Golden Healing Broth

Yup, I'm someone with mobile joints which means I can get injured easily. My challenge is to find an exercise that will strengthen the muscles to support my joints. It's been a battle trying to find ways of pushing myself just hard enough but not too much. I've been slowly getting stronger from my TRX class and even added heavier plates onto my free weights at home. So there's progress, but when I landed funny from the cardio portion in class, I heard a snap in my knee. Uh-Oh! it sounded bad. Luckily I had my essential oils with me, I immediately applied the first bottle I grabbed - Frankincense on it and eased up the rest of the class. The swelling appeared in the evening. The next day, I got in to see my chiropractor, he implied that it would take a while to heal - 6 weeks. Yikes! The adjustment helped set things into place but I know from experience that torn ligament takes time to heal. Unlike past injuries, this time I didn't wait. I did all the things to support the healing, I iced it daily, made some Golden Healing Broth with turmeric and applied my NHP ( Natural Health Products ) essential oils that can " help relieve joint or muscle pain associated with sprains, strains & rheumatoid arthritis." Did you know that there are over 30 Young Living essential oils and products approved by Health Canada as Natural Health Products? Helichrysum, Lemongrass, Celery Seed, the ones I used for my knee, are just three of many NHP you can use as natural alternative remedy to support your wellness. I was wowed by how quickly things improved. The swelling came down and seriously no pain! All I felt was weakness around the knee but pretty darn good compared to the day before. When I posted my quick and easy anti-inflammatory Golden Healing Broth on Instagram, many people asked if I've posted the recipe, so here it is.

 > This post may contain Affiliate or Referral link, please see Disclaimer 

To learn more about Young Living's Natural Remedies Guide click HERE

To see all of the Young Living's Natural Health Products click HERE

NHP FAQ
To learn how to order your own pure essential oils click HERE or contact me, I'll help you.

Makes 2 servings     Prep time 5 mins      

Ingredients

• 2 cups bone broth (see recipe HERE)
• 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped 
• 1-2 tbsp ginger,  peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp ground turmeric 
• 1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp coconut concentrate/ aka coconut manna
• Salt to taste 

Instructions

1. In a pot over medium heat, bring bone broth to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer
2. Add garlic, ginger to bone broth and let simmer for 2-3 minutes
3. Remove from heat and pour into high speed blender like a Vitamix, THIS is the one I have
4. Add turmeric, coconut manna, parsley to blender
5. Blend at low to med speed until smooth, for 30 secs*
6. Pour and serve

* Make sure your blender can take hot liquids and be careful not to burn yourself 


ENJOY

Disneyland on AIP/ Paleo/ Keto eating style

 > This post contains Affiliate links, please see Disclaimer

Going on vacations should be fun right? For the longest time, I didn't think so. I used to have so much anxiety at the thought of going into a flare while away from home and not having my "stuff" to calm my angry gut. Several years ago, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Ulcerative Colitis,  it belongs to the Inflammatory Bowel Disease family and it was debilitating. Fast forward to today,  I was lucky to find remission through diet and lifestyle changes instead of taking the conventional pharmaceutical route.  If you are also following a unique diet in the name of health, in other words, not the Standard American Diet,  I am going to show you how you can enjoy your vacation with proper planning. In my case, I am currently following a keto focused, Paleo Autoimmune Protocol. What does that mean in plain English?  Basically, my diet is free of grains, dairy, soy, nuts, nightshades and I only eat starchy vegetables sparingly.  What about fruit? Seasonal berries are on the menu,  so summer is exciting times!

Never take the simple things in life for granted

Last November, we went on a family trip that was special,  Why? It was the first trip since I was officially in remission where I could enjoy life with their family like a healthy "normal" person.  Even with my autoimmune condition in remission,  it still takes extra preparation to make the time away from home go smoothly.

Planning 

When I was researching online, I plugged in different combinations of keywords that best describe my specific eating style, it's rare to find suggestions matching the exact protocol you are following,  unless you are Keto AIP, then you are at the right place.

To start I found Danielle Walker, another IBDer who follows a Paleo lifestyle, has great resources under her "Eating at Disneyland series"

Then I turned to my AIP community and read up on The Bacon Mum's great post Shout out: The Magic of Disney where she offers lots of smart tips about her travel experience. So I took more notes.

Finally, the keto part, I turned to my keto sista, Leanne Vogel from Healthful Pursuit and went through her keto travel tips.  Even though the keto thing is kind of new to me, I realized the most important thing I needed to focus on is having enough good fats on hand. These are my three fat staples while on this trip: Avocados, Extra Virgin Olive oil and Creamed Coconut. The beauty of being Fat Adapted ( teaching your body to use fat as preferred fuel instead of glucose through a ketogenic eating style ) is my blood sugar remains more stable, which translates to NO MORE HANGER! I can go a lot longer without being hungry so the hypoglycemic Hulk no longer busts through my seams in her old ravenous way. Trust me, I think my family might appreciate this new change more than I do.

How about the Everyday Disneyland Theme Park tips?

Find this book Unofficial Guide to Disneyland Anaheim 2017 either at the library or you can order it online through the affiliate link above. Read up on the magic of Fast Pass especially if you have small children.

Packing 

The following is a list of gadgets and hard to find items I am sure glad I packed.

• Tea bags, I made them through the coffee machine. These are my favourite at the moment
• Handheld Electric Frother  to blend Fatty collagen block into my tea
• Collagen,  I pack a few of them in tiny ziplock baggies or old medication vials and slip them into my purse for a quick protein fix 
• Bring extra ziplock bags of varies sizes to portion snacks
• Canned Smoked Oysters, from Trader Joe
• Canned Smoked Sardines, also from Trader Joe
• Small bottle of EVOO or buy one at your destination
• Creamed Coconut packet ( great as fat bomb on the go ) 
• Small bottle of Apple Cider Vinegar or buy one at your destination 
• Essential oils - lavender, thieves, peppermint
• Thieves fruit and veggie soak or spray to clean off fruit without water

Exploring your local resources

Find your closest healthy grocery, Trader Joes is probably the best but Wholefoods is, of course, a bit pricier choice. Believe it or not, I managed to get what we needed at the closest, grocery only, Walmart.

Shopping List

• Buy enough water for everyone in the family, bottled waters are extra pricey inside the theme park.
• Prewashed Salad mixes 
• Lemon or limes - squeezing the juice from them make great salad dressing if you don't have your ACV 
• Whole fruit if you brought swiss army knife or peeler, otherwise get a few packages of already cut fruit

Eating out

My first meal there was at Earl of Sandwich just outside of the theme park. I got the Earl's Cobb Salad and asked for olive oil on the side, they didn't have vinegar for me but I solved the problem by grabbing a few cut up lemon wedges they had for people to squeeze into their pop.  Whatever works works! We followed Bacon Mum's advice and made a reservation for dinner inside the theme park. The chef did take the time to come out to verify my food restrictions but it was a pretty overpriced piece of fish and a side of arugula. The one place I found my most satisfying meal was... wait for it... Cheesecake Factory.  I never thought I would be able to eat compliant meals at there just from the sick of their name. Besides their desserts, they are known for their huge salads. Back in the days when I went for their Cheesecakes, I would have never been able to finish their ginormous salads. Now, it's the perfect size for me. I do wonder if they had health in mind when they planned out the sizing of their salads?

Now that you are prepared, are you feeling more excited than nervous about leaving your kitchen? You should be, so let the FUN begin! Remember to take lots of pictures, LAUGH with your family and ENJOY every moment of your trip because

YOU deserve it!

Where am I going?

Did you see the post on my facebook page about finding your inner child?  Well,  that post really triggered a domino effect and inspired me to set some new focus in my way of sharing.  I have decided this is the year where I will be branching outside of my comfort zone to share my wellness journey in fresh and exciting ways.  I will be exploring beyond healing foods and talking about other aspects that contributed to my wellness like adding keto focus into my Paleo Autoimmune Protocol approach, embracing self love and living a chemical free lifestyle.  I hope you will continue on this expedition with me.

Adding keto to AIP/ Paleo 

Since taking the ketogenic approach last May,  I have been feeling a bit lost in where I fit into the world of healing protocols.  Feeling confused at times,  I wished I could draw a simple roadmap of how I arrived at remission with the least detour possible.  But the truth of the matter is we are all unique and cannot follow someone else's map because there is no ONE way to healing our bodies. With the rigid mentality kicked to the curb,  I am ready to take as many turns necessary to travel my path and enjoy the scenery.

Self love

Along the way,   I have lost sight of that inner child within, the carefree little girl who just wants to share JOY with everyone she comes across.  I joked that I finally found her buried under a big pile of self-doubt, which is why I will be sharing how self love has played an important role in my wellness.  Every day I try to muffle my self-sabotager's voice and at the same time encourage my self-lover's whispers to be heard.   One day I hope to hear my self-lover belt out a beautiful Opera while my self -sabotager observes in silence.

Chemical Free Living

This topic is no breaking news to the world,  it's just a matter of how much effort you want to put into making it happen for the sick of your family's health.  Yes,  we are surrounded by harmful chemicals everywhere but you have the power to take small steps in improving the quality of your environment.   Let me show you simple ways on how I have made the transition easy and fun.

Where am I going?

So where do I go from here?  I am looking forward to sharing my wellness journey about using fat to fuel your body,  putting yourself first and foremost and replacing harmful chemical with plant-based natural products all in the name of wellness.

Thank you for your support

Are you ready?

 I AM.

 Let's Go. 

Q & A + giveaway for Sickness to Fitness Quick Start Guide by Tara Perillo

Does autoimmunity mean saying goodbye to your workouts forever?  That's what I thought throughout most of my Ulcerative Colitis healing journey.  Never would I imagine I could stabilize my health enough to rebuild strength and feel vivacious again.  While I was following fellow AIP blogger,  Tara Perillo' s, healing progress,  I became more and more inspired by her AIP + Fitness approach.  Her interest in the low-carb ketogenic way drew me even closer to her updates so when she unveiled her latest project Sickness to Fitness Quick Start Guide,  I knew I had to chat with her about the unique resource she is offering the AIP community.  In this post,  I will provide a quick review of Tara's program, dive deeper into her motivations behind creating this guide with a Q&A,  and tell you how you can win a copy ( PDF ) of Sickness to Fitness Quick Start Guide in a giveaway.


>This blog post contains affiliate links. Click here to learn more what it means.  

First off,  here is a quick little review her program before we get to the Q&A.

The Sickness to Fitness Quick Start Guide is divided into four parts

1. Nutrition - AIP + macro and meal planning
2. Workout - Simple and easy to follow step by step workout instructions from warm up to cool down. Tara also shows how to create a home gym with a few types of exercise equipment like dumb bells and achieve a great workout.
3. Wellness - supporting lifestyle factors like Sleep, Stress, and Supplements
4. Recipes - Batch cooking, Meal Prepping, and Yummy recipes!

As promised, here is the Q&A with Tara on Sickness to Fitness Quick Start Guide. 

"Remember, we are trying to make your body stronger..."

Q & A

Have you always been interested in fitness?

I actually have always been interested in fitness.  One of my first jobs, in high school,  was working in a gym.  I was in charge of teaching new clients how to use the weights and equipment.  That's where I first learned about weightlifting.  It was love at first lift, for this girl who was used to Jane Fonda videos and aerobics.  From there,  I went on to earn certifications in personal training,  class training,  and yoga.  Eventually,  I even competed in combat sports and was actually prepping for a fitness competition when I received my lupus diagnosis.  At first,  I was completely devastated,  knowing I would have to end my training.  But, like everything else,  I learned to work within my limitations,  and come out a victor in the end.  That's the program I created in Sickness To Fitness Quick Start Guide.

Can you please provide a brief intro about your AI? 

I have systemic lupus erythematosus,  which affects my skin,  joints,  blood,  and various organs. Many years were spent suffering from my symptoms before I received my diagnosis.  Years ago,  I was diagnosed with Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome,  a blood clotting disorder.  That is a disorder many people with lupus also suffer with.  Had my doctors, at that time,  ordered the appropriate tests, they would have discovered my lupus much sooner.  I also have secondary psoriasis and vitiligo.  Vitiligo causes a person to  lose pigment in their skin.  The combination of the three autoimmune diseases means I suffer from Multiple Autoimmune Syndrome.

Can you  describe the turning point when you knew you needed to take your health into your own hands and can you tell us what your rock bottom was like?

When my doctor initially diagnosed me and discussed her treatment plan,  which included prednisone,  I simply looked at her,  shook my head,  and said,  "I'm not doing that."  I went home that day and started searching for another way.  At the time,  I had the lupus butterfly rash,  several bleeding psoriatic rashes,  a stomach ulcer,  painful arthritic joints,  a kidney infection,  a hiatal hernia, fibroids,  and pockets of inflammation throughout my intestines. I started by going gluten free, which helped a little.  Then,  I found paleo,  which helped my symptoms improve much quicker.  But, it wasn't until I discovered and implemented Dr. Sarah Ballantyne's The Paleo Approach,  that my health really improved.  For me, taking my health into my own hands was never a question.  I've been a certified herbalist and homeopath for 16 years now.  I know the power to heal that nature has. I've also seen the harm that pharmaceuticals and the medical profession have done.  Even though I was suffering,  I knew I had to rely on myself to get back my health.  Now,  I'm so glad I did!

When did you think you were ready to tackle the fitness component?

About a year after starting the AIP,   I started toying with the idea of training again.  To be honest,  I was a little afraid.  I had heard horror stories about exercise causing flares in people with autoimmune disease.  But,  I missed it so much.  Since I was feeling much better,  and my symptoms were under control,  I decided to formulate a program for myself to begin building strength,  stamina,  and endurance, without putting my health at risk.  After following my program for 8 weeks, I knew I was on to something.  Not only did I not experience a flare,  but my health continued to improve,  in ways that I never thought possible.  I only wish I hadn't waited so long to add the fitness component.  It truly was the missing piece of the autoimmune puzzle for me.  Within 6 months of starting my Sickness to Fitness Program, I had put my lupus into remission.  Plus,  my body was stronger and fitter than ever.  A year later, I'm happy to report, I'm still in remission,  and I just rocked it in a bikini,  in Las Vegas...at 47 years old!

How do you think fitness affected your healing protocol?

Obviously,  I think fitness affected my healing protocol in the most positive way.  By building muscle,  I gave my body the foundation it needed to be stronger.  The muscle that isn't being used will simply waste away, making a person feel tired and weak.  Our lack of action is actually making us sicker.  When we get rid of extra fat and build our muscles,  we are helping our bodies to regulate hormones and body systems.  We are improving our circulation,  cardiac response, digestion,  and mindset.  And,  let's not forget about the psychological boost you get after an amazing workout session.  We all know the power of the mind in healing.  This psychological boost I received after adding fitness to my protocol,  was a key factor in me reaching remission.  Because I was feeling better about myself,  I was able to manifest that healing in my body.  It's all about the mind and body connection.

For people struggling with chronic conditions, what is your advice in regards to a fitness routine both for starting and maintaining a fitness routine?

To start,  my advice is to follow every component outlined in Sickness To Fitness Quick Start Guide. My program has been tested by many people,  with different autoimmune and chronic conditions. The most important concept to remember is to start slowly.  Every aspect, including diet, stress management,  and sleep,  is the key to maintaining balance in your fitness routine. You must first build a foundation.  I see so many people moving into fitness routines too quickly,  or skipping the diet aspect,  or not working on lifestyle factors.  When you do that,  you set yourself up for failure....or,  in our case,  a flare.  Exercise,  in any form, places a certain amount of stress on the body.  If you're skipping steps,  chances are you're not helping your body to heal.  You may actually be hurting yourself.
Once you've implemented the Sickness to Fitness program,  you will notice the improvements in your health and fitness levels.  After about 6 to 8 weeks, you will be able to determine if your body is ready for more.  Always listen to what your body is telling you.  There are several ideas in Sickness To Fitness Quick Start Guide, that help you with how to advance your fitness routine.  And,  just to help you out, even more,  I've already started on my next ebook, which will outline the nutrition changes and workouts to move your progress up to the next level.
It is never too late to regain your health and build your fitness.  Those of you with autoimmune disease or chronic illness should always speak with your doctor before beginning any workout routine.  Once you get the okay from them, be sure to move at a level that is comfortable for you.  I think you are all going to be surprised at how much better you're going to feel and look!

Thanks again,  Astrid!

Tara

Timing is everything.  Since I recently got my Ulcerative Colitis under control,  I am ready for a new challenge like Tara's Sickness to Fitness program.  I am excited to use this guide to help me build muscles,  gain strength while supporting my mobile joints.  I look forward to fulfilling a little goal of mine to lift heavier things.  If you have been thinking about getting back into fitness while navigating your autoimmunity,  you should consider Tara's Sickness to Fitness Program.  Her Quick Start Guide will walk you through her AIP + Fitness healing approach in four steps, share her passion about how to return to health by including a suitable workout routine and encourage you to search for resources that resonate with you. Don't forget to enter the giveaway ( PDF ) below for a copy of Sickness to Fitness Quick Start Guide.

Good Luck!

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Coconut Gelatin Squares

Coconut Gelatin Squares were one of my favourite sweet treats from childhood dim sum memories. It must have been the early sign of my love for anything coconut. 

You may still able to order this dish from push carts at old-school Chinese restaurants. No doubt this is a very simple treat to create so I don't know why it took me this long to make my own version of it? 

My adaptation is completely AIP/Paleo/ Keto/ LCHF compliant. I actually do not add any sweeteners in mine, which makes them more like fat bombs for Keto and LCHF folks. My recipe produces a pretty firm gelatin, if you prefer a softer mouth feel, you can try decreasing the gelatin by 1/2 t increment to find your happy place. 

>This blog post contains affiliate links. Click here to learn more what it means. 

Makes 8  1" x1" squares      Prep time 5 mins      Set time 2 hour

Ingredients

• 4 oz. coconut milk ( I use AROY D in tetra pak)

• 4 oz hot, just off boil, water

• 4 tsp grass fed gelatin ( I use Great Lakes ) 

• 1 tsp maple syrup ( optional ) 

• 1/2  tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, pour in coconut milk,
2. Sprinkle gelatin over and let sit for 5 mins to expand and soften.  
3. Stir in hot water to dissolve gelatin. Stir in remaining ingredients. 
4. Pour mixture into silicone mold ( like this one )  and let set in fridge, about 1-2 hour
5. Loosen edges before popping out the squares to enjoy. 

My latest health experiment - Nutritional ketosis + AIP

Back in May,  I started a new direction on my healing protocol that eventually brought my Ulcerative Colitis into REMISSION.

In this blog post, I will share with you how by incorporating nutritional ketosis into my Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, I found equilibrium in health; however, there is no one size fit all protocol for everyone. I hope by sharing my experiment, I can encourage my readers to continue their search towards finding the best way to support their healing journey. 

Here are the three points that explain my latest progression.

1. What inspired me to chose this route
2. What my AIP Nutritional Keto looks like 
3. What improvements has the changes made

1. Why would I think the ketogenic diet, originally designed to treat epileptic children, could help with my health? I didn't.  

Initially, I chose to investigate the ketogenic diet in hopes of balancing my blood sugar and finding hormonal support for peri-menopausal symptoms I started experiencing in the past few years. 
Having a history of diabetes in the family,  I am always watchful for signs of insulin resistance as I get older. Despite following the AIP protocol, I was still indulging in too many fruits and starchy vegetables to fill my belly. I wanted to learn more about blood sugar imbalance as I believe it plays an important role in supporting my gut health.  So as my UC symptoms subside, I took that as a sign to move forward in my continual search for better health.  With the predominant gut symptoms under control, I was still experiencing periodical energy crashes. I wasn't sure if that was because, as I felt stronger, I was eager to push myself more which resulted in fatigue. I had heard that the ketogenic diet can help regular blood sugar, stabilize energy and increase mental clarity.  So with my inquisitive mind, I decided to learn more about this concept of fueling the body.

Through the AIP/ Paleo community, I learned about The Wahls Protocol by Dr. Terry Wahls, where nutritional ketosis plays an important role in healing the body. She designed her protocol, with three stages to lead to a gradual transition from the Standard American Diet ( SAD) . The highest level, Wahls Paleo Plus, is not far off from AIP, so I was able to easily to slide over without going through the first two levels. 

What is Nutritional Ketosis? 

To quote Dr. Terry Wahls, " ... ketosis means you are burning fat, rather than sugar, as your primary fuel source ... when your body is in a state of nutritional ketosis, the liver begins producing ketone bodies" ( as a by-product of turning fat into energy the body can easily use). The Wahls Protocol p.191, 196

I am most fascinated with a process called autophagy where a Ketogenic Diet mimics fasting state to support the body in detox and repair itself.

2. What does my AIP Keto way of eating look like?

Based on Wahls Paleo Plus, the first revamp of my eating plan was increasing leafy green vegetables to 4-6 c a day. It was a bit nerve wrecking to increase so much insoluble fiber into my UC gut but the transition went smoothly with little discomfort. I also paid more attention to the variety, especially in colours, of vegetables on my plate. I increased my healthy fat intake by adding 4-5 tsp of coconut oil a day on top of the fats in my cooking and salad dressings. This increase in fat helped my body became fat adapted.  I decreased my protein intake to 6-10 oz. to prevent gluconeogenesis, Yes one can eat too much protein which turns into fat storage. Finally, I focused on staying hydrated as it is common for the body to excrete extra water in a ketosis state. Besides drinking enough fluids, I kept my electrolytes in check by consuming enough salts in my diet and sometimes even add a sprinkle of pink Himalayan pink salt into my drinking water. 

Three weeks into Nutritional Ketosis and I was feeling pretty good. Intermittent fasting 16 hours most of the days seem to happen naturally since I was satiated in between my meals. My brain was much clearer, my energy was stable and I was losing some hormonal weight gain that sneaked up on me in the past few months. Unfortunately, the increase in energy also resulted in  keto insomnia.  I had a hard time falling back to sleep after it was interrupted by waking up several times a night,  although falling asleep initially was not an issue.  Then slowly, my weight loss stalled and the bloating returned. Needless to say, I assumed that the healing honeymoon was over. Instead of feeling defeated and wanted to give up,  I browsed through forums and learned that other women also experienced obstacles when their carb intake became too low.  I began practicing Carb up ( increasing carbs in forms of berries or starchy vegetables) in the evening when needed, 2 to 3 times a week, and found that my body was not stressing out about the lack of carbs anymore. I learned that the body tends to panic when there are signs of energy deprivations. Since my body ran on glucose all my life, it viewed this new way of functioning as a threat. The small increase of carbs in the evening calmed my body and my sleep issue was therefore resolved. 

Now at 4 months into AIP Nutritional Ketosis, my body seem to like this routine.  I eat only when I am hungry, not when I am bored or think I should. Instead of worrying about whether I have food with me, I can go a lot longer period of time,  running on ketones, without being hangry. Being in NK has taught me to listen to my body ever so closely the right time to eat. This state has provided me more flexibility in my schedule by removing extra food preparation time off my plate. I can easily IF as long as I had enough good fats to keep me satiated until the next feeding opportunity. Currently, I start my morning with warm water with lemon juice, if I feel I need some extra energy, I might enjoy a spoonful of coconut oil and coconut manna to power up my body. Otherwise, I continue with my morning routine with a little yoga or exercise with free weights before getting the kids ready for school. After school drop off, I enjoy my 40 mins to 1:30 hr walk. When I return home, I make myself a blended fat drink with noncaffeinated tea, cocoa butter, MCT oil and collagen. I continue to Intermittent fast until 12p to 3p and break my fast with a big salad, cooked vegetable and protein. Dinner is a typical AIP meal around 6pm. 

3. What improvements have I noticed?

The greatest improvements I noticed since adding nutritional ketosis to the equation is stabilizing blood sugar. Although this effect seems to be unrelated to autoimmunity,  I believe managing blood sugar levels is key in supporting continual healing of the gut. Other positive side effects from the diet change are stability in the mood, better mental clarity, higher body temperature, and easier stress management.  With cravings at bay, I eat intuitively and no longer turn to food to fill boredom. Craving for carbs, especially fruits, seems to be a thing of the past, which means I enjoy social outings more where friends and family consume their non-AIP food. Of course, it is important that I bring my own compliant food to adhere to my eating for nourishment practice. As an added bonus, this way of eating has become more economical for the family's food budget because I am preparing meals with less protein than before. 

In conclusion, I am pleased with the health improvements since added Nutritional Ketosis to my AIP protocol. As the season change, it would be interesting to see how my body adapts. I hope this post will encourage my readers to listen to the body, let it guide them towards optimal health. Remember to be patient by allowing enough time for a new protocol to settle in.  Once the body finds its healing "groove", enjoy the progress when the momentum picks up but don't be discourage when it is time to re-evaluate the plan.  

Wholeheartedly support the body's natural ability to heal.
Continue to pursue optimal health by being intrigued by the process. 

Additional Resources about Nutritional Ketosis

History of Ketogenic Diet 
http://robbwolf.com/2015/09/24/the-origin-and-future-of-the-ketogenic-diet-part-1/
http://terrywahls.com/about-the-wahls-protocol//
http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2015/06/06/episode-20-ketogenic-diets-with-terry-wahls-and-paul-jaminet/
http://www.thepaleomom.com/how-many-carbs-should-you-eat/

Fellow AIP bloggers' experience with Ketosis 

https://petra8paleo.com/2015/02/12/biohacking-update-10-months-of-ketosis/
http://www.paleocajunlady.com/the-ketogenic-diet-experiment/

Ebook review: Spice Over 90 Paleo and AIP compliant recipes by Jo Romero

>This blog post contains affiliate links. Click here to learn more what it means. 

Summer has been really busy. I finally carved out sometime to work on this exciting book review for SPICE over 90 Paleo and AIP compliant recipes by the lovely Jo Romero

It seems like a long time ago since I began my AIP journey, a little over 3 years, I have adapted well into this way of eating riding some ups and downs along the way but I rarely miss foods from the AVOID list anymore; however, there are still spices I wish I can reintroduce back into my cooking. As my gut healed, I was able to slowly reintroduce some spices but not enough to create one of my favorite belly warming dish - the Curry! So when I heard about this Paleo and AIP compliant book about SPICE Jo was working on, I was eagerly filled with anticipation. 

To begin, Jo starts out with the list and detail glossary of AIP Compliant Spices and Aromatics. I have to admit there are many ingredients on the list I haven't used before and now am looking forward to playing around with them soon.

Then she divided her book into the following sections of mouth watering recipes 

• Nibbles and Soups
• Main Meals
• Drinking Sweat Treats
• Sauces and Finishing Touches

Here comes the part I love the most

"The Formula for an AIP Curry" where she breaks down how to create your customized curry following four building blocks

Base  |  Sauce  |  Embellishing Spices  |  Topping

After drooling over the numerous beautifully shot delicious spicy dishes, I chose to make the Basic AIP Red Thai Curry Paste over chicken legs. Don't let the seemingly long list of ingredients intimate you, it is well worth it. The dish turned out so well that it even got a thumbs up from my husband who has Caribbean roots. Jo's AIP Red Thai Curry Paste offers a different kinds of heat, that is pleasantly fleeting instead of painfuling lingering past t's welcome, in comparison to traditional chilis. With just the right amount of kick, the dish is packed with complex aromatic flavors from the perfectly complimenting ingredients. 

I highly recommend this ebook to anyone, whether they are on AIP/ Paleo journey or not, to try as I have learned so much in how to combine spices and create fresh new taste to Spice up my cooking. 

You can order this Spicy addition to your cookbook library here

This pretty pink sauce is packed with a kick of flavors

Red Thai Curry Chicken leg I have missed for the past 3 years

A Simple Guide to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol Book Review and GIVEAWAY

>This blog post contains affiliate links. Click here to learn more what it means. 

Feeling overwhelmed with different styles of healing diets? If you have decided to commit to protect your most valuable lifelong investment, your health,  A Simple Guide to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol by Eileen Laird can help you find a better understanding of how you can support your body's natural ability to heal through diet and lifestyle.

In this book review, I will share with you how this easy to read yet concise overview can benefit both beginning and experienced health advocates. This book can help beginners navigate through the seemingly complicated protocol and aid the more experienced in improving their established healing routine. No matter where you are on your healing journey, this guide can help you take better control of your health by embracing a healing lifestyle specifically regarding the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol.

Who is this book for?

Face it, Life is busy. If you have chronic health issues to deal with, making changes to heal your body and mind can be extra challenging. 

Enter Eileen's A Simple Guide to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol to offer guidance for people looking to take control of their health and find alternative ways in heal.

For the beginners

This wonderful guide includes just enough details to help transition from the standard American diet, which is often filled with processed and inflammatory foods, to a nutrient dense whole foods healing diet without overwhelming the reader. In this book you will find useful step by steps, infographics like the food pyramid and grocery list to help transform your health.
It maybe obvious this book would be perfect for beginners but for someone who has already spend some time on the protocol, you can be reminded of how much you have achieved and feel a great sense of accomplishment. It is like a big pad on your back for taking health into your own hands.

How about for the experienced?

It maybe obvious this book would be perfect for beginners but for someone who has already spend some time on the protocol, you can be reminded of how much you have achieved and feel a great sense of accomplishment. It is like a big pad on your back for taking health into your own hands. 

Don't let the compact size of this book fool you

Eileen managed to pack all important details one needs to embark on the AIP journey in this book. The clean cover design also reflects sense of clarity inside the book. The welcoming cover leads you to a well written, easy and quick to read guide that is “small enough to carry around” with you for quick references when needed.

If you are familiar with Eileen's podcast Phoenix Helix, you will know the encouraging attitude she always delivery to her audience. Written in her signature positive tone as in her podcast, you will feel reassured and encouraged to take on this transition.

What I found most helpful in the book for my personal journey

Sometimes, we will feel like we are not in control with our environment when we are away from home especially traveling or when we are just faced with self doubt. I still find the following topics challenging and appreciate how Eileen touched upon them with tips on how to carry on even faced with uncertainty.

1. Eating at restaurants
2. Traveling on the AIP
3. Overcoming self sabotage

How has this book helped me?

This book came out just in time for my first Whole 30 with the AIP focus therefore giving me a good review of the AIP and helped me re-examine areas where I still need to tweak and improve upon. Having this book on my side, I am reminded of how much I have grown and changed since I started healing my body with food and lifestyle change. It has given me the confidence to continue finding the best supportive ways to manage symptoms and maintain optimal health with my chronic condition. 

Thank you always Eileen for sharing your knowledge, time and brimming passion towards healing!

---GIVEAWAY --- 

Here is how you can win a copy of this great book. 

One lucky winner will receive either
a hardcopy ( US winner ) or a PDF copy (international winner).  

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fragrant Rose Chai

>This blog post contains affiliate links. Click here to learn more what it means. 

Happy New Year to all my health advocates!

I wish you all good health and happiness for 2016. 

This morning, I woke up feeling a bit chilled and got inspired to warm myself up with a cup of floral yummy drink to start Monday and February off. I looked around my tea cupboard and came across my jar of rose petals. I have always loved the smell of rose essential oils but haven't included this delicate frequent flower in my cooking. The beautiful pink color of the dried roses inspired me to grab it and add it to my tea. A few stirs and simmer and the end result was this warming fragrant cup of Rose Chai tea. I have also used rose water to give this drink an extra punch of flavor. You can usually find rose water from Middle Eastern Food stores but if you are having difficulty finding it locally, here is an affiliate link you can order from. Remember Valentine's day is just around the corner and this warm drink would be a nice romantic treat for the special day.  

Makes 2 cups     Prep time 5 mins      Cook time 10 mins

Ingredients

• 1 tsp Rose water

• 5-6 rose blossom

• 1 tbsp organic rooibos tea

• 3-4 ginger slices

• sprinkle ground clove

• 1/8 t ground cinnamon 

• honey to taste ( optional ) 

• 2 cups water

• 1 Tbsp Collagen

• 1/8 - 1/4 c coconut milk ( I recently tried this tetrapak coconut milk from AROY D and loved the taste. )

Instructions:

1. In a small pot, add water, spices, tea and ginger and bring to boil then simmer uncovered for 10 mins
2. Pour tea through strainer into a mason jar, stir in remaining ingredients and add desired amount of coconut milk and serve.

AIP/ Paleo in Vegas

My hot yoga balcony studio

I am finally sitting down to finish off my Vegas travel post after listening to Phoenix Helix's podcast on Paleo Travels. If you haven't listened to it, I highly recommend you do even if you don't have a trip planned in the near future.

I was a bit apprehensive about this trip to Las Vegas mid August. Firstly, it was the first flight travel since my diagnosis; packing my kitchen in the van for a road trip is easier than condense packing that involved security checks and liquid limitations. Secondly, I wasn't sure how I would take to the extreme hot desert temperature. Thirdly, we were there for work ( tradeshow time ) so it was easier and cheaper to stay on the strip and not rent a car. I was unsure where I would buy fresh produce. However,  my excitement to be traveling sans children for the first time - EVER overcame all my distresses. 

What I packed: the million dollar questions for AIPers

Beside the usual canned and dried goods ( canned smoked oysters, plantain chips, coconut apple bars ), I cooked up this seared ahi tuna, broccoli and purple yam meal and packed it in a cooler bag to eat on the plane. Luckily, I wasn't hungry on the flight so I ate part of this as my late dinner at the hotel. Note the children utensils for airport security purpose?

I haven't been to Vegas for probably 7 years so when my husband said that he would books a nice hotel because I was coming, I didn't know what to expect. To my delight, we stayed at the Cosmopolitan which were originally built as apartments so the rooms had a fridge, dishwasher and microwave. The fridge part was already filled with overpriced beverages but there was room in the freezer to put my food. The tuna lasted well in the freezer as I snacked on it over the course of my stay. To prevent temptation I covered the tray "moment of weakness" candies and snacks on the counter with a towel. I also pre-made and froze some of Kaiku lifestyle's plantain pancake as another source of AIP carbs. 

Testing the heat

I start my day with hot yoga on the balcony. The reason why people pay more money for hot yoga classes is because the heat makes you more flexible and bendy. 20 minutes later and I was sweating.

Then I went to the pool for a dip, I was the only person in the oddly shaped pool trying to do some form of laps.

After I cleaned up,  I made my way to the trade shows to meet my husband. If you have been to Vegas, you will know how every hotel looks so much closer than the seem.  You can usually see the hotel you are heading to but because they are so big, you still have be walk at least 15 mins. I was sure glad I packed my snacks for the tradeshow because their prices for fruits was crazy - a banana or apple was $5US. In the evening, I was pleased to find a little market place where I bought some fresh produce at decent prices for the rest of our stay.

Here are a couple dinners I had on the Strip.

Taro chips mushroom avocado ceviche appetizer at Carson Kitchen. I gave the cherry tomatoes to my husband.

BBP ( Bobby' Burger Palace ) - burger on salad greens, again hubs got the tomato 

For lunch on our last day in Vegas, we tried the buffet at the Wicked Spoon. Here is the true test how I fare with all the food.  - selective, not quantity but quality. Meats, Roast beef, house cured bacon, crispy pork, smoked salmon, carrot mango ginger lime juice, gluten free dessert

Grilled salmon

Being very cautious with my selection

smoke salmon

Carrot, ginger, mango juice

My Five finger shoes stood up to the test

So how did I do with all my initial concerns about this trip?

On the Strip with no car? No problem as I was prepared with compliant food, I was not bothered with walking as long as I stayed hydrated and look for shade if I am out in the sun. I think the extra Vitamin really powered my body.

Food? The heat actually decreased my appetite, with the extra activities like pool time, tradeshow and  just plain experiencing this surreal city, I ate less. And I did find some normal priced produces while we were off the strip. The buffet wasn't as scary an experience as I imagined. Just because it was there, doesn't mean I had to eat it. I really enjoyed the foods I chose and went back for seconds. 

How did this trip improve my health? My body really benefitted from the sunlight and heat, I am unsure whether my body reacts to heat differently comparing to before but the extreme heat seems to be what my body loves. I joked that I will become a leather faced retiree living in Palm Spring. This was such a great little recharge getaway. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids but being able to just focus on myself and my husband is a real treat for any parent once in a while. All I focused on was getting enough water and how to get to my next destination - the simple joy on wonder!

Sweet Beets and Plantain burger patty

Restaurants usually add a lot of sugar in their food to improve taste and make them addictive. Here I am using naturally sweet vegetables like beets and ripe plantain to make these AIP low FODMAP burger patty as irresistible as the ones in dining out meals. Hope you like it!

Makes 12 patties  Prep time 15 mins  Cook time 10 mins

Ingredient

• 2 lbs ground pork ( pastured raised are best ) 
• 3/4 lbs ground beef ( pastured raised are best ) 
• 1 small beet root ( golf ball size ), peeled and cut into quarters
• 1 medium ripe plantain, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
• 1 leek ( greens only for lowFODMAP), clean and cut into 1" sections
• 1 tsp sea salt ( I used pink himalayan salt)
• 1/4 tsp AIP 4 spice mix or cinnamon
• Frying fat of your choice ( I used coconut oil here) 

Method

1. Put all cut vegetable ( except plantain )  into food processor and pulse into ( roughly rice size ) small pieces,  add plantain last, ripe plantain will make mixture into a paste. 
2. Mix in salt and spice/ cinnamon
3. Empty mixture into large bowl and hand mix in ground meats, you can also stir with wooden spoon or use a masher
4. Heat frying pan on medium heat, add fat
5. Form mixture into 2-3" patty size and fry until cook ( 3 - 5 mins each side) Keep in mind that the Beets will make it more reddish so it might be safer to cook longer. The vegetable keeps it moist and tender. 
6. Serve with your favorite sides or double portion and freeze exta.