The Foodee Project
We LOVE this site and it is a trove of great ideas and killer recipes!
Eat real food - Insist on food that was recently alive and will expire soon.
Stress quality, not quantity - Seek out the finest ingredients. You're investing in the only body you will have in this lifetime!
Fuel your performance - If you don't look, perform and feel great, upgrade what you put in the tank!
Excite your palate - Keep your sources varied. Try new foods and cooking techniques. This will keep things fun and interesting.
Socialize - Eating has been a strong social experience in our history; embrace it! Cook for someone. Cook with someone. Take pictures and show the world your creations.
Sugars and Starches
A big problem in nutrition is that there is almost TOO MUCH information. Prevention magazine lists bread, potatoes and cheese as "hidden weight loss secrets" while Women's Health says that eating anything white (bread, milk, rice) will keep you fat. Issue to issue it changes as well as magazine to magazine. We are in no way purporting to have the answers, but we will say that our findings are based on both anecdotal (what we have seen work) and research (what legitimate experts say works) Many Doctor authored studies are conducted by people with degrees in everything besides nutrition. So, the no to low carbohydrate approach. You will be hard pressed to find many legitimate professionals who will advocate the use of grains, starches and sugars in any plan that promotes fat loss. Why? Your body will be more conditioned to burning fat for energy when you stop relying on sugar/starch/complex carbohydrates for energy. Most likely, when your body adapts to the new diet you'll just feel better. We are not getting into "good carb/bad carb" debate, we are simply relaying what has been shown again and again.
How Zone Diet makes weight loss possible: Consuming too many carbohydrates produces too much insulin, a hormone that tells the body to pile up nutrients. The overload of insulin prompts the body to convert those carbohydrates into fat and store them in your gut, thighs, buttocks or other areas.
Dr. Eades cites insulin as the main culprit in weight gain and expound the benefits of a diet extremely low in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates, which are changed into sugar during digestion, stimulate the body to store fat, making weight loss virtually impossible. The most revolutionary idea put forth in Protein Power is that the fat you eat has very little bearing on the fat you gain: in other words, we aren't what we eat after all. Researchers have found that eating larger portions of protein in conjunction with severely reduced portions of carbohydrates causes people to burn the excess fat stored in their bodies.
Lean protein has been shown repeatedly to be the most satiating of all three macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrate). Numerous clinical trials have shown that people eat fewer calories during a high-protein meal compared to high-fat or carbohydrate meals, and they eat fewer calories at the meal immediately following a high-protein meal. Finally, lean protein has two to three times the thermic effect of either carbohydrate or fat -- meaning that it elevates metabolism ~5-10% higher than when either carbohydrate or fat are consumed.
The final decision is yours, many people have reported success with diets that allow consumption of grains and starches, we simply have not seen much of it.
What's for breakfast?
Take 2 eggs and 2 egg whites and whip.
In a small bowl mash 1/2 and Avocado with lemon juice, cilantro and a little garlic.
Pour egg mix in a hot pan and let it start to set. Either finish it here like an omelet or stick in in the broiler for a minute (I like this method)
Plate the eggs, and add some fresh salsa on top. Add your avocado mix over that and enjoy!
I Hate My Vegetables!
We get questions from people who want to eat Pale, or Zone, or Whole9 or any number of ways that are far healthier than what they are currently doing but don't like vegetables. Is there any hope? Unfortunately, there is no substitute for the real thing - don't be fooled by 'green powders', pills or juices. And, not eating vegetables is not an option if you "REALLY" want to eat Paleo or well. Keep in mind that getting kids to try new foods can take 5-7 exposures to the food before it's accepted. Give yourself time, your tastes will change and you will soon find that grilled zucchini, steamed broccoli, and spaghetti squash 'sound good'. Remember your first experience with alcohol (beer, hard liquor, etc.), did you like it?
Here's another way to look at it- do you like going to work every day? Odds are probably not; but, you like the paycheck and benefits right? If you "REALLY" want to eat Paleo and every single vegetable on this list makes you "miserable" then that might be the way to think about it. Keep in mind the health, performance and appearance benefits a Paleo diet (with vegetables) will give you. My hunch is, in time, you'll find you enjoy the way you feel so much that eating vegetables will actually be 'worth it'.
Is it really this bad?
inflammation=pain
Here is a quick fact; inflammation is pain. The "extra" soreness and pain you feel is all due to inflammation. What can you do about it?
The Paleo Diet Is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
By Wiley Long
Each organ, and even the bloodstream, contains a part of our immune system, which uses inflammation to protect us from bacteria, viruses, parasites, molds and foreign proteins as well as to heal wounds. Ideally, such threats are neutralized and the associated inflammation is resolved.
An unresolved inflammatory response (chronic inflammation), however, can spread damage throughout the body. Researchers from different areas of medicine have independently and repeatedly concluded that inflammation plays a key role in a variety of illnesses.
"I am a chiropractic doctor working in a multi-specialty setting (with physical therapists, several medical physicians [orthopedic surgery, spine neurosurgery, internal medicine, pain management] and acupuncture). I have been in practice since 1982. I have read The Paleo Diet and The Paleo Diet for Athletes as well as other publications by authors who are generally in concert with what I guess we could call Paleo-principles. My diet is the Paleo Diet.
For patients who claim to have tried everything in pursuit of chronic pain relief, addressing underlying pro-inflammatory dietary practices can be a fundamental key to recovery. The Paleo Diet can be the key that unlocks the door to sustained pain relief.
Many of my patients suffer from chronic pain and the principles of the Paleo Diet are valuable as it is essentially an anti-inflammatory diet. For instance, chronic pain sufferers who attempt to combat symptoms without addressing underlying omega-3 versus omega-6 imbalances from over reliance on grains and lack of animal sources of DHA and EPA, are fighting an uphill battle. The same can be said for foods with high glycemic indices that also have a pro-inflammatory effect."
How the Paleo Diet diet relieved chronic pain
Adopting the Paleo Diet resulted in both pain relief and improved athletic performance for a patient working with Dr. Russell. An endurance athlete in his mid-50s suffered from persistent back pain due, in part, to two degenerated lumbar discs. He was beginning to make some improvement in spinal pain with some specific Flexion-Distraction Mobilization (chiropractic treatments) and exercises.
Dr. Russell also suggested The Paleo Diet for Athletes as an anti-inflammatory diet based on the patient's athletic endeavors and the inflammatory nature of his psoriasis.
The patient's pain improved more rapidly than expected, and his recovery time was rapid and with far less physical discomfort than he had experienced previously. As a bonus, the patient judged his athletic performance to also be improved.
Connection between inflammation and Alzheimer's disease identified
Inflammation is involved in almost every disease process, and reducing chronic inflammation is often found to be therapeutic. Neurologists have also reported an inverse relationship between anti-inflammatory medications and Alzheimer's disease. In 1997, the journal Neurology published findings that people who had been regularly taking anti-inflammatory medicine had much lower rates of Alzheimer's disease.
As recently as September of 2009, the journal Gerontology published a study linking neuroinflammation with the development of several central nervous system diseases, including late-onset Alzheimer's disease.
Link between chronic inflammation and cancer found
Other researchers have also connected inflammation with cancer. The journal Cell published a study that identified a basic cellular mechanism that may link chronic inflammation with cancer.
The researchers identified a protein called p100 as allowing communication between inflammation and cancer development processes. Chronic inflammation might lead to unrestrained cancer development.
Chronic inflammation associated with heart attack and stroke
In 2003, the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a joint statement associating inflammatory markers (such as C-reactive protein or CRP) with coronary heart disease and stroke. CRP is one of the acute phase proteins to increase during systemic inflammation.
The statement was based on evidence implicating inflammation as a key factor in atherosclerosis. That's the process of fatty deposit build up in arteries. High levels of hs-CRP consistently predict recurrent coronary events in cases of unstable angina and heart attack. Higher hs-CRP levels are also associated with the likelihood of an artery reclosing following balloon angioplasty, and lower survival rates. High levels of hs-CRP also predict prognosis and recurrent events for stroke and peripheral arterial disease.
Leaky-gut syndrome linked to chronic inflammation
Increased intestinal permeability, also known as leaky-gut syndrome, can affect overall health by allowing passage of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the intestinal lumen into peripheral circulation.
LPS comes from the cell walls of resident gram negative gut bacteria, and is one of the most potent pro-inflammatory antigens known. Increased passage of LPS into circulation induces pro-inflammatory cytokines (communication proteins of the immune system) leading to low-grade chronic inflammation.
Dietary saponins from potatoes, beans, and legumes induce a leaky gut, as do dietary lectins, alcohol, and NSAIDS. Lectins survive cooking and processing, as well as digestive enzymatic degradation, so they arrive in circulation intact in physiological concentrations to activate the immune system. Lectins are also able to increase E. coli and gram-negative bacteria overgrowth in the intestinal lumen.
Why the Paleo Diet is an anti-inflammatory diet
Returning to the diet that humans evolved to eat addresses many underlying pro-inflammatory modern dietary practices. The Paleo Diet corrects the pro-inflammatory effects of omega-63:/omega-6 3 fatty acid imbalance that can result from consumption of vegetable oils, grain-based products, and a lack of DHA and EPA from animal sources.
The diet also eliminates other modern food products that have been implicated in the inflammatory basis of disease, such asincluding dairy products, refined sugar, and lectins. Lectins are found in beans, grains, and legumes, which are not part of the Paleo Diet. found in grains and legumes.
While the diet also excludes processed foods (such as refined or hydrogenated vegetable oils in margarines, potato chips and baked goods that can be pro-inflammatory), it does include olive oil. This highly mono-unsaturated oil can actually reduce inflammation. The high-fiber content of the diet also helps to reduce inflammation.
In addition, foods with high glycemic indices also have a pro-inflammatory effect. The low glycemic load foods of the Paleo Diet avoids such high-glycemic foods address this , which also helps to lower insulin levels, and help to maintain optimum weight.
Next time, we'll take a look at the many aspects of the Paleo Diet that reduce your risk of disease to improve mental and physical function in later life. We'll also share ideas on how to keep Paleo when dining in Japanese restaurants.
Really great site HERE
Yo Yo Dieting
The dieting merry-go-round is an interesting thing. So much information and good intention, so few favorable results. One result is a sense of failure on the part of dieters that takes on the likeness of a relationship gone bad. Promises are made, only to be broken and a sense of betrayal ensues. Instead of the dynamic describing two lovers this is the personal hell that many people face. Rosy picture isn’t it!
Part of what makes this situation so difficult is that people are facing tough biological, social and psychological issues when attempting to alter eating habits. All of these issues end up stuck together and the glue, not surprisingly, is carbs. WHOA! you might be saying…that’s a lot to lay on a piece of toast or a plate of potatoes…but in my experience this is exactly the issue. Lets take these apart one at a time:
Biological- When folks mention they are yo-yo dieting they are NOT having a problem eating meat, veggies, nuts and olive oil to excess. Whatever the clueless Mcdougalites may say, it’s not being ON the low carb diet that’s a problem, it’s going off the rails and eating every carbohydrate in site down to the bark on trees! Calorie restriction doesn’t work and just feeds into neurosis. It sounds great and plays into our puritanical leanings but it is a failed venture. I’m not sure why but everyone from the government to doctors to theologians LOVE this whole calorie restriction thing…”Eat less, be prudent..have more water dense vegetables…drink a glass of water before a meal to blunt hunger.” Bullshit. None of that crap works and it just leads people down a path towards failure.
The people who have success with this stuff find a level of carb intake that “works”. This level is different from person to person but it mirrors what people like the Dr.’s Eades and others have said for years.
Social- have you ever noticed that no one says a word to the folks who eat a bag of chips and a coke for lunch but if you have a piece of grilled meat, a bag of nuts and a salad you can sell tickets to your lunch hour as a circus side show? It’s an interesting but well documented fact that people do not like seeing others change or make progress. Come from a poor or dysfunctional family? Did you work to get healthy and perhaps wealthy? Are your family members excited about your success or least bit resentful? We see this almost daily…one spouse starts training and eating differently…they start making progress and change and the significant-other freaks out. It either undermines the efforts of our client or the couple tends to split. No shit here folks…heavy stuff but we have seen this pattern play out dozens of times the past 5 years. So part of yo-yo dieting is that people undermine our progress. It kinda sucks to catch flack for trying to affect positive change and sometimes it’s just enough to slide one back to junk-food (that’s TOO MANY CARBS if you missed the section above). Where does personal accountability come into this? Glad you asked…
Psychological- for some damn reason people have some kind of self sabotage thing they get going. For some it relates to diet, for others it’s betting on football and buying shit they do not need. Whatever the issue is the individual knows better, sets their will for change…then fails, feels like crap and the cycle continues. Some people do manage to affect change…but no one knows what the hell it is they are doing differently so it’s really tough to replicate. A growing number of psychiatrists think that drugs, talk therapy and chakra balancing are not very effective at helping people change. What is effective? Sleep, omega-3 fatty acids, and a tightly controlled insulin level. I know this is dragging things back to the biological but most of the yo-yo dieting, bad relationships gambling…it’s all neuro-chemistry and you either take steps to remedy the situation…or you don’t. If you are not sleeping well (and enough), taking your fish oil and keeping your insulin levels under control NOTHING YOU DO WILL WORK.
I’m sorry if this is a bit of a downer but some things just can not be snuck-up on. Some things require a fundamental shift in how you are doing things…if you want to kill the yo-yo dieting (and most behaviors that are troubling) you need to do some combo of the following:
1-Best defense: Don’t be there. What his means is do not have crap in the house. NONE. We do not have self control, we are not wired for it. This is that deal where folks have 8lbs of beef cooked in the refrigerator and they quip “I’m hungry…I’m bored with this…” You’re not bored, you are addicted to crack and you need to decide how you are going to handle the situation. If you absolutely MUST have some, go out and eat it. Make it high quality and do not bring ANY home. No Gad-damned Ezekial bread that can be gnoshed down at 2am as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Meat & veggies, nuts & seeds…that’s what you have on hand at home. If you are not convinced, let me use this analogy:
Most people feel like they can pull off a committed, monogamous relationship.They can avoid a bit of temptation, and do just fine. Cool. What if you are drunk and you just took a whopping dose of Ecstasy…and 10 of the hottest members of whatever sex you are into walk into the room with you and insist on having their way with you. Refined carbs are analogous to an alcohol soaked Ecstasy binge at the PlayBoy Mansion. If you are OK with the consequences of that fact, fine but if you are looking to affect change you need to know that will power will fail you EVERY TIME. You need to plan and you need to keep your home free of crack.
2-Rally the troops or go it alone. Tell the people near you, be it family or friends what you are up to and that you need their help. If they rally to your aid, great, it will really help things. If they begin undermining you as I mentioned above you need to distance yourself and minimize their influence. Obviously this can suck if it’s your best friend, spouse or boss but things are tough enough. If you let the people around you undermine your activities…bad on you. Your eyes are open and you know better.
3- Give yourself a break. This may seem at odds with the ass-whooping I’ve unleashed but you are only one meal away from perfect compliance. Obviously this can not stretch into an infinity of non-compliance (unless you are my parents!) but you need to take it easy on your bad-self. You CAN do this but you actually have to DO it.
We see three basic behaviours in our clients with regards to food. Some folks “get it”. They generally eat what they should, when they should. They feel good and they make great progress at more or less a constant rate. Some of our other clients are still stuck on the crack and generally eat too much of the wrong stuff. They feel like shit during workouts and make some progress, albeit slow. The final group does not eat enough. Progress is stalled and in many cases retrograde. This last group is actually a flavor of yo-yo dieting and it is hard as hell to reach these folks.
Perhaps a line from Star Wars in closing:
“Do or do not, there is no try”. Yoda
This post is word for word from a post Robb Wolf that I could not find a link for.
What to eat?
• Eat for performance/energy balance -> health/leaness will follow
• Eat enough protein for your lean body mass but not more … “feed the muscle not the fat”
• Eat within 30 mins of waking up, must eat breakfast
• Eat within 30 mins of going to sleep
• Eat every 3-4 hours
• Typically three big meals and 2 snacks (adjust snacks to get balance)
• Avoid High GI foods - Low GI foods have a limited shelf life and are typically found on the outer perimeter of the supermarket (if you can catch it or grow it you probably are ok to eat it”
• We have a concept of favourable and unfavourable foods. Unfavourable have typically negative factors associated, either bad fats (saturated/trans) or are high GI (high insulin response)
• Eat good Fat
• Increase water consumption
• Learn & understand what you are putting into your body. You are in control of your health. You are not a victim. The victims are only ever the people that care for you that have to tolerate your poor health.
I had this in a file but do not have the original source. I agree with it all, but did not create it.
Pasta come up from time to time as food for "fuel". In 1980 this may have been the case. Old runners would "carb up" before runs, and after. The bottom line is I am not willing to call any food good or bad. That being said, loads of pasta will make you lethargic and wreak havoc on your insulin. If hear of gaining fat won't keep you away from unfavorable carbs maybe premature aging will. Huh? Insulin spikes will lead to collgen spikes whicj will age you inside and out. Eat clean for 7 days and then eat a big bowl of pasta or a bunch of bread. If you feel better keep going, we're betting you won't!
Primal Mama
Primal Mama is a GREAT website with a lot of super info. This reciper is REALLY GOOD!
I don't really know if this is actually "Szechuan" but it sounded like a good title. I couldn't think of anything else mostly due to the fact that I am fairly certain that I have incurred slight brain damage. You see... I have been fighting inflexibility of my joints due too lots of CrossFit and little stretching. I don't recommend it. I've gone from slightly less than Gumby to what feels like an old, arthritic woman. Oh... wait...I am an old, arthritic woman...
Yum!
I keep breakfast simple with eggs, egg salad and tuna salad with a dense fruit and some carrots. I have used this recipe and it is AWESOME anytime! Watch the portions because sometimes too much is just too much. make it at nite and pop in the fridge for a super breakfast that is ready to go.
Ingredients
2/3 cup diced sweet potato
2 eggs
2 rashes of bacon, diced using meat only (get no preservative/gluten if possible)
1tbs coconut oil
4tbs dill, finely chopped
2tbs Vegenaise
2tbs lemon juice
Instructions
Boil eggs in water for 4-6minutes. Peel and dice eggs.
Boil sweet potato for 4-5minutes or until cooked through.
Place a frying pan on medium-high heat, add olive oil and bacon and fry until browned and slightly crunchy.
In a small bowl, combine dill, mayonnaise and lemon juice.
Place eggs, sweet potato, bacon and vegennaise sauce into a medium size serving bowl. Combine well.
Consistency
In looking at food logs I am always struck with the inconsistency of them. This has been a huge personal issue of mine in the past, and I can tell you that the only cure is to log log log log. Keep a running count in the margins of your fat, carb and protein and total at the ned of the day. After 5 days many will see numbers all over the place. Someone with a 110 protein requirement has a week that look like this:
89/90/80/100/75 Protein
25/160/45/240/85 Carbs (not all favorable)
20/35/15/65/10 Fat
With Proteins UNDER every day by quite a bit, and calorie swings from 650-1700 there will be no positive effects. Insulin spikes and hunger will sabotage this every time. Comment, or e-mail me 5 days of numbers with protein requirements. 5 days IN A ROW. At this stage it isn't about it looking good, it is about fixing what isn't working.
