PQTD #114 Paleo Skin Care

One of the most ignored facets of paleo living and even nutrition is our skin!  Not only is our skin the largest organ of our body by far, it is also a great indicator of whether or not we are healthy on the inside of our bodies.

Most of us have abused our skin for decades: putting all sorts of lotions, creams, petroleum-based oils and dyes on it in the forms of soap and shampoo, dishwashing liquid and other artificial chemicals such as makeup in the case of women.  Did you know that all of these chemicals pass right through your skin into your body?  Well, they do, and they are all toxins that your body has to deal with as chemical invaders. 

Check out your labels; not just for your skin, but for household cleaning products as well.  These products, besides being expensive, are very toxic to your body, and to your precious gut micro biome!  You can have a perfect paleo type of diet, and undermine all of your efforts by allowing these products to touch your body, or even to be inhaled.

What should you do?  First, the only moisturizer you should use is coconut oil!  It is amazing, inexpensive, and really does a wonderful job of moisturizing and protecting your skin.  In addition, it enters your body right through your skin, and into your bloodstream, just as, say, Sodium Laurel Sulphate does (a really toxic ingredient in almost all commercial soaps that is a petroleum based industrial strength degreaser)- avoid SLS!  But the coconut oil does wonderful things when it enters your body, as a precious medium chain triglyceride it is incredibly healthy for you.  So there is your moisturizer.

 

Shampoo?  Get a good one like Dr. Bronner’s, which is just real, olive oil based soap with actual real fragrances and essences - no chemicals.  Trader Joe’s has a couple of good ones as well. 

 

You probably have already experienced great improvements in your skin and hair health is you have had a paleo diet and lifestyle for any length of time- a diet of real natural foods, without grains and industrial seed oils gives your body all it needs to create glowing skin and shining hair.  And now, substituting real, natural substances for chemical ones will keep those chemical products from ruining your paleolithic results!

 

Toothpaste?  First of all, make sure it has no fluoride- fluoride is basically a neurotoxin, and actually harmful to the teeth and bones over the long term.  Get it out of your water if you possibly can, too!  There are some good natural toothpastes- Earthpaste is one that I know of, but I prefer brushing with a mix of baking soda and Himalayan Sea Salt.  And, when showering, “oil pull”, this is when you swish coconut oil around in your mouth, and ultimately spit it out, after it has killed and absorbed all the “bad bacteria” in your mouth and around your teeth.

 

And for the ultimate total body supplement, that is quite cheap, wonderfully effective, and really makes you feel more relaxed, glowing, and healthy than any other one thing?  Perfectly Paleo Exercise is one, outdoors in Nature, but this one is ideal as a supplement- take a long bath, in hot water, with epsom salts!

 

I am not kidding with this last!  Epsom salts are just pure magnum sulphate. Virtually all of us in modern times are very deficient in magnesium, since it has been “farmed out” of our soil by and large.  Magnesium is crucial for every function in the body, and is wonderful for freeing us from anxiety, depression, nervousness- well, here is a direct quote:

 

Magnesium is an essential mineral for staying healthy and is required for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. Multiple health benefits of magnesium include transmission of nerve impulses, body temperature regulation, detoxification, energy production, and the formation of healthy bones and teeth.

 

And in laymen’s terms?  It just feels really, really good and relaxing!  The magnesium flows directly into your bloodstream as you relax in the tub, finally getting all of this vital nutrient that it needs.  Just try it, and watch skin problems, sore joints and muscles, dry skin, and even cuts and scrapes almost magically improve and start to heal, instantly.

 

Lastly, for cleaning your counters, tub and sinks- ditch the chemicals!  Use white vinegar in a spray bottle for all cleaning- you will be amazed at how effective it is, and also it is totally non-toxic.  Heavier duty cleaning on your sink?  Baking soda along with vinegar!  And really heavy duty cleaning, totally non-toxic??  Washing Soda is pure sodium carbonate, a natural mineral, and can scrub away anything safely.  Wash clothes, scrub toilets- Pure Washing Soda is your heavy duty natural cleanser.

 

Done cleaning?  Relax, and take a bath in epsom salts!

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pqtd podcast #113 Paleo is a Great Starting Point

Now 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 physical exercise, and a minimizing of stress in our lives.

Now, there can be infinite small variations of this formula.  Perhaps you can’t tolerate dairy, or maybe just some kinds of dairy.  Some folks can handle hard cheeses, but not soft ones.  Or Ghee, but not butter.  Perhaps you have trouble with fruit if you eat too much of it for you- lots of fruit can make you insulin resistant just like candy can.

Fermented foods can help our gut microbiome dramatically, as can probiotics and probiotics in the form of potato starch, plantains or apple cider vinegar.  Some can’t abide yogurt, or kefir.  Some of us are respond better to endurance based exercise, since they have more slow twitch muscle fibers, and vice versa.

But the takeaway point is just this: Paleo is a Great Starting Point!  Just get started, outlining what you need to change in your life to make both your life and your health better.  A step at a time is fine, you don’t need to jump in and do everything at once, perfectly.  Just get started with the basics. 

Stop eating processed foods, don’t go to fast food places.  Give up bread and cereal and pasta!  Just those things will get you about halfway there to Paleo good health!  Start making yourself a Paleo Smoothie to drink each and every day.  One canister full in my Vitamix, poured into Ball canning jars and put in my fridge can last me 3 or 4 days.  (Recipe is in the fabulous paperback or eBook version of PaleoJay’s Smoothie Cafe) or at www.paleojay.com

 

The final point to remember is that Paleo is a journey, not a destination.  Like our lives are, actually.  When I started this Paleo journey, I followed Loren Cordain’s advice to the letter- no potatoes, no dairy, in addition to the standard no wheat advice.  I immediately felt better!  In fact, my headaches and occasional upset stomach disappeared forever, immediately.  I became lean and defined, and would never go back.

But, since then, I have added in some potatoes, I learned about probiotics, I found that good, natural pastured dairy was great for me… the list goes on. I discover a new “wrinkle” in either optimizing my diet, my sleep, my skin health (dry brushing is something I have added in that I love!), or something new in exercise.  You be the same.  Just start with Paleo, and keep going, slow and steady. The goal is not to win a big race or contest, or to look fabulous in a certain dress or outfit.  The goal is to gradually make your life, strength and health better and better- your whole life long!

 

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pqtd #112 Exercise by not Moving a Muscle!

This 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 athletes train with the power rack with isometrics, and they were setting world records like crazy!  Unfortunately, at the same time they were also taking steroids, which had recently become available, and so all the benefit of isometrics was attributed to steroids.  This was a case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater, however, since isometrics do have incredible benefits in training!  And, although a power rack is nice to have, it is certainly not necessary at all. 

Probably the very best way to train isometrically is simply by gradually flexing and holding each muscle in the body, together for a short time.  Really, it is that simple- slowly flex your calves, thighs, glutes, back, chest, shoulders and arms.  Flex them, hard, about 80-90% of your maximum effort… hold that for about 6-7 seconds… and then gradually relax.  Repeat this same exercise for 6-8 times. 

Congratulations!  You have just done more for your body, both the physique and for your circulation, than anything else you could have done.  Every muscle, including tendons and ligaments, has been stimulated to strengthen.  And most importantly, this exercise causes blood pressure to regulate better than any other!  It can lower high blood pressure almost magically, without drugs, and without a major time commitment.  You can do it anywhere, anytime, and you don’t need to go to a gym or change clothes. 

There is even a computerized device using this principle called the Zona Plus.  This is an ingenious device that is winning accolades, and rightly so, for solving high blood pressure without drugs!  How does it do this?  Isometrics.   The Zona Plus is a small ball that you squeeze as hard as you can for two minutes.  It can tell from computerization just how hard you need to squeeze, and can be used by very debilitated people, since it senses how much they can safely squeeze, and limits them to that limit.

This is great, and if you are debilitated and/or have dangerously high blood pressure I recommend this device to you.  But, it costs hundreds of dollars, and if you are currently really healthy like me…

I recommend the former isometric exercise!  It’s free, it’s very effective on multiple levels (not just your grip strength), and it hits your entire body!  Go ahead- work out!  But for this one- don’t move a muscle.

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pqtd 111 Save Your Body, mind and SOUL

I 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 government”, that tells everyone that they are “disadvantaged”, or any number of excuses, and then offers to be the correction of that injustice. In other words, they are offering you “free stuff”, with no work involved.
If you fall for this, you might feel great about yourself since you are instantly “politically correct”. But, you have fallen into a horrible trap- we all need to work hard, we need it mentally, and physically as well! All work and no fun may indeed make Johnny a dull boy, but all lying around like a slug in front of a screen will make Johnny a - worthless, fat, loser!
I don’t mean to sound contentious, but we have become “hyper civilized”, and to more savage, primitive cultures (like the Islamic Jihadists) we are decadent; ripe for the plucking! They want to impose their ancient, 9th century way of life upon us, which includes makaey support such ideas??
Because they are so caught up in political correctness, the very “fashionable” notion of it, that they cannot stop themselves from constant endorsement, in the face of the very evil of the side they are endorsing, to stop themselves!
Remember the Paris court of Louis the 14th, where everything was about “fashion”, and the fashion of the time was about clothes, and elaborate lifestyles, while the people about them starved? Well now, the “fashion” of the moment is political correctness, being Left, accepting, letting people into out country, giving things to the “underprivileged”, and being accepting, not “mean” and “greedy”…
Meanwhile, the working people are being taxed into a state lower than welfare recipients, and not being protected from borders not being enforced, which results in not really any longer even having a country! This is the state to which we have been reduced.
To get back to topic: today I spent the entire afternoon and the evening burning brush! I did all that I could with the blade in the back of the tractor to push the brush into piles, but the bulk of the work was lifting the brush into a trailer behind the tractor, and then hauling it to the burn location, and then … unloading it to burn. Endless, hard, unrelenting, solo work. Right not, I think I will be hard-pressed to get out of bed tomorrow, but I know I will, since I will stretch myself out as I do each and every morning!
My point is that- this is really good for me! It would be for you, too! Most of us spend our lives avoiding any type of hard, physical labor- even those of us that make a point of working out! This is a huge mistake, and turns us into a decadent type of people that are similar to the Paris court of Louis the 14th and his wife Marie Antoinette, who is very “Hillary Clinton-esque” to my mind.
Did you know that, in the late Roman Empire, in the 4th century AD the Germanic tribes requested to be allowed to settle in Roman lands? This was the tribe called the Visigoths, and the Romans said “fine, just come unarmed”. (They didn’t)
During this time, the youth in Rome, the “liberals” of the time, aped the costumes of the German invaders, wearing the “trousers” of the Germans, and even growing their hair long and wearing mustaches!! They were the Bernie Sanders supporters of their time, offering NO resistance to the invaders of that time.
The Roman emperor Valens finally was forced to confront them, and lost. This is like Obama, with his endless “accommodation and appeasement” strategy. Open borders end up with NO COUNTRY!
We are no longer the country of pre-world war 2- a country of small towns of hard-working, down-to-earth people. We have become a country of effete, weaklings, by and large, with a huge guilt complex about the underclass that we have simply enabled to be what they are- predators against the working class! They are largely immune from justice, just as were the invading Germanic tribes of the 4th century. They are also, thanks to our horrid “education” system in the inner cities, incredibly both ignorant, and with a feeling of incredible entitlement. We are nurturing multiple colonies of Visigoths!
My take away point? Do hard, physical labor! Learn to relish it, it keeps you in reality to know what real work is! (Shuffling papers, talking on the phone, and selling things is NOT real work- neither is being a politician or lawyer!)
If you don’t do real work, eventually you lose sight of what reality is; of even what is right and wrong, survival or suicide! And vote conservative!!
Not only your health, body and mind is at stake here. It is your very soul!

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PQTD 110 There is NO dietary requirement for Carbohydrates!

There’s no such thing as an essential carbohydrate

One 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

* Energy

Of 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 reserve in the form of glycogen, and then need to replenish it with carbs and/or sugars!” 

And of course, carbs are sugars, they convert readily to that form of energy, with all of it’s good and bad effects on the body.  And in the modern day, most of the effects on the body of sugars and carbs are NEGATIVE. 

Now, I’m not anti-carb, by any means- I had some sweet potato slices with my grilled barbecued chicken quarters just today for lunch!  But this amount of carbs is more of a “garnish” of carbs.  My total for the day will be well under 100 grams of carbohydrates, of course NONE of which is from wheat or other grains.  And I had about a 45 minute workout this morning, and will do about 20 minute one this afternoon, right after I finish up here.  (That’s how I reward myself)!

But I really want you to remember this one simple thing: carbohydrates are NOT necessary for health.  Say that to yourself 10 times.  ReGRAINwash yourself!  We have all been so brainwashed into believing in the necessity of carbs, especially in the form of grains in our diet, that it is a hard thing to unlearn.  But it is indeed true:

 

Carbohydrates are not necessary for health!

 

So, while everyone around you is having toast and pancakes with their eggs, and you have maybe eggs with avocado (delicious by the way!), just smile and nod politely when they say “you’ll run out of energy later”.  You won’t, they will after their blood sugar spikes, and insulin has to also spike to bring it back down.  (Insulin is the “aging hormone”).

And later, when they have a big hamburger with a bun and fries, and you have a grass fed burger with onions, pickles, mustard, tomato and cole slaw, don’t be judgmental, but know that they are again going to go through a glycemic spike of blood sugar insult to their body, which prioritizes storing that excess carbohydrate as…FAT!

And at suppertime, when this same person who tells you how necessary carbs are for health is starving and has a big supper of maybe spaghetti or macaroni and cheese, capping off a nutritional nightmare of a day in lock-step with the “My Plate” high carb recommendations… you might not be hungry at all, or might only want what I have to plan later- a cream cheese and egg “crepe”, topped with strawberries, banana slices, and whipped cream!

And, if you’ve reGRAINwashed yourself, and know the real truth about carbs and fats- why, you know you will have done your body some real good, supplying it with tons of good nutrients from the eggs, beef, veggies and fruit.  Some natural, God made carbs- but not TOO MUCH!

You have become a nutritional Goldilocks- your carbs are “just right”!

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PQTD #109 Why YOU need to Avoid GLUTEN!

I 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 leaky intestine allows
gluten proteins to enter the blood stream, and cause auto-immune reactions elsewhere in the body.
Gliadin is the main problem producing gluten protein, and since it is similar in structure to proteins found in body tissues like the pancreas and thyroid, antibodies sent out to fight them can wind up attacking your own body instead, causing autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes and hypothyroidism.
This same leaky gut caused by the gluten consumption can also allow bacteria and other toxic matter into the blood stream, which can further autoimmune attacks on the body. These autoimmune diseases are the scourge of the modern day, and they simply are diseases where the body’s defense mechanisms become confused, and attack the body itself! Gluten and gliadin are like spies in warfare; they confuse the body as to just who are the “good guys”, and the body attacks itself.
To convey a simple metaphor about eating gluten and wheat, I like to think of it as a poison, or acid that is disguised to taste really good. It is very cheap, and all too available and ubiquitous in our modern culture, and so we are gradually destroying our own intestines by eating it, and since it doesn’t poison us instantly, we are lulled into complacency. Eventual autoimmune disease is the result, with the list of diseases that are autoimmune being the worst kinds, and the most impossible to fight with medicine. Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, ulcerative colitis and Chrohn’s disease, IBS and all other intestinal diseases- these are so obviously caused by inflammation of the intestine!
Bottom line? Most people just feel better after quitting gluten, and many have IBS type symptoms go away, along with brain fog and fat loss. Don’t forget, wheat turns to sugar in the body, so eliminating it automatically eliminates a huge source of sugar, which is very damaging in and of itself!
But, don’t just eat the same cookies and donuts and rolls as before, just “gluten free” one… Although an occasional gluten free treat is fine, a treat is still a treat- usually a sugar bomb, and not a good idea generally.
So give up gluten! This is the sane Paleo rule #1- it will cut your disease risk dramatically, increase your mental health (Schizophrenics virtually all have a lessening of symptoms with gluten elimination), and yes, make your jeans fit looser too…
But it is the health benefits that are undeniable- “gluten free” is not just a fad, it is the real deal!

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pqtd 108 Fed Government NOW says cholesterol is FINE!

If 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 GUIDELINES

ARE WHAT HAS KEPT AMERICANS FATTER

AND SICKER THAN AT ANY PAST TIME

IN 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 fat with sugar and carbohydrates, particularly whole grains!

Strangely, carbohydrates, in particular whole grains raise our blood sugar even more than plain sugar, and immediately turn into sugar, right in our mouths!  But now, as a huge paradigm shift, the government has actually said that we should limit sugars to less than 10% of our daily calories- before (last year) they told us 30% sugar was just fine and dandy- healthy too! 

But, they still want us to keep our servings of whole grains at 11-12 servings per day, in spite of the fact that this means we mostly consume sugars in the form of carbohydrates- different species, same animal! 

Although, now the federal government suddenly tells us that eggs are fine, red meat and bacon are fine!, and at last admits we need more vegetables and fruits.  (I think they’re getting a little closer to great grandmother’s recommendations, just at bit at a time… can’t admit we’ve been wrong, can we?)  They even admit that fat can be good, and quite necessary! 

Also, alcohol is not all bad, and indeed has good qualities as well.

 

As Ronald Reagan famously put it “We are the federal government, and we are here to help you!”  ….NOT!

Whenever the government tells you doing something is good for you, rest assured it is NOT, it is good for THEM, the federal government.  In this case, it helps them to sell more grains (America’s biggest surplus commodity), help our big processed food manufacturers sell their mainly grain based products (high fructose corn syrup is a grain too), and it also keeps the big Pharmaceutical manufacturers happy, since this diet keeps most of us sick, but alive and treatable with high priced… pharmaceutical drugs!

It also keeps us addicted to regular, extremely expensive visits to health care providers (medical clinics and doctors), that sell us drugs, recommend the My Plate high carb, low fat diet, and thus the cycle continues, on and on.

I don’t believe it started out this way- I really think that the original McGovern commission in the early 1970’s was trying to reverse the high rate of heart disease from the 1960’s… it’s just that they were dead wrong!  And then, once it got started in that direction, it just picked up more and more momentum, until at this point it is unimaginable to those in charge of big government, big business, pharma, big food and medicine to do a 180 degree turn.

But you can.  Ignore the guidelines: make the base of your pyramid non starchy vegetables.  Then, an ample supply of healthy fats and protein.  Then, add in less fruits and starchy vegetables, even less on the next level of beans and legumes, then a healthy portion of spices and herbs.  Only at the very, teeny tiny tip should there be “recreational foods”, which for a long time have been more at the base of the pyramid!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out this episode!