Carnivore Experiment

Ready, set, go! Ketogenic diets were all the rage in 2018, and carnivore has some promising popularity for 2019. In the spirit of the ever-evolving and tweaking nutritionist, I am going to try carnivore...aiming for 30 days. Due to celiac disease and mold allergies, I eat quite closely to this diet anyway (and I LOVE meat/fish)--so I don't think I will have any issues with compliance and I'm interested to see if I will feel any different. I can't recommend what I haven't tried myself (n=1), so we're starting off 2019 with this one. The plan will include any and all forms of animal proteins and fats, plus coffee, mineral/spring water. Did I mention I am a huge fan of fat? And, I love organ meat! I'll record the majority of my meals via Instagram with periodic blog updates as well. Yum, yum, yum!

Book Review: Paleo Girl

This book is a guide for girls to transform their health through a paleo/primal diet, fitness, and lifestyle behaviors. Topics covered include what to eat, fitness, sleep, puberty, motivation, and do-it-yourself recipes and products. While the target audience is young girls, the information is valuable to adults as well.

Check out my review of Paleo Girl: Take a Leap, Empower Yourself. Be Awesome.

Klenke, L. (2014). Paleo girl: Take a leap. Empower yourself. Be awedome. Malibu, CA: Primal Blueprint Publishing.

Book Review: Fat for Fuel

Dr. Mercola’s mitochondrial metabolic therapy program prescribes a high-fat, adequate protein, low carbohydrate diet built on eating the highest quality foods available. While the diet is not complicated, the implementation of it—if you follow all instructions and recommendations—is quite complex. Admittedly a very science-heavy book, Dr. Mercola recommends seeking the advice of a nutritionist to address any challenges one may be facing. This is great! I recommend this too!

A nutritionist can troubleshoot issues by asking questions about what is working, what is not, assessing a food journal, reviewing glucose readings, and then making customized recommendations to support your journey. Check out my review of Fat for Fuel: A Revolutionary Diet to Combat Cancer, Boost Brain Power, and Increase Your Energy.

Mercola, J., MD. (2017). Fat for fuel: A revolutionary diet to combat cancer, boost brain power, and increase your energy. New York: Hay House, Inc.

Picture: Terrine of foie gras and pork pate.

Book Review: Eat Fat, Get Thin

Check out my review on LinkedIn, Eat Fat, Get Thin: Why the Fat we Eat is the Key to Sustained Weight Loss, by Mark Hyman, MD. I am a big fan of Dr. Hyman! He recommends low carb, moderate protein, and high fat. There are many practical takeaways backed by clinical studies and his own experience with patients.  

Hyman, M. (2016). Eat fat, get thin: why the fat we eat is the key to sustained weight loss and vibrant health. New York: Little, Brown and Company. 

Book Review: The 30-Day Ketogenic Cleanse

Check out my review on LinkedIn, The 30-Day Ketogenic Cleanse, by Maria Emmerich. I am a huge fan of her work as a wellness coach. She has authored several cookbooks as well.


This book is for those who want to try a ketogenic diet for the first time or for those who have previously tried a ketogenic diet on their own and didn’t get the expected results. Maria promises that if you commit to the cleanse for 30 days, you will feel and look great and may even be convinced to the ketogenic diet as a lifestyle choice.  

Emmerich, M. (2016). The 30-day ketogenic cleanse: Reset your metabolism with 160 tasty whole-food recipes and a guided meal plan. Las Vegas: Victory Belt Publishing, Inc.

Book Review: Wired to Eat

Check out my review on LinkedIn, Wired to Eat, by Robb Wolf.
This book is for the reader who is willing to put in the work to ascertain what works best for him or her. The author is asking you to commit to 30 days—essentially an elimination diet—and then additional time to test foods you want to reintroduce. There are general guidelines to follow, but for optimum results, you have to put in both the time and effort to uncover your individualized way of eating.

Wolf, R. (2017). Wired to eat: Turn off cravings, rewire your appetite for weight loss, and determine the foods that work for you. New York: Harmony Books.

Book Review: Run for Your Life

Check out my review on LinkedIn, Run for Your Life, by Mark Cucuzzella, MD. I really enjoyed this book. It is a wealth of information about how to move better, whether that is walking, jogging, or racing. The author, Dr. Cucuzzella, is a physician, athlete, creator of the U.S. Air Force Efficient Running Program, and owner of a running store. The book provides instruction on better posture, walking, running, form, footwear, nutrition, training, and more.

Cucuzzella, M., MD. (2018). Run for your life: How to run, walk, and move without pain or injury and achieve a sense of well-being and joy. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Book Review: The Marshmallow Test

The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self Control, by Walter Mischel, is not a self-help book and will not help you increase your willpower. It is a detailed account of the initial experiment the author conducted in the 1960s, the findings, evolution, and influence on society. There are some practical suggestions and tips recommended; however, this is not the focus of the book. If you enjoy reading about scientific studies, you will be highly entertained. I would recommend this to the science nerd, not the type-A what-should-I-do-and-eat seeker.

Read all about my takeaways from The Marshmallow Test on LinkedIn. 

Mischel, W. (2014). The marshmallow test: Mastering self-control. New York: Little, Brown and Company. 

Book Review: Mayo Clinic Going Gluten Free

The Mayo Clinic published, Going Gluten Free: Essential Guide to Managing Celiac Disease and Related Conditions. It debuted in 2014, so it needs some updating. Perhaps a good resource for the newly diagnosed celiac patient or someone exploring gluten intolerance, I have issues with some of the nutritional information offered. 

Read all about it in my review of Going Gluten Free on LinkedIn--the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Murray, J. (2014). Mayo Clinic going gluten free: Essential guide to managing celiac disease and related conditions. New York: Time Home Entertainment, Inc.

Book Review:The Whole30 Day by Day

If you are considering the Whole30 program and need some hand-holding, this book is for you! Check out my review on LinkedIn, The Whole30 Day by Day: Your Daily Guide to Whole30 Success, by Melissa Hartwig. 

Follow the Whole30: Eat meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruit, and natural fats; avoid sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes, and dairy. Reset your health, create new habits, and restore a healthy relationship with food. Commit to the 30 days with no cheats and use this day-by-day guidebook to stay on track, maintain your commitment, and record your progress.

Hartwig, M. (2017). The Whole30 day by day: Your daily guide to Whole30 success.New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Book Review: The Whole30

Check out my book review on LinkedIn: The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom. This program is hardcore and worth it. If you have never done an elimination diet or eaten paleo, I highly recommend it. Yes, there are a lot of rules. Yes, you will find it inconvenient and uncomfortable at times. However--if you stick it out and complete the program, you will reap the many benefits and be happy you did.

Hartwig, M. and Hartwig, D. (2015). The WHOLE30: the 30-day guide to total health and food freedom. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
https://whole30.com/

Dumbarton House

Steven and I visited Dumbarton House, nestled in Georgetown on Q Street. The history of Washington, DC, through maps and artifacts, was interesting. My major takeaway, however, after this first-time visit: This would be an AWESOME place to have an event! The inside--of course--but also, the courtyards and gardens are delightful.

Book Review: Food--What the Heck Should I Eat?, by Mark Hyman, MD

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Comprehensive, without being too overwhelming, Mark Hyman, MD, recommends a 10-day detox plan and then the Pegan Diet for life. The 13 pillars of the Pegan Diet include: (1) Stay away from sugar. (2) Eat mostly plants. (3) Easy on fruits. (4) Stay away from pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, and GMO foods. (5) Eat foods containing healthy fats. (6) Stay away from most vegetable, nut, and seed oils. (7) Avoid or limit dairy. (8) Think of meat and animal products as condiments. (9) Eat sustainably raised or harvested low-mercury fish. (10) Avoid gluten. (11) Eat gluten-free whole grains sparingly. (12) Eat beans only once in a while. (13) Get tested to personalize your approach. 

The book is chock full of research citations to support his plan. It is well-structured and nice if you want to jump around based on interests and issues. Read my full review, including key takeaways on LinkedIn.

Hyman, M. (2018). Food: What the heck should I eat? New York: Little, Brown and Company.

Book Review: The Salt Fix, by Dr. James DiNicolantonio

If you are a fan of salt or looking to understand more about its benefits, this book may be a good read for you.

Check out my full review of, The Salt Fix, by Dr. James DiNocolantonio, on LinkedIn.

DiNocolantonio, J. (2017). The salt fix: Why the experts got it all wrong--and how eating more might save your life. New York: Harmony Books.

Book Review: The Four Tendencies, by Gretchen Rubin

This book provides a framework for how we respond to expectations. I am--for sure--an upholder. Julia also enjoyed the book; she's an obliger. 

Check out the full review of, The Four Tendencies, by Gretchen Rubin, on LinkedIn. 

Rubin, Gretchen (2017). The four tendencies: The indispensable personality profiles that reveal how to make your life better (and other people’s lives better, too). New York: Harmony Books. 

  

Book Review: The Plant Paradox, by Steven Gundry

Check out the full book review of, The Plant Paradox, by Steven Gundry on Linkedin.

Gundry, Steven, MD. (2017). The plant paradox: The hidden dangers in "healthy" foods that cause disease and weight gain. New York: Harper Collins Publishing.

Back to School Means Back to the Book Reviews

Who likes book reviews? Do you want a quick summary to see if it is really worth your time before reading or purchasing? What about getting the highlights so you don't have to read it?

I love writing book reviews. It is a systematic way for me to stay up-to-date, think critically, and share with others. My hope is that the authors, other writers, librarians, publishers, coaches, educators, and other health-minded people will read them and get something in return. For now, I'm going to post them on Linkedin and cross-post here as well.

Smith Meadows Farm at Dupont Circle

Smith Meadows Farm is an eighth generation grass farm and they sell beef, pork, lamb, and chicken. I am so happy they come to the Dupont Farmers Market. Today, I scored beef LIVER, ground pork, lamb shanks, ground lamb, ground beef, and beef sausage with basil and garlic. I am going to make the beef liver tomorrow and cannot wait!

July Jump Rope Challenge Done!

It's done...finally. It was more effort to post the jump rope snippets to Instagram than it was to jump rope every day. Check out the highlight in my profile to see ALL 31 days. Special thanks to the volunteers who were featured--Julia, Kathryn, Ethan, Mom, Chad, Miriam. Even the cats were involved! @SimpsonNutrition

July Jump Rope Challenge

Are you jumping in July? Follow me on Instagram--@SimpsonNutrition--and check out the 31-day July Jump Rope Challenge highlight in my profile. Social media is a labor of love/hate. Seriously. I started with a daily jumping post, but I got sick of seeing it every day...so I switched to posting to my story and saving it as a highlight. For me, it isn't hard to remember to jump rope each day. What is difficult is remembering to ask someone to record me jumping--or for me to record a volunteer jumping. Anyway, special thanks to Julia for the Instagram tutorials, volunteering, and recording for several of the days.

Art Display in Rose Park

Washington, DC, is replete with beauty. These pictures are from a display in Rose Park (mostly between M Street and P Street) by artist, Kiril Jeliazkov. There are 81 panels to see and will only be available until June 7, 2018. Check out this write-up in the Georgetowner. 

Certified Nutrition Specialist!

While it has been "official" since April 3, 2018...it is nice to finally have it in my hands! Now, just waiting for the District of Columbia licensing to come in the mail.

Walking Berlin

We explored the wonderful city of Berlin, Germany, last week while I was on a mission trip for work. The city has a painful past, but a vibrant vibe. The weather was ideal (60s and then into the 80s). It is very walkable and there is so much to see, parks to enjoy, and tons of cafes and shops. I highly recommend it.

English is not everywhere, as you might expect from a capital city or major European city. I was happy that our hotel (Radisson) had extensive allergy information at their restaurants--very helpful! Steven tried many pastries and treats. I ate more than my weight in pork, liverwurst, and chicken. So good.