Mark Sisson's Blog, page 20
August 12, 2022
Ask a Health Coach: How Do I Lose 10 Pounds Fast?
Hey folks, Board-Certified Health Coach Chloe Maleski is here to answer your questions about healthy weight loss. Want to feel lighter and more at home in your body? We’re here with guidance and support! Have a question you’d like to ask our health coaches? Leave it below in the comments or over in the Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook group.
Jordan asked:
“How do I lose 10 pounds FAST! I have a friend’s wedding coming up, need to fit in my bridesmaid’s dress, and put off losing my Covid weight because…Summer. I know this isn’t the best way to do it, but help!”
Hi, Jordan! First, take a deep breath and know that you’re not alone in feeling like health, fitness, and wellness goals fell by the wayside this Summer. Similarly, many folks put on extra, unwanted weight over the past few years. A lot has happened! A lot is still happening!
Not feeling our best or most comfortable in our body can be particularly stressful when we have special occasions ahead. This is doubly true when there’s pressure (internally or from others) to fit into a particular outfit, look a certain way, or be “on display.”
Just to say: I get it. And…you’re spot on: The “lose weight fast” approach is never the optimal path towards healthy, sustainable change. That said, there are steps you can do in the immediate term…and steps to set you up for success long after the wedding. Let’s break it down.
How to Fit into That DressTo start with the obvious: Is there any way to alter or change up the dress? I know, I know…a wedding’s a big day and often requires advance planning and great expense. Still, if there’s an option to tailor your dress or choose a new one, please know there’s zero shame in that. You want to enjoy your friend’s special day. Doing so will be way easier if you’re wearing something that fits!
I recognize this might entail having an honest, vulnerable conversation with your friend or others involved in the planning process. While that may be difficult, folks sometimes respond better than expected. In fact, they may be experiencing similar places of insecurity. Try to keep all of this in perspective. However special the occasion, it’s one day. It’s also about way more than a dress. This time next year, what you wore will be the last thing anyone remembers.
As a Primal Health Coach (and not a stylist or tailor), I do have more to suggest. You didn’t mention how far away the big day is, but I get the sense it’s coming soon. That’s fine. Even if you followed the guidance I’m about to offer for just one week, you’d still feel lighter and more at home in your dress and your skin. Our bodies truly are on our side and are remarkably responsive when we give them what they need to thrive. Even better news? What they need isn’t complicated and doesn’t have to make us miserable! Here’s what you do.
1. Your first priority is to stick with Primal eating 100 percent during this stretch.No “cheating.” No excuses. Keep your end goal in mind and know that this is not the rest of your life. After the wedding, you can pause and reassess.
Again, this doesn’t have to be miserable! We’re talking delicious meals of real, whole foods, including: high-quality protein, healthy fats, and summertime veggies and fruits. We also have a full primer on Primal eating and get tons of healthy recipes. You probably already know this, but eating Primal also means avoiding: grains, highly processed foods, and highly refined vegetable and seed oils.
2. Cut out alcohol and Primal treats and sweets.Again, this isn’t (necessarily) forever. But alcohol is lipogenic (literally, “fat generating”). It tells your body to put metabolism of other things on hold while it clears alcohol out of your system. It also contributes to water retention and makes it far more likely that you’ll store extra sugar and carbs as body fat.
What’s more, drinking alcohol can increase hunger, reduce sensations of satiety, and lower inhibitions. All this adds an extra challenge when it comes to healthy eating! Meanwhile, Primal treats are fine for most folks in moderation. But if your goal is faster weight loss, sugar of any kind will not be helpful.
3. Watch your carbs.This one requires slightly more attention to detail but is a game changer when it comes to body composition and weight loss. By eating strict Primal (priority number 1), you’ll already be skipping major high-carb culprits: grain-based breads, pasta, cereals, baked goods, and the like. To dial this up a notch, take it easy on higher-carb Primal fare, such as sweet potatoes and starchy fruits.
There’s not one “carb level” that works for everyone. As a coach, I help clients fine-tune general guidelines to serve their individual goals and needs. That said, you’ll likely want to keep carb intake under 100 grams a day for effortless weight loss. For more specifics on this and why it matters, check out the Primal Carb Curve.
4. Reduce or eliminate snacking.If you’re sticking with Primal food and eating enough protein and healthy fats, snacking between meals will likely feel less and less necessary. Our bodies have not evolved to eat throughout the day; modern diets high in carbs and sugar have simply thrown our hormonal signaling system off kilter.
Even when eating a Primal diet, lifelong patterns, beliefs, and emotions around food have a strong pull. If this comes up for you, remember that hunger is normal and healthy. Our body needs to rest and digest between meals and can’t do this if we’re always piling on more food.
5. Drink enough water.When we support our body by eating a Primal diet, we can trust its signals and we can trust our thirst. On the other hand, many folks have spent many years being out of touch of their body’s signals and needs.
As you go about your day, notice when you feel thirsty and what that feels like. Respond to that feeling by hydrating when needed. When the body is hydrated sufficiently, it’s less likely to retain excess water “in case you need it.”
6. Move your body frequently and try sprints.Remember that Primal eating is only one aspect of the 10 Primal Blueprint Rules. In the lead-up to the wedding, take care to incorporate frequent movement into your every day. Once a week, do a sprinting session. This takes very little time, has a big impact, and doesn’t necessarily look like traditional “sprinting.”
7. Double down on sleep and managing your stress.Again, Primal eating is just one part of the picture. Our hormonal system has a huge impact on health and body composition. Insufficient sleep and chronic stress lead to deregulation of that system, impair metabolism, and contribute to systemic inflammation. Those effects will work against your weight loss goals!
Sustained Weight LossDoing the above in a fully committed way will no doubt help you feel better on the big day and feel more comfortable in your dress.
Far more important in the bigger scheme of things is how you’ll carry these practices into your life beyond this single event. This is about sustained weight loss, yes. But it’s also about giving your body what it needs to thrive. In this regard, consistency is key—particularly when it comes to seeing the most significant, most sustained outcomes.
This doesn’t mean that you can never diverge from the above guidelines. But to see the biggest, most lasting results, adhering to the spirit of the 80-20 rule is key. This means: aim to eat and live Primally 100 percent of the time while recognizing that life circumstances sometimes get in the way. When that happens, simply re-set and recalibrate by returning to Primal ways.
Look, nothing I shared here today is overly complicated. Usually, we already know what our body most needs when it comes to maintaining body weight and feeling our healthiest and best. That said, one person’s “perfect protocol” won’t look like everyone else’s. For customized support and implementation backup, consider working with a Primal Health Coach one-on-one!
We can help you get clear on what practices are best for you and help you carry through with them. Visit myprimalcoach.com to learn more and get started!
Do you feel pressure to lose weight for an upcoming occasion? Have any encouraging words for Jordan or others wanting to lose weight this Summer? Please share and drop other questions for me in the comments!
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August 10, 2022
Modifying Your Plant-Based Diet
I’m not a vegetarian (although my wife and son have dabbled with it). I’m certainly not a vegan. I don’t recommend that anyone eat a totally plant-based diet for health reasons. Animal foods are too good, too central to our evolutionary history, and too important for our physiology to ever give up entirely. On the contrary, I think meat, eggs, seafood, and dairy are some of the healthiest foods on the planet, and most people should be eating more of them than they currently eat.
However, plant-based diets are exploding in popularity and I know people are going to eat them—and I care about people’s health. If they’re going to do it anyway, I’d like to help them do the diet in the healthiest way possible.
Eat Whole FoodsDon’t live off plant-based “meats” or lab-grown garbage. Ditch the Tofurkey and Facon. Don’t eat canola-soaked fake chicken nuggets and mockeroni.
If you insist on eating things engineered to resemble meat, maybe you should just listen to your body and eat meat. But you don’t want to do that—right?
Don’t Base Your Diet on GrainsThere are dozens of reasons why grains are unhealthy, particularly as a staple food. They’re high in anti-nutrients—chemical compounds that damage your stomach lining and impair your absorption of the nutrients the grains are supposedly so rich in. They’re not even that high in micronutrients like vitamins and minerals, especially when you consider the phytic acid in the grains often reduces your absorption of minerals. They’re high in carbs, which most people need to be reducing in their diets, not increasing.
But the main reason is that there are hundreds of better plant foods to base your diet on other than grains.
Legumes like beans and lentilsNuts and seedsPotatoes (complete protein)Sweet potatoesWinter squashBeets, carrots, rutabagas, turnips, and other root vegetablesEat Healthy FatsAvoid all industrial seed oils. Following a plant-based diet will necessarily increase your linoleic acid content. Therefore, you don’t need any more and seed oils are the densest source around.
Instead, use extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, red palm oil, coconut oil, and macadamia nut oil. These will provide stable saturated and monounsaturated fats that won’t go rancid or oxidize very easily, and they’ll keep your linoleic acid content low.
Eat Mushrooms RegularlyMushrooms are a different category of living thing entirely. They aren’t animals and they aren’t plants. As such, they seem to offer special benefits and unique nutrients to plant-based dieters.
For one, they can be a rich repository of vitamin D, which is a common stumbling block for plant-based dieters.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34130... Two, they offer that meaty umami punch that so many vegan and vegetarians are looking for in fake meat products. The beauty of the mushroom is it provides that without being a processed junk food product.
Warning: they may have a degree of sentience, depending on who you ask (and which mushrooms you eat). Listen for any sub perceptible screams or cries of anguish when you bite into one to be sure.
Sprout Your Grains, Legumes, Nuts, and SeedsSprouting anything lowers the antinturient content and increases the micronutrient content. More specifically, sprouting reduces or mitigates:
Phytic acid, a compound that can bind to minerals and prevent their absorption in the gut.Gluten, which can be a gut irritant and trigger leaky gut in susceptible people. Sprouting doesn’t destroy gluten entirely, but it does reduce it and make it less problematic in some people.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17497... content.Sprouting increases:
DigestibilityProteinFolate contentVitamin C contentVitamin E contentPrebiotic soluble fiberConsume Fermented SoyWhile soy is a reliable source of protein and calories for plant-based dieters, it has its issues. The isolated soy protein can depress testosterone production in males.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15735... Plus, the many soy products out there tend to be high in phytic acid, which binds to minerals and prevents their absorption. Because soy is such a blank slate for any flavor, much of what passes for “soy” is actually just junk food.
You can get around this issue by eating more traditional forms of soy, like tempeh, natto, miso, and even fermented tofu. These are time-tested ways of consuming soy that use fermentation to reduce antinutrient content, render the proteins more digestible, and create new bioactive vitamins like vitamin K2 (in natto).onlinelibrary.wiley.com/…01709.x/abst...
Take SupplementsPlant-based diets are inevitably deficient in vital micronutrients and fatty acids. There’s no getting around that. Whatever you might think about animal foods today, the fact remains that the human body evolved in the context of regular meat and seafood consumption. If you aren’t going to eat any animals, you have to supplement.
What supplements do I recommend on a plant-based diet?
Vitamin B12: Despite what many claim, a vegan diet can’t supply vitamin B12. No, not through spirulina shakes. No, you can’t rely on your gut bacteria to produce it. You have to eat animal foods—or supplement.DHA: Humans just aren’t good at elongating the plant-based ALA into the longer chained marine-based DHA, the most important omega-3 fat. Used for brain health, cardiovascular function, and overall systemic integrity, there’s no substitute for DHA. Humans have to eat it directly, either through cold water fish and shellfish (or enriched eggs) or through vegan-friendly algae oil, which has been shown to improve omega-3 status.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28417...Creatine: One of the most well-researched supplements in the world, creatine is only found in meat and fish. It’s important for both muscle performance and cognitive function in everyone regardless of diet, but especially in vegans and vegetarians (who get none without supplementing). Studies have found that vegetarians who supplement with creatine enjoy better memory and stronger executive functioning in addition to performance gains in the gym.Carnosine: Carnosine is another meat-only nutrient. While we can make carnosine in our bodies, supplemental carnosine—either through meat or pills—has been shown to help with mood regulation and psychological health.Taurine: Taurine falls into the same category as carnosine. Everyone makes it, but extra from diet or supplementation offers many important health benefits. Unfortunately, taurine only appears in animal foods, so plant-based dieters will have to take supplements to get any extra.Iodine: Plant-based dieters who aren’t eating seaweed should definitely add some kelp tablets to their diet or take a dedicated iodine supplement. Iodine deficiency is quite common among vegan dieters, and rather catastrophic for thyroid and cognitive health.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33161...Zinc: Conditional based on diet. Best source is red meat, oysters, and other shellfish. If you’re not eating those, you might want to take a little zinc picolinate.Protein powder: Protein is a tough one on a vegan diet. You can make it work if you really try hard, but it’s easier to just take protein powder supplements to “top you off.” The problem is that good plant-based protein is hard to come by, especially compared to something like whey which is the gold standard for hypertrophy and recovery from training. This fermented pea protein (standard non-fermented pea protein can have some digestive or worse side effects) or hemp protein (another complete plant protein) are good options.Nutritional yeast: Nutritional yeast is an incredible source of B-vitamins for vegetarians and vegans. It also provides a pleasant “cheesy” flavor you can add to almost anything.Include Eggs and DairyVegans won’t do this, and I get that. But I implore anyone eating a “plant-based diet” to consider eating some high quality, pasture-raised eggs and grass-fed and/or raw dairy. Doing so will give you the micronutrients (like B12, zinc, and iron), long chain omega-3 fatty acids, and high quality protein a plant-based diet so often lacks. It’s such an easy solution to the issues of plant-based diets.
Hell, even vegans can raise backyard chickens and eat their eggs—or find a friend or farmer who raises chickens in a way that sits well with you. No harm done there, right? You can control (or confirm) their living situation yourself and give them a good, cruelty free life.
Big ask, I know. But it’s really, really worth it. Just one or two eggs a day can give you tons of B12, zinc, iodine, and DHA.
Eat a Few Oysters a WeekOysters do not have functioning or conscious central nervous systems, meaning they most likely cannot feel pain or distress. A few oysters a week gives you incredible amounts of vitamin B12, iron, zinc, and even DHA. I actually believe an otherwise vegan diet with ample oysters could be a workable diet.
I doubt you’ll take me up on it, but please consider it.
That’s it. That’s how you do a plant-based diet the healthiest way possible. Let me know if you have any questions.
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References https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34130207/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17497874/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15735098/onlinelibrary.wiley.com/…01709.x/abstracthttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28417511/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33161940/
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August 9, 2022
How to Improve Balance, and Why It’s Important
Everything in the world is conspiring to make you fall over. The ground is slippery, slick, and studded with protrusions. The earth moves under your feet. Discarded banana peels are an ever-present threat. Gravity itself exerts a constant downward pull.
You probably only think about balance when you decide to test it—or when you lose it. But you’re relying on it every second that you’re not lying prone. Whenever you work at your standing desk, step out of the shower, hustle across a busy intersection, or ride your kids to school on your bikes, you can thank your balance for allowing you to successfully move through your day without injury.
Stop for a second and think about how much goes into maintaining balance:
Musculoskeletal strength and coordination: Balance requires not just adequately strong bones, muscles, and joints but also proper alignment. Muscles that are too tight or too weak can cause imbalances.Vision: Visual input provides an overview of the physical surroundings, and external focus (looking at a point in the environment) helps keep us from losing our balance as easily.Vestibular system: The fluid in our inner ears acts as a kind of level, telling us where our bodies are in space.Somatosensory system: The nerves in our muscles and connective tissues relay information about our position in the surroundings.Cognition: The brain has to integrate all the information coming in from the body and make adjustments on the fly to fight gravity.That we (usually) manage to stay upright at all is impressive!
Why is balance important?This might be obvious, but let’s run through it. Balance isn’t just standing on a stable surface without toppling over (static stability). It’s also maintaining your posture and technique while walking, running, jumping, cycling, or anything else that involves movement (dynamic stability). Balance is essential for all of us, and especially for athletes whose feats put them at regular odds with the forces that threaten to throw them off kilter. Athletes with better balance are less prone to falls and injury, especially if they have a prior history of injury.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17503... https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11086...
The older you get, the more challenging balancing becomes, which makes sense. Muscular strength, bone density, vision, and somatosensory function all decline with age. Bone loss typically accompanies menopause, which is why over 70 percent of hip fractures in seniors occur in women.https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/staying... If you’re unlucky enough to suffer a hip fracture after the age of 50, you have a 24 percent chance of dying within a year. Balance assessments are an effective predictor of fall risk in the elderly.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/88089... Better balance, less risk, as you’d expect.
What can I do to improve my balance?Get enough sleep.I don’t care if you’re sick of hearing me crow about sleep. It’s that important, and I’m going to continue to detail the many facets of life affected by poor sleep.
The day after a night of sleep deprivation, your dynamic balance suffers. Your ability to integrate sensorimotor function with visual input to control posture drops.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... Your postural stability gets wonky.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21188... If you keep it up at a chronic level, even missing “just a few hours” each night, you impair postural control.7
Spend more time barefoot.The foot, with its intricate architecture of small bones, connective tissue, and musculature, are designed to collective somatosensory information from the ground. Your toes grip the ground, and small adjustments in the feet and ankles correct for temporary, even imperceptible (to your conscious self) losses of balance. When your feet are encased in thick-soled, “supportive” footwear, you prevent your feet from serving these most important of functions.
Move deliberately.Don’t rush through movements all the time. Move slooooowly and really feel the motion. Maintain control across the whole span.
Walking meditations involve slow, controlled strolls with intentional mindfulness paid to your body and your surroundings.
I really like different plank variations, including contralateral and side planks, for the slow yet strong stress they place on your balance capacity.
Build strength.Balance isn’t all in the head. You don’t think yourself to stability. You must ultimately use your muscles to stabilize yourself. And while you don’t need to add 30 pounds of muscle and squat three times your bodyweight to improve balance, getting stronger does help. If you already know that balance is an issue for you, seek out a physiotherapist who specializes in balance exercises.
Work balance into the day.This doesn’t have to be complicated. There are endless ways to work balance into the day and have fun doing it. Below are some of my favorite.
Stand on one leg while you wait for coffee.Get off the concrete and walk on more natural surfaces—grass, sand, even gravel.Walk along the curb.Skip.When you go to the gym to lift heavy things, incorporate single-leg lifts like single-leg deadlifts and pistol squats.Maintain a neutral spine.Balance is about maintaining a stable, neutral spine amidst whatever gravity and life throws at you. So always focus on the spine.
Keep your shoulders back and chest up. Don’t thrust your check out, but don’t allow your shoulders to round forward either. Keep everything in a nice line. Keep your feet, ankles, knees, and hips mobile, lubed up, and primed for activity. Watch knee valgus (knee caving inward) during movements like squats.
This is basic posture, but it’s so important. If your head juts forward, you’re out of position. You’ve just committed 11 pounds of skull, flesh, and brain to a bad position where gravity can yank down on it. Now imagine running, jumping, or even just walking down the street with that big head lolling around upsetting your balance.
Get some air.Jumping—and landing—is perhaps the single best test of balance. You’re flying through the air then landing. Your body wants to keep going, and you need to prevent that without tearing anything or falling over. There’s a lot going on, too much to intellectualize.
That’s why actually getting out and jumping is so important for balance. Keep the basics in mind:
Land softly on the balls of your feet, then the heelsLand with hip flexion, and absorb the impact with your quads, glutes, and hamstringsDon’t let your knees drift inward.Maintain that neutral spine.Start small, and the body will take care of the rest. You do it, you land it, you do it again, you improve, you learn.
Want even more fun? Try a trampoline or a rebounder. I recently found myself on a 15-foot trampoline. The difference between jumping and landing with a neutral, aligned spine and jumping and landing even slightly hunched over was jarring. The former felt fluid and powerful and right. The latter felt all wrong, and I only jumped about half as high. Trampolines reward good balance. They enhance it, too.
Stay young.Aging worsens everything associated with balance, so do your best not to age. I’m kidding, kinda. Everyone progresses through space-time. We all “get older.” But your biological age—the health and resilience of your tissues, organs, and abilities—is more malleable. You can’t turn back time, but you can compress morbidity:
Stay active. Walk a ton. Lift something heavy a couple times a week.Eat the right amount of protein and carbs for your needs. Prioritize food quality where you can.Stop eating so often. Fast occasionally. Limit snacking.Get sunlight on your skin and in your eyes.Limit stress.Play.Do dynamic movements and balance training.Balance adheres to the “use it or lose it” maxim. Take it for granted and fail to maintain it, and you’ll surely end up regretting it. If you’ve already noticed that your balance is slipping (no pun intended), it’s probably not too late to fix it.
Everyone should be incorporating targeted balance exercises into their regular routine. Start with the foundational balance exercises here. These movements can be done any time, anywhere. Treat them like microworkouts, scattered into your day as part of your commitment to frequent everyday movement, and/or set aside some time at the beginning or end of your gym sessions to focus on this crucial skill.
That’s about it for today, folks. How’s your balance? How has balance affected your life, your performance, and your injury risk? How do you train it?
Thanks for reading, everyone. Take care.
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References https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17503879/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11086748/https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/staying-healthy/hip-fracture-preventionhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8808996/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4370556/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21188358/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
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August 8, 2022
Balsamic Cherry Tomato Salad
Cherry tomatoes add vibrant color to any dish. Whether you’re using them to drizzle on top of a grilled chicken salad or letting them simmer of a stove in a chicken skillet recipe to bring out all the flavor, cherry tomatoes are sure to liven up any dish. But what happens when it’s the end of the week and you still haven’t made a dent in that large box of cherry tomatoes you got from the store or local farmer’s market? That’s where this recipe comes in.
There’s not a lot. One of the main differences comes in size. Grape tomatoes tend to be smaller and are oblong rather than round, just like a grape. Grape tomatoes also aren’t as sweet as cherry tomatoes. Nutritionally though, they’re pretty similar.
How to make a cherry tomato saladOnce you’ve gathered all your ingredient slice your cherry tomatoes and mozzarella in half. Place in a large bowl with the sliced onion.
Then, in a small bowl, combine the Primal Kitchen Balsamic dressing, basil, dijon mustard, garlic, salt and pepper.
Pour the balsamic mixture over the tomatoes, mozzarella and onions and gently fold it in until combined. Allow to marinate for 15-30 minutes before serving.
This salad can be made ahead of time. Just prepare and place in the fridge to marinate for up to a day, or until ready to serve. The oil in the dressing may solidify, but simply let the salad stand at room temperature for a few minutes and it should turn back to liquid.
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Cherry Tomato Salad Author: Priscilla Chamessian 
Total Time: 15 
Yield: 4 [image error] Print Recipe [image error] Pin Recipe Description Our recipe for cherry tomato salad is made with fresh cherry tomatoes, mozzarella & then marinated in our unique balsamic vinegar mixture.
Ingredients1.5 pounds cherry tomatoes
8 ounces fresh mozzarella balls
3/4 cup sliced red onion
1/3 cup Primal Kitchen Balsamic Dressing and Marinade
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tsp Primal Kitchen Dijon Mustard
2 cloves grated garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions Slice your cherry tomatoes and mozzarella in half. Place in a large bowl with the sliced onion.In a small bowl, combine the Primal Kitchen Balsamic dressing, basil, dijon mustard, garlic, salt and pepper.Pour the balsamic mixture over the tomatoes, mozzarella and onions and gently fold it in until combined.Allow to marinate for 15-30 minutes before serving. NotesThis salad can be made ahead of time. Just prepare and place in the fridge to marinate for up to a day, or until ready to serve. The oil in the dressing may solidify, but simply let the salad stand at room temperature for a few minutes and it should turn back to liquid.
Prep Time: 15
Category: Salad Nutrition Serving Size: 1/4 Calories: 287.2 Sugar: 7.9g Sodium: 338.3mg Fat: 23.1g Saturated Fat: 1.9g Trans Fat: 0g Carbohydrates: 13.2g Fiber: 2.5g Protein: 12.3g Cholesterol: 40mg Net Carbs: 10.62g Keywords: cherry tomato salad
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August 5, 2022
New and Noteworthy: What I Read This Week—Edition 188
Research of the Week
The more times you flip the burger, the faster it cooks.
Female mice show less variance than male mice.
Young kids who train basketball frequently have improved executive functioning.
Grazing on perennial grasslands can match current meat production while improving the environment.
New Primal Kitchen PodcastsPrimal Kitchen Podcast: The Link Between Dairy Intolerance and Dairy Genes with Alexandre Family Farm Founders Blake and Stephanie
Primal Health Coach Radio: Anya Perry
Media, SchmediaNew garbage red meat study pops up.
Oatly recall. Oh no.
NY Times discovers what we already knew.
Interesting Blog PostsUntangling rising LDL-C in keto dieters.
The modern diet as biosecurity threat.
Social NotesWisdom from Robb Wolf.
The village that gave up alcohol for chess.
Everything ElseTurns out that red meat is too healthy.
Kids in the 1960s imagine life in the year 2000.
Daily insulin dose and cancer risk in type 1 diabetics.
Things I’m Up to and Interested InInteresting theory: Gods of Salt.
Great read: Kareem on what Bill Russell meant to him.
Interesting article: Everyone’s beautiful but for what?
Realize that this would be a small dinosaur: Komodo dragon eating a large mammal (not for the faint of heart).
Not surprised: Ultra-processed food is terrible for mother and child.
Question I’m AskingWhat are you doing with the remaining days of summer?
Recipe CornerAir fryer crackling’ chicken thighs.Few better pairings than pork and fruit.Time CapsuleOne year ago (July 30 – Aug 5)
JFW: Beginner’s Walking Routine—Get started now.Collagen Peptides FAQ: Answering 20 Questions About Collagen Supplements—You asked, I answered.Comment of the Week
“Re: Sunday with Sisson; I recently sent this elevator pitch to a friend:
– Cut out (or minimize) sugars, grains, and seed oils
– Eat real food that your great grandparents would have recognized
– Prioritize protein from animal sources. Ruminants are best, followed by fatty fish & eggs.
– Eat to satiety and avoid snacking
– Don’t avoid saturated fat
– Try to get ~8 hours sleep each night on a regular schedule
– Minimize stress
– Focus on resistance training over cardio”
-Outstanding, Notch.
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August 3, 2022
Ankle Mobility and Strengthening Exercise
We suffer from an epidemic of stiff ankles. And, because mobility comes before strength—and indeed is necessary for true strength—we have weak ankles. Don’t believe me? Stand up right now. Aim your feet straight ahead. Toes straight. Don’t flare them out. Put your feet close together. Not touching, but almost. Squat down, keeping your heels on the ground.
Can you do it? Can you hold a full squat at the bottom with heels down and a fairly straight back, or do you start toppling over? Do your feet inadvertently flare outward at 45 degree angles to accommodate your stiff ankles? Is your lower back beginning to cramp? Do you have to go onto your toes to hit bottom?
If you’re not close to getting a toes straight, feet together, heels down full squat without your back seizing up, you need to work on your ankle mobility.
Don’t feel bad. You aren’t alone. As I said, it’s an epidemic for several reasons:
Everyone sits, almost no one squats. No one is going into deep ankle dorsiflexion (angle between foot and ankle decreasing).Everyone wears shoes with prominent heels that force their ankles into permanent plantarflexion (angle between foot and ankle increasing).Everyone walks along flat linear paths (sidewalks, roads, hardwood flooring), almost no one moves through terrain of varied topography, across uneven surfaces, up and down slopes, across stones.Luckily, there’s a lot you can do to fix the problem. Here are exercises to help you regain ankle strength and mobility.
Incline or wall calf stretch
Tight calves lead to tight ankles. First things first, you stretch them. Best calf stretch around is to either put your foot up on a wall or on an incline slope (hill, or even one of these dedicated calf stretch boards) and then press your hip into the stretch.
Press your hip forward and hold it for 5 seconds, making sure to flex your calf as hard as you can deep into the stretch. When it gets easier, press farther forward. Repeat until you can’t stretch it any more.
Do this with both straight knee and a flexed knee to target different calf muscles.
Ankle dorsiflexion stretch with hip extended
Most of us worry about training ankle dorsiflexion with our hip in flexion. Like if we’re at the bottom of a squat or lunge, our hips are flexed (bent) and our ankles are dorsiflexed (shortened angle between foot and ankle). But it’s also important to work on ankle dorsiflexion mobility when our hips are in extension (standing straight up), like when we’re walking or running.
A real nice way to do it is to do the classic calf stretch mentioned above on one foot combined with the other foot up on a chair in front of you with the foot turned inward.
Feel that stretch and turn your hips toward the middle to really feel even more and hit different strands of the calf. Hang out in the stretch for 30 seconds to a minute, then switch sides.
Deep knees over toes split squats
Hitting deep ankle dorsiflexion is one thing. Hitting it while loading up the tissues with resistance is another—and dorsiflexion under load is far more applicable to every day life, high intensity athletic movements, and weight lifting. The deep knee over toe split squat is a safe way to load that dorsiflexion.
Reach one foot far behind you and then lower yourself into a deep split squat, pressing forward until your knee goes way over the toes. Press back and up to return upright (foot still way behind you), and repeat. Really feel that stretch as your knee goes beyond your toes and your ankle hits deep dorsiflexion.
Start doing these unloaded, then, once you’re good at balancing and hitting the desired range of ankle motion, start loading weight onto it to train and engrain the movement pattern. The safest way is to hold some dumbbells in your hands or wear a weighted vest.
Tibia raises
Sometimes you’re stiff and immobile because you’re weak—because the muscles that support the motion you seek can’t handle the loads. The tibia is the front (anterior) part of your lower leg that controls ankle dorsiflexion, and almost no one trains it consciously. Enter the tibia raise.
You can do tibia raises either by holding a dumbbell between your feet, slipping light kettlebells over your feet, using a resistance band, or using a tibia trainer.
Whichever piece of equipment you use, the key is to sit on a bench with your legs out in front of you, or stand upright, and perform weighted dorsiflexion—dorsiflex against resistance.
Start with your toes pointed straight ahead with the weight/band/tibia trainer resting on your feet, ankle in plantar flexion.Bring your toes up toward your face (dorsiflexion).Hold for a half second, then slowly lower the weight back to plantar flexion.Repeat.Lacrosse ball foot rolls
Another common yet non-intuitive circular cause of tight ankles is a tight mid foot and collapsed arch. The middle of your feet get stiff to compensate for the tight ankles, your arches collapse to allow ankle movement despite the tightness, and the effects reverberate back and forth making everything worse.
A simple way to help break the cycle is to stand on a lacrosse ball and roll around your mid foot, helping reduce neuromuscular adhesions and clear up space to allow better movement through the foot and arch. Roll around on the ball for 5 minutes per foot while articulating your feet and toes, putting as much weight onto the ball as you can handle, then try doing the squat test from the beginning of this article. It should improve things.
Freestyle ankle angle explorationThere isn’t a good way to describe this one, so I’ll just link to a great video of someone doing it. It’s an exploration of all the different angles your ankles can hit. You’re rolling onto the sides, then back onto the other sides. You’re going up on your toes then back on your heels. You’re pivoting every which way. You’re doing everything an ankle can do while standing.
Note which angles feel stiffer and more restricted, then target those with your stretches and mobility work. These are the formal exercises you should be doing to improve ankle strength and mobility, but the foundation has to be consistent movement through those ranges of motion. You also need to be
Walking every day: do this along varied surfaces and textures such as slopes, sand, stones, and dirt paths that put your ankle through different anglesSquatting: practice this both as exercise and as a resting positionPlaying: movement games and sports place unique and spontaneous demands on your ankle range of motionMost of all, just move constantly and consistently throughout the day. Motion is lotion, as they say. Take care, everyone, and let me know down below what your favorite ankle movements are.
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August 2, 2022
Apple Cider Vinegar Health Benefits: Fact or Fiction?
A while back, a friend was telling my wife Carrie and I about these apple cider vinegar gummies she started taking to deal with some persistent health issues. She wanted to know what I thought. You probably know that apple cider vinegar is rumored to have myriad health benefits. I’ve written before about how it’s likely to help people with diabetes control their blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity. But it’s been a while since I poked around the scientific literature on this topic, so I decided to explore that today.
Apple cider vinegar has a long history as a traditional remedy for everything from dandruff to cancer. (Spoiler: there’s no evidence it helps with cancer.) Proponents claim that its healing properties come from the high acid content—mostly acetic acid, but also lactic, malic, and citric acids—as well the polyphenols, probiotics, and small amount of nutrients it contains. Depending on your particular issue, you might dab it on your skin, soak in an apple cider vinegar bath, or drink it.
Apple cider gummies have also become quite popular in recent years, as my friend can attest, in part because drinking apple cider vinegar can get old. It doesn’t taste great, and it burns on the way down. I’m not going to cover the question of whether gummies are more or less effective than other delivery methods today, but let me know in the comments if that’s something that interests you.
For today, I’m going to revisit the evidence for some of the top purported health benefits and see if there is any reason to run out to the market for a bottle of apple cider vinegar. Let’s go.
Health Benefits of Apple Cider VinegarApple cider vinegar for diabetes and insulin resistanceScientists have known for decades that there is something going on with vinegar and blood sugar. A study back in 1988 showed that when researchers had subjects consume a sucrose solution either with or without vinegar (strawberry vinegar in this case), the resulting rise in blood sugar was significantly blunted in the vinegar condition.https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/... ">1 In another, individuals with type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance consumed a high-carb meal (white bagel, butter, orange juice) with or without an apple cider vinegar drink.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14694... With the addition of vinegar, participants experienced a smaller blood glucose spike, lower insulin response, and better whole-body insulin sensitivity, especially among the insulin resistant folks.
A similar study with type 2 diabetics found that vinegar attenuated the insulin and glucose responses to a high-glycemic index meal but not a low-GI meal.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20502... Some longer-term studies also suggest that taking apple cider vinegar for 2 to 12 weeks reduces fasting blood glucose and lowers HbA1c.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... https://www.indianjournals.com/ijor.a... ">5
So there is something there, but the phenomenon is still not well understood. The studies in this area are mostly small with inconsistent methodologies. Of note, it’s not clear whether there’s anything special about apple cider vinegar per se. The observed effects are probably due mostly to the acetic acid, which you’ll find in any vinegar in your cupboard contains. But this is still an open question.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28292...
The science nerd in me is particularly interested in the mechanisms at play here. What about apple cider vinegar would affect blood glucose and insulin? It turns out the scientists have identified a bunch of different pathways that might be involved including:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27213... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
Delaying gastric emptying, which keeps large amounts of glucose from hitting the system all at once.Increasing glucose uptake into skeletal muscles, thereby clearing it more efficiently from the bloodstream.Decreasing gluconeogenesis in the liver so less glucose gets dumped into the bloodstream.AMPK activation. AMPK is an enzyme that acts as an energy sensor. Among other things, AMPK ramps up insulin sensitivity and the body’s ability to use glucose. (AMPK also promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and longevity. It’s involved in pretty much everything we Primal folks want. Fasting, caloric restriction, and exercise also increase AMPK activity.)Pretty cool stuff. I’ll be keeping my eye on the research in this area.
Verdict: Probably helpful, but more research is needed to sort out the specifics. Watching your carb intake, engaging in everyday movement, and lifting heavy things will still have the biggest long-term impact. Apple cider vinegar might be worth adding to boost glycemic control and insulin sensitivity, but it’s never going to outpace those big drivers. Talk to your doctor if you’re taking insulin, metformin, or any other meds aimed at lowering blood sugar before starting apple cider vinegar.
Can apple cider vinegar improve cardiovascular health?Proponents of apple cider vinegar claim that it can improve lipid profiles and lower blood pressure. But does the evidence back that up?
Somewhat. A meta-analysis just published in 2021 reviewed nine studies looking at the effect of apple cider vinegar on blood lipids.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... Overall, they concluded that apple cider vinegar seems to reduce total cholesterol. It also lowered triglycerides, but only among people with type 2 diabetes, when they consumed less than one tablespoon per day, and when they took apple cider vinegar for at least eight weeks. There were no significant effects for HDL.
I wouldn’t put too much stock in these findings yet, though. The triglyceride reduction looks promising, and targeting high triglycerides is one of the best things you can do for cardiovascular health as far as I’m concerned. However, the whole “only when they consumed less than one tablespoon per day” is a bit of a head-scratcher. Let’s wait and see what happens with bigger randomized controlled trials.
As for hypertension (high blood pressure), there really isn’t any data to speak of outside a couple small studies on rats.
Verdict: Possible, but not worth getting too excited about yet.
Apple cider vinegar for skin issuesApple cider vinegar is a popular home remedy for skin issues from acne to dandruff to scarring. Many skin issues have bacteria, fungus, or a disruption of the skin’s pH levels as a root cause. Skin is naturally slightly acidic, having a pH around 5. Patients with atopic dermatitis (a form of eczema) have higher skin pH, for example, which gives rise to the characteristic redness and lesions.
Since apple cider vinegar is acidic and has antibacterial and antifungal properties, it makes sense that it would help. Currently, though, there’s little evidence that it works. Studies are few and far between with mixed results. Even still, the National Psoriasis Foundationhttps://www.psoriasis.org/integrative... and the National Eczema Associationhttps://nationaleczema.org/blog/get-t... list apple cider vinegar as a home remedy to try. Anecdotally, it seems to help some people but not others.
Verdict: Plausible but inconsistent. Make sure you dilute apple cider vinegar before putting it on your skin. You can seriously burn yourself with undiluted apple cider vinegar. For topical applications, start with a weak solution of 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar to 1 cup water and work your way up if desired, or try adding a few cups of apple cider vinegar to a warm bath.
What about apple cider vinegar for gut health?Apple cider vinegar is a fermented food, after all. Unfiltered, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar still has strands of the “mother” floating in it, similar to kombucha. And like kombucha, I can’t find any proof, or even convincing anecdotes, that drinking apple cider vinegar will supercharge your microbiota. Even if it did, it’s not safe to go around drinking large quantities of apple cider vinegar. I’d be surprised if a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar would be enough to impart profound benefits here.
Verdict: Probably not.
Times when apple cider vinegar probably doesn’t helpDespite the hype, there’s no compelling evidence that apple cider vinegar is anything to write home about when it comes to:
GallstonesKidney stonesCandidaGoutGERDArthritisAnything else reallyRisks Associated with Apple Cider VinegarVinegar has been used in culinary and medicinal applications for millenia. It’s clearly safe in typical amounts. However, there are some potential drug interactions you should be aware of. Anyone taking medications that potentially lower blood sugar or potassium levels (certain heart medications and diuretic drugs) should consult their doctors. There are a few documented cases of folks experiencing hypokalemia (low potassium) after drinking large amounts of apple cider vinegar over an extended period. There’s no need to chug glasses of the stuff. Stick to a tablespoon or two per day.
Apple cider vinegar is also very acidic, and it’s pretty easy to find reports of people burning their skin or esophaguses with straight apple cider vinegar. It can also eat away tooth enamel. Always dilute it and make sure to swish with plain water after drinking apple cider vinegar.
The Bottom Line: Does Apple Cider Vinegar Offer Important Health Benefits?It’s certainly no magic elixir, but there’s enough evidence to convince me that it’s probably beneficial for controlling blood sugar and insulin levels at least. Possibly it could help with certain skin issues and high triglycerides, too. Beyond that, I wouldn’t put too much stock in it. At least not yet.
That said, it’s pretty cheap. The worst case scenario for most folks is wasting a few bucks on a bottle of vinegar that they can use as a marinade or an effective household cleaner. Despite the lack of hard evidence, I still like a tonic made from hot water, apple cider vinegar, manuka honey, and lemon juice if I feel a cold coming on. I can’t prove that it works, but I also haven’t been laid up with a bad cold in a long time. Sure, that’s probably more to do with my overall healthy lifestyle, but the tonic isn’t hurting.
All in all, I’m not rushing to the store yet. What about you? Have you had any success adding apple cider vinegar to your wellness regimen? Tell us in the comments.
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References https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bbb1961/52/5/52_5_1311/_article https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14694010/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20502468/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8243436/https://www.indianjournals.com/ijor.aspx?target=ijor:ijmrhs&volume=8&issue=5&article=008 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28292654/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27213723/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5954571/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8243436/https://www.psoriasis.org/integrative-approaches-to-care/https://nationaleczema.org/blog/get-the-facts-acv/
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August 1, 2022
Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Asparagus has been used for cooking and medicinal purposes for over 2,000 years. This green boasts high levels of vitamin K, which is important for heart health and calcium regulation as well as folate, which when combined with vitamins B6 and B12 (as is the case in asparagus) can protect against heart disease and other cardiac ailments. In addition to the health benefits, asparagus is also a crunchy vegetable that can be served up as a delicious appetizer. It’s even better when bacon is added.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
When selecting asparagus, look for thin, firm stalks with deep green tips. Once you’ve gathered a batch of asparagus, toss them in oil, pepper, paprika and a pinch of salt.
Next, take a bundle of asparagus and carefully wrap the bacon around it, wrapping it up or down the bundle. Place the asparagus bundle on a sheet pan or baking dish so the ends of the bacon are face down so the bundle doesn’t unravel. Repeat with the remaining asparagus until all of them are wrapped up.
Place the asparagus bundles in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the bacon is nicely browned and the asparagus is cooked to your liking. Serve and enjoy!
Tips:Use thinly sliced bacon so it cooks in about the same time as it takes for the asparagus to roast. If you only have thick bacon, we recommend precooking it in the oven for 10 minutes or so before wrapping the asparagus.Thin spears of asparagus will cook more quickly than thick spears of asparagus. Try to use asparagus with uniform thickness so they cook evenly. If you prefer more crispy, well done asparagus, use thinner asparagus. For more tender, less browned asparagus, use thicker spears. (function($) { $("#df0bN3h").load("https://www.marksdailyapple.com/wp-ad..." ); })( jQuery ); 
Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Author: Priscilla Chamessian Total Time: 30 Yield: 8 [image error] Print Recipe [image error] Pin Recipe Ingredients 12 oz. trimmed asparagus spears
1/2 Tbsp Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil
8 slices bacon
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp smoked paprika
Pinch of salt (optional)
Instructions Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.Toss the asparagus in the oil, pepper, paprika and a pinch of salt.Take a bundle of asparagus and carefully wrap the bacon around it, wrapping it up or down the bundle. Place the asparagus bundle on a sheet pan or baking dish so the ends of the bacon are face down so the bundle doesn’t unravel. Repeat with the remaining asparagus until all of them are wrapped up.Place the asparagus bundles in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the bacon is nicely browned and the asparagus is cooked to your liking. NotesUse thinly sliced bacon so it cooks in about the same time as it takes for the asparagus to roast. If you only have thick bacon, we recommend precooking it in the oven for 10 minutes or so before wrapping the asparagus.
Thin spears of asparagus will cook more quickly than thick spears of asparagus. Try to use asparagus with uniform thickness so they cook evenly. If you prefer more crispy, well done asparagus, use thinner asparagus. For more tender, less browned asparagus, use thicker spears.
Prep Time: 10Cook Time: 15-20Category: Appetizer Nutrition Serving Size: 1/8 Calories: 51.2 Sugar: 0.8g Sodium: 155.9mg Fat: 3.4g Saturated Fat: 1.1g Trans Fat: 0g Fiber: 0.9g Protein: 3.9g Cholesterol: 5mg Net Carbs: 0.77g Keywords: Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
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July 29, 2022
New and Noteworthy: What I Read This Week—Edition 187
Research of the Week
Famine and pathogens may have driven lactase persistence Europe.
Being bombed is bad for kids’ mental health.
Poor countries with cheap meat produce great soccer players.
Alcohol consumption is malleable (and contagious).
Neuroinflammation and Parkinson’s disease.
Ultraprocessed food and cognitive function.
New Primal Kitchen PodcastsPrimal Kitchen Podcast: Decoding Your Genes for Data-Driven Health with Joe Cohen
Media, SchmediaPrimal Kitchen Ketchup gets some love.
No more fake meat at McDonald’s.
Interesting Blog PostsThe value of backyard chickens in reducing food waste.
Social NotesWisdom from Robb Wolf.
On eating (or not) while flying.
Everything ElseThat these are the only concerns they identify with blotting out the sun with atmospheric sprays says it all.
The spike protein is toxic to heart cells.
Ketones can enhance immune function.
Things I’m Up to and Interested InTerrible study: Vitamin D supplementation linked to worse outcomes in COVID patients.
Great study: Rapid increase in vitamin D status increases resistance against sepsis and infection.
Lesson in there: Perceived walkability is more important than actual walkability.
You love to see it: Bear Grylls gets it.
Crazy: Armed cow vigilantes beat someone for selling beef.
Question I’m AskingDo you think we should blot out the sun to lower global temperatures?
Recipe CornerPeaches are here, so make some gluten-free fresh peach cake.Shrimp salad (not like tuna salad; a salad with shrimp).Time CapsuleOne year ago (July 23 – July 29)
Gua Sha: Lymphatic Massage For the Face and Body? —What’s the deal?Is Perfectionism Ruining Your Health?—Could be.Comment of the Week
“I have a recurring dream that I can do unlimited pull-ups. It is such a disappointment when I wake up:).”
-I’ve had this dream too.
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July 28, 2022
Ask a Health Coach: Can You Be Overweight and Healthy?
Hey folks. Board-Certified Health Coach — and Primal Health Coach Institute’s Coaching Director — Erin Power is here to answer your questions about weight loss, diet culture, and health at different sizes. If you’re wondering how these fit into a Primal approach to eating and lifestyle, read on! Have a question you’d like to ask our health coaches? Leave it below in the comments or over in the Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook group.
Tamara asked:
“Can you settle a debate between my sister and me? I am so sick of diet culture and fat shaming. Yes, I’m a large-sized woman by some standards, but I feel fine and am otherwise healthy. My sister insists that can’t be the case and keeps telling me to lose weight or go to the doctor. This infuriates me and makes me feel like crap about myself. Please weigh in: Can you be overweight and still be healthy?”
I have immense empathy for anyone struggling with fat shaming or the painful, harmful effects of mainstream diet culture. I’m so sorry you’ve experiencing this, Tamara. Shaming, stigmatizing, or stereotyping someone about their body size or other aspects of physical appearance is never okay. It’s also the exact opposite of what usually encourages a meaningful and productive approach to achieving health and wellness.
Having this come from a sister or other family member is especially rough. Family dynamics tend to be long practiced, deeply triggering, and difficult to shift. Plus, it’s just not as easy to walk away from a relationship when it’s with a family member. It’s never comfortable to be in relationship with someone who oversteps boundaries and comments on or criticizes your body or weight. Many people unfortunately experience such treatment from family members, partners, friends, colleagues, or even strangers on the Internet.
Again, this is never okay. Good for you for recognizing that and seeking backup.
Before we get to your question, I do want to encourage you to let your sister know how her words are affecting you. Rather than point out what she’s “doing wrong,” you might calmly and honestly explain that while she may mean well, her commentary is painful, leaves you feeling bad about yourself… or whatever wording rings most true to you. Approach this as setting a boundary, rather than as lodging a complaint, which could cause her to become defensive and shut down.
It’s incredibly important for you to speak what it was that bothered you, why, and how you wish to communicate about this topic moving forward (if at all). Let her know that if you want her advice in the future, you will specifically ask. Otherwise, request that she kindly refrain from bringing up your body weight.
Now onto your question…
Health at Any Size?It’s really important for me to disclose that while there are many experts on this topic (and while the anti-diet approach is one that is growing increasingly interesting to me as a coach), I am not a leading expert in the Health At Every Size (HAES), body neutrality, fat acceptance, intuitive eating, or anti-diet space. For that, I would direct you to someone like Stephanie Dodier, who we hosted on our podcast, Health Coach Radio. She studied under Evelyn Tribole who is considered the leader in this space.
I also want to mention that this topic is highly polarizing, and emotions run high. If you’re feeling bothered, triggered, or upset by anything in this article, I invite you to take a few deeps breaths and explore what specifically is troubling you about this topic before you head into the comments section. Sometimes the language around this topic becomes needlessly hurtful to the people around us, as evidenced by Tamara’s question here. Let’s practice compassion and kindness, and have a good, productive conversation about it. This is the coach approach.
So, can you be healthy at any size? And, is there a correlation between body weight and health?
Sometimes, yes. Specifically, excess body fat (as opposed to muscle) and obesity are often correlated with widespread modern diseases such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type II diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver (even in kids)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23084..., obstructive sleep apnea, and most cancers.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14642... These usually go hand-in-hand with chronic inflammation and a weakened immune system.
In other words, excess body fat and obesity does seem to factor into our state of health and wellness, at least from a correlative perspective. There is some question in the Health At Every Size space as to whether this correlation is strong or important enough to make widespread judgements about the health of fat people. I’m here to say: making widespread judgements about the health of anyone whose health status you don’t know is generally a terrible idea. So let’s all agree to stop doing that.
Being overweight can also, for many people, place extra strain on joints and internal organs, limit mobility, and contribute to feelings of low energy or fatigue. Some, all, or none of this may be true for you: an individual with a unique, lived experience inside a unique body. You, more than anyone, know how YOU feel in your body, both physically and mentally. If you truly feel your most vital, healthiest self, that’s a fantastic sign. We are quick to dismiss the subjective, lived experience of being in a body, instead rushing to judge it against the cultural norm, or against the hastily-formed health and medical opinions of acquaintances, loved ones, and internet strangers. If you feel good, that’s good.
If you don’t feel good, or if you suspect there might be room to feel a little better, that’s a really strong and powerful “come from” to consider implementing some changes to your food, movement, or lifestyle.
A checkup with a medical professional can provide extra information, too. Gather the objective data from a health care professional that you can match up to the subjective experience of living in your body. If going this route and if accessible, I recommend searching for a functional medicine doctor trained in metabolic health and using a range of treatment modalities, including lifestyle and dietary guidance (not just pharmaceuticals).
Health Beyond SizeYou didn’t mention your eating or lifestyle habits, but as a coach, I ask about those first and foremost. They are the biggest health and vibrancy dial-movers, after all. Regardless of body size, folks who do not eat a nourishing, nutrient-dense diet or follow the other 10 Primal Rules often tend to struggle with lack of vitality, unmanageable energy, brain fog, low moods, and other symptoms that just don’t feel good.
And this goes way beyond body size. I’ve had overweight, underweight, and “healthy weight” clients who’ve expressed this lack of vibrancy.
Almost anytime a client moves toward eating a Primal diet made up of high-quality animal protein and dairy, healthy fats and oils, veggies, fruits, and moderate amounts of nuts, seeds, and dark chocolate, they feel better, seem to slow or reverse their accumulation of body fat, and eventually step into the energetic vitality that has always been their birthright.
If they’re eating Primal and still struggling with excess body fat or other unfavorable health markers, I look to the other Primal Rules:
1) Eat Plants and Animals
2) Avoid Poisonous Things
3) Move Frequently
4) Lift Heavy Things
5) Sprint Once in a While
6) Get Plenty of Sleep
7) Play
8) Get Plenty of Sunlight
9) Avoid Stupid Mistakes
10) Use Your Brain
(Even after 15 years of Primal living, I’m always struck about how these rules just make sense. They reflect how our bodies and minds have evolved to live and thrive.)
To be clear, none of this is about blaming, shaming, or stigmatizing. It’s simply pointing to the evidence and part of my role and responsibility as a coach. Clients hire me to do exactly this (a much different scenario than someone giving unsolicited “advice” or commentary on another person’s body or health).
When working with a skilled, thoughtful, compassionate coach, the focus is on helping you figure out what’s going on and what you most need to feel your best. This requires connection to the objective (data and facts) and subjective (how does it feel) aspects of having a body of any size.
This enables us to slowly extract ourselves from diet culture by aligning with our mind, emotions, and biology to support wellness, longevity, and feeling really good.
Back to YouBody size, food, and health are extremely personal, multilayered issues that go way beyond what’s on our plate or what size pants we wear. It takes an entire lifetime to get where we are with food, eating, and body image, and there are many factors at play.
In the end, you are your number 1 caretaker and know best how you feel. As individuals, we each have a responsibility to get really honest with ourselves, make supportive choices, and live in ways that allow us to be as healthy as possible within our personal set of circumstances. That, plus checking in with a medical professional when needed and accessible, is a far more accurate predictor of health than unsolicited commentary.
By the way: it’s not always easy. Part of taking individual responsibility is knowing when to ask for skilled, caring support. This sort of support does NOT come from “fat shaming” or “diet culture.” It does come from meaningful conversations about your goals, the experience of living in your body, and your vision of health and happiness.
Having external perspective and accountability will help you know whether you’re on track with health at any size. Working with a coach can help you put solid strategies in place for dealing with well-meaning but unhelpful family and friends. Visit myprimalcoach.com to learn more and get started.
Do you struggle with mainstream diet culture? Or have someone in your life who offers unsolicited health “advice”? Let it out and drop other questions for me in the comments!
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References https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23084707/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14642548/
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