So…I’ve been thinking about “what next?” My goal with this blog has always been to have fun and help as many people as possible. I’ve been kicking this around and I’m trying to figure out what else needs to be done. Here is what we have:
FAQ
If you look around in that FAQ I feel like there is damn near everything one needs to get going on this stuff. We cover the big pictures of hyperinsulinism, autoimmunity, celiac, tweaking things for athletics. Oh, and I have a book that delves into all that stuff and more. So, what else do you need? What will help you, friends, family, clients etc. get in and give this stuff a shot? I’ve had an idea about a big flow chart:
Need to Lose fat? Go here–>
Need to improve Athletic performance? Go here–>
But my reticence with that is all that information is ALREADY in the FAQ…but maybe this is a better way to get that information out to folks. I have some ideas, but what do y’all think?
Big things on the horizon. Physicians Network, a revamped Paleo Solution Seminar…lots of goodies.
Unsurprisingly, when I adopted a paleo diet 2.5 years ago, I dropped 70# of fat and got much healthier, much stronger and benefitted in many other ways. I’ve been a paleo advocate ever since, and have had scores of conversations that mimic the types of questions you get on your podcast.
So, with that background, what I think folks need most are specific stories of how people implement paleo in their lives. Real on-the-ground stuff. I wrote a blog post after I first lost the weight and what people really grabbed on to was the “day in the life” sort of approach.
I can hear the groans already, that yes, some people may fall into the trap of following someone else’s diet too closely, even though their needs are different. I think this is a minor concern. We know from good storytelling, that when we hear stories with lots of detail, we immediately places ourselves in that story and start to experience the story in first person. I think most of us are smart enough to hear dozens of narratives of a paleo day-in-the-life without clinging too desperately to the fact that “Steve S. from Paleotown eats peanut butter every other day!” and take in the breadth and diversity that is the paleo diet, lived through many of its practitioners.
Brian-
This seems easy, i ask folks for testimonials from a variety of sources and perspectives.
I agree that organizing testimonials here on the site would be helpful. I know it’s a time-consuming task but I don’t know that the site search tool is robust enough. The testimonials currently are more around the book vs what the book has DONE for the tons of people who’ve written in.
I like the idea of getting a bunch of these organized into categories and posted accordingly.
Well, what I’m suggesting aren’t exactly testimonials exactly. In fact, some folks might even get discouraged by them, in that we’re celebrating success that, while true, can seem unachievable. They are valuable, but what I’m suggesting is more specific to a day-in-the-life.
For example:
Name and Location
Current Athletic Overview (Crossfit 3-4 times per week, trail running once a week, etc.)
Nutrition Goals (Aiming to lose more weight? Adding muscle? Long-term health?)
Health issues?
Current Body weight
Typical Nutrition: What does a typical day look like? Not only what, but how. Do you cook this at home? Ahead of time? How do you eat out? What do you order?
How/when do you consume “cheat” foods?
What do you struggle with?
Any comments about going paleo?
I think this lets people really connect with others that may have similar goals or backgrounds and see exactly how they typically eat. Almost every person I know who eats paleo is always asking one another what they’re eating.. implementation is where most of the questions come from.
Yes – I like the idea of a structured data input form, with drop down menus and radio buttons so the data is somewhat standardized and consistent and details don’t get all lost in the narrative of their story. Individuals can provide as much info as they feel comfortable sharing.
As for the daily dietary stuff, they could use fit day and post the results [like here: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fitday-results/%5D
Also before and after health issues with symptoms, test results, bio markers, etc
And the ability to return to the post later and update on progress, test results, fitness gains, etc.
Perhaps one of your minions with coding skills could put something together [à la the Robb Wolf fish oil calculator].
Agreed. “Paleo Profiles” or something like that? I’d be happy to build it if you like the idea, Robb.
Love the Physicians Network idea. The more we can get on board with this mindset the better.
Hi Robb,
Mark Rippetoe recently as been hosting some “Coaches Round Table” events, in which he invites famous strength coaches (like Tommy Suggs, Jim Wendler, etc.) to his gym, and attendees are given a chance to ask these coaches questions. There’s no structured educational content. Just pure Q and A.
I am sure it would be a logistical nightmare for you to pull off, but I think a similar “Nutritionists Round Table” would work well. It would be a very fascinating experience to hear people like you, Matt Lalonde, Mark Sisson, and Loren Cordain answer questions from an audience.
BTW, the idea is not to have everybody totally agree on everything. I am sure you have differences with some of the above people. That’s fine. It would be good to hear them.
Anyway, I hope this idea takes off. Great web-site and information. You really are building a nice community.
Take care,
Matt
Great idea…how to pull that off.
we HAVE to get this message to be “mainstream.” out of the gyms and into the unhealthy population. maybe we can organize some talks for other docs, the community, etc. start small, let it go viral!!
Webinar?
It is a great format for discussion with visuals.
Webinars would be a fantastic way to start, AJP!
I would definitely pay for a webinar or DVD.
As for the logistics, you don’t need to be in the same room – use web cameras and skype.
Are the links missing?
Which links Dave?
The ones that should be after “go here –>”
ill check that.
I am having the same problem Robb…no clicking or opening the links.
Ok, will check that.
Robb, didn’t your Norcal site once have a forum? If I recall, it had a ton of info on it but I can’t find it any more. It’d be great to have it as a resource.
No, not at the NorCal site. Good one at the performancemenu.
I think the most challenging thing for me has been “How do I do this on a day-to-day basis?” with a crazy busy schedule and a family with kids to feed. Especially because we are often on the go. Things like sandwiches are very easy to take along. Paleo food, not so much. If you had a Fat Loss track and an Athlete’s Track, maybe a Family Track would also make sense. Especially since feeding the rest of my family like this is breaking my budget!
Robin-
I think that is Sarah’s schtick at Everydaypaleo.com but I’ll think on how to make it work.
Wiki Wiki Wiki.
Did I say Wiki?
Sell me on this Wayne, what would be involved?
Well I would see it not as “true” wiki, one that anyone could edit, but rather an approved author based wiki where selected individuals could contribute information for the greater knowledge base.
Various topics would setup in the wiki such as a book overview, FAQ, basic diet, basic exercises, tips and suggestions, medical research data, etc. It would be a first stop for people looking for information. Someone setup a Starting Strength wiki (http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Starting_Strength_Wiki) that kind of gives an idea of what I’m thinking. My suggestion would be to host the wiki yourself and not on a site wikia.com, mainly to maintain ownership and control of the information.
This is another example of what I’m thinking too. This one is a true wiki in that anyone could author/edit pages. http://ac.wikkii.net/wiki/ACC_Wiki_Home
Main issue with the everyone can author/edit approach is it puts a burden on someone to verify things. Got to make sure it isn’t spam posts, off-topic, incorrect, etc.
Yea…I am so time crunched as it is. If we had someone to champion it that is one thing but unfortunately, it can’t be me.
I’m sure you could get a group of volunteers that you could trust to help out. Main issue is getting a wiki setup with the proper structure and permissions. Not sure who does your web stuff right now but that is where I would start. I can offer some advice, setup a couple of wikis for work and play. I’ve used PmWiki to date, no database, just needs PHP. Lots of good add-ins (cookbooks) for running things.
I’m talking to Amber right now, thanks Wayne!
One thing I was thinking of security wise, while it would be good to have the majority of a wiki secure so only certain people would add, edit, or delete, a section for registered users to do the same could be good too. I’m thinking along the lines of a user created recipe section.
Just another thought to toss out there.
We need u to come to Australia!
We will do it!
Ask the audience… what a concept!
All I need is my weekly podcast fix, it provides a deeper understanding and motivation (and entertainment!).
I’m really stoked about the Physicians Network – I think thats really a big missing link. Doctors and the USDA seem like the only things standing in the way of the critical mass that this thing needs. Speaking of which, I’m searching out a Dr. in the NoVA/DC area if anyone knows of any out here…
Thanks for everything you’ve done Robb, you’ve changed a lot of lives. Keep on it!
Hey Robb,
I would love the simple “need to do X, go HERE” approach. Knowing myself, it’s very easy to get caught up in the minor details (0.8 g/lb or 1.25 g/lb of protein) instead of just sticking to the basics and letting time tell you how to adjust. I constantly battle with myself on whether or not to count calories and macronutrient grams instead of keeping it simple. I know my goals and I know that many people have gotten great results without being anal about details but I always need to be reminded of that. Overall, I think the simple approach helps many, informed and uninformed. By the way, no fruit and no nuts has helped me lean out, go figure.
I think the big flow chart idea is brilliant, actually. And here’s why:
Think of all the times you’ve covered on the podcast, “How do I lose weight?” You’ve got the standard answer, which works for 90%(?) of people, but if it doesn’t work, then there are things you suggest (certain bloood tests, going even lower carb, mild caloric restriction, etc.). Because while some answers work for some, other people need to really drill it down and cover multiple bases before they see change. (I’d love to see that flow chart for weight loss, by the way – it’d save you guys from fielding another podcast question on it, too!)
I can see the flow chart hitting that need square on; people try one thing, and if that doesn’t work, it’s on to the next. Process of elimination and all that. Real pseudo-science at work!
And (sorry, you’ve got me all hot and bothered, now), when people report back to you with their results, you can hone the flow chart, revise recommendations, add cool new info/links/studies/etc… imagine the possibilities.
Damn, you need to be my PR person!!
Hey, I’m game! I’m more a webdesigner/marketer kinda guy, but PR ain’t far behind…
By the way, for this idea, I’d stick with flow charts rather than wikis – wikis can lead you in circles too easily, while a flow chart with links provides much more structure and organization of ideas.
Well, I see these as two completely different need/interest areas. I’m not going to put together a flow chart for everything because things fall under a few broad categories.
I like this idea a lot too as it would allow a drill down approach. At first, the basics are great, but I’m in tweaking mode now and the more subtle things get, the harder it can be put it together.
Also, there are lots of variants. For instance I’m leaning out, but doing linear strength training so it critical for me to make my lifts and keep getting stronger. How am I doing that? Well the basics of course (paleo, good sleep, lifestyle stuff, etc.) but getting into the nitty gritty of cortisol and insulin resistance has been tough. Then there’s the intermittent fasting approach to potentially throw in.
Anyway, you get the point– some kind of hyper-linked flow chart (and a Wiki may be a good way to execute this) would be pretty awesome. Doing a Wiki is pretty simple actually– you just need the back-end set up (which most web servers now have built-in) and you start creating pages and adding content. Search is built in. The only trick is that your editors (you?) really would need to learn to the grammar of it–it’s just a few tags, but you would have to get fluent in it to make it work I think.
Robb– your book has changed my life for the better– thank you.
yes, an interactive flow chart with embedded links
Definitely this.
Hey Robb, I have a couple ideas that I think could help people.
1. A video blog: because you could use graphics to help explain difficult concepts or to demonstrate exercises etc.
2. a video series on cooking: I really like the Road Forager and think you can build off of that and show how to mAke easy paleo recipes at home.
3. You could have more guests on the podcast: it would give you a break and allow you to introduce the great work of other people in the research/medical/fitness community.
I vote for Adam K as your PR person, because I really like the flow chart too, especially with regards to weight loss. I also love the idea of a forum, and more success stories! And of course I would personally like to hear more from women over fifty that have had success. I just finished day 4 of the 30 day Challenge, but decided to exclude all the foods that you list on page 201 as problematic as well. If I don’t lose weight doing this, I’m not sure what else I could do!
I think you and Andy have alluded to this a number of times but the big step between just knowing what to do and doing it is where coaching can have an impact. I think this is the difference between having the information available and being accountable and successful. I know for my own part I’ve tried to get a group together, provide information, provide encouragement and “coaching” of a sort, all in an attempt to force my own accountability. Sadly I was unsuccessful in my own endeavor and couldn’t get a single person to join that group, despite many folks say “oh yes I’m in.”
My point being that there are those who will just geek out on the science and fail to have the self control and others who will do it without fail and never know why.
When I look at my personal experience with crossfit, the success I’ve seen in myself and others is a result of the community that exists in the facilities, not the magic of crossfit.
The question in my mind, is how to make it more than just brutalizing workouts? How can you recreate that culture, with broader and deeper without the prohibitively high price of a crossfit style gym?
Sorry, it’s more questions than answers, but these are the questions I ask myself in my quest to make a business of improving lives with the benefit of the ancestral health movement.
Maybe a directory of Paleo related blogs. It might help some answer the question of what eating Paleo looks like in real life. A one or two sentence description next to a link for each one would be great and easy for someone to go down the list to see which they might find helpful.
Also, as mentioned above, a forum might be a neat place for people to share tips and ask questions pertaining to the day to day.
In the bigger picture these are both ways of connecting the Paleo eating community. I think many would benefit from anything that accomplishes this.
I think the physician network is what’s most desperately needed right now.
A collection of peer reviewed articles all whipped up into one place (or referenced so as to not step on any copyrights) so when I tell my colleagues their food could give them cancer (or metabolic syndrome,etc) they don’t put their hand on their waist and say “yah show me the literature”.
Robb,
I second that! I would LOVE to see a collection of the lit…you know I could put that to good use around here!!
Jamie
searchable transcripts of the podcasts.
also… could the next book have an index, please? i keep checking my (multiple) cop(ies) before i make this request, thinking surely i overlooked the index, and if i just look one more time, it’ll be there….
michele-
Index will be out in the 2nd edition. I could make that available for free download if there are not too many changes between 1-2.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, for the index download should it become available.
I use indexes a LOT, and would especially in a GREAT book like yours.
When a paperback book comes out (with an index) I will buy a copy.
BTW, I am on day 45 of the 30 day Paleo Sol’n trial – the first three weeks were TOUGH (but, I was also switching from Synthroid to a type of Amour; I was on the autoimmune Paleo Sol’n version).
I just tried two days with a lot of cheating (wheat, sugar, and dairy). I felt quite bad – my throat glands were swollen, tender and sore. And I was amazingly GASSY – flatulence to the Nth degree constant, LOUD, LARGE, LONG passages of odorless gas!!!
I am going back to Paleo – nuts seem OKAY, and I really like them, so I will eat and observe.
Thanks for all you do, Robb.
That sounds…fun! keep us posted.
+1 on podcast transcripts
There are services that do this for a very reasonable rate – IIRC as low as $.30-.50/min. [they use mechanical turk or outsource to India]. At that rate a typical podcast would cost $20-30 – I think people would be willing to kick in $$ to fund this some way.
There is a huge utility in having the transcript. For starters, you can easily read the transcript of a 60min show in 10min. Also as a reference tool – it means being able to search the site and find where specific topics were mentioned in previous podcasts. And it would be indexed by google, so it would drive traffic to your site.
It’s something you could test out for a couple of podcasts and see what kind of response you get, comment feedback, server logs, etc.
Robb,
I would love to help out with the physician network. Been lecturing on Paleo and low carb diet – lifestyle for 2 years now to my patients and at big box gyms for the last year. It is lonely out here in Iowa and most are very skeptical here in the midwest of the low-carb, higher fat, higher protein deal. There are a ton of registered dietitians that out number ‘paleo-quacks’ 200 to 1. Even at the local cross-fit gyms who all seem to have a dietitian either as an owner or trainer (they mostly preach ‘intuitive eating’ whatever that is with lots of dairy for all women).
We could reach so many more by getting the network up and running.
Keep up the great work.
Matt Wilson DC, CCWP
Thanks Doc! This is exciting stuff!
I like the idea of a physicians network.
The flow chart sounds great too.
What about something for nutritionists (like me) who are working with people and teaching paleo principles.
A frequently updated resource of clinical studies posted (or links to them)
A resource of more technical info, with more biochemistry
A course specifically for nutritionists working with paleo principles – that goes into more depth for those who have read your book, been to your paleo day.
A place where nutritionists / physicians etc can post case studies or ask questions about clients / share info that works.
a bunch of that is in the works.
Hi Robb, a patient sent me your link to the paleophysicians network but I never get the confirmational email that gives “further instructions”. I would sure like to be involved in this network. I am a solo family practice guy, I’ve been doing holistic medicine since 02′ and recommending paleo recently as I have been doing it myself and seeing the obvious benefits.
Doc! I did not see you on the back-end. Did you go through the full enrollment process? that will put your profile in que and then we check it and ok it.
And for naturopaths like me.
Well, it is probably something that only depends on the publisher, but I will mention it anyway: What I really really would like is a German language version of your book (or even just eBook) so that I could give it to family members that are not able to read English books.
in the works.
Full podcast transcriptions would also be nice. Or have the timestamps listed next to the content listing, so that it is easy to skip things that one is not interested in.
my request is what to do when basic paleo “isn’t wortking as well as a person would like due to x circumstances”
i mean, i love paleo, and actually have taken to eating my grass fed meat almost raw for faster benefits, due to some insane life long unknown auto immune condition that i’m battling with my doctor.
basically, i want a magic-er bullet, what can us extremists do to really be healthy?
paleo v2.0
that’s relatively easy. try to go even bigger (meaning, reach the masses). for example, mark hyman (http://is.gd/hpe3e), a leader in functional medicine, very obviously an extremely bright and knowledgeable guy, recently has held a talk for authors@google wrt brain health and depression. if you watch it (http://t.co/eQDzgFy ), and read a bit between the lines, you will probably also recognize that he *might* be working together with google to expand google health with some kind of functional medicine expert system (people input their med. history, symptoms, lab data, etc, and google health outputs the most likely causes and solutions). at least that’s my interpretation. there are already such networks like http://www.curetogether.com, but with the support of google, such a service would have infinitely more money, more IT and mathematical brain power, better access to experts, and more reach. so, if this cooperation is indeed happening, you should try to get in asap and contribute. try to set up a meeting with mark – if just because he’s a leader in a new approach to medicine which is very similar and compatible to paleo. both approaches should fuse into something even more powerful and comprehensive at the end, and be supported by an ambitious and trusted company like google. or something like that 🙂
LEGIT! Thanks!
You have mentioned this previosuly, but the Fight Prep book discussing the approach you and Glen Cordoza’s take to getting him ready for a fight will continue to be the next step I look forward to the most.
Especially focusing on some of the detail areas such as losing some muscle mass if necessary before cutting water, and being able to eat the correct foods post weigh-in, but pre-fight. Finally, having a more solid plan for how to build back up after the weight cut and fight.
One other addition to the webiste would be to sort all the past blog posts that have information from those that are announcements. It would make the website a little more user friendly.
Keep up the great work.
Good stuff Cody, thanks man.
Ohpleasepleasepleaseplease a physician network. I need to get my DH to a PCP for referrals and know that the PCP will want to do a slew of test since it has been YEARS since he has been in. It would be terrific to have a Paleo supportive doc to get him to that might actually get me to get him to commit to this WOE and not try to get him on any nasty drugs.
His mom has diabetes and has had open-heart surgery so there is family history…
Clarifying: I want a physician that will not work against my efforts to move his WOE.
Like the physican’s network idea a lot. Also how about some specific advice on changes in the woman’s body and its needs at various times of life…pregnancy, lactation, menopause, etc. I know this only speaks to one segment of your listening audience though…
It does target only one segment, but this comes up frequently.
I love Brian’s idea of a paleo “day in the life” type thing. A description of what people eat throughout the day, and notes on why they made those choices, and comments from Robb on how each choice will be good or bad for their goals.
Many people at my Crossfit box understand the general concept of eating paleo, but when they look at a menu at a restaurant, or walk into a grocery store, they feel lost. When discussing this with them, I then go into the specifics of what I do when I go the grocery store, how I eat at a restaurant, and how I cook at home. I feel like this definitely helps them make the connection between the “paleo theory” and the “paleo reality”. Also, while my goals, and therefore my diet, may be different than their ideal diet, it at least gives them a concrete starting point from which they can tweak to meet their own needs.
A flow chart like Whole9’s would be great. I would like to see “how to” guide to intermittent fasting.
Thanks for all the info. You have been a great help. Love the book.
Robb-
i really appreciate the podcast, and honestly haven’t finished the book yet but am getting through it, so maybe this is in the book. But one thing I would like to see in written out form is a guide to practical programming, that doesn’t leave a person all banged up. I have been using Whole9 PTP for 2 cycles now because of this, it doesn’t leave me banged up and I see constant gains in the gym, that coupled with your nutrition I’ve gleaned from podcasts and I am in the best shape ever. I have order Rippetoe’s and Wendler’s books to teach myself about the lifts, but am not sure about the timing phases, i have read the Sisson book and his programming seems to light to me at times, so I was wondering and looking for a Robb Wolf or Andy Deas take on it.
Thanks for all you do
Jason-
I actually like how Mark handles that in the Primal Blueprint. Lift a few days per week, sprint a day or two, scamper the rest. In many ways this is what all this stuff boils down to. I do not get into this in the book, but we can certainly look at it. Look at Coach Rut’s stuff (also mentioned in the book).
Hey Robb,
I think you hit the nail on the head with the flowchart idea. Speaking big picture, I think you need more ways to present the same information you have in different formats. You said it yourself, the shit doesn’t change for 85% of the people who ask questions: “I have issue #1, what should I try?” – “Grain/legume/dairy free paleo diet, limit carbs, sleep and move more.”,”I have issue #2…” – “Grain/legume/dairy free paleo diet…….” and so one. You already have the book, the podcast and the FAQ – a diagrammatic representation is a logical next step.
[Thinking out loud]
Make sure whatever format you choose is a nice hi-res file so perhaps folks that run gyms, facilities and the like can print out a large copy and hang it on the wall for reference. Like a nutrition reference board or something. Think of it like a science fair presentation board if that helps get the wheels spinning for you (owning to your science background) – how can you capture someones attention AND have them understand and be able to apply the info you are trying to get across.
[/Thinking out loud]
I’m interested in seeing what you cook up.
P.S. – Loved hearing about the NASA bit. I work on life support systems for the space station now and back when I was an intern, I lived down in the Clear Lake area of Houston. You picked a good time of the year to visit. Did you try the smoked brisket?
SJY
No brisket but lots of other good chow. I was playing around wiht this stuff last night, I think this might be fun AND helpful.
Robb,
Have you thought about a cert course? I recently attended your seminar in Houston and really enjoyed it. I’d be really interested in a certification course.
Mike N
Lafayette, LA
Mike-
that is actually what 2011 is all about. Details coming soon.
Hey Robb,
On what we need, I have two HD patients in the SNF that I work at. I was trying to explain to people how wheat is the culprit in their disease. I went online to find the research and found very little. Maybe a section on your site that links studies and findings by disorder or maybe some quick reference guides on HD or diabetes and paleo that is simple but has the research in it. Just this week I’ve been able to get three people at work to commit to trying paleo. The quick start guide and the food matrix were great in that they answered most of the questions they had. If we had some more specific hand outs it may also be just as helpful. Then I can go door to door passing them out.
Thank you,
Daniel
Good thought, I like it.
Robb,
I think something you can leverage is your audience. I think there are probably many well educated and well informed followers who would love to help. So something I thought would be cool is to have the “Wolfpack” answer some of the questions you get everyweek. The podcasts are great, but 90% of the topics are not applicable to me. Call me crazy but I’m just not that concerned about Autolyzed Yeast Extract or eating too much popcorn. I understand that a lot of the really technical questions you answer every week do help a lot of people; and a lot of people who are probably at their last resort and only you can help. But just the fact that you mention you get a lot of the same questions everyweek tells me that the FAQ section does not work for everyone.
So what about submitting a few of the questions you get that week to Wolfpack and having them submit their answers and you would pick the answer you think is most accurate and add any comments of your own. Andy could read the question and then the selected answer during the podcast and you could add any commentary you wanted.
Or what about a forum on your site? That might mean more work for you to monitor everything, but a place where folks can submit a question and see what the rest of the “Wolfpack” thinks of it.
Well, I’m always grateful for folks like Diane and Julianne who jump in and help folks, more participation would be great in that regard.
A forum…oh, man.
It’s my pleasure 🙂
You’re welcome.
I love it when others give their input too.
I like the idea of the Wolfpack, or at least a way of identifying commenters who are [verified] professionals / authorities. Maybe you could give these users some kind of badge next to their username: MD, DO, NP, DC, PT, OT, RN, RD, LDN, Nutritionist, CF affiliate, personal trainer, etc
I like it!
More Mat Lalonde!
seriously.
BTW, I haven’t seen any references to it anywhere else yet, but I just listened to a great interview with him on Jimmy Moore’s Livin La Vida Low Carb today. Jimmy’s audio goes to crap about halfway through, but it’s worth sticking with it to hear what Mat has to say.
-John
I doubt this would be possible, but I would LOVE to see a couple friendly debates between people who advocate the paleo diet and respected/influential people who are against the paleo diet. Something like The Protein Debate between Cordain and Campbell. You could just have a simple question (like “are grains healthy?”) and both sides would state their cases and respond to each others’ points. For people who do not know biochemistry, it is hard to judge who to trust – but when I listen to the two sides make their cases, the pro-paleo diet people generally seem MUCH more trust-worthy. I think a couple debates like this could have far reaching effects, especially once they hit the internet.
Failing that, you could start something like the Gracie Challenge (the Robb Wolf challenge). Bet $10,000 that no-one can come on to your podcast and prove the basic tenants of the paleo diet wrong. And you and Andy could storm various vegetarian podcasts and give them a sound trashing. Anything along these lines would be good.
I like this too, I was just thinking the other day it would be great if you would have guest hosts that do not see eye to eye with you on everything and see how the conversations go.
honestly, just sounds annoying and stressful to me but I’ll kick this one around.
The inference behind your question is that everyone has been with you from the start. However I’m sure that there are many people like myself who have only recently heard about Paleo and yourself and are new to all this. I´m thinking of going Paleo but how do you change the food habits of a lifetime? You say that there is damn near everything one needs to get going on this stuff but how does one go from the simple theory to implementing a weekly meal plan? So I agree with Robin who asks “How do I do this on a day-to-day basis?” It would also be helpful to have like Brian says specific stories of how people implement paleo in their lives. Real on-the-ground stuff.
This requires people WAY smarter than me, but what if there was a search-like function for the podcasts? While I think your table of contents listings work GREAT, I know that a lot of clients won’t take the time to comb through and look for this shiznit. If the search feature could somehow point you to where in the podcasts you address certain things (i.e. put in your search term of “not leaning out” and then some magical search engine would point you to “minute 23 episode 24.”). Like I said, WAY more than I can put my tiny brain around, but I think that would be superbly awesome – that and world peace.
I think you could end up making all kinds of tracks for peeps – your SBTWTBH, AHCCZ, etc. – and there are going to be questions that abound. (i.e. “I’m doing great but cholesterol high???!!!). Beefing up the search function might help folks get the answer to their already-asked question even faster!
Where’s the Easy button for that?
No offense to either “side” of the debate, but I’d love to see a moderator who really get it. Also, less debate, more discussion. I think most people who are perceived as anti-paleo aren’t really as anti-paleo as people think. They tend to disagree that the paleo science is accurate or not proven, but rarely dispute that a paleo diet would be healthier for many people. They just think it’s not necessary and/or exaggerated.
Also, I think some people who work on the more sciency side of it tend to get hung up on technicalities, in sort of a binary fashion. If one is wrong in one little area, paleo is wrong.
I hate the say that there is a lot of wishful thinking going on when people hate on paleo and say everything is fine in moderation, but there’s an element of that in the picture. This is why there is such glee when someone loses weight on a twinkie diet, for instance.
Finally, I think they often know what you mean, but sometimes binary thinking doesn’t allow them to respond to what you mean, just to what you say. A third party needs to be able to cut each side off when that happens so we have a discussion and not a debate.
That’s it. Don’t mean to sound too cynical, but the internet debates and arguments can frustrate me, especially when I personally know people who fight about it on the internet, but agree with the merits of much of it over a cup of coffee.
Hasta!
Roland
Sort of late to the game on the comment, but to echo the physician’s network sentiment, I will say the one thing you’ll need for that is a concise source of information for the physicians. They are a different audience. They speak a different language. I’m sure you’re aware of this since I though I saw you dabbled in Med School for a while. You seem to straddle the divide quite well. (Heck, I know you are on the editing panel of a nutrition journal, so I know you can speak that gobbledygook)
My wife is an Ob-Gyn and has started going Paleo along with me. She is not seeing as large of gain in energy and fat loss as me, but it is early and she likes the direction it is heading. She is semi-interested in listening to the podcast after I played a few parts to convince her taking high levels of fish oil are not going to make me bleed out (though I remember her one comment was along the lines of “I don’t think he understands what a coag panel is” I told her you worked in a clinical lab and probably do.) While trying to skip to the fish oil questions more than once she was like, “wait, I want to hear this.” I mentioned how the only time I’ve heard you “pull punches” was when addressing the mechanisms of fertility and how paleo effects them. She totally understood why, “fertility is a mine fields”.
All that said, her biggest challenge with listening to the podcast is time. I’d bet most physicians are going to be like this – time is their scarcest commodity. Having some sort of “abstract” level with information with drill downs to use as a reference will be key. Keeping it in their “language” with links to peer reviewed journals will also help your credibility.
I guess my big, long rambling point is, I bet there is a cadre of physicians out there willing to listen to you, as long as you speak their language and give them the tools (articles, links, etc.) to help the practice better.
Keep up the good work, I’ve only made it to Podcast #50, but have been eating them up with vengeance (and, yes, Andy, the audio sucked royal in the first 10, you guys seem to have finally hit the right groove). I have a couple question (including one from the wife), but I’m saving them until I’m caught up.
the physicians network will be an entirely different site, I’m just organizing and contributing to the project. I’ll keep this in mind for the educational offerings on that site.
This would probably take a bit more production for the podcast, but have you thought about having the people who email in questions call you during the pod cast? I see the next step of the podcast as something like “Car Talk” on NPR. You and Andy have such great chemistry, and make the “show” entertaining, but sometimes I get the feeling you get frustrated by the self-selected information you get in the questions. (ex: I’m 90% paleo – what does that MEAN?) Wouldn’t it be great to be able to ask follow up questions to the person?
Also, I second the index in the next printing of the book.
I like it.
Hey Robb, just wanted to say that all the ideas out here sound great, and that I hope to one day be a part of the Physician’s network. After finishing undergrad and not knowing what to do with myself, I stumbled across paleo, and after doing it for the past year and a half it has changed my, my mother’s, and several of my friends’ lives. I’m currently working on going back to med school so that I can eventually help spread the word to sick people everywhere. Keep up the great work!
-Jesse
P.S.- I love all the catchphrases! Don’t listen to Andy, Holy Cats will never die!
I’ve stopped visiting frequently because of the podcasts. It’s insanely awesome that there is so much content packed into each, but, I find I can’t devote an hour to listening, especially when I can’t see how several of the topics would relate to me. I typically consume blog posts in small doses — 5-10 min here and there through the day — I haven’t found a way to make the podcasts fit me. I think they’d be much more accessible (for me at least) if 1) the show notes were posted as part of the blog (not a separate pdf download); 2a) each topic was available as a podcast (perhaps with the full length one still available to those that want it or 2b) timestamps with when each topic started, so we could skip to the appropriate parts. (I tried doing this a few times in the early days of the podcasts and posting it to comments, but, then I stopped listening).
Let me preface this by saying that I think the podcast is an amazing [life changing] resource, but since you asked, here are a few “enhancements” which would greatly increase the accessibility to all the incredible information you dump on us each week. [I recognize it’s probably a small miracle that you can even find the time to get the show recorded and posted each week, but these are features I’ve seen elsewhere that add a lot of value. And I think you’d be surprised how much of this can probably be crowdsourced to your army of dedicated followers].
1. Show notes
Under the list of podcast topics, it would help to have references to stuff mentioned in the show [as in, what was that supplement Robb mentioned? or, what the hell is 5-3-1? or, who’s this Kelly guy Andy keeps talking about?]. So, provide links to any ideas, books, people, blogs, articles, studies, products, tests, previous posts or podcasts, etc.
Examples:
http://bit.ly/9BeziC
http://www.slate.com/id/2272333/
http://bit.ly/9ZA63E
2. Transcripts
I mentioned this on an earlier comment. There are services that do this for a fee [I’ve used castingwords.com several times to transcribe conference calls].
Another way to do this would be to crowdsource it – maybe run it thru a speech to text app to get it 70% transcribed, and then stick it on a wiki and let the listeners have at it. They could also annotate it and put together the aforementioned show notes.
3. Detailed notes
In lieu of a word-for-word transcription, detailed notes can provide almost the same utility. Have some dedicated listeners put together a recap, detailed notes, an outline, etc. Could be another use for a wiki.
Here are some examples:
http://bit.ly/bmwlIg
http://bit.ly/dxvwxt – this guy at Harvard takes notes in real time [live blogging] that do a pretty good job at summarizing a weekly 60+min talk. I would never have time to listen to the podcast, but I can skim these notes in 3min and get a gist of the talk: 50-70% or more. Then if I want to dig in deeper, I can go listen. Also, I can easily refer back to these notes at any time in the future.
4. Chapter markers on the podcast [aka: AAC enhanced version]
An enhanced podcast adds markers to the track timeline. For your show each question could be a separate chapter. This makes it very easy to skip around and locate specific segments. With AAC, you also have the option of playing in fast mode, which means you can listen to a 60min podcast in 45min [slight distortion, but you get used to it]. Creating the AAC file requires some extra [non-trivial] processing, but again you might find a geeky listener more than happy to help out.
Robb,
I’ve been researching the biochemistry around low-carb for almost two years now. I’ve absorbed a lot, but I’m sure there is just as much that I’ve nearly forgotten. As I’m a visual learner, to aid the other visuals out there, I have started working on some super-large format drawing describing the hormonal chemistry interactions that are most important. I’ve been toying with the idea for a while of finding a web format that could be edited by others (like text, but a drawing), and could also expand beyond its original dimensions (maybe with clickable layers, so the basic info is there to explain the most basic processes (carbs digest into glucose, elevated glucose triggers insulin….), and then someone can click to drill down into more detailed interactions) However, I do not have the necessary knowledge of what programming tool(s) would be best.
And since I mentioning that, I’ve been thinking for some time that the whole paleo/low-carb community of experts needs to create a Wikipedia-like repository (there are several free hosts, and the code can be added to many servers) of the data, research etc. Something free of the known malicious edits of Wikipedia, and where -ALL- the data can be stored, and poured over by everyone. Yes, there are people like me that go through years of posts, but the general community neither has the time nor inclination (this is why you get repeat questions on your own blog, as well as across the web). I can’t stress how helpful I believe such a repository would be for getting the message across – as well as refining the understanding of all those involved that may not keep abreast of the nuances.
-Adam
Hi Robb,
Two months in and I’m feeling great but had to stumble around to find why I was still bloating. I’ve read your book and listened to all of the podcasts. A listener posted about fodmaps which lead me to fructose sensitivity and I found taking all fruit (good bye beautiful berries)and my beloved onions and garlic out of my diet helped a lot. Then another listener noted that she’d still bloat if she ate when she wasn’t really hungry. Presto.
I’d like to see a “symptoms” link…if after 30 days you have ________ and it pops you to more things to try.
Thanks for your incredible work, Robb.
Good stuff Penny, thanks.
I really like the idea of a community built content section. I think a wiki would do this best. Imagine a wiki section with detailed information on subjects. It would have citations to relevant studies that people always ask for and you could monitor it.
The flowcart idea is great too. Maybe compile users useful personal strategies for stuff like getting better sleep, stress managements, cooking paleo for the family, kind of stuff.
Hey Robb:
I have lost 35lbs following a Paleo Lifestyle & gotten a lot stronger doing Crossfit. Family & friends all see the change but think I’m are a bit “weird” in my new eating habits, especially in a latino culture. I’ve gotten my siblings to try going Paleo & some are better than others – but the older generation will NOT listen. I’m hoping your book comes out in Spanish SOON & hopefully have “respectable third party” validation.
This is a top priority, not sure on the timeline but within 6 months.
I agree — sometimes the podcasts are just way too technical. I like the flow chart idea too, and I also love the idea of Forums. Skwigg does a great job with forums over at Happy Eaters — she just started it a few months ago.
Heather-
this is the balance I’m trying to strike: Get the information out to help newer folks succeed, while putting out some geek material to keep the die-hards happy. Not an easy balance to strike, but we are trying.
I have an idea about disease centric posts and podcasts.
Explaining why and how the paleo diet can help for that specific problem.After that
adding to the article maybe your experiments with clients who have that disease and then adding readers success and failure stories and maybe explaining why and how the reader failed.
As always, I’m asking for Mat on the podcast with you and Andy. His appearance with Jimmy Morre was great and I know that you and Andy would bring even more out of him.
As for more on the blog, I think a “day in the life ” kind of deal featuring you, Andy, some trainers, maybe elite CF guys and girls, MMA. To see there eating with busy schedules and life in the way, choices they make would be great.
good stuff.
Yeah! Bring back the feeding the machine posts!!!! Those were the days!!
Ben-
Funny story on that: I wrote those for the Crossfit Journal and they ended up not being “good enough” for them to publish. That is also the story with most of the early Performance Menu pieces.
Robb-
Just start a drunk “Paleo at the chalkboard” series. Maybe that will fly.
That is on tue books!
In the works! It’s worked for others, why not us?
Something that would be good is a list of health issues eg diabetes, IBS, PCOS, gallbladder issues etc and then the treatment protocol for each. The treatment protocols to be updated as new research comes in.
I think a paleo resource guide would be great, could go well into the wiki thing too. You could have it set up where people all over the country (or world) could add in paleo friendly places they know of in their areas or that they’ve run across like restaurants, stores, farms/farmers, etc. Think of it as a paleo hot spot list. People could look up their area, or an area they’re traveling to/through and see places to eat, places to buy food, contact for local farmers to get veggies, pastured meats and whatnot.
There’s already been a ton of great ideas listed, if you need any help with moderation of forums/wiki/etc or help with anything else, let me know, I’d be glad to lend a hand.
I want recipes. Lots and lots of great recipes. It’s hard enough to cook so much each week without also having to think up new variations all the time.
have you seen the food matrix? 200 years of meals…
Search for anything from Scotty Hagnas
or if you’re looking for paleo alternatives to old favorites check out this site: http://www.health-bent.com/
Also, Sarah at everyday paleo posts several recipes. The internet is full of them!
I think Robb will pull the Kurt Cobain for real this time if he has to post tons of recipes!
Entirely possible. Combine the Chico shitty weather with my disdain for recipes…12 gauge aughta gett’er done.
Robb,
How about a Paleo buddy or Paleo mentor section on the website. Like a nutritional training partner.
Starts with a very basic questionnaire about individual goals and circumstances then someone of similar goals etc could cooperate with them online, share recipes and cover a lot of the ‘day in the life of’ everyone asks for.
After all, my ‘day in the life of’ will be of no use to a stay at home mother of 5 but another person in those circumstances who has had success trying something would be able to help.
You can check on progress in the ‘head mentor/Yoda’ role and questions which are tough to answer could be flagged for you to check out. However, Robb Wolf is a busy dude and this would be more of a collaborative thing to share the load a bit.
Then again, it’s more work!
Or it could be a dumb idea, just putting it out there.
Harvey
I imagine you’ve received this a number of times by now – but just in case you haven’t – A very moving account by a vegan woman who struggled with the choice to start eating animal products again due to failing health:
http://voraciouseats.com/2010/11/19/a-vegan-no-more/
I did not see that, thanks!
Hey Robb,
First thing thanks for asking everyone what they think that pretty cool in my books 🙂
i think that a paleo pregnancy/ paleo babies/kid reference would be awesome. I don’t have kids yet, but we are thinking about it. Having a what to expect when your expecting a cavebaby would help. Someone could even write a book about it (hint, hint…)
Also i think that the direction that Fight Prep seems to be going would also help me alot with my workout/ body composition /paleo questions.
Michelle
P.S Oh yeah… I also agree that the flow charts, and transcripts of the podcasts are good ideas (even if the show notes could have the corresponding times to the podcast so i could fast-forward that section would be helpful)
FYI my 6 minute paleo “elevator pitch” as a friend called it – on NZ National Radio http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/20101123 (see best song ever written)
Rob, your wealth of knowledge and obvious intrigue in refining your thought process is what keeps many of us reading/listening/re-reading/re-listening and actively involved in figuring out our ‘path to health and wellness.’ The big ticket items (holy cats did I just write that!) for me would be the physicians network, guidelines to find a good facility, crossfit or otherwise, that really is legit, and guidelines for baseline bloodwork we should be monitoring if in fact we need to ‘lead’ our current physicians down the right path. Dare I say don’t do too much for ‘us’, or we will spend more time listening to your podcasts and not cooking dinner or getting our WOD in. What we need is to just thank you by putting all this knowledge in to action and leading others by setting the example, as you have. Happy Thanksgiving! Sarah
Agricultural Diet vs. Paleo Diet
I’d like to see a discussion of the contrast between them from your perspective. I know that the Cassidy study shows greater health in the “Hunter Gatherer” population. The more conventional viewpoint seems to be that CDL incidence increased following a conversion from an “agricultural” diet (mostly cereal grains, little meat or fat) to a “western” diet (high in saturated fat, refined sugars, little fiber).
Robb – write more articles. Get into mainstream mags like Men’s Health and Fitness. Write more for T-nation and other online sites.
I am reading hints of people waking up in these mainstream mags but it is on a very small scale (e.g. grass fed beef is better, but the comment is buried as a small column sound bite instead of the main point of the article).
And in regards to the web layout with FAQ, rule of marketing is to offer the same message in numerous ways through your site even if the links resolve back to the same page(s) or sections. People navigate differently…
Cheers,
Farley
Farley-
THANK YOU! i love this, great insights.
A more thorough testimonial/success story area. I love reading them when I am feeling down or frustrated.
Something I think you need to add to the FAQ’s is some sort of “cast of characters.” You tend to drop a lot of the same names over and over, and while I could Google each and every one, I’d need to know how to spell their name and then I’d also have to remember to do it. Not talking anything fancy, like Name, two sentence bio, and a link to their website(s).
interesting, we could do that.
Along the same lines as the Physicians Network – a worldwide paleo/primal-friendly trainers/gyms network. I also like the idea of a worldwide paleo resources network for other things like restaurants etc.
GeeBeee-
It’s in the works…
“Need to Lose fat? Go here–>” And then there’s no link to hit!
What’s happening here? 🙂
Nevermind. I’m an idiot.
I’m an idiot.
I’m an idiot.
I’m an idiot.
please please please (PLEASE!) make some sort of “here is what you need to do to lose fat 101” guide! there is information scattered around your site (a few references to a 15 cal/day “lean out prescription”) but there’s no mention of this 15 cal/day plan in the “fat loss” section of your FAQ. given that a lot of people likely want to use your book/website for fat loss, it might be a good idea to expand the fat loss section of the FAQ to include more!!!
We have some flow charts in process!
Here’s an idea that shouldn’t take more (possibly less) of your time and could help satisfy listeners who are only interested in select topics in a podcast: Save the questions you get in fairly narrow categories, such as controlling cortisol, weight loss during peri-menopause, paleo when traveling, eating for pregnancy, eating for exercise recovery and so on. I think this would help you eliminate redundant questions and redundant answers. You often end up wandering from the original question, trying to cover important information that’s only somewhat related to the question. If podcasts are focused on a topic you might find you wouldn’t need to do this so much.
Also I’m with other posters that shorter would be better. 20-30 minutes would be perfect.
All that being said I have been listening to all of your podcasts and am extremely thankful for them, and for the book. BTW next time you want to publish a book, I’d be happy to help you proof-read it. I loved the science you presented in The Paleo Solution but it could have used more human eyes, there were a couple of pretty good spell-check bloopers (e.g. “Apollo protein-A” on page 109).
Lark-
We had 8 (good) proof readers. It’s shocking how hard that process is.
Hi Robb, my name is Rayner. I am very interested in this network. I have done holistic medicine as a medical doctor for 8 years, encompassing functional medicine with emphasis on nutrition. I have been recommending the paleo diet recently as I have been doing it myself and seeing obvious benefits. I have been combining this diet with a Chek workout which has really been fantastic for me. I have tried to go on your network but never receive the confirmational email after filling out the “form”. Is there another way?
We need to ok things on the back end.
where can i find the book “fight prep” ?
We never ended up doing it.