The Nora Gedgaudas Files…

Tags

Autoimmune Protocol, Autoimmunity, Glutathione, Health, Nora Gedgaudas, Nutrition, Paleo, Pete Evans, Vitamin D, Wellness

(Image from here)

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here.

Nora Gedgaudas is one of my health heroes.

It’s fair to say that I’m a BIG fan of hers.

It all started with her book, ‘Primal Body, Primal Mind – Beyond the Paleo Diet for Total Health and a Longer Life’. It was one of the first books I read about how my diet and lifestyle choices could so dramatically affect my health. And – whether it was because of Nora’s pragmatic style of writing. Or, her ability to pare down convoluted science so that a ‘complex terminology phobic’ (technically – a Hellenologophobic!) type like me could understand it. Or, simply that the fates were aligned and I was ready to really, really hear the message and change the way I live. Or, a combination of all three of these factors – her book has become something of a bible for me.

I continue to dip into it frequently and it is full of high-lighted passages and tabs.

One-size-fits-all is a size that fits no one. (Brent Pottenger, foreword of ‘Primal Body, Primal Mind – Beyond the Paleo Diet for Total Health and a Longer Life’)

Brent Pottenger, who wrote the book’s foreword, sums up the key message of the book in his second paragraph – we are all different in our physical make up. One size definitely does not fit all. And, nobody cares as much about your health as you do.

Because of Nora, I first started experimenting with removing grains from my diet. She was the first person to open my eyes to the fact that grain consumption has been linked to things like allergies, food sensitivities, autoimmune issues, mineral deficiencies, celiac disease, and chronic skin disorders (to name but a few). And, I suffer from a chronic skin disorder.

And, at first it was hard. I was a carb’ queen. It never occurred to me that my love of bread was the equivalent of a sugar addiction to my body. Soy linseed sourdough from Sonoma bakery was my not-so-secret vice. I loved it!

But when I removed grains (and, most importantly, gluten) from my diet, I found that chronic skin issues I had suffered from for decades began to improve. Rapidly. And, when I tried to reintroduce the odd bit of bread back into my diet my skin complaints returned. Within 12 hours.

I don’t care what the sceptics say about gluten sensitivity – I am a believer.

The Thyroid Sessions
(Image from here) 

A fortnight or so ago now, I tried to catch a few of the Thyroid Sessions – both because of my Dad’s recent thyroid removal and because our thyroid plays such a big part in the regulation of our hormones. And, of course, Nora’s talk was of particular interest. While her presentation was targeted more towards sufferers of Hashimoto’s (Hypothyroidism), because the disease is autoimmune in nature, much of the information resonated.

Of particular interest to me was Nora’s list of four areas of focus for sufferers of autoimmune complaints. I thought they may be of interest to you, too.

1. Vitamin D (Coupled with Vitamins A and K2)

According to Al Sears, “Vitamin D may be the single most important organic nutrient for your overall health. In fact, if this were a drug, it would be considered the discovery of the century”

Nora reckons our vitamin D levels should sit between 80 to 100 nano-grams per millilitre (ng/ml)* AND that we should also ensure we are getting enough vitamin A (veggies like sweet potato, carrots and spinach) and vitamin K2 (found in grass-fed animal-based products).

Now, in case you’ve forgotten, I live in Sydney. I try to get out in the sunshine every day. But, I still have trouble getting to the recommended levels of vitamin D. In fact, for some reason, my vitamin D levels were dangerously low at one point, which is likely to have been a contributing factor in the development of my autoimmune issues. And – the only way to know if you are getting enough of the sunshine vitamin? – get yourself tested.

 2. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

In her book, Nora says “Few people are aware that omega-3 fatty acids, which include ALA, EPA and DHA, are easily the most deficient nutrients in the modern Western diet. Insufficient intake of these vital and essential dietary components is linked with virtually every modern disease process, weight problem, affective disorder and learning disability.”  The best sources of natural omega-3 fatty acids are from wild-caught seafood – especially cold water fish – and from exclusively grass-fed meats. It matters that you buy your meat from a butcher that can tell you the provenance of the animal.

Here in Sydney, I buy much of my meat from the team at G.R.U.B. for this very reason.

Glutathione

Apparently, glutathione is the body’s most important autoimmune enzyme. And, I have heard something similar in lectures given by Dr Frank Lipman.

Glutathione allows your body to detoxify itself and helps keep you healthy for the long haul. It’s said to be the ultimate in health-support champions.

The best way to optimise your glutathione levels is to combine a nutrient-dense diet with stress-reduction, exercise and smart supplementation.

Bit like the Autoimmune Protocol, really…

And, along with optimising your glutathione levels, Nora recommends upping your turmeric consumption. Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory and super-good for you.

Fat Based Ketogenic Diet

Nora is a huge advocate for a fat based ketonogenic diet (coincidentally, again like the Autoimmune Protocol. Seeing a pattern here?). 

And certainly, as evidenced in ‘Primal Body, Primal Mind’, there are countless studies showing the benefits of avoiding processed foods, avoiding dietary pesticides, avoiding GMO’s, avoiding refined sugar and refined salt, avoiding gluten, consuming naturally grass-fed meats, consuming unprocessed, organic vegetables and greens.

There is also overwhelming evidence for the benefits of a fat-based, ketogenic diet for the treatment of Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease, autoimmunity, diabetes, metabolic disorders. 

If nothing else, reviewing Nora’s 4-pronged approach to autoimmunity has reignited my desire to faithfully stick to my autoimmune protocol for another 30 days before reintroducing potential trigger foods…

Nora Gedgaudas is coming to Australia in July. She’ll be sharing the stage with Pete Evans and Luke Hines. If you’d like to know more, check out The Paleo Way through Eventbrite.

I’ll be at the Sydney session with my dog-eared copy of her book… See you there?

*note this is higher than standard recommendations

I Fell Off the A.I.P. Wagon…

Tags

adversity, AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Blogging, life lesson, Self Sabotage, set backs

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here.

The main thing is keeping the main thing the main thing. – German Proverb

I forgot to keep the main thing the main thing.

It had all been going so well, too. Almost three months on the autoimmune protocol. Feeling great. Sleeping well. Autoimmune symptoms well into remission after over 20 years.

And then I got complacent. Or maybe, life just got in the way.

First, my Mum came to visit from New Zealand. And, because I love my family – and I especially love when they come to visit – I indulged in a little red wine, a little coffee with cream, and some home made chicken liver pate. Bad idea. VERY bad.

Within 12 hours, my autoimmune symptoms were back.

Once you get into a routine of eating healthy, it hurts twice as much when you fall off the wagon. (Carrie Underwood)

Carrie was right.

But, here’s the thing. Rather than getting straight back up and resuming my strict protocol, I made it worse. Talk about self sabotage.

Last weekend, we celebrated my little brother’s birthday. In Auckland. It was a big one. There was a zero on the end of the number. It involved an extended weekend of ‘TSL family time’ (read: seriously good food). I was weak. What can I say? – I’m only human.

And, in the midst of all this visiting, LM and I moved house*. It was a pretty big job. I’m no longer an inner-westie. A lower north shore-y doesn’t have quite the same ring! 

Along with moving, we’re also downsizing. The teenager has moved out. We no longer need such a big house. It’s taking time. More than I would like. Frankly, my new kitchen is still not a place in which I want to spend time. I have yet to find a home for all my stuff. So, the upshot is I haven’t been following my AIP routine – no bone broth bubbling away; no vegetables fermenting; no slow braises on the go.

And, while I haven’t exactly been scoffing down cream doughnuts, I have been familiarising myself with the local cafes. Eggs have featured (a big no-no on the AIP). So has coffee. A little high quality dairy. A little dark chocolate. A few nuts and seeds.

And, as with every form of self sabotage, it’s not complete unless you beat yourself up about it. So, I’ve done that, too!

So today, I’m starting again. Two weeks of strict autoimmune protocol before I start a structured reintroduction process.

And I’m back in blog-land. Sorry for the short absence.

* we still don’t have a landline or internet connection, which goes a small way to explain the lack of blog correspondence. Apologies.

The BIG Move…

Tags

Moving house, New Home, William Morris

(Image source unknown)

Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. (William Morris)

I’ve always loved the sentiment behind this William Morris quote. The new digs are significantly smaller – here goes with attempting to ruthlessly cull all that is not either useful or beautiful…

Back soon x

TSL’s TASTY Tomato-Free (NoMato!) Sauce

Tags

AIP, Allergy free, Autoimmune Protocol, Beetroot, Healthy Recipe, Ketchup, Nightshade Free, Nomato Sauce, Paleo, Sauce, Tomatoes

(Image by TSL)

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here.

Blood may be thicker than water, but it’s certainly not as thick as ketchup. Nor does it go as well with French fries. (Jarod Kintz)

I used to be the queen of tomato-lovers.

Loved ’em. Cooked. Raw. In salads. Served stewed on toast with a few herbs. In a good Caprese. Tomato soup with grilled cheese. With mashed avocado on sourdough toast for breakfast. As the flavour base of many sauces and braises. I’m making myself salivate, here…

I haven’t had a tomato since the start of this AIP caper. Frankly, I miss them. I can do without the bread. I can even do without the cheese. But, tomatoes are such a universal ingredient when you love to cook. Worse, I suspect that – as a nightshade – tomatoes may even be a trigger for some of my not so pleasant autoimmune complaints. And, I’m so scared that this may the case that I’m planning to put off reintroducing them for a while… I can’t face the idea of permanently avoiding tomatoes!

Last Saturday at the markets, there were piles of these beautiful looking beets looking up at me. Without having a clue what I was going to do with them (as is often the way for me at my farmers market expeditions), I picked up a few.

Beetroot is so very good for you – it contains potassium, magnesium and iron as well as vitamins A, B6 and C, and folic acid. Its full of powerful antioxidants and soluble fibre. And, apparently – here’s a fact I did not know – beetroot is an aphrodisiac! Watch out LM!

But, here’s the thing – while I like the taste of beetroot. I don’t love it. I find it kind of earthy, and too much of it is a wee bit overpowering to my palate.

What’s a girl to do with all these beets?

Bella & the Beets!
(Image by TSL)

I could have just made borscht. I know that would have made LM happy. But, it’s just not my favourite thing – beetroot soup.

Since starting AIP, one of the things LM mutters comments about most is the absence of a good sauce or relish for his meatloaf and breakfast hash. I find I don’t miss it – the addition of all the vegetable flavours keeps my taste buds happy. But LM does. So, I had this idea of creating a tomato sauce (ketchup) alternative for him. He is so very good about eating my way.

Of course, any sauce, no matter how good it may turn out to be, needs to be AIP compliant…

So, after googling ‘NoMato Sauce’, and seeing that there seems to be two trains of thought out there in the cyberspace world – roasting or steaming/boiling the vegetable flavour base, I decided to go with roasting. My reasoning? I love the caramel-y flavours that develop with roasting. And, without too much analysis, away I went…

And, you know what? – not bad! Because of all the root vegetables, this nomato sauce has a lovely sweetness to it. And the roasting allows for a good depth of flavour. I stood at my bench scoffing it down with a spoon – which can only be a good thing! LM (aka ‘taste tester’) reckons it will definitely enhance our AIP meatloaf.

Now, in the interests of transparency (and, because I know my Dad will point it out to me), this is not a substitute for old-fashioned ketchup. It doesn’t taste at all tomato-y (which shouldn’t be a surprise, but you never know!) So, it’s a great tasting flavour addition to protein. But, it’s not tomato sauce. Watties and Heinz have nothing to fear… (although, perhaps they should investigate a nightshade free equivalent!)

TSL's TASTY NoMato Sauce

• Servings: 3 Jars (technical term)
• Time: 60 minutes
• Difficulty: easy-peasey
• Print

Ingredients

2 large beets, peeled
2 large carrots, peeled
1 large sweet potato/kumara
1 large onion, peeled
5 large cloves garlic, unpeeled
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
a decent handful of fresh parsley
10 fresh sage leaves (approximately)
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup water, filtered

Method

1. Heat oven to 180°C/360°F.

2. Chop your beets, carrots, kumara and into 1 1/2 cm cubes. Chop your onion. Throw them all into a large roasting dish. Add your unpeeled cloves of garlic.

3. Toss with a couple of spoons of coconut oil, sprinkle generously with salt. Roast for about 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender. I give them a good shake half way through.

4. Remove vegetables from oven. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Pick out the roasted garlic. Squash with a fork to remove the lovely flesh. Throw the roasted vegetables and garlic into your food processor. Add herbs, remaining coconut oil, apple cider vinegar and filtered water. Give it a good whiz until pureed (you may have to stop the machine and scrape the sides with a spatula to get everything).

5. Taste for seasoning. Add freshly ground salt and pepper and a dash more of apple cider vinegar if your taste buds tell you to.

5. Store in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

E N J O Y !

This recipe features in the Phoenix Helix AIP Recipe Roundtable.

The One About Housekeeping (and Some Gratitude!)…

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Blogging, Diet, Format Change, Gratitude, Health, Nutrition, Thank You

(Image from here)

I hate housework. You make the beds, you wash the dishes and six months later you have to start all over again. (Joan Rivers)

A two-pronged post today. A wee bit of an administrative update. And then, some gratitude. From me to you…

First up – administration…

I had my Mum visiting from New Zealand last week. She came without Dad, which was unusual. But it did provide a different dynamic. Funny how that happens.

We had a lovely time. Like my Dad, Mum’s a fan of the blog. Only she’s not quite as confident with technology as he is. She mentioned that sometimes she finds it difficult to find recipes that she remembers from earlier posts. So, I’ve added a recipe index page. All my recipes are now listed in one convenient spot so you don’t have to go hunting for them.

You can access them through the TSL Recipe Vault link at the top of the page.

And then, because I was on a bit of a roll with the recipe index AND because TSL is now in its third year, I thought perhaps a page of my most popular posts ever may be in order… Just in case you’re interested!

Some of these are remarkably consistent in their popularity. Jamie’s lamb shanks post STILL gets more hits than any other. Unsurprising really – his recipes just work. And, Luke’s osso buco isn’t far behind. It’s still LM’s preferred go-to recipe (especially as we hurtle towards winter down here in the southern hemisphere). But, the very talented Dan Golden and his ‘Positive Energy’ remains a favourite, too. Just goes to show that clever humour is always in style…

If you’d like to know what people keep coming back to, check out my TSL’s Greatest Hits page link at the top of the page. I’ll keep this page updated as the landscape changes. Checking out some of the older posts made me a touch nostalgic..

And now, for some gratitude…

Something’s going right here in TSL land. Numbers are up – almost double in under a month – and I’m having fun sharing more foodie-oriented musings. Especially at the moment on this crazy caper that is the Autoimmune Protocol.

I want to say a HUGE thank you to you for your support in continuing to check in here with such regularity. It makes writing my posts so much fun – especially when you comment (or e-mail or call).

Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude. (A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh)

I’ve made so many wonderful connections through this wee blog. This blogging escapade has opened up a whole new world of interesting and supportive people around the globe. And, every day it is different.

You just never know who’s going to swing by.

And I owe it to you. So – again – thank you. Please don’t stop!

On a personal note…

I’m studying this year.

This interest in how diet (and lifestyle) impacts on my health has become a bit of a passion for me. As I pick my way through all that I’m learning and try on different theories to see what resonates most, I’m posting some of the articles that are of particular interest onto my This Sydney Life Facebook wall. There are some common themes – mostly around gut health and auto-immunity, but the way the food pyramid is failing us also features! If that sounds like it may be something that tickles your fancy, I’d love for you to swing by and check it out. Please don’t be shy about ‘liking’ the page, either!

Well, that’s all for today. Regular transmissions will resume later this week!

The Autoimmune Protocol – an Update

Tags

AIP, AIP Reintroduction, Autoimmune Protocol, Clean Eating, Dairy allergy, Elimination Diet, Gluten Free, Paleo, Phoenix Helix, Weight Loss, Woody Harrelson

…except I don’t live in Hawaii and I’m am not vegan. Also, I eat animal protein, cook my food and can’t remember the last time I smoked pot…! But, otherwise – we’re almost like twins, really.
(Image from here)

Here in TSL-land, we’ve now been on the Autoimmune Protocol for ten weeks. I know – ten whole weeks! I can hardly believe it. And during that time, while LM has fallen off the wagon every now and then, I’ve been pretty religious about following the protocol.

In case you need a wee reminder, that means:

• No eggs 
• No nuts
• No seeds (including cocoa, coffee – yes, coffee! – and seed-based spices)
• No nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, capsicums, chillies, cayenne, and all spices derived from peppers, including paprika)
• No fructose consumption in excess of 20g per day (that’s a couple of pieces of fruit)
• No alcohol
• No NSAIDS (like aspirin or ibuprofen)
• No non-nutritive sweeteners (yes, all of them)
• Cutting out all other food additives

The pros:

All in all, I have to say, it has been much easier than I expected. The food is fresh, clean and tasty. I’m never left hungry – thanks to the fat content. It’s not complicated to prepare. And, as long as I have a fridge stocked with a variety of fresh veggies and happy protein, I don’t struggle with what to eat at all.

I have become the master (mistress?) of both slow braises and of the veggie hash for breakfast. Homemade lacto-fermented vegetables are eaten daily. Bone broth is always in my fridge. I’ve discovered the magic that is frozen banana ice cream. Even though I ate a reasonable amount of vegetables before AIP, I reckon I’ve about tripled it. In fact, I now actively look for opportunities to eat more vegetables. I’m eating a greater variety, too. And that can only be a good thing.

Surprisingly, because people tend to associate a ‘Paleo’ style diet with high quantities of animal protein, my protein consumption has actually gone down. All those vegetables!

In addition, my sleep is much better. I wake feeling refreshed. I’m not waking during the night. And, while I didn’t realise it before, I think I’m a nicer person to be around. Less anxious, maybe? I don’t seem to sweat the small stuff as much.

As for my autoimmune issues? Or, at least the one I knew about – completely in remission on the Autoimmune Protocol. Gone. After 23 years. Pretty powerful stuff.

Oh – and, I’ve lost 6 kilos. Slow and steady wins the race, they say!

The cons:

Although the regime has been easier than I expected, it does have some drawbacks. I think the biggest one is that you really do have to spend time in the kitchen. For me, this isn’t a hardship. I love to cook. And, it is possible to spend a few hours over the weekend preparing food for the week ahead. My sister does this every Sunday – so, I know its do-able. Batch cooking truly is your friend.

Its hard on your social life. I think we’ve been to a restaurant twice in the last ten weeks. Dining out with all these dietary restrictions is almost impossible. For me, the way around this is to entertain at home. But, when I consider that LM and I were, until recently, known amongst our friends as the foodies who dined out all the time, life is very different now.

Re-introduction takes time and must be controlled. When I started this protocol, I already ate pretty clean. I knew I had an issue with gluten, so that wasn’t a big deal for me. This past weekend, my Mum has been visiting from New Zealand. I decided, after over 9 weeks of this caper, that I would indulge in some red wine, some coffee (with cream) and some homemade chicken liver pâté made with cultured ghee… BAD IDEA! Something in that medley of yumminess did not agree with me. Within 12 hours, my autoimmune symptoms were back. I’m pretty confident it was the dairy (and – please, please, PLEASE – not the red wine or the coffee), but I just don’t know for sure. So, its back on the strict protocol for two more weeks before I start reintroducing foods one at a time and in a controlled fashion.

And, just like magic…

As if she read my mind, the very talented Eileen over at Phoenix Helix has literally just this week launched an e-book on Reintroducing Foods on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol. I think she must be psychic. Are you psychic, Eileen? The book provides a step-by-step guide to reintroducing foods in a structured and controlled way. And, she provides recipes. I suspect it may become my bible over the coming weeks.

I’ll keep you posted…