I've Gone Paleo!

So I am trying this new thing.  Well it's not exactly new; however, it is new to me.  New in practice, not in knowledge of.  I  have gone  Paleo.

What's Paleo?  It's a way of eating which includes nutrient dense fresh vegetables and fruits, meats, poultry, and seafood.  Because I am not a fan of seafood, I won't be eating any.  I try to like fish.  I really do, but my taste buds just do not cooperate.  The Paleo Diet encourages participants to eat clean animal sources of protein- fish, meat, poultry- and replace dairy, legumes/beans, and  grain products with lots of fresh vegetables and fruits – foods that are more nutrient dense than whole grains or dairy products.  These nutrient dense vegetables and fruits are great sources of soluble fiber, antioxidant vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, omega-3 and monounsaturated fats, and are low-glycemic carbohydrates, which means you gain great control of your blood sugar levels and encourage your body to go into fat loss mode. 

Why Paleo?  First of all, it's nutrient dense if you are loading up on nutrient dense vegetables and fruits.  Secondly, who doesn't enjoy meat and poultry or hamburgers and bacon?!  Grass-fed, pastured meat/poultry of course.  But more importantly,  I have an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

Some symptoms of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis are:

• Fatigue and sluggishness
• Increased sensitivity to cold
• Constipation
• Pale, dry skin
• A puffy face
• Hoarse voice
• An elevated blood cholesterol level
• Unexplained weight gain — occurring infrequently and rarely exceeding 10 to 20 pounds, most of which is fluid
• Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness, especially in your shoulders and hips
• Pain and stiffness in your joints and swelling in your knees or the small joints in your hands and feet
• Muscle weakness, especially in your lower extremities
• Excessive or prolonged menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia)
• Depression
• Hair loss or thinning
• Decreased concentration
• Brain fog

What's an autoimmune disease?  As medical researcher, medical biophysicist, author of The Paleo Approach and The Paleo Approach Cookbook, Dr. Sarah Ballantyne states, "Autoimmune disease is caused by the immune system losing the ability to differentiate proteins belonging to your own body with proteins belonging to a foreign invader (like a bacteria, virus or parasite). What causes symptoms is the build up of damage to cells, tissues and/or organs in the body–damage caused by your own immune system attacking those cells. Which proteins/cells are attacked is what separates one disease from another. In Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, the thyroid gland is attacked. In Rheumatoid Arthritis, the tissues of your joints are attacked. In psoriasis, proteins within the layers of cells that make up your skin are attacked. However, the root cause is the same."  According to Rob Wolfe, former research biochemist and author of The Paleo Solution – The Original Human Diet,  autoimmune diseases share a common cause: damage to the intestinal lining which allows large, undigested food particles to make their way into the body. This is called “leaky gut and the autoimmune response”.

What does going Paleo have to do with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis?    Gut health is the basis to thyroid health.  By removing the foods that cause leaky gut and inflammation and  by adding nutrient dense foods that support optimal gut health, you can create the best opportunity for your body to heal.  Going Paleo does just that.  When you go Paleo you automatically remove grains, gluten, eggs, beans, processed foods, sugars and other inflammatory agents from your diet and your gut.  This is the first step if you have Hashimoto's.  Numerous studies show a strong link between gluten intolerance and Hashimoto’s.  Optimal health is the result I am hoping for.   Right now I am not on any medications for Hashi's.  I'd like to keep it that way. 

So will this Paleo way of life be challenging?  Yes.  Very.  Much.  So.  My biggest challenge as I embark on this journey will be figuring out breakfast and sandwiches..... Who am I kidding?   Really it's the chocolate thing and the sugar thing.  I have to say goodbye to my two faves.  Sigh.  Sniffle.  Sniffle.  Well, it was fun while it lasted.  I have wonderful memories.   I will miss them dearly.  I'm not sure I will ever completely get over them..... But with the support of my network of loving, caring, thoughtful friends and family I will get through this, right?  HELP ME PLEASE!

That's part of the reason why I wrote this post.  For support and encouragement.  By putting this out there, I am hoping to share my struggles and challenges with you.  I am also hoping for encouragement and understanding.  If I seem crabby, well, it's because I am.  I miss my sweets and breads and quinoa.  But I know I will feel great in my body and I'm on the path to optimal health.

I am worth a few "sacrifices" and the time it takes to be well.  Aren't you too?  

Choose Chocolate

Hi, my name is Nancy and I'm a sugaraholic.  Oh, sorry, I was confused for a second there.  I thought I was at my meeting...  So I am a recovering sugaraholic.  Sugar. Sugar. Sugar.  LOVE it!  And completely hate it too.  It's the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I think of when I go to sleep.   Well, okay maybe not the first thing, but when something sweet is in the house it's really hard for me to not plot out when I'm going to get it.  I'm always on the hunt for sugar.  Drives me crazy.

I love sugar.  But sugar hates me.  I feel so good while I'm eating it.  Really good.  Blissfully happy.   In fact, when I was visiting my brother in Maine, we stopped in at the Lindt chocolate factory in Freeport.  Well, he was the one who actually went in and bought some of the white chocolate truffles/balls.  It was a rainy, gloomy day.  We were soaked from walking around all day and getting poured on while eating lunch outside.  My husband and kids were great about it, but I wasn't so happy.  I was downright grumpy.  And because I'm not good at suppressing my feelings or pretending life is wonderful when it's not (it was raining on my parade), my super-brother surprises me with this bag of white chocolates.

Now I'm not supposed to eat these things.  They have milk in them.  Milk hurts me.  Again, love-hate relationship.  I used to be addicted to milk B.C. (Before Children), but that's another story for another day.  Back to the white chocolate delivery.  So my brother shows me this bag that he bought (sounds like a drug deal), and it was if my hands had a mind of their own.  Next thing you know I am reaching into the bag, grabbing a "couple" of pieces,  hiding them in my purse, walking to a corner of a store while my brother and husband keep the kids occupied, and stuffing my face full of white chocolate heaven!  Yes, I have a problem!  But oh, those white chocolate truffles were so good in so many ways!  Instant happiness.  What a mood lifter.  They hit the spot.  I was soooooooooo happy.  Well, what's the problem then?  The after-effects.  Sugar hates me.

Soon after eating anything containing refined sugar, the good mood turns ugly.  I hit a wall.  I get extremely irritable and moody. I am just not a pleasure to be around.   My oldest son will warn me before I eat a sweet that I'm going to regret it and that I'll be grouchy....  It's like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  It's like the Incredible Hulk.  It's like Popeye when he eats spinach.  And I need more of it to get back to that place of  'sugar happiness.'  Can you relate?

So what do I do?  I'm human after all.  I'm going to make mistakes.  I'm going to lose a couple of battles in the war against sugar.  So I try to think before I take that sweet.  I remind myself that the bad mood will be more intense and longer-lasting than the good taste and short-lived good feeling of that sweet that is calling my name.   I remind myself how much I love my family and that they deserve a sane Mommy.  I play through the scenes of previous sugar disasters and how long it took me to feel better.  I list all the ways sugar harms me.  And then.... I choose chocolate....

What?  Choose chocolate?!  I thought you just said that chocolate or anything containing refined sugar more or less makes you crazy.  And if mama's crazy, well then everyone is crazy.  So choose chocolate?

Yes,  I choose chocolate.  Actually it's 1 T. of cacao (unprocessed cocoa), 1/2 C. of dates, 1/2 C. of walnuts, and a splash of vanilla that I choose.  All mixed together.  Pulverized in my Vitamix.  You can use a food processor for the same outcome- yumminess.  No refined sugar.  Just sweetness.  I roll mine into "fudge balls."  Everyone loves them.  This is enough chocolatey sweetness to satisfy my sweet tooth without the harmful side effects of refined sugar.

Your body will thank you for the vitamins and minerals in the dates.  You will also reap the benefits of the protein, vitamins, nutrients, phyto-chemicals, anti-oxidants, essential fatty acids, and minerals in the walnuts.  Cacao?  Well, it's considered a super-food, containing anti-oxidants, essential fatty acids, protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamin C, iron, zinc, copper, calcium, sulphur and magnesium.  Health benefits of this mixture far outweigh any refined sweet.  You will feel energized and happy knowing you are doing your body good!

So it is all about choices.  Some you can make on your own.  Some your mind and body "make" for you.   Food vs. Mood.  In my case, Food = Mood.  Tune into your body.  Tune into your food.  Tune into your moods.  Your body is always telling you something.   I'm not saying it's going to be easy.  But I am saying it's going to be worth it.  Choose chocolate and no one gets hurt.....

What's For Breakfast?

We all know or have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  There's a lot of pressure to make it count.  Nutritional experts say that if you skip breakfast you will have problems with concentration, metabolism, energy, mood and weight loss/gain.  Now I have your undivided attention!  Unless of course, you skipped breakfast this morning which caused you to have problems concentrating on reading this.  Because of your difficulty concentrating, you probably don't even give breakfast a second thought.  But you will once that muffin top turns into a full blown pound cake!  So I suggest that for the health of you and your purse or wallet  (cost of new wardrobe, visits to doctor, etc.) that you eat breakfast daily. 

So, what's for breakfast? 

For a quick, nutritious breakfast I reach for a smoothie.  My favorite smoothie recipe consists of 1 1/2 C. of vanilla rice milk (or coconut milk or almond milk), 1 C of strawberries, 1/2 C. blueberries, 1 banana, 1 C. kale, 1 C. spinach, a pinch of stevia.  Sometimes, I add cacao.  Yum.  Put it all in the Vitamix, and there you have it.  Of course, if the kids are around to witness this, I make up a huge story about the Hulk and how this is a Hulk smoothie, and it will make you SOOOOOO strong, not angry, just strong!  And they gobble it up,  the story and the smoothie!

Another favorite breakfast of mine is a kale omelet.  Back in August we bought 9 egg-laying hens.  So each day we typically get 8-9 fresh eggs.  And believe me it is no problem at all to put them to good use!  So I saute one small onion, chopped,  in oil.  Add 2 C. shredded kale.  Saute until wilted.   Take about 3-4 egg whites and mix them with one whole egg.  Add to skillet.  Cook, flipping eggs when set.  Yum!  Now that's a nutrient dense omelet.  I have substituted other nutrient dense greens for the kale.  Sometimes I add salsa.  Mmmm-mmmm.  Now I'm ready to take on the day!

What about  those mornings when you are running out of time or aren't that hungry?  I know, it's hard to believe that a human being may not be hungry.  That never happens to me.  In fact, there are many moments in time that I wish I were taller so that I could eat more without worrying about whether or not I'm going to have to unbutton that top button of my pants or change into sweats altogether...  Tall people = more food.  In any case, a simple breakfast would be to grab about a quarter cup of nuts and a piece of fruit.  The nuts contain unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, protein and other nutrients.  They help to lower LDL or "bad cholesterol" and increase HDL or "good cholesterol."  If you are allergic to nuts or simply can't tolerate them, try pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for a healthy choice.  And fruit?  Who doesn't enjoy a good piece of fruit?  Fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals, micro-nutrients, and anti-oxidants which remove free radicals from the body, and are believed to offer protection against cancers.  Fruit also boosts immunity which is extremely important this time of year.

So when you are waking up from your dream land and considering sleeping in for a few more hits of that snooze button, consider the good you could do that temple of yours by simply eating breakfast.  That body will thank you and so will the people around you when they notice your newly found focus and energy!  Not to mention the boosted mood you will bless those around you with.  Most importantly you will be making a healthy choice in your journey to wellness.

All this talk about food has made me hungry.....

What's your favorite, healthy breakfast?

Who Am I?

Well who am I?   Nancy is my name and eating is my game.  I LOVE to eat.  I LOVE food.  I LOVE pretty much all food.  So what?  What's wrong with that?  Well, there are a couple of things that may rain on one's food festival parade when one enjoys food as much as I do.  First, I am only 5' 3" tall.  I wish I was taller. Let's say 6 or 7 inches taller.  No, not so I can play basketball or see over the crowd at a concert or reach things on a high shelf or even become a famous wrestler.  Nope, none of those reasons.  I truly wish I was taller so that I could eat more.  I want to eat more.  I could easily eat more.  A lot more.   But I don't want to weigh more.   I want my clothes to fit.   You see, I not only love food, but I am also extremely health conscious.  I have to be.  I have 3 active food-allergic children and a very active husband.  I want to be here for a long time for them.  With that in mind,  I try to fuel my body, our bodies, with the most nutrient-dense foods I can so that I/we can feel great and have lots of energy.  I don't want to create any undue health problems.  You know what I mean?   Obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, inflammation, etc.

The other factor that rains on my food festival parade?   I have multiple food allergies/intolerances.  I LOVE food, but not all food loves me.  Gluten doesn't like me, nor does dairy, nor does soy.  But it wasn't always like that.  I remember days of long ago.... Way back in the 1900's..... B.C. (Before Children) ..... I could eat anything (and I did) without getting sick, without having stomach pains, without worrying how I was going to feel after eating the delicious culprit.   To make a long story short, with the birth and nursing of each child, I had to eliminate common food allergens from my diet.  I chose to do this to stop the painful G.I. symptoms my babies were experiencing.  When the third child was weaned I tried unsuccessfully to re-introduce each offending food to my diet.  My body rejected dairy, gluten, and soy.  Ugghhh!   Sigh...  Life, as I knew it, was never going to be the same.   My love affair with my favorite foods was over!

Fast forward 12 years of eating gluten free, soy free and dairy free.   Fast forward 12 years of planning allergen-free meals for my family.  Yes, my children still have food sensitivities/intolerances.  No, not each one is intolerant of the same food.  That would be too easy!   My husband is gluten-free and dairy-free by default.  Oh and did I mention that I get "little reminders" when I cheat or accidentally ingest something that contains one of my fave allergens?  Yes, it can drive one crazy!  But that's okay, because I was crazy before!  I look at it as a blessing in disguise.  We are forced to eat healthy.  I am forced to plan ahead and be extremely organized and work hard at budgeting my time and money.  I also changed careers.  I took my experiences of being an elementary school teacher and middle school guidance counselor and my passion for health and nutrition and furthered my education to become a certified holistic health counselor.  I love helping my clients create healthy lifestyles.  I love helping people add nutrient dense foods to their diets.  And I love hearing how great people feel when they make simple changes.

So now here I am blogging about my experiences, recipes, challenges, struggles, successes and experiences on this journey of healthy living. My hope is that my sharing will help you on your journey toward wellness.  Maybe it will help motivate you, encourage you, inspire you.  Maybe you'll just get a few laughs out of this.  Maybe you'll just think I'm crazy and how could anyone possibly live this way!  That's okay too.  In any case, I hope you enjoy the journey!  Please feel free to give me some feedback.   Thanks!