Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 38

Paleo Fx: Who’s In?

Robb Wolf. Mark Sisson.  Dr. Terry Wahls. Nora Gedgaudas…

Sound like a good line up?

I should say so!  And that’s only the beginning!

I had the opportunity to speak at Paleo Fx in 2013, right around the same time I made my first appearance on the Dr. Oz Show.  Talk about a great couple of career highs, back to back!

This past spring, I had to miss out as I was in Germany, speaking to the Airbus Corporation, delivering the key note on how Paleo eating positively affects workplace productivity.

But for 2015…I’m in!

What is it, exactly, you might be asking?

Here is the nitty gritty, straight from their site:

Paleo f(x)™, the largest live Paleo event in the world, returns to Austin April 24-26, 2015.

The Who’s Who gathering of the Paleo movement, with world-class speakers including New York Times best-selling authors, physicians, nutritionists, research scientists, professional athletes, trainers, sustainability and food activists, biohackers, and more.
Early confirmed speakers: Robb Wolf, Mark Sisson, Dallas Hartwig, Melissa Hartwig, Chris Kresser, John Kiefer, Sarah Fragoso, Ben Greenfield, Darryl Edwards, Nell Stephenson, and more. That’s the very early list. Dozens of exciting additions TBA.
Something for everyone: a variety of Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced sessions, including Paleo 101 talks by experts, for beginners.

Click here to secure your spot- and I’ll see you there!

Be Cost Effective: Cut the Packaging!

I get it. We’re all busy and anything we can do to save time can be really appealing.

But before you grab that small, plastic package of chopped Brussels sprouts instead of the sprouts still on the stalk in the section right beside it, check the price.

I picked up an organic stalk as long as my arm at Whole Foods for less than three bucks that more than filled a large glass roasting dish, while it would have taken at least three of the pre-cut, pre-washed plastic packages (which, by the way,  were neither local nor organic).

Yes, there are certain circumstances when we’re in a rush and buying the pre-washed spinach in a bag to go with the avocado and sliced turkey you’re picking up to eat as a quick lunch on the go from the market, but try to keep those to the minimum and whenever you can, buy fresh and whole.

Not only is it more cost effective, it’s also more fresh; as soon as produce is cut, it begins to oxidize and will spoil far more quickly.

For an interesting take on sprouts, try roasting them still on the stalk!

1  Brussels Sprout Stalk
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
2 medium shallots, minced
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste


Preheat oven to 350°
Cut the woody bottom of the stalk off and discard; trim sprouts off one side to create a flat edge
Rinse stalk and trimmed sprouts
Place stalk flat side down with loose sprouts in a glass or ceramic baking dish
Combine coconut oil with shallots in mini prep food processor and whiz to combine, then drizzle over stalk
Roast for about 45 minutes or until sprouts on stalk are tender and caramelized

If you’ve got some extra pastured, uncured bacon handy, and/or some raw pecans, throw ‘em on.  They’re delish in this recipe!  Fresh cranberries work nicely as well.

 

 

Oh, Stuff It!

Don’t worry, I’m not telling you off!  I’m just making reference to one rather non-Paleo dishes that graces our table during this festive time of year.

Rather than work backwards from the traditional recipes using day old bread, even if it is gluten-free, let’s take a new approach instead and focus on some hearty veggies that make viable options to accompany the pastured bird and all the other sides we’ll be enjoying that day.

Using hearty, ‘meaty’ veggies to take the place of the grain-based dishes is a good way to go.

In particular, an array of mushrooms with savory spices and onions sauteed stove top and served along side the bird works beautifully.  So, too, does a dish of a roasted medley of roots such as beets, turnip, parsnip and carrot.

My Roasted Sprout recipe is always a favorite; try making it your own by topping with toasted pecans or sprinkling some naturally dried cranberries on top.

Using the spices and flavor profiles that we’re so accustomed to also helps to balance out the ‘need’ for stuffing, such as sage and onion.

When the table is set out and all the colors of the rainbow are present, and no one’s actually ‘stuffed’ from eating the bread stuffing, everyone will actually be able to enjoy the meal more as there’s room for a little of everything!

POM Delish

Have you seen those little plastic containers of pomegranate seeds making an appearance right about now at this festive time of year?

While buying them ready to use is indeed convenient, they’re significantly more costly not to more perishable.

And while seeding a whole pomegranate might seem puzzling and messy, there’s a very simple methodology behind it:

After washing the fruit, cut off the ends to create flat surfaces, then score the fruit into quarters
Stick your thumbs into the pith of the ends and tear it up into sections
Place the sections in a bowl of cold water and bend them backwards to release the seeds…ping!
Pick off any pieces of membrane, discard and dry seeds throughly before storing in the fridge

Sprinkle them on salads, top off a dish of roasted sprouts or use them for a special occasion holiday cocktail.

Tasty, full of antioxidants and a nice splash of color to boot- they’re a seasonal must-have!

It’s So Extreme!

It is?

Eat lots of fresh, local veggies.  Eat some wild fish and some grass fed meat.  And don’t forget to add a nice portion of good, healthy fat.

Oh, and avoid items in packages high in sugar, salt and unidentifiable additives.

That, apparently, is extreme.

But drinking bubbly beverages from cans containing aspartame or sucralose, swallowing  pills as a means to ensure we get enough calcium and vitamin D and downing protein-shakes made from that all too common protein powder, soy protein isolate is not.

It can be hard message to deliver if we approach the Paleo regime with the idea that it’s super strict, very hard to follow long term and nearly impossible to do unless we live in a bubble.

Not that I’m suggesting that this way of eating be forced upon anyone; I certainly wouldn’t want someone telling me that I should add bread or anything else to my diet that I want to avoid.

Rather if we’re presenting it more as an education to anyone who asks, I feel it’s key to focus more on what we do eat, rather than rattling off  a list of what to avoid and what’s really going on in your gut when you ingest gluten.

Since we can catch more flies with honey, and since occasional honey is more Paleo-ish than other sugars (sorry, bad joke), we need to exude the positive aspects in order to allow others to be intrigued to learn more rather than put off by a list of ‘you can never eat these foods again’.

There truly are unlimited possibilities once we consider all the permutations of all the veggies, fruits, proteins and fats at our fingertips!

Don’t Worry, There’s No Oil?

Not the right idea…

This morning at Whole Foods, I perused the prepared foods area as I often do, to see if there were any new, Paleo friendly options being offered.

I saw a dish containing yam and pineapple and when I asked for more information, and then, given that it was just yam and pineapple, and I’d just finished a masters’s swim workout, the friendly woman who was helping me offered her input.

“It’s very healthy…no oil or any fat added!  In fact, all the salads you see with a purple label are all fat free, so very, very good for you!”

She was so enthusiastic and the salads were, indeed, very real-food looking, with ingredients like raw kale, Brussels sprouts… even wakame!

But fat-free = healthy?

Oh, dear.

Obviously setting aside Whole Foods’ use of canola oil in some of their dishes; how about all the other great healthy fat options?

And who is still promoting fat free as a healthy option?

We’ve got to stop resorting back to the way we all approached nutrition in the early 90s, myself included in that group.   I, too, thought fat-free and low cal was the way to go… but that gets us nowhere in terms of health, weight loss or overall well being.

Pile on the avocado, douse the veg in olive oil and scoop up the coconut oil for that stir fry.

And what of the lovely, albeit lacking in fat, new options at the Whole Food’s prepared food counter?  Go ahead and partake; just be sure to eat some good fat and protein along with that raw kale!

 

Paleoista & Orange Theory Free Lecture, Free Class

Imagine an exercise class that would allow you, in one hour, to sweat, strengthen and hit every muscle group in a group setting open to all levels of fitness.

Wait- how can that be possible?  Wouldn’t some members be working their buns off while others would feel it was too mellow?

Not exactly, thanks to the use of heart rate monitors and TV screens allowing you to track your effort and intensity based on a color coding theme.

Orange Theory Fitness has a model in which half the class works up a sweat doing intervals on the tread and the other focuses on strength.

I had the opportunity to take a class and it was a great workout…fun, something different than my typical triathlon training regime and a good way to get it all done in a short time window.

This, and the fact that there’s an OTF studio steps away from my studio made for the perfect rationale to give a talk tonight in their venue to introduce my new Paleoista Lifestyle Studio.

If you’re in the area, come by, have a listen and take a free class!

RSVP to (310) 694-5656.  See you tonight at 5:30!

From Vegan to Paleo- A Space I Know Quite Well

Typically when we hear of a celeb ‘going Paleo’ it’s in the context of this ‘great way to get ripped in order to play a role’ while once in a while,  it’s due to an attempt to overcome a health issue.

Today’ we’re reading about actress Anne Hathaway not only shifting to Paleo but apparently apologizing publicly to PETA for doing so.

I don’t know Anne, but I know this space, so well. I was a die-hard vegan for two full years and it certainly wasn’t an overnight occurrence for me to begin eating animal flesh.

I’ve read a few snippets about her plan to apologize to PETA, but I’ve also read some statements she made which indicated she simply wasn’t feel well following the vegan approach.

So I wonder why she feels like she’s doing something wrong.

For me, it was a very slow process of considering all factors and balancing out what I believed in, what I felt was right and what made the most sense.

I, too, felt low-energy and was also dreaming about eating fish for a good 18 months before I finally did so.

And I felt guilty.

But the more time passed, the more research I did and the more I tried different ways of eating for myself, I came to the conclusion that supporting animal welfare and eating animal flesh are two dynamics that can absolutely coexist.

In fact, I realized that if animal welfare was my main focus, by boycotting ALL animal products, specifically those coming from the smaller, local farms and ranchers who are trying to do the right thing, I wasn’t actually doing anything to help make progress in the realm of supporting animal rights.

By saying no to the small percentage of grass fed meat, pastured poultry and pork and wild fish suppliers who’ve dedicated their businesses to implementing humane methods to raise their animals, as though they were in the same  category as stockyard raised beef and battery cage reared chickens, I was actually doing the former a disservice.

Yes- boycott the bad guys, the Monsatos of the world who are simply focused on making a buck at any cost to the consumer and animal, but really, think about it, if only for a moment.

I know the space.

If someone had told me fourteen years ago that I should eat meat and chicken and fish, I probably would’ve wanted to take a swing.

But with experience, trial and error, research and my own personal education and growth, I do feel now I’ve found the balance.

I support animal welfare.  And I eat meat. And from the bottom of my heart and soul, I do not feel one contradicts the other.

And I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been, with more energy, better sleep, a lean physique and racing at a higher level than ever at age 40 than I was at 30 or even as a 25 year old vegan with chronic stomach issues and low energy.

If that isn’t enough for reassurance, I don’t know what is!

Do your research and find your own balance – that’s the best route to go.

 

At A Nondescript Building in Venice…

I have had three of the most exquisite dinners.

At LA Foodshop, the two talented chefs-owners,Hyejin and Itay, offer a unique dining experience amongst a communal table that seats  a large group of people who start off as strangers, and then, as the night unfolds end up becoming new friends or turn out to be a colleague of your spouse who you already indirectly knew.

This unique dynamic, coupled with a menu that is creative, decadent and varies month to month makes for an incredibly enjoyable evening, all at a very reasonable price point.

For someone like myself, who opts to avoid grains, dairy & beans, it’s a simple fix- simply attend a dinner that allows you to just not eat the dishes that contain foods you prefer to avoid.

In this special scenario, when there’s a single seating, and large quantities of delicious food are being made for all the guests, I’d prefer not to rock the seamless execution of production in the kitchen by asking for modifications; it’s just easier to attend a dinner such as the one I enjoyed last night, during which I partook of the Eggplant Carpaccio with olive oil and micro greens, the shaved sprout and kale salad with Granny Smith Apples and the local bone-in pork rib-eye with a fennel rub and apple chutney.

Other offerings on their menu included a homemade gnocchi and a pear tart, but honestly, the food I ate that did happen to be Paleoista approved was more than satisfying in and of itself.

Highly, highly recommend checking them out!

Click here for their site!

Go Ahead- Play With Your Food

And then you can eat it later.

OK, it may be a little late for that pumpkin you and your kids carved over a week ago for Halloween, but who ever said healthy food couldn’t be used as an artistic medium and then still be consumed?

Let’s back up a little to a week and a half ago when you may have purchased a large pumpkin or two to carve jack-o-lanterns along with a few smaller ones, merely for decor.

So long as all food items are handled with food safety precautions in mind, there is no reason why they should have to be thrown in the compost after the fact.

Take those small pumpkins that you simply placed around the house for decoration, cut them in half, place them cut side down in a glass baking dish and let them cook in the oven until soft (about 375 degrees for roughly an hour and a half), then cool and scoop out the flesh and use for a pureed soup or even a seasonal smoothie!

Alternatively, cut the top off and use the pumpkin itself as an edible pot to bake, then serve a beef stew.

In the photo above, using squash an the proverbial blank canvas, someone at the Union Square Farmer’s Market has taken sculpture to a whole new level.

Will that artist end up consuming their creation?  Who knows.

The take away here is that with the holidays ahead, there’s no reason why we have to approach them thinking there are no other options than to go crazy baking eight kinds of cookies (something I used to do myself!), creating gingerbread houses and pulling taffy with the little ones (does anyone still do that?).

Start at home- get the whole family involved being seasonally creative in the kitchen and you’ll do everyone in the household a favor by offsetting all the other occasions you may not have control over during the fun, but hectic, holiday season.