Primal in the Airport

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Primal in the Airport

Back in my sugar burning days I would "treat myself" with a soy vanilla latte and a scone to ease the discomfort of long flights. This would usually lead to more sugar cravings and the eventual roller coaster of sugar highs and cranky lows. Combine this emotional situation, with cramped airplane seats, stale cabin air and an inability to move freely, and I was a hot mess.

Now that I understand the biology of what sugar does in my body, I treat myself to nutritious food that provides even energy and mental clarity. 

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Six Healthy Eating Myths Busted!

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Six Healthy Eating Myths Busted!

I’ve heard a lot of myths about healthy eating. Maybe your brain has latched on to one of these myths and it's holding you back from radiant, glowing health. If so, perhaps it is time to reframe. Let’s start by busting some common myths.

  1. Healthy eating is hard. Well, it will be if you think about it that way! Can you work on changing your mindset? Isn’t it incredible to have the opportunity to nurture your amazing body? Isn’t it easy to focus on ⅕ of the grocery store instead of wandering down all the processed food aisles? Isn’t it easy to have non-stop energy all day long, to sleep like a log, and to wake up without an alarm clock?

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Eat Fat and End Diets

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Eat Fat and End Diets

Like many people in the United States, I spent most of my adult life on a diet. Sometimes the diets would "work" for a little (I would lose weight), but the process sucked. I was always hungry and fixated on my next meal. This lifestyle was so difficult to sustain that I was constantly on the lookout for the true answer to effortless weight maintenance.  Fortunately, in my quest for the next best diet, I found Eat Fat Get Thin and The Primal Blueprint. Thanks to Mark Hyman and Mark Sisson, I learned that fat is actually our body's preferred energy source. The Standard American Diet emphasizes utilizing glucose for energy, which often equates to empty calories that leave you hungry, with your body producing too much insulin. Too much insulin equals inflammation; too much inflammation equals disease. 

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Easing the Sugar Detox with Bling Bombs

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Easing the Sugar Detox with Bling Bombs

Tom ran out of healthy food on his week long fishing in Yakutat. Upon his return, he sheepishly reported back to his drill sergeant (me) that he had indulged in junk food and was ready for a detox. He'd noticed a few things during his food free for all: once he started in on the sugar his thoughts became controlled by the greedy bacteria in his gut demanding more sugar. It was difficult to stop once he'd started.

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Cauliflower Hummus

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Cauliflower Hummus

If you run in a similar social media circle I'm sure you have heard "Cauliflower is the new kale!" Well, how about, "Cauliflower is the new garbanzo bean!"? Perhaps not quite as catchy, but I will explain why that is my phrase of the day. 

Hummus has been off the table for me since I began my Primal Health Coach certification and I learned more about legumes. While they don't affect everyone in the same way, they can be problematic and they totally unnecessary for optimal health.

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Intermittent Fasting and Discovering What Works for You

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Intermittent Fasting and Discovering What Works for You

I was reading an Outside magazine article entitled “We have Found the Cure! (Sort of…)” in which the author describes her adventures in cleansing treatments including fasting. The treatments leave her glowing and feeling beautiful and young, but then she asks doctors about the science behind the treatments. When asked about fasting the quoted doctor rolls his eyes and states, “There are no proven health benefits from fasting.” Another doctor said it might be okay as long as you don’t do it too often. I found these statements interesting, particularly when compared with the research described in The Complete Guide to Fasting by Dr. Jason Fung and Jimmy Moore.

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Fiddleheads Five Ways: Part 5

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Fiddleheads Five Ways: Part 5

I love red curry. I especially love easy red curry. After transitioning to a primal lifestyle I took a close look at the ingredients of my favorite Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste. This is what I found on the label: Red Chili, Garlic, Lemongrass, Galangal (Thai Ginger), Salt, Onion, Kaffir Lime, Coriander, Pepper. No sugar, no MSG, no fructose high corn syrup, no scary vegetable oils.

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Fiddleheads Five Ways: Part 4 (Cali'flour Pizza!)

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Fiddleheads Five Ways: Part 4 (Cali'flour Pizza!)

The pre-primal me (see My Story) never would have eaten pizza: too high in calories, too high in fat, too high in guilt. Fortunately the primal me doesn't give a damn about calories and consumes healthy fat with wild abandon and pleasure. And life is really too short not to eat pizza. My digestive system really enjoys the grain free life, so figuring out the pizza crust situation involved experimentation.

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Fiddleheads Five Ways: Part 2

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Fiddleheads Five Ways: Part 2

Today I am sharing my favorite fiddlehead recipe: pesto! I used toasted pumpkin seeds, but feel free to substitute whatever you have on hand (pinenuts, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc). Remember to begin by blanching your fiddleheads in boiling water for about two minutes, followed by an ice bath. 

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