Many online videos warn about vegetables you should never eat, especially those rich in oxalates. The tone is dramatic. The reality is much more benign.
I grew up with Polish soups like barszcz (beet soup) and pomidorowa (tomato soup), and now I often cook Japanese bowls like miso shiru (味噌汁) or soba (蕎麦). My soups are based on broth, slow cooking, and simple balance. They do not fit the fear-based approach that thrives on the internet.
The research on oxalates has a solid foundation, but it does not condemn these foods. The risk mainly applies to people who already form kidney stones or who eat high-oxalate foods without enough minerals.
When vegetables like beets meet warm broth, the story changes. A good bone base carries calcium and magnesium. These bind oxalates in the gut, lower absorption, and make the meal gentle on the kidneys. Traditional cooking understood this long before anyone named the chemistry.
In Poland, soups start with bones, water, and herbs. In Japan, miso and soba are made with dashi (出汁), fermented and fresh plants, seaweed, and mushrooms. A bowl of warm broth does more for health than any YouTube warning list. It keeps fluid moving through the body, supports digestion, and brings minerals that soften the sharper vegetables.
So when I hear strict rules about what never to eat, I remind myself that a good soup supports a long life better than anxiety ever will.
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
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03.c Aruki-kata (歩き方), The Quiet Art of Walking
When I visited my parents recently, I noticed how much time they spend sitting. They live in a clean, walkable neighbourhood with fresh air and nature around them, yet most of the day is spent in easy chairs passively watching TV. It is stillness, but not the kind that strengthens the body or exercises the mind.
In Japan, the idea of movement is part of the system and habits. People walk to the train station, to the store, to school, and to visit friends. Even when the distance is not short, walking is the default. This habit begins early and continues into old age. There is no special meaning to it. It is just daily life. The Japanese call this natural way of walking aruki kata (歩き方), the manner of walking. The idea is simple: keep the body in motion whenever possible.
When I lived in Japan, I learned that the art of movement is different from that in the West, where we sit or move as little as possible, then go to the gym and stress the body. In Okinawa, movement was part of everything. People walked to the fields or along the coast. Elderly men and women walked slowly in the mornings, greeting neighbors. They did not schedule fitness. They simply lived in a way that kept them strong. Even today, when I read about Okinawan longevity, I am reminded that their long lives were shaped not only by intense training but also by everyday movement, sunlight, simple food, and community.
Walking has a cultural weight in Japan. The train system supports this lifestyle. You walk to the station, travel as far as you need, then walk the rest of the way. This creates a rhythm in which the body never falls into deep inactivity. The steps are small, but they accumulate. It is one of the reasons older Japanese adults maintain balance, coordination, and mental clarity far longer than people who rely on cars and long hours of sitting.
In Japan, the idea of movement is part of the system and habits. People walk to the train station, to the store, to school, and to visit friends. Even when the distance is not short, walking is the default. This habit begins early and continues into old age. There is no special meaning to it. It is just daily life. The Japanese call this natural way of walking aruki kata (歩き方), the manner of walking. The idea is simple: keep the body in motion whenever possible.
When I lived in Japan, I learned that the art of movement is different from that in the West, where we sit or move as little as possible, then go to the gym and stress the body. In Okinawa, movement was part of everything. People walked to the fields or along the coast. Elderly men and women walked slowly in the mornings, greeting neighbors. They did not schedule fitness. They simply lived in a way that kept them strong. Even today, when I read about Okinawan longevity, I am reminded that their long lives were shaped not only by intense training but also by everyday movement, sunlight, simple food, and community.
Walking has a cultural weight in Japan. The train system supports this lifestyle. You walk to the station, travel as far as you need, then walk the rest of the way. This creates a rhythm in which the body never falls into deep inactivity. The steps are small, but they accumulate. It is one of the reasons older Japanese adults maintain balance, coordination, and mental clarity far longer than people who rely on cars and long hours of sitting.
When I look at my parents, I can see how the lack of movement affects their posture, breathing, and overall cardiovascular strength. Passive sitting offers temporary comfort but slowly erodes the body. Without intentional motion, the body forgets what it is capable of. Even gentle daily walks would help. A ten-minute walk after breakfast, a quiet loop around the neighborhood at sunset. The body does not need intensity. It needs consistency.
In my own life, walking has become a form of active meditation. I wrote earlier about the monks of Mount Hiei, but the principle does not belong only to them. Steady steps, calm breathing, and a quiet mind can be practiced anywhere. The forest trails in the Pacific Northwest give me the same feeling I once had in Okinawa. Moss, rain, silence. A place where walking becomes time to think and rejuvenate.
If there is a lesson here, it is that longevity is less about supplements or perfect diets than about daily rhythm. Standing up. Moving. Using the legs, balancing. Breathing fresh air, watching sunrises and sunsets.
I hope my parents will rediscover this and form new habits. A short walk each day is not a significant change, but it can shift the entire atmosphere of a life. Strength returns slowly. Mood improves. The world feels larger than the space between a chair and a television. It is a gentle way to return to being part of the world instead of merely observing it.
Walking is the simplest practice I know. It requires no equipment, preparation, or instruction. Just a path and a few clear minutes. It is a good way to begin again.
In my own life, walking has become a form of active meditation. I wrote earlier about the monks of Mount Hiei, but the principle does not belong only to them. Steady steps, calm breathing, and a quiet mind can be practiced anywhere. The forest trails in the Pacific Northwest give me the same feeling I once had in Okinawa. Moss, rain, silence. A place where walking becomes time to think and rejuvenate.
If there is a lesson here, it is that longevity is less about supplements or perfect diets than about daily rhythm. Standing up. Moving. Using the legs, balancing. Breathing fresh air, watching sunrises and sunsets.
I hope my parents will rediscover this and form new habits. A short walk each day is not a significant change, but it can shift the entire atmosphere of a life. Strength returns slowly. Mood improves. The world feels larger than the space between a chair and a television. It is a gentle way to return to being part of the world instead of merely observing it.
Walking is the simplest practice I know. It requires no equipment, preparation, or instruction. Just a path and a few clear minutes. It is a good way to begin again.
Sodium nitrates and sodium nitrites
Almost every packaged meat has Sodium nitrates or Sodium nitrites these days.
There is solid evidence that consumption of processed meats cured with nitrates/nitrites is linked to a higher, about 32%, risk of certain cancers, especially colorectal.There are plausible biological mechanisms (nitrosation → NOCs).
At the same time, the evidence is less clear for naturally occurring nitrates, e.g., from vegetables, such as celery salt.
Eating antioxidants helps mitigate some of the risk.
Why I Avoid Most Store-Bought Yogurt
Key Insight
Even popular "natural" brands like Chobani often contain hidden ingredients that don’t align with an ancestral or anti-inflammatory diet. For someone focused on mitochondrial health, gut integrity, and long-term resilience, the ingredient list, not the label claims, determines if a food is truly health-supportive.
Personal Reflection
For years, because my company provides them, I used to grab these "only natural ingredients" yogurt cups. However, when I started analyzing the labels with a more critical lens, watching for sugar, seed oils, gums, synthetic vitamins, and industrial sweeteners, I realized they weren’t doing me any favors.
These days, I ferment my own kefir with A2 milk, which is low in sugar and high in fat and packed with real probiotic power.
Evolutionary Rationale
For the last ~10,000 years of post-agricultural history, fermented dairy (when consumed) came from goats or sheep, not Holstein cows. It was full-fat, raw, and made in small batches. Industrial yogurts, by contrast, are a modern invention, low-fat, high in sugar, stabilized with additives, and typically made from A1 milk, which may trigger inflammation in those of Northern European ancestry. Add to that the preservatives, stabilizers, gums, concentrates, pasturizing, and you have a mismatch that your gut microbes don’t recognize.
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#book: Superfoods - The food and Medicine of the future by David Wolfe
The author of The Sunfood Diet Success System
"Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future" by David Wolfe explores foods that boast exceptional nutritional density and health benefits. Wolfe, a well-known figure in the raw food movement, outlines various 'superfoods' like goji berries, hempseed, cacao beans, maca, spirulina, and bee products, explaining their nutritional content and potential health benefits.
"Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future" by David Wolfe explores foods that boast exceptional nutritional density and health benefits. Wolfe, a well-known figure in the raw food movement, outlines various 'superfoods' like goji berries, hempseed, cacao beans, maca, spirulina, and bee products, explaining their nutritional content and potential health benefits.
Buy on Amazon https://amzn.to/4aV2Ii3
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Active retirement plans
Either because of the stress or because of some unknown to me heart condition, I have felt stinging in my heart for the last few days. I think it is just stress because otherwise, I have been recently extreme double-diamond skiing and hiking mountains without issues.
Nevertheless, I have been contemplating the possibility of kicking the bucket early and whether I will be able to live long enough to enjoy an active retirement. I will be approaching the retirement age in a decade when kids reach college age.
Nevertheless, I have been contemplating the possibility of kicking the bucket early and whether I will be able to live long enough to enjoy an active retirement. I will be approaching the retirement age in a decade when kids reach college age.
It is an ongoing inside joke with Natalia that I have a thousand and one plans for retirement.
It is true, I have considered many options including a few locations abroad.
One of the obvious locations would be right on my ancestral land in mountains of Poland I wanted to build a small log cabin not unlike the one on Maciejowa mountain nearby. Living in what we call “bacøwka” was always my dream. The place is biking distance (Kajtek did it) from Krakøw, a center of Poland’s culture which is very important. The problems with Poland are multiple; Natalia and kids do not speak the language and would feel out of place there, especialy that country life can be rough around the edges.
Another place, which actually will never happen is Madeira island. I would love to visit Madeira for months at the time. I was joking that if I ever disappear without any sign, I probaby will rent a room in the red terrracota roofed house, eat the best sea and steak food in the world in the nearby restaurant, write books and hike “levadas”.
The third obvious place would be “Up North” in Hudson, Charlevoix county, Michigan. The place is surrounded by the rolling hills covered by maple trees that delight in the fall. The hearby Great Lakes sailing and the wine country are a bonus. Michigan has hundreds of state parks with geat RV parking facilities surrounded by woods and beautiful lakes.
Life in Michigan after the fall deer hunting season is not very romantic, so some warmer location would have to be included.
Finally, living in PNW would be most wonderful with sea and mountains surrounding us, if we can afford buying a place here. Even if we bounght today, there is no way to pay it off by the time we retire. Having morgage while retired would be a financial risk.
As far as what I want to do when I retire is very simple and it does never change, I want to stay active as long as I can, hike mountains, sail, scuba dive and write books.
I think we have an agreement with Natalia that we do not like big stinky cities. We both like culture and I tollerate small cute towns, in fact, even now, instead of being at home, I am sitting in a cafe in Isaquah Highlands, one of my favorite towns in America.
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Younger You: Reverse Your Bio Age and Live Longer, Better by Kara N. Fitzgerald
I just purchased this book, updates will come soon.
Ai advisor for personal anti-aging, nutrition and epigenetic health.
My brother, a holistic doctor, and I have been discussing the need for an AI advisor who considers the newest evolutionary, epigenetic, and dietary science, which often differs from mainstream medicine.
Too many people live with allergies, low-level aches, auto-immune diseases, arthritis, pre-diabetic sugar levels, obesity, cancer, mental fog, and dementia.
Why?
Out of the top causes of death, most are related to diet and lifestyle choices.
Top causes of death, data source: cdc.gov
Please note that accidents account for only 9% of deaths.
My current career is dedicated to preventing injuries from automotive accidents, but as a fellow human, I cannot ignore the remaining 91%. I have a long-standing relationship with a healthy lifestyle, including helping develop the Vitality apps and my fitness application (now defunct).
This article analyzes who we are, where we come from, and what our ancestors adapted to. Understanding our roots is essential for living in optimal mental and physical health for the rest of our lives.
The right lifestyle and matching diet can prolong life and make life youthful till the end. Only by living right do we have a high probability of living well past 100. With advances in medical acute care, lifespan could extend to 120. Imagine giving yourself 30 more years of an active and happy life. Whether this life is illness-and-pain-free play with grandchildren, a sharp and productive scientific mind, challenging hikes in the mountains, or long strolls on the beach in retirement, it is all possible. But to achieve that, you must become an anthropologist, study the happiest and longest-living communities, and know yourself.
I am on purpose NOT starting with recommendations, I want us to build opinions and derive conclusions together.
Here are a few benefits, proven by generations of active centenarians, from the apparently trivial to profound:
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Not having a heartburn.
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Looking younger with better and brighter skin.
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Getting a 6-pack
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Not being hungry between meals.
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Mental clarity.
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Beautiful teeth.
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General rejuvenation of all body cells.
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Boosted immune system.
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Being as fit at 50 as a 21-year-old U.S. Marine.
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Being 100 and doing daily mountain hikes.
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Cancer defense.
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Reduced heart and autoimmune disease.
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Mental resilience against dementia.
Preamble (food-for-thoughts)
We are all born out of a unique genetic lottery, some are luckier than others, but once we survive early childhood, there is an incredible power given to us via epigenetics.
Epigenetics is the ability to turn on and off the inherited genes. Studies show that genetically identical twins manifest different development when raised in different conditions.
Parents have an obligation to their children: fruit-loops, macaroni-and-cheese, or pasta-and-ketchup are easy to serve and often preferred by our kids, but we are their "parents", not their college "buddies". Obesity, insulin resistance, early maturation of young girls, and generally high levels of estrogen in children do lead to future problems.
We are constantly exposed to various external pathogens: bio-chemical, bacterial, and viral, our body continually develops many micro tumors and cancers. Yet, our body is almost always able to heal itself, given a chance.
If I have an illness and something is hurting, I ought to find the cause first. There is no reason to live with an illness, or pain at any, even very advanced, age.
Before I make any lifestyle and dietary choices, I need to understand who we are. Choosing what to eat is hard as there is a spectrum of recommendations ranging from vegans, vegetarians, high-carb, low-carb, high-fat, low-fat, CRON, paleo, keto, all the way to carnivores.
In this discourse, I am trying to explain WHY I choose to eat certain things.
The Hippocratic oath
I am not a medical doctor, government-accredited dietician, nor a medical practitioner, if I were, I would probably not give you any good advice.
Today’s medical establishment addresses symptoms, not the causes.
In my experience, it is very rare to find a local doctor who deeply cares about our diet, lifestyle, and immune system. I have been to numerous practitioners for sinuses, tightening esophagus, and joint pain, all caused by the auto-immune dietary response, and all doctors offered very invasive procedures, basically, scalpels, probes, and needles, and none offered any guidance. It was a crime what the doctor was doing to my sinuses when I was a child, in retrospect, I am a perfectly healthy person who was just fed the wrong things.
A nightmare memory of giant needles and sinus fluid pumping as a child.
It is literally a conflict of interest for doctors to provide preventive care.
Yet, they all made the oath of Hippocrates which can be translated to:
"I will apply dietetic lifestyle (Greek: διαιτήμασί) to help the sick to my best ability and judgment; I will protect them from harm and injustice."
There are a couple of messages here: a "diet regimen" that should be prescribed, and doctors should protect people from the harm occurring (in the future), not just treat the existing diseases.
I will list exceptions, specifically Dr. Gundry, M.D., top cardiologist, who turned from surgery to auto-immune practice to actually cure his patients. So far, I cannot find any fault in his teaching, and I am a devoted follower of his advice.
Dr. Gundry, M.D., Longevity Paradox
I would also give a shout-out to my brother, Dr. Konrad, who is quite a specimen of good physical health, and his healthy diet makes me envious.
The Audience
This post is NOT for you, at least statistically speaking, but if this discourse positively affects even a single person, then it will be definitely worth the time I spent writing (and constantly re-writing) it.
As with my other writings, I write to formulate my own thoughts. I use the pronoun "I" on purpose, as this is not meant to tell "you" what to do. My writing shows me where I am today, and reminds me of where I have been when I wrote in the past.
This particular post I write despite the knowledge that nearly nobody cares. To make the point:
I have a decent following on social media and when I post about anything inconsequential, I get plenty of likes. Yet, when I post about important topics such as health, academic topics, or financials, there is near silence, maybe some sarcasm, especially from family and "friends". I tested this repeatedly, it is unfortunately true.
The number of adults that are currently overweight tips at 75 percent. That is 3 out of 4 people! A century ago, this number was 1 out of 10. This is real statistical data and it is not getting any better.
Obesity is correlated with depression, low physical ability, and low activity, diabetes, heart disease, rheumatoid degeneration, auto-immune, and degenerative mind diseases such as Alzheimer's and cancer. This does not mean you cannot get the auto-immune disease if you are skinny, it is very common, too. Most of these problems can be prevented and reversed with a diet. And, when I write "most" I really mean almost all of them.
To be continued...
Published initially on Medium.com Feb 12, 2021
Fortified Coffee and Tea in no-sugar, keto diet
I have a hard time drinking black coffee, I have tried Starbucks, Caribou, and other, smaller outlets and they all taste somewhere on the spectrum between acidic to burnt.
To maintain a no-sugar, limited calorie diet (I lost 8 pounds since my Chrismas weight) I drink fortified coffee or tea.
When out, in Starbucks I simply ask for "black coffee with heavy whipping cream".
To my surprise, a tablespoon of Organic Valley Heavy Whipping Cream has about 6g of fat and almost no sugar, or proteins. Tasty and perfect coffee, or tea addition.
Of course, the commercial outlets may not have organic grass-fed cream so your mileage will vary. last time I asked Starbucks had "Prairie Farms" brand, which is not organic as far as I know.
At home, I have an option of blending the cream, coconut oil (or pure MCT) and grass-fed butter for optimal whole day goodness. When I want to feel like a young God, I add a teaspoon of Maca powder which gives it a specific, however, not disagreeable taste.
The fortified coffee makes easier to skip meals. This is not true fasting, but better than no fasting at all.
The benefits of intermitted fasting, no-sugar diet are already well known and studied:
- prevents (and kills) cancer
- prevents hypertension (ADD kids) and food comma periods
- prevents degeneration of brain that is a primary concern in the aging population
- is one of the few ways to promote production Human Growth Hormone and creation on new brain cells for adults
- balanced fat calorie input diet prevents diabetes 2 and white fat deposits
- coffee, black tea and especially Japanese powdered green tea is full of healthy anti-oxidants
The above take care of the MOST of the reasons why adult people die, so if you do not smoke and look both ways when you cross the street (that should include no texting and driving) you increase your chances of healthy life by at least 30% percent.
No sugar diet is very pleasant as you do not feel hungry all the time and you feel your energy levels to be very constant. The switch to no sugar diet can be quite painful for the first few days, sugar is an addictive substance very similar to heroin. Limiting the refined sugars is a good first step, after a while, you can start cutting other sugar sources (in order):
- refined sugars including high fructose corn syrup
- rice
- grains (pasta)
- potatoes
- corn
- grains (bread)
- natural maple syrup (has many health benefits)
- honey (has many health benefits)
I have grown on bread, so cutting it was very hard for me, but it is worth it.
Feast Days
Some people call it "cheat days", but I do not like this terminology. Every week, usually on weekend I feast which means eating what I crave. In my case that would be a fresh Polish donut with raspberry filling. This is very natural to feast after fasting, people are adapted to that and it was a natural process over the last couple of million years of evolution.
People fasted when hunted, or migrated, then fasted. Note, the modern humans who managed to wipe out mammoths, and our meat loving cousins Neanderthals started to split at least 250,000 years ago. You are not supposed to marry your cousins, but we know our ancestors did, hence they were not truly different species. We have been the fat-eating, ketone-buring hunters for a long time!
Finally, it is very important to note that our ancestors would constantly snack on leafy vegetables, nuts, and roots as they were able to find them while on the prolonged hunt, or move to a new area. You should not skimp on vegetables in your diet.
To maintain a no-sugar, limited calorie diet (I lost 8 pounds since my Chrismas weight) I drink fortified coffee or tea.
When out, in Starbucks I simply ask for "black coffee with heavy whipping cream".
To my surprise, a tablespoon of Organic Valley Heavy Whipping Cream has about 6g of fat and almost no sugar, or proteins. Tasty and perfect coffee, or tea addition.
Of course, the commercial outlets may not have organic grass-fed cream so your mileage will vary. last time I asked Starbucks had "Prairie Farms" brand, which is not organic as far as I know.
At home, I have an option of blending the cream, coconut oil (or pure MCT) and grass-fed butter for optimal whole day goodness. When I want to feel like a young God, I add a teaspoon of Maca powder which gives it a specific, however, not disagreeable taste.
The fortified coffee makes easier to skip meals. This is not true fasting, but better than no fasting at all.
The benefits of intermitted fasting, no-sugar diet are already well known and studied:
- prevents (and kills) cancer
- prevents hypertension (ADD kids) and food comma periods
- prevents degeneration of brain that is a primary concern in the aging population
- is one of the few ways to promote production Human Growth Hormone and creation on new brain cells for adults
- balanced fat calorie input diet prevents diabetes 2 and white fat deposits
- coffee, black tea and especially Japanese powdered green tea is full of healthy anti-oxidants
The above take care of the MOST of the reasons why adult people die, so if you do not smoke and look both ways when you cross the street (that should include no texting and driving) you increase your chances of healthy life by at least 30% percent.
No sugar diet is very pleasant as you do not feel hungry all the time and you feel your energy levels to be very constant. The switch to no sugar diet can be quite painful for the first few days, sugar is an addictive substance very similar to heroin. Limiting the refined sugars is a good first step, after a while, you can start cutting other sugar sources (in order):
- refined sugars including high fructose corn syrup
- rice
- grains (pasta)
- potatoes
- corn
- grains (bread)
- natural maple syrup (has many health benefits)
- honey (has many health benefits)
I have grown on bread, so cutting it was very hard for me, but it is worth it.
Feast Days
Some people call it "cheat days", but I do not like this terminology. Every week, usually on weekend I feast which means eating what I crave. In my case that would be a fresh Polish donut with raspberry filling. This is very natural to feast after fasting, people are adapted to that and it was a natural process over the last couple of million years of evolution.
People fasted when hunted, or migrated, then fasted. Note, the modern humans who managed to wipe out mammoths, and our meat loving cousins Neanderthals started to split at least 250,000 years ago. You are not supposed to marry your cousins, but we know our ancestors did, hence they were not truly different species. We have been the fat-eating, ketone-buring hunters for a long time!
Finally, it is very important to note that our ancestors would constantly snack on leafy vegetables, nuts, and roots as they were able to find them while on the prolonged hunt, or move to a new area. You should not skimp on vegetables in your diet.
Caveman Diet
A while ago, I wrote about cavemen's diet and it has been on my mind.
The variety of veggies -- bulbs and roots have been the staple of the diet for our ancestors for most of the last couple of millions of years. It is important to say they these vegetables were natural and therefore very low in sugar, so potatoes and corn are not recommended.
The next set of items on the diet is a rich, seasonal assortment of nuts.
As with everything moderation is the key. It was solved for our ancestors by the fact that trees grew only so much compared to today's thousand-acre orchards and that seasons started and ended quickly.
The salt was almost never available, so it should be used on a rare occasion, but the herbs were abundant and a great variety was used daily.
The variety of veggies -- bulbs and roots have been the staple of the diet for our ancestors for most of the last couple of millions of years. It is important to say they these vegetables were natural and therefore very low in sugar, so potatoes and corn are not recommended.
The next set of items on the diet is a rich, seasonal assortment of nuts.
The archeological finds show that hazelnut shells were found in tens of thousands of people's dwellings.
Pine nuts, sunflower, and other less usual choices add nicely to the repertoire.
As with everything moderation is the key. It was solved for our ancestors by the fact that trees grew only so much compared to today's thousand-acre orchards and that seasons started and ended quickly.
Ancestors did not import fruits from Chile.
The last part is they ate a meal, a lot of it, but it was mostly small animals like rabbits and birds.
The mammoth hunts came once a year during migration, so there were no stakes on the table daily. The fat was always at a premium.
The salt was almost never available, so it should be used on a rare occasion, but the herbs were abundant and a great variety was used daily.
Hunter gatherer (or rather scavenger) lifestyle and diet
Ever since university times (Cultural Anthropology major), I was thinking about the lives and the diets of our ancestors.
Our diet was definitely composed largely of VARIOUS seasonal nuts, fruits, edible plants which were on average low in starch and sugars, otherwise we would not develop such craving for sweets, but high in fiber and proteins, in addition a portion of the diet were small animals ranging from insects to rabbits. Yes, for many of our ancestors it was "taste like rabbit" not "like chicken", at least judging by the number of rabbit bones found. Fatty foods were considered premium in every culture.
Like many New York bachelors, John Durant tries to keep his apartment presentable — just in case he should ever bring home a future Mrs. Durant. He shares the fifth-floor walk-up with three of his buddies, but the place is tidy and he never forgets to water the plants.
Béatrice de Géa for The New York Times
NEW ICE AGE Meat storage for John Durant's paleo diet.
The one thing that Mr. Durant worries might spook a female guest is his most recent purchase: a three-foot-tall refrigerated meat locker that sits in a corner of his living room. That is where he keeps his organ meat and deer ribs.
Mr. Durant, 26, who works in online advertising, is part of a small New York subculture whose members seek good health through a selective return to the habits of their Paleolithic ancestors.
Or, as he and some of his friends describe themselves, they are cavemen.
The caveman lifestyle, in Mr. Durant’s interpretation, involves eating large quantities of meat and then fasting between meals to approximate the lean times that his distant ancestors faced between hunts. Vegetables and fruit are fine, but he avoids foods like bread that were unavailable before the invention of agriculture. Mr. Durant believes the human body evolved for a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, and his goal is to wean himself off what he sees as many millenniums of bad habits.
These urban cavemen also choose exercise routines focused on sprinting and jumping, to replicate how a prehistoric person might have fled from a mastodon.
Resources
After all, the last 10,000 years of agriculture, is just a drop in the bucket comparing with 5 million years of evolution of our body and digestive system.
What is human bipedalism optimized for?
Our ancestors have spent most of their days traveling their territories in search of edible nuts, seeds, plants small animals, and rarely a carcass of the kill. The travel distance was varied depending on the climate, there are hunter-gatherer communities that have to do very little actually for subsistence, maybe few of hours per day, but most likely it was something like 10 to 15 miles per day. We are built for distance travel - search and slow, long pursuits of wounded animals, on the other hand humans are terrible sprinters, slower than almost any animal out there.
What was the diet of our pre-agricultural ancestors?
Our diet was definitely composed largely of VARIOUS seasonal nuts, fruits, edible plants which were on average low in starch and sugars, otherwise we would not develop such craving for sweets, but high in fiber and proteins, in addition a portion of the diet were small animals ranging from insects to rabbits. Yes, for many of our ancestors it was "taste like rabbit" not "like chicken", at least judging by the number of rabbit bones found. Fatty foods were considered premium in every culture.
--------------------------------------------------------------
I came across this article, which I found thought-provoking:
I came across this article, which I found thought-provoking:
Like many New York bachelors, John Durant tries to keep his apartment presentable — just in case he should ever bring home a future Mrs. Durant. He shares the fifth-floor walk-up with three of his buddies, but the place is tidy and he never forgets to water the plants.
Béatrice de Géa for The New York Times
NEW ICE AGE Meat storage for John Durant's paleo diet.
The one thing that Mr. Durant worries might spook a female guest is his most recent purchase: a three-foot-tall refrigerated meat locker that sits in a corner of his living room. That is where he keeps his organ meat and deer ribs.
Mr. Durant, 26, who works in online advertising, is part of a small New York subculture whose members seek good health through a selective return to the habits of their Paleolithic ancestors.
Or, as he and some of his friends describe themselves, they are cavemen.
The caveman lifestyle, in Mr. Durant’s interpretation, involves eating large quantities of meat and then fasting between meals to approximate the lean times that his distant ancestors faced between hunts. Vegetables and fruit are fine, but he avoids foods like bread that were unavailable before the invention of agriculture. Mr. Durant believes the human body evolved for a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, and his goal is to wean himself off what he sees as many millenniums of bad habits.
These urban cavemen also choose exercise routines focused on sprinting and jumping, to replicate how a prehistoric person might have fled from a mastodon.
Resources
Okinawan Karate
Prolog
I should have written about Okinawan Karate (琉球空手, Ryūkyū karate) years ago, right after returning after 3 years in Okinawa, but I let life flow on, often without enough reflection. However, Okinawan practice is a personal and family affair (kizuna, 絆), practiced in out-of-sight courtyards (agariya 上り屋), and it requires personal touch.English-Japanese vocabulary
I am using Japanese vocabulary because it is the default language in all traditional Karate, Kobudo, Aikido, etc., schools, and it creates a bridge of understanding among international students.
I use rōmaji, kanji, and hiragana, e.g. karate, 空手 (からて) meaning "empty hand".
- Rōmaji is Japanese pronunciation written in the Latin (Roman) alphabet, not English pronunciation.
- Kanji are Chinese and Japanese word symbols
- Hiragana is the Japanese script for the most accurate pronunciation
For example, "karate" is pronounced か ka ら ra て te, where te is pronounced as "television", not the drink tea. It is highly worthwhile to learn Hiragana.
Introduction
My adopted adult name is Uki, 宇氣 (うき), which means "universe-space energy." I grew up studying Shotokan karate (松涛館) under (hard core) Józef Rączka Sensei, 7 dan (先生, 七段), in Poland. After I moved to the USA and joined the USMC, I was introduced to the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP). While in the USMC, for 3 years, I lived in Okinawa, Japan, much of that time outside of the base, where I was exposed to Japanese and Okinawan Ryukyu (琉球) culture.
While the above resume looks very martial, I am primarily interested in karate's physical and mental health, cultural, and personal betterment aspects.
I studied the cultural anthropology of East Asia while in Japan. After leaving the service, I studied Aikido (合気道) while staying fit by practicing karate. Since returning, I have read and studied a library-worth of works on Japanese culture, human behaviour, and history.
Okinawa is designated a "blue zone," so I learned about the lifestyle, longevity, and diet of its people.
It is impossible to overstate that all of the above became the most significant influencers on my life, my body, and my mind.
I consider my growing up in Poland as "primary education" and my time in the USMC in Okinawa, Japan, as my "formative" years. The rest of my life in the USA, I consider as a long process of "polishing" (migaki, 磨き) of my character.
The origins of self-defence arts
The spiritual origins of this story date back a few thousand years, but for now, I will have to skip the Vedas, India, Buddha's life, and start with Bodhidharma (達摩, だるま), who, among others, in the 5th–6th Century brought Hindu-derived Buddhist culture, meditation, concepts of "chi" energy qigong (氣功), and breathing techniques from India to China.Chinese Shaolin Kung-Fu
Over time, Buddhism has established itself in China alongside Buddhist monasticism, asceticism, and rigorous Zen practice.
In China's political situation, Buddhist monasteries had to protect themselves, and warrior monks emerged with a strong focus on non-aggression and self-defence.
The particular place of interest was the Southern Shaolin Temple (南少林, Nán Shàolín) in Fujian Province, China, where warrior monks practiced empty-hand and weapons techniques.
After the South Shaolin Temple was destroyed, the monks went into hiding, where they practiced their Five Ancestor Kung-Fu in "Incense Shops".
The Okinawan Shorin-ryū literally means Shaolin tradition.
Okinawan Chinese Hand (唐手)
The original name for "karate" in Okinawa was "ku-wa-t'" in the local Ryukyuan language (琉球語, Ryūkyū-go). Please note that the final letter "t" is soft "tĭ" and barely pronounced, like in American "but."The kanji for "karate" 空手, meaning "empty hand," is a contemporary term.
Historically, Okinawans used 唐手, also pronounced "karate" in Japanese, meaning "Chinese hand", but this name was not appealing to imperial authorities in the 1930s.
Sensei Sakugawa Kanga (坂川虎山)
The legend begins at dusk in the Tsurumichi district of Shuri, where a young Sakugawa Kanga practiced beneath the flickering light of shochu lanterns. Few knew then that this son of a humble farmer would become the architect of Shorin-ryū, the system that birthed modern karate.
Sakugawa’s fate turned when he became a retainer to Peichin Takemoto (a peichin was an Okinawan noble, akin to a European baron). Unlike the samurai of Japan, Takemoto rejected rigid hierarchy: "A man’s worth is measured by his character, not his birth."
Under Takemoto, Sakugawa trained in Okinawan ti (手), using tools like the sai, a three-pronged weapon designed to disable an opponent’s sword. Yet something was missing.
In 1760, Sakugawa embarked on a voyage to Fujian, China, where he sought enlightenment at the Southern Shaolin Temple.
At Shaolin, he found what he sought under Kangryū (康琉), a warrior-monk who taught the fluidity of White Crane Fist (白鶴拳) and the explosive power of the Five Ancestors Style (五祖拳).
Returning to Okinawa, Sakugawa synthesized these arts into a new system.
His kata Niseishi (二十一手) became the first to blend Chinese techniques with Okinawan circular blocks.
He taught Matsumura Sōkon, who would later codify Shorin-ryū.
Sakugawa died in 1815, his tombstone bearing no grand epitaph, just "The Way of the Karate Man."
His legacy lives on in the Niseishi kata, still practiced today.
Sensei Matsumura Sōkon (松村宗棍, 1809–1896) is the founder of Seito (正統, "the orthodox tradition") and a cornerstone of Okinawan karate. As a shizoku (士族, a warrior class akin to samurai), he served three Ryukyu kings: Shō Kōku (尚灝), Shō Iku (尚育), and Shō Tai (尚泰).
His martial arts pedigree is legendary. After training under Wang Ji (王志, Ōji) at the Southern Shaolin Temple in Fujian, China, he studied under Sakugawa Kanga (坂川虎山), the originator of Shorin-ryū. Matsumura synthesized these influences into Shuri-te (首里手), a distinctive blend of Shaolin’s linear strikes and Okinawan circular flows.
His legacy extends through his students, notably Ankō Asato (糸洲安恒), after whom the Ankō-ryū style is named. Matsumura also created foundational kata like Seisan (十三手, "Thirteen Hands"), which emphasized practical combat techniques. Other kata such as Hakkaku (八角, "Eight Corners") and Chintō (鎮東, "Pacify the East") became pillars of modern karate.
Matsumura’s disciplined approach earned him the moniker "Bushi Matsumura"—a title reflecting his samurai-like rigor, uncommon among Okinawan warriors of his time.
Sakugawa died in 1815, his tombstone bearing no grand epitaph, just "The Way of the Karate Man."
His legacy lives on in the Niseishi kata, still practiced today.
Sensei Matsumura Sōkon
Sensei Matsumura Sōkon (松村宗棍, 1809–1896) is the founder of Seito (正統, "the orthodox tradition") and a cornerstone of Okinawan karate. As a shizoku (士族, a warrior class akin to samurai), he served three Ryukyu kings: Shō Kōku (尚灝), Shō Iku (尚育), and Shō Tai (尚泰).
His martial arts pedigree is legendary. After training under Wang Ji (王志, Ōji) at the Southern Shaolin Temple in Fujian, China, he studied under Sakugawa Kanga (坂川虎山), the originator of Shorin-ryū. Matsumura synthesized these influences into Shuri-te (首里手), a distinctive blend of Shaolin’s linear strikes and Okinawan circular flows.
His legacy extends through his students, notably Ankō Asato (糸洲安恒), after whom the Ankō-ryū style is named. Matsumura also created foundational kata like Seisan (十三手, "Thirteen Hands"), which emphasized practical combat techniques. Other kata such as Hakkaku (八角, "Eight Corners") and Chintō (鎮東, "Pacify the East") became pillars of modern karate.
Matsumura’s disciplined approach earned him the moniker "Bushi Matsumura"—a title reflecting his samurai-like rigor, uncommon among Okinawan warriors of his time.
Ankō Asato: The Merchant Warrior
The year was 1850 when a young Okinawan merchant named Ankō Asato (糸洲安恒) knelt before Matsumura Sōkon in the dim light of a Shuri dojo. Unlike other students, Asato wasn’t born to Okinawan nobility or the warrior class. His family traded silk and herbs between Okinawa and Fujian, China—a life of privilege that left him restless.
Matsumura saw something in the merchant’s son. Asato trained relentlessly, but his approach was different: "Fighting is not only for samurai," he often said. His kata Seipai (十八手) became legendary for its close-range strikes, designed to neutralize an opponent quickly—useful in the crowded streets of Naha.
Asato’s innovations didn’t end there. He developed breathing techniques that harmonized Shaolin’s qi (氣) with Okinawan circular motions. His students called this "the way of breathing"—a precursor to modern ki (気) training. One such student was Chōjun Miyagi, who later founded Goju-ryū (剛柔流). Under Asato’s guidance, Miyagi mastered the Sanchin (三戦) kata, which became Goju-ryū’s cornerstone.
Asato’s legacy extended beyond kata. He taught that karate should be "a way of life," not just a combat technique. His philosophy resonated with Okinawan commoners, who saw martial arts as a means of self-betterment rather than as a means of battlefield dominance. Even today, his Ankō-ryū style lives on at the Shōrinji Temple in Naha, where his disciples have preserved his teachings.
When Asato died in 1906, his grave bore a simple inscription: "The way of karate is endless."
Sensei Chōjun Miyagi
The year was 1895 when a young Chōjun Miyagi first entered Ankō Asato’s dojo in Naha. He wasn’t like the other students—no warrior blood ran through his veins, just the quiet determination of a merchant’s son. Asato saw something in Miyagi and took him under his wing.
Under Asato, Miyagi mastered Sanchin, not as a physical exercise but as a meditation. The kata’s slow, deliberate motions taught him that karate was a way of life, not just combat. When Asato died in 1906, Miyagi felt a hole open inside him—but he knew his path wasn’t finished.
At 20, he sailed for Fujian, China, where the monks of the White Crane Fist school recognized his potential. "Your fists carry Okinawa’s spirit," they told him, "but your heart is Chinese." The monks taught him to harmonize harsh strikes with fluid circular motions—a balance he’d later call Goju (剛柔, "hard-soft").
Returning to Okinawa, Miyagi synthesized his knowledge into Goju-ryū. His system wasn’t just about fighting; it was about breathing (ibuki), balance, and the flow of life energy. He taught that karate should be a philosophy, not just a sport.
In 1928, Miyagi made history by demonstrating karate in Tokyo—a move that brought Okinawan martial arts to the Japanese mainland. Yet fame never interested him.
Miyagi’s final years were spent refining his teachings. He emphasized the dantō (段当, "right path")—a way of life rooted in discipline and harmony. When he passed away in 1953, his students carried on his vision.
Today, Goju-ryū stands as a testament to Miyagi’s belief: "Karate is not just a martial art. It is the way of life."
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