Barefoot/Minimalist VS Shoes

So you may or may not have read my personal story as to why I'm so big on barefoot/minimalist (b/m) running. In that post I promised this post, which is geared towards showing you the pros and cons of b/m vs shod running. So I'll begin with a figure.

16 million people every year are injured running. This is pretty astounding because running, for the most part, seems pretty laid back. You head out and cruise around town or through a forest or chill on a treadmill for a while, you stop, then go on with the rest of your day. It's not like you're playing a game of pickup tackle football, or organizing underground cage fights right? So why so many injuries?

For a long time, people just brushed it off by saying that running is bad for your body. It was a risky exercise that shouldn't be over done and was better off being left out if you wanted to keep your knees till you got old. If you look closely, this could be right. I mean running is a high impact activity. Every time you place your foot on the ground, it's stopping. It generates an impact strike that must be absorbed by your heel, ankle, shin, knee, hip, lower back, upper back, chest, shoulders and neck. So you are basically striking the bottom of your foot repeatedly with a hammer. So the action is the problem. Or so most podiatrists and shoe companies would have you believe. If it were the act of running that were the problem, then they would be able to justify 200 dollar shoes, orthotics, and every other bogus technology that they push on people who just want to be able to go for a jog without burning platars fasciitis or achilles tendonitis flaring up on them.

Fortunately for us, the action is not the problem. It's the technique. Here's a little test you can do to determine whether or not you can run with natural technique. First of all, stand up and make sure there's plenty of space around you and above you. Now jog in place for ten seconds. Now do a vertical jump into the air and land on both feet. Then answer these questions:

1) While jogging in place, did you land on your heel?
2) When you jumped, did you land heel first?

I would be willing to be that the answer to both of those questions is no. Why? Well that's obvious, if you jog in place on your heels, it would A) look weird, B) feel completely unnatural, and C) probably hurt your knees a little bit. Same with the jump.

You see, our forefoot is incredibly flexible and the tissue that connects it to the rest of your leg is springy. This makes your forefoot (or midfoot) the perfect shock absorber for all of the impact that's created by running with conventional, heel striking, technique. If you don't believe me (for some reason) here's a video for you to check out.

This video explains a lot of what I was going to write, so I won't bore you with repetition. I will however address a few things the video doesn't explain. For instance if the heel strike is bad, then what's the problem with shoes? Don't they charge so much money in part because they reduce impact? 

I assume if the shoes actually reduced impact then maybe they would be worth the money, but they don't reduce impact, they reduce pain. I don't have the source and I'm feeling a bit too lazy to go upstairs to find the book, but in Born to Run Chris McDougall tells of a study pertaining to runners injuries and shoe costs. The study determined that the higher the cost of the shoe, the higher the rate of injuries occurred. The fact is the impact remains the same, and the course of the impact remains the same. The heel is jarred to a stop and the rest of the body takes the beating, you just don't feel it because you're stepping on a marshmallow. This makes sense because pain is your bodies way of telling you to stop doing something, or change something because damage is being caused. If you can imagine running barefoot on your heels for more than a couple of meters without pain, then you obviously haven't tried doing it. The first couple of barefoot blocks I ran were a mix of complete concentration followed by brief pain as I lost concentration and reverted back to my old running form, followed by concentration again (which always brought comfort). 

Rather than writing and detailing how to run barefoot, I'll let this video by Erwan LeCorre do it for me.

I'm sure I'll add more to this topic later, but for now I'll finish up with Robs list of Pros and Cons

Barefoot

Pros

-Reduced risk of injury

-Easier to run due to natural running technique

-Strengthens foot and ankle muscles

-Encouragess mindfulness in running and attention to surroundings

-It's free!

Cons

-Takes foot conditioning to be able to run long distances without blisters

-May limit your options as to where you can run

-People will look at you weird

Minimalist (Vibram Five Fingers/Luna Sandals/etc...)

Pros

-Offers foot flexibility and technique with the added protection of a thin rubber or leather material

-Relies on natural running technique rather than power running technique 

-Strengthens foot and ankle structure

-Encourages mindfulness and attention to surroundings

-Can be as cheap as a pair of flip flops tied to the foot with a shoelace (what I use :D)

Cons

-Some people still might look at you weird.

-May be somewhat cold running in winter/fall

Conventional Running Shoes

Pros

-Socially acceptable

-Comfy on the bottoms of your feet

-warm for running during cold seasons

Cons

-Greatly increases your chance of injury (to any lower body joint or lower back) by promoting poor technique

-Weakens the foot due to built in support and lack of flexibility. 

-Can be insanely expensive

-Relies mainly upon power running (Build stronger legs to push harder and faster, long stride with heel strike) 

That being said, with the correct pair of conventional running shoes, it is possible to emulate natural running technique. It's far more difficult, but possible. A big problem however is the shoe itself restricts the mobility of your foot which is a very dynamic and flexible structure. Think of when you put your arm in a cast, the muscles around it weaken due to inactivity. I say go barefoot or minimalist and allow your foot to flex and grasp and bound as it is designed to. 

I'll probably write more on the subject at a later time, but for now, I'm off. 

-Rob  

My Barefoot Story

This is a primer post that is brought up by a good friend of mine who was curious as to the pros and cons of barefoot running versus shod running. My next post will cover this and more, but I wanted to first relate the story as to why I'm a big advocate of barefoot/minimalist running.

 This topic is dear to my heart because I used to absolutely loathe running. Sweet lord have mercy did I hate it. I vividly remember running the mile in 6th grade gym class. The track was your standard 1/4 mile dirt track and in the field, just inside the bend on the far side of the track there was a giant tree. This tree was home base for me and several other kids who would pause (or rather stop completely for 1-2 mins at a time) and catch our breaths out of sight from the gym teachers. Of course they knew what we were doing and they only let us think we were smooth, but that's beside the point.

I honestly tried my hardest to run. I was fat and I did want to lose weight, but I would get 3/4 of the way around one lap and my body would be in chaos. My breathing was erratic, my feet, ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders hurt. My diaphragm felt like it was bathing in liquid hot magma, and the girls were laughing at the chubby kid having a heart attack... so my introduction to running for health wasn't of the pleasant variety.

My mile was about 14 minutes.

This hate for jogging continued all the way up to adulthood. In the gym I'd use the elliptical rather than the treadmill, I would never jog or run for more than a mile on my own (with the exception of 9th grade gym, detailed below), though it wasn't as torturous as before, it still took a ton of effort and usually left me incapacitated for the next day or two. This was killer on my confidence because I thought I was just completely out of shape and that I would have to work even harder to become a not so decent runner.

When I discovered MovNat and Erwan LeCorre's praise of barefoot running, it prompted me to check out the book "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall and that's where I really began to have my eyes opened. I read, studied technique, and eventually got up the courage to try it myself.

 I would run from Sara's house to a gamefarm park (about 1 mile) and see how it worked out for me. Keep in mind the furthest I'd ever ran was 4 miles and that was in 9th grade gym class. We worked up to it for about 2 months and it still took me almost an hour to complete. On this cloudy day, on the first real run that I had undertaken in about a year, I set out to accomplish 1 mile and ended up running 4 with absolutely no effort. It was as easy as if I had been a natural runner my whole life. Granted, I blistered the shit out of the bottoms of my feet because I didn't heed the "ease into it one block at a time" guideline, but hey, it was thrilling. I can handle a little bit of foot pain.

Now I was extremely excited, but the skeptic in me was nagging at me for the entire duration of my foots healing process. I was asking myself "What if it's only because I'm a lot healthier now?" I mean me at 21 is not the same as me at 13, 15, or even 20... so what if? Well I let my feet heal and threw on some running shoes to test myself out shod. By 1 3/4 miles I was done. My shins felt like they had been hit with hammers, my heart was hammering in my ears, and my knees were beginning to hurt. This was 2 weeks after the 4 mile run.

I was sold.

But why is running barefoot/minimalist better? You have to check out the next post here. Or read Chris McDougals book, but this will be quicker. (Read his book anyway. It's great.)

-Rob

The magic of water

Today I want to go over some of the health benefits of our good ol' friend H20. For being such a simple and easy to come by tool, it often amazes me to see what people drink on a daily basis. Regardless of marketing hype that boosts energy and sports drinks to be for bad ass elite athletes who sweat glowing gatorade (haven't figured that one out yet), Water remains the ultimate drink for those who are truly hardcore. I don't know how many little kids (and even adults) I've met who say they hate water. Why? Because it's not flavored like marshmallows and kool-aid? Go sit and color in your book. 

Water may not be as pleasing to the sugar buzzed palate of todays average american, but the whole host of benefits that it offers makes it vital to your health and well being, especially if you're dieting because water assists in fat metabolism by keeping the kidneys clean of crud. When the kidneys get gunked up, it passes some of its work load on to the liver which is an organ in your body that helps to burn off stored fat. When the liver has to do it's job and then some, it fails to reach it's full potential, throwing a wrench in your weight loss plans. 

Besides that, water keeps you hydrated and purifies your body by washing out toxins and waste particles. You can think of it like a housekeeper, you mess up your hotel room and use up the soap, then the little lady who doesn't speak much English comes through and takes out your trash, fixes your sheets, and sprays some air freshener. Only this little foreign lady also helps your body absorb vitamins and nutrients more effectively and lubricates your joints, which is always a good deal. 

Though it may sound weird, water intake reduces water retention. Do you look a little thick and bloated at times? It may be because your body is retaining water sources in your skin due to insufficient hydration. If you drink adequate amounts (5-8 glasses a day) then your body has no need to store extra water and you will notice less puff (let me know if I'm getting too scientific for you.)

And of course, water is inexpensive (unless you are at the movie theater). Yeah the economy is rough, so why are you spending extra money on red bull, mountain dew, or gatorade? 

Down 2-4 glasses with each meal starting today and enjoy your newfound status as a bad ass. 

Quick Fix: Omelets!

Omelets are a go-to food for me. They are high in protein and fat and you can customize them as much as you want. I don't know how many times I've used dinner leftovers in my omelets, but it's always turned out well. Here's a few tips to make your omelets pop.

1) Use the entire egg: Many health enthusiasts treat egg yolks as though they were made of hemlock and cyanide. The truth is that the egg yolk is the most nutritious (not to mention delicious) part of the egg. I can hear your questions thorough the computer though; "What about cholesterol and the increased chance of heart disease!?" Well a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health in 1999 states that no correlation could be found between egg consumption and heart disease. It even ended up touting the eggs ability to stave off heart attack, blood clots, and stroke. 


2) Cook it in whole real butter. This also adds a level of flavor and fat to the dish, increasing satiety and overall pleasure. Be sure not to use a "spread" or margarine, these use partially hydrogenated oils as a base which are not conducive with a healthy body. Ultimately don't use vegetable oil or canola oil either. If you are going for an oil to cook with, Extra Virgin Olive Oil is your cheapest and easiest bet. Though, hemp, coconut, and avocado oils are among other acceptable variants. Of course, if you don't have any of this, you can always use bacon fat :)

3) Load it up. The great thing about omelets is the fact that they are so versatile. You can fill them with crisp vegetables, succulent steak, hearty chicken, every seasoning you can think of, hell even fish might be decent in an omelet (though I have to admit I've never tried it.) The more meat and veggies you put into it, the more nutrition you're giving yourself, the fuller you'll feel, and the more energy you'll have to tackle your day with.

4) Dinner Omelet! If you're in a rush for dinner the omelet is great for several reasons. 1) it's delicious. 2) it's fast. 3) it's healthy, and 4) It digests slowly. If you have a good sized omelet before bed, it will leave you full all night and through till your next meal. I regularly have an omelet (or something with the same nutritional profile) at dinner (around 7) and I won't eat again until around noon the next day; completely free of hunger.

Here's an example of how to make one:

Start with your innards. Here I use bacon, zucchini, and onion :) let them get cooked all the way through before you add your egg. 

Here I beat 3 eggs with some sour cream. Yeah sour cream isn't strictly paleo, but that's what the 80/20 rule is for right? The sour cream fluffs up the eggs and gives them a bit of flavor.

 Pour it on and let the bottom cook up, use a spatula to push the cooked borders in towards the center as to allow the center egg to make direct contact with the pans surface. 

Once the eggs are set up, use your spatula to run around the edge and free any stuck spots. If you must, pour a little bit of EVOO around the border and let it spread across the bottom. This will allow the eggs to freely slide about the pan. 

When I take pictures of every process, I tend to let the eggs burn... :( But no matter. Once the bottom is solid, flip the whole thing like a pancake. 

Add your filling. On this day it was cheese, more often than not it's either avocado or salsa however. Maybe chili if I've got some leftover. 

Let half of your omelet slide off on to the plate, fill it with anything else you may want in there, then use the pan to flip the other half over the top. It should end up looking somewhat like the bottom picture.

Put on your toppings (Pictured, sour cream, tapatio, sharp cheddar) and side dishes (satsuma oranges)

And there you have it: A quick, easy, nutritious meal that will give you steady energy and a very wide array of possible nutrients. I'm going to go make one right now :)

-Rob

Paleo/Primal/Evolutionary/Caveman: What's in it for you? (Part 1)

When I first started to play around with the paleo diet, I looked at it as exactly that: a diet. To me this meant it was a restriction of certain food types with the goal of lowering my body fat percentage. Though this is one feature of eating paleo, it is by and far not the only feature, and to see it only in that light would be a great misunderstanding of what the diet truly does. Yes you will lose weight, probably effortlessly; and that will be wonderful, but you'll get more in return than just a thinner waist and lower fat count.

The paleo diet is also great for energy, which is funny because everyone believes that if they kick grains from their diet that suddenly they won't have any energy because they believe they need their carbs. Well here's the thing, you do need carbs to fill your glycogen stores, but once they are filled all the extra glucose in your system will be stored as fat. And here's another thing, there are more than enough carbohydrates in fruits and vegetables to sustain you and your glycogen stores. There are folks out there maintaining 8% or less body fat working out heavily 3 days a week, depleting their glycogen stores on a regular basis who never touch grains. So if you're an average person, you probably don't need as many carbs as you think in the first place.

So it fills your glycogen stores, limits the amount of fat you have to carry around, and gives your body an extra  boost of nutrients because you are eating food that is natural and healthy for you. I plan on doing a post about phytates and how they harm the human body, but the skinny is they're anti nutrients that cause a whole host of problems for people who digest them on a regular basis. Like I said though, more on that later.

The paleo diet boosts your immunity. Did you know that sugar inhibits your immune system? It does so well in fact that one teaspoon can shut down your IS for approximately 6 hours. It's no wonder kids get sick so often. How often do you get sick? It may be related to your sugar consumption, so when you take on the paleo diet, not only are you fortifying your body with vitamins and minerals from your natural foods, you're allowing your immune system to function properly without being hampered by regular blasts of sugar. And guess what also counts as sugar? Carbohydrates. Art DeVany, father of the Evolutionary Fitness movement, once said "Eating a plate of pasta is like eating a plate of sugar." And he wasn't exaggerating. Glucose (blood sugar) comes from carbohydrates and must be dealt with via insulin. This is also why excess fruit sugar (fructose) can be counter productive to your fat loss goals.

Paleo protects your bones better than milk. Did you know that Harvard did a study of 80,000 nurses over 20 years and found that those who drank 1-3 glasses of milk a day actually suffered more from osteoporosis than those who drank none. Once again this study flies in the face of conventional wisdom because from the time we're little kids we're told that milk makes your bones strong and healthy because of it's high amount of calcium right? Well here's the thing. The milk you find on the shelves at your local albertsons is not actually milk. In fact some professionals feel it shouldn't be classified as a food. After all the chemical changes that milk is made to go through (to increase shelf life of course) it is but a mere shadow of it's former healthy self. I have another post in the works on this subject, so keep a look out for it. For now, back to the bones. Bones require more than just calcium in order to be healthy and strong. They require Zinc, Magnesium, iron, and daily Vitamin D along with calcium. Also, seeing that bones are kind of like muscles in that stress causes them to strengthen over time, regular weight training goes a long way to increase their sturdiness.

The reduction of grains alone helps in your battle for bone health because grains contain Phytates. Phytates are the salts of Phytic Acid which scavenge Zinc, Magnesium, Iron, and Calcium in the body. This not only compromises the health of your bones, but it can lead to mineral and nutrient deficiencies as well. But where do you get the minerals and nutrients for bone health in the first place?

Now Vitamin D comes in plenty of foods but the best source is direct sunlight. 15 minutes a day if possible. If that's not possible due to schedule or weather, then a daily Vitamin D supplement will do wonders. Sara and I just got a great buy one get one free deal at albertsons for about 5 bucks.You can also get magnesium and zinc supplements, but they're present in delicious healthy foods like nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and artichokes. Leafy greens are also incredibly rich in calcium.

Bone health is also largely dependent on your bodies acid/base levels, which paleo regulates naturally. But more on that in part 2.

The paleo diet promotes higher activity levels. Many of us are slaves to our jobs, the T.V., the internet, movies, napping, or anything that involves long periods of little-no motion. The problem with this is that our bodies literally are created to move. The lack of movement causes our muscles to degenerate, joints to stiffen, posture to suffer, and also makes it hard to appreciate life. The great thing about having more energy via a healthy natural diet, is that now you can spend more time doing things you love to do. When you lose 20-50 lbs, you can run more, play more, have more fun and be more active as a result. This frees you from the idea that in order to get healthy you have to have access to a gym and a detailed workout program written up by a beefcake personal trainer. NO! To be healthy, you have to live healthy. That means eat what your body is designed to eat, and move like your body is designed to move. It's really that simple. If you sit or lay down too long, you get sick and weak, if you eat crap you get sick and weak. If you eat and live correctly, you get healthy and strong and life becomes something more than just the day to day grind.

More later

-Rob

Grains: a link and a my take on the topic.

Probably the biggest topic of the paleo diet is the nixing of grains. So many people are hooked on their bagels and cake (or at least their whole wheat toast and pasta) to the point where if you suggest taking it all away they become aggravated. Well the topic has been written about and gone over more times than I can count, so rather than take the time to write down every reason you should not eat them, I'll give you this link which explains it well enough.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-grains/

But why do I believe in what the link above says? Well let's look at the period of time about 3 months before I went paleo, to about a month after I went paleo. During this time, I was working as a package handler for UPS which is probably the most physically strenuous job I've ever had. I was up at about 2:30 a.m. At work at 4 ish, and done by 9. But for the entire 5 hour shift I was moving packages that sometimes weighed around 120lbs, running back and forth between 3-5 trucks, and putting up with the deplorable air conditions (you ever blow your nose and only black snot comes out? That's what you get at UPS.)

So needless to say my energy expenditure was really high. Usually I'd wake up, curse my life, eat a bowl of cereal, and head out. On this program, I have enough energy to get in the car (carpool ftw) and stay awake till we hit the freeway, then I would usually pass out and drag ass for the rest of the morning. During this time, my weight stayed constant. I wasn't losing (strangely enough to me at the time) and I wasn't gaining. It stayed this way for months, usually having a break once every two weeks because I would get sick.

I found the paleo diet and my breakfasts shifted from 1 or 2 bowls of cereal to 2 egg omelets with bacon or sausage (or both) and spinach or mushroom (or both) and a small salad. My energy went through the roof. All of a sudden I was awake and alert the entire ride to work, shifts started to breeze by, I wasn't sick as often, and life seemed a whole lot better. I wondered why there was such a drastic change, it must have been the caloric intake I guessed. But looking at a 2 cup bowl of cereal with 1 cup of 2% milk, the calories came out to a little less than 500. Yet a 2 egg omelet with 1 strip of bacon and 1 cup of salad equaled out to around 3-400 calories depending on the amount of cheese or dressing I put on the salad. So what was the difference?

I'm sure it was a combination of the insulin spike that came with my morning rush of carb heavy grains (followed by the signature energy crash), and the fact that grains come with anti-nutrients which make it hard for your body to absorb any of the beneficial nutrients that might exist in the grain itself. So for the next 5 hours of digestion, my body was going hungry comparatively to the omelet  which gave me it's full nutritional value, without an insulin spike and energy crash.

Another funny thing is between then and now, I've gone off my diet 2-3 times, each time I have eaten grains I experienced energy drops, pimples start to pop up, I gain weight, and my stomach goes through digestive problems. All of which go away as soon as I cut them out again.

Try it out for yourself and see how much better you feel without them, you might be amazed.


-Rob

My note to the readers.

I’ve come to find that most everyone I talk to believes that they know what consists of a healthy diet. Yet most people I talk to also find themselves unhappy with their physique, being sick often, lacking energy, having skin problems, digestive problems, inflammation, etc… All of which are red flags that your diet may be in need of some scrutiny, even though you may think it’s pretty decent.

 I guess that a big part of the problem stems from the fact that at an early age we are made to believe that some foods are healthy when they are not, and that some foods are unhealthy when in fact they are good for us. I hate this for so many reasons, but possibly the biggest reason would be the fact that it makes attaining good health more difficult than it needs to be. I don’t know how many years I wasted on stressing over 6 small meals a day, never skipping my breakfast of oatmeal or whole grain cereal, trying to keep my diet low in fat and high in carbs, worrying about whether I should have a meal right before I worked out, right after, or even during the workout. I had unanswered questions like “What kind of protein shake will give me the best results?”, “Should I be taking these supplements they advertise in this bodybuilding magazine?”, and of course, “Why am I still fat?”

I nearly got to the point where I was just going to chalk it up to genetics like I was destined to be fat and probably would end up a diabetic. Luckily I didn’t .

If there’s anything I want you to take away from what I write here, it’s the idea that you have to educate yourself; learn what you can and put it to the test. Find out what works best for you and what doesn’t. If you're fat and unhappy, you probably need to try something new to change that. 

Most of what I write will be my personal experiences backed up by actual studies and evidence, so I have faith in the information that I present to you. I'm currently testing 2 new ideas and 1 new training routine that you won't hear the details of until I've learned how they work on me. So if I write something here, that means I've put myself through the paces and seen results, negative or positive. I'd like you to try the same because in the end, we will only get better by breaking through barriers and exploring new frontiers. As Bruce Lee once said: "Running water never grows stale." 

.

-Rob

An introduction

"Civilize the mind, but make savage the body." -Chairman Mao

Regardless of your opinions on the Chinese communist leader who said the above quote, you can probably agree that these principles are pretty sound ones. An intelligent and adaptable mind united with a strong and healthy body can be a powerful combination which could help to reap benefits in all aspects of ones life. 

In todays day and age, however, there are a lot of forces working against you and your personal quest to civilize your mind while making savage your body. In fact, today, I would go as far as to say it's impossible to do the latter without the former. I feel that in order to reach your true physical and mental potential, you have to follow a process of trial and error; something I've been doing since middle school in an attempt to lose weight.

I've tried a lot of different approaches and methods, most of which fell short of, or even went in the opposite direction of my goals. I remember being 12 or 13, kids in my class called me "Pigbert" all day, I ran home and sealed up my room, put on all the heavy clothes and coats I had, turned on my heater and lava lamp and did jumping jacks to try and sweat out my fat. 

When I turned 15 I weighed 208 lbs. By the time I was 16 years old I weighed in at 245 lbs, had horrible skin (dry and flaky, lots of acne) and absolutely no energy. At this point I had tried feebly to lose weight by walking (jogging was too difficult) or doing martial arts. Though, with no structured regimen and a poor diet , I eventually gave up, only to try again after a few weeks or months.

This process was very mentally and emotionally destructive. My confidence was shot, I didn't have a lot of friends, and I ate. A lot.

Finally I stumbled across a website that helped me get my diet somewhat better. I stopped drinking soda, eating fast food and candy, and increased my overall activity level. I dropped down to 220, then 210, and finally stopped making any progress at about 205. My weight would stay there for nearly 3 years, fluctuating between 210 and 195ish, but never any more.

Every few months I would go on fitness binges. Sometimes I would just increase my activity levels substantially, sometimes I would simply read and study, but my diet stayed pretty much the same since I thought that what I was eating was healthy. I would consume tons of whole wheat cereal and oatmeal, plates of whole wheat pasta, lots and lots of fruit, Salads with a lot of dressing... I was simply following what conventional wisdom touted as being a healthy diet.

So my problem must have been exercising. 

I studied and became a personal trainer, certified under NASM, still my weight wouldn't budge. It didn't help that every time I would go to work out at the gym I worked at my manager would hound me about walking the floor and getting clients and increasing my sales. Usually I would get a half hour on the elliptical, a couple of sets of squats, and finally break to go talk to potential clients. It eventually got to the point where I didn't come to work out anymore.

As fate would have it, my answers wouldn't come from a 600 dollar text book and shiny certificate. What began to open my eyes was the April 2009 issue of Men's Health magazine, in which Erwan LeCorre and MovNat were featured. I loved the article. I read it over and over, visited the website, watched the videos, and friended Erwan on Facebook/Twitter. He mentioned that he followed the paleo diet and my journey through evolutionary lifestyle began. Since then, I've learned a lot and have been finding out what works best for my body. I've dropped my weight to the low 180's and am increasing my strength almost every week.

With this blog, I hope to track my further progress and also help you, the readers, to find your own way down a path to optimal health and wellness.

Here's to the new year, let's make it our year.

-Rob