Our thirty-eighth show! Ep. 38: Let's Gather

In this episode, Stacy and Sarah invite Bill Staley and Hayley Mason of The Food Lover's Kitchen, authors of Make it Paleo and the recently released Gather, the Art of Paleo Entertaining, to discuss the release of their new book, tips for paleo baking, and food suggestions for non-paleo guests and colleagues.

The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 38: Let's Gather

0:00 - Introduction

1:19 - News & Views

And just so you know, ALL episodes can now be downloaded from iTunes!

Welcome Bill Staley and Hayley Mason of The Food Lover's Kitchen!

Stacy just returned from Pittsburgh, where her and Amy attended the launch party for Gather, the Art of Paleo Entertaining

The Gather launch party was held at Bar Marco, and the chef put together a gluten-free menu and desserts were brought from home - overall had a great turnout and lots of fun!

A public release party for Beyond Bacon will be held on July 5 - save the date, more information to come soon

Sarah and Stacy will be hosting bonus shows with the plan to post them once a month

These shows will be very personal and will be an expansion of 'News and Views' from The Paleo View

The first one will be a Mother's Day celebration, with Sarah and Stacy's moms as the featured guests

It will be available on Mother's Day and will be $0.99 - the small fee allows Sarah, Stacy and Matt to continue putting out awesome podcast material

Sarah plugged her beloved melatonin glasses

13:50 - Science with Sarah: Oxytocin and health

Oxytocin is released when we connect with people, and it is known as the love hormone

It is released when you come into physical contact with others

When it is released it gives you feelings of contentment, calm, bonding, trust, reduces anxiety, inhibits fear

It is a hormone that also interacts with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which is responsible for triggering the fight or flight response

Oxytocin directly reduces stress hormones, so making time to be social and to connect with others can be a stress reducer

Research has also shown that stimulating the release of oxytocin directly impacts the immune system and an individual's ability to heal by reducing inflammation in the body

20:00 - Q&A

Sarah asked her Facebook followers what question requests they had for Bill and Hayley, and the common theme was around paleo baking. So Sarah wants to know, what is your general approach when you have a recipe you want to adapt to paleo ingredients?

Stacy noted that Bill and Hayley's carrot cake and tiramisu are worth bookmarking

Hayley has found that almond flour can be used 1:1 for conventional flour

Coconut flour is different because of the density, it requires less flour and more eggs

The coffee cake from Gather is a recipe from Bill's family that was recreated to be enjoyed paleo style, and Hayley was able to sub out 1:1 for the flour by using almond flour

She also adds arrowroot flour to most of her recipes to lighten the density

Grass-fed heavy cream or coconut milk is also another great addition to cake recipes, which helps with both almond and coconut flour to moisten the batter

Hayley experimented with using arrowroot flour exclusively, but it turned out kind of gummy - wasn't the best, but it worked

Sarah has been toying around with arrowroot flour as well, and it hasn't been producing the results she wants

Stacy has found sweeteners to be a big area of discussion in the world of paleo baking, but feels like it comes down to selecting healthy sources of sugar and moderation - treat it like a treat

When baking, Stacy's family likes to find sugars with a better balance of sucrose to fructose, in particular prefers maple syrup, honey or dates

The conversion from white table sugar to more nutrient-dense sweeteners is not a 1:1 replacement, you have to play with it and see where the preferred flavor lands

Hayley stresses that you need to be aware of how different foods make you feel, enjoy treats, but be aware of what does or doesn't work for you and your health goals

Those who have implemented paleo in a successful way, are successful because they are able to find balance and incorporate indulgences in a way that doesn't derail the health progress they have made

Create habits with the foods that nourish you and make you thrive, let treats be occasional

Sarah notes that everyone needs to find their own individual balance when it comes to treats

Finding that balance is what makes paleo sustainable and more of a lifestyle

For many, gluten will never be an option, so playing in the kitchen is a way to re-create the occasional indulgence, but doesn't back track on the gut healing that has been achieved

(39:48) How do you cook for company when the people you are cooking for do not eat a paleo diet?

Sarah notes that we are challenged by the palates of those who do not eat a paleo diet and their expectations for flavor and what should be on a plate

Bill and Hayley do not serve guests any differently than themselves

The one exception is with food allergies or intolerances, in Gather there are some vegan options, and that is because you can adapt paleo recipes to be respectful of others allergies, intolerances and preferences

Hayley notes that they try to be respectful of guests preferences, but they will never serve a guest gluten

Thanks to the abundance of paleo recipe resources that are available today, you can recreate recipes for even the pickiest of eaters

Think outside of the box and think about what your guest(s) enjoy and find a way to recreate it

You have the opportunity to teach others how great food can taste when you focus on simple, healthy ingredients

Side bar discussion on social media platforms

(59:40) Nicole: Do you have suggestions on simple swaps I can make to standard snack foods?

Bill suggests SeaSnax to replace chips

For the non-paleo crowd, Bill suggests corn chips from Xochitl, which are organic and non-gmo, and are a good replacement for standard chips, but again a very occasional snack

In Stacy's previous job she was able to make a request for healthier snack options in the office and sure enough apples and bananas were the first snacks to go

Even making smaller transitions to reduce sugar can be a proactive step in the right direction, ex. Yoplait to Stonyfield

Other suggestions: dried fruit, nuts, banana chips, Honest chips (check here on the Paleo Parents site for additional snack ideas)

Hayley notes that she thinks Nicole is already making some great changes and is headed in the right direction

For the granola bars, Stacy recommends to check the ingredients because some are better than others, even if they aren't paleo

Lard frying love was shared, along with tips on best practices when frying

Bill and Hayley's second book, Gather, the Art of Paleo Entertaining is available - so go get your copy!

And if you don't have Make It Paleo, you also need to add that to your collection - throw in Beyond Bacon and The Paleo Approach as well!

Bill and Hayley's third cookbook, The 30 Day Guide to Paleo Cooking, will also be out in June, which is different from the 30 Day Intro to Paleo and has new recipes

Find Bill and Hayley at primalpalate.com and don't forget to check out their app My Kitchen

REMINDER - check The Paleo Mom and The Paleo Parents websites on Sunday for the special Mother's Day show and please go post your reviews on the podcast!

1:28:28 - Outro