The Primal Kitchen Podcast
Precommitment Is Powerful, or Why You Should Be Like Odysseus

Most of the time, we wield willpower like a holstered gun with the safety off. Temptation rears — an ice cream bar, perhaps — and we whip it out, firing blindly and wasting more than a few bullets in the process. The temptation is beat back, and the ice cream goes uneaten, but the willpower that remains is depleted and less effective in subsequent encounters. And the same thing happens every time we’re faced with a decision. That’s a sloppy way of dealing with the constant stream of temptation the modern world presents.

(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Direct download: MDA-Jun302015-PrecommitmentIsPowerful.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:57am PDT

7 Ways to Use Stoic Philosophy to Improve Your Health and Happiness

A few weeks ago, I shared some thoughts on one of my favorite books of late, A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William B. Irvine. I appreciated the comments from folks who connected with the central message: how to cultivate a life with the most peace and contentment possible. The Stoics were fans of living life mindfully and deliberately. When we’re honest, it’s easy to see how easy (and common) it is to spend life by accident. Getting through the day turns into getting through the years, turns into life gone by. What will we be thinking at that stage? Better, the Stoics advised, to be clear about your intentions, thoughtful in your choices, simple in your desires and content in your days. Here’s how I translate that to Primal practice.

(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Direct download: MDA-Jun252015-7WaystoUseStoicPhilosophy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:07am PDT

Podcasts have become a lifesaver for me. Whenever I’m stuck in traffic (which is whenever I drive in LA), or have a long trip ahead of me (and I don’t feel like or can’t read), I use podcasts to make otherwise wasted time incredibly productive, engaging, and enjoyable. Here are what I consider to be the best Primal/paleo/ancestral health-related podcasts in the world. I’ll also throw in some of my favorite podcasts that have nothing at all to do with health and fitness and Primal living.

(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Direct download: MDA-Jun242015-PodcastsYouShouldBeListeningTo.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:09am PDT

Hannah Crum is The Kombucha Mamma, founder of Kombucha Kamp, the most visited website in the world for Kombucha information, recipes and advice. KKamp's mission is to “change the world, one gut at a time.” Along with partner Alex LaGory, Hannah is also an industry journalist and Master Brewer, directly mentoring thousands of new and experienced Kombucha brewers and providing consultation services for Kombucha start-ups since 2007. Together, Hannah and Alex also co-founded Kombucha Brewers International, the industry non-profit trade association dedicated to promoting bottled Kombucha around the world. Kombucha Kamp classes, advice and reporting have been featured in BevNet, Beverage Spectrum Magazine, Whole Life Times Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Elephant Journal, Vital Juice and many others while her instructional video series with E-How/Expert Village has racked up over 1 million views.

Enjoy a special promotion from this episode's sponsor: DNAFit.com

Click here and enter the code PRIMALBLUEPRINT at checkout for a whopping 30% off your own personal genetic test!

Direct download: Ep_73_PrimalBlueprint-HannahCrum.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

The Pitfalls and Limitations of Self-Experimentation

I’m a huge proponent of self-experimentation. We can’t always rely on funding for research relevant to our needs, interests, and desires, and those studies that are relevant are still using participants that are not us. We like control, when it comes down to it. We want to be the arbiters of our own destinies, and running (formal or informal) self-experiments of 1 can help us get to that point. But as helpful as it can be, there are both inherent limits to self-experimentation and common pitfalls people fail to take into account when designing their experiments of one.

(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Direct download: MDA-Jun23-PitfallsLimitationsofSelfExperimentation.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:21am PDT

I’m a big fan of coconut oil myself, and I’ve written quite a lot about coconut oil over the years. Remember the days when coconut oil was maligned for being high in saturated fat and thus a high-risk oil for heart disease? It seems that rumor is finally being put to rest. Sure, coconut oil is high in saturated fat, but it’s not the traditional saturated fat made up of long chain fatty acids. The structure of fat in coconut oil is unique—65% of its makeup are specialized fats called medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) that, when broken down in the liver, contribute to efficient energy (and fat) burning. It’s more difficult for our bodies to convert MCTs into stored fat.

(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Direct download: MDA-Jun182015-WhyILoveCoconutOil.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:01am PDT

The Greatest Piece of Exercise Equipment Ever Invented

It’s the Versaclimber, folks: the most brutally effective piece of fitness equipment you’ll ever use (but probably haven’t). Most people don’t know about it because no one talks about it, few use it, and gyms don’t stock more than one if you’re lucky. Is this because it’s a useless piece of machinery? No. The Versaclimber is almost too good, too effective, too intense an experience for most people. The few that have used it almost invariably quit because it’s so hard. And gyms don’t have many because they can’t convince people to use it, to actually go all out like they’ve never gone all out before.

(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Direct download: MDA-Jun172015-GreatestExerciseEquipmentEverInvented.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:03am PDT

Join three popular Primal Blueprint Podcast hosts as they get together for the first time and shoot the breeze. Mark talks about his interview with Laird Hamilton and shares some memorable insights about motivation, innovation and intuition. Elle asks each ex-endurance star about his motivation to exercise and how it’s evolved over time. Brad and Mark talk about the difference between a “fun” race and a “positive” one.

Mark also recaps his Paleo f(x) presentation and how people received his message of primal leniency. Other topics include: Will paleo continue to grow and gain more mainstream traction? How do you get people enthused about paleo/primal living (especially if they’re not initially receptive)? How do most people come across the paleo/primal lifestyle in the first place?

Finally, Mark and Elle offers some suggestions for how to get started with primal/paleo eating, even in the face of some seriously engrained habits.

Enjoy a special promotion from this episode's sponsor: DNAFit.com

Click here and enter the code PRIMALBLUEPRINT at checkout for a whopping 30% off your own personal genetic test!

Direct download: Ep_72_PrimalBlueprint-BradElleMark.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

The Definitive Guide to Napping

As much as people are willing to pay lip service to the importance of a solid eight hours every night (actually sleeping that many hours is another thing entirely), most do not seriously entertain the value of napping. That’s a real mistake, because not only do humans have a long and storied tradition of snoozing in the middle of the day, there are also huge benefits to naps. Far from being anti-productivity wastes of time, a well-timed nap can boost cognitive function, improve work output, and make you healthier, happier, and a better employee (and person).

(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Direct download: MDA-DG_Napping.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:22am PDT

Paleo Girl’s One-Year Anniversary

Do you know that sensation in the pit of your stomach when you feel like something is meant to be? I’m not going to lie. I had that feeling the first time I met Mark Sisson two years ago at PrimalCon Oxnard. After just a brief conversation with him and a quick fangirl photo op, I knew my life’s trajectory was about to change—and boy did it ever.

(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Leslie Klenke, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Direct download: MDA-Jun112015-PaleoGirlsOneYearAnniversary.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:43am PDT

5 Reasons to Run Outside Instead of on a Treadmill

Let me get this out of the way: treadmill running is better than sitting on the couch reading blogs that outline the reasons running outside is better than running on a treadmill. If it’s your only option – or even just the way you prefer to exercise — have at it. You have my blessing. The best exercise is the one you’ll do, remember. But there are limitations, risks, and biomechanical changes that occur when treadmill running. It’s not the same as running outside, and there’s evidence to suggest it might be worse in some respects. So let’s explore the potential problems associated with treadmill running.

(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Direct download: MDA-Jun102015-RunOutsideInsteadofTreadmill.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:29am PDT

Mark Sisson hosts this podcast and joins his Malibu neighbor, Laird Hamilton, who is known by many as the ultimate man’s man and fearless amidst the most powerful natural forces on earth. To give you an idea of how he gained that reputation, last year he shot the Malibu Pier on a standup paddle board—and the very next day he saved a man from drowning at the same beach.  Out of the water, Laird is one of the busiest guys around, with an assortment of fitness-related entrepreneurial ventures like the amazing Golfboard and Total Wave Fitness machine.

The two talk about Rolfing, breathing technique, and how to maintain motivation through innovation and variation. They also discuss their shared affinity for cold water plunges, minimally processed foods and a highly intuitive, primal-style approach to eating. Laird is a wealth of deep experience and raw intuitive knowledge for physical peak performance and healthy living. So enjoy this fabulous show full of tidbits, insights and causes for reflection.

Enjoy a special promotion from this episode's sponsor: DNAFit.com

Click here and enter the code PRIMALBLUEPRINT at checkout for a whopping 30% off your own personal genetic test!

Direct download: Ep_71_PrimalBlueprint-LairdHamilton.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

The Power of Your Food Dollars

First off, let’s make no mistake. Americans are still binging on junk food. No one is declaring the end of fast food. Financial trends show as much, as does a casual look around. That said, there’s plenty to suggest that we find ourselves at an interesting junction these days when it comes to the food economy.

(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Direct download: MDA-Jun092015-PowerofYourFoodDollars.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:14am PDT

Free Gift! Cooking Inspiration: 60+ Paleo Recipes (Plus a $1000 Shopping Spree Sweepstakes)

I’ve got another free gift for you, and it’s a tasty one. The Thrive Market Communal Table Cookbook is a brand new digital cookbook featuring more than 60 real-food recipes from the country’s top names in ancestral health and wellness: Chris Kresser, Robb Wolf, Michelle Tam and others, including me. Every recipe is primal approved and made with wholesome, affordable ingredients.

(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Direct download: MDA-Jun042015-FreeGiftCookingInspiration.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:55am PDT

7 Old Wives’ Tales That Aren’t Utter Nonsense

“Oh, that’s just an old wives’ tale” is an easy way to disarm and disregard someone else’s claims about health. But it’s also lazy and, sometimes, just plain misleading. So what if a particular claim comes from folk wisdom? Is it all nonsense? Are all old wives’ tales necessarily incorrect? As you’ll hear in this podcast, folk wisdom is sometimes just plain old wisdom. Many of these “stories” have a basis in fact. And many of us would be better off heeding some of these old wives’ tales.

(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Direct download: MDA-Jun032015-7OldWivesTales.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:48am PDT

On today’s show, Dr. David Perlmutter--Board-Certified Neurologist and #1 New York Times Best-Selling author of Grain Brain and Brain Maker--discusses an exhaustively fascinating number of topics relating to our microbiome, including antibiotic use, type II diabetes, neurological disorders, probiotics, fecal transplants and prescription medication. If you ever had questions about the burgeoning science behind gut health, then you cannot miss this episode!

Enjoy a special promotion from this episode's sponsor: DNAFit.com

Click here and enter the code PRIMALBLUEPRINT at checkout for a whopping 30% off your own personal genetic test!

Direct download: Ep_70_PrimalBlueprint-DavidPerlmutter.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

It’s the Goldilocks Syndrome…. It’s too hot to exercise. It’s too cold. It’s too early. It’s too late. I’m too tired or busy or overweight or overwhelmed. When x, y, or z changes, things will be better, easier. That’s not long to wait, right? And, so, we talk ourselves into waiting and out of working toward fitness. All the while, we’re fully convinced we have the world’s most pragmatic mindset. What else could we do in such a situation? It’s just the way it has to be. Exercise just can’t happen under these circumstances. And so we give away our chance at vitality because we’re married to a set of conditions, which become – like it or not – our excuses.

(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Direct download: MDA-June022015-TheMythofPerfectConditions.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:47am PDT

1