Whole 30: Week 1 Down!

It feels terrific knowing I have one whole week under my belt. It seems insignificant in the greater scheme of things, but for me, it is important. Despite following a Paleo lifestyle for almost two years already, I was relying on some lingering crutches that I can start to see were standing in the way of reaching my goals.

The three big changes I’ve made this week to get my eating to line up with the Whole 30 guidelines were: 1) to eat a big breakfastincluding protein, fat, and veggies every morning, 2) to avoid ALL sugar and sugar substitutes, and 3) to get rid of dairy 100% (except for ghee). Those three changes have led to steadier energy levels, less sinus/throat congestion, decreased urges to snack, and an absence of any headaches (which were daily or every other day). Starting the day off well fed not only sets the tone, but it gives me the right components to keep me from thinking about food until lunch time. I have to face the fact that I have a problem with sugar and sugar substitutes – they increase my appetite and induce an unhealthy psychological response. It’s also possible that even the little bits of lingering casein from butter, cheese, and heavy cream were affecting me and responsible for some of the improvement (the congestion relief, for sure).

The hardest part of doing a Whole 30, for me, is making the decision to truly commit to it. I think there was always some part of me holding back – the stubborn toddler part of my brain that resisted any more “restriction”. Why does this have to be so hard for ME when others can just cut of wheat and drop weight like a bad habit? The rational part of me knows that it doesn’t matter a bit what works for anybody else and that it’s a miracle to have found a path that can work, if I’m willing to make the effort. Getting those two sides to come together and let go of the last of that resistance has been the gift of this Whole 30 so far. I just tell that cranky little girl inside that it’s OK, that I know it’s not fair, but we’re going to get through it. So hokey, but it’s working…

The funny/ironic thing is, though, that I don’t feel restricted, not really. I feel free. Free of cravings, free of dependence on foods and habits that weren’t helping me reach my goals. I know I won’t be able to live in a Whole 30 bubble forever, but I’m sure enjoying it for now. It’s so much less stressful to just say “no”, rather than to agonize over decisions about how much is appropriate. It’s crazy how having none is easier than having a little bit. I’d learned that lesson quite well when it came to gluten, but I struggled with its application to (gluten free) sweets and dairy. I guess this truly is a process and I had to take my time and make peace with letting those things go.

On a related note, I got the best inadvertent compliment this morning from Cute Man. While talking about his food choices at an upcoming gathering he said he was going to “do an Amelia” (or something similar). When asked what he meant, he said he was going to stick to his guns and only eat what he knows he should/planned. It warms my heart to know that the person who knows me best thinks of me this way. It truly made my day :)

How’s the first week of the year treating you?

Whole 30: In the Kitchen

Tangy Tomato Sliders, Caramelized Onion Topped Puréed Cauliflower, and Apple Pecan Salad

Tonight's dinner came together organically so I thought I'd deconstruct the process.

I started with the idea of cooking up a couple packages of beef sliders - some for tonight and the rest for lunches. I seasoned them up with my go to blend from Trader Joes and browned them in cast iron pan Cute Man got me for the Holidays.

While those were cooking, I decided that puréed cauliflower would go well so in went a couple bags of the frozen stuff with 1/2 cup of my homemade beef broth into my new enameled cast iron Dutch oven.

Next up, I brainstormed an idea for a sauce for my sliders since store bought BBQ and ketchup are out for a Whole 30. I adapted my go to Catalina Dressing recipe to be sweetener free - 1/3 cup each of balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, olive oil, and water plus a tsp each of garlic salt, chili powder, and paprika blended. I decided to not only top my sliders with this, but to mix up a quick salad and garnish it with diced apples and pecans.

Turning back to my cauliflower, I added a couple tbs of ghee and garlic salt before going at it with the stick blender. Once it was nice and creamy, I envisioned it smothered in caramelized onions so I took the cooked sliders out of the cast iron and added sliced yellow onions from two ginormous onions from Costco. Stirring often, they slowly developed into a vat of deliciousness in the yumminess left behind from cooking the meat.

Finally, I put it all together on a plate that balanced out to be 3/4 veggies, 1/4 protein, with a healthy dose of fat. I feel really great eating this way and find it so fun to pull together a meal that is not only good for me, but tasty and full of flavor.

So what are you cooking up in your kitchen to keep things fun and fresh?

Advisory Group Meeting Jan. 7th

Happy 2013!  Is your new year's resolution to get more involved in your community?  If so, join us at HWC's next Advisory Group Meeting on Monday, January 7, 6:30 p.m., at Friends Meeting House, 135 W. Philadelphia St. in York.

Great volunteers staffing the HWC kitchen

The Advisory Group is a group of interested volunteers and individuals who advise and give feedback to the Guiding Committee of HWC.  These members are crucial to the success of the Healthy World Cafe.  Many of our Advisory Group members are also volunteers at our monthly luncheons at the First Moravian Church.

Networking, fellowship and that feeling you get when helping others are some of the benefits of being involved in the Advisory Group.

Advisory Group meetings are held the first Monday of each month, always at 6:30 and always at the Friends Meeting House.  Mark your calendars!  You can always check our calendar of events at the bottom of our webpage.

Join us on Monday, January 7, and help us grow HWC in 2013!  We've got great news to share!

Whole 30 - Day 2

The Whole 30 has started well so far. I’ve already made two batches of Nom Nom’s fried “rice” (I made the first in preparation). I meant to make tons to have leftovers but they don’t seem to last. Even the Cute Man ate the cauliflower version instead of his regular brown rice. Color me IMPRESSED. And weirdly territorial. I mean, I just want to shout: “Step away from the ghee and nobody will get hurt!” It seems the secret to getting him to eat my weird food is to tell him it’s MINE. It’s like Paleo-ninja reverse psychology. Well, whatever works :) The bottom line is we’re both set on the road to getting healthier this year and that is a wonderful thing.

And tonight, we eat STEAK. I mean, you’ve got to live a little, people. I think it’ll be steak with a big salad with strawberries, pecans, and fancy balsamic vinegar Cute Man got me. Who said good food had to be boring? I can’t wait to cook those babies up with some ghee in my new cast iron pan (also courtesy of Cute Man).

The key to this for me is to focus on the positive. What cool creations can I come up with? What do I GET to eat tonight? Sounds silly but it really helps. That and lots of herbal tea. I mean lots. I should buy stock in Tazo. I’m hooked on their Passion and Sweet Cinnamon Spice varieties. And I’ve just ordered six boxes of this Good Earth Tea online. The key is for the tea to taste good on its own without any sort of sweetener or milk. These all fit the bill and help me get through the day during all those times I just want something. Oh, and the amazing from-the-farmer eggs (pictured) that I get via Washingtonsgreengocer.com in the morning really get the day going right!

I may still be in the honeymoon phase, but at the risk of jinxing myself, so far, so good. Any other reports from the trenches? How are the first days of January treating you?

Plant Positive Strikes Back: Nutrition Past and Future

Plant Positive has released a brilliant new series on YouTube titled 'Nutrition Past and Future', featuring 44 videos that address the misleading claims of Paleo, Primal and Low-Carb diet advocates including Gary Taubes, Robert Lustig, Loren Cordain, Mark Sisson, Robb Wolf, Andreas Eenfeldt, Anthony Colpo, and members of the Weston A. Price Foundation among others. This new series expand on Plant Positive's two previous video series, 'The Primitive Nutrition Series Playlist' and 'The Primitive Response Playlist'.

The Journalist Gary Taubes

Taubes gained prominence as an advocate of the low-carb diet following the publication of his article "What If It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?" in the New York Times in 2002. A follow-up article expressed the concerns of scholars that Taubes interviewed who complained that Taubes misinterpreted their statements and ignored much of the research that they presented, including research linking red meat with colorectal cancer. It was already clear from this point that Taubes was a snake oil salesperson and Plant Positive makes this fact even clearer in Nutrition Past and Future which in particular addresses Taubes's book Good Calories, Bad Calories. 

The Journalist Gary Taubes 1: Controlling History

Ancel Keys and John Yudkin

In Nutrition Past and Future, Plant Positive addresses the controversy over the classical research produced by Ancel Keys and John Yudkin. The first video below addressed Keys classical paper from 1953, Atherosclerosis: A problem in newer public health regarding the cross-sectional study of dietary fat intake and coronary heart disease mortality in six countries, not to be confused with the Seven Countries Study which was a longitudinal prospective cohort study published a number of years later. Plant Positive explains Keys views on nutrition and the literature at the time of this publication, as well as the plausible reasons as to why Keys selected the six specific countries to be included in the analysis. As Plant Positive explains, Keys omitted countries from the analysis that experienced major population shifts and changes to diet caused by the war, as well as those countries with very small populations. Keys also addressed this issue in a later in response to the international comparisons carried out by Hilleboe who included countries that had experienced these significant populations shifts and changes to diet.1

Plant Positive also pointed out that Keys limited the analysis only to countries that used reliable death records which classified deaths closely to that of international standards, and that Keys clearly asserted that:2

So far it has been possible to get fully comparable dietary and vital statistics data from 6 countries

Another point that the cholesterol skeptics ignore is that even when all the other countries were considered, intake saturated fat was still a strong predictor of coronary heart disease mortality [reviewed previously]. Even Hilleboe admitted this in 1957:1

Human diets with unrestricted fats, especially some of the saturated fatty acids, appear to be associated with coronary atherosclerosis, particularly in adult males

Keys however criticized Hilleboe's claim that this association ‘is not a causal relationship’ as Hilleboe provided scant evidence to refute the possibility of a causal relationship.1

The Journalist Gary Taubes 3: Ancel Keys Was Very Bad 1

The Journalist Gary Taubes 4: Ancel Keys Was Very Bad 2

As can be concluded from Plant Positive’s videos, it is ignorant to suggest that Ancel Keys cherry-picked these six countries without giving the reason for the selection criteria. In Denise Minger’s post regarding Ancel Keys 1953 paper where she attempted to plagiarize Plant Positive’s work, like Yerushalmy and Hilleboe, Minger ignorantly claimed that ‘Keys cherry-picked six countries and never told us why.’ It is clear that Minger has either simply not read or is ignorant of the data presented in the Keys paper that she criticized, yet still claimed that she ‘did a deeper analysis of the 1950s data than Keys himself probably did’.3 This is the same level of ignorance that Minger applied to her criticisms of the China Study [reviewed previously].

Plant Positive also provided an informative review of the controversy over John Yudkin's claims about sugar intake and the risk of  coronary heart disease.

The Journalist Gary Taubes 5: John Yudkin Was Very Good

In a later review, Keys again addressed Yudkin’s claims regarding sugar intake and coronary heart disease in international comparisons:4

In regard to international comparisons, there are countries with a high per capita consumption of sugar and of saturated fats; those countries tend to have high CHD death rates. And there are countries with low per capita sugar and saturated fat intakes; these have low CHD rates. When all these countries are put together, statistical calculation naturally shows CHD mortality is correlated with both sugar and fat intake. However, partial correlation analysis shows that when sugar is held constant, CHD is highly correlated with per capita saturated fats in the diet but when fat is constant there is no significant correlation between sugar in the diet and the CHD incidence rate. It should be noted, too, that Yudkin carefully avoids mentioning the fact that 2 countries with the highest per capita sugar consumption, Cuba and Venezuela, suffer low CHD mortality; it is notable that the dietary intake of estimated fats is low in both Cuba and Venezuela. 

Another flaw in Yudkin’s hypothesis about sugar and coronary heart disease that Plant Positive addressed was the contradictory evidence from animal experiments of atherosclerosis. When diets rich in dietary cholesterol and saturated fat, such as egg yolks are used to induce atherosclerosis in non-human primates, the atherosclerosis process has actually been reversed when these atherogenic components are replaced with chow very rich in sugar.5 6 This does not suggest that sugar should be considered a heart healthy food, but does emphasize the fact that sugar alone cannot induce atherosclerosis in the absence of dietary cholesterol and elevated blood cholesterol, and therefore cannot not explain the coronary heart disease epidemic.

Primitive Populations Revisisted

In Nutrition Past and Future, Plant Positive reviewed a number of high quality studies that strongly contradict the claims of low-carb advocates such as Taubes. These studies include the observations from the China Study and numerous earlier observations in China that are in general agreement with Dr. Colin Campbell's findings. For example, the observations that the nomadic Sinkiang in northern China who consumed diets rich in organic grass-fed animal foods experienced a 7 fold greater incidence of coronary artery disease than the Chinese living in Zhoushan Archipelago who consumed a diet much richer in plant based foods. These findings resemble even earlier observations from the 1920's of the nomadic plainsmen in Dzungaria in northwest China and across the border in Kyrgyzstan who consumed enormous amounts of organic grass-fed animal foods and experienced severe vascular disease at young ages [reviewed previously].

The Journalist Gary Taubes 15: Pesky Facts

In Nutrition Past and Future, Plant Positive provides an very informative analysis of the blood cholesterol in hunter-gatherer populations and the factors, such as parasites which are responsible for the observed low blood cholesterol in many of these populations. As Plant Positive addressed, George Mann contributed unnecessarily to the cholesterol confusion. Nevertheless, Mann has provided an excellent critique of a poor quality autopsy study authored by Biss et al. that cholesterol skeptics frequently cite to claim the traditional Masai did not develop atherosclerosis. Mann stated:7

Biss et al. have published their findings with 10 autopsies of "Masai" done at the Narok District Hospital in Kenya. They described "a paucity of atherosclerosis" with only "occasional fatty streaks and fibrous plaques" in subjects presumed to be Masai. The authors did not give details of selection of the subjects, a description of the causes of death, the methods of evaluation or even the ages. They measured the thickness of the coronary arteries with a caliper and found that "the Masais' coronary arteries had much thinner walls than those of whites in the U.S., matched for age and sex." Those measurements were not shown nor was the comparison population further described.

It is interesting that the cholesterol skeptics hail George Mann’s work as good science, but ignore this criticism about one of their frequently cited studies. Mann's critique suggests that the autopsies described in Biss et al. may not have even been carried out on Masai and that the authors did not even provide the information required to make an informed conclusion about the degree of atherosclerosis in this very small sample of people presumed to be Masai.

Ancestral Cholesterol 1

Ancestral Cholesterol 2

Please post any comments in the Discussion Thread. 

Perfect Health Diet Update and Why I’m Transitioning to The Whole 30

The Perfect Health Diet experiment was a bust. I think my approach to it was all wrong and I was really just indulging some cravings for starchy foods. I have no doubt that many people find success with it, but from where I’m coming from (low carb Paleo), it was just too difficult a transition.

Things I noticed in the short time I was eating more starch:

 - Bloating

- Increased appetite, especially for starchy food
- Wild energy fluctuations
- Sugar crashes resulting in extreme hunger
- Caffeine cravings returned
- PMS came back with a VENGENCE
- Menstrual cramps returned
- More frequent headaches
- Evil/tired wife of my previous life returned (Cute Man bears the brunt of my carb-induced moodiness).

And all this in less than 2 weeks of adding more starch to my diet. Message received, body! It is sad to think that I am so broken that even a “low-moderate” amount of carbs can make me feel so poorly so quickly. But it is what it is and I choose to look at it in a more positive light – thank goodness I do know what does work for ME. I just need to tighten things up and get back on my merry way.

Enter: The Whole 30. I’ve done this (or should I say, attempted) this before, more than once. I do have trouble with hard and fast rules but I’m actually really looking forward to it at this point. I guess if you feel crappy enough, the thought of doing something to improve the situation is appealing, not restrictive. A bit of structure without the need for calorie counting sounds really good right now. I’m taking the next few days to ease into it – mostly following the guidelines but getting whatever cravings for chocolate or whatever out of my system now without going crazy about it. My official start will be January 1st.

I’m excited to see that Holly is doing the program as well! I plan to follow along with her for an added layer of support. Make sure to pop on by if you’re curious about The Whole 30, want some good info about it, or just want to get a bit of encouragement. Also, let me know if you're giving it a shot as well - the more support, the better!

Simple tips for a healthy life naturally

Modern life in the digital age makes most people very rarely to enjoy natural food. Everything is fast-paced, instant food that was chosen. This fact is usually the case in large cities. In general, more and more people leaving natural healthy way of life, and has given rise to several new diseases that have never been seen before. Various life threatening diseases you could have been avoided if you do a variety of healthier living habits naturally. This habit does not require a lot of money, and of course, safe and easy to do.

Image: vemale.com

Basically everyone wants to live healthy from an early age to old age. Different ways you can do such a positive activity exercise regularly and enjoy food and drink nutritious and fibrous. You can implement healthy 
living tips as mentioned below:

1. Get used to wake up early and do not sleep in the morning.

Your health could be compromised if at 6 and 11 o'clock in the morning you are still sleeping. Bad habits have been studied previously by experts. If possible, the afternoon is an excellent time to sleep, even at night you are not getting enough sleep. You have to get used to always sleep enough each day, so your body is not tired, then it is highly recommended not to sleep late at night and try to keep enough sleep each day.

2. Avoid all bad habits.

Bad habits are actually a lot of people do like to consume beverages that can increase stamina, alcohol and soft drinks, smoking etc. There are factors that can actually worsen a person's health. Slowly but sure the cells of your body will be damaged if you are still smoking and drink too much alcohol. 

Image: monatalina.wordpress.com

3. Avoid negative prejudices and stress.

Your health could be affected by both. Refreshing a way that can be done so sick and tired of feeling can be lost. Various activities can be done such as talking with friends - friends, watching movies to theaters, roads - roads, reading books and so forth.

4. Stretch before bed.

Stretching the body or muscle will help you in your sleep so soundly, and fit when you wake up. The movement of the stretch there are various such few seconds you hold the straightened leg position, and kissed the knee. You can do it while sitting on the bed or on the floor. Yoga and meditation can be a very good choice before bed.

5. Maintain cleanliness.

A very easy thing to do is to maintain personal hygiene and the environment. You can do things - things that are easy to do on a regular basis as in change clothes and shower. Remember, germs that cause a variety of diseases and viruses that can harm you prevent by keeping sanitation in the environment around us.

6. Regular exercise

If it is needed you can come to the gym or fitness center. But do you know if those that exercise can be done without having to spend money, for example, perform gymnastic movements while jogging. Your body will be healthy and fit when you are jogging or exercise at least half an hour each day.

7. Reduce consumption of oily and fatty foods

Reduce to consume a variety of foods such as fried foods, red meat and food soupy coconut milk. Do not consume these foods every day.

8. Drinking milk high in calcium

Bone loss will not be easy and it will become stronger if the routine consumption of high calcium milk. Besides drink 8 glasses of water a day.

 

9. Start with yourself healthy life every day.

In this case, healthy living very closely linked to foods and beverages every day into our bodies. Nutritional quality of the diet plays an important role in one's health. You can always eat foods with rich nutrients such as fruits and vegetables.

In general, people always see the number of calories in food. From now on, consider also what kind of colors contained in one serving. What kinds of vegetables are eaten in a single day? Do not let the food consumed too 'doughy' there are no colorful veggies in it. The more colors of vegetables consumed, the better, as a sign of antioxidants, vitamins and fiber that consumed even more also.

Enough fiber at breakfast will make your stomach full until lunch time. This can be overcome by eating cereal or oatmeal combined with a piece of fruit such as bananas and strawberries. If you cannot eat cereal, bread could be his successor. Choose breads made from wheat flour, and mix with peanut butter or fruit jam.

Living healthy is actually very simple and easy. Start today with good habits and healthy so you can enjoy a comfortable and happy life.