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Make It Paleo

7 Comments/in Blog Posts, Books, Ex/by PaleoGirl

I was very excited to receive a copy of “Make it Paleo” yesterday. I met Bill & Hayley at the AHS and they really were just as lovely as they seem from their blog. I've used quite a few of their recipes, so have been immensely looking forward to receiving the book. I took the book down to the park this morning to have a read through, whilst topping up my Vitamin D levels in the sunshine.

Make It Paleo Arrives In Australia!

I hadn't realised how big the book was going to be! It's the size of my old Chemistry text book – but much more enjoyable to read. As with the Primal Palate site, the book is full of beautiful photos and well over two hundred recipes. You could cook something different everyday for months on end! There's a great introduction about Bill & Hayley and lots of information about Paleo; which ingredients are good to use, different cuts of meat, useful kitchen equipment and cooking tips. I think these sections will make the book a great Christmas present for friends who have expressed an interest in Paleo, but may be a bit hesitant about diving in.

Initially, I was a bit confused at first as to why the book had so many recipes for entrées – then I remembered; that is the American word for main course!

Tomorrow is the first beach Barbecue of the Sydney Paleo meet-up group, so I've decided to make up a few things from the book to take along with me. What better testers than more Paleo people? There are lots of dips and sauces that look really good in the book, so I'm going to make up a few to dip vegetables in, and to go with the meat. I'm also going to try the Fennel & Orange salad, which I hope will be as good as it looks, I'm very curious to try that one. I'll probably make up a few other side dishes, and possibly something from the treats/ cheat section too! I bought some beautiful organic grass fed steak to put on the barbecue, so it should be a good feast.

Most of the ingredients in the book are very abundant here in Australia. I did have to visit four shops to find the Fennel, despite it usually being easy to find. I also had lots of trouble locating Chipotle, which I eventually found out is in fact American for coriander leaves (at least, I hope it is, as that is what I'll be using!) There are a couple of other ingredients I've noticed in the recipes, that might be more challenging to find in Australia, such as Jicama (which appears to be a root vegetable) and spaghetti squash; but I'm sure these can be substituted – or perhaps if you've seen them over here, you can let me know where, in the comments below?

I usually try to make something different for dinner every evening, so it's great to have a new collection of recipes to try. I'm especially looking forward to trying the Chicken & Vegetable “lo mein”, as I rarely eat Chinese food anymore (I find it usually has very un-Paleo ingredients). I very rarely cook seafood at home too, so I will take the opportunity to cook a few dishes from the seafood section. Whilst it's not strict Paleo, it's great to have a chapter on cheats and treats! The natural, grain free ingredients are a million miles away from their conventional purchased and home-made equivalents – a far better alternative for birthdays and the odd special occasion.

The recipes look straight forward and well explained. I've chosen my dishes, gathered the ingredients – but not yet tested any of the recipes. So, I need to get cooking for the Paleo barbecue tomorrow… I'll post a write up and photos of the end results! Fingers crossed for sunshine!

Make it Paleo is released next week – If you only have room for one Paleo cookbook, I don't think you'd go wrong with this one. Amazon UK currently has free shipping to Australia with orders over £25 – a great deal for a book this big.

Unhealthy Health Food?

1 Comment/in Blog Posts, Eating Out, Ex, Food/by PaleoGirl

I'm so disappointed with Iku. When finding out how I eat, a few friends have suggested Iku, which is a whole food, “healthy” outlet, with a few locations around Sydney.

I'm not disappointed with options like McDonalds, as I doubt anyone goes there to fulfil their aim of having a healthy, wholesome nutritious lunch. Iku however shares so many of my nutrition beliefs, yet tackles them with pretty much the polar opposite nutritional approach.

Iku strive on providing organic food, and local where possible. I completely agree with this approach and can’t think of any other food outlet that goes this far. This ensures produce that should be free from pesticides, fresher and being local, far more sustainable. Tick!

They also try to keep foods as close to their natural state as possible, with minimal processing. This is very in line with the Paleo approach.

Their foods are also all dairy free, additive free, preservative free and free from genetic modification – more Paleo approval for getting this right. So far, so good.

But, then it all starts to go wrong. They strongly believe in the nutritional prowess of grains and legumes, believing that they help to fight disease. This is completely at odds with Paleo thinking, where legumes and grains have been shown to increase inflammation and reduce gut health. Their ingredients “slow blood sugar responses”. Whilst Paleo, without grains, will take blood sugar responses out of the equation – surely this is far healthier. Their menu is also designed to “keep cholesterol levels in check”, which is a clear reference to the outdate lipid hypothesis, to which Paleo does not subscribe.

It then gets even less Paleo. All of their food is free of any animal product. I can’t find any explanation on their site as to why they (presumably) perceive this to be the healthiest way to live.

Their tagline is “Feel great, have huge amounts of energy and a strong immune system”. I'm not sure how I could possibly feel good consuming grains and legumes – and no meat. I know it certainly wouldn't give me much energy. I currently have so much energy on my (fairly strict) Paleo diet. As for having a strong immune system, this also puzzles me with all of those lectins, phytates & proteins like gluten in the grains and legumes.

I’d love to see a national chain of food outlets that would combine the local, whole, organic philosophy, with great quality meat – and not a grain or legume in sight! Perhaps I’ll have to open my own!

Do you have well meaning “healthy” food outlets where you live? That actually aren't what you would consider healthy?

What’s So Bad About Soft Drinks?

2 Comments/in Blog Posts, Food, Shopping, Soft Drinks/by PaleoGirl

I think most people realise fizzy Soft Drinks like Coke, Pepsi and Sprite are bad. But I see so many people going for the diet versions of these drinks. The word “diet” on the can, seems to make people think it’s not an unhealthy choice. If something has zero calories – well that’s healthy isn’t it?

When I first found got interested in nutrition (on my way to Paleo), I did a lot of research. As soon as I found out more about soft drinks, I stopped my occasional consumption immediately. I certainly understand the appeal. They taste sweet, they are cold on hot days, they are available everywhere; in fact most employers I’ve worked for have supplied them for free. I think a lot of people who perhaps aren’t so keen on water may even feel that they are getting hydrated. The caffeine and sugar content may also help consumers to feel more energised – at least initially.

The “non diet” versions contain significant amounts of some form of sugar; be it cane sugar, or even the nasty high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Drinking this much sugar will cause your blood sugar to rapidly rise. The pancreas will respond by releasing insulin, to decrease blood sugar levels. When levels drop, hunger will result – often resulting in a craving for more sugary food or drink. But even more worrying are the “diet” versions of these drinks. Instead of sugar they use artificial sweeteners such as aspartame to make the drink taste sweet. Taking a Paleo viewpoint, aspartame is a relatively new chemical, though we know it is an excitotoxin, capable of passing the blood-brain barrier, possibly causing cellular damage, scary stuff.

There is also evidence suggesting artificial sweeteners may cause a psychological insulin response. So when you drink a diet soda, the brain recognises the sweet taste and prepares the body to launch an insulin response, to the expected increased blood sugar levels. This leaves an excess amount of un-utilised insulin in the blood stream, which may contribute to insulin resistance. This could result in decreases to the blood sugar level, increasing hunger, not to mention the effects of the insulin on the bodies fat storage mechanisms. Aspartame has also been linked with all sorts of issues, such as memory problems, birth defects, brain tumours and convulsions. Some fizzy drinks use other sweeteners, but I think the best advice is to completely avoid them; it’s just not worth it.

Another component of these fizzy drinks are Phosphates. Phosphoric acid is believed to interfere with Calcium absorption and may cause a loss of calcium from the body. The acidity of soft drinks also results in calcium leaching to buffer the PH levels. Osteoporosis anybody?

Caffeine is another big issue with soft drinks, but I think that it is worthy of its own future post.

Can’t break the diet coke habit?

Try sparkling water 1:1 with apple cider vinegar then keep reducing the ratio. I often drink sparkling water with a slice of lemon or lime. But ultimately, drink water (and perhaps the occasional cup of tea)!

What do you think about soft drinks? Do you still drink them?

Paleo Breakfast Ideas

19 Comments/in Blog Posts, Breakfast, Food, Paleo/by PaleoGirl

Breakfast seems to be the meal people struggle with when moving over to a Paleo diet.

The word breakfast may be synonymous with cereal, toast, pancakes and many other refined carbs – but it really doesn't have to be. Breakfast is simply the first meal of the day the “break” the “fast” you've carried out since your last meal the previous day.

I'm thrilled to announce I've just finished my first recipe book; the Paleo Breakfast Recipe book, with over 100 pages of beautifully photographed step-by-step recipes – check it out and let me know what you think! I hope you love it as much as I do.

A Paleo Breakfast?

I think the first step is to remove the association of breakfast with a specific type of meal. Breakfast does not equal cereal, swimming in skim milk. Think of breakfast on its nutritional merits; that is, base your first meal of the day around a good protein source and marry this with a good fat source and some vegetables. You may initially find the idea of having meat for breakfast odd, but it’s worth persevering with this, as good quality meat can be a great way to start the day.

If you don’t have much time in the mornings you need to be organised and prepare as much as you can the night before. I find it helps to plan all of my meals for the whole week in advance, at the weekend. I then buy the ingredients, so I have no excuses and everything I need on hand.A lot of people skip breakfast, which might be the right thing to do. If however your reason for skipping breakfast is that you can’t get out of bed in time to make breakfast – this indicates to me that you need breakfast!

Eggs For Breakfast?

Eggs are an obvious breakfast choice. They are quick, nutritious and very versatile. I often have bacon & eggs, scrambled eggs with avocado or an omelette, with whichever vegetables I have in the fridge. I always cook in coconut oil. Another favourite is making up a batch of egg muffins at the weekend. I make these up as I would an omelette, but pour them into muffin cases and cook in the oven. These last for a few days in the fridge and are perfect for busy days when there isn't enough time to make something from scratch.

I’ll also often cook extra chicken at the weekend which is great to base a breakfast around and doesn't need to be reheated, I think it’s great cold. Chicken and avocado is a great combination.

Leftovers are another great breakfast, once you've got used to the idea of having “untraditional” breakfasts. You can’t get much quicker and easier than that!

Occasionally at weekends I’ll make Paleo pancakes (using coconut or almond meal). This is great served with a berry sauce, made with fresh berries, blended in coconut milk. Noatmeal is another infrequent Paleo indulgence which is a great way to start the day.

Whilst strictly, I guess it is Paleo, I never have just fruit for breakfast. I always base my meal around protein and include fat. To have fruit (carbohydrate) as a meal on its own would be depriving myself of essential fats and proteins, would raise my blood sugar level and I’d very quickly be hungry.

What are your favourite Paleo breakfasts? I’d love to hear, in the comments below.

A Typical Day in Paleo Meals

6 Comments/in Blog Posts, Eating Out, Food, Paleo/by PaleoGirl

Despite trying not going overboard talking about my Paleo diet, it often comes out, especially when I'm out in a group, quizzing waiting staff about exactly what is in each dish and how it’s cooked. It also becomes quite obvious when I'm the only person tucking into fish and vegetables – instead of eating pizza! I'm always asked (in disbelief) what a Typical Day in Paleo meals looks like.

I explain what I eat and why I don’t eat grains. This stage often seems to happen whilst the person asking the questions, is tucking into their grain based meal. Once they've got their head round the impossible – life without grains – they’ll almost always ask me what I actually eat.

So I thought I’d show some photos of a fairly typical working weekday, in Paleo meals.

Breakfast.

A Paleo breakfast of bacon, eggs & avocado

On this particular day I had bacon, eggs and avocado. I avoid supermarket bacon as it’s often very heavily processed with all sorts of ingredients I don’t want to eat. My local organic butcher makes the best bacon I've had since I've been in Australia. It’s fresh, made in store, with minimal ingredients. It comes from organic, non factory farmed pigs. And the taste really is testament to this. I cook this in coconut oil (I'm currently using organic, virgin cold pressed, unrefined Melrose Coconut Oil). Once the bacon is almost ready I cook the eggs in the same pan. I always use organic, free range eggs – and where I can find them I’ll also often get Omega-3 enriched eggs. I complete the meal with a few slices of avocado. This breakfast is a great source of great fats and protein. At the moment I'm trying to eat within 30 minutes of waking up and it really does seem to be making such a significant difference. You can read my Paleo breakfast post for more breakfast ideas.

Lunch.

Paleo Lunch in the City; Roast Beef & Vegetables

Lunch should be something bought in from home so I know I'm eating the best possible ingredients. However, in the real world I invariably don’t get round to making lunch every day. This was one such day, where I had to find the best possible Paleo meal in the city. In this situation, I often choose a roast dinner, on this occasion with roast beef and seasonal vegetables.

Dinner.

Paleo Dinner, Stuffed Capsicum

Dinner is the meal where all the effort, creativity and amazing ingredients go! I usually plan the week’s dinners at the weekend, then shop to make sure I have all the required ingredients. This dinner was stuffed capsicum (bell peppers) with a filling of minced beef and lots of veg, herbs and spices. I have something different most days as I enjoy trying different recipes, cooking and introducing a lot of variety to my diet.

And to Drink?

I drink water all day long with the occasional cup of tea, or hot water with a slice of lemon or lime thrown in for good measure.

How does a typical day in food look for you? Do you tend to repeat the same meals or go for maximum variety in your diet?

Is a fat tax coming to Australia New Zealand-min

Is a “Fat Tax” Coming to Australia and New Zealand?

11 Comments/in Blog Posts, Paleo/by PaleoGirl

With Denmark having just been the first country to introduce a “Fat Tax”, the online community has been awash with criticism. Will governments in Australia and New Zealand impose similar legislation onto us in the future?

What’s happening in Denmark?

Denmark already had additional taxes on sugar, chocolate and soft drinks, but they have just introduced a tax on saturated fat. A tax of 16 kroner ($2.95 AUD/ $3.72 NZD) per kilo of saturated fat, where the product contains over 2.3% fat, will be passed onto the consumer. This would add about 50 cents AUD to the price of a pack of butter. So if my calculations are correct, that would add on about $2.50 AUD to the one litre tin of coconut oil I bought last week – but under 30 cents AUD to the same volume of cheap, nasty vegetable oil? The calculation sounds overly complex and it based on the fat used in creating a product, rather than the percentage fat in the final product. This sounds like a recipe for Frankenfoods, rather than whole, unprocessed foods…

The motives of Denmark, which are to increase the countries average life expectancy, may be honourable. However, their execution is based solely on the incorrect lipid hypothesis; despite it now becoming more widely accepted that saturated fat is not the cause of obesity and heart disease.

I also have serious concerns about a government deciding what we should or should not eat. Where people have access to health information and resources it should be their choice what they eat. This is even more imperative where the government in question is basing their health views on incorrect, outdated fads such as the lipid hypothesis. Such a fat tax penalises eating a healthy Paleo diet, despite this being, what I would consider, the healthiest diet going.

Would a “Fat Tax” target the right fats?

What about Australia?

With 60% of Australian adults and 40% of children being classed as obese, the “Obesity Policy Coalition” is lobbying for a “fat tax”, using the proceeds gained from “unhealthy” foods to subsidise “healthy” foods. I've found it very hard to get to the bottom of what this coalition considers “unhealthy” foods, but have written to them to ask them to clarify this (I'll keep you updated if I get a response). Looking on their site however, I fear they subscribe to the lipid hypothesis – which may mean they would endorse taxing on a similar basis to Denmark.

A proposal was bought to the Australian government in 2009 by the “National Preventative Health Taskforce” calling for a tax on “unhealthy foods” (again, I've not been able to see exactly what they define as “unhealthy” in this context). This was not responded to by the government. Indeed the federal health minister Nicola Roxon has recently said that the government are putting their efforts into tackling obesity using methods other than administration. Hopefully this means no “fat tax” in Australia in the near future.

And New Zealand?

The “Food Industry Group of New Zealand” last week spoke out on the new tax in Denmark, saying it is very unlikely to have any positive effects on obesity levels. They feel the tax will make food more expensive and could actually put health of children and elderly at risk. They will not be recommending a similar fat tax in New Zealand.

So it looks like in this part of the world, we’ll continue to be free to make our own food choices. I'm interested to see how the new tax is received in Denmark and how it changes the eating habits and health of the nation.

What do you think? Should government dictate what we eat, using taxes? Would a tax on all foods that aren't Paleo be justified?

Paleo primal tea hot drink recipe more-min

More Paleo Tea

2 Comments/in Blog Posts, Paleo, Where to Find/by PaleoGirl

As I mentioned in my previous post, I love tea! I used to take my tea with skim milk and two sugars, then I “progressed” onto sweeteners with whole milk. Now, I have it on it's own – I don't think I could go back to how I drank it before, my tastes have changed so much. Tea is surely the perfect Paleo drink, naturally low carb and nothing artificial (if you're careful with the type you select).

I try to drink a lot of water, but there are times when it's great to have a hot drink. One favourite is hot water with a slice of lemon or lime, but I've recently got I've finally ventured away from the mass produced tea bags, to a fantastic specialist tea shop near my office in Sydney.

I'd rather not have caffeine, but I have my tea fairly weak so I'm not too worried about it. It's probably a worthwhile exchange for the antioxidants anyway.

I started off with Gunpowder tea and today I added a few more to my desk collection. I thought I'd try “Glogg”, which is black tea, cinnamon, orange, almond, ginger (I seem to have ginger in everything at the moment), cloves & cardamon. I got an organic Sri Lankan Ceylon tea, for my morning cup of tea. Then, as I was paying I spotted “Japanese Lime” which is the most amazing combination of green tea, lemon, lime & lemon-grass. I'll be trying that one as an iced tea too.

What is your Paleo drink of choice?

My Current Fitness Mission

9 Comments/in Blog Posts, Ex, Fitness/by PaleoGirl

In addition to walking & running, I have two or three sessions a week of high intensity interval training style workouts, which I love. I’ve been doing this for over a year now and have made significant progress. The more progress I make however, the more my fitness ambitions grow.

Originally I wanted to be able to do “proper” man push ups. I can finally do these now, though they aren't pretty. Yet.

My biggest fitness ambition is to be able to do proper, unassisted chin-ups. I’d be thrilled to be able to do one, but ten would be incredible. I’ve been using an assisted chin up machine at the gym to help me achieve this. It has a counter weight, which you can gradually reduce – until the day arrives where no counter weight is required. The counter weights are gradually reducing – and my other strength routines are no doubt helping towards my aim.

My aim is to be able to do a few proper chin-ups by April – at PrimalCon 2012. That gives me six months to get stronger. I will conquer them!

Can you do chin-ups? Do you have any fitness goals that you’re working towards? Share in the comments, below

My Daily Commute

3 Comments/in Australian, Barefoot, Blog Posts, Ex, Fitness, Paleo, Primal/by PaleoGirl

When Mark’s Daily Apple launched this video competition, it seemed like the perfect excuse to learn some new Mac skills, after buying my first ever MacBook Pro a couple of weeks ago. I’d been thinking about making a video of my commute into work, as the sun rises behind the Sydney Opera house, whilst I run/ walk over the Harbour Bridge. Perhaps with a cruise liner going under the bridge, at the exact same time I ran over it. Yeah, didn't happen like that. By the time I found my camera I completely missed the sunrise and the weather was terrible.

So, let me know what you think of my first ever video!

I think walking is one of the best forms of exercise there is. For me, walking to work is perfect. There are no excuses or putting it off – I have to get to work, I have to walk! My commute is 4.6km (2.9 miles), each way, so door to desk, via shower, it is well under an hour. I'm increasing the amount I wear my Vibrams each week too, I'm almost up to every day. If I were to get the bus, by the time I've waited around for a bus, it wouldn't be that much quicker – not to mention the unpleasantness of buses at rush hour. On the way into work it’s mainly downhill and I often run. I've got particularly bad at needing to overtake EVERYONE in front of me. I used to walk most of the way home, but since I've upped the fat in my diet, and decreased the carbs, I often have so much energy I feel compelled to run. Even after a long day at work. Crazy!

Another huge benefit I see in walking, particularly in the summer, is that I get a lot of sun exposure – but not the intense midday sun. Great for keeping my Vitamin D levels topped up. I also really enjoy the time to just be mindful and enjoy the fresh air and scenery, or listen to music and podcasts. I wouldn't swap this part of my day for anything!

Before I moved to Australia, my commute used to be 19 miles, in a car, on a motorway in the UK. It doesn't get much less Primal than that!

In addition to walking, I also do high intensity intensity training two or three times a week, with my fantastic PT, Karl. In the year since I started these sessions, my strength and fitness have improved significantly. I’m making slow, but steady progress in my push-up and chin-up ambitions! I will master the unassisted chin-up, I will!

What does your fitness look like? Do you walk to work too?

Raw dairy milk cheese australia legal health paleo primal diet-min

Is Raw Milk Coming to Australia and New Zealand?

1 Comment/in Blog Posts, Food, Paleo, Where to Find/by PaleoGirl

What is Raw Milk?

Most milk readily available for sale is pasteurised. Pasturisation is the process where the milk is heated to high temperatures, to destroy harmful bacteria that may be present. However, as well as bacteria, the process of pasteurisation changes the nutritional profile of the milk and the insulin response. Raw milk is increasingly popular and where it comes from properly cared for animals on a good farm, the risk of harmful bacteria is reported to be low. Pasteurising milk has been the norm in Australia since the 1950’s.

Is Dairy Paleo?

I’ll come back to this issue in the near future, as it is definitely not a quick answer and there are many different views in the Paleo community.

I used to consume a moderate amount of dairy (mainly cheese, butter and milk), but I stopped for my Whole30 in August, and just haven’t started again. I'm not saying I won’t ever eat dairy again, but I feel so good without it; I'm not missing it – and I'm certainly not lacking any dairy specific nutrients in my diet.

I'm often asked how I can possibly get enough calcium from my Paleo diet, but from my research I get plenty of Calcium from green leafy vegetables, for example. Because I have a good diet, I don't lose much calcium – I have a better calcium balance. It appears when eating a poor diet, calcium is released from the body; for example, to balance the Phosphoric acid found in soft drinks, as well as the balance the acidity. This leaves those with poor diets with a far higher calcium requirement than those on a caveman diet.

We’ll see. If I do have dairy again, I’ll certainly be looking for raw dairy, which I've found quite hard (and slightly secretive) to locate here.

The Food Standards Agency for Australia & New Zealand has currently got a proposal out to consider allowing raw dairy to be sold in Australia and New Zealand. This appears to be on the back of consumer demand. The agency is clearly viewing this from a public safety perspective, which is surely a good thing. Legalising the sale of raw milk would give confidence that the raw dairy available, is produced to high, regulated standards. With legislation currently forbidding the sale of raw milk, the raw milk that is available is unknown and unregulated (unless of course, you own a dairy cow). Can you really be certain where it is from and how the animal was cared for?

Unfortunately, it looks like they have recently decided raw (drinking) milk will not be permitted. They consider the potential health risks too high. This is a shame, as people will continue to find and drink raw milk – which would be far safer were it regulated. They do however, appear to be relaxing the rules on certain hard cheeses.

Where to Get Raw Milk in Australia & New Zealand

You'll have to ask around locally, and perhaps befriend a farmer or two…

In the meantime, if you eat dairy make sure it comes from a good source. It should be organic – or better still from the farmer direct at a farmers market. I’ve read a lot of reports about cheap milk being watered down with “permeate”, which is created by removing the fat from dairy waste and concentrating the result. Cheap milk may also come from animals which have been given antibiotics. Just this week we’ve had reports of a (cheap) Australian milk brand being contaminated with a cleaning solution. Whilst it costs more, dairy is an area where it really is worth making sure you have got the best possible quality.

Is dairy a part of your diet? Do you think farmers should be allowed to sell raw dairy? Let me know what you think, in the comments, below!

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A Paleo Breakfast?

Eggs For Breakfast?

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Breakfast.

Lunch.

Dinner.

And to Drink?

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