Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 89

Another Reason Not to Eat Cereal

For those of you who haven’t gone Paleo, and are still eating cereal thinking ‘I feel fine when I eat my Frosted Flakes, Raisin Bran or Special K’ (by the way, even if you ‘feel fine’, the grains are still having their way with your guts…just sayin’…), this may be of interest to you, too.

Kellogg’s has “just launched a partnership with Wilmar International, the world’s largest palm oil trader. The palm oil industry has had a devastating impact on the forests of Southeast Asia, wiping out millions of hectares of forest and releasing hundreds of millions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year. And even among palm oil companies, Wilmar is especially terrible: Satellite evidence recently proved that it’s been illegally logging on protected forests for decades.  Wilmar’s record is so bad that Newsweek named it the least sustainable corporation in the world – worse than Exxon Mobil, TransCanada, and even Monsanto. We need to let Kellogg’s know that this deal is unacceptable.”

It’s all part of the same problem.   We have some very greedy companies run by some very greedy people and the cost to society in terms of our health and our planet are not as important to them as dollars; many, many dollars.

It’s easy to turn a blind eye.  After all, Kellogg’s, according to their site, has, for “more than 100 years, worked passionately to help families be their best. And it all starts with breakfast. That’s why we’re always looking to provide new ways to make a positive impact on the people we touch every morning.”

Heck, they even have a section on their home page allocated to:

“Invest in Your Health”, sharing the latest health news and tips for a healthy tomorrow with Healthy Investments.

and

“Share Breakfast” to help share 1 million breakfasts with kids who need them.

We want to believe it.  We want them to be a wholesome company we can trust.  Just like a close friend I recall as a child whose parents  were divorcing. She didn’t want to see it and refused to believe it for a long time.  

But she was seven.   

And Kellogg’s is, unfortunately, only one of many companies who are doing this type of business.

We really, really have to do something in a big way.  Not buying these foods is the only way that sends a message.  As long as there is demand, you can rest assured there will continue to be a gigantic supply.

I like to imagine a model where the society demands that fresh, local produce be available to everyone, that real food is easier to access and better priced than eating at McDonalds, where a family living on a very tight budget doesn’t have to resort to buying poor to zero quality food by-products which only serve to make people ill.

If we were all Paleo, such would be the case.   Every community growing their own veg, fruit and raising their own animals for proteins… it’s not impossibly, you know…

Click here to sign the petition!

Organic…or Local?

The other day, I stopped into the ‘regular’ grocery store which I frequent when I need things that are not found at the farmer’s market or healthy food shop, like cleaning supplies or toothpaste.

It was just shortly before dinner and I was feeling just a touch peckish, so I headed over to the produce section to find the perfect green  bell pepper to chomp on as a quick pre-meal snack.

I paused as I passed by the apple section, merely because of all the variety of apples that were offered.  There were far more varieties of apples to choose from and I, being as engaged in the topic as I am, felt compelled to see which were organic and how far each had traveled.

Well.

If that didn’t open pandora’s box, I don’t know what would.

I don’t imagine it could possibly be more confusing for a typical consumer.

Do you go with the local apples that are not organic?

Or maybe the apples that are organic but have been flown from New Zealand to California?

Yikes.  Not a cut and dry decision.  Certain produce, that always should be eaten from an organic source, like strawberries, might offer an easier decision, but in the case of an apple, one might safely opt for the local yet conventional choice.

I feel our nation is bit greedy as a whole, given the fact that we can easily have access to nearly any fruit, or vegetable, or fish, or any food, for that matter, at a second’s notice in most physical or online sources.  

It’s not necessary.

Last month in Hawaii, for example, I found plenty of local, fresh, pineapple, papaya, mango and bananas at my hotel’s restaurant.  Right next to that fruit, was a platter of blueberries from Oregon, strawberries from California and oranges from Florida.  As if there weren’t already plenty of other good options!

Getting back to the question of which the better choice would be- the local, conventional, or organic but from far away apples, I’d have to say neither.

Instead, I’d find out which fruits are available from a organic source and which is seasonally appropriate and local, the latter two of which will also help to reduce the cost incurred from the first.

Just as much as we’re meant to be eating fresh, natural foods, we’re also meant to be eating them from where we physically are and at a particular time of year when they are naturally available.

Not doing so is about as Paleo as those darned ‘paleo pancakes and breads’ that aren’t really Paleo either, but I’ll stop here before going off on that tangent again!

Exercise in the Heat- Safe or Not?

It’s not only here in the US that getting people moving is an issue; an article in the Times yesterday addressed the obesity rate in Qatar and their interesting approach to offer a safe-from-the-heat means to exercise for their citizens:  mall walking.

While it might not be the most natural venue to engage in physical fitness, my take is if it gets someone off their butt and moving, I’m all for it.  

In addition, if one has to deal with temps soaring above 100 degrees on a daily basis, finding a suitable place with appropriate ambient conditions is of utmost importance.   Even more so if one is just at the beginning of their journey and may be coming from a place of less than good health.

It’s no joke that training in the heat can be a hazard.  Just last week at a half marathon I raced in, even though it began at 6:30 am and was only in the low 70s, by the time some of the finishers were completing the journey, people were already being pulled from the course due to heat exhaustion.

If you’re just beginning your exercise routine, do yourself and your loved ones a favor and make sure you’re all set to go in terms of having a basic health screening from your doc.   It’s not worth finding out, by the surprise of buckling over during your first lunch-time walk, that you have an elevate blood pressure which needs to be addressed (Paleo can help with this).
As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog- get out early!   One client in Arizona gets up before the crack up dawn before the desert’s temps begin to scorch at upwards of 90 degrees before 8 am.   Wherever you live, figure out the best ways to get out there before the sun’s blazing rays make it not an option to be outdoors.
Consider a gym.  Even if you don’t particularly like training indoors, the controlled climate can offer a way for you to stay on track for those days where early exercise is not an option and it’s simply far too hot to get outside.
On the other hand, if you’re someone who needs to train in the heat, like someone getting ready for a marathon or other race set in hot environs, build into it slowly and make sure to keep on top of your water and electrolytes.   Don’t make the mistake of just drinking tons of water and not replacing the salts you’re sweating out.   No need to ingest corn-syrup laden, dyed ‘energy’ drinks or tablets when you can take a supplement providing sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.    Coconut water may be enough for short bouts of activity but for longer, endurance training a supplement, such as Meta Salt, may be helpful.   Ease your way into it, train with a partner and allow your body to adapt safely, rather than literally risking your life by going out too long, too soon, alone.

Here is the full article

Get Your Morning Groove On

We’re talking exercise, people!

If you have weight loss as one of your overall health goals, whether it’s the last five pounds post-pregnancy, or you’re embarking on reaching a more long term goal of a large amount of weight to lose, the following tip may be of particular interest:

Exercising in the morning, before eating, can help boost your body’s ability to use fat as a substrate.    

I hate to say something as cliche as ‘you’ll be a better fat burner’ as it’s so over used, often inappropriately and so contrived, almost gimmicky, however, there is truth to the idea.

Simply put, a recent study  published by US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health showed ” fasted training is more potent than fed training to facilitate adaptations in muscle and to improve whole-body glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity during hyper-caloric fat-rich diet.”

That, along with the fact that you’re far more likely to stick to your exercise regime if you do it first thing, makes for a doubly-sound argument to get out and get moving!

Here’s the caveat- if you’ve never exercised in a fasted state before, it may be a good idea to test it out for the first few times in a controlled environment, such as the treadmill at the gym or on a neighborhood power walk with a friend.   Every so often, I’ll have a client report that they tried it and felt dizzy, faint or nauseated; if that’s the case, it may not be a good fit for you.  When I’m working one on one with a client, sure, I’ll give them a good push, but there’s a safe and not so safe limit beyond which to ‘push’.  Play it safe and perhaps test it again in the future…but in any case, get up and get out there! 

Getting Back to Basics…Way Back

This has got to stop.  It’s getting far too convoluted and confusing.

“Paleo” is being used far too loosely and as result, too many people who might benefit tremendously from following True Paleo are, in effect, being deprived of the opportunity to try it.

For example, if you have an autoimmune condition, the real Paleo Diet would be a fantastic fit for you due to its anti inflammatory nature and focus on rich Omega 3 fatty acids, huge variety of fresh, local veggies and wild, natural proteins, all of which will help the body to ‘calm down’, become less inflamed and consequently, result in less discomfort from symptoms to even eliminating symptoms completely.

However, if the lines of Paleo are so blurred that you’re presented with a skewed version of it which looks something like this:

A daily breakfast of “Paleo Pancakes” (yes, gluten free, but still high in inflammatory Omega 6s from the nut flours used in lieu of whole wheat), topped with grass fed butter (dairy is not Paleo)
A sandwich lunch made with “Paleo Bread” (which uses vinegar – not Paleo – and more of those inflammatory nut flours) and commercially available deli meat (most of which is far from natural, or pastured…or meat!)
A snack of “Paleo” trail mix including jerky made with soy (again- not Paleo) and dried fruit treated with sulfur dioxide ( need I say more?)
A dinner consisting of bacon wrapped (pastured, uncured bacon once in a great while – maybe- but not the mass market, inhumanely sourced types we see in the market, and certainly not eaten regularly), fried (hello?) fish on top of cauliflower ‘rice’ topped with ghee (again- no dairy is Paleo)

You’re not actually getting anywhere near the value you’d be getting if you ate a True Paleo diet.

The example above is not a figment of my imagination- it’s a real life representation shared with me by many different people who have approached me with concern and said they’d tried Paleo but it didn’t work.  

But they never actually, really tried Paleo.  They just tried a modified, sort-of Paleo, sort-of typical American diet hybrid.

Barely any vegetables or fruit, for a start. And all those processed, refined food-items?

Sure, raw nuts in moderation, as a garnish, not a main fat source, can be part of your Paleo regime, but not as a daily go-to source of fat.   Far too high in inflammatory Omega 6s; in fact, many with auto immune conditions would fare much better if they cut out all nuts and their derivative products for a full month, in addition to the nightshade plants, in addition to pure Paleo, and then try testing one at a time to gauge reactions.

Vinegar is not part of the Paleo diet and if anyone is dealing with an overgrowth of yeast in their gut or anywhere in their body, adding more yeast through food is the last thing they’d want to do.

Dairy is not part of the Paleo diet either; it’s acidic, inflammatory and not indicated for promoting ideal health in anyone…except calves.  I don’t know how all the controversy on dairy being Paleo ever began.  If there’s any doubt, check out Dr. Cordain’s latest book, The Paleo Answer, and you can read straight from the expert the scientific studies that explain why.  

I expect to receive some commentary on my stance on dairy, which is fine.  Often people will write in and comment ‘I tolerate grass fed dairy just fine’ or ‘Everyone has their own version of Paleo that works for them’.  That’s fine and totally understandable…however, the essence of what True Paleo is needs to remain intact, as stated in the introduction, otherwise too many people will never reap all the bounty of what the diet was originally intended to be.

To recap, this is Paleo, and this is how each meal should look (apart from meals eaten right before or after exercising):

About 2/3 of your plate should be filled with fresh, local, seasonal veggies
Add about a palm sized amount of wild protein
Add a dollop of healthy fat-such as olive oil or avocado
Sometimes, add some fruit

That’s it.  Very, very simple.   If you can make this your norm, and eat when your body tells you it’s time, you’ll be golden.   The, you can use the ‘sort of’ Paleo’ items mentioned above as the very occasional, once in a while treat instead of the originals that may have been heavy in gluten or white sugar and so on, and that can make up your 5% of un-Paleo foods, or whatever ratio you decide works for you.

 

Monstrous

The other day I was doing a track workout at the local high school and preparation had ensued for that evening’s 4th of July festivities.

Since it was to be a family affair, everything that was being set up was indicative of the typical barbecue- red checked tablecloths,  cases and cases of hot dog and hamburger buns (I know), napkins, utensils and so on… and a huge, gigantic canopy under which all the food would presumably be set out, flanked by a gigantic ‘Monster Energy Drink’ logo.

Because this is a  good, family-friendly drink?

Let’s set aside the obvious, yet far too common problem of how it’s normal, regular, typical to have a huge array of highly processed, low-to-zero nutrient types of food and an anomaly to have anything healthy at your run of the mill town holiday barbecue and focus just on the Monster Energy Drink Issue.

As if corn-syrup-heavy Coca Cola weren’t bad enough, how about something that also has an extra dose of ‘stimulants, some of which may or may not cause heart palpitations?   Not only is drinking it a bad idea, the mere idea of promoting something as an ‘energy’ drink that is so sugar-laden and synthetic is a big problem.

Not unlike that 4pm crash that far too many people experience after a day of less-than ideal eating, to put it mildly, if someone is repeatedly having blood sugar crashes manifesting themselves as a ‘need for an energy drink’ or ‘craving for sugar’, the diet needs to be looked at.  What was eaten last?  When?  Was the macro nutrient ratio appropriate?

Not addressing the cause is nothing less than putting a band-aid on top of a gaping wound or taking a pill for pain without figuring what is causing the pain in the first place.

And worst of all, the concept that it’s a safe and acceptable thing for kids to have access to at their own high school?

Appalling beyond words.

We have a lot of work to do!

 

When In Doubt, Skip It

I was out to dinner with friends the other day, making my usual picky order with the server (may I please double check that there is not soy, gluten, flour…etc in my entree).  

I believe those of us who live in an area like Los Angeles are definitely a bit spoiled in terms of being able to dine out in many places and not feel the least bit odd about asking for a gluten free substitution for the pasta that comes with the catch of the day or a no-sauce version of the grass fed filet.

Because it’s pretty common here for many restaurants and servers to be familiar with such modifications, it sometimes catches me off guard when someone has no idea what I’m talking about.  And if that’s the case, it’s a safe bet to assume that the smart thing to do is either not eat there or at least not choice the menu item in question.

For example, the other night referenced at the beginning of this post, began with asking the server whether or not the roasted veggies were gluten free.  Seemingly a benign dish, yes, but I have dined at restaurants that actually add some flour to their veggies to provide ‘texture’.  Don’t ask.  Anyway, when I asked about the veggies, the server crinkled his forehead and told me, “No, we do not ever use flowers in the kitchen”.

Um… right.

Not too different from the server at another restaurant who assured me that the gluten-free soy sauce would be fine for me to eat, since it was gluten free, even though I’d just seconds earlier explained I cannot eat gluten…or soy.

I don’t mean to sound as though I’m moaning and complaining, because in actuality, more often than not, it’s easy to get a Paleo-friendly meal at most places.

Rather, just a little bit of foo for thought- if you ask the appropriate questions and get answers that don’t satisfy, don’t assume that particular menu item is going to be a good thing to eat.  It’s you, and only you, who’ll end up suffering the consequences if you accidentally get “soyed”, “glutened” or “dairyed”!

Partying on the Fourth?

Let’s face it.  

For many, the Fourth of July is not only an occasion to celebrate the Declaration of Independence with friends and family…it’s a reason to drink, and drink a lot.

I recall one barbecue I attended years ago which began with what was being called a “triathlon”, which was actually anything but; as the three ‘legs’ involved pounding  a six pack of warm beer, swimming a mile and running a mile and the winner was determined not only by who completed all three first, but who did so without vomiting.

Lovely.

While that may be an extreme example, more commonly, people will plan on having at least some drinks as part of the partying… but if you’re Paleo, is there still room for that?

Yes…kind of.

Not drinking for the sheer purpose of becoming raging drunk, but this occasion would be specifically that which I refer to when I write about the  glass of red wine or that neat drink of a clear spirit.

Following are some reminders to keep your holiday festive, not make you feel like the odd one out, but still make it simple to not go off the deep end and straight down the path of unPaleo living.

Most importantly, if you know yourself well enough to know that there really is no ‘one drink’ and that for you, one always leads to two or three or more, please take good care of you and leave it.
There is no shame in not drinking.  Often, clients will share that they didn’t actually want to have drinks on an occasion after feeling so great from Paleo, yet they allowed their buddies or the girls to coerce them into it.  Stand your ground and only have that drink if you actually want it,
If you are able to have one drink or two, make sure the rest of your day’s calories as coming from even more veggies that normal to provide even more alkalinity to your body as well as that balance of good, natural fats and proteins.  You’re going to be getting enough simple carbohydrates from your drink, so do your body a favor and at least skew the balance a little more in favor of the basic vs acidic pH.
Hydrate.   The rule of two or three glasses of water per drink is a good one to keep in mind
Have your drink with your meal.   Not at 2pm and then another at 2:30 and another at 3:00 when dinner isn’t until 6.
Opt for a glass of wine or clear spirits.   Stay the heck away from beer, even the gluten-free ones as they still contain grain.  Avoid the vodkas made with grain- three safe options are Karlssen’s, Chopin or Ciroq.   Neat gin or tequila are options as well.  Avoid syrupy, sugary, fluffy drinks like Pina Coladas.
Hydrate again when you get home and try to allow some time to elapse between the drink you had and when you go to bed.  It’s no surprise that the alcohol is going to disrupt your sleep.

Be safe, be smart, and enjoy the holiday… one that’s super easy to keep on track in terms of Paleo eating with!   Bring on the grilled veggies and (bunless) grass fed burgers!

When Healthy Eaters Cave

A piece from the Times the other day really did a great job at illustrating how for so many people, eating ‘healthy’ food is a constant battle, even for those who do so most of the time.

The article mainly focused on fast food restaurants attempting to offer healthier, lower calorie foods, yet seeing trends that show people tend to not order those items.  In fact, the studies they reference seem to prove that “including a healthy option did change people’s behavior — by making them eat more unhealthily.”

“…Mr. Fitzsimons, a professor who studies consumer psychology at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business called the phenomenon “vicarious goal fulfillment.” By seeing a healthy menu option at a restaurant, “it basically satisfies that goal to be healthy,” he said, and gives consumers leeway to order what they want.”

Ok.  So, if I understand correctly the 30% of Americans who are obese and additional 30% who are overweight are heading to their favorite fast food joints, seeing that there is a salad option on the menu, feeling placated and then smiling with a satisfied feeling that they’re doing something good for their body…and then going ahead and ordering the triple cheeseburger, the chili cheese fries and a jumbo milkshake?

Another study is cited in which 54% of participants polled in New York City noticed the calorie counts on food packaging or on menu listings but only less than one quarter allowed that to affect their choice and still proceeded to order the most nutritionally lacking items, which are, of course, those highest in sugar, salt and fat (bad fat, to clarify).

“It’s just easier to imagine what this is going to feel like now, and harder to think through what it feels like later,” said an assistant professor of population health and health policy at New York University’s School of Medicine.

OK, so customers are making poor choices.  This is not an opinion. It’s a fact.  But does the entire responsibility lie with the customer?  Does the vendor assume no culpability?

Perhaps Marion Nestle puts it best when she states in the piece, “The restaurants are not social service agencies — they’re places that are trying to make money by selling food. That’s their business…sugar, salt and fat sells.”

True.  A restaurant owner is trying to earn a living, just like the owner of any other business is doing.  And, here in the US, we can sell anything that’s legal to sell.  I know this sounds like a ridiculous statement, but read this out.   We cannot, however, sell anything legally that has proven harmful consequences to anyone, such as, gee, drugs, for example.  

If someone were to set up shop and sell cocaine under the premise that ‘it sells and I need to make a living and it’s on the consumer if they get ill/addicted or die’ they’d be shut down in a nano second.

But sugar?  That’s fine.  Don’t worry about the fact that its consumption leads to addiction in many, creating a situation where they must have more- for some in small, steady doses, and for others, in big mega hits.   Pay no attention to the fact that its presence is seen in nearly every processed or packaged food item we see (just a little bit to keep the craving present, which allows one to keep ingesting it).  Disregard the fact that even over the counter children’s medications contain corn syrup and ‘food’ marketed towards the little ones often list sugar as one of its top ingredients.

Yes, of course sugar sells.  Look at how many people are sugar addicts!

Here’s the good news.  One can decide to stop eating sugar and the withdrawal effects, while hard to deal with and possibly uncomfortable, are so short lived in comparison.   

It will be tough… but only for a little while.

Sugar is not something one can ‘taper off of’ or that is ‘ok in moderation’.  There is not a single reason why anyone can justify that eating sugar offers anything remotely beneficial on a nutritional front.

If we can get everyone off sugar, or at least reduce the demand, maybe, just maybe, we can start to see some changes.  

That’s the only thing that’s going to have an effect.

Sugar = dollars and until there are less dollars being raked in by fast food ‘restaurants’ (not really sure it’s appropriate to call them that”, these appalling pretend food items are going to continue to be prepared and gobbled up en masse.

And we will continue to poison ourselves, contaminate our bodies and create a slow and insidious path to a complete demise of our health.

Or, we can choose not to.

It’s up to each of us.

Click here for the full article.

 

 

Race Day ‘Goodies’? Hardly.

It happens far more often than not.  

Whether you’re a veteran runner or completing your first 5k, receiving a ‘goodie bag’  containing items such as those pictured above when registering for the event is all too common.

I decided this Sunday to accept the bag simply for purposes of blogging about it and taking a pic or two.  I almost wish I hadn’t.

In order of insult caused to the body if we were to ingest these items ((All underlined ingredients are not Paleo and are, therefore, quite inflammatory):

The Builder Bar Incidentally, I wasn’t that taken aback by the inclusion of the sample size ‘Clif Builder Bar’, only because many people would likely think that’s a good food choice for before or after the race.    It may well be, were it not for the fact that it contains:  Soy Protein Isolate, Beet Juice Concentrate, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Dried Cane Syrup, Palm Kernel Oil, Organic Rolled Oats, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa, Organic Soy Protein Concentrate, Vegetable Glycerin, Natural Flavors, Organic Almonds, Rice Starch, Cocoa Butter, Inulin (Chicory Extract), Organic Flaxseed, Organic Oat Fiber, Organic Sunflower Oil,  Soy Lecithin, Salt. 
Emerald Breakfast On The Go Oatmeal Clusters (Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Evaporated Cane Syrup, Whole Grain Rolled Wheat, Canola Oil, Oat Flour, Corn Syrup, Whey [Milk], Natural Flavor, Salt, Cinnamon, Soy Lecithin), Maple Glazed Almonds (Lightly Roasted Almonds, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt, Canola Oil, Soy Lecithin [an Emulsifier]), Almonds, Raisins (Raisins, Sunflower Oil).
Real Food Corn Thins  MAIZE (99%),SUNFLOWER OIL,SEA SALT. This product illustrates beautifully the ability of corn to be used as a packaging material.  Oh, wait!  This was meant to be something one should eat before or after a race!  Silly me…

The fourth and final item needs its own introduction.  I cannot even begin to express how appalling this product was.  I particularly liked the special touch of the tag line on the jar that it is both ‘natural’ and ‘vegan’.  This ‘spread’ actually has the cookies mixed right in! Here we go:

Lotus Biscoff Spread  Biscoff 57% (wheat flour, sugar,vegetable oils including soy, sunflower, canola, palm), soy flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, canola oil, sugar, soy lecithin

When are we going to stop spreading the silly misconception that ‘athletes just need calories and it doesn’t matter the source’?

This is beyond ridiculous.  

Push your body, train hard and then shovel in the junk?

Could I please just have an apple instead of a goodie bag of crap?