This giveaway is now closed. The winners are as follows:

1st Prize: HolisticNJMom

2nd Prize: Andrea Horton

3rd Prize: Nicki (tinisereniti)

4th Prize: Pam Rohde

5th Prize: Beth (woloszh)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I met Dianne when her book, Practical Paleo, was first released. After telling her how much I wanted to do the introduction course at Baumann College where she graduated from, she replied with “Just read my book and you won't have to!” I hadn't yet seen a copy of her book but it was in the mail from Victory Belt (the Publisher I am also working with!) and so my immediate reaction was “wow, that was confident!” But after opening the box when it arrived and literally not being able to put the book down until it was well after my bedtime, I completely understood what she meant.

Dianne is a wealth of knowledge. What I expected to be just a cookbook is actually more of a nutritional textbook with the 100 recipes only popping up at the end of the book. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely a ton of incredible recipes in the book, but in my mind they take a backseat to the vast amount of educational material. I, like many of you, started on this journey to health by following the SCD diet and didn't always know why we I was eating the way I did, and even more so, why it was working. We just take the improved symptoms as a testimony to the efficacy of the diet and don't ask any questions. I've been researching more lately so that I can better understand the science behind Paleo or SCD; in order to be more equipped when answering some of the many questions I get each day that aren't just about cooking, which is truly my expertise and passion. But honestly, I'd rather just refer you to Dianne's site because she knows her stuff!

Her book will walk you through all of the dietary and lifestyle changes you will need to make if you're just starting on the Paleo journey. A distinguishing feature between her book and the plethora of other Paleo books on the market though, is that she explains the “why” and then how to implement in it. She has divided it into 3 parts: The Why, 30-day Meal Plans, and Recipes. There's also shopping lists and tear out pages for your fridge.

The most impressive part of the book to me was how she breaks down a handful of different ailments and diseases and explains what has failed in the body cause them. She then gives you a blueprint for how to fix each one through food and supplements. Through food. Not prescription drugs. It's a breath of fresh air for someone who has seen an exhaustive amount of Western doctors who only prescribe and don't get to the route of where the problems are coming from. You can find plans for the following conditions:

• Autoimmune Conditions
• Blood Sugar Regulation
• Digestive Health
• Thyroid Health
• Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, and Chronic Fatigue
• Neurological Health
• Heart Health
• Cancer Recovery
• Athletic Performance
• Fat Loss

I've been recommending this book to everyone I know that is experiencing any deficiencies, diseases, or just aches and pains. The autoimmune section is the one that I think will most greatly benefit most of my readers, as I know a huge percentage of you suffer from one type or another. If you have been following SCD and Breaking the Vicious Cycle for some time and still have not completely seen remission, I strongly advise you to look into the autoimmune protocol that Dianne lays out in the book. You may just be consuming a food group that is ok according to SCD but really is not compatible with your body. For me, it was dairy, legumes, eggs, and most nightshades. All of which I was consuming daily if not multiple times a day because I lived and breathed SCD and thought that whatever was written in the book was truth. I think BTVC is an amazing starting point for someone struggling with IBD, but in my case it wasn't enough. After cutting out the previously mentioned foods for quite some time, I was able to slowly reintroduce them but still refrain completely from legumes and strictly limit dairy and nightshades, especially if I'm starting to see signs of a flare. I've learned that those are my “trigger foods,” and if I see so much as a minuscule symptom rear it's head, I cut them out and things seem to calm down.

I so desperately want everyone to explore more into their own personal health and do what is right for your own body. No one person is alike and what works for me, may not work for you or vise versa. But I want you to be as informed as possible so you can make the right decisions for your individual self. SO I'm giving away TWO copies of Practical Paleo. And because I know a book is a kind of a lame prize (we ARE celebrating 11,000 followers on Facebook right?!?), I am also giving away over $600 in giftcards!! Practical Paleo talks about the importance of grass-fed meats, raw dairy, and coconut oil products so I'm also including gift cards from my favorite online meats vendor US Wellness Meats and to Tropical Traditions for all things coconut and organic. US Wellness Meats only charges $7.50 for 2-day delivery anywhere in the US (even to Hawaii!!!) and their meat is the best quality that I've found. Follow them on Facebook for frequent sales and promotions!

I hate that most of my giveaways only have 1 prize because those odds aren't very good for you all, so this time around I'm picking 5 winners!

how to enter:

I'm not going to make you jump through a bunch of hoops. Just 2 things:

1. Like Against All Grain and Balanced Bites on Facebook

2. Leave ONE comment on this blog post in the comments section saying what you'd buy from US Wellness Meats if you won.

Comments will not show up until they have been moderated by me, so please do not re-submit if you don't see your comment right away. Please leave only ONE comment. Multiple comments by the same person will be deleted and your entry will be invalid. 

Giveaway ends on Sunday October 28th at 11:59pm Eastern. Winners will be chosen at random using a random number generator. The winners will be notified on Monday October 29th and will have 48 hours to respond to claim their prize. Failure to respond within the allotted time will result in a drawing to find a runner up. Giveaway available only to US residents 18 years and older, as a result of strict giveaway laws in other parts of the world and for minors.

Good luck everyone!! And if you don't win, you should still buy the book!!!