Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 49

Reebok, Bacon and Cross Fit?

According to an article in the Huffington Post, UK, ‘Reebok, normally known for their trainers are stepping into the salty meat arena with their performance-enhancing pork treat...’

They’re selling what they’re referring to as ‘a protein hit but with no added nasties like sweeteners, monosodium glutamate, nitrates or nitrites’, which ‘is being released to coincide with The CrossFit Games which start this week and is clearly aimed at those who adhere to the ‘Paleo Diet‘.”

Wow.  This came as a surprise to me.

Does Reebok, a billion dollar per year shoe manufacturer really need to be jumping into the Paleosphere?

Silly question, I suppose. If you’ve already got an audience of that size, why not add more product offering, even if it’s not actually fitting the real premise of what True Paleo is all about?  

(As if paying homage to Paleo is even a remote consideration, right?)

The part about Cross Fit and bacon being connected wasn’t too much of a shocker for no other reason other than I’ve had many, many people come to me from a Cross Fit gym who were surprised to learn that eating tons of Oscar Meyer isn’t only not healthy, it’s not Paleo.

 If Cross Fit is your choice of physical activity, I’m all for it!  Just make sure the box you visit and attend has trainers who know their stuff.   

And if you like bacon now and then, that’s cool, too… just try to source it from pastured pork and opt for uncured and natural without additives.

As far as shoe wear goes… no comment. That’s totally your call!

Coconut Water- Hype or Healthy?

Coconut water here, coconut water there, coconut water everywhere!

Have you noticed the surge of it over the recent few years?

I certainly have, and along with the growing rise in popularity comes a wide range of product quality.  Some of the more mainstream brands I’ve tried, though their ingredient panel appears benign, simply don’t taste very good.  And others, which I’ve tried while traveling to various places, have an incredible flavor but are so delicate and perishable (and expensive), it makes it hard to find them other than in a small shop in Hawaii, for example.

Is this all hype or is there something at the root of it?

Yesterday, there was a great article in the NY Times outlining this very topic. 

Global sales of coconut water now reach $400 million per year, possibly due to the idea that ‘it’s not seen as a manufactured concoction’, and it’s marketed as a great ‘natural’ alternative to sports drinks and as a great source of electrolytes and minerals.

One study is cited which showed that neither sports drinks nor coconut water were more hydrating than plain old water in hydrating young men after an hour long workout.

So is it worth spending the extra bucks versus drinking from the tap?

My position is the same as with most other foods: balance.  No need to drink it by the gallon on a daily basis, but certainly no need to avoid it either.

I would suggest choosing one that’s less ‘manufactured’, however; go for a raw variety, one example of which is my favorite, Harmless Harvest.

Raw, delicious and eco-friendly, it’s my number one choice.  Check them out, or see what’s available to you in your neck of the woods. If you’re lucky enough to live in a place such as Hawaii, you can do even better- drink straight from a coconut!

Here is the full article; check it out!

Paleo is in the City- At Your Local Bodega!

“It’s hard to find good, fresh, healthy food“, people say all the time.   And, depending on where one lives, it can be quite true.

However, both at home in Los Angeles as well as here in NYC, I must comment that the ease at which one can find a healthy option for a meal any time of day is something we really must appreciate.

And I’m not just talking about reserving a table ahead of time and calling in, in advance, to explain your food preferences to the maitre d.

Yes, of course this works, however, many of us are on the go and need a quick place to pop into and grab something healthy in a time period quicker than a New York minute.

What are the options?

Enter…the bodega.

I’ve lost count of the number of little hole-in-the wall delis that have a more than suitable salad bar filled with fresh vegetable and protein options.

Here’s the deal- this can fall into a grey area so I want to be as clear as possible.  It is quite likely that the lettuce in many a bodega salad bar may not be organic, the chicken breast may not be pastured and the olive oil may not be extra virgin.

Yet the takeaway is this:  popping into a local deli and creating a salad in a hurry that you’ve got as much control as you’re going to have, unless you’re shopping then cooking at home, is a realistic option that’s cost effective and much closer to True Paleo than what you’d get, and in a shorter time frame than at many a restaurants.

Can’t Afford Paleo? Stick to the ABCs!

If you’re thinking Paleo living sounds nice, but unattainable because of the cost of grass fed meats, organic produce and wild fish, that alone needn’t be the sole reason to not give it a try.

Yes, the source of proteins and vegetable is very important but still, not having the budget doesn’t have to mean shrugging your shoulders and heading to Costco for boxed, canned or packaged food stuff.

All it takes is a little going back to basics…kind of like the ABCs.

I’ve worked with many a client who was on a shoe string budget but was still able to make it work.  

Whether we’re talking about a recent college grad in the midst of paying of student debt up to the eyeballs, or a whole family on a tight budget, it can still fit.  If we look at the big picture, it’s simply too important not to.

Now, please keep in mind; the intention of this blog post is simply to give suggestions for ways to be more economical about fitting Paleo into your regime and not to address how to attack the gigantic political issues governing the seemingly insurmountable issue of how to get fresh food to all people!

Keep the following ABCs in mind and you’ll be off to a great start!

Focus on:

Availability of local, seasonal foods
Buying in bulk
Creativity in the kitchen

Anything goes- so long as you make every meal consist of a whopping serving of veg (I write whopping as for many, three leaves of kale is ‘a lot’!), a healthy portion of clean protein and a generous portion of solid fat.

Honestly, that’s all there is to it! 

If we don’t make what we eat, and subsequently, the state of our health, a priority now, we will truly only end up paying more in the long run and not just in terms of dollars.

Chill Out With Spa Water

That’s what I like to call it, anyway.

How many times have you been to the gym, the yoga studio or the spa and partaken of the lemon mint infused water offered in the lobby area or lounge?

It’s ridiculously easy to make your own and, in the heat of the summer, create an incredibly refreshing drink with a little more pizzaz than plain old tap water.

Nothing wrong with that, of course (depending on where you live and the water quality), but if you’re trying to come up with something interesting to drink and you’d rather not down an 800-calorie whippy coffee drink or spend $12 on a green juice, this is an easy, cost effective alternative.

Simply pour filtered water into a large glass pitcher and add some slices of whatever fruit, fresh herbs or even some veggies, you have on hand, such as:

Lemon
Lime
Orange
Cucumber
Fresh mint leaves
Fresh ginger 

Let it sit in the fridge and make this a regular part of your Hour in the Kitch prep!  Bring it with you to work or school in whichever type of to-go drink container you have (go for glass if possible).

You can also make it with sparkling water; I, for one, love the taste of Badoit with cucumber!

Serve it at your next dinner party, too, as it’s yet one more example of how lovely and colorful something so simple, and completely Paleo, a food (or, in this case, a drink) can be.

Salud!

 

Wait… I Thought That Wasn’t Paleo

This was a response I received from a few readers after yesterday’s post on Barnana’s Chewy Energy Bites (made of banana, and nothing else.   It’s just dried fruit!), and for others I’ve written as well.

Understandably so, as the premise of True Paleo is to eat real, fresh whole food in season.

So where does something like Barnana or perhaps a ‘Paleo Energy Bar’ fit into the spectrum?

Here’s the deal:  there are going to be times when fresh isn’t available. Or, as in yesterday’s post, times when, for example, a small, packed, dried banana stuffed into the pocket of your run  bottle  makes more sense to bring along on a long run instead of trying to hold a fresh banana in your hand or pocket.

Also, for an in-a-pinch case, such as being on a road trip far longer than you’d planned during which you’ve already eaten the fresh salads and veggies with protein and fat and the only other option is stopping at a road-side gas station and hoping for the best.

No, I would not recommend subsisting on packaged foods of any kind, any sooner than I’d start recommending starting the day with (faux) Paleo Pancakes.  

My message remains the same.

Do your best to keep true to the real Paleo approach and when a grey area comes up, which it will, unless you’re making 100% of your food at home all the time, make the best choice out of what might be two or more less than ideal options.

It’s no different from being at a restaurant and opting to have the filet mignon sans béarnaise sauce with a side of steamed veggies, even thought the meat isn’t grass-fed and the broccoli isn’t organic.  That entree is still the better option than Fettuccine Alfredo.

Ya dig?

 

A Great Offer on A Perfectly Portable Paleo Snack Option

I wrote a blog post about a great product I happened upon at Whole Foods a while back and, wouldn’t you know it?  It turns out their offices are locally based in nearby Santa Monica!  I reached out to them, we’ve established a great connection and now you can take advantage of a great offer.

What is it?

Barnana‘s ’chewy banana bites’.

They were delicious when I tried them in the store and proved to be the perfectly portable Paleo option for bringing along on a training ride or run.

Their original, banana bites contain one ingredient: banana.   

Non GMO
Gluten Free
Raw
Vegan
Paleo (with the exception of the peanut butter variety)

You might be wondering, why not just eat a fresh ripe banana.  Well, of course you should eat a fresh banana when timed appropriately, like after a workout or when balanced out with some healthy fat, greens and some protein in a smoothie, but these come in handy when a fresh banana simply won’t do.   Whether it’s because you don’t want to end up with a cycling jersey full of mushy banana or because you want to keep them in your gym bag, they make a very viable option.

Their original and coconut flavors are completely Paleo and come in incredibly handy for those long rides or runs.

While they’re not only an option for athletes, and everyone can enjoy them, the key is to balance out the sugar with a good dose of protein and fat and veg if you’re eating them in a non-athletic situation.  In other words, don’t gobble up a bag of them when you’re sitting at your desk working on the laptop.

You get the gist…

Click here to buy some now and enter PALEOISTA to save 20% on your order!

 

Need a Snack? Eat A Pepper…

It happens all the time.  I’ll be out running errands or in the airport catching a flight, just about to bite into a crunchy, red bell pepper and someone will stare or gawk or even approach me and ask if I’m “really going to eat that, just as it is?”.

Yes, as a matter of fact, I am!

I don’t know if doing something such as eating a whole bell pepper, just the way one might eat an apple, never seemed odd to me because I grew up with a mom who liked to garden and always had plenty of fresh produce to choose from or because I simply view it as a food.

Regardless, I still don’t think it’s odd and it’s become quite interesting to note the responses I always get.

Isn’t it actually more strange that we find it normal that eating a packaged item made from all sorts of things we often cannot even identify as food and don’t think twice about inhaling it?

So here’s my challenge:  the next time you want an easy to eat, quick to grab snack, pick up a bell pepper.  Or a cucumber. Or some celery.  

You get the idea.

And while I’ll always recommend balancing out your macronutrients, since many veggies are high in fiber and low in sugar and starch, if eaten alone, they won’t wreak havoc with your blood sugar the way a package of dried fruit or a ripe banana or even (gasp) a fresh, cold-pressed fruit juice from the local, popular juice bar.

Stop by the farmer’s market, or pop into the organic produce section at your grocery store, choose your veg and other than washing it off, there’s no prep needed.

Bite in, and enjoy the refreshing flavor, the hydrating sensation and the knowledge that you just did something very, very good for your body.

Pass on that ‘energy snack mix’ and pile on the leaves…seriously!

 

Choosing Wisely: The Perfect Nectarine

Eating healthfully in the summer time, for many, is the easiest time to keep on track.  

Whether it comes down to the desire to eat a lighter meal because it’s hot outside or the vast array of local produce available, or for some, the impetus to look great at the beach, the end result is the same: we collectively tend to eat more fruit and veg in comparison to the cold, dark days of winter, when heavy and hearty may more often be the norm.

The process of choosing fruit is rather enjoyable in and of itself, too.

What’s better than choosing the perfect nectarine at the farmer’s market, giving it a quick rinse and biting into the most incredibly, juicy flesh?

Simply heavenly, isn’t it?

But what happens when you went to the effort of picking a good candidate for a sweet, natural treat and that first bite is spoiled by a mouthful of…mush?  What went wrong?

I, for one, have been fooled many a time by thinking I’ve chosen wisely based on color and smell, only to find out the hard way that I made a big mistake.

A little research online offered the following suggestions:

Choose medium to large nectarines. A gigantic one will be mealy, and a very small one was probably picked too green.
Often your best bet will be to buy nectarines that are still firm, take them home, and let them ripen out on the counter a day or two, until they have a little give and develop a wonderful fragrance. You can refrigerate a nectarine when it’s fully ripe, but only for a day or two. Longer refrigeration will rob the fruit of its juice and flavor, and, as with tomatoes, can result in a mealy texture
Buy local and in season.   Delicate stone fruit that have come a long way don’t tend to fare very well, nor do they help the environment with their huge carbon footprint.
Ask the produce manager or vendor at the farmer’s market to try a sample.   You’ll not only save time and money, you may learn a thing or two about choosing wisely and also have a quick little snack!

When you do find some perfect nectarines, don’t be afraid to buy more than you need.  They freeze beautifully and will serve as a decadent, but still oh-so-Paleo treat.

Enjoy!

It’s Just Food. Why is That So Surprising?

There is nothing tricky to the Paleo approach.  

I often hesitate to call it a diet as that can imply a direct endpoint as well as infer a host of other unattractive, negative associations such as deprivation, restriction for a while, followed by a frustrated binge and then a repeat of the cycle over and over again.

Really, at its very essence, True Paleo is nothing more than eating real, fresh, local food.   And since food is, by definition, any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink, or that plants absorb, in order to maintain life and growth, we automatically eliminate anything that’s not food if we’re true to Paleo.

Out the window goes fast food,  packaged processed foodstuff, mixes, boxes, bars and the like…unless, one can somehow show how a candy bar or a side of fries provides nutrition, that is.

So why is it that its newsworthy to learn that a celebrity lost weight and achieved a lean physique by adopting the principles of Paleo into their regime?

Or that a 35 year old woman discovered that her adult acne went away when she stopped eating dairy?

Or that a 50 year old main who had suffered from chronic pain and migraines for years felt relief after omitting gluten?

Don’t get me wrong; I’m a huge advocate of people turing their lives around by what they put in their bodies and I do think it’s tremendous to witness such transformations…but really, if we weren’t taught to eat these things in the first place and then, after becoming sick and/or fat that we need pills to address the symptoms but can carry on poisoning ourselves with the toxins… and so on, it wouldn’t be seen as such an unattainable miracle.

It’s so, so simple.  If we eat what we are meant to be eating, we will feel well and we will not be overweight.

I think it should be the new tag line.  True Paleo…it’s just food.