Today I attended the Robb Wolf Paleolithic Solution Seminar that took place at BTB Fitness in Atlanta, GA and it was the best sleep I’ve ever had… well, that’s what Robb was advertising. Per Robb’s recommendation I read the book “Lights Out” and learning that sleep was vital for optimal health I thought it was worth the trouble to register for the seminar and make the haul from Huntsville, AL to Atlanta for some of the best sleep ever. Well, Robb really dropped the ball here. I found myself riveted and engrossed in the topics discussed during the seminar that I did not sleep at all and actually learned a few things in the process.
With an engineering background I’m a geek (got the bachelor’s degree to prove it) with an obsession for details problem. My current interest (some would say obsession, I just say they are non-committal) with health and nutrition was rekindled this year when I joined a CrossFit affiliate near my home called CrossFit Impulse. Early on I learned about the Paleo diet and the research behind it from Dr. Loren Cordain and others. Following the rabbit hole deeper I found Robb Wolf and I’ve been lost ever since…
Being the studious engineer that I am I showed up to the seminar with a laundry list of questions and attempted to steer the conversation to dwell on more details, but was thwarted by Robb trying to stay on schedule. What else do people have to do on a Saturday besides discuss the minute details of your digestive system, I mean really?
Despite this anyone attending this seminar can learn a thing or two about nutrition and health in general. Robb delivers the material passionately. While one may be able to fault him on delivery technique or for dwelling into details that may not matter for some, you can tell that he has ruthlessly studied this material and wants to help those who are willing to listen and implement what he has to offer. A one day seminar like this is a delicate balancing act of breadth versus depth, how much can we cover in adequate detail without overwhelming the poor souls who show up. This problem is born of the amount of time allotted to cover so much material. Robb has such a tremendous amount of theoretical and practical implementation knowledge that to boil it down to a one day course that was as well done as this is a tremendous feat in and of itself. Robb has used his practical knowledge to great affect for the seminar. He understands that not every person walking down the street is enthralled and willing to discuss paleolithic nutrition and health concepts until they pass out from lack of oxygen. He has learned the points at which more detail would only confuse people and result in a compromised end result for most attendees. He is able to convey the main point in discussing the material without complicating the matters unnecessarily. I think anyone would be well rewarded to read through Robb’s suggested reading list on his seminar page, but don’t feel that you need a biochemistry degree or graduate credentials before you can understand the material or attend this seminar. Robb is very willing to answer questions and discuss issues so that you understand what the heck is going on.
If for nothing else it was worth it for me to attend to meet and talk to other health and nutrition nerds and practitioners. There were many trainers and CrossFit affiliate owners in attendance from as far as Miami and all over the southeast. There is something intangible in meeting and talking to people (in person) about the subjects you are interested in. Events like this really emphasize the community element and I don’t think there is anything more powerful for a movement like this.
The material that Robb delivers in his seminar should be taught to more people if nothing else than for those people to understand the potential impact their nutrition has on their overall health and well being. It is truly foolish and a crime for the frontline (doctors interacting directly with patients) of the medical community to not be able to directly address a patient’s nutrient intake (or lack thereof) without stepping outside the bounds of standard care and incurring a tremendous personal liability upon themselves. We must accept responsibility for the results of our life, health included. We, as a society, have gotten ourselves into a situation where talking about food in a health context is too personal and confrontational. You are what you eat, right? So, if I criticize your food choices I’m really criticizing who you are as a person.
Putting the soapbox away, Robb delivers a message worth listening to. A part that really impressed me was towards the beginning of the seminar Robb spoke about each of the attendees thinking for themselves and not accepting this material just because it comes from Robb Wolf or any other person who can speak passionately and well. Robb wants to engage in a rational learning exchange. He’s not out to bludgeon those who refuse to listen until they submit so he can add another checkmark to his list of conversions. It’s not about dogma, it’s about thinking for yourself and asking for results instead of excuses why something is not working. It’s about re-thinking what’s “normal” since that is a relative concept. How do you feel? Physically, mentally, emotionally. How do you look? Body composition. Acne or other skin issues. How do you perform? Numbers going up or going down in a blaze of cortisol-fueled overtraining glory? If you have an issue that you think of when asking yourself these questions then nutrition might be an issue and something in your eating could be causing problems. Does that mean nutrition is the problem or solution for everything? Not necessarily, but don’t you owe it to yourself to find out what the issue is? Problems in life may not be as simple as you would like, but that doesn’t mean that they are too complicated for you to understand and fix or find a workaround. The main point I took away from the seminar was this nutrition and health stuff is incredibly complicated and we may not know everything about it, but that doesn’t mean that we just throw our hands up, give up, give in, and die a gluten, cortisol, and insulin induced downward spiral into debilitating disease. Think for yourself, ask for results, and correct course as you learn.
Health and nutrition nerds unite!
