NUTRITION: Part 1

Let me begin by saying I am not a physician, a health care professional, a nutritionist, a chef, a food critic, a personal trainer or any other profession that qualifies me as a food or diet expert. All I am blogging about here are my personal experiences, my preferences, and my quest to explore a healthy, fun, flavorful lifestyle. If you are looking for professional advice, please look elsewhere. If you are curious about the journey I have chosen, please check in often to see how my journey progresses.  
I have decided that the beginning of this journey must involve researching foods, what I like and what I don’t like. So I began to explore the foods that are recommended for the Paleo Lifestyle on my quest to find what is right for me. I am going to call it the "Paleo Mermaid Lifestyle” since I will be writing about my own interpretation. My plan is to try several recipes each week, and to post photos and my impressions on the recipes I try. 
I will begin by listing the Paleo foods that I like, those that I will try, and those that I will avoid. I don't expect that I will love every recipe I try, but I do plan on exploring a lot of ideas that I have never considered before. After all, I hated asparagus and curry for the first 49.8 years of my life and since then I have learned to love them both prepared several different ways! When we are traveling and the opportunity arises I will try local cuisines and work on recipes to adapt them to my lifestyle.
I am going to refer to several websites and books throughout this journey and I will make a list of my inspirations. For a lot of information of foods, in-depth details about spices and herbs I refer to CookingWiser.com - Terri Geiser is a very dear friend whom I admire and trust for accurate information. 

The Foods I Like: 
MEATS: 
Beef 
Chicken
Pork 
Turkey 
VEGETABLES: (Click: CookingWiser's Vegetable Chart)
Acorn Squash
Artichokes 
Asparagus
Beets
Bell Peppers – green, yellow & red 
Broccoli 
Butternut Squash
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Chicory
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Fennel Bulb
Jicama
Lettuce 
Mustard Greens
Mushrooms 
Okra
Onions
Pumpkin
Spinach 
Sweet Potatoes 
Turnip Greens
Yellow Squash
Zucchini 
FRUITS: (Click: CookingWiser's Fruit Chart)
Apples
Apricots
Avocado
Bananas
Blackberries
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Cherries
Clementines
Coconut
Cranberries
Dates
Figs
Grapefruit
Grapes
Kiwi
Lemons
Limes
Mango
Nectarines
Olives
Oranges
Papaya
Peaches
Pears
Pineapple 
Plum
Pomegranate 
Purple Grapes
Mandarins
Mango 
Nectarines 
Red Apples
Strawberries
Tangerines
Tomatoes
Yellow Raisins 
FATS & OILS: 
Almond Butter 
Coconut Oil
Grapeseed Oil
Olive Oil 
MILKS: 
Almond
Coconut
FLOURS:
Almond
Coconut
NUTS & SEEDS: 
Almonds
Chocolate 
Flax
Hazelnuts
Macadamia
Pecans 
Pine Nuts
Pumpkin Seeds
Sunflower 
Walnuts
HERBS: (Click: CookingWiser's Herb Chart)
Arrowroot
Basil 
Chervil
Chives
Cilantro
Dill
Garam Masala
Lemon Grass
Marjoram
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Savory
Sea Salt  
Tarragon
Thyme
SPICES:(Click: CookingWiser's Spice Chart)
Allspice
Anise
Caraway Seed
Cardamom
Cayenne Pepper
Celery Seed
Chili Pepper
Cinnamon
Clove
Coriander
Cumin
Curry
Fennel Seed
Garlic
Ginger
Mace
Mustard
Nutmeg
Pepper (Black or White)
Poppy Seeds
Saffron
Sesame Seeds
Turmeric
Vanilla
SWEETENERS:
Agave Nectar
Honey
Maple Syrup
DAIRY: 
Bleu Cheese
Brie 
Cheddar
Cream
Cream Cheese
Eggs
Feta
Gruyere
Mozzarella 
Parmesan 
Sour Cream 
BEVERAGES: 
Water
Chai Tea with Almond Milk 
Green Tea  
FOODS I WILL TRY: 
Black Currants  
Carob Powder 
Chard 
Dandelion 
Elderberries
Kale  
Papaya 
Pink Sorrel 
Watercress 
FOODS I WILL AVOID: 
All Seafood 
Artificial Sweeteners 
Corn Syrup 
Grains
Legumes
Pasta 
Rice 
Starchy Vegetables  
Sugar


In case you missed the category links listed above, for more information with amazing charts about food groups please click on the following:
Herbs: CookingWiser's Herb Chart
Spices: CookingWiser's Spice Chart
Vegetables: CookingWiser's Vegetable Chart
Fruits: CookingWiser's Fruit Chart




WHEW! That's actually a lot of foods! I'm sure there are some I've not listed, but I will update the list occasionally, I'm sure.





Happy hunting, gathering, eating, and swimming!