Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 23

Up and Running

Wow, has this been a journey!

While I was completely expecting to go through ups and downs as I recovered from my foot injury, I wasn’t expecting it to be that tough and to learn as much as I have.

Six years ago, when I tore my hamstring doing a set of one mile repeats at 6 minute pace, 10 days out from the LA marathon, the recovery process was far different, both emotionally and physically.

For one thing, I had a pity party which lasted a good two weeks.   Then, once I was over that, I was chomping at the bit to get running as soon as I could.

Granted, I didn’t act on it as quickly as I wanted to, and while I had a slightly less than typical run at my first race back in the game, I came back stronger and later that year, achieved a PR in both my marathon as well as my ironman time.

But then, guess what I did?

I got run greedy, as my coach used to say.

I raced Ironman World Championships, then three weeks later, the NYC marathon and then three weeks later, CIM.

Guess what happened in January?    My calf ‘suddenly’ felt a bit tweaky and I had to take a short period of time off running.

Fortunately, it wasn’t anything serious, but the point is, at some point, perhaps I should have been asking myself how much is too much and why the heck wasn’t I listening to my body a bit more?

It’s funny, in some ways, I feel like a bit of a hypocrite; I’m always suggesting others listen to their body in terms of what they should be eating and that’s something I adhere to 100%, yet there I was just anxious to get back to my sport.

Anxious being the key word.

One of the main reasons I got into triathlon in the first place was my tendency to be anxious.

Arguably a healthier vice (?) than drinking heavily or overeating, but still, there comes a point which other means of addressing any issue any of us may have needs to be dealt with rather than running from.

Acknowledging this then acting on it has been one of the most trying things I’ve ever done.  Not that I’ve mastered it by a long shot, but by adding mediation, visualization and acceptance, first and foremost has helped tremendously.

Since the LA Marathon which I missed this year, I’ve gone through denial, false acceptance (as in – ok I have a boot on my foot but I’ll still go all day long being busy as normal ), complete acceptance ( as in – I actually need to be sitting down with my foot up and resting – gasp), freak out (the ‘what ifs’) and then finally, a shift in mindset to being peaceful and calm, and gradually seeing my body begin to heal.

I knew this was all happening as it was happening but it wasn’t until I went out with my dogs for the first time to the beach last Friday that I realized how fundamental of a change had transpired.

The amount of gratitude I felt at just being able to take my precious kids to the beach as the sun rose, to walk barefoot in the low tide and feel the healing waters splash on my feet and to simply be there was a gift that cannot be accurately illustrated in words.

That morning was supposed to be my first test run, and I thought about it, but in all honesty, I didn’t feel like it.   I just wanted to be there enjoying the moment and walking along slowly in gratitude.

I decided to do my test run the next day instead after masters swim.

I walked one mile in the grass inside the track, then ran 50 meters.  Writing that I ran those miles gingerly is putting it mildly.

I walked a lap, then ran 200 meters.   Then again, but 400 meters.

I felt creaky, tweaky and odd… but nothing hurt.

I wrapped it up, stretched and called it a day and silently gave thanks that I was able to run again.

I’m ramping back up slowly without a fear of having lost fitness or worry about missing what now seems like just a little run.

The tough part now is to keep the worrying part of my mind at bay and balance it out with what I’ve learned about trust, faith and being present.

Knowing when to stop because something is actually wrong versus letting any little twinge create a false need to terminate a workout is something I pride myself in being able to do.

I know my body well- too well, perhaps, to make something like building up my run too quickly a non issue.

Strong and steady, slowly but surely, I’m on the mend, but further ahead in the mental game after allowing myself to really be present with what was, and what is going on.

Gluten Free by Default or Design?

What do you see when you look at this image?

What do you think of?

Perhaps fresh, healthy, balanced?  Colorful?  Organic?  Would you think automatically that this is an example of a gluten-free meal?

Because it is.

If you’re eating a breakfast at 11 am consisting of fresh spinach you’ve sautéed in garlic and coconut oil, two or three farm fresh eggs over easy and a side of avocado with lime and salt, you’re eating gluten-free.

You might also say you’re just eating food, which would be accurate, but it’s also true to say that this meal did happen to be gluten free, too.

And if this is the general template you follow (local, fresh veggies in abundance, ample fat and mindfully sourced proteins), you’re ahead of what the typical American plate looks like by a long shot.

Another version of gluten free exists, too and sadly, this one is barely less toxic from what I often refer to as the Standard American Special.

It may not have gluten in it, but it can still be:

High in refined sugars
Inflammatory
Acid producing
Low in nutrient density
Low in healthy Omega 3 fatty acids

So what’s the big deal if you have a gluten free cookie now and then, or start your day with a piece of gluten free toast?

A lot.

While a piece of gluten free bread may not result in you dropping dead right after breakfast, it’s worth your time to understand what’s wrong with simply using the term ‘gluten free’ as the only gauge of whether or not something is a smart choice for you and your family.

First things first; the most natural, real foods we can choose aren’t going to come in a package anyway, therefore not warranting the use of this silly phrase.

So what is really broken about this picture, then?

Gluten isn’t the only toxic compound we ingest when we eat wheat, barley, rye (or oats- depending on who you ask); Mark Sisson provides a comprehensive review in his article, The Problems with Modern Wheat (1)

If we look only at a packaged food item’s label to see if it contains gluten or not, it’s no less valuable than looking at a label to see total calories or fat grams and not looking at anything else. Gluten or no gluten, it’s only one small piece of the information we need to have what we need to make an educated choice to put the item in our body or not.

Making the assumption that a diet with a large dependence on gluten-free labeled items translates to one thing: a diet high in packaged food. This inherently is not going to be as fresh, and as a result, not as rich in micronutrients making it an inferior choice to eat day in and day out. Imagine an athlete comparing a loaf of packaged, gluten-free bread to a couple of organic yams from the farmer’s market and trying to decide which is the better source of starch to add to their dinner the night before a race. Not too tough of a choice.

It’s also worth factoring in who benefits from the hopping on the gluten free bandwagon. The gluten-free products industry is seen expanding by about 10 percent a year, with annual sales reaching $7 billion worldwide by 2020, according to a recent Bloomberg report (2). Do you think Kraft and Nestle are selling us their stuff is healthy because they’re concerned about our inflammation and gut health?

Finally, don’t forget about food trends. They may start with some validity, an honest concept, sometimes stemming from research that actually proved something with a strategy and hope to carry it to the masses to make a difference. Others may only ever be a trend started by someone without the education or background to be in the place to be offering advice in the first place. In either case, it’s just that- a trend. One that far too many people begin to implement with or without understanding the why behind it, in hopes of reaching an unattainable goal in a very short period of time. Gluten-free does not automatically equal healthy or good for you, any more than a label stating something is ‘vegan’ or ‘paleo’ does.

At the end of the day, we simply need to toss out all the labels and whether you choose to eat grass fed meat, boycott all animal products or decide not to eat after 7pm, there’s only one question we need to ask ourselves to determine whether or not X food should be part of our diet: is it food?

In other words, is it a substance that when eaten, will nourish us, promote growth, brain development and not just survival but thriving?

Or will it create inflammation in our guts leading to brain fog, weight gain, a reliance on sugar and an endless list of subsequent health issues that far too many people are existing in, thinking this it normal and ok because everyone around them is also feeling poorly?

Unacceptable, in my opinion, to settle for this.

Ask yourself:

Did this grow near where I live? Or did it run across the land or swim in the waters? How many steps did it take for this food to get to my plate? If it is in a package, does it have very few ingredients, as in one, that I can identify as food?

If the answer to any of the above is a resounding NO, chances are you can make a better choice.

Caveat: there will be times and places when best option #1 is not an option and we have to then choose as wisely as we can.

In the big picture, however, if we choose real food first for the majority of the time we can begin to set the path for healing if you are in the category of sub clinically ill (I was there for years, so I know the space all too well), or clear the way even more if you’ve already begun the journey.

That, along with setting reasonable, attainable goals for yourself can pave the way to a successful transition to achieving and maintaining optimal health, fueled by food.

And it isn’t going to feel like a diet.

(1) http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-pr...

(2) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...

Not Sure? Toss It!

For years, one of the most fun and valuable exercises I do with clients is a kitchen clean out.  We go through the pantry, the cupboards, the fridge and the freezer and dump everything that’s not actually food.

The next step, then, is to procure real, fresh, unadulterated produce, meat, fish and poultry from the local farmer’s market or grocery, culminating in a food prep session right in the comfort of their own home.

Well, guess what else needs a clean out?

Your bathroom cabinets, medicine chest (do they still call it that?) and shelves beneath the bathroom sink; this isn’t a step relevant only to us ladies who use makeup, but to men and kids as well.

CVS announced recently that they’re banning toxic chemicals which is a tremendous step.  Let’s follow their lead!

We’re all using personal care products; even the simplest of a regime has some sort of soap, shampoo and hydrating solution as part of a routine.

So today, one day before Earth Day and one day before my one year anniversary of having signed up with Beautycounter as a consultant, I did something I should have done long ago- clear out the area beneath my own bathroom sink where I keep my hairdryer, my safe skin products…and, confession: I still had a plethora of sample size products I’d kept for travel.

Bad, girl!

It all got tossed today.

Call it a European approach, if you will.

The EEU has banned over 1,400 ingredients from their personal care products since 1938 (the last time the US passed a law governing what’s safe to use over here), in the same time that the US has banned barely over 30).

Rather than checking all these teeny, tiny bottles in the free, EWG’s site, Skin Deep Database, I just chucked them all.

Not sure? Not going to use it.

Not only am I ensuring my own safety in decreasing the amount of chemicals I slather on my skin, it’s also part of my spring cleaning.

Why not do the same thing?

Set aside an hour tomorrow, clear out all the junk from your own regime, your kids’ and your significant other’s daily arsenal of products, replace them with safe options and celebrate Earth Day with a whole new, fresh routine!

 

Where Are We Getting Our Advice?

“Proper nutrition and hydration are key ingredients in helping your clients get the most out of their workouts. Keep in mind that since every person is different, exact needs will vary. However, here are some general guidelines…” began an article which I received in my inbox today.

This newsletter is one I receive from IDEA, which I am a member of. IDEA is a a large professional fitness directory.

Guess who they’re affiliated with?

Good old Gatorade, and in today’s newsletter, the subject line is “Nutrition Tips from Gatorade”.

If that doesn’t set the stage for what’s to come, I don’t know what does!

Then, we are given three tips:

Start on the Right Foot: Make sure clients start workouts well hydrated and fueled
Check-in During Workouts: Ensure your clients are hydrating as they sweat
Make Recovery a Priority: Consuming protein and hydrating adequately are pivotal following a workout

Generally speaking, this advice isn’t too far fetched, but if you read between the lines, there is a subtle suggestion to just how those clients might become fueled before, hydrated during and adequately stocked on protein afterward, in the forms of Gatorade’s powdered electrolyte product, ‘thirst quenching beverage’ and a post workout banana, glass of chocolate milk and low fat yogurt, as per the infographic which accompanies this post.

It gets worse.

Not only are we as consumers being given this sage advice, but professionals are too; Gatorade has an institute.

Per wikipedia, The Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) was established in 1985 and is headquartered in Barrington, Illinois. Its goal is to “share current information and expand knowledge on sports nutrition and exercise science that enhance the performance and well-being of athletes.

Oh, one more thing; I almost forgot to mention that Gatorade is manufactured by PepsiCo, one of the sponsors of the USDA.

As much as it might be nice to believe that when we see another high performing, pro athlete downing a bottle of this chartreuse liquid that we, too need this as a great source of electrolyte replacement, we’ve got to take the high road and sift through the information, where it’s coming from and who benefits when we heed the advice given.

A great article on Livestrong breaks down not only the ingredients, but what they do:

Brominated Vegetable Oil

BMV or brominated vegetable oil is added to certain beverages that contain citrus oils. BMV helps prevent the oils from rising to the surface. It also ensures the stability of the flavor mixture. It is derived from soybean.

Sucralose

Some sugar free varieties of Gatorade contain sucralose, a non-calorie artificial sweetener. Sucralose is added simply to enhance flavor and provide sweetness. Sucralose is sold as Splenda.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

The high fructose corn syrup in Gatorade is a combination of two to three carbohydrates. The high fructose corn syrup contributes glucose, sucrose and fructose to the sports drink. Each is added according to results of scientific data to ensure fluid absorption, energy delivery and desirable taste.

Citric Acid

Citric acid is added for flavor and to act as a preservative.

Natural Flavors

Natural and artificial flavors are added to enhance the flavor that cannot be supplied if fruit juice or certain spices were to be used.

Salt

Salt, also known as potassium chloride, is used to enhance taste. It is present in Gatorade to help regulate fluid balance in the body.

Sodium Citrate

Sodium citrate is added to Gatorade to enhance flavor and maintain the stability of active ingredients.

Monopotassium Phosphate

Monopotassium phosphate is added as a source of phosphate and has been approved by the FDA as a heart healthy food.

Glycerol Ester of Wood Rosin

Glycerol ester of wood rosin is used in products that contain citric oils. It prevents the oils from floating to the surface of beverages. It is harvested from the stumps of pine and purified to beverage grade gum. The National Institute of Public Health has declared glycerol ester of wood rosin safe for human consumption.

Artificial Colors

Artificial colors are listed in the ingredients as various dyes or a color with a number. According to Gatorade.com, the colors in Gatorade are present to help consumers differentiate the different flavors. Colors and dyes used in Gatorade are suitable for human consumption as directed by the FDA. The least amount of dye is used to achieve the desired color.

What a brilliant business model!

Fund research geared to demonstrate that a high carb diet (not just high carb, but high refined carb, with corn syrup, no less) is one that is indicated for performance amongst athletes, send out messages to the masses and voila!

Don’t forget the age old advice that everything in moderation is the way to go, including the addictive legal drug, sugar, and you’re ensuring repeat consumers, too.

Add to that the idea that when experts, medical doctors, functional medicine practitioners, elite coaches and the like present topics on the body being fat adapted and all its health benefits, they can be ostracized and ousted from professional circles and networks they may have once had a home in.

Let’s go back about a century.

Maybe there was no ironman racing (there were marathons) but one thing’s for sure; people worked a lot harder from a physical perspective and they weren’t eating items in packages.

Forget about what you feel you believe in, be it Paleo, or Vegan or Gluten free.. and ask yourself if you’re eating food. Did it grow where you live?  Did it run or swim where you live?  How many steps did it take for it to get onto your plate?  How colorful is it?

This is what food is all about.

Whether you’re trying to perform as an athlete, an executive, a busy mom or a human being, we all just need food.

So…eat food. And move!

 

Where Did That Chicken Come From?

“It came from Whole Foods and it is free-range, so that’s good, right?”, was the question asked of me by a new client at a recent cooking lesson.

If only it were that simple.

Free-range sounds great, but what does it really mean?

Sadly, not that much.

According to the USDA (1), “FREE RANGE or FREE ROAMING means that producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside.”

How much access?

We don’t exactly know.

According to Wikipedia (2) , “A behavioral definition of free range is perhaps the most useful: “chickens kept with a fence that restricts their movements very little.”

Once again, another example of how we cannot make assumptions that what we are buying is what we hope it might be.

Imagine being able to walk into any grocery store, not just a high-end heath store or farmer’s market, and being able to shop with confidence, knowing that all the fish you were buying was wild-caught and local, all your meat was 100% grass fed and all the poultry was pasture-fed?

Until that time, we’ve got to do the same thing when sourcing our proteins as we do with everything else we choose to put in or on our bodies: we have to become detectives and educate ourselves.

One great option for safe, reliable sourcing of proteins is to head to your local farmer’s market.

When I’m having a conversation with the guys from Wild Local Seafood at the Wednesday Santa Monica Farmer’s Market who caught the fish I’m about to buy from their cooler yesterday or the rancher at the next both from Jiminez Farms who raised his pigs in pasture, and they’re looking in my eyes and we’re having an honest conversation about the humane manner in which they conduct their business, I believe them.

And this is what we all have to do, whether we’re talking about fish, chicken or beef, as well as organic vegetables that we can buy from local suppliers when they’re in season, rather than being greedy and deciding we must have blueberries in December that came from Chile.

It’s not until we all begin to make the shift to support the providers who are doing things the way nature intended that we will start to see pricing be such that more people can afford it.

This, in keeping with gleaning a better understanding that we don’t actually have to eat a high protein diet (pile on the local veggies and fat, guys!), that we can grasp the concept that even though the wild salmon may be $28/ pound we don’t need a 1/2 pound for ourselves at a single meal.

A little goes a long way and, for example, if you’re following a higher fat approach to eating, that one pound of salmon can be portioned out, frozen if need be and made to last several meals.

But what if you don’t have a farmer’s market to call your home base?

A few things can stand in its proxy.

1 ) Eatwild.com is a great nationwide directly listing farmer’s markets as well as individual suppliers of organic produce as well as grass fed meats, pasture fed poultry and wild caught fish across the US.

2 ) Check to see if you can opt in for a CSA in your area. For over 25 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Check out Local Harvest (5) as a great resource: https://www.localharvest.org/csa/

3) Grocery Stores. Whole Foods is a weekly stop in my routine. Yes, you can go terribly wrong, just like at many grocery stores, but if you take a moment to read the labels on the produce, you can stay local and organic. Same thing with the seafood as well as the meat and poultry. Whole Foods is interesting in that they use the 5-step system from the Global Animal Partnership, a nonprofit organization dedicated to continually improving the lives of farm animals through their 5-Step® Animal Welfare Rating system (5). Awareness is the first step, then making the best choice you can out of the options available to you is key.

I often speak about how once I realized that the core reason I was so, so sick for so, so long was largely due to eating gluten (gluten in the form of whole wheat bread my mom was baking, by the way), despite the ‘knowledge’ that whole wheat products were purported to be a great source of B- vitamins and fiber all that time, it opened what felt like the proverbial Pandora’s Box.

What else might I be eating, thinking it’s a good part of a healthy diet, that might actually be working against me on my path to optimal health and longevity?

For me, this was the first glimpse that I needed to take matters into my own hands, do as much digging as it took, keep learning from what may have been viewed as ‘alternative’ sources and keep trying until I figured out my own puzzle.

We all need to do this.

Since we can’t, at this moment, make grand assumptions that we can trust food labels, we’ve simply got to take the extra step in order to assure we’re getting the real information and can then make the best informed decision not only about who and what we choose to support, but what we are putting in our bodies.

It’s the only way to create a healthy future with promise for ourselves, our animals and our planet.

“Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms.” Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms. USDA, n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2017.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_range

Home

https://www.localharvest.org/csa/

http://www.globalanimalpartnership.org

Pairing Herbs and Meats

When it comes to cooking Paleoista-style, simple does not equal boring.

 

Even though I prefer focusing on the essence of the protein itself rather than hiding it under a Paleo(ish) substitute for a sauce, there’s one route that not only heightens the layers of flavor of your favorite protein, but also adds an extra nutritional wallop to the dish.

 

Fresh herbs offer a plethora of health benefits, and, when paired correctly with that gorgeous piece of wild black cod or grass fed ribeye, can create a dining experience that will leave your guests thinking you’re the most talented chef ever to walk the face of the earth.

 

In particular, there are certain herbs that stand out for their contribution to promoting good health.  Some of my favorites include:

 

Cilantro, which is high in Vitamin K and may help to prevent blood clots
Ginger, rich in compounds that help soothe an upset stomach and naturally relieve pain
Cinnamon, purported to help reduce risk of Type II diabetes (the perfect match for True Paleo living, which does the same thing!)
Turmeric, with natural anti-inflammatory properties
Rosemary, which stimulates the production of acetylcholine, which in turn helps boost learning and memory

 

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!   When you consider all the herbs you might find at the farmer’s market or in your own garden, there are countless combinations to use when preparing a meal.

 

So how do you figure out what goes with what?

 

That’s the fun part – doing your own kitchen experiments! There’s really no right or wrong, and as long as you’re not following the Paleo autoimmune protocol and need to avoid spices in the pepper family, anything is fair game.

 

You can stick with the tried and true, like lamb with rosemary or chicken with basil, or be a bit more adventurous and go for something a bit off the beaten path.  Does wild salmon dusted with dried sumac, or perhaps a bit of Kala Jeera (also known as black cumin) infused into your wild elk steak suit your fancy?

 

Whether you’re inclined to start with the familiar or dive right into a global dining experience right in your own kitchen, you can rest assured you’ll end up with a dish that’s as pleasing to your palate as it is nourishing to your body.

 

Try my take on a traditional Argentine dish – Paleoista Chimichurri, perfect for that grass fed flank!

 

 

REFERENCES

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11...

Tips and Tricks for Eating Right and Exercising on Vacation

Eating right when you’re cooking for yourself at home is easy when you get into a good routine. Even ordering while dining out at a restaurant becomes a non-issue when you become familiar with the menus.  But why is it so difficult to stay on track and both eat well and exercise while on vacation?

 

In some cases, you may be trying to be too strict to lose weight too quickly to be swimsuit ready for that tropical island destination.

 

Even though we all know this weight loss method isn’t the best approach to a long lasting, lean body, many women, and men still opt to lose weight like this only to face the inevitable time and time again.

 

The combination of feeling deprived of food for a period of time plus the relaxing atmosphere send you into denial, convincing you to deal with it all later when you return from your trip with more than just a tan…

 

Welcome home five extra pounds and a repeat performance of the stomach issues you worked so hard to recover from! And the exercise regime? If you were forcing yourself to go to that spin class you secretly despise, chances are the sentiment you left home with stuck. Now that you’re out of town, the last thing you’d want to do is revisit that type of agony.

 

So, what’s the trick to keeping on track with moving and eating while you’re away? There is none!

 

There are, however, some simple steps to follow to really drive the point home that it doesn’t have to be a choice between having a fun trip, enjoying all the local culture and cuisine or being healthy… and boring.

 

1. Don’t try to ‘cram’ eating healthfully and exercising. If you’re going to Tahiti next week, now might not be the best time to decide you need to jump on a crash diet and lose ten pounds by trying to survive on celery sticks and cottage cheese and adding an extra hour at the gym each day.

 

While the scale may tip slightly in the direction you’re hoping for, it won’t be fat loss and you’ll arrive there feeling grumpy and irritable, making yourself all the more likely to go off the rails

 

2. Give yourself enough time to adopt healthy eating habits and allow your body the time to reap those benefits. Work backwards from when you’re leaving and set rational goals for yourself. If the trip is next month, you may still not be where you want to be from a fitness standpoint, but you’ll have enough time to have added some solid habits that will have a better chance of sticking.

 

For example, making the connection that when you get up and go for a workout before breakfast seems to result in having a far more productive day with better energy, is the first easy step to being mentally prepared to put it in action when you’re away, too.

 

3. Do your due diligence prior to going away with regard to dining. What type of foods and dishes are going to be offered at your destination? Which are most conducive to fitting into a True Paleo diet regime?

 

Generally speaking, it’s not too hard to find Paleo foods everywhere and while certain cuisines lend themselves more easily to it than others, if you learn what’s offered where you’re going, you’ll be able to try new flavors without worrying about falling ill as a result.

 

4. Find out not only which exercise options are available, but identify the fitness classes or activities you’ll enjoy most! If you hate the gym, the fact that your resort has a hotel gym might not be your best option, but given that you happen to be staying on the beach, a morning run in the sand very well may be.

 

Traveling, enjoying local culture and delicious, healthy food, and coming home with a suitcase full of memories will accomplish the whole purpose of vacation in the first place. You’ll be rejuvenated, refreshed and ready for more, instead of the alternative scenario which may ensue if you don’t do your homework. It’s a no brainer!

 

Staying On Track and Deflecting Societal Pressures

You’re feeling great, you’ve lost weight, and you’re getting complimented on a daily basis that you seem to be exuding a certain glow. Cleary, you’ve found true Paleo diet living really suits you!

 

And then it happens.

 

You’re out with the girls and one friend, you know the one, asks why, now that you’ve reached your weight loss goal, are still turning down imported French cheese and baguette on Wine Down Wednesday with the ladies?

 

Or, while watching a game at the bar, your buddies are hounding you about skipping the buffalo wings, nachos, and beer while teasing that you’d probably rather be having a light salad.

 

Perhaps most challenging, you’re heading to grandma’s house for a traditional holiday dinner and she’s downright offended that you had the audacity to pass on her signature stuffing.

 

Regardless of what age we are, peer pressure exists and it can come from friends and family alike. Whether it stems from jealously or a lack of awareness or being completely closed minded, there’s no doubt social situations can make sticking to your healthy habits far more difficult.

 

But you don’t have to give in.

 

Be proactive and tackle pressures head on! With Paleoista’s Strategies to Stay on Track, you’ll not only be prepared for the inevitable conversations, but keep your diet and fitness routines on track. Dine the way you’re now accustomed to and stop feeling like you had to choose between fighting a huge battle or eating stuff that you know will make you feel just awful.

 

Paleoista’s 5 Easy Strategies for Staying on Track

 

Don’t make a big show out of it. No need to announce to all the guests at Thanksgiving that you’re only going to be eating the turkey and roasted vegetables now that you’re Paleo, since cavemen didn’t eat mashed potatoes or string bean casseroles. Just eat as you normally would.
When someone does ask why you’ve passed on the breadbasket, simply tell him or her you’ve recently learned that you’re allergic to or have a gluten sensitivity (or that it makes you feel sick, or that it causes migraines for you, whatever the case may be) and so you’re avoiding it. You don’t owe them a detailed explanation, nor should you feel obligated to tell them about the negative effects of eating gluten as they take a buttered bread roll.


Call ahead if you’re dining at someone’s house and explain that you’d like to know what dish(es) you can bring because there are a couple of foods you’re not eating anymore. Make it clear to your host that they won’t need to do any extra work and prepare a Paleo dinner on your behalf. Instead, you’ll bring plenty for everyone to share and that you’re only doing this for health reasons.


Flip it positive! When someone remarks that you simply have to try this homemade marinara sauce on the fresh tagliatelle from the Italian Deli, humbly reply that it smells amazing, but how amazing is this rapini sautéed in garlic, duck fat and finished with truffle oil?


As a last resort, for the demanding, pushy and literally trying to force feed you bread and butter individual, go ahead and give him or her all the details. It’s far from being appropriate conversation for the dinner table, but if they simply won’t relent, you can bring out the big guns and tell them you’re not interested in waking up tomorrow with whatever GI distress will ensue if you do ingest gluten or dairy or whatever the offending food will be. Note: To be used only when all else fails. If that doesn’t do the trick, I don’t know what will.

 

The key is to be consistent in your routine. The longer you stay on track and the more you can lead by example, the sooner your friends, family, and colleagues will “get it.” You’re eating in a new, healthy way and they shouldn’t bug you about it. And, don’t be surprised if some of them come around and start asking how they can get started on a true Paleo diet, too!

 

Minimize Your IBS Symptoms

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) causes a variety of symptoms including cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. People are typically diagnosed after exhibiting IBS symptoms for at least three months. This condition affects 25 – 45 million Americans, and until a little over a decade ago, I was included in that group. 

 

Before I found The Paleo Diet, I was at my wit’s end. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired, and it was an absolute horror trying to get to the bottom of what was making me so ill. Some of the diagnoses I received were colitis, “possibly Crohn’s,” and my favorite, “a chronic sensitive stomach.” Eventually, I simply refused to settle a lifelong condition that required medication and avoidance of many foods I knew to be healthy. I was lucky enough to put two and two together and allow my gut to heal itself.

 

I hate to think of the millions of people that are suffering needlessly, eating foods that are making them sick, avoiding foods that would make them healthy, and taking medication up to the eyeballs. For example, one GI specialist I saw told me to avoid all raw veggies, since they were too hard to digest, and focus on foods that would go down more easily, like white bread, white rice, and Jell-O. Another doctor told me after I tested negative for celiac disease that I should absolutely not cut out gluten. He believed doing so would severely compromise my ability to get enough dietary fiber and B vitamins because breads and cereal grains were the best sources. The third specialist’s advice wasn’t dietary. He simply suggested I take Prozac, because he couldn’t find anything wrong with me and felt what one eats plays little part in their overall health.

 

Pardon me? How could that possibly be? It was absolutely ridiculous.

 

In 2005, I finally discovered Paleo, the work of Dr. Loren Cordain, and the work of Dr. S. Boyd Eaton before him. It’s funny how common sense can actually feel so revolutionary! When I began following a true Paleo diet, I felt better in three days. That was just the start of a complete physical and professional transformation for me, which is the very reason I am so passionate about teaching others how Paleo eating can truly heal.

 

The best way to learn about this lifestyle is to immerse yourself in The Paleo Diet. It’s the one book I recommend to each and every client (in addition to Paleoista, of course) as it outlines in great detail what is happening on a cellular level when gluten is ingested, when we eat legumes, and how, even if one doesn’t feel an immediate reaction, it doesn’t mean there’s no adverse effects.

 

If you’re someone who just wants the basics, it’s really simple. First, eat a lot of fresh, local vegetables with wild proteins and natural fats.  Next, don’t eat items that come in packages, are highly processed, or contain a long list of items you cannot identify as food.

 

No one had IBS in Paleolithic times. They didn’t have it a couple hundred years ago.  In fact, IBS doesn’t even exist in modern day hunter-gatherer societies!

 

The bottom line is when we eat foods we cannot break down, we cause damage to our gut.  The gut becomes inflamed and the body follows. Infection can ensue and cause a complete, all-systems failure over the course of time.

 

When we adopt a Paleo diet approach, we eschew all the inflammatory, caustic food by-products and introduce a vast array of natural, real, fresh foods that not only taste great but really are food!

 

Now, do your part and share this with someone you know who’s suffering needlessly from IBS or similar conditions.  With nearly 50 million Americans in this category, there’s got to be at least one person you can help!

 

REFERENCES

https://www.womenshealth.gov/publicat...

www.aboutibs.org/site/what-is-ibs/facts/

How to Store Fruits and Veggies to Keep them Fresh the Longest

That fresh basil smelled just incredible when you bought it over the weekend at the farmer’s market. And those fresh, ripe tomatoes were simply to die for. Oh, and the delicate Bibb Lettuce… just heaven.

 

But, when it came time to whip up a crisp Paleo salad to go with tonight’s grilled, wild salmon and asparagus, all that remained was a bunch of blackened basil, wilted greens and a mushy tomato that tasted more like packaging material than something fresh from the garden.

 

What went wrong?

 

Let’s start with the basics: How long are you trying to store things?

 

Aren’t you going to the market each and every day to peruse what’s available, prior to sauntering home at a leisurely pace to spend the afternoon preparing a lovely meal?

 

Say what, Paleoista?

 

I’m kidding. While the scenario above would be fantastic, for most people, it’s enough of an upside to simply prepare a home cooked meal, let alone try to create something that’s going to take any significant amount of time. Which is why we need to make sure we factor in which fruits, veggies, herbs and spices to buy, how long they’re going to last and which produce items might be better off passing on if they’re not going to be used right off the bat.

 

The best way to lengthen shelf life is to store food in cold temperatures to slow its respiration, or ‘breathing’ process. The warmer the temperature, the faster the rate of respiration, making refrigeration critical for most produce.

 

However, don’t make the mistake of trying to asphyxiate your produce, either. The worst thing to do is seal fruits and vegetables in an airtight bag, which will suffocate them and speed up decay.

 

Keep in mind that some produce releases gas that speeds up ripening, which comes in handy in some cases; placing an unripe avocado next to a banana, for example, helps to ensure it’ll be ready for that salad you’re going to serve tomorrow night!

 

Ethylene is an odorless, colorless gas that speeds ripening and can lead to the premature decay of nearby ethylene-sensitive vegetables. Put spinach or kale in the same bin as peaches or apples, and the greens will turn yellow and limp in just a couple of days. So, the first trick is to separate produce that emits ethylene from produce that’s sensitive to it.

 

We’ve got the Not-To-Dos covered. What about the To-Dos? Here are six sure tips to keep your produce fresh!

 

Poke holes in the plastic bags to store vegetables, or keep them in reusable mesh bags and don’t pack veggies tightly together, either; they need space for air circulation or they’ll spoil faster.

 

Don’t clean produce until you’re ready to use it. Washing fruits or vegetables before storing dampens them and encourages bacteria growth, making them more likely to spoil.

 

Keep tomatoes out of the refrigerator; the cold breaks down their cell structure, making them mushy. Once they ripen at room temperature, eat them at peak flavor or freeze them to use later in cooking.

 

Keep herbs fresh by snipping the bottom of the stems, placing in a glass with an inch of water and loosely covering with a plastic bag in the fridge.

 

Lettuce can be kept crisp by wrapping the entire head in a paper towel, placing in a plastic bag, and storing in the fridge, pulling off leaves as needed.

 

Finally, if at all possible, try and carve out time in your schedule to get out the market a little bit more frequently. While it is a balance of being efficient and getting the shopping done, fresh is always best!

 

REFERENCES

Marita Cantwell, PhD, postharvest specialist at the University of California, Davis

Barry Swanson, food scientist at Washington State University

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/articl...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifesty...