Mark Sisson's Blog, page 8

How to Do A Plank Properly

The core does not only exist to contract or bend over and over again, to twist and rotate, but also to resist rotational force. We need strong cores in order to maintain a stable torso while putting in work, whether it’s lifting heavy things, carrying a heavy load, or transferring power from our hips while throwing a punch or a ball. Having that stable, strong core with the capacity to resist the influence of outside forces working to make it rotate or twist or bend is just as important as having the capacity to perform a million situps.

Enter the plank. The key to success with it is right there in the name: you’re forming an immovable, stiff plank with your entire body. From toes to head, you must be firm, not flaccid.

Proper Plank Form

Planks seem like the simplest exercise imaginable, and while they aren’t that complicated, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Get in the pushup position, only put your forearms on the ground instead of your hands. Your elbows should line up directly underneath your shoulders. Toes on the ground.Squeeze your glutes and tighten your abdominals. Imagine you’re pinching a quarter between your butt cheeks.Look at the ground to keep a neutral neck and spine. You may feel like your chin is tucked a bit.Tuck your pelvis. Instead of arching your back, do a slight pelvic tuck to really engage your abs. The pelvic tuck also allows you to use your quads and push against the ground with your feet.Push against the ground. Shoulder blades should protract.Create a straight, strong line from head to toes. A single cohesive piece. In other words, a plank.Hold that position.What Muscles Do Planks Work?

The plank is a total body effort. When you’re in the plank position, every fiber of your being is resisting the pull of gravity. You must engage and tighten every inch of musculature in your body to resist collapse and maintain coherence throughout the line your body forms. During a plank, you are quite literally holding the line against the most omnipresent force in the known universe.

Your abs are working to keep the spine from collapsing.Your glutes are contracting to support your lower back.Your erector spinae muscles are engaged to keep your spine cohesive and neutral.Your quads are contracting to stabilize your legs.Your hip flexors are activated to prevent your hips from breaking.Your serratus anterior is working to stabilize your shoulders.

And on and on and on. You’re placing your spinal column in the most disadvantageous position imaginable, exposed along every inch to the pull of gravity. You’re working everything during a plank.

Plank Benefits

Research shows that planks make you stronger, particularly in the trunk muscle. They can even increase the thickness of your abdominal muscles. In people who are fairly untrained, simply doing nothing but planks for a few weeks will increase their overall fitness levels. Not just trunk strength, that is, but general fitness.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34441...

Studies show that incorporating planks into the training of athletes can reduce injury rates by making their bodies more resilient. It turns out that having strong, stable trunk muscles makes you more resistant to all the various forces acting on you during athletic activity.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29558...

In short, planks are exercise, and exercise improves almost every health marker you can imagine. The thing about planks is that they appear to be a low intensity, easy exercise that most people never even consider doing. To the uninitiated, a plank might look like doing nothing at all.

Plank Variations

If you get bored of the traditional plank, there are other versions you can try.

Long Lever Plank

Instead of placing your elbows directly underneath your shoulders, place them several inches in front of your shoulders, thereby lengthening the lever and increasing the difficulty. Research shows that this increases activation of various trunk muscles.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25325... The more your elbows stray ahead of your shoulders, the harder it gets.

Side Plank

Do the plank on your side, supporting yourself with one hand placed on the ground and one edge of your foot wedged against the ground. Switch sides.

Contralateral Plank

Get in the traditional plank position, only support yourself contra laterally—either your left elbow and right foot touching or your right elbow and left foot touching.

Things to RememberDon’t let your hips sag down to the ground. Sagging hips makes the exercise initially easier, but it’s not a plank and it defeats the purpose of the exercise.Don’t look up! Look down at the ground. This is a good prompt for maintaining a neutral neck position.Don’t go to failure. When your form begins to suffer, pull the plug. You’re only benefiting from the plank by actually doing the plank with proper technique.Don’t overly arch your back. Keep that pelvis tucked.

Even if you never progress (or choose to progress) to the other plank variations, the basic plank, performed properly, will be sufficient for developing good core stability, strength, and overall resilience.

Got any more questions about planks? Drop them down below.

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New and Noteworthy: What I Read This Week—Edition 222

Research of the Week

Watermelon is a good choice.

Even if you’re a “night owl,” it’s still not good to stay up late.

Off-label use of rapamycin seems to be safe.

Working nights impairs lipid metabolism.

New Primal Kitchen Podcasts

Primal Health Coach Radio: Martha Tettenborn

Primal Kitchen Podcast: Putting Longevity Under the Microscope with Timeline CEO, Chris Rinsch

Media, Schmedia

Are the new obesity drugs also anti-addiction drugs?

Fake British accents on the rise.

Interesting Blog Posts

So-called Twitter medical experts and academics didn’t do so well on monkeypox.

Atheists are the most politically engaged.

Social Notes

A little rant.

Everything Else

DNA pulled from thin air.

Our first kiss.

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

One wonders: Is our universe inside of a black hole?

Cool goal: What are whales talking about?

Nice thread: On fat and carb oxidation during exercise.

Terrible: Dutch government proposes limiting cattle populations to 2 cows per field, thereby eliminating intensive (regenerative) grazing.

Interesting: Pork consumption and nutrient intake.

Question I’m Asking

What are you mad about? What are you glad about?

Recipe CornerGluten-free strawerry pretzel salad.Grilled whole fish.Time Capsule

One year ago (May 13 – May 19)

More Questions on Creatine—More on creatine.Ask a Health Coach: Seed Oils, Kiddos, and Eating Out—What’s the deal?Comment of the Week

“My ‘favorite’ quotes in media reports about pseudoscientific studies are: ‘People who eat/do [something] are more likely to die than those who do not.’
There is a likelihood of death other than 100%?“

-Yes, it’s all quite silly.

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Benefits of Keto

A little appreciated (but important) fact: for most of human history, the average person would have been regularly exposed to ketosis. This was mostly light and transient, sometimes more protracted, but they were never far from a mildly ketogenic state. Food wasn’t always a sure thing, after all, and carbs weren’t necessarily readily available year-round. Ketosis was normal, it was frequent, and it was beneficial, even life-saving. 

Today, few people achieve ketosis without intentionally fasting or following a ketogenic diet. The latter refers to any very low-carb diet—low enough that your liver churns out ketones that your cells can use for energy in place of glucose. It may feel like keto exploded into popularity out of nowhere, but doctors have actually been prescribing therapeutic keto diets to treat epilepsy for more than a century. Today, keto is popular mostly as a weight-loss diet, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits a keto diet has to offer.

That’s because keto diets have two things going for them: the carbohydrate restriction and the resulting ketones. Each profoundly affects health and longevity, beyond halting seizures and helping people fit into smaller jeans. I’ve been talking about keto since the early days of the Primal Blueprint because I firmly believe that everyone should spend time in a state of ketosis.

Here are some of the reasons why.

Why Go Keto? The Big Picture

The number one reason I recommend that everyone try keto is for metabolic flexibility. To put it bluntly, if you want to be metabolically healthy, you must be metabolically flexible.  Metabolic flexibility, you may recall, is your cells’ ability to use any available substrate—glucose, fat, or ketones—for energy on an on-demand basis. It’s the opposite of carbohydrate dependency, the metabolic state that characterizes the vast majority of the population today.

Keto diets upregulate your cells’ ability to burn ketones, obviously, but they also make you more fat-adapted. And being able to metabolize fatty acids efficiently is important whether you’re keto or eating a “regular Primal” pattern. 

There are other things that keto does uniquely well compared to other types of diets, namely lowering blood glucose, insulin, and inflammation. Hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and chronic inflammation are the triumvirate of doom when it comes to chronic disease. I can’t think of a single chronic disease of any kind—metabolic, autoimmune, neurodegenerative, cancer—that doesn’t have one, if not all three, as a contributing factor. 

It’s obvious why seriously restricting carb intake would reduce blood sugar and insulin secretion, in turn reducing inflammatory markers.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16216... ">1 Keto diets also trigger more complex downstream biochemical processes that account for many of their beneficial effects. For example, keto modulates the action of a critical enzyme called AMPK that is involved in cellular energy regulation—improving glucose uptake by cells, improving insulin sensitivity, and decreasing inflammation.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22674... ">2 The ketone body beta-hydroxybutyrate has direct anti-inflammatory effects.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... ">3 

In short, with keto diets, you reap the benefits of NOT eating too many carbs plus a host of other benefits that are specifically due to being ketotic.

Benefits of the Keto DietThe Keto Diet for Treatment of Major Disease States

The ketogenic diet remains the only thing with the consistent ability to prevent epileptic seizures. We have better medicines than doctors did a hundred years ago, but not everyone responds to them. Whether it’s Thai kids with intractable epilepsy,https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27249... Scandinavian kids with therapy-resistant epilepsy,https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25457... or adults with refractory epilepsy,https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... ketogenic diets just work.

Ketosis improves epilepsy via several mechanisms.

It increases conversion of glutamate into glutamine into GABA, reducing neuronal excitability.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... increases antioxidant status in the neuronal mitochondria, improving their function.It reduces free radical formation in neurons, a likely cause of seizures.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... provides an alternate fuel to brain neurons that may be dysfunctionally metabolizing glucose.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... ">9 

These effects on neuronal function and health, along with the ability of aging or degenerating brains to accept and utilize ketone bodies, also have implications for other brain conditions, like Parkinson’s,https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... ">10 Alzheimer’s,https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26766... ">11 and bipolar disorder.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... Ketogenic diets aren’t just beneficial for brain disorders, though. People with mild cognitive impairment and even generally healthy folks can enjoy cognitive benefits like improved memory, mental clarity, increased focus, and positive mood, to name a few.

And the impact of keto extends well beyond the brain. For example…

A Spanish ketogenic diet (keto with wine, basically) reversed metabolic syndrome and improved health markers of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Over 92 percent of subjects improved their liver health; 21 percent resolved liver disease entirely.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21688...

Keto diets are poised to be the next big tool in preventing and treating cancer. Keto diets significantly reduce circulating glucose—the preferred fuel of most types of cancer—inhibiting the ability of cancer cells to proliferate. Although research results are still very preliminary, it is suggestive that keto diets can be used to augment (not replace) traditional cancer therapies in many cases. In cancer patients, a keto diet also preserves lean mass and causes fat loss.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... ">14 

Ketogenic diets may improve symptoms of PCOS, which is strongly related to insulin resistance.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... ">15

The Keto Diet for Physical Performance

Being keto-adapted has several advantages for anyone interested in physical performance.

It increases energy efficiency. At any given intensity, a keto-adapted athlete burns more fat and less glycogen than a sugar-burning athlete. Long-term elite keto athletes can burn up to 2.3 times more fat at peak oxidation and 59 percent more fat overall than non-keto athletes, and they do it at higher intensities. They remain in the predominantly fat-burning zone at 70 percent (or higher!https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... ">16) of VO2max, whereas non-keto athletes switch over from primarily fat burning to a spike in sugar-burning at 55 percent VO2max.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26892...

It spares glycogen. Glycogen is high-octane fuel for intense efforts. We store it in the muscles and liver, but only about 2400 calories worth—enough for a couple hours of intense activity at most. Once it’s gone, we have to carb up to replenish it, lest we hit the dreaded wall. Keto-adaptation allows us to do more work using fat and ketones for fuel, thereby saving glycogen for when we really need it. Since even the leanest among us carry tens of thousands of calories of body fat, our energy stores become virtually limitless on a ketogenic diet.

It builds mitochondria. Mitochondria are the power plants of our cells, transforming incoming nutrients into ATP. The more mitochondria we have, the more energy we can utilize and extract from the food we eat—and the more performance we can wring out of our bodies. Ketosis places new demands on our mitochondria, who adapt to the new energy environment by increasing in number.

The Keto Diet for Fat Loss

Ketosis isn’t “magic”—it doesn’t melt body fat away. Instead, it works for many of the same reasons a standard low-carb Primal way of eating works: by reducing insulin, increasing mobilization of stored body fat, and decreasing appetite.

Ketosis suppressing appetite may be the most important feature. The overriding drive to eat more food is the biggest impediment to weight loss, and it’s the reason why most diets fail. When people attempt to eat less food despite wanting more, they butt up against their own physiology. Few win that battle. Ketogenic dieting avoids this issue altogether, suppressing the increase in hunger hormones that normally occurs after weight loss.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23632...

Many diets work in the short term and fail in the long run. Weight loss isn’t worth anything if you can’t keep it off. Ketogenic diets appear to be good for long-term maintenance of weight loss, at least compared to low-fat diets.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23651...

How to Go Keto the Right Way

The real benefits of keto come from doing keto the right way. Almost no one reading this needs to follow a strict therapeutic diet of the type usually prescribed to epileptic patients, typically involve exceedingly high fat and low protein. 

For most of us, keto works best when we prioritize nutrient density, healthy fats, and a good amount of protein—a Primal way of eating but with fewer carbs. My books The Keto Reset Diet and Keto for Life go into detail about how to implement this way of eating, or start with my Definitive Guide to Keto. 

The point I want to make clear is that keto diets are beneficial in ways that other diets aren’t by virtue of the ketones and the carb restriction, but you don’t need to be keto forever to reap the rewards. Dipping into ketosis for four to six weeks at a time, a few times a year, is sufficient. If you discover that you feel best in ketosis, then you can absolutely stay there. For everyone else, it can be a periodic thing. 

Just don’t pass up the opportunity to achieve ultimate metabolic flexibility!

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References https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16216936/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22674476/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4352123/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27249895/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25457511/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/28179470/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722878/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3606551/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6127311/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7699472/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26766547/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6620566/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21688989/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4779584/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9974679/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10086139/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26892521/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23632752/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23651522/

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New and Noteworthy: What I Read This Week—Edition 221

Research of the Week

Micronutrients for mitochondria.

Grass-fed meat and milk are higher in phytonutrients.

Keto diets with 5% protein might be bad for heart function. What a joke.

High-intensity lifting plus chocolate milk equals muscle growth for young men.

Lactase persistence allowed greater calorie intake.

New Primal Kitchen Podcasts

Primal Health Coach Radio: Ethan Schiff

Primal Kitchen Podcast: Putting Longevity Under the Microscope with Timeline CEO, Chris Rinsch

Media, Schmedia

Former vegan, current carnivore Bear Grylls has regrets.

How might food alleviate anxiety?

Interesting Blog Posts

The USDA admits seed oil is toxic.

Prozac is unsuitable for minors.

Social Notes

The importance of working out with your significant other.

Everything Else

Bison lick each other to calm down.

Recycling and micro plastics.

It’s impossible to map an individual’s longevity using population-wide correlations (and even causations).

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

It’s not that important: The religion of pre- and post-workout meal timing.

Agreed: Constant supervision hurts kids’ mental health.

Nice talk: Big issues for lab grown meat.

Claim tested: Does blending olive oil make it bitter?

Interesting: Does altitude training help?

Question I’m Asking

If you’re a parent, how much do you supervise your kids?

Recipe CornerTandoori chicken.Kafti bi bandora.Time Capsule

One year ago (May 6 – May 12)

Want to Be More Productive Working From Home? Tap Into Your Senses—Avoid them.How to Use a Foam Roller—There’s an art to it.Comment of the Week

“Great article Mark. I would boil down my approach to life and fitness by saying I don’t let anything stop me from trying to do the things I want to do. At 54 years old I’m taking up mountain biking for the first time. A lot of people would call me crazy but my answer is why? I also race drones, a hobby I didn’t start until 48 years old. If there is something you want to do why would you let anything, even age, stop you? Sure there are risks but it’s more risky in my opinion not to take the risks. I take a very similar approach to eating but it’s a bit more nuanced. I eat low carb and only eat when I feel the need to eat. I’ve found that my health and level of fitness is best when I follow those guidelines I’ve set for myself. Again, thanks for the article and all the inspiration.“

-Love to hear it.

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Keto Meal Plan

The purpose of this meal plan is to show what a week’s worth of keto-friendly (and totally Primal) meals could look like.

This is how I eat day in and day out. Since I’ve been eating Primally for many years now, it’s second nature for me. But for folks who are new to this way of eating, I realize this might seem like a lot of work, or just completely foreign. Rest assured, planning and preparing a keto menu becomes simple once you’re in the habit of preparing healthy recipes like the ones provided here.

Don’t fret if these specific meals don’t appeal to you. By no means are you required to follow this plan to a T. It is meant to serve as an example—a “week in the life of Primal/keto.” If you want to try it, feel free to swap out meals that don’t appeal to you. I have said before that I usually keep things pretty simple—lots of Big-Ass Omelettes and Big-Ass Salads for me. You can do the same. I know plenty of people who prefer cycling through the same three to five favorite meals over and over, and there’s nothing wrong with that. As long as the meals are well-balanced and contain adequate nutrients, there’s no reason to complicate things.

However, if you’re a person who enjoys cooking more elaborate meals, you can absolutely do that, too. There are basically limitless options for delicious, enticing, Primal- and keto-friendly dishes. Look for meat, egg, and veggie dishes with interesting preparations, seasonings, and sauces.

Remember, real food tastes better!

Keto Meal Prep Tips

A good meal plan starts with good preparation. Spend some time perusing keto-focused blogs and cookbooks that appeal to you. Whether you’re a keep-it-simple kind of home cook or a culinary wizard, food should be enjoyable. Eating healthy, nourishing fare is one of the great pleasures in life. Don’t shortchange yourself here.

Once you have a plan in place, make a shopping list and hit the store and/or farmer’s market. I also like to shop online for pantry staples.

You can make busy weeknights less stressful by doing some meal prep on the weekends. Look ahead to the recipes you’ll be cooking that week. See if there are steps you can do on Sunday that will save you time during the week, such as:

Washing and chopping raw veggiesPre-cooking meat that you can warm up and toss into recipesHard-boiling eggsThawing anything that needs thawing

This is totally optional but can make your life a little easier, especially if your mornings or evenings tend to be a little hectic.

7-Day Keto Meal Plan: Sample WeekDay 1Breakfast: Big-Ass Omelette (see below)Lunch: Primal Salmon Spread with sliced raw veggies and handful of nutsDinner: Unstuffed Cabbage BowlDay 2Breakfast: Turmeric Scrambled Eggs, side of sugar-free sausage, sliced avocadoLunch: Big-Ass Salad (see below)Dinner: Kefir Marinated Chicken with cauliflower riceDay 3Breakfast: Bacon Pancakes, sliced avocado, serving of berriesLunch: Lettuce wrap with chicken and Keto ColeslawDinner: Sheet Pan Steak FajitasDay 4Breakfast: Big-Ass OmeletteLunch: Big-Ass Salad with leftover fajita steak and veggiesDinner: Turmeric Kale Soup with Ground LambDay 5Breakfast: Plain Greek yogurt with nuts, seeds, and berries of your choiceLunch: Leftover soup plus side saladDinner: Beef & Broccoli with Sesame Peanut SauceDay 6Breakfast: Poached Egg and Avocado Breakfast SaladLunch: Creamy Broccoli Spinach SoupDinner: Primal Texas Chili with Balsamic Roasted Brussels SproutsDay 7Breakfast: Keto Blueberry Muffin with a side of bacon or sausageLunch: Leftover chili or soupDinner: Roasted Chicken with Warm Coconut and Pancetta KaleWhat about Keto Snacks?

It’s better to eat enough food during your meals than to snack throughout the day. However, I’ve always suggested people listen to their bodies. Especially when you’re transitioning to a new way of eating, you might find yourself getting hungry between meals. If you do snack, make it count by choosing nutrient-dense foods.

Chicken liver pate with sliced raw veggiesGreek yogurt with berries and raw cacao nibsVeggies with homemade guacamole or dipHalf an avocado stuffed with tuna or raw almond butterHard-boiled eggs with a dollop of Primal Kitchen Mayo or Whip and everything bagel seasoningApple or celery with raw almond butterHomemade trail mix with nuts, unsweetened coconut flakes, and dark chocolateDark chocolate with coconut butter

You can find some more keto snack ideas in this post: 20 Keto Snacks (All Under 5 Minutes)

My Big-Ass Specialties: Omelettes & SaladsHow to Make Big-Ass OmelettesStart with at least 3 eggs if you’re on the smaller side or 4 eggs (or more) if you’re on the bigger side. Remember, one large egg has about 6 grams of protein (plus 5 grams of fat and less than one gram of carbohydrate), so eat plenty!Select a cooking fat or oil.Choose your mix-ins. I’ll list some of my favorite options below, but the sky’s the limit here. If your favorite ingredient isn’t on this list but it’s Primal-approved, by all means add it! And, of course, everything is optional. For example, you don’t have to add dairy if you don’t tolerate it.Cook (see my cooking video here). If you have trouble nailing the traditional omelette shape, never fear—scrambles are just as good.

Here are some keto-friendly protein options to mix into your omelettes:

Sugar-free baconSugar-free sausageSmoked salmonShrimpSteakGround or shredded beefShredded porkHamGround turkey

Here are some keto-friendly vegetables (and veggie-like fruits) to mix into your omelets:

AsparagusAvocadoBeet greensBell pepperBroccoliChardKaleMushroomsOnionOlivesScallionsSpinachTomatoesYellow squashZucchini

Don’t forget herbs and spices:

SaltPepperBasilCilantroCuminGarlicOreganoPaprikaParsleyTurmericHot pepper saucePestoChimichurri

And dairy products (optional):

Heavy creamHalf and halfSour creamCheddar cheeseCottage cheeseFeta cheeseGoat cheeseMonterey Jack cheeseMozzarella cheeseParmesan cheeseSwiss cheeseHow to Put Together a Big-Ass Salad

Step 1: Start with a very generous serving of fresh greens. I usually combine a few different types, and I
mix in fresh chopped herbs whenever I have them on hand. My favorites are:

Lettuce (any type)KaleArugulaChardSpinachGreen cabbageRed cabbageBeet greensDandelion greensBasilCilantroChivesMintParsley

Step 2: Choose your dressing. No surprise, I usually use one of the dressings from my Primal Kitchen line of products. I formulated these specifically because I couldn’t find salad dressings that weren’t made with health-compromising polyunsaturated oils. You can also make your own dressings with approved oils. Here are some DIY salad recipes if you’d like ideas.

Toss your salad greens with about half the amount of dressing you intend to use.

Step 3: Layer on as many mix-ins as your heart desires. As with the Big-Ass Omelets, this list is meant to get your creative juices flowing (and your mouth watering). Feel free to include things that aren’t on these lists as long as they’re Primal-approved.

Here are some mix-in fruit and veggie ideas:

Artichoke heartsAsparagusAvocadoBell peppersBroccoliCarrotsCauliflowerCeleryFennelMushroomsOnionOlivesRadishTomatoesScallionsSproutsYellow squashZucchiniBlueberriesBlackberriesRaspberriesStrawberries

Protein ideas:

ChickenSalmonSardinesShrimpTunaWhite fishSteakGround beefShredded beef or porkRoast turkeyGround turkeyEggsHamSugar-free bacon or sausage

Nuts and seeds:

AlmondsPecansWalnutsMacadamiasPistachiosBrazil nutsHazelnutsSunflower seedsPumpkin seedsFlaxseedsHemp seeds

Here are some cheeses (opt for full-fat) you can mix in:

CheddarCottageFetaGoatGruyereMonterey JackMozzarellaParmesanSwiss

Step 4: Drizzle with the remaining dressing and chow down!

For more keto meal plan ideas, you might like to read:

11 Keto Breakfasts That Aren’t Eggs15-Minute Meal Prep: Keto Ground Beef Recipes90-Minute Low-Carb, Keto Meal PrepLazy Keto Meal Plan4 Keto-Friendly Cocktail Recipes

Don’t forget to sign up for the Keto Reset Digest, our keto-themed newsletter. You’ll get:

Exclusive unpublished commentary about new research, trends, discussions and observations about the ketogenic dietThe best curated keto content and researchAppetizing, nourishing keto recipes20% off any keto products in the Primal Kitchen® Keto Collection

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How to Get Kids to Eat More Vegetables

Every once in a while, you run into a toddler who enthusiastically chows down on a huge dinner salad or side of ratatouille. Most parents, though, struggle to get their kids to eat more vegetables. If you’re raising a picky eater, join the club. That can be frustrating for you as a parent, but it’s not a sign that you’re doing something wrong. 

Young kids, especially, are supposed to be picky. They are hard-wired to reject new foods and foods that taste bitter or otherwise “icky” to them, a phenomenon known as “neophobia.”https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23660... ">1 Experts believe this is an innate survival mechanism designed to keep dangerous plants out of their mouths. Your child doesn’t know that Brussels sprouts and mustard greens aren’t trying to kill them. Although kids start to outgrow neophobia as they hit school age, most parents of older kids and teens will tell you that it’s still not easy to get them to enjoy vegetables. 

So what are parents to do?

On the one hand, we want our kids to eat diverse, colorful meals that deliver the full spectrum of vitamins, minerals, and other phytochemicals that promote strong, healthy bodies. On the other hand, the constant rejection of our hard work in the kitchen is exhausting and demoralizing. Mostly, we don’t want mealtimes to be miserable.

It’s not easy to expand your kids’ palettes, and it might take longer than you’d like, but it can be done. It boils down to two things: getting the kids’ buy-in and making veggies as appealing as possible. Here are some creative ideas to help kids develop a taste for vegetables.

Tips for Getting Kids (And Picky Eaters of All Ages) To Enjoy VegetablesGive them choices.

Your kids will never truly enjoy vegetables if you force the issue. Kids respond better when they feel like they have some control and agency in any situation. Give them some choice in the matter… but constrain them. 

Instead of, “What do you want for dinner?” ask, “Should we have broccoli or asparagus with our dinner tonight?” 

Instead of, “You need to eat your vegetables before you can leave the table,” try, “Would you rather have three bites of cauliflower or two bites of cauliflower and one baby carrot?” 

Serve lots of options.

Everyone loves buffet-style food. Try:

Taco or nacho bar, burrito bowls (tomatoes, salsa, onions, green onions, various peppers, cilantro, avocado—which yes, is technically a fruit)Baked potato or sweet potato bar (chopped broccoli or cauliflower, onions, tomatoes, chives) Poke bowls (shredded carrots and cabbage, diced cucumber, diced or shredded radish, edamame, seaweed, avocado)Salad bar (anything!)

This also gives kids choice, and it’s more fun than a pile of vegetables plopped on their plates. As they assemble their meals, encourage them to take one bite of something new.

Sure, it’s a little more work up front to chop up a bunch of vegetables, but just think of it as meal prep. You can use leftovers to make omelets or salads the next day. 

Explain why it’s important.

We adults don’t always love all the “healthy foods” we choose to eat. (Does anyone like zucchini as much as dessert?) We eat them because we know they are good for us, and we appreciate how they make us feel. Even young kids can understand that different foods provide different building blocks that help our bodies grow strong. Just like their Lego sets have blocks of different shapes, sizes, and colors, vegetables of different colors serve slightly different functions. 

Keep it simple and age-appropriate, but give kids credit for being smart (if not always rational or cooperative!) 

Involve them in the preparation.

Again, this taps into their desire for control. Even young kids can help in the kitchen with washing, chopping, seasoning, stirring, plating, etc. Let them pick out a vegetable at the grocery store or farmer’s market—something familiar or novel. Get slightly older kids involved in finding easy vegetable recipes they might enjoy. Encourage them to pack their own lunchboxes (with options you approve of, including at least one vegetable). 

Make eating vegetables fun.

Don’t take mealtime too seriously. Let your kids play with their food. Cut veggies into fun shapes and let them arrange them on their plate to make food art. 

Ask them questions about the food that encourage them to engage with it. Which food on their plate is the crunchiest, softest, shiniest, saltiest? Pretend you’re on a cooking show and come up with fun or creative ways to describe the dinner like you’re contestants or judges.

Make a color chart and have kids put stickers in different columns to show the variety of vegetables they have tried.

Experiment with different textures.

Kids’ aversion to vegetables often has as much to do with the texture as it does with the taste.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23660... ">2 Your kids might prefer certain foods raw, roasted, steamed, or air-fried. Maybe you can’t get them to eat a side of broccoli, but they’ll eat a bowl of blended broccoli soup. Blended soups can also serve as dipping sauces for sandwiches, wraps, crackers, or other vegetables they like more.

Make them taste better.

But let’s be honest: it’s usually the taste of vegetables that’s turning kids—and lots of adults—off. We all want to eat foods that taste good, and trying to force kids to like foods that simply don’t taste good to them will always be a losing proposition. That said, there are ways to enhance (and, to some degree, cover up) the flavor.

Generally speaking, roasted vegetables taste better than steamed or boiled. Salt and other seasonings make a big difference, as does adding some fat. Other tried-and-true ideas are

Provide condiments and dips: ranch, hummus, salsa, guacamole, salad dressing, even ketchupCook them with bacon fat or wrap them in baconSmother with cheese or plant-based quesoServe small portions.

Kids don’t need to eat huge servings of vegetables. One to one-and-a-half cups over the course of the whole day is enough for young kids, two to three cups for older kids and teens.https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/fruit-... ">3 You’ll probably have better luck serving small portions at each meal and snack. Toddlers can get what they need with just a few bites each time spread out across the day.

Bento boxes can be a great way to serve smaller portions of a variety of foods in a way that appeals to kiddos.

When All Else Fails, Hide Them

This strategy is somewhat controversial. Yes, the ultimate goal is to help our kids make self-supportive food choices. The “hide them” strategy shouldn’t supersede your efforts to get your kids on board with vegetables, but sometimes you need to bite the bullet and get those nutrients in. In other words, keep trying, even if you’re sneaking in vegetables by

Blending them into smoothiesBaking them into muffins, pancakes, or browniesSneaking them into pasta sauceMixing them into ground meatLead By Example

If you want your kids to willingly “eat the rainbow,” you must model that behavior.  Watch how you talk about vegetables, too. If your attitude is, “Yeah, cauliflower is gross, but it’s good for you, so eat up,” chances are your kid will never embrace it.

Don’t Give Up

Your kids might not ever love vegetables despite your best efforts. Some people just like certain foods more than others. You aren’t a bad parent, and your kid isn’t a bad kid, if they don’t like vegetables. That doesn’t mean you should stop offering them, though. Research shows that it typically takes 6 to 15 exposures before a kid will start to accept a new food, and it could be many more. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23660... ">4 

They’ll probably never like vegetables as much as sweeter foods like fruit or ice cream. This is another innate preference, and you can’t fight nature. That’s why getting their buy-in is important. Hopefully, they’ll choose to eat vegetables even if they aren’t their favorite because they understand why it matters.

If they are eating a variety of foods—even if it’s not as wide a variety as you’d like—that includes some protein sources, a few different vegetables, some fruits, and maybe yogurt and other dairy products, that’s a good start. If you’re concerned about their nutritional status, talk to their pediatrician about adding a multivitamin. Otherwise, give it time. 

The big thing to remember is that you don’t want to become locked in a power struggle with your kids over food. When mealtime becomes a battleground, everyone loses. I know it’s hard when it feels like your kids are being stubborn and uncooperative, but their aversions have a real biological basis (and also, kids push buttons like it’s their job). Chances are, your kid will grow into a good eater with a more diverse palette as they get older if you keep providing opportunities and encouragement without forcing it. Hang in there!

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New and Noteworthy: What I Read This Week—Edition 220

Research of the Week

Erectile dysfunction drugs reduce heart disease risk.

Bacterial pneumonia killed a lot of people with COVID.

Excess fructose can make you fat, particularly if it comes from soda.

Fat-adapted athletes burn more fat at higher intensities.

Solar activity linked to fetal growth.

New Primal Kitchen Podcasts

Primal Health Coach Radio: Philip Wagner

Primal Kitchen Podcast: The Recipe for a Grain-Free, Less-Stress Life with Author Danielle Walker

Media, Schmedia

The prehistoric origins of European royalty.

Zuck is an athlete.

Interesting Blog Posts

Human presence in Europe might have just got pushed back.

Neolithic people with porous skulls probably suffered from low iron and poor bone mineral density.

Social Notes

Carrie and I appeared on Skinny Confidential together.

I sat down with the Meat Mafia Podcast to talk about the Primal journey.

Everything Else

Tai chi is a good option for women with breast cancer.

They just recovered ancient human DNA from a pendant.

Torture in Ancient China.

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

Well, well, well: The vital role of meat in human health and well-being.

Wild: Militarized dolphins.

Cool study: Late night social media posting reduces sleep.

Good story: From barbacoa to barbecue.

Interesting: Are we still using this bad test 7 years later?

Question I’m Asking

What do you want from Primal Kitchen?

Recipe CornerMacadamia-crusted sriracha salmon.Avocado fries (sub gluten-free panko).Time Capsule

One year ago (Apr 29 – May 5)

Rounded Shoulders: Causes and Fixes—Avoid them.Posture Correctors: Helpful or All Hype?—Are they?Comment of the Week

“‘Mark, I appreciate how candid you are in these Sunday With Sisson posts. I get several weekly emails; yours is the one I rush to read because you make great posts about real life stuff. Of course everything you write about nutrition and exercise is spot on. But I really like the window you open to your own life in these Sunday With Sisson posts. Thanks for doing this every week.“

-Thanks for reading!

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Keto Shopping List

As you begin a ketogenic diet, grocery shopping may become a confusing task. You may begin to question each item, unsure if it supports or hinders your new eating approach. Is this the right kind of fat? What cut of meat should I be buying? Does this constitute “very low carb?”

I created this guide to simplify your trip to the grocery store. Of course, don’t feel like you have to buy every item listed. See these as options to get you started. As you learn what you like and don’t like, and what your version of keto looks like, you can customize as you go along.

Here’s a breakdown by section in the typical grocery store or farmer’s market. I also suggest considering online resources for good deals to fit your budget, as well as co-ops and community supported agriculture (CSAs) shares.

Produce (Fresh or Frozen)

All vegetables are “allowed” on keto. The trick is finding the ones that have the fewest carbs and, hence, the most bang for your macro buck. Fruit is harder to include because of the relatively high sugar content, but it’s not strictly forbidden. Thus, there is some nuance to choosing the most keto-friendly produce options. Here are some of my favorites to get you started, but it’s not an all-inclusive list:

Leafy GreensArugulaBeet greensDandelion greensEndiveLettuce (romaine, red, green, bibb, etc.)Mustard greensPurslaneSpinachSwiss chardWatercressCruciferous VeggiesBok choyBroccoliBrussels sproutsCabbage (red and green)CauliflowerCollard greensKaleOther ProduceArtichokesAsparagusAvocadosBell peppersBerriesBroccoliniChili peppersCucumbersEggplantFiddlehead fernsGarlicGreen beansLeeksLemonsLimesMushrooms (all varieties)OkraOlivesOnions (green, red, white, yellow)RhubarbSpaghetti squashSproutsSummer squashTomatoesZucchiniFermented vegetables (refrigerated)PicklesSauerkrautKimchiMeats/Fish/Eggs

Prioritize pastured, grass-fed, or organic meat and wild-caught seafood when possible.

SeafoodAnchoviesBassClamsCodFlounderHalibutMahi MahiMusselsOystersSalmonSardinesScallopsShrimp (wild)SoleTroutTunaMeat/PoultryBeefChickenDuckElkLambPorkRabbitTurkeyVenisonOrgan meatsCured/Preserved Meats (sugar-free)BaconBiltongHamJerkyPemmicanProsciuttoSalamiSausageEggsChicken eggsDuck eggsGoose eggsQuail eggsDairy

Prioritize pastured, grass-fed, or organic varieties.

Hard CheesesCheddarEmmentalGoudaParmesanSwissSoft CheesesBlueBrieCream cheeseCrème fraîcheFetaGoat cheeseQueso frescoOther DairyFull-fat cottage cheeseFull-fat Greek or regular plain yogurtHalf & halfHeavy whipping creamHealthy Fats and Oils

Avocado oilButter (preferably pastured and organic)Coconut oilDuck fatExtra virgin olive oil GheeLard (preferably pastured and organic)Macadamia nut oilTallow (preferably pastured and organic)Walnut oilPantry Items (Packaged, Shelf-stable, and Bulk Bin Foods)

Broth/stockCanned wild fish (anchovies, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines, tuna)Coconut (manna aka coconut butter, shredded coconut)Coconut milkDark chocolate (85% or higher cacao content)Nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, walnuts, etc.)Nut butter (choose no-sugar, natural varieties)Nutritional yeastSeeds (chia, flax, pumpkin, sunflower)Condiments, Sauces, and FlavoringBuffalo sauceHot sauceKetchup (sugar-free or low-sugar)Mayo made with avocado oilMustardPasta sauceSalad dressings made with avocado oilVinegar (apple cider, balsamic, red wine, white wine, etc.)Herbs and Spices

Any and all! Watch for added sugar in pre-made spice blends.

BasilBay leafBlack pepperCardamonCayenneChili powderCinnamonChivesCilantroCuminDillGarlic powderGingerOreganoParsleyPaprikaRosemarySaffronSageSea salt or Himalayan pink saltThymeTurmericCooking/Baking Supplies (Optional)

Almond flourCocoa powderCoconut flourSteviaMonk fruit extractTapioca starch or arrowroot powderBeverages

CoffeeElectrolyte drinks or powders (sugar-free)TeaMineral waterUnsweetened nut milks (e.g. cashew milk, almond milk)

Don’t forget to sign up for the Keto Reset Digest, our keto-themed newsletter. You’ll get:

Exclusive unpublished commentary about new research, trends, discussions and observations about the ketogenic dietThe best curated keto content and researchAppetizing, nourishing keto recipes20% off any keto products in the Primal Kitchen® Keto Collection

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How to Landmine Press (Plus 6 Other Landmine Exercises)

Anyone interested in building muscle, getting stronger, and improving their balance and ability to perform athletically and generate lots of force should consider training with the landmine barbell attachment. In my opinion, there’s no better fusion of free and machine weights. You get the freedom of free weights, but along a spectrum of available pathways. You have boundaries you can’t cross, but total freedom within those lines. Plus, landmine training introduces variety and fun into the weight room. Many people discount those factors, or even claim they’re actively harmful to a workout, but variety and fun can make training more consistent. And as long as the workouts are effective, consistency is king.

If you hate exercising, you’ll eventually find excuses to give up.

How to Set Up a Landmine Workout

There are two types of landmine setups.

You can stick one end of a barbell in the corner of the room, wedging it into the intersection of two walls. This leaves the other end free to load with weight and lift and move, using the end in the corner as a pivot point.

You can get a landmine attachment that attaches to the squat rack, power cage, or weight plate laying on the ground. You slot one end of the barbell into the landmine attachment and load the other end with weight, then lift it. Using an attachment allow you greater range of motion and better pivoting than using the corner, but both methods are effective.

Once you’ve got the setup going, you can start doing the landmine exercises. I recommend the following ones.

1. Landmine Press

The landmine press is a multifaceted exercise that serves multiple purposes, strengthening both the deltoids and smaller supportive shoulder muscles, improving shoulder stability and mobility, and even acting as a rehab tool. Depending on how you focus your energy during the movement, you can target the delta, triceps, traps, and your core musculature. For people with shoulder pain issues, the landmine press is a great way to strengthen the most common culprits—rotator cuff and serratus muscles. Many people who have trouble loading their shoulders with heavy overhead barbell or dumbbell work due to limited mobility or previous injuries find they can get a great shoulder workout with the landmine press. In fact, I’d say it’s the safest “open chain” shoulder exercise, a bit of a happy medium between free weights and machines. ,

There are two “main” variations of the landmine press. The strict landmine press aims to isolate the primary shoulder muscles, promote shoulder stability and build raw strength (including core strength). Get into a half-kneeling position with one knee down and the other foot planted flat on the ground in front of you. Hold the end of a loaded barbell (with the other end anchored in a landmine attachment or corner) in the hand on the same side as the kneeling leg. Keep everything tight and press the barbell upward in a controlled manner, keeping your elbow under your hand and minimizing torso movement. Lower the weight back to the starting position and repeat the process for as many reps as you want, then switch sides.

The second variation emphasizes full shoulder extension to target the assisting musculature around the shoulder joint. You start the same way—kneeling, one foot on the ground in front of you, bar in hand on the kneeling side—but when pressing up you focus on fully extending your reach, upwardly rotating your scapula and really engaging the traps, serratus, and rotator cuff muscles in addition to the deltoids.  the same half-kneeling position, but this time, focus on fully extending the shoulder overhead, allowing the scapula to upwardly rotate, and engaging the serratus anterior, trapezius, It’s a great way to get strong and get healthy. Go heavier for strength, lighter for rehab.

The two variations exist on a spectrum, and you can certainly incorporate aspects from both versions into your workouts.

2. Landmine Push Press

Push presses are a more dynamic or “athletic” version of the strict press that encourages power development and incorporates the lower body, including glutes, quads, and calves. By using the push, you can load more weight onto the bar and focus on speed and strength rather than just strength. Anyone interested in generating lots of force in a short amount of time can benefit from the landmine push press.

The landmine push press is p
erformed standing in a staggered stance. Hold the barbell with one hand on the same side as the back foot. Slightly bend the knee of the back foot and then explode upward, pushing with the back leg and pressing the bar overhead. 

The staggered stance is a more athletic stance, and using the back leg to push makes it a unilateral movement. In my opinion, unilateral lifts translate well to athletic movements—most dynamic movements in sports or the real world are unilateral rather than bilateral. Think running, sprinting, throwing a punch, swinging a baseball bat.

3. Landmine Curtsy Lunge

Like any other lunge, the landmine curtsy lunge is a nice unilateral movement that loads the glutes, quads, and hamstrings. Where it differs is in the direction you’re lunging. Instead of just lunging up, you lunge up and against. You lean into the bar, pressing into it as you rise up from the lunge, creating an interesting stimulus for the glutes and quads you can’t get with other lunge variations.

Stand next to the bar, your body parallel to it, holding it with two hands or letting it rest in the crook of your inner arm. Keeping your elbows tucked in and your posture straight and upright, lunge by taking the inside leg and reaching it back and to the outside, as if you’re curtsying. Try to minimize the amount of weight the curtsying leg bears. Come back up by pressing through the ground. You may find it’s more natural to “lean” toward the bar, pressing into it. That’s by design and I mean you’re doing the exercise correctly.

4. Landmine Row

The one armed landmine row is a deceiving total body exercise. In addition to hitting the rear deltoids, lats, biceps, rhomboids, and erector spinae, it’s also a challenge for your grip, since the end of the barbell is so much thicker than a dumbbell. It’s almost as good a core and grip workout as it is a back and arm workout.

To perform the landmine row, face away from the bar with your feet about shoulder width apart, your hips hinged, your back flat, and the bar on the outside of your legs. Bend your knees slightly and hinge your hips and reach back with your butt until you can grab the bar with one hand, then row it up. To engage your back muscles, think of shooting your elbow up toward the sky. To make it more of an arm workout, think about engaging and flexing your bicep.

If you have trouble activating your lats and rear delts during traditional rows with barbells or dumbbells, you may find it easier to engage those muscles with the one arm landmine row. The “elbows up to the sky” cue really takes.

5. Landmine Single Leg RDL

The landmine single leg Romanian deadlift (RDL) is a classic hip hinge and hip extension movement. Depending on what you emphasize, you can target the glutes, the hamstrings, or all of the above. Whatever you do, the landmine single leg RDL will strengthen the muscles and movement patterns that make you stronger, faster, and perhaps even better at jumping. That’s because the hip extension is the source of  human power. Any kind of jump, sprint, throw or swing involves a hip extension. And I’ll go even further. Unilateral hip extension is the key to human power; the single leg RDL on a landmine setup trains it.

It’s easy to do. Stand with feet shoulder width apart facing the bar. Standing on one foot, hinge at the hips to lower yourself and grab the bar with two hands (or you can try one). Keep your back flat and let your off leg drift behind you for counterbalance as you hinge. Pull through the foot to extend your hips and bring the bar up, really feeling the glutes and hamstrings. Keep the arms straight throughout the exercise.

The single leg RDL is also crucial for anyone worried about balance and avoiding falls. If you can lift a heavy barbell using one side of your hips while using the other side to stabilize, you’ll be less likely to take a spill.

6. Landmine Twisty Squat

Regular squats don’t work very well on the landmine. If you try to have the weight perfectly centered over the midline as you would in a normal squat, when you rise up the weight gets ahead of you, floats out in front. It’s all wrong. Enter the twisty squat. The twisty squat works everything a classic weighted squat works, but there’s a twist to it. You start from a slightly staggered stance with the bar situated over the back foot and instead of just going down and back up, you go down and on your way back up you pivot on the back foot to “twist” as you rise.  If you like, you can even throw in a press at the top, maybe even with a calf raise. Again, this is the beauty of the landmine attachment: it opens up another plane of motion for business.

 

7. Landmine Twist

The landmine twist trains rotational strength, overall structural stability, and resistance to rotational forces.

To do the landmine twist, stand with feet hip shoulder width apart facing the bar head on. Grasp the end of the barbell with both hands, arms extended and elbows straight. Slowly rotate to the left, lowering the bar in a smooth, controlled arc while keeping your arms straight. Pivot on the ball of your opposite foot as you lower the bar. Return the bar to the starting position and lower it to the other side. Repeat.

The landmine twist is the ultimate rotational exercise. When you lower the bar in one direction, you’re resisting rotation with the other side. When you raise it, you’re training rotation. Every direction you go is a workout for both sides in different ways. While it is effective, that also means there’s no real “rest.” You’re constantly under tension, so exercise caution when doing this exercise. Go lighter than you think to start.

There are dozens of other landmine exercises you can do, but these 7 are the foundation for any good landmine training program. Start with those and see where they take you.

Have you ever tried landmine presses or landmine training in general? I’d love to hear about it. Let me know down below.

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New and Noteworthy: What I Read This Week—Edition 219

Research of the Week

Meat and livestock are good for the world.

In people with hearing loss, hearing aids may reduce dementia.

Myo-inositol and selenium restore thyroid function to people with autoimmune thyroiditis.

The Medieval Catholic Church effectively splintered state power to retain its own.

Media headlines have gotten more negative over time.

New Primal Kitchen Podcasts

Primal Health Coach Radio: Oliver Wood

Primal Kitchen Podcast: Katy Whalen on the Pitfalls of Perimenopause and Female Aging

Media, Schmedia

What can we learn from a 6000-year-old farm?

A battle over butter rages on.

Interesting Blog Posts

Human height in prehistoric Europe.

Anti-depressants and suicide in young people.

Social Notes

Play.

Everything Else

Eat like a pig to lose weight.

Runners should be lifting heavy things rather than doing plyometrics.

The vulva in Paleolithic art.

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

Well, well, well: Look what’s responsible for deforestation in the EU.

Another biomarker to track?: Plasma viscosity and heart disease.

Not good: Melatonin gummies often have way more melatonin than advertised. They also contain CBD for some reason.

Another longevity hack: Young plasma, old rats.

Interesting test: Do you pass?

Question I’m Asking

What “old person” tests do you track to make sure you’re staying young and fit?

Recipe CornerSriracha ranch dressing. Might have to steal this one.Make your own natto.Time Capsule

One year ago (Apr 22 – Apr 28)

Easy Camping Meals You Can Prepare at Home—Eat well.Dehydrating Food at Home: How to Get Started—How to.Comment of the Week

“‘Do you think lab meat will take off?’

Let me paraphrase: ‘Do I think lab meat should be jettisoned into outer space?’

Yes, yes, I do. The sooner, the better“

-Amen.

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