Blog Archives

Refinement: More Paleo Cleansing Tips

9/27/2015

An empty mirror and your worst

destructive habits, when they are held

up to each other,

that's when the real making begins.

That's what art and crafting are. --From Rumi's "Childhood Friends"

I'm definitely feeling the need to do some fall cleansing this week. My last blog outlines the principles of a gentle paleo cleanse, but I thought I'd add a few more suggestions for those who would like to go deeper and refine even more. I love Rumi's poem "Childhood Friends" because it emphasizes that our imperfections are what makes us uniquely human--and our inclination to change and address our shortcomings. He maintains that anyone who thinks they are "healthy enough" needs to do some work. Now I'm not advocating perfectionism (that is its own form of arrogance and hubris) but rather a willingness to be open to the exploration that comes with cleansing. Think about what prompts bad habits such as making the wrong food choices, getting too little sleep, not exercising, not taking time for quality reading or time spent in nature. Cleansing is a time to step out of the realm of "overwhelm" which often leads to exhaustion or sickness.

Some additional things to incorporate into a cleanse:

A saline nasal spray--to moisten the sinuses.
Rubbing a bit of coconut or olive oil inside the nostrils.
Running a diffuser at night with essential oil added. For fall I am loving Plant Therapy's "Fir Needle". Smells like autumn.
Taking a bath fortified with epsom salts (to soften the muscles).
Using a lovely body butter (I'm enjoying my peach one currently).
Spritzing your face several times a day with Rosewater (Heritage makes an affordable one).
Using squalene as a facial moisturizer. Squalene is the oil essence of olives (or other plant/faunal material). It will feel like a thick, dry oil on your face. Be patient and let it sink in. Very restorative. You can buy it for under $5 on Amazon.
Pay extra attention to the hands. I've been applying argan oil to the backs of them.
Listen to some inspiring music. I love Yo Yo Ma's "Goat Rodeo Sessions" this time of year, or Verdi's "Autumn"
Sit outside and enjoy the changing season. Do nothing but observe.

0 Comments

Sweeping Away Dead Leaves: A Fall Paleo Cleanse

9/18/2015

0 Comments

Autumn on the Hudson by Jasper Francis Cropsey, 1860, from Wiki Commons

Autumn provides many people with their favorite time of year in terms of weather, traditions, activities and the beauty of the season. The days of Indian Summer are warm and bright with brilliant blue skies while the nights are cool and crisp (perfect sleeping weather and part of what brings out the colors of leaves). Because of the changing temperatures, our bodies go into a form of cold diuresis similar to that of the falling leaves on the trees. We literally go from the sweating through summer into protecting our bodies from the oncoming drop in temperature. This can leave us urinating quite a lot (especially at night) and thus dehydrating ourselves. The skin gets drier, the nasal passages get irritated, little colds settle in or sore throats start to bug us.

Our bodies, while protecting us from the oncoming coolness, also want to kick out the internal heat we've built over the summer when we may have eaten more difficult food to digest than at other times of the year (think ice cream, corn on the cob, bbq, and anything you ate at the county fair). Therefore, fall is a great time to cleanse and there are a dozens of cleanses out there for you to try. I myself have done many--master cleansing, castor oil purges, oleation, kitchari cleanses, and so on. I will be honest, while I'm sure I got some benefit from them (at the very least a toning up of my discipline muscle), I think I may have also been too hard on my body. The "lemonade" of the Master Cleanse is way too acidic for my constitution (I wind up with a sour stomach and canker sores by day two). The castor oil purge felt great the first time I did it, but the next three I undertook left me increasingly fatigued (about four months apart). Oleation requires a big blowout at the end, and I'm just not interested in salt water flushes, enemas, or more castor oil. (Geez, call me a wimp). And I've got a bone to pick with kitchari. Every ayurvedic expert out there will write about how it is the most gentle food to digest, but just two meals of the mung beans and rice gives me gas so explosive that I not only cannot be in polite company, I literally wish I could leave my mortal body and go elsewhere for twenty-four hours! In other words, I want a cleanse that is GENTLE on the body (and the psyche). I want something that feels appropriately cleansing and nourishing both. And, given that paleo/low carb eating has taken weight, fat and bloat off of my body--I don't want to abandon my paleo principles for the sake of a cleanse (no all fruit or brown rice week for this gal).

This leaves me pondering how does one do a cleanse that fits a paleo/low-carb eating plan? The answer lies in whole foods that fit the season (and its special challenges), keeping proteins light and easy to digest, some simple cleansing practices (NOTHING extreme here) and some nurturing self-care and time for quiet reflection. I'd recommend engaging in this program for 3-7 days. Here are the guidelines:

Mentally prepare your "time away"--tell yourself and your family that this is your quiet, recharging time. Keep social obligations to a minimum and take a "media break" (no TV, Facebook or Twitter).
Find an inspirational text. Poetry, spiritual texts, philosophy, a memoir--whatever will give you something deeper to ponder and feel nourishing. I often turn to the poetry of Rumi or the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Set time aside for meditation, morning or evening, or BOTH. A few quiet minutes. No music, no guidance, just sit. Choose a special spot, use a meditation cushion or a chair (no rules against this, especially if your back or knees ache!
Morning routine: Brush teeth, scrape tongue, stretch, have a cup of hot water with lemon and ginger. If you need caffeine, go with green tea.
Breakfast=a sweet potato topped with ghee and walnuts, or a bowl of pumpkin puree with the same. Stew an apple to have on the side (a coarsely chopped apple with a bit of water and a couple of cloves, cook in a saucepan until soft). If you don't want warm food (like on a really warm day) then go with one of the smoothies seen in my blog below).
Lunch=Cauliflower Rice "Kitchari". See two recipes from two great bloggers: http://theclothesmakethegirl.com/2013/03/30/cauliflower-rice-pilaf/ or http://theurbanposer.com/paleo-masala-cauli-rice-grain-free-vegan/
Dinner=The same as lunch or roasted veggies (carrots, cauliflower, garlic, beets, acorn squash or summer squashes--lots of olive oil, some red pepper flakes, and whatever seasoning you like). Or a light veggie soup. Add an easy to process protein like baked white fish or cottage cheese.
For snacks, give yourself more easy protein. Almond milk mixed with a scoop of vanilla protein powder, you can flavor with almond extract and/or spices (like cardomon or nutmeg or cinnamon) as well.
Drink lots of water throughout the day--preferably room temperature and one big mug of detox tea (Yogi Detox is easily found). Don't overdo on the detox tea.
Before bed have a cup of warmed almond milk to which you add a teaspoon of ghee, a teaspoon of tumeric and a teaspoon of raw honey (added after you take the milk off the heat).
Take a restorative walk each day.
Journal about your journey.
Hit the hay early.

And, if you want to take this deeper in the mental realm, sign up for the "Fall in Love with Autumn" course, or the "Healing Traditions" Course. Both are filled with nourishing knowledge. http://www.newagepaleo.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html

Happy Sweeping! --Lisabeth

0 Comments

Smooth Living

9/6/2015

0 Comments

Image from Thermomix.com

As we head toward fall, now's a good time to ease up on the digestion. One of the easiest ways to do that is to replace one or more meals/snacks a day with a smoothie. Smoothies have gained much attention in recent years, but the ones you buy at fast food chains and restaurants are often loaded with calories and sugars (natural and added). It's much easier and cheaper to make custom ones yourself at home. I have not made the leap to buying a Vitamix (seems an excessive cost), but a Nutribullet works perfectly at a fifth of the cost. Get one and get blending. A liquid meal allows the stomach not to have to do so much work. The nutrition is made more quickly accessible, and, unlike juicing, you aren't tossing away the fiber nor concentrating so much natural sugar in the drink as you do with juice. Of course, paleo people didn't have blenders, thus this is a definite "New Age Paleo" invention. Appreciate the ease of modern living as you slurp one down!

Peach Blossom Smoothie: Start with a base of almond milk, add a tablespoon of almond butter, a few frozen (or fresh) peach slices, a frozen banana (all overripe bananas get peeled and thrown in the freezer smoothie bag at our house), a 1/4 tsp. of almond extract, a scoop of hemp protein (or whey protein for those alright with dairy) a teaspoon of honey (stevia if you are avoiding all sugar) and--here's the secret ingredient--a splash of orange flower water. The orange flower water gives this a subtle, yet vibrant, floral taste.
(http://www.amazon.com/Cortas-Orange-Blossom-Water-10fl/dp/B000LQJ6DK/ref=sr_1_1?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1441568236&sr=8-1&keywords=orange+flower+water&pebp=1441568239930&perid=0ZCTY32CDMVK7FJ75KXB)

Chocolate Cherry Almond Smoothie: Start with a base of almond milk, add a tablespoon of almond butter, a handful of frozen cherries, a frozen banana, a 1/4 tsp. of almond extract, a scoop of hemp protein (or chocolate whey protein for those alright with dairy) a teaspoon of honey (stevia if you are avoiding all sugar) and heaping teaspoon of cocoa powder. The cherries and almond meld into a distinctive and delicious delight, better than boxed chocolates.

"Green Apple" Smoothie: Start with a base of almond milk, add a couple of handfuls of spinach leaves, a chopped apple (skin on), a frozen banana, a scoop of hemp protein (or whey protein for those alright with dairy) a teaspoon of honey (stevia if you are avoiding all sugar), and two teaspoons of real "Ceylon" cinnamon. Drizzle the top with a bit of honey for a "caramel" effect if you like! A green, lean vitamin machine.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie: Start with a base of almond milk, add a 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree, a frozen banana, 1/4 a chopped apple, a scoop of protein powder (hemp or whey), a 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla, a 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice (or garam masala, like pumpkin pie spice with pepper added), a teaspoon of maple syrup and a teaspoon of real Ceylon cinnamon. Why save the taste of pumpkin pie for when you're overstuffed at Thanksgiving Dinner?

Make It Smooth, Make It New Age Paleo--and check out our "Fall in Love" course special.
--Lisabeth
http://www.newagepaleo.com/store/p2/Fall_in_Love_with_Autumn.html

0 Comments

Author

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..

Articles:

Article from NPR on eating breakfast:
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/08/21/433239573/rethinking-breakfast-what-we-eat-may-trump-when-we-eat

Article from NPR on Hunter-Gatherer Society
http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/05/15/406721880/why-we-can-depend-on-the-kindness-of-strangers

Article from NPR on Paleo People Grinding Flour:
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/09/14/440292003/paleo-people-were-making-flour-32-000-years-ago

Refinement: More Paleo Cleansing Tips

Sweeping Away Dead Leaves: A Fall Paleo Cleanse

Smooth Living

Author

Archives

Categories

Articles:

Join our Email List for Updates