Category: How To’s

Most Used Products for Healthy Lifestyle Protocols

Inner Pearl Wellness4 Comments on Most Used Products for Healthy Lifestyle Protocols

Often when people begin most lifestyle protocols such as Whole30, Paleo, AIP (Autoimmune Paleo/Protocol); etc, they have questions about what a certain product is or where to find it.  I decided to compile a list of some of my must-haves and favorite items.  Hopefully, this will help you on your journey to a healthier you.

Let’s start with the basics:

  • High-Quality Meats/Seafood (antibiotic/steroid free, pasture raised, grass-fed, sustainable, wild as much as possible) & Vegetables (organic preferably) – All of these can be found at most supermarkets and large warehouse stores like Sam’s Club, BJ’s, or Costco. You can also find them at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Kroger’s, and Aldi’s. These items and other health-related products can often be found online at sites like ThriveMarket and/or Amazon.  Find the High-Quality meats at US Wellness Meats and places like ButcherBox (free bacon in each box).  If there are any Asian Markets in your area, please take advantage of their enormous selection of fresh fruits, vegetables and sometimes fresh seafood (they will clean and filet the fish for you right there).  Farmer’s Markets are great to get your fresh meats/fish/seafood/vegetables as well.

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Next, we’ll discuss the Quality Fats. Unrefined, Organic, and Extra Virgin are preferred:

  • EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) – The oil is mechanically pressed from the olives without heat or chemistry. Opt for cold pressed, a darker bottle and a harvest date when choosing your EVOO. Look for Lucero, Corto, Kirkland Signature Organic, California Olive Ranch, Cobram Estate, or McEvoy Ranch Organic.  I normally purchase mine from Amazon (links included) or Sams Club.
  • Unrefined Virgin Coconut Oil – (The label can say extra virgin or virgin…it’s the same thing) This oil is either extracted from moist coconut meat, the water and oil are divided by boiling, fermenting, and refrigeration or the fresh meat is quick-dried and mechanically pressed to release the oil.  You can cook with this, add it to your smoothies, and hot drinks. *Remember this coconut oil is solid at room temperatures below 76 degrees.  My preferred place of purchase is Amazon (link included) & Sams Club.  I purchase this in bulk.
  • Expeller Pressed Refined Coconut Oil – The unrefined is the healthiest but if you don’t like the taste of coconut you can opt for this one. *This particular refined oil is also solid.  Do not get the “refined” oil that is liquid at all temperatures.
  • Avocado Oil – I get this from Sam’s Club, Amazon, Thrive Market.
  • Palm Oil/Shortening – I’ve purchased this from Amazon and Thrive Market.
  • Lard, Tallow, or/and Duck Fat (organic/grass-fed/pasture raised) – I purchase this from Thrive Market.
  • Ghee Clarified Butter (Whole30 only) – I grab this from Amazon and Thrive Market
  • Nut Oils (Paleo/Whole30) – Walnut, Almond, Macadamia, Hazelnut; etc. – These can be purchased at most stores.

The 2 Favorite & Most Mentioned Kinds of Vinegar:

  • Balsamic Vinegar – Add it to salad dressing, sauces, meats, vegetables, marinades; etc.  I purchase this from Amazon and Sam’s Club.
  • Organic Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother – There are so many uses for this one…use it the same as the Balsamic Vinegar, add to your drinking water, use it to extract nutrients when preparing vegetable/meat/bone broth and so much more.  Chose Organic Raw Unfiltered w/the Mother in it.  I order it from Amazon and usually in bulk.

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Milk products from animals are a “no” on the above protocols.  If you are looking for something to drink, bake with, make into yogurt, add to your porridge, or gluten-free cereal…opt for:

  • Organic Coconut Milk – Preferably full fat without guar gum or other unnatural ingredients. Read the label or make your own!  I purchase mine from Amazon or Trader Joe’s. trader joes coconut milk
  • Almond/Cashew Milk (Paleo/Whole30 only) – Free of carrageenan/additives/chemicals and unsweetened. Read the label or make your own!  I grab mine from Weis.

Then there are the starches and flours which you can use to bake gluten-free foods, make porridges, and thicken gravy, soups, or sauces:

  • Coconut Flour – Sam’s Club
  • Tapioca Starch/Flour – Amazon or Big Lots
  • Arrowroot Starch/Flour – Amazon or Big Lots
  • Cassava Flour – Amazon or Otto’s online
  • Almond Flour (Whole30 Only) – Amazon or Weis

A few other highly recommended nutritious and/or gut healing products are:

  • Bone Broth – Nutrient Dense, rich in protein/gelatin and minerals. Does wonders for the gut.  Drink it, add to soups, or braise vegetables with it.  You can also make this at home. You can grab this at any store.  Just make sure it’s compliant.  I grab it from Butcher Box, Kettle & Fire, and make my own.
  • Gelatin/Collagen Hydrolysate – Supports skin/hair/nail health and your digestive tract.  I purchase this from Amazon
  • Probiotic/Prebiotic/Fermented Drinks & Foods – Supports your Digestive Health – Kombucha, Sauerkraut, Coconut Milk Yogurt; etc.  I purchase these from Amazon, Sam’s Club, Aldi’s, and Whole Foods.

Two highly recommended & useful gadgets to help with either lifestyle protocol are the:

Four of my absolute favorites are:

  • Coconut Butter or Coconut Manna – I never knew this existed until I started AIP. It is basically coconut ground into a butter.  You can purchase or even make this yourself.  Add it to desserts, spread on sweet potatoes/fruits, add to your coffee or/and warm drinks.  You can even make fat bombs or candy bars with it.  I, myself, like to simply eat a spoonful (or two…lol) from time to time.  Stops my sugar craving.  I purchase this from Amazon and make my own.

Coconut manna

  • Coconut Aminos – Organic Coconut Tree Sap & Organic Sea Salt. This is used to replace soy sauce and add extra flavor to foods.  Add this to your homemade salad dressing, sauces, gravy, soups, sautés, hashes, skillets, cooked meats, or vegetables and enjoy.  I usually grab this from Amazon.
  • Artisan Tropic Cassava Strips w/Sea Salt – Perfect savory/salty snack. Gives you the feeling of eating potato chips.  Sometimes I sprinkle a little garlic powder in the bag and they are even better.  Mmmm!  I’ve grabbed this from Amazon and Whole Foods.
  • Plantain Chips/Strips (Sea Salt or Cinnamon) – Takes care of that salty or sweet craving. I sprinkle garlic powder in the Sea Salt Plantains bag too sometimes.  You can also make your own.  My favorite store bought sea salt ones are Inka and for a naturally sweet treat, I like Artisan Tropic Plantain Strips with Cinnamon.  I grab these from Amazon, Big Lots, and Whole Foods.

A few other tips:

  • For those who do not live near Sam’s Club, Costco & BJ’s normally carry the same products.
  • If you are not sure if a particular store carries your product, you can always call ahead or search the store’s website before going there.
  • Don’t hesitate to check the specialty grocery sections of places like Ross, Marshall’s, and TJ Max while there.  I’ve found some real goodies in there that are compliant at a major discount.
  • Once you’ve decided an item will be a regular, a good idea is to buy it in bulk.
  • Some Wholesale Warehouses and Supermarkets have their own brand of healthier food products…like Giant’s Nature’s Promise. Sometimes they will just happen to have packages of “high quality” meats.  You may have to do your own research. 
  • The items I posted above are all Paleo, Whole30, and/or AIP compliant. Whichever lifestyle protocol you choose, be sure to be familiar with what is or isn’t compliant with yours and ALWAYS read labels!  🙂

See our disclosure here.

If you are following a new healthier eating/living protocol, what is your absolute favorite or must-have?  Do you have any questions about products that are not mentioned above?
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Eat Healthier and do it Sensibly

Inner Pearl Wellness15 Comments on Eat Healthier and do it Sensibly

Often people feel as though they can’t eat healthy because it is too expensive.  Sometimes it can be, but it doesn’t have to be.  You can eat healthier and do it sensibly.

save money

Allow me to tell you about some of the many stores where you can find healthier eats.

  1. Wholesale Warehouses (Samsclub, Bj’s, Costco’s) – These businesses sell products in bulk at very reasonable prices.  You can find value packs of high-quality meats/seafood and large packages of fresh vegetables/fruits.  They have gallons of healthy natural oils, large containers of herbs/spices, and nuts.  Be sure to visit their frozen foods section and grab some of their vegetables and fruit which cost less per portion and stores longer than fresh would.  This is also a great place to grab your vitamins/supplements as well in large quantity.  While at your wholesale warehouse, you should also check out their reasonably priced appliances which can make this health journey a little easier.
  2. Walmart – You can normally find the same items in a Super Walmart that you can at Samsclub, but a smaller quantity.
  3. Aldi’s – If you’ve never been to Aldi’s, check them out as soon as possible.  They have a gluten free products, a large amount of fresh/frozen vegetables and fruit as well as grass-fed/pastured/organic meats.  They are frequently adding more healthy products.
  4. Trader Joes & Whole Foods – These two stores not only have the high-quality meats and fresh fruit/vegetables but have lots of other allergen-free products.  Trader Joes has definitely been more reasonable but Whole Foods prices have reportedly decreased once Amazon took over the company.  Whole Foods also has a larger variety than Trader Joe’s.
  5. Hmart or Your Local Asian Market(s) – These markets are great places to find any type of fresh vegetable, fruit, and herbs which you can purchase as you see fit. You could buy 1 or 2 of an item or as many pounds as you’d like.
  6. Local Supermarkets (Wegmans/Shoppers/Weis/Giant’s/Safeway/Etc) – Just keep an eye out for their sales and drop in and grab your treasures.  Stack up during that sale.
  7. ThriveMarket – Online Health Market.
  8. Amazon – Make sure to compare prices.
  9. Buy from Local Farmers or Farmer’s Markets when in season.
  10. Don’t forget the frozen vegetables/fruits.  (This bears repeating.)

There are plenty of ways to save money while eating healthy.  Here are some tips:

  • When purchasing in bulk…you can find a family member or friend to go half with you.  You can also meal prep by cooking large batches and either store meal portions in the refrigerator to eat within a couple of days or freeze meal/portions to consume within the next 1-3 months.  Depending on the product, use what you want now and put the rest in the freezer.
  • Purchase whole foods.  They will often be cheaper than processed foods.
  • Purchase vegetables and fruit when in season.
  • Purchase the cheaper cuts of protein.
  • Drink water but stop buying bottled water.  Get a Brita or other type of water filter for your tap water.  Use fruit, vegetables, and/or herbs to infuse your water for drinking instead of soda or fruit juices.
  • Clip coupons.
  • Stop eating out.  Prepare your own food and bring your breakfast/lunch/dinner, snacks and drinks from home.  You can also just eat before leaving home if you won’t be gone for too long.
  • Grow your own food.
  • Before going to the market/store, be sure to have a list and eat at home first. While there, stick to your list.
  • Buy cheaper proteins like eggs, ground meats, liver (yes liver), chicken thighs; etc.

Hopefully, some, if not all of these tips will help you spend a little less in your journey of increasing your health.  Feel free to comment your favorite ways below.

What is your most economical way of eating healthy?

 

 

 

 

Need a Reset for 2018? Start with the Whole30 Challenge & Reset Your Health.

Inner Pearl Wellness2 Comments on Need a Reset for 2018? Start with the Whole30 Challenge & Reset Your Health.

2018 begins in a few days and you want a healthier you. What better way to accomplish that then starting on the inside? Start the process of healing your gut and brain, balancing your hormones, and clearing up your skin. Those who are interested in losing weight…yes, that will probably happen too.

Try the Whole30 approach which eliminates chemicals, preservatives, antibiotics, and foods/drinks that may cause inflammation, gut/skin issues, brain fog or allergies as a result of food intolerances/sensitivities.

Many “diets” exist promising all types of results. There is Paleo, AIP (Autoimmune Paleo), Keto, DASH, Mediterranean, Weight-Watchers, Plant-based are just a few. The truth is, some may work for some yet not for others. That’s because everyone is different and there is no one fix for all. If your main goals are losing weight, healing your gut, or/and reducing nagging symptoms; it is best to up your nutrient density while eliminating the foods/drinks that are known to wreak havoc in most humans.

I'm Not Telling You It's Going to be Easy

Whole30 is a perfect way to get started and to reset. You can do it for 30 days and see how you feel but you don’t have to stop there. After the 30 days, you can choose to do it again or gradually add back other foods selectively but be sure to take notice of symptoms and how you feel. You can also go right from the Whole30 into another healthier eating protocol of your choice.

How do I get started on the Whole30? I’m glad you asked!

Prepare to eat only nonprocessed, nutrient dense foods…basically lots of vegetables, some fruit, meats, seafood, eggs, natural fats, herbs, spices, and selective nuts.

Do NOT eat:

  • Added Sugar (real or artificial)
  • Alcohol (any form)
  • Grains (oats, barley, rye, wheat, quinoa, starch, bran; etc)
  • Legumes (all beans, peas, peanuts, soy)
  • Dairy (Cow, sheep, and goat’s milk products such as cheese, ice cream, butter, sour cream, yogurt)
  • Baked goods, junk foods, or substitutes. (cakes, cookies, chips, donuts, pancakes, waffles, biscuits, brownies; etc.)
  • MSG, carrageenan, sulfites.

Whole30 Rules

A few exceptions from the above “do not eat” list:

  • Ghee or clarified butter (it’s stripped of the milk proteins)
  • Fruit juice (as an ingredient or natural sweetener in some recipes)
  • Certain legumes (green beans, snap peas, snow peas)
  • Vinegar-most forms except for malt vinegar
  • Coconut Aminos (even though it says “nectar”). Great substitute for soy sauce.

Choose the best quality eggs/meat/seafood possible. Grass-fed/finished red meat, organic, pastured pork/poultry/eggs, and sustainable, wild-caught seafood. If you can’t find or can’t afford the grass-fed or organic protein, find the leanest cuts available and remove the skin and fat before eating. The skin and fat of the animal stores the bulk of the chemicals, steroids, antibiotics that cause issues in the human body.

If you decide to join us, we don’t want you to stalk the scale. If you choose to, weigh yourself the day or morning before you start the Whole30. Do not touch that scale again until those 30 days have ended. You should also start a food journal/dairy just to keep track of any physical changes. As long as you follow the rules and do not cheat, there will be changes.

So who’s with me? Are you ready to jumpstart your health? There are a few more days left in 2017. Commit yourself to beginning January 1, 2018. You can start now if you like.

Go ahead and plan your market stop. The shopping list is simple:

  1. Meat (best quality you can find or/and afford)
  2. Vegetables
  3. Fruit
  4. Natural Oils (Olive, coconut, avocado, macadamia nut, ghee; etc)
  5. Herbs
  6. Spices

In future posts, I will teach you how to work with what you have and I will also be sharing recipes.

I’m sure the Whole30 concept may sound daunting to you if you’ve never done it before. Fortunately, it is possible and I already know that you can do this. It will take discipline and effort but it will be worth it. No cheat days allowed. Things will change for the better. Just do it…watch…and take note of the results.

Are you ready??? Let’s do this!!!

Join us here for support, directions, and tips!

Spaghetti Squash-Instant Pot

Inner Pearl WellnessLeave a Comment on Spaghetti Squash-Instant Pot

I got an Instant Pot for my birthday last year and I love it!  You can get yours here… http://a.co/e0XShCt20161103_172640

There is so much you can do with it.  You can use it to pressure cook, slow cook, steam, sautee, make yogurt and so much more.  I will share plenty of things you can do with it throughout my blog.

Today I want to tell you how simple it is to prepare a whole spaghetti squash in it.  The best news is that it takes less than half the time in the Instant Pot than it does in an oven!

What you will need:

  • Spaghetti Squash
  • 1 cup of water
  • Instant pot w/the steamer insert
  • A paring knife
  • A spoon

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Lay your Spaghetti Squash on a cutting board.  Cut it in half with the pairing knife.  I find that using the pairing knife is easier to cut the squash.  Just dig the knife in and cut all the way around the Squash.

Scoop out the seeds with the spoon.

Place the steamer insert in the Instant Pot.

Pour the cup of water in the metal bowl of the Instant Pot.

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Add both halves of the Squash into the Pot…cut side facing up.

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Lock the lid making sure it is sealed.

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Set Pot to Manual, High Pressure, 7 minutes on the Pot.  It will take at least 5 minutes for pressure to build up before the 7 minutes of cooking time begins.

Do a quick release…turn the vent to release all the steam.

Remove lid and test the texture of the Squash with a fork…taste/chew some.  If it’s not tender enough, add 1-2 more minutes in the Pot.  If it’s your desired texture, use the fork to make spaghetti noodles.

Add your oil, butter, sauce and/or seasonings or add cooked squash to your desired recipe.

How does the Instant Pot save you time?