Welcome to our site! If you are here because you are having some sort of health concern, then your diet may be the reason. A major key to great health is to make sure the gut is happy. Over 70% of our immune system is in the gut. It is important to eat anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense food so our guts stay healthy and our immune system stays strong. Information on health and nutrition is ubiquitous and much of it is contradictory. We are often misled about the right foods to eat, or in what quantities. We are bombarded with marketing claims and bold statements which makes an honest evaluation of specific benefits or detriments difficult at best. There is always a new supplement, new pill, new diet, or workout program that we are missing out on. The bottom line is this: Everyone is different. What may be good for one person may not be good for another. This is why it is very important to find out what works or doesn’t work for you. Don’t get caught up in the hype. Take a sensible approach to your own health.**
We took a look at our own lifestyle and made many changes. One of them was changes with our diet. We have learned over the years what foods make us feel optimal. We share our recipes here with you. You won’t see too many recipes with grains, but that is just because we, personally, seem to function better without them. Studies show that whole grains are actually good for your health so we don’t want to generalize and say nobody should eat them. It could just be something you cut from your diet and then after a few weeks you reintroduce them to see if you have any issues.
We are always evolving. Our journey has been great and actually it has also been easy, which we did not expect! We are not perfect and we don’t want to be. Below are a few key points that we have focused on for ourselves (in no particular order). These things have given us a happier, more meaningful life.
- Eat a lot and a variety of organic vegetables and try to grow and/or buy as many local as we can.
- Eat fats such as coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, some nuts, ghee, butter.
- Eat some lean protein, locally sourced, from humanely raised animals.
- Avoid sugar, processed foods, GMO, fast foods, synthetic oils, additives as much as possible.
- Get some sort of exercise daily. We include resistance training for strong bones.
- Sleep 8 hours each night.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Buy minimally. Reuse. Recycle.
- Respect the Earth and Mother Nature.
- Laugh.
- Slow down.
- Sit-down dinners, talking about our day.
- Teaching our kids to cook and to garden.
- Minimize social media.
** When we have concerning symptoms, we go to the doctor. The visit, which is on average about 7 minutes, will most likely result in the doctor suggesting a medication for you, but these symptoms are not due to a lack of said medication. What is the real reason for my symptoms? This is where Functional Medicine comes in. Functional Medicine takes into account your entire health history from birth to present day. It takes into account your lifestyle to include not just your food, but your exercise level, the environment you are living in, the toxins you are exposed to, the relationships you have, your genetics (see epigenetics), etc. Everything about YOU. If you would like to learn more or if you feel you would like a more in-depth look at your own health, please contact me at karen.purelyprimal@gmail.com . I take a genuine approach that can help guide you toward a more healthful lifestyle with goals specific to your current needs and situation. I can give you a fresh perspective that can help provide you with a great jumpstart.
Thanks for taking the time to visit our blog. If you enjoy our recipes, spread the word!
Purely Primal 