Hey everybody,

I am unofficially retiring the blog.  I appreciate all the feedback especially from those of you from far off lands.  I still enjoy writing about and discussing my nutritional and health discoveries but it is time for me to shift to other passions. I have discovered a new way of living and have made real permanent change in my life through Paleo, nutrition, and exercise.  I suspect I may post something from time to time or re-launch the blog in the future but for now I am moving on.  As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you might have and thanks for stopping by.

Chuck

What Raw Vegans Can Teach Us About Paleo: 12 Lessons For Supercharged Living.

Hey all,

I listen to dozens of podcasts and read dozens of blogs. One of those that I regularly check out is Ben Greenfield's blog and podcast. Ben has a way of striking that delicate balance between the concerns of his paleo and vegan followers. Some time ago I wrote a post about paleo vs vegan and I was really trying to hit the point that our differences are really fairly minor and our goals are much the same. Until the day we can look at our world and see a happy healthy planet of nutritionally educated healthy people we need to work together in supporting the primary cause of natural whole food living.

The following is a great article from Ben Greenfield Fitness on "What Raw Vegans Can Teach Us About Paleo: 12 Lessons For Supercharged Living." I also recommend checking out his podcast, especially if you are looking toward endurance athletics and triathlons.

Read more: http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2014/06/vegan-vs-paleo/#ixzz34W5QiFuL

Thanks for stopping by,

Chuck

Can the fatty coffee really hold me to lunch?

Hey everybody,

 

I clearly have not had much time to jump on here during the last month or so.  I am working on a few posts but life, a couple races, and a host of other things have stood in the way of getting things out the door.  I still respond to questions that I get directly.  I figured while I am working to get back on the wagon I would at least drop a post here and there of some of the questions that I get.  So here is a first.

 

Question from a friend out in Tennessee:

I can't find your coffee butter, coconut blog. I might try dumping the avocado in the morning. I put a scoop of coconut oil and grass fed butter in the coffee mug this morning wondering if that will hold me until lunch. Looks like you need the heavy cream to get the fat into suspension...what kind though?

Here is the link to my phatty coffee post.

I am not so sure the heavy cream gets things into suspension, maybe with very thorough blending but I just stir it with a spoon but if it sits the fat all floats and separates.

Coconut oil is the number one ingredient in the coffee due to the MCTs that are very healthy and are a great energy source especially when in ketosis.

Cream and Butter are next and share the number two spot since cream is really mostly butter

The key to the cream and butter is that they are from pastured cows. Pastured animals have naturally occurring omega-3s (EPA and DHA) from the grass and other green stuff they eat. Kerrygold is the only widely distributed pastured butter that I know of and you can find it at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.   However, you may have some local farms that provide pastured cream and butter to local stores and markets. Grass-fed cream may be harder to find and may only find it at Whole Foods. I generally buy a half-gallon of grass fed cream and make butter from a little less than half ot it and it works out great and is a little cheaper. Check out this post on that.

If you can't find a clearly marked grass-fed cream I would just opt for the highest quality cream you can find in your local stores. Many of the organic creams imply they are at least partially pastured and probably have decent fat ratios.

As for getting you through until lunch. This will largely be up to how dependent you are on carbs. If you are in ketosis and have already done a little intermittent fasting then one phatty coffee (1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp coconut oil, and a shot or two of cream) should be fine. If you are not in ketosis and still a little carb dependant then it might be rough for a day or two. You might want to keep the avocado in the mix and go to a half and then a quarter and dial it back slowly. Good luck and keep me posted on how things are going!

Thanks

Chuck

Animal Protein as Bad as Cigs or Just More Bad Science?

A friend of mine forwarded me one of the news repeats titled "High Protein Diets Just As Bad As Cigarettes" and asked me what my take was.  I spent some time looking at the research in the March 2014 issue of Cell Metabolism and started to put together a post to debunk this bunk.  Robb Wolf beat me to it with a great high level write up at outsideonline.com  Go check it out, be informed, and watch out for the mindless media automaton!  If you have any questions about the research itself or any of my specific thoughts shoot me an email.

Thanks
Chuck

Meat: It's Not Going to Kill You (But Cigs Will)

WWW.OUTSIDEONLINE.COM

Um, Actually, Eating Meat Isn't Even Remotely As Bad As Smoking

Breaking the Addiction

It doesn't matter who you are or what diet or lifestyle you are driving towards when you cut out processed foods, sugar, and empty carbs your body and mind are going to let you know about it. I don't think anyone will argue with the fact that sugar, carbs, and artificial sweeteners all have addictive properties and in many people they are downright brutal. This makes complete sense in an evolutionary context. Simple easy to burn calories would have been scarce and only seasonally available. It would have served us well to take in and store as much as possible during these brief periods of availability. In a modern context these foods are available 24-7 and in many cases a majority of our calories. We are being setup for a vicious cycle of addiction and slow steady weight gain.
Here's the good news. While peoples food addictions can be pretty intense I have found that the first two or three weeks are the hardest. People find it hard to believe they can break their addiction this quickly but most who have tried and failed have not taken the key steps necessary to break the addiction.
Here is a quote from my post A brief history... back when I first started the blog, "When I started Paleo the first two weeks were the hardest. I wasn't eating enough, our grocery shopping habits had not evolved to adequately cover what we should have been taking in. I was very hungry, sluggish, and generally uncomfortable. This was clearly a combination of too few calories and the transition off of the heavy carb load I had been used to."
JT's post Facepalms really hit the nail on the head and you can see that he is going through this tough spot as we speak.
Here are a few steps I believe are critical to break the addiction and set you on the path to success.

1. Clean out the Pantry
There is nothing worse than coming home hungry and irritable and not having anything healthy to eat. If you haven’t already done so, get rid of all the processed crap in the pantry and stock up with as many healthy snacks as you can. A few almonds, an avocado, an egg, a banana, an orange, some carrots. Anything that fits the template is better than the processed packaged foods you had been eating. If you have others in the house that are not eating like you, setup a special spot in the pantry for the food you will be eating. Early on my wife established the Paleo basket in the pantry where I put all my Paleo foods that were not in the fridge.

2. Don't Cheat with your Addictions
If you are factoring in a few cheats per week make sure they are on the healthy end of the spectrum. Three cheats per week shouldn't include cake and cookies or a full day binge with all your strongest food addictions. You need to avoid those foods that invoke the strongest desire for as long as possible and 30 days are probably a good rule of thumb.

3. Eat More
It is so easy for people starting out to under feed themselves. I have stated this a number of times and can't say it enough. It is imperative that you eat enough food. Don't obsess about how much you are eating. Keep things balanced but if you are hungry then eat. You can spend time fine tuning things after you get through this initial rough spot. Generally people cut out all the grain and processed food and eat about the same amount of meat and veggies they traditionally would have. This creates a hypo-caloric situation making it twice as hard to break through the initial withdrawal.

4. Hold on, It's only a Few More Days
It is always darkest just before the dawn. While you are in that initial 7-10 day range and just about to go insane you are only a day or two from making that break through. Stay focused, it's only going to be a few more days and you will emerge with new energy and vitality to carry you forward.

5. Pick a Support Person
Pick someone who has been there and done that, someone you can reach out to when you are weak and need a little pump in motivation and confidence. Pick them and then actually check in with them and let them know how you are doing. If you can't find someone that will work then email me.
Here is another quote from A brief history... "Week two was the game changer. As week two started I began to feel a change. I started to feel energized almost tingly. My energy seemed to be increasing and my mood was much better than the week before. I also felt like I was sleeping much sounder. My hunger issues and cravings of week one also seemed to vanish, partly do to the additional food but I had also got accustom to this new way of eating. At the end of week two I jumped on the scale and had lost a couple more pounds and could not believe it."
Most people fail at breaking the addiction because they don't cut all the addictive foods long enough to get there. The worst part is they are likely only a day or two from success and a whole new way of looking at food. Sticking to all natural whole foods within this philosophy will ensure you are rid of the addictive foods. Then it is time to hunker down and drive through the first few weeks. Follow these key steps to set yourself up for success and hold on tight.

Let me know how you are doing or how you did!

Thanks
Chuck

Facepalms

Check out this guest post by John Thomas, founder of Entice Blog, reprinted with permission.

Today marks the 8th day of my 90 day challenge. Day 1 started great, as I spent the preceding weekend eating all the food that I knew I wasn’t going to eat for the next 90 days, and I was excited about the path that was ahead. As the excitement of starting something new subsided, however, the challenges began to rise. These were challenges that were easily avoidable, where I felt I was slapping my forehead every day for not planning better. The first two weeks are always the hardest when making substantial changes in your life. This is especially true when you change your eating regimen, as it takes some food two weeks to exit your system (such as wheat). This is probably true with working out, as well, but I’ve always been a ‘gym’ guy, so these 90 days are not a huge change for me in the way I lift weights
This week has also been filled with face palms. By that, I don’t mean failure at what I’m trying to do. I did not have any pizza that my family enjoyed yesterday for dinner. I just wasn’t well prepared for the challenges and situations I should have expected. To help you, I’ve listed some things you should look out for when starting this sort of regimen. Even though the bullets below seem like this sort of regimen isn’t worth it, note the first two weeks are about adjusting and finding your new ‘normal’. I write these below not as a show of defeat, but to show that these types of things should not stop you from continuing.

• Prepare to be hungry. I felt the hunger urge multiple times throughout the day, although I admit the frequency of my hunger may not have been any higher than normal. I’ve always been the type of person who liked to eat every few hours. However, in the first few days, the time between feelings of hunger felt very short. Again, this could be more mental, in that before, I may have just threw a handful of Cheez-its in my mouth and went on with my day. Now, I’m really trying to understand what is going in my body, and avoid things I do not want to eat. Once you get used to your new eating schedule, the hunger feelings return to normal.
• Schedule your exercise time carefully or face the potential of weakness or a reduced result during your workout. I tend to go on a longer run on Saturdays (7-10 miles). Last Saturday, I planned to run about an hour after my lunch. However, I wasn’t able to get out until 4 hours after my lunch. I scrambled together a snack, hoping that would help, but when I hit mile 3, I was pretty weak. While I made it 8.5 miles, it wasn’t one of my better runs.
• Stock your pantry with the right foods. My pantry is filled with snacks that I can’t eat right now. From cheez-its to Trader Joe’s puffs, cinnamon rolls to bagel bites, I made a crucial error in having few items that I could snack-on during the day. I didn’t even have any eggs at the beginning of the week, which was a very large mistake. This forced me to eat more beef and chicken during the day, which I try to limit, as you should not be allowed unlimited meat on any particular day.

I’ve been able to work past all these challenges, and I’m still on track. I’ve also maintained a normal exercise schedule, mixing weightlifting and running throughout the week.
Speaking of exercise, someone asked me about what I’m doing for my exercise and weightlifting routine. While my original goal was to receive a focused, goal-oriented set of routines from a fitness trainer, that option had been delayed due to the snow (In other words, I had to cancel my appointment). I spent last week performing a full body workout 3 days of the week, while running 3 days. Last Sunday was spent as a ‘light’ day, where I jogged and did 60 chin-ups.
I spent 2013 focusing on improving my strength, and had great success following the teachings of Mark Rippetoe. For these 90 days, I’m going to see if I can focus on increasing muscle-mass while reducing body fat. Therefore, after experimenting with a full-body workout in week 1, I decided to move to lifting weights 4 days per week, keeping my runs at 3 days. I don’t really plan to share a specific routine on the blog, but I’m sure I’ll share parts as I move through the 90 days.
Photo: hobvias sudoneighm

Is Chocolate Paleo?

Chocolate is another one of those areas of debate in the Paleosphere.  Even though there is debate most people that claim to be "Paleo" accept dark chocolate as an acceptable food.  But wait, that doesn't mean just any dark chocolate.

Just to reiterate some thoughts in the Brady Nutrition Paleo Philosophy. A Paleo philosophy is meant to be a framework that coupled with science and self evaluation bring each individual to his own optimal lifestyle.

So where does that leave chocolate from a Brady Nutrition perspective?  The answer is, it depends. Chocolate has been linked to a whole host of positive health benefits. So it's backed by science but there is a catch. Sweet treats, Paleo or not, can be a trigger for many people. Be honest with yourself and if there is a risk that a piece of chocolate is going to send you into a cheat binge of epic proportions, then don't do it. If you do not fall into this category then an occasional piece of the right chocolate can be a great healthy treat.

Not all chocolates are created equal. First look for a cacao percentage somewhere north of 70%.  I try to stay in the 80-85% range.  You also should check out the ingredient list and make sure there is not a lot of added junk.  Many people cringe at chocolate this dark but if you have been Paleo for more than a month or so you are becoming more sensitized to sweet tastes and dark chocolates like these will actually taste much sweeter than you might think, not to mention all the other wonderful complex flavors.

My favorite chocolate is the Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Lovers Chocolate Bar.  It's 85% cacao and it is half the price of similar chocolates. A favorite treat of my wife and I is taking a couple squares and dipping it in some fresh ground almond butter.  It is a wonderful treat that is perfect medicine to curb a craving and good for you at the same time.

Try it out and let me know what you think.

Thanks
Chuck

Planks, Love and Guacamole: Paleo coffee creamers

OK coffee lovers I have posted a few things on Paleo coffee ideas but honestly I have gotten pretty comfortable with my own personal fatty coffee variants.  If you really need some of your old school creamers but are now living in a Paleo world check out Planks, Love and Guacamole: Paleo coffee creamers.  These ladies have put together a handful of your old favorites, in Paleo style, and they look sure to get you your fix.  Go check them out.  They have lots of other delicious looking recipes that I am adding to my list of must trys.

Thanks for stopping by!
Chuck

Brady Nutrition's Paleo Food Pyramid

I spent part of my snow day trying to hunt down a good Paleo food pyramid. To my surprise, I couldn't find one that I completely agreed with so I made one of my own. Believe it or not, all but two of the 17 pictures were taken with my cell phone at Whole Foods.

How Should Your Fitness Goals Drive Your Nutrition?

The 90 Day Summer Challenge is underway! As I mentioned in an earlier post, JT of Entice and I are embarking on this thing together and have some slight differences in our goals for the 90 days. So how should your specific goals drive your nutrition?  That is a really good question! You see many people believe, and naturally so, that if they want to be fit they need to eat less and workout more. People also believe that all they really need to do is count calories and as long as they stay below their burn rate and as low as possible, they will loose weight.  Unfortunately this is not exactly true or the equation for success.

I spent years limiting food, counting calories, and doing a fairly large amount of cardio only to watch my body composition slowly and continuously erode. Blah Blah Blah, so what's the secret you ask.  Well before I get down to it, we need to figure out your goals.  This is the hard part because you really have to be really honest with yourself and that can be challenging.

Are you trying to get lean or are you trying to get mean?
Do you really want to gain muscle or loose fat?  Many people will say they want both, JT falls into this category.  If you are fairly fit, already working out, and eating well then choosing a hybrid is OK.  There is however a trade off in doing so. How you eat and workout for these two different trajectories can be a bit different and trying to balance both means a little inconsistency from day to day.

Getting Lean is the Goal
For someone that has not been Paleo or on the fitness band wagon for a while, their goal should probably be to get lean.  This is really a whole lot easier than you might think.  Part of the reason Paleo works is because the whole natural foods you are eating are nutrient dense giving your body the essentials it needs to regulate hormones, generate energy, and function as nature intended.  The following are a few extra guidelines that can help you ensure a successful challenge.

• Eat strict Paleo for the first 30 days and the whole 90 if you can, check out My Paleo Philosophy it will give you some good initial lanes in the road.
• Keep cheats to a minimum. If you are just starting out a couple cheats a week are just the thing to keep you from quitting but once you have the hang of things try to avoid cheat meals as much as possible. When I first started Paleo, a few cheats on the weekend translated into a full week pause on my progress.
• Don't eat too little or too much - Count your calories for a day or two to get an idea if you are in the general range for your sex and weight.  I have used caloriecount.about.com for this, it has tons of foods and is easy to get fairly accurate numbers. Don't go more than a couple hundred calories under your estimated burn rate. If you are under fed your body's stress response will cause you to store fat and feel sluggish.  If you are eating too much then bring your calories down to a reasonable level to start burning into the fat.  
• Watch the fruits and treats - Paleo is a carb agnostic diet but if you are new to Paleo you will likely be eating significantly less carbs. You will need to find foods to snack on and since your old snacks are off limits inevitably you will begin to explore the realm of Paleo treats. Just because it is Paleo does not mean that you can eat as much as you want. Don't eat 5 bananas a day. Don't eat 5 Lara bars a day or even 1. Be smart about the treats and avoid the "It's Paleo so I can eat as much as I want" syndrome that many fall into.
• Cardio Fueling - Cardio that is not overdone, along side weight lifting, and a strict Paleo diet can produce spectacular results.  However, if you are under fed then cardio sessions can cause additional unnecessary stress that can sabotage your progress.  Make sure you are eating enough and giving yourself adequate post workout nutrition if you are doing any significant cardio.
• Keep your fridge stocked - There is nothing worse than getting a week or two into Paleo and not having enough food.  This is a recipe for, order a pizza it's going to be a cheat day.  Get extra veggies, eggs, and high quality meat.  If you find yourself weak, fry a quick egg, or make a salad.

Getting Mean is the Goal
I have been Paleo for 9 months and during that time I have leaned out pretty substantially.  So the next 90 days for me is to get mean and add some muscle.

• Don't worry about body fat - If you really want to gain mass you will be gaining some fat on the way. If this makes you uncomfortable you should probably reconsider your goal.....I am beginning to reconsider my goal. 
• Eat more protein, be sure to get between 1 and 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight
• Spike insulin post workout and time your carbs to post workout and evening meals
• Eat more - Most people on Paleo especially those in their first month or two tend to under eat. Count your calories for a day or two and see where you're at.  I have used caloriecount.about.com for this, it has tons of foods and is easy to get fairly accurate numbers.  If you are going to gain muscle you have to take in some excess calories to build that muscle.
• Keep it clean and under control - While you are in the process of eating more be honest with yourself and don't let things get away from you.  If your lifting schedule is lax then dial back the calories a bit.  Just because you are eating more doesn't mean you should fill up on Paleo, or worse non-Paleo, treats.
• Cardio Fueling - If you are doing cardio in addition to lifting then you should limit the cardio as much as possible to avoid eating into your muscle gains. Be sure to up your carbs to cover those cardio sessions.
• Lift heavy - enough said lift heavy weights

Give me the Best of Both Worlds

If you are trying to gain muscle mass and lean out then you have your work cut out for you.  While there are a lot of similarities the primary difference in the two is how much to eat.  You will need to find a balance between ramping up calories for muscle gain and keeping calories in check for leaning out.  One can easily compromise the other. You will need to watch your food much more closely then if you were going one way or the other and timing your foods will be important.

A Few Must Do's for Everyone

• Take Pictures of yourself.  Pictures will give you the best indicator of your progress.  Try to wear the same thing and take the picture in the same location.  Take a side and front shot every week or two. You may not see changes during the first couple weeks but I bet you do after the first 30.
• Take Body Measurements.  A full set of body measurements are another great indicator of progress. Measurements can require a little interpretation since some may be increasing due to muscle gain while others may be decreasing.
• Don't worry about the Scale. If you have extra body fat you are likely to see significant drops on the scale but that won't be the case for everyone.  Some will lose slower and some will gain muscle quickly effecting the bottom line on the scale.  This is why the pictures and measurements are important, the three taken together will give you a good idea of what's going on.
• Get body fat measurements - Getting a body fat measurement at the start and end will give you something solid to measure your success.  Don't rely on your scales body fat function, they are terribly inaccurate. Try to find a bodpod in the area or someone that does caliper measurements. ACAC and  UVA's Exercise Physiology Lab have bodpods and will take your measurement for a fee.  The bodpod is great because it gives you a lot of additional information. UVA's Exercise Physiology Lab has additional services as well, check this post on my visit there.

If you are in good health and want to drop some fat or gain some muscle a Paleo program is a great way to get you there.  Paleo has not only worked for me and my family but now I have seen it work for many other people I know personally.  Don't forget to get a thumbs up from your doctor before making any major shift in your diet or fitness program and please don't hesitate to ask me any questions while you are on your way to tackling your goals!

Thanks!

Chuck

Great Paleo Snack Reference

A question I get a lot is "What do you snack on?"  That isn't always the easiest question to answer and it all The Paleo Mom.  Her Kid Snacks (and Snacks for Grown-Ups Too) post is an outstanding reference on snacks and can give you some great ideas for yourself and kids.
really depends on when I was shopping last and how disciplined I am at the time.  If I have ever talked with you more than a few minutes about Paleo then I am sure I have mentioned

Thanks!
Chuck

Quick Mixed Seafood Snack in Cream Sauce

I got up had a few eggs for breakfast, went for a mid-morning run, had a delicious post run shake, and a few minutes later was still starving.  The peanut gallery suggested I make something quick and random for a snack and the blog.  I grabbed a bag of Trader Joe's seafood blend I had recently picked up but wasn't sure what I was going to do with.

This ended up being a pretty tasty snack, although I think the recipe could be refined a lot.  If nothing else this will give you an idea of non-traditional snacks you can whip up quickly when you need a solid Paleo option.

• PREP5 mins
• Cook
  5 mins
• READY IN10 mins

Ingredients:

• 1/2 bag of Trader Joe's seafood blend
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 cup pastured cream
• 1 tbsp homemade butter
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• A pinch of curry powder
• A pinch of lemon zest
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Note: all these measurements are approximate since this was truly on the fly.

Directions:

1. Thaw the seafood in cold water for a few minutes
2. Saute the minced garlic in the coconut oil, butter, thyme, cayenne, salt, and pepper until garlic is browning
3. Add the seafood and cook for about a minute
4. Add the cream, coconut flour, and lemon zest, mix thoroughly and simmer for 5 minutes
5. Pour into a bowl, top with a pinch of curry powder, and tear it up.

The coconut flour made it a little grainy. I might try and find another way to thicken the sauce in the future. All in all it wasn't to shabby.

Enjoy!

Chuck

90 Day Entice/Brady Nutrition Summer Challenge

We are approaching the end of the St Patty’s challenge.  During the last 6 months, I learned an incredible amount about nutrition, fitness, and myself.  The Shamrock Half-Marathon is on March 16^th and will mark the end of the St. Patty’s Challenge.  I am going to go in for a bod-pod to get some solid body fat numbers, will post all the results, and some of the things I learned by the end of March. 

One of the things I learned, as you can see in my “February is time to pull out all the stops” post  is that wellness, like many other things in life, can come with varying degrees of success.  To stay motivated it is critical to continuously review where you are and where you want to be, take baby steps toward your goals, but most importantly keep things fun.  I set some very small and specific goals for February that cut out beer and tortilla chips. I was very successful.  I attribute this success to those goals being very manageable, supported by my friends and family, and most of all fun since we spent some time finding alternatives for cocktails and snacking.  It would be very easy to let the next few weeks play out and take a break from the rigors of keeping to the St. Patty’s Challenge goals but what fun would that be.

A week ago a good friend of mine, JT of Entice, approached me with an idea. He had been reading my blog, and thought it a perfect time for a nutritional and fitness challenge to get ready for summer.   Right around now most people have forgot about New Year’s Resolutions and are beginning to think toward summer vacations, the beach, and how they look in their bathing suits.  Undoubtedly our minds eye places us in the summer with a physique that is much improved from what we currently have lurking under our winter layers.  A 90 day challenge is the perfect amount of time for a safe and healthy transition to that summer bod.  Getting there will take a little determination and a good combination of nutritional and fitness goals.

JT suggested that if we combined forces, with Entice providing measurable, goal-oriented fitness information and Brady Nutrition providing nutritional information and recipes, we would have just what our readers need to get through the 90 days and come out ready for the beach. 

JT and I have our own specific goals we want to accomplish and during the challenge we will be posting on our progress.  In addition to my regular blog posts, I will also be doing some specific posts relating to challenges you may be having during the 90 days, especially if you are new to a Paleo lifestyle.  Keep your eyes peeled on both blogs as we will be releasing some of the first 90 day challenge posts in a few days to get everyone started.  Let me know if you want to join us on the challenge or if you have any questions about getting started on your way to health and vitality.

Thanks
Chuck

What's with the Olive Oil Imposters

Once you go Paleo there are some things that become essential staples around the house.  While olive oil is pretty popular in general it is a must for Paleo households.  We cook with it, put it on eggs, put it on salads, put it on just about anything.  Good olive oil with some salt and spices is just plain heavenly. Olive oil is so good that it has become big business and with big business comes profit, marketing, cost cutting, and sometimes fraud. The news over the last few months has been flooded with stories about the prevalence of counterfeit olive oil. This piece Extra Virgin Suicide - NYTimes.com gives an entertaining high level on the problem. UC Davis clearly puts a lot of research into olives and in a 2010 study found that 69% of imported extra-virgin olive oils bought in California supermarkets including some very popular brands failed to meet international standards. The worst part of all this is the olive oil you thought was healthy is in many cases the exact same omega-6 laden highly refined oil you were trying to avoid.  

From my high level scrub of the news and research it seems the best way to ensure your olive oil is pure is to either stick with oil that is produced in the US or do a little extra work to verify that a specific olive oil has a seal of approval from a bonafide independent testing organization.  If you want to dive deeper into this rabbit hole, search for "olive oil" on Google News and you will find dozens of articles calling out specific brands good and bad.  

We have decided to give Trader Joe's California Estate Olive Oil a try. It is reasonably priced and was referenced in numerous articles as one that passed the purity tests.  We'll let you know what we think.  

Thanks for stopping by!
Chuck

Photo 1:Wikipedia Olive Tree
Photo 2: Trader Joe's

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/10/21/4925146/how-extra-virgin-is-your-olive.html#storylink=cpy

Homemade Snowville Creamery Butter is as Good as it Gets

I was in Whole Foods the other day hunting down some heavy cream.  I so wanted to buy another half gallon of Snowville Creamery heavy cream that I talked about in the "A Heavy Cream Dilemma" post but a half gallon is a bit much to get through for coffee.  I snagged one of the Whole Foods crew and asked if he could get quarts or pints of this heavenly delicious cream.  He wasn't sure but told me they would be at the store that weekend.  First thing Saturday, the family and I headed out with smaller cream deliveries as our goal.  We got there early so the two young ladies, Morgan and Heather, were just setting up.  I told them of my dilemma and they explained how they were in the process of expanding to include production of smaller heavy cream sizes. They loaded the kids, Steph, and I up with stickers, pins, samples of their yogurt, and creme fraiche. The creme fraiche was really pretty amazing. While the kids were spreading several yogurt samples around the surrounding area, the ladies suggested that I try making butter with the cream which might make purchasing a half gallon a more reasonable thing.  I figured why not and grabbed a half.  A half gallon is about $10 so when you are looking at all the surrounding half gallons of milk it seems pretty expensive.

Sunday morning I figured it was time to give this butter making a try.  The carton had instructions right on it. I dumped half of the carton into my food processor and let it rip.  After a couple minutes I peeked inside and to my surprise saw some change occurring.  At this point things were looking a lot like whipped cream and from a sample was pretty tasty.  I ran the blender for another minute or two and saw about the same thing.  At this point I wasn't so sure the butter was going to be like the butter I like to throw in my coffee or on my sweet potato.  I flipped the food processor back on and a few minutes later I heard a significant change in the sound.  I opened it up and this time BAM it was butter. It was like magic.  OK so maybe you have seen this before but I never had. Five minutes in the processor and the cream had been transformed into butter. I strained the butter, hand pressed it into a mold, and harvested the resulting butter milk.

The butter is some of the tastiest butter I have ever had and knowing how the animals are pastured gives me the highest confidence in the quality of the fat.

I did a little math and this really turned out to be a pretty good deal.  At $10 the half gallon of cream produced one quart of cream for a week of coffee, about one pound of the best butter ever, and a couple cups of butter milk for Steph's cooking experiments.  Normally we end up buying two pints of cream at $3.50-$4 a pop and Kerrygold butter at $3.50/8oz for our coffee.  In comparison, that would be $15 for the same amount of cream and butter not including the butter milk.  From that perspective this stuff is a really good deal and I am convinced this is some of the best quality and best tasting cream you can get.  If you are lucky enough to be in an area that Snowville distributes to give them a try and I bet you'll be sold.  It looks like the Brady's will be making our own butter from now on.

Thanks again for stopping by!
Chuck

Post Workout Nutrition

I have had a few people ask me what I do for post workout nutrition so I thought I would let you know what I am currently up to.  I am continually tweaking what I do based on how well I recover and whether I am trying to lean out or gain muscle.  This should give you an idea that you can build from.

There are two keys to post workout nutrition.  They are protein and glycogen replenishment.

Glycogen Replenishment: The longer more intense the workout the more glycogen that your body will have burned for energy.  This fuel needs to be replaced for future activity and your body is prime to receive a recharge immediately after your workout.  If you do not provide your body with the necessary fuel to recover, depending on the intensity of your workout, you may feel sluggish and fatigued for hours or days following.  To help this replenishment you need an insulin spike followed up with plenty of highly available sugars and simple carbs.

Protein:  Protein is essential for building muscle.  Getting a large amount of highly available protein in your system after a workout will help to repair and build new muscle and will limit muscle soreness and fatigue you would normally experience 1-2 days after an intense workout.  

Right now my workouts are comprised of medium intensity weight lifting days, usually with a light jog (1-3 miles) and a once a week long run day in preparation for the upcoming St. Patty's Half Marathon. With each workout either weight lifting or runs I assess the general intensity of the workout. 

Low Intensity Days: On less intense days I supplement with whey protein isolate containing 30g of protein mixed with water.  I generally don't worry too much about glycogen replenishment on light days. If the workout is very light then I don't supplement at all.

High Intensity Days: On more intense days and long run days I double the whey dose to 60g of protein and mix it with 1 liter of coconut water. The coconut water serves as the glycogen replenishment start.  If I really pushed it that day I don't stop there.  In addition I will have 4 tbsp Brady Nutrition endurance drink (my own endurance drink recipe much like EFS, Acceleraide, or Hammer Heed) and sometimes a sweet potato.  Sweet potatoes are loaded with glucose and are a great post workout option for glycogen replenishment.  I have also started keeping a half dozen sweet potato baby food jars in my gym bag.  If I end up having a pretty intense session and don't have all options available I will drink down a couple baby food jars to support my recovery.

Hold on a minute, sports drinks and whey protein are not Paleo!

There are as many Paleo diets or protocols as there are people that say they are Paleo.  It is my opinion that Paleo is to provide a framework to start from. Once you have embraced the Paleo diet there is no reason you cannot incorporate foods and supplements that many not fit the strictest Paleo guidelines.  This should be done systematically and with a complete understanding of the pros and cons of each addition.  Sports drinks and whey are certainly not Paleo.  However, if you are an endurance athlete, power lifter, etc there are a number of supplements that can significantly benefit your performance and health in variety of ways. Understand the science, benefits, and risks, and if you deem an option appropriate try it for a short period and see how you feel and if there are any adverse effects.  Continue to stay up to date on the latest information and reassess as new information becomes available.    

Which whey protein should I use?

I use a whey isolate since it is virtually lactose, fat, carbohydrate, and cholesterol free. This allows me to more directly control my macro nutrient intake. There are plenty of articles out there about junk that is in various protein powders.  There doesn't seem to be a clear link between cost and quality. Some think going grass-fed is the best option.  It probably doesn't make any difference in terms of supplementation but you are supporting more positive industry practices.  I have looked at the grass-fed options and at $40-$50 a pound I can hardly justify the expense when many conventional forms are less than $10 a pound.  I say pick a powder that you like and mixes well.  Do a little research to see if it has been flagged as having contaminants and then follow up every now and then.

Hope that helps you out! Let  me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Thanks

Chuck

bradynutrition.com is now on Facebook and Twitter

We are spreading our wings a little so in addition to checking out the blog at bradynutrition.com, you can keep also track of what we are up to on Facebook and Twitter  We've got lots of posts and recipes in the works so keep your eyes peeled and please let us know if you have any specific Paleo questions or things you would like to see us dive into. 

Thanks for checking out the blog and liking us on Facebook!

Chuck

Simple Paleo Pancakes

During our first month of Paleo this was our number one snack food.   Now days it is a bit more of an occasional treat. It is really important when you are starting out to have a few go to items that can get you through a craving or extreme hunger moment.  This is a great one.  These are great as a desert or snack hot and fresh off the griddle but also good chilled for snacks during the week.

There are a lot of Paleo pancake recipes out there but the beauty of this one is how simple it is but there are a few things you need to know for success. The thickness of the batter is critical in getting pancakes that set up good and are relatively easy to flip.  Green bananas will give you a nice thick batter that will hold form a little better.  If your batter is a little thin try adding more almond butter it will thicken things up.  It is also important to cook them slowly and wait for the flip as long as possible. I usually set are griddle around 280 degrees but am always tempted to crank it up to 350 for quick results.  These can be a challenge to flip especially if the batter is thin or if you have cooked them too fast.  I usually use two small spatulas on either side to decrease the occurrence of disaster . Try adding mixed fruit, blueberries, chocolate chunks, or virtually anything you have laying around to make these interesting.  I am always trying some new combo.

• PREP5 mins
• Cook
  10 mins
• READY IN15 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 big green banana
• 1 big spoon full of fresh ground almond butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp butter
• Optional
• mixed berries
• 85% chocolate pieces
• cacao powder
• fresh nutmeg
• cinnamon
• etc

Directions:

1. Add the banana, almond butter, and egg to a mixing bowl
2. Blend with an immersion hand blender until smooth 
3. Fold in whatever optional ingredients you have laying around
4. Heat up the griddle and melt the butter
5. Pour batter out into 3" pancakes on the griddle 
6. Flip when pancake is firming up good
7. Cook an additional couple minutes and serve immediately or chill for latter

My Paleo Story

This post is to point everyone to past posts that give you a snapshot of where my family and I were before Paleo and how things have progressed.

A Brief History gives you a glimpse into my life leading up to Paleo and some detail on the first month or so.

This is what Paleo did to my Cholesterol gives you a look at some before and after blood work that really shocked me.

The St Patty's Challenge posts chronicle a challenge I cooked up as a way to hold myself publicly accountable and see how far I could take this thing.  At the end of the challenge I will be at 8 months on Paleo and give a full break down of stats from body measurements, to blood work, to some of the more challenging moments.  I may even post some pictures but I am not so sure about that yet.

As always please shoot me an email if you have any questions or comments and thanks for checking out the blog!

Chuck

I want to go Paleo but can't ditch my delicious coffee!

Hi everyone, this is Steph, I truly fall into the category of one of those who cannot under any circumstance compromise on my coffee.  This was a huge cheat of mine for a while but Chuck slowly offered up alternatives until I got to the coffee I drink today. This recipe might not be exactly what your old coffee was like but you will be surprised how good it can be.  Most important is don't skimp on the coffee. When you are ditching the sugar gue juice the least you can do for yourself is get some really good coffee.






Ingredients:

• High quality whole bean coffee
• 1-3 tbsp pastured heavy cream
• 1/8-1/2 tsp stevia powder 
• NOTE: make sure what you pick up is pure stevia as many of the products out there have other additives.  We use Sweetleaf Stevia Powder 
• Optional
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• cacao powder
• fresh nutmeg
• cinnamon
• etc

Directions:
Start light and keep adding stevia and heavy cream to your coffee until you are happy with the mix.  Over time you will likely use less and less stevia. If you get brave try adding some grass-fed butter and/or coconut oil. I don't do this all the time but when Chuck mixes me one of his Phatty Coffees I am usually surprised at how delicious it is and he doesn't use stevia at all. We keep fresh nutmeg, cacao, and cinnamon right by the coffee maker and we may throw a pinch of some of that stuff in when we want to mix things up.

This new Paleo coffee may not fully replace your caramel macchiato at first but it is a great alternative and it won't take long before you won't miss the sugar drinks at all.

Thanks
Steph

Our philosophy has been updated!

It has been a while since I updated the philosophy.  Today I went through it and filled gaps and tweaked a few things.

I added sections on:

• Macro Nutrients
• Carbs
• Fats
• Processed Meats
• Alcohol
• Legumes
• Corn
• Potatoes

I updated the sections on:

• Meat
• Dairy

Go check those sections out for some new info.

Thanks

Chuck

Awesome Curry Burgers

Since we recently took possession of half a grass-fed beef our consumption of ground beef has increased drastically.  So it seemed time to throw up our curry burger recipe.  We have found that getting crazy with spicing your burgers keeps them interesting and you never know what king of glorious combo you will find.  You may want to try things like cacao powder, cinnamon, or virtually anything you might have in the spice cabinet.  This is one of our go to combos.  Of course you can never go wrong throwing some bacon, maybe an egg, avocado mayo, or even fresh ground almond butter on top of these or any burger creation.

• PREP10 mins
• Cook
  10 mins
• READY IN20 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 Lb. grass-fed hamburger
• 1/2 tsp. Himalayan sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. cracked pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. red curry powder or more depending on your preference
• 1 Large minced clove garlic

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a Large mixing bowl and mix until combined. 
2. Form into 1/4 lbs patties 
3. Pan fry or grill to medium
4. Add your favorite toppings and Enjoy!

The Paleo Tacos were a hit!

We seem to be going back to ThePaleoMom's site again and again for recipes. Her recipes are usually pretty easy to pull together and always delicious.  There are a lot of great Paleo recipe sites out there but ThePaleoMom truly stands out. You can tell from each recipe that she has spent real time refining the recipes and they are tested by her own family.  We tried her Paleo Tacos  tonight and they were a huge hit with me and the kids!  Give the tacos and her other recipes a try and you won't be sorry.

A Heavy Cream Dilemma

Since my wife and I adopted Phatty Coffee as our regular morning drink, our heavy cream needs have increased significantly.  To get the best quality fat in your cream you have to find one that comes from pastured cows.  While organic, non-gmo, no antibiotics, etc may imply pastured it is not necessarily the case.  So we have a few go-to creams we choose from.  The other day at Whole Foods my wife noticed a half-gallon of cream. from Snowville Creamery.  I had never noticed this before probably because I wasn't looking for heavy cream in a half gallon size.  This cream gives you all the info you need to be confident you are getting the highest quality pastured fats.  The pints we normally get range from $3.50 to $3.99 per pint.  This half gallon was $9.99 saving us $5-6.  I swore when I picked this up the expiration date was 3 weeks out and we could easily get through it in that amount of time. Well I was wrong!  When I got up the next morning and looked I noticed the expiration date was three days away.  I thought for a minute and wondered if I could freeze the cream.  Then I thought ice cube trays.  Well it worked like a charm.  The amount of cream in each ice cube is a little deceiving and while I initially thought one was enough it is really more like three or four.  Drop the number of cubes you need in your cup, microwave it for 30 seconds or so, add some pastured butter, a little coconut oil, and top off with some rich fresh ground coffee and you are on your way to a great day!

Thanks for stopping by!
Chuck

Sesame Tomato Avocado Salad

This is an amazingly simple and delicious Asian style dish.  We saw this on a Japanese cooking show years ago and it was pared with a Japanese curry dish which we have also modified to be Paleo

• PREP5 mins
• CHILL20 mins
• READY IN25 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 tomato
• 1 avocado
• 1 tbps. sesame oil
• 1 tbps. sesame seeds
• 1 tbps. rice vinegar

Directions:

1. Mix sesame oil, sesame seeds, rice vinegar together and set aside. 
2. Cut tomato in 1/2 inch slices and avocado 1/2 inch slices place on large plate 
3. Drizzle tomato and avocado with sesame oil mix and refrigerate  for 20-30 mins.

NOTE: Sesame seeds and sesame oil are avoided by some in the paleo community.  While they have some negatives in terms of omega-6 concentration and mild anti-inflammatory properties they also have decent nutrient density.  We recommend using these items in moderation and we try to keep our dishes with sesame to once a week.

Brady Nutrition Paleo Mojitos

Here is another Paleo cocktail for you. This is another drink that was inspired by a Robb Wolf podcast. My wife and I tweaked this recipe several times and it is still being refined but this will get you a pretty decent mojito. If you decide to add stevia make sure what you pick up is pure stevia as many of the products out there have other additives. If you have never used stevia, start out small it is pretty concentrated.

Ingredients:

• 1-2+ shots of your favorite rum
• 2/3 cup of club soda
• 2/3 cup of your favorite coconut water
• 1 lime
• 3 sprigs of fresh mint or more
• 1/4 tsp. of pure stevia (optional)
• Crushed ice

Directions:

1. Slice the lime in half
2. Squeeze the lime into a pint glass
3. Add stevia if desired
4. Add your desired number of shots of rum 
5. Fill glass with ice and top off with a 50/50 mix of club soda and coconut water
6. Muddle the mint sprigs and mix 
7. ENJOY!