Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 74

Keep Your Holiday Sanity and Go For The Fat!

The last thing anyone needs during the festive, yet hectic, holiday season is spiking, then crashing, blood sugar levels.

If your approach to staying slim during the holidays has been one based on the idea of eating a low calorie or low fat diet in a futile attempt to ‘save calories’, you may already have noticed this unpleasant side effect.

As if the stress of planning holiday gatherings, shopping for the kids’ gifts and mentally preparing to host relatives weren’t enough, add an unsteady energy level and you’re sure to set yourself up for disaster.

While you may not be able to control the factors listed as examples above, one thing that is completely within your ability to contain is what foods go in your mouth.  Starting the day with a meal balanced with lean protein, healthy fat and some fresh veggies, and following the same template for subsequent meals is a surefire way to keep your energy steady and consequently, a sharp mental focus, both of which will allow you to get every last chore on your to-do list done with no qualms.

Good morning, avocado!

“Scent-sational” Holidays

The smell of mulled cider simmering on the stove, the scent of pine emanating from the tree and the clovey- citrus aroma of a fresh pomander are just a few of the scents that come to mind when I think of the holidays.

Some studies show that scent may be our strongest scent: “Although we might miss being able to smell pleasant things, it certainly does not appear to be a critical component of our survival as a species.The sense of smell was probably the first sense to evolve in a living creature. In many animal species, smell can play a critical role in finding a mate, communicating with other animals or helping them to survive by finding food.“

So what does this have to do with keeping on track during the holidays?

Quite a bit!

If you’re coming from the mindset that if you were to avoid drinking eggnog and eating holiday cookies that you’d somehow be depriving yourself of certain nostalgic parts of what makes the season special, consider that scent may actually elicit stronger memories than taste.

Combine that with an even, balanced blood sugar level, courtesy of True Paleo, and you’ve got the perfect recipe to get in the seasonal mood without the cost of extra calories coming from poor sources.

Test it out for yourself: stick your nose in your Christmas tree and inhale deeply.  Focus on nothing but your breath and how lovely the scent is and see if that doesn’t bring back lovely memories of years gone by.

Keeping the Kids Gluten and Dairy-Free During the Holidays

If you have children that are lactose intolerant (and if the kids are human, they are) or have Celiac disease, the need to be vigilant about not allowing dairy or gluten to pass their lips becomes significantly higher compared to kids who are Paleo because their parents simply want their diet to be healthier than the Standard American approach.

In other words, if you and your family are Paleo and the little ones do not have the health issues mentioned above, if they were to occasionally eat a piece of cake at a friend’s birthday party, the effects would not be anywhere as dire.

So what is a parent to do during the holidays when dealing with friends or family members who simply don’t understand the magnetite of these conditions and think you’re being silly, overreacting or dramatic and insist on giving cakes, cookies and candies to your little ones?

Following are some strategies that my clients who are moms and dads have found to be effective in just these type of situations:

Host a completely Paleo event and invite family members and/or friends in order to show them what the eating approach really is, to allow them to see that you’re not just feeding your two year old raw meat on the bone.
Call ahead and speak to the host/hostess of the event and explain that your kids have medical conditions which makes them physically unable to eat said foods.  Offer to share websites or literature for further ‘proof’.
Educate your kids on why they need to be very careful of not eating specific foods but present it in a positive way.  Rather than saying, “you will never be able to eat ice cream, cake or cookies like your friend so”, you can explain that there are other, more tasty and more healthful foods that they can enjoy which will make them strong and healthy. Don’t underestimate your kids ability to understand their health concerns, either.  I met a little boy recently at a cafe who was three and who approached me at my table, asked if there was cheese in my salad and then told me he was going to ask his mom to order the same thing since he couldn’t eat dairy, once I assured him it was cheese-free.
Arrange a kids’ holiday party and make it pro-active.  Have the little ones engage in making your choice of Paleo friendly holiday treats, like baked apples with cinnamon sticks, homemade seasonal fruit sorbet and banana-egg-spiced ‘cookies.  Casually chat with the parents while the kids get busy in the kitchen!
If it comes down to it, don’t be afraid to be a bit more assertive than you might typically be.  Your kids health is at stake and if it takes you being firm with friends or relatives who are completely missing the boat, so be it.

The holidays will be far happier and healthier if you’re not having to rush your kids to the doctor’s office after being ‘glutened’ or ‘dairyed!’

Paleoista’s Holiday Tip of the Day is Back!

In years past, I’ve devoted the entire month of December to a holiday tip of the day and I’m back at it again this season.

From tips to how to handle attending the family gathering where no one understands your ‘crazy’ way of eating, ways to approach being social at the office holiday party without compromising your healthy eating habits and suggestions to keep on track with your fitness regime, consider this your go-to resource for all your Paleo Holiday questions.

Email me with your questions, comments and blog topic suggestions to make sure that any particular hiccups you may’ve faced before are  addressed in advance to ensure smooth sailing at any event, party or dinner.

 

The Theme for the Season: It’s Not Just About Holiday Eating

“How am I supposed to enjoy the holidays if I’m not eating sugar?”, one slightly disgruntled client asked me yesterday after reading my post suggesting that cutting out sugar, now, is the most important thing we can do to keep our eating, and health, on track during the festivities.

Hold on a second.

When did the focus of the enjoying the holidays become completely about not only making less than healthy food choices, but doing so in excess, as if to approach with the mentality of, “I’ll eat as much as I want now, and then I’ll get my act together on January 1st”?

I have a few bones to pick with this concept.

Regardless of what holiday you celebrate (and I’m not going down the religious route), aside from one’s faith,  isn’t this time of year also about togetherness, giving, paying it forward and taking time to think about what is really important and celebrating that?

Second, I find that any client who reports feeling the need to cheat or who keeps postponing their foray into True Paleo tends to not be following the Paleo lifestyle accurately.    If we eat a balance of healthy, fresh veggies, wild proteins and natural fats, we are nourished, satiated, focused with a high energy level and not spending the day experiencing blood sugar peaks and valleys, all the while daydreaming about the next meal because we simply haven’t eaten enough, or had the proper balance of real food at our last meal.

Compare this idea to a child who wants a toy they cannot have; they’d likely want it more simply because it’s value grows when it’s not something they can have immediate access to.  Once they are given the toy, they may not end up playing with it as much because it’s lost it’s allure.

What if those foods you think you’re going to covet lose their allure, too?  Putting two and two together and making the connection that when you eat certain foods, you will surely feel poorly and when you eat other foods, you will feel fantastic, makes it so much simpler to choose wisely.

The idea of enjoying the holidays, surrounded by those you love and not feeling as though you’re being deprived due to avoiding Aunt Martha’s holiday brownies and egg nog needn’t be a walk down fantasy lane; it’s a very feasible reality.

Why not be the first one in your circle of friends, family  or colleagues to test out the theory?  There’s nothing to lose aside from some unwanted pounds and blood sugar crashes.

Sounds like a win-win situation to me!

 

 

The Number One Must Do to Stay On Track During the Holidays

Cut the sugar.   At once, cold turkey.

I find that some clients prefer an approach during which they gradually taper off non-Paleo foods in order to eventually get to 100% Paleo and test it out for a full month.  

Others prefer to go completely Paleo immediately.

I have seen both approaches work and I honestly don’t see an issue with either.

There are a few food items, however, I feel should just completely be avoided under no uncertain terms.

One of which is sugar.

Gluten and dairy would also fall into the same category but for the purposes of this blog, I’ll focus on the drug I mentioned in the very first sentence.

Here’s the problem with attempting to ease off the sugar: if you’re an addict, that’s far easier said than done.   If you rip off the proverbial band aid in one fell swoop, sure, you’ll have a tough time for a few days, especially if you’ve been eating a lot of the white, powdery stuff, but ultimately, once you decide that white sugar is a no-go and begin to feel better, you’ll see how it’s really worth nixing it.

Further, if you’re not into white sugar, guess what automatically gets eliminated from your diet?   Most if not all of the cookies, cakes, cocktails and whatever other treats you might be tempted by at work, at home or out shopping.

If you’re hesitant about this idea, just think about how you feel when you eat sugar.  Is it really worth it?   The crash you feel afterward and the subsequent drive to then eat more?  

It’s a disaster not only for anyone trying to lose weight, but also for anyone interested in not becoming pre-diabetic or keeping their kids well behaved.

While people might argue about controversial Paleo topics, such as the idea that we need milk for Calcium or whole wheat for fiber, there is really no good argument at all for consuming white sugar.

Even if you make no other changes to your diet, I’d be willing to bet you’ll start feeling a whole lot better very quickly.

Please don’t think you’re doing yourself any favors if you’re thinking you’ll just switch to aspartame, sucralose, saccharine or erythritol…that is, unless you can find any of the above growing naturally in your backyard…

On The First Day of Christmas…

Yes, I know that’s not until tomorrow, when December 1st descends upon us, but I’m getting a head start.

In years past, I’ve done a daily holiday tip to help you stay on track with your Paleo eating, exercising and lifestyle in general.  Stay tuned for more this year and feel free to send me your own holiday tips as well as any questions, comments or suggestions you’d like to contribute that you’ve come up with on your own!

Why not start today simply by scheduling a short block of time to sit down with a nice cup of tea and review all the potential parties, gatherings and work dinners that you feel might be just the place that you’ve slipped up in years past, and make a plan to approach them differently this year?

Not having a plan doesn’t usually end in the best result; you’ve probably tried that before and you know where that ended up!

Whether it’s simply choosing which events you’re going to splurge and have a glass of wine, making sure to eat in advance of that one colleague’s holiday party who always serves plenty of cocktails but no food or getting up even thirty minutes early to fit in some good sweat – time, being prepared can be the easiest way to keep on track while still enjoying the holiday festivities!

 

Honey: The Most Authentic Paleo Treat

Now that we’re in full swing of the holiday season 2013, “What’s the best sweetener?”, a commonly asked question all year long, becomes one I receive even more often, when blog readers and clients plan their festive gatherings and want to take a True Paleo approach.

I hesitate in responding because part of my work with clients is rethinking the need to sweeten anything in the first place.  

We don’t actually  need to eat sweet things, we just want to eat them, for a variety of different reasons.  

For some, it’s a learned habit that every meal finishes with a treat of some description.  For others, that craving for something sweet is actually a blood sugar crash occurring either due to not having eaten enough earlier in the day, not making sure your macro nutrients were balanced or not timing your food properly with regard to exercise.

Now, with the advent of packaged Paleo brownies, recipes for Paleo cakes and websites devoted to Paleo cookies popping up all over the place, we’re fooling ourselves into thinking that these treats, simply because they may not contain gluten or white sugar, are actually really healthy options.

Sadly, they’re not.

They’re simply a perhaps slightly less inflammatory version of Standard American Diet treats, but only by a little.

But, wait!  Is there no room on Paleo for the occasional treat for a special occasion, such as one we might encounter right about now during this festive time of year?

Absolutely.

But why take the approach of having to remodel a baked, processed food item rather than going by what our Paleo ancestors did when they wanted the rare treat?

Enter honey.

Yesterday, at my Paleo Thanksgiving meal, I had the opportunity to taste fresh, local wild honey which was served on top of seasonal berries.

Wow.

Admittedly, I’m not much of a sugar fan, so I don’t often go for something like a spoon of honey as a treat, but I must say, this was quite devine.

When you’re planning that next treat, perhaps for part of your offering at your holiday table this coming month, consider this simple treat.  No modifications, alterations or Paleo-izations required.

Drizzle a little on freshly baked apples, a bowl of fresh berries or stirred into some homemade spiced cider.

Once again, another example of how nature provides us the best flavors without any work needed from us!

 

Happy, Healthy Paleo Thanksgiving!

Whether this is your first Thanksgiving you’re hosting in keeping with the Paleo lifestyle or your twentieth, sometimes we all need to take a quick step back and review the basics.

Admittedly, I tend to get overwhelmed at times with all the details that go into hosting such a special dinner, and it’s easy to lose sight of what this day is all about!

Giving thanks.

Start the day with a quick run, a walk around the block with your dog or a short hike on the trails with a dear friend.  Even though it may be shorter than your norm, taking a break from kitchen duty can be all it takes to clear your head and come back to being the host/ess with the mosses. When you’re out there, set aside your fear of the turkey being too dry or Uncle Tim’s persistence that everyone must eat his famous apple pie.   Refocus  on all you have and how truly grateful you are.
Make your breath your focus…just for a minute.  Regardless of how stressed out you might feel because your mom isn’t speaking to that one cousin, or how your son behaved quite badly last year and you’re concerned he’ll do so again, set those aside and, again, regroup.  
Come home with an enlightened approach.   You’ve planned everything so well, you’re all set to present a lovely array of Paleo choices over a beautifully set table with people you hold dear to your heart.   It doesn’t matter if this includes family, friends or a combination of both. Isn’t this really what’s most important?  Being with those who make up your close circle of loved ones?
Eat well throughout the morning.  Focus on fresh veggies and lean, wild proteins.  Don’t try to ‘save’ your calories in order to eat too much at the main meal.  Our bodies don’t work well that way and that approach often leads to an uncomfortable feeling of being ‘stuffed’, not unlike the main dish turkey in a non-Paleo meal, or even worse, a food coma.  Keep the balance!

Now…get ready to enjoy that pastured turkey and pan seared Brussels Sprouts!

Happy, Healthy, Paleo Thanksgiving from my home to yours!

Paleo Thanksgiving Makeover

My family is now on board with Paleo after they’ve seen with their own eyes my dramatic weight loss!  At first, it was tough going, as I had to fight temptation staring me in the face every time I opened the freezer and saw my husband’s Haagen-Dazs or my teen-aged kids chips in the pantry, but I stuck to my guns and now those foods aren’t even tempting me anymore!   There will just be the four of us for the holiday and I’m keen to keep it completely Paleo.  Could you review what to eat instead of each dish that we’d see on a traditional Thanksgiving table?  

Sure- this is easy!  When there are no non-Paleo foods, there’s no juggling the feeling of having to serve something for one guest and something else for another.

Following is what I’d suggest to swap for each traditional holiday dish:

Cheese Platter with Crackers – crudités with homemade guacamole (why not add a little Latin flair?) or red pepper & walnut dip
Green Bean Casserole - Pan roasted Brussels Sprouts with shallots, pecans and a sprinkle of naturally dried cranberries
Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallow - Puree of yam, topped with golden delicious apples with rosemary, baked in a casserole
Canned Cranberry Sauce- Fresh cranberries, cooked with orange zest and cloves, blended, then chilled
Stuffing -Use the standard spices- sage, rosemary, thyme.. but sauté them with wild mushrooms and add bone broth to create desired texture
Salt-Brined Turkey Focus on fresh or dried herbs & spices…rather than salt
Pie- Apple, Pecan & Pumpkin Baked Apples with cinnamon or puree of freshly roasted pumpkin with cardamom, whipped with fresh coconut milk, topped with pecans
Ice Cream - homemade sorbet using cranberry, apple or other seasonally appropriate fruits

There is honestly no end to the variety of flavors or foods we get to enjoy on Paleo.   No need to feel deprived and driven to cheat; that’s simply not what True Paleo is all about!