DIET & SUPPLEMENTSHealth & FitnessPodcast

How the Paleo Diet (and Movement) Will Change Your Life with Top Authority Robb Wolf

13 Oct 2015 Jonathan
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Robb Wolf is the author most known for popularizing the paleo diet.
Robb Wolf is the author most known for popularizing the paleo diet.

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“The information that’s coming out of dietetics is dooming about 50% of the population to immediate failure.”
— Robb Wolf

Greetings, superfriends!
Today, we have a huge treat for you – though it’s a paleo-friendly treat. Over the next two months, we will be doing a 3 (or maybe 4) part series on paleolithic nutrition and the paleo diet. Though we’ll be spreading these episodes apart to provide a little variety in between, we’ll nonetheless be interviewing the 3 or 4 of TOP experts on the paleo diet, each approaching it from a different angle.

This week, we start with the biggest name in Paleo, and in my mind, the guy who popularized it and made it into a movement: Robb Wolf. He’s a former research biochemist. He’s the NYT bestselling author of The Paleo Solution. He is a student of Loren Cordain, the originator of the Paleo diet. He runs one of the top ranking podcasts on iTunes. He is co-owner of one of the most influential CrossFit boxes in the world, one of the top 30 gyms in America. He serves on the board of numerous health-related companies… Oh, and on top of all of this, he’s a former California State powerlifting champion, and a recovering vegetarian. His incredible story is matched only by the massive influence he’s had on millions of lives!

So, let me fill you in on the episode a bit. First off, like many episodes, we really get into the weeds and geek out a lot. But, you guys are smart! You can handle a little sciencey stuff.

You’ll probably be able to tell that I’m a huge fan of this particular guest’s work, and so I tried to squeeze in as much good stuff as possible – and managed to get a lot of great great stuff in. You’ll immediately see that he has an encyclopedic knowledge of all things health, nutrition, metabolism, fitness, strength, and more… I also have to say that my guest was incredibly generous with his time, and so it’s a nice long episode that goes into a ton of different subjects. We go way beyond just paleo nutrition, and I know you’re going to LOVE this episode. If you do, as always, make sure to tell me what your favorite part was on twitter – our handle is @gosuperhuman.

This episode is brought to you by Udemy. Take any of our hand-picked courses for as little as $10 today with this special coupon code link.

This episode is brought to you by Udemy. Take any of our hand-picked courses for as little as $10 today with this special coupon code link.

In this episode with Robb Wolf, we discuss:

  • Robb Wolf’s journey to become one of the biggest names in the Paleo and CrossFit movements
  • What exactly is the “Paleo diet” and what are the broader implications on our lives?
  • How “Paleo” is supported by archeology, biology, and anthropology
  • Do different populations have different responses to things like rice or starch?
  • Misconceptions about the life spans and quality of life of our paleolithic ancestors
  • “Grandmother theory,” and why human life spans are different from other animals
  • What’s the big deal with gluten and other anti-nutrients in things like quinoa, millet, or beans?
  • What carbs are recommended in the paleo diet, and why?
  • How should you approach the paleo diet, and how can you test it out?
  • The 80/20 rule (or Pareto’s Principle) and how it applied to paleo
  • Thoughts on modern, selectively-bred fruit – should we be eating it?
  • Adaptability, trial and error, and how to modify the template to your own needs
  • Do humans need to eat carbohydrates? Should they? If so, why?
  • What has Robb learned in the 6 years since his book was published?
  • Detailed thoughts on specific foods like hummus and kombucha (my favorites)
  • How do we asses whether or not a specific food is working for us?
  • The hormones that give our body a sensation of satiety, and how they work
  • Organic vs. non-organic. What’s the straight dope, and why does it matter or not matter?
  • Grass-fed meat: how important is it, and why?
  • Misconceptions on the “high protein” aspect of paleo
  • What’s the big deal with Omega-3 and Omega-6’s, and what should you beware of?
  • Which supplements does Robb Wolf believe everybody should be taking?
  • Thoughts on Vitamin D, why it’s so important, and how it relates to sun exposure
  • Eating local, sustainability, and how it all fits together
  • Should you be eating dairy? Is it part of the paleo diet?
  • Are artificial sweeteners bad for you? If so, which ones?
  • A look into how Robb Wolf works in his clinical practice with top-tier athletes and performers
  • Some insights on how Robb is raising his 2 daughters
  • Debunking the myths that fat and protein cause cancer
  • Thoughts on cholesterol, and what you should tell your doctor to test for
  • Robb’s opinions on having a “cheat day”
  • What is Robb’s opinion on health insurance?
  • Robb’s #1 piece of homework that you should do this week
  • What Robb is working on now

Resources Mentioned in This Episode on the Paleo Diet:

Favorite Quotes from Robb Wolf:

“I’m kind of like the Forrest Gump of fitness.”
“For me it really goes beyond the diet. This paleo or evolutionary biology concept is really just taking a look at how our genes evolved over the course of time.”
“I just want to see people eat real food and chew it! And somehow… I’m still like a huge ***hole for saying it!”
“Everything in biology has horns or thorns or teeth or poison. Everything’s trying to eat something or avoid being eaten by something else.”
“The ancestral model is really great for asking questions. It is terrible for providing answers.”
“You would need a private detective to find the insulin response in [hummus].”
“I find that all of the theory and all of the battles kind of go out the window if we just approach this stuff from an evolutionary biology perspective.”
“For most people, this general paleo template gets them about 80% there. And then you need to tinker and fiddle and be reasonable about who you are and what your goals are what you’re trying to achieve. And then that will kind of direct you in the customization path that can get you where you want [to be].”
“The problem is that we need some heuristic, some simple, big picture stories, to be able to reach a lot of people. But then, people turn the heuristic into 10 commandment laws that then make it almost impossible to have any granularity to be able to dial this stuff in for individuals.”
“If we are faced with a plentitude of hyper-palateable foods, will we eat only to satiety? Almost never.”
“In western societies, we eat like professional eaters.”
“Limiting food options is probably the most successful strategy towards affecting some sort of long term dietary change.”
“We are nervous about making opiates generally available to the populous because they are very addictive and can have all kinds of downsides to them. Maybe we need a similar degree of care or nervousness around highly-processed, hyper-palateable foods.”
“If you want to have something, then have it. Just be aware of the consequences.”

 

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Jonathan

Jonathan

Jonathan Levi is an experienced entrepreneur and angel investor from Silicon Valley.

After successfully selling his Inc 5,000 rated startup in April of 2011, Levi enlisted the help of speed-reading expert and university professor Anna Goldentouch, who tutored him in speed-reading, advanced memorization, and more. Levi saw incredible results while earning his MBA from INSEAD, and later went on to teach a best-selling online course on the subject. With this unique skill, he has become a proficient lifehacker, optimizing and "hacking" such processes as travel, sleep, language learning, and fitness.

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  • theradioschizo

    Such a pity you’re giving such a resounding endorsement of such junk science and fad diets. I’ve spent so long looking into the misleading and fantastical claims of paleo-proponents it’s amazing how such a horrible diet remains in the public eye. Most of the other content on this site is so helpful. Shame that doesn’t apply for nutrition science.

    • Jonathan Levi

      Surprised to hear you say that. Perhaps you should listen to today’s episode with Loren Cordain, where he explains how the paleo diet is the most rigorously tested and scientifically validated diet on the planet…?

      Two questions:
      1) Have you tried the paleo diet for 1 month yourself?
      2) What diet are you on, if eating fresh veggies and fruits and lean meats is such a horrible idea?

      Thanks for your comment!
      JL

      • theradioschizo

        I’ve listened to Loren in the past and read much of his “evidence”, so I’m no stranger to his claims. I’ve also read up on the claims of Mark SIsson, Rob Wolfe, Gary Taubes, and others in the Paleo camp (no pun intended). I’m more than willing to listen to the episode in and entertain new information, but I have huge doubts that he would somehow justify the mountains of fallacies his book is riddled with.

        What diet I’m on is inconsequential. I could be a vegan athlete like freerunner Tim Shieff or strongman Patrick Baboumian or boxer Kieth Holmes, but that doesn’t make me more right. I could be that guy who runs the Vegan Gains youtube channel. He’s got huge muscles! I could be a lazy, fat, slob who eats KFC every day or a wafer-thin, malnourished fruitarian.

        But all that, like I said, is irrelevant. I’m not claiming that I have the best diet or that I am more fit than all who eat Paleo. I commented on the claims they make and the misrepresentation necessary to justify those claims.

        Now, I freely admit that I haven’t substantiated my disagreement here in this comments section with any proof, but it was never my interest. I truly am disappointed these fad diet promoters have mislead you, but I hope you’ll forgive me if I don’t sit down and write out refutations to whole books written by your guests. You’re welcome to write me off since I haven’t proven anything I’ve said and I wouldn’t blame you.

        As I said, most of the content outside of diet advice is helpful and refreshing. I look forward to what’s in store for the future. Thanks.

        • Jay Hawke

          That’s really interesting but paleo is nothing more than just eating foods that we easily derive the most and best nutrients from. If you’re against vegetables, fruits, nuts and lean protein; your argument is going to be very tough to make.

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