No more than a single iron skillet and a few minutes of prep time for these two. Grass-fed eye of chuck, butternut squash and cauliflower mix, free-range pork sausage, roasted free-range chicken quarters and a little sweet potato. Good meals, and plenty of leftovers to boot.
By the way, you’ll notice that there’s very little here — content or proportion — recommended by the USDA’s newly updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans report. *Sigh*…what is there to say about this document? Selling-out the American people to perpetuate the vicious cycle of lobby-subsidy is not what I consider — how to put this? — ethical? There’s just too much freely available knowledge out there (with experts to explain it) for me to believe that this “guideline” was the end result of a lack of intelligence. No, this is all about greed at the expense of the nation’s health.
Jimmy Moore has a good summary of the new guidelines, here. No surprise, really — high carb., low fat, yada, yada, yada…
Now, combine these brain-trust “guidelines” with the reality that is the state of America’s physical readiness, and we have the makings for an immanent, healthcare disaster on our collective hands. And make no mistake, everyone will suffer the hit — physically, financially, in loss of personal freedom via increased government “interaction”, or a combination of all of the above — you name it. And, unfortunately, no one will be immune — even the most healthy and knowledgeable among us will feel the sting.
And speaking of America’s (lack of) physical readiness, Mary Collins — author of American Idle (love that title!) — sums-up the topic nicely in the clip below. Hat tip to University of North Dakota S&C coach Aaron Schwenzfeir for the clip find.
Just makes me shake my head, wondering how we ever sunk into such a mess. How is it that any entity, government or otherwise, can perpetuate such pseudo-science over a populace? How does a populace become dumbed-down and weakened (spiritually, and physically) so? Well, here’s an oldie-but-goodie (yeah, 2-years is old in the internet age, I suppose) from one of my favorite current political “thinkers”, Susan Jacoby.
Ignorance may very well be bliss, but it’s sure as hell costly — in more ways than one.
The thing is, truly intelligent people see through this lobby-subsidy, greed-and-graft inspired smokescreen. And established organizations — whether it’s the government as a whole, the USDA, or other establishments/organizations (for example, the NSCA) — are becoming increasingly more irrelevant as clearing houses for credible, non-biased, information. I just want the truth, warts and all, whether it agrees with my preconceived notions or not. Spun “truth”, filtered “truth” does me no good. Of what relevance are these organizational filters to me, when I can search out credible information on my own? The Paleo movement is the poster child for this loosely-grouped, n=1 information sharing. Who needs these other “official” entities/middle-men when I’m fully sufficient in the art of reason, and plugged into a network of intelligent, n=1 “scientists”, each willing to share their findings for no more the cost than for me to do the same in return?
Theory to Practice 
Great points all the way through out. I really think you summed it up nicely in the last couple of sentences. I will definitely keep that summarized explanation of the benefits of paleo info sharing as a reference for future conversation. Funny how I posted something almost at the same time regarding lemmings and critical mass that makes a bunch of wrong thinking seem undoubtedly right… as you fall off of a cliff you may think differently.
Glad you posted that “oldy” clip, I haven’t seen it. Wish I wasn’t at work otherwise I’d watch the clips, will do when I get home.
Susan Jacoby can be rather caustic at times, but she’s a sharp wit, to be sure. And you know what’s said of repeating a lie often enough — after a while, it becomes undisputed truth. Unfortunately, this is exactly the case with the referenced dietary report.
Yeah, I saw Richard BEsser spouting the new crap on GMA this week. Was disgusted. It sounds like the vegitarians and the corn/wheat lobby have won this one. Perhaps they will all take their own advice and then die off?? Oh wait. No, we’ll just end up with subsidized health care for weight related illnesses.
And a small subset of arrogant skinny people who look down their noses and say, “Well, *I* can eat what ever I want….”
And a small subset of arrogant skinny people who look down their noses and say, “Well, *I* can eat what ever I want….”
An interesting theory currently being kicked around is that Alzheimer’s disease is actually “diabetes of the brain”. It seems as though in some people, metabolic disease manifests in the brain tissue, rather than in the “classic” metabolic syndrome indicators (overweight, elevated blood sugar, etc.). It is odd that the “classic” Alzheimer’s sufferer is thin (at initial onset — before the disease begins is ravages). I wonder if anyone has trended the increase in Alzheimer’s incidence against the increase in metabolic syndrome in a population over time and against diet. Things that make you go hmmmmm.
I know there’s a lot of literature about Alzheimer’s being a disease of western civilization (e.g., from the high carbs if not filtered through the authorities).
If Alzheimer’s sufferers are:
-usually thinner,
-and assuming that they are indeed eating a high carb diet rich in sugar, fructose, grains, legumes, and corn
then it would seem that they are “metabolically talented” as regards retaining their insulin sensitivity among their muscle and organ tissue even in a high sugar/insulin environment.
However, if becoming obese is the body’s defense against a prolonged high sugar/insulin environment that caused insulin resistance, then perhaps these “skinny people” eating their high sugar diets are leaving their brains more defenseless than an obese person who is more insulin resistant at the muscle/organ levels.
Not to say that the obese person suffering from other diseases of the metabolic syndrome has it easy, and may be mortally undermined much quicker, but it seems that the metabolically talented skinny people who eat a high sugar diet may unfortunately suffer a hubris that snuffs out their “arrogance” (as Scarlett described) in a very tragic way in greater instances.
Knowing the ravages of Alzheimer’s, if I had never accepted the paleo lifestyle, I think I would rather be how I was, a big overweight miserable dude, then a skinny arrogant temporarily metabolically talented dude looking down at overweight people as if they were slovenly. Alzheimer’s is a horrible way to receive instant karma.
“…However, if becoming obese is the body’s defense against a prolonged high sugar/insulin environment that caused insulin resistance, then perhaps these “skinny people” eating their high sugar diets are leaving their brains more defenseless than an obese person who is more insulin resistant at the muscle/organ levels…”
Yep, that’s the theory. In a twist of irony, the obese person’s body is acting as a supreme “sacrificial anode” for the survival of the brain. Makes one consider the overweight in a whole new light. Given the circumstances, might they be considered evolutionarily superior? Food for thought…pardon the pun 🙂
Maybe this was Buddha’s strategy?
Great quips! This post really resonates with me, Keith. My own strange journey through education (formal and informal) has definitely convinced me that it is foolish to look for any kind of reliable information from faceless corporations. As an individual, I have integrity: I stand behind my ideas; when they do not work, I fix them. As a corporate goon, I do whatever the higher-ups tell me: if they want me to lie to you to feed my family, so be it. This has been a hard lesson for me.
I also think there’s a huge difference between true education, intelligence, and certification. See Anya Kamenetz’s book, DIY U
Very interesting theory! My great uncle had Alzheimer’s disease. He was skinny his whole life and could eat anything and remain that way. I’m the same way, though noticed a definite slimming after going primal. My brain fog (especially mid-afternoon) went away, too. I wonder if brain fog is a good predictor for who is likely to get Alzheimer’s disease. I know many overweight people who claim not to get brain fog, but many skinnier people who do (like I used to). It would be interesting to do some epidemiological work (at first) to see if this correlation holds up. The prediction is that skinny people on the SAD should experience more brain fog (that groggy, tired feeling often a couple hours postprandial at midday) than obese people on SAD and more than skinny people on more ancestral diets (e.g., primal and paleo).
Interesting indeed; would be great to land funding for such a study.
Meat … good
Keith, I see a lot of pork sausage, eggs, beef, bacon, etc…..do you not like seafood or something? I don’t see a lot of mackerel/salmon, shellfish, etc. not that there is anything wrong with it just curious
I absolutely love good seafood, but since I’ (temporarily) living alone, it’s just a bit impractical for me to make. Seafood is my go-to choice when I’m eating out.