Paleo Treats Podcast

Peter Defty of VespaPower goes through the OFM (Optimized Fat Metabolism) pyramid in this fact-packed podcast. Peter is a long time student of endurance performance and specifically the effects of nutrition and goes through the whole process of transitioning from being a carb burner to a fat burner. Whether he's talking about who OFM is for (everybody) or "not being held hostage by food", Peter is a wealth of information on returning to our evolutionary roots in the nutrition game. Listen in to learn why ruminants are actually fat burners, what animal humans are closest to when it comes to digestive tract similarities (nope, not pigs), and why it's likely you're eating too much muscle meat. This is a long show, so settle in for some serious learning! Cheers, Nik @ PT

Ian Dunican joins us today to talk about one of his favorite subjects (other than jiu-jitsu and ultra running), which is sleep. He's currently working on a PhD at the University of Western Australia (UWA) focused on the question, "Can you use sleep as a performance enhancer?" Starting off in the Irish Army as an infantryman, after five years he left the military and moved into personal training, eventually following his wife to Western Australia where he settled down and ended up working for the mining industry as a Human Performance and Health & Safety project manager. He has a Master's Degree in Mining Engineering, an MBA, and a Graduate Certificate in Adult Sleep Science from UWA. A well traveled man, Ian has lots of experience and education about sleep on this podcast, from the basics of sleep hygiene to how much sleep you need as an athlete to the difference between chronotypes such as larks and owls, how to beat jetlag and the best way to adjust to sleeping at altitude. Ian discusses the best times

One of my favorite guests, Roz Savage combines the fierce heart of an adventurer with the ability to describe beautifully the wildest & loneliest places on the planet.As a Guinness World Record holder (first woman to row solo across 3 oceans), Roz is a shining example of someone following her dream. She started out as a money hungry young professional, saying “I was laboring under the illusion that money was going to make me happy.” Working in London alongside the rest of the sharks (and whales) cured her of that drive; she realized it was an illusion, and in a famous story wrote down two obituaries. First, the one she was headed for, and second, the one she wanted.Staring her in the face was her whole future, and it wasn’t one she wanted. “I realized to my great embarrassment and shame that the dream that I’d been chasing for 11 years was not the right dream.”She was ““…actually quite terrified of the implications of realizing I was living the wrong dream. I had to self-sabotage because I didn’t have the

Greg Skomal is the classic adventurous scientist; driven to discover all he can about his subject and willing to go anywhere to slake his thirst for knowledge. "Not all science is boring." He is the Senior Scientist at the Massachusetts Shark Research Program and works closely with both the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and OCEARCH to study Great White Sharks. He literally wrote the book on sharks (The Shark Handbook) and is very enthusiastic about translating the science literature for the lay public to learn about and enjoy this fascinating family of animals. “It’s one thing to really like sharks, it’s another thing to really study them. I think it’s great to love Shark Week, but that doesn’t make you a scientist.” Sharks have been around for over 400 million years, an awful long time to perfect the glorious evolution evident in every sweep of their tail and gnash of teeth, and in this podcast Greg shares his fascination with this most amazing of creatures along with stories of his experiences diving wi

"I never thought I would look forward to getting an email again." Dave is a news junkie and the author of daily email newsletter NextDraft, which he describes as a "modern day news column". He organizes the newsletter into the 10 most fascinating news items of the day, works on it for 3-4 hours in the morning and blasts it out around 1 pm PST. Dave is famous for having 75 tabs open at any one time as he scours the net for news every day. "I lock in pretty hard and open up my laptop, not moving a ton other than getting coffee or water for about 3 or 4 hours." The NextDraft perspective comes from being very well read along with being both curious and horrified by humanity, as well as offering varying perspectives on any given story. If you're looking for a daily wrap up of the most day's most fascinating stories, NextDraft is a fantastic place to start. The real power of NextDraft comes from Dave's personality; when you read it every day it feels like Dave wrote the email just for you and not for the 75,000 em

When Nick Sloane got the call to refloat the Costa Concordia in 2012, he was in New Zealand wrapping up another job and dreaming about playing golf back home in South Africa. When he said "yes" to the job he couldn't know that it would take 30 months, 500 team members, 26 nationalities and 130 divers a day in the water to get the big cruise ship off the ground and towed to Genoa, where she would ultimately be dismantled for scrap. On many salvage jobs, the divers present the biggest challenge, and Nick's story on how he deals with these rock stars of the salvage world is both funny and indicative of real depth in understanding human motivation. If you've ever wondered about building a team, working under stress, or what it takes to want to go out in heavy weather and stormy seas to perform a job not many people can even imagine, let alone do, then you'll really dig listening to this master of creating calm in chaos. Cheers! Nik@PT

If you've paid attention to anything beyond the pages of paleo desserts on this website you won't be surprised that we've brought on another dog trainer to the Paleo Treats Podcast. The folks who are good, really good, at communicating with dogs HAVE to be in pursuit of excellence; they've developed skills the rest of us don't even know we have! This episode with Jean Donaldson draws on her experiences with training dogs, and training dog trainers for over 15 years and specializing in aggressive dog cases at The Academy for Dog Trainers. Jean's degree is in comparative psychology and she is one of the world leaders in understanding how dogs think and how we can attempt to understand them. If you're still smacking your dog for pissing on the floor while you work in a cubicle for 8 hours, A) you're a savage, and B) Jean may have some advice for you that'll make both of you feel a lot better. Our sponsor for today's show is Real Roar, a local shop here in San Diego that offers raw food for your dogs &a

Mike Friton has been working as an innovator for over 30 years. Known for his shoe designs and his extensive work with Nike, he's also helped smaller companies like Soft Star Shoes design minimalist shoes that support a healthy foot. Trained as an anthropologist, Mike focuses on bringing together many elements from the "fringes"; as a paper folder, weaver, and former competitive athlete (Junior National Champ and 1980 Olympic trials in the steeplechase.) Mike shares what he's learned over the years, from observing Bill Bowerman's incredible attention to detail to the debate of health vs performance that is a part of every shoe to the state of prosthetics and how the fastest athletes in the world will soon be ones without legs. Friton's world is fascinating, and I'm stoked to share this conversation with you! Cheers, Nik@PT

"You must believe nothing." So says Tim Noakes, one of the most well respected exercise scientists in the running world. Author of Lore of Running and Waterlogged, Tim has radically changed his beliefs throughout the course of his 30+ year career, always in response to his own questions and the answers (or lack thereof) found in scientific literature. From discussing why studies of 7 people aren't that useful to talking about his next big interest (infant nutrition), Tim is a wealth of information and well worth listening to on your next long drive.

Barry Murray is a sports nutritionist and coach for elite endurance athletes. His main focus is on adapting athletes to burn fat instead of carbs, and his work with Tour de France cyclists along with his own performances (several wins in ultra marathons) lend credence to his ideas. In this podcast we discuss how long it takes to fat adapt, how fat adaptation is not the only part of athletic performance, and why you shouldn't go out and run 50k on no breakfast starting tomorrow morning.

Phil Maffetone is back on the Paleo Treats Podcast, though this time we swing well away from athletic performance and into the realm of Purpose and Music. Phil has had 2 major epiphanies in his life, the first took him down the path of becoming a world class coach and doctor. The second drew him into the world of music and songwriting. In this episode, our conversation ranges widely from discussing sexuality and what sex drive can tell you to looking at the world through the lens of a naturalist and how music has been integral to our evolution.Phil is not your average running (or endurance) coach, and this podcast is a chance to see another side of the man most of us know only to be an expert in one field. Enjoy this look behind the curtain in the pursuit of excellence.

Our guest on this podcast is Dr. Phil Maffetone, coach of legendary athletes Mark Allen, Stu Mittelman, and Mario Andretti. Phil has worked with more than just sporting greats, he's been an adviser to the military on how to make B2 bomber pilots more effective, has worked with NASA and has even helped race horses improve their performance via heart rate training. He's most well known for The Maffetone Method, which is a heart rate based method for increasing your aerobic (vs anaerobic) performance. A simple equation (train at a heart rate of 180 minus your age), it is one of the most effective training tools in any athletes repertoire. An avid proponent of barefoot running and occasionally lifting heavy things, Dr. Maffetone's methods are most clearly distinguished by three things: His extraordinary individualization of coaching, his incredible patience, and his holistic approach that goes well beyond just one type of healing modality. Dr. Maffetone made the transition from endurance performance coaching int

Matt Kuzdub from PUSH comes on the show to talk about strength training, running, and how the PUSH device can help you get better with both. PUSH is an armband that measures speed over shorter distances; you mainly use it to track bar speed while lifting, although you can also track pull ups, push ups, and medicine ball throws with it. Training based around bar speed is called "velocity based training" or VBT. This is super exciting because bar speed is a dimension that the average athlete hasn't been able to track without going into a science lab. Tracking speed means you can train for power, not just weight, and be super accurate at getting better. PUSH goes one step further and can advise you on how many sets and reps to do based on how quickly you can move the bar. As you slow down (or speed up) PUSH will recommend you decrease weight, increase weight, or just walk away. It's like SKYNET for weight training, but friendlier. Tune in if you're ready to geek out on the science of velocity based training!

Brooks Kubik is one of the most prolific writers in the Iron Game and he brings an absolute wealth of experience to the table. In this episode we talk about the mind game, when to train with (and without) partners, the importance of working out in a dingy facility, and he adds one more aspect to the Big Four of performance to make it the Big Five: Deep, focused concentration. Listen in if you love lifting heavy and the mediation of exercise. Enjoy!

Originally introduced to Brooks Kubik through his book, "Dinosaur Training", his work has had a huge impact on how I train. Brooks is a fan of pure strength along with what you might (if you were a CrossFitter) call "ultra heavy metcon." Heavy sandbags, barrels, car pushing, farmer's walks, and as many odd lifts as you can imagine make up Brooks' routines. He's a 5 time National Champion in sub-masters bench press, so he's definitely not some armchair writer; this guy lives it. On top of all that, he's got a mind like a steel trap, and to sit back and listen to him talk about the history and connections found throughout the Iron Game is to enjoy a master at work. From Alan Calvert to Harry Paschall and from Thomas Inch up to Peary Rader, Brooks has studied and can elaborate on all the connections found throughout the marvelous sport known as the Iron Game. While most of this may be well outside your area of expertise, I think you'll enjoy the passion, enthusiasm, and commitment that comes through in every wor

Have you wondered what happens to all the Navy SEALs who don't get out and write books? Of course, there are a whole slew of Special Operators who are consummate quiet professionals, but it turns out that keeping it all in has its own set of problems. Luckily, there are a few groups out there dedicated to doing the actual work (not just raising the money) to help out the Few. In this podcast we speak with Kevin Stacy, former Army officer and 160th flier who has developed a program aimed specifically at helping the Spec Ops community post-combat. Kevin talks about what he's doing with The Station Foundation, how it's different than other programs, and how you can help (if you're so inclined.) Enjoy!

Sarah Red-Laird from beegirl.org joins us in an attempt to drill some very basic bee information into our heads. We talk about everything from the slowly receding threat of colony collapse disorder to beekeeping in the UK to a brief dive into the intricacies of the US subsidy system. It's brief, calm down. Enjoy!

Pete Scobell, a Navy SEAL, talks about Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and how it affects him along with the latest treatments.

Steve Underwood is the Fire Management Officer out at Mesa Verde National Park and a 26 year veteran of fighting forest fires. He is also one of the most well read folks you’ll ever meet. In this podcast we talk about many different famous wildfires, from Mann Gulch in ’49 to Yellowstone in ’88 to the 2006 Tripod fire and the 1994 Storm King fire. Steve covers everything from how fires operated before Europeans arrived in America to how a fire crew is organized to how much a wild land firefighter will carry when heading into the fight. He’s also got some interesting insight into what makes women such tough and effective firefighters, why fighting fires is so interesting, and the the difference between “natural” and “wild” fires. This is a fascinating look into a subject that not many folks take the time to know about. Enjoy!

When Robert Young Pelton suggests you look somebody up for an interview, we think it’s a pretty good idea to follow up on that, which is how this episode with Billy Waugh came to be. Having not heard much about Waugh before RYP mentioned him, I was stoked upon reading his book Hunting the Jackal to have him agree to be on the podcast; damn, this is a good gig! Billy is now in his mid-eighties but still going strong, with a tack-sharp memory going back over 50 years of unconventional soldiering. First as an Army Special Forces (Green Beret) in Vietnam, then working for the Agency around the world (although mostly in the “10/10 zone”, 10 degrees north or south of the equator) Billy has taken part in some incredible pieces of history, including hunting Carlos the Jackal (successfully) and going eye to eye with Osama Bin Laden during the early ’90s in Khartoum. Listen in for Billy’s one word piece of advice on how to do great things in the world no matter where you go or who you work with. Enjoy! NFH & The PT