pimg class=”alignright” title=”Green Drink” src=”http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg158/MDA2008/MDA%202011/greendrink.jpg” alt=”greendrink” width=”319″ height=”222″ /Today#8217;s edition of a title=”Dear Mark” href=”http://www.marksdailyapple.com/category/dear-mark/”Dear Mark/a poses and then attempts to answer a question many have pondered: do detox and cleansing diets really work? More specifically, do the #8220;more friendly#8221; types of cleanses work, as opposed to the colon-blasting gut-rending methods? Several years back, I a title=”Demystifying Detox” href=”http://www.marksdailyapple.com/colon-cleanse-scam/”wrote a piece/a on the latter type of cleanse, and I wasn#8217;t very kind. For all the claims of ropy mucoid plaque bogging down the colon of apparently every American (at least the ones who eat meat), I wasn#8217;t convinced, and the evidence simply wasn#8217;t there. I still maintain my stance, but a recent question from a reader drew my attention to kindler, gentler cleansing and detoxifying diets, the kind that you might see on Dr. Oz or in the cupboard of your vegan buddy./p
pDo these have any merit? Let#8217;s look […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

pimg class=”alignright” src=”http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg158/MDA2008/MDA%202011/nettle_pesto.jpg” alt=”nettle pesto” width=”320″ height=”243″ title=”nettle pesto photo” /When preparing a meal from stinging nettles, you can’t help but wonder who was brave (or crazy) enough to discover that this invasive, weed-like plant covered with stinging hairs was edible in the first place. At first glance nettles look innocent enough, with a deep green color and delicate, serrated leaves. If you look closely, though, you’ll also see hundreds of tiny hairs that can prick your skin and inject histamine, causing a painful stinging sensation. The sting can last for hours or days and is highly unpleasant. Nettles are exactly the type of plant you want to steer clear of when walking in the woods, so how nettles ended up in someone’s cooking pot is hard to understand. It’s a good thing they did, however, because nettles are an incredibly nutritious plant with a mild, likeable flavor./p
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pAlthough nettles […]

Original post by Worker Bee

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pIt’s Friday, everyone! And that means another a title=”Success Stories” href=”http://www.marksdailyapple.com/category/success-story-summaries/”Primal Blueprint Real Life Story/a from a Mark#8217;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 a title=”Contact Me!” href=”http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-book/share-success-story/” target=”_self”here/a. I’ll continue to publish these each Friday as long as they keep coming in. Thank you for reading!/p
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pimg class=”alignright” title=”Primal Blueprint Real Life Story” src=”http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg158/MDA2008/MDA2009/real_life_stories_stories-1-2.jpg” alt=”real life stories stories 1 2″ width=”320″ height=”240″ //p
pMy name is Jeffrey, and I am Primal. I started my Primal journey over two years ago, beginning on Aug 21, 2009. I weighed 310+lbs and was an unhappy person. I luckily started young enough that serious conditions never developed for me. I frequent MDA forums, under jeff2006, but typically am more of a stalker and not a replier. Primal changed my life forever, and this […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

pimg class=”alignright” title=”Individuality” src=”http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg158/MDA2008/MDA%202011/individuality.jpg” alt=”individuality” width=”319″ height=”170″ /Last week’s a title=”The Restorative Power of the Personal Retreat” href=”http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-restorative-power-of-the-personal-retreat/#axzz1oQxSB5Oc”retreat post/a inspired a lot of people to share something about the escapes they enjoy but also something about why. The post’s focus on solitary retreats, in particular, seemed to steer discussion. Frankly, when I suggested the solo venture, I mostly had in mind self determination #8211; the opportunity to concentrate on one’s individual needs without the inevitable compromises and inherent expectations that come into play when traveling with others. Several readers, however, opened up a broader theme in their comments. Self knowledge, they suggested, is essential in figuring out what’s optional and not optional to our individual well-being. There’s power #8211; and sometimes conflict #8211; in knowing yourself and letting that understanding help guide your life./p
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pLast week’s discussion happened to center around the introvert/extrovert question. As a few self-identified introverted readers […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

pimg class=”alignright” title=”World on a Plate” src=”http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg158/MDA2008/MDA%202011/worldonaplate.jpg” alt=”worldonaplate” width=”320″ height=”240″ /Last week, I opened the discussion of whether or not the a title=”Can We Feed the World on the Primal Blueprint Diet? – Part 1 Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/can-we-feed-the-world-on-the-primal-blueprint-diet-part-1/#ixzz1oR24Owwz” href=”http://www.marksdailyapple.com/can-we-feed-the-world-on-the-primal-blueprint-diet-part-1/”whole world could go Primal/a. As you may recall, I noted that given the realities of our infrastructure, our policies, and the entrenched interests who wield considerable amounts of power and influence, practically speaking such a dramatic shift simply isn#8217;t likely anytime soon. While it may be true that much of the world can#8217;t access or afford a title=”The Differences Between Grass-Fed Beef and Grain-Fed Beef Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-differences-between-grass-fed-beef-and-grain-fed-beef/#ixzz1oR2VFLiP” href=”http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-differences-between-grass-fed-beef-and-grain-fed-beef/”grass-fed beef/a or other examples of privileged dietary staples it shouldn#8217;t keep those that can from enjoying it. In fact, pulling out wallets can go a long way toward changing the state of things as they are now. That was last […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

pimg class=”alignright” title=”Speed Bumps” src=”http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg158/MDA2008/MDA%202011/speedbump.jpg” alt=”speedbump” width=”319″ height=”213″ /Over the past couple months, I#8217;ve steadily been accumulating questions from readers with food allergies and food restrictions looking for assistance. They are all interested in giving the Primal Blueprint lifestyle an honest shot, but because they can#8217;t eat certain foods, many of which enjoy an (real or imagined) exalted place in our community, they need help. Can it be done without eating red meat? Can it be done as a vegetarian? Can one eat Primal without eating land animals? Can a person succeed without tree nuts? Without coconut products? Are a title=”Smart Fuel: Almonds” href=”http://www.marksdailyapple.com/almonds/#axzz1oIQ9QDMp”almonds/a essential? Can a a title=”My Escape from Vegan Island” href=”http://www.marksdailyapple.com/vegan-island/”vegan/a succeed on this eating plan?strong Are these nothing but minor speed bumps on the road to Primal, or something more serious?/strong Let#8217;s find out./p
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blockquotepI#8217;m allergic to tree nuts#8230;and they are such a big part of the Primal […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

pimg class=”alignright” title=”Perfect Food” src=”http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg158/MDA2008/MDA%202011/perfectfood.jpg” alt=”perfectfood” width=”319″ height=”228″ /Today#8217;s a title=”Dear Mark” href=”http://www.marksdailyapple.com/category/dear-mark/”Dear Mark/a post touches on a concept that many of us have pondered: the perfect food. That is, does such a thing even exist? What with phytates, a title=”The Lowdown on Lectins” href=”http://www.marksdailyapple.com/lectins/”lectins/a, easily-absorbed fat-soluble vitamins, a title=”Dear Mark: Seasonal Allergies” href=”http://www.marksdailyapple.com/seasonal-allergies-treatment/”allergenic/a proteins, and all the rest, it sometimes seems like every good food has a crippling downside. If you read too many health and nutrition blogs that delve into these relatively arcane topics (my own not necessarily excluded!), it often feels like you can#8217;t eat anything at all without risking some horrible illness, deficiency, or excess./p
pThe following is an excerpt from a longer email in which a reader expressed concern over the apparent scarcity of #8220;perfect foods.#8221;:/p
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blockquotepDear Mark,/p
pI#8217;m getting very frustrated. I don#8217;t know if it#8217;s a case of over researching things, but I#8217;m beginning to […]

Original post by Worker Bee 2

pimg class=”alignright” title=”Meatloaf” src=”http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg158/MDA2008/MDA%202011/meatloaf2.jpg” alt=”meatloaf2″ width=”320″ height=”212″ //p
pIf you don’t have a lot of time to put a meal together there are plenty of fresh Primal meals, like a “a title=”Two Minute Salad” href=”http://www.marksdailyapple.com/two-minute-salad/#axzz1ni9xmgwc”big-ass salad/a” or an omelet, that take only minutes to make. There are times in life, however, when the two free hands it takes to chop up veggies or scramble an egg are occupied with something more pressing, like soothing a new baby or helping your kid with homework or typing a work email that must be sent. There are also times when the only ingredients left in your fridge are a few limp carrots and some unidentifiable leftovers and a trip to the market just isn’t going to happen./p
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pWouldn’t it be great to just open your freezer and have a selection of home-cooked Primal meals ready to heat up? With a little planning, this dream […]

Original post by Worker Bee

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pIt’s Friday, everyone! And that means another a title=”Success Stories” href=”http://www.marksdailyapple.com/category/success-story-summaries/”Primal Blueprint Real Life Story/a from a Mark#8217;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 a title=”Contact Me!” href=”http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-book/share-success-story/” target=”_self”here/a. I’ll continue to publish these each Friday as long as they keep coming in. Thank you for reading!/p
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pimg class=”alignright” title=”Primal Blueprint Real Life Story” src=”http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg158/MDA2008/MDA2009/real_life_stories_stories-1-2.jpg” alt=”real life stories stories 1 2″ width=”320″ height=”240″ //p
pMy son, Gabriel, was born a bit early and was small from the start, 5lbs 14 ounces, but the doctors told us he was healthy. My wife had made the decision to nurse exclusively as she believes it is the healthiest option. My wife and I ate a normal, varied, and healthy diet consisting of whole grains, fruit, vegetables, meat, etc. She and I were both […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

pimg class=”alignright” title=”Retreat” src=”http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg158/MDA2008/MDA%202011/retreat.jpg” alt=”retreat” width=”320″ height=”212″ /I’m not talking here about the two-day relocation of everyone in the office. I don’t mean the family vacay, enjoyable but fraught with chaos as it often is. I don’t mean a couple’s getaway, (which of course has its own unique benefits). And as much as I look forward to a title=”PrimalCon” href=”http://primalblueprint.com/products/PrimalCon-%252d-The-Primal-Blueprint-Experience-%282012%29.html” target=”_blank”PrimalCon/a and encourage everyone to join us in April, I don’t even mean that kind of event. I’m talking about a different kind of retreat here, specifically the personal retreat, that solo venture in which one gets away on his/her own with no responsibilities but ample quiet and/or adventure. For some people this might mean a week in the wilderness. For others, it’s a few days at the spa or a meditation center. It might be the chance to enjoy anonymity playing tourist in a large city or to try […]

Original post by Mark Sisson