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

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The Paleolithic Solution – Episode 41

Back with episode 41 – we recorded this way too early in the morning so please bear with our grogginess! Here is a link to the Raja’s Cup that we mentioned during the show.

Download a transcript of Episode 41

Show Topcis:

  1. Maca
  2. Healthy Mass Gain
  3. Skinny-Fat Ectomorph
  4. Estradiol
  5. Importance of Dense Protein Sources
  6. Mike Mentzer / Arthur Jones
  7. Maintain Healthy Testosterone Levels
  8. Paleo for Figure Athletes
  9. Swollen Feet / Enlarged Spleen
  10. Mountain Sports

Show Notes – The_Paleolithic_Solution_Episode_41

Download Episode 41

Comments

  2. Hey Robb,

    I do internet marketing for some side coin, let me know if you want some help setting up a google adwords account to promote your book or your blog..would be willing to help to give back

    Reply

  4. Hey Robb and Andy,

    Absolutely LOVE the “philosophical” discussions on training – keep ’em coming! I have been crossfitting for almost two years but have been lucky enough to train at boxes with open gym so I’ve been able to try 531 and am currently doing MEBB and loving it. I have started seeing PRs and gains in metcon too mostly because im not so damn fatigued all the time. And I’ve been solid on paleo for almost a year now, feeling great. Can’t wait for the book so I can get my family on board. Thanks for putting the word out there. You guys are awesome 🙂

    Reply

  6. I’ve Had it!!!

    I’m trying, really trying, to figure out the idea of supplementation with a paleo diet, and before you lay a Melissa urban sized verbal smack down hear me out. I’m using a high fat paleo diet consisting of Meats, eggs, veggies, and a high amount of oils (Olive / coconut) that a 220#, 15% BF, crossfit football athlete needs.

    This is the question, I listen to the podcast, I read the whole 9 blog, I see the bus:

    “Supplements are generally / always avoided”

    Then I read additional reading (Protein Power) and there’s a whole chapter recommending a slew of supplements. Not so much Tom Venuto Style, but the basics (Vitamin A – D, Minerals). Are these recommendations stemming from the fact that Eades uses any kind of carb just measured as opposed to the nutritionally dense veggies and fruit found in the paleo diet?

    I am more than willing to try it and go with the how I feel / look I was just hoping for a point in the general direction instead of just flooding the system with A’s B’s D’s.

    Thanks again for everything, hope to see you in Atlanta.

    Reply

    • Evan-
      When you make a living working with people you only continue in that capacity when you get folks results. To that end I (and the Whole9 kids) recommend minimal/no supps because our clients can be shifty bastards (no offense, this is all for the love!) who will hamstring and derail their efforts ANY FRACKING WAY THEY CAN.

      The refrain goes like this:
      Q-Can I have a shake for breakfast?
      A-Yes, if you want to remain fat.
      Q-If I use this fat blocker can I eat more carbs due to limiting fat absorption?
      A-Yes, and you will likely poop yourself due to steatorrhea. that will be gross.

      So…what we try to do is get folks operations with real foods. Then we look at supps. Protein Power lifeplan recommended fish oil, magnesium, Vit d and I think maybe alpha lipoic acid. Largely, this just represents what we should get from out food.

      Atlanta is going to be fun!

      Reply

  8. Robb,

    Congrats on the FIGHT! gig…

    You will bring a much needed shot in the arm to that side of the mag if that works out. I think what they are trying to do is a good idea but they are failing miserably on that front. Plus that will be huge exposure so win win.

    And do not under any circumstances retire “Holy Cats”! It needs to go on the PSS Robb Wolf-ism t-shirt… 🙂

    Respectfully,
    WV=1

    Reply

  9. Robb, Andy – really appreciate the thoughtful answer to my super long question at the end of the podcast. – Marc

    Reply

  10. Robb,
    I’m a type 1 whose recovered some of my pancreatic function during the honeymoon phase- you posted about it (“PaleovType1Diabetes-9/17/2008) and you’ve helped me since then through the comments section and also a phone consultation.

    Here’s my question: I’ve been doing paleo 80% of the time (17 out of 21 meals at less than 30 carbs a day) and have leaned out down to 220lbs (18% body fat) but lately, I’ve been experiencing better insulin sensitivity with higher amounts of carbs (ie. post meal bg < 100, albeit no fruit) rather than when I'm strict low carb (ie I hang in the range of 110-140). My a1c is 5.8 and my lipid panel looks pretty good (ldl 107 hdl 33 total cholesterol 152). Overall, I'm not too concerned. I'm just wondering why I'm doing better with more carbs? Could it be low carb is introducing a stress, in turn, higher cortisol? Not sure how to approach this one because I still would like to lean out a little bit more, but it seems that the lower carb is taxing my blood glucose in a negative way. Any insight would be helpful

    Reply

    • Chris-
      I like your thinking on this. Generally I recommend that folks keep carbs at whatever level allows the least insulin. This requires significant tinkering. Keep me posted on this, interesting stuff.

      Reply

  11. Robb!

    Quick question with brief introduction:

    Went paleo last fall and gained 12 pounds (not desired effect), 5lbs muscle and 7lbs fat. I have been super strict paleo (grass-fed beef, chicken, veggies, good fats) and the fat still hasn’t come off. I just got health insurance (booyah!) and I am looking forward to getting an overhaul. My provider is pretty progressive, so are there some things I can ask them to check out regarding my inability to lose the fat? Trying to be positive, but it is seriously frustrating.

    Reply

    • LA-
      Need a ton more info: Height, weight, gender, some idea of weekly food intake.

      I had a great moment at the Hoboken gig several months ago. One of the attendees raised her hand after my talk on mass gain and she said “so…if I eat a whole can of coconut with each of my meals I might gain weight?” So, paleo is great, insulin control is great…calories in/Out DO matter however!

      Reply

  12. Robb – As far as Mentzer and HIT goes, it’s important to keep in mind that he was already big by the time he was competing in the Mr. Americas in the early 70s. He gained probably 90 percent of eventual full size using the tried and true higher volume/frequency + plenty of deca/d-bol protocols popular back then. The HIT stuff came later as he associated himself with Jones.

    Check out Mentzer at 19: http://www.davedraper.com/fusionbb/fbbuploads/1228095311-Mike_Mentzer_-_1971.jpg

    Anyway, I wanted to get your opinion on 2 diet related topics:

    1) I have seen several sources cite that high saturated fat intake increases CRP numbers and that low-fat diets lower it. Is saturated fat intake a cost-benefit trade-off, or is the underlying premise wrong. I know animal fats/ coconut oil are preferable to vegetable PUFAS, but what about their effects on systemic inflation compared to just having low-fat intake in the first place? Since you need to get your calories from somewhere, is the saturated fat just the lesser of 3 evils (excessive carbs and PUFAS)

    2) What’s your take on nightshades and arthritis? I noticed that you do include them in your meals. The reason I ask is that I have become accustomed to eating numerous mini sweet bell peppers – they are now my favorite veggie aside from sweet potatoes, but I’m worried about antagonizing my immune system. What’s your guess on recommended nightshade intake for normal folks without existing arthritis.

    Perhaps your new book addresses these things, if so I guess I can read about it there!

    thanks,

    DDA

    Reply

  14. I watched that 3 part Crossfit Journal video with Dr. Scott Connelly from Progenex again the other night and I was confused by his stance on insulin sensitivity. You and Cordain and Lalonde are always saying insulin sensitivity is good if you are trying to lean out, right? “Don’t eat a lot of high glycemic carbs. Eat a few hours before bed. Fast in the morning sometimes. Don’t eat for an hour or so after you work out.” Then you say this will help with insulin sensitivity. But it seems like Connelly is saying insulin sensitivity is bad because when you become very insulin sensitive, like after you’ve been starving in a death camp or if you are a hibernating animal, it only takes a little bit of insulin to force a lot of fat into your cells. So once you’ve been paleo for a while and you follow all the paleo recommendations, but you start eating lots grains and fructose and sugar, you can expect to get fat pretty quickly. So is insulin sensitivity only good to a certain point or in certain situations? Or is it just a given that you are at risk of storing fat with stunning efficiency after being low carb paleo for a while and going on a neolithic food bender for a few weeks?

    Reply

    • marshall-
      I’ll need to tackle this in the podcast but the short answer is “No, eating well today will not make you fatter by eating shitty tomorrow.”

      Reply

  15. The discussion about dense protein sources and their stimulation of various hormones was super interesting. I’m trying to find some scientific papers or some other more detailed discussion about this stuff. Do you have any good pointers?

    BTW, when you say “dense protein source”, do you define that such as a food having a certain amino acid profile, or is it something about the overall composition of a meal, or what goes into a “bolus” for digestion?

    Reply

  17. robb,

    did some blood work before starting cross fit/paleo. been pushing hard, eating well, feeling better so not too worried but wanted some feedback on the results. a1c was 5.5 (normal?), hdl was 32 (low), ldl was 84 (good), vit d was 22.6 (low), DHEA -Sulfate was 658 (high?). the dhea is most perplexing as the naturopath didn’t explain well and i’ve seen some cancer indication stuff online. i’m 5’10 and 263.

    any thoughts?

    thank you.

    Reply

  18. Bahahaha….Robb…I’ve got I picture of you at the Toronto Nutrition Seminar wearing your powered by bacon t-shirt…I’ll fire that off to Gary!

    Reply

  19. Any chance of getting Lyle McDonald on the show like you did with whole9? His take on what is fitness, intricate aspects of human metabolism, body recomp and the how’s and why’s of keto diets, cyclical diets and stubborn fat solutions would be excellent. I know he’s not a paleo fan (although most of his criticisms have more to do with blindly following ideas than the actual diet, similar to his hate about cf), but I don’t think that should deter you from trying to get him on.

    Reply

  20. re: Mentzer/Jones/HIT – If you have Dan John’s book Never Let Go, make sure to read A Religious Studies Professor’s Review of HIT; it’s laugh-out-loud funny. Seriously, though — all “protocols” work for some people under particular circumstances and for short periods of time. Training progress doesn’t result (for long, anyway) from an across-the-board, one-size fits all approach. This, by necessity, has to be an n=1 experiment; constant (and, hopefully intelligent) tweaking is part and parcel to the game.

    Reply

    • Keith-
      We kinda see this in the recommendations of WSBB: ME, DE RE. Under that RE method you can make a strong argument for a HIT protocol and likely see some good return. Your blog has reminded me of early Devany and CrossFit stuff. Minimum investment, maximum return. This in contrast to the direction CF has moved which is “how much work can we do before killing ourselves?”

      I’ll ring you as soon as I get a spare minute.

      Reply

  21. Hey Robb,
    This is probably in your book but I was wondering if you could comment on fructose. Do you see a reason to avoid it like Mat Lalonde does if one is staying under 50g of fructose a day (got that figure from Alan Aragon) and assuming that one is exercising regularly and not hypercaloric? In this scenario, would fructose still have a fattening effect or does the overall calorie deficit still rule the roost? Just looking to see if I need to avoid any fructose when trying to lean out. I usually have some fruit (2-3 pieces) daily and some homemade honey (~1 tbsp). No grains and legumes, very little dairy (half-n-half when heavy cream isn’t available). Thanks

    P.S. Bacon is awesome.

    Reply

  22. Hey guys! Great Podcast as usual. I was having the strangest deja vu as well, because I only got my ipod back right before this episode from a friend, so I listened to the last two back to back. Frickin’ hilarious!

    Also: Andy rock the beard bro! Beard holders unite!

    Reply

  23. Show Topics:
    1. Maca 6:58
    2. Healthy Mass Gain 13:44
    3. Skinny-Fat Ectomorph 20:19
    4. Estradiol 24:52
    5. Importance of Dense Protein Sources 28:34
    6. Mike Mentzer / Arthur Jones 35:56
    7. Maintain Healthy Testosterone Levels 43:00
    8. Paleo for Figure Athletes 49:15
    9. Swollen Feet / Enlarged Spleen 56:57
    10. Mountain Sports 1:00:50

    Reply

  24. Hey Robb- Keep North Carolina in mind (ideally Raleigh/Durham, but Charlotte good too) for a book tour stop + Paleo Solution seminar! Thx, Ian

    Reply

  25. Sorry Robb, I just noticed that my question was answered in the last podcast. Maybe you can just give me your opinion of Ray Peat? Half joking here.

    Reply

  26. Gary – I eat bacon almost every day. Nearly all my top athletes eat bacon every day. We’ve all got great benchmark times and lifts. BTW, our Blood Lipid Profile frequently meets with “WHAT ARE YOU EATING?” from our doctors because it’s the best chemistry they’ve ever seen.

    BRK BRK

    Robb – quick question: I’ve got a few clients who are very lean/strong girls that have what I cannot explain any other way but call: a pooch.

    Small fat deposit right around their belly button.

    All three, super strict paleo for 30 days. All have been off birth control for at least six months. No significant change in the pooch.

    Can’t come up with any other common variables that cause this and cannot figure how to fix. Any help?

    Reply

    • Brian-
      Long live bacon!
      Pooch- Sleep, cortisol…that’s what comes to mind. How much are they sleeping? Is it in a dark room? I;d tackle that first. If not budge give me a call and I’ll walk you through a protocol using phosphatidyl serine that may also help.

      Reply

  27. Robb,

    What can I say, I love the podcast and look forward to Tues’s and have your book on order. Can you talk more about sleep hygene in terms of suppliments. I was using melatonin until I read “lights out…sugar…” and got off melatonin and now do 100mg of 5HTP and 100mg of phosphatidyl serine with better results. I also do magnesium powder with those 2 suppliments. Is there a contraindication to taking this stuff every night?
    Thanks

    Barbara

    Reply

  28. Hey Robb,

    Awesome podcast; the book release is so close!!! One friend I helped start Paleo (19-yo male, very lean but eats tons of traditional Chinese food) experienced bloating and diahrea at first, and I told him to eat some starchy carbs like potatoes if it got bad. (Was this stupid advice? it was the closest in character to oats i could think of.) I don’t even know whether he ate any potatoes but after two weeks of this the bloating got so bad he couldn’t have a bowel movement without laxatives, and gave up the diet all together even though he believed in it.

    I know the runs inititally can occur, but what causes something that severe in someone? I had no idea what to make of this situation and felt terrible for introducing the diet without know why this could happen. Apparently I need to use some kind of precaution instead of just turning people loose on Modernpaleo.com, the Whole30 challenge, your blog and Mark Sisson’s intro blog posts all at once.

    Thanks for all the great work you do!
    Dan

    Reply

    • Dan-
      It’s super hard to comment on this without really knowing WHAT the person is eating. Lack of grains and the irritation they cause can be a problem for many people in the beginning but was he eating any fruit? How much veggies? Water consumption? If things normalized with the re-introduction of grains he likely had “normal” bowl function tied to the irritation caused by grains.

      And as the the “warning” is guess..but if folks are not aware that “changing diet can change bowl function…”

      Reply

  29. http://www.vitabeat.com/9368/longterm-type-diabetes-survivors-give-clues-disease

    This new study is showing how some people who have had Type 1 diabetes for more than 50 years, STILL HAVE SOME BETA CELL FUNCTION! In fact,
    “But, Zonszein added, this may not apply to everyone with type 1 diabetes. “Some people have a very rapid decay in beta cell function, but many continue to make insulin and their beta cells try to survive. The take-home message is that not all patients with type 1 have no insulin of their own, although they still need [outside] insulin to survive,” he said.

    Zonszein also noted that good control of blood sugar levels in type 1 diabetes may help preserve beta cell function. “

    Reply

    • Cheryl!!!!
      That explains a lot We have had a few people with Type 1 for 10-20 years put it into remission. Others not so lucky, they need to be in under the honeymoon phase. Really interesting, thanks for this link.

      Reply

  30. Thanks Robb. I have written in before and don’t want to be redundant, but here is goes.

    26 years old, 5’4, 133lbs. Started out at 5’4, 125, 16%BF, doing the zone diet. Went paleo in October and gained 12lbs (5lbs muscle, 7lbs fat), body fat went up to 21% within 2 months. At the same time, was under a ridiculous amount of stress (husband couldn’t find a job). In January, I started tracking my food, kept calories under 1800/day, kept training in line (I teach MMA 4x/week, but cut out extra cardio from running) and definitely watched my fat intake. Stress was out the roof, but when my husband got hired in April, I went from high stress to no stress. Sleep is good (now) and I did drop about 2lbs body fat.

    I am no longer on hormonal birth control, I take vit-d, eat grass-fed beef, lots of veggies, 1 serving a day of fruit, very controlled on nuts and coconut intake. I feel like I should be leaning out more…there is nothing left to cut out of my diet. I did no fruit and super low-carb (under 30g/day) for three months (January through April), but once I added in sweet potatoes and the occasional serving of seasonal fruit, I found I had more energy and that’s when about 3lbs came off. Wondering if anything should be checked out now that I have access to health care.

    Thanks so much for your time.

    By the way, you answered my question a couple podcasts ago about my husband who was the super hard-gainer. Just wanted to let you know that he hasn’t cut back on his fun training, but he did go fully paleo and started eating more calories (about 5000 per day) and suddenly his weigh is up 8lbs. We definitely have you to thank for that.

    Cheers!

    Reply

  31. hey Robb,

    I heard you mention in passing this episode that non-Hodgkin lymphomas are caused by gluten. Do you have any sources I could read about that? I’m a survivor of a childhood NHL, something T cell related. The attitude of my doctors at the time (early ’90s) was that “these things just happen, we don’t know why”, but being the curious nerd that I am, I have always wondered if there were some environmental factor. And even though I’ve been off treatment for sixteen years, there is always that little voice in the back of my head wondering about a recurrence every time I get a cold and my lymph nodes get a little plump. I would love to see whatever it is that you’re reading about this. Thanks!

    – Dan

    Reply

  32. I have a question on cortisol/thyroid/andrenal/pituitary connection.
    i have an out of whack neurotransmitter problem in my brain, which leaves me with ‘hyercortisolism’ and from the text books and studies i have read in a recovered anorexic, as myself, i will suffer high cortisol and screwed up thyroid/adrenals fo the rest of my life. i eat paleo, hgih fat and am working on the sleeping thing. i have l-tryptophan but i dont like taking pills. will take them if it will help though. i take fish oil, D, magnesium/zinc and a multi vitamin
    just a background, im fenale, suffered anorexia from 18-23. i was 5’8 and am now 5’7 due to osteoporosis… foun nutrion and paleo and gained to a BMI of 20 now! looking to fix the rest

    is there anything i can do to help this?
    is there anything to brain leveling and amino acid supplements?
    is there anything i can do or work on to restore my fertility? (im 24 y/o)

    Reply

  33. RE: Enlarged Spleen

    First off, sorry for just getting to this, been a crazy week.

    In addition to being a storage house for immune cells, the spleen does a bit of filtering of the blood though not in the same sense that the kidney’s do. Any old/dying blood cells are likely to pass through the spleen and could cause enlargement. Also, the spleen stores platelets so getting a platelet count could be a good idea.

    An enlarged spleen could be due a wide number of both bacterial and viral infections. The obvious one is an Epstein-Barr infection, but you’d likely see other signs of “mono” including being completely exhausted all the time.

    Not to make you paranoid, but enlarged spleens are also a symptom of leukemia’s and lymphomas. I imagine the doc’s have checked for these though if you’ve been to 3 immunologists…

    Reply

  34. Hi there!
    Thanks for answering my question and the kind comments about my avatar 🙂
    If you make it down to the Fort Lauderdale area on the book tour, you’re welcome to crash in our guest bedroom. You’d have to fight the dog for the couch.

    Reply

  35. Robb,i take it your going to have a section in your book covering the tests that you recommend for adrenal fatigue/cortisol problems? Plan on hitting a Nat/Path to get my house in order.
    Thanks..BTW, if you could hit the upper mid-west (Wisconsin) for a book signing/seminar would be great!

    Keep up the good work! told my local book store to get your book on the selves, now the natural progression for you is a cookbook!

    Reply

  36. Hey Robb,
    I know you love the low-carb approach for leaning people out but what are your thoughts on using more yams and some fruit to keep carbs higher (about 2-3 pieces of fruit during the day, 1-2 yams at dinner, minimal veggies) and less fat (I just don’t tend to add beyond whats needed for cooking) while trying to lean out? I ask because I know I perform better during activity (Krav Maga class & WOD’s) if i have more carbs in me. I’m not counting calories but I’m guessing that it doesn’t come out to a lot. Have you seen success with an approach like this? I guess this would be closer to like what a bodybuilder might eat, just less protein. Thanks
    P.S. Assuming all Paleo foods by the way.

    Reply

    • Mark. R-
      I think that’s a fine compromise. Might be a little more hungry, but should keep performance from tanking. Keep the carbs mainly PWO if you can.

      Reply

  37. That’s what I’ve been doing, keeping the yams to dinner with some fruit spread throughout the day. Thanks for your help Robb. Hopefully I’ll have a good update in 30 days.

    Reply

  38. Thank you, happy now to sip on some not exactly delicious Maca in the morning – sometimes I mix it with coconut milk for fun. Just ordered Raja’s Cup and extremely curious to see how it compares. Looks like Raja’s Cup will cure everything – so I am looking forward to my amazing future.

    Reply

  40. Damn Dirty Ape. Could u pretty please shoot me an email with your workout routines? Its qrchandc(at)gmail(dot)com. Cheers!

    Reply

  42. Hey Robb,

    I’ve been having great difficulty sticking with the Paleo diet. I’ll be fine for a few days, but when I fall off I fall off hard. I believe I’m fighting just a ridiculous addiction to caffeine and sugar. I’m seeing a chiropractor right now who’s into the “whole health” type of service, and he recommends both CrossFit and Paleo. I told him about my issues and he recommended I do a cleanse. So I thought I would ask for your opinion on it. He’s recommended the Master Cleanse for 10 days. I read the book, seems pretty interesting, but wanted to get a professionals take on it. What do you think of The Master Cleanse?

    I’m 35, about 5’3 and weigh 178 lbs. I workout sporadically and have been trying to push myself to do more, but am having issues with fatigue. I’m just always so tired. No doubt due to my diet and lifestyle. I have a desk job so I quite literally sit on my bottom for 14 hours a day. I’m hoping that maybe just hitting something like this for 10 days will help me to reset my body. Thoughts?

    Thank for everything you do!

    Mandy

    Reply

  43. Robb…Congrats on the book. They will be my Christmas gifts this year. Quick question…Recently took my wife to a Homeopath for a consult on her migraines that she has had since age 6 (now 40). He said that she was allergic to Chicken and Pork (among other things) and because of her blood type (A+) she shouldn’t eat beef either. Since you are the smartest person I listen to I wanted to check in with you. Seems odd to me that someone could be allergic to meat. Am I off base here with visions of George Castanza being turned purple (Seinfeld)?

    Yes I’ve tried to get her to go strict Paleo but have been unsuccessful. On the bright side the guy did tell her to get off of ALL sugar. Of course I’ve been telling her that but I am a mere mortal…Not a homeopath.

    Thanks for all that you do and keep rocking the Podcast!

    Reply

  44. The Fight Club-flashback reference in this one reminds me…between “Brad-Pitt-Fight-Club-ripped” and the famous “Are We Crazy?” post, I really really think that if the podcast ever gets theme music, it ought to be Pixies “Where is my mind?” – you know, from the final buildings-falling-down scene of Fight Club. Seems appropriate for for the big steaming pile of pseudo-science you are dropping on your listeners.

    Reply

  46. Robb and Andy,

    I’ve looked at nutritiondata.com for the differences between grass fed and “regular” beef, and I don’t see a huge difference in the fat profiles. At best, it seems that grass fed has slightly less omega-6, which is cool, but not that all that much less. The omega-3s don’t really go up much, so it’s not a good source of 3s. I avoid olive oil a lot more than I avoid grain fed beef.

    Do you have better links to nutritional info on grass vs grain fed beef? I realize there may be other reasons for going for grass fed, since it’s probably better for the cows and might be more likely to be organic, but I’m wondering about the nutrition of the fats.

    Thanks,

    Roland

    Reply

  47. Jason,
    I am also an A blood type, and I have tried the blood type diet. The only bit that works for me is that I feel best eating fish and poultry for protein, I don’t like eating a lot of red meat, just feel kind of red meat overloaded when I do.

    Nothing else works for me though. Dairy and grains make me bunged up and trigger eczema and menstrual issues. Grains are gut irritant for me – and the sprouted grain breads give me indigestion.

    I need to be strict gluten free and soy free as I have Hashimotos. ‘A’ blood type diet is heavy on grains, so completely at odds with what I must do to stay healthy.

    “O” types do well following blood type – but then it is almost identical to paleo eating. I also had a client combine A type diet with Paleo – and got great results, but then it’s not really A type anymore when you go grain and legume free!

    Reply

  48. Hi Robb,

    Maybe you want to tackle this in a podcast, but what are your thoughts on the Progenex supplements? They seem to be having a big influence in the crossfit community. Thanks.

    Reply

  49. Quick question…I know this was on a podcast but can’t seem to find the answer on the site.

    There was something that was likely to be elevated on blood work after following a low-carb, high protein diet. What was that?

    Reply

  50. Howdy Robb and Andy,

    Yee funniest and thee most interesting podcasters out there! After it has fInally dawned on me that indeed there are no six listeners but more like six thousand (or more?) I became quite eager to hear about the testimonials you receive re: following the paleo diet. As a devoted paleo follower I’ve been trying to gently apply some parts in my day job as an occupational therapist. As an OT I work with a lot of people having diseases such as MS and other progressive muscle atrophy illnesses. As I’ve learned these people might get something good out of a gluten free, dairy free and sugar free diet. Still, it’s not so easy to convince them and the time’s limited.

    So I would really be happy to hear, based on your experience and the testimonials, what kind of improvements and changes these people might expect after going paleo and how soon these changes might take place? I understand this is highly individual but please throw me a bone here! 😉

    Also, question number two, since Alzheimer’s is now known as “diabetes III” would it be possible to halt or slow down the symptoms by following a strict, prolly low carb, paleo diet?

    While I’m at it, I’ll ask one thing more: when you (Robb) say that just a minuscule bit of gluten ruins you, what do you mean by that ie. Do you refer to gi symptoms? After such an event how long does it take to get better?

    Can’t express my gratitude enuf for all the info you put out there, thanks also for hitting my other question in a podcast (a looong while ago)! Take care you two, and FYI the wolfisms live also in Finland! Salut.

    Reply

  51. Fellas,
    Love the pod cast, pre-ordered the book. In an effort to lose some weight I’ve gone paleo for the last couple months with great success. I’ve lost about 20lbs thus far and look to lose more. 6′ 270 at this point and training for a half marathon. Running 2-3 times per week with some sporadic weight lifting. I’ve “binge drinked” twice since being on the diet and each time the scale reflects a massive weight gain on the order of 5-7 lbs that takes 3 or 4 days to go away. Can you please explain the mechanics behind this weight gain? Bing drinking usually involves a barbecue with my buddies involving non paleo food and 6-10 beers.

    Thanks,

    Reply

  52. Robb, would you train someone who had gastric bypass surgery? Is it possible for someone with gastric bypass to properly recover/build muscle? It would seem that the caloric restriction of gastric bypass would create a stress/high cortisol environment that might lead them toward adrenal fatigue in a high intesity regimen quicker than someone with a normally functioning stomach. Am I in the ballpark here? Thanks for your help.

    Reply

  53. robb, after listening to episode 41, could you please, please, pretty please—do a podcast on mountain sport training? i’ve been crossfit training for only a few months, but i’ve been snowboarding for 20+ years. i am really curious what you have to say regarding the issue.

    keep up the RAD work!!!

    Reply

  54. This talk about cortisol makes me even more stressed 🙁 But now I understand why I’ve always had so much trouble gaining mass. I look very skinny until I take my shirt off to reveal my fatty chest and belly.

    So here’s my question:
    For folks like me, and who are trying to get rid of that final frontier of fat, what should post-workout nutrition look like? I workout at 6am and right after finishing I usually have a pure coconut water can with some creatine (I wait until after because it says to consume with something sweet). I just started testing some Phosphatidylserine before and after workout too. For breakfast I’ll have a yam, 2 carrots, a little wakame, apple cider vinegar and tuna. That’s the only time I ever eat yams or carrots. I eat no fruit, just veggies.
    Is that a good post-workout protocol for cases like mine or should I try for a CKD/paleo mix…?

    Background: I’ve been doing paleo for almost six months and crossfit for 3 weeks. I don’t cheat. I went from 185 to 163 in 5 months and leveled off at 163. I’m 5’10. Haven’t lost or gained any weight on crossfit yet (unless they’re canceling eachother out). In the mirror, I think I look pretty much the same, maybe my traps and and lats are a little bigger, nothing crazy though. I know it’s still early and I’m fine putting the work in to reach my goals, I just worry that cortisol is making everything a waste. Great, that just stressed me out again. Boo you cortisol, boo you.

    Thank you!

    Reply

  55. Hey Robb,

    Recall you saying several times in the podcast that a by the book paleo diet can be Iodine deficient. I picked up a kelp supplement (ingredients are kelp thallus and the gelatin of the capsules) which has 390 “mcg” of Iron (I assume that means ug) and 400 mcg of Iodine (brand is “Nature’s Way). I do eat some processed meats (mostly bacon and uncured hot dogs), but moderately.

    1) Any way to ferret out whether I need Iodine or not, i.e. is supplementation for more overt symptoms?

    2) Would low levels of the processed meats I mention provide enough Iodine on their own?

    Reply

  56. Robb and Andy,

    I think I won the bonus round! You guys answered my question twice (IF and Calorie Restriction). The only thing is, I’m confused about your answer. Episode 40 you said it was okay to combine WAM Zone with deleted carb blocks with IF, but in Episode 41 you said to not.

    After I posted my question I dropped the IF to be safe, and I leaned out so quickly that losing the IF didn’t matter much. But I’m curious about my how IF and CR might interact.

    Thanks for answering my question! TWICE! Really appreciate it

    Reply

  57. I’ll try to sneak another one under the radar…

    What about magnesium? I picked up magnesium citrate and have been playing with that, but I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night when I take it, which seems to me like a bad thing. Does this imply I have plenty of magnesium or some kind of other sleep derangement? Should I take it with lunch or something instead of before bed? Like my previous question, is there some overt way of knowing I should be taking magnesium, zinc, iodine, etc?

    No problems with fish oil or vitamin D supplements, so I can rest easy in that arena.

    Thanks Robb! Super pumped for the book.

    Reply

  58. Hey, Robb…some questions regarding this biosig stuff.

    I was really interested to hear what you had to say about the skinny/fat topic, as I have a great deal of difficulty maintaining muscle mass (though I eat plenty of protein/fat, and a significant amount of carb because I actually seem to run leaner on more carb). So I recently met with a Poliquin certified trainer/biosig guy because I was interested to hear what he had to say about specific supplements that might help my situation. He now has a good amount of supplements lined up for me to start cycling: DIM, calcium-d gluc, methylator, sulphorophane, zinc, possibly HCl, and added fiber a.m/p.m in addition to the vit-d, mag, fish oil I’ve already been taking.

    Questions:
    1. I kind-of remember older posts/comments regarding use of DIM/calcium-d glucarate to cycle out estrogen and lead to leaning out for women, though I can’t dig them up now…does this protocol seem to work, in what you’ve seen?

    2. Do you think this might also help with PCOS – getting rid of specific estrogen that seems to lead to it?

    3. Do you think it would be wiser to head to a naturopath doc and work from there?

    I guess I’m reluctant to spend the money when it’s not a definite solution…just looking for a second opinion, I guess. Thanks for your help…

    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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