The End of an Era and a New Beginning…

Tags

Autoimmune Protocol, Change, End of an era, Health, Health Coaching, Joanna Frankham Coaching, joannafrankham.com

Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore. (L. Frank Baum)

Today marks the last post for ‘This Sydney Life’. Yep. The last post. Ever.

And, it feels weird to write that sentence. This blog, my ‘starter blog’, has given me so much over the past three years…

And, anybody who blogs will know what I mean.

When I started ‘This Sydney Life’, I had no idea where it would lead. No idea that I would give up more than twenty years in corporate human resources to pursue more study and a change in career direction. No idea that I would work out that my two-plus decades of chronic skin issues would finally be diagnosed as an autoimmune issue and lead me – after much research – to a radical change in diet, lifestyle and career. And, most of all, I had no idea I would meet so many wonderful people from around the globe through my wee starter blog.

Some of you have become cyber-friends. Some have become real world friends. And some are a combination of both…

‘This Sydney Life’ has been an amazing ride and I am so grateful.

And in case you’re curious…

This post will be my 434th. That’s an average of 2.7 posts per week. I’ve worked out that I quite like posting twice a week.

At the time of writing 376,250 people have checked out ‘This Sydney Life’. There have been 6,251 comments.

My most popular post ever is Luke Mangan’s SERIOUSLY GOOD Osso Buco. He even trumps Jamie Oliver!

A pessimist is someone who has forgotten the joy of beginning. (Marty Rubin)

If you happen to be one of the peeps who check in with me regularly, you’ll know that for the past couple of years I’ve been on a pretty comprehensive health caper.

And, it’s been genuinely life changing.

So much so, that I made the decision to study at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. In February I qualified as a Health Coach.

Health Coach – A Health Coach is knowledgeable adviser who provides ongoing support and guidance as you set goals and make sustainable changes that improve your health and happiness. If you were place your health on a continuum, a Health Coach would be the bridge between needing to see your doctor and optimal health.

In my previous career in human resources, the bits of my role I loved more than anything were when I had the opportunity to make a difference to a person’s life by helping them navigate their world a little more clearly. I think many of us (including me!) are guilty of over-thinking things that go on in our own worlds.

One of my best things is the ability to work with people to unpack some of this confusion and create a clearer path.

So, today I’m pleased to announce that I’m launching Joanna Frankham Coaching.

I’m helping people transform their lives by taking a look at what’s working for them now and making it better.

Some of that’s about food. Some of it is about looking at lifestyle factors that may need tweaking. But, most of all, it’s about finding individual solutions for each client. Because we’re all different.

I’m excited about where it may lead.

And, I’ll still be blogging. Just in a different place. I’ll continue to post recipes and health and wellness tips, along with sharing any other tidbits I think may be of interest to you.

I’m really hoping you’ll choose to follow me over to joannafrankham.com and continue what we’ve started here. You don’t have to do anything. At some stage over the next day or so, all my TSL posts will transfer across to the new site. A little bit of inter web magic.

Oh – and I’ll also be launching a fortnightly newsletter with my coaching practice, too. If you choose to subscribe (and, I’d love to invite you to do just that!), you’ll be able to receive these straight to your inbox.

The newsletter will keep you posted on what’s happening on the blog, but they’ll also be full of other stuff, too – articles on health and wellness, and giveaways.

Featuring some of TSL’s most popular recipes

And, to say thanks for signing up for my newsletter, I’ll send you a link to download my free eBook featuring some of my most popular recipes.

Before I sign off today, I want to say a HUGE thank you to you for following my starter blog here at ‘This Sydney Life’. I’ve had so much fun.

I hope to see you soon over at joannafrankham.com.

x

The Shame of Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Tags

Acne Inversa, Autoimmune Protocol, Autoimmunity, Brené Brown, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, I Thought it Was Just Me - Women Reclaiming Power and Courage in a Culture of Shame, Sarah Ballantyne, Skin Disease, Tara Chester Grant

(Original image from here)

I’m about half way through Brené Brown’s “I Thought it Was Just Me – Women Reclaiming Power and Courage in a Culture of Shame”. It’s a compelling read. A REALLY compelling read.

(Image from here)

It is teaching me a lot. And it’s making me think…

For the longest time I never talked about the fact that I suffer from Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS). I just told people I had ‘skin problems’.

And, I’d hazard a guess that unless you, or someone you love, suffers from the disease, you’ve probably never heard of it. HS is a chronic and painful skin condition that features pea-sized to marble-sized lumps under the skin. These deep-seated lumps typically develop where skin rubs together. Places like the armpits, groin, between the buttocks and under the breasts. In many cases, tunnels connecting the lumps will form under the skin, too. Sometimes these lumps can last months or even years.

And most doctors don’t know what HS is. So, in many cases it remains undiagnosed. For years. Decades, even.

HS is the primary reason I started this autoimmune protocol (AIP) caper. It has turned out to be one of my better life decisions.

But here’s the thing. Despite the fact that AIP has worked, what feels like a miracle, on my HS symptoms; I am learning that my some 20-plus years of this hideous disease really did a number on my self-esteem. More than I ever acknowledged to myself.

Because having HS made me feel ashamed.

Shame: the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing we are flawed and therefore unworthy of acceptance and belonging.

HS makes you feel dirty. It makes you feel embarrassed. And, most of all, it makes you feel ashamed.

Brené Brown nails it when she explains one of the reasons shame is so powerful is that it has the ability to make you feel very alone. Like you are the only one, or somehow you’re different from everyone else.

Not such a big leap when even doctors can’t tell you what your weird and painful lumps are…

In fact, I had more than one doctor suggest to me that I was unclean. True story. Anybody who knows me, knows just how ridiculous that suggestion is, but you can imagine the impact of a doctor saying this to a young woman with unsightly and painful lumps in awkward places.

I know now, that other HS sufferers have experienced similar suggestions when talking with medical professionals who had no idea what they were dealing with.

 

And, if even doctors can’t identify your very personal problem (or fix it), why would you talk to anyone else about your symptoms?

Is it any wonder that HS makes you feel ashamed?

But if shame is about the fear of disconnection, then sharing common experiences with others who understand can be an unbelievably profound and inclusive experience.

When we hear stories that mirror our own stories, it helps us to know we aren’t alone.

But, there is a risk in this…

 

When you live with HS, you live in fear of being seen. So, it takes a lot of courage to come out and tell your story to others.

For me, the turning point came when I stumbled across a book called ‘The Hidden Plague’ by fellow HS-sufferer Tara Chester Grant. She was the one who gave me a name for my twenty-plus years of undiagnosed painful lumps. I owe Tara a huge debt of thanks.

Tara’s book, coupled with Sarah Ballantyne’s, ‘The Paleo Approach’ showed me an alternative route to mitigating my HS symptoms.  Not only did that approach work for me, but along the way, I’ve found a whole tribe of HS peeps. And, an even bigger group of autoimmune sufferers who are following the autoimmune protocol to improve their AI symptoms.

I haven’t got all the answers, but I know a lot more about it than I used to. And, I’d even go so far as to say I know a lot more about HS than many doctors.

It’s that self-esteem bit that remains a work-in-progress…

If you think you might be suffering from HS, a couple of closed Facebook support groups I recommend you might like to join are:

~ The HS Diet Connection

~ HS Elimination Diet Support

And, if you haven’t yet come across the ridiculously compelling and charismatic Brené Brown, I urge you to check out her website. You can access both her TED talks there, too…

Brené Brown’s Website!

I’d like to invite Brene to a dinner party. I wonder how she’d get on with Noel Fielding? – He’s on my ‘dinner party guest list’, too!
(Image from here)

 

 

Could You Have Pyrrole Disorder?

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Hemepyrrole, kryptopyrroluria, Mauve Factor, MTHFR, Pyroluria, Pyrrole Disorder, Signs of Pyrrole Disorder

What is Pyrrole Disorder?

Pyrrole Disorder is a reasonably common metabolic condition that occurs when pyrrole, a key part of haemoglobin, is overproduced by the liver. It causes anxiety, depression and withdrawal. It is a genetic disorder.

Now, I’m no scientist, but from what I can get my head around, kryptopyrroles, are a by-product of the synthesis of haemoglobin in your blood and produced in your liver. Most people get rid of too many kryptopyrroles by flushing them out when they pee (technical term!). But, if they build up to an excessive level, they bind to zinc and vitamin B6, which in turn causes blockages in the receptors for these two important nutrients. This results in you ridding yourself of necessary zinc and B6 when you pee. And, this can be the cause of a major deficiency in Vitamin B6 and Zinc (and some other nutrients, too).

And, in case you’re wondering, zinc and B6 are seriously important nutrients for producing all your proteins including enzymes, hormones and neurotransmitters required by your body’s organs, muscle and connective tissue. Deficiency affects the functioning of your entire body and mind, including immune system, digestion, cognitive functioning and your emotions.

The big issue is that the deficiency in zinc and B6 is so extreme that it can’t be fixed by just eating foods high in these two nutrients.

Just a few symptoms, then?

I was tested for Pyrrole Disorder a couple of years ago, primarily because of two seemingly unrelated symptoms – I’ve been going grey since I was about 19, and I didn’t remember my dreams. Ever. I was a bit of a stress-head and I suspected an intolerance to gluten, as well.

But, as you can see from the info-graphic (above) there are many other signs and symptoms associated with Pyrrole Disorder.

How does Pyrrole Disorder manifest?

It is widely believed that the catalyst for Pyrrole Disorder is usually a particularly stressful event or time in your life. It is strongly aggravated by prolonged stress and it occurs more frequently in women than in men. Oh, joy.

It’s important to recognise that stress can mean different things to different people. Chronic infection in infancy, childhood or adolescence is a cause of stress. Environmental toxins are a form of stress. For some, a poor diet and digestive problems that cause intestinal inflammation or leaky gut syndrome are a form of stress.

Sufferers may also often have frequent unexplained infections. They can also experience a variety of serious ailments and degenerative diseases for years despite being health conscious.

The effect of Pyrrole Disorder can be anything from mild to severe. It really depends on the level of the imbalance in zinc and B6. For most people, symptoms can include poor stress control, nervousness, anxiety, mood swings, severe inner tension, episodic anger (an explosive temper), poor short-term memory and depression. In my case, I was a  m a s s i v e  worrier. I worried about worrying. And, I was in denial about it!

In Pyrrole Disorder sufferers, the ability to create serotonin (a neurotransmitter that reduces anxiety and depression) is compromised, since vitamin B6 is an important factor in its synthesis.

So, I have Pyrrole Disorder. What now?

It is estimated that as many as 10-15% of the population suffers from Pyrrole Disorder. And, once you have it, it is a lifelong condition. If undiagnosed, symptoms tend to worsen with age and stress.

Zinc and vitamin B6 need to be supplemented, usually for the rest of one’s life.

It also seems that, unlike the average person, Pyrrole Disorder sufferers need more quality omega-6 fatty acids than other people. Think happy poultry and nuts.

And, inadvertently it looks like my Autoimmune Protocol approach is exactly the right thing to implement to manage my Pyrrole Disorder symptoms – completely grain free and anti-inflammatory – to improve digestion and gut health. The protocol also has me moving regularly, managing stress and ensuring I get enough sleep. All important if you have a positive diagnosis for Pyrrole Disorder. 

I can say – unequivocally – my general mood and attitude is significantly improved since commencing the AIP. Strange but true!

If you suspect you might have Pyrrole Disorder, it is very important to have an accurate diagnosis from a urine test before you begin any treatment. The test checks for elevated level of kryptopyrroles, which are unstable and will disappear rapidly at room temperature or if exposed to bright light. Many of the symptoms associated with the disorder can also be associated with other conditions. Self-prescribing high doses of any supplements can cause any number of other problems and it is also possible that you could mask something else by treating the symptoms but not identifying the underlying cause. Please talk to your doctor.

How to Prepare for and Recover from a Colonoscopy (While on The Autoimmune Protocol)

Tags

AIP, Autoimmine Protocol, Bone Broth, Bowel Cancer, Colonoscopy, Digestive Health, Disease Prevention, Paleo, Stewed peaches

So, if you’re of a delicate disposition, look away now.

Chicken!

No, seriously. Maybe you should read this one.

Because this one is about preparing for a colonoscopy, which is an important health procedure. While on the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), no less. Although, this preparation could just as easily be for anyone having a colonoscopy who is concerned about what they eat. And, while it’s not for the squeamish, I promise I won’t get too down and dirty on you.

What is a colonoscopy, anyway?

Colonoscopy: A procedure allowing a Gastroenterologist to comprehensively examine your large intestine (colon). An endoscope equipped with a video camera is passed via the rectum through the full length of the colon. Biopsies (tissue samples) can be taken for pathology testing and polyps can also be removed during the procedure.

Many of us will experience the indignity of a colonoscopy at some point in our lives.

In Australia, bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer. It affects 1 in 12 Australians in their lifetime. And, New Zealand is no better. In fact, between them, New Zealand and Australia have the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world. So chances are that you, or someone you know, will be affected in some way by the disease. In my family, it’s rampant. This is my third colonoscopy. And, I have yet to reach the standard screening age of 50.

And, if you have unidentified digestive complaints – common in many autoimmune diseases – a colonoscopy will often be scheduled to ‘check things out’.

See why a colonoscopy can be so important?

Frankly, the worst part of the colonoscopy isn’t the procedure. You’re sedated for that bit. No. The worst part is the 48 or so hours leading up to the procedure. The bit where you’re clearing out your colon so that it’s squeaky clean for the camera…

And this bit can be broken into 3 stages.

Stage 1: two days before your procedure. Otherwise known as the ‘You-know-it’s-coming-but-if-you’re-prepared-it-isn’t-so-bad-stage’

During this stage, you are limited to a low fibre diet. You know what has lots of fibre? Vegetables. So, this is almost the antithesis of what you normally eat on the Autoimmune Protocol. Forget about filling your plate with greens today.

In bright RED letters on your patient information form, you are instructed to avoid brown bread, high fibre cereals yellow cheese… all good so far. But then also – vegetables, fruit, any food containing seeds or nuts.

You are also instructed to drink at least 12 glasses of water or clear apple juice.

The following foods are some examples of recommended foods for stage I:

• corn flakes
• white bread or toast with margarine and Vegemite
• tinned fruit without the skin
• white bread sandwiches with chicken, beef, fish, eggs or white cheese
• Ginger ale
• White pasta
• Plain biscuits or sponge cake

Stage II: the day before your procedure Also known as ‘The-stage-where-you-are-housebound’. Really.

You are instructed to eat no solid foods and no dairy products. You may consume clear fluids only. Things like Bonox or Gatorade are encouraged. As is yellow or orange diet jelly. Oh goody!

And then the real fun begins. PicoPrep fun.

PicoPrep Fun…
(Image by TSL)

PicoPrep, also known as sodium picosulfate, is a powder dissolved into liquid and taken orally that produces a watery bowel motion that empties and cleanses your bowel prior to examination. It causes you to frequently and urgently make a mad dash to your bathroom. In my family, we call it ‘squirt juice’. I probably don’t need to say any more about it except that when I went to purchase my PicoPrep for this procedure, the pharmacist asked me if I needed any super-soft loo paper and Sorbolene…

This is the worst stage of the procedure. By far.

Stage III: the day of your procedure. ‘Sleepy-Time’.

Assuming your procedure is in the morning, and frankly – the earlier the better, after enjoying a hearty breakfast of… well, nothing. Not even any water. And, of course, having a slightly tender nether region from all those trips to the loo. Then, today is pretty painless, really.

Your nearest and dearest drives you to the surgery rooms where you check in. If you’re lucky, your health insurance will cover the procedure. You’re then directed to a cubicle where you strip off and pop yourself into a hospital gown and lie down on a gurney until it’s time for your procedure. You’ll be asked about your preparation process. The anaesthetist will come and have a wee chat. And then, you’ll be wheeled into the theatre. You’ll be asked to count backwards from 10…. and, before you realise it, you’ll be waking up in your cubicle again.

Simples!

Unfortunately, I can’t make the PicoPrep part of your procedure any easier. I wish I could. I REALLY wish I could.

What I can do, is help you a little with sticking as closely to the AIP while undergoing the process. Here’s what I do…

Low fibre food is the go in the lead up to your procedure. And, any seasoned AIPer knows that preparation is e v e r y t h i n g. So I plan ahead.

I poach a whole chook – I buy a pasture raised chook, cover it with water and throw in a few bay leaves, before bringing it to the boil. I reduce it to a simmer and walk away for 90 minutes. The cooked chook is removed from it’s broth and set aside to cool sufficiently to handle. Once cool, I’ll remove the meat from the bones, saving both separately.

That poached chicken is the foundation of my stage I eating plan.

I make bone broth from the leftover chook bones – If I’m sufficiently organised, I’ll have extra chook carcasses in the freezer. They’ll go into the pressure cooker with the leftover bones from my poached chook. I follow Simone from Zenbelly’s instructions on making pressure cooker bone broth, but if you’d like to make it conventionally, here’s a post on how to make bone broth.

That chicken bone broth is the foundation of my stage II eating plan. (If you can call consuming liquids eating.)

I also hard boil some happy eggs – I’ve successfully reintroduced eggs. They are not part of the initial elimination plan. If you tolerate eggs, hard-boiled are just about the easiest, most portable way to get a high protein snack. Pop a few room temperature eggs into a saucepan. Cover them with cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes. Easy!

I stew some peaches – you’re ‘allowed’ tinned peaches as part of your low fibre diet day. I can’t remember eating tinned peaches as an adult. I remember we used to have them on summer holidays as a kid. They are definitely a comfort food for me.

Of course, so much better if, rather than commercially produced peaches in syrup with extra sugar, you stew your own. It’s easy and much better for you.

I made a LOT of stewed peaches…!
(Image by TSL)

Small segue – ever since reading Jo Robinson’s Eating on the Wild Side, I always opt for white peaches over yellow if I can.

White-fleshed peaches and nectarines have twice as many bionutrients as yellow-fleshed varieties. (Jo Robinson, ‘Eating on the Wild Side’)

To make my stewed peaches (admittedly not the prettiest dish I have ever made), I must first remove the skins. No skins allowed on a low fibre diet. I simply score a cross in the bottom of each of my peaches with a knife. I drop each peach into a pot of simmering water for about a minute. I pull them out with tongs and set aside until cool enough to handle. The skins will peel away easily. The peaches are then chopped, stones removed, before being popped back into the empty pot with a little water and brought to a simmer until soft. They taste remarkably good!

I also splash out and buy some organic, clear apple juice – and I drink it with water. Half and half. It’s my wee splurge to get over the boredom of straight water and broth, and reward to myself for going through this awfulness that is the PicoPrep.

And, that’s about it for the cooking preparation.

For me, the focus is on maintaining my whole-food diet, to the limited extent that I can, and at the same time not compromising on the preparation for the procedure. I don’t want to have to do it all again!

The REAL work comes after the procedure…

The nature of a colonoscopy is such that your colon is cleaned out good and proper. And, it seems we are learning more every day about just how important all that bacteria in your gut actually is.

So, I aim to repopulate my gut as quickly and efficiently as I can. Here’s what I’m doing this time around:

• continuing to up my bone broth consumption
• eating more nutrient dense offal
• ensuring fermented veggies  feature at every meal
• getting outside in direct sunlight every day
• walking barefoot in the grass
• sleeping
• taking a good broad-spectrum multi-strain probiotic

Have I left anything out? Are there any other steps you take to ensure your body bounces back from a colonoscopy? I’d love to hear…

Make Cooking Your (Next) Hobby

Tags

Cooking, food, Healthy Cooking, Hobbies, Hobby, Learn to cook, Sugar

If you want to get healthy, make cooking your(next) hobby!

I’m going to get mildly provocative for a moment and just put it out there that I believe you need to cook if you want to get really healthy. And, the corollary of that is, of course, that this will involve spending time in your kitchen. Unless you have as much money as Oprah, and have your own personal chef.

I have discussed this belief of mine on more than one occasion with The Paleo PI, most recently at our last Autoimmune Protocol Picnic. I quite like talking with PI. He’s male, and I’m not. He lives in a different city to me. And, there’s almost 20 years between us. He almost always gives me a different perspective. And he happens to be a great guy…

PI reckons he’s not much of a cook. I think he’s a little on the modest side. He’s successfully cooked for me, after all.

And – like anything – cooking takes practise. The more you do it, the better you get. And, given I happen to have a few years on PI, I’ve had a little more time to practise!

I didn’t start really cooking until I turned 30. Until then, I just ate!

I’ve mentioned before that my Mum is a great cook. We ate very well as a family growing up. My Mum’s chicken liver pâté remains a firm favourite for all of us. My annual birthday meal request was always filet of beef with Mum’s béarnaise sauce, usually served with duck-fat roast potatoes and green beans. And, I am still mourning the fact that I will never experience one of her 100% homemade Christmas mince tarts again (made with the shortest of gluten-filled pastry). They are so, so, SO good!*

But me, I didn’t really start to cook until I turned about 30. Don’t get me wrong, I loved to eat. Still do! But, cooking wasn’t really my thing during my traveling 20’s. I was too busy to do much more than reheat.

And, reheating is not cooking.

Now, I can’t help but wonder if I had cooked more and eaten out less; if I had taken more notice of what I was choosing to put into my mouth; if I had been more mindful about my food choices, would I still have had the same autoimmune issues…?

I suspect the answer is: probably. It’s never that simple. But, it has definitely contributed.

(Image from here)

I happen to quite like the actual craft of cooking. I definitely love eating good food. But, for me the real enjoyment is about the whole process – selecting the freshest seasonal and local produce at the markets, talking with the farmers (and sometimes the butchers) to understand where my meat comes from, learning about the nutrient density of the food I am ingesting, and the knowledge that the food I am preparing for those I love is doing them good.

And, occasionally, I like satisfying LM’s sweet tooth with a healthier version of traditional deserts and ice creams. And, in his case, this always means dairy free.

But, you don’t have to love cooking to make it your hobby.

You just need to want to make healthy choices. And, you can’t make healthy choices if you are always dining out or eating out of packets.

I dragged LM off to see That Sugar Film earlier in the week (I recommend the film!). Did you know that there is sugar added to approximately 80% of all products sold in an Australian supermarket? And that’s before we even start talking added preservatives, GMO foods, trans fats and other nasties.

‘That Sugar Film’ Q & A at the Orpheum cinema
(Image by TSL)

Do yourself a favour and spend some (more) time in your kitchen this week.

Commit to it. If you’re not a cook, start slow. Start easy. Make some bone broth. Make a frittata. Make a Jamie Oliver Inspired Four Hour Lamb (If you leave off making the gravy, it only has 3 ingredients!)

Do you cook? Have you made cooking your hobby? I’d love to hear what your thoughts are on this topic!

*Maybe I’ll start working on a gluten-free version…?

The Great Sydney AIP Picnic!

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, community, Diet, food, Health, Lifestyle, Sydney

The Three Amigos
Rory from The Paleo PI
Jo (me!) from This Sydney Life
Kirstie from The Nutritionista
(Image by TSL)

What do you get when you mix ten followers of the Autoimmune Protocol with five kids and three puppies in the Sydney Botanical Gardens on a Sunday afternoon in March? – The inaugural Sydney ‘AIP Supper Club’ Picnic!

After the success of our first ever Australian AIP Supper Club shindig last November; Rory (from The Paleo PI), Kirstie (from The Nutritionista) and I thought it would be a great idea to extend our group to fellow AIPers in the general Sydney vicinity.

We had no idea what to expect, but we put the call out over social media to join the three of us for our first extended AIP Picnic (and crossed our fingers that it wouldn’t rain)…

The invitation…

What can I tell you?

We had a blast!

Such a great time! I’m not sure about you, but I reckon’ its a pretty big call to turn up for a picnic with a bunch of people you’ve never met, and may have only ‘seen’ on the internet.

So – to those of you who took the plunge and came along to the picnic, we say…

Thank you!

It was so wonderful to meet fellow AIP peeps and swap war stories with others who get it, over food you know you can actually eat without the worry of experiencing a flare.

Picnicking AIP Style…
(Image by TSL)

Everybody brought a plate. And, we dined very well!

Kirstie’s AIP Celebration Chicken Salad rocked! Rory’s always popular Bacon Wrapped Dates made the trip up from Canberra with him. We had a lovely selection of meat balls, sweet potato and spinach patties and fruit.

Super special mention and a HUGE shout out must go to the lovely Alaena from Grazed and Enthused.  We had two recipes from Alaena’s fabulous blog featured at our picnic – Avocado Carob Fudge and Cranberry Relish Meatballs. Did you realise you’re so famous in Sydney, Alaena?

Wanna see what I took along…?

Cranberry Relish Meatballs
Recipe from Grazed and Enthused
Recommended by TSL!
(Image by LM for TSL)

AIP Gingerbread People
Recipe by Tyler over at Primitive Homemaker
Also recommended by TSL
(Image by LM for TSL)

Anybody can sympathize with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathise with a friend’s success. (Oscar Wilde)

It was heart warming to hear of the successes people are experiencing through implementing healthy and positive changes to their diets and lifestyles. And, for me, it reinforced that the choices I am making are definitely the right ones for my health.

Some of the Sydney AIP Picnic Gang
(Image by TSL)

We’ll be holding another picnic and will keep you posted. Do feel free to leave a message if you’d like to be included in the next invitation mail out.

We’d love to see you there!

 

What’s the Deal with Coffee…?

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Coffee, Coffee and health, Dairy Free Creamer, Health, Paleo

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my coffee.

I really love it. I even wrote about how much I love it back in October of last year when I finally successfully reintroduced coffee back into my diet.

After nine e n t i r e months off the black gold, no less…

At the time I was drinking it with my BEST Homemade Dairy-Free Creamer. Now, I have one cup a day with some good quality runny cream. I am a happy girl.

It is sublime!

But, here’s the thing. Coffee affects people in different ways.

Even the very knowledgable Chris Kresser says he considers “coffee to be a gray-area food, and by that I mean that the scientific research suggests that it’s beneficial when it’s well tolerated by the individual, but it’s not always well tolerated.”

And, people are often a little confused about this. So, today we’re looking at just what the deal is with coffee.

I like coffee because it gives me the illusion that I might be awake. (Lewis Black)

The good:

* Coffee is a known stimulant. In the brain, it apparently blocks the function of an inhibitory neurotransmitter (brain hormone) called adenosine. By blocking adenosine, caffeine actually increases activity in the brain and the release of other neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and dopamine. This makes us feel more alert.

*Caffeine can boost metabolism

*Coffee contains a pretty reasonable amount of several vitamins and minerals. It is also the biggest source of antioxidants in the standard diet. To be fair, this possibly says more about the state of the standard diet than the health benefits of coffee.

*It smells good. It tastes good. It makes you feel good!

The bad:

*When you consume coffee, your cortisol levels rise, along with other stress hormones like epinephrine and norepinephrine. This increase can last anything up to six hours. That’s a lot. These chemicals increase your body’s heart rate, blood pressure and tension levels – that ‘fight or flight’ response. Given the increasingly stressful lives we now lead, increasing ‘fight or flight’ reactions can be a big problem. Excessive cortisol production can lead to a variety of health issues, including an overactive immune system, disrupted sleep, impaired digestion, and depression.

*Coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant that can cause problems in some people and disrupt sleep.

*Drinking coffee on an empty stomach, think first thing in the morning, stimulates hydrochloric acid production. This can be a problem because HCl should only be produced to digest meals. If your body has to make HCl more often in response to regular cups of coffee, it may have difficulty producing enough to deal with a large meal.

Black Gold!
(Image from here)

Sarah Ballantyne, my go-to girl on all things autoimmune related, is in agreement with Chris Kresser with regard to individual differences in our ability to deal with coffee. She says, “Those people with autoimmune diseases should take special care with consumption of coffee as their systems are particularly sensitive to irritants and they have a much higher likelihood of an immune response to coffee (because they have a much higher likelihood of gluten intolerance and food sensitivities in general). Overall, coffee gets the “proceed with caution” label.”

So, after a nine-month hiatus from drinking coffee while attempting to heal my poor ailing gut and kick this HS problem to the side-line, I will continue to drink my morning coffee. Because I love it and I don’t seem to experience any particular negative effects from one cup. But, I will limit it to one. And, I’ll keep a weather eye out…

What do you think about coffee?

‘I Can’t Believe it’s Liver!’ Duck Liver, Thyme and Orange Pâté

Tags

AIP, AIP on the go, Autoimmune Protocol Reintroduction, Duck Liver, Health, Liver, Nutrition, Offal, Pate, Travelling with AIP

(Image by TSL)

I was chatting with The Bacon Mum after our recent Autoimmune Connection session and she mentioned one of her secret-squirrel tips for travelling on a restricted diet was to freeze individual portions of liver pâté and then have them on hand for breakfast with slices of apple… Genius!

I know eating organ meats of any description can be one of the biggest hurdles for anyone embarking on an AIP caper. For many, there’s often something off-putting about offal. In fact, in an effort to get his head around the subject, my good mate, Rory over at The Paleo PI has created an Offal Rating Scale…

Mr Leopold Bloom ate with relish the inner organs of beasts and fowls. He liked thick giblet soup, nutty gizzards, a stuffed roast heart, liverslices fried with crustcrumbs, fried hencods’ roes. Most of all he liked grilled mutton kidneys which gave to his palate a fine tang of faintly scented urine. (James Joyce, Ulysses)

I grew up eating my Mum’s chicken liver pâté. In fact, I’d hazard a guess that her chicken liver pâté might even be the most requested dish in her recipe repertoire. Within our family, at least. It’s SO good!

Just writing about it makes me wish I was sitting in the kitchen in Auckland with my Mum eating her pâté…

But I’m not. Sadly. And, when we were growing up, I don’t think even my Mum knew just what a favour she was doing for us. Liver is such a nutrient dense food.

Want to know just how nutrient-dense? According to the good peeps over at Weston A. Price: – 

Liver contains more nutrients, gram for gram, than any other food. It provides:

– An excellent source of high-quality protein
– Nature’s most concentrated source of vitamin A
– All the B vitamins in abundance, particularly vitamin B12
– One of our best sources of folic acid
– A highly usable form of iron
– Trace elements such as copper, zinc and chromium; liver is our best source of copper
– An unidentified anti-fatigue factor
– CoQ10, a nutrient that is especially important for cardio-vascular function
– A good source of purines, nitrogen-containing compounds that serve as precursors for DNA and RNA.

So, if you take away nothing else from this post, it should be this:

Eat. More. Liver.

And, if you find the idea of eating liver a challenge, I think pâté is probably one of the best ways to ease your way into it.

And, it’s even easier when you use poultry livers (from happy birds, of course!) Duck and chook livers are creamier and more subtle in flavour than those from lamb or beef. Especially with the addition of a little enhancement by way of citrus or even alcohol*…

Instead of chicken livers (à la my Mum), I picked up some gorgeous duck livers from Feather and Bone. The ducks from whence these livers came were pasture raised at Jum Jum Farm. Very happy ducks!

Here at Casa TSL, we’re continuing with our reintroductions, so this number has butter in the recipe, which is traditional for liver pâté. I used some lovely Pepe Saya cultured butter in mine. SO good, but it is entirely possible to make a very good pâté without any dairy – just substitute the butter for lard, coconut oil or – even better – duck fat! 

Unsure how to eat your pâté when you are off bread? – Easy, tastes great with fresh apple slices or try it with carrot and celery sticks. Or, smear some on cucumber slices.

Duck Liver, Thyme and Orange Pate

• Servings: 5 - 6 ramekins
• Time: 45 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients:

175g x best butter, unsalted
500g x fresh duck livers (can substitute chicken livers)
1 x onion
2 x cloves of garlic
2 x sprigs fresh thyme
1 x Tablespoon fresh orange juice
zest of one orange
2 x Tablespoons cognac
60g x clarified butter/ghee, melted (optional)

Method:

1. Start by completing your mise en place (which is just a fancy chef word for preparing your ingredients). Clean and trim your duck livers. Peel and finely chop your onion and garlic cloves. Zest and juice your orange.

2. In a large frying pan, heat a tablespoon of your butter until melted and foaming. Add half the duck livers and fry until golden but still pink in the middle. About 2 minutes each side.

3. Repeat with the second half of duck livers.

4. Pop the cooked duck livers and all the lovely juices into your food processor.

5. Heat another tablespoon of butter and add the onion, garlic, fresh thyme, orange juice and zest. Cook on a medium-low heat until the onion is translucent.

6. Add your cognac. Give the mixture a good stir to release any sticky bits in the bottom of the pan.

7. Remove and discard the thyme stalks. Add the contents of the flying pan to your food processor along with the remaining butter. Mix thoroughly. I scrape the sides of my food processor and mix again to ensure a smooth consistency.

8. Taste for seasoning. Hold yourself back from eating too much! Spoon into ramekins and refrigerate.

9. Optional – If you are serving at a dinner party or want to be fancy-schmancy, cover the top of your pâté with a little melted clarified butter/ghee. It’ll look great and it will last a little longer, too.

E N J O Y !

* the alcohol is cooked off

The GREAT Autoimmune Protocol Update – One Year On

Tags

AIP, Andrew Weil, Autoimmune Protocol, Elimination Diet, Gut Health, Health, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, HS, Paleo, Sleep

One Year On
(Image by TSL)

Next week I hit my one year anniversary on the Autoimmune Protocol. On Tuesday, to be precise. Not that I’m counting. Much.

Not sure what the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) is?

It’s 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 it here.

It’s been a wild ride, this past year. Life changing, even. So much so, that I thought I should share some of the experience with you.

Did you know?

Autoimmune diseases are on the rise across the western world. Here in Australasia, they currently affect 1 in 20 people. In the United States, there are over 50 million sufferers. Pretty sobering stuff.

What exactly is an autoimmune disease?

According to the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Autoimmune diseases can be defined as,”a broad range of related diseases in which a person’s immune system produces an inappropriate response against its own cells, tissues and/or organs, resulting in inflammation and damage. There are over 80 different autoimmune diseases, and these range from common to very rare diseases. Some autoimmune diseases affect mainly one part of the body (such as multiple sclerosis, autoimmune thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes) whilst others can affect many parts of the body (such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic vasculitis).”

As with many life-altering events, an autoimmune illness is almost guaranteed to cause you to re-evaluate your priorities.

― Joan Friedlander, ‘Women, Work, and Autoimmune Disease’

 

My particular autoimmune issue is Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS), sometimes known as acne inversa. HS is a painful, chronic skin disease that causes abscesses and scarring on the skin – usually in very uncomfortable places. Frankly, it’s horrible.

I have suffered from HS for over twenty years. And until this year, I never talked about it.

What I have learnt in the past year on AIP

In a nutshell, I have learnt that it is possible to put my 20+ years of autoimmune related illness into remission by making dramatic changes to my diet and lifestyle.

– TSL

And, if that was all I learned, then I would be a very happy little Vegemite.

But, here’s what else I learned…

Diet

Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. And, when it comes to what we eat, the Autoimmune Protocol is literally a manifestation of this. The protocol removes all potentially inflammatory foods from the diet to enable the body to heal.

Hippocrates
(Image from here)

And yes, it does take work. And planning. And requires a level of commitment that many of my friends have found difficult to understand.

But. In return, as you start to heal, you feel F A N T A S T I C. Truly. Brain fog lifts. You wake in the morning feeling energised. Bloating disappears.

You will develop an appreciation for the sort of food your grandmother (or maybe even great-grandmother!) probably cooked. Fresh. Seasonal. Local. Full of flavour.

I don’t even go to the supermarket anymore. The farmers market is my supermarket.

Gut Health Matters

Really, the protocol is all about improving gut health. But there are two things that I now do religiously that I believe have significantly improved my health.

And, they are all to do with my gut.

1. Bone Broth

I now make bone broth regularly from a mixture of bones from pasture raised animals. It has become a staple within our diet here at Casa TSL. I make it into soup, use it in sautéed veggies, add it to gravies and just drink it.

I alternate the type of broth I make so I am maximising the vitamin and mineral benefits. Last week it was beef bone broth. The time before that, it was duck.

2. Fermented Vegetables

We eat at least a tablespoon of home-made fermented veggies with every savoury meal. Think sauerkraut. I make the fermented vegetables about once a month from vegetables and salt. That’s it.

Fermented vegetables add all sorts of beneficial bacteria to my gut that I would not otherwise have in my diet.

And, one more thing – both bone broth and fermented veggies are ‘cheap as chips’ to make.

The latest ferment
(Image by TSL)

Sleep

It is becoming more and more apparent, in this fast-moving era of getting twice as much done in half the amount of time, that we are not getting enough sleep. This is making us sick. We are designed to need sleep. It’s when our bodies regenerate.

In my case, I had a home invasion just over ten years ago. Bit scary. Three men in balaclavas decided to have a look around my home at 4.30 in the morning and I caught them. Fortunately, they weren’t very interested in me. Just my stuff. But – it messed badly with my ability to sleep.

Now, I make sure I’m in bed between 9.30 and 10pm. Every night.

And, I really understand the value of a good night’s sleep. But it took some work. And some time. And it involved resetting my circadian rhythms by implementing my own personal ‘Operation Sleepy Time’ ritual.

I’m pretty sure LM will tell you I’m a nicer person to be around as a result.

Stress

I didn’t know I was stressed. I didn’t know I was a constant worrier. Until I worked out that I was a complete stress head. And, on top of that, I managed to hide it from almost everyone. Can anyone relate?

Of all the changes I have made over the course of the past year, and that I continue to work on with the AIP, how I manage stress is the most difficult for me. By far. In fact, it’s a biggie for many people. Sarah Ballantyne wrote a great post on her personal battles with stress recently.

Andrew Weil
(Image from here)

Coming up with strategies that work for you are key to managing stress. Yoga didn’t cut it for me. Meditating on my own sends me to sleep. But. I love walking in nature.

And my fabulous doctor, Kate Norris recommended the Buddhify app. It’s a personal meditation assistant that really seems to be working for me.

And, I’m a great fan of Andrew Weil’s 4-7-8 breathing technique.

Community

We human beans are social creatures. Even us introverted types. Connecting with quality people really matters and has an impact on our health*. This AIP caper has unexpectedly connected me with an amazing and generous community of other autoimmune sufferers around the globe. I am immensely grateful.

So what now?

Now, I keep going on the protocol.

In terms of my diet, I keep slowly reintroducing foods. I know more of my food triggers than before. And, I know that these are different for everybody. Gluten will never be my friend. And, HS sufferers seem to have big problems with nightshades – so, I’m a little scared to try tomatoes and eggplant and chill. Although I do miss tomatoes dreadfully. Bizarrely, the odd white potato doesn’t seem to be an issue.

I keep working on managing stress and making sure I get enough sleep. I make sure I move everyday. Bella (the poodle) gets lots of love!

My autoimmune affliction has affected me in many ways – physically, emotionally, and no doubt psychologically. But, in a weird way, I’m a little bit grateful to have it.

Without it, I wouldn’t have overhauled my eating habits. I’m healthier now than I’ve been in years. People comment on how wonderful my skin looks. Me, who had chronic acne as a teenager.

I would not have addressed my stress levels and less-than-stellar sleeping routine. And, my hormones and gut health would have further deteriorated.

I am lucky. My autoimmune issues are not life threatening. I won’t die from HS. But, they have been serious enough to give me a big wake up call about what really matters to me – my health. My loved ones. A meaningful career.

And this past year on the autoimmune protocol has been life changing.

If you have any questions about the Autoimmune Protocol or Hidradenitis Suppurativa, feel free to drop me a line.

*conversely, spending too much time with ‘energy sucking’ people can be detrimental to your health!

 

 

The Alternative Autoimmune Cookbook: A Review

Tags

AIP, Angie Alt, Autoimmune Disease, Autoimmune Protocol, Diet, Elimination Diet, Health, Mickey Trescott, Sarah Ballantyne, The Paleo Approach

A picture I stole from Angie’s website – along with my favourite quote from her fabulous book
(Image from here)

Disclaimer: Before I begin this post, I should advise that Angie Alt and Mickey Trescott of Autoimmune Paleo are ‘shining lights’ in my Autoimmune Protocol world. They are two pioneers of kicking autoimmune issues into remission through adopting dietary and lifestyle changes. I am lucky enough to now be able to call them both blogging friends – perhaps with a small ‘f’, at this stage… 

I wish Angie had published her book two years ago. 

And, not because of the great recipes. Don’t get me wrong, they are great recipes (and there are more than 55 of them)…

Here are a few that particularly caught my eye and are currently bookmarked here at Casa TSL:

Pork and Sprouts Breakfast Skillet. Otherwise known as a fry up in this neck of the woods

“Cheesy” Chicken Bites with Pesto. And yet, not a hint of dairy anywhere in the recipe.

Bacon-Burger Mega Meatballs Cinnamon Meatball and Sweet Potato Soup. MEGA meatball. Need I say any more?

Turmeric and Ginger Roasted Cauli Steaks. Magic anti-inflammatory spices with my favourite vegetable.

Orange Blossom and Honey Parfait. AND – it’s 100% AIP compliant!

Rosemary Tea Time Biscuit. It’s a biscuit. On AIP. Yippee!

But, I really wish Angie had published her book two years ago because then I would have felt I had someone to hold my hand at the beginning of this wacky AIP caper that I’ve been on for the past year or so.

Autoimmune disease can be isolating and deeply private. It is also frighteningly common AND on the rise – 1 in 20 people in Australasia. Scary.

Within this growing community of autoimmune sufferers who are dramatically and positively affecting their health through making changes to their diet and lifestyle, Angie has a reputation for being one of the warmest and most responsive peeps around.

And, her book reflects this. It’s a personal insight into how she has successfully used Sarah Ballantyne’s Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) to mitigate her Multiple Autoimmune Syndrome.*

Choosing to adopt AIP is literally a revolutionary act. You are making a choice for your health that is the antithesis of our culture right now. (Angie Alt)

The Autoimmune Protocol is hard work. And one of the most difficult parts of the process is the lack of understanding from others who don’t get how just changing your diet and making a few alterations to your lifestyle can materially affect your life.

But it can. I know it can. It has changed mine.

And, Angie shares how it has changed her life. But also, provides practical ways to implement the strict elimination diet that makes up the initial phase of the protocol, as well helpful pointers around how to start reintroducing foods.

She gives useful charts that break the protocol down into manageable chunks.

In addition, she offers insights into denial, anger, fear, grief and acceptance – all things she experienced as part of her autoimmune experience.

Angie wrote this book with her sister, Jenifer Beehler. For me, it makes the Autoimmune Protocol far more approachable.

When people ask me what books I would recommend to help in understanding how their autoimmune illness might be put into remission, I always suggest Sarah Ballantyne’s, ‘The Paleo Approach’ coupled with Mickey Trescott’s, ‘The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook’. They have been invaluable for me. Now there’s a third book on my list. Angie Alt’s, ‘The Alternative Autoimmune Cookbook’.

*about 1/4 of all autoimmune sufferers will develop 3 or more autoimmune disorders