Nutrition

One of the biggest determinants of improving my health and vitality has been optimal nutrition. My daily routine now (described below) is a consistent one.  It’s taken many years to arrive at the current model.  I have tried various “diets” and tweaks to my macro, micro, and supplements. Reading books, listening to podcasts, watching documentaries, etc. have all helped, and occasionally mislead. 

Somewhere I heard or read that Native American’s have deep reverence for the Bear. The Bear’s diet, perhaps, most resembles what our household eats. We are omnivores. Plants and animals. Observing the Bear was a gift to humans. They could follow the bear and find bounty. I’ve yet to see a Grizzly at Local Ocean. Thank goodness, yes?

Through it all, its taken willingness and hope that I might feel better, if I try something different. (Shit, this might even be my greatest neurotic illusion that leads me astray.) I still have much to learn and embrace staying open: I’m curious to give Vegan a try. Why not? There are some compelling reasons to do so. Curiosity. Experimentation. Optimism that there may be pathway yet to discover. 

During our second Whole30 in the fall of 2017 we really hit our stride. The first time through it was very new to us. Thankfully, my wife is master of the kitchen. Yet, recipes like this are surprisingly easy. Adjusting to “plain” food is part of the path. “Obstacle is the Way”.

Failing miserably sometimes looks like a quarter pounder, I mean, a double ¼ pounder with cheese, mac sauce only. Let’s supersize that. Every so often, midday sessions of pounding Sour Patch Kids can really brighten my day. I love sausage mcmuffins with egg: they taste great! And, they fuck you good too. If you’ve really seen what’s in that chicken nugget, you know. How did it come to this? And, how do we so willingly continue down these pathways when our health is tanking, and animal cruelty is at an all-time high? Fast food is… fast, cheap, and designed to seduce. I digress.  

The truth is I have no idea for the context of this quote form Einstein. I am not vegetarian or vegan. He was pretty bad ass and I thought that was interesting that he woulds say this. Nevertheless, I do consume a lot of veggies.

As a general rule, I feel that I am on target when 80% of my week is composed of 80% quality: I can get by with 20% “cheating” and still maintain body composition and positive health outcomes. (Let’s set aside the other aforementioned implications and evident hypocrisy.) How convenient.

My advice for most people who want to improve their health with food is as follows:  start your nutrition journey with a food journal.  Write down EVERYTHING. Use an app, use a notepad. But, really look at what you are consuming. Do it for at least a week. Possibly, step it up a notch by measuring that food. Look at the nutritional value of what you are eating by weight.  It is time consuming. It’s telling. The internet is your friend. You’ll find the data quite easily.  This “is the way” to quote the Mandalorian.  Knowing what you’re are eating, and the nutritional value of that food is necessary for #deepheath.

In my early days, 1998, I purchased a used Champion juicer. I was fortunate to have made a friendship with a brief local icon “Bicycle Bob”. I’ll be forever grateful for his ginger/carrot juice sessions. His concoctions made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I had the mentality, back then, that if it was green it was somehow good for you. I suppose there could have been worse habits!

Documenting your bloodwork numbers before a major change in diet is useful. For example, I wore a continuous blood glucose monitor for a month in July. I slightly freaked because of high numbers. Holy shit! I was pre diabetic. Had no idea.  But, I didn’t know my A1C. I may have saved myself a good dose of anxiety. Turns out that intermittent fasting, low carb, exercise types can experience “adaptive glucose sparing”. This tends to skew raw numbers.  Of course, consulting your physician prior to major changes is always recommended.  (Also, I am not a doctor and do not play one on the internet.) What works for me might not work for you.

What is the lifestyle and health of your GP? Some argue that the traditional food science training for physicians needs upgrading.  My father in-laws doctor had not realized continuous glucose blood monitors we even invented. Food science and food wisdom seems to be experiencing rapid growth. We are in the emerging age of bio-individuality.  Doing your own research and challenging the status quo may be necessary to harnessing the direction of our health and health of our loved ones.

If you can control these blood values, you can be relatively confident that you’re going to maintain not just a reduced rate of biological aging, but also superior overall health. Link: The 11 best biomarkers to track for longevity. – Ben Greenfield

It’s an exciting time for food science and also ancestral approaches to nutrition.  The volume of information and data available can be both liberating and daunting. What are your genetic origins? Can you cook? Will you make time to get into the kitchen? These things may play a role in determining your food action plan. Maybe you live in a food desert. Many do. Maybe you can afford to have healthy food delivered to your home. That would be nice, minus the packaging and carbon footprint problem. So many interesting ways to approach our most essential and needed activity.    

For me, the bottom line is getting away from processed foods and cleaning it up. The modern food industry has created the perfect symphony of fast, easy and seductive foods that are literally killing us. Let’s bail on them when and where possible.

My daily routine – Paleo/Clean Eating.  Everything below is local/organic/Non-GMO where possible.

7 am – 16 oz blended vegetables, 24 g egg white protein, 12 g of collagen, 5 g creatine, a chugg of olive oil or flax oil. 16 oz coffee with non dairy creamer.

12:30 pm – 16 oz of protein (beef/chicken/fish), 16 oz blended vegetables, a chugg of olive oil or flax oil.

3:30 pm – 16 oz of protein ( beef/chicken/fish), 16 oz blended vegetables, a chugg of olive oil or flax oil

6:30 pm – 12 oz protein/vegetable medley a chugg of olive oil or flax oil.

Throughout the day I’ll likely have consumed 16 more oz of caffeine, 32 g of nicotine and 46 oz of carbonated water. I also rotate the nootropic Qualia. Before bed, I often consume, 20-40 mg of CBD, lavender and black seed oil.

Evening supplements include:
Colon Plus, IPS, Beta -TCP, Berberine HCL and Fish oil… *

Vitamix. The best blender EVER. I went through two blenders before I got clearance from the Boss to plunk down $500 on a blender. I love it. It’s been running like a champ for 10 years. I use it every other day. Lifetime guarantee. Food prep is no joke. It’s loud and powerful. Highly recommended. I’ve never regretted this purchase.

I’ll note that this summer I tried variations of intermittent fasting and keto. I typically used an 18/6 window with select days of transition into a keto day followed by the above Paleo/clean eating mentioned above in a compressed window. My main objective was cellular autophagy and detoxification. Aesthetically, I was interested in burning that last bit of tummy fat. The downside was too much muscle loss. I do have some ego about appearance. The results were a surprise in muscle loss. Unfortunately, I presume because of age, it has been more difficulty to regain this muscle. It has resulted in less explosive BMX riding and lower weight tolerances during CrossFit workouts.  However, the strength to weight ratio has improved activities such as climbing. I’ll note that during this time I was also doing more endurance mountain biking. It’s simply hard for hypertrophy and endurance to coexist. In the end, I’ll take sports over the gym. And, adaptation over aesthetics. 

Bullet proof coffee is riff on butter tea a must-drink during Tibet travel and another staple of Tibetan meal. Butter tea is boiled strong tea added with ghee and salt. Daily diet mainly consists of meat, milk and other high protein food to help them fight the cold.

Paleo/Clean Eating. If there’s a label then this is it. My wife and I have successfully complete two Whole 30s. I’ve somewhat haphazardly been juicing and blending for over ten years. Here are some of my favorite resources of late… Hail to the occasional Almond Roca, IPA, and homemade berry pie with vanilla bean ice cream.

Links:

Newport Farmers Market, Sitka Springs Farm, Gathering Together Farm, Ben Greenfield Fitness, Food Sleuth Radio, Oregon Tilth, Ancestral Supplements, Naked Nutrition, Qualia – Neurohacker Collective, Whole 30, Rich Roll, NTP

* These are at the recommendations of a certified NTP (Nutritional Therapy Practitioner) whom I’ve seen twice I the last month and one half.  I’m planning on writing a full post on this experience in the coming months.  We both agreed that I might be a hard case to = finesse out improvements. But, overall there are no negatives effects from these visits and supplements. In fact, the practical wisdom she has suggested has been really good information. Like, eat your foods slowly, eat warm food in the winter. Neither of which, are part of my values around eating. Since I eat a lot of raw vegetables we’ve also discussed the reality of phytic acid and lectins which can both be problematic. More about this some other time.

Canna Honey – CBD Therapy

Here’s a holiday gift idea for you and your loved ones who are suffering from insomnia, stress, pain and other ailments. Might they benefit from the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties CBD provides? Time to get “real”. (www.realcannahoney.com) Cannabis is medicine. Canna Honey is owned and operated by mother and daughter team, Laurie Card and Breeze Powell Spivey. Check out their story – support local business.

Full spectrum CBD and naturally occurring vitamins and minerals. The endocannabinoid system (ECS), comprised of cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoid molecules, and their metabolic enzymes, is a crucial molecular system that the body uses… Sounds good to me. (https://echoconnection.org/full-spectrum-hemp-oil-important/)

Disclaimer. I am not a doctor and I do not benefit financially from advocating for Canna Honey. Consulting a physician who understands the power of this medicine is a possible consideration. CBD is a powerful tool.  Be smart about CBD and any other compound you put into your body.  Caffeine (coffee and tea), Pepsi, candy bars, metformin, lipitor – whatever you are ingesting – has implications on your physiology and consciousness. I’m reminded now of all the horrific side effects that accompany big pharma ads. CBD does not come with these “major” side effects. Why is that?

In a simple way, with CBD, we have a natural product produced by spaceship earth. Should we eat everything that grows in the dirt? No. Can nature kill? Yes. But, isn’t there something compelling about this ancient compound? Do the research. Ask others about their approach. Talk to a manufacturer. Consult your physician.  What are the risks? What is the cost? What is a therapeutic vs wellness dose? Are you happier and heathier? Recovering from your workouts more quickly? Sleeping better? How is your wellbeing? Are you kinder? More empathic? I am just scratching the surface. Look into it. (https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/podcast/brain-podcasts/cbd-athletes-benefits/)

Elevation Rock Climbing Gym. Keep that inflammation under control folks. There is almost a “smoothing” with CBD. I am not suffering with any particular “issues” right now. It just seems to enhance well being.

Are you still buying into the Reefer Madness propaganda? Is the criminalization of what a person chooses do with their body part of your ethical framework?  If so, it’s time to get real. Please review: (https://www.kqed.org/lowdown/24153/reefer-madness-the-twisted-history-of-americas-weed-laws ) It’s a good overview. Why did we bail on such a ubiquitous and useful plant? Sadly, racism plays a part:

“Widespread unemployment and poverty during the Great Depression furthered resentment and fear of immigrants and minorities, and fueled concerns about the perceived ills of the drug that had become associated with them. A flurry of pseudo-research linked the use of the drug to violence, crime and other socially deviant behaviors.”

How is “marijuana” regulated in the unincorporated area of Lincoln County, OR. (https://www.co.lincoln.or.us/planning/page/marijuana)

As a final note and to my surprise – Facebook would not allow me to boost a paid ad for Canna Honey. The Verge has good coverage on the situation. https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/10/18653803/facebook-cbd-posts-ads-promote-lawsuit-cannabis