How to Avoid Jet Lag

Like the dreaded hangover after a massive drinking session, jet lag is one of those annoying realities many of us Aussies are all too well accustomed to. Like a hangover, the longer the flight (binge), the more time zones (bars) you cross and the less sleep you get the longer and more painful the jet lag.

Currently I’m sitting in a lounge in Doha, halfway through one of the longest transits I’ve ever done… and that includes many 30+ hour journeys between Australia and Europe.

Since leaving my Manhattan apartment roughly twenty hours ago I’ve already flown 11,000km and crossed eight time zones getting to the Arab Emirates, and thanks to rescheduling caused by the epic Polar Vortex snow storm I now have a seven hour layover here in Doha. Then there’s another 14 hour flight and eight more time zones to cross until touching down in Melbourne sometime tomorrow. 

As far as flights go, this is an ugly one. But I’m feeling chipper! 

Recently I did some Google trawling through both the traditional scientific literature and also the more controversial bio-hacking sphere. My goal? To see what can be done to ameliorate some of the damage that arises when you squish humans into a metal tube and hurtle them through 24,000km of stratosphere at 39,000 feet. 

Here are what I have determined to be the biggest contributors to jet lag and some ways in which to combat them:

Dehydration

The commercial jet airplane is a very harsh environment for us delicate humans. Being in a completely sealed and insulated metal tube is great when you’re trying to maintain cabin pressure and not freeze to death or asphyxiate, but in most other ways it’s less than ideal. 

Firstly the cabin pressure is far lower that what (most of us sea-siders) are accustomed to. The cabin altitude (equivalent altitude for the pressure inside the cabin) of commercial airplanes ranges from 1,800m to 2,400m. So my flight is akin to sitting on top of Mount Kosciusko (tallest peak in Australia) for 23 hours. 

Being at altitude is very dehydrating because the air is not only very dry (typically 5-15% humidity in the cabin), but oxygen is more sparse so you need to breathe at a higher rate and therefore lose more moisture and electrolytes through exhaling. 

Secondly, the air quality is poor: recycled bleed-air from the engines will only add to dehydration, not to mention spreading bacteria and other nasties from your fellow passengers. Confinement and human density have been a challenge to us since civilization. Airplanes are a great place to get sick.

Thirdly, the physical structure of the plane amplifies already elevated levels of solar and cosmic radiation, as you are less protected the higher up in the atmosphere you go. Then there is the EMF (electromotive force) pollution from all the wireless devices and on-board electronics concentrated in such a small insulated space. 

As Dr Jack Kruse, neurosurgeon turned bio-hacker says about flying, it’s like putting a nice juicy steak in the microwave for a long time - it comes out completely dried up and tough. A similar thing happens to our body. 

I’m no fear-monger and I’m definitely not going to stop traveling by air but clearly flying isn’t the healthiest thing you can do. So how can you mitigate some of the damage?

Combating dehydration:

• Drink a lot of good quality, preferably fluoride-free, filtered or natural spring water before, during and after the flight. 
• Resist the urge to drink alcohol and caffeine before and during the flight. In my personal experience, getting stuck into the free booze during flights makes for terrible jet lag. 
• Bring a massive water bottle (like a Kleen Canteen) and keep asking the air hostess to fill it up for you. They allow empty water bottles through security these days. [Side note: since departing New York I’ve drunk over 6 liters (1.5 gallons) of water in 24 hours, and I still feel dehydrated].
• Rehydrate your skin often throughout the flight. I use coconut oil. [Added bonus - if the plane/airport food is totally inedible and I’m starving i’ll just eat some of the coconut oil out of my little carry-on tub].

Earthing Biohack

A second, more unorthodox recommendation from famous bio-hacker and Bulletproof Coffee inventor Dave Asprey is to “ground” yourself during the flight. You do this by placing your bare feet on the metal part of the seats in front of you connecting it to the floor. 

Airplanes are grounded for safety in case of lightning strike so Asprey posits that you can ‘earth’ yourself and get rid of some of the negative charge that accumulates in your body from being bombarded with EMF in flight (i.e. Kruse’s plane as microwave theory). I’m not sure how much science is behind this but I’m trying it on this trip nonetheless. 

Additionally, once you land in your destination try doing some barefoot activity outside with your feet in contact with the earth. This could involve walking along path, park or beach, hiking a trail or even just doing some yoga in your back yard. Asprey says that just 20 minutes of this “earthing” is enough to shake off most of his jet lag. 

Sleep

I think this is the biggest obstacle in long-haul flights. Like hangovers, jet lag is mostly a combination of dehydration and a lack of quality sleep. Unless you’re in business or first class and can lie flat it’s pretty hard to get comfortable on a plane. Here are some tips that help for me.

Improving sleep potential:

• Get the best seat you can. It’s very hard to get upgraded these days from economy but if you ask nicely and the flight isn’t too full you can usually wing your way into an exit row or aisle. My first flight was quite empty so I asked at check-in if they could block off the two seats next to me. Qatar were happy to oblige so I had a full row to stretch out on and lie flat.
• Get yourself a quality sleeping mask and ear buds to cancel as much noise as possible. The free ones you get on long-haul flights are absolute rubbish. I found this (bra-looking) eye mask on Amazon for $10 and it works a treat.
• Give sleep preference over that movie or meal. You’re better off skipping a crappy plane meal or Vin Deisel movie in order to get some extra sleep. 
• If possible try and align your sleep on the plane with the timezone of your destination. 
• I personally take a prescription sleeping pill when I need to get a good 6-8 hours sleep on a long-haul flight. This is the only time in my life when I take sleeping pills and I think it’s worth it. Being 6’2 is great for the fashion runway… not so great for sleeping in an economy airplane seat! 

Adjusting your circadian rhythm to the new time zone

Aside from dehydration and sleep deprivation the other key cause of jet lag is the change in time zone. The more time zones you cross, the longer it will take to adjust. However, here is a kind of hack to speed up this natural adjustment.

1. On the flight wake up at an appropriate morning time for you arrival destination. 

2. If you do caffeine the morning would be a good time to have a coffee - perhaps a Bulletproof Coffee.

3. Once you have arrived get some light exposure to help reset your body clock. This is especially important first thing in the morning. Try and do some light exercise outside… barefoot! 

4. Eat meals at the proper time. Favor healthy fats and limit sugar/starch during the day. 

5. Incorporate a little bit of carbohydrate in the evening to help regulate cortisol and serotonin and the production of melatonin. E.g. half a banana with a teaspoon of honey if you tolerate carbs. 

5. Try to stay awake until a reasonable bed time. 

6. Supplement with 1-3mg of melatonin one hour before bed to help you get to sleep. 

Do this for the first two or three nights until you have acclimatized to the new time zone. Do not take melatonin on a regular basis. It is a powerful hormone and should only be used very rarely so as not to interfere with it’s natural production in your body. 

Some final tips

Food

Airplane food is often highly processed, salty and heavy on the refined carbs. If possible bring some of your own food or at least snacks to help you stay diligent and resist all the junk… the little cardboard bread rolls, sugary yoghurt, milk chocolate and puddings. 

Raw almonds or macadamias, 85% dark chocolate and coconut oil are nutrient dense foods that provide real energy and will help you get through your (traumatic) flight. When you’re cramped, cursing over the delays, fed up with the grumpy security staff and noddy-headed goons drooling on you from their window seat just eat some dark chocolate, whack your eye mask on and try to relax! 

Another option is to use your flight as an opportunity to fast. I have done up to 24 hour fasts on flights before and if anything it really helped avoid jet lag. 

Drink

I can’t emphasize how helpful it is to abstain from alcohol and caffeine during these long flights, as tempting as they are. Drink way more water than you think you need. The extra bathroom breaks are a good way to get you up and about. 

Move

When you aren’t sleeping on the plane, get up and move as often as you can. Be that annoying guy that loiters around the rear exit doing yoga stretches… oh wait, that’s me! 

When you’re in the terminal walk around as much as possible and stand rather than sit. You’re going to be doing more than enough sitting on the plane so stretch while you can. 

Be Nice

Being friendly and charming to the ground staff and flight crew can go a long way. Ask and ye shall receive! Whether it be getting a newspaper from business class, an extra blanket or even talking your way into the premier lounge at Doha airport (I just asked the transfer desk if they could help me out on such a long layover and they gave me a complimentary pass), I find that a positive attitude can get you a long way in an industry where customers are often grumpy and rude. 

And that’s all I have to say about that. 

Thanks for choosing The Paleo Model for all your inflight tips. Please follow me by email (below) to get my articles delivered straight to your inbox. If you’d like to help me out I'd really appreciate you sharing this post or my website with friends and family. 

"Form a habit. Forge a lifestyle." - The Paleo Model 

UPDATE: I arrived in Melbourne having travelled for nearly 40 hours. Yet after a solid night’s sleep and some barefoot activity the next morning I felt a million bucks. I had no issue adjusting to the new time zone and besides a tiny bit of brain fog on the first day I basically avoided jet lag all together. Flying the other way back to New York some three weeks later was even easier... I think it works!

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References

http://www.bulletproofexec.com/87-how-to-live-longer-than-most-people-with-dr-jack-kruse-podcast/

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/in-focus-manufacturers-aim-for-more-comfortable-cabin-369425/

Find Your 'It': Form a Habit, Forge a Lifestyle

In this guest post on the Blackwood Fitness blog I give an insight into my own personal health and lifestyle journey and share four transformative truths that I have learned along the way. Here is an excerpt: 

"At 13 years old, I was unhappy with my body. My pre-pubescent years of soy milk, McDonald’s and Kit Kats had left me with ‘puppy fat’ and little man boobs. With a new-found level of competitiveness (and therefore physical motivation) at High School, I decided I’d had enough of being a chubby kid. I took matters into my own hands, or more correctly, onto my own hands. My (re)solution was push ups... " 
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

My Experience With Intermittent Fasting

WARNING: I am not a doctor or health practitioner. Just because I look good in Speedos does not mean you should take my advice or do what I do. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa. Beware of people like me who take an N=1 experiment on themselves and get all preachy as if they have the answer… I'm looking at you, Tim Ferris. 

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Being a huge fan of the Paleo diet and the amazing results I have seen (body composition, energy levels, overall health) in the two years I have been eating in this manner I thought I'd toy with this idea of Intermittent Fasting (IF). In this article I first explain a bit about IF and then go on to describe what happened to me when I tried it for six weeks last year. It ends with some thoughts on who may benefit from IF and who should probably stay clear. 

What, IF?

Basically, Intermittent Fasting is an eating pattern that alternates between periods of fasting and feeding. Ramadan is an example of IF (although you probably won't get smitten by Allah if you don't observe this type of IF strictly). IF may involve alternate-day fasting, fasting one or two full days a week, fasting every day for an arbitrary number of hours or any other combination. 

The form I chose to do it involved a 'condensed eating window' of four to eight hours a day, every day. Some would call this a 16:8 or 20:4 intermittent fast The timing and ratio changed daily but effectively I was not eating anything from around 9pm at night until some time between 1pm to 5pm the next day depending on when I trained. 

I was training in the fasted state. And by training I mean heavy weight training often paired with metabolic conditioning (high intensity interval training ala CrossFit). In hindsight I think this was a mistake, but more on that later.

From when I broke fast after my workout I would eat as much and as often as I liked during that four to eight hour period until starting the next fast. Thereafter it was just water and black coffee in the mornings until my next feeding window. Not that crazy, really. (Is it?? I can be a bit crazy sometimes... Who said that?) It's important to note that I was also eating low-carb at the time. Probably between 50-100 gm of carbs a day, which is very low for my activity levels and size. 

Why the F would you do that?

Good question! Well, firstly I am an inquisitive person and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. IF has become very popular in the whole Paleo-sphere and there have been quite a few (animal) studies over the years suggesting that calorie restriction and/or intermittent fasting could really have some potential health and longevity benefits. 

For example, in multiple animal studies rats that were fasted (usually alternative days of no food) ended up living up to 50% longer than the 'eat whenever you want' control group. It seems like the mechanism was somehow related to fertility - in scarce times when the body doesn't have enough energy to reproduce it will delay the aging process in order to live long enough to reproduce. The fasting rats' telomeres - the ends of chromosomes that shorten as you age - degraded at a slower rate.

I later found out that the latest research was suggesting that this longevity effect is somewhat overstated and nowhere near as prominent in primates/humans. In particular, one primate study suggested that severe fasting (one week on/one week off) for your whole life may increase life span by up to seven years for a human. Hardly worth it for a life of misery in my opinion! The theory is that unlike rodents, large mammals with long gestation periods (like humans, elephants etc) require relatively less energy to rear their young than, say, mice, for whom rearing young requires a greater proportion of their total available energy. Thus the longevity effect of fasting is far less for humans than rats. 

The other, perhaps more enticing suggested benefit of IF for a body-conscious sucker such as myself is an overall improvement in body composition (maintain lean muscle, lose fat) that IF proponents push. Basically, by fasting large portions of the day your body will naturally switch into a ketogenic (fat burning) state, which should enable stored body fat to be burned for fuel rather than all the readily available glucose from that big bowl of sugar-nothingness known as cereal and large glass of refined fructose (Orange Juice) us fat Westerners have been told constitutes a “healthy breakfast”. 

My experience with Intermittent Fasting

So you're wondering how not eating most of the time worked out for me?

The Good

I did IF consistently for about six weeks last year while living in London. After the first few days I actually found it easy to not eat in the mornings. I was drinking a lot of black brewed coffee and actually felt really mentally alert during the fasted period. Kind of like when I was a kid playing football or doing Athletics and you have that semi-nervous, super-alert feeling when you are about to run out on the field. This is probably a good indication that my sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response) was dominating during the latter part of the fasted state and not giving my parasympathetic nervous system (rest and recover) enough field time.

Anyway the first few weeks I was performing well in the gym, and was really growing to like the feeling of not eating for hours on end. It is strangely addictive and definitely gives you a buzz. It makes sense to me that our Paleo ancestors often went very long periods with no food and would often have to hunt in the fasted state and so I guess there may have been some evolutionary pressure on the ability to ramp up alertness when we are very hungry. 

Also, It is quite liberating knowing that you don't have to think about preparing food or snacking every few hours. I think it can help with productivity too. Sometimes around midday I would get quite strong hunger pangs that lasted for about an hour but they would always pass and I would feel great again. As soon as I started training I would feel very energetic - "on the hunt" I guess you would say. 

I have no doubt that we as a people these days do not embrace hunger enough. Instant gratification, greed and relative prosperity have made being hungry a frowned upon and unnecessary condition. It's a shame. Furthermore, I find the natural/Primal hunger you feel during a fast or when in the ketotic state is subtle and tolerable. Contrast this to the modern hangry (hungry + angry) food craving cycle most Westerners face every couple of hours when their blood-sugar plummets shortly after consuming a sugary/grainy meal or snack. I think the 'six small meals a day' myth is defunct for the average person.

The Bad

While my performance was good in the gym for the first few weeks it kind of plateaued after that. I also seemed to lean out a couple of kilos in that initial period but by around week three or four I was back to my normal size/weight again. It started to become obvious that IF wasn't going to turn me into a freak that could walk around at 5% body fat with veins popping out of his abs and bench-pressing 200kg. Don't worry, I'm fully aware that these are unrealistic goals and I not particularly desirable! But I was hoping that this would be a kind of cheat to being super-ripped all the time while also being able to gorge, drink booze and eat a bit less clean than usual. Spoiler alert: It isn't… for me at least.

When you fast for 16-18 hours everyday and it finally comes time to eat, you overdo it. At least I certainly did. I'm always a big eater. I'd say I average 3000-4000 calories a day. I'm very active and I eat high quality whole foods and relatively low levels of carbohydrate so I can get away with an energy-dense diet. When you are trying to get in all your daily calories in just a few hours you really have to eat a lot. 

I am a bit of a fat-kid at heart so I kinda like gorging myself. I think many people would struggle to get enough calories in for the day in just 4-8 hours which is probably why IF is so often heralded as a great weight-loss tool. By default people fall into a substantial calorie deficit and the weight just comes off. But for me it just meant I was eating massive meals and grazing for the rest of the eating window. 

I would routinely eat a whole 100gm block of 85% cocoa dark chocolate in the evening, after already consuming a can of coconut cream, sometime a whole chicken (they are small in the UK) and copious amounts of vegetables, salads and fruit. Ironically, I think I was eating more than I used to eat when not doing IF. More troubling though, I was eating more of the energy-dense foods that I try to limit such as the dark chocolate, coconut cream and nuts. It makes sense that I was probably going to these foods to get the calories quickly and easily as my time frame for eating was restricted. (There are only so many salads and vegetables one has time to prep and eat in 5 hours). I didn't gain weight but I started to feel sluggish.

The Ugly

Around week five or six I started to feel pretty flat. I wasn't sleeping well, my performance was declining in the gym and I started to feel more anxious. It became clear that the honeymoon period had ended and my body wasn't so happy with this new normal. When I couldn't get to sleep at night I knew something was wrong. My body was under stress and not recovering as it should. 

My sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response) was in overdrive. I knew it was probably a cortisol issue, adrenal fatigue, a slow-down in thyroid function or most likely a combination of the three. All of these physiological responses are very typical of type-A personalities (me) who push themselves too far, overtrain, under sleep, go too low-carb and are generally addicted to adventure, stress and stimulation… and caffeine!

I was becoming mildly addicted to the buzz of the fasted state, but then obsessing over food more than usual. I had the gut feeling that this wasn't a sustainable or healthy endeavor for me. 

IF's and buts

I stopped IF and went back to a more normal routine, eating breakfast most days. I think my issue was probably with the fact that I was eating too low-carb, training too intensely and trying to do IF all at the same time. When you do intense CrossFit type workouts that are very glycogen (muscle glucose) dependent you really need enough carbs in your diet to replenish the glycogen stores or you will literally run out of gas and start to feel like crap and get all those symptoms I mentioned above (poor sleep, fatigue, anxiety, brain fog, etc). It seems obvious but sometimes you just have to learn for yourself, the hard way!

I've learned my lesson now and when I train intensely I make sure I get enough starchy carbs from things like sweet potato and occasionally white rice. This seems to be working really well for me right now and I'm looking, performing and feeling great - as Robb Wolf would say. (Love that little guy).

I still do the odd IF day now and again but would never do it for prolonged periods of time. It can be a good tool for some people, with the following caveats…

Who should definitely not use IF:

IF is probably not a good idea if you are: highly active or a professional athlete, a person prone to eating disorders, pregnant, highly stressed, suffering adrenal fatigue, diabetic or otherwise metabolically deranged. 

People who could get away with IF a few days a week:

I AM NOT RECOMMENDING INTERMITTENT FASTING. However, if you are healthy, moderately active but not an athlete, sleep well, eat well but are a bit overweight and need a new simple strategy to lose some fat then this could be an option. If you are lean and want to try IF, ask yourself why? Make sure your motives are genuine. 

Take aways from my dabble with IF:

• Hunger is good, natural and largely absent in our society
• Don't do IF with low-carb and high intensity training. This is a recipe for disaster! 
• Used wisely IF can work well for some people
• I believe IF would work best as a random, sporadic practice rather than doing it every day for extended periods of time. Randomness breeds adaptability, resilience and robustness. 
• Take everything I say with a big pinch of iodine-enriched salt as this is purely an N=1 experiment. We are all unique snowflakes who require unique lifestyle guidelines. 

12-month update:

About six months ago I began to do what Dave Asprey calls “Bulletproof Coffee Intermittent Fasting” (BPCIF) This involves the same 16:8 intermittent fast that I was doing except with the addition of consuming one ‘bulletproof coffee’ in the morning. Dave proposes that you get most of the benefits of IF (cell autophagy, insulin sensitivity, improved body composition etc) due to the fact that you are still fasting from carbohydrate and protein. However, the fat from the butter and MCT oil gives you the fuel necessary to get you through the morning and optimize brain function and performance. I personally find that BPCIF works very well for me. I do this most days of the week. I don’t think it is good to keep exactly the same routine when it comes to meal frequency and size. I try to mix it up to keep my body guessing. 

Check out my post on Bulletproof Coffee. 

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Some links from sources I trust on IF and potential benefits and problems:

http://chriskresser.com/to-intermittent-fast-or-not-to-fast-that-is-the-question

https://www.bulletproofexec.com/a-bad-combination-for-women-intermittent-fasting-and-paleo/

http://robbwolf.com/2012/06/14/restricted-feeding-window-4-months/

http://chriskresser.com/intermittent-fasting-cortisol-and-blood-sugar

The mice study:  Hatori, Megumi (2012). 'Time Restricted Feeding Without Caloric Intake Prevents Metabolic Diseases in Mice Fed a High Fat Diet'. Journal of Cell Metabolism, June 9, 2012.

Image Source: http://agrenlay.deviantart.com/art/Il-buono-il-brutto-il-cattivo-168619986

Plate of the Day: Bacon & Eggs (on multigrain air toast)

The picture above is what I ate this morning and is a very typical bacon and eggs breakfast with no bread (aka “air toast”). 

Here are some notes:

Bacon

I usually only have one or two small slices of bacon here in the States as it is extremely fatty here. The fattiness is not a problem, per se, but because I can’t guarantee the health of the pig here and the industrial farms probably feed them a horrendous diet I err on the side of caution to avoid some potential toxins in the fat. It is however delicious and the rendered fat is perfect to cook the eggs and lightly sauté the spinach in. If I can buy bacon of the highest quality from a local farm that pasture-raises their pigs then this is not a concern.

Eggs

Where possible I only buy eggs sourced from a local farmer that lets his hens roam free and doesn't feed them grain, or even better, doesn't feed them at all - just lets them scratch around for bugs and worms. I am fortunate to have a great farmer’s market in Union Square where I can buy a dozen real farm eggs for $4. 

This is the ideal (unless of course you can have your own chickens!) but if you don’t have access to a farmer then your only other option is to buy the best quality free range eggs from the supermarket that you can afford. The 'organic' and 'free-range' labels unfortunately do not mean a whole lot in this country. Organic eggs are preferable than non-organic, however it still does not guarantee the quality of the egg or the health of the hen.

Oddly, It is possible to get barn eggs from hens that have more space and access to the outdoors than 'free range' eggs - as the definition and enforcement of the term is lax at best. The quality of eggs ranges from farm to farm and it is hard to tell the much about the hens just from the label. Price is generally a pretty good guide though. I avoid cage eggs. I don't want to eat the product of an ill, stressed out, jail-bird for both health and ethical reasons.

Today I scrambled the eggs but usually I would poach or lightly fry them. It is best to have the yolks as raw and whole as possible. When you scramble egg yolks or cook them at high temperature they can become oxidized which may affect the fatty acids and potentially make the cholesterol in eggs less beneficial. It is pretty clear these days from the research that the dietary cholesterol in eggs actually raises HDL ("good cholesterol") and lowers LDL "bad cholesterol", which renders the whole cholesterol concern over eating eggs unfounded.

Avocado

Amazing source of monounsaturated fat, fibre and nutrients. Delicious, satiating and one of those foods that no one can deny is healthy. GOOD FAT IS GOOD! Eat fat to burn fat.

Salt 'n' tomatoes

Tomatoes work well for me. I love them... provided they have salt on them! Don't use table salt. Spend a little extra on some quality sea salt, Pink Himalayan salt or other mineral-rich fancy variety. It's worth it. As a nightshade, tomatoes can be an issue for a minority of people with auto-immune issue. If this is you consider trying an uber strict auto-immune Paleo protocol which limits all nightshades. Good luck!

Spinach

It's good to get organic spinach if possible - same goes for other salad leaves, broccoli, berries, apples, and all fruits and veggies whose exterior we consume. Think of it this way, if you sprayed paint on it, could you eat it without eating the paint? i.e. Avocado, banana, coconut, nuts - YES. Strawberry, grapes, spinach - NO. If YES, it's probably not worth buying organic in most cases. If NO, buy organic if you can afford it.

A breakfast like the above would contain roughly 20-25grams of protein, 40-50 grams of fat and basically 0 carbs and around 600 calories. This is a very Paleo macro-nutrient breakdown and keeps me satisfied and with good energy levels for 4-6 hours. This meal will definitely not spike insulin in a metabolically healthy person.

I used to eat something like this every single day but these days I rarely eat breakfast, instead going for a Bulletproof Coffee. When I do have breakfast though, this is it, or on the rare occasion I’ll have a banana coconut pancake.

“Form a habit. Forge a lifestyle.” - The Paleo Model

Insulin 101: Why I don’t Eat Carbs in the Morning

I often don't eat breakfast, instead going for some of Dave Asprey's "Bulletproof Coffee" - black coffee blended with grass-fed butter and coconut or MCT oil (concentrated medium chain triglycerides derived from coconut). This is both for performance (mental clarity) and for convenience. When I do have breakfast though I usually stay away from carbs at least until midday.

Carb Backloading

Avoiding carbs in the morning actually goes against the current mainstream thinking whereby people assume it is best to eat carbs in the morning when you are more insulin sensitive. While this is indeed true - you are more insulin sensitive in the morning and therefore will tolerate carbs better - this does not necessarily mean you should eat carbs in the morning.

As John Kiefer argues in 'Carb Backloading' and 'Carb Nite', which I'm really getting great results from now, you are better off not raising insulin at all in the first part of the day and rather extending the natural fat-burning (fasted) state after sleeping.

You can achieve this either by skipping breakfast, OR by eating mainly fat and some protein for breakfast, thereby keeping insulin levels low.

Insulin 101

To massively oversimplify, insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas to control blood sugar levels. Too much glucose in the blood is toxic to the body so insulin is released to facilitate the transfer of glucose out of the blood and into bodily tissues to either be used as fuel (for the brain, muscles and other cell functions), to top up glycogen reserves in the muscles and liver (for that CrossFit work out later on in the day), or to be converted into fat and stored in adipose tissue (a major bummer if you want to look good in a bikini/speedos).

When insulin is high it prevents these stored fatty acids being released from adipose tissue to be burned as fuel. Hence, if you want to burn fat then high insulin levels = bad. The whole (flawed but useful) Glycemic Index of food theory (i.e low GI foods are good) is based on keeping insulin low.

The most effective way to increase insulin sensitivity (and therefore reduce the amount of fat-storing insulin released by the pancreas) is through resistance training. This is perhaps THE major benefit of weight training and why EVERYONE should lift heavy weights occasionally. To elaborate on CarbNite, Kiefer recommends that you do resistance training in the late afternoon (4-7pm) to increase muscular insulin sensitivity, which usually decreases as the day goes on. Check out my twenty-minute bodyweight workout here.

The theory goes that post workout you can get away with eating significant amounts of carbs and will actually increase muscular growth due to this spiking of insulin. Interestingly, Kiefer points out that insulin causes ALL body tissue to grow - both muscle and fat - and so this essential hormone can act as both friend and foe.

At times it can actually be beneficial to spike insulin after weight training to get the muscles to grow, while at other times (i.e. when insulin sensitivity is low/insulin resistance is high) it would be counterproductive to raise insulin too much as this will cause adipose (fat) tissue to grow. Diabetics are insulin resistant all the time which is why it is so difficult for them to lose weight. This is why resistance training coupled with a low carb diet seems to be the best way to treat diabetes (Patel, 2012).

Eat fat to burn fat

For the above reasons I strongly advise against eating too many carbs in the morning if your goal is to burn fat. Raising insulin early in the morning by eating high carb, especially with low fat and low protein, is just setting you up for blood-sugar crashes and fat storage throughout the day.

The irony is that this is exactly what the Standard American Diet is telling you to eat - cereal or "healthy whole grains" like a whole-wheat bagel or Cheerios with skim milk and a glass of juice! HORRIFIC for your metabolism and a sure-fire way to feel like shit all day and gain weight. Even "slow-release" oatmeal or muesli, contrary to popular belief, is not a healthy breakfast option. I'm not saying you have to eat bacon and eggs every day but I am saying don't eat bagels, cereal, low-fat yoghurt and fruit juice for breakfast... or ever!

Bloody Oats!

I know a lot of you 'healthy' types love your oats, nuts, muesli, fruit and yoghurt in the morning (I was addicted to this breakfast for years!) Maybe you don't like the idea of eating bacon and eggs in the mornings, girls. But let me ask you to just try this for a week: cut the grains, fruit and other carbs in the morning and instead have something low carb, high fat. 

If the thought of bacon and eggs grosses you out how about a couple of hard boiled eggs and a handful of nuts, or if you can handle it maybe even some leftover meat or fish from the night before and half an avocado? I guarantee you will feel better, with lasting energy until lunchtime and without your typical 11am food cravings for sweet things. Just try it.

PS - Apparently the average American used to eat 5 eggs a day in the 1950s and look how slim they were compared to Americans today (Gundry, 2012).

---

References:

Asprey, Dave. 'The Bulletproof Executive', http://www.bulletproofexec.com [Accessed 07 April 2013]

Gundry, Steven, MD. 'High Fat Diets: Good vs. Bad', Ask the Low-Carb Experts Podcast Episode 35, Jan 15th 2013, http://www.askthelowcarbexperts.com/2013/01/35-dr-steven-gundry-high-fat-diets-good-vs-bad/

Kiefer, John. 'Dangerously Hardcore', http://www.dangerouslyhardcore.com [Accessed 07 April 2013]

Patel, Rakesh, MD. 'Hacking your heart and preventing diabetes with Dr. Rocky Patel', Bulletproof Executive Radio Podcast 32, Nov 28th 2012, https://www.bulletproofexec.com/podcast-32-hacking-your-heart-and-preventing-diabetes-with-dr-rocky-patel/

Image Source 1: www.rottenecards.com

Image Source 2: www.someecards.com 

Five Ways to Minimize Harm From Alcohol

Justifying Alcohol

I'm not going to lie to you, alcohol is great for a lot of things... but your health is probably not one of them. 

Having said that, I personally find that alcohol is worth the occasional indulgence. When I have given up drinking for a few months - which I've tried a couple of times - my social life has definitely suffered to some degree. 

Maybe one day when I’m old and boring I'll work out how to have fun going out and not drinking but until then I'm going to keep enjoying my occasional tipple and not feel too guilty about it. I mean, as a 28-year-old Aussie who recently moved to New York City being tee-total would be both un-Australian and un-American. 'Nuff said!

So once you've justified binge drinking the next step is damage control. There are many ways to minimize the ill-effects from consuming alcohol. 

Here are my top five tips for boozing without completely compromising your health and waistline:

1. Choose your poison

Alcohol is an organic compound that is toxic to humans. Depending on the dose it can be relatively harmless (or even beneficial) all the way to being lethal in very rare cases of alcohol poisoning. Being drunk = being intoxicated. 

Along with the actual alcohol, all forms of booze also contain toxins and/or other "non-Paleo stuff" (to use the technical term). These nasties can take many forms - from histamine in red wine, gluten in beer or added sugar or artificial sweeteners in mixed drinks. 

When you're drinking you want to minimize the intake of these additional toxins. That is, you want to consume the purest forms of alcohol - or those with the least amount of added crap. 

From a bit of research and a fair amount of self experimentation I've come up with this list of alcohol from least bad to most bad. (See infographic above).

Of course everyone reacts differently to different types of alcohol and we all have our own preferences. This list is a general indication or scale from most pure ("Paleo friendly") to most impure (least "Paleo friendly"). This is not an expansive list but contains most types of booze:

1. Tequila
2. Non-grain based clear spirits (potato vodka, gin)
3. Grain-based clear spirits (vodka, white rum)
4. Other dark distilled spirits (scotch/whiskey, bourbon, dark rum)
5. Dry Champagne
6. White Wine
7. Red Wine
8. Liqueurs
9. Dessert Wine
10. Barley malt/rice/corn beers (Most larger/pilsner e.g. Bud, Heineken, Corona)
11. Wheat containing beers (Hoegaarden, Blue Moon, etc)

In addition, there are cocktails and premixed/ready-to-drink beverages that will fall somewhere on the scale depending on their ingredients. E.g. Martini = not so bad (gin + dry vermouth), White Russian = not so good (vodka + coffee liqueur + cream).

The how: Choose drinks from towards the top of the list (left of infographic), such as distilled clear spirits. Avoid beer, sugary mixed drinks and liqueurs. 

The Paleo Model (TPM): I drink tequila, soda water and half a fresh lime on plenty of ice as my main drink of choice.

My Vegas shopping cart from my only trip there back in 2012... Not my finest 72 hours!

2. Don't bastardize your drink

Try to stick to your drink of choice. Mixing up many different types of alcohol is bad news. Try sticking just to vodka-soda or tequila-rocks all night and I guarantee you will feel a lot better than switching from red wine to white wine to gin and tonics to tequila shots.

How: If you are drinking spirits, either drink them neat, on the rocks or with soda water and fresh lime. Do not add juice or soft drinks as your liver will then have the added burden of metabolizing fructose as well as alcohol. Alcohol spikes blood sugar so adding refined carbohydrates such as coke, tonic water, pineapple juice or cranberry is just fueling a fire you are trying to control.

3. Supplement your drinking wisely

• Eat a healthy meal containing some safe starch before you start drinking. For example, have a grass-fed steak or some tuna or salmon with sweet potatoes or other root vegetables. 

• Drink lots of water before, during and after boozing. Order a glass of water with your alcoholic drinks. Fill up your empty beer with water and drink that before your next beer. There's no shame in rehydrating.  

• Coconut water works very well when you are hungover and dehydrated. Drink some before bed and upon waking.

• Supplement with Milk Thistle before and after drinking. Milk Thistle is a natural herb extract that boosts liver function. I'm very cynical about supplements in general but this stuff seems to work for me, and even if it doesn't it is cheap and has no downside so take it for the placebo! How: Take 300-500mg of Milk Thistle extract morning and night in the days leading up to and after your binge.

• Supplement with Vitamin C before and after drinking. Vitamin C is necessary for alcohol metabolism. It is an excellent antioxidant to fight free radicals formed during the break down of alcohol. How: Take a 500mg tablet before, after (and even during your session if possible). 

• Supplement with Activated Charcoal. Activated charcoal is magic stuff. When consumed it attracts and binds toxins. It is highly adsorptive. Its porous structure means that just 1g has a surface area of over 500m2. Activated charcoal is what they give patients with alcohol poisoning in hospital. How: After a big session pop up to 2g of activated charcoal to help bind some of the toxins from alcohol. 

TPM: I think charcoal helps really well with hangovers. Note that it can also bind the vitamin C so try and separate ingestion of these by about two hours. Activated charcoal is cheap and readily available. 

• Eat another small Paleo meal after your drinking session. I know it's tempting to eat burgers and kebabs when your inhibitions are down and when all your drunk friends are doing it but try to well up a bit of willpower and instead choose a Paleo-ish alternative. Get a kebab plate with rice and salad and no bread. 

TPM: If I can't find a Paleo drunk food option I'll wait until I get home and eat some leftovers and maybe a banana and some dark chocolate to stave off cravings.

4. Know when to stop and get adequate sleep

Ideally get your drinking session in early, stop drinking a couple of hours before bed and still go to sleep at a reasonable time. Clearly late nights and booze go hand in hand so if you do have a late one still try to stop drinking a couple of hours before bed. 

Typically the most fun is had earlier on in the night anyway. As soon as you can see the night heading into a fast downward spiral (usually around 1am) switch to just waters (or soda water and lime if you want/need to look like you're still drinking). 

TPM: No matter what time I go to bed I'll try and get eight hours sleep in, even if it means wasting part of the next day. Sleep debt will come back to bite you in the ass so I suggest sleeping in but also trying to get to bed at a normal time the following night. Your body can use the extra sleep as it's trying to recover from the havoc reeked on your metabolism from binging.  

5. Don't let a hangover get in the way of healthy eating and exercise

If I know I have a big night coming up I will try to avoid doing an intense training session on that day. Alcohol completely stunts recovery and I actually think that doing a workout before drinking can be worse for you than taking a rest day. 

I find that working out the day after drinking is better option. It forces me to get back on track and if done at the right intensity can definitely help minimize the fog of a hangover or even eliminate it. 

How: Hit a moderate bodyweight circuit for 20 minutes, some yoga or stretching then a 10 minute sauna and finished off with a cold shower. Works a treat! If you have access to a beach a dunk in the ocean is even better!

TPM: The day after I stick to my usual Paleo diet. If I'm feeling a bit more vulnerable than usual then I'll up my carb intake or perhaps have some "borderline naughty" foods... There are Paleo ways to indulge too - perhaps a take away Thai curry with white rice or if I feel like cooking something sweet my Paleo Coconut Pancake. 

Don't fall into the trap of feeling sorry for yourself or feeling guilt associated with over-indulging in booze. I think it's ok to get a bit drunk once in a while so long as you are generally disciplined with your diet and exercise and lead an otherwise healthy lifestyle. Everyone needs a vice… or four!

"Eat Paleo. Train. Get Tipsy."

The Paleo Model.

PS - Happy Holidays! It's my first Thanksgiving so I'll be practicing what I preach this week. Please share this post with your boozy mates and we might be able to improve our collective hangovers somewhat!

References: 

http://www.bulletproofexec.com/alcohol-without-the-hangover-bulletproof-partying-business-networking/

Against The Grain: The Nutrient-Density Argument

Grain v Fruits & Vegetable Smackdown

To sweep a wide brushstroke, grains are not "Paleo". In fact, grains are pretty much public enemy number one of the Paleo/Primal community. In caveman speak: "ME PALEO. MEAT GOOD. PLANTS GOOD. GRAINS BAD! NO EAT GRAINS!"

Now while I agree that grains are not an optimal food source for us humans I'm not going to take the caveman approach here and bash grains for the Primal hell of it. The Paleo Model is all about sense, reason and open-mindedness.

Nutrition is not a chess board - there are no clear dividing lines; no distinctions of black or white; no neat squares to define dietary friend from foe.

Nutrition is more of a spectrum. Like a grayscale you have black (unhealthy) on one end and white (healthy) on the other with infinite shades of gray in between.

So unlike some Paleo peers I'm not willing to say, categorically, that all grains are bad for all people all of the time. That's a bit extreme. Personally I avoid grains completely except for the occasional white rice if I feel like some safe starch after intense workouts.

I am, however, going to give you what I think are the best arguments as to why grains generally fall on the darker end of the spectrum of optimal health.

Grains are a new food
Grains are a relatively new addition to the human diet - only becoming a staple in the last 10,000 years of our 2.5m year evolution (i.e. we've been eating them for only 0.004% of our history).

It seems odd to think of grains as a new food at first. Grains have played a central role in civilization and are featured prominently all throughout written history and religious texts. They are ingrained in our modern culture.

However, if you remove our natural bias towards weighing recent human history as more important - or at least more relatable - than our distant past, and instead take a broad view of our entire evolution, we've only been eating grains for an instant.

Look at it this way: if human history started with the birth of Christ, then we've only been eating grains since the iPhone was released. Or if you consider human history as being a 24-hour period, we've only been eating grains for six minutes.

The evolutionary argument that follows from this is that humans probably haven't had enough time to make the complex genetic adaptations it would take to be able to thrive on grains and that this may explain why grains are so problematic for so many people.

But even if we completely ignore this argument the case against eating grains is pretty compelling either way, so let's skip the evolutionary basis for avoiding grains and get to the less controversial stuff.

Grains are not particularly nutritious
First and foremost, contrary to how they are marketed by the grain-centric food industry, grains are relatively nutrient-poor compared to vegetables, fruits, meat and seafood, especially when you consider the bioavailablity of said nutrients.

Just because a food source is high in iron does not necessarily mean that the iron will be readily absorbed by the body. Anti-nutrients also contained in the food, such as lectins and phytates tend to bind with the iron and prevent absorption.

Think of it this way, if you're trying to pick up a girl/guy you want them to be available. There's no point going to a bar with a high concentration of girls/guys if they are all aready hooked up and therefore unavailable. You'd rather go to a bar with a lower absolute number of girls/guys but more single and therefore available ones. Makes sense?

So even if oats have a greater absolute amount of magnesium than bananas, you're likely going to absorb more magnesium from the banana because it is more bioavailable.

All you need to consider here is that you can't take the amount of nutrients in a certain food at face value - the bioavailablity of those nutrients also counts. And it appears that the nutrients in grains are not particularly well assimilated by the human body.

Anti-nutrients are definitely a compelling reason to think again about grain consumption, but as I said earlier I don't want to get all 'pseudosciency' on you so let's also ignore anti-nutrients for a while and just look at the absolute nutrient content - bioavailable or not.

Carb Rich, Nutrient Poor
For the most part grains are a rich source of carbohydrate and often in soluble fiber, but that's about it. Grains are inferior to other whole foods in basically every other way.

Grains are inferior as a source of solube fiber (the good pre-biotic stuff) to green leafy vegetables. Grains are inferior to animal products and seafood as a source of complete protein. Grains are inferior to nuts and seeds as a source of healthy fats.

No matter what micronutrient (vitamin or mineral) a certain grain is touted to have, I guarantee there is a better (more bioavailable) source in a non-grain alternative. In other words, you are not missing out on anything by eschewing grains.

Let's look at some examples of grains, their proposed benefits, and how they actually stack up against fruits and vegetables.

I've chosen three common health claims of grains: oats are high in fiber, quinoa is a great source of protein and whole wheat is high in iron, magnesium and B vitamins. The best way to compare nutrient density is by calorie rather than by weight or serving.

Fiber (Oats v Raspberries)

100 calories of oats contains 6.8g of fiber (and 21g of active carbohydrates*).

100 calories of raspberries contains 12.3g of fiber (and 10g of active carbohydrates).

Protein (Quinoa v Brussels Sprouts)

100 calories of cooked quinoa (a "faux" grain) contains 3.8g of protein (and 17g of active carbohydrates)

100 calories of Brussels sprouts contains 8.3g of protein (and 10g of active carbohydrates)

Iron, Magnesium and B Vitamins (Whole Wheat Pasta v Kale)

100 calories of whole wheat pasta contains 5% DV** of Iron, 7% DV of magnesium and 3% DV of vitamin B6 (and 18g of active carbohydrates)
100 calories of cooked kale contains 18% DV of Iron, 17% DV of magnesium and 27% DV of B6 (and 6g of active carbohydrates)

*active carbohydrates = total carbohydrates less dietary fiber
**daily value based on 2,000 calorie diet

As demonstrated in the above examples, not only are grains poorer in nutrients but they are richer in active carbohydrates.

Besides highly active people or athletes, there really is no reason to consume a diet high in carbohydrate, and many reasons not to. The case for loading up on empty carb calories from "healthy whole grains" makes sense to just about no-one except for our mates at Kellogg's.

That marketers of breakfast cereals can still get away claiming that a bowl of Cheerios (with skim milk) constitutes a healthy start to the day is an injustice to public health.

Given that excessive carbohydrate consumption - particularly of refined foods derived from grains - seems to be at the root of many modern diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease, the richness of carbohydrates in grains is certainly not a benefit and is more likely a detriment for most people.

So if grains are trumped by other real foods as sources for all essential micronutrients, and they are also a vehicle for the overconsumption of potentially harmful carbohydrates, then why eat grains at all?

This is the crux of the nutrient density argument against grains. Even if grains didn't have some potentially harmful effects on human metabolism - and they do - then why even eat them when there are healthier alternatives?

Now of course there are issues of food scarcity and accessibility to whole plant and animal products across the world but fortunately you and I have the luxury of choice.

While pasta may be a lot cheaper than kale, and oats cheaper than raspberries, there are other cost-effective ways to get healthy calories in - olive oil, grass-fed butter, sardines, eggs, and fruits and vegetables from the market.

Either way, maximizing your health will minimize overall costs in your life - from medical expenses to new clothes for your expanding waist. Spend more on good food and you'll save in the long run.

Grains make for crappy carbs
As a final nail in the coffin, all derivative products of grains - processed foods and refined oils that unfortunately make up the majority of the Standard American Diet - fall on the dark side of the health spectrum. Pretty much without exception all junk food contains grains and grain derivatives such as high fructose corn syrup. By avoiding grains you are also avoiding these unhealthy foods.

Conclusion
Grains are strongly embedded in our culture. Modern civilization and grain consumption were both born of agriculture. Wheat/corn/rice are the backbone of Mediterranean/Latin/Asian food culture and many populations subsist on grains still today.

But from an optimal health perspective, grains are not all that great. In fact, for the most part grains are not a healthy food at all, and often quite the contrary is true. I believe gluten is one of the most damaging substances you can eat, but that's a story for another day.

Grains are a relatively new addition to the human diet. Grains contain anti-nutrients making the micronutrients in them less bioavailable. Grains are high in carbohydrate and are the base for most processed industrial foods. But that's just the background noise.

The most compelling argument against eating grains is that in terms of nutrient density grains are an inferior food.

In other words, given the choice, there is no compelling reason to choose grains as a source of nutrition when far healthier (Paleo) options, like my salad mountain, are available to you.

Still blinded by the "healthy whole grains" dogma or distracted by your Italian Nonna waving ciabatta in your face? Here's my suggestion - go against the grain, stictly, for one month and see how you feel.

"Eat Paleo. Train. Live life." - The Paleo Model.

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Sources (and resources)
http://nutritiondata.self.com
http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/what-are-the-health-benefits
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-grains-are-unhealthy/#axzz2kXLd9Qzh
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/12/12/are-carbohydrates-from-starches-healthy.aspx
Image 2: http://heplerphoto.com/agriculture/scott-hepler-photographys-agriculture-harvest-photography/
Image 3: http://junkfoodnews.org

Paleo Model Bodyweight WOD

I've decided to lean down a wee bit coming up to Christmas. Not that I'm particularly heavy at the moment (around 84kg at 6'2). However, I have been focusing on strength and power this year in my workouts - doing low rep range olympic lifts, powerlifts, sprints etc - and I've been somewhat neglecting my muscular (strength) endurance. 

I'd like to improve my maximum pull ups, push ups, handstand hold, dips and other measures of relative strenght, while continuing to improve my balance and flexibility through yoga and stretching and also develop some more gymnastics skills. i.e. I want to be a lithe, supple puma rather than a jacked up gorilla. 

So I'm going to stop the heavy lifting for a while and instead ramp up the intensity with bodyweight workouts and circuits, incorporating some more intervals on the treadmill and rower to also improve my cardiovascular endurance and speed. 

As you know I'm not a fan of steady-state cardio but I still want to be able to run efficiently when necessary and feel light on my feet. Carrying excess muscle hasn't been a priority of mine since High School. It certainly doesn't help with modeling. It's all about lean! My goal remains to improve metabolic conditioning and functional strength, rather than just being able to run far. 

With the above in mind, today's workout is a great full body circuit focusing on key structural movements - a pull, a push, a squat, a gymastic (isometric) hold and a core-developing exercise. 

Just google or YouTube any movements you are unsure of, or even better, ask a trainer to demonstrate and check your form. 

Warm Up 

500m row

Dynamic stretching

Workout (Advanced - no rest between exercises)

10 pull ups

10 dips

10 pistols per leg (one-legged squat)

60 second handstand hold (against wall)

18 TRX reverse crunch

800m Run (as fast as possible, not a jog)

9 pull ups

9 dips

9 pistols per leg

45 second handstand hold

15 TRX reverse crunch

600m Run

8 pull ups

8 dips

8 pisols per leg

30 second handstand hold

12 TRX reverse crunch

400m Run

Cool Down/Stretch

If you need to scale down this workout here are some alternative exercises:

1. TRX standing incline row

2. Bench dips (with legs on floor)

3. Air squats

4. Push up hold (at top of push up)

5. Lying leg raises

Instead of the run you could do a slower jog (same distance). Alternatively you could use a stationary bike (1.5km, 1km, 0.5km) or ergo rower (500m, 400m, 300m).

This workout really smashed me yesterday, but in a good way. I went pretty hard on the runs and was gasping for breath like a winded footballer after each round. However, unlike after a heavy CrossFit workout, I left the gym feeling good and energised and today I'm not crippled with delayed onset muscular soreness. Winning! 

My post workout meal of wild salmon salad, roasted beets, sweet potato and Brussels sprouts from Dig Inn was epic!

"Eat Paleo. Train. Live life." - The Paleo Model.