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.