PALEO JAY Smoothie Cafe

I go on and on about what you should do for your health- it is a passion with me! Diet, exercise, lifestyle- they all are so important! For instance, if you are not sleeping in a blackened out, dark room every night, for at least 8 hours- you are harming your health in huge amounts! Also, if you are eating gluten because ‘everyone does, and it’s just a fad’, well, I’m sorry- you are wrong- your gut is being made permeable, which means that all kinds of toxic crap is just flowing unimpeded into your circulatory system, making you just ripe for autoimmune diseases of all sorts! I could go on and on: if you don’t exercise, especially in an appropriate type of way- you too will suffer severe health consequences. Also, if you don’t get out into nature on a regular basis, experiencing the sounds of birds singing, and the wind through the trees as pollen and oxygen flows over your being- you will lose your health! never There are so many ways that modern people wreck their health! But, if there was one single thing that I would say is the MOST IMPORTANT?? Eat lots of vegetables. Really- eat lots of vegetables!! Now, what could be simpler than that? I’m not asking you to go out and run marathons, (actually, please don’t! Not healthy in the slightest!). Also, I don’t ask you to lift super heavy weights, “bulk up”, and do ridiculously strenuous Crossfit stupid workouts- (again- please don’t!) I do want you to work out, regularly, every day if you can in fact, but using bodyweight and self-resisted types of movement with lots of stretching, ala Perfectly Paleo Exercise. Very simple stuff; actually very intuitive, once you get started. BUT- the ONE main thing that I want you to do for HEALTH is this: EAT LOTS OF VEGETABLES- EVERY DAY!! Now, I’m not a vegan, or a vegetarian- not even close! Those two camps are, in my opinion, retarded. Stupid. There has never been a vegan or vegetarian culture in the history of humans…NEVER! They simply would not have survived without animal products, which we have evolved to take advantage of- never doubt this! BUT- we are meant to eat tons, I mean lots of vegetables, I mean green leafy stuff, along with a few berries (in season) on a daily basis. I mean like, ala Terry Wahls- 6 to 8 cups per day! So, this is the best health advice ever! Eat tons of vegetables, every day. The best, honestly, are wild vegetables, like plantain, and dandelion, and their ilk. They are absolutely loaded with nutrients! But, you can do just fine with frozen and fresh veggies, like spinach, beets and beet greens, mixed assortments like the California Mix at the grocery with carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and hey- throw in some sprouts- broccoli sprouts are now widely available, and so nutritious that they are like anti-cigarettes- that’s how healthy they are!! The main takeaway is this: it is difficult in modern times to eat that much vegetation! Our culture has a little green salad, along with a huge burger and fries- that’s normal. So, what to do?? Simple, grasshopper- get a high powered blender, (Vitamix is the gold standard!!), and make a real, paleo smoothie each day! Use lots and lots of veggies, either fresh or frozen, and only a handful of fruit. Berries and citrus are the best, since they are lowest in fructose. Ideally, throw in everything I suggest for my Paleo Smoothie on www.paleojay.com, since I include everything your poor body needs to counteract modern SAD living. But, mainly? PUT A TON OF VEGGIES IN YOUR SMOOTHIE! It’s a simple solution to a modern problem, and vastly underrated. Your goal should be this: to be a paleolithic carnivore, who also eats more veggies than a vegan! Go for it.            

Most of you will think I am insane! Well, that is fine- but I am here to tell you that the exercise regimen promoted by Charles Atlas, way back in the 1930’s, is the most paleo friendly, productive, and beneficial exercise program you can possibly follow! So, at least you know that I am insane. Follow onwards, or not as you will, but I think this is the best advice about exercise that I have ever given. For man, or woman. The foundation of the Atlas courses was this: Dynamic Resistance. I’ll admit, it sounds like a nebulous concept- what exactly is it? It is resistance within the muscle itself. To illustrate- flex your arm, as if you are curling a dumbbell, or barbell. Just don’t use a weight- nothing- just your arm. “How can I do this,” you say, “without resistance?” Just generate the resistance within the arm itself- make it hard! Go slow, and make that flex go through the whole range of motion, fighting internal resistance every step of the way. You can actually make this harder than lifting a barbell or dumbbell, since the resistance is equally hard through every plane of resistance! It is maximum productivity. But, the thing is, you don’t stop with curls, the biceps alone. Of course not, you follow a logical progression, working your body from head to toe. You start with the high reach. You reach as high as you can with your right arm, slowly, flexing all along the way. If you are in front of a mirror (recommended), you will see your muscles flexing, from your lats to your triceps to your spinal erectors. Attempt to accentuate this action, by actively engaging each muscle group! The mirror helps here, especially in the early stages. Then, try the fly. I don’t know if you ever trained with weights in a gym, but this is where you cross your arms in front of your chest, engaging the pectoral muscles of the chest. You really don’t need weights, (really!), and you can do it fine, with dynamic resistance. You just make the movement hard, internally- go slowly, and flex as you cross your arms across your chest for, oh, 10 repetitions. I guarantee, you will feel exactly as you would as if you had done so with dumbbells or cables, except for the musculoskeletal trauma of heavy weights! All beneficial, without the trauma. Next, try the pulldown, or chin-up. You know, even if you have never done a chin-up or pulldown in your life, now you can. You just raise your arm as high as you can, and flexing- pull down on the right side. Make the lats flex, the mirror helps here. Then, repeat on the left, until you have done 10 on both right and left sides. You should feel tired and pumped! Now, let’s do the squat! Now, I don’t want you to do the usual squat, with a huge weight across your spine (compressing it!), and the high reps, bottom-down (to damage your knees)! What has happened with conventional weight training nowadays, anyway?? Just flex your thighs, and go down to a comfortable depth, flexing all the way. Make those quadriceps work, isometrically (and internally) as you go up and down. Don’t go too deep- 3/4 of the way down is plenty (don’t want knee damage) but flex hard every step of the way. That is the perfect leg exercise, and perfectly safe. Now, let’s move to the abdominals! Forget what you have been told- the very best, key ab exercise is ab vacuums! This is where you suck in your gut (whatever the size), and hold it. Do this, each hold (again, in front of a mirror is ideal, so you can see what you are doing), for reps. 5 seconds is ideal, in my opinion. Afterwards, do side-by-side lateral bends (easy) as a warm down, for flexibility. 15 reps seems perfect. Next- lateral raises! Pretend you have small dumb bells in each hand, and raise them straight-armed to the side for 8-10 reps. (All rep guidelines are arbitrary- experiment, and find what works for you). Flex throughout, and look in the mirror, at least e

One of the egregious mistakes (among many) of modern medicine and its accompanying dietary advice is that you should limit your salt consumption. This is right up there with “eat 6 servings of grains per day” and “try to eat as little saturated fat as possible”. Both are dead wrong! The only problem with salt is that we are eating processed, devitalized salt, stripped of its many minerals! Typical, Morton’s types of salt… Real, actual sea salt, contains 5-19 percent or so of other vital minerals. This is the difference between grass fed beef and corn fed beef- one cut of meat is riddled with disease and hormones, the other is loaded with nutrients! The real key is to cut out processed foods, (like commercial bread products), that are loaded with fake salt. Fake salt is what I call it- it is a processed, industrial product that is stripped of any nutrients, by heating it above 1200 degrees, and then laced with chemicals like ferrocyanide and aluminosilicate, to help the salt “flow better”, and to not absorb moisture. Once you get rid of processed foods (like bread!), you can just eat real foods- like grass fed beef and vegetables- and then just salt to taste, using actual, real, authentic, good-tasting sea salt! What a concept- real food, and real salt… Actually, limiting salt will do more harm than good! Like most of modern nutritional advice, it is dead wrong. It is not salt, good honest sea salt that is as much of a real food as anything else in nature that is the problem: it is fake, processed salt, along with the rest of the nightmare processed fake foods, like high fructose corn syrup, horrible fake fats like vegetable oils, and GMO grains that are being almost forced down our gullets by our own grain-pushing government- these are what is causing the epidemic of diabesity and autoimmune disease that is destroying the health of our nation, and now the world! So, make the simplest switch there is: dump your fake salt, and get some quality sea salt- Himalayan, Celtic- whatever! It tastes better, it is far better for your health, and the cost is quite minimal. And, while you are at it- get some quality peppercorns, and a mill to grind them fresh! Nowadays, the little mills are sold cheaply with the peppercorns right in it, at a reasonable price. Each little grind of pepper makes the nutrients in the food you eat much more available- it’s not just the taste that improves- it’s the nutrition! Two simple, instant change-ups in your health, done painlessly! Just do it- don’t look up Mayo Clinic health which states that “all salts are identical”. Remember that they have been co-opted; in other words bought by the pharmaceutical industry, and so are completely committed to being drug pushers. It’s sad but true: Mayo was founded as a sanitarium that promoted natural healing. They fed their patients grass-fed dairy, as in the “Milk Cure”. The milk used was, in all cases, the only kind of milk available in those days—raw milk from pasture-fed cows, rich in butterfat. The treatment is a combination of a detoxifying fast (free of processed foods), and nutrient-dense feeding. How far they have fallen! While it is indeed amazing how good Mayo, and all of Western medicine has become at preserving life as it is almost over, as the patient is dying- They are incredibly bad at prescribing anything that either preserves health, or regains of promotes actual health and wellness. It has reached the point where health and wellness are not even on their radar. Relying on medical clinics and doctors for your health is like asking your bartender or corner drug pusher for health advice. They don’t know- they don’t care! They have a product they are selling (drugs)- and that is all that they care about. Oh, and in the case of doctors- surgeries too. In the words of a song from my 60’s heyday: God Damn the Pusher Man!

Dr. William Davis has introduced a new course on his website www.wheatbelly.com He is calling it undoctored, which I believe is a brilliant name for what he is stating- which is that modern medical clinics and most doctors have given up on actually healing, and have now instead concentrated on selling! Selling us all surgeries and other procedures, along with loads of tests and drugs. All are mainly done for sheer PROFIT. The amount of money spent in the US on drugs alone is staggering, and the ability these drugs have to heal us, to make us health - is zero! They may mask the symptoms, but without real lifestyle changes such as those I recommend here, the body will be unable to heal itself… For make no mistake: only your own body can repair itself- no drugs or surgeries can do what your own body is capable of- for free. It really is that simple. One of the best things you can do is to stay away from the medical doctor’s office. As I have long said, be your own doctor. Read up on ancestral, paleo ways of living, eating, and exercising. Banish wheat and most grains entirely from your diet, and sharply limit sugars and carbohydrates. Replace those fake foods with lots and lots of vegetables, along with some fruits. A smoothie each morning is probably the ideal way to do this last, and it makes the process easy and enjoyable. Pack that smoothie with as much good stuff as you can- follow my recipe at www.paleojay.com or else get the ebook Perfectly Paleo Exercise. If you go to the medical clinic, I guarantee that you will be given powerful prescription medications, whether you have symptoms or not. These clinics and hospitals have transformed over the past several decades, without most people noticing, from places of simple healing with common sense and uncomplicated tools, into hyper-huge and powerful bureaucracies, intent on generating the maximum revenue and profit. The bottom line, not the healed and happy patient! These Patient Mills are places to avoid as much as possible. Just as you don’t go to a greasy used car salesman on a regular basis, looking for “deals”- don’t go into the clinic when you feel good, just because they want you to. They find it in their interest to make staying healthy complicated and mysterious. It’s NOT! Staying healthy was very well known how to do in earlier times, and if our great grandparents could do it, why can’t we? They didn’t load themselves up with drugs and surgeries, both of which were unavailable. They ate the best foods they could find, real foods, prepared in their home, not in factories. They lived lives of physical labor, that kept them fit, and slept long hours each night. Most lived in small towns, with a close-knit “tribal” kind of connection, and went to church each week. Most folks in America prayed, which is really a form of meditation. It’s really only recently that we’ve gotten so far off track in our notions of health, but we’ve gotten so far off track that it is vital to turn your ship around, now. So, become Undoctored! Listen to paleo podcasts, read books about the subject, and most importantly walk the walk. Once you understand that your health is your own responsibility, you have taken the first step on the wonderful journey of looking great, and feeling even better.

And  yet another installment of the heroic adventures of Wulf, the eternal warrior, as we all sit in community around the digital version of the Paleolithic campfire!

Lair of the Wulf by Simon Stanton, on PaleoJay's Smoothie Cafe- where heroic tales are part of the paleo lifestyle! Where to buy

Heroic tales around the paleo campfire continues with Lair of the Wulf chapters 14 and 15.

One thing we really need to recalibrate throughout our lives as we age is just what our priorities should be. Some people, who live an ancestral type of lifestyle, come to these decisions naturally, since how we should behave- just what our goals in life should be- change dramatically as time goes by. For instance: when we are young and in our twenties- Typically, we have nothing in the way of material goods, but tend to be vibrantly healthy and fit. This is kind of a given, or at least has been until relatively modern times, when processed bad foods and sedentary lifestyles have filtered down to even the very young! But traditionally, and even now, in our twenties we tend to be quite healthy, slim, and optimistic. What we do not have at this point, unless we are trust fund kids or some such, is money and financial security. And so, appropriately, during this period we should be actively pursuing educational qualifications, job paths, formation of family, and childbearing. These are appropriate goals. This continues throughout our 20’s, and into our early thirties. Kids, making money, securing our place in the world are paramount! However, once we reach our 30’s, a subtle shift should be taking place. Our health has undoubtedly suffered, as it almost always does with a family, demanding job, and children! It is vital at this season of life to start working fitness work back into our lives. Hopefully, we always kept a minimal fitness level going all along, because even when health is basically a gift in our youth, we still need to maintain it. But now, it is vital that it become almost equal in importance to that of supporting the family, and keeping on with our careers! And also, at this point nutrition, meaning a paleo or ancestral type of mindset of preparing and eating real foods and getting completely rid of processed foods becomes more important. This is when most people begin really putting on fat, and also becoming very prone to metabolic syndrome. These things need to be addressed, if you want to continue being vital and useful to your family, community, job, and to yourself! Start in your 30’s, if not before. Now, through your 40’s, you are usually pretty set on your successful career, family, and social path. While most would say ‘now is the time to really save and invest’, they mean to save in your IRA, preparatory to retirement. I say that it is time to shift your priorities more in the favor of health and fitness, and less towards financial gain! For the truth is that the vast majority of folks pretty much give up on their physical health at this point, and concentrate even more on wealth- accumulating wealth takes the place of concentrating on health. And so, this is when most non-paleo types of folks start taking all sorts of prescription drugs, because they, well, they don’t have time to exercise… and of course, they are also so far gone now in obesity and metabolic syndrome and all of its attendant ills that they have to use drugs to control them. Of course, the answer is to make health your hobby- health is now your new wealth, 40 year old! If you have not done so in your 40’s, by the 50th year of age your are definitely falling apart. You may have loads of money and material goods, but you know what? Ten years from now, if you have not reversed things, you would gladly give away most of your hard-won wealth if if would make you well! Generally, people in our modern culture work physically hard playing sports, training, and just living active lives in their teens, 20’s and maybe early 30’s… Then- they stop. This is ironic, since when young, such activity is desirable, but hardly necessary. Metabolisms are high, sickness almost nonexistent, vitality is off-the-charts! Then, in our 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s, as we get fatter and sicker, our diets are increasingly ignored, physical activity is increasingly not done at a

Once more, we continue our audio tale about the paleo campfire, with Wulf Gott in Lair of the Wulf, Book 2 of A Barbarian in Chicago.  And now, you can get the kindle or ebook version for FREE of A Barbarian in Chicago!

Your dental health is at least as important for your overall quality of lifestyle and health as is the health of your organs, your cardiovascular system, or your musculature. With a healthy and inflammation-free set of teeth and gums, your mouth will be a source of strength, a means to convey high quality nutrition into your body. The problem is that nowadays, the vast majority of people have hugely deteriorating, plaque covered teeth by a quite early age. In fact, it is often stated the over 75% of Americans have gingivitis, which means that their teeth are badly infected, and will probably not last them throughout their lives. Teeth and gums that are so inflamed will develop pockets of pus beneath the gum line. This can result in receding gums, bleeding, and eventual tooth decay and loss. Pain and extreme expense are the result of this occurrence, along with huge expense. Also, this inflammation spreads throughout the entire body, vastly increasing the risk of hearth disease, along with other circulatory diseases. In addition, as people age and lose their teeth, and find it more and more painful to chew, they avoid many nutritious, hard to chew foods, and switch more and more into eating soft fruits and pastries- bad, inflammatory foods that further fuel the decline of their health. The solution is quite simple: eat a paleo type of diet! This means avoiding grains and sugars for the most part. Grains not only turn to sugar right in your mouth, they also tend to stick and coat your mouth with the damaging plaque that erodes tooth enamel. Contrarily, eating a diet of good meats, real fats, (avoid vegetable oils!), and other foods such as vegetables and some fruits will leave your mouth undamaged. Also, they will provide ample nutrition so that your own body can remineralize your teeth as you go, keeping your teeth forever strong and vital. Also, eating fermented vegetables will do the opposite of grains in your mouth, since the beneficial microbes in them will remain in your mouth, crowding out the undesirable types that cause damage and decay. Of course, brushing before bed, preferably with a Sonicate type of electric toothbrush will help immensely, as well. But remember, out paleolithic ancestors had good lifetime teeth without brushing at all, since they only had good, real foods to eat! But today, brushing is prudent, and definitely helpful. Just use a light touch (don’t bear down), and do not use commercial toothpastes with their assorted harmful chemicals- a mix of sea salt and baking soda is what I use, and it is not only cheap, but it works wonderfully. Ironically, the latest research shows that flossing actually does more harm than good, by pushing pockets of inflammation further into the gums. So, don’t floss! There are two more things you can do instead, however, that are far more effective- 1. Pull coconut oil between your teeth, swishing it around your mouth as you shower. Do it for about 15 minutes a day, and you will vastly improve the health of your mouth, as the anti-bacterial power of the coconut oil literally smothers and bad bacteria in your mouth, which you later spit out, leaving you with a fresh, clean, healthy mouth! 2. If you do have some gingivitis or infection in your gums, there is a very effective and cheap fix- get some white oak bark powder. I got some online for about $3.50, postpaid. I had a small area that was infected towards the back of my jaw, right by my right rear molar. It had been there, not advancing, but not retreating, for years. For a couple of weeks, I put a small pinch of the white oak powder between my cheek and the gum line, much as guys do with the harmful habit of chewing tobacco, after I had brushed before bed. The powder acts as an astringent, and it literally draws out the infection through the action of the tannins within it. It is amazing- within two weeks my gums were totally healthy! Now, I hav

Because, as we all know, proper diet and exercise are not enough- heroic, ancestral tales are also essential!

Because heroic tales around a campfire (or elsewhere!) are paleo too... https://www.amazon.com/dp/1519059175

Tales around a Paleo campfire continued, with the heroic tale by Simon Stanton "Lair of the Wulf", which is the second book in the A Barbarian in Chicago series.

Audiobook reading of Chapter 3 from 

Importance of Creating “At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: ‘I have to go to work – as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for – the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?’”- Marcus Aurelius I am utterly convinced now of the importance of creating something as part of a healthy lifestyle- a paleo type of lifestyle! It’s not all just about eating right, sleeping well, keeping in touch with your “tribe” and family, and doing proper exercise in the beauty of nature. Of course, as I go about ad nauseum on my podcasts and blogs, all of those things are just crucial to total health and well-being. But there is one more aspect of life that, if ignored, will leave you ultimately unfulfilled and even not fully a realized human being- creation! Now, I don’t mean you have to sculpt statues or paint works of art. (Although those would be great!) I just mean, you need to have things that you work at, things that use your skills to realize the creation of something, anything really, of value. And it could just be of value to you, even if no one else appreciates what you create, heck- maybe you are like Van Gogh, and will be revered after your death. It doesn’t really matter though- it needs to be something that fulfills you. Maybe you love to cook, and you take one day to master a particular recipe- great! You are a creator- for that day. The thing is, though, you need to create pretty much daily, or at least most days. We are not meant to live our lives to be “entertained”, but sadly, in our modern processed food world, most of us increasingly are relying on “processed entertainment” to keep us occupied. Even if you get up early as I recommend after a good 8-9 hours of sleep, exercise thoroughly from your head to your toes, drink your fat-laden coffee and your green smoothie, and then meditate or pray for 20 minutes… well, that’s not enough. Not really, although you will be amazingly healthy after a bit of living like that, and will look and feel great. You will be vibrant and alive with healthy energy, and will enjoy going to the grocery of the farmer’s market, stocking your larder, and planning wonderful family meals. Let’s say you also have an ample income, and are quite secure in your home life and financial situation. You go to a great church, you volunteer and do things for charity, and are giving by helping out with friends, family, and neighbors. All of that is wonderful, and your life will be quite full and fulfilling to a large extent. But- if you fill your quiet time, your time alone, by watching movies, reading books, watching televised sports, and surfing the internet randomly… you are not a fully autonomous, fulfilled human being. You will feel a lack. That is a lack of creative purpose! Remember when you were a young boy or girl- when you awakened in the morning, you could scarcely wait to jump out of bed and start in on your latest infatuation! Whether it was your dollhouse, or your little fort you were building with your brother, that creative endeavor was so exciting and energizing that you could hardly stand it to stay in bed one more instant- you wanted to create. This want, or need to create never leaves us. We leave it, moving on to more “grown up” pursuits, usually making money takes over. And making money, while necessary, it is so easy to let it consume us. After you have enough, when you can live a relatively relaxed life without material want, (which is the state of most Americans today, whether they realize it or not), it is time to recognize your true calling. To create! To grow a garden, or sew a quilt. To make music, or write a book. You can build a hot-rod, or restore a motorcycle. The point is, it doesn’t matter what your subconscious- your right brain- tells you wou