Primarily Paleo

A path to wellbeing

May 17, 2012
by Stephanie
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Lesson in label reading.

I try not to eat food that comes in packages. However, I couldn’t resist the pre-sliced salami at my local market this morning. I have a thing for cured meats and the convenience of having it in a resealable package and thinly cut was too much for me to resist. I bought it. It tastes delicious. Then I read the label. Pork, nonfat milk powder, sugar, corn syrup, nitrates. What? Milk, sugar and corn syrup? I’m devastated. This is not something I want to eat, let alone serve to my kid.

Most cured meats have sugar added, even most commercially available bacon. I can live with a little sugar, although I prefer it in the form of dark chocolate and not in meat products. Did they really need to add processed milk product and corn syrup too? Geez, that’s not how salami is traditionally made. The product’s website has a section on the ingredients they use. It doesn’t mention anything about sugar, corn syrup or all the other junk they add. They do promote only 100% pork is used. Now, that even scares me a bit as any part of the pig can be considered 100% pork. They also promote that their products are always gluten free, have 0g trans fat per serving and have no MSG or fillers. In my book, powdered non fat milk and corn syrup are fillers.

I learned a big lesson. Don’t be tempted by the fancy convenience foods. I will now read the labels diligently before making any purchase or before putting something on my kids plate.

May 16, 2012
by Stephanie
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All About Paleo Talk on June 1

Another Paleo Challenge is set to begin in a few weeks at CrossFit 206. I love seeing the changes that occur when people go Paleo for the first time; they become stronger, faster, and leaner! One of my clients, who has been Paleo for about 4 months has continued to lose weight even when she was unable to workout due to an injury. She thinks she recovered more quickly from her injury due to her sound diet. I wish everyone was interested and committed to making a dietary change for 30 days.

For a lot of people it can seem overwhelming or radical to make a change to a more Paleo style of eating. We often think of things as being black and white, but you don’t have to go 100% strict Paleo to improve the way you are currently eating and see health benefits.
Set a more specific goal for yourself for 30 days. Here are some examples of one thing you can change:

1) Ditch your sandwich and eat a Paleo lunch everyday.
2) Eliminate gluten (found in barley, wheat, rye, pasta, bread white flour, pizza, etc.)
3) Eliminate refined sugars (white & brown sugar, high fructose cane syrup, agave, artificial sweeteners)
4) Give up your daily latte.
5) Give up the one worst thing you know you shouldn’t be eating. (fried food, vending machine treats, your after dinner dessert)

If you are in the Seattle area and interested in learning more about the benefits and the how to’s of Paleo eating, please come to the free talk on Friday, June 1 at 5:45pm at CrossFit 206. I hope to see you there.

May 14, 2012
by Stephanie
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Free Fruit for Kids

My Paleo Toddler loves to go grocery shopping. Every day she says and signs: car store. On the days we do go to the store, she loves to help put the produce in a bag and hold it while we shop. This has been a great activity to help her learn the names of all the different produce available and gets her excited to try it at mealtimes. I was thrilled to learn during our outing yesterday that the PCC Natural Market, one of our local markets in the Greater Seattle area, offers free a fruit or vegetable for kids under the age of 12 while their parents shop. The staff will wash and cut the item so the child can try it in the store. What a fabulous way to encourage kids to try new things and keep them entertained at the market.

Getting kids involved in all stages of food preparation has been shown to increase their willingness to try new things. Hopefully, more stores can catch on and offer kids the opportunity to try fresh foods while shopping. Thanks to the PCC for our free avocado yesterday!

May 9, 2012
by Stephanie
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Help stamp out hunger

There’s no better time to clean out your pantry with non Paleo items than this Saturday, May 12, 2012. Letter carriers across the country will be picking up non perishable food items, along with pet food, right at your mailbox. This is a win win for all involved. You get a fresh start on getting rid of foods that you have stopped or want to stop eating and other families benefit from having food on their table. If you already have a Paleo pantry, then you can pass on wholesome Paleo foods to someone in need all without leaving your home.

Over 16 % of Americans are at risk for hunger, and there’s sure to be something in your pantry you can donate. Visit the NALC Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive site for more information.

May 7, 2012
by Stephanie
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What is your carbohydrate tolerance?

I’ve been pretty adamant that being on a Paleo type diet does not necessarily mean it is a low carb diet; although it is inherently lower carb than most people are typically eating. For most people, making a switch to a Paleo lifestyle is often initially too overwhelming to worry about “counting” carbs and many health benefits are quickly seen by reducing carbohydrates from sugar, grains and processed foods.

I have been personally paying more attention to my daily carbohydrate count since reading The Art and Science of Low Carb Living by Jeff Vogel and Stephen Phinney. In his blog, Dr. Michael Eades calls The Art and Science of Low Carb Living the best low carb book he’s ever read and the one he wish he’d written.

The authors are both scientists who focus on researching low carb diets, and the book is filled with much data regarding the health benefits found among those who follow a low carb diet, including endurance athletes. One important distinction made in the book is defining what level of carbohydrate is low carb. This is especially important as each of us has our own individual carbohydrate tolerance. That means 100 grams of carbs per day for one person might be too much and just right for another. The standard American often eats over 100 grams of carbs at one meal, and we’ve seen the effects of this in the growing national obesity rates.

If you aren’t reaching your body weight composition goals, a good place to start is by looking at your daily carb intake. As I mentioned in a previous post, minor tweaks in your diet, such as adding fat & protein, thus lowering carb intake can help make the desired shift in body composition. Pay attention to how many carbs you are eating and how you feel when this number is lower or higher. You too, might be surprised that lowering your carbs might just be the trick to improving your health.

April 30, 2012
by Stephanie
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Seattle Paleo Dining April 2012

I didn’t manage to eat out very often this month. I did have lunch twice at Uneeda Burger in the Freemont neighborhood of Seattle. I love that Uneeda offers natural beef in all there burgers as well as the option of upgrading to a local grass fed beef. They also serve locally produced CommuniTea Kombucha on tap. They happily leave the bun off and replace it with a very small amount of lettuce. It would be a nice gesture to add a bit more lettuce in the place of a bun or offer a small green salad for an upcharge. They also offer gluten free buns for those interested in that kind of thing. Besides the classic option, there are signature burgers with fancy ingredients like black truffle salt or a gluten free BBQ sauce.

The burger shack is casual and family friendly. It also offers an open kitchen so you can watch the cooks prep the food. I also got to watch two of the cooks nibble on food with their bare hands while they were chopping up vegetables. Clearly, the fries must be irresistible! I wasn’t going to mention the nibbling, as I thought maybe I saw something incorrectly. But, it happened more than once with two cooks and in my book that’s not great food safety.

It is easy to stay Paleo at Uneeda. I’ve always enjoyed my food and I like supporting a local chef who sources local ingredients. I am just going to keep a closer eye on the kitchen the next time and hope they learn to eat lunch with a fork.

April 26, 2012
by Stephanie
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Primarily Paleo: Breakfast of Champions

Are you looking to improve the quality of your breakfast? Do you find that you have low energy, are irritable, or are hungry throughout the day?

A good place to start is improving and alternating your breakfast options. Not eating breakfast at all, fueling your body only on caffeine, or eating bagels and cold cereal can cause a major drop in your blood sugar levels later in the day. Remember that carbohydrates are like kindling in your body- you will burn through them quickly! And fat combined with protein are like solid logs that burn over a longer period of time. Breakfast doesn’t have to be boring.

Are you willing to try something new and see how you feel?

Here’s a week worth of grain free/ high protein ideas:

“The Classic”- Eggs any style you chose with Bacon or Sausage

“On the Go”- Hardboiled Eggs, a handful of nuts, some dried fruit or beef jerky

“The New York”- Smoked Salmon with sliced cucumber and tomato

“Quickie”- A blend of chopped nuts, pieces of dried coconut, some dried fruit with unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk

“The Cobb”- An arugula salad with bacon, tomatoes, avocado with or without hard boiled eggs

“Lazy Sunday”- Almond meal pancakes slathered with warm nut butter

“Liquid Courage”- A coconut milk smoothie with almonds and or nut butter and frozen berries

April 23, 2012
by Stephanie
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Are you sure your kid won’t try this?

For kids, especially toddlers, eating is a sensory experience. Colors, shapes, sizes and presentation all go a long way with them.

This was evident to me when I attempted to give my toddler her fish oil capsules. She wanted nothing to do with them. I tried taking them with her or giving them to her with food, and she resisted all approaches. Then, I put them in a little clear cup and handed them to her on the floor. She gobbled them up and asked for more. Clearly, presentation is everything!

This same tactic works with foods. Making food fun helps little ones want to try it. Research shows repeated exposure to a food encourages kids to try it. This exposure includes both visual and tactile experiences.

As parents, we need to look at food differently too. The way it is cut and cooked can make all the difference in getting them to taste it. Here are some new ideas to transform food for your little one.

1) Make it “grate”.
Take your microplane or cheese grater to a potato, parsnip or carrot and saute them until soft or crispy. Carrots can be eaten raw this way too.
2) Roll the “dice”.
The smaller the pieces the more friendly they can be. A bite of broccoli in the mouth is a bite of broccoli on the taste buds.
3) “Carmel” makes everything taste better.
Roasting carmelizes the natural sugars in foods and makes them sweeter. Not sure how to roast veggies? Sprinkle with olive oil and bake at 375 turning frequently until brown.
4) Explore the “season”.
I use butter, salt, oils, or spices on veggies to add to their flavor profile. Does anyone really want to eat a dry, steamed vegetable?
5) When all else fails make pancakes.
My Paleo toddler loves all things round. We’ve had success with Paleo Zucchini cakes. You can do use this round theme with baked sweet potato slices, or even raw jicama slices dipped in guacamole.

April 18, 2012
by Stephanie
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Primarily Paleo: Please pass me the salt.

Salt gets a bad rap. Western medicine commonly recommends people limit their salt intake to control blood pressure and other diseases caused by too many processed foods. Even strict Paleo diets have frowned upon the use of salt. When sodium intakes are too low headache, fatigue, lethargy and constipation occur.

Research shows that our need to dietary sodium is related to the level of carbohydrate consumed. Those eating a higher carbohydrate diet tend to retain more salt. Once switching over to a lower carbohydrate diet, the kidneys become more efficient in eliminating sodium. This is often when people reduce abdominal bloating and extra “water weight”. Having our kidneys effectively clear excess sodium and fluids is a good thing, however it needs to be balanced by adequate dietary sodium intake.

For those experiencing weakness or fatigue on a lower carbohydrate diet; especially when performing high endurance or intensity physical activity, I recommend adding a pinch or two of unrefined (gray, pink, or otherwise not white) sea salt to a liter of water. The water should taste like minerals not salt. This water can be then used throughout the day or while exercising. I find this approach works well for those who don’t particularly enjoy a lot of salt on their food and it also helps the body stay better hydrated by having electrolytes in the water.

April 10, 2012
by Stephanie
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The Primarily Paleo Pantry

Primarily Paleo Pantry

Here's what I keep in my pantry

Having a well stocked pantry has always been one of my top tips for pulling together a quick meal. I keep the following staples on hand at all times to round out a meal or pull together a quick snack.

Paleo Pantry Staples:

Nut butters (almond, macadamia, walnut, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed)
Oils (walnut, macadamia, avocado, coconut, olive)
Nuts and seeds (walnut, almond, pistachio, macadamia, hazelnut pumpkin, sunflower, pine)
Dried fruit
Vinegars
Mustard
Spices (buying spices in the bulk section of your store keeps them fresh and also let’s you buy a small amount at a time)
Herbal teas
Unrefined salt (grey, pink, any other color you find besides white)
Olives
Sun-dried tomatoes in oil
Salsa
Canned tuna, salmon, sardines, anchovies
Canned tomatoes
Coconut milk
Coconut flakes
Coconut butter
Broth (beef, chicken, and vegetable) Double check no sugars have been added