Tag Archives: paleo diet


Posted by in kitchen, podcast, wellness

Podcast #341:
Critics, Controversy, and Paleo Cooking. (Plus, a Rant)

Pete Evans

Guest: Chef Pete Evans

Here goes…

I’ve been on quite the Facebook tear these past couple days, airing my thoughts about where my head is at right now.

I think somewhere during my 6-week hiatus from the podcast this summer, I started questioning the way I had been doing things … wondering if the podcast and newsletter were doing more harm than good.

It kinda reminds me of way back in 2011 when I got fed up with foodie bloggers beefing with other foodie bloggers and I wrote this blog post about Just Eating Real Food.

Does being healthy really have to be this complicated?

Should we just accept every charismatic health expert’s word as gospel and shut out all opposing views?

Is letting someone else decide what’s right for you and me really the path we want to take?

Or might we be better off considering all sides, listening to our own bodies and intuitions, and deciding what makes sense for who we are and where we are in our lives.

This morning, I posted the following to Facebook:


Posted by in wellness

Gorillas, The Bible, and Women. [VIDEO]

Screen Shot 2014-01-24 at 9.32.10 AMby Sean Croxton

It’s weird, the guy really does look like a caveman…

It’s kinda like I’m living in that old movie, Encino Man. You know, the one about the two high school students who stumble upon a frozen paleolithic man while digging a pool in their backyard. They thaw him out, give him a cool haircut and a clean shave, and take him to school where he gets all the girls.

But in this case, the caveman sleeping on my couch this week speaks in complete sentences, wrote one of my favorite books of last year, and even has a degree from Harvard.

Evolution…

Last night, John Durant and I sat down for a short interview about a couple of my favorite sections of his Paleo Manifesto as well as his upcoming free online event, Paleo Con.


Posted by in podcast

Podcast 225: Not Your Ordinary Paleo Book.

Dura_9780307889171_jkt.inddby Sean Croxton

I have a new favorite book.

When John Durant’s new book The Paleo Manifesto arrived in my mailbox, I rolled my eyes and left it to die in the mountainous stack of unread books atop my bookcase.

The last thing I wanted to read was another paleo book that said exactly what the last one said. I’ve got better things to do.

BUT…after John sent me a Facebook message inquiring about a spot on the radio show, I decided to flip through his Manifesto and was happy to see very few mentions of gluten, lectins, 30-day challenges, and other common paleo topics.

Instead I saw sections on gorillas in captivity, Moses, hot air balloons, the science of disgust, the Bambi Effect, and a bunch of other cool topics seldom broached in the paleo space.

And when I finally had a chance to read John’s book this week, I was no less than blown away by how thoughtful, historic, and engaging The Paleo Manifesto turned out to be. When I got to the end I was actually bummed that it was over.

He should write a sequel.

Mr. Durant joined me this afternoon for what I had a feeling would be a classic episode of Underground Wellness Radio.

Click the player below to listen in.

Or, click HERE to read the show notes!

Listen to internet radio with Underground Wellness on Blog Talk Radio

Posted by in wellness

Why Paleo Fails

Last-Fred
by Sean Croxton

It goes without saying that I’m a HUGE fan of the paleo diet.

Though I don’t call myself “paleo” — I prefer to say that I just eat real food — I think a diet and lifestyle based on ancestral living makes a whole lot of sense.

And judging by the lean physiques and energetic presence of last week’s Paleo FX presenters and attendees, eating and living this way definitely works…

But not all of the time.

If I had to guess, I would say that for every one person who has tasted success with paleo (it tastes like bacon, by the way), there are at least ten who have failed.

And that’s because following a paleo diet means you have to follow a paleo diet.

Unfortunately, it’s not so easy a caveman can do it.

The honest truth is that, for most people, going paleo isn’t just a matter of reading the latest paleo book and dropping the grains, legumes, and dairy.

As with any change in behavior — in this case, diet and lifestyle — a concurrent shift in perspective must take place, without which the change is sure to be short-lived.

Or as this week’s UW YouTube guest and author of The Paleo Coach Jason Seib says, you’ll soon find yourself doing your second or third 30-day paleo challenge.

This is the difference between those who succeed with paleo and those who do not.


Posted by in wellness

It’s Not About the Food: Reconnecting with Mark Sisson.

images
by Sean Croxton

Oh no, not another one!

That’s exactly what went through my head when I heard that Mark Sisson had a new book on the way.

In my opinion, the last thing the world needs right now is yet another Paleo book recommending that we eat real food and remove grains and dairy from our diets.

I think I’ve read that book about 15 times — with 15 different authors and titles — in the past year or so.

Besides, Mark did an outstanding job teaching us what to eat in The Primal Blueprint. What more could he have to offer in his latest opus The Primal Connection?

The answer is quite a bit. In fact, The Primal Connection has little, if anything, to do with diet. It’s about all of that other stuff.

That other stuff has become one of my favorite topics these days. Yes, we know that our dietary choices can have a dramatic impact on gene expression, switching the good (or bad) genes on or off. But it doesn’t end there.

Environmental factors — social interactions, sunlight exposure, our inner dialogue, and even laughter — can have just as profound an effect on our genes as what we stuff into our mouths. I’ll give you a few examples:

Did you know that laughter turns on the genes that fire up your immune system by increasing production of NK (natural killer) cells responsible for defending against cancers, infections, and other bugs?

I remember learning in my CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coaching course that the average person chuckles just once a day. A chuckle. That’s not even a full-blown laugh!