AHS 2014: August 7-9th U.C.Berkeley... GET YOUR ANCESTRAL ON

Only two months away~!!

The venue has returned to my old haunting grounds, UCB campus, where I did my undergrad in Nutrition and Food Science and worked for two years in Plant Biology as a lab technician. Hope to see and meet many ancestral health fans! My family and I are re-patriating back to California from Shanghai, so it is a homecoming on many fronts.



AHS 2014: Aug 7-9th

Location: U. C. Berkeley Campus
Theme: WOODSTOCK lol

Registration is open

AHS11 Rockstar edition ~ AHS11 was the inaugural Woodstock. Nothing is like the first time but hopefully some of magic and mystery will be re-created this year with an amazing collection of events, topics, speakers, and eye-opening panels this year. I hope for lots of casual hanging out as well.

Ode to Seth Roberts ~ We will be missing and honoring our friend and AHS co-founder. His contributions to our community, his fairness and attention to science will never be forgotten.

PROGRAM





Topics I'm Attending For Certain

Since this blog is called Animal Pharm, the opening speaker has got my undivided attention.

Zoobiquity: Species-Spanning Medicine
Speaker: Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, M.D., M.A., B.A.
Scheduled at: August 7, 2014, 10:10 am

Animals and humans get the same diseases, yet physicians and veterinarians do not often consult one another. Spontaneously-occurring diseases such as cancer, heart disease, obesity, and infection as well as psychiatric conditions including self-injury, compulsive grooming, sexual dysfunction and substance-seeking affect not only people but a broad range of animal species. An integrated, interdisciplinary approach using the latest in medical and veterinary science to understand physical and behavioral health can lead to novel insights, hypotheses, and innovative therapies. This species-spanning approach challenges academic institutions, clinical practitioners, pharmaceutical companies, and biotech firms to recognize comparative medicine as a translational science, bringing knowledge from the veterinary medicine to the human hospital bedside.

My talk is @11:50

Re-Savaging the Gut: Solution to the Identity Crisis of the Ancestral Gut
Scheduled at: August 7, 2014, 11:50 am

The gut microbiota has undergone radical changes. Human gut anatomy are unaltered but the microbial ecosystems have degraded. Health may mirror these changes and how we acquire our microbiota including the ways we procure our food -- shifting at the neolithic from tedious hand foraging to village crops to (now) massive, post-industrial farming operations and livestock production. Our distance from the dirt is immeasurable. New technology allows characterization of the ancestral gut. Comparatively, species in ancestral and non-industrialized guts are robust in diversity and less fragile in balance. Ways to resolve this 'gut identity' crisis involve re-wilding and revisiting the ancestral, soil-connected gut.

My brilliant co-speaker from AHS11. Ancestral genetic polymorphisms determine many things. My family and I did 23andme (fyi, they're still open and analyzing ancestry). We don't have the main MTHFR SNP but we own one of the COMT variants that affect carbon methylation; it explains why the ancestral diet suits us and our DNA very well. We have also 2 of the main FUT2 variants for non-secretors in the Asian population which might explain a few of our gut vulnerabilities to MTHFR, COMT and the gut toxins which are related to methylation. FUT2 secretion is related to the capacity the mucosa membranes to secrete fucose on the surface, which feeds the grazing beneficial gut symbionts like a grassy lawn. The absence of fucose affects both pathogen adherence (non-secretion confers protection against norovirus, HIV and campylobacter infections) and susceptibilities to gut conditions (T1D, celiac, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's, autoimmunity, etc). Lack of beneficial gut flora when fiber/fuel is missing or due to antibiotics are strong factors affecting gut health depending on individuality. Check out Tim's solutions.

It's Your Parents Fault! Methylation: How 1 Carbon Affects Your Brain, Your DNA and Everything in Between
Speaker: Tim Gerstmar, N.D.
Scheduled at: August 9, 2014, 3:35 pm

Why is it that some people don't get better in spite of a good diet and lifestyle? One recently identified issue is defects in methylation, the epigenetic process by which the body turns on and off almost every process in the body. While normally methylation works seamlessly and without any need for conscious control, mutations in the methylation genes can 'gum up the works' and lead to chronic health issues. Our ability to identify genes has recently allowed us to peer inside this process, identify dysfunctional methylation genes, and provide help for suffering people.

Researcher and professor, Blaisdell bridges technical brain science and research for advocating the role of play. Only the smartest animals evolved to 'play'. My playground is this blog, lol. Often I try tell my kids don't fear screwing up because it's an awesome way to explore, learn and play.

Functional Frivolity: Human Brain Evolution and Play as an Adaptation for Childhood Learning and Education
Speaker: Aaron Blaisdell, Ph.D.
Scheduled at: August 7, 2014, 11:00 am

Despite appearing frivolous, play is a special adaptation for normal human brain development. I review human brain evolution, and describe how play is an adaptation to teach children how to be a successful hunter gatherer. The modern educational system, by contrast, arose during industrial period and is maladapted for brain and cognitive development. The result is an epidemic of developmental and mood disorders. Recent movements in developmental and educational psychology advocate a return to the natural conditions that foster development of a child into an intelligent, creative, and happy individual.

Stanton is one of my favorite mountain men and authors (The Gnoll Credo). “We are born and we die.
No one cares, no one remembers, and it doesn’t matter. This is why we laugh.”

How We Got Fat (and Sick): Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Leptin Dynamics, and the Ratchet Effect
Speaker: J. Stanton, B.A.
Scheduled at: August 8, 2014, 2:45 pm

The question "Why are we gaining weight?" neglects an equally important question: "Why can't we lose the weight we gain?" The multiplicity of competing hypotheses, and the overwhelming failure rate of current interventions, suggests that current top-down paradigms, in which the brain controls fat mass, are incorrect. Based on current peer-reviewed research, a new, bottom-up paradigm is proposed, in which the energy requirements of individual cells both cause and predict fat gain, metabolic dysfunction, and the failure of fat loss. It will be shown that this bottom-up paradigm has both explanatory and predictive power lacking in current top-down models.

Keith and his gorgeous wife live and breathe health and ancestral fitness. He's the modern LaLanne minus the juicer.

From Teflon to Tang - Proposed Effective Training Methods for In-Mission Astronauts, with Take-Aways for the Earthbound Mortal
Speaker: Keith Norris, B.A.
Scheduled at: August 8, 2014, 11:00 am

Contrary to popular belief, neither Tang nor Teflon were created for or by NASA. Rather, these technologies existed previously, and were co opted by space agency to satisfy mission-specific needs. The success of Tang and Teflon's association with the space program then propelled their representative "brands" in the public's consciousness. In much the same way, the technology and know-how now exists to prevent one of the most limiting obstacles to prolonged spaceflight -- muscle-wasting and bone deterioration (sarcopenia and osteoporosis). What can be done to curtail in-flight muscle-wasting and bone loss, and how might this knowledge transform training protocols on earth?

Unfortunately HPA deficits are widespread for both men and women. Good news is that it's all fixable. Grrrrrrls, this is very important. Multitasking and being wanna-be-perfect-Martha's are just a few parts of the problem. Truly it's a cortisol conundrum. And VLC and IF just make it worse. Thank you Stacy for highlighting this at AHS. If you want long telomeres, keep the adrenals and HPA strong and resilient. Adrenals are the vital foundation of health, even bigger than the gut.

Ancestral Health for Women in the Modern World: the HPA Axis Meets the HPT and the HPG Axes
Speaker: Stacy Toth, B.A.
Scheduled at: August 8, 2014, 11:25 am

The evolutionary biology perspective has proven to be an invaluable tool in creating dietary guidelines for the optimal human diet. However, we are learning that there may be stark differences between optimal nutrition for women versus men. In particular, the female body responds differently to changes in macronutrient ratio as well as meal timing due to links between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and both the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal and the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axes, in part due to the combined roles of leptin and cortisol. Women may experience adverse health effects, including hypothyroidism and hypothalamic amenorrhea, in response to low carbohydrate diets and intermittent fasting.

I can't wait to hear about why breastmilk is alive (!!probiotics!!) and secures a mammal's future.

The First Paleo Food: It's Breastmilk and It's Alive!
Speaker: Philip Goscienski, M.D., F.A.A.P.
Scheduled at:
August 9, 2014, 2:40 pm

Before the Agricultural Revolution a human's first culinary experience consisted of breastmilk. A biological system that evolved from a modification of sweat glands took more than five million years to become an extremely complex form of sustenance for newborn mammals. The most obvious benefit of breastfeeding is that it provides a complete nutritional system that will sustain an individual until it can forage for food. That is only part of the story. Breastfeeding has a major influence on immunity, brain development, future chronic diseases and the health of the breastfeeding mother.

I didn't know myopia was reversible and am eager to learn some tricks and science. Obviously paleo is not enuf, both my children have this.

Myopia: A Modern Yet Reversible Disease
Speaker: Todd Becker, M.S.
Scheduled at: August 9, 2014, 10:30 am

Myopia, or near-sightedness, is generally assumed to be an irreversible, genetically determined condition that can only be ameliorated with corrective lenses or surgery. Its prevalence is 30-40% in the U.S. and Europe, and more than 50% in some Asian countries, but it is rare in Africa and in pre-industrial cultures. The incidence of myopia correlates with IQ, school achievement, and industrialization, suggesting that an environmental factor is at work—namely, near-work. This talk will review the biology and epidemiology of myopia and present experimental evidence that myopia can be reversed naturally by specific focusing techniques and practices.

The Naughty Nutritionist, I love this lady~!!

Bone Broth and Health: A Look at the Science
Speaker: Kaayla Daniel, Ph.D., CCN
Scheduled at: August 9, 2014, 1:50 pm

A South American proverb claims "Good broth will resurrect the dead." While that's clearly an exaggeration, chicken soup has enjoyed a reputation as "Jewish penicillin" and bone broths are served to convalescents all over the world. In this presentation, Dr. Daniel will review the science that supports consuming bone broth for healthy bones, joints, skin, digestion, immunity and emotional stability. She will discuss 19th and early 20th century studies on gelatin, as well as recent investigations into the "conditionally essential" amino acids proline, glycine and glutamine and "the essential sugars" N-Acetylglucosamine and N-Acetylgalactosamine. Finally, she will report on Dr. John F. Prudden's clinical trials healing osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's, and even cancer with cartilage. In short, much science supports the ancestral wisdom of consuming bone broth.

Telomeres are amazing. I hope he bridges the latest info on the gut microbiota's influence on telomere's and longevity. The Three Genetics (Nuclear DNA, Mitochondrial DNA, and Gut Microbiome) of Longevity in Humans Considered as Metaorganisms (hat tip, Gemma).

Approaching Immortality - Maintaining Youthful Physiology as We Age
Speaker: Daniel Stickler, M.D.
Scheduled at: August 9, 2014, 11:50 am

Aging is a disease that kills over 100,000 people each day. We age because;1.) We gradually build up byproducts of metabolism in our cells that will outpace our ability to get rid of them,
2.) We have a biologic hourglass called telomeres, and3.) We accumulate toxic and damaging waste products in our extracellular compartments.
We can alter these responses through many lifestyle mechanisms; nutrition, exercise, stress, and environmental exposures and if we stave off frailty long enough, we may be alive long enough to take advantage of major life extension technology.

Insulin and The Paleo-Ancestral Diet: Frassetto et al 10-Day Study

This site is all about evolutionary changes, health from the ancient/paleo perspective, and how our genes are imprinted to adapt and survive (whether we want to or not).




Role of Hyperinsulinemia = ENERGY DIES

Chronically high insulin (from high refined carbs, from gluten/food-stressors, hypothyroidism, low progesterone, adrenal dysfunction, metal toxicity, endocrine disruptors, etc) raises insulin resistance in our organs which can lead to increased small dense LDL, high TG and low HDLs. A cascade of further hormone changes and vascular adjustments occurs. Vascular blood pressure may increase. Pre-clinical hypertension can develop and eventually atherosclerosis ('scarring' in affected vessels) and diabetes (inappropriate and chronically elevated blood glucoses). Later, the natural progression of this hormonal storm of insulin dysfunction includes diabetes complications or target organs (kidney, eye, nerve damage), heart failure and heart events (revascularization surgery, heart attack, angina, sudden death, bypass and/or stent placements).





Keep The Insulin Low

Lamarche B et al wrote an editorial in 1996 (see Ref 1) and NEJM (N Engl J Med. 1996 Apr 11;334(15):952-7.) and wrote that the higher quintiles of insulin were highly associated with higher rates of atherosclerosis and heart events in the Quebec Cardiovascular trial. 67 pmol/L (= 9.3 mIU/L) was used as odds ratio = 1.0 (it's still high IMHO; goal = 4 mIU/L in other words less than ~28 pmol/L). See above bar graph (Ref 1).

Convert pmol/L by dividing 7.175 for mIU/L. More about 'normal' fasting insulin HERE.

The Lamarche B et al state "For example, an 11-fold increase in ischaemic heart disease [IHD] risk was noted among men with both hyperinsulinaemia and elevated apo B levels, these two metabolic abnormalities being common among individuals with abdominal obesity, especially when associated with high levels of visceral (intra-abdominal) adipose tissue.




Visceral (Intra-Abdominal) Adipose Tissue

What is Visceral Adipose Tissue? Do you have any? I do. On my belly. In my head... from the ravages of the high carb S.A.D., high omega-6 intoxification, high trans-fat/F*CK-TOSE intake from my childhood/teens/early-20s-30s (OK. a long time, most of my life), sedentary lifestyle, undiagnosed Hashimoto's autoimmune hypothyroidism, stress of LIFE, et cetera.



Fatty calcified livers (e.g. NASH, fatty liver, NAFLD, foie gras) ?

Fatty calcified atherosclerotic plaque?

Fatty calcified atherosclerotic plaque in arteries: Renal, Carotid, Coronary, Peripheral, PENILE (e.g. ***Erectile Dysfunction BABY -- you do not have a Viagra-deficiency) ?

Fatty calcified thyroids ?

Fatty calcified adrenal glands ?

Fatty calcified pineal glands (e.g. insomnia) ?

Fatty calcified pancreas glands (e.g. metabolic syndrome, diabetes) ?

Fatty calcified gallbladders (e.g. GERD, dyspepsia, heartburn, gas/bloating)?

Fatty calcified ovaries/ fallopian tubes/ fibroids/endometriosis/ PCOS?








Keep The Insulin Relatively LOW

Many benefits improve on lower carb Paleo/ancestral diets. Why? It works and best matches our DNA genetic expression.

Lamarche B et al in Quebec, Canada have elucidated a few things about insulin, e.g. chronically high insulin and insulin resistance (IR).

Insulin and IR are related to high TG, low HDL, and high dense LDL and high visceral fat and high belly circumferences.

MOREOVER... More morbidity. More mortality.



From their JAMA publication (see Ref 2 and below Table 2) they showed in the Quebec Cardiovascular trial that 3 factors are highly associated with death and cardiovascular events:

(1) elevated fasting INSULIN

(2) elevated TRIGLYCERIDES (because these reflect HIGH dietary carbohydrates and LOW essential saturated dietary and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids)

(3) apoB, any amount sdLDL, high sdLDL (refers to 'small dense LDL' not total LDL -- total LDL is total CR*P and though the authors talk about total LDL here they correct and clarify themselves in Ref #3, 5, and 8; these French Canadian investigators are not full of cr*p)




Lamarche B et al Also Showed That...

Associated with coronary plaque in the French-Canadian Quebec Cardiovascular trial (see reference list):

--Ref 3: presence of sdLDL

--Ref 4: low HDL2, the 'good' large HDL particles which are highly associated with regression of disease (the higher, the better in normal bell-shaped curves)

--Ref 5: Beyond LDL... total-LDL is meaningless, only sdLDL really matters. Conventional cholesterol panels and LDL are CR*P. The lipoproteins need to be fractionated by size and buoyancy for a progressive,  accurate and sensitive reliable metric.

--Ref 6: visceral fat, it'll kill ya if exceeds a threshold

--Ref 7: high fibrinogen (which reflects high carbs, low n-3, low sat fat) + Lp(a) associated with DEATH and cardiovascular events

--Ref 8: 13 years later after the Quebec Cardiovascular STUDY... only thing that matters is sdLDL... the small dense LDL subfraction... related to death and cardiovascular events. Large LDL do not matter, the authors concluded. In fact many experts believe large buoyant LDL are anti-atherogenic and antioxidants. I highly agree. The larger, the PHATTER, the merrier.








Paleo Works. In Only Ten Days: Lynda Frassetto MD et al

Why is eating a (semi) unrefined, ancient-styled diet the way to go for reversal of chronic diseases and longevity? No simple answers but Paleo lowers chronic hyperinsulinemia. Frassetto et al at the University of California, San Francisco recently published a 10-day trial comparing metabolic changes and hypertension improvements on the paleolithic diet.

Paleo controls insulin better than Zone 40/30/30 and of course WAY way better than the S.A.D.

HOMA is a measurement of insulin resistance. Paleo (despite being high carb and low sat fat) achieved a 72% reduction in insulin resistance, HOMA (p=0.07). This was a high carb, low glycemic index with carbohydrates at ~~ 200 g/day diet. It was matched to the SAD diet. What an ingenius diet trial! Lower carb of course may be preferred for those with significant insulin resistance and fat-burning challenges. Higher sat fat, IDEAL in my opinion.

In this trial (see below Table 3), in terms of lipoproteins, Trigs were still high (e.g. excessive dietary carbs in the form of honey, pineapple, carrot juice, melon and excessive n-6 mayo) and HDLs still marginally suboptimal (e.g. saturated fat deficiency). HDLs often mirror the LDL particle size.


Lower carb high sat fat Paleo would have improved these parameters. See prior animal pharm posts:
Benefits of High Saturated Fat Diets: My Paleo PEEPS With High HDLs


The premise is to alter the neolithic, post-agriculture diet macronutrients and micronutrients (glycemic load, glycemic index, gluten, lectins/phytic acid, legumes and dairy). Amazing insulin changes happen.

Is this what our genes were designed for 2.5 million years to do? We don't live in a land of honey, sweets and fruit. We are meant to starve sporadically, lift heavy things occasionally, move intensely intermittently, relax daily, play, hug, make babies (umm.. do I need to elaborate?) and eat foods that our ancestors thrived on. Complying to the genetic programming and optimizing where the genes and genetic expression are screwed up will provide a reprieve in these neolithic times IMHO.

"CONCLUSIONS: Even short-term consumption [10 days worth] of a paleolithic type diet [no grains, no legumes, no dairy, low glycemic index, ALBEIT HIGH CARB matching the s.a.d. diet] improves BP and glucose tolerance, decreases insulin secretion, increases insulin sensitivity and improves lipid profiles without weight loss in healthy sedentary humans." [some were overweight UCSF medical school students]




UCSF Frassetto et al Shows Paleo Controls IR and Insulin

Compared with the 'usual diet' (e.g. standard American diet), the Paleolithic Hunter-Gatherer diets controlled insulin, HOMA (insulin resistance) better than the usual S.A.D. in overweight men and women ages 18+ years old. These results are nothing short of phenomenal in a Big Pharma-dominated medicine tradition. No drug replicates these results, especially in only 7-10 days. No drugs (except glandular, hormonal or omega-3 fish oil pharmaceuticals) are disease reversing; they serve only to band-aid and hide in my experience. In modern, conventionally-schooled medicine, no cause or pathophysiology is assigned to the disease known as hypertension. Apparently the role of insulin and refined dietary carbohydrates (or other endocrine disrupting factors) are not considered. Conventional weight loss, diet ('low fat') and exercise are always prescribed yet rarely in my observations is hypertension stopped or reversed by these means successfully and long-term. Why?


Previous blogosphere hits on Frassetto's seminal study:

--Dr. Mike Eades MD discussed HERE.

--Mark Sisson of Mark's Daily Apple HERE 

--Matt Metzgar recently discussed as well HERE.

--Even Lyle discussed briefly HERE.

--My bud master Chris @conditionresearch.com which is one website that lead to my rapid health reveral discusses naturally of course HERE.

--Dr. Briffa discussed HERE.

--My bud O Primitivo discusses HERE in Portuguese.

--And even Dr. Davis discusses HERE linking back to the inimitable, matchless Protein Power Dr. Mike Eades.




Aging and Insulin: EORS (Epigenetic Oxidative Redox Shift)

Aging and oncogenesis are related to insulin.

Brewer (Ref #10) has explained how aging is related to insulin and insulin resistance. What degrades mitochondrial efficiency?

In the modern Western diet (now currently imported globally to Europe and China along with Western diseases), high refined carbs, refined fructose, industrial pesticides, toxic heavy metals, and refined vegetable oils brimming with omega-6 PUFAs are the typical culprits adding to the insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia burden. Chronically elevated blood insulin leads to an overall fattening effect which can calcify and harden the liver, the arteries, and many other organs (thyroid, adrenals, arteries, endothelium, vasculature, pancreas, gallbladder, brain etc).

Brewer describes "This metabolic shift is epigenetically enforced, as is insulin resistance to reduce mitochondrial turnover. The low mitochondrial capacity for efficient production of energy reinforces a downward spiral of more sedentary behavior leading to accelerated aging, increased organ failure with stress, impaired immune and vascular failures and brain aging. Several steps in the pathway are amenable to reversal for exit from the vicious cycle of EORS. Examples from our work in the aging rodent brain as well as other aging models are provided."

Low carbohydrate diet (15%) in rodents extends longevity and minimizes tumour growth compared with S.A.D. low fat, high carb diet. See Ref #12.

Resistance training reverses aging. See Ref #13. Burn baby burn.




References


1. Risk factors for ischaemic heart disease: is it time to measure insulin?
Després JP, Lamarche B, Mauriège P, Cantin B, Lupien PJ, Dagenais GR.
Eur Heart J. 1996 Oct;17(10):1453-4.

2. Fasting insulin and apolipoprotein B levels and low-density lipoprotein particle size as risk factors for ischemic heart disease.
Lamarche B, Tchernof A, Mauriège P, Cantin B, Dagenais GR, Lupien PJ, Després JP.
JAMA. 1998 Jun 24;279(24):1955-61.

3. Small, dense low-density lipoprotein particles as a predictor of the risk of ischemic heart disease in men. Prospective results from the Québec Cardiovascular Study.
Lamarche B, Tchernof A, Moorjani S, Cantin B, Dagenais GR, Lupien PJ, Després JP.
Circulation. 1997 Jan 7;95(1):69-75.

4. Associations of HDL2 and HDL3 subfractions with ischemic heart disease in men. Prospective results from the Québec Cardiovascular Study.
Lamarche B, Moorjani S, Cantin B, Dagenais GR, Lupien PJ, Després JP.
Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1997 Jun;17(6):1098-105.

5. Atherosclerosis prevention for the next decade: risk assessment beyond low density lipoprotein cholesterol.
Lamarche B, Lewis GF.
Can J Cardiol. 1998 Jun;14(6):841-51. Review.

6. Visceral obesity and the risk of ischaemic heart disease: insights from the Québec Cardiovascular Study.
Lamarche B, Lemieux S, Dagenais GR, Després JP.
Growth Horm IGF Res. 1998 Apr;8 Suppl B:1-8. Review.

7. Is lipoprotein(a) an independent risk factor for ischemic heart disease in men? The Quebec Cardiovascular Study.
Cantin B, Gagnon F, Moorjani S, Després JP, Lamarche B, Lupien PJ, Dagenais GR.
J Am Coll Cardiol. 1998 Mar 1;31(3):519-25.

8. Low-density lipoprotein subfractions and the long-term risk of ischemic heart disease in men: 13-year follow-up data from the Québec Cardiovascular Study.
St-Pierre AC, Cantin B, Dagenais GR, Mauriège P, Bernard PM, Després JP, Lamarche B.
Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2005 Mar;25(3):553-9.

9. Metabolic and physiologic improvements from consuming a paleolithic, hunter-gatherer type diet. [Free PDF CLICK]
Frassetto LA, Schloetter M, Mietus-Synder M, Morris RC Jr, Sebastian A.
Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009 Aug;63(8):947-55. Epub 2009 Feb 11.

10. Epigenetic oxidative redox shift (EORS) theory of aging unifies the free radical and insulin signaling theories.
Brewer GJ.
Exp Gerontol. 2009 Nov 26.

12. A low carbohydrate, high protein diet slows tumor growth and prevents cancer initiation.

Ho VW, Leung K, Hsu A, Luk B, Lai J, Shen SY, Minchinton AI, Waterhouse D, Bally MB, Lin W, Nelson BH, Sly LM, Krystal G.

Cancer Res. 2011 Jul 1;71(13):4484-93.

13.  Resistance exercise reverses aging in human skeletal muscle.
Melov S, Tarnopolsky MA, Beckman K, Felkey K, Hubbard A.
PLoS One. 2007 May 2;2(5):e465.

[Revised from my Nephropal blogpost]

Rockstar Edition: THE AHS 2011

Admission: I partied like a R O C K S T A R . *big wink /squeeze*


How about you???

Living (or re-living like me) vicariously through the Ancestral Health Symposium (AHS) roundups and reviews?


How it started: Brent Pottenger like his ancestors dared to dream a dream...

An angel named Mr. Jacobsen planted seed money, AHS was born and as they say the rest is history. Not unlike suffrage ending, for me it was powerful and freeing to attend an event where none of us needed to 'preach to the choir' or convince or persuade anyone that optimal health is within reach by embracing a few precepts modeled by our distant ancestors (more play, less grains, vary your life/n=1, more fighting, attend to gut symbionts, etc). For the initiated, we all had each other's vote for some time now, if not stark fan-following.


Everyone rocked my world!!!!!!!!! ...from fans of the blog (esp the pharmacy boys, keep up the good work and d*mn it publish something to rock the neolethal medical world), other bloggers, AHS presenters, volunteers and interviewers.

Here's my critical top ten for the peeps that attended and made this happen:

1. Prof Aaron Blaisdell ('Xavier' with lots hair), Brent Pottenger (legacy in the making), Mr. Jacobsen (king of angels and sun energy), Seth Roberts, and all the 50+ volunteers that made AHS smoothly operate and happen from behind the scenes to IN THE SCENES. Synergy in action. Awesome dream team!

2. Erwan Le Corre and Clifton Harski -- Thank you for not letting me leave my face or *ss on Muscle Beach/Venice Beach. MovNat is brilliant for all levels and all ages and my take is that it's probably more versatile and healing than crossfit or endurance workouts. I felt great afterwards. My sister noticed she had this kid-like bountiful energy she hadn't felt in years. I'd concur. My daughters were wondering why the h*ck sand was in the bed the next morning and I pleasantly remembered the funked out contortions and mobility combos we did on Sunday for the workshop including laying in the sand for some defensive/ground exercises. Honestly I am not the most coordinated therefore if I can do movenat moves than really anyone can. We swung up bars (mimicking tree branches), climbed up bars barehanded/footed, ran barefoot, jumped with a wavey-hand move, lifted gripless sandbags, and climbed on all fours in sand, on curbs and concrete. I couldn't deadlift much including my sister. Got snickered into deadlifting Erwan, but downgraded to do a functional move like dragging him ~ 4 meters [but had to stop from peeing in my pants from laughter... Do all French parkour experts smell/feel as good as Erwan? I dunno but I'd attend the seminar again to find out.] Clifton ROCKED as our torture master *scratch* I mean, instructor, and as others have mentioned he had the best agility, nimbleness and s*xxxy chest of AHS!!! [And it twitched when he got excited] I would concur with the other female elements of our group... ripping your shirts off did something. I dunno... Request: please do it earlier in the day. It's better than caffeine. Climb a tree? Tell me how high and how fast?? The quiet parts of the day were when Clifton and Erwan explained the philosophy of MovNat... we need to explore and be aware of our terrain. Prepare for the predictable but expect the unexpected. Stress? We all have stress and doing MovNat is one of the best de-stressors. To a question from Amy Holms, Erwan replied that the best way to decrease stress is being with friends and family, be in Nature as Nature is the best de-stressor, listen to reggae, move and do MovNat... We all may have stress (even Erwan). Don't know about you, but I'm taking the G-R-E-E-N P-I-L-L and that's the best thing I learned from AHS.

3. Rockstars -- there are seriously too many to list but at the top for me is Denise Minger. Not only is she a glam ROCKSTAR but she can also nail any crazy-rabid vegetarian straight to down to the ground with just a whoosh of her Louboutin heels and with blinding kindness and grace. My sister and I had the honor to meet and be one of the first to greet at Prof Blaisdell's house at the pre-party and she was far more interested in hearing where we came from than to introduce herself. When she told us of her ghetto motel story (woman screaming from next thin-walled room) you just want to protect and shield her from all idiots and danger. But as we know, she's TOUGH. Anyone who can fell the myth wearing the emperor's clothes (T. Colin Campbell, the statistics hoaxster who rivals Ancel Keys) deserves glorious kudos. Tucker Max accuses the primal/ancestral movement of deficiencies of violence??? Did he listen to Minger present?? She was VIOLENTLY HILARIOUS and VIOLENTLY EFFECTIVE. Period.

[BTW I think Tucker is right on. Even my peaceful futuristic explorers Spock and Captain Kirk fought effectively in hand-to-hand or weapon-assisted combat, when required. Tucker's talk was also a huge highlight]

4. Mat LaLonde -- he doesn't blog so under my radar. WTF. Where did he come from? He is the best brainiac warhead for the paleo/primal folks who don't want to lose credibility (like me) and who want to prevent smackdowns from core academic sciences (NOT fun, been there...). His command for plant derived chemicals and biochem belie his pretty, luminous skin and f*ckme gorgeous biceps+ quads. Is he a supergeek or strongman? Like most of AHS I think he's a renaissance guy and multitalented. Thank you for all the science language tips. It's helpful to not sound like a freak or moron, or worse both.

5. Richard Nikoley/Queen Bea, Robb Wolf, Mark Sisson, Seth Roberts, Gary Taubes, Keith Norris and Missus TTP, Mary and Mike Eades, Doug McGuff, Stephan Guyenet, Pedro Bastos-- These are my mainstay pillars of knowledge and wisdom and good to see them again in our AHS element (actually my VIRGIN TIME meeting Doug, the Eades, the Norrises, Pedro, having lunch w/Stephan). I refer tons of people to their blogs/books and websites (as well as the below). They cure, heal and free many of my favorite human animals, making my zoo world a better place. Thank God and Gaia for them.

6. Emily Deans and Jamie Scott -- Emily's a HARVARD-TRAINED PHYSICIAN and HARVARD CLINICAL INSTRUCTOR and SHE GETS IT. Also you'd think that with her sweet online presence she is this delicate, cerebral, tiny, white, lily flower but actually she is a *%$&@ TOTAL BAD*SS and hit the bars at MovNat with ferocity and persistence. Yes. And. She lifted sarcophilic Jamie Scott onto her BACK [he aint heavy, he's my brother]. Her presentation at AHS was the best physician talk IMHO that I heard; it reviewed the history of mental medicine and the recent relevant studies regarding psych on magnesium (which can reduce anxiety and important for adrenals), food toxins, gluten, and many other vital factors (no pharmaceuticals). Jamie Scott is as hunky, calm and sauve as you'd imagine and add the intoxicating NZ accent! Thanks for the tip too! I was having problems with running lately and developed hip pain and he hacked it right on. I stopped hyper-lifting my leg and pushed back more as he kindly suggested, which fixed it. I suspect MovNat was a jaunt in the Christchurch earthquake park for Jamie. It seemed effortless... From his talk, he discussed in length the implementation of the corporate primal/paleo program he is involved with. The world desparately needs more cutting edge programs like this. Can Jamie clone himself and apply these concepts at Google or Wall Street or Microsoft? Resilience? These two are the epitomy.

7. Craig Stanford. He and Caleb Finch have done amazing work in primates and studying behavior. He presented many insights from his research including a really interesting study on chimp meat-eating which occurred in a spastic frenzy for ~10 wks that coincided with the mense of the female chimps. Meaning? Who knows but similar to many things that I find fascinating about evolution is that it presents more questions than answers. This talk just geeked it out for me...

8. Melissa McEwen. For me, she is the rational voice for sustainability, evolutionary tracking and the gut microbiota. A recovering/recovered vegetarian like many who presented and attended, she speaks with authority and experience about the ancestral/primal backdrop that improved her health. Her talk exemplified 'hunting for hypotheses'. What does the literature say? Well. Not much about evolution in many circumstances. So many clues exist but without the proper context, what can we make of it? The last research she brought up in her wonderful talk was how H. pylori, a questionable pathogen, has co-evolved and migrated with humans since tens of thousands of years if not longer. Most of the world are colonized with H. pylori yet in industrial countries the carriage has diminished with sanitation and widespread antibiotic use. She brought up many potential ramifications of its extinction in industrial guts, including the increase in GI disorders and new epidemic levels of esophageal adenocarcinoma (one of the most lethal cancers in 50+ yr olds).

9. Paleo bloggers and Paleohackers. Melissa and Dallas from Whole9 are absolutely stunning, as is their awesome program. [did Melissa's gorgeous xfit gams come all the way up to my eyeballs...??] If anyone appears on Oprah or Oz, I do place my bets on the Whole9. Finally I met my Bay Area sustah from a different mutha: the stellar, hot, MiLFy Nom Nom Paleo 'M' and her ripped husband 'H' at FITBOMB, a blog cracks me the f*ck up a lot. Nom nom has a nutritional sci background and IS A PALEO PHARMAICST(I'm like HER!! and we both c*ss almost as bad as Richard and Bea! wtf). Nom nom is much cuter and does unspeakable things w/her Sous Vide and camera (see rated XXX food porn: HERE). My sister and I had an unforgettable, fresh and unlimited Korean BBQ buffet dinner with author/blogger/thinkr J. Stanton/Gnolls.org and Jolly, gifted photographer, both are experts at knowing how to groove and chill-lax to the ultimate. [Did i gain wt? Coz i ate as much as J. but no coz I did movnat 2 days later. All the upper body/chest/back work... I think my b**bs grew like Clifton's. No. I. Am. Not. Envious. *haa!*] Others in the house were my generous and neato co-speaker Dr. Tim Gerstmar, David Despain (I think we were separated at birth), and the incredible superstar Jaminets. FYI Stanton knows how to EAT WELL as a carnivore. Must be the mohawk contingency factor. The restaurant he chose had had a one-hour-wait and somehow he charmed US ALL IN < 10-15min. The clubbing music, fermented pickles, raw salad, and meat MEAT meaaatttt (!! pork belly, stomach, organs, beef, etc) were nothing short of orgasmically perfect. What an amazing way to finish Day 1. Did you see Jolly's mouthing-watering meat pictures?? Paul and Shou-Ching Jaminet are a beautiful and amazing couple. My sister and I loved every minute we had with them. We are big-time fans of their book, blog, generosity and knowledgable insights. I met some PH'ers, THEY ARE SO FUN! I've gotten PDFs and tons of (free, me-lurking) advice from them at Patrik's brilliant site. WCC Paul (dude thanxxx), Kamal (u r WAY way prettier in person), Aravind (watched you 'come out' *haa*), Gone2Croatan (love ur style, sorry didn't realize who you were (!!) next to the droll j/k Andrew/Evolvify) at Napa Grill, etc. Dinner on Day 2 was equally exciting but I was fading fast. I'm so glad to meet and hang out with my bud Christian Wernstedt from Modern Paleo.

10. Chris Masterjohn and Nora Gedgaudas tie for clinically relevant for my personal interests. Gedgaudas: Nora's talk really aligned the mental, nutritional and healing aspects of what I am into -- identifying neoLETHAL damage (mercury toxicity, gluten, EDCs, etc) and health recovery. I wish I had met her but I'm certain our paths will cross or I'll attend her seminar at some point. Masterjohn: My foray into blogging started with cardiology, so I was really appreciated Masterjohn's presentation regarding the 'molecular degeneration' in heart disease. He shredded the topic of atherosclerosis to unidentifiable pieces. HANDS DOWN. Personally out of all the videos that will go viral, I hope this ONE makes major waves. With cheer and acute sarcasm, he tackled, maimed, bled out and academically dismembered the 50+years-embedded cholesterol-heart hypothesis. He reviewed the curious history of the rabbit model for atherosclerosis (everything injected/given did not produce plaque until non-rabbit food, cholesterol, was fed) and additionally discussed the role of thyroid, omega-3 deficiency, plant/animal antioxidants and oxLDL. His charm and beguilingly, azure-blue eyes shield the courage, humor and sharp scientific scrutiny he focuses on any topic he engages in. I've asked him for help to look at stats and studies and until you meet someone in person, you really cannot appreciate the non-online PERSON. I think this is the aspect about AHS that I loved the most. Flesh. Blood. Pheromones. Yaa! Meeting friends who were online comrades over hotel or hallway hugs, hearing presentations that were aurally and visually stimulating experiences (say PHEROMONES), mutual admiration, meals, wine, sharing close company (OKAY... f*ndling primal biceps and brains) and PARTYING LIKE ANCESTRAL ROCKSTARS.


What a lovefest.

My theory is that like many others I'll be in withdrawal from the reward hits from the lovefest for some time...

Eat My Biscuits. Sausage Biscuits *wink*

My sister 'M' is a masterful mastermind in the hearth of her house, the kitchen. Her sweet goodies and salty savories are the kibble for my soul and sanctuary. (And sometimes growing adipose cells! )

Each ingredient in her recipe is a SUPER FOOD by all comparisons.

Coconut flour is awesome stuff. Apparently it has great minerals, medium chain fatty acids and fiber. Fiber is good especially when it is lectin and phytic acid free (unlike legumes, raw nuts/seeds and wholebodydiseasegrains).

Red VPO (virgin palm oil) is one of the most popular oils in the world -- rich in deep orange carotenoids, antioxidant tocotrienols, coenzyme Q10, stigmasterol/plant sterols (anti-rheumatic Wulzen factor) and both oleic acid and palmitic acid (yes you need both -- read Peter Hyperlipid THE HORROR NEVER ENDS).

Onions, low carb, high protein -- these food factors make for great health and snacking. Onions and green onions are rich in sulfur and quercetin (if you don't have SIBO and can tolerate FODMAPs) which aid glutathione proteins to detox and keep toxins at bay.

Excessive carbs glycosylate and sugar-coat organs -- the tomatoes are fantastic long-acting carbs without impacting BGs.

High protein -- sustains growth, repair and regeneration.

Sausage biscuits are one of the easiest to make vehicles for coconut flour and the other super foods. These keep for a while and are simply convenient to snack on and easily transportable (though somewhat crumbly if smashed). Coconut flour absorbs a lot of water from the air -- the eggs from the protein seal the moisture in but you may have to adjust the liquid in the recipe depending on your house humidity and other factors.

These make great paleo bisonburger 'buns' when split apart in half...




Sausage Biscuit Recipe
(modified, courtesy of my sister 'M' YOU ROCK GRRRL!!)

4 eggs
1/4 c. virgin palm oil (or lard or ghee or coconut oil)
1/4 tsp. Utah salt
1/4 tsp. onion powder or grated onion, opt.
1/8 - 1/4 c. minced scallions (or shallots or white onions)
1/2 c. coconut flour, sifted
1/4 tsp. baking soda (Aluminum free)
1/2 c. organic sundried tomatoes
4 to 8 oz. sausage or ground beef/bison sauteed with sundried tomatoes and some tomato or fave spaghetti sauce until semi-dry but mildly moist (I like Mario Batali's sauces)


Blend together eggs, oil, salt and onion. Combine coconut flour with baking soda and whisk into batter until there are no lumps. Fold in minced sundried tomatoes and sausage. Let the batter rest for 4-5 min to thicken. Drop batter by the spoonful onto greased cookie sheet (or use parchment paper), 2 in. apart. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 min.

Makes 8 biscuits.




Related References:

Stephan Guyenet PhD: Palm oil -- one study 69% reduction in oxLDL. Palm oil contains Coenzyme Q10, tocotrienols (family of vitamin E's).
http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2010/07/tropical-plant-fats-palm-oil.html

Expert Researcher Barry Tan PhD on carotenoids and tocotrienols in palm oil, interview and research articles.
http://www.drpasswater.com/nutrition_library/tan_1.html
http://americanrivernutrition.com/research/research-articles

History of Palm Oil and production
http://www.cambridge.org/us/books/kiple/palmoil.htm

More history: Introduction: nutritional aspects of palm oil.
Cottrell RC.
Am J Clin Nutr. 1991 Apr;53(4 Suppl):989S-1009S. Review. (free PDF)

Vitamin E tocotrienols improve insulin sensitivity through activating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors.
Fang F, Kang Z, Wong C.
Mol Nutr Food Res. 2010 Mar;54(3):345-52.
PMID: 19866471

Comparative effects of dietary corn oil, safflower oil, fish oil and palm oil on metabolism of ethanol and carnitine in the rat. [PO improves carnitine status]
Sachan DS, Yatim AM, Daily JW.
J Am Coll Nutr. 2002 Jun;21(3):233-8.
PMID: 12074250 (free PDF)

Heated palm oil [FIVE-TEN TIMES] causes rise in blood pressure and cardiac changes in heart muscle in experimental rats. [unheated palm oil was associated with wt loss compared with control rats]
Leong XF, Aishah A, Nor Aini U, Das S, Jaarin K.
Arch Med Res. 2008 Aug;39(6):567-72.

The effect of dietary red palm oil on the functional recovery of the ischaemic/reperfused isolated rat heart: the involvement of the PI3-kinase signaling pathway.
Engelbrecht AM, Odendaal L, Du Toit EF, Kupai K, Csont T, Ferdinandy P, van Rooyen J.
Lipids Health Dis. 2009 May 29;8:18.

Cardioprotection with palm oil tocotrienols: comparision of different isomers.
Das S, Lekli I, Das M, Szabo G, Varadi J, Juhasz B, Bak I, Nesaretam K, Tosaki A, Powell SR, Das DK.
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2008 Feb;294(2):H970-8.
PMID: 18083895 (free pdf)

Dietary red palm oil supplementation reduces myocardial infarct size in an isolated perfused rat heart model.
Bester DJ, Kupai K, Csont T, Szucs G, Csonka C, Esterhuyse AJ, Ferdinandy P, Van Rooyen J.
Lipids Health Dis. 2010 Jun 18;9:64.
PMID: 20565865 (free pdf)

Replacement of dietary fat with palm oil: effect on human serum lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins. [11% increase in human subjects of HDL2b, the cardio- and disease-protective HDL fraction with palm oil]
Sundram K, Hornstra G, von Houwelingen AC, Kester AD.
Br J Nutr. 1992 Nov;68(3):677-92.

Effect of dietary palm oil on lipoprotein lipases: lipoprotein levels and tissue lipids in rat. [higher HDL, lower TG compared with control diet arms]
Pereira TA, Sinniah R, Das NP.
Biochem Med Metab Biol. 1990 Dec;44(3):207-17.

Palm and partially hydrogenated soybean oils adversely alter lipoprotein profiles compared with soybean and canola oils in moderately hyperlipidemic subjects. [Palm Oil Increases in HDL, increases in apoA1 and both are disease/longevity-protective -- Table--in only 35 days, with palm oil, increased HDL, apoA1, and lowered TG, Lp(a) compared with canola, soy and hydrogenated soy; I ignored authors' conclusions]
Vega-López S, Ausman LM, Jalbert SM, Erkkilä AT, Lichtenstein AH.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jul;84(1):54-62. (free PDF)

Palm oil and health: a case of manipulated perception and misuse of science.
McNamara DJ.
J Am Coll Nutr. 2010 Jun;29(3 Suppl):240S-244S.

movnat... eatnat... lovnat...

PARKOUR [French] = PARK YOUR FACE ON THE GROUND [j/k]

George Hébert 'Being strong to be useful...'

Young Erwan Le Corre was inspired by George Hébert before taking his parkour urban skills and Ironman talents out to structured workshops focused on training and teaching others the lifestyle he put together. Approximately 100 years ago, Hébert's training manual Methode Naturelle was published and can be seen HERE (picture above courtesy Hawaii Parkour/Hébert; last photo credits to Diablo Crossfit my playground). A big fan of 'natural' movements by indigenous and African cultures, Hébert was one of the first advocates for obstacle-course form of physical training and embracing a melding of mind, spirit and body with nature.

Nick Heil of Outside magazine attended one of the Re-Awakening MovNat workshops (along with bloggers Melissa McEwen and David Csonka), survived, and wrote up the experience in a moving essay.

Richard Nikoley attended one of the advanced Expansion workshops which I very very briefly considered. Read FTA for highlights and vids HERE. Bummer. Should've gone *sigh regret*. Playing and hanging out with buff, half-nekkid, hot gals and guys for 5 days and nights... what was I thinking?? Who's going to Thailand?

Functional usefulness from Crossfit... YEAH BABY.

Recently I successfully climbed up and broke into a 2nd story apartment.

Had to be done. Accidentally we locked ourselves out and the 3 year old was cold and hungry. After doing a half-split on the outside stairway to reach the balcony, without clumsiness, I snookered up, scaled around the balcony where it was covered by a bamboo fence, then hoisted over with a light landing in front of the sliding door I'd left open earlier while I was sunning myself reading 'My Dirty Life: On Farming, Food and Love.' Multiple warnings were issued to the pre-teens (my kids and the older nieces) -- DO NOT DO THIS AT HOME. *haa ah* Naturally they'll ignore since I let them climb the toolshed at home. I think functional exercises are excellent because never know when you'll need them, and falling or breaking my leg would've been awfully horrible and traumatic for the children...




MovNat featured in Outside Magazine Jan 2011 article by Paleo-virgin Nick Heil

Click above for full article with pictures from the 5-day Re-Awakening Workshop and several extra features (collage pictures, demos -- kids please do this at home!)

Heil wrote about the final day's activities which included a gauntlet of physical challenges in the fasted stated, "Wearing only shorts and a dark-green bandanna, and streaked with mud as if someone had outlined his muscles with a black magic marker, he [Erwan Le Corre] looked downright feral. 'Adaptability is the holy grail of MovNat,' he told us. 'This is what we have done throughout human history. But we have lost touch with the world that created us.' "


Functionality=Flexibility=Strength

All the best athletes I have come across are extremely limber and flexible as felines. Personally my best athletic performances are when I am doing yoga and more endurance type challenges. If one notices in Methode Naturelle, many of the stretches are inherent to yoga. They translate to fluid and cat-like grace.

Strength benchmarks aren't my forte but I looked at Erwan's expectations and they were all do-able.

Benchmarks for Functional Fitness: Prequisites for the Expansion Workshop

Can you do the below?

Self-assessment criteria for this course:
o You are comfortable barefoot or with minimal shoes. --YES
o You can run 10 kilometers (a 10k) in under 50 minutes easily (an 8minute mile pace) --NO but d*mn good 9-10min mile easily
o You can easily perform 10 explosive pull-ups in a row --NO I SUCK.
o You have some powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting experience and can at least deadlift and squat your own bodyweight and clean and jerk half your body weight --YEEESSSSSSSS!!! 120-125lbs baby...
o You can hold a well-aligned plank pose for at least a minute, you can do 20 successive walking lunges while maintaining your stability, and you can at least vertical jump up to your knee-level and long jump half your height from a static posture then stabilize your body easily. --NOOO PROBLEMO
o You can comfortably swim freestyle and backstroke. --YES
o You can hold your breath at least one minute and 30 seconds. --OF COURSE
o You have no serious health issues that prevent you from performing optimally including injuries that you must work around. --CHOCOLATE, CAFFEINE AND ALCOHOL WITHDRAWAL SYNDROMES???! DTs?

Advantages Going Paleo (No Grains): Improved Stool Quality (less wiping), Odorless Flatulence, More 'Spurty' and More SUPER S*X

Xavier Naidoo:
Dieser Weg
[The Way...stony and hard]

Love love LOVE Paleohacks.com, Patrik's site and all the stunning and ridiculously incredible friends and threads there...

My favorite threads:
o Some Small and Quirky Changes Noticed Since Going Paleo
o Hemachromatosis (see Melissa's notes)
o Known Neolithic Adaptations to Food
o Paleo Sex Questions (naturally)



Is paleo easy? Well. Sometimes the way may be stony and hard but you may see the advantages are often worthwhile trying to pursue... *ha aha* Or. It's. Stony. And. Hard.
ALSO, yes. Night vision is cool.

Food P*rn: Hamburg, Germany

Food P*orn in Hamburg

Staying off the harbor in Hamburg, Germany (with the big Disney cruise within sight from the restaurant) we had one of the best breakfast buffets I've ever had. Steak tartare appeared only once the 4 days we were there but it was F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S. I have to limit eating raw meat in front of my husband too frequently (it grosses him out (and I don't get laid)) ...but risking happiness is sometimes worth other joys in life! Generous lox and cream became a superb morning ritual. A bright chopped beet cream sauce and relish were awesome accompaniments. The coffee and espresso in Europe was like extra strong CRACK, I dunno why. Dig the yogurt (yeah with muesli -- yes it's grain -- kick me off paleo-island?). German yogurt ROCKS and about 8 varieties were available. It appeared full fat to me. No where could I translate 'low fat' at the buffet bar. Look at the deep, carotenoid-rich-pumpkin-orange egg yolks!

On Thanksgiving eve of all places at the hotel restaurant, we had a traditionally roasted German duck which is only available seasonally during the fall/winter. WOW. Succulent, rich and earthy. Duck is one of the birds of I love because it is ALL LOVELY DARK MEAT. Wish I had pictures but the ducky didn't make the cut *haa* (my kids deleted).

P.S.
BTW Very rare did I see anyone IN EUROPE APPEAR OVERWEIGHT, OBESE, OR MORBIDLY OBESE COMPARED TO THE UNITED STATES. Just an empirical, clinical observation.

Blog-asm II: More Bloggers Disrupting 'the Fabric of Society'

Shawn Mullins
Can't Remember Summer

Yes.

YESSS...

YYYYYEEEES...!! [emphatically slam table moan] *haaa aha*



More BLOGGERS... including the masterful GARY TAUBES!

Please ck out new additions to the blogroll and booklist on R-side column...







Evolutionary Biologist Michael Rose and His Secret of Non-Aging/Immortality

Do you follow Ray Kurzweil? He's a G-E-N-I-U-S. Had a chronic condition and beat it.

A writer at Kurzweil's site recently posted on evolutionary biologist Michael Rose from UC Irvine (picture courtesy of KurzweilAI.net). Prof Rose believes aging is a byproduct of evolution however can be halted or plateaued.

I agree.

The paleo diet is a cornerstone to his evidence-based strategies.


How To Achieve 'Biolgical Immortality' Naturally: Michael Rose

He believes also Euroasians have a special buffer capacity to aging however still need to adhere to a hunter-gather diet and lifestyle for optimal non-aging after age 35 to 40. I thinks explains partly why some people do neoLETHAL diets and are still fine physiologically but others big failures. Our ancestral past determines much...




Rose’s Natural Recipe for Immortality: 4 Keys

“With this recipe, I feel, many of you could be alive, basically, indefinitely,” Rose said.

o Adopt a hunter-gatherer lifestyle after 35 to 40 if Eurasian, earlier if ancestry is less Eurasian. If younger than 30 and Eurasian, continue on a post-agricultural revolution diet (or Andrew Weil-style diet).

o Use the best modern medicine

o Use autologous (from your own cells) tissue repair as it becomes available in five or more years

o Use next-generation pharmaceuticals in the next 10 or more years






See prior animal pharm:

** MAGIC OF MELATONIN: Melatonin increases stem cells in Bone Marrow (stem cells are your own autologous repair machines)... now... not 5 yrs from now...
** Bone Marrow


Thank you to SWEET SWEET SWEENEY for the initial inspirations and understanding of melatonin...

Human Zoo and How to Cheat... Nudeln and Teigwaren sind Gift* für unsere Tiere

Translation

'Pasta and pastries are poisonous to our animals.'

Feeding the animals are forbidden...
Human-animals...??!

* Gift [German] = toxin, venom, poison = LECTINS, PHYTATES, GLUTEN




Hagenbeck Zoo
We just finished visiting the aquarium and zoo at Hagenbeck in Hamburg, Germany, one of the few progressive, privately owned zoos in the world. Each cageless biotope enclosure displayed harmonious groups of animals, surrounded by watery moats. Curious combinations included orangatuans + sea otters; hairy cheeked rabbits, guinea pigs, sparrows; etc. Images, Chinese muntjacs which wandered around freely on the zoo campus, along with one peacock, many Australian cavies and free-ranging chickens. Muntjacs are extremely friendly allowing my daughters and I to pet them on their heads and neck like a dog. My daughter named a pair Otis and Otissa!



Hagenbeck, One of First Conservationists
Mr. Hagenbeck was one of the world's first naturalist and conservationist.

Interestingly, his zoo in 1897 was on of the first to hybridize a male lion and female tigress... LIGER cubs. In South Carolina earlier this month, a liger cub was again born at a wild animal preserve, see HERE. Ligers are gigantic, larger than both lion fathers and tigress mothers. Nutso!! Reminds of other hybrid births (e.g. Twilight... and Neanderthal+H.s.s.)




CHEATING... On GFCF Diets

Thank God for technology.

Biotechnology has matched our paleo, grain-free, dairy-free GFCF diets (gluten-free, casein-free).






GUT DYSBIOSIS: Passively Paleo, Neolithically Advanced

On this trip because we were eating out of the house daily, we relied on factory produced pancreatic enzymes to break down, degrade and render HARMLESS gluten from grains and casein from dairy. Enzymes are 'cutters' in biological systems. They 'cut' things into smaller pieces. DNA and RNA are broken down to nucleotides by DNAses and RNAses. Meat/protein degraded to amino acids by proteases, collagenases, elastases. Veggie fibers by cellulases... starches by amylases, glucoamylases, maltases, phytases, pectinases, beta glucanases, xylanases, etc. Lactose (milk), lactases, galactosidases. Gluten, DPP-IV. Fats to fatty acids, lipases. Etc.

Enzymes work the best under optimal situations which many of us damaged by the SAD and other environmental and epigenetic factors does not apply to: acidity/pH, temperature and cofactors. For every degree less than optimal 98.6F, approximately 20% less enzymatic activity occurs.

After food is broken down to constituent basic units, optimal digestion requires optimal ABSORPTION which requires acidity/pH, temperature, cofactors including good gut bacteria for conjugation of vitamins, nutrients and bile acids (cholesterol derived 'detergent' factors) from the gallbladder and enterohepatic circulation.

Who has these???! Few. Even children have suboptimal digestion these days.

Are you a hard-gainer?
Is your body temp less than 98.6 F?
Do you have a gallbladder?
What percent is your diet raw? 100% 75% 50% 25% None???!

Dr. Francis Pottenger (Brent's relative) in his Empire study with cats reported that in cats, apparently 50% of the diet as raw maintained fertility and health in the cats, obligate carnivores. In humans, marine carnivores (obligate?? I would argue, YES) require what percentage? For cats, 100% raw diet, thrived. Having a partially raw diet confers active, raw, and/or fermented components including enzymes which help nutrients to be digested. Pottenger cats: Price-Pottenger video.

Prior animal pharm: Marine-Based Carnivory in Early H.Sapiens





Cheating

My sister 'M' introduced us to the below products. SHE IS A GENIUS and constantly scans the spectrum/ASD boards, forums and networks.

Products we like to cheat with *wicked laugh!*: [ found at amazon.com, local health food store, iherb.com]
(1) Peptizyde = broad spectrum plus GLUTEN-enzymes and CASEIN-enzymes; available in chewables for children as well
(2) Trienza = GLUTEN-enzymes and CASEIN-enzymes
(3) Glutenease = GLUTEN-enzymes and CASEIN-enzymes
(4) Digest Gold = broad spectrum digestive enzymes, POWERFUL strength
(5) Now SUPER ENZYMES = broad spectrum digestive enzymes PLUS OX BILE for those without perfect gallbladders.


Shame? Hardly... we're passively paleo, neolithically sophisticated and advanced (because we have to be to SURVIVE)...



Our French Thanksgiving
Happy Turkey Day!

Menu:
Wine, wine, wine
Carpaccio
Salad with Gizzards and Pâté
Country Pâté
Lamb Chops with Herbs
Lemon Tart
Crème brûlée
Chocolate Mousse
Espresso with cream
PEPTIZYDE + GLUTENease

Alizee, French Pop Princess

SWEET, WICKED and hilarious
'I'M FED UP (!!)... with single-minded extremists...
Je me prelasse voici... relax... It's my aquatic state...
Content... everything's delicious...
mildly offensive...'
red HAAAWWT goldfish on her cute *ss...

Primal Nutrition 101, B-A-B-Y !

Posted by hawwwwt bad*ss/ultramarathoner Sarah at DCF, vastly improving on Jeremy's Paleo and Primal pyramid.

The only thing we debate is where does 'lots of sex' belong? Top or bottom?