Here is Episode 22. This week we experimented with Robb recording from his office instead of his house and the acoustics and internet connection are definitely worse, but we thought it was worth a shot since he is usually holed up in the office working on the book. We are going to do our best (schedules permitting) to do most of the recording with Robb at home, but travel schedules may require some changes to that approach. We had a bit of audio trouble at 45:13 so I had to edit out about 5 minutes of Robb and I trying to talk to each other without much success, but we were able to save the content and just got rid of the junk.
Show Topics:
- High fasting blood sugar / High cortisol
- Coconut sugar
- Tom Venuto’s thoughts on Paleo diet
- Gall bladder & gluten
- Acai + colon cleanse diet
- Intermittent fasting
- Protein requirements
- Artificial sweeteners
- Coconut milk
- Sleeping in total darkness
Show Notes – The_Paleolithic_Solution_Episode_22
Hey guys,
My roommate and I are laughing our asses off here listening to the angry episode 22 Robb Wolf. I appreciate the answer to the intermittent fasting, but I suppose I should have been a little more clear in my question, since I’m asking from a different standpoint than the general fatass that writes in. I’m 27 years old, 6’1″, 193lbs, and I haven’t done underwater bodyfat % testing in a couple years, but last time I did I was just under 8%. I’m leaner now, specifically because in the last year I’ve taken out wheat, and all processed food. In the last 3 months i’ve done no booze, no grain at all, no legumes (except some peanut butter) and stopped putting agave in my greek style yogurt. So when I was asking about the fasting questions, it was more outta curiosity because I’m a nutrition and supplement junkie. I’ve tried it all, except I don’t think I’d ever be enough of a jackass to go vegan! I’d be happy to include a pic, because I’ve listened to all the episodes, and know you guys think people don’t understand bodyfat % measuring, and I agree, calipers are worthless in the general trainer’s hands; but underwater weighing at a university isn’t. As far as why I was watching the scale: I wanted to know how that caloric restriction would affect me.
And the coconut water with aminos and greens were drank during my workouts so that I wouldn’t murder myself working out while that calorically restricted. So, now given that additional information, I would rephrase my question: If I’m already lean, don’t have bad insulin response, is there any other health reasons other than cutting food costs to try out intermittent fasting? Also, if someone was to try to implement doing some intermittent fasting, would adding aminos have any ADDITIONAL benefit? Hoping I get a response, and excited for that book.
Cliff-
Will hit this soon. Thanks for the clarifications!
Sorry totally off topic.. But could anyone help me out here..
Do i account for the carbs in almonds and avocados when adding up my carb blocks for the day?? im at 40g of carbs/4.5 blocks of carbs from greens and about 28g of carbs/3 blocks from almond and avocados..
Just wondering because im trying this rotationg meat and nuts breakfast and I just want to make sure im still around my rec. carbs/day.
Thanks for the help!!
Nick-
Yep, just make sure you are subtracting out the fiber, that does NOT count.
Best podcast yet. Really fantastic. The Robb Wolf Office Persona makes for great radio and very compelling pseudo. 🙂
Appreciate you doing this.
It would make the podcast more useful if you included timecode with the table of contents.
Sometimes I want to listen to topics 3 & 7 & 9, but don’t have time to listen to the entire episode and timecodes would help me zip right to my selected topics.
Hope I don’t sound like an ingrate- appreciate the work you are doing.
Your number one fan in Kansas.
Loving your podcasts. Most of the questions are just great and your answers are always to the point and clear.
I look forward to every podcast. You and Andy make a great team.
I just sent a totally psychotic email to you outlining my disgust for that asshole Tom Venuto. Not sure why, other than to add fuel to your fire for him and to let off some steam. I personally know Tom, Milos, Lee and those other meathead morons firsthand from when I used to do figure shows and repped for one of those supplement companies (I’m embarassed to admit that on a public forum). They are ALL ABOUT THE DRUGS. I don’t care what he says on his site, he is all about the drugs. Trust me, I spent three years taking all that crap (HGH, Wynstrol, Clenbuterol, etc.) and all the while lying my ass off and telling my unknowng family that I was just taking “natural” supplements and eating “right.” UGH, UGH, UGH! He has zero basis from which he should be giving ANY nutritional advice, let alone criticizing you.
Thanks Anneke, I think I saw that email.
Robb,
You mentioned the Wobenzym supplement and fish oil after my Lumbar microdiscectomy surgery next week. Do you have a paper or some testimonials for the wobenzym dosage of 10-20 pills per hour for 5 days post op? I saw some stuff about its benefits after surgery but that dosage is pretty high. I misread it the first time and only got 400 pills. If im up 14 hours a day for the first five days, that will only give me about 5 pills per hour for those days. Just wondering where you got that dosage and if you would go with 5 per hour for 5 days or 10 per hour for 3.5 days. Also, I’m assuming we’re talking about the “All Banged Up” dosage of fish oil post op, right?
P.S. I got my girlfriend and her jacked up digestive system to go gluten free for a week. She felt good then went back to pounding gluten for a week and felt like crap. Now she’s begging for me to make gluten free meals again. Wierd.
Marshall-
That protocol is straight from Poliquin. He also recommends some curcumin, Taurine and other items. I’m not really at liberty to put that whole protocol up, CP may post it somewhere and any Biosignature practitioner will be familiar with thi. I’m not aware of any studies, I’ve just not looked.
Good luck on the GF girl friend!
Great Podcast as usual! I have been doing unweighed/unmeasured Paleo for several months now (after previous W&M zone/paleo) and it has been a much better experience. I have dropped from 12% BF down to 9% or less, and I don’t need to take a nap after I eat anymore either! Too many carbs on Zone…
I had a few “quick” questions on some discrepancies I’ve come accross.
The 1st one is fat vs insulin response. On some earlier postings you had recommended tinkering with coconut milk + whey protein for PWO instead of something high carb. The reasoning is that it provides protein for recovery without comprising insulin sensitivity, the fat stopping an insulin spike from the large doses of protein. After trying it, I like it much better than a PWO meal with high carbs (played around with moving carbs per 42 ways to skin the Zone), mainly because I don’t feel like going to sleep afterwards (a sign of insulin spiking). Several podcasts back you mentioned that Barry Sears (one of your favorites!) notion of fat blunting an insulin response was incorrect. That seemed at odds with the previous suggestions of the PWO shake (I know you’re not big on shakes, but I’m not too worried about leaning out issues). Was there a change in understanding, or am I missing something? Does the coconut milk prevent insulin spiking from the whey? Or is the insulin response just smaller than with a higher carb PWO meal? What (study) were you referencing in that preivous podcasts that proved Barry Sears wrong, I was curious about that?
The 2nd possible discrepancy I was wondering about; is the famous Robb Wolf Shopping List, which mentions in it, having occasional fruit- but always with protein. And once again in a previous podcast, I thought I heard you mention that eating fruit by itself (as a snack) was better than combining it with protein? You also mentioned keeping fat away from protein & starches because it causes more of an insulin response. But I wasn’t sure what the logic was on the fruit & protein being seperate when previously it was suggested to always combine them? Perhaps I am missing something here also, or just looking too much into something that doesn’t really matter either way. But I was hoping you could elaborate…
Thank you for all the effort and time you put into the health/nutrition gig, and for educating the people with open minds, who are willing to try and find a better way to live their lives.
And what’s the status on the book? At least you’re still here after the self-imposed April 4th deadline. Can’t wait until the next podcast, and the book!
Hi,
Thanks for all the great work Robb and Andy. You two rock.
My question basically has to do with self-discipline. I listen to your podcasts, I understand how to implement the paleo eating choices into my life, but when it actually comes down to doing it on a daily basis I keep failing. I want to do this, I have auto-immune issues, I have metabolic issues, I am at 27% body fat and want to lean out to a more optimal weight, so I know this is important for me to do but still when it comes down to it I fail. I think it’s just me and I gotta pull it together, but I thought I would bounce my problem off you in case you have found helpful advice in your experience of helping people.
Thanks again for making Tuesdays awesome.
Kate-
Will tackle this in a podcast.
sorry, didn’t see the previous post on the book status before I asked… That’s great news!
Loving the “Spin-up Robb” theme! The more irritated you get the funnier the commentary. Probably best not to do it every time since we don’t want a Cobain type ending.
People are so screwed up with their sin and redemption behaviors. I blame western culture. And if redemption involves an enema, count me out.
Robb,
A little off topic but wondered what you thought of Dr. Scott Connelly? He gives a pretty in-depth interview on “—–fit Journal”. Anyway it was interesting and paralleled everything you talk about just wanted to get your opinion.
Jake-
Have not seen the whole gig but I did write some thoughts yesterday. Connelly is a sharp dude, but the supplement huckstering kinda clouds things.
Hi Robb,
I’m the Shilpa that asked the question about the artificial sweeteners on this podcast, the one you were “mean” to 😉 .
I did take the time to google the phrase “artificial sweeteners insulin”, but the returned results were spread across non-expert sites such as message boards and blogs. I don’t consider these to be valid sources of documentation, and I don’t think you would either as a scientist.
As I re-read my question to you, I think I may not have been clear on what I was looking for. I was looking for original medical literature where such effects on insulin are documented. I was just hoping you could cite a couple of reference and offer to post them on the website. Since you are working on a book, I thought you might have already researched the issue, vetted the literature and could have just name-dropped a couple of references.
My next step, after doing a general google search, had been to check PubMed. The search terms [“artificial sweetener” insulin] only yielded 10 results. A few journal articles seemed promising, but it didn’t seem like the wealth of documentation I was expecting. I assumed it was because I was using the wrong search term, that perhaps there was a scientific synonym for artificial sweetener of which I was unaware.
I apologize if my question was offensive; I did not intend it to be. The expert I had spoken to was very glib and facile, and something about his tone made me want to come to you, Robb Wolf, my expert of choice, to do some fact-checking. The logic behind artificial sweeteners and insulin changes makes perfect sense to me, I just wanted to make sure that there was a Smith et al backing it up, and you’re the expert that I trust to mention it.
I will re-run my searches again on PubMed more thoroughly to look into the matter.
Thanks again for your help,
Shilpa
Hey Shilpa!!
We have posted some of this before. Journal of circulaton When the new site is up I will make sure to get all the AS info up there. I appreciate the question and the faith!
Great stuff! Would really love it if you would address the issue of GERD (Gastroesophogeal Reflux Disorder) in a podcast. Besides sticking with a paleo (no grains, dairy, legumes) diet, do you have any other recommendations to help somebody with GERD? What about nightshades? Super enzymes? Probiotics? If so, how much? Thanks!
Ann-
Usually basic paleo fixes GERD almost immediately.
Caz,
I agree with the idea of at least putting a rough estimate at where the question starts in time, that would be cool.
I feel like a douche asking for more when Rob and Andy put this info out for free as it is. Thanks guys!
RE waking up in a dark room, assuming Michael gets enough sleep – he could try a sunrise simulator alarm clock, where a light gradually comes on starting half hour before the time he needs to get up.
Robb, I hate to bring the bearer of bad news but your pseudoscience method of reducing “inflammation” has nothing on this “scientific” way: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,590407,00.html. I am just not sure how committed I am to the health benefits of reduced inflammation!!!
Tony-
You seriously raised the stakes!
whats up with that calcium stuff at the end about the high repetition leading to it depleting in the something?? that progenex guy in the journal video. any other general comments about his talk?
Ben-
Flesh that question out a bit more, not following.
Yo Robb
great podcast again am the Guy who added you on fb you also know my mate and crossfit trainer Karl
Ok so am really starting to over think things on the paleo ie is my bacon nitrate free found out it’s not bad times. So I have just signed up to paleo plan which sets out you weeks meals and shopping list which has made things a little easyer.
My question is which podcast if you can remember is best for most common questions on the paleo. I want to be ask strict as possible for next few weeks
thanks for any help
Danny
Danny!
We have not recorded a “paleo 101” episode yet. We will do that soon.
You know Robb, it is ironic that I praised your character in the last couple days and I hear this podcast today. You mentioned the ridiculous margin on supps. I own my own business and understand margin very well. It is why I sang your praises. I am absoultely sure you could be a multi millionaire (Net worth of corporation if sold to highest bidder) if you sold the cult on the Robb Wolf Supplement line ( Why do you think Progenex is drooling at the lips getting that market share?) But you didn’t sell out because in your heart you knew you would be bilking people. You could not live the sweet lifestyle that would have afforded you with that guilt on your shoulders. I am all for people making it big, Google, YouTube, Facebook. Good for you guys your mega rich and you made a worthwhile product. You on the other hand realize you also have a worthwhile product and that is what will get you a great return through hard work. I’m sure writing a book ain’t easy. Your CF endorsed supp line would have made you uber rich…but fuck it. Your taking the high road. Sorry this turned into such a knob slobbing post but I really admire the way you operate. If everyone else did the same we would all be paying less for far greater product and Berny Madoff would be flipping burgers.
Clay-
LOL!, thanks man. You know, I make a good living, doing stuff I LOVE. I love the gym, as big a pain in the ass it is to write the book I’m enjoying that. I LOVE thinking about blog posts. I feel like what I’m doing helps people…I’m just very fortunate to do what I do. More money would ALWAYS be nice, but I will always (I hope) make the choice for quality of life, quality of people over making money on shite I do not believe in.
The funny thing in all this is I still LOVE CF. the concepts, the ideas. I do not agree with where it has all gone, I obviously do not get along with the “management” but I still think it;s some of the best stuff going, but it has seriously lost it’s way. I felt an obligation to try o change that when I was “in”. Not my problem now however.
Hey Robb, great news on the book, can’t wait to buy several copies.
I just finished reading some Michael Pollan (Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food) and was thinking about his assertions about the state of Nutrition Science ie. studies are based on reporting by subjects that is mostly lies or fabrications, and that our understanding of most Nutrition Science is based on nutritionism and the reductionist study of one or a few nutrients or lifestyle factors at a time and not a more holistic interpretation of these problems
As a nutrition science researcher, what do you think about the state of this young science and the validity of research methods commonly applied in the field?
Aside to Andy: about a month a go I wrote in with a Peanut Allergy question. I think you thought as I did and was hoping it would be more incendiary – although I got about an 8 minute answer and the topic has come up on two subsequent podcasts. I asked about a Duke University study, when what I meant to say was: “Peanut Allergies; Go!”
Alex-
Andy needs no help stirring shit! The Polan issue is a good one, will tackle that in a podcast. Thanks for the great questions, still looking for a time when I can diagram out the peanut story. Thanks to Mike Malloy for the insights on that.
Great show today. I was interested in your response to the question about artificial sweeteners. I thought I’d do some searching for my preferred AS – stevia. While I did find that it appears stevia does indeed produce insulin it also seems to have the effect of improving insulin sensitivity. I wonder if this effect is enough to counter the insulin production?
Totally the Best Podcast yet…love to hear Robb blast the stuff he hates, ahahah!
Best Quote “Keep the shit simple!!”
Tuesday are so much more awesome b/c of you Robb.
Nathan-
Too kind brother, thanks.
Robb, while listening to episode 22 and the discussion re: pavlovian insulin response to pictures of food, it made me wonder re: intermittent fasting. First, I have my diet in check and I am performance based priorities. I have been playing with IF and found it to be more like torture than beneficial. I am a grazer for food so fasting was painful but I digress. If we can see food and cuz a possible insulin response, wouldn’t fasting cause an even greater insulin response thereby blunting the positive effects? Someone like myself who is a natural grazer, would they be even more affected? I guess this is kind of like your reference to a big meal vs little meal and insulin response. I know my tinkering with this caused me to fantasize about food more often during fasting periods, with the occassional mid meeting drool episode. Thanks
Tony-
this si why I only recommend IF when it appears to improve performance, body comp etc. Will cover more in the podcast.
Long time Robb Wolf site lurker. Just wanted to share something.
I’ve had Colitis for over 15yrs with on an off exposure to prednisone to control flare ups. As a result of extensive glucocorticoid steriod use (abuse) to manage the disease my spine and hip bone density was tiping into the osteoporotic range (I’m only in my 30’s). I moved into paleo style eating and have followed a crossfit football style training regimen for the last year and a half or so with lots of heavy lifting (max sqvat is up to 315). I just got back from my bone mineral density check this morning (last check was 2008) and the results showed a 22% improvement in lumbar spine and 12% improvement in hip density from the last result. The technician told me he’s never seen that drastic an improvement. Normally patientients are trying to hold on to fractions of a % point. Also, I’ve had complete resolution of all Colitis symptoms. The fish oil coctails I’ve been downing must be doing something. Yeah Pseudoscience!
Andrew
Andrew-
Would you be willing to write hat up for me with a bit of detail? It would be hugely valuable.
Robb
Cheers for the heads up on the 101 paleo coming soon. I have a question which I think is hard to find a answer to.
So on paleo tea and coffee and water is a go go. But what else can i drink. They sell flavored water but am assuming this has sugar in which is badddd.
Any heads up would be ace
Dan
Dan-
Some waters just have a fruit extract, no sweeteners. Good to go IMO.
Hey Robb,
Just wanted your take on ephedra tea. In order to prevent a possible freakout from you i will let you know that i follow a strict paleo diet and have for about 6 months now. I am a competitive CFer and take my training very seriously with a combination of heavy olifting (usually catalyst’s programming) followed by short, hard metcons and an occasional long slog once or twice every couple weeks. Anyways, I usually stay free of supplements with the exception of fish oil and glucosamine, but recently needed a pick me up before a workout and picked up a bottle of ephedra tea. Within 5 minutes of drinking half of it, i was overflowing with energy and felt like i could workout forever. I was under the impression that ephedra containing products are illegal however on the bottle it lists it as an ingredient and it definitely worked as desired for me. I figure it’s probably not good and probably not even healthy to rely on this stuff, but it did work wonders, just wanting your take on it.
Joey-
Great question, will get to it.
You guys are great together, and I can’t wait for the book. Its sure to replace bibles in motel room nightstands. Keep up the great work!
Robb-
Another great episode, I like the reverb from you sound like a R&B artist. I hope a supplementation post or episode is on the way. I am a was a want-a-be bodybuilder for awhile until I found kettle-bells. I still take my daily multi vitamin from my body building days. I like some of the Ingredients like Glucosamine and Methyl-Sulfonyl but I’m sure most of it is just fluff since my diet is dialed in. Once I have completed my last bottled that I bought I will stop using it and hopefully have some literature to help me dial in my supplementation. Heres a link to the daily, I take two in the morning and two at night.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/clabs/orangetriad.html
Bryan-
I think the product is good, I’d personally take it every other day. I don’t know that you need that much consistently, but a nice way to fill in the gaps.
Awesome, thank you! And heaps of praise and appreciation to you for such a damn good website and podcast!
Robb,
Would be glad to document my experience. I will include my bone density results with the reports to show they are the real deal. I’ll get them in a few weeks. Being a scientist at heart the details are important. Just to let you know how bad the results were prior to this last reading my lumbar spine had a t-score of -3.8 (osteoporotic)…almost 4 standard deviations from the mean!!! and the hip was at -1.7(osteopenic). The recent improvement has pulled my spine back into the osteopenic range. The % improvements I quoted were based on the absolute density measurement. I didn’t think it possible that I could have that drastic an improvement.
Andrew-
Just shot you an email! Talk soon.
Robb,
LMAO in my hotel room in Orange County in the wee hours this AM listening to you eviscerate Tom Venuto. Love the podcast, and looking forward to the book.
Robb, Andrew, et. al.
I sold Evista (SERM for postmenopausal osteoporosis) a few years ago and those improvements are INSANE Andrew! Congratulations on much improved health! Even if the numbers are based on absolute density, usually people are just hoping not to lose any more bone over the years, let alone see improvements in their T scores. This is because all of the drugs on the market save Forteo (which has a black box warning) don’t actually BUILD bone, they just slow the osteoclastic activity. Just goes to show what diet and exercise can do over meds yet again.
In a similar vein, I have to say that what really sold me on Paleo was watching my mom have a similar experience with Pityraisis Lichenoides. She is apparently the only person documented to have symptoms internally, and as a result every mucus lining in her body became imflamed. Mayo clinic didn’t even know what to do with her. She was on her way to an esophogeal transplant and on 60mg qd of prednisone in an attempt to keep the inflammation under control. Upon the urging of my sister, she finally agreed to give Paleo a try. To date, she is healthy, is on a 2.5 mg qd prednisone dose, just posted a max deadlift of 100 lbs and completed a 2 week trip to Israel and Egypt – things never considered possible before Paleo. Who can argue with results like that and like yours? At the end of the day, people can talk all they want, but results are what count:)
Anneke-
It is autoimmune so paleo is certainly a smart idea. Has she had her Vit d checked?
Quick question I have been doing Wendler 5-3-1 in the morning three days a week and then 5 days a week in the afternoon I am doing OPT’s WOD’s. My goals are to get my deadlift to 400lbs (currently 345lbs) and my back squat to 300lbs (currently 250lbs), but at the same time stay “lean” and quick because I love playing basketball. Do you think that I am overtraining, I don’t feel like it, and I feel great, but just want to know if you think that this is possibly too much? Thanks, love the podcasts and all of the great information.
Jacob-
That volume would KILL me. I’d cut the OPT WOD to 2-3 days and try to pick stuff that compliments your 531.
Hey guys, another great show. Good to see (hear) you both in such rare form. Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for the shout-out. Oh yeah, and I just may well be that “un-named” and woefully uninformed blogger who was recently dissin’ on artificial sweeteners — in this instance, Stevia.
http://theorytopractice.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/32510-the-20-minute-workout-and-when-will-is-an-illusion/
People will do anything to legitimate their insulin hit, eh?
Keith-
carbs seem to be more addictive than hookers-n-blow, and that’s some tough competition!
Hey Robb:
Awesome episode. Get some Natural Calm the next time Andy pulls questions like this out of the bag. With regard to your comments on coconut milk smoothies and liquid food: how do you feel about just coconut milk in general. Does it still fit into the liquid food = bad for leaning out (on grounds of insulin spikage) or is it just a solid source of MCFAs. Reason I ask is because I’ve started going through a gallon or so of the Unsweetened So Delicious coconut milk per week. It tastes good and has got some good stats.
Thoughts?
Thanks dude, hope the weather shapes up. It’s been gorgeous out hear on the right hand coast.
S
Robb,
I don’t know. Probably not. I’ll ask her though. It would be good for both the inflammation and her bones, no?
Yes, for sure.
Hey Robb and Andy,
Thanks for another excellent show with some great questions and answers – very informative and entertaining as always.
I have a question regarding adrenal fatigue; I’ve just read Adrenal Fatigue: 21st Century Stress Syndrome by James L Wilson and in it he recommends increased sodium intake for sufferers of adrenal fatigue. This seems to be an across the board recommendation for Adrenal Fatigue/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. With a Paleo Diet being particularly low in sodium, would you support this recommendation?
Another question which I may regret asking is regarding meal frequency for adrenal fatigue recovery – it also seems to be an across the board recommendation for adrenal fatigue to eat at regular intervals in order to limit cortisol release. This is obviously at odds with your general recommendations but could it have merit in this instance?
I know you’ve received a number of questions regarding adrenal fatigue so I’m hoping it will feature on a podcast soon but I would love to hear your thoughts on diet, exercise and supplementation for this condition – particularly on your own experiences and that of your trainer at NorCal. I have read your blog post on the topic and am keen to hear more about a recovery protocol. It’s obviously individual but how much exercise is OK? Is it mainly glycolytic work we need to eliminate or cut way back on?
Thanks again for all you do. Sorry for the long question again. No need to put it on the show but if you could work it into a general recommendation it would be very much appreciated.
Ryan
Hi Robb-
Just checking in with a question. I am the runner that went from paleo with tons of fruit to paleo no fruit as per your advice with great results. Yet the whole breakfast thing has been rough (I teach fitness classes and just don’t feel good with a protein breakfast). I have been drinking NON sugared kombucha (with ginger) the past few days. My digestion is working a ton better. I know what you will say–see how it works for you–but just wanted to let you know I will keep at it for 30 days and see if it is supporting my goals.
You rock.
Hi Robb and Andy!
I have a qick question.
I have been a big fan of cottage cheese and quark, what are your thought about it. I know its dairy but is it bad in a paleo perspective??
Robb,
Is it beneficial to take a multi-vitamin or two a day?
I’ve begun taking since I began adding met-con work to my program.
Does it have a counter-active effect on some of the other vitamins that I’ve read are beneficial like Vit. D? I am also taking Vitamin C at about 2-3 grams a day.
I am 35/M/245lbs. My training is mainly WOD but I scale back on time. So I go all out but cut off the workout at 15-20 min. mark. I have had remarkable improvements staying low-carb, planning on going Pesca-Paleo soon.
What are your thoughts?
(Let me know if I should place these questions elsewhere. I would send them to the podcast but I don’t know how).
Ed-
The need for a multi-vite is dubious, might even be problematic.
RE: 5/3/1 and overtraining
I started 5/3/1 a month ago: DL, Shoulder Press and overhead squat. Went up in all three. What I did is work Wendler’s recommended “assistive” exercises in to a short WOD after the main session focused onthe main lift. For example, on Dead Lift day, I would do a 21/15/9 WOD of lunges and knees to elbows after I did my Deads. The WOD would last, say 5 minutes, I’d get gassed and feel sore the next couple of days.
All I can say is, that is working for me.
Check this site out if you have not already.
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/play/snake-oil-supplements/
Jeff-
Cool, will check that out.
Robb,
Totally love the podcasts and the format… you two are hilarious, modern day Lucy and Ricky. Anyway, on to the question. I recently started the Gluten free, non dairy Paleo diet (3 main meals + snack). I find that about an hour after I eat a meal that I am very hungry again, even though I eat to satiety. A typical meal is ground buffalo cooked with cabbage and coconut milk (weighs about 10oz), plus about 1 cup of cooked greens added. Do I need to increase my meal size (thus eating past satiety) or increase the number of meals in a day. I currently do Crossfit football workouts. The other item I wanted to bring to your attention is a great article in the Mar 2010 issue of Outside magazine. Also here is a link to the article online. http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/201003/sled-dogs-human-athletic-performance-research-1.html. The article discusses some research conducted by a vet on Iditarod sled dogs and how they can literally switch over to burning fat and how that relates to their increased performance. Do you think this is the same science behind the uptick in performace you see in clients once they adapt to a low carb Paleo diet and learn to burn fat as an energy source?
Fat ?
Polyunsaturated fats are highly oxidizable, most products derived from plants, including Nuts and Olive oil, have lots of Omega 6. Some have short chain Omega 3, which do not benefit us much anyway and are even more highly oxidizable.
It seems then that fats from animals (grass fed/wild), and coconut are the best.
My question is, other than convenience, is there any benefit to consuming any fat processed from plants, not including coconut?
BTW- drinking coconut milk tastes much better than olive oil, even good olive oil.
Hey Robb,
My wife and I have become hooked on the podcast. So you’ve got two mas, hombre.
We plan to take up the Paleo nutritional approach, but with fish.
Since quality is a big factor for meats, I assume this too extends to fish. Are there particular fish one should stay away from? I imagine their may be fish allergies that are pretty common across a large swath of the population.
Farm vs Ocean (Japan has a lock down on the fresh stuff).
Finally, mercury content.
Is the latter a problem, cause for concern or have the ill effects of merc. poisoning via fish consumption been exaggerated? I’ve heard both sides, equally trenchant in their opinion.
If you have time, I’m really looking forward to what you think.
As Pat B. said in the 80’s, “fire away!”
Just when you think you’ve got it . . . you don’t. I really enjoyed the back to basics of this podcast as a reminder that Paleo is supposed to be basic and simple (It reminded me of epsiode 1 & 2). Keep it coming. I look to your podcast as a weekly refresher of the eat well + smart training helps you look, feel, and perform better mantra and it helps keep me focused on the bigger picture i.e. figure out what my goals are and do the right things to help me get there then set new goals. . . Thanks again.
P.S. Can we get a group photo of you, Andy and the cat? (kidding)
Back to cocosugar… Their claim of it having a GI of 35 really bugs me. I was reading through their protocol and they used a sample of 10 folks, blood was drawn and then compared with the glucose response curve.
Do we have sampling issues (clearly a small sample size, would it be possible to have a bias population by using folks with high insulin sensitivity?) or is there some methodological issue playing a role here?
I don’t buy the GI of 35 for a product that is no more than a mix of fructose and sucrose….
Rich-
Yea, it;s tough to belive but if it;s accurate it means it’s MORE fructose than glucose. Not a better option.
LOL it sounds like you’re sitting on the toilet.
Is that where you get all of your “paper work” done, as you were saying earlier?
Brandon-
I DO have some inspiring moments…
Re mercury in fish – here’s a good link with info
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/fishmercury.htm
And for New Zealanders:
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumerinformation/adviceforpregnantwomen/mercuryinfish.cfm
julianne – Thanks for that alarm clock recommendation. I wasn’t aware they made something like that and was able to pick it up on the cheap on ebay.
Hey Robb,
Would eating a meal before bed compromise a goal of leaning out? For the sake of argument we’ll say the meal is 40-50 g protein, 25-35 g fat and some carbs from veggies.
and if that would affect leaning out, how long before bed should we have our last meal?
Hey Robb,
Here’s an issue that really got my head spinning in regard to applying an evolutionary perspective. I hope you can help.
A female friend in her 20s mentioned that her doctor said that she’d better get on the pill or she’d eventually suffer from endometriosis and perhaps other negative health effects. The overall reason would be that the female body is designed to be pregnant quite often, and not to have continuos menstrual cycles. (I think Robb has made similar arguments on the podcasts, but in a different context.)
This really got me thinking. The argument seems sound from an evolutionary perspective, but on the other hand, simulating continuos pregnancy through birth control pills doesn’t seem to be really optimal either, and women complain about side effect all the time.
I should mention that my friend eats a paleo type diet and lifts heavy weights, so should be low risk generally in terms of health risks. The only diverging aspect of her lifestyle from an strict evolutionary perspective is that she doesn’t want kids.
Any thoughts on this?
Sorry if this has been asked time and time again, but I didn’t see it.
Do I have to eat breakfast? If I get up at 7, is it okay if I don’t eat till 10 or 12?
Brandon-
Totally fine, run with how you feel.
Hey Robb,
Training question for ya. Some background: I’ve been on a layoff of training for 2+ months. Intuition tells me that higher volume mainpage crossfit might end up burning me out again (hence the layoff), and I now not surprIsingly feel super weak.
I was going to focus on strength first, since I either read or heard you say that stronger athletes tend to do better at crossfit and also, I think I might take up Muay Thai again this summer (definately can sub that for some metcon days). I just bought Wendler’s manual and started to go through it, I was just wondering if you subbed in O-lifting? or should I just tackle that at a later date, say after one or two of Wendler’s 4 week cycles….
thanks,
Ro
Ro-
Here is what I’ve done:
SQT day I do either hang split cleans or snatches (alternating legs). About 10 singles, working up to a heavy weight.
DL-day I work up to a heavy single on PC, then do about 5 singles at 90% of the day’s max.
Press day-
heavy single split jerk or power jerk,
Easy way to get some speed work/OL into the mix with Wendler 531
Hey Robb, I think you missed my comment up there.
Any thoughts on So Delicious coconut milk?
S
Stephen-
So long as it;s low carb, seems good.
Hi Robb and Andy. I attended your nutrition cert in Montrose, CO Feb. 2009. You mentioned depression can be from high blood glucose? or over carbing? due to a chemical in the brain that helps seratonin production. I would love to hear you go on a bit about this subject. Oh, and my friend and I call it the “Robcast”… Maybe that one works for you?!?! Love the show and always looking forward to the next. Thanks.
Cybil-
We can look at this. Perhaps a whole episode looking at cognitive issues?
Christian:
I’m curious as to why a doctor would recommend this. Is your friend at risk of endometriosis or some other issue?
I found using paleo foods and lower carb than Zone has made a massive difference to all my “women’s issues”. All the PMS, bad menstrual pain has gone. All my pre menopausal stuff has gone too (I’m 50 and going through the change as they say) but I’ve never felt better.
Personally I wouldn’t touch synthetic hormones!
Hey Robb, what do you think of charles poliquin’s no carb post workout drink? I believe it consists of whey or bcaas, greens (to blunt cortisol), .33g glutamine/kg bw and a few g of glycine (for cortisol as well).
Ian-
Talked about this in the 1st episode. It MAY be great, or it may be a disaster depending upon the person. If someone is leaning out, I’d stick with solid food.
Hey Robb!
I (loosely) transcribed the portion of the episode on Artificial Sweeteners for my blog post on “Food Porn” (crediting you for that term). I thought i’d share the link because I’m sure this question will come up again!
http://cosmopolitanprimalgirl.wordpress.com/2010/05/14/this-is-your-brain-on-food-porn/
Thanks summer!
Robb and Andy,
Thanks again for all the hard work. I am still going strong on the paleo front but I am having some trouble now that I added in fish oil. Per Andys recommendation I have been trying to titrate the fish oil up and only take it with meals. Right now I am doing about 2-3 tsp of the Carlson’s twice a day with a meal and it seems that I always have some cramping/loose stool within 30 minutes of ingesting it. I wanted to know if I could be experiencing issues with the additional fat given that I don’t have a gallbladder. If so, would the digestive enzymes you are always talking about be recommended? I know that you had a question about this awhile back and said it could be a fish allergy problem however, I have been eating fish/seafood about three times a week for quite some time (salmon, mussels, shrimp mostly). Please help because I’m about to stop taking it if I can’t improve this issue.
TGRA-
Sounds like a mild fish intolerance. Might need to go with a ultra purified form like Nordic Naturals. Or, you may not NEED that much fish oil.
The audio quality was terrible.
Robb, maybe you could get some of those cone textured mattress pads and put them up to cut down the echo?
do you a script of this conversation? i don’t understand some of the words. Thank you 🙂
Hi Robb, I’d like to second this. A transcript would be very handy. Your material is excellent – I find this to be very comprehensive, but I think I would need to read it and go over it a few times to really be able to absorb the info properly. Thank you