Just noticed this one floating around the interwebs. What an incredible commercial! Except for it's suggestion of choosing fat free milk as an alternative, this commercial has an incredbile message.
We're on the right track
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
A Treat Named Coffee
My initial reason for giving up coffee this year was because of the elimination of dairy in my diet. I enjoyed a coffee a few times per week and over a few months towards the end of 2010, managed to ween the sugar out and drink my coffee "white" with a good helping of heavy cream (roughly 5 - 7 tbsp per cup).
Unfortunately, dairy is not my friend with the exception of butter. I haven't been able to drink a glass of milk in years without the agonizing cramping of my guts. All types of cheeses have a slightly less severe effect, but still noticeably uncomfortable. I consumed plain yogurt for a number of years, but decided to also give it up this year as part of my dairy elimination. I love yogurt, but admittedly I don't miss it. I have pondered making my own ghee which would eliminate any milk proteins, lactose and casein usually responsible for intestinal mishaps, but butter is a loyal friend, and it doesn't result in ill effects (yet).
I thought gone would be the days I could enjoy a creamy cup of coffee what with the 2011 elimination, but then I discovered Coconut Milk.
4 heaping Tbsps of coconut milk in a cup of coffee and my caffeinated indulgence has returned! I now experience life with 0% bloating, which you can imagine is an incredible feeling. Digestive life just keeps getting better!
Let's just hope that butter hangs in there for me.
Unfortunately, dairy is not my friend with the exception of butter. I haven't been able to drink a glass of milk in years without the agonizing cramping of my guts. All types of cheeses have a slightly less severe effect, but still noticeably uncomfortable. I consumed plain yogurt for a number of years, but decided to also give it up this year as part of my dairy elimination. I love yogurt, but admittedly I don't miss it. I have pondered making my own ghee which would eliminate any milk proteins, lactose and casein usually responsible for intestinal mishaps, but butter is a loyal friend, and it doesn't result in ill effects (yet).
I thought gone would be the days I could enjoy a creamy cup of coffee what with the 2011 elimination, but then I discovered Coconut Milk.
4 heaping Tbsps of coconut milk in a cup of coffee and my caffeinated indulgence has returned! I now experience life with 0% bloating, which you can imagine is an incredible feeling. Digestive life just keeps getting better!
Let's just hope that butter hangs in there for me.
Monday, February 14, 2011
*smiles*
A big warm THANK YOU to Paleo Talk for the shout out today! It made my day and I really appreciate it! :)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Some Recommended Listening
These are a few of the paleo podcasts I've been listening to lately. Informative and highly entertaining, every week these folks ride with me on the subway and walk with me on my lunch breaks.
Paleo Talk - Sarah Fragoso of Everyday Paleo and Chrissy Gower of Growing Up Paleo are absolutely adorable to listen to. This podcast discusses much of the paleo diet and recipes in relation to family and raising children. Both ladies are experienced in bringing up children following paleo principles and answer questions on topics such as breast feeding and pregnancy, stubborn teenagers and how to ease family members into joining/accepting a paleo lifestyle (to name a few). Their producer Dain Sandoval is also hilarious.
Primal Body Primal Mind - a lot of great information on paleo eating and indepth descriptions of our diet in relation to biological functions. Nora Gedgaudas, author of Primal Body - Primal Mind, has over 25 years of experience in diet and nutrition. A Certified Nutritional Therapist and Clinical Neurofeedback Specialist, many of her topics on her radio program tie in her work to Neurofeedback and the importance of brain function and intestinal health. Highly recommended!
Robb Wolf - "six listeners can't be wrong" This makes me laugh everytime I hear it. Robb Wolf is a smart guy. Former research biochemist and author of The Paleo Solution, he shares the podcast airspace with Andy Deas. Both are very sarcastic and this is probably the main reason I listen. I love sarcasm. Robb answers a large variety of questions relating to the Paleo diet, Crossfit and general human biology. Robb also features prominent experts in the paleo world to discuss and help answer listeners questions. He has a cat named Keystone.
Latest in Paleo - previously entitled This Week in Paleo, Angelo Coppola's podcast strives to keep us informed on the latest paleo news. I've just recently come across this one and added to my list of must listens. Angelo also highlights a paleo blogger each week to help spread the word. He's also a Vibram Five Fingers enthusiast :) Highly entertaining and well produced, he's got a great voice for podcasting.
All of these podcasts can be found on iTunes.
Paleo Talk - Sarah Fragoso of Everyday Paleo and Chrissy Gower of Growing Up Paleo are absolutely adorable to listen to. This podcast discusses much of the paleo diet and recipes in relation to family and raising children. Both ladies are experienced in bringing up children following paleo principles and answer questions on topics such as breast feeding and pregnancy, stubborn teenagers and how to ease family members into joining/accepting a paleo lifestyle (to name a few). Their producer Dain Sandoval is also hilarious.
Primal Body Primal Mind - a lot of great information on paleo eating and indepth descriptions of our diet in relation to biological functions. Nora Gedgaudas, author of Primal Body - Primal Mind, has over 25 years of experience in diet and nutrition. A Certified Nutritional Therapist and Clinical Neurofeedback Specialist, many of her topics on her radio program tie in her work to Neurofeedback and the importance of brain function and intestinal health. Highly recommended!
Robb Wolf - "six listeners can't be wrong" This makes me laugh everytime I hear it. Robb Wolf is a smart guy. Former research biochemist and author of The Paleo Solution, he shares the podcast airspace with Andy Deas. Both are very sarcastic and this is probably the main reason I listen. I love sarcasm. Robb answers a large variety of questions relating to the Paleo diet, Crossfit and general human biology. Robb also features prominent experts in the paleo world to discuss and help answer listeners questions. He has a cat named Keystone.
Latest in Paleo - previously entitled This Week in Paleo, Angelo Coppola's podcast strives to keep us informed on the latest paleo news. I've just recently come across this one and added to my list of must listens. Angelo also highlights a paleo blogger each week to help spread the word. He's also a Vibram Five Fingers enthusiast :) Highly entertaining and well produced, he's got a great voice for podcasting.
All of these podcasts can be found on iTunes.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Primal Ketchup
Quite a busy weekend and it's not even over. Many of our regular chores were accomplished like cleaning, shopping and a kitty litter overhaul. I fought with a laundry machine today which decided to quit part way and leave our clothes in a lake of dirty water. I had to haul the soaked mass upstairs and wash it in the tub (I wasn't going to waste another $2 to wash it again). To make matters worse, it was a load of towels and some sweatpants which equals frickin' heavy when wet. I filled the tub with warm water and soap and did a grape stomp for a bit. It made me think of this and I smiled.
I overcooked a beautiful Tri Tip Roast on Friday night and I'm debating over some ideas of how I can consume it so it's not wasted in the garbage. We prefer our beef medium rare (and sometimes even on the rarer side). This "thing" I pulled out of the oven resembles more of a grey brown. It's tough, lifeless and probably because it's a fairly lean cut, dry as dust. I haven't tried it yet, I just occasionally take it out of the fridge and peer at it through the glass container like some specimen in a jar. This might be a case where I bring out the homemade ketchup and drown the poor bugger.
Homemade ketchup you ask? Yes, I've mastered it!. The recipe is slightly tweaked from The Primal Blueprint Cookbook and it is AMAZING!
Primal Ketchup
Ingredients:
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup water
3 Tbsp pure maple syrup (optional)
1/2 small cooking onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp ground allspice (I don't actually own allspice, so I combine cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves as a substitute)
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp black pepper
This isn't as sweet as commercial ketchup (we don't need a heavy insulin spike) and there is more of a vinegar bite, which is lovely in my opinion. I added more onion than the original recipe calls for because onion is awesome. Actually, I couldn't be bothered to measure 3 Tbsp of minced onion, so I just cut one in half and threw it in the food processor. Close enough and makes a super awesome punch of onion!
I overcooked a beautiful Tri Tip Roast on Friday night and I'm debating over some ideas of how I can consume it so it's not wasted in the garbage. We prefer our beef medium rare (and sometimes even on the rarer side). This "thing" I pulled out of the oven resembles more of a grey brown. It's tough, lifeless and probably because it's a fairly lean cut, dry as dust. I haven't tried it yet, I just occasionally take it out of the fridge and peer at it through the glass container like some specimen in a jar. This might be a case where I bring out the homemade ketchup and drown the poor bugger.
Homemade ketchup you ask? Yes, I've mastered it!. The recipe is slightly tweaked from The Primal Blueprint Cookbook and it is AMAZING!
Primal Ketchup
Ingredients:
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup water
3 Tbsp pure maple syrup (optional)
1/2 small cooking onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp ground allspice (I don't actually own allspice, so I combine cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves as a substitute)
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp black pepper
You can mince the onion and garlic together first in a food processor and then add the rest of the ingredients.
Whiz until smooth. You can add a bit more water if the paste is too thick. Store in a mason jar in the refridgerator. Makes roughly 1.5 cups.
This isn't as sweet as commercial ketchup (we don't need a heavy insulin spike) and there is more of a vinegar bite, which is lovely in my opinion. I added more onion than the original recipe calls for because onion is awesome. Actually, I couldn't be bothered to measure 3 Tbsp of minced onion, so I just cut one in half and threw it in the food processor. Close enough and makes a super awesome punch of onion!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Roasted Sweet Potato
I used to make these regularly back in the day. I'd dress them in olive oil with the seasonings varying each time. They were an incredible meal accompaniment but since going paleo, I don't indulge in as many starchy foods. I've also stopped cooking with Olive Oil and save it for raw consumption in salads and such.
Enter Bacon Fat
I massaged these puppies with a couple of tablespoons of bacon fat and the flavour was to die for. Little sweet bacon morsels. Delish!
Roasted Sweet Potato:
Preheat oven to 400 F
2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp Dried Rosemary
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp Bacon Fat
Pinches of Sea Salt to taste
Line baking pan with foil and spread out chopped sweet potato. Sprinkle spices over sweet potato. You can either throw bacon fat on top or just place it in your hand cause it's going to get messy. Lovingly massage the bacon fat, coating each morsel until evenly greased. Throw in the oven for 20 minutes or until tender.
Enter Bacon Fat
I massaged these puppies with a couple of tablespoons of bacon fat and the flavour was to die for. Little sweet bacon morsels. Delish!
Roasted Sweet Potato:
Preheat oven to 400 F
2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp Dried Rosemary
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp Bacon Fat
Pinches of Sea Salt to taste
Line baking pan with foil and spread out chopped sweet potato. Sprinkle spices over sweet potato. You can either throw bacon fat on top or just place it in your hand cause it's going to get messy. Lovingly massage the bacon fat, coating each morsel until evenly greased. Throw in the oven for 20 minutes or until tender.
 |
| 2 Tbsp Bacon Fat, 1 Tsp Dried Rosemary, 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder |
 |
| Add ingredients to chopped sweet potato and massage. |
 |
| Try not to eat the whole pan |
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Reflections
Thinking back to the beginning and how far I've come . . .
I first came across a Primal/Paleo lifestyle during my somewhat successful attempt at P90X. I was 2 months in to the regiment and was seeing pretty good results in my strength. My ability to do push ups (not on my knees) increased considerably, my energy was decent and I was sleeping really well.
My diet at the time was fairly simple. I ate meat regularly and started purchasing from our local butcher. I had salads and plenty of vegetables and I was big on fruit smoothies (with oatmeal and honey) and Starbuck's Lattes. I avoided bread, except on the rare occasions I came across an authentic french croissant or sourdough and I occasionally accompanied my meals with brown basmati rice. Desserts were far and few and would save most of my uber sugary indulgences for birthdays and holidays. My friends and family considered me really healthy, but I didn't feel that way.
I've always had a passion for food, health and nutrition and felt that my balance with both good and refined foods was a healthy one.
I frequented the site Fitbomb where a thirty-something chronicled his accounts with P90X. I used it as a reference; his descriptions of all of the workouts (in all their grueling intensity) was both amusing and a foresight to my next day of pain. Fitbomb is an incredible site with multi daily postings related to fitness, paleo and current health related issues via linked videos and articles. The guy is hilarious and a real treat to follow everyday. His wife, who is mentioned as "M", has her own recipe blog nom nom paleo. I recommend checking both of them out if you haven't already.
So anyway, it was through Fitbomb that I came across the soon to be released The Primal Blueprint. I visited the website and I absorbed all the information I could. The testimonies of results were touching and incredible and I loved the wonderful support and sense of community that the forum provided. The lifestyle clicked with me instantly and made sense, since I had had similar health benefits with my struggles with a strict Candida Albicans diet a few years earlier.
Since April 2010, I have eased into a Paleo lifestyle. I purchased my Vibrams and sprinted once per week around the neighbourhood. I purchased grass-fed beef and bought eggs from pastured chickens. Their dark yolks are incredible! I also ate a lot of bacon :)
2011 marked the removal of dairy, mostly in the form of copious amounts of heavy cream I'd been using to top off all the coffee I'd been consuming. I have also removed caffeine from my diet and enjoy herbal teas more regularly. Butter is still used for cooking and for drenching my veggies in (I will not give up my butter). Removing the heavy cream resulted in a bit more weight loss, which was unexpected but not a terrible thing. I hadn't been aware of the slight bloating at the time I was consuming it, but since removing it, my guts are much happier.
I enjoy the benefits of Intermittent Fasting a few times per week, skipping either breakfast or dinner.
I take 1 tsp of Carlson's Cod Liver Oil every night before I go to bed and 1000-3000 IU of D3 in the morning (when I remember).
I haven't used soap, shampoo or any products on my hair or skin since July 2010. My skin is incredibly smooth/soft and I "wash" my hair once a week with an egg yolk and a rinse of apple cider vinegar. I do shower regularly in between, but just use water. I use coconut oil to moisturise my skin if it gets a little dry, especially in a hot dry apartment during a cold dry winter.
For the first time in a long time, I feel really good. I'm preparing to apply to school for September and my husband and I will be booking our 3 week trip to Japan for April (Yay!). I don't pick up my camera as often as I'd like to, but sometimes life just gets a bit busy. I hope to pay a little more attention to this blog and my other one. Sometimes I have so many thoughts and ideas at once, I forget to write them down. Now I jot them down in my iPod Touch, so no more excuses :)
I first came across a Primal/Paleo lifestyle during my somewhat successful attempt at P90X. I was 2 months in to the regiment and was seeing pretty good results in my strength. My ability to do push ups (not on my knees) increased considerably, my energy was decent and I was sleeping really well.
My diet at the time was fairly simple. I ate meat regularly and started purchasing from our local butcher. I had salads and plenty of vegetables and I was big on fruit smoothies (with oatmeal and honey) and Starbuck's Lattes. I avoided bread, except on the rare occasions I came across an authentic french croissant or sourdough and I occasionally accompanied my meals with brown basmati rice. Desserts were far and few and would save most of my uber sugary indulgences for birthdays and holidays. My friends and family considered me really healthy, but I didn't feel that way.
I've always had a passion for food, health and nutrition and felt that my balance with both good and refined foods was a healthy one.
I frequented the site Fitbomb where a thirty-something chronicled his accounts with P90X. I used it as a reference; his descriptions of all of the workouts (in all their grueling intensity) was both amusing and a foresight to my next day of pain. Fitbomb is an incredible site with multi daily postings related to fitness, paleo and current health related issues via linked videos and articles. The guy is hilarious and a real treat to follow everyday. His wife, who is mentioned as "M", has her own recipe blog nom nom paleo. I recommend checking both of them out if you haven't already.
So anyway, it was through Fitbomb that I came across the soon to be released The Primal Blueprint. I visited the website and I absorbed all the information I could. The testimonies of results were touching and incredible and I loved the wonderful support and sense of community that the forum provided. The lifestyle clicked with me instantly and made sense, since I had had similar health benefits with my struggles with a strict Candida Albicans diet a few years earlier.
Since April 2010, I have eased into a Paleo lifestyle. I purchased my Vibrams and sprinted once per week around the neighbourhood. I purchased grass-fed beef and bought eggs from pastured chickens. Their dark yolks are incredible! I also ate a lot of bacon :)
2011 marked the removal of dairy, mostly in the form of copious amounts of heavy cream I'd been using to top off all the coffee I'd been consuming. I have also removed caffeine from my diet and enjoy herbal teas more regularly. Butter is still used for cooking and for drenching my veggies in (I will not give up my butter). Removing the heavy cream resulted in a bit more weight loss, which was unexpected but not a terrible thing. I hadn't been aware of the slight bloating at the time I was consuming it, but since removing it, my guts are much happier.
I enjoy the benefits of Intermittent Fasting a few times per week, skipping either breakfast or dinner.
I take 1 tsp of Carlson's Cod Liver Oil every night before I go to bed and 1000-3000 IU of D3 in the morning (when I remember).
I haven't used soap, shampoo or any products on my hair or skin since July 2010. My skin is incredibly smooth/soft and I "wash" my hair once a week with an egg yolk and a rinse of apple cider vinegar. I do shower regularly in between, but just use water. I use coconut oil to moisturise my skin if it gets a little dry, especially in a hot dry apartment during a cold dry winter.
For the first time in a long time, I feel really good. I'm preparing to apply to school for September and my husband and I will be booking our 3 week trip to Japan for April (Yay!). I don't pick up my camera as often as I'd like to, but sometimes life just gets a bit busy. I hope to pay a little more attention to this blog and my other one. Sometimes I have so many thoughts and ideas at once, I forget to write them down. Now I jot them down in my iPod Touch, so no more excuses :)
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