Healthy Body

(Almost) Everything You Need to Know about Autoimmune Conditions and the Paleo Diet

August 10, 2016

I am fascinated with autoimmune conditions.

Weird thing to be fascinated with, I know. But believe it or not, it is probably the most common subject people ask me about when they find out I’m Paleo.

Why? Because when drugs aren’t working, autoimmune sufferers are turning to the Paleo diet – and completely turning their health around.

I have hesitated, however, to talk about these conditions here because they ARE CONFUSING. From a research standpoint, autoimmune diseases are still in their infancy. There are about a million different types, and a million different specialists for each condition. Okay, 80. But that’s a lot. And let’s not forget. I AM NOT A DOCTOR. I really have no business telling anybody how to treat their autoimmune disease.

That said. I’ve gotten quite a few requests from readers to talk about the subject. So I thought where I could be of service is to help summarize what it is, why it is, and how the Paleo diet has become the alternative treatment for those who suffer from them.

My tactic here: Take all the complicated research and facts and dumb them down until a 5th grader could understand them.

The question is, are YOU smarter than a 5th grader? Ahem. Sorry, couldn’t help myself.

Okay. Here we go…

What is an autoimmune condition?
An autoimmune condition is when your body’s immune system is confused. It starts attacking its own cells because it recognizes them as foreign invaders.

Symptoms can turn up as joint pain, skin rashes, horrible stomach aches, low energy, and much, much more. These are all a result of the damage done to the cells, tissues and or organs in the body.

What separates one disease from another is the proteins that the immune system attacks.

What are the different autoimmune conditions?
There are reported to be 80 different autoimmune conditions (1). I’m not going to list them all here. But I will go with the 10 most “popular” ones, along with the part of the body that is being attacked.

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis –> Thyroid gland
Rheumatoid arthritis –> Tissues in joints
Psoriasis –> Proteins that make up skin
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) –> Nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord
Celiac Disease –> Small intestine
Ulcerative Colitis –> Colon and rectum
Lupus –> Tissue all over the body
Sjögren's syndrome –> Moisture-producing glands, i.e. eyes and mouth
Type 1 Diabetes –> Insulin-producing cells in the pancreas
Ankylosing Spondylitis –> The spine and large joints

How many people are affected by them?
Approximately 50 million Americans, 20% of the population, or 1 in 5 people (2).

How do you get them – nature or nurture?
The jury is still out. The traditional medical community leans more towards nature (i.e. genetics), while they also recognize that bacteria, drugs, chemical irritants and environmental irritants could all be factors.

As you might have guessed, non-traditional medicine leans much heavier on the nurture side. With the huge rise in these conditions over the last 50 years, they think environment has a LOT to do with it. Namely the western diet, chronic stress, environmental toxins, sleep deprivation and Vitamin D deficiency.

What do I think?
Remember. I am not a doctor. I am not a scientist. And I am not a medical professional. But I am a believer in the influence of our diet on our health. At the very least, from my own personal experience, and at the most, from the thousands of autoimmune sufferers who have made changes to their diet, and noticed vast improvements.

Like this guy.

This girl.

And then, there's the Dr. Terry Wahls story. Wow.

So, Stacey. How can food help?
There is a special division of the Paleo diet that has come to be called the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP). Its purpose is to heal the immune system and the gut through eating specifically nutritious foods, and eliminating foods that cause (or tend to cause) a negative immune response.

I’m not going to lie. This diet is NOT easy to follow. Especially for people who are completely new to the Paleo diet. But when you read the stories like those above, and talk to people who have FINALLY seen relief after years of drugs and traditional medicine, it’s hard to ignore.

There are a few variations on the diet, but here is the gist.

Eliminate the foods that trigger a negative immune response, such as:

The usual suspects (from the standard Paleo diet):

Gluten
Grains
Legumes
Dairy
Industrial Seed Oils (i.e. Canola Oil, Vegetable Oil, Peanut Oil, Sunflower Oil, etc., etc.)
Sugar
Alcohol

Nightshade vegetables (found to be inflammatory to joints, skin and gut):

Peppers
Potatoes
Eggplant
Tomatoes

OTC Anti-Inflammatories:

Ibuprofen
Aspirin
Naproxen (i.e. Aleve, Midol)

And two foods shown to be irritants to people with Autoimmune conditions:

Eggs (paticularly the whites)
Nuts & Seeds

Increase highly nutritious foods that are GOOD for the Immune System:

Dark, leafy greens
Organic vegetables
Grass-fed meat
Wild-caught fish
Bone Broth
Organ meat
Good fats (ghee, coconut oil, avocado oil, rendered animal fats)

Eat more foods that are good for your gut:

Naturally fermented sauerkraut
Naturally fermented pickles
Naturally fermented kimchi
Naturally fermented kombucha tea

Who are the AIP experts?
As I said, I am not a medical professional, nor am I an expert on AIP. Just a fan (of the diet; not the condition, obviously).

But there are some great people out there – medical experts, autoimmune success stories and many, a combination of both. I encourage you to check them out if you or a friend or family member suffers from an Autoimmune Condition. These are the three AIP experts that I have come to follow through the years:

Dr. Terry Wahls: The traditional medicine doctor that suffered with Multiple Sclerosis, found Functional Medicine and created her own version of the Paleo diet, The Wahls Protocol, that was the key to not only silencing her MS, but transforming her whole body (she went from wheelchair to active bike commuter!).
Learn more here: terrywahls.com

Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, PhD: AKA, the Paleo Mom. She healed herself of IBS, psoriasis and lichen planus (all autoimmune conditions) by following a Paleo diet. A trained scientist, she believes that the rationale for why the Paleo diet heals lies in the scientific evidence more than the evolutionary evidence.
Learn more here: thepaleomom.com

Lauren Geertsen, NTP: A self-proclaimed 21st century hippie and one of my favorite bloggers, Lauren suffered from a severe form of ulcerative colitis from the time she was 14. When she was faced with the threat of the surgical removal of her colon, she completely and totally dedicated herself to the Autoimmune Paleo Protocol. Not only did she relieve herself of all symptoms, she no longer needs medication, and eliminated the need for surgery.
Learn more here: empoweredsustenance.com

SOURCES:

http://www.news-medical.net/health/Types-of-Autoimmune-Disease.aspx

Pssst! Pin this from here…

Recipes

Paleo-ish Beet Dip Recipe

August 2, 2016

Let's start with what you came for…The Paleo-ish Beet Dip Recipe 🙂

I created this beautiful Paleo-ish beet dip just for you, my friends. Inspired by a recipe from a fellow Chicago blogger, Emily Paster of West of the Loop, it was originally created to be made in big batches for swapping and sharing at Food Swaps. I made a few tweaks – a smaller serving size for my own personal pleasure, a few more nutty additions, and a couple ingredient replacements to make it more paleo-friendly. And tada! This gem was born. Dip veggies in it, scoop it over salads or just eat it by the spoonful. It's ALL good. Read the post to find out why.

Ingredients:

5 small to medium sized beets
1 cup Siggi’s Strained Whole Milk Yogurt, Plain
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup tahini
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon za'atar
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup walnuts
2 garlic cloves
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Roast beets per the following steps OR just buy them from the store – this brand is great and is available at Whole Foods and Mariano's.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Chop leaves off of beets, but leave the bottoms and the stems as this will preserve some of the juicy juice.
Wash beets thoroughly and DON’T DRY – you’ll want some moisture on them for roasting.
Wrap beets in aluminum foil (I wrapped them individually this time, but I’ve also done them all at once).
Put them on a baking sheet in their aluminum foil for 60 minutes-ish. Check on them about 30 minutes in to turn them over. You may want to splash a bit more water on them if they’re looking dry.
They are done when a fork goes through the middle of them easily and smoothly. If it doesn’t, roast another 10 minutes and check again.
Once complete, let them cool off. Then, cut off their ends. Take a paper towel to them, and gently rub over the skin. It should come off easily. But no matter what, it will be messy. Wear an apron or bathe in beautiful purpley colors. Whatever floats your boat.
Plop your beets into your food processor along with the rest of the ingredients.
Pulverize in your food processor until smooth.
Taste test! Taste test! Taste test! Everybody has different likes and dislikes and I tried my darndest to give you the exact measurements I used, but so much of my process is a little bit more of this and that until it tastes perfect TO ME. I loved the nutty flavor so I added a bit more almond butter and rounded it off with walnuts to really bring it home. But you may prefer it more tart, in which case you might want to up the yogurt and the lemon juice.

I made a new friend last week. It’s name? Beet Dip. And I can’t get enough.

The match maker was Emily Paster of West of the Loop. I got the pleasure of attending an intimate book launching party for her book, Food Swap: Specialty Recipes for Bartering, Sharing & Giving. Not only did she encourage everybody there to try their own Food Swap, but she demonstrated a few recipes ideal for the homemade community trade.

Enter, the beet dip.

This creamy, dreamy, bright Nickelodeon-purple concoction – made with one of the most nutrient-rich vegetables out there. I HAD to have it, tweak it, and make it my own…

Beets? Good. Za'atar? Good. Tahini? Goooood. But what if I added some hemp seeds for an Omega-3 boost? And maybe a dash of almond butter to make it even more decadent. Yes. Uh huh. A little of this. A little of that.

BAM. I had it. Paleo-ish Beet Dip was born.

I now call this gem "dish lipstick” because it has been dressing all of my meals up and making them a little more….well, sexy. Yeah, I said it. It's sexy beet dip. Making salads more sensual, crackers more seductive, and chicken breasts more suggestive – one spoonful at a time.

Ahem. Anyways.

As always, when I make a recipe here, it's not just how to make it, but WHY to make it.

BEETS:

Let's jump right into the fun stuff – beets have been shown to be an aphrodisiac or a sexual booster. This is thanks to the mineral Boron, which has been shown to increase the production of sexual hormones.
Because of their high folate content, they are ideal for pregnant women.
Eating beet root has been shown to decrease cardiovascular diseases in multiple ways.
Betains contained in beet juice stimulate the function of the liver.
Researchers have also noticed that oxygen uptake is greatly increased by people who drink beet juice. One study showed that the uptake increased by up to 16% which is extremely impressive – more than a person can achieve by exercise training.
Nerve and muscle function, immune-boosting, bone, liver, kidney and pancrease health – the list goes on, but let's leave some room for the other guys, shall we?

WHOLE MILK YOGURT:

Comes from cows who have grazed in pasture year-round vs. eating a processed diet.
Grass feeding improves the quality of yogurt and makes it richer in omega-3 fats and CLA, a beneficial fatty acid (you cannot get the same levels from nonfat or lowfat yogurt).
Remember, fat is good. When you choose lowfat or nonfat products, they are no longer whole foods. They are half-foods, replaced with sugars or fake sugars to make up for the lack of flavor. And no, whole milk will not make you fat. In fact, it may help you lose weight because whole fat foods digest slowly into the bloodstream, keeping you satisfied longer and feeding your body properly so that it can digest its food.

HEMP SEEDS:

In the standard American diet, it can be difficult to get the right amount of Omega-3 in our diets.
Omega-6 is easier to come by, and is found in most processed foods.
We want to shoot for a ratio of 3:1 of Omega-6 to Omega-3, but the current US diet ranges from 10:1 all the way to 20:1 (!)
Guess what? Hemp has the perfect 3:1 ratio! Which contributes to its abiltiy to…
Improve digestion
Balance hormones
and Improve metabolism

WALNUTS:

Yet another Omega-3 powerhouse
Also very rich in antioxidants including manganese and copper
Have been shown to improve reproductive health in males (read: fertility food!)
May support brain health because of its neuroprotective compounds including vitamin E, folate, melatonin, Omega-3 and antioxidants.

Alright kids. That's all she wrote. Question for you…

What is your favorite dip/marinade/butter/sauce to put on EVERYTHING?

Much Love,

p.s. Like the Beet Dip? Pin me!

SOURCES:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/01/25/beets-health-benefits.aspx
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=124
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/05/19/7-walnuts-benefits.aspx

Paleo beet dip with sumac and seseame seeds topping

Paleo-ish Beet Dip

CourseSnack

Servings	Prep Time
4 cups	5 minutes

Cook Time

1 hour

Servings	Prep Time
4 cups	5 minutes

Cook Time

1 hour

Paleo-ish Beet Dip

CourseSnack

Servings	Prep Time
4 cups	5 minutes

Cook Time

1 hour

Servings	Prep Time
4 cups	5 minutes

Cook Time

1 hour

Ingredients

5 small to medium beets
1 cup Siggi’s Strained Whole Milk Yogurt, Plain
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup tahini
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground sumac
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup Walnuts
2 garlic cloves
salt and pepper to taste

Servings: cups

Instructions

Roast beets per the following steps OR just buy them from the store – The Love Beets Brand is great and is available at Whole Foods and Mariano's.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Chop leaves off of beets (and save for later - they are VERY GOOD for you), but leave the bottoms and the stems as this will preserve some of the juicy juice.
Wash beets thoroughly and DON’T DRY – you’ll want some moisture on them for roasting.
Wrap beets in aluminum foil (I wrapped them individually this time, but I’ve also done them all at once).
Put them on a baking sheet in their aluminum foil for 60 minutes-ish. Check on them about 30 minutes in to turn them over. You may want to splash a bit more water on them if they’re looking dry.
They are done when a fork goes through the middle of them easily and smoothly. If it doesn’t, roast another 10 minutes and check again.
Once complete, let them cool off. Then, cut off their ends. Take a paper towel to them, and gently rub over the skin. It should come off easily. But no matter what, it will be messy. Wear an apron or bathe in beautiful purpley colors. Whatever floats your boat.
Plop your beets into your food processor along with the rest of the ingredients.
Pulverize in your food processor until smooth. Taste test! Taste test! Taste test! Everybody has different likes and dislikes and I tried my darndest to give you the exact measurements I used, but so much of my process is a little bit more of this and that until it tastes perfect TO ME. I loved the nutty flavor so I added a bit more almond butter and rounded it off with walnuts to really bring it home. But you may prefer it more tart, in which case you might want to up the yogurt and the lemon juice.

Share this Recipe

Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

Dinner Rut + Parchment Pocket Salmon Recipe

July 27, 2016

Dinner Rut Parchment Pocket Salmon

Inspired by Nom Nom Paleo's Fiona's Phenomenal Fish Packet

This recipe was the solution to my dinner rut. I had cooked the same salmon and asparagus nearly every Sunday night for the past 137 weeks (or something like that) and I needed a change. Thank God for the genius of Nom Nom Paleo (Michelle Tam). She opened me up to the idea of cooking in a pocket. It's what the French call, "en Papillote." Not just with salmon, but pretty much anything that you would bake in the oven. Chicken, tuna, Brussels sprouts. It IS the perfect solution to all of your tired recipes. You like where I'm going with this? Good. Read the rest of the blog post after you finished drooling over this Salmon. Thank you, Michelle Tam. You are truly the queen of the Paleo recipe.

Sauce Ingredients:
*Makes enough for four servings so save some for later!

1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1¼ cups packed basil leaves
1 cup packed parsley leaves
¼ cup packed mint leaves
¼ cup worcestershire sauce
3 peeled garlic cloves
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon coconut nectar

Pocket Ingredients:

2 medium carrots, peeled and ends trimmed
2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
Back of the Yards seasoning OR Salt & Pepper
2 salmon filets
¼ cup green marinade (see above)
2 limes
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
Freshly ground black pepper
12 cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450°F and put your rack in the middle.
Spiralize your zucchini and carrot (or if you don't have a spiralizer, shred them or simply slice them into disks). Put them aside in a bowl.
Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth and bright green. Reserve a 1/4 cup for this recipe and put the rest in your refrigerator for later in the week when you want to use the same marinade for chicken.
Rip off 2 pieces of parchment paper and fold each piece in half. Draw half a heart on each piece of paper, so that when you cut them, they look like full hearts! We're going back to Elementary School here, people.
Open up the parchment heart and lay it flat.
Split your veggies between the two pieces of parchment paper, putting a small pile on one side of the heart.
Place your salmon filet, skin side down, on top of the veggies.
Spread about a tablespoon of the sauce on the filet.
Squeeze half a lime on the fish. Drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of melted ghee or coconut oil.
Repeat with other parchment heart and filet.
Fold the other half of each parchment heart on top of the fish and tightly crimp the edges together, starting at the top center of the heart and working your way down. You want to tightly crimp the edges by turning them under. This is actually a lot easier than it sounds. You'll see when you try it.
Place the packets on a rimmed baking sheet.
Cook in the oven for 7 minutes, then pull out to check the temperature with a thermometer so you don't have to cut into your beautiful little pocket. Fish should be about 135 degrees if you like it flaky. Put it back in if it needs more time.
Cut open the packet with scissors as soon as they're done cooking and toss on cute toppings like cherry tomatoes or an herb garnish.
Serve it up to a very impressed crowd.

The Dinnner Rut

I asked you all on Facebook what your "Dinner Rut" Dish is. And this is what you said:

Chicken, Rice and Broccoli
Chicken with Lawry’s Sauce and a bag of steamed veggies
Tuna steak w. brussels sprouts or asparagus
Salmon + asparagus or veggie egg omelet + sweet potato hash + bacon
Frozen pizza
Quinoa and grilled chicken garbage salad! Whatever veggies we have in the fridge
Quinoa, broccoli and a piece of fish. Over and over and over again.
Good old spaghetti Bolognese. You can’t beat it. Or Shepard pie.
Roasted Brussels sprouts + grilled chicken + brown rice
Spicy Veggie hodgepodge stir fry with long grain brown rice
Tacos!
Alfredo ziti bake with shrimp and spinach
Ribeye topped w/goat cheese, parsley, and balsamic glaze, side of asparagus
Turkey burgers and sweet potato fries… or tacos!
Stuffed peppers!
Grilled Chicken w/ rice and green beans.
Grilled chicken, steamed broccoli, roasted potatoes
Whole wheat pasta + parm + lots of garlic + red pep flakes + canned tuna packed in oil + spinach
Omelet and multi-grain toast

I am shocked. I mean. I’m not even mad. I’m IMPRESSED.

I don’t know if I have particularly healthy friends, or you all were just trying to impress me when you responded because most of these dishes sound FANTASTIC.

Roasted Brussels sprouts? Stuffed peppers? Ribeye with goat cheese? Why am I even food blogging to you people?? These are your RUT dishes? You obviously are seasoned cooks. Well, except maybe Frozen Pizza guy. Just kidding, Bob. Totally kidding.

Funny thing is, we (home cookers) still roll our eyes at our “regulars” (as my Mother in Law calls them) because we’ve made them a million times. But to other people, our regulars sound new and exciting and mouthwatering.

Why do we get so fed up with them then? (Fed up. Ha. See what I did there?) Because we THINK we need to whip up something extraordinary. You know, after we got up early, went to the gym, trekked to work, ate over our keyboards, trekked back home (with take home work in tow), threw a load in the laundry in the washing machine and unloaded the dishwasher. Oh. And I’m not even addressing all the added tasks for those of you who have kiddos.

So here’s what I think. I think you give yourself a big pat on the back for being awesome. You made dinner you crazy over-achiever you!!!

Heck yes. You are some kind of wonderful.

But this IS a food blog. So I guess I have to give you actual advice on how to cook things, huh. Here’s what I got.

Four Ways to Switch Up Dinner

ONE. I just gave you a whole LIST of new ideas. They may be other people’s rut dishes, but they’re brand new to you. Got recipe questions? (What's in those stuffed peppers??) Just comment below so we can all do a little recipe rut swapping. You know what they say. One man's trash is another man's dinner. Oh. That came out weird. Nevermind.

TWO. Find a new seasoning mix or marinade. You could cook the exact same chicken every night, but when you dash it with a GOOD seasoning mix or marinate it in a really flavorful sauce, it can taste completely different. You're in luck because the recipe above (and below) just happens to have an awesome marinade included. And it's set to make you four times more than you'll need for this recipe. You know what that means? You can use this marinade in OTHER recipes throughout the week or freeze it in ice cube trays for later. I used the same Green Sauce just a few days later as a chicken marinade.

My go-to seasoning is from The Spice House Chicago called Back of the Yards Seasoning. It's got peppers, garlic, shallots. And it tastes good on EVERYTHING. I'm not joking.

But if you're feeling adventurous and would like to make your own seasoning mix, this particular mix is one of my absolute favorites. Especially for your oh-so-popular grilled chicken dishes.

Jim Carrey Smokin' Seasoning:

1 tablespoon chipotle powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper

THREE. Try a new vegetable. You guys love your Brussels sprouts and broccoli because you’re comfortable with it. But have you ever considered trying one of those ugly looking vegetables in the produce section? You know. The ones with twigs and roots protruding out of them? In my experience, the uglier they are, the tastier they are. Especially when you roast them in the oven, drizzled in coconut oil and generously seasoned with Salt and Pepper.

Here are three ugly vegetable recipes that I know and love:

The Rutabaga Roast Recipe

Parsnippity and Sunchoky Fries Recipe

Kohlrabi Fries Recipe (this one is only on my Instagram for now, but I have big plans for it here on the blog)

FOUR. Switch up your cooking methods. Always steam your veggies? Try roasting or stir-frying. Do you think the only way to make chicken is baking it in the oven? It’s not. There’s braising it, broiling it, deep-frying it, grilling it, pan-frying it, roasting it, stewing it. And did you know that there are other parts to the chicken besides the breast?? (Okay, that came off condescending. I'll slow my roll.) There's the leg quarters and thighs, the drumsticks, the wings, split breast, and the whole chicken.

In today's recipe, that's exactly what I did. I highly encourage you to try "En Papillote" cooking. It's accessible. It's versatile (salmon, tuna, chicken, veggies, whatever!). And it's delicious. Confused? It’s all in the recipe.

Parchment Packet Salmon Recipe

CourseDinner, Main Dish

Servings	Prep Time
2 people	15 minutes

Cook Time

7-10 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
2 people	15 minutes

Cook Time

7-10 minutes

Parchment Packet Salmon Recipe

CourseDinner, Main Dish

Servings	Prep Time
2 people	15 minutes

Cook Time

7-10 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
2 people	15 minutes

Cook Time

7-10 minutes

Ingredients

Sauce Ingredients

1 medium Onion
1 1/4 cups basil leaves
1 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup mint leaves
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
4 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon coconut nectar

Food Ingredients

2 medium carrots
1 zucchini
1 pinch Back of the Yards Seasoning
2 6 ounce salmon filets
1 tablespoon Coconut Oil melted
1 lime
Dash black pepper
6 cherry tomatoes halved

Servings: people

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F and put your rack in the middle.
Spiralize your veggies or simply slice them into disks. Put them aside in a bowl. Season them with Back of the Yards Seasoning, or just salt, pepper and garlic powder if you don't have BOY.
Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth and bright green. Reserve a 1/4 cup for this recipe and put the rest in your refrigerator for later in the week when you want to use the same marinade for chicken.
Rip off 2 pieces of parchment paper and fold each piece in half. Draw half a heart on each piece of paper, so that when you cut them, they look like full hearts! We're going back to Elementary School here, people.
Open up the parchment heart and lay it flat.
Split your veggies between the two pieces of parchment paper, putting a small pile on one of the crease of the heart.
Place your salmon filet, skin side down, on top of the veggies.
Spread about a tablespoon of the sauce on the filet.
Squeeze half a lime on the fish. Drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of melted ghee or coconut oil. Repeat with other parchment heart and filet.
Fold the other half of each parchment heart on top of the fish and tightly crimp the edges together, starting at the top center of the heart and working your way down. You want to tightly crimp the edges by turning them under. I know it sounds hard. But really, it's pretty intuitive once you start doing it.
Place the packets on a rimmed baking sheet.
Cook in the oven for 7 minutes, then pull out to check the temperature. Fish should be about 135 degrees if you like it perfectly flaky.
Cut open the packet with scissors as soon as they're done cooking and toss on cute toppings like cherry tomatoes or an herb garnish.
Serve it up to a very impressed crowd.

Share this Recipe

Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

The Paleo-Ish Challenge

July 22, 2016

I love being Paleo. Not in a Crossfit, drink-the-Kool-Aid kind of way. More like a this-feels-SO-much-better kind of way.

Since going Paleo…

I went from chronic indigestion/bloating/constipation, to a fully functioning digestive system. I very rarely get stomachaches or feel bloated after I eat.
I have lost weight and inches, and have a flatter stomach (probably due to eliminating the bloat). In 2014, I was a size 8/10. By 2015, I was full on Paleo and got down to a size 4. I have loosened the reigns a little (thus the –ish) and am now a very happy size 6. It wasn’t a drastic all-at-once weight loss; it was gradual as I kept making more changes to my diet. I’m okay with not being a size 4 if that means I can eat ice cream, cheese and chips every once in a while. For the first time in my life, I am not trying to lose weight. I just want to feel good. The losing weight just happened to coincide with all the good feels.
My hair is the longest and healthiest it has EVER been. Since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted hair so long and shiny that it sways when you walk. You know, like Jasmine. After less than 2 years of whole, unprocessed ingredients like collagen peptides in my smoothies and collagen-rich bone broth, I am proud to report that I have a totally sway-worthy ponytail.
My nails are the longest and strongest they’ve ever been. You know when they paint that white line on the tips of your fingers for a French Manicure? Au natural for me. Again, collagen baby.
My allergy symptoms are near non-existent. Funny thing is, I never knew HOW much they bothered me until they stopped bothering me. Post-nasal drips and swollen glands were an everyday occurrence. Especially first thing in the morning. Now I wake up and feel nothing. And it’s blissful.

See what I mean? Paleo just made me feel better. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Many people try Paleo with much bigger health concerns than I had (namely autoimmune diseases), and see amazing, life-changing results from it.

I think it's important to note, however, that I didn’t jump into it all at once. I came into it slowly. Starting with gluten-free, and then adding (and eliminating) a few things at a time. Even today, I still like to call myself Paleo-ISH becasue I would go crazy if I tried to follow ALL the rules ALL the time. That's not living.

So I had a thought.

What if going Paleo didn't mean jumping in all at once? But rather gradually. Just dipping your toe in the coconut water? (See what I did there?)

WHAT IF you just tried it? Not for life. Not for 30 days. Not even all day.

I’m talking go Paleo for breakfast and lunch for FIVE days. That’s it.

Go Paleo-ish.

I DOUBLE DOG dare you.

Yeah. I said it.

Here's the non-mean part. I'm going to make it really easy on you by creating a step-by-step guide with recipes, grocery shopping lists and arm-pumping motivation from the side lines. Here's the deal, I propose to you all:

Here's how it will work:

You will excitedly sign up below.
On Saturday, August 6^th, you will get your first challenge email from me to get you prepped for the week ahead.
On Sunday, you will receive your invite to the Paleo-ish Facebook group.
Come Monday, you will receive your Paleo-ish guide for that day all the way till Friday.
Throughout the week, I’ll be cheering you on at the Facebook Group, along with others who are doing it with you. We will share our food pics – bad office lighting and all, talk about our missteps, and give virtual high fives on Friday when we’re done. It will be awesome!

BONUS: For the person who posts the most pictures of their meals, there IS a prize waiting at the end. Because what’s a challenge without a PRIZE?

What’s the risk?
The Challenge week arrives, you try a few recipes, like them, but come Friday, order Pizza, and realize you have no interest in keeping this up. Nice try, Stacey. But I’m over it.

What’s the benefit?
You try the recipes, love them, and realize how easy it is to make small changes to your diet that make a difference. By the end of the week, you feel really good. You have less indigestion, you’re really satiated after your meals, you’re not snacking as much, and your stomach feels less bloated and maybe even looks flatter. You decide to try it again next week because…why wouldn’t you? Thanks, Stacey! You’re the coolest.

Does any of that sound good to you? Yes?? Then I’m upping the ante.

I TRIPLE DOG DARE YOU to go Paleo-ish with me.

p.s. Not interested yourself, but think a friend would benefit? Awesome. Just share this link with them in an email or sign them up yourself (ASK THEM FIRST).

Older Posts

Newer Posts

(Almost) Everything You Need to Know about Autoimmune Conditions and the Paleo Diet

Paleo-ish Beet Dip Recipe

Let's start with what you came for…The Paleo-ish Beet Dip Recipe 🙂

Dinner Rut + Parchment Pocket Salmon Recipe

Dinner Rut Parchment Pocket Salmon

The Dinnner Rut

The Paleo-Ish Challenge

Subscribe to our mailing list