About me!

About me!

Hello and welcome to Amazing Paleo!

In case you don’t know me, my name is Mariel. I was born and raised in Quito-Ecuador and now, well, I live in Boise-Idaho. Big change! I am married to the most wonderful and inspiring man on the planet; he helped me develop this fun blog (thanks babe!) and he is my inspiration to become a better cook and baker. Making him say “wow, this is amazing” makes every second in the kitchen so much more worth it! I am very passionate about staying in shape and eating the healthiest I can. The perfect combination of a workout program and smart eating habits can make anyone feel and look incredible. Genetics don’t really matter here…it is ALL about smart choices and a strong commitment to staying healthy.

Let me tell you my story… My first year in Idaho, I was overwhelmed by stress. College stress, new culture stress, missing my family/friends from Ecuador stress, boy stress….you name it…I had it. I decided that going to the gym would release some of that tension and it would bring quiet time for myself, to re-focus and to clear my mind. I was right. So, what did I do at the gym? Well, I frequented cycle and Pi-Yo (a combination of yoga and pilates) classes. I did cycle 3 times a week for 45 minutes per session, and Pi-Yo 2 days a week for 45 minutes per session. See, I always thought girls could only accomplish the best physiques with cardio. Oh, how mistaken I was! I did not take any supplements, hardly ever had coffee, and I thought I had a decent diet that would help me stay healthy and fit. I ate healthy and worked out A LOT. There was only one discouraging problem, I could not see positive changes when it came to my body shape. It stayed the same, no matter how many Cycle or Pi-Yo classes I went to.

About me!After I graduated from school, I got engaged. Preston (now my hubby) started working for Bodybuilding.com, and that is when my life took a 180 degree change. To get ready for our wedding and honeymoon, Preston decided to put himself through one of Bodybuilding.com’s free online training program. I could not believe the results he had! Not only did he build a ton of muscle, but he also lost a good amount of body fat. He looked fantastic!

After seeing his results I skeptically decided to follow a training program as well. I followed the Jaime Eason 12 week trainer. It was my very first time lifting weights…ever. I was definitely intimidated by them and had no clue how any of the machines worked. Plus, the gym I was going to had the weights area completely swamped by men, and men alone. I was singled out and looked really goofy trying to figure out how in the world a leg press or a cable fly exercise was supposed to go. Nonetheless, I learned! And it became my new love affair. My body leaned out, my arms became more toned and strong, my abs started showing, my legs had a better muscular tone to them…I was one happy cat! I finally discovered the secret to a balanced and strong physique.

Now, there is no turning back. I am constantly switching up my workouts and always add weights. One day legs, another shoulders/calves/abs, another back and biceps, etc. It’s good to keep the body guessing what’s coming. Variety is the spice of life…but also, the trick of the trade in this case!

About me!

Now to one of the most important parts, changing the way you eat!

I discovered throughout the transformation that it is true what they say, more than 70% of your positive results really do come from what you eat. Eat your proteins, eat your veggies, and eat your healthy fats. This will keep your body and mind healthy.

Let me introduce you to the Paleo Diet if you haven’t heard of it. It consists of eating unprocessed meats, veggies, fats, basically anything a caveman could’ve gotten his hands on. I have found this diet extremely sustainable and enjoyable. Not only does it provide your body with constant energy, but it is also fun! You can make so many amazing recipes by combining the rawest and healthiest ingredients out there.

Here are some benefits of Paleo:

  • It is delicious!
  • Ingredients, because they are natural, are easily digested by our bodies
  • It keeps your metabolism burning hot
  • It provides our body with essential nutrients and minerals
  • Fat burns with 3 times the energy of carbohydrates which results in increased and sustained energy throughout the day

I am hooked, and for me, there is no turning back. Granted, there are days when I crave plain greek yogurt or naturally gluten-free grains (such as buckwheat), and that is okay. Based on the food allergies test I took, and how that helped me learn about the way my body reacts to specific foods, I know that these items don’t cause me bloat nor inflammation. So I’ll consume these still whenever my body tells them to have them. It is always important to listen to your body and learn from what it’s telling you.

So, that is me in a nutshell. I love living a healthy and fit lifestyle and being able to try delicious healthy food at the same time.

I hope you enjoy reading about my Paleo journey and that you get to try some of my Paleo recipes! Thank you so much for stopping by; I look forward to your comments and suggestions for the blog.

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81 thoughts on “About me!”

    1. Awesome, I hope you like them!! If you have any suggestions on what type of foods you’d like to have recipes for, please leave comments! Muchas gracias!! 🙂

  1. hola Mariel me parece muy interesante tu pagina, me gustaria que tengas tambien opciones de ejercicios para cada parte del cuerpo, eso unido a la buena alimentación que propones seria completo. te quiero mucho y te extrano tia Veri

  2. Sara Maldonado

    Mariel!
    Que loco, esto de Blogs y Social Networks nos convierten a todos en unos mysterious creepers, nunca supieras que emocion me cuando veo una nueva de tus recetas! Felicitaciones, esta increible tu blog, y me inspiras full
    Suerte, cuidate!

  3. Mariel me parece super interesante! Yo hago weightlifing bastante y como relativamente sano pero a veces (i have slips) y como algo que no es sano. Voy a tratar tus recetas y lo de Paleo! Una pregunta. Se puede tomar Herbal Tea?

  4. Mariel! que hermoso esta tu blog no sabes lo feliz que me pongo cuando veo tus fotos jaja estas regia! ya voy a probar las recetas… pero quiero una camiseta me encanta el logo “strong is the new sexy.” Traes para aca? avisame
    tqm

    1. Fer! Gracias por dejar este lindo comentario! Si, trata las recetas y cuentame que opinas! 🙂 En cuanto a las camisetas, las puedes comprar online…si las enviamos al Ecuador!

  5. We tried your sweet potato waffles on Sunday. We’re trying to cut out processed foods..sugar, poor carbs, etc. We’ve been looking for a way to change our waffle Sunday routine. Your waffles were incredible. The house smelled good all day. We are hooked. Now, I’m back on your website to see what else I can learn. No, I haven’t heard of paleo but it already sounds familiar to some changes that we have recently made.

    1. Hi Sarah! This makes me smile so BIG! I’m glad you and your family liked the sweet potato waffles, and that they helped switch up your guys’ waffle sunday menu :). In my household we love waffles too…so much in fact, that waffles are consumed daily. We seriously can’t get enough! Paleo is awesome…if you have any questions whatsover, feel free to post on the forum!
      Ps: It’s nice to meet you 🙂

  6. I found your website through Tastespotting. I started the Paleo diet this week and I was looking for recipes to try. I’m excited to try the recipes you have on your blog, especially the desserts.

    1. Hi Stephen! Welcome to Paleo! You’ll fall in love with this diet, you’ll see. Not only is it great for your body, but the food you can make is incredibly delicious! I am excited for you to start trying some fun dessert recipes; if you do, let me know what you think of them!

    1. Not yet, but I’ll have some for you soon (just because you requested)! I’ll let you know when it’s ready via Facebook (I’ll make a post announcing it!). Thanks for the request!

  7. I love your website. I think it’s incredible – and I feel like I’ve gone through / am going through some similar training sstruggles that you have. And your recipes are amazing! I’m so excited to try more (even though I’m not 100% paleo).
    Keep up the amazing work and website!

    Kayla

    1. Thank you for all your sweet comments Kayla! Training is fun and eating Paleo is even more fun ;). I’m glad we are both fitness aficionados who like to stay healthy!

  8. Jennifer Hammond

    LOVE this site! Your attention to detail is incredible! And the pictures are beautiful!

    Made the Almond Butter last night and added it to Paleo Brownies. They were fabulous!

    I LOVE hummus. Is there something you would recommend to substitute for that?

    Thanks for the site! It helps a LOT in this Paleo adventure!

    1. Hi Manny! Eating Paleo is more about eating whole foods, things like vegetables, fruits, meats and healthy fats (no legumes, dairy, or grains). With the Adkins diet, you get to eat any sort of grain and sugar, as long as they are low carb ones. Paleo is not a carb-restricted diet, it just makes you stick to its allowed ingredients…which in turn, provide your body with needed nutrients and vitamins, promoting a healthy digestion. Hope this helps!

  9. Valentina Lopez

    So glad I came across the link to your site while on BodyBuilding.com! Very excited to start trying out these recipes. Want you to know you’ve been added to my list of inspiration for my fitness goals! Love this blog, great work 🙂

    1. Thank you Valentina!! It makes me so happy to know you like the blog :). I cannot wait until you try some of the recipes! Let me know what type of recipe you are looking for, so I can point you to one of my favorites in that category 🙂

    1. Thank you for your comment Tom!! Please let me know how the ice cream turns out (if you like things sweet, you may want to add a few more maple syrup spoonfuls!)

  10. Hi Mariel,
    Just stumbled upon your site. Just baked your pumpkin bread. Looks and smells delicious but when it came out of the oven it looked uncooked in the middle. I added 8 mins and will wait to cool as you suggested then try.
    Just wondering how you figure how many grams of protein and carbs to eat per day. I am paleo and sometimes I don’t have anything to give to my work outs and am thinking I don’t eat enough. Do you have any advise??

    1. Hey Angela. Well, I try to keep it simple. I try to eat 2 servings (about 1/2 cup) of slow digestive carb per day (like sweet potatoes for example). For my protein, I try to eat 4-6oz of either chicken/fish/beef/eggs every 3 hours.

      1. Thanks… but how often is that ‘every 3 hours’ in a day. Example: 8am 11am 2pm 5pm 8pm. I am wondering how many times a day you eat that much as it will give me an idea as to how many ounces of protein you eat a day. I was once told by a trainer to multiply .8 by the number of lbs you want to weigh and that gives you the ounces of protein you need to eat in a day. I have also heard one ounce per lb of body weight. It can be confusing.
        Thanks again Angela

        1. Hi Angela! Eating every thee hours, means exaclty that…eating every three hours. It will depend on the time of when you wake up. Let’s say you wake up at 8am…you’ll eat at 9am-12pm-3pm-6pm-9pm. I eat about 6oz of protein with every meal!
          Just make sure you don’t eat carbs (sweet potato and such) after 6pm-7pm…this will keep you lean.

  11. Do you compete? Have you heard of anyone eating paleo and doing a bikini competition. I love paleo but any trainer I have met wants to add white rice, or oatmeal or protien powder. Any suggestions ?

    1. Hi Erin! I have not officially competed, but I have prepared myself for a fitness photo shoot before (following a very strict diet and workout routine). I dont believe you need protein powder, just substitute that with actual protein like chicken, turkey, eggs, beef (take a little zip lock bag of chicken to the gym, so you have it with you right ater the workout). When it comes to slow digestive carbs like oatmeal and brown rice, just substitue that with sweet potatoes!!

  12. Great site! Just two questions…
    Butter…I understand it is a no-no on Paleo, but if our ancestors used most, if not all, the animal, why not butter produced by the milk from that animal? Is it because humans wouldn’t consume another mammal’s milk, or milk derivitves? Or other products coming from animals? Just curious. Some Paleo books say it is okay. Most say no. Just a bit confused.
    Also, you mention a lot of veggies. What about fruit?
    Thanks

    1. Hi Laurel! Thanks for your comment :).
      I would recommend reading this little article on dairy from a fellow Paleo Blogger…it has good info about dairy in general (including butter) – http://paleodietlifestyle.com/place-of-dairy-on-paleo-diet/
      As far as fruits and vegetables go, I recommend having both! They are essential for our diet and we need them to receive required nutrients, minerals and vitamins for our bodies. Be cautious of eating too much fruit as fruit contains lots of sugar, which in turn, spike your insulin levels and may cause weight gain. I’d recommend having 2 servings of fruit a day, one in the morning right after waking up and one after a workout or physical activity.
      Hope this helps!

  13. Stumbled across your site and i think it’s great . I am an avid workout \crossfit person and have been doing low carb diet ect but getting grief about not going paleo so here i go day 4 and not really to bad. I miss late night TV time snacks.Can wait to try some of your recipes. Thanks

  14. Media naranja!!! siempre veo tus recetas y hoy me meti a todo el blog ME ENCANTA Y ESTOY MUY PROUD DE TI!!!
    quiero que me hagas una rutina de ejercicios t quiero muchisisisisimo y ya ven!!!!!!!!

    1. Mi Paulita! Gracias amiga!! Este blog es mi hobby favorito y amo poder compartir diferentes recetas de la dieta Paleo con gente de alrededor del mundo. Jaja, voy a tratar de hacer una rutina de ejercicios pronto…! Hasta que eso pase pero, anda a Bodybuilding.com y busca “Gethin Trainer”…sigue ese trainer, es buenismo! Es gratis y te explican todo, con videos diarios por 90 dias!

  15. Thank you so much for this! I just found it via facebook and this has given me hope! I have been wanting to start the Paleo, but was unaware of foods. This has given me a renewed excitement. Have A LOT of weight to lose, but now excited. 🙂

    Thank you….thank you….thank you!

  16. Just found this site and I love it! I have been gradually changing my diet paleo over the last few months – lost my post baby weight and now I am on week 3 of Jamie Easons Livefit Trainer.
    I made your Banana Muffins today – delish!
    Thank you.

    1. Hey Sam! SO COOL you’re doing the Jaime Eason LiveFit Trainer! I love that trainer and I love how great Jaime is :). Hope you enjoy you’re LiveFit journey. Thanks for your comment and thanks for visiting my blog! 🙂

  17. I just found your website also, recipes look great! I was drawn to the waffles when I googled a waffle paleo recipe, your website popped up. The choc chip cookies look amazing, can’t wait to try them. I am afraid about the high calorie and fat content for one cookie ..yikes. I would guess that is due to the almond flour and the honey. Any way to cut the fat grams without ruining it? Also I don’t care for macadamias, what other nut would you suggest?
    Thank You.

    1. Lynn, if you dont want all that calorie and fat content///maybe try making smaller cookies. 😉 I know they would go well with any nut, so just choose your fave!

  18. Hey Mariel, I love your website! I just recently became Paleo and I love it, I am in better shape than ever! I have my own recipe website if you care to look, I am posting more recipes soon once exams are done..I just made the most delicious paleo cereal! It’s better than regular cereal haha anyways, what I wanted to know was, do you count your calories daily? If so what are your macros?? 🙂 Specifically how many grams of fat for your height and weight if you don’t mind me asking. I am eating only about 96g of fat, 55-65g carbs, about 88-100g protein(I will increase fat a little if i have not enough calories) a day since I am very small so I find it hard to create some of your recipes :(. I am 5’3, weighing 87 pounds, I can clearly see my abs at 12% bf. But I want to look a bit thicker, gain more muscle. What should I do?? I workout 3-4 days per week doing free weight strength training/ a little cardio and walk home from school each day. Sorry for the crazy amount of writing :S But if you can help me that would be great, Thanks so much! 🙂

    1. Hi Sam! Thanks for your comment. 🙂 So good to hear you are following the Paleo lifestyle and that you have a blog of your own to share your journey! To answer your question, I personally don’t count my daily caloric intake and dont keep a close count of my macros. I simply follow one basic rule of thumb: eating every 3 hours (about 5 times a day) and having each meal contain one fist-size of lean protein, one fist-size of vegetables, and sometimes I’ll add slow digesting carbs (such as sweet potatoes). I have one serving of fruit a day (berries, banana, etc.), trying to keep my general sugar intake under control. I treat myself with paleo-approved desserts once in a while too. Hope this helps a bit.

  19. Hi Mariel! I was searching Paleo recipes this morning and your blog popped up first…probably because I also live in Boise 🙂 I just moved here a few months ago and my hubs and I are LOVING it. I just recently got back into my cardio routine and started adding strength training as well…I will never go back to just cardio! Not only that, but I discovered the Paleo diet several weeks ago and have been as dedicated as possible to it and can already feel the benefits. I feel like I’m doing so much good for my body. I have not searched your blog much yet, but know I will be on here a lot and appreciate you putting together what I’m sure is a great resource! I look forward to continuing my diet with your yummy ideas (saw one for cookies, yay!)

    1. Hi Audra! No way! How cool is that! I am so happy you guys are liking Boise. It is such a neat place, we LOVE it here. Wouldn’t change it for any other city. I agree with you, doing JUST cardio alone is pointless…we all need a little weight training as part of our fitness routines…it’s the only way to shape up a nice body, ya know?!
      Paleo is SO GOOD for you! Yay! You’ll enjoy it so much..not only are there tons of delicious Paleo recipes out there, but your digestive track will thank you. Have fun baking and cooking…let me know how you like my Paleo cookies 😉

  20. Carolina Zuñiga

    Hi Mariel!!! I am from Colombia, but I will be here in the States for one year and a half more finishing my undergrad program. I just want to congratulate you for your amazing work. This website is flawless; you put so much attention on the details and I have been sooo distracted from my school work looking at it 😛 Well, the reason why I found you website it’s because I am really really liking the Paleo lifestyle. I think I’m already a little bit “Paleo” I loooove looove veggies and fruits. I only eat grilled chicken and salmon (I don’t really like beef :S) But I love bread too :S So, whenever I was going through the research I saw that it is not Paleo approved. That’s how I found your website with so many bread and cookie Paleo recipes. I’m in love with the idea of a Paleo Nutella jaja. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it! So congratulations for that too. Ok, now to the point and I apologize for this being so long, I didn’t expected it. Since I am a college student I work with a thigh budget. I saw that organic almonds and almond flour are very expensive. I thought that the best for me would be to start my process with a transition instead of just a rough change. I wanted to ask for your advise on what do you think I should start working on first. I already love and buy organic vegetables and eggs. The only things I eat that are not Paleo are: skim milk, greek yogurt, oatmeal (lots of oatmeal, sometimes twice a day), bread with peanut butter, tortillas, cheese (specially blue cheese with salads, I’m addicted to it) and soy protein powder. Again, sorry for this super long comment :S Please let me know your ideas on which would be the best path for me to take for my Paleo tranformation 🙂 Thanks so much! And again congratulations for this AMAZING website. The name suits it perfectly 😉

  21. Hi mariel, loved reading your site and cant wait to try the recipes. Ive just changed to a paleo lifestyle and was wondering do you stick to more leaner meats ie chicken & turkey or have any kind?? Im trying to reduced my body fat. Thanks for sharing with us. X

    1. Hello there! That’s great to hear you joined the Paleo lifestyle!! Isn’t it fantastic?! Yes, when I am trying to lean out, I usually stick to chicken/turkey breast, egg whites and ground bison (its super lean!). Try eating these types of protein…just be sure to dress them up and give them some flavor (by using lots of yummy spices and herbs…yum!).

  22. Your website is just amazing and as someone who has turned paleo just 6 weeks ago, your recipes and info have been a huge help for providing variety and yumminess; especially for my husband!

    Just a question, have you thought of making an app for iPad? It would make your recipes more mobile and easy to use at the supermarket for shopping? Just an idea? There are not many good ones out there yet and with the content on your website, you could make an incredible app!

    1. Hello Becs! Thanks for such a wonderful and inspiring comment. This totally made my day. I love knowing that my readers enjoy my recipes and that my blog is helping them with their own Paleo journey. 🙂
      I have definitely thought about an app…and a cookbook (both paper and electronic versions)! I need to make all of those happen, right?!? 🙂

  23. Hey,

    I paid for this ebook today with the bonuses. I paid via paypal from this website. How do I retrieve my ebook. I have been supplied no email just the paypal receipt. It says it is instantly accessible but I am not supplied with our to access it. I have never bought ebooks before. I have a Mac computer. Please help.

    Kara

  24. Hi Mariel,

    I LOVE your site and Instagram updates! Thank you so much for sharing your delicious recipes and advice. I’m only a couple of months into Paleo and I am slowly starting to feel much better – the inflammation in my system has definitely dissipated because persistent ailments are going!! 🙂

    My next quest is to get my body back in shape and to lean down. I’m not overweight but have that stubborn last 5-8 kilos to get off and it doesnt want to budge!
    I wondered if you wouldn’t mind sharing your exercise regime please? I aspire to have a figure like yours and would love to know how you achieve it.

    Many thanks
    Jodie

  25. Maria Francisca Paz y Mino

    Mariel te felicito amiga! que chevere lo que haces. Estoy justo con un personal trainer y como tu lo dices es mi nuevo love affair también jaja. Me encanta comer saludable, pero estoy con la tesis y el estrés you name it…… así que.. que me aconsejaría para desayunar, a veces salgo tan apurada y no sé siento que como a deshoras…..

    te mando un abrazo enorme que hermoso que estes tan feliz
    tqm

    1. Hola Fran! Que lindo saber de ti! Gracias por leer mi blog 🙂 que chevere saber que estamos en la misma onda: entrenando y comiendo saludable. Es el mejor estilo de vida!
      Para un desayuno rapido te aconsejaria algo facil como smoothies (trata de tener fruta y vegetales frescos a todo tiempo en tu casa…bananas y fresas en el congelador…mantequilla de almendras o mani a al mano…y leche de almendras o de coco); para tus smoothies puedes hacer varias combinaciones de frutas y vegetales, y al mismo tiempo agregar 1 cucharada de flaxseeds o chia seeds para que te den ese empujo de energia.
      Si es que tienes un poco mas de tiempo (como en los fines de semana) te aconsejaria un omelet o huevos revueltos con vegetales y tocino. 🙂
      Espero que esto te ayude un poco. Si es que tienes mas preguntas, mandamelas! Yo feliz te ayudo con lo que quieras.

  26. Sonja Rodriguez

    Hi Mariel,
    My trainer has just told me that I need to change to a Paleo diet. I was terribly afraid of a boring month ahead but your blog is amazing and I already have a shopping list for ingredients for your recipes. I’m totally keen and energized for this now!
    Thank you and I look forward to trying them all one by one!
    Sonja
    Sydney, Australia :o)

    1. Mariel Lewis

      Hi Sonja! That’s super exciting…I am glad you’re gonna be living the Paleo lifestyle! 🙂 Hope I can keep providing you with fun and yummy recipes. If you have any recipe ideas or suggestions, don;t be afraid to shoot ’em my way. XOXO!

  27. Hi Mariel, I’m here in Quito with my wife (she’s from Quito) and am looking around for any doctors here that may follow a paleo approach to health, nutrition. If you have any suggestions as to any doctors, I’d appreciate it!
    Gracias,
    Gary

    1. Hi there, Gary! That’s so cool you live in Quito! The city where I grew up. 🙂 I love, love, love that place; definitely close to my heart. I have been living in the US for about 6 years now, so I am not familiar with any Ecuadorian Paleo Diet friendly doctors. I wish I could recommend you one. Try asking around or Googling it. 😉 That’s my best advise. Sorry I could not be of more help!

  28. Hi Mariel!
    I was wondering if you would create a post sometime about your recommendations on how to begin setting up a pantry/fridge for the paleo lifestyle. What are things you recommend always having in the pantry or in the fridge? You may have already blogged about this, but I didn’t see it 🙂 I would love it if you could give us all a little direction from your experience about those most-have pantry staples!
    Thanks a ton!
    Emily

  29. A close friend of mine (someone who works with your husband) gave me the name of your website tonight when I told her about my new adventure! You are my new inspiration as I begin my transformation! I start my adventure with a personal trainer tomorrow and my boyfriend and I started eating Paleo about a week ago! I love this site, the recipes and everything you have to offer us! Thank you, thank you, thank you for giving me something to refer back to whenever I need a refresher!

    1. Hey Shauna! That’s so awesome that you and your boyfriend have started eating Paleo, and that you’ve also started training! 🙂 You’ll love how you feel and look. I am really excited for you! If you have any questions, requests and/or concerns, just write me a little facebook message or leave a comment on the blog. I’d love to help you in any way that I can.

  30. Hi Marie:
    I just read several recipes and they look fantastic. My only concern and question is about the high carbohydrate content of all of them. Most of the reading that I have done about Paleo Diets talks about LOW carbohydrates. Can you please clarify this for me. Thanks.
    Steven

      1. Thanks so much Mariel for your reply…I will read more about this subject and I look forward to trying some of your recipes. I have two other questions: I have just seen a recipe for uncooked macaroons that uses coconut nectar. Have you ever used this, and if so, what has your experience been? It also uses cocoa butter which I was able to find in the health and beauty department of my local food coop…do you have any experience with this?

  31. Hi there,
    I first want to say thank you for such wonderful work in creating your blog!

    I was wondering if you have tried these little known gluten free and paleo products: Miss Paleo Mixes. They have some more information on the website: http://www.misspaleomixes.com

    If you’d like to try a sample to review on your blog, we’d be happy to send it! Feel free to email or contact me through my blog (www.relizabethpaleorunner.blogspot.com) if you decide this is something that interests you.

    Thank you!
    -Rachel

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