It’s official: we’re closing up shop. They found The Bread. They still haven’t found the flying saucer from Area 51, or the second shooter on the grassy knoll, but they found The Bread.
A crack team of European archaeologists has finally uncovered the evidence that Eades, Cordain, DeVany, Nikoley, I, and a ton of other bloggers have been pooling our incomes together to suppress for years. That supplement and book stuff I sell? It’s actually a (undeclared) non-profit operation devoted to buttressing the final meager thread supporting this whole Primal/paleo thing. And it was working, too, despite our recent setbacks. See, we’ve been taking a lot of hits as of late:

The flurry surrounding the China Study. Boy, we really lost that round, huh?
The emergence of a hyper intelligent, intellectually rigorous, banana-obsessed, fruitarian hominid splinter species with a powerful online presence, before which I find myself cowering.
The piddling sales of both my […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

Here’s a concession I’m willing to make:
If you are on Anabolic Steroids there is a chance that you DO need an increased amount of protein in your diet.
After all, with one a good round of Anabolics you could possibly gain more skeletal muscle mass in 8 weeks then most men do in 80 weeks.
In fact, when you think about men in their 30’s, 40’s and beyond, a cycle of anabolic steroids may add more muscle then they would otherwise see in the rest of their lifetime.
So really, it’s reasonable to suggest that the nutritional needs may be different for people who are ‘on’. (i.e. they may need significantly  more protein)
The other issue with Anabolic Steroid use that may necessitate higher protein intakes is that it is a situation of FORCED muscle growth.
Meaning your muscles are going to grow regardless (even if you are not weight training)…which makes me wonder:
Where […]

Original post by Brad Pilon

There’s been a lot of news from the Pharma realm these last few weeks. As you all know, I make a point of passing this kind of thing along…. Given the massive role pharmaceutical drugs play in our society’s conventional health care, I like to keep on top of the developments. Speaking of “massive,” first there’s news from the National Center for Health Statistics, which released a report measuring trends in prescription drug use and cost in the last decade. Between 1999 and 2008, prescription drug use rose in all age categories, as did the number of people taking multiple prescriptions. Approximately 88% of people over the age of 60 take one or more prescription medications on a regular basis. A whopping 66% use five or more prescriptions. Not surprisingly, cholesterol-lowering medications topped the list for this age group. In those 20-59, the most popular prescription was antidepressants. In children, […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

Potatoes are controversial in the Primal and paleo world. They represent a bolus of dietary starch, which can wreak havoc on the insulin resistant, but they are undeniably whole, real foods that don’t require much processing beyond simple heating. Grains and legumes, on the other hand, are tiny, disparate sources of calories that need soaking, fermenting, and extensive heating to be palatable (and they’ll still mess you up), but potatoes are big, dense, and obviously food. Chimps have been known to use sticks to dig up and eat wild tubers, and they’ve got even less salivary amylase to break down starch than we do. Evidence exists for human consumption of roots and tubers from multiple sites spanning multiple time periods: Northern Europe (specifically Poland), in the terminal Paleolithic and early Mesolithic. Clearly, we have the physiology (amylase production, glucose metabolism), the tools (fire, hearths, digging implements), and the motivation (attraction […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

[New research shows that bread might very well have been a staple source of food in the paleolithic man’s diet. All I’m going to say is that the firestorm that’s going to erupt in the paleo community the coming days is going to be VERY interesting. I will explain why in this post. For those of you don’t know what I’m referring to, bear with me to the end of the post and it will make sense.]
Something tells me there be a storm a comin’ in the form of a lot of really upset paleo diet followers. Because new research has just shown that bread was around for 30,000 years. Here’s a quote from the article:
“Starch grains found on 30,000-year-old grinding stones suggest that prehistoric man may have dined on an early form of flat bread, contrary to his popular image as primarily a meat-eater.

The findings, published in the […]

Original post by rafael@thefitnessadviser.com (Rafi Bar-Lev)

1 Mile Carry (1/4 of your bodyweight)
Variations on this WOW are encouraged. See the “How-to” and “Variations” sections below.

How-to:
Warmup: A couple rotations of the Grok Squat and Grok Hang.
Time to complete: Approx. 20 minutes
Grok regularly carried heavy objects over long distances. Whether moving camp, carrying baby Grok to and fro all day long or bringing home the kill, carrying was a part of Grok’s life. And it should be part of yours, too.
Grab a heavy object (kettlebell, heavy rock, water jug, barbell, dumbbell, sandbag, loaded backpack, weight vest, etc.) that amounts to a quarter of your bodyweight and carry it 1 mile. That’s 40 lbs for an individual that weighs 160.
I recommend changing your carrying method over the course of your trek. Put the weight on one shoulder, then the other. Carry it in one hand, then the other. Place it across your arms or bear hug […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

[“Hey, if I miss a workout for something little like mountain climbing in -30F weather, then I’ll never workout…”]
 
The idea of combining strength with flexibility to create an incredibly functional and strong level of fitness has been around for a very long time. Gymnastics is probably the best “pure” example of this – where the gymnast needs to be both flexible and strong to be successful. But there are plenty of examples of martial artists who were flexible and fit who started incorporating weight training to increase their strength. Bruce Lee is probably the most known example of this.
But despite it being well known that there are huge benefits to combining strength and flexibility, the idea of doing so is taboo to many men and women. Many men would not be caught in a yoga class for fear of seeming feminine and many women will not touch a weight over […]

Original post by rafael@thefitnessadviser.com (Rafi Bar-Lev)

When you’re in the mood for something decadent, or a special occasion arises, or it’s a Tuesday and for no particular reason at all you’re craving lobster, MDA Reader Kerry Carlson’s Lobster, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad with Creamy Citrus Dressing is one to turn to.
Kerry’s lobster salad is flavored by a bold combination of tart grapefruit, creamy avocado and salty bacon. This trio of contrasting flavors will wake up your taste buds and demand they take notice of what you’ re eating. Each bite is a celebration of varying textures and flavors, and when one of those bites also includes a chunky piece of lobster meat, you’re really in for a treat.

Lobster is loved for its decidedly un-fishy flavor, which makes it a favorite even with people who don’t adore all types of seafood. The meat is mild and buttery and, in fact, it’s fantastic served with nothing more than […]

Original post by Worker Bee

Despite our culture’s “problematic” relationship with personal health (yes, I’m straining to be this diplomatic), we sure do like our medical T.V. There’s the news of course, the doctor talk shows, and the dramas: House, HawthoRNe, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice… (I have no doubt I’m missing some.) It’s one of those head scratchers – kind of like our culture’s current penchant for food T.V even though the average American spends less time cooking than ever these days. When it comes to the news, they make anything and everything sound like an imminent emergency. (Swine flu, anyone?) As for the dramas, there are the good looking people, romantic plotlines, feverish action, and tear-jerking narratives. More to the point, however, you have bizarre assortments of random medical oddities, the suspense leading up to the eventual diagnoses, and the inevitable drama surrounding characters’ medical treatments and tragedies. It’s enough to pique anyone’s curiosity, […]

Original post by Mark Sisson