The Paleo View

Ep. 259: Has Wheat Increased in Gluten?   In this episode, Stacy and Sarah contemplate whether wheat has increased it's amount of gluten in recent times. Click the picture above to be taken to iTunes or download and listen by clicking the PodBean Player below If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 259: Has Wheat Increased in Gluten?   Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please!

Ep. 258: Bad Pseudoscience about MTHFR   In this episode, we discuss pseudoscience and how to recognize it in relation to an article about "bad foods with MTHFR variations". Click the picture above to be taken to iTunes If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 258: Bad Pseudoscience about MTHFR Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:41) Stacy is in her brand new office in her new home! She's unpacked almost everything. Man is it a lot of stuff! She found that she has too many clothes because when she unpacked it all she found herself paralyzed by too many choices. Thank you for the fun live show, everyone who attended! It was so much fun! Sarah also loved her road trip to Washington! She felt inspired by surviving the trip to visit other places. Stacy gets stressed out by clutter, so showing her house still with boxes was stressful. And it was a new house: Stacy, Sarah and Matt had to Google how to turn on the stove. On top of it, the kids all got along really well. It's such a crap shoot whether your friends' kids will like your kids, but it worked out splendidly! The live show was fantastic! We loved the instant feedback and follow up! "Pseudo-Science BS on the internet" (18:10) Sarah puts a lot of time and research into what she puts out on the internet. She even is comfortable with nuance on topics like "Is this good to eat? What are the pros and cons?" But not everyone is like that. Some people take a grain of scientific truth and uses jargon to report things in a sensational way. If you seen that kind of sensationalism, turn around and walk away. One of the biggest issues in society is fact checking. And when it comes to health information, misinformation can be dangerous. Look for things like citations, especially with links. Check the citations to make sure they say what the article says it does! Be skeptical of things that sound too good to be true or are too condescending. Look for multiple sources. The more sources, the more likely something is to be valid. This article is like that: Bullet points of technical language with no sources. The article from a MTHFR information site was called: "MTHFR Bad Food List" (27:12) It starts by saying that folic acid wouldn't be good because you need real folate. But the subsequent list is full of unconnected list of foods with no themes or sources. The reason was only "Known powerful enzyme and metabolic inhibitors" and "As a result you will make fewer amino acids and can’t make as much protein as you should. This leads to lower immunity by reducing glutathione which is one of the bodies most important antioxidants involved in the homocysteine cycle." What's the process here? What's going on!? And where's the reference to extra B12 and what foods are GOOD to eat? This list doesn't make sense on folate rich foods and includes nutrient rich foods. It references mechanisms that don't make sense either. Sarah feels that it's "here's a bunch of sciencey words related to a bunch of foods not to eat!" The grain of science here is that folate rich foods might not be good for people with MTHFR variants. These variants affect the efficiency of the enzyme MTHFR which affects your methylation ability. And it never stops it completely. MTHFR is the rate limiting enzyme. It controls how quickly you can methylate (activate) proteins. Problems with MTHFR affect with lots of autoimmune and mental disorders. Also liver detoxification and neurotransmitter regulation. It affects the usability of vitamins (like B9, folate). You can't convert folic acid into methlfolate. Folate itself is better. Some people who can't convert folic acid may have issues from overdose of folic acid supplements. It turns out the grain of truth in this article is that folic acid can be bad for people with MTHFR variance. But that doesn't mean that FOLATE is bad for you! We do love the Vital Proteins Beef Liver Pills as a supplement for folate, though! Sarah did searches in PubMed for any connection between the science words and these foods. And a bunch of these foods did the OPPOSITE of what was claimed! None were metabolic inhibitors and only a few could be a possible enzyme inhibitor. There is a lot of information out there for MTHFR challenged people. Find a good doctor to work with to help you! Pseudoscience is rampant on the internet. Take the time to become informed for yourself. The more people around on the internet when a story is shared, the less an article is seen critically. Because people assume everyone else much have checked it! "Trust but verify." - an old Russian proverb that Ronald Reagan liked to quote. Don't be afraid to ask, don't be afraid to discuss it! Help your friends and family learn to be skeptical! Rate and Review us! Goodbye! Outro (1:07:24)     Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please!

Ep. 257: Live Show Part 3: Not-So-Rapid Fire   In this episode, it's the third and final part of our LIVE show! We go rapid fire with the questions, but still long winded with the answers! Click the picture above to be taken to iTunes   If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 257: Live Show Part 3: Not-So-Rapid Fire Intro (0:00) Welcome to the live show, this is Part 3 of our show! Listen to Part 2 of the live show here and Part 1 of the live show here! Question 1: Christine asks, how do you find out which vitamin and mineral defficiencies are associated with your autoimmune disease? Sarah: Some studies have shown deficiencies, others have just shown improvements with supplementation, but not very many of these studies group autoimmune diseases and study deficiency differences across all of them Right now, there are incomplete data showing which is most important "Frequent flyers" are Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Zinc and Omega-3 Fats. You can also look at what the immune system uses, Vitamin A and D and Zinc are key for regulatory actions The immune system's proteins need methylation, so B6, B9, B12 are key for that as are Vitamin C and E as antioxidants Iron, Copper, Magnesium (maybe more minerals) All these have key role in the immune system, so it's unsurprising that these deficiencies are linked with diseases Question 2: If my children (an older daughter and a baby son) never try gluten and dairy, how will I know if they have an intolerance or Celiac Disease? Stacy: we decided to just assume that our kids have it, given our family history, and to not test If it's important for you to test Celiac, you'll have to expose your kids Sarah: chances are very good that your daughter (who was never exposed) will rebel and eat some gluten eventually, and it's ok to wait for that challenge Stacy: reminder that some people can have issues with gluten and no physical symptoms. Stacy and Cole just get emotional and depressed when they're reacting They can't tell you to fix anything if you DO get a positive result—you just have to avoid it anyway. Sarah: research shows there's a lower risk of Celiac if gluten is introduced while breastfeeding, and the longer you breastfeed the lower the risk, so introducing to a baby is more backed by research In the same situation, Sarah would probably include a little wheat a couple of times toward the end of breastfeeding (around 2 years) so they can communicate whether something is wrong In peanut allergy studies, babies were fed a very small amount to help reduce allergies, so it doesn't have to be a huge serving Question 3: Jessica's son did the cheek swab DNA test, with her second child she's just said "we have Celiac." Is the DNA test helpful? Sarah: studies of people with Celiac susceptibility genes, HLADQ2 and HLADQ8, have shown that people without Celiac who also have digestive symptoms still have a zonulin response to gluten. They're still getting a leaky gut in response to gluten, even though it's not Celiac 60% of the population has one or both of these genes, which explains non-Celiac gluten sensitivity Having one of those risk genes is a compelling argument not to mess with Gluten, because of the risk of a leaky gut reaction Question 4: The Dr. from the Gluten Free Society's website claims there are two other genes associated with Gluten sensitivity, HLADQ1 and HLADQ3, which no standard Celiac test looks for. Any other research on this? Sarah hasn't seen anything on that, but she's never specifically looked through the research for that 3% of Celiacs don't have HLADQ2 or HLADQ8, that 3% could have that other selection of genes Already more than a dozen HLA variants linked with autoimmune diseases Question 5: Can Sarah share her Paleo road trip snacks? She didn't try to eat on the road, she packed picnic lunches Grassfed organic all-beef hot dogs from Wal-Mart! On sale for $3.50/lb Sarah had some canned salmon mix for herself Her husband had leftover cooked salmon They had a huge baggie of carrots, celery, and cucumber, apples Boulder Canyon Avocado Oil potato chips EPIC Snack Strips Rice crackers for snacks Paleo Angel Power Balls Some 85% chocolate (which they didn't open, but had just in case) Water to drink Sarah made a stew for dinner, which she heated up with a hot plate warmer thing Stacy Her family has done grocery store rotisserie chickens or chicken strips from Trader Joe's, because they're easy to pull apart and share Sarah On the way back, they'll probably try to find a burger place Hard to find grass-fed, but places that clean the grill, lettuce wrap or do gluten free buns would be ideal Overall, she has a cooler in the back and a snack bag between the kids It's the same snacks they use at home, but she always makes sure to include protein, like EPIC Strips She always includes raw veggies, fruit and something sweet, like Power Balls When everybody's miserable having a treat is really helpful for mood Sarah's oldest loves Cliff Kit's Organic Bars and her youngest loves raisins Stacy Her kids like Chomp's Beef Sticks and Roam Beef Sticks Her family doesn't love the EPIC Bars, but they really like the EPIC Bites Question: Do either Sarah or Stacy use a water filter, and which one? Matt: tap water is one of the greatest inventions of mankind. The fact that we have potable water delivered to our house for cheap, any time we want, is great. It goes through so much processing to get to potability in our houses that he really feels like honoring tap water by drinking it Sarah She agrees, but a lot of the members of her family have chloramine sensitivity (her brother missed a year of school due to this sensitivity) so Sarah has always used at least a Brita filter Her municipal water is Dasani so that's basically what they're drinking if they use a charcoal filter Sarah recently won a reverse-osmosis filter, but she feels like she has to add back in so many minerals to make it a helpful source of minerals Sarah thinks we should remineralize our tap water - she uses Trace Minerals and EM Drops Mostly adding Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium and some trace minerals. Most people (yes even Paleo peeps) are mineral deficient She's adding probably up to 20% of her family's RDA to their water Reminder: Sarah comes from socialist Canada and sort of automatically trusts the government, but recognizes that doesn't necessarily reflect the American experience Pay attention to stuff, there's plenty of contaminated water out there, so you might want to make sure your municipal water is safe BUT she thinks tap water is fine Matt When he was growing up in Mass., well water is pretty hit-or-miss, so his dentist prescribed fluoride to everyone He and his brother (who did not have well water) had stained teeth from too much fluoride So, it's just a matter of knowing what's in your water Sarah There's not a lot of evidence that fluoride is causing health problems, but also little evidence it's helping dental health Fluoridated toothpaste, on the other hand, has some really compelling science backing its efficacy There's some science to show that fluoride might sequester in the pineal gland and over 60, 70, 80 years decrease the amount of melatonin secreted by that gland, linked with sleep disturbances in the elderly, but that's sort of a big leap at this point But you can take that out with a normal carbon filter if you are concerned Rate and Review us! Goodbye! Outro (33:00)     Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please!

Ep. 256: Live Show Part 2   In this episode, it's the second part of our LIVE show! With tricky questions and thorough answers! Click the picture above to be taken to iTunes If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 256: Live Show Part 2 Intro (0:00) Welcome to the live show, this is Part 2 of our show! Listen to Part 1 of the live show here! Question 1: (:40) Lee's Question: should she do an elimination diet, take a food allergy/sensitivity test with her doctor, or make other lifestyle changes to deal with autoimmunity? What's the easiest way to identify her triggers? Sarah: two issues here, dealing with a lifestyle triggers AND making positive changes to lifestyle. Lee needs to figure out if she has SIBO, through further testing, and her doctor should be able to help her figure out this aspect of her intolerances. She should also retest. She could also just be dealing with fructose malabsorption, which requires a different course of treatment. Gut health is important either way—work up to 8 servings of veggies per day, eat more fish, don't over-exercise, sleep enough. Emotionally speaking: you can shorten your elimination phase to get into reintroductions more quickly Keep a food journal for reintroductions, and try to keep a couple days between your reintroductions. Know also that if you're stressed physically or mentally, your immune response will be affected. Stacy: there are other outside factors like cleaning products, beauty products, other lifestyle factors in the home. Stacy's approach is build up healthy choices and nourish the body so that your health should get better over time. It's a trajectory, not a matter of waking up one morning to completely new picture of health. Remember that flares are to be expected, sometimes even caused by detoxing. Consistency is really important - approach it from a place of doing it for yourself, for your health. Lee has been trying to focus on the positives of her new healing life rather than the negatives of "losing" old foods Stacy takes that approach too. Her family cooks better food, she's healthier and her life is better. Sarah: instead of doing EVERYTHING at once, breaking up your changes into pieces can be helpful. Sarah went from Paleo 6 years ago, to AIP elimination, to CrossFit when she wanted to try it. It's been a refinement of lifestyle and dietary choices that incrementally help her feel better Matt and Stacy wrote the book (Real Life Paleo) on taking the diet part of Paleo and breaking it up into pieces. Just do one thing until you get it down. It needs to be sustainable in order to really last. Sarah has a couple posts about that called "Making Healthy Choices: What's Your Currency" and "Transitions: All In or Baby Steps?" It's not hard, although everyone mourns something different. Stacy: the food shouldn't be stressful Sometimes Stacy and Sarah are eating pizza and ice cream in their crazy dreams. And that's usually a sign for Stacy that she's thinking about food too much. Lee says she's struggled with reactions from people in her life. Sarah says it's not hard, it just has a learning curve. Everybody has comfort recipes, but finding new go-to's that fit a healthier lifestyle just takes a little time Melissa's Q: (28:00) How should someone without a gallbladder approach beginning a Paleo journey? Stacy: She doesn't have a gallbladder. Understand you are missing part of your digestive tract. Eliminating wheat and processed oils made the biggest difference. There's a strong correlation between wheat intolerances/Celiac disease and gallbladder inflammation. More in this post: The Link Between Celiac Disease and Gallbladder Sensitivity. This led to some "everybody out" moments for Stacy nearly every day when she was eating processed oils. You want to watch the state of your bowel movements to track how your body is digesting. Stacy does not do well with coconut oil, but does well with avocado oil and solid fats like tallow, lard, butter, duck fat. Stacy also has a post on this, How to Enjoy Bacon Without a Gallbladder. Insoluble fiber can be difficult for Stacy's body as well. Cabbage used to be tough for Stacy to digest. She's learned to cook foods that are high in insoluble fiber very thoroughly. When you start your first meal of the day, start slow, reintroduce food to your body. Intermittent fasting does not work because you don't have bile storage. Sarah You can take ox bile, in a pill, at the beginning of a meal (work with a practitioner on this). As lipases break apart fat, bile salts help to create a structure around fat molecules that brings them into the body. So, it's helpful in digesting and absorbing fat but ALSO in digesting and absorbing vitamins. It can help with nutrient sufficiency. Stacy Her mom doesn't have a gallbladder, and when she was still eating vegetarian, she was low fat (and high soy/wheat) and still struggling. Stacy doesn't think it's a low-fat diet that actually helps. Melissa's second question: On Lichen Planus? Sarah It's most commonly a secondary disease (Hashimoto's and Celiac are more likely to be primary). It's worthwhile to do some digging to find out if you have another autoimmune disease. If you haven't given up gluten you can still test for Celiac. Zinc, Vitamin D, Vitamin C deficiencies are worth testing for as well. Supplement or look for food solutions if you're deficient (sometimes Vitamin C supplements are corn-based, which might be an issue if you do have Celiac disease). Sarah takes a Douglas Labs powdered version. Wheat, soy, peanuts, tomatoes are immune triggers and lichen planus is an autoimmune condition. Figuring out triggers is key. The AIP will guide you through this, as well as focus on nutrient-dense foods. Fixing nutrient difficiencies can be very therapeutic for immune regulation. It doesn't mean there isn't other tinkering outside of the AIP to be done, or that conventional medicine isn't helpful, but after a couple months it's an amazingly helpful intervention. Rate and Review us! Goodbye! Outro (53:08)     Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please!

Ep. 255: Live Show Part 1 In this episode, it's the first part of our first live show! We take live questions and answer them thorougly! Click the picture above to be taken to iTunes   If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 255: Live Show Part 1 Intro (0:00) Welcome to the live show (:40) How this show is different from our normal shows There's a live audience (duh!) We are in the same room We don't have notes, which is really unusual for Sarah! Sarah's family is visiting Stacy's for the holiday weekend The road trip was tiring for Sarah's family Yesterday they took all the kids from the National Mall to all the national memorials Sarah's kids are dual citizens, and there's a great tie-in with what they're learning in school Finn and Adele say "hi" to the audience Laurel's Question: should she introduce her toddler to wheat given her family's history with Celiac disease? Sarah says there's some scientific evidence for the idea of introducing Top 8 Allergen Foods before weaning to reduce overt reactions This might work because of the positive effects of antibodies from breast milk and its gut protecting benefits Once you've missed that window, other things that affect a reaction are gut health, stress (maybe not for toddlers), sleep, activity If you're doing all the things to promote a healthy lifestyle and gut health, there's a higher probability you won't see a reaction In that case, it might help you feel a little more at ease in case your child is accidentally exposed to the allergen Stacy and Matt went through this with their youngest, who was never exposed to allergens intentionally, and had a good experience with his preschool even when he was accidentally exposed to wheat because his immune system is so strong from years of a healthy gut and great lifestyle choices Sarah's youngest has a stronger reaction to dairy than to gluten, and she's tested raw, A2 milk with her (her tonsils swelled up in 5 minutes and stayed swollen for months, so that was a no-go as a cross-contamination exposure) Interestingly, we think the tonsils are an early-detection system for food antigens we don't deal well with Upwards of 50% of kids awaiting tonsillectomies will see a reduction in swelling when they go dairy-free. Sarah's thinking is the other 50% are probably just dealing with another type of food sensitivity. Unfortunately, sometimes the challenge part of reintroductions can yield tricky reactions. We just have to plan for different outcomes Stacy says try not to worry too much about what your children will choose for themselves when they get older Can you develop Celiac if you're never exposed to Gluten? Sarah says it's a Chicken 'n Egg situation: we can't test if there's no exposure, but we can't know if you were never going to develop it either way If you have the predisposition, immune dysregulation, but are missing the trigger, you can't actually develop without it. Stacy asks, "what about Gluten cross-reactivity?" In the case of Celiac, it's not actually antibody driven. The damage to the intestine is driven by the zonulin response. Sarah hasn't seen any papers indicating Celiac can be triggered by rice or corn, for example, likely because kids living without any gluten exposure is a fairly new concept Also no evidence (to Sarah's knowledge) of a zonulin response to a different protein, other than gluten Basically, comes down to the idea that you can't get a positive Celiac test result without exposure. False negatives are common Amy's question: what's the optimal time to start solids, given that he has some symptoms of eczema which would indicate problems with gut health? Usually, 6 months is the standard, as gut becomes mature enough for solids around this time There's also evidence that introducing solids actually drives the maturation of the gut There really isn't a way to know whether your baby's gut is mature or not You could also start with a little sauerkraut juice, sips of broth to help prepare the gut for solids The other signs you're looking for are tongue thrusts, baby's interest in solids, not spitting things out, baby is sitting up straight — these are all signs used in baby-led weaning Stacy and Matt called this the "lazy" approach to parenting, but it's actually very instinctual and closer to the attachment parenting style Rate and Review us! Goodbye! Outro (34:55)     Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please!

Ep. 254: Check In Show   In this episode, we do a short check in show to remind you about our upcoming LIVE Paleo View this weekend! Click the picture above to be taken to iTunes   If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 254: Check In Show Intro (0:00) Stacy's family is in the new house after the big move! TPV Live Q&A show to celebrate our 5th Anniversary is coming! July 2, 2-4 p.m. Sarah's family will be visiting Stacy's family this weekend Get all the details and RSVP here Once available spots are taken, we've hit our limit at the library—so don't forget to RSVP (or release a ticket if you claimed one and can't come). If you are visiting, all the Smithsonian Museums are free! Sarah is in the editing phase of Paleo Principles Stacy is going to rest up after the big move We'll be back with at least Part 1 of a live show next week (hopefully!) Rate and Review us! Goodbye! Outro (21:05)     Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please!

Ep. 253: Coconut Oil Controversy   In this episode, Stacy and Sarah talk about recent news items that say that coconut oil is as "bad" as animal fats. Plus! The Paleo View Live is coming to the DC area! Click the picture above to be taken to iTunes   If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 253: Coconut Oil Controversy Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) Inserted announcement! Come see Stacy and Sarah do the Paleo View LIVE! It will be at the George Mason Regional Library in Annandale, Virginia on July 2nd at 2PM Ask questions, hang out, have fun!!! Go to Eventbrite to reserve your seat now or go to thepaleomom.com/go/tpv-live Real stress still in our lives as Stacy moves and Sarah finishes her book! Check out Paleo Principles for Sarah's epic meal plans! CONTROVERSY IN PALEO!? Coconut oil isn't heart healthy?! A news story has swept through the paleo community saying that perhaps coconut oil isn't healthy to eat. See news stories like here. This is based on a report from the American Heart Association, which is always changing its ideas on fats. First off, this study says nothing about topical use, and we put it on everything! Coconut oil is a unique plant fat because it is 60% saturated fat, but different from animal saturated fats in that it is a medium chain triglycerides. For example, lauric acid, which is only a little longer than the health healthy fatty acids. Saturated fats are the easiest to use for energy. Medium chain only need one step to produce energy as well. See Sarah's post on saturated fat: It can be healthy, but you can overdo it! Hunter-gatherers tended to have 13% of calories as saturated fat, which is a normal omnivorous diet without going out of your way to eat fat. Study compared oleic fatty acid fats versus coconut oil and found that some people had an increase in LDL, HDL and total cholesterol. But only some! This is due to a gene that makes some people more susceptible to fat causing cholesterol and LDL increase. This is called APOE4. These people should stick to a 20-30% fat intake for heart health. We still need fat for cell health, brain health, gut health, etc! Of course some studies of coconut oil find no change in heart health with coconut oil. The end result of these studies don't offset all the benefits of coconut oil. It's anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, cell health, immune health, gut health etc. And remember: eating vegetables and seafood, Vitamin D, sleep, exercise and stress reduction are all better ways to improve heart health! And 60% of calories from fat is the threshold where we see cardiovascular health problems. Rate and Review us! Goodbye! Outro (46:02)     Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please!

Ep. 252: How Do I Lose Weight With My Restrictions Without Going Low Carb?   In this episode, Stacy and Sarah discuss losing weight without going low carbs and tips for how to get to healthy when you're overweight. Click the picture above to be taken to iTunes   If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 252: How Do I Lose Weight With My Restrictions Without Going Low Carb? Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) Do you have summer adjustment issues? Sarah does! Sarah is trying to finish her books and give her kids attention. Meanwhile, Stacy is managing her time with adding working out back into her schedule. Stacy had a run in with a notorious troll. She was told she has to lose weight before she works out to minimize injury. That's complete nonsense! Sarah agrees! Stacy turned it into an opportunity to talk about communication. We call this kind of person a "self-help troll". Sarah had a similar experience when she went on antibiotics for pneumonia recently, despite us saying that there's definitely a time and a place for medicine! But people who are concern trolling are "D words" Sarah has been doing a series on healthy weight loss on her blog. Check it out! Sarah does a lot of research on this! She knows what she's talking about! But so many people tangentially related to paleo are selling you bad advice with extreme recommendations and bad science. This stuff can destroy hormones, endocrine systems, and metabolism! Remember: Movement is essentially for health at any size! So much of science agrees! Anyone with an internet connection can post something, so figure out why people are saying what they are saying! You can love and respect yourself AND desire to lose weight! Question from Jen: "Since I know you and Sarah have both lost weight, I wanted to ask for some suggestions. I lost weight going Paleo a few years ago, around 55 pounds. I have more than 100 to lose but those 55 were amazing. Problem was I also losing my hair. I added back potatoes, rice & more carbs and the hair loss stopped but the weight loss stopped too. (I've since read about low carb and thyroid issues - I have Hashis). But even adding carbs, I gained nothing back - just stayed the same. Went through a major life stressor a couple years ago and gained it all back plus some. I want to attempt to get it off again but I'm at a loss as to what to do. I've read Sarah lost most of her weight low carb but I'm so afraid to do that again. I'm not trying to get skinny, but I want to feel more functional again. It's super hard to follow most weight loss blogs since I already can't eat gluten or oats or much dairy or too many raw veggies or nightshades... lol! Any direction or advice you may have would be super appreciated." Low carb does not have a metabolic advantage: it just tricks you into eating less! Actually that's the same as paleo. On average, people are eating about 400 calories less per day While it's not as simple as calories in/calories out, calories do matter for weight loss! Weight loss can have negative effects while you're doing it. Often there is nutrient deficiencies (which can stop your fat burning!) Exercise burns calories and increases metabolic rate! Very good Sleep loss will cause you to overeat and messes with hormones Stress will also cause you to hold on to weight. Taken all these factors together and you are left with a paleo template! Healthy weight loss is slow! Hyper palatable foods are a problem: They override your satiety sensations and make you want more! Sarah recommends eating veggies to compensate! Denise Minger reminded us that eating fat and refined carbohydrates leads to weight gain. Stacy has mindsets that she has from low carb weight loss that she is trying to break. Like drinking bulletproof coffee in the morning. Sort through your food habits to see what you can fix for weight loss. Use an app to track your eating habits as a food journal to see where your extra calories are coming from! Try Chronometer or MyFitnessPal. Snacking tends to be the biggest issue, especially with lack of sleep. Are you getting enough fiber and proteins? Are you getting enough nutrients? What's going on? If you can, get a body composition measurement to see what's going on. Get your basal metabolic rate to see where your calorie requirements are. Also, don't sit down to a plate of only carbs. Pair them with other foods or right before bed. Starchy vegetables can probably be your only source of carbs plus some fruit See Sarah's posts on weight loss here. Being thin is not the same thing as being healthy. And losing weight is not the same as getting healthy. Losing excess weight is a side effect of getting healthy. Being overweight is only a symptom. Rate and Review us! Goodbye! Outro (53:37) Bloopers: Near and Far was a Grover sketch on Sesame Street.     Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please!

Ep. 251: Transitioning Out of Depression   In this episode, Stacy and Sarah talk about Stacy going off her anti-depressants and what these drugs even do. Plus, how can you support mental health in your diet? Click the picture above to be taken to iTunes If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 251: Transitioning Out of Depression Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) Go see Wonder Woman! It's awesome! Buy the soundtrack! Stacy and Sarah talk comic book movies?! What dorks! I approve How you didn't miss the video podcast last week! For more on Sarah's bedtime protocol, see her book Go To Bed! Today is an update on Stacy's health and mental recovery. Stacy had a devastating back injury detailed in podcast form here. She's also had some intense emotional blows in the past year including losing her brother-in-law and best friend Andrew She went on mediations, specifically an SSRI, which helps with eating disorders, which seemed to be coming back when she was depressed. Unfortunately it was disrupting her sleep! She also had an issue with mindless eating as well. So she switched to an SNRI, but she didn't feel any different. But she found that she felt okay, so she went off her medication. Sarah recommends looking at conventional medicine the same way we look at foods: see the pros and cons These medicines work by effecting neurotransmitters and and keeping the happy ones in circulation longer. In addition to SNRI and SSRI, there's also NDRI Treating chronic depression is a long term thing on these drugs: 6 months - 2 years. And discontinuing use is a tapering off process. Stacy knew she didn't need the medication because of how well she was able to deal with the selling of her house. Stacy and Sarah both recommend positive thinking and focusing on positivity to see you through. Stacy references the tragic story of Oprah endorsing The Secret and then having someone declare that she would use The Secret to fight cancer. This person later died. Of cancer. Stacy also did 45 days of super clean eating except for one occasion. This helped her very much. Plus she added collagen and veggies Big recommendation for Dr Sarah Ballantyne's Vital Veggies Blend from Vital Proteins! Remember: medication is never a failure, but there are ways to help yourself recover from mood disorders Sleep Exercise (and exercise outside is better than exercise indoors) Omega-3s (EPA and DHA, from fish and shellfish and some grass fed meat) Vitamin D B Vitamin deficiencies: folate, B9, especially. If you're not methylating properly because of a MTHFR mutation or otherwise, you'll build up homocysteine in the blood. Make sure you're B Vitamin sufficient, especially in B6, B9, and B12! Stacy takes the Vital Protein Liver Pills. Zinc is important as well. Some 70% are not sufficient in it. Shellfish and liver are the most plentiful in it and it is used in neurotransmitters. Amino acids: tyrosine and phenylalanine (precursor for norepinephrine), methionine (precursor for SAMe), glycine (reduces signs of schizophrenia) and taurine (reduces bipolar) More organ meat and more seafood to treat mental disorders! Remember the link between gut health and mental health! Our bacteria friends can help our brains! Rate and Review us! Goodbye! Outro (53:37)     Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please!

Ep. 250: Celebrating 250 Episodes of The Paleo View! In this episode, Stacy and Sarah celebrate their 250th episode of The Paleo View with lots of guests offering congratulations! And this episode features video! See it in You Tube below! The link to the video is: https://youtu.be/QYxuKr0rzVY   Click the picture above to be taken to iTunes If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 250: Celebrating 250 Episodes of The Paleo View! Intro (0:00) Featured guests: Robb Wolf See Episode 243 Also, Episode 244 Michelle Tam See Episode 14 on Food Prep where she coined the term "badness" Russ Crandall Russ was on the Big Paleo FX House show, Episode 87! Russ was also a guest on Episode 148 on Recipe Creation. And he was a guest on Episode 78 on The Ancestral Table Vivian Nguyen Hear more from Viv on StrongWoman Radio Jennifer Robins Hear from Jennifer on Episode 129 on MTHFR Tony Federico Tony was also on Episode 87! Daryl Edwards Sarah Fragoso Kendall Kendrick She was on Episode 55 on Food Quality Crystal Monica Hear from Monica on Episode 115! Anthony and Katrina Brent and Heather Stefani Ruper Stefani is certainly our most frequent guest! She was on Episode 6 on weight loss She talked about fertility and PCOS on Episode 23 On Episode 36 Stefani and George talked about body image Episode 80 was on her great book Sexy By Nature And she was on the big Paleo FX Episode 87! Our Fans! Rate and Review us! Goodbye! Outro (53:07)     Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please!

Ep. 249: Paleo FX 2017 Recap! In this episode, Stacy and Sarah talk about Sarah's trip to Paleo FX and what she saw and did there! Click the picture above to be taken to iTunes If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 249: Paleo FX 2017 Recap! Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) Welcome back from Texas, Sarah! Sorry you lost your voice! Sarah always tries to take it easy after travel because it hits her hard. We counted wrong. This is 249, not 250. But next week will be special! Sarah is back from Paleo FX, our favorite paleo event! We love meeting people, talking to people and finding interesting stories. Weekly reminder that Paleo Principles is coming soon! Stacy couldn't make it this year because we had so much going on this year, including selling our house! This year Paleo FX wasn't about "carbs" or other controversies, but on getting back to the anthropological roots, it seemed. Sarah feels like she didn't have to defend science as a concept this year like she has in the past. Remember: science is a process for finding truth, not a monolithic set of ideas. The idea of Paleo FX is paleo as implemented into practice. So getting into minutiae seems silly. Sarah's talk was about what we know from scientific reaseach about reducing disease risk. She thought it was well received. Paleo FX did seem to be focusing on synthesizing modern and evolutionary biology. Several talks focused on lifestyle factors like sleep. Sarah liked hearing about it from Dan Pardi and Dr. Kirk Parsley Next year, Paleo FX is rebranding to Health FX, a controversial decision! Sarah and Stacy think this is part of a greater movement to make paleo idea more mainstream and associated with just good health. Just make sure that your conference doesn't suddenly become full of angry vegans! Some things that Sarah loved: Sarah liked Jilz Crackers (which were our late brother Andrew's favorite), which are sesame and almond flour. Delicious and some are AIP-friendly! Sarah tried some alfajores, which she loved! Sarah also liked the new ghee based chocolate spread MuffinElse was there with a just add water pancake mix that she liked Pure Indian Foods has a new oils like Black Cumin Seed oil that are great. Epic bar has a lot of new flavors, including AIP friendly ones like a great Salmon one. One Stop Paleo Shop now has a chocolate hazelnut bar from Hu's Kitchen. It's awesome! Xero Shoes has a line of natural movement shoes that are tough but flexible. Enviromedica was there with their supplement lines PrescriptAssist and Ancient Minerals. She liked the Magnesium lotion with melatonin Anthony Morocco from Morocco Methods gave Sarah advice on managing her daughter's hair. And Sarah's Vital Proteins Veggie Blend was a big hit, too! And was demonstrated by Snap Kitchen in a beet hummus. Sweet Apricity has a line of tasty, dangerous caramels. Stacy was happy to see that Aimee Rose, who she met through Strongman has been at Paleo FX two years in a row! Paleo FX has a service called Paleo FX TV which allows you to see all the talks from the history of Paleo FX as a subscription service. Next week is episode 250! Exciting! Rate and Review us! Goodbye! Outro (53:07)     Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please!

Ep. 248: Eczema, Kids, and Paleo In this episode, Stacy and Sarah talk about Eczema, how to help it with diet, and how to convince your kids that changing their diet is a good idea. Click the picture above to be taken to iTunes   If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 248: Eczema, Kids, and Paleo Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) We're back! Thanks for joining us! For the record, this is episode 248. Episode 249 will be in two weeks. They ARE bad at episode math! And we've never missed a single week! Stacy tells a story about letting go when people act crazy at you for silly reasons. So if you're not happy with our podcast, that's totally fine! Sarah is done with all of Paleo Principles now! Only editing now! Still coming out September 5th! And look out for the audiobook too! Today's topic is about Eczema in kids and how do you get your kid to accept healing food choices. Question (14:32): "I am a mom of four boys, two of whom have eczema. My 11 year old is really struggling lately. He has had eczema for years but it is getting worse. He has discoloration on his arms due to the eczema and since July has had recurring skin infections. The doctors (pediatrician and dermatologist) have no other suggestions besides creams and oral antibiotics. I asked about tips for trying an elimination diet, or further testing for food sensitivities and was told that diet doesn't make much of a difference (which I don't believe). Do you have suggestions on how to proceed? Should we start with an elimination diet/paleo or should he have further medical testing? Or testing for food sensitivities? He had basic allergy testing a few years ago that was negative. We use natural skin care and cleaning products. He also has a history of being on antibiotics quite a bit in the past--frequent ear infections and ear tubes as an infant, then 8 or more bouts of strep throat about 4 years ago. He has been on oral antibiotics three times since July for the skin infection, and another time we waited to fill a prescription and just used an prescription antibiotic ointment that helped for the most part. I hate for him to be on antibiotics again but he showed me tonight that he has some spots that are severe and look infected again. I am desperate for some advice! I am working on going paleo myself, but am not 100% at this time. Any suggestions on how to help the family get on board? I recently found your podcast and keep hearing about the paleo family toolkit but it seems that it isn't available anymore. Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks!" Stacy's son Finn had eczema. We approached this by doing it as a family, not just him alone. We often do family "junk food resets" that we commit to for a certain amount of time. Stacy recommends clean paleo eating for 2 weeks to 30 days commitment. Focus on non-food celebrations or activities. Stacy used to do family games instead of desserts. An elimination diet will be key for these issues. Symptoms seem to be a gut dysbiosis Eczema is hard to draw a link to a food sensitivities. Remember sensitivity is different from an allergy because no antibodies are formed. Food intolerances and food allergies are linked to eczema, but not necessarily sensitivities, but ditching the top 8 allergenic foods is a recommendation for eczema for years. Sarah actually cleared her own eczema with paleo Eczema is thought to be a barrier abnormality in the skin that is allowing bad things into the skin. "Leaky skin" Sarah reminds you not to feel shame about taking antibiotics, though frequent use can harm the gut microbiome. There's a link between gut health with skin health Key nutrients for skin barrier health are Retinoic acid (Vitamin A) and Vitamin D. Get those checked! The supplement with Vitamin D3 if below 30 and retest! Some 70% are deficient in Vitamin D and 57% are deficient in Vitamin A! Also, zinc is good for skin health Make sure you get protein, especially the amino acid Glycine (found in collagen and gelatin in good amounts! Try Vital Protein!), Arginine, and Glutamine Look at your diet to determine if your diet is sufficient for a healthy skin barrier. Make sure you're getting plenty of fruits and veggies as well. See if you can sneak in more nutrition into the diet (maybe ground organ meats into other ground meat) Stacy says to remind kids that elimination diet isn't necessarily forever. You may be able to reintroduce foods later on. And your child will get used to it, especially when they notice that eating certain things causes them issues. Sarah recommends a procedure to getting closer to elimination (Try Real Life Paleo!) and adding veggies and Omega-3s (from seafood, especially or fish oil) as you move towards it. Fish oil by itself can improve gut microbiome in only two weeks! Also, eat raw ferments like pickles and sauerkraut, kombucha, water kefir, etc. as well to get the big diversity of bacteria. There could be up to 650 strains in these foods as opposed to 20 strains in supplements! Remember: the live stuff, not the pasteurized. Yogurt might be good as well, but dairy is often linked to skin issues. Check into nightshades because that's also often a trigger (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, etc.) Skin care products: Green Pastures Beauty Balm Coconut Oil Soothing Baby Oil from Beautycounter Baby line from Beautycounter Eczema Company oils and products, including Manuka honey Dragonfly Traditions Buffalo Gal Look into better cleaning products as well like detergents and other cleaners that will be gentler. Rate and Review us! Goodbye! Outro (53:07)     Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please!

Ep. 247: How Do I Weigh Quality and Budget in Dairy Products? In this episode, Stacy and Sarah answer a question about dairy. What if you find grass-fed dairy to be prohibitively expensive? Could you still eat it if it was conventional in a regular milk bag? Click the picture above to be taken to iTunes If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 247: How Do I Weigh Quality and Budget in Dairy Products? Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) Welcome back everyone! Stacy has sold her house, for real, y'all! But now she has to buy a new one or else the family will be homeless! (Not really, but it can feel like that!) Hopefully, she'll get a new house soon! Meanwhile, Paleo Principles is almost done and turned in! Think of it as The Paleo Approach and The Paleo Approach Cookbook smashed together, but more about general paleo than autoimmune. Get it in September! Sarah is just going to Just Keep Swimming until she's done! And maybe Just Survive Somehow (CW: clips are from The Walking Dead) as well Sarah is also going to record her own abridged audiobook! How cool is that! Stacy recommends the audiobook for Liz Wolfe's Eat the Yolks. Stacy's Pukka Cinnamon Licorice Tea! Today's show and question is about weighing quality and budget. How do you choose between them? Question (11:24): "I have a question about dairy- I follow AIP and have been able to reintroduce some foods. One of them is butter. Living in Canada we unfortunately don't have access to grass fed butter as readily as the US. This means that it is very hard to find any grassfed butter or dairy products and when I do, at a rare specialty health food store, grass fed dairy products are VERY expensive and very much out of our budget, even though we have set a large budget for high quality, nutrient dense foods. I have been eating butter regularly since being pregnant, and only buy Canada Grade A quality butter with cream and sea salt as the ingredients. I tolerate this well and seem to be craving this throughout my recent pregnancy. Is consuming this butter still a wise choice? In terms of other dairy products that I would like to eventually try and reintroduce what should I look for? Especially when grassfed is not an option...do the same principles apply in terms of grassfed vs conventional beef? Should I be purchasing homogenized or skim milk for my husband who does well with dairy? Should we aim to consume dairy on a less frequent basis and buy the more expensive cheeses (still not perfect or grassfed) from the deli section of the grocery store that have less added ingredients, rather than the classics large brick of brand name cheese? Any information would be greatly appreciated!!" Remember: Paleo isn't a religion. Focus on anti-inflammatory foods that are high quality and nutrition. If you're adding these kinds of periphery foods, it's you won't be kicked from the club if you don't eat grass-fed dairy. Do what works best for you. Look into local farmers in your area if possible and get a relationship with a direct source. Sarah says that many cattle in this area of Canada are pastured, but are supplemented with grains. So they're better than grain fed, but not entirely grass-fed. Dairy is a food you need to weigh if it works for you. It's a good source of vitamins and minerals, and great fats. But it's much better if it's pastured because the good stuff is in the fat. Sensitivity to milk is high. For instance, the occurrence of lactose intolerance can be as high as 90% in some populations of people of Asian or African descent. Allergy rate is 4-6%. They tested people with IBS symptoms and found that many people found relief when they eliminated dairy. Intolerance to dairy is super high! People are always talking about foods as yes or no foods, but sometimes there is a maybe food. This is where individuality comes in. Some people will tolerate something like dairy better than others. For example, Sarah and her family don't eat dairy hardly at all because they don't tolerate it well, but Stacy does eat it. Sarah recommends not drinking skim. You won't get the value that comes from the milk fat! So if you are happy with how well you tolerate dairy, then don't feel guilty about it! Stacy wants you to make a distinction between foods that make you feel good and foods that don't make you feel too terrible. For example, Stacy figured out why she thought she couldn't eat eggs: because she was eating them alone and her lack of gallbladder made it hard for her to eat that much fat with nothing else. Take an appraisal of your diet like Stacy does. Figure out what's making you feel your best! Then eat that. You will tolerate things better if you are eating a nutrient dense diet, with vegetables and ample sleep and low stress. Everything works together and if things fall apart, you will start reacting to more things! Paleo doesn't have to break the bank. Making just the basic choices will get you so far, even if you can't do grass-fed, organic, etc. "Don't Let Perfection Be the Enemy of Good." - Robb Wolf Figure out what will work best for you AND how you can fit that into your life. And remember: no one is perfect. Rate and Review us! Goodbye! Outro (39:05)     Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please!

Ep. 246: How to Preserve Yourself Through Chaotic Times In this episode, Stacy and Sarah talk about their busy lives and how they are making it through their stressful days. Click the picture above to be taken to iTunes   If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 246: How to Preserve Yourself Through Chaotic Times Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) Stacy has had a crazy week so we're recording short and late! Stacy sold her house, then the buys backed out, then she sold it again! Meanwhile, she aggravated her back when removing her clothes! Stacy is feeling better now, especially since she's learned how to treat back injury flare ups. See Episode 204 for more on that! Stacy has been documenting her recovery on her Instagram Stories, if you want more! Now Sarah is in crunch time on her manuscript for Paleo Principles! She's just about to turn it in and is working really hard! She still has a few recipes and all the meal plans left to do. And those are difficult for her! How are they managing through this chaos and how can you support yourself too? Stacy starts every morning with a Vital Proteins Veggie Blend Smoothie (created by Sarah!) instead of coffee. Sarah has a non-negotiable bedtime for herself so that she preserves her sleep amounts (10:30 pm for her). Sarah also never skips her workouts because they fill her with energy. Stacy actively keeps the "sugar monster" at bay. While it may seem like sugar will help you, it won't! Instead, she eats peanut butter and Licorice and Cinnamon tea with cream. Sarah also substitutes her sugar cravings with healthier options. She often goes to fruit, like frozen grapes or mangoes. Sarah also goes for 85% or more dark chocolate. This will satisfy her sugar craving, but she's careful. If she indulges in a "real" treat, then the 85% chocolate will seem bitter and not satisfying by comparison. Sarah also ups her protein content of her meals to keep her eating habits in check. Sarah makes sure she has great quality time with her family every day. She makes sure she is present for these moments as well. When she returns to work after this family time, she's recharged. Stacy does as well, but she focuses on touching and physical closeness as well. This goes for animals as well! Stacy is learning to accept situations as they are and stop trying to control the uncontrollable. Do what you can to change things for the positive, but recognize where your powers end. Hey, there's a reason every culture has a version of the Serenity Prayer! We hope you found inspiration in our strategies. Share what works for you with us! Oh and because it is Wesley's birthday on Saturday, May 6th, Stacy has been paleo for 7 years! She hasn't done many things longer than that, so I guess this might be here to stay! Rate and Review us! Goodbye! Outro (39:05)     Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please!

Ep. 245: Izabella Wentz and Thyroid Medications In this episode, Stacy and Sarah talk to Izabella Wentz, a professional pharmacist about medication for balancing thyroid hormones. Click the picture above to be taken to iTunes If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 245: Izabella Wentz and Thyroid Medications Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) Sarah and her kids went to her local March for Science! Sarah feels passionate about her adopted home and about science, so this was a perfect event for her! Check out her Instagram for her pictures! Stacy hasn't done any marches with her kids, but loves going into DC and talking about the history in the city Stacy, meanwhile, sold her house, but unfortunately the buyers backed out and it was very disappointing. Our guest is Izabella Wentz, the Thyroid Pharmacist! (7:21) Izabella is the "Thyroid Queen", a professional pharmacist who has developing a ton of resources for people with thyroid conditions Sarah was in her documentary The Thyroid Secret recently. She has a new book called The Hashimoto's Protocol, a holistic, functional medicine look at treating and living with Hashimoto's Izabella is very interested in helping people find relief from thyroid issues and reverse their damage. Sarah remembers being frustrated that even after diagnosis, she might have to tinker for years to get the best lifestyle for her disease. Sarah, Stacy and Izabella all remind you that medication isn't failure. In fact even for early stage Hashimoto's early hormone medications can help preserve the thyroid and improve health Izabella wants you to put everything in your "Toolshed of Healing" including medication. Synthroid is the most prescribed Thyroid hormone medication. It is T4 medication, which is supposed to be converted to the more active T3. But that doesn't always happen that way. Doctors say 90% of patients see improvement with Synthroid, but Izabella says that only 20% see great relief with only T4 medication. She recommends a T3 medication as well. There are two main thyroid hormones, T3 and T4 Izabella thinks people with Hashi's often can't convert T4 to T3 and thus recommends getting a compounded thyroid medication with both hormones in a bioidentical (a ratio that is similar to the body's) ratio. Find a compounding pharmacist that is accredited by the Profession Compounding Centers of America. The other option is desiccated thyroid hormones, or hormones that come from animal sources Sarah asks what someone should do if they only have access to a regular medical endocrinologist without success. Izabella says to check to see if you are underdosed. They're on the borderline of hypothyroidism, but not optimal (optimal TSH is between .5 and 2) Check into T3 and T4 levels. If your T4 is on the high side and your T3 is on the low side, you're still not converting well. Some endocrinologists are hesitant to prescribe T3, so if your TSH is fine but you're still not doing well, tell your doctor your symptoms and suggest T3 supplementation. If they're not prone to prescribing T3, maybe get a second opinion. Ask your compounding pharmacist. Izabella has an article on why doctors don't like to prescribe T3. It's because it used to be used on people with normal thyroids with amphetamines to lose weight. Which isn't healthy! It would induce hypothyroidism, heart issues and mania. Thyroid medications are "Goldilocks" medications. You dose in micrograms, not milligrams. You need not too much and not too little. Sarah says that you have be patient with medication. Wait a while after changing before testing again. On average it takes 2 years to get the right therapeutic dose. And doctors start very low. Izabella tests every 4 weeks and increasing very slowly. Target is TSH levels between .5 and 2. Symptom changes between dose changes are super important. You have to ask the right questions Izabella tests more frequently when a medication is changed or if they have had a thyroidectomy And when taking T3, test before you take your medication or you will look abnormal. Sarah finds you can't predict a therapeutic dose based on initial test levels. If you're dose isn't right, symptoms to look for: tangled, thinning hair and eyebrows, face puffy, brain fog, memory loss, sadness, fatigue, colder than average person, improper sweating, struggling with weight, joint pain, GI symtoms, heavy periods or carpal tunnel. Symptoms of hyperthroidism: excessive sweating, heart palpitations, insomnia, unintentional weight loss, scant periods, overheating, or very irritable. If you have Hasimoto's Thyroiditis, check out The Hashimoto's Protocol to help you take control of your life and teach you how to manage your body. Izabella wants you to be an empowered patient: know what you can do on your own and what role you doctor can do for you. She recommends a functional medicine doctor. Ask: Does your doctor prescribe compounded medications or natural desiccated thyroid? Does he or she prescribe low dosages of Naltraxone? Does he or she order adrenal saliva testing? Does he or she have an account with functional medicine lab companies? Check out Izabella at ThyroidPharmacist.com Rate and Review us! Goodbye! Outro (39:05)     Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please!