Did you know that you can cook a squash WHOLE in the Instant Pot? No more struggling to get that knife through the hard shell. Once it’s cooked, it carves like butter. The Instant Pot cooks the squash in minimal time, and this simple glaze makes it taste decadently delicious! Don’t have an Instant Pot yet? No worries. I included an oven/stovetop variation for this recipe, too.
Are you seeing some new veggies at the farmers market and wondering how to cook them? Are you stuck in a rut of eating the same ones all the time and feel ready to branch out? Vegetables are the foundation of the Paleo AIP Food Pyramid for a reason. They help our bodies detoxify, support a healthy microbiome, and contain phytonutrients you can’t find elsewhere. That’s why Dr. Terry Wahls recommends 6-9 cups daily, and Dr. Sarah Ballantyne recommends 8+ cups daily. Paleo may be famous for its meat, but most of us eat #morevegetablesthanavegetarian. Some people are overwhelmed when they hear those numbers. If that’s you, take a deep breath. I’m here to help!
We’ve all seen the USDA food pyramid, and we know that’s a recipe for poor health. Are you curious what an AIP food pyramid looks like? What foods make up the foundation? Which ones are at the top and reserved for special occasions? When it comes to the paleo autoimmune protocol, we focus a lot on what we can’t eat. But the key to being happy on a healing diet is knowing what we CAN eat, and realizing that we can eat delicious, satiating food every single day, and heal at the same time.
This is the recipe that made me fall in love with the Instant Pot. It makes 24-hour broth in just 2-1/2 hours. I had been making 24-hour bone broth for almost 3 years, and saving this much time in the kitchen filled me with the kind of gratitude that only “real food cooks” like yourselves can understand. Ready to do a happy dance in your kitchen?
Ready for a delicious weeknight meal that takes only 30 minutes to prepare, including prep and cook time? This is one of my favorites. Nutrient-dense salmon meets playful zucchini noodles. A recipe for kids and adults alike!
I spent two months trying out different flavor combinations for this paleo staple, and in this post I offer my 4 favorites: Moroccan Spice, Asian Ginger, Scallion, and Plain. Added bonus: Cauliflower “rice” cooks in 6 minutes and is far more nutritious than the rice it replaces. It’s full of vitamins and antioxidants, it’s sulfur-rich which supports our ability to detoxify, it’s anti-inflammatory, and it’s beneficial for our gut. On top of that, it’s positively delicious!
When you follow an anti-inflammatory diet, that often means a lot of home cooking, and that can take a whole lot of time! I’m all for making things easier, and that’s what slow cookers do. Just throw the ingredients into a crockpot in the morning, and by dinnertime your house smells amazing and it’s ready to serve! It’s the next best thing to having a person chef.
This episode of the Phoenix Helix podcast is an in-depth interview with Dr. Terry Wahls, a doctor with multiple sclerosis, who went from a wheelchair to a bicycle through the power of a nutrient-dense paleo diet, called the Wahls Protocol. Today, we talk about her protocol in detail, advice for beginners, common mistakes people make, transitioning from vegetarianism, do a guided meditation, and get an update on her clinical trials. It’s a power-packed interview!
The trickiest category on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol is Spices. Which are allowed and which aren’t? Today, I clear up the confusion and also give some AIP-friendly tips for adding a wide variety of flavor to your recipes. Eating AIP should never be bland!
When I first discovered the connection between food intolerance and rheumatoid arthritis pain, I went through a period of being afraid every time I sat down to eat. Finding the paleo diet was a gift, because it gave me a template of safe foods to enjoy. When I hit a healing plateau, I turned to the autoimmune protocol and learned that dairy and nightshades were inflammation triggers for me. Some people find they need to restrict further to feel their best, reducing their intake of FODMAPs or oxalates, for example. Are you seeing the pattern? In our journeys to heal, the first thing we do is eliminate foods that are the problem. The question is, are we also focusing on the foods that are the solution?
New to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol? This podcast is for you! Dr. Sarah Ballantyne (aka The Paleo Mom) shares her personal healing story, gives an overview of the AIP, and takes a big picture look at the scientific basis for how it works to reduce autoimmune symptoms. The AIP can be hard, so it’s really helpful to understand the reasoning behind it. Get ready to geek out on some science!
Are you new to paleo, or do you know someone who would like to learn more? In this episode of the Phoenix Helix podcast, we cover Paleo 101. We talk about the foods we eat, the foods we avoid, and why. We also bust some myths, like, “Aren’t meat and saturated fat bad for you?” and “I thought vegetarianism was the healthiest diet.” If you’re new to this lifestyle, you probably have these questions yourself. If you’ve been eating this way for a while, you have undoubtedly heard these questions from family and friends. I’m joined by paleo expert, Liz Wolfe, to bust the myths and help everyone understand why paleo is a healthy way to live and eat. As always, I’ll be filtering all of this information through the lens of autoimmunity.
If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know that my favorite recipes are both simple and delicious. The only ingredients in this recipe are duck breasts and sea salt. It cooks in only 20 minutes. And the taste – divine!
Let’s take it back to my very first podcast episode. The Phoenix Helix Podcast is dedicated 100% to autoimmune healing. I decided to kick off Episode 1 with personal healing stories. 4 guests and I talk about our rock bottom with autoimmune disease, how far we’ve come, and what diet and lifestyle choices made the biggest difference in our health.
When we follow the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, food is foremost in our mind. We avoid the foods that exacerbate autoimmune disease and eat the foods that help us heal. The right food is essential, but healing is about more than just food. Lifestyle affects autoimmunity just as strongly. Here are 5 ways to tap your body’s full healing potential.
My 2 year healing diet anniversary brought with it feelings I didn’t expect. It got me thinking about the language of healing, and the difference between reversal and cure. What do these words mean? What’s really possible? In this post, I take an honest and thorough look at healing autoimmunity.
Condiments are a great way to add some quick and varied flavor to your meals, and when you’re following the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), that can be a little tricky. The vast majority of condiments contain ingredients not allowed on the AIP. So, what to do? No worries! I’ve got you covered with a great list of AIP-friendly recipes (and a few store-bought options as well!)
I came to Paleo through the GAPS diet doorway, which is a low-starch version of the paleo diet. When I switched to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, I continued to eat low-starch. I had seen a lot of improvement and didn’t want to risk worsening symptoms. After 18 months, I decided it was time to test the low-starch theory. Did I really need to avoid them? As “safe starches” became more and more popular, GAPS became more and more criticized. I spent time slowly reintroducing starches into my diet and monitoring my body’s response. Are you curious about my results?
Organ meats are 10-100 times more nutritious than other meats, which is why they’re so highly recommended on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol. That said, I know it’s hard for beginners. You have lots of questions about toxins and concerns about taste. I answer your questions in this article, and also give you links to 30 AIP-friendly recipes! Give one a try this week.
If you’ve never baked your bacon, you are missing out! No more standing at the stove, getting splattered with grease. You can cook an entire pack at once AND it makes the best bacon fat ever – smooth, creamy white, delicious, and awesome for frying anything, including chicken livers (pro tip). How did I go 40+ years of my life not knowing this trick? PS. There’s a big variation in bacon quality. In this post, I share my favorite paleo AIP-friendly brands as well.
Have you been doing the paleo autoimmune protocol for a while, without seeing the results you want? In this post, I share 5 of the most common mistakes people make on this journey. Let’s see if any of these apply to you.
Through research and experimentation, I’ve created a nightshade-free, succulent sausage recipe that even pleases my husband (a self-professed sausage snob.) There’s a reason this recipe has gone viral. Added bonus? It’s easy to make. Enjoy!
Organ meats are highly recommended on a healing diet, but the idea can intimidate a lot of people. If that’s you, today’s your lucky day. Chicken livers are the perfect organ meat for beginners. They’re mild tasting, require almost no prep and cook quickly. You don’t even need a recipe really, but I’ve provided a delicious one for you anyway. It combines the liver with plenty of vegetables, so the taste is even milder.
What’s the deal with this delicious, mythical and controversial food? Is it a magic elixir, a heinous junk food, or somewhere in between? I spent hours of research, clarifying its pros, cons, and where it fits on a healing diet. In this post, I share everything you ever wanted to know about chocolate.
If you think chicken breasts always turn out dry and flavorless, this recipe is about to change your mind!
Want to know which onion has 120 times more antioxidants than the rest? Which fruit has 10 times more nutrition than most vegetables? Which vegetables lose half their nutrition within 2 days of picking and how to slow that process down? Or how to make sure you are getting the medicinal benefit of garlic when you eat it? Here are 20 tips to make your next grocery shopping trip the most nutritious yet.
