by Christina | May 13, 2017 | Recipes, Wellness
Hummus and I broke up awhile ago, but we have a lot of history that I’ll never forget. We had a lot of good times together, and we didn’t end on bad terms. When I see hummus now, it makes me nostalgic.
I haven’t had real hummus in two years since going paleo, but it was a staple in my diet for most of my life. I was a hummus addict. I went through at least five containers of Sabra hummus a week – it was my go-to afternoon snack before volleyball practice. That, or chips and salsa. I was a different creature back then.
I will not deny that hummus is incredibly delicious. However, it did give me major digestive problems, so removing it from my diet wasn’t that difficult for me. Hummus isn’t something I crave anymore, but sometimes I think it would be nice to have. You know, just for old time’s sake. That ex you think about every so often.
On a seemingly unrelated, but actually very related, note, one thing I don’t like about making my own nut milk at home is that I have a bunch of leftover pulp, and I never know what to do with it. A lot of people make energy balls with the leftovers, but I’d rather have something savory. Better yet, something… saucey.
Which brings me to… nut milk pulp hummus! Basically, you can use the thickness from the leftover nut milk pulp to create a paleo-style, vegan hummus that’s oh-so-delicious. No chickpeas, no problem! Anyone who knows me knows that I refuse to waste any food. I eat every last bit, and this is by far my favorite way to use up my leftover nut milk pulp. NEVER throw it away!
I make my nut milk at home by straining it through my Ellie’s nut milk bag and squeezing out all of the excess liquid. (You can use the code “lovely10” for 10% off your nut milk bag at checkout! It’s seriously the best nut milk bag I’ve found, and it can be used for other things, as well.) What’s left behind after straining is a good amount of pulp that will act as the base of your “hummus.”
The best part about this is how creative you can be! THE SKY IS THE LIMIT. I honestly make a different “hummus” every time I do this, because I always like to try different flavor combos. And I always have different ingredients on hand. This is also ideal for those of us who have food intolerances, because most pre-made dips and spreads contain foods that commonly cause digestive distress, like garlic and onions. When you make your own hummus, you can choose exactly what goes in it – and you can leave out anything that doesn’t agree with your body.
I’ve made this with a number of different nuts – almonds, walnuts, and pecans – and they all taste amazing! I provided the recipe for the “hummus” I’ve been making recently, but feel free to be creative and just use whatever ingredients your heart desires! I’m still on my health protocol and can’t have a number of foods that I wish I could add into my own paleo hummus, so I’ll have to wait a bit to test out some flavor combos I have my eyes on. Some yummy combos to try:
- Lemon juice, garlic, tahini, olive oil, salt, pepper
- Roasted red peppers, lemon juice, onions, salt, pepper, avocado oil
- Tomatoes, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper
The possibilities are endless! I recommend tossing some ingredients in, blending, tasting, and adjusting as you go. Experimenting is the best part!
You can use this to top off a salad, to dip your veggies in, to put on top of chicken or fish, or just to spoon by itself. It’s that good. It also thickens up the longer you leave it in the fridge, and it should last about a week.
Paleo / Vegan Nut Milk Pulp “Hummus”
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup nut milk pulp (this is what I get from making 4 cups of nut milk)
- 1/4 cup basil
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 4 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar, Coconut Vinegar, or Lemon Juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 tsp paprika
- about 10 cherry tomatoes (I like to roast them first if I have time)
- Enough water to thicken/blend (about 1/4 cup)
- (Other ingredients that would be fun to add and play around with – garlic, onions, tahini/sesami seeds, cumin, cayenne pepper, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano…)
Instructions:
- Add all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend/pulse until well incorporated. Add more liquid if it’s too thick.
- Store in the fridge until ready to eat!
If you make your own nut milk pulp “hummus,” let me know what you like to put in it! I would love to try your favorite combo!
by Christina | May 10, 2017 | Wellness
This post is a tad late, but better late than never, right? THE GOOD FEST. Let’s talk about it. I have so many things to say about the week, the event, the people…everything. To sum it up, it was definitely the best event I’ve ever attended. The Fest was really more of an “experience” than simply an event. I met so many incredible people and left the day feeling beyond inspired. It might sound corny, but I learned a lot about myself that week, and I came back with a deeper motivation than ever before to pursue my passions. Right. Now.
There are a ton of different aspects of the GOOD Fest that I want to talk about, so prepare yourself. Things to cover: the actual event, what I did the week of, Philly in general, how I handled the protocol while traveling, and overall reflections on the whole experience.
If you’re thinking, What is she even talking about right now?, let me back up. The GOOD Fest was a huge wellness festival in Philly that happened a few weeks ago, and it was epic. People flew in from all over the country (and even outside of the country) for a day of all-things wellness. There was meditation, pilates, yoga, a panel discussion, delicious food, a ton of inspirational speeches, a marketplace to buy goodies, crazy swag bags, VIP sessions with the speakers, and more.
One of the founders, Kate Van Horn, happens to be one of my very best friends. She’s like an older sister to me. She knows all of my deepest darkest secrets (kidding, but not), and still loves me. Yes, we met through the Internet. Typical.
I was so inspired by the Fest and what Kate was putting together, so I wanted to be as involved as I could. I also wanted to spend more time with Kate if possible, since we never really get to see each other in person, so I ended up flying to Philly earlier the week of the Fest to get some quality time with her and help out if I could.
The week was crazy. Not a lot of sleep, and very busy, but all very very fun. The work never stops, as usual, but it was really nice to get a change of scenery, to explore a new place, and to be around Kate. Even when we were both just working on our laptops and not actually talking to each other, it was just comforting to be around someone you love, ya know?
I immediately fell in love with the city itself. It’s so cute. I felt like I was on a movie set. I adore the architecture, and I love how you can feel the historic importance of the city. It made me really want to watch National Treasure ASAP. I freakin’ love that movie.
All of the restaurants are really unique and quaint. They have that saloon-type feeling. The buildings look very sophisticated – much different than Los Angeles. It reminded me of Boston mixed with New York, and nice and clean.
The one thing, though, is that it’s definitely not a “health” city. I’m spoiled in Los Angeles with all of my favorite restaurants. This is the only big trip I’m taking while I’m on my protocol, so I had no intentions of eating out at restaurants to begin with. However, if I wasn’t on my protocol, I sadly don’t think there would be many places I would want to eat at/be able to eat at anyways. Not a lot of Paleo options. Real Food Eatery, Pure Fare, and P.S. & Co looked like the most promising places.
One thing I was really impressed with, though, was the GF/vegan dessert selection. There were a lot of tempting cookies, brownies, breads, and vegan ice creams. I found an ice cream sandwich from Pure Fare that literally made me drool, but I didn’t cheat on the protocol with that. Debated it, though. We’ll get there in a sec.
The week leading up to the Fest was very busy, like I said. I hung out with Kate, Jess, and Jen (the founders of GOOD). I worked. I explored. I freaked out because the hot food at Whole Foods was cooked in olive oil instead of canola oil (OMG). We got our nails done. Talked business. Set up for the Fest. All of the things.
In terms of cooking, I wasn’t too concerned because I was staying at Kate’s mom’s apartment and some Airbnb’s the whole week. It was honestly ridiculous how many times we moved Airbnb’s, but I really just needed a kitchen. I was pretty exhausted from trucking my suitcase around everywhere each day, trying to fit all of my work in the day, and meal prepping all of my meals, but somehow it all got done. I was on a high from the adventure and from being around one of my best friends.
^^^ Some of my not so fancy, but perfectly delicious Airbnb meals. Pro tip: pick up a rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods to have on hand!
The point I want to make by talking about my cooking is that you can always make it work. We went to Whole Foods, I bought fresh veggies and fish and meat, and I cooked my own meals. Halfway through the trip, one of the Airbnb’s had nothing to cook in, so I ended up buying a pan and baking sheet from Target. That was totally fine, though… I just brought it back with me in my suitcase. I used the tupperware that I had packed my plane-meals in to store some of my food as we went along, and then we got creative with storage. I cleaned out Kate’s to-go salad containers, took some hot food bar boxes from Whole Foods, and used some other take out boxes as my “tupperware” for meal prep.
Luckily I love my own cooking, so I ate like a queen. I still went out to eat with Kate and everyone else, I just ate either before or after we went out. One thing I love and appreciate about Kate is that she doesn’t make you feel weird about food restrictions. Part of the reason why I hate traveling with certain people is because they make me feel like a burden or try to make me feel guilty for the way I have to eat, especially while on this protocol, which is absolutely not fair. As I’m sure anyone with food intolerances can understand, I don’t like to be pointed out, made to feel different, or made to feel like a burden. Just leave me alone! Ha. Kate makes me feel totally normal and doesn’t even acknowledge that anything is different. For that, I am forever grateful.
The day before the Fest was a lot of fun because…BUILDUP! We went to the venue and spent the day filling swag bags and prepping for the next day. I was immediately stunned by the venue (gorgeous), and I was truly in shock when it came to the swag bags. I have never seen anything like these. They were literally worth more than the tickets themselves. I would’ve paid for a ticket just for the swag…
There were so many full-sized products, I couldn’t believe it. Bars, mayo, deodorant, lip balm, vitamins, pasta, stasher bags, collagen peptides, a free Soul Cycle class, face masks, and about 800 million more things. They did not slack when it came to the swag bags, that’s for sure.
That night was the speaker dinner, so I did the girls’ makeup and sent them on their way. I felt like a proud mom sending my daughter to prom. Is that weird?
I was also really happy because my friend Emily came into town the day before, so we got to spend some quality time together before the Fest! I knew I was going to be pretty busy the day of, so it was nice to have one-on-one time with her beforehand. It was our first time meeting each other in real life, which was insane. I feel like I’ve known her for years. Again, Instagram friends are the realest.
We went to a Solid Core class together, and it was my first time trying Solid Core. I have no words other than…that shit is hard. I was ready to give up about 30 seconds in. It’s basically a class on a reformer machine that focuses on slow, controlled movements. It’s high intensity but low impact, and it works your full body. Major resistance training.
After that killer workout (which I seriously underestimated), we walked a bit through the city, went to Whole Foods, and went back to the Airbnb to cook din. Salmon, zoodles, and eggplant. Such a typical Emily/Christina meal.
Emily and I have a creepy amount of similarities, so we had a ton to talk about. I didn’t want her to leave. We also cooked a lot of extra food, because we both needed to meal prep for the next day. She is the only person who would be thrilled to join me meal prepping. I love her so much.
The next day was the actual festival. I felt like a five year old on Christmas morning. The whole day was a whirlwind, and I couldn’t wait to hear the speakers, meet everyone in person, see the venue… just the whole shebang.
I got there early, so I had some time to peruse and get myself situated. The venue was gorgeous. Twinkly lights, succulents, balloons, swag bags, a huge open hall, an incredible marketplace, a banana nice cream truck outside (swoon)…they had it all. As people started arriving, I was basically bursting at the seams with excitement.
Amidst the crowds of attendees, it was really nice to see familiar faces, like Jordan’s. Emily also came, and I immediately met a few people who read my blog, which was amazing. I’m honestly so honored that anyone bothers to read my blog. When people come up to me and tell me they like my blog or podcast, I die a little inside. I appreciate it so much, and there’s nothing I love more than meeting you guys.
Some other people I finally got to meet IRL: Georgie from In It 4 The Long Run, Georgina (@thelittleflowerpetal), Sarah from The Cutting Veg, and many many more. All of these women are amazing.
Then, we had the speakers. Oh, the speakers. They. Are. Incredible. The day started off with Sara Divello, followed by a pilates class from Kristin McGee and a yoga class led by Jordan herself. Talia Pollock from Party in My Plants was the “host,” and that girl always makes me smile. Later on in the day we had talks from Cassandra Bodzak, Jessica Murnane, and Katie Dalebout, an incredible panel discussion, and a killer closer by Katie Horwitch. I found myself tearing up most of the day. Each of these women tugged at my heartstrings in some way. I was trying to hold it together while I recorded video, because I was taking footage for both Kate and Jordan while I was there, but it was hard. I had so many feels. When Jessica Murnane talked about eating in a way that heals your body, not giving a shit what anyone says, and thinking about new ways to approach social situations, I kind of lost it. In that moment, I realized I was in a room of women who just got me.
First of all, I was just so damn proud of Kate for what she had accomplished. Second, the talks themselves were all around completely inspiring. A lot of these women have had an incredible impact on me over the past few years, so it meant everything to me to get to see them in person and hear them talk. Katie Dalebout, for example, is one of the first people I ever “found” in the wellness world. Her podcast was the first podcast I ever listened to, and I found her podcast at a time when I was extremely sick and felt completely alone. She doesn’t know it, but through her podcasts, I felt like she was my only friend during that time. Her voice comforted me and gave me hope.
Katie Horwitch is another woman who straight up sets me on fire. Her passion, activism, authenticity, and drive really inspire me. She is who I always wanted to be. Growing up, I dreamed of being a strong woman who could make a change, and a woman who could make people feel. A woman who could make people think harder and deeper, who could challenge others to be better people. Katie Horwitch is that woman. Every time she talks, she gives me the chills. She’s the kinda person who makes you want to stand up and throw your hands in the air and just scream “HELL YES.” I’ll join any Katie Horwitch movement. Mic. Drop.
The speakers also had breakout sessions where VIPs could get some one-on-one time with them and dive deeper into, well, any topic, really. Those VIP sessions were well worth it – I can tell you that. Things got deep. And real. Very GOOD.
There was delicious food, an amazing marketplace, lots of love and joy and laughter. Everything went fluidly and easily. I couldn’t have imagined a better day. The girls announced that the next Fest will be in L.A. in February, which I am insanely excited about. It was the best day I had in a long, long time. There is nothing more incredible than being completely surrounded by inspiration and love.
I only had one hiccup. See that menu? ^^ I decided to cheat on my protocol ONCE while on my trip. I have been very diligent the past few months, and I was high on good vibes from the Fest, so I just felt like YOLO-ing it and going for it. Banana ice cream is my favorite thing in the universe, and I was literally drooling over this menu. The Chilly Banana truck was serving thick and creamy banana nice cream with coconut whipped cream and the toppings of my dreams. It seemed too good to be true. I figured if I was going to “cheat” on the protocol, this was well worth it.
Long story short, NO REGRETS because it was one of the best things I have ever tasted in my entire life. However, I pretty much immediately realized my stomach hated me a lot for my bad decision. I spent the rest of the night in severe pain and digestive discomfort, got feverish and nauseous and dizzy, and my entire body broke out in a not-so-cute rash. I felt horrible because it should’ve been a night of celebration and I didn’t want Kate to worry about how bad I felt, so I tried to kind of just crawl in a corner and keep to myself. I definitely learned my lesson. Sometimes we have to learn our lessons the hard way, ya know?!
Either way, I would highly recommend that truck. I want them to come to L.A. I’ll never understand how frozen bananas can taste so good.
Back to what really matters – the Fest. After it was over, I didn’t know how to feel. Like I said, I was high on good vibes. I was so proud of my friends for what they had accomplished. I felt blessed and grateful to have met so many incredible women. I felt inspired and ignited.
I’ve been to a lot of wellness events, but never anything like the GOOD Fest. They created an environment that I didn’t think was possible. I didn’t completely realize what it was until the next day when Kate and I were chatting. The truth is, a lot of “wellness” events attract people who have…attitudes. Or people who have built a business off of the way they look. People who, intentionally or unintentionally, make people feel self-conscious or “less than.” These kinds of events are supposed to be about wellness, but oftentimes that’s just a pseudonym for what’s really going on. Under the surface, people are still comparing themselves to each other, feeling self conscious, comparing their bodies and hair and food, competing over followers and numbers. I hate to say that, but it’s true.
At the GOOD Fest, there was none of that. It was all about acceptance and love and empowerment. It had nothing to do with the way anyone looked, or comparing anyone to anyone else. It was about meeting new people, connecting with others, digging deep into our souls to figure out what wellness really means, getting in touch with our minds and spirits. We meditated, did yoga, danced, and laughed together, as a big community. We didn’t even know each other, but that day created a bond between everybody in the room. It was comforting and gave me hope. It was a day where I didn’t worry about anything. I was just happy to be there, and so genuinely grateful to be in the presence of such incredible human beings. I was lucky to be a part of the day.
After the Fest, I went back to the hotel with the women behind GOOD to chill, eat a crap ton of food, and relive the day. The next morning, a group of influencers went to Athleta for a yoga class taught by Georgina (@thelittleflowerpetal), which was exactly what we all needed after a long weekend. Post-yoga, we went to a ridiculously fabulous brunch hosted by Chris, the founder of Franklin & Whitman. Lots of chatting, meeting Insta friends IRL, laughing, smiling, all of it. Oh, and we ran into Steve-O from Jackass. I couldn’t eat the food, but the spread was INSANE. The cauliflower tacos and apple pancakes had my mouth watering, big time.
What I kept thinking about the entire time I was in Philly was how easy it was. Every person I met, it was easy. A simple connection. Everyone was truly kind and genuine. I met people for five seconds and instantly felt like they got me. I honestly just felt really happy. East coast people have a really good vibe, to be honest.
The last day, I walked around the city with Kate, and we recorded a really powerful podcast for Actually Adultish all about mental health. Kate shared her story and her own personal struggles, and we talked about how mental illness doesn’t define you or have to stop you from doing amazing things. I’m so grateful I have Kate in my life. I’m honored she was willing to open up like that to me, and to the world. If you want to listen to that episode, you can do so here.
As we walked around Philly on the last day there, I had a million things running through my head. First of all, I was consumed with a feeling of gratitude that I got to be with one of my best friends in the world. I am lucky to know her. I’m so proud of Kate for putting together such an amazing event, but more than that, a community. I believe in her and her vision so much. GOOD is important to this world, because it stands for true wellness. In the world of Instagram and blogs and photos and workouts and clothes and shopping and numbers, that gets lost sometimes. It’s about a community, and meeting with likeminded people. Second, it reinspired me to go after my dreams. Watching her create this beautiful thing got me motivated to go out there and just chase my passions. I realized I have nothing stopping me but myself, and I have the power to take my life into my own hands. Whoa. A lot of thoughts.
I reflected a lot on that trip, and I feel like it did change me. The Festival, the people, the entire experience. Having time for introspection. All of it.
Anyways, there you have it. My too-long recap of one of the best weeks of my life. A transformational week. Sorry that I use this as a diary, but also… I hope maybe it helps you reflect a little bit too. We need more of that.
If you want to go to the next festival, I obviously highly recommend you do so. Tickets are already on sale for the L.A. Fest in February, and you can get them at thegoodfest.com. Kate was also kind enough to offer a discount code for my lovely readers! You can use the code “ADDICTEDTOLOVELY15” at checkout for 15% off your ticket. I hope I see you there… I have no doubt it will be amazing.
by Christina | May 4, 2017 | Recipes, Wellness
The recipe for these pancakes has been LONG AWAITED, which cracks me up because they’re pretty weird. Even after explaining the weirdness to you guys, I’ve still been getting a ton of messages to post the recipe ASAP. So, hey! Here ya go.
Since my diet is limited right now during my protocol, I’m always looking for creative ways to switch up my meals. I know a lot of people are in a similar situation. Sometimes we want a change from our usual routines, and sometimes we crave an old classic. But sometimes we feel like we can’t have anything “special” because we’re following a certain diet either longterm or short term in order to help us ultimately feel our best from the inside out. We think we have to make sacrifices, but we don’t!
I’m here to tell you that whoever you are, you, too, can have pancakes! Most likely with this super easy recipe. If not with this recipe, then there is another out there. I promise. I’ve taken a typically sugar-filled, time-consuming breakfast and found a way to make it quick, easy, and healthy, using hardly any ingredients at all. These pancakes are high-fat, low-carb, and oh-so-satisfying.
The reason these pancakes are kind of weird is because they’re not fluffy and perfectly round, like most of us imagine our ideal stack to be. They are, however, gut-healing, full of healthy fats and protein, and ideal for balancing out your blood sugar. The exact opposite of most pancake recipes. You will not leave this meal with a sugar coma, I promise.
While I’m typically always a veggies and protein kinda gal for breakfast, there are random days when I just crave something…bread-like. Without the gluten. That’s where these come in. You can either make one huge pancake (my friend did this the other day when she was testing it out), or a few smaller ones, like I did. I got 5 medium pancakes out of this recipe, so you can adjust accordingly.
With these pancakes, it’s all in the toppings. The pancake itself isn’t extremely flavorful, so use the toppings to give it that somethin’ somethin’. Use these pancakes as a nice base, and then dress them up however you want! If you want, you could add some traditional maple syrup and berries. Instead, I drizzled melted coconut butter and almond butter on top, which I would highly recommend. Then I topped it off with my Cinnamon Spiced Roasted nuts, and later added a little bit of shredded coconut as well! So delicious.
Here are some ideas for toppings: shredded coconut, cacao nibs, almonds, pecans, walnuts, any other nuts, hemp seeds, coconut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, any other nut butter, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, any other berries, jam, bee pollen… be creative!
As mentioned, I love these because they’re compliant with so many gut-healing diets. For example, I can eat these while I’m on my protocol. They’re Candida-diet friendly, low FODMAP, paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and nut-free (unless you add nuts on the top). They’ve got a nice bit of fiber in them from the flaxseeds to make up for the lack of veggies. Eggs and flax provide healthy fats, and eggs and the collagen give you a nice source of protein to start your day!
And oh, yeah, of course I had to add collagen in there! I’m always looking for sneaky ways to get collagen into my meals. Vital Proteins is my favorite. I used the Vanilla Collagen, which gives a delicious vanilla coconut flavor to these panners, but you can also use the plain collagen and add vanilla, or just use the plain alone. You can also sub with protein powder! My one friend literally used glutamine instead… Talk about gut-healing pancakes!
Keto, Candida-Friendly, Gut-Healing Paleo Pancakes
Serves: 1
Time: Under 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- 1.5 tbsp ground flaxseeds
- 1 scoop Vital Proteins Vanilla Collagen (or sub Vital Proteins regular collagen plus 2 tbsp vanilla, or sub protein powder of choice)
- dash of cinnamon
- dash of pink salt
- some coconut oil for your skillet
- Toppings: any you want! Nut butter, berries, nuts, shredded coconut, cacao nibs, etc.
Instructions:
- Mix the eggs, flax, collagen, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl and let sit for 5 minutes to thicken a bit. (If you want to be fancy, I recommend mixing some toppings into the batter! Cacao nibs, shredded coconut, even berries…)
- Heat up the coconut oil in your skillet until melted and covering the skillet. Pour the batter into the skillet in circles to make the pancakes however large you want.
- Let the pancakes cook until the edges are cooked and the bottom is slightly browned. Flip and repeat until the other side is cooked. Continue until you’ve used all the batter.
- Add your toppings and enjoy!
What are your favorite pancake toppings?! I would love to hear!
by Christina | May 1, 2017 | Wellness
This post might seem like it’s coming out of nowhere, but I promise it’s not. I’ve been dying to write about this for awhile, but I didn’t want to share it until I had done self-experimentation for long enough to really be able to tell how it’s been working for my body.
I also want to preface this with some classic, but always necessary, disclaimers. I want to remind you that the purpose of my blog, and this post, is to share my personal experiences with you. This is not medical advice. I’m not telling you to do anything I do or recommending you do anything I do. In general, posts on the Internet should be taken for what they are – just information and sharing. Not treatments or diagnoses or direct orders. I’m just sharing something that I’ve discovered works for my body. I am not responsible for what you do with your body, and what works for me won’t work for everyone else.
That being said…what’s been working for me?
I have been eating raw meat.
If you’ve been following me for awhile, you’ll already know I lead a paleo/primal lifestyle. However, it wasn’t until very recently that I tried eating raw meat. I became intrigued with the raw paleo diet because it’s something my NTP has written about, and through her I’ve stumbled across a few other people who eat raw paleo as well. One of those people is Melissa Henig, who I consider to currently be the “face of” raw paleo right now. By that, I mean that she’s talking about it openly and bringing it to a more mainstream audience, so I would definitely head to her website to learn more about the raw paleo diet if you’re interested. She was also recently interviewed on Ben Greenfield’s podcast and talked all about the benefits of her raw paleo diet. If you’re interested, check out that episode here – I loved it!
If you’re confused about what the raw paleo diet is, it’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s the paleo diet, but raw. So the typical paleo outline – no grains, gluten, legumes, sugar, soy, etc., but everything is left unheated. People who follow the raw paleo diet eat raw eggs, raw meat, raw chicken, raw fruit and veggies, raw unpasteurized dairy, and any other paleo foods…just raw. While I haven’t personally been following the raw paleo diet exclusively, I have been eating raw meat.
Before I actually tried raw meat, I did a lot of research. I interrogated my NTP about it, because I had so many questions. Is it really safe? If it’s safe, why don’t more people do it? What’s the point? What are the benefits? How will this affect my digestion? Is it really raw? After talking with her and reading a lot about raw paleo, I became very intrigued and finally decided I was ready to try it out. That’s the wannabe biohacker in me. When I’m curious enough about how well something “works,” I’ll always try it out on myself. My own personal experience is what I care about most.
I slowly came to understand that mainstream society has it backwards in terms of how to cook our food for optimal digestion. If you use google or ask a random person on the street, they’ll probably tell you that the “best way to eat” is to eat lots of raw vegetables and cooked proteins. Turns out, cooked veggies and raw proteins are actually easier for our bodies to digest than the other way around.
Most people with gut issues eventually realize that cooked vegetables are easier on their stomachs than raw ones. That’s something I’ve known to be true with my own body after struggling with so many gut issues throughout my life. I definitely still eat raw vegetables, I just prefer cooked vegetables when possible and eat them cooked about 90% of the time. Roasted, steamed, sautéed, etc. Raw vegetables can be very hard for our digestive systems to break down, but cooking them makes that process much easier. People might tell you that raw vegetables will heal all of your problems, but when it comes to DIGESTION specifically, cooked vegetables are usually easiest on our digestive systems.
When it comes to protein, however, raw meat is actually much easier for our bodies to digest than cooked. Think about it logically. Raw meat has always been a part of our ancestors’ diets. Raw meat has been a staple in the diets of different cultures around the world for centuries. You probably don’t think sushi is weird, right? It’s the same thing. What about steak tartare, or ceviche? If you’ve traveled to other countries, you’ve probably come across some kind of raw meat – maybe even seared. And again, sushi!
There are other aspects of the raw paleo diet that you probably wouldn’t think are that strange – raw dairy, for example. Raw milk and cheese. What about raw eggs? I know it’s not for everyone, but there are many people who toss raw eggs into their smoothies! And I KNOW you’ve eaten raw cookie dough before. (That’s not the raw paleo diet, obviously, but you get my point!)
When we cook meat, it actually destroys a lot of the enzymes found naturally in that meat that help with the digestion process. When it’s raw, all of those enzymes remain intact, and the nutrients in the meat are more bio-available. This can have a number of effects on how most people feel when they eat raw meat, and I experienced them all.
First, I notice a huge difference in my digestion when I eat raw meat. It’s much easier on my stomach. When I eat raw meat exclusively for a few days and then add in a cooked protein, I can feel the difference in my stomach immediately. The cooked protein physically hurts my stomach, and it feels like a brick is scraping the inside of my intestines. Now that I have something to compare it to, I really always notice the difference.
Second, it takes a lot less meat for me to get full. The nutrients are just so available to the body that I feel satisfied with much less protein. I’m usually satisfied with about half the amount I would have to eat if the meat was cooked. This ends up saving me a lot of money, because I don’t have to eat quite as much for satiety!
Third, it gives me an insane amount of energy. I don’t drink caffeine, but this is basically my version of the energy boost. Sometimes I don’t like eating raw meat at night because I feel like it keeps me awake for longer. I really don’t know how else to describe it – it just gives me a ton of energy and mental clarity. I love it.
When I read about my NTP’s experience with the raw paleo diet, I thought it was really interesting when she said that she truly craved raw meat after trying it for the first time. And after I tried it, the same thing happened to me. It’s like my body just wants it. NEEDS it. It’s something I crave all the time now, which tells me my body loves it. It makes me feel good, and I love the taste, so I’m sticking with it.
The most important thing when it comes to eating raw meat is the sourcing. I do not just go to the grocery store, buy some meat, and eat it raw. I will probably get very sick if I do that. Sick animals make us sick, but healthy, well-raised ones do not. I only eat grass-fed, grass-finished meat that I get from the farmer’s market, and I also don’t let it sit out on the counter. I usually freeze the meat for a week or two just in case, and then I let it thaw in the fridge right before I want to eat it. Then I keep it in the coldest part of my fridge and eat that batch within the next day or two.
That’s another thing I love about raw meat – it’s super fast. You literally just take it out of the fridge and eat it – no prep required. This might sound weird, but I also love how primal I feel when I eat raw meat. Kind of like when you eat a huge drumstick and just go for it. It’s like I’ve tapped into my primal instincts!
One question I always get asked is about the taste. Obviously I can only speak for myself, but I love the taste, especially of raw lamb. That’s my favorite thing to eat and what I eat most often. It tastes…cold. Ha. And like… raw lamb. I can’t really describe it, but it’s really not that different from the taste of cooked lamb, in my opinion. It is a different texture than cooked meat. Kind of gummy, chewy. I personally love it. Like I said, I crave it. 😉
How do I eat it? There are a few different ways. You can eat it plain, you can let it soak in lemon or lime juice, or you can mix it with oils and spices. When I eat ground lamb, I usually either eat it plain, dolloped on top of my food, or I will mix it in with spices and a bit of fat. The zoodles in these pictures, for example, are plain, but a lot of times I like to make “meatballs” by mixing the meat in with basil, oregano, rosemary, and a little bit of lard. My version of raw pasta.
I don’t follow a raw paleo diet, I just incorporate raw meat into my diet. I’ve been doing this regularly for a few months. I was worried at first, but after that first day, I kind of became obsessed. I don’t eat raw meat every single day – it’s something I would only do when I know the source of my meat and when I’m eating at home. I know it’s not for everyone, and that’s fine! I just wanted to share my experience because it’s such an interesting topic, IMO. If nothing else, maybe you’ll be inspired to keep an open mind and do some research of your own!
