Issue #7: Animal-based in the sky

Hey Radical Health Seekers 👋 

 Coming up in this week’s issue of the Radical Health Newsletter: 

• Your 5 keys to a successful AB30…
• How to avoid eating crap in airplanes and airports…
• Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail while animal-based…
• And more life lessons from animals 🐶

But first…

Here’s what we’re talking about this week

This is a “Food Compass Scoring System” developed by researchers at Tuft’s University. They spent 3 years trying to figure out which foods were healthy and in the end, decided Frosted Mini Wheats and Kale outranked ground beef.

Our reaction?

If you want radical health, turn that chart upside down and eat the three foods in red. You can hear what our founder Dr. Paul Saladino has to say on this here!

5 keys to your success during Animal-Based 30

We are one week into our Animal-Based 30 Challenge!

THOUSANDS of you have joined us…

(hey, stragglers, it’s not too late!)

We want you to have an amazing experience, and we want you to achieve your health goals. 

So here are 5 key things to help you along the way!

🔑 #1 Know your why

Having a strong and clear reason for doing animal-based is essential, especially when things get challenging. Identify your why and write it down!

🔑 #2 Eat enough!

You should not be hungry on an animal-based diet. So long as you focus on high quality animal-based foods, and prioritize protein, you can eat until you are full! Many folks struggle with cravings, and the solution is to eat more. Especially meat! 

Are you getting at least one pound of meat per 100 lbs of ideal body weight?

🔑 #3 Commit for 30 days

This is an important one. In order to truly see the benefits of an animal-based diet, commit to doing it for at least 30 days. This will allow sufficient time for meaningful changes in how you look, perform and feel. We don’t suggest cheat meals or cycling in and out of animal-based during this time.

🔑 #4 Communicate with your family and friends

Family and friends can be your greatest support, or your biggest barrier. That’s why we believe having an open and honest conversation with them is important! Tell them you are doing animal-based to prioritize your health. If they express doubts or concerns, tell them a little about it. Let them know you are experimenting for 30 days and will share your results with them!

🔑 #5 Find a meal you love and eat it every day

While there are many amazing animal-based meals you can eat, if you find something you really enjoy, don’t be afraid to eat that same meal every day. This is what we do and it keeps things simple, nutritious and delicious! 

Just don’t forget to include the most nutritious part…organs! And if you can’t get them fresh, we’ve got you covered 😎

What we’re eating every day

✈️ Air travel while animal-based

Let’s face it. The odds of getting a seed-oil free, animal-based meal in an airport, never mind on an airplane, are pretty slim. 

But does this mean you need to settle for whatever is available, or spend your limited airport time searching and requesting seed oil-free foods?

Nope. Air travel is your opportunity to take control of your own health! 

And with a little intention and preparation, it’s totally possible to eat animal-based while traveling. 

In fact it’s easy peasy! We do it all the time!

Here’s how:

Option 1: Bring your own food

If you’re traveling domestically, you can bring your own food into airports and on airplanes. Check out how Dr. Paul does it here, and make your favorite food ahead of time.

Option 2: Fast

You can fly from one corner of the continental United States to the other in under 7 hours. Add on time to get to and from the airport and that means you are traveling for maybe 10 hours?

Fasting for that period is not so hard, and it’s a great strategy!

It solves the problem of finding animal-based food while traveling, and you get the added metabolic benefits that come from fasting!

What about long-haul travel?

Traveling to New Zealand or Timbuktu? 

Here’s where it gets a little trickier. 

Some countries prohibit travelers from bringing fresh food with them, so check with your airline. 

 👉 Pro Tip: Even if you can’t bring food into a country, you’re often allowed bring it on the plane. Just eat it before you land 😛)

Another option for international travel is to do a longer fast. Extended fasting (48+ hours) once every 90 days can be a powerful tool for metabolic healing, so this could be your opportunity to try it!

⛰️ Dr. Paul’s guide to hiking the Pacific Crest Trail on an animal-based diet

What is up Heart & Soil Tribe!

I thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2000 and I remember a lot of peanut butter and oats… not very animal-based at all!

22 years later, hiking food is still mostly processed garbage. And you don’t need to be eating that crap because I believe that with a little careful planning and determination, it is totally possible to maintain an animal-based diet while hiking.

And my suggestions here can be applied to hiking anywhere, not just on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Here’s what I would do:

Load up on beef jerky

Get high quality jerky. Not the sort with additives and sugars. Otherwise you could make your own.

Load up on desiccated organs

This one’s a no-brainer!

A couple of bottles of desiccated organs are super light, but super nutrient dense too.

My choice would be Lifeblood to support oxygen delivery and endurance at high altitudes, and Skin, Hair & Nails to support collagen production (the PCT is 2650 miles long!).

Send food packages in the mail

I would ask a friend to mail me packages at resupply stops. Beef jerky, tallow and honey can easily be sent in the mail, and fresh fruit and even fresh meat is possible too if timed right.

Stock up at every store

I would visit every supermarket and grocery store at or near the resupply stops and grab as much fresh meat, organs, fruit and honey that I could carry.

An average male will want about 2 to 3 lbs of meat per day. So it’s totally possible to pick up a couple of days worth of ground beef (maybe even grass-fed) and bring it on the trail with you. Bring a small stainless steel pan and camping stove too so you can cook it up.

Add in a couple jars of tallow, fresh fruit and honey and I think this is totally doable!

Visiting every store near the trail might slow the journey down but in my opinion it will definitely be a worthwhile tradeoff if it means ground beef for dinner!

Maybe I’ll see you on the trail!

– Dr. Paul 

Closing thoughts

Embrace your weird side. 

Go against the grain. 

Don’t be afraid to take some risks.

And most of all, don’t forget to have fun!

That’s all from us this week!

 – The Heart & Soil Crew