Modern Paleo

Philosophy Weekend: Q&A Radio Preview

2012-06-02T10:00:00.000-06:00

In my live Philosophy in Action Q&A Radio on Sunday morning, I'll answer questions on responding to irrational discussion tactics, what to do if ObamaCare is upheld, taking criticism well, United States as a Christian nation, and more. Join us for this lively hour of applying rational principles to the challenges of real life, where you can share your thoughts and ask questions in the text chat!

What: Live Philosophy in Action Q&A Radio

Who: Diana Hsieh (Ph.D, Philosophy) and Greg Perkins

When: Sunday, 3 June 2012 at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET

Where: www.PhilosophyInAction.com/live

This week's questions are:

Question 1: Responding to Irrational Discussion Tactics: How should a person respond to another's irrational discussion tactics? What should one do when engaged in an intellectual conversation with someone where you're trying to advance your ideas, but the other person has irrational, or even outright dishonest conversation techniques? Such techniques include frequent interruption, talking over you, giving arbitrary time limits for answers before arbitrarily ending the conversation or moving on, and so forth. All of these tactics make it difficult to fully explicate your position or even get full sentences out. In a one-on-one, unobserved conversation, I know it's obvious that one should simply not deal with this person, for they're obviously not listening if they utilize these habits so regularly and frequently. So my main concern is in those cases when you happen to be talking to an irrational conversationalist where other people are observing, such as in a classroom or meeting where you might want to continue the conversation in hopes of reaching the audience instead. In such cases, what should one do?

Question 2: What To Do If ObamaCare Is Upheld: What should we do if the Supreme Court upholds ObamaCare? The Supreme Court of the United States will be determining the constitutionality of ObamaCare in a matter of weeks. While it is likely that at least part of it will be struck down, the court might uphold some or all of it. If that happens, what should liberty-loving Americans do? Would we have any recourse? Would it be time to break out the pitchforks and torches?

Question 3: Taking Criticism Well: How can a person learn to take criticism well? Some people don't take kindly to criticism, even if offered in a benevolent and constructive way. Why are some people intolerant of criticism? Why is that a problem? How can such people learn to take criticism better? How can others deal with someone overly sensitive to criticism without compromise or dishonesty?

Question 4: United States as a Christian Nation: Is the United States a Christian nation? People often claim that the United States is "a Christian nation." What do people mean by that? Why does it matter? Is it true or not?

After answering those questions, I'll answer a round of totally impromptu "Rapid Fire Questions."

If you attend live, you can share your thoughts and ask questions in the text chat. If you miss the live broadcast, you'll find the audio recording of the whole episode, as well as individual questions, posted to the episode's archive page: Q&A Radio: 3 June 2012.

Also, don't forget to Connect with Us via social media, e-mail, RSS feeds, and more. Check out the Show Archives, where you can listen to the audio from whole episodes or just selected questions. And visit to the Question Queue to submit and vote on questions for upcoming broadcasts.

I hope to see you in the chat on Sunday morning!

The Paleo Rodeo #113

2012-06-01T18:40:00.002-06:00

Welcome to this week's edition of The Paleo Rodeo!

The Paleo Rodeo is a weekly blog carnival featuring the best paleo-related posts by members of the PaleoBloggers e-mail list. The past editions of the Rodeo are collected on this page.

What is "paleo"? As I say in Modern Paleo Principles:

A "paleo" approach to health uses the evolutionary history of homo sapiens, plus the best of modern science, as a broad framework for guiding daily choices about diet, fitness, medicine, and supplementation. The core of paleo is the diet: it eschews grains, sugars, and modern vegetable oils in favor of high-quality meat, fish, eggs, and vegetables.

The purpose of The Paleo Rodeo is to highlight some of the best blogging of the ever-growing paleosphere.

Here is this week's edition:

Jedha presents Buy Paleo Foods Online #1 posted at Paleo Weight Loss Coach, saying, "Each week I'll highlight an online store to help provide resources for people. I'll be helping to save people time by providing lists to all their paleo foods. "

Fatisfied presents Giving It Up (a copy of Sweet Potato Power) For Your Love... posted at Free Your Fat, saying, "Sharing your love of sweetpotatoes could win you a copy of Ashley Tudor's new book... plus the nesting of sweetpotato slips, grilled sweetpotato planks, and sweetpotato soap!"

Alison Pierce presents The Chorizo Torpedo posted at Counterculture Cooking, saying, "Was feeling a little feisty the other morning, contemplating wrapping chorizo in bacon... and ended up with a final product we dubbed The Chorizo Torpedo. With photos and step-by-step instructions!"

Alison Pierce presents Episode 8 - Slow-Cooked Pork Roast with Apples & Onions posted at Counterculture Cooking, saying, "This recipe gets dinner prepped and slow-cookin' in less than five minutes. It utilizes a less-expensive cut of pork for tons of flavor and leftovers without breaking the bank."

Health Freak Eddy presents No Carbs After 6 Nonsense posted at Health Freak Revolution, saying, "Yes it can work, but is there a better method?"

Miki Ben-Dor presents Why we gain weight and how to loose weight - the evolutionary answer posted at Paleo Style, saying, "Our body may be smarter than we think, Understanding on the deepest level why body weight changes and how to better control weight the way evolution intended. "

Neely Quinn presents Are Coconut Oil, Saturated Fat, and Cholesterol Really Ok? posted at Paleo Plan, saying, "Still wondering if all that saturated fat and cholesterol are going to clog your arteries? "

MeJane (Susan Holland) presents The Un-hunter Syndrome posted at Weightless in Water/ Paleo, saying, "As a Paleo greenhorn I ran into an "issue" that I talk about for any others who want a slant on hunting for dinner."

Kelly Fitzsimmons presents Sugar Addiction - Top of the Most Wanted List posted at Weight Loss Ninja, saying, "We provide you with a wealth of information detailing all the ill effects of sugar and sugar substitutes."

Amy Kubal presents No Whey!! 'Powder-Free', Convenient Post Workout Fuel Options posted at Robb Wolf, saying, "100% "Powder-Free" Post Workout Fuel - no shaker bottle required!"

Nell Stephenson presents Chick'n Fillets, Tofurky and a Cheese Style Wedge posted at Paleoista, by Nell Stephenson, saying, "Fake Vegan Meats...All wrong!"

Diane Sanfilippo presents Podcast Episode #39: Adrenal Fatigue Part 2 posted at Balanced Bites, saying, "Diane and Liz Discuss many questions surrounding Adrenal Fatigue."

Joe Lindley presents The Skinny on Obesity (Extra): Four Sweet Tips from Dr. Lustig - UCTV posted at Craving Sugar News, saying, "Dr. Lustig offers some frank and practical tips on on how to avoid sweets in this extra video he added to his 7-video series, The Skinny on Obesity by the University of California TV channel. It is well worth your time - not only for the value of the tips, but for the tone of his delivery."

Lea @ PaleoSpirit presents Paleo and the City: Greensquare Tavern posted at Paleo Spirit, saying, "Paleo dining in New York City: Review of Paleo-friendly, "farm to table" restaurant Greensquare Tavern in the Flatiron District."

Peggy Emch presents Could You Really Live the Primal Life? posted at The Primal Parent, saying, "How happy would I be without mounds of paper to write on and stacks of books to read? How free would I feel without my piano to pour my soul into? How would I feel if I never read another theorem and couldn't keep up on the direction mathematics takes? How Primal am I really?"

The Lazy Caveman presents When Paleo Isn't Enough, Part I posted at The Lazy Caveman, saying, "What do you do when your real food diet isn't working for you like it's supposed to?"

Many thanks to the PaleoBloggers who submitted to this edition of the The Paleo Rodeo! This blog carnival has plenty of room to grow! So if you blog on paleo-related matters and you'd like to submit your posts to the carnival, please subscribe to the PaleoBloggers e-mail list. You'll receive instructions and reminders via that list.

Finally, you can find all of the blogs of the PaleoBloggers on this continuously-updated list:
Enjoy!

Question of the Week: Sweet Tooth

2012-06-01T08:00:00.002-06:00

The Modern Paleo Question of the Week is:

Did you used to have a problem with craving sugar before switching to paleo? What effect has paleo had on your sweet tooth?

We want to hear your answer in the comments! You're also welcome to post a comment or question on any other paleo-related topic.

If you'd like to submit a question for an upcoming question of the week, please e-mail me at diana@dianahsieh.com.

Hsieh PJM OpEd: Dr. Orwell Will See You Now

2012-05-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

The 5/22/2012 edition of PJMedia.com has published my latest OpEd, "Dr. Orwell Will See You Now".

I discuss the various forms of deceptive language ObamaCare advocates in and out of the government are now using to sugarcoat and obfuscate its true nature.

Terms like "affordable", "protection", "autonomy", "marketplace", and "coverage" all take on new meanings for ObamaCare supporters. They even have their own version of Orwell's famous "Slavery is Freedom".

Don't be fooled by their health care Newspeak!

See full text: "Dr. Orwell Will See You Now"

Philosophy Weekend: Q&A Radio Preview

2012-05-26T10:00:00.002-06:00

In my live Philosophy in Action Q&A Radio on Sunday morning, I'll answer questions on disclosing atheism to babysitters, outing yourself to bigots, spousal sabotage, skipping advertisements, and more. Join us for this lively hour of applying rational principles to the challenges of real life, where you can share your thoughts and ask questions in the text chat!

This week, I'll be broadcasting live from ATLOSCon 2012. Alas, I'll be without Greg, but I'll have a live in-person audience.

What: Live Philosophy in Action Q&A Radio

Who: Diana Hsieh (Ph.D, Philosophy) and Greg Perkins

When: Sunday, 27 May 2012 at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET

Where: www.PhilosophyInAction.com/live

This week's questions are:

Question 1: Disclosing Atheism to Babysitters: Should I mention we are atheists when interviewing babysitters? I am looking for a babysitter. The question is: How do I handle the fact that many of the candidates will be very very strong Christians? Should I bring up the fact we are atheists right away or would that be creating an issue when there could be none? I definitely have to set some boundaries like "No praying with my children," but what is the appropriate way to handle it?

Question 2: Outing Yourself to Bigots: Am I obliged to disclose that I am gay if I know that the person then wouldn't wish to do business with me? Let's say that I have a job that I enjoy, but I find out that my boss does not like gay people and would refuse to hire or would fire anyone that she knew was gay. Somehow, she doesn't know that I am, in fact, gay. Should I tell her knowing that she would want to fire me – a decision that I think is wrong, but nonetheless something she should be free to do? Assume that in every other regard I enjoy my work and job and sharing her discriminatory view is by no means a requirement for my work.

Question 3: Spousal Sabotage: How can I stop my spouse from sabotaging my self-improvement? Over the course of my 15 years of marriage, I'd gained over 100 pounds. After feeling disgusted with myself for too long, I decided to change my habits. So I switched to a paleo-type diet and started lifting weights. So far, I've lost 40 pounds, as well as shed some health problems. My husband still eats what he pleases, and I don't pester him about that, although he needs to eat better too. However, he's constantly attempting to undermine my efforts – for example, by bringing home and encouraging me to eat doughnuts. I want him to celebrate and support my new-found success, but he seems to want me to be fat, unhealthy, and miserable. What should I do?

Question 4: Skipping Advertisements: Is it wrong to skip over advertisements? Many people use plug-ins that block advertisements on web sites, and many more people skip advertisements on television by recording shows with the DVR. Is this moral? Is it a failure to act as a trader?

After answering those questions, I'll answer a round of totally impromptu "Rapid Fire Questions."

If you attend live, you can share your thoughts and ask questions in the text chat. If you miss the live broadcast, you'll find the audio recording of the whole episode, as well as individual questions, posted to the episode's archive page: Q&A Radio: 27 May 2012.

Also, don't forget to Connect with Us via social media, e-mail, RSS feeds, and more. Check out the Show Archives, where you can listen to the audio from whole episodes or just selected questions. And visit to the Question Queue to submit and vote on questions for upcoming broadcasts.

I hope to see you in the chat on Sunday morning!

The Paleo Rodeo #112

2012-05-25T09:20:00.001-06:00

A "paleo" approach to health uses the evolutionary history of homo sapiens, plus the best of modern science, as a broad framework for guiding daily choices about diet, fitness, medicine, and supplementation. The core of paleo is the diet: it eschews grains, sugars, and modern vegetable oils in favor of high-quality meat, fish, eggs, and vegetables.

The purpose of The Paleo Rodeo is to highlight some of the best blogging of the ever-growing paleosphere.

Here is this week's edition:

Diana Hsieh presents High Heels and Sex Appeal posted at NoodleFood, saying, "Women who wear high heels regularly risk chronic pain and disfigurement in order to feel a bit sexier. That seems like a bad trade-off to me!"

Jedha presents My Home Workouts This Week posted at Paleo Weight Loss Coach, saying, "Throughout May I have been working through Robb Wolf's fat loss guide on my site. Today I share my week of workouts to show people that it's easy to do fast efficient workouts at home"

Riki Shore presents Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Miso Butter posted at Three Squares, saying, "Bacon and miso bring delicious umami flavor to easy roasted Brussel sprouts"

Kelly Fitzsimmons presents How Many Calories in an Egg? posted at Weight Loss Ninja, saying, "We provide you with a wealth of egg nutritional information. Read this article now "How Many Calories in an Egg"."

Neely Quinn presents Babies, Peanut Butter, Raw Milk, and Feeding Tubes for Weight Loss posted at Paleo Plan.

Health Freak Eddy presents The Ultimate Breakfast posted at Health Freak Revolution, saying, "I don't usually do breakfast, but this is so the quickest, tastiest and most nutritious recipe I've come up with yet. Can you beat it?!"

Laurie Donaldson presents A Simple Salad posted at A Simple Salad, saying, "Sometimes a simple salad hits the spot."

Nell Stephenson presents Low Blood Pressure and Paleo posted at Paleoista, by Nell Stephenson, saying, "How the paleo diet can help with low blood pressure."

Angel Ayala & Meghan Little presents Paleo Chicken Satay, An Indonesian Marinated Street Food posted at Paleo Effect, saying, "This recipe for Paleo Chicken Satay, An Indonesian Marinated Street Food is perfect with our Mango Cilantro Dipping Sauce for a delicious quick meal anytime!"

Tony Federico presents Perfectly Primal Pot Roast posted at Fitness in an Evolutionary Direction, saying, "The home-cooking classic gets a primal upgrade."

J. Stanton presents It’s Just Like Drug Addiction EVERYONE FREAK OUT: The Role And Limits Of Reward (Why Are We Hungry, Part VIII) posted at Gnolls.org, saying, "The brain's reward system underlies all our motivations - not just the bad or "addictive" ones."

Fatisfied presents I-do' the Best I Can posted at Free Your Fat, saying, "A presentation of beginner level sequences from Ido Portal- a stellar coach and craftsman of functional movement. Ido's technique is biomechanically sound and his style is aesthetically pleasing. "

Beth Mazur presents You, the Eater posted at Weight Maven, saying, "for some, it's not just about what you eat, it's about you, the eater. Here's a little intro into what I'm learning about the psychology of eating."

Melissa Joulwan presents Let Paleo Picnic Season Begin posted at The Clothes Make The Girl, saying, "In the U.S., summer's official beginning is Memorial Day. Bring on the potlucks and picnics! I've rounded up 30 of my most popular, most picnic-worthy recipes. Dig in!"

Yael Grauer presents Paleo Cookbooks: A Roundup posted at Yael Writes, saying, "Here's a list of all the Paleo cookbooks I've reviewed--all in one place!"

Crystal Meadows presents Remember When... posted at Against the Grain, saying, "Hey CrossFitters, do you remember your first day at the box?"

Jeff Callahan presents List of Highest Omega-3 Sources Besides Fish posted at How to Die Young, saying, "Looking to incorporate more Omega-3's into your diet but, are not a fan of fish and seafood? Check out these comprehensive lists to find out which food sources have the highest amounts of Omega-3's!"

Havard presents Moroccan Omelette posted at Courageous Mind, saying, "Omelette is a staple food when eating paleo, but it's easy to get tired of it when you eat it a lot. For omelette fans who are looking for a twist on this very paleo friendly dish, try a Moroccan omelette. It packs a nice spicy kick, and adds new life to your omelette routine. "

Question of the Week: Bitter Greens

2012-05-25T08:00:00.002-06:00

The Modern Paleo Question of the Week is:

What's your favorite way to prepare bitter greens, such as collards or kale?

How To Have Perfect Teeth and Healthy Gums By Saturating Your Mouth With Lots Of Sugar Every Day AFTER Lazily Brushing For Just 2 Minutes In The Morning

2012-05-22T10:24:00.000-06:00

by David Lewis

Did you know that you can have really awesome teeth by loading your mouth with sugar after brushing for just 2 minutes in the morning? I was shocked, but when I dug into the details, it started to make a lot of sense. Now, I want to share this well-kept secret with you. Why more dentists don't recommend this approach, I may never know.

Following Directions

In another life, I was a salesman. I used to sell home remodeling goods. I was a pretty good salesman - one of the best in my office. My boss was a master salesman. Seriously, he could sell bubblegum to the lockjaw ward in Bellevue. One of the things he used to stress all of the time was how to correctly bake a cake. Since both he and I were following the Atkins diet at that time, how the hell would baking a cake be of any use to us?

As it turns out, knowing how to bake a cake can prevent you from making some pretty serious mistakes in life. Let me explain. If you have flour, butter, eggs, water, vanilla, yeast, and sugar, and maybe some cream cheese, you have all of the ingredients necessary for a good basic cake. It will taste great (if you like cake), and it will do exactly what it's supposed to do in the oven. The second you decide to forgo the eggs, however, you don't have a cake. You have a mess.

It's all about following instructions. When my boss would talk about following instructions, it was because he wanted all of his salesmen to follow a proven sales formula that the company had put together. It worked. When we changed it, our closing ratio dropped like a stone (we didn't sell as much). Lesson learned: don't mess with the system.

In the paleo community, we mess with "the system" all of the time. We have a tendency to want to "break the rules" and not follow instructions when it comes to conventional wisdom. Many times, that turns out to be a good idea, but that's because "the system" is bad. So, not following the system produces good results - usually.

So-called conventional wisdom hasn't given us good and simple solutions to the problems of obesity, heart disease, chronic pain, and inflammation. Instead, it's given us various crutches and band-aide solutions, like permanent medication, that mask the underlying problem instead of solving it. Sometimes, invasive surgery is needed to halt the progress of a certain health problem. Sometimes, this is a good thing, and it saves a person's life. Yet, even in these cases, the cause of the problem is never addressed.

When it comes to oral health, I've read about many different so-called "paleo solutions." I've tried many different things like SLS-free toothpaste, fluoride-free toothpaste, baking soda, salt (as toothpaste), Dr. Bronners soap (as toothpaste), and even no toothpaste (inspired by the idea of the now-popular "no-poo" approach to showering). I've not had permanent and total success with any of these approaches. After a recent visit to the dentist, and a couple of late night Google sessions, I think I've finally discovered the ultimate protocol for awesome oral health. While sometimes it's a good idea to hack-and-slash your way to success, I think this is one instance where following existing instructions from an experienced dentist is a must. If you don't, you might not get a "cake." You might just end up with a mess on your hands.

If you have any oral health issues, I hope this method helps you. Because I am not a doctor, I cannot make any medical claims or make an official recommendation to use this protocol. However, I will provide resources and links to the information I've discovered so that you can verify the information I'm about to present and act on it in a manner that you think is appropriate. Use your own judgment, and you'll be fine (as long as you have a normally functioning brain and are an honest thinker).

Before I present this protocol, I want to stress something that I think doesn't get stressed enough: we are not "paleo" in the literal sense. This blog is called "modern paleo." I take this to mean that we don't have to live in caves, eat bugs, and use chew-sticks.

We can, and probably should, revel in the progress that technology has brought us. We can live in climate-controlled homes, eat prime-cuts of our favorite meats, and use toothbrushes and mouthwash in an intelligent manner to treat existing acute problems. We can get the benefits of "paleo" without a return to the primitive state from whence we came. I think this protocol is an example of intelligently using modern technology and our current understanding of biology in the context of oral health to fix an existing health issue.

Some Thoughts On Why Teeth and Gums Go Bad

It's amazing that in our modern world, we still battle with gum disease, inflamed gums, canker sores, loose teeth, calculus, dental carries, and a host of other weird oral issues. The normal state of human beings isn't sickness. It's health. You have to hold this view to get a sense of why going to the dentist every three or six months to get our teeth cleaned is absolutely insane. If you chip a tooth, or need your teeth aligned, that's one thing. A dentist is invaluable for acute oral problems.

Perhaps you didn't get the nutrients you needed as a child to grow and develop properly. Maybe there is a genetic disorder that prevented your jaw from developing properly so that all of your teeth fit in your mouth without crowding. A dentist can help correct these problems and can do something that is just impossible or impractical for you to do on your own.

Outside of physical deformities, however, the evidence I've seen so far suggests that oral bacteria are the driving force behind why human beings "need" to visit a dentist for regular cleanings. According to Dr. Ellie Phillips, the bacteria responsible for gum disease and bad breath thrive in an acidic and dry mouth. These bacteria produce acid that wears away tooth enamel. Once this enamel, which is a living membrane, is weakened and demineralized from bacterial acids, all manner of oral health problems can spring up. These oral problems don't stay confined to the mouth, either.

If enough of these harmful bacteria are present in your mouth, they will make their way to other parts of your body. Even the simple act of eating, when you have a bad bacterial load in your mouth, could potentially contribute to new or existing health problems that are seemingly unrelated to oral health problems. If you have cavities, gum disease, bad breath, or any other oral issues, it may be time to take a very serious look at how you're caring for your teeth.

If you can fix your existing problems, you can potentially reduce (or eliminate) routine dental visits. I say potentially because much of this is going to depend on your diet, current health, and whether you have other health issues that need to be sorted out. Ideally, if you're not dealing with chronic bad oral health, then it would be natural to assume your reliance on a dentist for regular cleanings should decrease over time. The problem, as I see it, is that people have the mistaken idea that bad oral health is normal and that they need a dentist to continually scrape, pick, brush, floss, and polish their teeth every three to six months because human beings are inherently prone to bad oral health. I question that premise and propose an alternative approach.

Why I Tried This Protocol

I recently went to the dentist because of a strange film building up on my teeth. I hadn't noticed because it was mostly on the backside of my top front teeth and I never thought to look. Consequently, I had no idea how long this had been there. Calculus hasn't been a major problem for me for many years. I attribute this, in part, to the Atkins diet I've been on since age 18. Maybe that had something to do with it, but I'm not certain. Still, throughout the years, I've always had to rely on regular cleanings at the dentist's office because my teeth would eventually show plaque formation. The dentist always told me I had good, strong, teeth but I was unsatisfied with the calculus buildup. When I went paleo, I thought the problem would resolve on its own. It didn't.

I eventually broke down and started using a simple set of dental scalers, available from most grocery stores, to carefully pick away anything that had calcified on my teeth between dental visits. Yes, it bugged me that much. After sifting through a few good paleo blogs, I discovered some people were using high vitamin butter oil and fermented cod liver oil from a company called "Green Pastures" to improve oral health. When I first tried butter oil and fermented cod liver oil, I noticed that the normal plaque/calculus formation on my teeth slowed down but it didn't stop. Rats.

I went to the dentist once again to have a cleaning, this time explaining this new-found biofilm issue. It was a greyish/blackish film that I could scrape off with a scaler, but it was really sticky and honestly a bit gross. Brushing didn't do anything to it. I didn't think I had poor hygiene, but obviously I was doing something wrong. My dental hygienist informed me that it was some kind of staining or plaque or something and went to work on it. Problem solved! Or so I thought.

After my last cleaning, I did notice a positive effect: no calculus formation after a week. None. Not even a hint of it. However, the strange gray biofilm started to return - with a vengeance. It almost seemed like it was worse than before. Now, instead of covering just the backside of my teeth, it was starting to cover the front of my teeth. Brushing wasn't working - not even brushing twice a day. I was developing a thin gray film everywhere and my teeth started to look dull. GROSS! Also, I just went to the dentist. Something was seriously wrong with this picture. I had to do something, and quick.

I discovered the solution to my problem, I still have no calculus buildup after several weeks of using this new protocol, and the biofilm is almost totally gone. My teeth are as bright as the day I had them cleaned by the dental hygienist, and I have reason to believe they will become stronger and brighter over the nest six months to a year.

How To Fix Dental Problems - The Basic Theory

Your mouth has a pH that it likes. When you move below a pH of 6.5, damage starts to occur. Your mouth doesn't like an acidic environment. Below 5.5, serious damage to tooth enamel can occur. To fix this situation, you have to introduce something that will have an alkalizing effect in your mouth. This should take away the pleasant environment for bad bugs. I think the basic principle that makes this protocol work is: an alkaline environment in your mouth promotes oral health. To that end, you must do what you can to help your body out by promoting good alkalinity in your mouth.

The Protocol

This is not my protocol. Full credit goes to Dr. Ellie Phillips. She has 35 years experience as a dentist (yes, she's a DDS and she is advocating a DIY approach to help you reduce your reliance on dentists - though she rightfully does not attack or denigrate the dental profession). Here is the protocol in its basic form, with my comments added:

Clean
Disinfect
Protect

What you need:

CloSYS™ mouthwash. This is available at Walgreen’s. I could not find it anywhere else.
Crest® Original Paste. Yes, regular paste. Don't get fancy with this. No whitening agents, tartar control additives, stannous fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate, or triclosan. More on this in a moment.
Listerine® - the original. Again, stop being a fancy-pants. Original, mint, or vanilla flavor if you must. Just get something with the ADA seal of approval. No plaque, tartar control, or whitening agents.
ACT® Anticavity Fluoride - again. The original. You want that fancy ACT Restore, don't you? Stop it. Stop it I say. Stop trying to hack this protocol. You're eliminating the eggs in this cake, and you're going to make a mess.
Xylitol. Yes Sugar! OK, technically, it's a sugar alcohol but it's a crucial part of the protocol. Skip this, and you won't get the benefits promised by Phillips. You can purchase xylitol from Dr. Phillips, but granular xylitol works just as well and is also recommended by her. I use pure granular xylitol.
A good toothbrush. I use SoniCare. This is where I deviate from the protocol and I think it's OK. Dr. Phillips recommends her own house-brand of medium-soft toothbrush. I wasn't about to ditch my $70 toothbrush, and the SoniCare has done an excellent job. In the end, I think her point is to get a good quality toothbrush. If I find out I'm wrong, I'm obviously going to ditch my brush and go with a good medium-soft regular toothbrush.

Extras:
Floss. I use Oral B. That's just what I like. I don't know if this makes a difference or not. I suspect not.
Tongue Scraper. Not necessary, but I find it helps with cleaning. I got mine from Life Extension Foundation.
Simple scaling tools. Again, not necessary. I don't use them anymore since I haven't had any calculus buildup. However, it's neat to gently inspect my teeth and confirm once in a while. If you have serious buildup, these might be worth looking into if, and only if, you're very, very, careful with them. No scraping your gums or going crazy on your teeth. If you go crazy, you void the warranty.

I don't think my addition of the floss and SoniCare will make a difference in the long-term. These are superficial deviations to the basic protocol and do not - to the best of my knowledge - contradict the principle that makes it work. However, again, if I'm wrong I'll get a regular brush. I've been wrong before, and I may be wrong this time. So far, I don't think my brush and floss are having a negative impact. I have noticed results exactly as Dr. Phillips predicts for her patients. What I won't do, however, is make substantial changes to her protocol because the ingredients in various toothpastes and mouthwashes can have negative side-effects. For example, Dr. Phillips notes that:

COLGATE TOTAL contains Triclosan - which reacts with chlorine in tap water to form chloroform. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15926568
You may also want to read more about Triclosan before you put any more of this toothpaste in your mouth! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triclosan
I suggest Crest Cavity Protection toothpaste. Obviously I do NOT recommend Colgate Total. If you want to experience the improvements and helpful changes from the System, you should use the Zellies Complete Mouth Care System EXACTLY as is recommend.

This is why you can't go monkeying around with the protocol's ingredients in a substantial way. Some of the ingredients in some of the popular dental products out there actually promote a more acidic mouth - they contradict the basic principle of the protocol. That's not going to give you the results you want.

What about seemingly harmless additions, like adding baking soda? Doesn't baking soda help? It promotes alkalinity. However, according to Phillips:

There may be a couple of natural products that can stop cavities – but they often cause gums to recede (especially if they contain baking soda or peroxide) and rarely help your teeth get healthier.

and

Baking soda can cause gums to recede. Peroxide and whitening products can damage the gums and teeth and also cause mercury to be released from silver fillings. If you need to whiten your teeth – use the Zellies Complete Mouth Care System for at least 6-12 months and see if this can improve the color of your teeth.

In the case of baking soda, I don't think it's the alkalinity that's the problem. I think it's the extreme abrasiveness that's the problem. As for peroxide, it's a powerful oxidizer so it's not surprising that it's harsh a person's gums and teeth.

Step 1 - Rinse your mouth with CloSYS, using two capfuls of the wash. Swish for a minute, then spit. CloSYS comes with a mint dropper, and the company is awesome about allowing you to control what goes into the basic mouthwash formula. They don't add anything. It tastes sort of like lightly chlorinated water. Don't use the mint flavoring. Dr. Phillips claims this reduces the effectiveness of the wash. The purpose of this wash is to bring your mouth into a more neutral or alkaline state before you start brushing. Brushing your teeth while your mouth is acidic is bad joojoo. It can wear away your gums. Who knew?

Step 2 - Do not rinse your mouth out with tap water, or any water for that matter. You just made your mouth more alkaline. It's time to brush. Put a little toothpaste on your brush and go to town. Don't forget to brush the backside of your toofers. Hit the molars and your gums good but don't brush so hard that you destroy your gums. A gentle massage and scrub - just enough to remove foodstuff and existing bacteria - should do the trick.SoniCare shuts off after 2 minutes. I think 2 minutes is the generally accepted amount of time you should brush. I'm going to stick with that unless or until I hear otherwise.

Step 3 - Spit out the toothpaste when you're done but DO NOT RINSE THE PASTE OUT OF YOUR MOUTH. You want some residual paste in your mouth. It will protect your gums and teeth from the harsh alcohol in the Listerine. Listerine will kill weak bacteria in your mouth, but the alcohol has a drying effect on your mouth - not good. However, the paste has a protective effect on your gums and teeth, making the Listerine safe to use - good. Hey, it sounds odd, but Phillips has perfected this over years. So, swish some Listerine around in your mouth according to the directions on the bottle. Thirty seconds should be good. When you're done, spit and refill the cup with a little more Listerine. Soak the bristles of your toothbrush in the Listerine for 30 seconds or so to kill any bacteria on the brush.

Step 4 - Do not rinse the Listerine out of your mouth with water. Fill the ACT plastic cup with the recommended amount of wash and swish this around in your mouth for about a minute. Spit. Do not wash your mouth out after the fluoride rinse. I know you want to, but it's essential to leave the fluoride on your teeth to help promote mineralization. It flies in the face of what some dude, who isn't a dentist and didn't spend 35 years working on people's teeth, on some paleo blog told you about fluoride For the time being, forget The Dude. This isn't the Big Lebowski and you're not getting advice on how to become a better bowler. You're trying to improve your oral health. Trust the dentist.

Step 5 - Chew on some sugar. OK, this is honestly my favorite part. Dr. Phillips recommends between 6 and 10 grams of xylitol per day. That's about 2 to 3 teaspoons of xylitol per day. You can chew it or put it in some water and sip it throughout the day (that's what I do). Phillips recommends dosing yourself with xylitol throughout the day when you're not eating. Be careful with how fast you consume xylitol. Some people notice some intestinal discomfort if they eat too much too quickly. Slow and steady throughout the day is suggested as the best way. I put 2 to 3 teaspoons in a cup of water and sip on it throughout the day. Why does xylitol work? Phillips says:

When xylitol dissolves in your mouth, it makes a sweet sugary solution that is alkaline, the opposite of damaging acidic. Studies show that eating two teaspoons of xylitol each day (6-10 grams) for 5 weeks will remove harmful germs from plaque on your teeth and in 6 months 95% of these germs will be removed from your mouth.

From what I've read outside of Dr Phillips' site, it appears that Streptococcus mutans is to blame for bad oral health. This bacteria lives on carbohydrates. It makes sense that a paleo diet would promote good oral health, but only if you are eating no or low carb. Even on a low carb diet, you might still be getting enough sugar to feed the bacteria. The theory is that Streptococcus mutans will try to metabolize the xylitol in your mouth, but it will be unsuccessful because xylitol inhibits an enzyme that S mutans needs to metabolize sugar. In essence, you are apparently starving the bad bacteria to death. Since you're addressing the root cause of many oral diseases, you should notice an improvement in oral health. Perhaps someone more scientifically inclined can elaborate on the exact mechanism involved here.

Step 6 - Brush your teeth using steps 1 through 4, once in the morning and once at night. No need to chew xylitol at night, but it probably won't hurt.

Intelligent Additions

If you understand the principles underlying the protocol, you'll see that making additions to it isn't necessarily a bad thing. To continue the cake analogy, it's sort of like adding chocolate to a vanilla cake or lemon zest to the basic cake recipe. You're taking the recipe that works well and adding to it without contradicting the basic principles of what makes it work.

I've made what I think are intelligent additions to Dr. Phillips protocol. Not because I think the protocol is bad, but because I think a "paleo" template could prove helpful and makes sense given what the protocol is trying to do.

To that end, I've added ghee, made from cows raised on pasture, to my diet. Right now, my preferred choice is Purity Farms. They've graciously provided a copy of an assay done on their product. It contains a good amount of vitamin k2, which has shown to direct calcium out of soft tissue and into bones - presumably this includes teeth.

A teaspoon of this stuff provides almost 100mcg of k2. That's a decent amount according to what I've read. If you think you need more, by all means eat more ghee. From what I've been able to dig up, it also appears that ghee is rich in butyrates and caprylates, short-chain fats that have an alkalizing effect (maybe someone with a good background in the appropriate science can confirm this). This would make sense since the claim to fame for ghee and butter oil is its ability to help promote tooth mineralization.

Hats off to my Indian ancestors for discovering how to refine butter this way. They've unknowingly turned acid-promoting dairy into something that may promote good oral health. I take a teaspoon of this stuff every morning, massage it into my gums and teeth with my tongue, swallow it, and revel in the delicious intense buttery taste without suffering any of the ill effects of casein or lactose since good quality ghee will have these almost totally (or totally) removed from the final product. The best part? Purity Farms ghee costs a mere $10 or so at my local Whole Foods store for a 13.xx oz jar. It's a bit cheaper on Amazon.com, but I think it might come out even when you figure in shipping charges. If you use a teaspoon a day, it's going to last you almost two months. Not bad.

If you really want to thumb your nose at conventional wisdom, take a teaspoon of ghee and then immediately take a teaspoon of xylitol. Butter. Sugar. Chomp it around in your mouth and push it into every corner you can find with your tongue. Let it sit there for a minute. Swish it around in your mouth. I know it feels wrong, but it's not.

I also take a vitamin D supplement from Life Extension Foundation (liquid). Up until recently, I was taking fermented cod liver oil from Green Pastures. I have tentatively decided to switch to liver after hypothesizing that I can grind up liver, mix it into hamburger, and eat it without barfing. Just one ounce of beef liver provides a truly wicked amount of vitamin A and is somewhat cheaper than purchasing the Green Pastures cod liver oil. Finally, I periodically drink bone broth made from marrow bones and whatever else I can find with the thought that this will provide a good source of raw materials that my body needs to keep my teeth and other bones healthy.

The minerals in the bone broth should help in providing a mineral-rich saliva. I suspect that the synergistic effect of vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin k2 are going to promote mineralization - my body should know what to do with what I give it.

Going forward, I plan on making some dietary tweaks that I've somehow missed over the years. You see, I've been eating "the Atkins way" since roughly 18 and, if you're not already familiar with the mentality of Atkins folks, the focus is always on carbohydrates. That's where I put the focus too. Low carb. That's what is beaten into you. The problem is that some carbs are good because they help your body achieve a more alkaline state. When I went paleo in 2009, I started eating more veggies, but I never focused on balancing out the acid load in my mouth. This might have promoted bad bacterial growth. Since I don't eat a lot of sugary foods, it does help explain why my teeth weren't terrible - just in need of some professional cleaning.

So, all of this makes me incredibly happy because I think another key to the puzzle of perfect health has been found: xylitol and a good brushing program to rapidly kill off bad bacteria and introduce beneficial bacteria in the short-term with the introduction of foods that promote an alkaline environment to balance the acid load inherent in a meat-heavy diet for the long-term. I'm not exactly sure whether or not I will need to maintain such a rigorous brushing and xylitol chewing regimen over the long term. For now, however, it has proven effective at killing off the nasty biofilm and helped to improve the brightness of my teeth so I'm going to continue with it for the foreseeable future.

If I can reliably and consistently confirm a good pH level, using pH paper, in my saliva then I may consider ditching the xylitol. Of course, I would have to confirm that my pH remains at a good level without the xylitol. If I can control this with good dietary habits, I will. Otherwise, xylitol supplementation will continue until or unless I can find a permanent solution. If the theory holds true, then low pH in my saliva should prevent the biofilm from returning. This would also mean a much less rigorous brushing regime is needed to keep teeth clean and to maintain good oral health. While it sounds awkward, there may come a day when little or no brushing is needed. At this point, I won't scare my friends and family. In other words, don't worry. I'm still brushing!

Conclusion

There you have it. Even if you have some serious plaque built up on your teeth, this protocol is supposed to knock it down and eventually eliminate it. All I can say is that it's been less than five weeks, and the protocol has already eliminated almost all of the annoying biofilm that tried to take over my teeth. My teeth are visibly brighter, and my mouth feels amazingly clean all day long. Here are some resources you might find helpful:

About Dr. Phillips:

http://www.drellie.com/Ellie-Phillips-DDS.php

Dr Phillips' Protocol:

http://www.zellies.com/products-zellies-complete.html

About Xylitol:

http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v194/n8/abs/4810022a.html

http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v212/n4/full/sj.bdj.2012.171.html

This study seems to suggest that long-term use of xylitol may produce resistant strains of bacteria. However, if you fix the problem, and tune your diet, you might be able to reduce the acidity of your mouth without having to rely on long-term use of xylitol. I still have questions about this. In the short-term, it seems to promote good oral health:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22218085

...and this study seems to contradict the previous one (unless I an not understanding something in the previous study). Xylitol is supposed to help with the reduction of S mutans responsible for plaque buildup:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7607748

This study suggests that xylitol alone is not a silver bullet. If your diet is not on point, and you're not using enough xylitol throughout the day, you might only experience short-term positive results or no significant results from the use of xylitol alone:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20415801

Diet may prove to be the "missing link" to long-term oral health, specifically, foods with lactobacilli. In other words, certain fermented foods seems to promote good oral health in this study:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19453574

Finally, Dr. Phillips provides her own list of resources that claim xylitol has a positive effect on oral health:

http://www.drellie.com/Resources.php

Fabulous Leg Press Torture at SuperSlow

2012-05-21T08:36:00.000-06:00

In my post Obligatory Narcissism, I said:

I took that [photograph] just before my SuperSlow workout... in which I nearly died because my trainer moved the seat of the leg press forward a bit. She lessened the weight by 25 pounds too, but the bottom turn-around was horrific. At the end, I was yelling things like "OH MY GOD! NO, I'M NOT HOLDING! THAT WAS THE WORST THING EVER!" My trainer -- and everyone else in the facility -- was highly amused.

Of course, I plan to do that same awful leg press next week. I refuse to be beaten!

Well, I did that awful leg press the next week, and this time, we took video. It's pretty awesome. Now, I must admonish you: Don't hit the play button, then go browse some other web pages or switch to another program. You must watch the picture! I won't explain further; you'll hear what I mean.

This was the last machine of my workout, and I was so exhausted that I couldn't manage to walk the 20 feet required to get to the waiting area all at once. I'm serious: I had to stop and sit down on the bicep machine for about five minutes!

Interestingly, I found the video genuinely helpful, as I can really see when I'm moving too fast. That's remarkably hard to feel at the time. I wonder if I could help correct my form problems on the row machine by recording and then watching video with my trainer.

Hsieh Forbes OpEd: Who Should Control Your Healthcare Spending?

2012-05-20T08:00:00.000-06:00

The Forbes website has published my latest OpEd, "Just Who Should Control Your Healthcare Spending?" (5/15/2012)

The theme is that America needs market-based health reforms such as Health Savings Accounts which reduce costs while preserving quality medical care, not government-mandated "bundled payments" which will harm patients and literally set a price on human life.

Here is the opening:

What simple health care reform has reduced medical costs by up to 30%, while preserving quality of care? Hint: It's not government price controls or mandatory health insurance. Rather, it's letting patients decide how to spend their own health care dollars...

(Read the full text of "Just Who Should Control Your Healthcare Spending?")

Philosophy Weekend: Q&A Radio Preview

2012-05-19T10:00:00.001-06:00

In my live Philosophy in Action Q&A Radio on Sunday morning, I'll answer questions on warning others about dangerous people, explaining a firing, investment versus sacrifice, downloading music after hard drive failure, and more. Join us for this lively hour of applying rational principles to the challenges of real life, where you can share your thoughts and ask questions in the text chat!

What: Live Philosophy in Action Q&A Radio

Who: Diana Hsieh (Ph.D, Philosophy) and Greg Perkins

When: Sunday, 20 May 2012 at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET

Where: www.PhilosophyInAction.com/live

This week's questions are:

Question 1: Warning Others about Dangerous People: Should you warn others about vicious people in your community? If you know a person to be dishonest, but that person is well-regarded in your community, should you tell others in that community what you know? Does it matter if the person is in a position of authority (perhaps over an organization's finances), such that he could do a whole lot of damage? What kinds of immorality would be serious enough to warrant warning others?

Question 2: Explaining a Firing: Should an employer have to explain and justify his firing of an employee? Should an employer be able to fire an employee for some alleged misconduct, even though the employer never bothered to verify the misconduct, nor even asked the employee for his side of the story? For example, suppose that when the employee shows up for work he is simply told that he's been fired because someone made a complaint about him. The employee could easily prove the complaint to be false but the employer isn't concerned with proof or lack thereof. The employee's reputation in the eyes of possible future employers is damaged, even if the employer never discusses the firing with anyone else. In such a case, should the employee be able to sue for having been fired without proper cause?

Question 3: Investment Versus Sacrifice: What is the difference between "investment" and "sacrifice"? In your February 26, 2012 webcast, you indicated that you regard sacrifices as something very different from investments. But doesn't sacrifice just mean giving up something? In that case, don't investments in the future require sacrifice now? Or: What's the difference between sacrificing some ease and comfort for your goal versus investing time and work to achieve a goal?

Question 4: Downloading Music After Hard Drive Failure: Does repecting intellectual property require me to re-purchase my music collection lost due to hard drive failure? Over the years I have purchased quite a bit of digital music and have built quite a large library. Recently, due to a computer crash and lack of backup, a large segment of that library was erased. Since I paid for all of the music that was lost, I would like to restore it, whether by coping from my friends or by downloading illegal copies from the internet. But I am not entirely sure what I have the right to do based on my original purchases. When purchasing intellectual property am I paying for the right to only the original individual copy or am I paying for the right to access that intellectual property even when the original copy is damaged or lost? In other words, am I morally and legally obliged to purchase new copies of my music or can I replace what was destroyed? Also, does it make any difference if my original copy was from a CD versus an MP3 download?

After answering those questions, I'll answer a round of totally impromptu "Rapid Fire Questions."

If you attend live, you can share your thoughts and ask questions in the text chat. If you miss the live broadcast, you'll find the audio recording of the whole episode, as well as individual questions, posted to the episode's archive page: Q&A Radio: 20 May 2012.

Also, don't forget to Connect with Us via social media, e-mail, RSS feeds, and more. Check out the Show Archives, where you can listen to the audio from whole episodes or just selected questions. And visit to the Question Queue to submit and vote on questions for upcoming broadcasts.

I hope to see you in the chat on Sunday morning!

The Paleo Rodeo #111

2012-05-18T10:00:00.001-06:00

A "paleo" approach to health uses the evolutionary history of homo sapiens, plus the best of modern science, as a broad framework for guiding daily choices about diet, fitness, medicine, and supplementation. The core of paleo is the diet: it eschews grains, sugars, and modern vegetable oils in favor of high-quality meat, fish, eggs, and vegetables.

The purpose of The Paleo Rodeo is to highlight some of the best blogging of the ever-growing paleosphere.

Here is this week's edition:

Ruth presents My Love Affair with Yoga posted at Ruth's Real Food, saying, "As a long time sufferer of chronic fatigue syndrome, I wasn't able to do many other types of exercise. Luckily, I disovered yoga years ago. Don't know where I'd be without it. This is the first of a few yoga related posts. Check them out!"

Joe Lindley presents The Skinny on Obesity Episode 4: Generation XL posted at Craving Sugar, saying, "This is the 4rd video in the well-explained and important series called the Skinny on Obesity developed by the University of California TV channel (UCTV). In this episode, Dr. Robert Lustig, Pediatric Endochrinologist - University of California, San Francisco, warns that if we don't do something about obesity now, our children will be less healthy than we are - that their generation may be the first that doesn't outlive it parents."

Jedha presents the paleo diet and weight loss posted at Paleo Weight Loss Coach, saying, "Looks at a few of the reasons why the paleo diet is so good for weight loss."

Kelly Fitzsimmons presents What You Should Know About GMO Soy posted at Weight Loss Ninja, saying, "We provide you with some scary facts about GMO Soy and the chemicals it contains. Read this article now on "What You Should Know About GMO Soy"."

Tony Federico presents Is Paleo "Expensive" and "Inconvenient"? posted at Fitness In An Evolutionary Direction, saying, "One of the chief criticisms of Paleo is that is is "expensive" and "inconvenient". If either of these points were valid (which they are not) it would only be in the extreme short term."

Mark Owen-Ward presents Why daily movement is as essential as water posted at New Habit, saying, "Conversation about movement vs exercise and it's importance"

Todd Dosenberry presents 21 Reasons Why I am Starting the 21 Day Sugar Detox Today posted at Primal Toad, saying, "I am finally doing the 21 day sugar detox. There is never the perfect time but May must be a little better than January or any other month of this year. Have you ever done a sugar detox?"

Dr. John presents 58 Paleo / Primal recipe links posted at PaleoTerran, saying, "A list of recipes from throughout the web."

Angel Ayala & Meghan Little presents Paleo Drunken Woodchuck(R) Chicken, A Cider Marinated Entree posted at Paleo Effect, saying, "Our Drunken Chicken is made with Woodchuck(R) Cider Beer and is fantastic on the grill or in the oven. We love to make this for our friends and family, and especially for summer cookouts! Don't forget to try our Grilled Pineapple for a delicious meal!"

Penny Price McIntosh presents Paleo vs Vegan posted at Health Coach Penny, saying, "My 'morsel' response to the Paleo vs Vegan question we all get at a dinner party."

Nell Stephenson presents Paleo in the Hospital posted at Paleoista, by Nell Stephenson, saying, "How to keep Paleo while in the hospital. Sometimes one needs an advocate!"

Peggy Emch presents Additives in Almond Milk and How to Make the Real Stuff posted at The Primal Parent, saying, "Other than toxic synthetic vitamins and minerals, your typical carton of store-bought "almond milk" also contains additives, preservatives, and added sugars. Even if you purchase what claims to be an unsweetened and organic product it will still contain the harmful chemicals that are a disaster for your body."

Neely Quinn presents If You're Gonna Cheat, Try To Cheat Paleo posted at Paleo Plan, saying, "We all cheat on the Paleo/Primal diet. There are just better ways of "cheating" than others, and different definitions of what cheating is for each person..."

Fatisfied presents Broody Cure posted at Free Your Fat, saying, "A mom wannabe receives fertilized eggs and the satisfaction of baking bacon."

Patty presents Stormy Sweitzer's Paleo Power Lunch posted at Following My Nose, saying, "My review of a new ebook geared toward helping you with workday meal strategies."

J. Stanton presents The Most Important Event In History (Big Brains Require An Explanation, Part VII) posted at GNOLLS.ORG, saying, "The most important event in human history wasn't the invention of agriculture: it was the invention of stone tools, which powered the entire multi-million year history of human evolution."

Suz Crawt presents Does Your Child Have Paleo School Dinners? posted at The Paleo Network, saying, "Is this a standard representation of school lunches?!"

Victoria presents Season's Greetings! posted at Principle into Prctice, saying, "Spring's bounties: delicious and nutritious!"

Jeff presents 6 "Heath Foods" That Will Ruin Your Weight Loss Efforts posted at How to Die Young, saying, "Are you still having trouble losing weight? Even some foods that may "seem" to be Paleo can still stifle your weight loss efforts. Learn what foods to avoid to kick start your weight loss or just to enjoy better health!"

Question of the Week: Roast Chicken

2012-05-18T08:00:00.001-06:00

The Modern Paleo Question of the Week is:

What's your favorite way to roast chicken?

High Heels and Sex Appeal

2012-05-15T10:47:00.000-06:00

I've never been a fan of high heels. I used to wear wide two-inch heels on rare special occasions -- meaning, a few times per year. I'd be happy to do that now, except that my Morton's neuroma (inflamed nerve in the ball of my right foot) begins to scream and holler after just a few minutes in heels. Even without that problem, I can't imagine wearing heels on a regular basis: to enhance my rear lines at the price of destroying my feet, ankles, knees, hips, and back seems like idiotic trade-off to me. In my view, if you're destroying your capacity to enjoy your life (and sex) in order to make yourself more attractive, you're doing it wrong!

So just how bad are heels for your feet? Consider these two x-rays. First, a normal foot, standing flat on the ground:

Now, a foot in high heels:

The abnormal stress and weight on the ball foot is glaringly obvious -- and we're not even seeing how the toes are jammed into the narrow point of the shoe. Of course, feet are not the only causality of high heels, as the whole point of heels is that they change a woman's posture -- thereby affecting ankles, knees, hips, and back too. The article High Heels and Back Pain explains the basics nicely:

For over a century, the biomechanical effects of heels in everything from running shoes to stilettos has puzzled researchers and fired controversy. When standing barefoot, the perpendicular line of the straight body column creates a ninety degree angle with the floor. On a two-inch heel, were the body a rigid column and forced to tilt forward, the angle would be reduced to seventy degrees, and to fifty-five degrees on a three-inch heel. Thus, for the body to maintain an erect position, a whole series of joint adjustments (ankle, knee, hip, spine, head) are required to regain and retain one's erect stance and equilibrium.

The slope or slant of the heel, rear to front, is called the 'heel wedge angle'. The higher the heel, the greater the angle. On the bare foot there is no wedge angle. The bottom of the heel is on a level one hundred and eighty degrees, with body weight shared equally between heel and ball. Inside the heeled shoe, the wedge angle shifts body weight forward so that on a low heel, body weight is shared forty percent heel, sixty percent ball; and on a high heel ninety percent ball and ten percent heel.

Check out the article for more details, including some illustrative drawings.

Undoubtedly, modern high heels aren't as damaging as Chinese foot binding. Happily, heels can be worn only on occasion, and I don't see any problem with that. However, I can't see wearing high heels regularly as anything but self-destructive. Sure, they're sexy, but do you need to exude sex appeal at work? Probably not, unless you're a stripper. More, to court chronic pain and disfigurement in order to feel a bit sexier seems like a cruel joke on yourself and your sex life. In my view, that's a sign that you need to rethink your standards for sexy, preferably before you cause your body permanent damage.

A woman who is healthy, happy, warm, and engaging can exude plenty of sexy ... with her feet flat on the ground.

Two Videos on Forgiveness

2012-05-12T11:00:00.000-06:00

In Sunday's Philosophy in Action Webcast, I answered two questions on forgiveness. The first question was:

Should we forgive ourselves? How can a person free himself from guilt over past errors and wrongs, particularly irrationality? Should such a person forgive himself – and if so, what does that entail?

My answer, in brief:

The idea of "forgiving yourself" is somewhat metaphorical, but it's useful for applying objective moral standards to yourself when recovering from a wrongdoing.

Here's the video of my full answer:

The second question was:

Can an ordinary person do something unforgivable? Could a friend act in a way that would make rational forgiveness impossible? Might a person do something so hurtful or unfair that you couldn't ever trust them again? In such cases, how should the person wronged acted towards the unforgivable person?

My answer, in brief:

People can do truly unforgivable things, particularly when they betray the fundamental basis of the relationship.

Here's the video of my full answer:

If you enjoyed these videos, please "like" them on YouTube and share them with friends via social media, forums, and e-mail! You can also throw a bit of extra love in our tip jar.

Join the next Philosophy in Action Webcast on Sunday at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET at www.PhilosophyInAction.com/live.

In the meantime, Connect with Us via social media, e-mail, RSS feeds, and more. Check out the Webcast Archives, where you can listen to the full webcast or just selected questions from any past episode, and our my YouTube channel. And go to the Question Queue to submit and vote on questions for upcoming webcast episodes.

Weekend Links

2012-05-12T10:00:00.001-06:00

As part of Modern Paleo's weekend schedule of blogging on Objectivism on Saturdays and free market politics on Sundays, I like to post a link to The Objectivist Roundup. The Objectivist Roundup is a weekly blog carnival for Objectivists. Contributors must be Objectivists, but posts on any topic are welcome, including posts on food and health.

Rule of Reason hosted this week's Objectivist Roundup. If you're interested in seeing the latest and best from Objectivist bloggers, go take a look!

Also, in my live Philosophy in Action Webcast on Sunday morning, I'll answer questions on self-destructive pleasures, privacy in a high-tech society, pushy fundraising, browsing locally, buying online, and more. As always, it's on Sunday, 13 May 2012 at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET at www.PhilosophyInAction.com/live. Please join us for this hour of lively discussion, where we apply rational principles to the challenges of living virtuous, happy, and free lives!

Here are the questions that I'll answer this week:

Question 1: Self-Destructive Pleasures: It is wrong to pursue self-destructive pleasures? Suppose that you know that drinking to excess is not good for your mind or body, but you want to enjoy the oblivion of drunkeness. Or perhaps you know that sleeping with your ex-girlfriend is a very bad idea, but you want the pleasure of sex with a warm body. Is it wrong to pursue these pleasures, if you're willing to accept their destructive consequences?

Question 2: Privacy in a High-Tech Society: Do you have the right to privacy with respect to information that I can gather about you from observation of you while I'm on my own property? For instance, if I have technology that allows me to gather photons or sound waves that you emit from your property while I'm sitting on my property next door, can I post that information onto YouTube or Facebook? For example, imagine that I have an infrared video of your activities emitted through your bedroom wall or the audio of your personal phone conversation that can be detected by sensitive microphones from 100 yards away. Have I violated your rights by gathering and publicizing information you've chosen to allow to be broadcast to anyone who can detect it with the right equipment?

Question 3: Pushy Fundraising: How should I respond to the constant demands to contribute to fundraisers from my child's school? I am barraged with "requests" for contributions to school fundraisers. This week, for example, each student in the band is asked to put together a "buddy bag" with sweets (against my views), a toy (more plastic junk to fill the landfills), and a gift (I can't afford that). Every week, there's another fundraiser, for which parents asked to spend their money on things they don't value or aren't a fair value. Should I refuse these requests – and if so, how should I do so?

Question 4: Browsing Locally, Buying Online: Is it wrong to browse in a local store but then buy online? Suppose that you shop for an item in a brick-and-mortar store, taking advantage of the opportunity to browse and get recommendations for staff, but then make your purchases at a discounted online retailer – for example, browsing through a local bookstore but then buying from Amazon at a lower price. Is that wrong or unfair?

After that, we'll do a round of totally impromptu "Rapid Fire Questions."

If you can't attend the live webcast, you can listen to these webcasts later as audio-only podcasts by subscribing to our RSS Feeds. You can also listen to full episodes or just selected questions from any past episode in the Webcast Archive, including questions on paleo, nutrition, and health. Finally, don't forget to submit and vote on the questions that you'd most like me to answer from the ongoing Question Queue.

The Paleo Rodeo #110

2012-05-11T12:00:00.000-06:00

A "paleo" approach to health uses the evolutionary history of homo sapiens, plus the best of modern science, as a broad framework for guiding daily choices about diet, fitness, medicine, and supplementation. The core of paleo is the diet: it eschews grains, sugars, and modern vegetable oils in favor of high-quality meat, fish, eggs, and vegetables.

The purpose of The Paleo Rodeo is to highlight some of the best blogging of the ever-growing paleosphere.

Here is this week's edition:

Beth Mazur presents MMLAFL Postscript: Shut the eff up! posted at Weight Maven, saying, "My latest blood work results are back and my fasting insulin has dropped like a rock!"

Joe Lindley presents “In Search of the Perfect Human Diet” DVD by CJ Hunt posted at Craving Sugar.This is a review of the film, “In Search of the Perfect Human Diet” by CJ Hunt. He has done a masterful job in presenting what he found as he journeyed around the world and back in time to find the Perfect Human Diet. This isn’t just a refinement of all the mish-mash of diet advice you hear on TV, in the media, or even from our national authorities."

Joshua Tenner presents How I Would Change the Leptin Reset Protocol posted at Autism Buster, saying, "In this post, I start a personal experiment in order to see leptin sensitivity and weight loss can be achieved by eating a starchy tuber at nearly every meal."

Kelly Fitzsimmons presents Manuka Honey Health Benefits posted at Weight Loss Ninja, saying, "We provide you with a wealth of information on Manuka Honey Health Benefits."

Miki Ben-Dor presents Why we need such big brains? – Diet versatility or diet specialization? posted at Paleo Style.

Fatisfied presents Bone-a Fide Broth posted at Free Your Fat, saying, "... freezer excavation, Springtime bone broth batch preparation, and bone eating chickens!"

Nell Stephenson presents Paleo Today posted at Paleoista, by Nell Stephenson, saying, "Living Paleo today doesn't have to be cavie!"

John Oro presents What will the New Agriculture look like? posted at PaleoTerran, saying, "Although, organic agriculture by itself will not feed the world, "under certain conditions ... organic systems can thus nearly match conventional yields." What will the new agricultural look like?"

Tony Federico presents Caramelized Garlic posted at Fitness In An Evolutionary Direction, saying, "Creating a delicious roasted garlic spread is easier then you think!"

Health Freak Eddy presents Why Be Healthy? Being Average Is Easy. posted at Health Freak Revolution, saying, "Visiting some of our deepest assumptions. Most people get into this lifestyle because they have specific health goals. But is there a greater motivation we can strive for when these are no longer important? have you really differentiated between a diet and a lifestyle? Hopefully this will be a really inspiring read."

The Cavegirls presents Rhubarb Crunch posted at Northwest Cavegirls, saying, "It's rhubarb season! Use the first veggie/fruit of the season to make this warming, traditional comfort food using healthy paleo ingredients."

Yael Grauer presents Book Review: Well Fed - Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat posted at Yael Writes, saying, "just a quickie book review!"

Neely Quinn presents Intermittent Fasting Part 3: FAQ posted at Paleo Plan, saying, "Some common questions about intermittent fasting are answered."

Suz Crawt presents 11 Things You Should Give Up To Follow A Paleo Lifestyle posted at The Paleo Network, saying, "Other than grains,legumes and perhaps dairy - what else should you let go of?"

Kristjan presents Why I Don’t Trust Most Nutritionists and Registered Dietitians posted at Kris Kris, saying, "I've been having some on line arguments with nutritionists in the past, and here I explain some of the reasons why I don't trust these people anymore."

Holly presents No Fail Kale: 25 Recipes to Make Your Friends Green with Envy posted at Holly Would If She Could, saying, "A recipe round up of 25 awesome ways to get more kale into your menu rotation!"

Ana J presents Slow Food Orange County: Luncheon in the Garden posted at Whole Life Diets, saying, "Amazing locally grown, organic lunch sponsored by Slow Food OC."

Angel Ayala & Meghan Little presents Paleo Spicy Honey BBQ Sauce, A Dressing for Pork or Chicken posted at Paleo Effect, saying, "Our Paleo Spicy Honey BBQ Sauce, A Dressing for Pork or Chicken is perfect for a weekday Cookout! Try this with our Boneless Pork Ribs for a delicious Paleo meal!"

Peggy Emch presents How to Make an Amazonian Shelter posted at The Primal Parent, saying, "This is an arts and crafts how-to post IN DISGUISE. While it does offer a pictorial, step by step guide to making a toy sized Amazonian shelter, it is actually a reminder to teach our children that this American life isn’t the only way to live, that not everybody everywhere has all of the stuff we have and not everybody cares, and that it is no disadvantage to live under the trees and be dirty all day long."

Amy Kubal presents Step up to the Salad Bar posted at Robb Wolf, saying, "Are you bored with the same old salad? Here are some new ideas for you to 'toss' around!"

Melissa Joulwan presents Vietnamese Chicken Salad posted at The Clothes Make The Girl, saying, "Perfect for summer: easy to make and packed with bright veggies."

J. Stanton presents What Are “Hydrolyzed Soy Protein” And “Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein,” And Why Are They In Everything? posted at GNOLLS.ORG, saying, "Learn what "hydrolyzed vegetable protein" is, how it's made, and why it's in almost every processed food! (Hint: not for your health.)"

Jedha presents Health, Anxiety & The Unexpected Benefits Of Eating Well posted at Paleo Weight Loss Coach, saying, "Diet doesn't just make us lose weight, it can cure or significantly reduce many other common symptoms. My guest Jill Green shares her experiences."

Charissa Vercellone presents Our Top Five Chocolate Obsessions posted at Balanced Bites, saying, "The Balanced Bites Team loves – no, scratch that – is obsessed with quality dark chocolate.Here’s a list of our top-five favorite chocolate bars – enjoy!"

David Rourke presents Taste as a skil posted at Paleodyssey, saying, "Learning to eat a variety of foods is a skill that fewer and fewer people seem to have."

Jennifer Hunt presents What Doing 570 Push-Ups Has Taught Me So Far posted at Vibrant Sexy Strong.

Question of the Week: Dairy Intolerance

2012-05-11T08:00:00.002-06:00

The Modern Paleo Question of the Week is:

Can you tolerate dairy? If not, what happens when you consume it?

lebanese beef kebabs

2012-05-09T10:15:00.000-06:00

Man, I need to gripe. I really love a lot of things. Like, spending all this time at the grocery store getting everything you need for a while, only to come home and realize you forgot a key ingredient for one meal you were particularly excited about, oh, just the one that you happen to be about to write a blog post about! And like, trying to dig around in your literal mountain of spice jars, baggies, and all other manner of spice housings to try to find a suitable substitute for the key ingredient you forgot with spices going flying all over the kitchen floor. I also really love things like getting ready to start making lovely spice-substituted kebabs and noticing that your camera is angrily flashing its battery light at you. Then, coming to realize that there happen to only be two skewers when you were positive that there were like 6! Or even 8! And it's really, really awesome when, because you're a meat idiot, you really suck at forming ground meat patties and they nearly all crumble and fall through the grill grates.

The one positive thing in my life this weekend was finally, FINALLY, getting enough dirt to fill that f-ing raised bed garden. But I didn't even have enough time to plant anything. And don't you even think for a minute that, "well it's okay Julie, your little seedlings will do okay for another week in their egg cartons", because I KILLED THEM. I TOLD YOU I WOULD. I HATE MYSELF. I had been growing them outside during the day and then taking them in at night so I wouldn't really have to harden them. But then we got some snow a couple weeks ago and I took them in and forgot to put them back outside for a few days after. During that indoor time they really started growing, so when I finally brought them back outside they were pretty much Scorching Colorado Sun newbies. Shit.

I guess another positive is that these little crumbly kebabs were really wonderful. And I grilled some vegetables to go along and despite the fact that I almost forgot about them, and they easily could have turned to ash, they turned out perfect! I don't think I've crammed more crap into one day in my whole life like I did on Sunday. Probably not true, but felt like it. I've been working extra hours to try to make up for this blasted Grand Canyon trip I seem to be so excited about. So I worked late on the weekdays and all day on Saturday and I'm doing it this coming week, too. Poor, poor me, right? Yeah, I should be happy that my boss is letting me do that, but bleh I'm stressed. And crabby, can you tell? My friend said I should start making a podcast, in addition to all the other crap I cram on my plate. Har har. I should just buy the domain name www.crankykitchen.com. Now don't you all click that. Some troll will buy it and squat on it until I come crying to him for it, at which point he'll demand $2 million dollars for it. I should become a domain name squatter.

Partially the problem with the kebabs was that since I only had those two stupid skewers, I tried to pack on a lot of beef onto them. They were a little beef heavy. I ended up making burgers with the leftover beef anyway, so I should have just stuck to putting just a small amount on the skewers like I knew I should have. If you can't find Aleppo pepper, you can substitute with other ground red peppers. A 3:1 paprika to cayenne ratio would be good, as would mixing in some ground ancho peppers, or other red chili peppers. Just don't go crazy with the cayenne or you might die. When grating the onion for this beef, be smart and choose to use your handy food processor with grating attachment. I grated my onion by hand because my food processor was dirty and I was too lazy to wash it. So, when the first wave of blinding onion fumes hit my eyes, I proceeded to grate the rest of the onion with my eyes closed. Smart. I only nearly lost my finger tips like 6 times. No biggie.

lebanese beef kebabs
adapted from Saveur, serves 4 - 6

1/4 cup Aleppo pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (if dried, simmer for a few minutes to soften)
3/4 teaspoon allspice
3/4 teaspoon fresh or dried mint (finely chopped if fresh)
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 medium onion, grated
1 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, or to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1. Preheat a grill on medium high.

2. Mix together the first 11 ingredients (all but the beef) in a large bowl. Add beef and mash around to mix.

3. Form about 2 tablespoons of beef around metal skewers, packing tightly to maintain form.

4. Grill, turning once until charred on the outside, about 4 minutes or so.

Alternatively, you could just make patties. But skewers are so much more fun. Provided you have more than two and they don't cause you to drop the beef down the grates.

I've spoken of my love for savory yogurt sauces before. Please make one for these kebabs. It's so, so simple. Whole milk yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, olive oil. Ratios to taste, but I like it real garlicky and lemony. Like a cup and a half of yogurt, juice of one lemon, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, tablespoon of olive oil. YUMMMMM.

I like how this demonstrates what a mess my life is. Lawn weedy and dead. Errant rubber band on the ground? Egg carton seedlings withered away. At least I'm barefoot with an adorable cat nearby.

This was originally posted at my blog, the crankin' kitchen!

steamed artichokes + bagna cauda

2012-05-08T10:00:00.000-06:00

I feel like I might be the last person in the food blogosphere to get on the bagna cauda bandwagon. And probably the artichoke bandwagon. Not that I haven't had artichokes before, but gasp! I'd never made one. I feel like such a fraud. Allow me to try to redeem myself with this post, even though steaming an artichoke is like the least interesting way to make one. Sigh. GIVE ME A BREAK.

I'm watching a Nova on "Why Ships Sink". Why do people go on cruises? They're disgusting. They're like my nightmare vacation. My anything nightmare. Fat people. Trashy people. Umbrella drinks. Being stuck in a hotel... because it's just a giant floating hotel. Sick. Oh honey, I have an idea for a vacation! Let's pay hundreds of dollars to go someplace where we can sit on our asses, eat mountains of food, watch movies, and be in wonderfully close quarters with other fats - hopefully ones wearing American flag shorts and bejeweled crew neck sweatshirts! Speaking of vacations, my dad has finally started talking about going to South America. I've been nagging him for years that we need to go abroad to hike/explore. There is an amazing amount of places and things to see in the US, but I'm dying to go to other countries. I've only been to Ireland and it was wonderful. I closetly dream of living there some day.

So where should we go in South America? I like ruins, food, and pretty sweet mountains. Some friends of mine are thinking of visiting some ruins near some town whose name I can't remember. What if I don't come back? What if I decide to become a resident of Perú (yes I just accent marked that) and roam from village to village eating exquisite villager food and sleeping in llama pens at night? My food blog would become so wonderful! Beef heart brochettes! Gorgeous colored corn! And gorgeous colored potatoes! I'm hungry. I'm going to eat some pineapple.

I guess I'm going to have to make some Peruvian food and post it. But in the meantime you can be satisfied by this garlicky, anchovy-y, salty, buttery, oily dip. And possibly the fussiest vegetable/food item with which to dip in it. I wish I was growing artichokes in my garden this year. They're so fancy. And they're really not hard to prepare, if that's what's been keeping you from even making one. Who am I kidding, you've probably been making them since you learned to cook and you're rolling your eyes at my novice exultancy. Bare with me here. And I'd love to hear any tips or suggestions. Steaming them was super simple, obviously, and with a generous amount of lemon juice squeezed on afterward, they won't turn brown (and taste freaking awesome with it, too). Bagna cauda is one of those tricky ethnic recipes - like, I'm sure everyone has their own particular way to make it and there may or may not be a best way to make it. It uses a lot of garlic. Three entire heads. I was torn between boiling the cloves, like I did, or simply simmering minced ones in the oil and butter until they'd mellowed. I'll do the latter next time to try it out, but boiling them first is super easy and avoids any garlic sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.

steamed artichokes + bagna cauda

artichokes (don't let them sit, forgotten, in your fridge for a week...)
3 heads of garlic, cloves separated and skin kept on
3 tablespoons butter
1 2-ounce tin of anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. To prepare the artichokes, cut off the top 1/2 inch or so of the whole artichoke. With kitchen scissors, trim the tip off of each leaf. Done! Easy!

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, then add the artichokes. Boil for about 30 - 40 minutes, until they are tender and the outer leaves come right off.

3. Meanwhile, while the artichokes are boiling away, bring a small saucepan of water to boil and add the garlic cloves, boiling for about 20 minutes. Drain them and when they're cool enough to handle, squeeze out the garlic from their skin into a bowl. Mash into a paste.

4. Rinse out that saucepan, add butter and heat over medium. Add anchovies and mash around a bit. Then add garlic and olive oil. Stir occasionally and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Season to taste with pepper.

Dip the base of the artichoke leaves in the hot bagna cauda and don't make yourself sick from eating too much.

This was originally posted at my blog, the crankin' kitchen!

lettuce soup (fear not!)

2012-05-07T09:54:00.000-06:00

I like how lettuce soup sounds like gruel or something. Thin, watery, tasteless broth with wilted leaves of iceberg lettuce floating listlessly about. Served lukewarm to you in a rough hewn stoneware bowl while you hang your head and try to will it down your throat. Gross. I hope you don't bypass this. It's nothing like that. Instead, it's bright and springy and a fun way to use big beautiful heads of lettuce and perhaps whatever kinds of greens you have around.

I'm going to the Grand Canyon the first week in June. Rim to rim trip. It's going to be stupid and hot and long. Stupid because what the heck was I thinking to agree to hiking 23 miles one day and then doing it all over again (the way back we're splitting into two days, but still). So hotttttt. And sunnyyyyyy. Ahhhhh. Oh and I think some of the people we're going with are going to be running some of it. And how am I supposed to not run it if other people are running. I'm very susceptible to fitness peer pressure! We're also going to be hiking day trips around Utah before the Grand Canyon hike. There's going to be so much Southwest in my life. Colorado is kinda southwesty. I still find that weird to think about. I don't identify with the southwest very much. Except kokopellis. I mean, I do have a rather large kokopelli collection. Including a tattoo of one on my ankle. Joking.

I didn't incorporate too much with this soup, but it could be a kind of springboard for a denser soup. Heavy cream of course comes to mind, as does boiling potatoes before you put in your lettuce leaves and then puréeing it all together to make it heartier. What I really liked about this soup, though, is its simplicity. Its ability to really let you taste the very few ingredients. I would like to try adding in a spicier green in addition to a big head of lettuce next time. I had some arugula that I had gotten along with the lettuce, but I wanted to save it for a salad. More leeks would be good, too. It'd be hard to go overboard on the freshly ground nutmeg. It's just SO GOOD.

When is a wrist injury supposed to get better? Mine still hurts. I bet I broke it back in December. And now it's healed crappily and I'm forever screwed with a bum wrist. And then I'll have to get surgery and a 14 month recovery time only at the end of which I'll find out that the bones didn't heal properly and I either have to have surgery again or I'm just screwed even more. It hurts just typing this stupid blog post. You better freaking make my lettuce soup.

lettuce soup
adapted from Sunset Magazine, serves about 6 - 8

2 tablespoons butter
1 large or 2 smaller leeks, white and light green parts sliced lengthwise and then crosswise and washed well
1 large head of romaine, red leaf, or other lettuce (I don't think iceberg would be that great in this...) washed well
zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg
4 cups chicken broth
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat and add leeks, the lower 1/4 or 1/3 of the head of lettuce - the thicker stems, lemon zest, and nutmeg. Cook for about 5 minutes. Please, please make sure your lettuce and leeks are well-washed. Gritty soup sucks (I washed mine real well I thought and still had a couple lightly gritty spoonfuls).

2. Pour in the stock and add in the rest of the lettuce leaves. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. Time doesn't totally matter as the lettuce will wilt real quick. If you're in a hurry just a few minutes will do but if you're not and you let the thing simmer for 30 minutes, it'll be fine and perhaps better.

3. Using a blender or immersion blender, purée until very smooth. Add in pepper and some salt if your broth isn't very salty.

Serve with more nutmeg on top. Additional lemon zest would be awesome too if you can find some overlooked patches on your lemon.

This was originally posted at my blog, the crankin' kitchen!

Weekend Links

2012-05-05T10:00:00.003-06:00

As part of Modern Paleo's weekend schedule of blogging on Objectivism on Saturdays and free market politics on Sundays, I like to post a link to The Objectivist Roundup. The Objectivist Roundup is a weekly blog carnival for Objectivists. Contributors must be Objectivists, but posts on any topic are welcome, including posts on food and health.

Practice Good Theory hosted this week's Objectivist Roundup. If you're interested in seeing the latest and best from Objectivist bloggers, go take a look!

Also, in my live Philosophy in Action Webcast on Sunday morning, I'll answer questions on forgiving yourself, unforgivable acts, the meaning of life, downloading and sharing online videos, and more. As always, it's on Sunday, 6 May 2012 at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET at www.PhilosophyInAction.com/live. Please join us for this hour of lively discussion, where we apply rational principles to the challenges of living virtuous, happy, and free lives!

Here are the questions that I'll answer this week:

Question 1: Forgiving Yourself: Should we forgive ourselves? How can a person free himself from guilt over past errors and wrongs, particularly irrationality? Should such a person forgive himself – and if so, what does that entail?

Question 2: Unforgivable Acts: Can an ordinary person do something unforgivable? Could a friend act in a way that would make rational forgiveness impossible? Might a person do something so hurtful or unfair that you couldn't ever trust them again? In such cases, how should the person wronged acted towards the unforgivable person?

Question 3: The Meaning of Life: Does life have a purpose or meaning? Religious people say that God gives their lives meaning, purpose, and direction. Other people find meaning in doing good for others or society as a whole. As an atheist and egoist, what do you think the purpose of life is? Does it have any inherent meaning – or should a person arbitrarily decide its meaning? And shouldn't a person think that something is more important than himself and his own petty concerns?

Question 4: Downloading and Sharing Online Videos: Is downloading music from YouTube a violation of intellectual property rights? Given that content creators can remove YouTube videos that violate their intellectual property rights, is it wrong to assume that they consent to the posting if they've not asked to remove it? It is wrong to watch or share clips that seem to be uploaded without permission? It is wrong to download music from YouTube for my own personal use, whether uploaded by the creator or someone else?

The Paleo Rodeo #109

2012-05-04T19:00:00.000-06:00

A "paleo" approach to health uses the evolutionary history of homo sapiens, plus the best of modern science, as a broad framework for guiding daily choices about diet, fitness, medicine, and supplementation. The core of paleo is the diet: it eschews grains, sugars, and modern vegetable oils in favor of high-quality meat, fish, eggs, and vegetables.

The purpose of The Paleo Rodeo is to highlight some of the best blogging of the ever-growing paleosphere.

Here is this week's edition:

Diana Hsieh presents SuperSlow Update: The Third Sheet posted at NoodleFood, saying, "I just completed my third sheet of 16 SuperSlow workouts, and here's my report on it. My progress was uneven, but I'm really happy overall."

Ruth presents Exercise for the Elderly: It’s Good for the Brain posted at Ruth's Real Food, saying, "We all know exercise is good for the body, especially in the elderly, but a new study indicates that physical exercise has an impact on the brain as well. "

Kelly Fitzsimmons presents Is Diet Soda Bad for You? posted at Weight Loss Ninja, saying, "Is Diet Soda Bad for You? Diet soda is loaded with artificial colors and sweeteners. In other words, it's loaded with chemicals."

Joe Lindley presents The Skinny on Obesity Episode 3: Hunger and Hormones – A Vicious Cycle posted at Craving Sugar, saying, "This is the 3rd excellent video in the Skinny on Obesity series developed by the University of California TV channel (UCTV). In this episode, Dr. Robert Lustig, Pediatric Endochrinologist – University of California, San Francisco, explains the role that hormones (leptin and insulin) play in causing obesity. "

Riki Shore presents Strawberry Sorbet posted at Three Squares, saying, "This delicious sorbet can be made with less sugar for those following a super-strict diet. You'll be rewarded in flavor if you use just-picked berries!"

Neely Quinn presents My Dog Eats Paleo posted at Paleo Plan, saying, "Find out what a Paleo dog's diet looks like, and which kibbles to stay away from if you're trying to feed your dog a "dog diet". "

Health Freak Eddy presents Why Health Freaks Are Not Healthy posted at Health Freak Revolution, saying, "The traditional health freak is probably over looking this very important aspect of our health. Have you? Luckily there is the Health Freak Revolution :)"

Angel Ayala & Meghan Little presents Paleo BBQ Grilled Chicken Breast, A Healthy, Fast Dinner Idea posted at Paleo Effect, saying, "This recipe for Paleo BBQ Grilled Chicken Breast, A Healthy, Fast Dinner Idea, is tender and juicy with a little kick from the BBQ. Perfect for backyard cookouts, beach grilling, or camping out! And don't forget to try one of our many sauces!"

Tony Federico presents This is Your Brian on Music - "The Musical Brain" by Abel JamesReview posted at Fitness In An Evolutionary Direction, saying, "An exploration of the evolutionary basis of music, it's effects on the brain, and how you can develop musical talent."

Kelly Bejelly presents Tasty Beef and Liver Burger posted at A Girl Worth Saving, saying, "A tasty burger recipe that uses chicken livers. "

Laurie Donaldson presents Bachickage posted at Food for Primal Thought.

Nell Stephenson presents Paleoista Radio Satellite Tour posted at Paleoista, by Nell Stephenson, saying, "In honor of my book's release- a post listing this week's radio interviews nationwide!"

Charissa Vercellone presents Book Review: Sweet Potato Power by Ashley Tudor – and a giveaway! posted at Balanced Bites, saying, "I was excited to get my hands on Sweet Potato Power by Ashley Tudor, a whole book dedicated to just one ingredient – I was curious to see what that would look like."

Primal Kitchen's Family Grokumentarian presents On Dietary Ecumenism posted at Primal Kitchen - A Family Grokumentary, saying, "I've come to a conclusion after nearly two years of a paleo-style diet. If I have invited you to dinner and you have dietary restrictions - and I don't care whether those restrictions are medically necessitated, religiously necessitated, you simply trying to do better in how you eat, or otherwise! - I. don't. care. how. or. what. you. eat. I will make. it. work."

Fatisfied presents POOF posted at Free Your Fat, saying, "DIY Mayo, Nana Custard, and Deviled Eggs... made magically delicous!"

Brittney Beckham presents Easy Crockpot Chicken posted at Journey to a Healthier Lifestyle, saying, "This blog post is a recipe for the easiest crockpot chicken!"

Julie Campbell presents lebanese beef kebabs posted at the crankin' kitchen!, saying, "earthy, complex, and spicy ground beef kebabs. probably as good as going to lebanon. maybe."

Amy Kubal presents "Whey"ing In: Are Protein Powders Paleo? posted at Robb Wolf, saying, "Do you rely on a shaker bottle for your post workout meal? Get the 'scoop' on all things protein powder here!"

Penny McIntosh presents This Is Your Brain On Exercise posted at Health Coach Penny, saying, "The book that "sparked" my interest in Paleo in 2008 has inspired my son's fourth grade classroom to do an experiment on the power of exercise on the brain. Check out the video I made, plus the power point presentation the students made, that 'scientifically' proves how exercise makes you smart!"

J. Stanton presents Your Whey Protein and Whey Isolate May Not Be Gluten-Free: Beware “Glutamine Peptides” posted at GNOLLS.ORG, saying, "Yes, they're sneaking grains into everything...even your protein powder! Here's how to tell whether your whey protein, or whey isolate, has been adulterated with wheat protein."

Douglas Robb presents Paleo Dessert Recipes – Vol. 3 posted at Health Habits, saying, "Paleo Chocolate Almond Butter Ice Cream....Paleo Blueberry Mango Muffins.....Paleo Maple Bacon Ice Cream...."

Question of the Week: Eggs

2012-05-04T08:00:00.002-06:00

The Modern Paleo Question of the Week is:

What kind of eggs do you buy? Conventional? Omega-3? Free-range? Pastured? Why?

SuperSlow Update: The Third Sheet

2012-05-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

On Friday, I completed my third sheet of SuperSlow training, i.e. another 16 sessions. By way of background, here's my reasons for switching from CrossFit to SuperSlow, my first sheet, and my second sheet.

I began SuperSlow in early June of 2011, so I've been doing it for almost a year now. The sessions are grueling and exhausting, although I've definitely learned to limit my post-workout exhaustion by resting and eating for about 20 minutes immediately after my workout. I'm definitely enjoying the progress that I've made, particularly getting to 300 pounds on leg press. Mostly, I'm glad that I have the time, energy, and strength required to pursue my chosen sports -- skiing, snowboarding, and horse riding -- for the sheet pleasure of it. Physical fitness at the price of just 30 minutes once per week, with little muscle soreness, is pretty awesome.

Without further ado, here's this third sheet. (Click to enlarge.)

Here's a summary of my progress on various movements, starting from Session 32 from Sheet 2 to Session 48 on Sheet 3. All the machines are Nautilus, except the the lower back and the torso rotation. As before, only Leg Press and Lower Back are done every session; all other movements are done every other session.

With this sheet, I pushed myself so hard on the leg press -- and made so much progress -- that I didn't make much progress with other movements. For the last three sessions, we switched leg press to the last movement, with the expectation that I'll be able to make more progress on other movements as a result. (The order of movements makes so much difference in my capacity to make progress!)

Every week:

LP: Leg Press: 260 to 305 lbs. I rocked the leg press with this sheet. I was increasing by 5 pounds with every workout, and then my trainer bumped me from 285 to 300 pounds. Gack! But I did it, and it was awesome. On 4/13, we moved the leg press to the end of my workout, so that I'm not completely trashed on other movements. Still, I got up to 305 lbs on Friday with a time of 2:24.
LB: Lower Back: 160 to 178 lbs. I was supposed to be at 168 this last week, but my trainer bumped me up an extra 10 pounds by accident. Still, I did two minutes!

Every other week:

Hip AB: Hip Abduction: Steady at 100 lbs, then readjusted position, so down to 85 lbs. I'd not been making any progress on this machine whatsoever with my feet on the upper rung. So my trainer moved my feet to the lower rung again. (That positioning affects the muscles I use in making the movement.) I made some progress in my last two sessions, but we'll see what happens on the next sheet
Hip AD: Hip Adduction: 115 to 105 lbs. I was stuck at 115 lbs for weeks and weeks, so my trainer moved my feet to the lower rung and dropped the weight down to 105 pounds. That didn't seem to help much in the last two sessions, but that might change. Or maybe more tweaks will be required.
Lower Back (see above)
Leg Press (see above)
PD: Lat Pull-Down: 110 to 115 lbs. Due to being completely trashed after my leg press, I made no progress on this machine for most of the sheet. My muscles weren't failing: my whole body was just out of gas. After moving the leg press to the end of the workout, I did much better on 4/20, so I should be at 120 lbs next week.
CP: Chest Press: Steady at 65 lbs. Again, I was very exhausted after the leg press. But I'm always weak on this movement, so we'll see what progress I make on the next sheet.
Row: Row: 60 to 55 lbs. I alternate between pulling and a 2 minute static hold. Due to leg press, plus the two arm movements before it, I couldn't keep my form on this movement, so my trainer dropped my weight.
Ab C: Ab Crunch: 15 to 20 lbs. A bit of progress! Yay!

Every other week:

LE/LC: Leg Extension: 50 to 70 lbs. I was able to make great progress on this movement due to its early placement in the workout, plus really concentrating on working through the burn. (LC is a 90-second Leg Curl of progressive intensity against a stable frame.)
Leg Press (see above)
Bicep: 40 lbs to 50 lbs: Some progress, but I want more!
Tricep: 80 to 85 lbs: Just a bit of progress. I could really feel the exhaustion with this movement.
Lower Back (see above) Doing lower back after leg press nearly killed me. My legs, although locked in, would shake uncontrollably, and I often had to quit before I felt the tightness in my back.
Rot T: Rotate Torso: 48 to 50 lbs. Minimal progress: I was always so exhausted by this point in the workout!
CR: Calf Raises: 300 lbs. I only did this exercise a few times. I kept being a bit late or forgetting to bring the shoes I needed. I'll have to make it happen more consistently on the next sheet.

For this next sheet, I want to focus on making major progress on just a few machines -- just as I made so much progress on leg press and leg extension on this sheet. I'm thinking lat pull-down, hip abduction, and hip adduction. I'll have to ask my trainer if we can move those around to be on different days, so that I can really give them my full power.

Basically, SuperSlow is still working really well for me. I'm making good progress with just one 30-minute session per week, and I'm looking forward to progressing even more in my next 16 sessions of Sheet 4!

P.S. If you decide to try my SuperSlow gym in south Denver, please tell them that I referred you!