Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 116
October 25, 2012
Meat and…Baking Soda?
Thanks again to my favorite cooking mag, Cook’s Illustrated, for providing yet another handy tip to incorporate into a Paleo Kitchen repetoire- using baking soda to tenderize meat!
If you’re new to Paleo and scratching your head wondering what to replace the soy-based meat tenderizing powder you used to use, scratch no more!
In their latest issue, they describe how ‘treating meat with baking soda tenderizes it by raising its pH’.
I tried it with a Paleoized version of one of their recipes and it worked like a charm!
A recipe using 1 1/2 pounds of ground (grass fed!) beef needed only to be mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of water and left to sit twenty minutes before proceeding.
Such fun to learn the science of cooking!
Play around and see if it doesn’t give you that softer texture you’ve been looking for!
October 24, 2012
Salad Bar Atrocities
When I asked a friend to meet for lunch recently and suggested the Whole Foods Salad Bar (our local one offers several raw, chopped leave options, plain shredded organic chicken, fresh fruit and steamed veg), she grimaced and said she ‘doesn’t do salad bars’.
I asked why, assuming she’d say it was because, even though it’s Whole Foods, there are still many options that are far from healthy, let alone Paleo. (Organic chicken salad with heaps of mayo and gorgonzola, or stir fry tempura beef in soy sauce leave a lot to be desired!)
Boy, was I wrong. She didn’t want to go because she doesn’t go to any salad bar, ever. Upon further investigation she revealed why: she’d seen an elderly woman going around to the different trays in a salad bar, not at a Whole Foods, but that’s a moot point here, and with the same fork, taking bites of all the offerings.
It was enough to make my friend’s stomach turn. Mine, too.
If you’re curious about sampling a dish in a salad bar, it’s so simple to ask a store employee to serve you a sample, in your own little cup with your own little fork!
Since the conversation with my friend, I, too unfortunately observed something equally as distressing; a man who wanted to serve himself only part of a chicken breast from the tray of rosemary-roasted chicken, took it upon himself to hold the breast with his bare hand, use the tong to rip off half, and then put the other half, that he’d handled back in the tray.
I told on him.
The entire tray of chicken had to be disposed of; what a waste of food, and of those chicken’s lives! One thing I’m very adamant of is not wasting.
Will I still eat at the salad bar, though?
Absolutely.
Yes, those two examples are disgusting, but really, we’re not in a bubble and if we don’t believe that for the most part, it’s more likely than not that our food is not being mishandled, it could be the start of the path to a place where one is afraid to ever eat anything that they didn’t grow themselves.
Ask a lot of questions, choose places to eat that are clean, have a staff that seem tidy in their own appearance and rest assured that the chances your food has been mishandled is less likely than the thought it’s been properly treated. I do!
October 23, 2012
Strength Training and Paleo
Nell,
I love how I feel on Paleo, but am wondering what kinds of training I can do to supplement my running. I tried two Cross Fit workouts, and they weren’t my thing; what do you recommend? I’m bored of lifting weights!
Thanks,
Anna, Louisville
I hear you, girlfriend!
For years, I lifted weights and did circuit training on the Nautilus Machines (as you can tell, I’m clearly not afraid of dating myself) along with The Stairmaster 4000 PT (remember those days?). I, too, got bored of the same old, same old.
I’m not a CrossFitter myself, so I completely get what you’re saying; although I have several clients and friends who love it! It, like every single other form of exercise is not for everyone.
I started incorporating TRX training along with Pilates into my own regime and find both offer strength (with lots of core), flexibility and versatility. I’d suggest checking those two options out and see if they don’t give you exactly what you’re looking for!
And, if you come to LA, you can contact me for a TRX session, too!
October 22, 2012
Is Hummus Paleo?
At a recent party, I was thrilled to see that the host had plenty of fresh veg to munch on as an option, during the few hours prior to dinner being served. Also available were guacamole and homemade salsa, both quite tasty and of course, Paleo friendly.
I had a chat with one of the guests who said he loved eating raw veg like carrots, celery and broccoli, all of which were being served, but that he absolutely had to dip them in hummus.
“Why isn’t hummus Paleo”, he asked me?
It’s simple; it’s made of garbanzo beans, and beans are not part of the Paleo diet.
Want a simple substitute? Whiz up your own batch of a Paleo friendly version using olive oil, fresh garlic, lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper and pureed, roasted eggplant (just halve, and roast under the broiler until soft, peel and puree), finished off with a scant dash of sesame oil*.
*Remember, seed and nuts and their oils, used once in a while are in keeping with Paleo, and as long as your overall balance of Omega 3:6 fatty acids are kept intact by adding some good sources of 3s (like wild salmon), a little bit of sesame will keep the flavor profile closer to what you used to enjoy from the tahini in hummus.
Be creative when you feel the urge to eat something non paleo. Dissect the dish, pick out the important flavor notes and recreate your own, paleo friendly version.
October 21, 2012
Colder Weather and Heartier Meals
Even in LA, it’s starting to get cooler (yes, I’ll admit that to me, weather in the 60s feels cool). For some, as the winter weather nears, the natural tendency to opt for heartier meals can prove to be a challenge if you’re trying to stay Paleo, for no other reason that what may come to mind are non Paleo foods.
Stews brimming with potatoes, soups with noodles or rice or freshly baked bread may all be thing you used to begin adding more of when the cold weather hit, but now that you’re Paleo, you may be at a loss with regard to what to eat when those fillers are a thing of the past.
First of all, acknowledge that it’s normal to feel slightly hungrier in cooler temps; your body is going to expend more calories trying to keep itself warm compared to the summertime, when you’re inclined to eat a bit more lightly in the heat.
Please note, we’re not talking several hundred calories, so don’t take this as a free-for-all to stuff the gullet! Rather, just keep in mind there is physiology behind it.
Opt for warm foods, yes, but still keep it Paleo and in balance. Make a hearty grass-fed beef stew, loaded with veggies, or a homemade marinara to serve over spaghetti squash and free-range turkey meatballs.
Also, include warming spices, such as cinnamon and ginger, and perhaps opt to include more steamed and sauteed veg, as opposed to raw, just to keep the hot food coming in.
No need to stray and load up on hot crescent rolls; eating protein, veg and fat in steady balance all day, just as you do in warmer months, will prove hearty enough without the dire consequences.
October 20, 2012
A Little Less Structure
At the end of a long racing season, I find it refreshing to take a little bit of time to have what I refer to as unstructured training.
When preparing for a marathon, an ironman or whatever one’s sport of choice is, it’s extremely important to have a plan in place so that reaching one’s becomes more attainable. Speed sessions, hill repeats, tempo rides, endurance swims and so on are part of any given week with specifics as to how long to be in a certain heart rate zone, maintaining a particular wattage or running at an exact pace.
All of which I love. In fact, it’s one of the small rewards each day, knowing that a key workout has been executed properly.
At the same time, in order to keep it interesting, I find that each year after Kona, a few weeks of getting up and saying, “I think I’ll go on a trail run today” for no other reason than it sounds fun or taking the dogs on a hike is really important to keep the mind wanting the structure rather than pushing it all year long and running the risk of getting mentally bored with the process.
Once that happens, as with everything, the body follows along.
If you’re head’s not in it, it’s really tricky to keep at it. That’s one of the reasons many clients report not having been successful in the past with eating or exercise regimes; they try to force something their not into.
Keep it fun, keep it fresh; this is our free time we’re talking about, so why not pick something we enjoy! Choose intensity and volume when appropriate but also be sure to include some time for some good old-fashioned ‘play’.
Pictured: Our children, Daisy and Graham, last winter at age 12.
October 19, 2012
Replacing Your Peanut Butter
“Do you have any suggestions for peanut butter lovers? Almond butter just doesn’t do it for me.” was a recent inquiry I received.
I, too, used to eat peanut butter, probably every day! I ate it when I was a little kid with my hippie mom, I ate it when I was vegan, thinking it was a good protein option and I ate it when I tried the Zone diet, as a great fat option. I ate it before runs, because the running magazine told me it was a good option, spread on a nice, whole grain bagel before a workout.
In other words, it’s easy to see why any of us would opt for peanut butter since the message that it’s a great part of the diet have no boundaries, regardless of what other types of principles you might have in your own manner of eating.
It’s not Paleo, though, as it’s a legume, and as such, it contains the unhealthy anti nutrient properties inherent to all legumes.
Peanut butter, even the ‘natural’ kind, is not a good option.
The mere fact that so many people are now ‘allergic’ to peanuts can be seen as another example of the fact that they’re actually not that great for us.
So, what to replace it with?
Yes, almond butter is an option, but all nuts are only to be eaten in moderation as their Omega 6 content is so high and Omega 3s so low.
My best advice is to be flexible with your fat options. Try something unexpected. Throw an avocado in your breakfast smoothie or spread coconut oil on some raw veggies. Melt coconut butter into soft boiled eggs & spinach for an extremely decadent option. Keep with the healthiest fat options and then mix and match to make your own favorite combinations.
Remember- good fat is good and won’t make you fat!
October 18, 2012
Indirectly Paleo
Indirectly only in as much that it’s not marketed that way…
I’ve been staying on the small Hawaiian Island of Lanai for the past several days (and I must recommend the Four Seasons Manele Bay to anyone who is looking for the epitome of a relaxing vacation) and it’s been extremely easy to stay Paleo here, without even having to make many substitutions to the menu.
Offered poolside each day were small bites including:
Pineapple, melon and grape skewers
Ahi poke (sans soy)
Melon wrapped in sliced beef
Blended all-fruit smoothies
Breakfast offerings each day included
Farm fresh eggs
Steamed broccoli
Local, fresh fruit
Sauteed spinach
Lunches and dinners consisted of the variety of fresh fish I mentioned yesterday along with assorted green veg.
It was also interesting to note the abundance of gluten free items; not Paleo, of course, to have gluten free muffins or bread, but definitely a step in the right direction toward awareness!
Yet another example of how easy it is to keep Paleo while traveling!
October 17, 2012
Eating What’s Around You
Over the last week and a half in Hawaii, I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy a lovely array of beautiful, local fish; Snapper, Ahi, Ono and Opah just to name a few.
I could also have opted for Wild Alaskan King Salmon, but why?
Yes, I love salmon and it’s certainly available here, but it’s come from thousands of miles away and when there are so many other delicious fish to choose from here, it just makes no sense to me to go that route.
Same goes for the choices we’ve been making on our trip with produce. Pineapples, dragon fruit, spinach, lettuces and papaya that were grown down the street are much more fresh than apples and broccoli that were flown in from the mainland.
There’s no downside to staying local; the local farmers and fisherman are supported, your food is more fresh and you’re not helping make a huge carbon footprint via supporting the foods being flown in.
Plus, it’s not exactly difficult to stomach the idea of eating these lovely foods- it would be different if it were the case that there was nothing local available.
Just think about it next time you’re away from home and are just about to order something tried and true from the menu, like a chicken breast with asparagus. Paleo? Yes. Healthy? Absolutely. Local & fresh? The depends. Do a tiny bit of investigating and at least try the local alternatives.
October 16, 2012
Something New…After the Race!
It never fails. The most important race is several days away and you do something silly like bump your knee on the corner of your kitchen counter or jam your toe in the door.
I’ve done both, fortunately not before last Saturday’s race, but luckily, whenever I’ve done something silly like that, it’s always so minor that it’s laughable.
What is not very funny, however, is when one tries something new, and seemingly benign, and does get really hurt. A quick, pick up soccer game at work the week before a friend’s marathon resulted in an elbow to the chest followed by several broken ribs; another friend out for a mellow cruise on his mountain bike days before his big race ended with a tumble over the front bars and a neck injury.
Call it superstitious, call it nerves, but at least think about it a little before you head out to ‘do a new activity’ if you’ve got an important event just around the corner.
Today, however, since the race is behind me, is a perfect day to head out for a stand up paddle board lesson, as well as some serious sets of lie-downs by the pool and intense reading of Vogue.
Aloha!
Nell Stephenson's Blog
