Cave Nation

Slim is Simple

Hey CaveNation, we wanted to give a shout out to @jonathanbailor for his work with #SlimIsSimple. Slim is Simple is a non-profit nutrition educational organization that will be providing compelling multimedia resources – free of charge so that the educational and health communities can leverage to share the simple, fun and proven nutrition and exercise science necessary to stem the obesity, diabetes and heart disease epidemics. Slim is Simple is working to get this “curriculum” in schools, churches, etc. Please watch their video, visit them at http://slimissimple.org and give them a shout out on twitter using #SlimIsSimple

Caveman Cooking 2nd Contest!

Here we go CaveNation, it’s time for our second recipe submission contest! We are looking for some awesome and original Paleo recipes. The winner will be featured on our show as well as receiving a free Caveman Cooking T-Shirt.

The winner of our first Contest was Mark Benton and you can follow Mark on twitter @MarksZ06.

SO BUST OUT YOUR PALEO COOKBOOKS AND LET’S HEAR WHAT YOU GOT!

The Bitter Truth

Written by Bennett Smith of Crossfit Hoboken

I like history; it tells us why we got somewhere or at very least, gives us some darn good clues. Did you ever wonder what cataclysmic change must have occurred to produce the levels of obesity that we have today? Did we just become gluttonous, sloths, rotting away on our couches watching “American Idol” overnight? This video from UCSF Medicine captures the essence of what has happened in our country, the political winds that shaped the changed, and the biochemical reasons that it is deleterious to your health. Take the 89 minutes to watch this video when you get a chance, then commit to yourself to knock out the fructose in your life (sweetened, sugary drinks like Coke, Gatorade, and even natural juice are most problematic according to evidence). Sugar: The Bitter Truth

Benefits of Grass Fed Beef

Written by Bennett Smith of Crossfit Hoboken

Grass Fed vs. Grain Fed Beef

Some Excerpts taken from Mark’s Daily Apple

You have recently walked into Whole Foods or some other specialty store, only to see the signs that say 100% vegetarian diet, hormone free beef. You look at the price premium and ask yourself, “What’s the big deal with Grass Fed Beef?” The first big deal is the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content. As seen in some studies, CLA is believed to offer anti-cancer properties. It can also help decrease the risk of insulin resistance.

The key difference? A pastured diet results in a nearly 1:1 ratio of omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids. This is the ratio believed to characterize our hunter-gatherer ancestors (Dr. Courdain and Mark Sisson explore this often in their literature). What does a grain-fed ratio look like? Try 6:1. This ratio has been demonstrated to inflammation and precursors for chronic conditions (click on the link of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids above).

There’s also the E-Coli issue. With all the concern about food safety in the last decade or so (thank you Jack in the Box), one fact has been seriously overlooked: grass fed (and finished) beef is considerably less likely to be infected with E-Coli (abstract), particularly acid resistant E-Coli that cannot be effectively “disarmed by our digestive systems.

Love that marbleized rib-eye and wonder how they go so much fat into that cut…It’s worth noting that many cattle start off grass-fed early on in their lives but are nearly always switched to grain in the months before slaughter to fatten up to deliver that rib eye to your kitchen table. Most of the initial omega-3 stores and other nutritional benefits are lost during that time. Grass-fed and –finished are not synonymous.

Make a Cave

Written by Craig Parcells, host of Caveman Cooking & Owner of Crossfit Hoboken

Yes, we ask you to eat this crazy Paleo diet and now we ask you to make a cave. And no, we are not even kidding. Turns out getting some good, quiet and dark sleep is pretty darn good for you. Apparently embracing your inner caveman will help you lose body fat, recover quicker, look beautiful and be able to leap buildings in a single bound. To make your room darker, try these tips:
1. Install some blackout shades. You can find an array of blackout shades and curtains online. Installing both will give you the best effect.
2. Get a new clock. I found one that you can set on DARK so it doesn’t illuminate unless you wave your hand in front of it. Not only does this make the room much darker, but the fact that it comes on when I get out of bed in the middle of the night helps me see my way to the door. My legs are really happy with fewer bruises.
3. Learn to set your TV timer. If you fall asleep watching TV, set it on a timer. Don’t understand your remote? Do an internet search for your brand of TV/remote and you should be able to download your instruction booklet.
4. Become your grandmother. Begin to cover any other light source in your room with doillies. All the cool people do it.
If you don’t believe me on all this, I don’t blame you but, we have some pretty cool people doing it along with us, see here:
Dr. Oz agrees.

http://coolallnight.com/2011/05/11/dr-ozs-sleep-plan

Robb Wolf has a take on this here.

http://robbwolf.com/2009/12/11/sleep-2

Mark Sisson has thoughts on the matter.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-light-affects-our-sleep

Even Gwyneth is getting in on the action, stating how important sleep is. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/30/gwyneth-paltrows-advice-f_n_139301.html

For those of you who have already darkened your room, do you have any tips to share with the group?
Happy Darkening!

Also visit: CrossfitHoboken.Com

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Submit An Idea or Recipe to Caveman Cooking

Do you have a great paleo recipe to share, or a cooking idea for the show? Send it over to us and and we will post it on our site.