Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 123

Sweet Potatoes: A Better Source of Nutrition Than Rice or Corn. What a Concept!

I was thrilled to hear a piece about an initiative that the Bill & Melinda Gates are funding, which supports “studying the best ways to disseminate the more nutritious varieties of sweet potatoes to farmers and their families.”

Their website outlines some of the basics:

Many of the two billion people in the developing world are women farmers who rely on staple crops, such as cassava and maize, for income and to feed their families.
Many of these crops are deficient in micronutrients, which can lead to significantly lower birth weight, a decrease in cognitive development, and increased susceptibility to diseases. Vitamin A deficiency alone threatens an estimated 43 million children under age 5 in sub-Saharan Africa.
Although all sweet potatoes are excellent sources of carbohydrates, fibers, macronutrients, and many vitamins, only the orange-fleshed varieties are also very high in vitamin A. Improved varieties of this crop are proving to be easy to grow and thrive in Africa’s harsh climate—where drought, disease, and pests plague many staple crops.

I listened to this today on NPR.   The idea is so simple; of course it’s better for people to eat sweet potatoes as a source of many vitamins, in particular vitamin A, than it is for them to ingest the bare minimum which is eaten for no other reason than it’s cheap and makes the most economic sense.     

This particular initiative also supports teaching people in communities how to grow the sweet potatoes not only for their own consumption but to sell as a means of generating a small income.

What a perfect example of the type of programs we need to see more of; those with means helping others without and doing so in a fair, sustainable and (finally) healthy (and PALEO!) manner.

Good on you, Bill Gates!

Programming Your Body

I find it downright amazing when I really stop and think about what the human body can do in terms of rebuilding itself, recovering from stress or trauma and completely transforming itself….when given the proper stimuli.

Surely, all of us have witnessed this in ourselves, or in a friend, family member or even from afar in someone we do not know personally.   Someone is injured in a car accident and told they’ll  never walk again, yet they find the motivation and determination to prove their doctors wrong and not only walk again, but run.   A woman gives birth to twin babies and within a short time span, finds she’s actually a bit slimmer than  before she was pregnant and full of energy to keep up with the little ones.   An older gentleman decides he’s tired of taking pain meds and using a cane, joins a fitness program and changes his diet and then is able to move pain free.

All incredibly inspiring cases, and scenarios we can all use as examples of h0w to use our minds to choose what we want to be and what kind of like we want to lead as a result.

However, just as our bodies will respond to positive stimuli and adapt accordingly, so, too will it adapt to negative stimuli.   Spend your days sitting around on the coach, being sedentary and filling your body with items that are not food in the truest sense (in other words, completely devoid of nutrition in any way, shape or form), and your body will indeed respond; the extra pounds will pile on, blood pressure will rise along with bad cholesterol, joints will begin to cave under the undue stress, the skin, eyes, nails and hair will become ashen, yellow, and brittle, respectively, the gut and then the entire body will become inflamed and thus continues the cascade of overall systemic breakdown.

You can look at it scientifically or mathematically or simply from a common sense perspective.  If this, then that.   

Want to look like an athlete?  Fine!  The choice is made, now go and do the work and BE and athlete.  Eat like one, train like one, move like one, sleep like one.

Want to look like an obese, sedentary person?  The choice is yours as well.

Your body will respond in either scenario.

Easier said than done?

What is really valuable and worth having that is not hard?  Using a rationale of something being difficult for a reason to not do it simply makes no sense to me.

Once again, here it is in black and white:

Eat (Paleo) Food.  Move. 

Moms-to-be, Get Moving!

“Increasing evidence shows that maternal obesity and excessive gestational weight gain are associated, through intrauterine exposure, with increased risk of childhood obesity”, was the opener in an article this week in the American College of Sports Medicine’s Bulletin.

Nature? 

Or nurture?

Look- does it really matter?

If a mother-to-be has poor eating habits and is sedentary, chances are high that her children will learn to eat and (not) move the same way so of course they’re more likely to be fat and  unhealthy.

Perhaps if you’ve never been successful in the past with permanent and safe weight loss, the event of bringing a child into the world and having their whole lives ahead of you to choose to set good (or bad) examples might be that impetus you needed to finally get you on the right path.

A classmate of mine from my undergrad study, who’d always struggled with his weight found that once he began his career as a school teacher to young kids in a particularly tough neighborhood (in a school which had cut their PE programs, by the way), he needed to be healthy.  Immediately.  He had just completed his Masters of Education and was a talented, kind man…and he had always been fifty to one hundred pounds over weight.   He stood in front of his class on day one and said he felt like an absolute hypocrite when he wanted to address what the kids were eating for lunch and what activities they engage in away from school.

That same afternoon, he did not head for fries and a milkshake but he did walk one mile.

You get the idea; he got healthy and as the saying goes, ‘became the change he wanted to see’.

So?

Move it!

Doesn’t matter what you do, or when or how or where.  

We’re made to move.  Not be still. 

As such, I just had to post this old Adidas advert…which pretty much says it all.

 

If You’re Going to Say Paleo Doesn’t Work, Make Sure You Know What Paleo Really Is

One of my biggest pet peeve is reading articles or hearing commentary from people claiming things like, “I tried Paleo and it just doesn’t work for weight loss (or training, or to help one’s skin clear up and so on)” or “Paleo is just not sustainable for the long term” and then finding out that they never really tried Paleo correctly in the first place.

For example, if  one approaches Paleo with the erroneous mindset that it’s all about eating meat all day long, and as a result, they find their digestion becomes irregular, they might then conclude that “Paleo is too low in fiber, so I’d better start eating my fortified cereal again”.

Or, they might go straight to the idea of being ‘Partly Paleo” and eat mostly a Paleo diet, but throw in some bread a few days each week.  If that person has an unknown allergy to wheat, eating those few servings during the week is absolutely enough to prevent their gut from healing and as a result, prevent them from reaping the full benefits of being completely Paleo.

Finally, one might say that Paleo did not sustain them for their endurance training, however, after a conversation, you’d find out that they simply took out all the non Paleo starches…and didn’t replace them with anything.   If you’re a Paleo endurance athlete, like me, you still need starch; it just needn’t come from grains!  Think yams!

If you think you tried it and feel ‘it didn’t work’, please take a good, hard look at what you ate, when you ate, whether or not your meals were balanced and if you ate enough.  

Not sure?  E me and I’ll help you trouble shoot- that’s what the consultations are for.

At any rate, don’t sell it short by making statements that it doesn’t work.  That’s an unfair disservice to what is a very healthy movement which has potential to make leaps and bounds of positive change to a society in a health crisis.

Beat the Heat or Power Through?

For anyone who’s on the West Coast, you’ll know first hand what I’m referring to as we’ve been in the midst of a mega heat wave for the past week.

Should you simply mind over matter it, or err on the side of caution and skip training in the heat?

Several factors are worth considering:

Have you already been acclimating yourself to heat training?
Do you have an event coming up that will be held in a hot climate?
How have you handled the heat in the past?
Can you make a ‘Plan B’ in the event things get too hot and you need to cut the workout short?

If you’re someone who does not handle the heat well, or can easily get your training in earlier on the day or even indoors, then it may be the smarter thing to do.

On the flip side, if  you’re fit and healthy and you’re about to race an Ironman or marathon in the heat, then you need to be the best judge of whether it’s a good training and test day versus simply a foolish idea.   Speaking for myself as an endurance athlete, I will admit it can be a fine line and I’ve definitely gone too close to crossing it in terms of always approaching my own training from the smartest perspective on occasion.

If you are going to go for it, make sure to strategize ways for keeping as cool as possible, as hydrated as possible, staying on top of fueling and  replacing your electrolytes sufficiently.  Being remiss about any of those considerations can put you in the hot seat, literally, and in a dangerous way. 

In addition, stay tuned in to how your body is feeling.  If you start feeling thirsty, you’re already  beginning to get dehydrated.  If  you’re dizzy or getting the chills, that’s another warning sign that you’re better off turning back early and calling it a day, even if it means cutting your long workout a bit short.

Heat exhausting and heat stroke are not things we should take lightly and consider powering through.

Train smart, train Paleo… and have fun!

Don’t Know What to Do With Those Veggies? Stick ‘em in the Blender!

A few almost wilting eggplants, an almost over ripe tomato and some unused basil proved to make an interesting and surprisingly delightful summer veggie puree today.

I tend to be rather diligent (ok, maybe even a little OCD) about buying exactly the right amount of food I need so as not to waste, but every once in a while, at the end of a week, there are some odds and ends left that I don’t have a plan for.

Sure, I could wait an extra day or two until they’re really too far gone and then compost them, but I’d rather eat those veggies!

Using my example above, I steamed some eggplants that I’d procured at the farmer’s market, let them cool, then threw them in the blender with the tomato and basil.   I added a dash of turmeric, some garlic cloves and voila- a delicious concoction that can be used as a chilled soup, a dip for crudites or even a marinade for protein.

Be creative, don’t waste, and see what Paleo goodness you come up with!

What Do You Give A Group of Senior Hikers?

Apparently, you offer them plates of pastries.

What?

Not kidding, yet I wish I were.

A devoted blog reader, who is about to embark on a hike of 230 miles of the Pacific Coast Trail, shared this email with me the other day:

“I give a talk about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, and wherever I go they have snacks for the participants.  The most recent venue, a senior center, had fruit plate but this is the most common form of sustenance:  pastries of all sorts. I think they are trying to kill off the old people sooner.”

Think.  Pastries?  Really?  Is that really a good form of nutrition and sustenance when one’s about to ask their body to perform?   Even if someone’s not Paleo, come on, now!

He went on to mention some of the foods he’d be bringing along with him on his journey, all of which are Paleo friendly:  “It’s tough to be Paleo on the trail but I have macadamias, homemade jerky and Lara bars to fill the bill.”

There’s never a good reason to not at least try to make it work!

Standing Up to Your Doctor

Kind of an unsettling thought, isn’t it?

The idea that you’d go to your doc to share the most private details of what’s going on with your body regarding any particular health issue for advice, confidence and a sound treatment plan, but leave feeling like you haven’t been heard, or had  been expeditiously shuffled out prematurely due to the other three patients waiting for their 15 minute visit.

It’s a situation we’ve probably all faced at one time or another.

I’ve shared a little on my background in my book; the countless visits to specialists and the E/R due to years of horrendous stomach pain and GI issues, all to be simply written off to “IBS, stress or ‘it’s in your head’”.   “Food wouldn’t likely have too much to do with the symptoms you’re experiencing”, I was told time and again.

Regardless of the reason why you’re seeing your doctor in the first place, you need to feel comfortable and supported when you meet with him or her.   As though they’re genuinely listening, are sympathetic to what you’re experiencing and that you are a unique individual and not always necessarily a case that can be generically treated.

Don’t accept the word of a doctor (or any professional!) as the end all.  If what they’re saying doesn’t make sense to you, or if you get the feeling that they’re not actually that interesting in what is going on with you, then it may be time to look elsewhere.
Don’t feel shy about interviewing them.   It’s your body, it’s your life and if the advice, medication or guidance that the doc has provided has proved to be anywhere from not helpful actually making things worse, move on.
Ask friends and family for recommendations as much as possible, rather than choosing off a list from your insurance company.  As with many other things, word of mouth tends to be the best referral resource.
If you go to a new doc and they’re obese or smoke, it may be a bad sign.  I realize this comment risks being offensive for some, but honestly, you’ve got to walk the walk.  Would you see a dentist with rotten teeth?

At the end of the day, trust your gut.   If you get a bad vibe from anyone, steer clear and look elsewhere!   You never know, you may even find a doctor who’s actually heard of, any maybe even advocates Paleo living!  They’re out there; they may be few in number but they do exist!

Interesting Produce…What Have You Found?

I hesitate to call it a ‘new’ fruit or veggie if it’s just something that I personally haven’t seen before.  That certainly doesn’t make it new, other than ‘new to me’.

One of the fun things about shopping at your local farmer’s market is encountering fruits and veggies that you may not have heard of, let alone tasted previously.  What a fantastic way to expand your Paleo palate!

Last week, I found Chinese Bitter Melon.  I just had to have one, since it looked so different!

The vendor explained that it’s generally consumed cooked in the green or early yellowing stage and that the shoots and leaves of the bitter melon may also be eaten as greens.

What have you found?

Please share! 

Keeping Paleo While Experiencing Culture

“I decided to veer off Paleo when I was traveling abroad”, one client recently mentioned to me.  ”I didn’t want to deprive myself of experiencing the culture by eschewing their food”.

Understandable statement, and certainly, we all have the choice to not eat Paleo things if we want.   However, it’s not an all or nothing scenario; you can actually stay Paleo while simultaneously enjoying many types of regional cuisine.

Granted, it’s easier to do so in your own home when you can Paleoize the recipe your grandmother passed down to you, but it’s not only possible but not too complicated to make wise Paleo choices out of your home environs.

If you (surprise, surprise) plan ahead and do some research you can determine what dishes stand out as being ‘must haves’ in any particular area and what options you might have to fit into your Paleo lifestyle.    Learn at least a little about the culture and language in advance enough to be prepared to have an intelligent convo with local people where you’ll be, including those working in restaurants and stores, and do your usual asking questions.

Yes, there are situations where it’s going to be trickier than others; for example, declining a meal or part of a meal in some cultures would be seen as quite offensive.  That doesn’t mean you have to throw all your Paleo efforts out the window for the entire duration of your time away from home.

Do the best with what you’ve got and know that Paleo can be done in many places with just a little forethought and creativity.

Some of the places that clients have reporting keeping Paleo without any difficulty just this calendar year include Australia (Melbourne and Sydney in particular), New Zealand, Mexico (Cancun, Riviera Mayakoba and Mexico City), Greece, S. Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Thailand, England, France and Italy.

Where’ve you been and how did you stay Paleo?  Share!