Recovery from Antibiotics
In the Paleo community, the idea of taking antibiotics is often frowned upon, and it’s easy to see why! A huge body of research shows that antibiotics not only destroy beneficial …
The Verdict on Psyllium Husks: Not Paleo!
With increasing frequency, unhealthful ingredients are creeping into recipes labeled as Paleo or food products catering to the Paleo community. Part of the problem, is that when we …
Mucilaginous Fiber: The Good, the Bad, and the Gooey
You might not know what mucilage is just by the name, but chances are, you’ve seen it in action! Chia seeds, flaxseeds, and agar agar all contain a type of vicious, soluble fiber …
What The Heck Does Our Liver Do Anyway? Detoxification Explained
There’s no organ our body that really “slacks off” (at least not without dire consequences!), but when it comes to the liver, to say it’s hard-working is an understatement! Among …
Paleo “BRAT” Diet: The Definitive Stomach Flu Guide
It’s finally autumn! And you know what that means: carving pumpkins, colorful leaves, kids going back to school, apple season and… the imminent threat of catching the stomach …
The Health Benefits of Fermented Foods
Most of us are familiar with at least a handful of fermented foods (like sauerkraut or yogurt); but the history, variety, and benefits of fermentation are much more extensive than …
Resistant Starch: It’s Not All Sunshine and Roses
Throughout the years, tons of “wonder foods” have come and gone within the health community, based on a mixture of legitimate science and hype (remember goji berries? Maca root? …
Coffee Enemas: What the Science Says versus What You’ve Heard
Have you heard about the purported benefits of daily coffee enemas? A collection of recent website articles may have you feeling intrigued by the range of asserted health claims. …
Is It Paleo? Splenda, Erythritol, Stevia and other low-calorie sweeteners
Regulating blood sugar levels is a key feature of the Paleo diet. In fact, this may be the critical mechanism responsible for the observed benefits of a Paleo diet in managing …
Is It Paleo? Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum and Lecithin, Oh My!
It’s pretty typical to be introduced to the Paleo diet with a list of foods to avoid. The stereotypical explanation is that a Paleo diet is no grains, no dairy, no legumes, …
Why Exercising Too Much Hurts Your Gut
The World Health Organization lists physical inactivity as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality. Without a doubt, being physically active is critical for our health. …
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 …
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. …
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, …
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 …
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, …
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 …
Repairing the Gut
Whether you’ve recently recovered from an infection requiring antibiotics, are healing after treatment for a parasite, or are battling against anxiety and depression, repairing …
How Mood and Gut Health Are Linked
One of the challenges that I face personally with my health is something called the Gut-Brain Connection (or sometimes called the Gut-Brain Axis). Basically, brain health affects …
The Importance of Vegetables
Out of all the foods we could potentially eat, vegetables and fruit are some of the only items not mired in controversy: virtually every health authority agrees they should have a …
Why Grains Are Bad–Part 1, Lectins and the Gut
The idea that grains are harmful is one of the most fundamental tenets of the Paleo diet. But, the rationale for avoiding them is often misunderstood, and sometimes oversimplified …
