Different Versions

When you start researching the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), it can be a little confusing. Information varies from website to website, because there is no one person in charge of the Paleo Diet. It’s a community, with varied opinions, and it’s constantly evolving. However, there are certain items that are included in every version of the AIP. This is the core autoimmune protocol, which is summarized in the table below. I’ve also gathered together all the optional variations, so read on! Continue reading →

This week I had the honor of writing a guest post for the Paleo Mom. The post is called Paying Attention, and within it, I talk about 3 different ways journals can help you heal: (1) Daily Symptom Tracking Journal (2) Gratitude Journal (3) Let It Out Journal. Click through to her website to read the whole article.

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This post is linked to the following blog carnivals:
Fresh Bites Friday, Whole Food Friday, Sunday School, Natural Living Monday,

Primal: adjective [prīməl]: Meaning – essential, fundamental, relating to an early stage in evolutionary development, primeval. Or in the paleo community – Mark Sisson’s 80/20 rule.

Am I primal? It would be nice to think I’m essential to people who love me, and that I live by certain fundamentals, and who doesn’t love to get in touch with their inner child or howl at the moon? But that last one, the 80/20 rule, is what I covet, and what I can’t have.  What is it, you ask? It simply means that you follow the rules of the paleo diet 80% of the time, and indulge as you see fit with the other 20%. Oh, I’m closing my eyes, imagining that. How wonderful that would be! Dinner with friends? No problem. Not only can they pick the restaurant, they can order for me! Office potluck? Check it out – I can graze instead of eating only the food I brought with me. Popcorn at the movies? Cheese at a wine tasting? Mom’s apple pie? Sign me up! Continue reading →

“In a small but profound way, getting involved with fermenting food in your home is a way to embrace the bacterial allies that are all around us. And rather than getting caught up in the foolish, indiscriminate war on bacteria, we can embrace the bacteria around us and turn them into our physiological allies.”
~ Sandor Ellix Katz

Continue reading →

“I do not want the peace which passeth understanding.
I want the understanding which bringeth peace. ” ~ Helen Keller

The Search

Finding a healthcare team that understands “food is medicine” can be as hard as finding Waldo in the famous children’s book series. Thankfully, there are a growing number of directories to help: Continue reading →

“My childhood may be over, but that doesn’t mean playtime is.”
~ Ron Olson

Food for Your Inner Child (and your Health)

What other food brings you back to childhood as quickly as jello? It’s wacky, wild and wiggly! And if you make it yourself, it’s also good for you – a far cry from the store-bought version. Check out the difference:

• Store-bought Jello Ingredients: Sugar, Gelatin, Adipic Acid, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Fumaric Acid, Tannic Acid, Red 40, Blue 2.
• Homemade Jello Ingredients: Organic Juice, Grass-fed Gelatin

Continue reading →

“When there is pain, there are no words.” ~ Toni Morrison

Speaking Out

When I see a paleo blogger expand the autoimmune protocol to prohibit NSAIDs, my blood pressure spikes. When I read yet another article on how NSAIDs will kill you, I get angry. Why? Because I have experienced excruciating pain, when NSAIDs didn’t feel like a choice, so much as a means to survive.

Then, I take a deep breath, calm myself down and remember that I also love these bloggers. Like me, they offer their blogs to the public for free, with a heartfelt desire to help people. Mainstream Americans often take medication without thinking, believing that if something is sold over-the-counter, it’s harmless. Healthy living websites simply want to educate people about the risks.

My concern stems from the fact that people with autoimmune disease aren’t mainstream America. Their lives are much more challenging, and the medical decisions they make aren’t lighthearted at all. Telling them to give up their pain medication increases the burden on someone who is already overwhelmed. Continue reading →

 When you’re on a healing diet, that’s easier said than done. Thankfully, many people have walked this path before us, and were kind enough to light the way: Continue reading →

“Friends are kisses blown to us by angels.” ~ Anonymous

Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid, which is a master gland in the human body. It releases hormones that regulate the function of every other cell, so when it has trouble, the whole body has trouble, and symptoms are wide-ranging. For that reason, Hashimotos is often misdiagnosed. Carrie Vitt, the blogger behind the beautiful website Deliciously Organic, spent a year going from doctor to doctor while her symptoms worsened, before she found help in the form of a great friend, who introduced her to the nutritionist who guided her back to health. Continue reading →

“Organ meats are between 10 and 100 times higher in nutrients than corresponding muscle meats. In fact, you might be surprised to learn that in some traditional cultures, only the organ meats were consumed. The lean muscle meats, which are what we mostly eat in the U.S. today, were discarded or perhaps given to the dogs.”
~ Chris Kresser

Organ Love

All of the healing diets featured on this website emphasize the importance of organ meats, because they are the most nutrient-dense foods we can eat. This is the first installmant in my “organ love” series, where I intend to show that these meats can be as delicious as they are nutritious. Expect more recipes throughout the year, but today I’m starting with the heart, because its taste and texture is very similar to steak. Continue reading →