Nell Stephenson, Paleo Nutrition & Fitness

Eat Your Beets!

One of my most regular blog readers, who happens to be a psychologist working with elite British athletes (so he knows a thing or two!) has long been touting the benefits of eating beets (or as my husband, being a fellow Brit calls this plant, beetroot).

Not only is this plant indicated for EVERYONE, athlete or not, as it's been shown to promote brain health  and lower blood pressure.

For those of us who ARE endurance athletes, eating beetroot in advance of a workout is being shown to help improve said endurance.

Since it's off season for me from Ironman, and I spent the last two weeks in a semi-recovery phase while I get ready for the NYC Marathon, I've been doing a bit of experimenting and have completed several key workouts fueled by beets...and soft boiled eggs and coconut, of course...

Can't complain!

Give them a try yourself- whether you're getting ready for a run, or would simply like yet another health benefit from your PALEO diet when you're preparing them under, perhaps, a roast turkey.

THIS Coconut Water is to DIE for!

Ok, ok, I know... I've been blogging a lot about coconut lately.  I'll try and hold back for a little while after today's post... maybe.

I just had to write about this brand of coconut water I picked up last week at Whole Foods.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm NOT sponsored or endorsed by any coconut-producing companies so this post is purely just to share something that tastes delicious and comes from a great place, as far as fair trade practice and organic farming.

While doing my big weekly shop last week, I perused the coconut water selection.  I have been experimenting with several of the more readily available brands recently and have quite enjoyed the plain varieties of Zico, Vida Coco, Naked, O.N.E and Amy & Brian.  

There, in a teeny little bottle, nearly hidden behind all the others, was a vessel containing what would be the tastiest I've had so far:

Harmless Harvest Coconut Water. 

I bought it and drank it yesterday after I got home from my morning run. 

Oh.

My.

God.

The flavor!

The color!  It was pink!  (Their website explains that the anti oxidant content can vary the color greatly).

And it's RAW!

MUST MUST check it out:

HERE is the link to their site 

Oh, Dear...Another Silly Way to 'RATE' Our 'Food Nutrition'

In Friday's NY TImes, there was an artilce about the new 'Label Plan Offered to Rate Food Nutrition'.

"The nutrition label on the front of a box of cereal or a frozen dinner should be as easy to read as the Energy Star Label on a clothes washer", the article begins...

By the way, isn't that statement an oxymoron in and of itself?  A "NUTRITION label on a BOX"...that phrase by itself stops me from considering any given item a food already, with very few exceptions!

The new system would show, of course, the number of calories per serving (because that is the most important thing to consider- kidding) and have zero to three starts to illustrate how 'healthy' it is.  The ranking will be done based on how much added sugar, sodium and trans (AND SATURATED) fats it has.

OK, that part makes sense- and I agree that we don't want to be eating things that have ANY refined sugar in them, nor excess quantites of sodium or any hydrogenated oils.  Saturated fat, however, does not belong in that list as eating SOME Sat Fat that naturally occurs in our wild protein sources is a GOOD part of our heathy Paleo Diets.

Later on in the piece, there is a quote which states, "People won't need to look at numbers or do any calculations to figure out what they mean; it's easy three stars are better than zero stars."

Nice.

Right- so go ahead and remain ignoraant about what you're putting in your body?

I don't think so.

I have another, equally EASY approach that anyone can adapt:

IF IT'S FOOD, EAT IT.

IF IT'S NOT FOOD, DON'T EAT IT.

How is that for simple?

What's food?  

Something that could be picked or foraged, then eaten as-is, and something that used to run on the land or swim in the water.

HERE is the full article...

Smoothies Without Protein Powder?

Nell, 

I LOVE the idea of having a smoothie as an 'on-the-go' option BUT I cannot eat eggs.  What other protein can I use in the smoothie?  I know you are not a fan of whey or soy protein....Any ideas?

Sure!
Let's think outside the box here (or rather, the blender... ok, sorry, bad joke!).

The important thing is to have a balance of fat, carbohydrate and protein in an entire meal... but who says it has to ALL be whizzed together if the smoothie is the main part of any given meal?

You see where I'm going with this.... make a smoothie and have the protein on the side!

I did that yesterday.  I had just finished masters swimming and had to zip home to let my dogs out, and then rush off to an appointment.  I was hardly going to let myself go hungry, so I whipped up a smoothie out of green tea, raw kale, frozen berries and coconut oil.. and it was REALLY thick!  It tasted great as it was, but I hadn't yet added any protein! 

So- I left it as it was, rolled up some leftover thinly sliced turkey neatly into a napkin, poured my smoothie into my nalgene and added a straw, and voila! I had a driving-friendly COMPLETE meal to go... that also happened to be eggless!

THIS:

PLUS THIS:

EQUALS BALANCE!

Give it a try and see what you come up with!

Paleo Recipe in the NY Times.. Well, ALMOST

I was THRILLED to see this in Wednesday's Times... not so much because it's a Paleo recipe (it's not, as it calls for creme fraiche as well as butter and vinegar, all of which are VERY easily replaced with olive oil and lime or lemon juice) but because...

wait for it...

IT DOES NOT HAVE FILLERS AND SUGGESTS SERVING THE FILLET ATOP THE CHARD!

Which is precisely what I've been suggesting all along... BRILLIANT!

Click HERE for the recipe to make Filet of Beef with Swiss Chard

Coconuts here, Coconuts there...Coconuts everywhere!

Coconut water.

Coconut juice.

Coconut milk.

Coconut cream.

Flaked coconut.

Coconut flour.

And... 'just a coconut'!

So many options!  Which are the best?  Which one(s) should you eat and which shouldn't you?

Have ALL of them and DON'T omit any... except for those products which have been tainted (as in: chemically altered or mixed with strange additives like these two examples):

Coconut, Sugar, Water, Propylene Glycol  (Preserves Freshness), Salt, Sodium Metabisulfite  (Retains Coconut Whiteness).

or this:

Ingredients: Coconut Milk, Guar Gum (An Emulsifier).  Product of Thailand.

 

DO try:

 

As well as organic, FAIR TRADE, unrefined coconut oil, coconut butter, plain coconut water and fresh coconut milk/cream if you can find it near you.

I am a HUGE coconut lover and do enjoy some, in one of its natural forms, nearly every single day.

Check out the HUGE list of health benefits from the Coconut Research Center's site!

It's totally Paleo, and totally delicious! 

 

Plaintains- You Don't HAVE to Deep-Fry Them!

The first time I ate plaintains was at a local, authentic Cuban restaurant, years ago, and I remember thinking they were delicious!

   

I'm sure I still would think they're delicious now, BUT, knowing how they're prepped (deep-fried), I'd not opt to eat them like that these days.

However, they are equally as delicious and far healthier when baked with olive oil and Fleur de Sel- keeping in mind that a bit of salt is indicated for Paleo athletes. 

I made them as part of our dinner on Saturday evening, in lieu of our usual training staple, my Paleo Baked Yam 'Fries'...and they were lovely!

• Preheat oven to 450F.
• Peel plaintains and cut into 1" pieces, then place on a lined baking sheet.
• Douse with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
• Cook for 15 - 20 minutes, turning over halfway and then finish with a few minutes under the broiler.
• Let rest under foil for a few minutes before serving.

Save some for the next day, too; they're perfect after your long run or ride! 

DON'T DO THIS:

Another Great Paleo Concoction

One of my blog readers emailed me her version of curried paleo pesto, which sounded so good, I just had to try it myself.

She has kindly agreed to let me share it with you, too....so get ready for some fantastic flavor!

Danielle's Curried Paleo-esto

• 3 cups of baby spinach or any organic greens (a mix of arugula and cress and spinach is really nice)
• 1.5 cups of mixed herbs like fresh basil, cilantro, mint, parsley
• 1.5 cups of raw nuts: walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts
• juice of 1 lemon or lime
• 1/4 cup or less of filtered water
• tumeric, curry powder and pepper to taste
• pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
• enough olive oil to taste and texture

Combine everything in a good blender  and blend until it is the consistency and texture of your liking. (I don't add any oil until after the first lot is blended, then decide if it needs it and how much).

Try it on.. everything!  Veggies, mixed with soft boiled eggs, as a dip for crudite... sky's the (paleo) limit!

Pre-Cooked Rotisserie Chicken... Is It a Good Option?

Hi Nell,
I'm interested in your thoughts on the Whole Foods "Original Recipe" Rotisserie Chicken.  The local Whole Foods  in Boulder, CO has Wednesday's chicken specials and a whole chicken is just $7.99.  This seems like a pretty good deal as it is quick and efficient (especially on a late work or training night) and will be enough for at least two meals for me and my husband.  The original recipe is canola oil, sea salt and cracked black pepper.  The chickens are from Bell & Evans and, although they are not organic, they are all natural, antibiotic free and cage free.  I realize that the canola oil is not necessarily the fat of choice, but given the cost and efficiency of this option what do you think? 

It sounds acceptable but not ideal;  I'd class that as a 'plan B' food, as in, for a once in a while, when you're in a pinch, rather than making it the first choice every single Wednesday.   

Try to optimize for olive oil over canola whenever possible.

Another thing to consider is what sort of packaging it is sold in. One of the local markets here sells roast chicken that sits in plastic containers all day under a heat lamp!  Using plastic in general is something that should be limited or completely nixed, let alone hot plastic that will seep its negative properties into the food it contains.

Try my recipe for trussed chicken in The Paleo Diet Cookbook- it's easy, extremely delicious and makes enough for dinner and breakfast the next day, and maybe even lunch, depending on how many people you're feeding!

Thanks for the inquiry!

 

Beautiful Day

At the top of the world... Got my road bike, bananas, coconut water & a day of riding in the Santa Monica Mtns... What more could I ask for?

What a gift!!