Have you ever tried a Tomahawk cut pork chop? As I was browsing the meat department at Standard Market, I was completely drawn to these chops! So much so that I just had to pick up a couple for dinner.
I had a dentist appointment yesterday and it always throws me off when the dental hygienist picks up the conversation exactly where we left off, 6 months ago! Does this happen to you too? I really think she has to take notes on what we talk about after I leave, in order to remember everything we discuss. Nevertheless, I love it! :)
Six months ago I had my last checkup and cleaning and I was talking (not while she was cleaning, of course) about the upcoming release of Pigskin Paleo. She had never heard of Paleo before, so I started with my super quick explanation (plants, animals, nuts & seeds) and then got into the recipes and details about the book.
As soon as I walked in, Julie was quick to tell me that after I had introduced her to Paleo she started seeing it everywhere. I couldn’t help but laugh. Isn’t that always the case? As soon as you learn something new, you tend to start seeing it everywhere you look, as if your eyes were opened for the first time. Paleo has been picking up steam in the general public, but it was fun to have been the one to introduce the Paleo lifestyle to her. :)
Healthy Diet = No Medications
Another interesting conversation we always have is how she can’t believe that I don’t take any medication. Every person she sees tends to take something, but when I come in…nothing.
My response? Nutrition. It all comes back to food.
No Sugar For Healthy Teeth
The last time I had been in for a dental checkup she was really surprised at how white and healthy my teeth were.
I came in after I had been on a three month hiatus from eating sweets and I truly believe this played a huge role in the health and upkeep of my already-pretty-healthy teeth.
At the time of this checkup I was already a week and a half into another no-sugar binge. For me, that means no sugar, no fruit, no dark chocolate, no honey, no anything remotely sweet. You may think that’s a bit restrictive, but really after the first 3-5 days it just feels good NOT to have it. I splurged enough while we were in Austin that when we got home I needed to jump back in with both feet to get back to feeling normal. Bonus is that I become much more productive without it.
No Sugar Challenge
Have you given it a try? Start with a week and see if it makes a difference. If you can make it that long, see how long you can take the challenge and let me know how you feel. I’d be curious to know if others feel the same way as I do, and if I’m not the only who has such intense reactions to anything remotely sweet.
If you need more structure, we highly recommend you check out the 21 Day Sugar Detox.
Anyway, this time around I told Julie and the doctor about my pageant adventure and they made sure to get my teeth all polished and clean in preparation. They said they couldn’t wait to hear the stories from the competition, wished me luck and sent me on my way.
Tips For Dinner
The first time I made Tomahawk chops I cooked them on a rimmed baking dish along with some whole carrots. This time around I used a cast iron skillet and served the chops with some mashed plantains.
Change up the seasonings on the pork chops to liven things up. And if you don’t have portobello mushrooms, you can use any combination of mushrooms that you have on hand, or that look good. White button mushrooms work well too or you can easily rehydrate some dried mushrooms and use those.
The Garlic Mushroom topping can easily stand on its own. If you find you have leftovers, it goes great with steak or even scrambled eggs.
