Author Archives: primalgirl


About primalgirl

Tara Grant is an author, speaker, spokesperson and mother of two who has had tremendous success with the Primal lifestyle. Her new book The Hidden Plague: A Field Guide for Overcoming & Surviving Hidradenitis Suppurativa will be available in 2013 through Primal Blueprint Publishing. Tara attends PrimalCon each year as a presenter and will be volunteering at the 2013 Ancestral Health Symposium in Atlanta, Georgia in August. She is the new spokesperson for Farmer Goose, a family-run farm in the Phoenix area that practices multi-species grazing and offers grass fed beef. Tara currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband Derek and their two boys Taylor & Gibson.

November Update

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As we speak, I’m living in 600 sq ft with no oven, two screaming toddlers who are very upset with me and little to no will to live. The last couple of months have been so hectic that we’ve been completely overwhelmed. I’ve gone from a 2100 sq ft home, with full-time day care and supportive family around to this – practically overnight.

My husband is in the military and in August we received word that we were moving to Phoenix, Arizona, ready or not, by the end of October. We spent most of the month of September out of the country and partying as much as possible with friends we’d never see again. That left October for us to get packed, landscape/sod an entire neglected backyard, look after two toddlers, repair damages to the house, clean it, load up the cars and hit the road.

Just parenting these two kids amidst all this other crap has been almost more than I can take. They are out of their normal routine and schedule for the first time in their lives and have turned into little monsters. They demand 100% of my attention, 100% of the time and fight violently with each other if I’m busy doing something else, say, like selfishly wanting to pee in private. Every darling young woman I run into that gushes, “Oh, TWINS! I’ve always wanted twins!” I want to immediately bitch slap into reality.

I know the kids are insecure right now and their entire lives have been turned upside down, so I’m trying to cut them some slack. It’s been hard, though; we’re completely alone out here, with no support, no one to watch them so we can have a break, no playmates and nothing to take the focus off of how freakin’ bored they are, except the TV. All of our attempts at discipline seem to be failing and even taking the kids to the store is impossible without at least 2 meltdown-tantrums per child, per hour.

Mid-October we packed enough clothes and supplies to last about two months – including a crock pot, cast iron frying pans, my food processor and Vitamix – as I was told that we would have a full kitchen in the temporary lodging we’d have on the new base. Since I had so many other things to deal with, I didn’t have time to prepare any of the foods I would normally make before a road trip, including beef jerky, dried fruit, and kale chips. We barely had time to empty our freezer into a cooler and strap it to the car.

This essentially left us naked and powerless on the Generic Interstate that is the United States of America. The very first day of our road trip we were already at the end of our rope, dealing with the whining and the tantrums as well as the stress of driving and securing shelter for the night. I had kombucha SCOBYs with me, a whole organic frozen chicken, frozen lamb liver, condiments the movers wouldn’t pack like horseradish and other equally useless things like whisks. I didn’t have anything to feed my kids except banana chips. I was the one that suggested McDonald’s. That quarter pounder with cheese was one of the best things I’ve had in a long time.

The place we were supposed to stay at on base had a full kitchen, so I had packed with that in mind. I was also supposed to be filmed by TLC during our stay there, cooking and generally being Primally Domestic , so I needed things like cute aprons. However, when we got there and got settled in, we found out we could only afford to stay there for about a week and TLC had pushed us back to Season 3. All the stuff I’d packed was essentially useless.

We had to move and couldn’t find a place in our budget that had a full kitchen so we landed at a craptastic Extended Stay with a single burner, a microwave and a toaster. I’m lucky enough to have a fridge and freezer to keep the useless fucking chicken frozen. The whisks are still in the car; there just isn’t need or room for them in here.

After our initial stint at McDonald’s, we ate wheat for 2 days in a row and then began to regret it. We’ve been surviving on gluten-free bread, whatever fruit and vegetables you can eat raw, deli meats and pickles for a couple weeks now. I’ve also been eating sugar like a junkie. I’ve been trying to stay as Primal as possible, but it’s hard. My sleep has gone to shit, the kids are on me constantly and I feel completely overwhelmed. I also haven’t had the energy to exercise, something I know would really help if I could get up off my ass and just do it!

I have been fairly productive throughout this move, though, when it comes to doing biohacking regarding my HS. For a while, I had been wondering if I was one of those individuals in whom it just “disappears,” but some well-timed experiments and research have provided some valuable insight into the disease, the life cycle of hair follicles and different things that can cause problems. I’ve included all this information in the book, as well as some great tips and insights that readers have sent me over the last few months.

I’ve got 173 pages done on my book and plan on writing another 50. When I first started this process I thought I would simply combine my two blog posts, add a couple extra pages of information and publish it. As I started writing, I realized that this topic is way too big to encompass in a couple pages. I felt that I would be doing everyone a disservice if I published this book without all the information in it that you needed to beat your HS. There are a few more factors at play, other than just “finding your trigger foods.”

The reason I’m mentioning this is that I am getting emails from people every single day looking for help and I can’t write everyone back. Right now I have 54 unread and flagged comments and emails in my inbox and the best intentions to “get to them as soon as the kids go down for a nap.” Which, unfortunately, they have decided they no longer need to do. Ever.

I realize that I am one of the only sources online that offers any hope for those with HS and I am working as quickly as I can to give you the information you need. However, I won’t be able to complete this book or handle any type of consultations or even basic email correspondence until I get some sort of care for these kids. To put it into perspective, this blog post alone has taken me TWO WEEKS to write. I’m not kidding. I really wish I were.

My advice to anyone who is currently seeking help regarding HS:

  1. Educate yourself about what foods contain gluten, wheat and nightshades. If you don’t know what a nightshade is, please Google it. I can’t answer everyone’s questions about things like that. I wish I could but I just don’t have time. Find out what is in the food YOU eat. www.marksdailyapple.com www.paleohacks.com and www.robbwolf.com are great places to start.
  2. Make a list of all the OTC and prescription medications you take and Google them in addition to “leaky gut.” Healing a leaky gut is probably the most important part of putting HS into remission and there are lots of factors at play, including birth control pills and Ibuprofen.
  3. If you have a question you can’t find the answer to, do email me. Just please don’t expect an answer quickly. I will answer your email in the order it was received. We appreciate your business here at Primal Power, please stay on the line and a representative will be with you shortly. LOL

Some things you can do to help me:

  • Please send me pictures, along with your legal name and permission to use them. Let me know the name you would like me to use in the book (or I can use “anonymous”) plus your age and where you live.
  • Send me a short story about your HS, 50-200 words max. You can recount your experience regarding your personal life, surgery, interactions with doctors or what has worked for you. Again, I need a name, age and where you live.
  • I’ve been writing entire chapters in response to some of your emails, and sending you the chapter as my answer. If you’re willing to wait a little while, send me some of your questions and I’ll see what I can do.

We should be closing on our new house in a matter of weeks, so I will have some semblance of normalcy returning soon. I completed my CHEK certification in September and am now an official CHEK Certified Holistic Life Coach so I will be opening up my new business early in the new year.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa Book/Guide

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Hey guys!

I’ve taken a short break from writing my book to write another book. I’m still getting overwhelming comments on my Hidradenitis Suppurativa posts, and I decided that I needed to get all the information and tips I have in one, easy to read — and easy to understand — format.

I hope to have this book finished and available on for download and purchase by the end of the month. I’ll be using a lot of the comments that you guys have posted over the last couple months but I need to know if you have any more questions about specific things that you want me to address.

So, here’s what I need:

1. Questions/comments/testimonials
2. I’m searching for potential names for the book. Some people I’ve talked to refer to their HS as “Bumps.” This is my working title, but if you have a better suggestion, please let me know!! The name is pretty important and I’m at a loss. The subtitle is definitely going to be: “A field guide for surviving — and overcoming — the painful condition Hidradenitis Suppurativa.”
3. Any pictures you have (or want to take) that you will let me use in the book. I can give you credit, or post them anonymously. They do NOT have to show your face. I will NEVER, EVER “out” you if you don’t want me to.
4. Lists of your triggers and reactions. Send it to me with the following subjects: 1. Known triggers, 2. Potential triggers, 3. Major Symptoms (Body Wide), incl. joint pain, endometriosis, 4. Specific Digestive symptoms, 5. Skin conditions, incl. rashes and acne, 6) Mood/Pain Level

You can either comment on this post, contact me directly by clicking on the “contact” tab in the upper right corner of this page. Anyone interested in sending pics, please let me know and I’ll send you my email address.

Thank you! I’m excited to have this book out for you to read and hopefully it will help you out a great deal.

Homemade Coconut Milk, Coconut Cream and Coconut Butter

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Coconut is amazing. You can turn it into flour, milk, oil or butter. You can drink the water. You can simply eat the coconut. You can buy it shredded or in cans. Most of us don’t think about how simple it is to make things ourselves and so we pay $14 for a jar of coconut butter or $2.50 for a can of coconut milk and resign ourselves to shelling out for it because it’s awesome.

My kids have to take milk to school to fulfill some bullshit calcium requirement and since they’re dairy free, we’ve been sending them off with coconut milk. I’ve tried watering down canned coconut milk but it tastes…canned. I had started buying coconut milk “drink” in tetra paks, but at $2 each, it was getting expensive. Plus, one look at the “vitamins” on the side revealed that all the additives were artificial – even in the Trader Joe’s brand. I read a post on The Primal Parent about the damage that those artificial vitamins can do and how to make your own almond milk (which I did, and it was amazing but I can’t send the kids off to school with any type of nut product). So, I set off to make my own coconut milk. I simply used shredded coconut instead of nuts and used the same procedure.

The result was the silkiest, smoothest most delicous coconut milk I’ve ever had. It was fragrant. With a flavor I’d never tasted before. It tasted…fresh. The first batch I made separated in the fridge and had to be brought to room temperature and re-blended in order to drink it so I set about tweaking it. The fat congealed in one big lump and floated to the top. Frequent attempts to shake it back into submission only resulted in the lump getting bigger, much like dairy butter. (In case you’re curious, the fat that separated was pure coconut cream — or more correctly, coconut butter, but we tend to think of coconut butter as something else — I’ll get to that later. We’ll just call it cream for simplicity’s sake.) It was richer and smoother than the coconut cream you buy in the store and didn’t taste like it had come from China, which is how the stuff I’ve found tends to taste. It was solid like a block of butter is when you first remove it from the fridge, but when it warmed up it had the consistency of whipping cream.

Coconut butter is like peanut butter — the flesh of the nut with the absolute shit blended out of it. It’s not technically “butter” any more than almond butter is butter, but it is beyond amazing. It’s also very expensive. Artisana sells a 16-oz jar of Coconut Butter for almost 14 bucks. Sure, it’s raw. And organic. So is the stuff you can make at home. I estimate you can make a 16-oz jar of the stuff yourself for less than three dollars, depending on how much you got your coconut for. I bought a jar before I started experimenting so that I would know what it tasted like. It tasted like an orgasm feels. There is no other way to describe it.

So how do you make these things yourself? Well, here are the recipes.

Coconut Butter

You’re going to feel like a dimwit when I tell you how easy this one is, but don’t. Please. We’ve become programmed to think that only the all-powerful food industry holds the secret to foods like mayonnaise, peanut butter and pickles, but they are incredibly easy — and way cheaper — to make at home.

Things You’ll Need:

  • Blender (a high powered blender like a Vitamix work the best but any old blender will do.)
  • Shredded Coconut (I use Bob’s Red Mill Fine Macaroon Unsweetened Coconut. You can use any brand you want, but make sure it is finely shredded and unsweetened.)

1. Put the shredded coconut in the blender and put on the lid. You’ll want to use at least a couple cups of coconut since it reduces and you’ll definitely want more than a tablespoon of finished product.

2. Turn on the blender and gradually turn it up to high.

With a Vitamix, you’ll have finished coconut butter in about 3 minutes. With a regular blender, it might take as long as 15-20 minutes, but it will eventually turn into butter. Turn off the blender and scrap down the sides if you need to once the butter starts to form. Blend to desired consistency (just taste it to figure out how smooth you want it).

That. Is. It.

Note: Don’t add any type of sweetener to your coconut butter. I know it looks like icing, but it isn’t. I tried to make “icing” by adding some agave nectar and strangely enough, it dried the coconut butter out. No amount of re-blending gave it back the wonderful consistency it had before I added the agave. It should be fine if you’re using the coconut butter in a recipe that also calls for sweetener.

Coconut Milk and Cream

You can use this exact same recipe to make cashew milk, almond milk or any-type-of-nut milk, including a wonderful blend of all your favorites. Just make sure you drain and rinse the nuts and use fresh water in your recipe. With coconut milk, you use the same water that you soak the coconut in. This is the only difference.

Things You’ll Need:

  • Shredded Coconut
  • Blender
  • Filtered Water
  • Tea towel (I use Flour Sack Towels. Love, love, love them.)
  • Clean glass bottle
  • Funnel if your bottle has a narrow mouth
  • Guar Gum (if you want the cream to stay emulsified in the coconut milk)
  • Sugar/Honey (optional)
  • Vanilla (optional)

You’ll have to experiment with coconut to water ratios to get the consistency that you like but here are some basics that I like:

  • Coconut milk to drink: 1 cup coconut, 4 cups water
  • Coconut milk to cook with: 2 cups coconut, 4 cups water

1. Soak coconut in filtered water for several hours or overnight. I just do this step right in my blender. Less mess, fewer dishes. Work smarter, not harder. Flip the switch a couple times during the day to mix it all up, if you feel the need.

2. When you’re ready, turn the blender on high for 2-3 minutes in a Vitamix, a little longer (say 5 minutes) in a regular blender.

3. Set up your glass bottle, funnel and tea towel. 4. Strain the coconut milk by pouring it slowly into the funnel and squeezing the excess liquid into the bottle. You can discard the leftover pulp or use it for recipes. (It’s rather tasteless at this point) Repeat until all the milk is strained.

5. When you’ve finished straining your coconut milk, you have several options. If you want it unflavored and unsweetened, or you want coconut cream you can go ahead and drink it now or put it in the fridge. Otherwise, you’re going to need to return it to the blender. This is what I do.

6. I add 1 tsp of vanilla, 1 tablespoon of regular sugar and 1/4 tsp of guar gum while the blender is on. That way the guar gum doesn’t clump. I usually mix the guar gum with the sugar and add them together. It seems to work quite well.

7. When the coconut milk is flavored/sweetened to your taste, pour it back into your glass bottle.

A note on using Guar Gum: The following pictures are of freshly made coconut milk using guar gum. Notice the separation on the left. Even though you’ve used guar gum, the coconut milk will separate several times. Just give it a little shake to remix it. The guar gum keeps the fat from clumping when you refrigerate it and will eventually keep it emulsified once the temperature has dropped. If you don’t use any, you will end up with a clump of coconut cream that will not mix back into the milk unless you bring it to room temperature and reblend it. Using Xanthan Gum makes a product thicker and is not what you want in this case, unless you want to thicken the coconut milk up. I caution against this, though. If you want thicker coconut milk, use more coconut and less water. Xanthan gum gives your finished milk a slimy feel, especially if you use too much. Be careful with the amount of Guar Gum, too. The same thing can happen. A scant 1/4 tsp in 4 cups of water is enough.

8. Your fresh coconut milk will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it, but be prepared for some separation when it thaws.

Let me know how it turns out for you! Try making some other nut milks. My favorite is cashew milk. Just make sure you soak the nuts for about 12 hours and dump the water out and rinse before beginning. Nuts contain phytic acid and other anti-nutrients you don’t necessarily want to drink.

Save yourself some time:

Once you’ve made your nut butter, leave some in the blender and add water. Blend for a minute or so and then strain. Instant nut milk! Plus you’ve used up the last bits in the blender and made cleanup easier.

Vitamin D, CBS and Pickle Mayonnaise

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Vitamin D and Sleep

Dr. Seth Roberts (a PhD and biohacker who presented at AHS last year) has been blogging about my Vitamin D and sleep connection for several months now and has been trying it out for himself. Seth has been trying to improve his sleep for years and definitely thinks I’m on to something. You can read about his experiments here. He’s currently writing a publication on the subject, which I can’t wait to read. He’s also been referring to the topic during some of his talks. I know some of you have tried and have had success with changing the timing of your supplementation – we believe it’s more important than previously thought and can impact the outcome.

Paleo on CBS

Paleo’s been on the news again! Dr. Kim Mulvihill at CBS San Francisco recently came to PaleoFX and interviewed some of us. There’s tons of great information, including an interview with CJ Hunt about his new movie, In Search of The Perfect Human Diet. (Spoiler alert: it turns out the perfect human diet is Paleo.) Check out the videos on CBS, or click below. I just happen to be in this one. ;)

Aired May 14, 2012: New Documentary Highlights Health Benefits of Paleo Diet
Aired May 15, 2012: Going Paleo Means Cutting Out Common Items from Diet
Aired May 16, 2012: Plenty of Options When Cooking For Caveman Diet
Aired May 17, 2012: Can the Paleo Diet Extend Your Life?
Aired May 18, 2012: Olympic Athlete Credits Paleo Diet for Healing
Aired May 21, 2012: Plastic Surgeon Prescribes Paleo Diet Instead of Liposuction

Pickle Mayonnaise

I recently went on a road trip to New Mexico to visit a friend who I haven’t seen in years. I have so much in common with this woman that we never run out of things to talk about and do together but thanks to the military we’ve been thousands of miles away from each other since 2006. Staying with her and her family really brought a point home for me – we are not meant to live alone with our immediate families, isolated in our perfect boxes. We’re supposed to have extended family and friends around us most of the time. For support with our children. For help with the cooking and cleaning. To socialize with. We shared so many ideas and tips over a one week period that I have come home with tons of new things to try, many of which I’ve already started doing. We even stumbled upon an amazing mayonnaise recipe that I’m going to share with you. If it hadn’t been for Rhonda, I never would have thought about trying this.
As a lot of you know, making your own mayonnaise is disgustingly easy. I say disgusting because it takes about 30 seconds and tastes better than anything you’ll EVER get in a store. It’s a lot cheaper too. Just like salad dressing and marinades, it uses oil and acid – the difference is, there’s a raw egg thrown in. But just like salad dressings and marinades, you can mix up the type of oil and acid you use to invent amazing new flavors.
Rhonda had recently made a batch of pickles but had forgotten to add water to some of the batch (a crucial step if you actually want to be able to eat the things without your face turning inside out). I was making mayonnaise for our trip back home and needed vinegar. She suggested using the vinegar from one of her jars of dill pickles that hadn’t been diluted so I tried it. OMFG. It was possibly the best mayonnaise I’ve ever had. It tasted like summer – for me, that’s potato salad and barbecues. Since the mayo already had a pickle flavor, we didn’t need to add pickles to our tuna or egg salad on the road which made on-the-go preparations really easy. I added a little extra salt to the batch as well so I didn’t need to deal with adding salt, either.
We came up with the idea to make the vinegar to use for future batches, which is what I’m going to do later this afternoon. All you need to do is find a pickle recipe you like, make it — but don’t add the water or the cucumbers — and pour it into a mason jar. You don’t even need to go through the canning process because vinegar won’t spoil. You could add any number of herbs to it, depending on the flavor you want. I’m going to get some fresh tarragon and try that. Having flavored vinegar will save me having to add herbs to my mayonnaise later on and gives a depth of flavor that herbs thrown in at the last minute just don’t have.

Here’s the recipe. Substitute different oils and acids for different tastes.

Basic Mayonnaise Recipe

1 egg
1 cup oil (I use extra light tasting olive oil or avocado oil)
1 1/2 tbsp acid [vinegar or citrus juice] (3/4 tbsp apple cider vinegar + 3/4 tbsp lemon juice is lovely)
1/2 tsp dried ground mustard
1/2 tsp Real Salt or sea salt (more or less to taste, but 1/2 tsp is what I like)
Optional: fresh garlic, pepper, whatever herbs you want.

Put everything into a mason jar and use a stick blender to combine. You’ll have lovely, thick mayonnaise in about 30 seconds. If you’re using a food processor, add the oil in a steady stream. If you want to make a creamy salad dressing, just add some milk to thin it out, or even some more lemon or lime juice. Using balsamic vinegar as your base in this case works nicely. It all depends on what you want to do with the finished mayonnaise. If you’re making potato salad, I really suggest making and using pickle vinegar. (Don’t use pickle juice from a store bought jar, it has been diluted and your mayo will be runny.)

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I’m still writing my book and I’m really excited about how it’s turning out. As for a guestimate of when I’ll be finished — well, with toddlers, road trips, military PCS’s and life all competing for my time and attention, it could be a while but I’m optimistic I’ll get it done by the end of this year. :)

May Day Reflections and PrimalCon

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May Day. A day to herald the coming of Spring with song and dance, a day for children with flowers in their hair to skip around beribboned maypoles, a time to crown May Day queens.

A day for blog posts, apparently. And phone calls, texts, emails, dings from Twitter, pings and pongs from Facebook, returns to Amazon and endless hours in Starbucks.

I’m trying to recapture the feeling I had at PrimalCon a couple weeks ago, sitting in the sweet-smelling grass, basking in the sunshine, surrounded by bare feet with the wind whipping through my hair and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. I’ve written a review of PrimalCon down below. I’m feeling the pull of Harbin Hot Springs, the need to disconnect and get back to nature. To start my cold thermogenesis therapy in their cold pools, to say ‘to hell with the cold, I’m getting in the hot pool and soaking for a while,’ to have non-food related conversations with vegans, to play guitar under a tree. And yes, to put flowers in my hair and dance naked under the stars. I’m a hippy pagan at heart. My heart yearns for these things.

I’ve been trying to figure out what direction to take with my life and this whole Primal/Paleo thing. I know I need to do something within this community but until now, I haven’t been too sure what that something is. I have wicked fantastic ideas that unfortunately require a staff (or at least a partner) to bring to light. This is what I’ve decided to do:

  • I will still maintain this blog, but I’m taking a little break. I’m only answering comments once a week and will only post every so often.
  • I am offering one-on-one biohacking consultations. (Try and sue me, North Carolina, I’m pretty sure ANYONE can call themselves a biohacker. I’m not a nutritionist, nor a registered dietician, nor do I pretend to be. I am a pretty wicked biohacker, though.) I don’t pretend to know everything, but I have tons of contacts that know more than me and I’m not afraid to use them. I know how to use Google like a pro. I also know that individual help is what most people need when starting their Paleo journeys. This lifestyle is NOT one-size-fits-all. I’ll be putting up a consultation page on this blog soon, if you’re interested please let me know!
  • I’m writing a book. I am going to go offline for a bit and get this damn thing written. I’m dedicating a good chunk of each day to writing. I’ll be turning off my phone and even my internet connection during this time. I’m going to go to Harbin to write some of it so I’ll be even further out of touch.
  • I’m considering new partnerships with people in the Paleosphere. I’d love to do something and if you are looking for a partner or a new project, let’s team up. At the moment, I’ll only commit to something I know I have time for, a short-term project for example.

I’m continuing to biohack myself during this journey. I fear I may have something called fructose malabsorption. It would certainly explain a lot. If you have been Paleo or Primal for a while, but are still experiencing skin issues or depression, check out the link from Peggy the Primal Parent. It will blow your mind. It’s a REAL thing! Dr. Emily Deans blogs about it here, too. I’ll let you know how I fare, but let’s just say I won’t be treating myself with honey straight out of the jar anymore. :(

So on, to PrimalCon:

PrimalCon was amazing. Here’s my review in 70 words or less:

AHS was academic. I learned a lot about evolutionary biology. I came home spouting off about IGF1. PaleoFX was academic and practical. I made tons of friends and learned a lot about the lifestyle. I came home spouting off about the benefits of Kombucha. PrimalCon…was amazing. I learned about myself. My limits, my body, my mind. I came home, sore and sunburnt, and was completely silent.

And that’s saying something.

PrimalCon and Preparing for a Road Trip When You’re Paleo

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I’m getting ready to leave for PrimalCon in a few hours and I am super excited. Not only will I be talking to others about how I transformed myself, I’m planning on concentrating on how I have dealt with the litany of doctors I have seen over the years – to date, I have seen about 50 doctors from four different countries for the various ailments I used to suffer from. I continue to visit the doctor occasionally, if only to test their knowledge and spread the word about things like “gliaden” and natural, nutritional interventions as opposed to pharmaceuticals – the go-to of every conventional doctor I’ve ever seen. Perhaps you get to choose the doctor you go to, but as part of the socialized, industrial machine that is military medicine, I don’t. I get to see a new one every time I go to the office. So, I do what I can to be a shit disturber. It’s just what I do.

I’m going to take the time at PrimalCon to relax. I’m bringing my guitar and plan to enjoy the company of my wonderful Primal family, eat everything in sight and eventually let the sounds of the waves crashing on the beach soothe me to sleep. This will be the only vacation I get all year and I’m going to make the most of it.

I was going to say that I’ll be tweeting and blogging from PrimalCon but I won’t. I’m not going to make that promise. Besides the issue of having an internet connection in the first place, I want to concentrate on the event itself and on having fun, playing and connecting with Primal tribe members. Even if I do have an internet connection, I think I’m going to unplug for a few days.

In the meantime, it’s tough planning for a trip. I know that there will be lots of food when I get there, but I have a 9 hour journey each way. In my SAD days, I could stop at a roadside diner or go through a drive-thru, but that is no longer an option. Being Primal or Paleo can be daunting when you’re faced with time away from home, but there are solutions. Here are some things you can do:

    • Bring some lemon or lime juice. If you stop at a restaurant, you can always find salt. Grab some of the little packets to take with you if you can find them. Then, you can make a refreshing sports drink (recipe here) that will keep you hydrated. I find this especially helpful if you’re going to be flying.
    • Make up individual bags of nuts and dried fruit – one for each day you’ll be away. I went to Trader Joe’s and bought cashews, macadamias, almonds, dried blueberries, cranberries and cherries – all my favorites. Throw in some organic dark chocolate and you’ll have a nutritious meal (and a treat!) on hand for when there aren’t any other options. If you have a vacuum sealer, it will keep them ultra-fresh but I do caution you that trying to open one of those packages while you are driving is very, very dangerous.
    • You can also dry some of your own fruit if you own a dehydrator. Organic Kiwi sliced very thin with the skin still on and dried is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted.
    • If you have the time, make some beef jerky. If you don’t, there are amazing Paleo options available on the Internet if you plan a little in advance. The only two I have tried personally are Steve’s Original Paleo Kits and Tanka Bars. I prefer the Tanka Bars and here’s why:

     

      The Paleo Kits consist of nuts, fruit and grass-fed meat. They’re delicious, but the nuts and fruit are a little slimy. They taste great (especially when you’re ravenous!) but it changes the texture of the nuts and everything is sticky. I think it’s from the combination of the fat and the fruit. To be fair, I haven’t tried Steve’s grass-fed beef jerky on it’s own, but I’m sure it’s delicious and not sticky at all. You can’t eat the Paleo Kits while holding on to the wrapper, like you can with Tanka Bars. Reaching into the Paleo Kit package results in terribly sticky hands. Tanka Bars are made from buffalo meat and dried cranberries. They’re tender and sweet. I received a sample from Tanka a few weeks ago and I have to say I was more than pleasantly surprised. They’re a little sticky, too, but you can hold on to the wrapper so your hands stay clean. I’m used to having to tear at beef jerky with my teeth but I could easily bite into the Tanka Bars. My kids loved them too. Both Steve’s Originals and Tanka Bars have quality, Paleo products and both are companies that you can feel good about supporting. I have banners for both companies on the side of the page; feel free to see what they offer. I’m sure you’ll find they have products that can help you with both convenience and nutrition while you’re away from home.

     

  • Bring a jar of coconut oil. If all else fails, a spoonful or two will tide you over until your next meal. Coconut oil is also great to rinse out your mouth if you don’t have a toothbrush handy. A few people I’ve talked to use it instead of mouthwash and toothpaste. It’s antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and tastes great. You can add it to coffee (best with a blender though), put it on veggies at a restaurant instead of the hydrogenated imitation “butter” most places offer these days or use it as a natural, moisturizing sun screen for your skin. Be careful opening the jar if you’re in a warm environment, though. Look to see if it’s melted first.
  • For veggies, there are great kale chips available at most supermarkets. As long as you’re eating them with some beef jerky, you don’t have to worry about the fact that they’re “vegan.” ;) I make my own. My dehydrator is probably the most useful appliance I own these days.
  • Intermittent Fasting. Always an option and sometimes the best choice.

There are lots of options available to the Paleo traveller, if you do a little planning and preparation ahead of time. Most of us have to do that on a daily basis anyway, so traveling isn’t really a big deal when you think about it.

What do YOU like to bring on trips with you? Any tips or advice for the Paleo traveller?

Dear Primalgirl: Paleo’s Gonna Kill Ya

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Okay, maybe I’m being a little mellow dramatic with the title of this post but when Ancel Keys is brought up, I get a little pissed off. I received this comment the other day on a post I did a while back called Can Going Paleo Give You Celiac Disease? The comment was just too long and complicated for me to write a simple rebuttal underneath. Instead, I decided to turn it into a post. I will address each point in black text so it is easier to distinguish who is “talking.” In case you don’t feel like reading the original post, I concluded that going Paleo hadn’t given me any new diseases or syndromes; instead the removal of particular foods from my diet caused me to be highly-aware of the immediate problems they created when reintroduced.

Written by Scotty from www.mycollegenutrition.com: 

I Highly Disagree, it’s totally possible to get an Autoimmune disease from any dietary restriction, Low carb paleo included. (by the way clay color poop is associated with problems in the pancreas). http://theskinnywhitebuddha.blogspot.com/2011/11/celiac-disease-diabetes-of-intesines.html

Clay colored poop can be associated with pancreatic or liver problems. This is why I immediately had the doctor run a panel for me, to make sure I was okay in those areas. I was. When I stopped eating wheat, my poop returned to normal after three days. Clay colored poop is also associated with Celiac Disease.

“It is interesting that the obese man or woman can be placed on a diet as low as 600, or even 400, calories without loss of body nitrogen or other ill effects and without depression of the basal metabolic rate. In these respects obese persons and persons of normal weight differ strikingly in their response to a low intake of calories.”

~ Ancel Keys the Study of Human Starvation

Whoaaaaaa Nelly. Wait. You’re quoting Ancel Keys?!?!? Really? OMG. Okay, let’s deal with this one:
Ancel Keys is the genius behind the low-fat hypothesis that has ravaged the Western world and several generations. He cherry picked his data to support what he believed and intentionally left out data that would prove him wrong. Fortunately, he has since been proved wrong and his data has been shown to be manipulated. If you don’t believe that, I would ask you to take a good look around and ask yourself how the Key’s low-fat and cholesterol hypothesis is working for the general public. I can’t take any of his arguments seriously, I’m sorry. By quoting him several times, you have unfortunately invalidated your argument with me and (I’m sure) most of my readers. Please find some data from a reputable, current source and we’ll debate. Leangains has a great write up on Ancel Keys, as does Denise Minger at www.rawfoodsos.com.

Seriously, why have you quoted this particular paragraph? Low carb doesn’t mean low calorie. Paleo does not mean low carb. We still get plenty of carbs, but from healthy sources such as vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds and tubers. We don’t starve ourselves. We eat when we’re hungry.

Put an already lean person on a calorie restricted diet and problems will ensue, but not in the obese because it takes longer for those problems to show up (I suspect because they have more fat to burn and lean tissue before they start running on fumes). A low carb diet can decrease secretory IGA and elevate Proteins to inflammatory markers like soy, gluten, eggs.

I am not on a calorie restricted diet, nor a low carb one. The Paleo lifestyle is as varied as the people who follow it. Some people eat very low carb (VLC) because they need to for specific reasons (epilepsy for one), other people eat very high carb depending on their needs. Suffice it to say, none of us are running on fumes. I’m sorry you have gotten the wrong idea about the Paleo lifestyle. Again, where have you gotten this data from? Can you show me the study that definitively proves low carb diets elevate proteins to inflammatory markers? (…NOT a study by Keys, please.)

“There is reason to believe that the epithelial lining of the gastrointestinal tract becomes more permeable to microorganisms in severe under-nutrition. The morphological changes in the intestinal tract would strongly suggest this.”

~Ancel Keys; The Biology of Human Starvation

I am not severely under-nourished. I was before I went Paleo. The phytates and lectins in the grains and legumes I was eating were binding to essential minerals in the foods I was consuming and causing a cascade of problems. I think a problem (besides the fact that you’re quoting Ancel Keys again) is that his book is called “The Biology of Human Starvation.” I don’t starve myself. I eat A LOT.

“The marked decreases in pulse rate and basal metabolism may be regarded as critical indicators of a lowering of speed in the automatic functions of the body…”

A lowered pulse rate can also be an indication of improved cardiovascular health. It makes sense that if a person is starving that the body would slow down non-essential functions. But again, I’m not starving. Far from it. And if I were, my body would be able to call on its fat reserves to burn for fuel. This is a complex evolutionary system designed to keep us alive during famine.

It can also be noted that a high Fat diet can destroy your glucose tolerance leading to thyroid imbalance which then may lead to digestive problems:
“Because of the high fat diet of the Eskimos, Heinbecker studied their glucose tolerance curves both before and after 82 hours of fasting. The basal blood sugar during the starvation decreased from 110-120 mg. per 100 cc. to about 80 mg. The glucose tolerances after the ingestion of about 2 gm. of glucose per kg. of body weight were normal in the control period. After 3.5 days of starvation the glucose tolerance showed blood sugar levels close to 300 mg. per 100cc. These returned only very slowly to normal.”

~ Ancel Keys; the Biology of Human Starvation

Sorry, but this quote doesn’t even reference your point, let alone prove it. Again, Keys selectively picked his information to tell the story that he wanted to tell. By adopting a high-fat diet, I personally overcame insulin resistance, pre-diabetes and hypoglycemia. However, once again Keys is talking about STARVATION. I don’t fast for 82 hours. I don’t know anyone who does if they don’t have to. It makes sense that when someone fasts for that long that their bodies would make glucose via gluconeogenesis or other pathways in order to fuel their brains. Again, we are complex systems based on millions of years of evolution. We are designed to be able to withstand short periods of famine. Who cares if your blood glucose is elevated during fasting? It’s not going to give you diabetes, in fact it would be beneficial. It would give you enough energy to go out and hunt/gather some food, eat it and continue to live. Of course blood glucose returned to normal afterwards. Of course it was “slowly.” Their bodies were smarter than they were, making sure the famine was truly over before announcing ‘Mission Accomplished.’ So tell me again, how does a high-fat diet destroy glucose tolerance, leading to thyroid imbalance and digestive problems?

Reduced Metabolic rate from Industrialized food (Overly processed, lack of vitamins) > Famine response is triggered > Low Thyroid> Lowered Secretory IGA > increased immune response to proteins > “leaky gut”.

So don’t eat industrialized food? Ok. I won’t. And I don’t. Are we saying the same thing here, or what? I’m not sure what your point is. Are you against Paleo, low carb or industrialized foods? 

Celiac disease is really just a blanket term for all digestive problems, seeing as removing gluten doesn’t always solve the problem. IBS, IBD, Ulcerate Cholietis, Chrones, etc

Tell this to someone who is suffering from Crohn’s Disease. (Reid, can you hop on this?!) Celiac Disease is caused by gluten. If the complete removal of gluten from the diet does not result in a lessening of symptoms or complete remission, then perhaps the person didn’t have Celiac to begin with or is still getting “dosed” without knowing it. It can take half a year to see remission of symptoms after gluten has been removed. [Editors Note: According to Dr. Tim Gerstmar of Aspire Natural Health, sometimes complete removal of gluten from the diet doesn't solve the problem. In this matter, I will concede that you are right. Are these cases that are extremely far-gone? Thankfully this was not my case, but I was in the beginning stages.] Testing processes for Celiac are far from perfect. My doctor told me I have an 80% chance of having inaccurate test results come back. Celiac Disease is not a blanket term for all digestive problems, IBS is.

Dieting in general is a stress on the body, Paleo included. You could have had a gluten “sensitivity” (such a garbage term) before that is now exacerbated by a diet that is deficient and sub optimal for the current environmental conditions and Epigentic changes that said individual was conditioned for.

Again, I am not on a diet. I have been following a Primal/Paleo lifestyle for almost three years and during that time have seen the complete remission of all the problems I was suffering from during my pre-Paleo days. I agree that dieting puts a stress on our bodies, which is why I have NEVER ONCE DIETED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE – with the exception of in 1999, when I was placed on a calorie-restricted diet of 1600 calories a day under a doctor’s supervision. There was no importance placed on food quality or groups, it was simply a matter of calories in/calories out. Along with exercising vigorously for 5-6 days per week, I managed to lose ONE EFFING POUND over a 2-3 month period. Yes, it caused stress on my body and also on my mind. Keeping track of every single thing I put in my mouth caused me to think about food constantly. I had to starve myself if I overindulged earlier in the day, I had to weigh and measure everything and it was a horrible, horrible experience. I love the freedom that the Paleo lifestyle gives me. As long as I don’t eat grains, legumes and sugar, I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want, to satiety. I am healthy, vibrant and strong. I no longer have ANY medical or mental health issues. I don’t take any medication. I don’t have to buy products marketed towards “improving health.” That is my own personal experience. I will never, ever go back. I believe that my body is conditioned to eat Paleo foods, since it does so freakin’ well on a Paleo lifestyle. It was not conditioned to eat Neolithic foods. The proof is obvious if you look at my before and after pictures and listen to the diseases/syndromes/conditions that I was living with before but no longer have. Please tell me what nutrients and minerals my Paleo diet is deficient in. I can’t think of any, nor do I have the markers of any deficiencies.

The Mark Sisson way of eating can come with consequences: http://180degreehealth.com/2011/06/paleo-fail

Just my take on the subject…

Thank you, Scott. And this is just *my* take on the subject. Everyone is different. Everyone will have a slightly different path and results. Saying that “eating this way can come with consequences” is a loaded statement. The “consequences” for me have been vibrant physical health and strength, coupled with stable mental health and the body I have always dreamed of.

By the way, the Paleo-Fail post you linked to above is hilarious. The guy is trying to sell an e-book. Not everyone will have luck following a VLC Paleo diet longterm and will need to tweak their diet to suit their own individual needs. I have been following a Paleo lifestyle for three years and have found that I need to increase my carb intake from time to time, depending on the season, my activity level and my goals. I don’t need an ebook to tell me when it’s time to eat, I listen to my body.

I look forward to your reply as well as any medical studies or literature you are basing your opinion on, with the exception of anything by Ancel Keys.

School Lunches, the USDA and a Review of Eat Like a Dinosaur

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Click here to jump right to my review of Eat Like a Dinosaur: Recipe & Guidebook for Gluten-free Kids by Paleo Parents Matt and Stacy.

Before I get to my review, I need to vent about a couple things. We’ve had a base wide power outage this morning so I am experiencing a rare treat: people who normally meet elsewhere in private on base are having to go to Starbucks, the only place within 10 miles that has electricity.

This is what I am witnessing:

  • a base doctor, studying radiology and drinking diet Mountain Dew. I am itching to ask him if he knows the effects of the brominated vegetable oil he is drinking, but I’m pretty sure that he doesn’t care.
  • a pharmaceutical rep pushing a new drug on a hospital administrator. He even has fancy new toys for the doctors, stethoscopes and models of joints and bones. I’m not sure how that makes the drugs work better, or makes them safer, but they sure will look cool in the doctor’s office.
  • a nurse apologizing for showing emotion when faced with men returning from war without their limbs. She said she will “work on it.” In my experience, military doctors and hospital staff have even less emotion than civilian doctors. I was told by a nurse not to cry when I was in the ER, as it would result in them not helping me. Cause I’m crying. If I was hurt bad enough, I wouldn’t be able to cry. I guess.

I just want to stand up and scream. After being surrounded by Paleo physicians, naturopaths and success stories at PaleoFX, I am once again in the land of Big Government. Make no mistake, the United States Armed Forces is tightly pinned under the thumb of the pharmaceutical industry, the USDA and the FDA. Everything it does must fall directly in line with the guidelines imposed by those (and other) government agencies.

Play it again, Uncle Sam

This whole issue with ObamaCare and the government making us eat broccoli that’s all over FoxNews right now makes me want to pee myself laughing. The government already tells the military what to eat. I wish they would mandate the eating of broccoli. Like I said, the military has to follow the guidelines imposed by the USDA. That includes the food our troops eat overseas AND school lunches for our children. I have scanned in a copy of the 6-week menu served to the toddlers at the Child Development Center (the CDC ironically enough, although I lovingly call it the Center for Disease Creation). Here goes. Brace yourself. (Note the date in the lower left corner of each page. This was when this particular menu was approved. These menus have been in effect at this facility for almost three years. I tried to contact the person who had approved them and was told that she no longer works there. But her menus still exist. God, the lunch ladies must be tired of making this crap over and over.)

In case you can’t make them out, the pictures at the top of each menu are all of things my children don’t eat – (L to R) potatoes, spaghetti, crackers, pizza, sandwich – and wheat makes up the majority of the menu. After two weeks on this diet, my level-headed, patient, loving toddlers were a screaming, biting, tantrum-throwing mess, covered in psoriasis from head to toe. We couldn’t handle them at all. We tried to bring in foods to substitute the wheat and dairy but were told that we weren’t allowed to, in case another child had an allergy. So, we went to the doctors. We had him write up an official diagnosis of wheat and dairy allergy, so that our children became “special needs” cases. Then, we got into the habit of packing ALL their food ourselves. (Note: even though our kids have these “allergies,” it doesn’t stop the school from serving wheat and dairy in front of them.)

We had to come up with all sorts of creative substitutions, since the teachers told us it would be best if the kids were eating foods similar to those the other children were eating. The only catch was that we couldn’t send them to school with any nuts and that we had to loosely follow the USDA guidelines – 6-11 servings of “grains,” shitloads of “dairy” and something green or red that can pass for a “vegetable.” We spent weeks coming up with chicken nugget recipes, tomato-free Sloppy Joe imitations, wheat-free, nut-free cookies and breads and interesting breakfasts. We did that for about two months, then we couldn’t take it anymore. We don’t eat Sloppy Joes at home, not even Paleo ones, so I felt it was an incredible waste of time trying to imitate the SAD diet the USDA imposes. So, we just started sending them off to school with Paleo food. Instead of cupcakes, our kids got a date. The teachers can’t believe our kids reactions when they give them their date. They will ignore the candy, cookies, cake or whatever gluten-filled crap the other kids are eating and act as if though they were given a million bucks instead of something that looks like wrinkly tree poop. The teachers have even told me that they themselves have tried the kids lunches and that our children eat “the best out of every one at this school.” There are hundreds of kids, teachers and staff. We don’t feed our kids that well for lunch. You should see what they eat for dinner. ;)

Eat Like A Dinosaur

Which leads me to my review of Eat Like a Dinosaur by the Paleo Parents, Matt and Stacy. I’ve been pretty much going at this on my own as most gluten-free kids cookbooks don’t work for me. Too many recipes contain nightshades. Or nuts. Honestly, I wasn’t planning on buying this book. I was given a copy at PaleoFX and flipped through it on the plane.

The difference between this book and others I’ve read is that it is written by actual parents with young kids. Those of you that don’t have young kids do not understand how difficult it is to please them. Toddlers have the palates of, well, toddlers. Even though our kids have been mostly Primal since birth, they still want to eat simple foods. They ask for things like bagels, cake and hot dogs, since that’s what the other kids eat. They won’t touch bok choy, often spit out their steak and need a freakin’ dip for everything.

At first glance, I thought that this book had far too many desserts, snacks and treats. It was easy to judge from an adult perspective. However, when I took a closer look and thought about it from a mom’s point of view, I realized that Matt and Stacy have included recipes that their kids will actually eat. Kids want to eat crap. It is up to us as parents to disguise healthy food as “crap” so the kids think they are getting away with something, while at the same time providing top-notch nutrition and setting our children up for success later in life.

The first recipe I made was the “Anytime Cookies.” They are sweetened with a banana and an apple and that’s it. There aren’t even any eggs in them. They didn’t turn out anything like the pictures or the descriptions, but they held together. My husband said, “they taste like they’re good for me.” The kids didn’t care. To them, it was a cookie and they were eating it for dinner. To me (since I knew what was in it), it was a perfectly acceptable meal, along with some ham, olives, pickles and kale chips.

There are lots of tips for getting kids to help in this book and most of the recipes will appeal to both kids and parents. There are colorful pictures and great examples of Paleo lunches. (Hey Matt and Stacy, where did you get those great lunch boxes? I need a couple!) There are sauces, dips, creative drinks and lots of recipes I plan on making. The language used appeals to children, especially little boys who want nothing more than to actually be a dinosaur and eat dinosaur food. This book also contains a storybook, which my children love to read. In fact, it’s been difficult to actually use the book to cook anything – my kids keep stealing it so they can read “The Dinosaur Story” and I have to hunt through their toy boxes for it.

Unfortunately, a lot of these recipes use nuts so I can’t make them for the kid’s lunches. We can have them for dinner, though and on weekends. There are a few that use tomato (the hardest thing to substitute and a real kid favorite) that I wish didn’t, but I can hardly blame Matt and Stacy for including them. If my kids could eat tomatoes, they would be having Paleo Ketchup every day.

I think this is a great book for parents trying to raise Paleo kids. It’s colorful, creative and a great first edition from a couple of people that you should really keep on your radar. I would like to see an autoimmune Paleo cookbook from these two. If they don’t write one, perhaps I will. Adding the autoimmune component in is a real pain in the ass when it comes to options. But overall, I think Eat Like a Dinosaur is a great addition to your Paleo kitchen if you are cooking for children. Pick up your copy today!

Level Health and Nutrition Classes

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Just a quick post for all you guys that are struggling to find support in your area. Like I said in a previous post, I bet a lot of you don’t know a lot of other Paleo people in real life, or if you do, they live far away. That’s the way it is for me. Other than my family, none of my friends that live close to me are Paleo.
We need support to make it, a lot of times. We need someone to guide us with advice, tips and sometimes, we just need an understanding person to vent to.
That’s why I’m teaming up with Orleatha and Chris Smith at Level Health and Nutrition. They are offering free online Paleo classes, training and support for a limited time. The first class starts this Sunday, April 1 at 3 p.m. PST. You can sign up here: Level Health – Introductory Session. Check them out on Facebook for more information. If you’re wondering where to start, if you’ve hit a plateau or if you just want to meet a group of people with similar interests, click here and we’ll see you Sunday!
Please share this post with your friends and family and help us spread the word! Thanks.

The Paleo Movement Sweeps Australia

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As a person who was raised in Canada and then spent almost a decade in Europe, I have seen how the rest of the world pays attention to what’s going on. The United States doesn’t. Watch the news here and you’re lucky to even hear about that 7.0 earthquake in Asia. If you’re American, it’s more likely you know all the Republican candidates by heart and where they stand in the polls.

The rest of the world isn’t like this. They pay attention to themselves, their neighboring countries and the rest of the world. They pay attention to us.

The Paleo movement is starting to gain major momentum around the world. I don’t care where it started, who invented it and who does it best. I care that the message is spreading. People are adapting the Paleo/Primal diet and lifestyle to suit themselves, their families and their nations. Butter is flying off the shelves in Scandinavian countries, the French are talking to Robb Wolf and I’m getting comments from people in the UK, Israel, Greece and New Zealand. Rock. On.

We often hear from Americans and Canadians about what it’s like to live a Paleo lifestyle but what about people from the rest of the world? Ever wondered what it’s like to eat Paleo in Japan or Singapore? Planning on taking a trip to Mexico or Africa? It might be nice to know what you’re facing before you go.

Suz is a British national who moved to Australia in search of a different life. She now runs the Paleo Network for Australia and New Zealand. Here is her story:

“Having lived in the UK for the first 28 years of my life, on a whim, I took the opportunity to see what it would be like to live in Australia when I was made redundant [Editors Note: redundant=laid off].  Four years later, I’m still here – and blogging about living a Paleo life in Australia.  From my life in the UK and Australia – and my travels to the USA, I’ve been surprised at how different it is living Primally in these countries.

SAD Grocery Shopping

I left the UK as a SAD eater (replace American for Anglo and the acronym is just as valid), used to being able to fulfil any culinary whim in my local supermarket.  I was used to a pizza aisle with every type of pizza you could imagine – and plenty that you couldn’t.  Another aisle for fresh pasta; fusilli, penne, rigatoni – you name it, it was available – and probably on a buy one get one free offer.  The ready-made meals spilled out into several aisles.  Fruit and vegetables from all around the world were available on any given day of the year.  Alcohol took up the last few aisles in every supermarket – making the decision of whether to have a bottle of red with tonight’s microwave dinner a very easy one.

I landed in Australia aghast at the complete lack of availability in the supermarkets – I felt like I’d travelled back in time, all that progress in the UK food industry seemed to have completely bypassed Australia.  Instead of aisles of ready-meals, fresh pasta and pizza – there were just a handful.  In fact, everything seemed limited to just a few choices, instead of the endless choices I was used to in the UK.  It isn’t quite as much fun to be a SAD eater (replace American for Australian; it still works) in Australia as it was in the UK.  I was also surprised alcohol wasn’t sold in the grocery store, but in a separate bottle shop; the unplanned alcohol purchases stopped overnight.

Eating Out

Everywhere I worked in the UK, lunch consisted of a pre-packed sandwich, a bag of crisps (chips), a bottle of soda and maybe a chocolate bar.  The only exception to this would be on a special occasion where I’d go somewhere for lunch with colleagues.  I was shocked at the difference when I started working in Sydney.  I don’t know where I could find a prepacked sandwich.  If you want a sandwich for lunch, someone makes it for you, in front of you.  Same story with a salad, roast dinner – or whatever you choose for lunch.  Everything is made freshly for you, to your requirements.  This was one difference I immediately embraced.

After living in Australia for a while, I realised I had to do something about my health.  I was overweight, asthmatic – and I felt generally not healthy.  After considerable research, I changed my eating, initially to a Primal/ Lacto-Paleo approach.  I started to feel healthier almost straight away and dropped three dress sizes effortlessly.  A few months later I experimented by excluding dairy – and soon after my asthma completely disappeared without trace.  No matter what I did to try to provoke it! 

Finding Paleo Food

When I changed my diet, I realised that in fact, Australian food supplies aren’t so bad after all.  There are so many different vegetables I just didn’t see in the UK.  Thanks to the large Asian community, a great range of coconut milk is available in all of the main supermarkets.  Meat has also proved to be good here.  I learnt that Australia didn’t embrace intensive farming methods to the same degree as other countries, so most meat is naturally “grass-fed” (though sometimes grain-finished).  Cheap, lean, un-farmed kangaroo meat is also widely available – I’ve certainly never seen kangaroo in the UK!

On post-Paleo trips back to the UK I’ve been surprised at how hard it’s been to find Paleo food supplies.  The supermarkets I used to think were so well stocked, just aren’t when I shop Paleo.  I also found eating out harder, and had to resort to ordering “the club sandwich without the bread, or mayonnaise” for lunch a couple of times (which incidentally is far better value for money, as without the bread to hide under, they’re forced to provide a more respectable serving of meat!)

The Home of Paleo?

Last year I travelled to the US for PrimalCon and the Ancestral Health Symposium.  These were my first trips to America since I’d changed my diet to a Paleo one.  After doing most of my Paleo research through American blogs and books I had high expectations about these trips!  I was expecting eating Paleo in America to be so much easier than in Australia.  I was quite surprised by what I found and realised my view of American nutrition is completely through Paleo-tinted glasses.

I was really looking forward to eating-out in the States – I found it frustratingly hard!  It felt like everywhere I tried served food that had been “tampered with”.  I couldn’t find pure, real, untouched food!  Where I did find simple meat and vegetables, they seemed to take every opportunity to marinate the food, or coat in it sauce from an ominous looking plastic bottle.  Where I asked for the sauce on the side, it generally seemed to be not possible as it came that way.  I’ve been used to eating in Australian restaurants where food is generally freshly prepared and modifications are no problem.  I ended up eating a lot of omelettes in America!

Another big shock in America was the portion sizes.  It’s no exaggeration to say that American portion sizes are double that of both the UK and Australia.  Not only the portion sizes but the “added extras” that seemed to come with every meal.  Bread, tortillas, corn, more and more food!  One waitress just couldn’t understand why I didn’t want Nachos on my dinner plate, “they’re complementary” – my English reserve found it easier to graciously accept and leave them uneaten!

When I met up with some American Paleo friends however, I saw a completely different side.  The first time I walked into Wholefoods I wondered around in amazement!  Not only at the vast range of everything the Paleo chef could ever want – but at the prices!  If I could do my weekly shop in Wholefoods I would save about a third off my grocery bill, compared to average grocery prices in Australia.  I later found out (whilst telling everyone at PrimalCon how lucky there were to have such a cheap grocery store!) that relative to other grocery stores in the US, Wholefoods is expensive and known as “WholePayCheck”! One of the downsides to living in a Country as remote as Australia is definitely the higher prices that result from the complex shipping and transporting arrangements that the geography requires.

The Outdoors Lifestyle

I think another big aspect to this lifestyle is about being active.  In the UK, it is a lot colder and winter is often long and dark.  This makes it hard to get a sufficient Vitamin D level through sunshine alone.  On dark, cold rainy days it is very hard to leave the couch and warmth and venture outside.  When I arrived in Australia, I was immediately struck by how much happened outdoors.  Better weather makes being outside a joy – the physical activity is almost a second thought.  Winter is over quickly and often comparable to a spring day in the UK with blue skies but cool air – even in the Winter here I enjoy walking to work.  I’ve not spent time in America in the winter yet, but I’d imagine it’s a similar story to the UK, particularly in Northern states.

So, I think the best possible Paleo life could be achieved by moving the beautiful British countryside and the American Paleo-friendly food suppliers, into warm and sunny Australia.  Can that be arranged?

Have you noticed living Primally differs enormously, depending on which country you are in?  Which country do you think lends itself to Paleo more than others?”

Suz with Mark Sisson at PrimalCon 2011

Suz will be attending PrimalCon again this year and I am very excited to meet her in person. In the meantime, she is organizing a Paleo weekend in Australia on May 12 & 13, 2012. That’s right people, it’s not just here in the States that Paleo people are gathering together to form tribes. Jamie Scott (www.thatpaleoguy.com) will be there, as will other leading members of the Australian and New Zealand Paleo network. Early bird pricing ends on March 31st, so if you’re in that part of the world, I encourage you to get yourself tickets and join the movement. It’s easy for us to feel isolated and alone with our bone broth and bare feet, but there are thousands of people out there who feel just like you. Get out and meet them. Form tribes. Get connected.

And Suz poses a great question we’d love to hear an answer to: what is it like living a Primal/Paleo life in your country? How is it different from what you hear about in the States? How is it the same?