Monthly Archives: March 2012

Healthy, Vibrant Skin Using the Paleomom Method

Posted by paleomominsalem in Paleo lifestyle and tagged with , , , ,

Just recently, I was asked by an acquaintance what I use on my skin.  She thought my skin looked very healthy and vibrant and she wanted to know what my secret was.  Well, the answer to the first question, what I use on my skin, was simple.  Soap.

We’ll come back to the soap in a minute.  Knowing how to take care of your skin is actually quite important when you think about it.  Your epidermis is the largest organ in your body.  It is responsible for most of what you feel all day long.  And, a healthy skin is often a reflection of a healthy inside.  Trying to fake this with cosmetics, lotions, or other chemical stuff is not as effective as achieving the real thing.

This gets to the answer to her second question, what my “secret” is.  The answer is slightly more complex than soap, but still very simple.  And it is not a secret.  I”ll share it with you here.

Paleomom’s Recipe for Healthy, Vibrant Skin

  1. Start the day by drinking 2 glasses (16 oz) of water first thing in the morning to re-hydrate your body
  2. Limit caffeine and coffee to one cup a day (two max!)  I’ve found that drinking more coffee  than that starts to impact my skin health.
  3. Eat a Paleo diet that includes plenty of healthy fats such as those found in fish, nuts, avocados, and healthy oils (olive & coconut).  The fats also help hydrate your skin.
  4. Drink water frequently throughout the day to continue to hydrate your body.
  5. When you exercise, choose exercise that causes you to sweat.  Sweating cleanses your pores.  Once you’re done, take a shower and wash your face.
  6. Avoid chocolate or any other foods that you find cause you to break out.  Honestly, since I gave up eating chocolate, my skin has been very healthy.  I actually tested this and found that if I eat chocolate, I break out.
  7. Sleep at least eight hours at night.  A good night’s sleep will rejuvenate your whole body, including your skin.

That’s it, no kidding.  Simple.  Great skin from the inside out.  No gimmicks,  No rinses, goop, masks, or other stuff.

Now, back to the soap.  I do have a few simple requirements for that soap that I use.  I avoid store-bought soaps. Most of them aren’t actually soap, they’re detergent in a bar.  Instead, I use a locally produced, traditional soap made from olive oil and scented with essential oils.  Not only do I support a local artisan in my  community, but I also get a great product.  If you’re interested in getting hand-made soap, look for a local artisan or check out my favorites at Slab Soap Company.

Strawberry Lemonade – Fulfilling a Craving in Sugar-Free Style

Posted by paleomominsalem in Recipes and tagged with , , , ,

After working strenuously in the garden for the first half of spring break, I found myself with a craving for strawberry lemonade.  Given the strength of the craving, you’d think that I’d be laboring away in the hot sun.  But no, this is the Pacific Northwest, and I have been laboring in the rain.  Regardless, I still wanted strawberry lemonade!  All the old, sugary, Country Time Lemonade went out in my purge of the pantry.  So, I came up with this quick to make, sugar-free, and completely Paleo strawberry lemonade.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Juice lemons and strawberries in a juicer and pour juice into blender
  2. Fill the blender 1/3 full of ice
  3. Add cold water to the 1/2 way mark on the blender
  4. Add 1/8 to 1/4 tsp of Stevia
  5. Puree 1-2 minutes
  6. Pour and enjoy!

Wow!  This was so refreshing and I have to say, having made my own strawberry lemonade this way, I much prefer it to heavily processed, sugary concoctions from the grocery store.

Hungry for Change

Posted by paleomominsalem in Uncategorized

“Hungry for Change” is the new movie put out by the folk at FoodMatters.tv.  It is currently available free until March 31st, 2012 at http://www.hungryforchange.tv/.  I watched this movie online over two evenings and was amazed by the its content.  Hungry for Change delves into the fallacies of dieting and explains why diets don’t work.  I agree diets don’t work which is why I refer to my eating patterns as the Paleo lifestyle.

Not only that, but it also explores the over abundance of sugar in the average western diet and challenges the marketing of so-called “diet” foods, including diet soda.  All those bright shiny wrappers?  Designed to make you buy more.  The engineering of processed food?  Designed to make you eat more than you need.  Designed to make you crave the food.  Why?  So companies can sell you food.

If you’re sitting on the fence about changing your lifestyle, watch this movie.  This is not a “paleo” focused movie.  However, everything recommended in the movie ties nicely to the paleo lifestyle.  This movie encourages elimination of sugar and significant increases in intake of real foods – fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats and proteins.

My big take away?  Add the juicing of greens to my morning routine and reinforce my lifestyle choices by telling myself, “I can have (fill in the blank – usually chocolate) but I don’t want it” instead of giving myself the deprivation message of, “I can’t have (fill in the blank).”

Eating Out in Paleo Style

Posted by paleomominsalem in Paleo lifestyle, Tips & Tools and tagged with , , ,

Following the Paleo Lifestyle and eating out can present interesting challenges.  I have found that these are even more challenging if you have anyone in your family who is absolutely gluten intolerant or suffering from celiac disease. The Paleo Lifestyle is great for the gluten-free, it is a completely wheat, barley and rye free diet.  However, the challenge really comes when eating out and you have to make absolutely sure that your restaurant can support a truly gluten-free diet.

It seems like at restaurants I’m always ordering either a salad or grilled steak/chicken/fish and vegetables (hold the potato please!)  However, this can get a bit boring after a while.  It is also important to make sure that none of the spices or sauces added to the grilled meats contain any gluten.

For a long time, it seemed like I never got food out for my family.  However, this week I’ve had several successes, so I thought it worth sharing.

First, I made a trip to the nearest Thai restaurant where I ordered Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut) soup.  This wonderful, spicy soup is gluten-free and made with coconut milk.  I ordered ours with chicken and enjoyed.  I should point out that one should be careful of some other items on the menu. Soy sauce is not gluten-free and it can be hard to tell which menu items contain it and which don’t.

Next, I found a local burger store (Willamette Valley Burger Co) that uses locally grown beef or lamb for their burgers.  Upon request they will prepare a burger without a bun.  I ordered a grilled chicken breast topped with lettuce, tomato, fried onions and bacon and it was delicious.  I also discovered upon asking that they prepare their home-made french fries in a completely gluten-free environment (see my comments on eating potatoes You Say Potato, I Say Replace It) However, if you’re going to have a french fry, this is the way to do it.

It isn’t impossible to eat out and stay with your Paleo Lifestyle.  It can be done.  Here are some quick tips to do this successfully:

  • Call ahead or look up the restaurant’s menu online.  This will help you know what type of foods you think you’ll be able to order.
  • Ask questions about the menu items – feel free to ask if menu items contain sugar, come with sides that you don’t want to eat, or if items can be substituted.
  • Make your own menu item.  I do this a lot.  Most places are very nice when I ask, as I do at my local Mexican restaurant, to hold the beans, rice and tortillas and please give me a salad with my grilled veggies and meat.
  • Explain your situation – for people with gluten intolerance, celiac disease, diabetes, allergies, or any other health issue share your concerns with your server about the menu items.  I can’t eat beans.  That’s all there is to it.  So, I make sure that it’s clear that beans will make me ill.  No restaurant employee wants a customer to be sick from eating their food.
  • View educating your server as part of the process of eating out.  I’ve taken several classes in hospitality and tourism management and food service staff are learning more and more all the time about food issues.  Often you’ll find an ally within the restaurant staff who is willing to help you out.
  • Give a good tip and support those restaurants that support you.

While eating a home cooked meal is often healthier and more economical than eating out, don’t deprive yourself of a break out of fear of eating the wrong thing or not being able to find something to eat.  Do your homework, communicate with the restaurant staff, and enjoy your dinner out.

All Produce Is Not Created Equal

Posted by paleomominsalem in Paleo lifestyle and tagged with , , , ,

I am a big proponent of eating organically and locally produced foods as much as possible.  Pesticides should be avoided as much as possible in one’s diet.  Why?  Well, let’s face it, most pesticides at use today were originally developed as neurotoxins for chemical warfare.  They can’t possibly be contributing to our health and well being.  In short, they impact our immune system, brain chemistry and metabolism.

However, eating organic produce does have a drawback.  Organically grown produce can be very expensive and not everyone has an unlimited food budget.  I strongly believe that it is best to purchase organic produce whenever possible to reduce your exposure to the many pesticides that are in our foods.  Pesticides that cause lasting health issues and stay in your body far longer than the food they came with.

Can washing and peeling food help?  Yes, it certainly can.  However, even good washing does not remove all pesticides from food and you lose valuable nutrients when you peel foods.

What are some realistic remedies for the high cost of organic goods?

  • Grow your own – even if you have limited space, you can grow a lot of vegetables and fruits in containers (sometimes even inside).  Tomatoes, carrots, radishes, blueberries, greens (lettuce, spinach, kale, chard), and many more grow well in containers
  • Join a CSA.  CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  A CSA subscription gives you weekly access to organic produce throughout the growing season.  Membership in a CSA also has the added benefit of supporting local agriculture.  You can search for a local CSA at http://www.localharvest.org/csa/
  • Use your organic foods budget to purchase those foods most likely to be contaminated by pesticides using the list provided by foodmatters.org below:For more information check out their site at http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/a-shoppers-guide-to-pesticides

You Say Potato, I Say Replace It!

Posted by paleomominsalem in Paleo lifestyle and tagged with , , ,

One of the most commonly eaten vegetables in the United States today is the potato.  Worldwide over 314,140,107 tons of potatoes were produced in 2008 alone (statistic thanks to the National Potato Council).  In the US and Europe there are popular potato dishes that go with every meal: hash browns, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, french fries, potato chips or crisps, etc.  In fact, it is not unusual to see potatoes at almost every meal.  And they are frequently served in their least healthy forms: french fries and potato chips.  In the United States alone, the consumption of potato products averaged to 116.8 lbs per person.  The National Potato Council broke this down into 36.6 lbs fresh potatoes and 80.2 lbs processed potatoes (50 lbs frozen, 17 lbs chips & shoe strings, 12.4 lbs dehydrated, .8 lbs canned potatoes).

Much controversy surrounds the potato and whether it is appropriate for the Paleo Lifestyle.  On the plus side, the potato is a whole food.  It requires very little processing to eat, and contains a lot of nutrients.  On the down side, for people who struggle with blood sugar and insulin challenges, potatoes have a very high glycemic index.  While the Paleo Lifestyle is generally very good for diabetics, hyperglycemia,  and people suffering from metabolic syndrome (pre-diabetes), including potatoes in the Paleo Lifestyle adds high-powered carbs that will cause blood sugar fluctuations.  Sweet potatoes, on the other hand, have a much lower impact on glycemic index and are a better choice.

So, should you eat potatoes in the Paleo Lifestyle?  Well, that’s an individual choice.  If you are healthy and not at risk for or suffering any blood sugar related illnesses, then it is probably Ok to occasionally include potatoes in your diet.  I would recommend sticking with baked or roasted potatoes.  Heavily processed potato products like fries and chips are definitely not Paleo!

However, if you are looking to replace potatoes in your diet, here are some options to consider:

  • Mashed cauliflower
  • Baked sweet potato
  • Sweet potato wedges
  • Salad greens (I serve sauce based dishes that would normally be served over potatoes over salad greens instead)
  • Steamed broccoli (see comment under salad greens)
  • Cauliflower grits
  • Cauliflower rice
  • Grilled kohl rabe

Another way to replace potatoes on your plate is to just add another vegetable.  Often we’re trained that a meal comes with meat, vegetable, and potato.  Pick any one or more vegetables to fill in the potato spot.  Finding new items to fill the potato spot can be fun and challenging.

Avoiding Added Sugar

Posted by paleomominsalem in Paleo lifestyle and tagged with , , ,

One of the biggest benefits and challenges of the Paleo Lifestyle is maintaining a sugar-free diet.  I find it to be one of the biggest benefits because I find that eating a diet free of sugar keeps my energy levels and blood sugar very steady throughout the day.  I don’t have the energy highs and lows that I used to have on my old low-fat, high-carb diet.

Keeping sugar out of my food becomes a huge challenge every time I go to the grocery store.  I’m absolutely amazed, perhaps shocked, is a better word choice, at the amount of foods that have sugar or high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in them.  I work very hard to avoid both.  Here’s an example from my lunch time foray to the local health food store today.  I went for just a few simple things: ketchup, kale chips, and a salad to go with lunch.  Just three items from the health food store.  Out of six brands of ketchup, only one was unsweetened (the one I bought), one was sweetened with honey and the rest with cane sugar.  Since it is a health food store, it didn’t carry any of the major grocery store brands stuffed with HFCS.  I had to carefully read the ingredients on the back of the kale chips as several brands had sugar in them.  Seriously?  Sugar in cheesy kale chips?  And, last, but not least, my salad.  The only way to avoid sugar in my spinach salad was to avoid putting the dressing on it.

Sugar pops up in places that you least expect it – kale chips, canned tomatoes, etc.  I strongly recommend reading labels very carefully to make sure that you know what is in the food you are buying.  Avoid assuming that just because it is a can of carrots there won’t be any sugar in it.  It makes sense that you wouldn’t find sugar in it, but check anyway.  Remember that sugar can also be listed under many different names.  Here’s a good list from Get the Sugar Out, Revised and Updated 2nd Edition: 501 Simple Ways to Cut the Sugar Out of Any Diet

  • barley malt
  • beet sugar
  • brown sugar
  • buttered syrup
  • cane-juice crystals
  • cane sugar
  • caramel
  • carob syrup
  • corn syrup
  • corn syrup solids
  • date sugar
  • dextran
  • dextrose
  • diatase
  • diastatic malt
  • ethyl maltol
  • fructose
  • fruit juice
  • fruit juice concentrate
  • glucose
  • glucose solids
  • golden sugar
  • golden syrup
  • grape sugar
  • high-fructose corn syrup
  • honey
  • invert sugar
  • lactose
  • malt syrup
  • maltodextrin
  • maltose
  • mannitol
  • molasses
  • raw sugar
  • refiner’s syrup
  • sorbitol
  • sorghum syrup
  • sucrose
  • sugar
  • turbinado sugar
  • yellow sugar

Watching for hidden sugars in your food will help you remove them from your diet and build an even healthier lifestyle.

Quick & Easy Paleo Tacos

Posted by paleomominsalem in Recipes and tagged with , , ,

Tacos were a huge staple in our house before we went Paleo, and I’m happy to report they haven’t gone away.  I have yet to be successful making a coconut flour tortilla, so until I am, I have gone a different direction in creating “shells” for my tacos.  We use zucchini “shells” but you could use summer squash or any other type of squash, just modify the cooking time.

Ingredients:

  • zucchini (2 per person)
  • 1-2 lbs ground lamb, bison or beef
  • unsweetened ketchup
  • garlic powder
  • sliced olives
  • avocado or guacamole
  • taco sauce
  • diced tomato

Directions:

  • Add ground meat, unsweetened ketchup (to personal taste, I use quite a bit) and garlic powder to frying pan and cook until the meat is browned
  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Slice zucchini in half and scoop out the insides (reserve for use in later recipe – for example almond flour zucchini muffins) creating a “boat”
  • Lay zucchini “shells” on cookie tray and stuff with browned meat
  • Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.
  • Add olives, avocado, guacamole, taco sauce, diced tomato and any other toppings you like
  • Serve

 

Agave or Maple Glazed Ribs

Posted by paleomominsalem in Recipes and tagged with , , , ,

Here’s a recipe I modified today to have for a late lunch.  I used agave and I found that it brought out the subtle flavors in the pork.

Ingredients

  • 4lbs Pork Ribs (I prefer boneless)
  • 1/2 cup agave or maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 TBS olive oil
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • salt & pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking dish with foil
  2. Season ribs with salt & pepper (if you like – I’m not a big user of salt so I don’t bother with this step)
  3. Combine syrup, garlic, ginger, olive oil and lemon juice in bowl and whisk
  4. Spoon about a third of the mixture over ribs to coat.  Cover ribs with foil and bake 30 minutes
  5. Uncover, turn ribs over, and spoon more glaze on top.  Bake another 15-25 minutes until meat is tender and glaze is dark.

Serve with applesauce for a tasty meal.  Makes plenty of leftovers too.

Losing Weight with the Paleo Lifestyle

Posted by paleomominsalem in Paleo lifestyle, Tips & Tools and tagged with , , ,

One of the most amazing things I’ve learned following the Paleo diet is how easy it is to lose weight and maintain it.  Honestly, when I first started reading and learning about the Paleo diet, I was suspicious of the ability of this change in my lifestyle to promote weight loss and keep me at a healthy weight.  It seemed impossible to me that eating foods like meats, eggs, fish and nuts would help me lose weight.  Fruit and veggies, yes, I get that.  I’ve been told for years that fruits and veggies are important for health, but meats, eggs and nuts?  Really?

Well, it seemed crazy to me because I’d been inundated over the last 20+ years with the “eat foods low in fat” message.  This “nutritional guidance” has resulted in a food culture where people eat a lot more grains and sugar than the human body was designed to handle.  And now, instead of putting fat into foods, manufacturers replace the fat with sugar.  So it is “low-fat.” Until you eat it. Then the body processes the excess simple carbs into, you guessed it, fat!!  If you’re interested in learning all the really bad things that eating the “low-fat, high-carb” diet can do to your body, including promoting the onset of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, I strongly recommend the book Sugar Nation: the Hidden Truth Behind America’s Deadliest Habit and the Simple Way to Beat It by Jeff O’Connell.

I was also inundated  with the “eggs are bad because they have cholesterol” and the “avocados are bad because they are fatty” messages.  These messages were based on a very simplistic and incorrect understanding of what egg cholesterol and mono-unsaturated fats do in the body.  The type of cholesterol in eggs, for example, is now believed to be important in carrying bad cholesterol out of the bloodstream.  Eggs and avocados are two of the best foods around!  I love eating them.

Here are a few simple facts that help demonstrate why this shift in lifestyle promotes ongoing health:

  • Eating fat does not make you fat.
  • Eating lots of carbohydrates including sugars and grains can make you fat and leave feeling tired and hungry.
  • Eating fat and protein promote satiety (feeling full) and makes it easier to eat fewer total calories
  • Eating whole meats, fish, fruits, veggies, and nuts will leave you feeling full longer and limit blood sugar fluctuations
  • Eating fat and protein encourages your body to use fat as fuel instead of sugar.  Fat is a much more substantial fuel for the body.

I’ve been amazed at how quickly the Paleo Lifestyle improves overall health and fitness.  When I shifted to the Paleo Lifestyle, I lost 9 lbs in the first three weeks.   (I prefer Lifestyle because the term “diet” has become so punitive and fraught with negative connotations in our culture. It also implies a temporary measure to lose weight not a permanent lifestyle change.) I am now 17 lbs lighter than I was and holding steady at my ideal weight.  I’m also training for my first full length marathon.  An additional bonus, I no longer run out of energy at 3:30 in the afternoon.  The energy slumps caused by my old low-fat, high carb lifestyle are a thing of the past.

One person I know who started the Paleo lifestyle in January was unable to log into his computer this week using the facial recognition software.  Why?  Because he has lost so much weight, especially in his face, that the computer no longer recognized him based on his stored picture!  Another person I know made the shift to the Paleo lifestyle a couple of weeks ago.  Even within two weeks, the difference in her physical health was noticeable and she was dropping excess weight (not that she had much excess, but the shift in diet made an immediate difference).

If you’re still not sure, give the Paleo lifestyle a 30 day trial.  Check out my “Getting Started” page for a clear definition of what you can eat when you shift to a Paleo lifestyle, basic meal plans, and tips for implementing your new lifestyle.