Mark Sisson's Blog, page 130

My Family’s Primal Living Achievements Empowered Me

It’s Friday, everyone! And that means another Primal Blueprint Real Life Story from a Mark’s Daily Apple reader. If you have your own success story and would like to share it with me and the Mark’s Daily Apple community please contact me here. I’ll continue to publish these each Friday as long as they keep coming in. Thank you for reading!

I’ve always had an interest in health. I entered college to become a nurse, but switched majors after marrying young and starting a family, ending up with a degree in education with an emphasis in health. My first love is my family, and it’s because of my responsibility for their well-being that healthy living continues to be a growing passion in my life.

In my twenties, breastfeeding babies and chasing toddlers kept me fit and thin, and I exercised when it fit my busy schedule. Low fat, high carb foods were the staples of our “healthy” diet, and I was just trying to figure out my way around the kitchen.

My cooking did evolve, and I continued to keep up with current health fads. But when my homeschooled sons hit elementary school and our grocery budget began to take a hit, I knew there had to be a better way to fill up their growing bellies. I devoted my time to research, and came to the conclusion that whole food was the way God intended us to eat.

Still mindful of the food pyramid, I began grinding wheat to make bread, and replaced all the “fake” foods in my home with homemade, healthier versions. I started a garden and slowly began sourcing raw milk for cream, yogurt and cheese, grass fed beef, pastured pork, chicken, and eggs. It worked. We were getting fuller, our budget was stretching, and I was developing a passion for cooking.

My thirties brought a little more freedom as my sons were getting older, so exercise became easier to fit into my homeschooling schedule. Though I was never overweight, my vanity would always have me desiring to be a bit leaner. I could never manage to drop those few extra aging pounds, despite my exercise habits. I rode my bike a hilly thirty miles a day (1.5 hours), six days a week. Though I experienced many benefits from biking, I was still unhappy with my body composition. Noting that runners tended to be thin—especially in their legs—I decided to reap this benefit and started spending more time with my husband by joining him in running. I routinely ran seven to eight miles a day, six days a week, always maintaining a chronic 7:15-7:30 pace.

I had been experiencing migraine headaches since the birth of my third son. I had a melanoma removed from my foot in my late thirties. Around the age of forty, I began to experience more negative changes in my body. I was gaining weight, always tired, and I was experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder. I just felt “off.” I didn’t have time for more exercise, and eating less would’ve been absurd. I was beginning to believe that I, too, would fall prey to being fat over forty, and all the other ailments of aging. I had never been on a diet in my life, and since we were eating whole foods, I didn’t see a need for change.

After attending a conference and listening to a health and fitness speaker, my husband gave up grains in an effort to lose the forty pounds he had gained, despite consistent exercise and my homemade cooking. He lost most of his weight and was feeling great. I was beginning to wonder if this might be part of my issues.

One night in March, while enjoying a meal with friends, someone suggested The Primal Blueprint, and it became, for me, one of those books that forever changes your life. Mark’s set of simple instructions was truth for my soul! It was the final piece of the health puzzle I had laboriously been working towards.

Within a week of implementing the tweaks to my diet, which included eliminating grains, eating more fat, and an overhaul of my exercise, I saw drastic improvements in my body composition and fitness level.

Now, I jog when I feel like it, but mostly take lots of walks with my husband, and sometimes with a weighted vest. I do weekly sprint sessions in my backyard, and a daily sprint to my mailbox and compost pile. I consistently lift heavy things—PEMs, haul firewood, or even a bit of “CrossFit” at home to mix it up a bit. I truly enjoy my exercise since it’s so easy to fit in anytime, anywhere.

Learning more about the importance of vitamin D for overall health and protection from cancers has freed me to enjoy the sunlight. Living in Nebraska means dark winters and minimal sunlight, so I supplement with vitamin D, and my SAD has improved tremendously.

My headaches are completely gone, and I’ve seen improvements in my skin, energy levels, and cravings. I can’t remember the last time I had to unbutton my pants after a meal! While I am perfectly content with my body composition, it’s funny; I hardly think about it anymore. My sons have experienced the benefits of reduced acne and mood swings, the need to “carb up” before or after ball games, and improved strength. I can’t even name a “family doctor” for any of us when asked—we just don’t need one.

Redeeming my time has been one of the greatest benefits of primal living. I’m learning to rest and play—as a type A “doer,” this is hard for me. We’ve been enjoying weekly backyard volleyball and Ultimate Frisbee games with our sons and friends, and I am spending time enjoying coffee on our front porch.

While Primal living is not a religion, it compliments my Christianity by allowing me to treat my body as a temple, nourishing it with the perfect menu God has given us to eat. It has taught me to carefully source and appreciate the food we eat, with no waste. It keeps my body “strong for my tasks” and it promotes Biblical values of community, rest, and play. It is a reminder that “everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial.”

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about being successful at a given ‘task,’ it’s that you have to give “IT” its due time. And it starts with a plan. Having a plan gives purpose, and purpose empowers. Over the years, it has been my mission to inspire other women to flourish in their own lives by taking responsibility for what God has placed right in front of them—their jobs, parenting, relationships, and even laundry. Health is no different. Primal living offers simple, effective, and efficient principles for sustainable health that anyone can implement, and I naturally began to spread this message with the same passion.

When The Primal Health Expert Certification became available, I immediately enrolled. My busy life homeschooling high school boys, their sports, and serving as a media/communications director for our church and basketball team took a lot of my energy, so I went through the coursework slowly, at my own pace. During that time the course was changed to the Primal Health Coach Institute Certification, an idea that I, at first, dismissed due to the busyness of my life.

But God had a different path for me, showing me those I could share my new wealth of information with: a group of moms implementing PEMs; a couple successfully completing the 21-Day Transformation; my son’s friend—eating and exercising with us, and losing 30 lbs to improve his basketball game; a dear friend with fibromyalgia; and my sister, who has PCOS and pre-diabetic symptoms.

Last year my youngest son graduated high school, and I graduated as a Primal Health Coach! It is the perfect time to start a new chapter in my life, so with the encouragement of my husband and sons, I opened my own coaching business, Primally Empowered. I followed the business model suggested by the PHCI program and built a website, registered on the Primal Health Coach Institute website, and implemented the forms and suggested coaching program. I began blogging, which is my least favorite part, but I’m finding a pattern of topic interests my clients prefer.

I’ve had the opportunity to coach over 10 people in the last year! I’ve been contacted via word of mouth, the PHCI website list, and just from talking with individuals I run into. I’m currently coaching a woman who intends to go on and become a Primal Health Coach.

I am finding my niche is people/couples in my age range who are realizing their weight and health are keeping them from the life they really want, and desire to live the rest of their lives well. It is so empowering and fulfilling to see people truly change their lives!

I’m not searching for a full time job, but I recently came across the opportunity to work for a functional medicine doctor who will be opening her own clinic and is swamped with ill patients. We will see where this journey takes me!

Though I discovered the Primal Blueprint only five years ago, my life has paralleled primal living in many ways. The Primal Health Coach Institute program has empowered me with the knowledge and the confidence to merge these two paths to help individuals address their health challenges by engaging them one-to-one as a personal coach.

– Monica Lambert

Monica’s listing in the Primal Health Coach Institute Directory

Website: primallyempowered.com

The post My Family’s Primal Living Achievements Empowered Me appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

My Supplement Routine: What I Take, When I Take It, and Why

Back in June during the 21-Day Challenge, I asked you to share questions you had about my personal health routine, and I’m looking forward to answering those in the coming months. We talk a lot about generalities here, and for good reason. Research can and should drive principle, but oftentimes while we wait around for it (or have questions about the overall validity of what’s out there), n=1 self-experimentation can tell us a lot.

Over the years, I’ve gathered ideas for that experimentation by reading the studies and listening to others talk about the choices they make. All of it together has—and continues to—inform the routine I follow to live the life I want. Among the many questions you sent were inquiries about my supplement regimen. Today I’m sharing what I take, when I take it, and why.

As a former endurance athlete, supplements were tools of the trade. I fielded recommendations from coaches and specialists of course, but I also studied the subject intently on my own. To push my performance further, I even began developing my own formulas for training recovery back then. Though I’m not in the competitive athletic world anymore, I still feel the benefits of certain supplements in my personal health and performance, and I’ve continued to formulate those I wish to take.

Here’s a bit about my choices for supplementation and the changes I’ve made over the years in how I take them.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and any questions you have about what I take (or don’t take). And if you have other kinds of questions about my routine (or anything health-related of course), shoot me a message on the comment board. Thanks for stopping by, everyone.

Finally, for those who are curious about the supplements I’ve shared today, I have a deal on two of my favorites. Order Adaptogenic Calm today, and I’ll include a bottle of Primal Sun entirely free. Just add both Adaptogenic Calm and Primal Sun to the cart, and use the code FREESUN at checkout to redeem this offer. Valid on One-Time Purchases only. Offer expires 8/30 at midnight PDT.

The post My Supplement Routine: What I Take, When I Take It, and Why appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

Tips For Cycling Between Primal and Keto

Consistency is key in everything we do.

Training in the gym: The most optimal workout imaginable won’t do a thing if you only get around to it once every two weeks.

Sleep: A solid 8 hours of shut eye every night beats 10 hours one night, 6 the next.

Learning a new skill: Practice for an hour each day and you’ll become a master. Spend twelve hours one time and never again, and you’re remain a beginner.

The same is true for nutrition. A consistent, reliable way of eating—especially with a diet like keto, where extended consistency actually builds new fat-burning mitochondria and establishes habits—tends to produce the best results.

But what if you wanted to be a little less consistent? What if you wanted to cycle between Primal and keto? Is such a thing even possible?

Yes. Just make sure you do it right—and for the right reasons.

When Deciding Whether You Should Even Cycle At All…
Stick With Keto For At least a Month Before Cycling

Four to six weeks is usually a sufficient period of time. Then, once your muscles have become better adapted to the burning and utilization of actual fatty acids—not just ketones—you’re in a good place to start cycling between Primal and keto, or drift in and out of ketosis as you like.

Premature cycling without a sufficient base of fat adaptation will produce lackluster results across the board. You’ll never quite reach fat-adaptation, so the carb cravings will persist, your aerobic efficiency will suffer, and your fat burning machinery won’t be complete. And if you try to “cycle” without actually being fully ketogenic, you’ll be back at square one. Metabolic limbo is no place to be.

Do It For a Legit Reason

Don’t “cycle” because you’re five days into keto and feel terrible.

Don’t “cycle” because you miss French fries.

Don’t “cycle” because you took the stairs instead of the elevator and totally burned, like, 30 grams of glycogen from each quad.

Cycle because you’ve earned and fine-tuned your fat-burning ability, and now wish to support higher-intensity, higher-volume physical pursuits. Or because you just feel better with a more relaxed approach to macronutrients. Or because you really, really love purple sweet potatoes (I don’t blame you).

Watch Out For the Signs Of Poor Metabolic Flexibility

If every time you eat a carb you get sleepy in an hour and show signs of high blood pressure, even if it’s after an intense training session that should have depleted enough glycogen to make those carbs tolerable, rapid cycling is not for you.

If every time you “cycle” back to keto you feel like a truck hit you and it takes a week to get over the keto flu, rapid cycling is not for you.

When Cycling Back Out Of Keto…
Reduce Fat Intake To Make Room For Any Added Carbs

Fat and carbs together is a fattening combination. Most of the worst processed junk food, the stuff responsible for the obesity epidemic—soybean oil soaked French fries, potato chips, donuts and the like—are bags of fat and carbs. They spike glucose, raise insulin, depress lipolysis, and increase fat deposition while being so nutrient-poor that you’re hungry again in half an hour. But it’s not just the junk food that makes this combo dangerous. If you’re dropping a half stick of butter into your baked potato, even if the butter’s from grass-fed cows who snacked on natto, did CowFit, and fell asleep to a Weston A. Price audiobook recording every night and the potato is an ancient heritage variety unearthed at Machu Picchu, you’re still overdoing it.

I’m not saying to “go low-fat.” I’m suggesting you reduce fat calories as you increase carb calories. What does that look like in practice? A gram of fat has roughly twice the number of calories as a gram of glucose (it’s actually 4 calories per gram of carbs and 9 calories per gram of fat, but close enough). For every two grams of carbs you add, reduce fat by one gram.

Remember That Primal Is Still Compatible With “High-Fat,” Meaning You’ll Probably Still Be Fat-Adapted

Primal has always been primarily about high-fat eating (while being agnostic enough about macronutrients to encompass moderate-carb approaches, too) and the resulting fat-adaptation. Keto isn’t the only path there.

It may take longer. You might never get to the point where you could get someone ketone-drunk by breathing into their mouth. But plain old low-carb Primal will turn you into a fat-burning beast. It’s important to realize that “ketosis” isn’t even the primary goal for most people doing it—the primary goal is building the fat-burning infrastructure that will give you food freedom for years to come.

Consider Time Restricted Feeding/Intermittent Fasting

Restricted eating windows and/or intermittent fasting are great ways to make your transition away from keto onto a higher-carb Primal approach go more smoothly. You’re not leaving ketosis entirely, since for the duration of the fasting period you’ll be consuming your own body fat and generating ketones. You get a nice guaranteed dose of ketosis every day (and night) while enjoying the benefits of relaxed macronutrient ratios—a wider variety of plant foods, in-season fruit, more carbs for athletic pursuits that warrant them.

This could very well be the dietary approach you stick with for the long haul, and that’s okay.

Go For a Hard Workout

Anything done with sufficient volume and intensity will turn your muscles into glycogen sinks—the perfect scenario for someone trying to ease their way back to a more relaxed macronutrient intake. If you have any residual physiological insulin resistance from being keto, a hard training session will re-sensitize you.

When Cycling Back Into Keto…
Remember To Get Extra Salt, Magnesium, and Potassium

Even if you have extensive experience being fat-adapted and your mitochondrial infrastructure is set up to utilize fats and ketones, you’ll still lose a lot of intracellular water, electrolytes, and plasma volume switching back to keto—low insulin has that effect, regardless of prior adaptation. That means eating more sodium, more magnesium, and more potassium. Salt to taste (maybe even a bit more than that), take a good magnesium supplement, and eat potassium-rich foods.

Side note: An unappreciated and keto-friendly source of potassium is zucchini. Seriously, you probably don’t realize it, but a large zucchini has very few digestible carbohydrates and about a gram of potassium. Have at ’em.

Maintain Your Training

Some people suggest taking it easy during the transition. They say to let your body “ease” into the change. Hogwash. Consistent exercise is a great way to upregulate fat burning in muscle tissue. In one study, obese people—a population known for impaired fat oxidation—increased their ability to burn fat by a factor of 2.7 through moderate exercise alone. Imagine the effect it’ll have on you.

The good news is that it gets easier the longer you do this. At this point, 15-ish years into my low-carb, high-fat lifestyle and 3 years into my keto lifestyle, switching between Primal and keto is effortless. It just happens. And if I eat some carbs, I’m no worse for wear.

Of course, you don’t have to cycle between Primal and keto. Stick with one or the other. Or neither. Whatever works, works. Just be honest with yourself.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Take care, leave your tips for the transition down below, and have a great rest of the week.

Reference:

Berggren JR – Am J Physiol Endocrinol M (2008) Skeletal muscle lipid oxidation and obesity influence of weight loss and exercise

The post Tips For Cycling Between Primal and Keto appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

Whole30® Recipe Roundup

Eating well means different things to different people, but I think we can agree that it should always taste good. The recipes that follow happen to be aligned with Whole30® eating guidelines—but more importantly, they’re all meals and snacks I would eat anytime. If you’re planning your first Whole30 or you’re new to the Primal or keto styles of eating, the recipes below offer a variety of easy, flavorful options for you and your family. No sacrifices necessary.

Whole30 Breakfast Recipes

Curried Pork Frittata

This curried pork frittata is a high-protein and high-fat meal that’s perfect for brunch or dinner. It’s a frittata, basically, with added flavor from coconut milk, ground pork, curry powder, and fresh arugula. The texture is light and airy, and the flavor is rich and buttery.

Servings: 4–6

Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound ground pork (450 g)
2 teaspoons curry powder, divided (10 ml)
6 eggs
6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled to room temp (85 g)
3/4 cup coconut milk (180 ml)
½ teaspoon salt (2.5 ml)
2 large handfuls arugula

Learn how to make this recipe.

Whole30-Approved Breakfast Sausage

Finding breakfast sausage without sugar and other additives is not the easiest task. Thankfully, with a few simple spices, making your own Whole30 homemade breakfast sausage for skillets, egg bakes, or sausage patties is really easy! This simple but tasty recipe from our dear friend Paleo Bailey at the Whole Kitchen Sink proves that you can make your own breakfast sausage in 30 minutes with minimal ingredients.

Servings: 8

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 pounds ground pork
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon fennel
2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Learn how to make the recipe.

Spanish Fried Egg

Need something to accompany that Whole30 breakfast sausage? Why, a fried egg, of course. While this crispy-edged egg can stand alone, it’s also wonderful with a side of homemade sausage or as a topper for a kale salad, zoodles, or sweet potato toast.

Servings: 1

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 egg
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or enough to have about 1/8” in the bottom of the skillet
Salt

Learn how to make this recipe.

Keto and Whole30 Collagen Cacao Smoothie

One of the quickest and easiest ways to ensure you’re getting the nutrition you need is to make smoothies. Easily digestible and simple to make, this recipe takes the guesswork out of pre- and post-workout meals as well as breakfast. This smoothie has a slight chocolate almond flavor and is packed with healthy fats.

Servings: 1

Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1–1¼ cups full-fat coconut milk
½ frozen avocado
2 tablespoons almond butter
2 tablespoons cacao powder
1/2 tablespoon chia seeds, (soak in 2 tablespoons of water for 10 min)
2 scoops Primal Kitchen Collagen Peptides
1 tablespoon coconut oil
½ cup ice
Optional toppings: cacao nibs, cinnamon, raspberries
¼ cup water, if needed

Learn how to make the recipe.

Whole30 Lunch Recipes

Grilled Chicken Salad

Throw this Whole30 approved, keto-friendly, high-nutrient salad together in less than 10 minutes. If you plan to take it to work or to use as a make-ahead dinner, try stacking it in a large mason jar: Place the greens on the bottom, followed by the chicken, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, bacon, and seeds, and seasonings. Right before you’re ready to eat, shake onto a plate or salad bowl, top with sliced avocado, and drizzle on Primal Kitchen® Dreamy Italian Dressing.

Servings: 4

Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

4 pieces boneless chicken
2 tablespoons Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil
1 teaspoon oregano
2 sprigs chopped rosemary
2 cups mixed greens
1 avocado (sliced)
1/3 cup cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup cucumbers
1/3 cup carrots
1/8 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup bacon bits
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Primal Kitchen Dreamy Italian Dressing

Learn how to make this recipe.

Turkey Pineapple Burgers in Lettuce Wraps

A lighter, slightly tropical take on the classic burger, this pineapple-topped turkey burger is flavored with coconut aminos and chili pepper flakes. It’s reminiscent of a Hawaiian-style burger topped with teriyaki sauce, but Whole30 Chef Sarah Steffens gave the classic recipe a healthy makeover so you get a similar flavor profile without any added sweeteners or soy.

Servings: 4

Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

4 Applegate Organics® Turkey Burgers*
1 red or yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4 pineapple rings
Sprinkle of chili pepper (optional)
1 Tbsp coconut aminos
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1-2 avocados, peeled and sliced
4 heaping Tbs. Primal Kitchen Classic Mayo (to garnish)
1 head of butter lettuce (torn as individual leaves)
Cilantro (to garnish)

Learn how to make this recipe.

*Applegate Organics turkey burgers are Whole30 compliant, but, of course, you can make your own turkey burgers from ground turkey and whatever Whole30 seasonings you like.

Avocado Chicken Salad

Don’t get us wrong—we adore our Primal Kitchen Mayo made with avocado oil—but, sometimes it’s nice to switch things up with a chicken salad recipe that gets its healthy fat and flavor from mashed avocado. Our friend Dani Spies at Clean & Delicious whipped up this easy eight-ingredient chicken salad that can be piled onto butter lettuce leaves, packed with zucchini or carrot chips for a workweek lunch, or served in cucumber boats (spoon out the seeds to make room for the chicken salad).

Servings: 2

Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 heaping cup cooked chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup sliced scallions
1/2 diced jalapeno (remove ribs and seeds)
1 clove crushed garlic
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1-2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Learn how to make the recipe.

Spinach Deviled Eggs

If you love (and miss!) spinach-artichoke dip but want a keto-friendly, Whole30-approved option, these deviled eggs provide an out-of-the-box option that can be enjoyed without remorse. There’s no cheese in sight in this recipe, but it still has all of the creamy, rich flavor of the original dip. The egg whites provide an easy-to-hold package for delivering the flavorful filling, making this recipe perfect for a lunch to go. Pair with a simple green salad, some carrot and celery sticks, and a handful of olives or raw almonds for a tasty moveable feast.

Servings: 2

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

3 hard-boiled eggs
3 tablespoons Primal Kitchen Mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/4 cup chopped, marinated artichoke hearts
1 teaspoon Primal Kitchen Organic Spicy Brown Mustard
Garlic and onion powder to taste

Learn how to make the recipe.

Whole30 Dinner Recipes

Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas

The whole point of sheet pan meals is to make life easier by delivering a flavorful, balanced meal to your table with very little cooking and cleanup involved. These sheet pan steak fajitas deliver on all counts. Strips of steak, bell pepper and onions served with avocado and salsa is a delicious mix of protein, colorful vegetables and healthy fat. Everything cooks together at the same time.

Servings: 4

Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound flank steak, cut into ½-inch slices*
Juice of 1 lime
1/3 cup avocado oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced

Learn how to make this recipe.

Salmon Steak Salad with Lemon Turmeric Vinaigrette

This recipe keeps it simple, without sacrificing flavor. Broiled salmon steaks are served over seared tomatoes and peppery arugula for a warm main course salad. The salad is dressed with invigorating Primal Kitchen Lemon-Turmeric Vinaigrette, adding bright citrus flavor and turmeric’s revitalizing health benefits.

Servings: 4

Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

5 to 6 ounces arugula (several big handfuls) (170 g)
2 to 4 salmon steaks, depending on the size (plan on about 8 ounces/226 g per person)
½ cup Primal Kitchen Lemon Turmeric Vinaigrette & Marinade (120 ml)
2 tablespoons Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil or extra virgin olive oil (30 ml)
16 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved (450 g)

Learn how to make this recipe.

Moroccan Chicken

Spice up the kitchen with this delicious Moroccan Chicken infused with anti-inflammatory spices and a rich combination of ginger, cinnamon, paprika, coriander, cumin, and Primal Kitchen Lemon Turmeric Vinaigrette & Marinade. Accompanied by crisp green beans and served over a bed of cauliflower rice, this exotic and well-rounded meal comes together in about an hour.

Servings: 4

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil
1 onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 Tbsp finely chopped ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
4 bone-in chicken thighs (with skin on)
Salt
Pepper
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 1/4 cup Primal Kitchen Lemon Turmeric Vinaigrette & Marinade
1 cup water
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 cups green beans
1/4 cup finely chopped mint

Learn how to make this recipe.

Spicy Lemon-Garlic Shrimp Skewers

Shrimp skewers are a classic choice for grilling outdoors or indoors. Made in just 20 minutes, these simple shrimp skewers are gluten-free, paleo-friendly, and Whole30-approved. They make a fresh, citrusy, and slightly spicy topper for salad, cauliflower rice, or a bed of grilled asparagus. Our friends at Paleo Hacks graciously shared this quick-cook idea with us.

Servings: 2-3

Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail on
2 lemons, halved and sliced
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon chili flakes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Salt to taste

Learn how to make this recipe.

What Whole30 recipes have been your go-tos? Share your favorites below, and thanks for stopping by today.

The post Whole30® Recipe Roundup appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

Mark’s Top 10 Tips for Getting Through a Whole30®

Next month, Primal Kitchen® will be teaming up with the Whole30® crew to help support people doing the Whole30 program. The guidelines complement the Primal Blueprint, after all, and the Primal Blueprint is a common after-Whole30 approach to long-term vitality for many folks. The Whole30 itself offers incredibly valuable feedback on the effects of certain foods on your health, and it’s an amazing kick-start for turning your diet (and well-being) around. Today I’m offering up my top tips for a successful Whole 30 experience.

1. Eat Enough Food

A Whole30 typically results in inadvertent calorie reduction for multiple reasons. You’re eating more nutrient-dense food, so your body doesn’t feel the need to cram in empty calories in a vain attempt to obtain the necessary vitamins and minerals. You’re probably also eating more fat and protein than before, which are far more satiating than empty, refined carbohydrates. You have steady, even energy throughout the day from better fat burning, and no longer need those glucose infusions called snacks to stay awake.

There is, however, such a thing as too little food. Micronutrients are great and all, but we must also eat for sheer energetic purposes. Calories matter. Don’t shortchange yourself here.

2. Don’t Worry Too Much About Macronutrients

I’m obviously a low-carb guy. For the past dozen or so years, I’ve eaten in the 150 grams or lower range, give or take a few days. For the past three years, I’ve strayed even lower, spending a fair amount of time in ketosis. Most regular people are eating far too many carbohydrates, more than their activity levels and lifestyles warrant, and they would probably do better and be healthier on a lower carb diet. But for the Whole30, I recommend that people not get too dogmatic in either direction and simply focus on the Whole30 guidelines.

Eat what feels right. Stick to the script Melissa has laid out, avoid the foods you should be avoiding, favor the foods you should be favoring, and let the macros fall where they may. Most people will probably end up eating less carbohydrate and more fat and protein, but that isn’t a given. A Whole30 deserves your full attention. Focusing on other dietary variables just detracts from that focus.

3. Enlist a Friend

Before you actually start the Whole30, get a friend, relative, or significant other to join the party. You can support each other. Help with meals. Trade tips. Exercise together. Keep each other honest and true. Offer a needed pep talk now and then. And most importantly, you’ll have someone who’s relying on you to stick with the program. That can really help when things get hard and you start feeling lazy.

4. Treat the Recommendations As Rules

The Whole30 has official rules, and it has recommended guidelines. The rules you know—don’t eat grains, legumes, dairy, alcohol, or added sugar; don’t weigh yourself; avoid certain preservatives and food additives; don’t recreate junk food with good ingredients, while the guidelines you may not.

They include:

Don’t eat too much fruit.
Don’t eat fruit and nut bars.
Don’t snack.
Choose organic and grass-fed.
Limit/avoid smoothies.

While these might feel like overly strict guidelines for a lifetime of eating, for the 30 days that you’re doing the Whole30, following them can offer you even more insight into how your body works and what makes you tick. I strongly suggest that you take these guidelines as rules. You’ll simply get better results. And again, it’s just 30 days. You can do it.

Do you have to? No, of course not. For that matter, you don’t have to follow the Whole30 at all. But given that you have agreed to do it, it’s not much more of a leap to adhere to the guidelines as well.

5. Focus On Legit Meals, Not Snack Foods That Technically Qualify

You could eat two cups of mac nuts, a coconut cream latte, beef jerky, and carrots sticks dipped in guacamole for your entire day’s food intake and still be Whole30. Or you could eat eggs and spinach for breakfast, a Big Ass Salad for lunch, and a grilled steak with asparagus for dinner and fresh nectarines for dessert. Which is the better choice?

Make the better choice. Don’t turn Whole30-compliant snack foods into meals.

6. Keep Salad Makings On Hand At All Times

A salad is just the perfect Whole30 (or any diet, really) meal. It’s a great way to get all your vegetables, plenty of meat and protein and fat, herbs and nuts and seeds. You can even throw in some fruit or starchier veggies, like winter squash or purple sweet potatoes if you want. The salad bowl is simply the ideal canvas for a healthy, enjoyable way of eating. But it does take time to prepare.

Greens: lettuces, baby greens, kale, spinach.

Cooked Meat: sliced steak, roasted chicken, grilled salmon.

Preserved Meat: smoked salmon, smoked oysters, canned tuna.

Chopped Veggies: onions, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, garlic

Roasted Veggies: all of the above and some of the below

Whole Veggies: cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes

Fruits: berries, apples, dried apricots.

Nuts: mac, almond, walnut, pistachio

Seeds: hemp, sunflower, pumpkin

Dressing: Primal Kitchen varieties, oil and vinegar.

That isn’t an exhaustive list, but it’s a great start. If you have something from every category ready to go, you can whip up a healthy, filling Whole30-compliant meal in under 10 minutes.

7. Show, Don’t Tell

The Whole30 works really well, which make sense as it’s like distilling ancestral eating practices. And when things go well, we want to tell the entire world. Right around the 2-3 week mark is when the lips start flapping of their own accord. It’s hard not to, when you feel so good and (despite dutifully avoiding scales and body fat measurements) look so good.

Feel free to answer questions like “Have you lost weight?” or “Why did you just eat half a roast chicken for breakfast?” or “What’s with all the avocados, dude?” You shouldn’t ignore people. But refrain from actively converting those around you. Don’t stand on street corners with flyers and placards. Don’t take every opportunity to hold mini-lectures at business lunches and midday meetings. This stuff works, it’ll show, and they will come to you. And if they don’t, they aren’t interested, and you should accept that.

Your focus for the 30 days should be on yourself and your progress.

8. Don’t Get Cocky

Stick to the script. You might be feeling good midway through. You might be looking leaner, feeling stronger, like nothing can get you down. You might decide you have some latitude here.

Maybe you need a reward for all your hard work. Maybe you should have a slice with your friends at happy hour. I mean, it’s just pizza, and you’ve come so far in just two weeks, and I bet your gut is healed and tight junctions all secure. Right?

Don’t do it. Stay with the protocol. Follow the rules. Two weeks isn’t enough to “clear the system.” You’ll start back at square one and squander all the hard work you’ve done. Thirty days is not too much to ask, and the amount of data you can gain from doing the full Whole30 as prescribed can have positive reverberations for the rest of your life.

We’re all adults here. Exert some free will (or act as if you have free will, if you’re the deterministic type)

Don’t get cocky (yet).

9. Stock Your Pantry, Fridge, and Freezer For Emergencies

Disaster strikes, and we need to be ready. I’m not even talking about true disasters—hurricanes, earthquakes, zombie apocalypses. I mean traffic jams, 5 o’clock meetings, parent-teacher conferences, after-school gymnastics classes, and the simple crushing weight of banal responsibility that can impede our ability to get fresh meals on the table. It’s good to be prepared with something healthy and fast. And sure, a growing number of restaurants and grocery stores are offering convenient Primal-friendly fare, but eating out adds up quickly. Here’s what I suggest:

In your freezer, keep some frozen ground beef, a few quarts of bone broth, a medley of frozen veggies, and a few filets of frozen fish.

In the pantry, keep sardines, tuna, smoked oysters, beef jerky.

In the fridge, keep cooked (and cooled) potatoes and yams, peeled winter squash, asparagus (lasts about a week if fresh), and a hearty leafy green (kale, chard, etc). Eggs, too, and maybe a roasted chicken or roasted leg of lamb.

With those foods, you can have a solid meal on the table in 10-15 minutes.

10. Don’t Neglect All the Other Stuff

The Whole30 is all about diet. It’s a complete overhaul of how most people eat, so it pays to make that the entire focus. But the other stuff, the various lifestyle factors that we talk about all the time on Mark’s Daily Apple, don’t stop affecting your health. Heeding the other variables will make your Whole 30 experience go more smoothly anyway.

For example, your Whole30 will go better if you get to bed at a reasonable time each night and practice good sleep hygiene.

Your Whole30 will go better if you move every day and train hard a few times each week.

Your Whole30 will go better if you spend time with friends, family, and loved ones. Enjoy good Whole30 meals, but also don’t forget to enjoy life.

That’s it for today, folks. Those are my tips for making the most of a Whole30 experience. What are yours? Take care.

The post Mark’s Top 10 Tips for Getting Through a Whole30® appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

Dear Mark: Does Low-Carb Shorten Lifespan?

For today’s edition of Dear Mark, I’m answering a single, significant question. It concerns the latest “anti-low-carb” study claiming that we’re all killing ourselves by not eating bread. A reader wonders if the study is legit and if we should be worried about eating fewer carbs than “normal” people.

I don’t think we should be concerned, and I’ll explain why in detail. Let’s take a look and break it down.

Hi Mark,

I’m sure you’ve seen this latest study to claim that low-carb diets will kill us all: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/la...

Is it legit?

Yes, I’ve seen it.

Where to start?

This study came from Walter Willet, he of the voluminous mustache and unbridled enthusiasm for seed oils.

The most glaring weakness is the way they gathered the data. Over the course of 25 years, participants were asked to accurately report their diet reaching back as far as six years. This is an inherent issue in most nutrition data gathering, so it’s not unique to this study, but come on. Can you remember what you ate 6 years ago? Did your diet change at all, or was it stable enough to encompass with a curt summary?

The characteristics of the participants differed greatly.

Low-carbers were far more likely:

To be men—Males have a higher risk of mortality than women.
To be diabetic—Diabetes lowers lifespan, especially in the 1980s (when the bulk of the data was collected).
To be sedentary—Failure to exercise is a major risk factor for early death, and ill health in general.
To smoke cigarettes—Again, this is an elementary variable. Nothing like being able to smoke indoors. Remember smoking sections on airplanes? I do.
To eat fewer fruits and vegetables—Carnivory is popular these days, and may work for some, but plants are still good for you and actually complement a low-carb, high-meat diet quite nicely.
To be overweight—All else being equal, the fatter you are, the unhealthier you are.

Even if they were able to “control for” all those variables, you can’t control for the overall health and wellness trajectory of a person hellbent on ignoring their personal health. What other unhealthy things are they doing that weren’t captured and accounted for by the researchers?

For instance, alcohol intake. They didn’t look at alcohol intake in this trial. Seriously, search for “alcohol” in the paper and you’ll come up blank. It’s very likely that the low-carbers were drinking more alcohol, as similarly-conducted epidemiological research has found that “carbohydrate intake [is] the first to decrease with increasing alcohol consumption.” (2) Alcohol can take a serious toll on health and lifespan if you aren’t careful with your intake.

Oh, and low-carbers were also more likely to be on a diet. This might be the most crucial variable of all. Who goes on a diet, typically? People who have a health or weight problem. Who doesn’t diet? People who are happy with their health and weight. There are exceptions to this, obviously, but on a population wide scale, these trends emerge. Did the low-carb diet actually reduce health and lifespan, or did the health conditions that prompted the diet in the first place reduce health and lifespan?

Ultimately, this was all based on observational studies and epidemiological data. It can’t establish cause-and-effect, it can only suggest hypotheses and avenues for future research.

Luckily, we have controlled trials that demonstrate the health benefits of low-carb dieting, all of which correspond to better longevity:

Improved cardiovascular risk factors. (3)
Improved metabolic and vascular health. (4)
Reduced inflammation. (5)
Improved insulin sensitivity. (5)

You could make the argument that the positive health effects are purely short-term and that in the long run, those benefits turn to negatives. It wouldn’t be a very good argument, though, because we don’t have any indication that it actually happens. If you go reduce carbs or go keto and you lose body fat, gain lean muscle, improve your fasting blood sugar, normalize your lipids, and reduce inflammatory markers, I see no plausible mechanism by which those improvements lead you to an early grave. Do you?

It seems the burden of proof lies in the Willet camp. If the only healthy range of carbohydrate intake is between 50-55%, he would have to show that:

No healthy, long-lived cultures or individuals have a carbohydrate intake that strays from the 50-55% range. Anthropological and ethnographical evidence must confirm.
The benefits of low-carb diets, established through randomized controlled trials, are illusory and/or transitory, eventually giving way to health decrements that lower lifespan.

That’s a tough one. Hats off if he can pull it off. I doubt he can.

Thanks for writing in. I hope I allayed any concerns you might have had.

Take care, all, and be sure to share down below with your own comments and questions.

References:

1. Seidelmann, Sarah, MD, et al. Dietary Carbohydrate Intake and Mortality. Lancet. 2018. (Online First)

2. Liangpunsakul S. Relationship between alcohol intake and dietary pattern: findings from NHANES III. World J Gastroenterol. 2010;16(32):4055-60.

3. Thorning TK, Raziani F, Bendsen NT, Astrup A, Tholstrup T, Raben A. Diets with high-fat cheese, high-fat meat, or carbohydrate on cardiovascular risk markers in overweight postmenopausal women: a randomized crossover trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;102(3):573-81.

4. Ballard KD, Quann EE, Kupchak BR, et al. Dietary carbohydrate restriction improves insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, microvascular function, and cellular adhesion markers in individuals taking statins. Nutr Res. 2013;33(11):905-12.

5. Rajaie S, Azadbakht L, Saneei P, Khazaei M, Esmaillzadeh A. Comparative effects of carbohydrate versus fat restriction on serum levels of adipocytokines, markers of inflammation, and endothelial function among women with the metabolic syndrome: a randomized cross-over clinical trial. Ann Nutr Metab. 2013;63(1-2):159-67.

The post Dear Mark: Does Low-Carb Shorten Lifespan? appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

Weekend Link Love — Edition 517

Research of the Week

Breastfeeding for six months protects against dental malocclusion.

Roundup Ready… breakfast cereal?

A weak grip spells health troubles for everyone.

Taking DMT mimics the near death experience.

New Primal Blueprint Podcasts

Episode 271: Arielle Ford: Host Elle Russ chats with Arielle Ford about manifesting love (which some say is all you need).

Each week, select Mark’s Daily Apple blog posts are prepared as Primal Blueprint Podcasts. Need to catch up on reading, but don’t have the time? Prefer to listen to articles while on the go? Check out the new blog post podcasts below, and subscribe to the Primal Blueprint Podcast here so you never miss an episode.

Interesting Blog Posts

Protein and your kidneys.

“There is a possibility that we are only in a short lull between sabercats.”

War has always been hell. Could the real cause of the modern PTSD epidemic be a uniquely modern input: brain damage from massive explosions?

Media, Schmedia

Everybody has a limit.

Monsanto takes another hit in court.

Everything Else

Scientists crack the wheat genome.

Did John Muir mess up Yosemite?

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

Wine I’d drink: The one Tania Teschke recommends. Speaking of which, check out Tania’s site for great recipes and upcoming free events.

I can already feel my inbox bulging at the seams: “Low-carb diets could shorten life, study says.”

Article I’m reading: “Why drink is the secret to humanity’s success.”

Study I found interesting: After their liberation from Japanese rule in 1945, Korean skull size skyrocketed.

This isn’t medical advice: Briefs replace the pill.

Recipe Corner

Most of you probably haven’t had rabbit with prunes. You should.
Zucchini spaghetti bolognese done in an hour instead of four, thanks to the Instant Pot.

Time Capsule

One year ago (Aug 12 – Aug 18)

Is There a Problem with Weight Loss Culture? – Yes, but you should still try to lose weight if you have extra.
CrossFit Training: How to Support Overall Wellness and Longevity with Primal – How we can help.

Comment of the Week

“My daughter came into my study while I was reading this and yelled ‘MOM … dad is worried about how much protein he’s eating!!!’ I told her I’m just reading an article on my go to health site LOL. ”

– Hilarious, HealthyHombre.

The post Weekend Link Love — Edition 517 appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

Keto Cole Slaw

Whether you’re planning a summer barbecue or an informal dinner, you can never go wrong with cole slaw. Creamy, tangy and crunchy, it’s always a crowd pleaser. But most cole slaw recipes use ingredients that contain sugar or other added sweeteners as well as mayo made with industrial seed oils. Not this recipe. Here you’ll find a healthier version all around and one that even fits the needs of a keto dieter—with all the fresh taste you’ve come to expect.

The goodness of Primal Kitchen® Mayo (made from healthy avocado oil) and Primal Kitchen Organic Spicy Brown Mustard mix with the bright colors and nutrients of cabbage, carrots and green onion—with a few extras to create a zesty and creamy side you’ll want to serve every week. (Personally, we think they go exceptionally well with these tempting Low-Carb Ribs.…)

Servings: 4

Time in the Kitchen: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup Primal Kitchen Mayo
2 Tbsp Primal Kitchen Organic Spicy Brown Mustard
2 Tbsp full fat organic sour cream
1/4 cup dill relish
2 tsp organic apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup chopped green onion
2-3 tsp horseradish (depending on how spicy you like it)
3 cups (about half a head) of shredded green cabbage
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 Tbsp celery seed
Salt/Pepper to taste

Instructions

Shred cabbage, grate carrot, and chop green onion.

Mix mayo, mustard, apple cider vinegar, horseradish, celery seed, sour cream, and relish. Pour over veggie mix and toss to fully coat. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!

The post Keto Cole Slaw appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

I’m No Longer Anxious About Not Having Food Available

It’s Friday, everyone! And that means another Primal Blueprint Real Life Story from a Mark’s Daily Apple reader. If you have your own success story and would like to share it with me and the Mark’s Daily Apple community please contact me here. I’ll continue to publish these each Friday as long as they keep coming in. Thank you for reading!

I’ve been athletic and thin my whole life, 5’9″ 145 pounds. Nine years ago when I was 22-years-old I started noticing that I was running out of steam when road biking. The problem was solved with eating more, things like granola bars and gels. Over the next 8 years I kept having to eat more and more to feel satiated. I stopped road biking and going to the gym, I had no energy to be active even though I was eating tons of tons of food (carbs). We’re talking about eating four bagels at work, in addition to 3 large meals a day. Going on trips I would have loaves of bread on the ready.

I had seen an endocrinologist, had many things tested, I appeared to be completely normal. No medical explanation. My A1C was 5.7 and when occasionally checking my blood sugar it would always be between 70-130. I eventually hit the point when I was having hypoglycemic-like incidents every 2 hours while being completely sedentary. Eating would solve the issue for 2 hours. I was a slave to food and was scared of what was happening to me. I was struggling to live a normal life.

Last year I turned to Dr. Google and I found the ketogenic diet. It seemed to make sense, your body will run off of ketones and your blood sugar will not be all over the place. Within a week I had my life back. Boundless energy and endurance.

Doing more research I found your site and The Primal Blueprint. The Primal Blueprint and fitness clicks with me, much more than just limiting carbs. I’ve been primal for a year and I am feeling better than ever. My yearly physical showed my A1C at 5.2 and I’m no longer anxious about not having food available. I am now 31-years-old and I can look forward to living life.

Something interesting that I can’t explain is that I never was able to gain weight, before primal and even now. Maybe I have a very fast metabolism, I don’t know.

If I don’t have time to make breakfast in the morning I am able to skip breakfast and have also experimented with fasting for 24 hours to see if I could do it. I’ve found that a small amount of healthy carbs gives me that extra gear for when I need to be very active. My current activities are chasing after my three children and cutting up firewood, no easy tasks. I can tackle these with ease, thanks to primal. I’m certain going primal can cure just about anything!

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Wearable Weights: Are They Worth It?

If you’re looking for an easy way to incorporate a beginning strength training practice (or just a little extra effort) into your exercise routine, wearable weights—which include weighted vests, ankle weights and wrist weights—can seem like a no-brainer. After all, you’re technically investing the same amount of time and doing the same activities but just with more effort and benefit. And you just have to slip them on and go, right?

Not exactly.

What Are Wearable Weights?

The most common types of wearable weights include weighted vests and wrist and ankle weights.

Weighted vests are exactly what they sound like, except instead of zipping or buttoning the vest in the front, many models go on over your head and attach at the sides. Vests range anywhere between 15 and 150 pounds in weight, and typically have pockets where the weights go. You can easily adjust the load by adding or removing weights.

Meanwhile, wrist and ankle weights can be as light as one pound apiece or as heavy as 20 pounds. The weights themselves are often built into a thick strap that you then wrap around the wrists and ankles and secure with velcro.

The Risks and Benefits of Weighted Vests

Runners often use weighted vests to enhance running performance and economy, or how much oxygen you need to sustain your effort. For example, one study in Biology of Exercise reveals that runners who trained with a weighted vest equivalent to 8, 15 and 20 percent of their body weight improved their sprint running performance by up to 10 percent.

But even if you’re not a high-level runner, you can still reap benefits by following their lead.

A weighted vest can be a great option for boosting the intensity of your cardio activities, so you end up burning more calories in the same amount of time if that’s a priority. After all, when you add extra weight to your body, your muscles and cardiovascular system have to work harder to sustain your efforts.

Wearing a weighted vest can also be a great way to incorporate muscle- and bone-strengthening benefits into aerobic activities like walking or jogging. When you place resistance on your body, you stimulate the process of creating new bone cells, which ultimately helps prevent bone loss.

That said, you should steer clear of weighted vests if you have any neck or back issues. Wearing weight around your torso will place added stress on your spine, which can travel upstream to your neck.

Even if you don’t have any existing neck or back issues, there are still safety precautions it’s smart to consider.

For a start, don’t go heavier than 10 percent of your body weight. This means if you weigh 150 pounds, your vest should weigh no more than 15 pounds. Start light and gradually work your way up. Similarly, start by incorporating a weighted vest into your walking routine once or twice per week. Also, think twice before wearing a weighted vest while jogging or running, however, as this could place added impact through your spine.

You’ll also want to make sure the weight in your vest is as evenly distributed as possible. Spread the weight equally in the front, back and sides of the vest so you don’t overwork the muscles and joints in one area of your body. If you place all the weight in the front of the vest, for example, your back muscles will have to work much harder, which increases your risk of back pain and injury. Putting all the weight in the back, meanwhile, places extra stress on the muscles in the front of your body.

If your weighted vest has a belt, secure it tightly to keep the weight close to your body.

The Risks and Benefits of Wrist and Ankle Weights

It’s not uncommon to see people walking around with weights attached to their wrists or ankles. Like weighted vests, wrist and ankle weights can increase the intensity of your walk or run, leading to a greater overall calorie burn.

However, the calorie-burning benefits don’t outweigh the risks to your joints, muscles and tendons.

For starters, wearing wrist and ankle weights while walking or running can actually strain your joints, increasing your chances of injuries like sprains and tears. Ankle weights in particular can change your gait by shifting more of the work onto the quads (the muscles in the front of your thighs) and pulling on your ankle joint, ultimately leading to pain and injury to the knees, hips and back. And if you have any balance issues, wrist and ankle weights could potentially increase your risk of falls by altering your center of gravity.

Wrist and ankle weights can safely fit into an exercise routine when used for standard strength exercises. Wrist and ankle weights are the perfect choice for exercises like side-lying leg lifts, biceps curls, bent-over rows and lateral raises, which target specific muscle groups like the hips, biceps, shoulders and hamstrings.

In fact, wrist weights can be especially helpful if you suffer from arthritis and have trouble gripping a dumbbell, so check with your doctor to see if they might be a good addition to your routine.

Final Primal Considerations

While I wouldn’t argue wearable weights are necessary by any means, for some people they can be a useful investment. Weighted vests make it easy to boost the intensity of an otherwise low-key stroll, while wrist and ankle weights can make resistance training more manageable for those with arthritis or limited space to exercise. Just play it smart: check with your doctor first if you have any existing back, joint or balance issues. Assuming you’re good to go, start lighter and gradually work your way up.

Have you used wearable weights of any kind? What’s your experience been? Thanks for reading today, everybody.

Want to make fat loss easier?

Try the Definitive Guide for Troubleshooting Weight Loss for free here.

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