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 Other Side of Family Time at Casa TSL…

Tags

Autoimmune Protocol, Coeliac Disease, Gluten Free, Gluten Free Pancakes, Health, Sydney, Sydney for Kids

iPhone Pics at the Sydney Aquarium!
(Image by TSL)

Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle star-dust over the lives of little children. (Alex Haley)

My Mum and Dad have a tradition.

tradition
noun tra·di·tion \trə-ˈdi-shən\
a way of thinking, behaving, or doing something that has been used by the people in a particular group, family, society, etc., for a long time

It’s a new-ish tradition in that it was born when my oldest nephew turned seven. His grandparents – my parents! – brought him across the ditch to Sydney for a visit with his aunts. And, the deal is that his siblings get to do the same thing when they are seven, too.

That was three years ago now.

This past week, it was my second nephew’s turn. It’s been a pretty action packed few days of doing things around Sydney that an almost-eight year old likes to do.

We’ve been to the Australian Museum where we made snakes, the Taronga Zoo where we patted a sea-lion and fed wallabies, the Sydney Aquarium where we saw sharks and dugongs, and – our mutual favourite – to the most fabulous performance about dinosaurs at the Dinosaur Zoo at the Sydney Opera House.

And, in addition to all of that there’s been swimming and baking and dog walking and lots of socialising.

So much fun!

Blue, my almost-eight nephew, has recently been diagnosed with Coeliac disease. Not much fun for anybody, let alone a little person. And, he’s been such a trooper about it.

But, at times it must feel like he’s permanently stuck looking at the world from the inside of a deep sea diver’s outfit…

Blue, the Deep Sea Diver
(Image by TSL)

It’s one thing for me, a fully formed adult, to suspect a gluten sensitivity and voluntarily give it up to see how I feel*. It’s quite another to be forced to adopt a weird diet at the age of seven, and have to audit every item of food that might pass your wee lips.

I had not appreciated quite how much of a challenge that could be for a little person.

It was easy at Casa TSL. We’ve been a gluten-free household – and more – for well over two years, now. It’s no big deal for me to make gluten-free everything.

Dining out ‘on the hop’ was entirely another matter…

And, little bodies need recharging. Often. And, sometimes the snacks that aunties (and Omis) provide just don’t quite cut it. There’s a desire for french fries (nope – oftener rolled in flour and cooked in the same oil as glutened snacks) or ice cream (nope – packaged ice creams usually have gluten) or sushi (nope – there’s gluten in the vinegar used to bind the rice)… I have a new-found respect for all those parents dealing with multiple food allergies.

But, we managed.

Blue and I made cherry choc-chip cookies free of eggs, gluten, grains and dairy. Want that recipe?

My coconut ice cream was a huge hit. And, when Blue requested a lemon flavoured version, a new recipe was born. Watch this space!

Raw cacao hot chocolate became a morning treat after breakfast. And, it transpires that gluten-free pancakes (I subbed out the agave for maple syrup) served with whipped coconut cream and strawberry coulis are a hit with young players!

So, we had a fab’ week of family time here at Casa TSL. Normal transmission will now resume…

* SO much better!

Things Julia Child has Taught Me (That Have Nothing to do With the Art of French Cookery!)

Tags

Career Change, Cooking, Friendship, Health, Health Coaching, Julia Child, Learn to cook, Passion, Quotes

Isn’t that the BEST pic?
(Original image by Paul Child)

I’m a little bit in love with Julia Child. You could say I have a girl-crush on her.

Don’t know who Julia Child is? – Where have you been?

In a nutshell, Julia was a TV chef and author. She is most famous for adapting complex French cooking for everyday Americans, in a time when cooking was not in vogue, with her groundbreaking cookbook ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’.

Mainly, I love the paradox of Julia – so very sensible and yet, at the same time, so wonderfully kooky and eccentric.

And, I love that she was middle-aged before she found her true passion. She may have started cooking in her thirties (like me!), but it was much later that this became her driving force. And, she found such joy in her cooking.

Julia Child gives me confidence that I can change direction. In a big way, too.

So, today’s post is a celebration of Julia…

I totally relate to this. I didn’t really start to cook until my thirties, either. But I have always loved to eat! And if you haven’t yet really mastered cooking, it’s never too late to learn!

And, it took me a while to find my cooking mojo. Like any craft – learning to cook takes practice. It’s only by trial and error that you gain confidence.

But, the really great thing about being able to cook is that everybody has to eat.

Sure, some people enjoy food more than others, but everyone eats… And, it’s a skill that will ensure you never have to eat another take away meal again (unless you really want to!).

I’m not a fancy cook. Nuh-uh! In fact, my preference is to keep things pretty simple. Unless it’s a special occasion, of course.

But I do insist on good ingredients. The best I can find. By this I mean – as Julia says – as fresh as possible, minimally messed with (preferably organic), and locally grown if I can get it.

That also means I head to my farmers market every weekend. LM comes with me. So does Bella. And, anyone else I can drag along. I love it. I talk to the farmers. I buy what’s in season. And I get ideas for my cooking experiments. LM is a willing subject!

While I’m a big advocate of keeping things simple, I have learnt that some level of planning is key. Having a good stash of homemade stock (bone broth) at the ready in my freezer means I can always whip up something healthy and tasty, even on those nights I can’t face cooking from scratch. Once a month, I make a big jar of fermented vegetables (TSL’s House Kraut), which keeps my gut happy! And, I’m a fan of batch cooking.

You’ve heard me say it before – Cook once to eat twice or thrice. That way, there’s always something in your larder as back up.

I’ve discovered that I’m really passionate about getting healthy. I’ve been doing this by applying the principles of Sarah Ballantyne’s Autoimmune Protocol.

Over the past two years, I’ve changed the way I eat. I’ve changed the way I approach sleep (hint: it’s a priority!) And, I’m pretty committed to managing my stress levels, too.

Along the way, I’ve been voraciously reading, learning and trying out realistic ways we can apply healthy changes to our every-day lives.

And, it’s been so successful for me that I now want to share that knowledge by working with others to effect healthy changes to their lives. I’ve recently qualified as a Health Coach. I’m in the process of designing my website. And, this blog will eventually migrate over to the new site.

So, you’ll notice a few changes heading this way at Casa TSL in the coming weeks. More on that in a later post. I hope you’ll stick with me…

The more I explore this healthy living gig that we’ve adopted here at Casa TSL, the more I realise that I will never know everything there is to know about it. Impossible.

And, I’m not alone. New discoveries are being made every day.

For example: – even five years ago, we had no idea just how important the health of our microbiome was to our general well-being. We hadn’t made the connection between gut health and how it has the capacity to affect such diverse aspects of our physiology as our mental health and our immune system.

And, I’ve discovered I really like learning about health. It’s such a positive topic – especially when small changes can have such dramatic effects.

So, the wonderfully ebullient Julia Child has taught me a lot. I’ve followed her advice and found something I’m passionate about. And, I AM tremendously interested in it. It’s inextricably tied to cooking real food well. Which is mighty convenient – because that’s also a passion for me. 

Have you found something you’re passionate about?

 

The GREAT Sydney AIP Resource Page

Tags

AIP, AIP Resources Sydney, Ancestral Diet, Autoimmune Protocol, Farmers Markets, Grass Fed Meat Sydney, Health, Nutrition, Paleo

(Image from here)

This week’s Autoimmune Connection is all about following the Autoimmune Protocol internationally.

Hosted by Rory over at The Paleo PI, it also features Astrid from Heal Me in the Kitchen, Catharina from Paleo Feest, and yours truly from TSL-central! We’re taking this global, baby!

You can check out the vid’ here:

And, if you enjoyed the video, please subscribe to the series and consider forwarding the link?

I gotta’ say, it’s so much fun getting to connect with other AIP bloggers from around the world.

And, it’s clear that this autoimmune protocol movement is growing, as more and more of us implement diet and lifestyle changes to manage our autoimmune symptoms. The very best thing about connecting with fellow AIPers is that I hear stories of success every week. So very inspiring.

 The best kind of happiness is a habit you’re passionate about. (Shannon L. Alder)

It must be said that starting out on the protocol can be a little daunting. Especially at the beginning. So, I thought I’d start a new page on the blog. A page dedicated to resources I use to help me stay the course while on the AIP.

Some of these, I mention in the Autoimmune Connection recording above. Some I thought of after the recording was made. And, some I’ll add as I think of them…

 Happiness is the only thing that doubles when you share it. (Albert Schweitzer)

So, without further ado, and in no particular order, here goes:

G.R.U.B. (Vaucluse) (aka Grass Roots Urban Butcher) – Dominic and his team at G.R.U.B offer a full-service butchery (and then some). All of their meat is grass fed and finished. It’s always an experience to go in and chat to whoever is behind the counter.

These guys are passionate about their product AND they deliver to Sydney, Central Coast and Newcastle customers, and across a number of other NSW locations. They can even deliver to the ACT and Southern Highlands.

Feather and Bone (Marrickville) – Laura and Grant of Feather and Bone source their product directly from local farmers and producers in NSW who are committed to nurturing the health of the land and the plants and animals it sustains. They only buy whole bodies direct from the farmer. The bodies arrive whole at their factory where they cut and pack to order.

Available for home delivery or pick up from the Marrickville base camp, all produce is as free from chemicals and hormones as it was from cages and pens.

Linga Longa (country NSW) – I met Greg and Lauren at Eveleigh Markets. Honestly? – they are the main reason that the team at G.R.U.B. and Feather and Bone don’t get more of my business. Here at Casa TSL, we are addicted to their pork! They also make great 100% pure beef snags.

All Linga Longa beef is grass fed-certified with no artificial growth stimulants or antibiotics. Their pigs are free range and grain-free. You can get farm fresh beef and pasture raised pork delivered from the paddock to your door. All products delivered from Taree to Wollongong.

Greg & Lauren from Linga Longa Farm
(Image by TSL)

Eveleigh Market (Newtown)– If you’ve been following TSL for a while, you’ll know that Eveleigh’s weekly farmers market are where I go to shop. I love it. It’s on every Saturday from 8am – 1pm. It’s puppy friendly. And, it’s under cover. See you there!

Local NSW based farmers and artisan food producers bring fresh and seasonal produce they grow, rear or make direct to the Market for sale to the public. The Market is home to over 70 regular stallholders who sell a wide range of farm fresh products, from source to hub. You can find a variety of goods including seasonal fruit and vegetables; organic produce; beef; lamb; pork; poultry; smoked fish; and olive oil.

SMH Growers Market at Pyrmont – Held on the first Saturday of every month, the Sydney Morning Herald Growers’ Market turned 17 years old in 2015.

It features more than 70 producers’ stalls selling everything from fresh fruit and seasonal vegetables to venison, lamb, beef, rare-breed pork and seafood. It’s bigger than Eveleigh BUT only held monthly and is subject to the elements!

iHerb (online) – iHerb sells nutritional supplements and other health products. They reputedly carry one of the largest selections of high-quality nutritional products in the world. And, despite the fact that they are US-based, they offer extremely reasonable prices and cheap shipping.

I buy most of my supplements through iHerb.

GPA Wholefoods (Australia-based, online) – aims to provide Australia with the highest quality, nutrient-dense whole foods available world-wide.

The foods they sell are all derived from whole foods. They are free from additives, binders and fillers. There are no synthetic vitamins or minerals. Great resource.

Kitsa’s Kitchen (Crows Nest, Online) – at the time of writing, Kitsa’s website is still under construction. 

Kitsa Yanniotis is a qualified GAPS and BED Certified Practitioner, and she was an early adopter of using diet to improve digestive health. Kitsa well-known in Australia for her cultured foods (she has a range of organic raw cultured vegetables). She also produces an entire range of award-winning, allergy friendly foods.

Kitsa’s beautiful new store, “Emporio Organico” is opening very soon in Crows Nest.

Fiji Markets (Newtown) – where I source my plantains. ’nuff said!

About Life (Rozelle, Cammeray, Bondi Junction, Double Bay, Surry Hills) – your one stop shop in Sydney for natural products and whole food nutrition. In each store you will find a supermarket, wholefoods café and natural pharmacy.

About Life stores offer loads of natural food grocery lines and they are known for stocking those hard to find items catering to a range of dietary needs. All products are 100% natural, no artificial flavours, colours, sweeteners, preservatives or trans fats cross their doors

Pantry Innovations (Australia-based, Online) – I know I said I’d talk about resources I use. And, I have yet to use Otto’s Cassava Flour or Pantry Innovations. BUT – I’m excited about what they’re doing, and they need our support – so check ’em out!

Currently Otto’s Cassava flour is only available in the USA (having only just launched there in February 2015). Pantry Innovations is on a mission to bring it to Australia as soon as possible. This is not an easy process but they are determined to bring the next generation of grain free, nut free, gluten-free baking flour to your door. They are not a big company, just an average couple living in the Northern Rivers in NSW who think this product needs to be available to Aussie’s who are on a food journey like ourselves.  And, I agree!

So there’s the start of my Sydney AIP resources list. What do you think? Have I missed out a GREAT resource that you feel I should check out? I’d love to hear from you.

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

The TSL Soapbox: The One About the Media, Eating Paleo, and Simon Sinek…

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, British Dietetic Association, Diet, Dietitians' Association of Australia, Health, Lifestyle, Paleo, Simon Sinek

(Simon Sinek image from here)

Recently, there has been quite the hullabaloo in the press – both here in Australia and in the UK – about the Paleo diet.

In fact, in its annual ‘Top Celebrity Diets To Avoid in the New Year’ list, the British Dietetic Association (BDA) ranked the Paleo Diet as the second worst regime (after ‘Urine Therapy’, which advocates drinking your own urine for apparently supposed health benefits). Incidentally, Sarah Wilson’s ‘I Quit Sugar’, came in at number three (which blows my mind).

Now I’m not a massive fan of labelling the way I choose to eat, but you will know that for the past year I have been following the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP). This can loosely be described as ‘Paleo on Crack’! And, it is true that AIP is a restrictive diet.

BUT! The WHOLE point of both Paleo and AIP is that they are healthy and nutrient dense ways of eating

From where I sit, there are many (cynical) reasons organisations like the BDA and the Australian equivalent, the Dietitians’ Association of Australia are not fans of the new wave of lower-carbohydrate style eating. Despite increasing evidence that for many of us it is a more healthful approach to eating. Not least of these reasons is the question of where they get their funding.

What I do find fascinating – in a car crash kind of way – is the vitriol behind their extreme anti-Paleo stance. Is it a case of protesting too much…?

(Image from here)

Sure, you can interpret a Paleo-esque approach as an unhealthy meat-fest. And, there are probably people who do just that.

Alternatively, you can see it as a whole-foods approach which eliminates unhealthy processed foods, refined carbohydrates, sugars and trans-fats while encouraging a more sustainable nose-to-tail way of eating – along with an increased variety of local, seasonal and pesticide-free fruits and vegetables. In my experience, eating like this has increased my vegetable intake by at least 200%. Whichever way you cut it, that has to be a good thing.

And, whether or not you choose to have dairy in your diet depends very much on your body’s ability to tolerate it.

Is this not a good thing?

There is a difference between giving directions and giving direction. (Simon Sinek)

Me – I’m a believer in personal choice. Especially when it comes to what you elect to eat. If you feel better with properly prepared whole grains in your diet, good for you. I really hope that eventually I will be able to indulge in some, too.

And, if you choose to have jam donuts for breakfast every day. That’s your choice, too. I won’t ever think its the best idea in the world, but I’ll defend your right to choose!

I do get that my extreme AIP caper is not for everyone. But, rather than focus on the excesses of a ‘Paleo approach’, can we not acknowledge a more moderate view on the benefits of cutting the crap, increasing veggies AND the other lifestyle aspects of this school of thought – improving sleep, more movement, introducing a mindfulness practice.

Paleo may not be for everyone, but it is equally clear that the average current lifestyle is not healthy, either.

(Image from Dr Kate)

Did you know that according to the Australian Government, 3 in 5 Australians are either obese or overweight. Scarier still is that 1 in 4 children are obese or overweight.

Professor Alan Lopez, a researcher working in the area of health and weight, says Australia’s numbers should be of concern – “We are at the levels of overweight and obesity as the US is, three decades ago obesity levels in Australia were a half to a third of what they are now.”  And, if you live in New Zealand, the numbers are even worse.

The big picture doesn’t just come from distance; it also comes from time. (Simon Sinek)

I have personally experienced significant health improvements following an AIP approach. I hope to transition to a more moderate ‘Paleo-type’ way of eating eventually.

Along the way, I have come to believe that an holistic approach to my lifestyle, nutrition and exercise choices that are more compatible with my evolutionary past are key to my health. At the same time, it must also be said that I don’t believe that it is possible or even practical for me to exactly mimic life in the Paleolithic in today’s world.

Rather than maligning a style of eating that promotes overall health and well-being, would organisations advising the public on nutrition not be better served in advocating a reduction in the amount processed carbohydrates, sugars and trans-fats available in the majority of packaged food we consume?