Healthy Body | Healthy Stacey – Paleo Recipes by Stacey Clarke

Rise and Shine with Luna

July 14, 2016

All photos courtesy of Amy Boyle Photography

I’m bad at making commitments. Really bad. Except for marriage, of course. I’m really good at that (Love you, babe!). I’m talking schedule commitments with friends, with strangers, with workouts, whatever. My mindset is, how can I possibly know how I’m going to feel or what I’m going to be doing on said day – days, weeks, or months in advance? For that reason, I’m always hesitant to sign up for events or agree to gatherings. Horrible? Maybe. Honest? Yes.

SO when my alarm went off at 5 AM after a particularly horrible night of sleep, I was extremely mad at myself for signing up to attend Rise and Shine – a group workout hosted by LUNA Bar, taught by a Nike Master Trainer and held at the Wit Rooftop. Two weeks ago it sounded fantastic. At that moment, the idea of getting out of bed for anything more than a glass of water sounded horrible.

Nonetheless, when I sign up for something, I follow through. So I dragged my groggy butt over to State and Lake – anticipating for it (my butt) to be kicked hard.

Today, I can honeslty report that it was indeed kicked. But that I’m SO GLAD it was.

Here’s what happened:

I met people. Really cool people.

Like Alia Dalal, A Wellness Chef. This girl may have my dream job. I just didn’t know it existed until she told me it did. But I think that’s because she created it. She works with people to help them get their health on track, but in a really delicious way. She was professionally trained in health-supportive cooking at the Natural Gourmet Institute of Health and Culinary Arts in New York City. She’s worked at a destination spa in the Himalayas, an Ayurvedic spa in India and Sterling College in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. AND she is the host and creator of Nightcap, a late night-style web series on good food and beverage. WHA?? How did she? Where can I? What am I doing with my life??? She’s awesome. Until I get to where she is, I highly recommend checking her out.

I discovered A Sweat Life.

And the powerhouse behind the organization, Jeana Anderson Cohen. A fitness fanatic, ACE Certified Personal Trainer and Nike Training Club trainer, Jeana had this genius idea for a health and wellness publication that helped make fitness more accessible to people – no matter where they are (hallelujah for work travelers, work-from-homers and long-commuters). She hosts monthly #Sweatworking events all over Chicago with the purpose of introducing people to a new workout while also introducing people to PEOPLE in a setting “other than a bar.” Amen to that. Coolest part is, she was a journalism major and a former agency girl just like me. Inspiring much?

I work ouuuut.

As tired as I was, being on the brightly lit Wit Rooftop surrounded by other supremely motivated and in-shape women (I happened to lay my mat next to the DePaul Rowing Team. Really?), I was every bit as energized as if I’d had a solid night’s sleep. Oh. And did I mention we had our own personal DJ? Ya. I know.

The trainer, Betina Gozo was a complete badass. But not in a scary drill sergeant sort of way. More like a really optimistic friend who knows you have it in you sort of way.

The warmup was solid (which I always appreciate). Deep breathing with your diaphragm and lots of dynamic stretching. Followed by some great cross-training type movements and core exercises, partner drills, and finally a finisher that OF COURSE included burpees. But seriously. By the end of it, I was tired and sweaty, but not exhausted. Which I think is the sign of a good workout. In my opinion, if I can’t get through the rest of my day because my body aches all over and/or I can’t keep my eyes open, I pushed it too far.

I juiced a lot. Then juiced some more. (I don’t mean steroids).

There were tons of goodies including coffee from Heritage Coffee, LUNA Bars – the new Berry Greek Yogurt, of course, and a goodie bag with THE COOLEST watch I have ever owned (see picture below). But for any of you who know me, I go gaga over juice bars. And it was here that I met Belli's Juice Bar. Chicago’s Cold Pressed (Raw, Organic) Juice Bar and Local Foods Market in Pilsen. I seriously went back FIVE times for generous samples. The taste was just incredibly fresh and after doing some research, I figured out why.

Their founder Alexandra Curatolo was on a little bit of a mission when she opened up Belli’s. After growing her own food at nearby community gardens, she was inspired by urban agriculture. So she decided to open up a juice shop that used ingredients that were locally-sourced as much as possible. In fact, they work with urban farmers in the city of Chicago and local farmers in the Midwest to provide all of their ingredients. I’m telling ya. When you eat local, you can taste the difference. It’s just fresher. Since discovering them at the event, I have spotted them at multiple Farmer’s Markets, always served up by local Pilseners. Very cool.

This is the third Luna event I’ve attended and I always have a blast. (Remember the Joys of Being a Girl at Lunafest?). The team of girls who put it on (especially Linor Vaknin ;)) are SUCH good people. Yes, of course their events are intended to promote their yummy (Gluten-free!) bars. But I always get this very strong this-is-your-community, have-you-met-this-badass entrepreneur?, girl power vibe from them. And just like that, I’m inspired to do more for myself and my business and you, my readers. I mean, if other Chicago girls can travel to the Himalayas, found a workout movement, and open up a community-driven local-foods juice bar, then I can AT LEAST get up at 5 AM to go get my butt kicked. Word.

Your turn: Name a commitment that you are SO glad you didn't bail on (even though you were THIS close).

Much Love,

p.s. I just made it a whole lot easier to comment – no name, email or login required. So have at it, friends 🙂

Healthy Body

Food & Fertility Series: What I Eat

July 1, 2016

Whether you are trying to have babies or not, hormone balance is INCREDIBLY important.

How do you know if you have un-balanced hormones? Here are a few hints:

You are moody a lot
Your weight fluctuates (and not necessarily because of changes in diet)
You have a lot of digestive issues
You have a low sex drive
You have un-reliable periods
You are tired all the time
You've experienced early hair loss or thinning

The foods that I am eating right now for fertility are the same foods I should be eating to solve any hormone balance issues. Strange coincidence? I think not.

Yes, eating them will help put my body in the best condition to conceive. They will help with morning sickness, cravings, food aversions, and varicose veins. And they will later make my pregnancy go smoother, my baby's health better and breast-feeding easier.

But they will also help boost metabolism and promote weight loss, combat stress and reduce inflammation, AND increase sex drive (which will, of course, also help with making babies too).

And before you wonder to yourself, the answer is NO. Eating these foods will not MAKE you get pregnant, as long as you are following birth control methods. Silly.

What we’re looking for in fertility and hormone-balancing food:

Vitamin B12
Vitamin B6
Folate
Long Chain Fatty Acids
Sources of Omega-3
Adaptogen Herbs

With that in mind, I’ve created a fertility food plan for myself. The plan is based on Weston A. Price’s fertility diet, but I’ve taken it down a couple notches, added a few of my own special touches, and tried to make it a little more realistic for people.

Without further ado, here it is…

EVERY DAY:

2 or more eggs, preferably from Pasture-raised chickens.

Where to get them: I love Vital Farms eggs because you can get them from most Whole Foods and Weseda Farms eggs from my favorite, Local Foods. But since it’s Farmer’s Market season, I highly recommend picking up a couple dozen from your local farmers.

2 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil, used in cooking, smoothies, or bone broth.

Where to get it: I love Dr. Bronner’s. You can order it at Thrive Market, pick it up at Whole Foods or order it online.

Pasture-Raised/Grass-Fed Beef, Lamb or Chicken.

Where to get it: Both Marianos and Whole Foods will carry some Grass-Fed meat. But if you live in Chicago, my market of choice is Local Foods as I wrote about in this post. Why grass-fed? I explain it all right here.

1 cup or more of bone broth, used as a morning drink in soups or in cooking.

Where to get it: My first recommendation would be to make your own (I will be showing you how in a future post). It's a lot less expensive and you have more control over the ingredients. But in the meantime, I’m a big fan of the Kettle & Fire brand and they are now offering it for a discounted price at Thrive Market.

Fermented everything: Beverages (Kefir, Kvass, KOMBUCHA!!), Vegetables and Condiments.

Where to get Kombucha: My two favorite Kombucha brands are GT (available at any Whole Foods, most Marianos, and some Jewels, and even starting to be available at cafes like Hannah's Bretzel) and Health-Ade (harder to find in the Midwest, but available at Fresh Market and recently spotted at Le Pain Quotidien). And get this, now there is even a starter kit that makes it really easy to make on your own.

Where to get Kefir: Available at most grocery stores in the refrigerated section next to the yogurt. Try to steer clear of the ones with lots of added sugar, and instead get plain WHOLE MILK kefir and add your own mix-ins or put it in a smoothie. And just like the kombucha, there is a cool culture kit to make your own.

Where to get Fermented Vegetables and Condiments: Naturally fermented pickles, sauerkraut and carrots are becoming more and more widely available. Check out the refrigerated sections of Trader Joe's, Marianos and Whole Foods. One of my favorite brands is Bubbies.

Pumpkin seeds. Sprinkle it on your salads, make healthy cookies or bars, eat it straight, whatever floats your boat.

Where to get it: Most grocery stores will carry pumpkin seeds, but I highly recommend looking out for the sprouted nuts and seeds. Why sprouted? The process multiplies proteins, enzymes and minerals making food easier to digest and allow the nutrients to be more easily absorbed in the body. I love the Go Raw brand – available at Whole Foods, Marianos and Thrive Market.

2 Capsules of Fermented Cod Liver Oil every day OR 1 Teaspoon of Fermented Cod Liver Oil.

Where to get it: Green Pasture is the only brand I've ever found that carries the fermented kind. This is different than fish oil capsules; it's much more nutrient-dense and your body will absorb it MUCH BETTER. Here are the Capsules and here is the Oil.

1 Vitex pill.

Where to get it: It’s actually pretty widely available at grocery stores, but if you want to order it online, this is the one I use. Bonus: totally affordable.

EVERY WEEK

Seafood, 2-4 times/week (wild salmon, fish eggs, mollusks, shellfish, canned sardines, canned tuna).

Where to get it: Wild salmon as well as mollusks and shellfish is available at most grocery stores. My favorite canned fish brand is Wild Planet which you can get the cheapest from Thrive Market. I eat my sardine salads with this stuff at least one time a week. It’s my fast, cheap and easy way to get my seafood intake in. Don’t knock it till you try it J.

Liver, 1-2 times/week. Visit my Paleo Hormone Balancing Meatball post to better understand why you need liver for ideal hormone balance, and discover a really delicious way to get it into your diet.

Where to get it: Ask your butcher if he can put some aside for you if he doesn't already have it. Whole Foods keeps it in plastic containers in the refrigerated section next to the bacon. Keep in mind, though, just like any other animal protein, where it came from matters. Local Foods is a whole animal butcher so it keeps EVERYTHING from all the animals so you can choose your pick between Chicken livers, Pig livers or Cow livers. Stop making that face. It's worth it. Promise.

Superfood Smoothies packed with hormone-balancing nutrients like Goji Berries, Bee Pollen, Turmeric, Ginger, Camu Camu, Wheat Grass and Grass-fed Collagen Powder. I'll go into more details about superfoods in a later post, but I nudge you to try some in your next smoothie. You can actually feel their benefits happening right away, I think.

Where to get: Thrive Market is a great place to shop for discounted prices on superfoods like goji berries, cacao powder, maca and matcha. Otherwise, Whole Foods and Marianos both have sections in the store dedicated to these types of foods.
Where to get recipes: I have been posting fertility smoothies non-stop on my Healthy Stacey Instagram page. If you want to see more, follow me! (please 🙂

1 teaspoon Royal Jelly, 2-4 times/week. This stuff is gold. It is the Queen Bee's primary source of nutrition and the reason she lives longer, stronger and bigger than any of the other bees in the hive. (5-6 years vs. 30-40 days!!). With it she produces approximately 250,000 eggs in one season, producing as many as 200 eggs/day. Bonus: It’s mixed in with honey and tastes DELICIOUS. Every time I take it, I can’t believe it’s part of my “supplements.”

Where to get it: Not easy to find locally here in Chicago, unfortunately. So where else? Amazon. The brand in my link came recommended to me by a sweet old beekeeper named Bob that I met at the Daley Plaza Farmer’s Market.

p.s. Love reading reviews on Amazon like this, don’t you?

Lots and lots and lots of greens. No explaining necessary. You guys know the drill.

I’m trying to shorten these babies up a bit. I tend to go on and on and on. There’s just so much to say! This post was originally twice the length because I also was trying to explain why everything I was recommending was good for hormone balance. Instead, how ‘bout you guys send me an email if you’d like all that info as well and I’d be happy to provide it?

Alrighty. What do you guys think of all this? Are you overwhelmed? Are you excited to try some of it? Comment below…

Like what you read today? See those cute little social shapes underneath this post? They're for sharing! Click one to post to Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or comment right here on the blog. I would love to hear from you.

Can't get enough of all this healthy stuff? Then sign up for the newsletter where it says "Enter Your Email" at the top of this page. Too much of a commitment? That's cool. I also have a sweet Facebook page, deep-thoughted Twitter page, food-pornish Instagram handle, and recipe-filled Pinterest page.

Much Love,

Sources:

http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/diet-for-pregnant-and-nursing-mothers/
Michaelis, Kristen. Beautiful Babies: Nutrition for Fertility. Victory Belt Publishing, 2013. Digital E-Book.
Orecchio, Christa and Buckley, Willow. How to Conceive Naturally: And Have a Healthy Pregnancy after 30. Grand Central Life & Style, 2015. Digital E-Book.

Healthy Body

I Stopped Taking My Birth Control

June 27, 2016

I’ve been on birth control since I was 15. That means for 15 years my hormones have been controlled by a tiny little pill that I take every day.

When I started the little yellow pack all those years back, I was just a frustrated teenager with bad cramps, looking for anything that would make the pain go away. My gynecologist didn’t hesitate to put me on the pill, promising that would ease the pain and lessen the severity of my periods.

She was right. It worked.

Over the next 15 years, I became more in touch with my body. As we all do, I think.

I knew my hunger levels throughout the day.
I knew which foods I craved. And which ones made me feel bad.
I knew exactly how much wine I could drink before I entered the danger zone.
I knew that right before my period I would get sad (and emotional and sensitive and I-am-fat-and-ugly-and-unlovable…just kidding, kind of).
And I knew what I needed to do to make the pain/sadness/irritableness go away.

At 30, I felt very in tune with my body. So I, of all people, thought I had all my body’s “feels” down pat. But all that completely changed when I went off the pill.

Today, I’d like to share my experience with you. Whether you’ve considered going off of it because you have the heard the negative impacts it can have on our health and emotions, or you’re just starting to take the first steps to fertility, I hope this will help you better prepare for the experience.

More Hungry
I wrote a blog post a few years back about decreasing hunger levels in my late 20’s. I had assumed that, with age, your hunger decreases and mine had just hit that wall. As a child and as a teenager I was hungry ALL THE TIME. As children are, I suppose. I still loved food as an adult (obv), but a lot of time I would eat just because it was “time to eat;” not because I was hungry.

Now, I wake up ravenous. I can’t wait to get something in my belly. Once lunchtime hits, I once again CANNOT wait to eat. And you know how when you’re really hungry, food tastes better? Ya. Food totally tastes better off the pill! More crunchy, more sweet, more cheesy and more satiating. I swear it.

And BECAUSE I am more satiated, I find myself snacking less. When I eat, I REALLY eat. When I’m done, I’m done.

More…Ahem…Drive
I read somewhere once that women hit their sexual peak in their 30’s. So I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed when I hit mine and I wasn’t feeling this sudden surge of sexual confidence. But now I have to wonder – was it the pill that was holding me back?

I don’t want to get too personal on you here because it’s incredibly awkward and I am literally cringing as I type this. But just know that once I stopped the pill, I felt the surge. ALL the time. AT LEAST 3 times a day. Okay 5. More than that, I just feel sexier. Maybe one is the result of the other, but I can’t get over this feeling of being really happy with the way my body looks and feels right now.

More Clear Headed & Steady
This one is going to be the toughest to put into words. Because it’s more of a feeling than anything else. But I just feel more alive, more awake and more alert. More happy and less moody. Even-keeled is a good way to describe it.

Not that this is in any way unusual, but with my period on its way, I would have some pretty deep dips in my mood. I’d never get angry. Just sad and emotional. And things that would typically bother me a lot, I’m letting go easier.

Initial Adjusting
It would be remiss of me not to tell you that there will be some getting used to it in the very beginning. Your body has to readjust to its own hormone levels and this can be a bit jolting when we’re used to a prescribed level of hormones for so long. Along with all of the good stuff above, I also noticed a little nausea, slight cramping long before my period came and changes in body temperature. I would wake up in the middle of the night, or early in the morning with what felt like a hot flash. I run really cold so this was very odd to me. Without doing any research on this (VERY unlike me), I feel as though this makes perfect sense. Women going through menopause experience hot flashes because their hormones are changing. So why wouldn’t a woman in her 30’s who had just greatly affected her hormones feel the same? Oh. And the last and MOST annoying one – not knowing how long your period is and waiting for what seems like months for it to come (wondering if you’re pregnant or not the whole time EVEN THOUGH you’d taken multiple pregnancy tests that tell you otherwise).

That’s all she wrote for now. You can choose to take my experience with a grain of salt. And yes, it could be the placebo effect. I tend to be very sensitive to what I hear or read, and I knew to expect a change when I stopped the pill. But from everything people told me, it would be horrible. There would be terrible cramps and mood swings and emotions. And I gotta say, I had all of those things much worse when I was on it. I love my new feels. I think they’re pretty fantastic. And honestly, I have no desire to go back.

Much Love,

Healthy Body

Dry Body Brushing

November 11, 2015

For the last two months, I have been learning a whole lot about the human body (and OH what a body it is) through the tutelage of Carnegie Mellon University. No, I’m not a full-time student again (I wish). But I am working on becoming a certified health coach (Drop the mic – I know).

Lucky for me, my program has partnered with CMU for the science portion of the material. Which I LOVE because I know I'm getting a top notch education.

My time spent with this program is the same reason I haven’t been quite as consistent with my posts as I'd like to be. But DON’T WORRY. It’s only because I want to be a better blogger for you all. And maybe, eventually, a health coach to some of you. [Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.]

Our most recent lesson was on all of the body’s wonderfully marvelous I-can't-believe-we-were-born-this-way systems. But for whatever reason, the one that intrigued me the most was the Lymphatic System.

What is the Lymphatic System, you ask?

Short answer: The Lymphatic System is a network of tissues and organs that help rid the body of toxins, waste and other unwanted materials.

Long answer: Our bodies don't function without our environment. Breathing, eating, pogo-sticking – we need our environment to do all of that. However, in those exchanges, we have to be careful of foreign invaders that might enter the body during such activites. And sometimes, we have to remove them before they cause any real damage.

That's where the lymphatic system comes in. It works together with the cardiovascular system to transport excess fluids away from body tissues. Once fluid enters the lymphatic system it is called lymph. Lymph travels through lymph vessels and passes through these neat pockets called lymph nodes which filter and clean the lymph. On top of that, the lymph ALSO transports absorbed fat from the digestive system to the body cells.

Okay, now we got the definition down, let's get to why I thought it was so interesting.

When the lymphatic system gets congested, it can't eliminate waste efficiently. If it can't eliminate waste efficiently, your body doesn't respond well. It can become inflamed (soreness, stiffness, bloating, excess water weight, breast swelling or soreness with cycles, swollen glands, extra belly fat, headaches, constipation), and sometimes, if it's serious enough, lead to disease.

On the other side, though, when things are working as they should, we’ve got smoother softer skin, better digestion, increased circulation and hard-working kidneys. Woohoo!

I was curious. What can we do to make sure our lymphatic system is working at its best so we can not only avoid inflammation, but so that we can have the increased benefits of an ideal system?

Low and behold, near the end of the unit, I saw this:

The lymph doesn’t move on it’s own. You must move it through activities like exercise, massage and dry body brushing.

Huh? What’s dry brushing? Is it expensive? Is it time consuming? How do I do it? I want one!

The answers…are below.

What is dry body brushing?

Dry body brushing is exactly as it sounds. It literally consists of taking a brush (a natural one; not a synthetic one) to your body, and brushing it towards the heart in long stroking motions, stimulating the process of lymph circulation. One third of your body's toxins are excreted through the skin. Dry brushing, therefore, helps to unclog pores and excrete toxins that become trapped in the skin.

Is it expensive?

NO. It’s the cost of a natural bristle brush with a long handle (so you can really get back there). I bought mine at Whole Foods for $6.

Is it time consuming?

No. You can do it really quick – like 5 minutes quick. Or, if you have a little more time, you can spend a leisurly 20 minutes brushing your entire body. I highly reccommend doing it in the morning before you shower, as it can be pretty invigorating to the skin and the entire body. Whoo. What a rush.

How do I do it?

I took my lesson from reading a few different blogs, and watching this Youtube video. Here's the gist:

1. Starting at the feet, brush up in long strokes, brushing a few times with each section of skin. With every stroke of the brush, follow with the other hand to keep the lymph flowing up.

2. THIS IS KEY: Always brush up towards the heart/chest where the lymph system drains.

3. Next, go to your arms. Start at your hands, brushing towards your heart/chest. Pay close attention when you get to your armpit, as there are more lymph nodes in your armpit than in other areas of your body.

4. Tummy, next. This time do circular movements. This is where it's really going to help your digestion.

5. Lastly – and my personal favorite – your back. Brush upwards towards your heart and love every moment of that scratch-my-own-back experience. Feels aaahmazing.

My experience.

As of this writing, I've only been doing dry brushing for about a week. But I can say, without a doubt, that my skin is already so much smoother and softer. Which, at this time of the year, is a miracle for my dry-as-a-bone skin. Secondly, I have started to notice a difference in my KP – a skin condition called Keratosis Pilaris that causes rough patches and dry red acne-like bumps on the skin. I've lived with this ugly thing forever and tried EVERYTHING to eliminate it but nothing works. If this dry brushing thing does the trick, it is TOTALLY worth it for that alone. Lastly, I notice an immediate burst of energy after I do it – which is why it's ideal to do first thing in the morning. Oh, and I almost forgot, it just feels so damn good.

Interested in giving it a try with me? Awesome. Dry body brushing buddies! (high five)

Or maybe you just think somebody else might benefit from Dry Body Brushing. See those cute little social shapes underneath this post? They're for sharing! Click one to post to Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or comment right here on the blog. I would love to hear from you.

Much Love,

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