Modern Paleo Diet

Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) is a perennial plant native to China, Mongolia, and Korea. Only the root of the Astragalus plant is used medicinally. It has been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Astragalus has been used for several ailments and is being studied further. It’s been shown to have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, antioxidant, and antiviral properties. It also stimulates the immune system, and has been used as a topical wound treatment. Several studies tout Astragalus’ usefulness as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory herb.

Astragalus has been used to treat colds, flu, chronic infections, fevers, asthma, chronic fatigue, problems caused by chemo (fatigue/lack of appetite), anemia, heart and kidney disease, hepatitis, digestive disturbances, diarrhea, gas, bloating, and more. Astragalus comes in many forms, including dry root, topical mixture, capsules, tinctures, or can be made as a tea. Find the route of administration that works best for you. Make sure …

Holiday periods can be a difficult time for many people- digestively speaking. We celebrate the holidays with a seemingly unending series of events, parties, get-togethers, late nights, glasses of champagne and possibly a fruitcake or two if you are a real glutton for punishment! The result is bloating, nausea and lethargy and even a lowered immune system.

There are many ways to help with this unpleasant side effect of such a joyous time. Here are a few suggestions:

Change the way you eat

Eating smaller portions is a good way to start. If your office has a potluck in the afternoon and you know you have a holiday party that night, pace yourself. An excellent way to help this process is meditative or conscious eating. Before you serve yourself, close your eyes (or at least look away from the food) and assess your hunger. Think about each helping you take …

The zone diet and paleo diet are two popular diets that have gained a lot of attention in recent years. It’s important to understand the difference between them before deciding which one is right for you.

The Zone Diet

The zone diet is a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that was created by Dr. Barry Sears. The diet is based on the theory that by eating the right combination of foods, you can control the hormones that regulate metabolism and fat storage.

Protein is an important nutrient that has a number of health benefits. It helps to build and repair muscles, helps you feel fuller longer, and can boost your metabolism.

Low carbohydrate diets are often seen as being good for health because they can help to regulate blood sugar levels, promote weight loss and reduce the risk of heart disease.

One of the main drawbacks of the zone diet is that …

 

One common argument made by vegans and vegetarians (and one that frequently annoys their friends who don’t share their diet) is that eating vegetarian or vegan, all by itself, is good for the environment because animals release methane in the form of cow farts. Okay, I’m being unfair here: the real claim is that eating animals is bad for the environment because it releases excess carbon into the atmosphere. Animal foods, they argue, are intrinsically worse for the environment because animals must be fed food that humans could be eating instead, thereby inevitably increasing the ecological damage done by consuming animals for food.

This argument makes vegetarianism or veganism not only a dietary choice an individual makes for their own health, but also adds yet another reason for vegetarians and vegans to believe that their way of life is morally superior than those who choose to eat animals and …

Digestive enzymes are one of the best natural secrets to complete nutrition – naturally occurring chemicals that are vitally important for the digestion of proteins, fats, carbs, and toxins in your diet. Digestive enzymes are some of the most popular nutritional supplements. They may be helpful for diabetics, allergy sufferers, and those looking for a natural and healthy way to improve their metabolism or lose weight. Enzymes are also an essential aspect of the raw food movement.

What is an Enzyme?

Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions – that is, they make reactions happen or make them more accessible and faster than they would have been without an enzyme.

Enzymes are the key that makes the digestive process happen. Without enzymes, our bodies would be unable to break down food to make use of the nutrition in the food we eat.

 

Enzymes and Digestion

Enzymes are found in …

The paleo diet is really a template for what eating should look like for a hypothetical human being. Paleo is about not putting things in your body that evolutionarily your body wouldn’t have anticipated. We evolved over a long period of time with the foods available to us in our environment. The more we change away from that the less our body is going to seamlessly tolerate those foods – leading to gut health issues that can contribute to other health conditions. 

 

Despite this, paleo is not a one size fits all diet. There’s lots of variation within it because everyone is different and their bodies tolerate foods differently. Some people thrive on a plant-based diet, other people thrive on a carnivorous diet and most people are somewhere in between. One of the things you need to be mindful of when you’re instituting a diet like paleo is how …

 

Anti-inflammatory spices that I’ve found helpful for my athletic wear and tear have become some of my most precious remedies for my own arthritis relief. For some of these, it takes a while to build up enough of their components in your system to actually decrease your inflammation, but after experiencing the relief from them, I have to impress upon you that is definitely worth the wait. I have found that using the bulk powder versions of some of these is by far the most effective.

Turmeric      

I refer to this precious spice as “powdered gold”, and that’s precisely how I feel about it. I proved the effectiveness of this spice to myself a couple of times over by stopping it’s daily use. The difference is remarkable, so the last time I put myself through that will be just that….the last time. It’s not worth the pain involved to …

We might be experiencing an economic calm at the moment, but if politicians keep pursuing the course we’re on then undoubtedly another crisis will arise, this one perhaps amounting to a full-blown collapse. Of course, we don’t have to go this way, and maybe there’s still a slight chance we could stop it before it happens, but the crisis is so probable we might as well consider it a certainty and start preparing. Among the possibilities could be food and electricity shortages, chains of businesses folding, violence, and more.

Yes, it’s a depressing subject to think about, but we should talk about it. I hypothesize that America is in the process of questioning the ideas that led us up to this point, and there is evidence a better future could be beyond the horizon within most of our lifetimes, so let’s contemplate how to most comfortably endure the bad times …

This week’s “Paleo Question of the Week” was e-mailed to me privately by Kirk, and I thought I should post it here:

I am taking my brother into the Tetons in August, and he recently began the paleo diet. Knowing that you like to enjoy the outdoors, I am wondering if you have some good recommendations for any particular brands or specific meals for him so that he isn’t trying to live on jerky for five days. I have seen some dehydrated packs that are gluten free, but I’m guessing that this is something you have had to research. I would really appreciate any insight you might have on this, and I thank you for your time.

We want to hear your answer in the comments! You’re also welcome to post a comment or question on any other paleo-related topic.

If you’d like to submit a question for an upcoming …

I’m delighted to announce the launch of three new Modern Paleo E-mail Lists: PaleoCooks, PaleoFitness, and PaleoParents. These new lists are just gathering subscriptions this week. They’ll open for discussion on Monday, September 19th.

• PaleoCooks: PaleoCooks is an informal private mailing list for people who eat a broadly paleo diet to discuss paleo-friendly cookery. Its basic purpose is to facilitate communication about cooking and eating paleo — such as favorite recipes, better and worse ingredients, good suppliers, useful techniques, and more. Its broader purpose is to help paleo-eaters eat more a healthy, varied, and delicious diet. PaleoCooks is managed by Julie Campbell of the crankin’ kitchen. For more information and to subscribe, click here.
• PaleoFitness: PaleoFitness is an informal private mailing list for people who eat a broadly a broadly paleo diet to discuss paleo-friendly fitness. Its basic purpose is to facilitate communication about fitness from a paleo

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