User wordvixen - PaleoHacks.com

Answer by WordVixen for Zinc taste in mouth means I'm topped off?

2011-10-01T05:26:56Z

According to my mother (who isn't infallible, but was a medical journal proofreader for 19 1/2 years and recently became a nurse), you'll always know that you've had enough zinc when you start to have a metallic taste in your mouth. I've often described it as "tasting as though you've just bitten a fork".

Thanks for the reminder, btw. Travis' post about zinc was right before I went on vacation and I'd meant to look into it more when I came back.

Answer by WordVixen for Recipe to make them drink the Kool-Aid

2011-12-12T19:21:39Z

I vote for Andreanna's bacon wrapped mini salmon cakes with asparagus: http://www.lifeasaplate.com/2010/09/16/bacon-wrapped-mini-salmon-cakes-with-asparagus/ And if that doesn't float your boat, I still recommend checking out her other recipes. They're usually delicious and interesting, and most can be used as appetizers or dessert (she has quite a few good looking desserts- most especially the goat cheese pumpkin cheesecake or the apple spice cake with maple cream cheese frosting would be appropriate for holiday dinners). You can view by section from her Recipe Database link at the top of the page.

Answer by WordVixen for Kerrygold is to butter as _________ is to sauerkraut?

2011-11-30T19:33:30Z

The best sauerkraut that I've ever had was from an Amish family, but since I bought it through another Amish family (farmer's market), and that family's sauerkraut was awful, I was too embarrassed to ask who the other family was. :-) I can't stand Bubbie's either, but I did find a local brand that wasn't too awful. It just hasn't aged enough. So what I do is I buy a big jar of it, open the cap for a few minutes, write the date on it, and stick it in the back of the fridge. After about 3 months, it's pretty good! The good side is that I've found sauerkraut that I like that I don't have to make myself. The bad side is that because of the long waiting period, I always have 2-3 jars at any given time taking up room in my fridge. But, I don't have room in my home to set up a proper kraut crock, and I dislike the small table top jar kraut.

In my opinion, the important thing is to get raw kraut. If it doesn't taste like pickles, take the lid off for a bit and then stick it in the back of your fridge and forget about it. :-) Good kraut tastes like pickles, IMO.

Answer by WordVixen for How many bananas per day is too much?

2011-10-14T04:11:21Z

It depends on how you feel about fructose/starch/calories.

According to Dr. Mercola, you should limit your fructose intake to less than 25 grams per day. Also according to Mercola, 1 average sized banana is about 11 or 12 grams. So, if you subscribe to Dr. Mercola's view, you're eating about double what you should.

My opinion would be "whatever you feel good on".

Answer by WordVixen for Any fine-haired ladies do the no-poo method?

2011-10-07T04:11:08Z

I have very fine hair and I've been doing no poo for a while now. It took MONTHS for my hair to adjust, and it never totally did until my vacation to Florida. The water there is much softer than the water where I live. I could have gone over a week without doing the baking soda/vinegar scrub/rinse that I have to do twice a week at home.

Three things that helped me- 1.) wearing my hair up after the first day (now that I've adjusted, I can wear my hair down most of the time), 2.) using white vinegar instead of ACV. I don't know why, but this made a huge difference. And 3.) NOT letting the vinegar soak in. The longer the vinegar sits in my hair, the more it feels and looks greasy later. I literally just pour it on, run my hands through, and then rinse off.

I plan to get a shower filter with my Christmas money next year. Now that I know what a huge difference soft water makes, it's worth the investment to me.

Answer by WordVixen for Anyone else here not like grass fed beef?

2011-10-06T17:06:12Z

I struggle with this a bit too. I like and refuse to buy anything but grassfed ground beef unless we're talking hamburger patties, but any solid form of grassfed beef is still a turn off for me. Where I live, most grassfed farmers and stores are in a co-op though, so buying from different farms and vendors may just be an illusion. I've noticed some identical products in various venues. I can stomach it, but my very CW husband absolutely can't stand it. So, we compromise by buying anti-biotic and hormone free steaks and roasts. The quality is much higher than what I see in the main meat department at the grocery store, so I just cross my fingers and hope.

I used to buy the chicken equivalent at the store when it went on sale because I couldn't justify the high price of pastured poultry. But, lately, it doesn't go on sale, and the price of that chicken is actually HIGHER than the price of pastured chicken at the farm I usually shop at unless it's on sale- so now I just go straight to the farm for chicken (except the bag of individually sealed chicken breast in perfect portion sizes- I buy that and keep frozen for emergencies). And I'm spoiled and can't stand conventional pork any more (I get pastured heritage pork now- expensive, so it's a treat).

But, yeah, we're not big fans of grassfed beef's flavor. At least, not the local stuff. I'm thinking along the lines of BaconHealsChic- save up and order from US Wellness, and then see what I think.

Answer by WordVixen for Makeup Question...

2011-10-06T01:03:38Z

I swear by the mineral foundation that I bought on Etsy. I wore it down to Walt Disney World- out in 90 degree weather (with 90% humidity) every day for a week. It didn't budge. At all. I can lay my head on my husband's shoulder and none of it rubs off (I can rub it off on purpose, but by actually rubbing). There was a little shininess at the end of the day, but the coverage was still there. I have PCOS and horrid acne (which is improving, but not gone) so I have to have foundation if there are going to be pictures.

I bought mine from My Beauty Addiction: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MyBeautyAddiction

The ingredients are:

Zinc Oxide USP has calming and healing effects and is excellent for problem skin such as rosacea and acne. It is sweat and water resistant, and offers protection from the sun. Titanium Dioxide has waterproof and SPF properties. Mica makes the foundation smooth and silky and gives it transparency Iron Oxides is used for color Ultramarine Blue is required in some cool shades Kaolin Clay is used for its oil absorbing abilities

At least, for the general mineral foundation powder- she also has a healing foundation and anti-aging one (didn't try, didn't check the ingredients). She also makes lipstick, eye shadow, and blush.

The foundation is $14 + shipping, which is a little high for my usual budget, but she really packs the container full (it helps to tap on the sifter lid a bit when you first open it). Plus, the ingredients are great, and the coverage was excellent. You do need a foundation or kabuki brush, though, as you really need to start light and then layer a bit where you need more coverage.

According to my mother's and my husband's reactions, it was very natural looking. Neither knew I was wearing foundation and just thought that my skin had magically cleared up.

I don't think she makes eye liner or mascara, but I've seen both on Etsy elsewhere, and some shops even sell samplers.

Answer by WordVixen for Himalayan, Hawaiin (with activated black charcoal) salt, or Braggs liquid amino to flavor bone broth?

2011-09-14T07:16:34Z

My understanding is that Bragg's is only fermented for a very short period of time, so a traditionally fermented soy sauce would be a better option for anything that you would use Bragg's aminos for. I would also not use the salt with activated charcoal for the same reason you listed.

Of the three, Himalayan is definitely your best bet. I use it quite often in cooking because I found a rather big jar of it for less than the equivalent in good quality sea salt. I'm not impressed with its overall flavor, but it's loads better than table salt and will add its own bit of minerals to the broth.

And I totally do add herbs to my broth- usually I buy a bunch of "poultry blend" which I think is rosemary, thyme, and sage. I also save scrap ends of carrots, celery, onions, scallions, shallots, and garlic (I throw them in a ziploc and stick them in the freezer until I'm ready to make broth) and then just dump them into the pot along with the bones.

All that said- if you prefer the taste of one of the others over the Himalayan salt, go for it. I don't think any of them are particularly bad- just less good. :-)

Answer by WordVixen for Which Oil is better to fry in?

2011-09-02T17:37:59Z

WAPF claims that peanut oil is fine once in a while. I would hands down choose it over regular vegetable oil as long as no one in the group has an allergy. I agree with Carl and vdh, though- lard would be excellent (just be careful, because it foams). And, to be honest, as long as it's not hydrogenated, I'd even put up with some additives in it over peanut oil or vegetable oil. Esskay sells lard in regular grocery stores in the refrigerated section but they add TBHQ to it. I can get good pastured lard at a local farm, and unadulterated regular lard at a local grocery store, but not everyone can be that picky. :-)

Answer by WordVixen for Coconut vs Almond Flour

2011-09-02T04:02:05Z

I've had a lot of luck with a Paleo coconut flour/almond flour (half & half) banana bread recipe by doubling the fat (in my case, butter). I think I also used an extra banana, but I can't remember for certain. I also have had great success with a non-Paleo coconut flour chocolate cake. My husband prefers it to regular (wheat based) chocolate cakes. :-) In both cases, I've noticed that the texture and the flavor are best when served cold. I really couldn't tell you why, but it just seems more moist and flavorful cold, which is totally the reverse of my experience with pretty much everything else.

Also, thank you for that cake recipe! I've been trying to find a coconut flour white cake recipe, and I think I can play with the extracts to get what I want out of that one. Plus, my husband loves coconut cake. :-)

Answer by WordVixen for Fuller lips possible from paleo?

2011-08-25T06:23:51Z

I don't know about actually getting plumper, but I used to have very light lips, which I hear is a sign of adrenal fatigue. Since quitting the SAD, my lips are much redder and seem to be better defined. I've wondered if they're actually bigger, but I generally just write it off as simply being more noticeable.

Answer by WordVixen for Is There a Hypertension Scam?

2011-08-19T21:59:54Z

I've wondered the same thing. However, your numbers aren't too bad according to conventional medicine. 140 is a bit high, but certainly not high enough to warrant medication. According to my husband's doctor (and my mother- a nurse and former medical journal proofreader- confirmed this) says that the second number is the most important. If you're down to 130 over 60+'s after a few minutes, I should think that your numbers are perfectly fine.

When I'm calm, my numbers are generally 120 over 72. The first three times that they took my blood pressure and actually told me my results, they said I was perfect. The very next time, with no change, I smiled at the girl and said "Yay! Perfect!". She then shook her head and said "No, that's really a bit high. You're ok, though." Again, verified by mom, they've now lowered their idea of acceptable or normal blood pressure. So, I definitely think that there's a little bit of scam beginning, but not on the scale of the cholesterol scam. At least, not yet. I also don't think that it's a total scam. The problem with the high blood pressure issue is the same as the cholesterol issues, though. Both are the symptom, and the root needs to be treated.

Answer by WordVixen for if i go on the pill but stay on paleo, will i gain weight? PCOSer thinking of getting off metformin

2011-08-16T19:22:07Z

I also have PCOS, and I've been on Yasmin and Metformin (not at the same time). I've never felt better or more human than I did when I was on Yasmin (aside from the bizarre lemon craving/insanity the first few days), but then we decided to try to get pregnant. My doctor put me on Metformin. Meformin didn't do ANYTHING positive for me at all. No ovulation, and it caused awful spiraling blood sugar issues. Eventually, I ended up with horrible anxiety attacks, panic attacks (not the same thing), and became moderately suicidal (wondering if I should commit suicide, rather hoping to have a lethal car crash, but not actually planning anything out). Of course, at the same time that it all came crashing down, I was experimenting with veganism and using soy supplements and all that sort of junk. When I researched online and found out that those side effects are quite common on Metformin, I discussed stopping them with my husband, who then told me that I had been someone else the entire time that I was taking it, and told me that, yes, I should definitely get the heck off it.

The day after I stopped Metformin, the panic attacks subsided. The anxiety waned the longer I was off it. I'd also stopped trying to be vegan and dropped most of the soy.

I have to take Norethindrone (generic of Aygestin) every other month to get my period, but I had to do that even on Metformin. I did, however, get a natural period a few months ago, so, yay! I also spotted a bit last month, but it was so close to when I had to start the Norethindrone, that I didn't want to wait it out to see if it would actually happen. Either way, my body is getting closer.

I attribute most of the improvements to copious amounts of good fat. I had no idea how low fat I used to be because I never purposely did it. I also am noticing that I break out really badly when I eat high in O6 (chicken skin, bacon, nuts, olive oil), and how quickly my acne began to heal when I increased my dosage of fermented cod liver oil (I assume the O3, but maybe the vitamin D as well). Unlike most other women with PCOS, I don't have high estrogen levels- it's my androgen levels that are high. Either way, it's a hormone imbalance, and good fats will help that. I've also read a lot of success stories of PCOS women getting pregnant after going low carb and/or grain free (both seem to work- I'd think both together would work as well).

The pill isn't a favorite for a lot of women because of all the potential ill effects it can have on your health and future fertility, but not everyone gains weight and gets acne on it. I dropped 20 lbs immediately without trying, and my face cleared up in 6 months on it.

Interesting about the gluten in Metformin. I was still eating SAD (when I wasn't trying to be vegan) when I was on it, but since I've always preferred rice and potatoes over bread, I wonder if it wasn't still having an effect on me?

Answer by WordVixen for A black market for raw milk? Are you kidding me?

2011-08-16T01:01:42Z

I live in PA and raw milk is totally legal here. It can even be sold retail. Sadly, though, every actual store that I know of that sells raw milk only sells it from one local company (I think it's a co-op of local farms, it's definitely more than one farm) and it's awful. Tastes just like conventional milk, so I'm pretty sure that it's Holstein (now I know why I never liked milk even before I discovered that I'm lactose intolerant).

So, now I buy Jersey milk straight from the farmer.

Answer by WordVixen for Does anyone use a Fry Daddy with coconut oil, tallow, or good lard?

2011-08-14T06:35:48Z

I use refined coconut oil in my Fry Daddy, and I used to use virgin coconut oil in it (very expensive, and husband didn't like the coconut flavor). It works fine, but I recommend keeping the oil a bit below the fill line.

I've also used a blend of coconut oil and bacon grease which was AWESOME- but it foams up much worse than either coconut oil or bacon grease alone. It actually ran out over the top, which was kind of not good. :-/

Answer by WordVixen for What do you know about Amish farming practices?

2011-07-28T17:36:26Z

It totally depends on the particular sect as well as the individual family. For example, in Ephrata, PA (about 10 miles from me), a lot of Amish have cell phones and some even drive cars. In that area, confinement and conventional farming is pretty popular though not ubiquitous. One of my dad's neighbors uses confinement for the animals, but seems to be organic or close to with his vegetables (though my parents say that his confinement operation is fairly humane, and I think the animals get a little time to roam outside, but he doesn't have room to pasture).

In the Bird-in-Hand area, however, I know of at least two Amish farms that are actually aligned with WAPF. In fact, one of them was toured by the WAPF conference last year. They share the same last name, so it's possible that they're all family, but around here, pretty much everyone is family somewhere down the line. :-D Trying to take a shortcut home from the farm where I buy my milk, I passed about 4 "RAW MILK" signs- on just one road. Tons of cows and horses out on pasture, and at the farm that I go to, I almost ran over their chickens twice- which is how I know that they're not lying about their eggs being free range. At my farm, they actually sell Nourishing Traditions and have tons of WAPF flyers set up in the shop, and at the family owned natural food store they host mini-conferences and health oriented classes as well as health screening events.

I would normally suggest driving down back roads and looking for fields with cows, sheep, or goats grazing, but since you're talking about a store, I'm guessing that won't help. :-)

Answer by WordVixen for Food to keep hunger away

2011-07-27T19:26:55Z

As everyone else has said- more fat really helps. Although, for me, if I don't have enough protein with my fat, it doesn't work.

I often do what Yer Mama suggests- the gf ground beef with eggs, but since you can't do eggs I highly recommend the ground beef, but top it with about 2 tablespoons of good quality grassfed butter. If you can't get gf butter locally (Kerrygold is available almost everywhere these days, but there are some other excellent brands), then it's well worth ordering it online. Seriously. Normal store butter just won't cut it if you're struggling with satiety- it's not just a flavor thing.

Also, one of my favorite quickie breakfasts is a coconut milk smoothie with bacon (not in the smoothie, but go for it if you want). I take a can of coconut milk and blend it with about half a banana, some nut butter, and some cocoa powder. You can actually make it the night before, and if you add a little normal milk or cream, it shouldn't set up too thick to drink. The satiety lasts longer if I add some beef to my meal, but that's usually too much work (I'm a little lazy when it comes to breakfast).

If you don't eat organ meats, I highly recommend starting. Even if you have to do the freeze-it-and-shave-it-off-and-swallow-it-like-a-pill thing. Because if you're not absorbing enough nutrients, it will make you hungry whether or not you're eating enough food in bulk. If you are eating organ meats and nutrient dense seafoods (like oysters), you may have an absorption issue. In that case, I recommend checking out GAPS and SCD, both of which are already Paleo friendly. I also recommend raw, grassfed dairy if you do dairy, and fermented cod liver oil with high vitamin butter oil.

Probably all you need is a bit more high quality fat in your diet, but if that doesn't do it, then you probably need to look at the nutrient density of your food. Muscle meat and kale just doesn't cut it for most people.

Answer by WordVixen for Need pork steak recipe

2011-07-23T06:40:01Z

I periodically get pork steaks from my favorite farmer's-market-family. I think they'd be great on a grill, but since we can't grill where we live, I make them in a cast iron skillet.

What I do:

Grease up the cast iron skillet with bacon fat (usually I don't have to grease it up- I just leave a layer when I pour the grease into my save jar).

Sprinkle the pork steaks with sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Let sit on the counter for 20-40 minutes to warm up.

Get the skillet nice and hot, plop the pork steaks in and cook for about 5 minutes on each side. Flip the steaks again, put a lid over the skillet and turn off the heat. About 15 minutes later, take the lid off and serve.

I also do pork chops and beef steaks the same way, just with different cook times (3-4 minutes per side for steak, plus searing any outer fat, 4-5 minutes on each side for pork chops depending on thickness). I find that pork steak takes a little longer to cook than a pork chop.

It's an odd flavor- kind of a sweet cross between pork chop and cheap cut steak. Hubs and I like it, but my mom hates it.

BTW, if you need a recipe to use up your pork shoulder (I think it has another name- picnic something), try making Pernil. There are a lot of variations out there, but my sister in law makes it with mainly Adobo, Sazon, parsley, and Hunt's white vinegar (she says it HAS to be Hunt's). No measurements, but make sure you make deep slices in the pork and rub the seasonings deep in there. Not sure the Adobo and Sazon are quite Paleo, but it's so worth it.

Answer by WordVixen for How do you season your Steaks and Chops?

2011-07-17T23:30:30Z

We can't grill where we live, so I grease up my cast iron skillet with bacon grease, then sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper, and a little garlic powder. I used to use Montreal Steak Seasoning, but I think it had MSG, or maybe soy in it. I forget which.

Answer by WordVixen for Where do you live? How much are 1 doz. eggs, 1 gal. milk and 1lb of beef? (UPDATE)

2011-07-16T23:06:41Z

Lancaster, PA

Pastured eggs: from $2.75/doz to about $3.50/doz. I actually pay $2 for a flat (1 1/2 doz) because a co-worker is also a farmer and he likes us. Everyone else gets charged a mite more (about $3/flat).

Raw Milk- I pay $5.50/gallon for Jersey milk straight off the farm. I've seen it in retail at about $3 for a half gallon for Holstein (but, yuck! Tried it once.) I've seen local listings for Jersey milk at $3 a gallon, but that's a bit below the going rate, so I didn't bother seeking out the farm as that makes me think they may not be up to snuff and I don't want to deal with the hassle of finding the place and then analyzing it. Plus, where I go now is super convenient- practically across the street from a health food store. :-)

Ground Beef (pastured)- $4.50-$4.75/lb where I get it (same beef, the cheaper is at the health food store, the pricier is on the farm- I don't think it's THEIR beef- but sometimes the store is out, so I pay more at the farm). I've seen it at another farm for over $5/lb.

I should point out that cage free/"free range" eggs in the grocery store are about $3.50/doz but are rarely actually pastured, regular ground beef is between $3.50 and $4/lb usually, and regular milk is about $3.50 a gallon (I think). So, for about $2 extra a week, I eat a LOT better. Though it is a little more running- takes me about an hour every weekend to hit the farm and health food store. There are no Whole Foods or Trader Joes around here, but a lot of little mom & pop type health food stores- one of which carries Green Pastures products at the same or lower price as ordering in bulk online. Yay!

Answer by WordVixen for hormonal acne and the paleo diet

2011-07-10T23:39:17Z

I've always had horrible acne (often very painful cystic type acne in addition to normal acne). After about 6 months on birth control, it had almost totally cleared up. Then we decided to try to get pregnant. Blech. Instant acne again.

I can't say what will work for you since mine isn't totally cleared up, but what really helps me is low sugar, lots of good quality saturated fat, and fermented cod liver oil. Also, once I stopped using facial wash and shampoo (I'm poo-free, use baking soda and vinegar when there's a build up, and I wash my face with just water, and every so often I use the Fructis facial cloths which helps to exfoliate- it's not great but it doesn't break my face out) my face improved even more. I have to make sure that I wash my pillow cases in castile soap and baking soda. If hubs washes my pillowcases, he uses normal detergent and lots of fabric softener. It's really bad for my skin.

I've tried a few herbal supplements for my skin (saw palmetto, and something else, I forget what), and they made my entire face so inflamed and red with cystic acne actually joining up that it looked like I was wearing a red mask. It was so painful, I had to stop it. When I read all the success stories about those herbs, it seemed that the women who did well on them are the ones who broke out when they used birth control- the exact opposite of my problem. So, I recommend a great deal of caution if you go the herbal route.

I've seen other threads on here with recommendations on particular minerals and such, so if you don't get a good response on this thread, I recommend checking out the other related threads on this forum. Definitely dig through the comments as well as the answers.

Answer by WordVixen for Does gluten yield any health benefit whatsoever?

2011-07-10T04:27:54Z

I found an article on Livestrong that's promoting seitan, and the best the author could come up with was that gluten is high in protein, and is a source of calcium (a whole 4% RDA per 1/4 cup serving, wow), and iron (9% per 1/4 cup serving).

So, if I were a health store that had jars and crates of gluten on the shelves (as per your question), I would be touting it as an excellent replacement for meat (23 grams of protein per 1/4 cup) and totally ignore that all protein is not equal.

Granted, I didn't look hard, but I suspect that if there were any real health benefits to gluten that Livestrong would certainly be a place to find out about them.

Really though, when people are defending gluten, it's generally because they know that you're cutting out the bulk of available grains- not because you're cutting out gluten itself. If they sold a gluten free wheat, rye, and barley, most people wouldn't care if you cut out gluten. Most understand that there are non-gluten containing grains, but don't seem to actually know anything about them. Those who aren't nutrition geeks seem to think of any non-wheat/rye/barley/oat grain much as they do white rice. Harmless but not nutritious.

Answer by WordVixen for Can you recommend a dynamite pastured liverwurst that I can order online?

2011-07-07T17:59:29Z

I haven't tried it myself, but I've heard very good things about US Wellness Meats: http://www.grasslandbeef.com/StoreFront.bok From what I understand, the Braunschweiger is more recommended than the liverwurst, but that could just because they have more than just liver in there. :-)

Answer by WordVixen for fermented cod liver oil/throat burning

2011-07-05T06:30:12Z

I had the same experience the first time I took FCLO straight (not in pills). A few hours after I took it, I got a horrendous burning from my stomach up to my throat. I seriously felt like I was going to die. Apparently some people can get nasty acid reflux from taking FCLO- and I did. But only the first day. The second day there was some burning, but not so bad. After the second day- none.

I was taking the emulsified stuff, and I'm never doing that again. The taste I could deal with, and I got over the burning quickly, but the texture and the taste combined is more than I can stand. I currently take the pills, but I'm looking into the liquid stuff. I just wish they had the FCLO and butter oil blend in liquid form.

Answer by WordVixen for Which Sprouts are Good and Which are Toxic?

2011-06-21T04:07:53Z

Definitely limit alfalfa sprouts and buckwheat (not exactly paleo, but not actually a grain, so...). Alfalfa sprouts are mildly toxic (as Shari mentioned), and over consumption of sprouted buckwheat can cause fago-pyrism (extreme light sensitivity).

Aside from that, I think the only real problem is if you make a habit of gorging on goitrogenic sprouts. Sprouting doesn't reduce goitrogens, and you'll consume a lot more of them in sprout form than you would as mature plants.

BTW- it's not paleo, but I still highly recommend sprouting green lentils. They taste just like hull peas, but without the work!

Answer by WordVixen for No-Poo but still having problems with grease/dandruff?

2011-06-08T18:23:51Z

I have the same problem. When I get that matted, oily feel on the back of my head, I just scrub with a baking soda/water mix and "condition" with a white vinegar/water mix. White vinegar does a better job for me than ACV, but I know other people have the opposite experience. This really reduces the dandruff for a day or two, but then it comes back. Coconut oil helps a lot of people with dandruff (it's moisturizing AND anti-fungal), but it also only lasts a day or two for me, and is a pain to wash out if you don't use shampoo.

Answer by WordVixen for What brand of Pasture Butter do you fancy?

2011-03-03T00:26:21Z

Hands down, the best pastured butter that I've ever had is Trickling Springs Creamery (Chambersburg, PA). Then, it's a toss up between Kerrygold and my local raw butter which, interestingly, are the same price. My mother totally agrees with the TSC followed by Kerrygold, and reminds me every time I see her that she wants me to bring her 10 lbs of Trickling Springs the next chance we get to go to Chambersburg even though I bring her a half pound of Kerrygold almost every month. :-)

She's never had my raw butter, and neither of us has had Smjor. WoodStock Farms and Natural by Nature are good, but neither are totally pastured, but they're both cheaper so I buy them for bulk use.

The Amish Roll butter in my local Amish natural foods store looks yellow enough to be pastured, and it's a lot cheaper than the others, but I haven't asked yet if it's pastured. OV pastured butter isn't available in my area, and I've never seen Anchor butter.

ETA: We have a trip to TSC planned in a couple of weeks, but in the meantime, I thought ya'll might like to see my local farm's raw butter. The raw butter is in the small container (I separate it so that I don't have to thaw it all at once), contrasted with a bar of Kerrygold. Sorry- I can't get it to load in my comment. Here's the link: http://wordvixen.com/?attachment_id=1053

Answer by WordVixen for Did you change from WAPF to paleo? Paleo to WAPF? Why?

2011-04-14T03:00:52Z

I'm in the experimenting stage. I consider myself closer to WAPF in ideology, but I usually eat about 80/20 Primal. I have no digestive problems with soaked legumes, but I never liked beans much anyway. I don't eat much sugar when I'm off gluten (except for an incredible coconut flour chocolate cake that I make- which isn't often), and I'm currently in the middle of the gluten experiments, which are suggesting that gluten be mostly permanently removed from my diet- even when fermented.

I don't really track though, so even though I think I fall pretty close to Primal/Lacto-Paleo most of the time, I still prefer to label myself as a WAPFer. I think because the definition is so much looser that I don't have to worry about losing my identity when I have an off week. That's why I only answer when I feel like my knowledge or experience justifies my speaking up, and why I don't ask questions here. I appreciate that Patrik wants to keep this site focused, and I don't want to contribute to unnecessary broadening of the subject.

On the other hand, without actually fully going Paleo myself, I've converted at least one friend, and have several others looking into it. :-)

Answer by WordVixen for Anyone else not use a microwave here?

2011-04-13T20:42:56Z

Once I got into real food, the microwave got relegated to melting butter and reheating leftover take out. While I'm not convinced that microwaves are dangerous, I'm not convinced that they're safe, and I AM convinced that they're totally unnecessary. And take up a lot of space.

So when it died a few months ago, I got really excited, and talked hubs into at least considering a toaster oven as an alternative (same space, same price, and I can rotisserie a chicken in it- try that in a micro!). After a few weeks of reheating his pizza or Chinese in a skillet and buying a tiny cast iron skillet to melt butter in (which I love, because I use it for BUTTER and it has "Dieter's Skillet" embossed on the inside), he finally agreed that we have no need of a microwave at all. We did get the toaster oven though, because he was geeking over the rotisserie and our gas oven is too hot to use over the summer, and because I got a great deal on it. But even that isn't strictly necessary.

We do use the microwave at work though. I don't like cold food often, and hubs is still mostly SAD (I fall between WAPF and Primal/Lacto-Paleo), so it's just practical to use what they provide at work. But that's pretty much it.

Answer by WordVixen for My Smelly Urine

2011-04-07T18:34:12Z

Aside from when I have asparagus or fish, the only time that I notice a strong smell is if I've been eating a lot of coconut flour (not the oil or milk- just the flour). Then it gets a scent sort of like mild asparagus pee. Too much and it affects my breath and arm pits too.

Comment by WordVixen

2011-12-20T20:22:48Z

Do you think this might work even if a woman doesn't ovulate? I currently have to take norethindrone to bring on my periods, but I'd really like to find a natural alternative until my hormones come into balance (PCOS).

Comment by WordVixen

2011-12-12T19:32:55Z

BTW- when I tried her salmon cakes, I used ground pistachios since I had them and I hate pine nuts. Pistachios are a good seasonal flavor, but I only recommend them if you know everyone likes pistachio. Not everyone does (strange, but true).

Comment by WordVixen

2011-11-21T00:22:42Z

Thanks for the link KC. :-) Sadly, ACV makes me want to puke (I'm not kidding, I have a very sensitive gag reflex) and it ruins anything I put it in, and Chasteberry made me break out in horribly painful cysts that made my face look like I was wearing a red bubbly mask. :-( I suspect that because I'm high in androgens rather than high in estrogen like most PCOS women are, that whatever works for high estrogen women exacerbates me. The best that I've ever found was the high intensity spearmint (reduces androgen), but that's a horrible pain to do long term.

Comment by WordVixen

2011-11-21T00:15:25Z

lol I know what you mean- but it's the only article that I could find.

Comment by WordVixen

2011-11-02T21:28:17Z

I've found that if I heat my milk in a stainless steel pot on the stove (from cold), that as soon as the condensation on the outside has evaporated, it's the perfect temperature for hot chocolate. According to The Healthy Home Economist, anything over 118 degrees will burn you, so, using that as my gauge, it's perfectly fine.

Comment by WordVixen

2011-11-01T03:38:02Z

I feel for you. My brother in law is a chemical engineer who is firmly entrenched in CW. Basically, I have to keep my mouth shut around my in-laws, because, while they're incredibly polite, if he doesn't immediately agree with me, everything else I say is politely ignored. Interestingly, my mother and brother who both have strong medical backgrounds actually listen to me. Which is a little disconcerting, but at least my brother threw out veg oils (dunno if that lasted, he moved out of state recently) and my dad is now cooking in lard!

Comment by WordVixen

2011-10-07T19:25:04Z

I should add- I have had wonderful grassfed burger patties. But that supplier was at a defunct farmer's market (he used a fattier cut to make the ground beef). Now all I can get is the extra super lean ground beef, which makes terrible patties.

Comment by WordVixen

2011-10-07T19:16:33Z

Eedlewee- Basically, I ran out of ACV, and I'd read of other people using various types of vinegar, so I tried it. Actually, I was going to try the red wine vinegar, but I couldn't find it (I never use it, so I buried it in the back of a high cupboard). It worked better and it's cheaper, so I keep using it. Some people do better with other vinegars, though- so I recommend just trying them until you find the right one. It's soooo much better than conditioner used to be, but it does smell a bit when my hair gets wet.

Comment by WordVixen

2011-10-07T19:14:51Z

Lauren- I do too. Actually, I keep the watered vinegar in a condiment bottle in the shower, and I do the same thing with the baking soda- so much easier than trying to scrub the powder into my scalp.

Comment by WordVixen

2011-10-06T17:14:36Z

Have you considered saving your yolks on your workout days and using them on your off days? They'll keep for a few days in the fridge. When I make egg whites for my husband, I save the yolks in a little Rubbermaid container, and when I use extra yolks, I save the whites in the same kind of container (the whites freeze well, yolks, not so much). If you did this, it would probably stretch your egg budget a little further.

Comment by WordVixen

2011-10-05T00:43:31Z

Stabby- Obviously she didn't do her homework. She's avoiding things that are bad for her thyroid... but eating kale.

Comment by WordVixen

2011-09-28T06:24:30Z

Yes! I love my book light from them. The clip that attaches to the book is a bit thick and awkward, but sturdy, and I love the dual snake lights. I'm just hoping that it lasts longer than my other book lights have done.

Comment by WordVixen

2011-09-04T23:44:21Z

I read something about table salt being excreted very quickly, but I can't remember where (probably here, somewhere). And a poor sodium/potassium balance is generally a concern. But I've never heard of it causing nutrient loss, and my understanding is that salt only causes high blood pressure in about 10% of people with HBP. I don't have the data on this, though.

Comment by WordVixen

2011-09-04T23:07:50Z

Have you asked him for the extra yolks? My husband still believes CW and refuses to eat yolks more than once or twice a week. I either eat the extras (like today- one whole egg plus 2 extra yolks), or I save them for making paleo pancakes or using as a binder. They may not be pastured, but they'd be free!

Comment by WordVixen

2011-09-04T03:12:41Z

Totally have. I'm not even full on Paleo (though I normally fall into the lacto-paleo area, I don't track my compliance), but mainly eating this way and making sure that I eat enough sat fat really keeps cravings under control. Desserts are now a non-issue. If I want it, it's because I actually WANT it and not because I crave it. I've found, though, that if I eat heavy on the mono-unsaturated side (olive oil or mainly pork fat) that my cravings are almost as wild as they were on SAD.