Do You Know Where Your Food Really Comes From?
I saw a documentary the other day that was both fascinating and disturbing. I've given so much thought to the quality of what I eat, eating locally and seasonally – and avoiding processed foods. But it turns out there’s a significant aspect to what I eat that I hadn't considered. Who is involved in getting […]
This month's weird google searches
I’ve written before about the bizarre google searches that lead to people finding my blog. So I thought it was time I shared some new ones – and of course answered them, just in case they’re still looking for their answer. what to feed a maltese dog that has allergies and is sick of eating kangaroo mince??? […]
Paleo Breakfast Tomatoes Baked with Egg
I know so many people find breakfast the hardest thing about eating a low-carb Paleo diet. Well, if my 80 Paleo breakfast ideas haven't given you any inspiration, here's a fresh idea: Egg-y Tomatoes. I love having eggs for breakfast as I find them incredibly filling – they’re a fantastic way to get high-quality protein […]
How to Stop Herbs and Spices Clumping Together
It can't just be me – I come to use a particular jar of dried herb, spice or seasoning, to find it completely stuck together and impossible to get out. It's so frustrating, and seems to be worse with onion and garlic powder, which always seem to cake soon after the containers are opened. This […]
The 19 Worst Gym Personalities (And How Not to Be One)
Personally, I hate going to the gym. I’d much rather actually be outside in nature, in the fresh air, than stuck in a sterile gym, that could be anywhere in the world. Part of the reason I hate the gym is because of the other gym goers. Some of them are just so annoying. Well, […]
Refreshing Coconut Icy Poles (Paleo Treat)
What to do when you've made more coconut milk than you can possibly use? Make coconut ice lollies of course! I already had some moulds for icy poles and some wooden sticks, so it couldn't have been easier. This would work great with coconut yoghurt too, next time you make a batch. These Coconut Icy […]
Why You Need a Big Freezer on a Paleo Diet
I’m lucky to have a fairly big freezer, and I can’t recommend it enough, for so many paleo reasons. Here's why a good size freezer could transform your paleo diet Once a week cooking I’m a huge fan of batch cooking – if you’re going to go to the effort of cooking dinner, why not […]
Gwyneth Paltrow Fails the Food Challenge
After doing my own $50 food challenge and seeing first hand just how hard it is to eat well on a budget, I was somewhat bemused to see Gwyneth Paltrow's attempts to feed her family on a budget. The #FoodBankNYCChallenge she undertook was to eat on $29 USD (equivalent to about $37 AUD). This was said to […]
What a Long Power Cut Taught Me About Food & Life
Last Monday was really rainy and windy, so I wasn't that surprised on Tuesday when I woke up to find we had no power. Other than missing a morning cup of tea and breakfast, I wasn't that bothered and assumed by the time I got home in the evening, normal service would be resumed. Well […]
How I Got Control of My Emails
At the start of the year I was getting over 350 emails. A day. I’d wake up in the morning to over 150, skim through to try to find any important ones, but would rarely make much headway before new ones arrived. I’d keep some unread to read when I had time – which never […]
The Avocado Economy: Why You’re Paying More
It's no secret that avocados are one of the best paleo foods you can get. Full of fat, the foundation of an amazing dessert recipe and with loads of alternative uses, you just can't beat an avocado. The frustrating thing is how expensive they are. They literally grown on trees, after all. Exactly how expensive? […]
5 Ways to Choose a Quality Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is like wine – there are lots of great ones if you know where to look, just as there are some very disappointing ones out there! So make sure you get what you’re paying for. We all know by now how good coconut oil is, it’s a great way to get more fat […]
“Eat Margarine or Your Family Will Die” – Really?
“Health food” commercials are getting worse and worse – and of course I'm not referring to adverts for kale or grass-fed beef. I'm talking about products with a list of unpronounceable ingredients – products I go out of my way to avoid. And given that you're reading my blog, I suspect you do too. There […]
What’s in The Weight Loss Bundle?
Sale ends today! Since I started on my weight loss journey, I've learnt so much. Crucially – there is so much more to weight loss than just “eat less and move more”. That's why I've got together with the leading experts in nutrition, health, fitness and mind to bring you a unique bundle, giving you […]
7 Steps to Wean Yourself Off Soda
When switching over to a real-food, paleo diet, one of the things so many people really struggle with is giving up the soft drinks. They’re addictive, really addictive. An awful lot of people, almost exclusively, drink cans of diet coke during the day, switching to glasses of diet coke at home. Years ago we were […]
Why I'm growing my own veggies
Just a few weeks ago I converted the old sand pit that the previous occupants of my house had left behind, to a vegetable patch. Well, when I say converted, I mean mixed some topsoil into the sand. I also re-purposed an old archway they’d left behind into a climbing frame for some green beans. […]
Is Bacon Really So Bad?
Whenever I even mention the b word I get called out. Yep, apparently bacon is highly processed and must be avoided at all costs. But is it really bad? Almost everything we eat is processed in one way or another. We buy our meat cut, or maybe ground. We buy our meat dried or frozen. […]
What You Missed in the Big Paleo Giveaway (Now Closed)
This giveaway is now closed I've just heard about a pretty awesome paleo giveaway that the guys at Bucks Books have organised… it's free to enter and the prizes are physical books and a premiere ticket to Paleo f(x) – and lots of other paleo goodies This is what you'll win: Paleo f(x) Premiere ticket […]
Why Meditation Might Be the Best Thing You Do Today
Have you ever tried meditating? Perhaps you’ve dismissed it as being a bit too hippy and new age? Or wouldn’t know where to start? Well I’m here to convince you why you should give it a go! What is meditation? I really like this description by Jon Kabat-Zinn: [meditation is] paying attention on purpose, in […]
4 things you must do after a course of antibiotics
Antibiotics are a touchy subject. There is a lot of overuse (you hear all the time about doctors prescribing them straight away, without even being sure what the issue is) and resistance is becoming a real problem. Whilst I’d love to say I’d never take them, there are certain situations where antibiotics truly are a […]
7 Signs You're Deficient in Vitamin D
Do you get enough Vitamin D? Luckily we seem to be coming out of the sun-fearing era slightly, but even so, with so many of us in office jobs, it can be really hard to get enough vitamin D. Whilst some foods are fortified with vitamin D, they aren't natural whole foods-and even so, the […]
Are You Eating Contaminated Fruit?
I've bought frozen fruit quite a few times recently. It’s often far cheaper than the fresh equivalent, and it’s far less wasteful, since I don’t eat a lot of fruit. In the summer it’s great for a quick frozen dessert too. So I’ve been horrified to read about the recent contamination recall on frozen mixed […]
Clean 15… and the dirty dozen (updated list)
Unfortunately so much of the fresh produce we eat isn't subject to the growing conditions we'd like. Toxic chemicals, such as fertilisers, sewage sludge, pesticides and herbicides can be used during the growing process. Pesticide use is widespread in conventionally grown produce and certain fruit and vegetables are found to have particularly high levels of […]
Wondered why I've been so quiet?
I hadn't disappeared, in fact, I've been working harder than I've ever worked before. I told you a while ago about my struggle to lose the rest of the weight I had to lose. Not a great situation for a health blogger, I can tell you! How despite having a really good, clean, paleo diet […]
8 Ways to Party – and Keep it Paleo
It’s that time of year again where the party season is in full flow. It’s a time where everyone should be in good spirits, surrounding themselves with great food, music, and most importantly, great company. It can sometimes be a bit of a challenge to stay on track with your Paleo lifestyle at this time […]
Happy Thanksgiving from The Paleo Network
With a lot of my readers being American, I couldn’t ignore the fact that today is Thanksgiving in the USA. So if you’re American – Happy Thanksgiving – and if not – how about having your own international Thanksgiving day? It’s often quite hard to get hold of Turkey where I live in Australia, but […]
Happy Halloween from The Paleo Network!
Do you celebrate Halloween? Like so many festivals, Halloween is heavily linked with trashy food. If you are interested in ways to have a great Halloween while still following a healthy Paleo lifestyle then read on, because I have some great ideas to help you have a fun holiday. One of the things to keep […]
16 Paleo Slow Cooker Tips for Crockpot Success
If you’re short of time and aren't using a slow cooker – you need to get one! There’s nothing like coming home after a long day, to a freshly made, hot paleo dinner. If you've not used a crock-pot before, here are my top tips: Preparation They are completely safe to leave turned on all […]
Paleo Food Shopping Guide: Coles
Don’t judge me – sometimes I buy my paleo food from Coles, my local grocery store. I live near a great greengrocer, butcher and an Aldi – and have a twice monthly farmers market a few suburbs away – but sometimes time and budget make paleo shopping in Coles the best option. So can you […]
How far can $50 a week go – cheap veggies
I told you about my $50 weekly food budget and I thought I'd share with you how I've been achieving it. As I mentioned, I shop around between my local independent greengrocers, Aldi and Coles supermarket. Whilst I find some good specials in Coles and Aldi, I almost always find the greengrocers to be the […]
How to Grind Your Own Ground Beef (Mince)
A while ago I wrote about why I don't buy ground beef (or any mince meat for that matter). But I love cooking with it. Making it yourself is the only way you can possibly: Know exactly what's in it Be sure it only contains good cuts of meat Know how fresh it is Know […]
Can you eat healthily on a budget?
I wrote the other day about my $50 weekly food budget – and how hyper aware I've become about how much food costs. I'm only shopping for one, I work from home, love cooking and have time to shop around. How hard must if be for families on tight budgets to eat well? I really […]
Did You Guess the Health Foods Right?
Last week I showed you the ingredients from five “health” foods – did you guess them right? Well, none of them are what I would class as a health food. Wouldn't you agree? Product one – this will help you lose weight Atkins: Endulge Caramel Nut Chew Bar Another reason why Atkins just isn't paleo. […]
Is Your Butcher Keeping a Secret from You?
If your local butcher is anything like mine, they might have a big secret… Since I moved out of Sydney last year, I've struggled to find a good butcher. I used to have an amazing organic butcher just a short walk from my house. My butcher would make me up paleo sausages to my exact […]
My $50 Weekly Paleo Budget Challenge
When I returned from my trip overseas, I went to my local Coles grocery store to get a few essentials to keep me going. I came out with one bag and $52 worse off. All I bought was a few veggies and some meat. Now I'm working for myself (more on this soon) something has […]
Guess the health foods from the ingredients
There are a lot of “food” products out there with health claims, and sadly a lot of people who take the claims on face value – and don't give much thought to the ingredients…. I've found five popular products (I cringe to call them foods) with health claims in my local grocery store and I'd […]
How to Cut a Bell Pepper (Step-by-Step Guide)
How do you cut yours? I always used to get seeds everywhere when I cut up a capsicum (or bell pepper as they're known elsewhere in the world), until I found this technique. No mess, no wastage – and best of all the seeds stay together and can be easily removed. So all you need […]
Why I Buy Canned Tomatoes (and Which Brands to Avoid)
I buy almost all of my produce fresh, but one of the few things I buy canned (shock horror!) is tomatoes. Before I go any further – BPA Let’s talk about BPA (Bisphenol-A). One of the main reasons put forward as to why you shouldn't buy food like tomatoes in cans, is that there is […]
The Ultimate Guide to Delicious Paleo Recipes with Almond Flour
If you've done much Paleo cooking, you'll have noticed lots of recipes call for almond flour or almond meal. With flour a no-no, almond flour is a great alternative. What's the difference between almond meal and almond flour? Simple – almond meal is darker in colour because it is made with almonds with their skins […]
Are Doughnuts Healthier Than Fruit Juice?
I had breakfast with some friends at the weekend, and seeing some cranberry juice on the table, thought I’d try some instead of my usual tea. Now cranberries are pretty sweet on their own – but this juice was so sickly sweet, I thought my teeth were going to fall out. I looked at the […]
Paleo school lunches – dream on!
I'm recently back from the UK, where a lot of my friends have young children. I was interested to learn about a new rule in the England, where children aged between four and seven (reception, year one and year two) are now all eligible for a free school lunch. The idea behind this, is a […]
What If It’s All a Big Conspiracy?
So conventional wisdom tells us that saturated fat is bad for us. We must only consume low-fat foods. We must eat 6 – 11 servings of healthy wholegrains every day. We must cook in healthy vegetable oils. We should avoid eating meat (especially red), especially on meatless Mondays. We should replace meat with soy instead. […]
Homemade Cajun Spice Marinade (Paleo)
There's nothing like a simple marinade to spice up an otherwise simple steak or fish dinner. Try my Cajun Spice Marinade recipe! This is a really easy marinade to put together; make it up in advance and store in in a jar in the fridge so it's ready to use. You can make it in […]
More Weird Google Searches from Paleo Readers
I shared with you a few months ago some of the strange Google search terms, which have landed people on this blog. Well this month there are more and I thought I’d share some of the funny ones with you. People do some really weird Google searches, don’t they?! fish sweet plantains and baked dolphin […]
12 reasons you should eat more kale
I'm trying to get a lot more vegetables in my diet – particularly those of the green variety. Kale is my current favourite, it tastes a lot better than it looks and is densely packed with nutrition! Kale is a cruciferous vegetable – and in the Brassica family, but it packs far more of a nutritional punch […]
Salt isn't supposed to be white…
What type of salt do you use in your cooking? Despite all the warnings about how we should limit our sodium intake, if you eat a healthy unprocessed, natural diet, you may actually need more salt in your diet. Salt shouldn't be the sodium chloride – a highly refined, processed white substance devoid of nutrients […]
11 unusual paleo foods you need to try
If you've noticed you’re eating the same few foods day after day, maybe it’s time to shake things up?! Here are 11 unusual paleo friendly ingredients to change up your diet! Kelp noodles Who needs spaghetti when you can have these instead? Fish eyes Packed full of nutrition Porcini powder Add some of this Porcini powder […]
If you had $2000 to spend on paleo things – what would you buy?
What would you buy if you were given $2000 to spend on your paleo lifestyle? Purely hypothetical, but let’s say you were given $2000 to spend on Amazon. On yourself. You’ve got half an hour to choose, before the offer expires. All those gadgets and books you’d love, but could never justify. Instead of buying […]
Happy Blog Anniversary to Me!
Wow – I wrote my first post on this blog three years ago today! Doesn't time fly? By that time I’d been eating paleo for the best part of a year, had lost loads of weight and was feeling amazing. I’d set this blog up ages before I plucked up the courage to start writing. […]
Are You Addicted to Your Smartphone?
Do you have a smartphone obsession? I know I do… A few weeks ago, I was in Singapore for a couple of days on a stopover. After an insane bill the previous time I’d been overseas, I turned the data off on my iPhone. There was no wifi where I was staying, so for the […]
9 Creative and Unexpected Ways to Get More Veg and Fruit
We all know we're supposed to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Apparently it doesn't really matter what you choose for your five portions, more fruit than veg, it makes no difference. Whether your portions are frozen, canned, dried or part of a drink – it's all good. Agree? Well, in the […]
Dessert for Diabetics on a Paleo Diet
My gran is just about to start receiving “Meals on Wheels”, which is a great service. In principle. Vulnerable people (mainly the elderly) are provided with a cooked nutritious meal at lunchtime. For many recipients, this will be the main nutrition they get in that day, so it’s really important that the meal provides the […]
Are you an extreme night owl?
In my quest to understand more about my slow metabolism, I've been looking more and more at my circadian rhythms. I've always been a night owl and tend to come alive late at night becoming super productive and creative, when everyone else is asleep. When I've worked long hours in the city – and had […]
The 9 Craziest Fad Diets People Actually Tried
It always amuses me when people describe the Paleo Diet as a fad diet. Given that we’ve only been eating our current diets of junk and processed foods for the last two or three generations, isn’t the Standard American (or Australian) Diet the real fad?! You can’t really argue with paleo, I mean who could […]
Paleo Birthday Cake Recipe
Who said you can't have birthday cake now you're eating paleo? My Mum is very careful to avoid all grains and sugars, so was both delighted and horrified when I presented her with this cake for her birthday! I didn't own up to the contents until she cut into it – she hadn't been expecting […]
Free Paleo & Health Events This Week
Ever given much thought to the Psychology of Eating? It’s time for a whole new understanding of our relationship with food, with this weeks free online Psychology of Eating event. Obesity, overeating, body image concerns, emotional challenges with food, and diet-related health issues are with us more than ever. People have abundant access to nutrition […]
40 Essential Paleo Kitchen Gadgets
Call yourself paleo? Not unless you use these essential gadgets you’re not… 1. A strawberry hull remover You haven’t been doing this by hand have you? 2. The egg cuber Essential for packed lunches and picnics to ensure your eggs don't roll away. 3. Dedicated fruit and veg choppers… I hope you aren't using a knife? […]
My Aldi paleo shopping list
I have a confession… I don’t grow all of my own food or shop exclusively from farmers markets, organic butchers and fishmongers. With a long commute and long hours, I often just don’t have the time to source my food in the way I’d like. Believe it or not, I've found Aldi can be a […]
Ask the Paleosphere: What’s the Deal with Dairy?
It’s all very well reading the Paleo theory about why we should and shouldn't consume certain foods, but what I find most valuable is finding out how people actually eat – and how different foods affect them. With over 79,000 followers on the Paleo Network’s Facebook page, it’s become a great place to ask questions. […]
What to Expect from the Thyroid Summit
The more I've been looking into my own health (which all started with my inability to lose weight), the more thyroid issues seem to be involved. The standard tests show everything is “normal”, which clearly isn't the case. Which is why it’s great timing that the Thyroid Summit is about to start. The Thyroid Summit […]
Cardamom Coconut Roasted Vegetables
I love filling my plate with a big pile of roasted veggies for dinner. Make them the star of the show, with a side of animal protein and whatever greens I have lying around. We eat roasted vegetables at least four times per week, so I have to keep coming up with ways to make […]