Elle Russ chats with Devyn Sisson about her new book Kitchen Intuition. Devyn Sisson is an author, artist, culinary enthusiast and restaurateur involved in the launch of the Primal Kitchen fast-casual restaurant chain. After graduating from the The New School in New York City with a degree in Psychology, she started to express her creativity with a deep immersion into the study of nutrition with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and self-improvement through the Spiritual Psychology program at The University of Santa Monica. She lives in Southern California where she is kind of successfully training her new dog, Ninja.

It almost goes without saying: Stress is at an all-time high. Not the kind of major traumatic stress we see elsewhere, sure. At least in the Western world, there aren’t any horrific sectarian conflicts scouring the landscape and generations to come. Our infrastructure is built to withstand most natural disasters. Our world is safe and predictable and sterile. But we’re stressed out just the same, afflicted with the kind of pernicious, low-level, unending stress that drives people into substance abuse, that promotes depression and suicide and broken relationships. The type that never quits. The kind you just want to drown out with Netflix and Facebook and anything at all to take your mind off the churning within.

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

Description:  Elle Russ chats with Dr. Foresman about all things vaccines - the controversies, the dangers, and the benefits.  Dr. Foresman opened a private practice, he quickly became dissatisfied with the inability of established Western medical treatments to effectively treat many of his patients—many of which suffered from thyroid disorders. Determined to help his patients, he began investigating alternative therapies and has since expanded his training in many systems of healing—not just through Ayurveda, meditation, and stress management, but also using botanical, orthomolecular and functional medicine systems. His precise, scientific mind, combined with a holistic integrative perspective, makes him not only an exceptional diagnostician, but also a skilled practitioner who can therapeutically synthesize optimal healing modalities for each individual.

In-depth commentary on thyroid issues by Dr. Gary Foresman can be found in The Paleo Thyroid Solution written by Elle Russ.

Every former competitive athlete's worst nightmare is that moment when you lose to a younger person doing the sport you love. When the cocoon of invincibility and superiority you've erected around yourself comes crashing down and a piece of your self-identity shatters. It can truly feel like the end.

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

Mark Sisson chats with celebrity nutrition and fitness expert JJ Virgin - who teaches clients how to lose weight and master their mindset so they can lead bigger, better lives. She is author of 4 NY Times bestsellers: The Virgin Diet, The Virgin Diet Cookbook, JJ Virgin’s Sugar Impact Diet, and JJ Virgin’s Sugar Impact Diet Cookbook. Her memoir Miracle Mindset: A Mother, Her Son, & Life’s Hardest Lessons explores the powerful lessons in strength and positivity that she learned after her son Grant was the victim of a brutal hit-and-run accident. JJ hosts the popular JJ Virgin Lifestyle Show podcast and regularly writes for Huffington Post, Rodale Wellness, and other major blogs and magazines. She’s also a frequent guest on TV and radio and speaks at major events. In addition to her work with nutrition and fitness, JJ is also a business coach and founded the premier health entrepreneur event and community, The Mindshare Summit.

Elle Russ chats with Justin Stenstrom, a nationally-acclaimed life coach, best-selling author, and speaker. He's the founder of EliteManMagazine.com and the host of the Elite Man Podcast where he interviews world-class experts every week. Once anxious, insecure, depressed, and unhappy, Justin has overcome many of life's greatest obstacles and loves nothing more than helping others do the same!  Coming up in May 2017 - Justin is holding the 2017 Elite Man Conference in Boston, MA.

Sure, they’re not exactly the sexiest body part, but it’s fair to say that life with substandard ear health would be notably less enjoyable. And as it happens, millions of Americans would be able to speak to that.

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

Description:  Elle Russ chats with Carrie and Mark Sisson's grown children, Devyn and Kyle Sisson, about their new business endeavor - opening up a Primal Kitchen Restaurants franchise in Culver City, CA this Summer! You will hear all about "growing up Sisson" in this episode as Devyn and Kyle look back on their lives and share pieces of wisdom and guidance from their parents, while also sharing their personal health journeys.

Conventional wisdom has decreed that "detox" is a myth. They're not even sure if toxins even exist, as far as I can tell. On the other side, you've got detox gurus prescribing cayenne-maple-lemon tea and glasses full of charcoal water as cures for essentially everything. Where's the truth lie?

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

Description: Elle Russ chats with Integrative Physician Gary E. Foresman MD about an often overlooked topic in thyroid discussion...HYPERthyroidism.  While Hashimoto’s disease, hypothyroidism, and Reverse T3 hypothyroidism are widespread and on the rise, having hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland) can be even more dangerous and problematic than having an underactive thyroid.  Too many doctors are uninformed on how to diagnose and treat the various nuances behind thyroid disorders—leaving millions of patients un-diagnosed or symptomatic.  Dr. Gary E. Foresman, MD, is not only a Primal functional medicine doctor well-versed in all things paleo/primal, but also an informed integrative physician who Elle Russ chose to interview for her book, The Paleo Thyroid Solution.

When Dr. Foresman opened a private practice, he quickly became dissatisfied with the inability of established Western medical treatments to effectively treat many of his patients—many of which suffered from thyroid disorders. Determined to help his patients, he began investigating alternative therapies and has since expanded his training in many systems of healing—not just through Ayurveda, meditation, and stress management, but also using botanical, orthomolecular and functional medicine systems. His precise, scientific mind, combined with a holistic integrative perspective, makes him not only an exceptional diagnostician, but also a skilled practitioner who can therapeutically synthesize optimal healing modalities for each individual.

More in-depth commentary on thyroid issues by Dr. Gary Foresman can be found in The Paleo Thyroid Solution written by Elle Russ.

I get a lot of industry news. I eat out a fair bit. I talk to people whose job it is to spot and track health trends. I'm privy to some of the greatest, most innovative minds in the alternative health community—my readers. And you guys are always sending me interesting links. Today, I'm going to discuss some trends of Primal interest. I might poke fun at some of them, and others might be relatively small-scale, but even the silly or minor ones point to interesting movements in the health and fitness zeitgeist.

So, what are the 9 I'm highlighting today?

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

For all the focus on hearts and arteries, brain tissue and muscle mass, we tend to neglect one critical part of the body with dramatic influence over how we fare in later decades. It’s little surprise really. Feet don’t exactly garner much attention, let alone media time. Yet, the stakes are big.

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

Everyone reading this knows about the macronutrients. You’re all eating enough protein, fat, carbs, and the various sub-categories, like fiber, omega-3s, MUFAs, SFAs, linoleic acid, and so on. You know the major micronutrients, like magnesium, calcium, vitamin B12, and most of the minor (but still vital) ones, like plant polyphenols, iodine, and vitamin K2. Today I’ll be talking about the truly obscure nutrients. The ones health food hipsters were super into like, five years ago (“I’m taking beta-1,3-glucan, you probably haven’t heard of it, there’s only one group at Hokkaido University doing any research, you can only get it off the DarkNet using bitcoins”). The ones Grok was super into like, 50,000 years ago.

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

Elle Russ chats with Dave Asprey, founder and CEO of Bulletproof, the world's first human performance and nutrition company.  Dave is a Silicon Valley investor and technology entrepreneur who spent two decades and over $1 million to hack his own biology. Dave is the creator of the widely popular Bulletproof Coffee, host of the #1 health podcast Bulletproof Radio, and author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Bulletproof Diet.  

Dave lost 100 pounds without counting calories or excessive exercise, used cutting-edge techniques to upgrade his brain and lift his IQ, and lowered his biological age while learning to sleep more efficiently in less time. In his new book, Head Strong, Asprey shows us that all of this is possible—and more. Using his simple lifestyle modifications (or "hacks") to take advantage of how the structure of your brain works, readers will learn how to take their mental performance to the next level. Combining the latest findings in neuroscience and neurobiology with a hacker-inspired "get it done now" perspective, Asprey offers a program structured around key areas of brain performance that will help you:

Power the brain with exactly what it needs to perform at its best all day long. Eliminate the sources of "kryptonite," both nutritional and environmental, that make the brain slower. Supercharge the cellular powerhouses of our brains, the mitochondria, to eliminate cravings and turn up mental focus. Reverse inflammation to perform better right now, then stay sharp and energized well into your golden years. Promote neuron growth to enhance processing speed and reinforce new learning—hotwiring your brain for success.

Asprey’s easy to follow, two-week program offers a detailed plan to supercharge brain performance, including: which foods to eat and which ones to avoid, how to incorporate the right kinds of physical activity into your day, a detox protocol for your home and body; meditation and breathing for performance, recommended brain-boosting supplements; and how to adjust the lighting in your home and work space to give your brain the quality light it thrives on. A better brain—and a happier, easier, more productive life—is within reach. You just need to get Head Strong!

You are not the person you were fifteen years ago. The cells that compose your tissues and deliver oxygen have been recycled many times over. Your face has changed. You move differently. You’re probably slower and weaker, or, depending on your daily habits, faster and stronger. As it becomes available, you incorporate new information into your belief system. Even the neat narrative we imagine we’re orchestrating unbroken in our heads has nightly intermissions lasting hours during which we have no real clue what happens.

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

Autoimmune diseases really throw the body for a loop. You're attacking your own tissues. Your inflammation is sky high. What's usually good for you—like boosting the immune system—can make it worse. You'll often restrict eating certain foods that, on paper, appear healthy and nutrient-dense. You take nothing for granted, measure and consider everything before eating or doing it. Sometimes it feels like almost everything has the potential to be a trigger.

Is it true for exercise, too? Must people with autoimmune diseases also change how they train?

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

A few years ago, I wrote a long post listing cosmetics, soaps, and other personal products made with healthy, non-toxic ingredients. It's a sad thing when you basically have to assume the worst about the average product designed to be slathered all over the largest organ of your body—your skin. But that's the situation in which we find ourselves now.

Today's post is an update of sorts. What products am I using? Which ones have I used? And are there any others that I can safely recommend? It won't be as comprehensive as the last one. It will be more personal.

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

Elle Russ chats with Helen Marshall who faced a long list of debilitating digestive and mental health issues until she turned to a Primal diet in a desperate attempt to reset her health.  Initially, the prospect of food elimination sounded insane to her but Helen has never looked back since.  Amazed with how her health transformed solely by changing the foods she ate, Helen felt called upon to help other women realize that their health problems were not their fault and that they were not alone.

Helen started a blog to share recipes and soon realized that many people felt "time-poor" and often complained of "falling off the wagon."  Helen created a food range of Primal Alternatives to the foods we love and started to produce from home and sell at her local farmers’ markets, cool cafes, gourmet pizza shops and health shops.  The feedback Helen got was that her Primal Alternative range was life-changing for people.  Helen ultimately became a  Primal Health Coach and now runs a thriving and successful global health coaching business. Helen is inspired to bring Primal Alternative to the whole of Australia and she has franchised her successful business model to empower creative Moms like her with a passion for Primal, to run a successful business from home. She has called this the Primalista Licence, and Helen is always looking to recruit new Primalista's to her supportive community!  Helen lives on 100 acres alongside a multitude of kangaroos in the Australian bush.

Back in 2008, I provided a brief look into deconstructing egg carton labelling. That simple guide to egg purchasing has gotten a fair amount of attention and shares over the years, so I’m revisiting the subject to update and elaborate where it makes sense. I don’t see eggs ever losing their place in paleo/Primal eating, and I know others share my enthusiasm.

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

In 2002, Gary Taubes penned a New York Times piece that questioned the legitimacy of the presiding low-fat dogma. His article made a persuasive case for the safety—and metabolic urgency—of eating more animal fat and fewer carbs. It shifted the national conversation on healthy eating and paved the way for the rise of the ancestral health community. If the experts were that wrong about a healthy diet, what else were they getting wrong?

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

Elle Russ chats with Robb Wolf about the surprising truth is that we are genetically wired to eat more and move less, the exact opposite of the advice we are often given.  Now there is a more customized weight loss solution that works with your body, a solution based not on arbitrary restriction of foods but on what works for YOU. Developed by former research biochemist, health expert, and bestselling author Robb Wolf, Wired to Eat offers an eating program, based on groundbreaking research, that will rewire your appetite for weight loss and help you finally determine the optimal foods for your diet and metabolism.

With his bestselling book, The Paleo Solution, Robb Wolf helped hundreds of thousands of people lose weight by eating a low-carb Paleo diet, but Paleo is only a starting point, not a destination.  Now, he'll share a more customized way of eating that may be the key to permanent weight loss and better health. You'll start with Wolf’s 30-Day Reset to help you restore your body's blood sugar levels, repair your appetite, and reverse insulin resistance. There are more than 70 delicious recipes, detailed meal plans, and shopping lists to aid you on your journey. Wolf also includes meal plans for people who suffer with autoimmune diseases, as well as advice on eating a ketogenic diet. Once you've completed this phase of the plan, the unique 7-Day Carb Test will help you determine what amounts and types of carbs you can tolerate.  No more guessing. Now you can find out for yourself which foods you can and cannot eat, instead of relying on a one-size-fits all diet. Transform your diet by discovering your personalized weight loss blueprint with Wired to Eat.

Last month, I installed an infrared sauna in my house. A company offered it to me to try out, and I was willing to give it a go, knowing a little about them already. It also inspired me to dig into the research—to test it personally but also to see what studies had demonstrated in terms of benefits. I'll say I've been pleased with what I've found from both angles.

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

By next year, Americans are expected to spend nearly 11 billion dollars on skin care annually. By some estimates anyway, the biggest share of this market goes to “anti-aging” products. Anti-aging… As I noted in an offhand way a few years back, there's a certain enjoyment in looking good naked (or just looking good), and there’s nothing wrong with that. Looking “good” is largely a reflection of optimum inner health—nothing un-Primal about that. Great health is what we’re all here for. The “extra” rewards that come with it aren’t anything to shake a stick at—or to be sheepish about.

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

The older you get, the more important strength, agility, power, and lean mass become. This isn't how most people approach old age. They expect strength and all the other trappings of physical capacity to degenerate, and so they do. It's what happens all around us, every day. Seniors are feeble, right?

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

Mark Sisson chats with Christine Hassler, best-selling author of three books, most recently Expectation Hangover: Free Yourself From Your Past, Change your Present and Get What you Really Want. She left her successful job as a Hollywood agent to pursue a life she could be passionate about. For over a decade, as a keynote speaker, retreat facilitator, spiritual psychologist and life coach, and host of the top-rated podcast “Over it and On With It”, she has been teaching and inspiring people around the world. Christine believes once we get out of our own way, we can show up to make the meaningful impact we are here to make. Christine is also on the advisory board for our Primal Health Coach Program.

There’s a saying that people who snore always fall asleep first. My days of overnight sports chaperoning and group camping trips have frequently confirmed that notion. Most people would say that snoring is less a problem for the snorer than anyone lying awake in the vicinity, and on those specific nights in memory I probably thought as much. But the health researcher in me knows there’s more to the story.

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

Elle Russ chats with husband/wife team Cindy Lu and Earl Martin who founded Malibu Essential Oils in 2013. After experiencing profound personal benefits, their curiosity led them to become Internationally Certified Aromatherapists. Now they blend both their classical training with modern essential oil usage which includes internal applications. They are education driven, teaching classes weekly in various locations. They believe that aromatherapy is a healing art and they enjoy helping their clients choose the purest oils available and let them develop their own personal style that they feel is safe, beautiful and effective. As master blenders, their unique oil offerings such as High on Life (an energizing mood booster), Brain On (for mental clarity), Deep Sleep and Sex Mix are sought after week after week. They also create customized blends based on client needs, scent preferences and muscle testing.

With clients worldwide, private consultations are available in person, via phone or Skype. Their mentor program trains oil enthusiasts to become a part of their team, build their own essential oil businesses or become healers in their own homes. Googling "essential oils" is a rabbit hole of unregulated yet FDA restricted advice that is hard to decipher in its contradictions and opinions. Cindy and Earl like to teach people their options and how to find the most reliable information and the purest oils. Don't let the confusion and the ineffectiveness of many store bought brands discourage you. Therapeutic grade oils are versatile and gentle, yet potent enough to effect real change.  Cindy Lu is also the author of the internationally acclaimed dating book, The Four Man Plan, a Love Coach and Ian ntuitive Interdimensional Guide. Earl is an Emmy nominated post-production sound mixer with TV credits such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Wilfred and The League. Earl is very excited to have just started  the Primal Blueprint Health Coach program. Cindy and Earl are both living a Primal lifestyle.

Humans are competitive animals. We like a challenge because it compels us to rise to the occasion, prove ourselves, get better at something, or become a bigger version of ourselves. For people, challenges are like hormetic stressors—they often cause suffering and require hard, unpleasant work but provoke a beneficial response that makes us stronger than we were before the challenge.

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

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

Intermittent fasting, schmittermittent schmasting. The hot new trend is the extended fast—eating nothing and drinking only non-caloric beverages for no less than three days and often as many as 30-40 days. A mere compressed eating window this isn’t.

If fasting for more than three days sounds riskier than just skipping breakfast, you’re right. Long fasts can get you into trouble. They’re a big commitment. You shouldn’t just stumble into one because it sounds interesting or some guy on your Twitter feed wrote about it.

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

Elle Russ chats with Roland & Galina Denzel about their new book Eat Well, Move Well, Live Well - 52 Ways to Feel Better in a Week.  Roland is a weight loss coach whose first client was himself! Overweight his first 35 years, he lost over one hundred pounds in 2003, and has kept if off since. Along the way, Roland developed a passion for health, fitness, and nutrition that’s not only kept him slim and healthy, but allowed him to help others just like himself through his writing and coaching. Roland is an IKFF trained kettlebell coach, a certified personal trainer, and a sports nutrition and weight loss coach through Precision Nutrition. He has co-authored five books, including The Real Food Reset, and Man on Top, which was inspired by his own journey to becoming healthy, slim, and fit.

Galina Denzel specializes in helping people in chronic pain and helps her clients return to a life of functional movement after an injury, accident, or trauma through a variety of corrective exercise methods and healing modalities. Galina is a Nutritious Movement certified Restorative Exercise Specialist, certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, author and educator. She is the author of The Real Food Reset and Man on Top in English, as well as The Art of Real Food in Bulgarian. Together, Roland and Galina have a health coaching practice, serving local and online clients, in Orange County, California. They write and podcast regularly at EatMoveLive52.com.

Last week, Chris Kresser wrote a great article discussing the emerging—and likely causative—link between poor gut health and childhood misbehavior. He explained potential mechanisms for the association, as well as solutions to counter it.

But as any parent knows, getting a picky child to adopt your arsenal of perfect gut-supporting foods and supplements isn’t always easy. Not every kid immersed in the righteous anger of the terrible twos will stop what he’s doing to drink sauerkraut juice, nibble on kimchi, take resistant starch, drink kefir and bone broth.. It’s certainly a major part of the problem and the solution, but are there any other dietary causes? What else can a parent try to stem the flood of tantrums?

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

In recent years, I’ve regularly vouched for the gut as our long-abused secondary brain. Given what most of us grew up learning in school, it can feel like a mammoth shift. Science and philosophy have long revered the brain as seat of consciousness, even the seat of humanity itself. But when it comes down to it, everything is interconnected. Our consciousness extends well beyond the brain. How we feel and who we are encompasses a much more expansive and intricate system than any of us learned in high school biology. At the center of this paradigm revision is something called the vagus nerve.

Vagus…as a word it sounds a little off-putting. If someone called me a vagus, I’d probably be mildly offended. But the literary origins of this word are actually kind of mystical: “vagus” in Latin translates to “wandering.” And I’d struggle to find a more apt definition.

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

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

Elle Russ chats with Jeff Scot Philips -  a nutritionist, professional speaker, and the author of BIG FAT FOOD FRAUD. In his early twenties he founded the company Fit Food, a food delivery company that sold healthy meals to gyms, weight loss centers, and grocery stores. He then co-founded a food manufacturing business, producing and private labeling meals for other companies and brands. Topics discussed in this episode:  ”Edutising": how food companies disguise advertising as education, and why consumes shouldn't trust anything you see in the news. How food companies turned gluten-free, among other trendy things, into a scam and why health food can be worse for people than junk food. The various ways food companies manipulate nutrition facts and ingredients, why they do it, and how to look out for it. Working with the USDA / FDA, and how lethargic, and sometimes harmful, they are (e.g. making food companies put sugar --breads, pastas, etc. -- in frozen dinners, and how the FDA told Jeff that unless his food starts making people sick, they didn't want to regulate him. Why the FDA's new food labels (2018) will be even worse for consumers than they are now.

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

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

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

Elle Russ chats with Dr. Gary E. Foresman about breast health, breast cancer prevention and a variety topics surrounding breast health (This episode is part 3 of 3 podcasts dedicated to this topic). When Dr. Foresman opened a private practice, he quickly became dissatisfied with the inability of established Western medical treatments to effectively treat many of his patients—many of which suffered from thyroid disorders. Determined to help his patients, he began investigating alternative therapies and has since expanded his training in many systems of healing—not just through Ayurveda, meditation, and stress management, but also using botanical, orthomolecular and functional medicine systems. His precise, scientific mind, combined with a holistic integrative perspective, makes him not only an exceptional diagnostician, but also a skilled practitioner who can therapeutically synthesize optimal healing modalities for each individual.  In-depth commentary by Dr. Foresman in the new #1 bestseller The Paleo Thyroid Solution.

Every year, it’s the same thing: U.S. News and World Report ranks 38 of the most popular diets from best to worst. And every single time, the paleo diet—or some variant, in this case the Whole30 plan—comes in dead last. I’ve written about this before. You know my stance. You know how silly the whole thing is, and why you shouldn’t care about a ranking, especially when you’ve transformed your health eating the “worst diet in the world.”

Frankly, I’m skeptical these reports have much impact anymore.

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

Earlier this month, a reader posed a fantastic question that prompted today’s post. It was long, so I’ll give the choice bits rather than quote the entire thing:

Where do I start? I’d be interested in seeing your opinion on the relative impact of various primal lifestyle changes… Eating “clean” would be a 10, etc… but what about subtler things like sprinting, IF, quality sleep, sunlight, and play… So I guess I’m asking you to write on a 30,000ft level, how all these things interplay and what their relative contributions are to overall wellness.

Where does one start indeed?

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

Elle Russ chats with Drew Canole—a rockstar in the world of fitness, nutrition and mindset, with a huge heart for others and doing his part to transform the world, one person at a time. As the founder and CEO of Fitlife.TV, he is committed to sharing educational, inspirational and entertaining videos and articles about health, fitness, healing and longevity. He is also a best selling author and the founder of Organifi, an organic, incredibly delicious greens powder, chock-full of super-foods to make juicing easy no matter your busy schedule.

The most basic advice I can give about hiking is to go find a natural space and walk around. That’s it. It’s not sexy or particularly exciting, but it’s good enough.

I do have some additional thoughts, though. If you want to get deeper, if you want to “upgrade” or “hack” your hiking, you’ll find today’s post useful. I’m going to offer some ideas on how to get the most out of your forays into wilderness.

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

What’s motivating you right now? How do you feel yourself settling into the practices you’ve adopted since the first day? Even if you’ve experienced some wavering (that’s no reason to abandon the venture, you know), what brings you back to the center of your intention? How do you reclaim the moment?

Reclaim the moment…. A rather powerful concept. It reminds us that—at any time—we can realign ourselves with the now. Moving our attention from the past (regret) or the future (pessimism, anxiety), we claim the potential of the present. We apply ourselves mindfully. In possessing the moment, we achieve self-possession.

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

Some people don’t need any help finding physical challenges. They naturally and intuitively figure out ways to engage physically with the world and test their prowess. But that’s not everyone, or else we’d see people sprinting down the street, hurdling park benches, climbing flagpoles, and swinging from tree branch to tree branch. It’d be a cool world, to be sure. It’s just not the one we live in.

In this world, where physical challenges are usually optional, we have to go looking for them.

What are some fitness challenges to try? I’ve got 11.

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

A big reason most people never stick to a serious exercise routine is that the benefits most people are interested in take a while to appear. Fat loss, muscle gain, boosts to strength, speed, and stamina—these physical manifestations of training adherence can take weeks and even months to show. That’s plenty of time for folks to give up, convinced exercise is just not for them.

I get it. I do. But that’s not a valid excuse for not exercising. You know it’s important, you know what the benefits are, and I’m not going to sugarcoat things: training is not optional.

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

Transitioning to the Primal Blueprint way of eating should be simple. There’s no need to invent the wheel at every meal. That said, it does likely mean shifting some of your routine in the kitchen. If you’re used to processed food, enjoy getting your hands a little messier. If you’re used to take-out, capitalize on the chance to use your creative skills. (Don’t worry, you’ve got an abundance of recipes and cookbooks right at your fingertips.) That said, all Primal cooks—beginners to old-timers—can make life easier with a few select tactics.

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

Not every challenge has to be massive. Not every action item needs to take you to the promised land of optimal health and body composition. Sometimes, you just want a writer you trust to devise a list of potential little mini-challenges, short self-experiments, and approachable action items.

This is that list. Browse it. Jump around. See what resonates. Then get moving, and make them happen. I’m partial to 1, 5, 9, 13, 19, 20, 22, 26, and 30. But I’m sure whichever you choose will help you succeed this year.

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

Brad Kearns welcomes back one of the most popular guests from the old days! Dr. Cate has been hard at work preparing the launch of her revised and updated bestseller DEEP NUTRITION originally published in 2008 and relaunching a 512-page masterpiece in 2017. Cate gives you the straight scoop on her favorite topics, particularly the disastrous misinformation about dietary fats that has been entrenched in conventional wisdom for decades. Cate details why "natural fats" are so critical to human health, and how refined high polyunsaturated vegetable oils are directly responsible for hundreds of thousands of premature deaths annually. They disrupt normal cellular function immediately upon ingestion, increase oxidative stress throughout the body, and damage brain function in particular; this is the #1 disease catalyst in modern life, an underlying factor in every chronic disease study.

Cate outs conventional wisdom as conducting a massive experiment to "feed modern humans the cheapest possible food and see what will happen." She outs researcher Ancel Keys as the dude who drove us toward bad fats and away from healthy fats ("he knew he was wrong too!," laments Cate). Speaking of losing weight, refined polyunsaturated vegetable oils are more likely to be stored and less likely to be burned than natural fats. In summary, here's how to save your life and optimize your health: Ditch refined high polyunsaturated vegetable oils (watch out when dining out; most restaurant food--fast food to fine dining--is soaked in these gnarly oils); eat more natural fats (eggs, meat, cheese, coconut products, olives/olive oil, avocados/avocado oil, etc.).

You’re already quite Primal.

You know your way around a grocery store. I mean “around” literally: you know to shop the perimeter.

You’ve struck up relationships with vendors at the farmer’s market. The beet guy had Thanksgiving dinner at your house (being frank, the mashed beets were a bit much).

You read this blog every day, so you’re aware there’s another Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge kicking off next week. If not, read yesterday’s posts in which I give a heads up and ask what 2017 will mean for your life. But if you’re already a devoted Primal adherent, what’s in it for you?

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

It’s 2017. There are old sci-fi stories set in 2017. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the basis for Blade Runner, takes place in 2019. That’s just two years away. It’ll come faster than you think. The time to make anything happen is now.

But how?

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