I have been reading up on GAPS or Gut and Psychology Syndrome
"Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride holds a degree in Medicine and Postgraduate degrees in both Neurology and Human Nutrition." but sadly, it is the fact that she is a mother who was searching for answers for her sick child that holds more weight for me.
I was surprised at how similar her suggestions are to the research from Good Calories, Bad Calories
In particular, " Homemade meat stock, soups, stews and natural fats are not optional - they should be your patient's staples."
"Meat and fish stocks provide building blocks for the rapidly growing cells of the gut lining and they have a soothing effect on any areas of inflammation in the gut. That is why they aid digestion and have been known for centuries as healing folk remedies for the digestive tract. It is essential to use bones and joints, as they provide the healing substances, not so much the muscle meats."
"The gelatinous soft tissues around the bones and the bone marrow provide some of the best healing remedies for the gut lining and the immune system; your patient needs to consume them with every meal. "
"Adrenals love fat and cholesterol. So, as far as the diet is concerned, eat lots of animal fats with every meal and cholesterol-rich foods, such as egg yolks, sour cream, butter and fatty fish. "
"GAPS diet removes processed carbohydrates"
The idea of eating organ meats, bone marrow and gelatinous soft tissue still makes me a bit queasy. Eating meat so frequently gave me a head trip. (Poor furry things! Carbon Footprint!) Eating heavy cream and butter gave me nightmares (Literally!). It makes sense what is said... putting this into practice may toughen up my stomach. Oh, wait.. I suppose that is the whole point.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Orange Chicken
When I need an easy, tasty meal I often turn to a variation of this Chicken dish.
Add to the crockpot:
2 chicken breasts (chicken thighs work well too)
2 Tablespoons Orange Fruit Spread
1 Tablespoon Tamari
Cook on High for 5 hours or low for 8.
Shred the chicken with a fork.
Add in:
1 Package of Mixed Frozen Stir-fry Vegetables
1/2 head of chopped cabbage
Mix well and let cook for an additional 1/2 hour until vegetables are warm through.
As you can see, I tossed some cashews in the mix.
This is a "cheat" meal for us considering the Tamari and fruit spread. I haven't yet tried it with Raw Coconut Aminos. The fruit spread, while heavy on the carbs, has no refined sugar or HFCS and delivers a fantastic orange flavor.
Add to the crockpot:
2 chicken breasts (chicken thighs work well too)
2 Tablespoons Orange Fruit Spread
1 Tablespoon Tamari
Cook on High for 5 hours or low for 8.
Shred the chicken with a fork.
Add in:
1 Package of Mixed Frozen Stir-fry Vegetables
1/2 head of chopped cabbage
Mix well and let cook for an additional 1/2 hour until vegetables are warm through.
As you can see, I tossed some cashews in the mix.
This is a "cheat" meal for us considering the Tamari and fruit spread. I haven't yet tried it with Raw Coconut Aminos. The fruit spread, while heavy on the carbs, has no refined sugar or HFCS and delivers a fantastic orange flavor.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Porcupines
Porcupines are gluten-free and fun to make and eat. The rice expands and pokes out to make the meatballs look like a porcupine. If I am making it a paleo meal, I leave the rice out and add uncooked, fine-chopped cauliflower instead.
2 pounds hamburger, 1 onion, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon each of onion powder; salt, pepper, garlic salt; 1 cup
uncooked rice; mix together and shape into balls. Brown in a skillet; pour gluten-free tomato soup or mushroom soup over the top; simmer until rice is cooked, at least an hour. Serve with more rice or vegetables or whatever side dish you want.
Using cauliflower instead of rice works really well when cutting out grains. I use my food processor and chop a head of fresh cauliflower until it is fine ground and then cook it to use in any dish to replace rice.
2 pounds hamburger, 1 onion, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon each of onion powder; salt, pepper, garlic salt; 1 cup
uncooked rice; mix together and shape into balls. Brown in a skillet; pour gluten-free tomato soup or mushroom soup over the top; simmer until rice is cooked, at least an hour. Serve with more rice or vegetables or whatever side dish you want.
Using cauliflower instead of rice works really well when cutting out grains. I use my food processor and chop a head of fresh cauliflower until it is fine ground and then cook it to use in any dish to replace rice.
Gingerbread House
I was tired of trying to make gf gingerbread and decided to use chocolate molds for the holiday house this year. I have never made a good gluten-free gingerbread and who really eats the house after it is decorated anyway? A small gf graham cracker house is the best because it can be eaten right away. I love, love, love gingerbread with fresh whipped cream or applesauce.
The house turned out great and is actually already gone because it tasted so good.
The house turned out great and is actually already gone because it tasted so good.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thanksgiving Dinner
I work Thanksgiving day, so I spent some of my cooking day this weekend making Thanksgiving dinner for myself to take with me. It is not a cheat day, so I will have a paleo Thanksgiving dinner, but I am including gluten-free information as well. I am more about function than presentation and want my food to taste good, not necessarily look good.
Because I focus on practicle cooking and eating, I don't host many dinner parties. I do regularly feed a pack of ravenous 14-year-old boys and they have not complained about how the food looks. My sisters got all of the creative genes and can make a bowl of soup look gourmet. I'm lucky if I can put food on a plate before my son inhales it, so making it look nice isn't a high priority.
My Thanksgiving dinner looks like this: Turkey, yams with butter, cooked spinach with bacon mixed in, salad.
I have been eating it for almost every meal because there was so much turkey. You won't hear me complain. I froze quite a few meals for myself to take with me to my Moms as she is hosting dinner this year and told me to bring my own gluten-free stuff. Some people knock themselves out to accommodate food allergies and it is just too overwhelming for others. Try not to judge and always communicate with people who don't want to cook for you. It might be that they are scared of making you sick and it is too much anxiety. I am responsible for what I put in my mouth, no one else.
Side note: Holidays are especially hard for food allergy sufferers. Holiday memories are surrounded by food, smells, connections between people we love and the dinners we had with them. It is so difficult to separate those cherished memories from the foods associated with those memories. Many a tear has been shed because favorite foods could no longer be eaten for special days and the substitutes just don't cut it. What we have found is that creating new memories with new foods is extremely important. The holidays are stressful enough without feeling sorry for ourselves because we can't eat Grandma's special treats. We can feel picked on and sad and stay in bed watching netflix or we can find new holiday traditions and make new memories associated with our holiday foods.
Enough about shattered family dynamics, let's get our gluten-free Thanksgiving dinner on!
Turkey Get a gluten-free turkey, http://www.gfreefoodie.com/finding-a-gluten-free-turkey/
Mashed potatos
Gravy
Stuffing
Biscuits
Candied Yams
Mashed potatoes are so delicious. Peel and boil 8 potatoes and cook until tender, heat 1 cup of milk with 2 Tablespoons of real butter and then mix them all together until fluffy white. Add salt or pepper to taste.
Gravy is something gluten-free eaters miss and packaged mixes just don't taste that great. I have a few good recipes. The first is gluten-free the second is paleo.
Gluten-free gravy-Get all the ingredients together as you need to stir the whole time. Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a pan on low heat, add 1 Tablespoon of gf bisquik mix (or 1 Tablespoon of gf flour mix) and stir it until smooth. Slowly add 1 cup of turkey drippings/juice, stirring quickly the whole time and then slowly add 1 cup of heavy cream. Keep stirring over low heat until thickened to your approval. Add poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, celery salt, garlic salt or whatever seasonings you like.
Paleo gravy-Paleo gravy is simple and is actually called bearnaise sauce. Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter and let it cool. Separate 1 egg yolk from the egg white and whip it with a fork. Slowly stir the egg yolk into the cooled butter and then put the pan back on the stove on low heat. Slowly stir in 1 cup of turkey dripping/juice and cook until thick. Add poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, celery salt, garlic salt or whatever seasonings you like.
Biscuits-I used the new Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Bisquik and it is my new favorite choice for biscuits. The recipe is on the package.
Stuffing-I used half the batch of biscuits to make my stuffing. Crumble up the biscuits and let them dry out. On the stove top, melt 1/4 cup of butter (1 stick) and saute fine chopped onions and celery and add 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning to the butter mixture. I mixed the biscuit crumbles with the butter mixture and cooked it in a glass cake pan at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. It is really good with gravy on top.
Here is an actual recipe from my sister:
STUFFING
Yields a 9x12 pan
1 Cup onion
2 Cups celery
2 Cups margarine/butter
2 tsps salt
½ tsps pepper
2 Tbsp poultry seasoning
2 lbs (16 cups) dry bread pieces (make home made GF and dry it out in oven 275 for 30 minutes or until dry)
4 cups boiling water
Melt butter in a frying pan and sauté onion, celery and seasoning. Pour boiling water over the bread and stir until it is moistened. Add the butter mixture and stir well.
Bake uncovered for 1 hour at 350 degrees
Yams-I washed and sliced a yam and boiled it and put butter on it. That was my paleo yam. Here is the decadent and delicious gf recipe from my sister.
Five regular size yams (9 x 12 pan)
Peel, cube, boil until barely done, drain and pour into pan
Sauce pan, 1 stick of butter, two cups of brown sugar, stir over the top and bake it in the oven until it boils, about 30 minutes.
Making a turkey is a good idea any time of year. Having lean protein in the fridge ready to eat and to make soup or sandwiches is never a bad thing. Turkey is delicious and good for our bodies.
Because I focus on practicle cooking and eating, I don't host many dinner parties. I do regularly feed a pack of ravenous 14-year-old boys and they have not complained about how the food looks. My sisters got all of the creative genes and can make a bowl of soup look gourmet. I'm lucky if I can put food on a plate before my son inhales it, so making it look nice isn't a high priority.
My Thanksgiving dinner looks like this: Turkey, yams with butter, cooked spinach with bacon mixed in, salad.
I have been eating it for almost every meal because there was so much turkey. You won't hear me complain. I froze quite a few meals for myself to take with me to my Moms as she is hosting dinner this year and told me to bring my own gluten-free stuff. Some people knock themselves out to accommodate food allergies and it is just too overwhelming for others. Try not to judge and always communicate with people who don't want to cook for you. It might be that they are scared of making you sick and it is too much anxiety. I am responsible for what I put in my mouth, no one else.
Side note: Holidays are especially hard for food allergy sufferers. Holiday memories are surrounded by food, smells, connections between people we love and the dinners we had with them. It is so difficult to separate those cherished memories from the foods associated with those memories. Many a tear has been shed because favorite foods could no longer be eaten for special days and the substitutes just don't cut it. What we have found is that creating new memories with new foods is extremely important. The holidays are stressful enough without feeling sorry for ourselves because we can't eat Grandma's special treats. We can feel picked on and sad and stay in bed watching netflix or we can find new holiday traditions and make new memories associated with our holiday foods.
Enough about shattered family dynamics, let's get our gluten-free Thanksgiving dinner on!
Turkey Get a gluten-free turkey, http://www.gfreefoodie.com/finding-a-gluten-free-turkey/
Mashed potatos
Gravy
Stuffing
Biscuits
Candied Yams
Mashed potatoes are so delicious. Peel and boil 8 potatoes and cook until tender, heat 1 cup of milk with 2 Tablespoons of real butter and then mix them all together until fluffy white. Add salt or pepper to taste.
Gravy is something gluten-free eaters miss and packaged mixes just don't taste that great. I have a few good recipes. The first is gluten-free the second is paleo.
Gluten-free gravy-Get all the ingredients together as you need to stir the whole time. Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a pan on low heat, add 1 Tablespoon of gf bisquik mix (or 1 Tablespoon of gf flour mix) and stir it until smooth. Slowly add 1 cup of turkey drippings/juice, stirring quickly the whole time and then slowly add 1 cup of heavy cream. Keep stirring over low heat until thickened to your approval. Add poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, celery salt, garlic salt or whatever seasonings you like.
Paleo gravy-Paleo gravy is simple and is actually called bearnaise sauce. Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter and let it cool. Separate 1 egg yolk from the egg white and whip it with a fork. Slowly stir the egg yolk into the cooled butter and then put the pan back on the stove on low heat. Slowly stir in 1 cup of turkey dripping/juice and cook until thick. Add poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, celery salt, garlic salt or whatever seasonings you like.
Biscuits-I used the new Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Bisquik and it is my new favorite choice for biscuits. The recipe is on the package.
Here is an actual recipe from my sister:
STUFFING
Yields a 9x12 pan
1 Cup onion
2 Cups celery
2 Cups margarine/butter
2 tsps salt
½ tsps pepper
2 Tbsp poultry seasoning
2 lbs (16 cups) dry bread pieces (make home made GF and dry it out in oven 275 for 30 minutes or until dry)
4 cups boiling water
Melt butter in a frying pan and sauté onion, celery and seasoning. Pour boiling water over the bread and stir until it is moistened. Add the butter mixture and stir well.
Bake uncovered for 1 hour at 350 degrees
Yams-I washed and sliced a yam and boiled it and put butter on it. That was my paleo yam. Here is the decadent and delicious gf recipe from my sister.
Five regular size yams (9 x 12 pan)
Peel, cube, boil until barely done, drain and pour into pan
Sauce pan, 1 stick of butter, two cups of brown sugar, stir over the top and bake it in the oven until it boils, about 30 minutes.
Making a turkey is a good idea any time of year. Having lean protein in the fridge ready to eat and to make soup or sandwiches is never a bad thing. Turkey is delicious and good for our bodies.
Best Bread Ever
Making gluten-free bread is an enjoyable task and makes the house smell incredible. It tastes so good fresh out of the oven with butter and honey or jam and makes a great addition to any meal for the gluten-free eater. It is perfect for making stuffing and cheese sandwiches and toast. It can be time consuming with all of the ingredients gluten-free bread requires, but it is worth it to save money and have a product you made yourself and know is safe.
For those times when you need bread and don't have any on hand, UDIs has made the most excellent bread in the world. Smiths carries it as well as many other stores and you can find suppliers at the website www.udisglutenfree.com. When I first started purchasing UDIs, it was only $3.00 and it is now $6.00. It is worth every penny. I have tried MANY different kinds of breads, pre-made, pre-mixed as well as my own home-made and UDIs makes one of the best tasting breads. I prefer the brown rice bread to the white rice bread, but they are both great.
Another option for making bread is provided by King Arthur Flour http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/mixes/special-diet. You can purchase pre-made mixes ready to go in your bread machine or to mix and bake. The bread mix is really good and doesn't have the grainy texture or odd after taste of many mixes.
If you want to tackle the task of making your own bread, you can purchase all the ingredients from many health food stores or specialty stores and, even lately, mainstream stores. I am fortunate to have a wholesale place close to me which sells in bulk http://www.augasonfarms.com/Products/Gluten-Free and they ship as well. They have great options with food storage, bulk storage and buying what you need for a better price.
Gluten-Free Flour Mix
This will substitute for flour straight across with any recipe pretty well and is taken from Bette Hagman's book. Mix it and store it for easy use in an airtight tub or big zip lock bag.
6 cups rice flour (white or brown or a mix, we like to buy brown rice in bulk and grind it ourselves).
2 cups potato starch (not potato flour as they are different).
1 cup tapioca starch
For those times when you need bread and don't have any on hand, UDIs has made the most excellent bread in the world. Smiths carries it as well as many other stores and you can find suppliers at the website www.udisglutenfree.com. When I first started purchasing UDIs, it was only $3.00 and it is now $6.00. It is worth every penny. I have tried MANY different kinds of breads, pre-made, pre-mixed as well as my own home-made and UDIs makes one of the best tasting breads. I prefer the brown rice bread to the white rice bread, but they are both great.
If you want to tackle the task of making your own bread, you can purchase all the ingredients from many health food stores or specialty stores and, even lately, mainstream stores. I am fortunate to have a wholesale place close to me which sells in bulk http://www.augasonfarms.com/Products/Gluten-Free and they ship as well. They have great options with food storage, bulk storage and buying what you need for a better price.
Gluten-Free Flour Mix
This will substitute for flour straight across with any recipe pretty well and is taken from Bette Hagman's book. Mix it and store it for easy use in an airtight tub or big zip lock bag.
6 cups rice flour (white or brown or a mix, we like to buy brown rice in bulk and grind it ourselves).
2 cups potato starch (not potato flour as they are different).
1 cup tapioca starch
Homemade Rice Bread, Recipe #1
Yields 2 small loaves
Heat oven to 200 degrees
Combine and let sit while you put dry ingredients together
1 ¾ cups warm water to activate the yeast
1 Tablespoon yeast
2 Teaspoons sugar
In the mixer stir:
2 cups of rice flour either white or brown or combination
2/3 cup potato starch (not potato flour)
½ cup tapioca flour (tapioca starch and tapioca flour are the same thing)
2/3 cup dry milk
2/3 cup whey protein powder (wild oats, nutrition stores, check for GF)
1 ½ Tablespoons Xanthan gum
1 Tablespoon salt
After blending the dry ingredients, add:
Yeast mixture
3 eggs or egg substitute equivalent
¼ cup oil (we usually used vegetable oil, but now favor coconut oil).
Mix until fully blended. The dough is very soft. Split the dough between 2 small, greased bread pans (small pans cook the middle best). If you wet your hand with water or oil, it is easier to pat down the dough to smooth it out.
Cook:
200 degrees for 30 minutes and then turn up the oven to
350 degrees for 30 minutes
Cool in the pan and then slice and serve or store in the fridge or freezer. It goes stale much faster than regular bread and needs to be in an airtight container or in the fridge or freezer.
Homemade Rice Bread, Recipe #2
Yields: 1 large loaf
3 cups GF Flour mix of your choice
¼ cup sugar
3 ½ tsp xanthan gum
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ Tablespoon yeast
1 ¾ cup warm water
1 ¼ cup oil (vegetable or coconut)
1 tsp rice vinegar
3 eggs or equivalent egg substitute
Mix flour, sugar, xanthan gum and salt together in a mixer bowl. Make a hole or dip in the mixture and put the dry yeast in the dip. Combine oil and vinegar and warm water in a separate bowl and then pour it on top of the yeast to activate the yeast and let it sit for 3 minutes.
Mix everything together on low speed and then add the eggs and mix until combined on high speed for 5 full minutes.
Grease loaf pans and spoon in batter and let it rise or 20 minutes. As the bread is almost ready heat the oven 200 degrees.
Cook:
200 degrees for 30 minutes and then turn up the oven to
350 degrees for 30 minutes
Bread is something which is very hard for most people to go without. When I first started trying to eat gluten-free, a hot, fresh roll at a restaurant wasn't something I could pass up. Over time, the consequence of the gluten outweighs the craving and it stops looking like a hot, steaming enticement and more like a long time in the bathroom later. Although I eat paleo 6 days out of the week, on my cheat day it is the bread I want most. I eat gluten-free all the time, even on cheat days, and enjoy rice bread and rice products on that cheat day. Remember that everyone is unique and has a different chemistry and different set of food allergies. You have to find what works best for you and how your body responds and heals to different foods. Rice bread once a week is one thing that allows me to stay focused on eating healthy. It truly is the little things that make us happy.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Salad Dressing
Salads are a huge part of eating paleo and gluten-free. Finding a dressing you like can be a challenge, especially for those eating paleo or gluten-free for the first time. I make my own dressing with olive oil or coconut milk and oil or use Bolthouse Farms which uses apple juice as a sweetener instead of sugar.
I especially love the asian ginger dressing and have used it to marinate chicken.
I especially love the asian ginger dressing and have used it to marinate chicken.
Cooking Day
Yesterday it snowed and it was beautiful. It is also the perfect day to stay inside with the oven on and the pots boiling on the stove top and get my cooking done for the week. I have found that I eat much better if I make meals in advance. Everyone is different and many people don't like frozen meals or left-overs. I don't mind them at all and would rather have a home-cooked meal to grab out of the fridge or freezer if there just isn't time to make something.
I went to the store and bought chicken legs, hamburger, pork chops, chicken sausage and steak, fresh spinach, fresh baby carrots, fresh celery, fresh asparagus, frozen broccoli, frozen cauliflower, frozen artichoke hearts, coconut milk, coconut oil, bisquick gluten-free mix and chicken better than bouillon paste.
I cooked the meat in coconut oil with the exception of the chicken and I used olive oil for that because I like the taste better for chicken and the chicken skin tends to absorb the coconut oil to the point it tastes super greasy. Use the coconut oil if you are into the greasy chicken taste.
As the meat cooked, I steamed the frozen bags of vegetables in the microwave (these steam-able bags are great and perfect for work) and prepared the fresh vegetables to make a hamburger stew. I used half the hamburger to make patties and the other half to make stew, just like my Mother used to do. She had 101 recipes for hamburger and I still like the basic, cheap recipes she used. Stew meat is great too, but hamburger is much less expensive and makes more meals. My Dad is by far the better cook, but he worked two or three jobs and she really had to make a dollar stretch with 6 kids to feed. She tried so hard to feed us healthy meals, adding wheat germ and vital gluten to everything, making home-made whole wheat bread, poisoning us all with wheat.
Anyway, when everything was done, I let it cool and then bagged it up into meals in freezer bags. I put a piece of meat and two servings of vegetables, because that is what I like. I have found that 1 minute in the microwave thaws the food enough to transfer it to a plate and cook for another 2-3 minutes until warmed through. Depending on the freezer bag brand, the bag might melt to the food if left in the microwave too long. It doesn't taste that bad with a little melted freezer bag but I should be the only one to have to eat plastic.
I clean the bags after eating the contents and reuse them because plastic is made from oil and I'm trying to do my small part to reduce dependency on oil. My sister is great at canning and she cans hers when she can which is such a good idea. I'm working my way up to that. For now, it is enough to have meals in the fridge and freezer.
That is what the freezer looks stuffed with individual meals and stew in tupperware ready to warm and eat.
Remember that there is a good, better and best choice for all foods. Eat gluten-free and make good choices, eat better and focus on healthy eating and correct combinations for your blood sugar and eat best with grass-fed or wild protein, no sugar and good saturated fats.
I went to the store and bought chicken legs, hamburger, pork chops, chicken sausage and steak, fresh spinach, fresh baby carrots, fresh celery, fresh asparagus, frozen broccoli, frozen cauliflower, frozen artichoke hearts, coconut milk, coconut oil, bisquick gluten-free mix and chicken better than bouillon paste.
I cooked the meat in coconut oil with the exception of the chicken and I used olive oil for that because I like the taste better for chicken and the chicken skin tends to absorb the coconut oil to the point it tastes super greasy. Use the coconut oil if you are into the greasy chicken taste.
As the meat cooked, I steamed the frozen bags of vegetables in the microwave (these steam-able bags are great and perfect for work) and prepared the fresh vegetables to make a hamburger stew. I used half the hamburger to make patties and the other half to make stew, just like my Mother used to do. She had 101 recipes for hamburger and I still like the basic, cheap recipes she used. Stew meat is great too, but hamburger is much less expensive and makes more meals. My Dad is by far the better cook, but he worked two or three jobs and she really had to make a dollar stretch with 6 kids to feed. She tried so hard to feed us healthy meals, adding wheat germ and vital gluten to everything, making home-made whole wheat bread, poisoning us all with wheat.
Anyway, when everything was done, I let it cool and then bagged it up into meals in freezer bags. I put a piece of meat and two servings of vegetables, because that is what I like. I have found that 1 minute in the microwave thaws the food enough to transfer it to a plate and cook for another 2-3 minutes until warmed through. Depending on the freezer bag brand, the bag might melt to the food if left in the microwave too long. It doesn't taste that bad with a little melted freezer bag but I should be the only one to have to eat plastic.
I clean the bags after eating the contents and reuse them because plastic is made from oil and I'm trying to do my small part to reduce dependency on oil. My sister is great at canning and she cans hers when she can which is such a good idea. I'm working my way up to that. For now, it is enough to have meals in the fridge and freezer.
That is what the freezer looks stuffed with individual meals and stew in tupperware ready to warm and eat.
Remember that there is a good, better and best choice for all foods. Eat gluten-free and make good choices, eat better and focus on healthy eating and correct combinations for your blood sugar and eat best with grass-fed or wild protein, no sugar and good saturated fats.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Pancakes
Wow. These pancakes are delicious. My son gobbled them down. I have finally found a way to get him to eat eggs. They taste like banana bread.
1 banana
1 teaspoon almond butter
1 egg
Add cinnamon or other spices if you wish
Blend the ingredients and slowly cook on the stove top on low heat in a non-stick pan.
(I doubled the recipe and used my blender and it looked like a smoothie).
I cooked half of the pancakes with butter and half with coconut oil to see what the difference would be in taste. I loved them both and they both cooked well. Remember not to use more than a teaspoon of coconut oil as it absorbs quickly into the pancake. Keep in mind that butter from pasture-fed cows, as opposed to grain-fed cows, is the best choice.
If I had a crepe machine, I would want to add more egg and make nice, thin crepes with this recipe and roll them up with yummy fillings. I want to keep experimenting with different flavors and mixtures because this is just so good.
It is an excellent snack or meal anytime and fulfills the triangle of health we shoot for with protein (egg), good carbs (banana) and good saturated fat (coconut oil or butter).
1 banana
1 teaspoon almond butter
1 egg
Add cinnamon or other spices if you wish
Blend the ingredients and slowly cook on the stove top on low heat in a non-stick pan.
(I doubled the recipe and used my blender and it looked like a smoothie).
I cooked half of the pancakes with butter and half with coconut oil to see what the difference would be in taste. I loved them both and they both cooked well. Remember not to use more than a teaspoon of coconut oil as it absorbs quickly into the pancake. Keep in mind that butter from pasture-fed cows, as opposed to grain-fed cows, is the best choice.
If I had a crepe machine, I would want to add more egg and make nice, thin crepes with this recipe and roll them up with yummy fillings. I want to keep experimenting with different flavors and mixtures because this is just so good.
It is an excellent snack or meal anytime and fulfills the triangle of health we shoot for with protein (egg), good carbs (banana) and good saturated fat (coconut oil or butter).
Chronic Illness and Firefighting
Chronic Illness and Firefighting
Having a chronic illness is similar to having a rubber tire fire raging through your body. Rubber tires burn a long time and require a lot of work and manpower to combat. The body tries to battle the blaze but there are only so many resources.
The body has a team of firefighters in the form of the immune system, specifically white blood cells, trying to keep the body healthy.
Everything we eat is processed by the body as a medicine, a poison or a neutral food. If we eat something that we cannot tolerate, our fire fighters must rush to combat the new threat. As we consume things which are viewed by the body to be poison, our immune system tries to fight, but resources are thin and tired.
When we eat foods which act like medicine to our body, we are not only leaving the fire fighters to continue working on the chronic problems, but we are, in effect, providing the National Guard to assist with the fighting
.
Having a chronic illness is similar to having a rubber tire fire raging through your body. Rubber tires burn a long time and require a lot of work and manpower to combat. The body tries to battle the blaze but there are only so many resources.
The body has a team of firefighters in the form of the immune system, specifically white blood cells, trying to keep the body healthy.
Everything we eat is processed by the body as a medicine, a poison or a neutral food. If we eat something that we cannot tolerate, our fire fighters must rush to combat the new threat. As we consume things which are viewed by the body to be poison, our immune system tries to fight, but resources are thin and tired.
When we eat foods which act like medicine to our body, we are not only leaving the fire fighters to continue working on the chronic problems, but we are, in effect, providing the National Guard to assist with the fighting
.
Whenever possible, we should make the choise to eat foods which do not harm us. Neutral foods don't cause problems, but foods which act like medicine will help us feel better and fight illness.
I read a book on eating right for my blood type and have incorporated it into my eating routine. I found the book at Barnes and Noble and try to eat foods which act as medicine whenever possible to leave my immune system free to work on fixing the long-term problems.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Avoiding Further Illness
Fighting viral and bacterial infections is a miserable situation for anyone. For those of us with auto-immune dysfunctions, it is a massive struggle. My kidney disease is one in which my white blood cells are confused. If I get a viral infection, the white blood cells are confused and attack my kidneys instead of attacking the virus. This makes my kidneys bleed and allows the viral infection to invade without resistance. My only real defense is to avoid getting a viral infection in the first place. This is why I am a germaphobe.
I cannot avoid every germ that comes my way, hard as I try. I have found a way to reduce my illnesses and it includes taking supplements and rinsing out my sinus cavity on a daily basis with saline (salt water).
I tried a neti pot before and found that this sinus rinse works better for me. I bought it at Walgreens and use it every day. Viral and bacterial infections take time to colonize in your nasal cavity, so rinsing out the nasal cavity with saline solution prevents the germs from taking hold and making you ill. We won't go over how many ways you can contract infections from the many orifices in the body because I will have a panic attack. What we can focus on today is that we have a tool to prevent nasal cavity colonization. The premixed packets are put in the bottle with warm water and you hang frontwards over the sink and gently and slowly squeeze the water up one side of the nose and then the other. I believe this simple, daily task has reduced my amount of colds and viral infections drastically.
Above is a picture of my box of vitamins and supplements I take every day. This does not include my prescription medications or what I add when I feel sick. When a person takes this many pills every day, it becomes a real drag. I have found that keeping drinks handy and taking the pills throughout the day works best for me and it helps me get my 8 glasses of water a day. I especially like to have a nice cup of green tea handy.
I like decaffeinated green tea and keep a kettle on the stove so I can have a nice cup anytime and take one or two pills at the same time.
Giving our body the tools it needs to combat illness is a big part of feeling well.
I cannot avoid every germ that comes my way, hard as I try. I have found a way to reduce my illnesses and it includes taking supplements and rinsing out my sinus cavity on a daily basis with saline (salt water).
I tried a neti pot before and found that this sinus rinse works better for me. I bought it at Walgreens and use it every day. Viral and bacterial infections take time to colonize in your nasal cavity, so rinsing out the nasal cavity with saline solution prevents the germs from taking hold and making you ill. We won't go over how many ways you can contract infections from the many orifices in the body because I will have a panic attack. What we can focus on today is that we have a tool to prevent nasal cavity colonization. The premixed packets are put in the bottle with warm water and you hang frontwards over the sink and gently and slowly squeeze the water up one side of the nose and then the other. I believe this simple, daily task has reduced my amount of colds and viral infections drastically.
Above is a picture of my box of vitamins and supplements I take every day. This does not include my prescription medications or what I add when I feel sick. When a person takes this many pills every day, it becomes a real drag. I have found that keeping drinks handy and taking the pills throughout the day works best for me and it helps me get my 8 glasses of water a day. I especially like to have a nice cup of green tea handy.
I like decaffeinated green tea and keep a kettle on the stove so I can have a nice cup anytime and take one or two pills at the same time.
Giving our body the tools it needs to combat illness is a big part of feeling well.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Almond Cookies
I love cookbooks and just got a new one from a school fundraiser. It had an easy and fast recipe for cookies and I tried it out today. They are very good cookies.
1 cup sugar
1 cup almond butter
1 egg
1. Preheat over to 350. Beat ingredients until well combined.
2. Shape dough into balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with fork.
3. Dust with sugar if desired and bake 10 minutes or until set. Cool completely.
The almond butter I used is MaraNatha brand, all natural, creamy.
These cookies are gluten-free, but not paleo due to the sugar. If made with a sugar substitute, I think they would still taste fine and be a good paleo treat.
I fulfilled my goal of being sugar-free for the paleo trial period and made the choice to go ahead and eat sugar through the holidays. At the end of December, I am going back to a strict paleo diet with a gluten-free cheat meal once a week. I sometimes will have a full cheat day, but a cheat meal works better for me. If I cheat all day long, I don't feel very well the next day. I keep a list of things I really, really miss and make sure I get my fill with my cheat meal. I always eat gluten-free and that isn't something I can fudge on. I choose to eat paleo because it makes me feel great and I have been losing weight as an added bonus.
So the cookies turned out great and were actually a little too sweet for me because I don't eat a lot of sugar. The cookbook was called "Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free Recipes" part of the Favorite All Time Recipes series.
Easy, Simple, Yummy goodness. Enjoy
I made this same recipe again and instead of sugar, used molasses for the sweetener. My sister is quite possibly the best gluten-free cook in the universe and suggested honey or molasses instead of sugar. I eat honey and molasses although neither are suggested for eating strictly paleo. Remember that no matter what you read or what your Doctor tells you, you are unique and your body responds differently to different foods. If I do not have a physiological response to a food, I keep it in my diet. Honey and molasses do not bother me in any way and I continue to eat them both.
1 cup almond butter
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1 dash of ground ginger
1 dash ground cloves
3 dashes ground cinnamon
The mixture was more runny with the molasses and wouldn't form into balls. Next try I am going to use 1/4 cup molasses or honey. I dropped the dough with spoons onto the ungreased cookie sheet and left them to cook longer, 15 minutes, as they weren't quite done in the middle. I love them. They taste like ginger bread. I was shooting for a snicker-doodle, but the ginger bread taste is so delicious. They would go great with vanilla ice-cream or some heavy whipped cream.
1 cup sugar
1 cup almond butter
1 egg
1. Preheat over to 350. Beat ingredients until well combined.
2. Shape dough into balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with fork.
3. Dust with sugar if desired and bake 10 minutes or until set. Cool completely.
These cookies are gluten-free, but not paleo due to the sugar. If made with a sugar substitute, I think they would still taste fine and be a good paleo treat.
I fulfilled my goal of being sugar-free for the paleo trial period and made the choice to go ahead and eat sugar through the holidays. At the end of December, I am going back to a strict paleo diet with a gluten-free cheat meal once a week. I sometimes will have a full cheat day, but a cheat meal works better for me. If I cheat all day long, I don't feel very well the next day. I keep a list of things I really, really miss and make sure I get my fill with my cheat meal. I always eat gluten-free and that isn't something I can fudge on. I choose to eat paleo because it makes me feel great and I have been losing weight as an added bonus.
So the cookies turned out great and were actually a little too sweet for me because I don't eat a lot of sugar. The cookbook was called "Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free Recipes" part of the Favorite All Time Recipes series.
Easy, Simple, Yummy goodness. Enjoy
I made this same recipe again and instead of sugar, used molasses for the sweetener. My sister is quite possibly the best gluten-free cook in the universe and suggested honey or molasses instead of sugar. I eat honey and molasses although neither are suggested for eating strictly paleo. Remember that no matter what you read or what your Doctor tells you, you are unique and your body responds differently to different foods. If I do not have a physiological response to a food, I keep it in my diet. Honey and molasses do not bother me in any way and I continue to eat them both.
1 cup almond butter
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1 dash of ground ginger
1 dash ground cloves
3 dashes ground cinnamon
The mixture was more runny with the molasses and wouldn't form into balls. Next try I am going to use 1/4 cup molasses or honey. I dropped the dough with spoons onto the ungreased cookie sheet and left them to cook longer, 15 minutes, as they weren't quite done in the middle. I love them. They taste like ginger bread. I was shooting for a snicker-doodle, but the ginger bread taste is so delicious. They would go great with vanilla ice-cream or some heavy whipped cream.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Fatigue and Carbohydrates
Fatigue
Fatigue is a constant companion for people with chronic illness. If a person has food allergies in addition to chronic illness, it is a major achievement to just get out of bed.
Having energy is a beautiful thing and cannot be taken for granted. Energy is something which takes planning and careful eating.
Energy level is directly related to to the foods we eat and don't eat, the amount we eat and what type of food we eat.
Every food has a carbohydrate load (amount) and a type (simple or complex). The carbohydrates and sugars that we eat directly influence the blood sugar level.
When blood sugar level is too high or too low, damage is occurring in our bodies. Keeping a steady, even, balance of carbohydrates is important because it allows a steady flow of energy.
Every person has a different chemistry and different set of health problems. I personally have found that eating six times a day with planning for carbohydrate load is beneficial to my energy level. I choose complex carbohydrates to initiate a slow burn of energy which lasts longer instead of simple carbohydrates which send short bursts of energy.
What works best for me is a breakfast with 60-90 carbohydrates, then a snack two hours later with 15-30 carbohydrates. Lunch 60-90, then a midday snack, 15-30. Dinner 60-90 and and late night snack 15-30 so that I don't feel hungry at night.
If you have insurance, have your Doctor due blood sugar testing to find out what your norm is and what you should aim for. If you don't have insurance, play with your carbs and make careful notes to see how you feel.
A food log can be the best indicator of energy level and health. Keep a food and health log and write down what you eat and how you feel. If you notice a headache, go back and see what you might have eaten to cause a headache. If you can't stay out of the bathroom due to intestinal distress, check your log to see what you ate to cause stomach issues.
Eventually, you will know what foods cause what health problem and the timeframe you have until the effect kicks in. This is especially helpful on your cheat days when you have something dairy and need to find a bathroom within the hour, or sooner.
Keeping a steady flow of complex carbohydrates in your diet and avoiding sugars and simple carbohydrates which spike and drop energy levels can help relieve fatigue.
Fatigue is a constant companion for people with chronic illness. If a person has food allergies in addition to chronic illness, it is a major achievement to just get out of bed.
Having energy is a beautiful thing and cannot be taken for granted. Energy is something which takes planning and careful eating.
Energy level is directly related to to the foods we eat and don't eat, the amount we eat and what type of food we eat.
Every food has a carbohydrate load (amount) and a type (simple or complex). The carbohydrates and sugars that we eat directly influence the blood sugar level.
When blood sugar level is too high or too low, damage is occurring in our bodies. Keeping a steady, even, balance of carbohydrates is important because it allows a steady flow of energy.
Every person has a different chemistry and different set of health problems. I personally have found that eating six times a day with planning for carbohydrate load is beneficial to my energy level. I choose complex carbohydrates to initiate a slow burn of energy which lasts longer instead of simple carbohydrates which send short bursts of energy.
What works best for me is a breakfast with 60-90 carbohydrates, then a snack two hours later with 15-30 carbohydrates. Lunch 60-90, then a midday snack, 15-30. Dinner 60-90 and and late night snack 15-30 so that I don't feel hungry at night.
If you have insurance, have your Doctor due blood sugar testing to find out what your norm is and what you should aim for. If you don't have insurance, play with your carbs and make careful notes to see how you feel.
A food log can be the best indicator of energy level and health. Keep a food and health log and write down what you eat and how you feel. If you notice a headache, go back and see what you might have eaten to cause a headache. If you can't stay out of the bathroom due to intestinal distress, check your log to see what you ate to cause stomach issues.
Eventually, you will know what foods cause what health problem and the timeframe you have until the effect kicks in. This is especially helpful on your cheat days when you have something dairy and need to find a bathroom within the hour, or sooner.
Keeping a steady flow of complex carbohydrates in your diet and avoiding sugars and simple carbohydrates which spike and drop energy levels can help relieve fatigue.
Egg Foo Yung, or, Scrambled Chicken
This meal is excellent for any time and is paleo and gluten-free. It is quick and easy for days where there is no energy to cook for an extended time or there just isn't much time. It is also a less expensive meal and perfect for those days when a pay check is still a week away and the cupboards are getting bare.
Ingredients: Egg, omega 3 fortified if possible. Costco chicken which is gluten-free, nitrate free and a great source of lean protein. V8 provides carbohydrates and fiber in the vegetables you need and the coconut oil provides good fat. Onion powder and garlic powder to season.
Warm a teaspoon of coconut oil in a pan and add onion powder and garlic powder to taste. Add the chicken after draining the liquid. Let the chicken warm while you beat two eggs and then add the eggs and continue to stir the chicken and eggs until it is done to your preference.
Drink your V8 with your meal and you fulfilled your need for protein, complex carbs (vegetables) and good fat.
Notes:
I avoid salt due to my kidney disease and use spices and seasonings which do not contain salt most of the time. Powdered seasonings work great for me and provide excellent substitutes for salt. I do make sure I get my daily amount of sodium or I don't feel well. Eggs which are omega 3 fortified are best and if you can afford them, the best choice. Costco chicken is a staple in my cupboard and can be used for so many different things. Costco has a list of gluten-free items for our convenience and is a good friend to the food allergy population.
When eating for optimal health, there is a good choice, a better choice and the best choice. Eating organic, pasture-fed protein and organic fruits and vegetables and snacks is the best choice. If you can find and afford wild, nitrate free, pasture-fed meats, choose them every time. If you are like me and either cannot afford them or do not know where to find them, make a good choice and eat gluten-free and do your best with everything else. I'm working my way up to eating perfectly paleo.
Ingredients: Egg, omega 3 fortified if possible. Costco chicken which is gluten-free, nitrate free and a great source of lean protein. V8 provides carbohydrates and fiber in the vegetables you need and the coconut oil provides good fat. Onion powder and garlic powder to season.
Warm a teaspoon of coconut oil in a pan and add onion powder and garlic powder to taste. Add the chicken after draining the liquid. Let the chicken warm while you beat two eggs and then add the eggs and continue to stir the chicken and eggs until it is done to your preference.
Drink your V8 with your meal and you fulfilled your need for protein, complex carbs (vegetables) and good fat.
Notes:
I avoid salt due to my kidney disease and use spices and seasonings which do not contain salt most of the time. Powdered seasonings work great for me and provide excellent substitutes for salt. I do make sure I get my daily amount of sodium or I don't feel well. Eggs which are omega 3 fortified are best and if you can afford them, the best choice. Costco chicken is a staple in my cupboard and can be used for so many different things. Costco has a list of gluten-free items for our convenience and is a good friend to the food allergy population.
When eating for optimal health, there is a good choice, a better choice and the best choice. Eating organic, pasture-fed protein and organic fruits and vegetables and snacks is the best choice. If you can find and afford wild, nitrate free, pasture-fed meats, choose them every time. If you are like me and either cannot afford them or do not know where to find them, make a good choice and eat gluten-free and do your best with everything else. I'm working my way up to eating perfectly paleo.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Coconut Oil
I eat a paleo diet and a gluten-free diet. Paleo is automatically gluten-free (gf) and much more strict than gluten-free. As if gf isn't already restrictive, eating paleo drastically reduces eating options. A person has to start focusing on what CAN be eaten rather than what cannot. When I first started, I made a list and kept it on the fridge so I could see what I could eat. Because I don't tolerate dairy products, coconut products have filled the role of milk and ice cream and creamer for my green tea. I have tried many, many products and these are two of my all time favorites.
Milk-The "so delicious" brand is an excellent choice and the unsweetened brand is my personal favorite. I buy it at Smiths on the aisle with boxed milk. It is great to have in the pantry as it does not need to be refrigerated until opened. I use it for cooking and drinking and prefer it to any soy or nut milk I have tried. The chocolate and the sweetened milk are also very good and I will have those on cheat days. Sugar doesn't make me feel ill and I do not have a physiological reaction to eating sugar, so it is the most difficult part of eating paleo. Having non-dairy milk has increased my eating options.
Oil-Also found at Smiths and many other stores, "LouAna" brand coconut oil is the best I have found. It doesn't have a coconut smell or taste so it is excellent for all cooking. It is solid when cool and can be used like shortening and lard. It becomes liquid above 77 degrees and is great for cooking. I also use this oil as body lotion and lip balm and face wash.
The book which drove home the information about oil and how man-made oils are hurting our health is written by Bruce Fife. His book, "The Coconut Oil Miracle" is a great resource and should be read by anyone suffering from food allergies and chronic illness. http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/
Milk-The "so delicious" brand is an excellent choice and the unsweetened brand is my personal favorite. I buy it at Smiths on the aisle with boxed milk. It is great to have in the pantry as it does not need to be refrigerated until opened. I use it for cooking and drinking and prefer it to any soy or nut milk I have tried. The chocolate and the sweetened milk are also very good and I will have those on cheat days. Sugar doesn't make me feel ill and I do not have a physiological reaction to eating sugar, so it is the most difficult part of eating paleo. Having non-dairy milk has increased my eating options.
Oil-Also found at Smiths and many other stores, "LouAna" brand coconut oil is the best I have found. It doesn't have a coconut smell or taste so it is excellent for all cooking. It is solid when cool and can be used like shortening and lard. It becomes liquid above 77 degrees and is great for cooking. I also use this oil as body lotion and lip balm and face wash.
The book which drove home the information about oil and how man-made oils are hurting our health is written by Bruce Fife. His book, "The Coconut Oil Miracle" is a great resource and should be read by anyone suffering from food allergies and chronic illness. http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/
Personal Care Items
Personal Items
Any personal items should be checked for gluten as it is absorbed into the body through the skin.
Deodorant, band-aids, shampoos (Suave, Pantene are good), lotions, toothpaste (Crest = GF), mouthwash (ACT/ Scope=GF), lotions, lip stuff, cologne/body sprays, anti-fungals, acne medicines, band-aids (rite-aid brand or Nexus=GF), medical tape (J&J=GF), Soap (Dove, Blue Irish Spring, White Dial=GF) Avon and Mary Kay make-up have many GF options.
Always, always check the ingredients and website and always check with the manufacturer if you have any questions. Over time, I have moved toward using coconut oil as a lotion and lip balm. I have very sensitive skin and unscented coconut oil heals my dry skin without making me break out.
If you are having a reaction to a personal care item, like facial break-outs or itchy eyes, it is not a good choice. If it hurts you on the outside, it is twice as bad inside!
Any personal items should be checked for gluten as it is absorbed into the body through the skin.
Deodorant, band-aids, shampoos (Suave, Pantene are good), lotions, toothpaste (Crest = GF), mouthwash (ACT/ Scope=GF), lotions, lip stuff, cologne/body sprays, anti-fungals, acne medicines, band-aids (rite-aid brand or Nexus=GF), medical tape (J&J=GF), Soap (Dove, Blue Irish Spring, White Dial=GF) Avon and Mary Kay make-up have many GF options.
Always, always check the ingredients and website and always check with the manufacturer if you have any questions. Over time, I have moved toward using coconut oil as a lotion and lip balm. I have very sensitive skin and unscented coconut oil heals my dry skin without making me break out.
If you are having a reaction to a personal care item, like facial break-outs or itchy eyes, it is not a good choice. If it hurts you on the outside, it is twice as bad inside!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Practical gluten-free and paleo cooking. Cooking and eating with food allergies and chronic illness.
Practical gluten-free and paleo cooking. Cooking and eating with food allergies and chronic illness.
Eating for optimal health can be a problem for people with chronic illness and food allergies. Sometimes we just can't stand long enough to cook anything but microwave food or even get out of bed to make anything. It helps to have a caregiver or relative or friend who is willing to cook for you, but many people are too stubborn to ask for help. When I don't feel well, I use the crockpot a lot.
If you are well enough to have a job, eating healthy can be a challenge. Preparing a meal ahead of time and remembering to take it with you to work can be a struggle for those of us with fuddled minds. Thinking clearly is hard when combating an illness. I have learned to make a bigger dinner so there is enough to freeze or refridgerate. I also started a cooking day where I prepare meals and freeze them to have food ready to go.
I shop and cook on the same day which isn't possible for many people. If you have the energy to shop one day and have to wait until the next day to cook I suggest leaving the meat in the fridge so it is easier to cook instead of having it frozen.
Today, I took a ziplock bag of a prepared frozen meal out of the freezer and took it to work. I open the bag and cook it for 1 minute and then put it on a plate for another 3 minutes to completely warm it up. I have a paleo/gluten-free meal at low cost and easy to prepare and eat.
Every meal should be a triangle of protein and vegetable and good fat. If you include those three things in each meal, you will feel satisfied and have more energy.
Eating for optimal health can be a problem for people with chronic illness and food allergies. Sometimes we just can't stand long enough to cook anything but microwave food or even get out of bed to make anything. It helps to have a caregiver or relative or friend who is willing to cook for you, but many people are too stubborn to ask for help. When I don't feel well, I use the crockpot a lot.
If you are well enough to have a job, eating healthy can be a challenge. Preparing a meal ahead of time and remembering to take it with you to work can be a struggle for those of us with fuddled minds. Thinking clearly is hard when combating an illness. I have learned to make a bigger dinner so there is enough to freeze or refridgerate. I also started a cooking day where I prepare meals and freeze them to have food ready to go.
I shop and cook on the same day which isn't possible for many people. If you have the energy to shop one day and have to wait until the next day to cook I suggest leaving the meat in the fridge so it is easier to cook instead of having it frozen.
Every meal should be a triangle of protein and vegetable and good fat. If you include those three things in each meal, you will feel satisfied and have more energy.
The Paleo Plan, in a nutshell, from Nora's book (p.215). Greatly restrict or eliminate sugar and starch (preferably eliminating gluten completely); keep your grass-fed and wild-caught protein intake adequate; eat as many fibrous, "aboveground," non-starchy vegetables and greens as you like and eat as much "good" fat as you need to satisfy your appetite. Our physical and mental health can improve with this eating plan.
Consuming a diet closely paralleling that of our ancient human ancestors is the best insurance we have to avoid dietary deficiency, mental illness, and cognitive decline. It is the optimal choice for our minds, emotions, immune systems and overall physiology. A balanced biochemistry through proper eating allows us to respond, rather than reaction, to the world around us. The purpose of a Paleo diet is to live fully, live healthfully, and live happily as long as we can.
This is a summary of the research I have done so far on the Paleo Diet. I began eating Paleo when my sister and her husband changed to Paleo and saw extreme improvement in health. I decided I had to try it for at least a month and see if it helped heal my gut and marked my calendar on May 25 as the beginning date to ensure I didn’t suffer any longer than one month. However, it has been 10 weeks and I am still eating Paleo because I feel pretty good and have lost 33 pounds, so far. I have made many mistakes along the way (putting myself into extreme ketosis, not eating enough carbs and nutrients, eating dairy) but have settled into a way of eating that works for me. Everyone should listen to his or her own body and strive for optimal health according to personal chemistry. This is what works for me and this is what I have read so far that I found helpful.
I try hard to eat 6 times a day, 3 meals and 3 snacks, to keep my blood sugar level and my energy constant. I eat a serving of protein, a couple of servings of vegetables, a salad and a little fruit for something sweet. I eat nuts and seeds for snacks and use coconut milk (unsweetened) instead of milk. I personally don’t tolerate dairy, but there are many dairy products one can eat on Paleo. Organic, grass-fed dairy is best as the more natural the product, the better the human body can process the food.
Planning ahead is a key element to always feeling satisfied. I slowly removed everything I shouldn’t eat from the house so that there are only Paleo foods to choose from. I have a cooking day where I shop and then grill all of my meat and cook all my vegetables and then make single serving portions in plastic bags which I freeze so that I can grab my lunch for work or heat up a snack if I am feeling hungry. Salads are easy and quick, so having my protein and vegetables prepared makes it really easy.
I recommend going cold-turkey and committing for 6 weeks to Paleo eating. The withdrawal from sugar and grain based, simple carbohydrates is wickedly painful and you can expect a raging headache and lethargy until your body has expelled all the toxins. I think 2 weeks was my point of starting to feel better from the withdrawal and could truly start a 4 week trial of the Paleo plan. A good 24-hour fast or detox might be a good plan if you have the will power. I have removed all grains and all sugar and all oils except for olive and coconut oil from my diet. Because I was already gluten-free, the grains weren’t as hard as I thought they would be to remove. I do miss them. I miss sugar as well, but fruit tastes sweeter and better now.
The basic rule I follow: No sugar, twice the butter. Good fats are good for you and we are getting back to natural fat to help us feel satisfied and help our body with natural foods the body knows how to process. Everything we put in our body is either a toxin, a medicine or just neutral calories, so why not choose foods that help us rather than hurt us? Our body is then free to fight diseases and problems and help our metabolism instead of fighting the toxic food we are shoveling in so rapidly it cannot be processed and is stored as fat. Good fats include fattier cuts of meat or fish, nuts, seeds, avocados, coconut, butter, ghee, olives and olive oil.
Cheat meals or days are highly recommended. I personally allow myself a cheat meal because I take advantage of a cheat day and feel terrible the next week. Because I have gluten issues, I do not eat gluten at all, even with a cheat meal. I highly recommend keeping a food and mood log to track what you are eating and how you are feeling so you can trace the foods that make you feel energetic or sick or depressed. The mind and the body are linked to what we eat.
Paleo eating is not new but is gaining popularity again based on the scary rise of modern diseases from our modern way of eating.
Consuming a diet closely paralleling that of our ancient human ancestors is the best insurance we have to avoid dietary deficiency, mental illness, and cognitive decline. It is the optimal choice for our minds, emotions, immune systems and overall physiology. A balanced biochemistry through proper eating allows us to respond, rather than reaction, to the world around us. The purpose of a Paleo diet is to live fully, live healthfully, and live happily as long as we can.
This is a summary of the research I have done so far on the Paleo Diet. I began eating Paleo when my sister and her husband changed to Paleo and saw extreme improvement in health. I decided I had to try it for at least a month and see if it helped heal my gut and marked my calendar on May 25 as the beginning date to ensure I didn’t suffer any longer than one month. However, it has been 10 weeks and I am still eating Paleo because I feel pretty good and have lost 33 pounds, so far. I have made many mistakes along the way (putting myself into extreme ketosis, not eating enough carbs and nutrients, eating dairy) but have settled into a way of eating that works for me. Everyone should listen to his or her own body and strive for optimal health according to personal chemistry. This is what works for me and this is what I have read so far that I found helpful.
I try hard to eat 6 times a day, 3 meals and 3 snacks, to keep my blood sugar level and my energy constant. I eat a serving of protein, a couple of servings of vegetables, a salad and a little fruit for something sweet. I eat nuts and seeds for snacks and use coconut milk (unsweetened) instead of milk. I personally don’t tolerate dairy, but there are many dairy products one can eat on Paleo. Organic, grass-fed dairy is best as the more natural the product, the better the human body can process the food.
Planning ahead is a key element to always feeling satisfied. I slowly removed everything I shouldn’t eat from the house so that there are only Paleo foods to choose from. I have a cooking day where I shop and then grill all of my meat and cook all my vegetables and then make single serving portions in plastic bags which I freeze so that I can grab my lunch for work or heat up a snack if I am feeling hungry. Salads are easy and quick, so having my protein and vegetables prepared makes it really easy.
I recommend going cold-turkey and committing for 6 weeks to Paleo eating. The withdrawal from sugar and grain based, simple carbohydrates is wickedly painful and you can expect a raging headache and lethargy until your body has expelled all the toxins. I think 2 weeks was my point of starting to feel better from the withdrawal and could truly start a 4 week trial of the Paleo plan. A good 24-hour fast or detox might be a good plan if you have the will power. I have removed all grains and all sugar and all oils except for olive and coconut oil from my diet. Because I was already gluten-free, the grains weren’t as hard as I thought they would be to remove. I do miss them. I miss sugar as well, but fruit tastes sweeter and better now.
The basic rule I follow: No sugar, twice the butter. Good fats are good for you and we are getting back to natural fat to help us feel satisfied and help our body with natural foods the body knows how to process. Everything we put in our body is either a toxin, a medicine or just neutral calories, so why not choose foods that help us rather than hurt us? Our body is then free to fight diseases and problems and help our metabolism instead of fighting the toxic food we are shoveling in so rapidly it cannot be processed and is stored as fat. Good fats include fattier cuts of meat or fish, nuts, seeds, avocados, coconut, butter, ghee, olives and olive oil.
Cheat meals or days are highly recommended. I personally allow myself a cheat meal because I take advantage of a cheat day and feel terrible the next week. Because I have gluten issues, I do not eat gluten at all, even with a cheat meal. I highly recommend keeping a food and mood log to track what you are eating and how you are feeling so you can trace the foods that make you feel energetic or sick or depressed. The mind and the body are linked to what we eat.
Paleo eating is not new but is gaining popularity again based on the scary rise of modern diseases from our modern way of eating.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Twice the Buttah'
Twice the Buttah is about coping with food allergies and eating for maximum wellness. I hope to impart the information I have gathered in an effort to help anyone who suffers from the same or similar health problems.
I have a chronic kidney disease, IgA Nethropathy which is an autoimmune dysfunction, and have food allergies, specifically Celiac disease and possibly more. I do not currently have health insurance, so I have not been able to test for more allergies, but have found through trial and error the things which cause a physiological reaction.
There is a test which will reveal all of your food allergies, but it is expensive, $500.00, through http://www.enterolab.com/. Because I cannot afford it, I just started to eat as if I had ALL of the food allergies which the test detects.
I have eaten a strict Gluten-free diet starting December 2009. I dabbled with Gluten-free up to that point and was working my way up to it when I contracted MRSA and almost died. After I recovered, my sisters showed me how to be healthy and cope with our genetic dysfunction and I felt much better, but still not entirely well.
My sister, her husband and her brain (her friend who acts as her brain when she is sick) researched the Paleo diet and introduced it to me. I was reading about Paleo and similar diets like Mediterranean and thinking about it and working my way up to actually trying it.
I decided to try a Paleo diet because it was Gluten-free and boasted some great health benefits. As if my diet wasn't restrictive enough, I stopped eating sugar, grains, dairy and man-made oils. Because I stopped eating sugar, but added natural butter back into my diet, I made myself feel better by adding twice the butter to my vegetables. "No sugar, twice the buttah" became my eating battle cry.
I've never felt better.
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