tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5471263071547253262011-09-05T03:03:28.555-07:00Dan Dixon and Ben Rothrauff blog on athletic performance, health, evolution, and lifestyle.Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.comBlogger321100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-12081139609514566592011-09-05T02:58:00.000-07:002011-09-05T03:03:28.608-07:00

Does anyone ever drop in on this blog? Frankly, I've run out of things to say and a lot of it becomes redundant. I have been playing American football in Germany the past five months. What is striking about how people live and eat here, is that although they may eat a lot of bread, drink lots of sugar laden drinks, and eat lots of nonsense, they typically sit down of evening meals that are

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-46870703922210166862009-12-03T10:56:00.001-08:002009-12-04T16:50:01.997-08:00

About the previous post, I had difficulty w/ the formatting so I figured I'd just comment in a subsequent note.It's pretty straightforward, but you'll see that I eat eggs, red meat, avocado's, fruits and vegetables. My favorite thing to eat is pretty much anything that closely resembles what I think of as Mexican food, good pico de gallo, avocado, steak, and the like. Importantly, you don't see

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-56113347093197858632009-12-03T10:41:00.000-08:002009-12-03T10:55:41.553-08:00

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-92174246701890691352009-11-18T21:09:00.000-08:002009-11-18T10:29:26.550-08:00

I'm not specifically up to speed on any concrete link between autism and a non-paleo fetal development, but my suspicion is that they may bare some correlation. Nevertheless, here is an anecdote note from my lady friend Cree ;).I received this message today. It's from a girl that I grew up and graduated from high school with. She married soon after and has two little girls. Her oldest Amara, 4

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-82328760454404761862009-11-17T06:26:00.000-08:002009-11-17T06:52:23.861-08:00

My mother grew up on a cattle ranch in Northeastern Oklahoma, so I grew up eating a lot of red meat. There is nothing I enjoy more than a nice ribeye steak w/ the appropriate seasonal vegetables.With that said, there has been a lot of dogma surrounding red meat for the last 20 or so years that looks like is finally being put to rest. Red meat is in fact one of the healthiest meats we can

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-65174945162036487092009-10-15T21:48:00.000-07:002009-10-15T21:57:17.275-07:00

A pretty provocative news line in my in-box this morning, but one that I do not doubt. The industrial revolution was the precursor for many bad things, sedentary lifestyle, a switch to a routine workday, the list is long.I think the most interesting point of the article is that "The human body is very plastic and it responds to stress". The human body is remarkable in it's adaptive abilities,

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-54062606805393006412009-10-15T19:50:00.000-07:002009-10-15T22:13:03.088-07:00

It's that time of year, the Annual Red-River Shootout between Oklahoma and Texas. I grew up in Oklahoma, watching this game, and actually rooting for Texas, because of my stepfather's history w/ the school, having played there, and that he grew up loving the Horns. However, my collegiate career took me to OU where I was around some pretty impressive athletes. Impressive by today's average

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-29965829701817585152009-09-16T21:15:00.000-07:002009-09-16T21:18:01.914-07:00

Ben spent the last year studying at Glasgow University in Scotland. It seems a few of his friends have found the blog and are enjoying some of its content. This below from his Matt Davidson. Thanks for sharing Matt.Paleo TransitionMy name is Matt “Meat” Davidson studying Computer Science at Glasgow University, Scotland. Over the past year and a half I have been on a personal journey to achieve

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-80409258984523011742009-09-16T20:26:00.000-07:002009-09-16T20:57:49.848-07:00

Watch the video below as Nassim Taleb makes several interesting points about the stimulus package and the prevalent deficit spending. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X7pNFbGjz0The biggest concern as he points out is the generational inequity that results in such deficit spending. Children and grandchildren of tomorrow will pay for today's excessive risk taking.The problem with deficit spending,

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-69421682662054218422009-09-08T21:15:00.000-07:002009-09-08T21:54:38.378-07:00

I'm always delighted to find instances where scientific inquiry and study seem to confirm aspects of my belief system about the "Evo Way". The Economist recently ran an article entitled "The Origin of Diabetes: Don't Blame Your Genes".http://www.economist.com/sciencetechnology/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14350157The researchers have it right on a few accounts, genes are not to be blamed. However,

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-86256544811450141542009-08-23T20:48:00.000-07:002009-08-23T21:12:20.680-07:00

ITHACA, N.Y. -- When he came upon the sales rack of surplus football uniforms and then found his old number, Dan Dixon's weekend at the 2009 Ben Mintz/Cornell Football Association Golf Outing outing was complete. He had a memory he could place in a frame with the other two Division I football programs he had enjoyed, Oklahoma and Northwestern. In many ways this was the prize of them all; the

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-61695275182829175462009-08-09T08:37:00.000-07:002009-08-09T09:13:19.048-07:00

I spend a decent amount of time reading other Evo related blogs... a few of the comments detailed below are simply too important not to repeat.Matt Metzgar makes an important distinction. We spend a decent amount of time giving advice on this site, let us not forget that it is just that, advice. You are your own autonomous being made to move, act, and think freely. It's pretty obvious there is

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-91248784213622224172009-08-09T08:07:00.000-07:002009-08-09T08:36:22.935-07:00

One of the good fortunes of playing football at a place like Northwestern is that, odds are, you'll find yourself amongst a more intellectually inclined group of athletes. The following is an excerpt from a conversation with a former teammate of mine named Adam. I love how he equates training and the various adaptive responses with the marketplace. In theory, they should be both be similar as

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-20435770934523533962009-08-03T14:46:00.000-07:002009-08-03T15:20:54.396-07:00

How many times have you heard a parent, spouse, or friend remark, "I can't do what I used to, I'm too old."  While I don't deny that inevitable physiological changes occur as we age, the notion that your exercise pattern should drastically change may in itself be promoting the 'aging' process.  Rather, intermittently exposing the body to heavy loads, high velocities, and great intensities should

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537654511333027638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-90768226949746725662009-08-03T11:08:00.000-07:002009-08-03T11:45:06.474-07:00

As I continue to learn more about exercise science and sports medicine, I'm continually amazed at how many of the practices employed in both fields are based upon historical precedence.  This goes as well for the majority of coaches, embracing the mindset, "It's always done this way, so it must be true."  Unfortunately, such a blind acceptance of past and present practices limits the capacity of

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537654511333027638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-6065899698375931282009-07-26T08:14:00.001-07:002009-07-26T08:18:00.796-07:00

To add to Dan's comments, especially regarding the ability of paleo/evo diets to combat the onset of Alzheimer's, there is recent work from neuroscientists at Northwestern University that characterizes Alzheimer's as a type 3 diabetes. See http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2009/02/synapses.html“Therapeutics designed to increase insulin sensitivity in the brain could provide new

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537654511333027638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-18641780007635513842009-07-21T09:18:00.000-07:002009-07-21T11:24:54.093-07:00

The PaleoDiet.com is an excellent resource. I suggest that readers subscribe to their weekly emails. I keep an archive of some of the more interesting newsletters. They have a wealth of information that is worthy of discussion and inquiry. Here are a few excerpts from one of their recent newsletters.Inflammation May Trigger Alzheimer's Disease: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-10307475189106065582009-07-17T07:30:00.000-07:002009-07-17T08:01:44.352-07:00

On any given visit to the grocery store, you will see poor food choices masquerading as health food. Cereals, yogurts, and sugar laden fruit drinks come to mind. This from our reader Jay who was highlighted in the previous post."I was shopping at Whole Foods today and I noticed that they were marketing this sausage called 'Smart Sausage'. It's loaded with good old tofu, gluten, and other junk,

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-61002355812294174882009-07-08T18:58:00.000-07:002009-07-08T19:06:21.496-07:00

Great comment from a friend from Northwestern. Ben and I introduced Jay to the Evo-Way. Jay deserves most of the credit here, from day one he displayed a brilliant resolve and ability. I am still going strong with Evoway....and have probably made even more progress since the last photos. More important than physical appearance is the general way I feel. Even if I go off EvoWay and eat standard

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-22063319683526990552009-07-08T18:01:00.000-07:002009-07-12T17:37:11.837-07:00

I've had difficulty getting back in to the swing of writing. I think it's probably because it's summer time in Chicago. No doubt, my body and mind want to be outside after the long winter. I don't try and fight this intuitive nature or control the outcome, for the most part, I take care of my responsibilities and otherwise let go in the moment.In the spirit of that note, I have a few posts

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-56609484348690282732009-07-08T17:44:00.000-07:002009-07-08T18:01:32.506-07:00

Back to last week's post on performance and carbohydrate, there is something important. "Therapeutic use of ketogenic diets should not require constraint of most forms of physical labor or recreational activity, with the one caveat that anaerobic (ie, weight lifting or sprint) performance is limited by the low muscle glycogen levels induced by a ketogenic diet, and this would strongly discourage

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-7051305292733710282009-06-29T18:43:00.000-07:002009-06-29T19:09:25.685-07:00

As an addendum to the performance and carbs discussion as found in "Grains and Pains" 1 and 2, I wanted to invite readers to have a look at Arthur DeVany's blog found at www.arthurdevany.com. His recent post entitled "Exercise Performance on a low-carb diet" seems to suggest that we can indeed perform at our highest levels without the necessary carbo loading as found in much of the popular

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-1920728629144903632009-06-23T05:07:00.000-07:002009-06-23T08:24:30.551-07:00

Ben Rothrauff was quick and right to inform me that I had erred in stating that fat is the preferred fuel source for energy for athletes. It is in fact dependent upon the activity. See his commentary below. He also gives great insight on why, from an evolutionary perspective, grains can be so difficult to stop eating.In regards to your recent post, I don't agree that fat is the preferred fuel

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-79374397953199600172009-06-22T17:59:00.000-07:002009-06-23T05:35:13.290-07:00

My friend and I were watching UFC, mixed martial arts, over the weekend and both commented on the physiques of many of the fighters. Some of them look great, while others, very poor. In general, most of the training regiments I've read about are ill thought out and poorly planned. Too many skills to learn, too much road work, sugar laden diets and more . In addition, most fighters try and

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-62307545066668254132009-06-21T15:20:00.000-07:002009-06-22T23:48:36.485-07:00

I hope everyone had a Happy Father's Day. One of my motivations for writing this blog is to give some context, research, and insight as to why I say what I say about training, diet, and so forth. If you find the contents of this blog useful, I hope you will share it with your friends and family. It would be great to continue hearing more success stories like the following. Just yesterday,

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-79032794550466504292009-06-15T19:46:00.000-07:002009-06-15T20:09:04.231-07:00

A few sample meals. Blueberries, avocado, a few slices of bacon, and eggs topped with a small amount of raw milk cheddar from the local Farmer's Market. Carne Asada with peppers, onions and guacamole from a great local Mexican restaurant. I think it's important that readers see eating out the Evo Way can be made easy. Here, I simply told them to hold the rice and beans and double the side

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-76479969918816494372009-06-15T19:19:00.000-07:002009-06-15T19:43:56.172-07:00

One reader requested that I make some comments about supplements. In short, I find little use for supplements other than Cod Liver Oil or Fish Oil, depending on the seasonality, and a good multi-vitamin/antioxidant packThe literature and research on the benefits of fish oils are well documented. From an evolutionary perspective, ancestral humans had a balance of 1:1 in terms of Omega 6 to Omega

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-65483877311718786772009-06-13T06:55:00.000-07:002009-06-14T07:22:53.008-07:00

If you haven't already, I'd suggest you check out Mark Sisson's blog at Marsdailyapple.com. He has been at the Primal blogging business for quite a while and his site is an excellent resource. Below is a preview to his new book "The Primal BluePrint". This preview is an excellent introduction to the how and why this type of lifestlye is practical, easy, and fun. Send this to anyone who just "

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-51971203724721492492009-06-10T10:50:00.001-07:002009-06-20T17:36:45.497-07:00

I love eating the paleo way, the evo way or whatever you may want to call it. The important thing is that you take note of what's not in my refrigerator. There is no pasta, grains, or refined sugars. The same could be said for my pantry except for the occassional bag of potato chips, a guilty pleasure.This was my refrigerator after a particularly fine morning at the Chicago Farmers Market as

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-81115618005016860862009-06-10T06:43:00.001-07:002009-06-10T08:18:12.648-07:00

To the right of the home page, you may notice "you tube" videos. The one is myself while the many are my good friend Chris Malleo. These videos may give you an idea of what an Evo athlete looks like. How they move rhythmically and play with maximal effort at all times. I can assure you, before Chris and I started training the Evo-Sport system, we did not move this way.Chris is an aspiring

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-79178188086868406692009-06-09T18:55:00.001-07:002009-06-09T19:32:26.674-07:00

As a former football player, many of the topics will be germane to my experience as a college athlete and some of the things I witnessed. One thing that was not uncommon every off-season was for coaches to approach returning players and encourage them to gain weight in lieu of the coming season. Running backs were routinely encouraged to gain weight so that they could "shoulder the load". What

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547126307154725326.post-28632912266623717592009-06-09T18:19:00.000-07:002009-06-09T19:35:00.525-07:00

"The Evo Way" started with my quest to become a better athlete. My first semester at Cornell University, I sustained an injury that went unresolved for eighteen months. Suffice to say, this experience was enough to convince me that there was a better way to increase resistance to injury, to train, and live for that matter.I had heard of an athlete and a trainer out in Phoenix, Arizona who had

Dan Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551795550797340892noreply@blogger.com1