Chickens and Eggs – An Example of Our Food Confusion

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Sean

I was watching television the other day and there was an investigative news show on the question of which eggs were the healthiest to eat.  This investigation put the eggs through a gamut of tests to see how they measured up to the latest and greatest scientifically reduced health indicators – in this case, the amount of the omega 3 fatty acid.  So, they started with the cheapest and most common white eggs from the grocery store.  This was the baseline egg and they moved up from there in terms of cost and perceived quality.  They went quickly from the discount grocery store up the ladder to better and better food stores looking at more expensive and presumably healthier eggs.

Of course, the chickens, being the sources of the eggs could not escape this scientific scrutiny.  The first eggs came from caged, mass farmed chickens then from “free run” chickens and then “free range” chickens.  Then they looked at “organic chickens” and on and up from there.  There were plenty of camera shots of distinguished and intelligent looking customers mulling over eggs in the small, quaint and expensive markets.  Many of them wore casual tweed jackets and had glasses making them look even smarter.  Their graying hair, well chosen words and intelligent discretion seemed to give their purchases of the most expensive eggs from the fanciest shops great credibility.

The top of the line “Rolls Royce” egg seemed to be the high omega 3 organic egg which came from an organically fed, free range chicken.  These poor birds were, by the way, force-fed flaxseed oil just to ensure the highest amount of healthful omega 3 fat.  The mostly middle aged, spectacle wearing people buying this egg all seemed quite urbane.  Their mannerisms and expensive clothing made them look like judges, CEO’s and neuro-surgeons getting their groceries on their way home from work.  These eggs were at least 5 times more expensive than the cheapest eggs.  The witty little surprise at the end of the report was that the most expensive eggs were no better nutritionally than the cheapest ones.

Alright, knowing all of the latest terms for describing the way chickens are raised and the associated ascending prices, I knew beforehand what the results of this investigative report would be.  Funny enough, this report did not leave the viewer with an answer on where to actually get the healthiest egg, and therefore the healthiest chicken.  That didn’t really matter to me as I already knew the answer to that question.  That would be a chicken raised eating and doing exactly what a chicken would do in its truly natural habitat.

A growing body of scientific research indicates that pasture substantially changes the nutritional profile of chickens and eggs.  The healthful beta-carotene, folic acid and vitamin E present in green grass find their way into the flesh of the animals that eat it. Pastured animals also contain conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid that some recent studies indicate may help reduce weight and prevent cancer.  CLA is absent from feedlot animals.

Here is a little reminder on our plague of diet related chronic diseases such as obesity, and heart disease that are currently ravaging the bodies and minds of so many in our society.  Omega 6 fatty acids are inflammatory and clot blood; omega 3 fats are anti-inflammatory and thin our blood. Animals eating what nature intended for them to eat (like grass) have an omega 6 to omega 3 ratio of roughly 2 to 1.  Our industrialized corn fed animals are at roughly 10 to 1.  As this plot thickens with more and more pejorative scientific evidence stacking up, it doesn’t take much speculation to figure out how industrializing our food has harmed us.  The only good news is that we know all pastured animals; chickens, cows or otherwise have the most healthful balance and quantities of these fatty acids.  (Thank you Michael Pollen for most of the facts noted above)

Getting back to the chickens and eggs; those other terms – “cage free” “free range” and “free run” are now as meaningless and misrepresentative as the word “organic”.  Still, a newer term which has yet to be completely bastardized and adulterated is “pastured”. This term currently describes chickens that wander around eating their natural diet – leafy greens, worms, insects, and fallen fruit.  They are moved from pasture to pasture eating what nature meant them to eat and nothing else. Like the other terms it only has a limited time before it enters the brains of the spectacled, well dressed consumers described earlier – only to be used as a dangerous weapon against their fountain-like disposable income.  The irrefutable logic of all we know about nature and nutritional science strongly suggests that pastured chickens and their eggs are the healthiest ones to eat.

Sadly, I am betting that as we speak there are MBA’s working for the massive chicken producers who are figuring out how to debase, dilute and otherwise ruin the integrity of the word “pastured” also.  So I have learned not to rely on these short lived terms.  I get to the point with longer descriptions like:  “the chicken walked around in its natural environment, ingesting only what a chicken would naturally eat, living the normal life of a chicken interacting with other chickens, with enough space to behave entirely like a chicken.”  It would be really difficult for even the big agriculture to completely steal that one.

So what is the real irony of this television show with no answer and all of the wealthy people buying really overpriced eggs from chickens that were force fed flaxseed oil and are no healthier than the cheapest ones?  Please consider very poor people in very poor countries.  People living in tiny villages with no electricity or any of the comforts or modern luxuries we are accustomed to.  If you look closely at their modest village settings, you almost always see a few chicken, as well as dogs and other animals just wandering freely around the village.  Well, those chickens and their eggs are much healthier, by far then the ones the wealthy, pseudo-sophisticated “well informed” elites are paying a fortune for in our overpriced high-end stores.  It’s true.  It’s also very ironic, funny and sad that we have come to be mired in such confusion.  I wonder if those poor people in their rural settings realize that they could likely sell their eggs for $2.00 each in downtown San Francisco or New York.

This chicken and egg example is applicable to any other living creature on the planet.  It’s really simple – even when you exclude our growing body of confirming “after the fact” scientific evidence – if the animal ate what nature intended it to eat the healthful benefits of eating that animal are infinitely profound.  The fact that we have disregarded this simple truth represents the “problem” in a nutshell.

If you’re looking for a natural weight loss diet and exercise program. Check out the eco-diet at http://www.eco-diet.com and start improving your health today.

Posted in Lifestyle, Modern Diet | Leave a comment

The Natural Human Diet – Disbelief and Denial

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Sean

Whether I like it or not, given what I do for a living I get into a lot of discussions regarding food.  Aside from the usual critical commentary regarding dairy and grains not being human food, I am often met with blunt disbelief.  “Milk and bread not a part of our diet?  Why that’s impossible!  Look at what the government food guide states!  You’re crazy!”

In these discussions, I often state that most processed foods that are a perfectly acceptable part of our modern diet according to our medical and government establishments.  Yet, they are in fact causal components of much of our current disease and general ill health.  Although the diary and grains idea is usually enough, suggesting that a compromise has been established between our governments and the food industry is mostly met with complete disbelief.  This type of critic is usually older than I am.  Their answer to the proven science and philosophy linking the human evolutionary diet and robust health is outright denial.

These critics usually have an unshakable faith in the probity and good conduct of big business and government.  They do not believe for a second that there could be any malfeasance involved with our food supply associated with these all-powerful entities. They have even said that I am the naïve victim of leftist and even conspiratorial false information.

The discussion almost always gets political, which is funny because my views are mostly conservative.  So, I calmly present proven, substantiated, and scientifically irrefutable dietary facts.  I site references, documented examples and unassailable evidence of this position.  Finally, I suggest sarcastically that perhaps they are right and ask “when in human history has money and power ever corrupted people, corporations, or governments?”

If you want to learn more about a natural weight loss diet and exercise program–one that doesn’t rely on government “statistics” to help you get the results you want, then check out the eco-diet at http://www.eco-diet.com

Posted in Lifestyle, Modern Diet | Leave a comment

Our Food – Illusion and Pacification 101

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Sean

Recently, I visited a couple of really exclusive butcher shops and so called “gourmet” markets.  These shops are located in the wealthiest parts of the city in which I live.  They were small, beautiful and very well staffed.  It was like I had died and gone to grocery heaven.  Everywhere I looked there were perfect displays of delicious looking fresh foods.  The smells of these places is what I remember most.  The scent of the fresh breads, lasagna, and roast chickens was magnetic.

So this was how the super rich ate!  Here I found pheasant, duck, exotic pates, organic baked goods, cheeses, imported extra, extra virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars that looked like really expensive wines.  I found stone ground organic corn chips, salsa and guacamole and I found meats and foul that were guaranteed organic and “naturally raised”.  All of this stuff had one thing in common – it was ridiculously expensive.  I mean, it was off the charts.  Unless you were very wealthy you would never shop at any of these places without being completely financially irresponsible.

These shops were jammed with customers.  The majority of the clientele seemed to be wealthier housewives from the surrounding upper crust neighborhoods.  I took a number and waited at the meat counter on one visit.  The lady asked me if I was next and I answered “No” but I did have a quick question.  I asked, “Did she have any animal meat that was fed its natural diet”.  I elaborated; “was the meat for sale from grass fed cows or sheep that were raised naturally and grazed in pastures?  Did she have chickens that were not fed chicken feed but rather just ate what chickens ate in their natural state walking around in the grass?”  Her answer was a polite but decisive “No”.  She knew exactly what I was getting at and they did not sell it.  She mentioned that they had tried selling it once before but that the demand was not there so they stopped and stayed with their certified organic and regular meats.  She suggested that I try a health food store.

A couple of ladies in the line overheard my questions and her answers.  They interrupted our conversation to ask me some sudden and concerned questions.  “Wait a minute, isn’t that what “organic” “free run” or “naturally raised” means?”  I smiled and politely answered, “No, those are simply legally allowed names and marketing gimmicks used to sell animal products that have been fed organic feed”.  I added that “these monikers can unfortunately be very misleading.”  Their reactions were a combination of shock, confusion and dismay.

The fact is this overpriced food is either same as, or very close to the meat you buy in the regular grocery chain stores.  So what were they paying extra for?  Really, they were paying for false comfort.  They were paying for the mistaken perceptions of higher quality and exclusivity.  They were being fooled.  I find this type of trickery to be very common these days.  The stores sure were beautiful, though and they were making a ton of money.

If you’re looking for a natural weight loss diet and exercise program–one that doesn’t rely on false comfort or high price food marketed as organic, check out the eco-diet at http://www.eco-diet.com

Posted in Lifestyle, Modern Diet | Leave a comment

Organic Food-What The Hell Happened?

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Sean

Organic:  3a(1) Of, relating to, or derived from living organisms (2) Of, relating to, yielding, or involving the use of food produced with the use of feed or fertilizer of plant or animal origin without employment of chemically formulated fertilizers, growth stimulants, or pesticides <organic farming> <organic produce>

Most “organic” food simply ain’t what is used to be.  Let me try and explain why.  The huge companies that comprise our modern food industry can be summed up in one word – money.  That’s it; the more money they make the happier their shareholders and management will be.  More money makes them more competitive and more powerful.  It’s simply the dominant force that drives them.  No secret here.  Please remember that these companies are not in the business of doing primarily what is genuinely in OUR best interest.  As a result, they are not in the business of producing food that optimizes peoples’ nutrition and health.  The problem for us is that when something pure and real like “organic food” represents a golden opportunity to make more money, these companies will get involved.  This unfortunately, is bad news for us.

The word “organic” is a super brand unto itself in today’s modern industrial age.  It conjures up visions of real, pure food with no pesticides, chemical fertilizers or herbicides and no genetic engineering.  We tend to think of cows and chickens happily wandering around beautiful green fields, no confinement, no hormones, no antibiotics, no corn or other crap in their feed.  Indeed, we picture the answer to all of these problems – in one word.

We picture idealistic farmers using only back breaking work and Mother Nature to produce real and healthy food untainted by corporate and industrial meddling.  We picture hippies on communes or some grass roots agrarian religious culture working the land with only primitive tools and methods.  The yield is natural, healthy and pure food brought to you courtesy of the sun, earth, water and hard working people.  We picture something completely outside of corporate control.  This is just not the food you would expect from some huge, modern industrial complex.  Think again!

The market for organic foods is now well over $12 billion per year.  This market, built on the backs of the aforementioned small farmers and hippies became ripe for the picking by the huge food companies just a few short years ago.  With the organic food segment growing at over 20% per year and the other sectors of the grocery industry slumping along at a couple of percent per year, we should have known that these companies weren’t going to leave this one alone for very long.

Here’s where we get to the bad news; many of hippies have sold out.  You are more likely to get a tour of their original commune in their new Hummer – them at the wheel with a short hair cut, in a $2,000 suit trying to reconcile their compromise with the very industrial machine they were fighting.  They would likely be telling you all of the really good things about General Mills.  This is an ironic and monumental sellout of epic proportions; it would be right up there with, oh I don’t know…. Black Sabbath putting out a disco album.  Money is a very powerful seducer.  Everything the movement and the word “organic” stood against and protected us from has literally swallowed up and consumed the word.  Sadly, what started out as an answer to the evils of industrial food has become part of it.

Once they had their eyes on the prize, one of the first things our modern food industry needed to do was surreptitiously broaden the definition such that their industrial processes would easily fit into the scope of this powerful word.  Indeed, the USDA from 1990 forward, bowing and cowing to the all-powerful corporate interests watered down and extended the boundaries of the term.

I bet you never knew that “certified organic” could include the following:  genetically modified crops, irradiated food, sewage sludge in food production, food additives, synthetic chemicals, and preservatives.  I bet you didn’t realize that “organic” cows are still confined, side by side in grassless enclosures, eating genetically modified “organic” corn.  The livestock raised under this vast definition are hardly protected under its new rules.  Provisions for these animals like “access to pasture” or “access to the outdoors” are vague, unenforceable and therefore meaningless.

In the world of organic chicken production, to get past those pesky rules on steroids and growth hormones, industrial organic chicken farms are cross breeding chickens with a laser-like emphasis on increasing the size of the chicken breast at the maximum speed.  We have a little problem here in that these genetically engineered chickens’ little legs won’t support their grossly increased breast size and they collapse on themselves.  (I think evolution does a better job – but tell that to our modern industrial chicken producers).  (Most of the facts above are courtesy of Michael Pollen’s great work).

In the end we have overpriced organic meat, organic milk, organic pizza, organic processed foods and even organic tv dinners conveniently available at you local Whole Foods store or even Wal-Mart.  These foods are more expensive yet still contain many of the same chemical ingredients that the old processed foods are made with.  Instead of high fructose corn syrup you will find “organic” high fructose corn syrup.  What we don’t realize is that the very idea we are paying extra for, which gives us comfort and makes us feel we have “done the right thing” has been high-jacked, adulterated, debased and bastardized by the same old bad guys.

Okay, okay – no, eating organic won’t kill you.  It’s better than not eating organic.  What I am angry at is how the word has been stolen, not the purity of this great idea or the original, true organic movement.  Several studies have confirmed that organic fruits and vegetables are more nutritious to eat than their non-organic counterparts.  Just do me a favor and let your trust and consumption of organic food correspond inversely to where it is on the food chain and how processed it is.

It’s much better to buy lettuce or an apple than organic meat.  Animal food is higher up the food chain and more likely to be ill-affected by the way the term “organic” has been compromised.  Whereas, our modern food industry just can’t subject fruit and vegetables to as much of their mischief.  For God’s sake don’t buy any organic processed foods like pizza or tv dinners or any of the other usual suspects.  That is exactly what they want you to do and this is where they can make the most money – selling you the same crap with a few trivial changes but for a hugely inflated price.

Please don’t be allayed and pacified by the organic food packaging you will see showing quaint farm settings and telling tales of food “the way it used to be”.  Yeah….. farmer Brown with his 50 acres, cute little pond, 58 chickens and his cow “Bessy” just supplied 1200 whole foods stores and 8000 Walmart super centers with all of their organic food!  My ass! They’re lying.  This is nothing but misrepresentative marketing.  The milk, hamburger patties, and the chicken breasts came from the same brutal confined animal feeding operations jammed with sad tortured animals eating organic corn from the organic force-feeding trough.

Finally, avoid buying organic food from large retail chains because you are paying for their size.  You see, they can’t buy from small farms that refused to sell out or that would sell to them because their volume is just too big.  So, they have compromised the food to fit into their industrial system.  The simple answer here is to buy from local farms and farmers’ markets as much as possible.  They are springing up everywhere, often have home delivery and in my experience are often cheaper than the big retailers.  Most importantly, the food they produce is much likelier to be up to the true “organic” standard.  I’ve done the research and have proven this to myself.  You can put all of your fears and worries to rest with one simple decision.  Remove your “organic” food from our modern industrial agriculture’s food loop.

If you’re looking for a weight loss diet and exercise plan and want to learn more about how truly organic food fits into it, check out the eco-diet at our home page, http://www.eco-diet.com
Posted in Lifestyle, Modern Diet | Leave a comment

Industrialized Food-Oh The Hypocrisy

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Sean

There is one strikingly ironic difference between the small farmers I buy my food from and the owners of our modern industrial food companies. I find this difference impossible to reconcile. The families that own and run the grass fed beef and game farms that I visit actually eat their own food. These people eat the beef, buffalo, elk, deer, chickens, hogs, vegetables, and fruits that their farms produce. They are very proud of the health benefits of the food that they help nature create. More important, they insist on feeding it to their children. To observe this small sample of people is to observe health personified. Their skin color, energy, lucidity and overall good health are impossible to miss.

On to my point; let’s look at the other guys, the major shareholders and executives who own and run the giant companies from our collective modern food industry. These are very wealthy and educated people. Does the CEO of McDonald’s restaurants eat McDonald’s food? Does he feed it to his children? Does his family eat it with the same regularity with which he would have us eat it? How about that guy from Wendy’s on the television commercials, what about that guy; fries and a hamburger with a Frosty – everyday, right? I suppose he fed this stuff to his own daughters exclusively too. No? But how could that be? I know the film “Supersize Me” showed clearly that 3 months on a diet of only McDonald’s food can be very dangerous to your health and quite possibly fatal. McDonalds doesn’t seem to think so.

Okay, let’s consider the guys who own and run companies like General Mills, Con Agra, Monsanto, Nestle or Kraft. These companies do very well and these guys are wealthy. Let’s say we visited their multi-million dollar homes and walked right into their kitchens, past their housekeepers and children. If we took a look into their cupboards, fridges and freezers what do you suppose we would find? Do you think we would find Cheeze Whiz, Tang, corn syrup, lard, Captain Crunch, Fruity Pebbles, Ragu canned tomato sauce? Would we discover Snickers chocolate bars, or Wonder bread? A lot of that stuff is enriched with vitamins and minerals now! No? What about in the freezer; TV dinners, Pizza Pockets? What are their children – just home from private school – eating for dinner? Let me hazard a guess; a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken with some Dr. Pepper to wash it down. I highly doubt it.

What about the corporate lawyers who defend the practices of these companies. Many of these firms are accused of wrongdoing regarding the representations of health for the food products they make. Would their kitchens be filled with the same great products? , I highly doubt that as well. How could that be though? Have you seen the commercials and the advertising? What about all the great things they say about all of these products? How on earth could they not have cases of the stuff in their own homes? No doubt they would get all that food for next to nothing since they own and run these companies. You’re shaking your head “no” and smiling. I would have to agree with you.

This brings up a rather large and unavoidable irony. I personally construe this as a contradiction of planetary proportions. The companies these folks own are spending billions of dollars to absolutely ensure that other people and their children are eating this food. Most of the customers buying this food are far less advantaged than they are; many are down right poor. That seems to be more than okay to these modern food industry executives and owners. In fact they make sure that nothing gets in the way of customers buying more and more of their processed food. The more addicted more and more people become to these products and brands, the more money they make.

You can’t really miss the simple and glaring hypocrisy of this example. If you and I are quite sure that these people are not eating the processed foods from their own giant food companies – why on earth are we? This type of elitist thinking – this thought that the few are simply granted some kind of divine privilege and power over the many for their own short term, selfish gain is exactly the type of thinking that will ensure cockroaches will still be here long after we have destroyed ourselves as a species.

The real shame of this broken system is that it is our children who are showing the biggest increases in diet related diseases. They are the clear targets of the most aggressive marketing from these companies.

What if we chose the top 10 executives and shareholders from McDonalds, and their board of directors? Let’s include their corporate lawyers. Now, let’s round up all their children and feed them McDonald’s food exclusively for 2 months straight. Do you think they would mind? Would they protest as their childrens’ blood turned effectively into syrup, their body fat increased dramatically, and their cholesterol went through the roof? Recent independent studies suggest they would likely be admitted to the hospital before the two months were over. How about half their meals from McDonald’s for 4 months? Nope, I highly doubt they would allow this to happen.

I find this impossible to reconcile. They want our children to eat this stuff every day and they spend millions of dollars to ensure this. They defy and beat down those who would stand in their way through ominous legal threats and harsh litigation in our courts. The hypocrisy hits me like a freight train.

If you’re interested in a natural weight loss diet and exercise plan that will help you lose extra pounds and have you feeling good, please check out the eco-diet. It’s an all natural program based on both scientific evidence as well as the natural diet followed by our ancestors for thousands of years.

Posted in Lifestyle, Modern Diet | Leave a comment

Why I Love My Job

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Sean

Imagine living in a world filled with disease. This is horrible, chronic debilitating disease with seemingly no escape. Worse, imagine that endless promises to set you free from this illness just cause you more hardship and make things even worse.

Okay, now imagine that in this sea of despair, you found a solution that permanently cured you. Then, you were able communicate this cure and free others from the same disease that you were stuck with. Imagine that you were able to do this over and over and over again. That world is, unfortunately North America. The disease I am speaking of is the collection of related, chronic health maladies caused by the generally accepted North American diet. This is the diet that is making us so fat. This is a diet actually sanctioned by our health professionals, institutions and even our government.

It’s really fun being iconoclastic, but also having science and the truth on your side. It’s also really satisfying being able to prove these convictions every day. So, am I some kind of genius? Nope. I really wish I was, but I’m afraid I am simply a messenger. On the other hand, the great doctors and scientists responsible for the wonderful principles I communicate would very likely be considered geniuses. Every day, I pass on a simple plan that invariably unshackles those who embrace it. The folks I talk to are tired, confused, and desperate (just like I was). I ask them to do 3 things:

1. Eat primarily (at least 80% of your calories):

  • naturally raised meats
  • fruits
  • vegetables
  • some nuts and seeds

2. Move your body doing something you love

3. Build some muscle via the most efficient, proven successful methods possible

I tell them that to control the speed and intensity of their fat loss and improvement in health – simply do more of the above 3 things. I wrote a book to provide the scientific proof and detailed instructions on exactly how to do these 3 things. I wouldn’t know anything about failure, because it’s never happened. This plan has only resulted in success.

Sometimes when I tell people about this plan, the conversation goes like this:

“That’s it?” “Yup”

“You are kidding, right?” “Nope”

“Can you prove it?” “Absolutely!”

“Wait a minute….no pharmaceuticals, no boot camps, no “no pain, no gain”, no hardship, no yelling, no starvation, no calorie counting, no surgery, no dietitians, no expensive pre-packaged food plans, no diet drinks, no secret herbs, no fitness gadgets, no running, no aerobics, no treadmills?”

“…an emphatic NO to all of the above. Try it, for 3 days to a week. You’ll see.”

Posted in Exercise | Leave a comment

Overpriced Nonsense

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Sean

“Chicken breasts for $12.00 a pound? You’re $%&@ing kidding me right? Tell me you are $#%@ing kidding me!”

This is a small part (my part) of a recent conversation I had at a small boutique food store in my neighborhood. I apologize for the obvious foul language, but honestly, sometimes there is a need for foul language.

This small store is part of a city wide chain and is representative of a huge lie that is making some people a ton of money, at the expense of their less than enlightened but obviously wealthy customers. That illusion is that healthy, farm-direct foods are extremely expensive and so we should pay much, much, more. This idea was started and propagated by companies like “Whole Foods”, but has been capitalized on and made worse by small expensive stores like this.

This store even has the word “farm” right in the name, giving it even more pseudo-credibility. Now this store “looks” really good. It is adorned with beautiful floors and earth tone colors, small bins full of perfectly placed fruits and vegetables, smiling and professional staff, perfect packaging…and of course really, really, really, REALLY, expensive food.

There is an uncomfortably strange communication in this store that all things pastoral are clean, clinical, pleasant and perfect. For anyone who has actually set foot on a real farm though, this is about as ridiculously artificial as plastic flowers. This ambiance of this store strongly suggests that the Gabor sisters or Kardashians would be right at home standing in a muddy field watching the hogs root for insects and grubs. Obviously, it’s important to keep their wealthy customers comfortably bathed in this warm illusion.

So, their chicken breasts were $12.00 per pound. Yet, I can get real, pastured (that is chickens wandering around OUTSIDE eating stuff off the ground that chickens naturally eat – insects, leafy greens, lush plants, dropped fruit, etc) from at least 3 other stores within the same neighborhood for about $5.99 a pound. These small, family run stores proudly tell you all about the farms that their chickens come from and exactly how they are raised. Now, because the chickens from these other places were actually raised in their natural environment, not only are they cheaper, but…

THERE ARE MUCH HIGHER QUALITY &%#@ING CHICKENS!!!!

Sorry, I know, I swore again. It’s just that this stuff makes me so angry. It should make you angry too if you have been shopping at overpriced stores like this. Not only are they ripping us off, but they are also calling us stupid as they take our money.

It gets better (worse)! So I asked the lady “why on earth the chickens at this store were so expensive when the other 3 stores were half the price for truly farm direct, naturally raised chickens?” Her reply was “well, these chickens had really expensive chicken feed, so that must be reflected in the higher price”. I replied that Chicken feed should basically be free because a pastured animal wanders around foraging for its natural food which was provided by nature and the last time I checked all that stuff was in fact – FREE!. Her reply: “Oh no, these birds were never allowed outside. They were kept penned up their whole lives because if they went outside, they might get bird flu, so they had to be fed the expensive feed in-doors, all year round”

WHAT THE &%@#!???

Okay, let me get this straight, you are selling me chicken breasts for $12.00 per pound that are basically industrially raised and from a confined animal feeding operation. It may sound like the “room and board” is top notch for these birds, but I highly doubt the chickens would agree. So, these chickens weren’t even from a small farm. They were from a confined animal feeding operation! That’s not a farm. That’s a livestock factory. So, name and misrepresentative bucolic imagery aside, the reality is that this store sells overpriced food from tortured animals that were not even raised on a real farm!

It gets worse. She told me that they weren’t even certified “organic” and that those chickens “were even more expensive so that their price was actually a really great deal.”

A Side note. Well, it’s obvious that the term “organic” has gone to hell in a hand basket. If the word organic were a person, it would be getting gang raped by the food companies comprising our modern industrial agricultural industry. Sorry, but this has to be said. Please, hang your heads and lament for the word “organic” because it’s true meaning is long gone where public perception is concerned. It still exists in the hearts and minds of the small farmers who continue to struggle against modern agriculture. Unfortunately though, for most of the uninformed public it’s a grand illusion created to charge you exorbitant prices, the true meaning long dead.

I was speechless. I hung my head and headed for the door in anger and despair. I quickly high-tailed it over to my favorite neighborhood farm store where real chickens and other great stuff sell for half the price. This store doesn’t look quite as “perfect” and its location is not as central as the first one. When I got to that great store, the family members who own and run it thought it was odd that on that particular day I thanked them about 7 times for opening such a great business and feeding grateful customers like myself. They started to laugh after the 5th “thank you” wondering what had got into me that day.

Posted in Modern Diet, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Fitness Nonsense

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Sean

I’m sure you have heard the old “take the stairs” adage. How about, “walk to work”, or “don’t take the car, ride your bike”. To me this advice is well intended, but rarely realistic and not an answer to your problem. It’s part of the idea that you should squeeze in physical activity whenever possible in your regular daily routine. The problem here is the implication that hardship and discipline, even in little bits should be sprinkled into your life to help solve your fat loss problems.

Running a mile on a treadmill will burn approximately 100 calories. 3 little Oreo cookies contain of 210 calories. So, you would need to run on treadmill for over 2 miles just to burn off those 3 little cookies. Worse, if you are hungry from the run, depending on what you eat afterward you may actually end up adding more calories than you burned off.

These realities show clearly just how negligible the effects of taking the stairs or walking to work really are (especially without first correcting your diet). Yet, they weigh on your mind every time you step into an elevator or get out of your car. Guilt – you’ve been bad, you are lazy. Nonsense! Sorry, but I am not climbing the damn stairs! I have a hot coffee in my hand, I’m carrying a briefcase and I’m wearing a fresh pressed suit, why the hell would I climb 5 flights of stairs? Furthermore, I always run into my friends on the elevator. I love seeing who will be on the elevator every morning, joking around and saying hello. I will not climb stairs for the same simple reasons will not take my 10 speed bike to work. I just got up and I have a meeting. I am going to get in my comfortable car, turn on my favorite jazz station, stop at Starbucks for a coffee and collect my thoughts for the day.

Don’t get me wrong, I always take a walk at lunch. I never drive anywhere for lunch. The difference is that at lunch I long for some fresh air, to move my body a little, get outdoors and say hello to some people other than those that I work with. It’s simple, effortless joy, not work or denial that gets me to move my body.

A great part of this answer is to simply move with your natural harmony and flow, not against it. Almost every ill-conceived thought on exercise involving work, denial and discipline breaks this rule. Even worse, these negative thoughts thwart your natural longing to exercise by falsely causing your mind to associate moving your body with hardship. Punishment as a method for getting anyone to repeat a task breaks all rules of behavioral psychology. This is one of the underlying reasons for our repeated failure to exercise regularly. Please do not fall into this trap. Find the things you naturally enjoy doing that move your body and you have found the answer. You must apply this philosophy to everything you do.

Posted in Exercise | Leave a comment

What A Coincidence

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Sean

Money and greed consistently come up as the main underlying drivers behind why so many industries thrive on the public being increasingly fat and sick. To completely avoid this predicament, here is a quick summary of the advice I give anyone on how to become exceedingly lean, strong and healthy:

  1. human evolutionary diet<(70-80% of your total calories). Avoid dairy and grains as much as possible. When eating non-evolutionary foods, make sure they are as unprocessed as possible
  2. Move your body ONLY in ways that make you happy– we’ll call that “exercise”
  3. Build musclevia the fastest, most productive, efficient and beneficial method known. That is,strength trainusing the most scientifically advanced principles available.

What a coincidence that practicing these truly effective ideas will provide practically NO $ revenue for:

  • Fast food and chain restaurants for their low quality food
  • Expensive diet plans and books or programs with expensive meal plans
  • Expensive gyms with ideas that exhaust us but get us nowhere
  • Expensive, repetitive personal training that provides us with no permanent success
  • Expensive exercise plans or gadgets that work temporarily or not at all
  • The pharmaceutical industry for their drugs to treat diet-related chronic diseases
  • The medical industry for treatment of the same preventable diet-related chronic diseases

Let’em starve!

…just like we used to, by trying to undo the damage of their horribly fattening and unhealthy food and tortuously ineffective but expensive ideas that did nothing but keep us fat and sick.

We are talking about $ trillions of dollars here – literally! It’s your money, not theirs. Now some of that money would no doubt instead go directly to small farmers and their local farmers markets. Some of it may go towards some equipment, lessons or travel for fun activities or sports. Some of it may also go towards proven training methodologies that actually build functional muscle and keep us fit and healthy. Most of it though would stay right in your bank account – right where it belongs.

And of course, if you’re looking for an all-natural diet and fitness plan to guide you, we’ve developed “The Eco-Diet.” It’s a scientifically sound program based on the same diet our ancestors followed for thousands of years.

Posted in Exercise, Lifestyle, Modern Diet | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What?…So Looking Like This Isn’t Good Enough For You!?!

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Sean

Most of the folks who join our gym have never been to a real strength training facility. Racks, platforms, chains and chalk are mostly new to them. We try and get people as comfortable as possible with the new equipment and methods. This way they can begin to benefit right away.

A lot of this enlightenment to functional strength training involves clearing up the differences between the methods, goals and benefits of bodybuilding vs. those of strength training. We then try and explain how they are connected in some great ways and how one helps the other. This way, people have the tools to reach their individual goals in the most expedient way.

Nonetheless, typical questions from many of our new folks, especially younger guys include “When are you getting a Preachers curl?” or “Where is the decline bench”. They also ask why we don’t have mirrors in front or our racks and platforms so they can “watch themselves”. When asked why they want this equipment, the specific answers include, “well, I really want to work on developing a sharper peak on my biceps” or “I want to chisel up the bottom of my pec muscles” (Did I mention that these questions are almost always from younger guys?).

You can pretty much bet that these guys did not take us up on our free instruction for squats, bench pressing, dead-lifts and standing presses. Nor did they ask for our recommendations on diet. Nor are they doing any of the primary assistance exercises like dips, Romanian dead-lifts or chin-ups. Nor did they review our brief summary of the physiological rationale behind making absolute strength in certain primary indicator exercises (like squats or bench presses) the number one goal. Ditto on learning how muscle fibers (cells) engage, or the benefits of explosive, intense neuromuscular efforts, or optimal programming. Nope, they just come in and do curls and some other cool looking stuff they saw in the latest edition of their favorite body-building magazine – over and over and over again.

This is when we need to reiterate the differences between body building and strength training. Luckily, the big increases in muscle mass they attach to bodybuilding will be an inherent result of the strength training program we put them on. On the contrary, if they just concentrate on pure body-building, the many benefits of the strength training will be lost. Back to their questions and intentions regarding looking like the top pro-bodybuilders. Our reply: “Trust us, male or female I promise that looking like any of these folks will bring you complete satisfaction with your physical aesthetic:

Okay, this may be where extreme athleticism ends – it’s a really good ending!  Funny thing is, I see a lot of amateur athletes and weekend warriors who look just as good – this is entirely attainable! Further, these ladies and men are far more functional and healthier relative to their counter-parts at the extreme end of professional body-building:

Interestingly, many top athletes have physiques that look very similar to the natural drug-free bodybuilders who get much less attention than the biggest ones who must take a plethora of drugs just to be competitive.  Natural bodybuilding though, can take even more hard work, time and effort than the version rife with drugs since even more increased dieting, time at the gym and cardio exercise must take the place of pharmaceuticals.

Please, don’t get me wrong here.  There is nothing wrong with body-building!  We all body-build! Anyone who tells you they do not want to look “jacked” in their underwear is lying.  I just want good looking muscle without all that hard work and sacrifice.  Also, I want it to stay that way all the time.  I don’t want to look really good for just one day when I get up on a stage and pose.  If you put function (strength, power, speed) ahead of form on your priority list, some wonderful things begin to happen:

  • By putting optimal function first, instead of just maximizing muscular size we end up getting both.  (This does not work the other way around)
  • Far less time at the gym is required – shorter workouts (roughly an hour or less) Far less visits to the gym are required – 2 or 3 per week will be just fine
  • Improving function will inevitably involve higher intensities and that means equally increased periods of rest and relaxation to recover – (why we’re at the gym less)
  • Increased bone, tendon, nervous system strength and improvements in concentration
  • Greater fat loss occurs since the increased intensities of functional training will increase and prolong our resting metabolic rate (which will burn fat all of the time)
  • The fastest and largest muscle fibers are engaged, along with the full spectrum of other smaller fibers – that’s why this is the most efficient way to resistance train
  • You create a much stronger hormonal response building a base for much greater muscle growth and size, if and where you want it
  • YOU STILL GET THE GREAT LOOKING MUSCLE!

Yes, you will still get great looking, dense muscle.  You can still look like much like a natural bodybuilder.  Now though, your muscle won’t just look good, but it will do something!  You can also look more like the athletes from the first set of pictures.  The great news is that you will look like this pretty much all of the time and be exceedingly healthy, strong and as functional as possible.  But it’s gets even better because we can use bodybuilding tricks selectively, any time we want to build mass on a particular body part.  For guys, this is usually bigger arms, shoulders, legs, or whatever body parts you wish.

We can also steal a few bodybuilding tricks for getting that really lean look.  A Paleo diet produces the same or better long term results than the high protein, low-carb diets so popular today.  Further, it already naturally includes ketosis, carb-cycling and many of these other effective fat burning ideas.  Many of those ideas are used in bodybuilding, but not within the healthy and sound context of naturally raised meats or other elements of what is proven evolutionary science related to our food.

Bodybuilders are very adept at losing only body fat.  By keeping their “cardio” work really low in intensity such that they are burning off only body fat.  This will be accomplished for us by participating in sports or activities outside of the gym.  This will not only be more enjoyable, but much less painful than killing ourselves on some treadmill set at the steepest incline and turned up to the highest speed.

We can use some of their methods surgically as we need them and simply incorporate them into our strength program.  We can get all this without the incredible sacrifice and time in the gym that most bodybuilders must undergo to get to their temporary competition state.  With this simple strategy, we can have our cake and we can eat it too!

Again, I don’t think there is anything wrong with bodybuilding.  Personally, I don’t have the desire, discipline or work ethic to thrive at this endeavor.  It is an extremely taxing (perhaps the most taxing) physical activity both physically and mentally.  Every one of the bodybuilders I have spoken with, even at the lowest amateur levels has described the work, sacrifice and time involved to be excessive.  For most it is simply impractical to maintain on a consistent basis.  The endless hours in the gym and dieting to get to such a low body fat percentage puts them in a world of solitude described as nothing short of “lonely”.  Further, the hyper competitive nature of this sport can become physically dangerous with extreme forms of drugs, dieting, and de-hydration.  A few of these guys have described their physical and mental state just before a contest as “numb”.

I believe we get confused because in our busy lives bodybuilding is what we are mostly exposed to in the media as the means and end result of diet and fitness.  Most of the fitness information we are sold simply says “if you do this, you will look these huge, shiny, muscle people…really!”

The reality is that most of us will never have the time or interest to endure such physical hardship.  Still, the vast majority of the public would love to appear at least a little more like the super-muscled bodybuilders (at least the natural ones) who adorn so many popular magazine covers.  With a good strength training program that is a realistic, reasonable goal that we will actually accomplish. That we can do!

Posted in Exercise, Lifestyle | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment