Are all lectins bad? (and what are lectins, anyway?)
The word “lectin” is often misused within the Paleo community. You’ll hear phrases like “grains are bad because they’re full of lectins”. …
Veggiephobia: Why limiting your vegetable intake might be slowing down healing
I get a lot of questions from people who are tackling the autoimmune protocol and are frustrated that they aren’t seeing results. When we examine diet and lifestyle factors …
The Fiber Manifesto–Part 5 of 5: Busting the Abrasive Insoluble Fiber Myth
Throughout the research for my first book, I kept hitting on a recurring theme. Dietary fiber is essential for good health. But I also kept hitting on pieces of information that …
The Fiber Manifesto–Part 4 of 5: Fiber, Cholesterol and Bile Salts
Throughout the research for my first book, I kept hitting on a recurring theme. Dietary fiber is essential for good health. But I also kept hitting on pieces of information that …
The Fiber Manifesto–Part 3 of 5: Soluble vs. Insoluble Fiber
Throughout the research for my first book, I kept hitting on a recurring theme. Dietary fiber is essential for good health. But I also kept hitting on pieces of information that …
The Fiber Manifesto–Part 2 of 5: The Many Types of Fiber
Throughout the research for my first book, I kept hitting on a recurring theme. Dietary fiber is essential for good health. But I also kept hitting on pieces of information that …
The Fiber Manifesto–Part 1 of 5: What Is Fiber and Why Is it Good?
Throughout the research for my first book, I kept hitting on a recurring theme. Dietary fiber is essential for good health. Yes, I know you’ve heard that it’s important to eat …
Teaser Excerpt from The Paleo Approach: Ketogenic Diets
There are many topics that I researched extensively for The Paleo Approach that I’ve been meaning to write about for the blog for ages. I have decided take some of these …
Teaser Excerpt from The Paleo Approach: Macronutrient Ratio
There are many topics that I researched extensively for The Paleo Approach that I’ve been meaning to write about for the blog for ages (the book just gives me a firm …
Announcing The Paleo Approach Cookbook: A Detailed Guide to Heal Your Body and Nourish Your Soul
Those of you who have been following me for a while know that my original plan to write a complete guide to managing autoimmune disease and lifestyle was overly ambitious, and the …
Paleo FAQ: “Can I still do Paleo if I can’t afford or source grass-fed beef and organic produce?”
I’ve had a number of questions lately from people who are considering following the Paleo diet, but feel that they can’t “do Paleo” because they have …
What Are Nightshades?
At the Ancestral Health Symposium, I was offered some jerky. I said something like “oh, I’m highly sensitive to nightshades so I probably can’t eat it”. …
Getting Ready for School: lunches, snacks, and beyond!
My oldest daughter starts first grade on Wednesday. Boy, did the summer ever go by quickly! She’s super excited though. She loved kindergarten and has missed school pretty …
Teaser Excerpt from The Paleo Approach: Histamine Intolerance
There are many topics that I am researching and writing about for the book that I’ve been meaning to write about for the blog for ages (the book just gives me a firm …
Important Updates to The Autoimmune Protocol
I have been diligently working over the last few days to completely update The Autoimmune Protocol page to reflect all of the recommendations in my upcoming book The Paleo …
Gluten-Free Diets Can Be Healthy for Kids
Created as a guest post for www.WhatToExpect.com When actress Gwyneth Paltrow recently admitted that her family does not eat grains, the media got all riled up that she was …
The Importance of Sleep
There are many topics that I am researching and writing about for the book that I’ve been meaning to write about for the blog for ages (the book just gives me a firm …
Gluten Cross-Reactivity: How your body can still think you’re eating gluten even after giving it up.
For those of us with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, it is critical to understand the concept of gluten cross-reactivity. How many of us is that? Well, 98% of …
A New Study Has the Media Buzzing About Gluten. Again.
A new study in the journal Pediatrics has the gluten-free/celiac disease world buzzing (this article has been published on dozens of websites). The study concludes that early …
Probiotic Supplements
Last week I posted a teaser excerpt from The Paleo Approach about the importance of including probiotics (while the book is written from the perspective of autoimmune disease, the …
The Benefits of Probiotics
There are many topics that I am researching and writing about for the book that I’ve been meaning to write about for the blog for ages (the book just gives me a firm …
Announcing My Book: The Paleo Approach–Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal Your Body
This project evolved considerably as I delved into it. To see the amazing resource book that The Paleo Approach became see this post and have a look at this video tour from …
The Link Between Gallbladder Disease and Gluten Sensitivity
(Created as a guest post for Paleo Parents.) Celiac disease is estimated to affect approximately 1 in every 100 people, but only 5% of these people receive a positive diagnosis 1. …
The WHYs behind the Autoimmune Protocol: Alcohol
Alcohol is restricted in the Paleo diet autoimmune protocol; and for those of us with autoimmune disease, it can feel like there are no pleasures left! My inner monologue goes …
How to Gain (or Maintain) Weight on The Autoimmune Protocol
The autoimmune protocol is, by default, a fairly low-carbohydrate diet. This is especially true for those with gastrointestinal symptoms, suspected or confirmed Small Intestinal …
Harvesting Edible Mushrooms From My Yard!
Last fall, I discovered two giant puffball mushrooms growing in my backyard–delicious edible mushrooms, averaging 8 inches across and weighing 2-3 pounds each. Given how …
The Great Dairy Debate
The value (or lack thereof) of dairy products is one of the most fiercely debated topics within the Paleo community. Opinions vary dramatically from consumption of no dairy …
What is Salicylate Sensitivity/Intolerance?
One of the many challenges that people face when adopting a Paleo diet is dealing with the confounding factor of additional food sensitivities. Sometimes these sensitivities are …
How Long Does it Take the Gut to Repair after Gluten Exposure?
This is a very relevant question for those who are just embarking on their gluten-free journey. But, it’s also extremely important for anyone who has been following a …
Do I Have To Do the Full AIP?
The autoimmune protocol of the Paleo diet (AIP) is very effective at addressing autoimmune disease (and related conditions like allergies and non-autoimmune skin conditions) and …
Should I Avoid Blueberries On The AIP?
Last week, Paleo Parents and I released Episode 2 of The Paleo View, the topic of which was the Autoimmune Protocol. In conjunction with this, I posted my explanation of why …
What I Eat for Breakfast on the AIP
I get asked this question very frequently, especially from people who worry about finding time to prepare an egg-free, nut-free meal in the morning. The foods that we are used to …
The Mercury Content of Seafood: Should we worry?
We are often warned not to consume too much seafood over fears of the mercury contamination in these foods building up in our systems and leading to mercury poisoning. Pregnant …
Modifying Paleo for FODMAP-Intolerance (a.k.a. Fructose Malabsorption)
One of the many challenges that people face when adopting a Paleo diet is dealing with the confounding factor of additional food sensitivities. Sometimes these sensitivities are …
Gut Health for Kids
(Created as a guest post for The Paleo Parents) Gut health is essential for overall health. A healthy digestive tract is efficient at absorbing nutrients from your food, …
Paleo for Eczema
Eczema is a general term used to describe a collection of skin conditions (the most common being atopic dermatitis) in which the skin is inflamed and irritated. The inflammation …
Ideas for Your Kid’s Paleo Birthday Party
(Created as a guest post for Fresh4Five) As your child’s birthday approaches, you may start feeling some anxiety. Not only can the anniversary of their birth get you all freaked …
Modifying Paleo for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (or SIBO) is one of those hot topics in the alternative medical community that is often misunderstood, so I thought I would take some time to …
The WHYs behind the Autoimmune Protocol: Eggs
Eggs are one of the most allergenic foods with approximately 2-3% of the population affected. However, people are still surprised when I advertise an egg-free recipe or mention …
Treating Constipation without Destroying Your Gut
Perhaps you are wondering how on earth I am going to address this topic delicately. The answer is: I can’t. It’s an impossible task and I’m just plain old going to be frank, …
My Experience with the AIP to Treat Lichen Planus
Many of you have expressed your frustration that you are not seeing improvement in your autoimmune disease despite following the Autoimmune Protocol. I have tried to give you a …
You May Have an Autoimmune Disease But Don’t Know It!
Do you have an autoimmune disease that you are unaware of? I’m not talking about the severe autoimmune diseases like lupus, multiple sclerosis, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and Grave’s …
Modifying Paleo for Autoimmune Conditions (i.e., The Autoimmune Protocol)
NOTE: This is no longer the most up-to-date version of the autoimmune protocol. You can see the most current version here. Autoimmune conditions and a leaky gut go hand in hand. …
Nuts and the Paleo Diet: Moderation is Key
Nuts and seeds are typically regarded as nutritious, health-promoting foods and since they were around before humans even existed, it’s hard to argue that they’re not really Paleo! …
Why Everyone Should Be Eating Organ Meat
You’ve probably heard a lot about how important it is to eat organ meat: things like liver, kidney, tripe, heart, and even brain. What do these meats have that the muscle meat …
What Should You Eat To Heal a Leaky Gut?
It is not an exaggeration to say that gut health is everything: the health of our guts has a profound effect on our overall health. As the connection between intestinal barrier …
How Do Grains, Legumes and Dairy Cause a Leaky Gut? Part 2: Saponins and Protease Inhibitors
One of the fundamental principles of the Paleo diet is to support gut health. But, that doesn’t just mean eating plenty of fermented foods and fiber to feed our microbiome …
Why Grains Are Bad: Part 3, Nutrient Density and Acidity
Between their high lectin content and over-abundance of omega-6 fatty acids, we should have enough evidence for the wisdom of keeping grains out of our diet (see Why Grains Are …