Older Bolder Life

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

Keto (Nutritional Ketosis) and Metabolic Flexibility

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Yesterday morning during my first walk of the day I must have had Monty Python and the Holy Grail on my mind as I ran through my coaching lineup for the day, because the phrase pictured to the right kept popping into my head…

The backstory is one you’ve heard (or lived) before. A client, fairly new to the healthy food plan / ancestrally-oriented food scene has had some fairly impressive success since the first of the year as they’ve changed over to a lower carb MPHF nutrition plan, and they’ve become intrigued by all the chatter on social media and among several friends about “going keto”.

Before being charged with somehow being anti-keto, please note that I’m personally in my 44th week – almost 11 months! – of following a keto eating plan, and frankly loving it, with full intention of staying the course to accomplish a well-defined, specific set of goals.

That said, count me among those who cast an occasionally skeptical eye toward some of the keto culture so abundant today.

The Seduction of the Keto Clan

Taking a quick step down a distraction path, there’s no question that keto remains an immensely popular dietary strategy right now, and you can’t venture anywhere online without running into keto kings and queens on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, blogs, and newsletters, often proffering conflicting “rules” on their keto plans (i.e. dairy vs no dairy, what food “are keto” and which aren’t).

A properly executed interval of nutritional ketosis can be a great thing (see below) for most of us, particularly in the context of achieving specific goals, which for many today focus on dropping extra pounds, very often in the context of breaking through a weight loss stall, though the list of rational reasons to embark on your keto journey can be long and varied.

Interestingly there are also folks jumping on the keto bandwagon because it’s the hip and hot thing to do, and there’s a tremendous amount of misinformation generated today about the entire keto process, my favorite example being the “Is It Keto?” game. If you’ve not read it, see Why “Is It Keto?” Is the Wrong Question over on MDA.

Nutritional Ketosis and Metabolic Flexibility

Key Point: Following a ketogenic diet carries a host of benefits, but unless you’re following a keto plan to address a serious medical issue, the classic example being refractory epilepsy, staying in ketosis 24/7/365 isn’t necessary and potentially not the best practice for your health and longevity over the long haul.

Key Point: I’d argue the greatest benefit (at least one of the greatest benefits) of spending blocks of time in nutritional ketosis is coaxing your body to develop metabolic flexibility – the ability to efficiently and effortlessly metabolize (or oxidize if you want) different fuels when they’re available.

If you’ve developed good metabolic flexibility, you burn carbs when they’re available, and fats (whether consumed or stored) otherwise, switching back and forth with ease, enjoying a wide range of nutrient / food options, which frankly allows one to eat more intuitively, without obsessing over our micros, macros, and “is it keto?” day in and day out.

Bottom Line: Nutritional ketosis can be a wonderful way to spend a month, or year, accomplishing specific health and metabolic goals, though it’s not magic, and for most, likely not a permanent approach to nutrition.

For most, the true goal of “going keto” is to reap the benefits of becoming a metabolic flexibility ninja. And if nutritional ketosis doesn’t work for you, and it clearly doesn’t for everybody, there are still plenty of approaches to win the metabolic flexibility game.

Git ‘er done.

Recipe Update: Thai Inspired Celery Salad

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Like most of you, we love to fiddle around with recipes in the kitchen, and we’re constantly tweaking most of our recipes around the edges, just trying to make them a little bit better.

Here’s a great example, our Thai Inspired Celery Salad that I posted back in November. Our buddy Chef Libby in Austin suggested trying it with another dressing (rice wine vinegar, organic toasted sesame oil, crushed red chile flakes, with good salt and pepper). We whipped that up yesterday to accompany a couple of grass-fed ribeyes, and it was delightful.

Never be afraid of fiddling around with a recipe to suit your (or your family’s) palate, or what happens to be in the fridge or pantry today – you might just craft something magical.

Updated recipe options at the link above.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know: Older Bolder Links, Reads, and More 23 February 2019

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Due to our web transition and build out, I’ve been collecting links and thoughts for today’s post for three weeks now, and will be sharing a pretty diverse collection of interesting tidbits here and next week on the 2nd…

And a simple note – several linked articles are linked today from Medscape which requires a free registration to read; well worth it if you’re truly interested in drilling down into some of the science today.

Brain Health in the News Of Late

Are women’s brains younger than mens?
More physical activity, less depression?
Intensive BP control impacts MCI, but probably not established clinical dementia.
Alzheimer’s caused by gum disease bacterium (P. gingivitis)? Interesting hypothesis…
Poor sleep in later years potential marker of Alzheimer type dementia?
Behavioral status impacts physiology. Any mother of a three year old can validate this one.

Other Topics That Caught Our Eye

Experts weigh in on CV risk reduction in T2DM.
Doc who led FDA team to approve LASIK now claims it was a mistake?
Facebook earns an F for health news, among many other things.
Let children get bored again.

Food, Glorious Food

Next Valentine’s Day, I’m sending this Salami Bouquet.

Chicken Etouffee
Naomi B’s Greek Salad (one of our all time favorites)
Quick Chipotle Table Salsa
Two Quick Hollandaise Sauce Techniques

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 22 February: Chicken Etouffee

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I’m not Cajun, though at times I wish I was. Cajun and Creole cooking, anchored in Louisiana, has long held a fascination for me ever since I was a kid, eating fresh seafood with my grandparents at their beach house on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Grandmother Mama (pronounced maw maw) wasn’t Cajun either, but she loved gumbo, etouffee, and fricassees, and still made the best I’ve ever tasted.

Though it’s clearly wide open for debate, and the pedantic foodies among us may certainly argue their position below, MaMa made her etouffee’s with a lighter, blonde roux, before smothering the shrimp, fish, or chicken to cook over time. Given her results loving produced over an ancient gas stove at “the Camp”, we’ve always been on the “etouffee has a roux base” side.

One other thought about cajun cooking and roux – we’re now in our fourth year of eating Primal/Paleo around our house, and for that entire time, I’ve struggled making a great roux with gluten free flour replacements. I know it can be done, and I’ve tried five or six options over the years, but especially when making a darker roux, the flavor just doesn’t come together for us unless using the otherwise verboten standard AP flour (which I frankly never use otherwise). (This is, at this particular point in time, our only deviation using one of the standard grain-based products we normally eschew. Life goes on, and so do our health gains; you make the call for your recipe. )

Finally, this is a simple recipe in practice, and can be spiced up a bit with extra seasoning or hot sauce, and when it’s really chilly out, my wife prefers it with a grass-fed beef or chicken andouille sausage throw in too. And it might even be better the next day…

2 tablespoons avocado oil or EVOO
2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 tbsp your favorite cajun seasoning OR
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/3 cup all purpose flour or gluten free flour replacement
1 large onion, medium dice
1 large green bell pepper, medium dice
1 large red bell pepper, medium dice
4 stalks celery, sliced
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 can diced tomatoes with chiles
2-3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Louisiana hot sauce, your favorite to taste

Optional
Andouille sausage
1 bottle beer of choice
1-2 tbsp additional Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon molasses or maple syrup
Fresh parsley, minced or chiffonade when served
Thinly sliced green onions when served

Heat your oil of choice in your trusty Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the seasoned thighs for 3-4 minutes per side, remove to a plate when done.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, melt the butter, then stir in the flour/flour replacement and cook, stirring frequently, until a blonde roux forms. Be sure to scrape up the browned crusted bits and seasonings from the bottom of the DO.

Now stir in the onion, bell peppers, and celery, and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the garlic and sausage (if using), cook for another two minutes.

Now stir in the beer, then the tomatoes, chicken stock, Worcestershire, bay leaves, hot sauce, and if using them, the additional Cajun seasoning and molasses or maple syrup. Now nestle the chicken thighs in, bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then simmer for an hour or so. Keep an eye on the liquid level and add a bit more stock if needed.

Finally, pull the chicken thighs, shred the meat, and return the meat to the pot. Adjust the seasonings to taste, and serve hot with the parsley and sliced green onions.

Enjoy.

So What Do You Mean “Older Bolder”?

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When talking to curious strangers about what we’re doing here at Older Bolder Fitness, often one of the first questions they ask has to do with our name, and what do we mean by the “Older” in particular?

They’re often surprised by my answer in two parts…

One, It’s Not Chronology, It’s Physiology

Just as you can’t judge a book by it’s cover (or you shouldn’t anyway), you can’t assume a person’s health and metabolic status simply by their calendar age. I was astounded all through my years in practice by this very principle, and am even more so today.

Year after year I’d run into both men and women in their sixth, seventh, eighth, and later decades who were fit, trim, astoundingly active, functionally engaged with their families, often still working, with bright eyes, engaging personalities, sharp wits, and curious about the world around them.

Granted, you might argue they’re winners in life’s genetic lottery, which indeed might have played a role, but invariably they had varied interests, wider social circles, ate wisely, and were quite active. Most the circle of folks that I’m referencing from my own experience were also avid skiers, hikers, cyclists, runners, fly fishers, or hunters (we lived and worked in mountain and recreation towns for years in the Northern Rockies).

Conversely, there were also impressive numbers of patients in their late 20s and early 30s, morbidly obese, metabolically impaired, often depressed, discouraged, and disconnected. Physiologically, many looked as if they were in their late 60s, and they suffered from pathologies you’d expect to see in patients decades older (spine and joint degenerative changes, dermal aging, true metabolic syndrome issues, and much more).

It’s not chronology, it’s physiology.

And Two, There’s No Age Limit on Improving Your Life

Our second intent with using the name Older Bolder Fitness was to encourage people that there is absolutely no age limit on improving your life via healthy, thoughtful nutrition, age-appropriate and targeted exercise, moving more, sleeping better, and challenging your mind. Habits may be harder to break, and your response curve may be slower than you’d like, but it’s never too late.

I’m personally looking at my 60th birthday on the calendar this year, and will likely have dropped somewhere between 180 and 200 pounds from my peak by then, and have reconditioned to the point I was somewhere back in my high school and college athlete years. Actually, I’m in better physical shape today.

Our goal is to help you be stronger, leaner, sharper, and live longer.

It can be done.

An Official Welcome to Older Bolder Fitness

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I just wanted to take a moment to post an official welcome to our newly-launched Older Bolder Fitness site and of course our blog here at Older Bolder Life.

We’ve been building content here on the blog for several months now, as we’ve been developing our client base along the way, and are ready to up our game and broaden our reach to serve more people.

Welcome if you’re a new reader, and please let me know what questions you have that we might help with.

It’s time to get stronger, leaner, and sharper, and gear up to live longer and prosper.

See you at the gym and on the trails…

Begin Your Health and Wellness Journey with the End in Mind

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A Very Short ‘Begin with the End in Mind’ Backstory

Several years ago, a physician friend, business partner, and mentor who possessed the gift of speaking very directly and candidly without crushing one’s spirit, began to challenge me about longer term goal setting.

The immediate context at the time happened to be non-health related (it was multifamily real estate in fact) though the principle translates beautifully to the health and wellness world.

My friend’s challenge was simple: never begin any journey in life (whether a literal journey or adventure, a major lifestyle or health adjustment, business project, etc.) without carefully considering what your goals might be, what the endpoint is, and what happens next (real estate guys call that your exit strategy).

Beginning Your Health and Wellness Journey with the End in Mind

By far and away the most common reason people have approached me in the past several years is a desire to shed excess pounds. Losing weight is one of the most commonly tagged New Year’s resolutions of the past 30 years, and perhaps the least successfully accomplished.

Getting started with a major lifestyle change to improve your health is pretty danged daunting, particularly if you’re truly engaged and serious about it. Fascinatingly, when I chat with folks about why they want to use a health coach to facilitate this transition, most often, they reply with very non-specific answers, almost always including “I just need to lose some weight”.

Hells bells, that was my own somewhat mis-focused intent over three years ago when starting my own recovery; I had no idea what my goals really were, what it would take to actually get there, or even if I could possibly drop enough pounds to make a real difference. No way could I have imagined dropping 170 pounds thus far, with more to go…

Simple Suggestions for Beginning with the End in Mind

First, think (or dream) big, respecting that for those of us over 40 (or perhaps even 30), charting big goals most often demands a longer time line. That’s ok, most of us can do more to improve our health than one might guess at first blush, and time becomes much less critical when you’re making steady gains along the way.

Make today’s decisions today; right now you only have to choose to eat the next meal on plan, take your next walk, or jump into that next workout. Other challenges down the road will come in due time, just make the decision to engage in the moment presently.

Craft a set of meaningful goals. At the start of the new year, I reminded readers about using SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Even better, set short, intermediate, and longer-term goals, and be prepared to adjust them along the way.

Dive in and get started. Now and again people I interact with, especially those who have a long road ahead to restore their health, get devastatingly discouraged looking at how far they have to go, and quit, or even worse, decide it’s not even worth trying.

And don’t forget to mind your focus. At least for now, we have this quote on the landing page of our main Older Bolder Fitness site –

The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. – Socrates

Hone in with laser-like sharpness on the good changes you’re building into your routine – better food, more movement, targeted strengthening, less exposure to toxins and harmful behaviors, better sleep, better sex, and more.

Begin your journey with the end in mind; we’re here to help you along the way any time you have a question or need additional insight, encouragement, or a push.

the Older Bolder Life Salad Monday: Naomi B’s Greek Salad

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This salad has been part of our family food lexicon for the better part of three decades now, and is still one of our all time favorites in the rotation.

We first had this salad served to us by friends John and Naomi one summer evening, sitting out on their stone patio with a stream running not 15 feet away, with lamb kabobs roasting on the grill nearby. It was a part of one of those magical meals you remember for a long, long time, and we’ve often recreated it at home.

John was a practice partner, mentor, and fly fishing and woodworking compadre for many years; he and I launched the first practice of its kind in Utah back in the day, and spent many an hour grinding it out and developing our systems. John was a true gentleman; quick to laugh, impressively bright, and a great communicator in a relaxed, folksy sort of way.

Naomi and John lived up a little side canyon off the main Ogden Canyon along the Wasatch Front, on a little level bench with a year-round creek running through it; he had an amazing woodworking shop in the old barn on the property.

This salad is great anytime of the year, though when the freshest produce graces your favorite farmers market – or better yet your own garden – it’s outrageously good. By the way, we almost always add more dill and olives, and using a fresh slab of feta (we used a Bulgarian sheep’s milk feta this week) makes it even better.

And as always, you can fiddle and adjust the recipe to suit your (family’s) palate as you wish.

4-5 medium-sized firm-ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges, OR
2 big handfuls of grape tomatoes, various colors
3-5 garden cucumbers, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 green bell peppers, trimmed, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 red bell peppers, trimmed, cut into 1/4-inch slices
6-8 green onions with tops, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
30-40 good Kalamata olives
6 anchovy fillets, drained, rinsed, smashed or chopped
1/2 lb (or more) good feta cheese, crumbled small

The dressing
1/2 cup avocado or EV olive oil
5-6 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup fresh dill, snipped (at least this much, likely more)
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp fresh oregano
1/2 tsp good salt (or more)
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper (or more)

This one couldn’t be easier. Prepare and combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl, then toss to combine. Add the crumbled feta last, then toss gently once again.

In a small canning jar (or your favorite shaker) combine the dressing ingredients and shake well until emulsified. Pour over the salad, toss to evenly coat, and taste – you may want more dill or need to adjust the seasonings.

Best served pretty much immediately, though this salad is amazing for 24 hours or more.

Enjoy.