Butter-or-Margarine-min

Another Margarine or Butter “Health” Article

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I was reading the Summer 2012 edition of “Woman’s Weekly Health” earlier, when I came across this double page spread debating whether Margarine or Butter is better for your health.  Fighting the corner for butter was a cook, Fran Abdallaoui.  Arguing the case for margarine was Barbara Eden, Nutrition Manager at National Heart Foundation of Australia.  I'm not sure how pitching a cook against a nutritionist (especially one representing the national heart foundation) is a balanced debate.  I don’t think they want their readers to side with butter, do you?

Butter-or-Margarine-min

Eden says “It comes down to your health and that’s the main factor your (SIC) considering when choosing between margarine and butter, there’s really no choice to make”.  She also tells readers that “A regular butter is made up of… more than four per cent trans fat”, which I find frustratingly misleading, since natural, completely inert trans fats – as found in animal products – are completely different to the harmful trans fats found in many processed foods.

This is all because Eden believes “It’s the saturated fat and trans fat in our food supply that elevates your blood cholesterol levels which increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, and that’s one of the leading causes of death in Australia”

The article also adds “there is the convenience factor of the immediately spreadable product with a longer shelf life” as another reason we should go for margarine instead of butter.  Well, using that argument, shouldn't we all have frozen pizza for dinner – it’s a lot more convenient and has a far longer shelf life than whole food…

In a “health” magazine, readers are going to place much more confidence in a nutritionist (especially one representing the national heart foundation) than they would a cook.  If they really want to present a debate, surely they should present both sides, equally?  Or better still, finally run an article about how wrong they've had it for the past few decades.  I must stop reading “health” magazines – they raise my cortisol levels more than almost anything else and that’s definitely not good for my health!

Stamped eggs lion free range organic law-min

Stamped Eggs

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In the UK all Eggs (from a source with over 50 hens) are stamped identifying whether they are organic, free range, from barn or caged hens.  The stamps also show the size of Eggs and a code identifying where they came from.

I believe some parts of Australia require Eggs to be stamped, but it is certainly not the case in New South Wales (though a few particular brands do seem to have stamps, it is very rare).  It bothers me that when I buy Eggs from a shop, I don't really know that they are the box describes.  I've often had Eggs that don't seem as fresh as the box would indicate – I wonder if I've ever had caged Eggs that were in a free-range organic box?  How would I know?

Whilst it would add an extra cost to stamp all Eggs, I don't think the cost would be prohibitively expensive.  It would be a small price to pay for the assurance that the Eggs you paid for are the Eggs in the box.

Would you also like to see all Eggs sold in Australia stamped with the date, source and type?

Stamped eggs lion free range organic law-min

MovNat Erwan Le Corre paleo primal movement natural

MovNat is Coming Back to Australia!

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I was thrilled to see MovNat is returning to Australia early next year.  I didn't know much about MovNat until Erwan Le Corre's talk at the AHS earlier this year, but after hearing him talk and watching some of his demonstrations it looks amazing and I can't wait to try it for myself.




There are going to be two day workshops in Melbourne on 24th & 25th March 2012 and Sydney on 31st March to 1st April.

Erwan Le Corre is also going to be at PrimalCon 2012, so it looks like being a MovNat April!

Have you booked your spot yet?!

MovNat Erwan Le Corre paleo primal movement natural

Vitamin water paleo healthy diet soft drinks supplements-min

Vitamin Water – Health in a Bottle?

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It seems that everywhere bottled water is sold, “Vitamin Water” is sold.  Every day I see people buying it.

It annoys me that these drinks are sold as health in a bottle.  They have names like “Energy”, “Calm”, “Power”, “Essential”, “Revive”, “Recoup” and “Focus” and their bottles boast of the amazing health benefits and wealth of vitamins contained in each bottle.  I think a lot of people genuinely believe that by drinking this, they are nourishing their body with a supremely healthy product.  This belief is highly encouraged by the marketing of these drinks, which is what I take issue with.

Vitamin water paleo healthy diet soft drinks supplements-min

Instead of reaching for a “Revive” drink when feeling worn-out, I'm sure a hydrating drink of water, a healthy Paleo meal and a power nap would be far more reviving than the sugar crash that will come after drinking a bottle of “Revive”.

 

The ingredients contained in all of these Vitamin Water drinks are: –

Water, Fructose, Sucrose, Flavour, Food Acids (citric acid, mono-potassium phosphate), Vitamins (C, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, B6, B12), magnesium lactate & calcium lactate.

Depending on the flavour, these ingredients are also found too: –

Flavour (including D-Ribose), dragonfruit flavour (0.015%), Food Acids (di-potassium phosphate), Vitamins (E, A, Folate), Colour (Fruit Juice, Vegetable Juice, Beta-carotene),  Caffeine, Lutein, Guaranna & Extracts of Apple, Blueberry, Pomegranate and Acai (0.026%)

What do you think about “vitamin” drinks?  Is your low-energy solution a bottle of “energy”, or your method of concentrating a bottle of “focus”?

Breakfast for a prime minister paleo diet healthy-min

Breakfast Fit for a Prime Minister?

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I was interested to see photos of a typical Breakfast for British Prime Minister David Cameron.

  • Lurpak butter ( Ingredients: Organic butter (69%), organic rapeseed oil (25%), lactic culture, salt (0.9%))
  • Shredded Wheat Cereal (judging by the rest of the meal, I bet the milk isn't whole fat)
  • Toast with Jam
  • Low-fat yoghurt
  • Fruit

That's certainly a very carb-heavy Breakfast, without much fat or protein in sight.  They must need regular carbohydrate based snacks for when their blood sugar levels crash shortly after eating.

I'd have loved to see them tucking into a proper cooked Breakfast!  Perhaps Julia Gillard starts the days with bacon and eggs, cooked in coconut oil?

Breakfast for a prime minister paleo diet healthy-min

low gluten cakes paleo primal celiac gluten free-min

Low Gluten Cakes

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Well this was a new one for me.  I walked past a Gloria Jean’s coffee shop today and noticed this sign for a “Low Gluten” Hazelnut Chocolate Torte.

Gluten-Free-Cakes low-min

From what I've read about Gluten, it really is an all or nothing protein. Nora Gedgaudas spoke a lot about Gluten in her recent seminar, particularly about how gluten takes months to leave the body.  Going 100% gluten-free seems to be the only way to avoid the negative effects gluten can have.  Of course going strictly 100% gluten-free is also the only way to identify whether gluten has a negative impact.   The significant numbers of people who are intolerant will be effected even by a cross contamination – so “low gluten” just isn't going to do it!

Gluten-Free-Close low-min
“Low-fat”, “low-calorie”, “low-carb”, “low-cholesterol”; “low” seems to be the word signalling a healthy product.  I can almost guarantee anything with the word low in the title isn't Paleo.

I’ll have to keep a look-out for “Low Trans Fat” cakes, I'm sure they’ll be good!

low gluten cakes paleo primal celiac gluten free-min

Gluten Free in WA expo Coeliac western australia

Gluten Free in WA

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Gluten Free seems to be becoming an increasingly popular way to eat – which can only be a great thing.  Gluten appears to not be tolerated well by a significant number of people – far more than realise they have an issue with it.




A Paleo diet is gluten-free, so would seem to be the ideal solution for Coeliacs.  I was disappointed by the complete lack of Paleo food at the Sydney Gluten-free expo – everything was processed and contained grains and legumes.

Another Gluten Free expo has been announced for 17th & 18th March 2012, in Perth, WA.  Hopefully this one will be a bit more Paleo friendly?

Gluten Free in WA expo Coeliac western australia

HIIT High Intensity Interval Training paleo diet primal fitness crossfit tabata exercise-min

HIIT

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As I've mentioned before, I've been a regular at the gym for a couple of years now.  My workouts are primarily HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), which seemed to be unanimously agreed to be the best training method at both the AHS and Nora Gedgaudas’s recent seminar.

HIIT is designed to incorporate bursts of high intensity sprints with recovery intervals.  The sprint sections are typically 60 seconds or so, enough to use every last bit of stored energy in the muscles.  This is very different to “chronic cardio”, where hours can be spent in the gym mindlessly pounding the treadmill.  HIIT improves endurance, fitness, lean muscle mass and oxygen consumption (including after the workout, resulting in fat burning for hours after the workout).  Injury from over training is also a lot less likely with HIIT.

During the last two months of so, I've upped the number of HIIT sessions to three and am amazed at the difference in my fitness and strength.  I can’t wait to see how much fitter I’ll be in a few months time.  Before Paleo I went through phases of chronic cardio and never achieved anything like the results I am enjoying today.

I've been reading lots of differing viewpoints about eating post work-out, and am currently trying the not eating post workout approach.  The idea here is that after using up all of your stored energy your body has to use body fat – and as soon as you eat it will stop that process and start using the food as fuel.

I've read how our bodies are capable of so much more than our minds believe.  I've therefore been asking a lot of fit people how they deal with the mental aspect to training.  There seem to be a few approaches, such as only focusing on the next five reps (instead of the whole set), complete distraction by focusing on music for instance, or focusing on the end goal.  I'm going to try a few different approaches myself to see if changing my thinking can enhance my performance.

What kind of workouts do you do?  I’d be really interested to hear how you approach the mind aspect of your workouts too.

HIIT High Intensity Interval Training paleo diet primal fitness crossfit tabata exercise-min

Avocado Fresh-min

Avocado

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I just saw this packaged Avocado in the supermarket, with added Thickner (401) and Vegetable Gum (415)

Avocado Fresh-min

I must be missing something, is it really that hard to peel and slice an avocado yourself?

Weston A Price Foundation Conference New Zealand Australia Events Sally Fallon auckland sydney-min

Weston A Price in New Zealand

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Apparently Sally Fallon Morell and Geoffrey Morell will be coming to New Zealand next year on a speaking tour with the Weston A Price foundation (WAPF).  Details are still to be announced and it will be between the 24th March and 6th April 2012.




Weston-A-Price-Lecture-Paleo-Sally-Fallon-WAPF-New-Zealand-Auckland-680x450-min

The Weston A Price Foundation approach is not the same as Paleo.  Dairy as well as grains are not discouraged.  Grains are soaked or sprouted prior to eating to remove some (but not all) of the toxins.  I'm certainly not interested in adding grains to my diet, but I am interested in learning more from the WAPF about things like fermented vegetables and organ meats, which I think could be a really beneficial addition to my diet.

I think a WAPF approach is a huge improvement on a typical Western Diet, and probably a good transition into Paleo.  In fact, a lot of Paleo people I have met started off with a WAPF approach before they discovered Paleo.

It should be a very interesting event to attend – and nice to have something like this in our part of the world.  I'll post the details when they are announced.

What do you think about a WAPF approach?