Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 7

Fermented Food for Everyone?

Kim chi.   Kombucha.   Sauerkraut.  Kefir.   Yogurt.  Cheese?

Sound delicious?

All of the above are not only tasty ways to jazz up your meal and add a robust flavor, they’re also a great way to get a gut health boost,  by introducing a means of altering the trillions of bacteria, virus and fungi that make up what is collectively known as the gut microbiome. (1) 

They may also lead to lower levels of body-wide inflammation, which scientists increasingly link to a range of diseases tied to aging.

A recent study at Stanford University (2) wanted to see what impact fermented foods might have on the gut and immune system, and how it might compare to eating a relatively healthy diet.

After 2.5 months, the fermented food group showed marked reductions in 19 inflammatory compounds. Among the compounds that showed declines was interleukin-6, an inflammatory protein that tends to be elevated in diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. The high-fiber group, in contrast, did not show an overall decrease in the same inflammatory compounds.

Gut microbiome diversity is a good thing; lower rates of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic disease and autoimmune conditions are all associated with improving gut health.

In the US ad other industrialized nations, society as a whole tends to have less microbial diversity in their guts than those living in more traditional, non-industrialized societies (3).

Modern lifestyle factors like  diets high in processed foods, chronic stress and physical inactivity may suppress the growth of potentially beneficial gut microbes.

So should we all pile on the kim chi and keep the kombucha flowing?

Not necessarily.

People with gut health issues, particularly Candida overgrowth or SIBO may need to tread lightly here.

Kombucha, a popular fermented food, uses a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast). Not only are good bacteria or probiotics present, bad bacteria and yeast are also present during the fermentation process.

All of the prebiotics produced during that process also feed bad bacteria and yeast. 

This means that fermented foods themselves may be high in bad bacteria and yeast (4).

In addition, the high concentration of prebiotics found in fermented foods also makes its way to your gut. There, it feeds good bacteria, bad bacteria, and yeast alike (5). 

So if you are dealing with SIBO or Candida overgrowth, and already have an overpopulation of bad bacteria or yeast, eating fermented foods adds fuel to the fire.

This means that while it’s true that fermented foods do have potential health benefits, they may actually cause more harm than good by perpetuating gut infections!

However, that doesn’t mean you’ll never be able to enjoy these tasty foods again, just that you’ll be able to incorporate them in without consequence after your gut has healed.

Once your remarkable body (yes, our bodies are just that) has healed, choose your probiotics wisely.

For kombucha, stick with the lowest sugar options you can find.  Some are so high in sugars from fruit juice, they may contain over 20g/ 8 oz serving!For kim-chi, be sure to stick with a version that is not spicy if you’re following an Auto Immune Protocol.   Nightshade plants, which are to be avoided in this case, include all peppers, so you’ll be better of with what may be called a mild version.Yogurt + cheese?  Stick with plain, no sugar or fruit added, full fat and raw.   Tasty Tip:  blend raw butter into your bone broth for a delicious way to increase the satiety you’ll experience.

Undoubtedly, fermented foods can have a permanent role in an eating approach geared to achieving, then maintaining,  a healthy gut.

Pass the kim chi, please!

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/13/well/eat/yogurt-kimchi-kombucha-microbiome.htmlhttps://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(21)00754-6?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867421007546%3Fshowall%3Dtruehttps://science.sciencemag.org/content/366/6464/eaaw9255.full?fbclid=IwAR0DvS49mvcZGz28cZYjI9j2WeErNmXyD5dfHIWhvg7e9tdy3rXDuUjmPgUhttps://www.amymyersmd.com/article/fermented-foods/https://www.ift.org/news-and-publications/food-technology-magazine/issues/2016/december/columns/inside-academia-fermentation-science-washington-state-university-university-of-idahoThe post Fermented Food for Everyone? first appeared on Paleoista.

ADDRESSING ADHD WITH FOOD

“I feel so ADD!”

If you’ve ever had a moment of feeling distracted or unclear, it wouldn’t be surprising if you’d uttered that phrase before.

It’s become an adage, but both ADD, or rather, ADHD, the official, medical term for the condition — regardless of whether a patient demonstrates symptoms of hyperactivity.

(ADD is a now-outdated term that is typically used to describe inattentive-type ADHD, which has symptoms including disorganization, lack of focus, and forgetfulness)

ADHD (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ) is a medical diagnosis that manifest symptoms far and above a perceived inability to focus.

About 6.1 million children in the United States (9.4 percent) between ages 2 to 17 are estimated to have ever been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD), according to a 2016 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (1).

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders affecting children. ADHD also affects many adults; an estimated 8.4% of children and 2.5% of adults have ADHD (2).

There is no lab test to diagnose either; diagnosis involves gathering information from parents, teachers and others, filling out checklists and having a medical evaluation (including vision and hearing screening) to rule out other medical problems. The symptoms are not the result of person being defiant or hostile or unable to understand a task or instructions.

People may experience aggression, excitability, fidgeting, hyperactivity, impulsivity, irritability, lack of restraint, or persistent repetition of words or actions, absent-mindedness, difficulty focusing, forgetfulness, problem paying attention, or short attention span, anger, anxiety, boredom, excitement, or mood swings, depression or learning disability (3).

So what’s a person to do if they, or their children are experiencing symptoms and suspecting ADHD?

The common sense course of action would be to see the doctor.

Which, if the doctor is one practicing a comprehensive approach such as Functional Medicine, may be extremely beneficial and holistic, taking into account all things that could contribute to both the causes and an optimal treatment plan for the patient.

If on the other hand, however, the physician runs a completely Western Medicine based clinic, may not offer as complete a protocol.

62% of the 6.1 million American children aged 2-17 with an ADHD diagnosis take ADHD medication (3), the majority of which are aged 6 to 11 years old. 30% take medication alone. 47% receive behavioral treatment, the majority of which are aged 2 to 5 years old (4).

And how many are receiving any sort of dietary intervention?

There does not appear to be data we can easily get our hands on; online search for any information in this vein led only to studies that offered children a multivitamin as part of their protocol.

Yet some of the very same ‘foods’ (if we even want to call them food) that are linked to increased rates of certain cancers, risk of Type II Diabetes and systemic inflammation are the very same foods that both a child or an adult would benefit from removing from their dietary regime (5).

At the very least, even some of medical websites we might deem as being mainstream acknowledge that at least reducing intake of some of the big, bad guys (candy, corn syrup, honey, sugar, flour, rice and potatoes) ‘can be beneficial’.

While it may be impossible to parse apart what percentage of symptoms come from environment, genetics and food, addressing the one thing that we have complete control over, the single thing with zero risk or side effects, what we eat, can prove to not only create dramatic improvements, but to create a sense of empowerment for both parent and child alike.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the idea that you may have to completely overhaul your family’s eating routines, there’s one simple thing you can do as step number one that may have a significant affect: drop the processed foods, especially sugar and vegetable oils.

One study concluded that the more sugar hyperactive children consumed, the more destructive and restless they became; another, indicated that high-sugar diets may increase inattention in some kids with ADHD (6).

Studies also suggest that a gluten-free diet improves ADHD symptoms significantly and that untreated celiac disease may predispose patients to mental and behavioral disorders such as ADHD (8.)

Research has shown that man-made chemicals found not only in hydrogenated oils but vegetable and grain (such as corn) oils can cause children without ADHD to be hyperactive and less focused (9).

The list may seem to go on and on; the simple way to cut to the chase is to mimic the foods our grandparents ate.

Foods rich in protein like properly sourced beef, pork, poultry, fish, eggs can have beneficial effects on ADHD symptoms. Protein-rich foods are used by the body to make neurotransmitters, the chemicals released by brain cells to communicate with each other (10).

Paleo (yes, that’s how we all used to eat) ? Yes.

A diet with omega-3s consistently lessens hyperactivity (11).

Paleo again.

Finally, a diet rich in local, in season, organic leafy greens provides fiber, phytonutrients and a plethora of vitamins and minerals to create the perfect foundation for a plant-based (yes, an authentic paleo diet is in fact, mostly plants… not meat-heavy) approach to addressing ADHD.

When considering treatment for your child (or yourself), it’s important to note Western medication may not be without consequence. The risks of Ritalin, for example, one of the most common medications administered, include nervousness, trouble sleeping, loss of appetite, weight loss, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, or headache may occur (11).

Granted, each person, each patient and each circumstance is unique and by no means is this a message suggesting not to consider medication if it has been suggested.

Rather, a note of encouragement to look at the whole picture, and, as with every thing else in the health and wellness category that one may be looking to address, not looking at what is being eaten and where it is coming from is akin to building that house without a foundation.

A few years ago, I had the honor of being a part of a documentary about how what we are eating is making us as a society fat and sick; be sure to watch The Magic Pill  (13) if you’ve not yet seen it, and take the chance to have a peek into a family dealing with, amongst many health concerns, ADHD in children.

Food is medicine; and it truly can heal.

https://www.additudemag.com/statistics-of-adhd/https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/adhd/what-is-adhdhttps://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/adhd/symptoms-causes/syc-20350889?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=abstract&utm_content=Attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder&utm_campaign=Knowledge-panelhttps://www.singlecare.com/blog/news/adhd-statistics/https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/adhd-dietshttps://www.additudemag.com/sugar-diet-nutrition-impact-adhd-symptoms/#footnote2https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184556/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184556/https://www.additudemag.com/diet-to-help-adhd-using-food-to-treat-tough-symptoms/https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-diet-nutrition-sugar/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4321799/https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-9475/ritalin-oral/details https://amzn.to/3lWnIPuThe post ADDRESSING ADHD WITH FOOD first appeared on Paleoista.

Love Shrimp? Here’s What You Need to Know about Sourcing.

Shrimp Scampi.

The butter. The garlic. The lemon. The hint of parsley.

Since I was a little girl, my earliest dining out memories feature me ordering shrimp scampi. It was an absolute delicacy. We did not dine out with any regularity, but on the rare occasion that we did, that was my go to.

Growing up, I continued to regard eating shrimp as something special.

Even when I was beginning to go down the vegan route, it was one of the last things I gave up.

Turns out, it’s not just me; shrimp is a national obsession and consumption has been escalating, up to about 4.4 pounds per person per year, a marked increase from 4 pounds per person just five years ago. It seems we will eat as much shrimp as we can get our hands on — over 1.5 billion pounds per year (1).

Back then, however, I had not a clue that I might be curious to ask where it came from.

I’m fairly confident now that it wasn’t exactly local (I grew up in New York) and very likely, it was also not wild or sustainable.

90% of the shrimp we eat in the United States is imported (2), most of it coming from Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, India, Thailand and Vietnam, where environmentally destructive practices and slave labor are common.

What’s more, most of what is available to us in the US is farmed, not wild caught (3).

Farmed shrimp is highly correlated with:

Mangrove destruction (4); a fifth of mangroves worldwide have been lost since 1980, mostly because of clearance to make way for the farms which often get choked with waste, antibiotics and fertilizers.Antibiotic overuse, contributing to, for one thing, antibiotic-resistant MRSA on the shrimp (5) and for another, spillage into the water systemsSlave Labor; a six-month investigation by The Guardian (6) “established that large numbers of men bought and sold like animals and held against their will on fishing boats off Thailand are integral to the production of prawns (commonly called shrimp in the US) sold in leading supermarkets around the world, including the top four global retailers: Walmart, Carrefour, Costco and Tesco.”

So does that mean saying goodbye permanently to consuming shrimp?

Not necessarily.

Source properly:

According to FoodPrint (7), when it comes to buying shrimp, Monterey Bay’s Seafood Watch (8) ranking system is the most reliable tool available, perhaps more so than the Marine Stewardship Council, owned by Unilever.

The recommendation is to always keep local and avoid anything imported.

In addition, if shrimp is something that’s become a common protein source for you, consider making it something you eat less frequently.

Finally, be flexible and open to changing the recipe you’re planing to make with something more sustainable based on where you live.

This is not to say that a local, pasture raised chicken thigh is going to be mistaken for shrimp in a scampi dish; but in the grand scheme of things, we can chose to take a far more mindful path by choosing something else.

For me, it’s about asking the questions, whether in a restaurant, grocery store or farmer’s market.

If the answers aren’t straightforward and immediate, that speaks volumes in itself, and is a good reason to make another choice.

Satisfying a craving for shrimp (or any other food that might not be the best choice, all things considered) versus making a more conscious choice is one means of making each of our voices heard.

Now you know!

(1) https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/15/di...
(2) https://www.seafoodwatch.org/recommen...
(3) https://foodprint.org/blog/wild-and-f...
(4) https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ma...
(5) https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/m...
(6) https://www.theguardian.com/global-de...
(7) https://www.foodprint.org
(8) https://www.seafoodwatch.org

The post Love Shrimp? Here’s What You Need to Know about Sourcing. first appeared on Paleoista.

Keeping Your Cool While Running Outdoors

With summer officially here, an early trail run or a warm, evening jog along the beach with the lasting daylight can make it a lot easier to fit some exercise into the hectic daily routine.

 

And, even for the most die-hard indoor exercisers, with the allure of inviting weather, adding some outdoor training can provide a nice balance to your current regime, especially for those runners out there.

 

I, for one, love a good run on the treadmill. The ease of being able to choose a pace and stick with it makes it perfect for doing a speed specific workout; the conditions are fixed and there’s no need to focus on stopping at traffic lights or rolling an ankle by stepping too quickly off a curb. But, by only running on the tread, you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage. Every foot strike is identical. Without variance to the running surface, overuse issues can begin to develop.

 

Further, treadmill running is quite different from outdoor running. Physical Therapist Dr. Jamey Schrier explains it best: when you’re on a treadmill, the surface moves under our feet, whereas outside, our feet move over the pavement or ground, causing the body to work differently.

 

So, must we nix the tread? Not by a long shot! But here’s your chance to add some variety into the mix! By combining treadmill work, trail running, some track sets, and avoiding running on pavement or cement as much as possible, we hedge our bets to stay injury free, thus allowing the progression to become fitter and faster as runners.

 

With the increased opportunity to get outside and sweat, there are a few factors we need to address before transitioning into the great outdoors, even if your great outdoors happen to consist of an urban jungle.

 

The most obvious is temperature. That comfortable, aerobic pace you’re used to holding in the air conditioned gym can seem far more challenging when you add in heat and humidity. It’s one thing to be slightly uncomfortable, but the consequence of overdoing it before you’re ready can be deadly. Heat stroke is the most serious form of heat injury, and considered a medical emergency when it can kill or cause damage to the brain and other internal organs. Although heat stroke mainly affects people over age 50, it also takes a toll on healthy young athletes.

 

Give yourself time to adjust. It takes about two weeks for your body to adapt to the heat and cool itself more efficiently. Slow your pace and reduce your intensity and get the run in rather than pushing through it. Doing so will allow you to more efficiently acclimate and continue to run. Your body will gradually become better at cooling itself in the warmer weather allowing you to continue to run at your normal pace.

 

Don’t forget to factor in nutrition and hydration, as well as sweat rate. As the body becomes more efficient at using fat for fuel, demand for water and sodium increase. This makes it even more important to properly balance water intake with electrolytes to avoid hyponatremia, a condition that occurs when the level of sodium in the blood is too low.

 

Refer the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for an easy way to begin assessing your own sweat rate and subsequent need for replenishment:

 

Sweat Rate = (A + B) ÷ C, where

 

A = Pre-exercise body weight – Post-exercise body weight, recorded in ounces. (1 lb. = 16 oz.)

B = Fluid Consumed During Exercise, recorded in ounces. (1 cup = 8 oz; 1 gulp = about 1 oz)

C = Exercise Duration, recorded in hours. (40 min = .66 hr)

 

An equally important consideration is something we have less control over – our interaction with traffic.   While there is no there is no national database on runner-vehicle collisions, an estimated 4,000 pedestrians die from crash-related injuries each year in the United States, according to the CDC. All the more reason to run sans music in order to be more alert to your surroundings!

 

The pros of running outdoors far outweigh the risks. There’s nothing more therapeutic, energizing, and invigorating, in my opinion, than starting your day with a run. No matter where you are, with no gear needed (although shoes can certainly come in handy), running and walking are two of the most intuitive forms of movement to us as bipedal creatures. All it takes is a little time to adapt to climate and mental focus to keep alert and you’ll set yourself up for a lifetime of being able to partake in an incredible form of movement for the long run.

 

 

REFERENCES

“Is the Treadmill Really Bad for You?” Washingtonian. N.p., 01 Feb. 2012. Web. 23 June 2015.

“Heat Stroke: Symptoms and Treatment.” WebMD. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 June 2015.

“The Beginner’s Guide to Running in the Heat.” Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health. N.p., 27 June 2014. Web. 23 June 2015.

“Art and Science of Low Carb – Jeff Volek, PhD, RD & Stephen Phinney, MD, PhD.” Art and Science of Low Carb. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 June 2015.

“How to Calculate Your Sweat Rate – Beverage Institute for Health and Wellness.” Beverageinstitute-us. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 June 2015.

“Motor Vehicle Traffic-Related Pedestrian Deaths — United States, 2001–2010.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 Apr. 2013. Web. 23 June 2015.

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Healthy Eating on Vacation for the Whole Family

Traveling with kids, keeping on track with your fitness and nutrition, and saving money all at the same time?

Sound like an impossible dream?

With a few simple strategies, you can achieve all three while enjoying your dining experience while out of town, whether you’re visiting a tropical island paradise or a villa in the South of France.

Below are my top five tips that have worked time and time again, including our most recent travel with a toddler.

Before travel, research what your food and dining options will be, whether you’re at an all-inclusive resort, a rental home in an urban area or a villa in the country.    The more you know in advance, the better you’ll know what, if anything, you’ll need to bring.    Plane travel can be tough on little ones, so a flight planned at a time around their nap time can save lots of trial and tribulations.    Bring easy to carry on snack options such as clean jerky, like EPIC BARS, coconut butter packets, and some low sugar fresh fruit, like granny smith apples.    Water is easy to come by and depending on how long the flight is, sometimes the meals on the plane can pass muster.  Be sure to check first with your airline about what options are going to be, so that if they’re not going to offer anything other than chips, candy and sandwiches, you can plan out everything in advance and carry it on with you.Plan out your timetable of when you’ll workout,  when you’ll eat and what your kids can do in order to strategically get tired and nap (if they’re still of napping age).    It takes a village at home, and that village may not travel with you.    On vacation, it can be far easier for mom and dad to divvy up the time so that each can have their own time to workout, which benefits the whole family as everyone will be in a better mood and more equipped to relax (as much as a parent can!) for the rest of the day poolside, oceanside or out doing touristy things.For mom and dad, a morning coffee with heavy cream or raw butter after a few glasses of water first thing in the morning can be sufficient to carry through back to back workout sessions (one works out while the other stays with the kids), ending in ample time to head to the breakfast buffet.  We’ve found that not only does the timing work out regardless of where in the world we may be traveling, that workouts are done and an hour or so may be left to have ample time to eat.Although the word ‘buffet’ might bring to mind options far from healthy, with growing consciousness of what to eat and being mindful about where our food is coming from, it’s easier and easier to pile your plates high with veggie options, olive oil, a sprinkling of local fresh fruit and a few assorted protein options. Most also offer local, fresh fruit to take along for later, which can come in handy for the kids.   Since this meal might be eaten around 11:30 or noon, and has enough fat and little sugar, it can easily be enough to carry you through until dinner.   Kids can snack on Chomps (grass fed jerky sticks), sprouted nuts and local fresh fruit.  Here’s where the savings come in – two meals per day rather than three in a resort equals a happy wallet!Finally, don’t forget to add some intentional decadence into the mix, whether it’s a dessert, a drink or both.   Knowing in advance which foods in these categories that you, personally can tolerate without consequence is extremely important.     (For me, a piece of dark chocolate more often, and once in a while, a flourless chocolate torte are my dessert options, but in all honesty, having become fat adapted long ago, I’d prefer a spoonful of raw butter or coconut oil any day to cake!  And from a drinks perspective, it’s a neat mezcal or grain-free vodka over wine or a sugary cocktail, always).   Being able to enjoy these things sometimes, really leaning into it and understanding that having these sometimes does not equal a fail but a win is a large part of why this balanced approach to strategic eating truly works for the long haul.

By implementing these tips, you can rest assured that you truly can enjoy all parts of your vacation and come home without any of that old, uninteresting guilt you may once have experienced.. and you may even find you’re a few pounds lighter on the scale and a few notches more elevated in spirit.

Happy Travels!

 

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I Paid No Attention to What I Was Putting on My Biggest Organ…

Repost of a blog I wrote five years ago when I first learned about Beautycounter… only now that I have a child, my ‘why’ is even more important: I want him and his generation to know with certainty that what they’re using on their skin is safe.

————————————————————————————————————————-

Sometimes we choose to remain ignorant.

We hear something, read something or see something, but making a change feels too hard or too inconvenient.

You know how there’s that thing you hear about that you kind of think you should pay attention to, but something inside you tells you to shrug it off?

That it’s not really all that important?

For many, this may occur with a food choice.

Take Diet Coke; an example of something many people consume that can’t have anyone rallying for it’s health benefits, the way they might over other drinks or foodstuffs, which some claim are healthy, while others disagree…like eating whole grains, for example.

We read how there could be link between artificial sugars and cancer, or how something in a can of soda can dissolve rust off your car’s bumper, yet we still drink it, thinking it’s not really all that bad.

(I get it- I did the same during my college years! It was the 90s, and Diet Coke had no calories, it ‘gave you energy’ and it ‘filled up your belly’, making it a winning combo for anyone trying to keep lean… yikes!)

But then, you really, really dive in and expose yourself to how toxic it truly is, and then you finally get it…and cut it out of your life, once and for all.

For me, on a far worse level than the Diet Coke scenario, in which I was harming myself by drinking absolute garbage, it’s time to come clean about something else: my recommendations for what to use on our skin, because it affects others. “What do you recommend for skincare, Nell?”, is a question I have been asked many a time from blog readers, clients and at workshops, to which I always replied based on whichever line I may have been using at the time.

For years, I’ve loved my deliciously-scented Neroli Serum, from a line of “Aromatherapy and phytotherapy natural skincare, beauty treatments and cosmetics based on essential oils and plant extracts manufactured in Paris”, the essential cleansing solution, developed by The International Dermal Institute and the top notch ‘Intense Eye Balm’, which “guarantees visibly diminished wrinkles and makes skin appear firmer and more lifted eye cream”. If an aesthetician would recommend it, I’d give it a try.

Often, I wouldn’t even look at the product label as if not doing so would keep me from recognizing that what it contained might be harmful and I’d somehow not think about the fact that I really didn’t know what I was putting on my body.

Which is absolutely crazy and unacceptable, given that this is the antithesis of what I do, and what I teach, with regard to what we eat and drink!

When I’d read the words aromatherapy, organic or natural, or buy a bottle of lotion from the mom and pop health food store, I’d feel certain that the product was safe to use, and didn’t even give anything in that category a second thought.

Which is also completely nuts, given how much I don’t trust what the FDA calls safe in terms of eating.

So there I was, using these things on my skin, telling others that I used them and even going as far as to recommend them!

And then, just recently, I was literally stopped in my tracks.

A very close friend of mine mentioned that she was going to a “Beautycounter Social”. To be completely honest, I think she mentioned it once or twice before but I thought nothing of it; I heard Beautycounter and thought she was going shopping for cosmetics at Barney’s, which sounded fun. Then she mentioned it again and I asked, what is Beautycounter?

And then she told me all about it.

She shared a link to a video in which the founder of the company explains the mission, “To get safer products into the hands of everyone” and it’s so far beyond what you could imagine that after you watch it, you’re not going to be able to use many of the products you use now.

Think ‘Food Inc.’ for skincare and makeup.

Yes, it will, pardon my French, scare the c*$p out of you.

Why?

Here are some facts that will help paint the picture:

Decades of studies indicate that serious health issues (including, but not limited to asthma, learning disabilities, cancer and infertility) are on the rise, and due in some part to our ongoing exposure to toxic chemicals—whether it’s in the shower, on our commute, while we eat lunch at a local restaurant, or when we clean our kitchens at home.There are more than 80,000 chemicals on the market today. Many don’t have any safety data. This is particularly true of those used in the skin care and beauty industry.Only about 10% of the 10,000 chemicals commonly found in personal care products have safety data.What’s worse is the Food and Drug Administration (the agency that regulates cosmetics) allows companies to use chemicals known to be extremely harmful (lead, formaldehyde, and phthalates) in the products we put on our bodies and on our kids every single day, day after day. (Anyone surprised here, given what they approve in terms of ‘food’?) Oh, and by the way, this applies to skincare, sunscreen and shampoo we’re putting on our children!The United States has not passed a major federal law to regulate the safety of ingredients used in personal care products since 1938; in contrast, The European Union has spent the past two decades banning or restricting more than 1,300 ingredients, the US has only banned 11 to date.Beautycounter has banned more than 1,500 ingredients, setting a new health and safety standard.

I didn’t know what to do next other than decide not to make any more purchases of what I’d been using for so long.

I asked my friend about it and she explained how I could get involved.

At a bare minimum I knew I needed to help get the word about about how we’re literally poisoning ourselves…not to mention our kids!

The most important first step was to test out the products, and learn about the line.

Five weeks later, I’m hooked; they’re safe, they’re clean and they perform.

I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer to go with skincare that’s been exhaustively tested, and continues to be on the cutting edge of safe products that perform, rather than a product that’s slipped through any kind of safety testing nearly 80 years ago!

I had to share this; not doing so would be the equivalent of doing what I realized I was doing up until now: choosing to remain ignorant about what I was putting on my body.

If you’re on my site, my social media or reading my blog, you clearly place some importance on what you’re putting in your body.

What makes more sense than to compliment it with what you’re putting on it?

Learn more here and share this with everyone you know; men, women and children alike all need to be aware of what they’re exposing themselves to on a daily basis in order to make educated decisions.

We can’t chose to remain blind to this after we know too much!

The post I Paid No Attention to What I Was Putting on My Biggest Organ… first appeared on Paleoista.

MEAT PRICES RISE, RANCHERS LOSE MONEY

If only all our steaks, tri-tip and ground beef came from ‘happy cows’ as seen above.

Grass-fed and finished beef accounts for only 1% of the beef we have in the US (1).

Due in part to confusing messaging and rising prices, where our beef is coming from for many remains a mystery.

I see it and hear it all the time;   the transition from shopping at any grocery or online store positioned as one to give great prices first and foremost to shopping at your local farmer’s market can cause a bit of sticker shock at first blush.

But once we learn what’s behind the pricing and how you truly do get what you pay for, often the understanding brings awareness that is crucial during times like these.

Back in 2018 when I first started by bone broth business, I found during my own market research (literally, market research, as in speaking directly with customers at my four farmer’s markets) that most people I had the opportunity to connect with already had some degree of understating that the price on our broths are what they are due to the price of our ingredients.

Everything is 100% organic, all our beef bones are grass-fed and finished, our lamb, pork and chicken are pasture raised.

Every once in a while I’d have the one-off conversation asking, “did’t I get my bones for free?” but for the most part, the understanding was there.

However, I also recognize that living in an area such as Los Angeles in which we have the luxury of access to a plethora of incredibly fresh, properly sourced proteins and in season produce, that it wouldn’t be unreasonable to say we’re in a bit of a bubble.

Further, being in a bubble doesn’t mean we’re exempt from seeing the same trends in other parts of the country – rising meat prices at the same time that ranchers are losing money.

In the US, the cattle industry is dominated by four conglomerates and their profits are creating tension, to say the least (2).

The four companies, Cargill, JBG, Tyson and National Beef account for 80% of the processed beef sold in the US.

Numerous lawsuits have been filed in recent years by grocery chains, ranchers and others that claim the meatpackers have colluded to increase the price of beef by limiting supply. 

It is thought that if things don’t change, our food chain is going to change in a very negative way; that small and medium-size feeding operators are already being pushed out of business, and that cow and calf breeders will soon be forced to do likewise.

JBS and Cargill are making as much as $1,000 in profit per head of cattle they slaughter and package into ground beef and steaks — well above the norm of $50 with occasional spikes to $150 (3).

The meat packing industry states a long time struggle to hire long lasting employees, an issue exacerbated by the pandemic  yet it continues adding capacity. 

In early June, the Brazilian-based JBS said it was spending more than $130 million to increase production abilities at two of its major beef processing facilities in Nebraska and $150 million to raise wages (4).

Just a few of many examples demonstrating the state of affairs at this moment in time.

There are pending bills aimed at making change, potential legal action being taken and a hugely profitable opportunity for the four conglomerates to continue to take more and more of a monopoly in their industry.

Things that are in progress, but what do we do right now?

Those of us who first and foremost put a huge importance not only on the food we are buying and feeding our families with,  but also who want to not only support our local farmers and ranchers but to do something about the huge disparity about who has access to these foods?

This is not only particular to the meat industry, incidentally; about 23.5 million people live in food deserts. Nearly half of them are also low-income. Approximately 2.3 million people (2.2% of all US households) live in low-income, rural areas that are more than 10 miles from a supermarket (5) .

So to answer what we can do right now, if even on a small scale:

If you do live in an area where there are farmer’s markets or CSA availability, start to shop with them and support them.   Many have an option to make a tax deductible donation to help get real, fresh food to those in need who cannot afford it.Think more about portions.   A family of four, two parents and two children, can have a beautifully balanced plant-based meal with a large volume of local, in season veggies, ample natural fats and small servings of grass-fed and finished steak or wild fish.  Far less expensive than a model in which each family member is given an 8 oz or larger steak!Make sourcing of utmost importance.   Local grass-fed and finished meat is going to be a better price than that which is flown in from New Zealand, no matter how much a rack of lamb is what you’re craving.  And similarly, here in Los Angeles, a freshly caught piece of wild, black cod shared between the whole family is far more friendly to your wallet than a hunk of tuna flown in from Fiji.Buy in bulk, and freeze.  You’ve heard it before, but it pays to buy up front and have your proteins on hand, in your home, in your freezer.Learn how you can help in your community.  If you have time on your hands, consider volunteering to help create a small garden.    If you don’t have time but do have the means, research what programs above and beyond those suggested above might be welcoming of any monetary contribution you can make.To the best of your ability, chose not to support meat, fish, chicken and produce suppliers which you do not feel comfortable or do not know what their conditions are like.     We can only remain ignorant for so long and once we know, we can’t not know.    On a personal note, I vividly recall when I learned about the importance of looking at where my produce was coming from (you can see, even if shopping in the grocery store – the little stickers on fruit and veggies tell you all you need to know).Don’t forget one important thing, and I wish I could take credit for coming up with this quote, “We can choose to pay for health now, or be forced to pay for an attempt to heal sickness later”.    

We can each do our part, albeit small, but millions of small effort add up to immense ones.

An approach based on learning, implementing conscious choices and sharing what we know with others around us in our very own communities is not only something we can choose to do, it’s something we are meant to do, as a foundational part of being part of the human race.

Know your farmer.

Shop locally.

Do your best.

and

Eat Food and Move.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aad401https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/23/business/beef-prices.htmlhttps://research.rabobank.com/far/en/sectors/animal-protein/beef-quarterly-q2-2021.htmlhttps://jbsfoodsgroup.com/articles/jbs-usa-invests-in-u-s-beef-capacity-and-permanently-increased-wageshttps://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-food-desertsThe post MEAT PRICES RISE, RANCHERS LOSE MONEY first appeared on Paleoista.

Do We Really Need Green Powders?

With the increased awareness and interest in keeping ourselves as healthy as possible, we are seeing a lot more mention about eating properly in order to keep our immune systems working optimally.

And rightly so!

But if you’re eating a nutrient-dense, plant-based diet full of leafy greens, abundant natural fats, small portions of properly sourced proteins like wild fish and grass fed meats, do you really need to add in superfoods, extra vitamin supplements and green powders?

Let’s explore.

Superfoods

Real foods that tend to be mostly plant-based but also some fish and dairy, these are the foods that are thought to be nutritionally dense and thus good for one’s health (1).

Popular superfoods include blueberries, kale, wild, deep-water fish, and freshly brewed green tea.

However, because the term “superfood” is not scientific, it can mislead consumers, prompting them to eat one kind of food over another.

The easiest way to decipher whether a food item in this category is a must-have versus a marketing attempt is to ask yourself one question: is it in package or are you buying it as it grew?

A bunch of organic broccoli, or a pint of farm-fresh blueberries are a big thumbs-up, while an energy bar touting the accolades of all the superfoods it contains may not be.

Vitamin Supplementation

This is a big one.

Some research (2) shows that Vitamin C, B6 and E supplementation may help to boost your immune system, while other studies suggest Vitamin D is one of the most important immune system-strengthening nutrients that can reduce the risk of colds and flu (3).

Still other experts recommend we need to be supplementing with mushrooms that will ‘act as Turbo-Shots for our immune systems’ (4) and we can now hop into many an IV Drip Bar for an immune boosting treatment (5).

But where do we draw the line?

Some treatments may be costly, unproven and in some cases, risky.

Best bet?
Err on the side of caution; the recommendation to consume a high-quality fish oil, a food-based multivitamin and possibly a probiotic is likely to be a safe bet for most who are have a sound eating foundation in place, combined with good sleep hygiene, exercise and rest.
Want an extra ‘boost’? Check in with your functional medicine doctor and see if she or he recommends a blood or saliva panel to determine what you personally may be low in and should therefore consider supplementing with.

The cost of the visit may even prove to be far less than what you may be spending on supplements you may not even need.

GREEN POWDERS

Greens powders are supplements made from greens, vegetables, seaweed, probiotics, digestive enzymes and more (6). They may claim to boost immunity and reduce chronic disease risk, but results may vary based on ingredients.

Green powder supplements can vary greatly from one brand to another; lab tests have found that some greens powders contain lead and other heavy metals, which, in high amounts, these contaminants can lower energy levels and cause organ damage (7).

If you’re confident in the sourcing of the product you’re interested in, even then, they should only be used in addition to a diet that’s still rich in whole plant foods, including fruits and vegetables; consuming them does not give the ‘green light’ to not eat your vegetables (8).

The body reacts quite differently to whole foods than it does to isolated vitamins, whether we’re talking about green powders, protein powders or any manufactured item to any degree.

In other words, even the cleanest, purest green powder is not going to provide the degree of nutrient density that you’ll get from a balanced, nutrient-rich diet consisting of real, unadulterated food.

An easy takeaway to keep in mind: a supplement is just that – an add on, or an extra.

With the state of food as it is and the cost of buying food that we can trust is actually good for us for a variety of reasons, it may make the most sense to shift more dollars to what is in effect a real food foundation and then, if there’s extra left over and we determine we actually need it, then, perhaps opt to add it into the mix.

 

 

(1) https://www.livescience.com/34693-sup...
(2) https://health.clevelandclinic.org/3-...
(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
(4) https://www.healthline.com/health/foo...
(5) https://www.nbcnews.com/better/pop-cu...
(6) https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/...
(7) https://www.webmd.com/diet/greens-pow...
(8) https://health.usnews.com/wellness/fo...

 

 

The post Do We Really Need Green Powders? first appeared on Paleoista.

RADICAL SELF CARE: A CORE PART OF WELLNESS

We hear about self care all the time now; we see it on social media as skin care products, fizzy bath bombs, yoga poses (1), superfood powders and more, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg

Self-care started as a way to physically take care of yourself, then evolved into caring for your emotional well-being, and even more so the overall healing for women, people of color, and more marginalized communities.

Radical Self-care takes it one step further; it is the assertion that you have the responsibility to take care of yourself first before attempting to take care of others. It’s necessary to fill your cup first, then to give to others from the overflow. This is what gives you the capacity to heal and to move forward into your next chapter of life (2).

Kind of like how, on the airplane, we’re told to first put on our oxygen masks before helping those around us.

There are 8 main areas of self-care: physical, psychological, emotional, social, professional, environmental, spiritual, and financial (3)

One of the “Biggest Health & Wellness Trends For 2021”, right up there with respiratory wellness and virtual wellness, this is a topic I suspect many a mom will identify with, but by no means are moms the only ones who do.

Caregivers of any description, whether as a profession or by choice for an ailing or aging family member, volunteers who rescue dogs and cats, teachers… you name it; basically, anyone who cares for other living beings are demonstrating the selfless act of providing basic aid and assistance and in effect, bettering the lives of others.

Which is something extremely admirable, beautiful and one of the key things that creates such a beautiful energy in the world we live in.

But are the people who are caring for others remembering to care for themselves?

How many times have we heard a new mom say that she feels like she barely has time to take a shower?

Or that she’s made a lovely meal for her kids to take to school and for her husband to take to the office, but that she’s left herself with nothing to eat but a stale bag of chips she found in the cupboard?

Or that she doesn’t want to take an hour away from her baby to do a spin class at the gym?

It’s an interesting dynamic; the idea that somehow by taking care of ourselves, we’re acting in a selfish manner.

Which couldn’t be further from the truth; as humans, we only have a finite amount of resources with which to operate, so taking care of ourselves really isn’t a matter of selfishness — in fact, making sure our own need are met only makes us more well-equipped to support others.

On the contrary, a selfish person (4) is one lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one’s own personal profit or pleasure.

It’s an important distinction; asking hubby for 20 minutes to meditate, in order to clear the mind and subsequently have a more grounded, focused start to the day is a far cry from opting out of mommy responsibility in order to go shopping.

(Not that there’s anything wrong with shopping, but you get the gist).

Taking the time to start to prepare healthier meals for the whole family, upping your exercise game slowly but surely or soaking in a tub with a deep cleansing mask on your face for half an hour on a Sunday afternoon are all important things to do in their own right, but perhaps most importantly, it’s allowing ourselves some grace and patience.

As a mom to a toddler, I am gifted with the opportunity to learn patience.

Not with him, or with others; fortunately, that’s a skill I honed in on long ago… but with myself.

I’m learning to stop beating myself up about the things I did not do and to be kind to myself about the things that I did, and that I did the best I could in all of the things.

To meditate each day, and to trust more each day that everything happens in its due time and to truly enjoy every single moment.

All you mamas out there, I hope you’re able to find the same grace for yourself, too!

(1) https://www.healthline.com/health/whe...
(2) https://www.indstate.edu/student-affa...
(3) https://moderntherapy.online/blog-2/a...
(4) https://languages.oup.com/google-dict...

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Can Coffee Save Lives?

It can!!

OK, maybe that’s a bit of an overstatement, but in all seriousness, coffee has a long list of health benefits, one of which is that studies show that drinking coffee, and not just one or two cups, but four or five has been associated with reduced death rates (1).

Regular coffee drinking is also associated with reduced rates of Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, gallstones, depression, suicide, cirrhosis, liver cancer, melanoma and prostate cancer (2).

And the Harvard School of Public Health offered, “For most people drinking coffee in moderation “can be part of a healthy lifestyle.” (3).

I’ve personally been a coffee fan as long as I can remember.

Even though the way in which I drank it as a younger version of me was quite different from the way in which I drink it now (mostly milk with some sugar and a splash of coffee back then… usually black or with MCT + butter now), it’s been a staple of most every day of my life for decades.

I wrote my senior thesis the I was studying exercise physiology on the effects of caffeine on free fatty acid mobilization; caffeine promotes lipolysis (the process by which fats are broken down), due to a greater release of adrenaline. Lipolysis then causes fatty acids to be produced as a result. These fatty acids are then released into the blood and transported to muscle to be used as energy (4).

(Add some MCT into the mix for a nice dose of caprylic acid and get a double bang for your buck in terms of mental acuity! (5)).

In terms of how to choose which coffee is best, there are a few things to consider:

Where did it come from? You’ll want to make sure it’s fair trade; coffee that is certified as having been produced to fair trade standards by fair trade organizations, which create trading partnerships that are based on dialogue, transparency and respect, with the goal of achieving greater equity in international trade (6).
Was it shade grown? This is important from an environmental standpoint; shade grown coffee requires little or no chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. The shade trees filter carbon dioxide which causes global warming, and aid in soil moisture retention which minimizes erosion (7).
You’ll also want to be in the know about mycotoxins, naturally occurring toxins produced by certain moulds (fungi) and can be found in food and coffee. There’s a conversation about which brands are mycotoxin free, and evidence shows that mycotoxins are present in a large percentage of coffee beans and make it into the final drink, however their levels are far below the safety limit (8).
Last but by far not least, how does it taste? Coffee is unlike any other drink; it’s a ritual, a ceremony, even. My personal rule of thumb is similar to how I’d view a neat mezcal or glass of wine; if it needs to be doctored in order to be palatable, I’ll pass. Choose one that tastes good on its own or with whatever you choose to blend into the mix.

And for you mamas to be out there, fear not; the American Pregnancy Organization states you can safely have caffeine (up to 200 mg a day, or two cups of coffee per day) (9).

Thinking decaf?

Be careful here, too; be sure to look for Swiss Water Decaf, a process in which coffee is decaffeinated using an environmentally friendly, chemical-free, 99.9% caffeine-free water process and all the while having great taste at the same time (10). Once again, better for the environment and better for you!

Is it a vice?

Maybe so, but considering all the other vices someone might choose, and all the health benefits that go along with it, it’s one I’m completely at peace with.

 

 

 

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/...

https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/...
https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/artic...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
https://www.fairtradeamerica.org/shop...

Shade Grown Coffee

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/...

How Much Caffeine Is Safe During Pregnancy?

https://www.decadentdecaf.com/pages/a...

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