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Saturday, June 29, 2013

Fermented foods, gut health,and probiotics for a happy brain and strong immune system on PaleoJay Podcast 37













Click to listen NOW to paleojay #37- scroll down and hit PLAY!





 PaleoJay podcast on iTunes link

Fermented foods, gut health,and probiotics for a happy brain and strong immune system!

Let’s say you know to eat “gluten free”, and you eat grass fed beef, wild caught fish, big salads, nuts- you are a Paleo Person and you know all this stuff and more- you have found that eliminating grains has had many happy results for you; helping you to lean out and improve your skin, your hair, and your teeth.  All of these happy results are typical upon adopting the paleo type of diet!

And, even more!  You know to eat good fats, you know the Vitamin K from pastured butter is wonderful for your teeth and bones, and even your mental health; and you also know that coconut oil with its medium chain triglycerides is also extremely beneficial both for the health of your arteries and brain, your skin, and your sense of satiety.

You, Paleo Person extraordinaire, are really onboard with all of this: why, you even make a big ol Paleo Smoothie each morning in your Vitamix blender that you bought with free shipping from the link  https://secure.vitamix.com/Default.aspx?COUPON=06-007058  on www.paleojay.com-   and along with all of the frozen veggies and organic berries, green tea and lemon, you know to add a slice or two of Kerrygold pastured butter, and coconut milk and oil!

Congratulations!  You really have made a huge change in your health, and hopefully also in the health of your family!  I hope you consider yourself a “fitness/health leader” now, since you most definitely are one.  What you have done is to gradually remove the “Grain Washing” you have experiences over your lifetime- this is what I call the actual brain washing of nutritional myths we have been indoctrinated with over the past 50 years of so- the food pyramid and “my plate” lies promoted by the big grain and processed food industries to sell you poor quality food and get you to not eat real, nutritious, God made foods!  You know, like those listed just above- humanely, pastured meats, pastured butter, free range birds, coconut oil.... etc.

So congrats on your return to SANE eating, as Jonathon Bailor puts it.  Sane = Paleo.

But, you are probably still missing one crucial piece of the puzzle!  Most folks are:

Did you know that the health of your GUT, or, more specifically, the health of the many millions of bacteria that we co-evolved with, is crucial for the well-being of, not only our bodies, but for the health of our BRAINS!?  We evolved with bacteria, and exist with them in synergy- much of what they do for us (and us for them, as a host organism) is still unknown.  But many bodily processes have been outsourced to them for many thousands of years, and we rely upon them to digest food for us, secrete chemicals that help our body processes, and probably a lot more as yet undiscovered.

Another lie we have grown up with, is that everything has to be refrigerated and kept completely antiseptic to be healthy to eat.  This notion is right up there with the fat is bad for us myth...

We really, really need healthy bacteria within us at all times- and what, pray tell, can give you this healthy gut?
Fermented foods!

I have bought a perfect pickler, which is really just a fermentation lock, such as is used in beer and wine making, that conveniently fits atop a wide-mouth mason jar, available almost anywhere.  Batch one of pickled mushrooms is perking away now, in the Paleo Jay Smoothie Cafe!  Each mushroom, in just 3 or 4 days will be a probiotic bacteria powerhouse, enriching my gut, and consequently then my brain, with happy dancing little bacterial friends!  Can’t wait- and, I love pickled foods just for that taste!

Also, I know I have mentioned it before, but make yourself some Kefir, or else buy yourself some Amasi from Beyond Organic!

This one ingredient has become essential in the Perfectly Paleo Smoothie that I make almost daily. To make Kefir is easy- obtain some grains online, I notice now that Amazon sells many varieties and from numerous sources- I have had mine for several years and they work wonderfully- I think they cost about $5.  All you have to do is add the grains to a glass bottle, fill said bottle with either goats milk or raw milk if available; but even standard whole milk will do... That’s it- let it sit out a couple of days, and you will have your Kefir- then, you can refrigerate it so it doesn’t get too tangy!


But, if time or taste (kefir is quite tangy- I like it, some people don’t... Amasi is a fantastic choice!  Beyond Organic is the only U.S. source I know of-
http://janebowers.mybeyondorganic.com/Products_BeveragesAmasai.aspx  and they make a wonderful product that tastes amazing, and is just as beneficial as kefir.  It is great in the Paleo smoothie (I use 8 ounces or 1/2 of a bottle in mine), but it also tastes great all by itself, and is a wonderful total meal replacement!

So, again- Ungrainwash yourself!  And, while you are at it, feed, nourish, and repopulate your gut with billions of little pals that almost everyone in the modern Western world is missing- friendly bacteria- by eating fermented foods daily- kefir, amasi, and pickled foods like real fermented pickles are ideal, sauerkraut, really any pickled veggie you do yourself is the best, though there are companies that make the real deal as well.  Major brands are pasteurized for the most part, and just packed in vinegar so all of their bacteria is dead. Avoid these brands! Even ketchup used to be a fermented product- now, it’s just sugar tomato juice that is horrible for you...

We have gotten so far from our real, natural, nourishing food traditions!  It is up to us, you and me as health leaders to get us back on track!  So, eat real food!  And now, make sure that some of it is fermented each day!

J

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Roast Duckling ala Weber Grill and Dutch Oven!

And, with Orange/Soy sauce/ Maple Syrup (grade B)/and Raw Honey for a glaze- YUM!

Ok, the idea here today was  to grill a duck, on the grill.  I always start out with my old Weber (from the 1970's and still going strong!) and some hardwood charcoal. (Don't use the petroleum by-products amalgam that is Kingsford or others of that ilk!)  

Then, I take my handy dandy propane torch, available at Menard's and other home improvement centers, and start my charcoal and then clean my grill, easy as can be!  Why anyone does it differently is beyond me- Red hot coals and a clean grill in a minute or so!

Just be sure to wear sunglasses or eye protecting lenses, and gloves... and leathers and a helmet and... just kidding!  It's really not that dangerous at all- just be careful.

Start with your natural, hardwood charcoal all to one side of your grill...

Then, take a cast iron, Dutch Oven (or you could use an aluminum roasting pan), and...
Put your duck inside!  
Take out the "innards" and grill in the oven along with the duck-
But save the liver- I saved mine, and plan to have it along with scrambled eggs and Hollandaise sauce tomorrow morning!



Here is Donald after about an hour or so:


Three hours or so later- Note gizzard at top- REALLY GOOD!


OK, 1/2 hour or so before removing, I whipped up my glaze- I took one peeled orange, soy sauce (don't ask how much- just "a bit"!), local raw honey (same!), and local grade B maple syrup, and whipped them up in the Vitamix blender- one more use for this wondrous appliance!

Then, I heated it up in a small saucepan for about 10 minutes on low, so it would thicken a bit...


While I made the sauce, I took the duck out of the dutch oven, and put it right on the grill, directly over the coals to "brown it up"!

Then, I brushed on the sauce, and flipped the bird, then brushed the other side with 
the delectable sauce! (The duck came with an "orange sauce" that, like most things from our modern "Food" industry was made from chemicals and corn syrup...
I tossed that.)



The taste of this meal was unreal!  I think duck will become my weekly treat and "vitamin supplement", since duck is very nutritious. (And, may I add, very filling- aside from my morning Paleo smoothie, this was all I had all day)!  It was more than enough!


Did I mention duck fat??


I was hoping there would be more, but this was rather a small duck...

Next one will be bigger- and FATTER!

I understand that duck fat is the tastiest fat of all!
I plan to make sweet potato fries with the above- STAY TUNED!!

And remember, if it quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck, well grab it: You are in luck!

J

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Barbarian Fitness and Nutrition- PaleoJay podcast #36

Barbarian fitness and nutrition- PaleoJay podcast #36 on iTunes

Barbarian Fitness and Nutrition- PaleoJay podcast #36- Listen NOW!!


Another designation I have always had for Paleo Quick Start nutrition and exercise is "barbarian fitness".
I know that this just makes people think somewhat negatively about the concept: I mean, weren't barbarians just stupid, and not really "civilized"?

Well, that's right, in a way... they were open to the advantages of civilization, but were also well aware of the weaknesses of civilized living.  Barbarians, in their best sense, have been paleolithic tribal people who also took advantage of the technologies developed by civilized folks when those technologies were to their advantage.

Think of barbarians as living on the "outskirts" of ancient civilizations; primarily Rome.  Germanic tribes were predominant, but there were others; the Celts, the Thracians- many others.

I imagine that they respected the civilized achievements of those Romans, but were highly suspect of the other, what they would have seen as decadent aspects of that same civilization!

I think we, as Paleo folk, are kin to the barbarians:

Living on the outskirts of a civilization that we realize has become... decadent.
Poisoning the environment, lacking in morals, even eating foods that are sadly lacking in the nutrition needed by vital, active humans- barbarians are willing to AVAIL themselves of the benefits of civilization, but are also all too aware of the drawbacks of the lifestyle- the Neolithic grains, the relinquishing of basic human rights to an aristocracy and priestly class- the subservience of civilized stratified life!

So, as "barbarian fitness" practitioners, we should imagine ourselves as living "on the edge" of a corrupt empire, taking advantage where we can from it's bounty, but also cutting ourselves off from the many corrupt shortcomings that have settled into it's workings...

Take the BEST of civilization, and PRESERVE the best of our hunter/gatherer forebears_

This is the role of the BARBARIAN!

To take the best of both worlds.  A kind of hunter/gatherer- civilized person amalgam.

And, speaking of taking advantage of the best way of doing things, let’s talk about sculpting your body- weights and machines are the best way, right?

Wrong!  This is another case of civilized thinking getting it wrong- machines isolate individual muscle planes of motion, and build mostly just bulk.  Free weights, while a better option, also primarily build muscle bulk, and when you haven’t developed the all -important mind-to-muscle connection that is what really lets you tense and develop the musculature with symmetry and proportion- kind of the look of a classic greek statue, not a 300 pound lineman or Olympic or power lifter...

The very best, and most accessible option for maximum safety and optimum results for both men and women is visualized resistance!

You’ll almost never hear this talked about, simply because, just like the Paleo/Ancestral/Primal/Barbarian diet- there is nothing to sell!

You just tense the muscles of your body, methodically, throughout their complete range of motion, kind of a “flexing meditation” that you perform through each plane of motion in turn, until your whole body has been stretched, renewed, and stimulated to grow and shape itself in the very best way for your own genotype!

Sounds too good to be true, I know, but it really is the best thing since sliced brea---, uh, no, I mean since grass finished beef liver on the grill with hollandaise sauce!

Just add in some bodyweight exercise to finish- pushups, chinups, straight legged situps, hindu pushups and hindu squats, and finally some sprinting once a week or so...

You will naturally develop your body to it’s own God given potential, and most NATURAL, appealing, and functional state.

 I do have an eBook about it, explaining the how-to’s in detail, but there is also plenty of info right on my site at www.paleojay.com

So- eat like a barbarian, train like a barbarian, and you will look, feel and perform like a barbarian!  And that is definitely a positive!


J



Friday, June 14, 2013

Fire your Doctor- Fix your Terrain!







Fire your Doctor!  I know- that really sounds, well... really crazy! But trust me, Doctors, when used in a manner to promote health, are terrible advisors as a general rule!

Why?  Because health is not what the modern medical industry is even about- it is about disease- treating the symptoms of disease, rather than actually curing the cause.  That's why modern, Western medicine has become exclusively allopathic in nature, which means treat the symptoms.  For instance; say you have a migraine headache- your allopathic, modern doctor will give you various combinations of drugs to allieve the pain.  There will be little or no attempt to get to the root cause of this unnatural, unhealthy condition, which in a truly healing or wellness doctor would be the approach.  There might be a little about avoiding chocolate, or caffeine, kind of a half-hearted attempt to make a tiny little thing the whole cause- but, by and large, you will get a chemical band-aid to mask your pain, and that's it.

This is like if the indicator light on your car, say the oil pressure light came on, and your mechanic simply put tape over the light on the dash to cover it up!  Getting a migraine headache just like your oil indicator light coming on- your body is telling you that something is seriously wrong- and usually, it is insufficient nutrients, too much stress, not enough sleep, a sedentary life, bad family and friends (tribe!) relations, or a combination of some or all of these factors!

There is even a medical term for cause of death by doctor: latrogenesis.  This is not just malpractice cases- this is death caused by doing exactly as the Doctor ordered!  Drug side effects, medical complications of surgery, anesthetic complications, infections picked up in the hospital- any or all of these combined are the third leading cause of death in the United States.

Kind of makes you want to avoid Doctors and hospitals right there, doesn't it!?

Forget the old, outdated idea of Louis Pasteur and the Germ theory- the idea that we must sterilize everything to abolish disease!  This is not only an impossible task- we now know that we need the "germs", or bacteria to survive ourselves- we are in an intimate partnership with the bacteria in our bodies, especially the many good forms that digest things for us in our gut!

The Terrain Theory, championed by Michael Beauchamp, who was Louis Pasteur's contemporary and rival.  This idea, which is now becoming widely accepted as the correct one, is that the health of the "terrain", i.e. the human body is what is crucial in avoiding disease- if you are really healthy, your body can easily fight off bad bacteria and keep you that way.

It is only when your health has slipped (due to the indicator light causes I spoke of before of not enough nutrients, too little sleep, etc. etc.) that the bad, invading bacteria (germs) can get a good foothold!

So, it may sound simplistic, you really need to GET HEALTHY TO STAY HEALTHY!

And, as a postscript of sorts, I will say if you are BROKEN- in a car wreck, shot with a bullet, some sort of physical extreme trauma- modern western medicine is wonderful for this-they are kind of like a human "body shop" to get you "back on the road"!

But then, it's YOUR job (not your doctor's) to get yourself back to being as healthy as you can be-

Fix your "terrain", your Doctor won't do that- he doesn't even know how!

oh, and did you know- upon his deathbed, Louis Pasteur rose up and said:

"Beauchamp was right- it is all about the terrain!"

J

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Paleo Smoothie for the Taste Conscious- Amasi versus Kefir



I have been using Kefir for quite some time in my Paleo Smoothies, and I love it for its health giving properties of super nutrition and the massive amount of probiotics it provides!  In fact, I use probably a cup and 1/2 or so in each smoothie, since I make my own from raw milk and have a lot on hand.  

I love it!   

However, I realize it has quite a tart sort of taste that not everyone appreciates!  Then, I discovered Amasi, a type of fermented beverage that is very similar to kefir in it's probiotic nutritional benefits of helping you to burn fat, improve digestion, and improve your immune system.  In addition, it tastes fantastic!

So, here is my  Paleo Smoothie for the Taste Conscious:


Just use the above, but substitute Amasi for the Kefir!  

The taste is just amazing, and the benefits are equivalent to that of Kefir!  

If you have small children, or women in your family (women, being the "gatherers" in traditional cultures have a much more sweet sensitive palate)- they are much more concerned with taste than a hunter type of male, who generally prefers strong flavors to sweet; well then get them Amasi!

It tastes just amazing, and if anything covers up the "ick" factor of veggies and other Paleo Smoothie ingredients better than Amasi, I don't know what it is.

And, in addition, Amasi is as healthy in and of itself as any of those "icky" ingredients that it covers up- and tastes wonderful all by itself- A Paleo smoothie just by opening the bottle, really!

So, anyway, when I use Amasi in a smoothie, I use about 1/3 of the 16 ounce bottle, which is plenty- a little goes a long way!  So, it is very price competitive as well...

For convenience, for taste, for traveling, and for price: 

I recommend Amasi.

J

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Senior and Nursing Home Solutions and Successes- PaleoJay Podcast #34






As people get older, and are living longer and longer, they often end up in a nursing home.  I have been involved, as I spoke of last week on the podcast, in that whole scenario with a 90 year old relation.

He had been living on his own, and his nutrition was not ideal, as is the case of most elderly.  He had an open sore on his chest that had remained open for over 2 years, could barely walk, and could no longer lift himself up from a chair.  He almost never walked at all, except when absolutely necessary, and pretty much spent his days reading and watching television... not a good prescription for anybody who wants to remain at all healthy or happy!

Now that he lives nearby, I have begun bringing him a nutritious concoction that is really beginning to turn him around- he loves chocolate milkshakes, and I have a Senior Smoothie, or Easy Paleo Smoothie that really is crammed with actual, life-enhancing nutrition!  It would also be great for anyone of any age, like children- any person that refuses to eat things like veggies, healthy fats and oils, seafood, and prefers the S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) garbage!


The base of the smoothie is: 

Amasi or Kefir  -Both are cultured milk beverages, loaded with probiotics for gut health, since poor gut health and digestion is probably the #1 health problem in the Western world!  This is the base of the drink, and Amasi in particular tastes wonderful all by itself, and the version from Beyond Organic is the only place I know that you can get it-
Here’s the link-

In addition, this drink comes in numerous natural flavors, and is great by itself for travel or lunches!

But, we can make it even better!

So, to sum up:

1/2 bottle (8 oz. ) of Amasi, any flavor

1 banana, (frozen is best- take off the 
peel before freezing the night before!)

1 T of Xylitol or Stevia for sweetness

1F Dynamic Greens chocolate flavor OR

assorted frozen strawberries, raspberries, broccoli, cauliflower, blueberries- keep it changing!  About 1/4 cup of each

Vitamin D liquid supplement

 1/2 cup organic cocoa powder

Magnesium powder, Vitamin C powder

You can sprinkle in some kelp and spirulina like I did- just use what you have on hand- anything loaded with nutrition is great for anybody, seniors and kids especially!

That’s is- run it through the Vitamix on high for a minute or two, and your fussy 9 year old and your fussy 90 year old will both love it!  Just don’t mention what’s in this chocolate shake... 

And trust me, you will like it as much as they do!  Dynamic Greens are sold at many chiropractor’s offices, particularly those in the Maximized Living network, and are also available online, like here:


So, to get back to our recovering senior, the open sore on his chest disappeared!
His swollen, bumpy and dry legs responded to a regimen of coconut oil, rubbed directly onto the legs regularly.  That improvement was almost instantaneous- startling really.  Then, we got him the Loud Ear, since he is quite deaf, so he could hear again (under $30 on Amazon!), and this little hearing amplifier made it possible for him to communicate for the first time in years!  

So, these are some ideas for you to use with your elderly relatives and friends!  Basically, we are using Paleolithic, Real foods to ensure them nutrient dense nutrition- and, I do NOT mean using Ensure that branded drink that they will be given at the nursing home- this stuff if pure crap, and the antithesis of real, God made food: here is the ingredient label for the original version- they’re all just variations on a theme though:

Original
The original Ensure supplement drink contains water, sugar, corn syrup, corn maltdextrin, milk protein concentrate, soy oil, soy protein concentrate, short-chain fructooligosaccarides, cocoa powder, canola oil and less than 0.5 percent of corn oil, potassium citrate, magnesium phosphate, calcium phosphate, magnesium chloride, soy lecithin, sodium citrate, salt, carrageenan, choline chloride, ascorbic acid, natural and artificial flavor, dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, ferric orthophosphate, zinc sulfate, potassium chloride, niacinamide, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, cupric sulfate, vitamin A pamitate, thiamine chloride hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, folic acid, chromium chloride, biotin, sodium mybdate, sodium selenate, potassium iodide, cyanocobalamin, phylloquinone and vitamin D3.

You do NOT want to feed this witch’s brew from a lab to anyone!  And, it costs MORE than Amasi, which is the very best of the best nutritionally!!!

So, there you have it!  Make your own smoothie to ENSURE the health of your loved one!  And, for an even easier smoothie for hurried mornings or on-the-go, get some Amasi, and drink it as it is- easy peasy!!

I’ll see you all next week, speaking into the azure glow of the lighted microphone in the studio of Paleo Jay’s Smoothie Cafe!


J       

Sunday, June 2, 2013

PaleoJay podcast #33- Paleo eating and exercise can keep you out of the nursing home! Really!!




One of the best ways to stay OUT of a nursing home as you age is to keep yourself healthy- duh, I know, it sounds obvious... but most folks have no idea how to achieve this!  It’s not about eating low fat, and keeping your weight down- it’s more about eating HIGH fat, all good fats like pastured butter and free range eggs, coconut oil and grass finished beef- it’s mostly about keeping your muscle mass UP!  

Exercise to increase and sustain muscle mass is not only extremely important as you age, it is utterly crucial.

I have been very involved with an elderly relative lately, and have seen what can happen when you just stay home and watch tv and read, and move less and less as you age... eventually, this person became unable to move hardly at all- needed a powered lift chair to stand, and eventually fell and broke first one hip, and then the other!

The startling thing was, though, how FAST the person gained strength after breaking the first hip, and being FORCED into actual physical therapy and strengthening exercise.  At first, he went to the old line “I’m really not motivated to walk around or exercise”... but he was informed that, if someone on Medicaid refuses to try to improve, they are OUT of the system, and have to pay cash for their care until they are destitute!

What a motivator!

Wouldn’t it be nice if our Welfare system was similarly set up with motivations that rewarded and punished the recipient appropriately to his behavior?

Anyway, within 3 weeks, our elder was walking again, going up stairs , and rising unassisted from his wheel chair!  I saw him doing high rep partial squats with his walker to support him- amazing improvement.  Unfortunately, he became over confident, and tried to go alone to the bathroom in the nursing home without his walker- perhaps he was also just disoriented in the night.  Regardless of the cause, he broke the other hip...

So now he is back in the nursing home with two replaced hips, and exercising daily.  He is now HIGHLY motivated to walk and exercise, realizing what it is to be confined to a bed and wheelchair, and totally dependent on others for everything... and I mean everything!

What does this mean to you?  If you are middle aged, say 40 or so (or even younger- the younger you are the easier it is to start)- 

Start exercising!  The very best form of exercise is virtual, or visualized resistance exercise, where you use your own body itself as the resistance that puts the muscles under tension.  Check out my eBook Perfectly Paleo Exercise for a good overview of that- also, body weight exercises are a great supplement and addition for total health and fitness.

Start eating a paleo type of diet!  www.Paleojay.com will give you lots of information here, and especially Chris Kresser, author of the Personal Paleo Code and the High Cholesterol Action Plan, both of which have links at www.paleojay.com, will lead you into the highest realms of health you can imagine!  Chris Kresser has my highest recommendation, of you are looking for a guru to guide you into maximum health in your golden years- ESPECIALLY  in anything to do with nutrition and wellness!   Link to his products, and the Personal Paleo Code will guide you on a personalized journey into maximizing your health, at a tiny fraction of the cost of one medical exam!  And, if you HAD that exam, and are being told my your MD that you need to take a statin drug for your cholesterol-  definitely read and absorb and follow the High Cholesterol Action Plan BEFORE you go out and follow that prescription!!  Get this plan, and YOU will be forearmed in that now YOU will know far more than your MD about your own condition- this is money very well spent.  Chris also has the Healthy Baby Code, which I also have a link to on my site, so if you or someone close to your is anticipating having a family, or already has a little one, this is a must get!  You can’t start your health maximization too young!

Get adequate sleep!  Nothing too involved here, but it is absolutely crucial, as I say all too often...just make sure you have a dark bedroom, with no electronics in it, and above all- get to bed really, really early!  Enjoy it- it is so super important for your health both mental and physical.

WALK!  I don’t mean “cardio” here- I don’t mean “exercise” here- I just mean walk!  This is what humans do, what we have done, what we are meant to do, and NEED to do.  All the old adages apply:  park far away from the store- hike in the woods- take stairs not elevators- walk barefoot around your yard and at the beach, just WALK.  Keep moving- walking is not optional!

So there you go- don’t be like the very last generation, the WW2 generation, that by and large thought that physical comfort was the be all and end all- be more like all of the previous generations of human beings, who knew that staying active and healthy was not only necessary and desirable, it was our birthright and our joy!  

If you take an animal, say, a cat, and immobilize it; try to make it unable to move, to walk, to climb- that cat will go crazy with anxiety- animals know instinctively that immobility is death, and will do anything to avoid it-

GO THOU AND DO LIKEWISE!  

Ernistine Sheperd did:   



Take care until next week, and keep moving!

PJ