All posts tagged paleo diet

February 13, 2013 · Blog

The Great Cholesterol Myth

Many of my clients come in worried and anxious about their cholesterol numbers, I mean anxious!! I say the same thing to each one “Cholesterol is good. Don’t worry!” I go on to teach them that not only is cholesterol good and necessary, but so is saturated fat. You have to see the raised eyebrows I get. It’s comical. I was so happy when I saw this Dr Oz clip. Its an interview with two of the courageous people who wrote a book debunking the myth we have all been convinced to believe is true. Please watch this video until the end and forward it to your friends. It is time we all know the truth about cholesterol and statin drugs! Did you know:

Total cholesterol levels don’t matter!
Statins are dangerous.
What really matters is the size of your cholesterol, not the kind.
High blood sugar levels can lead to arterial inflammation.

If you want to read more about these important issues, read:

The Great Cholesterol Myth by Johnny Bowden, PhD and Stephen Sinatra, MD.
Fat and Cholesterol are Good for You!, Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD
The Great Cholesterol Con, Dr. Malcolm Kendrick

Were you shocked by this information? Did it relax you to know you don’t have to think about cholesterol numbers? Were you aware of the harm that statin drugs do? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

January 6, 2013 · Recipes

How to Make Kefir

Kefir is a fermented liquid. I usually recommend organic milk kefir or organic goat milk kefir. People who have trouble with dairy usually do well with kefir because it is lactose free as the probiotics have eaten up all the sugars in the milk. Kefir is teaming with good probiotics and you all know how much I love those, especially in their host.

-Start with Kefir grains (which are not actually grains, they are more like little colonies of probiotics)
You can find some on my amazon shopCLICK HERE. Look in groceries.
Add some organic Milk, it can be goat, low fat or whole.

-Cover with a porous cloth or a kitchen towel and secure with a rubber band.

-Leave in a 70 degree F room for 24-48 hours. When it is ready it will be thickened like a buttermilk consistency.

– Just strain through a plastic or nylon sieve to separate the grains, and use the grains again and again to make more and more Kefir.

It’s so inexpensive and easy to do. The health benefits are priceless… READ HERE

January 2, 2013 · Blog

A Day in the Life of Joy Harari

It was requested by one of my readers that I give an example of a day in my life. I chose to write down a full day and share it with you honestly. Here we go:

I woke up at 6:00AM and thanked my Creator for another day, and then hung out in bed for half an hour reading emails and playing words with friends and scramble on my phone. You may think I was wasting time but they say word games are good for the brain :). Anyway it’s fun!

Then into the bathroom where the first thing I do is test my PH with a PH strip (It was just the right color green this morning) yay! I test it under a stream of 1^st morning urine. If it’s ever too yellow, which signifies too acidic. I will try to figure out why. Is it stress, or how I ate? To help remedy that I will have a few of my glasses of water with a spoon or two of Raw Apple Cider Vinegar and stevia because it is so alkalizing.

The next thing I did was weigh myself. I am sorry but that is one thing I can’t seem to give up (I have tried) although I don’t believe I allow it to rule my life any longer. I don’t think it’s a good thing for most people to weigh in every day, just sayin’.

I then downed 16 oz. of clear delicious water to rehydrate after my long night. I got my exercise gear on and went downstairs to do my “Brazilian Butt Lift” video. Many days I go for a brisk walk outside, but the 27-degree cold made me choose to skip that today. I also love to do yoga when I can and I am trying to get some ballroom dance lessons going.

Some mornings I do a shoulder stand for 5 minutes on a special chair for inversions, they say it’s like an instant facelift.

I stopped off in the kitchen first and took fermented cod liver oil, a Mega flora probiotic pill and a ½ cup of Homemade fermented cabbage juice (it has so many probiotics, and is my new Obsession! It has been known to bust cravings too!) I also drank 1 tbsp. of Pure Synergy (a super nutritious green powder) in 8 oz. of water, and took a magnesium supplement.

I did my video (it was the sculpt class using weights). Upstairs again to shower and get dressed. Pray and breakfast. Breakfast today was some organic blueberries and a cup of organic goat milk kefir, stevia and Ceylon cinnamon. I recently found out that Ceylon Cinnamon is the one that really helps stabilize blood sugar levels. It’s a bit spicier than regular cinnamon and a bit pricier. I also had a big cup of tea with pastured organic whole milk and stevia.

I did some chores around the house, called in some grocery orders and now to work. E-mails, newsletters, clients and touching base with some family members (we have a lot of birthdays in January J) Happy Birthday Renee!!! Love You!

Drank lots of water in between all of that stuff. I try every day to set my timer for 15 minutes and Tap on something. It’s called my personal peace procedure. As an EFT coach I feel obligated to work on all my issues as well as yours! 🙂

12:30 my stomach calls. Time for lunch, which I like to be my biggest meal. In the middle of the day our digestion is strongest. I had a nice piece of wild salmon topped with mustard, coconut aminos and sesame seeds. I made a salad with fresh organic curly kale, organic cucumbers, organic grape tomatoes, organic avocado, organic alfalfa sprouts, a drizzle of x-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice Himalayan salt and pepper. Fermented sauerkraut to top it off…Hits the spot! MMMMMM. See a picture above. I had a big cup of plain hot water about ½ hour after lunch.

At about 3:00 I did a one-minute meditation (breath in and out hard through the nose for 30 sec and then closed my eyes for 30 sec and feel the buzz, it’s awesome!). After that I had an organic apple with a tbsp. of raw almond butter, and some nori seaweed strips, and another big cup of tea.

Today was a busy day so I wasn’t so munchy, but every day I have a big plate of cut veggies available so that if I feel like I can munch. I always cut jicama, peppers, fennel, celery, carrots and cucumbers. My goal in life is to get my body used to just 3 meals a day and no snacking. Dr. John Doulliard claims it makes your digestive fire very strong. Maybe one day…

Time to cook dinner. Tonight we are having chicken soup, stringbeans with zaatar spice and kalamata olives, organic London broil with sautéed mushrooms and onions, a big mixed salad, and arame seaweed. Every day I have at least one serving of some type of seaweed. Can’t forget about those amazing sea veggies people!! I like to eat small portions of great food at night so I know it will digest well.

I ate in between seeing clients at about 6:30-7:00. Before dinner I had a ½ cup of My fermented cabbage juice again. I like to leave time between my last meal and bed so I just had 2 cups of caffeine free tea with fresh mint, stevia and water.

I like to hit the sack at 10:30-11:00 which works most nights. Before I sleep I do my gratitude thing. Sometimes I journal and sometimes I am too tired, so I mentally go through all my blessings and positive gifts.

So much for a sample day. Just know that I am not big on doing the same exact things every day. I like a big variety of foods, teas and vegetables. My schedule changes every day as well. I just want to say that I really try to be a great example to my clients, my friends and my family, so you know I will keep you posted with any new and exciting additions, just can’t keep it to myself…J

If you have any questions about anything I do or any comments please ask in the “comments section” below this article.

January 1, 2013 · Recipes

How to make a meat stock

Homemade meat stock is the most healing, and
soothing thing for the digestive tract.

It is nutrient dense, full of minerals, vitamins, gelatinous proteins, and all are in a very bio-available form.

Do not use commercially available soup stock or bouillon cubes.
They are highly processed and full of detrimental ingredients.

Once you make your meat stock, it can be frozen or it will keep well in the fridge for a week. I make a big pot of each, and then
freeze in portions I can take out each day.
You can make soups, gravies and stews with it or warm up a cup to have with meals or between meals.

Do not take the fat out of the stock. It is good to consume the fat together with the stock. You need meat and bones to make a good meat stock.
Bones and joints are important as they enrich the stock with the kind of nourishing substances which meat alone cannot provide.
Beef, lamb, game, poultry and fish are all good and will make stocks with different flavors and different nutritional compositions.

All you need is a large pot full of water an a bit of salt and pepper.

Lamb, beef or game

Put the joints bones and meat into a large pot, add 5-10 peppercorns, himalayan salt to taste and fill it up with water. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours at least. The longer you cook the meat and bones, the more nutrition they will give to the stock. Take the meat and bones out and pour the stock through a sieve into a separate pan to remove any small bones and peppercorns.

Chicken stock

Put a whole organic chicken into a large pot, fill it up with water, add himalayan salt to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours. take the chicken out and put the stock through a sieve.

Fish stock

To make a good fish stock you need bones fins skins and heads of the fish, not the meat. Put all into a large pot add 8-10 peppercorns and fill the pan with water. Brin to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Take the fish parts out and sieve the stock.

December 19, 2012 · Recipes

Too Good Grain-free Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 3/4 cups fine ground blanched almond flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup coconut oil, or ghee, softened or liquid
1/4 cup honey or vegan substitute (I like clover honey for its mild flavor)
1 tablespoon GF vanilla
1 tablespoon canned full fat coconut milk
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, baking soda and salt until well blended.

Note: Be sure to ‘scoop’ up the AF with the cup and sweep over the top with a flat edge. If you spoon it into the cup, you are likely to not have enough AF for the recipe.

In a separate smaller bowl, combine the liquid ingredients. Blend well.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing till just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. The dough will be wetter than your average cookie dough and pretty sticky. Let it rest while you get the pans lined with parchment paper.

Scoop level (measuring) tablespoon amounts of cookie dough and tap it out of the spoon.

Place another cookie sheet under the one with the cookies. (This will help keep the bottoms from browning too fast.)

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 11- 12 minutes. Keep an eye on them though, as baking times will vary from oven to oven, as well as thickness and size of cookie. Do not over bake or the bottoms and the outsides of the cookie will become ‘tough’.

Remove from oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes before transferring.

Makes 15-17 small cookies.

They come out flat and chewy but out of this world, really amazing!! Be careful not to over eat them, like I named them …too good!

December 5, 2012 · Blog

Against The Grain: 10 Reasons to Give Up Grains

Imagine a world where heart disease, diabetes, autoimmunity and other modern diseases are rare or don’t exist at all. Imagine we are naturally lean and fit and we are fertile throughout our childbearing years. We sleep peacefully and deeply. We age gracefully without degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and osteoporosis.

This sounds like pure fantasy today, however, anthropological evidence suggests that this is exactly how human beings lived for the vast majority of our evolutionary history. Today, most people accept diseases like obesity, diabetes, infertility, and Alzheimers as normal. They may be common, but they are anything but normal. What on Earth has caused this?

In a word? The modern lifestyle. And though there are several aspects of our current lifestyle that contribute to disease, the widespread consumption of food toxins is by far the greatest offender. Specifically, the following four dietary toxins are to blame:

▪ Cereal grains (especially refined flour)

▪ Omega-6 industrial seed oils (corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean, etc.)

▪ Sugar (especially high-fructose corn syrup)

▪ Processed soy (soy milk, soy protein, soy flour, etc.)

Now I have to admit, I love a big fluffy piece of bread as much as the next person so I will reveal to you 10 reasons that helped me in my decision to give up grains.

1. If you can get it from grain, you can get it elsewhere.

The big heroes of most grains nutrient profile are dietary fiber and B vitamins. The truth is if you can find the nutrient in grain, you can find it in better quantities in other foods for example:

100 grams of whole-wheat flour – 44mcg of folate

100 grams of lamb liver will give you 400mcg of folate

100 grams of yardlong beans will give you a whopping 658mcg of folate!!

Whole grains are often praised as health foods for their fiber content but you can find dietary fiber in better quantities in other, more nutrient dense foods.

100 grams of cooked brown rice has 1.8 grams of dietary fiber

100 grams of cooked collard greens has 2.8 grams of dietary fiber

Green peas contain about 5 grams of fiber per serving.

2. Grains are not good for your gut. (or your brain)

Intestinal health is critical to your overall health. If your gut isn’t healthy, you can’t absorb nutrients from the foods you eat. If your intestines can’t absorb nutrients from the foods you eat, your body is malnourished and is more prone to disease.

There is a very strong connection between the gut and the brain, healthy gut=healthy brain.

Grains are associated with a condition called leaky gut syndrome. Tiny particles of grains, when ingested, can slip through the intestinal walls causing an immune response. This causes your immune system to be excessively taxed by constantly attacking these out of place particles of grain. It can lead to autoimmune disorders, allergies and generally wreaks havoc in the body.

3. You’re probably gluten-intolerant.

Current research estimates that about 1% of the population suffers from celiac disease, an auto-immune condition related to the ingestion of gluten containing grains like wheat and barley, however some researchers on celiac disease and gluten intolerance estimate that 30% to 40% of people of European descent are gluten intolerant to some degree. That’s a lot of people who are regularly consuming a food that makes them sick.

4. Grains cause inflammation

(You can check inflammatory markers on www.nutritiondata.com)

Grains are inflammatory foods. The more refined the grain, the more inflammatory it is. Chronic inflammation is linked to a myriad of degenerative, modern diseases including arthritis, allergies, asthma, cardiovascular disease, bone loss, emotional imbalance and even Cancer.

5. Grains are fairly new on the scene

While still a traditional food, grains are the new kids on the block. Prior to the advent of agriculture, humans relied on hunting and gathering for their foods. They gathered wild greens, berries, fruits and other plants. They hunted, and fished. So for the better part of human existence grains did not comprise any portion of the human diet.

6. Grains aren’t good for your joints.

Due to their inflammatory nature, grains are linked to joint pain and arthritis.

Synovial tissue in the joints and grains are chemically similar, your body has difficulty differentiating between the two.

So, when your immune cells get all hot and bothered by inflammation caused by grain and begin to attack it as a foreign invader, they also begin to attack the soft tissue in your joints. That leads to pain and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and more inflammation.

Just let me add here that my joints in my thumbs were swollen and very painful 6 months ago when I was still eating grains, and now are back to normal. My knees really hurt. When I squatted down it hurt to stand up. Now, no grains, no pain!

7. Poorly prepared grains prevent mineral absorption.

When grains are properly soaked and fermented, well at least there is a shot at neutralizing the phytates and making the nutrients in grains more absorbable, but most often they are improperly prepared.

8. Grains are bad for your teeth.

Due to those high levels of phytates in grain, grain is linked to dental decay. Some anthropologists use the presence of tooth decay as an indicator of an agricultural society. Our pre-agricultural ancestors records indicate very little to no tooth decay. I don’t know about you, but I can very happily skip the dental work thank you.

9. Grains aren’t good for your skin either.

Grains have a very high carbohydrate content and while they may be complex they are still broken down into sugars. This causes elevated insulin levels that lead to a cascading hormonal response and these hormones activate the sebum-producing glands in your skin, encouraging them to produce more oil.

This insulin response is also linked with the increased production of keratinocytes, which also contribute to acne.

We all want beautiful skin, no?

10. Eating grain makes you crave grain.

Grains break down into sugar, they create a rise in insulin levels when those levels fall, you crave more grains and the vicious cycle continues…unless of course you stop it 😉

Of course if you’re not ready to give up grains in their entirety, take care to make sure you eat the best quality grains prepared for optimal nourishment. Choose organic grains and make sure you eat them sprouted, soaked or fermented.

I have a better idea, go on a grain free trial with me for the month of January! See what happens.

November 18, 2012 · Recipes

Coconut Honey Candy

1/2 cup honey
1 cup Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream (pureed meat of coconut)
1/4 cup cocoa powder(could omit for a non-cocoa candy)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut(omit if you prefer smooth candy)
optional:3/4 cup broken up raw walnuts

Heat the honey in a saucepan over medium heat until it boils. Boil for 2 minutes while stirring
constantly. Remove from heat and add coconut cream, cocoa powder and vanilla. Stir to blend well.
Coconut cream will melt from hot honey. Add coconut and walnuts. Stir until well combined.

Press into a parchment paper lined 8″ square pyrex. Refrigerate for a half hour and cut into squares.
Store in refrigerator.

November 18, 2012 · Recipes

Rosemary Crackers

1 ¾ cups blanched almond flour
½ teaspoon himalayan salt
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter
1 egg
In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt and rosemary
In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut oil and egg
Stir wet ingredients into almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined
Roll the dough into a ball and press between 2 sheets of parchment paper to ⅛ inch thickness
Remove top piece of parchment paper
Transfer the bottom piece with rolled out dough onto baking sheet
Cut dough into 2-inch squares with a knife or pizza cutter
Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden
Let crackers cool on baking sheet for 30 minutes, then serve
Yield 24 cracker cookies

tested by Rosy Shamah, thanks Rosy!!
*Note: Rosy substituted italian spices for rosemary and they were delicious!

**I recently got a great idea from one of my awesome clients to make cinnamon(sweet) cookies from this recipe. Just add cinnamon and stevia and cut the salt, they are so delicious!

November 14, 2012 · Blog

A Very Personal Story

“Waaaa, waaa, waaa” said the baby. Cute, you think? I don’t think my mom thought so. I did not sleep through the night for a full year after I was born. So… neither did my mom.

I had severe stomach pain that was not just “colic”. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. As my mom told me, she took me to a doctor in New York City who specialized in gastro-pediatrics. I don’t know how she found him, but leave it to my mother to find the best. I do remember his wood paneled office and his big desk that I could barely see over.

Back in the day, doctors didn’t only use pharmaceuticals. They healed people. They used nutrition. This wonderful doctor put me on a Specific Carbohydrate Diet or the SCD for short. It is basically a diet that omits any type of grains, beans, and legumes, and is mostly made up of animal protein, vegetables and some fruits. My mom thankfully, strictly adhered to the diet. I was kept on it until I was four years old.

For me, it wasn’t so bad. I actually felt special. My mom made me special meals, and frozen juice pops to eat when those ice-cream truck bells began to ring. I had never tasted sugar so I had no idea what the fuss was about.

At age 4 I was pronounced, “healed” and I was back to a regular diet that I was then able to tolerate. In a family that had our share of learning disabilities, I had none. In fact I was always an honor student. What does that have to do with anything, you ask? Read on…

Years later as my interest in nutrition became strong; I thanked God that I was spared from 4 years of eating sugar, but I questioned the diagnosis I was given for Celiac. Everything I read assured me that Celiac was incurable. I recently discovered I was wrong as could be! It was curable, and I was cured!

I have come to believe, very strongly I might add, that everything can be cured with food and other natural modalities. I have seen it all. Proper nutrition can do miracles and more.

With a lot of experience and all my studies, I came up with a very specific diet that was truly healing a lot of my clients. It helped people who suffered from constipation as well as others who had stomach issues and severe depression. I developed it by focusing on controlling insulin levels and getting a good ecology going in the digestive tract with the very best quality foods. Yessiree I was on to something good!

It was then that I started connecting the dots. If I had not been on that SCD diet when I was a baby, would I have learning disabilities? What else did it save me from?

I happened to have a copy of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBrides’ book “Natural Treatment for Gut and Psychology Syndrome” (GAPS) that I just received from Amazon. It was sitting on my coffee table just waiting to be read!

The GAPS Diet, based on the SCD, is the one people are using to cure all psychological problems: Autism, Dyspraxia, ADD, Dyslexia, ADHD, Depression, Bi-polar, Schizophrenia, and more. The research and studies that are highlighted in the book, show a very distinct connection to all those problems with the condition of the digestive tract. It is truly amazing!!

Ready for the clincher? The Doctor who cured me, Dr. Sidney V. Haas, was the inventor of the original diet, the SCD! I discovered this at 11:30 at night when my whole household was asleep. I did a low squeal as I flipped-out from the news in the GAPS book!

Dr. Haas developed this revolutionary approach in 1951, and cured me in the early 60’s. All later variations such as the GAPS Diet, are based on his work. I had no idea he was “the man”.

Well that is the craziest, most destined thing I ever saw! He cured me, got my gut and brain working, and now I hope to carry on doing his work? Mind blower don’t you think?

And so it goes. I am dedicating my life to helping people heal their guts and minds in the way mine were healed; in a natural, painless, healthy way. I have so much gratitude to God, my mother, and Dr. Haas for healing my body and mind, what better way to show it?

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