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When Drew, one of my patients, contacted me a while back, he said he was “headed for disaster.” In the world of health, disaster typically means severe illness and often, death. And so, yes, he was headed for disaster. His wife, Pam, called me and was filled with fear. Drew was in the hospital — she took a moment to call me from the parking lot so she could speak to me privately. They had been married for 33 years, and during those years, Drew’s health had declined, but only because he let it. He was at least 150 pounds overweight and his blood-sugar levels were sky-rocketing. For those of you who don’t know what that means, it’s that his body was creating an excessive amount of glucose, which circulates in the blood plasma. Chronic levels, like Drew’s, produce serious organ damage. Drew and Pam raised three wonderful children and all were concerned about Drew. His blood-sugar level was 358 when Pam called me (twice what it should be). Pam, a nurse, thought she might lose her husband. She wanted to support him in any way possible to get those numbers back to normal as naturally as possible. We don’t’ know exactly how Drew got to that point in his life. But how many of you reading this can relate? I told him, quite simply, Put Real Foods First. And I’d like you to remember those words as you make your resolutions for 2014. After two weeks on my 30-Day Reset program whereby Drew was doing his damndest to put real foods first, he and Pam were about to give up. Seriously, nothing was happening! Drew hadn't noticed any difference, and Pam was losing her ability to keep him on board. I told them they’d need to stay the course! Then the magic happened. At about week 3, the fat-burning switch flipped on. Drew started feeling healthy, energized and really focused (no more brain fog). His blood sugar started to regulate and he was losing weight like crazy. It was the "most important 30 days of my life," Drew recalls. Drew's habits and tastes changed, as did his awareness. He has since regulated his blood sugar and has lost more than 100 pounds. Friends and family say he looks radiant, strong, happy and healthy. For Drew, the 30-Day Reset was life changing. On this New Year’s Eve, I’m sure Pam is thankful for Drew’s improving health. Health is their reclaimed gift (in fact, she happened to get in shape, too, following Drew’s regimen … and she looks remarkably younger - And I’m betting the two of them are reviewing their new habits and creating even more great practices as they venture into the new year. Are you? See Pam and Drew below: Happy New Year - to you and yours. -Dr. Kellyann

It might seem that Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without the gluten-filled sweets and treats that you’ve become accustomed to since childhood. But new traditions can be just as rewarding as old ones — and sometimes the old ones can be updated without anyone being the wiser. Here, I cover how easy it can be to start new and healthy traditions, as well as some tricks to bring old traditions into your new primal lifestyle. This can be challenging, to be sure.  Aunt Betty seems to always have a platter of cut-out sugar cookies and Uncle Joe likes to offer you a cold brew as soon as you walk in the door. These are, of course, foods and beverages that don’t fit into your guidelines. Then there’s work! How many times must we walk to the coffee/tea station at the office only to find another box of chocolates from a vendor or a plate of cookies from the boss’ wife? These work treats can be a big tease.   And how about those more-frequent happy hours that occur this time of year? Or that spur-of-the-moment call from a friend who says, “Let’s meet for a holiday toast!” Do know that if you give in once in a while, it’s no big deal. But do be careful! These little hiccups can quickly get way out of hand. (Remember my post on how the average person gains about a pound every holiday season? That’s the one pound that doesn’t go away … so imagine in 15 years being 15 pounds heavier!) And that’s just the holiday season! Take a moment to count the number of special occasions throughout the year. There’s New Year’s Day in January, as well as Super bowl Sunday, which is a major celebration for some people. In February, you’ve got Valentine’s Day, followed by Easter, July Fourth, birthdays, weddings, anniversary parties and graduation celebrations. There’s a reason to celebrate during every month of the year, and if you indulge at every gathering, you can seriously disrupt your healthy habits in a way that’s counterproductive. But here’s the thing about the holiday season that I always remember: This is a time to focus on conversations, laughter, and camaraderie with your favorite people. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that a party is primarily about the food and the cocktails, but really, it’s about enjoying social interaction with people you like. If you take the focus off the food and drink, and shine your attention on the people, you’ll enjoy the occasion more, and following your primal guidelines will feel effortless. The key is to learn how to enjoy your holiday social life and take part in holiday celebrations without feeling deprived — and without compromising your healthy new habits. Holiday Tips for Having the Best of Both Worlds:    Plan and Prep: You probably know by now that it’s much easier to guarantee your success of eating clean when you invest a little time in planning and preparation. This eat-think-and-be-merry principle definitely applies to making the most of social situations, too. With just a little prep — and a willingness to actively change your public behavior — you can enjoy parties as much as ever without sacrificing your eating principles. Meeting friends or family out on the town? Do your research: A quick, advance review of a restaurant’s menu can mean the difference between a relaxing, enjoyable meal and a gluten-infused nightmare. Read all the options on the menu and decide what you’re going to order before you go. Then when you arrive at the restaurant, don’t even open the menu — just revel in the knowledge that you know exactly what you’re ordering and sip on a glass of sparkling water with some olives or lemon while your dining companions make their decisions. BYOF: Okay, bringing your own food isn’t always possible or appropriate, but in many cases, it works like a charm. Let people know that you are fine, but that your body can’t tolerate or is sensitive to many foods, or that you are sticking to a special regime and that you have your own food but will enjoy their salads, etc. To avoid a stare-down with a tray of lasagna, I will take advantage of vegetables and salads or protein (if it’s served without sauces or breading). Eat Before You Go:  If your big night out is dinner in a restaurant with friends, you probably don’t need to eat before you go and can follow my trick above about looking up the menu ahead of time. But a party at a friend’s house or an afternoon of holiday shopping might call for eating ahead so that you won’t derail good habits. Eat a solid Paleo meal before you go and bring Paleo-friendly snacks with you to sustain you, if you get hungry, or to give you something to eat when your companions indulge in a snack along the way. Enlist Help: Tell your family and friends that you are sticking to your new food habits. That will shed light on why you’re not gulping beer, noshing on sugar cookies, or diving face first into the plate of appetizers you usually order. They might tease you a bit, but when they realize you’re serious and that it’s important to you, they’ll probably also encourage you and may even think about their own lifestyle and how they might want to try a primal diet. Be Firm: You might be surprised to learn that for the most part, no one else will really notice when you change your habits. And if they do, they most likely won’t care too much. If someone gives you a hard time — a waiter, a co-worker, a “friend” — simply look them in the eye and say with as much steel (and patience) in your voice as possible, “It’s important to me that I eat this way. I’m sure you understand my desire to be as healthy as possible.” Tell them succinctly why you live the lifestyle you do and I’m betting no one will argue with that. If you’re with friends or family members who want to know more or seem open to learning, here’s what I like to say: (It's what I like to call my dinner party pitch) “I love being healthy, feeling really energized and looking my best. Eating real, unprocessed foods gets me there. The concept is simple really. It’s just eating foods that our body metabolizes and digests best, so naturally I function better. This lifestyle is easier than you think and I actually learned to adapt almost every dish I used to eat to primal. The food tastes fantastic. For me, it’s a no brainer. I love the food, I look better, and I don't feel sluggish anymore or deal with any health conditions.” Eat When You Get Home: Congratulations! You did it! You went to a holiday party and avoided chicken wings and 2-for-1 cocktails. When happy hour turned into dinner, you ordered a salad with grilled chicken while everyone else ate burgers and fries. Now, back at home, you’re feeling proud, but also a little hungry. Now is the time to celebrate with a solid, Paleo snack. Put on your pajamas and snuggle in to enjoy a restful sleep knowing that come morning, you won’t have a food hangover. Sweet dreams. Hope these suggestions help you survive your next holiday party! Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

Worried about packing on the holiday pounds? Holiday parties, alcohol aplenty and an avalanche of finger foods, cookies and snacks that most definitely lean toward the sugary carb side of the spectrum can really bite you in the behind (and make it bigger!). This may surprise you. Weight gain from holiday indulgences isn’t like gaining the “freshman 15.” In fact, solid research from the New England Journal of Medicine  states that most people only gain 1 pound over the winter holidays. Here's the problem: One itty-bitty pound accumulates year after year. (It’s like the bad gift that keeps on giving.) This makes me wonder if a lot of middle-age weight gain has something to do with this holiday “snowball effect.” Gaining just a bit of weight over the winter holidays can snowball into some major poundage by the time you’ve reached your 40s. STOP THE SNOWBALL! Want to prevent this holiday-effect from happening to you? The following two strategies work for me, and I’m betting they can work for you, too. 1) TRY FASTING.  It works and it’s not weird or difficult to do. In fact, The Fast Diet — or the 5:2 diet — which I have chronicled in my newly released book called Fast Diets, Wiley publishing, has been an absolute smash hit and has taken the UK by storm. The reason it’s all the rage? This fasting plan gets results. Fasting is simply an intentional, short-term, “pattern-interrupt.” Basically, you give your body a break from eating. This allows some healthy internal housekeeping to go on so you can prepare your body to feast. This is a flexible and ridiculously easy strategy to have your cake and eat it, too (literally!).  If per chance you are looking for a strategy to look younger, lose body fat, increase muscle mass and decrease insulin levels, you may just want to check this fasting thing out. I was a competitive body builder in my 20's and was pretty much dialed into the body-building circuit. One of the best experiences I had was the pleasure of meeting Arnold Schwarzenegger.  I asked him what were competitors’ biggest roadblocks to winning his Arnold Classic. He said people are afraid to get a little hungry. It's okay to be a little hungry. Hungry can get you healthy, lean and strong. But most people can’t be hungry for five minutes. Arnold was definitely on to something. 2) DON’T EXERCISE LIKE A DOPE. I mean this respectfully. I say this with Petrucci love. But, I must say it. Don't use old school, outdated methods to fight fat. You can outsmart a Christmas cookie. Here’s how: Fasting and Exercise = More Fat Burning Fitness guru/co-author Pat Flynn and I walk you through this concept in Paleo Workouts for Dummies, Wiley publishing. One of the best features of this book is the clearly spelled out fat-burning shortcuts, with pictures that portray how to perform them. It’s all very simple and clear-cut. Pat and I are all about burning fat. Pat likes to refer to it as: “burning fat like raw meat on a hot grill.” Bring this book with you when you work out, whether it’s in your basement or at the gym. It will walk you right through your work out. If you want to enjoy eating and not become maniacal and overly obsessive about every little thing you put in your mouth over the holidays, then you have to become a natural fat burner. This is like supreme goddess stuff. This means you’re sitting and you’re burning fat. You’re at work and you’re burning fat. You’re at home taking care of your kids, and you’re burning fat. You can train your body to do this. Here’s the holiday plan for slaying holiday weight gain: 3 Steps to Blasting Fat Do high-intensity exercise, such as weight lifting Combine high-intensity exercise with metabolic conditioning (called met-cons). Metcons are short, powerful “burst” exercises. The idea is to go as hard as you can and as fast as you can for a short period of time. You perform a certain number of rounds as quickly as possible with good form. Down-regulate your body with low-intensity exercise. I call this doing what you love. Whether it’s walking, hiking, yoga, Pilates, biking or swimming. Just make sure it's a slow, play pace, and it’s something you love. When you do high-intensity exercise, focus on the operative word — intensity — rather then time. 30 minutes is all you need. The heavier you can go with the weight and still keep good form and proper structure, the more you’re going to rip through that fat and become that natural fat burner. If you’re saying, “Yuck, I don't want to get bulky. I don't want to hurt myself, or I’m not a kid anymore, then you may want to meet my parents. John and El are in their late 70s and they do high-intensity weightlifting with metabolic conditioning and then down-regulate with some T’ai chi that they follow on their iPad. They are remarkably young for their age. It’s getting into these types of habits (updated exercises that don't contain any fluff, but just what you need to get the job done) that can keep them — and you! — engaged and successful.    Tip: If you can down-regulate with some low-intensity exercise immediately after your 30-minute high-intensity exercise, you will really annihilate that extra fat hanging around. So maybe a nice brisk walk or a slow paced spin on your bike. Want the easy button? Just do some basic kettlebell swings. My co-author, Pat Flynn, tried to convince me that these kettlebells are really amazing. I wish I had listened earlier. I’m shocked at the power of these stupid-looking bells. They are insanely effective at giving you an overall body workout and getting you strong and lean with just a couple of movements. If you're worried about injury, don't let that stop you. I found when you follow the proper form, it’s actually difficult to injure yourself. Needless to say, swinging bells is definitely a go-to for me moving forward. They are a blast! Here are some basic kettle bell moves that you can do on and off for 20 minutes. Try 15 seconds on, 15 seconds off, doing as many swings as you can in each 15-second working block, with good form. Dead Lifts (OMG do these help to shape your back side) Goblet Squats (I love what these do for your fanny. Plus this exercise helps you to move through everything you do in life easier — and they’re fun to do!)    Kettle Bell Swings (these are the best full-body exercise) Turkish Get-Ups (I call this my hotel workout. If I’m in a hotel, out of town for a TV show or book tour, this is my go-to exercise. They are a full workout in and of themselves. One and done.)   Push-Ups/Pull-Ups (classic exercises that are brutally effective)          You don't need to do a lot to get a lot of results. Try these two tips to become that natural fat burner and chillax a little. I’ll be doling out more holiday trouble-shooting tips and tricks this week, so if you have any specific concerns or questions, now is the time to ask! Keep thinking big and living bold!  - Dr. Kellyann P.s. I’m giving away the full Monty in our Holiday Book Bonanza!  The whole Paleo for Dummies series can be yours!  You can score all five of my books — they’ll be packaged and ready for gift giving!

Have any naysayers at your table this holiday season? They’re the ones who say, "Are you still eating that weird stuff?” as you set out a festive, Paleo meal. “Still on that, are you?” they continue. Cut them a slice of one of these perfect Paleo pies and you’ll have them converted instantly! They literally melt in your mouth and won't give you a "carb coma" afterwards. These decadent desserts are delicious showstoppers, just in time for the holiday season.  Check em' out!  Paleo Oreo Pie Paleo Almond Butter Pie Keep thinking big and living bold! - Dr. Kellyann

Holiday brunches certainly have their advantages! The term "whatever" comes to mind, as in the menu can include typical breakfast fare or not. And no need to serve before noon. Afternoon brunches work, too! Brunch comes without clocks or hyper-organization. Because it’s not exactly breakfast or lunch, the host can be as whimsical as he or she wants, serving something sweet and/or savory, and light and/or substantial. Casual also means kid friendly — another big bonus. So slow down and take a break from the mad holiday dash. Grab a primal mimosa and start planning a stress-free holiday brunch that’s sure to add a little sparkle to your season. Here are 5 Yummy Paleo Holiday Brunch ideas: Dr. Kellyann's Primal Mimosa Paleo Crab Benedict Primal Baked Eggs Crust-less Quiche Scotch Eggs Keep thinking big and living bold! -Dr. Kellyann

Are You Not Losing Weight on the Paleo Plan? Here’s Why! It’s no surprise that living a Paleo lifestyle offers you rock-solid health. Living Paleo means you’re ridding yourself of inflammation-causing foods that include artificial ingredients, bad fats and sugary carbs. You’re also dialing in to how food makes you feel. The food you are now digesting brims with nutritional value, and this, of course, creates healthy cells. And yet embarking on a Paleo journey can be tough, especially when you don’t see that extra weight coming off. I often receive emails from Paleo patients that say: “I feel good, but I’m not losing any weight! What’s up with that?” Know this: When your body gets totally healthy and you ditch the foods that cause blood-sugar swings, inflammation  and gut damage, you eventually begin to lose weight naturally. When you first start living a Paleo lifestyle, you need to give your body time to flip its fat-burning switch to “on” to become a natural fat burner. The magic will happen! (I’ll be posting more on this issue in January.) In the meantime, if you’ve been living Paleo for a while and feel you still haven’t “taken off,” review the following troubleshooters. The first several focus on what you’re eating, and the last few are all about lifestyle habits. ARE YOU … Eating too much fruit? Eating too much fruit is easy to do. You push all the junk off your plate in your new eating regime and replace it with an overload of fruit. Just because fruit is natural doesn’t mean you can go to town. Fruit has fructose, and although some fruit can be very nutritious, consuming too much fruit creates havoc in the insulin department. The serving size is a closed handful of berries or chopped fruit, and ½ of a larger piece of fruit … like a grapefruit or a large apple.   Eating too many nuts? Just because nuts are on the “yes” list, doesn’t’ mean it’s time to scarf! A nut serving size is a closed handful. Period. Not half a bag. Nuts will pile on the pounds, if you crunch away on them mindlessly, not to mention a lot of nuts have an off-balance omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, which won’t help you move toward health. Keeping foods on the “no” list in your kitchen? I think you know where we’re going with this. Don’t hang on to stuff in your pantry or fridge for a rainy day. Donate, or, better yet, toss it. No need to explain this one.  Indulging in Paleo treats too often? We are super glad you’re eating foods with healthy ingredients. Bravo! If you want to use the Paleo packaged cookies, breads, treats, and sweets once in a while, go for it. Just don’t make it routine or the pounds will start creeping on. Paleo-fied pancakes, breads, muffins, and cookies are totally yummy, but just make sure you have awareness of how much you’re actually eating. Skipping the fat? Many people have ingrained in their minds that fat is evil. Some fats may be, but healthy fats on the Paleo “yes” list are anything but evil. Adding the right quantities of fat to your diet actually helps you lose fat. Try it; you’ll see. Eating too much Paleo-approved fats? Again, quantity is an issue here. I love coconut fats, olives and avocados, animal fats, nuts and nut butters. They feed our bodies deep nutrition. When I first started eating Paleo, I downed too many coconut chips and nuts, and was way too liberal with my drizzle oils. When I adjusted the quantities, I adjusted my weight. The serving sizes are no more then two teaspoons of fats and oils (including coconut oil, coconut butter and drizzle oils like olive and avocado oils), and a closed handful of coconut chips, olives and nuts. If an avocado is what you’re aiming for, a serving size is 1/2. Full fat coconut milk is best, and 1/3 can is the suggested serving size.   Not measuring your food properly? You probably don’t need to think about portion control all the time, but you should get used to how to glance at your food and make sure you’re not getting three times what your body needs. Figuring out how much food you actually need is a real eye opener for most people. See above for portion-control tips. Other suggestions: Protein should be the size of the palm of your hand; you can fill the perimeter of your plate with non-starchy veggies; and if you need some starchy or dense carbohydrates, a good serving size is one to two cups, depending on your needs. Falling into an automatic eating habit? After you start feeling better and begin looking better, you may start to relax a little too much and fall into some of your old patterns. Remember why you started this new lifestyle in the first place and make sure that you’re eating Paleo as a rule, not an exception. When you realize you’re having a gelato or a martini one too many times, be intuitive about it. Ask yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing, and shift back to the plan. Not completely letting go? For some people, letting go of a lot of foods may be pretty easy, but clutching onto that one food or drink you struggle to let go of may be making it hard for your body to dump the weight. People commonly hold onto drinks and snacks with artificial sugars. These foods and drinks are destructive to your weight loss (and health) efforts. It’s time to let go! Not getting enough sleep? You can lose 14.3 pounds a year by getting one more hour a night of sleep. Sleep deprivation causes you to gain weight while decent sleep helps you to lose weight.  Not sleeping enough causes you and your body systems (including important hormones) to run sluggish and inefficient. When your body slows down, you gain weight. Not organized? If you don’t get organized with meals and pantry updates and planning ahead with regard to what you’ll eat at holiday parties, birthday bashes, etc., you’re asking for trouble. Have lots of “Yes” foods on hand at all times. Remember, a starving body can convince you of almost anything and can even rationalize the benefits of a Twinkie! Avoid setting yourself up for grabbing foods on the run that are surely going to keep you from achieving your healthy weight. Expecting results too quickly? If you expect results fast or even at a moderate pace, you may be disappointed. For some, it may take a while for weight to normalize. Living Paleo is by no means a quick-fix diet. It’s a lifestyle diet that leads to forever results. Trust us on this one. It will happen. Not managing stress? Chronic stress activates your stress hormones. If you or anyone you know is thin yet still has that “tire” around the waist, chances are it’s a cortisol tire. Too much stress means too much cortisol is released, giving you a middle-aged gut no matter how old you are! If your goal is weight loss, make stress management part of your plan. When you get a handle on all of the above, the magic will happen. Be patient and trust that your body will do what it needs to do. Keep thinking big and living bold!

Was there something other then your Thanksgiving Day turkey that was overstuffed this holiday season? Was it you? Want to lose that bloat? During my many years in the health field, I discovered often times successful weight-loss and weight-management results from what you don't do, rather then what you do do. And that is also the case with intermittent fasting. Don’t freak. I’m not talking about starvation — not even close. I’m talking about a strategy that can bring flexibility and ease to losing the holiday bloat, burning off body fat, increasing muscle mass, balancing your blood-sugar levels and increasing your growth hormone. Bottom line: You’ll lose bloat almost immediately, look younger and feel a ton better. If you’ve gone off the rails and you want to reel it back in, this non-extensive strategy is for you. The Intermittent Fasting Lowdown Intermittent fasting restricts the amount of time you’re allowed to eat in a day. This is a unique plan because it’s shorter lived than regular fasting (goes 12 to 20 hours) with more frequent periods of fasting, practiced a few times per week. You simply compress eating into an eight-hour “eating window.” Most people who practice intermittent fasting report that 16 hours of fasting feels just right — you get hungry, but not too hungry. Here’s how it works: Let’s say you can be most comfortable with beginning your first meal of the day at somewhere between noon and 2 p.m. If that works for you, then you get to eat from noon until 8 p.m. Here are the four most popular eight-hour “eating window” schedules: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Noon - 8 p.m. (my personal favorite) 1 p.m. - 9 p.m. But you can’t just eat any ol’ thing during that time period. The foods you consume during your “eating window” have a major impact on whether your intermittent fasting plan will work.  Check out my Smart Pyramid on proteins, carbohydrates, healthy fats and “Yes” pantry foods you can and should eat during your “eating window.” Sometimes the simplest tweaks can yield the biggest results. Intermittent fasting allows you to: Lose your bloat in 24 hours Boost your immunity Enjoy a less expensive and more convenient lifestyle Gain energy Develop a leaner, harder physique Create vibrant health Fight aging If you want a more sustainable and reasonable approach to being healthier, leaner and more energetic, check out intermittent fasting. It can give you the edge you’re after — and help you lose your Tday “stuffing!” Keeping thinking big and living bold!

No holiday table is complete without desserts. In fact, at my house, if I tried to pull a stunt like Thanksgiving without gorgeous desserts, I may be banished from my home and sent to a cave somewhere. At the very least, I would get massive eye rolling to the tune of…"Oh MOM!!!" This Paleo OMG Pumpkin Pie is insane. Just sweet enough with a creamy pie filling and a flaky, buttery crust. Saving room for dessert is a total DO! Salute! Keep thinking big and living bold! - Dr. Kellyann

Paleo Workouts for Dummies  is smokin’ hot off the press! WHOOT! My friend and fitness expert Pat Flynn and I  wrote Paleo Workouts for Dummies  because we want you to have the edge. We want you to know the absolute latest, most trend-setting, effective workouts and performance nutrition that exist on the planet. Must you be a member of the endorphin club … grunting and groaning away at a gym to achieve results?    No. If you want to turbocharge fat loss, fight aging and get lean and strong you need this book. I promise, there’s nothing else like it on the market. Absolutely nothing. Think about our ancestors. Did they ever get on a scale?  No, and not because they didn’t have access to one. They didn’t need to! Ever see an out-of-shape Neanderthal? Neither have we. Put two and two together and you’ll understand that humans who lived eons ago were fit times two! This book shows you how to master the art of squats, hinges, sprints, crawls and more — all the moves that made our Stone-Age hunter-gatherer ancestors super fit and strong. Not to mention these moves also contributed to enhancing their cardiovascular systems! The bottom line: They hunted, they gathered and they didn’t drive. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors were healthy specimens, to be sure. This book provides a step-by-step guide to echo some of their lifestyle habits, including movements, food choices and more. Its pages reveal A LOT of truths about the way you should move your body. You will learn that less is more when it comes to working out (really!). You’ll also discover how  you fuel up before and after your workout can affect your goals tremendously. The fact is, you walk around either in FAT-BURNING MODE  (lean, strong, energized and SEXY) or, you walk around in FAT-STORAGE MODE (gaining weight just looking at food —  and YES, you really can be in fat-storage mode and work out every day). You either create “hormone hell” working out, or you improve all of the structure and functions of the body with your workouts. You can either work out and build a lower body that is the envy of everyone (you know what I’m saying … a great fanny) or you can work out all the time and still look the same.  Speaking of fannies … most women I see over 40 have flat butts. They are obviously not letting their exercise routines and hormones work for them.  The way to a fantastic fanny? In this book! You’ll also learn about an effective,  SUPER weight-loss secret that takes no time: Mini-Fasting— a simple, sensible edition to your primal workouts. As for food, I share 10 primal foods that help you perform everything ten times better. Super good stuff. So Fanny UP!  Belly OFF!  Embrace Paleo Workouts, and get a SEXY PRIMAL BODY! Remember, STRONG is the new SKINNY™ ! I’m working up a BIG giveaway soon — stay tuned. Keep thinking big and living bold! Dr. Kellyann P.S. Be on the lookout for tomorrow’s post, where my “Paleo OMG! Pumpkin Pie” recipe and other Paleo holiday dessert recipes will be served up for your holiday table

Jen Sinkler is the author of the blog Thrive with Jen Sinkler So you probably want to know about the "giveaway" piece of this. Here you go: I'm giving away 3 signed copies of these bad boys! I just have one question: Tell me what you want out of all of this Paleo stuff. Living Paleo can take you from where you are now, to where you want to be. Tell me, where do you want to be? The bottom line question: What do you want Living Paleo to do for you?   To Enter: Post to comments and tell us your goal - what do you want Living Paleo to help you achive in 2013. Deadline: 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Friday, January 18, 2013. I’ll randomly select three winners and make the announcements/notification on January 21. Restrictions: None! All my friends around the world are invited to enter! Ready? Set? Well for the love of 2013...Go! Live bold, think big – and find your power! Dr. Kellyann

Is it a total oxymoron to have the word vegetarian and Paleo in the same sentence? Well, some may get persnickety about this, but I definitely do not. Here's why: If you keep in mind exactly what Paleo is, (and is not) you'll gain some perspective: What Paleo is: A framework of foods. Foods that are the healthiest foods in each food group that we should consume. Simple and clean. What Paleo is not: A bunch of rules to follow short term with inflexible boundaries. Paleo is also not meant to make eating more confusing or extreme. So, just because someone doesn't eat a cow, should we throw them to the wayside? No way! They deserve to know their framework, and their healthiest options too. Let's start with an awesome vegetarian holiday table: Paleo Vegetarian Main Course: Provençal Vegetable Soup Paleo Vegetarian Fish Main Course: Pecan Crusted Salmon Paleo Vegetarian Appetizer: Primal Sweet Potato Salad Paleo Vegetarian Side Dish: Mashed Cauliflower Paleo Vegetarian Dessert: All American Paleo Cheesecake (OMG! SO worth it! Kid friendly too...) Keep thinking big and living bold! Dr. Kellyann

Paleo Cocktails - The do's and don'ts so you can Drink and be merry After more than 20 years in practice helping people to feel – and look — their absolute best, I know of a few of their questions that I can set my watch by. Conversations with patients often went like this: Patient: “I get all this real food stuff. It totally makes sense! But … can I still drink (fill in the blank here, it’s usually wine).”   Me: “Uhhh, maybe.”  And then I go on to explain that drinking alcohol on a regular basis isn’t part of a Paleo lifestyle. That said, enjoying a cocktail on occasion is okay, whether you wish to raise a glass in celebration, sip a glass of wine to take the edge off or cool off at a hot, Mexican fiesta with an ice margarita.    Here are the four keys to successfully including alcohol in your Paleo lifestyle: 1. Consume alcohol intentionally and responsibly. Dial into what you are actually doing. In other words, don't pound drinks until you de-evolve. 2. Be in tune with the individuality of your physical makeup. Every person on the planet has a different biological makeup. And each of us handles alcohol differently. Those who have various health issues will want to be super careful about the amount and types of alcohol they can handle and should experiment and explore to see what works or doesn’t for them.  Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, colitis, ulcerative colitis and celiac disease are conditions where alcohol may irritate the digestive system. A glass of wine here, a champagne toast there is probably not going to cause major issues, say my friends who have digestive disorders. But again, you’ll have to be the detective on this one. Investigate what works and what doesn’t. 3. Be Selective with Paleo-Smart Indulgences. Although no alcoholic beverages are technically Paleo, some are definitely better than others. The following are better choices because they are gluten free and “cleaner” than most other options: Organic red wine (Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot)* Organic white wine (Sauvignon Blanc and Albarifno)* Vodka that’s made from potatoes (Chopin, for one) Tequila Rum * These drier varieties are better choices because they have less sugar. Why not the other stuff?  A day after consuming wheat-heavy beer, whiskey, rye and bourbon or sugary cocktails may find you feeling like you swallowed a bowling ball. Not to mention, that nice ol’ headache that often accompanies these indulgences. Tip: Always drink a glass of water between glasses of wine or spirits to keep you from getting dehydrated. 4. Pick and choose ahead of time the events at which you may  indulge. Consider going without as the holiday-party invites escalate. I often advise clients and patients to skip alcohol all together, especially as we get into full swing with the holiday season. You don’t need to consume alcohol at every gathering. Tip: Order club soda with two limes or a couple of olives. No one will know you’re not drinking alcohol — you’ll fit right in! Plus that drink in your hand appeases inquisitive friends.     In summary, what I love about Paleo is that it’s a customized framework that’s extremely individual. Paleo stresses foods and beverages that work best with our body. After you create your framework, you can become as healthy as you’d like. It’s really that simple!   Hope these guidelines help! Salute! P.S. When you’re ready to commit to a complete cell overhaul, which involves going on my 30-Day Reset journey, you’ll find that alcohol is an absolute no for the entire 30 days. You can learn all about the 30-Day Reset in my Living Paleo for Dummies (Wiley) book. And next month, we plan to offer an amazing get-healthy nutritional plan with detailed guidelines for the 30-Day Reset, including meal plans! (Stay tuned.) When you embark on the 30-Day, you stick to some simple rules that will help you make some big gains. Healing your gut, building better cells, cutting sugar cravings, boosting your immunity, becoming a natural fat burner, looking young and fresh and performing better are just some of those promises. The white-knuckle program crushes sugar cravings in just 30 days. But to get there, you must avoid all foods and beverages with sugar, including alcohol .       After you have done the 30-day Reset and your body is strong and free of those conditions you set out to heal, then celebration cocktails are a go. If you have deep conditions that need to heal, this may take longer. Keep thinking big and living bold,  Dr. Kellyann (photos by freedigitalphotos.net)

Food and Drug Admin. Takes Steps to Get Rid of Trans Fat — Hooray! Yes! It’s about time. As I’m sure you’re aware, the Food and Drug Administration took a big step this week toward potentially getting rid of most trans fat from out food supply, saying it has made a preliminary determination that a major source of trans fats  —  partially hydrogenated oils — is no longer "generally recognized as safe." If the preliminary determination is finalized, according to the FDA, then partially hydrogenated oils will become food additives that could not be used in food without approval.   Trans fat can be found in processed foods including desserts, microwave products (like popcorn!) , frozen pizza, margarine and coffee creamer, and has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Trans fat, which basically, in a nut shell, is NOT good for you — its assets include increasing the shelf life and flavor of foods. I don’t think trans fats do much for our  body’s shelf life, do you? Don’t get me wrong, we do need fats and by putting healthy fats on your plate, you’re helping nourish every structure and function of the body, including your brain. Healthy fats also help you absorb nutrients more efficiently and keep you feeling full. The Key? You have to pick the right ones, including those from sources such as avocados, olives, butter and ghee. Coconuts fats and certain nuts and nut butters are also excellent sources. I cover the topic in my most recent book, Paleo Cookbook for Dummies (Wiley, 2013). (Photo by freedigitalphotos.net)

Any good athlete knows what my Living Paleo food sponsor (and uber famous Crossfitter) Dan Bailey always says "Nutrition is the Foundation of all performance." The right recovery food will replace your body with the nutrition it needs for growth  - and allow your body to heal and recover so you can be consistent in your efforts.  After a workout,  your body needs protein, and a more dense carbohydrate (starchy vegetable). Instead of grabbing a bagel or a bowl of pasta, be Paleo Smart and give your body what its designed to eat; a Paleo approved starchy carb like a  sweet potato, or some spaghetti squash. Pumpkin, Kohlrabi, Jicama, beets are all also a go.   Side note: Some athletes fuel up on rice or protein shakes for extra energy. This can be Ok for some, as long as your gut is in tip-top shape and you don't have any conditions that are in play (like an autoimmune problem, or intestinal distress). Again, this is why I love Paleo. Because is NOT extreme, but Paleo is your template - you decide how Paleo you want to be based on YOUR needs. However, I always urge people to steer clear of gluten for fuel, because well, in addition to other reasons, it really creates havoc in the gut. Too much to make it really worth it unless its a very once in a while thing... you know, pasta in italy, a special occasion - that kind of thing.  Here's some recipes that will give you SUPER recovery (not to mention Super Immunity)!  SPAGHETTI SQUASH FRITTERS Prep time: 10 min • Cook time: 5 min • Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 1/2 onion, finely minced 1/2 cup almond flour 3 large eggs 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 spaghetti squash, roasted and shredded (about 4 cups)  1 to 2 tablespoons coconut oil Directions In a large bowl, mix onion, almond flour, eggs, salt, and pepper with a whisk until combined. Squeeze any excess moisture from the squash with a clean dish towel or paper towels, add to the bowl, and mix well. Allow the batter to rest 10-minutes. Place 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil in a nonstick skillet and heat over medium-high heat until the oil is melted and shimmers. Swivel the pan to coat the bottom.  Drop 1/4-cup servings of batter into the pan, making sure they don't touch. Cook until browned on the bottom and starting to set, about 4- to 5-minutes. Flip gently and cook the other side until browned, an additional 3- to 4-minutes. Cook in batches, adding more coconut oil to the pas as necessary. Serve hot.  Tip: These fritters are great topped with browned ground beef or lamb, served with Hearty Chili or enjoyed alongside grilled meats.  Vary It! Substitute shredded zucchini for the spaghetti squash!  SPAGHETTI SQUASH AND MEATBALLS   Prep time: 10 min • Cook time: 40 min • Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 1 large spaghetti squash 3 tablespoons water 3/4 ground beef 1/4 ground pork 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced 1 large egg 1 clove plus 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon coconut oil One 28-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes 8 large basil leaves, slivered Salt and ground black pepper, to taste Directions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cover two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the speeds with a large spoon. Place squash cut side down on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the water onto the paper around the squash. Set aside.  In a large bowl, mix the meat, parsley, egg, 1 clove garlic, salt, and black pepper with a fork until combined. Measure a tablespoon of meat and roll into a ball between your palms. Line up the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart. Place both baking sheets in the oven and set timer for 25- to 30-minutes.  While the meatballs and squash are roasting, place the coconut oil and 2 cloves garlic in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds, and then add the tomatoes and basil. Stir to combine, increase heat, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and reduce heat so sauce is just kept warm.  When the meatballs are golden brown and cooked through (about 25- to 30-minutes), add them to the tomato sauce to keep them warm. Leave the spaghetti squash in the oven to bake for an additional 10-minutes.  Remove the squash from the oven and, using a hot pad to hold it, scrape the inside with a fork to shred the squash into spaghetti-like strands. To serve, mound spaghetti squash on individual plates and top with sauce and meatballs.   BEEF AND BROCCOLI WITH ROASTED SWEET POTATOES   Prep time: 10 min • Cook time: 40 min • Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional 1 tablespoon plus, 1 teaspoon coconut oil, divided 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 medium onion, chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1 pound ground beef 2 cups chopped broccoli Directions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, olive oil, garlic powder, and cinnamon (if desired). Mix well so that the potatoes are completely covered in oil and spices.  Place the potatoes in a 9-x-13-inch baking dish and arrange in a single layer. Bake for 30-minutes, turning the mixture once. Remove from the oven and set aside.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a large skillet until it's liquid and shimmering. Add the garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Cook until the onions are soft.  Add the beef to the onions and garlic, breaking up the beef as it browns. Drain the excess fat; remove the beef from the skillet and set aside.  Add the remaining coconut oil to the skillet and heat until the oil is liquid and shimmering. Add the broccoli to pan and cook until it's bright green.  Add the cooked beef and the sweet potatoes to the broccoli, mix well, and heat through. Serve immediately. Tip: You can roast the sweet potatoes the day before. Tip: This recipes is a great recovery food after a Paleo workout! Make this delicious meal in bulk.   SCOTCH EGGS   Prep time: 15 min • Cook time: 30 min • Yield: 8 servings Ingredients 2 pounds ground pork 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg Pinch of ground cinnamon Pinch of ground cloves 1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced 1 tablespoon dried chives 2 cloves garlic, minced 8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled 4 ounces fried pork rinds, optional 1 raw egg, optional Directions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the pork, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, tarragon, parsley, chives, and garlic. Knead with your hands until well mixed.  Divide the pork mixture into 8 equal servings. Roll each piece into a ball and flatten it into a pancake shape. Wrap the meat around a hard-boiled egg, rolling it between your palms until the egg is evenly covered.  Place the meat-wrapped eggs on the baking sheet.  If desired, place the pork rinds in the bowl of the food processor and process until they resemble bread crumbs; pour them onto a plate or in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, beat the raw eggs.  Gently roll each wrapped egg in pork rind crumbs to get a thin dusting. Roll in the raw eggs and then roll a second time in the crushed pork rinds to evenly coat. Place on the baking sheet.  Bake for 25-minutes; increase the temperature to 400 degrees and bake an additional 5 to 10-minutes, until the meat balls are golden brown and crisp.  Tip: Moisten your hands with a little water if the raw meat sticks to them while you're wrapping the eggs. Note: If you use pork rinds, make sure they're all natural and contain just pork and salt-- no MSG or other additives. A good brand is Carolina Gold Nuggets.  Recipe Courtesy of Melissa Joulwan (www.theclothesmakethegirl.com)   BACON BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP   Prep time: 15 min • Cook time: 1 hr • Yield: 6 servings Ingredients 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into large chunks 3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted 1/2 pound bacon 1 small onion, chopped 1 small apple, peeled and chopped 3 cups chicken stock 1 cup coconut milk 1 teaspoon salt 1 to 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, to taste 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the squash and carrots with the coconut oil. Arrange the mixture in a baking dish and roast uncovered for 35-minutes or until tender.  In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Sauté the onion and apple in the bacon fat until tender, about 5-minutes.  Add the squash, carrots, chicken stock, and coconut milk and bring to a boil, stirring often.  Remove the pot from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend your soup until smooth. (Alternately, you can blend the soup in a food processor or blender in several small batches and return it to the pot.)  Bring the blended soup to a simmer and season with the salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Serve in large bowls garnished with crumbled bacon or freeze and save for later.   Recipe Courtesy of George Bryant (http://civilizedcavemancooking.com)

Why did I decide to offer a Paleo food home delivery company — livingpaleofoods.com — when clearly a big part of my message is about getting our fannies back into the kitchen? Talk about a conundrum! Well guess what? There is a time and a place for Paleo home delivery. Consider my livingpaleofoods.com sponsor, Dan Bailey.  As one of the top 10 fittest athletes in the world competing at the last three CrossFit Games, Dan says, “Nutrition is the foundation of performance.” And, yes, he chooses Paleo home delivery from  livingpaleofoods.com.  Dan travels a lot (he recently spent a month at CrossFit headquarters!), so good nutrition and high-performance fuel are important to him. With that, he needs a “food strategy” that works. And since he basically works out for a living, his fuel has to be there every time he needs it. If not, he’ll end up grabbing liquid nutrition and sub-par foods … not good! But none of you are Dan Bailey, and if you are truly going to start living Paleo, there’s only one way — you must familiarize yourself with the kitchen. What’s so awesome about Paleo — and one of the reasons why it’s gotten so much traction — is that cooking Paleo is totally non-intimidating because it’s ridiculously simple. Consider the procedure for one of my favorite simple, bona fide Paleo dishes: Put some healthy oil in a pan Brown some meat in that oil Add a spice or two, if you want Add veggies Stir it up, cover and let it cook for about 10 minutes Top it off with a delicate spice, if you wish Voila! That is how I make many of my meals. Sometimes, I throw in some cubed sweet potatoes or top it with some spaghetti squash, if I feel like I need more. Beyond looking — and feeling — great, benefits from a Paleo diet are numerous. But obtaining those benefits means following a Paleo lifestyle must be relatively consistent. And that’s where a nice mix between cooking on your own and relying on a convenient source such as livingpaleofoods.com  can help many. Consistent, healthy-food strategies truly are required to get the most out of life. It’s the start-up time that can be difficult. Many need that initial push. When our cells are sick — and literally starving to death — it’s hard to build any momentum. Inertia is a tough dragon to slay. Physics tell us “an object at rest will stay at rest unless it is set in motion by a disruptive force.” You’re the disruptive force when it comes to living Paleo. But getting to that first step isn’t easy.  (Thankfully, after you put a plan into motion, and get past that difficult first step and build momentum, everything becomes easier.)  This is where prepared meals can really help. When you start eating organic, fresh, Paleo-approved proteins, vegetables and healthy fats from livingpaleofoods.com.  You kick toxins out of your cells, add the nutrients in and you actually feel like and have the energy to step back into the kitchen. Who Can Benefit From livingpaleofoods.com?  Folks always on-the-go  If you’re always on-the-go and there’s often nary a kitchen in sight, consider livingpaleofoods.com! Livingpaleofoods sponsor Dan Bailey, for example, is on-the-go for long stretches of time, thus livingpaleofoods for him is a lifesaver. Those who need Plan B’s  Let’s say your cruising along well on the Paleo plan, cooking and preparing a lot of your own meals, when all of the sudden, you’ve got no energy or time to cook. Or maybe you haven’t set up your healthy-food strategy in its entirety yet. What to do? Have a livingpaleofoods product on hand for Plan B, and you’re good to go! It sure beats cracking open a crinkly package of something that’s not good for you and will destroy a lot of the good you’ve done thus far! Mother’s who’ve recently given birth  Moms with new infants need to eat well, but chances are, unless they have friends and family delivering healthy meals, they’re eating a whole lot of take-out! So yes, getting your fanny back in the kitchen is paramount to living Paleo, but if you need a little something to get your plan started, or have no energy or time to cook, or are caught in a bind, or simply want to give yourself a treat …  livingpaleofoods.com may offer you a solution.

Have you recently been casing cookbooks and blogs looking for a good Paleo tailgating or potluck food? Stop the search! Meatball poppers are just the ticket. Take these to any gathering and you’ll score more points than MSU did against U-M in 2010 when the Spartans took down the Wolverines with a score of 34-17! I appear often on television stations and have also hosted many community Paleo nights. For these types of events, it’s imperative that the finished product is easy to transport (I don’t cook it on-site). This meatball appetizer (From my Paleo Cookbook for Dummies) is always on the menu, and everyone loves the taste explosion when they pop one into their mouth. Serve these with Moroccan Dipping Sauce and you’ve got one wining combo. MEATBALL POPPERS Prep time: 20 min • Cook time: 25-30 min • Yield: 12 servings Ingredients 2 pounds ground beef 2 tablespoons pepper 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper 2 teaspoon coconut oil 1/4 cup minced onion 1/4 cup minced celery 1/4 cup minced carrot 1/4 cup minced walnuts Directions Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line an 11-x 17-inch rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the beef, pepper, cayenne, and chili powder. Use your hands to mix well. Melt the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook until they're translucent, about 4-minutes. Add the walnuts and sauté for an additional 2-minutes. Set the onion mixture aside until it's cooked enough to handle. Combine the cooled mixture with the meat and form it into 24 meatballs, roughly 1-inch in size. Place meatballs on the lined baking pan and bake 25- to 30-minutes. Serve warm with Moroccan Dipping Sauce if desired. Tip: These meatballs are the best grab and go snacks! Freeze these and stock up. MOROCCAN DIPPING SAUCE Prep time: 5 min • Yield: 1/2 cup Ingredients 2 lemons, juiced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon sweet, hot or smoked paprika Pinch of ground cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced Directions In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper. Continue whisking as you stream in the oil, then stir in the cilantro and parsley. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate it if you're not going to eat it within the hour. It keeps for two or three days in the fridge without diminishing its flavor. Recipe compliments of Melissa Joulwan, author of Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat and The Clothes Make The Girl (www.theclothesmakethe girl.com)

Before you stick your fork in this whole Paleo thing, consider this: The Paleo diet isn’t about a spear, a campfire and a hunk of meat. Paleo has always been about balance, simplicity and attention to food quality. Reworked Atkins … Not! It stupefies me when people ask me if Paleo is a “reworked Atkins” diet, to which I reply, “You will not find one Paleo blogger or track one Paleo recipe in any of the books out there that give a nod to artificial sweeteners (Splenda is okay on Atkins!), allow low-quality processed oils (such as Canola — a green light on Atkins!), or are okay with grains added in at any point in the progression (Atkins does this in the later stages — even though in small amounts). Yet I can’t negate that the original Atkins diet helped a lot of people. I’ve seen it in my practice — it’s no doubt a reality. But here’s the thing to dial into:  If you want to lose weight, boost immunity, fight aging or heal your health issues, there is one way — and only one way — to get there and stay there. Go Paleo! Get the toxins out of your cells, and get the nutrients in. Period. You will look young, alive and sparkling. Many of the Atkins participants were undoubtedly better than when they started on the Atkins plan —  some considerably. But I didn't see the same radiance with them that I do with those following a Paleo diet. It seems to be such a common stamp with Paleo people — that “primal sparkle,” the one that happens when your cells are bathed in nutrition. Although I give Atkins a fair-and-square nod for all the people the program has helped, I go wonky when I consider those Atkins bars, which are a toxic sludge fest not worthy of a landfill. So let me be clear, I respect the diet for all of the people the original Atkins program has helped, but  then … some things got in the way of a good thing The Paleo Template When you go Paleo, it’s important that you fill your plate with vegetables — that’s what the Paleo template is all about. Ideally, your plate should always feature two different vegetables in different color groups (red pepper, green broccoli, sort of thing). This will allow your cells to keep the nutrients in, while kicking the toxins out. Beyond vegetables, protein and healthy fats will keep Paleo followers well fueled and help the structures and functions of your body to work well. The trick? A balanced plate! Your Paleo Style Begins with Paleo Play From the Paleo template (lean meats, veggies, healthy fats, small amounts of fruits, nuts and seeds) you decide your Paleo style. You’ll need to test how many carbohydrates your body can handle, as this depends on many factors (current energy, stress and activity levels, to name a few). I call this “Paleo play.” See how it all plays out, day and after day, and make changes as needed, if you’re not seeing the results you want.  The bottom line? Keep the meat — but don’t forget the veggies! And if you’re feeling like you need a little more filler with your meal, add Paleo-approved starchy vegetables, such as sweet potatoes or spaghetti squash. The idea with protein consumption is to get as much as your body needs- and no more. This is usually about a gram of protein per pound of lean tissue. Maybe more if you're active.

When you add healthy, good ol', back-to-nature fats into your diet, you actually lose weight!  I know … crazy, right? Every time I am featured on the news, I talk about healthy fats, because fats matter a lot.  Pop Quiz! Which oil is best for sautéing vegetables? A) Safflower B) Coconut  C) Olive  Answer: B, coconut oil  “A” is out because safflower is a cheap, poor-quality, industrial oil that is likely rancid by the time you grab it from the grocery-store shelf.  "C” is out because as much as I love olive oil, it’s really more of a drizzle-oil — heat breaks down olive oil fast and, thus, it goes rancid. Coconut oil wins because it has about every healing property possible in one product. Plus, you can heat the sucker up and it won't go rancid. Bottom line: Rancid fats make you rancid — a concept that’s pretty easy to digest, yes? The wrong types of fats or fats not used properly cause inflammation throughout the body, and inflammation is the pre-curser to just about every modern-day disease, including heart disease. Here’s more about fats: Paleo-approved fats include: Coconut fats Olives Avocadoes Animal fats Nuts, seeds, nut and seed oils, and nut and seed butters Cooking at high heat can damage some oils, causing oxidation that makes otherwise-healthy oils likely to cause inflammation. Avoid cooking with extra-virgin olive oil and nut oils; instead, use these types of oils to toss on salads or drizzle over cooked food. For high-heat cooking — on the stovetop or grill or in the oven — always use saturated fats from animals or coconut-sourced fats. High-heat oils: Coconut and palm, ghee (clarified butter) and animal fats Low-heat oils: Macadamia nut and avocado No-heat oils (cold-use only): Olive and walnut The following oils are so bad, they should be dead to you: Canola (rapeseed) Cottonseed Grapeseed Margarine Partially hydrogenated vegetable Rice bran Safflower Soybean Sunflower Vegetable and shortening

Ok, so I was on the set of The National show Daytime…and Jerry Penacoli the TV Anchor was ALL about this bread. Before you knew it, the entire staff was eating the stuff… you'll love it and never miss the gluten crap. Who wants to feel like they swallowed a bowling ball after a little slice of bread anyway? I highly recommend adding a little grass-fed butter or ghee to really blow your mind!    Paleo Almond Banana Bread: ¾ cup coconut oil 1 cup of honey 2 ripe, chopped, bananas 4 eggs ½ cup coconut milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 1½ cups almond flour ½ cup organic coconut flour ¼ tsp salt 2 tsp baking powder Instructions: Mix together coconut oil, honey, eggs, vanilla, coconut milk, and blend well. In a separate bowl mix the almond flour, coconut flour, salt, and baking powder.  Mix the wet with the dry together, and add chopped bananas.  Spread into a greased cake pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour (cover it with tin foil 15 minutes into the baking process so that the top doesn't burn). Stick a toothpick into the cake and bake until it pulls out clean. Recipe compliments of my buddy Chef Cristian Feher of http://www.tampabaychef.com

I just had to say yes. When the folks over at Wiley asked me to spearhead yet another title in their popular media franchise — for Dummies — I couldn't say no. I wanted to say no. After all, the fabulous Melissa Joulwan (you know her … author of the wildly popular Paleo cookbook, Well Fed, and equally popular lifestyle blog, the clothesmakethegirl.com) and I had just finished writing Living Paleo for Dummies. And if that’s not enough, right off the heels of that project, Wendy Warner MD (the physician whom Dr. Oz calls “the doctor he trusts his family with,” medicineinblance.com) and I just completed Boosting your Immunity for Dummies. Two back-to-back books is exciting, yes, but  matched with grueling hours of writing, not to mention the epic battle with Microsoft Word. At times I’d look in the mirror and say, “Who’s this shabby girl?” Ok, I’ll come clean. The 24/7 writing schedule I was on pretty much stripped away my zing — nearly every drop. Teasingly, I’d tell others, “Writing health books has been the unhealthiest thing I’ve ever done!” And yet I simply couldn't resist bringing Paleo Cookbook for Dummies to you because I knew it would be a powerful resource … off the charts in awesomeness! So, about the book! There are several attributes that make it a stand-out among Paleo cookbooks, including its diverse collection of recipes as well as its wide-ranging list of contributors and their talents. Hey, variety is indeed the spice! Massive Diversity You simple cannot go wrong when you have recipes that are diverse, comprehensive and thoughtful. If you are a vegetarian, I’ve got you covered with dishes like Lemon Cucumber Noodles with Cumin (page 229), Zucchini Pasta with Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce (page 230) and Cocoa Cauliflower (page 221). If you’re a raw food lover, you’re all set with dishes like Kimchi (page 227), Summertime Watermelon Soup, (page 112) and Cabbage Slaw with Tangy Carrot Dressing (page 171). Are you a fish-eating vegetarian? Then you’re sure to love the chapter on Seafood and Fishmonger Meals, like the Salmon a La’ Afrique du Nord (page 193). Meat lovers rejoice over the cornucopia of meat-centric recipes. Recipes like Mango Coconut Chipotle Chicken (page 260) are at your fingertips. Here they are — great flavors, cooked in the healthiest and most “Paleo” kind of way. Is there anything better than that? Top Chefs, Authors and Bloggers I’m so grateful! When I look at the contributors list I have to say, “Girl … you CRUSHED it with this one!” These contributors are fantastic, unique and so different from one another. Each has a gift to share. Check ‘em out: Mark Sisson, marksdailyapple.com  Melissa Joulwan, theclothesmakethegirl.com Michelle Tam, nomnompaleo.com   Arsy Vartanian, rubiesandradishes.com George Byrant, civilizedcavemancooking.com Nick Massie, paleonick.com Jason Crouch, paleopot.com Audrey Olson, primalkitchen.blogspot.com Alissa Cohen, alissacohen.com Whole9 Stamp! There are a ton of whole9-approved recipes in this book (that’s huge in itself!). The folks at whole9life.com (and authors of NYT Bestseller of It Starts with Food) have set a standard in the industry that when they give it their nod, it means no added sugars (real or artificial), grains, legumes or dairy. It also means all packaged products have ingredients free from soy, additives or preservatives of any kind. This makes it easy to lose weight, crush sugar cravings, heal health conditions and look and feel your best. All of this and every tip, trick and trap has been addressed (after seeing and learning from patients for years —  you get it down!). There’s even a chapter dedicated to the kiddos. Can you now see why I couldn't say no to this book? I had a vision from the get-go of bringing to you not only some of my tried-and-true best recipes, but all of my faves from the best chef’s, authors and bloggers out there. And now it’s actually here — woot! Bottom line: You’re gonna love this book and I’m over-the-top excited to bring it into your life! Keep thinking big and living bold! Dr. Kellyann