more raw paleo in the news

[Vlad]

I did an interview last week with AFP, they give their content out to different media sources, not sure exactly where it ended up.

Here's the video:
you must double click on it and view it on Youtube, it won't play embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCAgRmgHK2s

And the article: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jc4Hd_71QfpilGV16wCKvHCps6og

[carnivore]

Handstand push up ! 

[TylerDurden]

I got the message that afp was blocking the video because it wasn't in the appropriate country. Presumably, only USAns can watch it.

[majormark]

I got the same message, but after double-click it played fine on youtube.

[PaleoPhil]

You can see the vid here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCAgRmgHK2s

"the latest fad diet"

The fad charge is one of the most ridiculous, given that it's the oldest of all diet types.

"The Stone Age diet prioritizes seasonal fruit, lean meat, fish and very little intake of processed food, sugar, grains -- including bread -- or dairy products."

Ah crap, where did they get that "lean meat" quote from? Dr. Cordain's website?

"A guru from the paleo world's European wing, Frenchman Erwan Le Corre, conducts training sessions in the wild, throwing rocks, jumping, and running barefoot."

I've lost count of the number of Paleo connections I've seen to France at this point. There really seems to be quite a Paleo-type movement springing up there.

"But the diet falls short in a couple of ways. We've evolved as a civilization over thousands and thousands of years," she said. "You're forgetting all the great sources of grains and really healthy complex carbohydrates."

There's that silly rapid-evolution argument again.

The comments on the video show the kind of hate we face:
"Soon his knuckles will drag too."
"Is this AFP or the onion ? : ) "

Some of the comments were too nasty to reprint here.

Vlad, you have a lot of courage to subject yourself to this kind of global exposure and ridicule. I tip my hat to you. Can you provide some context to the reporter's comment that you spend up to $70 a day on food?

[miles]

Could anyone else not hear Vlad and only the reporter, or was that just me?

[van]

  I think that was the intention.  I wonder though,  do you really spend 70 dollars on food a day?

[goodsamaritan]

I did an interview last week with AFP, they give their content out to different media sources, not sure exactly where it ended up.

Here's the video:
you must double click on it and view it on Youtube, it won't play embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCAgRmgHK2s

And the article: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jc4Hd_71QfpilGV16wCKvHCps6og

You rock Vlad!  Saw your video.  I used a US proxy server.
You are gonna be famous!

[Vlad]

This is what I just wrote on my website in response to the article: http://www.vladaverbukh.com

The AFP article mentioned that I spend $70 a day on my food. This is not entirely accurate as I spend far less in the warmer months eating locally grown produce. I almost never spend more than $30 a day on food in the summer. While I try to eat seasonally as much as I can, I still buy imported organic fruit in the winter. I would typically go for less sweet fruits such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and cherries. This stuff gets very pricey and accounts for most of my daily food expenses. Since I prefer my meat very rare or raw, I get softer cuts of meat such as ribeye, these are obviously more expensive as well. While I realize I could spend a lot less by buying organ meats and frozen beef, I would rather spend more and get fresher and higher quality food.

[roony]

Unfortunately expensive softer cuts of meat, such as ribeye, arent high quality nutrition, its a common misconception, the fatty cheaper cuts are far more nutritious, the most nutritious are supposed to be the tougher cuts

Also organ meats are far more nutritious, then the simple muscle meats, essential, especially if recovering from disease etc.,

[van]

Roony,  I would like to see references for cheaper cuts of meat having higher concentrations of 'nutrients'.  And I am not speaking about organs.  thanks

[PaleoPhil]

Well, it's nice to find something Roony and I can basically agree on. Ribeye has a decent amount of fat, but he's right that organs and fats are generally MORE healthy than lean muscle meat, not less--especially if we're talking grassfed (or wild). Also, the more grassfed fat and organs you eat, the less of the expensive berries you'll need (assuming that inexpensive grassfed fat and organs are available in your area--though they can also be purchased via the Internet from Slankers and others).

It's almost a rule that your diet will be healthier when you do the opposite of what most nutritionists recommend...

When they say don't undercook your meat or you risk quick, horrible death from gruesome microorganisms--eat it raw (and even better, rot it first).
When they say eat lots of "healthy, whole grains"--avoid them completely.
When they say avoid read meat completely--eat plenty of it (preferably raw and wild or pasture-fed).
When they say avoid saturated fat at all costs--eat lots and lots of it (preferably raw and wild or pasture-fed).

[raw]

 
to vlad, me and my entire family are on raw paleo diet. i'm moving to nyc soon and hoping to meet you soon.

[roony]

Roony,  I would like to see references for cheaper cuts of meat having higher concentrations of 'nutrients'.  And I am not speaking about organs.  thanks

I'd like to see those too, i'm basically quoting aajonus on that one, unfortunately i dont have the time to hunt down something so obscure

I'm presuming the greater number of nutrients comes from a large surface area, packed into a dense area, like breast of lamb, its toughness encourages far more virulent & aggressive bacteria & parasites, to break down the tougher meat, over soft tissue

[ForTheHunt]

Good work buddy.

I still think eating the raw meat on camera was a mistake. It turns this into a sort of freakshow in the eyes of the general public

[TylerDurden]

I just love that bit where Vlad tears a chunk or two from the raw meat with his teeth while out in public. I only dared do something like that once when I ate some raw eggs in an isolated, largely unfrequented park in London. Even then, I was very very discreet.

[TylerDurden]

Another plus:- The following paragraph in the above article:-   

   "Along with pure, mostly raw food, the modern caveman adapts his exercise to mimic the exertions of hunting -- or being hunted -- instead of today's emphasis on endurance running or building muscles in the gym"

appears to imply that  modern palaeolithic diet adherents in general  mostly follow  a raw, palaeolithic diet with just a little cooking. This is why it's such a good idea to court the media as (admittedly false!) impressions such as this can make our diet seem a lot  more appealing to the general public.

[cherimoya_kid]

I just love that bit where Vlad tears a chunk or two from the raw meat with his teeth while out in public. I only dared do something like that once when I ate some raw eggs in an isolated, largely unfrequented park in London. Even then, I was very very discreet.

I often have eaten raw meat and fish and liver openly in public in Costa Rica.  Not so much, though, in the US.  I don't want stupid questions from stupid people.   

[RawZi]

I often have eaten raw meat and fish and liver openly in public in Costa Rica.  Not so much, though, in the US.  I don't want stupid questions from stupid people.   

    I did it recently.  I was in a pet shop.  I had a pint mason jar of diced buffalo flank in my cart.  Their dog knew, and they didn't, and apologized for her.  I told them I have raw meat, that maybe their dog wants some.  They said "yes, if you don't mind".  So I took the jar out of my bag, opened it, and she delicately took it from my hand with her mouth, placed it on the floor, and "asked" me for the rest of the serving.  The couple said she does want it, and is just playing.  So I asked them "should I take a piece and eat to get her to eat?".  They said yes (straight faced like nothing unusual).  I took a piece out and ate the piece.  The dog ducked down and ate her piece.  All were happy.  They seemed grateful.

[Vlad]

Tyler, I'm not thrilled that AFP story implied that most paleos are raw. If the media focuses too much on the raw part, it may turn off people from paleo completely. I know some of you may disagree but I'm of the opinion that getting folks on even a cooked paleo is a good thing. I also find that once folks go paleo, they're much more open to raw.

I recently did an interview with Russian paper and was on Colombian National Radio this morning with Cordain. They put me on right after Cordain, I'm not even sure he heard me talk or knew that I was following him. In any case, in both interviews I said that paleo diet does not need to be raw to be of benefit. I've turned down other media inquiries when I thought they were planning on ridiculing paleo by emphasing raw too much.

For those of you in NYC, we got a paleo meetup potluck tomorrow, I plan on bringing a raw dish. http://www.meetup.com/Eating-Paleo-in-NYC/

[djr_81]

For those of you in NYC, we got a paleo meetup potluck tomorrow, I plan on bringing a raw dish. http://www.meetup.com/Eating-Paleo-in-NYC/

I wish I had read up on the next meet-up a bit earlier.
I live in Putnam Valley; literally next door to Cold Spring. I've always wanted to check out Glynwood as well.
I was tempted to speak up when I saw you were in NYC but I'm not a "city boy" and avoid going into it if I can. It's good to see the meet-ups extend further up the valley as I'd love to meet some like-minded folks.
Is it too late to RSVP?

[TylerDurden]

Well, I would disagree. Making people more aware of raw-meat diets re media reports gets them used to the whole idea, over time. Otherwise, peoples' initial reaction will always be that of utter disgust. I did 1 interview with a UK newspaper re raw-meat-diets and while she tried to ridicule it a bit(claiming it was mainly done out of a desire for weight-loss! etc.) , the outcome was a lot more positive than I had expected and some of the readers' comments below were actually quite supportive of me. Given the intense hysteria re bacteria/parasites people normally assume that anyone adopting a raw-meat diet would die within weeks from food-poisoning etc. When they see people doing such diets for years and years while looking healthy, they start realising that such phobias are ridiculous.

[Cinna]

My favorite favorite favorite part of the video was watching Vlad eat the raw meat. In the great city outdoors, in the light of day, in front of a camera - and eating so casually like he was eating an apple. I am a total newbie (eating raw fish and still working my way into trying raw meat) and I NEED to see live, calm, not-sensationalized, undramatic images like this.

Yes, even though I am open to being RPD and wasn't "grossed out," I was still a bit unnerved at some conditioned level watching that part - because I'm not used to SEEING the eating process... I have read hours of what RPD people are eating, but like "a picture is worth a thousand words," watching/witnessing the act of RPD eating, I believe, will help me advance along faster. It's not that I won't do anything until I see someone else do it first, but it's comforting, encouraging, and helpful to me to watch someone eat RPD in real life. It probably worked with cooked eating too - how easy to eat cooked food when everyone around you is doing it too. This RPD village is just so spread out.  I'm determined to continue with my transitioning at my own pace on my own, but I value video like this. Even if it offends/turns people off, it was so mild, calm, natural, innocent, unapologetic, innocuous, and I think it's great that people are exposed to images like this. It's taking it out of hiding because there's nothing to be ashamed of. Of course there is much value in RPD and Primal Diet potlucks - creating that community - but a SAD person is more likely to stumble upon a short, fascinating YouTube video than to stumble upon a RPD/Primal Diet potluck, partake, and hang around outside of his/her element.

The more you're exposed to something, whether "good" or "bad," the more you're desensitized... I am for people being desensitized to RPD, at least the shock factor, so the more images of raw meat eating we see, the more it's not such a big deal. And you know what they say, there's no such thing as bad publicity... Because "bad" publicity is publicity and sometimes the more controversial, the more exciting, the more response. Although I have always been health-oriented, if I saw this video a few years ago, I might have been like, "Wha?? This guy is crazy but to each his own and there are as many different ways to live as there are people" and I wouldn't have "gotten" it. But then a few years down the road (like NOW), I would recall this video and be like, "Omg.... I get it!!!"

This video has the potential to click with so many people who have never considered a RPD-like diet or lifestyle before, but the short little video with commentary and imagery can speak/connect instantly with people more than pages and pages and pages of awesome and informative web info - only someone interested in health and open to new ideas will continue to research online for hours and hours. Of course I do, you do, but not everyone is interested in what I'm interested in. Video is so valuable (Americans can have short-ish attention spans) because in a short amount of time, you can pique many people's interests and that is how you hook them into searching online for hours. 

My suggestions  :

RPD books. (This is probably in the works anyway. ) Even people vaguely interested in RPD are not interested in spending hours surfing and wading through the amazing material online - yes, it's awesome material, but you have to find it and sometimes only hardcore or semi-hardcore people are willing to do it. Having a little booklet (or a big one!) with all the general guidelines neatly spelled out would spread the RPD message quickly and easily. You could pass them out like candy and people not computer savvy would have access also to the info.

Little shows on YouTube. This probably already exists. I used to want to be a cooking show star, but I doubt that will happen and I'm not ready to do my RPD show because I'm still a newbie, not hardcore. Anyone can do their show - this is where I like to buy my meat, this is how I like to cut it or not cut it, this is how I like to eat it, this is how I make my high meat, this is me and my cat enjoying the same meal together, this is me eating raw at the best Ethiopian restaurant in town, et al. Desensitize me, please. If you have a YouTube channel, let me know.

After the books and YouTube shows come the RPD Reality Show. I love to use my imagination. If I ever truly become mostly RPD and have my own RPD non-cooking/lifestyle show, I'll know that dreams really do come true.