Almost Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last spring, I decided I would try to follow the Paleo diet. I did this not to lose weight, but because I have always had a ton of digestive issues. I heard that this diet was very good for stomach problems and food intolerances. I thought I would try it and see how it went. If it worked great, if it didn't work, it would have been no big deal.

The Paleo diet consists of eating only foods that were available during the Paleolithic Era. Basically, meats, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds are the only things that are allowed. Anything else including dairy, grains, legumes, refined sugars, and preservatives are all excluded.

Prior to trying this diet, my normal meals usually consisted of frozen pizza, pasta, rice, sandwiches, and hamburger helper. Switching over to this lifestyle was a pretty drastic change. I was skeptical, but it was amazingly successful. For the first time in my entire life, I could go an entire day without having any stomach pain. That, in itself, was remarkable. Besides the benefits on my stomach, my cholesterol, glucose, and blood pressure all improved. I also have more energy and just feel better all around.

The huge drawback of the Paleo diet is that you have to make everything from scratch. I am not a cook, at all. In the summer, following the diet was easy. I would take fresh vegetables out of the garden and throw some meat on the grill and I would have dinner. Since winter came, I have kind of fallen of the Paleo wagon. I follow it about 70% of the time, but I need to get back to 100% of the time.

There are a ton of recipes available. What's amazing is that some of the recipes actually taste better than the traditional recipe. One recipe that I found that is incredible is for these Real-Deal Chocolate Chip Cookies. They seriously, taste better than any chocolate chip cookie I have ever had. I do not follow the recipe exactly. I do not use the palm shortening. I use real, unsalted butter. I also use real chocolate chips instead of the enjoy life chips and dark chocolate. So, my cookies are not truly Paleo, I usually burn them, and they do not look pretty, but they taste SO good!