The Human Body Series: Gut Inflammation

Inflammation is defined by Merriam-Webster as: “a local response to cellular injury that is marked by capillary dilatation, leukocytic infiltration, redness, heat, and pain and that serves as a mechanism initiating the elimination of noxious agents and of damaged tissue.”

Inflammation is detrimental to the human body. Brief episodes can cause tiredness and malaise, while chronic exposure has been linked to diseases such as cancer. Clearly, inflammation is something that we should try to stay clear of if at all possible. Unfortunately, what few people know if that the common diet consumed by most western societies is riddled with foods that promote inflammation in the gut.

Thankfully for us, we’re Paleo! A benefit of the Paleo lifestyle is that it does a great job of restricting foods that contribute to inflammation in the body overall but primarily in the gut. Paleo specifically excludes foods that can cause damage to the gut lining, which contributes to inflammation. The following is a list of foods which damage the gut lining and cause chronic inflammation within the body.

Foods Causing Gut Inflammation Include:

Gluten
Grains (i.e. rice & corn)
Legumes (i.e. soy & peanuts)

The reason these foods cause gut inflammation is because of their high lectin content. Lectin damages the gut by tricking your gut into letting it cross its border into your body. When this happens the body develops an autoimmune response(it creates antibodies) and attacks the “intruder”. Unfortunately, Lectin tends to look similar to our natural cells, so the body becomes confused and beings to attack itself. Thus the lining of the gut becomes inflamed.

The issue is that this type of inflammation becomes chronic as people continue to eat these foods and do not allow their bodies time to repair themselves. Not to mention most people are unaware of the effect of these types of food on the body. Furthermore, additional issues can arise from this chronic inflammation included anemia.

Thankfully though, we follow the Paleo lifestyle. A lifestyle that does not promote consuming these foods which cause gut inflammation!

Melissa

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

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Ground Lamb, Chard & Squash Mix Up

I set the goal for myself lately that I would try to think outside the box when it came to recipes. I still want them to be easy with ingredients that are easily found but I want to try combinations of things I wouldn’t normally think of. The following is a result of one of my experiments. In true Paleo Pact flare it requires 1 pot, 1 spoon, 1 knife and a cutting board to make and it takes less that an hour. I know because I made it before I went to work yesterday!

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground lamb
1 bushel green onions, diced (roughly 1 1/2 cups)
1 bushel red swiss chard, chopped (roughly 2 cups)
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed (roughly 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 tbsp. bacon grease
salt
pepper

RECIPE

Fill a large pot half way with water and bring to a boil.
Add a pinch of salt and butternut squash(that has been peeled and cubed) to water, let boil until cooked(it’s cooked when you can poke a fork through the squash).
Drain water and place back on stove over medium heat.
Add green onion (diced) and swiss chard(chopped) to pot and cook for roughly 3 minutes.
Add ground lamb, bacon grease and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until lamb is cooked(use a spoon to break up the lamb, so it doesn’t all stick together).

That’s it! I split mine up into five portions for lunch for the week.

Enjoy!

Melissa Van Dover

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

SAVE 24% on our upcoming book release, PALEO Cleanse. Preorder Your Copy!

Honey Mustard Dressing

A couple of weeks ago we posted a recipe for roasted beets, if you combine this delicious dressing with some greens and beets you’ll have a fantastic light salad. With this dressing we’ve changed things up a little. This isn’t your traditional honey mustard dressing, this has a bit of a smoky flavor to it. Don’t worry though, similar to all our recipes this is easy to make.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 shallot, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon honey

RECIPE

In a bowl combine all ingredients.
Whisk until mixture becomes cloudy instead of clear.
Keep refrigerated.

We promise, it’s that simple. Here’s to making a healthy, paleo dressing that is great for all salads.

Enjoy!

Melissa Van Dover

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

SAVE 24% on our upcoming book release, PALEO Cleanse. Preorder Your Copy!

The Human Body Series: Fiber

The human body is an amazing system, there is no limit to what it is capable of. However, to function at it’s optimal level it often needs the support of the foods we consume. In this human body series we’ll delve into the details of what important nutrients can be found in the food we eat and how they support the body.

We’re also going to take it a step further, we’ll show you where in a common Paleo diet these nutrients can be found. We think this aspect is extremely important because we often hear that The Paleo Diet can’t possible have all necessary nutrients because it is missing “vital” food groups. Thankfully we’re in luck as there are always several ways to include “vital” nutrients in your diet through multiple food groups.

What Is Fiber?

Fiber is defined as “Coarse, indigestible plant matter, consisting primarily of polysaccharides such as cellulose, that when eaten stimulates intestinal peristalsis.”1

Another key thing to know about fiber is that it is often classified as either soluble(it can be dissolved in water) or insoluble(it won’t dissolve in water). Both soluble and insoluble fibers are critical to the body.2

What Does Fiber Do For The Human Body?

Fiber is critical for several functions in the human body. Let’s take a minute a list out a few ways the body uses fiber to function.2

Normalizes bowel movements- insoluble fiber helps to promote a healthy digestive system and ensures that your body effectively digests nutrients and removes waste.
Blood cholesterol levels- soluble fiber has been shown to help reduce high cholesterol levels in the blood.
Control blood sugar levels- soluble fiber has shown to help reduce the absorption of sugar and normalize blood sugar levels particular in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Weight control- fiber rich foods have been shown to help aid in weight control. This is because fiber rich foods are usually lower in calories and due to their volume they cause individuals to feel “fuller” faster.

Paleo Sources Of Fiber

Luckily fiber is found in several key staples of the Paleo Diet. The following is a list of common Paleo foods that are high in fiber.

Vegetables- such as broccoli, cauliflower and sweet potatoes.
Fruit- such as apples, berries, dates and other citrus fruits.
Nuts- such as almonds.
Paleo flours- such as coconut flour.
Flaxseed

Fiber is critical to several functions of the human body. Thankfully, the Paleo Diet is packed full of several options for fiber rich foods. We hope that this has been helpful and informative. If there is a similar nutrient that you would like us to cover during this series leave a comment below and we’ll do our best to post about it.

Enjoy your fiber!

Melissa

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

SAVE 24% on our upcoming book release, PALEO Cleanse. Preorder Your Copy!

1″fiber.” The American Heritage® Stedman’s Medical Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company. 26 Aug. 2014. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fiber>.

2Mayo Clinic Staff. “Nutrition and Healthy Eating.” Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet. Institute of Medicine, 2012. Web. 26 Aug. 2014.

Simply Roasted Beets

It’s summer time which means there are plenty of farmers markets open and tons of fresh produce. One fresh produce item has always scared me when I thought of trying to cook it…beets. It may seem crazy but I found the idea of trying to cook beets very intimidating. I had no idea where to start. Well, I can now tell you that it’s not difficult at all and it requires very little prep. Not to mention that they taste delicious when they’re done. Here is my no hassle recipe for roasted beets.

INGREDIENTS

4 beets
1 ½ tablespoons Fatworks’ Pure Tallow or paleo cooking oil of your choice

½ tablespoon cumin
salt
pepper

RECIPE

Heat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Cut stock and leafs off beats and peel beets.
Cut beets into cubes (roughly ¼” thick). Place flat on baking sheet.
Heat the pure tallow in microwave and pour over beets.
Sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper and cumin, mix thoroughly.
Place baking sheet in oven to cook for about 35-45 minutes until you can stick a fork through your beats.
Remove and cool.

Take full advantage of your summer farmer’s market and enjoy a very healthy snack or meal addition.

Happy Summer!

Melissa Van Dover

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

SAVE 24% on our upcoming book release, PALEO Cleanse. Preorder Your Copy!

Paleo Pizza Crust

During our Gluten Free Fair Demo at the beginning of the month I was able to share with a few individuals my fantastic paleo pizza crust. Now I get to share it with you and I couldn’t be happier! This pizza crust is packed with flavor thanks to the seasoning included in it, not to mention it’s also egg-free.

I top my pizza with pizza sauce, cherry tomatoes, bacon, basil and some spicy peppers but top yours with whatever you like. Also, if your primal and you’re allowed to have a little dairy consider Kerrygold’s Dubliner Cheese to top your pizza. Using a citrus grater with the cheese is a great way to reduce how much cheese you end up using because it makes it look like you’ve put more on your pizza than you actually have.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon ground flax seed + 3 tablespoons warm water (egg replacer, if you’d like to use egg simple exchange this for 1 egg)
1/2 cup warm water
1 clove garlic, diced
1 cup + 1 – 3 tablespoons tapioca flour
1/3 cup coconut flout
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian spice
1/2 cup olive oil

*special note: you will want to have a silicone cutting board handy if you have one.

RECIPE

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Mix 1 tablespoon flax-seed and 3 tablespoons water, then let it sit for about 10 minutes until the water is absorbed(egg replacer).
Add the garlic and 1/2 cup water to the bowl and set aside.
Mix the 1 cup tapioca flour, coconut flour, salt and Italian seasoning in a small bowl until thoroughly combined.
Add the flax-seed mixture, garlic/water mixture and olive oil to the dry ingredients. Combine until you get the consistency of thick mashed potatoes.
Add 1 tablespoon of tapioca flour at a time and incorporate until the mixture becomes drier, like play dough.

Place a piece of foil over a pizza sheet.
On a silicone cutting board, place the dough ball and begin to flatten it into a circular shape(if you don’t have a silicone cutting board I would do this on foil, it’ll work about the same). Use a rolling-pin if needed (you may want to dust in tapioca flour if the dough begins to stick), roll out the crust to be about 1/8-inch thick.
Place the pizza sheet foil side down on top of the crust, then flip.
Slowly peel away the board so that only the crust is left on the foil/pizza sheet.
Cook for 12 to 15 minutes until you reach your desired crispness. You can then cover with toppings and cooking for a few minutes longer until the toppings are warm.

Enjoy!

Melissa Van Dover

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

SAVE 24% on our upcoming book release, PALEO Cleanse. Preorder Your Copy!

Gluten Free Fair Demo Recap

Thank you so much to our wonderful audience who joined us for the Gluten Free Fair this past weekend at the Natural Grocers at the corner of Colfax and Washington in Denver.

We had a blast showing you all how to make our Paleo Bread and Pizza Crust! Just take a look at our cart in the picture above, hopefully it fills you with joyful memories like it does for us.

It was great to receive so much positive feedback and we’re really happy that you all enjoyed the food. We managed to destroy 1 loaf of bread and 2 pizzas…go us! As always if you have additional questions for us or would like even more fantastic recipes, please feel free to take a look around our blog and leaves us comments!

If you weren’t able to make it or would like access to digital copies of the recipes they’ll be available over the next two weeks. So keep an eye out for our posts and your notification emails.

For all of you who joined us this past Saturday and wanted to know more about how to preorder our book for a discounted rate…this is for you!

SAVE 24% on our upcoming book release, PALEO Cleanse. Preorder Your Copy!

Happy Eating!

Melissa and Camilla

thepaleopact.com | @thepaleopact

Fired Up Chicken Fajitas

I’ve been on a lean meat kick lately. I figure if I’m going to train my butt off for Tough Mudder I might as well go all the way and get a six pack. This basically means being extra strict! I wanted to turned something I already loved (and was pretty healthy) into something even more healthy and lean. I wanted fajitas that could fuel my body through an intense workout regimen. This is fajitas done Paleo with enough nutrients to fill you up and keep you going.

INGREDIENTS

1 chicken breast (I would cook roughly .5-1 chicken breast per person)
salt & pepper (for seasoning)
Iceberg lettuce (I find iceberg provides the best lettuce cups but please feel free to use whatever it is you like best)
broccoli slaw
avocado slices(or guacamole; here’s our expert guacamole recipe)
salsa (here’s a fantastic Mango Pineapple Salsa recipe from ThePaleoMom.com)

RECIPE

Heat grill to high heat.
Sprinkle chicken breast with salt & pepper for seasoning.
Place chicken on grill and cook for roughly 15 minutes (or until chicken is cooked thoroughly). Remove chicken from grill and slice into thin slices.
While chicken is cooking, slice iceberg lettuce in half. Remove and discard top lettuce leaf. Carefully remove remaining lettuce leafs which you will use as lettuce cups for your fajitas.
To assemble, place chicken in lettuce cups and top with broccoli slaw, avocado slices and salsa.
This meal is packed full of nutrients and is totally customizable based on your taste buds.

Enjoy!

Melissa Van Dover

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

The Workout Salad

For those of you who may not know, Camilla and I are in the middle of training for Tough Mudder. Tough Mudder is a half marathon, obstacle course and ohh yeah…it’s probably the toughest event on the planet. To help keep myself energized for my pre-mudder training I wanted to find a healthy alternative to the traditional carb based meal. This is an easy and quick salad, that is packed with nutrients, healthy fats and has great flavor.

INGREDIENTS

your choice of salad (I use a mixed green)
1/4 pound of turkey sandwich meat (you’ll want to make sure you select one that is Paleo, so no nitrates or preservatives)
1/2 tomato
1/2 avocado
1/2 lime
1/4 teaspoon salt

RECIPE

Place a bed of washed salad on a plate.
Dice your tomato, avocado and turkey; then place on top of salad.
Squeeze half a lime over salad and top with salt.

It’s that easy and it will keep you fueled during your workouts. Here’s to getting fit!

Melissa Van Dover

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

Frozen Summer Snack

Continuing with our theme of fun summer treats that are sure to make you smile, we have a fantastic snack that will fill you up and basically requires no work to make. It’s easy and fast…so basically it’s the best kind of recipe.

INGREDIENTS

1 banana
almond or cashew butter
agave or honey

RECIPE

Cut the banana into 1/4″ to 1/2″ slices.
Place a spoon full of your preferred nut butter on top (roughly 1/2 tbsp.)
Drizzle with your choice of sweetener.
Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Yes it’s really that simple and it’s that good! I hope you enjoy this lovely summer treat.

Melissa Van Dover

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

The Paleo Pact

Choose Well. Eat Well. Live Well.

Author: Melissa Van Dover

The Human Body Series: Gut Inflammation

Ground Lamb, Chard & Squash Mix Up

INGREDIENTS

RECIPE

Honey Mustard Dressing

INGREDIENTS

RECIPE

The Human Body Series: Fiber

Simply Roasted Beets

INGREDIENTS

RECIPE

Paleo Pizza Crust

INGREDIENTS

RECIPE

Gluten Free Fair Demo Recap

Fired Up Chicken Fajitas

INGREDIENTS

RECIPE

The Workout Salad

INGREDIENTS

RECIPE

Frozen Summer Snack

INGREDIENTS

RECIPE