I LOVE summer! Nothing beats the hot sun, the pool and the grill! Memorial Day is just around the corner and acts to kick-off our summer of goodness! If you are thinking about trying Paleo for the first time, the summer is the best time to do it.

Here are three reasons WHY you should try Paleo this summer, including easy delicious recipes that everyone will love! If you won’t tell they are Paleo, neither will I!

Grilling is Paleo-Friendly

Yep, grilling is already Paleo-friendly. Steak, chicken, pork, veggies, fruit. You name it. It can be grilled in deliciously delectable ways that delight anyone’s mouth!

Social gatherings are usually what make Paleo so difficult. You either have to explain to everyone a million times why you eat only meat, veggies, fruit, and some starch or eat it and pay the consequences later. Grilling is great because it takes some of the anxiety out of social gatherings! You don’t necessarily have to explain your diet like your religion. Just don’t take the bun or that piece of pie and you’re good to go!

There are some things to watch out for:

• Sauces that hide gluten like soy sauce and some marinades. Get tamari, wheat-free soy sauce, or liquid aminos instead. Just as tasty without the poisonous wheat.
• Dashes of flour in dips and puddings. Wheat flour is thrown in to thicken many dishes. It is both unnecessary and harmful to our bodies.
• Anything hydrogenated, especially vegetable oils, store-bought mayonnaise, salad dressings, Crisco, etc. Everything made with hydrogenated oils can be made just as easily without. Hydrogenated oils store directly as FAT because our body DOES NOT RECOGNIZE them.
• Large doses of added sugar, especially High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Sugar (the new label for HFCS), corn syrup and sucrose. No joke. In most dishes, the sugar can be cut in half (at least) and NO ONE would notice.

Overall, grilling is very Paleo-friendly. In fact, you could prepare a whole Paleo meal like huge steaks, potatoes and real butter and no one would know they are eating “healthy”!

Paleo Can Transform Your Life!

Paleo may be just the thing you are looking for to change your life! Are you ready to say goodbye to “dieting” for good? Tired of obsessive eating and staring at the mirror, unhappy with what you see? Sick of feeling sick?

This is the summer of Transformation! 30 days of Paleo can set you on a whole new journey! One of leanness and high energy, happy intestines and younger looking skin! You CAN do this and summer is the perfect time to do it! With grilling and an abundance of veggies and fruits in season (a.k.a. CHEAP), there is NO reason not to try.

You Have a Larger Purpose

I don’t just want you to try Paleo for you or me. Try it because it can change someone else’s life. It’s time we, as Americans, stop feeding our self-absorption with weight and quest to look-better-naked. There are lots of very sick people in the world that could benefit greatly from Paleo! And I’ll bet that YOU know some of them.

We all have a part to play in this story called Life. We each have people that watch us and who we can influence for good. We have the ability to influence these people like no one else does. And NO ONE, I repeat, NO ONE can take our places in exactly the way that we fill them.

This is a huge responsibility and should not be taken lightly!

You are special! Among your family and friends, you are probably the first to say, “There has to be another way to wellness and life! I don’t want to ‘diet’ forever!” This means you are the change-agent! You are willing to think outside the box and look outside traditional thought to get the results you always dreamed of. Then, you get to share them with your circle of influence.

You have a unique perspective, story and ability to shift the direction of lives from a destructive road to a healing road. Instead of shirking from this responsibility, step up to the plate! Try Paleo for yourself and then share it with others!

I assure you that people WILL notice and ASK you about your results. How did you get them? Why? How can they get them too?

I love the paleo way of eating SOOOOOOO MUCH because it REVERSES diseases – like diabetes, depression, anxiety, PCOS, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, diverticulitis, IBS, hypo-/hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, CAD, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc.

Although I push the fat loss side of Paleo often, I really believe in Paleo because of its healing abilities. It not only normalizes weight to where you are supposed to be, but prevents disease and CANCER from killing your body from the inside out. How many “diets” can truly hold up to those claims? I’ll tell you – NONE that are modeled similarly to Paleo (i.e. meats, veggies, good fats, some fruit, safe starch, and no sugar).

I believe in YOU! Be the change you want to see and take the plunge into Paleo! You will be richly rewarded and learn how to be a blessing to others!

And now, the goods…

What are some things you can prepare for those social gatherings that are sure to be a hit? Check out the following recipes that are sure to satisfy!

Need a delicious dressing for your favorite salad! Laura shared this recipe with me and says, “It’s so good I could sit and drink it!”

Poppy Seed Honey Dressing

(from the Joy of Cooking book)
1/4 cup honey
3tbsp cider vinegar
2tbsp olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp poppy seeds, optional
salt and pepper
– Put all ingredients in a blender until well mixed.

Homemade Mayo

1 egg
1 cup oil (olive, palm oil, macadamian nut)
1/2 tsp. mustard powder
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

In a blender, add everything but the oil and turn on medium speed. Slowly add oil and blend until it thickens. Can be used on burgers, in tuna/chicken/broccoli salad, on salmon patties, etc. Enjoy!
*For a tasty variation, add some ginger powder and chives! (everydaypaleo.com)

Almond Butter Banana Ice Cream

2 bananas, frozen and chopped
1 Tbsp almond butter
dash of cinnamon
Almond milk, regular milk, or heavy cream

– Place bananas, almond butter and cinnamon in a blender or food processor. Add just a little bit of almond milk so it will blend. Serve immediately!

If you’re not down with the bananas, no worries! Real ice cream is possible too! In fact, you can remove half the sugar in most recipes and NO ONE will notice. I PROMISE!

Quite Delicious Ice Cream!

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup almond milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 – 1 cup honey

In your ice cream maker, place all ingredients and churn until the right consistency! Enjoy! May also add some chocolate or other flavoring!

And last but not least, what is a cookout without BROWNIES! These are my go-to for social gatherings! Can’t beat ’em!

Walnut Meal Brownies

(from the Primal Blueprint Cookbook)

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups walnut meal (I use almond meal)

3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

2 large eggs (room temp)

1 cup coconut milk (room temp) (or heavy whipping cream)

1/2 cup honey or maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil (gently melted) (or butter)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts for topping

Butter for greasing pan

Servings: 18 2″x3″ brownies

Instructions:

Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 350deg F. Butter a 13x9x2″ baking pan. In a medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients until well blended. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs for one minute, then add coconut milk, honey or maple syrup and whisk again. Add melted coconut oil and whisk until wet ingredients are completely blended.

Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and whisk well; be sure to scrape sides and bowl bottom so no pockets of dry ingredient remain. Batter will be thinner consistency than conventional brownies. Pour batter into prepared pan. If desired, sprinkle chopped walnuts on top of batter. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Allow brownies to cool completely before cutting.

And last but not least, the combination!

Delicious!

What do you think? Have you tried any of these recipes before? What do you think about your influence? Comment below!