Whole9 | Let us change your life.

syndicated content powered by FeedBurner

FeedBurner makes it easy to receive content updates in My Yahoo!, Newsgator, Bloglines, and other news readers.

Learn more about syndication and FeedBurner...

Current Feed Content

Our Local, Seasonal Whole9 Seminar Team Feast

Posted: Thu, 23 May 2013 10:00:35 +0000

On Monday, we introduced you to our new Whole9 U.S. and Canada Seminar Teams; four pairs of two intelligent, driven, passionate folks who will be helping us spread our Good Food Word come late summer/early fall. We brought all eight of them to Salt Lake in early May for an intensive training, meet-and-greet, and strategic planning session. Our “summit” soon earned the nickname of “Paleo Real World,” as we rented a huge house for the event. (No hidden cameras, though. Not that they knew about, anyway.)

But our time together wasn’t all work – we had a fabulous celebration dinner planned for the team for the last day of their visit. And because we’re so good at sharing, we’re going to let you all in on our menu from that evening.

Best be gettin’ a napkin ready, ’cause we’re about to make you drool.

Local, Seasonal, Utah

We wanted to give our seminar team a taste of the Beehive State, so our theme for the dinner was Utah: Local and Seasonal. We set out to gather together the tastiest, freshest, highest-quality ingredients that our lovely state has to offer. (Click on the map image above to see our sourcing.) Our goal was to make the dinner as close to 100% local to Utah as we possibly could, and to stick with only the goodies that were currently in season.

So how does one plan a menu like this? Usually we would start with an idea for an entrée, sides, etc. However in this case, we had to allow the ingredients to dictate the recipes.

The Menu

Our first mission: find some great starters. This part was super easy because here it Utah, we have salumi from Creminielli’s Fine Meats. (The great thing about Creminielli’s is that it’s local for us, but it’s also available online and in most Whole Foods stores. That means you can learn to love it, too.) Their ingredients and sourcing are impeccable, and products like bacon salami, black summer truffle Tartufo, andwild boar italian never fail to impress.

We had a little crudité plate started, but what else to add? How about a few simple local cheeses from Beehive Cheese Co., a welcome addition for those who knew they could tolerate a little dairy every now and then. We finished out the appetizer plate with Bronco Buster Beans from Yee-Haw pickle Company in Park City.

Next we sought out a great cut of meat. Lucky for us, Whole9′s Erin Handley has a sweet connection with The Copper Onion, a local restaurant that sources all of its meat locally. We ended up with a beautiful beef tenderloin from Pleasant Creek Ranch in Mt. Pleasant, Utah. Nick Kirkes did the honors of grilling that sucker up right – beautifully done on the outside, still pretty and pink on the inside.

Finally, we found a local farm that sourced beautiful locally-grown produce. La Nay Ferme in Provo, Utah, was a wonderful surprise for us. It’s a fairly new entity that’s nestled in the hills of our sister city to the south. We were a little unsure about the place as we drove up (you have to meander your way through a city cemetery to get there), but once we arrived at the farm, it was apparent that this was the real deal.

We picked up two CSA shares, which included spinach, chard, mixed greens, cilantro, oregano, and parsley. We also picked up four pounds of their first crop of strawberries. Brilliant! Now our menu included a mixed green salad, with sautéed spinach and chard topped with a poached egg from Clifford Family Farm in Provo. Dallas also conjured up his famous chimichurri sauce from the herbs as an excellent compliment to the tenderloin.

But what about those strawberries? Well, we decided to let those beauties stand on their own for dessert, with a little help from local Orem, Utah chocolatier Amano. We rounded out our celebration with a red and white wine from Moab’s Castle Creek Winery.

(Now, just to be clear, this was a celebratory dinner, not a Whole30® meal – so you may notice some deviations from our usual fare. The cheese, the chocolate, the wine…these are all off-roading components of a deliberately planned feast.)

The Results

Not only was our meal scrumptious, but the company was wonderful, and the al fresco dining just made the experience that much better. Healthy foods, socialization, fun and play, personal growth, stress management, and time spent outdoors… our Whole9 Seminar Team Summit hit six of our 9 Factors (and some folks took it upon themselves to do some healthy movement, too).

If you haven’t yet planned your own local/seasonal feast, we’d highly suggest the exercise. It’s a great way to learn what edible delights you have available just outside your backyard–and share the Good Food word and your Whole9 life with those you care about.

Download our free Seasonal Produce Guide to learn more about what’s popping up now.

Photos courtesy of Erin Handley, Erin Kay Photography. Herb photo courtesy of La Ney Ferme.
Meet the Whole9 Seminar Team

Posted: Mon, 20 May 2013 10:00:53 +0000

An introduction from Whole9 co-founders Dallas & Melissa Hartwig: In January, we put out a call to expand our Whole9 seminar teams in the U.S. and Canada. We had personally taught more than 125 seminars in the last three years, but still had hundreds of requests stacked up in queue. Two people, 52 weekends in a year… the Spreading-the-Good-Food-word math just wasn’t adding up.

We needed some smart, passionate, motivated people to head out into our community and help others change their lives with our nutrition philosophy and Whole30® program.

So we put out an open call, and reviewed more than 100 resumes, cover letters, and audition videos. From that initial group, we selected eight people (in teams of two) to round out our U.S. and Canada seminar teams. We brought them all out to Salt Lake City in early May to meet one another, participate in extensive training with us, and create a plan to get these teams out performing Whole9 nutrition seminars later this summer. (We rented a huge house for the weekend, prompting some team members to start referring to the weekend as “Paleo Real World.” More on our weekend’s festivities later this week.)

Today, we’d like to introduce you to our four seminar teams. Check out the video (make sure you watch the outtakes at the end!) and then read more about each team below.

To schedule one of our fantastic teams for a Whole9 nutrition seminar, please email workshops@whole9life.com.

Whole9 USA: Elke and Jack

ELKE NELSON, PhD

Elke Nelson has a B.S. in Biotechnology and a Ph.D. in Molecular & Cellular Biology. She currently works fulltime as an assistant manager of a clinical writing group, producing and reviewing reports that discuss medical technologies (e.g., drugs, devices, procedures) under investigation in late-stage clinical trials. Elke is a Level 1 certified coach at CrossFit Conshohocken. She also is a Paleo meal designer and a freelance contributing author for both The Box and Muscle & Performance magazines.Elke specializes in Paleo nutrition, particularly why and how to implement the diet into everyday living; meal design; and CrossFit training.

From Elke: As a new member of the Whole9 seminar team, I am amped up and ready to continue educating people on the fundamentals of Paleo and the nine factors of optimal health. I am also eager to use this opportunity to run my mouth about food truths in an attempt to rectify the epidemic of nutrition misinformation.

Elke with be teaming up with Jack Ryan. This team will be available for seminars starting late summer/early fall. Please email workshops@whole9life.com for details.

Connect with Elke

Email: elkenel5@yahoo.com
Website: http://paleoscape.com
Twitter: @paleoscape

JACK RYAN, MA

Jack Ryan graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a BS in English and has served as an active duty Naval Officer for the last 16 years. He earned an MA in English from Catholic University and has had a myriad of successful combat and non-combat leadership experiences as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Officer. He holds various CrossFit certifications and has extensive training with an emphasis on human physiology, behavior shaping, physical conditioning, diving physics and medicine, explosives design and operation, and small unit combat operations. Jack currently teaches English language and literature at the United States Naval Academy. Jack specializes in finding creative ways to transform organizations and individuals who are constrained by traditionally restrictive policies, physical equipment limitations, and ingrained destructive habits. He focuses on developing an appreciation for life-long health that leads to both personal and organizational successes.

From Jack: “Working with Whole9 as a member of the seminar team is an exceptional opportunity to not only spread the Good Food word but to help people make real changes in their lives. Watching someone take back control of their health is an exceptionally powerful experience and something that I am extremely excited to be a part of as we go forward with these seminars.”

Jack will be teaming up with be teaming up with Elke Nelson. This team will be available for seminars starting late summer/early fall. Please email workshops@whole9life.com for details.

Connect with Jack

Email: jackryan@crossfitoldbay.com

To book a Whole9 nutrition seminar with Elke and Jack, please email workshops@whole9life.com.

Whole9 USA: Rachel and Nick

RACHEL MILLER, R.D.

Rachel Miller earned a BS in Applied Health Science with a double major in both Nutrition Science and Dietetics from Indiana University- Bloomington (insert shameless plug here- Go Hoosiers!), and has been a Registered Dietitian since 2009. Rachel is continuing to further her education in nutrition and lifestyle coaching through Optimal Performance Training seminars and working toward obtaining her CISSN. She has held two positions in school districts as the Assistant Director of Food and Nutrition Services along with group nutritional counseling for the YMCA. Most recently, she has been active in nutrition consult work with Inner Strength Indy Crossfit.

From Rachel: “I have been a self-appointed spokesperson for the Paleo diet and Whole9 lifestyle principles for the past year. It feels good to promote ideals that spark passion in my life. At times I feel somewhat limited by my current profession, so having the chance to work for Whole9 is a wonderful opportunity that I feel privileged to have. Nick and I look forward to helping spread the ‘good food’ word across the country.”

Rachel will be teaming up with Nick Kirkes. This team will be available for seminars starting late summer/early fall. Please email workshops@whole9life.com for details.

Connect with Rachel

Email: whole9@innerstrengthindy.com
Website: http://diamondsontheinside.com
Twitter: @raychl136

NICK KIRKES

Nick Kirkes is a certified health coach, fitness and nutrition educator, and is the owner of Inner Strength Indy | CrossFit in Indianapolis. Through a heavy dose of self-study, seminars, and workshops, he has made nutrition and lifestyle education the centerpiece of his work with seekers of real, sustainable health. He’s not a bad cook, either.

From Nick: “I am extremely excited to be part of the Whole9 seminar team, and a part of the larger alternative nutrition movement. Seeing the changes in my life, in the life of those I love, and in the lives of my clients, is an incredibly satisfying experience. To have the opportunity to help spread the good food word even further, alongside Rachel and the rest of the Whole9 team, is simply amazing.”

Nick will be teaming up with be teaming up with Rachel Miller. This team will be available for seminars starting late summer/early fall. Please email workshops@whole9life.com for details.

Connect with Nick

Email: whole9@innerstrengthindy.com
Website: http://NickKirkes.com
Twitter: @nkirkes

To book a Whole9 nutrition seminar with Rachel and Nick, please email workshops@whole9life.com.

Whole9 USA: Ashley and Collin

ASHLEY FLEMING, BS

Ashley is a fitness enthusiast and multi-sport athlete specializing living a Whole9 and paleo lifestyle. She received her bachelor’s degree from Hawaii Pacific University and is the creator of Fitness is Delicious, a food and healthy living blog focusing on whole food recipes and fitness tips. She is currently attaining her CISSN and Precision Nutrition certifications while teaching others how to apply the science of paleo living into practical, easy-to-implement strategies.

From Ashley: “I am absolutely thrilled to be apart of the Whole9 seminar team! I found Whole9 through my passion for fitness, whole food cooking and wellness and I can’t wait to share my practical knowledge with those around me. I’m most excited to meet and connect with those we work with. If you have the chance to meet me, you’ll quickly realize I’m the biggest cheerleader for the Whole30 and I’m on a lifelong mission to discover every single way of cooking sweet potatoes.”

Ashley will be teaming up with be teaming up with Collin Popp. This team will be available for seminars starting late summer/early fall. Please email workshops@whole9life.com for details.

Connect with Ashley

Email: Ashley@fitnessisdelicious.com
Website: http://fitnessisdelicious.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/fitnessisdelicious
Twitter: @ashleycfleming

COLLIN POPP, MS

Collin holds a BS in Physiology and minor in Chemistry from the University of Arizona and a MS in Nutrition & Health Science with a specialization in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He will begin his doctoral candidacy at Clemson University in Food Technology this fall focusing his research on links between disease, exercise and nutrition. He has experience working as a personal trainer and has been a CrossFit Level 1 trainer for 3 years. Collin specializes in: nutrient metabolism, pre/post-workout nutrition for strength and power athletes, nutrient timing and Paleo nutrition.

From Collin: “I am excited to be a part of the Whole9 team because I want to spread the truth about eating whole, nutrient dense foods! These foods have an untapped potential to restore the body’s ability to function properly, but most people lack this experience and the Whole9 principles help bridge this gap. I carry a lot of knowledge and passion with regards to nutrition and taking strives towards teaching people to adopt healthier lifestyle habits. As a Whole9 seminar team member I hope to share my passion, teach people the truth about what’s on their plate and carry the Good Food word on. We are not trying to sell supplements, pills, blenders or weight loss protocols. We are selling a healthier lifestyle by putting food first, and let everything else fall into place.”

Collin will be teaming up with be teaming up with Ashley Fleming. This team will be available for seminars starting late summer/early fall. Please email workshops@whole9life.com for details.

Connect with Collin

Email: collin.popp@gmail.com
Twitter: @collinjpopp

To book a Whole9 nutrition seminar with Ashley and Collin, please email workshops@whole9life.com.

Whole9 Canada: Sarah and Summer

SARAH RAMSDEN, MA, CNP, NNCP

Sarah Ramsden is a Certified Nutritional Practitioner who graduated with first class honours from The Institute of Holistic Nutrition. Based in Toronto, she consults with people across Canada, focusing on helping them harness the energy and determination it takes to reinvent their health. She also holds a BA (Hons) Graphic Design, and a Masters of Arts in Communications & Technology.

From Sarah: “Every day I meet people who religiously follow mainstream dietary advice, led to believe they are doing the right thing by their health. When they learn the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ of the Paleo approach, they get excited about good food again, address lifestyle factors, and transform their health in the process. It’s a powerful healing tool that I have used against my own autoimmunity, and with my clients time and time again. I am so excited to be able to bring the Good Food word to as many Canadians as possible as part of the Whole9 seminar team.”

Sarah will be teaming up with be teaming up with Summer Innanen. This team will be available for seminars starting late summer/early fall. Please email workshops@whole9life.com for details.

Connect with Sarah

Email: health@sarahramsden.com
Website: http://SarahRamsden.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/healthyramsden
Twitter: @healthyramsden

SUMMER INNANEN, CNP, NNCP, BBA (hons.)

Summer Innanen is a Certified Nutritional Practitioner who graduated with first class honours from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition. She works with clients around the world doing one-on-one nutrition coaching, with a specific focus on helping women to love their bodies again. She also does corporate wellness workshops, cooking demonstrations and is a coach and the on-site nutritionist at Quantum CrossFit in Toronto.

From Summer: ”I spent years dieting and following conventional dietary dogma before having my own ‘nutrition awakening’ in 2007 when I was introduced to the Paleo diet. Helping people understand the dramatic impact that good nutrition, smart training, ample sleep and stress management can have on their life is my passion. I love that Whole9 addresses all of these components in their message and is literally changing people’s lives with their program. I am so thrilled to be able to spread the Good Food word across Canada as part of the Whole9 seminar team!”

Summer will be teaming up with be teaming up with Sarah Ramsden. This team will be available for seminars starting late summer/early fall. Please email workshops@whole9life.com for details.

Connect with Summer

Email: summer@hautelife.ca
Website: http://hautelife.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HauteLifeNutrition
Twitter: @cosmoprimalgirl

To book a Whole9 nutrition seminar with Sarah and Summer, please email workshops@whole9life.com.

Please join us in welcoming the newest additions to our U.S. and Canada Whole9 seminar teams. We hope you get to meet them at an event near you later this year!

And don’t forget, for those of you down under, Jamie Scott and Dr. Anastasia Boulais have a busy seminar schedule as Whole9 South Pacific. Visit http://whole9southpacific.eventbrite.com for events in Australia and New Zealand.)
Your Practical Guide For Dental Decisions – Part 3

Posted: Thu, 16 May 2013 12:00:19 +0000
A guest post by Eva Twardokens (the famous “Eva T.”): two-time Olympian, coach, and Registered Dental Hygienist

In Part 1 of this series, we talked about basic concepts in oral health. In Part 2, I covered periodontal disease, and homecare tools and medicaments to make your life easier.

Today, in Part 3 of this three-part series, I’ll talk about the materials that a dentist uses, giving you guidance to choose the healthiest options. And if you have to have a root canal (and I hope you don’t…), I’ll discuss why it needs to be done right the first time, and how to ensure that happens. Finally, I’ll discuss my thoughts on dental insurance, including when and when not to take advantage of it.

Dental Materials

Amalgam. Everyone is freaked out about amalgam, those “silver fillings with mercury.” Man, amalgam was awesome! If you still have some in your mouth it is okay, unless you have a metal allergy or severe mercury toxicity. I’ve had mine for 20 years!

Leakage? Almost all of the amalgam leakage escapes as a vapor upon installation. So, unless your tooth is leaking because of a fracture in the filling or the tooth, you can leave it alone. Remember: “ The best drilling is none.”

So why don’t they use amalgam now? Simply because there are better materials, like composite. Composite holds the tooth structure together by drawing it in, because it adheres to the tooth and the dentist can match the color accurately.

Crowns. I am a big proponent of gold crowns. People hate it because of the color, but if you are a grinder or a clencher, it will protect the opposing tooth because gold has a wear rate similar to a natural tooth. Wearing down teeth puts them at risk for pulp damage, gum recession, and the possible need for a root canal. Ask any dentist what type of crown they would put on themselves, the vote would be gold.

Gold crowns are thin, so you need to remove less tooth when drilling the preparation to fit the crown. Porcelain crowns are okay, but they are very hard and wear down the opposing tooth, which makes them my least favorite.

There are several types of composite crowns, and some are pretty good if you must have white. However, the potential for high turnover (cracking) with composite crowns is high.

Whitening

The dental staff has a joke about whitening, because folks come in with all kinds of problems and decide they will go without treatment and “see what happens”—but these same folks at will ask at the end of the appointment, “Hey what about whitening?” I’m thinking, “Great, let’s whiten those teeth so they look super good in your cigar box when they fall out.”

The priority with whitening should come after health is established. Then, whitening is appropriate, kinda. Zoom whitening is for instant-gratification folks with money to burn. If you are going to whiten your teeth, first just buy some Crest White Strips (around $40) and see how you like the result. If they work, you’re done. If not, you may invest in professional trays and bleach (around $400). The chemicals in these products are mostly the same, and the Zoom (not so magical) light simply adds the factor of heat, which we all know quickens chemical reactions.

There are really not many long term studies on what bleach does to your teeth, and the industry assumes it is pretty safe. Just know that if you are in the process of whitening your teeth, stay away from chromogenic foods like blueberries, red wine, and coffee. You can really embed that stain into your teeth if you do it along with a series of whitening.

Finally, don’t become a whitening addict. The rule about whitening that your teeth should match the whites of your eyes, if you want them to look natural.

Root Canals

Root canals are a treatment where the dentist cleans the infected pulp out of the tooth and replaces it with a soothing substance called gutta percha. The tooth is technically dead, but the periodontium still lives and the tooth still functions for chewing.

Root canal treatment is needed when the pulp of the tooth gets contaminated and therefore infected. The infected pulp accumulates pus, and pressure builds from the inside of the tooth. The infection (pus or exudate) finds the path of least resistance and continues to develop somewhere outside the tooth, usually at the apex of the root in the form of an abscess. It can also travel to the outside of your gums, forming a pimple-looking mass called a fistula. (This will drain on its own, but it is pretty gross.)

Generally these infections destroy the supporting bone of your tooth. In order eradicate the infection you have two options: extraction or a root canal. Losing teeth is bad, so a root canal will save the tooth, but root canals are not without controversy. Root canals can leak small amounts of bacteria through the micro tubules of the tooth into your system, causing an inflammatory response. However, tissue and bone do not heal in the presence of bacteria, so if your bone and tissue recover, then the root canal has done its job and your worries about leakage are unfouded.

Root canals are necessary for several reasons, but the following are the most common:
- Undetected decay that has reached the pulp. If you declined X-rays it was impossible to diagnose the decay and it spread.
- You clenched your teeth and caused a fracture that leaked.
- You got hit in the face, traumatizing your tooth and the pulp died. This is usually fixable by the procedure with the “bad reputation”- a root canal!
Get your root canals done by an Endodonist with a microscope. These specialists work quickly and effectively. Unless you get all of the bacteria out of the tooth (hence the microscope) you are likely to end up with a “re-treat.” Your general dentist might offer to do the treatment, but unless he uses a microscope, request a referral to an Endodontist.

Wisdom Teeth

Let’s just start by saying that wisdom teeth are not smart. Unless you have had your other teeth removed because of braces, get them out! Wisdom teeth are usually a nest for bacteria and are often involved in periodontal disease. This increased inflammation and bacterial load in your mouth will start affecting other (good) teeth.

I know wisdom teeth are very “Paleo,” but in this instance, the Neolithic solution of extraction is almost always the right one. If your wisdom teeth are in perfect (I mean perfect) health, you can consider leaving them in your head. Just know that the older you are, the higher the risk of complications for extraction. You don’t want to end up with infected wisdom teeth when you are too “high risk” to have them extracted.

Extraction

It is not a good thing to lose teeth. Except for the above scenerio, you generally want to hang on to your teeth. If you lose one and don’t replace it, your body will sense this and try to fill the gap by compensating through shifting teeth in new positions. This causes spaces, imbalances, and opposing teeth to self-extract because teeth need another tooth to bite against, or they will move in the direction of self-extraction.

Implants and Bridges

Solutions for missing teeth are implants and bridges. Implants are expensive and the process is long, but they are still the best way to go, and worth the wait. It is like having a brand new tooth!

Bridges are okay, but you have to drill down the teeth to either side of the tooth you are replacing, and the missing tooth is only suspended (a bridge) between the two crowns to each side. If you need to replace a tooth, your dentist should explain the options and help you decide what the best treatment is for you. Just try not to lose the teeth in the first place, okay?

Insurance

Insurance is only worth it if your workplace is paying for it. Buying your own insurance in most cases can be a real waste. You’ll probably end up spending about $100-$150 a month, and then when you need a crown the company will offer to pay only 50-80%.

Typically over the course of a year, you have spent $1,200 or more on insurance, and in exchange, received only two cleanings, one set of checkup x-rays, and one exam, which totals around $350 if you were to pay out of pocket. It doesn’t add up in your favor if you have a healthy mouth and are treatment-free.

I suggest that unless you find a killer deal on dental insurance that you create your own “dental savings account.” Put $100 away monthly, just for dental care.

In Closing

Since I was a kid, I’ve had an interest in health with a particular focus on the teeth. This led to a career in Dental Hygiene. Years later, when my interest in optimizing health through strength, conditioning, and functional medicine developed, I realized that the link between oral health and total health is significant. Oral disease contributes to systemic inflammation and its myriad of pathological consequences.

With this in mind, I hope you have enjoyed this three-part guide to Dental Hygiene, and hope to continue to bring you information on keeping your mouth and teeth healthy.

I am honored to be posting on the Whole9 blog, and hope this information will guide you to a healthy mouth that will in turn help you be strong, healthy and happy. If you have questions about dentistry, feel free to contact me via my blog, http://evatsc.com.

Eva Twardokens (also known as “Eva T.”) is a two-time Olympian and six-time National Champion in Alpine Skiing. In 2012, she was inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. She graduated from Cabrillo College Dental Hygiene School in 2001 and has been practicing in a general dentistry setting for 12 years. She teaches her patients how to aquire oral health, and how good oral hygiene practices contributes to overall health and quality of life.

She is also the founder of Eva T. Strength and Conditioning, a consulting site encouraging strength, health, and happiness through the integration of lifestyle choices, exercise, and
Your Practical Guide For Dental Decisions – Part 2

Posted: Mon, 13 May 2013 12:00:38 +0000

A guest post by Eva Twardokens (the famous “Eva T.”): two-time Olympian, coach, and Registered Dental Hygienist

As promised in Part 1, I am going to elaborate on the basic advice I gave you there, and share with you the most important information I have learned in the last ten years of my dental hygiene career. This is information and advice I would give to my best friends and family.

Today, I will talk about periodontal disease, a prevalent and silent inflammatory inducer, as well as homecare tools and medicaments to make your life easier. I hope this information will help you through your dental journey with a little more empowerment.

Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is the breakdown of the three supporting structures that hold your teeth in your jaw—the cementum, periodontal ligament, and jawbone. The cementum is mineralized connective tissue that covers the roots of the teeth and serves as an anchor for the periodontal ligament, which in turn suspends and holds the tooth in its bony socket and acts as a shock absorber to cushion the impact of chewing. The jawbone is of course, the foundation of your teeth.

A precursor to periodontal disease is gingivitis. This condition is characterized by inflammation of the soft tissue surrounding the tooth. However, while gingivitis is an infection, periodontitis is an auto-immune disease.

Destruction of the periodontium is caused by an overactive immune system calling in white blood cells to the infected area. The white blood cells act on the culprit, but cause damage to healthy tissue as well. On a chronic basis this breaks down all of the periodontal structures, leaving gaps for more bacteria to accumulate. The deeper the gaps, or pockets, the more apt the bacteria are to become anaerobic (oxygen fearing), so they run for cover by going deeper and causing further damage.*

*How does one avoid this scenario? As mentioned in part 1, the first step is periodontal charting and getting your teeth cleaned at least three times a year.

Treatment of Periodontal Disease

If you have periodontal probe readings less than 6 millimeters, the dentist might prescribe a treatment called “root planning.” The hygienist will inject a local anesthetic and then clean either half or one quarter of your mouth at a time. She will then do a deep cleaning with the goal of removing deep bacteria, plaque and tartar, and any dead or halfway healed tissue (granulation tissue). This will give your periodontium the optimum chance to heal, and your pockets a chance to shrink. This process will take two to four appointments.

If you have periodontal probe readings greater than 6 millimeters, the ability of the hygienist to reach areas greater than 6 millimeters deep is unlikely. Failure to reach the base of the pocket can stir bacteria up causing the shallow tissue to heal and tighten up and the missed area to become inflamed resulting in a periodontal abscess. At this point, you will probably need a referral to a specialist called a Periodontist.

The bottom line is to have healthy supporting structures to keep your teeth in your head! Create a milieu for healing and health through maintenance, consisting of regular visits to your hygienist and adherence to a daily homecare protocol.

Homecare

Don’t think you are fooling the hygienist by flossing like a madman two days before your cleaning. She will know what you’re up to by observing the condition of your tissue, the amount of bleeding you have, and the amount and location of tartar and plaque buildup.

Statements like “my gums always bleed” and “my bad teeth are genetic” are just like saying “I have diarrhea every day” and “I am fat because my grandfather was.” Take some responsibility and realize that if your gums are bleeding there is an underlying problem; 99% of the time it will be residual plaque.*

*The difference between plaque and tarter are that plaque is removable and soft, whereas tartar is a calcified version of plaque, and occurs when plaque is left untouched for around 24 hours or so.

That is why the term “daily” is used—so you rid yourself of the debris on your teeth before it becomes a carpal tunnel situation for your hygienist!

Five Jewels of Prevention

Mouthwash. First, do not use mouthwash in place of flossing. Most importantly, stay away from alcohol-based products, as the incidence of oral cancer is higher in folks who use alcohol based mouthwash than those who don’t. Alcohol-based mouthwash is also an irritant and also causes dry mouth. Stick to non-alcohol mouthwash if you decide to incorporate this into your daily regimen.

Tongue cleaners. Yes, a clean tongue is important, and tongue cleaners are good. However, you can save money by just dragging your floss down your tongue and cleaning it that way.

Fluoride. Many people fear fluoride. They say it causes their bones to get brittle, and won’t allow their children to have it. What I see in kids not getting fluoride is a lot of decay and lifelong visits to the dentist full of injections, fear, drilling, and pain. In the end, the trade-off is significantly poorer oral health for what amounts to a minute amount of fluoride.

What about adults and fluoride? Well, I see a lot of crown replacements in the folks that insist on “natural” toothpastes, and that involves the same kind of consequences. It is a cost/benefit situation similar to x-rays. A little of the perceived “bad” goes a long way for good!

For kids with undeveloped teeth, they must have some systemic fluoride (they must ingest it, so talk to your dentist for a prescription). For adults, topical fluoride is all that will work. I really like “ACT” rinse for everyone. Follow the directions on the bottle, please.

Toothbrush. Use a soft one, always. All other brushes are only good for scrubbing tile grouting and will scratch your teeth! Electric toothbrushes are great, but not the cheesy spin brushes. Sonic types are best, but don’t push too hard. You need to let them vibrate to work, so don’t squish the brush against your teeth. A “flute-like” grip is best.

Floss. The diamond of the jewels. The thicker and more yarn-like the floss, the better. The objective of a good floss is not that is slides between your teeth, but that it removes plaque efficiently once you get it there. I know Costco has cases of “Glide” for a great deal, but use it to sew up the holes in your socks, because this stuff is, for the most part, downright ineffective. I am not even going to debate this. So there.

Stay Tuned for Part 3

In Part 3 of this series, I’ll be talking about the materials that a dentist uses, root canals, and my thoughts on dental insurance—when and when not to take advantage of it.

Eva Twardokens (also known as “Eva T.”) is a two-time Olympian and six-time National Champion in Alpine Skiing. In 2012, she was inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. She graduated from Cabrillo College Dental Hygiene School in 2001 and has been practicing in a general dentistry setting for 12 years. She teaches her patients how to aquire oral health, and how good oral hygiene practices contributes to overall health and quality of life.

She is also the founder of Eva T. Strength and Conditioning, a consulting site encouraging strength, health, and happiness through the integration of lifestyle choices, exercise, and functional medicine.
Unplug, Then Plug It Back In

Posted: Thu, 09 May 2013 12:00:39 +0000

Today’s health and fitness-related post was inspired by a real-world example of why keeping things simple should always be your first approach. Our friend Kristyn had registered for an online workshop we were hosting via video conference. An hour before the event, she realized that her wireless connection at home wasn’t working. She called the support hotline, who proceeded to run her through a whole host of complicated diagnostic tests, queries and fixes—none of which worked.

Finally, the customer service person said, “Well, have you tried unplugging your wireless router, and then plugging it back in?” Kristyn gave that a shot, and—yay!—wireless connectivity was restored.

The Basics (Where It’s At)

Often in our own health and fitness pursuits, we forget that practicing “the basics” are what got us this far. Our perfect air squat practice earned us an overhead squat PR, connecting with others in real life helped us manage our stress, and eating an everyday diet full of foods that make us healthy gave us the energy, body composition, and quality of life we’ve been so happy with.

Yet when things start to slip—we’ve gained some weight, our energy is flagging, our health conditions start to reappear—what do we do?

We start adding in complicated programs, regimens, and protocols, in the hopes of returning to that magical place where everything was clicking.

We start adding fancy exercises, and implement the newest strength program, and start running on Saturdays. We begin to meticulously weigh and measure our food, fanatically schedule intermittent fasting into our days, and add expensive supplements in carefully calculated doses. We read every book we can get our hands on, read every health and fitness blog looking for solutions, post in every Paleo forum asking for advice.

We do these things all in the hopes of getting things back on track. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work. In fact, this usually makes things worse*. By building in so many moving parts, it becomes impossible to know what is and isn’t working. The stress of creating and maintaining such a complicated regimen adds fuel to the fire. And at this point, you’re so frustrated and disheartened that you’re likely changing strategies every week, desperate to find something that will work.

*This is where we pick up most of our consulting and functional medicine clients—hard-working, educated, motivated people frustrated by their lack of progress, despite their efforts to throw everything but the kitchen sink at their health and fitness plan.

Today, we’d like to remind you that most of the time, the answer starts with simply unplugging, and then plugging it back in.

The Simple Life

When things start to slow down, when you’re no longer making progress or things start moving in the wrong direction, we agree it’s time to take a good, hard look at your program. But it’s not usually necessary to complicate things at that point. Instead, your first efforts should be geared towards returning to the basics.

First and foremost, evaluate food quality. Is it still really clean almost all of the time, or have you started to let some less healthy foods creep back in on an all-too-regular basis? This happens to all of us, and is the most common reason for a health and fitness backslide. If this is the case, the answer is easy—it’s time for another Whole30^®. Remind yourself how good you feel when you really clean things up, and get a small win by seeing things improve quickly—sleep, energy, skin tone, athletic performance and recovery.

Are you still eating enough to sustain your new body composition, activity levels, and long-term goals? If you’ve put twenty pounds on your squat and cut your 5K time by five minutes, chances are you’ve got more muscle and less fat, and you’d better be eating more to accommodate. Don’t start fumbling with specific macronutrient proportions, though. Try bumping your protein a bit, make sure your carbs are still supporting activity levels (you may need more), and then slowly add more fat until things start moving in the right direction again.

Has your fitness programming grown stagnant, are you stuck on the same exercises week after week, or have you moved in the all-too-common direction of too much volume or too much frequency? Instead of trying to fix it with the latest, greatest programs all thrown together (“I’m doing Wendler 5-3-1 plus CrossFit Endurance plus stand-up paddleboard yogalates!”), first try pulling the plug and getting back to the basics.

First, give yourself some extra rest. Let’s say that again—your first step is to rest. (When was the last time you had a half-intensity week, and a week off? We thoughts so.) Then, return to a basic, tried-and-true template.* Strength sets of 3′s and 5′s, limiting one-rep max work to the occasional test day. Very short (but intense) metabolic conditioning sessions, no more than three times a week. Long, slow distance, outdoor recovery work, like easy walking or biking, a few times a week. Strip it down and keep it simple, before you start throwing all sorts of complications on top of an already shaky routine.

*This is only a generalized template, and won’t be right for everyone. Please work with a qualified, experienced S&C coach to design a smart, safe program for your context and goals.

Finally, there are seven other factors to consider when it comes to your overall health and fitness. Are you sleeping less than you used to, or under more daily stress than usual? Are you spending too much time on Face-Twit-Gram, haven’t seen the sun for days, can’t remember the last time you just relaxed and had fun? These are all factors that play directly into every one of your health and fitness goals—especially weight loss. So again, before you start creating specialized supplement regimens, committing to an hour of meditation plus yoga plus volunteer work a day, or join three different co-ed recreational teams… think about how, in these areas too, you can unplug, and plug it back in.

Get Some Help

Some might say, “But I’m doing everything right, and things still aren’t working!” In some cases, this may, in fact, be true. As we point out in this article, dietary and lifestyle interventions can’t fix everything. Many of you show up to the party with long histories of yo-yo dieting, chronic stress, poor lifestyle choices, and longstanding illness. The effects of your health history are far-reaching, causing changes to your metabolism, your inflammatory status, and how your body responds to stimulus like food, stress, and exercise for years—decades—to come. So maybe, you’re one of those people who needs some extra help in the form of supplements, regimens, and protocols.

In this case, make sure you’re guided by a professional, and not trying to put things like this together on your own. Find a qualified functional medicine practitioner, naturopath, or medical doctor to help you troubleshoot systematically and healthfully. (And we’d still posit that unplugging and getting back to the basics is a mandatory foundation for the work you’ll do with them.)

For the rest of you, who promise you’re doing all the right stuff, we’ll point out the obvious: if you were really doing everything right, things would be working. Before you get mad at us for saying that, please know that this isn’t your fault. Sometimes, we are too close to our own stuff (our biases, our preconceived notions, our past results and future goals) to be able to objectively help ourselves out of ruts or off plateaus. Even experts, consultants, and coaches need an expert, consultant, or coach. (We personally have all three on retainer, in fact.)

In this case, you need a hand honestly evaluating your own plan. That’s when a trusted friend, qualified coach, or a lifestyle consultant might come into play. But again (not to beat a dead horse), getting back to a squeaky-clean diet, resting your body, and focusing on managing sleep, stress, and other factors is a mandatory pre-requisite for the work you’ll be doing with your trusted guide.

Time to Unplug?

So for those of you frustrated, desperate, wondering why all your hard work just isn’t paying off, we encourage you to take a minute to unplug, simplify your routine, and then plug it back in. We’re pretty sure that’s exactly when things will start humming again.

Are you in need of an unplugging? Do you have a story about getting back to the basics, and how it helped you make progress again? Share it with us in comments.
Your Practical Guide For Dental Decisions – Part 1

Posted: Mon, 06 May 2013 10:00:57 +0000

A guest post by Eva Twardokens (the famous “Eva T.”): two-time Olympian, coach, and Registered Dental Hygienist

A lot of folks out there are seeking the optimum diet and the ultimate exercise program in the name of health and longevity. Often, however, these same people have completely neglected their teeth.

You might as well have eaten that bagel and decided to lift light weights like Gweneth Paltrow.

Let’s be real! Your mouth is the beginning of your digestive tract, and as you keep your gut healthy, you must also keep the top end (your mouth) healthy as well. As easy as it is to get “leaky gut syndrome,” you can also get a sort of “leaky mouth syndrome” as well. In dental speak we call this periodontal disease.

If you have any degree of periodontal disease, it needs to be controlled. Much like you can correct a leaky gut by eating well, you can also keep systemic disease at bay by keeping your mouth clean and well maintained. Here is the basic information you need to get on your way to a clean, healthy, un-inflamed mouth.

Find a Good Dentist

Unless you are a dental professional, it is hard to know what a good dentist really is. As a consumer, you can weed out most of the bad ones by finding a dentist who is not production-oriented, and is willing to spend enough time with to understand your specific needs. These needs range from how the office deals with finances to addressing dental fear and explaining treatment and the equipment they use. (Expert tip: ultrasonic scalars and higher-tech x-ray machines are a must.)

A great way to narrow the field of dentists is to interview your friends, family, and co-workers about their dentists. Find out what they like about the dentist, and the reasons they choose to seek treatment there. Get three names, and then visit the offices. Meet the dentist and get a feel for the place. You will know when you find the right one.

Get X-Rays

Lions and tigers and radiation! Remember, dental x-rays emit just a tiny amount of radiation, and the benefits far outweigh the risk. So get them. The price you pay for not having films every couple of years will be in the form of injections, root canal treatments, and drilling. As my boss (the dentist) says, “The best drilling is none.”

If you have not had a Full Mouth Series, get one. This will detect any hidden abscesses (equals “yuk”). Pus may hide in your jawbone, causing chronic inflammation—and posing the risk of migrating to your brain. (Double “yuk.”) A Full Mouth Series will also detect any bone loss that may have developed from chronic inflammation. (You need healthy bone around your teeth so they don’t fall out!)

Your dentist might instead opt for a Panorex, which is less accurate, but a decent substitution for a Full Mouth Series.

Get a Dental Exam

Usually this will go along with your new films, so the dentist can accurately detect any abscesses or cavities. Have the dentist explain the areas of concern and get the treatment done! He should also clue you in on your periodontal status, and your bone health. The dentist or the hygienist will measure your periodontal pockets.

You should request a copy of the readings and have the form explained to you in detail—a good dentist will be happy to spend the time doing this for you.

Get Your Teeth Cleaned

I get mine cleaned every four months. “But my insurance only covers every six months!” Remember, your insurance company determining your treatment plan is about as ridiculous as the government telling you how to eat healthy. (If you follow this blog, that will make total sense to you.)

Regardless of the up-front cost, you’ll save in the long run if you get your teeth cleaned one more time per year. It is worth the extra $100, I promise.

Get a Night Guard

It is important that the dentist ask if you are grinding or clenching your teeth. People who are mystified about their recession, high cavity count, root canal rate, or chipped teeth should buy a night guard. You may be one of the people causing major damage in your mouth because you are clenching or grinding in you sleep with five times the force exerted when awake!

By the way, rubbery sports guards and bleach trays do not count as mouth guards. Get a professionally fit, situationally-appropriate guard from your dentist.

Be Nice to the Hygienist

Bottom line—she has sharp tools.

Don’t whine about how “heavy handed” the hygienist is if you haven’t had your teeth cleaned in a while. That probably means she is busting her knuckles to get all the accumulated crap off your teeth. Ask her to show you some, and then ask yourself, would you put that back in your mouth?

Ask the hygienist a lot of questions, like will she will be using an ultrasonic scaler? If she does, that’s good. If she doesn’t, ask her to use it combined with hand scaling. Most good ones already do this.

Finally, be grateful for your hygienist; she will always go above and beyond for you if you are!

Floss

Don’t find a way out of this one. Just do it, daily. I suggest getting it done in the shower. Enough said.

In Part Two…

I’ve given you some tips that should be first in line for defending your oral health. In Part Two of this series, I will elaborate on periodontal disease and what to expect if it turns out you have a nasty case. I will also talk a little about fluoride, dental materials, mouthwash, insurance, and ZOOM whitening.

Eva Twardokens (also known as “Eva T.”) is a two-time Olympian and six-time National Champion in Alpine Skiing. In 2012, she was inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. She graduated from Cabrillo College Dental Hygiene School in 2001 and has been practicing in a general dentistry setting for 12 years. She teaches her patients how to aquire oral health, and how good oral hygiene practices contributes to overall health and quality of life.

She is also the founder of Eva T. Strength and Conditioning, a consulting site encouraging strength, health, and happiness through the integration of lifestyle choices, exercise, and functional medicine.
Book Review: Paleo For Dummies

Posted: Thu, 02 May 2013 10:00:30 +0000

We don’t do many book reviews, but when the fabulous Melissa Joulwan (of The Clothes Make the Girl and Well Fed fame) teamed up with Dr. Kellyann Petrucci to pen the next book in the famous “For Dummies” series, we were pretty excited.

Living Paleo for Dummies is in the tradition of Everyday Paleo, offering not only nutrition advice, but exercise and lifestyle recommendations, and (of course) delicious, easy Paleo recipes. The book is practical, easy to read, and doesn’t dive deep into the science, instead focusing on how to apply Paleo concepts in your own life.

Of course, we loved the book, but we wanted to get an honest review from an experienced Paleo person. Enter Chuck Charbeneau, a self-professed Paleo junkie (he’s read every book there is to read on the subject–really) and has transitioned his entire family (kids and all!) into a healthy Paleo lifestyle. Chuck’s review, interspersed with comments from Whole9′s Melissa Hartwig, is below.

You can also see a preview of Living Paleo for Dummies yourself on Amazon.com, or at your local Barnes & Noble store.

Living Paleo for Dummies

From Chuck: The book is straightforward and easy to follow. It is laid out in five simple sections covering the what, the why and the how of the Paleo Lifestyle in the “for Dummies” format, because really, it is that easy, and the authors prove it.

From Melissa: The book is pretty darn comprehensive, covering “The Power of Paleo”, “Embracing the Paleo Lifestyle”, “Paleo Recipes” (more than 50 recipes, most of which are Whole30 compliant), “Making Paleo Practical in the Modern World”, and “The Part of Tens” (detailing fun lists of ten to prepare you for living paleo). There is so much practical application here – everything from dining out and traveling to effective no-equipment exercises.

The Power of Paleo

From Chuck: “We don’t need to live life as a science experiment, trying to reenact everything our ancestors did or see the world through Paleo goggles. We just need to understand how our genes were programmed and try to model that as close as we can.” Living Paleo for Dummies doesn’t delve too deeply into the science of the Paleo lifestyle–for that you would want to read Dallas and Melissa Hartwig’s It Starts With Food, or The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf. What it does do is suggest the foods and behaviors that support a healthy mind and body with a brief explanation why, which should be enough to point you in the right direction.

From Melissa: This book isn’t about all the science-y technical details of why certain foods make you less heatlhy, or the reasons Paleo is, in fact, science-based. This makes it easy to skip right into the “doing” part. For those who need to know more about the “why,” you can always read the Science-y Stuff section of It Starts With Food for an easy, comprehensive, scientifically accurate primer.

Embracing the Paleo Lifestyle

From Chuck: Whether it’s fourteen, twenty-one, or thirty days, there’s nothing new here from a “how-to make change” perspective, but the authors did a great job of a laying out a week-to-week “what to do” and “what to expect” plan for your Living Paleo 30-day reset. Each of the four weeks has an easy-to-follow summary and also comes complete with tasks and assignments focused on small changes and goals to get you through the challenges that each week might hold, as well as the skills and knowledge you will need to continue to live Paleo beyond the thirty days.

From Melissa: For those familiar with the Whole30, the 30-day Reset outlined here isn’t anything new–but the resources they’ve built into each week are designed to see you through to success. Journaling recommendations, troubleshooting tips, and “homework” all help you solidify your new habits, and maximize results on your 30-day journey.

Paleo Recipes for Success

From Chuck: This section isn’t just about the food, it’s also about the process, which is the most important part of really eating to live. If you’ve read Melissa Joulwan’s other book (Well Fed), you’ll know that Melissa has a passion for good food and laying a tasty table. Some of the recipes are a little complex, but with a little preparation even the most complex of her creations is attainable.

From Melissa: These recipes range from the super simple (but still delicious) to slightly more fancypants, but they’re all 100% attainable for even novice chefs. It’s nice to have all your resources in one book, but if you add Well Fed to this mix, you’ll have more than enough Paleo meals to keep you on track and satisfied for well beyond your 30-day reset.

Making Paleo Practical in a Modern World

From Chuck: Starting with eight common roadblocks to success, this section of the book continues with larger potential problem situations like eating out, travel and special occasions; finishing off with a discussion on transitioning your family. Each of the sections is succinct and gives real world advice for overcoming the mental or environmental challenges to the roadblocks as well as broad discussions on making lifestyle choices easier; not to mention some great ideas on kicking up your heels from time-to-time without going off the Paleo rails.

From Melissa: The Eight Common Roadblocks really makes this chapter. They’ll disprove every excuse you (or your friends, family members, or co-workers) may have, from “It’s too hard” to “I don’t have time for this.” The dining out and traveling section is equally comprehensive, giving you all the resources you need to take your new habits out for a spin. Finally, transitioning the family will help you get everyone (even the kiddos) on board with your new healthy eating plan, making the maintanance of your habits that much easier.

The Summary

From Chuck: I like this book. I don’t know that I would recommend it before others in the same vein, but it is a solid addition to the cannon and deserves its place on my bookshelf. If you haven’t read other Paleo books, this is a strong place to start, and should pique your interest enough to delve deeper…as any good for Dummies book should.

From Melissa: A great addition to your Paleo library, Living Paleo for Dummies is a truly comprehensive guide to changing nutritional and lifestyle habits long-term, in a way that feels easy and sustainable.

The Reviewers

Chuck Charbeneau is a Software Engineer, ALM Specialist, Professional Improviser, and a CFLV 1 trainer. He has been “living Paleo” for three years with his wife and two daughters, and coaches others in being successful eating whole, unprocessed, nutritious foods. He blogs about living Paleo at http://nomoreneo.wordpress.com.

Melissa Hartwig is the co-founder of Whole9 and the Whole30® program, and the co-author of the New York Times bestselling book It Starts With Food. She did her first Whole30 in April 2009–and like the program says, it changed her life, too.
Eat, Drink, and Be Whole30

Posted: Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:00:04 +0000
If you’ve done our Whole30® program, then you’ve probably been there… about to get your groove on at the bar with friends, make small talk with Uncle Chuck at your cousin’s wedding, or grill and chill at your buddy’s backyard BBQ when suddenly, you feel the odd man (or woman) out. Usually you’d have a drink in your hand and a buzz in your head, but you’re eating clean, and drinking clean, too. So what’s a social butterfly to do? Earlier this year, we encouraged you to quench your thirst Whole9 style, but today we want to help you kick it up a notch.

Watch out, ’cause it’s gonna get fancypants up in here.

A Preface (or Why This Isn’t SWYPO)

Now we know that this post might have some of you scratching your head and asking, “But what about SWYPO?!” Well, let’s clear that up first thing. While these mocktails LOOK like the real thing, they aren’t going to taste like the real thing (though they are delish). Plus, you aren’t going to get the same “experience factor” as you would with a beer, glass of wine or margarita.

Where paleo-fying things like desserts and junk food is merely you trying to recreate the magic of a cookie (a sweet, soft, or crunchy food-with-no-brakes), these pumped-up drinks will give you the social reward of a cocktail, but none of the buzz, the sweetness, or the hangover. Plus, there’s no motivation to overconsume these fancypants drinks, unlike what tends to happen when you get a margarita (or four) in you.

Simply put, drinking one of these mocktails would be akin to creating a meatloaf “birthday cake” – still lots of fun, but no one’s gonna mistake it for the real deal. Although you can feel free to keep your mocktail status to yourself, and rip it up on the dance floor with the best of ‘em. No one needs to know that’s how you behave stone-cold sober.

What To Order At The Bar

We know it can sometimes be difficult to navigate the questions and negative comments that go along with skipping out on the alcohol, and we’ve addressed coping strategies here and here. But taking care of your health doesn’t mean you have to stop haunting all of your old haunts and hiding from your party friends. If you still want to hang (without the hangover), why not consider ordering up some tasty mocktails next time you hit up the bar? More festive than plain old water, prettier than most vodka tonics, and 100% regret-free.

Take any of the following ingredients and ask the bartender to mix them up as you please:
- Sparkling or soda water – but not tonic water, since it’s full of sugar
- Citrus – limes, lemons, or oranges – squeeze these into your drink for fresh flavor
- Fresh fruit - berries or melon make a tasty addition, fresh or frozen
- Juices – lemon, lime, cranberry, orange, or olive juice – make sure these are pure juices without sneaky ingredients and add just a bit for taste
- Garnishes – olives, mint, or other herbs – don’t forget to top off your drink with something tasty
Fancypants Drinks At Home

You have even more mixology freedom when you’re creating drinks in your own home. Check out the following recipes and then let your imagination go wild. Love the combo of ginger and orange? Create your own signature concoction. Prefer rosemary over basil in your Cucumber Fresh? Substitute to your heart’s content. Like your sips smooth instead of chunky? Let your drink sit for a bit, then strain out the fruit and herbs and just use the freshly flavored juices in your mocktail.

You can click on each recipe below to view it larger. And feel free to Pin away!

Have a personal Whole30 mocktail fave? Please share in the comments below!

All recipes, drink styling, and photography courtesy of Erin Handley
The Whole9 Five Movement Series: Part 3

Posted: Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:00:22 +0000
Note: This is a repost from the Whole9 archives. This is the third installation in a 3-part series. If you haven’t read the first two parts, read them here and here before continuing.Enjoy!

We brought together 12 fitness experts from a broad range of backgrounds–with bodies of experience ranging from weightlifting to track and field to mixed martial arts, and over two centuries of collective coaching experience–to ask them all the same question:

If you could only perform five exercise movements for the rest of your life, which five would you do? (Assuming your goals are general health, fitness and longevity, and not a specialized sport)*.

*If your goal is to be a high-level competitive exerciser, your goal is not health, fitness and longevity – it’s sport-specific performance. That’s okay, but don’t be confused. Keith Norris does a nice piece on health vs performance, if you’re interested.

We’ve spent some time analyzing the responses, and we’re going to share some of our observations and thoughts on this collection of opinions. Note that we’re using the word “opinions,” not “truth,” or “fact,” or any other hubris-soaked descriptor. There is no “right” way to answer our question. Each person has their own experience to draw from, and that experience will impact their selections. That being said, we think there is much to be learned from collective experience, and Smart People take notes when veteran coaches share insights like this.

Let’s take a peek at some of the things we noticed about this list of exercises.

Five Movements, Summarized
- All of the exercises selected are multi-joint (compound) exercises. As in 100%. No single-joint exercise belongs on a list like this. If you’re doing lots of curls or lateral raises or leg extensions or tricep press-downs, your training currency would be better spent elsewhere.
- The vast majority of the exercises are ground-based, either with feet flat on the ground, or with some sort of transition between body-on-the-ground and standing positions (i.e. Turkish getup). There are no contrived, machine-based movements. The real world happens with objects in unrestricted planes of motion, and so should your training. The only “resistance” you need is your body and something heavy to pick up or carry.
- There is a significant emphasis on movements that are “big, strong” movements. Whether explosive (fast) or “grind” (slow) movements, there’s a lot of weight moving – even if that weight is “just” your bodyweight. Ever done multiple sets of unweighted squats or strict pullups to failure? A training effect is still present, despite the fact that there is no external load applied. For long-term health, building and maintaining strength must be a central feature of your program. Clif Harski lays out an excellent sample week of programming using these movements here.
- Locomotion was a common response. We are bipedal creatures, and training the reciprocal patterns of walking, running, lunging, stepping, and crawling, strongly echoes the three-dimensional ways that we move in the “real world”. Stabilizing our trunk while shifting and supporting weight is not only beneficial, it’s fundamentally human. We learn it as infants, but far too many of us lose that ability in adulthood. Get it back. Side note: Our experience with the Airdyne, which uses an arm-and-leg reciprocal pattern, suggests that trunk stability has a major impact on power output. Trunk strength matters, especially if you’ve got a pair (or two) of appendages flailing about at high velocity.
- Squatting is not the end-all-be-all. Sure, we have to squat to be able to stand from a chair, but little else occurs where our feet are symmetrical and neatly spaced outside of hip width. Gardening, all field and court sports, moving furniture, and wrestling all share the staggered stance position where stabilizing the body’s mass on top of a narrow or unilateral base of support is critical. Every coach we polled who chose squatting at one of their five movements also chose a movement with a unilateral stance component (lunging, step-ups, Turkish getup, etc.). If you’re squatting all the time but under-utilizing single-leg or staggered-stance movements, you’re making a mistake. (Clif comments on this in his post about our 5 Movements series.)
- We found it fascinating that an Olympic weightlifting coach (Greg Everett) did not include a single explosive movement in his list. If that doesn’t illustrate the priority of building full-body strength with basic movements, we don’t know what does.
- Almost everyone included putting weight overhead: press, clean & jerk, overhead squat, etc. If you aren’t putting heavy things overhead on a regular basis, your program should change. If you don’t know how to press with proper technique, find a good coach and learn. (We don’t want any cranial fractures.) Mark Rippetoe’s classic volume, Starting Strength, is a good option if you don’t have access to a local coach. You don’t have to go to a fancy gym to do this; at home, you can use water jugs, bricks, kettlebells, or inexpensive dumbbells.
- Almost everyone included a pulling movement (a pull-up or row variation), and no one mentioned kipping. We’d be shocked if any of these coaches recommended kipping pullups as their primary pulling movement. (We’ll republish Melissa’s post on prioritizing dead-hang, strict pull-ups soon.) Build true strength through appropriate scaling, not by manipulating physics to “clear the bar.” If you can do weighted pull-ups, doing them fast if the real-world demands it would be no problem. And don’t give us that foolishness about kipping over a fence or up into a tree.
- Note that one of our experts selected both swimming and walking. That would be Eva T, a legendary athlete and coach – as well as a recent inductee into the US Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame. We believe the training and therapeutic value of both of those movements is under-rated. They might not sound very bad-ass, but Eva knows a thing or two about creating and maintaining excellent health and longevity. Perpetually chasing performance is not the same as creating excellent health. Don’t be afraid to slow down, especially if you’re All Banged Up.
- One of Greg Everett’s comments struck us as poignant: “With a foundation built on excellent execution of these movements, an individual would be capable of performing nearly any other movement imaginable with little instruction or practice.” Did you get that? Learn these movements, and train them often–and you will be able to readily transfer the physical capacity you have built to most other applications.
Those are some of the things that we gleaned from these experts’ responses. What struck you about the experts’ choices? What, if anything, will you change about your own training program based on their perspectives? Comments, questions and observations are always welcome.
The Whole9 Baby Guide

Posted: Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:00:58 +0000

Now that we’ve been able to road-test some of the resources we’ve been collecting these last nine months, we thought we’d share some of the books, websites, and products we relied on for parenting advice and support. Many of our friends relied on these as well (with great success), which is why we’re confident enough to pass them along to you.

But understand that the best piece of parenting advice we ever got was this: don’t take parenting advice. Trust your instincts, get to know your child, and figure out what works for you. Heck, this entire article is just an excuse for us to show you more pictures of our baby.

Books for Newborns

Books can be a slippery slope for new parents. Attachment parenting versus cry-it-out, co-sleeping versus sleep training… the options are endless, and there is no one-size-fits-all. Here are the books we are using now, all of which came from trusted sources.

Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp, M.D. Knowns in some cirlces as the “Five S” book (swaddle, side, shush, swing, suck), we’ve found the techniques in this book to be brilliant in calming Atticus down quickly. Swaddle + Side + Swing does it every time – we’re not on pacifiers yet – but as he gets older and fussier, this book will probably prove to be a life-and-sanity saver. (Great for Dads, too – let them be the Baby Whisperer when Mom is too tired to function.)

On Becoming Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo & Robert Buckman M.D. Perhaps one of the most controversial books on the baby-market, Baby Wise is all about creating a sleep schedule for your kiddo (at an age-appropriate time) so that you and your baby get on a healthy wake/sleep routine. You’lll have to determine for yourself whether this is right for you and your family, and how stringently to apply the principles outlined here. (Did we mention this one was controversial?)

The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley A great follow-up to both of the aforementioned books, No-Cry is a gentler approach to a sleep schedule, in practical phases based on the baby’s age. It applies more to older babies, as infants are still feeding on demand, and “sleeping through the night” only means they’re able to go a five-hour stretch. We’ll rely on this one when Atticus is around six months or so.

Books on Child Development

We’ve been reading books on this subject for years now, even before we decided to have a kid. It’s fascinating stuff, and if you can remember it all, may help you raise a baby that isn’t as screwed up as the rest of us. (Big if.)

Brain Rules for Baby by John Galina A fascinating look inside a baby’s developing brain, with lots of helpful tips for parents. Preview: skip the Baby Einstein videos, and turn off the TV entirely – the appropriate amount of television-watching for a child under two is zero.

Nurture Shock by Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman A favorite of ours, this book covers parenting topics like praise (praise the effort, not the result), lying (and how to administer appropriate consequences), and the effects of sleep deprivation on your kids.

Mind in the Making by Ellen Galinsky A super practical (translation: what you as parents can do to nurture these skills) manual for nurturing the seven essential life skills in your children. (Not reading, writing, or arithmetic – try focus and self control, perspective-taking, communicating, and more.) These “non-cognitive skills” come up again and again in childhood development books, but none are as down-to-earth as this one.

How Children Succeed by Paul Tough A more theoretical perspective on non-cognitive skills like grit and determination, with stories and examples, but not as practical as Mind in the Making.

Smartphone Apps

I’m sure there are more smartphone apps than these that you may find helpful, but I’m buried in my phone enough as it is. These are two that I’m using daily for sake of ease, because writing down our feeding schedule in a notebook is hard at 3 AM, and remembering which boob comes next will prove more challenging as the days go on, Mom.

iBaby Feed Timer This app helped us schedule feedings and remember whether he goes right or left. Really easy to use (even at 2 AM), allows you to set your own feeding schedule, and even provides an easy way to track diapers (wet, dirty, or both), which is helpful in the first few weeks to know if baby is getting enough to eat.

Relax Melodies There are a ton of free “white noise” apps, but this one is our favorite. Helps with the “shush” part of the Happiest Baby prescription – Atticus likes a combination of the vacuum cleaner and oscillating fan noise, played really, really loud.

Websites

There are a million and twelve baby-related websites out there, most of them full of useless information and fearmongering. These are some sites we know and trust. Another piece of advice? Stay off the forums, ladies – and no Googling “newborn” stuff. It will only scare the beejesus out of you.

Katy Says (Aligned and Well) Spunky, sassy, a woman after my own heart, Katy Bowman waxes eloquently (and hilariously) about all things alignment and baby. Check this video about safely carrying your baby in arms (which we’re doing, as Atticus is still too small for a sling), and her ABCs of babies.

Spinning Babies While the site isn’t the best-organized (there is a ton of information here), we used this one to make sure Atticus was in a good position for birth. Prescribes crawling, gentle inversions, and other non-invasive procedures to, well, spin your baby into a good head-down, anterior position. Don’t make yourself crazy with this stuff – it’s too easy – but between this and a good chiropractor, you should be able to get him/her into a good position for a natural childbirth, if that’s your goal.

The Leaky Boob The mecca for all things breastfeeding. Fabulous advice on a variety of breastfeeding subjects, including whether your milk supply is really low.

KellyMom A great resource for parenting and breastfeeding. Love this article on pumping enough milk for your infant.

Moms on Call: Thanks to Julie Mayfield for directing us to this site. This is the best video for swaddling I’ve seen so far – yes, it’s an art form.

The Alpha Parent: Self-touted as the “snobby side of parenting,” this site is anything but. Check this article on a breastfeeding timeline here.

Wellness Mama: We have every intention of making lots of our own baby products – at some point, we’ll actually get around to it. (Atticus came two weeks early. That’s our excuse.) In the meantime, we’ve got all the ingredients for these 7 Homemade Baby Care Recipes from Wellness Mama in our pantry.

How To Be a Perfect Parent in Five Easy Steps Finally, a must-read for any parent-to-be. Seriously. Read this now.

Products

We aren’t going to list a lot of products we like, because we’re trying to channel the Minimalist Mom and get less baby stuff. (By the way – buy her e-book, The Minimalist Mom’s Guide to Baby’s First Year. Best $5 we spent in baby-prep.) However, these are a few things we can’t live without right now.

Angel Baby Bottom Balm Until we make our own diaper cream, this stuff is keeping Atticus’ bum healthy. Gentle, smells good, and keeps the diaper rash at bay.

Aiden & Anais muslin swaddle blankets You will want 743 of these. I know they’re expensive. Put them on your registry. They’re great burp cloths, nursing covers, light blankets, and swaddlers.

Summer Swaddlers You’ll swear you’re cheating when you velcro your little one into a tiny burrito, but in the middle of the night, you’ll be muchas grateful for the assist.

A baby sling. Atticus is still too small for my Baby K’tan (with an 8 pound minimum), but Dallas’ Boba wrap is working well. Or we just tuck him into my sweatshirt for walks around the neighborhood. Really. He loves it. Be careful with newborns and slings – make sure they are positioned perfectly, and aren’t too small for the contraption. I like the K’tan because it eliminates all the excess fabric of a Boba or Moby wrap, but the down side is you have to size it specifically for you, which means Dallas and I can’t share one.

Ladies Only

Lactation Consultant Get one today, at the ready for your first day or two home. Breastfeeding can be really hard, and there is nothing more frustrating for a new, sleep-deprived Mom than wondering if your newborn is getting anything out of there. Resources abound on this KellyMom page, or consult the International Lactation Consultant Association.

Pure lanolin or Angel Baby Nipple Butter or coconut oil. For your nipples. Get lots. Invest. Use liberally. Alternate with Belly Bliss Niperi Wash spray. Breastfeed in comfort. (Kind of.)

Bamboobies Bamboo (very soft) washable breastfeeding pads. Order a variety pack with overnights and daytime wear.

Nursing bras You will need a lot of these. These cotton bras from Target won’t break the bank, and they’re cute-ish under a tank top. Skip expensive (and ill-fitting) nursing tanks – just get some Old Navy tanks and yank ‘em down.

Hands-Free Pumping Bra Looks like something Lady Gaga would wear, but trust me, you’ll want to pump hands-free, Bessie. Grab a good book, hook ‘em in, and get to it.

Services

Newborn photographs Take the time to get some professional newborn photos taken. Honestly, they’re a pain, and the last thing you’ll want to do with your 7-day old is take him to a photography studio, but they’re so totally worth it. We used Monkeyface Photography in Farmington, Utah. If you’re in the area, we highly recommend Heidi – she posed him like she was molding sweet clay, and wasn’t afraid to wrap him in a leg warmer for the perfect shot. Find someone experienced with posing and dealing with sleepy newborns – patience is key, and they’ll be okay if their stuff gets peed on.

Pre-Made Paleo

One of the first things we realized about this whole new parent thing is that your time is extremely limited – especially for Mom. When you’re feeding your baby every two hours, it’s always a “free time” toss-up between shower and sleep, laundry or dishes, and cooking a homemade meal? Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Luckily, Chef Richard at Pre-Made Paleo created a Whole30 Approved New Family pack just for us. (And now, you.) We ordered two, and now we’ve got hot, homemade, Paleo meals at-the-ready, including some egg-free breakfast skillets that make our first feeding a breeze. This is a lifesaver for any new parent, so make sure you order ahead of time (and consider purchasing a standalone freezer for all the frozen meals and breast milk you’ll be storing in the near future).

Share Your Favorites

Did we miss any of your favorite go-to baby products, websites, or reading material? Share them with us in comments.

Note: some of these links go to our Amazon store. Thanks for your support in clicking through.