Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Makes about 8 cups.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. 

Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and salt to pot.  Cook until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes. 

Sprinkle flour, mustard powder, and pepper over vegetables and stir constantly for 2 minutes to make a roux. 

Slowly add chicken broth, stirring, and increase heat to medium-high; bring to a boil. 

Add 10-12 small broccoli florets to the pan.  Lower heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes to allow the starch in the flour time to expand. 

Remove the pot from heat and puree soup with a hand-held immersion blender (or, in small batches, puree in a blender or food processor and return to the pot.) 

Add the cream and remaining broccoli and bring to low simmer.

Add the cheese in small handfuls and cook over low heat, stirring until each addition has melted before adding the next (this helps prevent the cheese from getting a grainy texture.) 

Serve warm, topped with extra cheese.

Notes: This soup really needs the starch in the flour (I use potato flour to avoid gluten), otherwise the cheese doesn’t stay suspended in the broth and separates out into an ugly mess.  I’m trying to work on a recipe that doesn’t use even that small amount of starch.  1 tbsp of potato flour has about 8g of carbs, which is about 1 extra gram per cup.  The white pepper is recommended to avoid little black specks of regular pepper floating in the soup, but it’s just a presentation suggestion- it doesn’t change the flavor.  Regular pepper can be used.

Some people have suggested adding bacon or sausage to the soup- I haven’t tried it, but I bet it would be delicious!  This recipe is a basic cheese soup with broccoli added; you can leave out the broccoli, add other veggies with or instead, or just have cheese soup, or cheese soup with sausage, etc.  Try baking chicken in the leftover soup for a cheesy chicken broccoli casserole.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Makes about 5 cups.

• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• dash salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper (optional) to taste
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 2 tsp wild mushroom powder*
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp dry sherry or brandy
• 2 egg yolks mixed with 1/4 c heavy cream

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. 

Cook mushrooms, onions, and garlic in butter for about 30 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and the liquid from the butter and vegetables is almost syrupy.

Add the salt, pepper, cayenne (optional), mustard, and wild mushroom powder.  Mix well and cook for 5 minutes.

Slowly pour in chicken broth and sherry, stirring, and bring the soup to a simmer. 

Whisk a few spoonfuls of the hot soup into the yolk/cream mixture to temper.  Slowly whisk yolk mixture into the soup and stir until thickened.

*Wild mushroom powder:  Grind dried wild mushrooms in a food processor until powdered.

Notes: Don’t rush on the tempering step!  Curdled eggs in your soup is not tasty.  Leftover tip- if there’s only a little soup left, reheat it with some extra cream to thin and use it as a sauce atop a steak or chicken.  This recipe originally came from Protein Power; I doubled the mushrooms.

Tomato Basil Soup

Makes about 4 cups.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. 

Add the onion, celery, garlic and salt.  Cook until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes. 

Add canned tomatoes, pepper, and basil and bring to a boil. 

Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally (tomatoes burn easily), for 15 minutes. 

Remove the pot from the heat and puree soup with a hand-held immersion blender (or, in small batches, puree in a blender or food processor and return to the pot.) 

Add cream to taste and return to a simmer until warmed through.  Serve warm, with extra sliced basil and Parmesan cheese as garnish.

Notes: Fresh basil really makes a difference.  Fresh basil can usually be found in the veggie cold case at the grocery store.

Just remember, these are still dessert, even though they’re not made with wheat flour.  They’re great for the occasional treat, but don’t eat the whole batch by yourself!

Plain Almond Cookies

Optional:

Makes about 36 cookies.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.  Mixture should lighten in color and increase in size as air is incorporated.

Add egg, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and vanilla to bowl and mix to combine.

Slowly add the almond flour and mix until well combined.

Scoop onto a large piece of plastic wrap.  Flatten into a thick patty and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.  (Refrigeration is optional for all but the cut-out cookies, but it is recommended.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Almond flour cookies are notorious for sticking.

Break off small pieces of dough, roll into balls and flatten to about 1/4” thick (thinner for crisper cookies).  Place cookies on baking sheet about 1/2” apart.  (Cookies will expand slightly during baking.)

Bake cookies for 12-17 minutes.  Cookies will not brown much and will be kind of soft until cooled.

Let cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack.  The cookies are very delicate just out of the oven and will crumble if taken off the pan immediately.

For cut-out cookies:

Divide dough into two pieces.  Keep one in the fridge until needed.  Flour both sides of the dough with almond flour.  Lightly flour counter top or wooden pastry board.  Roll out to a thickness of 1/4 " using additional almond flour as needed.  Cut dough with cookie cutters that have been dipped in the almond flour. Move the cookies carefully to a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Place cookies 1/2" apart. Gather dough scraps into a ball and re-roll.  When the dough gets too sticky and warm to work with, return to refrigerator until cold again.

Bake as for plain cookies.

For chocolate chip cookies:

Follow plain cookie directions until all the almond flour has been incorporated.  Mix in the 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips.  Follow the rest of the instructions for chilling and baking.

For thumbprint cookies:

Make, chill, and form cookies as for the plain cookies.  Place a tsp or so of low-sugar jam in the center of the raw cookies.  Spread the jam gently to avoid a large lump of jam.  Bake and cool as for plain cookies.

Linzertorte is an Austrian dessert that I love, made from walnut flour and accented with raspberry jam.  The torte uses flour and can be hard to make, but these cookies taste nearly the same and are easy to create.  They’re great if you love walnuts too.

Linzer Cookies

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.  Mixture should lighten in color and increase in size as air is incorporated.

Add egg, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and vanilla to bowl and mix to combine.

Slowly add the walnut and almond flour and mix until well combined.

Scoop onto a large piece of plastic wrap.  Flatten into a thick patty and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.  (Refrigeration is optional, but it is recommended.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Almond flour cookies are notorious for sticking.

Break off small pieces of dough, roll into balls and flatten to about 1/4” thick (thinner for crisper cookies).  Place cookies on baking sheet about 1/2” apart.  (Cookies will expand slightly during baking.)

Place a tsp or so of raspberry jam in the center of the raw cookies.  Spread the jam gently to avoid a large lump.

Bake cookies for 12-17 minutes.  Cookies will not brown much and will be kind of soft until cooled.

Let cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack.  The cookies are very delicate just out of the oven and will crumble if taken off the pan immediately.

I’ve been a card-carrying barefoot believer since… well, looking at my Vibram FiveFingers order history, shortly after July 1, 2009 last year.  But, as I don’t want to build up barefoot calluses, would rather not violate no shirt/no shoes rules, and do appreciate protecting my feet from modern issues like broken glass, oil slicks, and other sharp/nasty things, I’m all about minimal or barefoot footwear.  Terra Plana’s Vivo Barefoot line is pretty good, especially if you want something that looks like normal shoes, Nike Free isn’t terrible… but nothing approaches Vibram FiveFingers in terms of providing the benefits of a natural barefoot experience with as few drawbacks as possible.  None of the other choices allows for free and natural toe movement, for one… and, well, they’re the only ones actually shaped like feet.  That’s a good sign they’re going to provide the most foot-like experience.

Anyhow, wear VFFs for even a short time and—unlike the other barefoot shoe choices—you are going to be asked questions.  Lots of them.  Often incredulously.  As many of my friends and family are making the switch to Vibrams, I figure it’s important to be prepared for the interrogation.  Read on for my Barefoot Talking Points guide!  Links and references at the end.

Why I go barefoot / wear minimal footwear- the super short version:

• More natural (i.e. more biomechanically correct)
• Decreased chance of injury, medium-to-long term
• Increased strength and agility
• Healthy foot shape (check out the pictures here)
• Overall increase in comfort… it’s foot freedom!  Like taking off a tie… or handcuffs (after your feet recover from years of shoe wearing and rebuild their natural strength… initially they may cause discomfort and take time to get used to)

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Are those shoes?  Are those socks?

A: They are barefoot shoes.  It’s just like going barefoot, except that the shoes provide protection from cuts, scrapes, and abrasions, as well as different amounts of warmth and water protection (depending on model); you’re barefoot, except you don’t have to build up big calluses… your foot can stay soft and supple.  Humans evolved barefoot, were naturally selected for strong bare feet, and we have only worn shoes for a tiny fraction of human history.  While toe boxes have been around a little while longer (but are still bad– they deform the front of the foot and cram your toes together… compare shoe-wearing feet with barefoot tribesmen), arch support and cushioned heels have only really been around since the 1970s.

Q: Aren’t those only good for those people who have “perfect” feet?  I’ve been told I have flat feet/weak arches/need orthotics/some other foot issues/have foot pain.

A: Actually, this is largely a myth, and one that most medical professionals largely buy into.  Most foot problems we have today are the result of too much support, too many orthotics, and too much unnatural foot mechanics.  It’s true that humans have a wide variety of foot types, arches, and shapes… but those are all the results of normal natural selection.  It’s far more likely that the vast majority of people are better off barefoot, and studies and evidence bear that out.  While there is initially a lot of discomfort in going barefoot, that is because our feet have effectively atrophied, because they haven’t had to support themselves in years, or for some people their entire lives.  It takes time to stimulate the muscles to build up the strength necessary to support themselves again… but if you make the transition carefully and give it time, almost everyone can eliminate foot and leg pain, build strength, reduce the risk of injuries, and have healthier feet and legs… by getting rid of those foot coffins we call shoes.

Q: You don’t wear those all the time, do you?  I could only go barefoot for a few hours, max.

A: I do, actually.  Since July 1, 2009 I’ve only worn regular shoes a few times—maybe 3.  And only when I have to.  After I rehabilitated my feet from wearing normal shoes and rebuilt my natural strength and flexibility, I’ve had no issues going barefoot or wearing VFFs.  Like any rehabilitation, it takes a little time, but it’s worth it.  Also, for me personally, I find normal shoes now feel restrictive and somewhat uncomfortable—primarily around the toes in the front.  Even normal shoes with a big toe box restrict toe movement and prevent your toes from spreading naturally when you walk and run.

Q: What about arch support?

A: It’s a common myth that we need arch support.  If you think about it, it doesn’t make much sense; if you consider arch structures in the world around us, they are supported at either end, but not in the middle.  Pressing up in the middle of an arch destroys it, or at least greatly weakens it.  And if you look at your foot there are obvious striking surfaces intended to make contact with the ground (toes, ball of the foot, outside edge, heel), and then there’s the arch… which is not build to support direct pressure/impact.  Your arch provides the most support when it is not in contact with anything.

Q: Won’t you stub your toes?

A: Sure, it’s possible.  Of course, without steel-toed boots it still hurts to stub your toes wearing shoes or sandals.  Going barefoot (or wearing VFFs) all the time you learn to be more aware of where your feet are, and what you’re walking on.  One of the main reasons you stub your toes wearing shoes is that you can’t feel what you’re walking on; that separation between you and the ground reduces your awareness.  Going barefoot/VFF you feel the texture of the ground and know far better where you are; you’re less likely to be oblivious and stub your toes.  Of course, if you do, it will hurt… and you’ll learn not to.

Q: Are they warm enough?

A: Absolutely.  It depends on the model somewhat, so if you wear the minimal Classics with no socks then it’s more likely you’ll get cold.  But wearing the KSOs or Treks with a pair of wool toe socks (Injini makes some great ones) I never get cold feet, even in the winter.  Also, more natural biomechanics improves foot circulation, so warm blood gets to your foot more easily.  I find that my feet don’t get cold until I start feeling chilly myself.  And the thin soles are strangely insulating– I’ve walked on ice and didn’t much notice it.

Q: What about if it rains?

A: Only the VFF Flows are waterproof (neoprene upper layer), but it’s not normally an issue.  Most shoes aren’t waterproof either, and with more fabric to soak up water and vents to let it in, when shoes get wet, they stay wet.  VFFs, being very minimal, dry out extremely quickly, so even if they get wet they don’t retain water.  If you step in a puddle, the water just runs back out, and the thin fabric dries out quickly.  The KSOs and KSO Treks (my favorite two types) also keep rain from directly hitting your foot, and the KSO Treks have a leather upper that is water resistant and shed water pretty well.  You can wear the Treks in the rain and effectively stay dry, if you’re careful not to step in puddles up to your ankle.

Q: Won’t your feet get tired having to support themselves, without the cushioning?

A: Nope.  They will at first, but much like exercise makes our bodies stronger, using our feet makes them stronger too.  The more you go barefoot, the more capable your feet become.  Within a pretty short time they’ll be even more capable than they were before you made the switch.  You can stand– or even hike– all day and if you’re used to it, your feet will be too.  It’s the natural human condition, and our feel are willing and able to rise to the challenge if you let them.

Q: What about rocks and roots?

A: It’s true that without the effective armor that shoes provide you have to be more careful where you put your feet.  In the city this isn’t a huge problem– the VFF soles protect you from glass and other sharp objects– but out in nature in particular things like rocks and tree roots are more of a challenge at first.  Many people hike in their VFFs, and to do so you just need to be more aware of your footing and surroundings.  Personally, I find I’m more in touch with where I am and that this enhances my outdoor experiences– plus, the extremely light weight means I can hike faster and farther than with heavy hiking boots.  Back to the point– humans evolved barefoot out in the wild, so our feet can handle rough terrain no problem.  You do have to pay attention, and not step on sharp rocks or anything that can’t support a human reasonably.  Crossing rock fields means looking for tolerable places for your feet… but it becomes almost second nature when you’re used to it.  I hike at full speed now, and I don’t have to stare in front of me, I can use the edge of my vision and my feet to find good placement, and enjoy looking around.  It took some practice, but now it’s normal.  Kind of like learning to walk as a kid.

Q: Won’t that hurt your heel, especially if you run?

A: Surprisingly, no.  Shoes, especially those with cushioned heel cups, allow humans to run with an unnatural stride biomechanic.  Specifically, they allow a longer stride length that ends with a heel strike.  Without the extra shoe protection, humans naturally learn to land with a mid- or fore-foot strike.  Try jogging in place barefoot– notice how you land on the ball of your foot, then absorb the impact and transfer the weight back to your heel, then push off of the ball of your foot again.  That’s the motion– if you do that while running forwards you’re running like humans have for 99% of our history.  Studies at Harvard (see links below) have recently found that the heel strike, even with shoes, produces a stronger force on the foot than the natural front strike barefoot.  So… yes, running barefoot the way you’re used to running with shoes will hurt, and hurt your heel the most.  But it’s easy to relearn the right way to run, as it’s a more natural human movement.  Many people will do it without even thinking within just a few seconds of switching.  Running barefoot the natural way, without a heel strike, results in less impact, less pressure, and less stress to the body.

Q: Are there different styles?  Do they come in my favorite color?  How many do you own?

A: Slow down a sec, one at a time.  Yes, there are absolutely different styles, more each year; some are designed for indoor use, others for wet and cold conditions, some for trail running (yep, barefoot trail running, easier than you think), others for the beach… you get the idea.  And there are lots of colors.  In addition to my Vivo Barefoot shoes (that I rarely wear… they are just in case I need shoes where you can’t see my toes), I have owned Vibram FiveFingers in the following styles: Sprint, KSO, Flow, Moc, Trek… everything except the Classic.  My favorites?  The KSO and KSO Trek, by far.  I sold my Sprints to my friend Will, who loves them (for some reason the Sprints didn’t fit me as well as the KSOs).  I usually wear my Mocs to the gym, and my KSOs or KSO Treks around for daily use, and the Treks when I go hiking or do things outdoors.

Want to know more?

• http://barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/
• http://www.marksdailyapple.com/barefoot-running-harvard-study/
• http://conditioningresearch.blogspot.com/2010/01/more-on-barefoot-running.html
• http://conditioningresearch.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-did-we-manage-to-run-with-no-shoes.html
• http://conditioningresearch.blogspot.com/2010/02/efficient-walking.html
• http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1955580,00.html
• http://naturalbias.com/dont-let-reebok-fool-you-shoes-wont-tone-your-butt
• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/6968891/Why-expensive-trainers-could-be-worse-than-useless.html
• http://www.marksdailyapple.com/flat-feet-treatment/
• http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/
• http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/technology/index.cfm

UPDATE:

I neglected to mention BarefootShoes.com, a site I’ve been visiting since the beginning of my love affair with FiveFingers.  When Vibram announced the KSO Treks, I learned all about it from BarefootShoes.  If you want to learn more, or interact with other FiveFingers fans, share stories, etc… it’s a great resource.

• http://birthdayshoes.com/index.php
• http://birthdayshoes.com/index.php/the-beginner-s-guide-to-five-fingers

-Mindfulness in Plain English, Chapter 13

Abstraction is a dangerous thing. Representational logic is a necessary evil, but venture too far from the existant fabric that you attempt to describe, and you run the risk of completely losing the essential truth of a matter.

A recent ‘study’ published in the New England Journal of Medicine is a great example of this mistake. The paper was based on the extrapolations made through use of a computer model about the possible health benefits of a reduced salt intake on cardiovascular health. They concluded that if everyone consumed less salt to the tune of 3 grams per day, we would see 60,000 to 120,000 fewer new cases of Coronary Heart Disease a year. The study, as you’d imagine, is a complete farce.

Ignoring the self-regulatory mechanisms of water-retention, sodium intake/retention, and how they relate to carbohydrate intake, I’d like to point out that directly in the methodology of the study you can read that they based their model on correlations between cardiac incidents and subgroupings of individuals organized by a few basic vital statistics- but the statistics do not differentiate between LDL and VLDL, organize systolic blood pressure into three partitions- <130, 130-139, and >=140- and across the board show no understanding of the meaning behind these health factors. The most you could accomplish with such divisions is to parse the data into weak correllations. Unfortunately, the authors aren’t finished there. They then apply beta coefficients “derived from the Framingham Heart Study and the Framingham Offspring Study”.

The Framingham study is a great example of science that didn’t meet the authors’ preconceptions, and yet has been cited as a triumph of predictive health science on diet and nutrition for the latter half century. Rather than re-hash all the issues with the study, I’ll redirect you to Dr. Eades’s posts on the subject here, and here. Dr. William P. Castelli, the successor of the director of the original Framingham study, is quoted in one of the posts is a great snippet that probably didn’t make the NEJM study’s model:

“For example, in Framingham, Mass, the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower the person’s serum cholesterol.”

So the model itself is nothing more than faulty assumptions being exploded into news-grabbing grandiose headlines. Build on a faulty assumption- an imprecise abstraction, if you will- and everything built on that concept is completely meaningless and without value.

All of this reminds me of the value of letting go of assumptions, seeing things ‘just so’, and relaxing the mental tension that accumulates with any sort of abstraction or judgement. Absolutely any abstraction or attempt to constrain ‘what is’ in words or abstract thought is an inherent corruption of the existence of that thing-in-itself, and can be a profoundly subtle limitation on our ability to think and grow. On a large scale, these biases take the form of faulty assumptions. On a small scale, they form the groundwork for our personal preferences and biases, and can lead us to act without consideration.

Rather than let these processes act upon ourselves without consideration, we should attempt to quiet the mind- to see the world simply for what it is, and let go of our need to integrate, understand, grapple, and define. The word I’d like to borrow for the concept is Sati- the title of the chapter I quoted at the start of the post. The rough translation for the word is simply “Mindfulness”- awareness, perception, in an as-is state, without judgement, and existing -prior- to abstraction.

My goal with nutrition has been to rediscover this layer of truth in my own body, finding out the pathways that food take, and learning to perceive and listen to my body- without preconception. The natural world -only- interacts with us on this as-is level. In order to see clearly, we need to stop grasping at the world, and let the world present itself to us- to listen patiently to what -is-, rather than trying to fit the world into boxes. Trying to reach out will close us off- relaxing and ‘retreating’, we open ourselves to a world of perception and truth.

Now and again, it is necessary to seclude yourself among deep mountains and hidden valleys to restore your link to the source of life.

-Morihei Ueshiba

Welcome, new visitors, and everyone enjoy the updates and new sources and references. Be excellent to each other… And party on, dudes.

If you’ve been reading this (sadly neglected) blog or the various sources we’ve cited, you’ll know the great benefits of coconut.  Here’s a quick recap, though.

Coconut is not only delicious, it’s a good source of medium-chain saturated fats.  Why are medium-chain fats good?  Because they can be absorbed directly instead of having to be broken down in the gut.  This is great for some quick, long-lasting energy and perfect for people who may have trouble digesting fats because of some digestive problems caused by a high-carb lifestyle.  Coconuts are 90% saturated fat- and who here doesn’t love saturated fat?  Saturated fat is used all over your body and improves your cholesterol, immune system and your general sense of well-being.  (This high amount of saturated fat is why coconut oil is solid at room temperature, like beef fat or lard.)  Coconut is particularly good for boosting your immune system because the main saturated fat in coconut is lauric acid (this turns into monolaurin in the body).  Lauric acid is antimicrobial and not only prevents pathogens from setting up camp in your body, it can convince them to high-tail it out if they have moved in.  Great news during flu season, right?

Of course, coconut also has good vitamins and minerals as well as a large amount of fiber.  It also tastes sweet but doesn’t contain a lot of sugar.  Coconut oil is an even better source of lauric acid than raw coconut.  Coconut oil is a great way to get some extra fat, because a paleo lifestyle should be a high-fat lifestyle.  But let’s face it, very few of us want to choke down a spoonful or two of room temperature coconut oil or even melt it in some tea and drink it.  I have found a solution that, if I may say so myself, is genius.  Read on.

There is a company, Premier Organics, that makes Artisana raw nut butters.  They make a coconut butter that is so dangerously delicious, it should be labeled as a controlled substance.  The coconut butter is nothing but 100% coconut- no added sugar, salt, or oils.  The only problem with this stuff is that it, like coconut oil, is solid at room temperature and with all the coconut solids in the mix, it can be as hard to scoop out of the jar until it’s warmed up.  The butter is pretty good when it’s melted but personally, I like to eat the coconut butter on the solid side, like a sweet truffle.  The butter then melts on my tongue and feels incredibly decadent.  After much thought, I have come up with the following recipe.  This recipe not only makes eating coconut butter easy, it’s portable and shelf-stable, it’s got extra coconut oil, and it’s fun!

If you like this recipe, this site sells the coconut butter in 8lb or 16lb buckets which is cheaper than buying individual jars.

Coconut Butter Bites

• Artisana Raw Coconut Butter
• Virgin coconut oil (optional)
• Ice cube trays (shaped ones are really fun)

Gently heat the coconut butter and oil (if using) until they are liquid.  I fill a large pot with water, put the jars in, and keep it on a low simmer until everything is melted.  You don’t want to cook the jars, just soften them.  A crockpot would work too, or a low-temperature oven, or a double boiler.

Pour some of the coconut butter into a small bowl.  If you want, add some coconut oil until the mixture is kind of thin. This isn’t a science- if there’s too much oil, the finished bites will be a bit oilier and if there’s too little oil, the finished bites will be a little drier.  I usually add about 1/3 as much coconut oil as butter (so if I have 1 cup butter, I add an extra 1/3 cup of oil- but I don’t really measure.)

Pour the mixture into the ice cube tray. The mixture will expand as it cools, so leave a little room at the top.  Gently tap the tray on the counter to bring any air bubbles to the surface.

Let set either at room temperature or in the fridge for a faster set.

Pop out of tray and enjoy.  I store my finished bites in glass jars in the pantry.  The bites can stay out of the fridge as long as your ambient temperature is below about 80 degrees F; any warmer than that and they’ll start to melt.

Here’s the nutrition information (also found on the jar of coconut butter).  Remember that fiber doesn’t really count as a “carb”- subtract the grams of fiber from the grams of total carbs for the actual carb load!

Bored of plain coconut butter?  Try these additives for variety!

Coconut Crunch

Add dried, shredded coconut (unsweetened of course!) to the butter/oil mix.  I like to add a lot of shredded coconut for a serious crunch.  Once the bites set, the coconut adds a nice crunch, almost like a Nestle Crunch bar, as well as adding more coconut taste.  You can usually get shredded coconut in the bulk section of natural markets for cheaper.

Harvest Spice

Add some nutmeg, cinnamon, and quality vanilla extract to the mixture.  Add a little at a time and taste as you go to find the right amount of spices for you.  Unlike most applications, you can really taste the difference between average and high quality vanilla in these bites.  It’s worth a bit of a splurge.

Chocolate Divine

Add a tablespoon or two of raw cacao powder and quality vanilla to the mixture.  Depending on your cacao tolerance, you might need to add a touch of sweetener to mellow some of the bitterness of the chocolate.  I add just a small drizzle of honey when I make this one; remember that coconut is naturally sweet.  Don’t forget to taste as you add things!  This one tastes like hot cocoa to me; the more cacao you add, the darker the chocolate- add just a little for a milk chocolaty taste. 

Dark Chocolate Crunch

Add some shredded coconut to the Chocolate Divine and revel in the decadence of living a paleo lifestyle.

Mexican Chocolate Supreme

Add cinnamon and a little chile powder to the Chocolate Divine. (Go easy on the chile powder; it’s flavorful.)  This one’s Lowell’s favorite.

Chocolate Raspberry

Add some roughly crumbled freeze-dried raspberries (or other fruit; I like Just Fruit) to the Chocolate Divine.  The freeze-dried fruit stays pretty crunchy, but does add some trace carbs.  I might try this one with some freeze-dried bananas.  Try this add-in in the plain coconut ones too- coconut and strawberry is delicious!

Chocolate Almond

Add some slivered almonds (try toasting them first) in with the Chocolate Divine.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Add some peppermint extract to the Chocolate Divine.  Just a little goes a long way.  These are great around Christmas time.

Lime-in-da-Coconut

Add some fresh lime zest and lime juice or extract.  To avoid excess liquid if using lime juice, boil the juice for a minute or so to get a concentrated “syrup.”  It’s powerful stuff, so you don’t need much of it for a nice lime kick, just a tsp or two.

Other ideas

Add food coloring to any of the above for a fun look or swirl together plain coconut and chocolate.

Add other flavor extracts, like hazelnut, lemon, coffee or peppermint. 

Add a small amount of chopped low-sugar dried fruit, like goji berries or cranberries (not the sweetened kind), or maybe cacao nibs or espresso beans.  Remember that these will add some extra carbs (fruits) and caffeine (nibs and beans).  I like the freeze dried fruit because they stay crunchy in the coconut and there’s no added ingredients.

Add finely chopped/ground nuts (someone suggested adding almond flour- sounds tasty!)

I have some silicon ice cube trays from Ikea that make flower- and fish-shaped "ice cubes."  I make all my plain coconut bites as fish and all my crunch bites as flowers.  I’ve measured the indentations and each one holds about a tablespoon of liquid, which is just about as much coconut butter as I can eat at one time.  (I also use these molds when I make regular butter.)  The trays usually aren’t expensive- get a collection of fun shapes and go nuts with it!  I just found some penguin ones.  Mmm, chocolate penguins…

Anyhow, she left, and the final decision was that I hadn’t taken them in 23 hours, which was almost 24, so it was still safe to proceed.

Just 8 days ago Dr. William Davis (Cardiologist), on the Heart Scan Blog, wrote the following on the subject: “Does fish oil cause blood thinning?”

While we’re on the subject of Dr. Davis’ blog, there’s another similar story he posted recently which reminds me of my experience today: “Hospitals are a hell of a place to get sick”.  It’s a great post, go check it out.

It’s so hard to affect what (or the way) people think, even educated people, even when it turns out they’ve been taught something that is later found to be wrong (or just incomplete or misguided).

In the end, I’m just incredibly frustrated she felt the need to omit “cod liver oil” and write it down as 3 individual supplements—it’s not the same—and the worry about Omega-3s and blood thinning… geez.  These are smart nurses and smart doctors, and they’re doing the best they can and working for their patients.  I’m not upset with her.  But I’m furious with a system and establishment that takes smart and well meaning people and points them in so many wrong directions.

And, of course, there were no questions at all about my diet itself.  None.  The amount of Omega-3 or Omega-6 in the diet can be much higher than that found in normal supplement quantities, especially if you are diligent about always eating grass-fed and naturally raised meats and dairy products.  Raw grass-fed dairy, meat, and eggs is extremely high in Omega-3s and lower in Omega-6s.  And it’s the ratio that counts most anyhow.

But no… all I was asked about is what pills I was taking.  Food doesn’t count.

No wonder everything is treated with pills and there’s such a lack of understanding about food and nutrition, it can’t possibly affect your health or be used for healing.

Update: I’m editing the title and tone a bit… I wrote this while I was frustrated and I don’t think the original really accurately conveys my thoughts and feelings on the subject.

Read on for the full mail and list of info.

WEB:
If you want to start simple, here’s the quick ones to check out:

• http://www.marksdailyapple.com/
  • In particular, start here:  http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-101/
• http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike
• http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/
  • In particular, start here:  http://www.paleonu.com/what-is-panu/
• http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/

MOVIE:

There’s a very low budget but pretty funny documentary movie on the subject.  It’s a great way to get a partial overview in 90 minutes– it covers the short version of how hormones control weight, how food affects hormones, and where the lipid hypothesis came from and why it’s wrong.
I strongly recommend the movie– and it’s a great way to get someone who doesn’t want to invest in reading a book or a website to check this stuff out.

The Movie (because sometimes 1.5 hours is all you want to spend): http://fathead-movie.com/

BOOKS:

Each author has their own different perspective and often there’s aspects of each approach you have to look past a bit (the veggie myth author is a bit on the revolutionary activist side, the primal blueprint author can wax a bit poetic about cavemen, nourishing traditions can be pretty touchy-feely-new-age in spots, and GCBC can put some people to sleep with too much info), but they’re all phenomenal books and largely spot on.  Just skim the commentary and get to the main info if it’s too over the top of just rubbing you the wrong way.
I can describe the books in more detail if you’re interested, but here’s the basic list form, with links to Amazon.

1. Primal Blueprint (my personal favorite overall for simplicity and comprehensiveness of material and approach)
2. Real Food    (totally different approach than #1, starts from a personal story and moves to talking about things from a food angle)
3. Good Calories, Bad Calories (if someone wants to get technical, throw this at them– it’s where you go when you want the full proof and research, but it’s not an easy read for some)
4. Nourishing Traditions (cook book & history of food… want to have a great reference for traditional foods and which foods are "real", get this)

5. The Vegetarian Myth (tons of great info for non-vegetarians and vegetarians both about misconceptions about veggie vs. meat consumption from all angles, political, ecological, nutritional, moral, ethical, historical– the author gets over the top a good amount, but it’s a fascinating book)

6.  Protein Power Lifeplan
7.  Eat Fat, Lose Fat

Books I haven’t read but that are highly recommended:

The Doctor’s Heart cure: http://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Heart-Beyond-Modern-Exercise/dp/0938045652/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253238674&sr=8-1

The Great Cholesterol Con: http://www.amazon.com/Great-Cholesterol-Con-Really-Disease/dp/1844546101/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253313626&sr=1-1

If, somehow, in some crazy universe… you want more:

Here’s my current blog reading list.  Each source, of course, may get some things wrong and has to be taken as part of the larger overall picture.  I’ve been flagging really good posts via Google Reader (and sharing them via http://www.google.com/reader/shared/lowell.meyer), and have found that G.R.’s search function is amazing—I can find anything ever posted from just the blogs I follow on any particular topic.  It’s a great way to narrow the scope of a general web search to semi-trusted sources.  Anyhow–

My current daily blog reading list (alphabetical, no real order—many of these are gold, but of course often they’ll disagree and no single one should be taken purely at face value—think for yourself and compare sources):

• Animal Pharm: http://drbganimalpharm.blogspot.com/
• Associated with the “Track Your Plaque” program at Stanford… good stuff!
• Fat Head: http://www.fathead-movie.com/
• Free the Animal: http://freetheanimal.com/
• Dr. Eades: http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike
• Health Man Blog: http://healthmanblog.com/
• Hey, I know that guy!
• Hyperlipid: http://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com/
• Mark’s Daily Apple: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/
• NephroPal: http://nephropal.blogspot.com/
• PaNu: http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/
• Primal Wisdom: http://donmatesz.blogspot.com/
• Professional / Triathlete: http://christremonte.blogspot.com/
• Hey, I know that guy too!
• The Heart Scan Blog: http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/
• Whole Health Source: http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/

Some others I follow (less avidly, but I still read all the posts):

• ArthurDeVany: http://www.arthurdevany.com/
• At Darwin’s Table: http://darwinstable.wordpress.com/
• Cooling Inflammation: http://coolinginflammation.blogspot.com/
• Diabetes Update: http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.com/
• Fitness Spotlight: http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/
• Joe Levy: Sunlight Advocate: http://joelevy.blogspot.com/
• Pay Now, Live Later: http://paynowlivelater.blogspot.com/
• Primal Blog: http://www.primalbody-primalmind.com/blog
• Son of Grok: http://www.sonofgrok.com/
• Sterling Advice: http://sterlingadvice.blogspot.com/
• The Daily Lipid: http://blog.cholesterol-and-health.com/
• The Paleo Garden: http://www.thepaleogarden.com/
• The Truth, The Whole Truth, And Nothing But The Truth: http://slowburn.typepad.com/my_weblog/
• Vitamin D3: http://drsorenson.blogspot.com/

I realized that if I was marking items with a star for myself it wouldn’t be to hard to hit the “Share” button on posts I think are particularly worth checking out for others.  So, I’m going to give that a try.

If you would like to keep an eye on any links I share, you can check them out here:  http://www.google.com/reader/shared/lowell.meyer.

Or you can even get an Atom feed of my shared links for reuse elsewhere:  http://www.google.com/reader/public/atom/user%2F00468051034282820935%2Fstate%2Fcom.google%2Fbroadcast.

I’m working on future posts myself on lab testing, and on hypoglycemics and primal/paleo/low-carb/real food.  Until then, enjoy some real food and be healthy.

I’ve read tons on UVB and UVA, melanoma, sunlight, vitamin D3 (and D2), and the many connections of D3 levels to tons of health measures and conditions.  It isn’t too surprising we evolved to take advantage of the energy from the sun; the body loads D2 into the skin, where UVB rays oxidize it to D3, when it is then absorbed back and shipped around the body to do all kinds of useful things.  One of the better semi-comprehensive Vitamin D posts is (from PaNu):
    http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2009/8/9/vitamin-d.html

The big surprise for me has been that my personal D levels are still pretty low.  The lab test to measure the amount of D3 (the happy active form for us humans) you have is a 25(OH)D test (there are several tests, and the others don’t measure the right thing to determine if you’re getting enough sunlight and/or D3 supplements).  My 25(OH)D level, tested just this month, was only ~32.  It was ~30 several months ago.  In that time I’ve worked hard to increase my sun and UVB exposure, and still I only increased my level by 2.  Below 40 indicates weaker bones, and you have to get over 50 to be in a good optimal range.  Anyhow, I’m adding some additional D3 supplements (to make up for the northern latitude here in Seattle) and am continuing to try and get lots of sunlight (or at least sun-equivalent light with a good ratio of UVB to UVA).

Anyhow, I pretty much agree with most of the good sources who have written about this already.  The best source is natural sunlight, and midday sunlight is the only way to get adequate Vitamin D3.  If you’re only outside in the morning and afternoon, you’re getting too much UVA and not enough UVB.  But, of course, most of our schedules don’t permit this.  So it comes down to finding replacement sources—normally I’m actually not much for supplements, but when there’s a valid argument that the supplement is really just replacing something you should have gotten with a normal human (read: primal) lifestyle, I’m all for it.  So D3 (not D2) supplements are a reasonable approach.  Of course, the delivery mechanism is different than UVB on the skin, so I think trying to get your D3 via UVB light (natural preferred, artificial as a backup) is a better approach than supplements on the whole.