Category Archives: Uncategorized

Did you know every state, and FEMA recommend every home have a disaster plan in place? What does that include? Watch this video to find out!

We all live busy lives, and it’s easy to forget how quickly things can change to the point that our family could be in danger.  We take simple things like running water, plumbing that works, readily available food to eat, sufficient shelter over our heads.  This is NOT a doomsday prepper video, this is a simple plan that I believe EVERY family in America should address.  I look back on hurricane Katrina and the lessons we learned from it.  The government cannot stop all emergencies, and they cannot protect you from them either.  If Katrina taught us one thing, its that we should not expect the government to make everything smooth in such a disaster.  Are YOU willing to depend 100% on the government to protect YOUR family?

I tried to make this video as short as I could, but the information is VITAL to prepare your family for an emergency. There are so many scenarios for potential disaster for your family; some far fetched, some very real.

In this video you will see how easily you can get your family ready for most any disaster to give you a fighting chance to make it through all right. Don’t leave things to chance. Get your family ready TODAY!!

If you will, please share the link to anyone you know who you feel could utilize the information!  Better to be ALL prepared!

-Ernie

So what’s the worse idea you’ve ever had? Did you actually follow through with it? Well, I had a bad one, and I followed through with it, and it stunk!

For years I’ve tried to find the right “diet” for me and my family. I always tried to weigh the health benefits of what we ate and since I am the cook in the house, it falls primarily on my shoulders. Plus, being a doctor, my wife tends to go with what I say on nutrition since I “should” know best right?

Physicians receive about as much training in med school on nutrition as my 6 year old got about the Ming Dynasty in Kindergarten. We learn all kinds of things in and around the physiology of the human body, including the complex interaction between insulin, fat, and weight. We learn the details that is, but nothing that is the least practical in day to day life. As an internist your primary goal in training is to learn to keep people alive, but mainly when they are ACUTELY dying. Ho hum day to day primary care is covered, but not as well as more serious hospital care. So what we learn falls in line with the standard “calories in-calories out” teaching that I of coarse now reject. We learn about protein, carbs, and fat, and how fat contains twice as many calories as proteins and carbs, so they must be what make you fat!

It’s important for everyone to know that their doctors (most likely) preach this information because that is the little that they were taught, and it’s hard enough to keep up to date with all the new information when it comes to everyday practice. New drugs, new clinical trials; they all take precedent most of the time over relearning old topics. Especially when the “data” that has always been emphasized falls in line with the above train of thought. How can fat not make you fat? It just doesn’t make sense if you stick to the knowledge we are presented in our training.

So, how did I end up putting the time in to learning about Paleo? Well, that goes back to my big mistake! Around 4 years ago I read a book called the China Study just around the time my daughter was turning 2 years old. I was bound and determined to live a healthy life, avoid the chronic diseases my patients lived with everyday, and I knew my diet was the key. So, I became a Vegan. For a year…yes, a year. I bought all kinds of new cookbooks, swore bacon back to the fithly swine it came from, and became one with tofu. I’m nauseated just thinking about it.

I told everyone around me I was going to try it for a year and then re-evaluate. I knew two months in I should just quit, but I’m too darn stubborn to not go the whole year. I…FELT…TERRIBLE all the time. I was hungry, cranky, slept terribly, missed food, and even gained a little weight to boot. As a veggie all I did was try to find ways to make things taste like meat. Tempah, faux chicken stock…and the worst idea ever TO-freaking-FURKY. For the record, I never ate Tofurky, but the thought crossed my mind. It was obvious I craved meat, I was gaining weight, and I felt exhausted all the time. Come to think of it, how often do you run into a fit and energetic looking vegan? I will confess to all here, I did not make it a full year. Around 6 days before the year mark my wife and I were visiting friends in Manhattan and we booked reservations to a wonderful place called Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse on 6th Avenue. The original Del Frisco’s is in Fort Worth,Tx, and we have been there many times. I ordered the biggest New York Strip on the menu and sat in awe as the blazing hot dry aged beef fat burst into my mouth on first bit. Meat was back, thank goodness!

I kind of gave up trying to even figure out what is best to eat. I stopped cooking as much, gave in to the kids desires to turn into a miniature chicken nugget, and took the easy way out for a year or more. Eventually I started cooking again, but never with much purpose other than to make tasty things. Now I can cook, and it was fun throwing together tons of classics, mastering homemade gnocchi, building a wood burning pizza oven, making artisan bread at home…all the foodie things you can think of! Still, my wife and I were just living. We didnt’ feel good, we didn’t feel bad; we didnt’ gain weight, we didn’t lose weight…you get the picture.

Around a year and a half ago our neighbor’s started eating Paleo. My initial thought was no way, I’m not trying another fad diet because they don’t work. Why give so much up for so little gain. So we just kept up with the status quo. In the fall of last year my wife was outside talking to our neighbor, and when she came in she said “I think we should go Paleo.” Secretly I was dying to do SOMETHING, I just hated feeling defeated and controlled by food. In typical fashion in our house, we decided I would read the book, and I would give her the short version in less than 10 minutes!

I bought Robb Wolf’s book on my iPad Kindle app, and away I went. I read the whole thing by the end of the weekend and I got energized in a way I have never been before. Why? Rob MADE SENSE, and he included all the science and data my medical mind needed. If you have not read his book, please do so you know why Paleo is important and correct. He gives you the option to skip the “why” of Paleo and just read the “how.” I urge you not to do this as I feel strongly that if you know why you will be more motivated to stay with it. That night I downloaded Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes and I polished it off in two days (long nights rather). How could I change my mind so fast? This was completely against all I had been taught.

The reason is simple, my patients. I see patients all the time who come in, either have not lost weight, gained weight, or are the same; take your pick. All the while they swear they are counting calories, trying hard, and exercising where they can. I hear this story countless times a day. So there are two options: they are either all complete bold faced LIARS!, or what they are doing is not working. With Paleo, I found the answer… It’s not working.

From that day I have been very strict in my Paleo eating, and have eaten as clean as possible. Have I been perfect?; no I have not. But I can honestly say I have been 95% compliant in my eating and as you all know I am 13 days into my Whole 30 at the moment. My personal results are all the “data” I need to change the way I talk to my patients. I feel good, have lost 25 pounds or more without trying, I am NEVER hungry anymore, and I sleep like a log. Most importantly like I have mentioned on other posts, I am finally in control of my diet. Food no longer controls me and that is the most rewarding part of my journey. Will this lifestyle fizzle out in me? Guess you should never say never, but I just don’t know how I could ever go back to eating non-Paleo. Even now when I “cheat” there are certain absolute no-no’s like wheat, dairy, and soy.

All this has led to this blog, and I have plans for more Paleo projects in the future. I am a very lonely voice in the world of Internal Medicine when it comes to Paleo, but there are many years to come. I am not convinced that the government will, republican or democrat, ever change their views on nutrition and flip the food pyramid over the way it should be. It’s just so sticky, complicated, and political; but that should not stop me or all of you from trying to help others. Over the next few months I will be laying out several projects aimed at bringing Paleo more into the conversation in mainstream medicine. I’m most excited about an observational trial I am hoping to start soon with the help of the Hartwig’s over at Whole 9 Life looking at Paleolithic Nutrition in Diabetics. Exciting things to come!

I am most amazed by the quality, passion, and intelligence of the leaders of the Paleo community. This is not a fad movement, but rather a well educated, scientifically based, and compassionate group of people who want to help people get healthier with simple food choices. I humbly add myself to the mix in hopes of adding to the knowledge base and hopefully…changing the course of history. Together we can do it!

If you are a Vegan out of choice, or a vegetarian for religious reasons I certainly understand. I am simply sharing my experiences and personal frustrations in my life. Medically, I do have questions about how healthy a meat-free diet is, just as I have questions about the health of people following a traditional “heart-healthy” low fat diet. Thanks

-E

This video gives a short photo tour of our recent vacation to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. See the views, examples of the wildlife seen, and get excited to plan your own trip. They are truly amazing places well worth the effort to get there!

In the final part of this series on my keys to Paleo success we will talk about consciousness; not being awake, but being alert!  Together with cooking, understanding, and patience this will conclude the series on keys to success.  How conscious you are on a day to day basis may ultimately determine just how successful the Paleo lifestyle will be for you.

Eating: It’s fairly obvious that you must be supremely aware of what you are eating to be successful.  There are certain areas though that I think are more important as they are the most likely to make you slip up.

Although I don’t encourage calorie counting to my patients, I do ask my patients to be conscious overall of how much food they are eating.  Eat slowly and enjoy your food that way you give it time to settle and for your natural sense of satiety to kick in.  It is not uncommon to overeat even while eating clean.  There is a sense at times that since the food is clean, you can eat as much as you want.  Although technically true, try to be aware of what your body really needs and not just what you think it wants.

When you are shopping at the grocery always be aware of this; even when you have multiple food choices, there is almost always one that is better than the other.  For example choosing a leaner cut of meat will be better than a fattier cut.  By all means, eat a ribeye at times, but fit in some leaner meats as well.  I want you to also read every label you can in the grocery.  Even when you think that you know what is in there, check again.  Are there nitrate free choices for some of your meat choices?  If so, try to get them as often as you can.

Also take the time to ask your grocer, or preferably a butcher or meat farmer where the meat you are buying is from, what it is fed,  and how it is raised.  Do not feel obligated to eat only grass fed meat; although optimal, it is not possible or practical for many people out there, even myself at times.  Lastly, look at anything that is processed in any way with skepticism.  As my goal is 90% compliance with my Paleo diet, I very rarely blatantly eat what I know is not good for me.  I look at what I consume that is processed, or not prepared by me as being unclean, and it accounts for my 10% fudge factor.

Eating is an absolute joy for me, and it should be for you as well.  When you do it consciously, ALL the time, it can be fun and enjoyable instead of the dread it has become for many.

Feelings:  I want you to be completely aware of how you are feeling at all times.  Before you eat make yourself aware of just how hungry you are.  While eating, enjoy how the food makes you feel, and eat slowly enough to feel how full your meal is making you before you overeat.  Tie your feelings together with eating in every way that you can and it will really help you be more successful.

One key are of feelings I want you to be aware of is how certain foods make you feel, especially pay attention when you cheat.  Everybody reacts differently to foods, and even to non-Paleo foods.  I have learned over time what kinds of foods I can and can’t cheat with if I expect to feel well.  Keeping a food diary early in your journey will really help with this are of your lifestyle.  You want to be able to look back and say “I feel really sluggish, what could I have eating in the last few days to cause this?”  Is your stomach more unsettled than usual?  It’s probably something you ate!

Another thing to really pay attention to when you cheat is WHY did you cheat?  If you are like me, emotional eating can be a problem.  Don’t just look back at cheats and see how they made you feel, but look at what emotions led to you cheating.  Over time you can analyze what circumstances or emotions trigger cheating so you can control them.  You want cheating to make you feel GOOD when you do it because there is no guilt involved, but that will take time and patience to achieve.

Are you hurting somewhere that you normally don’t day to day, or after a workout?  I’m not talking about typical soreness post workout; you know when something is not right. People come in to the office all the time and complain to me about something.  I talk to them about it, and come up with a plan to figure out what could be causing it.  Commonly the patient then says something along the lines of “It’s not that big a deal, let’s just not worry about it.”  Symptoms are your body’s way of talking to you.  People who ignore their symptoms are the one’s that end up with medical conditions or injuries that could likely have been prevented with earlier intervention.  If you feel something is wrong, there probably I something wrong.  Instead of just living with it, how about calling your doctor, making an apt, and getting it sorted out!

Food and feelings always go hand in hand.  Get a good hold on both concerning all aspects of your life and your diet and you will be happy you did.

Sleep:  This is such an important part of your life, I don’t want you to overlook it in any way.  The number of people out there who chronically get too little sleep is staggering.  Do something for me, for the next month keep a sleep log.  You can get great little apps for your smart phone if you would like, but it’s easy enough to do on your own.  Here is a link to the sleep diary Sleep Diary my sleep center gives out to patients and it is very useful.  I want everyone to be very aware of how much sleep they are getting and how much they are not getting.  Everyone is also different with how much sleep it “enough” for them.  The sleep literature says normal sleep is anywhere from 6-10 hours a night, but you have to see what is best for you.

The most common cause of chronic fatigue is a very technical sleep diagnosis known as ISS, or Insufficient Sleep Syndrome J.  Do you suffer from this?  Well, do the sleep log and see how many hours of sleep you are getting.  Then ask yourself this question: “Am I more tired in the day than I feel I should be?”  If the answer is yes, make a concerted effort to increase your nightly sleep by at least one hour and keep logging your sleep.  Do you see an improvement in how you feel?  If you do, then keep getting more sleep.  If you don’t, or you have trouble falling asleep, don’t settle for how you feel please.  Look up a board certified sleep physician and make an appointment.  You will NEVER feel or be your best if you are not sleeping enough.  Insufficient sleep does more than make you tired, it is dangerous and increases your risk of chronic disease.  Most people simply go through life dealing with how they feel and not trying to fix it.  Become conscious of your sleep patterns and sleep volume, and make adjustments to improve them if needed.

Ultimately you can read every book and follow every blog, but nobody out there is talking directly to you.  Only your body is talking directly to you, but you have to learn to be conscious of it and adjust to its needs.  Always remember that success with a Paleo lifestyle is up to you, and nobody can change that.  Don’t fall victim of thinking you can’t do it “right” so why bother, or that you are doing all you can.  Are you really?  Is there some place you can improve your health?  Do you have strongholds you are still not willing to give up?

You want to succeed with your Paleo goals?  Learn to cook at home, be patient with yourself, acquire the understanding of why Paleo is right for you, and become conscious of every aspect of your life.

Do you have specific keys that have helped you?  Post a response and share your experiences with everyone else.  If you have specific questions, always feel free to email me at PaleolithicMD@gmail.com.  And as always, share this blog with anyone out there who you feel could benefit from learning more about the Paleo lifestyle.

-E

In today’s Wednesday gear review, we review and compare two popular fire starters, or ferro rods. We look at the Bear Grylls Fire Starter by Gerber, and the UST Strike Force Orange. Lets take a detailed look at the specs, what kind of sparks I can get from each one, and which one I prefer to use day to day.

Come along with our family as we head to a local small lake for an overnight camping trip. We face MULTIPLE challenges along the way, so the question is, will we make it through the night!

Join me on my latest day hike adventure to a local state forest. I hike along a series of multi-use trails in an attempt to navigate to a closed down burnt bridge crossing over a lake. Weather was perfect, and a wonderful time was had. I used my cook kit to make a cup of coffee, discuss Paleo Friendly snacks on the trail, and observe hundred of ducks enjoying a dip in the lake. Come along and let’s go for a hike!

Today I will talk about one of my downfalls; not just with Paleo, but with life in general! I am guilty of not having much patience in life, and at times I think it hurts me in many ways. Let’s look at how patience is important to Paleo.

When you start down the road of a Paleo lifestyle, you are bound to have ups and downs. It is very hard, if not impossible to have the willpower to be perfect. Often you slip up and don’t even know it until much later. Even the definition of what is and is not paleo is fuzzy in certain areas so who is to know for sure where all of your choices will settle out.

I am a perfectionist, and that can be good in some places. When it comes to eating Paleo though, I have learned to avoid the temptation to think that I can be perfect. I think of my eating as a fuel meter that ranges from 0 to 100.

It is unrealistic that I can keep this meter pegged down at 100 all the time, and if I make that my only acceptable goal I will fail. I’m not saying that you should not care, or try to eat clean, but you must be patient with yourself. Life is after all to be enjoyed, and occasionally that may mean deviating from the Paleo path. I don’t do this often, but I have in the past, and I am certain I will again. The key is that when I choose to “cheat,” I do so very deliberately and with no remorse. I keep my fuel gauge as close to the 100 mark almost all the time, so I will allow for episodes of dietary indiscretion in rare instances.

When I started Paleo I was gung ho crazy to be perfect. One important part of Paleo I had not yet learned to appreciate is trying to eliminate stress from your life. If you place so much pressure on yourself to be perfect that a cheat will literally ruin your week, you have to reset your priorities a bit. I was guilty of such behavior, and I was taught early to change my ways by my biggest cheerleader…my lovely wife. One night about 4 months into changing to the Paleo lifestyle we took the kids to Dairy Queen. I can say honestly up to this point I had been 100% compliant to my knowledge, and it was becoming almost an obsession. For me, an obsession is easy to come by, and not healthy at all. We pulled through the drive thru and I ordered my kids some ice cream. As I looked at the menu, I just decided on a whim to order a Peanut Buster Parfait. I’ll be honest…I ate it all, and it was SO good. That night I could not sleep I felt so guilty. I had not planned it, and I felt weak to just order something so half-hazardly and eat it! I moped much of the next day and into the evening, and my wife, knowing me all too well, asked me what was wrong. She knew what was wrong, but asked anyway. I explained to her my guilt, and she simply asked me what I would tell a patient in that situation. It was easy to know that I would tell them that we all make errors, and you just move on.

This episode was very good for me in many ways. First I realized that even though I ate ice cream, it did not change my Paleo values in any way whatsoever. I picked up the next day and carried on with my clean diet. This showed me another aspect of food no longer controlling me. Food can control your behavior, but it can also control your reaction to your behavior. I essentially forgave myself for eating the Dairy Queen, and moved on! I never really looked back (remember the fuel gauge) and that’s something I had always had a hard time with.

This also led me to develop what I call the Paleo Cheat Hypothesis, and it goes like this. If a caveman walked into a cave way back in the day, and stumbled upon a Peanut Buster Parfait from Dairy Queen, would he taste it and reject it on principle? NO WAY! I have no doubt he would have eaten it and gone back home to tell his family! I know, I know, it’s a little silly, but just the same way that occasionally a prehistoric human found a comb of pure honey, we can occasionally gather edibles that are not the healthiest. It’s gonna happen to you eventually. You have two choices; either fester over it forever with the belief that you should have been perfect, or just let it go and move on. Just keep that gauge between 95-100 as much as possible, and everything will be ok. Always be patient with your fallible human self.

In addition to patience with yourself, you need patience with your progress. We all want to get healthier, fitter, happier, more energetic, and for our biomarkers like weight, blood pressure and cholesterol to improve. That said, it won’t happen overnight, and may not happen ever to the extent that we want. Don’t make demands on yourself and make them a prerequisite for success. Your goals are important, but so are the lessons that the journey will teach you. Use every day to learn from your successes, and your failures. Remember that going Paleo is a lifestyle, and a lifestyle lasts your whole life!

In life we all want to believe we can and should be perfect, and that we can be that way now. I advise all my patients to try to be all that they can be. This means pushing yourself, redefining what you feel you can achieve, but also to do this with a good deal of patience and appreciation for the journey. You will never be perfect, you weren’t designed to be perfect, and don’t be fooled into thinking there is anyone out there who is. I’m certainly not, and I’m actually kind of proud of that. In fact, my imperfection has taught me to be a better Christian, father, husband, doctor, and person overall.

-E

This is the second part in a series on what I feel are some of the keys to making the Paleo lifestyle successful for you over the long haul.  The first part of the series was on cooking and it seemed to be pretty well received.  Today’s topic? Understanding…

One of the most important things that will allow for long term commitment to anything in your life is understanding why you are doing it.  This may sound a bit simplistic or obvious, but take the time to think about it.  Changing your life in a way many consider “drastic” is not easy, and you need a good reason to do it!  When I started the journey on a Paleo diet I asked quite a few questions about why I should do this.  Being a physician and the fact that many Paleo principles go against much of what I was taught about diet and nutrition I set about learning as much as I could.  Making a fundamental change in your life, no matter what area it is in, requires a real belief in what you are doing.  Belief can only come with knowledge.

When my wife and I decided to go paleo, I downloaded and read Robb Wolf’s book The Paleo Solution.  I mentioned it in an earlier post, but I will give you this advice.  You need to understand two things about Paleo; how we do it, and why we do it.  Robb’s book gives you the option to simply read about the how to do it, and suggests you can follow Paleo without worrying about the why.  Of course he is right, but I think to be most affective you need to know the why.  How to follow Paleo is pretty simple as we all know.  There will be a point, or likely many points when you will feel like going back to your old ways.  A solid foundational knowledge on why you follow Paleo will serve you well during these times and get you back on track.

When I discuss any topic with my patients I hope that they ask me questions.  Curiosity about why I am telling them to do things a certain way lets me know they are thinking, and that they care about what we are talking about.  Simply taking something on blind faith is a risky proposition.  Don’t get me wrong, you have every reason to trust any of the major Paleo book writers like Robb Wolf, and his book is extremely well written, researched, and presented.  That said, you need to take ownership of your own life and health.  My experience with patients is simple; if they just accept what I’m saying to do and nod absent mindedly they are unlikely to have followed through with any recommendations I made when they return for their next follow up visit.  If they show interest and ask good questions, they are much more likely to show improvement.

So take the time to read The Paleo Solution cover to cover and UNDERSTAND.  Although the Paleo lifestyle will offer you significant improvements in many areas of your life it is not good as a means to an end of a single specific goal such as weight loss.  Look at your health as a whole and see all the ways changing your diet could help you.  Look FORWARD in your life and see how changes today can change your life tremendously many years from now.  Don’t simplify the decision to go Paleo but rather make it about long term happiness and health.

Once you fully understand the driving principles behind why following the Paleo lifestyle is best for you, you will be able to pass it on to others.  Whether it be to patients or clients of your own, friends, or even family, proper understanding will allow you to successfully lead those you care about to also go Paleo.  This ultimately is where we can make the most impact on our future.

So take the time to learn and understand Paleo, what it does, and why it does it.  You do not need a medical degree to grasp the basic concepts.  I try to learn something new about Paleo everyday, and you have all the resources you will ever need with a computer and an internet connection. You will be questioned about your diet by many, and if you plan on helping them understand why you are right (and they are wrong!) you need convincing knowledge on your side.  Study up, past the test, and join the fight!

-E

This video takes a fresh look at my ultralight cookset and some changes I have made. I have added the possibility of adding my Vargo Titanium Hexagon Wood Stove as a pot stand and windscreen, thus adding the versatility of a wood burning stove in case of emergency. Weight conscious? We look at all the weights and see where it stands. This is a very easy, “relatively” inexpensive way to put together a great cookset! Let me know what ya’ll think!