pqtd 119 THE Essential Exercise

"Many People wonder how a single exercise without movement could produce results comparable or even superior to an exercise with movement.....Only one or two seconds are required to take a curl from thigh level to chin height. The hardest part of the curl is not the start or finish, but instead the middle of the curl,where leverage causes the greatest effort. Yet the muscles are in that position for only a fraction of a second. With isometric contraction, the muscles would be exerting full force in this position for up to 12 seconds, so theoretically, one effort here could build as much strength as more than a dozen repetitions performed in the conventional fashion."

 

"Bruce Lee. The Art Of Expressing the Human body."

 

This quote should bring us all pause.  The immortal Bruce Lee, saying that one repetition performed isometrically can do as much as 12 reps of conventional strength training!  And do you know what- he’s right! 

In my opinion, the core of every single exercise regimen should be doing isometrics- tense the entire body, gradually, from calfs to neck- hold this tension for 6–8 seconds, and then relax.  Repeat, 5-6 times seems ideal.  Breathe freely while you hold your “most muscular” pose, but really tense those muscles!

This will take about 1 minute, 2 at the most!  Repeat a few times during the day, and you are doing more good for your musculature than hours of lifting weights.  Really!  Isometrics done in such a manner have been documented to be wonderfully effective in lowering blood pressure, for one vital reason to do them. 

But, it also builds strength, and not just in the muscles, but in the tendons and ligaments.  It all depends on the amount of tension your give the exercise, but if you flex hard, your body will be stimulated to develop your musculature to a great degree- especially in the form of extreme definition.  Your muscles will seem to stand out markedly beneath the skin, making them very visible.

 

The next step?  Do isometrics. but do them while you are moving.  How?  Let’s say you are doing a curl.  Do it slowly, flexing hard as you curl, supplying the resistance from within.  This is moving isometrics.  Continue for, oh, seven reps.  Remember, this is all without any weights.

 

This will tax your biceps far more than a barbell or dumbbells would!  Why? Because there is no momentum, no leverage variance in the amount of effort.  As Bruce Lee alluded to above, in this case you are working to your utmost ability throughout every part of every repetition you do! 

 

The result?  Maximum results, in the minimum of time.

 

Now, just repeat this cycle of moving isometrics, or Perfectly Paleo Exercise on a daily basis.  Add in barefoot sprinting and/or walking, a paleo type of diet, ample sleep and good sun exposure, stretching, and ideally some heavy hand walking as well.  You will be so healthy and fit!

 

To really immerse yourself in the ideas, and to figure out just how exactly to implement this type of exercise into your life, go to www.paleojay.com and read, read, and read. 

 

Or, just get PaleoJay’s Smoothie Cafe in paperback on Amazon, or the ebook Perfectly Paleo Exercise on iTunes, or anywhere else, and be easily guided into transforming your health and exercise!  Easy Peasy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out this episode!

PQTD 118 Live Long and Prosper!

Did you know that orchestra conductors are the longest lived profession? Neither did I until recently, but it makes perfect sense to me. Number 1 is the exercise involved- Exercise? Yes, indeed. Moving both arms, while flexing the torso isometrically as you move those moderately tensed arms- why, this is Perfectly Paleo Exercise in action!
I just finished my one weekly basement workout, in which I work on the gymnastic rings, doing pushups, pull-ups, dips and pistol squats, usually rather intensively. Every morning on the other days of the week I spend a more relaxing 45 minutes to an hour, tensing my muscles in virtual resistance exercise, where I flex as I move my limbs through their full range of motion. Like an orchestra conductor, but more intensely, and using every muscle in my body from toe to head. I usually watch Netflix while I do so, and it is the highlight of my day!
But again, today I did my very intense workout (while listening to a podcast), and then went out in the rain and sprinted across my land for a couple of reps. About 40 minutes total. When I started, I didn’t really feel like it, but once I got going I felt great, as I do now- well worth it! It keeps my 64 year old body fitter now than it was when I was a 35 year old weightlifter and distance runner, and I have no aches and pains in my shoulders, feet, knees and hips as I did then! Check out my books PaleoJay’s Smoothie Cafe and Perfectly Paleo Exercise to see how I exercise, eat and live.
But back to long lived orchestra conductors- is it just the exercise that keeps them vital until they are in their 90’s or longer? No, it is also the music! I am a musician, (My newest CD PaleoJay Plays On is being printed now), and I can attest to the rejuvenating power of melody, or rhythms that soothe and excite. The ringing chords when my old barbershop group sang in perfect harmony, or the sounds of blending my voice with my daughter when we sing together in gospel songs.
You don’t need to be a great musician. You just need to be competent, and to enjoy it! Playing is wonderful, but listening is nearly as satisfying. Listen to wonderful music while you exercise, walk, drive, or even just sit out in nature. Music is a trigger, a catalyst. It can bring you inner peace, motivation, and just sheer joy.
Rap music, or hip hop, and heavy metal should be cautioned against, however. I don’t think it’s just my age, but I would quantify these types as aural graffiti. Just as graffiti is NOT art, but actually is anti-art, so are these types of music not music, buy anti-music. Either will shorten your life, and make it less rich and fulfilling; not the reverse. They are the “processed junk food” of the arts world.
And with that caveat aside, let me leave you with this: my parents are still fine, living together at home as always. In July I am going to visit them to celebrate my dad’s 96th birthday! My mother just turned 90 in March, and all of her 8 kids were there. They climb the stairs to their bedroom each night, since as my dad says “stairs are healthy!”
They were both professional musicians, and still listen to music daily.

Check out this episode!

PQTD 117 Shut OFF your cell phone, your tv, your computer- ALL of your screens- NOW!

Really!  I love my iPhone as much as anybody, in fact I was quite an early adopter, seeing the potential in such a technology for greater learning.  As I walked my route (I was a mailman for 38 years), to listen to podcasts actually changed the very nature of the job- I could now turn my long daily walk into a number of university types of lectures.  From Robb Wolfe’s Paleo Solution, to Jimmy Moore’s Livin La Vida Low Carb, and many others, I now had the opportunity to re-brainwash myself, or better said- to UN-brainwash myself from the high carb, low fat lie that has been with us since the 1960’s!

It worked, and it worked so well that now I have two podcasts of my own- PaleoJays Smoothie Cafe and Paleo Quick Tip of the Day, to which now of course you are either listening or reading on www.paleojay.com   I have always been excited, and passionately so, to spread the word!  It is a true word to spread, and our very health and well being are at stake, as we are now the fattest and sickest people that the world has ever known.  And the fix is SO EASY to figure out!

 

Eat meat and vegetables.  Do NOT eat wheat.  AND SHUT OFF YOUR CELL PHONE!!

 

Sounds simple, right?  And it really is, in theory.  You just have to commit, and carry through.  This means you don’t get a slice of pizza at work when everyone else does.  (Just take the topping of cheese and whatever veggies and meats are on the top, and eat them, leaving the wheat bread poison on the plate).   And, you don’t eat the donuts in the morning, or the sandwich for lunch, going with meat and veggies for lunch, and ideally eggs for breakfast.  Or, you can just have a Paleo Green Smoothie for breakfast like I do now, every day, along with coffee with whipped cream and coconut milk dissolved inside, and that IS your breakfast.  Then, a big lunch of meat and veg, maybe with some fruit for dessert, and you will be well stocked, nutrition-wise. 

Oftentimes, I will simply skip supper, since I am not hungry.  Or else, sometimes, I will just have some cheese and salami, perhaps some crackers made of nuts.  Intermittent Fasting is so easy, since you don’t have to become obsessed with preparing three square meals per day, since you usually don’t need them, or want them, and the whole thing is a PAIN!  Feel free not to eat- it won’t hurt you, and actually is a very healthful thing to do.  Your body will revel in burning up body fat instead of food, and in addition will go into autophagy, which means it is free to do “housecleaning” of a sort; consuming damaged cells (perhaps pre-cancerous) instead of using new foods that are superfluous that have been consumed.

 

But wait: this is about the cell phone turnoff, right?  Right! 

 

If you are doing all of the above; eating mainly meat and veg, and NOT eating wheat, which will sabotage all of your efforts (really, gluten is THAT damaging, even if your don’t register as full-blown CELIAC), why then you only need to periodically shut down your phone! 

 

Why? 

 

Because you smart phone is undoubtedly interfering with your ability to connect with real people.  People that are all around you- your tribe, your family, your classmates, your friends.  We all need, no, we require talking face-to-face with real people on a daily basis!  If we don’t have this, we only have a “digital facsimile” through our phones, as in texting and email, we are getting a phony connection, not a real one.  

And our brain knows the difference, just as our body knows the difference between high fructose corn syrup and raw honey!  There is a huge difference between “interacting” with someone on a screen, whether it is a TV, a computer, or a cell phone- and interacting with a real live human, face to face.  The one is fake, the other real.

 

We need human interaction like we need grass fed beef and a green smoothie- both are part of our DNA through evolution!  So join a small church.  Call on your close neighbors.  Spend time with your family, both close and extended!  Chat with your mailman!!  Human interaction is our tribal response, it is what MAKES us human.  So shut of your digital, fake connections, and look someone in the eye, and say “HELLO”! 

 

You’ll be so glad you did, and so will they! 

 

 

 

 

Check out this episode!

PQTD #116 podcast- Be Creative!

This might seem like a rather strange subject for a Paleo Quick Tip of the Day, but nevertheless, it is a crucial topic.  To be a balanced paleolithic or ancestral type of person, creating things is a big part of being successful.  Men and women are born with a need to explore and develop their talents, to nurture them along and create; if you don’t do so, you are setting yourself up for unhappiness. 

If you have never seen the magnificent cave paintings of cave dwellers, you should take a look online!  The elaborate, detailed paintings of animals of that era are so well done, so lovingly crafted, as to almost look real.  Think of the effort expended in doing this artistic labor, and realize that these paleolithic people had a compulsion to create, just as we do. 

All through history, from Egypt and the pyramids through ancient Greece and Rome, beautiful statues and paintings were produced constantly.  Surely their music was wonderful as well, although we have never actually heard it ourselves, they enjoyed it very much!  Clothing, tools, weapons- everything had to be created, and the very act of creation was a big part of the experience of being human.

Only in the modern era have people even had the option to not create!  There are those who work, and then just want to be entertained.  Television, mindless computer games, whatever.  This is the path to unhappiness, and ultimately not being fulfilled.  We all need to create, things that we love to do that fulfill us and our lives. 

You don’t need to be a professional, in fact you will probably love something even more if you don’t rely on it for your living.  Making music and writing are two of my creative endeavors, but so is exercise, lawn and garden care, woodcutting, and old vehicles.  You can choose your favorites, whether woodworking, knitting, drawing and painting- the list goes on and on. 

Through exercise and a proper paleo diet, you can literally create a better body.  Reading is wonderful to explore different worlds and learning, but be careful not to overdo it- too much reading can interfere with your own creative endeavors!  I fell into this trap early on- it’s like exercising too much- it can turn a positive endeavor into a harmful one.  Always put your own creative efforts first. 

You don’t necessarily have to spend lots of time at any one thing.  When I write, I usually set a time limit of about an hour and a half.  Same with making music, and sometimes the actual time is much less.  Once you are in the habit of creating on a regular basis, you really miss it!  Although sometimes it is hard to sit down and write, or to go into the basement and start work on my gymnastic rings, or pick up the guitar- once I get going, I usually don’t want to stop!  (But I do, because I know I will do all of these things again tomorrow).

So go thou and do likewise.  Choose a creative endeavor, a hobby if you will.  Choose more than one- paleo people were multi-talented folks, they had to be to survive.  Pour yourself into it, enjoy the effort.  You are now exerting yourself not just in creating something, you are making yourself fully human!

“Creativity is intelligence having fun”  Albert Einstein

Check out this episode!

pqtd #115 Paleo Time Machine!

Recently, I built a time machine!  It was amazing, that first time I fired it up- the rainbows of lights that surrounded me in my little contraption as I spun away through time, into the past.  The walls of my machine were vibrating rapidly, and a strange music of deep, resonant chords seemed to go right through me- and then, with a thud, I landed.

I had gone into the past, as planned.  I looked out upon a scene at once strange and familiar: in front of me was a typical street in an American town, but it was subtly different from what it had been in my time.  I could see a glass telephone booth around the corner, for I had fortuitously landed in an alley between two large brick buildings. 

Leaving my machine, I covered it with large sheets of plywood that were strewn through the alley, disguising it.  Then I walked up to the telephone booth in the street ahead. 

Old, antique-looking street lamps flickered on overhead, as it was early evening.  A man was talking on the telephone in the booth, wearing a wide-lapeled suit, a felt hat, and smoking a cigarette.  “I’ll tell ya’, Harry,” he said, “the doc says my ticker ain’t so hot!”  He had a loud, aggressive voice.

To the side of the booth was walking an attractive middle-aged woman, with a long dress, a big slouch hat, and a cigarette in a long holder.  She was walking a small dog. 

I felt woefully underdressed, for in 1945 no one would dress like someone from 2016 unless he was a beggar.  A t-shirt and blue jeans, along with sneakers was completely inappropriate for a grown man!  ‘I should have anticipated this’, I thought.  I decided to kind of lurk in the shadows, so as to not draw attention.

More people came by, most walking, some in the big flashy sedans of that era.  And almost all of those folks were smoking cigarettes!  I wanted to walk up to them, and warn them about the dangers of smoking, but I knew what would happen- they would be angered, and think I was insane, especially since I had no qualifications and was dressed so poorly.  Anyone who did notice me looked at me either with faint contempt, or else pity at my forlorn appearance, dressed as a bum.

On the wall to my right, just up the street, was a large advertisement in the form of a sign:

 

More Doctors Recommend MARLBORO Cigarettes than Any Other!!

 

There was a picture of a smiling Medical Doctor, wearing one of those big shiny metal head mirrors and a stethoscope.  In his mouth was a cigarette, smoke lazily drifting up as he looked down the throat of a patient!

I knew it was hopeless; no one would listen to me warn of health dangers well known in the future.  They all just believed the common paradigm of the time, which was that cigarettes were fine and dandy, and nothing would shake that conviction!

I went back down the alley, and went back to 2016.

 

In 2016, I continued with my blog and podcast, warning people about the extreme dangers of glyphosate, or Roundup in destroying the health of their micro biome!  I continually talked about gluten and gliadin, two of the most pernicious allergens in modern wheat, and how they could destroy your health by making the very walls of your intestine leaky, subjecting you to all sorts of anti immune diseases.  I talked about the dangers of high fructose corn syrup, and the horrors of the rancid margarines and other industrial seed oils that most were eating. 

Then, walking out on the street, I saw a man walking along, eating a Big Mac.  He had a giant soft drink in his hand, as big as his head, and his belly bulged beneath his shirt.  A woman on the other side of the street had stopped at a soft pretzel stand, and had bought an extra large pretzel, topped with sugar sprinkles.  She ate it with big bites, as if starving; one look at her and you could certainly see that she wasn’t!

On the wall was a sign:

 

BARIATRIC SURGERY!

THE ANSWER TO YOUR PROBLEMS!

 

Beneath was the photo of a very slim woman, smiling widely.  “My weight melted away, as did my diabetes!”  The name of a prominent medical clinic followed, along with a telephone number.

I realized that although I knew what advice I should give in this era as well, almost no one wanted to listen!  If the woman on the sign would have just stopped eating wheat, most sugars and started eating a good paleo diet, coupled with ample sleep and perfectly paleo types of exercise, out in nature, she would have achieved the same results without going through a dangerous and expensive surgery!  She would have improved her gut microbes as well, and thus improved her mood and her total health at the same time. 

 

I got back into my time machine, and went into the future.  When I stopped the machine, people walked by me on the green paths that served as sidewalks in this time.  They were all slim, healthy people, brimming with vitality and energy.  Most were barefoot, and looked at my sneakers with surprise and disgust.  None were eating as they walked.

Swift hovercraft skimmed by, noiselessly, the passenger standing atop them casually, looking about as they drove themselves.  There was a sign, lit up in the air in letters of light:

 

GUT REJUVENATION!

Eat Real Foods, and Regain Your Health

Perfectly Paleo Exercise for a Perfect YOU!

YOU are Your OWN Doctor- U.S. Department of Health

 

Beneath these words was a picture of the bust of Hippocrates, the founder of Western medicine.  And inside of a speech bubble coming from his lips, was this dialogue: “All things related to true, natural health such as probiotics, supplements, exercise equipment, and good natural foods are totally TAX DEDUCTIBLE!” 

 

I went home, feeling really good about the future.  And did you know, you can have that future NOW? 

 

 

Check out this episode!

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!

Check out this episode!

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!

 

Check out this episode!