Category Archives: Food as Medicine

Does bacon really cause cancer?

Posted on 24 November, 2015 by | 2 comments

Does eating bacon result in cancer?Bacon, loved by our tastebuds but hated by nutritionists, has long been under the chopping block for it’s purported lack of concern for our health. Recently, public uneasiness towards bacon has intensified in the wake of a WHO report which claimed that processed meats, including bacon, can cause colorectal cancer. This post examines the science behind these claims and seeks to provide you, the taste-conscious yet health-savvy reader, with the bottom line in whether you should eat bacon, or avoid it like the plague.

The WHO lowdown on processed meats

Last month, 22 scientists from ten countries met at the the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) to quantify the potential carcinogenicity from consumption of red meat (more on meat vs. health here) and processed meat. Based on the research findings, they determined that processed meats, such as bacon, hot dogs and sausages, can cause cancer – specifically, colorectal cancer.

Diving down into the numbers, the IARC research found that eating approximately 1.8 ounces of processed meat daily (roughly equivalent to slightly less than 2 slices of bacon) will increase the risk of colorectal cancer by around 18%. Colorectal cancer is the third most common form of cancer, excluding skin cancers. The lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is approximately 5%, therefore, by that reasoning, eating processed meats would increase your lifetime risk of this cancer to 5.9% – not a huge jump, but nothing to be scoffed at, either.

Is bacon really all that bad?

Bacon is generally hated on by nutritionists worldwide for a number of reasons, including it’s high content of “artery clogging” saturated fat, high sodium levels and nitrates/nitrites required for curing. Ancestral nutrition (i.e. paleo) proponents, on the other hand, can’t get enough of the stuff, even going so far as to consider it as “meat candy”. So, is bacon really as bad as most people would have you think?

In short, the answer is a big fat (pun intended) NO. Extensive scientific literature reviews have found no links between nitrates or nitrites and cancer, with recent research even going so far as to suggest that these compounds may in fact be beneficial, particularly for heart health. This is due to the fact that our bodies produce far more nitrates and nitrites than can be found in food, and they may play an important role in immune and cardiovascular function.

With regards to saturated fat, if you haven’t had the chance to read some of our other posts regarding this subject, you may still be under the opinion that it should be avoided at all cost. Well, we’re happy to tell you that this is not the case, with bucketloads of peer reviewed scientific research firmly proving that not only does it NOT cause heart disease, it actually plays an important role in fueling our bodies and helping to absorb nutrients from the food we eat.

Finally, our old arch-nemesis sodium. Popular consensus would still have us believe that salt is a harmful substance and should be dramatically reduced from our diets. The truth of the matter is, however, that sodium is a vital nutrient for humans. It is a major component of extracellular fluid and is essential for maintaining normal cellular metabolism. Check out this article for more information on the importance of salt.

How often should I eat bacon?

As with everything, moderation is key. We don’t want you to read this article and assume that you can embark upon a “bacon binge” and eat to your heart’s content (or malcontent, as it were). The main point of this article is that bacon is not the villain it has been made out to be, but as always we want to stress the need to find good quality sources for this particular food. This means pastured, organic, humanely-sourced bacon. It also means that you should check the ingredients before you buy – your bacon of choice shouldn’t contain anything other than pork, water, salt and nitrates/nitrites. Some bacon is cured with sugar, which is ok in small amounts but should be avoided if possible. Finally, cook your bacon slowly in its own fat – you don’t need to add any other oils, as the high saturated fat content in bacon is sufficient for cooking purposes, provided you don’t fry the crap out of it.

With these guidelines in mind, it shouldn’t do any harm to eat 3 pieces of bacon a couple of times a week. Many people on paleo diets eat bacon every single day for breakfast, however we generally recommend cycling intake of certain foods to avoid developing allergies. As such, try to take at least a day or two off between your bouts of delicious bacon eating. Enjoy!

 

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Why you can’t be healthy without meat & animal products

Posted on 19 November, 2015 by | 1 comment

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The topic of this post is a controversial one, and is bound to get a few of our more “plant-inclined” readers a little riled up. But here at Thrive Primal, we strive to provide our audience with useful, possibly life-changing nutritional information, regardless of how indigestible (excuse the pun) that information might be.

Humans evolved by increasing uptake of animal products

Meat and animal products. I hear a collective gasp from our vegetarian friends, but the fact is that we need these food sources to function at our best. Today, humans are arguably at the top of the food chain because of our dietary switch to animal-based nutrition millions of years ago. We evolved from our early plant-eating hominid ancestors when we began supplementing plants and vegetables with meat and animal-derived products, which resulted in marked increases in brain size.

The downside to this was a reduction in the size of the early-human gut system. This is due to the dramatic energy requirements of both brains and guts – development of one is inversely proportional to the other, thus as our brains grew and began to demand more energy, our guts shrunk. This essentially had a feedback effect on our evolving diets, as early hominids turned to the most nutrient-dense foods available – you guessed it, meat and animal products! – to support our brain development and make up for the loss in digestive capacity from our shrinking stomachs.

As such, humans have been evolving with the aid of nutrient-dense meats, organs and animal-derived products for millions of years.

Why modern diets have failed us

In recent decades, food consumption has changed dramatically from fresh, locally grown, whole foods to mass-produced, GMO, non-organic, semi-synthetic foods which have seen a dramatic increase in health problems, most notably in the US. Here, obesity rates have gone through the roof in the last 30 years, with one in five deaths associated with obesity, primarily as a result of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and liver disease, all of which are correlated with misaligned metabolic function (i.e. an unhealthy diet!).

Subsequently, many people have turned to vegetarianism and/or veganism as a means of avoiding consumption of so-called “dangerous” saturated fats, which the US government seems to have a personal vendetta against. The issue here is that, contrary to mainstream nutritional teachings, well-sourced saturated fats are necessary for healthy metabolic functioning in humans. They are vital in the absorption of important vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A, D and E, and actually help to support optimal heart and organ function. As a general rule of thumb, vegetarian diets are very low in saturated fats, with the exception of the odd fat-savvy veggo who consumes suitable levels of coconut oil and avocado, and so many vegetarians are severely lacking in this important dietary component.

Many vegetarians might read this and argue that they feel just fine eating only plant-based foods, and that a switch to vegetarianism has improved their health. And it’s true that many people experience marked improvements in their health and well-being with a switch from a modern, processed foods-based diet to a vegetarian one. This is because vegetarian diets do, in fact, have many benefits, particularly in that they bring people back around to eating organic, fresh, whole foods which help to replace many of the nutrients they lost while relying on processed foods. The problem is that, in the long term, our bodies cannot remain at their best on a vegetarian diet, as our digestive system is simply not designed to obtain all the required vitamins and nutrients from plants alone. This is why many vegetarians experience an initial improvement in health but then dramatic declines in health in the long term. This may manifest within as little as a few months, or take a number of years to become apparent.

Eating high-quality meat and animal products is essential

The fact of the matter is, we need animal products in order to thrive. But, and we cannot stress this enough, your meat and animal products MUST be from quality sources. In a nutshell, this means products from animals which are happy, healthy, and thriving in their optimum environment. It makes sense that food sources which make us thrive should also thrive themselves, right?

So, what are the key elements determining high-quality animal products, such as meat, organs, eggs, and dairy? The first one is a no-brainer, and one which you’ll probably roll your eyes at: it must be organic. This means free from pesticides, insecticides, herbicides (anything with the word “cide” in it, really!), artificial hormones and antibiotics. Do not automatically assume, however, that “organic” implies “non-GMO“. In many instances it does, such as in the case of USDA Organic, but not always.

Second, the animal from which your food comes from needs to be either grass-fed or pastured. “Grass-fed” applies primarily to cows and sheep, while “pastured” applies primarily to poultry and pigs. “Grass-fed” is not always synonymous with “100% grass-fed”, however, and many labels will claim that your beef or lamb is grass-fed, when in fact it may have been raised on grass and then “finished”, in the weeks leading up to slaughter, with grains in order to fatten it up. This is a nutritional no-no, and many of the benefits which can be gained from eating grass-fed products (see more on this here) are lost if the animal is grain finished. Therefore, do your homework – avoid, if possible, anything which says “grain finished” (or even “grass finished”), and consider researching your particular brand online before you buy. Sometimes this is the only way to really be sure.

“Pastured” essentially means a “free-range” diet, i.e. one which allows the animal to roam over a comparatively large area and choose foods at-will. This means that the animal chooses to eat only those foods which are best for its own nutrition, and as such the meat is of a much higher quality. This term applies a little more loosely than “grass-fed”, as pigs and poultry have a far more varied natural diet than cows and sheep, which subsist primarily on grass.

Finally, the meat or animal product should have been produced in a humane way. Typically, the previous requirements of organic and grass-fed/pastured would ensure that this is automatically the case, but not always. Therefore, always look for the “certified humane” sticker on your product before you buy it, as this will ensure that the animal was treated with compassion, kindness and not put under undue stress during slaughter.

Choosing quality animal products drives sustainable farming

If you follow the above principles while buying meat and animal products at the store, you’re helping to drive a market which supports sustainable, humane farming practices. This means that farmers have an actual economic incentive to raise their animals in the best possible way, ensuring those animals are given happy, healthy lives. Boycotting the meat industry altogether through vegetarianism is not the answer, as meat producers will continue to supply low-quality, factory raised, inhumanely slaughtered animals to the majority of the population who only cares how the meat tastes in their greasy McDonald’s burger.

The health benefits of eating meat and butter

Provided your meat or animal product is sourced based on the above criteria, it will be some of the healthiest food you could ever eat. Grass-fed beef, for example, contains the perfect composition of fatty acids (think more Omega-3, less Omega-6!), super high levels of Vitamins A and E, and bucketloads of important micronutrients like potassium, zinc, iron and phosphorus. Furthermore, grass-fed butter is loaded with saturated fat, which can improve your blood lipid profile, raising levels of HDL (aka “good”) cholesterol and providing large amounts of Vitamin K2, a nutrient virtually absent from most other foods and which helps to de-calcify your arteries.

The bottom line

Meat and animal products are the bee’s knees. Our bodies have evolved over millions of years to extract optimum nutrition from animal sources, and we function at our best when we obtain the right amounts of these on a daily basis. Make sure, however, that you only buy organic, grass-fed/pastured, humanely-raised meats and animal products.

 

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5 Foods to Increase the Nutrient Density of Your Paleo Diet

Posted on 24 March, 2015 by | Leave a comment

How to increase nutrient density paleo diet

Hey Team! This article is meant to meet you wherever you’re at right now. Maybe you’re eating run of the mill takeaway from the cafeteria at work every day, or maybe you’ve just surgically removed gluten from your diet. Maybe you’ve been doing ‘paleo’ for a while now, eating lots of veggies, clean protein, nuts and seeds, and a little fruit.

Whatever you’re up to, perhaps you’ve heard of the term ‘nutrient density’. I think I heard about this early on in my ancestral nutrition journey but it just sort of breezed through my ears. It sounded sort of appealing but I wasn’t quite sure what it meant.

Nutrient dense foods are the next step for health and healing

At some point I started seeking more in-depth healing, like helping my leaky gut, curing joint pain and reversing tooth cavities. This is where nutrient-dense foods really come into play.

If you’ve been playing around with a clean diet but aren’t quite seeing results, or you’re ready to up your game, here are 5 foods you’ll want to incorporate into your weekly regimen to really up the nutrient density. Once you work in these nutritional heavy-hitters, you’ll start to see lasting health, slowed aging and a truly resilient immune system.

These are foods which are often kind of on the fringe of our modern diets, if not completely forgotten. They were commonly consumed in every traditional ancestral diet but have been pushed aside by large-scale agricultural food. However it’s important for us to reincorporate these foods, since they offer up a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and probiotics which you might be missing in a basic ‘paleo’ or real-food regime.

If you’re not familiar I would highly recommend checking out the invaluable work of the Weston A. Price Foundation and the book Nourishing Traditions. This is basically the go-to goldmine on nutrient dense ancestral foods and how to make & consume them.

5 Foods to Increase the Nutrient Density of Your Diet

Organ Meats:

Consume the liver, heart, kidneys, thymus gland (sweetbreads), brain of any pasture-raised or wild-caught unmedicated animals. My go-tos are:

Organ meats were a go-to for our ancestors and even up until recently when our dads still ate liver & onions. The nutrient and fat-dense organ meats were prized and muscle meats were generally left for the dogs.

Some nutritional highlights:

  • In general, organ meats are between 10 and 100 times higher in nutrients than corresponding muscle meats. (source)
  • Liver contains many important nutrients (vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K, B12 and folic acid, and minerals such as copper and iron) and is higher in all of these nutrients than produce such as carrots and apples (source)
  • Upon analysis and comparison of the nutrient value of foods eaten by traditional versus modern cultures, studies show that a traditional diet provides at least four times the water-soluble vitamins, calcium and other minerals, and at least 10 times the fat-soluble vitamins, such as A and D. These fat-soluble vitamins are present only in animal fats—butter, lard, egg yolks, fish oils, and foods with fat-rich cellular membranes such as liver and other organ meats. (source)

Broth:

You may have heard bone broth mentioned in various paleo literature. This is called just ‘stock’ or ‘broth’ by normal people. To my knowledge these are exactly the same thing.

Collect any bones that come with the healthy meats that you purchase. We keep them in ice cream containers in the freezer. All too often I’ll be looking for some of our homemade raw milk ice cream and come upon a frozen chicken carcass instead…yuk!

…but the point is don’t throw out those bones!

THE EASIEST WAY TO MAKE BONE BROTH & ALWAYS HAVE SOME ON HAND:

Keep each type separate (or mix red meat ones if you like) and when a container gets full dump the bones into your crock pot, add a splash of apple cider vinegar, top up with water so the bones are just covered, and simmer for 24 hours. It’s that easy! Then you can keep the broth in smaller containers in the freezer to be popped into your soups or stir fries or whatever you’re cooking up. You can also just put a cup or two in a mason jar, add some water and pink salt, and heat it up anytime for a nourishing hot drink/snack.

Find out where to grab properly-raised meat in your area with farmmatch.com or eatwild.com. I know there’s also US Wellness Meats in the states, but haven’t found a good online supplier in Canada. Let me know if you know of one!  Also, you’ll be needing a crock pot! (aka slow cooker). Do yourself a favour and get this pretty one, which won’t be such an unsightly beast in your kitchen ;)

Why you should eat broth:

  • Bone broth is a source of minerals, like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium,  and potassium, in forms that your body can easily absorb. It’s also rich in glycine and proline, amino acids not found in significant amounts in muscle meat (the vast majority of the meat we consume). It also contains chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine, the compounds sold as supplements to reduce inflammation, arthritis, and joint pain. Finally, “soup bones” include collagen, a protein found in connective tissue of vertebrate animals, which is abundant in bone, marrow, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments.  The breakdown of collagen in bone broths is what produces gelatin. (source)
  • bone broth assists in tissue and bone healing, keeping the skin elastic, nourishing hair and nails, keeping joints working smoothly, healing the gut lining, improving detoxification and providing vital minerals for body processes (read more here)

Fermented Foods:

Fermentation is really easy to do at home with a simple book and some kefir culture or kombucha culture. All you need is milk for kefir and tea & sugar for kombucha. You can even make sauerkraut in a few days with just cabbage and salt (see instructions HERE).

The benefits of fermented foods:

  • fermentation increases vitamin, mineral, enzyme and probiotic content of food. For example, Kombucha provides beneficial detoxifying B-vitamins, Kefir packs a heavy probiotic punch, and Sauerkraut contains 10x more vitamin C than the original cabbage. (source)
  • the probiotics in fermented foods can assist in curing many conditions such as allergies, food intolerances and digestive disorders (source)

Raw Dairy:

I wrote an extensive post on raw dairy HERE. This will help you find a local source for unpasteurized whole intact organic grass-fed milk. We buy raw milk, kefir, cheese, sour cream and butter weekly. It really doesn’t compare to what you get in the store!! It’s beyond delicious, filling and nourishing.

If you’re looking for a source for grass-fed butter, which is highly prized and recommended in the paleo community, check out my recommendations here for connecting with a local source.

Why would you want to consume raw dairy?

  • The fats are intact. Homogenization of commercial dairy means the milk is pushed through tiny holes which corrupts and/or removes the fat and makes the milk less filling & more difficult to digest.
  • The nutrients are present and bioavailable. Pasteurization (high-temperature sterilization) of commercial milk means that many of the vitamins, proteins and nutrients are denatured and destroyed.
  • It is easier to digest. Natural milk contains enzymes such as lactase which actually negate all or most of the difficulties people have with digesting dairy. This leaves a highly digestible nutritious whole food. Bonus digestive points if you consume cultured dairy such as kefir, which is bursting with probiotics and has hardly any lactose remaining. (source)
  • Raw dairy has been shown to heal conditions such as allergies, chronic fatigue and tooth decay (source)

Seafood:

Seafood is one of the most dense sources of healthy anti-inflammatory fats and body-healing minerals.

Vital Choice is an excellent place to buy high quality wild-caught seafood online (USA) or Daily Catch (Canada). If you’re located elsewhere or are curious about what seafood is the healthiest, check out this primal guide to grocery store seafood.

Some great nutrient-dense seafood choices:

  • wild salmon roe – nourishes the brain and provides a rare food source of vitamin D (more here)
  • wild-caught sardines – a great source of omega 3s, protein and calcium too – if you eat the soft bones (source)
  • oysters – farmed or wild are both fine.

Just four medium sized Pacific oysters supply a smattering of B-vitamins (including over 1000% of daily B12), 1200 IU of vitamin A, a third of daily folate, almost 7 mg of vitamin E, 3 mg copper, 280% of daily selenium, and 33 mg zinc. That comes with 18 g protein, 4 g fat, 1.5 g omega-3, 0.1 g omega-6, and 9 grams of carbohydrates. (source)

Are you inspired to up your nutrient density?

Hopefully this quick guide has given you some juicy tips on how to really fire up your nutrition for long-term health and healing. What are some of your go-to foods, or maybe you have a great source to recommend? Please share with everyone below in the comments, or on the Thrive Primal Facebook page!

How to increase nutrient density paleo diet

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How to balance your hormones naturally with maca

Posted on 18 March, 2015 by | Leave a comment

How to balance hormones naturally with maca

Why hormones are so vital to wellbeing

When we hear the word ‘hormones’ most of us probably think of moody, pimply faced high school kids. However, the truth is hormones aren’t just about PMS and overly randy teenagers, they are actually the chemical messengers that control many of the body’s functions.

Hormones are chemical messengers that travel throughout the body coordinating complex processes like growth, metabolism, and fertility. They can influence the function of the immune system, and even alter behavior. Before birth, they guide development of the brain and reproductive system. Hormones are the reason why your arms are the same length [and] why you can turn food into fuel… It is thanks to these chemicals that distant parts of the body communicate with one another during elaborate, and important, events. (source)

If you have issues with weight, mood, energy, sleep, skin or fertility, it’s likely that you have a hormone imbalance.

How hormones get out of whack

Modern living throws lots of toxins at us, especially through synthetic medications, pollution and plastics. These chemicals, along with stress, excessive inactivity and irregular sleep cycles can leave us with an imbalanced body. Finally, poor nutrition leaves us short of the raw materials we need to build healthy hormones.

How to balance hormones naturally with maca root

Maca is a South American root vegetable related to a radish. The best way to use it is as a powder or in a capsule. I like this maca supergreens drink created by hormone expert Dr Anna Cabeca. If you want to check it out, you can click the image below (opens in a new tab).

How to balance hormones naturally with maca

 

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Here are some benefits of maca root and why it’s a great choice for balancing hormones naturally:

HELP WHERE YOU NEED IT: Maca is special in that it doesn’t impose a certain effect on you (like drugs do). It is adaptogenic, meaning that it supports the body in healing. It allows the body to adapt and balance in whatever way it needs to. It helps the body produce more healthy hormones wherever they might be lacking in your particular case. (source) It doesn’t actually contain hormones, or hormone-imitating substances, but rather provides the body with raw materials to produce what it needs to heal itself.

MOOD: Another way maca can help you adapt to the stressful modern environment is by acting as a gentle anti-depressant and sedative. (source) It simultaneously helps to balance mood while decreasing anxiety.

LIBIDO: Maca contains multiple nutrients such as calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, sterols, essential fatty acids, fiber and amino acids. This nutrient density allows the body to build more sex hormones. Women and men both report a healthy increased libido when using maca. It has even earned the nickname “nature’s viagra”. (source) We all know that sex is highly therapeutic, both personally and for our relationship. Get your maca on! ;)

FERTILITY: Through the action of balancing hormones and providing vital nutrients, maca is able to boost fertility in both women and men.

Maca has been scientifically researched for the use of increasing fertility since 1961 [and has been used nutritionally for thousands of years by South American civilizations] and has been shown to contain specific compounds called glucosinolates which directly can affect fertility for both men and women. These alkaloids are responsible for maca’s ability to support hormonal balance. (source)

ENERGY: By supporting the endocrine system including the adrenal glands, which are often exhausted by cortisol production when we under-sleep and over-caffeinate, maca helps balance us out for a smoother source of energy.

NO SIDE EFFECTS: According to this article based on this study, maca “lowers measures of sexual dysfunction independent of estrogenic and androgenic activity, meaning that it benefited the subjects’ moods and libido without negatively affecting their sexual hormones. 

Some people may experience mild stomach upset when using a plain (non-gelatinized) form of maca, so try this gelatinized form which is easy to digest. Some women also may notice a change in their menstrual cycle; this is just a sign that the hormones are on their way to becoming balanced. (source)

My top maca recommendation

I really like this maca supergreens drink created by hormone expert Dr Anna Cabeca. It contains not only maca but several other superfoods such as spirulina, resveratrol and curcumin, all blended into a tasty green drink. I like it in my tall glass water bottle with a squeeze of lemon juice. If you’d like to try Mighty Maca Greens for yourself, you can order your jar HERE.

How to balance hormones naturally with maca

 

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Have you tried maca?

Overall maca is a highly beneficial and health-supporting herb that I think most people could benefit from. There is negligible if any sign of harmful effects, and a wide range of benefits. If you’d like to know more, this article provides a really good summary of the types of maca available and the wondrous health-giving powers they bestow to the informed consumer.

Have you tried maca? If so, what form do you find is best, and how did it help you? Share below in the comments, or on Facebook!

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How Food Affects Mood: Are These Nutrition Mistakes Ruining Your Day?

Posted on 3 March, 2015 by | Leave a comment

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Do you ever feel a little off-kilter, like anything your colleague/partner/kid says might hit you the wrong way? Maybe you feel fragile, like things affect you more than they should and you can’t quite bounce back. Or like you’re on a roller-coaster throughout the day, sometimes in a great mood and then suddenly hit a low?

Depressive disorders are now the leading cause of disability worldwide. (source) Let’s talk about the food-mood connection, and how to fix up some nutritional mistakes you could be making that are causing you to act like a crazy biatch.

These mood patterns could be so ingrained from eating your regular diet for ages that you won’t even know you’re being thrown off. Maybe you even just think it’s “your personality”, or “it must be menopause”, or “life is just too much and I get stressed”.

Try these techniques and you might just find a new balance.

How are nutrition and mood connected?

The human body basically contains 2 brains, one in the head, and one in the gut. These are formed from the same tissue during fetal development. Even when you’re all grown they’re still connected by the vagus nerve which travels up the abdomen. This nerve is how the bacteria in your microbiome communicate with the brain. (source)

A rapidly emerging field of research suggests that the microbiome-gut-brain axis is of substantial relevance to mood and behaviour. Similarly, unhealthy diet has recently emerged as a significant correlate of and risk factor for depression. […] Although in its early stages, the emerging field of research focused on the human microbiome suggests an important role for the gut microbiota in influencing brain development, behaviour and mood in humans. (source)

If your gut is healthy and balanced, the same will go for your brain and your moods. It’s vital to foster a healthy microbiome for many, many reasons, and stable positive mood is one of them. As explained here, “What we eat affects everything from our production of neurotransmitters and hormones to our energy levels and the quality of our synaptic connections – all of which can determine how well we respond to the stresses and demands of daily living.”

First a little good-mood-food inspiration…

Here are a number of testimonials from people who transitioned to real food / paleo nutrition:

I’m a little over 3 months Paleo but I cut the grains and sugar very gradually. I used to get depressed and angry, especially when I was tired or going through a stressful situation. In the last month or so, I’ve noticed that I haven’t gotten angry or depressed even though nothing has changed but my diet and overall health. Maybe it’s being healthier and my husband is also a lot happier (he’s Paleo, too) and healthier that’s made the difference. (source)

I have been eating a Paleo diet for about 6 weeks. Not only is my arthritis pain gone but I’m finding that I sometimes forget to take my meds for anxiety. […] My moods are better in that I’m handling things well without that overwhelming feeling that I can’t cope. […] I plan on keeping tabs on my moods and slowly reducing meds. (source)

I have struggled with depression for most of my life. I have now been eating paleo for about a year: meats, veggies, little fruit, little dairy, lots of fats, no coffee, some chocolate, little sugar. […] I have no real objective measurement, but I do feel that my memory is better, there is less fogginess in thinking and awareness, and I just feel that I’m on an even keel emotionally. Things that may have formerly upset me may still bother me, but bother me less. (source)

I inadvertently fell into a paleo diet while trying to cure my 4+ year long struggle with moderate depression (dysthymia) and the addiction to carbs and sugar that came along with it. In terms of ‘normal mood’ changes that I noticed, I find myself enjoying nature and wanting to be outside to get fresh air, if something stressful/upsetting occurs i’m able to deal with it properly and resume to a level/stable mood and I have motivation to complete goals and actually do things. If I have to cry, its therapeutic and I accept is as being a normal human emotion to release whatever i’m feeling as opposed to the deep/hopeless/painful crying that often accompanies depression. I no longer consider myself to be depressed and it is literally all thanks to the food i’m now feeding my body. (source)

Foods to avoid for better & more stable mood

GLUTEN

Gluten intolerance is linked to autoimmune thyroid conditions (the body begins to attack the thyroid). The thyroid plays a huge role in regulating the metabolism and thereby keeping mood stable. Not only does gluten encourage autoimmune disease but it also damages mood-regulating functions in the gut:

A number of studies indicate that wheat can have a detrimental effect on mood, promoting depression and even more serious mental health problems such as schizophrenia. One mechanism that can help explain the mysterious connection between wheat and mental health problems is the fact that wheat inhibits production of serotonin.

Neurotransmitters like serotonin can be found not just in your brain, but also in your gut. In fact, the greatest concentration of serotonin, which is involved in mood control, depression and aggression, is found in your intestines, not your brain! (source)

This indicates that when you eat wheat the serotonin that should be produced in the gut is inhibited, and your mood suffers. Basically, wheat = sad and angry.

SOLUTION: Try entirely eliminating gluten for 2 weeks. If this sounds hard, try Real Plans for ready-made meal plans and shopping lists.

SUGAR

Sugary foods have a toxic effect on your mood and mental health, not only through the direct effect of “sugar high –> sugar low” but also via at least 3 different mechanisms where it damages hormone signaling, neuron health and impairs the immune system. (source) If this is a topic that interests you, the book Sugar Blues comes highly recommended.

This would include obviously any processed sugary foods containing refined sugar, high-fructose corn syrup etc, but also excess amounts of natural sugars (anything beyond, in my opinion, 3 servings per day). Why? It’s a completely unnatural amount of sugar to be consuming on any regular basis. A hunter-gatherer would have probably feasted on fruit a couple of times a year at most when it was in season and they found a good source, but this would definitely not be the norm on a daily basis. Our biochemistry is not designed to deal with this amount of sugar, natural or no.

SOLUTION: Break that sugar addiction! Need help? Go here!

 CHEMICAL-LADEN FOODS

I know we’re getting a bit broad here, but I’m talking about anything containing:

  • pesticides and herbicides – this would be non-organic produce, especially the Dirty Dozen. Pesticides are claimed to not directly harm humans, but they DO harm our gut bacteria, which by now we understand has huge effects on our health and well-being.
  • artificial colours and sweeteners – Aspartame in particular, since “both depression and panic attacks are known potential side effects of aspartame consumption.” (source)
  • genetically-modified organisms – these alter the gut bacteria for the worse – avoid foods containing non-organic corn, canola, soy and sugarbeet like the plague.

Foods to eat for better & more stable mood

In general, a traditional, whole-foods diet devoid of processed foods and focusing on healthy animal proteins, organic vegetables, good fats and fermented foods is what we’re aiming for here. (Want meal plans? This is what I recommend!)

This article in Psychology Today sums up how a typical Western Diet faces off against a traditional diet for gut and mood health.

A sicker microbiota (meaning in general less diversity and species and more pathologic species) is associated with a “leaky gut” wherein more inflammatory particles and bacterial cell parts pass through the gut lining, leading to systemic inflammation and problems, fatigue, and depressive behavior (avoidance, lack of energy and motivation).

Traditional diets tend to have more fiber and vegetable matter than the Western diet, which tends to have more highly refined carbohydrates. These fibers feed the microbiota in a healthy way, whereas lots of sugar and/or low carbohydrate Western diets have been associated with more pathogenic species of bacteria in the microbiome.

Nutrients to support good mood

Specifically we can focus on consuming more foods that are rich in fiber, minerals and nutrients such as iodine, selenium, Omega 3s, natural saturated fats, copper and iron. These help support the endocrine system and feed a healthy gut microbiome. Here are some foods to include in your next grocery shop! (source)

Produce

  • Onions
  • Artichokes
  • Pineapple
  • Mushrooms
  • Garlic
  • Dark leafy greens

Proteins

  • Red meat – grass-fed beef and lamb
  • Pasture-raised eggs
  • Shellfish – Oysters, Clams
  • Flaxseed
  • Chia seeds
  • Cashews
  • Sunflower Seeds
  • Brazil Nuts

Fats

Nutrient-dense add-ons

  • Organ Meats (hide liver in meat loaf, meatballs, soup)
  • Kelp and seaweed (capsules or dried, found in the Asian aisle or at the health food store)
  • B-complex vitamin (this is the one I use)

 How does food affect your mood?

Try keeping a journal for a couple of days, especially when you’re feeling particularly happy or notably anxious/sad/negative. I definitely notice a connection with wheat, sugar and coffee. If I have these things in the morning, I’ll be super lethargic in the afternoon, and then a sad sack in the evening (several hours later). If I stick with green tea and a clean eating regime I’m a lot more stable!

Share below or on Facebook, I want to know what helps or hinders your mood!

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Get rid of Candida once and for all: foods & natural remedies

Posted on 26 February, 2015 by | 19 comments

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[Newsflash: we’ve finally finished compiling all our vast knowledge of natural candida remedies into one ebook, to help you give your Candida overgrowth the boot once and for all. Click here to find out more!]

I’ve recently realized that I was a child of Candida. Literally the moment I entered the world, I was set up for an overgrowth of yeast and all the unfortunate symptoms that come along with that.

What the deuce am I talking about?

The importance of gut bacteria

Well, it turns out a caesarean birth deprives you of all the lovely bacteria your mother’s body has prepared for you, which you’re supposed to be exposed to on your way out. This sets you up for poor gut bacteria, and as a result a poor immune system.

From there, the snowball keeps rolling. A poor immune system from the start, plus a “normal” North American diet of too much processed food, carbs and sugary things (but of course no FAT! who eats FAT! GASP!…. and cue ironic eye roll) adds up to repeated infections.

I grew up with constant strep and tonsilitis, plus various other weird things. Things like dry red rashes in my inner elbows, constant digestive distress, food intolerances, a swelly thing beside my nose for a while, a swelly thing in my earlobe for a while, a swelly thing in my groin for awhile, etc. All sorts of lovely things!

…Which I was inevitably prescribed antibiotics for. As we’re all hearing these days, antibiotics might save your life for now but they sure beat down the immune system even more in the long run.

Contributing factors to Candida overgrowth

Add to that 10 years of taking the pill from my late teens to late 20s, because I never knew any better and of course everyone takes the pill! Doctors literally shell ’em out like candy. Acne? here’s the pill! Painful periods? Take the pill. (here’s how the pill contributes to Candida overgrowth)

Turns out these are some of the classic causes for and symptoms of Candida albicans overgrowth. Who knew!

At some point a few years ago I started frantically researching holistic health and nutrition, because I had discovered the theory behind the paleo diet and I was super stoked to find something that didn’t seem like a fad and was actually based on human evolution. COOL! Along the way I found out about Candida overgrowth, and boy did I tick a lot of the boxes…

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My frantic search for Candida albicans remedies

From that point I started a very long, stressful and expensive process of researching, buying and cycling through various candida remedies and protocols. Here are some that I tried:

  • bentonite clay with calendula
  • diatomaceous earth
  • ashwagandha
  • pau d’arco
  • turmeric, cayenne and ginger capsules (DIY)
  • garlic
  • eating only coconut oil for 3 days (I failed)
  • not eating basically any carbs except green vegetables (no fruit no starch)
  • oregano oil (health food store brand)
  • clove oil (health food store brand)
  • tea tree oil (health food store brand)
  • caprylic acid
  • goldenseal
  • drinking nasty herbal tinctures and taking heaps of capsules in a kit called Candigone (completed 2 kits, didn’t work)
  • Difluconazole from the doctor, twice
  • pharmacy yeast infection kits many times

So yeah, I spent a pile of cash, over a couple of years. I actually ingested health food store brands of essential oils, which I didn’t know at the time can be extremely dangerous and toxic. Dumb-dumb! And the thing is I was stressed and miserable! My symptoms were ok sometimes, but mostly came back every month at the end of my cycle, like clockwork. I was constantly researching and going out to buy the next thing, or ordering online. I was super anxious and literally HATED Candida with all my heart and constantly inwardly swore at it and cursed it.

I’m not saying none of the items in the above list work. Some of the other things I listed can definitely be helpful (which I’ll go into shortly). But in general my protocol was very typical of a Candida Diet, in that it was very violently focused on EAT NO SUGAR, CHOKE OUT THE CANDIDA, KILL IT WITH ANTI-FUNGALS.

I was about to lose my marbles and buy some like hundred-dollar capsule product that claimed it would somehow explode the candida, and was really quite sketchy with no solid evidence or backing, in a last-ditch attempt, after the eating-nothing-but-coconut-oil-for-3-days strategy failed at the end of the first day. Duh, I was starving an already adrenally-exhausted stressed-out immune-compromised body…

The problem with the typical approach to Candida

Thankfully I found this blog post from Lauren at Empowered Sustenance first.

She pokes holes in the typical Candida Diet approach, pointing out that it doesn’t affect the root causes of the Candida overgrowth, which are essentially:

  • leaky gut
  • poor digestion
  • and therefore a compromised immune system and systemic inflammation

Lauren also points out that

A Candida Diet impairs metabolism and hormone function. A sugar free diet will elevate stress hormones, which exhausts the adrenals, reduces thyroid hormones, and taxes the body.

I’ve learned about the effects of too-low-carb eating here as well. Taxing the body this way (especially when you are adrenally exhausted and immune-compromised) just exacerbates the 3 root causes of Candida listed above.

According to this article from the American Society of Microbiology,

When Candida albicans encounters stressful conditions, does it curl up and die? No! This crafty pathogen gets to work on its inventory of genes, slashing away until it finds a winning combination that can get it through the tough times.

This includes developing an armoured shell called chitin, building a bio-film, burrowing deeper and deeper into tissues, or casting out long filaments in search of the fuel it needs to survive. *gag, gag* I know, it’s totally freakish.

It’s important to keep in mind that Candida is supposed to exist in a certain amount in a healthy human, and completely choking it out is (clearly a losing battle and) actually not healthy.

Healthy candida levels are vital for proper nutrient absorption and to protect the intestinal tract from other infections. (source)

It’s just a matter of keeping things in a nice healthy balance. And this is where the mind-shift happened.

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A new approach to cure Candida overgrowth naturally

Thanks to Lauren’s article, I decided to shift away from the KILL CHOKE KILL approach, and toward a self-love, health-supporting mode of overcoming Candida overgrowth. The theory here is to support the immune system, metabolism and digestion so that the body can naturally re-balance the microbiome.

Here are the key ways that I’ve done this:

  • support digestion by drinking lemon juice and/or raw apple cider vinegar a few times a day (juice of 1/2 a fresh lemon, or 1 tsp ACV in a glass of water)
  • support metabolism with generous doses of pink salt on my food (always be sure to have some in the morning to support the adrenals), plenty of healthy traditional fats (such as grass-fed butter, coconut oil, red palm oil, avocados, oily fish, etc) and moderate amounts of sugars like raw honey, dark chocolate, fruits and starchy veg (max 3 small servings/day)
  • support the immune system by eating probiotic foods like raw kefir, homemade sauerkraut, homemade kombucha, and using immune-boosting therapeutic-grade essential oils topically, aromatically and internally. I especially used the supportive blend OnGuard a lot at first, and the GX Assist capsules from doTERRA. They are a clean blend of immune-supporting and anti-fungal essential oils, plus caprylic acid. I also use immune-supporting anti-inflammatory oils like frankincense, oregano, rosemary, lemon etc on my feet at night. Here is where I get essential oils good enough (and safe!) to be used medicinally this way.
  • consuming fresh garlic, turmeric, cayenne, ginger in cooking whenever I can (yum!)
  • I’ve also found that making capsules of powdered turmeric, ginger and cayenne (TCG) helps (take 1-3 capsules of each, 1-3 times a day) I recommend using your own organic spices rather than buying extract supplements, because you never know what’s actually in those or how good-quality they are.
  • supporting immunity and healing in general by applying a transdermal magnesium oil supplement quite religiously (1/2 tsp to 1 tsp a day), making/cooking with/drinking bone broth as often as possible, and being sure to sleep enough (check out my post on 3 unexpected highly effective ways to improve sleep HERE)

I’ve linked above to the few products I would recommend on your journey (just these, and save the $hundreds$ on searching!). I still have jars and bottles of random shite I collected over the past couple of years collecting dust in my cupboards…save yourself that!

If committed to kicking Candida, we’ve spent a huge amount of time preparing perhaps the most comprehensive paleo-friendly book available on the net for beating Candida. It provides 76 pages of in-depth information on how you can fight your Candida overgrowth and restore a healthy balance in your body, and keep it that way. This book is unique in that it revolves around the core concept of USING your body to fight the overgrowth by restoring properly-functioning immune and digestive systems, and then incorporating potent natural compounds to supercharge your body’s fight against it. The upside is that your health in general will drastically improve, restoring you to a healthy weight and possibly even giving the boot to any autoimmune diseases afflicting you. The image link below takes you to the order page on PayPal – it’s a very small investment in your health but a huge return!

The Paleo Guide to Beating Candida Naturally is just $12.99. You’ll be hard pressed to find a more extensively-researched, in-depth Candida-fighting protocol anywhere on the net.


For more information on how this fantastic ebook can help you, click here.

Are you going to try this approach to Candida?

What do you think? Has this changed your thinking? Does it make you feel relieved and less desperate to KILL KILL KILL? I definitely felt better and lighter when I decided to adopt this more loving approach. Share your experiences, methods and resources below, let’s all help a friend out!

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Natural Remedy: How and why to drink Chaga tea

Posted on 4 February, 2015 by | 2 comments

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Chaga tea is the king of teas. It has so many freaking awesome benefits.

First things first, chaga is a mushroom that grows only on birch trees. It’s not soft and mushy though, it’s actually quite hard, almost as hard as wood. The outside is slightly crumbly and black.

The best chaga comes from the northern forests of Canada. Will and I were lucky enough to find some on a birch tree when we were in the French River area recently!

Chaga is usually wild-harvested and then dried and split into chunks. When you buy it make sure the company you choose harvests their Chaga sustainably. They should leave 20% of the mushroom intact on the tree so that it can grow back.

Why Chaga is so awesome

  • Chaga is the number one rated healing plant on Earth according to Traditional Chinese Medicine
  • It has been used as a remedy for thousands of years by Native Americans and Europeans
  • It is so powerful because it harnesses the strength, nutrients and longevity of living trees into a concentrated form, making chaga mushrooms one of the most nutrient-dense and powerful superfoods on Earth
  • IT TASTES DELICIOUS: if you’ve ever tapped a maple tree in the late spring to collect sap, it tastes like that. A light, watery, sweet, earthy taste. I really enjoy drinking it and think it’s delicious. It’s caffeine-free too of course, so you can safely enjoy it anytime.

Benefits of Chaga tea

  • over 200+ phyto nutrients
  • abundant vitamins and minerals
  • supports the adrenal glands (which produce your stress hormones – the adrenals are easily exhausted / disregulated these days with stressful lifestyles and over-consumption of caffeine)
  • slows the aging process through anti-oxidant and detox action
  • supports the immune system and healthy digestion
  • supports the flushing of radiation, heavy metals and toxins
  • slows or stops the development of pre-cancerous cells
  • one of the most potent anti-oxidants in the world

Where to get Chaga tea

I’ve seen Chaga teabags around here and there, but I wouldn’t recommend them. Since it’s ground up and packaged, you can’t see the quality or how much Chaga is actually in there.

The best way is to buy a jar of “Chaga chunks” and just steep it into a tea (instructions below). It’s pretty affordable, I bought a big jar for about $30. The bag below is around $20. You can re-use the chunks multiple times so it lasts ages!

Here is a good source for your Chaga chunks!

 How to make Chaga tea

  • Simply grab a chunk that fits in your palm, anywhere from the size of a walnut to a clementine (roughly). They are irregularly shaped so I’m generalizing! This size of chunk is enough to make about 2 cups of tea. Use more than one chunk, or a bigger chunk, if you’re making lots.
  • Put 2 cups of filtered/purified water into a small pot, and pop the chaga chunk in there.
  • Bring it to a rolling boil for a few minutes, then quiet down to a simmer for a while. Total time should be at least 15-20 minutes to extract lots of good chaga-ness.
  • Your liquid will turn brown-black, the darker the better. Pour and consume!
  • Afterward, keep your chaga chunk (let it dry out on a plate). You can use it 6-8 times over, until it stops giving brown colour when you boil it. At that point just chuck it in the garden or whatever, it’s pooched. Then on to a new chunk!

Have you tried Chaga tea?

What was your experience? Do you like the flavour? Are you digging the multiple health benefits of Chaga?

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How to Make Sauerkraut in 3 Steps: DIY Probiotic!

Posted on 2 February, 2015 by | Leave a comment

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Eating fermented foods is a must if you want to optimally digest and absorb everything you eat. Our ancestors ate cultured and fermented foods constantly, so we would have a steady stream of friendly bacteria coming into our system. Nowadays these traditional foods have mostly fallen by the wayside, along with their plentiful benefits.

Everyone should eat fermented and cultured foods, but particularly if you suffer from any sort of chronic health issues. I find it really helps my digestion!

Why it’s worth it to DIY instead of buy

Store-bought probiotic foods or capsules will never be as fresh or contain as many friendly bacteria as what you make at home. Plus they are super expensive.

They are also frequently pre-pasteurized, and then the culture is added back in. This is a crappy unnatural way of doing things according to the requirements of the food industry. Making things yourself gets you the biggest health benefit and saves you the most cash.

FACT: The fermentation process of sauerkraut causes the vitamin C content to multiply by 10 x! Sailors historically ate sauerkraut to avoid scurvy because it was so nutritious and didn’t spoil easily.

How to make sauerkraut in 3 steps

First collect your stuff.

  • Cabbage (any size and type will do, organic is best)
  • Knife and chopping board
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Large glass jar (bigger than your cabbage. I normally use a medium-size cabbage and a 2L jar)
  • Another smaller jar that fits inside the mouth of your large jar. I normally use something like a tall skinny olive jar or sauce jar.
  • Salt (Pink Himalayan Salt is best, but sea salt is still better than table salt)
  • Whey (optional. You can buy this from a local farm or make your own from yogurt)

If you use whey, your sauerkraut will be ready in 3-4 days. If you don’t, it will take 1-2 weeks.

Step 1: Chop

Take off the outer 2 leaves of your cabbage and set them aside – you’ll need them later. Then go nuts and chop your cabbage as small as you can be bothered chopping it. The pieces definitely shouldn’t be any bigger than 1cm x 1cm, but they can be as small as you want (but not puree!). If you have a good food processor you can use that too.

how to make sauerkraut - step 1

Step 2: Salt and Sit

Get your bowl and plunk in about 1/3 of your cabbage, then sprinkle a big tablespoon of salt over it. Put in another 1/3, then another tablespoon of salt. Last 1/3, then 2 tbsp of salt. The rough guideline here is 4 tbsp salt per 1 kg of cabbage. Generally this would mean 3 tbsp salt for a small cabbage, 4 tbsp for a medium cabbage, 5-6 tbsp for a large cabbage.

Then let your salted cabbage sit for about 20 minutes. The salt draws the moisture out of the cabbage.

how to make sauerkraut - step 2

Step 3: Knead and Pack

Spend about 5 minutes or so kneading, squeezing and punching your cabbage to get as much juice out of it as possible. The goal is to get enough juice out to cover the cabbage once it goes in the jar.

how to make sauerkraut - step 3

Pack it into the jar as tightly as you can, pushing it down to get any air out. Add a few tbsp of whey if you’re using it.

how to make sauerkraut - step 3

At this point see how much liquid you have – you might need to top up with a little more whey or water (filtered/purified if possible). The liquid should be 1-2 cm above the top of the packed cabbage surface.

It’s imperative that the liquid covers the cabbage bits since we are going for anaerobic fermentation (no air contact allowed!).how to make sauerkraut - step 3

Grab the cabbage leaves you saved earlier, fold them and place them on top to make as good of a ‘lid’ as you can. This is to keep the cabbage below the liquid. Weigh down this lid with your smaller jar. Put some water in the smaller jar to keep it weighed. Check that all of the chopped/packed cabbage is below the liquid. This is important to avoid mold. It’s ok if the cabbage leaf ‘lid’ pokes above the liquid, because you won’t be eating it.

how to make sauerkraut - step 3

how to make sauerkraut - step 3

How to check that your sauerkraut is ready

That’s it! Now place it in a cupboard or a cool dark place out of the way somewhere. Wait for 3-4 days if you used whey, or 1-2 weeks if you didn’t.

It’s always safe to taste, as long as there is no mold. You’ll know it’s ready when it starts to taste kind of sour, fizzy, and a lot less salty. When it’s lost enough saltiness for you, take out the weight and the leaf lid, put the lid on the big jar and keep the sauerkraut in the fridge.

A few tips:

  • If your big jar ends up being pretty full, I recommend putting it in a big bowl while it’s fermenting. There will be gases produced and the liquid level might rise. The big bowl is in case of overflow.
  • Keep checking it to make sure everything is below the liquid. Add a little water if it’s looking a bit dry.
  • If you see mold, most articles I’ve read recommend throwing out the whole batch. If you’re not sure whether it’s mold (ie a small white floating patch) you could scoop out a significant area surrounding it, and then continue fermenting. If the white stuff / mold doesn’t come back after a few days, it should be safe.
  • As a general rule, if there’s no mold it’s safe to eat. Mold is a risky area and if in doubt, just get rid of it and start again. Next time make sure you pack the cabbage down really well, put enough liquid in, and keep everything consistenly below the liquid level.

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How did it go?

Share your tips, questions, comments, experiences below. Is your digestion better? Skin clearing up? Immunity boosted? Sauerkraut rocks :)

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