Eat more gluten magazine article paleo network-min

Eat More Gluten!

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I can't wait for the day when the “health” magazines start advocating more of a Paleo approach, with real food and eating of  fat encouraged.  But it seems like we still have a long way to go.

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I came across the snippet below in the March edition of “Weight Watchers” magazine.  Just in case any of their readers had been considering avoiding carbs, they warn that

“carbohydrates provide the body and brain with their primary source of fuel and are essential for energy levels”

Interesting. I tend to have fewer than 50g of carbs a day, so presumably I must have no energy?  Yet, bizarrely, I find I have more energy than ever before.  Just yesterday I had so much energy I felt compelled to break out into a sprint on my way home.  But I must be mistaken! It says so in a magazine after all.

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Without eating enough carbohydrates you might get

“fatigue, light-headedness, headaches, sugar cravings and irritability”

and they advise that you choose carbohydrates like

“wholegrain bread and cereals, grainy crackers, oats, fresh fruit and low-fat dairy”

Well, I've somehow managed to avoid any of those symptoms.  I'm not sure that avoiding sugar cravings, by eating foods that break down into sugar, really counts either.  And as for low-fat dairy being a good source of carbohydrates?

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The other article I read was from the March/ April 2012 edition of “Australian Diabetic Living”.  They ran a piece on Celiac disease.  The question was

“Should I avoid gluten products, just in case I might have Celiac disease?”

My answer would be that since gluten has detrimental effects on so many people, even those who don’t test positive for Celiac disease, it certainly should be avoided by everyone.  Given how long gluten stays in the body for, I think a strictly gluten-free diet is the right approach, for everyone.  Did they come up with a similar answer?

“No.  You can actually make it harder for your body to digest gluten if you cut most of it from your diet without good reason”.

Unfortunately there were no references for this startling revelation, which I’d have been very interested to check out.  So basically the diabetic magazine wants its diabetic readers to make sure they eat lots of gluten – which often come hand in hand with the not so diabetic friendly refined carbs?

What do you think?  Do you struggle to find the energy to function without bread and cereals?  Do you make sure you eat lots of gluten, to, er, help your body digest the gluten that you eat?

Eat more gluten magazine article paleo network-min

Paleo guide to Australia paleo network primal free pdf-min

The Paleo Guide to Australia

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When I first started with my Paleo lifestyle, I found so many fantastic books and blogs to steer me in the right direct.

My one frustration, was that a lot of the information seemed to be geared towards a US audience.  So many Paleo-friendly shops (Wholefoods anyone?)  and products are mentioned – but just aren't available in this part of the world.  Seasonal fruit and vegetables are in season at completely different times – even the intensity of the sun is different here.

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I've therefore been busy putting together a guide to being Paleo in Australia (with a section on New Zealand too, so as not to leave our Kiwi friends out!).  This is the guide I wish I'd had when I started out!

In this free ebook you can find out where to buy all of the Paleo related food and products you'll need, what's in season when, listings by state and lots more about Paleo.  The listings identify local farmers markets, organic fruit and vegetable schemes, meat suppliers, fishmongers, meet-up groups, primal friendly fitness centres and much more – all across Australia and New Zealand.

I'm also going to be starting a monthly newsletter.  This is where I can share Paleo related news and events that don't make it into the blog.

So, if you'd like a free copy of the book, please subscribe to my newsletter in the box below, to get your free download of “the Paleo Guide to Australia”!

This book will be regularly updated, so I'd love to hear of any local tips you think should be included in the next version!

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Sleep! Wake Up!

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Tired and lacking in energy during the day – then wide awake at night?  I wonder how many people opt to take a pill for that?

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It struck me as completely ridiculous, when I saw how many sleeping tablets and “stay awake” (anti sleeping?) pills I saw in the pharmacy recently.  They're even stocked right next to each other (though thankfully they didn't have a “buy sleeping pills, get caffeine pills free” offer).  I can't help but think relying on pharmaceuticals to enable your body to rest and repair – and then again to enable you to function during the day is a recipe for disaster.  As well as the start of a chain of reliance on drugs to sleep – and then wake up.

Where the tiredness after lunch is a result of a huge sugar crash (thanks to a refined carb-heavy lunch), surely adding caffeine pills into the mix is only going to make things a whole lot worse?

I also wonder how restorative a sleeping pill induced sleep is compared to a natural sleep?

When people struggle to sleep and stay awake at appropriate times, this is surely a clear sign that behavioural changes are needed (change of diet to Paleo, getting up earlier, reducing stress and exercising perhaps?).  Behavioural changes aren't a quick thing, but surely they are a better long-term plan than taking one pill to counter act the other pill!

What do you think?  Would you take a pill to sleep, then a pill to wake up?

Vvitamin D solution australian book review sun

The Vitamin D Solution

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I don’t wear sunscreen.  This is to the absolute horror of pretty much everyone I know.  Especially as I’m a fairly pale Brit who has moved to a considerably sunnier Australia.

I’ve been having my Vitamin D levels tested for the last year or so, and despite living in Australia – I am still not at an optimal level.  By the official standards, I’m certainly not deficient – but I want to attain an optimal, not survival, level of Vitamin D.

I’ve read a lot of books on Vitamin D, but sadly most of them are aimed at an American or British reader.  Australia covers such a vast area with significantly different latitudes – we therefore have very different sun considerations.  I’ve just got a copy of “The Vitamin D Solution” by Michael F. Holick Ph.D. M.D. and was thrilled to see it is an Australian edition.  The book contains tables identifying the latitude of all of the main areas in Australia and the equivalent safe and effective sun exposure requirements to attain sufficient Vitamin D production.  These tables are further split by skin type (with fairer skin requiring less sun than darker skin types), by time of day and then by season.

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Most of my sun exposure occurs in the morning and evening on my commute.  Having read the tables I’m quite happy that I am not getting too much sun.  In fact, I’m going to wear shorts and shorter sleeves to further increase the amount of vitamin D I can produce in the mornings and evenings.

When I’ve had enough sun, I simply cover up, or get out of the sun – I much prefer these options to covering my skin in sunscreen.  There are rare occasions when it’s not so easy to avoid the sun, particularly on my face – this is the only time I wear sunscreen, as I realise burning is to be avoided at all costs.  When I do wear sunscreen, I’m really careful which one I use as many of them contain chemicals I wouldn’t want anywhere near my skin.  I also have some really good quality Vitamin D3 supplements that I take occasionally, particularly if I know I haven’t had much sun.  Hopefully these approaches will ensure I can increase my Vitamin D result the next time I have it tested.

What’s your Vitamin D/ Sunscreen approach?

Paleo lunch ideas suggestions primal diet recipes-min

Paleo Lunch

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Last year I got pretty bad about bringing my Paleo Lunch in from home.  This meant, most days, I went to one of the many food courts near my office.  Whilst I always went for the Paleo, gluten-free options – roast meat and vegetables or salad for instance, it really wasn't the best option.  I'm careful with the ingredients I use and how I cook things.  If I make it, I know exactly what’s in it.  When I eat out, it’s probably a fair bet that the meat isn’t organic/ free range/ grass fed.  The meal could even have been cooked with seed oils – if not it’s likely to have come close to foods that have.  Food I buy in the city is always served in far too large portions – this is either a waste of food, or leads to me eating far more than I should!  The other issue with buying lunch in the city is the cost – I’d usually end up spending $10 a day on a not completely Paleo Lunch.

I therefore decided to start bringing pre-prepared lunches into work every day.  I'm normally really busy during the week, so need minimal effort each day.  As good as a salad would be I know I’d run out of time to make it – and end up having to buy lunch.  I have a fridge and microwave at work (I don’t even own a microwave at home, but in the absence of a gas stove, a microwave will have to do) – this means home made frozen lunches are a good lunchtime solution.

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Last Sunday I had a huge cooking session where I made soup, beef hash and bean-less chilli, giving me a few different options to pick from each day.  I used the largest pots I had to ensure I was making as much as possible.  Once finished, I separated the dishes out into individual sized potions and froze them.  I managed to make enough for 20 lunches in just a couple of hours of cooking.  I take lunch out of the freezer in the morning, run to work – and by lunchtime it’s just about defrosted.

Other than microwaving my lunch, the only thing I'm not happy about is freezing the food in plastic bags.  Whilst the bags I use contain no phthalates, polycarbonate or use Bisphenol A (BPA) – it’s still plastic.  Glass or metal containers would be an option, but might result in freezer burn.  I’d also be concerned about my lunch leaking over my suit as I run into work – not to mention the fact my tiny running bag wouldn't have space for a bulky container.

This solution is working well for me – but perhaps you have an even better lunchtime routine?  How do you keep your work/ school/ home lunch paleo?

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8 Criticisms of the Paleo Diet-min

8 Criticisms of the Paleo Diet

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So, whilst I regularly write about the benefits of following a Paleo diet, it wouldn't be fair for me not to be completely honest.  Sadly, as with lots of things, there are negatives to this way of life.

I thought I’d share my list of 8 bad points of my Primal journey.

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1. I've lost my productive time between midnight and the early hours of the morning.  Since I've been Paleo I'm now fast asleep far earlier in the evening and I naturally rise early, full of energy

2. I've been forced to donate lots of perfectly good clothes to charity – and spend a small fortune replacing them with smaller sizes

3. I'm really behind on my reading, as I no longer get to read on the bus to work, as I always walk or run in due to having so much excess energy

4. I get funny looks from adults and children point at me when I wear my Vibrams

5. Shopping takes so much longer because I have to read the ingredients of everything – even things I have no intention of buying.

6. I've not had the need to have any sick days from work for a very long time

7. I often don’t notice it’s cold until I see people around me in many more layers than I have on

8. I can’t walk past a fast food outlet without looking in, in amazement at the people “eating” there

Have you also experienced down sides to Paleo?  Please share your complaints in the comments, below.

Paleo Interventions

Paleo Interventions

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Like me, I'm sure you frequently hear people discussing their ill health.  Sometimes it’s so glaringly obvious that they would likely benefit from a 30-day Paleo trial.  So what do you do? Are you in favour of an Intervention?

Last week I was preparing my lunch in the shared kitchen in my office, when I was joined by a lady complaining to another colleague about her terrible stomach problems.  She’d seen so many doctors and specialists, had so many tests – but nothing was found and none of their suggestions helped.  She went “low-gluten” and “almost dairy free” a few days ago and was feeling a bit better, which she put down to avoiding pasta in the evenings.  She wasn't feeling great, so was just preparing some toast (wholegrain bread, obviously) with margarine, to settle her stomach.  I spent ages in the kitchen, waiting for a chance to intervene, looking for a chance to tell her about Paleo and suggest she just tries it for 30 days.  But no chances arose and I'm always really unsure whether or not it’s wise to intervene.

I generally take the stance that if I'm asked anything about what I do, that’s an opportunity for me to tell someone about it.  But in a situation like this, where I'm not asked – and don’t even know the persons name, I normally don't intervene.

Hopefully another opportunity will arise.

What do you do in situations like this? Have you ever performed a Paleo Intervention?

Vibrams and Evening Gowns VFF Five Fingers Dressed up smart paleo-min

Vibrams and Evening Gowns

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Well, I've never considered wearing mine with an evening dress – but it’s great to see Shailene Woodley wearing Vibrams at a high profiled event!

How do you wear yours?

Vibrams and Evening Gowns VFF Five Fingers Dressed up smart paleo-min

Paleo seaweed-min

Seaweed

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I love looking around my local Asian supermarket.  I found a whole section of seaweed and seaweed related products (though the products seem to contain lots of ingredients that are far removed from Paleo).  Seaweed is something I've never had at home before – and certainly haven’t cooked with – and I'm curious to try.

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Seaweed is supposed to be a great source of iodine that is otherwise hard to obtain through diet, but which plays a crucial role in the thyroid.  It contains lots of different health promoting minerals.

I've been looking into what I can do with different types of Seaweed.  Apparently dulse granules can be sprinkled on many foods and nori can be used to make paleo wraps!  Kelp is supposed to be good as a snack on its own.

Next time I venture near the Asian grocery store, I'm definitely going to buy some!

Have you incorporated Seaweed into your diet?  What is a good type and dish to start experimenting with?  I’d be very interested to hear your seaweed comments, below!

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