Mark Sisson's Blog, page 325

Contest: Grocery Time

The Prize:

A Kangaroo - Not a living, jumping, boxing, marsupial. This kangaroo is the solution for people who want to stand at work. Made by Ergo Desktop, the Kangaroo Pro is an adjustable height desk unit that sits atop your boring sit-down desk. There’s really nothing else on the market like it. These are handmade in Ohio and shipped entirely assembled. Ergo Desktop has various models and finishes to match your office and the size of your computer. Perfect for folks who work eight hours a day and don’t want to sit themselves into back problems later in life. These are also a good option if your workplace is permanently affixed with desks of the sitting variety. You know I’m a big proponent of standing at work. This is your chance to win a standing workstation. Retail value: $499.

Tropical Traditions Coconut Package – You probably know we’re crazy for coconut in these parts. That’s why I’m thrilled that Tropical Traditions has donated this coconut-inspired prize package for today’s contest. The lucky winner will get all this delivered to their doorstep: 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil, 1 quart of Organic Coconut Cream Concentrate, a 2.2lb bag of Organic Coconut Flour, a 2.2lb bag of Organic Coconut Flakes, a 17oz jar of Organic Raw Honey, AND a $100 gift certificate to buy anything you want at TropicalTraditions.com. This package is valued at over $200.

Sign up for Tropical Traditions newsletter here to be alerted of the latest sales and newest products.Learn the history of Tropical Traditions by watching this video: How We Discovered Virgin Coconut Oil – An Interview with Brian Shilhavy, CEO Tropical Traditions. And check out their kitchen-tested recipes at their Free Coconut Recipes blog.

Pure Indian Coconut Ghee – What’s better than ghee? 100% organic ghee. What’s better than organic ghee? Organic coconut ghee (together at last!). And where do you find 100% organic coconut ghee? Pure Indian Foods. According to PIF, they provide the only 100% organic ghee available in the market that has been made using the milk of pastured cows grazing on rapidly growing green grass in spring and fall only, when their milk is most nutritious. Pure Indian Foods will be sending 6 jars of 14.2 oz. jars of PRIMALFAT™ – Virgin and Certified Organic Coconut Ghee. Retail value: ~$100.

Check out Pure Indian Foods on Facebook and take advantage of this special offer: use discount code COCONUTGHEE to get $6.50 off any purchase over $15 at Pure Indian Foods, as long as your order includes at least one jar (any size) of PRIMALFAT™ Coconut Ghee.

Fresh Fish! – Courtesy of Wild Pacific Salmon, the winner of today’s contest will receive 2 lbs of their choice of fresh fish overnighted to their door. Take your pick from Alaskan Halibut, Alaskan Pacific Cod, Steelhead Trout, or my favorite, one of the Alaskan Salmon choices. Salmon freaks out there know what a treat this is; and for any non-salmon freaks out there, prepare to be freaked, salmon style. Retail value: ~$100.

BONUS: Use ALASKA when ordering from wildpacificsalmon.com to receive a $10 discount on an order of 10 lbs or more.

The Contest:

Another oldie, but goodie, I haven’t held this contest since 2010. Originally inspired by a Time photo montage featuring families from around the world surrounded by a week’s worth of their groceries, I told readers to surround themselves with a week’s worth of their Primal groceries. Check out the results from 2010:

So round up the kids (or parents, or fiance, or roommates) and toss all the groceries on the table, because I want people to see “What Grok Eats.” The pictures don’t have to be fancy, nor do they have to be 100% Primal (or even 80%, just so long as people can see what you eat in a week). Mad props go to the most Primal family, but the winner will be selected in a random drawing, so don’t feel obliged to play “Keeping up with the Grokses.” Email me the picture.  Please use the email subject heading “Grocery Submission”. Otherwise, there’s a good chance I may completely miss your submission.

As long as there are groceries on the table and smiling faces, you’re entered to win.

Examples:

From the NY Times:

The winner from 2009:

Now it’s your turn.

The Deadline:

October 2, midnight PDT.

Who is Eligible:

Anyone can enter. In the case of an international winner, a substitute prize of equal value will be awarded.

How the Winner Will Be Determined:

A random drawing will be held among all entrants who submit adequate photos.

Order The Primal Blueprint Starter Kit and Take Control of Your Health Today!

Dear Mark: Your 21-Day Challenge Questions Answered

The 21-Day Challenge is simple in theory, but not always easy, especially if you are brand new to the Primal Blueprint and trying to change decades of bad habits and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. With the first week of the Challenge behind us, a couple days ago I asked you to share any questions you may have, and I promised I’d give you my thoughts. In today’s Dear Mark, I’ve tried to answer most of the submissions in a rapid fire format. If your question isn’t answered below, stay tuned. I’ll try to get to it in a future Dear Mark article. Also, be sure to check the comment section of Saturday’s post. There are tons of great answers from readers that are worth a look.

Let’s get to it!

Any tips on how to quit drinking diet soda? I’m an addict.

Drink sparkling water instead, maybe with a lemon slice or two. Replace your lost caffeine with tea or coffee.

What’s your favorite Primal appetizer/finger food to share at sporting events or gatherings?

I’ve got a few favorites:

Smoked bacon oysters
Balsamic-glazed drumsticks
Grilled artichokes with creamy mint sauce
Primal Thai lettuce wraps

Those should cover your bases. For more ideas, check our Appetizers section!

I have a two-month-old baby whom I’m breastfeeding. I’m thus tied to a sofa for much of my waking time. How can I find time and energy for a workout and/or sprints?

As a more general question, how can we best adapt the challenge for pregnant and nursing mothers?

Don’t worry about the workouts or the sprints. At two months, your kid needs you, maybe more than he/she ever will. You need to conserve your energy (which in your words is definitely finite). Overdoing things on the exercise front might also send troubling messages to your body – that things on the outside world have gotten dire and stressful and dangerous, and that perhaps breastfeeding isn’t top priority at the moment. Instead, send the message that everything is good, food is plentiful, and free time is abundant by chilling out. Then, the milk should continue to flow.

To pregnant and nursing mothers interested in taking the Challenge I suggest making it about sleep and stress and slow moving, rather than losing weight and lifting heavier things.

I have been trying to eat Primal for the past 4 months, my main goal is to lose weight. Do I need to still create a caloric deficit or is watching my total carb count all that really matters?

In the experience of thousands of readers, the caloric deficit (which, yes, is technically required for weight loss) naturally happens when you reduce your carbs and increase fat and protein while avoiding grains, sugar, and vegetable oils. The carb reduction is a big part of that, but it’s not everything. Everything matters. You mentioned “trying to eat Primal,” and I suggest doing it for real. Remember what Yoda says: “Do, or do not, there is no try.”

Also, note the distinction between fat loss and weight loss. You can lose fat and still maintain (or even in rare instances gain) your body weight, and that’s a good thing because it signifies lean mass addition – and that doesn’t require caloric deficit.

Do you have any comments, suggestions, experience with others that struggle with sugar and have come out the other side victorious?

Avoiding concentrated, refined sources of sugar, like white sugar as well as juice, soda, candy, baked goods, and all the rest seems to be extremely important in the early going. But almost as important is not fearing whole food sources of sugar, like berries or a bowl of cherries. Those aren’t the same as refined sugar, even though they contain sugar, and while they shouldn’t be eaten with reckless abandon, they should not be regarded as mere “bags of sugar.” Eating them can be a source of sanity. Concentrated sources of “real food sugar,” like honey, syrup, or molasses, are a grey area. Though they’re “better,” I’d definitely watch out for them and perhaps even avoid them altogether.

What are some good “mocktails” to have while watching football and/or tailgating?

Here’s what you need:

A selection of high quality, preferably fresh-squeezed fruit juices.
A good sparkling mineral water. Gerolsteiner is my favorite.
A bevy of spices and herbs. Cinnamon, turmeric, mint, cayenne, and thyme are vital, but any of your favorites will do. Fresh is best.
A collection of bitters. I keep Angostura bitters around all the time.

Go wild. Let people mix and match their favorites. Plus, if they want to make them adult beverages, they can always add their own without disrupting the flavor too much.

I’m in the market for a good pair of primal footwear but I really hate the 5 finger look. Anything you’d recommend? Looking for something I could wear everyday, anywhere. From the gym, to the grocery store: That sort of thing.

Thanks!

Vivo Barefoot has some snazzy looking shoes. I also like the Altras.

Mark – this is my 3 go at completing a 21 day challenge. I have been on and off again primal for about a year but never seem to gain consistency past two weeks. This challenge I have asked my wife to join me. She is struggling and blames it on the fact that we have 5 kids that “won’t eat this stuff” as she puts it. What are your recommendations for completing the 21 day challenge in with 6 people eating a SAD?

Get the kids involved. Let them help prepare food, take them shopping (and let them have a say!), show them how to handle knives, boil water, add spices, that sort of thing. Here, I wrote a post detailing how to get the whole family involved with healthy eating and food preparation that you might find useful.

So I know other “experts” say you should eat breakfast, What are you thoughts on breakfast if the person is not hungry? It there a time frame you should get food into your body after you wake up?

For the most part, eat WHEN – When Hunger Ensues Naturally. I mean, that’s what hunger is intended for: telling you when you should eat. If you can effectively tap into your own body fat, that may be mid-morning or mid-afternoon. However, it is possible to eat too little food and removing an entire block of potential eating time – breakfast – would exacerbate that. Watch out for symptoms like:

Low libido
Cold sensitivity
General malaise/listlessness
Poor gym performance
Dizziness
Depression
Slower healing
Belly fat

If those appear, you probably need more food, and eating breakfast is a good way to ensure you’re getting enough.

Do essentials oils have a part in primal nutrition and health?

Food grade essential oils can be used in cooking. Just use caution, because they’re extremely powerful.

They also smell quite nicely, may have therapeutic potential, and some can drive off annoying/dangerous insects. There are also other beneficial effects attributed to certain oils:

Rose essential oil inhalation reduces cortisol.
“Green odor” inhalation, the fumes given off by plantlife, reduces stress in rats. This could partially explain the stress-reducing effects of forest bathing in humans.
Sweet orange oil fumes reduce anxiety in humans.
Inhalation of citrus bergamia (Bergamot orange) essential oil relaxes human subjects by shifting them toward parasympathetic nervous system activity.
Smelling lavender and rosemary lowers cortisol in human subjects.

Not bad, eh?

After hurting my knee while squatting, I became interested in body weight training and the potential dangers of barbell training. Chiefly, joint and tendon/ligament damage. How do you feel about this? And if barbell training is not worth the risk, what heavy things should we lift?

Risk/reward. Barbell training elicits the greatest training effect, and it can even strengthen connective tissue, but you need to do it right to be safe. The “danger” is what makes it so useful. Balancing a heavy load on your shoulders makes you strong and athletic because it can go wrong.

It’s a tough one. I’ve mostly given up heavy barbell work, particularly bench press and squat, for dumbbell presses and pushups (sometimes with a weighted vest) and leg presses and hack squats. I enjoyed working out with barbells, but I just don’t need them to reach my goals anymore: maintaining enough strength, connective tissue health, and bone density to support my play and health.

Check out a recent post for recommendations on working out the lower body after a knee injury.

In the near future, I’m going to be driving across the country – 11 hours in a car for 4 days. Do you have any food tips for such a long road trip?

I’ve got better than that: a whole post devoted to the subject.

I’ve just started trying the paleo diet but I’m having a hard time finding food. I’m a college student with no kitchen and our cafeteria foods are nearly all grain or grain based. I have a microwave and a fridge keeps things cool but not cold enough to be at proper fridge temperature. What are some good foods that aren’t too expensive and don’t require refrigeration?

I wrote a post that sort of deals with this, but I also have more suggestions:

Sardines, tuna, salmon, oysters, clams and other canned seafood
Nuts and nut butters
Fruits and vegetables
Coconut milk
Trail mix
Jerky or pemmican
BPA-free Primal foods

Hope it helps!

I am raising the question of how to follow the Primal Blueprint while remaining Primal openness to cultural gastronomic experiences and not falling victim to contrivance regarding what you put in your mouth.

I’m a full supporter of sampling the local non-Primal cuisine, provided it’s high quality and you really want to try it. What that means: eating the pizza margherita from the little hole in the wall in Rome recommended by your cab driver. What that doesn’t mean: going to McDonald’s for the Royale with Cheese when in Paris just because Pulp Fiction is your favorite movie. Just don’t spend your entire trip venturing off plan and expect to feel normal.

My question is about getting adequate sunlight. I work nights and I’m in New England. I know you say to commit to 15 mins per day, but if it is chilly and less skin is exposed, should I try to get more time in the sun?

Yes, and consider supplementing with 1-2000 IU of vitamin D3. Monitor your vitamin D levels and stay around 45 ng/mL.

My question is about Vitamin D and sunlight exposure. I live in England and the while we had a nice summer here (by English standards) the weather has turned cold fast and the lack of sunlight is now evident! I have started supplementing with Now Foods Vitamin D3, should I be doing anything else?

Vitamin D3 is great, but don’t neglect going outside. While you may not make much vitamin D from English autumn sun (or lack thereof), it is important to get outside and get some natural light exposure, especially in the earlier half of the day. Our circadian rhythms in particular are hewed to when and how we exposure ourselves to light. Even muted, cloud-filtered sunlight can align your clock and improve sleep.

I am pretty skinny already with very low body fat so my goal is not to lose weight but to get healthier. I like my fatty coffee in the morning without any protein or carbs very much but I oftentimes feel a bit cold and cranky the whole morning. Could this kind of IF be a problem for people with very low body fat (does it slow down the metabolism or anything?)? Any suggestions?

Yeah, I wouldn’t recommend fasting (with or without coffee) if you’re feeling cold and cranky. Try having food with your coffee, maybe a plate of eggs with some berries or other fruit, and see if that makes a difference.

Any suggestions besides melatonin and Valerian root for trouble falling and staying asleep?

Sure, I got a few quick suggestions:

Get natural/bright light during the morning/afternoon and limit light (especially artificial light) after dark.
Wear blue-blocking goggles.
When you eat carbs, eat most of them with dinner.
Drink some bone broth or gelatin an hour before bed.
Try guided meditation at bedtime.
Read fiction in bed.

Hey Mark thanks for all the help, so far I’ve been primal for about 1 year and when trying to a do a very high fat lower carb “session” of eating I run into problems digesting fat, is there anyway to fix this or should I continue on with a more moderate fat primal diet?

First, check out this post on going Primal without a gallbladder. The gallbladder is extremely important for optimal fat digestion, and not having one (or having a poorly-functioning gallbladder) can impair your ability to eat a high-fat diet. Consider using more short-chain fatty acids (from coconut oil and pastured dairy), which require less work to digest. Ox bile and digestive bitters taken before meals can also improve your digestion.

I have heard that working out when sick can extend the illness, is there any truth to that statement? Thanks for your time.

If your symptoms are above your neck – stuffy nose, headache, sore throat – you can usually keep working out. Just keep it lighter than usual.

If your symptoms are below your neck – exhaustion, sensitive skin, fever, aches and pains – you should not work out. There’s always a next time.

I answered a free ad in the paper from someone trying to get rid of apples from her tree, and now I have approximately a million gallons of “pie” apples. I LOVE eating them baked with cinnamon and nuts, but how many is too many?

I echo the reader comments that you should make cider. Make it hard, even. Since moving away from beer (although I sneak one here and there), I’m really enjoying ciders more and more. It doesn’t hurt that cider quality is experiencing a renaissance due to the popularity of gluten-free. I say join that renaissance!

And yeah, think of this as a treat. Whenever strawberry season rolls around (and I mean true strawberry season, not the watery flavorless show berries people try to pass off throughout the year) I really go to town and buy flats of the things every week from the farmer’s markets. It’s okay to gorge every now and then, especially on a seasonal item that also happens to be real food.

We have had a great response from our children with becoming a Primal house, they have no complaints over the food or lack thereof of the traditional junk. I am just curious as to how you have kept your children primal when out with friends or even those SAD family members?

Sounds like you’ve got a nice brood on your hands. If they’re perfectly content with the healthy Primal food in your house, don’t sweat the rare instances they have to eat out in the wild. You’re growing a pair of healthy, well-adjusted eaters that should do very well in life!

Mark – Sprinting drives my carb cravings through the roof once I’m finished. My “sprints” last from 5 seconds to 3 minutes but neither shorter nor longer makes it easier to resist carbs. What should I do?

That sounds like an instance where the carb cravings are justified and physiologically warranted. Sprints longer than a few seconds by their nature deplete glycogen stores. Your body is simply informing you of this. The bulk of the carbs eaten post-sprint will be stored as muscle glycogen – nothing to worry about.

I actually find it quite easy to be 100% primal while on the challenge because I know that non-primal foods are off-limits for me. However, when the challenge isn’t on, I have a hard time maintaining the healthy 80/20 balance: it tends to quickly go to 60/40, 50/50, and worse. Any tips for how to maintain the healthy lifestyle promoted by the challenge after it’s over?

Stick to the parameters of the challenge. If 100% Primal is easy, maybe you need to continue that. 80/20 isn’t a requirement; it’s just a helpful tool for people who can utilize it without going overboard and actually need it to function and stay sane. Also, I’ve written a post about what to do when 20 inches toward 40.

What if I can’t stop snacking? I eat primal snacks but I still always want more, especially when I am trying to avoid doing a task.

Eat larger, more solid meals. Get a good chunk of protein and fat at each to promote satiety.

Also, don’t procrastinate. Do your tasks! On the other hand…

Any suggestions for primal breakfast ideas for a stay at home mom that doesn’t necessarily like breakfast? Thanks!!!

As you indicated in the full version of your comment, since your wife likes sweet yogurt, get a big tub of pastured full-fat yogurt and keep a selection of frozen fruit, berries, and nuts on hand. I really dig two combos in particular with yogurt: strawberries with walnuts and blueberries with macadamia nuts. Heck, even a drizzle of honey or maple syrup wouldn’t be the end of the world, especially since she’s nursing and needs the calories.

Keep hard boiled eggs on hand so she can pop a couple in her mouth to round out the yogurt for extra fat, protein, and micronutrients (like choline, very important for growing baby brains!).

What are some the best tips you can give on breaking plateaus?

I’ve got a few ideas:

Incorporate sprints. If you’re wary of straight-on sprints, trying hill sprints or cycling sprints.
Try a carb refeed. You may need the occasional leptin boost that a carb refeed provides to jumpstart weight loss.
Look at other areas beside food/exercise. How’s your sleep? Your stress? Are you walking enough steps per day?

What is your take on a hemp as a source of protein? I’ve heard plenty of cases made as to its health benefits but I just wanted to get some of your input as well. Is hemp primal?

I’ve covered hemp before. Yes, it’s a good occasional alternative but shouldn’t replace animal protein.

Do you think it is necessary to supplement with copper and zinc if not eating liver? I have tried a few times but not really digging the liver.

Not necessarily. Other sources of the two minerals abound. For copper, you could eat oysters, dark chocolate, cashews, pumpkin seeds, kale, beef heart, and potatoes. For zinc, you could eat oysters (and most shellfish), beef, lamb, and other red meats. Pretty much any red meat – not just the liver – will be rich in zinc.

Also, have you tried sneaking liver into other foods? Liver’s good for more than just the copper.

I’ve always had a hard time figuring out if I’m eating enough fat. Of course I cook my meats in it, eggs, and sautéed veggies. But, other than avocados, what else can I eat? I know there are seeds and nuts, but aren’t those full of PUFAs? Aren’t we supposed to eat those in moderation?

Remember that meats and eggs both inherently come packed with plenty of fat – and it’s the good, animalistic kind of fat! Throw in some fatty fish a few times per week, veggies sautéed in fat, a handful of nuts scattered here and there, an avocado on your salad, cream in your coffee (if you do dairy), a coconut based dish one day, some olive oil in your salad? You’ll get plenty.

It sounds like you’re doing well, to be honest.

Since fruits are an occasional food, which ones offer the most bang for their buck(nutritionally speaking) and which ones should we avoid?

I hesitate to recommend outright avoidance of any individual fruit, but I can definitely recommend you focus on certain ones:

Berries (all of ‘em)
Cherries
Grapefruit
Oranges
Figs
Stone fruits
Melons
Bananas (especially post-workout)
Pineapple (when in Hawaii and you can get the white ones)

Dear Mark, I have scoliosis since I was a child and I have always had problems with my posture (ie.not standing straight enough, back aches…). Is there any kind of exercise that I can do to improve my posture and lessen the pain?

I highly recommend Esther Gokhale’s book, 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back, which she wrote after spending decades extensively studying the postural habits of pain-free non-industrial populations. She also gives classes.

For a quick rundown of my thoughts on Esther’s methods, check out a post I did on posture.

Is there a secret to eating more veggies? What sort of dishes or skills am I missing in the kitchen that would allow me to up my veggie intake?

Why yes, there are a few time-tested methods for increasing vegetable consumption.

As for skills, it’s not so much a technique as it as a willingness to try to new things. Branch out; pick a cuisine and then make a Primal dish from that cuisine.

I precooked a bunch of plain meats in my sous vide but now need some way to make them tasty. What’s a good way to flavor meats that are already cooked?

Reductions work great! Start with a bit of real bone broth, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, orange juice, or some combination of them and reduce it over low-medium heat until it starts to thicken and syrupify (that’s a word, yep). Add salt, spices, and/or herbs. Once it gets real syrupy, turn off the heat and add a little cold butter. Swirl that around to thicken the sauce you’ve just created.

I’ve also got a good book for that.

My BP concerns me, but my qu is: do you see this often in people that live the primal lifestyle?

I don’t see this very often, no. How much potassium are you getting? Most of the latest evidence shows that potassium intake is vital for blood pressure regulation. You getting your veggies?

Have any suggestions on how would I go about reaching 6% body fat? I am for sure 10% or below, am an avid walker, sprint and lift occasionally, and watch carb-intake. Just can’t quite seem to get there, but I want it so bad!

You’re gonna have to get really strict with calorie intake. You’ll also have to sprint and lift more than occasionally. And even then, it might not work.

I don’t recommend it, personally, as it can have disastrous effects on your endocrine system and quality of life (including tanking your testosterone), but that’s what it’s probably going to take.

Why was it easier to drop fat and lose cravings when living in Europe than it is here in the US?

The food is of generally higher quality in Europe than the US. Here, to find quality, you have to seek it out. Most European nations, having been around for longer, have richer food traditions than Americans.

If I eat cheese, should I choose grass-fed, but not raw or raw, but not grass-fed? Thank you!!

Grass-fed is more important than raw. Grass-feeding leads to an improved nutrient profile (more vitamins, better fatty acids).

I’ve followed it religiously with meat and stuff. I just can’t do it meat makes me feel heavy protein does I’ve done HCL, ACV, enzymes etc. Just doesn’t feel right. Carbohydrates not grains! do make me feel better where can I get protein:? Do some people need different macros less protein. Im so lost.

THANK YOU!

Don’t eat tons of meat if it doesn’t make you feel right. Stick with eggs, dairy (if tolerated), and lighter fare like fish and shellfish for your protein needs. Primal needn’t be “all meat, all the time.” Later on, you can try meat again and find it may affect you differently. As for the carbs, if you’re underweight and they make you feel better, eat them! Just stick to Primal carb sources like sweet potatoes, potatoes, wild rice, squash, and fruit.

Assuming I can add some strength training, will continuing to train for and run half marathons be detrimental to a primal lifestyle?

It might on a physical level, but doing something you truly love improves your quality of life on a deeper, more meaningful level. That’s completely Primal, in my opinion. Keep an eye on overtraining symptoms, of course, and be ready to change things up if they go south.

Just don’t even think about graduating to full marathons!

Love the 21-day challenge, however I may be consuming a few too many starchy vegetables (i.e. yams/sweet potatoes). What are your guidelines for these in the paleo diet? I don’t need to loose and weight but still want to make sure i am on the right track.

As long as you’re at your goal weight and aren’t gaining any unwanted fat, your level of starchy vegetable intake is likely fine.

Hi Mark, My question is when is it time to toss out the old vibram five fingers and replace with a new pair. Dollar for dollar these shoes are extremely well made and can take an incredible pounding.

When you should probably replace your Vibrams:

The smell just won’t go away no matter how vigorously and thoroughly you wash them.
Your toes are poking through the sleeves.

Otherwise, ride it out.

Problem is I don’t really like many vegetables so what are some good ways for me to get carbs and good fiber. I eat spaghetti squash, sweet potato, tomato sauce(spaghetti sauce) and that is about it.

Those are fine choices. I suggest you “hide” other vegetables in your spaghetti sauce, particularly leafy greens. Kale, chard, spinach, beet greens can all disappear quite easily into a vat of spaghetti sauce. For added fiber, eat a few pieces of fruit a day, like underripe bananas, apples, and berries.

I have a cabin weekend during the 21 day challenge. I know I can just bring separate food than everyone else, so I’m not eating hotdogs and chips all weekend, but it’s not that easy. Any suggestions on how to handle the situation or what to do so I am not completely separated from the group for meals?

Offer to cook a big feast for one or more meals. Have everyone pitch in for groceries, enlist a few kitchen assistants, then blow their pants off with an amazing Primal meal. That’s far better than people sitting around eating prepackaged junk food, and it’s a fun way to socialize and introduce people to good Primal eating. A few bottles of wine should assist here, too.

Where can you buy sliced meat without any sugars in the Netherlands? I’ve defaulted to choosing the best-out-of-not-so-great-options but that’s not a good thing.

My other question (perhaps a tad sarcastic):

When will people catch on that no, you really don’t eat bread? (Or the cake, or the sugar-laden-anything).

Well, I don’t know where in the Netherlands you live, and I hate to come across like the guy who thinks Amsterdam and the Netherlands are synonyms, but this meat shop in Amsterdam seems to have good charcuterie.

As for the other question, never. They will never catch on.

How do you cope with sudden stressors, whether large or small (i.e. death in the family, sprained ankle, etc.) that may pop up during your challenge? Or what advice would you give to someone in a position like this?

Do your best to maintain a healthy Primal lifestyle with good nutrient-dense food, regular activity, quality sleep, and – this is the most important of all if it’s a big stressor – a strong circle of social support. Support with adaptogenic or anti-stress herbs can also really help here.

That said, if someone close to you passes away, the last thing I’d do is stress over my eating habits. If it comes easy, awesome. If it’s a struggle that’s impeding your ability to cope, don’t worry about it.

I’m on a very tight budget for the time being (back in school full time for a semester so had to cut down on the work hours) and live in a small town where “organic” and “grass-fed” are EXTREMELY hard to find. How do I make the best food choices possible in the environment I’m currently in?

Conventionally-raised ruminants (beef, lamb, bison) are better choices than conventionally-raised poultry and pork due to the minimal impact grain-feeding has on the fatty acid content; poultry and pork reflect their diet in their fat.

Buying organic fruits and vegetables when you can, but focus on local and fresh/in-season over a label.

You can also consider ordering online. Check the Primal Resource section for trusted vendors.

What suggestions do you, or anyone, have for treating surgery scars? I am waiting impatiently for my dura-bond to come off so I can start treating my incision wound on my neck. I have coconut oil, lavender oil and a cocoa-butter/lavender oil blend but is there anything else I should try? I have always had success with neosporin but would like to avoid it for a more natural remedy.

You know, if neosporin works, I’d just go ahead and use that. There’s nothing inherently wrong with using them. “Natural” more often coincides with “better,” but that doesn’t always make “unnatural” necessarily “bad.”

The oil blends you describe are good, too. I’d also make sure to eat plenty of gelatin to give your body the skin-building supplies it needs to heal wounds. Eat oxtails and shanks and feet, make rich bone stocks, use powdered gelatin to make Primal treats or melt into warm liquid, or buy collagen that you can simply add to cold liquid. Collagen compresses have also shown promise in healing wounds; ask your surgeon or wound care specialist about that.

Even standing desks don’t strike me as a solution if the posture is already trained into a poor position. I see a lot of hunched over shoulders while people walk around. Does squatting while hanging around, playing with the kids, etc, help or hinder?

Squatting is the “third world chair.” It’s how we are meant to rest, relax, socialize, work, and wait. And, if you grew up in a culture where squatting was the norm, you’ll likely retain an effortless full squat for the rest of your mobile years. That will maintain your overall joint mobility, because a full squat is a passive stretch. In a proper full squat, your glutes are active, your calves are stretched (not tight), and your torso is relatively upright (which keeps your hip flexors from tightening up). You do that every day of your life for minutes or hours at a time and you’re going to be in good shape.

Of course, most of us reading didn’t grow up squatting on a regular basis. We may have started out doing it as toddlers, but eventually chairs and classrooms and televisions got their hands on us. Thus, if we can get comfortable in the full resting squat with good technique, I think it will be therapeutic for a number of ailments, posture and low back pain included. On occasions where I’ve tweaked my back, sitting in a full squat is often the only thing that alleviates the pain.

Whew, that’s it for today. Thanks for reading (and asking)! Be sure to leave your comments below and Grok on!

Order The Primal Blueprint Starter Kit and Take Control of Your Health Today!

Contest: Primal Post-Its

The Prize:

PaleoTreats – Founded in 2009, PaleoTreats is the original paleo dessert company. They are dedicated to staying totally paleo (that means no grains, no gluten and no dairy), and to making sure their treats taste as good or better than their conventional equivalents.  Their best seller is the Mustang Bar which is comprised of just 11 simple ingredients: almond butter, coconut oil, walnuts, honey, almonds, raisins, pumpkin seeds, almond flour, coconut, vanilla, salt. Be on the lookout for a new release called the Bandito Bar (due out in October), which they’re saying will be the closest thing to a chocolate peanut butter cup you’ll find in paleo. The winner of six of each of their treats. Retail value: $102.50.

BONUS: Use coupon code MDA10 at PaleoTreats to get 10% off your order through the end of the month.

Primal Island – How about some toasted coconut grain-free granola? Primal Island does it right with no oats or other grains in sight, and with organic ingredients. We’re talking Organic Coconut Flakes, Sliced Almonds, Organic Honey, Organic Pecans, Organic Ground Flax Seeds, Pure Vanilla Extract, Organic Hazelnuts, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Almond Extract, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Sesame Seeds, and Organic Nutmeg mixed together into granola goodness.

Keep an eye out. They’re coming out with a paleo hot breakfast cereal, paleo crackers and paleo pancake mix soon. Winner gets eight bags of paleo granola. Retail value: $80.

The Contest:

This is an oldie but a goodie. This contest hasn’t been held since 2009, so I thought we’d revive it this year and see what kind of creative new twists the MDA community can come up with in 2013.

So, it’s one thing to chat in an online forum about going Primal, it’s another to spread the word to your grocer, your banker, or the guy who goes to the gym to talk on his cell phone. It’s time for you to leave a Primal message for total strangers to see…

It’s probably easier to show you what I mean than to tell you (below you’ll find some examples, including some of the best submissions from 2009), but the idea is to provide a humorous, tongue-in-cheek, or poignant statement about the modern world with a simple Post-It note and a dash of wit. It’s the world seen through a Primal lens.

Email me your photos by clicking here. Submissions will be published on Mark’s Daily Apple at the end of the Challenge.

I’ll accept both real photos and Photoshop images (I’ve included a few of both).

You don’t have to use a Post-It and a sharpie. Any manner of paper products and writing devices will suffice.

It probably goes without saying, but please no vandalism or law-breaking. If you pull a Tyler Durden and blaze a 40 foot Grok in torches across the side of a Ramada Inn, you definitely won’t get the treats.

I hope you can have fun with this contest. I know the Worker Bees and I have.

Examples:

Read my post on WTF for an explanation of the next photo.

Best of 2009:

Eligibility:

Sorry international readers, this one’s only for residents of the U.S.

The Contest End Time:

October 2, midnight PST.

How the Winner Will Be Determined:

The Worker Bees and I will choose our favorite submission.

To track all the contests visit the 2013 Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge Contest Page for daily updates.

Order The Primal Blueprint Starter Kit and Take Control of Your Health Today!

Weekend Link Love – 21-Day Challenge Edition

With the 2013 Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge in full swing, Weekend Link Love will be focusing on links relevant and related to the Challenge for the next few weeks to help you guys succeed. Let’s get to it!

Relevant Research

If you’re like most people, part of your Primal Blueprint Challenge is to eat Primal and avoid unhealthy food. Well, a new study suggests that you should probably be getting plenty of sleep, as sleep deprivation heightened the neuronal reward associated with unhealthy food in normal-weight people.

Many hold the supposed power of financial motivation in high esteem. People are liable to do just about anything for money, or so the story goes. But a recent study finds that when it comes to motivating healthy lifestyle modifications like reduced sedentary screen time and more vegetable consumption, using money can actually have the opposite effect (PDF).

Helpful Blog Posts

How to keep yourself paleo (or Primal) motivated in just under a minute per day.

Dr. Emily Deans explains the five stages of change. Sound familiar to any of you?

Contest Sponsor Discounts

Want inexpensive (but not cheap) grass-fed meat? Tendergrass Farms has kindly provided a discount coupon for all Mark’s Daily Apple readers. During checkout, use NICE2MEATU to receive 15% off your entire order. This offer is good until 10/17/13.

Ever worked out with a dedicated training sandbag? Now’s your chance: at Ultimate Sandbag use promo code primalusb to receive 15% off any purchase through 10/31/13.

Tight muscles? Knotted-up gristly fascia that’s inhibiting your movement and sucking your will to live? Try a Radroller, and be sure to use the code MDAROLLER for 20% off your order. This one lasts for the duration of the challenge.

The Sling Trainer from Aerobis is one of the best, most versatile training tools available that you can take with you anywhere – and until 10/15/13, MDA2013 will get you 15% off your whole order.

Recipe Corner

I imagine a lot of you are eating Big Ass Salads (or salads with more modestly sized derrieres) on a regular basis throughout the Challenge, and you need a good go-to dressing that isn’t olive oil and vinegar. Try this paleo ranch dressing.
Looking for something to sip on during the Challenge? Look no further than Delicious Obsessions, who recently published a series of DIY Herbal Tea recipes using adaptogenic herbs that help you deal with stress and “adapt” to challenging situations.

Time Capsule

One year ago (Sept 22 – Sept 28)

Contest Poll: 2012 Primal Blueprint Workout Videos – Some great examples of workouts from last year that you can do this year, including the winning entries.
Contest Results: What Does It Mean to Be a Primal Family? – This is a big, big tribe. See what they look like, where they hail from, and what they do together.

Comment of the Week

I forgot to write that by becoming a source, people will gravitate to you. Refer them to MDA and talk about posts. Co-workers are good people to start with. At least this has been my experience. A few will change their eating habits permanently. Some will dabble and fail. A few is better than none.

- Great tips from Paleo Bon Rurgundy. His previous comment on the post was even better, just too long for the comment of week. Go read it, too.

Join Us and Begin Your Own 21-Day Challenge Today!

Contest: Social Media Love for Primal Pacs

The Prize:

Organic, grass-fed, grass-finished beef jerky, dried mango, roasted and salted macadamia nuts, marcona almonds and dried cranberries, all conveniently vacuum-sealed into perfect serving sizes and delivered directly to your front door? Umm… yes please! And don’t forget Primal Pacs have no preservatives, grains or gluten, so they’re perfectly Primal.

The lucky winner of today’s contest gets 25 Large Primal Pacs. Retail value: $160.

BONUS: For the next two days only, use promo code mda to get free shipping on your order at Primal Pacs.

And all you have to do for a chance to win is…

The Contest:

“Like” Mark’s Daily Apple on Facebook, follow Mark on Twitter, or follow the Mark’s Daily Apple Pinterest account. Any one of those will put your name in the drawing BUT, if you do all three, your name is entered three times.

Use the widget below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Deadline:

September 22, midnight, EDT.

Who is Eligible:

Anyone in the world.

How A Winner Will Be Decided:

This nifty “Rafflecopter” widget will automatically randomly select a winner.

To track all the contests visit the 2013 Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge Contest Page for daily updates.

Italian Turkey Loaf Burger

This recipe comes from the creative culinary minds of Matt Whitmore and Keris Marsden authors of the recently released The Paleo Primer. Recall what I said earlier this week about Primal living having no need or patience for deprivation. Case in point, this indulgent but perfectly Primal dish. Now go try this recipe and pick up a copy of The Paleo Primer for many more recipes just like it, and you’ll be well on your way toward a successful 21-Day Challenge. Enter Keris and Matt…

Primal eating involves ditching the breads and wraps which can be tough if these have been your staple breakfast or lunch for years, but fear not! When you think about it’s actually the added flavors like garlic or herbs or the filling that really make a sandwich tasty. So this recipe captures the Mediterranean flavors of a baked Italian ciabatta except it’s packed with healthy protein and filled with healthy fats, so it will keep you going for hours!

Serves: Makes 6 burgers

Prep time: 8 mins

Cooking time: 25-30 mins

Turkey Loaf Ingredients:

1.1 lbs turkey mince
4 sundried tomatoes (chopped)
Small handful of olives (chopped)
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
3 teaspoons tomato puree
2 teaspoons of mixed herbs
½ teaspoon of sea salt

Filling:

Avocado sliced
Lettuce
Cherry tomatoes sliced in half

Instructions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

To prepare your burgers place all the ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well with clean hands. Once thoroughly combined shape into six burger patties and place in an oven proof dish or grill pan in the oven.

Cook for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.

Allow to cool slightly and then slice and fill with layers of avocado, tomatoes and lettuce and a drizzle of olive oil.

Join Us and Begin Your Own 21-Day Challenge Today!

Contest: Ask Me a Question. Win a Book.

The Prize:

The Paleo Primer is the latest publication from Primal Blueprint Publishing, and a wonderful new book from British health and fitness consultants Keris Marsden and Matt Whitmore (this book is an adaptation of their popular UK release called Fitter Food). When Keris and Matt first shared their work with me, I knew immediately it was something special. These folks, who run a popular fitness and wellness center called Fitter London, have produced a book that is half “primer” and half incredibly creative recipes. The primer section distills the major concepts of primal/paleo/ancestral health living into clever and memorable short passages, spiced up by hilarious cartoon drawings. Learn more about the book and view an excerpt here.

Three lucky winners will receive a free copy of this book.

The Contest:

Today’s contest is a piece of cake. Simply leave a comment below asking me your 21-Day Challenge questions. Need some advice? Struggling with something? Anything? Let me know in the comment board. Just make sure that your questions are related to your 21-Day Challenge in some way. I’ll be answering as many questions as I can in this coming Monday’s Dear Mark post. 

Replying to questions with answers also counts. This is a community effort, so share your tips and tricks with those in need of some help and you’ll also be entered to win.

Contest Deadline:

Midnight tonight, September 21st.

Choosing a Winner:

Three comments, and thus three winners, will be chosen at random.

Eligibility:

This one’s global. Everyone’s eligible.

Other Important Info:

Remember to use your real email address in the comment board. If you don’t we won’t have a way to contact you.
Multiple comments won’t get you multiple entries. But by all means, ask or answer away.

To track all the contests visit the 2013 Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge Contest Page for daily contest updates.

My Transformation Was Bigger Than 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!

Dear Mark,

Thank you for helping me discover my passion! My story started out simply about vanity, but has turned into so much more. In mid-February of 2012, I was 47 years old and 205 pounds (6 feet tall). I’d say I was in okay (good, but not great) shape. I used to work out doing cardio (usually Spin class) in the mornings and weight training in the evenings – usually five days a week! Yep, pretty chronic. I ate my grain-based diet with good discipline, but had a small gut that I just couldn’t seem to lose. My knees bothered me often, likely due to the excessive exercise and worsened by pro-inflammatory grain meals I swore by.

One day my gym’s manager, Chris Nugent, and I were talking about getting ready for beach season, and he informed me that he was going to try the paleo diet. I had never heard of paleo, so I researched it on the web that night. Intrigued, I decided to engage Chris in a bet over who could lose the most weight over the next 30 days. While we were trash talking, the gym’s director, Chris Jones heard us, and recommended we read The Primal Blueprint. I went home, bought the book on my iPad and read most of it over the next two days. I was hooked. In addition to wanting to lose weight, I also wanted to stop taking my statin medication that I had been on for six years. The Primal Blueprint opened my eyes to the many negative side effects of statins and I decided to stop taking my meds when I began going Primal (I wouldn’t say it was against doctor’s orders since he didn’t know about my experiment!) However, I knew that I had an annual physical scheduled two months in the future, so I wanted to give Primal a fair chance to improve my numbers before my next blood test.

With gym bragging rights and big bucks on the line (I think we bet a one pound bag of almonds…ah the stakes of lifestyle transformation), I was pretty psyched to do whatever it took to win this 30-day contest. However, going Primal turned out to be much easier than I expected. As soon as I ditched my large all-American high-carb breakfasts and eliminated grains from my meals, I had plenty of energy and wasn’t hungry between meals. I discovered a lot of new foods (kale, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, sardines, herring) and really got into the process of shopping and preparing meals. The results came quick too. I lost eight pounds in two weeks and closed out the month of March down 16 pounds, winning the bet easily. I dropped another nine pounds in April, 2012, to reach my goal weight of 180 pounds in just two months!

One interesting thing to note is that I now exercise much less stressfully than I did pre-Primal. Instead of five Spin classes per week, I walk (sometimes chasing after a golf ball in an extreme zig-zag pattern, if you know what I mean), cycle or do slow cardio on an elliptical. The pain I had developed in my knees is totally gone. I still enjoy lifting weights, but now do a maximum of three strength training sessions per week. I love all the extra time I now have after backing away from a chronic program.

My physical came in May, 2012. I was ready to defend my eliminating of statins with my doctor, but never got the chance. My blood work improved so much that he said I could come off my medication! As Primal folks like to track triglycerides-to-HDL ratio as the best heart disease risk marker, I was ecstatic to see my triglycerides drop by over 100 points and my HDL elevate 15 points! The success has been long lasting too. As of this writing (September 2013), I’m still at my goal weight and passed another physical this year with flying colors.

I think something amazing happens to your mentality when you reclaim your health and start to control your own destiny. While I was definitely buzzed to uncover a long-lost six-pack (almost) and be free of medication dispensed to me solely because of my adverse lifestyle practices, I started to develop a perspective that my transformation was bigger than me. I first turned my attention to my parents. They have been receptive enough to lose a combined 80 pounds over the last year or so, and both have come off statin medication. At 69, they achieved this success just by eating Primally and walking. Now at 70 years old, they are getting into strength training for the first time. It is fantastic to see them so healthy and energetic.

I next turned my attention to my wonderfully progressive workplace, SES, the world’s leading satellite operator. We have offices around the globe, and at the time I was working in our Princeton, NJ office. I arranged for Brad Kearns to deliver the Primal Transformation Seminar and have a special Primal luncheon served at the campus. Being the enthusiastic guy that I am, I guess my “intro” before Brad’s talk ran a bit detailed, personal, and passionate, because after Brad’s talk he told me I should speak publicly on behalf of the Primal Blueprint! I thought he was just being polite, but he asserted that I had the Primal knowledge down cold, and more importantly had the passion and life experience to really make an impact on others. Since I had only being following Mark’s Daily Apple and the Primal Blueprint for a couple of months, I didn’t feel I was ready. I did succeed in keeping some good momentum going at SES. Over two dozen colleagues have gone certifiably Primal, and I publish a popular monthly newsletter on assorted Primal topics, including recipes, workout tips, and employee success stories.

Polite encouragement or not, I kept thinking about Brad’s suggestion. Over the ensuing months, I read countless books and articles about nutrition and exercise. I even got certified to teach fitness classes. With encouragement from the folks at Primal headquarters in California, I decided to pull the trigger on my speaking career and deliver the Primal Transformation Seminar on the east coast. It’s so easy to spread the word among family and friends, but despite intense preparation, I can assure you I was pretty nervous before that first official gig of paying customers! I remember talking with Brad before the event, and agreeing that even if just a few folks came it would be a worthwhile venture and a great low pressure way to get my feet wet on the speaking circuit.

When the standing room only crowd of some 30 folks showed up that night, I overcame my nerves by realizing what an important mission that I, Mark Sisson, and all the rest of us Primal enthusiasts are obligated to pursue today. Today we are in an age of confusion, misinformation and declining health and vitality despite phenomenal technological advances in health and medicine, and abundant sources of affordable and healthy food for most citizens. The ridiculous dichotomy I face every day at work is what drives me to spread the word. Here we are, shooting satellites into space with amazing precision, while people die by the hundreds of thousands each year in America due to heavily diet-influenced, largely preventable diseases.

As I took a quiet moment to myself before taking the floor for my first seminar, I realized that there was no doubt I was going forth and telling the story with confidence that evening. As you may know, I have now delivered numerous Primal seminars on the east coast, and thankfully the feedback has been great so far.  For me, there is nothing better than when someone who has taken my seminar writes me afterward to talk about their personal success.

Mark, I am grateful to you for so many reasons. Thank you for helping me truly get healthy. Thank you on behalf of my parents, who have found a new lease on life in their eighth decade. Most importantly, thank you for believing in me and allowing me to help others on your behalf.

Live long, drop dead & Grok on!

Mike DiLandro

September, 2013

Catch Mike DiLandro and the Primal Blueprint Transformation Seminar in Maryland on September 25th and 28th!

Contest: Share Your Success Story

The Prize:

Steve’s PaleoGoods – Steve’s Originals is now Steve’s PaleoGoods. The name may have changed, but Steve’s still serving up the same delicious hunks of grass-fed meat, raw nuts and dried berries all conveniently packaged together. And now he’s got paleo sauces, dressings, cereals and more, too. If your struggle during this first week of the 21-Day Challenge was finding healthy snacks or Primal meals while on-the-go, Steve’s got you covered. The lucky winner of today’s contest will receive 2 PaleoKrunch Samplers ($67.98), 2 Steve’s Club Samplers ($59.96), 2 Seasonal Samplers ($57.98), 2 PaleoChef Samplers ($66), and 2 Sauce Samplers ($44).

Aerobis Blackthorn Battlerope and Sling Trainer – Elmar is a reader over in Germany who decided to start who his own fitness business. A year’s worth of German engineering later I received a Sling Trainer in the mail (for all I know, I may have been the first American to get one). Great for anyone interested in adding a little variety to bodyweight strength training, wrap it around a tree limb or telephone pole to add dips, reverse rows, hanging planks, or assisted pistol squats to your routine. Once you’ve mastered the Primal Essential Movements of Primal Blueprint Fitness using a Sling Trainer is an excellent way to help you take things to the next level. And the quality of build on Blackthorn products is unmatched.

This year, aerobis has also donated a battle rope. If you aren’t familiar with battle ropes, check out these rope training exercise videos. Win this contest and you’ll receive both a 10 meter Blackthorn Battle Rope (retail value: $166) and a Blackthorn Sling Trainer (retail value: $117).

BONUS: Use coupon code MDA2013 at Functional Movement Shop to get 15% off your order at until Oct. 15th. No minimum value, no strings attached.

Nick’s Sticks – Need a Primal snack? Like your beef grass-fed? Nick’s got you covered on both counts with his Grass-Fed Beef Sticks. His Snack Sticks are made with 100% grass-fed beef or free-range turkey and seasoned with Redmond organic salt. The lucky winner of these delicious treats will receive one 25-pack (2 sticks per pack) of beef sticks and one 25-pack of turkey sticks. Total retail value: $150.

Primal Essentials Kit – The winner will also receive a Primal Essentials Kit (Primal Flora (probiotics), Vital Omegas (omega-3 fish oils) and Vitamin D) – the three supplements just about everyone should be taking in my humble, completely unbiased opinion.

That’s over $700 worth of incentive to do something you’ve been meaning to do anyway. Pay it forward…

The Contest:

We’re just a few days into the 21-Day Challenge, but I know many of you have seen amazing results going Primal leading up to the challenge. Weight lost, muscle built, complexions cleared, even meds kicked. Now’s the time to share it! This means you have the opportunity to show the rest of the community who you are and what you’ve accomplished. In the process you’ll inspire thousands of people to take control of their health just as you have. I don’t know about you, but I get a kick out of that.

So for this contest I want to hear your story. Write it up and include a photo. Including both pre-Primal and post-Primal pics is even better, but not required. Don’t worry if you’re not a chiseled Adonis. This isn’t a “who’s the most ripped” contest. Whether you’ve lost 100 pounds over two years of Primal living or you’ve simply managed to kick that diet Coke habit, just tell me what going Primal has done for you. I’m looking for interesting and personal tales. Details about your health history, how you found MDA and the Primal Blueprint, what has worked and what hasn’t, what differences you’ve seen in how you look and feel, and anything else you think readers might be able to learn from and you’re open to sharing are welcome. It doesn’t have to be a thousand word diatribe, but hopefully more than a couple paragraphs. Feel free to be creative with your story format, too. Remember, good stories usually have a beginning, a middle, and an end, and honesty is king.

I’m sure many of you have thought about sending your story in, but just haven’t gotten around to it. There is no better time than now. I’ll be featuring reader stories during the 21-Day Challenge and beyond, so get yours in soon!

Email me your story along with any pictures. Please use the subject heading “My Primal Story.” Otherwise, there’s a good chance I may completely miss your submission.

Examples:

One of the most memorable stories published on MDA: The Unconquerable Dave. If you haven’t read it, do it now. You won’t regret it. YAWP!

View other Success Stories here for ideas on how to write your own story.

Eligibility:

From the United States to the United Kingdom and from New Zealand to New Delhi everyone is eligible. No restrictions.

Additionally, everyone that has submitted a Success Story to Mark’s Daily Apple since the last year’s Challenge is automatically entered to win, so don’t worry if you emailed me just a few days ago. You’re entered!

The Deadline:

October 2, midnight PDT. Less than two weeks away!

How the Winner Will Be Determined:

An executive decision will be made to determine which stories and accompanying photos get published on MDA. The winner of the prize package above will be chosen at random from those that are submitted.

To track all the contests visit the 2013 Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge Contest Page for daily updates.

The Primal Blueprint Refresher – A Dramatic Reading

Even the advanced among us could use a Primal refresher now and then. Even the diehards could stand to bone up on the material. We’ve all been caught with our pants around our ankles when someone asks about “our weird diet.” Well, no longer. Today, you’re taking a short refresher on the Primal Blueprint. All the burning questions, little details, and inquiries people are likely to throw your way make an appearance. To switch things up, I thought it might be fun to turn it into a dialogue between two fictional characters.

Be nice, now. I’m no playwright. This isn’t trying to be “Waiting for Godot” or “Death of a Salesman” or anything like that. I’m just having fun here. Plus, since the following lines are based on bits of conversation that I’ve actually witnessed and participated in, it might actually be helpful if you find yourself in a similar situation.

SETTING: Your typical 2013 start-up tech office. Absent are the cubicle matrices of the mid 1990s, replaced by tasteful but comfortable high-end furniture, exposed brick, murals by local graffiti artists, communal desks, combination foosball/ping-pong tables, and troughs of snacks and drinks.

AT RISE: PRIMAL GUY and COWORKER are huddled around the espresso machine, the hiss of steam and the aroma of single origin Guatemalan beans heavy in the air. PRIMAL GUY wears Vibram Fivefingers on his feet and quiet confidence on his demeanor. He is fit and muscular, with a sturdy torso and sturdier legs. COWORKER is mostly thin except for a noticeable paunch. As he waits for the beans to finish, his foot taps impatiently. He seems nervous about nothing in particular, and somehow everything.

TIME: 10 AM, Pacific.

COWORKER: Man, this needs to finish like YESTERDAY. I can’t even keep my eyes open at my desk, and I just had a coffee like an hour ago.

(COWORKER smacks the lagging espresso machine, impatient.)

PRIMAL GUY: Here, have mine. I can wait.

COWORKER: Thanks, dude. I don’t know how you do it. I almost never see you drinking coffee. Where do you get your energy?

PRIMAL GUY: Well, what’s a typical breakfast look like for you?

COWORKER: That’s the thing that gets me. You’d think a big bowl of cereal, tall glass of orange juice and a granola bar or two would keep me full for more than an hour and give me plenty of energy, but it doesn’t. I’m starving and dragging by mid morning.

(COWORKER adds a half-cup of skim milk to his espresso, followed by a liberal dose of agave syrup. PRIMAL GUY wonders if he should start by saying something about the fructose.)

PRIMAL GUY: That’s because you’re basically eating pure sugar. Where’s the fat? The protein? And if that’s a typical breakfast? You’re trying to create lasting energy out of a fleeting, transient source of energy. Sugar burns and then you need more of it.

COWORKER: Uhhh, fat and protein? Are you crazy? What’s that look like – what do you eat for breakfast?

PRIMAL GUY: Either steak and eggs or bacon and eggs or steak and bacon and eggs, usually with a bowl of berries.

(This sends COWORKER reeling in obvious disbelief.)

COWORKER: Whaa? Man, I’d love to eat steak and eggs every morning, but my family’s got a history of heart disease and you know what they say…

PRIMAL GUY: I know what they say, but it’s wrong. Saturated fat is actually a benign, even healthy source of fat that’s never been conclusively linked to heart disease. It’s the most stable kind, practically impervious to the oxidative damage that’s responsible for most heart disease. As for eggs? In the vast majority of people, dietary cholesterol from eggs does not increase blood cholesterol. Heck, it even improves cholesterol in some folks, increasing “good cholesterol” more than “bad cholesterol.”

COWORKER: “Good cholesterol”? There is such a thing? I thought all cholesterol was bad.

PRIMAL GUY: The old model of the arteries getting clogged up with cholesterol like what happens to your pipes when you dump fat down the drain is wrong. Cholesterol isn’t a monolithic entity. HDL is “good” and LDL is “bad,” but even that’s too simplistic. It’s not bad. It’s necessary for optimal health! We make important hormones like testosterone out of cholesterol, and our body uses HDL and LDL particles to deliver nutrients. In fact, when it comes to overall mortality – you know, dying and stuff – cholesterol around 180-220 looks to be ideal.

COWORKER: Okay, so even if fat and cholesterol aren’t necessarily bad for you, that doesn’t mean you should actively seek it out.

PRIMAL GUY: Actually, you know how you asked how I never quite need coffee? It’s because I’m fat-adapted. Thanks to my high-fat diet, I have the metabolic flexibility to tap into my stored body fat whenever I need to. See, we store body fat because it’s a fantastic energy source. It burns clean and we can store upwards of tens of thousands of calories worth. I’m reasonably lean with fairly low body fat and I still have over 50,000 calories worth on my body. Meanwhile, I can only store about 500 grams of sugar in the form of liver and muscle glycogen. It serves its purpose to be sure, but you can’t rely on glycogen indefinitely without constant refills. That’s where your need to snack comes from. It also explains why your energy levels dip an hour or two after eating.

COWORKER: Why do I need so much protein? I mean, I’m no bodybuilder, my doctor said too much protein is bad for my kidneys, and my vegetarian buddies say it’ll destroy my bones.

PRIMAL GUY: Well, you had mentioned never feeling quite full. I suspect that’s because you’re not eating enough protein. Protein (especially with fat) is the most satiating macronutrient. It fills you up, especially when you eat it in the morning. As for the kidney thing, that’s been disproven. People with existing kidney issues might need to watch their protein intake, but kidney impairments aren’t caused by how much protein you eat; they’re most intimately linked to diabetes and hypertension, both of which an adequate protein intake ironically improves. The bone health claim is really silly, as protein actually works synergistically with calcium to improve bone metabolism and calcium retention.

COWORKER: How about exercise? I mean, you’re in great shape. You must spend all day in the gym and run ten miles a day to get that kind of body!

PRIMAL GUY: Ha! Man, I spend at most two hours a week in the gym – usually much less – and haven’t run more than a couple miles at a time for years. I actually find it way more effective to make my short workouts shorter and more intense and my long workouts longer and easier. When I go hard, I go hard, and when I take it easy, I really take it easy. Hanging out in the middle, where you’re trying to maintain a high intensity and a drastically elevated heart rate for 45 minutes to an hour, is both miserable and ultimately ineffective. Sure, it’ll make you good at running, but you run the risk of joint damage, oxidative stress, and elevated cortisol.

COWORKER: Sounds good to me! What’s that cortisol stuff you mentioned, though?

PRIMAL GUY: Cortisol is the premier stress hormone. It’s basically what our body makes in times of acute stress, like facing down a tiger or experiencing a famine. It increases alertness and helps us deal with the stressful situation. Unfortunately, since it’s a signal of starvation and “hard times,” it also breaks down muscle tissue for energy and increases belly fat. All good when you’re actually starving and need the energy at any cost, a disaster when your body only thinks you’re in danger because you’re stressing out over a traffic jam every day or doing too much chronic cardio.

(COWORKER pulls out a diagonally cut cheese sandwich and takes a bite, offering the second half to PRIMAL GUY.)

PRIMAL GUY: No, thanks. Thanks anyway though.

COWORKER: Ah, that’s right! You don’t eat bread, do you? You’re always eating the sandwich interiors! What’s wrong with bread?

PRIMAL GUY: It’s not just bread. It’s grains in general. Think of it like this: unlike many other organisms, grains have no way to defend themselves. They can’t run. They can’t fight. They can’t hide. So they have to defend themselves with proteins like gluten, lectins, and other antinutrients that punch holes in your intestinal lining, allow foreign food substances into your bloodstream to cause problems and trigger your immune response, and inhibit the absorption of nutrients. You’ve probably heard of gluten, found in wheat, rye, and barley. It’s the worst of the bunch. If it isn’t degraded entirely by your gut, it can tell the junctions keeping the contents of your stomach out of your bloodstream to open up and let things pass through to the blood, where they can increase inflammation and even trigger autoimmune diseases. Some say that only people with a diagnosed gluten allergy have to worry, but there’s compelling evidence that suggests the majority of people may have sensitivities to gluten. It’s just likely underdiagnosed. Lots of people who never thought they had issues with gluten experience huge benefits when they remove it from their diet.

COWORKER: So it seems like you’re against carbs, huh?

PRIMAL GUY: It’s more that I’m against unnecessary carbs in sedentary people. When you’re sedentary, you’re usually insulin resistant with higher baseline levels of insulin. This is bad because insulin inhibits the release of fat from body fat stores. When an insulin resistant person consumes carbs, they secrete more insulin than normal, which causes greater retention and storage of fat. Athletes need more carbs because they’re burning through their glycogen stores. Plus, they can handle more because their insulin resistance is so low. I’m a fairly active guy myself, but I’m not an elite athlete or exercise addict. I find I just don’t need much more than 150 grams of carbs. Maybe a bit more on really heavy workout days. Often far less.

(COWORKER visibly wilts at the thought of eating fewer carbs. PRIMAL GUY notices.)

COWORKER: How do you get carbs without grains?

PRIMAL GUY: Well, you can eat fruit, vegetables, tubers like sweet potatoes and regular potatoes, roots. There are tons of healthy sources of carbs that don’t come with the antinutrients found in grains and legumes. Eat them as you see fit.

COWORKER: This sounds pretty doable, to be honest. Eat more meat, eggs, vegetables, and fruit. Focus on fat and protein. Avoid grains, legumes, and too many unnecessary carbs. Don’t exercise too much. Okay! I’ll start right now!

(COWORKER pulls out the bottle of community soybean oil from the kitchen cabinet and begins frying a couple eggs he finds in the fridge.)

PRIMAL GUY: Oh, about that. You probably don’t want to be using soybean oil. Or heck, any seed or vegetable oil for that matter. Or trans-fats.

COWORKER: Trans-fat I knew about, but isn’t vegetable oil supposed to be healthy?

PRIMAL GUY: Remember what I told you about saturated fat? How it’s actually healthier and more stable than other fats? Polyunsaturated fats - the kind found in soybean and other seed oils like corn oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and grapeseed oil along with margarine – are the exact opposite: highly unstable when exposed to heat, oxygen, or light. So when we cook with them, we’re damaging them, if they haven’t already been damaged by being stored for months in a warm warehouse waiting to be shipped. Oxidized polyunsaturated fats can lead to oxidized LDL particles, which are a big risk factor for heart disease. Plus, our bodies take the polyunsaturated fats we eat and make inflammatory or anti-inflammatory signaling molecules that form part of the stress response. Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats found in vegetable oils are inflammatory precursors. We can offset this by eating more fatty fish, which contain the anti-inflammatory precursors known as polyunsaturated omega-3 fats, but it’s better to just reduce the overall intake of omega-6s.

COWORKER: What do I use instead?

PRIMAL GUY: Use butter, coconut oil, olive oil, lard, tallow, African palm oil, macadamia oil, avocado oil, or ghee instead. Those are all more stable cooking fats. They’re also really, really delicious.

COWORKER: You mean to tell me that butter is okay to use? That not only is it okay, it’s encouraged?

PRIMAL GUY: Yup. I never said this Primal stuff was hard, now did I?

END SCENE

Thanks for reading (out loud, with a partner?), folks! Take care and Grok on!

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