Paleo Quick Tip Of The Day

Send us a textNow that is a quote from Chris Kresser, who is a good one to be quoting from!  Chris is one of the leading voices in nutrition and wellness today, and in fact when I look up something technical, more times than not I type into google “Chris Kresser on- whatever it is!”  He is that good, so check him out at www.chriskresser.com  You can always find something valuable.  Oh, and he has a podcast too!The reason I like that quote so much is that it is so simple, and the very best advice usually is succinct, direct and simple.  Something we can latch onto immediately, and adopt into our lives. (And Health!) This about it: we all know what paleo eating, and living entails.  No bread or wheat products, almost no grains, real natural foods in minimally processed forms, pastured meats and dairy, some fruits, and loads and loads of vegetables!  A good night’s sleep each and every night, getting out into nature as often as possible, and good family and friends (tribal) relationships.  Some form of regular p

Send us a textThis sounds crazy, but it’s not- you really can get the best workout of your life by not moving a muscle! How?  Isometrics.Now isometrics has gotten a really bad rap for a long time, the reasons for which are quite convoluted.  Back in the 1960’s (I’ll try to make this really short), Bob Hoffman, editor of Strength and Health magazine, was a proponent of isometrics.  He was also a big proponent of barbells, and so he incorporated barbells into isometric training with use of a “power rack”.  A power rack is a very useful piece of equipment, much more useful to my mind than barbells, and I have one in my training dungeon basement!  It is a large steel “cage” that can support thousands of pounds, and has steel pins that can be set at any height to hold a barbell.  This can save you if you “miss” a lift, that bar cannot come crashing down!Also, however, you can press a barbell into the pin, pushing as hard and as long as you like, thus giving you a great isometric workout.Bob Hoffman had his athlete

Send us a textI know this is kind of a perennial topic for me, but I think it is so important! Our culture, our “hyper civilized” way of life has become just that- hyper civilized, meaning civilized to too great of a degree; think “sissified”… The vast majority of people in Western world civilized cultures go to work, sit at a desk or drive around in a car, and even if they work out in a gym for an hour or so a few times per week- they don’t do much real work. And they never have!! This is in marked contrast to previous generations, even here in America. Even in my generation, hard work was part of your childhood, something that was just a “given”. And in generations previous to my own, it was way, way harder. I don’t mean there is something wonderful about working yourself really hard physically, just that we have gotten to the point where almost no one expects to work hard, ever. And this is not good, not good at all. I think a lot of it has to do with our government, which has become an “entitlement govern

Send us a textThere’s no such thing as an essential carbohydrateOne of the first things that need to be elucidated are the absolute essentials for human survival and health.They are these:* Amino acids* Fatty acids* Electrolytes* Vitamins* Minerals* Water* EnergyOf these, it is the last – energy – which generates an overwhelming majority of the controversy and conflict in nutrition, which is largely defined not by science but agendas ranging from political and ideological to completely nonsensical. This controversy however does not exist when you remove such influences from the scenario, there is no confusion in the science. Any biology or medical biochemistry literature will confirm this simple fact: the human body has no dietary requirement for carbohydrates. That is a quote I found on line, illustrative of something that comes up all too frequently.  Virtually everyone who is “new” to paleo nutrition has the reaction that “No- carbohydrates are necessary for energy!  We can only hold a small amount in rese

Send us a textI have come to the conclusion that most folks have heard of the idea of avoiding gluten, but most have no idea as to why this is a good idea! Well, to begin with, grains themselves, all grains, are just poor food choices in terms of nutrition- there just isn’t that much nutrition per calorie in grains. But wheat and barley are particularly bad choices, since in addition to the lectins and phytates (anti-nutrients), wheat has gluten and gliadin, which are incredibly damaging long term, and also opioids similar to those found in opium or morphine. These opioids are probably why many people panic when you suggest they give up wheat- it truly is addicting. Gluten is inflammatory in the human gut lining. Period; although some don’t react as severely as others, eventually consuming gluten will impact your health negatively, mentally and/or physically! Inflammation causes deterioration of your gut lining, the very walls of your intestines, making them become “leaky”. This is very bad news, since a leak

Send us a textIf ever you wanted proof that the Federal Government is utterly clueless when it comes to nutritional guidelines, your long-awaited proof is in- after roughly 60 years of recommending that you do not consume dietary cholesterol, they have just come out and said… dietary cholesterol is not a problem at all!It wouldn’t be so bad, except that they have been pounding this drum for decades, and all government sponsored school lunch programs, prison meals, and food programs nationwide have been forced to follow these guidelines, which now the government admits have been wrong. THIS MEANS THAT THE GOVERNMENT GUIDELINESARE WHAT HAS KEPT AMERICANS FATTER AND SICKER THAN AT ANY PAST TIMEIN OUR HISTORY! Seems like an extreme statement, but it’s true.  Not only have these erroneous, non-science based dogmas misguided us in cholesterol, which has resulted in millions being erroneously prescribed the deadly (but profitable!) statin drugs, the same “Food Pyramid” and then “My Plate” encouraged us to replace fa

Send us a textAutomatic health and fitness?  Wouldn’t that be nice, that’s probably your first thought.  I mean, nothing could be that easy, right?Well, it really is, it’s just a matter of setting up appropriate habits, and then following through for long enough that they just become your life!  And if they are good and healthy, and thus long term enjoyable habits, why then this is a prescription not only for automatic health and fitness, but actually a means to automatic happiness!I don’t mean that your ideal daily habits will be identical to mine at all, but there will definitely be some similarities, at least in diet and exercise, if you want to maximize health and fitness over your whole lifetime.  So here goes:I wake up early enough so that I can do what I view to be the most crucial part of my daily habits- this, of course, entails that I always go to bed early enough to get a solid 8 or more hours of good sleep!  So, I wake up refreshed, naturally ready to get up.  I go into a brief “mobility” series o

Send us a textI don’t know if you are aware of the importance of magnesium to your health, but I am here to tell you it is crucial.Why do we need a magnesium, or indeed any kind of a supplement, if we are already eating a natural, God-made foods based paleo type of diet?  This is a reasonable question, and I personally try to keep supplements to a minimum, since getting them from natural sources is infinitely preferable. This is why I make a Paleo Smoothie to drink daily, loaded with fresh vegetables of many types, kefir, coconut milk- well, go to Paleo Green Smoothie recipe to see all that I recommend at www.paleojay.com The two “supplements” I put into that smoothie are: 1. Liquid vitamin D2. Cod liver oil Everything else, from the apple cider vinegar to the kelp, spirulina, and the several spices I put in are all real foods! But, the other thing I think you should consider adding in to your regimen is magnesium - and I think the best way to do this is through magnesium oil, applied to the skin! Paleo is no

Send us a textI think you will be amazed, astounded, and as delighted with this upcoming recipe as I was! I was down at the family cabin, deep in a coulee in southwestern Wisconsin, taking care of some damage there this winter- you see, a tree fell on the roof, smashing the skylight and scattering safety glass pellets all throughout the inside.  And so, what was to be a day trip to the cabin to check on it turned into a 3 day ordeal, arranging for all the insurance claims adjuster, carpenter, & furnace repairman (that was acting up as well) to take care of things… Oh, did I mention that my brother’s place, which is next door, had had a furnace breakdown and most of the pipes had burst? So, I had that as well!  I’m not complaining, since of course now it is all done with for the most part.  (I’m just really, really glad I had brought my sleeping bag down with me “just in case”).  When traveling in the dead of winter here in the northland, a sleeping bag in the car is always a wise precaution! I felt the ne

Send us a textMailman Tales paperback For his whole life, my father Big Band Bob, has loved to spend time outdoors!  He started out at Wolf acres, when he got out of the service, helping his sister Emma and her husband Ben to work on their wooded acres.  They cleaned up scrub trees for the big campfire pit they had built of mortared stone, planted new stands of pine that now are a beautiful forest that we all enjoy, and just stacked, moved, cut, and burned wood! Nowadays, I do the same- my acreage on Cowbell lane seems to constantly need a tree removed, cut up, and then I need to stack the wood.  I have a wood furnace in the cellar, and I transport the wood with my  trailer behind my tractor, and then throw it down through a cellar window for burning.  It’s definitely hard physical work, but it is very satisfying, and real work, which is something most modern people don’t do anymore, to their detriment!  We all require hard physical labor to fulfill and enrich our lives, both for the health of our bodies and

Send us a textToday I want to introduce you to an exercise that you probably have never heard of, but is probably one of the most productive and beneficial exercises ever.  The 360 exercise, so called because you do it in a 360 degree circle around your body, going one way, and then the other.  I saw it on the www.onnit.com exercise and fitness site, and it was demonstrated using a product of their, the steel bell.  They also do it with a large metal mace, but you can use anything, even a rock, or a fixed dumbbell or kettlebell, or even a big book! I did it today for the first time, and was blown away by what I was feeling in my abs, and in fact in my entire core!  It even targets more directly than any other movement the hard-to-hit obliques on the side of the waist.  One wonderful side effect of the 360 is that not only does it not injure and strain the shoulder joints, it actually seems restorative, aiding in range of motion and smooth and pain free joint function.You probably know of my opinion of heavy w

Send us a textOK, admittedly I stole this title from the upcoming summit with Maria Shriver and Mark Hyman…If you are interested here is the link to their multi-day summit:http://fatsummit.com/There are lots of paleo types involved- I noticed, with a quick glance at all of the photos, not only those two I already mentioned, but Dr. Axe, Chis Kresser, David Perlmutter, and many others who know whereof they speak on the bill.I’m sure you could not go wrong listening to the summit!  You will possibly learn a lot.  But I will give you here a little list that, I’m sure, will sum up what they say in a nutshell, and save you listening for hours and hours…But, if you have not already been “indoctrinated” into the paleo or ancestral lifestyle, you may need to be re-grainwashed, as I like to say, and sit through those hours to gradually come to the truth!  But, if (like me), you just want the Cliff’s Notes version, here is what I know will be covered:Saturated fat, in spite of what you’ve been indoctrinated with for pe

Send us a textHello my paleolithic friends!  I just want to let you all know that I have released a new book- the name of which is that of my web site- PaleoJay’s Smoothie Cafe!   Right now it is in ebook format only, but in a week or two it will be out in paperback. Here is the link: paleojay's smoothie cafe- the book!It’s a big honker, clocking in at almost 300 pages, but it is loaded (at least the ebook version) with loads and loads of photos, and I believe is an easy and fast read, with loads and loads of information.  As usual with me, I’m afraid that I do not go along hook-line-and-sinker with the paleo mainstream… I generally agree, but have some strong dissenting opinions with the standard paleo shtick.  So, you will either love this book, or not love this book; but you will definitely be exposed to new information that (hopefully!) will make you think!  And, more importantly, to ACT on your health and wellness! Of course, I think a green, Paleo smoothie should be the lynchpin of your nutrition o

Send us a textThrive Market is an online wholesale buying club- kind of like Amazon Prime meets Sam’s Club or Costco, only healthier and better. Organic, real food products at true wholesale prices! You sign up at the link here-http://go.thrv.me/aff_c?offer_id=6&aff_id=8570 You sign up for free with a 30 day trial, with 25% off of your first order- this is in addition to the already low prices, which are already 25-50% off of retail! Any time during the 30 days, you can “become a thriver” by buying a membership for $5 per month, or $60 per year.  The average to pay this off in savings is in just two orders!  And best of all, this membership into top quality, paleo types of foods is shipped directly to your door, in amazing condition because they pack it so well, post paid for any order over $49.95!  In addition, for every purchased membership, Thrive gives away a membership to a food-insecure family from a neighborhood without access to wholesome, organic foods. pqtd 99 Go Paleo and Thrive This segues int

Send us a textpqtd 98  Wake up and work out  That sounds a little simplistic, doesn’t it?  Well, it is, and that’s a big part of its beauty: if you work out first thing in the morning, there is no decision to be made!  You get up, and then you work out... You don’t have to plan just when you will work out, just what exercises you will do that day- nothing at all!  You just need a plan in your head:  Here’s mine! On Mondays I do virtual resistance exercise, on a rebounder as I gently bounce away, in front of the tv- either news or more likely a Netflix program.  I keep a cup of coffee laced with coconut oil by my side for occasional sipping.  Very relaxing, but by the end I am lathered with sweat, and all my muscles are engorged with blood and pleasantly tired.  Maybe 45 minutes of so total time. Tuesdays are one overall total body set of virtual resistance for each and every body part, with quite a big of stretching on the floor.  Then, I superset high volume straight legged sit ups, pushups, hindu squats, an

Send us a textpqtd 98  Wake up and work out  That sounds a little simplistic, doesn’t it?  Well, it is, and that’s a big part of its beauty: if you work out first thing in the morning, there is no decision to be made!  You get up, and then you work out... You don’t have to plan just when you will work out, just what exercises you will do that day- nothing at all!  You just need a plan in your head:  Here’s mine! On Mondays I do virtual resistance exercise, on a rebounder as I gently bounce away, in front of the tv- either news or more likely a Netflix program.  I keep a cup of coffee laced with coconut oil by my side for occasional sipping.  Very relaxing, but by the end I am lathered with sweat, and all my muscles are engorged with blood and pleasantly tired.  Maybe 45 minutes of so total time. Tuesdays are one overall total body set of virtual resistance for each and every body part, with quite a big of stretching on the floor.  Then, I superset high volume straight legged sit ups, pushups, hindu squats, an

Send us a textpjsc 118  Where should a modern day Paleo person live? I have been giving this a lot of thought, and actually, it seems so obvious to me! I know there are hotbeds of “paleo aficianados” in pretty urban places, like NYC, and especially Austin Texas!  And God bless ‘em, I’m sure they are doing really great there, or at least as good as they can, and I wish them luck! The problem is, I think that people tend to live in the past; that is, they idolize a “perfect time” in a certain place, and subconciously convince themselves that that time is now. Like so many Woody Allen fans convince themselves, like he does, that New York City is the New York of the 1940’s... the city portrayed by the New York Times and the New Yorker magazine of that era... Sorry, but it’s not even close anymore!  I came from Chicago, and the crime-ridden nightmare that that city has become is not even close to what it was in the 1950’s or 60’s- even the 70’s!! I hate to sound the alarm, politically incorrect as it is, but someo

Send us a textpqtd 97  Modern Medicine is not based on Modern Science This is a sad podcast to have to make, because it is upsetting to many folks... but, it is true, nonetheless!  We are all the victim of an unnatural allegiance to “science” at all costs- I mean science has all the answers, does it not?? This seems reasonable on the face of it, but in our modern day, science has been replaced, largely, with scientism.  This is the insistence that all of our problems, in fact everything in our lives can be reduces to... science based answers!  The problem is, most of our evidence based science has been replaced with 30 year old scientism.  For instance, it has been known for decades that a low fat, high carb diet as pushed by the USDA and the Federal Government does NOT lead to health.  In fact, it is a diet that will make you FAT AND SICK, diabetic and prone to heart disease and cancer, among many other diseases.  And yet, this is the recommended “My Plate” diet!  The real, evidence based science is all ther

Send us a textpqtd 96  Raw Dairy- the perfect food “And the Lord said, I am come down to deliver my people out of the hand of the Egyptians and unto a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey.”   Did you know that the forerunner to today’s Mayo clinic, the Mayo foundation was place where the principle treatment was using raw milk as a cure for many diseases?  It’s true- in 1929, the founder of Mayo, J.E. Crewe, M.D., wrote a book entitled Raw Milk Cures Many Diseases.  Here is an excerpt:  “For fifteen years the writer has employed the certified milk treatment in various diseases and during the past ten he had a small sanitarium devoted principally to this treatment. The results obtained in various types of disease have been so uniformly excellent that one’s conception of disease and its alleviation is necessarily changed.”  It has been substantially proved through many, many studies over many decades that the nutrient composition of raw milk from healthy cows, raised in sanitary conditions on good feed,

Send us a textpqtd 95  Our children are our canaries in the coal mine I’m afraid that this sad fact is the truth- our children in America, and increasingly world wide, are suffering at ever earlier ages under the scourge of autoimmune conditions. I have been witnessing this process for years now; I have been paleo for about 10 years or so now.  I have evolved, and slowly added in more good things (like better exercise, higher quality food, better sleep and meditation), and benefited greatly!  I am now 63 years of age, and in far better shape than I was at 50: no more painful joints, knee or shoulder pain (from weight lifting, running, and an inflammatory diet).  No more migraine headaches (primarily, I found out, from gluten- when I eliminated gluten and in fact most grains altogether, I never got another headache again.  I threw away my pharmaceutical medicine... On the other hand, most of my friends and peers, who are mostly in the 40 - 60 year age bracket, have picked up numerous diseases and conditions.