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Greetings!
 Yup, you read that email subject line right. This month I'm talking about what you'd never expect - MEAT! What's gotten into me you ask? I can't take it anymore...I'm going back to eating a carnivorous diet.
I tease! You know me better than that. Meat never has and most likely never will agree with me (mentally, emotionally, spiritually and most of all physically). However, our bodies are constantly changing. As much as I love my dairy-free vegetarian diet, I also know to honor the needs of these changes in my body and be willing to make some tweaks along the way to better my health. So, I'm considering adding in a little fish here and there. But flirting with the idea of pescetarianism (the practice of a diet that includes seafood but not the flesh of other animals) is not as easy as it sounds for me - being the health conscious yogi and healthy chick I am. So, I've been doing plenty of research on what the best fish out there is and what the healthiest way to prepare it is. I'm happy to share this information with you and hope you find it to be beneficial. Please pass along my newsletter with this information to other fish eaters that you know. We'll see how possibly adding a little fish here and there will do for me but in the meantime my heart will always belong to tofu & veggies!
If you're a fish eater, please, for the health of you and your family, check out this video and download these handouts:
Video of Dr. Andrew Weil on Good & Bad Fish
PDF: The Healthiest Fish by Dr. Andrew WeilPDF: Which Fish Have the Most Mercury**For those of you who are wondering, "why is she talking about fish and meat in the same context?" I get this question, like, all the time: Me - "I'm a vegetarian." Lots of people, if not most - "So do you eat fish?" To clarify, fish is meat. Fish is the flesh of an animal, and the flesh of ANY animal is meat. When changes happen in your body, do you address them with food or lifestyle tweaks? Give it a try sometime, you'd be surprised at the results. All symptoms of dysfunctions and illness of the body are indications of diet & lifestyle problems or imbalance until proven otherwise. Yep. Reread that sentence and take a moment to think deeply about it.
I appreciate being able to share my newsletter with you. Feel free to pass this along to anyone you feel may be interested. Wishing you health & happiness!
Namaste,
Lauren Forney, HHC, RYT
Holistic Health Coach
Registered Yoga Teacher
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Eat Like A Caveman 
The Paleo Diet
In recent months, I've taken more of an interest in the Paleo diet. Not necessarily for myself, but rather for information about another growing and popular diet that seems to be healing and helping so many people. The Paleo Diet mimics the types of foods every single person on the planet ate prior to the Agricultural Revolution (a mere 500 generations ago). These foods (fresh organic fruits, vegetables, lean (organic/free range) meats, and seafood) are high in the beneficial nutrients (soluble fiber, antioxidant vitamins, phytochemicals, omega-3 and monounsaturated fats, and low-glycemic carbohydrates) that promote good health and are low in the foods and nutrients (refined sugars and grains, dairy products, saturated and trans fats, salt, high-glycemic carbohydrates, and processed foods) that frequently may cause weight gain, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and numerous other health problems. The Paleo Diet encourages dieters to replace dairy and grain products with fresh fruits and vegetables -- foods that are more nutritious than whole grains, potatoes or dairy products. So basically, it's a whole foods diet that allows plenty of plants and a small, lean portion of high quality (organic, free range or game) meat. FYI: A portion of meat is approximately 3 ounces, roughly the size of your palm. The Paleo Diet encourages people to skip meals occasionally as cavemen did because food wasn't always available, so our bodies have adapted to periodic mini-starvation periods. Some carnivorous diet followers fast for a day or more at a time, ending them with a large meal, to reflect the type of stress cavemen endured by hunting on empty stomachs.
The Paleo diet may sound like a full blown meat-eating diet, but it's actually how we should be consuming meat (if we choose to do so). Think of your plate and the sizes of portions on it. Unfortunately, the US has this idea that meat must take up a HUGE section of our plate leaving a mere spot or two for a little starch and some (most likely overcooked or butter-laden) vegetables. In reality, our plates should be LOADED with colorful vegetables, some whole grains (although not in a Paleo diet) and only a small portion of meat (size of meat depends on the size of your palm and needs). What I also really dig about the Paleo diet is how it goes beyond your plate. Daily exercise (types of exercise Paleolithic hunter-gatherers probably performed: a variety of quick, brief movements for short periods of time throughout the day), oodles of water drinking, chewing your food very well and getting plenty of rest is KEY to following this lifestyle.
Proponents of the Paleo Diet cite the benefits as: - reducing inflammation in the body
- increasing energy levels
- maintaining a healthy metabolic rate
- minimizing risk of stroke, heart disease and diabetes
- much, much more.
The diet proposes a meal plan that is high in natural foods and removes all processed foods. Yippee!
Want to learn more? I'm loving the information on the main page of Robb Wolf's website (besides his comment that it is the ONLY nutritional approach that works with your genetics) and also on this awesome article by the Paleoista on Well & Good NYC (her website rocks and is loaded with some really amazing recipes!). I just purchased a Paleo cookbook (for all of the yummy plant-based recipes!) from the Food Lovers: Make it Paleo. Be sure to check out the Paleo food list here.
Still wondering what it's all about? Consider a day in the life of a caveman...lots of exercise, exposure to sunlight, an abundance of fresh veggies grown straight from the ground, nuts and seeds from gathering, and the occasional kill when they were lucky which means some meat. It's plain and simple - a primal diet!
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Ginger Broiled Salmon
 5 mins prep, 10 minutes cook, 2 servings
I'm not going to lie - I did not take this picture to the right because I haven't made this recipe. As of now I've maintained a vegetarian kitchen so I'm taking baby steps to start preparing fish. For now and probably always, the boyfriend will be in charge of preparing fishy food! Either way, this sounds simple and amazing, doesn't it?!
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoons organic umeboshi plum vinegar
2 4-ounce wild salmon fillets
Directions:
Make marinade my combining oil, water, ginger and vinegar.
Place fish in a shallow baking dish, cover with marinade, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat broiler.
Broil fish skin side down for 6-8 minutes.
Baste with remaining marinade once or twice while broiling.
Use any remaining marinade as a sauce and serve.
Benefits of Ume Plum Vinegar:
Organic Ume Plum Vinegar is the salted brine that results from fermenting sour ume plums in saltwater and perilla, or shiso leaves. This delicious condiments is a traditional food in China and Japan, valued for centuries for its medicinal qualities. Use the vinegar as a beneficial condiment or seasoning. It can replace other vinegars in salad dressing, soups and other dishes. However, it is very high in salt, so reduce or eliminate other salts when using it in recipes.
Ume vinegar is a traditional digestive aid. Its sour and salty taste stimulates the production of saliva and stomach acids, which in turn help the body to break down and assimilate the nutrients in the food. Try it as a condiment on soups, stews, vegetable and grain dishes to absorb more nutrition and eliminate indigestion. The organic acids in organic ume vinegar help the body to maintain the optimal pH balance. Although the vinegar itself is acid, its effect on the body is alkalizing. The typical modern diet--high in processed, sweetened and animal foods--causes acidity in the body resulting in cell damage and creating the conditions for illness and fatigue. Ume plum vinegar strengthens the body and immune system by removing lactic acid. Lactic acid build up is caused by natural body processes and especially stressful situations. Lactic acid contributes to fatigue, chronic illness, colds, flu, weakness and stiffness in the muscles.
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Do you want
your recipe featured on
CYH's blog?
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Do you have a favorite recipe that you'd like to share with others? Please consider sharing it with me and my blog for all to enjoy! Here's how:
1. Shoot me an email (lauren@centeryourhealth.net) including all ingredients, directions and any notes.
2. Include a killer photo of the dish, or you preparing and/or enjoying it. The more photos the better, especially when you're in it!
3. A brief description about the recipe...how you created it (or came to love it if it's someone else's), why you love it and want to share it with others. Anything else you'd like to share about you, your website, etc. Thank you!
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Please submit your recipe, photographs and links (if applicable) to lauren@centeryourhealth.net
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