Author Archive
Dec 08
Probiotics, what? And why?
These days, if you are in tune with trends in the health and wellness world, you can’t avoid hearing
the term “Probiotic”. From the supplements aisle at the health food store to those Dannon Activia commercials starring Jamie Lee Curtis, probiotics are everywhere. But what are they, and why should we be interested in them?
The word “Probiotic” is translated from Greek word pro, meaning “promoting” and biotic meaning “life”. So, probiotics are about the promotion of life. Probiotics are claimed to help or prevent several health problems related to the gut and digestive tract. When we start a new diet or tend to eat foods filled with processed sugars, dairy or wheat, our digestive tract takes a huge hit. The purpose of a probiotic is to help introduce more of the “good” bacteria into the gut and decrease the “bad” bacteria, in effort to find a balance. Medications, certain foods, diseases and the environment are all causes of increased “bad” bacteria.
Probiotics are typically found in fermented dairy products such as yogurt with live bacterial cultures, unbaked cheese, miso, some juices, kimchi and sauerkraut to name a few. However, the Paleo diet doesn’t promote the consumption of several of these items, which is why taking a supplement form of Probiotic is an excellent option, especially for people following the Paleo diet.
When the gut is filled with “bad” bacteria as a result of poor diet, disease, medications, stress, etc. the body has a difficult time absorbing nutrients from digestion of food and water that are crucial to our cells. When we have an increase of bad bacteria in the gut, symptoms such as diarrhea, muscle pain, fatigue or urinary tract infections are common.
Probiotics help to support the gut flora, support normal bowel regularity and consistency, improve nutrient digestion and absorption, support the body’s natural immune system and contribute to absorption of calcium and magnesium.
The downfall: Supplements are not regulated by the FDA, so make sure the product your taking is from a reputable company. I prefer Standard Process. However, before taking any supplement you should consult your healthcare professional.
Dr. Jason Fechter, D.C. received his degree from Cleveland Chiropractic College is Overland Park, KS. Dr. Fechter plays a critical role for Evolve Paleo by providing valuable health and wellness insight on a daily basis.
Thanksgiving has come and gone, and if you are like most people, you made it through without too much damage to the waistline, largely thanks to the fact that there are only a small number of opportunities to make a complete glutton of yourself. But even though Turkey Day was days ago, and Hanukkah is almost done, the majority of us are trying to figure out how not to go completely out of control for the next month.
So what’s a health conscious person supposed to do if they don’t want to be a party pooper but they also don’t want to feel like Mr. Creosote from Monty Python’s The Meaning Of Life at every party? Fortunately, there are a few options. Chef Caleb outlined some great tactics in his recent blog post, 11 Practical Tips for Staying Paleo for the Holidays. All of them are great, especially in the context of individual events. But as Chef Caleb Says “Thanksgiving is one day. Christmas is 12. There’s even a song about it”. Every day, there are new situations to test your resolve. How do you manage?
1) Decide which events are worth the indulgence. Notice I said events, not foods. Why choose it based on event? Because this results in fewer decisions overall, which means fewer opportunities for your willpower to be taxed. By saying to yourself “no snacks at work except for the team Christmas lunch” you keep yourself from having to decide whether it’s OK to sneak a bite every time you go into the break room for a cup of coffee. Many eating plans call for a person to get one or two cheat meals a week, so stick to that by choosing which events will constitute your cheat meal.
2) Eat vegetables every time you eat. I heard this piece of advice from Amanda Stites, who leads all the nutritional counseling efforts at CrossFit On Track in Olathe. When I first heard it, I thought it sounded kind of silly because I thought I was already doing that but I wasn’t. When I started, I immediately felt more satisfied and less tempted to indulge in things that were not on my eating plan.
3) Get extra exercise. Most of us have a few extra days off during this time of year, even if they are just a couple of paid holidays on the job. Schedule some extra gym time to help counteract any overindulgence you do engage in - and also you will shake off those sluggish feelings we often encounter when we get crazy busy this time of year.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and with a little perseverance, it can be a healthy time as well….as long as you don’t let others convince you that “Eet’s Wafer Theen” too many times.
Live Paleo,
Diana
Diana Alt is the Marketing Director and Cavegirl In Chief at Evolve Paleo. Her favorite Monty Python movie is actually Monty Python and The Holy Grail. Chef Caleb doesn’t let her in the kitchen because he is afraid of the flesh wounds.
Ah, the holiday season….6 weeks of dinners, cocktail hours, family feasts, and fun. It’s a double edged sword, because despite all the great traditions, it can be stressful to figure out how to stay healthy. Caleb wrote a little about how to navigate events in last week’s post on 11 Practical Tips for Staying Paleo for the Holidays, so I asked him to expand a little bit on one of my favorite tips this week - Bring Paleo.
When the suggestion to bring Paleo comes up, a lot of people just think of heading to their local grocery store and grabbing a veggie tray or some fruit, but that can get really old, really fast. I asked Caleb how to apply the “Bring Paleo” principle to one of the trickiest meals for any Paleo eater faces - Thanksgiving - and one of the most anti-Paleo dishes most people can think of - Cornbread dressing - and he was kind enough to share his recipe for Paleo Cornbread and Cornbread Dressing. I only wish that I could bring this to my Thanksgiving this year, but I’m down for salad this time and I don’t want to upset the apple cart.
Paleo Cornbread
Yield - 30 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond butter
- 8 oz coconut oil, melted
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 2 tsp honey
- 8 cups almost flour
- 2.5 Tbsp baking powder
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix all wet ingredients together, set aside
- Mix all dry ingredients together, set aside
- Combine wet and dry ingredients
- Spread evenly into a greased sheet pan
- Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and a knife comes out clean when inserted
To make breadcrumbs, crumble the cornbread into small chunks and place on a sheet pan in a 250 degree over until completely dry, or leave out on the counter for a few days until dry.
To make honey cornbread, add 8 oz honey to the wet ingredients.
Paleo Cornbread Dressing
Yield - 30 servings
Ingredients
- 1 sheet pan of cornbread breadcrumbs
- 1 pound of ghee
- 8 cups celery, chopped
- 4 onions, chopped
- 4 quarts chicken stock
- 4 tsp salt
- 4 tsp black pepper
- 4 tsp sage
- 20 eggs, beaten
Instructions
- Melt ghee in a large skillet over medium heat
- Add onions and celery and cook until onion is transparent
- Pour the vegetable mixture over the cornbread and mix well
- Add the stock and sage to the mixture
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Add in the beaten eggs and mix well
- Pour mixture into greased sheet pan and spread evenly
- Bake at 325 degress for 45 minutes or until knife comes out clean
YES, this recipe makes an insane amount of dressing, because people tend to invite an insane amount of guests to their holiday meals. If your party is smaller, this recipe can be scaled down.
Diana Alt is the Marketing Director for Evolve PPC. She hasn’t made a full Thanksgiving dinner very many times, but knows the difference between stuffing and dressing, which is more than a lot of people can say. In case you don’t know, stuffing goes inside a bird. Dressing does not.It’s that time of year where we all try to trick ourselves into believing that this time, we are actually
going to be a Paleo Zealot for the next month and a half of parties, dinners, happy hours, and family gatherings. We tell ourselves this every year, and more than a few of us fail every year - I am at the front of that line. Not even Superman can avoid those cream cheese laden holiday cookies. So the question becomes, what are some REALISTIC ways that we can stay Paleo through the holidays? We all need some real solutions because let’s be honest, the advice to “always host the party” or “eat before you go to a party” is bullcrap and a cop-out, and we all know it.
Here are some practical, no bologna tips for staying Paleo during the holidays, as well as some just plain good thoughts that will make your holiday better, and you a lot more fun to be around….
- Admit from the get-go that you are not perfect. This is not an admission of guilt, but more of a freedom you are giving yourself. You will drop the Paleo ball and it is ok. You will not die. Just understand the difference between dropping the ball occasionally and not trying at all. Eating a pack of red and green M&M’s during the afternoon holiday party at work is dropping the ball. Eaten them every day is not trying.
- Figure out now what compromises you are and are not willing to make. If wheat kills you, but sugar doesn’t affect you too much, then maybe when you are faced with an office party filled with cookies and candy, you do the candy.
- Take some time for you. Lots of time. Holidays are stressful, more so than life. Take some time out to focus on you, whether that is Pilates, gym-time, CrossFit, yoga, reflection or quiet reading. In short, remember what takes you to your “happy place” and make sure you visit there often.
- Plan ahead. This is the hardest thing to do. Stop. Figure out where you are going and what is going to be there, and make a plan before you go. For example “I am only going to eat the little smokies and vegetable tray” or “Life without a piece of Aunt Marge’s pumpkin pie is not worth living.” Whatever your plan is, remember the immortal words of Nike - Just Do It. No excuses.
- Bring Paleo. If the dish you are bringing to the party isn’t Paleo, then expect there to be nothing there to be Paleo. Duh… Fruit tray, vegetable tray, mashed rutabagas, turkey…..that’s all caveman, no question.
- Follow the 2/3 rule. This is a great technique when you are faced with some non-Paleo holiday favorites and don’t want to completely deprive yourself. Fill your plate with 2/3 Paleo foods and 1/3 non-Paleo treats. This provides a great balance and 1/3 of your plate ought to be just about enough room for the aforementioned pumpkin pie by Aunt Marge.
- Holiday dinners are easy to eat Paleo. It generally is not a matter of “What can I eat” it is a matter of “What CAN’T I eat.” Turkey, vegetables, fruit platters, homemade gravy and mashed potatoes (if this is you). My family is probably the worst offenders when it comes to lack to vegetables and I can still eat Paleo at the main holiday meal, and so can you.
- Give thanks for your family. Even when it feels they might be trying to sabotage your efforts by bringing you another slice of that irresistible cake or helping of cornbread dressing, remember they are most likely trying to show you they love you through these offerings. Love them for it, because they are probably the only family you will get.
- Eat out for Thanksgiving. Eating out can be the biggest Paleo blessing. You will not offend Granny by not eating her marshmallow salad when everyone eats at Denny’s. Avoid the “Thanksgiving” dinner when you go out. Order off the regular menu. It is way easier to pick through what is in that than to stick to your Paleo plan ordering off the special menu.
- Make it a team effort. If you have a Paleo buddy, you can help each other stay on the right path. Either that or you will not feel as guilty when you both cheat… Just sayin’.
- Last but not least, eat at home before you go. You may be saying “Now wait just a darned minute, Caleb, didn’t you just say at the beginning of this article that that the advice to eat before the party is a BS cop-out?” And, yes, I sure did say it was a cop-out – because most people just toss off this advice without thinking it and without understanding why this advice works. If you are full before the party, or at the very least not starving, it is less likely you will cheat at the party. It is highly likely that you will be exponentially less fun.
I’m not going to pretend that staying Paleo throughout the holiday season is the easiest thing you will do – it’s not. It can be very difficult. But if you adopt the same no-excuses attitude that led you to success with the Paleo lifestyle the rest of the year and use some of the tips above, you can start 2014 healthier than you are today.
Live Paleo,
Caleb
Caleb Summers is Chef Owner for Evolve Paleo. When holiday celebrations roll around, Chef Caleb rarely eats before the party, preferring to fill 2/3 of his plate with turkey, green bean casserole, and sweet potato casserole and 1/3 of his plate with apple pie, Cool Whip, and other things that would make a caveman cry. Or drool. We’re not really sure which.
Oct 23
Why I Became a Cavegirl
I’m sure some of you are thinking “Why is Caleb posting pictures of strange women on his blog?” There is a perfectly
good reason - I’m one of the newest members of the Evolve team. My name is Diana Alt, and I’m the new Marketing Director for Evolve. Now, that may sound very fancy-pants, but what it really means is that I’m helping organize Caleb so he can spend less time worrying about writing clever newsletters reminding all of you that yes, we really DO need you to order by midnight on Thursday and more time expanding Evolve to reach more customers and provide more products and services for healthy eating in our area. This isn’t my full-time gig - I call working for Evolve my “play job” because it’s such fun. My full-time day job is working as an account manager for a marketing services firm, and I also have a background in IT.
So how in the world did I end up at Evolve? Well, I started as a client. I was going through an extremely busy and personally difficult time, and something needed to give. It’s a lot easier to outsource cooking than it is to outsource a lot of other things, so when one of my coaches at CrossFit On Track suggested Evolve, I decided to give it a whirl. After just a week or so, I thought I’d probably never cook again, and a few weeks later I was wishing I had started the company myself - even though I am wholly unqualified to do much of anything in a commercial kitchen. (So far, they let me help make Paleo Balls if I want, but that’s about it.) One Sunday, about 6 weeks or so after I started ordering from Evolve, Caleb showed up on my doorstep with my order. My Evolve fangirl switch turned on, to the point I basically told him “I’M YOUR BIGGEST FAN,” like you’d expect out of a 13 year old girl at a Justin Bieber VIP meet-and-greet. After the starstruck feeling wore off, I started sharing some of my ideas about how Evolve should evolve (ha.ha. see what i did there?) and eventually we worked out a way for me to use my talents to help Evolve. I’m almost giddily glad to be part of this organization - to the point that when I got a call from a headhunter last week asking me if I was interested in a different day job, I had him checking the Evolve site and considering an order by the time we got off the phone.
Anyway, I thought it would be worthwhile to share with all of you how I came to eat Paleo/identify as a cavegirl. In the fall of 2009, I was a health disaster waiting to happen. I weighed 277 pounds, and had spent a few months dealing with the serious illness and eventual death of my husband. If there was ever a wake up call to start taking care of yourself, this was it. I realized that my husband didn’t have a speck of control over getting brain cancer, and that continuing to abuse my body with inactivity, stress, and too much bad food was disrespectful to him. I decided to do something about it. It was hard to figure out how to make a lasting change - I grew up in a household with loving parents who worked hard, but it was academic, church, and musical pursuits that were valued in my home, not athletic ones. And while my parents had the capability to cook nutritious and healthy meals, too often they didn’t do so because they were busy taking care of other matters. It took a toll on their health. My parents were always heavy. My father had his first heart attack in his 50s and learned he was diabetic at that time, but he never took proper care of himself and ended up having two more heart attacks, including the one that killed him at 72. My mother is in better shape, but she is also diabetic and has high blood pressure. I have seen her diet improve the last few years but still - too many years of all our lives were spent treating our bodies like crap rather than treating them as the temple for our souls.
In December 2009, just 6 weeks after I lost my husband, I started Weight Watchers - I was determined to eat regular food, and was not interested in joining a weight loss program that would send me pre-packaged food that was carefully calorie controlled but full of a bunch of preservatives and other ingredients I can’t pronounce. A month or so later, I joined a gym and started working out twice a week with a personal trainer, and eventually more often on my own. My work with personal trainers in the gym turned into joining a CrossFit box in the spring of 2012, and since everyone knows the only non-Paleo thing that a lot of CrossFitters like to consume is Kool-Aid, it wasn’t too long before I was introduced to the Paleo diet. I joined a Paleo Challenge at the box the summer of 2012, and to be perfectly honest, I completely hated it. We were doing really strict Paleo 95% of the time, and I was also working out a lot. Because I was so new to it, I didn’t know how to properly fuel myself to balance my weight loss goals with proper fueling for exercise. I completed the challenge, but only barely, and decided that I wasn’t going to do THAT again anytime soon. That fall, I went back to counting calories but still eating a quasi-Paleo diet (I’d say I was 75-80% Paleo) and found myself losing again and feeling good with most of my workouts. From that point forward, I’ve pretty much been a Cavegirl, with a few breaks here and there due to vacations, work stress, or getting the case of I Just Don’t Want To. Even with the breaks though, my health is so much better. My doctor is VERY pleased with the changes he’s seen on the scale and in my blood work the last year and a half, and I am pleased to say I’ve lost over 60 pounds since the December 2009. I’ve also noticed improvements in my athletic performance, and my skin and hair look and feel better. The last several months have been a struggle for me - I’ve been dealing with a herniated disk for quite some time, which has significantly curtailed my exercise regimen, and have actually put on about 7 pounds since March of this year. But you know what? I feel better when I eat Paleo, and I definitely look leaner. Every time I see someone I haven’t seen in a while - even those who saw me at my lowest weight in March - I am told that I look like I’ve lost more weight. I have to give the credit to eating whole, healthy foods - no other option, especially considering I haven’t picked up a barbell for months except to bench press once or twice a week.
One of my few regrets in life is that I didn’t learn about how and why to take care of my body through good diet and exercise until I was in my 30s. I’m looking forward to using the next years of my life helping other people of all ages understand it - including all of Evolve’s friends and clients.
Diana Alt is Marketing Director and Cavegirl In Chief for Evolve PPC. When she isn’t busy with her day job, her spa and massage business, and Evolve, she keeps a blog at www.sincerelydianablog.com. To reach Diana, email [email protected].
Oct 10
Eating Paleo in Kansas City
I Know I Should Eat Paleo…But How Do I Really Get Started?
Oct 10
Wet Noodle Poll
Inquiring minds want to know…
What is your favorite kind of Paleo noodle?
Click here to take the Wet Noodle Poll!
1.Can an Oreo eaten with pleasure be healthier than broccoli eaten with disgust (stress)?
2.How much does stress and lifestyle play into our health?
3.Can we actually have too much of a good thing in the same way that having too much of bad things have adverse affects on our health?
Okay, lets start here and I am sure more questions will pop as up as we are talking. We all know that Oreos are not a health food. They are, however super delicious, especially their creamy filling. I personally like the filling more than the cookie, I definitely fall into that camp. If you know me, you will know that I do not like chocolate, I am that guy. But I LOVE Oreo. I do not think they are made of chocolate, just yummy, crack-like goodness. So can an Oreos be healthy? If I eat one Oreo is that bad for me? Will that have detrimental effects on my health? I would have to say no. I think that me loving Oreos the way I do, and with the pleasure that I get from Oreos, I cannot think that one Oreo will do me harm. Much in the same way, what if I do not like broccoli? (I do, but let’s say for conversation sake that I do not.) Does one piece of broccoli will do me good. Will I get health benefits from one piece of broccoli? I doubt it. I think we can all agree that broccoli is more healthy than Oreos, so why will one piece of broccoli not make me healthier and conversely one Oreo will not do me harm, and may actually be healthy? I think this is because of lifestyle (stress).
Stress plays a large factor in our health. Someone said that health is 80% diet, 10% lifestyle (stress, sleep) and 10% exercise. Now I think that may be a little off (especially if you ask a trainer), but I think we can get a general idea. If stress plays as important (or close) of a role as exercise, then even if you were eating perfectly and working out like you should, you still cannot hit optimal health. And I think we all know that deep down. So how does that relate to broccoli and Oreos? If our goal is 90% health, then you have a 10% room for error in your food category, but only a 1% room for error in your stress category. So what does this mean? My thinking, as long as you are living a happy, exercise filled life you can afford an Oreo, as long as you are not having any stress about it. Once you start to stress about the Oreo and its adverse effects on you, then you probably should not be eating it.
Now, this is not a license to eat Oreos all day as long as you are happy about it. After all, too much of a good thing is still too much. Take water for example. Water is absolutely essential to a healthy lifestyle. You need water, and while you can surely dehydrate, you also can over hydrate. I saw this a lot in basic training. It was summer in Fort Sill, Oklahoma - pretty much the arm pit of the US. While there were a lot of Soldiers dehydrating, there were just as many over hydrating and that is just as bad. Too many “happy Oreos” are just as bad too much sleep, too much exercise, too much water.
So go out, live stress free and have a cookie. In fact, if you ordered food this week, we made cookies! And these are not as bad for you as Oreos!
-Caleb
So, for those that do not know me well you probably didn’t know (or maybe you did) that I work like 80 hours a week. I am what the world likes to call a workaholic. Much to the dismay of Jason, may partner, who by the way is a what I like an “advanced workaholic” meaning he works much smarter than I do. He can get his weekly task list done and still have three days leftover to do whatever he wants to. I have not figured out how to do that, largely because I am unorganized. If it were not for the last minute, I wouldn’t get anything done. I think he has every bit of work to do, but seems to organize it much better thus getting it done faster. Anyway, I digress; Even though I am a workaholic I understand the need for an unwinding time; a stress-free segment of my week. It is my Sabbath. Sunday is that time. Work starts at 8am for the staff and Sunday is the one day I do not work with them until 10-11am. I like to have my woo-saw moment before I see all the clients, I feel it makes for a better interaction. I get up and I leave the house and usually go to Starbucks, there is one about two blocks away (actually there are 2 within a few blocks), its one of the reasons we moved into our house (sad?).
On my two hour hiatus from the world, I get to read, or surf the web or just sit with this blank look on my face. I’m pretty sure some folks are a little weirded out by the blank two-hour stare. My favorite thing to do is read novels, usually John Grisham novels. I think he is brilliant and the books are typically fast moving, which is my style.
Today on the other hand, I brought my computer because I wanted to answer a thought I have had for some time. We started Evolve as a hobby ( I think even a year ago my hobby didn’t even have a name). We started from our house and in the first year it has exploded to what it is today. At the time I worked at a steakhouse and was pretty ok with my job (pay was a little low for J and I, but it worked fine.) We started with the goal of just being able to cook for a few people, to help them see that there is a much better way to eat than what they currently were. Our first clients all came to us with one goal in mind, to lose some weight. It was this goal that made the Paleo diet so attractive to us and our small client lists. Most of the clients in the beginning did not know what the Paleo diet even was. But what they did know is that they were losing weight with the food. It was exciting and fascinating all at the same time. I knew I did really well on it, but it was cool to see before our eyes everyone else’s success.
So I thought this Paleo thing is amazing. We abruptly started demonizing all grains, pulling the reigns on corn and potatoes, instituted prohibition again, and turned up our nose at all things dairy (dairy for good reason, I became lactose intolerant.) We have operated like this, albeit with limited success for a year. The company has grown, we have gotten more followers and everyone seems happy.
*side note, some van just parked in the handicap spot outside of Starbucks, and a woman leaped forth. Pet peeve of mine, if you are not handicapped, don’t park there**
But what if food is more than nutritional, what if food is emotional or communal? What if it is MORE important who we have food with or the mental state at which time we eat than the ACTUAL food we eat. Does it do any good to eat nutritious food if we are in a stressed state? It is better to eat lower nutritious food in a calmer, stress free state or higher nutritious food in frazzled, workaholic, see-how-fast-we-can-live-life state?
The reason this line of questions pops up in this. Jason is a much less stressed person than I am (or if he isn’t, he controls it better.) But he doesn’t gain any weight by eating less than stellar food. Where if I eat less than Paleo, I balloon up like an “I love you” balloon at Valentines Day. We have always blamed it on metabolism, but that may not be true. Because when he has had boards or exams, this will be the only time he gains.
I just read a book by Jim Collins and he said this about questions. Don’t try to come up with all the right answers, just ask the right questions. What if food is is more about our surroundings and less about the nutrition content? Is it better to eat good or get all the required sleep. Should I stay up all night and make my food for all week or go to sleep and grab a Chipotle burrito? Food for thought…
It’s what is on the side that matters.
Who knew we would be in the condiment business?
So as I sit at Starbucks drinking my morning coffee (yes, black coffee is Paleo), I am thinking what can I write about? Last week I wrote about alot of changes happening at Evolve. I wrote about how there are some things that won’t change. I remember back to the old days (1 year ago) when we started Evolve, how we were just making our way through the ins and outs of Paleo cuisine. We have learned SO much this year.
As a chef, my goal is to make delicious food, to push the boundary of what we can do, find new ingredients to do it with and to put together the world’s best Paleo food. One of the things I am most proud of, in this year, is our side items. Did you know we have more side items than every other meal service in KC, and they are ALL Paleo. We have developed the very first (that I know of) Paleo Ranch, Paleo Sour Cream, the first (good) Paleo Ketchup, we have Honey Mustard, Caesar, Mayonnaise, BBQ Sauce, and Avocado dressing.. Also, let’s not forget Paleo Balls and trail mix.
It is crazy to think that in one year we have broke so many molds, we are plowing forward in the hopes of becoming the country’s premier Paleo food company. We love our clients, and are so grateful for everything they have allowed us to do. We are looking forward to many more great years!
If you have not tried any of our dressings or sides, this is a great way to eat Paleo when you’re creating your own meals. Check them out. In addition to our normal pantry items, we will be bottling some BBQ sauce. If you want some, just order ketchup and write in the modification section that you want BBQ sauce.
