Today's strength at CrossFit Epic is the traditional deadlift.  I have attached below a video demonstrating the warm-up we will be doing as well as some post-workout mobility recommended by the expert Kelly Starrett. 

http://www.thedeadlift.com/warmup-streches-for-deadlift/
Note, the warm-up should consist of dynamic movements and not static stretching. 

http://mobilitywod.blogspot.com/2011/01/episode-148365-pnf-demo-deadlifting.html
This brief mobility exercise goes a long way, and should be done after a glute/hamstring workout like the deadlift.  We will  

The ONLY thing that takes effort is cutting up the onion into small enough pieces to fit in a food processor (which if you have a food processor you know this is not very small at all). 

Finally, add the white vinegar and spice(s) of choice, and process until a thick ketchup-like liquid is formed. 

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/coconut_cream_concentrate.htm
Buy 1 get 1 free AND save $5 on shipping!!!

Coconut Cream Concentrate is amazing stuff.  Move over peanut butter, dip your spoon in this!

Coconut Cream Concentrate is healthy, tastes great, and makes for some amazing recipes.  Order now, and make yourself a batch of my Paleo Blondies (see previous post for recipe and photos)!

For those of you interested in trying coconut oil, see the link below ASAP.
http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/
Coconut oil is almost entirely saturated and its lauric acid (medium chain fatty acid) content has been shown to have numerous health benefits. 

I use Coconut Oil in nearly ALL of my recipes because it is the healthiest, most heat stable cooking oil AND it tastes delicious. 

See the recent peer reviewed journal article that shows coconut oil has hepatoprotective (liver protective) effects almost to the same extent as does silymarin (the active ingredient in milk thistle) in rats.

Being that I'm in the middle of writing my Ph.D. dissertation, the idea of having a Super Bowl party couldn't have been any more tempting.  Food, drinks, friends, and lots of 'em!  Lucky for you all, I decided to document all of it... the paleo, the not so paleo, and the anti-paleo. 

First, peel and slice the sweet potatos.  Throw all the slices in a pan that has already been heated to melt the coconut oil.  Sprinkle the pumpkin pie spice on top, and add the butter or remaining coconut oil if you're avoiding dairy (butter IS dairy and is therefore NOT considered Paleo). 

Creamy Pesto Dip:
This dip is a combination of a store-bought, oil-based pesto mix and cream cheese.  Although delicious, this dip contains dairy and encourages the consumption of bread.  This a non-paleo 'bad' Super Bowl item. 

Dangerously 'Ugly', but damn good.  My all time favorite beer is this one you see pictured here.  I used to drink dark, coffee-like porters and nut brown ales regularly... until I found out about what wheat and gluten do to our bodies- havoc on the gut I tell you!  In fact, ever since I cut beer out I would be stupid to ever go overboard drinking the stuff, as the one time I did, I was severely ill the next day (no joke)!  Our bodies get used to not being exposed to the stuff, and then when we all the sudden consume gluten-containing foods again, we are able to feel exactly what it does.  Trust me- no good!  On this day though, this Super Bowl 2011, I was having me a scrumptious nut brown ale and enjoying every minute of it.  Definitely an 'ugly' indulgence. 

Hey Elke,

First off, i want to say i really enjoy your posts. I think it's really cool the route that you are taking w/ your health and seems like you are going to make a future out of it. So congrats. I know you are busy, but i have a few questions if you can just get back to me whenever you get a chance:

1) Paleo diet restricts dairy in the form of milk, however you still allow yourself cheese, butter, sour cream, and whey protein correct? How can you separate pure milk from milk products? One of the same if you ask me.

2) In your latest blog you mentioned replacing apples, watermelon, mangos, etc w/ berries and apricots? Why replace natural occuring fruits? Wouldn't paleolithic man come accross these frutis as well? I believe off hand berries and apricots have a lower glycemic index, but we dont' get that from our innate.

3) Raw food....i believe most of my food i eat should be raw. What are your thoughts?

4) What oil do your cook your eggs in? Butter? Butter isn't as saturated as coconut oil. Is there still a risk for turning the fats into trans fat?

5) Don't some paleo heads say we shouldn't eat eggs? Why is that?

6) Beans have numerous health benefits, do you not eat beans because you don't feel paleo man would come accross these?

My response:

1) Milk is different from pasteurized dairy products like cheese and yogurt. I do not over-dose on these products, however full-fat dairy from grass-fed animals is high quality stuff and has a lot to offer the non-autoimmune female especially. For an individual starting the paleo diet, I would advise them to cut out all dairy for 30days, then add it back in slowly...as this is the only way to tell if one is negatively affected by it. Also worth noting, dairy can cause acne, so those who suffer from that will generally improve significantly from cutting it out of their diet.

2) As far as my fruit suggestions, I suggest those that are more nutrient-dense and lower in fructose. Fructose intake is associated with lower glycemic index, but this is misleading. FRUCTOSE IS POISON- the lower GI is because fructose is immediately metabolized in the liver without a first affecting blood. Fructose has very similar effects on the liver as does alcohol, so think about it that way. Our "health food product" Agave Nectar- almost entirely fructose and = poison!

3) Raw food, I say go for it.  I have a friend who gets his meats from local farms (as do I), BUT he eats the meat entirely RAW. As far as vegetables, I would advise cooking them, as they contain some antinutrients that can be deactivated by cooking. Think of it this way, plants dont move, so instead they have protective 'things' coating them. They also can contain sapponins and lectins (some more than others) which can be hard on digestion and the gut.

4) I cook my eggs almost always, in bacon fat. My bacon is from pasture-raised pigs from a local farm, therefore the bacon fat is excellent in quality and taste. I am not sure of your background on grassfed and pastured-raised meats, but they are FAR greater in quality than the commercial stuff. The fat profile is more or less ideal. I use butter occasionally to make my paleo pancakes, and also coconut oil to fry up sweet potatoes. Basically, when cooking, stick with saturated fats/ animal fats. Butter is over 53% saturated i believe so it is legit (although those with autoimmine should refrain from using it because it is classified dairy).

5) Eggs are great. Be sure to get the farm fresh eggs, or omega-3 enriched. "vegetarian fed" means dogshit, as chickens are not naturally vegetarians. If you are autoimmune you may want to stay away... although worth noting that in my experience helping some autoimmune individuals, the yolks dont seem to bother them, and the yolks are the most essential part. Recall what I mentioned about fructose and ethanol wrecking havoc on the liver...CHOLINE is plentiful in egg yolks and mitigates these effects. Hangover?  Eat eggs...good stuff!

6) Beans are NO GOOD. They contain LECTINS and are destructive to your gut! Some people can tolerate them after soaking them overnight to remove/deactivate some of the lectins, but you are much better off without them. Period.  There are far more nutritious foods that quickly bump beans off the list for "optimal human diet."

I have many friends who can not tolerate any dairy among many other things... and this became ever more apparent after they cut these foods out of their life and were quickly feeling much better and higher energy.  Maintenance of a certain diet is different than the initial, strict 30 day trial I recommend people do to determine what foods are problematic.  After that time, just follow a general rule of eating REAL foods, and you should be significantly better off than you were before. 

What about me?  I went from eating no red meat for 8yrs to eating it every day. I am not 'strict paleo' BUT moreso I live a certain lifestyle. I am active and do NOT suffer from autoimmine or metabolic disease so this works well for me.

I welcome any and all questions.