Diane Sanfilippo's Blog, page 77

Podcast Episode #58: News, PCOS, sleep, sugar & calories

Remember – If you’re enjoying these podcasts, please leave us a review in iTunes. Thanks!

Episode #58: News, PCOS, sleep, sugar & calories

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Balanced Bites Workshops:

SAT., October 20, Rochester, NY

SAT., November 17, Tacoma, WA – guest co-teacher Anthony DiSarro will be joining Diane at this event!

FREE Practical Paleo book signing events with Q&A:

TONIGHT!! THURS., October 18, 2012: 7pm, West Orange, NJ

FRI., October 26, 2012: 7pm, San Diego, CA

SAT., October 27, 2012: 3pm, Los Angeles, CA (Culver City)

TUES., October 30, 2012: 6pm, Fort Worth, TX

THURS., November 1, 2012: 6pm, Houston, TX

FRI., November 2, 2012: 7pm, San Antonio, TX

SAT., November 3, 2012: 11am, Austin, TX

Remember that all events are open to the public, you do not need to belong to the hosting gym to attend!

Topics:

1. Hypothyroidism or PCOS?

2. Adding sugar to “help” diabetes meds?

3. Low calories & lack of sleep

4. Dairy, autoimmune protocol & CLO/Butter oil blend?

5. Probiotic foods options

Show notes/links:

PCOS Unlocked Manual by Stefani Ruper

How to Eat, Move & Be Healthy by Paul Chek

Click here to download this episode as an MP3.

The episodes are currently available in iTunes, Stitcher & Blog Talk Radio.

 1. Hypothyroidism or PCOS

Vanessa says,

Hi Liz and Diane! I love your show and have listened to it since its very first episode. I’m writing because I desperately need your help. Let me give you a bit of background on my situation. I’m 26 years old, and originally American but live in London. I have done Paleo/Primal for a month at a time, two times in my life (Sept 2011, July 2012), with great success. For whatever reason (I blame severe sugar addiction) after one month I fell off the wagon and went back to my SAD ways. Back in May of this year, I stopped taking birth control as they were messing with my hormones. I had taken birth control since I was 16 at the recommendation of my doctor because of severe acne. Throughout those years, I switched birth control pill brands probably 15 times. Recently they made my breasts shrink a full cup size and my hair starting falling out and… I also wanted to stop to get pregnant. While monitoring my cycle closely since July, I still have not become pregnant. Even worse, my hair has been falling out even more and thinning, and my skin is literally covered in acne all over my face, chest, jaw, and neck. It is affecting my confidence and happiness so much that I find myself slipping into depression. I am also an anxious, stressed out individual and just handed in my notice at work as I couldn’t deal with the stress of it anymore. I find myself, often in the evenings, with a shaky feeling and often my heart is racing even though my environment is calm.

Please can you recommend a holistic health practitioner for me to get diagnosed in the UK? The NHS here has ignored my issues and when my generic blood work came back ‘normal’ they just told me to go away basically. I have not had my hormone levels tested but desperately want to find someone who can look at my situation and help me get past it. Personally I have a suspicion it is either hypothyroidism or PCOS. Please, please help.

One other side note, my boyfriend clearly has a serious gluten intolerance which is why I wanted us to stop eating gluten. He has constant sinus congestion, relies on nasal sprays and has some eczema-like rash on his forehead, nose, chest and back. He has lived with this for years *shakes head*. If you have any advice for him too as we are trying to have a baby, I’d really appreciate it.

On a typical day I eat for breakfast: eggs, bacon, spinach, tea. Sometimes a flavored soy latte, but I am trying to cut back on coffee as I get really jittery. Lunch is normally a thai curry or soup, a piece of fruit, sometimes chocolate. Snack is some almonds or brazil nuts. I drink lots of herbal teas throughout the day, sometimes coffee with soy milk. Dinner is some cut of meat, vegetables, starchy veg or sometimes a grain (such as polenta or rice). Dessert is where I fall off the wagon. I might have five cookies or a bar of chocolate or ice cream. Sometimes gummies. Once the sugar touches my lips, I can’t stop.

I sleep 8+ hours a night. I’ve always been a good sleeper, never had problems. I get tired at 9:30/10pm, sleep at 10:30/11, wake up at 7:30am. I am often lethargic throughout the day and would love a nap at 3-4pm, but I work full-time.

Exercise is almost non-existent. Lately I’ve been trying to do more calming breathing exercises, short yoga sessions and just started to do interval sprinting on the weekend with my partner. I live in London so I walk about 25 mins each way to and from work, quickly. I also try to get out and walk during my lunch break, even if just for 10-30 mins.

As for skin care, I have tried the oil cleansing method but I believe this problem is so internal no amount of gentle external cleansing is helping. Sometimes I use tea tree oil. Sometimes I use a strong acne gel when I can’t take the pain of the pustules. My skin is VERY oily, my hair is also very oily on my scalp and my scalp has become itchy. I shower daily and shampoo daily. I try not to as I know it is very bad for my hair (which is also quite brittle), but otherwise it looks too greasy at the end of Day 2.

2. Add sugar to a “healthy” meal in order to take my meds?!

Minisa says,

I was diagnosed with the antibodies for Type 1 Diabetes last year at the age of 35 (A1C ranging between 6.5-7.2 over the last year).  I have been told by my doctor that I am considered pre-diabetic since I am currently still producing insulin. My doctor has me on Byetta 10, typically a Type 2 diabetes medication, because there is some research that shows it has helped to save cells that produce insulin that my body is killing off (autoimmune disorder). Because I am Type 1, have no other health concerns and live a healthy lifestyle he hasn’t recommended any nutritional restrictions or guidelines. When I asked what I can do to avoid taking medication- specifically mentioning nutrition and diet- I was essentially told that there was nothing I could do except wait for my body to stop insulin production; therefore I should get use to the idea of having to inject insulin. At my last appointment I told him I was concerned because the Byetta was requiring me to eat more sugar in order to prevent having lows after meals. For example if I took my medication and then ate a typical dinner- chicken breast, salad, quinoa- i would have blood sugar levels below 60 which would send me in a binge for grapes, juice, or ice cream trying to get it back up. That didn’t make sense to me – add sugar to a “healthy” meal in order to take my meds?!  He said I could go off Byetta, but it may speed up my dependence on insulin.  At that same appointment he asked me to think about taking insulin so that I can get use to injecting myself with it, but I told him I wanted to wait because I’m worried it will down-regulate my own production of insulin. Additionally, I’m convinced there is something I can do besides taking drugs.

I am trying to educate myself about the disease.  There is so much out there — it’s overwhelming, and not much points to nutrition when it comes to Type 1. I was excited to learn about Robb Wolf’s work and I came across your podcast and am currently reading Practical Paleo.

I have LOTS of questions, but my immediate question is: Should I stop taking Byetta (and slow release insulin) while starting my 30 days of paleo? Also what other general advice/suggestions can you give me concerning my condition as it relates to your expertise?

Appreciate and value any input you can provide. Many thanks,

Minisa

3. Low Calories = Lack of sleep?

Astrid says,

I’m having trouble getting enough calories in. At least, that’s what I think. (Yeah, I know… I didn’t believe it either, until I started logging my food.) I eat 3 square meals a day, sometimes an additional evening snak. I always eat when I’m hungry until I’m totally satisfied. At noon, I sometimes eat without being hungry, just because of scheduling. I have to put my lunch somewhere between my meetings and other work related stuff, there is not so much flexibility during that particular time of the day.

First of all, I don’t quite know how many calories one is supposed to consume in a day. There are various informations out there, most of them somewhat silly proposals colored by the low-fat generations.

I’m 156cm (4.5f), 58 kg (128lb). I’m suffering from sleep-maintenance insomnia, and wake up usually somewhere between 3 to 6 hours after I went to bed. My mind is racing, and even if I stay in bed for a couple of hours, I can’t fall back to sleep again. I’ve also tried to get up for a snak, hoping that this would put me back to sleep, didn’t work either. I’ve tried starchy carbs as well as fruit as well as fats in form of coconut oil or homemade chocolate without sweetener, at time I even had a whole “breakfast” including eggs and meat.

I’m also not hungry when I wake up, I mostly wake up because I have to pee. I usually stop drinking anything 2 hours before I go to bed, but that’s not helping either. Being desperate, I started logging my food (which I hate). First I thought, that I’d probably would have to get more carbs in during the day. But that didn’t help either! One night I ate a gigantic amount of homemade chocolate, and slept through the night like a baby, waking up about 9 hours after I fell asleep. That’s what I’m looking for on a regular basis!

Anyhow, sorry for rambling on. I just figure the more information you get, the better the chance for you to answer my question in a way, that fixes my problem. I’ve also put on some weight from all that sleeplessness, mostly around my waist, some on thighs and butt as well. I guess that’s from cortisol.

After that chocolate experiment, which I’ve successfully repeated (for science, not for pleasure!), I think that the insomnia is caused by too low calorie intake. Food tracking showed approximately 1600 kcal/day. I think I should probably get 2100 or something like that. (See below for a typical day.)

Also, I’d like to try a rather ketogenic approach, but I seem to have trouble getting enough fat in the mix. I’d be thankful for any tips you could offer me. I’m already drowning all my veggies/meats/eggs in fat, still the ratios are not where I’d like them to be. I usually get too much protein and too little fat.

I’d like to get all my calories from nutrient tense foods, the chocolate path, however delicious it might be, is not exactly what I’m looking for. I’m eating 100% paleo. No dairy (apart from grass fed butter and ghee), no grains what so ever, no legumes, virtually no nuts and fruit (sometimes a few berries from my strawberry bushes). I don’t tolerate any of those things. I’m also under some digestiv distress, mainly bloating/flatulence.

Thanks to both of you, for everything you to. It’s highly appreciated!

Breakfast: 130g eggs, 9g ghee, 200g brussels sprouts, 100g red bell pepper, 60g homemade liverwurst

Lunch: 75g avocado, 150g thuna (can), 80g tomato, 100g red bell pepper, 175g yellow bell pepper, 8g EVOO

Dinner: 35g sauerkraut, 200g ox tail, 370g brussels sprouts, 6g ghee, 1 cup broth

Thats about 1700kcal, 92g fat, 72g carbs, 133g protein. (Would like to lower protein and carbs, and increase fat)

4. Avoiding dairy ok to take FCLO?

Magda says,

I know you recommend the Green Pasture’s fermented cod liver oil/butter oil blend. If doing an autoimmune protocol or avoiding dairy, do you see any implications with taking the blend rather than just the pure fermented cod liver? Is there any reason to think the butter oil blend can cause issues to those testing for dairy sensitivities?

5. Options for Probiotics

Amy Says,

After reading Practical Paleo and analyzing my family’s poop, I am convinced that we need to use a Probiotic regularly. I have started my first batch of raw sauerkraut, but I know that will take 2 weeks to ferment. Can you provide further guidance on other available sources of probiotics? My kids love yogurt, but I’ve been trying to avoid that because of the HFCS/lack of full-fat dairy issues. Is store-bought sauerkraut OK? Is there any form of store-bought yogurt that would be acceptable? What are some other options for probiotics?

Love your information, and your insights!!!

Thank you!

Click here to submit questions.

Cheers!

Diane & Liz

Veria Voices: Health & wellness experts – video introductions and giveaways!

If you’re interested in learning from more health-minded experts, check out my feature in Veria Voices – a new series of web and media content that spans topics of wellness for body, mind, and soul!

From the Veria website:

Meet our totally talented health and wellness experts who �make up the Veria Voices. From organic food to urban farming, eco-fashion to personal fitness, our Veria Voices care about the same things you do. To celebrate this, each of them has picked out a sweepstakes prize to give back to their community. 

Veria is giving away six amazing health-oriented prizes:
1. The Bex Eat Fresh, Look Your Best Prize: $100 giftcard to Whole Foods + $100 giftcard to Lady Foot Locker.
2. The Balanced Bites Prize: $200 Amazon gift card and recommended shopping list.

Note: I selected Amazon.com so that my international readers/followers would be able to purchase health and nutrition oriented books, cookware, and food items just as easily as my US-resident fans!

3. The Eco-Chick Prize: $200 gift certificate to eco fashion boutique Kaight.
4. The Expeditioner Prize: A GoPro HD Hero Naked camera.
5. The Living Maxwell Prize: 3-Day BluePrint Cleanse & book, The 3-Day Cleanse.
6. The Fitness A Way Of Life Prize: $200 Lululemon gift certificate.
Learn more about Veria Voices and enter to win the awesome prizes on the Veria website.

Autoimmune Protocol for Paleo – we need your feedback

Since the release of Practical Paleo, the response to the section on autoimmunity – especially the autoimmune-friendly recipes and meal plan – has been overwhelming. I’ve gotten hundreds of requests for more recipes, more meal plans, more help in general with eating in what is sometimes a very challenging way.

A new resource is in the works!

I’m developing a downloadable cookbook with:

Over 50 new recipes
More meal plans
Inspiration and tips for following the AI protocol
Real life testimonials
…and more!

I need your feedback.

I’d like your feedback to make the book even better. I want it to be practical and useful in your everyday lives. Please fill out this short, 3-question survey to let me know what’s important to you as I develop this new resource.

Take the survey now

Upcoming Events in NJ, NY, CA, WA, and TX!

Just a quick note to update all of you on some upcoming events as well as to remind you that if you’re interesting in hosting an event in early 2013, we are now working on finalizing our schedule, so please get in touch.

Remember that all events are open to the public – you do not need to be a member of the hosting gym/location or any gym at all to attend!

THURSDAY, October 18, 2012: 7-8:30pm • West Orange, NJ

@ Whole Foods Market

Practical Paleo Book Signing/Q&A

FREE event




SATURDAY, October 20, 2012: 9am-5pm • Rochester, NY

Balanced Bites Nutrition Workshop




FRIDAY, October 26, 2012: 7-9pm • San Diego, CA

Practical Paleo Book Signing/Q&A

FREE event




SATURDAY, October 27, 2012: 3-5pm • Los Angeles, CA (Culver City)

Practical Paleo Book Signing/Q&A

FREE event




MONDAY, October 29, 2012: 6-8pm • Dallas, TX

Practical Paleo Book Signing/Q&A

FREE event 




TUESDAY, October 30, 2012: 6-8pm • Fort Worth, TX

Practical Paleo Book Signing/Q&A

FREE event 




THURSDAY, November 1, 2012: 6-8pm • Houston, TX

Practical Paleo Book Signing/Q&A

FREE event




FRIDAY, November 2, 2012: 7-9pm • San Antonio, TX

Practical Paleo Book Signing/Q&A

FREE event 




SATURDAY, November 3, 2012: 11am-1pm • Austin, TX

Practical Paleo Book Signing/Q&A

FREE event 




MONDAY, November 12, 2012: 6-7pm • San Francisco, CA

Practical Paleo Book Signing @ Omnivore Books




SATURDAY, November 17, 2012: 9am-5pm • Tacoma, WA

@ Tacoma Strength – with special guest teacher Anthony DiSarro

Balanced Bites Nutrition Workshop




SUNDAY, November 18, 2012: 5:30-7pm • Lake Forest Park, WA (Seattle)

Practical Paleo Book Signing/Q&A

FREE event 




SATURDAY, December 1, 2012: 11am-1pm • Springfield, NJ

@ Lululemon Athletica

Practical Paleo Book Signing/Q&A

FREE event



Stay tuned for 2013 event dates, coming soon!

 

Easy Recipe: Pumpkin Soufflé

With so much pumpkin sitting around my house, I’ve been dreaming up ways to use it that will take advantage of many of the pantry items and spices I already have on-hand. There are likely tons of soufflé recipes out there, but this is one I literally whipped up on a whim just this week. A bit of this, a dash of that… and then I re-created it in a larger recipe again, made a few tweaks – and voila! Delish! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Soufflé

grain-free • gluten-free • dairy-free • nightshade-free

Click here for estimated nutrition facts. (coming soon!)

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOKING TIME: 25-35 minutes

YIELD: 4 servings

ingredients

1c pumpkin
4 eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil, clarified butter, or ghee – melted
2 tablespoons almond butter
6 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
pinch of salt

preparation

Note: These instructions make the recipe very simple and are how I made mine, but see below for a more traditional soufflé preparation.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Whisk the canned pumpkin, eggs, coconut oil, almond butter, maple syrup, and pure vanilla extract together until well combined.
Sift the coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice into the wet ingredients and continue whisk until well combined.
Pour into oven-save ramekins – either 4 separate 1-cup portions, or larger portions to be served as-shared.
Bake in the center of the oven for 25-35 minutes or until the entire soufflé puffs up and the center no longer appears wet.

change it up


Instead of adding cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and maple syrup to sweeten this recipe, try adding savory spices like sage, black pepper, and a bit more sea salt to make this a savory side dish.
To make this in more of a traditional soufflé style, separate the egg whites from the yolks, and mix the wet ingredients together as noted without the whites. Then mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate, chilled bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold the whites into the rest of the mixture before pouring into ramekins to bake.

Note: I earn a small commission if you use the links in this post to purchase the products mentioned. I only recommend products I would use myself or that I recommend for clients in my practice or at workshops. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you real information about nutrition and health.

Podcast Episode #57: Hormones, multivitamins, post-op & special diets (oh my!)

Remember – If you’re enjoying these podcasts, please leave us a review in iTunes. Thanks!

Episode #57: Hormones, multivitamins, post-op & special diets-oh my!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Balanced Bites Workshops:

SAT., October 20, Rochester, NY

SAT., November 17, Tacoma, WA - with special guest teacher Anthony DiSarro!

FREE Practical Paleo book signing events with Q&A:

FRI., October 12, 2012: 6-8pm, Pittsburgh, PA

THURS., October 18, 2012: 7-8:30pm, West Orange, NJ

FRI., October 26, 2012: 7-9pm, San Diego, CA

SAT., October 27, 2012: afternoon time TBA, Los Angeles, CA (Culver City)

TUES., October 30, 2012: 6-8pm, Fort Worth, TX

THURS., November 1, 2012: 6-8pm, Houston, TX

FRI., November 2, 2012: 7-9pm, San Antonio, TX

SAT., November 3, 2012: 11am-1pm, Austin, TX

Remember that all events are open to the public, you do not need to belong to the hosting gym to attend!

Topics:

#1. Low estrogen, progesterone and high stress.

#2 & 3. Multivitamins & micronutrient sufficiency

#4. Glucose increasing on a Paleo diet?

#5. Pre & Post Op, What’s best?

#6. FODMAPS, SCD and GAPS, oh my!

Click here to download this episode as an MP3.

The episodes are currently available in iTunes, Stitcher & Blog Talk Radio.

Show notes/links:

PALEO POWER SOCKS!

Check them out and pre-order here.

Naked Calories – book by Dr. Jayson and Mira Calton.

#1. Low estrogen, progesterone and high stress.

Bec says,

Hi Diane and Liz,

Firstly, I just wanted to say how much I love your podcast and approach to nutrition. It has given me so much inspiration! As an 18 year girl in my last year of high school, I have decided to work towards achieving a career in nutrition and health at university, but not conventional wisdom’s so-called idea of ‘health.’

My question involves a little bit of background information. after going on the pill for 4 months 3 years ago (I had been menstruating for a year and a half before that) I put on around 8 kilos (17 or so pounds). As a teenage girl I felt a lot of pressure to lose this weight and drastically changed my lifestyle by what I thought then to be right, exercising to chronic levels and removing all fat from my diet. Through lots of running and training (I was also fairly heavily involved in team sports), I lost this weight over the next year and developed compulsive eating habits – very restrictive, skipping lunch. Looking back on it now, I can see this is where my eating disorder began. After losing all this weight, I lost MORE and got to around 55 kilograms (120 pounds, I am 5’7) and looked very skeleton like! Around this time I had my last period and have not had another period nearly 2 years later, although I have put on 5 or 6 kilograms (12 pounds) through eating whole, nourishing foods, paleo-style. Discovering paleo and your book and website has completely changed our whole family, I love cooking for my family and buying food direct from the farmers. I am currently working with a naturopath who has diagnosed me with hypo active adrenals and we are trying to stimulate my hormones through supplements (after blood tests I have very, very low estrogen and progesterone) and control my stress levels.

I still struggle with some disordered eating and body image issues, by nature I am a perfectionist. However, I am about to enter my final exams for high school, a very stressful time, in a month and a half, and was wondering if either of you had any advice on how best to control my stress levels during this time, optimise my exam performance and possibly work towards having my period again. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

Exercise: walking 4-5 times a week for an hour, lifting weights 1-2 times a week

Supplements: Fermented Cod liver oil (began a week ago), home-made sauerkraut, vitamin D, feroxin, mixed B-vitamins, supplements to support menstrual and thyroid health

Sleep: 8-9 hours a night

#2 & 3. Multivitamins & micronutrient sufficiency

Sage says,

I have recently been diagnosed with pretty severe adrenal fatigue and had a positive ANA test. I also have IBS (…I am a hot mess).I am doing the autoimmune paleo protocol and I am on a supplement regimen prescribed by my D.O. in order to address these issues. I have also taken my foot off the gas with my exercise and basically just walk and do light exercises per Paul Chek’s book. My question is, though my DO is good and takes a natural, non-Westernized approach, she isn’t exactly paleo. Because I don’t eat any fruit and a limited array of vegetables due to my IBS and those I do eat i typically cook (roast, steam) in order to facilitate digestion, I am wondering if I should consider a basic multivitamin for micronutrients I may not be getting much of like C, etc.

I am taking 500mg of Mg and 50,000 IU of D 1x a wk, and iodine as part of my Rx supplement regime, but the remainder are specific to my adrenal fatigue and gut health.

I know this is a loaded question, but any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for what you do, it is great to see RD’s embracing the science of and promoting a paleo way of eating. Thanks again!

A similar question from…

Magda says,

Regarding multi-vitamins…I know you don’t necessarily recommend them, but was wondering what the “best option” is in your opinion. I am currently taking a whole-food based multivitamin called “Athletic Greens” (not sure if you’ve heard of it before). I’m hoping to get off the supplement, but find it is difficult to get all the micro-nutrients in a single day (based on FitDay…not sure how accurate it is?). Any recommendations for ensuring I get all the required micro-nutrients without supplementation?

#4. Glucose increasing on a Paleo diet?

D. says,

Have you seen/heard of glucose increasing on a paleo diet? I have been following paleo for 8+ weeks, strict 30 day most recently. Felt great, positive body changes, lost 7lbs but not needed (19 bMI) had blood work last week and fasting bg was 118! Age 41 Never had high glucose before. Just trying to figure out possible causes. Have done lots of online reading (wolf, daily apply, Kreisler, American diabetes assoc, etc) will be seeing my gp in a few days but she’s not a nutritionist and I am trying to get as informed as possible.

My only sugar was occasional apple (each week), some berries daily/or weekly, larabar maybe every 3 days or less often. No grains, no grain oils, no dairy. Week prior to my testing had 4 glasses wine on the weekend (wedding anniversary).

Not looking for diagnoses but what could possibly be areas to look at as paleo is normally held up as great way to reduce diabetes risks. Thank you.

#5. Pre & Post Op, What’s best?

Stacy Says,

I started eating pure Paleo in July and have lost 20 pounds! I have had chronic pain and inflammation for my entire adult life. I am 39 years old and cannot remember feeling this good… ever! There are NO words to explain how grateful I am for your book and for how eating Paleo has changed my life, energy level, and virtually eliminated the inflammation in my joints.

My question is about preparing for an upcoming surgery. My husband and I have been infertile for our entire eight and a half year marriage. Today my doctor discovered two humongous polyps obstructing my cervix (kind of like a built in birth control… but I don’t want that!!) Interestingly enough, it seems that one of the main causes of polyps is chronic inflammation. My wonderful doctor is going to do a hysteroscopy to remove them, a D&C to make sure there aren’t any more in my uterus, and a laproscopy to check for endometriosis. How would you recommend that I prepare for my surgery and also what I can eat/do to best recover?

My surgery is scheduled for November 1, so l will be taking good notes! I’m planning to take 200c arnica Montana homeopathic tablets before and after surgery as well. I truly value your insight and input. I’m sure you get more questions than you can possibly answer and I truly appreciate your time and respect your advice so much. Thank you for all you have taught me through the podcast and the book! Thanks so much!

#6. FODMAPS, SCD and GAPS, oh my!

Ilissa Says,

I am a new convert to the Paleo lifestyle. I have been suffering with IBS-C my whole life (I am 38 years old and have had stomach issues since birth). I have been to countless gastroenterologists and have had many endoscopies and colonoscopies, all which never reveal anything. I also have GERD and have been on proton pump inhibitors for many years. Anyway, since I made the decision to go Paleo (and I just completed my first Whole 30) I have been digging deeper into research into my digestive issues since just doing paleo hasn’t resolved them.

Today, in Paleo Magazine, I read an article about SIBO, so I started researching that. Then I came across low FODMAPS, SCD, and GAPS diets.

I am so confused! How do I know if I have any of the issues that would call for trying these diets? How do I know which one to try? I am not sure what the differences are. I was just reading an article at The Paleo Mom, and she suggested contacting you for further information. This is all so confusing, yet I feel like I might be on the cusp of finally getting to the root of my digestive distress. Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated!

Click here to submit questions.

Cheers!

Diane & Liz

Meet your meat: A visit to Harvest Home Meats – 100% grass-fed and finished beef in PA.

As soon as you take diversity out of the system, you create a lot of different problems… every plant has a purpose and, with grazing, the more diversity the better… the key to healthy soils is diversity.  - Rich DiFebo on modern-day agriculture/monoculture crops

The amount of respect that I have for those who take the time to grow and produce the highest quality meats we can eat continues to grow exponentially with each farm I visit.

After multiple visits to Clark Farm in Carlisle, MA over the past few months, I realized it was about time I meet my meat. Face to face… get right up in the faces of some cows. Moo!

A few of us at the gym have talked about getting a cow share for a few weeks now, and I decided that even before we make the purchase, I’d like to get out and actually see the farm where the cows were raised, and meet the farmer as well. I was prepared to see some cows and ask some questions. I was not prepared for how amazingly knowledgeable and eager to educate us the farmer, Rich DiFebo, would be about raising cattle. 

It’s never going to get any more natural than this. No chemicals on the soil. No supplement of any type of fertilizer. They don’t need any antibiotics – they don’t get sick out here when they’re treated like this. – Rich DiFebo

About twenty years ago, Harvest Home was a dairy operation with some corn and soy growing as well. While many would rather turn the land over to mono-crops of corn and soy, DiFebo has taken great pride in raising cattle and not participating in that unsustainable system. Apparently, corn is currently going for a whopping $8/bushel, which is going to provide the dough for a shiny new tractor, as DiFebo noted, that farms down the road have, but they can’t afford.

Rich DiFebo seemed like a Mayor of sorts when he started talking to us about a second, 65-acre piece of land he built into a cattle grazing farm three years ago. The additional acres are a nice, flat area where his breeding stock normally graze, but all of his cattle will move here for the winter months. Moving them around is much easier on this flat pasture than it is on his very hilly acres close to his home, so he’s learned over the last several years that, while costly, this practice is much better for the cattle, since remaining on pasture year-round is what they’re intended to do.

Rich told us the story of how the land was originally purchased by the local school system, that later decided not to build as-planned. Rather than allowing the previously-grown Christmas tree farm to be turned into row-crops of corn and soybeans, Rich convinced the school system to let him protect the land and turn it into pasture. The entire project was about a $40k investment, about two-thirds of which was funded by the federal government in support of a system that would offset the carbon footprint of many other crops in the area. The pasture land is now considered an environmental site for the school whose cross-country team even runs alongside the grazing areas on trails!

Almost everybody out there, we’re all in the same boat. We’re just trying to make a living at it – almost everybody has another job somewhere else. It’s trying to be efficient. Genetics is a lot of it, but that’s a slow process.Everything has to be working in your favor for this to work.  - Rich DiFebo

Some of the things I learned today about grass-fed cattle:

100% grass-fed cattle can take up to 27-28 months to raise versus 18 months with grain-fed.
The goal of the selection process for the heard is to grow grass efficiently, as well as to have animals who will grow quickly and yield more without the addition of any grains or feed. (Duh!)
Some of the grasses the cattle may eat include: Orchard Grass, Perennial Ryegrass, Timothy Grass, Red Clover, and White Clover.
Rather than raising the price of the meat, farmers need to continually become more efficient at planning their breeding and where they move the cattle.
Too much protein in the cattle’s diet (from too much Clover, for example) won’t keep their gut bacteria balanced – so often hay (dried grass from another pasture where its grown solely for the purpose of feed) is added when the cattle are grazing on a mainly Clover pasture. Sound familiar?
If you don’t love the job, you can’t possibly do it – you need to be passionate about it!

I am beyond excited to have the privilege of purchasing meat from this fantastic establishment. I look forward to supporting Harvest Home Meats, and Rich’s family in the process of putting the best meat I can find on my plate several times a week. 

If you’re in the NJ/PA area, I highly recommend checking out Harvest Home Meats either directly from the farm or in the shops where it is sold locally.
For more information:

Harvest Home Meats – www.harvesthomemeats.com | Like Harvest Home Meats on Facebook!

Eat Wild – www.eatwild.com – to find a farmer near you

Local Harvest – www.localharvest.org – to find a farmers market near you (and maybe a farmer, too!)

Points of Performance: Speed & Strength (Part 1) – How do your lifts stack up?

In this Points of Performance blog post series, we will look closer at the relationship between strength and speed, help you identify if you have in fact struck a balance between them, and what to do about if you have not.

Step into any CrossFit gym and you’ll likely see the “10 General Physical Skills” stenciled on a wall. You may already familiar with them but, if not, they are: strength, speed, power, stamina, cardio-respiratory endurance, balance, accuracy, agility, flexibility and coordination.

The goal of any well-rounded strength and conditioning program should be create a balance amongst these skills. And one of the basics tenets of CrossFit is that you are only as fit as you are balanced in these skills.

With CrossFit gaining popularity and drawing from a wider audience than ever before, any given class could include former marathoners, stay at home moms, former globo-gym rats and Division 1 athletes in it. Each of these individual athletes come from vastly different training backgrounds, have different work capacities, and likely have imbalances between strength and speed that are keeping them from optimizing their performance in “The Sport of Fitness.”

Let’s first define our two skills:
Strength is the ability of a motor unit or a combination of motor units to apply force.
Speed is the ability to minimize the time cycle of a repeated movement.

Strength and speed both contribute positively to power so it is easy to see that a deficit in either compromises your ability to produce power. We could do an entire series about why these deficits occur so for now we’ll simplify with a few; improper training stimulus, inconsistent training and skill acquisition.

How are strength and speed deficits created?
1. Improper training stimulus.

Spending too many years doing Long Slow Distance efforts or just Powerlifting movements fits well into this category. Both of these  training styles have one thing in common; they lack speed.

2. Inconsistent training.

“Cherry Pickers” or those who only show up to do WODs they are good at are inconsistent with their training. In addition, frequently those who write  their own programming will unintentionally omit movements they struggle with  because of bias.

3. Skill acquisition.

The ability to quickly mobilize the hips and or extremities is a skill that must be learned and requires proper central nervous system activation.

Do you fit into one or more of these categories? If so, you may have an speed/strength imbalance. That is to say, you may be stronger than you are fast or perhaps faster than  you are strong. The greater the imbalance, the further you are away from being a truly  well rounded athlete.“Ok, so how do I determine if I am balanced or not.”

At my facility, CrossFit Redline, twice per year we test our members on a number of lifts and compare them to each other. The lifts are both strength and speed based, and mixed generously between upper and lower body: pushing, pulling, and squatting.

How is it testing for these points done?
Ask yourself these questions:

1. Is my Dead Lift 125% of my Back Squat?

2. Is my Front Squat 85% of my Back Squat?

3. Is my Power Clean 65% of my Back Squat?

4. Is my Power Snatch 51% of my Back Squat?

5. Is my Close Grip Bench Press equal to my Power Clean?

6. Is my Shoulder Press 65% of my strict weighted Pull Up (bodyweight included)?

If you don’t know the answer to these or aren’t sure: take the time to find out.

If the numbers all jive: you’re in good shape and your programming is working well for

you.

If the numbers don’t line up: which ones are out of place?

Are you stronger than you are fast? Maybe you are faster than you are strong? Have you been consistent with your training? Is your technical skill with the Olympic lifts sound?

Use this chart for assessment purposes – print it, share it, track your information.

In my next post we’ll dive into how to bring these numbers into focus and balance your strength and speed for optimal performance.

Easy Recipe: Pumpkin Pancakes from Practical Paleo

When fall rolls around, it seems only natural to want to make as many recipes as  possible that use pumpkin! This is a quick and easy way to take an inexpensive  ingredient (canned pumpkin) and turn it into something delicious.

Pumpkin Pancakes

grain-free • gluten-free • dairy-free • sugar-free • nut-free • nightshade-free

from Practical Paleo (page 242)

Click here for estimated nutrition facts.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOKING TIME: 20 minutes

YIELD: Approximately 8 small pancakes or 2 servings.

ingredients

4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup pumpkin puree

You may use canned, boxed, or fresh. The recipe works just-right with canned and yields a delicate pancake.
optional: 1-2 Tbsp of coconut flour

To keep the consistency a bit thicker/firmer if you use boxed, or freshly cooked and strained pumpkin, you may need the coconut flour. If you use it, I recommend sifting it into the wet ingredients slowly to combine it well.
2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
optional: 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

Leave this out if you are eating these while on the 21-Day Sugar Detox!
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

or

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice/nutmeg


1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt

preparation

Whisk the eggs, canned pumpkin, pure vanilla extract, and pure maple syrup together. Sift the pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and baking soda into the wet ingredients.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Then, mix the butter into the batter.
Grease the skillet and spoon the batter into the skillet to make pancakes of your desired size. When a few bubbles appear, flip the pancakes once to finish cooking.
Serve with grass-fed butter and cinnamon or sliced bananas.

change it up


Instead of adding maple syrup to sweeten this recipe, try adding a mashed, whole ripe banana to the mixture. If you add a banana, the yield will increase.

Note: I earn a small commission if you use the links in this post to purchase the products mentioned. I only recommend products I would use myself or that I recommend for clients in my practice or at workshops. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you real information about nutrition and health.

Podcast Episode #56: Gall Bladder, tongue toxicity, gastric bypass, hula hoops & hormones

Remember – If you’re enjoying these podcasts, please leave us a review in iTunes. Thanks!

Episode #56: Gall Bladder, tongue toxicity, gastric bypass, hula hoops & hormones
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Balanced Bites Workshops:

SAT., October 20, Rochester, NY

SAT., November 17, Tacoma, WA

FREE Practical Paleo book signing events with Q&A:

FRI., October 12, 2012: 6-8pm, Pittsburgh, PA

THURS., October 18, 2012: 7-8:30pm, West Orange, NJ

FRI., October 26, 2012: 7-9pm, San Diego, CA

SAT., October 27, 2012: afternoon time TBA, Los Angeles, CA (Culver City)

TUES., October 30, 2012: 6-8pm, Fort Worth, TX

THURS., November 1, 2012: 6-8pm, Houston, TX

SAT., November 3, 2012: 11am-1pm, Austin, TX

Remember that all events are open to the public, you do not need to belong to the hosting gym to attend!

Topics:

#1: How to balance fat and protein with no gallbladder.

#2:  What is my function? Broken appetite signaling?

#3. Tongue affected by overall toxicity of the body?

#4. I feel like the Willie Wonka blueberry girl/Dolly Parton mutant… Help!

#5. Following Paleo I am STARVING post Gastric Bypass

Click here to download this episode as an MP3.

The episodes are currently available in iTunes, Stitcher & Blog Talk Radio.

1. How to balance fat and protein with no gallbladder.

Elissa says,

Hi ladies! After listening to every episode and reading the book, I finally have a question after listening to episode 54, your top ten questions, which made me feel like I might be a unique snowflake. I don’t want your medical advice, because I know you can’t give that, but I’m just curious about your opinions. You spoke about people with compromised kidney function being perhaps unable to eat standard amounts of protein, and I realized that might be the cause of my elevated creatinine and BUN results on my 4 recent blood tests (yeah, I got tested and then re-tested 3 times). I’m on lithium, which affects the kidneys. Levels were normal pre-paleo. Okay, keto diet, I don’t want to go low-carb, but….I can totally up the fat and lower the protein.

A few questions later, you got to the other exciting question: the gallbladder-free zone. I had my gallbladder out a few years ago. My awesome naturopath has me on a couple of forms of digestive support–HCL, pancreatic enzymes–but not ox bile. I am not afraid of fat by any means, but I’m not sure what would happen if I were to try to raise it, especially depending on variety. My body cannot handle the fat from more than 1-2 servings of nuts, for example. Is there a way to balance (see what I did there?) fat and protein for a person with an overall finicky system?

Things are not typical right now as I am wrapping up work on my first book, but when I shortly get back to normal.

Sleep: 9.5 hours in a completely dark room. I try to wake without an alarm at least a couple days a week.

Food: Autoimmune paleo. I have celiac disease and am working on figuring out cross-reactants. No eggs for sure. Not sure about nightshades so I play with them. No dairy. No chocolate or coffee. I don’t eat out. I brew kombucha and ferment pickles, eat a lot of salmon, grass fed beef, bone broth stew, tons and tons of carrots. Some seasonal fruit. Some sweet potatoes, some tubers. I like vegetables, was never a huge meat fan (maybe my low HCL issues) but I’m getting there and like to cook.

Pills etc: psych meds are lithium, lexapro, seroquel, topamax (bipolar cocktail); naturopath has me on thorne prenatals and 5-mthf (I am not pregnant but because of my celiac she wants me to load up on vitamins), betaine HCL, pancreatic enzymes, barlean’s 3-6-9 liquid fish oil, probiomax probiotics (30 billion), Vitamin D 5000

Exercise: I walk home from work, through the arboretum in Seattle, about 4.5 miles, a few days a week. It’s amazing. No weight training, but I want to.

2. What is my function? Broken appetite signaling?

Andie says,

Hi all. Love the podcast. Love Practical Paleo. Love everything ya’ll do. Rock on. Here’s my thing. I have little to no appetite, accept in the later part of the day. I can go a full 12 hours in the am and not eat and be fine, but around 8pm or so I feel hungry. What is my function? I normally do not have time (i.e I like to sleep) in the morning for a good paleo breakfast so I skip it (maybe have an HB egg or two) and then go until lunch/dinner. I eat before bed, sometimes more than I want to. I see this as kind of a comforting reward too. I usually have my carbs at the end of the day. So what can I do to regulate my body back to a normal eating pattern. I have eaten 3 meals a day normally before (honestly I do better with 2) but still. I kinda want to feel hunger like all the rest of the world. Could this be maybe a thyroid problem? Eat paleo, try to get organic when can, grass fed beef, tons of canned fish, and eggs. Veggies and fruit. Little nuts. Butter and olive oil and avocado. Cheats include sugar or chocolate, sometimes yogurt. And a Corona with friends over mexican food. I sleep about 7 hours a night. Take ambient, magnesium, birth control, and fish oil. Exercise 3 times a week moderate. Pilates and cycling.

3. Tongue affected by overall toxicity of the body?

Nicole says,

Hello Diane and Liz, First off I am completely obsessed with your Podcasts. It’s actually been helping me through a pretty rough time in my life and your humor, frankness and clarity have helped keep me afloat and focus on myself. My questions is strange and moderately gross, so here goes…. For the past couple years I’ve been noticing some strange things going on with my tongue: Weird white coating and enlarged bumps toward the base. I think the bumps have increased in number and size over the past year or two and the white coating waxes and wanes in terms of amount and severity (like the coating increases when I up m sugar intake), sometimes I even feel a strange sensation on my tongue, like a tingling or burning, and it’s gotten to the point in the past where I felt like it severely interfered with my taste buds. From what I’ve read and know, I’m sure the white coating is some sort of detox situation, but I’m not sure about the bumps, there are probably 6-10 back there. They’re not totally painful, perhaps a little tender upon brushing them with my tooth brush. I use a tongue scraper almost daily and have a rather natural self care routine (DIY deodorant, natural toothpaste, and junk-free shampoo and Dr. Bronners soap). I think this issue has something to do with the overall toxicity of my body, but was wondering if you had any knowledge or input on this, especially in regards to the bumps. Speaking of toxicity, I suffer from IBS with constipation leanings. Take probiotics and Vitamin C supplements but struggle with becoming regular.

I’ve got a pretty rocky health back story. Have a history with IBS and acid reflux, off and on acid blockers and habitual use of Tums from age 14-20. The doctors just put me on Zoloft at 14 after they couldn’t figure out the root cause of my stomach pain. Off and on birth control from 15-20 too. Smoked cigaraettes and was a wild child partier, but oh my how times have changed…. I am pretty sure all this madness has lead to some MAJOR hormonal and brain chemistry imbalances that I’m currently struggling with to whip back in shape (It’s been over 2 years since my menstrual cycle, major mood swings, irritability, seriously intense sugar cravings and bouts of depression). Combine that with a year of vegan/raw foodism that eventually led to severe hormonal acne, leaky gut, probable candida, adrenal fatigue and some major emotional food issues. Ugh…What a mess…But the reintroduction of meat has been a good send. I am not 0 paleo, as I am wary not to be too restrictive, my eating disordered past crazy hormones= Binge Central. I cook paleo foods only for myself but sometimes eat non-paleo foods when eating out. Over the past year my eating habits have been pretty inconsistent, very much on and off the wagon (perfectionism self destructive tendencies= inconsistency). Also a stress addict, worry wart, self deprecator (I’m working on it!). Exercise includes: Casual walks in the mornings, bike rides, light yoga and weighted hoola hooping (I’m obsessed-you should totally try it)

Current eats: Eggs, Onions, and Fruit for Breakfast (apple, peaches or sometimes a banana). Tuna, Turkey or Chicken for lunch with greens, and Veggies. Chicken, Fish or Sausage, Beef, Lamb for Dinner with greenbeans, artichokes, butternut squash, kale, mushrooms, broccoli, sweet potatoes. Snacks include celery, apples, almond butter, cashew butter, sugar snap peas, chia puddings and coconut flour mug muffins. Addicted to raw sauerkraut and Kombucha. Morning glasses of apple cider vinegar or lemon water.

Woah. Apologies that I just basically cried you a river, I think I just wanted to complain to you about my health problems and hear your hilarious input on my bodily functions. Love you guys

 

4. I feel like the Willie Wonka blueberry girl/Dolly Parton mutant… Help!

Kym Says,

I have been listening to your podcasts during my commute to and from work. I had to buy a note pad to begin writing things down as I listen! It seems that I heard something about estrogen in one of the episodes and can’t find it now. My cycles are regular but about 1-2 weeks before my period begins (closer to two weeks), I begin feeling like I had over night implants put in my breasts. I also get very gassy and looser stools. My period starts and suddenly the balloons in my bra deflate and go back to their normal size. I absolutely hate this. Is this just because I’m 47? I eat strict paleo, rarely any nuts or fruit, am addicted to the Green Pastures fermented cod liver oil, take Progon B as prescribed by my naturopath. I have one Americano a day and that’s in the morning. I’m so excited when my period starts because I know for a short period of time my body will feel normal, dread the two weeks that I feel like th e Willie Wonka blueberry girl/Dolly Parton mutant. I also take a small dose of Armour for my thyroid which I know has corn in it but the symptoms are better on that than when I was on levothyroxine. I tested positive for gluten sensitivity and read every label, eat only whole foods. No dairy, no grain, no paleofyde foods and no legumes. I eat sauerkraut several times a week (because you said so! lol.

5. Following Paleo I am STARVING post Gastric Bypass

Andrea says,

1. If everything alive has anti-nutrients then where are the anti-nutrients in veggies? And why aren’t they bothersome?

2. Tell me everything you know about post-op Roux-en-y gastric bypass nutrition. Specifically, how often to be eating, how much, do I need to cook my veggies more, etc.

3. I have always been told that I have to use supplemental protein powders because of my inability to consume large amounts of protein because of my gastric bypass. How much protein do you recommend for a post-op gastric bypass patient, and if I cannot eat enough of these, do you recommend supplementing with a protein powder, and if so, which kind? Why does whey protein not cause allergies? What about brown rice protein? I’m told that the anti-nutrients are gone when it is just the brown rice protein… is this true?

4. Following Paleo I am STARVING — see information below My story: 8 years ago I was 5’9″ tall and weighed 335. I was 29 years old and overweight my entire life. I had a Roux-en-y gastric bypass operation and quickly lost 175lbs. I stayed at 185 for about a year. Got married, gained 20lbs. Then got pregnant, beginning weight 205, end pregnancy weight 270. Lost back down to 215, then pregnant again and end pregnancy weight was 260. I overdid cardio and extreme calorie restriction to get back down to 220lbs, and then got ill from malnutrition (both from the almost vegan eating and the gastric bypass combined), and adrenal fatigue. I had a series of tests done that showed I have way too low cholesterol (125), not enough progesterone, low cortisol in the am and afternoon and rising a tiny bit at 10pm, absolutely zero vitamins and minerals in my blood. My wonderful naturopath suggested weekly iv vitamin therapy, and a change to a paleo diet. I have now eliminated soy, grains, dairy, almost all sugar (tiny bit of cane sugar in m y 1TB coconut coffee creamer 4grams), and am feeling better, but I am STARVING. Hungry all the time. My ND suggested adding in a bit of fruits (1/4 of a peach with a meal), to bring my blood sugar up a bit, to turn off the hunger feeling. That or adding in a very small amount of brown rice, quinoa, etc to help in the transition. I feel full after I eat, but within an hour I am hungry again. Not sure if this is just my body learning to regulate, and I need to be patient, or if I’m doing something wrong. I am not exercising at this time, as I am just too tired. I have 2 little kids 3&5, and I own my own massage business (part time) and teach A&P at a local massage college. I am doing meditation 3-5 times a week, and am working hard on the self care. I sleep from about 10pm-7am daily, although I must wake 3-4times a nite to pee, put a kid back to bed, roll over, etc.

I’d say I’m 100% paleo for the last 2 weeks.

Breakfast: 3 scrambled eggs, 1 applegate turkey sausage link, 1 pumpkin pancake (from Diane’s book, thank you Diane!).

Snack: 2 hrs later – Apple with 2 TB almond butter Lunch – salad with 4-6oz meat and oil/vinegar mix – 1/4 – 1/2 of a peach or nectarine.

Snack 2 hours later: Coconut wrap with 1/2 can tuna mixed with coconut oil and pickles.

Dinner – 4-6 oz roasted chicken with small sweet potato and small green salad.

Then I’m starving at night, trying to keep myself from eating everything in the house. I’ve lost 10 lbs in the last 2 weeks, which is great, but I’m having a hard time keeping up being this hungry. I just cannot eat anymore at meal times, as I feel stuffed and I don’t want to feel sick from eating too much. And I can’t see eating anymore than every 2 hours. I have to stop drinking liquid 1/2 hr before I begin eating, then eat, then wait 1/2 hour to begin liquids again, and so basically I have 1/2 hour to get down as much liquid as I can to only then stop, because in 1/2 hour I’m going to need to eat again. Apparently we post-ops cannot drink with our meals because it washes the food out of our pouch to quickly. What a mess. I’m discouraged and scared. Where to start?

Click here to submit questions.

Cheers!

Diane & Liz