Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 109

Paleoista Holiday Tip # 32: Start the New Year off Healthfully

If you find yourself feeling a little under the weather post-Christmas, after all chaos of getting everything done at the last minute, don’t be too surprised.  Running ourselves ragged this time of year can sometimes happen without even realizing it until after the fact.

The good news is that if you’re Paleo, those nasty little flu or cold bugs don’t stand half a chance!  Because our diet is so alkaline and high in antioxidants and lacking in refined sugars and equally offensive junk, we’re far more able to win the battle of the ‘cold season’ and enter 2013 as healthy as horses!

Add a little extra raw garlic, some oil of oregano, even more leaves and plenty of water and you’ll be best equipped to experience little more than a slightly ‘off’ feeling and nip it in the bud!

Salud! 

Paleoista Holiday Tip #31: Make the Best of the Last Week of the Year

With a mere six days left of 2012, many people are likely in the mindset that their health and fitness goals can be put off one more week.  

As if suddenly, on January 1st, it will somehow magically be easy to stick to your goals, eat properly and get moving and all the things that presented themselves as hurdles will evaporate.

Rather than just avoid thinking about it and eat like it’s going out of style for the next week, why not at least begin to take a good, hard look at what you’ve tried to achieve in the past in terms of wellness goals, and assess what kept you from doing so?

Often, it’s a combination of a feeling of needing to almost repent for days/weeks/months of slovenly eating and a sloth-like lifestyle and a desire to what results immediately along with zero patience for yourself.

Take a big breath and rewrite that mission!

If you had previously tried to lose fifty pounds in two weeks or wanted to prepare for a marathon in one month after only ever having run six miles, think about how unreasonable you’re being to yourself.

Recreate your goals into something feasible and set up small, non food rewards for yourself along the way.  Aim for small but continuously steady gains, which are the type that will make lasting habits, and head into 2013 with a refreshed, healthy state of mind, instead of waking up January 1 with the feeling you need a punishment!

Paleoista Holiday Tip # 30: Have a Merry Christmas

Sometimes a short and simple wish to get straight to the point is preferable to a long diatribe…

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas!  May your days be merry and bright… and may you have a lovely holiday today with family, friends and all those whom you love around you.

Paleoista Holiday Tip # 29: Savor the Moment

During the holidays, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the hectic nature of buying gifts, planning parties and making sure we’ve got every last little detail checked off of our to-do lists.

It’s so important to take just a little time each day to savor the moment, the pure enjoyment of the nostalgia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or whichever special day you celebrate.  

Whether it’s a quick break mid day with your feet up and a nice cup of tea if you’re at home  the long weekend from work, watching your favorite classic film or a stop into your local bookshop to peruse the best new offerings of the season, stopping to smell the proverbial roses and remembering what this time of year is all about.

There is so much to be thankful for, yet we all tend to get caught up in the day to day trials and tribulations of life’s daily grind.

Try and take time to really be in the moment; it’s quite refreshing to see how quickly your perspective can change from feeling stressed out and pressed for time to being calm, present and filled with gratitude…which is a particularly nice way to spend the holidays.

Paleoista Holiday Tip # 28 : Give the Gift of Health

It may sound trite, but it’s still true nonetheless.

Amongst all the things that we can give that are either the opposite of being conducive to good health (like a ten pound box of mass produced milk ‘chocolates’ or a ‘goodie basket’ made up of all of Nestle’s best), why not give something healthy?

A trial membership to a local health club, a gift certificate to the local health food shop or a voucher for a good bodywork session are but three examples of generous presents to consider for family, friends or co-workers alike.

Another nice approach which comes in handy even if you’re on a tight budget is to give something even more precious- your time.  

Do you like working with kids?  Volunteer to be a mentor at a local school where you can help show kids how to make healthier food choices.  

Are you an experienced runner?  Why not create a beginner’s running club which would allow those new to the sport to learn from your expertise.  

Perhaps you’re like me and have a soft spot in your heart for dog rescue; many organizations need people to help place dogs in safe homes, which benefits not only the dogs, but those who adopt them, too!  Having the unconditional love of a dog and making the commitment to them to exercise them each day, also helps us bipeds to keep active.

Giving is such a lovely part of this season, and a gift from the heart with such good intention is one that you simply can’t go wrong with!

Paleoista Holiday Tip # 27: Deconstruct Your Old Favorites

One way to easily Paleoize your favorite holiday recipes is to deconstruct them and see what flavors, textures and tastes can remain intact in a new, updated version.

For example, my Paleo Pumpkin Pie has all the spices we’ve love at this time of year – allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves & ginger, as well as the obvious star of the show- pumpkin- so by swapping out the traditional glutinous crust for a Paleo option, it doesn’t feel all that different.

Or, the Coconut Paleo Egg Nog which highlights the thick, creamy feel, thanks to the fresh coconut milk and egg, without the unsavory side effects of ingesting dairy.

The pièce de résistance of the main meal is often Paleo anyway- a roast turkey, duck or goose, as well as many of the red-meat options like a standing rib roast, none of which would need any altering, other than making sure you’re relying on a good, humane, source to procure them.

With Christmas Eve a mere one day away, if that’s the holiday you’re celebrating, you’ve still got a little time to make improvisations to your menu.

E-mail with your questions if you need help!

Paleoista Holiday Tip # 26: Tread Lightly with ‘Everything in Moderation’

One of my biggest pet peeves is the recommendation to ‘go ahead and have a little bit of whatever you crave’.  This is a ‘tip’ seen quite often at this time of year and it’s not helpful to anyone.

For those of you, and there are many who fit this description, who have kicked the sugar habit once and for all, thanks to going Paleo, you know how difficult it was, and how easy it is to slip back into old ways with even the littlest, most benign-seeming ‘treat’.

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to refer to white sugar as a ‘gateway’ drug.   If you’re hungry and ‘craving’ some of the holiday candy at the office, or some of the homemade treats your neighbor brought over as a gift, and you decide you’ll have just one cookie, how often does it really end there?

Often, I find that when clients report ‘craving’ something, it’s due to not having eaten a properly balanced meal earlier in the day, leading to a blood sugar crash and subsequent ‘need’ for sugar.

If you read yesterday’s post, you’ll already see I’m not suggesting approaching the holidays without ever having a little treat, but the key is to steer clear of that nasty little bugger, white sugar.

Yes, have something special now and then, but keep it Paleo and don’t risk setting yourself up for a bad visit down a memory lane you’d prefer never to return to.

Balance, moderation, Paleo sweet now and then, and keep on track!  

Do not heed that stupid piece of advice to ‘have a little bit of whatever you crave in moderation’.    How would that piece of advice go over with someone fighting a drug addiction?   I’ve written about that before and I mean no disrespect for the challenges faced by someone trying to get clean and sober.   Simply making a comparison to how silly that recommendation is.

If you’re following Paleo properly, you won’t ‘crave’ things in the first place, and you’ll understand how it’s not worth it to eat things that leave you feeling anything but fantastic.

Paleoista Holiday Tip # 25: Don’t Shop on Empty

Just as you wouldn’t want to head to the grocery store when you’re so hungry you could eat a horse (using the reference in terms of quantity, not meat choice), heading to finish up your last minute holiday shopping when you haven’t eaten properly can also end in disaster.

Picture it:  you’ve been running around all day, dropping off the kids at school, heading to the office, getting in a quick workout on your lunch break and now you’re attempting to brave the shopping center in order to pick up those last few gifts.

Hmm…something’s missing, though.  What was it you’ve forgotten?  Oh, that’s right- you never ate lunch, nor did you have any snacks with you and now, at 5PM, you realize you’ve not eaten a thing since breakfast.

How do you supposed your gift selection and patience for dealing with fussy shoppers and cross store clerks is going to unfold?    In all likeliness, not too well.

Now, perhaps even more so than normal during this extremely hectic time of year, make sure you plan & pack your meals in advance to avoid this unfavorable scenario.

With a steady blood sugar level and a feeling of mental clarity, thanks to some balanced Paleo meals all day long, you’ll be far more likely not only to execute the gift procuring mission most efficiently, you might even enjoy it!

I, for one, certainly do! 

Paleoista Holiday Tip # 24: Eat Some (Raw, Organic, Dark) Chocolate

Yes, you read that correctly.

No, I’m not suggesting you demolish the entire box of La Maison du Chocolat Dark & Milk Chocolate Covered Almonds received as a gift from your boss.  What I am suggesting, though, is that you decide to have a little special treat now and then.

Doing so will prevent you from feeling as though you’re depriving yourself.  Planning for it allows you to balance it in as a happy little ending to a lovely meal, as well as to source a premium type of raw chocolate which has no unattractive fillers, stabilizers or preservatives.

Alas, most of the chocolates we’d find in any random store across the country does tend to have soy lecithin as an emulsifier, as well as a host of other little nasties, like hydrogenated oils, artificial sugars and flavors.

If you opt for a small square, as dark as you can go (I love the raw, dark, fair trade organic 99%, personally; who needs the sugar?), it’s so rich, so decadent and so satisfying, you only need a little and at a mere 50 – 80 calories on average for a one ounce piece you’re not going to sabotage your Paleo living which you’ve been sticking to so well.

Plus, with a healthy dose of antioxidants and other health promoting compounds, you’re not doing any harm to your body when you have a little bit of dark chocolate treat now and then.    The only caveat is to not try to fool yourself into thinking there’s anything remotely good for you in a Snickers bar, or any of the other highly processed and refined candies, which may not even have any real chocolate in them in the first place!

Paleoista Holiday Tip # 23: Think Hearty, Not Starchy

On a chilly, winter night, an equally cool, crisp salad might not be the most appealing of choices for a meal.

Maybe for lunch on the go, sure, but the idea of something more warming appeals more after coming in from the cold.

But once you’ve nixed the white potato from the stew and the bed of rice from the stir fry, what’s are you left with for some Paleo goodness?

Plenty!

Placing the emphasis on the meat and veggies, along with plenty of fresh or dried herbs and spices allows the opportunity to create an endless variety of soups, stews and stir fries alike, leaving no one wanting for those missing fillers.

Add in something green and leafy and you’re all set with a beautifully Paleo meal, without all that extra starch you simply don’t need.  Of course, if you’re an endurance athlete  getting ready for an epic workout the next day, you’ll want to add in a side of baked yams, but even then, there’s no reason to feel compelled to add in those modern day ‘filler-uppers!

Click here for my recipe for one of my Paleoista Favorites- A Bison & Venison Chili, sans the beans