Archive for June 2009
Breaking News: New Progress Photos Looming Near
Don't know how many times over the last few months I've been asked about putting up new progress photos. Well, I had decided to do them each 10 pounds of loss, and since my last were done at about 193, I decided to wait -- no matter how long -- until I hit 180 or less. Well, today I hit exactly 180, on the nose. So, I had my trainer snap some photos. Unfortunately, they all came out quite blurry, save one, so here it is. I'll get some others up within a few days.
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Simple Meals
Here's a couple of simple meals over the last few days. First up, a simple grilled burger and salad. What makes it special is the bone stock reduction. It really turns a burger into a pretty sophisticated meal, considering all the nutrition and flavor in the stock. The salad is simply a vinaigrette using Greek Kalamata EVOOA, French Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar. As always, click the images for the full size. Next up was grilled tri-tip last night, and the same reduction for the sauce, along with the drippings added in (can't get enough of this!). I grilled on the lowest temperature, then crisped it under the broiler for a couple minutes per side. Next to it are yellow onions fried at low temperature (takes a long time) in bacon drippings. The onions really shrink, so plan for about one medium onion per person.
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What A “Sterling” Transformation!
Well, I do not believe I've ever seen such a profound change, by which I mean a virtual reprogramming of this guy's genes. This was reported to Mark Sisson, and I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves, as well as motivate you to go read Sterling's amazing story over at Mark's Daily Apple. Now, any doubt left that The Primal Blueprint is the new go-to resource for all things primal and paleo?
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Animals
I was going to do this on a link roundup, but it's just too special. 25 amazing animal photos via Mercola. Here's one of my favorites, by which I might exclaim that I didn't know a carp could fly, especially with an eagle on its back. In other news, some guy in South Africa, I think, has quite a way with lions. Then, there's this one, and you can see a lot more on Utube, like, Remember the guy who lived up in Alaska with the grizzlies each spring? That guy was a moron, and he died because of it. Know why? He denied the risk (the reality). This gentleman is different. In one of the videos, he clearly and expressly acknowledges he could be killed. But, his value of interacting with these most beautiful beasts of evolution is greater than the risk, which I actually get, assuming one has put in the effort to get to where he is. Not for me (though I'd jump at the chance for a supervised hands on visit), but I'm not going to drop a bomb on his values, so long as I don't have to pay for or suffer the consequences he...
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Reader Questions – At You
I'm going to borrow a page from Mark Sisson and try something out. Anyone willing and able to help field some reader questions? I hope so, and with that hope, here goes. I'll alert each questioner to this post so that they can be prepared to add supplemental info where needed. ~~~ Q1. From Joe: I have been reading the blog for about 6 months and had tremendous success eating Paelo style. I had a quick question - Sometimes when I eat refined foods (grains, bread, pretzels, hoagies etc...) my mood becomes nasty. I get angry for little or no reason. When I go back to strictly paleo, I am more patient and I am more pleasant overall. Do you know of or have you ever heard of anything about how food effect a persons mood? ~~~ Q2. From Marc: Perhaps you can help me, I started eating paleo and following a plan very similar to yours about 3-4 months ago since then I have gained 12 pounds. Not muscle. Pants getting tighter. 220lbs to 232. Basically at a loss on what to do next. Any advice would be appreciated. Blood work good, thyroid ok. [Ed: He goes on to...
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Mom Rings In: “Amazing Results”
I last reported on my mom (68, type 2) getting off insulin injections in March. The benefits of the paleo lifestyle continue to stack up, now seeming to ease arthritis pain, as well as nerve damage in the feet from going undiagnosed as a type 2 for so long. ~~~ I don't know if it is removing grains, sugars, vegetable oils, etc. from my diet, or the supplements I am now taking, or a combination, but I am getting amazing results that I didn't even think about at the time I started. Even though I take medication for rheumatoid arthritis I still had some pain. I tried and succeeded in keeping the Methotrexate at a low dosage because of the damage it can cause to the liver. I was willing to live with some pain and did not allow it to alter my lifestyle. I always had some pain in my lower legs and feet, my knees, my hips, my shoulders and neck, and my hands, especially my thumbs. I had additional pain in my feet caused from nerve damage from diabetes. Several of my toes were actually frozen. I couldn't move them except with my hand. They always hurt....
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Apps For Dinner
Last evening Bea and I broke out the bikes and headed downtown for some appetizers at McCormick & Schmick's, then over a block to see a film. In all, pretty damn paleo. All of these can be clicked for the full size versions. Three grilled lamb chops, rare. The drizzle and the cup are greek live oil with some sort of leaves in them, perhaps grape, and I thought I also tasted a bit of sage, maybe savory. Anyway, totally excellent, as good as any rack of lamb I've ever had. Here's Bea's shrimp cocktail. Then I had a sashimi & sushi plate. The rice was easy to deal with, 'cause if you'll notice, the nori wraps around the fish and cucumber, so I just tore it off right there and left the rice. The bread went easily untouched. I'd have used the butter on the lamb chops, but the olive oil was the bomb. So, some restaurants are easier for paleo eaters by eating a-la-carte from the appetizer menu. Other choices on the menu that would have fit paleo were steamed mussels in a white wine broth, oysters on the half shell, and butter and garlic drenched clams. Looks...
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Links and Quick Hits
~ Photos of School lunches from around the world. Actually, many of them don't look nearly as bad as I would have thought and by and large, the Japanese, Koreans and Chinese appear at a glance to have the best lunches, with perhaps a slight edge to the Chinese. (Thanks to reader DR Zinn for sending that) ~ Reader Jon Winchester says says that with regard to Trotter Gear: "there are endless paleo uses for [it] and it's an amazing thing to keep a few quarts in the freezer." ~ Vitamin D deficiency is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis in those with type 1 diabetes. "Dr. Naik presented study results indicating that although vitamin D (25-OHD) deficiency is not increased among type 1 diabetes patients, a deficiency in this patient population is associated with the initiation and acceleration of coronary artery calcification." ~ Another happy "customer." From the comment, "...I just couldn't seem to make the vegan, raw diet stick. I obsessed about food and gorged on fats at night. Only recently have I learned about the paleo diet, and convinced of its merits, gave it a try. I started eating meat and eggs and bacon. I can't believe how LIBERATING...
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Links and Quick Hits
~ Photos of School lunches from around the world. Actually, many of them don't look nearly as bad as I would have thought and by and large, the Japanese, Koreans and Chinese appear at a glance to have the best lunches, with perhaps a slight edge to the Chinese. (Thanks to reader DR Zinn for sending that) ~ Reader Jon Winchester says says that with regard to Trotter Gear: "there are endless paleo uses for [it] and it's an amazing thing to keep a few quarts in the freezer." ~ Vitamin D deficiency is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis in those with type 1 diabetes. "Dr. Naik presented study results indicating that although vitamin D (25-OHD) deficiency is not increased among type 1 diabetes patients, a deficiency in this patient population is associated with the initiation and acceleration of coronary artery calcification." ~ Another happy "customer." From the comment, "...I just couldn't seem to make the vegan, raw diet stick. I obsessed about food and gorged on fats at night. Only recently have I learned about the paleo diet, and convinced of its merits, gave it a try. I started eating meat and eggs and bacon. I can't believe how LIBERATING...
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Agitating The Experts
I admit it. I'm a bit of a shit-stirrer, which is likely why I've been able to pretty easily sustain a blogging life since 2003 with an average of better than a post per day, in spite of many other important matters. ...This reminds me. I need a Conventional Wisdom category. Done... So, to the subject: I was wholly pleased to march into my dentist's office the other day for my (now) semi-annual appointment with the hygienist, only to horrify: "I don't brush my teeth, much." You see, I'm just oddly crazy enough to wonder how wild animals get by without regular dental checkups; being semi-annually irradiated, poked and prodded, drilled & filled, caped or crowned...canaled, braced, bridged, dentured...and the list goes on. But, thanks to a bit of fortune, I got wind of and then studied Weston Price. It's a compelling story. Rather than sit with tenure at a university while using his slave-labor PhD candidates to apply for -- and justify -- grant applications to secure his longevity as an "expert" and "authority," he was a practicing dentist who decided to finance and document his own research. He did so, traveling the world to discover the dental health...
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Links and Quick Hits
~ A good and brief interview of Good Calories, Bad Calories author, Gary Taubes in Testosterone Muscle. "The argument I'm making is that [obesity is] a disorder of excess fat accumulation, not of sloth and gluttony. Overeating is the side effect of the disorder, not the cause. What you want to know is, what regulates fat accumulation?" ~ The Vitamin D Council has released their June Newsletter, replete with information about vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women, the risks of such deficiencies, as well as potential problems with gestational deficiency. "Dr. Dijkstra and colleagues studied 70 pregnant women in the Netherlands, none had levels above 40 ng/mL and 50% had levels below 10 ng/mL. Again, prenatal vitamins appeared to have little effect on 25(OH)D levels, as you might expect since prenatal vitamins only contain 400 IU of Vitamin D." ~ Good advice from Mark Sisson on evaluating your blood pressure. This is especially true if you've been prescribed medication based on only a few readings. And, while you're at it, you might want to check out Mark's Definitive Guide to Fish Oils. ~ Looks like Stephan is beginning another series. Here's his first go at the Lyon Diet-Heart Study. He...
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Quick Hit
Note to Dr. Francesca Fusco, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York City, and educational spokesperson for The Skin Cancer Foundation: you're a dizzy, ignorant little "expert," aintcha? Is there such as thing as a healthy tan? Simply put, no. There is no degree of tanning, whether from natural sunlight or artificial light, like tanning beds, that can be considered safe. And yet, as we migrated out of Africa and into northern climes 60,000 years ago the ancestors of those white folk amongst us rapidly evolved lighter skin to absorb adequate vitamin D from less intense sunlight. And then there's this, the global epidemiology, of which I'm quite certain you're blissfully ignorant, since I'll bet your Foundation does quite well by the makers of sunscreen products (...and the more they profit, the more skin cancer). Well, fortunately, judging by the comments posted to your public display of ignorance and stupidity, I'm not the only one who thinks you an opportunistic miscreant and a menace to society and good health.
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What You’re Up Against – The American Diabetes Association
If you harbor any doubt that the American Diabetes Association is the arch enemy of all diabetics everywhere, all the time and in all situations, look no further than Jay's comment to a post over on Art's subscription blog. Friday I stopped by the local office of American Diabetes Association to pick up materials for the Tour de Cure bike ride. Participants were stopping in all day to register for the event. There were Dunkin Donuts available for anyone. There were large bags of M&Ms to be given to participants on race day. I was shocked! This is the ADA and they are giving out donuts! Saturday was the bike ride. I road 100k. I road for fun not exercise. I went slow by biking standards I’m sure. I met a “pre-diabetic”. He looked slim by diabetes standards. I thought he a type 1 like myself. I told him about EF and my diet. When he told me that he rides his bike daily(over 100m/wk) and can’t do it without carbs I realized his pre-diabetes will likely become full blown. He is what I’d call “skinny-fat”. He is consuming large amounts of carbs to fuel long/slow exercise. His pancreas is...
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Link Dump
Here's something new I'l be doing. Throughout the course of any given day, I see lots of stuff I'd like to call attention to, and some, I do -- via Facebook, Twitter, and my shared Google items. However, making them available via blog posts is problematic because I end up with dozens of links, have to choose between them and procrastinate, and then end up doing something else. What I'll do is simply keep a compose window open and toss them in when they come up. When I get six or more, I'll publish and begin a new one. I'll sometimes offer brief commentary. ~ Is the gluten in wheat like morphine? Dr. Davis thinks so. ~ Hey, the mainstream gets it right on vitamin D. Advising 2,000 to 3,000 IU per day is a pretty big step for keepers of the conventional wisdom for the unconfused consumption of the masses. ~ Can intermittent fasting (IF) regenerate brain matter and stimulate production of neurons from stem cells? Reboot your brain. ~ "...much of the evolutionary process in cancer could be arrested at the outset by maintaining vitamin D adequacy. According to Garland, other scientists have found that the cells adhere...
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BBQ Spareribs
Last night's dinner. I began this about 3:30. Use your favorite dry rub, and rather than really coat it, use a pretty light brushing, both sides. Then wrap securely in foil, place in a baking pan with a mesh so that it's off the bottom of the pan, and get it in the oven at 250 for three hours. I've done 200 for four hours and the results are similar. When done, let it rest for 10 minutes or so, unwrap, move the accumulated juices (fat) to a saucepan, and begin reducing. I add in some chili powder, paprika, cayenne and sometimes some cumin, mustard, or various other spices. You can also do jalapeno, onion, garlic, and strain it or don't. I've also used a good quality bottled BBQ sauce, added to the drippings in a proportion of about 2/3 dripping to 1/3 sauce. You could also make your own low-sugar sauce. As the sauce was reducing on low, I fired up the grill on high and did each side about three minutes or so. Plater it and dump the sauce on, or serve the sauce on the side. This came out fall apart tender.
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Stuffed, Grilled, Sauced Pork Loin
Here's one thing I cooked this weekend. Lets begin with the grilling (you can click on the images for the full versions). That's a pork loin on the barbie. The foil is for capturing the juices (i.e., fat) as well as for indirect heating. What you don't see, as it's obscured by meat and onion, is the four slots in each loin, wherein I have stuffed garlic cloves and fresh rosemary. In the meantime, let's prep the sauce. In goes two (there's only one showing, but it was two eventually) cubes of my bone stock, a T each of duck fat, leaf lard, and butter. Can you take a wild guess at what I thickened it with? Of course, the fat juices from the cooked loin went in as well. How about paprika (about 2T) and a dash of cayenne? So, here's the final result, sliced up, plattered, and sauced. You can see the garlic and rosemary if you look close. For me, is was one of the more satisfying dishes I've made recently. This, salad, and some watermelon was enough. Well, not entirely. My friend's wife was away, along with mine, for the weekend and we finished off all...
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Side Note: Baldness
I can't help but notice that the 2nd most popular search (top of the right sidebar) is for "baldness." Amusing, as, while I have blogged about innumerable things -- many of them numerous times, I've only mentioned baldness a single time, and it was in a link roundup, right here, top-a-the-stack. I guess Dr. Mercola's interested in the topic as well. Alright; two posts about baldness: CHECK.
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Nothing Like a Picture – Reader Transformation
Tim Ranitsch, featured in this former post, send me a couple of photos. On the left is his much larger self at 225 and on the right, at 170. While he lost most of his weight doing a standard dieting approach, he reports feeling much better and more natural on the paleo path the last nine months. It never ceases to amaze me how getting down to a normal weight transforms a person's face. Great job, Tim, even if you used conventional dieting (starvation and food obsession) to get there. Now you're in a great place for life.
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Wise Words from Primal Wisdom
It was a weekend too busy for blogging, with a couple of home projects, getting started and well into Mark's book, The Primal Blueprint (so far: I think it's going to be the 'go to' book), and a little cooking. There's quite a number of interesting comments on my last post that figured largely on the subject of cholesterol. I think it's important to understand that we are all different and aren't necessarily going to have the same lipid numbers even on largely the same diets. I see lots of signs that people are stressing out about it. They are feeling great, have dropped a ton of weight, the one big sign they are on the right track is the typical huge drop of triglycerides, but then they go and worry and beat themselves up because total cholesterol went up, and/or they are not getting the numbers they want in LDL or HDL. Some have gone on to get NMR LipoProfile testing done and are not happy about their particle size and mix. So, with that in mind, let me paste here some wise words from reader and commenter Don Matesz, who also blogs at Primal Wisdom. Let's not forget...
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