Nathalie Niddam CNP, BPC
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Magnesium - Why You Probably Need More if You Are Trying to Lose Weight.

1/27/2019

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Today's post is all about Magnesium and how it may be helpful for weight loss, insulin resistance, sleep, anxiety, heart health and blood pressure.  Really? All that???


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Sleep & Weight Gain - Connecting the Dots - 12 Tips for Better Sleep

5/23/2017

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How Lack of ZZZZ’s Could Be Making You Fat

Sleep - that most luxurious, wonderful, restorative state when our body repairs and restores itself.  It's also the time when the human brain cleans out the debris, and gets ready for another day, assimilates new information and processes problems to be dealt with tomorrow.   It is as essential to life as the air we breathe and yet, for an increasing number of people, young and old it is becoming as elusive as Waldo in a crowded soccer stadium.   I participated in a wellness day recently for a roomful of Executives and their partners, when the topic of sleep came up the questions came pouring in.…to say that it is a pain point is an understatement.

There’s good reason for that - there are no end of articles online, in magazines, in news reports, books - all about sleep…are you getting enough?  Is it good quality?  Should you be sleeping less?  You better be, because chronic sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality has been linked to everything from obesity to cancer, low testosterone levels in men, premature aging and pretty much everything in between.  Wait.  Obesity???  Lack of sleep can make me fat???  Have I got your attention now?

How much sleep we really need is a bit of a moving target but the sweet spot seems to be around 7 hours per night with some experts conceding that 6.5 hours might be enough for some but up to 8 hours might serve most.  In my practice, the first question I ask my clients when we are discussing sleep is “how do you feel in the morning?”.   Ultimately I believe that sleep quality is underrated - who cares if you “slept” 9 hours if you wake up exhausted every morning?   According to Dave Asprey in his new book Headstrong, if you get really good at sleep you might be able to get away with as few as 5 hours a night....let's leave that for another day.  For now, let's explore exactly how this all works.

It turns out that even one sleepless night will negatively impact your ability to resist the Monday morning box of Krispy Kreme donuts in the office kitchen.  Put a bunch of those nights together which, by all accounts an increasing number of us are, and you are looking at the double whammy of weight gain along with your body’s stubborn refusal to release the fat you’ve already got.  Whaaaaat?????  Here are some of the mechanisms at play in chronic sleep deprivation:

Lack of Sleep Affects Your Hormones
Sleep deprivation leads to an increase in ghrelin (hunger hormone) and a decrease in Leptin (the hormone that signals that the larder is full and that it’s safe to burn fuel for energy).  This imbalance alone can lead to weight gain.
Lack of sleep also increases insulin resistance which lowers glucose tolerance - that means you are less able to metabolize carbs and sweets…. remember this…it’s important.
Your Cortisol production will increase, which not only can lead to an increase in body fat, but also an increase in inflammation, the new bad boy of pretty much any disease you can think of.  As if that's not bad enough, too much cortisol too often will negatively impact your ability to build and preserve lean muscle mass, which in turn lowers your resting metabolic rate and makes it harder for you to exercise.... still with me?

Okay so you feel hungrier, you are less able to burn stored fuel for energy, you can’t process carbs and sugar, your muscles are shrinking and you are inflamed…..it gets better, check out what’s happening in your brain:

Studies were done using brain imaging techniques to try and understand what was happening in the brain.  The images showed that in sleep deprived individuals who were shown pictures of food the morning after their sleepless night, there was an increase in activity in their amygdala (a primitive part of your brain - think of it as your onboard teenager who only wants to do what feels good consequences be damned) and a decrease in activity in their frontal cortex (your onboard adult who weighs decisions and considers consequences)…. can you see the freight train coming yet?

So now we have a sleepy brain that is craving junk food and doesn’t have the willpower to resist it connected to a body that is unable to control its hunger or properly process the incoming calories and is primed to hang on to everything it already has stashed…. not a pretty picture.

I'll bet you are ready to read about what you can do to improve your sleep. 
Here are 12 tips to get you started:
  • Turn off ALL screens 1 hour before bed.  That blue light in the background signals your brain that it is wake up time.  Read a book or a magazine.  Boring?  Perfect…. falling asleep is the point. 
  • Download F.Lux .com an app that reduces the blue light on your computer as the day gets later....use night shift on your phone....  this will reduce your exposure to blue light if you simply cannot bear to shut down.
  • Wear Blue Blocking Glasses if you MUST watch TV....
  • Do NOT read anything that is even remotely related to your work life.  Remember you are trying to wind down - reading about the latest developments in your field and what everyone is doing that you are not is not a good way to shut your brain off.
  • Have a hot Epsom salts bath before bed.  If you’re hard core follow it up with a cool or cold shower…. trust me it works.
  • Make sure your room is pitch black.  Buy black out blinds, get rid of all lit up gizmos, turn them off or cover those annoying little lights with black electrical tape (seriously)…you need darkness to produce melatonin - that hormone that helps you sleep, is anti aging and helps you recover from the day.
  • Try to keep your room cool - 68 C seems to be the magic number - again, better melatonin production.
  • Save your carbs for dinner - especially rice…. rice helps your brain make GABA, the calming neurotransmitter that helps you get to sleep.  Not too much rice, just a bit will do the trick.
  • Get to bed at a reasonable hour…. if you are falling asleep in your chair go to bed…do not fight it, that's what PVR's are for.  If you fight sleep , you will get your “second wind” which will require you to feed the engine as your brain charges for overtime in the form of energy…you know where this is going, straight to the fridge or pantry.
  • Start meditating.  Download Headspace, a free app - a ten minute guided meditation - great for beginners.  Love tech? Invest in a Muse Headband so you can track your efficiency at calming your brain (I love mine).  People who meditate regularly sleep better, some research even shows that they may need less sleep, but that is for another post.
  • Drink Chamomile, Passion Flower, Oat Straw tea (Pukka Herbs makes a great blend)   about 45 minutes before bed.  Add a tablespoon of MCT Oil to keep your brain fueled through the night - in a good way, not stimulated.
  • Take Magnesium - most people are deficient and it may help you to relax.  I have my favorites (Natural Stacks MagTech or Physica Energetics Mg with L Taurine, or for some people any Mg BisGlycinate is helpful) there are lots of good ones out there, just do not take Magnesium Oxide….that will send you running to the bathroom - great for bowel cleansing, not so good for sleep. 

So there you have it 12 hacks to try - but one last thing - if you wake up bleary eyed every morning and your partner won’t talk to you because your snoring kept them up all night - do yourself a favor and head over to the nearest sleep clinic to assess the issue and what can be done about it.  The good news, is that once you deal with said sleep issue and lose a few pounds, you may stop snoring and, if sleep apnea is an issue, it too may resolve.  That and your relationship will be infinitely better.   
Cheers!



Reference:
The impact of sleep deprivation on food desire in the human brain http://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms3259

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Know Thyself To Ensure Success!

2/28/2017

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Are you an Abstainer or a Moderator?  Could answering this question help with your success?  A couple of years ago I ordered a great book by Gretchen Rubin the author of the Happiness Project - it’s called Better Than Before and it’s all about changing our habits.  In my business, this type of information is golden.   A huge part of the reason I became a Bulletproof Coach is because I quickly learned as a Nutritionist that often what holds people back the most is not that they don’t know what to do (I can usually help with that problem), it’s that they can’t, won’t or just don’t do it.   It’s a great book and I highly recommend it.  Until you get to that though here is one of the concepts that Gretchen presents that really stuck with me.

when it comes to consuming favourite foods which may or may not be good for you, the world is basically divided into two groups of people :  Abstainers and Moderators (there are many other groups which I will explore another day but for now bear with me).  Understanding which camp you fall into can be quite helpful, especially when it comes to certain foods - should you keep a dark chocolate bar in the house or should it and anything like it never, ever darken your pantry door?  

Abstainers are people who, when trying to give up their “kryptonite foods” those foods that throw them off their plan in the blink of an eye, need to give these up completely.   For this person, just having the food in the house (the car, their desk, their purse…wherever) means that they will obsess about it and eating it until it is completely gone.  They simply cannot stop themselves and get it out of their minds.  They get exhausted negotiating with themselves - just this once, only a bit, ok maybe a bit more…and so on until the offending item is consumed.

Moderators on the other hand, can have one square of chocolate, a single cookie, 6 almonds, a single small glass of wine and step away, satisfied and happy till another day.  Remove this food completely from their plan, forbid it, and they become obsessed with when they can ever have it again - they will fixate on it endlessly, dreaming, fantasizing….you get the picture.  This person may be better off allowing themselves the occasional indulgence (a bite of dessert, a square of dark chocolate) which may help them to do a better job sticking to their plan the rest of the time.  Sometimes, all these people need is to know that they can and then they don’t - funny huh?

I would take this one step further to say that we may be abstainers for some foods (in my case sour wine gums, Jelly Belly jelly beans) and moderators for others (in my case again, dark chocolate and wine).    It could be that I don’t love the latter as much as sour and chewy candies, or, that the sugar and chemicals in the candies light up my brain in a way that renders me powerless - there is no end of information out there about the dollars spent by big food companies to create addictive foods we cannot resist.  If you don't believe me check out the book: *Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss,  it will blow your mind and make you pretty mad to boot.  Either way, my reality is that I do not buy those foods I know I cannot resist, Frito's, Doritos, Wine Gums, seriously, nutritionist or not, I am human first and I definitely can be sucked in by these foods.  Not having them in the house, they are not there for me and so over the years I have developed the muscle to resist them even when I'm out ion the world and hungry.....I don’t even think about them...but it took time and sometimes at a cocktail party.....
The invitation to you today is to sit down and think about which camp you fall into and use this knowledge to set yourself up for success.  Take it a step further and identify the foods that might turn you from a moderator to an abstainer and cut those out completely.  Take control back of what you eat by understanding why you eat them is a first step.  Knowing which came you fall into, comes next...so I ask you - are you an Abstainer or a Moderator?

Yours in good health,
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*(http://www.michaelmossbooks.com/home)
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Holiday Cocktail Party Survival Guide

12/2/2016

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The Festive Season is finally upon us and with it, one of the biggest challenges faced by my clients.  Sure, there's Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day but those are all for the most part, single day events...this is weeks of parties, lunches, dinners, cocktail parties, friends, family, work...there is nowhere to hide and it is relentless.  I find that there are generally two camps of people at this time of year - the first, people who have been working hard, they have developed a plan, they have stuck to it, they have made progress, sometimes they have even reached some goals.  The second, people who just haven't gotten around to creating, adopting or implementing their plan...these are the people who tell me...January, in January I will start...sometimes they do, sometimes not so much.  Depending on their mindset, December brings the perfect opportunity to procrastinate and delay - put off to next month (which sounds mysteriously familiar) what people have been meaning to do for a long time.  ....and here comes the holiday buffet - the puff pastry appetizers, the baked Brie dripping in some jam or jelly, the office cookie exchange, or worse the colleagues who, desperate to get undesirable food out of their homes dump it into the office kitchen as a "gift".   This will never change...but mindset...there's a word worth exploring....and one of the keys to getting to January in at least as good shape as you came into the festive season in.  

What is your mindset?  Are you following a plan because you want to or because you have to?  Is it a lfestyle change or are you coming off a 30 Day plan thinking that you can now check that off the list and go back to your status quo ?  Do you own it?  Have you actually written down a list of reasons stating why you are doing this?  Why it is important to you??  It is an interesting exercise and I invite you to try it out...a hint...go a bit deeper than what size clothes you want to wear...think about what achieving these goals will really mean to you, your life, how you feel, how you perform, how you can be there for your family, your friends, your coworkers, your employees.

In my practice, my most successful clients are the ones who have made this shift - they are not seeing me to lose 5 or 10 or 20lbs - well, actually many of them start there, but what they soon discover is that what they are really after is better health, better energy, better performance and, ulitmately, a desire to improve every aspect of their lives for the longterm...and for these people, if we can drill down into their why, write it down and own it, then they experience a shift.  They are no longer denying themselves 1/2 a plate of shortbread - they are choosing not to eat it.  They no longer make pronouncements to the room about what they are or are not eating - they just don't.  This way, there is no discussion, no need to explain and justify, no need to defend their decision and enter into some protracted discussion about why on earth they would possibly denying themselves the "pleasures" they deserve.  Really?  

This post is not about diving deep into these concepts so I won't go there now...maybe some other day...but for today, let's keep it practical and real.  Let's say you have made this shift, and you are committed or at least want to be - I won't lie, it still won't be easy to turn away from temptation but there are strategies you can avail yourself of to make it easier, here they are:
  1. Set your intention before you walk in the door.  Review your goals and why these are important to you. Give yourself the gift of better health this year...and it starts now.
  2. Never ever show up at a cocktail party famished - willpower is highly over rated especially in the presence of low blood sugar - have a bowl of soup or skip to point 10 for my newest and most favourite hack.
  3. Limit your alcohol, or have none.  Again, this comes with intention, make a deal with yourself, one or two drinks with a tall glass of sparkling water in between - and then it's sparkly water with cranberries or lemon slices or whatever for the rest of the evening.  Quite apart the sugar and caloric load of alcohol, know that drinking lowers your inhibitions and makes it SO much easier to rationalize poor choices (of all kinds).
  4. Volunteer to be the designated driver - for most people this is enough to make sure they moderate their drinking, which will make it easier for you to stick to your guns as per point 3.
  5. Be a rebel! Don’t be afraid to eat the slider without the bun, have a piece of cheese without the cracker (it will taste better), demolish the veggie platter, eat the sushi sashimi style (ditch the rice - did you know that many sushi restaurants add wheat and/or sugar to their rice!?)…..
  6. If it’s appropriate, offer to bring an appetizer that you know you can enjoy - just bring lots because these days you are not alone, there are more and more people clueing in to the benefits of healthier eating so know that whatever you bring will go fast.
  7. Buddy Up.  Just as people not on your plan may try to second guess your choices to derail your best efforts, hanging out with someone who shares your goals will help you to be firm and happy in your resolve - together, you are stronger, and healthier!
  8. Get enough sleep - this can be a bit tricky at this time of year but being chronically tired can wreak havoc with your hormones, your blood sugar and,  your ability to resist temptation.  Do what you can to get your zzzz's and you will also be less likely to get sick.
  9. Have a KETO O/S shake about half an hour before the party - stable blood sugar means less cravings, feeling full means better control plus, ketones help your body process glucose more efficiently so you win on all counts.  Yes, this is a plug.  A shameless and unapologetic plug for one of the best hacks I have come across in a long time.  Ketones deserve their own post, and I will get there soon but in the meantime, this is a great tool to keep you on track for the holidays.  Want to try some?  Shoot me a message and I will get back to you.  Ready to order?  Go to natniddam.pruvitnow.com/ca (US readers leave out the /ca) and place your order...and watch the "How Does It Work" video.

Have a spectacular holiday season, celebrate yourself, celebrate great health and friendships, enjoy your family, eat great food that nourishes you in every way.  Honour your goals and your resolve, be strong.

To your great health!


​Nathalie







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Blue Blockers - Could They be The Only Thing Standing Between You & Blissful Sleep?

10/24/2016

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 Swanwick Blue Blocking Glasses - pretty stylish and probably hold at least part of the solution to your sleep problems...read on....


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October 07th, 2016

10/7/2016

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Anyone following science and nutrition these days has probably noticed that Ketones and the Ketogenic Diet sure seem to be getting a lot of attention.  

For most people the Ketogenic Diet is this mysterious way of eating that seems awfully extreme.   It is probably one of the most misunderstood ways of nourishing the body out there and the rumours are wild. The human body will produce ketones only under certain conditions - in starvation or extremely low carb diets (for most people less than 50 grams of carbs a day) as well as alcoholism and uncontrolled type 1 diabetes (not so good).  

From an evolutionary perspective our ability to produce ketones and use them for energy (instead of glucose) in times of famine is probably largely responsible for the survival of humans as a species .  Think about it - in the absence of Loblaws, McDonalds and Starbucks, our Palaeolithic ancestors (and likely all others leading up to the Agricultural Age) most probably alternated between periods of feast and famine.   Given these two extremes, it makes sense that our bodies are programmed to store fat in times of plenty and then burn it for fuel in times of scarcity.  Fast forward to today and most peoples’ bodies haven’t seen a ketone since the day they were born (interesting fact is that babies are born in a state of ketosis!) since our constant supply of carbs, protein and even fat ensures that there really is never a need to produce an alternative to glucose.  It turns out that this may be a real shame as ongoing research seems to show increasingly that ketones have some real benefits to our bodies.  

A short (incomplete) list of what ketones can do for you:


  1. Help to reduce inflammation - they seem to inhibit the pathway by which our bodies produce inflammatory cytokines - this is good.
  2. Increase blood flow to the brain (so they can be great to have around in instances of brain injury to help with repair, also great to have when you’re trying to get lots of work done)
  3. They are signalling molecules and as such seem to help with hormone and neurotransmitter balancing.
  4. Ketones help the body produce more antioxidants hence they fight aging and oxidative damage caused by exposure to toxins, stress, excess exercise etc…
  5. They are muscle sparing and fat burning so can contribute to improving body composition
  6. Most people feel greater mental clarity and focus when in ketosis - why?  Increased blood flow and a clean fuel source that can cross the blood brain barrier
  7. Ketones help to stabilize blood sugar so many people feel that their cravings seem to diminish or disappear completely when they have ketones in the house.
  8. Ketones also have an appetite suppressing effect - one of the most interesting side effects of the ketogenic diet is that you just don’t seem to get hungry as often - and why should you?  We have loads of energy stores, once the body figures out how to access them it’s open season - for endurance athletes that means no bonking and no need to fuel in the middle of a long race. 
  9. Ketones also seem to improve recovery from intense workouts
  10. The presence of ketones helps the body produce more energy with less oxygen - very useful for athletes, for divers, pilots and hanging out or training at high altitudes.


The list goes on but suffice to say that for most of us, getting some ketones into our world would be a great thing.  

For many of you reading this - you are Cross Fit Athletes, a lot of what you do is anaerobic and explosive - typically not the circumstances best suited to fat adaptation.  But wait.  What if you could drink your ketones?  What if, you could follow a nutrient dense, healthy carb, moderate to high protein diet with adequate amounts of healthy fats (this would not be enough to get you into ketosis) and get enough ketones into your body to at least enjoy the benefits above for part of the day?  How would you do this without adopting a ketogenic diet?  Here are a couple of ideas:


  1. MCT Oil - There are several on the market but the best, most effective ones will be predominantly or entirely composed of C8 or Caprylic Acid.  Cool fact about MCT’s is that they cannot be stored as fat (!).  This medium chain triglyceride is the easiest for your body to convert into ketones - spin into your coffee, drizzle on salads and other foods, use as part of your dressing.  My favourite is Bulletproof’s Brain Octane - 100% C8.  There are others but all have a combination of C6, C8 and C10 - they aren’t bad, just not as potent and they are more likely to cause GI upset till you build tolerance to the C10.  You can now find Bulletproof Brain Octane in health food stores or you can purchase from ca.bulletproof.com 
  2. Exogenous ketone products - there are a few on the market but my favourite is a product by the name of Keto O/S - it is the most potent and the formulators are constantly devising new delivery schemes for improved uptake and maximal effect.   As of today you can buy Keto O/S in Canada.  There are  3 different formulas available, MAX, the latest geared to Elite Athletes is the most powerful - the patent pending BHB (betahydroxybutyrate - the actual ketone body) has been shown in clinical studies to be more bioavailable and longer lasting than any other product on the market.  It is also approved safe for NCAA and Elite competitors  by Informed Sport, it is vegan, dairy free and gluten free. 

If you are interested in KETO O/S you can contact me for a 5 day trial pack, for more info or check out: natniddam.pruvitnow.com/ca   Full disclosure - this is absolutely an affiliate site so yes, I will get commission if you buy.

​If you’ve made it this far - give yourself a pat on the back - I know this post was long but I do believe that this renewed interest in ketones is well warranted - I have been using them myself and in my practice for over a year now (either as MCT’s, endogenously or from Keto O/S) and I am continuously amazed at the incredible results that people are obtaining.
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Thanksgiving Survival Hacks - Without Compromise!!

10/4/2016

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Caution - this post is loooong.  Thanksgiving is a big deal so I decided that if there was ever an occasion to write a huge post this would be it (expect something similar for Christmas).  If you are on a Ketogenic Diet there’s a real chance that this meal, no matter how you prepare it, will knock you out of ketosis just due to the shear volume of feed you will consume.  However that’s no reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater.  You can still stay true to the spirit of your plan and, for those win a low carb plan you can still stay pretty much on plan.  That said, this is a holiday and a celebration, so, be thankful, indulge with pleasure and try something new for a change.

For some reason it is generally accepted that Thanksgiving Dinner will be followed by an obligatory food coma.  In the absence of said state of total dysfunction and discomfort people seem to think that they must have been deprived somehow and that they did not indulge sufficiently in honour of the day.  

Allow me to challenge this concept.  For the past 10 years or so I have been hosting Thanksgiving dinners at my cottage for all kinds of people, from family to friends, and I am happy to report that (to the best of my knowledge) at no time has anyone been left in a state that, should there be a fire or charging herd of elephants bearing down on them, would surely result in their untimely demise.  Nor has anyone been left feeling like they did not get to indulge and enjoy fabulous food.  It must be said that, as the resident Jew in my extended family and the hostess of said dinners, I am unfettered by family traditions and the obligation to absolutely reproduce Aunt Phyllis’ marshmallow topped sweet potato casserole.  If I had a nickel for every time a client tried to explain to me that the least little change in the family meal would result in an uprising I would be writing this post from Bali rather than my Toronto dining room table.  I do understand.  And I sympathize.  But nevertheless, I say throw caution to the wind….make a few substitutions and in a worst case scenario you will at least have enough energy to escape the hordes in the unlikely event they choose to take out their disappointment on you.  

Here are the substitutions I have developed over the past few years that have now become traditions in our family:


The Turkey
Do your best to avoid the Butterball, injected with all manner of chemicals - buy a fresh or frozen (ideally pastured, but at the very least untreated) bird - food quality is still ideal. 
  1. Do NOT stuff the Turkey.  It will cook better, you will have more control and you will do away with the soggy mass of bread that you have to dig out of the cavity after hours upon hours of careful measuring and roasting.  Instead, throw a few onions, apples and lemons or oranges (depending on the flavour you’re after) into the cavity after you rub it with salt, pepper and grass fed butter and then see how much less time it takes to get to the juiciest fastest cooking bird you’ve ever enjoyed.
  2. Consider brining your turkey overnight.  And.  Make your own brine.  Google Paleo recipes for brine and notice how it is indeed possible to make a brine without a cup of sugar.  Seriously guys….it is possible and it is delicious.
  3. Make a seasoned butter (I like grass fed butter with a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest, sea salt), take off your rings, roll up your sleeves and carefully massage the breast, thighs and everywhere else you can reach with the deliciousness…do your best not to break the skin. This can be a bit gross but a self basting bird is a beautiful thing…trust me.  Finish off with some fresh sage leaves arranged under the skin again, rub more rub a dub on the skin and the bird is ready to go.
  4. I have the good fortune of owning a Big Green Egg at my cottage so we smoke our turkey, low and slow….no rules here, you can also roast it in the oven, with the added benefit that your house will smell awesome.


“Stuffing”
As you must have deduced by now, stuffing in my house is just a dish and bears no relationship to what most people refer to as stuffing.  I don’t bother with gluten free, grain free bread simply because I don’t like it and I find that people get too full and then get comatose and…well, we went through this already….
  1. The Paleo-Sphere again, is your best answer here.  Sausage, apples, nuts, chestnuts, herbs etc…..all cooked in a savoury delicious casserole serve as a side dish extraordinaire…..I don’t know that have a particular recipe I make every year but those are the main ingredients and we’ve never really had a fail yet.  To create your own you can do what I did, either source a recipe or take an existing recipe, excise the bread and go forth.


Vegetables
Here’s where the fun really happens (for me anyway)….

  1. Mash.  You gotta have mash.  Instead of potatoes go for steamed (or roasted in GF Ghee or coconut oil for extra flavour) cauliflower and turnips mashed up light and fluffy.  If you do dairy use a bit of butter and cream, or, for a lighter fluffier version, GF Ghee and chicken or turkey stock.
  2. Brussel Sprouts.  These have actually become a tradition in our house.  Chop your Brussel sprouts then sautéed them in ghee and chopped garlic in a cast iron skillet (this is important) till they start to char, add fresh oregano and a squeeze of lemon to finish.
  3. Green Beans.  Steam till crisp and bright green.  The toss with shallots sautéed in ghee till they are sweet and soft.  Top with chopped almonds or roasted pine nuts and a squeeze of lemon.
  4. Roasted Spiced Carrots.  A variation on a moroccan cooked salad….cut carrots in half and then in quarters lengthwise.  Toss with melted ghee or coconut oil, coat in a mix of spices of cumin, cinnamon, sea salt and pepper.  Roast in a cast iron dish if you have one so they get a bit crispy and sweet….top with chopped fresh mint and a squeeze of lemon right before serving,
  5. A fresh green salad to start - use bitters like arugula, dandelion greens, radicchio mixed with fennel dressed with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and fresh lemon or apple cider vinegar.  Great to get digestion going.  If you happen to use Brain Octane oil add some to your dressing to get the ketones flowing.


Cranberry Sauce
Forget the canned stuff and the sugar laden store bought versions…it’s cranberry sauce for crying out loud, it’s supposed to be a bit tart.  I will post my favourite recipe on my blog when I get to my cottage on Friday night but here’s the gist:  Pick the recipe that looks good to you.  Cut the sugar in half (at least) and replace it with either Monk Fruit powder (may favourite) or Xylitol or some Stevia if you like it.  I would stay away from Erythritol because it can cause digestive upset in some people.  
My recipe involves cooking fresh cranberries with fresh squeezed juice from one orange, orange zest (from said orange) and half a small orange peel and all processed till fine.  I use a splash of Grand Marnier if I have it, and, in the past about 1/4 cup of maple syrup - this year I will switch to Monk Fruit.  Make it at least a day ahead so the flavours have time to blend.  And cook your cranberries with all other ingredients just till they pop.  We never have leftovers.

The Gravy
Personally, I use the pan drippings, add a bit of cognac and as much Turkey Broth as required for volume and then strain it.  Yes, my gravy is more like a “jus” but we love it.  If you and your crew must have a more traditional gravy replace the flour with Konjac Flour - it’s a prebiotic and an incredible thickener - just be careful as you need to first whisk it in cold water before whisking into hot or you will end up with lumps.  I order mine from LowCarbCanada.com

Dessert
Yup, you can absolutely stay on plan here as well.  Not ketogenic mind you, by now, your ketones are likely a distant memory but they will be back, not to worry.  And for low carbers, you’ve probably (but not necessarily), in sheer volume exceeded your usual daily limit but let me remind you that this is a holiday and straying from your plan once in a while does have its benefits.  All that being said, you can totally enjoy a bit of dessert without going totally overboard.  

Once again, our Paleo friends come to the rescue.  One of my favourite books “Paleo Comfort Foods” has a spectacular nut crust recipe for pies and they have a sweet potato pie that is to die for that I make every year.

Or, you can make this Apple Pie I created a couple of years ago.  https://nniddam.wordpress.com/2014/10/12/apple-pie-paleo-style/



The Whip
I happen to prefer coconut whipped cream to dairy but depending on your food tolerances you can use either.  Just make sure that the dairy is full fat and organic.  For the coconut whip, I find that it seems to set overnight in the fridge so I like to make it a day ahead of time.
Closing Hacks

  • Plan your day properly.  This could be a great day to practice Intermittent Fasting - let’s face it, getting your calories in one meal won’t be too hard.   
  • If you have trouble fasting, have an exogenous ketone drink mid morning to keep your energy up as you cook and prep - my go to: Keto O/S works like a charm.
  • Hydrate all day long.  Drink lemon water first thing to prep your liver, and maybe at the end of the day.
  • ​If you know you have sluggish digestion have some broad spectrum digestive enzymes on hand and have a couple with your meal - make sure they contain HCL (unless you have ulcers), along with enzymes to help with the breakdown of fats (lipase) and protein.  
  • Plan for a family walk after the big meal….nothing crazy, just some easy movement to assist the downward movement of the meal.
  • And then - plan to fast again the day after the feast, more ketones to get you into fat burning mode, another walk, maybe a hike this time…till dinner when you get to do it all over again with my favourite - Leftovers!!!

Some Links

  • ​For incredible low carb and keto-friendly products like Grass Fed Ghee, Konjac Flour and more check out:  lowcarbcanada.com  
  • ​To check out my favourite Exogenous Ketone Supplement go to natniddam.pruvitnow.com , watch the Explainer Video and message me if you're interested in giving them a try.
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