The Primal Kitchen Podcast

Host Brad Kearns talks to cutting edge peak performance and athletic training expert Christopher Smith. Christopher is a decorated PGA who teaches professionally out of Portland, Oregon and is a consultant to Nike Golf and the radical new Golf Board concept (with Laird Hamilton). Christopher is the world record holder and past world champion in the sport of Speedgolf. Check out this astonishing YouTube video of him playing the championship course of Bandon Dunes, Oregon in only 53 minutes while shooting 4 under par! The high-speed video production shows his entire round in only four minutes—one of the most remarkable golf rounds ever played.

Inspired by the insights gained from the intuitive, reactive nature of Speedgolf, Christopher created his popular teaching system Train2Trust.com, and wrote the book, I’ve got 99 Swing Thoughts, But ‘Hit The Ball’ Ain’t One. Christopher talks about why most practice for golf and other sports could be a waste of time, how failure can help you get better, and plants an important term in your head that you won’t forget: Context Specificity—maximizing practice time and learning to focus intently on peak performance. He talks about how to make the future of golf faster, more fun, and less frustrating. Even if you aren’t a golfer, Christopher’s insights can help you be more productive and less stressed during an office workday, or during training for music, art, other sports, or any other peak performance goal.

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_74_PrimalBlueprint-ChristopherSmith.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

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

It’s a question I’ve posed to clients and seminar attendees in the past: what direction or wisdom would you share with your younger self if you could go back ten, twenty, thirty years (or more)? The idea obliges us to think about the whole of our journey thus far – how we’ve viewed health or success, how we’ve valued our well-being against other commitments, how we’ve weighed instinct against authority – among endless other inquiries.

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

Direct download: MDA-May282915-AdviceWouldYouGiveYourYoungerSelf.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:48am PDT

We’re springing into summer, and into perfect weather for outdoor activities—we’re already there in Malibu. I’ve been catching some rays (and vitamin D as a result) while hiking, paddle boarding, cycling, and playing Ultimate Frisbee. The key word in that last sentence is “playing”—it’s central to how I stay in shape and enjoy life. But it wasn’t always this way.

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

Direct download: MDA-May272015-BrilliantWaytoEnjoytheSummer.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:49am PDT

Although I’ve always been a science guy, I’ve found myself drawn to philosophy at times. For the most part, I take a pretty practical approach to it. I want something I can use. Navel gazing doesn’t interest me, and neither does splitting hairs or playing a game of clever semantics. Philosophy, as I appreciate it, isn’t an academic study but a useful template (or choice of templates actually) for life practice.

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

Direct download: MDA-May272015-AncientWisdomIntersectWithPrimal.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:18am PDT

Elle chats with Ted McDonald, who is a yoga teacher, endurance athlete, fitness trainer and entrepreneur. With over a decade of experience teaching yoga, Ted founded a company called Adventures Yoga Retreats, which takes people on fitness excursions to transform their lives. In addition, Ted is also the designated yoga teacher for the Tour de France BMC racing team. In today's show, he discusses his journey to adopting a primal lifestyle after finding out, as a self-perceived fit individual, that he was insulin resistant. He hones in on the fundamentals of yoga practice, how many carbs to include in your diet, and the compatibility of endurance training with a primal diet.

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_69_PrimalBlueprint-TedMcDonald.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

Today we announce a spin-off podcast dedicated to matters of endurance training and racing, the Primal Endurance Podcast. The decision to launch a new channel was inspired by the November 2015 planned release of the book Primal Endurance. I have been working hard on this project with Brad Kearns for a long time, and we are particularly passionate about Primal Endurance becoming a movement instead of just a book—a catalyst to reshape the disastrously flawed conventional approach to endurance sports.

Enjoy a speciel 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!

 

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

Direct download: MDA-May262015-IntroducingPrimalEndurancePodcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:59am PDT

Is Raw Milk Really Better?

Ambivalence and lack of personal investment aside, I can’t ignore the bitter debate raging between raw milk advocates and raw milk skeptics. I may not have a personal dog in this fight (for what it’s worth, I seem to tolerate pasteurized milk just fine), and lots of Primal folks reading this are in the same boat, but many of my readers do drink milk — or would like to drink it if a healthier version existed. Raw milk may or may not be that version. Plus, it’s always interesting to wade into the fray to see whose claims are science-based and whose aren’t.

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

Direct download: MDA-May202015-IsRawMilkReallyBetter.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:24am PDT

Mike DiLandro hosts today’s episode and talks to Nicolette Hahn Niman, the brilliant author behind Defending Beef. Nicolette works on a cattle ranch in Northern California, has two young sons, and has gained national notoriety for writing and speaking about sustainable farming. Besides running a cattle ranch, Nicolette has had a long career as an environmental lawyer in the field of pollution related to the poultry and livestock industry. On today’s show, she helps cut through the misinformation about livestock sustainability and offers solutions to the environmental impacts we face in creating a healthier, more sustainable, and environmentally conscious system for meat production.

 

Direct download: Ep_68_PrimalBlueprint-NicoletteHahnNiman.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

Whenever I’m strapped for time and equipment and still need a solid workout, I turn to the burpee. Burpees are bodyweight exercises, and thus require no equipment or weights. They are full body movements that employ every muscle group, require only as much space as you need to do a pushup, can be done anywhere, can be done slowly and methodically or quick for a sprint-like workout. While burpees are great for all the reasons I listed above, there are some reasons you might want an alternative.

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

Direct download: MDA-May192015-15AlternativestoBurpees.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:45am PDT

No matter how well we think we’re doing in terms of responsible eating choices (e.g. grass-fed beef), somebody turns around and brags that they’re eating a pastured heritage beef breed. If we’re of a particularly sensitive or maybe just competitive nature, suddenly we’re sucked into a Portlandia version of social shame and ethical hell. How did we exchange sanity for perfectionism, and how do we find our way back? When it comes to making simple food decisions, where do we draw the line between putting helpful knowledge into practice and putting ourselves through a moral gauntlet?

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

Direct download: MDA-May142015-FoodShameTheMoralityOfEating.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:14am PDT

To answer the title, kind of. The same basic principle of yogurt-making applies to all yogurts: the inoculation of milk with specific strains of yogurt bacteria followed by incubation at a temperature warm enough to encourage growth and proliferation. Yogurt is milk transformed into a creamy, tangy, more nutritious product. All yogurt is initially created equal, but after that, all bets are off. For whatever reason, food producers have seen fit to ruin a perfectly good thing with misguided additions and subtractions.

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

Direct download: MDA-May132015-AllYogurtCreatedEqual.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:31am PDT

Today’s episode, hosted by Elle Russ, features seasoned periodontist Dr. Alvin Danenberg (Dr. Dan). After experiencing a health crisis several years ago, he explored alternative ways to get himself off medications and back on track. After doing his due diligence, he came across the Primal/Paleo path, recovered his health, and never looked back. He credits the lifestyle for his recovery and continues to research and advocate for the importance of a Primal lifestyle for his patients. As a means to learn more about the nutrition, lifestyle, and behavior modifications necessary to achieve success, he eventually became a Primal Blueprint Certified Expert. You can check out his current insights, research, and anecdotes at his blog, drdanenberg.com/blog.

Direct download: Ep_67_PrimalBlueprintPodcast-AlvinDanenberg.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

Primal Flora: Your Questions Answered

A few weeks ago, I unveiled the new and improved Primal Flora. With four new strains reflecting the latest microbiome research, I’m really happy with the results we’ve had so far. But that’s easy for me to say — I’ve been living and breathing this product for the better part of a year, including months of research, consulting with experts, and personal experimentation, so I know Primal Flora. But not everyone does. And in the comment section of that earlier post, and in emails I’ve received from some of you, many questions arose. Today, I’m going to answer as many as I can.

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

Direct download: MDA-May122015-PrimalFloraYourQuestionsAnswered.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:39am PDT

The Primal Community Is More Diverse Than You Might Think

We’re cavemen/women-wannabes, deluded health nuts, nonconformist cynics, shameless meatlovers, barefoot rabble – the list goes on and on. People who don’t know any better may assume a lot of things about us. We’ve probably all been in these situations by now, right?

If you asked random people on the street about their perceptions of Primal/paleo adherents, I’d venture to say that a lot of them would say we’re beefy single men in our 20s – maybe 30s – who spend our days in the gym. Kinda funny, since the majority of MDA readers (by about 10% anyway) are actually women. And last time I checked not all of us – my “old” self included – have seen 30 in a while.

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

Direct download: MDA-May072015-PrimalCommunityIsMoreDiverse.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:26am PDT

I’ve been on a bit of a “children’s health and wellness” kick lately, with a couple posts discussing the importance — and, unfortunately, dearth — of free play and exploration in our children’s lives. This is an important topic for everyone with a stake in the future of this world. The mental, physical, and spiritual health of our children today will determine our trajectory through history in the decades to come. If a fat, sick, and unhappy generation takes the reins of this planet, nothing good will come of it.

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

Direct download: MDA-May62015-KidsUptoBeFatSickUnhappy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:54am PDT

Howdy y’all! That’s something I picked up after almost a week in the thriving metropolis, Austin, Texas, for this year’s largest North American conference on all things related to Ancestral Health: Paleo f(x). If you were one of the lucky ones to attend this event and watch some of the presentations, then you know what a thrill it was to rub elbows in a hustling, bustling convention center filled with thousands of like-minded Primal/Paleo enthusiasts.

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

Direct download: MDA-May52015-PrimalWeekendtoRemember.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:08am PDT

One of my favorite events of the year is Paleo f(x), the world’s largest paleo gathering. Folks from around the globe gather in downtown Austin to celebrate the ancestral health movement and learn from health and fitness pros who have dedicated their careers to promoting Paleo/Primal principles. I have had the honor of participating in past Paleo f(x) events, and I have the pleasure of doing so again this year, at Paleo f(x) 2015 from April 24-April 26th at the Palmer Events Center in Austin, Texas. 

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

 

Direct download: MDA-Apr162015-PaleofxKicksOff.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:37am PDT

There’s no official limit for sugar consumption in the U.S. What’s going on? Well, since sugar’s not an essential nutrient, the Institute of Medicine hasn’t issued a recommended daily allowance (RDA) for it like they have for calcium, total carbs, fat, selenium and all other essential nutrients. They have, however, suggested people get no more than 25% of their calories from added sugar. Yes: 25%. You’d hope the premier health organization in a first-world nation of 300+ million people would have higher expectations for its subjects, but nope. They’re apparently happy as long as you “only” eat about a quarter of your calories as pure white sugar.

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

Direct download: MDA-Apr152015-HowMuchSugarIsRecommended.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:09am PDT

I always find it funny when I write about something and suddenly I find other incredible angles of the topic coincidentally pop up in my newsfeed or even conversation. Such was the case a couple weeks following my post on free-range kids. It’s true some other major media outlets took up the general subject in their op-eds, etc. More interestingly, I’ve stumbled across commentaries that cover everything from the value of tree-climbing to the no-fuss, no-guilt philosophy of 70s mothers. Sound familiar to anyone? The most intriguing find, however, was an NPR article highlighting a children’s “adventure park” in Wales inspired by the unofficial play havens of bombed out buildings during/after WWII. The unconventional playground, called simply “The Land,” is apparently one of dozens in Europe (with a small handful in the U.S. - including one in Berkeley, CA, and a few in New York).

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

Direct download: MDA-Apr092015-CreativeSelfReliantFreeRangeKids.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am PDT

How to Take Care of Your Gut: The New and Improved Primal Flora

Anytime I discuss supplements, some readers balk. For them, if Grok didn’t do it, we shouldn’t either. And you know what? If that describes you, I get where you’re coming from. Ideally, optimal health develops organically — from the food we eat, the sun, sleep, and movement patterns we follow, the lifestyles we develop. But we don’t live in Grok’s world any more. We don’t have access to the same nutrient-dense plants and animals he did, and we face entirely new stressors and endure novel deficits previous generations never have. These new challenges call for new solutions, and supplements can be one of these solutions. As a supplement maker, I always take cues from Grok’s behaviors, physiology, and requirements and use modern day science to produce quality products.

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

Direct download: MDA-Apr082015-NewImprovedPrimalFlora.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:29am PDT

When I look back on my life and take stock of the things that have made and make me happiest, I don't think about the material objects I've procured. I don't think about the money I've made or the cars I've owned or the possessions stashed away in my garage. I think about the experiences.

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

Direct download: MDA-Apr072015-DoYouValueExperiencesOverThings.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:23am PDT

Sure, it can feel all too relaxed, even indulgent compared to the intense stuff. But don’t be so quick to disparage. Low level aerobic activity, I’m here to tell you, is the crucial base of Primal Blueprint fitness (Rule #3 in my book for those of you who are currently reading it). It’s the base, the foundation, the keystone to the big fitness picture.

(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Direct download: MDA-DG_LowLevelAerobicActivity.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am PDT