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While there’s always good reason to rely on the scale when you need specific amounts, I’ve found immense value in being able to estimate the weight of fruit simply by sight and feel. Being able to do this is a skill — one that you can easily develop by first educating your eye, and then putting into practice. Here’s a list of what one pound of common fruit looks like and a few general tips on how to size them up without a scale.

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Summer is officially here, which means that soon you’ll be heading to the beach for a day, a weekend, or even a bona fide vacation. What do you plan on bringing with you to relax?

One of the great joys of summer beaching is the chance to dig into a great book. You may be the kind of person who stockpiles books on your nightstand for weeks in anticipation of a spree, or you may find yourself scrambling for a recommendation the morning you realize you need a book. In either case, there are hundreds of amazing books out there to satisfy your cravings this summer. And if you’re looking for the kind of novel that you can absolutely lose yourself in, it might be time to consider delving into the world of young adult fiction.

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Ariel Knutson is the special sauce in our editorial team. She makes everything just a little bit more fun (if you’ve watched her on Facebook Live, you’ll know what I’m talking about). She’s also the one to ask about the cool, new thing that has everyone tweeting (or ‘gramming or pinning). Wine slushies? Yup, she’s all over that.

So, of course, we were dying to know the pint that gets Ariel’s top score. Ready to read more about her favorite flavor?

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Wherever you live, whatever you do, chances are you make a lot of decisions every day. And those decisions can add up to the point of exhaustion — even if they’re teeny-tiny ones, like pulp or no pulp. After a day’s worth of choices, our brains are tired, which is why you can’t seem to make up your mind at the ice cream shop or why the automatic “play next episode” function on Netflix is so very clutch.

It’s also why some creative, successful people choose to streamline their day, eliminating decisions about what to wear — and what to eat.

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When it comes to lunch, some feel that variety is overrated. Just as the fashion world has been spotting creative, successful people who wear the same thing every day — freeing their minds of mundane daily decisions to put their energy elsewhere — we’ve been noticing a few smart people who choose to eat the same lunch, day in and day out.

This week we’re sharing five stories of five different people who are successful in different ways — in their health goals, in their creative pursuits — and find the habit of a uniform-style lunch to give simplicity and freedom.

Routine is in Ameneh Bordi’s DNA. Growing up, she ate the same series of meals with her family every day of the week. And while she rebelled against the dinnertime monotony as a child, she now relishes her lunch routine as an adult. I spoke with Ameneh, a recent law school graduate, about how and why she came to eat the same thing for lunch each day. With a self-deprecating sense of humor, she told me about the desire for control she inherited from her father — and how her professional life has forced her to loosen up a little.

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I’d really like to share my story of success with readers because I feel that there are many who could benefit from hearing about alternatives to traditional Western medicine for things like: AS, OA, Reiters syndrome, Gout, RA, Psoriatic Arthritis and many more related conditions.

Lets begin my story a few years back in February 2013. I was a fairly accomplished 22 year old age group triathlete, paramedic student, hockey player, free-skier and all around decent athlete, in preparation for my second of many 70.3 (half Ironman) and full IM (Ironman) races. I had just finished a long bike/treadmill brick session (bike to run with no rest for those not familiar with the vernacular), that was consistent with the “black hole” training that the boys reference so often in Primal Endurance and on the Primal Endurance Podcast. I was eagerly anticipating the oven pizza, pasta bowl and chocolate milk that had become the ritual of post training “refueling,” and to be honest… real staples of my diet at the time, when I began to feel excruciating pain in my hips, back and knees.

This pain was unlike any post training soreness that I had ever experienced and I immediately rushed to the ER (being a paramedic in training at the time I knew the burden people place on the hospital system in Canada, so for me a trip to the ER was not to be taken lightly). The ER Doctor prescribed me a high dose NSAID and you guessed it…mitt-fulls of Percocet, which I happily gulped down to mitigate some of the pain. Fast track to two months from the incident: the pain did not subside. As a matter of fact, it worsened in my back to the point that I needed help ambulating and even using the washroom. Dozens of trips to my family doctor had resulted in many consultations, all of which pointed to an athletic injury, which I insisted was not possible.

My family doc finally came to her senses and ran a panel of blood work, primarily testing inflammatory markers, and sure enough discovered I had the HLA-B27 marker that signified a high probability I had a condition called Ankylosing Spondylitis. She immediately referred me to a Rheumatologist who prescribed me an even higher dose NSAID and told me to refrain from all contact sports, activities that place a significant load on the body, or heavy lifting of any sort (basically everything I lived for, including my future career as a paramedic).

Now skip ahead to early 2016. I am a 25 year old working paramedic with no athletic goals, a Michelin tire around my midsection from the “McDiet” that so many shift workers follow, and the medicine cabinet of a brittle 85 year old. I stumble upon a JRE Podcast featuring none other than Mark Sisson, who begins preaching these theories about how switching to a Primal lifestyle can significantly reduce symptoms of diseases and conditions, otherwise only treated using medication that produce a ton of adverse side effects. At first, I will be truly honest, I was a bit skeptical, but given the point I was at in life I would try just about anything to get back to the lifestyle I had prior to my diagnosis.

Within a month of beginning to adhere to The Primal Blueprint/Primal Endurance lifestyle (scrapping all bread, rice, pasta, refined carbs and sugars, and sticking to a diet rich in nutrient-dense vegetables, fruits, meats/fish/foul nuts and seeds) the pain in my back disappeared, my knee went from the size of an orange back to normal, and the pain in my hips completely went away. I began to use the “180-age = target heart rate” for swimming, biking and running again, and found I was able to play hockey and ski again. I finally felt like I had the energy that a normal 25 year old should have.

A visit back to my Rheumatologist and chemistry panel confirmed that I had put my body into full remission of my Ankylosing Spondylitis. I was able to come off my medication and enjoy the lifestyle I was meant to live. I signed up for my first 70.3 since my diagnosis and hit a personal best in my local sprint triathlon, using all of the concepts taught in Primal Endurance (including Dr. Phil Maffetone’s theories, rest/recovery strategies, weight training, HIIT training, fat burning engine, etc.). I have more energy than ever and have been able to far surpass the physique that I once had as a “black hole” style athlete.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story and I really hope that those who are struggling with similar issues can find some inspiration from this.

Chris F.

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You know what? Celery is an excellent vegetable. It’s crunchy, piquant, and even good for you. Those pale green stalks are a welcome, although less-than-exciting, addition to a tray of crudité, and make up one-third of the base for a classic mirepoix. But beyond the snack tray and past its use as a kitchen workhorse exists a world where celery no longer has to play second fiddle.

Maybe it’s because celery is always in my fridge and often in a bowl on our table, but I’m of the firm belief that celery deserves a little more love.

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Savory Carrot & Zucchini Pancakes

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Finally, after a chilly spring, we’re reaching peak farmers market season. Our favorite produce is back in the stands and stalls, and we’re dreaming up all the recipes we can create with it.

Dinner recipes generally hog the spotlight, but there are some incredibly delicious breakfast dishes that can make good use of your greenmarket or CSA haul. Here are 17 of our favorites to get you started.

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Good news, everyone! Pillsbury recently partnered with The Girl Scouts of The USA to release a series of Girl Scout Cookie baking mixes. It’s exciting news … until you realize one thing.

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