Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 10
July 17, 2020
Chilled Berry Soup, Anyone? It’s in The Paleo Kitchen!
Writing for online publications such as the blog on the Vitacost has been a great way to reach folks who may not have connected with me otherwise.
After all, the Paleo niche can be limiting to say the least.
Rather than focus only on those who truly understand what an authentic approach to ancestral eating is, why not instead, think on a broader scale and appeal to anyone interested in bettering their health?
Given that Vitacost is an online source for vitamins, supplements, sports nutrition and organic health and grocery products, it would make sense that anyone on their site might be interested in learning how to clean up a recipe, make a slight shift towards more keto approach to eating or simply gain an idea about how to make kid-friendly snacks in a jiffy… all topics I’ve had the opportunity to write about on their platform.
My goal is simply to help people feel empowered when they make the connection between eating a food which makes them feel badly, having the ability to choose foods which make them feel fantastic, and as a result, come away one step closer toward their personal, perfect plan.
Check out their book, Paleo Kitchen, which they’re offering as a free download on their blog page. In it, you’ll find recipes from several Paleo-enthusiasts, including two of mine, such as the chilled berry soup, shown above.
Enjoy!
The post Chilled Berry Soup, Anyone? It's in The Paleo Kitchen! first appeared on Paleoista.
July 7, 2020
Sunlight, Vitamin D + Gut Health
It may have been a while since the last time you sunbathed; how inviting does lounging on a beach right about now sound?
With good reason, many of us have gotten in the habit of slathering on the sunscreen in order to reduce the appearance of aging on our skin and also to decrease our chances of developing melanomas.
However, avoiding the sun completely is not necessarily the best path to take; in actuality, it is worthwhile to catch some rays each and every day.
When our skin is exposed to sunlight, it makes vitamin D from cholesterol. The sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) rays hit cholesterol in the skin cells, providing the energy for vitamin D synthesis to occur (1).
Vitamin D has recently has been recognized as an immunoregulator, with anti-inflammatory effects, including reducing gastrointestinal inflammation (2) and subsequently, systemic inflammation throughout our bodies.
This is relevant always, with an estimated 23.5 million Americans (and rising) suffer from an autoimmune disease and over 80% with leaky gut (3); and now, more than ever during the COVID pandemic, bringing our collective awareness to the significance of what we eat and how it affects our immunity is crucial.
The best time to get sunlight is at noon when the sun is at its highest point, and its UVB rays are most intense. That means you need less time in the sun to make sufficient vitamin D (4).
What a perfect compliment to the bone broth you’ve been drinking to create a healthy gut and resilient mind and body!
Remember, when consumed regularly as part of a plant-based Paleo, nutrient dense method of eating (abundant in local, in season veggies, ample natural fat and small portions of properly sourced proteins, such as described in Paleoista) ,you’re setting yourself up with a solid foundation for creating optimal gut health.
Step outside, put your feet in the grass and get some grounding in while you’re at it.
(1) https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/...
(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
(3) https://foodintegritynow.org/2015/05/...
July 3, 2020
Paleoista Chicken Under A Brick Recipe
I first learned about this preparation from a dear friend’s mom who brought it straight from her parents home in Tuscany to New York. Different cultures may use different spices native to their locale, but for me, as always, the simplest flavors are the first choice! Be sure to chose a pastured chicken, rather than one marked as organic, natural or free-range, none of which, unfortunately mean a whole heck of a lot in terms of the manner in which the hens are raised. Ingredients
1 whole, pastured chicken, about 2 – 2 1/2 pounds
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped (use as may as you like!)
Rosemary and Lemon Wedges, for Garnish
Instructions
Butterfly chicken, or have your butcher do it for you (simply cut it down the back with a sharp pair of kitchen shears, then open it like a book)
Whiz garlic and olive oil in mini prep food processor until completely combined
Spread mixture all over chicken and let marinate 4-6 hours in refrigerator
Ignite grill to create low- medium heat
Drain chicken
Place cast-iron skillet on top of grill to heat
When hot, place chicken, skin side up on grill
Place skillet on top
Cover grill and let cook roughly 45 minutes, flipping once halfway to ensure even cooking
Remove from heat and tent under foil for ten minutes
Optional- while chicken is resting, throw on some sliced squash, eggplant or onion to still hot grill to serve along side your protein
Garnish with rosemary and lemon wedges
Enjoy!
June 26, 2020
1-2-3 Cook: Grilled Veggies for the 4th
Cooking can be daunting, overwhelming and confusing.
For many, it’s challenging enough to figure out what to eat and where to buy it, let alone how to then carve out time to prepare it.
There are now so many beautiful websites as well as printed cookbooks offering lovely, tasty dishes, but still, if you’re already feeling a bit cautious about ‘donning that apron, a list of 10 plus ingredients followed by two pages of instruction can be enough to opt to go the prepared food route.
This is precisely why I’m presenting recipes based on their ease of prep time without sacrificing an abundance of flavor.
Recipes with less than five ingredients and three steps.
After all, when you buy local and in season, why not focus on tasting the flavors inherent in each protein, vegetable, herb, spice and natural fat?
Click here for my recipe (actually, the more I think of it, it’s more like an un-recipe!) just in time for that 4th of July BBQ you may be planning tomorrow.
Use whichever your favorite cooking fat might be; this time I had a whirl with a new brand, Fat Works, who kindly shared with me some very interesting fats, including Wild Boar Lard!
The post 1-2-3 Cook: Grilled Veggies for the 4th first appeared on Paleoista.
June 6, 2020
Headaches? One Surprising Cause…
Whether you’re wearing an N95 on the front lines working in what is now classified as an essential job, or simply abiding by the directive to wear a protective, homemade, cloth cover over your mouth and nose, you may be experiencing a surprising side effect: headaches.
Having to wear a mask, or other types of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for even short periods of time can lead to headaches, and it’s not necessarily because you’ve tied them on too tightly and are causing construction, though that could contribute as well.
Wearing a mask reduces our intake of oxygen; meaning it’s forcing us to breathe in our own carbon dioxide. This can leaves us feeling faint, light-headed, or “smothered. (1)
Hypercapnia, or hypercarbia, as it is sometimes called, is a condition arising from too much carbon dioxide in the blood, and can be mild to severe.
Symptoms can include (2):
dizziness
drowsiness
excessive fatigue
headaches
feeling disoriented
flushing of the skin
shortness of breath
The extent to which a mask could affect CO2 levels depends on what it’s made of, and how tightly it fits.
Aside from feeling temporarily uncomfortable, do we need to be overly concerned with feeling a slight headache after wearing a mask?
The research is pointing to “no” and the good news is twofold; one – prolonged use of any face mask, including the N95 respirator, has not been shown to cause carbon dioxide toxicity in healthy people. However, if someone already has a preexisting lung condition, the recommendation is to carefully consider the use of face masks (3), perhaps reviewing with their doctor how to select the best option for them.
In addition, if a healthy person experiences a mild headache, chances are it will resolve itself once the mask is removed
Nurses, physicians and paramedical personnel on duty during the earlier phases of COVID at the National University Hospital reported that spontaneous resolution occurred in most cases within 1 hour from removal of the equipment and nearly 70% did not use acute analgesic treatment (4).
Take away: if you’re just feeling a mild headache, you could try what I did the first time it happened to me, before I’d thought it through: once home and removing my mask, I simply sat and focused on proper belly breathing with some peppermint oil for a good 10 – 15 minutes outside as I self-massaged my neck, and that did the trick.
No risk seeing if the natural course of action for a mild headache for a brief period of time will work before downing NSAIDS or jumping to the conclusion that you’re ill.
However, as always, this blog is never meant to take the place of medical advice, so if you feel you are experiencing COVID like symptoms, or the headache is simply not going away, best to get checked out asap.
(1) https://www.health.com/condition/infe...
(2) https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/arti...
(3) https://www.health.com/condition/infe...
(4) https://www.healio.com/news/primary-c...
June 1, 2020
Immunity + Inflammation
Social distancing and wearing a mask any time we leave our homes have become the norm.
Washing our hands, though a common sense thing to do already, in my opinion, after touching high traffic areas like a doorknob in a restroom, is something we are now being reminded to do via signage posted in many public places.
But where do we draw the line? Must we really even consider such practices as disinfecting our bottles of olive oil and jar of almond butter we purchased at the market?
It’s certainly not my place to make recommendations on the degree of disinfecting we choose to do; that’s something each person may decide on based on their own situations.
However, there are two things I’m compelled, on the other hand, to speak openly about as it pertains to my work as a nutritionist: immunity, which should be boosted, and inflammation, which should be suppressed, as succinctly put in a recent article in the NY Times. (1)
We’ve heard time and time again that it is the ‘older’ population most at risk for being more vulnerable to the disease; research is showing that this may be due at least in part to two natural processes that occur with aging, immune defenses declining and inflammation in tissues throughout the body increasing.
And while we clearly can’t do anything to slow down the passing of time, there’s much we can do to slow down inflammation, thanks to the lifestyle choices we make.
Exposure to irritants, such as industrial chemicals or polluted air and water, smoking, lack of sleep and exercise and not having a practice in place to manage stressors that are a part of all our lives can also contribute to increasing inflammation.
In addition, less than healthy choices resulting in becoming overweight can increase risk of developing COVID if exposed, as excess fat tissue also increases inflammation, rendering overweight people more vulnerable to a Covid infection.
And now the good news; there is a lot we can do in order to boost our immune systems and reduce our chances of becoming ill:
Regular exercise can improve your sleep, which can suppress inflammation and keep your immune system from having to work overtime (2).
Eating a varied, nutrient-dense diet can counter inflammation, a benefit aided by avoiding highly processed foods and eating more fresh fruits and vegetables that are high in protective nutrients.
As far as needing to disinfect groceries?
Many people worry about the possibility of picking up the coronavirus from things like grocery store conveyor belts or cereal boxes. But every expert NPR spoke with agrees that the biggest risk when it comes to groceries is being inside the store itself with other people who may be infected (3).
All the more reason to shop at the farmer’s market!
(1) https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/25/we...
(2) https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/we...
(3) https://www.npr.org/sections/health-s...
May 28, 2020
Using At-Home Time to Create New Habits
It’s not only adults who may be finding themselves overdoing it on the snacks during quarantine, it turns out emotional eating in children is also on the rise.
A recent article in the NY Times (1) focused on how boredom and stress are two big contributors to emotional eating, and children, just like adults, have a lot of both right now.
In the short term, roughly half the population will eat more in response to stress and the other half will eat less, but with longer, sustained stress, the majority tend to eat more, which explains the emerging COVID 15 phenomenon.
The expert interviewed for the article said, “there is much more research on adults than on children when it comes to emotional overeating, though there is increasing interest in how it develops in children. Some studies suggest that there is a genetic contribution to emotional eating, but that it doesn’t really play a major role until adulthood; emotional eating in childhood seems to be due to the environment, to parental modeling.
Which is precisely why this is such an ideal time for parents to take advantage of the opportunity to make the best choices for themselves and subsequently, for their kids.
Easier said than done, perhaps, but often, it takes a serious wake-up call for us to make sustainable changes, even in those areas of our lives that may have been plaguing us for years.
I’ve found this to be true time and time again in my work in optimal performance coaching.
One client, we’ll call her Kristi, had been morbidly obese for nearly all her life.
She’d tried every diet and every workout plan, but always found herself sabotaging her efforts and ultimately decided she was ‘meant to be fat’. After all, she was a mostly happy person, loved her work as an advertising executive, a husband who loved her dearly and at the time a 5 year old son.
One day when picking up her son from school, he raced into the car and gave her a big hug as he rattled off excitedly all he’d done that day at school.
She listened intently as he carried on, laughing at his tales until he abruptly segued into the question that would prove to change Kristi’s life.
“Mommy”, he asked, “Why are you so much fatter than all the other mommies?”
She was taken aback, to say the least. Speechless… and trying to hold back tears until she could get home and cry in solitude.
I don’t recall what her response was, but suffice it to say it was an epiphany that catapulted her into a complete and utter dedication to create, with guidance and a small team of coaches, a lasting and comprehensive plan to lose the fat, and the courage to work through so many of the layers within that were the root cause of the symptom of having become obese as a child.
Why do I share this here, in this article?
It’s simple.
We can all see this time as a wake-up call, an opportunity to make lasting changes for the better health not just for ourselves and our families, but collectively as a society.
It doesn’t matter if you’re sitting on the couch and there is an array of comfort food in your cabinet or you can’t remember the last time you did something that made you sweat or even the last time you went for a walk.
Start right here, exactly where you are and choose that effective immediately, you are healthy and that you and your family make healthy choices.
Get out and walk with your kids.
Stream an online yoga class in your living room and get your down dog on as a family.
Order a new cookbook that offers fun and innovative ideas to engage the whole family in healthy living.
I’ve had the honor of being a part of other people’s journeys to get their kids to become healthier on the food and exercise front one thing’s for sure: if the parents are not walking the walk, it’s not going to happen.
It’s not easy, undoubtedly, but why not use this time in and of itself as the very wake up call we can all use now and then?
May 19, 2020
Avoiding “Quarantine 15” Weight Gain
What you eat during self-quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic can help you cope better, stay healthy, focused and fit…or make your stress worse, increase inflammation and cause weight gain.
When quarantine began, we saw a situation not unlike what I’ve been told by a handful of elderly neighbors was experienced in times of war: stocking up on provisions because we won’t have access to them very soon. Including, apparently, toilet paper.
But what exactly are we stocking up on?
Given the bare shelves and frozen food sections, clearly it was in favor of packaged, processed goods, rather than heaps of fresh veggies, farm fresh eggs and mindfully sourced proteins.
At first blush, it might seem understandable to get right into fight or flight mentality; after all, if we are in danger, that’s actually one of the few times when that mindset is appropriate.
But if we take a step back, neither a fight or flight mindset nor food choices that might match it are going to help keep us healthy and resilient; in fact, they can do quite the opposite!
Research (1) shows that stress alters overall food intake, resulting in either under- or overeating, which may be influenced by stressor severity. Chronic life stress seems to be associated with a greater preference for energy- and nutrient-dense foods, namely those that are high in sugar and fat.
Add to the fact that we are getting messaging from the media to encourage us to take comfort in food, and to stock up on baking mixes from brands like Betty Crocker and we’re even further away from where we could be in order to create mindfulness around eating and moving, even amidst a pandemic.
When we’re worried or frightened, we’re more likely to seek out sugars, fats, and carbs for a quick energy boost. These comfort foods act like a natural tranquilizer that calms us down in times of peril (2).
However, what feels like an immediate short term answer grows into a bigger problem in the long run, leading to more stress eating and ultimately even more serious health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, depression and anxiety.
During stressful times, our cortisol curve can become skewed, inappropriately spiking blood sugar to give us energy, readying us for action.
In other words, we become ready to run from that proverbial saber tooth tiger when we have no place to go.
Glucose must be replenished after a the stress is over, so the more glucose we release in reaction to stress, the hungrier we’ll be after the stressor, increasing our craving for sweets to replace the much-needed cortisol.
The cycle leads to continued stress coupled with weight gain and even a third component: not exercising.
The perfect recipe for disaster.
Why not flip this roller coaster ride headed for doom on its head and instead, use this at home time to create better habits for mind, body… and soul?
Start with stocking up on the best foods, many of which you can find at your local farmer’s markets, which are now opening up in many parts of the country that were previously too cold. We’re spoiled in Los Angeles with having a plethora year round, but now that spring is in full bloom, most of us can make this part of our weekly regime. Not only do we then have access to the freshest organic veggies and some fruit as well as humanely raised proteins, we can shop in the fresh air, getting our Vitamin D sources boosted and steer clear of crowded shops and touching as few things that others have touched as possible. (Read my top ten list for more ideas).
Supplement with supplements… supplement being the key word. Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Zinc and a probiotic all serve to help boost our healthy, sound diet, not to fill in the gaping holes that would exist if someone is surviving on chips, cookies and frozen pizza. Get that 15 minutes of sun, too and if you can, put your feet in the grass a little bit, too! Even a little bit of grounding each day is better than none.
Get a move on! Get out and walk. Even though at the moment, we’ve been told to have a mask on, there’s no reason to not go outside and move, if you’re in a suburban neighborhood with space. If you’re in a crowded city environs, it just takes a little bit of creativity. From cobbling together an at home gym in a spare room (or closet!) to live streaming yoga or doing a Peloton workout, there’s no reason not to move.
Get in the right head space. I loved a recent talk given by Dr. Joe Dispenza in which he reminds us that sitting in fear of something outside coming to get us is the last place we want to be in. Download an app, pray, practice TM, do breath work; whatever your thing is in order to feel that calm.
Lead by example. Articles in the NY Times about how kids are on their laptops all day long, playing video games after hours of zoom class for homeschooling is eye opening and a great reminder of how important it is for us as parents to walk the walk that our kids can do with us.
We don’t know when the quarantine will end, when a vaccine will be approved and even if we will trust that vaccine.
There is much out of our control.
But rather than fall victim to fear, why not take control of what we can (what we put in our mouths, how and if we move, and what we choose to think), and create a path to come out of the pandemic healthier than ever and more resilient than we ever could have dreamed of?
(1) Torres, SJ, & Nowson, CA. (2007). Relationship between stress, eating behavior, and obesity. Nutrition, 23: 887-894
April 9, 2020
TOP 5 EASY WAYS TO DRINK BONE BROTH
TOP 5 EASY BB DRINK RECIPES
One of the most commonly asked questions we are getting not just now during these times when we’re stocking up on stock, but always is, “how do I drink this?”.
(Yes, one of the ways is in a drink such as shown in the pic above!)
The fast reply is a suggestion to pour it into a saucepan, simmer and sip, or use it as a base for a soup.
Looking for a little something more creative while we’re all in the midst of quarantining?
Below are my top five easy ways to enjoy bone broth as a beverage, each of which makes two servings.
Feel free to mix and match the flavors of bone broth from one preparation to another:
THE O.G.
It doesn’t get much easier than this! For the purists out there, or those who are simply short on time, this simplest prep is ready in minutes.
16 oz bone broth
Himalayan Salt (optional)
2 tsp ground turmeric
Meyer Lemon Wedges
Heat broth over medium flame
Pour into glass mason jars
Sprinkle on salt to taste and turmeric
Garnish with lemon wedges
BULLETPROOFED
While my broths are certainly not skimmed to remove fat, sometimes a heartier drink is in order. By adding a little extra fat, you can turn your broth into a beverage that’ll keep you satiated for a longer time.
16 oz bone broth
Himalayan Salt (optional)
2 Tablespoons organic, grass fed (and preferably raw ) butter or ghee
Red chili flakes (optional)
Heat broth over medium flame
Pour into blender
Add butter
Pour into ceramic cups
Sprinkle on salt to taste
Garnish with chili
BACON LATTE
The naming of my pork – bacon latter was in part due to the fact that it’s a conversation started! The broth is neither sold with dairy nor coffee, but the serving suggestion is what this broth is named after. When heated and then blended, the luscious fat from the pasture raised pork and bacon blends into a creamy latte texture.
16 oz bone broth
2 shots espresso
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat broth over medium flame
Pour into blender
Add espresso
Pour into coffee mugs
Garnish with pepper
BLENDED SMOOTHIE
A cold, blended drink is sometimes more in line with what we’re looking for, perhaps after a long walk or (once we get back to our normal routines), when we are on the go. Who ever said a smoothie has to involve nut milks and protein powder?
16 oz bone broth
1 bunch kale
1 large avocado
1 tsp each maca, cacao nibs and flax
1/2 cup blueberries
Place all ingredients in blender
Whiz to combine
Add ice if you prefer a frothier texture
BROTHTAIL
If you’re someone who likes a cocktail, veering away from those which are on the sugary side is an important part of keeping on track with your paleo inspired eating. While I wouldn’t go so far as to call this drink a must do in terms of nutrient density, it’s a good option for a creative twist on a classic.
16 oz bone broth
2 measures mezcal
1 T agave at room temp
2 limes; one freshly juiced, the other cut into wedges
Combine first three ingredients and lime juice in a glass cocktail mixer and stir until agave dissolves
Add crushed ice and stir
Pour into glasses and garnish with lime
March 21, 2020
Finding the Calm
This might seem a tad off topic from nutrition or optimal performance at first blush, but in actuality, how calm (or not) we are plays a large role not only in how our overall stress is, but how capable we are of digesting and assimilating our foods.
Given the current challenge we’re faced with, one thing we all have in common is an unexpected stress to add to the proverbial stress bucket.
It’s been an interesting series of observations over the past week in the few times we’ve left our home; from shoppers at last week’s farmer’s market, some wearing gloves and masks and others doing their weekly gather as though nothing at all was remotely different to the plethora of families out for walks in the middle of the day.
The grocery store was a fascinating experience all on it’s own; some customers looking like frightened deer in headlights, frozen while others were stockpiling (hoarding?) whatever frozen, prepared as well as boxed and canned provisions they could find.
Undoubtedly, it’s a strange state of affairs, to say the least.
And all we can each do about it is be prepared, have a plan and then choose how we will each handle our response to it.
I’m quite happy to share my own experience; I’ve written before that I’ve dealt with anxiety in my past, on and off for years and at its worst, a time period about three years ago when it reached such depths that I was unable to sleep for a full three weeks.
I don’t hate anyone and even if I did, I would not wish that experience upon anyone as it was sheer hell.
What does that have to do with what we’re currently experiencing?
The fact that I chose to take the bull by the horns and address it proactively.
For me, that meant working closely with a life coach, for whom I’m eternally grateful, and learning to meditate.
That process, which began a good 15 years after healing my gut (leaky gut is hugely correlated with anxiety), was my path; whether it was chosen or planned is a moot point.
Taking prescription medications was not the answer for me so I chose the only other path I was aware of.
I learned to be present in how I was feeling and to begin to unwire thoughts and patterns that I’d subconsciously hard wired into my mind from a very early age.
It was crucial for me to do this before I even thought about becoming pregnant and a key reason, I believe, that I had smooth and incredibly joyful pregnancy, continuing along to the present day in life with a 10 month old son and my own business.
By no means am I an expert at meditating, nor would I claim to be able to teach it, but what I can do is to share the message that right now, more than ever, we are all capable of choosing how we think and therefore how we react to things beyond our control.
I chose the path of meditation through TM (Transcendental Meditation) after years of struggling to learn other methods, all of which I felt I had failed at, once I thought a thought during about a minute of an attempted practice.
This route, for me, made sense because, as our teacher (my husband and I learned together) explained, “your mantra and your thoughts are your friends. When you think a thought, just gently guide yourself back to your mantra and resume”.
In other words, I couldn’t fail or be ‘bad at meditation’.
In addition, I was introduced to the work of Joe Dispenza, an expert in the neuroscience of change and epigenetics.
Granted, now as a new mom, I’m not diligently doing the recommended twice daily 23 minute sessions, but I’ve done it for long enough to know that even fitting in little snippets when Yves is asleep or if my husband can look after him is better than nothing as a means to continue to train that stubborn brain of mind that I can choose to feel calm despite what is going on in the world outside.
By no means am I underplaying the magnitude of what’s going on; I get it. It’s serious and some are being affected in ways grander than I can only imagine.
Which is another reason I’m sitting in a space of gratitude.
There are those who are very ill. There are those who suddenly have no job. There are those who are suddenly at-home school teachers to one or more children.
We have a lot and I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to focus on the positive in order to stay in the right headspace.
And when we slip, the best thing we can do is step outside ourselves and ask how we can help others.
If we are already going out to buy groceries and we have a neighbor who’s unable to get out, perhaps previously ill, why not offer to bring back whatever they need?
If a friend suddenly finds herself out of work, why not offer to drop off some essentials at her doorstep to help her and her family carry through until we’re on the other side of this?
It’s in times like these that we need to pay it forward more so than any other.
We can choose to panic and put ourselves in fight or flight 24/7… or we can chose to find our calm.
The more of us who choose the latter, the more positive the collective energy can become.
We can choose to find unity in this and come through it stronger as a whole.
Sending love + light …
Nell Stephenson's Blog
