Mark Sisson's Blog, page 237

Primal Tremendously Changed My Life and the Lives of Those Around 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 have to start by thanking Mark Sisson for everything he has done for my life, my family’s life, and the lives of my clients. In the last three years, Mark has immensely influenced my life and my career.

I completed the Primal Blueprint Expert Certification course when it first came out. Among the several fitness and nutrition certifications I carry, I value this one the most. I have written Mark several times. and he has responded on more than one occasion. I imagine the email traffic he gets is enormous, so this means a lot to me. I have read and enjoyed his work and the work of others in this community (Good Calories, Bad Calories, It Starts with Food, The Paleo Prescription, and more). I make jokes with my wife that Mark should hire me or give me a cut because we use his products, I refer many of my clients to his website, and I have started a successful weight-loss group at the gym I work at using primal principles. (I am not joking Mark, let’s talk!)

Thank you very much, Mark. It truly has been life changing bringing The Primal Blueprint into my life. Here is my story…

The most obvious place to start my story would be when I entered the fitness industry 12 years ago. I have worked as a personal trainer, a supervisor, and am now the fitness director of a studio in Saint Paul, Minnesota. My bachelor’s degree is in exercise science. I have my master’s in public health. I am a certified personal trainer and a corrective exercise specialist. I write this not as a means to showboat, but to demonstrate how much The Primal Blueprint has challenged my beliefs; especially in the realms of nutrition, fitness, and recovery from workouts.

Furthermore, it is important to note that I have not thrown out everything I learned up until the Primal Certification. Instead, I have what I consider to be a beautifully meshed education that combines the benefits of traditional exercise science, with the groundbreaking stuff Mark and many others have brought forth. The result of combining my educational background with The Primal Blueprint, makes me an excellent trainer and fitness director (not to mention, husband and father). I think anyone can use The Primal Blueprint and apply it to their life. However, I think my background has allowed me to create an environment where I’m able to provide excellent service to my clients and they can then create a foundation of their own. I believe I am providing myself, my family, and my clients with an incredibly strong foundation of health and well-being.

Additionally, not everyone I work with wants to go all in with what I share with them. Rather then get caught up in the details, I focus on where we can make changes. I have some clients who will never give up bread, but they eat less of it and on the days they workout. I have some clients who will never workout barefoot, but take their shoes off when they get home. The important thing is that I attempt to meet anyone wherever they are at and celebrate the successes they make. I have one client who will remain a vegetarian forever, no matter how much we debate. But at the same time, she is now eating full-fat Greek yogurt instead of non-fat; this is a huge success.

A little more about me…

I have always been a pretty fit and active guy. I have never struggled with my weight from a physical standpoint. My primal story is not a dramatic weight loss story, but it is truly life changing. I found Primal/Paleo eating through the help of an amazing Naturopath.

After suffering from migraines for a few years, I sought help that was considered unconventional. Larry, my naturopath was amazing. He taught me how the PB&J I was having for breakfast had way too much sugar, how grains can cause problems, how fat needed to be my friend, and so much more. Mind you, I already had two nutrition certifications (three now counting the Primal cert) and a bachelors in exercise science. I was certain I knew how to eat healthy. After working with Larry, I started searching the web and found Mark’s Daily Apple and got the book. It blew my mind and now here I am, full-on Grok. I consider myself very knowledgeable on the Primal principles while continually learning more.

Now I am proud to present a comprehensive, yet not fully complete, list of the things Primal eating and the lifestyle have helped me with:

Biggest benefit I no longer get migraines!

If I do, which is rare, I can pinpoint it to too much sugar and/or gluten. I also do not eat a ton of dairy, but in moderation, I seem to tolerate it. Limiting my caffeine intake has also helped immensely. No drug or doctor could help with my migraines. Changing my diet did! Learning to relax did!


I no longer need to eat every 2-3 hours (Ask my lovely wife what a difference this has made, can you say “Hangry” when not fed enough calories).

I generally eat 2-3 times a day now (with minimal snacking), and about 3 days a week I do not eat my first meal until after 12:00 pm.


I no longer have PB&Js for breakfast, salads without dressing for lunch, and a low-fat high carb dinner.

My “go to’s” are as follows: Eggs for breakfast with some fresh berries, salad with olive oil and protein for lunch, and steak or hamburger with multiple vegetables for dinner.


I am no longer afraid of fat. Not only am I no longer scared, I embrace it.

I do not need to elaborate much as many MDA readers have been there. For longer than I care to mention, I had virtually no fat in my diet. I wanted to maintain my 6-pack abs!
Now I cook with butter, eat bacon on the weekends, and realize if I am still hungry after a meal, half an avocado or a handful of olives are exactly what I need. The mind-blowing thing is I still have 6-pack abs!


I no longer count calories or worry about portion sizes. I just try to eat until I am full with great primal foods. Not worrying about times of day and macros in my food has created a lot of mental space for me.
I no longer workout 6-7 days a week, for 60-120 minutes a day.

My old workout patterns looked something like this:

Isolated weights 4-5 days a week
60 minute cardio session everyday as hard as I could
45-60 minute dog walking everyday
2 + hour runs on the trails every weekend


My current exercise schedule has several differences. Before I break it down, it is important to note that my activity level is now extremely less regimented. I have less of a plan for exercise for the week, and more of a focus on moving as much as possible. Also, if I am tired, I do not workout. If I am sick, I do not workout. Some days I am on my feet at work for 7-8 hours, so I may actually need to sit down after work. That being said, a typical week looks like this:

I walk everyday as much as possible with the dogs.
Long-slow hikes 1-2x per week. Occasionally we head down to Southern Minnesota where it is much more hilly and go hard.
Lift weights in a full-body circuit 1-2x per week for15-25 minutes. I generally use TRX straps and Kettlebells.
Sprint 1 maybe 2 times per week for 6-12 minutes depending on how I am feeling.
Pilates and/or yoga as low-level movement 1-2x a week


I am in better physical shape and have better mental health working out less, but moving more. I am using my stand-up desk as I write this. Furthermore, my blood pressure, cholesterol and all other markers are excellent. At my last physical, my doctor told me he wishes more clients were like this.
My physical stats have changed some since going Primal. I am 6’5” and here are my stats before and after.

Pre-Primal I was about 195-198 lbs and 8-9% body fat.
12 months post-Primal, I am between 203-208 lbs and 10-12% body fat.
As you can see in the photos below, I may have gained a little fat, but my muscles have developed much more and I feel I have filled out in all the right areas. (The photo in athletic shorts is pre-primal, the jeans is post-primal 12 months). My wife claims I look much healthier!


I am healing old chronic injuries by moving more and working out less.

I broke my spine while serving in Afghanistan and have a banged up hip and shoulder from always overdoing it in the gym. By slowing down and doing more range of motion work, my back is much improved and my hip, feet and shoulder, are all getting better.
I have also made friends with foam rolling and other fascia release work.


I am no longer so tired from always working out. My energy has improved, my recovery time is better, and my muscles are rarely sore anymore from over exercising.

My wife has been great for me on this one. We really lead an active life, but a lot of it is leisure time. Strolls down Summit Ave in Saint Paul, Frisbee with our kids, working the slackline, or getting out to shoot some casual hoops.
I also walk to work everyday. It only takes about 10 minutes but I do it two times a day, back and forth, five days a week.


I no longer take any workout supplements. On occasion if I am pressed for time, I will make a Primal Fuel shake, but that is it.
I try to go barefoot as much as possible. My feet are really banged up from years in boots in the military, but I have found a balance between being barefoot and needing shoes that works for my body.
I sleep better, overall my mood is better (likely from the massive increase in fat in my diet), I do not use sunscreen (unless I absolutely need to), I play more, I try to relax more, and I get outside as much as possible even on really cold Minnesota days.
I realize there is more to health than what I eat and how I workout. That’s why the Primal Lifestyle really resonates with me.

When I first discovered Primal, I put so much emphasis on the diet that I feel I neglected the lifestyle parts (I bet many of us have). I have always loved nature and know I need it. Now if I am tired, I get the heck out of the gym and go down to the river rather then forcing another workout.


I practice gratitude everyday and I meditate when it feels right. My anxiety has greatly reduced.
I now consider gardening, working on the house, and/or cleaning the cars good low-level movement. This never would have flied in my head years ago.
I am passionate about cooking and make amazing primal fare. Spending time in the kitchen with my wife is one of the most relaxing things I can do. We also love finding restaurants that support the Paleo way of eating, whether intentionally or not.
We buy local foods as much as possible, and try to support farmers who grow and raise food the way it should be.
Being primal has made me even more environmentally conscious.
I have gotten off my Paleo soapbox. I could talk Paleo for hours but now I let the students come to me.
I have a goal to meet Mark Sisson and thank him personally!

I honestly could keep going, but I want to mention my family and my clients without writing the longest post ever.

I hope my beautiful wife writes her own success story soon, so I will just give you a brief summary. She was a 20+ year vegetarian who had developed a thyroid problem, and often would have trouble sleeping before we met. We found primal about the same time. All I can say is she went from being skinny to being ripped and fit, by reintroducing meat to her diet and coming to my great workouts! I would also say she is sleeping better, her moods are better and the primal lifestyle really relates to what she believes. She loves only having to workout 25 minutes, three times a week, and getting amazing results for it.

My son has also greatly benefited from a massive increase of fat in his diet. He has filled out nicely at 10 years old, has more energy than anyone, and goes by the name “Grok Jr.” We hike, he plays outside, he builds forts, climbs trees and you know those things that most modern kids have forgotten how to do.

My 13-year-old daughter fights the primal thing a little more, but she can eat a plate of ribs better than most! She has her favorite primal meals and we try to make those often, while buying her bread for the weekends after she gets done with her climbing workouts.

Pick your battles, if you have kids. Our kids still get crappy dessert food in their diets as long as they move their bodies in someway that day. In an average week, they get more primal food and generally a lot of movement. Rather then force it upon them we try to lead by example, cut them some slack, and hope to help them build a strong foundation to fall back on once they are adults.

The best part of this primal story is about the clients I have been privileged enough to work with. Over the 12-years I have trained people, I have witnessed a woman lose over 100 pounds, a man get over terrible back pain, kids get ready for football season and more. What is so amazing now with my newfound knowledge, is I am seeing people improve their health with a solid diet, less effort, less exercise, and more movement. Once I received the Primal Cert in early 2015, my gym owner gave me permission to use these principles with my clients. I work individually with clients, as well as lead a successful weight-loss group called ‘Drop 12.’ One of my clients, Alice, recently got her own success story published right here and I could not be more proud of her.

The Drop 12 group is truly the highlight of my career. I get to present Primal information to a group of open-minded individuals who are seeking weight-loss, better eating, or for many, just the accountability factor of having to show up three times a week. The group runs for six weeks and we meet three times per week, for 25-minutes. Our weekday meetings are two strength sessions. The goal during these workouts is to get everyone as strong as possible. We use things like TRX, body weight exercises, kettlebells and other apparatus that work the entire body. The workouts are hard, fast, and fun. On Saturdays we do a 15-minute sprint workout (including warm-up and cool down), and then we cover a different nutrition or lifestyle topic every week. Everyone gets homework for the week, which usually consists of walking, taking yoga or trying a new recipe. One week we cover the carb curve, then the importance of moving more, and other things like recipe exchanges. Everyone gets a copy of the 21-Day Total Body Transformation and handouts I’ve created. The lecture may be the must successful part of Drop-12. During this time, the participants develop a community, they hear from each other on what is working and how they may be struggling, and we also do Q&A so I can try to address any lingering questions.

In 2015 we ran five, six-week sessions and saw an average of 6-12 pounds of weight loss per person, with the largest weight loss being 25 pounds by one very happy individual. I have had a few repeat clients who keep building on their success. In 2015, I witnessed over 400 pounds of weight melt off of the hard-working individuals I have had the privilege to coach. In 2016 we are going for 500!

One final note: I love The Primal Blueprint because you do not need to be perfect. I believe it is a great template and can serve as a strong foundation for living a great life. However, I have had plenty of times when I overate, or raided the kid’s cookie jar, worked out too hard, drank too many beers or forgot to relax. The beauty with The Primal Blueprint is I just come right back to the foundation I have built. I honor the 80/20 rule, which usually looks like a burger, fries and beer on the weekend, and great primal fare the rest of the week. Do not try to be perfect, simply do the best you can and let the rest go!

Thanks for reading and thanks Mark for changing my life!

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10 Ways to Make Every Day a Window for Change

I’ll admit I love the post-holiday weeks—the quiet and clarity after all the hoopla. I know I’m in good company when I say I look forward to getting back to my routine with a renewed vigor. It’s a time of self-focus again after the hectic period of extroversion. In this way, the month lends itself well to goal-setting. Being in the field I’m in, I’ve seen it work for people in powerful ways, and I personally harness New Year’s momentum for myself each year. That said, I’ve also seen people get too wrapped around an all-or-nothing mentality this time of year. The sad fact is, some people take a vice grip to their resolutions and then give up the whole venture when their self-imposed tension doesn’t translate into sustainable motivation. Do they forget that we enjoy 12 full months per calendar year, 365 glorious days—all of which offer the same opportunity for change?

Sure, I get the clean slate metaphor. New year, new you. It’s a powerful suggestion this time of year (and one of the reasons we do the 21-Day Challenge in January). That said, I make a point of writing about behavior change throughout the year because that choice is available to us at all times—not simply when the culture at large declares it so.

The fact is, we can claim a clean slate whenever we feel like it. (It’s good to stir up a little audacity now and then, right?) We’re simply dealing with a question of mindset. How can I effectively mobilize myself to begin achieving my goals (or upping the ante on them) any day of the year? In other words, how can I make each day a potent, no-holds-barred opportunity for change? Let’s look at a few ways….

1. Ceremoniously absolve yourself of past/perceived shortcomings and mistakes.

Back to the clean slate deal for a moment…

Do some physical act to make a clean break from whatever story it’s time to ditch. Burn something symbolizing (or listing) what you want to let go of, or literally throw a stone in the ocean. Officially grant yourself clean psychic space to move through.

If you’re holding onto self-talk or self-perception that suggests you aren’t fully worthy of your goal, guess what? No day of the year will offer enough magic to live your way beyond it—except the day you drop that burden like a stone in the ocean.

Do you what you need to do to let go of old toxicity. Lose naysaying friends and avoid the unsupportive family members—at least for a while. Keep burning, breaking or throwing whatever you need to until you start believing these old patterns are gone.

2. Scratch the entire day’s schedule.

Dump every single thing on your calendar. All of it. And instead devote an entire day to exactly the activities/choices you want to bring into your life.

Give the whole day to experimentation. Visit a Crossfit gym. Go for a hike. Cook a week’s worth of Primal delicacies. Get a massage. Go barefoot. Give an hour to some yoga or meditation. Take a nap. Take a swim. Feign a power outage.

Write or share about your experience and decide what you want to incorporate the next day and the day after that.

3. Surround yourself with voices that support the change you’re making.

We feel buoyed around New Year’s because other people are making changes and the messages around us support transformation.

Make a phone call to a friend who will walk with you or show you the ropes at the gym. Hire a trainer or some other kind of help you need to make the new choices you have in mind. Join/participate in an online forum (I know a good one) where you can steep yourself in knowledge and camaraderie.

Upgrade your social media feed with sources that post the information and messages that will boost your process rather than just distract you.

Don’t forget your physical space. Put relevant affirmations on your bathroom mirror, encouraging images or words on your refrigerator or positive mantras in your work space. Don’t worry if it feels like hooey today. Just make the choice today—and each subsequent day—to surround yourself with what you want to live into.

4. Take a positive inventory.

People who are looking to change their bodies in some way are generally pretty good at negative inventories. I would, in fact, venture to say that most of us can whip off a pretty biting list of all our faults—probably in record time. But these unfavorable realizations aren’t what keep people going to the gym.

What keeps people exercising, eating well and taking care of themselves are things like self-worth and joy and fulfillment. It’s when people like how they feel when they eat real food or sleep well and believe they’re worth the added forethought and commitment. It’s not when people believe they’re unacceptable to others as they are but when their current circumstances become unacceptable to their self-regard. They want something better for themselves.

Taking a positive inventory of your life and choices can bolster this influence (not to mention your general happiness). What are you grateful for? What gives you joy every day? What are you proud of lately? What do you have to offer, and how have you offered it lately? What do you value about yourself and your life? What in you is ready to claim a better life? The answers to these questions are much more compelling reasons to change your health than the impression you simply “should.”

5. Upgrade your morning routine.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever woken up on the wrong side of the bed. Okay, now that we have that unanimity established, you’ll understand the same principle applies to the other side of the coin. You’re likely to carry the energy through the day that began it.

With this in mind, try starting the day with positive momentum. Get up early enough to fit in some serious “me” time in whatever way will fill the tank the best. For some people, that means working out. For others, it’s meditation or some creative work. For still others, it might mean starting with an awesome breakfast or quality time with family—or a combination of some kind. Decide how you want your day to feel, and do what will set the stage for it.

6. Find another portion of the day to reset in some way.

Whether or not you change up your morning, find an(other) time of day to realign. Maybe it’s the hour before bed you’d like to spend differently. Maybe it’s your lunch hour or the hour you get home from work.

Figure out a block of time in your day you could get the most out of revising—whether it’s for added productivity, less stress, enhanced energy or more enjoyment.

7. Venture a new hobby.

Do we seriously always need to slap a “work” label on anything healthy? Can a “workout” simply be fun? How about taking up a new active pastime instead of a fitness routine?

What Grok-worthy activity feels like it would be a good way to unwind, to burn off stress, to ramp up some friendly competition, to act like a kid again, to enjoy the outdoors? That’s your window to change.

8. Sign up for an event or group that will push your boundaries (in a good way).

Run club? CrossFit class? Charity race? Hockey league? Cross Country Lessons? Hot yoga? Hiking Meetup? State parks volunteer organization? Community rugby? Polar dip? (There’s something to that cold water immersion, you know….)

Whatever it is that appeals, why not choose your own adventure?

9. Eat something fantastic.

It sounds simple (and often is), but that’s doesn’t mean you can’t be fantastically inspired. Some meals are so good you’ll somehow never be the same.

Want to know how good meat can be—or any Primal-worthy fare? Get thee to the best restaurant you have access to and order the most tempting Primal style meal you can put together. (Tip: cost doesn’t have as much to do with quality as you might think.) Take note of the ingredients, seasonings and preparation to recreate later.

If you’re up for the challenge, you can alternatively take to the kitchen right away and set out to make a Primal meal to end all eating. Show yourself just how good the PB can be and then ask why you’d settle for anything less.

10. Take a strategic day trip—or extended retreat.

Because the Primal Blueprint isn’t just a diet… At its best and deepest, it’s a lifestyle that attempts to discern and fulfill all our innate human essentials, including silence, wilderness, solitude and euphoria.

What kind of trip—day or extended—would fill a deep need in you right now? For some of us that might mean an expedition for extreme outdoor exploits. For others, it might mean a solitary retreat away from anyone and everything you know. Maybe just you and the dog under the stars.

Whichever you choose, sometimes the best game changer is a day (or week) away.

Thanks for reading, everyone. What decisions have invited change for you? What advice do you have for folks ready to move toward Primal living this or any day of the year? Have a great end to your week, everybody.

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The Definitive Guide to Using Your Recent Ancestry to Determine Your Optimal Diet

Go back a few million years and we all share a common ancestor: some hirsute hominid scrounging for grubs, digging up grassy sedge tubers, cracking bones, and scaring lions away from their kills on the African grasslands with primitive but effective tools and the most advanced linguistic abilities the planet had yet seen. Since then, humans have spread across every environment imaginable and adapted to those environments. Much remains the same. We all breathe oxygen, require protein, produce insulin, oxidize fatty acids. But extended stays in unique environments have created genetic proclivities in different populations. For example, descendants of people who settled in high-altitude areas like the Himalayas, the Andes, and the Ethiopian highlands tend to show greater resistance to low-oxygen environments, while the Greenland Inuit show unique adaptations to cold environments, including increased activity of heat-stimulating brown fat. And among the island-dwellers of Sardinia, where the landscape constrained the amount of available food, there’s considerable evidence of positive selection for short stature.

What other differences exist, and how can we explore them to inform and improve our own diet and lifestyle choices?

One way is to directly test your genes using a service that analyzes your DNA and provides gene-based dietary, exercise, and lifestyle advice. When I got my genes analyzed by DNAFit, my current diet and lifestyle choices—avoiding chronic cardio, eating more fat, taking more vitamin D (or sun) and omega-3s—were vindicated. It turns out that since I’m of Scandinavian stock and my ancestors had steady access to fish rich in omega-3s and vitamin D, I’m adapted to and likely need a diet higher in fish and vitamin D for optimal health. I have the genetic predisposition to excel in endurance athletics, but my genes also predicted I’d be a strong power athlete; that explains why I was an elite marathoner in the old days and more recently have been successful lifting and sprinting.

Another option is to use your ancestral background as a rubric for exploration of different diet modifications.

You can still glean useful info and make realistic inferences from genetic research by examining the regional and ethnic distribution of various alleles (i.e. gene variations) and matching them against your own ancestry. Let’s take a look at some of the alleles for which we have the most data:

MTHFR Mutations and Folate-Rich Foods

There’s a lot of buzz in the alternative health world surrounding MTHFR mutations, so you may have wondered: why is a seemingly wholly negative mutation so prevalent? After all, when folate intake is low, MTHFR mutations cause poor methylation status, numerous health issues, and poor fetal survival. But when folate intake is high, these mutations confer protection against colorectal cancer and acute lymphatic leukemia, and may even augment fetal survival. Populations with sufficiently high intakes of folate would have therefore selected for the MTHFR mutations. So if MTHFR incidence is high in a certain population or ethnic group, that group’s traditional diet was probably rich in folate. If you come from a high-MTHFR population, maybe your diet should be, too.

MTHFR mutations tend to cluster in certain regions and populations. In one major study of newborns spanning 16 regions across the world, Mexicans, Hispanics living in Atlanta, Southern Italians (Campania, Sicily, Veneto), and Northern Han Chinese were more likely than other populations to carry MTHFR mutations that increased the need for dietary folate. Among the other newborns, Spanish whites, Australian whites, northeastern French, Southern Han Chinese, Russians, Israelis, Dutch, Canadian whites, Fins, and blacks living in Atlanta were far less likely to carry the mutation.

You may not have DNA test results confirming your MTHFR status. That’s okay. You can still determine whether your ancestors likely ate folate-rich diets. If you hail from Northern Han Chinese stock, or your grandparents came over from Sicily at the turn of the century, or your dad was Mexican—maybe try eating more folate-rich foods. Eat more leafy greens, chicken liver, pastured egg yolks. Even if it turns out that you don’t carry the MTHFR mutation, your immediate ancestors likely ate a high-folate diet, you may carry unknown alleles that interact with folate status, and eating more folate-rich foods could improve your health and performance.

AMY1 Copy Number and Carbs

Salivary amylase predigests starch. AMY1 is the gene coding for salivary amylase production. The more AMY1 copy numbers you have, the more salivary amylase you produce in response to carbohydrate intake. According to population genetics, salivary amylase copy number reflects ancestral starch intake. The more copy numbers you have, the more starch your ancestors ate. If you have fewer, your ancestral diet was likely lower in starch. Chimps and bonobos are our closest ancestors, but because their natural diets are fruit-based and low in starch, they have fewer AMY1 copies than humans.

The fewer copy numbers you carry, the more vulnerable you are to obesity and more likely you are to have insulin resistance. This effect persists across ethnicities and may be more pronounced in females. You have to consider the environmental context of the vast majority of people these days: carbohydrate-based diets. If you’re eating a standard American diet of fast food, sweets, and baked goods and you have a low number of salivary amylase gene copies, you’re more susceptible to obesity. If you have fewer copies, you’re likely to avoid obesity, stay lean, and maintain optimal body composition on a lower-carb diet.

But it goes the other way, too. People with high copy numbers have a better metabolic response to starch ingestion than the person with fewer copies. How to find out?

The global distribution of AMY1 copy number variation hasn’t received a lot of attention, but we have a few datapoints. High-starch agricultural societies (Japanese and Europeans) and high-starch foragers (Hadza) have all been shown to possess higher average copy numbers than lower-starch societies like the Yakut (a Turkic people indigenous to Siberia), the Mbuti pygmies (a foraging society), the Biaka (foragers in the Congo), and the Datog (a group of pastoralists). Another study found that the mean copy number among Brazilians—a mishmash of European, African, and Native American genetics—was just 2.8 with a range of 1-8 copies of AMY1. That’s pretty low.

If you’ve got a confirmed bead on your number of salivary amylase copies, of if your ethnic background is known for having higher copy numbers—and you’re struggling with your weight—try eating a few more carbs. People with high copy numbers have a better metabolic response to starch ingestion than the person with fewer copies. Fewer copies? Eat fewer carbs. Whatever carbs you do consume, though, make sure they’re high-quality Primal carbs. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, various other roots and tubers, fruit, and low-toxin grains like rice are all great choices.

Lactase Persistence and Dairy

Lactase persistence allows safe digestion of the milk sugar lactose well into adulthood. The ability to digest lactose as an adult without gastrointestinal distress and watery bowel vacations allowed access to a versatile, dependable source of fat, protein, carbs, calories, and important micronutrients. The raising of dairy livestock and spread of pastoralism explain the pockets of lactase persistence that appear in otherwise lactose-intolerant areas, like Asia—where almost everyone but the Mongolians, the central Asian steppe peoples, and the inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent are entirely intolerant of lactose—or Africa—where only a few isolated pastoral groups, like the Masai, still produce lactase as adults. Clearly, lactase persistence is beneficial enough to have arisen independently in many different regions and populations. The nutrients in dairy are just too important to pass up.

If you’re Northern European (Scandinavian, British Isles) or Western European (France, Germany, etc), you’re probably lactose tolerant. Among Eastern and Southern Europeans, lactase persistence appears in 15-54% of the population. In Northern Indians, it’s 63%. In Southern Indians, it’s 23%. Hail from East Asia or have Native American ancestry, you probably aren’t.

The science is still young here. Even when researchers identify a genetic variant that interacts with diet and lifestyle, we need to know its distribution across populations and ethnicities to hypothesize about how it’ll affect us. Until we have more detailed data on these and other genetic variants, we’ll have to get speculative:

Read the ethnographical literature. It’s not always empirical. It may not even be accurate. Most often, you’ll be reading one person’s anecdotal observations, an outsider’s perspective. But they typically include frank descriptions of the traditional diet and lifestyle practices of the people and cultures being studied.

Northern European/German? Read Caesar’s accounts of the German tribes his legions faced. “They do not pay much attention to agriculture, and a large portion of their food consists in milk, cheese, and flesh.”

His observations of the Celtic Britons are also interesting. “They consider it contrary to divine law to eat the hare, the chicken, or the goose,” yet “do not sow grain but live on milk and flesh.”

Weston A Price’s Nutrition and Physical Degeneration may be the most helpful examples of ethnographic literature. Price focused on isolated populations eating their native diets free of modern processed food, people like the Masai, Swiss villagers living in a remote alpine valley, Australian aborigines, South Pacific islanders, American Indians, Arctic Inuit, and Scottish fishermen. The diets are quite representative—almost everyone can find something that applies to their ethnic context—so read the sections most relevant to your ethnicity.

If the ethnographical literature turns out to be erroneous, so what? It’s not dangerous to try eating more kale with your food. Most people can get away with eating fermented dairy for a couple weeks to see how it affects them. You’ll get past it. You’ll learn something.

Focus on staple foods. Staples may be boring but human diets are based on them; they’re likely nutritionally significant. The Hadza prefer meat and honey to the fibrous tubers that comprise a large chunk of their diet, but the tubers provide important prebiotics that shape their microbiome. Look at the foods that consistently appear in the traditional cuisine of your ethnicity and consider implementing it.

Focus on the “defining ingredients” of your ethnic cuisine. Unique foods may be uniquely important. If you’re Thai, import and regularly eat some galangal, a variety of ginger. If you come from several generations of Americans, eat apples. If you’re a black American, try some collard greens (and pot liquor!) instead of kale and pork trotters instead of chicken breast. Korean? Keep a jar of kimchi in your fridge (your mom will probably be proud). Polish? Get on that borscht. You probably won’t ever see diet studies into the effects of adherence to traditional ethnic cuisines on members of that ethnicity. You’ll have to run the “study” yourself.

Watch out for big, recent shifts. Traditions that go back only a generation or two aren’t enshrined in your genetics. Take the traditional Indian diet, which went from using highly-saturated butter-based ghee as the basis for its cooking to using vegetable oil-based trans-fat rich vegetable ghee. If you’re Indian and go back home, “traditional food” swimming in vegetable oil actually isn’t all that traditional—or suitable for your biology.

Look for apparent paradoxes. Eastern and Southern Europeans may not have the highest rates of lactase persistence, but that doesn’t mean they abstain from dairy. For instance, though lactase persistence is uncommon among native inhabitants of Sardinia, they eat a lot of dairy. This is possible because they primarily eat aged cheeses, which are very low in lactose. Same goes for other populations in “low-to-moderate” lactase persistence category, like Greeks, Turks, or Polish, who take advantage of dairy nutrients via low-lactose alternatives like yogurt and/or cheese.

Speculate based on geography. If you come from a coastal people with lots of fish available year round—Northern Europe, the Arctic, the Mediterranean, the South Pacific, any coast, really—try eating more fish. If your people were landlocked, maybe don’t eat ten fish oil caps a day.

As you can see, it’s messy. It’s far from settled science. Very few ethnic groups have rock-solid, linear, stable genetics. No one’s ancestry is a straight line and there’s a lot of admixture from other groups. White Brits, for example, have about 30% German blood thanks to early Saxon incursions; the later Viking raids and Norman conquest further complicated the gene pool. The original Britons, the Celts, likely came from a group of Spanish hunter-gatherers. So the truth is—despite the title of this article—there’s no “definitive guide” to using your recent ancestry to determine your optimal diet, because everyone’s ancestry is different and will follow different threads. However, through synthesis of ethnography literature, allele distribution frequency, genetic testing, asking your grandma about how she ate growing up, and a little creative thinking, we can make a few educated inferences and start playing around with things.

Even if you get it terribly wrong, if your family hails from Britain but has very little actual Celtic blood or if you follow the native Maori diet despite being a white New Zealander, you’re still eating real whole foods. Anything is better than the industrial food diet.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Where do you come from and how does it inform your current diet? How are you going to play with your diet after reading this post?

Dear Mark: Drinking Breast Milk and Supplemental Foods For Dogs

For today’s edition of Dear Mark, I’m answering two questions. First, what’s the deal with adult humans drinking human breast milk? It appears to be a bit of a “movement,” but does it make nutritional sense? Does breast milk offer any unique benefits to grown humans? Then, I answer a reader question about giving coconut oil to dogs and followup with a wider discussion of potentially beneficial supplemental foods for our furry best friends.

Let’s go:

Dear Mark,

After discovering paleo/primal about 4 yrs ago, and going through two rounds of Whole30, I’ve managed to get myself from a place of constant, excruciating discomfort, to a place of intermittent mild-to-medium discomfort digestively. I have gluten/dairy/corn/grain intolerances, and seem to have recently developed a problem with seed oils on the rare occasion that I do eat them. I’m strictly gluten free, but I do end up eating dairy occasionally, and grains like rice maybe 2x/month.

I’ve heard that some people in the paleo/primal community drink breast milk for athletic performance. I have no interest in that, but I was wondering if there is any research that suggests that all the probiotics, enzymes, and other good stuff in breast milk might help heal a leaky gut. If so, what would be the minimum amount a 150lb adult would have to drink for it to be effective?

I’m currently nursing my 7-month-old, so I have easy access to free milk, but I’m more interested in saving it for him if it won’t do me any good.

Thanks!

Leslie

Some people seem to dig it.

Legend has it that George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright and famous vegetarian who almost made it to a hundred, drank breast milk every day.

Some wealthy Chinese apparently pay upwards of $4000 a month for exclusive access to a wet nurse.

A London ice creamery makes ice cream out of human breast milk.

CrossFitters have been known to get down on their lactating wives’ excess milk, or pay top dollar for someone else’s.

There’s no research into the effects of breast milk on adults. Kids who are breastfed do have healthier guts and better immune systems than kids who weren’t, but those results won’t necessarily apply to adults who quaff the stuff well after their guts have matured. Indeed, part of the reason why breast milk is so effective at establishing immunity in infants is the porosity of the infant gut. By design, babies are born with leaky guts to maximize nutrient absorption and enable their immune systems to be exposed in a controlled manner to various compounds. Breast milk—and the rich colostrum that mothers produce in the first few days postpartum—represents a blast of nutrients for an infant just getting started in life. It’s all they can handle. It’s exactly what they need. And it helps them develop a healthy gut lining teeming with beneficial microbes.

You? It can’t hurt. I see no conceivable reason (disease-free) breast milk will harm an adult. And perhaps given the admittedly suboptimal state of your gut, you can benefit from the bioavailable nutrients, many of which are absent in most adult diets and unique to breast milk. I will say that drinking your own milk just seems redundant.

Something to look into is bovine colostrum. Colostrum is the rich, nutrient-dense, calorie-rich “first milk” mammal moms make for their babies, and for adult humans is better studied than human milk.

Compared to whey protein, colostrum supplementation improved the leg press strength and reduced bone resorption in older adults. Both whey and colostrum increased upper body strength, muscle mass, cognitive function, and muscle thickness.
In active males, colostrum supplementation reduces the salivary bacterial load. This may represent an effective measure against upper respiratory tract infections during winter months.
During exercise in hot conditions, taking colostrum mitigates the normal increase in gut permeability.
Colostrum helps active endurance athletes maintain testosterone levels and heart rate variability during a five-day race.
It improves respiratory tract mucosal defenses in athletes.

I’d say that’s worth a shot. Save the milk (get a good freezer) and try the colostrum.

What’s your input on coconut oil as a nutritional ingredient to add in a dog’s raw diet?

thanks

Lynda

It’s good. There’s a fair bit of research on coconut oil in dogs, believe it or not.

In August of 2015, researchers found that dog food with a coconut oil supplement (plus certain nutrients like carnitine, lipoic acid, lysine, leucine, and fiber) reduced body weight, body fat, and increased lean mass when compared to an isocaloric regular dog food. Same thing happened in cats, for what it’s worth.

Giving a coconut oil-based supplement to healthy beagles countered the normal age-related changes to their serum fatty acids.

While we’re on the subject of dog supplementation, what else is worth considering?

Fish oil or fatty fish: Fish oil increases adiponectin in dogs, may allow dogs with arthritis to reduce their NSAID use,  However, given that some adverse effects have been noted, perhaps due to poor quality fish oils, the safest and likely most beneficial way to incorporate fish oil is through the feeding of actual fish. Whole, raw frozen sardines make for great snacks. During salmon season, buy wild salmon heads but be sure to follow the protocol for killing any parasites which pose danger to dogs.

Freeze and store at -4 °F (-20 °C) or below for 7 days (total time); or
Freeze at -31 °F (-35 °C) or below until solid and store at -31 °F (-35 °C) or below for 15 hours; or
Freeze at -31 °F (-35 °C) or below until solid and store at -4 °F (-20 °C) or below for 24 hours.

Red palm oil: Dogs need vitamin E, and supplemental vitamin E can be very therapeutic for them. Wild animal flesh and fat is rich in vitamin E, thanks to all the nutrient-dense vegetation they feed on, but neither dog nor human eat wild game much anymore. The very best source of vitamin E available to man or beast is red palm oil. Head on down to the local West African market and buy the reddest (ethically produced) palm oil you can find.

Egg yolks: In an old study (PDF), raw egg yolks and egg yolk protein produced the most growth per gram of protein in young pups, beating out casein, gluten, beef muscle, and egg white. If you really love your dogs, you’ll give them each a yolk a day. What I like to do with my dogs is remove the white and toss the whole yolk to them like you would a dry treat. It’s by far their favorite snack.

Liver: Can’t go wrong with nature’s multivitamin.

Heck, colostrum might be worth trying in dogs, too. It improves their immune response and results in a richer gut biome.

That’s it for today, everyone. Thanks for reading and be sure to chime in down below. Dog owners, breast milk fans: I want to hear from you!

The Annual Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge Begins Next Week! (and Here’s How to Prepare)

Happy 2016, everybody! I hope each of you had a spectacular holiday season, chock full of laughter, community, and a few primal treats to drum up happy stomachs and warm comradery. Now, with January 1st just behind us, it’s time to make the changes and commitments we all need to set the foundation for an exceptionally joyful 2016. With a new year comes new goals, which is why our team is ready to announce our favorite, much anticipated goal achieving event of the season: The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge! This year’s challenge will run from Jan 11th-31st, and we have quite the lineup of contests, prizes, and all around fun activities planned for everyone who wants to participate.

Starting next week, you’ll be able to jump start your new year’s goals with thousands of other primal folks looking to do the same—all in the service of becoming your healthiest self, with the least amount of pain and sacrifice possible. With over 13,000 official participants—and surely tens of thousands more unofficial participants—last year’s challenge was a whopping success. And I look forward to seeing that number rise even higher this year. Are you up for the challenge? Check out some of the fun (and exciting) details for what we have planned over the next several weeks.

1. Get the App

To enrich your experience, we’ve teamed up with Vimify once again to create a Primal Blueprint 21-Day Transformation Challenge accessible from your desktop computer or iOS-compatible device (iPhone or iPad).

First things first: get the Vimify app and join the 21-Day Challenge. Seriously, go download the app—either to your computer or iPhone/iPad—and sign up right now. It’s free, it takes just a couple minutes, and it will enrich your experience in the weeks to come. (Note: When signing up, make sure you’ve entered your email address correctly and that your password is at least 8 characters long.)

From there, you’ll have a series of Prep Tasks to complete before the Challenge starts on January 11, including:

Purge your pantry of all non-Primal foods and restock it with Primal fare. Doing this now allows you to jump headfirst into the Challenge when it begins.
Do a Primal Essential Movement assessment. Determine your level of physical fitness so you know what you’re working with and can plan fitness goals accordingly.
Invite friends to join you in the Challenge. The strength of this app lies in the community you build, the accountability it promotes, and the healthy competition it provides. You need people to get those benefits.

You can also review the Primal Blueprint Guides to the aspects of Primal living that are especially important to success this Challenge, like the 10 Laws, Shopping Guide, Primal Essential Meals, and the Carb Curve.

After that, it’s a waiting game. Once the Challenge begins, the daily tasks will be linked to the daily challenges, contests, and content posted right here on Mark’s Daily Apple.

Important note: If you want to participate in the app challenge you have to sign up by January 11. There is no joining mid-Challenge. The app challenge is available all year on a regular, revolving basis, but for this month only, the entry fee has been waived. Long story short, get in soon!

2. Choose One of the Three 21-Day Transformation Packages

The app is free for everyone. The Challenge is free for everyone. But for those that want to get the most out of the Challenge or could use a little extra guidance, there are three product packages to assist you:

For the Digital Package, you’ll get immediate access to digital versions of the 21-Day Total Body Transformation (the official book of the Challenge), plus an audiobook of the 21-Day Total Body Transformation as well. You’ll also get digital versions of Primal Blueprint Quick & Easy Meals, the Primal Blueprint Poster (a graphic guide to the lifestyle), the Primal Blueprint Shopping List (a complete list of all Primal-approved foods), and an in-depth 90-minute video of me covering all the major elements of the Primal Blueprint lifestyle. You’ll also receive daily email encouragement for the duration of the Challenge, plus access to the app.

The Fuel Package includes all of the above, plus physical versions of the book, the cookbook, the poster, and the shopping list shipped directly to your door. PLUS you’ll receive a bag of Primal Fuel, a Primal Fuel recipe book, and a Primal Fuel blender bottle from which to guzzle all your delicious Fuel creations. It’s the best value of all.

The Essentials Package has everything from the Fuel Package PLUS bottles of Primal Omegas (my high-quality omega-3 fish oil), Primal Calm (my herbal stress-fighting blend), and Vitamin D (because sun is scarce this time of year).

If you have been wondering how the supplements fit into the lifestyle, this is the perfect opportunity to give them a try and see how they work for you. Order today to ensure your package arrives by the time the Challenge begins on the 12th.

Note: The app and the products aren’t necessary to participate in the Mark’s Daily Apple 21-Day Challenge (everyone’s welcome!), but they’ll definitely make your life easier and give you a better shot at success.

3. Get Started on the 2016 Primal Blueprint Recipe Video Contest

Per annual tradition, once again it’s time to make some delicious Primal dishes.

The Prize:

US Wellness has long been a favorite meat spot for MDA readers. A few years ago they donated pemmican and the popular 5 gallon bucket of fat. The last several years they’ve gone whole hog. And by hog, I mean cow. And they’re doing it again this year. US Wellness has generously offered up a cow to the winners of this contest.

For those of you with raised eyebrow, they won’t actually be delivering a mooing, cud chewing, udder dangling live cow to your doorstep. But you will receive the delicious meat that once was that cow. And I’m not just talking about a bucket of chuck. The winners will receive sirloin, brisket, short ribs, back ribs, rib-eye steaks, T-bone steaks, NY strip steaks, Delmonico steaks, filets, bottom round roasts, center cut roasts, chuck, tongue, liver, heart, kidney, beef tallow, marrow bones, beef stock, and an oxtail. Heart and tongue not your thing? No worries. This year’s winners will get to choose exactly what they want as they’ll be receiving $1500 worth of US Wellness gift certificates they can use to order hundreds of pounds of their preferred bovine cuts – all grass fed, grass finished. Check out this Grass Fed Goodness video where you can watch your prize/meal grazing around in sweet Missouri pastures.

But winning won’t be easy. It’ll take work. And Primal food…

The Contest:

Create and upload a 15 second Primal recipe video to Instagram. Have you mastered the omelet? Are you an organ meat fiend? Maybe your salad is so mean, it can win a chili cookoff. If so, let the world in on your secrets. Grab your smartphone, and show us how to make something Primal. In previous years, we’ve asked you to upload and record your Primal recipes to YouTube, but this year, we’re adding a new twist! Creativity is key, because Instagram videos are limited to 15 seconds. Just make sure your video relates in some way to the Primal Blueprint eating plan. Show the world (how to prepare) your best Primal dish and you could be the winner of a whole bunch of meat. For ideas on what you can do, check out these clever 15 second chefs:

Italian Meatballs

A video posted by Leslie Klenke

Weekend Link Love – Edition 381

PRIMAL KITCHEN™ Salad Dressings have landed! Get a free bottle of my new Greek Vinaigrette from Thrive Market while supplies last.

Research of the Week

Mindfulness meditation increases activation of brain areas linked to focus and reduces activation of areas linked to mind wandering.

Low-dose ketamine is effective against depression.

Watching yourself eat junk food could dissuade you from eating it ever again.

Fish oil may convince fat cells to burn, not store, fat.

New Primal Blueprint Podcasts

Episode 100: Cindy Barbieri: Host Elle Russ hangs with Cindy Barbieri, a talented paleo cook who’s managed to crack the code of Primal-friendly Italian food. If you miss some of your old Italian favorites, this episode is for you.

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.

Do You Have Something to Look Forward To?
8 Reasons Why Low-Carb Diets Actually Work

Also, be sure to check out and subscribe to the Primal Endurance Podcast.

Interesting Blog Posts

How dogs age.

A beginner’s guide to FODMAPs.

How, specifically, does the body fall apart?

Media, Schmedia

In Copenhagen, “cars cost 57 cents per kilometer while bikes come in at 9 cents per kilometer.”

Yet another danger of hyperconnectedness.

Big Pharma to target gut microbes.

Frequent business travel is bad for health (and marriage, and happiness).

Everything Else

Apple spurs further innovation.

The new Airbus carbon fiber plane uses special cabin LED lights to entrain passengers’ circadian rhythms and combat jet lag before it hits.

A spoonful of butter works much better, in my experience.

A big idea, for sure, but haven’t I heard this somewhere before?

Which food producers are giving their animals antibiotics?

The fine, delicious line between burnt and burned.

There’s a cool evolutionary health symposium coming to UC San Francisco February 27 featuring folks like Chris Kresser, Chris Masterjohn, Robb Wolf, Michelle Tam (of Nom Nom Paleo), and Stephan Guyenet. Tickets are available now.

MMA officials have proposed new regulations to reduce extreme (and dangerous) weight cutting.

Recipe Corner

While lactofermented pickles are ideal, sometimes you just need a pickle right away. Here’s how to pickle something in three hours.
From Cindy Barbieri comes pot roast in red wine sauce over celery root.

Time Capsule

One year ago (Jan 5 – Jan 11)

7 Common Calorie Myths We Should All Stop Believing – Don’t fall for these myths.
9 More Calorie Myths We Should All Stop Believing – Nor these.

Comment of the Week

Added another “curry” to my like list.

– Me too, Paleo Bon Rurgundy, though I find the meat a bit stringy.

Lasagna Meatloaf

Lasagna meatloaf has all the delicious flavor of lasagna, without the noodles. Cheese is optional, and although it adds creamy mozzarella flavor, the meatloaf is more than satisfying without it. Marinara sauce, basil and oregano, onion and garlic…this all-beef meatloaf has it all. Plus three ingredients that hold the loaf together perfectly: eggs, finely chopped mushrooms, and gelatin.

Eggs are always used to bind meatloaf. This recipe only uses two. Raw mushrooms, very finely chopped (use a food processor) look a lot like breadcrumbs and in this loaf, have a similar job. They help the meat bind together, while also adding flavor and moisture. Powdered gelatin is the final binding agent, helping to give the meatloaf a sliceable texture. This trio—eggs, mushrooms, and gelatin—can be used with any meatloaf recipe.

Serve lasagna meatloaf with a spoonful of your favorite marinara sauce and fresh Italian herbs for a low-carb Italian meal.

Servings: 4

Time in the Kitchen: 30 minutes, plus 1 hour and 15 minutes to bake

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to brush loaf pan (30 ml)
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 ounces sliced cremini or button mushrooms, very finely chopped (use a food processor) (113 g)
3/4 cup marinara sauce (180 ml)
2 eggs, whisked
2 teaspoons dried oregano (10 ml)
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil (60 ml)
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese (optional) (90 g)
2 pounds ground beef chuck (900 g)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (10 ml)
3/4 teaspoon powdered gelatin (7 ml)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 °F/176 °C.

Brush a loaf pan with olive oil.

Warm the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat until soft, 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together onion, garlic, mushrooms, marinara sauce, eggs, oregano and basil (and cheese, if using).

Add the ground beef to bowl and sprinkle salt on top.

In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon/15 ml water with the powdered gelatin. Let sit 1 minute then pour in 2 tablespoons/30 ml of hot water. Mix well and pour over the ground meat.

Use your hands to gently but thoroughly mix the ground meat with everything in the bowl.

Pack mixture into the loaf pan. Place the loaf pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until meat loaf is firm to touch in center and has pulled away from sides of pan, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the loaf rest 15 minutes. Pour off liquid. Turn the pan over to carefully remove the loaf.

Serve with warmed marinara sauce, fresh basil and oregano.

How 21 Days Transformed Me for Life

It’s Friday, 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!

What do I like best about Primal eating for weight loss? NO COUNTING!! No counting calories, no counting portions, no counting values.

What do I like second best about Primal eating for weight loss? I’M NOT HUNGRY!

I have not been hungry since I began following the Primal strategies nearly six months ago. That has been unheard of in my multiple experiences with weight loss “diets.” It has been so easy with minimal amount of effort. Let me tell you the story of how my Primal journey began.

About 10 months ago my family physician insisted I begin a cholesterol lowering drug because my bloodwork numbers were too high. I explained that I wasn’t willing to use drugs without trying other interventions. She was not happy with me. Her nurse kept calling and leaving messages about filling my prescription.

In the meantime, I tried an herbal cholesterol lowering product which was supposed to capture the cholesterol and send it out of the body. I faithfully took the product with meals for two months and returned for a bloodwork update. Unfortunately, even after taking the product without fail, my bloodwork numbers were EXACTLY the same as the prior results. My physician emailed me that I needed to get started NOW on the cholesterol lowering drug. Her nurse called at least once a day, leaving me a message about filling the prescription.

I was very disappointed because I know that cholesterol lowering drugs could eat away your muscles. I decided that if I did, indeed, need to take this drug, I wanted to be sure my muscles were as strong as possible.

Here is where my fabulous personal trainer comes into the picture! My lifelong exercise routine had been following various workout videos. I wanted more individualized help, so I located the best-rated women’s gym in my area, and signed up to work with Anthony Munkholm, Fitness Director and personal trainer at Sweatshop Health Club in St Paul, MN. Little did I know how this decision would change my life!

As I began working with Anthony, he asked me about my fitness goals. In the beginning, I was only interested in building my strength; later, my endurance. I had been stuck at the same over-weight for nearly ten years, and I could not think about one more discouraging weight loss attempt. For now, I was happy to be so excited about my training sessions. I had more energy and was actually beginning to see definition in my muscles. I couldn’t wait for training days!

Anthony never pressed me to think about a weight loss goal. When we chatted about my ever-evolving goals, I would say that losing weight with my new exercise program would be a side benefit. After a month of training sessions, Anthony said he had a book he thought I might be interested in. He shared The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation with me. It was just the thing I needed.

Chapter after chapter, I said to myself, “Yes, I believe this. Yes, I can do this.” And I realized that Anthony had already been using the Primal philosophy in my training. He incorporated the Primal Essential Movements with a few sprint bursts in between. He conveyed confidence in my own intuition, which is also part of the Primal philosophy.

Checking in on my bloodwork…after six weeks of training with Anthony and eating Primal, my results improved so much, my physician said I should return in three months for reconsideration. The new results, three months later, had even greater improvement: Total cholesterol down 20 points, LDL down 14 points, BMI down from 31.3 to 28.3, and body fat down from 43.5 to 37.9. You can imagine how thrilled I am with these results. And so is my physician!

Checking in on my weight…I’m down 25 pounds off the scale, replaced by more and more muscle, of course! With total body fat down, down, down, and dress size down as well, I am back to a size from over 15 years ago! And I’m not worried about a final weight goal; I just keep eating Primal 80/20 and the pounds seem to melt away.

Stocking my cupboard with delicious Primal choices makes eating at home easy. Special requests like meatballs and marinara sauce over double broccoli, instead of spaghetti noodles, makes eating out easy as well. My lifelong sweet tooth has disappeared. Walking passed a bakery or junk food aisle is not temptation. My blood sugar levels have evened out, and I don’t miss the grains or sugars at all. Successes are all around me!

I am relentless about keeping my training schedule, even though I work out of town on a flexible basis, sometimes being gone for a couple weeks at a time. Anthony plans an “away” training routine I can do on the road. I meet with him regularly the weeks I am home. I am proud of my exercise accomplishments. Push-ups on the squat bar, going lower and lower; beginning at 5-14, now 2-3 sets of 15-24. Goal for next year is 10 on the floor! Assisted pull-ups, consistently made harder; now I can do 12! Squats, starting with leg press, moved to ball squats to the TRX, now perfect body weight squats! I also do a “mean” plank!

My trainer, Anthony, lives a Primal Lifestyle. He shares his own challenges, successes, knowledge and recipes with me. I am indebted to him for providing the Primal Lifestyle information. I am thrilled that my 21-Day Transformation has grown into an Every Day Life Transformation.

Alice

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End of the Year Review: What We Learned in 2015

I’ll readily admit I love New Year’s. Beyond the parties and hoopla, honestly it’s the reflection and planning that really appeals. What can I say? I love what I do here…. As I mentioned last year, it’s been an annual tradition to sit and take stock of all we’ve put together at MDA over the previous months. This year is no exception! It’s incredible what happens in just a year’s time. New Year’s for me is the time to appreciate all that—what we’ve explored here and what others have contributed. Let’s take a look at some of what we’ve discovered, shared, cooked and experimented with for 2015!

Where to start?

On the fitness end of things, I laid down the law on what not to do if you’re looking to build muscle (and who isn’t). I offered alternatives to burpees and ways to assess your true fitness level. I introduced our Primal Beat HRV as the perfect way to regulate the stress patterns of life and exercise—the ultimate modern tool for optimum Primal fitness as I shared in my Primal Endurance book (the surprise early publication of which was a great way to end the year).

As always, I had my fun taking apart controversies, including whether the paleo diet is supported by scientific research (I’ll give you a guess) and the most recent WHO report’s warning for meat eaters (Hint: I’m still enjoying my bacon). We questioned whether regular health check-ups are necessary, and the Primal Prescription taught us how to navigate the health care system when illness or injury brings us there.

My team and I certainly didn’t leave weight loss interest hanging either this year. How many of you had bells going off with the new Fruit Belly book? And for those of you who haven’t picked up your free ebook The Primal Blueprint Definitive Guide to Troubleshooting Weight Loss, there’s no time like the present. We looked at why regaining weight is so common and offered a couple dozen ways to improve your insulin sensitivity.

On a lighter note, we learned how and why to nap as well as the napping practices of famous people throughout history. If Winston Churchill and Salvador Dalí did it, why fight the pattern of greatness?

And in case anyone needed any motivation, we looked at how to create a self-perpetuating string of successes, I offered a primer for getting unstuck, and we got real about why getting in shape isn’t the best kickstart for getting one’s duff off the couch.

Now and then I waxed a little poetic (or at least philosophical) offering health perspectives for all the life stages, comparing ancient to Primal wisdom, imagining what we’d tell our younger selves, and reflecting on the Primal fear of dying.

Finally, we occasionally waded into some novel or flat-out unusual subjects like the real deal on how hunter-gatherers really slept and what role psychedelics will play in new medical frontiers, and which foreign words have something to teach us about living Primally.

At the close of each year I also like to thank our guest writers for the amazing perspectives and expertise they offer MDA. It never ceases to surprise me all I learn from them and the ways they expand my Primal practice. How many of you tried isometrics for the first time after reading Todd Kuslikis’ post on their incredible benefits? And then there was Al Kavadlo’s take on calisthenics as ultimate Primal and Zen practice. For those of you interested in revamping your workday, I loved Katy Bowman’s look at moving more throughout the day. Of course, there was Primal Superstar Tara Grant’s story behind of the Autoimmune Protocol. With resolutions on the mind, how could I not highlight Alessandra Wall’s incredible look at goal setting as indispensable for success. And, finally, there was Exo co-founder Gabi Lewis’ illuminating look at how bizarre foods have won acceptance over the years.

What would the PB life be without all the good Primal eating? Sure enough, we’ve worked hard to bring you all manner of recipes (and even some new Primal goodies!) this year. Personally, I’m loving the Fish Taco recipe that uses the new Primal Mayo. And while we’re on the subject of the mayo, how about that excellent Resistant Starch Potato Salad from GrassFedGirl? Oh, and one more mayo recipe for good measure. You can’t do much better than the Paleo Spinach and Artichoke Crab Dip offered up by PaleoSchmaleo. (To me, that’s got New Year’s Eve written all over it.) I’d suggest enjoying it with some Primal Mocktails of course! Maybe throw in some Chicken Skin Chips or Sweet Potato Skins?

For your New Year morning, how about whipping up some Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes? And as we settle into the cold weeks of winter, don’t forget that Cumin & Coriander Lamb Stir Fry, Slow-Simmered Cabbage Soup, or (when you’re craving some take-out on a night in) Primal Chinese Orange Chicken. And I can’t help but mention our Dark Chocolate Almond Bars, the appeal of which literally crashed our site.

Finally, I can’t leave out my favorites of all—those always amazing success stories. The truth is, every single one inspires me, and they’re all worth looking back on. As we all head into 2016, I think they’re the ideal prescription when you’re having a bad day, when you’re working your Primal principles but are struggling to get over a hump. These folks’ stories are sure to get you back on track. How about James’ story of beating Crohn’s, mouth ulcers, joint pain and weight-loss free fall (to mention just a few symptoms!)? And there was Michael’s story of ditching the old conventional weight loss ways that just weren’t working for him and embracing Primal to go from skinny fat to amazing shape. Mark’s transformation (complete with Superman shirt) with 100 pounds lost and medication kicked to the curb was enough to knock your FiveFingers off. And then there’s Tressie’s story of losing over 100 pounds and ditching nearly a dozen medications.

I’ll admit I’m a sucker for the couple stories and loved Danielle and Pat’s story of transforming their body comps, getting in amazing shape and beating everything from eczema to emotional issues to gastrointestinal problems. And what about the Australian family who went Primal—“striving and thriving together”? Not only did they lose weight, but they kicked a whole myriad of conditions—not to mention medications! Finally, who could forget Mike’s experience of going from weighing 500 pounds to deadlifting it? With over 200 pounds lost and a new lease on life gained, it’s one of my favorite success stories of all time.

Wow, that’s a lot to take in—and it barely scratches the surface of all we covered this year! What were your favorite posts of 2015? I hope you’ll share the articles that taught you the most or gave you serious food for thought.

Thanks for reading today, everyone. I’m looking forward to ringing in 2016 with all of you! We have so many good things in store for the next year!

Happy New Year, everyone!

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7 Ways to Slow Down Your Perception of Time

I’m 62. I’m supposed to have a big belly. I’m supposed to be taking at least four prescription drugs a day (PDF). I’m supposed to be lining up for the early bird special at the Denny’s on Lincoln. I’m not supposed to be lifting weights, sprinting, and beating younger guys at Ultimate Frisbee. I shouldn’t be snowboarding, starting exciting new business ventures, or going shirtless in the Southern California sun without sunblock. I’m supposed to be set in my ways, not open to new evidence. I’m supposed to be remembering my younger, better days as time slips away and I descend ever more rapidly into frailty, financial insolvency, and death. Time is supposed to speed up as I age, not slow down.

Isn’t that the conventional wisdom? Whenever a person gets old, or even “old,” they complain about the growing rapidity of time. Weeks seem shorter. The endless summers of childhood become one or two sweaty months of having to wear work clothes in 90 degree weather. The holidays come and go before you realize it. Time used to go slow enough that you could run out of things to do and actually get bored. Now, most people complain about not having the time to do the stuff they claim to want but never really pursue.

As you all know, I’m committed to living well over living long. I’ll take a long life, but I’m more interested in compressing my morbidity—the end-of-life inability to take care of oneself and appreciate the good things this world offers. If a long life means being hooked up to life support for the last ten years, I’ll pass.

An important piece of living well as you age that most never consider is taking advantage of the fact that time perception is entirely a construction of the brain. By slowing down the perceived passage of time, you seemingly have more of it and live longer—and better.

Stop thinking of time as money (even if it is).

Increasing value breeds scarcity, even if it’s just the perception of scarcity. So when we think of our time as money, our time gets more valuable—and more scarce. And instead of packing our schedules full of interesting experiences, we work longer to make more money. Reading for pleasure becomes wasteful. Sitting down to dinner with the family is an extravagance you have trouble justifying. The time we do take as leisure becomes more harried with worry we could be doing more.

Embrace novelty.

Time passes slowly for children in part because everything they’re seeing, doing, experiencing, smelling, hearing, and tasting is new and takes up a larger portion of their memory. They’ve only just arrived on this plane of existence and their brains are working overtime to process an abundance of novelty. Each experience is fascinating.

Compare that with the average adult working a 9-5. They get up at the same time every morning. They eat the same breakfast. They take the same route to work. They sit down at their desk and perform the same tasks they performed yesterday and every day prior. Everything is routine. The brain doesn’t have to work to process any new information or remember the specifics. It’s the same thing day in, day out. They can’t really remember what they did one, two, three days ago—not because they’re going senile at age 33 but because every day is the same and the brain literally doesn’t see the need to retain the memory of each. This is precisely when days slip into months into years and before you know it you’re coming up on 40 and The Simpsons is on season 26 and that new Star Wars movie is already out and is it really 2016 in less than a week?

One researcher devised a cool method to test this concept in the lab. He showed people a slideshow of identical images of a brown shoe interspersed with the occasional “oddball” image of a flower. Though the flower image spent the same amount of time on the screen as each individual shoe image the slideshow, participants swore it remained onscreen for much longer than the others. Other researchers have confirmed the “oddball” effect; time lengthens in the presence of novelty.

It turns out that “with repeated presentations of a stimulus, a sharpened representation or a more efficient encoding is achieved in the neural network that codes for the object, affording lower metabolic costs.” In other words, doing the same routine every day barely registers in the brain. You don’t notice it. You don’t remember doing it. Thus, entire days are lost.

Novelty can be objectively exciting things like going to a drum circle at the beach, skydiving, rock climbing, or taking a salsa class. But small changes work, too. Take a strange route to work. Take your bike to work. Try a new restaurant every week instead of eating at the same diner.

Work smarter.

We’re more productive, sure. We have dozens of high-tech tools to help us multitask and communicate with anyone at a moment’s notice. We can find the most arcane bit of knowledge in under a minute. It’s all saving us time, right?

Except we’re working more than ever. And when we’re not working, we’re thinking about work. Or we’re turning our leisure time into work by trying to “optimize” it. We tell ourselves we’re saving time, but we’re really chasing the optimization dragon. Few ever condense work to a few productive hours each day and spend the bulk of their time enjoying the moment. It just doesn’t happen. Instead, we just use our productivity gains to spend even more time working.

Avoid multitasking. Stick to the task at hand. Don’t go flitting off into Wikipedia. Don’t have so many tabs open that the favicons disappear. Multitasking only makes time perception speed up, and it doesn’t even improve productivity.

Check email twice a day. If email’s a big part of your day, do not keep the inbox open on your browser. You’re going to look at it every ten minutes, dreading/hoping for incoming messages. It will rule your day and compress your time. Instead, designate two 10-20 minute blocks per day to check your email. People can text, call, or ping you if it’s truly urgent (wife giving birth, a death, an arrest, an accident).

Move.

Everyone knows that the faster you move through space, the slower time unfolds. We see this in sci-fi movies about astral explorers aging more slowly on interstellar journeys, but there’s no reason it doesn’t also work on a local, micro level, even if just barely and mostly imperceptibly. Try it out if you don’t believe me.

Spend one day on the couch mainlining the latest Netflix show. Watch an entire season of something you haven’t seen before, so it retains novelty. Get up only to use the bathroom.

Spend one day exploring the city on foot. Walk briskly, bike, whatever you want. Just physically move through space without stopping.

Which one took longer? Which was a fuller, richer day? They both introduced novelty, so that shouldn’t be confounding the results. The only difference was physical movement.

Disconnect.

Scientists think our relationship to technology has sped up our perception of time. In a series of human experiments (results awaiting peer-review), researchers discovered that people who are constantly connected to technology perceive time to flow faster. What was actually 50 minutes felt like an hour to the tech addicts, who were more anxious and stressed about time running out than the folks who used technology less.

Plan trips.

Doesn’t this conflict with “Be spontaneous”? No. Bear with me. If you’ve got a big trip coming up, rather than wait til the last minute to book the AirBNB and decide where you’ll actually be going, give it some thought. This doesn’t mean you have to plan everything down to the last detail. You don’t have to decide now where to have breakfast on the sixth day. Planning a bit, even if it’s just a skeleton plan, gives you something to look forward to. It extends and enriches the trip beyond the trip itself. You’ll spend the four or five months eagerly anticipating the trip. You’ll spend the two to three weeks actually on the trip. And you’ll have the rest of your life to savor the memories. Throwing together a rough itinerary several months out, one that leaves plenty of room for improvisation, can really increase the density of your experience and thus slow your perception of time.

Go into nature.

We’re slaves to the clock. In the wilderness, there are none. Rather than seconds and minutes, out there time is measured in seasons, sunrises and sunsets, temperature changes. It’s a much grander thing embedded in the landscape itself. The linear tick of a digital display cannot hope to contain it.

How’s time passing for you these days? Faster than before? Slower? If you’ve discovered any other methods to slow down the subjective perception of time, let me know down below.

Thanks for reading, everyone.