Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 59

A Calorie Is Not A Calorie, and How To Lose Weight

If you’re someone who’s had a lifelong battle with weight loss, you may be interested in trying the latest and greatest new diet that promises to end the miserable struggle, once and for all.

It’s quite well stated that those who are overweight may very well be the best experts on the many different approaches to the popular weight loss diets as they may have tried many, if not all of them.

The diet industry, being the multi billion dollar industry that it is, is set up on the failure of everyone who participates.  And with a failure rate well into the 90% range, they’re doing quite well from a financial standpoint.

One of the top approaches that doesn’t work is the idea that simply counting calories is the ticket to successful, permanent weight loss.

As if one could consume 1,800 calories by drinking coca cola all day long and would have the same result as someone who follows a True Paleo regime which happens to add up to roughly the same number of calories.

Couldn’t possibly be more inaccurate.

Recently, a long term client shared a link to an article that I felt was actually quite useful at outlining 17 tips to aid in permanent, healthy, weight loss.

While not outspokenly Paleo, per se, it’s worth checking out as much of what is suggested is actually spot on.

Click here to read the Diet Doctor’s How to Lose Weight.

Then, click here to fill your boots with loads of info on the Paleo and Primal Approach!

From the Inside Out

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had the same conversation.    Someone will approach me and ask a Paleo related question.  They understand the connection between their gut and what they’re eating, but often it stops there.

When the conversation continues and I explain that how one’s skin looks, how one’s sleep is, migraine  headaches, joint pain and so on, and so on, all tie back to what one eats, the response is all too often one of an incredulous nature.

On the topic of skin condition in particular, it’s one of the health concerns that is most quickly addressed through diet, far much more so that an auto immune condition.

In other words, it’s completely reasonable to see positive changes in a very short period of time in the complexion after eliminating sugar, gluten, dairy amongst the other non Paleo bad guys.

Dr. Cordain’s Acne protocol is an absolute must read for anyone with any concerns about treating acne which, by the way, is actually not a normal part of being a teen, nor an expected, must-suffer-through part of a woman’s monthly cycle.

Part of this week’s Primal Kit Sale, this and the two other papers that Dr. Cordain contributed are, in my opinion, the most valuable of the whole lot.

Check it out!

Win Your One Hour Paleoista Consult!

Yes, I’m doing a promo.   BUT I’m not selling anything I don’t think would be a great value to you.

Put it this way; if you’ve been interested in booking a consult with me (available globally), but price has been a factor, here’s the perfect opportunity to get a $200 value for $39.

As a special bonus offer to anyone who purchases the Primal Kit from me, you can enter to win a free consult.  Simply email me with your receipt and you’ll be officially in the drawing!

It’s your hour, so whether you need a little help tweaking your diet here or there, want to know how to adapt it to your particular day-to-day life or athletic training schedule or simply learn how to make time in your busy schedule to implement eating this healthy diet, the consult is your chance to literally pick my brain and ask questions to your heart’s content for an hour.

Learn how to “Paleo-ize” your favorite recipes
Manipulate one of my download plans to suit your specific needs
Simply have a chat about all things Paleo
Offered via telephone or SKYPE, or in person for local clientele

Buy it today!

In A Pinch, and Rather Tasty…

Last year, at Paleo FX, I had the chance to sample something brilliant: AMRAP bars. 

Part of the current Primal Life Kit Sale, they’re a definite must try.

From the Cross Fit acronym meaning As Many Reps As Possible, they’re not just for those who choose this type of training as their mode of exercise; they also suit an in a pinch situation just perfectly.

To reiterate, before you read any further, please let this go in- I’m writing about this product as something you might want to have on hand for those situations where you find yourself… in a pinch such as one of the following situations:

You’re at the office longer than you thought you’d be.
You took a wrong turn on a road trip and ended up far, far off the beaten track and the only possible alternatives are an order of large fries and coke.
Or you’re flying to another country with strict agricultural regulations and bringing fresh salad and proteins is not permissible.

OK, now that you get the idea…

The nice thing about AMRAP bars is that they are actually, really Paleo.

All too often, with the growing popularity of Paleo, products that are Paleo-ish are making their way into the mainstream.

Bars that contain whey protein are not.

Neither are powders that have pea or rice protein.

Nor are gluten-free breads made with corn flour.

With an ingredient panel containing only Paleo friendly foods you can actually identify, these bars fit the rare description of being something I’d actually eat.

They served rather well on long endurance rides I did off season, offering a much cleaner option than those carbohydrate gels, I’ve weaned myself off of (the very last one I had was over six months ago at Kona) for bouts of activity lasting longer than what I’ve currently adapted my body to train at in a fasted state.

Give them a try as they’re part of the current Primal Life Kit sale.

So long as you’re not dealing with an autoimmune condition for which you’ve got to avoid egg, you’ll enjoy the flavor, the portability and the knowledge that your next ‘in a pinch’ situation will not leave you with no other options that to stray far, far away from your True Paleo regime.

Let’s Go Back to Basics

Do you find yourself confused about what Paleo really is?

I certainly notice a trend towards more misinformation out there, which seems to grow directly along with the  surge in different approaches, additions to and means of implementation to the real deal.

How does one differentiate what a True Paleo regime is?

As always, I suggest referring to the person whose work is what really started all the momentum, Dr. Loren Cordain, PhD, is a must-read for everyone who is interested in this approach to achieving optimal health.

As part of the 2014 Primal Life Kit, you can read three of his papers and get down to the nuts and bolts of how our diets affect three health issues in particular:

Grass Fed vs Grain Fed Beef
Egg Whites and Autoimmune Disease
Acne and The Paleo Diet

These three papers stand out as a few of the most valuable products from this year’s Primal Life Kit Sale.

Get Yours Today!

The 2014 Primal Life Kit Goes Live…NOW

For one week only, you have the chance to take advantage of the Primal Life Kit: 49 Products and 14 Discounts for $39 

BUY IT NOW!

What is it?

There’s no catch, no gimmick.  It’s just a one-time purchase for the low price of $39 for a wealth of information.

The people at PaleoPlan.com have put together a really exciting opportunity for you! When you purchase the $39 Primal Life Kit, you get 49 ebooks and other online products plus 14 discounts worth over $1500:

35 Paleo and Primal eCookbooks and Informational eBooks ($498 Value)
3 research papers by Dr. Loren Cordain ($15 Value)
1 Online Cooking Club subscription ($39 Value)
3 Fitness Programs ($67 Value)
2 Paleo Challenges ($44 Value)
2 Meal Plans ($69 Value)
2 Online Magazine Subscriptions ($36 Value)
1 Bonus Video about Eating Paleo on the Road
14 Discounts ($757+ Value)

 

TOTAL VALUE $1500+!!!

These educational and potentially life-changing Primal and Paleo products are being sold at more than 97% off their original retail value for one week only – April 21st through April 28th.

All the ebooks are in pdf format, so you can read them on your computer or the e-reader of your choice. This $39 kit will give you all the tools you need to eat, cook, work out, and live Primally.

LEARN MORE!

21 Paleo and Primal Recipe & Meal Planning eBooks ($221 Value)

Caveman Feast Cookbook  by George Bryant and Abel James of civilizedcavemancooking.com and fatburningman.com ($47 value)

 

Well Fed 2 by Melissa Joulwan, the recipe genius of theclothesmakethegirl.com ($9.95 value)

 

30-Minute Paleo Dessert Recipes by Louise Hendon, the creator of Healthy Recipes Magazine ($2.99 Value)

 

Fast Paleo Best 100 of 2013 +  4 Bonus eCookbooks  by James Gregory and Ute Mitchell of FastPaleo.com ($14.97 value)

 

Fast Paleo Best 100 of 2012 +  4 Bonus eCookbooks   by James Gregory and Ute Mitchell of FastPaleo.com ($14.97 value)

 

Pigskin Paleo: Game Day Recipes   by Marla Sarris of PaleoPorn.com ($17 value) 

 

Simply Salads by Season   by Kristen Michaelis of foodrenegade.com ($17.95 value)

 

Easy Paleo Gelatin Treats   by Caitlin Weeks of grassfedgirl.com ($9.99 value)

 

Just A Taste of Cavegirl Cuisine  by Michelle Fagone of cavegirlcuisine.com – This is a shortened ebook version of the coveted Cavegirl Cuisine Cookbook created just for this sale. ($14.99 value)

 

The Paleo Snack Recipe Book  by Suzanne Crawt, the creator of the Paleo Network ($17 value) 

 

Paleogasm  by Camille Macres, the creator of camillemacres.com, schoolofinnerbeauty.com, the Paleo, Love, & Transformation Podcast, and the Paleo Cooking at Home program (see below for a discount!) ($30 Value)

 

Toadally Primal Smoothies by Todd (Toad) Dosenberry of HarvestYourHealth.net ($5 Value)

 

Chowstalker Community Cookbook  by Ron & Patty Strilaeff, the masterminds behind Chowstalker ($19 Value)

 

3 Autoimmune and Inflammation eBooks ($132 Value)

Paleo Autoimmune Protocol Quickstart Guide  by Sarah Ballantyne of ThePaleoMom.com ($18 Value)

 

Inflammation Free Zone: 30 Day Protocol by Amy Hager from beehappylife.com ($97 value)

 

21-Day Paleo Cleanse  by Neely Quinn of Paleo Plan ($25 Value)

 

The Autoimmune Paleo Breakthrough   by Anne Angelone of PaleoBreakthrough.com ($9.99 value)

 

3 Paleo Research Papers by Dr. Loren Cordain ($15 Value)

Research Paper on Grassfed vs Grain Fed Beef  by Loren Cordain, PhD, author of The Paleo Diet, The Paleo Diet Cookbook, and The Paleo Answer at thepaleodiet.com (Value $4.99)

 

Research Paper on The Paleo Diet and Acne  by Loren Cordain, PhD of thepaleodiet.com (Value $4.99)

 

Research Paper on Egg Whites and Autoimmune Disease  by Loren Cordain, PhD of thepaleodiet.com (Value $4.99)

6 Informational eBooks ($75 Value) 

Birth Control Unlocked  by Stefani Ruper, author of the book Sexy By Nature at paleoforwomen.com ($8.99 value)  

 

Step By Step Paleo   by Ruth Almon of paleodietbasics.net ($22 value)

 

Paleo on A Budget  by Carolyn Rush of primaltightwad.com ($14.95 value)

 

Primal Deliverance  by James Gregory, the blogger at fastpaleo.com ($13.47 value) 

 

“How To” Paleo Guide  by Nell Stephenson, Paleoista, author of Paleoista and co-author of The Paleo Diet Cookbook at paleoista.com ($.99 value) 

 

  21 Life Lessons from Livin’ La Vida Low Carb  by Jimmy Moore of livinlavidalowcarb.com ($15 value)

 

1 Online Cooking Club ($39 Value)

Good Food for Bad Cooks Online Club Lifetime Membership  by Liz Wolfe ($39 Value)

 

Learn kitchen basics, meal planning and more in a stress-free online community. By the Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, author of Eat The Yolks, The Skintervention Guide, and blogger at RealFoodLiz.com.

2 Success Stories eBooks ($31 Value)

1 Month for $.01 Primal Blueprint Meal Plan by Mark Sisson

Use the provided coupon code to redeem your first month of the Meal Plan for just 1 cent. Automatically billed at the full retail price in subsequent months. Cancel at any time.PrimalBlueprint.com ($9.98 Value)

Everyday Paleo Success Stories  by Alison Golden of PaleoNonPaleo.com ($24.99 value)

 2 Kids and Paleo eBooks ($21 Value)

  3 Phase Paleo (SNEAK PEAK)  by Stacy Toth and Matthew McCarry of PaleoParents.com ($11 Value) – This is a shortened 60-page sneak peek version of the full ebook.  

 

Joshua’s Primal Lunchbox   by Kathryn Kos of primalblissnutrition.com ($9.95 value)

 

3 Fitness Programs ($67 Value)

Circuit Training 101 eBook by Stew Smith at stewsmith.com ($16.97 value)  

 

1 Month for $.01 Everyday Paleo Lifestyle and Fitness Program by Sarah Fragoso

Use the provided coupon code to redeem your first month for just 1 cent. Automatically billed at the full retail price in subsequent months. Cancel at any time. EPLifeFit.com ($19.99 Value). You will not be automatically signed up or charged for this program by purchasing the Primal Life Kit. You Must cancel after first month to avoid being charged for subsequent months.

Paleo Secret’s Sitting Solution  by PaleoSecret.com ($30 Value) 

 

2 Paleo Challenges ($44 Value)

1 Free Month of Paleo Bootcamp  by Paleoaholic ($7 Value)

With over 300+ Paleo recipes, Paleo meal plans, and shopping lists, the end result is a weight loss plan and shopping guide system that’s now helped over 10,000 people drop the pounds and keep them off.

OPENutrition Challenge  by Heather Kelly of OPENutrition.com ($37 Value)

In this 5-Week Paleo challenge, you will receive daily email support, a sample meal plan, and you’ll learn what to eat in order to improve your health, boost athletic performance, and shed fat while adding lean muscle mass.

 

2 Meal Plans ($69 Value)

Primal Blueprint Meal Plan  1 Month for $.01  by Mark Sisson of  PrimalBlueprint.com ($9.99 value)

You will not be automatically signed up or charged for this program by purchasing the Primal Life Kit. Must cancel after first month to avoid being charged for subsequent months. 

My 6-Week Paleo Meal Plan for Endurance Athletes !  An inside glimpse at how to fuel for and recover from Ironman and marathoning at the elite level!

 

 

2 Online Magazine Subscriptions ($36 Value)

Healthy Recipes Online Magazine 3-Month Free Subscription   ($19.96 Value) - Get 4 regular issues of this ONLINE magazine with expert tips on which foods will save both your waist-line and your wallet. More info on iTunes.

 

Paleo Living Online Magazine 3-Month Free Subscription  ($15.96 Value) – Get 4 regular issues of Paleo Living, the premier ONLINE magazine for living a perfect Paleo life. More info at paleomagazine.com.

 

1 Bonus Video

Sneak Peek at Fat Loss Masterclass Video Home Study Course  from Jonathan Bailor and Abel James (Free Sneak Peek Bonus) – Abel (FatBurningMan.com) and Jonathan (author of The Calorie Myth at thebailorgroup.com) dive into the do’s and don’ts of foraging your best options for eating on the go.

14 Discounts (Over $757 Value)

Primal Life Organics – Get 20% off any products at Primal Life Organics. Expires June 3rd. PrimalLifeOrganics.com

 

Optimum Performance Training ($448.50+ value) – Get 50% off Nutrition Training Course for Coaches and 15% off apparel and supplements. Expires May 18th. OPTExperience.com

 

Paleo Magazine ($6 value) – Get 20% off a 1-year U.S. print subscription to Paleo Magazine for new subscribers. PaleoMagOnline.com

 

Upgraded Self (Bulletproof Coffee) – Get 10% off products at Upgrade Self, the official store for Bulletproof Products. Expires June 10th. UpgradedSelf.com

 

New AMRAP Bar – Get a FREE SAMPLE (you just pay shipping) of the all-new AMRAP Bars. Also get a 50% coupon on any purchase of the new bars up to $100 (a $50 value). amrapbar.com

 

Squatty Potty  – Get 15% off any Squatty Potty products. Expires July 15th. SquattyPotty.com

 

Paleo On The Go ($29.99 Value) – Get free shipping on a minimum order of $50. Expires June 2nd. PaleoOnTheGo.com

 

PaleoLogix Adaptagest Supplement ($15 Value) – Get 30% off. Created by Chris Kresser and Robb Wolf. Expires July 30th. PaleoLogix.com 

 

PaleoLogix Adaptaboost Supplements ($15 Value) – Get 30% off. Created by Chris Kresser and Robb Wolf. Expires July 30th. PaleoLogix.com

 

Paleo Cooking at Home by Camille Macres ($48.50 value) – Get 50% off. Expires June 29th.  Paleo Cooking at Home.

 

PaleoCare: The Nurses’ Guide to Real Food ($64 value) – Get 40% off. Expires November 1. PaleoCare.com

 

Paleo Butter ($2 Value) – Get 20% off. Expires May 28th. PaleoFuelAndFire.com 

 

Epic Bar – Get 20% off all Epic products. Expires May 28th. EpicBar.com

 

The Willpower Solution by Dean Dwyer ($69 Value) –  You pay $9 for the audio and video versions. Expires May 2nd. Willpower Solution

 

 

Get all of this (retail value $1500+) for just $39. Seriously.

LEARN MORE

That’s normally the price of just one or two of these products! After you purchase the kit, you’ll be sent an email with a link to all of the downloadable products, as well as the coupon codes for all of the discounted products.

NOTE : You will not be shipped any physical goods with your purchase of the Primal Life Kit.

These products are downloadable ebooks, online magazine subscriptions, and discount codes. There will be a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee if you are not satisfied with your purchase. Please contact neely@paleoplan.com with any questions about the Primal Life Kit.

Your Easter Table

What comes to mind when you think of a traditional Easter Holiday?

Kids gathering candy during the Easter Egg Hunt, then running around on a sugar high?

A table set with dishes included Baked Ham from a tin with pineapples baked in?   Asparagus laden with Hollandaise?  Lemon-scented Easter breads with frosting?

For me, not having grown up in a particularly religious family, I don’t recall there being much of any special meal in particular, until I started cooking it, that is! We had Easter Baskets, and one year a neighbor even gave me a chocolate bunny but alas, when I woke from my nap, it was gone… and my mom explained it had hopped away to its mommy. (I’ve shared before about how my mom did her best to keep her daughter sugar-free, preservative-free and only eating organically, to the best of her ability!).

Because of my love of all things culinary, I recall one Easter when I was about fifteen when I sifted through several cooking mags in order to prepare a meal that was definitely all about Easter, and definitely far from Paleo (again, this was over ten years prior to me even knowing what Paleo living was!)

Traditional Easter foods around the world include:

Hot Cross Buns, whose cross shape on top serves to represent…the cross.
Eastern block countries serve their traditional pastries of Czech babobka and Polish baba, while Greeks and Portugese serve round, flat loaves marked with a cross and decorated with Easter eggs. Syrian and Jordanian Christians have honey pastries.
The shape of a pretzels indicate the torso of a person with arms folded, praying.
The roast lamb dinner that many eat on Easter Sunday represents the sacrificial lamb.
And here, in the states, ham is a traditional Easter food, with its history stemming from the simple fact that before refrigeration, a cured meat made sense.

So what, then, can we serve for a Paleo Easter?

Let’s start with the obvious- skip the breads and pastries
Pastured pork or naturally raised lamb will do a perfectly Paleo job as the piece de resistance.
While copious amounts of leafy greens might not be something that we see as an Easter tradition, there’s certainly no good reason not to include them. I’d suggest kale, of course as well as some blanched asparagus and a mixed green salad, or whatever veggies you fancy!
For the kids, you can keep the focus of the Easter Egg Hunt on items other than sweets and treats. Perhaps you can create an obstacle course with (non-candy) prizes for all the kids who complete it, rather than having them focus on who finds the most candy.
If eggs are part of your family’s diet, here’s a great opportunity to make eating hard-boiled eggs fun for the little ones. Spend the afternoon coloring the eggs with a food-based egg coloring kit (so they’re safe to handle and eat) found at your local health food store.

Click here for my recipe for Herbed Pastured Pork Tenderloin with Ginger-Cherry Puree!

Happy Easter!

Farmer’s Markets, Not Factories, Please

Come on, have a little bit of cornflakes, just like mom used to have when she was little, and her mom before her.

As reflected in this image from a Kellogg’s Manufacturing Plant, starting the day with a healthy bowl of cornflakes is the way to go.

What?

Don’t worry, I’m being facetious.    

It struck me this morning, as I ran around an industrial park here while visiting the North of England, how odd it is that sourcing our ‘food’ from non-descript factories, complete with billowing smokestacks and a rather sterile, metallic appearance from the outside has become the norm and having the opportunity to go to a farmer’s market, depending on where one lives is sometimes seen as a novelty.

Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

If you haven’t adapted a Paleo based regime yet, take a quick peek in your kitchen and see how much of what you find is in a box, can or jar and how much of the ingredients you can identify as food.

Is it typical for you and your family to frequent Costco once per month and stock up on goods that will last you for six months on the pantry, or is it the norm to stop by the farmer’s market or health food store a few times per week, and purchase whatever produce and protein are fresh, local and seasonal?

If nothing else, let this post serve as food for thought and to plant a seed to at least begin adding some healthier steps in the right direction.

Food please, not factories!

An Incredibly Forward Thinking Corporation

This post is coming to you straight after a recent trip to Hamburg, Germany where I’ve had the incredible opportunity to be a part of something huge.

 We all know what it’s like to try to choose something healthy to eat while we’re at work.

 For many of my clients, this is the single most difficult task cited when asked what challenges are faced while one begins to implement the Paleo lifestyle into their own daily regime.

 Now think about how difficult it might be to face not just a day of ‘food’ choices such as vending machine products, microwave popcorn and diet frozen meals, but an entire two or three day conference full of them?

 And for those of you who’ve had to attend said conferences as team building experiences, or seminars on how to be more productive in the workplace, how mentally challenging is it to remain interested, let alone not fall asleep in one boring meeting after another?

 Well, imagine this:  what if your company asked you to attend a conference that was still focused on being a more effective leader and all the usual expectations, but it would include exercise sessions in the morning, keynote speeches on fitness and…wait for it…the effects of Paleo eating on workplace productivity?

 Sound like a pipe dream?

 It’s real.

 When I was asked to deliver a keynote speech to the worlds’s leading commercial aircraft manufacturer on the effects of Paleo eating on workplace productivity, I knew immediately that this was something I just had to be a part of.  In addition, I was asked to coordinate with the head chef to create three days of incredibly delicious, local, seasonal cuisine, which he executed with precision.

This resulted in thee days of one of the most amazing experiences of my career.

 Delivering a keynote speech on Paleo to nearly sixty of Airbus’ executives was the start of something that could prove to be groundbreaking.

Renowned triathlon coach, Joe Friel, presented a keynote differentiating health vs. fitness, getting the crowd thinking and very motivated to change their thinking in terms of how and what they can do to get fit and active as opposed to begrudgingly fitting in exercise ‘because their doctor told them to’.

Finally, a talk from a leading recovery specialist on the effects of stress rounded off the morning of presentations, a topic many choose not to look into…for fear of what they might find out perhaps?

With the ‘thinking outside the box’ mentality demonstrated by the company’s top executives as well as their leading by example approach, the simple concept of providing employees with education on how to make healthy food and exercise choices, in addition to going so far as to provide the food for purchase instead of leaving all the options to consist of fried this or cheese-laden that, may very well come to fruition.

Having had the chance to be part of this concept at its inception is, quite frankly, something that could change the way businesses view fitness, nutrition and overall well-being as a whole.

 I couldn’t possibly have dreamed of a more inspirational result!

How To Eat Less (of the Wrong Type of) Nuts

Buy them with the shell on!

Not only are they far more fresh, they’re less expensive and you’re less likely to gobble them up like there’s no tomorrow, the way many people tend to do with a vat of roasty, salty nuts from Costco.

To clarify, I’m not suggesting ‘fat is bad’ or ‘don’t eat nuts’; quite the opposite, in fact.  For anyone who’s familiar with me, or with Paleo, you’ll know I support getting a regular dose of healthy fat.

I’m simply suggesting you choose a good source of it, and raw walnuts, eaten mindfully, are a much better option that handful after handful of a peanut-laden, high salt concoction that often has little nutritional bang left in it after all the cooking at high temps and sitting on a shelf for long periods of time.

Try swapping out your usual go-to nut source and see if you don’t find you’re eating less, more conscientiously and enjoying them more as you’re actually thinking about the fact that you’re eating something, rather than making it part of a multi tasking experience.