KAWARTHA LAKES-“Even the smallest actions are steps in the right direction.” (source unknown)
This quote reflects Shari MAC’s life (formerly Shari Darling). She says changing her lifestyle has dramatically impacted her weight and health.
MAC survived a 10-year caregiving tour of duty. She put aside her 30-year career as a gourmet food and wine columnist and International award-winning and best-selling cookbook author to care for her late husband Jack Schropp. Jack lived with and died from Alzheimer’s in January 2018.
“Caregiving burnout and caregiver death are more common than most people realize,” MAC explained. “It’s crazy. Statistics vary. But according to a recent Stanford Medicine study, about 40 percent of Alzheimer’s caregivers die before the patient. They die from the sheer physical, spiritual and emotional toll of caring for someone living with Alzheimer’s. I know this first hand. When I read this statistic, I decided that this was not going to be my destiny.”
After Jack’s diagnosis, MAC says she used her journalistic skills to research how food could impact Alzheimer’s and its symptoms. Partnering with functional medicine doctor, Dr Morty Levy in Toronto, MAC began a complete lifestyle change for Jack and for herself.
“We slowly began an anti-inflammatory diet,” MAC said. “It’s actually not a diet, but rather a way of life. I slowly started to remove some foods from our diet, while replacing and incorporating others. I chose this food philosophy because brain inflammation and brain shrinkage are 2 of the 5 Alzheimer’s hallmarks. I believed that I could impact some of Jack’s symptoms by reducing his brain inflammation. I knew that at that time nothing could halt or reverse the disease. There is no cure. But I also knew that I could improve the quality of his life.”
MAC says she wanted to pursue this lifestyle change for herself, to lose weight and reduce the inflammatory pain she had in her body from a bad car accident.
According to MAC, the anti-inflammatory lifestyle slowly began to create what she refers to as mini-miracles in the quality of Jack’s life. Mac says Jack’s doctors, friends, and family all witnessed significant improvements in his posture, balance, gait, and mental alertness. As the disease progressed, Jack became healthier, in general, swimming up to 25 lengths in the YMCA pool 3 times per week and regularly walking 3 miles at a time. MAC helped Jack maintain this healthy routine until he reached the last stage of this disease. While the disease took his mind, Jack did not suffer from any physical pain, MAC said.
“The anti-inflammatory lifestyle is not just for people with Alzheimer’s,” MAC said. “This way of eating is for everyone who wants to improve their health, lose weight, and/or increase exercise results. I believe those suffering from allergies, asthma, auto-immune diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, and chronic pain, can also benefit from this lifestyle choice.”
As for MAC, she says the anti-inflammatory lifestyle dramatically altered her health. Eating this way contributed toward her 60-pound weight loss and significantly reduced her chronic pain.
What is an anti-inflammatory lifestyle? According to MAC, this way of eating includes the following:
- Consuming whole foods (low glycemic fruits and vegetables)
- Eating polyunsaturated fats like Omega 3, monounsaturated like olive oil, and healthy saturated fats like coconut and MCT oil
- Limiting high carbohydrate fruits and vegetables (bananas, potatoes)
- Incorporating lean quality proteins (preferably grass-fed)
- Eliminating processed and boxed foods
- Eliminating refined carbohydrates (bread, pasta)
- Eliminating grains (for some) or sticking to ancient and/or whole grains
- (for others)
- Eliminating refined sugar (for some) and all sugar (for others)
- Eliminating dairy (for some)
- Drinking grain-free alcohol in moderation (wine, tequila)
After Jack’s death and with time to grieve, MAC rediscovered that living a fulfilled life is about making a difference for others. She decided to change direction from gourmet fare to healthy dishes paired with wine.
MAC said the anti-inflammatory diet has lots of other names, such as:
- The ketogenic diet/lifestyle (sugar-free, 70% to 80% fat, 10% to 20% protein, 10% to 20% carbs)
- The Paleo diet/lifestyle (refined-sugar free, 30% protein, 40% fat, 30% carbs)
- The Whole30 diet/lifestyle (refined-sugar free, 25 to 35% fat, 25% to 35% protein, 35 to 50% carbs)
- The Mediterranean diet/lifestyle (fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, olive oil, whole grains)
- The Grain-Free and Sugar-Free Diet/lifestyle (no grains and no sugar)
“There’s every reason to feel inspired,” MAC said. “Making a lifestyle change all begins with one small step…a step that’s easy to manage, easy to commit too, and easy to conquer. Take it one blueberry at a time.”
MAC now blogs and shares her Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo, and Whole30 recipes and wine notes to support others who are looking to improve or maintain their health and be pain-free. She is now remarried to an extraordinary man named Shawn McIntyre – hence the penn name “MAC.”
At Kawartha411, each week MAC will be sharing with us her favorite anti-inflammatory recipes that fall into the categories of Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30.
“Before starting any new diet or lifestyle change be sure to consult your physician first,” MAC said.
MAC’S blog is ketopaleosharimac.com
Her recipes are also featured on Instagram.
@ketolowcarbsharimac
KETO LOW-CARB PALEO COCONUT LIME CHICKEN
This is one of the simplest KETO LOW-CARB and PALEO Grain-Free chicken dishes I’ve ever made. And it also is a “no salt added” dish. It takes 5 minutes to prepare, 30 to 40 minutes to cook, and is ready for eating!
And it’s only 6 ingredients – chicken, coconut cream, lime juice, fresh garlic, and freshly ground black pepper, and fresh cilantro.
WHAT IS THE TASTE PROFILE OF KETO LOW-CARB PALEO COCONUT LIME CHICKEN?
This is a Thai inspired dish. It’s super simple to make in no time at all. I believe it is always best to keep flavours simple. Too many competing flavours will make a dish taste muddied. Here we have less than a handful of predominant flavours. Coconut cream has some natural fruitiness. Lime is tangy. Cilantro is herbal. Garlic is well…garlicky! These flavours work well together. Choose a simple, somewhat plain side-dish to match so the chicken dish takes centre stage.
WHAT WINE HARMONIZES WITH KETO LOW-CARB PALEO COCONUT LIME CHICKEN?
This dish combines the taste sensations of tanginess from the fresh lime and sweetness from the coconut cream. These taste sensations offset each other nicely. But we cannot ignore the fruitiness here, even if the tanginess in the dish offsets this fruitiness. We need a wine with a hint of sweetness to match. The flavour of coconut complements the fruit flavours in white wine. A full-bodied white is ideal to match the weight of chicken fat and coconut cream. A full-bodied, off-dry white is perfect. Think off-dry Riesling or Gewurztraminer.
HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND SALT AND SODIUM?
Did you know that there are more than 14,000 uses for salt? Besides being a flavourful condiment, salt has unlimited uses in the kitchen. It is a cleaning agent, by itself or in combination with other substances. A solution of sea salt and water will clean the bottom of your wine decanter, removing all the red wine stains and sediment.
Salt is the world’s oldest known food additive. We were born with the ability to distinguish and crave salt for our survival. Salt keeps our bodies hydrated. Severe salt depletion would kill, so we’ve evolved to seek out salt when we need it. Our nerves and muscles require salt to function.
In the world of our senses, salt is considered a predominant taste sensation experienced on our tongue. We crave the saltiness of a wide variety of ingredients and foods. For this reason, it must be considered when pairing wine to food. The level of saltiness in food will change the taste of the wine.
There are as many different types and kinds of salts from around the world as there are wines. Sea salt is a favourite, containing trace elements and minerals that are good for us, that is when consumed in moderation. Considering the flavour it provides, on a pinch-by-pinch basis, quality sea salt can certainly be a reasonable, culinary investment.
Wales produces Halen Mon, a sea salt harvested from the Atlantic waters. Fleur de sel, meaning the ‘flower of salt’, comes from the island of Ré, off France’s Atlantic coast. Since the seventh century, the sun and wind have evaporated the seawater, leaving fine crystals that are harvested in July and August from the surface. Fleur de sel is recognized for its delicate flavour and concentration of minerals. Fleur de sel does not bit the tip of the tongue like table salt. It is best used as a condiment where its finest qualities, such as its delicate flavour and texture, will shine. England, New Zealand, Australia, and Hawaii all produce their own salts from the sea. Celtic gray sea salt was once a well-kept secret, highly regarded by food writers and chefs around the world. This salt comes from the marshes of Brittany on the coast of France. Celtic gray sea salt is more widely available and is now more reasonably priced.
Local bulk stores and gourmet food shops sell sea salt at a reasonable price. Sea salt brings out the natural flavors of ingredients and provides texture and appearance to dishes.
The issue lies in that people, like myself, become addicted to salt. And this is where health issues may arise.
At age 59 and with a family history of high blood pressure and heart attacks and strokes, I have learned to be been more aware of my daily sodium intake.
Most table salts are made from sodium chloride. So, salt used in preparing food and as a seasoning at the table usually contains sodium. Salt and sodium can be confusing. Simply put, sodium is a component of salt and is necessary for our health. Salt is made up of sodium and chloride. Salt and chloride are minerals. Salt, however, also contains 40% sodium to 60% chloride. It is this 40% sodium that is of concern to our health.
Health Canada and the 2015 to 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans set an adequate intake of sodium for women and men. The tolerable amount is between 1,500 and, on the high end, 2,300 mg per day. We need to put this into perspective. Did you know that 2,300 mg of sodium is found in but one teaspoon of salt?
What about sea salt? Is it healthier for us than table salt? Sea salt is stronger in taste and texture. It’s also just as high as table salt in sodium by weight.
I realize how important it is for me to read nutritional labels and to be aware of sodium levels in fast and take-out foods.
I have naturally low blood pressure. But that’s not an indication that my sodium intake is acceptable. In fact, without even monitoring it, I can confidently say that I consume far too much sodium.
Evidence suggests that too much sodium can damage the heart, aorta, and kidneys (kidney disease) without ever-increasing blood pressure.
Our sense of taste and smell is linked to our overall health.
What kind of taster are you? A non-taster, medium-taster, or super-taster? I am a non-taster. I must watch my sodium intake because I am a non-taster. A non-taster is someone who possesses far less taste perception than a medium- and super-taster. Super-tasters are those with more taste buds and, therefore, experience taste with far greater intensity. Medium-tasters are somewhere in the middle. Being a non-taster means that with fewer taste buds, I require loads of flavour to enjoy food. This includes my love of salt. I can easily forgo ice cream. But I adore savoury, salty foods.
Understanding sodium in food can be confusing and it is so important to read labels.
A half-cup of non-fat cottage cheese, a 6.5-inch whole wheat pita pocket, two tablespoons of reduced-fat Italian salad dressing, a veggie burger, and a half-cup of canned tomato soup “each” contains more sodium than a bag of chips.
Foods can seem healthy and contain so much sodium that they are downright hard on our health. Bottled water contains 25 mg of sodium. In drinking between four and five bottles of water per day, you will consume 100 to 125 mg of sodium. This seems minor but all these sodium numbers add up quickly.
I’ll stress this again…It’s so important to read nutritional labels in food to watch for hidden sodium, especially when processed. In fact, almost 70 percent of excess salt (and therefore sodium) comes from processed food. If processed food is low in sodium, you can almost be sure that it is then high in sugar or fat. Many food companies search for what is referred to as the ‘bliss point’ in products. The bliss point is the amount of an ingredient like sugar, salt, or fat within a processed food to optimize its palatability. It’s the point where the majority of people like the product the most. Once a product’s bliss point is discovered, the product is ready for large-scale manufacturing. In hunting for low-fat, fat-free, or sugar-free foods, we must also look at the sodium content. Without fat and sugar, a product is usually high in sodium to be palatable.
Discovering hidden sources of sodium can be shocking. How about a Venti Caffe Latte with two percent milk from Starbucks? It’s coffee and milk, right? Wrong. This speciality beverage contains 220 mg of sodium!
Two slices of processed turkey contain roughly 450 milligrams of sodium. That’s not even counting the additional sodium from its salty toppings, such as bacon and processed cheese. A can of soup may contain more than 60 percent of your daily sodium intake.
Warning signs indicating that you are consuming too much sodium include frequent urination, persistent thirst, swelling in strange places in the body, mild headaches, food tasting bland, and/or salt cravings.
Giving up salt doesn’t necessarily equate with forgoing flavour. Rather than buying processed seasonings, for example, you can make your own salt-free versions.
Here is your first recipe:
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 45
Total Time: 60 Minutes
Yield: 6 1x
Carbs: 3.8 net carbs per serving
1 (5 pound) chicken
1.5 cups full fat coconut milk (set in the fridge for an hour to make cold and to separate cream from water)
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 limes (1 lime sliced, the juice from 1 lime)
¼ cup fresh cilantro (for garnish)
Freshly ground black pepper (for garnish)
Preheat oven to 350 F (177 C) Butterflying exposes more of the bird to the eat source, thereby cooking it more evenly and quickly. To butterfly the chicken, also called spatchcocking, is a great technique to either roast or grill the bird. Pat the bird dry. Remove the backbone by flipping the chicken so its back is up. Use shears and cut along each side of the spine. Remove the spin. Lay the chicken flat. Make a notch in the breastbone at the neck end. Make a slit on each side of the breastbone. Pop the breastbone and remove it entirely. Or leave in if desired. You can tuck the wings under the bird if desired for a neater look. I like to keep them out.
To make the sauce, open the can of coconut milk. Scoop out the coconut cream, leaving the coconut water, and place the cream in the blender. Add garlic and juice from lime. Puree until smooth. Place flattened chicken in a well-greased oven-proof pan. Pour. coconut-lime mixture over the chicken. Place slices of lime on top of chicken. Season with pepper.
Roast for 45 to 50 minutes, depending on the size of the bird. Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature is 165˚F (74˚C). Place chicken on a plate and serve hot.
DISCLAIMER:The opinions in the article do not necessarily reflect those of Kawartha 411 News. Always consult your doctor before beginning any new diet or health plan.
