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Salicylates & Paleo diet NSAIDS allergies-min

Salicylates & Paleo

Salicylates occur naturally in plants as a defence mechanism, to protect the plant against any threat such as disease or pests. Most people have no issues with eating plants containing Salicylates – but some people however can experience all sorts of problems from these natural chemicals, from migraines, hives, IBS, asthma and even sleep issues and ADHD. Since aspirin and NSAID’s are Salicylates, most people with these intolerances will react badly to these drugs.

If I eat a lot of foods containing high levels of Salicylates, my skin becomes itchy, swollen and covered in hives. Since I've been eating a Paleo diet I've not had a bad reaction and I'm conscious to reduce my consumption of the foods that I know are high in Salicylates – and seem to affect me the worst. Unfortunately (because they are a favourites) tomatoes seem to be a particular trigger. Other people with Salicylate sensitivity seem to react in different ways to different foods.

It appears that in those with Salicylate sensitivity, there is an acceptable level of exposure to foods containing high levels – but once “too large” a dose of the high Salicylate food is eaten the effects of the sensitivity kick in. I can eat a tomato based sauce with no problems, but if I eat several meals in a row containing high levels of these foods, my skin starts to break out in hives! People with Salicylate sensitivity seems to have very varied tolerance levels.

Salicylates and Paleo

As Salicylates are naturally occurring, this is one intolerance that a Paleo or Primal diet can’t solve. However, processed food often contains ingredients high in salicylates, so a Paleo diet enables you to control and know exactly what you are eating. It’s certainly possible to eat a low Salicylate Paleo diet as there are plenty of foods that contain negligible, low or moderate levels of Salicylates.

Salicylates & Paleo diet NSAIDS allergies-min

Food High In Salicylates

Broadly speaking, foods such as tomatoes, peppers, capsicum, cucumber, sweet potato and watercress seem to be high in Salicylates. Lots of fruits have high levels, particularly dried fruit. Coconut and olive oil are also reported to contain high levels of Salicylates, though I've never had a reaction from them and use these oils almost everyday. Fortunately meat (in a Paleo – i.e. unprocessed) capacity seems to contain very low levels.

A Low-Salicylate Paleo Diet

With some planning and substitutions, there’s no reason not to keep a Paleo diet low in Salicylates. One of the hardest things to replace is tomatoes (also a nightshade), as tomatoes are a common base for sauces and recipes. I've been experimenting with some tomato-free Paleo sauces and will share the recipe I've come up with tomorrow. It’s definitely possible to make a tomato-like sauce without tomatoes!

Do you have a Salicylate intolerance? I’d love to hear which foods you are sensitive to and how you incorporate this into your Paleo diet.

No shampoo no poo natural health beauty paleo-min

No Shampoo?

The one Paleo area I've been completely avoiding has been the whole No Shampoo & No Soap issue.  I recently had my hair done for my Birthday and I was quite shocked by the number of products I was smothered in (my hair didn't look that amazing after either):

  • Shampoo
  • Colours for highlights
  • Shampoo
  • Toner
  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Leave in conditioner
  • Spray to make my hair soft
  • Spray to give my hair volume
  • Wax to give my hair texture, and
  • Hairspray

No shampoo no poo natural health beauty paleo-min

This trip to the hairdressers has forced me to think about the other chemicals I expose myself too.  It’s all well and good being strict with my nutrition, but surely reducing exposure to chemicals like this, is of great importance too.

The ingredients list in a typical bottle of shampoo or shower gel often reads like a chemistry text book.  Given that skin is our largest organ, it’s a reasonable assumption that chemicals are going to be able to transfer from the products to your blood stream.

Shampoo

I just looked up the ingredients of a Pantene shampoo I often use.  I can't even pronounce some of these chemicals: –

Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Fragrance, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Xylenesulfonate, Citric Acid, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Tetrasodium Edta, Panthenol, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Methylchloroisothiazolinone/Methylisothiazolinone

When researching the ingredients used in commercial shampoos and soaps all sorts less than favourable articles came up.  Many of the chemicals are irritants and have many properties I just don’t want in my system.

A lot of Paleo people go entirely without shampoo and soap, but I just don’t think I'm ready to go this far, yet.  My main problem with camping is not being able to wash my hair every morning; the thought of voluntarily doing this from the comfort of my home isn't a terribly attractive proposition!

The harsh chemicals in shampoo seem to strip away the scalps natural sebum, drying it out – and greasy hair appears to be the scalps compensation for this overly dried out scalp!  From what I’ve read and from speaking to Paleo friends who've gone no ‘poo, it seems like the first week or two is not a good look – but then your hair is supposed to become soft, shiny and wonderful!

A lot of people use natural products such as eggs, apple cider vinegar and baking soda, so perhaps that would be a good place to start.

What are your thoughts on giving up shampoo?  Or perhaps you have some top tips for conquering my shampoo habit?

Why You Should Throw Away Your Non-Stick Cookware teflon frying pan dangerous paleo diet-min

Why You Should Throw Away Your Non-Stick Cookware!

So, you’ve got your Paleo diet tuned in, you exercise Primally and sleep soundly; but what do you cook with?

Non stick Teflon frying pans are everywhere.  If you don’t cook with them, you’re definitely in the enlightened minority.  It’s easy to see why this cookware is so popular.  It’s so cheap to buy, depending on where you buy your cookware, it may even be the only option.  Non stick cookware is also very easy to cook on – with no thought about temperatures; you’re likely to get it right.  It’s also very easy to clean.

So, what’s wrong with non-stick cookware?

The coating of many brands of non-stick cookware contains Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) which has been shown to have carcinogenic properties.  Over time & usage the coating from these non-stick pans is often damaged, at which stage it should not be used, to avoid consumption of toxins.  Once in the blood stream there is no biological mechanism for removal of PFOA’s.

What should I cook with instead?!

There are several good alternatives to non-stick.   Cast iron, copper, stainless steel or enamelled cookware are the most popular Paleo options.  They are more expensive, but a good cast iron pan will last a lifetime.  You can also look for second hand pots and pans, which are likely to be very cost effective; even a rusty old iron pan can be cleaned, seasoned and given a new lease of life!

Cooking on iron

When you first get your iron pan you’ll need to season it.  This can be done by coating the pan in a fat, such as lard before putting it in a low temperature oven for a few minutes, allowing the iron to take up the oil.  It should then be cooled and excess oil rinsed out.  Soap should never be used on cast iron cookware.

Cooking on cast-iron is different to non-stick cooking, but once you’ve got the hang of it, you should be able to cook without food sticking to the pan.   It’s important to heat the pan before adding food (even the fat you’re cooking with) to avoid it sticking.  Food should generally be room temperature, not cold when adding to the pan, by leaving it out of the refrigerator for a few minutes before cooking.  The temperature shouldn’t be too high, or to low.  The final tip is to make sure you don’t shy away from using lots of fat, making this method of cooking very Paleo!

What do you cook with?  I’d love to hear your cookware tips and hints in the comments below.

Why You Should Throw Away Your Non-Stick Cookware teflon frying pan dangerous paleo diet-min

The Dirty Dozen clean 15 organic fruit vegetables paleo diet-min

The Dirty Dozen

I’d love to grow all of my own organic fruit and vegetables.  Failing that, I’d love to buy everything organic from a really good local source.  Sadly, in the real word, financial constraints mean I can’t afford to buy all of my produce organic.  I prioritise my spending towards very good quality, grass fed, organic meat, as I feel that this is extremely important.  When it comes to buying fruit and veg, this means I just cannot buy everything organic.  I therefore have to choose a few items to buy the more expensive organic versions of, with the remainder being the cheaper non-organic versions.

Why Organic?

Organic farming is a more natural approach, free of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) and synthetic chemicals (such as herbicides, growth promoters, hormones and pesticides).  Crops are rotated and naturally good soil promoted – this produces far more nutritious produce with higher levels of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and antioxidants.  The chemicals used in non-organic farming may also remain on the fruit and vegetables we eat – some of these chemicals have been linked to cancers and nervous and endocrine problems.  These chemicals and farming methods are not Paleo or optimum for our help.  The purpose of the chemicals is to make farming more profitable.

Dirty Dozen Veggies

How to Choose?

Initially, I’ll shop around to see where I can find good quality produce at good prices.  Often certain suppliers will have good offers, or end of day reductions.

I often use the “dirty dozen” rules to decide what I should buy the organic version of – and what I am more likely to be able to get away with eating the non-organic version for.

The dirty dozen is based on testing in the US on a wide range of fruit and vegetables.  The items were tested for residual amounts of pesticides and compares, to provide a “dirty dozen” list of items that frequently contain high levels of chemicals.  The list also includes items which consistently tested with very low levels of residual chemicals.  Whilst this list was compiled in America, I think it is still of value in Australia and New Zealand, as pesticide absorption seems to be based on the structure of the plant and how porous and thick the skin is.

The Dirty Dozen

The dirty dozen produce seems to vary slightly depending on where you look, but these are commonly featured: –

  • Apples
  • Pears
  • Peaches
  • Nectarines
  • Grapes
  • Strawberries/ Blueberries
  • Cherries
  • Capsicum
  • Celery
  • Spinach
  • Lettuce
  • Potatoes

Fortunately, not eating starchy tubers, I don’t eat potatoes.  I also don’t eat much fruit, as I'm trying to minimise my sugar consumption.  This makes my “must by organic” list quite reasonable.

How much of your intake is organic?  How do you prioritise what to buy organic?

The Dirty Dozen clean 15 organic fruit vegetables paleo diet-min

What's In Your Coconut Milk Ingrediants-min

Fancy a Serve of Polyoxethylene Sorbitan Monostearate With Your Coconut Milk?

Following on from yesterdays post on Coconut Milk & Coconut Cream, I’ve found out a few things about those added ingredients.  Seemingly innocuous names such as E435 hide chemicals I quite simply would rather not consume.  I’ll take the coconut milk with the huge layer of cream on top, thanks.

What's In Your Coconut Milk Ingrediants-min

Stabilizer E466 (or just 466):  Also known as Carboxymethyl Cellulose

This is used as a thicking agent, a filler, anti clumping agent and an emulsifier.  As well as its use in food, Carboxymethyl Cellulose is also used in ceramics, detergents & textiles.  It is derived from cellulose (as found in wood & plant structures) which is chemically modified.  It isn't possible to find out the source directly, but it could come from genetically engineered cotton plants.

Vegetable gum (412) or Emulsifier, E412:  More commonly known as Guar gum

Guar Gum is often added as a thickener to avoid the contents of the tin separating.  Guar Gum is made from the seed of the Cyamopsis tetragonoloba shrub, which is a legume  The seeds are dehusked, milled & screened to produce an off white powder. I think I’d rather deal with the natural separation of the coconut milk.

Emulsifier E435:  Also known as Polyoxethylene sorbitan monostearate, Polysorbate 60, or Tween 60
This chemical compound is created from ethylene oxide (a synthetic compound), sorbitol and palmitic acid.  One of the main issues appears to be that the origin of these components is not easy to find out, but may be include “vegetable” oils.   I’ve not been able to find any relevant studies, but there are lots of mentions of cancer when discussing this additive.

Thickener E415, also known as Xanthin gum

This thickener is created from fermenting corn sugar with a bacterium.  It may also use wheat, dairy or soy.  As with all of these additives it is very hard to determine exactly how the chemical was derived.

Do you know more about these additives?  Are you happy to consume a small amount of these additives to get coconut milk into your diet?  Let me know in the comments below.