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

| 35 comments

Just a Game Podcast!

Thanks to Jason Gregor for the opportunity to talk with him while in Edmonton! Here is the podcast.

Comments

  1. Good stuff. It’s easy for me to get confused with details and options, so it’s nice to hear the basics stated clearly. Quality food, smart portions, no Pop Tarts!

    Reply

  2. Robb,

    I read in the comments of a previous post that you recommended 15g of fish oil a day. Is that for people of all ages or just the older crowd and also is that to spaced out evenly throughout the day ( something like 5g at breakfast lunch and dinner or could it all be taken at once before bed). Thanks for all of the great info and taking the time to respond to comments.

    I’m visiting my parents in Redding this week and look forwarded to stopping by CrossFitNorcal for a group session.

    Thanks,

    Chris

    Reply

  3. Robb,
    I did your cert in Fort Leavenworth KS a couple weeks ago and one of the female trainers there is having some problems that I couldnt answer. She got really sick following strict paleo she felt horrible, bags under her eyes, groggy waking up, weight gain. She was zoning and doing great until she went strait zone paleo and I dont understand what could be the difference by only cutting out grains. I dont want her to get worse. She was 3 days into ZonedPaleo.

    Reply

  4. Were I a woman, I’d want you to father my child, just so he/she could wear a t-shit that says, “Robb is My Daddy.”

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  7. Robb,

    I’m confused.

    In the podcast you recommend to stay away from protein shake s to avoid becoming chubby but in your Post Workout Nutrition: High or Low Carb? you state:

    “…the PWO meal of whey protein + coconut milk is providing quickly digested protein which will reverse catabolic actions of training, with just a bit of fat to suppress the normal glucose release of a large protein meal via glucagon. This would not be the end of the world but part of what we want with this PWO meal is the MAINTENANCE of insulin sensitivity. If we totally top off our glycogen stores PWO we impair insulin sensitivity and make it damn tough to lean out. So, one way to look at this is the a LC-PWO meal is focusing on muscular recovery and growth, while minimizing or limiting the effects of insulin or carbohydrate…the PWO meal of whey protein + coconut milk is providing quickly digested protein which will reverse catabolic actions of training, with just a bit of fat to suppress the normal glucose release of a large protein meal via glucagon. This would not be the end of the world but part of what we want with this PWO meal is the MAINTENANCE of insulin sensitivity. If we totally top off our glycogen stores PWO we impair insulin sensitivity and make it damn tough to lean out. So, one way to look at this is the a LC-PWO meal is focusing on muscular recovery and growth, while minimizing or limiting the effects of insulin or carbohydrate”

    I follow Crossfit Football WODs and rest days. I want to LEAN OUT and don’t really care about having the best Fran time but I do like putting #s on to my DL/Squat/Press. I want to see abs for once in my life. Vanity? Hell yes! But I also want to fit in my clothes better.

    I have up’d my fish oil intake to 40 caps/day (kirkland ~12g/day). I eat 85-90% paleo, I still eat cheese, heavy whipping cream in coffee and have whey protein. I don’t IF unless I happen to miss a meal on accident, like breakfast. I’m 6’2″ 220lb. I usually have a PWO meal of coconut milk, ~50g whey protein and whatever carbs are in the protein (~4g). After dinner, I will usually have another shake blended with ice to fill me up. Add to that a dose of Emergen-C to help with cortisol and also a cap of Neuro-PS Phosphatidyl Serine. I get up around 5am and I can’t seem to get to bed at 9pm. I try to get at least 7 hours but usually end up with around 6 hours of sleep a night. Add to that our newborn sleeps in our room and we keep a night light on for easy access to the baby when she wakes up. I have been using Sunday as my cheat day (beer but usually NorCal Margaritas, some gluten and sugar, etc) but I will swear off a cheat day if it is recommended.

    Sorry for the long post but just when I think I “get it”, I get confused again.

    Thanks in advance and for all you do for the CF/Paleo community.

    -Nathan

    Reply

    • Nathan-
      It’s confusing because there are different goals and approaches here. IN GENERAL if you want to lean out stick to low carb and REAL foods. If you are trying to maintain leanness but maybee goose things in the recovery direction, use a low carb shake, if you are lean and performance oriented, use protein + carb shakes SPARINGLY or they will make you fat. For a generalist, radio audience you need to think about how completely over their heads people are AND how desperately they want to use a shake or potion to make up for shitty foods.

      Reply

  8. Hey Robb grrrrrreat info…… have u ever heard of almonds causing gas i have been paleo since feb and recently just been getting crazy gas i eat macs, almond and almond butter and avocado for fats 75 grams a day??? trying to figure out what could be causing it all the sudden i have been taking digestive enzymes doesnt seem to kick the gasssss

    thank u
    jeremy

    Reply

    • jeremy-
      You might try soaking/drying the seeds (google the process). You just have to tackle it by emiminating things and see what’s the problem.

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  9. Robb what brand of protein powder do u like post WOD even though i know u like real food post wod just want to know what is the best ingredients.
    thank u
    jeremy

    Reply

  10. Thanks Robb. I had a feeling that the podcast was directed to a more general audience. Makes sense.

    Just kicking myself for ordering 2 6lb canisters of whey protein which I have barely made a dent in. Going forward I will bring a chicken breast with me instead of the shake until i get to the leanness I want. Its just so hard to choke down cold dry chicken when your mouth is parched and your heart is beating out of your chest from the CFFB/CF WOD.

    BTW, I throwing away my cheat day for the time being until i reach my desired leanness. Also, I know I need more sleep than 5-6 hours but…can I make due on 7 hours of sleep or is 8 really the magic number? Do I need to buy a sleep mask (sounds soooo girly) since my room is not completely dark?

    Not looking for magic “solution” as I am putting in the work(CFFB WODs and Paleoish diet) its just the small variables I am having a hard time understanding.

    Thanks (Tack så mycket!),
    Nathan

    Reply

    • Nathan!
      hard training, solid nutrition and sleep are the goods. there is not “perfect” number on sleep but it does appear that the harder one pushes, the better the sleep and downtime help one to recover.

      Reply

  11. BTW, teaching a class right now and one of the students name is Rob Wolf. He must be your evil twin cus he just ate pizza and shot it down with some Coca-Cola, jk.

    Reply

  12. I have a question about IF and cholesterol. From my understanding a well functioning/”speedy” metabolism is important for cholesterol metabolism as it keeps the LDL young and puffy instead of old and small and dense. It is also my understanding that IF will reducing metabolism through thryroid downregulation (am I correct?). What effect if any will this have on cholesterol metabolism and particle size?

    Reply

    • Kyle-
      LDL particle size is affected by insulin levels. IF has no negative effect on thyroid if tackled with some intelligence. Gluten is one of the largest factors in thyroid dysregulation, much better place to look for issues.

      Reply

  13. If given the choice…would you choose grass fed not lean meat vs. grain fed leaner meat? I would think grass fed would be the way to go, regardless, but love to get your 2 cents.
    I emailed you a question on your contact page last monday, as did my husband Ed who wants to set up a consult time with you. I know you’re crazy busy, but just want to make sure you got the requests from your contact page.
    I’m on officially (cause I ate meat the night right after the edmonton cert) on paleo now-day 6 today, and still blows my mind the differences I”m seeing in my body and energy. If you would have told me 2 weeks ago after being vegetarian for 17 years that I would be eating (and craving) meat-I’ve had chicken, turkey, bacon, so far, including a delicious recipe off xfit santa cruz central for bacon wrapped chicken with spinach-I would have said you’re out of your f-in mind. Still a bit of knowing when my body feels full eating meat, but feel so much more intune with my body’s needs, and I know without any uncertainty that paleo is IT. I’ve been getting 8 hours sleep each night, tracking all my foods, and having so much more variety that I ever did as a vegetarian.
    No booze (this one is tough…love my wine), dairy, gluten, sugar for these 30 days, then will add wine back in at times after my 30 days(sorry, can’t stomach tequila for the margaritas). Completely changed my life.
    Thank you again-you’re the best, dude!

    Reply

    • Dr. Osburn!!
      I’m always a fan of grass-fed when possible, but if it;s not available, No need to worry. Supplement wiht fish oil and you are doing great!

      I REALLY appreciate the fact you jumped in and gave it a shot…the results are remarkable and really speak for themselves. There is no smoke-n-mirrors element to this. Folks shift towards a pleo orientation int heir food quality and amazing things happen. Keep me posted!!

      Reply

  15. Holy cow!
    You are taking 45-50 caps a day?

    I just bought some target stuff which I assumed was 1.2g of fish oil per capsule but its actually only 360mg of Total Omega 3’s – doesnt show the specific breakdown of the specs.

    I dont know how people can afford the kirkland brand and taking plus 20-30-40 caps a day – that’s a bottle every few days.

    Is there any way more affordable way to get down 10+ grams per day Robb?

    Reply

    • Noah-
      the high end dosage is for affecting change, maintenance is a somewhat lower dosage. Just have ot do what makes the most sense given your situation.

      Reply

  17. Thanks for the reply..

    How does one determine the situation?

    I’m about 170lb – crossfitting 3 on 1 off for 1 year now. Zone’ing pretty good but cheat meals here and there… Could still use a bit more leaning out. Recently more of a switch to paleo foods which has been nice.

    I guess I’m confused as to how one determines the correct dosage. I’ve read the RX Zone where Sears suggests high dosage and I’ve heard you say 1g per 10 pounds or .5g per 10 more recently.

    How do I find that sweet spot without having the more expensive blood tests that Sears talks about but finding that important balance to achieve all the benefits we’ve been hearing about.

    Thanks Robb.

    N

    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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