Happy Valentine’s Day!

Truly "Heart-Healthy!"

To mark Valentine’s day, I propose - with tongue firmly in cheek - a new “Heart Check” logo. What do you think?

I’m posting again after a long absence. A lot has been happening and a great deal has changed. My goal is to publish regularly, but the nature of my posts may need to change. I really won’t know that until I actually startwriting again, so here goes!

Last September I changed jobs after more than 16 years. I am now Barenbrug USA’s Forage Product Manager. Every day presents multiple learning (and re-learning!) moments with frequent calls to the long-term archive for information I used to have a firm grip on. It’s great to be working in forage agriculture again, but the seed industry is new to me. Barenbrug, a family owned company founded in 1904, is among the top 20 seed companies, worldwide. The vast majority of our business is grass seed. Barenbrug is truly “Great in Grass!” And they support my continued “Grass Based Health” activities. I presented a paper, “Saturated Fat and Cholesterol: Health Hazards or Vital Nutrients?” at the 2012 American Forage and Grassland Council Conference in Louisville, KY, January 10. I’ve posted a video that combines a slide set with an audio recording here.

As I’ve walked through this time of transition, I’ve become aware of all the anxiety, conflict, and frustration I’d been living with in my previous job. I wasn’t consciously aware of it then, but now that I’ve made the move it’s obvious. It’s similar to the time I realized, while carrying two twenty pound bags of bird seed to my car one day, that I used to carry more than that around with me all the time. Sometimes we need a push to make a change.

One effect of the anxiety regarding the impending career change was a loss of focus on my dietary discipline, I’m afraid. And I experienced the completely predictable results. So I’m applying the principles and re-establishing the practices that worked before and are working again. Nothing magic, just basic carbohydrate restriction and intermittent fasting. I hope to get to my goal weight by May.

Why May? Because Nancy and I will be on the 5th Low Carb Cruise! Neither of us have been on a cruise before, and we’re looking forward to meeting folks whose books and blogs have helped us on our journey. A perfect way to celebrate our 35th anniversary.

Last August I presented a poster at the first Ancestral Health Symposium. This August I’ll present “The Reality of Ruminants and Liebeg’s Barrel: Examining the New ‘Conventional Wisdom’” at Ancestral Health Symposium 2012!

I’ve been invited to speak at the Wise Traditions 2012 on the “Science and Art of Pasture Feeding.” This will be their 13th annual conference, held in Santa Clara, California Nov 9-12.

Primal / Paleo Valentine

So, let’s all walk forward into whatever this New Year brings our way. If you’ve fallen short of your resolutions, you can always start over. It’s never too late. A re-evaluation may be necessary to make sure they’re realistic. A resolution to lose 30 pounds in a month probably needs to be re-thought. But great changes can be accomplished, one step at a time. Last weekend we saw a friend who’s lost 180 pounds, and is off all cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes medications!

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