Need a very holiday-ish treat to share? This peppermint dark and white chocolate fudge is so delicious and super fast and easy to make. This is also a great recipe for recruiting little kitchen helpers! Kids can practice stirring, measuring, pouring, etc.
The final result is impressive and you’ll only be in the kitchen 30 minutes or less!
The shopping season is upon us once again! I know some people love to shop and others dread it, but however you feel, you are likely to need to purchase some gifts this season. This can be a great way to introduce a friend or family member to your healthy eating ways without being too pushy. Most people love useful tools, good cookbooks, meaningful self-help books and good quality chocolate. Here are a few of my favorite must-haves:
Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo. The original is awesome, but she re-wrote the book in 2017 and it’s also wonderful. Give either one to that friend who wants to venture into “food as medicine,” but doesn’t know where to start.
Whole 30 Book: This is where it all began. With this book, you get all the basics on the program.
Whole 30 Daily Guide: I love this day to day guide. It gives you something to look forward to and focus on each day of your Whole 30. Whether it’s your first or your tenth, this journal style book is a wealth of encouragment.
Whole 30 Cookbooks – Whole 30 Slow Cooker, Whole 30 Fast and Easy, Whole 30 Friends and Family: No matter your cooking preference- slow cooker or quick and easy – there is a cookbook for you!
Food Freedom Forever – This book is for anyone who has any issues surrounding food. Which honestly, I think is most of us. We learn about the concept of “worth it,” which will be a huge help through a Whole 30, but then especially afterward. Can’t recommend this one enough.
Lodge pre-seasoned Cast Iron pans – Not only are these pans heavy duty, non-stick enough for most things (not pancakes!), very inexpensive, but they will only get better with use and age. You can pass these down to your children or grandchildren. I have my grandmother’s cast iron pans and not only are they wonderful to cook with, but I think of her every time I use them.
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Le Creuset dutch oven – A true classic and a wonderful gift. You only need one good dutch oven and this is a good one. I received this one as a wedding gift almost 20 years ago and it’s still good as new. Comes in a rainbow of colors so you can customize this gift to the recipient’s kitchen or personality.
Instant read thermometer – A useful and fun gadget. If you don’t want to overcook your meat or serve it raw, you need one of these. Those who enjoy barbecuing or grilling especially love these.
Mini Cuisinart Food Processor/Chopper – Useful for so many things – chopping, grinding, blending – and so much easier to get out and clean than a big food processor. I use mine almost daily. And it’s small so doesn’t take up much counter or cabinet space.
Bench Scraper – Use this when making pastry, cookies, cutting, cleaning your counter after messy cooking projects…so many uses. Makes a perfect stocking stuffer. Get the stainless steel one because it will last forever!
Microplane grater – Grating hard cheeses, citrus zesting, finely grating onions or garlic – so many uses. If you like to cook, you need one of these. Another great stocking stuffer.
Baking Sheets with Wire Racks – Another indispensable kitchen tool. I have four of these and use them daily. They may not stay shiny and clean after years of use, but they will last forever.
Good Quality Chocolate – Alter Eco Salted Caramel Truffles (yum!) are my favorites – Needs no explanation!
A membership to Thrive Market – For $60, you or the recipient can save thousands every year on all the healthy pantry staples you need to stick to your diet. And for every new membership, Thrive gives a membership to a family in need. Win, win!
A box from one of the many, many subscription services: Stitch Fix, TrendSend, etc. – Who doesn’t like getting a box of clothes and accessories delivered to their door? This is a great gift for someone who likes to be stylish, but doesn’t have the time to shop. After all, we’re in the kitchen a lot and that takes time!
Back in 2016, I wrote a post about Back to School lunches that focused on how to feed your children a paleo diet. Even though we homeschool, we pack lunches for many other occasions than just school, so I have lots of experience in this area! If you’re struggling with what to feed your paleo littles, check out that post.
Even though that article focused more on children, those lunch ideas would certainly be acceptable for adults as well. After all, we’re all people! Just some are bigger and some are smaller. 🙂
But this post is focusing more on adult-friendly meals, some that can be prepared ahead and packed for taking on the road, whether that means eating in your car or at a desk, and others are geared toward a quick lunch at home. These are all just general ideas which you can use as a springboard to invent hundreds of meal ideas that will keep you humming along in your day and help keep your health in check!
Take-along lunches:
Hard-boiled eggs – go ahead and peel them at home for less mess. If you’re feeling fancy, make egg salad.
Beef jerky or meat sticks (my favorite: Chomps original beef)
Almond butter packets (my favorite: Justin’s Classic)
Celery, carrots, jicama, other crisp veggies you love (these are great with the almond butter and can go unrefrigerated for a few hours without problem)
Apples, bananas, berries (any fruit in it’s own package or already washed and cut up for easy transport)
Green leaves (any green you like, but spinach is my favorite because it’s so mild and hearty enough to travel well) – add lunch meat to make quick roll-ups – put the leaves inside the meat for a sort of reverse roll-up
Small containers of dip, guacamole, or dressing – you can buy individual cups of mashed avocado at many grocery stores, including Costco and they’re perfect for travel.
Perhaps the most obvious lunch of all is leftovers. I usually plan dinner to make five servings (for my family of four) so there is one lunch left for my husband the next day. Other times, I double a recipe and portion it out into many servings and stick those in the freezer. Casseroles and soups and stews typically freeze really well.
Regarding those leftover soups and stews: Pour boiling water into a thermos and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Heat soup on stove or microwave, pour hot water out of thermos, pour in hot soup. This method should keep your soup hot until lunch time. This works for leftover casseroles as well.
Smoothies – any shape or form you like
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Quick lunches you can make at home:
Egg scramble – this can include leftover meats and vegetables with a couple fresh eggs cracked into the skillet once everything else is hot or start fresh with your favorite sausage and chopped veggies. To keep things fast, just chop everything pretty small so it cooks quickly.
Salad: I’m not sure why, but most people think of salad as a quick and easy meal, but it can take time to chop all those veggies and prepare your protein. Not to mention making a homemade dressing. To make this go more quickly through the week, make your dressing and chop your veggies over the weekend then just assemble when it’s time. If you’re taking salad to work, layer in your container like this: dressing on the bottom, then protein, veggies, greens and any crispy/crunch toppings on top.
Hamburger (or turkey burger or chicken burger – you get the idea) with vegetables. Either have leftover vegetables or choose quick cooking ones like mushrooms, squash and greens. Place the burger patty in your skillet, sear on one side, flip over then scoot to the side and add the veggies to the skillet. In less than 10 minutes, you have lunch. (I’ll be doing this on Facebook live soon!) Make this faster by pre-chopping your vegetables and making a bunch of burger patties and stashing them in the freezer. If defrosted, they will cook in under 10 minutes. From frozen, allow 15 minutes.
Do the same as above, but use a fish filet instead of a burger. Fish will cook in 6-8 minutes depending on the thickness of the filet so add the veggies in at the beginning.
If you eat some grains, such as rice, cook extra over the weekend and have that ready to heat up quickly to go along with your protein and vegetables.
Prepare a charcuterie platter for one: some deli meats, raw veggies, nuts, fruits, olives, etc. Whatever you like! You can, of course, take this sort of lunch to work as well, but it requires a fancy divided container or lots of little baggies, so I think this one works best at home.
The real secret here – well, I guess it’s not a secret anymore – is that these meals are perfect anytime of day, not just lunch. Think of all those nights when you’re too tired or stressed to cook or simply don’t feel like it. These quick meal ideas are perfect for those times. Healthy fats and protein with some fruits and/or veggies makes a perfect meal. Dinner doesn’t have to be cooked fresh nightly and look like a roast chicken and baked sweet potato! Nourishment is nourishment. My kids actually love it when we have a cold dinner like a charcuterie platter. There’s something fun about finger food and getting a little bit of lots of things.
I guess the bottom line here is to think outside the box. Lunch doesn’t have to look like a sandwich and a bag of chips.
What’s your favorite lunch? Either on the go or at home. Let us know because we all need more ideas!
What do you think of when you hear the words “self-care?” I envision a day at the spa, a shopping spree and then a relaxing evening at home in my favorite loungewear with a steaming cup of coffee and either a good book or a TV show I’ve been wanting to watch.
The reality is, that sort of self-care day is not likely to happen for me – ever. But that doesn’t mean I can’t take some little element of that dream day and make it a regular part of my reality.
As a functional medicine health coach, this is a topic that comes up quite a lot. So I thought it would be great to address it here. Please comment below and add to the conversation!
When someone asks how you are, what do you most often answer?
Busy
Tired
Stressed
Fine
Does that sound familiar?
Why are we always so busy, tired, stressed and just fine? Believe it or not, if we make a concerted effort to care for ourselves – in the way we need most and without guilt – we are more likely to feel: relaxed, rested, in control and great!
The question is: how do we do that? How do we take time to take care of ourselves when we’re so busy taking care of everyone else?
As a health coach, I don’t answer that for you. Sorry. I ask you another question: What do you think?
What are the circumstances around you feeling your best?
Is it when you’re with a lot of people? Is it when you’re alone? Is it after an exercise class? Is it after a nap?
What causes you to feel rested and restored?
Time away? Time at home?
How often do you think you need these restoring moments or activities?
Daily? Weekly? Monthly?
Please take some time and really think about your answers.
If you have young children at home this will look different than it does if you’re working a 9-5 with teenagers at home or if you’re nearing retirement age. Just because your current life circumstances are challenging, doesn’t mean you throw self-care out the window. It just means that your self-care routine will look different as you age and your life circumstances change.
Why not make a plan right now? Yes, I mean right this minute. Think about what you’d like to try for self-care. Then look at your calendar (you know I’m big on planning and calendars!), and figure out how you can fit it in. Then make a commitment to yourself to carry out your plans and give yourself permission to do it. Give yourself grace if you think you should be at home cleaning rather than getting your nails done (just an example). You will mostly likely do that cleaning with joy and energy if you’ve taken the time to take care of yourself first.
Want some ideas for easy self-care? Really, you have to figure out what you want/need and what works for your life, but here are a couple ideas:
These are just a few, very simple examples.
My challenge to you is this:
Let me know how this goes for you!
If you’re looking for a recipe to celebrate the season (pumpkin spice season, that is) and want to avoid sugar, here you go. These scones satisfy that craving for something slightly sweet and baked good-y without derailing your diet.
I usually just drizzle a little glaze on half the batch for my kids and I eat them without and they are perfectly delicious both ways!
Why try elderberry syrup for your cold and flu prevention and remedy?
Elderberries are naturally high in immune-boosting compounds that are specifically shown to help beat the cold and flu more quickly.
There is certainly a time and a place for conventional medicine and doctors visits. Unfortunately, there isn’t much that conventional medicine can do for a common cold or even a mild case of the flu. My personal strategy has been to keep us all as healthy as possible so that we can avoid going to the doctor during cold and flu season! Maybe it’s paranoia, but I can almost feel the germs on me when we enter a doctor’s office in the middle of winter so we do all we can to stay away.
**If you or someone in your care has been sick for days without improvement and is not keeping down fluids, it is important to see a doctor to avoid dehydration which can lead to very serious complications.
Elderberries contain vitamins A, B, and C and have been shown to stimulate the immune system. A team of Israeli researchers found that the complex sugars in elderberries support the immune system in fighting the cold and flu. Their research found that elderberries help to stop the enzyme viruses use to penetrate healthy cells in the lining of the nose and throat. When taken before infection, it prevents infection. When taken after infection, it prevents the spread of the virus through the respiratory tract. In a clinical trial, 20% of study subjects reported significant improvement within 24 hours, 70% by 48 hours, and 90% claimed complete cure in three days. In contrast, subjects receiving the placebo required 6 days to recover.
Why make your own elderberry syrup?
To make a proper batch of safe and effective elderberry syrup, you will need:
100 g dried elderberries
1-2 quarts cold distilled water
1/2 cup raw honey (or to taste)
plus whatever flavorings you choose
I add 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, cloves and fresh ginger to my syrup. Here’s why:
Cinnamon is loaded with antioxidants, has anti-inflammatory properties, may cut the risk of heart disease, can improve sensitivity to insulin, can lower blood sugar levels.
Cloves are high in antioxidants, may protect against cancer, can kill off bacteria, may improve liver health, may help regulate blood sugar and reduce stomach ulcers.
Ginger aids in digestion, helps relieve GI irritation and nausea, has been shown effective in cold and flu relief, pain reduction, and has anti-inflammatory properties.
I think this combination of spices with the elderberry makes a great tasting syrup. My kids prefer it without the spices. I’d suggest trying it both ways and figuring out what you like best.
How to make your syrup:
Combine the berries and water and any spices in a large (cold) saucepot. Place over medium-high heat and gradually bring to a boil. Once a rolling boil has been reached, reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture has reduced to 2 cups. Do not cover the pot during this phase. This process cannot be shortened as it is crucial for eliminating the cyanide-like toxin in the seeds.
Strain the concentrated extract and measure the liquid. It should be approximately 2 cups. (If you have less than 2 cups, water can be added to reach 2 cups. If you have more than two cups, continue boiling the mixture down. It is crucial to have a 2-cup measurement at this state to ensure accurate dosing.) Place syrup back in your pot and add sweetener. Bring back to a boil and continue to boil for approximately 10 minutes or until reduced back to 2 cups. Allow to cool slightly and pour into a glass storage container. Store in the refrigerator.
You can watch the video preparation of elderberry syrup here:
Dosing:
For adults as preventative: 15 mL per day, 5-6 days per week
For adults as treatment for active infections: 15 mL 4 times per day
For children as preventative: 5 – 10 mL per day (my 60 lb. child take 5 mL and my 100 lb. child takes 10 mL), 5-6 days per week
For children as treatment for active infections: some dose as above 3-4 times per day
Sources: https://fsihs.org/proper-elderberry-syrup/
https://normsfarms.com/blogs/elderberry-and-your-health/how-much-elderberry-should-i-take
http://abc.herbalgram.org/site/DocServer/Elderberry-scr.pdf?docID=165
Here we are again, the beginning of another school year. Whether this makes you rejoice or cry, it’s here regardless.
Because we homeschool, you might think this whole back to school thing doesn’t affect us, but you would be mistaken. We follow a traditional calendar with a nice, long break in the summer. Of course, like all good homeschoolers, “we do math all summer.” Wink, wink. Sorry, but this is an inside joke for the homeschoolers.
The only real difference for us compared to those of you who send your kids off to a school outside your home, is that once we hit the books, the kids don’t leave. I don’t all of a sudden have about 6 hours a day without interruptions. (I LOVE my kids and I LOVE homeschooling, but that does sound REAL nice sometimes!) We still have all the busy-ness that comes along with back to school routines:
That last one gets me every time. Even though we really limit the number of activities in which our kids participate, the schedule still fills up, which means meal planning takes on a whole new level of finesse.
Let’s get to it, shall we? I’m going to run through some ideas for weeknight meals in several categories: super fast, slow cooker and Instant Pot.
Super Fast: Sometimes the recipes just can’t be adapted to the Instant Pot or Slow cooker and you have 30 minutes or so to get it all ready. These are meals that you can get on the table quickly, with little fuss. They may not be fancy, but they are good and nutritious.
Slow Cooker: For those days you find yourself with extra time in the morning or around the middle of the day. Think soups, stews, casserole-type meals. My favorite way to make a complete meal out of a slow cooker dish is to add a salad to the side. Have your dressing made ahead (I usually do this on Saturdays), buy pre-mixed and washed salad or just serve mixed greens without any other veggies. I know! It’s ok. You’ll most likely have other veggies in your main dish.
Instant Pot: Yes, the Instant Pot is great for making quick work of a dish that would normally take a long time (think pork BBQ or Pot Roast) and you can absolutely leave the house while it’s running, but we’re usually talking a one to two hour cook time, so it’s not quite as fix it and forget it as the slow cooker meals. You have usually just an hour or two to not be present. So think those nights where you have to have a kid at soccer practice from 5:30-6:30. Say you have a 20 minute drive time each way, Instant Pot to the rescue. Get the meal going before you leave (start at say 4:45 – remember the time it takes to get the pot under pressure). Your roast should be just perfect by the time you get home right before 7. I hope that makes sense! If not, this is exactly the kind of thing we’ll discuss in the new Membership.
Here are a few of my family’s top favorite Instant Pot recipes:
I hope this is helpful!
The first step is figuring out how much time you have. I can’t emphasize this enough.
Take a real, hard look at your week and plan realistically. There’s no point in setting yourself up to fail. Then see what you have on hand that you can make into a meal. Next, gather recipes to fill in the gaps. Then head to the store with your list in hand. Now you’re ready to conquer your week!
I hope you know how very thankful I am for each and every one of you who reads this blog. Thank you for trying my recipes, for offering feedback, for requesting new recipes. I LOVE hearing from you. I love knowing that my putting out a new recipe has helped you to manage your disease well and not feel deprived.
What I’m working on now is a very exciting new project – a place on the internet specifically for people with Crohn’s disease. A place where they can find a community of encouragement, hope, transformation and vitality. A place filled with positive people who are not satisfied with the standard line that there is no cure for Crohn’s disease.
My goal is to launch this community in mid-September. The outline looks something like this:
What I’m asking for is the opportunity to talk with you if this sounds at all appealing. I am NOT going to try to sell you something. I am trying to build out this program so that it is of the utmost value and I simply need information.
I have this disease, I am intimately familiar with the pain points associated with Crohn’s. And I know what it’s like to live free from it as well. But I also know that this disease is tricky and it presents itself in different ways in different people.
So if you or someone you know has Crohn’s disease and wants to manage it naturally – meaning without medication if at all possible – I want to talk to you. You can email me at elizabeth@ourpaleofamily.com or you can go to my health coaching site totalwellnesshealthcoaching.com and click the “schedule follow-up appointment” button. That will lead you to my calendar where you can make a 30 minute appointment. Then I’ll be in touch with you.
Thank you so much for considering helping me in this process.
Do you feel like Keto is everywhere? Even at my local, neighborhood restaurant, I was handed a keto menu. This is great news for those who are following the ketogenic diet and want to be able to go out with their friends and family and feel “normal,” but just because it’s everywhere, doesn’t mean everyone understands it. I thought you might have some questions about this diet that everyone is talking about.
In case you’re not aware, I am now a certified functional medicine health coach and I run that business over at Total Wellness Health Coaching. Because this content is relevant to both audiences, I posted the Keto 101 article over there. Just click here to pop over to that page and (hopefully) get all your basic questions about keto answered.
Please comment below or email me directly if you have questions not covered in that article.
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post discussing the pros and cons of some health-related news I’ve been seeing in magazines and newspapers lately. I broke down what I thought was a fairly misleading and unhelpful article. You can read that review here.
I’m back today with another article I’d like to discuss. This one also comes from the April 2019 issue of Health Magazine. The article is titled, “Diabetes: A Primer” and is filled with basic info. on the disease that is gripping our country.
The CDC reports that 4.0 percent of people aged 18 to 44 years are living with diabetes, 17 percent of those aged 45 to 64 years, and 25.2 percent of those aged over 65 years.
Those statistics are startling and don’t even address the fact that many children – young children – are developing what used to be a disease only found in older people.
The article in question today is actually filled with pretty good and accurate information about the disease in general, but there is one piece of advice that I take issue with. It’s this:
Q: Does eating too much sugar cause diabetes?
A: Nope, that’s a myth. But a low-quality, high-calorie diet that contributes to weight gain does increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Almost 90 percent of people with type 2 have BMIs in the “overweight” or “obese” range. Type I is thought to be mostly genetic.
April 2019 Health, page 42
There are actually two things wrong with this answer: 1. Consuming too much sugar absolutely, 100% does have an effect on developing type 2 diabetes and 2. Type I is not mostly genetic. It is an autoimmune disease. Both of these statements are completely false.
Let’s address #1: Does sugar consumption contribute to the development of diabetes. First of all, we need to establish that sugar isn’t just M&Ms and ice cream. Bread and fruit are also sugar. All simple carbohydrates are sugar to your body. It doesn’t matter if it comes from a candy bar or an apple. It’s true that an apple comes with a host of health benefits that the candy bar lacks, but for the purposes of this illustration, it’s just important to understand that simple carbohydrates are the same, ie. sugar, once in the body.
Now that we know what constitutes sugar, let’s discuss how it may or may not contribute to type 2 diabetes. I actually wrote a whole series of articles a couple years ago on insulin resistance. In the second article of the series, I explained what insulin resistance is and how it is developed. You can read the whole thing here. The summary is this:
When you eat carbohydrates/sugar, your body releases insulin. It’s how the sugar gets into your cells so your body can use that energy.
When you are feeding your body too much sugar for too long, meaning your body is making lots and lots of insulin all the time, your cells get tired of it and they quit responding to the insulin, meaning all that extra sugar is circulating in the blood (which gives someone a high blood sugar reading on a lab test).
Over time, if this situation goes unchecked, the body will eventually quit making insulin altogether. There’s been so much of it being produced and circulating and not doing its job and the body just can’t handle it anymore. This is full-blown type 2 diabetes.
Now obviously this is a very simplified explanation of type 2 diabetes and how it is developed – please read that article linked above if you want more detail – but the bottom line is that the VERY FIRST STEP in this process of developing type 2 diabetes is feeding your body too much carbohydrate. Too much, too often, for too long. One New Years Eve binge or a big slice of birthday cake once a year is not going to cause diabetes. But eating like its New Years Eve every day is a pretty sure fire way to set that process in motion.
So back to our “news” article. The question: “Does eating too much sugar cause diabetes?” should have been answered like this – Eating too much sugar every once in a while does not, but eating too much sugar on a regular basis most certainly can. And while we’re at it, let’s be sure to explain that simple carbohydrates = sugar.
If I were a person with zero medical knowledge and a pretty severe sweet tooth, I’d take that answer to mean that what I eat really has no impact on the development of diabetes. And the highlighted suggestions throughout the rest of the article to exercise more, albeit good advice, will not have nearly the impact on reducing the chance of developing or even reversing full-blown diabetes that changing your diet will.
There is much evidence that a Paleo diet and even a ketogenic diet is extremely effective in reversing or preventing type 2 diabetes.
The second issue from this article, the one about type I diabetes being mostly genetic can be countered with this: Type I is an autoimmune disease. Studies tell us that autoimmune disease development is 25% genetic and 75% environmental. What makes up the environmental component? Everything you eat, drink, put on your body, breath in, and experience. So the principles of functional medicine that address diet, movement, stress, relationships and sleep are very highly effective in treating chronic health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and also autoimmune conditions. Type I diabetes is unique in the autoimmune world in that once the damage has been done, ie. the islet cells of the pancreas are no longer producing any insulin, you cannot reverse that disease. However, it can be very well controlled with these same principles and anti-inflammatory diets that help other chronic conditions.
Once again, I have to emphasize that I enjoy reading Health magazine. I know I’ve picked on them pretty severely in these two blog posts, but my whole intention is that we would all become more savvy consumers of information. It’s maddening to me that these publications print such misleading information so flippantly. I’m sure their desire is to be helpful, but I think with a little effort, they could do much better. I would be available for some editorial work if they asked. 😉