MY NO.1 TAKE-HOME FROM THE PALEO WAY CAIRNS

On the Sunday just gone, Cairns played host to Pete Evans and The Paleo Way tour, and I was lucky enough to be volunteering the whole day. Now I'm usually the first eager beaver at the door with my notepad and pen, but as I didn't know what I would be doing all day, I didn't have those with me. Nevertheless I have a few big key take home notes that required no pen and paper to remember, and here they are.

From 10am til 4pm, a 400+ crowd of locals gathered in the Convention Centre for a day packed with education, laughter and jokes (90% courtesy of PT Luke Hines), amazing recipe creations, stories from those who have experience to share, and tips and tricks to living a healthier more nutritious life.

My take home notes:

// Small amounts of protein, lots of veggies, quality fats, bone broth and fermented foods

// Small amounts of protein, lots of veggies, quality fats, bone broth and fermented foods

// Small amounts of protein, lots of veggies, quality fats, bone broth and fermented foods

This may seem strange but I kid you not, this was HUGE! And I'm sure not only for myself. And remember, I'm going on my memory not my notes. Sure there was plenty more, and quite a few nifty ideas for variety with meals and using bone broths, but seriously, that one line has stuck with me and I'm sure Pete repeated it as much as he did for good reason.

I already follow a Paleo diet having dairy issues (beside ghee thank goodness), and not enjoying any grains except the very, very rare piece of sourdough toast, and only eating kidney or black beans (alongside beef) if I'm itching for Mexican food. I make bone broth regularly-enough but I know I can be slack in drinking it regularly. My main problem has always been finding yummy delicious and creative ways to add it into my diet, without having to only drink a cup of it on it's own.

Well, last Sunday gave me a bunch of new ideas. So watch out! I'll be experimenting and sharing what I come up with.

Small amounts of protein - I love this! It's more sustainable, it's cheaper eating less, we don't actually need as much as we eat, too much animal meats cause constipation for many people anyway... and excessive amounts can lead to bigger health problems down the track.

Loads of veggies - love it! Eat More Plants right?

Quality fats - yes please! I've been experimenting with more of a ketogenic-style way of eating lately (which is essentially a high-fat diet) and I love my good fats. Avocado, cold pressed olive oil, organic grass fed butter and ghee (and yes, it needs to be organic and grass fed or you may as well be eating canola oil), bone marrow, organic grass fed tallow and lard, duck fat (on roast potatoes anyone?), macadamias, walnuts, cashews... You need fat to burn fat. You need fat to make hormones. You need fat for healthy hair and skin. But stay very far away from all trans-fats, hydrogenated oils and polyunsaturated vegetable oils.

Bone broth - You've seen my recipe. And that post also explains why this is vital for anyone with gut problems, bowel issues, skin conditions, connective tissue niggles, joint pain and inflammation (anywhere) just to name a few. The cheapest remedy around that helps e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g

Fermented foods - If you're new to fermented foods start eating very small doses (= 1 tsp daily) and gradually build up from there. Use the juice from your fermented veggies for children when starting them on this nutritious and detoxifying food. A little on your meal helps with digestion, helps balance good and bad gut bacteria, helps cleanse and detox your system... Google the benefits if you've never had these traditional foods as they are endless. Making your own in extremely inexpensive and much healthier. Some store bought raw jars can be between $15 and $20 each, and really cheap ones are usually pasteurised so none of the benefits from fermented foods are in there anyway.

Earth HQ amazing-ness Courtney Steed, myself and Jade Vogler Healthee Living

There you have it. Extremely simple.