Primal Blueprint Podcast

Anyone who’s read my blog (particularly the piece on blood pressure tests) knows how little stock I take in lab tests as a barometer of overall health. Whether it’s BP, cholesterol, testosterone, thyroid or any other of the usual battery of biomarkers, what we get is just a snapshot of one point in time in an often very dynamic range for each vital area. in DNA testing we have a static, immutable recipe that doesn’t change over time, but is profoundly affected by the epigenetic inputs we decide to present. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)  

Brad Kearns talks to British Olympic 400 meter runner Andrew Steele of DNAFit.com. DNAFit offers cutting edge genetic testing to identify your athletic and dietary attributes, enabling you to develop a strategy honoring your genetic particulars.Andrew is the athletics specialist for the operation and is still an active professional runner pointing for the 2016 Olympic Games. He shares his own remarkable story of reaching the highest level of world performance. This British national champion ran a 44.96 and made the Olympic semi-finals in Beijing. Unfortunately he succombed to serious injuries and illness in preparation for the London Olympics in 2012. By chance, he was exposed to DNAFit's genetic testing and his information revealed exactly how his training methods had failed him. In a quest to improve another half-second and contest for an Olympic medal, he had transitioned from what his body naturally thrived on to an overly stressful program that caused an Achilles blowout and an 18-month battle with mono.

What health concepts can we learn from other cultures? How might they change our understanding of the choices we make every day – or how we view our options for living in general? Perhaps you have your own foreign terms that come to mind. I think these six concepts offer some intriguing food for thought.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Primal Mayo is made with just 5 real-food ingredients: pure avocado oil, organic eggs, organic vinegar, sea salt and rosemary extract. And you don’t have to worry about canola or other industrial seed oils sneaking onto the ingredient list. That’s some clean, primal-friendly eating there, folks!(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Brock Armstrong presents a very interesting interview with Al Kavadlo who is an expert in body weight strength training and calisthenics. He has been featured in the New York Times as a regular contributor to BodyBuilding.com and Train Magazine. He is the author of four books, and he is also known for his appearance in the popular Convict Conditioning book series.

Why is it that some can keep lost weight at bay as long as their diet is ironclad and they don’t skip any workouts, but as soon as they slip up even a little bit, they gain weight? And when they gain, they seem to gain it faster and more easily than should be normal. It just doesn’t seem fair. What’s going on here?(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Rather than just linking to yet another MDA post, maybe on why grains are unhealthy or how to give them up, let’s take a look at the eight most popular and prevalent questions and then try to come up with some good responses to them. I’ll give both longer ones and succincter ones (that you can fire off in an elevator)(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Dairy, is a relatively recent food chronologically, but it is most assuredly and obviously a viable nutritive source in its raw form. It’s full of highly bioavailable saturated fat, protein, and carbs – in equal portions. You could conceivably survive on milk alone (I wouldn’t recommend it, but you could technically do it; try doing the same with honey or raw millet). Milk is baby fuel. It’s literally meant to spur growth and enable a growing body. Our bodies definitely recognize dairy as food, even foreign bovine dairy. But is it good nutrition?(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Our willpower is greatest in the morning – before we’ve had to fend off the slew of issues and choices that come our way. In other words, if you struggle to keep a given commitment to yourself/your well-being, you’ll likely be more successful making it part of your morning routine as opposed to holding off until later in the day.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Brock Armstrong is the host interviewing Dr. Amy Myers whose recent book "The Autoimmune Solution" was just released. Dr. Myers tells of her in depth studies of autoimmune diseases as she has struggled with them in her own life. Even through medical school she had periods of illness that prevented her from doing the work she wanted. After completing her residency in emergency medicine at the University of Maryland, she founded the Functional Medicine Center Austin Ultra Health where she currently serves as the medical director. For any listener with autoimmune disorders, this podcast will inspire you to search for solutions for your own individual situation. Dr. Myers tried many different options after traditional medicine failed her. Her book describes all the things she tried as well as her preference for the paleo diet. Her book addresses much more than just diet. She talks about treating what is inside the gut to cleanse it, rather than just treating the symptoms.

My favorite event of the year is fast approaching...well, it's still a good seven months away, but today's the day when I get to announce that tickets for the ultimate PrimalCon 2015 are officially on sale! This September we're hosting the mother of all PrimalCons--the one and only PrimalCon of the year--and as such we've put together the ultimate lineup of presenters and are taking over the Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Resort and Oxnard Beach Park from Wednesday Sept 23rd through Sunday September 27th, 2015. It's just you, me and 200 other Primal enthusiasts going full-on Primal for four unforgettable days. Yes we've expanded from our usual 3-day template to have both more presentation options and more relaxation! (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)    

Reduce carbs, increase fat. Get enough sleep and limit stress as best you can. These are proven ways to normalize your appetite, but you already know about them. I also have a few speculatory ideas that you may not have considered, and today I’m going to discuss them.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Today’s post is actually about edible oils. Well, they’re all technically edible – they can all be swallowed and digested – but as for being palatable, let alone healthful? That remains to be seen. Not all oils are created equal, especially given the fact that most of the ones people use nowadays are actually created in an industrial laboratory.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Clearly, it’s important to move, and devoting an hour or so a day to intensive gym time or a solid run confers handy benefits, no? However, what if we thought less about “fitting in” our day’s movement and started identifying our lives with it?(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

When it comes to losing weight, we all want instant results, right? Well, what is realistic? What is safe? What is effective? And what can you expect when you attempt to lose excess body fat and reach your ideal body composition? Today's post covers this and more. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Longtime PrimalCon presenters and Primal Blueprint Luxury Retreat hosts Vanessa and Adam discuss their outstanding new Fitness App called "Unveil Your Wellness." This product provides a perfect opportunity to keep the momentum going after participating in Marksdailyapple.com’s 21-Day Challenge, which occurred in January. The app provides an assortment of options and guidance to make good diet and exercise choices every day, and has the unique community-building element where fellow users share their feedback, questions, and concerns about their health and fitness goals.

Al Kavadlo stops by the blog to discuss why despite his various physical pursuits, he always comes back to the simplest, most direct way of training—calisthenics (aka bodyweight training). (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Al Kavadlo, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Well, it’s over. The 2015 Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge officially ended yesterday, and thousands of you successfully crossed the finish line. Needless to say, you guys impressed me. You always impress and astound me during these annual challenges, and this year was no different.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

If we accept the premise that the circumstances of our early evolution can inform current practices, dietary and otherwise, doesn’t that mean getting dirty and eating beneficial bacteria is part of that? I think it does. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)

Brad continues his fascinating interview with Ashley Merryman, where he explores her new ideas on parenting and competition. Ashley picks up the commentary on the topic of competition as presented in her New York Times bestselling book, Top Dog. She and her co-author, Po Bronson, offer an assortment of interesting insights that challenge our conventional notions of parenting and competitive success. She will be presenting at the next Primalcon in Oxnard next September.