Older Bolder Life

Stronger | Leaner | Sharper | Longer - From Older Bolder Fitness

Older Bolder Mark

Health and Fitness After 40: Managing the Expectation Game

By

The Cambridge Dictionary defines the word expectation in several ways, and there’s a slight twist when comparing the US vs. the British definitions…

US: the feeling or belief that something will or should happen

UK: the feeling that good things are going to happen in the future; the feeling of expecting something to happen, what you believe or hope will happen in the future

At the risk of sounding a little too old school, I’d venture that – when it comes to personal health, wellness, and fitness – many of us have allowed the impatient, “I want it right now, dammit” tone dominating society now to impact how we view our own approach to, and our progress in, an effort to up our game and live healthier.

The longer I actively practiced medicine the more convinced I became that, for a variety of reasons we’ll talk about over the next several weeks, most of us have expectations regarding health, fitness, and function that are hugely divergent from our own personal realities, and if you’re not a thoughtful steward of expectations – lousy results often follow, many times leading to failure and disaster.

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. During the last fifteen or so years in practice, I focused on the conservative management of spine disease and injury. Most of the patients I treated were older than thirty-five, overweight – some massively, poorly conditioned, sedentary or close to it, consumed some variation of the Standard American Diet, and many engaged in some other high risk health behavior, smoking and recreational drug use being the most common.

Most of the patients I treated stepped into my office with the expectation that, with some wave of the technological magic wand helped by some pharmacologic sorcery, their pain would somehow be resolved with minimal effort otherwise on their part.

Managing these expectations was in reality perhaps my biggest challenge in the medical game; it required patient, consistent, endless education, helping people understand what was wrong, why it happened, how recovery and restoration of function actually happens, and what the potentials were down the road for improvement and gains.

You can guess how the story unfolded; a minority really dug in, listened, learned, made life and activity changes, and genuinely improved. A bigger group went through the motions, did the minimum to quiet the problem at hand, and resumed their destructive lifestyle to return with another back pain crisis a few months down the road. Another minority refused to engage, and went off seeking the holy grail of a no-effort recovery, usually unhappy, bitter, and disparaging on the way out the door.

Health and Fitness After 40: Managing the Expectation Game

Over the next few weeks we’re going to tackle some of the expectations those of us over 40 (you could argue over 30 for most in America today) have regarding our own personal health, wellness, and fitness; of course we all want to be more fit, closer to our best weight, sharper, more engaged and energetic, and live as long as a highly functional – and happy – human as we possibly can.

Before your expectations derail your progress on your journey, let’s spend some time looking in more detail at some common areas where our expectations can quickly breed frustration. We’ll start with a fairly candid look at weight loss expectations next week, followed by a number of other topics in the weeks to come.

the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday: Cauliflower Rice Tabbouleh

By

Here’s another great summer and early fall side bursting with flavor, featuring some of the best fresh produce (late summer tomatoes and cucumbers), and as an added bonus this dish is best served chilled (it still scorching hot here in North Texas these days).

And while it’s a piece of cake to make riced cauliflower at home (hello box grater or food processor), of late given a crazy August schedule we’ve taken to using the organic pre-riced cauliflower available via Costco. It’s been consistent, affordable, delicious – and time-saving.

It is of course critical that you use the freshest herbs and vegetables that you can get your hands on for this one, and we think it’s unquestionably better with a handful of toasted/roasted pine nuts and a handful of a good crumbled feta thrown in at the last minute before serving.

1 medium head cauliflower OR
1 pound bag of pre-riced cauliflower

5 tbsp good EVOO, divided
1 tsp good salt (+ more to taste), divided
2 cups flat leaf parsley (included tender stems)
1 cup mint leaves
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3-4 green onions, pale-green and white parts only
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp grated fresh lemon zest
1/4 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 medium cucumber (or more), peeled, cut into 1/4-inch dice
6-8 ounces cherry tomatoes, quartered

Optional
1/4 to 1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup nicoise or kalamata olives, chopped

If using fresh cauliflower, grate it using the largest holes on a box grater, then microwave or sauté with 1 tbsp of oil and 1/2 tsp of salt until just tender (3 minutes or so). Spread to cool on a large platter or baking sheet.

Coarsely chop the parsley, mint, green onions, and lemon zest (food processor or by hand if your knife skills are sharp), then combine in a bowl with the lemon juice, the remaining 1/4 cup EVOO, and the remaining salt.

Now stir in the cauliflower rice until well mixed, then gently fold in the cucumber, tomatoes, feta, nuts, and olives if using. Adjust for salt, and go to it.

Enjoy.

A Nifty Counter to Genetic Programming Skeptics Flew Overhead This Morning

By

The past few weeks I’ve been overflown on my early morning walks by both small and large flocks of geese headed south. We live in a small community north of the DFW metroplex, surrounded by pasture and farmland, and the flocks are resting overnight before flying out about sunrise. The biggest V formation had already passed when it dawned on me to grab a pic this morning…

Why geese here today?

I have a physician acquaintance from long ago who’s recently resurfaced and taken me to task for aligning with much of the ancestral health world in what I’ve shared here on the Older Bolder Life.

Rounding out the story, he’s a no-nonsense internist who happens to spend over half his time working with a bariatric surgery team managing the oft expansive metabolic dysfunction that can sometimes occur post these procedures. We’ve not interacted in some time, and while I’d not define our past interactions as being those of close friends, we were involved in a community service project together years ago.

He’s particularly offended by those of us in the ancestral health and wellness circle who dare to suggest that consuming the Standard American Diet (SAD) and living what for most is a sedentary lifestyle runs counter to our inborn, encoded genetic programing, leading to development of a host of metabolic disorders and functional impairment (insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, T2DM, fatty liver are just a few that come to mind).

His argument appears to focus upon the fact that, at least from where he sits today, human evolution has been for the most part static for generations now, and that disease and metabolic dysfunction today, despite being damned prevalent, is primarily due to behavioral features that (in his view) most people simply can’t overcome; he goes on to argue that one’s “genetic program is simply the cards you were dealt” to play at your birth, and that the concept of using food and nutritional elements to “manipulate” genes is absurd.

He’s also gone on to suggest that man’s innate higher level cognitive abilities give us the power to override the (faulty) genetic programming we’re born with, at least most anyway, and he’s even suggested that the natural world around us offers very few concrete examples of deeply encoded genetic information that impacts the behaviors of creatures around us.

My acquaintance is dead wrong of course, and on a number of points.

The Canada geese honking their way overhead this morning are a beautiful example of deeply embedded programing that compels them to make their annual fall migration south, often covering thousands of miles, around the same time every year.

And, of course, there’s now decades of hard evidence supporting the fact that our genome appears to be encoded to thrive on a food plan that’s quite different from the SAD; my own experience (now having lost nearly 200 pounds!) is a prime example. The challenge of course is finding the optimal food/nutrition and activity/fitness plans to suit your particular physiology and activity demands, though it can be done, and it’s much simpler than you’d think.

(Postscript: My former colleague reluctantly admitted that he’s 70 pounds above his ideal weight range, is on statins, is insulin resistant and teetering on the edge of a formal diagnosis of T2DM, though he insists he’s “fit but fat”.)

the Older Bolder Life Sauce Monday: Roasted Red Pepper Mayo

By

One of the food discoveries we’ve made along the way on our Primal/paleo journey is how incredibly useful flavored mayo’s and aioli’s are when it comes to making mealtime time much much more interesting. We reach for our mayo and aioli jar just about every meal there’s a hot or cold protein on the plate.

Being able to consistently make delicious avocado oil, olive oil, or a combination of the two (our favorite) mayo at home in minutes has revolutionized the way we think about using this condiment. And I’m not kidding, when it’s time to make another batch, I don’t even think about it, quickly gather the goods, and can have it done and in cooling in the fridge in under 5 minutes.

Back a few months ago I posted this list of some of our favorite mayo and aioli flavors and variations, and listed among those a red pepper version.

Here’s the full recipe we’ve been using to make this one, and while you can certainly roast your own red peppers like I did for this Easy Romesco Sauce a few weeks back, using well-drained commercially prepared red peppers works here just as well. You will most likely have everything you need in to zip up a batch of this one in the fridge or pantry; don’t leave out the capers – their briny, tart flavor adds to the final taste ensemble nicely.

As always, consider this a base recipe to modify from, though I’d suggest making a batch as it’s written before deciding where you want to take it next time around.

1 cup avocado or olive oil mayo (use this recipe)
1/3 cup drained and chopped roasted red peppers or roast your own (see above)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp drained and chopped capers
1 tsp good paprika
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)

Into your trusty blender or food processor go the ingredients; blend/pulse until well combined and smooth. Store covered tightly in the fridge for up to 5 days, though it’ll never last that long.

Enjoy.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know: Older Bolder Links, Reads, Recipes, and More 17 August 2019 (the BBQ Road Trip Edition)

By

My lovely wife and I ended up having to make a short notice business run to Austin and San Antonio yesterday and today, so our typical links and reads post will be back next week – today we’re talking some nifty articles about Texas and other Southern BBQ.

The Texas BBQ Posse’s Favorite 41. (You’ll never need another list in Texas, at least not this year.)

Texas Monthly’s Top 25 New BBQ Joints in Texas.

The Brisket Biscuits from Green’s. Yep, you’re right, it’s neither Primal or paleo, though if I were to venture a taste of a grain-based food, this might be it.

The State of Modern Barbecue from this month’s Garden and Gun.

How to identify a good barbecue joint. (They missed a few points, I’ll expand their list at some point this fall…)

A Guide to the Best New Southern Barbecue Joints from this month’s Garden and Gun.

John Lewis’ Best Brisket Secret.

North Carolina’s Barbecue Baron: Sam Jones. (A tip of the hat to our whole hog friends.)

More to come…

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Ancho Coffee Pork Tenderloin

By

Back a few weeks ago when I posted this Crispy Ancho Coffee Chicken recipe I had a hunch that this particular rub would work wonders on a grass-fed/pastured pork tenderloin. I have to admit, and again readily confess I didn’t develop that recipe (see the prior post) – this spice mixture is just damn good (if not great).

In fact I wrote this about it over on our fly fishing blog ChiWulff several weeks ago –

The flavor of ancho chiles has always kinda reminded me of a sorta sweet, sorta smokey raisin, with a little bit of heat added for interest; combined here with the cumin and just a bit of a dark, freshly ground coffee and good salt, the ancho anchors this very interesting, and tasty, crust.

Over the grill these need to watched carefully and managed over indirect heat or the spices will burn; we think the best way to cook a batch of these up is to sauté them in a skillet in EVOO or avocado oil, taking care to give them time to develop a crispy crust before turning.

Amazing in a taco with all the fixin’s, or topping a tostada or a big-assed salad, these were awesome a few days back on a bed of shredded lettuce and a great guacamole. What a great boat lunch on a hot summer day these would make too…

Well, the rub works amazingly well on pork tenderloin as well, and speaking of pork tenderloin, have you tried cooking it medium rare using a sous vide technique? Sous vide is a wonderful tool to use to produce great proteins (and more), and pork tenderloin, along with a great steak (ribeye around our house), might just be the crown jewel of sous vide meats in terms of bang for your buck and return on your (rather modest) efforts.

By all means you don’t have to sous vide these, a careful grill or roast in the oven would work just fine, but if you’re waffling on sous vide, find a friend with a machine and cook this recipe together – you’ll be hooked for life.

And finally, you can serve pork tenderloin any number of ways, but consider a New Mexico-inspired “red and green” plate (as in the image above) using our Easy Romesco Sauce and either this Columbian Aji or this Columbian Guacamole. Wow, was that delicious.

4 parts fresh ancho chile powder
4 parts ground cumin
1 part (scant) good salt
1/2 to 1 part finely ground fresh dark roast coffee

2 pastured pork tenderloins, silver skin removed

Combine the ancho powder, cumin, salt, and finely ground coffee in a small bowl, stir to mix well.

While not really necessary, I like to paint the pork tenderloins with a bit of apple cider vinegar, then rub with the spice mixture. Cover tightly and throw in the fridge for 2-4 hours.

If cooking sous vide, heat your water bath to 130-135 (F), and cook using routine methods for an hour. Remove, drain, and let rest for 15-30 minutes at room temperature before searing quickly in butter and avocado oil on the stove top or on the grill (my preferred). Don’t sweat it when the rub/spice mixture darkens significantly when seared/grilled – it’s the spices and you’re not burning the outer layer. Don’t forget to be quick about this process to preserve that delightful medium rare cook you’ve just done perfectly in the sous vide bath.

If grilling, cook over medium-high indirect heat per routine, until done to your liking (though I’d personally never cook these past medium…). Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Serve as desired, and enjoy.

the Older Bolder Bookshelf: The Primal Blueprint from Mark Sisson

By

I’ve shared with readers here on the Older Bolder Life before that my wife and I, as well as our offspring, have all ended up being avid readers. My wife is a book a week or better reader typically, and I’m holding steady on my quest to read 80 books or better this year. That in part led to me starting a feature here on the blog covering books worthy of your library, mainly focusing on great cookbooks, and general health and fitness/wellness works, leaning most often to the ancestral health side of things in particular.

There’s no way possible to have the discussion about influential books written in the past quarter century covering health and wellness without mentioning Mark Sisson’s The New Primal Blueprint.

Sisson’s story is both inspiring and instructive; a bright, inquisitive individual pursues very high level endurance running as an amateur and later professionally to the point of physical injury and breakdown, coaches for a bit, and then begins to tinker with nutrition plans that lie “outside the box” of conventional medical/nutritional and athletic performance wisdom.

I’d challenge you to name an other single individual who has had the worldwide influence in the past 10-15 years that Sisson has (Dr. Gundry perhaps); Sisson’s goal of helping millions has indeed come to fruition, and he’s clearly not done yet.

I personally resonate deeply with the Primal version of the classic paleo approach, and as a physician find the principles of Sisson’s Primal Blueprint for the most part absolutely sound, grounded in commonsense, and eminently applicable for most.

The book spends a fair amount of time detailing Mark’s story, an overview of the ever-accelerating nutritional evolution (maybe that’s better said as revolution) happening around the world today, as well his (let’s go ahead and say it) ingenious 10 Primal Blueprint Laws – for those who aren’t familiar, I’ve posted an image from his site summarizing his core concepts.

The book itself is encyclopedic, and might be for many a somewhat intimidating read given its length and detail. For those looking to make a true lifestyle change, that detail is however critical, and thankfully, wonderfully instructive.

I refer to my copy (purchased, not provided for a review) at least weekly as I dig up some detail, reference, or example for clients, family, and friends, and have actually given away a number as gifts.

Worth having a copy on your bookshelf? Absolutely.

Five Signs You’re at An Awesome Farmers Market

By

This week a client peppered me with questions about farmers markets; questions like how to find a good one, how to pick through the bins, how to haggle, how to best manage shopping logistics, and more. Here are a few of the tips I shared on finding a great market…

The Produce is Sorta Funky, with Irregular Shapes and Sizes

Real small farms produce “real” produce; in fact, those accustomed to shopping the in the world of mass produced foods where all the cucumbers and carrots look exactly the same might not even realize massive farms yield produce that’s picked (and often otherwise manipulated) to look exactly the same every time (uniform size, shape, ripening window, etc.).

Shop the markets that have vendors selling irregular – even ugly – produce, think curvy cucumbers and forked, stubby carrots for example. Vegetables picked at the peak of freshness don’t all look the same.

The vendor selling perfectly symmetrical, same-sized veg may have actually bought a load at wholesale from another vendor, maybe not even locally, and be passing it off as small farm treasure.

The Produce is in Season and Fits Your Locale

Just for example, we live in North Texas, in a region that has definite seasons; it’s pretty easy to follow what should be coming in from local farms, give or take a few weeks pending the specific weather.

A local vendor was trying to pass off avocados as being a local crop at a market nearby the other day – ain’t no way avocados are being harvested in North Texas in August. The boxes stacked behind the stand we’re even labelled as being from Mexico, yet she stuck to her story and even sold a few as I quizzed her. (She asked us to move along…).

The Vendor is Happy to Talk About Their Farm

We’ve yet to meet a genuine small farm producer who doesn’t love to talk about their farm, their farming practices, their favorite crops, what work they’re doing now, and how the weather’s been.

Any time a vendor doesn’t want to answer questions about their produce or operation in detail, move on down the aisle. Local producers want to teach you, and hear how much you enjoyed their food; everyone is allowed a bad down now and then, but the vendor who doesn’t want to talk about their produce is waving a warning flag…

The Produce Might Just Seem a Bit Pricy Compared to Your Favorite Grocer

My friend Chef Libby scolded me one day in Austin after I haggled with a vendor over something in her stand (I can’t even recall what it was); I’ve tended to be a be a value shopper over the years, and I thought the farm stand pricing was too high.

Libby’s two points have stuck in my head since: one, it’s damned hard to make a living as a small farmer, and most are simply neither able nor inclined to sell the fruits of their hard-earned labor at the cheapest possible price. And two, you’re going to pay a premium, albeit a small one hopefully, for the very best, freshest ingredients, often grown with extraordinary care. The overwhelming majority of the time – it’s worth every penny.

If you run across a bin of goods at the market that appears oddly inexpensive, take note; you may be looking at a reseller or otherwise sub-optimal goods.

The Bins are Full of Fresh Produce and Meats, and Not Much Else

The best farmers markets sell fresh produce and meats – that’s was what drove their creation and very existence in the first place. Beware markets packed with prepared food vendors, arts and crafts, and stall after stall of unrelated goods.

Don’t get me wrong, they all can be damned interesting, but when you’re after the very best, and freshest, foods to put on your table, you want the market’s objective to be the same as yours – to present to you and your family the best options your local farms have on hand that very day (or weekend) in a format that makes shopping fun and interesting. And a little friendly competition is good for everybody in the game, and your budget as well.

Healthy and fun farmers market shopping this week.