Author: Ken Pledger

My takeaways from the movie “Origins”

 

Modern man, Homo sapiens, migrated from the Southwestern tip of Africa with the retreat of ice. His digestive system and body evolved by consuming wild and nutrient dense food taken from nature. What sets him apart from other animals was his use of fire, which helped him to unlock greater nutrition and grow a larger brain.

Russian chemical plantToday’s environment is very different. The U.S. produces or imports billions of pounds of chemicals per day. These chemicals are found in the air we breathe, the food we eat, the cosmetics we apply, the household products we handle, the plastics we use, and are even found in the blood of the umbilical cord of unborn children. Air pollution, a carcinogen, will become the leading cause of death by the year 2050. Our bodies are not evolved to handle these chemicals.

Depositphotos_36463319_mEarth is an ecosystem of life and we are a part of that system. Our gut, like the root system of a tree, provides the nutrients our body needs to thrive. Our gut is our inner ecosystem consisted of many more bacterial cells than human cells. Some of these bacterial cells help us by unlocking the nutrients our bodies need from the food we eat. A lack of bacterial cell diversity is the reason for our current obesity epidemic and type 2 diabetes. We unknowingly may have disrupted that diversity through the use of antibiotics which indiscriminately kills the bacteria. As stated in the movie, “health starts in the gut.”

Farming tractor plowing and sprayingInflammation is the common denominator for autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease, Lyme disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and many more. “Within the first six meters of our intestines, lies about 70% of our immune system.” This system helps our bodies identify what is friend or foe. The food additives, found in the new foods we consume, are not recognizable by our bodies, and thus create a potential for chronic inflammation. Even the wheat grain, found in breads and pasta, has been modified in recent years; therefore, unrecognizable by the immune system. Environmental toxins and unnatural foods are hurting our bodies. The movie suggest that “we are ancient beings living in a modern world.”

Organic agriculture and pasture raised beef provides a better food source, as it more closely simulates what we were designed to eat. Some folks are returning to the “traditional family farm” and working with nature to produce healthier food. We can support these farms by “voting with our forks” several times per day to change how our food is raised. Good food should be considered our first defense in health care.

**All quotes were taken from the movie.**

Click here to return to the post on grounding.

Click here to return to the post on inflammation.

If you would like to share your comments about the movie or this post, then please contact me at myorigins@kenpledger.com or leave a comment below.

If you found the information helpful, please share with your friends and family.

The Movie “Origins”

I recently came across a movie that summarizes beautifully the principles I have learned regarding nutrition and health.  The movie can be viewed by clicking on the following: origins.well.org/movie .  I welcome your comments regarding the movie or any questions you may have about nutrition.

For my next post, I will share some of my takeaways I received from watching the movie.

Click here to return to the Home Page.

Three Cs – Cocoa, Coffee, Chili

Three Cs – Cocoa, Coffee, Chili:

By: Victoria Wren

Servings: 10 (at least!)

Ingredients:
1600g ground beef
140g chopped bacon
2 red onions
5 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tins chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 tablespoons pure cocoa powder
2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons mild chilli powder
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon extra hot chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions: Chop up the red onion and bacon into small bits.

In a very large pot, throw the olive oil, bacon, crushed garlic and onion and cook slowly until the onion is translucent and the bacon more or less cooked.

Toss in the ground beef and brown it. While it’s browning, measure the rest of the dry ingredients in a bowl: cocoa powder, coffee granules, chilli powder (both mild and hot), cumin, paprika, oregano, sea salt and black pepper.

Add this mixture to the pot and stir well. Then add your chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and balsamic vinegar.

Let this cook for a good half hour or preferably more on a slow, low heat. Even better, cook the day before and then reheat and serve the following day!

Notes: This makes a HUGE batch of chilli and is perfect for freezing!

three c chili

Source: So Good Paleo

Flourless Mocha-Bacon Brownies

4 ounces dark chocolate (I used 85%, but those make very dark chocolate tasting brownies)
½ cup butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled*
½ cup pure maple syrup (grade B is the best)
3 eggs
½ cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons very strong coffee
2 tablespoons fine coffee grinds
2 slices baked bacon, chopped

(*this recipe didn’t have a ton of bacon flavor – I might try replacing half the fat in this recipe with reserved bacon fat next time to up the bacon flavor)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the melted dark chocolate, butter or oil (or fat), pure maple syrup, and eggs. Slowly sift the cocoa powder over the wet ingredients, whisking it evenly. Add the strong coffee and the coffee grinds and stir until well combined.

Line a 9×9 inch square pan with parchment paper and fill the pan with the brownie batter. Top the batter with the chopped bacon pieces and bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean

Source: So Good Paleo

Perfect Paleo Pancakes

by ThePaleoMom

These hotcake-style pancakes were a serendipitous accident.  I was working on a crepe recipe (which I will be posting soon!) and my first attempt was not crepe-like at all, but a light fluffy and delicious, if maybe a little too thin, pancake.  Once my crepe recipe was perfected, my next priority became to take a step backward and see if I could thicken up the first batter variation to make an even better pancake.  The results were more marvelous than I could have hoped for.  These pancakes are awesome.

One of the biggest complaints about paleo pancakes is that they are difficult to flip.  Because almond flour batters don’t hold together very well, you have to make small 2-3” diameter pancakes that also take an eternity to cook.  Coconut-flour pancakes hold together marginally better, but many people don’t like either the texture or the flavor (including me) and they still take 15-20 minutes to cook over low heat so they don’t burn on the outside before cooking on the inside.  Paleo pancakes also tend to be very dense.  I have tried 7 or 8 different paleo pancake recipes from other blogs, looking for one that works or was at least close enough to use as a base to experiment with.  I never found one I liked… until now!

These plantain-based pancakes are not dense; instead they are so light and fluffy.  They cook quickly (about 6 minutes total, which is comparable to traditional pancakes).  They are so easy to flip that you can make them as big as your pan (I made mine 5-6” in diameter) or as small and dainty as you like.  They also happen to be nut-free (and you can sub any fat you want for the coconut oil to make them coconut free).  See my recipe for plantain crackers for tips on picking and storing green plantains.

What can you top these with?  My kids love maple syrup and butter (total shocker, right?), but berries, sliced peaches, sliced bananas, pretty much any sliced fruit would be delicious.  Nuts or a dust of cinnamon would be good additions too!  You could throw some coconut cream on top to be extra decadent (you can buy coconut cream in a box or you can take the thick fatty top part of a can of full fat coconut milk that has been sitting in a cool pantry or refrigerator overnight).  However you choose to dress these pancakes, I hope you enjoy them!  This recipe makes 6 large (5-6”) pancakes.

Perfect Paleo Pancakes

Ingredients:

  1. Peel plantains (I find it easier to quarter them before I peel them) and place pieces in your blender (preferred) or food processor (okay) with the eggs.  Blend to form a smooth batter (if your blender has a smoothie function, that works well here).
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the blender or food processor and process on high for an additional minute (or 2-3 with a food processor to get a really good smooth batter).
  3. Heat 1 Tbsp of coconut oil in a frying pan or on a griddle over medium-high heat.  Pour batter into the frying pan until your pancake is the desired size.
  4. Let cook 4-5 minutes on the first side, until the top looks fairly dry with little bubbles in it (just like regular pancakes!).
  5. Flip!  And cook on the second side for 1½-2minutes.
  6. Repeat with remaining batter, adding a little more coconut oil to your pan as needed.

Chocolate Frozen “Yogurt”

by ThePaleoMom

One of our favorite pre-paleo treats was going to Pinkberry for frozen yogurt.  Although I always enjoyed their original flavor (like sweetened plain yogurt), my husband and kids always preferred chocolate.  One day when I seemed to have a surplus of homemade coconut milk kefir, and since I greatly enjoy experimenting with my Ice Cream Maker, I decided to try my hand at a paleo version of this frozen treat.  It was a resounding success.  Chocolaty, sweet, tangy, creamy, no refined sugars and lots of probiotics!  It’s even GAPS- and SCD- friendly (maintenance phase).

If you are not growing your own coconut milk kefir, I highly encourage you to give it a try.  All you need are milk kefir grains and coconut milk (I like to use my homemade coconut milk).  I have outlined instructions on growing kefir in this post.  The resulting kefir is a delicious addition to smoothies, tastes great poured over berries and can be used to make your own homemade yogurt.  It this seems a little too high maintenance for you, you can buy coconut milk kefir at some alternative grocery stores like Whole Foods (So Delicious brand, labeled “cultured coconut milk beverage”; it does contain some emulsifiers but no grain, dairy or soy products).  Yield 1 ½ quarts.

Another great option for this ice cream recipe is to just use plain full-fat coconut milk.  Then you’ll be making chocolate ice cream instead of frozen yogurt, but it will still be delicious!  This also makes a great pudding if you don’t have an ice cream maker yet.

http://www.thepaleomom.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/IMG_4087.jpg

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup Prunes (about 12 prunes)
  • 1 cup Medjool Dates, pitted (about 10-12 large dates)
  • 2 cups freshly boiled water
  • 3 cups coconut milk kefir
  • ¾ cups Cocoa Powder
  1. Reconstitute the prunes and dates by pouring 2 cups freshly boiled hot water over them and letting them sit until they have cooled to room temperature.
    2. Puree prunes and dates in the water they were reconstituted in in your Blender or Food Processor until a thick, completely smooth puree is made (if it’s too think for your blender, add a little kefir to it to help thin it out).
    3.    Add cocoa powder to prune and date puree and blend until combined.  Add puree to remaining kefir, and stir until combined.
    4.    Refrigerate mixture until cold.
    5.    Place mixture in your Ice Cream Maker and follow the instructions.  Enjoy!

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Shrimp-and-Avocado-Saladby ThePaleoMom

This is probably my favorite dinner salad.  Something about this salad screams summer, refreshing and satisfying all at the same time.  And it tastes better the longer you let the shrimp marinade, so it can be made ahead if you’re expecting company or are like me and have more time to prepare supper in the afternoon (during nap time) than in the evening (when everyone is starving and wants to eat right now).  Serves 2 dinner servings or 4-6 appetizer servings.

Ingredients (Cilantro Dressing/Marinade):

  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix.

Ingredients (Salad):

  • Cilantro dressing
  • 1 lb cooked shrimp, deveined and tail removed
  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 4 cups lettuce or baby greens
  1. Pour cilantro dressing/marinade over shrimp (make sure any excess water is poured off if you are using thawed frozen shrimp).  Stir to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (2 or 3 is better).
    2. Wash and dry lettuce (use a Salad Spinner, paper towel, clean tea towel or just let it sit in a colander).  Divide among plates.
    3.    Cut avocado into bite-size wedges.  Sprinkle over lettuce.
    4.    Top with marinated shrimp and leftover dressing.  Enjoy!

Paleo Granola

by ThePaleoMom

This is another great alternative to eggs for breakfast in the morning.  I also love this granola by itself (like a sweet trail mix) and often find it hard not to grab a handful every time I walk past the jar!  There are lots of different recipes for paleo granola out there.  Mine reflects the tastes of my family, none of whom like dried fruit in their granola.  If you would like to add dried fruit to yours, just mix it in right when you pull the pan out of the oven, then let it cool it the pan.

Paleo Granola

Ingredients:

 

  1. Preheat oven to 300F.  Line a large baking pan with parchment paper.
    2. Mix coconut, nuts and seeds in a big bowl.  Add cinnamon and nutmeg and stir to coat.
    3.    Melt coconut oil and honey on low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave.  Add vanilla.
    4.    Pour coconut oil mixture over nuts and seeds.  Stir to coat.  Pour out onto prepared baking sheet and spread out evenly.
    5.    Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool completely in pan (for larger chunks), then pour into a plastic container or bag for storage.  Extra tasty served with berries and milk alternative of your choice!

Parchment Salmon With Herb Butter

By the

This is a recipe that makes enough herb butter for about 16 portions of fish.  I spoon tablespoons of the herb butter onto a big sheet of tin foil, cover with more tin foil, and freeze until solid.  Then I can put all the little balls of herb butter into a plastic container and use them whenever we have this meal.  This makes for a very fast and convenient supper and I have even been known to stick completely frozen fish in the oven with herb butter on a day where I am too busy to organize supper beforehand.

I usually wrap two salmon fillets together in one “parchment envelope”  You can wrap as many as will fit on your pan in one envelope (or one giant fillet with several spoons of herb butter) or you can wrap each fillet individually… whatever floats your boat.  I actually usually use tinfoil because it’s easier to fold.  A nice alternative presentation of this dish is to wrap individual pieces of fish in parchment and serve with the top of the parchment torn open slightly (which just isn’t as pretty with tinfoil).

For paleo enthusiasts who avoid all dairy, you could try this with coconut oil.  The butter is mostly a vessel for the herbs.  To make this autoimmune protocol-friendly, use coconut oil (or other fat of choice) and omit the pepper.

My toddler LOVES this fish, whether I make it with salmon or trout.  I think toddlers who like fish in non-fishstick form are in the minority, but I am still going to label this Toddler Friendly!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • Rind of a whole lemon, either zested fine or ground in a food processor
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/2 cup fresh dill
  • 1/3 cup fresh parsley
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper, to taste
  • A 6-8oz fillet of salmon or trout per person (larger pieces of fish can work, but adjust cooking time accordingly).

 

1.    Combine lemon zest and herbs in a small food processor and pulse until very finely chopped.
2.    Add herb mix to butter in a bowl and mix with a fork until well combined.
3.    Preheat oven to 350F
4.    Prepare the parchment envelope for the fish.  Place a large sheet of tinfoil or parchment paper on a baking sheet (I actually find tinfoil much easier to use in this recipe).  The parchment paper should measure a little over twice the length of your fish fillets placed side by side.
5.    Place fish on one half of parchment paper, leaving 3-4 inches of space (in addition to one long side) around it for folding parchment paper over.  Spoon a healthy Tablespoon full of herb butter onto each fillet.  Also add approximately 1 Tbsp of water around the fillets.  Fold over long side of parchment paper to cover the fish than triple fold all three open sides to form a seal.
6.    Place in oven (still on baking sheet) and bake for 20 minutes, or until fish is opaque throughout and segments flake apart easily.
7.    Store leftover herb butter in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.