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Showing posts from May 2, 2017

Course II Annual Evolutionary Nutrition Conference and Staffan Lindeberg Memorial

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Staffan Lindeberg, a great scientist, researcher , physician, and pioneer of the paleo diet, passed away in December. He did some very important paleo diet related research, and was best known for his study of the Kitavans. We will never forget his contributions. On October 12th, the Course II Annual Evolutionary Nutrition Conference and Staffan Lindeberg Memorial will be help in Lisbon, Portugal. This will be a great event with a number of brilliant speakers. I highly recommend attending if you can. Here is the program outline for the day: PROGRAM 08h45-9h00: Opening remarks (Prof. Lynda Frassetto) 09h00-9h30: Dietary shifts during human evolution (Dr. Ainara Sistiaga) 09h30-10h00: What does a modern Paleolithic diet look like (Prof. Loren Cordain) 10h00-10h15: Round table with Q & A (Moderator: Prof. Lynda Frassetto) 10h15-10h30: Short break 10h30-10h55: The Hungry Brain (Dr. Stephan Guyenet) 10h55-11h20: The land-water ecosystem in human brain evolution (Prof. Frit

The Language of Microbial Culture: Explaining Prebiotics, Probiotics, Synbiotics and Postbiotics

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It’s no secret that it’s one of my favorite subjects—the burgeoning field of human gastrointestinal microbiology. I know…it’s easy to get caught up in the comparative excitement of it all. The microbiota is familiar territory to most Primal types, but with time and research, we come to understand the nuances of the terrain a little better. New terms pop up. Novel discoveries grab our attention. Promising connections become apparent. It feels like a good day to go over a bit of the latest—to  provide a little refresher for those who’ve joined us recently and most of all to offer some additional perspective on what we’re learning as studies branch into new depths.  So without further ado, welcome to Biome 101. The Cheat Sheet Probiotics Okay, most of you don’t need a refresher on this one. But for many, “probiotics” is simply a buzz word for something they vaguely remember is healthy…for some hazy, complicated reason. For those lost souls, here’s the quick and dirty. The average h

The Ingredient Your Probiotic May Be Missing

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For the past few years doctors and nutritionists have been recommending probiotics as way to control gut health. The little pills are filled with good bacteria, which have been shown to help improve digestion, boost mood and immune system and even help clear up skin. According to new research out of the University of Florida , some probiotics can even help curb allergy systems. But it turns out that most probiotics on the market are missing a key ingredient: fungus.   Enter scientist Mahmoud Ghannoum, Ph.D. The doctor, who’s a professor at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center , has spent his career studying medically important fungi (yeast, mold, and mushrooms are all part of the fungi family) and believes it’s a vital part of gut health. “Fungi and bacteria are always living in our guts, but [in probiotics] we’ve only been addressing the bacteria,” he says. After many years of research, and publishing a paper in 2010 urging the medical a

2017 Garden + Beanstalk Seeds

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I am looking forward to summer salads from the garden so much this year! Our garden has officially been planted, and I have some new seeds in the ground. I’ve partnered with Beanstalk Seeds to grow some new produce this year! Beanstalk Seeds is a seed collection targeted to kids and families to make growing produce as fun as can be. The project is a division of Kansas City Community Gardens (KCCG), which works to create vegetable gardens with low-income families, schools, and community groups in the Kansas City metro area. All proceeds from Beanstalk Seeds sales go towards helping more people grow their own nutritious produce. Moreover, gardening with kids means parents drive attention away from video games and TV and connect, get dirty, and eat well with their kids doing something that is fun for both generations. Beanstalk Seeds have been tried and tested in the KCCG for over a decade in over 200 gardens. Not only are they are reliable to grow, but the Beanstalk Seed varieties

Clean Eating Coconut Bomb Overnight Oatmeal Recipe

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Growing up, I hated coconut with a passion. My mom loved it and I just couldn’t understand her obsession with it. She lived in Hawaii for a time, and coconut was a big deal there. She learned to appreciate it in all it’s forms. The coconut tree (Cocos nucifera), known as “niu” in Hawaii, was originally introduced to the islands by the original Polynesian settlers. Although the island chain lies near the northern boundaries of the main coconut-growing regions of the world, coconut trees thrive in the warm, balmy climate of Hawaii. Coconuts were an important resource for ancient Hawaiians, providing food, liquid and building materials. Coconut fiber was used to lash the warrior’s koa wood canoes and the shells were used as the base of the shark skin-covered piniu, or Hawaiian knee drum. Source . As for me, I didn’t come to enjoy the flavor of coconut until I tasted fresh coconut for the first time. Something about that flipped a switch in me, and I’ve enjoyed the flavor ever sinc