I imagine most of us have (or have had) animals in our lives – pets at home, livestock on the farm, and so forth. For me, it’s a yellow lab named Buddha. True to his title, he has some calm, composed moments – mostly in the glory of outdoor adventures, but he’s just as much an example of big, slobbery enthusiasm. (Such is the life of a labrador retriever.) He’s been a faithful pal, eager workout companion, and much-needed comic relief more times than I can recall. When I’m in need of time away from society, he gets a special pass to join me. There’s just something different about hanging out with a dog – or most animals, I’d venture to say. There’s more to the human-animal connection, however, than just playing fetch. Throughout human existence, animals have acted as companions, protectors, and workmates. They’ve herded alongside us in the […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

Well, this is Rafi Bar-Lev and I’ve got great news for the 5 of you (just joking) that are still reading this despite my long hiatus…I’m back! I’m not going to get into a long explanation about why I was away (one of the reasons was I wanted to get my knee injury at almost 100% before I started working out seriously again…and I hate writing about things unless I’m actually doing them)
– but the fact is that I am more pumped than EVER to help you get in the best shape of your life and yes – the picture to your left is me.
Just to give you a little teaser of some articles to expect in the coming days, here are some really cool things I want to discuss with you:
1. Muscle endurance – why you need it, how to train for it.
2. Do you really need weights?
3. Does working […]

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

The following is a guest post from Esther Gokhale. Healthy posture practitioner extraordinaire, we are honored to have her as a presenter at this year’s PrimalCon. By day, she will lecture on posture and movement, and by night she will give the “Gokhale Method” a spicy twist by presenting a clinic on Samba dancing (she claims Samba is the best way to learn and implement the posture and movement technique principles!). PrimalCon kicks off next week, Friday, April 15, and there are still a few remaining spots, so reserve your spot today and come out for the 3-day weekend retreat of Primal lectures, play and feasting with fellow Grok stars. I hope to see you there!

A dance form originating in Africa, the Brazilian Samba has become a cultural icon for the Latin American country famous for sun, sand, and beautiful physiques. As a posture teacher and founder of the Gokhale […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

I enjoyed answering your questions last week, so let’s do it again today. We’ve got another triad this time, including another question from Hilde. There’s going to be a lot of fiber talk, some fecal discussion, and even a few bits regarding multi-level marketing schemes. I’m also going to discuss the virulent menace that is the vanilla bean.
(Looking back at the title I just wrote, it sounds like the ingredients for a disgusting raw vegan dessert. Some lukewarm thing with the consistency of paste sloppily shoved into the shape of a brownie and sold for six bucks at the farmers’ market. Yum.)
Okay, on to the questions:

Would you consider carob to be a source of protein or classify it as an “Occasional Indulgence”?
Gayla

Technically, carob is a source of protein. And by that, I mean it contains measurable amounts of protein. Is it a good source of protein? Is it a rich […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

Don’t worry be happy could just as easily be ‘don’t worry be skinny’ if we examine the link between stress and weight loss. ( ‘Lean’ would have been a better word, but ‘skinny’ fit better)
I know it sounds Taoist or Zen, but your emotions and your outlook on life play an important role in your health. We’ve known this for an exceptionally long period of time, yet for some reason, we like to ignore it.
(Why work on your outlook on life when you can just take a supplement or eat organic?)
But the truth is, it is important. Stress can have a profound effect not only on weight loss, but also your quality of life.  Take the following as an example:
The first documented account of the existence, composition, and fate of chylomicrons was made by S. H. Gage in 1924. And while our knowledge about these compounds has increased exponentially […]

Original post by Brad Pilon

Unlike ketchup or mustard, which don’t tend to evoke much passion, mayonnaise is a controversial condiment, one that often polarizes people into “love it!” and “hate it!” categories. More often than not, those who “love it!” have something in common: they’ve ditched the sticky, colorless mess of high fructose corn syrup/sugar/soybean/canola oil that is store-bought mayo and have started making their own. The lovely pale yellow color, silky, creamy texture and delicate eggy flavor of homemade mayonnaise bears such little resemblance to the store-bought stuff, it’s a shame the two products have to share the same name.

Even if you make Primal mayo at home all the time and don’t think we could possibly have anything new to say about mayonnaise, keep reading. We’ve got some tricks and tweaks to enhance the process and make you love mayonnaise even more. If you’ve been meaning to try homemade mayonnaise but haven’t gotten […]

Original post by Worker Bee

Spring’s in the air, folks. As we round out this year’s first quarter, I’m checking in with you about those New Year’s resolutions. (Did you honestly think I’d forget?) A whole host of you out there took the chance to make your first forays into the Primal Blueprint – whether it be selective toe dipping or canon balling right into the pool. Other long-time Primal types (myself included in the bunch) set out to conquer lingering challenges: committing to more sleep, enjoying more play, stressing less (my personal Achille’s tendon). Where do you find yourself these days on the path you selected?

For you visual folks out there, I’m including a PDF follow-up to January’s original list. Print it out, fill it out, put it where you can’t help but see it fourteen times a day. Make it part of the mesh of every day’s thought process and practice. Use it […]

Original post by Mark Sisson