More about fasting for health - Part 2

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Here is the link to Fast track to wellness - Part 1. How I got started into extended fasting.

Here's another one of my fasting related link to my the one year update post on my nutritional ketosis progress

Some of you might be wondering how I got from gut healing focus to this fasting practice. Once I felt my UC was pretty much under control, I started looking into the effect of insulin and how it might play a role in the gut microbiome. You see, my mother was a T2 diabetic who died from complication of the metabolic disease. Her neglect of health led her to renal failure and 10 years of dialysis. Watching her body deteriorate was what got me interested in wellness in the first place. This is why I became so interested in insulin and how it may affect our gut microbiome

What is my Fasting routine look like?

Well, I started off trying to follow a routine, a template. That's how most of us learn right?  There's a lot of info out there, so far the clearest and simple resource I've found was  Complete Guide to Fasting by Dr. Jason Fung. I started by following the 24 hrs Alternate day fasting as described in the book. Day 1 Lunch and Dinner, Day 2 Dinner, rinse and repeat. It got a little getting used especially for my family. Didn't take long for me to see the weight melting away and my energy skyrocketing, I was excited to dive deeper.

My body seems to really like the One Meal A Day practice, aka, OMAD. I chose dinner as my meal of the day 'cause it's more of a social thing where I can relax and enjoy time with family. But I had to watch out when I was still trying to lose a few pounds, my body adapted to whatever routine purely for survival which means it hung onto the weight.

So how did I get over that hump? By shaking things up, being fluid.

Today, I'm more intuitive with my fasting, I don't follow a schedule like fast on set days. Some people like to do Mon, Wed, Fri. I mainly go with how I feel. Sometimes I like to time a longer fast into my social calendar. I do find that a few days after my cycle is a good time to do an extended fast, which is usually between 36-42 hrs. So that makes a long fast once a month for me.

Pros about fasting

Eating less means cost less

Digestion doesn't get overworked. I feel that since I became fat adapted, run on ketones

Feel empowered, easily breeze through if I'm in a situation where I don't have excess to food I eat
not prepared.

Promote Autophagy What is this word? Click here to learn more

What is my main take away on fasting?

I've learned as long as I keep my electrolytes in check, like having enough salts either with my meal or a pinch in my hydration, I don't get those discomfort most people get when they start. That has been the key factor when it comes to fasting. I remember my dad, who was in the army and lived through many tough days during the war, telling me that a person can live several of days, even longer, without food but without water? Maybe only 1 - 2.

Watch this video to understand the difference between fasting and starvation

Fast track to wellness - Part 1

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I've been away for a while because I finally get to enjoy life in wellness as it should be. Not trying to brag but I discovered something phenomenal that catapulted me into the best health I've had thus far. Really!!! If you've been following me on Social Media, you'll know what I'm talking about. I discovered fasting end of last year. After 6 months at it, I'm ready to give you guys an overview of how my wellness has improved since I added this practice to my mix. You ready to hear? Like many of the healing tools and practices out there, this too may sound extreme. If you've had any eating disorder challenges in the past and find this triggering, please stop reading NOW... and Hugs!  For the rest of you who're curious, here's the condense of how fasting has taken my health to another new level. Let me tell you how it seemed to have reset my body and even lessened my food sensitivity.

It all started with me catching a bit of stomach bug from my kid few days before Christmas, it wasn't a big deal, but with our Hawaii trip just around the corner, I wanted to be in tip-top shape for the travels. Afterall this was the first family vacay where I was in full remission. The timing must have been right as that's when I dove deep into the philosophy of a Toronto based Nephrologist, Dr. Jason Fung  Have you heard of him?

Few years ago, when I was still having gut symptoms, I used to find a bowel rest helpful to let my digestion take a break so my body can focus on any repair it needed, I found this after my first colonoscopy, which involved some form of fasting to prep for it, or at least no solid food, my UC got a lot better. That was also why I didn't jump on the medicine right away.

So back to my fasting beginning, on Dec 20, I was really feeling the holiday sluggishness on top of hormonal imbalances too, being a peri-meno woman is always fun, right?  By Xmas eve, the stomach bug really hit me hard, I was feeling fatigued and stomach cramps.

Timing and intuition. Something inside told me to look into fasting seriously, so I did more research on what Dr. Fung has on the internet, skimmed through one of his books, The Obesity Code, and learned more about how to feel better during fasting. That's when things started turning around. I began a water only fast, actually right through Christmas dinner. Yes, you heard right. I was feeling so amazing that even being around all the holiday food didn't tempt me a bit. Crazy right?

I continued to feel better, lighter and more mental clarity on an alternate day fasting schedule after Christmas and all through my family vacation in Hawaii.

Being in Hawaii was, of course, something else. I'm sure anyone would experience a boost in healing being on an island filled with sunshine, fresh produces and of course the R and R. This was a pretty special trip where I was able to enjoy carefreely, for the first time while away from home, I seriously left my worries behind. I used to always have this hold on me, reservation keeping me from being in the moment. This time was different, was it because of my recent remission news or was it from the fasting the reset my entire body? The fasting practice became quite natural and easy. The most remarkable thing was my food sensitivities seemed to have subsided. I was able to have caffeine like coffee and tea, even tomatoes. Wow! With all the liquids I have to consume during fasting, plain water got boring fast. I added a splash of ACV ( apple cider vinegar)  to help with electrolytes and to add a little flavour but one morning, I decided to try some weak green tea... I waited for the usual effects from the past, jitters, mild heart race and generally out of sort... but it never came? Hmm... what has this fasting thing done to my body? I was intrigued. Next step, I decided to try some really diluted black coffee, while in Kona why not? Again, I waited... no effects? even when I had it in the afternoon. Perhaps by consuming the coffee black had something to do with it. Could it be my body has reset to neutral?

My body continued to lean out further, but this time I wasn't wasting away like when I lost weight from my UC flares. I noticed more muscle definition from all the TRX class I had been going to. It was like BAM the layer of security fat just melted away and HELLO muscles. Or a better description might be the layer of inflammation has disappeared.  I got super excited about learning all that I can about fasting.  I devoured the books and listened and watched to any podcast/ youtube I could get hands on. The alternate day 24 hrs fast was pretty easy to follow, I was eating lunch and dinner one day, the next I would only eat dinner. No problem.

When I returned home, I hopped on the scale and was shocked to see that I had dropped 10 lbs since I started my fasting practice. That was 2 1/2 weeks.

Did I regain the weight?

I've lost a few more lbs and now below my original goal weight. Now, my focuses are continue to swap body fat for muscles, improving stamina and just plain ol' building a STRONGER me.

Stay tuned for more about fasting

For more info on fasting check out these links

What is Fasting?

The Calorie Deception

Why wasn't Keto working anymore?

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A few years after starting keto, I got to a point in my health where I thought life was pretty good, my gut was under control,  I even got the word from my GI that my UC was actually in remission, I was ecstactic to hear of course, especially when I never imagined it would happen to me.

But by the Fall of 2017, Even with some peri-meno weight gain slowly creeping up lb by lb, I was still in a healthy weight.  But besides vanity getting to me, I knew that I can better my health to yet another level. Already feeling stronger is great. Am I just putting on muscle weight? No, I wasn't, my clothes were getting tighter. What to do? I have to admit that I was bothered by weight gain, but in comparison to how sick I was, I felt that I shouldn't focus on my body size. I should focus on how I felt but I knew I could feel better like have more energy and improve my mental sharpness.

So how do I get there? I thought keto was going to take me there. What's missing? A few years back, I slid fairly effortlessly from AIP to Wahls Paleo Plus a couple years ago. Check out my post about this transition. I increased my fat intake and cut down on my carbs, you know, the Low Carb High Fat rage? But even after I became fat adapted ( that's when I was mainly burning fat as fuel instead of glucose ), I thought I was supposed to continue eating a whole lot of fat whenever and where ever. My initial quick drop in weight slowed down and eventually stopped, then it was going back up. What gives?

So I let my way of eating go into autopilot and started increasing my exercise. I took up TRX classes at my local community center, push past some fears of stirring up old injuries and definitely gaining more strength and muscle tone. Yay!

By the end of the year, I discovered an amazing wellness tool that helped reset my body in more ways that weight set point ( the comfort zone in weight my body likes to hang out at). This tool is fasting. But this post is not about that. While learning how fasting can improve insulin resistance, I had my Ah-a moment... my biggest Keto mistake.

Too many Bulletproof drinks

All the rage about fatty drinks to extend Intermitent fasting periods apparently didn't work for me. Adding fats into my drink means I was still supplying my body with fuel. Bingo! I was consuming way too many fatty drinks throughout the day, when there's a surplus of fat being provided to the body as fuel, my body didn't need to tap into its own reserves, stored fat, for fuel. Check this link to learn more about Who needs to avoid fat bombs.

Now I also learned that fatty drinks were actually fasting crutches, some people might do fine having them but for my body, it didn't work.

Too much protein

Yup, apparently the body can turn extra protein into fat " Any protein eaten in excess needs to be converted to glucose or fat for storage" Check out this link to learn more about How much protein is excessive?  Now, when I eat, I always start with my veggies, before I dig into the protein. I always make sure I have enough fats on my plate too. Fattier meat cuts and of course avocados. Smoked Sardines or Oysters in Olive oil are also my fav quick protein to add to big salads.

So glad I've found the balance of what works for me now with the introduction of fasting in my routine. Stay tuned for more post on that to come.

How about you? Have you run into some keto stalls? How did you get past them?

AIP/ Paleo/ Keto No Bake Crustless "Cheese"cake

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Hey Summer Babies, Happy Birthday! Are you scratching your heads about finding a compliant cake for your celebration? Try my No Bake Crustless "Cheese" Cake. It's a solo serving but you can easily do the math and multiply to serve the number of people coming to your party. 

Makes 1 servings     Prep time 10 mins       Set time 2 hours

Ingredients

• 1/2 c coconut milk divided into two 1/4c, I used this one
• 1 tsp grass fed gelatin, I use this one
• 2 tbsp coconut concentrate ( aka. Coconut Manna), I make my own but you can use this one
• 1/4 c hot water
• Optional1/8 tsp vanilla powder or compliant vanilla extract
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• Optional: your choice of compliant sweetener to taste
• 2 drops of lime extract or if you're in the United States, 2 drops of Young Living Lime Vitality

( Please note that internal use of essential oils is not recommended by Health Canada ) 

Instructions

1. In a bowl, bloom gelatin in 1/4 c coconut milk for 5 mins
2. Mix coconut concentrate ( manna) with the other 1/4 c coconut milk until smooth
3. Pour hot water into bloomed gelatin coconut milk mixture and stir well
4. Stir in Lime flavouring, vanilla and sweetener if you choose to
5. Pour mixture into Mason Jar and let set in fridge ( around 2 hours) 
6. Top with your favourite fruit and serve

Enjoy

Eat more fat and skip meals got me to remission - One year Nutritional Ketosis update

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Even with my UC symptoms slowly subsiding, I was still denying my health was returning. I hung on the old habit of spotting public bathroom while I was out even when my tummy was nice and calm. I guess it takes a long time to shed the insecurities of a sick body and embrace the health most people take for granted. It's been one year since I added Nutritional Ketosis to my wellness equation. By teaching my body to use fat as fuel,  I was able to bring my Ulcerative Colitis to full remission. There, I said it! The improvements I noticed in my health include mental clarity and stable energy throughout the day, in other words, I feel pretty darn amazing. In this update, I'll be talking about how I'm diving deeper into my keto practice with intermittent fasting and how intuitive eating helps me find balance that led me to the improvements mentioned above. 

Intermittent Fasting

If you start researching about the ketogenic healing approach, sooner or later you will come across the talk about intermittent fasting. Like most people, it took me a long time to warm up to the idea of not eating to help heal the body. This was also triggering memories of UC flare up where I was forced to fast because everything I ate or drank hurt. Even as weak as I was from fasting, I remembered that the bowel rest made me feel better. At that time, I chalked it up to the much needed rest for my raw gut helped my body focus on healing instead of digesting foods,  but there is actually more to that. When I learned this funny sounding word Autophagy "... a housekeeping role in removing misfolded or aggregated proteins, clearing damaged organelles, such as mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and peroxisomes, as well as eliminating intracellular pathogens. " through my research, I was fascinated by how smart our bodies are designed. This " biological process ... plays a key role in your body’s ability to detoxify, repair, and regenerate itself" In plain English, our own self clean system!

If you want to read more about autophagy, click HERE or HERE

I eat when I'm hungry instead of for other emotional reasons; 

boredom, stress or thirst. 

So how does Intermittent Fasting fit so perfectly into my schedule and lifestyle? As I experimented with Intermittent Fasting ( IF), I found that I was able to carry out my day with longer periods in between meals. First I started with early dinners and late morning brunches with no snacks in between, then I found I could power straight through to lunch effortlessly. The next transition came when I just didn't feel hungry until late afternoon. Now, most of the days I would enjoy an evening feast with nutrient dense foods like my favourite meat dish, my must have giant salad, sometimes two, and a side of cooked vegetables with healthy servings of good fats of course. That's it. I feel like a Queen with no drama hanger in between. Initially, what motivated me to give IF a try was how it fit into my day. Back when I was still nervous about my unsettled gut especially shortly after I ate, I found that if I could fast during the day when I was most busy running around, I could enjoy my more elaborately prepared dinner at home where I would have no stress about finding a public bathroom.  That plan worked well for me so I stuck to it. Throughout the day, to make sure I keep well hydrated, I drink lots of fluids like noncaffeinated herbal teas.  AIP Bulletproof style Dandelion Chicory Coffee with a sprinkle of Himalayan pink salt to balance my electrolytes was one of my favourite.  I also discovered diluted Keto Lemonade sans the sweetener was refreshing for warmer days.  

Intuitive eating 

I have to admit, in the beginning of my IF, I was following my schedule so I don't mess up my routine. As I became more comfortable and confident in my new way of fueling my body, I loosened up the grip and learned about the art of intuitive eating. This doesn't mean I can go about being unprepared, it just means that if I needed to delay my food intake a bit longer, I wouldn't have a meltdown and crash. This also means that I eat when I'm hungry instead of for other emotional reasons; boredom, stress or thirst. It's a very empowering and freeing practice. 

Evidence of Improvement

Fueling my body with fat instead of sugar continues to hold first place in making my UC remission a reality. My bloodwork shows a drop in my Hemoglobin A1C from  5.5 to 5.1. It would make sense that by regulating my blood sugar, my mind was sharper and my energy remains stable throughout the day. You would think that since I wasn't eating as often as before, I'd crash sometime in the day, that's the beauty of using fat as fuel, once the body adapts, it can tap into the stored energy - body fat. 

Keto Tastebuds

You know when people go on any kind of eliminations diet like a sugar detox, all of a sudden their taste buds come alive, waking up from a deep sleep. Well, I have been experiencing that with ketosis. When refined sugar was initially removed from Paleo/ AIP, I had noticed a change in my taste buds. But eventually, I let the natural sugars from fruits and starchy root vegetables creep back in my diet. When I began my Keto journey, my sense of taste REALLY awakened. Did I miss the sweet taste at first?  Yes, but once the increase fat intake stepped in to help me feel more satiated, my cravings for sweets slowly went away. Lately, I've been having urges to chow down whole lemons like rinds and all, you know like how people eat kumquats? My husband's caramelized lemons on the BBQ might have started it or it could be from my current crush on Lemon Essential oils, either way, my sweet craving is pretty nonexistent. Instead, I crave for some lemon power on a spoonful of coconut "butter".  A tasty tart fat bomb is what this girl craves for now.

Nutritional Ketosis has definitely fine-tuned my body's natural healing senses. This way of eating has sharpened my thinking, improved my focus, uplifted my moods, and stabilized my energy, of course, I didn't forget the silencing of my Ulcerative Colitis. I love how my body feels being fat adapted, I feel more confident and stable in my ability to carry out my days without crashes. I'm finally at a place where my body is running like the magnificent machine it was designed to do. Like all protocols, there is no one size fit all, but I'm sure glad I found what works for my body. If you're still searching, hang in there, "Rome wasn't built in a day". Your body is great and it needs time and patient to nurture it. If you follow your intuition, you can find our personal protocol too. 

Here is my post from last year shortly after I started incoperated Nutritional Ketosis into my Paleo Autoimmune Protocol. 

For more interest on Nutritional Ketosis, Fat Fuel and Fasting, please refer to the following resources

Wahls Protocol
Healthful Pursuit
Dr. Jason Fung

Review - Fat Fueled Program by Leanne Vogel

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I believe every few months we should re-evaluate our lifestyle to see how things are working out.  After 10 months of keto focus, I am ready to revisit my original intention for how this eating style benefited my health. I am so happy to find the tipping point to remission with Ulcerative Colitis from nutritional ketosis, but now, I am facing some uncertainties with hormonal imbalances I would like to address.

Generally speaking, my overall well being has really improved. I have a copious amount of steady energy and my emotions have been more lifted, the only issue I had was my weight continues to creep up. This could be due to seasonal influences, the lack of Vitamin D from sunshine and less outdoor activities seem to be the logical culprit for weight gain during the winter months for most people. Instead of getting frustrated and losing faith in my current routine, I choose to focus on how the improvement instead of thinking I am not doing enough. While reminding myself that life could definitely be worst, I turn to a positive outlook to help me stay on track in exploring what to do next. 

Fat Fueled Program

Through my research in a Ketogenic lifestyle, I came across a fellow Canadiana Holistic Nutritionist,  Leanne Vogel's programs and have learned a lot from her in designing a ketogenic eating style that works for me. I am currently working through her Fat Fueled Program and found it to be comprehensive and easy to read. This book captures Leanne's fun energetic personality and yet it offers a comforting voice. It makes me feel understood because she is on my side. The program has helped me re-establish my relationship with food by decreasing the stress and restriction mentality.  The program supports my ongoing self love practice and helps me feel empowered in overcoming limiting beliefs with food.  During my Ulcerative Colitis flares, there was a lot of scarcity mentality from relying on bowel rest to give my gut a break. With this program, I am slowly addressing these emotions and resetting my outlook towards positivity. The reality of remission is still new to me, but for those who are struggling, it CAN happen.  It feels great to lose both my physical and mental hunger while gaining a sense of satisfaction.

Who is this program for?

This program is perfect for both beginners or novices who are interested in healing their bodies through a ketogenic approach, whole food eating, and holistic lifestyle. Besides the 411 for Ketogenic eating style,  this program also offers many tools and tips to troubleshoot an existing implementation. Coming from a Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, I was at first skeptical about what I can gain from this program. Yes, that was my ego talking, but after giving it a try, I glad I found what I needed to seamlessly incorporate keto into my AIP eating style. 

In this program, the meal plan is to make your transition easier. Following the delicious recipes will give you a variety of exciting meals that will satisfy both your taste buds and your belly. 

For those who has special allergies, intolerance or restrictions, like me, there is a section dedicated to how you can modify your meals with the recipes included in the book. I am honestly surprised how well this section worked.   This method of handling restrictions seems to be the most effective way to be as inclusive as possible without dividing the book into millions of sections.

I love the "Cooking with" guides. The fun infographics take the intimidation out of trying new things in the kitchen and can even turn the most beginning non-cooks into confident, dare I say, chefs?

What can you expect from this program? 

There are 19 chapters 300 pages including meal plans, recipes that will help you find your way through the Ketogenic approach to eating.  This program is packed with comprehensive information to guide anyone to better health. Just bring your own determination!

What I got most out of this program

I have to admit that most of the information in the program already align with my practice. Thankfully I am not starting from the Standard American Diet, I have come a long way baby! What I appreciate most from the program was how to tweak the amount of carbs to include in my meals in supporting my hormones. I now practice once a week Carb up ( explained in Chapter 11)  at dinner which seemed to have made my hormones happy. 

Here is a list of tools and chapters in the program that I found most useful for my journey:

• Free Writing helps me clear my mind clutter so I can better focus in what I need to accomplish.  
• Plate layout helps me visually see how my plate should look instead of measuring with a scale. It's not my thing!
• Chapter 2: RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU
• Chapter 6: ALLERGIES, RESTRICTIONS & PREFERENCES
• Chapter 11: AIN’T NOTHING LIKE A CARB UP
• Chapter 13: WEIGHT & PLATEAUS

Now I am armed with what I need to easily incorporate the Ketogenic approach into my healing protocol. If you are trying to find some help in the areas I mentioned above, Check out Leanne Vogel's Fat Fueled Program with the button below. For her audiobook version of the program click HERE

Also I am super excited about attending Leanne's book tour to celebrate the launch of her new paperback book, The Keto Diet: The Complete Guide to a High-Fat Diet.
Register here to attend at a city nearest you

Disneyland on AIP/ Paleo/ Keto eating style

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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. 

Phoenix Claws - Paleo/AIP/ Keto quick braised Chicken Feet

Photo by WW

Unless you are an adventurous nose to tail enthusiast, this recipe may appeal more to those of us with an Asian upbringing. I am so pleased with this recipe as it's a game changer for my Chicken Feet loving family, especially the children.  When I first saw the chicken feet bone broth recipe in the Paleo AIP Instant Pot Cookbook, I was excited about enjoying one of my favourite and dearly missed Dim Sum dishes, braised Chicken Feet, aka Phoenix Claws,  after the broth is done. Little did I know the power of the Instant Pot will turn the bones into a crumbly mess after merely 2 hrs of cooking. 

So that started my search for a recipe online but to my surprise, all I found was how to make bone broth with the fowl claws. Luckily, I didn't have to look far to come up with my own recipe. In the cookbook that came with the Instant Pot, there was a recipe for Cranberry Braised Turkey Wings, I made it for the family and enjoyed it but it just wasn't the same as my beloved chicken feet. Before having the Instant Pot,  making chicken feet the conventional stove top way took 2-3 hours. Now I can whip it up in under 30 mins including depressurizing time. 

Makes 4 servings     Prep time 5 mins      Cook time 10 mins  

Ingredients

• 1 lb Chicken Feet ( best quality you can source, talk to your trusted butcher, you might be surprised)
• 1 c bone broth
• 1 tbsp fish sauce 
• 1/4 tsp galangal powder
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• salt to taste 
• 1 c cranberries
• 2 tbsp avocado oil, or high heat cooking oil of your choice

Instructions

1. Rinse chicken feet under hot water and drain well
2. Follow Step 3 to sautee the chicken feet in the Instant Pot or go to step 6 if you chose to sautée over stove top in a wider more shallow pot. Either way, make sure you heat the pot well enough with a high smoke point oil like avocado or coconut oil to prevent the chicken skin from sticking to the pot. 
3. Turn Instant Pot on the select Sautée
4. Add oil in Instant Pot to heat up
5. When Instant Pot displays Hot, sautée chopped garlic and chicken feet in batches for 5-7 mins
6. Add in salt, galangal powder, fish sauce and coat well
7. Add bone broth and cranberries
8. Close lid, make sure vent is at Sealing and hit Keep warm/ Cancel
9. Select Manual and set timer to 10 mins
10. When cook time is up, let Instant Pot cool naturally ( 15 mins ) 
11. Serve paired with fermented vegetable as a snack

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/