Blog - Ancestral Nutrition

Blog September 11, 2014

How To Kick A Cold Before It Forms

Last week I felt that familiar tickle in the back of my throat. What is this again? I thought. Oh yeah, a virus. A cold. Something making my throat hurt. It’s been such a long time since I’ve even had a cold I had to rack my brain to remember what the feeling was. I definitely remembered it as I woke up in the middle of the night when that tickle had transformed into a full-on scratch. My throat felt like sandpaper every time I swallowed. And WHY can you not STOP swallowing when your throat hurts? It’s like you do it just to double-check that that shit still hurts. Swallow. Ouch. Swallow again. Still ouch. So that was how I spent my night. Not ideal considering how crucial sleep is to the immune system. When I finally got up the next morning, I knew I had to whip out…

Blog September 9, 2014

Arugula, Romano & Bacon Oysters

I’m not sure at what point in my life I fell in love with oysters, but I assume it was when I was young because I can never remember disliking them. If you ask me what I like about ’em, I couldn’t really articulate it. I mean, let’s face the facts. They’re slimy, they kind of resemble vaginas, and they’re just weird. But, they taste amazing. And they’re amazing for you. Yep, oysters, my friends, are a superfood. Not a bullshit superfood like chia seeds. I’m talking real-deal, ancestral superfood. Oysters are loaded with zinc, which helps boost the immune system. You can get an entire day’s worth of zinc from one lil’ oyster. It also supports mental function and male virility. In addition, oysters also contain vitamins A and D. I don’t know where you’re from, but I live in DC where oysters are pretty easy to come by due…

Blog September 4, 2014

20 Minute Meal: Lamb Steak, Salad and Mash

Truth be told, most of the time I don’t love coming up with new and exciting recipe ideas (actually, I’m not sure I even do that in the first place). But my point is – complicated meals aren’t really my thing. While I love to cook, at the end of the day I mostly just want to eat something delicious and as fast as possible. I definitely don’t want to bake anything, measure, or cook something that takes a ton of time (unless it’s been simmering in my crockpot all day). That’s why I love twenty minute meals like this. They’re so easy to prepare and are super healthy. The idea that it’s impossible to cook healthy food in under twenty minutes just isn’t true. That’s what I call an excuse. And guess what? This meal was under $5 and was 100% organic. The lamb steak came in a pack…

Blog September 2, 2014

Natural Hair Dyes AKA How To Dye Your Hair Without Toxic Chemicals

Natural hair dyes. We need ’em! Did you know that typical hair dyes are completely toxic? Probably. But did you know they’ve also been linked to cancer? According to the National Cancer Institute, Over 5,000 different chemicals are used in hair dye products, some of which are reported to be carcinogenic (cancer-causing) in animals (2, 3). Because so many people use hair dyes, scientists have tried to determine whether exposure to the chemicals in hair coloring products is associated with an increased risk of cancer in people…Over the years, some epidemiologic (population) studies have found an increased risk of bladder cancer in hairdressers and barbers (2, 5). A 2008 report of the Working Group of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that some of the chemicals these workers are exposed to occupationally are “probably carcinogenic to humans” (6). On the plus side, it’s completely possible to dye…

Blog August 28, 2014

An Unbiased Review of Beachbody

I’ve done several reviews of different proteins and meal replacement shakes and each time, my bias is called into question. Let me make this clear. I have no vested interest in the outcome of whether or not you purchase Beachbody, or any other protein supplement. With the exception of the fact that I think it’s environmentally and sustainably irresponsible to support a company that uses GMOs in their products, not to mention that they do a number to human health. It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of meal replacement shakes. There is no meal replacement shake that can take the place of real, unprocessed, organic food. I know that many companies have their distributors convinced that we can’t obtain all of our nutrients from food and that we are so toxic that meal replacement shakes are necessary. This is only true to an extent, and this is where marketing…

Acne August 26, 2014

The Top Five Ways To Make Money Blogging

When I first started blogging, I wished there was someone or something to outline all of the profitable revenue streams and ways to monetize my website. I had literally no idea and had to figure it all out on my own from the beginning. When I began I knew that once I was certified I would start health coaching. I didn’t think about the fact that not everyone wants a health coach. Not everyone is interested in one on one coaching. Not every month would there be clients knocking down my door. Let me tell you: no one gives a shit about health coaching in December. Holiday parties, shopping and bulky clothes don’t exactly scream “I should hire a health coach!” I had to learn that the hard way. Anyone who wants to make money off of their website needs to diversify their revenue streams. You can’t expect to have…

Blog August 25, 2014

25 Paleo Breakfast Ideas With Egg-Free Options!

I often get asked what I eat for breakfast or if I have any advice on diversifying someone’s breakfast menu. The truth is, I almost always eat eggs for breakfast. I tried yogurt and berries recently but it didn’t fill me up (though it might fill you up). I find that people usually think fruit, nuts or a low-fat smoothie is an acceptable breakfast option. WRONG. You want breakfast to be full of fat and protein to keep you full and keep your energy up. And if you workout in the mornings or have a strenuous job, you should probably incorporate some healthy carbs into your breakfast equation. So here are some breakfast ideas, some of which were gifted to me from my amazing Facebook community (they’re the best). There are also several egg-free options, though I will never understand how anyone who isn’t allergic to eggs would ever give…

Blog August 21, 2014

20 Paleo Travel Snacks

I really love traveling. Even if it’s just to the beach three hours away. There’s something about hopping in the car with a bunch of snacks, rolling down the windows and blasting music. It’s the best thing ever and I honestly thing it’s half the fun of traveling. I even like going to the airport. I love picking up food magazines and flying and ordering a glass of wine on the plane and looking out the window. It’s the best. What’s not the best: airport and gas station food. Fast food. I literally always bring snacks when we’re traveling, even if it’s just an hour road trip. I’d rather have snacks on hand than needing to pull over for a drink or because I’m starving. Not to mention the fact that it’s way cheaper to pack your own snacks than buy them. Here are some of my faves. Smoked oysters…

Blog August 20, 2014

How To Juice Properly (And A Recipe That Won’t Spike Your Blood Sugar!)

No, I’m not talking about steroids. Not that kind of juice. Juicing became really popular about five years ago and people have wanted on that bandwagon ever since. There are tons of different juicers, from super fancy to straight up crappy. I just use THIS basic juicer. It works for me and I recommend it. Believe it or not, there’s a right and wrong way to juice. Don’t worry, the right way isn’t hard. It’s just likely that you may be doing it the wrong way. Problem #1: A high sugar juice. For example, when I talk to people about juicing, I first ask what they’re using to juice. It usually goes something like this: “A cucumber, an apple, a pear, pineapple, spinach, and berries.” Holy fruit that’s a lot of sugar! You have to consider that you’re not getting any fiber when juicing, which normally helps slow the absorption…

Blog August 19, 2014

How To Get Rid of Migraines and Headaches (Without Popping Pills)

Growing up, nearly every day my mother would say, “Ugh, I have a migraine.” Then proceed to pop a bunch of pills and sleep for hours on end. Which both annoyed me (because even as a kid I felt that there was something inherently not right about popping a bunch of pills for a headache) and also made me happy so that I could have time to myself without getting yelled at for making noise. The thing is, I grew up in a family of pill poppers. Got a cold? Pop a pill. A backache? Pop a pill. Can’t sleep? Pop a pill. Feeling bummed? Pop a pill. Tripped on the sidewalk? Pop a pill. By and large, we’ve become a nation that pops a pill at the first sign of anything wrong with our bodies. But there’s a huge issue with that. All of the symptoms we feel is the body’s way of…