This Mama Has Gone Primal

Hello my friends, it's been a while!
So I'm here to catch you up on all that's been happening in our lives, and one of our biggest changes is that we, have gone primal.
Now with a 2 year old things don't get much more primal than that, she likes to drag dolls around by their hair, eat food foraged from under the couch, and hit things repeatedly with anything that resembles a club; but actually I'm talking about the Primal diet, also known as Paleo, Ancestral or even Caveman diet.

The decision to start eating this way really came after my darling hubby's dr. appt, and we decided some of our dietary habits needed to change now.
I did the research - I looked into GAPS, Atkins, Clean Eating, G.I. - you name it.
But then I came to Paleo, and read "The Paleo Diet Solution" by Robb Wolf, and my first thought was: Yeah, right!!!

However, I was intrigued by the 'no wheat' aspect, as I had just finished reading "Wheat Belly" by William Davis and dug a little deeper.
After talking it over with Hubs we decided: Weeellll, why don't we try it? Just until your next Dr. appt...
Doc had been strict about impressing how weight needed to be lost, blood pressure needed to go down and activity needed to be increased.
The follow-up appointment was further coercing....err...incentive to make some changes ASAP.

So without further ado, we waved goodbye to wheat, sugar, most dairy, bad fats, legumes, tubers and said hello to high-protein meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, nuts and eggs.

It was quite a rough two weeks, mostly going through the wheat-withdrawal, it caused some seriously grumpiness.
But we were able to get through it, and Hubby especially noticed immediate results. He was telling me he felt he had more energy, wasn't bloated, his gut felt better and his fatigue was much less.

By the time he had his second follow-up appointment, he had lost 15lbs! The doctor made him step on a scale in his office just to confirm this!
I'm not interested in weight-loss, and throughout this entire new regime I have stayed completely steady at my weight of 120lbs. Barely a fluctuation more or less.

And we have not been suffering!
Here's just a couple of meals I've made:

Good 'ol roast chicken with broccoli and cauliflower (potatoes are in the no-no list) which also left me with a wonderful carcass to make bone broth.

Zucchini lasagna (no noodles! and this pic is of it uncooked, there wasn't enough time to take a picture after it came out of the oven, it was AMAZING! Better than regular lasagna!)

Whole30 Chicken in a pot with cabbage:

Even Paleo Pancakes, totally gluten and sugar free, they were delicious and eeeaaaasy!

And here's a little example of what we would have for lunch on any given day:

It really is working out so well for us, and I'm seeing such wonderful results that we're sticking with it!

I'll try to post some more recipes that I've tried and enjoyed later on.

Peace,

What's The Deal With Oil Pulling?

I am a bit of a Pintrest addict. It's become my favourite resource when it comes to recipes, handicrafts and alternative health.
I kept seeing pins about the health benefits of "Oil Pulling." I had no idea what this was (or even the fact that it was for oral/overall health) and curiosity got the best of me.
I learned that oil pulling is taking about a tablespoon of organic, cold-pressed, unrefined oil and swishing it around in your mouth for 15-20 minutes.
The oil, I read, could be Sunflower, Sesame or Coconut. At least these were the most popular options.
What really sold me on it was the benefits of oil-pulling daily
Oilpulling.com lists these following conditions as most frequently responding to by Oil Pulling:

• Acne
• Allergies
• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Back and Neck Pain
• Bad Breath
• Bronchitis
• Chronic Fatigue
• Colitis
• Crohn’s Disease
• Constipation
• Dental Cavities
• Dermatitis
• Diabetes
• Eczema
• Hemorrhoids
• Hypertension
• Insomnia
• Migraine Headaches
• Mucous Congestion
• Peptic Ulcers
• PMS
• Periodontal Disease
• Bleeding Gums
• Sinusitis
• Tooth Abscess

Now I'm most excited about it's oral benefits like reducing plaque and gingivitis, reducing cavities, reduces harmful bacteria in the mouth, and oil pulling with Coconut oil reduces mouth bacteria.
It's also well known for naturally whitening and brightening teeth.

So I will be doing a 2 week experiment of oil pulling daily to see if it makes any noticeable difference to my oral or general health.
I decided to use Coconut oil as that's what I had on hand, and I don't mind the taste of Coconut.
Truth be told the swishing and sucking it back and forth between my teeth did make my cheeks a little sore, but you don't have to be swishing vigorously for the whole 15-20 minutes. 
After I spat (NEVER SWALLOW - the oil will now contain bacteria and toxins you've lifted from inside your mouth, the last thing you'd want to do is ingest it.)  I simply rinsed with water. 
My teeth immediately felt cleaner and smooth. They felt like I had just had a cleaning at the dentist, and I noticed my breath did not smell at all.

Some people recommend you do it first thing in the morning (or in the shower) I can try, but the best time I've found it when my little one naps in the afternoon. It's beneficial no matter when in the day you Oil Pull, and is great to do just before bed.

I will post an update in 2 weeks about any differences I've noticed, until then, keep smiling!

Peace,