Paleo and Alcohol

We get asked about alcohol a lot, so we thought it was time to share our thoughts on drinking alcohol on the Paleo Diet in a blog post.

The most popular question we get is of course, “Can you drink on the Paleo Diet?”

We always like to answer that with a smile and, “Would we do this if we couldn’t?!”

Joking aside, while the stricter schools of Paleo do not believe alcohol consumption to be a Paleo practice and we ourselves are not promoters of regular drinking on any diet, we don’t think that a drink for enjoyment now and then should be frowned upon–after all, life is meant to be enjoyed–so don’t deprive yourself. That said, your Paleo Diet food Pyramid should definitely not look like this:

What it comes down to however, is making healthy choices. On a modern Paleo Diet the same principles apply to alcohol as they do to food. That means steering clear whenever possible of the Paleo-unfriendly food groups and items such as wheat, white potatoes and refined sugar. What does that mean in alcohol terms? It means avoiding wheat beers, liquors like vodka that are made out of white potato, and sugary cocktails or mixers that typically have large amounts of cane sugar. Try and limit your alcohol consumption to gluten-free beers, ciders with low sugar content and wine.

You may also experience a lowered tolerance for alcohol since following the Paleo lifestyle, as you are no longer consuming large quantities of carbohydrates which help absorb alcohol. Just tell people you’re a bargain for a date! But in all seriousness, because of this you may find yourself feeling the effects of alcohol faster, so please be careful. You may also find that the natural sugar in most wines, for example, causes blood sugar spikes and, if enjoyed too late at night, may hinder your ability to sleep soundly.

It’s a personal decision as to how you feel about incorporating alcohol into your Paleo Diet and an equally personal experience as to how your body copes with it.

Our advice is to listen to your body and, if you do choose to indulge, try to limit your indulgences to the more Paleo-friendly alcohol choices.

Some other great sources of information are as follows:

For Dummies Guide to How Alcohol Fits into the Paleo Diet

Loren Cordain’s One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila…Primal!

The Paleo Effect’s Paleo Alcohol Guide

Choose well and drink responsibly,

Camilla Carboni

@camillacarboni | camillacarboni.com

Vegetarian Fed Does Not = Grass Fed

I’ve noticed a trend recently with labels on beef packaging, I’ve been seeing a lot of “vegetarian fed” beef. To set the record straight, vegetarian fed beef is not grass fed beef. In fact they are basically as far from each other as you can get. The addition of the “vegetarian fed” label on beef is simply a marketing tactic used to make shoppers think it’s healthier for them. Vegetarian fed beef is not the equivalent of grass feed beef and it is worse for you.

The bottom line…

Vegetarian Fed Beef- Beef that is raised on a diet of grains (i.e. corn).

Grass Fed Beef- Beef that is raised on a diet of grass and grazing.

Since grains are strictly not Paleo, you can see how this may pose an issue. Commercially raised cows are fed a grain based diet to help them gain more fat and mass, this way they provide more revenue when they are slaughtered.

So when it comes down to it, vegetarian fed does not equal grass fed.

Stick with grass fed beef!

Melissa Van Dover

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

March 2014 Events!

We are very excited to announce our March Cooking Demo topic: Paleo Appetizers!

Demos will be held on two dates at two different Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage locations:

Tuesday, March 4th @ 6pm – The brand new Natural Grocers store, corner Colfax and Washington, Denver CO.
Saturday, March 8th @ 2pm – Natural Grocers Littleton, corner Kipling and Coal Mine, Littleton CO.

We’ll be showing you how to make our all-time favorites: Paleo Hummus and the ever-popular Devils on Horseback.

We hope to see you at one of the events!

Camilla and Melissa

Oscar Party Appetizers!

The 2014 Academy Award Weekend is upon us and we thought we’d share some great Paleo Appetizer ideas from the Paleo community to help you prep for the big event!

Mango Salsa from Elana’s Pantry

Bacon and Guacamole Sammies from Nom Nom Paleo

Butternut Squash Chips from Things My Belly Likes

Cranberry Spiked Sausage Balls from What I Gather

Endive Salmon Poppers from The Paleo Plan

Shrimp Cocktail from The Paleo Plan

Teriyaki Lettuce Wraps

Sweet Citrus Chicken Wings

Chocolate Date Squares from The Paleo Mom

Chocolate Chip Cookies and other delicious cookie flavors

Plus, stay tuned for our March Event schedule and join us to learn about two other delicious Paleo Appetizers: Cauliflower Hummus and Devils on Horseback!

May your Oscar picks win!

Melissa Van Dover and Camilla Carboni

The Paleo Flour Options

So you just started Paleo and you have no idea what you can actually use to bake with. We’re going to take a look at what flours are approved for Paleo baking and what flours are not. Let’s start with what’s not allowed.

BANNED FLOURS

Wheat- Wheat is a big no-no on the Paleo diet, stay away from this one.
Rice- Like wheat, rice is a grain and not allowed on the Paleo diet.
Potato- White potatoes are not approved for Paleo consumption.

APPROVED FLOURS

Almond- Almond nuts are allowed on Paleo, so this is an approved flour.
Coconut- Approved.
Flax Meal- Approved and this also doubles as a great egg replacer for baking recipes.
Tapioca- This will add a chewy texture to your baked goods.
Arrowroot- This is basically tasteless which is good for any baking you’re considering doing where you don’t want an additional flavor.

Here is a great article on why grains are bad from a Paleo perspective, since normal flour is made of grain it should give you a better understanding of it’s impacts to your body. This article is from ThePaleoMom.com. It’s a great blog and I encourage you all to check it out.

Here’s to learning more about Paleo!

Melissa Van Dover

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

Cheese, Butter and Living Paleo

So you love cheese and butter? Who doesn’t! Here’s the deal–a true Paleo diet does not include either–neither were available in Paleolithic times and our bodies are subsequently not naturally adjusted to eating these dairy bi-products.

That said, some of you are lactose tolerant (though I am not one of you lucky folks) and some of you may be able to consume small amounts of cheese and butter without feeling the after effects in and on your body.

While I am not an advocate of dairy and I strongly promote the use of coconut oil and ghee butter as an alternative to traditional dairy butters, if you do decide to indulge now and then, do yourself this one favor–buy grass-fed.

Why is grass-fed better?

Grass-fed dairy, just like grass-fed meat is the product of healthier animals. Rather than being fed grain or vegetarian diets that typically include modified starches and corn meal, grass-fed cows roam free, eat naturally and live healthily. It’s only logical that their milk and meat is therefore more healthy for us as well.

Research has shown that grass-fed dairy contains a lot more CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) and natural vitamins than grain-fed butter. It also has a much better ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids. Choosing grass-fed means that while you indulge in dairy, you are actually getting some benefit: CLA has been shown to improve heart health, K2 vitamins reduce arterial plaque and aids the body in using calcium correctly, and Omega-3 fatty acids support our metabolism, reduce inflammation and fuel our bloodstream and brain.

The great news is, grass-fed butter and cheese is more accessible than you would imagine. These products are typically available in any grocery store or online at one of these great pasture butter and cheese suppliers:

Organic Valley

Kalona Supernatural

KerryGold

Just steer clear of margarine…

Camilla Carboni

@camillacarboni | camillacarboni.com

A Successful Cookie Demo at Vitamin Cottage

We had such a great time at our Valentine’s Paleo Cookie Demo on February 8th at Vitamin Cottage! We want to send a special thank you to Vitamin Cottage for hosting us. We can’t wait until our next demo which will be focused on Paleo appetizers. We’re also going to prepare a Paleo breakfast demo due to the high demand, so stay tuned for details on dates and times.

For those of you who where there, thank you for participating!

Here are a few photographs to commemorate a successful event!

If you weren’t able to make it visit The Paleo Pact on Facebook to download your free copy of our Cookie eBook.

Camilla and Melissa

Valentine’s Cookie Demo at Vitamin Cottage

It’s the month of love and what better way to celebrate than by baking a batch (or two!) of chocolate chip Paleo Cookies? That’s exactly what we’ll be demonstrating tomorrow at 2pm at Vitamin Cottage, Littleton.

In preparation, we spent this evening baking giveaway samples of both Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Orange Zest Cookies, much to the enticement of the shoppers who were drawn to the sweet scent of Cookie heaven.

Here’s a sneak peak of the pre-baked cookies…

Here’s us in baking mode…

And this is what you can expect tomorrow…

We hope to see you then!

If you can’t make it visit The Paleo Pact on Facebook to download your free copy of our Cookie eBook.

Camilla and Melissa

The Paleo Guide To Denver

It started with a challenge and turned into an agreement, which kickstarted #thepaleopact and now it’s a lifestyle. The thing is, when you’re one week into a new way of chowing down, finding the ingredients and support you need around town is new and exciting, but equally challenging. That’s why I’m here to help make going Paleo in Denver an easy lifestyle choice.

Click here to read this article featured on Examiner.com

Camilla Carboni

@camillacarboni | camillacarboni.com

The Paleo Pact

Choose Well. Eat Well. Live Well.

Paleo Resources

Paleo and Alcohol

Vegetarian Fed Does Not = Grass Fed

March 2014 Events!

Oscar Party Appetizers!

The Paleo Flour Options

BANNED FLOURS

APPROVED FLOURS

Cheese, Butter and Living Paleo

Why is grass-fed better?

A Successful Cookie Demo at Vitamin Cottage

Valentine’s Cookie Demo at Vitamin Cottage

The Paleo Guide To Denver