Introducing Danielle, Our New Recipe Contributor!

I’m so excited about this, you guys!

Okay, so, if you’ve followed BB for a while you may have noticed that I am not exactly a typical Real Food blogger in that, well… I don’t post any real food recipes! (Except, I guess, the ones from Nourishing Traditions, and the occasional treat from Mama Butter.)

Uh, yeah. That’s because while real food and nutrition are my passions, cooking and developing recipes is not exactly my specialty. I do okay, following recipes from all my favorite other real food blogs, but I don’t generally come up with my own.

But! I do frequently get inspiration from my favorite real food friend — Danielle! She is far and away the best cook I know. And her food is always legit — as real as it gets. She’s always fixing up the most ridiculously delicious looking platters and posting it on her facebook, so I said — hey how about you start posting that amazingness on the blog?! Best. Idea. Ever.

Oh, but, funny story I have to include here — you’ll never guess how Danielle and I met. We were just, you know, attempting to engage in illegal activities on Craigslist and found each other on there. Yes, that’s right, we were both on the hunt for raw milk on the black (white? Green?) market! We didn’t find milk, but we did score a pretty awesome friendship. And we’ve been partners in crime ever since.

So, Danielle has graciously agreed to become a contributor here at BB — she’s our new recipe developer! I can’t wait to share with you all the amazing recipes she has in store for you. But first, I wanted to introduce you to her with an interview to give you a better idea of what she’s all about. Danielle is such a fun, smart, and intriguing person, and has so much more to contribute than just her culinary skills!

So, tell us about how you got into following a traditional foods lifestyle. What was your diet (and your health) like before you made the switch?

I started eating low carb (/grain free) in January 2008. I lost about 50 lbs that year and my life spun around completely. In 2009 I started becoming more aware of organic and sustainably farmed meat and produce and was introduced to the paleo philosophy and lifestyle by a friend. I’ve been eating paleo ever since, and even dabbled in some raw food for about a month this summer. I was fortunate to attend the Ancestral Health Symposium in August and I met so many influential people in the traditional/ancestral health community. There are many variations of what people in the “real food” community consider to be an ideal traditional diet, and I think that what we exclude in our diet is the most important factor, and we all seem to agree that that processed foods, industrial oils, factory farmed meat and animal products, processed grains, and conventional produce (see a pattern here?) should be avoided.

You’ve been eating a primal/paleo diet for over four years now. What have been the most positive things that have come out of it? Any big struggles you’ve faced in sticking to it as diligently as you have?

I hear a lot of people say “I feel so much better eating a real food diet,” but I honestly don’t even remember what I used to feel like before “real food”. I can say with certainty though that when I eat processed food or unclean I feel the consequences both mentally and physically and I can only imagine what most people eating an industrialized and processed diet are experiencing every day without even realizing it. I would say that is probably the most positive aspect.

The most frustrating thing is that I still struggle with reaching my ideal weight despite eating so healthily and being active. I am sometimes insecure with telling people that I am studying nutrition because I’m not completely comfortable with my body at this point. I firmly believe that all health lies in the gut and that any remaining issues I am experiencing will be healed once I start GAPS in February.

What’s your absolute favorite “cheat” food — you know, totally not real (or paleo), but you just don’t care and gotta have it every now and then anyway?

I don’t really like sugar or processed foods but I eat ice cream now and then or have a couple pieces of bread and (real) butter if I’m out to eat (more because I can’t stand being really hungry than because I crave it).

How did you learn to cook so well?! Will you share any of your secrets with us?

I actually didn’t even realize that I cook well until people started telling me. I was never taught and rarely follow recipes…. I think it’s just a natural gift. Food rarely impresses me though, even my own. Cooking is almost meditative for me, I don’t like anyone in the kitchen with me and I don’t listen to music while I cook.

I would say that even if you think you don’t enjoy cooking, DO IT! Even if it’s just taking a pan and throwing in some meat and veggies and spices. If money is an issue for you, cut back on other areas of your life. I don’t have a lot of money but quality food is ALWAYS my priority. I have told people that I would rather be living in my car than eat macaroni and cheese for dinner because my health is always the most important thing in my life. There is no excuse for eating a processed diet.

Whew! Amen to that!

See? Danielle is just awesome.

Be sure to look for her first recipe — it’ll be posted tomorrow!