Truths:

1. There is no diet that is universal for every person or even one person for their entire life.
2. Everyone’s blood-glucose response to food is different. Genetics and your microbiome determine your glucose response even to saturated fat. (Emphasis on this because it goes against nearly everything one reads on the internet.)
3. All successful diets agree on a few things: Eat real nutrient-rich whole foods. Eat more leafy greens. And don’t consume large amounts of sugar and fat together. Generally, successful diets remove sugar or they remove fat, and sometimes they do that with an emphasis on eating more protein. You have to figure out the one that is right for you.
4. Therefore, take nothing you read about diets as dogma. You have to find what is right for you.

Ancestral Health in a nutshell:

An ancestral framework for nutrition has been a big part of my life for so long I thought maybe it is time to give it its own section. While I do envision it to one day be a one-stop-shop for information, I will start small and improve it as time progresses.

Brace yourself. Are you sitting down? I am here to inform you of the following:  You have to eat stuff to live. 

That’s right. You have to put food in your mouth, hopefully chew it, and send it on a journey down your taurus-like earthly form (think geometry, not astrology). Along the way, the food particles will be broken down and they will rub up against the walls of your delicate insides for good and for ill. Some things–molecule things–will be welcomed into your bloodstream, others rejected, and others will force their way in.

In a world of foods both good and bad, how does one decide what is the safest thing to eat?  I offer you the following hypothesis:

Maybe the safest foods to eat are the foods that humans have been eating for 2.3 million years. Let the anthropology begin!

You may have read a lot about Paleo, and many including myself have grown to dislike the word. The reason it is successful is because it works for most people by following some simple rules. This is Paleo 101. Embrace ancient foods and generally shun the new and experimental ones.

Paleo Meal Preparation

The majority of your meals should look something like this:
• 4-8 oz of lean protein such as chicken, lean beef, turkey, pork loin or seafood
• Several servings of vegetables, either raw, steamed, or lightly cooked
• Finally, round out the meal with good fats from avocado, olive oil or a handful of unsalted nuts such as almonds, pecans,
macadamias or walnuts.

Key Points
• Protein every meal
• 3-4 meals per day
• Limit fruit to 1 serving if fat loss is a goal
• Limit nuts to 1-2 oz if fat loss is a goal
• Beverages are coffee, tea, mineral water. Unsweetened. No artificial sweeteners (no, not even stevia).

Source: http://crossfitrc.com/cfrc/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/paleo-quick-start-guide-1.pdf

Paleo Groceries Shopping Guide

Protein

Chicken breast
Chicken thigh
Flounder
Snapper
Trout
Halibut
Mackerel
Bass
Salmon steak
Salmon fillet
Shrimp
New York steak
Rib eye steak
Round steak
Ground beef
Beef ribs
Rump roast
Beef stew meat
Pork loin
Pork chop
Pork ribs
Baby back ribs
Bacon
Pork roast
Lamb chops
Lamb rack
Venison steaks

Vegetables

Asparagus
Avocado
Artichoke hearts
Brussels sprouts
Beets*
Carrots
Celery
Daikon
Zucchini
Fennel Root
Kale
Chard
Dandelion greens
Spinach
Acorn Squash*
Butternut Squash*
Yam*
Sweet Potato*
Red pepper
Yellow pepper
Green pepper
Red cabbage
Green cabbage
Napa cabbage
*dense carbohydrate –
eat in moderation until
leanness goals are
reached

Fats

Coconut oil
Olive oil
Macadamia oil
Avocado oil
Lard

Herbs & Spices

Allspice
Basil
Cardamom
Cinnamon
Celery seed
Dill
Fenugreek
Garlic
Ginger
Curry-Red
Curry-Green
Curry-Yellow
Oregano
Cillantro
Nutmeg
Rosemary
Thyme
Garam Masala
Bay Leaf
Salt
Herbs de Provance
Chili powder
Paprika
Cumin
Black pepper

Source: http://robbwolf.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/thePaleoSolution_FoodMatrix.pdf

Supplementary Buying Guide

Supplements

There’s no one in the Paleo community I trust more than Chris Kresser and Robb Wolf. They both came together to create a supplement that helps boost people who are having trouble converting to Paleo because of health problems. Although Paleo is the right way to eat, and it can solve many health problems, sometimes you have to overcome certain health problems to be able to eat properly again. (e.g. Low stomach acid)  For this group of folks, I would recommend PaleoLogix Supplements.

Buy PaleoLogix Supplements @ PaleoLogix.com 

Probiotics Shopping Guide

Bimuno, a prebiotic, is the only thing I recommend at this time.

You may have heard about Prescript Assist but an independent lab recently accused them of containing lead.

Fish Oil (Omega 3, DHA and EPA) Shopping Guide

Carlson Very Finest Fish Oil provides 2,400 mg EPA and 1,500 mg DHA in a tablespoon, according to Peter Attia, M.D., who also had “detailed toxicology analytics conducted on the product to confirm the absence of lead, arsenic, mercury, and other toxins.”   If Peter Attia recommends this product, I trust him.   I don’t currently trust the go-to Kirkland brand of fish oil because it isn’t clear if they bump their Omega-3 numbers by using soy, which is listed as an ingredient for some reason. You know how fish sometimes walk on land and partake in soybeans? Me neither.

Buy Carlson Very Finest Liquid Fish Oil @ Amazon.com

Coconut Milk

When I think of coconut milk, I am *never* imagining the ready-to-drink carton beverage you see next to the milk in the grocery store. I personally find that version of coconut milk to be bland, and not surprisingly it has a lot of ingredients in it that aren’t coconut milk. Instead, I think of real coconut milk as having more in common with cream, but with a nutty background flavor. You won’t find it in the ready-to-drink aisle, but more likely in the “canned goods” section.

Coconut Milk Shopping Guide

Avoiding Bisphenol A (BPA) and Guar Gum

These coconut “milk” products lack BPA, most likely because they are in a carton instead of a can. They also lack Guar Gum, a legume derivative.

Aroy-D Coconut Milk is the most pleasant and authentic coconut milk I have tasted to date. It has a nutty flavor and subtle sweetness that, well, tastes like coconut; That’s because the only ingredient is coconut. By comparison, most canned coconut milks (I’ve tried a lot of them) have a “tinny” taste to them; Not so with Aroy-D.

Buy Aroy-D Coconut Milk @ Amazon.com

Aroy-D Coconut Cream is nearly identical to Aroy-D Coconut Milk, except after a day in the fridge it will seize up and separate like curds and whey.  You might have to use a spoon to move the cream to your coffee, but I seriously enjoyed the taste. I found it hard not to snack on this straight because the delicate texture and sweetness was like eating shaved ice cream.

Buy Aroy-D Coconut Cream @ Amazon.com

Native Forest Coconut Milk is believed to not have BPA even though it is in a can (Ref: Chris Kresser). However, I have not tried this brand and cannot comment on the texture or flavor.

Buy Native Forest Coconut Milk @ Amazon.com

Vitamin D3 Shopping Guide

When you read, study, or listen to anything regarding ancestral health, it is impossible to go 10 minutes without encountering a  “Vitamin D” recommendation. In fact, did you know that the current theory is that it may be impossible to get the flu if you have sufficient Vitamin D levels?  OK. So how do you get it? Well, for one, there is the sun. But if you are like me you spend too much time indoors and require a supplement. Right. Which one?  I’ve spent countless hours studying this stuff and I have a definitive answer:

Carlsons Vitamin D3 (liquid dropper form) is the most logical delivery of Vitamin D3 that I have encountered besides direct sunlight. Vitamin D (in supplement form) is a fat-soluble vitamin and needs to to be consumed with fat to increase absorption. Carlsons brand uses coconut oil, a substance which is obviously paleo-approved. (By comparison, many popular softgels use soybean oil.) Furthermore, recent research has shown that the effectiveness of Vitamin D softgels are questionable and do not compare to the “dropper” form. Do the dropper. But please, if you can, make sure to get Vitamin D sulfate from sun exposure. The sulfate form of Vitamin D does not need a carrier to interact with the cells of your body and in many ways has its advantages beyond the supplement form.

Buy Carlson Vitamin D3 4000 IU @ Amazon.com

Probiotics Shopping Guide

Primal Flora is the work of Mark Sisson and is recommended by Peter Attia, M.D.  Personally, I believe in fermented foods and fermentable fiber prebiotics, but if I had to take antibiotics for any reason, I would be following it up with these.

Buy Primal Flora Probiotic Blend @ Amazon.com

Dentistry

[Note to self to add section on Biological Dentistry. If you’re going to see a dentist I highly recommend finding a competent biological dentist. They are largely concerned with not putting foreign substances in your mouth such as mercury (and more), which is a good idea. Even “Gold” crowns which you may have been told are the best choice are an amalgam of other low quality metals that may cause a chronic low-grade immune response.]

Books On Health

Testing Nutritional Status: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet [link]

How to use this book: Flip to the last 10% of the book which contains a list of symptoms indexed so that you can use a symptoms to search for nutritional deficiencies. For example, you can see that dry eyes and allergies can be a Vitamin A deficiency, and the chapter on Vitamin A spells out exactly what type of diet puts you at risk for Vitamin A deficiency so you can decide if it is something to be concerned about. This book will save you tons of time and money improving your nutritional status.