Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 81

Cross Fitting? Choose Your Affiliate Wisely!

Cross Fit can be a fantastic workout, not to mention a great way to meet like minded people who are engaged in their health and fitness and provide that extra little incentive to get out of bed early and get your workout in before work, or en route home from the office.

It can also be a good source of information about Paleo eating.

Unfortunately, some affiliates can also be a misinformed source of Paleo living and a great place to get injured.

As with any gym, the responsibility is upon each of us to make sure we do our due diligence and ensure that the instructors are properly trained, well educated and have a stellar reputation for being a fantastic teacher.

I’ve had the opportunity to speak at many Cross Fit gyms and I’ve seen some that were amazing- beautifully outfitted with a very professional and well trained staff with members that were clearly being well supervised and taught properly.

On the flip side, I’ve also seen some locations at which it was all I  could do not to cringe and cover my eyes when I saw what some of the members were being told to do…. and doing.

Swinging kettle bells improperly without warming up, cleaning and jerking heavy barbels with terrible form and doing plyometric jumps cold were just a few things I saw that made me fear for what the outcome might be.

A recent conversation with a colleague of mine who is a chiropractor further illustrated this concern.  She mentioned that she no longer treats patients with Cross Fit related injuries.  While they created a constant, steady stream of hurt people coming into her clinic, she saw the same people over and over with the same injuries.  It was as though she’d ‘fix them’ and then they’d go ‘break themselves’ again straight away!

And the Paleo front leaves a lot to be desired.  Just as there is a huge variance between how professional (or not) the gyms themselves are, there is a large disparity also between what information is dealt out in terms of what is or is not Paleo.

Some gyms get it. Their members understand the macro nutrient balance, the timing of food and the basic idea that Paleo is all about emulating the food groups of our Paleolithic ancestors with foods we can easily procure at the farmer’s market or grocery store.

Others… not so much.   Touting the idea that bacon is great with every meal, entire cheat days including copious amounts of ice cream and pizza and eating habits which generally don’t produce any health benefits greater than the Standard American Diet is not Paleo.  Not sure what you’d call it, but again, it’s not Paleo.

This post is not intended to discredit Cross Fit as stated above; there are many, many reputable affiliates with good teachers which can provide the perfect venue for you to become a regular exerciser.  

Just make sure you do your research!

Eat Food, Not Advil

I was absolutely thrilled when I flipped through the current issue of Oprah’s magazine and found an article all about whether or not to ‘take a pill or see a doc’ for a handful of common health concerns.

What piqued my interest in particular was the piece on whether or not to work out or take a pill or see a doctor if one is experiencing muscle soreness.

I was completely expecting to read a recommendation to take an Advil, but much to my pleasant surprise, the suggestion was actually to look at one’s diet and make sure it was anti inflammatory and rich in vegetables, healthy fats and good protein sources.

Imagine that!

How refreshing to see a piece in a magazine with such huge distribution acknowledging the significance of what we put in our bodies and how we feel.

Of course, if you’re experiencing something beyond normal muscle fatigue after workouts, look into it.  

Gait abnormalities, muscle imbalance, lack of proper body work or sleep and improper footwear are just a fraction of things that can contribute to post workout pain that exceeds that natural delayed onset muscle soreness we all experience.  It’s part of being an active human being and often, quite easily addressed.

Please don’t just take more and more pills for mysterious pain and never figure out what the cause is,  in the first place.  That’s just a band-aid that can get quite dangerous in the form of causing internal bleeding when taken in excess.  No, thanks.

Good on you, Oprah, for publishing an article that highlights the focus of what ‘medicine’ should really be all about; in the words of Hippocrates, “Let food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food”!

Fatty Meats? Lean Meats? What’s the Real (Paleo) Deal?

Yesterday, there was a little bit of a twitter feud going on.  

Well, maybe not an actual feud, but some talk about whether or not lean meats are Paleo, or fatty meats are Paleo and which is healthier.

Answer?

Both.

By no means is is the idea to eschew a lovely piece of grass fed rib eye or a pastured pork  butt, while at the same time there’s absolutely nothing not Paleo about a grass fed flank or a pastured chicken breast.

It’s all about the balance.

Some fatty cuts are a good idea sometimes, and guess what?  Some lean cuts are great, too.

Just make sure your macros are in balance and you needn’t think any further than that.

Having the rib eye?  Sear it in a skillet to your preferred temperature (I’m a fan of rawther bloody and rare, personally), remove to let rest under foil for a few minutes and then throw some baby kale or spinach into the same skillet for a quick saute.

Alternatively, if you opt for the chicken breast (I love the skin, but for those of you who prefer to do boneless-skinless), make sure you add some fresh, raw avocado and olive oil after it’s cooked and plated atop a  bed of wild greens.

Some natural fat + some wild protein + some unrefined carbohydrate (veggies!) = perfectly Paleo.

Not too tricky!

By the way-the idea that poor quality, generic bacon is a good thing to eat regularly is nonsense.  Sure, have a slice of pastured, uncured bacon once in a while but please don’t down the Oscar Meyer and pretend it’s Paleo.  It’s not.

What’s Wrong With Ghee?

Recently, I received an inquiry in response to a post I wrote about the types of fat we should and should not cook at high temperatures with.  I mentioned that ghee wasn’t an option as it’s a dairy product and dairy products are not Paleo.

One reader, who happened to be a microbiologist, wrote in and asked:

“Since ghee has milk solids removed and ostensibly has negligible amounts of lactose and casein, what is harmful about the animal fat left behind? Does it have to do with Omegas? I apologize if you have discussed this previously, I am new to this site. Also, I have a doctorate in microbiology, so feel free to get technical!”

Since she clearly is far more the scientist than I, I went straight to the source, my mentor, Dr. Cordain, and asked him for his input.  He kindly shared the following explanation, which will be sure to satisfy the technical request of the reader’s question!

For those who are interesting in cutting straight to the chase, all you need to do is read his last sentence: “My advice to Paleo dieters would be to bag ghee completely and replace it with virgin olive oil for cooking and salads.”

“Ghee (from the Sanskrit word Ghrita meaning bright) is clarified butter fat in which most of the water has been boiled off and the nonfat solids removed by continued heating, filtration or decanting the remaining oil mixture (1). Traditional societies in India and elsewhere have produced and consumed ghee since at least 1500 BC (1). There are four methods commonly used for the manufacture of ghee 1): milk butter or desi method, 2) direct cream method, 3) cream butter method and 4) pre-stratification method (1). All four commercial procedures to produce ghee rely upon heating at temperatures from 105 to 118 C to remove the water (1). Ghee typically contains milk fat (99 to 95 %), water (< 0.5%) and protein (0.1 %) (1, 2). The butter fat remaining in ghee after boiling and removal of nonfat solids contains 1) saturated fatty acids (53.9 to 66.8 %), polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (22.8 to 38 %), free fatty acids bound to albumin (1-3 %), and cholesterol (0.15 to 0.30 %) (1, 2).

In 1987, Jacobson (3) first pointed out that ghee contained high concentrations (12.3 %) of oxidized cholesterol, otherwise known as oxysterols. Further, he suggested that consumption of ghee, with its high levels of oxidized cholesterol, by Indian immigrant population in the UK likely represented an important dietary risk factor for atherosclerosis and heart disease. In subsequent years, it has been conclusively demonstrated in human, animal and epidemiological studies that dietary intake of oxidized cholesterol accelerates the rate of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and size of the arterial plaque (4-6). Hence, because of their atherogenic, cytotoxic and pro-inflammatory effects (7), oxidized cholesterol food products are almost universally recommended to be reduced or minimized in our diets (7-9).

The final aspect of the ghee story that requires further scrutiny is the purported high concentration (12.3 %) of oxidized cholesterol that Jacobson initially reported in 1987 (3). This value has been questioned (9) because of the analytical procedures used to measure the oxidized cholesterol, and more recent studies (10, 11) clearly demonstrate this value likely is incorrect. Fresh butter and cream samples contain barely detectable concentrations of oxidized cholesterol (10), whereas ghee manufactured at temperatures below 120 degrees C contained 1.3 % oxidized cholesterol. Whether or not regular consumption of oxidized cholesterol at this concentration can still induce atherosclerosis in humans is currently not known. However, part of the problem with ghee is that it is frequently used to fry food or is re-used many times in the cooking process. Both of these cooking procedures are known to increase oxidized cholesterol to levels (fried ghee 7.1% oxidized cholesterol; intermittently heat ghee 8.1 to 9.2 % oxidized cholesterol) (10) known to cause atherosclerosis in animal models (4).

My advice to Paleo dieters would be to bag ghee completely and replace it with virgin olive oil for cooking and salads.

References

1. Sserunjogi ML, Abrahamsen RK, Narvhus J. A review paper: Current knowledge of ghee and related products. Int Dairy J. 1998;8:677–88
2. Sarojini JK, Ubhayasekera SJ, Kochhar SP, Dutta PC. Lipids and lipid oxidation with emphasis on cholesterol oxides in some Indian sweets available in London. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2006 Nov-Dec;57(7-8):451-8.
3. Jacobson MS. Cholesterol oxides in Indian ghee: possible cause of unexplained high risk of atherosclerosis in Indian immigrant populations.Lancet. 1987 Sep 19;2(8560):656-8.
4. Soto-Rodríguez I, Campillo-Velázquez PJ, Alexander-Aguilera A, Rodríguez-Estrada MT, Lercker G, Garcia HS. Biochemical and histopathological effects of dietary oxidized cholesterol in rats. J Appl Toxicol. 2009 Nov;29(8):715-23
5. Staprans I, Pan XM, Rapp JH, Feingold KR. The role of dietary oxidized cholesterol and oxidized fatty acids in the development of atherosclerosis. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2005 Nov;49(11):1075-82
6. Staprans I, Pan XM, Rapp JH, Moser AH, Feingold KR. Ezetimibe inhibits the incorporation of dietary oxidized cholesterol into lipoproteins. J Lipid Res. 2006 Nov;47(11):2575-80
7. Otaegui-Arrazola A, Menéndez-Carreño M, Ansorena D, Astiasarán I.Oxysterols: A world to explore.Food Chem Toxicol. 2010 Dec;48(12):3289-303
8. Hur SJ, Park, GB, Joo ST. Formation of cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) in animal products. Food Control 2007;18:939-947.
9. Sieber R. Oxidised cholesterol in milk and dairy products. Int Dairy J 2005;15:191-206
10. Kumar, N. and Singhal, O. P. (1992), Effect of processing conditions on the oxidation of cholesterol in ghee. J. Sci. Food Agric., 58: 267–273.
11. Kumar MV, Sambaiah K, Lokesh BR. Effect of dietary ghee–the anhydrous milk fat, on blood and liver lipids in rats. J Nutr Biochem. 1999 Feb;10(2):96-104.”

Thank you again, Dr. Cordain!

Paleo- Inspired vs True Paleo

As much as I may sometimes come across as being dogmatic at times, I do recognize the significance approaching one’s path to becoming completely Paleo including some non Paleo foods, within a few parameters.

For instance, if you’re someone who prefers to take it in stages, I see nothing wrong with a model in which perhaps gluten is omitted the first week, but the rest of one’s diet remains the same.  Then, perhaps in week two, diary is also omitted, and so on, until which point one has become completely Paleo and allows one full month at 100%.

The entire time, the focus would be getting toward a place where all meals, including breakfast and snacks, are comprised of 40-50% veggies and sometimes some fruit, and 50-60% equally divided between natural fats and wild proteins.

To me, this approach would fairly be called Paleo inspired, or Paleo based and I think it’s a fantastic way of going about changing the approach to what you eat and how your move.

What I’d really disagree with would be going from the Standard American Diet to making slight changes (using almond flour and coconut oil to make ‘Paleo’ pancakes on a daily basis, or eating ‘Paleo’ brownies every night for dessert) and then coining one’s approach as Paleo.

Really, that’s no different and no more healthy than the idea that eating gluten free breads, cookies and pastas on a daily basis is a healthy way to go.

Someone who’s on their journey to Paleo and has a lunch made up of wild salmon, arugula, avocado and a little quinoa (not Paleo, but used as an example of a ‘partly’ Paleo meal), or something like the meal pictured above,  is in  far different place than someone who eats a sandwich made of ‘Paleo bread, bacon, grass-fed cheese, lettuce and tomato’ with a ‘Paleo pumpkin muffin’ for dessert.

Take it in steps, be patient and make True Paleo the end goal and watch your health improve.

Alternatively, don’t; but please don’t go this route and announce that ‘Paleo didn’t work’ because your skin didn’t clear up, your migraine headaches didn’t go away and you didn’t lose any weight.   

In that case, it wasn’t Paleo that didn’t work, it was ‘eating a gluten-free version of the SAD that didn’t work.

Big difference.

 

Calorie Deprivation, Decreased Mental Bandwidth and Why True Paleo Stands Apart from Other Diets

“Diets don’t just reduce weight, they can reduce mental capacity. In other words, dieting can make you dumber.”, began an article in yesterday’s Sunday Times.  

The piece, entitled The Mental Strain of Making Do With Less, compared the similarities in the ways we respond to deprivation from voluntary calorie restriction to the ordeal of outright poverty.

For the purposes of my post, I’ll focus solely on the calorie deprivation component.  A few of the key points highlighted included:

Psychologists find that dieters have spontaneous self-generated cravings at a much higher rate than non-dieters.
Further, these diets force trade-offs: If you eat the cookie, should you skip the appetizer at dinner? 
Many diets also require constant calculations to determine calorie counts. All this clogs up the brain; bandwidth that might otherwise have been spent on being more focused at work, for example, is ‘wasted’ on adding up how many calories that Fettucini Alfredo splurge you indulged in at lunch and how long you’re going to have to spend on the elliptical to burn them off

So here’s an idea:   think about Paleo.  Not just adulterated Paleo, which, unfortunately, we’re seeing more and more of these days, but real, True Paleo.  

Then, imagine if you didn’t have to worry about weight out four ounces of protein, measuring out two cups of veggies, or pouring out one tablespoon of olive oil.   What if you could just serve yourself some of each, sit down and enjoy the meal, and be done with it?

Now, for those of you who have kids, think about a time when they screamed and cried for a toy they wanted that they couldn’t have, compared to a time when they could select a favorite toy they already owned if they wanted it.  

The thing we cannot have is the thing we want.

If we set up our kitchens (and our minds) in such a way that there is a bounty of lovely, fresh Paleo food to choose from that we can have when we’re hungry and  nothing that’s not food, not healthy and not conducive to good health, we’re far more likely to respond in a similar way to the second scenario rather than the first.

Yes, of course, there will be an adjustment phase, but once you begin to adapt (and it doesn’t take long at all), your own improved health, energy and overall well being serves as the impetus to carry on.

Later in the article, we learn that

A recent study shows that people persist longer with diets that require less thought (think- veggies, some fruit, wild protein and healthy fats.  Period).
The same study had another interesting finding: it was the perceived complexity of a diet — not its actual complexity — that determined persistence.  (I repeat- eat real food.  Don’t eat things that are not food).

The True Paleo lifestyle is the opposite of many ‘diets’ in the sense that it’s neither a deprivation model, nor a temporary one.

Give it a try and observe as you go from a space where your every thought is about when you’ll next eat and what you should’ve eaten or shouldn’t have eaten and what you’re going to have to do for penance to a place where you’re balanced, healthy, relaxed and have more brain space available for other things…like family, work and relaxation!

The Easiest Eggplant

I’ve been on an eggplant kick lately.   Actually, that’s not completely true; I’ve always loved this fruit (technically speaking).   
Growing up in a largely Italian community, I was quite spoiled at many friend’s houses when I was invited to dinner.   The eggplant parmesan, rollantini and timbale dishes I was privy to were no doubt quite conducive to my appreciation of this little purple plant.

During my vegan years, eggplant, along with portabello mushrooms often took the place of meat when I’d dine at a restaurant that offered these options in lieu of a burger.

And now as a Paleoista, I have continued to enjoy including them as part of my weekly regime.  As long as you’re not following the auto immune protocol, in which case you’d want to avoid all nightshades, there’s no reason for you not to enjoy them as well.

One issue I find many clients have with eggplant is that they can seemingly require a lot of fat to cook them, as they can act as a sponge and keep absorbing oil as you continue to add more and more.

Actually, though, you don’t need to use any oil, any fat, or anything… at all!

The easiest way to prepare them is to pierce a few holes in the skin, place under the broiler on a wire rack, set on top of a lined baking sheet, and cook for about 30 – 40 minutes, checking occasionally and turning over at least once.

When it seems to be collapsing on itself, remove from the oven, wrap in foil and let sit for about 20 minutes.  Then, when cool enough to handle, simply peel off the skin and do what you like with the tender inside.  Some of my favorite ways to prepare further include:

Mashing in some fresh garlic, olive oil and turmeric and eating as a dip for carrots and celery
Roasting red peppers in the same manner, then pureeing both in the mini prep food processor and serving on top of greens
Layering with sauteed ground lamb and topping with fresh tomato and serving as a ‘casserole’

What eggplant concoctions have you come up with?

Click here for another of my go-to eggplant recipes using basil and sun dried tomato!

Recipe for Health: Paleo Granola? Oh, Come Now!

It’s getting worse every day.  Not only are we being inundated with recipes for “Paleo” ice cream, cookies, muffins and waffles, now they’re being classified as healthy snacks.

This is getting dangerous, people…tread lightly.

Today in an article on IDEA Fit’s newsletter, a leading resource for fitness and wellness professionals was a piece entitled “Recipe for Health: Paleo Granola”.

While making granola (or anything) at home is often healthier than a store bought variety, the idea of calling this Paleo and worse yet, calling it healthy, defeats the purpose.

Starting the day, or having a snack made of inflammatory (thanks to the high nut content, all of which are packed with Omega 6s and low on Omega 3s), sugary (honey and maple syrup, the latter of which is not Paleo, ever) and salt (also not Paleo) is neither Paleo, nor healthy.

As a special treat, once in a while?  Sure, not a big deal to eat something made with almond flour, honey and dates; but to promote this as a healthy way to start the day blurs the lines of the very principles of what Paleo is all about.

What is a healthy Paleo breakfast, then?  Any wild protein, balanced with local, fresh, seasonal veggies and some quality fat, like raw avocado, coconut or olive oil.

Click HERE  for the article and to leave a comment!

What Are The Best Fats for Cooking?

Is olive oil your go-to for everything you cook?   Or perhaps you’re into the idea that ghee is a great way to prepare your veggies?

Neither are actually the best approach.

Olive oil is absolutely an important part of Paleo eating, but (and that’s a big but) ideally, you’re eating it raw and drizzling it onto food that’s already cooked.

Why?

Because the burning point of olive oil is relatively low, if we cook with olive oil at anything higher than a low temp, it will begin to oxidize and create free radicals.  Not good.

And ghee?

Well, since dairy is not part of the Paleo diet, this is a no-brainer food to avoid.

Coconut oil is another great oil to use for cooking at higher temperatures.  One of my personal faves, but indeed, it does have a very particular flavor that may not suit every type of cuisine  you’re working with.  Indian, Asian or Seafood, yes, but I won’t pretend coconut oil goes with everything.   I’d be kidding myself if I claimed it would be a good swap for a Sicilian Rapini recipe I have.

So what can we use in that instance?

Animal Fat!

While the general approach to Paleo eating is to regularly include lean cuts of wild meats, there is absolutely room for the occasional grass fed rib eye, or pastured pork butt.

Prepare your protein in whichever manner you’d intended and use that fat to saute some veggies, to prepare eggs over easy or to cook another meal featuring a protein with significantly less fat.

Any oils made from nuts and seeds may be used in moderation but don’t forget that they’re all still inflammatory due to their high Omega 6 content, so on any day when you have some, be sure to include a healthy dose of Omega 3s that day, perhaps from a nice piece of wild salmon, to balance out the ratio.

Oils made from non Paleo foods, like corn oil, soybean oil or peanut oil, just to name a few should be avoided just as much as their derivatives.

As much as you can, keep it real and keep it raw; don’t forget to include fresh avocados as a daily fat source, too.

Is A Juice Fast A Good Way to “Jump Start” Weight Loss?

 

Is a ‘juice fast’ a good way to ‘jump start’ your metabolism if you’re going Paleo for weight loss reasons?

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but no, it’s not.

Why?

First of all, depending on what type of juice we’re talking about, this type of approach can be any or all of the following:

Too high in sugar (for those juices that are mainly fruit)
Too low in calories (if it’s all veggie juice)
Conducive to functioning on an insulin-response based (fat sparing- as in- hang on to the fat/burn the carbs) metabolism; the opposite of what anyone trying to lose weight would want.
Not balanced in terms of Paleo macro nutrient ratio (Paleo is at least 40 – 50% complex carbs from veggies and fruit with the remaining 50 – 60% divided equally between protein and fat). Juice, veggie and fruit, is almost completely carbohydrate and has little to no protein or fat.
Too low in fiber. When we juice, we remove almost all traces of dietary fiber.
Unbalanced in terms of vitamins and minerals.  Just as we want balance in our macro nutrients, they’re equally as important to have in our micros.   Eating wild proteins and natural fats with our veggies provides this perfect balance; juices do not.

You may have tried juice fasting before and noticed the weight fall off, initially, then see it stop and gradually you returned to your old eating habits after growing frustrated on top of being too hungry.

Best answer?

Go Paleo and be patient.   It will take longer to shed weight compared to any quick-fix approach, but in the realm of weight loss, slow but steady is really the only way to win the game, once and for all.

And what about adding cayenne pepper to boost your metabolism, or a sprinkling of dehydrated, green super food?

Not happening.  Any thermogenic result from eating spicy food or vitamins supplied from green powder are still not nearly enough to compensate for simply eating the proper portion of real, whole food.