Real People, Real Paleo: Evan Brand of Not Just Paleo

May 16, 2013 in Real People, Real Paleo

“Real People, Real Paleo” is a series of posts written by real people who were inspired to share their paleo story with you. There is such diversity in the challenges that bring us to a paleo diet and lifestyle and in what we hope to achieve by adopting them. These stories are intended to be a place of inspiration, written by real people, showing the diversity of our needs and our approaches to this way of eating and living, and explaining how each individual’s implementation of paleo meets their needs. By sharing these people’s stories with you on my blog, I hope to redefine what paleo success is. I do not believe that eating paleo is purely about losing weight, gaining muscle, and having 6-pack abs. I believe that paleo is about being healthy enough to thoroughly enjoy life, whatever that means for you, and about sustainability for our entire lives. If you are interested in writing up your story, email me at thepaleomommy@gmail.com

My Path to Paleo

Hi! My name is Evan Brand. Before I begin my story, I want to give you a quote to remember and keep close to you at all times.

Don’t wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get you’ve got to make yourself.
-Alice Walker

That quote sums up the past four years of my life. I began my journey to Paleo and towards a deeper sense of what life is about in 2009. I was observing an increasingly insane society. People running around with coffee and a child in each hand. This couldn’t be the way we are supposed to live.

I can’t accept the fact that 70% of the U.S. is obese and that depression is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for people ages 15-44 (source). This isn’t the way we are supposed to live. Are all healthy people happy?

This is where Not Just Paleo began. I came from the opposite side of Paleo than most. I started my transformation when I was 5’10” and 120 pounds. I felt fragile, lethargic and desperate for a positive change. I then followed my incredibly fit friend around the gym for a couple years and started to figure things out.

I was taught to eat plenty of whole grains, pasta and anything else that had high carbs in it. Because, carbs equal energy and health right!? Not at all.

I had the meats, veggies and fruit nailed down, but I was still off track. For some reason, I never made the connection between grains, wheat and bowel issues. I ignored diarrhea no matter how often it occurred. I didn’t discover until 2011 that gluten was the issue for many of my problems.

As a young man, you wouldn’t think any joint problems would be possible. I had knee pain, back aches, fatigue, poor sleep and was pretty irritable most days.

Into my life came the book Wheat Belly by Dr. Davis. So, pasta and bread could be the problem behind brain fog, fatigue and body aches? I experimented by eliminating these foods, just as I did with many other supplements at this time.

As soon as I eliminated bread, bagels, pasta and became more aware of wheat on ingredient labels, my problems were gone.

No more diarrhea, no more back aches and no more joint pain. This was the AHA moment! I had figured it out. I had to help others realize how great they can feel with just a few simple changes. But is diet the answer for health and happiness?

I still struggled with mild depression and irritability, maybe it was just my job, so I changed jobs. No, still felt the same. In came meditation. I read so many articles on meditation that month you could’ve called me Buddha himself.

Who would’ve thought looking internally for happiness was the answer? Not anyone who paid attention to all of the shiny car and cell phone commercials.

After learning how to breathe, my life was transformed. It sounds simple right? I discovered that a large percentage of people take shallow, tense breaths, including myself. This directly affects digestion, stress levels and overall happiness.

You can learn to separate yourself from stress and let the problems work themselves out by following this technique.

Lets do a simple breathing exercise together. It’s really simple.

First, turn off any sounds. Your TV, radio, iPod, or anything else making noise right now, silence it.
Now, the breathing routine takes place with your eyes closed. Put your focus on your chest and stomach. Allow them to expand.
Breathe in through your nose counting to 3, hold it for 1 second and exhale through your mouth counting to 4. Repeat 4 times and whenever necessary.
Add a little force to your exhale and visualize all your problems escaping.

If you took the time to slow down and try that, you’re that much closer to everyday contentment.

Fast forward to now. I host a podcast in the top 100 of the fitness & nutrition section on iTunes where we discuss..Not Just Paleo (pun intended).

After you check out the podcast, be sure to sign up for my newsletter and receive my eight week course on health and hapiness.

Interview Pic

Sarah was actually a guest on the show on this episode!

The goal of the show is to change the way you look at every moment in life. I want everyone to realize that health and happiness doesn’t have to be so difficult. Also, I encourage everyone to slow down a little bit and listen to some great conversations. Life seems to be speeding up faster everyday.

I believe success and health takes three things. The courage to make change even when it’s uncomfortable, the willpower to push through even when you want to binge or give up, and the reminder that you are in control of your health and your life. No one is coming to save us, it’s up to us to make these positive changes and we can do it!

I didn’t mean to turn my story into an advice column, but I just get so excited when I know that others are always searching for a better life. “I want more time, I want better sleep and I just want to know where to start”. You can do all of those with the Paleo and Primal lifestyle.

We should all be proud of ourselves for getting this far down the road to health. There weren’t flashing lights to lead us here, but hopefully we can be the lights for those around us that need help too.

P.S. Now I’m at a comfortable 160 pounds, sleep great since I reduced the lights in my room at night, and have great digestion. I thank the Paleo diet and everyone in this community. I look forward to growing this movement each day.

Tags: happiness, healing, meditation, paleo, paleo podcasts, wheat belly
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Guest Post by Eileen Laird: Paying Attention

May 14, 2013 in Living with Autoimmune Disease

It’s a fact of human nature that we tend to notice what’s wrong, more than we notice what’s right. When something gets better, we often forget it was ever a problem. I’ve been a massage therapist for 12 years and have seen this many times. A client will come in with a sore shoulder. I’ll work on it during our session. When the client returns the following week, I ask about the shoulder, and they say, “What do you mean?” I remind them it was sore last week, and they say, “Oh, right! I forgot all about it. It felt better the next day.”

This same tendency happens with autoimmune disease symptoms. Although there are overnight success stories in the paleo community, for most of us, improvements are slow and incremental. I have rheumatoid arthritis. In the past year, my symptoms have improved 90%, but those improvements were only notable month to month, not day to day. The way I noticed was by keeping a symptom journal – two actually. One is a daily journal where I write down how I’m feeling and also anything new I’m doing to try to improve my health. The other is a monthly journal – at the end of each month, I review my daily journal and summarize. It’s this second journal that shows my progress, and keeps me heartened and motivated. There have also been times when it has shown plateaus in my progress, and that is when I look for the next step in my healing protocol. For example, after 6 months on the GAPS diet, my progress plateaued, so I went on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol and I started to improve again.

I’m not alone in finding a symptom journal valuable. Dr. Terry Wahls keeps one herself, and Mark Sisson even sells one.

What to Include in a Daily Symptom Tracking Journal

Sleep quality: Did you fall asleep easily or did you have insomnia? How many hours did you sleep? Did you wake often or sleep deeply? Any muscle cramps or pain that woke you?
Waking state: Did you wake feeling refreshed or did you feel groggy? Any morning stiffness? If yes, what level and how long did it last?
Pain: Rate your pain on a scale of 0-5, and document where in your body you are feeling it.
Mental state: Are you experiencing brain fog or is your mind clear? How is your memory? Concentration?
Emotional state: Are you happy, sad, angry, depressed, numb? Is your mood stable or swinging from one state to another?
Medication: If you are on any PRN medications (meaning that you take them only as needed), write down when you need them and what dose. If you are on daily prescribed medication, your need for these might change as you heal. Work with your doctor to see if you can reduce or eliminate these safely. The ability to do this varies based on the individual and purpose of the medication.
Energy levels: Do you get tired during the day? Do you need a nap? Do you feel caffeine-dependent? Are you hyperactive? Or is your energy strong and balanced throughout the day?
Exercise: Are you able to exercise? If yes, what form did you do today and for how long?
Digestive state: Any bloating? Indigestion? Constipation? Diarrhea? Discomfort?
Skin condition: Any increase or decrease in rashes, acne or eczema? Is your skin drier than usual or starting to glow with health?
Dietary changes: Did you start any new supplements? Any new foods? Did you remove any new foods from your diet? Did you eat out at a restaurant (often a source of hidden ingredients)?
Lifestyle: Did you meditate? Take time to relax? Do something that brought you joy? Take a bath? Get outside? Endure a stressful situation?
Detox: Have you made any changes to remove toxins from your body or your lifestyle? Epsom salt bath? Coffee enema? Start the no-poo method? Start using homemade beauty products instead of storebought?
Mark the day: Keep track of how long you’ve been on the Paleo Diet and/or Paleo Autoimmune Protocol. It’s empowering to see yourself pass markers like 30 days, 6 months, 1 year.
Monthly summary: At the end of the month, summarize how you felt and see how it compares to prior months.
Documentation: You can use a notebook and keep this journal by hand, or use any word processing program. There are also free websites you can join, if you prefer to do it online, and Symple is a free app for the iphone.
Laughter is the Best Medicine: This blog is a fun one to follow.

Gratitude Journal

No matter how difficult our life is, there is always something beautiful happening as well. Sometimes, we are so immersed in our own pain, we can’t see it. A gratitude journal is a practice of looking beyond ourselves. Adyashanti is a meditation teacher who tells the story of a couple who is fighting at the beach. They’re so mad at each other, they experience nothing else. They can’t feel the sun warm their skin, smell the salt air, hear the ocean waves, see the sandpipers dancing along the shore, or hear the children laughing as they build a sandcastle. Their vision has shut out the world.

As someone who has experienced excruciating pain and cried every day as I came to terms with having such a scary diagnosis, I know what it feels like to live in that vortex. It’s not a pleasant place to be. So, I started a gratitude journal. Every day, I write down 3 things for which I’m grateful. Here’s the catch: be specific and try and choose something different every day. Sarah Ban Breathnach, author of the book Simple Abundance, says: “We think it’s the big moments that define our lives – the promotion, the new baby, the renovated kitchen, the wedding. But the narrative of our lives is written in the small, the simple, the common. The overlooked. The discarded. The reclaimed.”

Here are some excerpts from my gratitude journal:

The way the valley smells sweet when the trees start to bloom in the spring.
My husband kissing me on the cheek for no reason.
On my walk today, a neighbor’s cat came running toward me, purring all the way.
Last night, I slept without pain for the first time since the onset of RA.
A friend invited me over for dinner and gathered recipes online to be sure everything she served would meet the autoimmune protocol.
Seeing a comic that made me laugh out loud.

There is nothing too small for your gratitude journal. It’s about noticing the moments that bring joy, peace and beauty into our lives.

Let it Out Journal

As a writer, this is a form of journaling that has helped me my whole life. If you have an autoimmune disease, it’s by nature an emotional experience, and one that friends and family don’t always understand. Your journal is a place where you can write whatever you’re thinking and feeling, without censoring yourself. It can be a powerful way to let go of the pressure than can build up inside. You don’t even need to know what you’re going to write ahead of time. Just put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, and let the words flow.

~~~

My blog Phoenix Helix focuses on healing autoimmune disease through diet and lifestyle. The Phoenix represents rising from the ashes. The Helix represents the magic of epigenetics – our ability to change the expression of our genes and therefore our health.

Tags: autoimmune, gratitute, healing, journaling, paleo
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Announcing BONUS Podcast #1: The Mother’s Show

May 12, 2013 in Featured Posts, Show Notes

UPDATE: Despite what Sarah and Stacy anticipated, we are experiencing technical difficulties getting iTunes set-up for the bonus show, please use CD Baby until we resolve these issues. Thanks for your patience!

We teased it in Episode 38 of The Paleo View. We’ve teased it on our Facebook page. We’ve been eagerly anticipating its launch. And now it’s finally here!

We hear all the time about how much the opening segment where Stacy and Sarah talk about Life, the Universe and Everything is everyone’s favorite. And several people have even asked for a spin off chat show where the questions are completely excised. We’ve heard the calls and we have answered! The Paleo View is going to start offering some fantastic extra podcasts in addition to our regular ones, our goal is once a month.

The reason we’re calling it a “Bonus Podcast” is because this is not going to be part of the normal feed you may be subscribed to within iTunes. It will be available only as a paid download. Before you freak out, please consider the amount of time that it takes for us to prepare for the show (science research and sorting a LARGE inbox of questions), record the podcast, produce it to have a good sound quality and entertaining format and then draft show notes. Not to mention, there are hosting and production costs associated with the podcast that we unfortunately haven’t been able to recover.

So, for a low price of 99 cents, you can hear the ladies talking about more personal topics and in a more laid back, less formal morning coffee chat format.

The Paleo View – Bonus Podcast 1: The Mothers Show

What better way to start off our new series on this Mother’s Day than with the actual, real life mothers of our hosts? Meet Carol and Patsy, the women who birthed Stacy and Sarah. Listen to this intimate conversation of 4 women who have a lot in common, yet had never before all spoken prior to this evening.

As usual, you’ll get to giggle and get teary eyed as you listen along to the chatter of these brave, bold women. Hear the stories of what brought all of these women to where they are today, including a mother’s perspective on what led Stacy & Sarah to become who they are today. From embarrassing stories of their youth to the absolute raw truth of bulimia, welfare, vegetarianism and everything in between.

This is an episode you won’t want to miss. It’s a great one to share side-by-side with YOUR mother as a conversation starter and reminder that you love her for helping you become the woman you are today. Because despite whatever faults we all have as individuals, we mothers always are trying to do the very best by our children that we are able.

This podcast is deeply personal; it took a lot of hutzpa for our mothers’ to join us on this show, to let their guard down and be brutally honest about their own stories, their fears and their accomplishments. I am thankful everyday for the life that I have. Without my mother, the sacrifices she made for me when growing up and the journey my life took as a result of being raised by her – I would not exist. For women who don’t volunteer to expose themselves the way Stacy and I do daily, I know how vulnerable Patsy and Carol were to do this – and I can’t thank them enough.

The Technical Details

There are a few ways you can download this show. No matter how you download, a 3rd party will get a portion of the $.99 you will pay – however, some mechanisms are better for us than others. So, if you’d like us to get the most of your pennies possible, here’s the order in which we recommend you download the show:

Download directly from our digital distributor, CDBaby, from the page here. We will get 90% of your dollar there. For a short period, this will be the only place you will be able to get it.
Download from the iTunes store when it becomes available in 24 – 48 hours. We will get about 40% of your dollar there. You will need to look for us as a SONG and not a podcast, under “artist” The Paleo View.

So you’ve done your part and downloaded an MP3 from a non iTunes source. How do you get it on your phone?

For an iOS (Apple) device:

Add the file to your library in iTunes.
Then, sync your device with iTunes.
The bonus podcasts will be listed under “Music” instead of “Podcasts” due to the nature of delivering the file this way.

For an Android device:

Here are instructions on transferring your MP3.

For other MP3 devices:

Follow your instructions for transferring MP3s to your player.

For an 8-Track player:

Umm… Buy an iPod?

Summary:

If you like or love the regular The Paleo View you will enjoy this 97 minute bonus episode.
When you purchase it, you help us fund our efforts for continued free weekly episodes of The Paleo View.
The best way is to directly download the MP3 through CD Baby, which should be able to play on any of your electronic devices.

And if there’s a topic you’d like us to discuss that would be more appropriate for this format of show, please let us know! You can submit your request here.

1 Comment »

TPV Episode 38 Show Notes: Let’s Gather

May 10, 2013 in Podcast, Show Notes

Our thirty-eighth show!
Ep. 38: Let’s Gather

In this episode, Stacy and Sarah invite Bill Staley and Hayley Mason of The Food Lover’s Kitchen, authors of Make it Paleo and the recently released Gather, the Art of Paleo Entertaining, to discuss the release of their new book, tips for paleo baking, and food suggestions for non-paleo guests and colleagues.

If you are a fan of the Paleo View, we will be launching a pay monthly bonus podcast this Sunday! This month, for Mother’s Day, we’re releasing a podcast we recorded for Stacy and Sarah’s MOMS! If that’s something you’d like to hear, watch for the release on Sunday!

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If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes!

The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 38: Let’s Gather

0:00 – Introduction
1:19 – News & Views
- And just so you know, ALL episodes can now be downloaded from iTunes!
- Welcome Bill Staley and Hayley Mason of The Food Lover’s Kitchen!
- Stacy just returned from Pittsburgh, where her and Amy attended the launch party for Gather, the Art of Paleo Entertaining
- The Gather launch party was held at Bar Marco, and the chef put together a gluten-free menu and desserts were brought from home – overall had a great turnout and lots of fun!
- A public release party for Beyond Bacon will be held on July 5 – save the date, more information to come soon
- Sarah and Stacy will be hosting bonus shows with the plan to post them once a month
  - These shows will be very personal and will be an expansion of ‘News and Views’ from The Paleo View
  - The first one will be a Mother’s Day celebration, with Sarah and Stacy’s moms as the featured guests
  - It will be available on Mother’s Day and will be $0.99 – the small fee allows Sarah, Stacy and Matt to continue putting out awesome podcast material
- Sarah plugged her beloved melatonin glasses
13:50 – Science with Sarah: Oxytocin and health
- Oxytocin is released when we connect with people, and it is known as the love hormone
- It is released when you come into physical contact with others
- When it is released it gives you feelings of contentment, calm, bonding, trust, reduces anxiety, inhibits fear
- It is a hormone that also interacts with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which is responsible for triggering the fight or flight response
- Oxytocin directly reduces stress hormones, so making time to be social and to connect with others can be a stress reducer
- Research has also shown that stimulating the release of oxytocin directly impacts the immune system and an individual’s ability to heal by reducing inflammation in the body
20:00 – Q&A
- Sarah asked her Facebook followers what question requests they had for Bill and Hayley, and the common theme was around paleo baking. So Sarah wants to know, what is your general approach when you have a recipe you want to adapt to paleo ingredients?
  - Stacy noted that Bill and Hayley’s carrot cake and tiramisu are worth bookmarking
  - Hayley has found that almond flour can be used 1:1 for conventional flour
  - Coconut flour is different because of the density, it requires less flour and more eggs
  - The coffee cake from Gather is a recipe from Bill’s family that was recreated to be enjoyed paleo style, and Hayley was able to sub out 1:1 for the flour by using almond flour
  - She also adds arrowroot flour to most of her recipes to lighten the density
  - Grass-fed heavy cream or coconut milk is also another great addition to cake recipes, which helps with both almond and coconut flour to moisten the batter
  - Hayley experimented with using arrowroot flour exclusively, but it turned out kind of gummy – wasn’t the best, but it worked
  - Sarah has been toying around with arrowroot flour as well, and it hasn’t been producing the results she wants
  - Stacy has found sweeteners to be a big area of discussion in the world of paleo baking, but feels like it comes down to selecting healthy sources of sugar and moderation – treat it like a treat
  - When baking, Stacy’s family likes to find sugars with a better balance of sucrose to fructose, in particular prefers maple syrup, honey or dates
  - The conversion from white table sugar to more nutrient-dense sweeteners is not a 1:1 replacement, you have to play with it and see where the preferred flavor lands
  - Hayley stresses that you need to be aware of how different foods make you feel, enjoy treats, but be aware of what does or doesn’t work for you and your health goals
  - Those who have implemented paleo in a successful way, are successful because they are able to find balance and incorporate indulgences in a way that doesn’t derail the health progress they have made
  - Create habits with the foods that nourish you and make you thrive, let treats be occasional
  - Sarah notes that everyone needs to find their own individual balance when it comes to treats
  - Finding that balance is what makes paleo sustainable and more of a lifestyle
  - For many, gluten will never be an option, so playing in the kitchen is a way to re-create the occasional indulgence, but doesn’t back track on the gut healing that has been achieved
- (39:48) How do you cook for company when the people you are cooking for do not eat a paleo diet?
  - Sarah notes that we are challenged by the palates of those who do not eat a paleo diet and their expectations for flavor and what should be on a plate
  - Bill and Hayley do not serve guests any differently than themselves
  - The one exception is with food allergies or intolerances, in Gather there are some vegan options, and that is because you can adapt paleo recipes to be respectful of others allergies, intolerances and preferences
  - Hayley notes that they try to be respectful of guests preferences, but they will never serve a guest gluten
  - Thanks to the abundance of paleo recipe resources that are available today, you can recreate recipes for even the pickiest of eaters
  - Think outside of the box and think about what your guest(s) enjoy and find a way to recreate it
  - You have the opportunity to teach others how great food can taste when you focus on simple, healthy ingredients
  - Side bar discussion on social media platforms
- (59:40) Nicole: Do you have suggestions on simple swaps I can make to standard snack foods?
  - Bill suggests SeaSnax to replace chips
  - For the non-paleo crowd, Bill suggests corn chips from Xochitl, which are organic and non-gmo, and are a good replacement for standard chips, but again a very occasional snack
  - In Stacy’s previous job she was able to make a request for healthier snack options in the office and sure enough apples and bananas were the first snacks to go
  - Even making smaller transitions to reduce sugar can be a proactive step in the right direction, ex. Yoplait to Stonyfield
  - Other suggestions: dried fruit, nuts, banana chips, Honest chips
  - Hayley notes that she thinks Nicole is already making some great changes and is headed in the right direction
  - For the granola bars, Stacy recommends to check the ingredients because some are better than others, even if they aren’t paleo
- Lard frying love was shared, along with tips on best practices when frying
- Bill and Hayley’s second book, Gather, the Art of Paleo Entertaining is available – so go get your copy!
- And if you don’t have Make It Paleo, you also need to add that to your collection – throw in Beyond Bacon and The Paleo Approach as well!
- Bill and Hayley’s third cookbook, The 30 Day Guide to Paleo Cooking, will also be out in June, which is different from the 30 Day Intro to Paleo and has new recipes
- Find Bill and Hayley at primalpalate.com and don’t forget to check out their app My Kitchen
- REMINDER – check The Paleo Mom and The Paleo Parents websites on Sunday for the special Mother’s Day show and please go post your reviews on the podcast!
1:28:28 – Outro