Theory to Practice

“We are less hurt by the contempt of fools than by the lukewarm approval of men of intelligence.”

- Luc de Clapiers de Vanvenargues

So I’m waiting patently in a Raleigh Starbucks last night for the the cute (in a Suicide Girl kind of a way) barista to whip up my tall red-eye and, being the curious, fidgety sort that I am (and from all outward appearances, probably not needing the said red-eye), found myself thumbing through a Starbucks Nutrition By The Cup fact sheet.  Interesting, to say the least; and, well, scary as all hell, too.

Now, I love a good cup of strong-as-black-iron joe as good as the next guy, and, to be perfectly honest, I confess to having done more than my part to keep the Starbucks enterprise afloat during these turbulent financial times — this in no way diminishes the fact, though, that it’s common knowledge within the Paleo community to steer clear of the sweet stuff (in all forms — food and drink) while supporting your favorite corner purveyor of delectable caffeine.   And while most will readily identify sweet foods as being an item to steer clear of, the froo-froo drinks oftentimes escape the same level of scrutiny. Now, I’m a plain and simple red-eye kinda guy myself, so I don’t give these concoctions much more thought than damn, those things have got to pack a pretty hefty carb wallop — until last night, and waiting for the cute barista to work her magic, and my perusing of the Nutrition By The Cup fact sheet.  And what I found was — hot holy-damn, Batman.

And holy hot-damn in more ways than just this egregious example.  Wow, make that bad boy a venti with whipped cream, and you’re hammering down a whopping 120 grams of sugar in one, single pop.  120 grams! Just to write that makes my pancreas quiver with over-exertion.

Now, I don’t consider Starbucks to necessarily be part of the problem of American (and world-wide, really) obesity, but some of the company’s product offerings certainly are a reflection of that underlying problem.  Now maybe that’s a lame distinction, but let’s face it: we can blame these companies all we want for what they offer, but the true, underlying problem here rests solely on society’s shoulders.  Companies more so respond to consumer demand than do they create the same.  At least, that’s the case theoretically, and within an enlightened, educated and engaged society.  And therein lay another (and possibly the more substantial??) part of the problem — a collective, societal apathy towards true, inner health — which translates into lack of education, enlightenment, and engagement.  It’s a vicious, vicious cycle.  And one that’s apparently pretty damn tough for some to break free of.  The pursuit of health, though, is no different than any other worthwhile pursuit; the first step to success is mental — first and foremost, you gotta want it.  Really, really want it.  All else will surely follow.  And I don’t want to slide into a theological discussion here, but I also see this as a spiritual issue; the body being the vessel of the spirit and soul.

What to Eat?  The Essentials –

Sarah, aka Paleo_princess, offered up a question/musing to the “Twitterverse” the other day that got me thinking about how I go about making my own food choices.  What thinking process, or mental template, do I employ so as to make my day-to-day food consumption decisions?  Anyone who’s ever “dieted” (note: the lack of having to “diet” and, therefore, not being consumed by all that the word “diet” insinuates, is the yang to the Paleo Way’s yin of what is actually consumed.  The Paleo Way is a lifestyle more so than a conventional “diet”, and this is the essence behind its success) knows that the war is ultimately lost in the myriad of small, day-to-day skirmishes; that is to say, “diet” meets its death by a thousand bad meal choices.

So here’s my macro-nutrient “hierarchy”, so to speak; my mental template against which I hold all meal choices throughout the day.  And this, truly, is the extent of it:

1. Meat/organs/eggs, and/or good fats.  In a pinch, raw (if at all possible) nuts
2. Raw dairy
3. Veggies/salad and the like.  Occasionally, a small sweet potato
4. (and a way distant 4 at that) fruit

If #1 or #2 is unavailable, I will not eat.  Simple as that.  Now, am I’m what would be considered “textbook” Paleo?  Absolutely not.  And if consumption of raw dairy gets me booted from Paleo island, so be it.  I tolerate and respond well to raw dairy, and so I include it (albeit sparingly) in my diet.  The thing, folks, is this: in much the same way that genetics are the “guardrails” and not necessarily the “railroad tracks” of one’s ultimate phenotypical expression, there is a fairly wide “zone” of proper human diet.  About the only “universals of avoidance”, that is, things well outside of everyone’s “guardrails”, are simple carbohydrates, grains, legumes, sugar and hydrogenated fats.  I’d say that raw dairy teeters on the rails, and as to which side it ultimately falls is an individual tolerance issue.  And know this, too — there is no biological need for carbohydrates — the body does quite well in the total absence of carbs,via protein and fat (ketone) utilization.  I think of veggies and fruit as taste and texture variety, and little more than that.

In health,

Keith

“There is a kinship, a kind of freemasonry, between all persons of intelligence, however antagonistic their moral outlook.”

- Norman Douglas

The Manipulation of training routines so as to more properly engage one’s genetic profile has much in common with the science and technique behind fat loss, in that one can quickly lose any sense of practical bearing, sliding headlong into the rabbit hole of minutia.  As an example, just look at the comments that this post generated.  After all that bantering over “is a calorie a calorie”, we’re still right back to making real-life decisions about what and what not to eat.  Paleo works, and the mechanisms behind why it works are known (even if some of the minutia are still hotly debated); but really, though — does the minutia matter one whit when you’re out at the restaurant with friends, and faced with a decision between steak and pasta?  Real life is where we operate, and the succession of real life decisions are where we ultimately either succeed or fail at out goals.

Now, as I’ve said before, I can geek-out on the minutia and specifics of a subject with the best of them — however, practically speaking, if real, tangible health and fitness is what we’re seeking, we’ve got to get out of bed in the morning and hit the ground running with a foundationally solid, and doable, plan of attack.   At 5 AM on a workout morning, I have to have converted whatever applicable science I so choose into actual weight on the bar; sets, reps, total time under load — this is where real progress is made; this is where theory is converted to practice.

So I’ve been thinking a bit lately about individual genetic profiles, determinism, and sporting prowess; the specific genetic hand we’re dealt, and how best to play that hand within the limitations of the real world.  First off, how about a little visual representation of what a mutation to a single gene (actually, the non-presence of the GDF-8 gene) can cause in an otherwise similar breed of dog.  GDF-8, by the way, is responsible for signaling the production of myostatin, which, in turn, is responsible for limiting the amount of muscle production in an animal.  Myostatin works the same way in humans as it does in these whippets.  GDF-8, while being yet another stroke of evolutionary genius (muscle mass past a certain point is an unnecessary metabolic drag, i.e., survival limiting), is an area of obvious interest within the physical culture community.

Normal whippet muscling, 2 copies of the GDF-8 gene

A single copy of the GDF-8 gene

No GDF-8 gene, and hence, no myostatin to curtail muscling

No PhotoShop here, folks; just a dramatic demonstration of the effects genes can have upon muscling and athletic prowess.  And this is a representation of what affects a single gene mutation can signal.  What I find interesting is that if Wendy were a human, we’d just assume that she was much more dedicated in following her (fill in the blank) workout regimen; being that she’s a dog, though, we’re ok with the fact that she’s come by her appearance the old fashioned way — i.e., via inheritance.  By the way, here’s an interesting Animal Planet video clip of Wendy, the defacto spokes-pooch of bully whippets.  A normal whippet in every way, except in skeletal musculature.  I find it very sad that appearantly these animals are normally euthanized at birth (I’m assuming because they are not charactoristic of the AKC whippet?).

So that’s a pretty dramatic visual.  My intent here, though, is not is not to kick up a dust cloud of fatalism, but rather to bring a sense of realism to the endeavor of physical culture.  We are, all of us, in theory, limited by our genetic make-up; the question remains, however, how many of us actually realize that genetic ceiling? Given the optimum training protocol for our individual genetic make-up, how far could even a mediocre genetic hand advance?

Here’s an article that appeared in the September 2000 issue of  Scientific  American which discusses the muscle fiber differences in sprinters vs that of endurance athletes.  This article was also cited in Body by Science (page 141), and for good reason.  Even though this article is going on 9 years old, it is still a relevant piece of work.  There’s plenty of food for thought here, especially as related to the plasicity of the genetic make-up.  For an analogy, think of your genetic make-up as a set of gaurd rails along a winding highway; lots of manuevering room in between.  What the genetic make-up is not is a set of railroad tracks.

And by the way, see if the last portion of this article, “Brave New World”, doesn’t make you immediately call to mind Usain Bolt’s utter dominance in every sprint event below 400 meters as of late.  I would love to know what Usain’s muscle fiber make-up looks like, and what his genetic profile looked like before he started serious training.  One has to wonder if he might have a mutation which allows for the prevalence of type IIb fast-twitch fibers.  That would be very, very interesting indeed.  Which leads to the question of the inevitability of future gene “doping”, which is covered in the article as well.  This is the new frontier of sports enhancement, and the results of successfully manipulating an already accomplished athlete’s gene pool will obliterate any “doping” response results seen thus far in the sporting world.

And had the wall not come down with the death of communism — had the eastern block sporting machines remained viable — this, in my opinion, would already be old, passe science.

In health,

Keith

It is astonishing what foolish things one can temporarily believe if one thinks too long alone.”

- John Maynard Keynes

As a long time aficionado and admirer of the old Eastern Block training philosophy/regimens, and the single-minded purpose these nations threw behind their sporting programs, I find the prospect of DNA testing for the purpose of pin-pointing individualized training programs to be exquisitely interesting.  A few caveats, though, before we proceed: (1) I am not opining as a blind romantic here, as I am fully aware of the societal ills propagated against these “iron curtain” populations in general, and, specifically against the athletes representing the Eastern Block countries, and (2) with the prior having been said, I take the liberty of being able to sift-out the “good and the noble” of these programs, and concentrate on those aspects only.  That said, when a particularly well-suited genotype happens to be paired with the correct, dose/response limited stimulus, the result is an amazing phenotype expression.  The problem is, of course, that the trial-and-error approach is mostly fraught with error.  Some get lucky and stumble into their niche early; most, however, give up on the ride long before that personal sweet-spot is ever found.  Wouldn’t it have been a blessing to know in your youth whether you were particularly well-suited for either endurance or explosive activities?  Would it not have been a double-blessing, then, to have access to a coach who knew what to do with that knowledge?

Working with, and not in opposition to...

If you happen to have a copy of Body by Science handy, check out chapter 8; as I’ve said before, this chapter alone is worth the book’s cover price.  Let me just say that, aside from the great information laid out in this chapter, what you find here is something rather unique in the world of physical culture, and something that both Dr. McGuff and John Little should be commended for — they’re telling you, straight up, the hard, naked truth that, no matter how hard one trains a particular modality, if you’re not blessed with the genetic make-up that leans toward that modality, you will hit an early — and particularly low — ceiling.   This does not mean that you will show no outward improvement, or that your health and well-being won’t be positively affected — it most certainly will — but as a physical specimen, you’ll always be that square peg banging around the proverbial round hole.  And that’s a bummer, I know; but it is the truth, though — contrary to what the supplement companies and “workout gurus” will tell you (just before they ask for your credit card number).  Does this mean that if you’re a genetically inclined endurance guy that you can’t show marked improvement in the weightroom?  Hell no, you can produce good gains and significantly alter your physique (and health) for the better.  Is competitive powerlifting, sprinting, or football in your future?  Afraid not.  On the flip side, check this out: I absolutely love mountain and fixed-speed biking.  Now, would I ever be competitive in races at these endeavors?  Are you kidding me? If properly trained (and with proper technical skills, i.e. 10k hours of practice) I might do well at track (velodrome) sprint events, but that’s about it.  The key, of course, is to find your niche and be happy with it.

...my inherent genetic inclinations. And rockin' the Vibrams while doing so.

So back to chapter 8 of Body by Science.  What Dr. McGuff has laid out here is what are the currently known genetic factors holding sway over potential athletic prowess in certain modalities.  I say “current” because I am quite sure that many, many others will eventually be discovered. If you don’t have a copy of Body by Science, the genes (or, to cast the net a little wider, “determining factors”) we’re talking about here are: (1) Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor (CNTF), (2) Interleukin-15, (3) Alpha-Actinin-3, (4) Myosin Light Chain Kinase, and (5) Angiotensin Converting Enzyme. These genes, coupled with the more broad-stroke determining factors (determined by, guess what — more genes) such as one’s somatotype, muscle length, insertion and overall formation, size and shape, skeletal formation, fat distribution, muscle fiber density, and the prevalence (or not) of myostatin, make up the deck from which you’ll be dealt your athletic prowess hand.

So, armed with chapter 8 of Body by Science and a slew of genetic testing results, you ought to be able to provide your newborn with just the right environment and, a little later, the perfect training protocol; kick back for 18 years until the big contract is signed and the Benjamins come rolling in as if off of a 24-7 printing press, right?

Well, not exactly.  But there are a couple of companies out there who will be more than willing to help you part with your money if you’re so inclined.

Warrior Roots is one such outfit.  Atlas Sports Genetics is another.  To be fair, though, these companies are on the cutting edge of an industry that will, in time, most assuredly come into maturity and provide real, substantial benefit for athletes and coaches alike.  As it stands now, though, these companies can tell you no more, in my opinion (and probably no faster), about you or your offspring’s potential athleticism and power/endurance leanings, than a 1960’s era East German Olympic coach.  But the thing, really, is this: Just knowing that these factors are responsible for your “athletic hand” is enough.  Careful record keeping and a keen eye are more than enough to help direct you toward the proper training protocol(s) for your genetics.   I’ll explain what I mean in a follow-up post.

In the meantime, here’s an interesting article from Scientific American on the subject of genes and potential sporting talent.

In health,

Keith

“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”

- Henry David Thoreau

Compulsion.  Addiction.  Drive.  Pain threshold.  Inherent brain chemistry (genetics of the mind, if you will) is another major piece of our individual genetic make-up that wields huge influence upon our ultimate fitness and phenotype expression.  One needn’t be a “brain surgeon” to realize that some people are just wired between the ears for fitness success, while others, unfortunately, are cobbled together in such a way that channels them toward addiction and avoidance of exertion.

In keeping with this theme, Diane Rehm recently interviewed Dr. David Kessler about the addiction aspect of over-indulgence, and about his new book, titled The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite. In the interview, Dr. Kessler describes the complete endocrinological response to the human taste preference for fat, sugar and salt, and especially the combination of these macronutrients.  This is very interesting stuff indeed, in a “devil you know is better than the devil you don’t know” kind of way.  At least it provides information to ruminate on while battling the dreaded carb Jones; and it provides, as well, a scientific basis behind why a good dose of fat will alleviate that Jones — and why a Paleo diet with adequate fat intake will eventually curb that Jones to a manageable nil.  And here again, we see the genetic factor at work.  As Dr. Kessler puts it, some people would be content to take their food in pill form, while others are wired to crave the entire sensual delight of a food’s taste, smell, mouth-feel…even the atmosphere within which the food is consumed.  The point is, we’ve all come to this ride called life with inherent liabilities that we have to work with and around; that realization is step one to diet and fitness success.  Step #2 is formulating a personal plan of attack with a solid knowledge of where your weak underbelly lay.  Just as in physical training, a concentrated effort on toughening that weak underbelly will ultimately pay greater dividends than further improvement of proven strengths.  Unfortunately, this mindset runs counter to the natural human inclination toward the path of least resistance.  Hey, do yourself a huge favor, huh?, and take the path least traveled.  You’ll be so much the better for it.

I do have to warn you that Dr. Kessler — though he never comes out and proclaims it so — seems to hint throughout the interview of an anti-fat bias. He never says that it’s the sugar and salt alone that are the real culprits here, and that left to its own devices, fat would be not only benign, but healthful — and that’s too bad.

And a big reason why that’s too bad is because he’s missed a perfect opportunity to weigh-in (pardon the pun) on the national healthcare debate.  There is simply no way to achieve any modicum of healthcare reform — no matter the formulation — unless Americans take responsibility for the state of their own health.   The costs of keeping sick people limping along — while a boon for my industry (pharmaceuticals) — is simply too cost-prohibitive to any otherwise potentially viable plan reform.  Most Americans will not accept this simple truth, though.

But don’t blame this national nonacceptance on Sally Fallon.  She’s out fighting the good fight through the Weston A. Price Foundation, and most recently, this interview with Joe and Terry Graedon, of The People’s Pharmacy, covering such topics as the efficacy of hunter-gatherer diets, the benefits of raw dairy, and a whole host of other Paleo-minded topics.  It’s one of the best mainstream treatments I’ve heard touting the positives of the Paleo lifestyle.  Give it a listen, and see if you think so as well.

In health,

Keith

“Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant.”

~ Horace

Ring Push-Ups at the Playground

I took along an eclectic mix of reading to keep me occupied during my in-flight hours last weekend; a copy of Rob Bell’s Velvet Elvis (it was actually Brittani’s copy), and my well-worn copy of Dr. Doug McGuff’s Body By Science, among other titles, magazines, newspapers, etc.  I’ve been contemplating as of late, the limitations our inherited genetics place on our realistically obtainable goals, and (maybe a less “depressing” notion), how to target training so as to best work with our genetics in order to realize our optimized phenotype.

I think we can all agree that, although we can no doubt alter our ultimate genetic expression (phenotype) for the positive, we do — all of us — face certain genetic limitations.  The frustrating proposition for most mature-minded trainees is not the fact that these limitations exist — hey, at a certain age, we’ve all had the “life ain’t fair rug pulled from beneath out feet” — but rather, the reality of not knowing the extent of, or manifestation of, these limitations.  By a certain “training age”, most intelligent trainees are well aware that not all athletes (or wannabe athletes) are created equal.  The unfortunate side-effect of this truth is that any training regimen you can name will have some positive responders, however, that same regimen will be packaged and marketed as a universal fit for every trainee.  Natural genetic variances, my friends, simply will not allow for this.  The key to fitness is not stumbling upon the “golden program”, as there is no such thing.  The key to long-term fitness success is (1) finding a handful of modalities that you respond well to, and (2) knowing how and when to cycle through those few modalities in order to maximize their impact.  Training is as simple — and as difficult — as that.

Dr. McGuff covers this territory in a well-written chapter 8 (The Genetic Factor) of Body by Science.  I encorage everyone to get a copy of Dr. McGuff’s work, even if you’re opposed to (or a non-responder) the SS/HIT methodology or premise, because the science outlined throughout the work is of universal value.  Absent in this book are the smoke and mirrors that accompany most training books; Doug (and I’d be remiss if I left out John Little) lay out the science and draw their conclusions.  You can use that science to agree, disagree or draw conclusions of your own.  In my opinion, chapter 8 of Body by Science is alone worth the price of admission.

I’ve got plenty more to say about the genetic factor, and how it relates to individualized training — much more than I care to shove in one post.  That said, I plan on revisiting this subject throughout the upcoming week.  So, if you’ve got a copy of BBS, read (or re-read) chapter 8, and let’s compare notes and ideas.

In health,

Keith

“Don’t grieve.  Anything you lose comes round in another form.”

- Rumi

We miss you, Britt ~

Michelle and I will be flying down to Austin, Texas this afternoon, for Britt’s Saturday, 1PM, memorial service.  Our extended family is, for the most part, concentrated in the central and southern potions of the state; it’s one of my favorite regions in the world, and one that I hope to return permanently to one day.  I’ve lived away from the area since my Texas State days, and I’d like to say that the opportunity to visit family and old friends will somewhat makeup for the circumstances of our travel, but, alas, I can’t say that I’m looking forward to this trip.

So I’m an eclectic mixed bag when it comes to spiritual belief, so much so that I’ve never been completely comfortable in any particular spiritual “home”.  I do believe, though, that there is an “after” subsequent to this mortal life; this belief has as much to do with spirituality as it does with a (rudimentary,at best) understanding of quantum physics.  Brittani,on the other hand was decidedly — though a very open-minded — Christian, and our spiritual discussions were something to behold.  I’ll miss them greatly.  She’d mentioned to me shortly before her passing that she wanted me to look into some of Rob Bell’s work, so that we could discuss his ideas at some point.   I’d never heard of Rob Bell, or the “emerging church movement” (prior to B’s having mentioned him), until a DVD (everything is spiritual) that was nestled amongst a box of Brittani’s belongings seemed to call out to me.  I have no idea why this item alone — from among the myriad of other “things” that we had to deal with — called out to me, but it did.  I didn’t even realize at the time that it was Rob Bell’s work.  For whatever reason, though, I watched it and — wow — I would have loved to have discussed this with B.  Quantum physics meets spirituality?  Yeah, my kind of stuff alright.

So maybe she’s flashing that wry little smile at me now, and with a nod, hitting me with her patented, made ya think a little, huh?

Yes, B, you did make me think a little — and you continue to do so.  We’ll talk; I’ve got lots to hit you with myself

In (spiritual) health,

Keith

“Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.”

- Bertrand Russell

Carl Valle recently posted an entry for the Elite Track site in reference to a previous article he’d posted that was critical of the technique exhibited in a video clip of a couple of College of the Canyons athletes performing the power clean.  I wrote about both the previous article, and the clip, in a post of my own, here.  As an additional point for discussion, I’d like to post an insightful — though a view I happen to disagree with — comment I received pertaining to what was my own critical assessment of the technique exhibited in the video.

Here’s reader David’s comment:

Unless I’m missing something, there seems to be a confusion of the difference between a Power Clean and a full Olympic Clean.  The first video shows a Power Clean where the object is to use your power to bring the bar up with a minimal dip in a high catch.  The second video shows a full Olympic Clean where you catch the bar deep in the whole. They are different lifts with different goals and different ranges of motion.

The guy in the first video may lack some muscles but he does have the posterior chain strength to bring 333lbs up to chest level in one explosive movement. Unlike the guy in the background, he catches it on a vertical torso. Also notice the length of his legs.

And my reply:

David,
I have to disagree with your assessment, here — vehemently so, in fact. The first video represents a demonstration of no more than a poorly (at that) executed high-pull; there is no “catch” exhibited by either athlete. Now, I love the high-pull, and I perform the movement quite often myself. However, in my opinion, both of these athletes would be better off (1) performing a proper high-pull, and milking the movement for all its posterior chain enhancing benefits, and (2) learning and executing a proper power and/or full clean (and, yes — I’d agree that the 2nd clip is more a demonstration of a full clean), and utilizing that movement for working the body’s force-absorption capabilities.

A "Catch"...Kinda

After seeing this frame capture, though, I’ll have to revise my assessment a bit, and thus, my reply to David.  I do see that this athlete has managed to flip his wrists around and has “caught” the bar at chest level.  But now this brings up a whole other host of issues.  Look at this athlete’s elbow position.  The full force of this 300-whatever pounds — let’s not even get into calculating the total combined downward force here — is being toted by his shoulder musculature.  You want some hellish rotator cuff problems to deal with?  Catch a heavy clean in this fashion for a while and you can move directly to the front of the line.  Bring the elbows out to a 90 (in relation to the ground), and you’ve provided a nice, supportive shelf for these forces to be properly absorbed.  Of course, a proper catch in the splayed stance exhibited here would be near impossible to pull off.  I stand by my initial assessment, though, of the poor lower body positioning exhibited throughout the clip, and my suggested prescription of a combination of heavy (and properly performed) high-pulls coupled with the use of reasonable weights in the power (or full) cleans — with the emphasis on proper technique — still stands.  David is correct in his assessment of the athlete’s posterior chain strength — the kid is able to horse 300-whatever pounds, even if with lacking form, to chest height.  My thought process is this, though: let’s use good form and proper exercise selection to boost this kid’s strength even further and keep him safe from potential injury.  If this athlete could be convinced to take a few steps backwards here, he could, in time, far surpass — and with proper technique, no less –  the poundages he’s currently throwing around with poor form. Now, to be sure, this is no small task.  Anyone who’s spent time around the hyper-competitive mindset knows full-well how difficult it is to convince one of these guys (or gals) to reduce the weight on the bar for the sake of proper technique, injury prevention (they are, of course, bullet proof at that age — and I was no different), and the squishy promise of enhanced performance later on down the road.  It’s a coach’s job, though — with all the wiliness of a used car salesman combined with the manipulative “button pushing” of an LA shrink — to do just that.

In health,

Keith

“As you live, believe in life. Always human beings will live and profess to greater, broader and fuller life. The only possible death is to lose belief in this truth simply because the great end comes slowly, because time is long.”

- W.E.B. Du Bois

Seriously Good Stuff!

You may have heard me mention Artisana’s Raw Organic Coconut Butter before — maybe in a tweet, or in the TTP Facebook group, or elsewhere — but let me officially pronounce in this TTP post that I am, in fact, a HUGE fan of this product.  In fact, to throw a little SAT-like word association at you, Artisana’s Raw Coconut butter is to whole coconut as Vibrams are to footware.  Yeah, it’s that good.

So, how do you eat it?  In any way you have normally (in your pre-Paleo days, of course) eaten peanut butter — except, needless to say, on bread, crackers or the like.  Right out of the jar works pretty well for me.  Or mix a bit with a bite of fruit, or with some raw nuts.  Avocado, tomato, bacon and coconut butter?  You bet.  Here’s a great snack idea: I like to spread out some raw pecans and melt a generous portion of coconut butter over them; sometimes I’ll add a bit of raw butter to this concoction as well.  Let your imagination run wild.  And for those who are new to the Paleo game, or otherwise caught in the throes of a serious carb Jones, consider Artisana’s Raw Organic Coconut Butter as your methadone.  Beating the carb Jones is one of the serious bug-a-boos (the other being “social alienation”) that folks new to the Paleo way must navigate prior to reaching the clear, wide open, Paleo seas.  Got a carb pang going on?  A tablespoon or two of Artisana’s will beat it back.  I’ve long suggested tablespoons of olive, coconut, or fish oil for the same purposes and received the old “crinkley nose” response.  I can just imagine the “old timer” Paleo now:

…yeah, I remember when all we had to beat back the carb Jones was coconut and olive oil — hell, even fish oil — young people today…

Anyway, the stuff is seriously good to eat.  Pick some up and give it a shot.  You’ll be oh so glad you did.

Long-term low calorie intake, and the subsequent rebound re-feed

It’ll be quite some time before I can speak about the events of last week in anything resembling an objective fashion.  However, it is worth noting in a venue such as this, the mental and physical stamina and stability provided as a result of adhering to a Paleo lifestyle.  Last week was characterized by unimaginable grief, and mental, physical and emotional anguish.  Couple this with extensive travel, physical exertion (moving, clearing out an apartment), two funeral services (with one more to go) and a precipitous lack of sleep.  Through it all, though, I never wandered into the low blood sugar “hinterland”; to be sure, hunger — true hunger — sprang up from time to time, though it was not the shaky hands and body, cold sweat “gotta eat right damn now kind of hunger characteristic of a high carbohydrate diet.  In fact, because the Paleo hunger has no real side affects other than a craving for something substantial, it was quite easy to keep it pushed back and held at bay.  I have no way of knowing what my caloric intake was day-to-day over the last week, but I do know that it was minuscule as compared to my norm — even as compared to my non-workout-day norm.  I mostly ate one — and a couple of days, two — small Paleo meals per day over the stretch, and this following a very long initial fasting period.  I augmented with spoonfuls of raw nut butters and coconut butter here and there as the opportunities arose.   In fact, most days of the last week I took in no carbohydrates at all — no fruit and/or vegetables.  I am back home now, and I can report that my hunger is rapacious — especially for high-quality protein and fat — I just can’t seem to top the tank off for long.  Within 3 or 4 hours of a healthy feeding, I’m ready for another round.  Of course I’m eating clean, giving my body what it’s asking for.  I may even head out to the playground tomorrow.

In health,

Keith

“…I am a tambourine.  Don’t put me aside till the fast-dancing starts.  Play me some all along.  Help me with these little sounds…”

- Rumi

The darkness is beginning to subside, as Michelle and I continue the strive to focus on fond memories over reliving the pain of Brittani’s passing.  The things I’ll miss about Brittani are too numerous to catalog, though what seems to stand out in the forefront of my mind these days was our shared love of Rumi.  As this post marks my tentative return to the blogosphere, I’d like to post a couple of pictures of “B” — pictures representative of the way Michelle and I want to remember her.

Ministering to the "Flock"

"...I am a tambourine..."

Unfortunately, the business side of one’s passing must be dealt with rather quickly, and this will occupy a good deal of my free time in the coming weeks.  I am ready, though — and I know B would want me — to get back in the swing of things as soon as possible.  That’s exactly what I intend to do.

I can’t say when my first “back to normal” post will be, but it will be soon.  Thanks for hanging in there with me (and Michelle), folks.  Thanks for all the kind words, prayers and comments.  They helped more than you’ll ever know.

In heath,

Keith

Folks,

I wish I were writing with another installment of the week’s workouts.  Unfortunately, that’s not the case.  Last night my beautiful, 23 year old step-daughter lost her life in an auto accident.  She was a ministry student, due to graduate from Emmanuel College next weekend.  She had just recently returned to the US from a long stint of missionary work in South Africa.  Her loss is devastating to Michelle and me.  Needless to say, my mind and heart are elsewhere, and will be for some time.  I will be back, though, because we always drift back to what ultimately sustains us.

What ever your spiritual or philosophical leaning, please send out a healing vibe to Michelle; she desperately needs it.