Paleo-Nerd-A-Thon with Robb Wolf & Mat LaLonde

Paleo-Nerd-A-Thon, I can’t wait! I’ve been following your and Robb’s sites for a while, and I recently attended one of Mat’s nutrition seminars. Top-notch talent indeed. Like a Saturday morning episode of Super Friends. (Okay, I’ll stop now before I tip the nerd scale too far…)

Anyway, on to my suggested topic! Substantial increase in LDL numbers following the adoption of a Paleo diet does not appear to be an uncommon occurance. While I do not believe in the standard lipid hypothesis, it does appear that LDL levels are a biomarker of potential problems that should not be completely ignored. I understand undiagnosed/undertreated hypothyroidism can result in elevated LDL, but unless the Paleo diet causes or triggers hypothyroidism the elevated LDL would not necessarily occur with the adoption of the diet.

Could you put your collective giganto brains together and discuss Paul Jaminet’s relatively recent blog post and discussion (http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=2547) in which he suggests that the most likely cause of elevated LDL in the low carb/Paleo community is vascular damage caused by micronutrient deficiencies such as copper. What do you think, anything to this?

Thanks!

This is going to be awesome!!

Here is my question: When you (Chris) were on Robb’s podcast you mentioned that you had success helping people who were previously low or zero carb lose body fat by adding in some ‘safe starches’ and increasing their overall carb load. This is obviously counterintuitive to what we know when it comes to fat loss. What are the mechanisms that are causing this to work in your situations? Is it simply that these people were in a hypocaloric state and required additional calories? Or is there something deeper at a hormonal level? Robb/Matt – have you ever seen similar successes with any of your clients? Discuss…

Summer – Toronto, Canada

I have two questions for you.
1) What do you guys think about metabolic typing?
2) Is leaky gut the reason for food allergies/intolerances or can one get allergies/intolerances without having a leaky gut? What’s the reason behind pollen allergy and fur allergy, do they also have something to do with a leaky gut? How does one get rid of pollen allergy and fur allergy?

Looking very much forward to the podcast. I hope this will be a recurring event!

I was diagnosed with unilateral Meniere’s 13 years ago after coming back from Hawaii and my ear felt like it wasn’t “cleared” from the flight. I thought it might be ear wax build-up and tried using a home kit to dissolve ear wax. Not only did it not help, but it sent me into a phase of dizzy episodes that lasted a week! I was thinking I might have had some reaction to a possible spider bite while in Hawaii (during a hike, I literally ran full on into a huge web with mama and baby spiders! I had these large, yellow and black arachnids crawling ALL over me – I think they were Nephila or Argiope – it was unsettling, to say the least!), so I went to several ENT’s before I was given an unofficial diagnosis of Meniere’s (there’s no definitve test for Meniere’s, just an elimination of possibilites alongside current symptoms and hearing test).
The first 8 years were relatively benign in terms of classic Meniere’s symptoms – ear fullness and tinnitus being the worst of the symptoms. Mild dizziness episodes on occasion – I was still able to function during the episodes which lasted 1-3 hours.
About 5 years ago, the dizziness evolved into vertigo. One moment standing and the next moment on the floor, literally hanging on to hear life. Nausea, vomitting, diarrhea accompanied these episodes and, fortunately, these episodes ALWAYS happened at home (and near a toilet – EGADS!). I have to chuckle when some folks claim they also suffer from vertigo, describing how it’s difficult to concentrate at work during an episode – if you’re still at work and upright – that, my friends, is NOT vertigo! I had a 3 month period where I was not able to drive, because the episodes came on frequently and without warning (yea…I was living a wonderful existence!).
Being around some of the crossfit community, I had heard of Paleo and the link with autoimmune issues. I am still not even sure if meniere’s is considered an autoimmune (my ent’s say no…but what do they know?!), but I was certainly going to find out if grains/dairy/legumes (which were very much a part of my diet) had ANYTHING to do with my symptoms.
I have been eating 80% paleo for about 1 year until about 4 weeks ago, when I decided to go 100%. Since the 80% stint, I have had no episodes whatsoever, and only symptoms present are tinnitus (which have been a constant since diagnosis and can truly be loud at times!) and hearing loss; which is classic with Meniere’s. Of course, it is difficult to deduct correlation between Paleo and improved symptoms due to the episodic nature of Meniere’s, but…

Here are my questions:

1. Can the tinnitus be improved/resolved via Paleo?
2. I’m not sure about if Meniere’s is autoimmune (is there an appropriate marker for autoimmune involvement with this disease??) and I do still consume nightshades – eggs daily, tomatoes, bell peppers, smoke paprika. Would eliminating these foods have an impact on tinnitus (negatively or positively)?

In case any of the following information is relevant:

45 year old female, 5’5, 120# (NO idea bodyfat, but I have abdominal
Amazing 9-10 quality hours of sleep, minimal stress levels in life (well, except when our teenagers decide to do something stupid in life), work outs include Coach Rut’s strength 3x/week, low-key metcon of some sort (including running) 2x/week, 2 splendidly lazy days 2x/week.
Nutrition: 80% Paleo for 1 year (included an occasional piece of toast, some rice a few times a month, some oatmeal twice a month, come milk in coffee). Past 4 weeks: Lean meats, chicken, fish, eggs, incredible amounts of varied veggies (coming from someone that, as a child, used to gag and regurgitate if her parents made her eat just one sliver of vegetables…that’s damn good!), some fruit, some nuts/seeds, lots of avocado, cook with coconut oil, olive oil on salads/cold food prep. Vitamin D (5000u’s per day during winter – live in the northwest), stopped taking Fish oil supps when nutrition was keyed in and increased fish intake. Water to drink (if I have coffee on the weekend, it’s always decaf due to Meniere’s caffeine sensitivities).

I was diagnosed with unilateral Meniere’s 13 years ago after coming back from Hawaii and my ear felt like it wasn’t “cleared” from the flight. I thought it might be ear wax build-up and tried using a home kit to dissolve ear wax. Not only did it not help, but it sent me into a phase of dizzy episodes that lasted a week! I was thinking I might have had some reaction to a possible spider bite while in Hawaii (during a hike, I literally ran full on into a huge web with mama and baby spiders! I had these large, yellow and black arachnids crawling ALL over me – I think they were Nephila or Argiope – it was unsettling, to say the least!), so I went to several ENT’s before I was given an unofficial diagnosis of Meniere’s (there’s no definitve test for Meniere’s, just an elimination of possibilites alongside current symptoms and hearing test).
The first 8 years were relatively benign in terms of classic Meniere’s symptoms – ear fullness and tinnitus being the worst of the symptoms. Mild dizziness episodes on occasion – I was still able to function during the episodes which lasted 1-3 hours.
About 5 years ago, the dizziness evolved into vertigo. One moment standing and the next moment on the floor, literally hanging on to hear life. Nausea, vomitting, diarrhea accompanied these episodes and, fortunately, these episodes ALWAYS happened at home (and near a toilet – EGADS!). I have to chuckle when some folks claim they also suffer from vertigo, describing how it’s difficult to concentrate at work during an episode – if you’re still at work and upright – that, my friends, is NOT vertigo! I had a 3 month period where I was not able to drive, because the episodes came on frequently and without warning (yea…I was living a wonderful existence!).
Being around some of the crossfit community, I had heard of Paleo and the link with autoimmune issues. I am still not even sure if meniere’s is considered an autoimmune (my ent’s say no…but what do they know?!), but I was certainly going to find out if grains/dairy/legumes (which were very much a part of my diet) had ANYTHING to do with my symptoms.
I have been eating 80% paleo for about 1 year until about 4 weeks ago, when I decided to go 100%. Since the 80% stint, I have had no episodes whatsoever, and only symptoms present are tinnitus (which have been a constant since diagnosis and can truly be loud at times!) and hearing loss; which is classic with Meniere’s. Of course, it is difficult to deduct correlation between Paleo and improved symptoms due to the episodic nature of Meniere’s, but…

Here are my questions:

1. Can the tinnitus be improved/resolved via Paleo?
2. I’m not sure about if Meniere’s is autoimmune (is there an appropriate marker for autoimmune involvement with this disease??) and I do still consume nightshades – eggs daily, tomatoes, bell peppers, smoke paprika. Would eliminating these foods have an impact on tinnitus (negatively or positively)?

In case any of the following information is relevant:

45 year old female, 5’5, 120# (NO idea bodyfat – but abdominal/muscle definition tells me I’m on target
Amazing 9-10 quality hours of sleep, minimal stress levels in life (well, except when our teenagers decide to do something stupid in life), work outs include Coach Rut’s strength 3x/week, low-key metcon of some sort (including running) 2x/week, 2 splendidly lazy days 2x/week.
Nutrition: 80% Paleo for 1 year (included an occasional piece of toast, some rice a few times a month, some oatmeal twice a month, come milk in coffee). Past 4 weeks: Lean meats, chicken, fish, eggs, incredible amounts of varied veggies (coming from someone that, as a child, used to gag and regurgitate if her parents made her eat just one sliver of vegetables…that’s damn good!), some fruit, some nuts/seeds, lots of avocado, cook with coconut oil, olive oil on salads/cold food prep. Vitamin D (5000u’s per day during winter – live in the northwest), stopped taking Fish oil supps when nutrition was keyed in and increased fish intake. Just ordered Super Enzymes because I have had some bowel irregularity for a looong time that makes me think I have digestive issues (ok..ok…here is the issue: very loose bowels, some times greenish looking….yeeesh!). What do you think?
Also, simply water to drink (if I have coffee on the weekend, it’s always decaf due to Meniere’s caffeine sensitivities).

Wow, long post. Sorry!
Thank you Chris – you are awesome!
Rob & Mat – Thanks for the expertise. I can’t believe I will have my 3 favorite “sciency” nerd guys on one podcast at the same time! Suuuweeeet!

HA! That is soo awesome. Its really exciting to see this movement develop and to see our fore fathers get together so that they may rain their wisdom down upon us. Go for it Todd33 tip them scales!!

Chris you were the first person that made me aware of the gut and its involvement in being a whole healthy person. Thank you! I’m a 30yo male and feel like a 13 year olf girl cheering at a Beiber concert as I describe the Pale Fore fathers to my friends and what they are doing for humanity. This is the future. Keep going guys. You got a soldier in Caroll County MD spreading the good word.

Paleo Fore Fathers:
Gary Taubes
Chris Kresser
Kurt Harris
Peter HL
Matt Lalonde
Zoe Harcombe
Stephan Guyenet
Jimmy Moore
Chris Masterjohn
Sally Fallon
Robb Wolf
Dr. Lustig
and more…

I’m deffinately in the Jimmy Moore camp in that the specific prescriptions may differslightly, but what everyone shares is their ability to be objective and their desire for truth in the pursuit of just being healthy.

rock on.

Can’t wait for this.

I’m starting the paleo diet shortly with a few work collegues but their situations differ a lot from mine. One of them suffers from crohns disease and the other gets bad migraines and light headed after eating grain/sugar etc. I gave them both a copy of the paleo solution and they agreed to give it a try. I told them I have wanted to try the diet for ages so I will do it with them. I have previously been following the precision nutrition diet so a change to paleo shouldn’t be too difficult. Question though, i’m 6’1″ and 145lbs (don’t laugh)… Despite my weedy frame I have a gut that protrudes over my pants in a bloated state for most of the day causing me to look pregnant. I don’t feel overly full or sick as such but obviously somethings wrong there. Could this be an intolerance to gluten?

Obviously I need to gain some serious mass. My goal is to hit 185lbs by the end of the year. I know Robb suggests a paleo plus dairy approach but i’m worried that my bodyfat levels will sky rocket. I’m currently at about 15% so I don’t want to gain much more bodyfat. Do you suggest leaning out before doing a mass gain or should I jump right in and do GOMAD with paleo foods?

I suffer from a post-nasal drip because i’m allergic to pollen and grass. Have you seen any improvement in people with these types of allergies after switching to a paleo diet?

Thanks for your time guys and keep up the amazing work.

Niall.

Sounds awesome, can’t wait!

What are your views are on Dr. Fuhrman and his Eat to Live diet. He seems pretty certain that his way is THE way.

Love yours and Robb’s podcast!

How does the ideal diet today for a typical person differ from what we think the average paleolithic diet was? What have we learned in the past few tens of thousands of years that can help us improve on the eating habits of paleo man?

Two questions:

1) Since a paleo diet can introduce a high load of uric acid and possibly oxalic acid from specific vegetable sources, is there a potential for greater stress on the kidneys like kidney stones (compared to a diet with less meats & more twinkies)? If so, what in a Paleo-ish diet allows for healthy kidney function?

2) I can’t seem to find the reference, but I seems to remember Robb mentioning that plant-based oils (olive, specifically) can turn to trans fats when cooked at high heat. Is that true? For frying, is it safer to use saturated animal fats since they’re more stable?

Many thanks,

Tad

Hi Chris, Robb, and Mat – This is history in the making here…

Here are a couple things that I have been thinking about. Answer whatever you think would be an interesting or useful question and feel free to edit for content and clarity.

Question 1.

Is there a health or performance advantage to supplying the bodies base glucose needs (about 600 kcal/day) through dietary CHO (starch or glucose, not fructose) rather than through ketones and gluconeogenesis?

Or does it just depend on your individual metabolic state, goals, and activity level?

Is it best to do some of both approaches?

Question 2.

On the behavioral/motivational psychology side of things and from the perspective of a coach/nutritionist, what have you guys found are the most effective strategies for getting people to change their habits and adhere to new behaviors?

I know Robb favors the “full buy-in and try it for 30 days approach”, which is probably the most effective method if you can get someone to do it. Some people don’t seem to be able to do this though… what are some strategies you can use to get them to buy in completely or what other strategies work well?

Hey guys…just finished an INCREDIBLE read, why don’t you think the Grounding/Earthing info and products(mats, sheets, etc.)have not hit mainstream? And wow, wish I would have put those dots together…..makes total sense to me, what are you alls thoughts?

Amazing – as a n00b to Paleo/Primal I can’t wait to hear the podcast!

Here’s my question to all of you if possible:

I work on a fruit farm and this means I am very active during the day time doing all sorts of manual labour.

I’m only 163cm tall and have a lean body composition – recently I’ve decided to try and build some muscle mass and was wondering what foods from a Paleo/Primal point would be best to consume to aid this.

I’ve started doing some core free-weight/body weight exercises a few days a week to help build muscle mass, and I’m a month into a new eating routine of adding extra fats and meat to my diet, as well as cutting out certain grains etc, but I was just wondering if there is anything specific I could add or consume more of to help with my muscle gain, bearing in mind that I burn a hell of a lot of calories during the day time!

Thanks!

Mike

i have been doing strict paleo since september 2010, although i added in kerrygold butter for one month in january and gained weight. since cutting it out i have yet to lose the weight and i feel like i’m still gaining fat. my libido is super low as well as my energy levels (these were problems before, but have not seen improvement since paleo). is the paleo diet a case of very long-term commitment to reverse hormonal issues? i am seeing multiple docs, including chris, and have done numerous tests, and while i’m trying to be patient i’m also confused. i’d like to be athletic, but have never been able to be.

chris, now you’re just showing off:-) this has epic written all over it.

One common theme I read and hear is that any existing adrenal/cortisol issues must be corrected first. Quality of sleep is an important factor for healthy adrenal function. Since cortisol levels rise during sleep (I assume because we are fasting, for one), do you guys think one can improve the length of sleep time by increasing glycogen stores immediately prior to bedtime? If yes, what do you think about consuming raw honey for this purpose? The thought of anyone eating fructose probably has Mat beating his head with a Sher-Wood (that’s a hockey stick for the Cali guys). Also, what about the possible benefits of using raw honey’s antibacterial properties for correcting the overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut. Thanks guys and have a great show. Ron

PS. What’s the over/under time on the first mention of gluconeogenesis?

Hi Chris, Robb, and Mat,

This question is for those of us who’ve fallen through the cracks of the Paleo floorboards.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that I’m not as immortal as I used to be. The background. I used to be a Big Fat Guy (360+), now I’m a smaller BFG (230-ish), 6’1″, 61 y/o. I lost the weight over 2 years following a Paleo type diet (along the lines of Kurt Harris’ new and improved Paleo 2.0). Been stuck here for a year, still continuing with the diet. I suffer from the (un)holy trinity of hypertension, hyperglycemia and hyperuricemia. Allopurinol takes care of the hyperuricemia, and enalapril does next to nothing for the hypertension. I Crossfit/lift once per week, and have put on some muscle. And I IF…intermittently.

My major concern is with the blood glucose. My A1c is in the 6.2 range, my fasting glucose is usually high 6s to high 7s (international format here, I’m in Canada), and typically drops after I eat something. I eat VLC, and according to Fitday, 2000 cal. 64F, 8C, 29P. I’m working on reducing protein and increasing fat. Starchy carbs make me nervous. In the 70s I did Atkins, ZC, lost weight, looked & felt great, but couldn’t maintain that diet in a family setting.

You guys tell me/us that diet will easily fix diabetes, and although my A1c is down, from 10.5 of 3 years ago, it’s still too high. I suspect I may be trapped in the insulin/weight loss merry-go-round – I can’t lose weight with high insulin and I can’t reduce insulin unless I lose weight. I’m assuming I have high insulin levels, doc sees no merit in checking – she’s kinda conventional. So… do you feel that taking glucose lowering meds – temporarily – might be a quick fix for the weight loss, leading to that elusive cascade of health benefits? Or any other suggestions? I’d love to be able to reclaim some of that feeling of immortality.

Hi Chris, I was thumbing through my newsletter from the co-op we belong to, and saw a piece on meat, dairy, and cancer. It said that a new study led by researchers at the US Nat. Cancer Institute, reveals that high intake of meat and dairy increases the risk of cancer! Researchers examined the blood of 22,000 men, revealing that high levels of serum retinol, which is high in M&D were associated with increased risk of prostate cancer. Since my husband and I have been exclusively eating lots grass fed & pastured animals, and only grass fed raw dairy, as well as the “Green Pasture” FCLO Blend containing Vitamin A, I was wondering if you could comment on this recent study. BTW, I love your blog and much of the valuable information that i have obtained from it. After reading your articles, I decided to put my husband on a no wheat, no grain, diet thinking I could cure him of the itchiness he experienced on his skin at night; I decided to follow it also to give him moral support, and found to my amazement that the eczema that was around my elbows for years, magically disappeared. And so, we continued… I then bought “The Pefect Health Diet” and started supplementing and between that book and your articles we have adopted it all. We feel so much better. Now that we are practically ‘Paleo” I’d love to hear your view on the article. Thanks, Susan

Hi Chris, was thumbing through my newsletter from my co-op and found an article on meat, dairy, and cancer from US Nat. Cancer Institute that says ‘high intake of meat and dairy increase risk of cancer. Researchers examined the blood samples of 22,000 men and found high levels of serum retinol, which is high in meat and dairy foods, were associated with increased risk of prostate cancer.’ Since my husband and I eat exclusively grass fed and pastured animals and grass fed raw dairy (and lots of it) I was wondering if you could comment on this recent article. BTW I love your blog and follow your articles and podcasts regularly and find the information invaluable. After 6 weeks of not eating wheat and grains, my husbands skin stopped itching, and the eczema I had around my elbows disappeared. So we continued… I bought “The Perfect Health” book and began supplementing. Since we are now ‘practically paleo’ I would love to hear your thoughts on theis recent article. Thank you, Susan

I am a paleo nutrition nerd! This is like a party in my browser and everyone is invited. Wahooo!

My question

Just a warning, this might cause Zone Diet flashbacks, but bear with me. I am not crazy and I’m not trying to wig you out.

I know we aren’t obsessed with paleo re-enactment anymore however I still think that we can use evolutionary speculation to form testable hypotheses about what we might need in the diet due to having evolved around it or what we might not be able to handle due to the lack of adaptation. As always, empirical evidence rules, but these seems like sound starting-places. We can all agree with that, I’m sure. Generally the high-protein camp advocates consuming at least 30% of calories from protein, generally in the form of muscle meat, organs, fish, seafood, and eggs. While I have no doubt that a higher protein intake has its benefits, it has also been observed that there are benefits to a decreased intake of various amino acids such as methionine and tryptophan. Purported problems are increased oxidative stress, cellular replication, increased homocysteine, impaired thyroid function, accelerated brain aging and cellular aging and others. Guys like Dr. Ray Peat advocate balancing muscle meat with gelatinous parts of an animal which do not have very much methionine and have no tryptophan, thus providing protein for repairs to tissues without the deleterious effects of excess amino acids like the aforementioned. We also know that gelatin/collagen proteins as found in skin, bone, feet and other parts constitute about half of an animal’s protein and thus gelatin would have been a large part of our evolutionary diet. Gelatin is rich in glycine which has many health benefits and is seemingly innocuous in any amount. Paul Jaminet, author of The Perfect Health Diet calculates the ideal intake of methionine-rich protein to be about 15% of calories and no more. I find it interesting that if animals are half gelatin and you guys have found benefits to an intake of 30%, but Dr. Jaminet observes a detriment to methionine past 15% of calories, does it then become prudent from a longevity bias to consume half of one’s protein as methionine-rich protein and half as gelatin for structural purposes and recovery? I simply do not see a lot of emphasis on gelatin and I am wondering why not. Are Drs. Peat and Jaminet correct or is there something I am missing?

Lastly, it might not be the case that even though hunter-gatherers in the past obtained more methionine-rich protein than Ray Peat and Paul Jaminet advocate, it doesn’t follow that such a protein intake is best for longevity since evolution doesn’t always move towards longevity but sometimes makes a compromise for minute-to-minute survival. Methionine stimulates the expression of the mTOR pathway which causes premature cell replication. While this keeps our body full of nice and fresh cells, conferring a survival advantage for a hunter or warrior, it also ages the telomeres. Short-term benefit, long-term price so to speak.

So in summary: Are we deficient in chicken feet? Do you want to eat my face? Would that be a good compliment to a shoulder-chop? Is paleo Jello-o for breakfast the path to longevity?

You guys rock. Your fan and friend, Stabby Raccoon.

double post, sorry

I am curious about the surprisingly similar effects of omega 3 supplementation, ketogenic diets, and anti-psychotic drugs on seemingly un-related mental illnesses including depression, epilepsy, and bipolar.

Mice studies have suggested that anticonvulsant mood stabilizers like sodium valproate work by inhibiting the arachidonic acid cascade in the brain. Do you think that this may be the common mechanism behind all 3 of these treatments, and if so might limiting omega 6 be as or more effective than these?

I have many friends and family whom suffer from all 3 of these illnesses, but they’re reluctant to follow the theoretical advice of a total amateur (me) thinking that if such a potentially easy treatment could work the psychiatrists would already be recommending it.

As a practical concern, high omega-6 is so ubiquitous in modern foods that it seems virtually impossible to reduce to “natural” levels in modern times unless one can afford to eat exclusively grass fed or wild caught meats.

Do you have any advice for how a psychiatric patient on a limited budget could significantly lower omega-6?

Please feel free to read and/or answer just part(s) of my question.

I was wondering if you think the nitrates in bacon are a problem? Also I have read that pork biblically is considered an unclean meat as pigs are basically scavengers that will eat anything, including their own young and sick or dead pigs from the same pen. Also apparently the pig’s stomach arrangement is very simple in design and function and it is combined with a limited excretory organ system. Do you think those are valuable arguments not to make pork or bacon a staple meat in the diet?
Keep up the good work
Susan

@Niall,

Well, you have the physical appearance of one that is intolerant to gluten. After you go gluten-free you can’t be tested for gluten intolerance without going back to eating gluten again. Hence the recommendation is to get the tissue transglutaminase serum tests done first.

Airborne allergies will be lessened if you go dairy-free. The casein IgA antibodies formed in the gut are transported to all mucous membranes in the body and may react with appropriate antigens.

I just want to add that I would love to see a response to this question.
Thanks.

Great idea! This should be a great show. Its not exactly nerdesque… but maybe some comments on Kurt Harris’s Paleo 2.0. I think its a great idea to seperate the stream of, smart scientific eating based on how we evolved to eat from the, ‘ I mimic everything my ancestors did so i am healthy” scenario.
Thanks,
You guys are awesome.
Brandon

Can you explain why you recommend Native Forest coconut milk over other brands?

48 y.o. male, went paleo last January 2010 for 10 months after eating a ‘semi healthy’ low fat diet looking to lean up and put on some muscle with paleo. Never had weight problems as I always out exercised my diet I like to think @ 5’11″ 170lbs. Had Cholesterol checked in August 2010 was 247 total, 182 LDL 50 HDL Trigs 73. MD called and talked about a statin and/or diet changes since I was always under 200 TC, asked what I was eating told him a pretty strict paleo diet and he questioned my eating as I had previously always had low numbers with LDL in the 100-130 and HDL in healthy range. I said I was still working out the same running 20km/week with strength training 3x/week and playing soccer on Sundays for 90 minutes on my team. I also swim if I can squeeze it in. My weight remained pretty stable.

Fast forward to Oct 2010,same paleo diet had mild RUQ pain that wouldn’t resolve and was sent for abdominal US. Ultrasound revealed mild fatty liver change and elevated ALT(58) on bloodwork. M.D. called me and asked again about diet and alcohol. Same paleo diet, I drink maybe 3-5 drinks per week usually as wine. I switched to a Dr. Fuhrman plant based diet type plan in early November 2010 with 90% leafy plants, nuts ,seeds,beans(mostly Green) and a ton of fruit with about 10-15% animal product mostly as fish and eggs although I do eat grassfed steaks about 2x month. I never eat/ate much grain except oatmeal with berries and nuts in the a.m. RUQ pain resolved by early Jan 2011 and had a followup US with no fatty liver on Feb 3rd. ALT, AST all normal levels. TC is now 160 with HDL 41, LDL 110 and trigs 49.

Explain my results. I’m thinking maybe I developed the changes in response to the paleo diet, but didn’t give it enough time to heal or transition from my previous diet? I didn’t really change that much in terms of weight. I stayed within a 5-8lb range. I felt pretty good on the paleo diet, but the RUQ pain, cholesterol levels and US results have scared me away from this style of eating. My only other medical hx is I have hypothyroidism for about 10 years ,but my TSH didn’t budge much on either diets at about .50 uiU/ml. I have been on 125mcg of levothroid for almost 10 years.

No BPA is my guess.

I am interested in effects of Paleo on a person without a gallbladder. I had mine removed a couple of years ago after a bout of extreme abdominal pain that left me hospitalized. I am wondering about the high fat without the a gallbladder… I have continued to have much tummy issues since going Paleo, –lots of gas, bloated feeling, loose stools– though it is MUCH better since going Gluten Free and mostly Paleo ( I do have milk products and sometimes corn/rice)
Erika

Are female issue’s like vaginal dryness, facial hair growth, and hair loss caused by low fat high carb diets?

Have you personally witnessed improvements to these issues when your patients go on your paleo diet? If so, I think its important for it to be talked about because we ussually focus on weightloss and if there are other hormonal issues that relate here Id like to know.

Thank you,

Awesome! My dream team unites!

We recently downloaded Mat’s Paleo Seminar online. In it, he briefly mentions beef heart as being a sneaky way to get some glucose into the diet. Can you explain this a bit please? We’re thinking this may be because of the constant flow of blood through the heart, but wouldn’t that apply, to a smaller degree, to all flesh?

What does your holy trinity say about hypothyroidism? Looking for a definitive guide to cure it. I’m a 32 y old female recently diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism and enlarged thyroid. My weight started going up a year ago and is now +12 kilograms which is A LOT for a 163 cm tiny female. Couldn’t do anything to stop, believe me, I tried. Now I’m anxious to get the weight off as well as more energy and recovering ability. They started thyroxin with a 0,05mg dose which I’ve now been taking for 2 weeks.

In addition I’m taking iodine (kelp), since following strict paleo has apparently led into iodine deficiency (my hypo isn’t due to autoimmune condition, they’ve checked the labs, at least not Hashimotos). Also it’s possible that hard exercise (weight lifting, metcons, et cetera) combined with zero carbs has lowered the thyroid function even further. A huge amount of cruciferous vegetables eaten raw (I mean kilograms a day) may have added to the damage.

I think these aspects of the paleo diet should be talked more about or do you think I’m on the wrong track here? I’ve added a little carbs post workout (like an apple) and try to eat enough. Still I’m worried that I’ll eat too much and sabotage my weight loss as a hypo. PLEASE advice me. Still doing pretty strict low carb paleo (a little dark chocolate here and there, sometimes a little cheese, it’s said to ramp up thyroid?), weight lifting, just did my first metcon in 4 months, swimming, walking et cetera. WHAT MORE COULD I DO?

Oh, I also supplement with l-tyrosine, DL-phenylalanine and some fiber.

I’m forever greatful for any info. You ROCK.

Nuka

There has been discussion on lots of paleo and naturopathic podcasts/blogs about using the paleo diet and smart training/stress management to solve various sex hormone imbalances. However, the usual problems addressed are PCOS and low testosterone with estrogen dominance. What is your take on chronically elevated cortisol/stress and hypothalamic estrogen deficiency? This has been observed in female athletes and women with eating disorders, but it can happen to women in high-stress situations as well.

I have been in a very stressful work situation with unpredictable and long hours, high performance demands, and shift work which interferes with sleep. I average about 6-7 hours now but was getting about 5-6 hours on average for a couple of years. I stopped having periods over a year ago and after lots of diagnostic testing was told that my estrogen, FSH and LH are low. I have adopted a paleo diet (80/20 rule with the 20 mostly consisting of dairy) and worked hard on stress management for the past 6 months, but my period hasn’t returned. Anything else I should be doing? Do I have any hope of reversing this? I’m not old enough to go through menopause yet! Thanks!

Since I have quite a few questions I’ll keep them short and open-ended. In descending order of interest:

1) How to increase testosterone and libido?

2) How to minimize acne, generally speaking? Any recommendations on acne scars?

2) What do you three make of Ray Peat’s claims?

http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/gelatin.shtml

3) What do you make out of Dr. Kurt Harris’ theories on letting levels of vitamin D fall during the winter? And his claim that supplementing with polyphenols is not only unnecessary, but potentially dangerous (a la Tim Ferriss)?

Some personal background: I was once pretty obese and have been lean as I’ve wanted to be, EXCEPT for my saggy mid-section. I am not at the moment due to less-than-successful mass gain attempt– I am learning from my mistakes and should not have much problem leaning out– was at one point much scrawnier than hoped for. I have extra, chubby skin and it seems like no matter what I try it seems to stay. Tim Ferriss speaks on the fact that EGCG “appears to increase programmed cell death (apoptosis) in mature fat cells… The ease which people regain fat is due to a certain “fat memory” (the size of fat cells decreases, but not the number).”

http://www.amazon.com/Life-Extension-Decaffeinated-Polyphenolds-Vegetarian/dp/B000MYW2ZA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301891818&sr=8-1
(4-Hour Body, pg 118)
http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2011/3/1/polyphenol-hormesis-follow-up.html

4) (Related to Cod Liver oil) – Does Vitamin A vs Vit D compete for absobtion? How does the newly recognized attention on Vit K fit into all of this? What forms/how much supplementation of Vitamin K is optimal (for someone who cannot afford grass-fed meat and doesn’t do dairy)?

5) Cod Liver Oil vs. Fermented Cod Liver Oil vs. popular (more commonly consumed) brands/products like Carlson’s liquid fish oil?

I’ll be happy if any of these get touched on.

Thanks!

Henry

Hey,

can you explain the difference between Palm Kernel Oil and Red Palm Oil? Are both safe cooking oils? Is one better than the other? May the palmitic acid content be problematic if used frequently?
Thanks and hope you have fun during the podcast:-)

Hans

Hi everyone, I really appreciate all of the incredible information and help you all provide the online health community. We talk a lot about what types of foods, supplements, etc. are best for an optimal level of health. In an ideal world we would all have an unlimited weekly food budget to buy everything organic, straight from farmers, etc. However, for a lot of us the reality is that we have to sacrifice quality to some degree because of finances. My question is this: In trying to be the Billy Beane of eating and living healthy on a conservative budget (sorry for anyone who doesn’t follow baseball, Google him), what would each of you consider to be the most important things to not skimp on in your grocery shopping and in what order (i.e., organic vs. not organic vegetables, grass-fed meats, free-range eggs, coconut oil vs. olive oil, etc.). Thanks so much again, keep up the great work!

What do you make of the recent study hailing maple syrup as a superfood? Specifically they claim that “maple syrup helps keep blood sugar in check by inhibiting enzymes that are involved in the conversion of carbohydrates to sugar.”

Is it okay to eat maple syrup in moderation on, say, paleo-sweet potato pancakes?

Link: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20110402/tsc-maple-syrup-a-superfood-researchers-c2ff8aa.html

Use cheaper cuts of meat and stew or braise them. Bones are cheap and can be made into bone broth, which is rich in glycine and balances excess methionine from a muscle-meat only diet. Buy coconut oil in bulk/large size. Certain fruits and vegetables are more important to buy organic than others – Google it and you’ll see some good lists. The main issue with grass-fed vs. conventional (nutritionally, setting politics aside for the moment) is omega-3 content. If you eat grain-fed meat, make sure to eat more fatty fish like salmon and sardines.

As a general question, would it be better for an asthmatic person to “live with” mild asthma (not acute/life threatening), and avoid steroids and medication, or would the inflammation from the asthma be worse than the effects of steroids/medication? In your experiences, have you seen instances where eating paleo did not help asthma?

Ok I have one for the round table. I am a bit perplexed at the Paleo prescription. There seems to be differing camps (a lot) but the one that I am most interested in is the diverse opinions on Macro-nutrients.

In one corner we have Loren Cordain and Art Devany (N=1 for 40 years?) (some times Rob Wolf the ultimate Paleo politician – Teflon Rob . No offense Rob, you are preaching to a WIDE demographic. your book is on my bedside table too)

In the other corner the Perfect Health diet (N=2 for how long?), Weston Price Foundation and an ever growing list.

The Jaminet’s prescription does not allow of a lot of wiggle room on the topic and neither does the Art Devany prescription either.

Go at it boys! By the way thank you so much for taking the battle -all of you. Each of you brings something to the “table” and I as well as my family are in your debt.

Greetings, nerds.

Question: Is a moderate carbohydrate intake (of safe carbs such as yams and sweet potatoes) dangerous in conjunction with a high saturated fat intake?

I have read that palmitic acid promotes physiological insulin resistance. I take it that this has something to do with conserving glucose for cells that need it, like the brain. So although this is a “healthy” insulin resistance, would it not be dangerous for someone eating a high-fat paleo diet which also includes 100-150g of carbs? Say, if I were to eat a nice fatty steak with some mashed potatoes with butter, would I not be receiving damage associated with a high blood sugar level for a prolonged period (due to the palmitic acid making me slightly insulin resistant, and the glucose from the potatoes staying in my blood longer)? Are cyclic ketogenic diets dangerous for this same reason?

Thanks gentlemen!
P.S. My girlfriend is starting to become suspicious because I am constantly talking about and admiring three men named Chris, Robb, and Mat.

Just a couple quick questions about recommended supplementation:
1. The definitive word on fish oil –> differing opinions abound: Is maintenance supplementation necessary if consuming primarily grass-fed beef?
2. Vitamin D: many opinions on whether or not supplementation is req’d. Is it latitude-dependent, seasonal-dependant? What forms (pill, capsule, sublingual) are best?

This is a two part question regarding iron, hemoglobin count and phytic acid. I recently went to donate blood but was ineligible due to high iron. The test showed that I had an 18.4 hemoglobin count (The upper limit for donation is 18.0). I don’t think I was dehydrated during the test. I eat fairly paleo and was wondering if that had any effects on iron levels. In protein power life plan, Dr. Eades has a chapter on iron and suggest donating blood but since I cannot donate I’m in a catch-22 situation. I can’t find a lot of info on reducing hemoglobin levels. What are your suggestions to lowering iron/hemoglobin levels besides donating blood/drinking more water?
A common recommendation is to take IP6 (Inositol Hexaphosphate) also known as phytic acid. It’s touted as a supplement used to help prevent cancer as it’s supposed to bind to excess iron. Is this the same phytic acid that you advise as a reason to stay away from grains?

If you can gauge how big of a nerd you are by how excited you are for this, then I am head nerd.

Alpha-lipoic acid is a natural chelator and can be helpful.

Alpha-lipoic acid is a natural chelator and can be helpful.

Hi there,
these are questions I would be interested in knowing answers:
Is contraception consistent with presumptions of healthy diet?
Do you know any adverse health effects of consumation of smoked food?
Should I care about the Ph of my urine, which never get to 7?
What are the health arguments against having dairy in my everyday food (yogurt, kefir, cheese, butter)?
Thanks and wishing you best from Prague.

To peel, or, not to peel?

I believe I’ve heard Matt and Robb say that if you are going to eat potatoes you should peel them because of the anti nutrients in the skin. I’ve been wondering if that is the case with the skin that’s left on a coconut after you peel the meat out of the hard shell. Along the same lines, what about carrots, beets, parsnips etc…. Was all that stuff your mom told you growing up about the vitamins being in the skin just a load of hogwash? Thanks. All three of you have been very enlightening and entertaining as well.

Thanks for all you do.

I asked Robb about Metabolic Typing in one of his earlier podcasts. Can’t remember which one but if you type it into the search it will come up. From what I recall he doesn’t rate it very highly.

I think I listened to that podcast. He wasn’t very thorough and he probably wore the paleo-should-be-enough-for-anything hat. Also I’d very much like to hear a nerdy discussion about it and especially Mat telling us about some references on the subject

Hey Chris, I’m totally stoked for this podcast!! Paleo geeks unite!

Here’s my (long-winded) question…when it comes to coconut products, can too much of a good thing be bad? Since going paleo a few months ago, I love to snack on a teaspoon or five of coconut butter once a day and I’ve also replaced milk with the “so delicious” coconut milk. I feel great eating this stuff since I no longer feel bloated, but I’m not sure if it’s possible to go overboard. This is the first time in my life that I’ve eaten coconut on such a regular basis, so I would like to know if you have any words of caution. Thanks!

Woohooo! Three of my favourite expertstogether in one show. This is great. Thanks for this opportunity Chris.

In a LLVLC interview, Mat noted his respect for Dr. Lustig. The question is Dr. Lustig’s recommendation of 100-300 gm of daily fiber (“50 may be enough”). If we avoid grains, legumes and certain fruits how does one get to that amount of fiber in the diet and do the Three Amigos agree with Dr. Lustig on this point?

Thanks for the consideration.

I’ve got a seasonal hay fever/seasonal rhinitis question that is very topical for me.

I developed hay fever 7-8 years ago at 33 – it only lasts for 4-6 weeks each year but wakes me up at 5AM most days in a big sneezing/irritation session and I mostly don’t get back to sleep again. I have been “Paleo”, with dairy, for the past 12 months and was hoping that this year would be better. After a regime of Grape Seed Extract, high does of Vitamin C, Pycnogenol (pine bark extract) and using a Neti pot to rinse my nose each evening before bed I have reached for the Loratadine hay fever relief tablets from the pharmacist.

What is the Paleo/nutritional thoughts on hay fever?

What theories and evidence is there for foods, “Paleo” or “Neolithic” , causing or alleviating hay fever symptoms?

What so you guys think regarding use of Loratadine or other pharmaceutical remedies? Is it better in some circumstances, as Robb Wolf has suggested in one of his podcasts talking about the use of antibiotics to halt an infection and subsequent inflammation, to use the pharmaceutical solution?

What does Kurt Harris and the panel think about the use of grape seed extracts and pycnogenol?

Are there other good reasons not to reach for the antihistamines?

Hi Rob, Mat and Chris,

Thanks for all the great work you do to help us navigate the inadequate health care system based on drugs.

I was diagnosed with “unspecified” hypothyroidism about 5 years ago. I suspected Hashimotos and told my endocrinologist that I removed gluten from my diet. She protested and insisted I do a 3-6 month gluten challenge to determine if I really had a problem with gluten. BIG MISTAKE!

I lasted 6 weeks before I quit due to severe joint pain in my fingers and toes and horrible digestive problems. In the immediate aftermath of this disaster I developed intolerances to foods that never bothered me before (nightshades and dairy, particularly).

I did a 30 day elimination diet and found that egg whites and nuts did not bother me. So I have been following Rob’s autoimmune protocol, but with some egg whites and nuts.

I made no progress at all over 4 months, and have eliminated nuts and egg whites. I will give it another few months, but do you think I need to tighten the diet up more? Chris Kessler has talked about a combination of the paleo diet and GAPS.

What do you think about the GAPS / Paleo Autoimmune protocol? How is it implemented?

How long should I wait to see if the paleo autoimmune diet is working?

Finally, what do you think about decaf coffee – it is a problem?

Stress levels have been high, but they are improving as is sleep.

Thanks!
Gina

Great question!
Dr. Catey Shanahan (Deep Nutrition) strongly recommends “meat on the bone” and beef/chicken stock. Not because of “bad Aminos” but because for joint health.

http://undergroundwellness.com/how-to-make-beef-bone-broth/

She says: “Heat, water, and acid break down the collagen. When making bone stock (by boiling bones in water with an acid source, for instance tomato sauce) you fill the water with molecules called glycosaminoglycans. These molecules act as joint growth factors, keeping the collagen in your joints healthy and facilitating the repair of damaged joints.”

What do you guys think?

My question too.

Ok, big fan here of all three of you paleonerds!

I have a lot of different things going on, but my two primary concerns are:
1. I have chronic lymphocytic leukemia, stage one, stable for four years this month (the crowd goes wild!) even though I was told I would be six feet under in 7-10 years. No symptoms, no treatment, just watch and wait. For about two 1/2 years I did a raw vegan diet to help control my cancer, but abandoned it nearly two years ago. The weight came on hard and fast.. and does not appear to want to leave.

2. I will be 52 in May. I have been in ‘the pause’ for about 3 years and last test panel says I have nearly no testosterone, no progesterone and some estrogen, rendering me estrogen dominate. It seems even though I am super active, lift weights and do interval training and walking, I cannot lose a lb. Or if I do, it flys right back on, esp on my stomach. My blood glucose at last test was good at 78. My thyroid was normal but I did not get the numbers from the dr. I am fearful of taking hormone therapy due to cancer already being present.

I have flirted with paleo, most of the time I do the no dairy/grains/legumes. My exceptions are some raw cream, butter occasionally and corn torillas and just good old organic corn.

Now finally, to my actual question: What will help me stay strong, alive and NOT fat (gained about 18 lbs over the last 2 years)?
I seem to not build much muscle, no surprise there. Sleep is good, body temp is good usually 97.9-98.2. I feel that I am about 8-10 lbs too heavy for my five foot six inch self. My blood pressure is arounf 120/66, my resting pulse is 60.

Hope this is enough (and not too much, go ahead and laugh at me if you must) detail,
Deb aka Grass Fed Momma

A friend of mine who is a PHD and RD were having a discussion about “leaky gut” she mentioned there is no scientific evidence for it. Could you define ‘Leaky gut” and you mention some research that backs that up. Thanks for all the great info.

My friend was diagnosed with lupus last summer. Robb mentions lupus a few times in The Paleo Solution and discusses a lot about autoimmune diseases on the podcasts. Can you talk a little more in depth about lupus? Anything on specific causes and possible solutions would be appreciated.

Oops stage Zero I meant!

Hopefully, I’m getting this in right under the deadline. Here’s my question/topic. If a person is looking to get into the health field promoting this “whole foods/low carb/paleo/primal (however you want to define it) lifestyle” where would you recommend someone go for education (university, cert, etc…). The reason I’m asking is that I’ve seen some great benefits in my life and been able to better the life of others from the bit of knowledge I’ve gained from “geeking out” on this stuff. It’s sparked a real passion for the science and understanding and I want to be able to help as many people as I can in the future. My particular background is that I have a bachelors and masters degree in a completely unrelated field (Computer Graphics), so some education, but nothing related at all to the health field. Any advice for someone looking at going back to school and re-evaluating their current life goals would be greatly appreciated.

Can’t say enough positive things about the information and advice you guys have been giving. I’ve been reading your blogs and listening to your podcasts since the very beginning and look forward to expanding my knowledge and understanding in the future.

Thanks again,
- Justin (aka Listener #6)

I know two people who are suffering with Polymyalgia Rheumatica that I am trying to help, and would like to advise them on how to use paleo diet to reduce their symptoms and get off the prednisone. I like the autoimmune protocol that Mat laid out a little while back on Robb’s podcast, but it is rather extreme for someone not already tuned in to the paleo concept. I’m hoping any of you could point me towards any success stories for that particular malady, any anecdotal evidence that would help these folks take the plunge. I have not found any on the internet. Mat said that every autoimmune condition that has been looked at closely from the right point of view has been found to have a dietary/molecular-mimicry involvement. The standard medical claim is that PMR is purely genetic, but I haven’t been able to find anything about identical twins or a high concordance rate that specifically had to do with PMR. And I have come across another possible way for molecular mimicry to occur that doesn’t have to do with diet or leaky gut: a virus or other pathogen could bring in foreign proteins. Further question: even if the cause isn’t diet-related molecular mimicry, would Mat’s protocol reduce symptoms? And why?

Ryality, I totally share in your praise of the entire list of names you posted. Every one is great, and is making valuable and insightful contributions. But if it’s “forefathers” you want, it’s the wrong list, I think. Yours is a list of current, active contributors, and some relative newcomers. More like peers or standard-bearers than forefathers. Here are a few paleodiet forefathers for you:

Vilhjalmur Stefansson
Walter Voegtlin
Melvin Konner
S. Boyd Eaton
Loren Cordain
Marjorie Shostak
Staffan Lindeberg
Michael Eades
Ray Audette

who did I leave out?

TY for the POV! I will definately look into the names you provided. I always enjoy more knowledge, and a better historical perspective.

I have been taking synthroid for over 30 years. I had never heard of Hashimoto’s until I listened to Robb Wolf’s podcast. My question: should one be taking multivitamin supplements with iodine in it if one has hypothyroidism? If the main cause for hypothyroidism is Hashimotos, (Kresser, Krarrazian), should I be strictly following the Robb’s protocol for auto-immunity?

I am a 67 woman who became interested in Paleo diet after reading Boyd Eaton and Loren Cordain’s early books. It wasn’t until the connection was made between thyroid and gluten that it seemed important for me personally to be strict about this way of eating. It is wonderful to see so many young science minded people involved in this effort to change the way we use food. I love the geek stuff of the new movement- it is not just an idea but there is real science behind it with people having different opinions that are always being tweeked and changed with research and experimentation. ( I taught biology and chemistry for 24 years)

Thanks to all of you

The research and my experience clinically suggest iodine should be avoided in people with autoimmune thyroid disease.

Why do you say this Chris?

I definitely enjoyed that video when I watched it the first time. Dr. Cate is awesome! Sure there is a case for eating gelatin even if it doesn’t turn out that muscle protein needs to be limited.