You know how we say that grains exist on a spectrum of suitability, from “really bad” wheat to “not so terrible” rice? Well, what about the rest of ‘em? They may be the most commonly consumed (and thus encountered) grains, but wheat and rice aren’t the only grains on the spectrum. Since I get a lot of email about oats, I figured they were a good choice for this post. Besides – though I was (and still mostly am) content to toss the lot of them on the “do not eat” pile, I think we’re better served by more nuanced positions regarding grains. Hence, my rice post. Hence, my post on traditionally prepared grains. And hence, today’s post on oats. Not everyone can avoid all grains at all times, and not everyone wants to avoid all grains at all times. For those situations, it makes sense to have a game plan, a way to […]

Original post by Worker Bee 2

If you already eat Primal, your email inboxes are most likely filling up with links to the story. Concerned mothers clutching the local paper’s “Health” section are calling (or, if they’re hip, texting). Smug vegetarian Facebook friends are posting the story on your wall, sans commentary. Yes, it’s about that time again. It’s another week, it’s another observational study by data-mining researchers hoping to establish a solid link between red meat and some chronic, horrific illness. So, what’s killing us this time? Well, considering that they’ve already done studies linking red meat to colorectal cancer, heart disease, and outright death, type 2 diabetes is next.

Here’s a link to the full study (PDF). Researchers drew on data from three large-scale dietary habit questionnaires of medical professionals to explore how red and processed meat intakes associated with the incidence of type 2 diabetes. The first set was the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

Last blog post I discussed the concept of impulsivity being the root cause of obesity for many people.
(The take away was that Impulse control is incredibly important to weight loss success.)
I also shared my views on the difference between being impulsive and being spontaneous.
Living spontaneously means a flexible lifestyle, where you do things of your own accord. It’s not that you are doing things without knowledge of the consequences, but that you’re willing to see where the path takes you, without struggling or trying to force events to occur.
Living Impulsively is a mass-consumption lifestyle, where you do things to meet your immediate urges with little to no regard for the long term consequences – it’s not about the path, but the immediate satisfaction.
So to test my theory, I lived impulsively for ten days. Not only that, but […]

Original post by Brad Pilon

It’s a lovely summer morning here in Malibu. The cool sea breeze keeps the coming warmth at bay, for now, and makes me glad for the hot mug of coffee I’m clutching. I’ve still got a couple hours before heading into the office, so I’m hoping that I can get this post wrapped up and edited in time to hit the water for a bit of paddle boarding. We’ll see. I’ll try not to rush things too much. Today we’ve got a quick round of questions on a diverse set of topics: the suitability of hempseed in the Primal way of eating, whether you can get too much omega-3, and how long vitamin D lingers in the body before you need to replenish your stocks. As always, feel free to keep the questions coming and I’ll do my best to get to them!

Hi Mark,
First off, thank you for the wealth […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

We often say that a bowl of thick, creamy Greek-style yogurt mixed with fresh, ripe berries is a good, sensible indulgence dessert option for those that tolerate dairy. As good as it is (especially with some macadamia nuts tossed in), we may have just stumbled upon a dessert that bumps Greek yogurt into second place in the rich and creamy dessert category.
Spoonfuls of fluffy whipped cream layered with berries might not sound like anything new until we tell you that the whipped cream is made entirely from coconut milk – no added sugar and no dairy.

We find that an electric mixer works best, as it whips the most air into the thick coconut cream that separates from the liquid in the can. The result is a silky smooth whipped cream that is not quite as thick as whipped cream made from whole cream, but just as delicious.
Hey, why stop there? […]

Original post by Worker Bee

While KnuckleUp is without a doubt the best place for fitness on the Outer Banks, kickboxing and jiu jitsu aren’t the only healthy activities you can participate in to keep in shape. The Outer Banks is an island paradise, and there are plenty of fun activities you can experience right here!
While none of these should replace your daily workout, some of these have benefits that extend to your current training. And no matter what your goals are, these are some great outdoor activities for you to participate in during the summer months.
1) Surfing
Surfing is a common activity on the beach, and it’s an awesome supplement for your training. It helps with your balance and core strength. And what’s Matt always tell us? Keep your core tight! Which you have no choice but to do while surfing. Plus, it’s a great way to get a great workout while keeping cool.
2) Paddle Boarding
We’ve […]

Original post by knuckleup

It’s Friday, everyone! And that means another Primal Blueprint Real Life Story from a Mark’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 here. I’ll continue to publish these each Friday as long as they keep coming in. Thank you for reading!

You heard my wife’s story recently and since I have seen other husband/wife stories on Mark’s Daily Apple, I thought I would write mine. While my story is similar to previous male stories in that I have lost weight and improved my health dramatically since going Primal, my story might be different because I would not be successful without my wife and family’s support. The stories of couples or families who disagree on Primal vs. CW break my heart because I know my success is 100% […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

Last week a friend of Carrie’s was over for a visit, and I overheard a bit of their conversation while I was in the kitchen. She’s a new mother with all the stresses and string of obligations that come with it. On Saturday she’d gone for a massage – a gift Carrie had given her some months ago at her baby shower. She’s normally a very relaxed, low-key kind of person, but she was surprised at how much she had changed in the course of a few months. “It took me half way through the massage,” she said, “just to stop all the mind chatter – the list making, the reminders, the planning, the questions that never seem to stop running through my head these days.” She was finally able to let go after the therapist worked out some of the shoulder knots. “By the time she started on the […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

The hallowed halls of the Academy of Broscience contain untold tomes of knowledge, wisdom, and recipes for “sick” pump stacks. Over the years, their scholars have elucidated the arcane esoterica of muscle confusion, thereby making it palatable for the layman. They discovered that any gram of carbohydrate eaten after dusk turns immediately to fat, and that curling in the squat rack engages more muscle fibers than curling elsewhere. Their field researchers are reportedly close to confirming the existence of spot reduction. But perhaps their greatest contribution to modern physical culture has been the establishment of the unassailable fact that muscle burns fifty times more calories than fat, at fifty calories per pound per day. (Even Dr. Oz says it, so it must be true.) As they have so painstakingly shown, adding twenty pounds of muscle increases your resting metabolic rate by 1000 calories. With that kind of leeway, you could […]

Original post by Mark Sisson