Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 65

Protein Powders- How Have They Gotten So Mainstream?

This is just a hunch, but I’m guessing it must have to do with the fact that they are, for no better words, quick and easy.

Whether they were first introduced as a ‘bodybuilding supplement’ or part of the treatment for various illnesses involving muscle wasting, I do not know, but what I do know is that they’re everywhere now and far too many people think of them as being a great thing to use on a daily basis and sometimes even more than that.

I found some interesting info on Wikipedia…

Don’t get me wrong; I do think there is a time and a place for them, thus the word ‘supplement’.  They’re one great example of what I call an ‘in a pinch food’.  If I’m traveling for a race, you can believe I’d rather use the PaleoPro beef/egg powder in my race day shake than chance using raw eggs from a store I’ve never been to before.

In addition, they can come in handy if you’re scrambling for something to eat when you’re in the office longer than you expected or as an addition to a fresh juice you purchased on a road trip.

They are, however, still processed proteins and the bottom line is that we need to focus on a minimally processed diet as much as possible.

Many people make the mistake of reading the word ‘protein’ on a bar’s wrapper or that of a powder and automatically assume that means it’s a great thing to buy without even looking into the ingredient panel.

Think about it.  If you’re really just adding protein to your juice or whatever liquid you’re choosing to use, how do you think it gets so sweet?  Or how does it mix so well without clumping?

Additives.  Those very same ingredients that allow the powder to mix without a blender or to impart sweetness without white sugar are the very same ones that are often responsible for GI distress including cramping, bloating, gas, constipation or diarrhea.  Heck, you might as well eat some gluten for that matter.  Kidding, of course, but honestly, why eat or drink anything you know will likely make you feel ill?

A recent article in the Times did a great job at providing an overview of protein bars, how they’re made, what they contain and who uses them.

Of particular interest to me was the last paragraph, in which we learn about which big food companies are most successful with their protein products,  the most curious of which is a product of Kraft called ’2 X Protein Cream Cheese’.

Really?

I think I’ll just stick with my wild sablefish and grass fed bison, thank you very much.

 

Not Again… This Time It’s ‘Vegan Nacho Sauce’. Come on!

Just when you thought you’d seen the most obscene example of food porn, along comes something that takes the gluten-free cake.

What on earth is the point of vegan nacho sauce?   Yes, I get the ethical implications of not eating dairy but one of the main facets of a vegan approach is the quest for better health, is it not?

In actuality, a vegan approach is not that different than a Paleo approach if you really compare apples to apples or…kale to kale (had to get in a mention of my favorite leaf!).

Why?

Both are plant based and both focus on incorporating a balanced approach with healthy fat sources from olive oil, avocado and coconut oil.

Obviously where the difference is great is the source of protein, but if the real vegan diet is followed or if a True Paleo approach is implemented, that’s the sole difference.

What else do they have in common?  They can both be easily done incorrectly.

Enter the adulteration using ingredients that either used to be Paleo or used to be vegan.  As in, they might be derived from real foods but have been so highly processed, I’d be hard pressed to still refer to them as food.

As if by adding the word ‘vegan’ or ‘paleo’ or ‘gluten-free’ for that matter, it would automatically make the (faux) food item listed after that word a healthy option!

This article is particularly interesting as it goes into detail as to all the experiments the author did to sort out how best to mimic a traditional cheese sauce with one that doesn’t contain animals products.

That’s the differentiation; it doesn’t contain animal products. Is it healthier simply because it’s dairy free?

Hardly…unless your idea of health includes hydrogenated oils in the ratio of 6 tablespoons of liquid and ingredients whose sole purpose is to add “gooeyness” or “stretchiness”.

I’d prefer not to eat things that are gooey or stretchy, actually.

Wow.  I don’t really know what to write here.  Kinda gobsmacked….

How about just eating fresh, real food that is so lovely on it’s own that it doesn’t need to be doused in something gooey or stretchy?

Click here to see for yourself!

Paleo In The Body/Paleo On The Body

I often write about what we put in our body…this is my True Paleo blog, after all, but the other day,  a client wrote to me asking for advice about what to put on her body!

What a great idea for a blog topic.

What did cavemen use for shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and lotion?    As if there was even a thought of such things!

Just as what we do with our modern Paleo regime- mimic the types of food that Paleolithic people had available to them with foods we can easily get at our grocery stores and farmer’s markets,  we can use the same model with skincare products and the like in the sense that we can seek out the most natural versions we can find.

Hopefully we’re all reading labels of things we plan to put on our body just as cautiously as things we are going to put in it, and if you’re not doing so already, it’s definitely a good idea to begin now.

Have a look at that body wash you’ve been picking up at the chain grocery store, or the mega size, Costco brand shampoo and see first how many ingredients there are as well as how many you can actually identify as things that occur in nature?

Let’s compare.

One of my favorite products to hydrate my skin is organic coconut oil.   You can use the same stuff you eat if you like!  (But don’t do the opposite and eat the stuff sold as a body lotion- who knows what else could be in it!).   The ingredient of my favorite brand, Artisana is:  coconuts.

Looks good to me. I can identify this as something I know and is certainly about as natural as you can get.

Now, how about putting some of this all over your skin:

Parafinnum liquidum, PEG-150, methylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben, propylparaben, simethicone, BHT, parfum, limonene, geraniol, linalool, hydroxycitronellal, hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexane carboxaldehyde, citronellol

Do you know what any of those items are?

Collectively, the make up the formula to a top selling drug store lotion, Nivea.   I cannot identify any of the ingredients as anything I think occurs in nature but I do, however, see some key things that raise red flags, like the words ‘paraben’, BHT and anything with numbers.    

So what are the best Paleo options?

Here’s where you come in. I’m asking you to write in and share your fave natural products for hair, for skin and anything else than comprises your regime, both men and women, and then I can compile a list and share all the information with you, my readers.

The more readers  who reach out, the better the list will be, so send your recommendations today!

 

Cheating and “Spiral Eating”

I’ve written about the cheating topic more regularly this week than ever,  and today’s post is going to focus on one of many reasons why one wouldn’t want to cheat.
 
For me, the idea of needing to cheat has been absent for years.  Simply, choosing foods that I know will make me feel great makes sense and eating anything that won’t, on purpose, doesn’t.  Period.
 
On the flip side, of course, there’s the valid argument that for some, gradually easing into completely being True Paleo is a step-by-step process and that is also a method that works; as long as one gets there, that’s the important thing.
 
But what about anyone with a food addition, or more specifically, a sugar addiction?
 
It comes up more often than not that clients report even a little bit of the white powder can be enough to send them into a binge, or, as one reader recently put it, a bout of ‘spiral eating’.
 
Following are just a few comments I’ve received on the subject:


“Hi Nell, My sleep deprivation with kids and ridiciously over-sugared Valentines day candy has gotten me so off track. It’s gross. I feel the heaviness in my legs. I was inspired by your guest spot on Dr. Oz. For me, cheat meals lead to spiral eating. So, any inspiration to get back on track? “
 ”I do get somewhat frustrated with some of the bloggers that have that kind of “we are just regular folks”  talk where if you are going to “grandma’s house,” then of course, you will have some of the “chocolate extravagance” that has been in your family for at least 10 generations…ha!  But some of us, me for sure, can’t handle that one instance of “chocolate extravagance.”  It just opens the door for problems. “ 
“I recently read a book on food addiction and the authors said that it isn’t really the pleasure that prevents people from making a stand and stopping, but it is the withdrawal symptoms that prevent people from changing. I hadn’t thought about it that way before, but I struggle when I finally get off the stuff. I am irritable, feel down and also anxious, and I am just not right in my skin. So, it becomes easy to just continue screwing around.”
“I think the word has to get out that sugar addiction is not about a person’s character. And, eating “the treat you really want” isn’t going to help, but causes backsliding…”

These honest comments from people just like you illustrate exactly why getting to 100% True Paleo and sticking with it in any way that you can should be of utmost importance.

Sure, there are some who can really have just one cookie now and then and choose to gradually taper off on their path to Paleo.

But if you know yourself and how you react to foods, not just those obviously high in refined sugar, but even those with hidden culprits, I would encourage you to cut them out cold turkey.

Think of it this way: if someone is trying to break an illegal drug addiction, they’re not exactly encouraged to just have a little when they feel like a treat.

I’m not kidding, it is this serious and I feel it’s quite a shame that the mass message sent out from most ads, and the media is that everything in moderation is ok.

For many people, it’s not ok…it’s toxic and an absolute recipe for disaster.

 

Lean Meat and Healthy Fat

It’s been a week since the  ’post- Dr Oz Show controversy’ in the social media space and I’m still coming across all sorts of inaccurate information.

I just read one post on a site in which the author wondered why I didn’t include ‘healthy animal fats like butter’ in my presentation (um… that would be because dairy is not Paleo), another which criticized my suggestion to eat lean meat (if you’re questioning this- have a look at Chapter Two in Dr. Cordain’s The Paleo Diet, in which he states ” Eat plenty of lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables’) and yet a third which angrily addressed the fact that I said Paleo was not a fad (right- it’s not).

Another blog commented that Dr. Oz doesn’t stick with one type of diet approach and that he ‘goes back and forth from one to another’.   Well… he’s a show host.  What’s he supposed to do?   His job isn’t to become a Paleo advocate and I’m simply thrilled to have had the opportunity to be a guest twice so far and to present a manner of healthy eating to millions.

At the end of the day, isn’t that what matters most?  Getting people to eat more veggies, more natural proteins and less sugar and junk all together?

How about spending more time getting this message out?  

 If you truly are Paleo, lead by example and teach those around you.  

If you’re not truly Paleo, that’s fine as well, but couldn’t all the different approaches be called something else?  If your name is Mr X and you’re mostly Paleo but you eat grass fed butter, Oscar Mayer bacon and cream, couldn’t your method be called The Mr X Method and not Paleo, since, well…because it’s not Paleo?

Healthy Eating…After Dental Surgery?

“Eat soft foods for the next several days; yogurt is a great option, or things you can mash, like food from McDonald’s” was the verbatim recommendation from my periodontist last week.

I’d just had the second of my four gum grafts I need due to rapidly receding gums (due in part to heredity – thanks, Dad- and in part from aggressively brushing for years, thinking that the harder I scrub, the cleaner my teeth will  be) and with an entire quadrant full of sutures and dental putty, I was hardly up for a rare steak and a crisp salad.

So what did I eat?  Exactly what I’d normally eat… just in a different state:  pureed.

True, a blender full of wild salmon, kale, broth and avocado may not look that pretty but it tasted absolutely divine.

Aside from the fact that the (non) foods that were recommended by the doctor were about as far from Paleo as one could get, they’d hardly help the body heal.  Imagine the trauma to the mouth of being cut and stitched and then adding to the assault by inflicting acid forming, inflammatory junk on the body?

Might as well smoke a pack of cigarettes after a long training run!

If you need any dental work requiring you to lay off chewing for a while, don’t worry.  Just stick to the rule of thumb of including some type of protein, some fat and some veggies each time you eat, throw them into the blender and you won’t have to compromise your healthy eating one bit.

Don’t forget to also add some healing herbs and spices like turmeric, oil of oregano, ginger and garlic in order to support the repair of the tissue.

When you return to your dentist for a recheck, don’t be surprised if she or he mentions how quickly you’ve healed; funny how provide a balance of every nutrient had the effect of promoting overall optimal health throughout the entire body….

Are Antibiotics Paleo?

Nope.  Not remotely.  But that doesn’t mean there is not a time and place for them.

While it’s no surprise that far too many people are given a prescription when it’s probably not necessary, such as when fighting a cold or flu, when I read about situations where parents opt not to give their children amoxicillin for strep throat or women choose not to take a course of Cipro to treat a UTI, it makes me shudder.

Of course, I’m not a doctor, so do not for one second take this post as any sort of advice.  

If there is a legitimate infection, it may or may not be appropriate to rely solely on homeopathic remedies as they tend to take longer to take effect than Western Meds, as the last thing we’d want is for the infection to have time to spread and create a dangerous turn of events.  It’s one thing if we’re trying to detox from an overgrowth of yeast in the gut or clear up our skin by adapting the principles of Paleo living; it’s another thing when the body is actually being overtaken by harmful bacteria.

Having said that, however, I would recommend that everyone does at least a little research into what they’re being given an antibiotic for, or any prescription drug, for that matter.

After all, we’re talking about drugs.

Just because our doctor hands them out, it doesn’t mean we should swallow them blindly.  In addition, it’s of utmost importance to make sure we do what we can to offset the side effects of these potent medications.

Another potential side effect to overdoing antibiotics is weight gain; some studies indicate that prolonged use of certain antibiotics can affect ghrelin and leptin,  two hormones that have been recognized to have a major influence on energy balance.

One no-brainer supplement to take in this case is a good probiotic, and it needn’t mean downing dairy products by the cupful. One brand I’ve found that is dairy-free (and soy-free, gluten-free and Paleo friendly) is Ultimate Flora .

Do keep in mind that you should also mind the herbs and seemingly natural supplements you can purchase over the counter as they, too, can be harmful when used inappropriately. Better to consult with a naturopath and learn if there are any  natural remedies you can take in conjunction in order to offset the side effects if you do actually need to take antibiotics.

Soothing ginger tea can help to offset nausea often caused by antibiotics, oil of oregano serves as a natural anti microbial and turmeric is indicated as a natural anti inflammatory.

And, of course, following the alkaline Paleo diet and keeping hydrated are keys in supporting the body’s fight against the infection and it’s rebuilding process after the antibiotic assault, too!

This is Not What A Paleo Pantry Looks Like

The title of an article in a local paper this morning was ‘Creating a Paleo Pantry’.  I was thrilled!   Initially, that is.

At first glance, I thought about how cool it was that someone else was writing about, and suggesting, doing the very thing that I do- cleaning out the kitchen and pantry in order to facilitate following a healthy, Paleo eating regime.  After all, if you’re trying to lose weight, or alleviate health issues, it’s easier to not eat ice cream, chips or bread if they’re not staring you in the face every time you open the freezer or cupboard, respectively.

Boy, was I disappointed. 

Rather than suggesting getting rid of all the offending culprits, it turned out to a list of suggestions for swapping out baking ingredients from traditional ones, for gluten free items and organizing the kitchen to make it easier to find your ‘staples’ which are listed as including “almond flour, coconut flour and raw cacao powder”.

Since when are those staples in the Paleo diet?

Yes, gluten free baking is a step in the right direction compared to baking with all purpose flour, but to suggest these are staples of a Paleo kitchen goes hand in hand with the false perception that gluten free automatically means ‘good for you’ or that eating Paleo ‘treats’ ad nauseam is a good idea.

If only this article had been titled something else, perhaps something like ‘Organize Your Gluten-Free Pantry’, there would be no issue whatsoever.

So how does one go about creating a Paleo Pantry and doing a proper Kitchen Makeover?  Check out your copy of Paleoista and follow along with my step by step guide!

Foraging Pigs…Imagine That!

I’m always looking for blog topics- in the paper, in a magazine and simply by observing things and people around me.

Often, I’ll tear something out of the Times and add it to my ‘topics to blog about’ list.

I just came across one such article from January, entitled, Let Them Eat Acorns, about Farmer Joel Salatin, who ‘raises his pigs the old-fashioned way, in the great outdoors, at his farm near Swoope, Va’.

It’s no surprise that what he stands for and what he does; unfortunately, he’s in the minority.

Did you know that 90 percent of America’s pork is produced in huge confinement operations (the largest, Smithfield, is now owned by a Chinese corporation)?

Some of his critics argue “he is cheating the notion of sustainability by feeding his pigs grain that he does not grow himself”.

While I am definitely more inclined to buy pastured pork from farmers whose pigs forage for acorns and the like, I’d still prefer to go the route of a pastured pig that was raised humanely and ate grain than to support an outfit that treats the poor creatures in humanely with nothing other than profit margins in mind.

Just as in situations where things aren’t black and white, we sometimes have to pick the next best option than what we’d choose as our ideal.

Click here for the full article

Let’s Look At The Big Picture Here

Wow.  There has been a lot of twitter traffic over the last 24 +/- hours regarding the recent Dr. Oz Show where Chris Kresser and I had the opportunity to be guests this past Monday.

Without getting into too much detail, there are clearly some who vehemently oppose what was presented as well as those who support it.

My take is this:

The approaches to eating that were presented are much healthier than that which many people follow as well as what the current MyPlate recommendations are.

Here’s what Chris and I presented, which we have in common : Eating lots of fresh veggies,  good proteins and good fat sources (on the ‘fat’ topic- please note that these fats he presented- olive oil, avocado and coconut oil- are identical to those which I suggested on the first episode I was on with Dr. Cordain, back in April), are good for our health.   

It’s no surprise that most people don’t get enough fresh vegetables, enough good fat, enough protein and most get too much sugar, too much salt and too much refined processed (non) food in general.

Take the word ‘Paleo’ out of the picture for a second and consider that if millions of viewers watched the episode and took away even some of what was presented, that could be viewed as progress.

I’ve had much success working with clients globally, helping them integrate True Paleo living into their daily regime, as a lifestyle coach and nutritional advisor, sometimes in conjunction with their doctor’s supervision in the cases where one is tapering off medication or is in any situation where the expertise of an MD and/or Functional Medicine Practitioner is in order.

Far too many doctors pay no attention to what we eat, which shows a huge disconnect in our we approach healthcare, using what I refer to as a ‘Band-Aid’ approach, treating symptoms but not looking into the cause.

Personally, I’m more interested in the big picture- getting people eating a more healthy diet as a whole, even if it means getting there in stages (thus my reference to ‘cheating’ being part of some people’s journey, as partly Paleo is better than not Paleo at all), or testing different methods to see how each makes one feel.

Gosh, I was a vegan myself for two years!  

I do believe in the benefits of following True Paleo and I’ll continue to present what that is.  

If someone doesn’t agree with me, that’s fine;  there is simply no way to please everyone and all be in unison.  

I’ve always recommended that people try different things to test what feels right (I certainly did) and while I would love it if everyone were Paleo, as I think we’d all benefit so tremendously as a society as a whole; again, to reiterate- even partly Paleo is better than not Paleo at all.