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Eating in a Desert

5/28/2015

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From www.publicdomainpictures.net
This upcoming week is going to present me with a big challenge.  I'm traveling with students to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota to do service work.  Located near the Badlands, this is the land of prairies, followed by striated buttes and mountains as one moves westward. We will be working at an organization called Re-Member which reaches out to the needs of tribal members of the Lakota Sioux who need bunk beds built and outhouses dug.  As with so many tribal reservations, certain problems prevail:  massive unemployment, lacking education, domestic abuse, alcoholism, and the physical ills (obesity/diabetes/high blood pressure) that come with living in a food desert.  

A food desert is any area (rural or urban) where fresh foods are difficult to find, and very expensive to purchase.  I experienced this last year when my family took a trip down to Southern Ohio to see the various native mounds.  We found ourselves surrounded by fields of corn and soy, and yet searching fruitlessly for a fresh market or farmstand.  The most common places to buy foodstuffs were the local dollar stores (which had increased their options and offerings to serve the community's needs).  You'd go to a restaurant and the green beans were always canned.  Again, ironic given that you are in prime farm land.  

The desert status of Pine Ridge is also ironic because prior to European contact, the Lakota had no problem feeding themselves.  They hunted the plentiful buffalo that roamed the prairies and used indigenous plants to supplement.  The native diet was indeed a paleo one with an emphasis on meat for primary nutrition.  With such a diet, obesity and nutritional deficiencies were not an issue.  With a diet now that consists primarily of pre-packaged, processed foods that can be purchased inexpensively, the population is suffering the same ills as the overall American population--but to an even greater degree of alarm.

For myself, my 'new age' solution will be to take some foods that will help me not to throw my body out of whack.  My Quest protein bars, some Early Grey tea bags, some packages of freeze-dried fruit, and some chocolate protein shake packets, but I do this with some reservations.  I'm privileged to be able to afford these foods and to have the knowledge to know that this is what I should be eating.  The people who live at Pine Ridge have been removed from their ancestral diet and knowledge of it and have suffered mightily as a result.  Of course, this is a more insidious suffering than Indian Removal policies of the past centuries, the killing of buffalo herds simply for hides or so as to eliminate native resources, and massacres such as Wounded Knee.  However, the food desert that exists on tribal lands dictates a continued legacy of demoralization.  I know how poorly I feel when I cannot eat well.  I would not want junk food to be my only option.  The Lakota are trying to again raise buffalo as a source of income and nutrition, but this alone cannot solve the problems that have become embedded in the native diet and the availability of resources on the reservation.  I will try to help support these people by buying lots of buffalo jerky while I'm there.  See article below: http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/3/21/restoring-buffaloandresistingdroughtonthereservation.html

So, this week I challenge you to think about several things.  If you live in a food desert, how do you deal with that reality?  Does it mean more travel?  Higher food costs?  More homegrown produce?  More things ordered via internet/mail?  If you don't live in a food desert, what resources do you take for granted?  Farmers' Markets?  CSA's? High-end groceries? Restaurants?  And finally, what "food desert" foods are you still allowing in your life and why? How do they impact your health?  Your psyche?  Your pocketbook?

I know I'll have more to say when I return.  Until then, be mindful and think new age paleo.

Lisabeth
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The Closet Needs A Cleaning!

5/22/2015

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Image from www.hercampus.com (A Boston University student who's created a nice resource for young college women)
I'm paleo-psyched this week!  I weighed in this morning at my lowest weight in years, 123 pounds, and had a great shopping trip yesterday.  My closet now includes two size 4 dresses, a pair of size 4 SKINNY pants (yep, SKINNY pants), and a pair of size 2 wide-legged trousers. Now I'm no fool.  I know that manufacturers are "vanity sizing" much of their clothing these days, so twenty years ago, these clothes may have been a couple of sizes bigger.  However, I also know that this fall I was thinking I might have to up my pants from size 10 petite to 12 because the weight just wasn't coming off no matter how healthy I thought I was eating and how much I was exercising.  I was almost ready to accept the necessity of getting larger as I hit the milestone of 50.  Now, let me specify that there is NOTHING wrong with size 10 or 12 or 14.  So much depends on your overall size and height.  But I'm tiny--5' 2" and petite all over (except for my narrow size 9.5 feet!) On a small person, 5 extra pounds can look like 10 or 15. More importantly, I wasn't feeling my absolute best.  I felt good and like I was fit, but not my best.  I too often felt bulky or bloated and truthfully it showed more mentally than physically.  I decided that I wasn't heading into my milestone birthday feeling dissatisfied or resigned.  The two times in my life when I've weighed less and felt the best have been when I've eaten a low-carb, paleo-style diet.  Hubris and denial kept me playing with other models over the past few years, but this is the reality.  This diet works for me--and I think it works for most people, but it means eschewing what we come to determine as "normal" eating.  It even means rejecting what has been labeled as "healthy" eating.  It means no grains, beans, sugar or alcohol.  Most paleo diets also call for no dairy, but I'll admit that this is where I differ.  As a woman in middle age I find the calcium and protein of foods like Greek yogurt and cottage cheese essential and I don't intend to give those up.  I also am not a terribly enthusiastic meat-eater.  I'm fine with meat in moderate quantities, but I'm not looking for it three times a day.  Including dairy gives me more meal options and insures that I'm getting my calcium from white sources as well as green (cooked greens, green plant infusions).  Well-known herbalist Susun Weed highly recommends getting your calcium from this full spectrum and I think it is wise advise.  (Check her out at www.susunweed.com).  Next week I'm going to start a closet cleanout.  Most of my pants are now ridiculously big and look like clown pants.  Those can go to Goodwill (if using those drop-off boxes make sure it's a reputable organization), as well as anything bought to "cover" my body in a billowy way.  Small people also little silly when they wear clothes that overwhelm them.  In fact, that's good advice for everyone.  No "tent-like" clothes, they add pounds rather than subtract!  I chose the picture above because it incorporates two of my closet principles.  One:  all white hangers (no mismatched).  Two: hanging according to color. This makes getting dressed so easy and stress-free.  When was the last time you did a closet cleanout?  If you can't remember, then it's time.  If you're unhappy with how your body is looking, and more importantly, FEELING, then start with a closet purge. Then come up with your paleo diet plan.  Make it simple--here's my advice:

Plain Greek Yogurt & fruit for breakfast
Salad with tuna, sardines, nuts or cottage cheese for lunch
Chicken/Turkey/Beef or Pork for dinner with an array of cooked veggies
Chocolate Avocado Pudding (with bananas or dates used for sweetening) for a dessert/treat
Drink lots of water, still or sparkling, and brewed (not bottled) teas.  Have your coffee in the morning, no sugar.

Summer is on the way and you'll want to feel light, fresh and like your "house" (here meaning your body and your closet) is in order.  

Start cleaning "house" and feel yourself lighten physically and mentally.  Lisabeth

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A New Age

5/16/2015

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Picture found on easyhealthoptions.com
There are lots of sites devoted to the Paleo diet, so you may be wondering why you should look at mine, and why "New Age" Paleo?  Good questions that I'm happy to answer!  First, I have a unique way of putting things together.  I don't just like to pop up a recipe but rather I like to explore all the ramifications of a diet or lifestyle and make connections between things that you may not think of.  I feel that this is my gift as an educator--tying together food, music, art, literature, exercise, nature, history, anthropology--anything and everything that helps us to navigate our crazy world.  As for "New Age" we need to be honest: we don't live in the same world as our paleo ancestors.  Nor would we want to!  We have to watch out for idealizing and glamorizing the past.  We cannot truly eat or live as early man did because of our intelligence revolution, our agricultural revolution, our industrial revolution and our technological revolution.  However, instead of bemoaning this fact or treating it as a loss, consider the following:
  • Early humans had limited foods available to them.  No tropical fruits, unless you lived in the tropics.  No fresh fruits or vegetables at all during the cold months.  And remember, less than 10% of botanicals are edible for humans. Imagine the test-tasting that determined which ones were toxic! (Must have been reserved for the least-liked members of the tribe).
  • No antibiotics, no painkillers, no tetanus shots, no vaccinations.  People succumbed to body trauma such as broken limbs, childbirth and infections.
  • Limited transportation and travel.
  • No refrigeration, and limited food supplies, meant eating that which was not always at its peak!
  • Exposure to the elements (I'm not wanting to go back to cave-living and fur clothing).
  • Short life spans (due to body trauma, exposure, disasters or animal threats).
We think our lives are hard but few of us would want to have to make a flint ax, or weave a basket, or kill, gut, clean and skin an animal, or build fires day and night, or search for some form of shelter on a regular basis, or gather limited nuts, fruits and berries for sustenance, or wander place to place in search of food, water, fresh firewood and safety.

We should appreciate all of the variety and comfort of our modern era, while also recognizing the genetic and physiological makeup of our bodies.  We weren't built to live on french fries and soda, but we also don't have to give up our possessions, throw on a loin cloth and pretend we're living in the stone age.  We cannot turn back the clock on progress but we can choose to use that which is supportive and eschew that which brings us down, physically and mentally.  What are some of the best things about living Paleo in a New Age?
  • Access to all sorts of natural foods that are naturally good for us.  Meats, fish, fowl and eggs raised for quality.  A whole range of fruits, vegetables and nuts from various parts of the world.  And the luxury of the time and facilities to prepare them in interesting ways.
  • "Basic" Seasonings like salt and pepper (two basics that used to be treated as precious as gold)
  • Clean water (though this is NOT a given for everyone in the world, and never forget it!)
  • Exercise made pleasant with lots of options (and the leisure to do this FOR pleasure!)
  • Access to a range of medical options including traditional medicine and modern medicine--and yes, there is a place for each that is of very great value.
  • Permanent shelter and comfort.
  • Supplementation when needed.
  • Technology that allows us instant access to information and knowledge.  Knowledge is power after all.
  • The ability to travel for enrichment and fun.
These are just a few things, but I think you get the point.  Our lives are so different from our paleo ancestors that they might as well be aliens.  However, there is still a link between us and them and that connection is living in a way that suits our physiology.  

So, want to go Paleo?  Here's just one thing to try this week: Give Up the Grains.  I'll say it again, Give Up the Grains.  The starting point of agriculture (and thus civilization) was grain production.   It allowed for many modern aspects of human life, both good and bad, but one thing is for sure.  Grains are hard on our systems.  They pump too much sugar into our bloodstreams, they are hard to digest, they can contribute to poor dental health, and they don't always satiate hunger. Think about it .  Would you eat three pounds of salmon in a sitting ?  Three steaks? Three racks of ribs?  Four bowls of cabbage?  Three apples in a row?  Two cups of nuts?  Yet most of us have not trouble plowing through multiple bowls of cereal, pasta, rice, or slice upon slice of bread.  So, New Age Paleo--Give up the Grains.  Try a new fruit or vegetable--they will be your primary sources of fiber.  Now watch your skin, digestive system and energy level respond beautifully. Less gas, less bloating, fewer breakouts, fewer highs and lows in terms of energy.

Recipe for a grain-free morning:

Chia Breakfast Pudding
2 tablespoons of Chia seeds, 1 tablespoon of unsweetened coconut, optional: almond or vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp.
Add enough unsweetened almond milk to cover well, let soak overnight.
In the morning stir, and then add a touch more milk if too thick.  Top with fresh berries, a few nuts and/or seeds, and cinnamon.  The texture may take some getting used to but this is a really nice breakfast once you do.  In the winter months add dried fruit with the seeds and coconut in lieu of fresh.

Welcome to the New Age of Paleo!  Lisabeth
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Old Rules for a New Age

5/5/2015

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Lionesses of Chauvet Cave, from Wiki Commons

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Hi Everyone and Welcome to my blog!  I've tried just about every diet/lifestyle out there since my teenage years.  Calorie counting, point counting, vegetarian, vegan, Ayurvedic, Atkins, Food Combining, Intermittent Fasting, Detoxing and so on and so on.  The only diet that has ever truly worked is getting rid of starchy carbs.  Back in the 1970s, diet plates consisted of a hamburger patty, scoop of cottage cheese and a peach halve.  In the 1980s, diet gurus scoffed at this and recommended eating pasta, or rice, or potatoes with vegetables and no added fat. Then it was whole grains and beans, lots of beans (and not much fun for family members). And how about raw foods, juice diets, smoothie diets.  Each one of these has some value in terms of healthfulness (after all, anyone will benefit from more vegetables and fruit).  However, as I've discovered the two times in my life that I've worked with a low carb diet, really the old 70's gurus were onto something.  It has to do with balancing your blood sugar and diets high in carbohydrates--even really good ones--can send that blood sugar spiking.  A juice diet can be low in calories, but all that juice can really mess up your sugar balance and leave you quite hungry much of the time.  Protein satiates hunger and supports lean muscle mass.  Now, the reality is that if you have a lot of weight to lose, it is likely that ANY diet plan, no matter how imperfect, will help you drop some pounds.  However most people don't want to drop them only to gain them back.  And, for those of us in middle age, or perimenopause, or menopause, or post-pregnancy, our bodies will not respond to just any diet.  I know, I've tried!  

Exercising like mad doesn't work either.  Again, a sensible exercise program is great for anyone, however, it takes a lot of work to burn just a few calories.  The really sad thing is that as we exercise more, we also find ourselves hungrier and sometimes more tired.  And when we get tired and hungry we tend to make bad choices--to eat too much of the wrong things. Overexercising can also make us vulnerable to injury, or just destined to get really bored or resentful.  Most of us would enjoy exercise quite a lot more if it meant more walking, hiking, playing frisbee, or badminton, or tennis, or tossing a ball around, or cross-country skiing, as opposed to grinding away on treadmills, steppers and weight machines.  We've turned movement into a chore, not a pleasure, and then seek food as a reward for our pain.

The way to end this cycle of useless dieting (losing the same five pounds over and over again) and exercise tedium is to go back to living the way our bodies were designed to live.  Forget cavemen,  even my great-grandmother would have to have thought me insane putting time into pedaling a bike being ridden to nowhere!   

So let's get started!  First, think about the diets/food plans you've tried and how they have/haven't worked.  Make a list and enumerate the things you didn't like about them.  Then do the same with exercise.  What have you tried that has felt foolish, or futile?  List that too. Then think about the quality of your sleep.  The quality of your sex life.  How you spend your spare time.  Yep, we're going to talk about all of that.  There are many things from the Paleolithic age that we wouldn't want to have to endure.  Exposure to the elements.  Times of scarcity.  Epidemic diseases with no vaccinations or cures.  Broken bones without proper care and attention.  Large animal threats.  But there is also something to be learned from the way we have evolved and the problems that have evolved with that progress.  What's exciting about our New Age is that we can pick and choose what developments work and which are better left behind.  We don't have to eat Doritos and stay up till 2:00 am on Facebook.  Truly! The people of the past were able to survive well enough to create elegant art like that found in the caves at Chauvet (pictured above).  I adore the elegant lines of these lionesses.  I find it encouraging that early humans felt the need to create and to pay homage to their world despite the difficulties they must have experienced.  Our world is fraught with hardships too, but in this New Age we can rise above that and create a better model of human living.

Here's to New Age Paleo and a wonderful journey of rediscovery--

Lisabeth
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    I'm Lisabeth.  Having tried just about every diet to be my best self, I'm realizing that quality protein, whole foods, and no starchy carbs really is the only thing that works for me.  Join me as I take us on a journey to discover how we can go paleo in a modern new age..

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    Article from NPR on eating breakfast:
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