The Paleo Diet - Robb Wolf on Paleolithic nutrition, intermittent fasting, and fitness

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The Paleo Solution – Episode 50

Halfway to a hundred!  I can’t believe we have made it this far…

Download a transcript of Episode 50

We lost our internet connection for a few minutes so I edited out about 3 minutes of silence.

Show Topics:

  1. Military Deployment
  2. Sardines in Soy Bean Oil
  3. Gall Bladder Removal
  4. Issues with Foods High in Antioxidants
  5. Cramps During Menstrual Cycle
  6. Mass Gain for Type 1 Diabetic
  7. Requirement to Sleep in Pitch Black Room?
  8. New to Fasting
  9. Lucid Dreams in a Ketogenic State
  10. The Missing Food Matrix
  11. Kindle or eBook Version of “The Paleo Solution”
  12. Define Occasional Use of Butter
  13. Paleo Bars for Traveling
  14. Improving Sleep Quality
  15. Tolerate Dairy Post-Workout
  16. Increased Bruising
  17. Autolyzed Yeast Extract
  18. Breakfast Options

Show Notes – The_Paleo_Solution_Episode_50

Download episode here.

Comments

  1. With regards to menstrual pain, having suffered horrendously from it in the past, and having eliminated it – this is what worked for me:
    (Melissa did not say what diet / supplements / exercise she already does)

    Omega 3, take at least 2000mg EPA + DHA day. Omega 3 made the biggest difference for me, and does for many clients.
    Paleo works, make sure it is dairy free. Dairy seems to aggravate PMS and menstrual pain.
    As Robb said try adding GLA (didn’t work for me – but does for others I know)
    Magnesium: take 400mg day- It has vaso-dilatory and muscle relaxant effects, as well as inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandin F2 alpha (a pro-inflammatory hormone). It made a big difference for my daughter, and helped me too in eliminating the last little bit of pain.
    Zinc: in one study 1 to 3 x 30mg doses were given daily for one to four days prior to onset of menses, and prevented virtually all menstrual cramping.

    Regular intense exercise, CrossFit works even twice a week.

    Acupressure – there is an a pressure point on your ankle / foot that is very effective at eliminating cramps if they start – get a specialist to show you, so you can put pressure there yourself when needed.

    Also if nothing helps – make sure there are no underlying medical issues such as endometriosis or fibroids.

    Reply

  3. Hey Robb, regarding the paleo powerbar question, what about a place where you design your own bars like: http://www.youbars.com/

    Looks like you can design your own paleo-friendly bars there (but I haven’t actually tried them yet so I’m not vouching for them or anything per se)

    Reply

  4. Gentlemen and Gato,

    Haven’t been able to listen to the podcast just yet but as a non-sequitor here is a link to a report about a correlation between B12 levels and Alzheimer’s/dementia:
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11569602
    Beware this alarming development, Robb! Remember, if Paleo ends up being real science instead of pseudo-science you will end up in the same sort of difficult regulatory position as Vince McMahon would be if the WWF suddenly became a real sport.

    Reply

  5. Hi Andy and Rob, Thanks a lot for answering my questions. The answers are very much in line with what I hoped. Don’t worry Andy I’ll raise my carbo-intake to 50 grams by adding sweet potatoes. Lost in translation yes :). Curcuma = Turmeric.

    Reply

    • Google failed me on trying to find the actual study this came from – anyone else have any luck?

      I find it amusing that it says “bread”, but then says it was made from “plant roots similar to potatoes.” Hmm, like sweet potatoes and Optimal Foraging Theory, maybe?

      Reply

  11. Hey Robb,

    We’ve spoken a couple times before, you changed my life through one of your seminars back in 2008. Since then I’ve dropped a lot of unnecessary weight, I can see my abs, I have reversed the beginning stages of fatty liver disease and got my blood work out of scary territory,and I have run two ultramarathons in the past two months.

    I know that Paleo works.

    However, I ran across this article this morning: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101018/india_nm/india522760
    It says that bread was around 30,000 years ago and that this may upset the fans of a Paleolithic diet. It doesn’t affect me at all because I am getting the results I want by eating Paleo, but it does contradict the ideas that we have about the timeline of human nutrition. Have you seen this? Do you have any thoughts on it?

    Thanks amigo,
    Steve

    Reply

  12. Re: #5… I’m tinkering with this stuff myself too — 40-50g of GLA/day?? That sounds like a lot, I thought I was getting in around 2-3g per day with the supps I ended up finding locally- http://www.barleans.com/specialty-oils.asp – I wonder if you meant 4-5g? I could be crazy though.

    As a female experiencing this stuff too and on a Paleo gig pretty cleanly– the estrogen concerns are big here especially for those of us who have ever been on the pill. I’d say tinker for a few months or so with the oils and the milk thistle but I absolutely second the advice to find out where your hormones are and to dial that in.

    D 🙂

    Reply

  13. Hi there! Loving the podcast!

    Regarding menstrual cramps, I used to have them so badly that I would find myself in tears quite regularly. I don’t have any science to back this up but here are three things that helped me.

    First, absolutely no caffeine the day before you expect cramps and while you have cramps. I stopped using Midol and felt better already. Now I don’t drink tea, coffee, or eat chocolate (I know, killer).

    Second, make yourself take a walk. I don’t know why it helps but it does, 100% of the time. It helps me stand up straighter, which alleviates pressure, I guess? I don’t know, it helps. Now I always hit the gym the first couple of days. It helps with the fatigue too…

    Finally, I have a friend who basically force fed me parsley tea. It tastes weird, and it might just be mental, but it helps.

    Reply

    • Robin, I still drink coffee (1 – 2 espressos a day)and eat chocolate!. The other things made all the difference – lots of omega 3, regular intense exercise, dairy free paleo and magnesium.

      Reply

  14. Hi Robb, Great job with the podcasts. I’m learning a ton.

    One follow-up question on the primrose oil/borage question oil for cramps. Your recommendation was 40-50gms a of GLA per day for weeks 1-2 or 1-3 of the cycle. This seems to be a huge amount (40 or 50 pills a day). Is this dosage recommendation correct?

    Reply

  16. On the vivid dream Question, I’ve experienced it lately too but I thought it was do to increasing my Magnesium, Calcium, and Vitamin D intake and maybe getting a better deeper sleep more than Keyto diet.

    Reply

  18. Re: Question 4: Could this be a salicylate intolerance issue? I have a similar problem in that when I eat curry or berries (both super-high in salicylates) or other high-salicylate foods like tomato sauce, aspirin, almonds etc. on a regular basis, I get flaky, irritated skin around the nose. Some folks also experience increased sun sensitivity with this and/or a pretty wild variety of other symptoms (mine are mostly neurological). Most foods that are high in antioxidants are also high in salicylate.

    Reply

  20. Just a thought about a “blood sugar crash” when not eating within a given period of time, especially for the newcomers to Paleo. There needs to be a distinguishment between a diabetic’s blood sugar getting too low due to overmedication and a person that is maladapted to a lower carb diet.
    For the diabetic crowd, this is a legitimate concern.
    For the not diabetic crowd that is adjusting to a lower carb diet, that feeling of lightheadness is not a “blood sugar crash” that requires immediate intervention, aka carb repletion. That is part of teh adaptive process. Correcting this with carbs prolongs the addiction.
    Make the distinguishment.

    Reply

  21. FYI – For anyone who can’t get enough of the Paleo Solution, here’s a Cross Fit Live call-in show with Robb Wolf circa June 2005. Interesting to hear how Robb’s thinking has evolved. http://drop.io/Paleo

    Reply

  23. Hey Robb,

    This podcast is not appearing on iTunes?? I can’t get my weekly Paleo Solution fix!…I can feel the withdrawal symptoms coming on!

    Thanks for all your hard work!

    Reply

  25. am I just jumping the gun or is this episode not going to be available on iTunes? At any rate, can’t wait to hear another one. Keep it going, guys.

    Reply

  27. I’m working on getting my Paleo thinking correct.
    Does anyone have any insight on the appropriateness of making/using my own Almond Milk and/or Coconut Milk and integrating it into my daily eating regiment?

    My plan was to put a cup-or-so of it into a morning shake (in addition to spinach, Blueberries, Flaxseed). I’d also scramble up 4 egg whites.

    This brings up the question of Flaxseed…
    I was thinking this was a good way to get Omega3 – I’ve since read that this is actually in the form of ALA and it is therefor better to just stick with fish oil (currently take Krill oil) – is this correct?

    More seed questions – I currently use sesame seeds and put them on my lunch (had heard they were a good source of magnesium); are their problems using seeds (sesame seeds in particular) that i should be aware of?

    Thanks,
    J

    Reply

    • Hey J- I can answer some of these food-related questions. They’re good ones 🙂

      Re: making almond/coconut milk… I think that’s legit stuff. WAY better to make almond milk than to buy it. I’m not sure how the texture of homemade coconut milk will be but if you like it, go for it.

      Re: n3 in flax… the ALA isn’t converted as well into the final, usable form of DHA that your body wants. Most fish oils are EPA (which is just one step in the conversion process away from DHA) and readily accessible DHA blends. That’s definitely a better source. That said, if you happen to like flax seeds, ground seeds or oil, keep ’em cold and use them if you like them. The ground flax gives smoothies some tooth-feel if you’re making them (if you’re trying to mass-gain).
      http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/Content/Issue/80/SciNow_chart.jpg
      http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=81

      Egg whites? What about the yolks?

      Re: sesame seeds- yes, good source of magnesium… but probably not as much of it is bioavailable as in a supplement since it’s just a straight shot of magnesium. That said, the cofactors for micronutrients that exist in whole foods really can’t be beat. If you like sesame seeds, use them. I say raw is better than toasted though toasted taste better. Sesame seeds can also be used to check your stool transit time… if you’re looking for another good use for the little suckers. Swallow 2 teaspoons of them whole and see when the majority of them are passed. 12-24 hours is a healthy transit time.
      http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=84

      Reply

  28. Robb – in your book you talk about the matrix of paleo foods where you pick a protein, pick a fat, etc, and come up with meals. I liked that because that’s basically what I did without formally thinking about it as a matrix. Anyway, I got my friend who write iPhone apps to make an automatic paleo meal picker.

    If anyone is interested, it’s here: itunes.apple.com/us/app/paleo-spinner/id398013084?mt=8

    Robb – send me an email and I’ll get a secret promo code to you to download it for free.

    Reply

  29. Hey, this is the Russell who asked the question about lucid dreaming while in Ketosis. You guy’s have also answered several of my other questions. Always great to get a custom answer, you guy’s rock! Anyway, I submitted that question about 2 weeks ago (I think) and since then the dreams continue. The frequency may have dropped a little but I’m still experiencing deep lucid and vivid dreaming probably 4 times a week. I’m not complaining, I just find it interesting that the timing worked out the way it did. Meaning that I had been keeping my carbohydrates around 90-100 grams a day. Then I decided to see if I could go to 20 or below and do some ketosis. So I limited carbs for about a week, and then “BAM” lucid dreams like crazy! It sounds extremely geeky but all I could think about were dream quests and stuff like that and thought maybe there was records linking lo-carb or ketosis to lucid dreams. Then again, maybe it has nothing to do with it and is just coincidental. Anyway, if you want to stay updated drop me a line.

    Thanks, Robb and Andy!

    Russ

    Reply

  30. What do you think of cracklin’ (fried pig fat)?

    Am I to assume it’s all about the omega 3/6’s (hence the source of the pig and the type of oil used in frying are key)?

    Thanks for the great work you do.

    Listener #7 lives in New Orleans, Louisiana!!!!

    -Ric

    Reply

  33. What happened to having Mat Lalonde being featured as a guest? Jimmy Moore has him scheduled to air on 11-15-10. It’d make a great anniversary episode!

    Keep up the great work! I look forward to next time.

    Reply

  34. I have a lot of shoulder issues (subluxations) and joint issues. I’m currently sleeping in the fetal position with a pillow in between my knees on a memory foam mattress. I found your “firm mattress” topic on the podcast very interesting. Should I be sleeping on a firm mattress on my back, instead of on my side? If Robb or anyone has some expert advice on the topic, I’d love to hear it. I hate the idea that I’m messing up my shoulders more with my

    Here is Kelly Starrett on sleeping, though he doesn’t say whether it’s better to sleep on your back or side.
    http://crossfitjupiter.typepad.com/my_weblog-deleted-20090408-lh3hl-deleted-20090408-7pmfw/2010/09/good-sleeping-habits-from-kelly-starrett-from-crossfit-san-francisco.html

    Reply

    • I’d have to go with firm/on back but I do the fetal-pillow propping also. Had a shoulder injury several years ago getting GLen ready for a fight and it get’s cranky with a bad position.

      Reply

  35. Robb,

    Thanks for the podcasts! Great job!
    I’d heard on a previous podcast you recommended zinc supplementation.

    I’ve notice on the back of the bottles they they are derived a ton of different ways – which is best?
    Additionally, cleated vs. non-cleated, what’s the deal there?

    Thanks!
    J

    Reply

  36. Robb,

    I have a fairly severe case of Raynauds syndrome. Basically my hands and fingers turn white and become numb/completely unusable when it’s even just a little chilly outside. I’m considering going on medication for it b/c I just started college in Colorado Springs and I foresee a nasty winter in my future. The recommended drugs are a class of drugs called “calcium channel blockers.” Amolodopine is a common example. Apparently they can cause some serious side affects:headaches and dizziness, so they are definitely a last resort. Do you know of any ways that I could treat this problem in a more “natural” way? In case it matters, I already eat 100% paleo (generally low carb except for a post workout sweet potato) with no cheats (paleo is just to darn delicious). Any info/advice would be greatly appreciated.

    Reply

    • Matt,
      Robb answered a question about Raynauds in a previous podacast, but I cant find it, however as a fellow sufferer I can relate – so took a few notes, I’ve also been doing a little research:
      Control insulin and blood sugar, might be related to insulin resistance (although going strict low carb paleo didn’t make much difference to mine) Robb suggested omega 3, magnesium, and Alpha lipoic acid.

      I’ve also researched it a little here’s a few supplements that people / studies report helped:
      Take a high dose of Omega 3 3000mg day (EPA+ DHA)
      Magnesium citrate 400mg day
      Alpha lipoic acid 1000mg day
      Acetyl-L-Carnitine 1500mg per day
      Vitamin E 200iu day
      Ginko http://www.raysahelian.com/raynauds.html
      Cinnamon http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2010/04/11/cinnamon-conquered-raynauds-symptoms/
      Astragalus root (traditionally used in Chinese medicine for improving circulation)

      Reply

  37. Hey Robb, Cliff Bar makes a new product called the “C” bar. They Consist of just nuts, fruit, and a little salt. Once again no protein, but would work for a Paleo while traveling option. I’ve had a few and they’re quite delicious!

    Reply

  38. Hi I have a question that I’ve been thinking about for a while now. I hurt my back a while ago (two bulged discs) and have been unable to work out for a couple months while doing PT and whatever else trying to heal. My question is, do you have any specific diet suggestions to help the healing move quickly, and not lose too much muscle and conditioning at the same time? I’ve been paleo for a year and a half now, so I’m sticking pretty much with my usual diet. However, I find that I’m not hungry much because I’m not working out and have lost about 5 pounds of muscle (I’m 5’11” and 170lbs, so that’s a lot for me). I hesitate to go too hypercaloric because I don’t want to increase inflammation and possibly effect the healing. Any thoughts on this one?

    Thanks for all the help over the years. The book is great, and I’m buying at least 3 copies of it for family and friends this Christmas!
    -Jeff

    Reply

  39. Robb,

    What is your opinion on compression skins? http://www.skinsusa.com/
    Do you think they really improve recovery, or is it all a load of bull? Obviously they are unnecessary/worthless for recreational athletes. What about elite/industrial athletes though?

    Reply

  40. Robb,

    You mentioned two recent studies at the beginning of this podcast. Not able to spot them in Google Scholar. Would appreceiate title or links.

    Thanks a bunch.

    Ronin

    Reply

  41. Hey Robb,

    I was wondering why no Mat on the podcast yet too? Seems you promised that very early on and we are still waiting for you and Mat to be on together. It will be a great one!

    Reply

  42. For Spanky McMcMc,

    Try Vital Choice for sardines and other canned fish. They have several choices of oil incl. my favorite organic olive oil. The mackeral in olive oil is also delicious. They mail order to Ontario (I’m in Ottawa) really quickly.

    They also have some yummy 85% dark chocolate.

    They are highly recommended.

    Rene

    Reply

  43. Robb-

    How do you feel about mixing Creatine Monohydrate in my Natural Calm at night? I find mixing creatine in hot water certainly helps it dissolve much better than with cold water etc. Would there be any negatives to mixing it with magnesium? My hypothesis was that alot of people complain of dehydration when taking creatine, but my wild guess is alot of that has to do with the fact that you using up alot of water to to dissolve it once it gets in your system. This would seem to solve that problem.

    Reply

  45. Just writing to endorse Ketosis = Very vivid, if not lucid dreams. So much that I woke up saying “enough already.” Seems to have been a phase that I’m out of….maybe the sweet potatoes after work out.

    Reply

  46. Show Topics:

    Military Deployment 3.12
    Sardines in Soy Bean Oil 5.49
    Gall Bladder Removal 8.15
    Issues with Foods High in Antioxidants 9.45
    Cramps During Menstrual Cycle 15.27
    Mass Gain for Type 1 Diabetic 18.45
    Requirement to Sleep in Pitch Black Room? 21.30
    New to Fasting 24.56
    Lucid Dreams in a Ketogenic State 28.49
    The Missing Food Matrix 30.02
    Kindle or eBook Version of “The Paleo Solution” 37.28
    Define Occasional Use of Butter 38.24
    Paleo Bars for Traveling 39.30
    Improving Sleep Quality 44.28
    Tolerate Dairy Post-Workout 48.27
    Increased Bruising 50.27
    Autolyzed Yeast Extract 51.33
    Breakfast Options 52.21

    Reply

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robb

Robb Wolf is a former research biochemist and 2X New York Times/Wall Street Journal Best-selling author of The Paleo Solution and Wired To Eat. Along with Diana Rodgers, he co-authored the book, Sacred Cow, which explains why well-raised meat is good for us and good for the planet. Robb has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world via his top-ranked iTunes podcast, books, and seminars. He also co-founded the 1st and 4th CrossFit affiliate gyms in the world, The Healthy Rebellion community platform, and is the co-founder of DrinkLMNT Electrolytes.

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