Blogging is the lifeblood of the growing Primal/paleo movement, as you know, and new veins, arteries, and capillaries are popping up every day. I’m calling this the underrated blog post, but really, given the steadily increasing span of the community, even the most underrated blogger has a fair amount of readership. In fact, as I review my list of “underrated blogs,” they all get a significant amount of readers and comments. Oh well, they’re still worth listing. I suppose you could say we’re all underrated in the grand scheme of things.
I did a similar thing a year ago, and it’s time to do it again. The blogs I listed in 2010 remain essential, but these all deserve consideration to be included in your blog rotation. They’re not all Primal, or even strictly paleo, and some of them rarely ever mention exercise and nutrition, but they will enrich your lives and […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

Coca Cola Nutrition Facts

Many people are looking for information on the nutrition facts for coca cola. But here’s the thing:
Coca cola has no nutrients. Depending on where you’re from, the average 12 ounce cola has around 40 grams of sugar. There is basically nothing else. There is water, and there is sugar. In fact, I’m going to teach you the secret recipe for cola:
Ingredient 1: Tons of Sugar
Ingredient 2: Dilute Sugar With Some Water
Obviously I’m joking, but it’s almost not an exaggeration. In fact, some experts say the leading cause of obesity is soda. Cut out the soda – and you can cut out a ton of fat.

Above is a video by Jack Lalanne from decades ago about sugar. He was ahead of his time and a true pioneer of fitness. Seriously, cutting out soda is a HUGE step in getting an amazing body and feeling great. It’s hard the […]

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

Mango Nutrition Facts.

All right guys, I’m going to be taking a short break from my usual posts to do a series of posts on nutritional information on popular foods. Today I’m going to do mango nutrition facts.
Here they are, as according to the USDA Nutrient Database, supported by U.S. taxpayer money:

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Energy
272 kJ (65 kcal)

Carbohydrates
17.00 g

– Sugars
14.8 g

– Dietary fiber
1.8 g

Fat
0.27 g

Protein
0.51 g

Vitamin A equiv.
38 ?g (4%)

– beta-carotene
445 ?g (4%)

Thiamine (Vit. B1)
0.058 mg (4%)

Riboflavin (Vit. B2)
0.057 mg (4%)

Niacin (Vit. B3)
0.584 mg (4%)

Pantothenic acid (B5)
0.160 mg (3%)

Vitamin B6
0.134 mg (10%)

Folate (Vit. B9)
14 ?g (4%)

Vitamin C
27.7 mg (46%)

Calcium
10 mg (1%)

Iron
0.13 mg (1%)

Magnesium
9 mg (2%)

Phosphorus
11 mg (2%)

Potassium
156 mg (3%)

Zinc
0.04 mg (0%)

In general, I’d say that the average mango has a little over 100 calories. It’s got a lot of nutrients though, and isn’t a bad snack unless you’re literally a week before beach-time and are trying to get your body fat percentage down a few […]

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

Is there a sight more idyllic, peaceful, and touching than that of a fish farmer tending to his flock? In case you aren’t aware of how fish farming works, here’s a sample day in the life of a fish farmer:
Just before dawn each day, he rises from his water bed, dons his denim board shorts, enjoys a mugful of the fermented fish liver brew he keeps stewing in a bucket beside the front door, leaves his rickety old farmhouse boat, and sets out for a day’s labor. Wherever his paddleboat passes, carp, salmon, tilapia, phytoplankton, algae, and shrimp cease predating each other and crest to greet him. The fish farmer knows each by name and has a wink, chin scratch, and fish flake for every little shy fry cowering behind its mother. At slaughtering time, the old farmer sheds a single, solitary tear – every single time, whether it’s the […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

Scenario time. You’re in the grocery store picking up the last couple of things for dinner. Pushing your cart through the small throng who also stopped on their way home from work, you weave your way through with the obligatory, alternating “excuse me” and “pardon me.” You fumble through your pocket for the list you’d scribbled last minute on a post-it. Hmmm… good sale on chicken thighs. The familiar ding of a text notification goes off with your partner’s reminder of one more thing needed from the store – spinach. You reach over and grab the onion you were looking for and go in search of the garlic. Annoying music over the speakers. Better check work email one more time. “Ooops. Sorry about that,” you remark after bumping someone’s cart. The person grimaces at you with a passive aggressive nod. Thanks. There’s the email response you were waiting for. Great, […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

While driving in my car today I heard that a “Junk Food Tax” was being proposed as a way new way to combat obesity.
For the record: I do not agree with the idea of a junk food tax being an effective way to reduce obesity.
I’m not sure how any government would think they deserve some sort of reward (money) just because it’s population is obese and eats junk food.
I also don’t believe that junk food deserves to be taxed.
(Lean people eat junk food. So do healthy people.)
In fact, I think the idea of taxing to fix obesity is ridiculous in general.  However, as a thought experiment I am willing to play along an offer an alternative.
So here’s my alternative:
For men tax any pants with a waist over 40 inches.
For women tax any pants with a waist over 36 inches unless sold as maternity wear.
Tax any clothes over XXL (If you […]

Original post by Brad Pilon

Things got a little heated regarding the milligrams of evil soy lecithin used as in emulsifier in most dark chocolates in last week’s Dear Mark post, so before launching into today’s questions and answers, let’s go over that. Soy lecithin is simply the byproduct of soy oil extraction. It’s not hydrogenated soybean oil, folks allergic to soy can eat it without ill effect, and lecithin actually contains choline and phospholipids that can be quite beneficial. Don’t go out of your way to eat soy lecithin for any health benefits (egg yolks and liver are far better sources of choline), but don’t pass on some excellent dark chocolate simply because “soy” appears on the package.
Okay, onto the questions. We’re covering healthy fat alternatives, whether walking constitutes a wasted workout, and the magic of grapefruit.
Hello Mark!
I recently found out that I’m pregnant with my second child. I just started eating Primally about a […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

Complete 4 cycles:
30 Meter Farmer’s Carry
8 Towel Pullups
20-second Door Pinches, each hand

How-to:
Warmup: 30 second Grok Squat, 30 second Grok Hang.
Ever shake the knobby hand of an old farmer and marvel at how it inexplicably crushes yours with ease, despite muscular atrophy supposedly having set in twenty years prior to your meeting? Or what about the opposite – have you offered a firm handshake and received a limp, flaccid, moist thing in return? We all want the farmer’s grip, because it exudes confidence. Heck, you might say that hand strength is one indication of character. It may not be fair, and it may not always be accurate, but that’s how these things work.
So how do you develop your grip strength? You use your hands to carry, lift, support, and move heavy objects. Today, that’s what you’ll be doing.
Farmer’s carry you’ve done before. Just in case you haven’t, it involves carrying two […]

Original post by Mark Sisson