A person will sometimes devote all his life to the development of one part of his body; the wishbone.
—Robert Frost
As we near the end of the book, I want to call attention to the special place in my heart that Chapter 2, “Grok and Korg,” occupies. I’ve been fascinated by the primal concept for nearly three decades. (I self-published my Training and Racing Duathlons book using the name Primal Urge Press in 1988!)
As an athlete and a coach, I’ve reflected on the primal theme constantly—inspiring athletes to balance the unnatural act of endurance training with proper recovery and lifestyle support and to temper our primal competitive human instincts with common sense to avoid burnout.
My work in the fields of nutrition and personal training, and my immersion into the health community on the Internet, have enlightened me about the realities of everyday modern life for the masses. While we are making progress in some ways, I am increasingly disturbed by the seemingly inexorable drift farther and farther away from natural, healthy, evolved behavior in the technological world.
As my staff and I worked through the stages of Chapter 2—conceptual, research, first draft, editing, soliciting external feedback, and revisions—I finally had the chance to print a fresh copy, sit on a lounge chair in my yard, and truly “read” the material for the first time. I have to admit I was downright horrified. I questioned whether people would think the commentary was sensational or unrealistic and be turned off accordingly. I returned to my computer, reviewed all the references, conducted more research, and generally made darn sure this was an accurate and realistic picture of modern life.
Unfortunately, the draft withstood my own devil’s advocate scrutiny as well as that of numerous health, medical, nutrition, psychology, and sociology experts. Family and career men in their 40s and 50s take prescriptions left and right, families frequently feel that life is too hectic and stressful to align with the broad definition of health, and teenagers often feel overpressured and disconnected from parents. Today’s kids have too much body fat and too little physical fitness. We eat too much beige stuff and not enough green stuff. We avoid exercise and sit at desks all day staring at a screen in the name of increased productivity. We go home at night and stare at a bigger screen in the name of relaxation. We stay up too late and then awaken to the stressful screech of an alarm clock. We are stressed by bills, traffic, noise pollution, digital pollution, the past, the future, and all kinds of anxiety we manufacture in our restless minds. Our first line of defense when our genes react to these lifestyle habits as they are programmed to do is prescription drugs, which treat symptoms quickly but, over time, weaken our natural ability to maintain health.
As we bombard our genes with these lifestyle risk factors, they respond the only way they know how in an often futile attempt to maintain homeostasis and a desperate effort to keep us alive in the short term—with inflammation, early cell death, insulin resistance, atrophy, and so on. If you consider the dietary habits, activity level, and body composition of your family above-average, you can congratulate yourself while remembering that “average” is actually borderline obese. (Sixty-four percent of American adults are classified as overweight, of which about half are classified as obese.)
In California, 40 percent of 10-year-old schoolchildren fail to attain a bare minimum aerobic conditioning performance standard known as the Healthy Fitness Zone (established by the Cooper Aerobics Institute), meaning that hundreds of thousands of “average” kids in California are technically classified “at risk” to develop serious health problems related to inactivity because they can’t complete a mile run at a slow jog. Forty percent! Take a zero off that figure and I think you’d approximate the relevant statistic during the time of my youth. And this is in what might be considered a progressive, fair-weather state, with a rate of overweight and obese children that is lower than the national average. (According to the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2011, 30.4 percent of Californian children aged 10 to 17 were overweight or obese, compared to 31.3 percent nationwide. What’s incredibly troubling is the state performing the “best”—Utah—still measured 22.1 percent of children being classified as overweight/obese.)
As we reflect on how far we have drifted from Grok’s simple lifestyle and ponder how we can better honor and reprogram our genes by following the Primal Blueprint, it is critical to proceed with a clean slate and a deep conviction that you are doing the right thing. This is not an easy task. Numerous elements of the Primal Blueprint flat out oppose the mainstream dogma that government espouses or that Big Agra and Big Pharma promote with billions of advertising and marketing dollars.
One must also wonder how society has strayed so egregiously far from the healthy living that Grok enjoyed and devolved to the carb-overdosed, pill-popping, overfed, overweight, overstressed Ken Korg. How can the conventional wisdom that you have believed for years and decades be wrong and even dangerous? The truth is, human nature is to blame. Just like Grok, programmed into our genes is a desire to manipulate and rule our environment for our benefit, to pursue a more advanced, more comfortable life. Our indomitable human spirit has accomplished many great things but has also created tremendous fallout from our constant quest for “progress.”
Humans have conquered the world. As a species, we are the fat cat. Yet now, peak physical and intellectual performance and self-discipline are no longer requirements for survival. Humans have become self-indulgent and driven by short-term gratification. Like the miners who stripped and poisoned the land and waterways during the California gold rush, we have done similar damage to our bodies in the name of making life easier, more convenient, and more productive.
In Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation, he reveals how the fast-food phenomenon exploded in popularity in the 1950s because fast food made life easier: no more cooking or lengthy waits for expensive meals. Families across all socioeconomic levels were suddenly able to live the good life by dining out on delicious food. Unfortunately, the fare served up was disastrous not only to the human body but also to the human spirit—destroying a centerpiece of family fabric that was the shared home-cooked meal of fresh, nutritious foods.
When there is interest and demand to make life easier, profit seekers often swarm in and exploit this element of the human spirit. Nowhere is this more evident than in the field of health. While I am all in favor of capitalism and making a profit, it seems that where health is concerned, today we must question the approach, motives, and trustworthiness of many of the traditional pillars of health, human compassion, and expert knowledge. We must admit that doctors, despite their extensive knowledge, training, and loyalty to the Hippocratic Oath, are focused on treatment rather than prevention. The sad reality is that most of their business comes from dealing with symptoms—not causes—of easily preventable conditions. As with drugs, it’s wonderful to have extensively trained and prepared doctors standing ready when we need them, but it seems the preferred solution to all medical issues today is to throw money at the problem (as evidenced by the remarkable comment from a solo family practice doc I know who lamented that his “business was down” due to the 2008 economic recession!), hoping for a quick fix instead of making the necessary lifestyle changes to get to the root of the problem. The fact that doctors receive little or no training in nutrition is nothing short of abysmal.
Our government’s laws, subsidies, and diet-education efforts are seemingly driven more by lobbyists for the beef, grain, and dairy industries than by unbiased scientific evaluation and concern for human health. In the media, the historical checks and balances provided by honorable and unbiased investigative journalists have been deemphasized and devalued by giant ratings-driven corporations. Salacious “click-bait” stories that elicit fear, anger, or other strong emotions are what sell, regardless of their legitimacy. Even our scholarly community is subject to free-market influences that potentially bias the objectivity and even the premise of many studies.
THE KORG KOMEBACK!
Let me reiterate my distaste for a perfectionist mentality toward diet, physical appearance, lifestyle change, and even school, career, and competitive athletics. Respecting the broad definition of health and the legacy of the simple lifestyle that our ancestors lived, we need to reject the measuring and judging forces of society and pursue fun and peace of mind in conjunction with health and fitness goals.
Admittedly, your efforts to go primal will possibly require some serious adjustments to your comfortable modern existence. If you feel overwhelmed or take occasional exception to my strong positions, keep in mind my 80 Percent Rule as well as the suggestion to take one step at a time.
While the Korgs seem quite far down a disastrous road, they can also quite easily turn things around, step by step, with minimal pain, suffering, negativity, or disruption of the things they love to do in life. If Ken modifies his late-night activities by snacking on macadamia nuts instead of cheesecake, watching less television in favor of reading or a quick stroll around the block with the dog, and turning the lights out at 10:30 P.M. instead of midnight, he’ll fall asleep more easily and wake up refreshed the next morning, without having to rely on Ambien. This means more quality time with the kids, including walking young Cindy to school.
If Ken brings the macadamias, some carrot sticks, and a couple hard-boiled eggs for snacks at work and chooses lunch wisely at the supermarket deli (one-third pound of sliced tri tip stuffed inside a red bell pepper costs less than Chinese buffet), he’ll better maintain energy and concentration during the workday, increase his productivity, and better handle workplace stress Ken will leave the office at 6 P.M. feeling ready to enjoy and appreciate the leisure and family time options that await.
If Kelly reduces the stress of her exercise program and eats delicious, satisfying Primal Blueprint meals, she will get her blood sugar and energy levels under control and tap into her stored body fat for a steady, reliable source of energy With Kenny, a few sensible and consistently enforced limits on digital entertainment and bedtimes will help him reconnect with the family, focus better in school, and consider the option to eliminate his medication.
Talk about little things making a big difference! There is no better example to illustrate this maxim than the momentum (particularly the unbridled increase in physical energy) created by healthy lifestyle changes begetting further healthy lifestyle changes.
It is sobering, to say the least, opening our eyes to the direction the bullet train carrying modern society is heading. In my opinion, the heaviest realization of all is that you are on your own. The imagined safety net of government, modern medicine, or the food or pharmaceutical industries looking after your health is a facade. Oh sure, you’ll be cared for very, very well if something catastrophic happens (that is, if you have good medical insurance), whether it’s a high-risk childbirth, serious injuries from a car accident, or one of the small fraction of cancers that are not lifestyle related. But when it comes to eating healthy, getting in shape, avoiding stupid mistakes—even building a career and a nest egg—the world can lead you astray and separate you from your cash (and other assets, such as health, emotional wellbeing, etc.) in the blink of an eye.
I read with amusement the occasional critiques of the Primal Blueprint eating style as being “elitist”—too expensive (eschewing inexpensive grains and switching from conventionally grown animals and produce to the pasture-raised or organic variety) and impractical for the average person to follow. Furthermore, astute observers point out that there are not enough local, pasture-raised animal products or produce to sustain the entire population. I acknowledge this observation and how it opens up a can of worms and big picture questions about global overpopulation (made possible by the cultivation of grains to feed the expanding masses) and the sustainability of life on our planet in general. Indeed, in this context, making healthy choices is elitist and also puts you into a competitive situation for scarce resources. That said, basic economic theory confirms that if more people demand local, pasture-raised animal products, they will become more affordable and more plentiful; if more people take a stand against industrial food or manufacturers peddling poison, there will be less availability and advertising of these products. Also, when you say healthy eating is expensive, you might want to compare the cost of quality food to the long-term costs of medical care for lifestyle-related health conditions. The cost of a single major surgery outweighs decades of making “elite” food choices over conventional ones!
When it comes to eating right and exercising, there is no ‘I’ll start tomorrow.’ Tomorrow is disease.
—V. L. Allineare
Over the past century of rapid technological progress, we’ve figured out how to manufacture and package food and mass-produce animals, producing huge profits without regard to the health, humane, or ecological consequences. Stepping back for a moment to grab a wide-angle view of the wide angles in the buffet line at a Vegas casino, it’s evident how ridiculously out of control this situation has become. No offense, but America looks like one giant yard of fattened cattle ready for slaughter.
In comparison, being elitist doesn’t seem bad at all. Right now, the race is on and you are welcome to participate. So take a deep breath and spring for the pasture-raised animal products and organic leafy greens at the farmers’ market, especially if you are pregnant or have a two-year-old in his most crucial brain development stage. Come to think of it, make that especially if you are age 20, 30, 50, or 70 and have an interest in enjoying a long, healthy, happy life.
I put a dollar in one of those change machines. Nothing changed.
—George Carlin
MARK-ING TIME FOR 72 HOURS
I’m often asked to reveal the details of my dietary habits and daily routine to interested MarksDailyApple.com readers and seminar guests. The truth is, I’m short on secrets but big on guidelines and practical tips that will help you successfully navigate the particulars of your daily life, including the innumerable challenges to being primal that we all face in the modern world. That said, I hope my real-life experiences give you some perspective that I’m a regular guy trying to run a business, enjoy a family, be as healthy and fit as possible while also aging with grace and acceptance, and generally enjoy the heck out of my awesome life.
I first completed a 72-hour journal of food intake and general daily activities back in January of 2009 for publication in the original Primal Blueprint. Reviewing this passage, titled, “To Dallas and back in 72 hours,” was a fun reflection into my old eating and work routines. So much has changed since then, so I realized it was time for an updated journal. Back in 2009, with the primal movement still in its infancy, I was schlepping to Dallas every two weeks to appear on cable television programs to help promote my vitamin products. I was drinking more red wine, eating more carbs, and consuming more total calories than I do today. The Internet was still a minimal player in marketing/promotions for my business, my kids were still in the house, and we had five employees in my company instead of the 25 we have today.
By many measures, you could consider my life less stressful back then, but I wouldn’t trade the excitement of my life today for anything. My business now extends beyond vitamins into publishing books and educational products, creating healthy kitchen products like mayonnaise, salad dressings, and energy foods, launching a primal-themed fast-casual dining restaurant chain, and serving as an investor and advisor to several startup companies associated with the primal/paleo movement. The entrepreneurial nature of my endeavors allows me to pursue the highest expression of my talents—which is to lay down a vision, chart the course, invest my heart, soul, and savings into the ventures, and then empower top-quality people around me to shine to the highest expression of their talents.
As you will see from the journal entries, I follow the Primal Blueprint lifestyle laws naturally, thanks to family and friends; a lifelong appreciation of the outdoors and physical fitness; a dynamic, challenging and constantly stimulating career; and a positive attitude—one that I’ve worked hard to cultivate over the years.
The exercise of keeping an accurate journal for 72 hours helps me realize that it’s not about the often-mentioned “consistency” when it comes to winning diet, exercise, and lifestyle practices, nor is it about the assortment of questionable “hacks” (a word that straight up annoys me every time I hear it) that seem to be so popular today Instead, I argue that following your passions, being flexible, and choosing to settle for nothing less than awesome every day are the real recipes for health and happiness I admit that it’s probably easier for me to engage in healthy lifestyle habits than for others, thanks to my athletic background, flexible work schedule, and health-oriented career path. However, whoever you are, you have the potential and the right to pursue happiness and health Don’t let nobody tell you different! Find a way to choose fresh, nutritious foods instead of defaulting to the junk that surrounds us. If your sleeping habits are insufficient, turn off your screens at night and make sleep the number one time-investment priority that it should be When life gets hectic and stressful, do the best you can and realize that your body is really, really good at managing stress and dealing with inconsistent lifestyle patterns if you create a healthy foundation represented by the 10 Primal Blueprint laws.
Here, then, are my journal entries for a three-day stretch in May of 2016, featuring my standing Sunday routine of an intense, two-hour Ultimate Frisbee match and a lot of R&R to balance it out, a basic day at work in Malibu, and then off on another airplane trip to the annual Paleo f(x) convention in Austin, TX.
7:00 A.M.: Wake up and drink large cup of strong coffee with a bit of cream and sugar. Tackle LA Times Sunday crossword puzzle in 23 minutes (PB Law #10, Use Your Brain).
10:30 A.M.: Head out to battle royale Ultimate Frisbee game in Malibu. Intense two-hour competition (counts toward both Law #7, Play and Law #5, Sprint Once in a While) with an assortment of young-uns that keep me young (or sometimes wishing I was young...).
1:00 P.M.: Prepare world-famous Primal Salad (search YouTube for “2 minute salad”) with tons of greens, chopped veggies, walnuts, tuna salad made with Primal Kitchen mayo, and drenched in Primal Kitchen avocado-oil-based dressing.
Afternoon: Nurse aches and pains with light stretching while enjoying some Netflix offerings with Carrie. 20-minute nap in the sun (Laws #6, Get Plenty of Sleep and #8, Get Plenty of Sunlight).
4:00 P.M.: Handful of macadamia nuts and two heaping spoonfuls of Nikki’s Coconut Butter, Honey Pecan Pie flavor.
5:00 P.M.: A bit of office work and Skype session with Primal Blueprint General Manager Aaron Fox in Australia. (Yep, it’s his Monday, so I oblige!)
7:30 P.M.: Grass-fed steak (10 ounces), two cups of steamed broccoli and Brussels sprouts, dripping in butter.
8:00 P.M.: Several squares of 85-percent organic dark chocolate bar.
Evening: Short walk with Carrie and dog Shanti around neighborhood (Law #3, Move Frequently), binge-watch three Netflix episodes of Silicon Valley. Take a cold plunge (a few minutes moving around in mid-60s pool water), followed by a few minutes of rewarming in spa.
10:00 P.M.: Retire to bed for some pleasure reading. Lights out, and out like a light, by 10:30 P.M. (Ultimately, feeling my age after that Ultimate game.)
6:45 A.M.: Wake up. Enjoy some coffee with a bit of cream and sugar. Head to desk to hit email, phone calls, and record a podcast.
10:00 A.M.: Head to Malibu Gym for an easy 30-minute stationary bike session (heart rate 100-120 bpm), helping legs recover from Frisbee. Return home, shower, more office time.
1:00 P.M.: Entering my “compressed eating window” for first meal in 17 hours. Primal salad with leftover steak and the usual fixin’s.
2:00 P.M.: Drive to Oxnard for meetings at company headquarters. Try some homemade baked sweet potato discs wrapped in bacon offered in the break room—some extra carbs today to recover from Sunday.
4:00 P.M.: Try new cashew collagen flavor of Primal Kitchen bar. Delicious!
5:00 P.M.: Decompress on drive home by stopping at the beach for 20 minutes of disconnected time Think of a cool idea for my presentation at Paleo f(x).
7:30 P.M.: Sushi restaurant. Sashimi plate, miso soup, seaweed salad, and some cold white rice for a dose of prebiotics. (Cooked and cooled white rice is digested as resistant starch, not carbohydrate as it would be in a warm/hot state.)
9:00 P.M.: Couple of shows on Netflix, followed by a cold plunge/spa warming.
10:00 P.M.: Retire to bed for some pleasure reading. Lights out by 10:30 P.M.
6:45 A.M.: Coffee with a bit of cream and sugar. A bit of time in office and then pack for afternoon flight to Austin, TX, for Paleo f(x) convention.
9:00 A.M.: Quick trip to Malibu Gym for five sets of 10 wide-grip pull-ups, followed by Maximum Sustained Power (MSP—detailed in the book Primal Endurance) deadlift session with sets of 5, 5, 4, 2, 2, 2 = twenty reps of 250 pounds. (Let’s see if I can get to 300 pounds by next book reprinting!) Total workout duration 18 minutes.
11:30 A.M.: Primal omelet with four pasture-raised eggs, assorted chopped veggies, melted cheese, bacon, and avocado.
12:15 P.M.: Head to airport, fly to Austin. Big handful of raw almonds on airplane.
8:00 P.M.: Dinner in Austin, BBQ ribs with sauerkraut and creamy tomato soup.
11:00 P.M.: Lights out, ready for a busy conference.”
• Coffee and salad: 20g carb, 31g protein, 38g fat
• Macadamia nuts: 4g carbs, 2g protein, 22g fat
• Coconut butter: 7g carbs, 2g protein, 18g fat
• Dinner: 26g carbs, 66g protein, 38g fat
• Dark chocolate: 10g carbs, 3g protein, 15g fat
TOTALS: 67 grams carb = 268 calories, 14%
104 grams protein = 416 calories, 22%
131 grams fat = 1,179 calories, 63%
Total = 1,863 calories
• Coffee and salad: 20g carb, 31g protein, 38g fat
• Sweet potato with bacon: 12g carb, 5g protein, 4g fat
• Primal Kitchen Cashew Collagen Bar: 14g carb, 15g protein, 15g fat
• Sashimi, miso soup, seaweed salad, cold white rice (again, resistant starch, not carbs): 9g carb, 73g protein, 26g fat
TOTALS: 55 grams carb = 220 calories, 15%
124 grams protein = 496 calories, 34%
83 grams fat = 747 calories, 51%
Total = 1,463 calories
• Coffee and omelet: 12g carb, 30g protein, 44g fat
• Almonds: 6g carbs, 6g protein, 14g fat
• Dinner: 24g carb, 37g protein, 26g fat
TOTALS: 42g carb = 168 calories, 14%
73g protein = 292 calories, 24%
84g fat = 756 calories, 62%
Total = 1,216 calories
164 grams carbs = 656 calories, 14%
301 grams protein = 1,204 calories, 27%
298 grams fat = 2,682 calories, 59%
Total = 4,542 calories
54 grams carbs = 218 calories, 14%
100 grams protein = 400 calories, 26%
99 grams fat = 894 calories, 59%
Total = 1,512 calories
I obtained some interesting insights from this exercise. First, my total caloric intake is pretty low for a guy of my lean muscle mass and activity level. It’s lower than it was seven years ago when I did this exercise for the first Primal Blueprint printing and generated an average daily intake of 1,842 calories (including a high day of 2,676 calories, which I assuredly never eat close to today). Sure, I might be burning fewer calories at 63 than I did at 55, but I doubt that’s the reason. Instead, I believe I have continued to refine my fat-adaptation and caloric efficiency to the extent that I require fewer calories to sustain energy, health, concentration, and of course total dietary satisfaction at every meal.
Second, astute observers will notice that I don’t eat that many calories, and fall well short of long-standing expert recommendations for active exercisers to consume an average of one gram of protein per pound (2.2 grams per kilo) of lean mass per day. For me, that would be 153 grams of protein. (I weigh 170 pounds at ~10 percent body fat, so lean mass = 153 pounds.) As discussed in Chapter 4, I am now on board with the latest science that suggests we need less protein than previously believed, and that a pattern of excess protein intake can accelerate aging and increase cancer risk.
Consider for a moment the possibility that setting and pursuing specific, tangible goals is screwing you up more than helping you succeed. Do you strain, struggle, and suffer to obtain predetermined times, paces, and distances in your workouts—following a set workout regimen or training plan and tracking everything with a Fitbit and training log—thinking that a robotic approach to fitness will bring success? Do you buy in, at some level, to the superficial elements of modern culture, where everything we do is measured and judged (and weighed), and success (and often happiness) is defined by what we accomplish and accumulate?
I know I once did, big time. My fervent desire to achieve my athletic goals—run in the Olympic marathon trials, average 100-mile weeks, beat my training partners—ruined my physical health and ended my running career. When I returned to competition as a triathlete, I had a more easygoing, light-hearted attitude. I enjoyed the challenge of a new sport and pushing the limits of human endurance, just for the heck of it. Gun-shy from my injury history, I adopted a more relaxed approach. I listened to the signals from my body and backed off when my energy levels declined or aches and pains crept up. I enjoyed longer, slower bike rides into the mountains, connecting with nature and enjoying a sense of adventure in exploring new routes. I built my fitness in a comfortable manner and felt refreshed, energized, and inspired about my training—a far cry from the out-and-out suffering I endured from recurring intense running sessions with a fit pack of training partners.
Lo and behold, with my casual approach I became the fourth fastest Hawaii Ironman triathlete in the world one year, avoided injuries, and had a great time. After retiring from professional racing and pursuing a “real” career, I continued competing just for kicks on the amateur level well into my late 30s. I had no goals, structured training program, or training log. I was just having fun, inspiring and being inspired by my personal training clients, and mixing with the professional athletes that I coached at the time. At the same time, I enjoyed, by my standards, excellent results... with less effort. Often I would see the “game faces” worn by other amateurs (as I now was, mind you)—tense, anxious, snapping at their loved ones, looking like they weren’t having much fun or experiencing much personal growth.
It’s simply no fun to predicate your happiness on whether you reach your goals. Failing to reach your goals will lead to disappointment and dwindling motivation levels. Even reaching your goals can lead to a dead end and a flawed mentality. Many “winners”—in sports or other competitive arenas, such as business—develop a distorted sense of self-worth, leaving them vulnerable to up-and-coming opponents or negligent about behaving themselves in ordinary society because of our twisted hero-worship of winners and the wealthy.
There is a phenomenon in endurance sports known as the post-marathon blues (or post-Ironman blues for triathletes)—so common that it’s been discussed in psychological journals. It seems that on the occasion of the glorious achievement for which they’ve trained diligently for months or even years, many athletes get that “now what?” feeling that leads to a profound sense of letdown. Ideally, we would use our physical accomplishments as catalysts for continued growth (including moving on to less extreme fitness pursuits perhaps!), exploration, and challenge, not an excuse to get depressed and pig out on jellybeans in the weeks after the big event.
We must take a close look at the goal-setting process to avoid these common pitfalls and bring a relaxed, fun-first approach to our diet, fitness, body composition, career, and other lifestyle pursuits. The primary reason for switching to a Primal Blueprint eating style should be enjoyment—eat foods that taste great, stabilize your energy levels, optimize the function of all the systems in your body, provide long-lasting satisfaction, and alleviate the psychological stress of regimentation and deprivation that accompany many diets. Yes, you will look better, become stronger, have more energy, avoid illness, disease, and obesity, and enjoy other quantifiable results, but these motivators pale in comparison to the instant gratification you get at every single meal from eating the foods that your body was meant to eat.
If you have any psychological stress about your diet, reject it flat out and start eating foods and meals that make you happy, drawing upon the long list of foods that fit the minimally-restrictive Primal Blueprint eating style. Do whatever you need to do to enjoy your life, including indulging once in a while with a clear conscience and a big smile. If you are not having fun with your current workout regimen, junk it and figure out other endeavors that turn you on. Instead of struggling and suffering to keep pace with your peppy group exercise instructor or your training partners, adopt the Primal Blueprint suggestions to make your sustained workouts comfortable and energizing so they become fun again. Throw in some exhilarating fast activities occasionally to get you excited about pushing your physical limits, and enjoy tangible breakthroughs including weight loss, more energy, and peak performance. Play once in a while. Forget the notion of consistency in this context, and align your exercise program with your energy level, mood, and life responsibilities. Push yourself when you are rested and motivated, and rest when you are tired.
Once you discard unnecessary goals that are mentally and emotionally stressful, you can focus your attention on process-oriented goals. Goals such as having fun, aligning workout choices with energy levels, and tackling new endeavors should define your exercise mentality. That said, great champions have an esteemed ability to blend a process-oriented approach with a strong competitive drive to achieve measurable results. It’s certainly okay to aspire to specific results (e.g., losing 10 pounds or completing a 10k, marathon, or triathlon), but you must never lose sight of the concept that the rewards come from the chase, not from reaching the finish line.
You can lose 10 pounds very quickly via any number of ill-advised methods. The true joy from changing your physique comes not from a surgeon’s knife or a brutal calorie-restriction diet coupled with an exhaustive workout routine. The most lasting rewards come from the positive, fun lifestyle changes you implement to make it happen.
It is time for you to accept the grand purpose of the Primal Blueprint and reject other motivators that are confusing, petty, or contradictory to your health and wellbeing. To get more connected with the ideal represented by Grok, we have to pare down, not accumulate. The power and the magic are in the simplicity—a refreshing break from the complexity of modern life, the sordid influence of ego on your endeavors and emotional state, and the pop culture messages that can easily make you feel like a loser if you aren’t as tight as the beautiful person on the magazine cover.
Grok did not traffic in any of this nonsense. Granted, he was preoccupied with survival, and we surely don’t need to regress to that point to enlighten our mentalities. What we can do is leverage the Primal Blueprint laws in our daily lives to become healthier, fitter, happier, and more connected with our basic nature as human beings. Make it your goal to honor your genes and your destiny to make the most of your life on earth, without attachment to any outcome.
What are you waitingfor? Let’s get primal!!
Baking Ingredients: Coconut, almond, or other nut flours, tapioca starch, arrowroot powder (for occasional use in paleo/pri-mal-approved baking recipes).
Beverages: Water (according to thirst), unsweetened teas, full-fat coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk (great smoothie bases).
Coconut Products: Butter, flakes, flour, milk, and oil offer healthful medium-chain fats; great substitute for dairy, refined vegetable/seed oils, and wheat flour.
Coffee: Enjoy in moderation (cream and minimal sweetener okay); don’t use as energy crutch.
Condiments: Yellow mustard; mayonnaise and salad dressings made with avocado oil or olive oil and without excess or artificial sweeteners.
Dairy: Raw, fermented, high-fat, and organic products are preferred (cheese, cottage cheese, cream cheese, kefir, whole milk, yogurt); consume in moderation.
Dark Chocolate: Primal-approved snack/treat. Cacao content: at least 75 percent, ideally 85 percent.
Eggs: Local, pasture-raised, or certified organic for high omega-3 content.
Energy Bars: Primal Kitchen bars and other low-sugar bars (rare finds; even the most natural and nutritious bars offer a significant carbohydrate load).
Fats & Oils: Avocado and domestic extra virgin olive oil for eating Coconut oil, grass-fed butter, and animal fats (bacon grease, chicken fat, lard, tallow) for cooking.
Fish: Wild-caught from remote, pollution-free waters Small, oily, cold-water fish are best. Salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, herring = SMASH hits! Certain farmed fish are approved (domestic Coho salmon, trout, and some shellfish—not shrimp). Check seafoodwatch org for up-to-date recommendations.
Fruit: Locally grown (or wild), organic, in-season preferred. Berries are premier choice. Go strictly organic with soft, edible skin fruits Moderate intake of higher glycemic/lower antioxidant fruits. Wash thoroughly.
Herbs and Spices: High-antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-supporting, flavor-enhancing.
Meat & Fowl: Local, pasture-raised, or UDSA-certified organic critical. If you must eat conventional meat, choose the leanest possible cuts and trim excess fat to minimize toxin exposure.
Nutritious Carbs: Optimize carb intake for body composition, recovery, and hormonal balance goal. Opt for abundant vegetables, extra fruit, nuts and seeds, dark chocolate, sweet potatoes, yams and other starchy tubers, quinoa, and wild rice.
Nuts, Seeds, & Their Derivative Butters: Nutritious, satisfying snack. Try nut butters on dark chocolate. Raw almond milk is a great substitute for dairy milk.
Prebiotics: Cooked and cooled white rice and white potatoes, green bananas, raw potato starch.
Probiotics: Fermented foods like kefir, kombucha, pickles, sauerkraut, and yogurt, and even dark chocolate!
Snacks: Berries, canned tuna or sardines, celery with cream cheese or nut butter, cottage cheese with nut or fruit topping, dark chocolate, hard-boiled eggs, jerky, nuts, olives, seeds, trail mix, and other high-fat and/or high-protein, low-carb primal foods.
Supplements: Daily multivitamin/mineral/antioxidant formula, omega-3 fish oil capsules, prebiotics, probiotics, protein powder, and vitamin D complement healthy eating nicely.
Vegetables: Locally grown, organic, in-season preferred. Go strictly organic for large surface area (leafy greens) and soft, edible skins Wash thoroughly.
Complementary Flexibility/Mobility Practices: Practices like yoga and Pilates develop mobility and flexibility, with the added benefit of strengthening a variety of muscles, notably the core. Mobility exercises target tendons, ligaments, and fascia that support the entire musculoskeletal system Hold positions for two minutes (or even longer).
Move Frequently: Blend increased everyday movement (short walking breaks, evening strolls, etc.) with structured cardio workouts at 180-age heart rate.
Schedule: Vary workout type, frequency, intensity, and duration, always aligned with energy levels Be spontaneous, intuitive, and playful!
Shoes: Gradually introduce some barefoot time for low-risk activities to strengthen feet and simulate natural range of motion Choose shoes with minimalist design (Vibram FiveFingers, Nike Free) to prevent cuts and other injuries Ease into it!
Sprinting: All-out efforts lasting 8 to 20 seconds every 7 to 10 days when fully energized. Regular, less strenuous “wind sprint” sessions for conditioning.
Strength Training: Brief, intense sessions of 10 to 30 minutes Full-body, functional exercises that promote broad athletic competency.
Stretching: Minimal, full-body, functional stretches to transition from active to inactive; Grok Hang and Grok Squat.
Medical: Rx drugs ideally would be reserved for acute conditions. Try making lifestyle modifications now to avoid prescription drugs later! Check with your doctor about ordering additional blood tests (CRP, Lp2A, A1C, fasting blood insulin) to assess disease risks.
Play: Change attitude—it’s not just for kids! Enjoy daily, outdoor physical fun! Enhances work productivity and stress management.
Sleep: Minimize artificial light and digital stimulation after dark; consistent bed and wake times; calm transitions into and out of sleep. Awaken naturally without alarm. Nap when necessary and possible.
Stupid Mistakes: Become vigilant to modern dangers (e.g., texting and driving) to manage risks. Avoid multitasking and overly stressful or regimented lifestyle practices. Focus on peak performance!
Sunlight: Fear not the mighty orb! Expose large skin surface areas often (protecting sensitive areas that tend to be exposed too much such as your face and hands) and in short increments that do not allow burning.
Use Your Brain: Engage in fun, creative intellectual pursuits to stay sharp and enthusiastic for all of life’s challenges.
Baking Ingredients: Corn products (meal, starch, syrup and HFCS), other starches and syrups, grain-based flours, powders (gluten, maltodextrin, milk), sugars and sweeteners (dextrose, fructose, lactose, malitol, xylitol, agave, artificial sweeteners, brown sugar, cane sugar, evaporated cane juice, honey, molasses, powdered sugar, raw sugar, table sugar).
Beverages: Bottled, fresh-squeezed, or refrigerated juices (Odwalla, OJ, Ocean Spray, etc.); “energy drinks” (Red Bull, Rock Star, Monster, etc.); soy milk, rice milk, and other non-dairy milks that are sweetened (e.g., almond, coconut—although these are great in raw/unsweetened forms); other flavored powdered drink mixes (chai, coffee, or hot chocolate flavored); soft drinks and diet soft drinks; sports performance drinks (Gatorade, Vitamin Water); sweetened cocktails (daiquiri, eggnog, margarita); sweetened teas (Snapple, Arizona).
Coffee: Avoid excessive use or as energy crutch in place of adequate sleep and healthy lifestyle habits.
Condiments/Cooking Items: All products made with sugary sweeteners and/or refined high polyunsaturated vegetable oils: honey mustard; jams and jellies; ketchup; mayonnaise, spreads, and salad dressings made with canola, safflower, sunflower, or other refined vegetable oils; low-fat dressings and spreads.
Dairy: Conventional and GMO milk products with hormone, pesticide, antibiotic, allergenic, and immune-suppressing agents; ice cream; nonfat/low-fat milk; processed (e.g., American) cheese and cheese spreads; sweetened nonfat/low-fat yogurt and frozen yogurt.
Eggs: Limit mass-produced eggs (fed with grains, hormones, pesticides, and antibiotics) Find local, pastured eggs at farmers’ markets!
Fast Food: French fries, onion rings, deep-fried foods, burgers, hot dogs, chimichangas, chalupas, chorizos, and the rest of the industrialized fare we are inundated with daily; it’s chemically treated, deep-fried, insulin-stimulating, and devoid of nutritional value.
Fats & Oils: Partially hydrogenated; refined high polyunsaturated vegetable/seed oils (canola, etc.); interesterified fats; buttery spreads and sprays; margarine; vegetable shortening; deep-fried foods.
Fish: Most farmed fish, all Asian imports (polluted waters, lax chemical regulation), Atlantic salmon (farmed in dirty conditions), shrimp (farmed in dirty conditions), endangered/objectionable catch method fish, top of food chain fish (shark, sword, etc —concentrated contaminants).
Fruit: Limit or avoid GMO, remotely grown, or conventionally grown, especially those with soft, edible skins.
Grains: Corn, rice, and wheat; bread and flour products (baguettes, crackers, croissants, danishes, donuts, graham crackers, muffins, pizza, rolls, saltine crackers, swirls, tortillas, Triscuits, Wheat Thins); breakfast foods (Cream of Wheat, dried cereal, French toast, granola, grits, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles); chips (corn, potato, tortilla); cooking grains (amaranth, barley, bulgur, couscous, millet, rye); pasta, noodles; pretzels; puffed snacks (Cheetos, Goldfish, Pirates Booty, popcorn, rice cakes); and all other baked or processed high-carb foods Even avoid whole grains due to higher levels of objectionable phytates, lectins, and gluten.
Legumes: Alfalfa, beans, peanuts, peanut butter, peas, lentils, soybeans, and tofu Less objectionable than grains, but still contain anti-nutrients Unnecessary and possibly counterproductive to health and weight management.
Meat & Fowl: Commercially grown, grain-fed ranch or CAFO animals (with concentrated hormones, pesticides, and antibiotics); pre-packaged processed products (breakfast sausage, dinner roasts, lunch meats); smoked, cured, or nitrate- or nitrite-treated meats (bologna, ham, hot dogs, jerky, pepperoni, salami).
Processed Foods: Energy bars; fruit bars and rolls; granola bars; protein bars; frozen breakfast, dinner, and dessert products; and packaged, grain/sugar-laden snack products If it’s in a box, package, or wrapper, think twice—or find the rare exceptions to high-sugar-content products.
Sweets: Brownies; candy; candy bars; cake; chocolate syrup; cookies; donuts; ice cream; milk chocolate; milk chocolate chips; pie; sugar-/chocolate-coated nuts and trails mixes; popsicles and other frozen desserts; syrups; and other packaged/processed sweets and treats. The less you consume, the less you’ll want!
Supplements: Cheap, bulk-produced supplements with additives, fillers, binders, lubricants, extruding agents, and other synthetic chemicals.
Vegetables: GMO, remotely grown, or conventionally grown, especially those with large surface areas or edible skins (leafy greens, peppers).
Chronic Cardio: Avoid a consistent schedule of sustained cardio workouts at medium-to-difficult intensity (exceeding heart rate of “180 minus age” in beats per minute).
Schedule: Avoid consistent application of stress with insufficient rest (compromises health, energy, and motivation levels) Consistency is not key when it comes to fitness!
Stretching: Avoid static, isolated muscle group stretches of “cold” muscles in favor of simple, dynamic stretches.
Medical: Strive to avoid or wean off prescription medication for lifestyle-related health problems. Reframe “fix it” mentality into a “prevention” mentality.
Sleep: Avoid excessive artificial light and digital stimulation after dark, morning alarms after insufficient sleep, or fighting off a much-needed nap with caffeine.
Stupid Mistakes: Avoid multitasking (e.g., texting and driving), zoning out, or trusting that the world will keep you safe Don’t blame others for your stupid mistakes.
