Camping and Dietary Restrictions

It's Independence Day here in the states and this is one of the first big camping or outing times of the year for us Americans.  

What is one to do if they have special dietary restrictions?  So many are following not only gluten free diets but many of my clients are also working on reducing antibodies to many autoimmune ailments.   

Depression can set in when one is shopping and passing by the old favorites.  Danish in the morning, sandwich, crackers and yes even the beloved "smore" are all off limits.  If one is merely on a "diet" trying to reduce the weight it's easy to fudge just a bit and hop right back on plan when the trip is ended.  

This isn't the case for the person practicing dietary restrictions for healing.  I am currently one of these people so I do know your pain!  Just today I told my husband as we passed an ice cream shop in 110 degree weather, "I can't even have one little ice cream cone".  Boohoo!  I'll be ok as I told myself I can blend some frozen berries with coconut milk so that will suffice for me.  

If you plan to head out of town on a special trip, there are plenty of foods you can pack to take along whether you are camping or as some call it "Hotel Camping"!  

Your shopping list:

• Tanka Bars
• Beef Jerky Sticks
• Hot Dogs-Costco True Story all Grass Fed 
• Italian Sausage-Costco Grass Fed 
• Hardboiled Eggs/Pickled Eggs-Use your leftover pickle juice-Bubbies is preferred!
• Egg & Sausage or Ham Mini Muffins
• Egg & Tuna Salad with homemade mayo
• Hamburgers 
• Bacon
• Chicken Wings/Thighs
• Lunch Meat roll ups with sprouts and pickles
• Dark chocolate squares while others roast marshmallows
• Dry Fruit/Fresh Fruit-Costco has large bags of dry figs.  Blueberries, raspberries, apples, peaches, nectarines and watermelon for your fresh fruit
• Pumpkin Seeds-Costco has a big sprouted bag. Mix with coconut flakes & dried fruit 
• All vgetables
• Nuts & Seeds-Macadamia Nuts are found at Costco in a 24 oz. bag for about $17
  
  
  Camping trips are special occasions so if you want to eat foods that you might be conservative with normally like fruit due to weight reduction, have fun with it!  Nothing beats watermelon on a hot day!  As long as you stay within the guidelines of avoiding gluten and other noxious foods on your list, you’ll be just fine.  
   
  I know this is difficult but it will be well worth it for the rest of your life.  Short term diligence leads to a lifetime of success!
  
  
  Have a great 4th of July and remember, short term decisions can also lead to long term implications if one is not careful.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
   

Maintaining Your Paleo Plan While Traveling

Guest Blog:

Cole Millen is an avid traveler and foodie who never forgets that life's best memories are made through real life apprehension of legitimate "experiences." Learn more about Cole and his travels at here.

How to Eat Paleo on Vacation

Eating healthy and following the Paleo diet may be the newest craze to sweep the health conscious population, but it’s really the oldest way of eating known to mankind. In a nutshell, you eat what our prehistoric ancestors ate: meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, and legumes. In this modern world of over-processed food, sticking to the Paleo way of eating can be a challenge and even more so while on vacation, but can be extremely beneficial.

Eating Paleo Style While Traveling

The best way to stay Paleo while actually traveling is to take personal responsibility for your meals and snacks. Airline food is notoriously bad, and the chances you will get a plate of free-range chicken and fresh vegetables is slim to none. Many airlines do offer more options these days. Diabetic or gluten-free options could be your best bet.

Whether you're flying, taking a train or traveling by car, bringing your own food works great for Paleo diet adherents. Beef or chicken jerky, fresh vegetables, some fruit, and some nuts or seeds will last you through most journeys.

How to Find a Paleo Friendly, Healthy Hotel

Do your research before you start your vacation. Some hotels, and even some parts of the country, are more health conscious and more apt to have straightforward, fresh meals. Instead of focusing on the quality of the linen and if the hotel has a mini bar, check out the restaurant options in the hotel and the surrounding area. I have found reading reviews from other travelers with similar interests to be the most helpful. I most recently was searching reviews for Las Vegas hotels and found one that had a menu with paleo specific options. Looking for these options is very important. Vegetarian restaurants work as well, but steakhouses with organic, free-range beef might be better. Do any pride themselves on offering locally grown produce? That fits wonderfully with the Paleo lifestyle.

Easy Paleo Choices at the Restaurant

Once you get to your hotel and have settled in, tucked your cut vegetable bag in the mini-fridge and washed up, it's time to explore the local restaurants. If you are traveling alone or with Paleo friend people, you won't have a problem finding one with quality meat and fresh vegetables. If you are on business, or if you are forced to go to a restaurant you would not normally pick, you might have problems. The worst for the Paleo diet eating style are probably casual Chinese and Italian restaurants.

In all cases, stick to the basics you know and love when you eat Paleo, no matter where you are in the world. Ask for meat and fish without sauce. If there are no plain vegetable options, a salad bar or simple side salad without dressing will work for you.

With careful planning and a firm knowledge of the Paleo way of eating, you can enjoy great food on vacation without compromise.

Celiac Disease Foundation Conference 2012

I had the opportunity this past weekend to attend the Celiac Disease Foundation Annual Conference and Food Show in Los Angeles.

As I study to become a Gluten Free Coach, it is my intention to learn as much as I possibly can about this disease and the potential damage that can be caused by this insidious little protein. I personally suffer from non celiac gluten intolerance and have been gluten free for 12 years since beginning my Low Carbohydrate/Paleo journey. Check out my page on gluten intolerance here. If you have any of the symptoms, you might consider testing and at the very least, trying to eliminate gluten for 30 days to see if you notice any marked improvement.

I will say that while I took a few points away, I was slightly disappointed with this conference. There were four featured speakers and I gained the most from one which happens to be a RD specializing in advising the celiac on diet and nutrition.

I was particularly disappointed with one of the speakers, Peter H. R. Green, MD.

Dr. Green is the Director of The Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. He is a Professor of Clinical Medicine at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University and Attending Physician at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He is also a Member of CDF Medical Advisory Board.

Dr. Green made what I believe to be an irresponsible statement for the innocent patient suffering intestinal damage. "Probiotics are un-necessary and even dangerous" and "Just go to Costco and pick up a cheap multi-vitamin".

As a Nutrition Educator, I have personal experience with both sides of the coin. Dr. Green made the reference to "lack of clinical data of the efficacy of probiotics in celiac disease". Interestingly enough, the first speaker, Stefano Guandalini, MD spoke of the potential relationship between reduced microbes and celiac disease being a potential cause. Our increase in C-Sections and lack of breast feeding could be one of the factors but more evidence is still needed. Now this made me feel like Dr. Green is disconnected from the ever important steps it takes to repair the gut and gain improved health considering "Celiacs have a higher mortality rate" as quoted by the good Dr. Talking out both sides of his mouth perhaps?

While so many gluten intolerant and celiacs are suffering without diagnosis by Gastroenterologists, one would think that this particular Dr. would be well versed in the healing of the villi that is damaged by the gluten protein considering his position. I would like to know if Dr. Green has spent any time advising on diet and repair of gut permeability?

The second speaker that I truly appreciated was RD, Shelley Case. A registered dietitian, Shelley Case is a leading international expert on celiac disease and the gluten-free diet. She is a member of the Medical Advisory Boards of the Celiac Disease Foundation, Gluten Intolerance Group and Canadian Celiac Association, as well as the Scientific Advisory Board of the Grain Foods Foundation.

We had the opportunity to ask questions of the speakers and mine of course was devoted to Dr. Greens statement. I appreciated the fact that Ms. Case so eloquently pointed out that Physicians are usually clinical data driven and stated: "I have and do use quality probiotic and supplement treatment with my clients with great success." That question and statement received the only ovation of the entire day. Shelley Case has published what I think one of the most complete guides to living with Celiac you will find. Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide- Expanded and Revised Edition

Again, I have personally witnessed the efficacy of quality probiotics and quality whole food supplementation on celiac/gluten intolerance clients as well, I have watched celiacs suffer a couple of years post diagnosis with no gut treatment. This, referred to as continued TTA (Tissue Transglutaminase Antibody) elevation. This, one of the markers of inflammation in the gut.

Never mentioned during this entire conference, the ensuing damage of phytates, lectins and sapponins contained within all grains and legumes nor the cross reactionary potential of these toxins to maintain inflammatory responses in the gut. To top it off, phytates bind to minerals and in the already deficient individual, this can cause further mineral depletion. My point? A Paleo diet along with a gut healing protocol will elevate the health of the Celiac.

I thought to myself, "If only Prof. Loren Cordain, Robb Wolf or Nora Gedgaudas had been there, I know my time spent would have garnered more information than I would even known what to do with."

Consistently, in modern medicine, we look for cures to what seems to affect an increasing number of people. As Dr. William Davis points out in his book Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health, our modern wheat supply has changed so much we barely recognize many of the proteins. Mentioned at this conference was the possibility of a vaccine.

Really???

So rather than stand up against big food processing, we manipulate? We allow big food to force us to change the evolutionary biology of the human body? I refuse to believe that this is a solution for long term health and fear this only panders to our addictions and the profit of the food processing industry.

Speaking of the food processing industry. Let's just say that all of the big guys are sponsoring this event. I was hard pressed to find real food options at this event. Fortunately, the breakfast supplied had fresh fruit and hard boiled eggs. Now I'm pretty picky about the food I will put into my body and I knew that some of the cleaner natural food producers were going to be there. I'm a grain free girl but not all of my clients are so it is important to me to know the options that I can safely recommend to my grain consuming celiac/gluten intolerant friends. I did taste test a few things and as I expected, left with a stomach ache.

In my opinion as well as many of my colleagues, we are trading one problem for another. High carb food for high carb food. The president of the CDF clearly stated "We need food so be sure to support our sponsors". Sorry folks, that is not food these processors are providing you. As a celiac with damaged villi, or gluten intolerant sufferer with IBS, you need nutrient from real whole foods to assist in healing that gut and reducing your mortality rate (as stated by one of the speakers).

I located one vendor that not only tickled my taste buds but really caught my attention with advertising at their booth "Low Carb". This was a local restaurant in Los Angeles called Chili Addiction. One taste and I was addicted!. Owners Johnny and Rick won my loyalty with their knowledge of good food, Paleo, Low Carb and quality. More about this establishment in my next blog post because they have mail order! Let's just say they use Prime Rib cut in their chili and burgers and one of the ingredients in my favorite chili is rosemary.

All in all I enjoyed my time at this conference and while there is still a great deal of work to be done with education of the benefit of whole, real foods and overall health, word is spreading and the needs of this very special group are becoming increasingly met.

After the conference, my husband made an excellent observation. He stated "There is a vast difference between the physical health of the attendees at this conference as opposed to the attendees at the Ancestral Health Symposium." I have to agree with him. Imagine if every celiac adapted the Paleo/Primal/Low Carb Lifestyle. Their health would soar and as a result, their physical appearance would be greatly improved. Our physical appearance is so frequently influenced by our inner health.

12 Years Ago Today!

Today I celebrate one of the most important days of my life. Other than the birth of my children and the day I married my soul mate, today signifies a monumental celebration.

I celebrate 12 years of turning a diet into a lifestyle.

If you haven't read my story, check it out so you understand how significant it is for me. While the layers have peeled from my body like an onion, I have made some awesome self discoveries along the way. I am frequently amazed at the person I am now and the amount of strength I have over the food. It no longer rules me and I have figured out why.

During my dieting and subsequent self discovery I have learned the following:

• I was fat deprived therefore fatty acid deficient which affected my learning and behavior.
• When I am properly nourished, I have no cravings or desire to eat the refined foods that are so abundant in today's world.
• When I am properly nourished, I think more clearly, have more motivation and less erratic behavior as an ADHD person. Being fed does not mean being nourished. We can be overfed and under nourished, hence cravings.
• When my digestion is working properly, my whole being is at peace. GERD, constipation, frequent illness and headaches no longer exist.
• My blood sugar is now stable therefore my moods are also stabilized. Previously, when my blood sugar dropped, I would become agitated and impatient.
• I can eat to nourish my body and not feel deprived. I found that the food I craved most was higher fat which I was deprived of on a low fat plan. The more I reduced my fat intake, I found the cravings to be more and more severe. Now, I can eat flavorful full fat foods and obtain more nutrient in less food. Though if I over eat the foods included in my dietary plan, I don't gain an ounce. What a concept!
• The taste buds can be trained to enjoy and explore new foods that reach beyond our comfort zones and everything is better with butter!
• I am not unique. So many of us suffer the same cravings, fears and even physical and emotional symptoms of poor dietary advice of the last 50+ years and it's not from lack of trying rather the canned low fat advice.

As a food addict, every celebration was a fix for me. I am now the person that everyone passes with the "Don't bother she doesn't eat it" rather than being the person who tries to eat as much as they possibly can without being noticed.

I have been a dieter my whole life so to reach this monumental celebration for me is one of the biggest achievements of my life. I don't have to be stronger than the food. Let the food do the magical work of nourishing rather than feeding and the rest really does fall into place.

12 years and it's been a great journey! Thank you for sharing it with me.

Special Feature: Navigating Whole Foods Market

I thought I would share with you the recent interview article featured on Paleo Comfort Foods and picked up by Robb Wolf. Julie and I met at the Ancestral Health Symposium in August as I addressed the crowd during a discussion on paleo eating on a budget. I would encourage you to pre-order Julie's cookbook for those mouth watering comfort foods you've been missing on your carbohydrate restricted diet. If you're not aware, I am the Healthy Eating Specialist at Whole Foods Market in my area. I assist the shopper with their nutrition needs and make recommendations based on their dietary goals and needs. It's been a real boost for me in this economy but more than anything, It has filled a need I have to share with the public, the value of a whole food diet. The picture above is of me at work handing out salad samples one of the easier duties of my job description.

Whether you are a Paleo or Low Carber, you will find a variety of recipes to work with. If you haven't read The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf, check it out too as I know you won't be disappointed. When we can learn from each and every angle and take a few pieces from what we've learned and put them into place for our lifestyles and biochemical individuality, we truly began to expand our knowledge in a manner that was never available to us unless we spent countless hours at the library curled up with medical journals only to find ourselves in a dazed and confused state.

One of the most amazing surprises at the Ancestral Health Symposium happened during the fabulous talk given by Sarah Fragoso and Chrissy Gower (the two hot ladies who run the wildly popular Paleo Talk podcasts and seminars). Someone had asked a question about grocery shopping and affordability. A woman stood up and introduced herself (her name is Misty Humphrey) and she stated that she is the Healthy Eating Specialist at Whole Foods Market (WFM), and shared with the group gathered for Sarah and Chrissy’s talk some of the pieces of advice that she gives on her weekly WFM tours.

Realizing the need to share even more of this information with the masses, I connected with Misty to share some of her insights, tips, stories and inspiration with you all. So many times people refer to WFM as “Whole Paycheck.” Here, Misty shares with us some of her experiences and tips to make the shopping experience more economical and healthy!

Tell us a bit about yourself, your background, what it is you do for Whole Foods?
As an 85lb. weight loss maintainer, I took my “Low carbohydrate diet” to a whole new level when I attended the Bauman College of Holistic Nutrition. There, I learned the value of a whole food diet and turned my diet into not only a lifestyle but a journey I gladly share with others both in my home office as well, my position here at Whole Foods Market as the Healthy Eating Specialist. As a person who suffered ADHD, constipation, weight and other cognitive issues, I share with my clients and customers the value of transitioning from a SAD diet to that of a nutrient dense, whole foods diet. There are a few plans and challenges that are encouraged at Whole Foods but I have found that with my education and experience, my customers have great success with my advice to eliminate gluten, increase their fat and protein and decrease their carbohydrate.

What inspired you to get into this line of work?
Inspiration or obsession? I frequently tell others that I was so obsessed with how great I felt, how quickly the weight fell off and the thousands of ancedotal stories I was a witness to for the past 11 years on a variety of message boards. I was astounded with the amount of maladies disappearing as well as my own with this transition that it excited me to the point of further education. I am a Certified Holistic Nutrition Educator and am currently enrolled in Reed Davis’ Functional Diagnostic Nutrition program to further my personal practice goals.

Part of what you do is give food tours of WF and how to purchase good food for the family. Let’s pretend we’re a family, and on tour with you, and our food budget for the week is $200. What kinds of things will you make sure to point out and/or stress to us?
As I tour a family or individual through the store, I point out a variety of values. We work with many manufacturers to provide a coupon book called “The Whole Deal” where the customer can locate quite a few quality coupons not necessarily devoted to packaged and processed foods. Second, I remind all customers to review the Wednesday specials which feature a nice cross section of whole foods on sale. Our 365 brand is comparable to all major leading retailers so I always encourage customers to choose the 365 brand if no coupon or sale exists at that moment on other products. Finally, we have our Friday special where one can find a product at about 50% below retail. This sale will quite often pertain to seafood and meat. Wild Salmon, Grass Fed Ground Beef, Organic Air Chilled Chicken and of course the recent sale on prawns. So frequently, we get into the rut of serving the same dishes week after week. I encourage my customers to watch ads, be aware of the Friday special and browse the coupon book while making their choices for menu planning. Look outside the box and try something new if it’s on sale and for the lowest prices, choose local, in season products.

What purchases do you advise families against?
I’d like to begin with the gluten free lecture and store tour that I provide twice weekly. So many are attracted to the gluten free products which I am quick to remind have an equal if not higher impact on blood glucose than that of the wheat. I generally recommend they experiment with squash, zucchini and root vegetables rather than that of a low quality pasta dish. I find it’s less expensive, more filling and of course, nutrient dense. I also encourage the purchase of a quality water canteen for children and the school lunch as opposed to high sugar fruit juices.

What do you find to be the biggest challenge in educating families?
I find the biggest challenge to be the resistance in home preparation of whole foods. Overcoming time objections with a busy family is difficult but I might make recommendations such as packing the picnic for a soccer game, enjoying a variety of easy to grab finger foods and of course taking one day off per month to pre-cook some animal proteins to quickly put together family meals, and we must never forget about the slow cooker. I will frequently remind the “cook of the home” that an investment of time in the human frame now will save time from illness later.

If you could name one (or two) best “bang for your buck” meat/veg/fish/nuts/staples at Whole Foods Market, what would you say?
Wild Alaskan Salmon while in season is frequently on sale for $9.99 lb., our 365 brand Extra Virgin Olive Oil is $5.99 for a one liter bottle and a bunch of Kale is $1.99. I challenge anyone to find these values at their local Safeway.

No doubt you’ve met a lot of individuals and families in your work and seen some amazing changes. Are there any particular moments or experiences with customers that most resonate with you?
I have two very special stories for you:
Barbara is a 67 year old diabetic and breast cancer survivor. Barbara has been a diagnosed type 2 diabetic for 20 years. She came in to my class room one day and during our appointment she mentioned that she had been using Dr. Barnard’s vegan diabetic plan and was finding that she was utilizing a great deal of insulin which consequently was making her sleepy and ill. I recommended she try a lower carbohydrate approach. After 3 days Barbara’s blood sugars were dropping but when she entered my office she exclaimed “My Dr. doesn’t like your diet, I’m going back to Barnard’s program”. I said “I know and I’m not surprised. Barbara, you must do what makes you feel comfortable but understand you have a glucose metabolism imbalance”. I knew at that point that Barbara’s decision was made out of fear for her cancer but 4 days later, Barbara is in my office again and almost in tears because she had once again lost control of her blood sugar and with the previous information I had shared with her regarding glucose metabolism and cancer, she was scared to death. In this short period of time Barbara had felt such dramatic differences that her trust in me escalated. From over 200ml on her glucose readings now down to 120ml and dropping, Barbara wrote on her customer comment card and is not hesitant to announce in every group class “Misty has literally saved my life”. Barbara happens to be a senior citizen who has a $200 shopping budget and with some hints and tips, she is able to shop at Whole Foods primarily.

Tina brought her 8 year old son Zach in to see me after we met at an event where I was representing Whole Foods and the Wellness Center. Tina was desperately defending her son in school with his teachers because his ADHD was so extreme. Keep in mind this child is enrolled in a special education school so you can imagine her frustration. I gave Tina some information that I had studied regarding food and ADHD including gluten, food dye elimination and reduction to elimination of sugar. 2 weeks later Tina entered my office with tears in her eyes. Zach brought home his first progress report showing “All Stars” on every level. “Misty, he’s a different child” exclaimed Tina and with this information, Tina’s entire family has not only eliminated gluten but endured testing as well and have all proven to be gluten intolerant. That day, Tina and I cried together because not only was I so sympathetic to Tina’s case, I wished I had this information when both of my children and myself suffered ADHD.

Anything else you’d like to share?
I would like to share that when I began this job, there was no information on the floor regarding a Paleo lifestyle. Currently, we are carrying Loren Cordain’s books and are working to expand on this. I have a lot of customers who are finding themselves leaner, healthier and of course happier than they’ve ever been. When I first began here almost 8 months ago, my meat dept. was skeptical. I am happy to report, their sales have increased and we have a mutually beneficial relationship. Of course when there’s a great sale, they come to me and ask “how many pounds?” now. I have also teamed up with a local boot camp and am excited to announce our 100lb. challenge sponsored by Live Fit Boot Camp and Whole Foods Market. In one year, with a collaborative effort, we will transform 10 Men and 10 Women in a kind and paleo manner.

We applaud Misty and the work she is doing to really make a difference out there for so many, and for sharing some great tips for all of us! Thank you, Misty, for what you are doing and sharing your “insider’s tips” and inspirational stories with us!

Obesity No Longer A Circus Side Show

Would you or anyone you know have been considered a circus side show just 100 years ago? The photo to the right is Chauncey Morley, once considered a "morbidly obese side show freak" for the PT Barnum Circus.

While I don't condone the behavior of side show attractions, I find it interesting that just a short period of time ago, this form of obesity was unusual where now, it is far too common.

Sadly, Chauncy died at the very young age of 43 and while I can't find any clear data of the cause, we can only imagine it must have been obesity related.

I frequently wonder after observing a darling obese gal in the airport on my way home from the Ancestral Symposium on Sunday, August 7th. I say darling because through the extreme puffiness was a beautiful face waiting to be liberated. I was taken back at the great amount of effort it took for this girl to carry herself through the airport at probably 200 lbs. over weight (if I had to guess).

I so badly wanted to approach and offer her a 6 month nutrition package at no cost but would that be taken too personally? Would I have been rejected?

It is my intention to spread the word of a low carbohydrate/Paleo lifestyle. I have found such freedom myself and in the past few years have watched with great pleasure as others have benefited as well.

I know the biochemical reasons of her obesity driven state. She is more than likely insulin and leptin resistant. Insulin resistant due to high running glucose numbers and leptin resistant because there is too much circulating leptin in the blood.

I would love to hear from you. If I were to approach you, tell you I am an 85lb. weight loss maintainer and have found a great secret to success, would you be approachable from a kind and gentle offer perspective?

Knowing how desperate for answers when I was obese, I would have been ecstatic at such an offer but I'm quite approachable. Had someone approached me and made this offering all while telling me my hunger would vanish, I would have jumped at the opportunity.