Burger, almost.

One of the most challenging things about eating healthy is being on the go. I'm lucky enough to work in a restaurant so I have access to a stove and a grill and an oven, but it still involves a lot of foresight to eat well. The dressings at the restaurant are made with canola oil (a big no no), so even having a salad at work involves some home prep. They're generous enough to give us a free meal after every shift, but free doesn't usually mean healthy and what's more important? I'm all for the occasional night out eating what is delicious and brings you joy, but when you are there every night eating french fries and fried chicken, the nutrient deficit and inflammation really add up! Most 20-somethings don't care about that stuff, because to them the free part is hella cool, but when you start noticing patches of weird skin on your body and getting a little soggy around the midsection, it's harder to ignore.

I love burgers! It's not always the case that you can count on places you go out to source ethically raised meat, so be mindful of this. Knowing about the dangers of commercially-raised meats has made me pay way more attention to the quality of the meat I purchase and eat, so for this version of a paleo "burger", I brought my own (grassfed organic) beef to the restaurant and cooked it on the grill. Eating food that's been grilled isn't ideal if you're doing it regularly because that cooking method creates carcinogens, but man, there's no flavor like it and once in awhile I think it's okay.

So where do you come in, you ask? Well, though I have all the kitchen gadgets at my disposal at work, this meal is totally doable for anyone! Want to have this for lunch at work? Everything can be pre-prepped at home (bring your salad dressing in its own little container, greens in another, and your pre-cooked burger patty and sweet potato fries) and just pop the things meant to be served warm in the microwave for a minute or two. I am definitely not a huge fan of microwaves, but I say this food that you put real effort into procuring good ingredients for and put together to bring for lunch is way better than whatever commercial bullshit is available for sale at a convenience store or restaurant. If the only heating apparatus available is a microwave, so be it. It couldn't do more harm than eating that stuff that passes for "food"!

Want a "real" burger (as in, with the bread) and still want to be healthy? Check out this post from June of 2016. It's really good, if I do say so myself :)

Here's an easy to follow recipe for the burger you see in today's photo!

For the burger patty:

4 oz ground beef
salt and pepper

Heat a cast iron skillet until hot. Form the meat into a patty using your hands, and salt/pepper one side. Place the salted side down in the hot pan, and salt/pepper the other side. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on how pink you like your burgers. Transfer to a plate or cutting board and allow to rest while you assemble your salad!

For the salad dressing:

1 Tbsp paleo mayo
2 Tbsp lemon juice

For the salad:

1 cup (ish) organic mixed greens
1/2 ripe avocado
1 roma tomato, chopped

Put all salad ingredients in a bowl. In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together the mayo and lemon juice. Pour over salad and mix well.

For the sweet potato fries:

1 small sweet potato, cut into "fry" shape
butter or beef tallow
salt and pepper

Turn oven to 400. Melt beef tallow or butter. Place fries on a sheet pan and pour the fat all over them. Season. Place in the oven for 10 minutes or so, depending on your desired level of doneness.

[Paleo] Green pepper-braised pork shoulder with cauliflower rice and guacamole

Here's another paleo meal! Truly actually paleo -- I made some "maple syrup and balsamic beef with mashed potatoes [potatoes are paleo now, you know]" last night and woke up SO THIRSTY and could feel the weird sugar hangover. Come to think of it, it might have been the apple strudel I made for breakfast; I suppose it will just have to remain a mystery. It seems my pattern is to jump with every fiber of my being off the wagon into SUGAR, and then swim my way back (dragging my exhausted pancreas with me) to this new paleo "normal" I like to think I've established. It's getting easier to come back to; before, I'd have my little sugar fix and be like, "well, it's over," and go back to my not-so-healthy ways. Sometimes I'm snowed in and I just need to bake, it's just the way it is. Anyhoo, here's a delightfully sugar-free dinner that is super satisfying and delicious.

[Paleo] Green pepper-braised pork shoulder with cauliflower rice and guacamole

For the meat:

butter (or fat of choice)
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1.5 pounds pork shoulder, salted the night before and left in the fridge
2-3 cups chicken stock (water is fine if you don't have stock)
1 small can green chiles

Melt the butter in a dutch oven or stock pot. Add sliced onions and saute until they have some color. Add the meat to the bottom of the pan to sear on all sides. Add chicken stock and turn heat to low, cooking (covered) for 2-3 hours until the pork is fork tender. Remove the lid and increase heat to create a steady simmer (not a boil) and reduce the liquid for about 30 minutes. Add the can of green chiles. Taste and adjust seasonings.

For the guacamole:

2 ripe avocados
1/4 of a red onion OR 1 small shallot, (or heck, even a white onion if it's all you have) diced very small
1 roma tomato, de-seeded and chopped
juice of half of a lime (or a lemon)
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
salt and pepper

Mix everything together in a bowl. Done!

For the cauliflower rice

Open a frozen bag of cauliflower rice and put it in a pot. Add a pinch of salt, a bit of stock or lemon juice if desired, and heat until it's hot. So easy!!

To plate:

Put some cauliflower rice on the plate. In the photo I left the pork in the chunk that it came as from the meat counter, but in retrospect I think it would have been better shredded. Do what floats your boat! Pour a nice big ladle of the braising liquid over the meat and rice, and then place a nice dollop of guacamole on top. And there you have it!

Anti-Inflammation

Inflammation. It is caused by our immune system attacking anything that it recognizes as foreign. Sometimes our bodies go into overdrive and mistakenly start attacking themselves, something we refer to as auto-immune disease. Reasons for changing our diets to one that includes more anti-inflammatory foods might be more imminently noticeable for people who suffer from auto-immune disease, but the truth is that it would be good for everyone. Did you know that by reducing inflammation in our bodies, we significantly decrease our chances not just for one particular disease, but disease in general!?

To add anti-inflammatory foods is great, and something that would also be great would be to reduce inflammatory foods. Some of the most inflammatory foods are:

Sugar (including carbohydrates)
Dairy
Wheat/grains
Legumes
Commercially-raised meats
Canola and other highly-processed seed oils

On a side note, guess what the paleo diet eliminates? Bingo!

My beautiful sister, J, has been such an inspiration to me, not only in the way she has handled certain health challenges (she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 4), but how she has actively started caring for her body and her health by starting to eat healthier, and has been able to wean herself off of all of her medication except for her insulin. As is the case with many auto-immune diseases like diabetes, one can easily follow the other, and this has been the case with J. She has to deal with something called Sjogren's, which affects the mucous membranes of the body, and most recently has had some concern raised by her doctor about her liver.

J and I both believe in the body's innate ability to heal itself if given the proper support (she has already been able to start taking less insulin since she started eating better), so we decided to see what effects implementing a diet that decreases inflammation in the body will have. Arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia, asthma, and celiac are all auto-immune diseases that are caused by inflammation, and addressing that root cause can significantly reduce symptoms and pain caused by these disorders. Anti-inflammatory foods can regulate the immune system and impact the way inflammation affects our bodies and our lives.

So here's a list of some anti-inflammatory foods. I always say "I'm not a scientist" and it's true, and it's also true that adding these foods into your diet couldn't hurt (unless you have an allergy). So why not?

Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Avocados
Blueberries and blackberries
Grass-fed/grass-finished beef
Carrots
Kale
Olive oil (please do not cook with it, it breaks down and becomes rancid at high temperatures)
Salmon
Spinach
Turmeric
Ginger
Tomatoes
Nuts
Garlic
Beets (oo especially fermented ones)
Sweet potatoes
Fermented vegetables

This list is by no means exhaustive. For more ideas, take a look at this beautiful and adorable list from thepaleomom.com (who has a fantastic blog about the Auto-Immune Protocol that I highly recommend):

Anyone have good experiences with eliminating inflammatory foods and adding some anti-inflammatory ones? What are some of the changes you noticed? I'd love to hear your stories!

Paleo citrus bacon shrimp with caramelized onions, mashed potatoes, and cilantro!

This is a great way to get some sea food in that body! Shrimp is a great source of protein and man, is it delicious. I'd heard that it is high in cholesterol and therefore we shouldn't eat it, but that's just one more example of how we have been misinformed by mainstream nutrition to fear fat. We need cholesterol to make up some of the more important parts of our bodies (like our cells. Yeah, pretty important!). Read this for all kinds of interesting shrimp info!

[Paleo] Citrus bacon shrimp with caramelized onions, mashed potatoes, and cilantro
Makes 1 single-serving meal

For the mashed potatoes:

1 large yukon gold potato
the cream from 1 can of full-fat coconut milk (start with 1 spoonful and add more according to how thick you like your mashed potatoes)
butter
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp celery seeds, if desired

Chop the potatoes into chunks and boil in water until very soft. You can peel them if you want, but I never do. It's too much work when the skins are super tasty and add some nice texture. Just wash them really well first. When they're done cooking, drain water and mash them (using a hand mixer, potato masher, or even just a fork) with coconut cream, butter, salt, pepper, and celery seeds. Use discretion and preference of texture and taste to determine amounts of each ingredient. You can do it! Cooking for more than one person/meal? Just plan on 1 medium-large yukon gold potato per person, and increase the amounts of everything else. Another note: I have found that the addition of celery seeds gives the illusion of the presence of celery root, another starchy root vegetable, and helps mask some of the coconut flavor from the coconut milk.

For the shrimp and caramelized onions:

2 Tbsp butter
1 slice Paleo-friendly bacon, chopped
1/2 onion, sliced (can use a yellow, white, or red onion)
8-10 wild caught shrimps (just buy as many as you want to eat in one meal)
zest and juice of a lime (reserve one slice for garnish, if desired)
salt and pepper

1/4 of a bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

De-vein and clean the shrimp really well. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.

Melt 1 Tbsp of the butter in a skillet and add chopped bacon, cooking until the fat is rendered and the pieces of bacon are crispy. Leaving the fat in the pan, reserve the pieces of bacon. To the hot fat, add the sliced onions, and cook on high heat until slightly charred. Turn down heat and allow to caramelize slowly for 15 minutes. Move onions to the side of the pan (you can leave them in there) and add the shrimp, cooking no more than 1 minute per side. You can add more butter if the pan is dry, it will help the shrimp cook. They will curl up and turn pink when finished, and this happens very quickly! When they are done, remove from heat and add the bacon back to the pan.

Plate by placing the mashed potatoes on the plate and creating a "cave" with the back of a large spoon. Place the shrimp/onion/bacon mixture on top of the mashed potatoes and sprinkle everything with the lime juice and a healthy sprinkling of fresh cilantro. Voila!

Persian and Paleo in the same sentence?

Okay, I know you really can't have Persian food without the beautiful, fragrant, fluffy, nothing-like-it basmati rice. It makes my mouth water just thinking about the saffron-infused portion that sits on top of the mountain of white rice, and even more importantly, the crispy, buttery tahdig ("Tah-deeg") that is produced through the rice-making process and is a delicacy all on its own.

But you know, if white rice makes you bloated and fatigued and weighed down, is something slightly (okay, very) different that mimics it such a bad thing? I think not. Enter: saffron cauliflower rice.

It's different (and maybe instead of listing its flavor and textural differences, I'll just nod toward its greater digestive ease). Put a mound of it on a plate next to a mint and cucumber salad, a grilled tomato, a slice of raw onion, and some just-right seasoned ground beef, and you'll be joyously satisfied before you even remember you're committing cultural culinary blasphemy.

It comes together really quickly (especially if you're using the highly-recommended shortcut of buying pre-riced cauliflower) and it so satisfying and delicious. The recipes that follow are for 3 meals -- I write according to number of meals because I'm usually cooking only for myself, but you could also interpret "meals" as "people".

[Paleo] Persian "kabobs" with saffron cauliflower rice, cucumber-mint salad, and grilled tomato

For the meat:

2 Tbsp butter or ghee* (for pan frying)
1 pound pastured ground beef
1 egg
1/2 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped very fine
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp sumac (may omit if you don't have or don't want to get)
1 tsp salt
pepper, to taste

*Use ghee or beef tallow if you are going hardcore paleo.

In a food processor, grind the onion until finely minced. Place in a mesh strainer and squeeze contents with your hands so that as much liquid comes out of the onions as possible. I do this over the sink.

In a bowl, combine beef, egg, drained onion, garlic, turmeric, sumac, salt, and pepper. Mix with your clean hands until well combined. If you'd like to check for seasoning before continuing, grab a small piece of your meat mixture and cook it. Adjust seasoning to your preference (I start with 1 teaspoon of salt but everyone's salt preferences are different; after tasting, I usually add another teaspoon if not more).

To cook, simply form into somewhat flat disks, and saute in butter (approx 4-5 minutes per side) until seared and cooked through.

For the cauliflower rice:

1 Tbsp butter*
1 bag frozen cauliflower rice (even chefs "cheat" sometimes, don't be ashamed)
squeeze of lemon, if desired
small pinch saffron threads
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the frozen cauliflower rice. Cook for a few minutes until defrosted and hot, and then add saffron. Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

For the cucumber-mint salad:

One English cucumber
8 leaves of mint, chopped or julienned
2 Tbsps balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsps olive oil
salt and pepper

Chop cucumber to your desired size. Add mint, vinegar, oil, and seasonings. Taste and adjust as desired.

For the grilled tomato:

3 roma tomatoes (or more, depending on how much you like tomatoes! This is one of my favorite parts of any Persian meal so sometimes I'll have two.)

(Note: I don't have a grill, so this is my method. If you have a grill, by all means use it! You could even use it for the meat, which will make it taste even closer to the real thing.)

Place the roma tomatos directly on the burner of your electric stove to mark them. Transfer to a 400-degree oven for 10 minutes until they are hot and soft. Alternatively, you could probably cook it directly in the flame of a gas burner.

And there you have an entire meal. Serve, if desired (it's what the real Persians do) with a slice of raw white onion. The SUPER authentic way is to hold a spoon in your dominant hand, a fork in the other, and use the fork to put a little of each element on the spoon to make up a complete bite. Each element is fairly simple and it all comes together in this really wonderfully balanced way. Salamati! (That's "cheers" in Farsi.)

Kombucha

Kombucha is the thing that makes me not miss Coca Cola. It is slightly sweet with a natural effervescence, and more subtle than soda (i.e. not as sweet), so it can take a bit of getting used to... but it's well worth the adjustment. It is fermented black or green tea, and has been around in the East for 2,000 years. The Chinese call it an "Immortal Health Elixir", and it is believed to have cancer-fighting abilities. It is fantastic for detoxing your body, is good for your joints, aids digestion by increasing the good bacterial flora in your gut, and boosts your immune system! So not only is it "not as bad" as soda, it is actually super good for you!

The one problem is that a 16-ounce bottle of kombucha from the store can cost as much as $4.00. FOUR DOLLARS! Of course one can't put a price on the fact that you're not consuming high-fructose corn syrup (or, god forbid in the case of diet soda - aspartame. That stuff is speculated to cause cancer, neurological problems [including brain tumors, yikes], and kidney decline, no thanks!) and all of the other terrible stuff in soda, not to mention the phosphate that depletes our magnesium levels. But $4.00 every time you want a tasty, refreshing beverage can get pretty pricey. Drinking 1 a day, which I could do easily, would cost $120 a month! A lot of times, also, the stuff that is made commercially is carbonated artificially and probiotics are added, which is fine, but I would rather be amazed by the effervescence and probiotics that occur naturally!

The one thing you'll need to get in advance (in addition to tea bags and some sugar) is a "SCOBY" (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast), which is the "mother" you may have heard referenced when you hear of raw vinegar. They have kombucha starter kits at certain health food stores, which I'm sure are fine, but they tend to be on the expensive side. Honestly, just order a scoby online (or see if someone you know makes kombucha and has an extra one - every time you make some, you get a new scoby!). Local Bellingham friends: the scoby can be purchased here. Now, all you have to do is get some green or black (organic!) tea bags and organic cane sugar from the store, and a 1-gallon jar from Goodwill, and you're good to go. The Scoby and the jar are investments that will last your entire kombucha-making career, and will pay for themselves in no time!

One thing worth noting: Sugar, for the most part is bad. Sugar is hidden in every processed food and is something that most people are addicted to without even knowing. Excessive sugar is responsible for all kinds of health problems: It feeds cancer cells, is toxic to the liver, and causes your body to store excess fat, among other things. However, in this instance of using it for the fermentation of kombucha, the sugar is not for you (the consumer)! The sugar is for the bacteria and yeast! The sugar feeds them so the good bacteria can proliferate and the yeast can create the effervescence we love, and by the time we are ready to drink the kombucha, there is hardly any sugar left in it at all!

So let's make some, shall we?

Gather the following:

A SCOBY + 2 cups of the liquid (old kombucha) that it is stored in.
1 1-gallon glass jar
Teapot or saucepan for heating water
Strainer
1 gallon filtered water (you can also leave a gallon of tap water sitting out for 12 hours to let the chlorine evaporate)
4 tea bags each of black tea or green tea, or 1 Tbsp each of loose leaf tea
1 cup organic cane sugar *Remember, this is food for the yeast and we will not be consuming much, if any of it.
4 1-quart mason jars (or old (clean) kombucha bottles, or any bottle with a tight-fitting lid).

Directions:

1. Place your tea and the sugar in the glass jar.
2. Bring a small amount of your twater to a boil and pour in just enough to cover the tea bags and dissolve the sugar.
3. Steep for 5-7 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to make sure sugar is dissolved.
4. Pull out the tea bags using tongs.
5. Fill the jar the rest of the way (leaving room for the scoby and the 2 cups of old kombucha) with cold, filtered water.
6. Cover the jar with a coffee filter, and label it with the date. Place it in the cupboard for 10 days.
7. After 10 days (you could check it as soon as 7 depending on the heat), taste the kombucha. If it is still very sweet, let it sit for a few more days in the cupboard.
8. When it is starting to taste less sweet, it is ready for its secondary fermentation: Pull out your scoby and put it in a jar with approximately 2 cups of the liquid for use in the future. Strain the kombucha into a large pitcher or bowl.
9. Using a funnel, distribute the liquid to the jars or bottles you're using*, and put these back into the cabinet for another few days. Again, the warmer it is, the more quickly it will be done. You don't want the bottles to explode, so check one for gas pressure after 2 days and go from there. *This is the step where you would add any fruit juices you'd like to use for flavor. I usually just make plain kombucha, so if you're interested in experimenting with flavors, read this first.

DRINK IT! There's no kombucha more delicious than your own when you've gone through such a labor of love. You'll be delighted at the natural effervescence (I've said it before - I'm not a scientist and I don't know how it happens, but it does and it's miraculous). Let me know how things work out! I'm here if you have questions!

Mmmmmexican food

One of the ways I have found to keep things interesting when trying to follow a certain set of eating rules (i.e. paleo), is to look to some of the other wonderful cultures around the world and see how they build their meals and season their food. So many cultures have herbs and spices that they are known for, or dishes that exist that are easily adapted to being paleo. Curries inspired by Indian food, say. Coconut milk, some yellow curry powder, some delicious vegetables, and there you have a delicious paleo dinner. Persian ground beef is seasoned with onion and garlic and traditionally served with saffron rice and a nice cucumber and tomato salad on the side. Rice? Make it cauliflower and you have a paleo Persian feast!

I think the most difficult thing sometimes with regard to consulting the internet for recipes is that it's usually just for one thing. I love how many resources there are for learning how to cook my meat, or my veggies, or my sauces, but sometimes it's hard to know how to assemble an entire MEAL. So that's what I'm going to do here!

Some traditional Mexican spices include cumin, oregano, and chili powder. Throw in some cilantro and lime and now we're cooking with gas. I was craving rice and beans and naturally my first thought was cauliflower (it's basically naked without the word "rice" after it); I'll tell you how I used Mexican cuisine to inspire its interesting flavor. I had a butternut squash sitting there begging to be eaten, so I cut it up bean-size, and there you go. I quickly sauteed a green bell pepper and half a sliced onion for fajita veggies. The meat was braised in a flavorful broth of chicken stock, cumin, oregano, chili powder, garlic, and onions. I threw together some guacamole, and the meal was ready to be assembled and eaten! Three times, no less.

The thing about eating this way is that it takes TIME...and it takes the same amount of time to make enough food for 3 meals as it takes for one, so why not stretch yourself now and save the energy later (when you've had a long day at work or school or binging that cool new show). I talk to so many people who perceive cooking as a chore (which I don't understand; it's ART!), but doing laundry is a chore and (I assume) we still do that, and those socks only go on our feet! ;) Anything that is the raw materials for our synthesizing of dna and hormones and energy and anti-oxidants aka anti-cancer (and hopefully of not too much gas) is way more important to invest in, if you ask me. One of my favorite sayings by chef Thomas Keller is that "it's not difficult; you just have to decide to do it."

Chore, puh-lease! Look at this beautiful plate of food (I'm a chef, not a photographer). I popped an audiobook in my ears and it was done in no time! Plus most of it is inactive cooking time!

p.s. TECHNICALLY butter has a small amount of milk solids and if you're truly paleo, you should use clarified butter (or some other non-dairy fat like lard, tallow, or coconut oil). But I'm making a conscious choice to allow butter in its entirety to remain a part of my life during this time. I just love it too much and I'm way too lazy to clarify it, and absolutely refuse to pay for ghee at the store because it's obscenely expensive. Do whatever you want.

[Paleo] Carne asada with "Spanish" cauliflower rice, lemony butternut squash, fajita veggies, and fresh guacamole

For the meat:

2 Tbsp butter
1 1.5-pound piece pastured beef chuck
1 yellow onion, sliced
1/2 a jalapeno, de-seeded and chopped very small (de-seed and chop the entire thing; you'll use the other half for the guacamole)
3-4 cloves garlic, whole
1 tsp each ground cumin, dried oregano, chili powder
Chicken or beef stock or water to cover
salt and pepper

Season the meat with salt and pepper on both sides. In a stock pot or dutch oven, melt the butter and add the onions. Cook over medium heat until translucent. In the same pot and without removing the onions, add the beef and brown on both sides. Add stock or water, all spices, and whole garlic cloves. Bring heat to where the liquid is steaming (not boiling) and then cover. Reduce heat to low and cook until meat is falling off the bone, approximately 3 hours. Uncover and cook for 30 minutes at a low simmer to reduce the liquid into a thick jus. Do not season until the end. While it's cooking, you can prep everything else!

For the cauliflower rice:

butter
1/2 yellow onion, chopped small
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 bag Trader Joe's frozen cauliflower rice (even chefs "cheat" sometimes, don't be ashamed)
1 Tbsp tomato paste
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add onions. Cook until translucent, and add the garlic to the pot. Cook this for one minute, then add the frozen cauliflower rice and tomato paste. Cook for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the fajita veggies:

butter
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
salt and pepper

In a large saute pan, heat up the butter. Put the veggies in and saute until soft. Season with just a touch of salt and pepper.

For the lemony butternut squash:

1 small butternut squash (1 #), peeled, de-seeded, and chopped into bite-size (or bean-size if you want that beany feeling) pieces
3 Tbsp melted butter or olive oil (generally I don't cook with olive oil because it's not good to heat it, but I had no more space to melt butter on the stove, haha)
zest and juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper

Place the chopped squash on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pour the butter over it, season with salt and pepper, and mix with your fingers to coat all pieces evenly. Place in a 400-degree oven and check after 10 minutes: cooking time will vary depending on the size of your pieces and the level of desired softness. When they are to your liking, squeeze lemon juice all over them and sprinkle with zest.

For the guacamole:

2 ripe avocados
other half of the jalapeno from the meat braise
1/4 of a red onion OR 1 small shallot, diced very small
1 roma tomato, de-seeded and chopped
juice of the other half of the lime
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
salt and pepper

Mix everything together in a bowl and blend with a fork. That's it!

Phew! I swear it was more work writing the blog post than it was actually cooking the meal. Give it a shot! I would love your feedback :)

Paleoh, why not + a delicious pork belly recipe

Well, I guess I'm that guy that's going to start talking about a diet in the first week of the new year. Wow, how original! Original, perhaps not. Valuable? I think so.

The paleo diet is meant to resemble how people ate before we all got bombarded by the SAD [Standard American Diet]. How did cavemen get their cans of coconut milk open? I'm not a scientist, so please don't ask me questions like that.

Now, everyone has their opinions on everything, and I know not everyone will agree that cutting certain things out of your diet is a sure-fire way to heal/lose weight/balance out brain chemistry. All I know is that forgoing grains, sugar, dairy, alcohol, and legumes for the past week has already lent itself, in my own personal experience, to a newfound feeling of physical svelte-ness, decreased anxiety and depression, and mysterious energy for long-lost hobbies. Can I promise these pleasant side effects to everyone who tries this diet? Absolutely not. Everyone's body is different. But the idea is that for many of us, grains, legumes, added sugar, and dairy create an inflammatory response in our guts. Inflammation in our guts creates inflammation elsewhere. Inflammation causes pain [amongst other things]. Pain is bad. That is about the extent of my argument.

Is sugar as addictive as cocaine, causing the cycle of sugar addiction which contributes to chronic blood sugar fluctuations and liver stress that affect our endocrine and nervous systems and eventually lead to type 2 diabetes and alzheimer's disease (sometimes referred to as type 3 diabetes!)? Maybe! Is the lactose in dairy products just one molecule off from straight glucose, and treated as glucose when it enters our digestive system? Perhaps. Are our immune systems rendered useless for hours after we consume sugar? I think I read that somewhere. Are modern grains so genetically different from what our ancestors ate that our bodies couldn't digest them even if they weren't enveloped in phytic acid? Possibly.

Another question worth considering is that is it the absence of these foods that is creating all of the good feelings I'm noticing? Or is it all of the nutrient-dense, enzyme-rich, alive, green, full-of-vitamins, un-processed foods (and WATER) I have started eating to replace them? See how impossible it is to identify a single variable that will explain/fix everything?

Lastly, do grains and sugar and dairy make up some of the things that bring me pure, unadulterated joy and things without which I might find life empty and meaningless? Absolutely. In no way do I plan never to eat them again, I just can't keep living on pizza and pasta and cookies.

The point here is that there is SO much information in the world about what we should and should not be eating, that it's really up to us to do our own research; and it's two-fold. Seek information from trusted sources, and try things, paying attention to what works for you. Read about the Whole 30 Diet, which is a great place to start.

Interested in making a change but don't want to commit to something so drastic? Instead of jumping in to something that the sound of makes you cringe (what do you mean, no ice cream??), why not just gradually start subbing in some healthy things here and there? Have a salad as a snack between your regular meals. Have a kombucha instead of that can of soda pop. Try some full-fat coconut milk in your morning smoothie instead of cow's milk yogurt. Now I am in no way a licensed practitioner of any kind, but unless you have some sort of allergy I don't know about, none of the things I just mentioned could hurt to try, right?

And now, say these words aloud: "Glazed pan-seared pork belly with Asian-inspired mixed green salad dressed with sesame-ginger vinaigrette." Did your mouth water? Yes? Did you think "oh ew" or "I'd rather have top ramen"? No? I didn't think so. And it was easy as pie to make.

Here's the recipe! It was so delicious and fulfilling (mmmm FAT).

[Paleo] Glazed pan-seared pork belly with Asian-inspired mixed green salad dressed with sesame-ginger vinaigrette

1 1.5# piece of pastured pork belly, salted on both sides the night before
Small amount of maple syrup
Few dashes coconut aminos

Sear the pork belly in a cast iron skillet with the skin side down until it is caramelized. Turn it over so the fat is on top, and place, uncovered, in a 350-degree oven for 90 minutes. Allow to cool completely in its own fat.

When ready to eat, cut the cooled pork belly into 1/2-inch wide strips (or cubes work too). Place any you are eating right now (save the rest for later) in a hot cast iron skillet or saute pan and sear on one side until golden brown. Turn over to sear the other side. When it is almost done, add a dash of maple syrup and a dash of coconut aminos to the pan, which will glaze the pork as it finishes cooking.

For the vinaigrette:

1 3-inch knob of ginger, peeled
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
10 shakes coconut aminos (soy sauce isn't paleo)
2 Tbsp maple syrup (on Whole 30, no sugar of any kind is allowed, but for just paleo, you're really just avoiding processed sugar)
1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup olive oil

Place the ginger in a food processor and grind. Add vinegar, coconut aminos, maple syrup, and sesame oil, and blend. With machine running, slowing drizzle in olive oil. This will make enough for leftovers if you'd like to have this salad again.

For the salad:

Mixed baby greens
Shredded beet, carrot, and cucumber
Avocado
Toasted cashews
Whole cilantro leaves
Thinly sliced scallion
Sesame seeds

The beautiful thing about this is that you can eat as much or as little as you like. I shredded one small beet, one single carrot, and a 3-inch portion of cucumber, and that was enough for two giant salads. I just ripped off a handful of cilantro leaves from the bunch I had in the fridge, sliced a scallion thinly, tossed in a half of a chopped avocado, grabbed a handful of toasted cashews, dressed it with my ginger vinaigrette, put it on the plate, and sprinkled it with sesame seeds. When eating delicious, healthy, green things, I never bother with amounts. I just eat as much as I want knowing that it's good for me.

Questions? Comments? Feedback? I invite them all and would love nothing more than to discuss this recipe or anything food related with anyone who's interested.

New Year, New...bowels?

Well, hello there! Thanks for your tact in not mentioning that I haven't written anything in over two years. Sometimes one needs a short hiatus to eat things such as calzones, pies, cakes, samosas fried in beef fat, croissants, beef wellington, sticky toffee pudding, keugel, lasagna, everything at their friend's Olive Garden-catered birthday party, god-only-knows-how-many pizzas, lots and lots of bread, and basically whatever one wants... Yes, sometimes someone needs a short hiatus eating those things to hear their poor body begging (BEGGING) for some of the healthy things that said person used to write about in her blog.

Oh my poor, poor guts. How long it has been since I put something fermented in my body? How long since I said no to that bag of chocolate chips in the pantry (it's been less than 15 minutes). And I know better! Geez Louise. Well, what better than starting a new year to get my eating in check. I'm tired of being tired, I'm tired of my bowels working VERY hard for not a lot of payoff (let's just leave it at that), I'm tired of feeling sad and gassy and having headaches. Hey, hypochondria -- You don't have a brain tumor, you just didn't eat or drink anything until 1 pm when you were so famished you inhaled a cupcake!

I know well enough that in order to eat healthy, you have to have the intention to eat healthy. You have to put time and effort into coming up with recipe ideas, making time to shop for the right things, and staying ahead of your hunger so you're not tempted. I know these things, and still, sometimes my laziness gets the better of me! Or sometimes I tell myself that this is my last pizza for awhile, that I'm too tired to cook "tonight", or that it's really not that bad (didn't the government say that pizza counts as a vegetable??). I'm only human, and sometimes I really am too tired to cook! Which is why when that happens, if there is a past version of me that has prepared for that moment of weakness, I have nothing to worry about! So here's to waking up that version of myself that cares about my energy level, self-image (listen, I know I'm beautiful, but something about the extra 10 pounds just makes me not look like me), my lifespan, the possibility of being disease-free when I am old, and the possibility of passing on good, healthy genes to my future offspring. It's going to be a great year!

So, here we go. I'll share some of my recipes with you, I'll be honest about my weaknesses and missteps and times that I give in, and we will do our best to honor ourselves by honoring our bodies. Happy New Year!

Pumpkin puree!

I've been a professional cook for many years. And for some reason, the idea of making a real live pumpkin into puree for a pie was always sooooo daunting. "Why not just buy the canned stuff?" my laziness would say to me, and I'd say, "You're right." My laziness and I get along REAL well. Anyway, I finally did it, and the pumpkin pie it created is well, truly a work of art. We will concentrate on the puree, since there are a million pumpkin pie recipes available (this is the one I made).

First, go pick a cute little pumpkin out of a cute little pumpkin patch.

Next, cut that baby in half, scoop out the seeds (roast them and feed them to the birds!) and grease it with some coconut oil. Put them cutside down on a parchment-lined pan and roast at 375 for 45 minutes, til it's easily pierced with a fork.

Take it out and let it cool slightly. One half at a time, peel off the skin and put the flesh in the food processor. Process til smooth, repeat with other side, and voila!

(Not Your Everyday) Tuna Casserole! Grain and Dairy Free!

Newsflash: Pasta isn't really that good for you. Sure, it nourishes your soul (and your soul is important), but as a general rule of healthy eating, grains should be eaten sparsely and sprouted first. Should. Am I going to completely stop eating pasta for the rest of my life? No. But, if there is a way to cut back on my grain intake while eating stuff that is absolutely delicious, I say why not! I'll save up my pasta-eating for my trip to Italy, which will take place when I have enough money. Which will be in say, 10 years.

THIS is a great way to get some extra veggies in your belly without even realizing it. I'm not crazy (and you're not an idiot), so I won't tell you that you "won't notice the difference" or some nonsense along those lines. This will never take the place of that egg noodle-based, canned cream of mushroom, Ruffles potato chip-topped tuna casserole from my childhood, no way. But it does taste absolutely delicious, has no processed ingredients (I cheated and bought mayo instead of making me own, so sue me!), and doesn't have that dairy that causes me to spend a lot of time in the bathroom after eating it. Sounds pretty good to me!

May I present to you: Tuna (Spaghetti Squash) Noodle Casserole! Grain and dairy free!

Ingredients:
1 small (2-ish pounds) spaghetti squash
Coconut oil, for roasting

1 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1/2 cup frozen green beans (or peas, or both!)
2 tsp chopped fresh sage
1/3 cup homemade or paleo-approved mayonnaise
1 egg, beaten with the mayo
2 cans sustainable, pole-caught tuna, drained
1-2 tsp coconut flour
1/4 cup almond meal
salt, pepper, red chili flake, to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds (save those and roast them if you want!) and rub coconut oil on the exposed insides. Season with salt and pepper, and roast cut-side down for 35-45 minutes until tender.
2. While squash is roasting, saute the onions in coconut oil until translucent. Add beans and/or peas and sage to the pan and turn off the heat.
3. When squash is finished roasting, cool until the halves can be handled enough (use an oven mitt if you have to) to scoop the insides into a bowl. Turn the oven down to 350.
4. Add the onion/veg mixture to the bowl along with the mayonnaise/egg mixture, tuna, and coconut flour. Season to taste.
5. Transfer mixture to an appropriately-sized casserole dish (a 2-quart works perfectly) and top with the almond meal. Season top with salt and pepper.
6. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until cooked through. Place under broiler for 1-2 minutes, if desired, to crisp up the almond topping.
7. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes, and serve!

The SMELLS in the kitchen alone are worth making this. A fantastic meal for a cozy night, and one your body will thank you for!

Water. Agua. H2O. Take the GALLON CHALLENGE!

Water. Who would think that something so obvious could be something that is so important? We've all heard it before, but the truth is that most of us are dehydrated without even knowing it! I say most of us, because I assume that everyone is in the same boat as I am. My bff and I embarked on the "gallon challenge" 5 days ago, and even in that short period of time, I have noticed huge changes. I share them here because I am so pleasantly surprised that implementing something has made such a noticeable difference in such a short period of time, and also because if I can drink a gallon of water per day (I survive on tea, kombucha, smoothies, and chicken stock - all great, but they're not water) then anyone can!

I made myself a little jar with my goal and places for tally marks. It's fun to keep track of your progress! Notice my 1 tally mark after chugging one jar right after waking up. Add some lemon to help make your body more alkaline, which is a really good thing. Drinking water first thing will jumpstart your metabolism for the day.

In 5 days I have noticed:
- Decreased appetite
- Improved bowel function (like, 3 times a day, y'all)
- Clear, glowing skin
- SIGNIFICANT reduction of menstrual cramps
- Noticing thirst (why is that good? Because I am now tuned into all the times I thought I was hungry and was actually craving water. I was mixing up my body's signals - she must have been feeling really misunderstood)

So here is some scientific stuff about the importance of hydration. It's good to know that when you feel thirsty, you are already pretty dehydrated, so it's a good idea to keep a bottle or jar (please, no plastics) on you at all times to sip on throughout the day. Sufficient hydration will assist your cells in healing themselves and functioning properly, leading to better sleep and better energy levels through the day. Fully hydrated blood (blood is 92% water) flows more easily through your body, aiding in cardiovascular function. When the body is dehydrated, it creates more histamines (compounds that can create allergy symptoms). Proper hydration helps our skin rid itself of toxins - dehydration leads skin to become irritated, inflamed, itchy, red, and prone to breakouts. A well-hydrated body purges toxins and metabolic wastes more efficiently, and allows matter to pass more quickly through the digestive tract. Staying hydrated keeps our cells more balanced, and we will feel hungry less often. Not to mention, drinking as much water as it takes to stay hydrated will, in all likelihood, decrease the amount of sugary, caffeinated beverages that we consume. Win, win (win, win, win)!

Who's up for the Gallon Challenge?! Join me, it will be worth it!

Gut-healing, Skin-polishing, Antioxidant-rich GUMMY CUBES!

Wow, you guys. This recipe is incredibly easy and simple, but before we get to that, I have to regale you with the many reasons that these tasty gummies are so good for you. To me, there's nothing better than knowing the good something is doing for my body once I put it in my mouth. I'm not alone, right?! Hey pregnant Moms: these are a great way to increase that protein intake, which is so important for decreased swelling, reducing varicose veins, and protecting against birth complications. Not to mention the fewer wrinkles, reduced joint pain, and less cellulite for the rest of us!

So the recipe has 3 ingredients, each of which have lots of health benefits.

Blueberries have a low glycemic index, which means they don't make your blood sugar spike (which in turn spikes insulin, which is hard on your body and creates resistance to insulin over time, aka diabetes, eek!). They are known to have the highest number of antioxidants of any fruit, though unfortunately many of the antioxidants are lost during the cooking process, which is why we cook this very gently. The antioxidants in blueberries help protect against cancer, support the cardiovascular system, protect the digestive tract, and can help against neurodegenerative diseases! That all sounds pretty good to me, kinda makes me want to include more antioxidant-rich foods in my diet...

...Like lemons! Lemon juice has all kinds of vitamins, aids in digestion and detoxification, and has antioxidants (great for your skin). It is important that it isn't heated too hot as to undermine all these benefits, so add it once your blueberry mixture has cooled down a bit. As always, organic is best.

Now, the gelatin. The gelatin is the star of the show here. This is a great product (which I used), as is this one. Both of these are minimally processed forms of collagen from beef. The second option is even better than the first because it comes from grass-fed cows, which when it comes to beef, is really the only kind we should be eating. Protein powders are so popular these days, but the amount of processing it takes to separate the protein out of plants is something that is best avoided. Remember, processed foods are never as good for us as food straight from nature. Gelatin in our diets improves the lining of our digestive tracts, healing tiny holes that allow particles to leak into our bodies causing inflammation and allergies. An amino acid present in gelatin (called glycine) acts similarly to anti-anxiety or antidepressant medications, lowering stress hormones and improving our mood. Collagen has been present in the diets of humans for most of history, though in the olden days, it took the form of slow-cooked bone broths. Since many of us haven't yet adopted the bone broth habit, this is the next best thing! (What's that? You want to learn how to make bone broth, you say? Well, what do you know, I have a recipe and instructions right here!)

Now, lets make these babies.

Equipment:
1. A mold (I used a silicone ice cube tray, but you could pour your mixture into any pan and cut it into pieces once it sets)
2. Small saucepan
3. Blender (I used a Nutribullet)

Ingredients:
1. 1 cup organic blueberries
2. Juice from 1 lemon (you can use the zest too, if you want them really lemony!)
3. 4 Tbsp (1/4 cup) good-quality powdered gelatin

Instructions:
1. Heat the blueberries over low heat until steam just starts to rise and blueberries plump up slightly.
2. Allow to cool for a few minutes, and add juice from 1 lemon (no seeds!)
3. Place this mixture into your blender or Nutribullet and blend until smooth.
4. Add gelatin and blend again (the mixture should still be fairly warm in order to melt the gelatin sufficiently).
5. Pour mixture into your mold.
6. Place in fridge and allow to set for 1 hour.
7. Remove from the mold.
8. Place in a sealed glass jar.
9. Enjoy!

You say potato, I say potato salad

Hey, y'all. So, if you're following my blog (all 3 of you), you have learned how to make your own mayonnaise, fermented veggies, and fermented mustard. Well, what can you do with all that stuff? A lot of things, but here is one SUPER easy application that uses all of them!

This came about because I had a couple of extra cooked potatoes from another dish (if you don't, just cook some!), and I needed to throw something together for a picnic at the lake. It can't get much easier than this, folks. I provide a recipe just for reference, but you can change it up quite drastically to make it taste the way you like. For me, potato salad doesn't need too much more than potatoes, mayo, and a pickled element.

This recipes uses 2 small potatoes and makes enough salad for a 1-person picnic.

2 small potatoes, cooked whole and unpeeled until easily pierced with a fork and cooled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp chopped fermented vegetables of your choice (I used carrots and beets)
1 Tbsp fermented mustard
Pinch of dried dill (or other herb of your choice)
salt and pepper to taste

*You could also add some chopped bell pepper, some paprika, some celery, celery salt... however you like your potato salad.

1. Cut the potatoes into small cubes.
2. Mix everything together.
3. Put in a jar and take it to the lake. The end.

Does anyone get the thrill I do from making a dish with only elements that I have made myself? This is the healthiest potato salad I have ever had, which also makes it the most delicious. No gross chemicals in store-bought mayonnaise for this lady. No yucky preservatives from store-bought pickles, or weird artificial colors from storebought mustard. Plus a ton of probiotics! Not doing potatoes because of their high starch (aka sugar) content? Cooked cauliflower florets would work fantastically too!

Whole Food, Fudgey, PALEO Brownies!

Listen. Not to toot my own horn, but I know my way around a brownie. I once held the title "Assistant Pastry Chef", and have made some sweets in my day. The kind of sweets that give you diabetes with all their white sugar and white flour, and sometimes even CORN SYRUP. I used to be a different person. As much as I hate to admit it, that is what "good" means to most people ("Former Me" included) when it comes to desserts. If you were to ask most people if they wanted a sprouted whole wheat croissant made with date sugar, they'd probably look at you and politely decline, right?!

Here is a real paradigm-changer when it comes to desserts. I promise you, there is no way you'll take a bite of this and even realize it's healthy. You can bring this to a normal ol' party and really pull the wool over your friends' eyes. They won't even know they're not eating processed sugars or refined carbohydrates! You can look at them with the twinkle of a secret in your eye thinking, "HA! These are not going to kill you!" Honestly, sometimes it's like the worse something is for us, the better it tastes. Guess what! We don't have to be naughty to have a fantastic treat!

Dates! Bananas! Both whole foods, with all their fiber in tact to help your body digest their sugars slowly. Almond butter provides the structure as well as the fat! Bittersweet chocolate is balanced out by some maple syrup (yes, aka sugar, but UNPROCESSED), a couple pastured eggs, and a few more basics and voila! Plus it's mostly made in the food processor (you could do it with a stand mixture or a handheld mixer as well), which makes it a breeze!

PREHEAT oven to 325. Gather the following Equipment:

Food Processor
small bowl
large bowl
rubber spatula
8 x 8 square baking pan
parchment paper
coconut oil for greasing pan

Gather the following Ingredients:

1 cup almond butter (homemade or store bought)
2 large eggs
4 dates, pitted and soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
1/2 ripe banana
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, melted
1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with parchment paper and grease with coconut oil. You'll have the best luck with edges of parchment that are longer than the sides of the pan. Accomplish this by using two pieces of parchment cut to the width of the pan.

In a small bowl over a pan of low-simmering water, get your 1/3 cup chocolate chips melting. In your food processor, blend together the almond butter, eggs, soaked dates, banana, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add the cocoa powder and *STIR IN BY HAND* before turning the machine back on. The cocoa will explode everywhere otherwise! Add your salt and baking soda, and blend until incorporated. Add melted chocolate and pulse just until combined. Pour this mixture into a large bowl and fold in 1/3 cup whole chocolate chips.

Bake for 15-18 minutes until edges are cooked and middle is not raw. Cool in pan. Remove from pan by pulling up the edges of the parchment paper and slice into squares. YUM!