal Chili.  This is a pretty easy task if you have the ingredients – or you can make it up on the spot, like I did.  So, without further ado, here is what I added to my pot this morning:

• One lbs. of grass fed ground beef
• One lbs. of ground turkey
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 can diced tomatos
• 1 can tomato sauce
• Diced jalapenos in juice (about 1/2-3/4 cup)
• Diced red onion
• Sliced mushrooms
• Diced green peppers
• Thyme (to taste)
• Cumin (to taste)
• Oregano (to taste)
• Chili Powder

I browned the meat as I outlined above with a little olive oil as well.  I added my onions next to soften them up.  Next I threw in my diced jalapenos and juice.  From here I turned the heat down to 200/Warm and added the rest.  Stir all the ingredients together and let the smells fill the house.

After I ran a quick errand in the early afternoon, I came home to find a suspicious looking ladle next to my concoction.  Turns out Haley, my 14 year old, had helped herself to my Primal fare.  Hmmm…that’s not usually like her…

“Geez, Dad,” she said, “it smelled so good, I had to try it.  It was tasty.  But it was pretty spicy!”

A distant voice in the other room belonging to my wife confirmed Haley’s findings.  My Primal Chili, was a resounding success in the household today.  I’ll bet it will be a success in yours as well.