Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 68

Santa Monica Merchant- A Great Source for 100% Grass Fed Beef

Yesterday as I walked into the Market in the Santa Monica Place mall to teach one of my Paleoista cooking classes at Gourmandise, I came across a pleasant surprise that resulted in a twenty minute delay in my arrival to help prep.  (Not to worry; the staff there are amazing and never fail to have every last bit of mise en place complete just at the perfect time for me!)

Anyway…what caught my eye was a sign on a cooler which read ’100 % grass fed beef’. 

Clearly, I had to stop.

I had a quick chat to the gentleman who worked there and left with a large paper sack of filet, rib eye and some lovely bones which will serve to make some amazing broth as well as allow me the treat of another thing I simply adore- marrow, eaten simply with a spoon.

If you’re in the area, it’s a must-check-out; in addition, you can visit their site to learn more:

https://santamonicamerchant.com

Another added bonus- they’ll deliver!

A huge leap in the right direction; we need many more vendors like this!

Paleo Superbowl- Is It Possible?

Indeed, it is. In fact, I’ve written a few posts on this very topic, but before I do so for this year’s event, I’d like to get some feedback from you, my readers!

What dish do you feel is a must-have at your Superbowl Party this year?  Go ahead, give me your best shot and I’ll do my best to offer a Paleoista alternative.

Whether it’s that plate of nachos drenched in Velveeta or hot wings from your fave fast food place, I can help by offering Paleo alternatives.

Let’s be creative here; don’t just sent the name of the food, think about what it is you like about it.  Is it the crunch? Is it the salt?  The smell?

Addressing the different components helps to find healthy, and natural substitutes, rather than just going all Faux Paleo about it…

Email me and let’s address this!

 

Sometimes, You Just Need Some Broccoli…

It happens to all of us.  No matter how much we prep and plan, there are, inevitably, times when we’re out and about longer than planned and find ourselves hit with a sudden sensation of being absolutely starving.

Starry eyed, dizzy and with a growling stomach is no way to function.

So what to do?  Head straight for the vending machine because it’s ‘easy’?

Heck no.

I had a situation just last week in which I found myself in the grocery store, on errand number 7, and all of a sudden, I needed to eat something.  Immediately.

So I did.

But here’s the catch.  Even though my brain was dipping on energy due to low blood sugar, that did not mean I needed to eat sugar.

I made a beeline right to the broccoli.   And olive oil.  And plain, roasted chicken.  Yes, I was at Whole Foods, so making that choice was far easier compared to if I’d been at a little league game, but then, if the latter had been the case, I’d have brought food with me.

And that meal was heavenly!   I felt back to normal within about 20 minuted and I was back up to speed and being my hyper-productive self.

That day, I simply tried to squeeze too many errands into too small of a time window and as a result, the estimated time away from home and corresponding snacks and meals I brought were insufficient.

So, I did experience what started out as a blood sugar crash, but rather than feed it with sugar, which only would have created a temporary spike followed by an even worse dip, I opted for protein, fat and some complex carbs from the broccoli, nipping the insulin response in the bud and triggering the pancreas to release glucagon in its proxy.

What does this mean?

Simply, I supplied my body with something to use as fuel instead of a sugar and as a result, I balanced out my blood sugar.  Yes, a very rudimentary explanation but really, it is that simple.

Eat balanced meals with some fat, some protein and some complex, natural carbs (True Paleo) and experience steady blood sugar levels throughout the day.

Or, don’t, and enjoy the roller coaster of peaks and crashes all day long, leading, over time, to weight gain, poor concentration, low quality sleep and even diabetes.

Your choice.

I say sometimes, you just need some broccoli.

Set Point, Paleo, or Both?

I just finished watching a TED Talk given by neuroscientist Sandra Aamodt entitled “Why Dieting Doesn’t Usually Work”.

She explains how the body has a ‘set point’ and, like it or not, it’s a range within which our body desperately tries to keep our weight.  It can vary from ten to fifteen pounds, but according to her research, the body has a very difficult time maintaining a weight below this ‘point’.

With references to how we have evolved and how it’s quite likely that in order to survive in times of famine, she reviews this very set point would have been what allowed us to put on weight in times of feast and be able to live through times of famine.

No doubt about it, she’s done her homework and her talk is worth watching.

However, my concern is that far too many people will watch it, shrug their shoulders and surrender their attempts to try and become more healthy simply by deciding there’s just nothing they can do about the extra weight; their body wants to hover between X and X (neither of which might fall into the healthy weight category, by the way).

The reason I write this is because I’ve heard so many people say things like this over the years.

What’s the answer?

I think the correct response is that it’s a mixture of the two.

Yes, the body wants to be within a certain range, and maybe even a certain shape (remember that reference that if all the women in one’s family tend to be pear shaped, likely all the other women will be, too?).

It is my experience, however, that when one shifts what they’re eating by adopting a True Paleo regime, suddenly, their body goes through amazing changes which, more often than not, lands them in a lean physique they’d never dreamed would be possible.

This doesn’t actually contradict what Mrs. Aamodt presents in her talk; she refers to ‘diets’  not usually working, and I agree with that.   

But guess what?

Paleo isn’t a ‘diet’. It’s a healthy way to live.

Important distinction.

Watch the talk, learn some more about how the brain works… and keep Paleo!

Unexpected Progress

“I noticed that getting in and out of my car is a lot easier since we started working together,” remarked one of my private fitness training clients this morning.

While that wasn’t amongst his initial goals, which included losing some weight, trimming down on the belly a bit and taking his workouts up a notch,  all of which are coming to fruition, it’s always music to my ears when a client reports this type of improvement in the course of their day to day activity.

Just like when a client, who may not have realized they had a sensitivity to gluten, for example, tries the True Paleo regime with my guidance and discovers that their migraine headaches, rosacea and joint pain have somehow all magically been alleviated.

This is precisely why I’m so keen to encourage anyone who is even remotely interested in their health and well being to give True Paleo living a try.

So many are walking around in a state of subclinical illness, yet it’s become something that becomes the norm and as such, it’s not addressed.

Poor sleep quality, low energy levels, nagging back pain and a dull headache are experienced on a daily basis, yet it’s so common that people just assume it’s part of aging, or that’s simply the way things are.

Not true.

There’s no reason to settle.

Unless you can honestly say that you spring out of bed in the morning feeling filled with vibrant energy and a never ending joie de vivre, why not look at what you’re eating and see if there’s anything that could serve to be improved  upon?

Even if you’re not doubled over in pain after eating bread, it doesn’t mean gluten is helping you in any way.

And just because you don’t feel bloated after drinking a cup of milk, don’t assume that dairy is beneficial.

Give True Paleo a try and see if you don’t end up experiencing some unexpected positive changes, just like my client did this morning.

We’ve only got one body, so it’s my opinion that we’re best off treating it with utmost care and getting the most out of it!

Almond Meal Overload?

“I’ve been making my own almond milk  out of almonds & filtered water, then drying the meal that’s left in the cheesecloth.  What would be the best way to use the meal without adding a whole lot of sugary stuff to it and making baked goods?   Wonder if I could add it to the dogs’ food maybe...” asked a blog reader in an email recently.

While I agree with the concept of not wanting to waste, I wouldn’t recommend adding almond meal to food for the dog.

Actually, I wouldn’t recommend using it too often for anything, even for humans!

While making almond milk at home is the best way to go about ensuring you’re only getting almonds and water, and none of the additives you likely find in many of the commercially available brands (cane sugar, soy or rice milk, guar, xanthan and carageenan gums, for example), it’s still not something we want to partake of on a regular basis.

All nuts are high in inflammatory Omega 6s and low in Omega 3s.  In addition, they also contain anti nutrient properties, that contribute to leaky gut, just like grains and legumes.

So why are some nuts ok but not some grains or some legumes?

It all comes down to quantity.

Consider how much pasta you might have eaten at a meal in pre Paleo days, or the amount of beans that you may have consumed in one sitting.

Now compare that to how many nuts one might have atop a salad.

We’re talking about cups versus a tablespoon or two.

As such, the occasional sprinkling of raw nuts can be Paleo acceptable for most people, but not as a primary fat source.

Superior fat sources include those rich in Omega 3s, such as wild salmon or black cod and grass fed meats.

Of course, there are exceptions; many who are following the Paleo autoimmune approach fare better without them.  In addition some endurance athletes rely on certain seeds (yes- same goes for seeds, generally speaking), such as chia or hemp as part of their training.

But these are exceptions.

Most people aren’t logging tons of mileage on the trails.

Rather, it’s more common for someone to simply overdo in on the nuts as a result of the idea that they’re easy and require zero prep, both of which statements are both true, yet neither of which mean they’re a good idea to consume a lot of.

So, my advise to the reader’s question about what to do with the leftover almond meal would not be to give it to the dog as canines don’t need to eat inflammatory foods any more than we do.

Rather, I’d suggest getting creative with whatever it is you’re using the almond milk for and swap it out for other liquids.

Making a smoothie?  Try chilled herbal or green tea instead of almond milk.

Want something in that cup of tea?  How about a dash of cinnamon?

Looking for a go-to to drink with any given meal?  You guessed it… drink more water!

If you’re using almond milk as part of your transition from Standard American Diet to Paleo, good on you!  Let it be a temporary stepping stone as you ease away from dairy, to almond milk, to no milk at all… except the delicious, natural milk you’ll find in a fresh coconut!

Simple Doesn’t Have to Be Boring

It’s easy to get bored on any kind of eating plan if we take the route of sticking to just a few foods, prepared the same way all the time and eating with nothing to jazz them up.

It’s not necessarily an unhealthy approach; certainly by eating fresh veggies, wild proteins and healthy fats at each meal, you’re doing your body a favor from a nutritional standpoint.

However, if every meal is comprised of broccoli, chicken and a splash of olive oil, it’s not too hard to see why we’d start thinking about the allure of something else.

Several posts ago, I wrote about how one might rethink their approach to Paleo if they feel they’re being too repetitive in what they’re eating.

Creativity plays a key role in maintaing a True Paleo regime for the future, yet there’s still a place for simple.

And simple does not have to be boring.

In fact, as much as I love hosting an insane dinner party with tons of guests and elaborate preparation, if I’m really honest, my absolute favorite meals to eat are those which are representative of the utmost level of simplicity.

A rare, grass fed filet mignon with some raw kale, garlic and olive oil.

Some wild sashimi with arugula, avocado and lemon juice.

A roast, pastured chicken with steamed broccoli doused in pan jus.

So many of us have gotten away from the pure taste of real, fresh food, we’ve forgotten how delicious they are on their own, without sauces, cheese toppings and flour-thickened gravies.

The next time you’re on a hunt to find the lasted faux-Paleo recipe for a ‘thick chocolate sauce for cashew ice cream’ or pseudo Paleo sauce made up of arrowroot, grass fed butter and vinegar (pardon me?), take a step back and try eating something simply delightful all on its own.

You may be pleasantly surprised!

A User’s Manual for the Body

When we have a question about our taxes, we ask our CPA.  If we need to know something about our last will and testament, we can check with our attorney.  And if something goes wrong with our washing machine, we can give the local appliance guy a buzz and have it fixed in a jiffy.

But what happens when something goes awry with our body?

Well, we turn to a doctor, but is that all we need to do?

I don’t think so.

Unfortunately, our bodies don’t come with a user’s manual.

While the doctor plays a crucial role in helping us figure out what’s wrong, but that’s only part of the picture.  

Why?

Because only you know how you feel, how you react to certain medications or changes in your day to day regime and whether or not what the good old doc is suggesting is working for you.

A good doctor will factor in your feedback and hopefully, work with you to troubleshoot what is working, what is not, and really, truly listen to what you have to say.

I’m sure we’ll all had an experience of going in to see the doctor and feeling like we’re simply not being heard.  And it’s awful.  Almost as though our opinion doesn’t count, which is absolutely ridiculous as one’s opinion of how they feel is of utmost importance.

We all must take responsibility of learning our bodies.  It’s the one thing that makes sense for each and every one of us to know about, unlike being able to fix an appliance or to do our taxes.  Awareness on those topics is great, sure, but not necessary.

Knowing what’s normal, what’s not and what is an acceptable way to feel and live on a day to basis, however, is very, very important.

Regardless of one’s generation, cultural background or even religion, taking the time to self educate on this crucial topic is something I’d highly recommend.

Seek out a functional medicine doctor you trust, a naturopath who also happens to be an MD and so can integrate the best of both worlds and refer to the experts on the principles of True Paleo living.

Then, pair that with tuning into how you really feel, noting what foods make you feel a certain way, what exercise suits you and how you sleep, to name a few factors to check into, and you can create your own body’s user’s manual, which you’ll find is an ongoing work in progress for as long as you carry on living a healthy, True Paleo life!

Kelp Noodles

I’m laughing to myself as I eat some kelp on top of my arugula, pastured chicken, avocado and sun dried tomato salad.

Or rather, kelp ‘noodles’.

Why do we have to reassign new names which we associate to processed food byproducts (like pasta) to foods found in nature that happen to have a similar shape, texture or color?

Why can’t we just say we’re eating kelp? 

It has to be a noodle?

Does it make the taste any different?

I guess it’s no different than back in my vegan days when I ate things like Tofurky (tofu meant to taste and look like Thanksgiving Turkey…right).  It didn’t work then and it doesn’t work now.

I’m just going to stick with calling the food what it really is.

I’m not eating kelp noodles; I’m just eating kelp.

Which Spices Are Paleo?

More or less, any naturally dried herb or spice, as well as their fresh counterpart, are not only Paleo acceptable, they’re good for you!

Each offers numerous health benefits in addition to their contribution to the overall flavor profile of any given dish.

If you’re buying fresh, opt for organic and be sure to wash quite well before using.  
To store, cut off the bottom of the stems and dry the leaves completely. Fill a jar or a water glass partially with water and place the stem ends of the herbs into the water in the jar, covering loosely with a plastic bag.,changing the water after several days if the water starts to discolor.
For dried, simply read the ingredients to ensure there is no silicon dioxide to prevent caking, MSG to enhance flavor or anything you cannot identify as food including along with the herb or spice you’re after.
The only herbs and spices that are a no go come into play when anyone follows the autoimmune protocol of Paleo.  In this case, one would want to be sure to avoid anything with pepper in it, including paprika or any spice blend that might contain this nightshade vegetable.
Don’t make the mistake of overdoing any one particular herb or spice, especially if you take it upon yourself to buy the pill form in order to self cure a health issue you’re experiencing.  If that’s the case, get thee to a naturopath or functional medicine doc and have him or her work with you on what’s going on and what to take and how much.  Just because it’s a plant and is natural doesn’t mean it’s safe to eat mass quantities.

Now…bring on the basil!  Paleoista Pesto is sounding good right about now!