Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 42

Seize the Day, Enjoy Every Second

It’s so odd not to be racing at the big show today.

Ironman World Championships are today in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, and at 7am, when the race begins, all the athletes who’ve worked so hard to get to Kona will begin the day they’ve been training for, waiting for, dreaming of, perhaps fearing a bit but overall sharing this incredible opportunity to race on hallowed triathlon grounds.

And for the first time since 2006, (with the exception of one year I didn’t qualify, in 2008), I’m here in California…not racing.

No doubt in my mind I’ll be raring to go for next year, and it’s proven very positive to have proactively taken a step back after the end of the 2013 season after not doing so since I began racing back in 1998, yet there’s certainly still a part of me that feels so strange knowing it’s all going on and I’m watching from afar.

From friends who’ve tried numerous times to qualify, kept at it and finally earned their slots, to others who qualify each and every year, it’s never anything less than an absolute honor to be a part of this event and I wish everyone who’s out there today all the best- enjoy every second- the ups and downs….every element- whether it’s hot and windy or mild and breezy…and every emotion that fills you, from the lowest of lows when you feel you cannot pull yourself up to the highest of highs when you’re running down Ali’i with a huge grin on your face, giving high fives to all the spectators along the streets.

Lead with your heart, exude positivity and overall, enjoy the whole process.

What a gift!

Aloha!

Follow your athletes live!

Soggy, Slimy Lettuce? Go FRESH, Not Packaged!

It’s so convenient to pop into the store, grab a small package of organic, pre-washed greens, add some healthy protein and enjoy a quick meal on the go.

I suggest it to clients and I do it myself, in a pinch.

But there’s a downside, apart from the cost, and the packaging…the risk of soggy, slimy greens, that you might not have noticed until you’ve left the store and it’s too late.

Just the other day, it happened; I’d zipped into the market in a rush, after having been gone from home longer than expected and having run out of my homemade Paleo provisions.

I checked the date on the package of baby arugula and all was well. I picked up some wild salmon, some raw walnuts and planned for a quick meal before my next meeting.

Alas…when I’d left and was all set to enjoy my makeshift salad, I opened the container to find a terrible smell and slimy leaves.

What happened?

Lots of things could have occurred- for one, as pointed out by the cashier who helped me when I went back to the store to return the greens, since there’s been a heat wave here, it’s quite possible that during the  unloading of the greens from truck to store, they may have begun to sweat in their package, causing early spoilage.

And when in doubt.. throw it out (or, actually, return it); do not risk eating it.  Many clients have reported eating veggies or fruit that they thought might be bad, because for some reason it didn’t seem as risky as eating spoiled meat.

I disagree.  It’s just not worth the risk of ingesting any bacteria. If you’ve already taken a bite or two before realizing the food wasn’t good, hedge your bets for safety and take an activated charcoal tablet to help prevent an infestation in the gut from whatever creatures you may have accidentally consumed.

More often than not, choose fresh leaves, not packaged, so you can see, feel and smell them to make sure they’re fresh and good to eat, and require nothing other than to be washed.

You’ll save on cost, keep the planet greener by reducing the amount of plastic you use and significantly cut down the chances of eating rotten produce.

Medicated Creams for Skin Conditions? Let’s Address the Cause, not the Symptom!

“Don’t just treat the symptom – treat the cause.” I couldn’t agree more with this statement.

I did find it funny, however, that it was the opening sentence on a website I checked out after seeing an ad that made me feel I just had to write a blog about it.

“Gold Bond Medicated Body Lotion is perfect for targeting those itchy bumps on the back of the upper arms”, according to the commercial.

Why not figure out why there are itchy bumps on the back of the arms in the first place?

Certainly, this is not something specific to just this brand;  we’ve been trying to treat skin issues by putting lotions, creams and ointments on them for quite some time now.

And they may help, but not looking into why there’s a rash or hives or an outbreak of some sort as well, is just doing yourself a disservice.

What we can see on the outside- our skin, the whites of our eyes, the texture of our hair and nails, for example, all reflect what’s going on internally.

Foods like nuts, gluten, dairy, sugar, soy and peanuts, are a few common allergens that can make, and keep the body inflamed and once the inside of our bodies are angry, it’s hard for the outside not to be, too.

One of the great facets of following a True Paleo regime is its focus on anti inflammatory foods, like Omega 3s from wild fish, antioxidants from eating loads of fresh produce and a net overall low-acid balance thanks to the alkaline nature of this approach.

Better yet, for anyone who does have skin issues, they’ll start seeing results soon; far more quickly than those who are faced with the challenges of auto immune issues.

Give it a try, and see if your skin doesn’t look better in a short period time so much so that you don’t even need to think about applying a medicated cream!

Need help?

You can always refer to my 6 wk plan for better skin!

Start with the basics, remove the sugar (all sugar- even from fruit), the dairy and the gluten.  Even if you’re not totally sold on Paleo, at least adding this first step will steer you in the right direction!

Paleo Athletes, This One’s For You

Are you interested in how to thrive as an endurance athlete, while keeping Paleo?  Doing so was what allowed me, nearly ten years ago, to go from a very average, middle of the pack age-grouper to being able to train then race competitively enough to earn a slot to Ironman World Championships in Kona seven times.

I won’t lie- my decision to take 2014 off from long course racing is making me feel so odd right now; typically I’d be in Kona at this time of year getting ready for the big show on Saturday.

I will say, however, that taking a step back earlier this year to focus on strength, rest and recovery has already proven effective with either a win or second place at each race I’ve done this year, with my focus being some single sport racing- a gran fondo, half marathons, one 70.3 at Timberman and then my upcoming NYC marathon in just under a month.

Huge fire in the belly for next year, though!

Anyway, you may be wondering how to fuel endurance exercise, even on a lower carb diet, such as Paleo, when all the media makes it out to be fact that we need bagels, pasta, bread…even going so far as to say it doesn’t matter where the calories come from, which is nonsense.

If you’re curious about this, you’ve got to check out the talk I’m having with Neely Quinn of Paleo Hacks next month, as part of the Women’s Weight Loss Series she’s compiled.

Learn:

How to switch from being a carb-burner to a keto-adapted fat burner the right way…
How to fuel endurance exercise and lean out at the same time (no carbo- loading involved)…
How to end your reliance on sugary gel packets on long runs and rides…
Exactly what to eat while you’re training in order to lose fat, maintain energy levels, and perform at your best…
How to know if you’re in the “Chronic Cardio” zone..

What you eat is by far the bigger part of the picture compared to how you train.

Prior to being Paleo, I trained and raced Ironman at a significantly higher body fat percentage and never looked as lean and fit as I wanted until I transitioned to Paleo.

There are no gimmicks or quick fixes; it’s all about eating real food.

It doesn’t matter if you’re an endurance athlete in the truest sense of the word, or an endurance athlete in the sense that you’re a busy mom juggling kids, work and home (you’re still an athlete, girlfriend!).

Just check out the summit.  It’s free.  No strings. Honestly.

Paleo, Women and Weight Loss

One of the main reasons I created my brand, Paleoista, a few years back, was to make this healthy approach to eating, moving and lifestyle overall more appealing and approachable for women.

Not only is Paleo marketed all too often as ‘the Caveman diet’, it’s then taken out of context, misrepresented both in terms of what it really means as well as who it’s appropriate for and for what goals, too.

Let’s take just one of these goals:  weight loss.

Often, my female clients report their frustrations with having tried varying programs and approaches in the past, only to find that while they may or may not have been losing weight, it was never at a fair cost.  They felt it was either  choice between seeing the number on the scale drop, but feeling so restricted and hungry all the time, it proved unsustainable.

And beyond that, it seemed like their husbands or boyfriends, without even seeming to be as committed were dropping weight!

What’s up with that?

From exercise and hormones, to macronutrients & calories, there are indeed many factors to consider when we talk about losing weight.

But the reality is that most of the information out there is geared towards men without consideration for female-specific needs and at same time, much of the information that is tailored to women is often grossly incorrect, and sometimes even harmful.

I want to invite you to a special online event – for women only – that’s going to change everything you THINK you know about weight loss.

It’s called “For Women Only: The Weight Loss Solution” and it’s a FREE online event that will help you finally – and permanently – lose weight and get the body you desire.

It’s hosted by my colleague Neely Quinn and the team at PaleoHacks.com, and they’ve gathered over 35 of the top weight loss experts in the world to show you EXACTLY how to finally lose the weight you want – and get the body that you desire.

In this event, you’ll learn:

What to eat (and which foods to avoid)
How to balance and take control of your hormones
How to heal digestion, thyroid, and autoimmune conditions that are sabotaging your weight loss naturally
How to exercise (and more importantly, how NOT to exercise)

During my chat with Neely, we focus on “How To Thrive As An Endurance Athlete” and discuss

How to fuel endurance exercise, even on a lower carb diet…

How to switch from being a carb-burner to a keto-adapted fat burner the right way…
How to fuel endurance exercise and lean out at the same time (no carbo- loading involved)…
How to end your reliance on sugary gel packets on long runs and rides…
Exactly what to eat while you’re training in order to lose fat, maintain energy levels, and perform at your best…
How to know if you’re in the “Chronic Cardio” zone…

There’s no catch, it’s free, and it’s rather a valuable opportunity to glean a lot of worthwhile information!

Click here and mark your calendars!

 

 

Paleo: It’s Not About Working Backwards and Replacing. It’s About A Focus on Fresh.

The key to successfully implementing a modern day Paleo approach is to mimic the diet of our ancestors ate with foods that are readily available to us in our farmer’s markets, grocery stores and even in our own backyards.

I’m paraphrasing what I’ve heard Dr. Cordain say on many an occasion; we don’t actually have to hunt and gather ourselves (certainly we can if we choose), but the idea is to determine what produce is in season and local and eat it in abundance.

Similarly, which fish is available to us that’s wild caught and hasn’t been frozen and then flown in from thousands of miles away?

And where can we find local producers of grass-fed meat and even game?

That’s the core principle.

If the foods mentioned above compromise our diets, we’re simply going to be healthier.

We’ll have more energy, we’ll sleep better, our bodies will calm down as a result of becoming less inflamed once the refined, processed foods make their way out of our kitchens, our plates and out of our lives and we instead focus on real, True Paleo food.

That’s the idea.

The idea is not to take the approach of reworking and revising processed (faux)foods that have become all too common in the Standard American Diet and replace their ingredients with foods that may well have a small, occasional part of a Paleo regime, tag them as being ‘Paleo friendly’ and then include them as something we regularly eat.

Google your choice of recipes with the word “Paleo” in it and you’ll find a giant spectrum of dessert, breakfast, snack (you name it) options that may or may not use foods that are even Paleo in the first place, with the same end result.

Sure, they’ll probably taste sweet and yes, you may not feel as ill since you’ve eaten a gluten-free flour instead of whole-wheat in those ‘Paleo cupcakes’ , but come on.

Regularly eating gluten-free brownies, and nut-flour pancakes and maple-syrup glazed meats (maple syrup?) are just not the key players in a healthy Paleo regime that will lead to optimal health.

There have been so many occasions when I’ve been approached by a client who’s interested in learning more about Paleo but skeptical after stating they’d tried it and ‘it did’t work’.  Their acne didn’t go away, they didn’t lose that extra 20 pounds they’d been carrying around and their migraine headaches stayed the same.

Paleo Sushi, Please

Sushi without rice?  Without a small bowl of edamame to whet the appetite?  Without soy sauce?

Oh, yes.

While I’m a fan of sashimi on its own, even if you’re accustomed to ordering interesting rolls of varying descriptions, it’s easy to keep Paleo even during happy hour at your favorite sushi bar.

I popped into a local place for lunch just yesterday and was thrilled to find an entire page dedicated to rice-less, soy-free rolls using the beautiful creations the talented chef had created with vegetables ranging from cucumber to daikon to beets in place of the traditional not so Paleo accoutrements typically found in many a sushi restaurant.

Fresh, raw fish plus vegetables, including iodine-rich sea veggies, provided all that was needed to create not only an exquisite presentation, but a meal that was both pleasing to the eye and satiating to the body.

Yet another example of how easy it is to choose True-Paleo friendly, real food, while dining out.

Even if you’re not someone who is completely taken with a True Paleo regime, automatically dunking your sushi or sashimi in a small bowl filled with soy sauce and wasabi is a must-not-do; it can be seen as offensive to the chef who has put the amount of both that he feels is appropriate already into the sushi he’s created.

Think of it along the same lines as being served a lovely grass fed filet and dousing it with ketchup or salt before you’ve even tasted it.

Just order your sashimi or rice and soy-free sushi and enjoy the flavor of the fresh fish as it is, on its own.

The more we focus on the flavor of high quality, local proteins on their own and become less reliant on ‘seasonings’ the closer we are to being even more in keeping with a True Paleo approach.

 

Powdered Beets for Performance? Go Fresh!

“Beets are indicated for athletes because of their concentration of nitrates, which have been gaining more and more attention for their ability to improve athletic performance and reduce blood pressure“, read a recent article on a popular sports website.

And I see more friends and fellow athletes partaking of beets, beet juice and…beet powders now more than ever.

It used to  be that one might only see beets in their pickled form during the holidays, or subtly (or not so subtly) juiced into a blend of fresh greens.

I was usually the only odd man (or woman!) out who actually liked eating steamed beets, or raw, shredded on a salad for a long time.

So now, given their recent publicity, I suppose we shouldn’t be that surprised that beets are not only being served up in pre-made salads, in juices and in a dehydrated package in powdered form, easy to carry with you to the gym and stir into your favorite beverage.

Are products like these of any value to us?

Perhaps.

I’m sure there are some manufacturers out there who’re providing a clean, dehydrated beet product, just as much as there are others who are combining it with a laundry list of other foods (or non foods), adding sugar and calling it a health drink.

In either case, chances are that simply buying raw beets and eating them, as well as their lovely greens, will prove to be not only much healthier for us to eat, but far more cost effective.

One brand of beet powder on amazon sells for $7.99 for 2 ounces; I found fresh beets at the market for $1.49/pound.

Plus, beets are in season so now is the perfect time to partake!

As with many supplements, we have to weigh cost and effectiveness and with few exceptions, it’s nearly always better to simply eat food.

Real, fresh, whole food, that is.

If every color of the rainbow graces your plate over the course of a week (or a day!), you’re eating wild proteins and natural fats, and not eating processed, manufactured packaged items, it’s very likely you don’t need to partake of any pills that you choose off the shelf yourself.

Medications, obviously, might be another story, and one to approach with your naturopath or functional medicine doctor; but ultimately, let’s just focus on food!

Food is thy medicine, after all…

 

The Gateway Protein: Bacon?

I’ve long referred to fish as the ‘gateway protein’ for no other reason than that’s what it was for me, on my own food journey which included a two-year stint as a hard-core vegan.

I’d begun dreaming about eating fish about six months in, but it wasn’t for eighteen more months that I actually began to partake.

And it was fish.

Slowly, over a long period of time, i incorporated eating only humanely-sourced proteins back into my regime, about three years prior to learning about Paleo, back in 2005.

And I’ve had many people reach out who are battling with the same issue; following a vegan regime and feeling as though something’s missing, craving flesh protein but feeling it’s morally wrong.

I get it.

For me, it took a lot of time and consideration to find my balance and the Paleo regime is what’s been working for nearly a decade.

I find with other clients, too, that eating wild fish seems to be more palatable as the first type of animal protein eaten when transitioning from a vegan approach.

Subsequently, I began calling fish the ‘gateway protein’… you see where I’m going with this.

Today, however, I saw the term used in in reference to a very different ‘protein’ (note the use of the quotes, intentionally): bacon.

Oh, dear.

I walked past the Grass Fed Burger Lounge across from my studio and saw an ad on the tables outside that said:

“Bacon: The Gateway Meat.  Can Bacon Awaken the most Ardent Vegetarian’s Carnivorous Desires?”

So many things are wrong with this statement.

First the confusion that bacon (and I’m not writing about pastured, uncured, nitrate-free bacon, because, unfortunately, that’s not what the masses are eating) is akin to ‘meat’.    Yes, there is some protein in it, but most commercially sold bacon also contains a list of ingredients we’d be much better off avoiding.

Next, the idea that a vegetarian would suddenly choose bacon of all all animal products, when a) the standards for treatment of pigs are among the lowest, if not at the very bottom, in terms of how they’re treated, aside from the small percentage of farmers and ranchers who raise them for their entire lives on pastures, eating food that is…food, rather than being fed a mixture of grains and antibiotics and b) if someone is vegetarian for ethical reasons, the likelihood of diving into bacon is next to nil.

I will say, however, that it caught my attention.

Here’s the deal.  Bacon, if from a pastured pig and neither cured with copious amounts of salt nor preserved with nitrates and nitrites, can be a small part of a healthy approach now and then.

But making the mistake of interchanging it for fresh, local fish or 100% grass-fed beef is like eating baked kale chips with ‘cashew cheese’ and counting it as a serving of a raw, kale salad with lemon and avocado.

If we try to fool ourselves, it’s only our own body that takes the brunt of the joke.

Two Ingredient Paleoista Chicken Soup Recipe

Feeling like you’d love to whip up a batch of homemade chicken soup, but you simply don’t have hours to spend slaving over a hot stove?

You so don’t need to.

Hand on my heart, you can create an absolutely delish chicken soup with very minimal ingredients and time and other than keeping an eye on the stove in the background, you’re not going to be spending much time in the kitchen at all.

Of course, we can certainly prepare chicken soup in a plethora of other ways, including methods that are far more elaborate than this one, but knowing that in a time crunch, you can still serve yourself, and your family, something so good, can be a deal maker when you’re doing your best to stay Paleo.

The key is to buy a fresh, pastured chicken (frozen will do as well, but try to stick with a local vendor). Note that the bird will likely be smaller than what you’re used to; pastured hens tend to be 2 – 3 pounds, as they should be, rather than the 4 – 5 pound fryers we see all too often.

Add fresh  herbs, spices and veggies to your heart’s content if you like, but if you’re pressed for time, this really will do the trick.

Ingredients

One 2- 3 pound pastured chicken
Water

Instructions

Fill a large, heavy bottomed pot 1/3 full of water
Place chicken (and guts) inside pot, breast side down
Bring to boil, then reduce heat down to simmer and cover pot
Set timer for increments of 30′ and check to see when the meat begins to fall off the bones when touched gently with a fork (roughly 45′ to an hour)
Turn off heat and let sit 10 – 15′
Meanwhile, throw together a quick salad with your favorite leafy greens of any kind and place in bowls
Serve meat on top of bowls with some broth, and place an extra bowl for bones on the table (don’t be surprised if there is gnawing and eating of marrow going on; rather hard to resist!)

If there’s any leftover, it’ll make for a great meal tomorrow!