My no-recipe flat chicken

I haven't shared any recipes for a while so I thought I'd be awkward and share one of my go to dishes - no-recipe flat chicken. This can be a custom recipe that you mould to your own tastes on that day.

Take however many chicken breasts as you need servings (I always do extra and the leftovers end up as cooked meats for lunch boxes in the following days). Coat with herb/spice mix of choice with some extra virgin olive oil to make it stick. Don't worry if you use a little too much as it can help with the next stage.

Now comes the fun part. Place the chicken on top of a sheet of baking paper and put another sheet on top. I suggest putting the whole lot onto a chopping board for safety also. Take a rolling pin and whack the hell out of the chicken until its relitavely flat - or at least having an even thickness throughout. Just don't go so rough that you rip the paper and spread spices all over the kitchen like I did the first time.

The before...

... and after

Slice the chicken artistically at an angle (or butcher it at an angle like I managed to do) and serve with masses of veggies, avocado, nuts, berries, or whatever primal foodstuffs you have going.

Grub up

So in short.
1. Grab chicken breasts and coat with spices/herbs of choice
2. Mash it flat
3. Pan fry it off
4. Enjoy the protein-y goodness
5. Post a response with your own suggestions of spice mix.

Try it out and I hope you enjoy this no-recipe.

Respectfully,
Sam

What the Primal blueprint means to me. Law#2 Avoid Poisonous Things

Law#2 Avoid Poisonous things

I made a mistake last time looking at the primal laws. Today's post will focus on what to avoid eating (and drinking) as part of the primal lifestyle. We might all think that we avoid ingesting poisonous things. We know not to drink bleach and that many drugs can be extremely harmful to our health. But is this the whole picture? Is it only things with a 'poisonous' label that we should avoid? Hint - no. We need to expand our view of poisonous slightly to include things that damage us, even slowly. We all agree that smoking is harmful (read: poisonous), but what about the harm caused by excess sugar consumption? (quick answer; increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes, autoimmune disease, and obesity just to name a few of the big ones)

Last time I mentioned some food groups held by conventional wisdom to be essential to a 'healthy diet'. Hopefully we agree by this point that eating similarly to the way we have evolved to is important. You wouldn't expect a lion to survive on tofu and lettuce, just as you wouldn't expect a rabbit to survive on beef steaks. Until recently in our evolutionary history; pesticides, herbicides, many chemical substances, as well as grains, cereals, legumes, processed sugars, artificial sugars, mass produced medications, trans-fats, and many others besides were not eaten by our ancestors. For fans of fast food, or junk food - note that these "foods" meet at least a few of the above categories. Remember, there is no junk food - there's junk, and there's food.

                      

Most of these poisonous things are not massively dangerous in the short term. However, years of ingesting these substances produces weaknesses in the body. Take legumes as an example, they have mechanisms in place to deter animals, including us from eating them. Toxic substances are released, especially if not properly prepared - causing inflammation, with links to autoimmune diseases. Hmm, autoimmune diseases, have I caught your attention type 1 diabetics? Subsequently over the years, the toxicity builds and even assuming that health conditions or complications do not arise, your body is still not functioning at full capacity. 

Human evolution, guess what caused the difference between the last two? I'll give you a hint, this whole post is about it.

What does this mean for me? Well, I have ditched all of the above (at least where possible some 95% of the time), and I don't have a bloated feeling after meals. That 'I feel fit to burst'  feeling my family gets after a meal (which is identical to mine barring my rejection of pasta/potatoes/rice/etc, in favour of slightly more meat and more veg where possible), I don't get. I feel ready to go, like I could happily get work done and get exercising. My meals give me energy rather than make me feel lethargic. Type 1 diabetics pay special attention here. After more than 90% of my meals I do not need to take insulin, as such I do not get the sugar crash shortly afterwards which leaves many type 1's tired and sleepy after a meal. Oh and for those who want to loose weight, by avoiding these substances it is almost guaranteed. Combine Law#2 with law#1 that I discussed in my first post of the series and you get; super tasty meals, every mealtime, that help you keep the muscle on, loose the excess fat and feel awesome. 

Just a reminder

I could talk at length about the things (I don't even call them foods anymore) that we shouldn't be eating. But, I think it is enough to lend these key points and suggest that everyone interested, whether you agree or not to check out marksdailyapple and the primal blueprint. Read the success stories and the amazing recipes on the site and try to tell me that your life is actually better from having any of these poisonous substances in your body.

I double-checked and next time it will definitely be Law#3 Move frequently at a slow pace. See you next time. 

Any comments, suggestions, agrees, disagrees and all that please comment and join the discussion.

Respectfully,

Sam

What the Primal Blueprint means to me: Law #1. Eat Lots of Plants and Animals

Law #1 Eat lots of Plants and Animals


Diet is a pretty controversial topic nowadays and the primal blueprint goes against current conventional wisdom. For any diabetic readers, you will notice a big difference between what I support here and what you will have been told by your doctor/diabetes nurse or other healthcare professional. I wont go so far as to say that the way we have all been told to eat is B#*#**#t, but at least some of it has been projected forcefully from a bovines rear end. If you agree or disagree, please comment and we can work on shared understanding. Can you tell that I really want more diabetics on the primal blueprint eating plan?
Our ancestors diets consisted mostly of plants and animals, we know that much. In addition, by studying modern hunter-gatherer societies a pretty consistent pattern emerges - geography depending. They ate what they could, when they could - meaning utilizing our amazing ability to store energy as fat for whenever food was more scarce. The lifestyle of our ancestors allowed them to be lean, strong, healthy, and prepared. It was not an easy life, but it was not as barbaric as we might imagine.

What does this mean for our diets today?

Basically, eat as much of all these goodies as you want.

from eatpreypaleo.com

Eat good quality meat, eggs, fish from pretty much any animal source, even insects if you're feeling adventurous. Eat tons of colorful vegetables, and healthy fats (animal fats, nuts, coconut, avocado).
Sounds awesome right? Eggs and bacon; steak, avocado and assorted salad; roasted veggies and jerk chicken; with snacks of nuts, berries and some fruit. Does anybody disagree so far, have I named any unhealthy, or disgusting foods (maybe apart from insects - though Bear Grylls makes it look like a good laugh)? or have I given a picture of some awesomely tasty, healthy meals? I believe the latter.

from www.allpaleodiet.com

Now the bit that gets on folks backs. What does eating this way avoid, and why?
Firstly, no grains or cereals. That's right, no cereal for breakfast, no morning bagel. No sandwich or pasta salad for lunch. No breaded or battered 'meat' for dinner.
Secondly, no refined/processed/artificial sugar. We all know its not good for us, so lets just all agree that cakes, muffins, cookies, milk chocolate and the wide range of foods most of us (me included) have over-indulged with.
Third, no legumes (beans). This is where primal and paleo differ somewhat. Legumes, including peanuts (I know, right) are inflammatory and in short, mess up our systems. Oh and for all us diabetics, they are also linked to auto-immune diseases. OMG right, so that whole - it was just luck of the draw or a roll of some cosmic dice that gave me type 1 diabetes may be wrong. Remember that the issue is that society, medicine, and science just don't understand type 1 diabetes fully yet - but, evidence for these links are forming. So, as people already disposed to autoimmune disease, it's worth avoiding it further, don't you think?
Fourth, eliminate trans- and hydrogenated- fats. These are not foods, full stop. There are good fats and bad fats. If anyone tells you otherwise, or you believe that all fats are bad yourself then you are wrong. No question, you are wrong and you especially should check out marks daily apple and develop your knowledge.

How does this look for our average daily/weekly consumption? Well, the SAD diet (Standard American Diet - or western in general really, I am in the UK) that conventional wisdom looks something like this. Around 50% carbs, 30% fat, and 20% protein. This is a great way to gain weight and develop health issues. The primal blueprint for me doesn't recommend specific ratios per se. I don't personally agree with ratios as it means that if you want to lose weight then you can only eat less and risk muscle loss. Also, if you exercise regularly, you might not be getting enough protein to rebuild yourself. The primal blueprint suggests eating something like 1g protein per pound lean muscle mass per day for an active person. For me this means around 130g protein daily depending on exercise needs. This is around 3 times what is recommended by conventional wisdom, no wonder the average person has pretty poor muscle tone. Your carb needs are determined by activity - within reason though, as primal seeks to be a fat burner diet rather than a carb burner diet. I would say around 100g daily for diabetics, but not much more. Any more and the weight goes on, any less you tend to lose weight. This is my sweet spot, but then we all differ. Note that these carbs come from berries, fruit and leafy veg. Finally your fat intake is essentially whatever remains to fill your daily calorie needs. For say 2000 calories; 130g protein, 100g carbs leaves 120g fat. Bear in mind that a gram of protein or carbs = 4calories, whereas 1g fat = 9calories. In essence, this means you need to eat less.

Sorry, the explanation got slightly out of hand there. Let's move on. For those that agree with the standard way of eating. I have only my own experiences to offer. My usual diet looks something like this. 3/4 egg omlette, maybe bacon for breakfast. Spicy chicken and massive salad for lunch. Veg heavy dinner, likely with fish/meat of some kind. Also nuts, berries and fruit as snacks. In the past few months, I have lost maybe 4 pounds. Not alot, huh. Well this comes with more muscle than I have ever had, as well as a decrease of maybe 4 inches around my waist. I like to say that the worst thing about eating primal is that I need to go shopping for smaller trousers, and I hate shopping. Specifically relevant to any type 1 readers, read this next bit carefully. I take hardly any insulin anymore; a daily dose and unless I cheat (sometimes cheesecake just calls too hard, but I'm working on it) I don't need any after meals. I haven't had a hypo in months. My last A1C was just above 5, though I forget the exact number. I haven't seen my blood glucose above 7 (or around 125, I forget the exact transformation between systems) in a while and like I say, never below 4 (80-ish?). I am full of energy and don't get those afternoon sleepy phases I did while on the SAD.

Primal pancakes anyone - seen here

Awesome lunches anyone? - this one for a future post

Mmmmmmmmmmmm

The diet element is one of the most extensive ones within the primal blueprint; however, it is only one of 10 laws for healthy living. Next time, we'll take a look at moving a lot, but at a slow pace.

Please do comment and feedback. Do you agree or disagree, have I missed anything vital?. Please help me spread this way of living to others, especially my type 1 brethren who deserve more to life than the roller coaster ride offered by masses or carbs followed by masses of insulin (and the resultant crash). We deserve to be healthy.

If this is your life as a type 1 diabetic then the primal blueprint is for you

Respectfully,
Sam

What is the primal Blueprint? A primer

I will shortly be writing a ten part series on the primal blueprint 10 laws my relationship to them. Many people know about the paleo or primal diet, but the primal blueprint is so much more - a lifestyle. In short, the primal blueprint attempts to replicate the lifestyles our ancestors had over 10,000 years ago, before the dawn of agriculture. Of course adaptations must be made as society has changed greatly since then, but our biology and our genes have not. So, we are built to eat and live like our hunter-gatherer ancestors. My interpretation of primal living has helped me control my blood glucose, improve my health, get fitter and stronger, built muscle and lose excess fat (without trying, seriously it wasn't an actual goal of mine) - all while eating awesome tasty food, enjoying exercise and not counting calories or carb counting. It is not a diet, but a lifestyle with some dietary guidelines. Hopefully any readers will gain some insight, perhaps enough to go to marksdailyapple and try it for yourselves. For those already initiated, maybe sharing some experiences will add to our pool of N=1 experiments. For type 1 diabetics like me, read carefully and please do find out more - diets often fail, but a lifestyle change like this only works. To quote Mark Sisson, Try It [the primal blueprint] for 21 Days, or Your Poor Health Back! seen here

Here are the 10 laws at a glance.
1. Eat Lots of Plants and Animals
2. Avoid Poisonous Things
3. Move Frequently at a Slow Pace
4. Lift Heavy Things
5. Sprint Once in a While
6. Get Adequate Sleep
7. Play
8. Get Adequate Sunlight
9. Avoid Stupid Mistakes
10. Use Your Brain

I will look at each in turn. I'll explain what it means, and what it means to me. Most importantly, I'll explain the aspects that have specific benefits to Type 1 diabetics.
See you next time

Respectfully,
Sam

Coconut Jerk Chicken

Simple and easy meal for you today. Full of protein and fat, our primal favorites. Just add to your side dish of choice
This isn't really a recipe so much as a general method I use to make this flavorful, coconut-ty plate full of goodness.

Ingredients

• Chicken - any cut or type, I have yet to try this with meat on the bone, but i'll have a try in the future. I use chicken breast for ease
• Desiccated coconut - unsweetened so you can keep the carbs down and enjoy the actual coconut flavor rather than just added sugar.
• Coconut Oil - for the frying and the oily goodness.
• Garlic - if you have it, add first to the pot/pan/wok.
• Spices - I have a few favorites, but chiefly; smoked paprika, garlic granules, some kind of jerk mix (if you make your own that's ideal, I haven't graduated to this level however), chili powder/flakes, and any other spice you like. Just have fun with the flavors - I tend to keep it to spices for this dish and leave the herbs for others, but each to their own. 

My regulars

The method

Cut chicken into small chunks, chuck into heated pan with coconut oil (or olive, but this is a coconut recipe after all). Cook until nearly done and add the spices. Stir in, then throw in the coconut flakes

Mmm, coconut

Stir in, and if the mix is too dry add a touch of water or if you need that fat boost, coconut oil.

Nearly done

Serve on a plate  or in a bowl with veg of choice. I like avocado and salad for this one because it balances the heat and spice of the chicken. I didn't have any nuts (bad pun), so I had a spoonful of almond butter on the side - also goes well with the chicken.

Picture taken, now I can eat

Now, if you have it, some sweet chilli sauce goes well on the chicken too but may not be 100% primal/paleo so depends on your preference. Enjoy!

Respectfully, 

Sam

Banana Coconut flour Pancakes, mk 2 - this time with pictures

I promised pictures and here they are. These pancakes tasted good. I've also filled out the recipe a bit so that it's easier to follow than my previous instructions.

Ingredients (2 portions, or about 8 pancakes - I saved half for breakfast tomorrow and I cant wait)

• 3 large eggs
• 1 banana - mashed (mashed a lot, try for no lumps)
• 1/2tbs Honey
• 1t vanilla extract
• Approx 45ml or roughly 1/6 cup coconut flour
• 1/2t baking soda
• Coconut Oil

Extras

• Berries of your liking
• Runny honey
• Bacon (wait, why is this in extras? Cant bacon be essential to every dish?)

Instructions

1. Take the mashed banana and whisk together with the eggs, honey and vanilla extract. You should get a fairly runny mix.
2. Grease up the pan with the coconut oil and set to a medium/low heat, and if possible prep a separate pan to cook the bacon to your liking (I use a grill - more because of laziness than anything else). I use more coconut oil than I maybe should, but it really helps the pancakes not stick.
3. Sift the coconut flour and baking soda into the mix and whisk together until smooth. Patience is key here otherwise you'll be left with lumpy dry nastiness. It'll look something like this - you don't want thee mix too thick or too runny, otherwise all hell breaks loose. If the mix is too thick, add a teaspoon of water or two, and if it's too runny, add a little more coconut flour.

   

   just right

   
   
4. Using a large spoon, dollop out scoops of the mix onto the pan - large or small your choice. I go for small because they are easier to flip - otherwise I have found that they break in half or flop over and I end up swearing and upsetting people.

   

   And the bacon sizzling in the background. Oh yeah.

5. Now, patience. You don't want burnt or under cooked pancakes. I can testify as I have done both, once in the same batch. I did mention in my last post that there is some trial and error to this recipe - well, only if you're as useless as me. This is a good time to push some berries into the pancakes, or just throw them onto the plate - your pick.
6. Whack the bacon on, hear that lovely sizzle and smell that awesome bacon-y smell.
7. Check under a pancake and if you think the time is right then flip away. I use a thin rubber spatula, but if you're feeling brave I suppose you could one-handed flip the whole batch as a whole. I've taken a picture of an underdone pancake I had to leave for a few  minutes while the others actually cooked.

   

   Slightly undercooked before fliping - more time needed. Also note the berries pushed into some of the others.

And just right

Finaly, cut one in half and if its no longer runny then you should be good to go. Chuck them onto a plate and top with syrup, or butter, or melted coconut oil. Side with the bacon and whatever berries you have left and chow down.

And there you have it, my perfect-for-me pancakes. Not prize winning, but pretty damn good.

Respectfully,
Sam

Type 1 diabetes memes: the ugly

I will try not to rant, I promise I will try not to rant. These three memes represent the worst side of diabetes, and its not even the disease itself. It's the perception that everything is hopeless, and that nothing can be done to improve the situation. Now, I understand that maybe these are meant in good humour, but I hate to think that out there someone might actually believe the message behind these horrors.

In third

It is bad enough when a random person in your life just doesn't get it. The goodness in me wants to cuddle them into an understanding of the differences between two conditions that shouldn't even share a name. But when you go to the doctor/nurse or any medical professional and get given type 2 information or just plain awful advice, the bad in me wants to strangle them with their stethoscope - or show them what an insulin injection feels like and let them deal with a hypo.
Right, bad Sam. That went very dark, lets calm down and move on.

 Right, this one is right in one sense. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease and so in a sense unpredictable (although there is evidence that some foods do provoke autoimmune diseases e.g. peanuts). But, you can control 90% or more of the condition with diet and exercise. I am down to 5 units of lantus daily, and maybe a single novorapid if i splurge on a meal. But, eating primal and exercising regularly has enabled me to control my condition and my life  rather than riding the roller coaster of more carbs-more insulin. This leads us to my all time worst meme of all.

When I was first diagnosed, I quickly caught on to the idea that if I eat more carbs I have to take more insulin. But, this does not mean that you should up your carb intake. By eating masses or carbs, you get a huge blood glucose spike, necessitating huge doses of insulin which leads to a crash, or hypo at worst. This wild ride causes most of the problems associated with type 1 diabetes needlessly. Eat low carb and you need less insulin, simples. I hope I get some hate for this, because I know its how a lot of type 1 diabetics live, but if I can guide a few towards the primal lifestyle or the paleo diet, then their lives would be greatly improved.

Worst of all, it seems like a lot of type 1's actually think like this. I had been told by a fellow type 1 that carbs are essential for us type 1's. I cant argue against that, but no where near as many are needed as the 200g+ advertised by the mainstream. Oh, and the idea that carbs are essential to prevent hypos I have one thing to say - take less insulin. Its the error of conventional wisdom and misguided medical professionals, but these wild swings expressed by similar memes ("yeah, if my blood sugars could just be in the right range for once, that would be great" and so on) don't have to be the case.

There, those were three of the good-est, baddest, and ugly-est type 1 diabetes memes I found today. I truly hope that more type 1's find the primal blueprint or paleo diet, or in fact any low carb diet that works for them rather than following the convention of type 1 as an unmanageable monster inside us. Put the beast back in its cage so you can focus on the better things in life.

Respectfully,
Sam