tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41688555521583124402024-02-09T06:58:50.261+11:00Girl Gone PrimalI cut my carbs in Jan 09. After losing 15kg by Sept 09, the weight started to come back despite being strictly Paleo, likely due to a drug I took to heal an injury. I fought hard through 2010, ending up depressed and fatter than ever, despite sticking to a paleo plan. Although I’m now less strict on myself and my eating, I’m leaving this blog online to share my recipes and my experiences. The take-home lesson - do what works for you, and don't worry about what other people think. Live life!Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.comBlogger325125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-33750333099802305462014-11-06T22:06:00.002+11:002014-11-06T22:06:30.154+11:00Why I Don't Bother Blogging AnymoreHi all,<br />
<br />
Since I've just taken a second to check and publish a bunch of comments, I thought it might be timely to drop a line and response to those who keep asking why I'm not blogging anymore.<br />
<br />
Although this has been happening to me ever since I started blogging, and often in much more vile forms, this recently found example neatly highlights the three issues that kept rearing up and breaking my heart when I was still active online.<br />
<br />
If you'd like to flip back to last year's 'Annual Post', and scroll down to the comments, you'll see this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xvFsimRvGaQ/VFtS3oL_41I/AAAAAAAAE3Y/sz2NGZMBesI/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2014-11-06%2Bat%2B9.51.23%2Bpm.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xvFsimRvGaQ/VFtS3oL_41I/AAAAAAAAE3Y/sz2NGZMBesI/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2014-11-06%2Bat%2B9.51.23%2Bpm.png" height="326" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Yep, a delightful commenter decided to take it upon himself to:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1) Declare himself judge of what is and isn't "doing Paleo right";</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
2) Decide that my sweeping comment about eating mostly grilled meat (which, as everyone who has followed my for a while, means fatty lamb chops) is sufficient for him to fully ascertain the macronutrient balance of my diet;</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
3) Be a sexist, condescending asshole.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If only Christopher was the only asshole commenter I've ever had to deal with...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Never mind the blatant irony of his choice of post to comment on, this kind of dogmatic and unsolicited judgment pervades the Internet. Perhaps he's a young 'bro' who hasn't had his head beaten in by the fists of manners and maturity yet - I know I used to be quick to offer judgments on the diets of others, but even then, only when asked. Perhaps he's my grocery delivery man and has noticed that I buy less coconut oil these days (I'm still making my way through the 10L tub I bought years ago). Perhaps he's upset that my post noted that I'm still losing weight when I want to, despite eating grapes and sweet potato whenever I want. No matter his reason, I bet he wouldn't have commented that way if I were male. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm sure he has his reasons for being an absolute c-nut, but I'm not interested in dealing with people like him anymore. Food doesn't control my life, and I don't have to obsess about it in order to manage my weight. The only thing that screw with my body, in fact, is stress - if I'm stressed, I gain weight, no matter what I'm eating. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So. Apologies to those of you who are decent, supportive, and not fond of swearing, but here's what happens when I'm angry and not willing to take someone's crap anymore:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Fuck off, Christopher, and all the idiot men like you who think it's your place to judge someone online, to put them down to make yourself feel better. Fuck off, and grow up. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
"Sheesh."</div>
<br />
<div class="comment-timestamp" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #202020; display: inline-block; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; orphans: auto; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-53967061398385452932013-06-14T00:28:00.004+10:002013-06-14T00:29:47.668+10:00The Annual Post Hello lovely primal/paleo/clean/mindful eaters!<br />
<br />
Since Google killed Google Reader I haven't been getting my notifications of comments awaiting moderation, so my apologies if you've been trying to get in touch. I've posted them all now - thank you so much for the kind words and I love knowing that new people are finding my blog and exploring the recipes along their own journey. It's an absolute joy.<br />
<br />
So:<br />
<br />
- No, we still haven't renovated the kitchen, so I'm mostly grilling meat and boiling veggies. I'm addicted to sweet potato fries, roast meat and veg from Rhumba's or The Roast Kitchen in Kew, green grapes (out of season now, boo!) and imperial mandarins (in season, hooray!), chai spice tea with a splash of milk, and brie cheese. The year of minimal stove-top cooking has forced me to change my old eating habits, though I still make cauliflower pizza for parties, as well as chicken Caesar salad and maybe some nachos to at least keep my guests from wheat and sugar.<br />
<br />
- Yes, I'm still losing weight! My weight hovered around the point I noted last year, and now over the past couple of months I've managed to shave off another 5kg through deliberately limiting any wheat and essentially getting rid of sugar again. I've also been getting more active thanks to my Xbox Kinect and a bevy of games. Tonight I kicked my butt with UFC Personal Trainer - I will be sore tomorrow...<br />
<br />
I hope everyone is feeling happier and healthier every day, and that you are following your passions! Blogging is not a passion of mine anymore, though I do miss this community - I'm on Fitocracy as GirlGonePrimal- (had to add the hyphen since someone else is sitting on GirlGonePrimal even though they essentially never use the site, boo!) if you want to get in touch. I'm also on Xbox Live as Jezwyn if you want to try a multiplayer game (I haven't explored playing anything online yet, but I'm game if you are...)<br />
<br />
Love your body, love your food, and look after yourself :)<br />
<br />
GGPJezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-86035130186484333272012-06-07T11:24:00.001+10:002012-07-23T10:07:20.836+10:00Touching BaseFirst up, I want to say thank you to everyone who has left comments and emails over the past - what, year? I have checked in intermittently, usually when I've come back here to check one of my recipes, and it has been nice to see that my efforts to document my Primal journey are still finding an appreciative audience.<br />
<br />
Second, I really want to get back into regular cooking, but we bought a house six months ago and the kitchen is HORRIBLE. The oven is even worse than at the old (rental) house and the stove often loses its flame (but not its gas flow, yikes...) so I have really been avoiding my usual fry/saute cooking methods. BBQ is fun in the warmer weather, but it's icy in Melbourne now. I've been living on frozen food a bit that only needs boiling or baking, and there has been quite a bit of ready-to-eat food too.<br />
<br />
So, I'm a long way from the Paleo WOE, but you know what's funny?<br />
<br />
I've been losing weight.<br />
<br />
I've held on to the massive regain-and-then-some that came from the DepTran horribleness for two solid years, seeing little improvement in my raging appetite and emotional dependency on food. Mostly, I never felt full - my connection to satiety was still broken. I would try fasting and eating to hunger, but nothing was working.<br />
<br />
Then, about three weeks ago, I closed my latest play. During this stressful week, I noticed that suddenly I wasn't as hungry; I would eat a little of something - anything, even chocolate - and I would 'know' when I'd had enough! This basic, biological connection had been absent for over three years. And, for reasons I won't elaborate on here, I have a strong feeling that this change is due to emotional reasons, not immediately physiological ones.<br />
<br />
So, three weeks of eating 'normally' and I have dropped five kilograms. I'm half-way back to my old 'set point' weight before I originally went low-carb. I would rather eat nothing but primal foods, since I enjoy the other nutrition benefits, but hey! I probably won't keep losing weight once I'm back to the weight I maintained on my pre-2009 junk food diet, but it will be great to get rid of this 'excessive' excess.<br />
<br />
Who knows how long this 'normal' appetite control will last, but I will certainly be pleased if its reign is long and joyful! I eat when I'm hungry, and now I can stop easily. Hurrah! <br />
<br />
And, when we have enough cash to renovate our kitchen, I'll be able to share my latest yummy recipes with you all - without fear of my oven exploding mid-meal!Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-83599981494173841112011-06-25T17:48:00.001+10:002011-06-25T17:49:27.103+10:00LifeMotivation is a funny thing.<br />
<br />
I do think about popping on here to update you all with the minutiae of what I'm up to, but the primal-related bits aren't anything I haven't already covered in posts gone by. I refuse to be boring, hence the silence.<br />
<br />
Here's the plan: if and when I come up with cool, new recipes for the clean-eating lifestyle, I'll be jumping on here straight away and sharing them with you.<br />
<br />
Dinner photos, complaints about cravings, stubborn fat, blah blah - I'll keep that to myself.<br />
<br />
Who has the time? Not me.<br />
<br />
So, here's what I would have said in the past few months, and you can assume it will stay true of my life for the next while at least:<br />
<br />
I'm over-allotted at work, teaching more lessons per week than I should, as well as running the school magazine and Theatresports Club. <br />
<br />
I spent the past six months composing, directing and designing the school production, which went up three weeks ago to great applause.<br />
<br />
I have formed an a cappella singing group and am writing/arranging new pieces for us at a prodigious rate.<br />
<br />
I've joined a band and have a couple of gigs next month for which I have to prepare.<br />
<br />
I'm making jewellery as my 'down-time' activity, and am going to get back into selling at markets as well as updating my Zibbet store.<br />
<br />
I'm not worrying about food, trying not to really think about it whenever possible, beyond noticing the fact that I feel full earlier than I was last year, and find little urge to over-indulge on nuts, etc. This has given me a chance to see how the same can NOT be said for industrial foods. I finally feel like my hormones are back in order in that respect.<br />
<br />
I know that I don't feel as well all the time as I used to; now I swing between being really keen to be active, and needing to sit down. Two years ago, I was happy to walk around the classroom all lesson, last year I'd do anything to stay seated, and now it's more back and forth. When I'm ready, I will be tweaking aspects of diet and lifestyle to see how this effects the subtle shifts in my energy levels. In the meantime, I'm getting a recumbent bike slash rowing machine combo for the living room, to help improve my fitness and reduce the cardio variable in the energy equation. <br />
<br />
And then there are my social engagements, quality time with my family, friends and pets (I'm currently caring for a sick guinea pig), time set aside for relaxation (not enough of that), time taken up by marking many, many essays (too much of that)...<br />
<br />
My life is too full to justify taking up any more of my time blogging about diet. My journey is boring now. I know lots of things, and I keep reading to learn more. Half the time, when I find something I want to blog about, someone else covers it that very day.<br />
<br />
So, this blog will sit here as an archive of recipes, and a health journey which was unfortunately derailed. I'll add to it when I have something of value to say, or hopefully an awesome recipe to share. I'm not going to waste your time with 'filler' material like how to steam a fish. Seriously. When I see that stuff popping up in my feed, it's unsubscribe time. If you haven't got anything interesting to say, don't tell us about your vacation rental.<br />
<br />
Bon voyage!Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-69314388051200605522011-04-16T22:25:00.004+10:002011-08-02T12:53:37.296+10:00Recipe: Easter's Fruit Buns Gone Primal!(Before I begin, please let me apologise for the SUCKY quality of the following pics - the food was delicious, but the time of night was far from ideal for phone-cam photography :( <br />
<br />
For the last two years, there have been many a delicious aroma flooding the air of the staff corridor at school: buttery popcorn, pizza, crepes... Yet, no delicious scent tugged at my nose hairs (...ew) so much as that of freshly toasted Hot Cross Buns! Both years, I have planned to try my hand at a grain-free, sugar-free version, and somehow missed the boat.<br />
<br />
Not this year!<br />
<br />
Despite my punishing holiday schedule of play rehearsals, holding choir auditions, hosting visitors, supporting friends' Melbourne International Comedy Festival shows, and recovering from a post-term stress flu, I put today aside as a cooking day, making a huge batch of Nola for the beau, and a pile of cauliflower pizzas for tonight's dinner and tomorrow's lunch.<br />
<br />
Then - bun time! With bonus biscuits!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xvag51xsfGE/Tal8gU_-LUI/AAAAAAAACy0/qRMma8Whyqw/s1600/DSC06873.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xvag51xsfGE/Tal8gU_-LUI/AAAAAAAACy0/qRMma8Whyqw/s320/DSC06873.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daylight was done by the time these beauties come out of the oven - a sun-struck snap will get pride of place once dawn breaks tomorrow!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<i> Ingredients:</i><br />
<br />
2 cups almond flour<br />
1 cups coconut flour (or just another cup of almond if you don't like coconut)<br />
250g butter, finely diced<br />
2 T cinnamon (or more, if you love it like I do!)<br />
1T nutmeg<br />
Pinch of salt <br />
6 eggs, separated<br />
1/2 cup maple syrup (optional, but encouraged if you're not using fruit)<br />
3 large apples, peeled and finely diced<br />
<br />
Optional - substitute one apple with a cup of juicy fruit of your choice (I would have liked to add sultanas/raisins but the beau's gut doesn't like them)<br />
<br />
<i>Method:</i><br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 175 deg Celsius. Line muffin pans or grease/paper a slide.<br />
<i> </i><br />
2. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, spices, and butter. Using your hands - yes, do it! - rub the butter into the flour mix until the whole lot resembles fine crumbs. Then, add the maple syrup and egg yolks, and still well. Feel free continue the manual manipulation, but be prepared for stickiness.<br />
<br />
3. Add the chopped apple (and other fruit, if using), and stir. Be sure to dice your apple more finely than I did - I had to use my stick blender to make the apple-y dough more consistent, and lost some of that delicious baked-apple crunch.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s8fKNEru-QY/Tal8Yf3WbTI/AAAAAAAACyU/GmWRU-19luc/s1600/DSC06854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s8fKNEru-QY/Tal8Yf3WbTI/AAAAAAAACyU/GmWRU-19luc/s320/DSC06854.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
4. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until fluffy. Add gently to the large bowl, and fold until both mixtures are combined.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S9OQltzvRQg/Tal8Z9VEh-I/AAAAAAAACyY/mL3DUB83KB4/s1600/DSC06855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S9OQltzvRQg/Tal8Z9VEh-I/AAAAAAAACyY/mL3DUB83KB4/s320/DSC06855.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
5. Softly roll balls of the mixture and place onto greased slide or into muffin pans. For a glossy finish, top with some egg white and/or milk (I didn't bother this time).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QSIw4Sa1aUw/Tal8akjK3XI/AAAAAAAACyc/ztZbcAYi8ms/s1600/DSC06858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QSIw4Sa1aUw/Tal8akjK3XI/AAAAAAAACyc/ztZbcAYi8ms/s320/DSC06858.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ytbKre--E8o/Tal8cvbSocI/AAAAAAAACyk/gxHgFEZOwFc/s1600/DSC06860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ytbKre--E8o/Tal8cvbSocI/AAAAAAAACyk/gxHgFEZOwFc/s320/DSC06860.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
BONUS: I decided to save some mixture to see how it would go as biscuits, so I lined another slide , rolled some smaller balls of apple-y dough, and topped a few with 100% cacao buds.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FJdEmtD9oGU/Tal8dalTuTI/AAAAAAAACyo/tKpjgfRspk0/s1600/DSC06864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FJdEmtD9oGU/Tal8dalTuTI/AAAAAAAACyo/tKpjgfRspk0/s320/DSC06864.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
6. After 45 - 60 minutes in the oven (or about 30 - 40 minutes for the biscuits), the buns should be golden brown on the outside and should withstand a prod without feeling at all squidgy. The photo below is a decent indicator of the final product as produced by my temperamental oven, despite the lack of natural light.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSLdevcwoBY/Tal8epQzjCI/AAAAAAAACys/e61WS-FkzE0/s1600/DSC06867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSLdevcwoBY/Tal8epQzjCI/AAAAAAAACys/e61WS-FkzE0/s320/DSC06867.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Although I'm not at all religious, why pass up the chance to top my baked goodies with chocolate?? For these criss-crosses, I melted some 100% cacao with some butter, then lead the mix across the cooled buns with a knife. Of course, at any other time of year, you can use the excuse of aesthetic merit and drizzle the chocolate stylishly over the fruity goodness. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xvag51xsfGE/Tal8gU_-LUI/AAAAAAAACy0/qRMma8Whyqw/s1600/DSC06873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SZFDRrNo9-g/Tal8fat-SxI/AAAAAAAACyw/y7I8Kd4R1Tw/s320/DSC06869.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Thus far, they've received the nod of approval from the beau's sister, who is visiting for a few days, and I've enjoyed a couple of the biscuits. The beau will be trying one when he gets home, and I have high hopes...<br />
<br />
Serving suggestion - slice the buns in half, then toast in the oven. Top with a generous amount of butter, and some sliced banana or strawberry compote. Of course, some whipped cream never goes amiss! These could easily pass as scones, given the lack of yeast, so they're perfect for High Tea.<br />
<br />
Keep your extras in an air-tight container to maximise their lifespan. Don't forget that coconut flour tends to be quite drying, and this effect increases as the buns age.Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-50713493501161588922011-03-26T14:54:00.001+11:002021-12-18T19:32:59.785+11:00I'm Still Here!I can't believe that it has been a month - a MONTH! - since my last post! Time flies when you're being worked to the bone and doing your best to make relaxing use of any and all downtime! I only have time for a brief post today (the backlog of recipes will have to wait!) but I wanted to check in. :)<br />
<br />
The b*tchy blogosphere - has anyone else noticed how desperately depressing and negative the blogging circles have become lately? I have 700+ posts sitting in my rss reader that I can't seem to make any dent into, since I keep hitting these cynical and peer-sabotaging posts from the most surprising of sources. Blog reading used to be a relaxing and exciting passtime - now it tends to be another stress that I should do my best to live without. I don't feel like I'm missing much though, since most of the half-decent posts are about topics I already know about, or have surpassed in my own learning. One of the only blogs I'm keeping pace with is Matt Stone's 180 Metabolism, since some provocative statements have been coming out of there of late! I still love blogs where the quality of the comments draws you back for more.<br />
<br />
Following on from that, I had a backlog of unpublished comments to approve, and found some ZC nutjob screaming at my PCO post, telling me that the amount of protein I was eating was too much (and where exactly did they get my quantity info? Not even I could tell you that number...), and and that same time I should be eating more beef and lean fish, plus lots of fat... Nice. Great that these 'anonymous' commenters take the time and effort to read all of my blog so they can make such helpful comments ;)<br />
<br />
Now, I am still mid-experiment when it comes to what I'm eating lately - I'm trying to nourish my body as well as my mind, which means continuing to step off the orthorex-pedal and lessen the stress. I'm fatter than I think I have ever been in my life - my muffin-top is more of a full loaf - but my face is still more slender than it was 5 years ago. Everything else is generally blorpy. I've been buying more fat clothes so that I don't have to put myself through the pain of ill-fitting clothing every morning. While I'm not about to make my peace with being this fat, I'm trying not to think about it whilst still monitoring some other health markers. I'm not going anywhere near scales though - I don't think I've been on one at all this year. Anyroad, the image that is developing is that I will need to be very careful about hormonal balance when it comes to my body, metabolic processes and fertility, so I have a bit of a path worked out so that I can sustainably pursue the shedding of excess fat without shocking my system, etc. I'm totally drug-free, even though this means my damaged nerve ending will stay damaged for a while yet, and possibly become more sensitive as time goes on.<br />
<br />
Now for something entirely stream-of-consciousness:<br />
<br />
I've been making popcorn in a cast iron crock pot, with coconut oil and raw butter! It makes me feel so retro! :)<br />
<br />
I have broken my 11-year make-up habit and have pared my routine back to just a finely buffed layer of mineral powder by Bare Minerals. A touch of eye, and I'm good to go. I also now own nine pairs of prescription eyewear, so I can still add some visual interest to my face without straying into drag queen territory. My skin is thanking me! My summer tan has worn off, so it's time to take out the blonde lights in my hair - my project for today! Even the natural dyes stink though - blech...I'm a theatre baby though - I love dressing up!<br />
<br />
I'm noticing a very strong force of satiety hitting me during or after meals of late. On primal/paleo/carnivore WOEs I would feel satisfied, but not like I would throw up if I kept eating. And I don't mean 'stuffed' in either case. It's very interesting to me. I've also found that my body really doesn't like the prospect of eating meat lately, although once it is cooked and I'm tasting it, I love it. I feel a bit ill some mornings and late-afternoons, suggesting blood glucose fluctations or something, so I think I'll go invest in a BG tester and have a look at what's going on there. Some days I'm not interested in food til after work; others, I feel like I'll collapse or chuck unless I get something down before school. I've followed the insulin theories and the Matt Stone theories, but my responses haven't lined up well with either, so it's time for bloodwork I reckon. I still eat mostly whole-foods, so I tend not to blame my diet just yet... We'll see!<br />
<br />
The school play is in full-swing and I've been spending a lot of time working on the music. It's a huge job but I love it!<br />
<br />
Last weekend, my family stayed in Daylesford, in a luxury holiday house that had a room for each of the three couples, and one for the cat ;) We went horse riding on the Saturday - I had to ride in my Vibram KSOs since they didn't have boots for us, like most trail riding places do. It was lovely to wear them and feel the horse's flank more clearly; however, my saddle was too small to cater for my extra thigh blorp and consequently I was in a lot of pain when it came time to canter and I had to try and grip the horse with my legs. Ick. On the Sunday, I took my jewellery to the Daylesford Sunday Market and spent the day (including far too many pre-dawn hours) showing off my stuff to folks wandering between junk stalls and carnival food trailers. I sold quite a bit though, and it was nice to see people finding pieces they really like and trying them on. It's much nicer to see how pieces will look in person than dealing with the mystery of Internet purchases, for seller and buyer! Market stalls are a lot of preparation, cost and work though, but if I didn't work full-time I could image doing the market circuit... Now to set up at a market in the city..!<br />
<br />
Despite all my time commitments, my kitten still rules my world. :)<br />
<br />
I had better leave it there - lots of essays to mark, and I'd like to get them all done today so that I can go and participate in a massive dance 'performance' (more like 'interactive event') in the city tonight. Should be fun!<br />
<br />
Hope all is well in your world and that you're finding the fun!Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-1447374469199311532011-02-26T13:53:00.001+11:002011-02-26T16:07:14.473+11:00Bits & Pieces III have so many things I want to post about (including some new recipes!) but, with my birthday coming up on Monday, and the school play kicking into rehearsal mode, I'm finding myself spending fewer and fewer hours in front of my computer.<br />
<br />
However, the <a href="http://rawfoodsos.com/2011/02/04/the-new-usda-dietary-guideline/">latest gargantuan post</a> by the even-handed and intellectual Denise Minger from Raw Food SOS (the writer and location of the exceptional take-down of The China Study), is an elegant dissection of the sat-fat-phobia that remains all-pervasive in the USDA, influencing their 2010 Food Guidelines. As Denise says:<br />
<br />
<i>Bottom line: These guidelines will guide you alright—straight to your spot in the pharmacy line. Look elsewhere for advice if you’re serious about your health.</i><br />
<br />
<i> </i>In a recent discussion with an old friend of mine, I listened to a description of frustration: my friend was spending 8 hours a week in the gym, mostly doing cardio, "not dieting" but somehow restricting herself to 1600kcal a day and not consuming ANY saturated fat. This friend is trying to slim down for a special event, and yet is finding herself gaining belly fat. I tried to explain to her the causes of her gain (over-training, cortisol imbalance, insufficient food, no dietary fat so minimal vitamin absorption, etc) but the likelihood of her taking my word over the dominant messages coming from 'health' magazines, websites and most medical professional is, for want of a better word, slim. <br />
<br />
Weight Watchers is happening at my school again for interested staff, so I have to try to block out the rants coming from the other part of the staffroom explaining how good these 5-point buns are, the perfect morning tea, keeps you full til lunch! ... *facepalm*<br />
<br />
Even though I'm still relaxing my approach to food, at least I know what I'm doing and why, and I'm following the advice that my body gives me and that my reading has developed. My anger over the lies the diet industry and lipophobes have spread since before my lifetime was strong enough - I almost hope the Weight Watchers folks never see the day when the media finally reports the current metabolic and dietetic science; what a way to then regret the wasted years.<br />
<br />
Let's hope that, in any case, the information comes out soon so that this generation's bevy of genetically-cursed children of metabolically damaged mothers and fathers have a hope of out-living those parents. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4OiEzhx3BBw/TWhqAim0oiI/AAAAAAAACww/1YFlP_V9vY4/s1600/tiny+polar+bear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4OiEzhx3BBw/TWhqAim0oiI/AAAAAAAACww/1YFlP_V9vY4/s320/tiny+polar+bear.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Think of the babies! Won't someone think of the babies?!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Now I will leave you and return to my song-writing for my little vocal group, play with my kettlebells, help my kitten burn off some energy, and get excited about seeing Lily Tomlin tonight! Last night: Tim Minchin! This birthday girl is truly spoiled!Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-88782826087009590472011-02-09T20:58:00.003+11:002011-02-11T13:53:20.602+11:00The Pursuit of Health - No more PCO (for now?)!Apart from a bout of pneumonia when I was very young, and picking up the annual cold or spatter of gastro, I have always had a rock-solid constitution and have never suffered chronic or acute health woes.<br />
<br />
It''s a shame that I've almost always been a bit chunky - having a bit of a gut when you're young promotes rude or judgemental comments from adults (who usually think they're being funny and that the jokes will go over your head), and over-reactions from parents. Having a muffin-top in your teenage years soon develops into self-consciousness and ridicule. Kids can be very cruel.<br />
<br />
Society, and the medical industry, say it loud and proud - being overweight is unhealthy.<br />
<br />
Really?<br />
<br />
I was a champion in the 'throwing' events at school, and was a competitive swimmer - until one of my teachers made a comment about the fact that I wore a towel around my waist to 'cover up' (I just thought my towel was pretty and wanted to show it off). I walked up to 3km from the bus stop to my farm almost every day, with a couple of musical instruments and a heavy bag of books in tow.<br />
<br />
(Men who don't like to read about women's issues might want to skip this next bit) <br />
<br />
The first real health battle of my adult life is/was my <a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/2009/08/pco-what-are-polycystic-ovaries.html">PCO</a> - a reproductive situation which appeared as incomplete ovulation and resulting lack of menstruation.<br />
<br />
Given recent events, it would seem that this issue may have stemmed from my pursuit of weight loss.<br />
<br />
Just over two months ago, I finished my Yasmin-driven menstrual cycle. I stopped taking my pill, and waited to see if nature would take its course. I have been trialling this method of 'testing' every three months or so for the past year.<br />
<br />
What made this trial different? I was back to my original weight (more fat than before, though), and I was enjoying sweet potatoes and fruit regularly. Stress was diminishing as the teaching year tapered away to nothing, and the weather was showing signs of pending loveliness.<br />
<br />
Three weeks after I stopped taking Yasmin, my period arrived. With the severity of the cramps and the brevity of menstruation, this clearly was not the doing of the pill. This was back to my high school suffering. Four weeks after that, I had another one. Crampy death pain hell.<br />
<br />
Hurrah!<br />
<br />
So kids, what to make of this?<br />
<br />
Was it the sudden drop of 5kg of body fat in January '09 that threw my body for a loop, and stopped it recovering until that fat has been restored? I have read many times that a girl's weight during puberty sets the normality level for her reproductive system, and swings this way or that in weight or body composition can confuse said system... <br />
<br />
Was it the fact that I cut carbs to 20g per day, except for Christmas '09 and much of '10? Was running on ketones insufficient to adequately feed all systems in my body?<br />
<br />
<strike>Was I failing to meet my caloric needs?</strike> We can scrub this one since during my carnivore experiments I ate far beyond my caloric needs, although the ketone question may come back into play here. <br />
<br />
Was it the combination of drugs - BCP and another nerve-repairer like DepTran? This is possible if the problem started pre-2009 but was masked by the pill - but then why weren't other 'tests' successful?<br />
<br />
The only way to know is to try self-experimentation and to gather the experiences of others with PCO, but this would not be enough to establish a cause. The medical profession still has no idea what causes PCO. I would have been quick to blame environmental factors in the past, but the return of ovulation defies this hypothesis.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, I wanted to put this bit of intimate detail into the blogosphere since the PCO post is the most visited of my posts, and since my situation is reversed, I want to let fellow sufferers know that there is hope!<br />
<br />
Additionally, although PCOS is related in some way to insulin resistance, and shows some improvement when treated with a low-carb diet, there's a chance that non-PCOS PCO could actually be caused or impacted upon by a low-carb diet. I would be interested to hear from others who try or have tried tweaking their diets and what results they've seen.<br />
<br />
But first, I will be trying the harder of the possible 'causes' of PCO to see whether my periods cease - lose fat. Since I'm eating paleo foods at least 90% of the time (including sweet potato, but not normal potato, rice, or dark chocolate), it's easy for me to stick to my new 'normal' eating plan. I don't think about it much, but I fast all day on work days since I'm not usually hungry and don't have time to futz in the kitchen or sit in the staffroom and watch colleagues eat garbage whilst they talk about Weight Watchers..! I eat something (often mashed sweet potato and butter) when I get home, and then have dinner with the beau. Ultimately, I'm trying to ignore food until hunger kicks in, and this will be made easier when fruit season finishes! I haven't been eating enough meat either, with this hot weather keeping me away from my usual home in the kitchen. I'm sure you will have heard about the manic weather in Australia of late - massive flooding, cyclones, heat waves... Good times! The hot weather is also partly to blame for the lack of posts - the computer room is usually the hottest place in this house, and the laptop is too hot to have on one's lap too long. The other reason for the quiet period was because I was waiting for my, er, period so that I could write this post!<br />
<br />
With this year's school play about to begin rehearsals, I need time flexibility. Fasting works elegantly for me, and now that the house is no longer a giant sauna I will be capitalising on the fast by working out before dinner. Rather than paying for my belly dancing and circuit classes, I'll be looking for shorter, harder workouts like the Tabata training I played with last year, though my fatty misery meant I didn't enjoy the experiences, thus becoming unsustainable. I'm in a better state of mind now, though you couldn't pay me to get on the scales! I received a big discount on some Zumba classes across town, so that will become my 'play' time. I know that exercise is not enough to cause fat loss, but I'm hoping that physical stimulation will signal to my brain that it should crave healthy food and discourage over-eating since excess with be-labour my digestive process and slow me down! <br />
<br />
Mission: Retain reproductive health. Encourage my body to physically reflect the healthy state it is in. Continue to relax my attitude toward my excess chub. Eat really well. Continue to use this blog as a feeder into the primal community, since clearly my experiences are not unique.<br />
<br />
Finally, I recently began to doubt whether I really wanted to be a teacher, given the prospect of teaching a subject I'm not that interested in, and not getting much support for the programs I have started and continue to run alone for very little monetary and time compensation.<br />
<br />
Today was day four with students back at school.<br />
<br />
I knew by the middle of day one that I was where I was meant to be. <br />
<br />
I was born to be a teacher, I love students, I love my subjects, I love my relatively short but intense work day, and I love the fact that I can give extra experiences to my students by means of running plays and so on even if I don't get that much in return! Let's face it, I'm a giver.<br />
<br />
For myself, I have my dancing, cooking, jewellery-making, reading, and entertainment pursuits. This blog helps me to get my ideas in order and keep my recipes at hand, but it's really here for the rest of you, whether you have fellow health-seekers in your social circle or only online. I am pleasantly surprised by positive comments, and shake off the negative ones, but could quite happily run this blog without a comment section since I write it like a book, not as a beacon of attention. I consider comments as the commenter's book, sharing ideas as much with fellow readers as with me. Read and write on, lovely visitors - your experiences and perspectives have just as much a chance of inspiring someone to health success as my posts. :)<br />
<br />
FOOD PORN TIME!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TVJeiNLlmQI/AAAAAAAACwQ/651QQpoVWDU/s1600/DSC06041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TVJeiNLlmQI/AAAAAAAACwQ/651QQpoVWDU/s320/DSC06041.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh hey, ten litres of awesome coconut oil, sup? (Let's just ignore for the moment that I actually ordered ten 1L containers, and that nui have ignored all my emails requesting empty containers to 'decant' the oil into, since it was bought to give to friends & family... Nui = crapness. Their oil's okay, but they won't be getting any more of my money.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TVJfPRk9gOI/AAAAAAAACwU/SGfAN24Erhk/s1600/DSC06046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TVJfPRk9gOI/AAAAAAAACwU/SGfAN24Erhk/s320/DSC06046.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bacon & veggie frittata!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TVJgFC4T0cI/AAAAAAAACwY/ufFN9Z1ksYI/s1600/DSC06048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TVJgFC4T0cI/AAAAAAAACwY/ufFN9Z1ksYI/s320/DSC06048.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The leftovers</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TVJg2sRMk-I/AAAAAAAACwc/DWiSX0Bh7gc/s1600/DSC06055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TVJg2sRMk-I/AAAAAAAACwc/DWiSX0Bh7gc/s320/DSC06055.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade beef burgers cooked on the BBQ, and summery salad.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TVJhth0Wi7I/AAAAAAAACwg/wQSk4BdxWXU/s1600/DSC06097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TVJhth0Wi7I/AAAAAAAACwg/wQSk4BdxWXU/s320/DSC06097.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made sushi! Rice is for lame-o's.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TVJiiwGgEXI/AAAAAAAACwk/hSLhXtgDP5E/s1600/DSC06370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TVJiiwGgEXI/AAAAAAAACwk/hSLhXtgDP5E/s320/DSC06370.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical dinner - hunk of meat (chicken), mashed sweet potato, assorted green veg. Yum!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TVJjaFjMBqI/AAAAAAAACwo/4JGfIWrnheo/s1600/DSC06385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TVJjaFjMBqI/AAAAAAAACwo/4JGfIWrnheo/s320/DSC06385.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See above, though with tomato instead of sweet potato. Obviously was too hot to be boiling things that night!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Happy February!Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-80701554244848974242011-01-17T21:27:00.003+11:002011-01-18T01:20:03.245+11:00My Previous Post in One Photo:<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TTQZaE1R4oI/AAAAAAAACvk/X-DqMn2z3-s/s1600/dog+and+bacon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TTQZaE1R4oI/AAAAAAAACvk/X-DqMn2z3-s/s400/dog+and+bacon.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resistance is not only futile - it'll screw up your mind grapes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-56911055192328075252011-01-17T21:05:00.002+11:002011-01-17T21:10:41.531+11:00Like An Animal A couple of comments on the last post inspired me to further my explanation of the fundamental mind-shift I am pursuing personally. I responded in the comments, and want to add to those points here:<br />
<br />
I always had a good attitude toward food. I always enjoyed fresh fruit & veg, loved meat, and treated junk food as occasional indulgences, but never really thought about it. Going low-carb, then primal, then carnivore, and eventually paleo - that's what screwed up my attitude towards food and, most of all, my body. Exercising 'mindful eating' immediately makes you over-think eating. Just eat real food, and your body will stop you when you've had enough. Counting anything will mess you up. I sure learned that the hard way.<br />
<br />
So much of the primal/paleo movement revolves around humanity's return to earlier states of civilisation - even pre-civilisation - when it comes to how we eat and live. We're not eschewing the creature comforts of housing, electricity, transport, etc - the only area we really concentrate on is food. Yet, we seem to pursue this return to an animal, natural state in such an unnatural way. <br />
<br />
Every pet I've ever had, growing up, was given big bowls of food, which were topped up as needed. There were usually a few animals living with us at any one time, yet there was always left-over food in the bowl. There was more than enough for everyone. The pets ate when they were hungry. They knew food was always there. They didn't overeat. They didn't eat as much as possible in case food was not going to be available later - they knew it would be.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://hsus.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83452e09d69e20120a579de82970b-800wi" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://hsus.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83452e09d69e20120a579de82970b-800wi" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We live in the exact same situation, and yet we spend so much energy over-thinking food. We use food as a crutch for when we are stressed, bored, stuck for something to say, etc. Whilst many health ills do come from eating the wrong kind of food - no one debates that living on refined carbs is unhealthy - most of us have enough money to ensure we can access and store a wider range of foods. We're <b>not </b>forced to subsist on the refined carbs that result in insulin resistance and physiological hunger. If you are eating meat, eggs, fruit & vegetables, but find yourself craving doughnuts, then the issue is more likely to be psychological. Even if you have a physiological disorder such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes, etc, and you need to take care with what you eat, you should not find your life revolving around food. I know people with severe food allergies who are more relaxed around food than I have been!<br />
<br />
The attitude of being "strict" is a signal of neuroticism. A success/fail attitude is unnatural. Dieting does not make sense if it involves actively monitoring your food intake, actively denying yourself foods that your mind obsesses over. There's nothing natural about pushing yourself to do something your body doesn't want you to do. There may need to be a mind-shift to find yourself actually craving healthy foods, but if you're forcing yourself to be strict and dieting, you usually find yourself craving junk. There's a hint that something's wrong. <br />
<br />
I'm not really saying that <b>the individual</b> is in the wrong; we're just products of this weight-focused culture. So few of us eat naturally - the media and societal-pressures consistently reinforce the idea that we're WRONG - the wrong size, eating the wrong food, thinking the wrong thoughts. Existing like animals is derided.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3398/3183217297_2031156629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3398/3183217297_2031156629.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The primal/paleo movement is all about getting back to our natural lifestyles as evolution dictated, and yet we end up going further away from nature and into dark places of restriction and self-disgust when we make "mistakes", or covering our psychological issues with food in the guise that it's fine because it's paleo! Sites like PaleoHacks have certainly enhanced that perfectionist/neurotic attitude. Gosh, even Richard Nikoley of "Free The Animal" seems to be rapidly reversing the mind-set proclaimed by his blog's title, although he is still much more relaxed (I hope) than many other paleo endorsers out there. Hopefully as the hype passes, that attitude will recede and those of us who believe in evolutionary nutrition and medicine will find the groove of natural eating behaviours along with a relaxed lifestyle.<br />
<br />
I'm not putting food up on a pedestal, like the vegetarian who dreams about bacon just because they won't let themselves eat it. Animals don't do that. Damaged, neurotic humans do. I can eat whatever I want. I desire healthy, nourishing foods because they give me energy and make my systems run smoothly. Sometimes I crave junkier food, and I'm permitting myself to satisfy that craving. Sometimes I feel fine after it, sometimes I feel a bit sick, but I never feel guilty. I am aiming to eat like an animal - food is there, and I eat it if I <b>need </b>it.<br />
<br />
I aim to live like an animal as well - Mark Sisson advises us to play, to avoid poisonous things, to get enough sun, to avoid stress... My pets do all of this. I can too. I had been trying to off-set work stresses with relaxation activities like massages and sunbathing. I'm starting to think that this is the wrong mind-set as well - but there will be more about that as time goes on. In the meantime, I am spending time making and selling jewellery, and am also starting a new vocal group. These activities are my pleasures, and - if I wanted to - they could also be my primary sources of income. I do not find them stressful, or the minor stresses are far outweighed by the pleasure and relaxation associated with the activities. With two weeks left before teaching resumes, I will be living like an animal as much as possible. After teaching resumes, I will see whether the stressors outweigh the pleasures. If so, I might have some decisions to make... <br />
<br />
I am still the Girl Gone Primal, and going primal now means a lot more to me than just following a diet. Maybe I should add a "now with more primality" sticker across my banner :)Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-19062418989323469832011-01-13T19:49:00.000+11:002011-01-13T19:49:57.793+11:00Smile!I nearly titled this post as 'Diary of An Orthorexic', but that would be starting off on a negative footing, when the most important point I want to make is the importance of positivity!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQT0pjpthE7NMCbF-IxnXbqtllaDoQfGZ-7jFOq33pOEBHRgAFf6GSM8lVy" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQT0pjpthE7NMCbF-IxnXbqtllaDoQfGZ-7jFOq33pOEBHRgAFf6GSM8lVy" /></a></div><br />
As I pointed out in my <a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/2010/12/time-to-begin-how-to-get-started.html">How To Get Started</a> post, I have spent a lot of time investigating psychology and the mind-body connection as it pertains to body composition and fat storage. The work of <a href="http://www.gabrielmethod.com.au/">Jon Gabriel</a> started me along this path; I read his book in late 2009 and cynically disregarded it as a flowery tome that boils down to encouraging fat people to eat less and move more. I was wrong. At the time of reading the book I was in a very happy place - I was at my lowest weight, I was feeling very confident in my body, and essentially felt that I was already at the end-point of the journey, which I achieved without having to 'teach my body that it was safe to be thin'. The rebound of 2010 obviously caused me a lot of psychological pain, and I remain unsure of whether it was purely the fault of chemical interference (DepTran) or whether I was bound to suffer fat regain, like 95% of dieters. What I am sure of is that every time I would work hard on cutting back carbs, calories, and sometimes all food (since it's very in vogue to fast in the paleosphere, this looked like health-wise activity), sooner or later I would find myself regaining the little weight I'd managed to lose, and then some.<br />
<br />
I tried all the old tricks, and some new tricks as espoused by <a href="http://180degreehealth.blogspot.com/">Stone </a>& <a href="http://perfecthealthdiet.com/">Jaminet </a>- eating 'safe starches', cycling high & low carb days, fasting before exercise, fasting dinner to dinner most days, etc. Nothing made me feel bad, I felt pretty healthy (although I think my gut doesn't like sweet potatoes, since the oh-so delicious sweet potato mash would always give me mild stomach ache), but the fat wouldn't shift. I'm not about to get on a scale, but I'm pretty sure I now weigh at least as much as I did at the end of my pre-diet chocolate binge at the end of 2008! It didn't matter how much I knew about physiology - my results defied the science. I flip-flopped from desperate to disdainful, caring too much to not caring at all, all washed down with buckets of guilt and shame. Good times. However, I consider my <a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/2010/12/2010-bests-worsts.html">2010: Bests & Worsts</a> post to be the finish line of that particular chapter of my life. <br />
<br />
I returned to Jon's book a couple of weeks ago, now ready to consider the possibility that there were psychological reasons preventing me from losing the regained weight. From all the information my body was giving me, my metabolism was in great shape, my digestion was great, and my moods were pretty good (although I wasn't feeling very positive - nothing new there). I even had a very positive reproductive message (look away now, boys with issues reading about girl business); I took my usual break from the Pill (Yasmin) after being on it for 3 months, to check how my <a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/2009/08/pco-what-are-polycystic-ovaries.html">PCO</a> issues were going, and - for the first time in years - I had a period that was not due to a pill cycle! I'm not ready to claim my PCO is over until I have another non-pill period, so I'll let you know in three or so weeks.... <br />
<br />
I've always been interested in the power of a positive outlook, although I tended to look at the outcomes of cynicism and negativity rather than the 'healing power' of positive thinking. My reading over the past two years has exposed me again and again to the importance of minimising cortisol, and the way blood sugar fluctuations can impact moods. I understood that what was going on in my body could powerfully impact my mind, but somehow I missed the possibility that the reverse could also be true - that the way I thought (given that thought triggers chemical reactions in body, something science knows to be true) could have game-changing influence over what went on in my body.<br />
<br />
Jon focuses upon the ways our bodies and minds cope with modern stressors. He argues that we evolve with three main stressors - predators, famine, and temperature extremes. To be safe from predators, we needed to be fit and lean in order to get away or fight them off. From famine and temperature extremes, we needed to store a layer of fat that could be consumed when food became scarce. Our bodies took cues from those stressors to signal the need to gain and maintain fatness, or to achieve leanness. Life in the modern first world is all but immune to those three stressors, but is chock-full of other stressors such as money troubles, social pressure, etc. These modern stressors are not understood completely by what Jon calls the 'animal brain' - it only understands the three main stressors of earlier eras. Thus, the mind tries to interpret modern stressors in the way it did earlier stressors - as signals to gain fat, or lose fat. <br />
<br />
Since I'm not one to believe what I read straight off the bat (else reading the new book by Gary Taubes would leave me carbophobic and blaming my freckles on the sandwiches Mum made me as a child... of so <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/blogspot/fLgR/%7E3/TPh_9X_d-b4/book-review-gary-taubes-why-we-get-fat.html">this review</a> would have me believe), I went and did my research, enjoying the work of the lovely <a href="http://evolutionarypsychiatry.blogspot.com/">Emily Deans, MD</a> (I'm committed to reading her entire backlog of blogposts, so it's slow-going!), among many others. I encourage you all to do the same - living in this cynical and negative world, it has been very helpful to be reminded of the importance of reflecting on the successes as well as the failures, the crucial need to let go and forgive past mistakes and crimes, and to appreciate what we have rather than focus on what we want (I would add 'and need' except I doubt many of us are truly lacking in that department). It seems really basic and obvious, but I know that I don't praise myself enough - it's culturally frowned-upon to really succeed, since Australian media sources and other influential people are quick to point out flaws or mock the slightest sign of pride or pleasure in one's success. I know the power of praise, and I always apply the ' at least 5 yays to 1 nay' formula in the classroom - but not to myself!<br />
<br />
Whilst positive thinking is the main umbrella covering everything I'm working on and researching at the moment, I will list my particular 'therapy' approach here, in case anyone is feeling like they might be circling the orthorexia/negativity bowl:<br />
<br />
The first move I made was probably the biggest - I decided that I would eat junk food if I felt like it. I first wanted to find out whether it would have any immediate physiological effects, but no - a dose of vegetable oil from KFC chicken and potato chips left me a little queasy, but I noticed nothing after a hit of gluten and sugar in cookie form. I had a couple of bad days of cravings and feeling crap about myself, but this coincided with my first 'natural' period in two years, so I hesitate to claim that the food was the culprit. The main psychological point behind this move is to avoid my 'animal brain' feeling as though it is being deprived of anything, in case that triggers a 'famine' response of fat accumulation. I'm not finding myself truly craving junk, and enjoy the things I eat without considering it 'cheating' or worrying about weight gain. I enjoyed the novelty value of fried fish & chips from the amazing place down the road, I reminded myself what milk chocolate and white chocolate taste like, etc. The message for my brain to hold on to is<b> that this food is available if I want it, but it only tastes good for a few seconds, and it doesn't really nourish me so it's not worth pursuing. </b>Being able to reach this place of acceptance after building such a focus on how unhealthy those foods are is quite an achievement, since not so long ago I burst into tears in a restaurant after being told my lamb dish involved breadcrumbs, and I'd already eaten some! <b><br />
</b><br />
<br />
Beyond the junk food hurdle, I am not worrying about carbs or calories. I regret ever counting calories, since I know so thoroughly now that caloric restriction will not give me long-term health. If that's a new concept for you, Matt Stone's guest post at <a href="http://belly-fat-loser.com/diet/dieting-increases-belly-fat.php">Belly Fat Loser</a> is one of his less-bastardy pieces, and nails many of the flaws in the diet industry's arguments. However, rather than dwelling on the past, I am eating what I want, when I'm hungry, and stopping when I have had enough. I haven't perfected this yet since my satiety is all over the place and I never seem to feel full when I'm eating fruit. The key here is probably that I'm actually rarely hungry, but I feel like eating, so I eat. I'm on holidays and the weather is terrible - tropical humidity and rain, in Victoria! I'm also taking care of the kitten, so I'm inside most of the time, with nothing to do except sit and watch movies and read and become bored ;) But I'm not worrying about it, because it's worse to worry (stress) about things than just live.<br />
<br />
Beyond not counting carbs or calories, I have the aim of not really worrying about food at all. As Jon says in his meditation CD, "it's just there.. and it's just not that exciting anymore". I'm not sure how successful I'll be in this area, given that I'm a foodie and like being creative in the kitchen, but we'll see how I go! I try not to think about what my next meal will be, I'm not intending to actively fast, and so on.<br />
<br />
Not all of my 'therapy' revolves around food though - I am also taking advantage of my down-time at home by stopping to think about everything I have, and appreciating things rather than being critical. Sometimes this is laughable - my kitten broke my skin by accident whilst we were playing, so I had to stop myself from feeling hurt and instead think about all the fun we were having despite the incident! Cynical me pipes up occasionally to point out the hippy-dippy-ness of this, but then I laugh at that little voice, and it all ends up positive. I hope I can keep it up!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTQ23XGSe5fwlnxHPo4K_xMzHnVXabGJVAwNKK6rVoTm3nZoLbKl78ZyqJH" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTQ23XGSe5fwlnxHPo4K_xMzHnVXabGJVAwNKK6rVoTm3nZoLbKl78ZyqJH" /></a></div><br />
Every night I listen to Jon's meditation/visualisation recording as I go to sleep, and I'm interested in trying to incorporate more visualisation into my day. His ideas have been reinforced from many other sources, but for ease of reference I'll stick with his work since it's readily available online, his book is quite affordable, and he lives in Australia! ;)<br />
<br />
The one area I'm not currently succeeding in is the physical activity component, but I'm not going to force myself to get active if I don't feel like it. I've done bits of belly dancing and some push-ups & sit-ups when I've felt fidgety - and feeling fidgety itself is a wonderful sign of health! I was always someone who could melt into the sofa and watch TV for hours, but now I need something to keep my hands busy (my<a href="http://www.zibbet.com/JezwynJewellery"> jewellery-making </a>has continued to thrive!) and I change position quite often. I'm keen to get back to my belly dancing classes, but the teacher tends to be quite negative and we often have one or more students feeling down at some point in the class. The last class before Christmas break, this was me, since I felt unfairly picked on, so there's a bit of a dark cloud there to break through before I will actively want to return. Hopefully I will feel better about it all by next Monday! In the meantime I have DVDs I can play if I feel the urge - but with this hot weather, jumping around in the stuffy TV room is the last thing I want to do! <br />
<br />
So that's where I'm at. I'm feeling quite happy, light and playful, I'm letting go of things that have bothered me in the past, I'm developing a healthier attitude to food and my body, and am hoping that his will have positive returns in not only restoring my state of mind but also getting my body's fat stores burning. I will still design healthy meals and share them here, and continue sharing my journey with you. I am experiencing many internal rewards already, which fuels my efforts as intrinsic motivation.<br />
<br />
And my extrinsic motivation? I have a colleague who is incredibly fat and incredibly negative. No matter the topic, she'll find fault and voice her criticisms loudly and proudly. She lives on doughnuts and other carby nasties. Just recently, she was diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer. She hasn't changed much, is still very negative, but sometimes she looks on the lighter side of things. I don't want to be seen as negative, especially if those vibes result in obesity and cancer formation! On the other hand, the colleague who is lovely and loved by everyone, who is pretty care-free and laid-back, is also very thin. She also lives on doughnuts and other carby nasties, but doesn't sweat it. I know that she might suffer from her food choices down the track, but what is more damaging - conventional 'nutrition', or attitude? I can't be sure, so I'll be covering both bases as much as I can - but I won't be letting the former control the latter.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRmGhTf9rh78P9Eb1HQCcB9J2NW950NHLzXrAd2Re4FUoPjOY4q" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRmGhTf9rh78P9Eb1HQCcB9J2NW950NHLzXrAd2Re4FUoPjOY4q" /></a></div>Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-14585798332976824482011-01-08T23:05:00.000+11:002011-01-08T23:05:22.079+11:00Recipe: Mediterranean Chicken Balls!The free-range chicken mince that my supplier sells is, without exception, too low in fat to really produce <a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/2010/08/recipe-chunky-chicken-burgers.html">my chunky chicken burgers</a> with an adequate moisture level. I have been toying with ways around this - adding fat simply renders out during cooking, extra egg tends to escape as well, and adding coconut or almond flour changes the taste too much. The solution? More (finely processed) veggies!<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients (four servings):</i><br />
<br />
500g ground chicken<br />
3 or 4 eggs<br />
5 spring onions<br />
1/2 red capsicum (bell pepper)<br />
1 tomato<br />
10 asparagus spears<br />
1 cup shredded cabbage<br />
<i>Optional: fennel (out of season here), bacon, a handful of basil, thyme, or lemon sage, a splash of lime juice, paprika, salt & pepper as desired. </i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TShPEObJ1xI/AAAAAAAACvM/QxQTNEVhOBU/s1600/DSC05991.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TShPEObJ1xI/AAAAAAAACvM/QxQTNEVhOBU/s320/DSC05991.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<i>Method:</i><br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven (or grill) to 150 deg C. If using an oven, line a baking tray or two with baking paper.<br />
<br />
2. Prepare your veggies by washing and then processing with a food processor. You could also chop them extremely finely, if you have the will and elbow grease!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TShPZEbF35I/AAAAAAAACvQ/mlFz438WY9M/s1600/DSC06000.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TShPZEbF35I/AAAAAAAACvQ/mlFz438WY9M/s320/DSC06000.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><br />
3. Combine veggies with eggs and meat in a large bowl, and stir until thoroughly combined.<br />
<br />
4. Grabbing small handful of mixture, roll into balls (or grab larger handfuls if you want to make patties/burgers, especially if grilling).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TShPge9R6HI/AAAAAAAACvU/oY3UW7kPoE8/s1600/DSC06002.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TShPge9R6HI/AAAAAAAACvU/oY3UW7kPoE8/s320/DSC06002.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><br />
5. Place in oven/grill and cook until the centre of the ball/patty is thoroughly cooked. This took about 5 minutes on my grill, and 20 minutes in the oven.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TShP-CZTe_I/AAAAAAAACvc/YyDVn7Vq6E0/s1600/DSC06009.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TShP-CZTe_I/AAAAAAAACvc/YyDVn7Vq6E0/s320/DSC06009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Serve as is, or in a lettuce leaf, topped with cheese or tomato chutney, etc. Sorry for the lack of finished-product photo - we were too hungry to wait!Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-59168502992298519672011-01-01T17:00:00.002+11:002011-01-01T17:02:24.321+11:00A Photographic Representation of the Final Week of 2010<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TR7AILJvmQI/AAAAAAAACts/67fyrkWQ5PA/s1600/DSC05443.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TR7AILJvmQI/AAAAAAAACts/67fyrkWQ5PA/s320/DSC05443.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The one good thing about Christmas shopping is that you may stumble upon incredibly dodgy signage outside of skincare/body shops...</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TR6-7fkm1II/AAAAAAAACtk/XaOK9QpCADE/s1600/DSC05457.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TR6-7fkm1II/AAAAAAAACtk/XaOK9QpCADE/s320/DSC05457.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As we escaped the city, our vantage point from atop the West Gate Bridge allowed us to see rainbows in wisps of cloud. Click to see the full-sized photo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TR6-UH_C7lI/AAAAAAAACtU/enpqgjS_O5Y/s1600/DSC05461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TR6-UH_C7lI/AAAAAAAACtU/enpqgjS_O5Y/s320/DSC05461.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Boxing Day feast, after spending Christmas Eve fighting my way through the crowds at the Queen Victoria Market - worth it! Mussels, octopi, scallops, a Moreton Bay Bug each, plus my own garlic butter concoction. This is after our Christmas Eve meal of fresh crayfish and prawns. It's just not an Aussie Christmas without tonnes of seafood!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TR6-jK9U4kI/AAAAAAAACtY/Xwe_I1IrgnU/s1600/DSC05464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TR6-jK9U4kI/AAAAAAAACtY/Xwe_I1IrgnU/s320/DSC05464.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the eating part of the season was done, we visited the local waterfalls near my home town of Hamilton, Victoria. First, Nigretta Falls... </td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TR6-oZkAagI/AAAAAAAACtc/FeQLB_7pZXM/s1600/DSC05468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TR6-oZkAagI/AAAAAAAACtc/FeQLB_7pZXM/s320/DSC05468.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... and then to the Wannon Falls, which has been overly baby-proofed. We used to be able to walk behind the water, and were saddened to find that it had all been fenced off.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TR6-7fkm1II/AAAAAAAACtk/XaOK9QpCADE/s1600/DSC05457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TR6_s6gI-YI/AAAAAAAACto/DwuEXRs2GLk/s1600/DSC05627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TR6_s6gI-YI/AAAAAAAACto/DwuEXRs2GLk/s320/DSC05627.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We picked up a new friend on our return to Melbourne, and he has posed certain problems when I have attempted to photograph new jewellery creations - not that you'd ever catch him looking guilty...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"> Farewell, 2010! </div>Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-39823166063370633792010-12-31T23:58:00.002+11:002011-01-01T00:31:39.606+11:002010: Bests & WorstsWith about half an hour of 2010 left in my part of the world, I'm at home for the first NYE of my life. Why? Today, the temperature in Melbourne surpassed the 40 deg C mark, which is a deal-breaker in my relationship with the outside world. I had plans to go out and party, but the image of riding on public transport with sweaty, BO-drenched folk just to get to a club full of more of the said-same folk vehemently replaced the positive prospects of a fun night of dancing.<br />
<br />
So, as my household counts down til the end of the first decade of the 21st century, I am encouraged to reflect on the mixed bag that has been 2010. Long-time readers will be familiar with most of the ups & downs that this year has brought me, but since I still receive some comments and emails that demonstrate a lack of knowledge about where I've been on this journey, I figured it would be helpful (to me as well as you guys) to have a look at what knowledge and experience I am bringing into 2011.<br />
<br />
<b>Let's start with the bad stuff:</b><br />
<br />
The absolute worst event of 2010 was my February run-in with the horrific DepTran, prescribed to help cure a damaged, overly sensitive nerve ending. Within 24 hours of my first dose, I became desperate for food, with a raging appetite that could not be sated, even with 7000 calories thrown at it on one particularly memorable day. I stayed on the primal path, but watching my fat cells balloon whilst I miserably tried to stick to my usual intake levels left me with depression. I was allowed to cut out the drug after a month, since it was not helping the nerve ending, but by then I was back to my original weight. It felt like my efforts throughout 2009 were wasted. The hormonal effects of the drug stuck around for a good six months, and I have not been successful in my attempts to resume fat loss except for brief positive stints that keep inexplicably rebounding. Even following orthodox paleo, even tracking my carbs and calories, even exercising, even fasting, even with everything I know about health and nutrition - I'm still left feeling like a big, fat failure because I'm back to the size I was before I started trying to get healthy.<br />
<br />
I <b>know</b> I've made positive steps and that it's not in vain, but try telling that to the clothes that don't fit me anymore and the people that - just 12 months ago - commented on how well I was looking. For the first time in my life, I was being told that I was 'gorgeous' and looked really healthy, and now that positivity has been stolen away from me. Saying that probably makes me look vain, but those comments, just like the newly-positive experiences I had shopping at clothing stores such as Alannah Hill, were so foreign and delightful to me that it was like I was finally granted access to this other world where normal people lived. Now I've been kicked out again - the lack of positive comments don't just remind me how much fat I've regained, but they also remind me that the average person will assume that I've regained it because I've been eating crappy food & that I'm ignorant about health.<br />
<br />
I can no longer confidently be a positive role-model for the primal lifestyle - if I told anyone that I create and maintain a blog about healthy living, they would scoff and roll their eyes. Perhaps that is a little over-stated, since I have not regained fat in my face but only around my waist and hips/thighs - a sign of health and even fertility, really. However, there's nothing more compelling to an audience than having seen someone go from chubby to stream-lined, and I've lost that ice-breaker. When I get it back, I'll feel like a believable figure-head for the primal/paleo lifestyle once again.<br />
<br />
So, I have learned a lot from this horrible experience: I have learned more about how my hormones work and what it feels like when they become imbalanced; I have been reminded just how dramatically my psychological aspects are impacted by physiological changes in my body; I have learned that when your body is being told to accumulate fat that it will succeed <u>even during caloric restriction</u> (I wonder how much muscle was eaten to feed my demanding fat stores...), and; I have had my hatred of Western medicine compounded, thanks to my specialist Doc who didn't bother to mention the "typical" side-effects of DepTran given that my experience on a similar drug had not caused any problems! The nerve damage is due to a problem that went improperly treated for too long, despite my pursuit of third, fourth and fifth opinions before finally finding this guy who picked up on the issue immediately. The kicker, of course, is that without sugar in my diet, that specific condition would not ever have flared up.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Time for some good stuff, please!</b><br />
<br />
The psychological impact of the DepTran incident caused strain and damage in almost all of my personal relationships, but somehow we've come out the other side barely scratched. Rather than calling it quits, the beau & I are on the hunt to buy our first house, and everyone in my family is still speaking to me (even the ones who don't speak to each other!). I am in regular contact with good friends, some new this year, and look forward to maintaining those connections more effectively than I have in the past.<br />
<br />
2010 brought me my best year of teaching thus far, despite my depression, with really enjoyable classes and mostly positive collegiate experiences (better than the bullying torment of 2009, at least!). I played Hero Teacher by orchestrating the inception of two new school traditions that were passionately adopted by the students, without causing me too much additional stress.<br />
<br />
I discovered belly-dancing, a new passion of mine, and also rekindled my singing, which had been on hiatus since 2002. I have joined a belly dance performance ensemble, am on call for a couple of semi-professional choirs for when they need a strong voice to support their performances (so I don't need to be a paid member nor attend rehearsals, which works for me since I don't find their repertoire challenging enough to require rehearsal), and have made some contacts who will be part of my planned a cappella group next year. I hope that my 'recreational' participation in the performing arts will continue to grow in 2011, without adding too much stress to my already-busy life.<br />
<br />
Of course, my knowledge about dietetics and fitness has continued to expand in depth and breadth throughout the year, with my growing blogreel devouring the time I used to have to spend on daily blogging! I plan on making an effort to photograph my meals again, since I feel that my cooking is my most visible and effective proponent of this way of life. I feel bad that I didn't photograph all of my Christmas meals, but I do have some waiting to be posted!<br />
<br />
I finally took the next step in my jewellery making, devoting more time to the construction of new pieces (ironically, as part of my stress-reduction effort!), and <a href="http://www.zibbet.com/JezwynJewellery">starting a store online </a>now that Zibbet has made it economically feasible to do so. Today, I also paid up for a full Zibbet membership, which means I no longer will be limited to only listing 50 items in my store. I have about 250 items waiting to be listed, so those will be posted incrementally over the next few days. Thank goodness I'm on holidays for another four weeks!<br />
<br />
The final piece of positivity I'm bringing with me into 2011 is the newest member of my family, adopted just two days ago from the <a href="http://dogshome.com/">Lost Dogs' Home</a> in North Melbourne:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TR3Yhbmj1vI/AAAAAAAACtQ/m-itP_uivto/s1600/163634_10150373431950565_501710564_16936383_5958066_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TR3Yhbmj1vI/AAAAAAAACtQ/m-itP_uivto/s320/163634_10150373431950565_501710564_16936383_5958066_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Meet lovely little Oreo, our nine week old kitty - and the only Oreo you'll ever find in MY house! He's very energetic, and already prefers fresh fish to the carb-inflated dry kibble the vet recommended should make up 80% of his diet!<br />
<br />
All the best for 2011!Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-76348170762104030902010-12-31T22:53:00.001+11:002010-12-31T22:54:31.405+11:00Dr. Briffa's Christmas ListI am catching up on blog reading after taking a Christmas break to my parents' farm. I have a few things to post about, when I'm done updating <a href="http://www.zibbet.com/JezwynJewellery">my jewellery store</a>, but <a href="http://www.drbriffa.com/2010/12/24/my-nutritional-christmas-wish-list/">this particular post by Dr. Briffa </a>was too perfect a reminder of the knowledge we should take into a happy and healthy new year:<br />
<blockquote>1. For weight loss, neither ‘eating less’ nor ‘exercising more’ appears to work particularly well in the long term. While the calorie-principle has underpinned weight loss advice for some decades, its application in the real world has, generally speaking, been a crashing failure.<br />
<br />
2. Low-fat diets are not effective, overall, for weight loss either (despite what most doctors, dieticians and health agencies would have us believe).<br />
<br />
3. Low-carbohydrate diets generally outperform low-fat diets for weight loss, and also lead to greater improvements in a number of disease markers including triglyceride levels, blood sugar levels, blood pressure and measures of inflammation.<br />
<br />
4. Low-carb diets have the potential to improve blood sugar control in diabetics, and often lead to much lower requirements for medication, and quite-often, the ability to dispence with medication altogether.<br />
<br />
5. Lower-carb diets tend to be more satisfying than higher-carb, low-fat ones, which means individuals quite naturally tend to eat less (sometimes a lot less) without hunger.<br />
<br />
6. There is no good evidence that saturated fat (found, for example, in meat and dairy products) causes heart disease.<br />
<br />
7. There is no good evidence that eating less saturated fat has benefits for health.<br />
<br />
8. There is no good evidence that taking dietary steps to reduce cholesterol has broad benefits for health.<br />
<br />
9. There is no good evidence that margarine is healthier than butter (and at least some evidence exists which suggests quite the reverse).<br />
<br />
10. There is no good evidence that artificial sweeteners such as aspartame promote weight loss, and considerable evidence exists which suggests they have the potential for adverse effects on health.<br />
<br />
11. There is no good evidence that insoluble fibre (e.g. bran) has benefits for health.<br />
<br />
12. Fructose is not a ‘healthy sugar’, and despite the fact that it does not raise blood sugar levels in the short term, it nonetheless has the capacity to damage health.<br />
<br />
13. The consumption of dairy products is not required for good bone health (we did fine without it for over 2 million years, by the way).<br />
<br />
14. Not all of the nutritional information we get is in our best interests, and is often driven by a motivation for profit. That’s one of the reasons why, some of the time, there can be a yawning abyss between what we’ve been told repeatedly for decades and the truth of the matter as revealed in the science.</blockquote>If I hear anyone I love talking about their weight-loss resolutions, I know where I'll be sending them.Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-11133031730696821462010-12-20T14:29:00.000+11:002010-12-20T14:29:50.890+11:00Fall-back Favourites: Fried Cauliflower Rice<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TQ7NOH3r6kI/AAAAAAAACtI/_7UpyQhpZBY/s1600/DSC05434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>When I'm pressed for time, I have a range of meals that I make without having to think about the details. Chop chop and in the pot - curries, stir-fries, etc. So in my new series of Fall-back Favourites, I will note the details of some of these recipes where measurements are open to interpretation, and effort is minimised. Check out the first two recipes in this series - <a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/2010/12/fall-back-favourites-roast-leg-of-lamb.html">Roast Leg of Lamb</a> & <a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/2010/12/fall-back-favourites-stuffed-capsicum.html">Stuffed Capsicum (Peppers)</a><br />
<br />
I was grilling some salmon a few nights ago, and was out of cabbage, so could not make my usually fatty side dish of sautéed veggies. I improvised with the foods I had in the fridge, and came up with a really tasty way of making fried cauliflower rice, the perfect accompaniment to seafood dishes or spiced meat mains that could do well paired with absorbent sides.<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients: </b><br />
<br />
Cauliflower, riced in a food processor (one head feeds at least four people)<br />
Other vegetables - I used spring onion, capsicum, carrot, and broccolini<br />
Fats for frying - I used bacon grease and coconut oil<br />
Eggs - one or two per person<br />
Optional - during step 2, add herbs such as coriander, and/or add a splash or two of sesame oil or soy sauce. <br />
<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
<br />
1. Heat fat in a large frying pan.<br />
<br />
2. Add veggies, and sauté gently.<br />
<br />
3. When veggies are done, remove from pan, and set aside. Keep warm.<br />
<br />
4. Add eggs to the pan and scramble until cooked well.<br />
<br />
Serve fried cauliflower rice topped with egg.<br />
<br />
If you want the rice to be the main meal, rather than a side, try adding crispy bacon or diced chicken. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TQ7NOH3r6kI/AAAAAAAACtI/_7UpyQhpZBY/s1600/DSC05434.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TQ7NOH3r6kI/AAAAAAAACtI/_7UpyQhpZBY/s320/DSC05434.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the beau's meal, with the rice and eggs serving as a base for a delicious salmon fillet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-3584964843643886752010-12-20T14:13:00.000+11:002010-12-20T14:13:28.294+11:00Fall-back Favourites: Stuffed Capsicum (Peppers)When I'm pressed for time, I have a range of meals that I make without having to think about the details. Chop chop and in the pot - curries, stir-fries, etc. So in my new series of Fall-back Favourites, I will note the details of some of these recipes where measurements are open to interpretation, and effort is minimised. Check out the first recipe in this series - <a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/2010/12/fall-back-favourites-roast-leg-of-lamb.html">Roast Leg of Lamb</a> <br />
<br />
This is a fantastic way to glam up some leftovers in a tasty capsicum (or what Americans call bell peppers). Whatever meat and veg you have in the fridge will work - chicken and chives, beef and broccoli, lamb and leeks... You name it! Here's a breakdown of the last batch I made:<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients: </b><br />
<br />
Bacon grease or coconut oil, for frying<br />
Diced vegetables - I used spring onions, red onion, and tomato.<br />
Meat - I used sliced ham<br />
Eggs - one per capsicum<br />
Capsicum/peppers - one per person<br />
<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to moderate (150 deg C).<br />
<br />
2. Slice tops off capsicum, and remove all seeds. Put the tops aside, and sit the capsicum on a tray.<br />
<br />
3. In a frying pan over moderate heat, melt oils and add onions. Sauté until cooked through.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TQ7H15kfKFI/AAAAAAAACs4/ztSvC3GgABQ/s1600/DSC05188.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TQ7H15kfKFI/AAAAAAAACs4/ztSvC3GgABQ/s320/DSC05188.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><br />
4. Add tomatoes and meat. Once they are slightly cooked, add eggs and scramble until all ingredients are cooked.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TQ7IE1yojnI/AAAAAAAACs8/xhYCGLVsDo0/s1600/DSC05193.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TQ7IE1yojnI/AAAAAAAACs8/xhYCGLVsDo0/s320/DSC05193.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
5. Scoop frying pan mixture into the capsicum, sharing the mixture evenly between the peppers. Replace capsicum tops.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TQ7Ja8lUWbI/AAAAAAAACtE/GUxy2S9n4Js/s1600/DSC05194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TQ7Ja8lUWbI/AAAAAAAACtE/GUxy2S9n4Js/s320/DSC05194.JPG" width="297" /></a></div><br />
6. Place pan in oven and bake until capsicum is starting to brown. Top with cheese if you like.<br />
<br />
Serve carefully, as most capsicum don't like to stand upright and will spill their guts if toppled. If your capsicum is particularly uneven, wrap the base in aluminium foil and create a steady base.<br />
<br />
This meal is an absolute favourite of ours - I love the adaptability, and the beau is obsessed with the flavours. In terms of vegetable-based foods, this is second only to cauliflower pizza in my book!Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-80440208679741539192010-12-20T13:45:00.000+11:002010-12-20T13:45:35.571+11:00Fall-back Favourites: Roast Leg of LambWhen I'm pressed for time, I have a range of meals that I make without having to think about the details. Chop chop and in the pot - curries, stir-fries, etc. So in my new series of Fall-back Favourites, I will note the details of some of these recipes where measurements are open to interpretation, and effort is minimised.<br />
<br />
First up, a classic leg of lamb. As an Australian, I take pride in my preparation of lamb, and now that my kitchen is equipped with excellent crock pots, fats and spices, my roasts are unbelievably tasty, even without using sauces or elaborate dressing techniques.<br />
<br />
<b>Secret ingredient:</b> organic, grass-fed lamb! I imagine that grain-fed/finished lamb needs quite a lot of dressing up to mask the flavour of rank chemicals and tasteless meat, but pure lamb, <a href="http://www.farmerdan.com.au/nutrition.html">fresh from Farmer Dan's farm</a> is the pivotal ingredient. The preparation and cooking technique is to enhance the flavour, not change or mask it. <br />
<br />
<b>You will also need:</b> coconut oil, bacon grease or other animal fat, dried or fresh rosemary, dried basil, fresh or dried garlic, salt.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
<br />
1. Pre-heat your oven to moderate (150 deg C).<br />
<br />
2. Place leg of lamb in a pot with a lid - it needs to be big enough to house the lamb comfortably, with space all around the leg.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TQ7AIxIca4I/AAAAAAAACsU/kplHJG9Ps58/s1600/DSC05179.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TQ7AIxIca4I/AAAAAAAACsU/kplHJG9Ps58/s320/DSC05179.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><br />
3. Melt your fats, and combine with the herbs and spices.<br />
<br />
4. Rub your seasoning all over the lamb, including the underside and under any flaps of loose fat. If you want to cut strips across the fat so that the seasoning reaches the meat, you may. I don't bother when preparing grass-fed meat.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TQ7AVsPOlxI/AAAAAAAACsY/ZRxeh5cAdaE/s1600/DSC05180.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TQ7AVsPOlxI/AAAAAAAACsY/ZRxeh5cAdaE/s320/DSC05180.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><br />
5. Cover pot and place in oven for a couple of hours. You can leave it for longer if you need to - just lower the temperature to 100 deg C.<br />
<br />
6. For the last ten minutes, remove the lid and raise heat to 200 deg C so that the fat on the roast sizzles and crisps.<br />
<br />
7. Remove from oven and allow the roast to rest for 10 minutes in the pot, before removing roast and placing on a wooden board. Be ready for the juices - catch them if you can.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TQ7Ahh7pNDI/AAAAAAAACsc/anbqmF6UZ50/s1600/DSC05181.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TQ7Ahh7pNDI/AAAAAAAACsc/anbqmF6UZ50/s320/DSC05181.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><br />
8. Carve and serve the meat, drizzling with fats and seasoning left in the pot. You could add some cauliflower rice to the pot to soak up the juice, but this is too fiddly for my fall-back plans.<br />
<br />
Et voila!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TQ7AuUCcvxI/AAAAAAAACsg/q2E1zc8_tC0/s1600/DSC05182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TQ7AuUCcvxI/AAAAAAAACsg/q2E1zc8_tC0/s320/DSC05182.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-42864144967315151392010-12-20T12:43:00.000+11:002010-12-20T12:43:35.144+11:00UnwoundThe holidays are here! After many long weeks of hard work, with the last few weeks spent furiously marking exams, writing reports, and making sure everything was all set for next year, my colleagues added a new layer to that stress by inventing an 'office/row of desks decoration competition'! It proved to be a wonderful bonding exercise, since for most of the year the people in my row are too busy to socialise, and reminded me that very little of our lives and choices are in a vaccuum - there is almost always a support system there, waiting for your call of help. It was all hands on deck for the last week of term, following my theme of 'recyclable & hand made White Christmas', building a tree out of paper, wreaths out of old plastic bags, putting cellophane on the windows, making snowmen out of wire and cotton wool, and grabbing shredded paper to scatter on the ground to look like snow. Other rows/offices let one or two people do all the work, spending lots of money at fabric and decoration stores, and some didn't bother to do much at all.<br />
<br />
My row won! We celebrated as a team, and now have the newly-generated inaugural banner hanging at the end of our row, to remind us throughout 2011 how we worked together to create something beautiful and very personal.<br />
<br />
Now that the working year has finished for me, and doesn't start up again until February, I can return my attention to participating in my other tribe - the paleo/primal community. I have been reading all of my blog and news feeds throughout the busy year, but have given very little back of late. I intend to make the most of my Summer outside and getting lots of sun, air, and activity, but at the moment it is SNOWING in parts of Victoria, suggesting we will have the cool festive season of 2006. Boo! I'm already betting that we won't get the scorching hot weather until school resumes in Feb and we're stuck in classrooms with piddly little fans or broken air conditioning. Bleeeeurgh... Just give me a few weeks of perfect weather in January, please?<br />
<br />
So, how's the primal living going, Jezwyn? Well, I'm glad you asked. I was continuing my experiment of having a few carby days a week, enjoying mashed sweet potato and lots of berries. However, as of today I'm cutting those foods out again for a while, as I was starting to crave sweet foods almost constantly. Now that I'll be home most days (going out at night, usually, since the beau only gets one week off work), the pull to grab tomatoes and carrots out of the fridge for constant snacking is dangerous, so I'm going to start monitoring carbs again to see if that kills the cravings. I suspect higher carb days (especially starchy carbs) are quite good for me physiologically, but perhaps they do mess with my blood glucose/insulin too much and affect me psychologically. With Christmas lunches and dinners coming up, I don't want to be falling face-first into the <a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/2009/11/recipe-apricot-walnut-balls.html">Fruit & Nut balls</a> I've been asked to make! I also wanted to try making a lower-GL dessert in the realm of fruit puddings to share at Christmas, but I would have to be tasting the recipes as I played, so that one will have to wait until next year too.<br />
<br />
So, although it'll be hard to fast since I'll have few distractions, I will be eating more meat (yay for Christmas!), eggs, and fats, plus leafy greens which I will track to be sure I'm not going to be breaking out of ketosis too much. I've found myself turned off from meat a bit lately, but hopefully the variety of roasts and seafood that are synonymous with this time of year will help shake that feeling. I'm usually fine once the food is ready to eat, but getting uncooked beef and lamb out of the freezer doesn't inspire me at all. Weird... <br />
<br />
My belly dancing class is on a break as well, with no classes for two weeks, so I'm looking at the other group fitness classes to go and play in. They have circuit training, so I think that's probably a good choice since I could use some strength work and a bit of cardio given I'm not walking/riding to school every day nor lugging around great tubs of books.<br />
<br />
<b>Blatant plug:</b> As a stress-release activity in the past few weeks, and now as a creative outlet to keep me inspired during the holidays, I have been making jewellery again. I love getting feedback on my designs, so if you like jewellery you can look at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jewellery-Designs-by-Jezwyn/173704492649875">my Facebook Page</a> where about 150 of my pieces are currently visible in albums, or you can look at <a href="http://www.zibbet.com/JezwynJewellery">my Zibbet store</a>, although I can only list 50 items at a time. I feel a bit dirty mentioning it here, but jewellery making has been a big part of my life of late, and is the main reason I haven't been updating this blog as much as I'd like. It's also a great way to stay busy whilst trying to ignore carb cravings! ;)<br />
<br />
I have a couple of recipes that I've been waiting to share with you, so I'll end this post with a little comic strip that summarises so neatly the problems the world is faced with in terms of food:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TQ6uZ1YwBrI/AAAAAAAACsQ/n7Q05200tZo/s1600/FunkyCheez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TQ6uZ1YwBrI/AAAAAAAACsQ/n7Q05200tZo/s1600/FunkyCheez.jpg" /></a></div>Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-81067808332704418262010-12-07T13:50:00.005+11:002011-01-13T18:14:06.646+11:00Time To Begin - How To Get StartedA friend of mine is currently keen to follow in my healthy footsteps, but finds the extremes of the "Paleo" lifestyle a little hard to tackle. She asked me to create an ease-of-entry plan for her, and I figured it would make sense to share it here for anyone who needed to get back on the wagon, or wanted a list to send to loved ones to help them with their transition. <br />
<br />
<b>My own path</b>: I started my weight-loss plans after readings a low-carbing article in a magazine, and lost a fair whack of fat whilst still consuming artificial sweeteners, thinking organic foods were for rich suckers, and only watching my carbs (no matter what the source). After finding Son of Grok and MDA, I started cutting out chemicals and streamlining my eating to meat, veg, eggs, some fruit, some nuts, and lots of oils. I've tried different ways of eating along the way, and battled interference from drug therapy for an ongoing nerve damage issue, but ultimately I'm happy and pretty healthy. I still have some weight to lose (again), but I'm not in a rush now that I know so much about metabolism and cellular health. I am also deeply engaged with examining psychological factors behind fat accumulation and maintenance, since I recognise that my mindset towards the end of 2009 and into 2010 would definitely be labeled orthorexia. Crying in a restaurant after finding out there were breadcrumbs in the food, anyone?<br />
<br />
<br />
To create my 'How To' plan for others, I considered the ideas of Dr Kurt G Harris's <a href="http://www.paleonu.com/get-started/">Get Started</a> guide on PaNu, Mark Sisson's <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-101/">PB Basics</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Primal-Blueprint-Reprogram-effortless-boundless/dp/0982207700?ie=UTF8&tag=girgonpri-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">book</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=girgonpri-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0982207700" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />, as well as other less-authoritative write-ups from various sources. I am also learning from<a href="http://www.180degreehealth.com/"> Matt Stone</a> (there's a wealth of information there once you become immune to his thick facade of bastard) and <a href="http://www.gabrielmethod.com.au/">Jon Gabriel</a>, who are experts in physiology and psychology, respectively. My ideas don't exactly match any other guides that I've found, though I understand the ideas supporting the priorities and progression of the aforementioned lists. <br />
<br />
The Beginning: The first thing you need to do is work out your goals - do you need to lose weight? add muscle? improve your health? Your goals will change your focus and process slightly, although overall your choices will fit under the following headlines:<br />
<br />
<b>1. Eat real, whole, nourishing food</b>. Eating live foods (meat, eggs, fruit, veg) will supply your body with necessary nutrition, whereas 'dead carbs/calories' like flour, refined sugar, and most white potatoes will leave your body starving for nourishment.<br />
<br />
<b>2. Eat enough food. </b>Not too little, not too much. Eat until you are satisfied, and then stop. If you concentrate on eating nourishing food, and really savour it by eating it slowly, you will recognise satiety and won't be left with cravings or feeling over-stuffed.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Use your body, and enjoy doing so. </b>Being physically active is key to health. However, if you force yourself to exercise against your body's will, you will build mental barriers against the activity, and disrupt your health efforts. If you fulfill #1 and #2, you may find yourself wanting to move more. Find something you love doing, something that involves your whole body, and have fun! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thegoldenspiral.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/humpback_whale_02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://thegoldenspiral.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/humpback_whale_02.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't worry - this will be easier than it looks, and maybe even fun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b><i>Time To Begin The Transformation:</i></b><br />
<br />
<b>1a. Start your day with a grain-free, sugar-free, protein & fat breakfast. </b><br />
<br />
Fuelling yourself with fat and protein helps your body run smoothly for a multitude of reasons, including blood glucose stability, hunger management, fat-burning maximisation, and neural benefits. <br />
<br />
Try: eggs and bacon, grain-free sausages or burger patties, chicken and egg salad, <a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/2010/07/recipe-bacon-wrapped-mini-frittata.html">frittata </a>(can be made ahead of time for an on-the-go brekkie), grain-free granola (<a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/2009/07/recipes-whats-girl-gone-primal-to-do.html">Nola</a>), or maybe even <a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/2010/01/recipe-coconut-pancakes.html">coconut </a>or <a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/2009/05/four-shows-down-four-to-go.html">almond pancakes</a>! Dinner leftovers like roast meat are also perfect protein-rich breakfasts, though you may want to add some animal fat (butter! Yum!).<br />
<br />
<b>1b. Add more healthy fat to the rest of your day. </b> Saturated and monounsaturated fats are your friends. Animal fat (<a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/2009/08/recipe-lard.html">lard</a>!) is wonderful, coconut oil has many exciting health properties, pastured/fermented butter is nutritious and tasty, and olive oil is great to drizzle on salads (but avoid cooking with it). Snack on high-fat foods like boiled eggs, avocados and macadamia nuts to keep hunger at bay. You'll soon find you don't need to snack - you may even stay satiated from breakfast until dinnertime! Eat when you're hungry, and when you eat, eat fat.<br />
<br />
Did you notice I said 'healthy fat' and then didn't talk about margarine?! Margarine, and other bogus vegetable oils (and most nut oils) and BAD. Refined, adulterated, abused, rancid, and heavy on omega-6 polyunsaturated fats. We need omega-6s, but we need to keep our intake of them balanced with our intake of omega-3s. Right now, many people in the developed world consume omega-6:omega-3 at a ratio of 20:1! The recommended level is closer to 3:1, if not 1:1. When your omega fatty acids are out of balance, inflammation is caused. Inflammation is bad news for your body, causing internal upsets that lead to heart problems, digestive issues, autoimmune problems, obesity... <b>Avoid inflammation as much as possible.</b> Here are two more foods which, when industrially processed, cause major inflammatory responses in the body:<br />
<br />
<b>2a. </b><b>Completely eliminate <i>wheat</i></b>, and minimise other grains & legumes. Aim for a maximum of one grain-based meal per day, and then try for grain-free days. Rice and corn (including popcorn) are grains. You can read about the dangers of grains on my <a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/p/show-me-science.html">Science page</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>2b. Completely eliminate all processed <i>sugar</i>. </b>This one can be hard work since some of us are addicted to sweet tastes. For now, try to substitute natural sugars like maple syrup and honey for table sugar, and then start replacing your natural sugars with chopped up fresh or frozen (unsweetened) fruit. If you find yourself craving sweetness, you might want to go completely cold turkey, cutting out all fruit. This can be particularly helpful if you are looking to lose weight. You can read about the dangers of refined sugars on my <a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/p/show-me-science.html">Science page</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>3.</b> <i>For fat-loss:</i> you will probably see some weight loss once you have eliminated grains and sugars. Some of this is 'water weight', but some may also be fat. To keep this fat-burning process going, restrict starches such as potatoes and root vegetables, limit sweet fruit, be careful not to over-consume nuts, and prioritise fatty cuts of meat as they are very nutritious and satiating.<br />
<br />
If you are not needing to lose fat, you may wish to continue consuming fruit and nuts, but prioritise sweet potatoes and yams over white potatoes as many varieties of potato have minimal nutrition.<br />
<br />
<b>4.</b> Once your hunger is under control and you've cut out the foods that interfere most with hormones and bodily functions, you should look to adjusting other lifestyle factors that may impact inflammation:<br />
<br />
Chronic stress is inflammatory due to increased cortisol circulation. Find time to <b>play and rest</b>. I play by belly dancing, and riding my bike. I love to hang out in my hammock, soaking up some sunshine. I also find time to get pampered with a massage, and hope to work more yoga and meditation into my life next year.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mysweetlifeadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/ballet-physique-photo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.mysweetlifeadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/ballet-physique-photo.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having fun can also have bonus benefits - dancers' legs are hot!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>Sleep</b>! Treat sleep like it's your job - make sure you're in bed snoozing for a set number of hours. Keep your bedroom very dark, and make your bed a sanctuary away from TV, computers, and other distractions. <br />
<br />
<b>Get some sun.</b> 'Vitamin' D is crucial for reducing inflammation. Depending on your skin colour and geography, get your blood serum D tested and see how long you need to spend in the sun to get your levels into the preferred range. If your lifestyle limits your outdoor hours, consider supplementation of D3. A bonus of getting outdoors and lapping up some sunlight is that you'll probably end up sleeping better due to chemical reaction and hormone circulation.<br />
<br />
<b>Exercise </b>- excessive, long cardio sessions is a form of chronic stress, especially if you don't enjoy yourself. Try interval exercises like Tabata protocols, sprints (running, swimming, cycling, etc), and other activities that involve short bursts of intensity. Short and sharp - our bodies love <i>acute </i>stressors since they make us stronger, but <i>chronic</i> stressors wear us down.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://timinvermont.com/vintage/z035e001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://timinvermont.com/vintage/z035e001.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You too can be beautiful!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>And, if you can, be sure to get lots of <b>sex</b>.<br />
<b><br />
5. Continue perfecting your food choices. </b> If you're having digestive issues, try cutting out <b>dairy </b>products. Source farm-fresh foods - avoid conventional, grain-fed meat, and limit your exposure to pesticides by going organic. Be sure you are getting enough protein (1g per kg of body weight - use a food tracker like FitDay to check your intake). <br />
<br />
Eat until you are satisfied, then stop.<br />
<b><br />
The Goal Food List for Health & Well-Being</b><br />
Each category is followed by a list of the top choices in priority order.<br />
<br />
<b>Meat:</b> 1) beef, lamb, bison etc, 2) free-range pork, 3) wild-caught fish, 4) free-range chicken, 5) other seafood...<br />
<br />
<b>Fats:</b> 1) animal fat, 2) coconut oil, 3) butter/ghee, 4) olive oil...<br />
<br />
<b>Nutritious veggies:</b> 1) leafy green veggies, 2) low-starch veggies, 3)sweet potatoes...<br />
<br />
<b>Fruit:</b> 1) berries, 2) other low-sugar fruits, 3) higher-sugar fruits as post-workout refuelling...<br />
<br />
<b>Nuts:</b> 1) macadamia nuts, 2) everything else except peanuts & cashews (which are legumes).<br />
<br />
Drink water whenever you are thirsty, and you might like to experiment with tea, coconut water, etc. Do not drink soft drinks or fruit juice - it's just sugar/sweeteners. Coffee is okay in moderation, as is straight alcohol (wine, some spirits). Beer has gluten in it, though you can find some gluten-free craft beers. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://suscito.com/blog/meat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://suscito.com/blog/meat.jpg" width="235" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Cook your food gently and properly - avoid burning at all costs. You can also learn how to properly prepare nuts and dairy products through the <a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/">Weston A. Price Foundation's website.</a><br />
<br />
Eat real food, avoid the nasty stuff, live like a human animal (not a robot!), and prioritise your health since your life really does depend on it.Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-9096766489903305052010-11-17T23:04:00.001+11:002010-11-17T23:05:42.989+11:00Get Real!The most artificial things I have done in the past year (other than flying halfway around the world) have been to dye my hair (as a post-show mood booster), and get a spray tan for Halloween. Naturally, now that the red I put through my hair has all but faded, leaving me with a warmer brown tipped with lighter streaks from sun bathing, and that my fake tan has faded but my real summer tan has started to show, I am constantly being asked whether I've had my hair done (often 'have you had a haircut?' which intrigues me...) and being told I look really nice and healthy! Message received world - stick to what evolution gave me.<br />
<br />
It makes sense for my real food diet and grounded approach to living be reflected in how I look; however, hippy fashions really don't suit my curves. so I guess I'll have to stick to fuelling my addiction to curvy-friendly and feminine couture. Ah well... Alannah Hill herself looks about as far from realistic as you can find wandering the streets these days, but this cavegirl needs her frills!<br />
<br />
As for the no-frills aspects of my life, I have been asked via comments and emails to share the details of my way of eating, especially since I'm finding my health improve in leaps and bounds now that the DepTran repercussions seem to finally have been eradicated from my system. I can't quantify how amazing it is to be rid of the psychological drive to eat, to feel satisfied by food again, and to see other improvements such as skin clarity, better sleep, tolerance of heat and cold, and insusceptibility to the colds and other bugs going around. I attribute this restoration of health to the long process of ridding the body of detrimental substances, since I've seen gradual improvements every week since the low points mid-year. However, that in itself isn't enough to start driving fat loss once more, so that achievement I can attribute to my current lifestyle.<br />
<br />
Let me break it down:<br />
<br />
I don't have 'rules' anymore, but instead make decisions based on a consolidated understanding of my body and evolutionary science and medicine.<br />
<br />
Obviously, processed foods including grains, sugars, and vegetable oils are permanently off the menu.<br />
<br />
However, now that the weather is getting better and I'm getting out more and being more active in general, I am finding that I can tolerate real carbs more and more with repeated exposure. At the moment, I can eat up to 150g carbs (including fibre) without significant weight gain afterward. I may hold a little extra water if many of those grams came from fructose, but it leaves my body again after a couple of days.<br />
<br />
My exposure method had mostly been to eat sweet potato (mashed with butter and nutmeg - yum!!) with dinner on the weekend (Saturday, usually), and eat some berries one or two times a week or so. I eat copious amounts of vegetables - I've overdone it a couple of times, eating a kilogram of veggies over the course of a couple of hours! Not advised... - usually sautéed in butter. Cabbage and zucchini are still my favourites, adding in asparagus, spring onions, and leafy greens like spinach and bok choi when the mood strikes me. I count these carbs (usually around the 30 - 60g per day mark, though I log at the end of the day) even though other experts suggest that veggie carbs don't really count.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOPBZeUW-jI/AAAAAAAACmQ/TWIUxVxBW78/s1600/DSC04688.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOPBZeUW-jI/AAAAAAAACmQ/TWIUxVxBW78/s320/DSC04688.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast of primal royalty!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Essentially, this is my 'Keep It Real' Diet - I eat <b>what</b> I feel like eating, <b>when</b> I feel like eating it, and apply logic to my impulses to explain <b>why</b> I might be drawn toward one meal and not another. Sometimes my choices are made for me - today is 'fresh wild-caught salmon day' at my butcher's, so sashimi was a done deal for dinner:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOPC1XpUwcI/AAAAAAAACmg/OaswuRuIo3o/s1600/DSC04704.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOPC1XpUwcI/AAAAAAAACmg/OaswuRuIo3o/s320/DSC04704.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...with a big bowl of sautéed veggies and bacon, of course.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Sometimes I have to force myself to eat whatever's in the fridge - I'm still disinclined to eat beef, even though I love rare steak once it's in my mouth, but whilst I stand in front of the fridge it's the last thing I want. And if I find myself getting to excited by the prospect of sweet potato mash (and why wouldn't I be?) I stop and check whether the excitement is coming from my taste bus or from the dark place in my brain that wants to ride a sugar rush. The temptation of berries often fails this little test, but sweet potato hasn't messed with my blood sugar very much at all. My post-carb test is to have a shower early the next morning - I tend to feel nauseated and light-headed if I've eaten too many carbs the night before, suggesting blood glucose imbalance. It's worrying in the pre-diabetes sense, but it's also a reminder why I keep my carbs low - no, it's not because I'm following the advice of the latest fad diet guru, but because my body has been damaged from years of carb abuse. I now look younger and healthier than I have since my childhood, even though I'm almost as curvy as I ever was. It's not a coincidence, and I listen attentively whenever my body has something to say. <br />
<br />
Lately, it's mostly been saying "Seriously, isn't 500g of sautéed cabbage enough?? You're a bloody slave-driver! You'll be sorry..."<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOPCFWYgHsI/AAAAAAAACmY/-XakX3_B_b4/s1600/DSC04692.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOPCFWYgHsI/AAAAAAAACmY/-XakX3_B_b4/s320/DSC04692.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even minced beef works in the pan with my veggies - so much broccolini!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So here's a run-down of my usual intake rhythm (not an eating plan but a reflection on what I've been naturally doing):<br />
<br />
Monday - Friday (working days): Fast til I get home (somewhere between 4pm and 6pm usually), unless calories have been a little low, in which case eat bacon for breakfast and hoard the drippings for veggies later! Dinner: usually meat with a hefty side of sautéed veggies. Calories and carbs are variable - I eat to appetite. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOPCcgQ2tsI/AAAAAAAACmc/Y01Ik5g8jaE/s1600/DSC04693.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOPCcgQ2tsI/AAAAAAAACmc/Y01Ik5g8jaE/s320/DSC04693.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sautéed bacon and veggies, topped with runny fried eggs</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOPAn01WhrI/AAAAAAAACmI/-8HHRq7H2pY/s1600/DSC04683.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOPAn01WhrI/AAAAAAAACmI/-8HHRq7H2pY/s320/DSC04683.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Veggies, mushrooms, and rare porterhouse steak</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Weekend: breakfast/lunch and dinner, sometimes separated into three distinct meals. One lunch or dinner will include sweet potato mash or similar starch, and fruit and nuts are free game.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOPBDXtYobI/AAAAAAAACmM/qkz_-OiAhOc/s1600/DSC04685.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOPBDXtYobI/AAAAAAAACmM/qkz_-OiAhOc/s320/DSC04685.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet potato mash must always be eaten by using crispy bacon as the spoon. Always.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I tend to hit a bit of ketosis during my fasted days, of course, yet I'm keeping my metabolic bases covered by cycling carbs all over the town, and not letting my calories find a routine. Sometimes I feel like I've eaten too much, but I never leave myself hungry. This, in turn, is keeping my cortisol in check, as reflected by my sleep habits, skin, and overall mood.<br />
<br />
The only victim of this process has been my digestion - hitting it with larger, veggie-heavy meals has been tricky at times, but it is adjusting very well. Now that the weather is heating up, I've found it hard to keep my liquids up given I already inhale water all day, but now have to additionally compensate for water lost through sweat and digestion 'hurdles'. My water bottle is a permanent fixture in my hand or bag, and now that I teach only two classes (pared down from my usual six thanks to the seniors finishing up this week), I'm never far from the filtered water in the staffroom. You know you're keeping it real when your 'naughty treat' is chilled filtered water! With a violent Aussie summer approaching, it doesn't stay chilly in my Sigg bottle for long...<br />
<br />
So, on the carbs front, it has been great to build up my tolerance again, which I suspect couldn't have been done without a long healing period between early 2009 and now. I am in touch with primal peeps on Twitter who are still in my old boat - they touch one gram of carbohydrate over their 20g threshold, and their weight jumps up. Even when I was lapping desperately at the Gary Taubes pool of information, I thought it couldn't be healthy to be that impacted by such a subtle sway in diet - yet I proved it to myself again and again. As I have now shown, a healthy(-er) body should be able to deal with all sorts of diet and lifestyle changes without immediate, negative consequences. I still feel best on a meat-only diet, and I'll happily throw in a meat-only day into the mix whenever it's convenient, but it's good to know that I can be more flexible.<br />
<br />
On a psychological note, I know that I enjoy the flavour of food more when I've put effort into its production. This is a known psychological behaviour - we prefer anything we had to work for. Rodent studies have shown mice who have to work harder and harder to get sweet water (hello carbs) end up preferring that flavour to other sugared waters once all are freely available. People who learn how to do origami end up rating their own works as highly as they do origami made by experts. t makes sense from the evolutionary perspective - we form attachment to the fruits of our labour, we enjoy the food we have laboriously hunted or foraged for, we care for our children and will protect them before looking after our own well-being, etc. So, with this in mind, my enjoyment of the vegetables I prepare potentially exceeds that of the meat I slap onto the grill or toss into the oven because my brain doesn't register the meat as 'something I had to work for'. The combination of real food and real effort results in real enjoyment - I savour both aspects of my typical meat & veg meals because, overall, it took me time and effort to prepare and cook. The physiology and the psychology are both piqued and I am left deeply satisfied.<br />
<br />
It seems like I've put a heap of time and effort into organising what I should eat, when and why to maximise my fat loss, but really everything has fallen together with a bit of sensibility, hormonal balance, and a willingness to fast frequently. Reading the work of blogger like Chris Masterjohn, Martin Berkhan, Matt Stone, and others who don't follow the typical paleo WOE has been interesting, and has given me new ideas to play with. Many of their ideas won't work for my body and lifestyle, but their articles have resulted in a follow-the-yellow-brick-road perusal of all sorts of other information online, tweaking my understanding here, and pushing my self-reflection there. Stephan Guyenet's message hits home more and more for me: <i><span style="font-family: inherit;">neither <b class="highlighted2">carbs</b>, <b class="highlighted3">fat</b>, nor saturated <b class="highlighted3">fat</b> make you <b class="highlighted3">fat</b>, but rather modern, refined, industrial foods bring in the diseases of modern civilization.</span></i><br />
<br />
One caveat - despite my increasing tolerance of carbs and understanding of the incredibly wide range of evolutionary diet components humans have evolved upon, I still can't handle it when the middle-aged ladies in the aisle of desks next to mine cluck at lunchtime about their Weight Watchers canned tuna and yoghurt. Vom. Get real, ladies. I've yet to snap and rant at them about the idiocy of their processed & calorically-restricted diet, and experiences like that of <a href="http://primalmuse.blogspot.com/2010/11/system.html">Primal Muse</a> sure help me bite my tongue for just one more day...<br />
<br />
One final note of what's real in my like - realty. Ooh, see what I did there? Yes, I'm house hunting, hoping to buy my first home, so the beau and I have been trekking around our neighbourhood, falling in love with some gorgeous modern townhouses and snarling in disgust at the state of older, uglier homes carrying the same price tag! We're lucky in that we have quite a bit of dosh with which to service a loan, so we're not having too much trouble finding aesthetically pleasing places that are still in walking/cycling distance from my work, have a yard for the animals we'll get, are near parks so the dog(s) can go for a run, don't need renovating (neither of us are patient enough for such things), and can fit all of our amassed frippery (piano, huge couch, big dining table... Yikes!) I'm in charge of vetting online properties, organising our inspection schedule, whilst the beau has been lining up meetings with financial planners and agents. The bureaucracy is horrible and so unreal. So much fuss over which bit of money goes where and why and crunching figures and planning loans and sorting out insurance and BLAH! The beau is in London right now to collect some massive geek prize for being the best geek or whatever, so that leaves little non-driver me to bus/ride/walk around the nearby suburbs all day on Saturday, trying to get to properties whilst they're open for inspection. It should be interesting... Just give me a sunny day, okay?<br />
<h3 class="day"><i>Forecast for Saturday</i></h3><div class="sl"><i>Partly cloudy. Winds northwest to southwesterly averaging up to 20 km/h tending southeast to southwesterly up to 25 km/h during the afternoon.</i></div><div class="sl"><br />
</div><div class="grid"><div class="line space-b"><div class="max_v"><i>City Centre Partly cloudy. Min 9 Max 23</i></div></div></div><br />
Hrmph.<br />
<br />
(Aren't you glad I didn't say 'For real?!')Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-5907523895389148912010-11-17T21:11:00.000+11:002010-11-17T21:11:30.068+11:00You asked for it!Last post, I introduced you to the herbivores in my life, but lest my quirky picture forever brand harmless, vulnerable (and boring) little cavies (guinea pigs) as vampiric terrors in your minds and dreams forever, let me off-set that image with some more shots of my photogenic boys.<br />
<br />
A photo album isn't complete without baby photos:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOOmxD05umI/AAAAAAAACls/m-IV_BAzjkI/s1600/Baby+Sunny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOOmxD05umI/AAAAAAAACls/m-IV_BAzjkI/s320/Baby+Sunny.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Sunny</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOOnNNDZ_XI/AAAAAAAAClw/jm3ukOP6n6A/s1600/Baby+Toffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOOnNNDZ_XI/AAAAAAAAClw/jm3ukOP6n6A/s320/Baby+Toffee.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Toffee</td></tr>
</tbody></table> The rest are from a trip to my parents' farm, where the boys had their first experience of sitting in the grass - something sorely lacking in the Collingwood apartment we were all living in at the time! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOOnhU0mVoI/AAAAAAAACl0/S7A7M9dwqnE/s1600/Sunny+%2526+Toffee+at+the+Farm+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOOnhU0mVoI/AAAAAAAACl0/S7A7M9dwqnE/s320/Sunny+%2526+Toffee+at+the+Farm+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOOnyUKW3EI/AAAAAAAACl4/zTUsRMakiFo/s1600/Sunny+%2526+Toffee+at+the+Farm+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOOnyUKW3EI/AAAAAAAACl4/zTUsRMakiFo/s320/Sunny+%2526+Toffee+at+the+Farm+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOOoFZ13-QI/AAAAAAAACl8/Z1W1W02lnQE/s1600/Sunny+%2526+Toffee+at+the+Farm+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOOoFZ13-QI/AAAAAAAACl8/Z1W1W02lnQE/s320/Sunny+%2526+Toffee+at+the+Farm+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOOoVQRLxII/AAAAAAAACmA/q6NS3O7rRdM/s1600/Sunny+at+the+Farm+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOOoVQRLxII/AAAAAAAACmA/q6NS3O7rRdM/s320/Sunny+at+the+Farm+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOOon0Tb1jI/AAAAAAAACmE/B83kZAv8c9g/s1600/Toffee+at+the+Farm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TOOon0Tb1jI/AAAAAAAACmE/B83kZAv8c9g/s320/Toffee+at+the+Farm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look ma, no bloods!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-67859786741156445202010-11-10T20:20:00.002+11:002010-11-10T20:21:36.447+11:00Bits & Pieces<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Food!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm still fasting til dinner most work days, with a couple of low calorie days and some high calorie days, and things are going really well! Here are some of the nourishing dinners propelling my metabolism and nutrition as I focus on trimming down and improving my belly dancing:</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpBDZspyRI/AAAAAAAACk4/kMdgH-e0KH4/s1600/DSC04632.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="189" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpBDZspyRI/AAAAAAAACk4/kMdgH-e0KH4/s320/DSC04632.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/2010/11/recipe-tangy-italian-chicken-in-bacon.html">Tangy Italian Chicken in Bacon</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpBDZspyRI/AAAAAAAACk4/kMdgH-e0KH4/s1600/DSC04632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpBOJzocLI/AAAAAAAACk8/-V5Y3TAy3lo/s1600/DSC04637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpBOJzocLI/AAAAAAAACk8/-V5Y3TAy3lo/s320/DSC04637.JPG" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken drumsticks, roasted whilst woven with bacon, served with a sauté of green cabbage, zucchini, green capsicum, carrot, and fresh basil.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpBZDRYZvI/AAAAAAAAClA/aa1OuGR_mNU/s1600/DSC04639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpBZDRYZvI/AAAAAAAAClA/aa1OuGR_mNU/s320/DSC04639.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/2009/06/fasting-just-makes-pizza-taste-even.html">Cauliflower Pizza</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpBjR0rA2I/AAAAAAAAClE/dIiMzkZ0boU/s1600/DSC04642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpBjR0rA2I/AAAAAAAAClE/dIiMzkZ0boU/s320/DSC04642.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More cauli pizza, with grilled salmon and a typical veggie sauté.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpBs6TAu0I/AAAAAAAAClI/IekGc9vIlFc/s1600/DSC04653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpBs6TAu0I/AAAAAAAAClI/IekGc9vIlFc/s320/DSC04653.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jonathan's chipollatas, scrambled eggs, and a veggie sauté.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpB2UrdMsI/AAAAAAAAClM/j6viw-AqOFs/s1600/DSC04661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpB2UrdMsI/AAAAAAAAClM/j6viw-AqOFs/s320/DSC04661.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/2010/08/recipe-chunky-chicken-burgers.html">Chunky Chicken Burger</a>, a hard boiled egg, beetroot, and veggie sauté.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpCA5HYJ0I/AAAAAAAAClQ/2hBHF_gUtmQ/s1600/DSC04670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpCA5HYJ0I/AAAAAAAAClQ/2hBHF_gUtmQ/s320/DSC04670.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef pocket steak, and veggie sauté.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">Halloween!</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpCG0RSnUI/AAAAAAAAClU/Yr1JsX3B8uI/s1600/DSC04614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpCG0RSnUI/AAAAAAAAClU/Yr1JsX3B8uI/s320/DSC04614.jpg" width="164" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I dressed the beau as a Hulk Hogan-esque 80's wrestler, complete with artificial abs and injuries! I really should have been a stage make-up artist, considering the number of people who were convinced by the gash and the six-pack! ;)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpcUvuk07I/AAAAAAAAClY/PAKOMeLwXDE/s1600/IMG_1252_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpcUvuk07I/AAAAAAAAClY/PAKOMeLwXDE/s320/IMG_1252_2.jpg" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It wouldn't be fair to post a shot of the beau without also putting my own goth-ish belly dancing costume up for speculation! Baring my less-than-twiglet-esque midriff took some serious, er, guts... But thankfully everyone was pretty much distracted by my bust! Note the wig and the fake tan - now that's commitment! </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"> Shoes!</div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpcb3yKnVI/AAAAAAAAClc/y7Z22XiXKJg/s1600/DSC04675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpcb3yKnVI/AAAAAAAAClc/y7Z22XiXKJg/s320/DSC04675.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've officially worn through my VFF KSOs! Pretty happy with the location of the dull zone too - hip hip hooray for VFFs! What's more, the number of stockists in Australia apparently exploded in the past year, and one in Melbourne is having a MASSIVE 60% off sale, bringing all styles down under the $100 mark! That's a big change from the $200+ I would have been paying before, or $150 if I shipped from the US again... Woohoo! </td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpckPPq9OI/AAAAAAAAClg/TvUZ4YW6czs/s1600/DSC04677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpckPPq9OI/AAAAAAAAClg/TvUZ4YW6czs/s320/DSC04677.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glad it's fine weather right now, since this tiny patch of exposed fabric will have to keep me going for another few weeks!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">Pets! </div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpdZdXgo-I/AAAAAAAAClk/Y-TS8xKSlEo/s1600/DSC04663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpdZdXgo-I/AAAAAAAAClk/Y-TS8xKSlEo/s320/DSC04663.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beetroot that I served myself in a meal posted above was pretty tasteless (and not organic, which I found out later, explaining everything...) so I fed the raw leftovers to the guinea pigs. Now, from certain angles, Toffee's beet-fest was only minimally noticeable, but from others...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpdhfDbcjI/AAAAAAAAClo/m3fdYQTHFYw/s1600/DSC04666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNpdhfDbcjI/AAAAAAAAClo/m3fdYQTHFYw/s320/DSC04666.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RAARGHH!! I VAMPYRE!! IMMA EAT CHU!!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-50141224478601372442010-11-10T17:17:00.003+11:002010-11-10T17:19:52.106+11:00Recipe: Tangy Italian Chicken In Bacon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNoy9wKGQiI/AAAAAAAACkw/DlHpCP74K_Q/s1600/DSC04632.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNoy9wKGQiI/AAAAAAAACkw/DlHpCP74K_Q/s320/DSC04632.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">November, thus far, has been a whirligig of playfulness in the kitchen, experimenting with my new grill and warmer-weather fare. First up, I wanted to try making a buttery filling to go inside chicken, without having to resort to using chicken breasts. Solution - using whole chicken thighs, and wrapping in bacon!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Serves two hungry primal eaters. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Ingredients:</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4 free-range chicken thighs</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4 slices of middle bacon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 spring onions, finely chopped</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 garlic cloves, minced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2T butter, diced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">8 stalks asparagus, halved</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tomato, diced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fresh basil, finely chopped</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1t chili powder/flakes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Salt & pepper to taste </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Method:</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. On a wooden board, lie out bacon strips and chicken thighs. Flatten the thighs with a rolling pin if they are on the small side.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. Excepting the asparagus, combine all other ingredients in a bowl, mixing thoroughly. If your home is a bit chilly, you may wish to soften the butter first so that it will take up the spices.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNoyT57mGxI/AAAAAAAACkc/kGu0D4fxIbY/s1600/DSC04620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNoyT57mGxI/AAAAAAAACkc/kGu0D4fxIbY/s320/DSC04620.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNoyemCiyFI/AAAAAAAACkg/1PWNadghWaI/s1600/DSC04623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNoyemCiyFI/AAAAAAAACkg/1PWNadghWaI/s320/DSC04623.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
3. Being the layering process: place the flattened thigh on the eye of the bacon, then add one quarter of the filling mixture in the centre of the thigh. Place asparagus across filling, perpendicular to the bacon. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNoyoY9TsWI/AAAAAAAACkk/WUu6YXKxsS0/s1600/DSC04627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNoyoY9TsWI/AAAAAAAACkk/WUu6YXKxsS0/s320/DSC04627.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
4. Carefully roll the bacon, from eye to tail, pressing down the outer edges of the thigh as you go to secure the fillings in place. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNoytfOeQvI/AAAAAAAACko/qwIuD0tbGNw/s1600/DSC04628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNoytfOeQvI/AAAAAAAACko/qwIuD0tbGNw/s320/DSC04628.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
5. When all thighs have been filled and wrapped, place into your grill (or barbeque, or onto a tray in a hot oven) and cook until chicken is completely done - around 15 minutes on my grill. Watch out for signs of burning bacon - reduce heat if the bacon is done before chicken is finished. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNoy2EEiVJI/AAAAAAAACks/D0XdHYktVx4/s1600/DSC04630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNoy2EEiVJI/AAAAAAAACks/D0XdHYktVx4/s320/DSC04630.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
6. Serve with fresh salad or roast veggies - it works both ways!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNozFpV6FlI/AAAAAAAACk0/y6PcHqVX2lA/s1600/DSC04633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TNozFpV6FlI/AAAAAAAACk0/y6PcHqVX2lA/s320/DSC04633.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Crunchy, moist, tangy, with a bit of a bite! Yum!Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168855552158312440.post-24165357283111082952010-10-29T20:49:00.001+11:002010-10-29T21:11:17.937+11:00Jiggle jiggle!Greetings primal peeps! A spot of meta-blogging: In less than a week, my Year 12s sit their final exam, and there will be a whoosh of released anxiety and spare time flooding my way! I can't wait! I haven't been able to spend nearly as much time as I'd like on this blog since I've been getting home quite late most nights and wanting to crash, or I've been out, savouring the gorgeous sunshine as much as possible before finally capitulating to the army of mosquitoes and hiding indoors... and then crashing. So much crashing. One particularly memorable crash occurred in the hammock very recently - the hoards of twilight bugs very thoroughly savaged the top of my right foot before I finally came to once more. Thankfully, the book I had been reading was flopped across my face, so I was protected from facial swelling and subsequent blotchy goodness. <br />
<br />
Anyway, I have been thinking about how my blog fits into the paleo blogosphere of late. I have been somewhat disheartened by the wrenching turn some blogs have made from being personal journals with scientific curiosities being discussed, to blatant agenda-pushers in the guise of pursuing further scientific knowledge. Some have always been unashamedly biased - I read Charles Washington's ZIOH blog with the expectation of one-eyed discussion of current findings/reports - but some are masked, giving the illusion of scientific objectivity whilst conveniently ignoring other possible understandings or research. Bleh. So even though I would love to include documentation of the interesting things I read about health and nutrition, and my own opinion on scientific research, I would hate to annoy readers the way other blogs do me. Thus, I will continue to share my online findings via Google reader (check the right-hand navigation bar for current shares and how to subscribe), and update my <a href="http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/p/show-me-science.html">Show Me The Science</a> page as necessity dictates. <br />
<br />
In the meantime, I am going to continue my blog in the opposite direction - it will continue to be a personal documentation of my journey, my culinary experimentation, and other such things. So nothing will change, except perhaps the frequency of posts now that things are winding down and days are getting longer and hotter! End of meta-blogging.<br />
<br />
With the sun peeping out for increasingly long periods during the day, I have been getting as much sun as I can, and building up a nice tan (read: blood serum D level). I'm still supplementing D on the days when I remember to supplement, and am also taking <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Naturals-Ultimate-Omega-Fish/dp/B002CQU564?ie=UTF8&tag=girgonpri-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">fish oil</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=girgonpri-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002CQU564" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />, Mark Sisson's multi (til I run out), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Source-Naturals-Potassium-Iodide-Tablets/dp/B000GFHP8E?ie=UTF8&tag=girgonpri-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">potassium & iodine</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=girgonpri-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000GFHP8E" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />, magnesium, and a pro-biotic (since it's in the fridge anyway..). I am taking care to cover my bases there since I've been playing around with fasting quite a bit of late, and am also pushing for fat loss and muscle gain. <br />
<br />
<b>Fat loss</b>: I began documenting my weight at the start of the month, after a few weeks of experimenting with alternating between high carb / low carb / zero carb / fasting. Interestingly, I didn't find much of a change in energy level during the experimental phases - no boosts after a dinner of sweet potato or a snack of fruit, no drops during 24 hour fasts... I also noted that my weight was rock steady throughout, even though I was eating now lower than my BMR required, and sometimes significantly more. This suggested to me that perhaps my physiology had finally achieved homeostasis post-hormonal imbalance & carb resistance acclimatisation (translation - my body was back to normal after DepTran screwed up my hormones and (maybe) long-term low-carbing left my body unable to deal with the intake of more than a few carbs). Before, I was highly affected whenever I would vary my food and activity choices, and my weight fluctuated wildly. It's significant to note that the weight where my body decided it was happy to stay was two kilograms more than my pre-primal weight. According to modern theory, this can be attributed to caloric restriction - although I often ate quite a bit of food, especially when I followed a meat-only diet, I suspect that overall I was eating a lot less than I did in the past. Metabolic studies would expect that any diet is going to have the long-term result of increased belly fat, so it looks like my results fit this description even if other factors drove the gain. For this reason, I'm trying to be very careful about monitoring my eating patterns.<br />
<br />
Although I am not following a particular regime, here's a loose description of what I am doing to encourage fat loss without the rebound effect described above:<br />
<br />
I am fasting quite regularly - at the moment, this is more a time conservation activity, since if I don't have to organise breakfast, let alone lunch, I can just get about my business. I usually have something to eat once I arrive home, and have a big dinner. Whilst the beau was overseas, this was wonderfully freeing - I would eat what I wanted, when I wanted it, rather than have to worry about making sure he ate his dinner early enough. I recently read about Martin Berkhan's '<a href="http://www.leangains.com/">Leangains Diet</a>', which supports my typical work-day fasting habit.<br />
<br />
To avoid my body adjusting to a caloric intake standard or building upon my carb resistance, I include some sweet potato or fruit at least once a week - usually on the weekend. I ensure my caloric intake varies every few days, whilst making sure my overall average is at or slightly below my BMR. <br />
<br />
Most days I eat just meat and vegetables, favouring my preferred preparation method: heat a big pan, put fat in pan, put meat in pan, fill rest of pan with veggies, serve when everything is cooked to taste, and sprinkle with iodised salt! Even though this is leaving me with fewer and fewer opportunities to construct exciting new recipes, it's making me really happy! All I use is a knife, a chopping board, and my gigantic cast-iron frying pan, so washing up is a breeze (and I don't even bother to wash up unless I've used raw meat). <br />
<br />
I'm eating a LOT of vegetables - most days I easily clear the 500g mark, and sometimes I hit a full kilo of veg if I've eaten two or more meals! The incredible (to me) aspect is that even with all that plant matter, I still rarely clear more than 30g net carb per day! When I think of how timid I was back in the low-carb days pre-primal, serving myself only one floret of broccoli, and running away from carrots, I want to slap myself! I love veggies, and now that my system seems to be healed, I don't notice any digestive issues whatsoever - no bloat, no farting (not even after I eat cauliflower and broccoli!), and no sluggishness. I don't regret my meat-only days - they would not have adversely affected my carb resistance any more than my more varied 20g carb days did - but it's still good to discover that I can incorporate vegetables into my diet without sacrifices the digestive benefits of being carnivorous. Whether the few sugars from plant foods are speeding up my eventual aging or not, there's no way to tell, but I still know that I'm better off than the average SAD person, and have a slightly better chance of finding suitable foods at functions and outings. I also note that consuming slightly less meat per days could have an impact on sustainability, but given the fact that I eat more veggies by weight than I would be eating meat, I'm not sure which way that impact leans. I also know I'm not saving any moolah in the process, since I buy organic veggies 80% of the time (I relax when it comes to low-pesticide varieties of veg that are grown locally and sold in supermarkets or conventional groceries). The veggies are still primarily a tasty way to transport added fats, but the volume also helps to fill me up. <br />
<br />
As noted, I add in some fruits and maybe sweet potato and other starchier roots weekly, and if I'm feeling particularly underfed I'll enjoy some nuts. I still have a bit of a problem with nuts being hyperphagic for me - I actually noted a flash of desperate 'eat more nuts!' desire after finishing a bite of walnut last night! Not good... Plus, my gut doesn't deal with nut binges very well, so if I can't happily control my portions, it's better if I avoid them. Once I post this, I'll be heading to the kitchen to use up the current nut stash in a batch of Nola, using the subsequent leftover egg-yolks as an addition to dinner. <br />
<br />
Since the start of October, I have lost 4kg, with my scales reporting a decrease in fat percentage. The figure on the scales does tend to bounce around, but I monitor my flab by feel - I've already been through once phase of jiggliness/shedding, and am onto phase two. Unfortunately, tomorrow is a friend's Halloween party, and I was planning to go as a gothic bellydancer with exposed midriff, but right now my gut is as wobbly as a skinny-fat person's cellulite-stricken thighs! The blubber sits away from my muscle - my stomach undulations give the impression of foam floating atop the ocean - not sexy! But anything could happen in the next 24 hours - I will be avoiding bloat, drinking lots of water, and crossing my fingers... And speaking of belly dancing: <br />
<br />
<b>Muscle Gain</b>: Belly dancing is re-shaping my body dynamically! The current teacher taking my group whilst the usual teacher (and half the class) is in Egypt is an expert in upper body work and floor work, and even though we've only had two classes with her I'm seeing an improvement in my arm tone and shoulder flexibility. Belly dancing in general is whipping my abdominal muscles into shape, with my obliques refining particularly noticeably. My love handles are still present, yet my overall silhouette has become more slender in this area, meaning I can get away with wearing my airy-fairy summer dresses without worrying around hiding the bulge with stockings or granny panties! My thighs are getting stronger, but hopefully not bulkier - it's impossible to tell whilst I'm burning fat simultaneously. I'm not sure whether my 4kg weight loss has been impacted by muscle gain at the same time, but I would tend to guess not. I'm not seeking a gain in muscle bulk but muscle tone, and I think I'm well on my way! I don't really practice in between my weekly lessons, but with some more time available to me in future I might start up some sessions. In the meantime, my hula hoop still gets a spin every now and again, especially when the beau is around to be mesmerised... :)<br />
<br />
As you can see, the proportions of my health efforts are heavily biased towards diet, of course, but with my new gym membership and hot weather coming up, I intend to be more active in my free time, given that I'll be spending more and more of my working hours stuck at my desk. Here's hoping I can get back some swimsuit confidence before the beach weather really hits! <br />
<br />
Finally, for your viewing pleasure, a few samples of my dining habits from the past fortnight:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqZjN0pIbI/AAAAAAAACjo/30Ma2VY4_qU/s320/DSC04571.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Porterhouse steak, drenched in garlic butter, with a side of sliced veg</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqZjN0pIbI/AAAAAAAACjo/30Ma2VY4_qU/s1600/DSC04571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqZr3ynJXI/AAAAAAAACjs/syoUvZlNJTo/s320/DSC04572.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Caesar salad</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqZr3ynJXI/AAAAAAAACjs/syoUvZlNJTo/s1600/DSC04572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqZ13l1sZI/AAAAAAAACjw/oKxDs0pUbgo/s320/DSC04576.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bad photo of an amazing squid & veg sauté</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqZ13l1sZI/AAAAAAAACjw/oKxDs0pUbgo/s1600/DSC04576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqZ-tv_FoI/AAAAAAAACj0/tJW5s5u9hHA/s320/DSC04580.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roo burgers, with asparagus and button squash</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqZ-tv_FoI/AAAAAAAACj0/tJW5s5u9hHA/s1600/DSC04580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqaHmDN-aI/AAAAAAAACj4/bYd0GY9NoPY/s320/DSC04583.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Valedictory dinner for the graduating class: salmon steak and steamed veg (the salad was dressed). Had to fight to get my needs met, but in the end I was very pleased!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqaHmDN-aI/AAAAAAAACj4/bYd0GY9NoPY/s1600/DSC04583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqaRRJgU6I/AAAAAAAACj8/O_m2srKxpws/s320/DSC04586.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rare roo steak with sautéed veg</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqaRRJgU6I/AAAAAAAACj8/O_m2srKxpws/s1600/DSC04586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="219" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqaac96n4I/AAAAAAAACkA/V4gq6bQkUVI/s320/DSC04588.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken drumsticks with sautéed veg</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqaac96n4I/AAAAAAAACkA/V4gq6bQkUVI/s1600/DSC04588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqald1wEiI/AAAAAAAACkE/NeX9iVavOYQ/s320/DSC04592.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jonathan's classic Italian sausages and sautéed veg</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqald1wEiI/AAAAAAAACkE/NeX9iVavOYQ/s1600/DSC04592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqattJJNcI/AAAAAAAACkI/mXVK2Zz91WA/s320/DSC04594.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How to eat well at a shopping mall: pork roast and veg from Rhumba's at Westfield Doncaster</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqattJJNcI/AAAAAAAACkI/mXVK2Zz91WA/s1600/DSC04594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqa1l695aI/AAAAAAAACkM/Sqa2zWLPMBM/s320/DSC04598.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bacon & veg sauté to go under some grilled chicken (two serves here - this is my big cast iron pan!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqa1l695aI/AAAAAAAACkM/Sqa2zWLPMBM/s1600/DSC04598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqa9U32nZI/AAAAAAAACkQ/nSfWabRblDw/s320/DSC04602.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WO1rilwcdLY/TMqa9U32nZI/AAAAAAAACkQ/nSfWabRblDw/s1600/DSC04602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<br />
PS - You may have noticed some Amazon & Google advertising on my site or in my posts. This is a test to see whether this kind of monetising generates enough income to buy my own domain name. I'm going to try it for a couple of months to see what the interest is. Don't go out of your way to click on ads, of course, but if there's something you're genuinely interested in, then hey, that's a few cents towards my domain. I want a true impression of likely activity in future.Jezwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649071387857019341noreply@blogger.com12