Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 8

It’s Not Just Food That is Medicine; Hugs + Laughter are, Too!

It’s Not Just Food That is Medicine; Hugs and Laughter are, too!

When is the last time you laughed?  A true, hearty laugh from deep within your belly?  A laugh so hard you cried?

The past year has been challenging, to say the least; anxiety rates increased an estimated 54% (1).

Prescription medications to treat it anxiety also increased, by a third (2).

But there’s another factor that’s worth considering that is perhaps not being focused upon nearly as much.

How many found solace in taking charge of the things they could take control over?

What they chose to eat, if and how they chose to move and learning tools and techniques to create an internal calm despite the external chaos are just some of the pillars of each of our lives that we can decide to change at any given moment if what we were doing up until now is no longer serving us.

Granted, it can be viewed that changing what we eat or adding an exercise regime into the mix if it’s not been something that had been previously enjoyed is hard, but if we’re presented with an opportunity to do something hard that we have control over versus not making key lifestyle changes and opting only to treat our ‘stuff’ (and we all have ‘stuff’) with medication, are we really treating the root cause, or just the symptoms?

What if we start with small steps and focus on what feels good?

Such as laughter.

It’s not just something that feels great while we’re doing it; it’s actually been proven scientifically to  have health benefits.

A good laugh has great short-term effects (3). 

When you start to laugh, it doesn’t just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body:

Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.Activate and relieve your stress response. A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response, and it can increase and then decrease your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.Soothe tension. Laughter can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, both of which can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.Improve your immune system. Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that can affect your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. By contrast, positive thoughts can actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses.Relieve pain. Laughter may ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers.Increase personal satisfaction. Laughter can also make it easier to cope with difficult situations. It also helps you connect with other people.Improve your mood. Many people experience depression, sometimes due to chronic illnesses. Laughter can help lessen your depression and anxiety and may make you feel happier.

Even better than laughing alone?

Laughing with a loved one, whether it’s a spouse, a child or a dear friend.

And how many of us got seriously hug-deprived during the pandemic?

Hugs actually help to lower blood pressure and increase oxytocin (yes, the same  hormone that is also released during natural childbirth plays a role here, too – no wonder we call it the love hormone!) 

One study even found that ‘hugging can serve as a stress buffer’ and boost immune systems!

“Hugs help us feel connected and supported and can calm feeling of anxiety… it’s a potent reminder that we have people in our lives who love and care about us”, said Professor Michael Murphy at Texas Tech in a recent NY Times Article. (4).

Take away message:

Yes – clean up what you’re eating, move more, mediate… and don’t forget to throw some hugs, love and laugher into the mix!!

https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use/https://www.marketwatch.com/story/anti-anxiety-medication-prescriptions-have-spiked-34-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic-2020-04-16https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-li...https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/27/well/pandemic-wellness-hugging.htmlThe post It’s Not Just Food That is Medicine; Hugs + Laughter are, Too! first appeared on Paleoista.

CAN HAVING PETS BOOST GUT HEALTH ?

It’s no surprise that having a pet is good for mental health.

They give us unconditional love, they are always there when we need an ear (without offering unsolicited advice),  can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, ease loneliness, encourage exercise and playfulness, and even improve your cardiovascular health.

Caring for an animal can help children grow up more secure and active and pets also provide valuable companionship for older adults.

Nothing new here, but did you know that having a pet also helps with our gut health?

Over the past year, we’ve seen surges in the recommendations to wash our hands; this is simple common sense, as well as to increase the use of hand sanitizers with the overall goal of removing bacteria and ‘germs’.

Not only can this actually work against our goal of achieving optimal health as some of the ingredients in the most popular hand sanitizers have been linked to various types of cancer ( triclosan can displace estradiol from its receptors and potentially increase exposure to estradiol, which has been a risk factor identified for the development of breast and ovarian cancer (1), ridding our environment of all bacteria isn’t necessarily the way to go.

Unless your pet is a strictly indoor cat or dog, those of us who are pet parents know there’s no end to the amount of dirt (amongst other things) our fur children bring into our homes, our floors, our sofas and perhaps our beds.

Aside from creating a messy appearance, which is easily cleaned up, by the way, allowing the assorted organisms they bring in actually help to diversify our own, thereby strengthening our guts, our family’s guts and increasing everyone’s immune system as a whole.

Yes, dogs and cats both have their own delicate gut microbiomes to support, just like us, and for all parties, supporting and nourishing the good bacteria by eating the right foods, including probiotics (such as Fidospore for pets), keeping clean  but not overdoing it by attempting to disinfect ourselves or our surroundings, keeping hydrated and getting proper rest is all part of the picture for woman (or man) and dog (or cat) alike.

Remember, good bacteria lining your gut or the microbiota, interact with both the epithelial cells lining the gut and cells of the immune system which helps balance the immune responses while also protecting the gut from unwanted inflammation (3).

If you’re scratching your head wondering how you’re going to get your dog or cat to include more gut health boosting foods into his or her routine, worry not; many of the same foods that boost our gut health do the same for theirs:

Fermented food such as Sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, kefir, apple cider vinegar and (4).Bone broth; packed with vitamins and minerals, it’s also a good source of protein, glycine, collagen, and glucosamine. It’s also hydrating. Plus, dogs tend to like the flavor and find it easy on their GI systems (5).A real, raw food diet.   Many good options are now available commercially; alternatively, you can also take the DIY approach using Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats. Exercise is so important for your dog’s healthy bacteria, even if they aren’t doing the running. Weight management plays a big role in your dog’s gut health; dozens of studies have found a correlation between obesity and imbalanced gut microbiomes. Additionally, exercise releases feel-good hormones in your dog’s body (6).

Not too different from the recommendations we humans can choose to implement; choose being the key word!

We choose not only what we feed ourselves, but what we feed our dogs and cats, be it helpful or not.

In some instances, pet owners who struggle with their own health and weight, may find their pets following the same path.  It’s easy to see why giving too many treats to a pet in an attempt to soothe or comfort them from a pet parent who uses food for the same purpose in their lives may have become a practice in someone’s home without taking a step back to notice it.

But the good news is that both can be changed and new habits formed starting today.

And it’s even easier to create a healthy eating path for a pet since we’re 100% in charge of what they eat (aside from what they might find on their next off-leash trail run!)

 

 

 

(1) https://www.cancertherapyadvisor.com/...

(2) https://microbiomelabs.com/register/?...

(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...

(4) https://www.animalbiome.com/blog/10-w...

(5) https://www.rover.com/blog/bone-broth...

(6) https://www.animalbiome.com/blog/how-...

The post CAN HAVING PETS BOOST GUT HEALTH ? first appeared on Paleoista.

PETS BOOST GUT HEALTH??

It’s no surprise that having a pet is good for mental health.

They give us unconditional love, they are always there when we need an ear (without offering unsolicited advice),  can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, ease loneliness, encourage exercise and playfulness, and even improve your cardiovascular health.

Caring for an animal can help children grow up more secure and active and pets also provide valuable companionship for older adults.

Nothing new here, but did you know that having a pet also helps with our gut health?

Over the past year, we’ve seen surges in the recommendations to wash our hands; this is simple common sense, as well as to increase the use of hand sanitizers with the overall goal of removing bacteria and ‘germs’.

Not only can this actually work against our goal of achieving optimal health as some of the ingredients in the most popular hand sanitizers have been linked to various types of cancer ( triclosan can displace estradiol from its receptors and potentially increase exposure to estradiol, which has been a risk factor identified for the development of breast and ovarian cancer (1), ridding our environment of all bacteria isn’t necessarily the way to go.

Unless your pet is a strictly indoor cat or dog, those of us who are pet parents know there’s no end to the amount of dirt (amongst other things) our fur children bring into our homes, our floors, our sofas and perhaps our beds.

Aside from creating a messy appearance, which is easily cleaned up, by the way, allowing the assorted organisms they bring in actually help to diversify our own, thereby strengthening our guts, our family’s guts and increasing everyone’s immune system as a whole.

Yes, dogs and cats both have their own delicate gut microbiomes to support, just like us, and for all parties, supporting and nourishing the good bacteria by eating the right foods, including probiotics (such as Fidospore for pets), keeping clean  but not overdoing it by attempting to disinfect ourselves or our surroundings, keeping hydrated and getting proper rest is all part of the picture for woman (or man) and dog (or cat) alike.

Remember, good bacteria lining your gut or the microbiota, interact with both the epithelial cells lining the gut and cells of the immune system which helps balance the immune responses while also protecting the gut from unwanted inflammation (3).

If you’re scratching your head wondering how you’re going to get your dog or cat to include more gut health boosting foods into his or her routine, worry not; many of the same foods that boost our gut health do the same for theirs:

Fermented food such as Sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, kefir, apple cider vinegar and (4).Bone broth; packed with vitamins and minerals, it’s also a good source of protein, glycine, collagen, and glucosamine. It’s also hydrating. Plus, dogs tend to like the flavor and find it easy on their GI systems (5).A real, raw food diet.   Many good options are now available commercially; alternatively, you can also take the DIY approach using Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats. Exercise is so important for your dog’s healthy bacteria, even if they aren’t doing the running. Weight management plays a big role in your dog’s gut health; dozens of studies have found a correlation between obesity and imbalanced gut microbiomes. Additionally, exercise releases feel-good hormones in your dog’s body (6).

Not too different from the recommendations we humans can choose to implement; choose being the key word!

We choose not only what we feed ourselves, but what we feed our dogs and cats, be it helpful or not.

In some instances, pet owners who struggle with their own health and weight, may find their pets following the same path.  It’s easy to see why giving too many treats to a pet in an attempt to soothe or comfort them from a pet parent who uses food for the same purpose in their lives may have become a practice in someone’s home without taking a step back to notice it.

But the good news is that both can be changed and new habits formed starting today.

And it’s even easier to create a healthy eating path for a pet since we’re 100% in charge of what they eat (aside from what they might find on their next off-leash trail run!)

 

 

 

(1) https://www.cancertherapyadvisor.com/...

(2) https://microbiomelabs.com/register/?...

(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...

(4) https://www.animalbiome.com/blog/10-w...

(5) https://www.rover.com/blog/bone-broth...

(6) https://www.animalbiome.com/blog/how-...

The post PETS BOOST GUT HEALTH?? first appeared on Paleoista.

BRAIN FOOD TO ELEVATE YOUR MOOD

What do you think of when you hear the phrase, “comfort food”?

Mac + cheese?   Ice cream and cake?  A bottle of wine (for yourself) and a wheel of imported brie?

By definition (1), comfort food is “food that provides consolation or a feeling of well-being, typically any with a high sugar or other carbohydrate content and associated with childhood or home cooking”.

Consuming energy-dense, high calorie, high fat, salt or sugar foods, such as ice cream, chocolate or french fries, may trigger the reward system in the human brain, which gives a distinctive pleasure or temporary sense of emotional elevation and relaxation.

When psychological conditions are present, people often use comfort food to treat themselves. Those with negative emotions tend to eat unhealthy food in an effort to experience the instant gratification that comes with it, even if only short-lived.[2]

So it makes sense that over the past year during the pandemic, some chose not only to respond to an internal drive to eat or drink things that provided an immediate feeling of consolation, but to do so in such a manner than they affected their bodies negatively (42% of Americans gained weight during Covid (3)) as well as their minds (prescriptions for anti-anxiety meds spiked 34% (4)).

Clearly, some of the foods that are being turned to for comfort is the least likely to benefit our brain’s health or our body’s.

And while changing what you choose to eat is only one important factor in whether or not you’ll gain weight or feel anxious or depressed, there’s is a lot you can do to lift your mood and improve mental health and it can be as simple as taking the step to increase your intake of plants and healthy foods. (5)

These findings (6) stem from an emerging field of research known as nutritional psychiatry, which looks at the relationship between diet and mental wellness. The idea that eating certain foods could promote brain health, much the way it can promote heart health, might seem like common sense. But historically, nutrition research has focused largely on how the foods we eat affect our physical health, rather than our mental health.

In a recent study (7), in which two groups, both who were already clinically diagnosed as being depressed, one who followed a Mediterranean Diet and the other who met regularly with a research assistant who provided social support but no dietary advice, found that depression scores improved to a far greater extent in the group that followed the healthy diet.

The diet benefited mental health; and people also saved money by eating the more nutritious foods, demonstrating that a healthy diet can be economical.

“Food can be empowering”, said Dr. Drew Ramsey in his book “EAT TO BEAT DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY” (8).

“We can’t control our genes, who our parents were, or if random acts of trauma or violence happen to us,” he said. “But we can control how we eat, and that gives people actionable things that they can do to take care of their brain health on a daily basis.”

Proactively choosing to take a long, hard look at the relationship we have with food is an excellent first step in understanding the why, and then moving on to action is an excellent way to make real change which has a profound impact not only on our own mental and physical  health, but that of our families and those with whom we spend the most time.

(1) https://www.oed.com

(2) Heshmat, Shahram (28 September 2016). “5 Reasons Why We Crave Comfort Foods”. Psychology Today. Retrieved 5 September 2018.

(3) https://www.healthline.com/health-new...

(4) https://www.marketwatch.com/story/ant...

(5) https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/06/we...

(6) https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/28/we...

(7) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28137...

(8) http://www.harperwave.com/book/978006...

The post BRAIN FOOD TO ELEVATE YOUR MOOD first appeared on Paleoista.

RAW BUTTER IS THE BOMB

RAW BUTTER IS THE BOMB

If you’re someone who’s been keeping up to speed on the health benefits of implementing a little (or a lot) of an authentic keto into the mix of your eating regime, chances are fairly strong that you’ve been adding some butter into your day to day.

Butter, aside from tasting delicious when properly sourced, has a long list of health benefits, including (1):

Contains Lauric Acid (also found in breast milk and coconut oil), great for gut healthA great source of healthy cholesterol, fatty acids, antioxidants, and also helps with nutrient absorption. Raw Butter Contains a Lot of Healthy Saturated FatsDon’t forget, we need saturated fats and that we’ve been eating saturated fats for years. Even human breast milk is 50% saturated fat! And the brain is comprised of 60% fat. Doctors and scientists have now confirmed that you can rebuild your brain, simply by eating these healthy fats (2).   

In addition, butter may be tolerated by those you cannot eat other types of dairy; often the negative side effects felt from consuming other dairy products results from a reaction to casein or lactose, found in all dairy apart from butter and heavy cream.   

Heavy cream and butter contain virtually no casein or lactose, and most people can consume these with no problems, including some who follow an auto immune protocol of eating.

Now what about raw versus regular?   Is there that much of a difference?

Yes.

Real. raw milk that has been produced under sanitary and healthy conditions is a safe and healthy food (3).

Raw milk may help relieve asthma and allergiesRaw milk contains enzymes and encourages beneficial bacteria that contribute to easy digestion and ensure that all the vitamins and minerals are absorbed.  Pasteurization warps and distorts the enzymes and other proteins in milk so that the body thinks they are foreign, and has to mount an immune response.  This makes pasteurized milk very difficult to digest.  In fact, the market for fluid milk has been declining at 1 percent per year for the past thirty years.  Fewer and fewer people can digest processed milk.

Raw dairy, however, can be hard to come by; raw milk can be sold in stores in ten states and purchased at the farm in about 28 states. Raw milk is available as pet food in four states, and through cow- and herd-share agreements in several other states.

In no state is it illegal to purchase, possess or consume raw milk.

So how do we maintain the nutritional integrity of raw dairy if we want to use it to add into our hot beverages, be it tea, coffee or bone broth, without destroying all the health benefits?

Hot coffee is brewed  between 155-175 degrees Fahrenheit and cools down quickly enough  not to conduct any damage to the raw dairy products , which occurs when heated above 102 degrees Fahrenheit for a prolonged period of time (4).

Bottom line – raw butter is brain food, great for your gut and can be a great go-to in your daily eating regime.

By the way, did you know that Tibetan monks have long been putting yak butter into their tea prior to trekking for days on end?

There’s a long standing history to adding fat to a hot, caffeinated beverage and allowing that to sustain us.

Check out our hot blended broth recipes! 

https://www.organicpastures.com/blog/2020/3/4/the-reason-why-i-eat-raw-butter-instead-of-margarinehttps://www.realmilk.comhttps://www.drnorthrup.com/eat-butter-protect-your-brain/The post RAW BUTTER IS THE BOMB first appeared on Paleoista.

Your Easter Table

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

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

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

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

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

Traditional Easter foods around the world include:

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

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

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

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

Happy Easter!

The post Your Easter Table first appeared on Paleoista.

HOUR IN THE KITCHEN (FOOD PREP 101)

You’ve made the decision to up your healthy eating game.

You’ve even gone as far as learning where to get the best buys on organic veggies, which properly sourced proteins are most accessible to you seasonally and have begun a little foray here and there into the kitchen using a few delicious sounding recipes you’ve found on your favorite instagram pages.

You carved out the time to cook one of these recipes only to find that while you enjoyed the experience, it took much longer than anticipated and as a result, has left you feeling overwhelmed and perplexed.

After all, how can you keep up with healthy eating if you don’t have three spare hours to play with each and every day?

Enter the ‘hour in the kitchen’ or more simply put, Food Prep 101.

I first introduced this concept to my clients about 15 years ago and in fact, I also wrote about it in my second book, Paleoista: Gain Energy, Get Lean, and Feel Fabulous with the Diet You Were Born to Eat (1).

It’s not complicated and it’s not even something that needs a recipe.

In fact, quite the opposite.

Since one of the goals here is to focus on what is local and in season where you live, suggesting that everyone reading this post should plan on preparing wild salmon and chicken along with raw kale salad and roasted root veggies would defeat the purpose!

Instead, think big picture and start with when you’re at your grocery store or farmer’s market.  Not only will this be more cost effective since the food won’t have traveled as far, it will also result in better tasting food due to the simple fact that it was harvested more recently and hasn’t been sitting in a container for a long period of time.

Below is a cheat sheet of one way to approach your simple shop, followed by one hour prep.

At the end of the sessions, you’ll have three veggie dishes and three proteins ready to store in your glass containers in your fridge, so that all you’ll need to do in terms of preparing a meal is just choose which veggie you’d like to eat with which protein (or mix and match), add on your choice of fat from your staples, such as olive oil or fresh avocado and voila!  A balanced meal ready in less than a few minutes.

SHOP

Choose three proteins. Perhaps one wild fish (make sure it’s sustainable : check the Marine Stewardship Council to help make sure you’re getting the best options for yourself and the planet!), one grass-fed and finished beef, such as ground beef, 85% fat and maybe two bone-in chicken quarters (go for pasture raised, not just free range).Select three veggies.  Remember, we’re looking for simple and sometimes, going with what you’re already familiar with is the best bet.  How does some simple, steamed broccoli sound?  Grab some, along with some asparagus and a nice bunch of kale.   Remember, these are just examples of what you might find, but stick with what looks good, fresh, and wallet- friendly.Grab a few lemons or limes to use while cooking.Last, make sure you’ve got some good fat options on hand.   Grass fed butter or ghee is a great cooking fat, as are all the mindfully sourced animal fats (I love FatWorks Duck fat in particular).    All have higher smoke points than olive oil, which make them better options to cook with.  Olive oil is best eaten raw, so save that to pour onto a salad or veggies that are already steamed.   Also be sure you have some salt on hand; I love to cook with Kosher Salt and top finished dishes with pink Himalayan.

That’s it.

COOK

Now the fun starts!  * For purposes of illustration, we’ll keep the veggies and proteins listed above as examples in this one hour session.

Heat the oven to 450.Place a large pot on the stove top with a few inches of water in it; bring to a simmer with a steamer basket inside.Wash your three veggies and let drain.Unwrap your proteins and place on separate plates to avoid cross contamination.Cut broccoli into even piecesPlace broccoli in steamer basket and allow to cook until bright green.  Remove and let cool on plate.Pat chicken dry and and place skin side up on wire rack on baking pan.   Sprinkle with kosher salt.  Place in oven for roughly 30 minutes.  Check to see the temperature has reached 150, then remove and place on plate to cool with foil tent on top (this will allow the temp to rise to safe 160).Meanwhile, cut rough, woody ends off asparagusAfter broccoli is removed from steamer basket, place asparagus in basket to steam, then drain and let cool on plateTear kale into piecesPlace kale in ceramic or glass bowl with plenty of olive oil, some freshly squeezed lemon or lime and a nice sprinkling of salt.Simultaneously, place a cast iron skillet on the stove top.  I love my Lodge Skillet – and use it every single day!   Turn heat up to medium and place the ground beef inside.   Stir once or twice until cooked to your preferred level of doneness.Remove from skillet, place on plate to cool.Using the same pan and the same fat, place the fish, skin side down in the skillet.Press down with a spatula and cook roughly 2 mins (depending on the type of fish and how rare you prefer it), then flip over and turn off heat.   Place on a plate to cool; pour any remaining fat left in the skillet into a small glass container to use for cooking at a later time.

Once everything is cool, place in glass containers and store in your refrigerator.

When it’s time to eat, choose the veggie, the protein or a combination of what you’ve made and you’re all set in next to no time.

 

(1) https://www.simonandschuster.com/book...

The post HOUR IN THE KITCHEN (FOOD PREP 101) first appeared on Paleoista.

Real Food, Healthy Gut, Optimal Health

“A diet full of highly processed foods with added sugars and salt promoted gut microbes linked to obesity, heart disease and diabetes” was the opening line in a recent piece in the New York Times (1).

Seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it?

Then why is it that so many are still struggling with making the healthiest food choices and, as a result, putting themselves at a higher risk of becoming sick?

CDC data shows 94% of people who died from COVID-19 in the U.S. had contributing health conditions (2).Many autoimmune conditions are becoming more common, with some increasing in incidence by as much as 9% each year (3).The U.S. adult obesity rate passed the 40 percent mark for the first time, standing at 42.4 percent (4).

And it’s not just diagnosed illnesses; many are surviving in a state of subclinical illness; getting by day by day, plagued with GI issues, fatigue, brain fog, rashes on the skin and pain.

To make matters worse, given the prevalence of all of the above, it’s now commonplace to use our peers as a check to see if what we’re experiencing is ‘normal’.

Poor sleep, sugar cravings, regularly occurring headaches and not regularly occurring bowel movements happen for so many on a frequent basis, that when we finally (and often shyly, due to embarrassment) confide in a friend about our symptoms and learn that they, too, are experiencing the same things, a decision is often made that this state of existence is both normal and uncontrollable.

A visit, or series of visits to doctors may follow, but unless functional medicine is involved at some point, the chances of digging into what one’s diet is and how it’s affecting overall health is unlikely to be broached.

Here’s where the good news begins:

We can, and should, begin to take matters into our own hands and start with one thing we do have complete control over:  what we are putting in our mouths.

And what should that be, exactly?

Given that you’re reading this post on a PALEO blog which has been around since 2007, chances are that you’re not going to be surprised to read a recommendation that an authentic Paleo approach is an outstanding choice for a foundation of eating real food, thus decreasing the chance that inflammation in the body will occur or, if it’s already there, worsen.

And what’s even more exciting, researchers found that what people ate had a more powerful impact on the makeup of their microbiomes than their genes. They also discovered that a variety of plant and animal foods were linked to a more favorable microbiome (5).

READ: there is no longer a reason to assume that because your mom had heart disease or paternal grandfather had Type I diabetes that you’re doomed to get it, too.

“This research shows for the first time is the link between the quality of the food we’re eating, the quality of our microbiomes and ultimately our health outcomes.”

So what do we eat?

A Paleo diet, yes… but taken with a grain of salt.

In other words, implement a Paleo diet, but a real one.

One which is made of abundant, in season produce (mostly leafy greens), ample natural fats, from both plants and mindfully sourced animals) and small portions of properly sourced proteins.

Not items in packages with labels that state they are Paleo.

And doing so not because you’re ‘going Paleo’ but because you’re choosing to treat your body to an anti inflammatory manner of eating because you care about your health.   And being the best you that you can be for your family.   And because you’re choosing to do everything in your control to thrive and not just survive.

I see many times in my nutrition practice that clients who’ve had a wake up call of some description either themselves, or in a loved one and it takes that to truly take inventory of what their state of health is and what the options are.

Will you choose health?

Is there really another option?

Not one that’s truly worth it.

Here’s the icing on the proverbial cake:  once you get into flow with a new, healthier way of eating (which, by the way, is likely to be quite similar to how your grandparents ate), and find symptoms decreasing and disappearing, all because you took the time to dissect what you feed yourself and learn what suits you and what does not, it becomes second nature and increasingly easier and easier.

Ultimately, you’re eating what you want because everything you’re eating is nourishing and healing you.

And while there are many reasons why people may eat that have nothing to do with being hungry, which also need to be addressed with just as much loving attention, getting on top of the physiology of what you’re eating an how it’s affecting you is something you can do… now.. independently.

This shift in approach is far more empowering as compared to being given a list of foods to avoid ‘because they’re not Paleo’.

It’s not until we each put this to the test and become guinea pigs in our own experiment.

We’re each the only one who knows how we feel and by diving into which foods make us feel focused, fit and fabulous and which do not, we’re already more than halfway there.

Is there really any other choice?

(1) https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/11/we...

(2) https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/co...

(3) https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-...

(4) https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/obes...

(5) https://www.nature.com/articles/s4159...

The post Real Food, Healthy Gut, Optimal Health first appeared on Paleoista.

Making Cooking Fun

How do you feel when you’re in the kitchen?

Does it feel like a chance to explore your creativity while simultaneously preparing a nourishing and delicious meal for yourself and your family?

Or does it feel like a chore on the very same list as mopping the floor and cleaning the toilet?

Prior to COVID, nearly 50% of all meals in America were eaten away from home (1) if you can believe it.

And amidst the pandemic, though we as a society were no longer able to dine out (depending on where you reside and relevant local legislation), most were not exactly choosing healthy, homemade options; fast food sales have soared.

For example, Domino’s Pizza, in May, reported a “material increase in U.S. same-store sales,” to the tune of 22 percent from April 20 to May 17. In normal times, a 20-percent plus year-over-year increase would stun the public restaurant sector (2).

So what’s the deal with so many opting out of doing things the good, old-fashioned way of cooking meals at home?

Whatever your reason may be is unimportant; below are my top five tips to make your time in the kitchen fun… so fun, in fact, that you’ll feel as happy as the gal shown above, nearly jumping for joy.  Truly.

Start with the basics.  Become familiar with what actually comprises a meal.   Lots of veggies.  Ample natural fat.  A moderate portion of protein.   Then see what’s available where you live and choose accordingly.  This not only saves on cost due to minimal transport of goods but also serves to ensure what you’re getting is as fresh as can be.Make a plan.  Once you know what you can easily access, begin piecing them together with an easy to follow template:  a base of veggies on a dinner size plate.  The more variety the better and similarly, the more color the better.    Add ample fat and a palm-sized amount of mindfully sourced protein.  Vary the way you prepare each of the components- sometimes raw, like a salad, sometimes steamed, sautéed, roasted or grilled.  You get the gist.Put it on the calendar.    It’s not very likely that you’d cancel a work appointment at the last minute, yet often it is the case that the window that was set aside for food prep becomes a catch all used for work overflow.   Don’t do it!   Add a standing appointment with yourself and don’t budge.    Nourishing yourself and your family must be a top priority.Keep your approach simple and take small steps.    No need to force a complete overhaul in one fell swoop.  Start where you are and make slight changes here and there so it doesn’t feel like an assault to the system, or to the family.  Focus on the positive.   No need to announce to the kids that the household is no longer going to have chips of any kind; instead get exited to share a new veggie recipe everyone will love and can even help to prepare.   Don’t be surprised if at least one family member shows an interest in helping you as well; being able to delegate in the kitchen can be a tremendous help.Throw in a little learning each week.  Incorporating just one or two new recipes per week will serve to keep your creative juices flowing without creating unnecessary stress of adding in ten new recipes each with a long ingredient and instruction list.   Not only will you learn a new dish or two, you’ll add your library of what new spices, flavors and methods to try with other proteins and veggies next time around.    Here’s a little tip:  give yourself some wiggle room.  When compared to baking, cooking has a lot more room for error.   There are only two irreparable things that may occur:  burning or over salting.  Other than that, just a little creative thinking on the fly can fix just about anything!

Keeping it light and fun is the best way to ensure engagement and sustainability.

Our brains work best on what to do, rather than focusing on what not to do, so why not keep it on the up and up!

You will likely be pleasantly surprised.

(1) https://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2020/fo...

(2) https://www.qsrmagazine.com/fast-food...

The post Making Cooking Fun first appeared on Paleoista.

There’s Room for Chocolate…

Anyone who’s ever been on a traditional diet knows that restrictive calorie counting can often end badly.

Add to that the idea that incorporating a dessert of any type must be categorized as a cheat, and one is easily left in a space where they feel that the only option to counter a rigid eating plan is to break it and consequently, set themselves up for what I like to refer to as a ‘heck with it’ mentality.

For example, “I was way too hungry by the time dinner rolled around, so I ate too much and ended up diving into the bread bowl.  Then, I figured since I’d already messed up my eating plan, what difference would it make if I just had ice cream for dessert and a second drink.”

A combination of a physiological hunger and learned behaviors can the lead us into the slippery slope of that all too familiar cycle of eating too little, feeling frustrated at ourselves after we listened to our body and ate and then deciding all was for naught and back to square one.

However, if we flip that around and choose to make nutrient dense, local, sustainable eating (which, by the way, is what an authentic Paleo approach is in the first place), the crux of our eating, we have room for an intention, well thought out bit of decadence.

Which, in all honesty, does not have to be made of a highly processed list of ingredients either.

One such example is a pot de creme recipe I’ve created, and it just happens to fit into both a Keto as well as a Paleo regime.

(Swap out the cacao for carob powder to make it AIP friendly, since it only uses the POD of the carob bean).

It doesn’t get easier than 3 ingredients and a very easy prep. Despite the simple prep, the result is a creamy bite of decadence.

INGREDIENTS

5 oz raw, dark chocolate (over 85%)
3 pasture raised egg yolks
12 oz fresh coconut milk           

INSTRUCTIONS

Melt chocolate in top pot of double boiler
Whisk in 3 egg yolks, stirring constantly until thick, about 5 mins
Pour into blender and ad 12 oz fresh coconut milk
Blend on low
Pour into 4 ramekins and chill at least 8 hours

By preparing it yourself, you know exactly what it’s made of.

In addition, by choosing in advance that you’re going to enjoy this dessert, from an emotional perspective, you can learn to be in the moment, savor it, and then move right along.

Finally, while it would be a stretch to say that this recipe supports gut health, it’s not going to work against it; the lauric acid in the coconut is a great gut health booster and none of the three ingredients are inflammatory foods

No need to get back on track if you’ve not gone off track in the first place!

The post There's Room for Chocolate... first appeared on Paleoista.