On how to be healthy, strong, fit, happy and productive with the least amount of pain, suffering and sacrifice as possible. Featuring Primal Blueprint author Mark Sisson (marksdailyapple.com) and other guests from the ancestral health community.
71. Wellness and Winning in Women's Sports with Ali Riley
Follow the soccer career and life of Ali, from her early days playing youth soccer in Los Angeles to eventually captaining the New Zealand national team. Ali discusses growing up with a coach for a dad, getting the opportunity to play for New Zealand's U20 team, becoming a starter at Stanford University, and her long professional career in the US and Europe. She talks about the challenges of playing for multiple teams across the world, learning Swedish while playing in Sweden, and representing New Zealand in 5 World Cups and 4 Olympics over her storied career. Now playing for Angel City FC in LA, Ali has also become a health coach and cookbook author. She provides insight into maintaining her health and fitness as a player over 20+ years as a professional athlete. 00:00:00 Paleo Fitness on Women in Sports 00:02:41 Meet New Zealand Soccer Captain Ally Riley 00:06:59 The New Zealand soccer legend 00:11:57 Angelica Riley on Playing for the US national team 00:14:37 Malissa on her health and wellness journey 00:20:22 Marissa on her Peak Performance Routine 00:24:58 CBD in your diet 00:25:44 Favorite Recipes from Your Cookbook 00:27:43 What is training like for the national team? 00:29:52 Alex Morgan on Women's Soccer 00:35:31 Dreams of Playing Sports Pro 00:38:24 Ellie on Her Swedish Fluency Follow Ali Find us on social
4/29/2024 • 39 minutes, 18 seconds
70. Navigating Business Success and Parenthood: A Personal Journey with David Roadhouse
In this episode, we discuss the journey of transitioning from different career paths to establishing a successful business. The conversation highlights the significance of making bold decisions, balancing the responsibilities of being a parent while managing a business, and the positive impact of therapy in personal development. Insights are shared on the importance of communication within marriage, embracing challenges, and learning from them. The discussion also touches on navigating the complexities of parenting, instilling values in children, and the role of physical intimacy in sustaining a strong marital relationship. This episode provides a comprehensive look at the hurdles and triumphs faced on the path to personal and professional fulfillment. 00:00:00 Start of Podcast 00:04:05 What Was the Most Outstanding Thing About Your Early Age? 00:10:31 Ask for a Raise 00:13:28 Where did you get your marketing talent? 00:15:59 How Did I Meet My Future Business Partner 0 0:20:58 Say Yes To The Beach 00:21:47 How Motherhood Is Affecting Your Career 00:25:19 How to Get Away With Your Parents At 40 00:28:08 Does Your 40-Year-Old Friend Feel Like She's G 00:29:52 How Therapy Helped My Love Life 00:32:11 I Got Rejected At The Church 00:38:18 How To Parent When You're Not Expecting Perfection 00:40:26 Odi OSex And Marriage 00:45:40 Do Your Pheromones Affect Your Love Life? Find us on social media
3/25/2024 • 48 minutes, 42 seconds
69. Keto Diet Explained: Weight Loss and Wellness Tips with Maria Emmerich
In this episode of the Primal Kitchen Podcast, host Morgan, co-founder of Primal Kitchen, engages in a fascinating dialogue with Maria Emmerich, a renowned nutritionist and international bestselling author. They explore Maria's journey with the keto lifestyle, starting from her struggle with PCOS and depression, to discovering the transformative impact of dietary changes. Maria elaborates on the principles of sustained weight loss, clarifies common misconceptions about the keto diet, particularly the importance of protein, and discusses the potential drawbacks of dairy consumption. Additionally, she shares insights into optimizing brain health and the advantages of a carnivore diet for specific health issues. The conversation also touches on Maria's experiences working with celebrities like Halle Berry and the evolution of her keto approach. This episode is filled with practical advice for those considering or currently following a keto lifestyle, offering a blend of personal anecdotes and professional expertise. 00:00:00 Start Of Podcast 00:04:41 Ketogenic Diet: How to Lose Weight Slowly 00:07:18 Keto Diets: Do You Lose Weight? 00:11:42 Keto Diabetics on Fiber 00:16:15 Keto and Meat Lovers 00:21:41 Seniors Take For Granted Their Physical Abilities 00:22:10 I Adopted My First Child When I Was 17 00:25:43 How to help with migraines 00:29:00 Keto: Protein Restricted Diet 00:31:45 Favorite Alopecia Success Stories 00:35:03 Maria Emmerich on Halle Berry's Diabetes 00:38:04 Do You Have An Egg Allergies? 00:40:22 What supplements do you take to lose weight? 00:43:50 Protein Sparing Diet Explained 00:46:40 5 Things You Didn't Know About Your Bow Hunting 00:48:44 Keto Meditation Follow Maria Find us on social media
3/18/2024 • 49 minutes, 41 seconds
68. Winning the Battle Against Acne and Aging with Danielle Gronich & Kayleigh Christina
Join us for an episode where we dive deep into the world of skincare with the brilliant minds behind ClearSTEM Skincare, Danielle Gronich & Kayleigh Christina. Danielle, an acclaimed acne guru and clinical esthetician, alongside Kayleigh a certified holistic nutritionist, share their wealth of knowledge on combating acne while embracing anti-aging, all without compromising on using skin-friendly, non-toxic ingredients. They unravel the surprising triggers behind acne, from dietary pitfalls to hidden ingredients in your everyday products, and illuminate the path to achieving a radiant, youthful complexion through holistic practices and innovative skincare solutions. Whether you're battling persistent acne, seeking to ward off the signs of aging, or simply aiming for healthier skin, this episode is your guide to transforming your skincare routine and embracing the ClearSTEM approach for lasting results. Tune in to learn about their unique journey, the science behind their formulations, and how you can achieve clear, vibrant skin that defies age. 00:00:00 The Secret to Anti-Acne 00:01:37 How To Naturally Clear Your Face 00:05:56 Clear stem: The acne remedy you need to know 00:09:48 How Clear Your Skin Is with Our Acne Lab Panel 00:14:54 How to Prevent and Reduce Acne 00:20:10 Monolarin is an antiviral, and I swear by it 00:20:42 Causes of acne 00:23:02 Tommy Lee on Anti-Aging 00:23:30 How to Choose the Right Retinol for Your Skin 00:27:41 Best Anti-Aging Moisturizer 00:32:37 milo on the Morpheus Laser 00:34:46 How To Fill Your Under Eyes With Easy Gel Filler 00:37:45 Does Botox Make You Look Older? 00:38:37 How To Clean Your Makeup 00:42:15 How to Eat More Primal Kitchen 00:45:51 Who's Inspiring You? 00:48:42 The Worst Thing You've Ever Done For Your Skin 00:52:10 5 Things Most People Don't Know About Clear Stem Skinc Danielle Gronich & Kayleigh Christina Find us on social media
3/11/2024 • 54 minutes, 55 seconds
67. Revolutionizing the Educational Experience for Young Minds with Ana Lorena Febrega
Dive into our conversation with Ana Lorena Febrega, known for her work in changing how we think about teaching and learning. Ana, who worked closely with Synthesis, shares her journey from being a student across the globe to pushing the boundaries of education beyond traditional methods. She talks about the need for creativity, curiosity, and the ability to think critically from a young age. Ana discusses Synthesis's role, inspired by Elon Musk's school at SpaceX, in creating education that fits the future's needs. She talks about soft skills, learning from failure, and project-based education as keys to preparing kids for a world that's always changing. For parents and teachers wanting to bring new ways of learning into children's education, Ana gives solid advice. She stresses the importance of letting kids have control, make mistakes, and explore their interests deeply. This chat is packed with ideas for anyone interested in giving children tools to succeed in tomorrow’s world. Ana Lorena Fábrega is an author, edupreneur, and Chief Evangelist at Synthesis, the education company scaling up the best ideas from Elon Musk’s lab school at SpaceX. Growing up, she attended ten schools in seven different countries. She then earned her BS in Childhood Education and Special Education from New York University and taught elementary school in New York, Boston, and Panama. Today, Ana Lorena writes online to over 300,000 readers about the promise of alternative education. Follow Ana Lorena Febrega Find us on social media
3/4/2024 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 21 seconds
66. Unlocking Peak Performance Through Personalized Nutrition with Mary Shenouda
In this episode, we chat with Mary, a nutrition expert who helps athletes and famous people eat better to perform at their best. Mary shares her story of how changing her diet improved her health and led her to help others do the same. She talks about working with big names in sports and movies, making sure they eat right to stay on top of their game. Mary believes in eating whole foods and avoiding things like gluten, dairy, and soy, especially for athletes during their season. She explains how she plans meals and drinks to make sure athletes can focus and have energy during their games. Mary also gives tips on how anyone can eat better, like choosing the right foods and paying attention to how food makes you feel. Mary shares her favorite meals to cook and some special tips on foods that help with things like staying healthy and adjusting to high places. She encourages everyone to listen to their body and not get too caught up in complicated diet trends. Relevant points from episode: 00:00:00 How to Lose Weight With a calorie deficit? 00:00:42 Mary Flannery on Performance Nutrition 00:04:13 How Performance Nutrition Made an Elite Client's Life? 00:06:57 Eat Well, Sleep Well 00:13:14 Saffron for Your Immune System 00:17:50 How to Get the Most Out of Supplements? 00:21:34 Top NBA Trainer Sean Cruxton on Weight Loss and Protein 00:26:14 Do You Need To Check Your Gut As You Get Older? 00:27:41 How To Get Back in the Game With Your High Performance Athletes? 00:31:45 Top 3 Favorite Meals 00:34:45 I Was A Hand Model For One Day ---- Follow Mary Find us on social media
2/26/2024 • 37 minutes, 30 seconds
65. The Power of Alternative Medicine in Fighting Cancer with Dr. Lucas Tims
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Lucas, a dedicated medical professional with a profound journey into the realm of cancer care. Inspired by a deeply personal experience, Dr. Lucas shares his transition from focusing on gut health to immersing himself in the complexities of cancer treatment and prevention. Throughout the conversation, we delve into the significance of fasting, the impact of traditional cancer treatment methods, and Dr. Lucas's unique approach to integrating conventional and alternative therapies for optimal patient outcomes. Dr. Lucas offers a candid look into the limitations and challenges faced within the conventional healthcare system, emphasizing the importance of personalized treatment plans that address the root causes of cancer. He highlights various innovative therapies, including the use of IV vitamin C, mistletoe injections, and the potential of immunotherapy drugs, while also stressing the critical role of diet, lifestyle changes, and detoxification in cancer prevention and recovery. With a story of hope and resilience, Dr. Lucas recounts a remarkable case of a patient with stage four pancreatic cancer who, against all odds, experienced a miraculous recovery through an integrative treatment plan. This episode is not only a testament to Dr. Lucas's dedication to his patients but also serves as a source of inspiration and a call to consider a more holistic approach to cancer care. Relevant points from episode: 00:00:00 Fasting for 24 Hours 00:00:58 One doctor's journey through thyroid cancer 00:05:51 Ex-Cancer Treatment Centers of America doctor on the transition 00:10:07 Chemotherapy and integrative support for cancer patients 00:10:57 Mixed messages of mistletoe in cancer treatment 00:17:08 Vitamin C for cancer treatment 00:21:20 In the Elevator With Your Valentine 00:21:45 Root Cause Medicine 00:28:07 Fighting cancer with a low-tech approach 00:28:57 Do you test for cancer if you don't have cancer? 00:29:27 Chemotherapy and Metformin 00:34:17 Fasts and sleep 00:34:57 Antiparasitics for cancer, side effects 00:39:32 on nutrition for cancer patients 00:41:54 Carcinoma Survivor's Tips For Preventing the Cancer 00:45:09 How to Detox After Drinking Too Much Alcohol: Vitamin C and? 00:46:28 How to Deal with a Cold and Flu? 00:49:03 Ozone Therapy 00:51:26 Cancer: The science of biohacking 00:52:23 How to Sleep Better With a Headache? 00:55:50 Immunity Therapy for Cancer 00:58:01 Proteins and the Future of Medicine 00:59:53 Obesity is a big problem, says surgeon 01:00:44 "Who's Inspiring You?"? 01:00:55 One patient's miraculous treatment for pancreatic cancer 01:05:36 One pancreatic cancer patient's miraculous story 01:07:50 Dr. Lucas on His Love of Crosswords ---- Follow Dr. Lucas Tims Find us on social media
2/19/2024 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 31 seconds
64. Nitric Oxide as a Key to Healthy Aging with Dr. Nathan Bryan
Join Morgan, Primal Kitchen's co-founder, for an enlightening discussion with Dr. Nathan Bryan on the Primal Kitchen podcast. Dr. Bryan, a molecular medicine expert and CEO of Nitric Oxide Innovations, delves into the transformative role of nitric oxide in health and disease management. His pioneering work over 20 years has led to breakthroughs in understanding how nitric oxide influences healthy aging, immune response, and chronic disease treatments. Explore the science behind this critical molecule and learn about innovative therapies emerging from Dr. Bryan's biopharmaceutical company, N101. Gain insights on enhancing your well-being through nitric oxide-focused lifestyle changes and therapies. Relevant points from episode: 00:02:38 Nitric Oxide 00:03:43 Why should we care about nitric oxide? 00:07:54 Nitric Oxide Supplements for Well-Being 00:08:57 How to Tell Your Body's Age from Your Biological Age? 00:10:32 Nitric Oxygen and the immune system 00:16:18 Nitric oxide for Alzheimer's and diabetic heart disease 00:21:33 Obstructing nitric oxide in men 00:26:37 Nitric Oxide and Biohacking 00:29:02 N 101 Nutrition, Dr. Nathan S. Bryan Follow Dr. Nathan Bryan Find us on social media
2/12/2024 • 29 minutes, 27 seconds
63. Conception Misconceptions and Fertility Facts with Ronit Menashe & Vida Delrahim
Welcome to the Primal Kitchen Podcast with host Morgan, featuring WeNatal co-founders Ronit Menashe and Vida Delrahim WeNatal is revolutionizing prenatal care by focusing equally on men and women's health for fertility and pregnancy. Drawing from their personal struggles and insights in fertility, Ronit and Vida discuss the importance of a holistic approach to preconception health. They delve into the significance of proper nutrition and lifestyle changes for both partners, aiming to shift the narrative from individual to collective responsibility in fertility journeys. Join us to learn about WeNatal's unique approach and their journey in creating a comprehensive prenatal supplement. This innovative company produces third-party-tested prenatal supplements for men and women made with purposefully selected ingredients and no gluten, soy, or dairy. Ronit and Vida discuss how their separate battles with pregnancy loss led to researching egg quality and sperm health as part of the prenatal experience, while Morgan shares her own fertility journey. Hear why WeNatal is bringing men into the prenatal conversation and learn more about the impact that sperm health has on pregnancy and fertility. Relevant Points: 0:00 We Natal - Exploring the Journey of Pregnancy 1:35 What I Need To Know About Exclusivity - Insights into Exclusive Information 2:07 A Men's Prenatal - Understanding Prenatal Care for Men 8:00 Impact on Health 8:50 Tips and Advice for Conceiving Again 13:06 Exploring the Connection Between Sperm Quality and Baby's Health 17:15 Unveiling the Qualities of a High-Quality Prenatal Product 20:14 Understanding How We Natal Supports Men in the Prenatal Journey 22:36 The Role of Fitbit and Aura Rings in Health Monitoring 25:19 The Increasing Popularity of Functional Medicine 27:00 Who's Inspiring You Today? - Discovering Sources of Inspiration 28:37 Reflecting on Challenging Experiences 31:20 Insights into Common Human Behaviors Follow Ronit Menashe and Vida Delrahim Follow we_natal Find us on social media
2/5/2024 • 35 minutes, 39 seconds
62. Understanding Breast Implant Illness with Dr.Robert Whitfield
Welcome to the Primal Kitchen podcast hosted by Morgan, where we're joined by Dr. Robert Whitfield, an expert in breast implant removal. In today's episode, Dr. Whitfield shares his knowledge on breast implant illness, the importance of recognizing symptoms, and the advantages and disadvantages of implant surgeries. Dive into the complexities of chronic inflammation related to implants and discover the role of holistic recovery programs. Dr. Whitfield's journey from reconstructive microsurgery to a focus on wellness and detoxification provides invaluable insights. A pioneer in breast implant removal surgery and “no-cut” facelifts, Robert is well-known for his Holistic Accelerated Recovery Program, which helps reduce inflammation during the post-surgery healing process. Learn to spot the symptoms of implant illness that can happen with any device, how it’s treated, and who is most at risk of developing it. Morgan and Robert also discuss toxins, hormone imbalances, and how your own fat can be used as a filler. Relevant Points : 0:59 Breast Implants 101 1:49 The Secret to Removing Breast Implants 8:36 E. Coli in Breast Implants 10:11 Breast Implants, Genetics, and Immunity 14:29 Breast Implants Removed from the Body 15:16 Do You Do Genetic Testing Before You Decide? 22:07 What About Functional Medicine Techniques? 22:46 Fat Transfer and Breast Augmentation 28:43 Texan Doctor and Supplement Junkie 31:23 How to Get Botox and Facial Fillers 34:52 Do Botox and Implants Differ? 36:18 Breast Implant Illness Expert Robert's Insights 37:44 Fat Transfer Surgery Follow Dr Robert Whitfield Find us on social media
1/29/2024 • 43 minutes, 23 seconds
61. Gut Health and Its Impact on Brain Function with Dr.Tara Swart
In this podcast episode, Dr. Tara Swart, a neuroscientist and leadership coach, shares her insights into the brain's workings, discussing the significance of gut health, stress management, and the power of visualization. She elaborates on how these factors impact our overall well-being, blending ancient wisdom with modern science. Dr. Swart's unique approach reveals the dynamic interaction between our mental and physical health and the environment. The conversation also explores concepts of consciousness and death, offering a deeper understanding of life's purpose and the importance of mindfulness and healthy living. This episode is a masterclass in harnessing the power of the brain for a balanced, fulfilling life. Relevant points from episode: 0:00 Introduction: How Science Affects Your Brain? 2:50 Gut Brain Access 6:55 How to manage stress effectively? 13:26 Weightlifting and Vivid Images 19:03 Do Visualizations Make You Smart or Are They Just Hype? 22:06 Paleo and Kombucha 23:18 How to Get Out of Stuck Life? 28:16 Why I Can't Decide Where To Live? 32:28 How to Get More Sleep? 34:48 3 Things for High Performance that You Need to Know 41:02 The Science Behind Art 44:14 Deep Thoughts on Death and Reinvention 47:41 People Are Not Scared Of Death 48:44 How to Bring Mindfulness into Your Daily Life 53:56 Dr. Tara Swart on Meeting Her Fans Social media profiles ↓ Follow Dr.Tara Find us on social media
1/22/2024 • 56 minutes, 5 seconds
60. A Journey from Reality TV to Health Revolution in Entrepreneurship with Michael Brandt
Join us in this podcast episode featuring Michael Brandt, founder of KetoneIQ, as he shares his unique journey in the world of health and nutrition. From his early beginnings and appearance on Shark Tank to the development of his innovative health product, Michael's story is a blend of entrepreneurial spirit and a deep commitment to wellness. Discover his insights on the role of ketones in enhancing physical and mental performance, the significance of a balanced diet, and the power of endurance sports. This episode is more than just business talk; it's about understanding the interplay of nutrition, technology, and personal health. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, fitness enthusiast, or someone curious about a healthier lifestyle, Michael's experiences and advice offer something for everyone. Tune in to be inspired and learn how to navigate the complexities of modern health trends with simplicity and clarity. Relevant points from episode: 0:00 Ketone IQ: The Future of Fitness 0:54 The World's First Ketone Salts 6:50 Ketone Supplement 10:10 Ketone IQ for Athletes 14:31 Have You Done The Boston Marathon? 18:30 Marathoners Talk About Their Training 19:50 3 Running Tips for Endurance Athletes 20:45 How To Keep Your Heart Rate Controlled 25:30 Ketone IQ For Running 27:42 How to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes With Ketones 30:07 How To Cook For A Baby And An Athlete 34:40 The Hardest Thing For Me To Do 38:19 How to Say No to Things? 40:25 Keto Dieter Takes Supplements Every Day 49:17 Dead Startups and How I Built This 57:04 On Launching a Startup 1:00:58 Pioneer Kitchen's Success 1:06:23 Morgan Freeman on Being Curious 1:08:47 How To Build a Successful Company Social media profiles ↓ Follow Michael Find us on social media
1/15/2024 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 3 seconds
59. An engineer's evolution into a holistic health leader with Salim Najjar
In this episode of the Primal Kitchen Podcast, we meet Salim, a former nuclear power plant engineer turned health and wellness entrepreneur. Salim recounts his transformative journey, beginning with a successful yet unfulfilling career in engineering, leading to the inception of Soundtea. His exploration into health and wellness was sparked by a personal tragedy - the loss of his father to cancer. This pivotal moment propelled him into researching natural health remedies and adopting a unique diet strategy, including a one-meal-a-day routine and microdosing psilocybin for wellness enhancement. Salim delves into various health optimization techniques, from grounding and cold plunge therapy to leveraging cutting-edge technology and equipment in his biohacking adventures. He also touches upon his experiences with plant medicine, discussing the impacts of ayahuasca and ketamine therapies. This episode not only charts Salim's professional shift but also offers insights into combining technology with natural health practices. Tune in to learn how Salim's journey intertwines personal experiences with a passion for holistic health, and discover his approach to blending modern tech with traditional wellness methods. Relevant points from episode: 0:00 Grounding/Introduction 0:48 Cancer 5:38 All About It 7:09 What Does a Business Look Like Today? 9:17 Heart Rate Variability 14:16 How to Decrease Your HRV? 18:31 Pulsed electromagnetic field 21:15 The Need for Grounding 25:02 Binaural Beats: The Essential Meditation for Long Term Health 34:25 Talking to smokers at 60 34:50 How to Talk to a Child About Trauma? 36:14 Your Thoughts On Death 39:25 After a Shoulder Surgery, Hyperbaric Therapy 44:27 In the sauna with the doctors 49:48 Ketogenic Diet and Supplement regimen 51:45 How to get enough magnesium for your body after a surgery? 53:13 Favorite People and Worst Things You've Done For Yourself 54:45 On Psilocybin and Ayahuasca 1:00:04 Ketamine Therapy With Somatic Meditation 1:03:49 Ketamine, Psilocybin: Where to Start? Social media profiles ↓ ----- Follow Salim Find us on social media
1/12/2024 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 57 seconds
58: Get to Know Your Inner Parts with Richard Schwartz, PhD
In this week’s podcast. Morgan gets introspective with Harvard Medical School faculty member Dr. Richard Schwartz, creator of the Internal Family Systems therapeutic model. This evidence-based treatment promotes healing by acknowledging all the “parts” inside each of us, including the core self and our various sub-personalities. Tune in as Richard teaches Morgan to speak to her inner voices and walks through his 8 C’s of self-leadership, including confidence and compassion. He also dives into how the Internal Family Systems method can help those with PTSD and other types of trauma.
12/4/2023 • 47 minutes, 53 seconds
57: High Achiever: Dr. Mike Hart on the Benefits of Medical Marijuana and Psychedelics
In this week’s podcast, Morgan gets in the weeds about weed with Dr. Mike Hart, COO of Optimind Pharma. A respected physician specializing in cannabis medicine and psychedelic therapy for more than a decade, Mike is passionate about taking a holistic approach to treating the body and mind. Learn about the various medicinal uses of cannabinoids, from improving sleep quality to helping veterans suffering from PTSD, and the risks and benefits associated with treatment. Mike also shares how cannabis and oral ketamine can be used to treat depression, and who makes a good candidate for these types of therapy.
10/30/2023 • 54 minutes, 13 seconds
56: What’s Your Gut Telling You? Pendulum Co-founder Colleen Cutcliffe Has the Answer
It’s time for a gut check! Morgan’s guest this week is Dr. Colleen Cutcliffe, a biochemist and molecular biologist who is passionate about gut health. Colleen is the co-founder and CEO of Pendulum, a research-driven probiotics company on a mission to improve overall health by focusing on the gut. Learn more about the connection between balanced gut flora and a healthy body, and why she believes that certain probiotic strains (particularly Akkermansia) are the key to a healthy gut. Colleen also shares with Morgan the impact that stress, aging, and early antibiotic use can have on the gut microbiome and what people can do to get their gut back in check.
9/25/2023 • 36 minutes, 31 seconds
55: The Secrets of High Performers with Psychotherapist and Triathlete, David Roadhouse
This week’s podcast welcomes multigenerational psychotherapist David Roadhouse, a four-time World Triathlon winner, meditation retreat leader, and Morgan’s own personal therapist! Hear about David’s intense training techniques, from sleeping in a hypoxic tent every night for 15 years to loading up on filet mignon long before the “carnivore diet” became popular. David also shares how Buddhist meditation practices shaped his therapy work, his tips for a healthy and successful marriage, and the commonly shared traits he sees in entrepreneurs and high performers like Morgan.
9/11/2023 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 12 seconds
54: The Link Between Strength and Success with Endurance Athlete Eric Hinman
In this week’s podcast, Denver-based endurance athlete and social media influencer Eric Hinman shares how competitions motivated his wellness journey. A 5x Ironman, Leadville finisher, and top CrossFit athlete, he’s also the co-founder of the Original Grain and XO Taco restaurants in Syracuse, NY. Hear from Eric on his current workout routine, eating plan, and the differences between training for competition vs. everyday exercise. The 5x Ironman competitor also gets real with Morgan about his entrepreneurial failures and successes, and how he works with brands and the community to build strong relationships.
9/4/2023 • 54 minutes, 25 seconds
53: Chef & Entrepreneur Camilla Marcus Champions Great Taste with Less Waste
In this episode, chef and hospitality entrepreneur Camilla Marcus shares her insights on sustainable food practices and moving toward a zero-waste lifestyle. Founder of NYC-based restaurant turned upscale provisions company west~bourne, Camilla also co-founded of ROAR (Restaurants Organizing Advocating Rebuilding) and is a founding member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition. Camilla and Morgan chat mom-to-mom about raising environmentally aware children and the environmental and health impacts of eating real vs. processed foods. Camilla also shares her philosophy of “honoring nature as nature intended” and offers tips on how to use zero-waste tools at home.
8/21/2023 • 39 minutes, 21 seconds
52: Dr. Casey Means on Sugar Highs, Naked Carbs, and Glucose Monitoring for Every Body
Tune in as Morgan chats with Stanford-trained physician Dr. Casey Means about her transition from simply treating symptoms to empowering people to make smart diet and lifestyle choices. Casey is the co-founder and Chief Medical Officer at Levels, a metabolic health company providing tech-enabled tools that continuously monitor glucose levels. In this episode, she dives into the negative effects of glucose spikes, the perils of eating “naked carbs,” and how mental health can influence your physical well-being. Casey also teams up with Morgan, an avid Levels user, to demonstrate how the tool helps track the ongoing effects that glucose has on your body. Visit levels.link/primalkitchen for a special offer for our podcast listeners!
8/7/2023 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 49 seconds
51: Trash Panda’s Julia Putzeys on Separating the Good from the Garbage in Food Labels
Tune in as Morgan chats with Julia Putzeys, certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and general manager of the Trash Panda app, which helps consumers decipher the nutrition information on food labels so they can make more informed choices. In this week’s episode, Julia shares how a pantry cleaning with Morgan inspired her own journey into the health and wellness space, and how a background creating apps and websites for the NFL combined with her nutrition education laid the foundation for developing her “passion project” app. The pair also discuss the ins and outs of teaching children to make healthier food choices, from exploring labels and ingredients to advocating for increased transparency in the food industry.
7/17/2023 • 31 minutes, 25 seconds
50: Mark and Carrie Sisson on Self-Care Routines, Success, and Manifesting Your Best Life
In this special 50th episode of The Primal Kitchen Podcast, Morgan sits down for an in-person candid chat with longtime friend and Primal Kitchen co-founder, Mark Sisson, and his wife and fellow entrepreneur, Carrie Sisson. A New York Times bestselling author and former endurance athlete, Mark has been educating the world on nutrition and fitness for more than fifteen years. Get the lowdown on Mark and Carrie’s routines, from the anti-aging technologies they embrace or avoid, to daily supplements, skincare, and their current eating habits. The couple also shares how they met, their secrets for a successful marriage, and their favorite vacay destination (hint: It’s wickedly luxurious and known for wine). Plus, Morgan gets Mark and Carrie to reveal their hidden talents!
7/11/2023 • 56 minutes, 13 seconds
Obesity Expert Dr. Spencer Nadolsky Weighs in on Ozempic
This week’s podcast discusses the use of semaglutide medications for weight loss. While we acknowledge that this is a controversial topic in the medical and fitness communities, we’re always open to hearing all sides of the conversation. Any and all opinions stated in this podcast are the guests and hosts opinions and do not represent Primal Kitchen or its parent company. Tune in as Morgan discusses fitness, the obesity epidemic, and the weight loss drug Ozempic® with board-certified obesity and lipid specialist, Dr. Spencer Nadolsky. Inspired by his childhood growing up in an athletic family, Spencer blends his affinity for fitness with practical medical knowledge and currently serves as medical director for one of the largest online medical obesity treatment programs. You can also find him on Instagram, where he uses clever memes to dispel myths about weight loss and obesity. In this episode, Spencer discusses his weight loss ideologies, the science behind food cravings, and why people are turning to Ozympic for help. He also weighs in on the controversy surrounding this popular drug and the ethics of using semaglutide for everyday weight loss.
6/12/2023 • 51 minutes, 21 seconds
48: Getting to the Heart of Your Stress with Dr. Dave Rabin
This week, Morgan has a heart-to-heart with Dr. Dave Rabin, a board-certified psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and entrepreneur who has studied the impact of chronic stress on the body for more than fifteen years. Dave and his team at the Apollo Clinic empower their clients to take control of their health by tapping into the body’s natural healing ability. In this episode, Dave discusses how heart rate variability (HRV) connects to the body’s stress levels and the effects that low HRV can have on athletic performance. He also shares with Morgan how analyzing his own dreams sparked an early interest in neuroscience, and how his innovative product, the Apollo Wearable, can improve the body’s resistance to stress.
5/22/2023 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 20 seconds
47: Putting Longevity Under the Microscope with Timeline CEO, Chris Rinsch
In this week’s episode, we chat with Dr. Chris Rinsch, co-founder and CEO of the Swiss health sciences company, Timeline. With more than two decades of experience in mitochondrial health, he has published in scientific journals such as Nature Metabolism and Cell Reports Medicine. Chris discusses how the “powerhouse of the cell” affects aging and what we can do to get our mitochondria working at optimal levels. He also shares with Morgan about his company’s cellular health products, the role that pomegranate plays in stimulating mitochondria, and the differences between longevity (living longer) and health span (living well).
5/8/2023 • 39 minutes, 19 seconds
46: The Recipe for a Grain-Free, Less-Stress Life with Author Danielle Walker
Wellness advocate, self-taught chef, and New York Times best-selling author Danielle Walker joins Morgan for a candid conversation about grain-free living and the limitations of Western medicine. Danielle’s road to healthful eating began with an autoimmune disease diagnosis in her early 20s, after which she discovered a grain-free Paleo diet plan that would inspire five successful cookbooks. In this podcast, Danielle shares her recipe testing process, current eating routine, and all-time favorite cookbook. Morgan and Danielle also discuss the impact of elevated stress levels, stress-reduction techniques, and how EDMR therapy (typically used for post-trauma recovery) can help. Find her latest cookbook, Healthy in a Hurry HERE!
5/1/2023 • 41 minutes, 13 seconds
45: Katy Whalen on the Pitfalls of Perimenopause and Female Aging
On this week’s podcast, Morgan has a candid conversation about aging with Katy Whalen, co-founder and CEO of the interactive women’s telehealth community Joi Women’s Wellness. After a long battle with infertility that included fatigue and weight issues, Katy went on a healing journey using peptide and hormone therapy. Katy discusses the stigma and misinformation surrounding perimenopause and how testosterone and other supplements can be used to treat symptoms, along with Ozempic peptide treatments and compounded medications. Morgan and Katy also get real about the guilt that may surface when women use supplements or medications to help them lose weight and how to deal with that “cheating” feeling. Follow @joiwomenswellness to learn more!
4/24/2023 • 41 minutes, 20 seconds
44: Peak Performance Through a Primal Lens with Brad Kearns
We’re chatting with author and professionally ranked triathlete Brad Kearns about peak performance, competitive mindset, and what it was like training with Primal Kitchen founder Mark Sisson as his coach. In addition to hosting several online Primal courses, such as the Primal Fitness Coach Expert Certification, Brad partnered with Mark to help write their New York Times bestseller, The Keto Reset Diet. In this episode, Brad and Morgan discuss metabolic flexibility and the importance of eliminating processed foods from one’s diet. Brad also shares his take on popular diets such as keto, carnivore, and Paleo and why his diet consists mainly of meat and fruit.
4/10/2023 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 6 seconds
43: Thyroid Health 101 with Elle Russ
In this week’s episode, Morgan explores the intricacies of thyroid health with subject matter expert and fellow podcast host Elle Russ. A bestselling author and coach, Elle is a proponent of searching for underlying causes of thyroid problems rather than simply following the conventional practice of treating symptoms. Follow along as Elle takes a deep dive into the differences between hypo- and hyperthyroid conditions, common and outlying symptoms (including fertility issues), testing options, and the potential benefits of adopting a Primal diet. She also shares confidence-boosting tips with Morgan from her latest book, Confident as Fu*k.
4/3/2023 • 46 minutes, 8 seconds
42: Author Ben Greenfield’s Unconventional Methods for Better Health and a Happy Marriage
Join us as Morgan talks with Ben Greenfield, human performance expert and bestselling author of 17 books, including Beyond Training, Fit Soul, and The Boundless Cookbook. In this episode, Ben offers his take on unconventional physical and endurance therapies such as breath work, oxygen input, and cold therapy. He also tackles the controversial off-label use of semaglutide drugs for weight loss, discusses the importance of good water filtration, and shares his secrets for maintaining wedded bliss.
3/20/2023 • 46 minutes
41: Vivarays Founder Roudy Nassif Sheds Light on Balancing Life and Sleep
In this episode, engineer and health entrepreneur Roudy Nassif joins Morgan for an enlightening discussion on the effects that natural and indoor light can have on the body. After being diagnosed with ADHD, Roudy learned to bio hack his system using natural sunlight. His experience inspired him to found Vivarays, which makes light-filtering glasses that help balance circadian rhythms to support improved sleep and energy. Join us as Roudy helps Morgan overcome pregnancy insomnia and shares his insights on the connections between improved sleep and living an outdoor lifestyle. He also sheds light on the differences between Vivarays and typical blue light filtering glasses, and how his company’s innovative technology mimics temperature changes the body would naturally be exposed to.
3/13/2023 • 37 minutes, 49 seconds
40: Food as Medicine - Serenity Kids Founder Joe Carr Shares His Formula for Better Health
In this episode, Morgan chats with Joe Carr, founder and President of Serenity Kids, about his adult autism diagnosis and why he adopted a Paleo diet. Serenity Kids produces nutrient-dense baby food made with organic vegetables, high-quality oils, and pasture-raised meats from small family farms. Find out what inspired Joe to create Serenity Kids, how their grass-fed A2 formula works for babies with digestive issues, and how his experience with the Paleo lifestyle changed the way he feeds his family. Plus, use code PRIMALKITCHEN for 15% off your first order at myserenitykids.com!
3/6/2023 • 42 minutes, 48 seconds
39: Can You Avoid Cancer? Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy Advocates for Preventive Medicine
Join us as Morgan tackles difficult questions about “The Big C” with Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy, author of The Cancer Revolution and founder/medical director of the Cancer Center for Healing and Center for New Medicine. Leigh shares what it was like growing up with health issues as a result of her mother’s treatment with a cancer-causing medication, and how that experience shaped her interest in chronic diseases. Morgan and Leigh also dive into the impact of stress and high-sugar diets on the body, plus key preventative measures that you can take.
2/27/2023 • 46 minutes, 7 seconds
38: The Link Between Dairy Intolerance and Dairy Genes with Alexandre Family Farm Founders Blake & Stephanie
Dairy Intolerance or Mutated Gene Intolerance? Blake and Stephanie were both born and raised as dairy farmers and bought their current farm in 1992. In 2002, they became certified organic farmers and began studying soil and nutrient density on their farm as well as milk proteins. A2 is the digestible casein protein found in all mammalian milk, but about one thousand years ago it mutated to the A1 form which causes lactose to ferment and potentially why we've seen a rise in dairy intolerances over the last couple of decades. Through their studies Blake and Stephanie learned the difference between A1 and A2 beta casein proteins in milk and they began to breed A1 out of their herd. Today, they have a large herd of 100% A2/A2 genetics cows, and sell only A2 organic milk and yogurt nationwide. Alexandre Family Farm is the first Certified Regenerative dairy and egg ranch in the U.S. They are also certified organic and certified humane. Listen in as they share their journey with Morgan with the difficulties of raising organic calves and venturing away from antibiotic usage, their thoughts on what regenerative agriculture means to them and how they want to bring people back to dairy.
8/1/2022 • 45 minutes, 18 seconds
37: Decoding Your Genes for Data-Driven Health with Joe Cohen
Biohacking For Personalized Healthcare This week, Morgan chats with author and entrepreneur, Joe Cohen. Joe suffered from a variety of health issues going up: inflammation, brain fog, fatigue, digestive problems, anxiety–to name a few. His symptoms and experiences were not well understood by conventional and even alternative medicine, and after years of suffering, that he embarked on a self-experimentation journey to improve his health through biohacking. Joe went on to found SelfDecode, a biotech software platform for DNA and lab-based health recommendations established by your own genes so that you can take charge of your own healthcare with data-driven health decisions. SelfDecode is revolutionizing the healthcare industry by providing personalized health recommendations based on a combination of your DNA, labs, and environmental factors. In this chat, Cohen describes to Morgan his thoughts on how the world needs more personalized healthcare, his biohacking system for his food sensitivities and his journey from New York to Israel.
7/22/2022 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 8 seconds
36: Anxiety Expert Mark Metry Gives Advice on Being Your Best Self
Is Anxiety More Prevalent in Males? This week, Morgan chats with Mental Health Advocate and Anxiety Expert, Mark Metry on the topic of social anxiety. Mark is a Forbes featured TEDX speaker, a global top 10 podcast host of the Social Anxiety Society and a best selling author of Screw Being Shy, but there was once a time where he couldn't even make eye contact with people due to suffering from immense social anxiety. In this enlightening talk, Mark goes in depth about growing up in the inner city as a first generation immigrant and how racial bullying in school affected his self esteem and began making him closed off to the world. After spending years being overweight and depressed, he went on a self healing journey with the help of psychotherapy, gratitude, healthy habits and developing hobbies such as writing and podcasting. Morgan and Mark discuss the how social anxiety affects your mind and body in cognitive distortions and how it hijacks your entire nervous system, but how diet and lifestyle changes can set the foundation for long term results in a positive direction.
7/18/2022 • 54 minutes, 54 seconds
35: Living More with Less: Chatting Consumerism with The Minimalists
What is the real pursuit of happiness? This week, Morgan has an enlightening discussion with Josh Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus, otherwise known as The Minimalists. Josh and Ryan climbed up the corporate ladder in their 20's to obtain the standard American dream of a consumer-driven life with luxury cars, big houses full of pricey material things. After being rocked by a series of life-altering events, Josh went on the journey to find a more meaningful life getting his childhood best friend Ryan involved along the way. Since starting their journey, The Minimalists have had two successful documentaries on Netflix, Minimalism and Less is Now, and have written four books, their most recent being Love People Use Things. In this chat, they go in depth about what the pursuit of happiness means and how to be fulfilled without material things. They believe that all things they own should serve a purpose and provide advice on how to maintain this lifestyle. Milburn and Nicodemus go in depth on how minimalism goes beyond the scope of material things, but how it can help improve other areas of our lives by removing all types of life clutter such as calendar clutter, relationship clutter, and advertisement clutter.
7/11/2022 • 56 minutes, 25 seconds
34: Former City Slicker & TikTok Sensation Brian Brigantti Talks Homesteading & Permaculture
This week, Morgan is joined by Viral TikTok Homestead sensation and founder of Red Leaf Ranch, Brian Brigantti. While pursuing a career in photography in New York City, Brian ended up falling in love with the simplicity of being immersed in the country side of Tennessee while on a spontaneous trip in 2019. Instead of starting small. Brian decided to make the move and go full force into learning everything he could about permaculture and growing his own food with his partner. Brian goes in depth about the transition from city life to the countryside and having to battle the urge to always be on the move in a slow paced environment. Listen in as Morgan and Brian share garden stories - successes and failures - and how he his tips and tricks are inspiring millions across the TikTok platform.
6/24/2022 • 33 minutes, 11 seconds
33: Cody Rigsby Gets Candid on Everything From Peloton to Dancing
This week, Morgan chats with unfiltered one-of-a-kind Peloton Instructor Cody Rigsby. Cody has taken the fitness community by storm since first appearing on Peloton 8 years ago. As a Peloton Instructor, Rigsby reminds everyone in his classes to push themselves, but have a good time doing it, because we all need to have a little more fun. He believes that life should be experienced authentically, and this is fully represented throughout his rides. His Peloton #BooCrew has over 120,000 devoted members pedaling to his every word. A #BooCrew favorite, Rigsby also hosts unique “XOXO” classes, in which Peloton riders submit questions about life, relationships, pop culture, etc. for Rigsby to advise on and share his candid opinions during his live rides. Rigsby goes in depth with Morgan about moving to North Carolina as a child and how his passion for dancing ignited after taking a ballet class, moving to NYC, experiencing homelessness, and overcoming obstacles. He discusses his new relationship with food and body image and how he focuses on ways to move his body that mimics childhood, embracing the inner Primal "play" based behavior that our audience knows so well. He spills on his favorite Primal Kitchen Products, Dancing with The Stars, and detoxing from social media. Listen in to hear all the shared laughter and the "tea!"
6/20/2022 • 43 minutes, 47 seconds
32: Grain-Free Queen Elizabeth Stein Talks Health & Entrepreneurialism
Morgan is joined by Purely Elizabeth founder and namesake Elizabeth Stein in this week's episode. Stein started her career in fashion marketing before becoming an entrepreneur. She attended the Institute for Integrative Nutrition which changed her life and perspective on food...and introduced her to the concept of a gluten-free diet. She strived to create gluten and grain-free products that were not only better-tasting but also featured better ingredients. What started as a homemade blueberry muffin start-up grew to a nationwide grain-free granola craze and the beginning of Purely Elizabeth. Stein's company now features a line of "naturally gluten-free granola, oatmeal, and baking mixes in multigrain and grain-free varieties to make eating well effortless." Join Morgan and Stein as they talk about grains' impact on gut health as well as wine, sleep, and diets. Plus, you'll learn Stein's daily ritual for health, wellness, and blood sugar regulation. Take a taste and use code PRIMALKITCHEN for 20% off all products on purelyelizabeth.com!
6/13/2022 • 34 minutes, 24 seconds
31: Becoming Unstoppable with Bethany Hamilton
Join Morgan this week as she chats with her guest and close friend, professional surfer and motivational speaker Bethany Hamilton. They swap surf stories and Hamilton shares how she kept her passion for being in the water alive even after suffering a tragic shark attack, and how the incident changed her relationship with fear. She talks about finding her purpose in motivating others and spending time with her 3 beloved sons. Hamilton gets candid about her current nutrition routine and her personal health journey since her teenage years, including a pro-metabolic diet approach and her go-to meals. Find out more from Bethany and her mentorship courses at bethanyhamilton.com.
6/6/2022 • 1 hour, 20 seconds
30: Kelly Leveque on Weight Loss, Blood Sugar, Cancer and Pediatric Nutrition
This week, guest Kelly LeVeque and Morgan dish on her celebrity clientele, how to make "blood sugar sexy" and her Fab4 courses. In this deep-dive conversation, LeVeque explores the links between blood sugar regulation, cancer prevention, and weight loss. She discusses the role fiber plays in her Fab4Under4 course as well as pediatric nutrition and pregnancy glucose tests. Listen in to hear more about Leveque's philosophy and her Fab4 method. Check out Kelly's Fab4 courses here!
5/19/2022 • 1 hour, 30 minutes, 54 seconds
29: Childhood Behavior & Preconception Care with Pediatric Naturopathic Doctor, Ari Calhoun
This week, Morgan discusses childhood neurodevelopment conditions, autoimmune conditions, and the journey through motherhood from preconception all the way until early toddlerhood with Perinatal and Pediatric Naturopathic Doctor & mama herself, Dr. Ari Calhoun. Inspired by her own personal journey with mental illness & health issues, it led her down the rode to take a deeper dive on childhood neurodevelopment and women's care using a holistic approach. Dr. Calhoun has spent an extensive amount of time studying childhood disorders such as ADHD, autism, autoimmune conditions, and anxiety/depression & helps parents use an integrative approach to manage symptoms and impower them to understand risk factors while not fearing everything and everything. Listen in as they go through everything from reducing your toxin exposure while pregnant, essential nutrients during pregnancy, and important baby first foods to try! For more resources from Dr. Ari, check out her blog: www.kithandkinwellness.com
5/9/2022 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 2 seconds
28: "Child Whisperer" Dr. Siggie Shares Solutions for Screentime, Communication, and Managing Emotions
This week, Morgan meets with the "Child Whisperer," Dr. Siggie Cohen. Growing up in Israel, Cohen's love of children and animals led her to be a natural caretaker from an early age. Her sensitivity to and awareness of complex emotions led her to study child development in the United States. Cohen now boasts over 30 years of experience as a counselor, helping countless grateful parents feel "more empowered and less guilty." Cohen deals with children of all ages, struggling with any number of issues, from sibling rivalry to setting boundaries, to struggling with the pressures of school. In this in-depth conversation, Dr Siggie talks on a myriad of tricky parenting subjects, from emotional regulation to parent dynamics, to problem-solving. No matter what the issue, Dr Siggie is here to help parents and children alike find solutions. Use code 0DIPAJT on drsiggie.com for 10% off of her Toddler courses!
5/2/2022 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 10 seconds
27: Farming's Future with Force of Nature Founders Robby & Taylor
Join Morgan this week as she sits down to talk regenerative farming with Robby Sansom & Taylor Collins, the founders of Roam Ranch and Force of Nature. Collins and Sansom met in middle school and reunited as adults to start their first entrepreneurial venture with Epic Provisions. After selling Epic in 2019, the pair dove into regenerative farming, developing Roam Ranch and Force of Nature. Collins and Sansom discuss the important role biodiversity plays in an agricultural setting and the power of working with wildlife instead of against it. They discuss how the soil impacts their products, how meat quality can change with regenerative farming versus conventional farming, and the importance of reintroducing bison to its natural habitat in the Americas and their impact on biodiversity. In this in-depth discussion, these three entrepreneurs talk about how they see the industry evolving, reconnecting to the legacy of ancestors, and the co-evolution with land and nature. Use Code PRIMALKITCHEN on forceofnature.com for $15 off your first order!
4/18/2022 • 57 minutes, 36 seconds
26: The Buzz on Nutraceuticals with Beekeeper's Naturals Founder, Carly Stein
In this episode, Morgan sits down with game-changing entrepreneur, Beekeeper's Naturals founder Carly Stein. Plagued by tonsillitis growing up, Carly found sanity & healing through an unlikely hero: bee nutraceuticals. She speaks in-depth on how a trip to Europe changed her entire perspective on health, how she found healing for herself and found Beekeeper's Naturals in the process. Carly is also a beekeeper and a tireless advocate for the preservation of the waning global bee population. Listen in as Morgan gets the full scoop on how Carly won over moms at Farmer's Markets to getting on Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Use code PRIMALKITCHEN on beekeepersnaturals.com for 25% off all products!
4/11/2022 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 9 seconds
25: Pasturebird Founder Paul Greive Talks the Future of Farming & Regenerative Practices
This week, Morgan sits down with Paul Greive, a former marine-turned-farmer and the founder of Pasturebird. Pasturebird uses regenerative farming to build a pasture-raised poultry farm. Greive talks about his past life in the military and a battle with Lyme disease that resulted in him adopting the paleo lifestyle and becoming a farmer. Greive took a deep dive into learning about regenerative farming, learning about responsible animal agriculture and its lasting effects on soil, and developed his system to raise true, pasture-raised hens on grass living off fresh grass with access to the sun. He learned the staggering difference in nutrient density for regenerative farming compared to conventional. Greive discusses his humble beginnings as a start-up farm struggling with distribution, and how Primal Kitchen founder Mark Sisson gave his brand the boost it needed in his early days. Listen in as he spills on his favorite PK product (Buffalo!) and the future of farming.
4/4/2022 • 57 minutes, 31 seconds
24: Eat to Beat Disease with Dr. William Li
On this week's episode, Moran sits down with Dr. William Li, an internal medicine doctor, vascular biologist, and author of the book "Eat to Beat Disease." Dr Li always had an interest in food and diet lifestyles since he was young, and he studied the links between food, culture and the health of communities around the world for years. Dr Li looked to blood vessels to find common denominators within different diseases and has been involved in 41 FDA-approved medications for disease treatment from his studies. The medical director for the Angiogenesis Foundation, Dr Li explains the way our body grows blood vessels, a central tenant to health. His research has shown that certain foods help our body overgrow blood vessels that could potentially cause diseases like cancer. Dr Li applies the "Food as Medicine Research" method to his work, talking about foods that activate our health defenses, and what to add to our body to build ourselves up. His personal mantra is to "love your food & love your health." In this in-depth conversation, Dr Li discusses fasting & its relation to his research, his "grand slam" foods, what helps treat disease along with prevention, and the power of fiber.
3/28/2022 • 48 minutes, 33 seconds
23: From Olympian to Elite Wheelchair Athlete, Amy Van Dyken Rouen Shares Her Story
This week, Morgan chats with former Olympian Amy Van Dyken Rouen, the history-making athlete who was the first American to win 4 gold medals in a single Olympic games. After a devastating accident, Rouen was paralyzed from the waist down. Determined to maintain her athleticism, Rouen eventually earned the title of the fittest sitting woman in the world. In this conversation, Morgan and Rouen chat about Olympic competition, overcoming tremendous adversity, mental health, paleo & keto eating, CrossFit & more!
3/21/2022 • 55 minutes, 34 seconds
22: Finessing the Role of the Fitness Coach with James Fitzgerald
Morgan sits down this week with one of the "Fittest Men on Earth" and renowned fitness coach, James Fitzgerald. His fitness journey began while playing competitive soccer as a teenager. During his collegiate years, James spent a great deal of time training, studying, and researching fitness. His investigations led to the publishing of multiple studies in Physiology Canada and The Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology. James applied his knowledge to coaching general population clients and competitive athletes, built a thriving coaching business, and launched Optimum Performance Training (OPT) in 1999. Looking to spread his knowledge and methodologies, James began coaching athletes remotely and spearheading the individual design programming movement. Through the personal application of his own program, he earned the title of "The Fittest Man on Earth", winning the inaugural CrossFit games in 2007. In this conversation, Morgan and James talk about the overwhelming amount of fitness options out there, the increasingly sedentary state of the world, the importance of movement and fitness simplicity, and much more. Feeling inspired? Use code LEARN50 for 50% OFF your first month on James' BRAND NEW fitness coaching education app, LearnRx (https://learnrx.app/)
3/14/2022 • 59 minutes, 47 seconds
21: Mark Sisson Q&A - Testosterone Talk
This week, Morgan sits down with Primal Kitchen co-founder, endurance athlete, best-selling author and ancestral eating "godfather" Mark Sisson to talk all things testosterone. Mark dives into testosterone's important role as a hormone in bodies of all genders. They chat about the impact diet, stress, and movement can have on production and the power of hormone receptor sites. Mark gets candid about supplementing testosterone, plus ways to support this hormone naturally. Listen in to learn more!
3/7/2022 • 39 minutes, 39 seconds
20: Creating a Primally Pure Beauty Routine with Bethany McDaniel
This week, Morgan connects with Primally Pure founder Bethany McDaniel to talk about the link between real food eating and natural skincare. McDaniel used all sorts of harsh prescription creams and pills to treat her acne as a teenager and young adult–and dealt with red, raw, irritated skin as a result. She was blown away by the effects she eventually experienced after ditching the harsh chemicals and replacing them with simple, natural ingredients and began a Paleo diet. McDaniel talks about her passion for living a healthy lifestyle and how her husband's start of a Pasturebird, a pasture-raised poultry company, ignited her passion for making natural beauty products. She talks about the science behind her natural products, and the treatments visitors at to the spa at the Primally Pure headquarters can find, like lymphatic damage, facial massage & holistic healing. Join Morgan and McDaniel in their talk on beauty, botox, natural anti-aging, and much more, then use code PRIMALKITCHEN for 10% off at primallypure.com!
2/28/2022 • 39 minutes, 16 seconds
19: The Secrets on Sexual Optimization & Aging with Dr. Amy Killen
This week Morgan chats with sex and anti-aging expert Dr. Amy Killen. A former emergency medicine physician, Dr. Killen's practice has pioneered one of the most innovative regenerative procedures currently available: the Full Body Stem Cell Makeover. Dr. Killen's programs focus on looking good and feeling good through anti-aging health and sexual optimization for folks of all genders. Listen in as they chat through all things sex, orgasms, erectile dysfunction, libido, sunscreen, & her new peptide supplement called Rapid Rebound.
2/21/2022 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 42 seconds
18: Falling in Love With Your Body with Danika Brysha
TW: Disordered Eating This week, Morgan sits down with entrepreneur and former model Danika Brysha. During their discussion, Brysha speaks candidly about her struggles with body image and her journey into the modeling industry. Trying the Whole30 Diet opened Brysha's eyes to the power of food physically and mentally, and inspired her to start her own meal delivery company, ModelMeals. Brysha speaks openly about the financial stresses that come with successful entrepreneurship. In this enlightening conversation, Morgan and Danika Brysha talk about everything: from the impact of mainstream media on body image to mindfulness and meditation to the link between personal growth and organic gardening, to self-care and self-worth.
2/14/2022 • 55 minutes, 26 seconds
17: Microbiome Sweet Talk with Olipop Founders Ben Goodwin & David Lester
Join Morgan as she meets with Olipop founders Ben and David, to discuss their partnership and venture into beverage entrepreneurship. They talk how their own health woes lead to learning about the gut microbiome and eventually disrupting the soda industry with Olipop. Their ground-breaking soda is high in prebiotic fiber low in sugar, natural botanicals (and Paleo, gluten-free, vegan & Non-GMO Project Verified, and contains 2g of sugar per can to boot!) With a team of international scientists, they developed their popular formula, and they discuss their upcoming clinical trials to study the effect of prebiotics & botanicals on the gut. Plus, Primal Blueprint fans, rejoice: Morgan, Ben, and David talk about the indigenous hunter-gatherer's diet and the crucial elements that are missing in the standard American diet.
2/7/2022 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 56 seconds
16: Kanchan Koya's Spicy Secret to Inspired Health
This week, Morgan talks with Harvard Ph.D. turned food blogger & renowned spice queen Kanchan Koya. Growing up in India, her grandmother's ancient spice remedies seemed impossible, so she decided to study science and get to the bottom of health...only to return to her roots, touting the benefits of spices! After discovering that science could back up the medicinal properties of her favorite family spices, Koya dedicated her life to educating others on social media with simple, delicious recipes that incorporated these healing ingredients. Listen in as Morgan & Kanchan talk about infancy pallet development, spice benefits, blood sugar, social media & food fasting. Follow Kanchan on Instagram, @chiefspicemama, & check out her own Podcast, Radical Vitality!
1/31/2022 • 47 minutes
15: Heal and Hack Your Hormones with Health Coach Katie Bressack
This week, Morgan chats with Board Certified Holistic Health Coach Katie Bressack who specializes in women's hormone health. Bressack discusses her own personal health journey managing and improving her menstrual cycle to her twin pregnancy experience. Bressack goes in-depth on women's health throughout all stages of life from pregnancy, postpartum to menopause. She shares her insight on regular menstrual maintenance and how it relates to blood sugar, stress, and other factors. Listen in to learn more about her take on the link between digestion and hormone health in this enlightening talk!
1/24/2022 • 42 minutes, 56 seconds
14: Meditation Hacks, Habit Stacking and Yoga Pants with Todd McCullough
This week, Morgan chats with TMAC Fitness Founder, Todd McCullough. Coming from a small town, Todd lived a very athletic life before ever being exposed to Yoga and Meditation. It wasn't until a string of injuries, cooperate burnout, and an unexpected yoga pants detour that inspired him to find fulfillment in different areas to get him in touch with his mind and body. Today, Todd dedicates his life to combining his unique habit-stacking fitness approach of HIIT and Meditation for his clients. Listen in as Morgan hears all the details of his journey and current daily rituals! Todd has helped over 30,000 people turn their physical and mental health around and you can sign up HERE to get 10 Free Days of Home Workouts.
1/17/2022 • 1 hour, 8 minutes
13: Taking a Bigger Slice Out of Life With Blaze Pizza
This week, Morgan chats with Blaze Pizza CMO Vince Szwajkowski. They discuss all things Blaze, from their mission to make pizza diet-inclusive, to sourcing real ingredients for their menu, to using a woman-owned gluten-free flour crust company, to even their sell-out keto crusts! Plus, Vince and Morgan get into Vince's decision to go gluten and dairy-free, as well as his career journey at Blaze. Starting on January 5th (National Keto Day) and extending through January 16th, Primal Kitchen Ranch Dressing will be available as a finishing drizzle at select Blaze Pizza locations nationwide. We hope you enjoy their story and enjoy a pizza with Primal Kitchen Ranch this month! Check out this link to find exact locations: https://www.primalkitchen.com/blog/news/primal-kitchen-blaze-pizza
1/3/2022 • 34 minutes, 17 seconds
12: Crohn’s, Acne, Hormones and Health: Unique Hammond Shares Her Journey
This week, Morgan sits down with Crohn's Disease Survivor and Holistic Health Coach Unique Hammond as she walks us through her journey to health with an unlikely hero: beans. She discusses in-depth her scary health decline and not feeling heard in Western Medicine. Unique tried almost every diet under the sun to get better, it wasn't until she discovered that beans and fiber she cracked the code to long-lasting gut health. Unique and Morgan myth-bust beans and answer all of the questions you're dying to know! Find Unique's book, Your Tastebud's Are A**holes on Amazon & get $25 OFF any of Unique's courses on youregreat.com when you use code PRIMAL25 at checkout.
12/20/2021 • 54 minutes, 55 seconds
11: Getting Kids to Kick Sugar with Sugarproof Authors Dr. Goran & Dr. Ventura
This week, Morgan gets the scoop on sugar & raising balanced eaters from Sugarproof authors Dr. Michael Goran and Dr. Emily Ventura. They share how their research led them to make connections between childhood ailments and the sugar consumption of the modern-day diet. They take a deep dive into the effect of sugar on our children...all the way from hidden sugars in everyday supermarket foods to the critical growth theory. Do different sugars have different effects on the body? Is Fruit Sugar worse than High Fructose Corn Syrup? Listen in to hear them debunk the "sugar is sugar" theory and for tips on how to improve healthy sugar consumption for kids at home!
12/13/2021 • 56 minutes, 16 seconds
10: Mark Sisson Q&A - The Scoop on Breakfast & Fasted Training
Take a cue from the man himself! This week, Morgan gets the scoop from Mark Sisson about his current eating habits & training schedule in Miami. Itching to find out the protein Mark is ditching these days? Looking for his hot take on eating breakfast? Tune in to the full episode to find out these fast facts on current Mark's routine.
12/6/2021 • 1 hour, 38 seconds
09: Building Barcode Through Basketball with Founder & Former NBA Trainer Bar Malik
This week, Morgan learns the tips and tricks on tackling hydration and health in the athletic world with former NBA Director of Performance, Mubarak Malik. Bar left the NBA world to pursue his entrepreneurial vision of disrupting the sports drink industry with Barcode: a gluten-free, plant-based natural sports drink praised by celebrities and NBA players alike. Tune in to learn which celebrity elevated his brand before it was even officially created and his hacks for high-performance athletic ability!
11/29/2021 • 55 minutes, 9 seconds
08: Mark Sisson Q&A - Turkey Traditions & Hacks for the Holiday Season
With Thanksgiving around the corner, join Primal Kitchen Co-founders Mark Sisson and Morgan Zanotti as they start the holiday season with a Q and A that covers everything from Turkey Day traditions to managing all the holiday indulgences. Listen in as Mark offers his top tips for feeling your best and listening to your body's cues during the season of eating. Plus, Mark reveals his secret favorite holiday food...and the answer will truly shock you!
11/22/2021 • 28 minutes, 17 seconds
07: Farmlink: How a College Non-Profit Sparked Monumental Community Change
Morgan takes an in-depth look at the current food shortage situation happening across the country and how one college non-profit created monumental change and sparked an unstoppable movement. The Farmlink Project helps connect farmers to local food banks to decrease food waste. Joined by founders James & Aidan, this episode explores how this powerhouse non-profit found success in the middle of a global pandemic, and why you should never underestimate the power of driven college students.
11/15/2021 • 56 minutes, 42 seconds
06: Exploring Your Own Potential with Dr. Michael Gervais
In this week's episode, Morgan interviews a high-performance psychologist and co-founder of Complete to Create, Dr. Michael Gervais. He shares his insight with Morgan on how to train for our body & mind in order to flourish and explore the heights of our own potential through psychological training. His program, Complete to Create, has been used by Olympic athletes and large corporations to create the internal skills to meet the demands in an increasingly stressful world.
11/8/2021 • 48 minutes, 56 seconds
05: Vegan-Turned-Omnivore Yovana Talks Fertility & Internet Fame
On this week's episode of The Primal Kitchen Podcast hosted by Mark Sisson and Morgan Zanotti, Morgan chats with social media influencer Yovana! Join this duo as they discuss Yovana's personal food journey from raw vegan to omnivore. She goes in-depth on how her diet and lifestyle impacted her mental and physical health, as well as the challenges of internet fame, including cyberbullying. Yovana shares with Morgan how she found her diet fit, overcame fertility issues, and launched her new diet-inclusive app, SimpleFit, helping other folks find the healthy lifestyle that works for them.
11/1/2021 • 51 minutes, 35 seconds
04: Mark Sisson Q&A on Entrepreneurship and Mark's Biggest Failures
What's the Story on Mark Sisson? You asked, and Morgan got the answers. This week, Morgan tackles our most-requested topic yet: Primal Kitchen co-founder Mark Sisson's entrepreneurial journey...from mowing lawns to making mayo! Mark gets real talking about his biggest failures on his road to success, taking us all the way back from his small-town childhood adventures, his early career, and the business (and life) lessons he learned along the way. Listen in & find out fascinating facts about this thought leader's life, like what Mark's college buddies had in mind for his future, and what he originally wanted to be when he grew up.
10/25/2021 • 1 hour, 29 seconds
03: The Link Between Female Health & Fasting with Dr. Mindy Pelz
This week Morgan sits down with fasting expert Dr. Mindy Pelz. Pelz believes fasting can be the key to regulating hormones, stress & overall well-being in women. Morgan gets the full scoop from Dr. Pelz, who debunks the belief that fasting can have a negative impact on women's health, as well as the lowdown on proper fasting techniques for women. Learn more about Dr. Mindy Pelz's take on fasting and it's impact on the female body.
10/18/2021 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 6 seconds
02: Personalize Your Diet with Microbiome Expert Dr. Tim Spector
Would you try the #BluePoopChallenge? On this episode of the Primal Kitchen Podcast hosted by Mark Sisson and Morgan Zanotti, Morgan takes a deep dive into the intricate research of prominent geneticist Dr. Tim Spector. He believes he's discovered the ultimate secret to health: the microbiome. His discoveries led him to co-found Zoe, a personalized medicine nutrition research company that brings together blood sugar, blood fat and microbiome information to predict a personal diet based on the user's body. Listen in as Morgan & Dr. Spector talk everything from the bathroom to the biome!
10/11/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 59 seconds
01: The Primal Kitchen Story with Mark & Morgan
Tune in to a new kind of talk! The Primal Blueprint Podcast is relaunching as the Primal Kitchen Podcast, hosted by founders Mark Sisson and Morgan Zanotti. Every week, they're sitting down with the biggest names in the health, wellness, and personal growth space. Listen in on Spotify, Apple, and on PrimalKitchen.com every MONDAY for new episodes. In this intro episode, Mark & Morgan share the story of how Primal Kitchen came to be, how they became the most dynamic duo in the natural foods space, and the trials and tribulations along the way.
10/4/2021 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 38 seconds
Mark Sisson & Elle Russ
Elle Russ chats with New York Times bestselling author and co-founder of Primal Kitchen Foods (and also the founder of this podcast) - Mark Sisson. After 8 years, 500+ episodes and 20 million downloads...this is the final episode of The Primal Blueprint Podcast. But don’t worry, we are not completely disappearing! Elle Russ is launching the first episode of The Elle Russ Show September 28, 2021 and she is excited to bring you more awesome content that inspires, educates, and motivates. The Primal Blueprint Podcast will now become The Primal Kitchen Podcast hosted by CEO and co-Founder of Primal Kitchen Foods, Morgan Zanotti. The 500+ Primal Blueprint Podcast episodes will always be available at blog.primalblueprint.com. THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR LISTENERS AND GUESTS OVER THE YEARS! We are so grateful. Thank you for sharing your time, wisdom, and life stories with us!
9/27/2021 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 50 seconds
April King
Elle Russ chats with April King - the co-founder of Better Than Provisions, a food company committed to providing convenient, nutrient-packed, guilt-free foods that taste indulgent and suit a variety of dietary styles. After spending over 2 decades on her own personal health journey, and 10 years as a Health Coach and Holistic Nutritionist, April developed a recipe for a product she couldn’t find in the marketplace. She wanted something sweet, crunchy and satisfying that was made without grains, unhealthy oils, or added sugar. In 2018, after realizing that her clients, friends, and family shared the same frustrations with finding healthy and portable food options that were also delicious, she and her husband Earl launched Better Than Provisions with their signature 5 Nut Grain-Free Granola. USE CODE PRIMAL20 for 20% off of your first order of Better Than Provisions
9/23/2021 • 50 minutes, 1 second
Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers - a purpose-driven classic doctor and epidemiologist turned expert holistic healer and medical intuitive. She’s a graduate of the Disparities Leadership Program at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. She is an alumna of the University of Pittsburgh where she received her Bachelor’s of Science in psychology, Master’s in public health, and Doctorate in epidemiology with a focus on healthy aging and understanding barriers associated with chronic illness and disability prevention. After spending over a decade serving as a chronic disease specialist and clinical researcher in traditional healthcare, Dr. Rodgers now has her own practice, Healthy Transformations with Heart, where she combines the very best of Western medicine and science, with the natural, energetic, and spiritual components that cultivate true healing. Dr. Rodgers’ passion is applying her intuitive holistic approach to put the pieces of her clients’ health puzzles together-to connect the dots and identify the true root causes of why they’re stuck feeling the way they feel, create comprehensive plans and build customized healing regimes to finally free people from their chronic health issues. Dr. Rodgers’ ultimate goal is to facilitate healing across all levels and dimensions to help heart-centered women experience optimal health in mind, body, and spirit so they feel energized and empowered to lead their most meaningful, powerful lives. Dr. Rodgers believes that you are the only person who has the power to heal yourself.
9/20/2021 • 54 minutes, 43 seconds
Alicia Luciani
Elle Russ chats with Alicia Luciani - a Functional Health Coach. She completed her Master’s degree in Kinesiology/Exercise Sciences at the University of Toronto, and recently completed an intensive twelve month Health Coach training certification at the Kresser Institute. While experiencing soul-eroding burnout in 2017 that led to physical and mental illness, she really learned to have her own back. She began slowing down, nourishing her depleted body with whole foods, and building up the tools in her stress-reducing toolbox, and eventually made a complete recovery from burnout. She now supports high-achievers in identifying what is contributing to their stress, exhaustion and burnout and empowers them to strategically manage burnout based on where the mismatches are in their life. Through a focus on nutrition, self-discovery, and stress management, she supports clients in finding solutions to not only overcome burnout, but buffer against it and create a life balance so that they can live a healthy, vibrant, engaged, impactful life alongside their loved ones.
9/16/2021 • 36 minutes, 8 seconds
Barbara Diaz De Leon
Elle Russ chats with Barbara Diaz de Leon - a health and wellness coach who received her certifications through the Primal Health Coach Institute and the Institute of Transformational Nutrition. She is the founder of Daily Wellness for You and the Primal and Pink wellness group. She had her own remarkable body and mind transformation, and she is passionate to help other women do the same. Barbara’s coaching practice is dedicated to helping women to lose weight, regain energy and start LIVING LIFE again! Her clients are shown how to incorporate simple nutrition, exercise, lifestyle and mindset practices that are sustainable which provide lasting results. The nutrition and lifestyle changes in her program are based on a Paleo approach which has been effective for countless people worldwide. As a podcast listener gift, Barbara is offering a free customized 7-day meal plan. Contact her either through the contact form on her website at dailywellnessforyou.com or email her at [email protected]
9/13/2021 • 45 minutes, 44 seconds
John V. Petrocelli
Elle Russ chats with John V. Petrocelli - an experimental social psychologist who researches, writes, and speaks about the science of communication and decision making. He is a Professor of Psychology at Wake Forest University, teaching social psychology and judgment and decision making. He is also the author of The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit. His research examines the causes and consequences of bullshit and bullshitting in the way of better understanding and improving bullshit detection and disposal. Petrocelli’s research contributions also include attitudes and persuasion and the intersections of counterfactual thinking with learning, memory and decision making. His research and writings have been featured by the Wall Street Journal and in his popular TEDx Talk, Why BS is More Dangerous Than a Lie. In addition to his research and position as an Associate Editor of the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, he has authored over 50 papers in his field’s most prestigious journals, including the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, British Journal of Social Psychology, and Thinking and Reasoning. He has received numerous awards for his teaching and research achievements.
9/8/2021 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 48 seconds
Leslie Klenke
Elle Russ chats with Leslie Klenke - a Life and Business Coach. Her comprehensive business program, Building UP, is designed to help entrepreneurs start their online businesses and create, launch, and sell income-generating programs in just 12 weeks. Leslie understands how closely business growth is tied to personal growth and has intentionally developed Building UP to be a unique blend of proven business strategy and expansive personal development. Leslie is a published author (Paleo Girl, Primal Blueprint Publishing) and is certified in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica. She lives on 16 acres of beautiful Ohio farmland with her husband, AJ, and their sweet pup, Harlow. The next round of Building UP starts on October 11th and runs through January 17th. (A total of 14 weeks to account for holidays.) Enroll in the October program and you will be launching your own group program in January—the best time of year to launch a group program! Click HERE to apply to Building UP. Application deadline is October 4th. Mention you were referred by Elle to receive $500 off your enrollment fee!
9/6/2021 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 45 seconds
Dr. Stephanie Estima
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Stephanie Estima - the author of The Betty Body: A Geeky Goddess' Guide to Intuitive Eating, Balanced Hormones, and Transformative Sex. She is a chiropractic doctor with a special interest in metabolism, body composition, functional neurology, and female physiology. She’s been featured on Thrive Global, the Huffington Post, and has over 3.5 million article reads on Medium.com. She has helped thousands of women lose weight, regulate hormones, and get off medications with her signature program, The Estima Diet. You can hear her every week on her podcast, Better! With Dr. Stephanie.
8/30/2021 • 57 minutes, 42 seconds
Darryl Bosshardt
Elle Russ chats with Darryl Bosshardt of Redmond Life salt and seasoning company (and more!) - he is passionate about healthily living, healthy eating and life-long learning. Darryl grew up working for the family mineral business in Redmond, UT and then earned a Bachelor of Science degree at Southern Utah University followed by an MBA at Western Governor's University.
8/23/2021 • 35 minutes, 36 seconds
Danielle Schaaf
Elle Russ chats with Danielle Schaaf - founder of Walk in Your Worth Life Coaching is a faith-based life coach, teacher and recovering people-pleaser who is all about you walking in your God-given worth. Vulnerability, salsa dancing and traveling are a few of her favorite things.
8/16/2021 • 33 minutes, 17 seconds
Gina Swire
Elle Russ chats with Gina Swire - a self-love mentor and manifesting queen on a global mission to help a billion women fall madly in love with themselves. After struggling with her own self-worth and image issues, Gina quit her career as a plus-sized model at the height of her fame in order to embark on her own journey of transformation. Today she travels the world leading live workshops, hosting retreats, coaching private clients, and speaking on stages from Burning Man to Bali. Her first book ‘PS I love me’ is soon to be published. She inspires women everywhere to love themselves and love their lives. You can learn more about Gina and become a part of this self love movement at www.ginaswire.com. Video Episode HERE
8/9/2021 • 58 minutes, 28 seconds
Tyler Cartwright
Elle Russ chats with Tyler Cartwright - 15 years ago, Tyler was nearly dead. He weighed a quarter of a ton, he was falling asleep while driving, while talking, and while working. He was eating 12,000 Calories per day chasing blood glucose spikes and crashes just to stay awake. His A1c was in excess of 13, and he was nearer to death each day. A series of events over time and his own desire to improve brought him face-to-face with the gravity of this situation and he began to fight for his well-being for the first time in nearly two decades. He shed 300 pounds of excess body weight and has maintained the loss for over three years. His A1c, BG, and all markers of metabolic health have returned. Tyler now coaches and teaches others how to do so, both through his cofounding of Ketogains with Luis Villaseñor, and through his recently published book, Kintsukuroi: Rebuilding Hope & Embracing Change. His work and his coaching have helped thousands of people to succeed and inspired countless others to pursue their goals. He is an international public speaker, loves a great conversation, and enjoys reading on various topics (with a library well over 2500 books). His wife, Jamie, and their daughter live at home outside of Nashville, TN with their dog Dixie. VIDEO EPSIODE HERE
8/2/2021 • 56 minutes, 46 seconds
Lifestyle Tips For Testosterone Optimization, Part 2
Host Brad Kearns talks about the all-important topic of testosterone optimization—preserving health, vitality, focus, and motivation as we age. This is part two of the MOFO Mission discussion, so be sure to listen to part one where five lifestyle assignments were covered in detail and five more follow in this show. Details at BradKearns.com/MOFO. In case you missed the first show, Brad does a good recap of the first five assignments (sleep, cleaning up your diet, eating ancestral foods, supplementing strategically, and moving frequently), before covering the final five assignments in this show. They are: Hit it Hard! (brief, explosive, high-intensity workouts performed correctly); Take Control (discipline your use of technology to avoid constant distraction and overstimulation); Protect Yourself (avoid environmental estrogens found in plastics, certain foods, and home and personal care products); Rest like a MOFO (good ‘ol downtime and chilling, napping, and specially designed recovery workouts); and finally displaying maturity and emotional control in romantic relationships.
7/28/2021 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 30 seconds
Lisa Easton
Elle Russ chats with Lisa Easton - she spent over 10 years as an entrepreneur, helping others grow businesses, and mentoring women from all kinds of backgrounds and experiences. In 2020 She launched the Millionaire Morning Mama community in order to teach women how to reprogram their subconscious mind to attract life changing abundance and master their financial outcomes in just 30 days! With her background in business ownership, financial freedom and mentorship, MMM creates a combination of her expertise and experiences for women all over to benefit from. Video Episode HERE
7/26/2021 • 59 minutes, 37 seconds
Lifestyle Tips For Testosterone Optimization, Part 1
Host Brad Kearns talks about the all-important topic of testosterone optimization—preserving health, vitality, focus, and motivation as we age. Male hormone status is a slippery slope because when you start to accumulate a bit of a spare tire, testosterone can decline at an accelerated rate. This begets the accumulation of more spare tire, and more decline in testosterone. It’s time to fight the battle against accelerated aging! Accordingly, Brad has created the “MOFO Mission,” (more at BradKearns.com) a series of 10 assignments designed to cover all aspects of healthy living to be the best you can be. This show covers the first five assignments, so get ready to take simple, sustainable action toward naturally boosting your internal testosterone production. Here are the first five assignments: Prioritize sleep, Clean up your act (mostly food, but also other stuff), Eat ancestral foods, consider supplementation to replenish cellular energy, and move frequently at a slow pace. Part 2 will recover five additional assignments that will rock your world.
7/21/2021 • 54 minutes, 4 seconds
Logan Ury
Elle Russ chats with behavioral scientist turned dating coach Logan Ury - also the author of the new book, How to Not Die Alone. As the Director of Relationship Science at the dating app Hinge, Logan leads a research team dedicated to helping people find love. After studying psychology at Harvard, she ran Google’s behavioral science team—the Irrational Lab. She was a 2018 TED Resident and is a featured speaker at SXSW 2021. Logan lives in the Bay Area with her husband, Scott. For the video episode CLICK HERE
7/19/2021 • 49 minutes, 57 seconds
Marc Allen
Elle Russ chats with Marc Allen - a renowned author, composer, and speaker. On the day he turned thirty, Marc cofounded New World Library with Shakti Gawain, and as the company's president and publisher, he has guided it from a small start-up operation with no capital to become one of the leading publishers in its field - including publishing the works of Eckhart Tolle, SETH books, James Allen, and many more extraordinary titles that change lives. He has written numerous books, including The Greatest Secret of All, Visionary Business, The Millionaire Course, and The Type-Z Guide to Success. He has also recorded several albums of music, including Awakening, Breathe, and Solo Flight. He is a popular speaker and seminar leader based in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more about Marc, including his free monthly teleseminars, see www.MarcAllen.com, and for his catalog as a publisher visit NewWorldLibrary.com
7/12/2021 • 53 minutes, 31 seconds
Micro-Workouts To Boost Fitness, Increase Daily Activity, And Prevent Burnout
Host Brad Kearns discusses what could be the fitness breakthrough of the century: Micro-workouts! These are brief bursts of explosive effort that you can sprinkle into your daily routine. Examples include a set of deep squats right there at your work desk, a single set of pull-ups as you pass under the closet door, a sprint up two flights of stairs in the office building, pulling Stretch Cordz or TRX bands for a couple of quick sets, and so on. The benefits of micro-workouts are numerous. First, they are accessible to anyone no matter how busy your daily routine is. Second, the cumulative fitness benefits over time are phenomenal - you launch your formal workouts from a much high platform. Third, these workouts are brief enough that you don't risk the common problem of overly stressful workout patterns that lead to breakdown, burnout, illness, and injury. Perhaps most beneficial is how these little forays help break up prolonged periods of stillness that are so common in modern life and have now been identified as a huge health hazard. A minute or two of effort gets the blood and oxygen circulating throughout the body to enhance fat burning and cognitive function when you return to your screen. Perhaps the best way to get started with micro-workouts is to design a brief sequence of movements to execute first thing in the morning? Watch Brad's YouTube video, "Dynamic Stretching Routine To Start Your Day" for some ideas. Create a sequence that's simple and brief enough that you can commit to it every single day and mold it into a habit.
7/7/2021 • 39 minutes, 58 seconds
Alex Terranova
Elle Russ chats with Alex Terranova, PCC, ACCC, CHC - a certified professional/personal performance coach, and the host of the Dream Mason Podcast. He works with strong and successful leaders, rebellious innovators, and powerful teams who are ready to boldly declare what they want, get real about what’s in the way, and create the strategies and steps to generate more authenticity, clarity, freedom, and success. Through his 1-1coaching, online courses, workshops and his book, Fictional Authenticity, he has helped clients double their incomes in under 90 days, save marriages, get published, scale their companies from six to seven figures, buy dream homes, launch companies, and build successful teams. To learn more visit www.TheDreamMason.com
7/5/2021 • 1 hour, 19 seconds
Listener Q&A With Brad Kearns
Host Brad Kearns covers some interesting topics with great takeaways that can help you with all aspects of healthy living and critical thinking about the ancestral health hot topics of the day. You hear about: carnivore and carnivore-ish dietary questions; the benefits of continuous glucose monitoring and whether it's necessary if you feel healthy and energetic; the effect of prescription medication on fitness goals and MAF heart rate calculations; should you eat even if you're not hungry; the potential for plant foods to cause gut distress and how to perform a dietary restriction test to determine your level of plant sensitivity; and why is LeBron James still eating egg whites? Enjoy the show and please email your feedback and questions for future shows to [email protected]
6/30/2021 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 32 seconds
Brant Cortright, Ph.D.
Elle Russ chats with Brant Cortright, Ph.D. - professor emeritus with the California Institute of Integral Studies, clinical psychologist, and author of the #1 Amazon bestseller The Neurogenesis Diet and Lifestyle. He brings decades of university teaching, scholarship,and clinical practice to present a revolutionary understanding of the current mental health epidemic and a new path forward to radical brain health. In this episode, we discuss his new book: HOLISTIC HEALING for ANXIETY, DEPRESSION & COGNITIVE DECLINE. Holistic Healing is the first guidebook that shows, step-by-step,how to navigate the neurotoxic minefield of modern life, so youcan function at the highest levels of creative productivity, without the exhaustion and burnout. It brings together the newestresearch in neuroscience, nutrition, and psychology to reveal thecomplex sources of this neurotoxic stew. And most important, it offers a way back towards our own peak intelligence and radiant brain function, so we can show up and participate in the world at full mental capacity.
6/28/2021 • 1 hour, 10 seconds
Dr. Jennifer Etnier: The Cognitive Benefits Of Physical Activity (And How To Coach Kids The Right Way)
Dr. Jennifer Etnier is a researcher at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. In this show, you will enjoy some awesome insights on the connection between exercise and brain health and preventing Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Etnier is the principal investigator of the Physical Activity and Alzheimer’s Disease 2 study at UNCG and is the author of two books, Coaching for the Love of the Game, and Bring Your ‘A’ Game targeting adolescent athletes. If you can achieve the primary objective of walking frequently every day, you are going to lower your risk of Alzheimer's disease. There are immediate benefits to exercise of all kinds on brain function, so you get the best of both worlds with an instant boost in cognitive function and long-term disease prevention. Parents will enjoy ideas that encourage emphasizing improvement over winning, and ways to balance the competitive experience so everyone benefits.
6/23/2021 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 26 seconds
CJ Hunt
Elle Russ chats with CJ Hunt - filmmaker and broadcast journalist, and the writer, co-executive producer and on-camera host of the documentary The Perfect Human Diet (and a companion book with the same name). This 2-hour podcast episode spans from discussions on ancestral history and findings to digging deep into debunked health studies, along with CJ's recent personal journey with hypothyroid issues that were solved through T3-only hormone treatment. The film evolved from his true-life story, beginning in 1978 when paramedics brought Mr. Hunt back to life at the age of 24 after suffering a full cardiac arrest while jogging. That incident evoked an intense passion to find out how we can all achieve longer, healthier and happier lives and then share that information with others. CJ has over twenty years of experience in broadcasting, voiceovers, television and live events. He is the author of three books on diet and health.
6/21/2021 • 2 hours, 1 minute, 38 seconds
Listener Q&A With Brad Kearns: Intuitive Eating, Micro-Workouts, and High Intensity Repeat Training
Host Brad Kearns honors listener questions and comments with some commentary on three very important topics. First, the pros and cons of an intuitive approach to eating, and how to do it correctly without suffering the drawbacks of an insufficiently disciplined approach. Second, the fitness breakthrough of the century that is micro-workouts, and how you integrate these smoothly into your daily lifestyle to experience an array of benefits like raising the fitness platform for formal workouts, meeting your daily movement quota, and experiencing a significant cumulative fitness benefit. Finally, you’ll learn the critical distinction between an ill-advised HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) session and a more effective, more explosive HIRT (High-Intensity Repeat Training) session that carries less downside risk of overdoing it and getting injured. Unfortunately, the prevailing approach to HIIT leads to depletion and exhaustion. You can gain vastly more benefit from doing shorter efforts and taking “luxurious” rest intervals. These concepts come from Dr. Craig Marker and were detailed in this MDA article, HIIT vs HIRT
6/16/2021 • 44 minutes, 59 seconds
Chairidee Smith
Elle Russ chats with Chairidee Smith - an advocate for women’s business and economic power. She serves on various boards amplifying women’s voices in business to legislators, championing funding and opportunities for women to build sustainable and viable economic power. Ms. Smith, also known as Ms. Mogul® utilizes keynote speaking opportunities, leadership development, mentoring, entrepreneurial ventures, and global enterprise to not only fuel the Houston economy but women’s businesses in global economies.
6/14/2021 • 53 minutes, 38 seconds
Cynthia Thurlow
Elle Russ chats with Cynthia Thurlow - a globally recognized expert in nutrition & intermittent fasting, highly sought after speaker, CEO and founder of Everyday Wellness Project. She's been a nurse practitioner for 20+ years, is a 2x TEDx speaker: her 2nd talk on intermittent fasting has been viewed over 7.5 million times. She has been featured on ABC, FOX5, KTLA, CW and in Medium and Entrepreneur. Cynthia was recently listed in Yahoo Finance as one of the “21 Founders Changing the Way We do Business.” She's also the xhost of Everyday Wellness podcast, which was listed as "20 Podcasts That Will Help You Grow in 2020" by Entrepreneur magazine, and in Business Insider "21 Podcasts To Expand Your Mind in 2021.”
6/7/2021 • 44 minutes, 20 seconds
Dr. Dale Bredesen, MD
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Dale Bredesen, MD - he received his undergraduate degree from Caltech and his medical degree from Duke. He served as Resident and Chief Resident in Neurology at UCSF, then was postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Nobel laureate Prof. Stanley Prusiner. He was a faculty member at UCLA from 1989-1994, then was recruited by the Burnham Institute to direct the Program on Aging. In 1998 he became the Founding President and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, and Adjunct Professor at UCSF; then in 2013 he returned to UCLA as the Director of the Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research. The Bredesen Laboratory studies basic mechanisms underlying the neurodegenerative process, and the translation of this knowledge into effective therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions, leading to the publication of over 220 research papers. He established the ADDN (Alzheimer’s Drug Development Network) with Dr. Varghese John in 2008, leading to the identification of new classes of therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease. He and his group developed a new approach to the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, and this approach led to the discovery of subtypes of Alzheimer’s disease, followed by the first description of reversal of symptoms in patients with MCI and Alzheimer’s disease, with the ReCODE (reversal of cognitive decline) protocol, published in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Dr. Bredesen is the author of the New York Times best seller, The End of Alzheimer’s, and the newly released, The End of Alzheimer’s Program.
5/31/2021 • 42 minutes, 18 seconds
Kirsten Beverley-Waters - Finding Strength From Struggles And Past Traumas
Host Brad Kearns welcomes Kirsten Beverley-Waters, Yoga Medicine teacher, fitness coach, public speaker, and author of the book Struggle Guru. Kirsten takes us on an exploration of personal experience and how our individual stories and struggles help shape our biology, giving breath to our individual strengths. A pioneer in innovative movement methods, Kirsten brings a modern approach to Yoga’s ancient wisdom by teaching movement through the lens of mental wellness, whole body health, and spiritual grounding. Kirsten gives a revealing and vulnerable interview geared toward highlighting the importance of finding strength within your past traumas/moments of struggle. With this concept, she is encouraging readers to redefine their relationship with struggle. Rather than being held captive by moments of pain and suffering, we need to use these moments as a source of empowerment and a guide for unlocking our individual purpose.
5/26/2021 • 50 minutes, 21 seconds
Shawn Wells
Elle Russ chats with Shawn Wells MPH, LDN, RD, CISSN, FISSN - the world’s leading nutritional biochemist! He has formulated over 500 supplements, food, beverages, and cosmeceuticals and patented 10 novel ingredients and is now known as the Ingredientologist - the scientist of ingredients. Formerly a Chief Clinical Dietitian with over a decade of clinical experience, he has counseled thousands of people on innovative health solutions such as keto, paleo, fasting, and supplements. He has also personally overcome various health issues including Epstein-Barr Virus, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, depression, insomnia, obesity, and a pituitary tumor. As a world-renowned thought-leader on mitochondrial health, he has been paid to speak on five different continents. His insights have been prominently featured in documentaries, nationally syndicated radio programs and regularly on morning television. His expertise can help any health-conscious individual to better manage stress and experience higher performance and more energy through utilizing his practical research-backed solutions. ShawnWells.com
5/24/2021 • 48 minutes, 16 seconds
Jake Steiner: Curing Your Myopia With A Graceful, Gradual And Natural Approach
Host Brad Kearns welcomes Jake Steiner to discuss the amazing world of correcting your eyesight gradually and naturally over time. Jake is the founder of EndMyopia.org, which offers extensive scientifically validated education on how myopia is not a genetic condition, but rather a problem driven by excessive use of close up screens causing spasms in the ciliary muscle in the eye that affects your ability to focus well on distant objects. Jake describes how wearing glasses is a "subscription, not a prescription" and a sure path to progressively declining vision over time. However poor your eyesight is right now, you can take some simple steps to introduce what Jake calls, "a little bit of blur" into your life and use glasses on an as-needed basis rather than a habitual crutch. Challenging your eyes in a gentle manner will retrain your eye muscles more effectively and allow you to make steady progress toward lenses of less and less correction over time. Jake was at minus 5 diopters and no longer needs glasses, will explain how you can improve at the gradual rate of 1 diopter per year. Check out Jake's app called Meow-Sure that allows you to quantify progress over time.
5/19/2021 • 57 minutes, 13 seconds
Vanessa Lambert
Elle Russ chats with Vanessa Lambert - a champion of movement and mindfulness. Vanessa co-founded Bee The Wellness in 2012 with her husband, Adam to activate a meaningful life full of connection, wellness, and adventure. By helping clients gain mastery over their physiology and mindset through coaching, courses, and retreats, Vanessa is living her purpose and thriving in her zone of genius. She honed her physical prowess under the tutelage of celebrated ancestral health pioneers, Robb Wolf and Mark Sisson, and sharpened her mental mastery in 2008 by becoming a Certified Spiritual Counselor. She is a certified Kundalini Yoga instructor and Akashic Records Intuitive Reader & teacher. Vanessa fuses her distinguished knowledge of health, diet, and fitness, with her expertise in spiritual life mastery for a 360-degree experience in holistic life coaching. Vanessa is the chief curator of award-winning Bee The Wellness events and retreats. Built to expand people’s lives, she designs amazing adventures that aspire to level up the human experience in the physical, emotional, and spiritual arenas while facilitating community and connection between other wellness warriors. She has coached over 4000 remote clients under Bee The Wellness and the Primal Blueprint, and hundreds of seminar and retreat guests at world-famous PrimalCon events, Paleo f(x), and Bee The Wellness adventures. Using an inside-out approach to transformation, Vanessa has developed acclaimed Bee The Wellness mindfulness programs, such as the Authentic Self Life Mastery Program and mastermind for its graduates, and the 21-Day Meditation Challenge—which includes all original written and recorded meditations backed by binaural beats, a synthesis of Vanessa’s musical background and mindfulness training. Vanessa has recently launched Starseed Collective where she is focused on helping medicine women step deeper into their path as healers and intuitives. Connect with Vanessa on Instagram
5/17/2021 • 43 minutes, 8 seconds
Dave McKeown
Host Brad Kearns welcomes Dave McKeown to discuss the subject of leadership with a fresh and extremely compelling twist. If you are a leader in the workplace or even a household, these insights will be very helpful and memorable. Dave is the author of the book, The Self-Evolved Leader: Elevate Your Focus And Develop Your People In A World That Refuses To Slow Down. You'll learn to evolve from our typical approach to "heroic leadership" to become a self-evolved leader, where you focus on helping each member of the team become the best version of themselves--including you in the leadership position. These concepts are especially important today when leaders have more potential than ever for distraction, reduced focus on big picture goals, and easy access to data to micromanage and become frazzled. To learn more about Dave, visit DaveMcKeown.com This book is ideal for any leader looking to: Stop working in the weeds and think more strategically Build empowerment deep in their team Free up their headspace to be more creative Deliver lasting results for their team and organization
5/12/2021 • 50 minutes, 39 seconds
Dr. Jason Fung, MD
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Jason Fung - a physician (kidney specialist), researcher and New York Times best-selling author currently practicing in Toronto, Canada. trained in Los Angeles and Toronto and currently practices as a nephrologist (kidney specialist). His books, including The Obesity Code, The Complete Guide to Fasting, The Diabetes Code and The Cancer Code have challenged conventional thinking about these diseases, and introduces dietary strategies to manage them. He is the co-founder of The Fasting Method - which provides the education, tools and community needed to successfully implement intermittent fasting.
5/10/2021 • 44 minutes, 22 seconds
Dr. Anthony Balduzzi - The Fit Father Project
Host Brad Kearns welcomes Dr. Anthony to discuss his thriving community dedicated to supporting the health of busy fathers over age 40 who want to reduce excess body fat, age gracefully, and minimize disease risk factors. Anthony's father died at 42, creating a lifelong inspiration for Anthony to promote health and wellness and help fathers avoid the common downward spiral into decline and disease driven by overworking and unhealthy lifestyle habits. His program has helped over 26,000 men lose weight, build muscle, and get healthy for themselves & their families. You'll hear details of Anthony's incredible simple approach, which entails creating a mission statement so you will fully buy into the importance of healthy habits; creating a systemized eating strategy with go-to meals, so you don't have to apply creativity, will power or suffer from decision fatigue; and to conduct simple, time-efficient workouts--no fancy equipment or venue needed. Check out FitFatherProject.com and the popular Fit Father Project YouTube site for details.
5/5/2021 • 45 minutes, 41 seconds
Autumn Fladmo Smith
Elle Russ chats with Autumn Fladmo Smith - the co-founder of Paleovalley and Wild Pastures. She holds a Masters in Holistic Nutrition, a Certified Eating Psychology Coach, and a Certified FDN Practitioner. Her passion for health began with her own struggles with IBS and anxiety: despite a career as a professional dancer and celebrity fitness trainer, Autumn’s own health was in shambles. Desperate for a cure, she and her husband Chas stumbled upon the paleo diet in 2011 and within a month of beginning it, her health was completely transformed. Autumn then made it her mission to share the information she had learned with as many people as possible: she is the co-founder of Paleovalley, an organic whole-food supplement and paleo snack food company that prioritizes nutrient density and food quality. In 2018, she took things a step further and launched her second business with her husband: Wild Pastures, a regenerative pasture-based meat delivery service. Wild Pastures makes supporting sustainable agriculture and local, small farms easy for consumers. She lives in Boulder, CO with her husband and their son, Maverick. For 15% off Paleovalley all products use code KICKASSLIFE. VIDEO EPISODE HERE
5/3/2021 • 27 minutes, 28 seconds
Luke Tyburski - Chasing Extreme Endurance Goals To Learn About Life Balance
Host Brad Kearns welcomes former pro soccer player turned extreme endurance athlete turned mental training coach Luke Tyburski to talk about his remarkable journey in pursuit of the limits of human endurance performance and the profound ups and downs and life-altering lessons Luke has experienced along the way. After playing soccer at a high level in Australia and the USA, Luke plunged headlong into ultraendurance, with his first-ever running race the epic Marathon des Sables--a legendary six-day slog through the sandy Sahara Desert covering 155 miles over six days. Luke also ran 40 miles from Mt Everest base camp into Nepal despite an intestinal ailment that prevented him from eating or drinking anything for four days prior. He created his own 12-day "Ultimate Triathlon"," swimming the Gibraltar Strait (Spain to Morocco) and pedaling and running along the Mediterranean for 2,000 kilometers total. Check out the Amazon Prime documentary "The Ultimate Triathlon." Alas, these extreme efforts (and the grueling PR and logistics efforts behind the scenes) destroyed Luke's physical health and exacerbated his clinical depression. This forced him to reckon with his purpose and recalibrate on a journey of healing. Today Luke is a mental training coach for aspiring peak performances. He coaches and lectures about how to push through perceived barriers with the force of mind, while at the same time maintaining a commitment to leading a healthy, balanced life. His autobiography is called Chasing Extreme.
4/28/2021 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 57 seconds
Brad Kearns
Elle Russ chats with New York Times Bestselling author Brad Kearns about the new book he co-authored with Mark Sisson: Two Meals A Day: The Simple, Sustainable Strategy to Lose Fat, Reverse Aging & Break Free From Diet Frustration Forever. Brad is an expert in ancestral/primal/paleo health, keto, and endurance training. Brad is also the host of the B.Rad podcast!
4/26/2021 • 52 minutes, 31 seconds
Dr. Brett Hill - Building Resiliency From Rock Bottom
Host Brad Kearns talks to Dr. Brett Hill, a chiropractor in Adelaide, Australia about the importance of building resiliency, especially in light of the major lifestyle upheavals in 2020. Brett shares a sensitive personal story about hitting bottom several years ago and rethinking the direction of his life and his mindset. Brett describes in detail how to transform from a state of fear, anxiousness, and hopelessness into resilience and vitality. His book is cleverly titled, Rock Bottom, which describes not only the suffering of life but also a place to build a found foundation to grow and thrive from! During the show, Brett talks us through eight distinct steps to building resilience. Start with cultivating self-love, then discover your “why”, then cultivate curiosity and personal honesty. Then release your attachment to expectations, regain control of your life, take action, and don’t forget the importance of believing in miracles. Learn more about Brett and gain access to free mentoring at DrBrettHill.com.
4/21/2021 • 57 minutes, 57 seconds
Zach Schleien
Elle Russ chats with Zach Schleien - the Co-founder/CEO of the video speed dating app, Filter Off. Filter Off has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, BBC, and hit #1 on ProductHunt. Previously he ran and sold the dating blog Top Romp, which covered dating hacks and apps for the modern dater. Zach has created FREE virtual US-based and global-based paleo & keto online dating events for the ancestral community. He is a TEDx speaker and his passions lie in technology, health, and creating authentic connections. When he is not working, Zach loves to travel the world, eat Keto, and workout. https://www.getfilteroff.com
4/20/2021 • 17 minutes, 53 seconds
Joe Cohen - Genetic Testing To Optimize Health
Host Brad Kearns talks to Joe Cohen, the founder of SelfDecode, a genetic testing service that gives customers personalized health recommendations based on their genes. Great advancements have been made with genetic testing in recent years, and running your genetic profile once allows you to apply future research advancements to your unchanging genetic profile and learn further insights. Joe describes how genetic testing can help you make the best decisions for exercise, eating, mood stability, and sleeping habits. It's important to acknowledge that self optimization should always be centered on testing, evaluating, and retesting, but knowing what direction to head with a genetic road map can be extremely valuable. For example, athletes can learn valuable insights about the antioxidant needs, methylation abilities, and muscle fiber composition to help design a training plan that they will respond to successfully. For example, Brad mentions his DNAFit report that revealed a ratio of 54% strength/power to 46% endurance in his genotype, a revelatory insight that would have helped revise his triathlon training away from a pure endurance approach that most triathletes follow to something more suited to his genetics.
4/14/2021 • 50 minutes, 31 seconds
Terri Cole
Elle Russ chats with Terri Cole - a New York-based, licensed psychotherapist, relationship expert and author of Boundary Boss: The Essential guide to Talk, Be Seen, and (Finally) Live Free. She is the founder of Real Love Revolution. Boundary Bootcamp, and the co-founder of Crushing Codependency, her female empowerment courses reach women in over 90 countries. She has been featured as an expert therapist and master life coach on A&E’s Monster In-Laws, TED X, The Lisa Oz Show, Real Housewives and had a weekly radio show on Hay House Radio. Plus, a regular contributor to The Huffington Post, Positively Positive, The Daily Love, Well+Good, and has been featured in Italian Elle, Forbes, Origin, Vogue, Self and was honored to grace the cover of Inspired Coach magazine. Learn more about her work at terricole.com
4/12/2021 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 37 seconds
Dr. Greg Kelly - Circadian Strategies for Longevity and Fat Loss
Host Brad Kearns welcomes Dr. Greg Kelly, a naturopathic doctor, and expert in nutrition and anti-aging. Dr. Greg is the founder of Neurohacker Collective. In this episode, you'll learn about some cutting-edge longevity research to target senescent cells and help repair them before they become cancerous. Supplements like the popular anti-inflammatory quercetin and mushroom extracts have been proven effective, as has daily time-restricted feeding and occasional longer fasting periods. Dr. Kelly also discusses how important circadian rhythm is to health and longevity, and some ideas for how to optimize the various hormonal and metabolic functions that are tied to circadian rhythm. Hint: Don't eat after 10 pm, because your stomach starts to produce high levels of acid to detoxify what is supposed to be an empty stomach. Regarding weight loss, Dr. Kelly provides a memorable insight about crash dieting, where the body reacts with a "body fat overshoot" aka "diet-induced lipolysis" to gain weight back quickly and often worse than where you started. Dr. Greg offers some great practical tips to spur fat loss the right way, such as increased daily movement and better sleep. Another cool tip is to track morning and evening body temperature, as Dr. Kelly notes that more variation in daily temperature is a sign of youthful functional age. Enjoy the show and learn more at neurohackercollective.com
4/7/2021 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 12 seconds
Dr. Caroline Leaf
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Caroline Leaf - a communication pathologist and cognitive neuroscientist with a Masters and PhD in Communication Pathology and a BSc Logopaedics, specializing in cognitive and metacognitive neuropsychology. She has a new book out: Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess. Since the early 1980s she has researched the mind-brain connection, the nature of mental health, and the formation of memory. She was one of the first in her field to study how the brain can change (neuroplasticity) with directed mind input. Dr. Leaf is also the bestselling author of Switch on Your Brain, Think Learn Succeed, Think and Eat Yourself Smart, and many more.
4/5/2021 • 49 minutes, 46 seconds
Dr. Paul Saladino: The Compelling Case For Carnivore
Host Brad Kearns goes deep into the fascinating world of the nose-to-tail carnivore diet with leading expert Dr. Paul Saladino. If you’ve heard of this emerging dietary strategy and don’t know what to think, Dr. Paul presents an extremely compelling and scientifically validated case for emphasizing nutrient-dense animal foods in your diet. Regarding the plant foods that we have long been told to make a dietary centerpiece, Dr. Paul proposes that the natural toxins contained in all plants may be compromising your health without you knowing it. If you have any form of nagging autoimmune or inflammatory conditions that aren’t responding to traditional treatment, consider a test period of exclusion of all plant foods to give your digestive system and potential leaky gut condition and chance to heal. Dr. Paul is the author of the bestseller The Carnivore Code. Learn more at CarnivoreMD.com
3/31/2021 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 51 seconds
Dr. Uma Naidoo MD
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Uma Naidoo MD - an awarded board-certified psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, professional chef, nutrition specialist and author of the recently released This is Your Brain on Food: An Indispensable Guide to the Surprising Foods that Fight Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD and More. Featured in the Wall Street Journal, ABC News, Harvard Health Press, goop, and many others, Dr. Uma Naidoo has a special interest on the impact of food on mood and other mental health conditions. In her role as a Clinical Scientist, she founded and directs the first hospital-based clinical service in Nutritional Psychiatry in the United States. She is the Director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and Director of Nutritional Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital Academy while serving on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. Having been recognized as the first U.S. Nutritional Psychiatrist, Dr. Uma was also commissioned to pen the textbook for the American Psychiatric Association.
3/29/2021 • 44 minutes, 30 seconds
Mark Sisson On Eating And Exercising To Promote Longevity And Avoid Disease, Going With The Flow, And Picking Your Battles
Host Brad Kearns talks with Mark Sisson about the latest trends and breaking science in the world of health, fitness, and longevity. The discussion includes: evolved view of insulin resistance that emphasizes the damage to fat metabolism and metabolic function caused by industrial seed oils; striking a healthy balance between longevity and striving for the six-pack; de-emphasizing straight cardio for a broad-based workout protocol that emphasizes maintaining muscle mass and avoiding overtraining patterns; the psychological benefits of cold exposure that help you appreciate the present and live without judgment; and balancing a relaxed, gratitude-oriented mindset with pursuing peak performance in competitive business and life settings by picking your battles. This is a great show to find out what Mark’s been up to lately and how he has changed his perspective and approach in recent times with diet, fitness regimen, and mindset.
3/24/2021 • 51 minutes, 39 seconds
Wade Lightheart & Matt Gallant
Elle Russ chats with Wade Lightheart and Matt Gallant. Matt and Wade are co-founders of BIOptimizers. Matt Gallant was a strength and conditioning coach for multiple pro-athletes, a self-defense instructor, and has over 10 years experience formulating supplements. Wade Lightheart is an aauthor, athlete, nutritionist and expert on fixing digestion, and he is also a 3-Time Canadian national All Natural Bodybuilding Champion who competed as a vegetarian. Wade is also a former Mr. Universe Competitor and the host of The Awesome Health podcast.
3/22/2021 • 50 minutes, 55 seconds
Ryan Baxter: Nose Breathing To Improve Oxygen Delivery And Reduce Workout Stress
Host Brad Kearns welcomes Primal Health Coach Ryan Baxter to the show to discuss the importance of intentional breathing as it relates to minimizing workout (and life) stress and optimizing fat burning. Ryan discusses the important role breathing plays in whether we burn carbs or fat during aerobic workouts. Beyond the need to observe the “180 minus age” in heartbeats per minute, the efficiency of our delivery of oxygen to working muscles is also relevant. Ryan explains how improving our CO2 tolerance can improve oxygen delivery, making workouts less stressful and improving performance. The less CO2 you can tolerate the quicker you are going to want to exhale it from your body—that’s why we default to shallow, panting, inefficient breaths - not only during workouts but also at rest. This stimulates sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system function while nose breathing stimulates parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system function. The greater you can tolerate C02 the slower you will be able to exhale it. You’ll learn how to dabble in the popular practice of nose breathing both at rest and during workouts. Try the shiftadapt test (linked below) to see how well you tolerate CO2 now and track improvement over time. Links: Ryan's Instagram Ryan's Blog Shiftadapt Test
3/17/2021 • 57 minutes, 49 seconds
Dr. Al Danenberg
Elle Russ chats with fellow Primal Health Coach Dr. Al Danenberg, who goes by “Dr. Al”. He is a periodontist and was in private practice for 44 years. He incorporated ancestral nutrition & lifestyle with his leading-edge laser protocol to treat periodontal disease. Dr. Al consults with patients all over the world (virtually via Zoom or Skype) regarding animal-based nutrition, lifestyle, oral & overall health, and the importance of a healthy gut and immune system. He also includes his Unconventional Cancer Protocols since he was diagnosed with incurable bone marrow cancer in September 2018 and was given only 3-6 months to live. Dr. Al rejected all chemotherapy and is thriving today. In June 2014, Dr. Al received the Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner (CFMP) designation as well as the certification as a Primal Health Coach. In 2015, he was appointed to the faculty of the College of Integrative Medicine and created the college’s integrative periodontal teaching module. In April 2017, Dr. Al earned the designation of “ADAPT Trained Health Professional” from Kresser Institute. In July 2017, Elektra Press released his book, “Crazy-Good Living”, which is based on ancestral nutrition and lifestyle. On April 14, 2020, Dr. Al was appointed the Chair of the Periodontal Committee for the International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine (IABDM). He also created the Certification Course offered by the IABDM, which will bestow the designation of Certified Biological Nutritional Dental Professional after successful completion of the program. This is the first certification of its kind. In August 2020, he published two mini-eBooks on Amazon for download: “Better Belly Blueprint” and “Is Your Gut Killing You?” In November 2020, NutriSense offered Dr. Danenberg a position on its Advisory Board, and in January 2021, Dr. Al became a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Revitin Natural Toothpaste. CLICK HERE for Dr. Al's 20-minute Free Better Belly Blueprint Training followed by download of his PDF (Better Belly Blueprint) and a calendar to set up a Free 30-Minute Consult with Dr. Al.
3/15/2021 • 51 minutes, 3 seconds
Melinda Wittstock
Elle Russ chats with Melinda Wittstock - a serial entrepreneur who has built 4 businesses in media and tech to 7- and 8- figure success. Formerly an award-winning journalist, executive producer, and TV anchor for the BBC, ABC News, CNBC/Financial Times Television and MSNBC, Melinda created and grew a BBC show to a 20 million audience and also innovated one of the first crowd-sourcing mobile apps, growing unique users to 3 million in 8 months. She is now the CEO and Founder of Podopolo, the world's first socially interactive and "gamified" podcast network. Melinda also helps business owners and entrepreneurs launch magnetic and profitable podcasts. An acknowledged visionary in tech, media, mobile platforms and social content, Melinda also hosts the fast growing "Wings Of...Inspired Business" podcast named by Entrepreneur Magazine as #8 of 20 of the top business podcasts for 2020. VIDEO EPISODE HERE
3/8/2021 • 49 minutes, 14 seconds
Drew Manning
Elle Russ chats with Drew Manning about his latest Fit2Fat2Fit experiment, this time calling it Fit2Fat2Forty – where he intentionally got fat again after a decade of doing it the 1st time. Drew is on his way back to fit and shares his journey of getting fat. Drew is the New York Times Best Selling Author of the book, Fit2Fat2Fit and is best known for his 1st Fit2Fat2Fit.com experiment a decade ago. He has been featured on shows like Dr. Oz, Good Morning America, The View and many more. His new book Complete Keto is available now!
3/1/2021 • 51 minutes, 9 seconds
Mitch Webb
Mitch Webb is corporate sales executive turned health coach. After surviving Lyme disease, mold toxicity, chronic fatigue, and debilitating anxiety he now empowers others to take their lives back with mindset, diet and lifestyle choices. www.primallift.com
2/22/2021 • 46 minutes, 16 seconds
Dr. Josh Axe Introduces Ancient Remedies
Host Brad Kearns welcomes bestselling author, nutrition expert, and Internet personality Dr. Josh Axe to the podcast to discuss his new book, Ancient Remedies. Dr. Axe is at the forefront of natural medicine, as the founder of Ancient Nutrition and DrAxe.com. He also wrote bestselling books, Keto Diet and Collagen Diet, and is the host of The Dr. Axe Show. In this wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Axe shares the integration of dietary philosophy with his spiritual life path, the direct connection between dietary habits and disease, the impact of attitude and belief systems on disease, and how to heal with a comprehensive approach to wellness that extends beyond food choices and into the realm of gratitude. You’ll learn all about Dr. Axe’s new book about healing with food, and also how to integrate traditional medical care with holistic practices that can address the cause of disease instead of just treating the symptoms. Visit DrAxe.com to learn more!
2/17/2021 • 1 hour, 11 seconds
Diane Forster
Elle Russ chats with Diane Forster - an Award-Winning Inventor, Best Selling Author, TEDx Speaker, TV Host, Podcaster, Intentional Living Expert and Re-Invention Specialist. She works with clients privately and helps youclear away mindset blocks and limiting beliefs that can block you from reaching your full potential in business, life and relationships. Diane is the CEO and Founder of I HAVE TODAY. She is the best-selling author of “I HAVE TODAY: Find Your Passion, Purpose and Smile...Finally!” and “Reach Your Greatness...Top Thought-Leaders Share Their Secrets for Living an Extraordinary Life!” Her LIVE TV Show along her Podcast, “I HAVE TODAY with Diane Forster” and all her other products/programs help people live enriched, empowered, inspiring lives through their transitions, to reinvent themselves. Diane’s career began in advertising and TV sales, including DISNEY/ABC. She is also the inventor of The SPIFTER, a fun kitchen tool that won an INNOVATION AWARD at the International Housewares Show in Chicago. Diane has been featured on ABC, QVC, The Chicago Tribune,San Diego Voyager, Business News Daily and many other TV, Radio and Podcast shows. She has written articles for Inventor’s Digest Magazine and writes an inspiring weekly blog. Diane is a mother of twins and lives in San Diego. Her mission is to see that 1 BILLION people who don’t know their self-worth discover their true divinity, power and purpose.
2/15/2021 • 51 minutes, 37 seconds
Ben Ivey
Elle Russ chats with Ben Ivey - one of the world's leading authorities in the entrepreneur lifestyle, a global speaker, and has spoken at over 200 events internationally. He is CEO and founder of The Entrepreneur Lifestyle helping overwhelmed entrepreneurs to become more efficient and boost business success. Ben works with Fortune 500 companies such as Coca Cola, HSBC and Maersk inspiring their teams and helping increase business growth. He is a thought leader, business coach and has completed a TED talk in Mandarin Chinese. Ben is the founder of The Entrepreneur Lifestyle Coach Academy giving coaches the coaching and speaking skills to transform people’s lives. These coaches help him run his signature program the Entrepreneur Lifestyle Accelerator that helps business owners create time freedom, live a great lifestyle and create business success.
2/8/2021 • 33 minutes, 11 seconds
Mark Sisson and Brad Kearns Present Two Meals A Day
The long-awaited release of the diet book to end all diet books is here! Two Meals A Day transcends the confusion and controversy about healthy eating and obsessing over strict food choices and meal patterns required with many niche strategies. Instead, you’ll broaden the focus to a simple and sustainable strategy that works for everyone. Emerging science reveals that when you eat is just as important as what you eat for fat loss, disease protection, and longevity. Even among those devoted to choosing the best foods or following strict macro guidelines, it’s possible to fall short of fat loss goals by eating too frequently and engaging in the surprisingly destructive habit of snacking. In this show, you’ll get a great sense of the content of each chapter in the book, starting with a detailed explanation of how to achieve metabolic flexibility—the ability to gracefully burn a variety of fuel sources as needed, with the emphasis on stored body fat as your preferred fuel choice. You’ll understand that our body works most efficiently in a fasted state, with autophagy, immune function, cognitive function, and inflammation control all optimized. You’ll also learn why simply ditching the Big Three toxic modern foods (refined sugars, grains, and industrial seed oils) will get you most of the way toward your potential. You’ll learn how to make the best choices in the ancestral food categories, and form an empowering mindset by rejecting self-limiting beliefs and behavior patterns and operating from a stance of gratitude, mindfulness, and self-confidence. The show will overview how to implement the important lifestyle practices of sleep, rest & recovery, increased general everyday movement, and brief, high-intensity workouts.
2/3/2021 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 49 seconds
Dane Johnson
Elle Russ chats with Dane Johnson - a Board Certified Nutritionist who naturally recovered from a near death experience battling Crohn’s Disease & Ulcerative Colitis. He is the founder of CrohnsColitisLifestyle and Co-founder of the non-profit, EfundyourHealth with the mission to empower the Crohn’s/Colitis community and bring alternative options to our healthcare system. Dane used a combination of healing approaches to eliminate his symptoms, drug use, avoid all surgeries and regain 55 pounds of lean body weight. He has helped over 250 Crohn’s/Colitis clients to do the same through private coaching and his signature S.H.I.E.L.D. program. He now has a thriving career as a speaker, author, coach, and model for a self-empowerment.
2/1/2021 • 53 minutes, 42 seconds
Ashley Stahl
Elle Russ chats with Ashley Stahl about her new book YouTurn: Get Unstuck, Discover Your Direction, Design Your Dream Career. Ashley is a counter-terrorism professional turned career coach, speaker, and author on a mission to help you step into a career you’re excited about and aligned with. Through her two viral TEDx speeches, her email list of 500,000 and her podcast, You Turn, she's been able to support clients in 31 countries in discovering their best career path, upgrading their confidence and landing more job offers. She maintains a monthly career column in Forbes, and her work has been also featured in outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, CBS, SELF, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and more. For her FREE quiz to discover the best career path for you, visit AshleyStahl.com.
1/25/2021 • 53 minutes, 4 seconds
Tanya Dyer, Esq.
Elle Russ chats with Tanya Dyer, Esq. Tanya Dyer is a 22-year Divorce Lawyer, Founder of a High-Conflict Divorce Firm, Author of 'The Smart Guide to Life After Divorce', Mensa Member, Advanced Clinically Certified in Hypnotherapy, Metaphysics PhD Candidate, Spiritual Teacher, Speaker & Life Coach. She opened her High-Conflict Divorce Law Firm in 2001. After 2 decades, she discovered how to help High Achieving Alpha Women, who've married their emotional "opposites", STOP STRUGGLING in Marriage. She founded The Art of Self Rescue to Save YOU First.
1/11/2021 • 57 minutes, 19 seconds
Tara Garrison
Elle Russ chats with Tara Garrison - a peak performance coach who helps high performers including celebrities, professional athletes, top executives and every day badasses optimize their health through training, nutrition, lab testing, and mindset coaching. She is the founder of HIGHER: Women Who Rise, a health and life optimization coaching experience for high performing women. She is also the creator of the popular Keto In & Out System, in which she teaches how to “Do Keto. Not Forever” to optimize metabolism, brain power, athletic performance and physique. Tara is a mom of 4, avid weightlifter, Boston Marathoner and lover of nature. You can find her daily on Instagram where she shares the inner workings of her life, health education and motivation. She is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), International College of Applied Nutrition and Strength (ICANS), is a Certified Functional Strength Coach (CFSC), Certified Neurotyping Coach and a Metabolic Analytics practitioner. VIDEO EPISODE
1/4/2021 • 55 minutes, 50 seconds
Dr. Stephen Cabral
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Stephen Cabral - author of The Rain Barrel Effect. He developed his passion for health and wellness after going through severe health complications at the age of 17. He saw over 50 different doctors, tried over 100 different treatment protocols, but still saw no hope of recovery. It wasn’t until he met his “alternative“ health doctor who explained to him how he got here and how he could become well again, that he began his recovery process. It was at this young age that he knew his life would be dedicated to helping others rebound their bodies and renew their health. After almost 20 years and over 600,000 pages of research study completed, dozens of certifications in the natural health field, over 250 health and fitness client sessions, and a doctoral degree in Naturopathy - Dr. Cabral‘s knowledge, experience, and passion are at the top of his field. Dr. Cabral also has his own podcast Called The Cabral Concept. To learn more visit StephenCabral.com
12/28/2020 • 41 minutes, 38 seconds
Bret Lockett
Elle Russ chats with Bret Lockett - a serial entrepreneur, business consultant and performance coach, speaker, and former NFL player. As an entrepreneur, Mr. Lockett runs two companies, M2Jets, a full-service jet charter company, and a boutique advisory and consulting firm called Newport Ventures Group. Bret’s passion for helping children and animals has led to his deep involvement in philanthropy, specifically with the organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Habitat for Humanity, and Chabad's Children of Chernobyl, as well as several others. For more info visit BretLockett.com VIDEO EPISODE HERE
12/21/2020 • 51 minutes, 19 seconds
Kara Collier & Dan Zavorotny
Elle Russ chats with Kara Collier and Dan Zavarotny from Nutrisense. Kara Collier is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Support Clinician with a background in clinical nutrition, nutrition technology, and entrepreneurship. After becoming frustrated with the traditional healthcare system, she helped start the company NutriSense where she is now the Director of Nutrition. Kara is the leading authority on the use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology, particularly in non-diabetics for the purposes of health optimization, disease prevention, and reversing metabolic dysfunction. Kara oversees the health team and product development and has personally interpreted thousands of complex glucose datasets. Dan Zavorotny is a healthcare technology entrepreneur whose latest venture, NutriSense, involves CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring) technology as a tool for preventative health, weight management, and increased physical performance. His team has helped thousands of individuals, ranging from type II diabetics to world record setting athletes by optimizing their health and wellness with a data driven approach.Prior to his entrepreneurial career, Dan worked as global healthcare consultant at KPMG and has had the privilege of traveling to over 100 countries throughout his life for work and pleasure. Nutrisense
12/14/2020 • 53 minutes, 23 seconds
GS Youngblood
Elle Russ chats with GS Youngblood - the author of "The Masculine in Relationship". He coaches men in relationships on how to live, love, and lead from their Masculine core. He specializes in “nice guys” who are with strong women. His teachings combine deep embodiment work with the framework of the Masculine blueprint from his book. Learn more at gsyoungblood.com. Reception to the book has been phenomenal. Both from men (“You just described my married life to perfection…” and “This is the best book I’ve EVER read on masculinity in a relationship”) and women (“I just picked up your book off my coffee table that my husband bought and it’s like you’ve been listening to me talk for the last few years! Insane how much you get it.”) His writings are filtered through the laboratory of his and his clients’ real-world, long term relationships (including the successes and spectacular failures) to see what actually works and what doesn’t. Through this lens of Masculine leadership, he also pulls in principles from a variety of fields: psychology, martial arts, tango, meditation, and BDSM.
12/7/2020 • 52 minutes, 12 seconds
Sharon Sayler
Elle Russ chats with Sharon Sayler - a communications and body language expert affectionately dubbed “the difficult people whisperer” by her clients. As an international consultant and best-selling author, she is devoted to teaching professionals to be courageous conscious communicators, both verbally and nonverbally. She is listed in the top 20 international experts in body language, according to GlobalGurus.org. Several years ago, she started The Autoimmune Hour show because she was frustrated by her own experiences with a rare medical condition. She’s now made it her mission to share a wide variety of quality information about thriving regardless of your diagnosis all while helping others be courageous self-advocates for their health. The Autoimmune Hour is the #1 show on OmTimes Radio and can also be found on all the major video and podcast outlets. More info can be found at www.UnderstandingAutoimmune.com
11/30/2020 • 57 minutes, 43 seconds
Keltie Knight
Elle Russ chats with Keltie Knight - an Emmy Award winning television personality and Entertainment Tonight host. She has co-anchored CBS’s broadcasting of national events such as the Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Grammy Awards Red Carpet. Knight was able to combine her entertainment and entrepreneurial expertise into a podcast she co-created and co-hosts, The LadyGang. With over 85 million downloads, and after debuting at #8 on the iTunes podcast charts, and being featured on Entertainment Weekly’s coveted ‘Must List’. The LadyGang was awarded ‘Podcast of the Year’ in 2016, and was a Webby Award honoree in 2018. E! Entertained aired The Lady Gang talk show in 2018-2019 based on the popular podcast and in 2018, LadyGang was nominated for a People’s Choice Award. In 2019, LadyGang launched The LadyGang Podcast Network (LGN) and produced hit shows for stars including Jamie Lynn Sigler, Jenna Uskowitz, Kevin Michael, Nazanin Mandi, and Brad Goreski. LadyGang is set to publish their first book “ACT LIKE A LADY: Questionable Advice, Ridiculous Opinion, and Humiliating Tales from 3 Undignified Women” with Penguin Random House June 2, 2020. Knight is frequently seen contributing on The Talk, CNN, HLN, and as a moderator for Vanity Fair. With best dressed mentions in Vogue, Elle, Glamour, US Weekly, People Stylewatch and The New York Times, it’s no surprise Project Runway invited her to be a guest presenter. As passionate as she is about media, she is just as dedicated to service. Knight has a long history in philanthropy, working with groups like the Humane Society and the Beagle Freedom Project. She helped raise over $300,000 for National MS Society as a part of the team, BeatMS, and nearly 1 million dollars throughout her years hosting the Circle of Hope/ Dancers Against Cancer Charity Gala. Known for her quick wit and fearless personality, she’s interviewed the biggest stars in the world including Oprah, Meryl Streep, Taylor Swift, Tom Hanks, and Jennifer Lawrence. Harry Styles kissed her twice. Pharrell Williams deemed her “…a spirited journalist and a star.” The Lady Gang
11/23/2020 • 51 minutes, 56 seconds
John Gray Ph.D.
Elle Russ chats with John Gray Ph.D. - the author of the most well-known and trusted relationship book of all time, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. USA Today listed his book as one of the top 10 most influential books of the last quarter century. In hardcover, it was the #1 bestselling book of the 1990s. Dr. Gray’s books are translated into approximately 45 languages in more than 100 countries and continues to be a bestseller. Dr. Gray has written over 20 books. His most recent book is Beyond Mars and Venus. His Mars/Venus book series has forever changed the way men and women view their relationships. John helps men and women better understand and respect their differences in both personal and professional relationships. His approach combines specific communication techniques with healthy, nutritional choices that create the brain and body chemistry for lasting health, happiness and romance. His many books, blogs and free online workshops at MarsVenus.com provide practical insights to improve relationships at all stages of life and love. An advocate of health and optimal brain function, he also provides natural solutions for overcoming depression, anxiety and stress to support increased energy, libido, hormonal balance and better sleep. He has appeared repeatedly on Oprah, as well as on The Dr. Oz Show, TODAY, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, and others. He has been profiled in Time, Forbes, USA Today, and People. He was also the subject of a three-hour special hosted by Barbara Walters. John Gray lives in Northern California, where for 34 years he happily shared his life with his beautiful wife, Bonnie, until her passing in 2018. They have three grown daughters and four grandchildren.
11/16/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 42 seconds
Dr. Cheyenne Bryant
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Cheyenne Bryant - a renowned Life Coach, the President of NAACP; branch #1069, author of the award-winning Readers Favorite Five-Star book, "MENTAL DETOX," Founder of Dr. Bryant Institute, Founder of Dr. Bryant Foundation, motivational speaker, community activist, host, and brand ambassador. Dr. Bryant’s mission is to spread her message of leading a healthier, happier, balanced and more fulfilling better quality of life within the community. For years, she has shared her wisdom, awareness, community advocacy and insight through her book, lectures, workshops, and assisting individuals with life impairments and challenges. Connect with Dr. Bryant Connect with Elle Russ
11/9/2020 • 57 minutes, 37 seconds
Selina Gray
Elle Russ chats with Selina Gray. As a CPA, CA, she was a firm believer in the hustle. For nearly a decade, she worked 100+ hour workweeks as a Controller for two internationally traded public companies managing 30 finance ninjas in 12 countries worldwide. Selina’s life was centered around praise, power, & managing hundred-million-dollar plus budgets. It all came crashing down one day - she ended up with a lengthy hospital stay & an auto-immune disease. she was burnt out & it was her wake-up call to find her highest self & ultimately change her relationship with money. As a Financial Empowerment Mentor, Selina has helped thousands of women entrepreneurs stand in the CEO power, earn more, keep more & create richness from the inside out. Money is more than numbers; AND we all have the power to choose a new way. To learn more visit SelinaGray.com Video Episode HERE Connect with host Elle Russ
11/2/2020 • 45 minutes, 4 seconds
Ede Fox
Elle Russ chats with Ede Fox - a health coach and founder of the Black Carnivore community. Fox lost 80lbs, regained her health on a carnivore diet then turned to help others find the same success. She hosts weekly private group coaching calls and runs a growing facebook community of black carnivores. Ede hosts the Black Carnivore Podcast as well as 2 weekly livestreams on Youtube and offers intro courses for new people interested in trying the carnivore diet. If you are interested in a strong supportive community of carnivores you’ll want to follow her on Instagram to stay on top of all she’s doing. Connect with Ede Connect with Elle Russ
10/25/2020 • 41 minutes, 59 seconds
Dr. Phil Maffetone and Dr. Ron Sinha: Getting Healthy, Fit, and Burning Fat
Host Brad Kearns welcomes the dynamic duo of Dr. Ron Sinha and Dr. Phil Maffetone in a show representing the confluence of Dr. Sinha trying to prevent and cure metabolic disease amongst his high-tech Silicon Valley workers and Dr. Maffetone's great work in the area of fat-adapted aerobic conditioning. The key takeaway point is that almost all exercisers, from novices with metabolic syndrome to elite performers, will do better by slowing down and emphasizing aerobic development. This is the case even if you like high intensity workouts, because aerobic conditioning establishes a fitness base that supports performance at all higher intensities. You'll also learn how to strategically integrate resistance exercise and explosive sprints into your schedule without suffering from the common afflictions of breakdown and burnout. These two experts are true leaders in what Dr. Maffetone calls the "global overfat pandemic." The solution starts with getting out and walking every day while cutting out nutrient-deficient, high insulin-stimulating carbohydrates. Time to burn fat! Enjoy the show and follow Dr. Maffetone at PhilMaffetone.com and Dr. Sinha at CulturalHealthSolutions.com.
10/21/2020 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 14 seconds
Eric Perner
Elle Russ chats with Eric Perner - a cattle rancher, a registered Professional Mechanical Engineer and a Co-Founder of REP Provisions. He uses his diverse skill sets to develop unique environmental solutions for various problems in agriculture. Eric is an educator on the topic of regenerative agriculture and good at explaining why it’s not cattle that are ruining the planet; however, it's the improper management of cattle. Eric owns the Double P Ranch in Mounds, Oklahoma where they produce grass-fed beef and pastured pork. He operates his ranch as a Savory Global Business Hub to provide restoration grazing education and guidance for other local ranchers in the methods of holistic management to create the conditions that lead to the regeneration of our native grasslands. REP Provisions Website - For 15% off REP PROVISIONS use code KickAssLife
10/19/2020 • 45 minutes, 50 seconds
Kyrin Dunston MD, OBGYN
Elle Russ chats with OBGYN Dr. Kyrin Dunston - she lost a life-changing 100 lbs. and healed herself from chronic disease by addressing the root causes of her overweight and dysfunction. This personal transformation in turn caused a professional one and she left OBGYN practice in 2011 to pursue helping women heal with this revolutionary type of natural medicine after becoming fellowship trained in Anti-Aging, Metabolic and Functional Medicine. Dr. Dunston's FREE MENOPAUSE SUMMIT Connect with Elle Russ
10/12/2020 • 55 minutes, 19 seconds
Zach Bush MD
Elle Russ chats with Zach Bush MD - a physician specializing in internal medicine, endocrinology and hospice care. He is an internationally recognized educator and thought leader on the microbiome as it relates to health, disease, and food systems. Dr Zach founded *Seraphic Group and the non-profit Farmer’s Footprint to develop root-cause solutions for human and ecological health. His passion for education reaches across many disciplines, including topics such as the role of soil and water ecosystems in human genomics, immunity, and gut/brain health. His education has highlighted the need for a radical departure from chemical farming and pharmacy, and his ongoing efforts are providing a path for consumers, farmers, and mega-industries to work together for a healthy future for people and planet. Connect with ZACH BUSH Connect with Elle Russ VIDEO episode HERE
10/5/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 40 seconds
Alisa Vitti
Elle Russ chats with Alisa Vitti, HHC, AADP - an integrative nutritionist, hormone expert, and best-selling author of WomanCode (Harper Collins) who teaches women how to use their hormonal and neurochemical patterns to create extraordinary lives. She is the founder of FLOliving.com, a trusted virtual destination for women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s to learn how to naturally balance their hormone and reproductive issues with her proprietary, “pro-hormonal,” five-step dietary process that treats the root cause of endocrine dysfunction. She teaches women via her online program “The WomanCode System” and writes a blog on how to use food to get out of hormonal chaos and get back into hormonal “flo” which is read by thousands of women in 216 countries. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Alisa has been featured on The Dr. Oz Show, has a web series on Lifetime, and is a regular contributor to Women’s Health, MindBodyGreen, and The Huffington Post. She also pens Yahoo Health’s “Hormone Whisperer” column and serves on their Advisory Board. She also serves on the advisory boards of several health tech startups. She speaks to large groups about the intersection of hormones, neurochemistry, feminine energy, entrepreneurship, and success at TEDx, Talks@Google, Summit Series Outside, Hay House, WIE Symposium, and SHE Summit. ALISA's Website Connect with Show Host Elle Russ
9/28/2020 • 57 minutes, 29 seconds
Tara Youngblood
Elle Russ chat with Tara Youngblood - the co-founder and chief science officer at Kryo Inc. - the makers of chiliPAD technology sleep pads. Tara has spent over 10,000 hours studying the science of sleep and her passion is too shape the future of sleep-driven health by making sleep easy and drug-free.
9/21/2020 • 26 minutes, 39 seconds
Dr. Robert Silverman: Understanding The Covid-19 Immune Response, And The Importance of the Gut-Brain Connection
Host Brad Kearns catches up with New York Chiropractor and Functional Physician Dr. Robert Silverman, author of the upcoming book, "The Superhighway To Health." Dr Robert is the stat king, firing off a number of interesting and memorable stats about Covid-19 immune response and risk factors, ketogenic eating patterns, and the inner-workings of the gut microbiome and the gut-brain connection. Covid-19 symptoms take 5 days to appear, 35% of people have no symptoms, one type of antibody kicks in around day 7, another around day 14. You excrete the virus in stool after 28 days. Diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity are major co-morbidity factors, and the vast majority of Covid-19 victims present with co-morbidity factors. Covid-19 has exposed America as an unhealthy nation, with 75% of citizens classified as overweight or obese and only 12% considered entirely metabolically healthy. Eighty percent of our immune response is in the gut, 93 percent of serotonin is made in the gut. Sugar is the big enemy here, as it inflames the delicate gut lining and promotes leaky gut syndrome. The strong connection between gut and brain (the Vagas nerve connects the two so they are in constant communication.) means that leaky gut can be a major risk factor for the diseases of cognitive decline that are so prevalent. Enjoy the show and learn more at DrRobertSilverman.com
9/16/2020 • 50 minutes
Dude Spellings: Micro-Workouts, Calorie Compensation, Blue Light and Melatonin
Host Brad Kearns welcomes popular guest Dude Spellings from his base in the cool headquarters of the world, Austin, TX. Dude has used the quarantine to implement an extremely successful micro-workout program at home where he takes a break every hour to perform a few minutes of bodyweight exercises. The show covers the emerging fitness revolution of kinder, gentler workouts that minimize muscle soreness, post-exercise fatigue and the high risk of burnout that comes from the traditional approach of doing epic workouts in high energy group settings. The great work of Pavel Tsatsouline, Dr. Craig Marker, Dr. Phil Maffetone and MMA trainer Firas Zahabi is referenced. The priority seems to be switching from doing epic sessions at the gym that come with high risk of exhaustion to simply being more active in everyday life, and also finding ways to perform fitness activities "under the radar"--where they don't fatigue you but deliver an awesome cumulative fitness benefit. The rationale for this is even stronger when you consider the compensation theory insights that increased calorie burning during workouts does not lead to fat loss. Dude also talks about how to minimize blue light exposure in your home, especially in the evenings, so you can facilitate healthy melatonin production in the evening and a natural cortisol and serotonin boost in the morning.
9/9/2020 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 29 seconds
Ashleigh VanHouten
Elle Russ chats with Ashleigh VanHouten about her new book on eating nose-to-tail called It Takes Guts: A Meat-Eater’s Guide to Eating Offal. Ashleigh is a health and nutrition author and journalist, speaker, podcast host, certified health coach, and self-proclaimed health and fitness nerd. She has written for Paleo Magazine for more than eight years, as well as a number of other health publications. She hosts the Muscle Maven Radio podcast, and has worked with other top-rated health-related podcasts. VIDEO EPISODE HERE
9/7/2020 • 48 minutes, 18 seconds
Dallas Hartwig
Dallas Hartwig is the New York Times bestselling co-author of The Whole30 and It Starts With Food. He is a sought-after speaker, nutritionist, functional medicine practitioner and physical therapist who specializes in treating lifestyle-related health issues. He's appeared on Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, The View and Nightline, and is the co-host of The Living Experiment podcast. In his newest book, The 4 Season Solution, Dallas shares a paradigm-shifting plan that shows you how to boost energy, improve health, and feel happier by living more in tune with the seasons.
8/31/2020 • 57 minutes, 51 seconds
Drew Manning
Elle Russ chats with Drew Manning about his latest Fit2Fat2Fit experiment, this time calling it Fit2Fat2Forty - where he is intentionally getting fat again after a decade of doing it the 1st time. Drew is the New York Times Best Selling Author of the book, Fit2Fat2Fit and is best known for his 1st Fit2Fat2Fit.com experiment a decade ago. He has been featured on shows like Dr. Oz, Good Morning America, The View and many more. His new book Complete Keto is available now! VIDEO EPISODE HERE
8/24/2020 • 49 minutes, 9 seconds
Listener Q&A With Brad Kearns
Learn how to balance the seemingly disparate goals of endurance competition and the obligation to perform brief, intense workouts for total fitness. Yes, everything will make sense as you strategize your particular goals, but be sure to do it right! We get a little sciency talking about muscle fiber types but you will be pleased to learn about the high potential for trainability based on your athletic goals. We talk about heart rate spiking after abruptly ceasing exercise. Finally, avid listener James Hall asks Brad what he would do differently as a pro triathlete 25 years ago, if he were armed with today's knowledge about training and nutrition. Brad's #1 answer is relevant to all of us: Follow a kinder, gentler training schedule. Learn about why you shouldn't get sore after workouts, and how backing off a bit in general will allow for continued progress without interruption from breakdown, burnout, illness, and injury that is so distressingly common among fitness enthusiasts of all levels.
8/19/2020 • 54 minutes, 47 seconds
Jennifer Ludington
Elle Russ chats with Jennifer Ludington - a premier High-Performance Mindset and performance Coach that supports her clients in becoming the JENerator's of their best life. She is the Founder of the SHE Ascends Club, a best-selling author, and Coach & Wellness Expert. With 15 years of experience coaching thousands of clients including high performers, high achieving professionals, CEO's and athletes she is committed to supporting her clients in staying on their business, wellness and leadership edge by utilizing the tools in her "vault" that include a powerful mindset combined with high-level performance coaching strategies, fitness goals, and wholesome nutrition to create lifelong sustainable energy, abundance, and wellness. Jennifer believes that your values are the vehicle to your vision and that living your life in alignment is the number one wellness, business, leadership, and personal relationship key to success in life.
8/17/2020 • 44 minutes, 11 seconds
Amy Morin
Elle Russ chats with Amy Morin - a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and psychology lecturer at Northeastern University. She’s also an international bestselling author. Her books, 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Do, and 13 Things Mentally Strong Women Don’t Do have been translated into 39 languages. The Guardian dubbed her “the self-help guru of the moment” and Forbes calls her a “thought leadership star.” Her TEDx talk, The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong, is one of the most popular talks of all time with more than 13 million views. She’s a regular contributor to Forbes, Business Insider, and Psychology Today where her articles on mental strength reach more than 2 million readers each month. Her advice for building mental strength has been featured by major media outlets, including Fox News, CNN, Oprah.com, Today, Good Morning America, Success, Business Insider, Time, and the Hallmark Channel.
8/10/2020 • 51 minutes, 5 seconds
Robb Wolf
Elle Russ chats with Robb Wolf about his new book with co-author Diana Rodgers Sacred Cow: The Case For (Better): Why Well-Raised Meat is Good For You and Good For The Planet. Robb is a former research biochemist, is the two-time New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paleo Solution and Wired to Eat. Robb has functioned as a review editor for the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism (BioMed Central) and as a consultant for the Naval Special Warfare Resiliency Program. He serves on the board of directors/advisers for SpecialtyHealth Inc., the Chickasaw Nation’s “Unconquered Life” initiative, and a number of innovative start-ups with a focus on health and sustainability. Robb is the co-founder of The Healthy Rebellion, a social movement with the goal of liberating 1 million people from the sick-care system. Robb is also the executive producer of the film Sacred Cow.
8/3/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 49 seconds
Nathanael Morton: The Benefits Of Jumping Exercises And Persevering Through Extreme Challenges
Host Brad Kearns talks to young YouTube sensation Nathanael Morton about the benefits of integrating explosive, ballistic jumping exercises into your fitness routine and the integration of his positive energy and self-help message into his fitness videos. Nathanael offers some interesting insights about being overconfident as an athlete and then experiencing failure that forced him to recalibrate and then put in the hard work and focus necessary to be successful. You'll be captivated by the incredible self-imposed challenge that Nathanael completed, where he decided to run 111 miles in a single week despite not training as a runner for 10 years. The stunt was inspired by extreme athlete David Goggins and Nathanael wanted to explore his outer limits as an athlete and see what happened. Don't try this at home but take the inspirational message to heart - be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to reach the goals that you really want and believe in. Check out and his YouTube and Instagram pages
7/29/2020 • 55 minutes, 16 seconds
Dr. David Roetman, DC
Elle Russ chats with Dr. David Roetman - a physician getting results with non-surgical orthopedics and functional medicine. Finding natural pathways for those who are hungry for solutions without the use of drugs or surgery. He uses evidence-based nutrition and scientifically sound orthopedic rehab treatments to help his patients function at their best. If you are interested in science-based posts about nutrition, exercise, and orthopedic conditions you will want to check out his Instagram page @doctorroetman
7/27/2020 • 50 minutes, 27 seconds
Jennifer Fulwiler
Elle Russ chats with Jen Fulwiler - a mom of six, a standup comic, and the host of THIS IS JEN Podcast. She’s a best-selling author whose new book is Your Blue Flame: Drop the Guilt and Do What Makes You Come Alive. After being told that there wasn’t an audience for standup comedy done by a minivan-driving woman from the suburbs, she self-produced her own tour, which is selling out venues across the country. Jen's Website Connect with Show Host Elle Russ
7/20/2020 • 52 minutes, 26 seconds
Brett Lloyd
Elle Russ chats with Brett Lloyd - a 59 year old happily married self-taught musician, social media influencer, Carnivore Diet advocate & coach who ended 40+ years of severe depression, anxiety & insomnia issues eating only animal sourced protein & fat. Living in north east Florida with his Carnivore wife, Brett shares his experience via social media bringing hope to those suffering from mental illness as he once did, declaring, “You are not broken. You are not a genetic mishap. You’re just eating wrong!”
7/13/2020 • 45 minutes, 56 seconds
Brian Gryn: Intermittent Fasting
Brian is a personal trainer and scratch golfer from Chicago who has had some great success with intermittent fasting for both himself and his clients. He was initially inspired when he became frustrated by his inability to achieve the same results in the gym at age 38 as he did at 28 - imagine that! He started with the simple strategy of pushing his breakfast back an hour at a time until he was able to comfortably adjust to eating his first meal at around noon. Consequently, Brian typically ends up eating only two meals a day. Brian and Brad discuss an assortment of common sense tips to make fasting work for you, in particular: Be strict with your exercise so you don’t have decision fatigue and will power needed every day to stick with your plan; move around and keep busy during your fasting periods to make time fly by faster; clean up your diet so you can minimize glucose spikes and insulin crashes; make sure your dietary practices are a smooth fit into your busy life. Brian offers the memorable quote that muscles are made in the gym but that six-pack abs are made from diet. Another key benefit of adhering to some sort of fasting protocol is that you develop a greater appreciation for natural hunger and satiety sensations, and gain a greater sense of control in your life than when you have to rely on food for your energy, mood, and cognition. Enjoy numerous simple, common-sense insights that will get you psyched to try and succeed with Intermittent Fasting!
7/8/2020 • 42 minutes, 34 seconds
Jon Venus
Elle Russ chats with Jon Venus - a public figure most known for his YouTube channel where he focuses his efforts to spread information regarding fitness, nutrition and lifestyle. After spending 5 years living and preaching a 100% plant-based vegan lifestyle, Jon recently made the decision to begin eating animals again - which led to an onslaught of pushback by the vegan community. Jon discusses his journey from being raised an omnivore to his decision to adopt veganism - and his recent return to eating an ancestral-based, omnivorous diet. Connect with show host Elle Russ
7/6/2020 • 49 minutes, 24 seconds
Gina DeVee
Elle Russ chats with Gina DeVee - a published author, accomplished speaker, podcast host, business coach and self-made multimillionaire entrepreneur. She has dedicated her career to helping women connect spiritually, start profitable businesses, create wealth from a feminine perspective, and become highly visible so they can make a global impact. Gina’s own journey from struggling psychotherapist to globetrotting entrepreneur has taken her from the First Lady’s Office at the White House, to getting her Master’s in Clinical Psychology, graduating from Le Cordon Bleu and founding her growing women’s empowerment, multi-media company and lifestyle brand, Divine Living. Her mission is to show women everywhere how to be Queen of their lives. “Within every woman lives a Queen,” Gina affirms, “And only from the position of Queen can you fulfill your purpose.” In becoming Queen, no longer must women pretend to be anything other than brilliant, capable and fabulous. The world needs us to own our power, raise our standards, and contribute our talents like never before, and Gina DeVee is here to lead the way. Her first book, The Audacity to be Queen, brings together over 20 years of experience in transforming women’s lives through the deep spiritual and feminine wisdom of Queenhood. With spectacular flair, beautiful pearls of wisdom, and life-changing stories of unexpected triumph, Gina DeVee shares the steps, exercises, meditations, prayers and journal prompts to release all forms of self-doubt and self-sabotage so you can discover the best version of you. Gina DeVee Website Connect with Show Host Elle Russ
6/29/2020 • 56 minutes, 35 seconds
Shawn Baker MD
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Shawn Baker - an Orthopedic Surgeon, athlete (world record holder), consultant, soldier, father, and a proponent of the carnivore diet. Known for pushing the boundaries and not settling for mediocrity - Shawn is the CEO of MeatRx and author of The Carnivore Diet
6/22/2020 • 47 minutes, 58 seconds
Rob Mack
Elle Russ chats with Robert Mack - an ivy-league-educated Positive Psychology expert, Executive Coach, and Author. He is one of the world's leading experts on the relationship between happiness and success. Robert helps individuals and organizations achieve an energizing balance of authentic personal happiness and effortless professional success, based on time-tested, face-valid, empirical data and timeless, transcendental wisdom. Robert's work has been endorsed by Oprah, Vanessa Williams, and many others, and he has been a regularly featured guest expert for shows like Access Hollywood, Good Morning America, The Today Show, and KTLA, and in magazines like GQ, Self, Health, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, and Upscale. Robert's first book, Happiness from the Inside Out: The Art and Science of Fulfillment, is celebrity-endorsed and critically-acclaimed. It has been translated into various other languages, including Chinese. Rob Mack Website
6/15/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 18 seconds
Jerry Wolf
Elle Russ chats with Jerry Wolf. Jerry has 15+ years of personal training and body work experience with a degree in Development from Brown University. He has been a biohacker for over 5 years, is XPT Certified, and is currently working to open Bionic - a Los Angeles based Recovery Tech Facility. Before Bionic, Jerry oversaw alignment, rehab, and development protocols at the Human Garage. Jerry currently trains clients in person or via video chat. Jerry is also an actor, husband, and new father. He plays a Dealer on the ABC card game show CARD SHARKS with host Joel McHale. Jerry hopes to continue sharing the expert knowledge he's been exposed to with his clients, friends and growing family. BIONIC Follow Jerry on Instagram
6/8/2020 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 17 seconds
Dr. Ron Sinha: Surviving The "Covesity" Pandemic
Host Brad Kearns welcomes Dr. Ronesh Sinha, author of The South Asian Health Solution and publisher of the culturalhealthsolutions.com website to discuss Ron's unique insights about the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr. Ron goes beyond our obsession with germs and masks to describe how the health of our immune systems can greatly improve our chances of resisting the virus. He explains that your level of aerobic conditioning and whether or not you have inflammatory visceral fat will determine how your body responds to exposure from the virus. If you need some motivation to get in shape, and also to get outdoors into sunlight to make some Vitamin D, your ability to resist Covid-19 is a pretty strong incentive. You will love Dr. Ron's positive attitude about our ability to beat this pandemic, and how we could emerge with many positive changes in the way we work (no more morning commute traffic?!) and the way medicine is practiced. Be sure to visit Dr. Ron’s highly informative website, culturalhealthsolutions.com, read the article about when he affectionately calls the “Covesity" pandemic, and also download a free eBook titled, The Covid Survival Guide.
6/3/2020 • 49 minutes, 49 seconds
Mark Sisson
Elle Russ chats with Mark Sisson - the founder of this podcast and the New York Times bestselling author of The Keto Reset Diet and bestselling book The Primal Blueprint - which was credited with turbocharging the growth of the primal/paleo movement back in 2009. In this episode, topics include the catabolic nature of being a carbohydrate dependent sugar-burner, metabolic flexibility, autophagy, fasting, organ reserve, and more. Mark has written several other books, including Primal Endurance, The Primal Connection, and other popular Primal-themed cookbooks and lifestyle books. He is also the publisher of MarksDailyApple.com, the #1-ranked blog for over a decade in its health and fitness category. Mark Sisson is the founder of Primal Kitchen and Primal Nutrition - where extensive product offerings can be found. Primal Kitchen Marks Daily Apple Show Host ELLE RUSS
6/1/2020 • 35 minutes, 17 seconds
Robert Glazer
Elle Russ chats with Bob Glazer - the founder and CEO of global performance marketing agency, Acceleration Partners. He is also the co-founder and Chairman of BrandCycle. A serial entrepreneur, Bob has a passion for helping individuals and organizations build their capacity to outperform. Under Robert’s leadership, Acceleration Partners has become a recognized global leader in the affiliate marketing industry, receiving numerous industry and company culture awards, including: Glassdoor’s Employees’ Choice Awards (2 years in a row) Ad Age’s Best Place to Work Entrepreneur’s Top Company Culture (2 years in a row) Inc. Magazine’s Best Place to Work Fortune’s Best Small & Medium Workplaces (3 years in a row) Boston Globe’s Top Workplaces (2 years in a row) Bob was also named to Glassdoor’s list of Top CEO of Small and Medium Companies in the US, ranking #2. A regular columnist for Forbes, Inc. and Entrepreneur, Bob’s writing reaches over five million people around the globe each year who resonate with his topics, which range from performance marketing and entrepreneurship to company culture, capacity building, hiring and leadership. Worldwide, he is also a sought-after speaker by companies and organizations, especially on subjects related to business growth, culture, mindful transitions, building capacity and performance. Bob shares his ideas and insights via Friday Forward, a popular weekly inspirational newsletter that reaches over 100,000 individuals and business leaders across 50+ countries. He is the host of the Elevate Podcast, where Bob sits down with leaders, thinkers and authors to discuss personal growth and helping others live their best lives. Bob is also the author of Elevate, a Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestseller, and of the international bestselling book, Performance Partnerships. Outside of work, Bob can likely be found skiing, cycling, reading, traveling, spending quality time with his family or overseeing some sort of home renovation project. Connect with Show Host Elle Russ
5/25/2020 • 50 minutes, 56 seconds
Dr. Anna Cabeca, DO
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Anna Cabeca (DO, OBGYN, FACOG) about her new book KETO Green 16: The Fat-Burning Power of Ketogenic Eating + The Nourishing Strength of Alkaline Foods = Rapid Weight Loss and Hormone Balance. Dr. Anna Cabeca is an internationally-acclaimed menopause and sexual health expert, global speaker and pioneering promoter of women’s health. She is Emory University- trained and triple board-certified in gynecology and obstetrics, integrative medicine and anti-aging and regenerative medicine, and is the bestselling author of The Hormone Fix a diet and holistic lifestyle program for menopausal women. Her areas of specialty include bio-identical hormone treatments and natural hormone- balancing strategies, and she has received extensive notoriety for her virtual transformational programs including Women‘s Restorative Health, Sexual CPR® and Magic Menopause. She created the successful and popular alkaline superfoods drink Mighty Maca® PLUS, and a top-selling, rejuvenating feminine vulvar cream for women, Julva®. In her spare time, Dr. Cabeca hosts the highly-regarded series “Couch Talk,” featuring compelling podcasts focused on a wide variety of important health and wellness topics. She was named “2018 Innovator of the Year” by Mindshare, the #1 conference for health and wellness influencers, and was also honored with the prestigious 2017 Alan P. Mintz award, presented annually by the Age Management Medicine Group to the most outstanding physician who displays clinical excellence and entrepreneurship. Dr. Cabeca has reached hundreds of thousands of women around the globe, inspiring them to reclaim their optimal health and realize they can journey through menopause and find more purpose and pleasure than they ever dreamed possible. Anna Cabeca, DO - Website Connect with Show Host ELLE RUSS
5/18/2020 • 52 minutes, 26 seconds
Gary E. Foresman MD
Elle Russ chats with Integrative Physician Gary E. Foresman MD about the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic: The virus details, the risks, how can you protect yourself, testing, and the nature of a potential vaccine. In 1994 when Dr. Foresman opened a private practice, he quickly became dissatisfied with the inability of established Western medical treatments to effectively treat many of his patients. Dr. Foresman began investigating alternative therapies and has since expanded his training in many systems of healing—not just through meditation and stress management, but also using botanical, orthomolecular and functional medicine systems. His scientific mind combined with a holistic integrative perspective, makes him a skilled practitioner who therapeutically synthesizes optimal healing modalities for each individual. Dr. Foresman ranked among the top in the nation on his Internal Medicine Board Exams and has some of the most comprehensive Internal Medicine training to be found – including serving as a Clinical Professor who trained other physicians at a University Medical Center. In-depth commentary on thyroid dysfunction by Dr. Gary Foresman can be found in The Paleo Thyroid Solution written by Elle Russ. Dr. Foresman's Website
5/11/2020 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 6 seconds
Ben Greenfield And His New Boundless Book
Host Brad Kearns catches up with author, coach, and biohacker extraordinaire Ben Greenfield on the occasion of the release of his monstrous new book called Boundless. Ben holds court on all manner of interesting topics relating to health and peak performance, but also on some real-life matters such as the at-home "no schooling" of his elementary-aged twin boys, the state of the educational system in America, his updated thoughts on the carnivore diet and some big picture diet philosophy that will help you sort through the hype and the diet wars. Ben talks about the grand transition from obsessing on peak performance as an ultradistance triathlete and elite obstacle course racer to pursuing fitness goals that promote longevity. Enjoy a fast-moving show that will give you some great insights into Ben's work and refreshing approach to life and health. Visit BoundlessBook.com to learn more about the book and get free bonus material. Links: www.BoundlessBook.com
5/6/2020 • 56 minutes, 51 seconds
Mark Sisson
Elle Russ chats with Mark Sisson - the founder of this podcast and the New York Times bestselling author of The Keto Reset Diet and bestselling book The Primal Blueprint - which was credited with turbocharging the growth of the primal/paleo movement back in 2009. Mark has written several other books, including Primal Endurance, The Primal Connection, and other popular Primal-themed cookbooks and lifestyle books. He is also the publisher of MarksDailyApple.com, the #1-ranked blog for over a decade in its health and fitness category. Mark Sisson is the founder of Primal Kitchen and Primal Nutrition - where extensive product offerings can be found. PrimalKitchen.com Connect with Show Host ELLE RUSS
5/4/2020 • 37 minutes, 51 seconds
Lisa Bilyeu
Elle Russ chats with Lisa Bilyeu - the co-founder and president of Impact Theory, a digital media production company focused on empowering content. In addition to co-founding Impact Theory, she co-founded the billion dollar brand, Quest Nutrition, 9 years ago. Her career trajectory has been an astonishing arc from housewife to entrepreneur and transforming her business focus from nutrition to entertainment media. And now jumping in front of the camera, Lisa hosts the show, "Women of Impact," that centers on all things female empowerment. Watch WOMEN OF IMPACT Connect with Show Host ELLE RUSS
4/27/2020 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 2 seconds
Helen Marshall
Elle Russ chats with Helen Marshall - a certified Primal Health Coach & founder of the grain free food range Primal Alternative. Helen hosts the Primal Alternative Podcast on the Wellness Couch which is the number one ranked health and wellness podcast station in Australia. She is a Motivational Speaker on grass roots community centric change, overcoming limiting beliefs and creating an exceptional life. Faced with a health crisis which included chronic nausea, constipation, insomnia, physical pain, headaches, brain fog, depression, anxiety and phobias, Helen returned to a diet of plants and animals to reclaim her health. She ditched grains, sugar and seed oils and embraced sunshine, sleep, nature and connection. Helen got certified as a Primal Health Coach to let other women know that they were not on their own on their health journey and that they too could reclaim their health and change their life just with some diet and lifestyle tweaks and community behind them. But she got kick back, Helen’s clients told her that going grain free was hard – they were time-poor and found themselves falling off the wagon. People found it hard to go without pizza, bread, cookies and lolly pops. So Helen offered to create a range of Primal Alternatives to the foods people love to make going grain free easy. Helen was told that her products were life changing and she felt compelled to get the range to the whole of Australia but the thought of factories didn’t light her up and besides – she didn’t have any capital. Helen was inspired to share her successful baking business so that other women with a passion for clean living could start their own home business, doing what they love and make a difference in their community. The Primalista Baking License launched on Boxing Day 2016 and to date over 100 incredible women have said yes to this opportunity. Primal Alternative now has an online store and over 150 stockists across Australia. In 2017 Quirky Cooking collaborated with Primal Alternative to bring a ready made version of their Life Changing Dough to the community. In 2018 Primal Alternative collaborated with Chef Pete Evans to bring a lunch box friendly No Nut Hemp Bread and in 2019 the No Nut Hemp Wrap. Before ditching the rat race, was a Fitness Instructor and Personal trainer then a Business Manager for a leading recruitment company in the city. Helen has worked with women all of her life listening to their desires around health, work and lifestyle and has combined those skills to bring her greatest contribution yet – the Primalista Baking License. Helen lives on 100 acres of wilderness in Albany, Western Australia with her husband Mike and their children Sam & Milly. She likes pilates, massage, coffee with her bestie, sunbathing, meditation, walks in nature and champagne in the spa. PrimalAlternative.com
4/20/2020 • 35 minutes, 49 seconds
Connie Hartel: The Fit Farming Food Supermom Bodybuilder
Host Brad Kearns welcomes another podcast host to the show for a 'getting real" conversation about the habitual overtraining patterns of Type-A, highly motivated, goal-oriented fitness enthusiasts. This show was syndicated on Connie's podcast called the Fit Farming Food Mom. Connie is a Certified Nutritionist, ISSA certified personal trainer, competitive bodybuilder, Dental Assistant, hobby farmer in Idaho and mother of two young kids. She does it all!! But she had to learn the hard way that pushing too hard in training leads to setbacks instead of success. Brad kicks off the show with a challenge statement to athletes listening: "What are you all about, what is your true purpose for pursuing your fitness goals?" If you are trying to burn off nervous energy, escape from other stresses in life, or feed your ego, it's better to acknowledge it than behave in a manner that's different than your stated goals. When you can be honest with yourself, and release the attachment of your self-esteem from the results of your endeavors, you open yourself up for personal growth and performance breakthroughs.
4/15/2020 • 50 minutes, 23 seconds
Cristina Curp
Elle Russ chats with Cristina Curp - a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and former restaurant chef with a BA in Anthropology. Her love of food, and particularly using real food to heal, birthed her popular food blog and wellness site, TheCastawayKitchen.com, Author of Made Whole cookbook, co-host of Kitchen Table Talks Podcast and food as medicine advocate. She is a Miami native with Cuban roots who is currently living in Virginia, or wherever her husband’s Navy career takes them. At 29 years old and 2 years postpartum, Cristina hit rock bottom with her health. On top of an inflammatory skin condition she had lived with for years, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, she began to experience many mystery symptoms and inflammation, Cristina took to the kitchen to find wellness. Using her kitchen prowess and love of research, she began to discover the connection between her symptoms and the food she ate. This ongoing experiment birthed her blog, which is a collection of inventive, allergen friendly, low carb, whole food recipes that have helped her reverse autoimmune disease, lose weight, and take control of her own health and well being. Cristina is relentless in her mission to spread the food as medicine message, she has witnessed the power of it with her own family, her readers and her nutritional therapy clients. Empowering people to heal from the inside out is her life’s work! With a mix of grit, sass and a lot of love, she continues to do just that through her books, her social media platform and her NTP work. Cristina WEBSITE: TheCastawayKitchen.com SHOW HOST: ElleRuss.com
4/13/2020 • 44 minutes, 20 seconds
Debbie Mirza
Elle Russ chats with Debbie Mirza - a restorative coach, author, and singer/songwriter. She is the author of the best-selling book, The Covert Passive Aggressive Narcissist: Recognizing the Traits and Finding Healing After Hidden Emotional and Psychological Abuse, which has helped thousands of people around the world understand the most hidden and insidious form of narcissism that is currently affecting millions of people without them realizing what they are dealing with, and The Safest Place Possible: A Guide to Healing and Transformation, a book about the power of self-love to heal the mind, body. This book includes some of Debbie’s personal story of healing, as well as 21 practical, gentle exercises of self-love. As a coach, Debbie helps people recognize the truth of what they have experienced, and come back to their genuine magnificence, after being in relationships with covert narcissists. She offers supportive online courses as well as guided meditations and calming music to help with the healing process. Learn more about Debbie’s books, music, online courses, coaching, and guided meditations at DebbieMirza.com
4/6/2020 • 49 minutes, 12 seconds
Abel James
Elle Russ chats with Abel James - a New York Times best-selling author, musician, and virtual outdoor adventure guide. He’s the host of the award-winning Fat-Burning Man Show, which has ranked as the #1 Health Podcast in 8+ countries around the world with more than 25+ million downloads. Abel has starred as a coach on ABC television and has been featured in WIRED, Entertainment Tonight, People Magazine, and hundreds more. As a recording artist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Abel is releasing a new immersive 360 VR music video (or virtual adventure) every day for the next year. Hailing from the woods of New Hampshire, Abel James lives with his wife, Alyson, and yellow lab, Bailey, in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. AbelJames.com
3/30/2020 • 55 minutes, 11 seconds
Listener Q&A
Host Brad Kearns covers an assortment of interesting questions from athletic-minded podcast listeners, including: using the Primal Endurance method to train for 100-mile ultramarathon runs; can you eat keto and still set a PR at 5k?; A highly fat and keto-adapted eater who does frequent 5-day water fasts likes to go hog wild and binge on carbs, then quickly recalibrate to keto—any long-term concerns?; Can eating carnivore-ish one meal a day (OMAD) overstress the digestive system with too much protein?; and finally, Primal Bear Kevin himself went from 285lb to 199lb but has plateau'd—learn some tips to breakthrough weight loss plateaus! Enjoy the show and send your questions to [email protected]
3/25/2020 • 52 minutes, 14 seconds
Karen Martel
Elle Russ chats with Karen Martel - Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach and women’s weight loss and hormone expert. Founder of the OnTrack women’s hormone balancing and weight loss program. Host of the top rated women’s health podcast and video cast The Other Side of Weight Loss. After struggling with her own health issues, Karen was determined to bring her knowledge to others with a bold new approach to women’s health and weight management. Karen's passion lies in helping women breakthrough weight loss resistance and find their personal weight loss code through balancing hormones, stress management and uncovering emotional blocks. Karen is a health leader and researcher determined to revolutionize weight loss for modern women. KarenMartel.com '
3/23/2020 • 52 minutes, 43 seconds
Brian Hoyer: The Dangers of EMF Exposure And How To Make Your Bedroom A Safe Haven
Host Brad Kearns welcomes geobiologist Brian Hoyer to the show to discuss the dangers of EMF exposure and how you can mitigate these dangers with some simple and do-able strategies. Brian is the founder of ShieldedHealing.com, offering home evaluation and action plans to optimize your home environment for health regarding both EMF and blue light health hazards. This show gets into the science of EMF but is easy to follow and always tying into practical tips to make simple lifestyle changes to improve health. The most profound insight is that EMF damage is far more concerning at night, when we are programmed for rest and repair, then during a busy day when we are less sensitive and vulnerable. The show ends with an awesome top-10 list of things you can do immediately to battle EMF in your home, especially in your bedroom. Check out Brian's operation at ShieldedHealing.com
3/18/2020 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 13 seconds
Dr. Terry Wahls
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Terry Wahls - an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner and a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa where she conducts clinical trials. In 2018 she was awarded the Institute for Functional Medicine’s Linus Pauling Award for her contributions in research, clinical care and patient advocacy. She is also a patient with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, which confined her to a tilt-recline wheelchair for four years. Dr. Wahls restored her health using a diet and lifestyle program she designed specifically for her brain and now pedals her bike to work each day. She is the author of The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine, The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles (paperback), and the cookbook The Wahls Protocol Cooking for Life: The Revolutionary Modern Paleo Plan to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions. She conducts clinical trials that test the effect of nutrition and lifestyle interventions to treat MS and other progressive health problems. She also teaches the public and medical community about the healing power of the Paleo diet and therapeutic lifestyle changes that restore health and vitality to our citizens. She hosts a Wahls Protocol Seminar every summer where anyone can learn how to implement the Protocol with ease and success. TerryWahls.com
3/16/2020 • 49 minutes, 27 seconds
Matt Maruca: A Youthful Journey to Healing, And Overcoming Harmful Blue Light Excess
Host Brad Kearns talks to the rising young star in the ancestral health scene named Matt Maruca. Only 20 years old, Matt has been on a six-year obsession to reclaim his health that started to decline in middle school. The journey has led him to an intense focus on the extreme health hazard of excess blue light exposure in modern life. Matt provides a beautifully understandable account of why blue light is harmful and what to do about it, but you will be fascinated to hear about how a member of the younger generation has leveraged the power of the digital age to make a name and a life for himself in the most progressive fashion. Check out Matt's RAOptics.com website to learn more about his unique daytime and nighttime blue light blocking eyewear (discount code Brad for 15% off your order!)
3/11/2020 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 17 seconds
Gary E. Foresman MD
Elle Russ chats with Integrative Physician Gary E. Foresman MD about perimenopause and menopause and the use of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. In 1994 when Dr. Foresman opened a private practice, he quickly became dissatisfied with the inability of established Western medical treatments to effectively treat many of his patients. Dr. Foresman began investigating alternative therapies and has since expanded his training in many systems of healing - not just through meditation and stress management, but also using botanical, orthomolecular and functional medicine systems. His scientific mind combined with a holistic integrative perspective, makes him a skilled practitioner who therapeutically synthesizes optimal healing modalities for each individual. Dr. Foresman ranked among the top in the nation on his Internal Medicine Board Exams and has some of the most comprehensive Internal Medicine training to be found including serving as a Clinical Professor who trained other physicians at a University Medical Center. In-depth commentary on thyroid dysfunction by Dr. Gary Foresman can be found in The Paleo Thyroid Solution written by Elle Russ.
3/9/2020 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 38 seconds
Dr. Michael Platt on Adrenalin Dominance
Dr. Michael Platt on Adrenalin Dominance Host Brad Kearns talks to Dr. Michael Platt about the controversial and cutting edge subject of Adrenalin Dominance, the title of Platt’s new book and a topic that Platt argues is widely misunderstood and misinterpreted. Dr. Platt explains that the catch-all health disturbance of adrenal fatigue is diagnosed by low salivary cortisol, which is actually indicative of adrenalin dominance. Adrenalin Dominance, as you might guess, is driven by hectic, high-stress modern life and the desperate need for our brain to consume glucose around the clock. Whenever your brain detects the slightest drop in glucose supply (from an insulin rush after high carb meal, or after a strenuous workout, or after a hectic, high-stress day at work), your body will produce adrenalin (also referred to as norepinephrine) to keep you humming along. We are going outside the boundaries of mainstream medicine to attack the cause of many mental and physical disorders. Dr. Platt makes a compelling case that dumping too much adrenalin into the bloodstream is the root cause of most psychiatric conditions and also the primary driver of excess body fat. This is because adrenalin levels peak at 2:30 am and all that glucose production isn’t burned off and is thus stored as fat while you sleep. Hint: if you get up to pee in the middle of the night, you have a problem. This seemingly innocent and common occurrence is actually a sign of excess adrenalin—remember your Latin lessons where “adrenal” means next to renal. Your overactive adrenalin stimulates the kidneys and you have to pee. Other symptoms include grinding your teeth and nervous tapping of your legs. The net effect of overproducing adrenalin is chronic conditions like ADHD, fibromyalgia, anxiety, depression, severe mood swings, and road rage. Dr. Platt is not all about bad news. He says the condition is surprisingly easy to fix with the application of the wonder hormone progesterone. Yes, you can buy 5% progesterone cream and apply it before meals, which blocks both adrenalin, insulin, and estrogen. Note: while females may be familiar with using progesterone for estrogen-related health conditions, Dr. Platt notes that males over 50 stop producing progesterone, setting the stage for the dreaded space tire accumulation—a hallmark of which is excess estrogen. Dr. Platt is board-certified in Internal Medicine and has nearly four decades of experience working with patients in varied clinical settings from medical groups to eldercare medicine to health research. He’s currently the president of Platt Wellness Center in Rancho Mirage, California, where he specializes in bio-identical hormones, hormone balancing and the causation of illness. Learn more at Plattwellness.com
3/4/2020 • 51 minutes, 57 seconds
Meik Wiking
Episode #407: Elle Russ chats with Meik Wiking - the CEO of The Happiness Research Institute. He is a Research Associate for Denmark at the World Database of Happiness, member of the policy advisory group for the Global Happiness Policy Report and Founding member of The Latin American Network for Wellbeing and Quality of Life Policies. Meik is a New York Times best-selling author and has written several books and reports on happiness, subjective well-being and quality of life. His books have sold over 2 million copies worldwide.
3/2/2020 • 39 minutes, 6 seconds
Paul Saladino MD
Elle Russ chats with Paul Saladino MD - the leading authority on the science and application of the carnivore diet. He has used this diet to reverse autoimmunity, chronic inflammation and mental health issues in hundreds of patients, many of whom had been told their conditions were untreatable. In addition to his personal podcast, Fundamental Health, he can be found featured on numerous podcasts including The Minimalists, The Model Health Show, Bulletproof Radio, The Dr. Gundry Podcast, The Ben Greenfield Podcast, Dr. Mercola, Health Theory, Mark Bell’s Power Project, and many others. He has also appeared on The Doctors TV show and will release his first book in 2020 titled, “The Carnivore Code: Unlocking the Secrets to Optimal Health by Returning to our Ancestral Diet.” CarnivoreMD.com
2/24/2020 • 57 minutes, 14 seconds
Sara Hall: World Class Marathoner, Ageless Wonder, and Super Mom!
Host Brad Kearns welcomes the amazing Sara Hall to the show, fresh off her stunning lifetime best and #6 all-time American performance of 2:22 at the Berlin Marathon. At age 36, Sara proclaims that she is both fitter and healthier than ever. This show is full of tidbits and reflections that will help you become a better runner and a better person. Sara discusses overcoming her string of injuries to achieve her recent breakthrough and the risks associated with elite-level training. Her insight that “you just need the pounding” is an interesting counter to the popular notion that you can “hack” peak endurance performance with HIIT workouts, or that recovery entails sitting around. In fact, an easy day for Sara is two hours of running (2 workouts) at 7-8 minutes per mile at high altitude in Flagstaff, AZ. Sara talks about what she’s learned and the support she’s received from her husband Ryan Hall, retired Olympic marathon runner and still US record holder at 2:04.58, Listen to his show on this channel to learn the amazing story of their adopting four Ethiopian children in 2015 and raising them in the USA. Sara talks about the balance between trying to eat the healthiest, cleanest diet and the reality of the raw fuel requirements for elite training. She talks about training at altitude for years, variation in training approach among elite athletes. Her comments on overcoming fear of failure and loving yourself how you are, without regard to results in competition, can actually unlock higher levels of peak performance because you are free to take risks and go for it! A great show with an inspiring runner dedicated to her faith and her charity called the Hall Steps Foundation.
2/21/2020 • 50 minutes, 15 seconds
David Morin
Elle Russ chats with David Morin - an accredited strength & conditioning trainer & coach for 16 yrs. His clients include the U.S. special forces military to NBA stars like Allen Iverson. David’s skill set continues to evolve through various modalities rooted in movement, martial arts, Chi Kung, mediation, bio feedback, free weight training, HIIT and advanced bio-hacking techniques. David Morin is a German born American Fitness trainer, model, corporate wellness speaker & entrepreneur. He has appeared on more then 40 fitness magazine covers like Muscle & Fitness, FitnessRX, Men’s Health & Ironman magazine. For over 10 yrs & in 15 countries David has been featured over 100 times as a editorial contributor & instructional fitness model for print media. After David’s near death experience & 5 day coma for a pulmonary embolism caused by a heart tumor in 2015, David created the worlds first essential oils respiratory enhancement workout supplement, FLO2! David appears on Netflix & Amazon as a star in the documentary “The Perfect Physique”. As well as working on director Micheal Bays Block buster film “Pain & Gain,” with the Rock & Mark Wahlberg. As a father of 4 who’s active, David had to create a effective, efficient at home training regime called “LynxFitness”. David is the founder & engineer of the training you’ll find on lynxfitness.com. David is a fitness lifestyle influencer with his own fitness app on FITPLAN available on the App Store. He’s currently traveling the world doing instructional fitness training and seminars at resorts from Phuket Thailand to Tulum Mexico, sharing his energy, experience & his passionate journey of gratitude through fitness. www.Getmorin.com www.Getmorinfitness.com Connect with Show Host Elle Russ
2/17/2020 • 43 minutes, 15 seconds
Dr. Mark Hyman
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Mark Hyman - a practicing family physician and an internationally recognized leader, speaker, educator, and advocate in the field of Functional Medicine. He is the founder and director of The UltraWellness Center, the Head of Strategy and Innovation of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, a twelve-time New York Times best-selling author, and Board President for Clinical Affairs for The Institute for Functional Medicine. He is the host of one of the leading health podcasts, The Doctor’s Farmacy. Dr. Hyman is a regular medical contributor several television shows and networks, including CBS This Morning, Today, Good Morning America, The View, and CNN. He is also an advisor and guest co-host on The Dr. Oz Show. https://www.drhyman.com Connect with Show Host http://www.elleruss.com
2/10/2020 • 39 minutes, 52 seconds
Courtney Contos
Elle Russ chats with Courtney Contos, a chef, wellness expert, Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach, and speaker. Courtney was raised and mentored in downtown Chicago under the expertise of her acclaimed restauranteur father, Bill Contos. He was the owner of Chez Paul - an ultra-elegant French restaurant and known in popular culture as the fancy restaurant from the iconic classic films Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Blue Brothers. Chez Paul is where her love of food and appreciation for quality was born. Courtney carried on her father’s vision by working in restaurants and cooking schools until ultimately attaining my degree in culinary arts from Kendall Culinary School in Chicago. I opened Chef Contos Kitchen & Store in Vermont, which was featured by Food & Wine Magazine as one of the best cooking schools in the world - focused on culinary education and chef-curated retail. Amidst her successes, she struggled and suffered for 12 years with chronic pain due to a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Her rheumatologist declared on numerous occasions that her condition would never change and that she would be wheelchair-bound for the rest of her life. Unwilling to accept this fate, she persevered to find a solution, and in 2018 - along with her Functional Medicine doctor, she set out to overcome her autoimmune disease. After decades of systemic inflammation, multiple health issues, surgeries, and over six years of severe foot pain, she now takes pain-free steps with immense gratitude for having zero RA markers. Boom! Now Courtney supports others on through their life transformations in her virtual health consulting business. Having been so positively impacted by her healing journey - she merged her rich experience as a culinary leader and educator with overcoming autoimmune disease by becoming a certified Functional Medicine Wellness Coach. her mission is to help others transform their health by guiding people in the right direction when they find themselves stuck without wellness support. www.ccontos.com
2/3/2020 • 59 minutes, 59 seconds
Keith and Michelle Norris
Elle Russ chats with Keith and Michelle Norris - co-founders of Paleo f(x)™ the largest Paleo platform and event in the world which has been featured in the New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Telegraph, and Men’s Health. Michelle is the CEO of Paleo f(x)™ and has been a speaker at SXSW Health Expo, Ancestral Health Symposium, Conscious Media Festival, Society of Women Entrepreneurs and the Academy of Regenerative Practices Conference. Keith Norris is a former standout athlete and military veteran. He is an elite strength and conditioning specialist and habit change expert with over 40 years of in-the-trenches experience. As a serial entrepreneur in the health and wellness space, he is a co-founder and Chief Development Officer of the largest Paleo platform in the world, Paleo f(x). As well, Keith is the CEO of Phoenix Equipment Group, LLC, and a founding member of ID Life, a company whose mission is health and lifestyle optimization. In his spare time, he authors one of the top fitness and personal development blogs in the health and wellness sphere, Theory To Practice, and is the author of The Five T’s, the art of goal setting and continual improvement. SELECTED LINKS: www.paleofx.com
1/27/2020 • 50 minutes, 35 seconds
Dr. Corey Riser
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Corey Riser - a Chiropractic Physician and a practicing Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner with over 300 hours of post-doctoral Functional Endocrinology and Clinical Nutrition education. Originally from Zanesville, Ohio, Dr. Riser began his work in alternative medicine through his award-winning Undergraduate Thesis study on Bacteriophage Therapy of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as a preferred treatment method over traditional antibiotics. While attending graduate school, Dr. Riser’s passion for alternative medicine developed after the passing of his grandmother, mother, and father in a two-year span. He watched as conventional medicine treatment with drug therapy and a lack of nutritional guidance continued time and time again to fail his family members and ultimately led to untimely deaths. It was at this time that he redirected his efforts toward Functional Medicine education. In 2017, Dr. Riser founded Functional Health Center of the Carolinas, a highly regarded Functional Medicine clinic in Charlotte, North Carolina. It has quickly become one of the most sought after “Chronic Disease Reversal” clinics in the region. As the Clinic Director, the focus of Dr. Riser’s practice is primarily Functional Medicine treatment of Type II Diabetes, Thyroid Disorders, Cognitive Decline, and Autoimmune disease. Dr. Riser has made it a priority to help the Carolina region combat a devastatingly high incidence of chronic disease and obesity through Functional Medicine, Paleo, and nutraceutical interventions. SELECTED LINKS: www.fhccarolinas.com instagram.com/fhccarolinas facebook.com/fhccarolinas
1/21/2020 • 46 minutes, 59 seconds
Kate Cretsinger, CNC
Elle Russ chats with Kate Cretsinger, CNC - a Certified Nutrition Coach. Kate’s path to becoming a Nutrition Coach began during her own struggles of migraines accompanied by bloody noses. Kate suffered 23 years from unexplained rashes, stomach pain as well as many days of not being able to socialize due to severe stomach pain, headaches and joint pain that was located in her arms, hips, legs and feet. Kate became determined to take control of her own health through nutrition. And she did!! In 2004, Kate graduated from University of New England with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science. She became certified as a Nutrition Coach by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. In addition, Kate has over 15 years of experience in the health & wellness field as a personal trainer, instructor and nutrition coach. SELECTED LINKS: Website: www.k84wellness.com Podcast: K8 4 Wellness Podcast Instagram: k8_4_wellness Facebook: K8 4 Wellness
1/13/2020 • 49 minutes, 17 seconds
Cool Dudes Talk Carnivore And More
Welcome to the world of the cool dudes! Host Brad Kearns welcomes Brian McAndrew and Will Shewfelt to a fabulous round table discussion focused on the emerging carnivore diet, but covering a bunch of peripheral topics relating to losing excess body fat, performing and recovering from workouts and executing some interesting strategies that will help you break through typical setbacks and frustrations. Regarding exercise, both Brian and Will emphasize the point that chronic patterns will screw up your best efforts to align with a keto or carnivore. Brian says, "Choose an exercise program that's not gonna make you hungry." You'll also learn about the trio's exciting new book, Carnivore Cooking For Cool Dudes, which helps make a carnivore-ish experiment or longer team eating pattern easy, fun, and sustainable.
1/8/2020 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 30 seconds
Darryl Edwards
Elle Russ chats with Darryl Edwards - a movement coach, nutritionist, physical activity researcher and creator of the Primal Play Method™. Darryl developed the Primal Play methodology to inspire others to make activity fun while getting healthier, fitter and stronger in the process. Darryl is the author of several award-winning books including Paleo Fitness and Animal Moves. His work has been published in titles such as Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Elle Magazine, Men’s Fitness and he has featured on the BBC TV documentaries Eat to Live Forever and Doctor In The House. SELECTED LINKS: Check out Darryl’s TEDx Talk “Why working out isn’t working out” at www.primalplay.com/tedx Find him on Facebook at facebook.com/DarrylFEdwards Twitter @fitnessexplorer and Instagram @fitnessexplorer Click here to download your FREE ebook on The Importance of Play.
1/6/2020 • 59 minutes, 2 seconds
When Does Fasting Cross the Line?
Fasting is generally healthy when done properly. The same goes for exercise and carb restriction. These behaviors help many people; but they can also be unhealthy for certain people or when used too much or in the wrong circumstances. Today I’d like to wade into potentially controversial waters and talk about when fasting potentially crosses the line into disordered eating territory. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/1/2020 • 11 minutes
Common New Year’s Resolutions (and How I’d Rewrite Them)
A big problem with New Year’s resolutions is not something intrinsic to the practice of resolving to make positive changes in the coming year—these can be beneficial forces in a person’s life—but with the way we word our resolutions. Word choice determines everything. Words mean things. The words we use determine everything that follows. With just slight modifications to the wording and by being more specific, these resolutions can become more powerful, more effective, and more true to our nature and our actual desires. How would I rewrite eight common New Year’s resolutions? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/31/2019 • 9 minutes, 14 seconds
Mark Sisson's Keto For Life: A Comprehensive Approach To Living Long and Living Awesome
Mark Sisson and Brad Kearns discuss the long-awaited release of their new book, Keto For Life, a comprehensive owner's manual to pursue the ultimate goal of healthspan--living long and living awesome every step of the way. This discussion is also available in video format on YouTube. Enjoy a bit of everything in this free wheeling conversation. Mark reveals that he nearly refused the project since he was not walking his talk in his own life! And how focusing in on the book project helped him recalibrate and hone his most treasured skill of pivoting. Mark makes the assertion that longevity requires more than just dialing in diet, exercise, and sleep. You'll learn that Living Awesome encompasses the Four Pillars of Longevity detailed in the book: Metabolic Flexibility, Movement and Physical Fitness, Mental Flexibility, and Rest & Recovery. Mental Flexibility entails the ability to pivot in the face of life's challenges and changes, avoid the disease state of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), and prioritize meaningful interpersonal connections over hyperconnectivity. Learn why there are literally three relevant ages instead of just your chronological age, and why biological and psychological age are vastly more important than your calendar years. This is a great chance to connect with #listentothesisson as he walks you through his most comprehensive book to date! Visit KetoReset.com for details about the book and an incredible advance purchase bonus offer.
12/30/2019 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 2 seconds
Dr. Stephen Hussey MS, DC
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Stephen Hussey MS, DC - a Chiropractor and Functional Medicine practitioner. He attained both his Doctorate of Chiropractic and Masters in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States in Portland, OR. He is a health coach, speaker, and the author of two books on health; The Health Evolution: Why Understanding Evolution is the Key to Vibrant Health and The Heart: Our Most Medically Misunderstood Organ. Dr. Hussey guides clients from around the world back to health by using ancestral wisdom and the latest research. In his down time he likes to be outdoors, playing sports, reading, writing, and spending time with his wife and their pets SELECTED LINKS Dr. Stephen Hussey Website
12/23/2019 • 46 minutes, 58 seconds
Post-Binge Biology: What Happens To Your Body When You Overeat (and 8 Things To Do Afterward)
‘Tis the season for consumption. Cookies, cakes, and pies abound. Feasts happen on a regular basis. Candy is given and received as gifts. And there are parties immeasurable—at work, with family, with friends—where calorie-dense, rewarding food is handed out, like, well, candy. The holiday season is a practice in overeating, and it can be very hard to avoid. You may not want to even avoid it; there’s something to be said for letting loose now and again on special occasions, especially when holiday cheer is in the air. But what happens to your body when you overeat? And what can you do about it? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/18/2019 • 10 minutes, 27 seconds
7 Mistakes to Avoid When You’re Reading Research
A couple weeks ago I wrote a post about how to read scientific research papers. That covered what to do. Today I’m going to tell you what NOT to do as a consumer of research studies. The following are bad practices that can cause you to misinterpret research findings, dismiss valid research, or apply scientific findings incorrectly in your own life. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/17/2019 • 14 minutes, 25 seconds
Dr. Erin Fall Haskell
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Erin Fall Haskell (“Dr. Erin”) about overcoming and dealing with trauma. Dr. Erin is the creator and host of Good Morning LaLa Land. She has been featured on the cover of magazines, radio, and ‘as seen on’ NBC, CBS, FOX, and ABC. She is the author of Awakening: A 40-Day Guide to Unleashing Your Spiritual Powers, Life’s Purpose, and Manifesting Your Dreams! Her mission is to awaken a billion people globally to their divinity while teaching them how to reprogram their subconscious, align with their personal truth and universal laws, and create a daily spiritual practice. Dr. Erin mentors people one-on-one on a body, mind, and spiritual level. She believes that when someone awakens, they naturally have a gift and message to bring to the world. After many years of working with a wide range of clients; from top celebrities to single mothers, her programs are now available to everyone. Dr. Erin believes that the route to happiness and fulfillment is not just knowing the truth, but living the truth! “There are moments in life when something happens, life alters, and your entire perception transforms instantaneously.” For Dr. Erin, that moment was 22 years ago when she was holding her stillborn son in her arms, just after giving birth to him. “Tears were streaming down my face as I looked at his beautiful body and realized his body was still there, but he wasn’t. I realized he wasn’t his body; he is a spiritual being. One can conceptually understand that we are not these bodies, but I got it on an entirely different level, my entire world crumbled, delivering me to spiritual revelation.” This sent her on an intense spiritual quest traveling around the world, discovering truths, and learning how to live and embody the truths that had been revealed. Selected Links – Connect with Dr. Erin Fall Haskell: Dr. Erin’s Website Dr. Erin’s Book Awakening Dr. Erin on Facebook Dr. Erin on Instagram
12/16/2019 • 47 minutes, 58 seconds
14 Scenarios When Fasting Might Be Your Best Approach
There’s a ton of talk about intermittent fasting in the ancestral heath sphere for general health and wellness as well as weight loss, but little indication of specific applications for the practice. Anytime you attempt a “radical” health practice like not eating, it helps to have a good reason to do it. That will not only give you something to aim for, but it will ensure you actually have a physiological justification for your experiment. Never go in blind. What are some of the specific scenarios and conditions where fasting makes the most sense? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/11/2019 • 13 minutes, 48 seconds
Tara Garrison
Elle Russ chats with Tara Garrison - a ketogenic diet specialist, personal trainer, mom of 4 and Boston Marathoner. Tara has a holistic approach to health, teaching the importance of a healthy mind and body. She is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), International College of Applied Nutrition and Strength (ICANS), is a Certified Functional Strength Coach (CFSC). SELECTED LINKS Tara's Website: https://coachtaragarrison.com Instagram: instagram.com/coachtaragarrison (@coachtaragarrison) Facebook: facebook.com/coachtaragarrison YouTube: youtube.com/coachtaragarrison Twitter: twitter.com/coachtarag LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/coachtaragarrison --
12/9/2019 • 46 minutes, 52 seconds
8 Things We Can Learn From the Carnivore Movement
A few years ago, I wrote a post describing all the things that avowed Primal eaters can learn from plant-based or even vegan dieters. Sure, we’re diametrically opposed on the role of animal foods in human health, but there are still relevant takeaways. Carnivores are much closer to Primal eaters on the dietary spectrum, The Primal Blueprint posits that animal foods—meat, fish, fowl, shellfish, eggs, and dairy—represent the most nutrient-dense, most crucial component of the human diet. Carnivore takes that and runs with it, to its logical conclusion: Animal foods are so nutrient-dense and so important that we should eat them to the exclusion of everything else. I don’t exactly agree, but I see where they’re coming from. And there’s a lot we can learn from the carnivore movement. I’ve got 8 takeaways today. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/4/2019 • 10 minutes, 54 seconds
Elle Russ
Guest host Ashleigh VanHouten chats with Primal Blueprint Podcast host and author Elle Russ about her new book, Confident As Fu*k (Foreword by Mark Sisson). Confident As Fu*k is the self-help book for people looking to level up their self-esteem and confidence and manifest their dreams to live a happier, more abundant existence. This book is also for highly confident people to learn how to navigate confidence pitfalls, become more accessible, and refine their nature. In this entertaining exposé on self-esteem and confidence, bestselling author and coach, Elle Russ, dishes out funny, inspiring stories and observations to help you: Identify and finally ditch bad vibes and negative people who are keeping you from being Confident As Fu*k Clean up your past through addressing shame and limiting stories (about yourself and others) that are holding you back Become inspired to speak up for yourself and take a leap into the arena of self-examination By the end of Confident As Fu*k, you will understand yourself and the shortcomings you need to abandon in order to kick ass and take names! Elle Russ is the author of Confident As Fu*k and the best-selling health book, The Paleo Thyroid Solution - which has helped thousands of people around the world reclaim their health. Elle is also a TV/Film writer and host of the popular Primal Blueprint Podcast started by NYT’s bestselling author, Mark Sisson. At the age of 22, Elle sustained an injury that left both of her hands and arms permanently disabled. This life-altering physical limitation led to a multitude of emotional and psychological pitfalls that she had to navigate in order to retain and refine her formidable sense of self-esteem and confidence and become Confident As Fu*k. You can learn more about her at www.ElleRuss.com SELECTED LINKS: Confident As Fu*k ElleRuss.com
12/2/2019 • 56 minutes, 14 seconds
Martin Silva
Elle Russ chats with Martin Silva - he is beyond passionate when it comes to health, fitness and helping people optimize their body and his purpose is to empower people and help them achieve the best version of themselves. From an extremely young age, exercise and playing sports had became a huge part of Martin’s life. At the age of 13, he was introduced to the world of weightlifting and discovered the art of building an admirable physique. Since then, he has coached hundreds of people, traveled around the world competing, eventually achieving professional level status and ranking within the top 10 natural fitness model competitors in the world. Martin now prioritizes health rather than being driven purely by aesthetics. His philosophy on health is centered around the guiding principle that if you focus on optimizing your health from the inside out, your healthy, lean physique will then become a bi-product of taking care of yourself. SELECTED LINKS FREE GUIDE: https://optimiseyourbody.com/free-guides/ Website_ Optimiseyourbody.com Podcast_ Optimise Your Body Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin
11/25/2019 • 38 minutes, 30 seconds
Kendra and Rob Benson
Elle Russ chats with Kendra and Rob Benson (husband and wife team) are behind the brands Explorado Market and Fat Fit Go (Keto treat and energy companies). The Benson's got their start online with the creation of meal plans, recipes, biohacking tips and more at OurPaleoLife.com - in January 2019 they sold the blog but are still very active in the longevity and health space. The sale of their blog gave them leverage to build their own production facility in addition to opening one of the world's first Keto Grocery/Bakery shops. Selected Links https://www.fatfitgo.com
11/18/2019 • 40 minutes, 34 seconds
Ginny Gane & Cassie Parks
Ginny Gane is the bestselling author of The Champion Mindset and an adventurous, fun Law of Attraction expert for people who crave more out of life and are ready to realize their full potential. Ginny teaches LOA skills and guides you towards purposefully creating a life you are wildly in love with. Through her fun and easy courses, ebooks, and personal coaching, she reminds you of your incredible personal power. Learn the skills that will ultimately empower you to take control of your experience and truly uncover and be all that you want to be. When she’s not playing with LOA, you can find her indulging in sunshiny outdoor adventures, fun fitness exercise and practicing singing…along to the radio. Cassie Parks loves the ocean, dancing for no reason and the power of possibly. Her best-selling books include the topics of money, business and lifestyle design. She is a mentor for those who want to turn their wildest dreams into their dreams come true. She is the host of the podcast Happy Ever After and the co-host of the Manifest it Now show. Other highlights include speaking at TAI talks and being a real estate investor who retired at 32. She is the creator of the Money Money Money Course and the Double Your Business Workshop. Her forthcoming magazine is called Possible. Cassie loves to travel, being with those she loves and laughing a lot. SELECTED LINKS GinnyGane.com CassieParks.com Manifest It Now PODCAST
11/11/2019 • 56 minutes, 19 seconds
Chris Irvin
Host Brad Kearns gets deep into the world of ketone supplements with scientist Chris Irvin from Perfect Keto. Chris and Perfect Keto founder Dr. Anthony Gustin recently published a book called The Keto Answers Book, filled with 268 thoughtful answers to the most common questions about the ketogenic diet and ketone supplements. Chris talks about the good and the bad arising from the explosion in popularity of keto, and has an interesting take on the best use of ketone supplements. Chris mentions their effectiveness for times when you need enhanced brain function. You'll hear about possible reasons for lower than expected blood ketone readings and the surprising suggestion that you should not measure ketones first thing in the morning due to something called the "dawn effect," where you have naturally elevated glucose and low ketones upon awakening.
11/7/2019 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 30 seconds
Ali Miller RD, LD, CDE
Elle Russ chats with Ali Miller RD, LD, CDE - Integrative functional dietitian, author of Naturally Nourished (2016), The Anti-Anxiety Diet (2018) and her newest book The Anti-Anxiety Diet Cookbook (2019). Ali Miller, RD is a Registered Dietitian with a contagious passion for using nutrients and food as the foundation of treatment protocols and programs. Her Food-As-Medicine philosophy is supported by up-to-date scientific research for a functional approach to healing the body. Ali is a renowned expert in the ketogenic diet with over a decade of clinical results using a unique whole foods approach tailored to support thyroid, adrenal and hormonal balance. Ali’s message has influenced millions through the medical community and media with television, print, and her award winning podcast, Naturally Nourished. Ali’s expertise can be accessed through her website: www.alimillerRD.com offering her blog, podcasts, virtual learning, and access to her practice and supplement line Naturally Nourished. Website: www.alimillerRD.com
11/4/2019 • 49 minutes, 56 seconds
Catharine Arnston
Elle Russ chats with Catharine Arnston - the CEO & Founder of ENERGYbits®. Her mission is to help the world be healthier naturally with mother nature’s oldest and original food- algae. Catharine graduated with an MBA from Ivey School of Business and a Health Coach Certificate from Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Her career spans thirty-three years during which she has been an international attaché for the Canadian and British Governments, publisher of an international magazine and the Founder of three startups. Catharine founded the algae tablet company ENERGYbits® in Boston MA after her younger sister in Canada was diagnosed with breast cancer and advised by her oncologist that an alkaline diet would help her heal. Catharine helped her sister research alkaline foods and the process led her to discover the healing properties of plant-based nutrition. This ultimately led Catharine to algae, the most nutrient-dense, alkaline plant in the world with vast medicinal properties unknown outside of Asia. Catharine realized algae could have a powerful impact on the world if it was only better understood. Catharine has devoted her life to researching algae and educating consumers, athletes, wellness, spa, fitness and beauty professionals about its therapeutic, sustainable benefits. She is now considered one of the country’s leading experts on algae nutrition, a sought-after speaker at wellness conferences and a frequent guest on podcasts and television. SELECTED LINKS www.energybits.com
10/28/2019 • 46 minutes, 46 seconds
The Primal Endurance Revolution
Mark Sisson and Brad Kearns talk about the wonderful world of Primal Endurance. More than a book and an online course (primalendurance.fit), this is a revolution in the traditional "struggle and suffer" approach to endurance training. If you are an endurance athlete or even just a cardio enthusiast at the gym, this is a great show to lay the foundation for a healthier, more sensible, more effective approach to endurance training. The duo discuss heart rate parameters, stress and rest balance, the strategic inclusion of high intensity workouts, and much more. If you are gonna spend the time and energy to conduct devoted endurance workouts, do it the right way. Realize that slowing down to go faster really works!
10/25/2019 • 38 minutes, 40 seconds
10 Awesome New Fitness Trends
Host Brad Kearns talks you through a top-10 list of fitness trends that are simply awesome! It starts with Brad's favorite recommendation to maintain the passion and competitive intensity throughout life and then being smart and strategic with your training decisions. Today, there are many fantastic breakthroughs in fitness philosophy and strategy that emphasize stress-rest balance, recovery, and mobility instead of just the "no pain, no gain" emphasis of the old days. This list of ideas will be easy for you to implement into your daily routine and gain huge benefits for minimal time investment. Here's a quick look at the list the Brad details for you: Conduct plenty of flexibility/mobility drills per Kelly Starrett; conduct HIRT workouts in favor of HIIT per Dr. Craig Marker; emphasize Breakthrough Workouts per Mark Sisson (exciting new idea Mark's been talkin' 'bout since '88!); increase the severity of your stress/rest fluctuation per Brad Kearns (easier easy workouts!); exercise some restraint at your hardest workouts per Dr. Phil Maffetone: try micro-workouts during your busy day; conduct Rebound Workouts to recover faster, and understand HRV completely, both per Joel Jamieson; fast after difficult workouts (really!) per Dude Spellings; listen to the whole show per Brian "WholeDood" McAndrew. This could be one of the best podcast episodes of the decade because this stuff really works and it's do-able for all fitness enthusiasts!
10/23/2019 • 43 minutes, 21 seconds
Janie A. Bowthorpe M.Ed
Elle Russ chats with thyroid patient advocate and author Janie A. Bowthorpe M.Ed, who suffered at the hands of doctors for 20 years. Why? They failed to see the connection between her chronic and debilitating symptoms and forcing her body to live for conversion alone, aka T4-only like Synthroid. The examining room responses were always along the lines of “You are normal” and “It’s something else besides your thyroid”. All the latter meant money down the drain, frustrating and false pronouncements by doctors, along with painful tests, dead ends, and the dark realization she would finally have to apply for Social Security Disability. But Bowthorpe proved them all wrong in 2002. She switched to Natural Desiccated Thyroid, raised and found her optimal amount, and every single debilitating symptom went completely away. That change spurred her to create the movement later called Stop the Thyroid Madness, aka STTM. What makes the Stop the Thyroid Madness movement different from other websites and books? It's near totally about 17 years of reported patient experiences in getting well, and the wisdom gained from those experiences. Janie is the author of three great books: The 2019 updated revision of Stop the Thyroid Madness: A Patient Revolution Against Decades of Inferior Thyroid Treatment - this book compiles all the patient wisdom in getting well and is often called the bible of patient experiences. Hashimoto's: Taming the Beast for those with the autoimmune Hashimoto's disease. Another patient-to-patient book, telling you first about Hashimotos, references to plenty of research, all the ways gut health issues can impact one's issues, and moves into several patient-to-patient information about frustrations, how foods affect different patients, better ways to eat, and 96 short testimonies how how Hashi's patients are taming the beast successfully. And lastly, Stop the Thyroid Madness II: How Thyroid Experts are Challenging Ineffective Treatments and Improving the Lives of Patients (aka STTM II). Each chapter contributed by a practitioner. SELECTED LINKS The website is https://stopthethyroidmadness.com facebook page https://www.facebook.com/StoptheThyroidMadness/ See http://laughinggrapepublishing.com
10/21/2019 • 53 minutes, 19 seconds
Dr. Robert Zembroski
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Robert Zembroski - a specialist in functional medicine, chiropractic neurologist, clinical nutritionist, and transformational speaker. Twenty-six years in private practice, including his own journey through disease, has enabled Dr. Z to become an expert in health topics from heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease, obesity, cancer, hormone issues, nutrition, and fitness. He is the author of the ground-breaking new patient-friendly guide to recovery REBUILD: 5 Proven Steps to Move From Diagnosis to Recovery and Be Healthier Than Before. Dr. Z’s new book REBUILD is the only program that allows the reader to create a personalized plan based on their unique health needs. Dr. Z has been seen on FOX Business, Fox & Friends, Tom Bilyeu’s Health Theory, and featured in multiple online and print outlets and magazines including: Muscle & Fitness, Men’s Health, Readers Digest, Bulletproof, Goop, Medium, Popsugar, Bustle, BuzzFeed and more. Years ago, Dr. Zembroski’s own diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma led to several courses of toxic chemotherapy, as well as surgery, to remove a five-inch tumor from his chest. That experience inspired him to create the Cancer Victor® Protocol—a research-based parallel set of steps that augments the function of chemotherapy and radiation treatments to not only improve the function of the chemo, but to radically reduce the toxic effects of chemotherapy. The protocol also will make a person going through cancer care stronger and more resilient, leading to better results and a more rapid recovery. Director of the Darien Center for Functional Medicine, Dr. Z is committed to providing you answers in a confusing world of medical opinions and poor results. SELECTED LINKS Website: https://www.drzembroski.com/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DrRobZembroski FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Zembroski/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/drzembroski/
10/14/2019 • 47 minutes, 38 seconds
Fitness Philosophy, Being Patient, Getting Back in Shape, Carb/Fasting Strategies
Host Brad Kearns covers a lovely assortment of fitness-related questions, comments, success stories and philosophical musings about whether the MAF approach (slow down, less stress, more rest) might work in all areas of hectic modern life. Other topics: Cold winter swims, grassfed versus pasture-raised, going for it at races instead of worrying about MAF, making adjustments to escape the carb dependency training and eating pattern, being patient with MAF improvement, getting back into shape 85 pounds after college, the benefits (and leeway for carbs) you get from fasting in a 20-4 pattern, and cool stuff like orange lenses and ionizing air filters
10/9/2019 • 54 minutes, 34 seconds
Arriane Alexander
Elle Russ chats with Arriane Alexander. She empowers entrepreneurs all over the world to grow their business, make an impact and be wildly successful. She is the creator of the High Impact Success Academy, a virtual coaching academy designed to give you clarity in your business goals, a strategy to get there and courageous action so you can build confidence and create the business of your dreams. Arriane holds a Masters Degree in Spiritual Psychology and has been involved in the field of Personal Development for over 20 years. She comes from a background of over 15 years in corporate America, as a high level executive in Sales and Marketing in the fashion business for Brighton Collectibles. In addition, you might have seen her on your tv screen, as she has a successful career as an Actor on TV shows such as S.W.A.T., The People v O.J. Simpson and Grey’s Anatomy. Basically, she has created businesses of her dreams and helps you do the same. Her expertise is helping you use clarity, strategy, confidence and soul, so you can make an impact and take your business to the next level. She is all about creating big impact with grace, ease and fun. SELECTED LINKS https://www.arrianealexander.com
10/7/2019 • 58 minutes, 50 seconds
Sean Jewell - All About Dark Chocolate, Including Good and Bad Farming and How To Choose The Best Stuff
Host Brad Kearns welcomes Sean Jewell, environmental activist and co-founder of Coracao Confections in the San Francisco Bay Area to educate us on one of the great foods of the planet. Sean recently returned from a visit to his farming collective in Ecuador, and comes to the show rich with insights about the amazing work of organic cacao farmers to harvest a sustainable product, contrasted with the offensive and gross stuff that is happening with conventional cacao farming. If you like dark chocolate, this show will give you a fascinating education on how the cacao product is grown the right way, how to choose the highest quality products, and many more rich insights. Hey, if you enjoy discount dark chocolate from Trader Joes or the supermarket, realize that you are almost certainly buying the product of child slave labor in Africa. You know how dark chocolate tastes “bitter”? It’s because they roast the heck out of the beans with conventional dark chocolate such that there is no flavor nuance left. You will appreciate the parallels between cheap dark chocolate and cheap wine or cheap beer. It’s time to become a chocolate conouisseur and look for designations like “bean to bar” and “fair trade” on your product label. Props to Sean for supporting sustainable farming with fair compensation and producing a fantastic dark chocolate bar. Learn more at CoracaoConfections.com
10/2/2019 • 45 minutes, 49 seconds
Shawn Wells
Elle Russ chats with Shawn Wells (MPH, RD, LDN, CISSN, FISSN) - a Registered Dietitian, Certified Sports Nutritionist, Fellow in the international Society of Sports Nutrition, and practiced over a decade as a Chief Clinical Dietitian in acute (hospital) and skilled nursing settings. He has formulated for over 2 decades and speaks all over the world, and he is a weekly expert on a national radio show (One Life Radio weekly on iHeartMedia), and he will be in a documentary yet to be released internationally on dietary supplements. Shawn has also been on the ketogenic diet for over 20 years. He was featured in the documentary, the Skinny on Fat that released in 2018 and was most recently on Fox News television talking about 2019 health trends. Overcoming and suppressing numerous conditions with keto, paleo, fasting, and supplements such as Epstein-Barr Virus, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Depression, Insomnia, Obesity, and a pituitary tumor is part of Shawn’s passion and journey leading him to help others win these battles too. Mr. Wells is a nutritional biochemist and has been dubbed in the supplement industry as "The World's Greatest Formulator" where he as formulated over 500 products, available around the world. SELECTED LINKS website: www.ShawnWells.com IG: @zonehalo Twitter: @zonehalo --
9/30/2019 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 23 seconds
Susan Bratton
Elle Russ chats with Susan Bratton - considered the “Dear Abby of Hot Sex” to fans around the world, Susan’s fresh approach to sex techniques and bedroom communication skills help millions of people—of all ages and across the gender spectrum—transform sex into passion. Susan’s straight-forward lovemaking advice is rooted in her personal experience of watching her marital intimacy wither as she and her husband pursued dynamic careers. When her relationship hit a crisis point, Susan made a fierce commitment to do whatever it took to hold her family together and revive the passion in her marriage. Today, she and her husband have the kind of dream relationship most people stopped believing was even possible—until they discover her practical tips. After 15 years and over 30k hours of research, practice, teaching, and testing, Susan distilled the six simple essentials that ignite passionate lovemaking into her latest #1 international best-selling book, Sexual Soulmates. A serial entrepreneur who was named a Silicon Valley “Woman of Influence,” and AdAge “Top 10 Internet Pioneer," Susan and her company, Personal Life Media, Inc. been featured in The New York Times and appeared on the TODAY Show, ABC, CBS, CNBC, CW, Fox, and NBC. Beloved for speaking from the heart and shooting from the hip...she’s written over 20 books and programs including, Sexual Soulmates, Relationship Magic, The Passion Patch, 30 Romance Tricks That Work Like Magic and Revive Her Drive. She has thousands of fans who devour her Better Lover YouTube videos. Susan Bratton publishes the work of other highly respected sexuality educators including Dr. Patricia Taylor’s Expand Her Orgasm Tonight and Seduction Trilogy programs; Tallulah Sulis’ Female Liquid Orgasm and Keep Her Coming programs; Jim Benson’s Multi-Orgasmic Lover for Men and her Steamy Sex Ed® Video Collection of 200+ heart- connected lovemaking techniques. Perhaps what’s most impressive are the more than one thousand deeply personal thank you notes she’s received from fans worldwide for her positive contribution to their sex lives. SELECTED LINKS: http://susanbratton.com
9/23/2019 • 44 minutes, 16 seconds
Debbie Potts: Fat adapted endurance training
Host Brad Kearns gets deep into the world of fat adapted endurance training and functional medicine for holistic healing with ironman athlete and nutrition expert Debbie Potts. Debbie and prominent exercise physiologist Paul Laursen are holding a free seminar in Kona on the subject during the Big Show in October. In this episode, Debbie and Brad talk about the importance of taking care of your health as you pursue ambitious endurance goals. Debbie mentions the functional health approach of HIDDEN: Hormones, Immunity, Digestion, Detox, Energy and Neurotransmitters. Don’t make the mistake of a narrowly focused approach that gets you fit and unhealthy. Also learn some ideas about optimizing carb intake for endurance training, including sorting out hype from legit strategies and how you can customize your approach for best results.
9/20/2019 • 45 minutes, 34 seconds
Dr. Andrew Weil MD
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Andrew Weil MD - an internationally recognized expert on medicinal plants, integrative medicine and wellness. As the founder and Director of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, Dr. Weil is leading the global effort to develop a comprehensive integrative medicine curriculum. Combining a Harvard education and a lifetime of practicing natural and preventive medicine, Dr. Weil is the founder and director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where he also serves as a Clinical Professor of Medicine and Professor of Public Health as well as the Lovell-Jones Professor of Integrative Rheumatology. Dr. Weil has traveled the world collecting information about medicinal plants and alternative methods of treating disease. The author of 15 best-selling books and many scientific articles, Weil is a renowned expert on alternative plant-based healing. Matcha is the latest in his array of natural, plant-based options. Use the code Primal15 for a discount on Dr. Weil’s matcha, at www.matcha.com. SELECTED LINKS: For more information on Dr. Weil, visit https://www.drweil.com
9/16/2019 • 51 minutes, 14 seconds
Dude Spellings, Part 2: Destroying Self-Limiting Beliefs And Flawed Childhood Programming, and Crossing The Grand Canyon With No Food!
Host Brad Kearns welcomes Dude Spellings for an episode that goes deep into the world of personal growth. Listen if you dare to Dude baring his soul and discussing the life-changing experience of his five-day intensive retreat known as “Training Camp For The Soul”. Once the heavy stuff is out of the way, Dude regales the listener with an account of how he did a rim to rim to rim crossing of the Grand Canyon (49 miles) without food! And how, when he finished with his crew and was welcomed at the South Rim with a stack of pizzas to celebrate, Dude instead decided to fast overnight in order to speed recovery. Yes, Dude is the first person to utter the transformational insight that fasting may just be the most efficient way to recovery from strenuous workouts! After all, we know that inflammation, immune function, and cell repair are all optimized when you are in a fasted state. Hard to imagine when athletes associate food with celebration after workouts, but these cutting edge insights will really get you thinking about the best ways to optimize nutrition, peak performance, and recovery.
9/13/2019 • 36 minutes, 41 seconds
Tony Gaskins, Jr.
Elle Russ chats with Tony Gaskins, Jr. about his new book MAKE IT WORK: 22 TIME-TESTED, REAL LIFE LESSONS FOR SUSTAINING A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP. Tony is a husband and father first. In his spare time he’s a bestselling author, international speaker, and celebrity life coach. It all started after he lost his full football scholarship after 3 seasons of poor performance on the field. At 22-years-old he used his gift of writing to start writing books based on the wisdom he’d gained from life. At 25-years-old he went on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Tyra Banks Show, and the 700 Club telling different portions of his life story. He exposed his mistakes and turned them into lessons. Everything from being toxic in relationships to living the street life with his cousins. Tony allowed his pain to birth his purpose. Then at 26 he was called on by the NBA, NFL, and NCAA to speak to athletes about life, love, and responsibility as young adults. As a result of of Tony’s message going viral online, he’s amassed 3 million supporters who enjoy his very real and raw delivery of life’s wisdom. Celebrities from all industries have reposted and shared Tony’s content. NBA All-Stars like Dwyane Wade and Damian Lillard have flown Tony in to speak at camps and community events. Countless others call Tony their Life Coach. Tony served as the team life coach for college teams and a NBA team for several seasons before resigning to be home more with his family, and to work non-exclusively. Tony defines himself as a modern-day servant leader who teaches as he learns, but most importantly lives what he teaches. Selected Links: https://tonygaskins.com
9/9/2019 • 43 minutes, 49 seconds
Keto: Listener Q&A
Brad tackles some interesting and varied Q&A, including concerns about fueling with carbs during long workouts, how family high cholesterol concerns jibe with feeling great while eating paleo/keto, and much more fun stuff. Email [email protected] to ask questions or give feedback on the show.
9/5/2019 • 45 minutes, 32 seconds
Matt Wallden
Mark Sisson chats with Matt Wallden - Mark’s co-writer on two medical papers on the concept that the notion that chairs – a mainstay of most industrialized cultures – were only invented by the Mesopotamian’s 4,000 years ago. This means that for more than 99% of our bipedal evolution our ancestors were using the floor as their place of rest. Indeed, still in many cultures today where chairs are not available or practical indigenous groups still use a definable set of ground-based sitting postures, which are known as “Archetypal Rest Postures”. If you, or someone you know has experienced connective tissue injuries, such as Achille’s problems, tennis elbow, jumper’s knee you’ll know that these can be persistent challenges which can be difficult to resolve. Similarly, blood sugar handling can be a stubborn challenge which may even resist diligent attempts to manage through diet alone. What if there was an ingredient of your daily routine that our ancestors (and therefore our evolving physiology) partook in as part of their lifestyle which is missing from your modern existence that could help solve these challenges? Something so simple, that takes no extra time in your day, but helps to ease the aches and pains of daily life and optimizes blood glucose issues - all while resting? Sounds good, right?! The concept of Archetypal Rest Postures was first described by the Osteopath & Acupuncturist, Phillip Beach, back in the 1990’s, and full descriptions of them are available in Phill’s book “Muscles & Meridians – the manipulation of shape” and in Matt Wallden’s Rehabilitation chapter in the textbook “Naturopathic Physical Medicine”. In these papers, published in the most recent edition of Elsevier’s prestigious Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies, we describe how the disconnect between how we rested for millions of years, and how we rest in a modern environment may be a key factor in contributing to persistent tension in various muscles we use for sports and activities of daily living; and also how this may impair healing mechanisms, especially in tendon injury. Similarly, applying an evolutionary lens to this natural way of resting may provide insight into why it really makes little sense that our ancestors would have needed a full stretching warm-up before allowing the Sabre-tooth to chase them (as any athlete seems to need today before competing)!! Could it be that these archetypal rest postures were nature’s way of keeping the body “tuned up” and balanced ready for activity at the drop of a hat… or the snap of a twig?! This would all seem to make good sense; but what may be less expected is the fact that several research papers have now shown that stretching (and in particular passive stretching) across a period of weeks has a balancing effect on blood sugar control. Who would have thought that essentially “doing nothing” other than sitting using archetypal rest postures could be enough to help balance blood sugar? Exercising – yes, that seems to make good sense, but resting?! The key, though, is that resting using archetypal rest postures is a natural way of stretching a variety of muscle groups and connective tissues, but none of the rest postures is inherently comfortable. The end result? You move! You squat down and, after a few minutes, it gets uncomfortable, so you may put one knee down on the ground (half squat, half kneel), but give that a couple of minutes and you want to move; so you may switch to full kneeling. After a few minutes kneeling, this becomes uncomfortable, so you switch to sitting cross-legged and so on. Each posture stretches a different set of muscles and fascia and each provides both a healing stimulus and an opportunity for blood to flow into different muscle groups and to increase glucose uptake within the muscle. The upshot of this is better blood sugar control. So, finding ways to build these postures into your daily routine is the key to realising the benefits of them. Finding or building a workstation to allow you to tap out emails from a floor-based position is one simple solution. Coffee tables tend to work well for this kind of scenario, some height-adjustable desks may go low enough for this, but also there are an array of display stands that can be adjusted to the perfect height for your working conditions such as here. Similarly, those playing computer games, watching endless hours of YouTube, social media or who enjoy TV; these archetypal rest postures can be adopted for the (on average) 5 hours per day this is happening. Imagine that, a no-time impact, no effort means of helping balance the body’s biomechanics and its blood sugar management! If you like the sound of that, then you can dive deeper into the details of the discussion on connective tissue, blood sugar and archetypal rest postures in the two papers. SELECTED LINKS: • Modern Disintegration - Primal Connectivity, Editorial Paper: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Z3KO4rR6wMn9r • Biomechanical Attractors - A Paleolithic Prescription for Tendinopathy & Glycemic Control, Practical Paper: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Z3KO4rR6wMnA1 The first podcast (released June 29th) is on Matt Wallden’s FC2O (from chaos to order) podcast available here.
9/2/2019 • 47 minutes, 47 seconds
Dude Spellings, Part 1: Cold Exposure Benefits And Balancing Training And Life Stress
Host Brad Kearns welcomes Dude Spellings back to the show. Dude is a high performing endurance athlete and extreme health enthusiat who has an interesting and progressive take on many aspects of endurance training, peak performance, biohacking, and living a healthy, happy balanced life. In part 1, Dude and Brad discuss one of their favorite subjects: cold therapy. Learn the comprehensive benefits for both a physical/hormonal boost as well as how cold exposure builds focus and psychological resiliency. Jumping into cold water (or cold shower) every day transcends the fickle attribute of motivation and becomes an automatic patterned behavior - a healthy habit.
8/30/2019 • 33 minutes, 11 seconds
Keto: Q&A About Gaining Weight on Keto, Military Success Story and More
Host Brad Kearns fields some unusual questions, including two people who complain about losing too much weight on keto. Other topics include a heartwarming military success story (with a reminder about the difficulties active duty and veterans have with mental and physical health and access to quality medical and preventive wellness care). We also hear about the benefits of a HIRT style (High-Intensity Repeat Training) workout or MSP (Maximum Sustained Power) instead of the typical template of an exhaustive workout marked by cumulative fatigue and cellular depletion.
8/28/2019 • 49 minutes, 36 seconds
Bela Gandhi
Elle Russ chats with Bela Gandhi - a dating/relationship expert, founder of Smart Dating Academy and a weekly media correspondent. She is a dating expert on the Steve Harvey Show, Relationship Insider for Match.com, a regular contributor to the TODAY Show and Good Morning America, and appears frequently on ABC, NBC, Fox, CNN, and more. After she graduated, Gandhi worked in mergers and acquisitions for Arthur Andersen in Chicago for a year before joining her family's chemical and manufacturing company - where she divided her time between Chicago and Europe helping to expand the business. When the Gandhi family sold its business to Akzo Nobel, she was asked to remain its leader, and became Akzo Nobel Non-Stick Coating’s Global Vice President of Housewares. But even as she quickly climbed the corporate ladder, Gandhi had a feeling that her career would one day be taking a sharp turn in a different direction – because she discovered her love of matchmaking and providing dating advice. She launched her Smart Dating Academy in 2009. Smart Dating Academy has quickly become one of the nation's top date coaching firms - and teaches busy, successful professionals to jump start their dating lives successfully. Smart Dating Academy is like going to Harvard Business School, but for dating and relationships – they have helped hundreds of thousands of people find love! They become personal trainers for their clients’ love lives. The SDA coaching program is results-oriented and fun - which helps you to clarify who is right for you, stop old dating patterns, and use technology the RIGHT way. You become positive and enthusiastic about dating / relationships again! Its clients receive personalized dating plans, and essential training in how to meet high caliber singles, personal style, conversation, and online success. SELECTED LINKS Website: www.smartdatingacademy.com Watch: The Today Show - Smart Dating Academy Watch: Steve Harvey / Bela Gandhi Watch: Good Morning America Subscribe for Free Video Tips: You Tube Channel - Smart Dating Academy "Like" Us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smartdatingacademy Twitter: @BelaGandhiLove
8/26/2019 • 49 minutes, 37 seconds
Dr. Robert Glover
Elle Russ chats with author Robert A. Glover Ph.D. about his new book Dating Essentials For Men. Whether you want to create a loving long-term relationship (LTR), get married and have kids, or just hook-up... Dating Essentials for Men will teach you how. This in-depth guide helps men identify their goals for dating and how to achieve them - along with helping men face fears and soothe anxiety, talk to women with confidence, create powerful sexual polarity, break up with integrity, and much more. On a previous podcast episode (#322), Dr. Glover spoke about the “Nice Guy Syndrome” and his related book No More Mr. Nice Guy: A Proven Plan for Getting What You Want in Love, Sex and Life. He is a frequent guest on radio talk shows and has been featured in numerous local and national publications. Through his books, online classes, workshops, podcasts, blogs, consultation, and therapy groups, Dr. Glover has helped change the lives of countless men and women around the world. Dr. Glover lives in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and you can learn more about him and his work at www.DrGlover.com Selected Links: Dating Essentials for Men www.DrGlover.com
8/19/2019 • 47 minutes, 28 seconds
Keto: Wide Ranging Q&A, Including The Carnivore Diet Rationale
Host Brad Kearns fields an assortment of interesting questions, including SIBO, functional medicine, afternoon blues, optimizing electrolytes and minerals with keto, why tracking blood ketones is less important than you might think, acid reflux challenges, how not to get carried away with eating fat on keto. A question about cornivore and Brad elaborates on the rationale and intended benefits of nose-to-tail style carnivore eating.
8/14/2019 • 50 minutes, 42 seconds
Paul Robinson
Elle Russ chats with Paul Robinson about his latest book The Thyroid Patient’s Manual. Paul is a thyroid patient who became ill with hypothyroidism in his late 20s. He was eventually able to recover using T3-only replacement therapy. He has written 2 other books: Recovering with T3 and The CT3M Handbook. At first, Paul, was put on the most common thyroid treatment - Levothyroxine (also known as Synthroid or T4-only). However, the majority of his symptoms remained, much like they do for many on T4-therapy. Over time he became even more ill, with both low cortisol and low thyroid symptoms. Paul saw many endocrinologists and doctors as he got more desperate and worried. During this time, he was told, "You will have to live with it”, “You have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome", "You cannot have a thyroid issue, as your thyroid results are within range". Even though these statements were nonsense, Paul was written-off by the medical profession. Eventually, he realized that he had to figure out what was wrong himself. Natural dessicated thyroid (NDT) did not help him. T4/T3 combinations did not help him. The struggle over many years cost him his career and damaged his relationships. He had lost all of his thirties and some of his forties on this struggle. Paul got well by using T3 on its own - with no T4 at all. He calls this T3-Only treatment. He developed a safe and effective protocol for using T3 (Liothyronine) and developed a way of raising cortisol levels if needed. Paul has now been taking T3-Only (T3-monotherapy) for over 20 years and has worked with thousands of hypoththyroid and low cortisol patients. He knows that every individual thyroid patient needs a solution that suits him or her. With good clinical judgment, and all the available thyroid treatments, there is no reason for anyone to stay unwell for a long time on poor thyroid treatment. When this happens it can seriously affect someones's life. Paul wrote his third book The Thyroid Patient’s Manual to help any patient, whether they merely suspect thyroid disease, or are already under treatment that may not be going well. It covers all types of thyroid medications (not just T3). It is also consistent with recent research findings, regarding thyroid diagnosis and treatment and will help patients and doctors alike. The new book has been described by Thyroid UK as ‘essential reading’ for all hypothyroid patients and it has been awarded 5 star reviews by most readers on Amazon. Its main goal is to provide enough information to enable a thyroid patient to get well as fast as possible. SELECTED LINKS: Paul's website: http://recoveringwitht3.com Paul on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/recoveringwitht3), Twitter (https://twitter.com/RWT3Paul) YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/RecoveringwithT3/videos).
8/12/2019 • 47 minutes, 47 seconds
Carnivore and Cancer: Sorting Things Out
Host Brad Kearns follows up the high impact headline with some interesting commentary about the rationale and benefits of a carnivore style eating pattern, the concept of hormetic stressors and how they benefit our health, and what do to if you were suddenly diagnosed with cancer--featuring insights from cancer survivor Alison Gannette (alisongannette.com) and Dr. Cate Shanahan (DrCate.com).
8/7/2019 • 54 minutes, 14 seconds
Luis Villasenor & Tyler Cartwright
Elle Russ chats with KETOGAINS co-founders Luis Villesenor and Tyler Cartwright. Luis has always been passionate about fitness due to a personal interest in improving his own physique. Always curious in learning the “whys and how’s” of how it all works, he has been studying and researching nutrition and strength training since he was 17.Upon discovering ketogenic diets in 2001, Luis has been on a low carb regime ever since, which he has used to favorably recomposition his body and improve his health. Luis decided to develop KETOGAINS to share his experiences and knowledge and help people attain their health and fitness goals. Luis is regarded as one of the most experienced and knowledgeable persons on Low-Carb / Ketogenic dieting, and is the “go to guy” when applying a Low-Carb diet for Bodybuilding and Strength Training by well-known and respected insiders, leaders, influencers of the low carb/paleo and general fitness community. Tyler Cartwright has a fascination with learning, reading, and self-improvement. A decade ago, with his weight at a hulking 505 lbs, his doctor told him, "All-in-all you're as healthy as a horse, but you're also as big as one. I'm not going to test your blood for what I know we will find, because I think you can fix this with diet and exercise." After pressing the issue, he tested his blood at a private lab and found his HbA1c to be over 13 (Type 2 Diabetes). Upon hearing that, he embarked on a journey to leverage that knowledge along with some passing experience and knowledge of a ketogenic diet to improve what was sure to be a food-shortened life. Along the way, in addition to resolving Type 2 diabetes, he shed 295 lbs without the aid of surgery or medication. His wife has lost over 125 lbs. Ketogains can assist you with your fitness and health goals through the knowledge, experience, and passion of their multidisciplinary team of professionals with varied and complimentary experiences, qualifications, and skills that have helped define and refine their protocols: Nutritionists, Fitness Trainers, Health Coaches, MDs, Dentists, Plastic Surgeons and Scientists and Researchers are part of our Coaching and Advisory Team. SELECTED LINKS Ketogains.com
8/5/2019 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 29 seconds
Andre Obradovic: Getting Focused, Disciplined and Clear With Your Goals, and Avoiding Muppet Behavior
Host Brad Kearns welcomes favored recurring podcast guest Andre Obradovic from Australia. Andre is a life coach, endurance coach and elite amateur triathlete with a fresh perspective on peak performance and goal setting, including the important lifestyle admonition: "Don't be a muppet, mate." A muppet is someone who follows along in the pack, content to be mediocre. In this wide-ranging show, Andre asks Brad and the listener some tough coaching questions, "What's important to you?" and why aren't you making it happen. The pair talk about the value of putting structure, discipline and patterned systems in place that help you succeed. Brad talks about the relevance to fat reduction goals and shares his recent journey from fat muppet boy back to fit. Indeed, when we allow for too much freedom and flexibility in the context of comfortable and decadent modern life, we can set ourselves up for failure. This show will give you a general framework from which to operate as a peak performer, then you can apply the principles and insights into increased work productivity, making better training decision. You'll learn the importance of nurturing a supportive social circle, aka "reference group," for the people you hang out with most have a profound impact on who you are and what you do. Enjoy a wild ride with some hard hitting insights, straight talk, and vulnerable self-accountability from Andre and Brad.
8/2/2019 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 47 seconds
Josh Perry
Elle Russ chats with Josh Perry - a former professional BMX athlete, motivational speaker, and certified holistic health coach who is fighting 4 brain tumors with a ketogenic diet. His passion and motivation for living his best life stems from the discovery of a genetic predisposition to accumulating tumors - a realization that sparked his investigative journey into researching the health, performance, and longevity of the human brain. As a result, Josh follows a ketogenic diet - and since adopting this lifestyle paradigm, the growth of his tumors have ceased and he feels better and more fulfilled than ever before! Josh launched a health coaching business to inspire and help others to improve their brain health so they can transform into the most successful versions of themselves. Josh also teamed up with the Athlete Recovery Fund to raise awareness and funds for a nonprofit BMX/wellness event called the Brainy BMX Stunt Shows that focuses on raising direct funds for direct patient care through education, sport, and faith. SELECTED LINKS: https://www.joshperrybmx.com
7/29/2019 • 57 minutes, 39 seconds
Dr. Tommy Wood: Setting Us Straight on Carnivore, Plant-Based, Testosterone, The Self-Quantification Movement
Host Brad Kearns welcomes newly anointed University of Washington professor Dr. Tommy Wood to help us make sense of the exciting new health trends that can really get confusing when we hear disparate expert opinions. Dr. Tommy is one of the most sensible and highly knowledgeable voices you will hear in the ancestral health scene, and this show hits some hot button items that you’ll love to learn more about. Dr. Tommy explains the common ground among whole food plant based and carnivore, how we might be overselling the importance of diet and many of the popular biohacking practices. We talk about striking a healthy balance between the benefits of fasting and caloric efficiency and eating nutritious foods to fuel workouts and promote recovery. This show offers an elegant blend of sensible, actionable advice and scientific commentary that will help you learn more to the story than the screaming health headlines. Enjoy Dr. Tommy Wood and follow him on Instagram @DrTommyWood
7/24/2019 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 49 seconds
Daniel J. Siegel, M.D.
Elle Russ chats with Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. - a graduate of Harvard Medical School who completed his postgraduate medical education at UCLA with training in pediatrics and child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry. He is currently a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine, founding co-director of UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center, founding co-investigator at the UCLA Center for Culture, Brain and Development, and executive director of the Mindsight Institute, an educational center devoted to promoting insight, compassion, and empathy in individuals, families, institutions, and communities. Dr. Siegel’s psychotherapy practice spans thirty years, and he has published extensively for the professional audience. He serves as the Founding Editor for the Norton Professional Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology which includes over 70 textbooks. Dr. Siegel’s books include his five New York Times bestsellers: Aware: The science and practice of presence; Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human, and two books with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D.: The Whole-Brain Child and No-Drama Discipline. His other books include: The Developing Mind (2nd Ed.), The Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology, Mindsight, The Mindful Brain, The Mindful Therapist, Parenting from the Inside Out (with Mary Hartzell, M.Ed.), The Yes Brain (also with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D). He has been invited to lecture for the King of Thailand, Pope John Paul II, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Google University, and TEDx. SELECTED LINKS www.DrDanSiegel.com www.mindsightinstitute.com.
7/22/2019 • 59 minutes, 22 seconds
Dr. Paul Saladino And The Carnivore Diet With Mark Sisson
Host Mark Sisson welcomes carnivore diet expert Dr. Paul Saladino for a wide-ranging conversation centered upon the exciting new carnivore diet movement. Paul is a psychiatrist and functional medicine physician who has become a leading authority and promoter of carnivore-style eating. Paul talks about his background of western medical training, his approach of practicing "root cause medicine," and his discovery of incredible results from carnivore in himself, his patients, and many enthusiasts. Mark and Paul get deep into the science of how eating what we have always believed to be a healthy plant-based diet can actually result in nutrient deficiency (especially vegan and vegetarian), autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. Dr. Paul explains how coffee and tea can also deliver net negative results, especially in sensitive people. You will emerge with an excellent understanding of the premise behind carnivore beyond the knee-jerk reaction that this strategy is unfounded or even dangerous. Open your mind and learn about the radical concept that plant foods may not be necessary, and may even be harming your health. YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/W_ARV4RN1aw
7/15/2019 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 18 seconds
Endurance: Jay O’Hare: CBD For Endurance Athletes
Host Brad Kearns welcomes Jay O’Hare to talk about the healing benefits of CBD (cannabidiol). Jay is a trail and ultrarunner from Steamboat Springs, CO, and co-founder of Venga CBD. Venga makes medical grade CBD that is helpful in the treatment of various conditions including pain, inflammation, sleeplessness, anxiety and depression, and neurodegenerative disorders. Jay gives us a great education on the CBD scene that has exploded in popularity in recent times as a wonder agent with virtually no side effects. CBD works on the endo-cannabanoid neurotransmitter system to mute the immune response to inflammation and help your body return to homeostasis quickly. In contrast, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) block the body’s natural inflammatory processes and generate severe side effects. If you are curious about CBD and want to sort through the hype and the misinformation, particularly the distinction between psychoactive agents like THC and CBD, which does not get you high, this show may get you interested in learning more and trying to support the common complaints about inflammation, soreness, and delayed recovery among endurance athletes.
7/12/2019 • 43 minutes, 2 seconds
Keto: Dr. Jason Bussanich's Incredible And Unconventional Healing Story From Chronic Fatigue and SIBO
Dr. Jason was a healthy, energetic Portland chiropractor, eating paleo and slamming CrossFit workouts until everything fell apart virtually overnight. His vagas nerve controlling the function of the autonomic nervous system and systemwide organ function had gone completely haywire and he became disabled--SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) and severe brain inflammation among his maladies. He needed a standin to take over his practice and, "I spent several years on my back, exhausted and in pain." Jason fought back with an incredible healing protocol that is worth listening to, even if you are suffering just a little with this or that instead of in an extreme manner like Jason. In this illuminating show, Jason describes how the carnivore diet gave his gut function and immune system the break it needed to spur healing, and how strategic use of antibiotics and nicotine. Yes, nicotine, used responsibly with tobacco or other chemicals, is becoming a popular healing strategy. Dr. Jason also talks about how meditation and making the "Ommm" sound might help vagas nerve function and how the breathing exercises popularized by Wim Hof and others can nourish vagas function too. This show will force you to think critically and with an open mind about how certain health conditions are mischaracterized by mainstream medicine, how alternative approaches can bring miracle results.
7/10/2019 • 52 minutes, 5 seconds
Leland Conway
Elle Russ chats with Leland Conway - an award-winning broadcaster who changed his life and his health through adopting a paleo/keto lifestyle and adhering to Primal Blueprint principles. He is the host of The Leland Conway Show, a three hour daily talk show on News Radio 840WHAS in Louisville, Kentucky as well as a one hour version of the show on News Radio 630 WLAP in Lexington. Leland is a contributor to Fox News and has hosted shows around the nation from Phoenix, AZ, Denver CO and Atlanta, GA to Richmond, VA. Leland also co-hosts The Disruption Zone podcast with Cameron Mills. He was also the co-host of The University of Kentucky football and basketball pre-game and post-game radio shows and was a co-founder of the highly successful political blog, The Conservative Edge.
7/8/2019 • 51 minutes, 40 seconds
Oren Jay Sofer
Elle Russ chats with Oren Jay Sofer - the author of Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication. He leads retreats and workshops on mindful communication at meditation centers and educational settings around the United States. A graduate of the IMS-Spirit Rock Teacher Training Program, he holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University, teaches in the Insight Meditation community, and is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and a Certified Trainer of Nonviolent Communication. Oren creates mindfulness training programs for a number of organizations, including Mindful Schools, Kaiser Permanente, and 10% Happier. He lives in Richmond, California. SELECTED LINKS Website: https://www.orenjaysofer.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/orenjaysofer Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OrenJaySoferPage/
7/1/2019 • 59 minutes, 5 seconds
Endurance: Brock Armstrong: Pondering Your Endurance Future And Losing Weight The Healthy Way.
Host Brad Kearns joins frequent podcast guest Brock Armstrong, the Get Fit Guy and popular Canadian weight loss coach to let it flow and talk about all manner of topics relating to the training strategy and mindset of endurance athletes. First off, let's reflect on how your endurance goals and synching up with your everyday life. Is this a win/win? Or do you experience stress and discomfort trying to squeeze workouts in and pursue finish lines that don't have as much meaning as they once did? Brad can relate, as he shares the incident that happened at the end of the Wildflower triathlon that led him to retire on the spot. Brock talks about his innovative weight loss program at weighless.life that doesn't have a diet plan nor a fitness program, but instead focuses on mindset and healthy lifestyle patterns. You'll reflect on how well you emphasize recovery and how you can improve your recovery strategies, and how to best blend high tech biofeedback and hacking strategies with good 'ol intuition when making training decisions. Enjoy this wide ranging show!
6/28/2019 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 19 seconds
Keto: Listener Q&A
Brad tackles some interesting and varied Q&A, including concerns about fueling with carbs during long workouts, how family high cholesterol concerns jibe with feeling great while eating paleo/keto, and much more fun stuff. Email [email protected] to ask questions or give feedback on the show.
6/26/2019 • 45 minutes, 59 seconds
Palmer Kippola
Elle Russ chats with Palmer Kippola - an author, speaker, and Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach (FMCHC) who specializes in helping people reverse and prevent autoimmune conditions. She developed a framework called F.I.G.H.T.S. to help others beat autoimmune conditions based on her 26-year battle to overcome multiple sclerosis. In her new book Beat Autoimmune: The 6 Keys to Reverse Your Condition and Reclaim Your Health with a foreword by Mark Hyman, MD...she shares the science, stories and strategies to help people heal and thrive. Palmer has done coursework with the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), the HeartMath® Institute, and the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy. In addition, she has studied under leading experts in nutrition, holistic health, energy, and Functional Medicine.She founded Transcend Autoimmune, a growing community of people proactively seeking to reverse or prevent autoimmune conditions naturally. SELECTED LINKS Palmer's Website Beat Autoimmune - Book
6/24/2019 • 51 minutes
Endurance: Dr. Craig Marker of Strength.University
Host Brad Kearns talks to Dr. Craig Marker about his transformative article that is destined to make us all rethink how we approach high-intensity training. Titled "HIIT vs HIRT", Dr. Marker explains that the cellular breakdown, inflammation and oxidative stress generated by a typical interval session is not worth the recovery cost. Instead, we should focus on delivering brief, explosive efforts of a similarly high quality throughout the workout. This means keeping your efforts generally 20 seconds or less, and taking what Dr. Marker calls "luxurious" rest intervals. The conversation transitions into Dr. Marker's area of professional expertise: Anxiety. Instead of trying to avoid anxiety-producing situations, lean into them until you become more comfortable and achieve a growth experience. This can include high-intensity workouts, cold or heat exposure, and fasting. Dr. Marker likes to drive around Atlanta in the summer with no A/C in the car. This helps him appreciate air conditioning that much more! Brad describes how his approach to sprinting was transformed by this single article, and how he has become more explosive, less stressed, and recovers faster thanks to shortening the duration of his sprints and increasing the rest interval. Fitness enthusiasts of all levels will benefit greatly from backing away from the pain and suffering mentality and focusing on being explosive. Bottom line, Dr. Marker says a typical sprint workout in any activity might entail 15-20 seconds of max effort, followed by 40-60 seconds of rest, and perhaps 4-10 reps. Enjoy the show!
6/21/2019 • 45 minutes, 12 seconds
Leanne Vogel
Elle Russ chats with Leanne Vogel about her latest book Keto for Women and the nuanced dietary considerations that women can adopt to help them succeed with a keto lifestyle. Leanne is the founder of Healthful Pursuit and Happy Keto Body™ and best-selling author of over 12 health programs and international bestselling paperbacks: The Keto Diet, The Keto Diet Cookbook. She is the host of The Keto Diet Podcast, and the creator of Fat Fueled living - a holistic, paleo- friendly approach to a ketogenic, high-fat diet. She has been in the field of nutrition since receiving her holistic nutrition certification in 2007. Leanne shares keto-friendly resources for women on her website, HealthfulPursuit.com SELECTED LINKS Keto for Women HealthfulPursuit.com
6/17/2019 • 41 minutes, 30 seconds
CJ Hunt
Elle Russ chats with CJ Hunt, the writer, producer and host of the break out film (and first Paleo documentary), The Perfect Human Diet, and author of the how-to companion guide of the same title. CJ is currently in production for The Perfect Human Diet 2. On today’s episode, CJ dispells the lies behind current health news headlines, falsely concluded health studies, articles, and more. If you are in the Ancestral Health, Paleo, Keto or Ethical Omnivore camps, healthy animal foods and their production are under constant attack by popular films like Forks Over Knives, Cowspiracy and What The Health. These films and films like them claim that animal foods are not only destroying our health, but our environment as well. CJ’s mission is to counteract these false narratives and bring the truth to the forefront by not letting these propaganda films go unchallenged. You can help support this mission by donating to the film which is non-profit endeavor. SELECTED LINKS: THE PERFECT HUMAN DIET 2
6/10/2019 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 22 seconds
Steven Gundry, M.D.
Elle Russ chats with Steven Gundry, M.D. about his new book The Longevity Paradox. During his 40-year medical career he performed over 10,000 heart surgeries and developed patented, life-saving medical technology. After discovering key secrets to health 15 years ago, his mission is to prevent surgery by helping patients heal themselves through proper nutrition. His best-selling book from 2008, Dr. Gundry’s Diet Evolution,focused on specific diet principles for weight-loss and disease reversal. His second book, The Plant Paradox, further illuminates truths about hidden dangers of supposed “healthy” foods. Dr. Gundry founded Gundry MD in 2016—a wellness blog, YouTube channel and supplement company to achieve optimum vitality. He practices medicine at the International Heart & Lung Institute and Center for Restorative Medicine in Palm Springs and Santa Barbara, CA. Selected Links: Dr. Gundry’s Website The Longevity Paradox
6/3/2019 • 36 minutes, 2 seconds
Endurance: Dude Spellings: A Primal journey from carb addition and 212lbs to 165lb fat burning beast
Primal Health Coach and extreme health expert Dude Spellings returns to the show for a wide-ranging discussion about his wild and wacky journey to his current highly optimized primal lifestyle. Dude started as state high school distance running champion in Texas, went to corporate couch potato, and then back into the endurance scene with a random marathon performance after a single 21-mile training session to prepare! As Dude returned to enthusiastic endurance training in his 30s, he shockingly gained excess body fat despite his intensive training regimen. This is the so-called Elephant in the Room mentioned at the beginning of the Primal Endurance book. Why do endurance athletes, despite hours of weekly training and attention to sensible eating, struggle with excess body fat? Dude has lived through this ordeal and emerged with groundbreaking insights that you will absolutely love. We talk about the balance between discipline and enjoying life, and the slippery slope of bad habits, how the Maffetone 2-week test (carb restriction) prompted a diet overhaul, and how a chance conversation with Brad at a Speedgolf event 4 years ago convinced him to slow down and emphasize MAF heart rate training.
5/31/2019 • 54 minutes, 48 seconds
Gary E. Foresman MD
Elle Russ chats with Integrative Physician Gary E. Foresman MD about Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) and its benefits in treating autoimmune disorders, cancer, and much more. In 1994 when Dr. Foresman opened a private practice, he quickly became dissatisfied with the inability of established Western medical treatments to effectively treat many of his patients. Dr. Foresman began investigating alternative therapies and has since expanded his training in many systems of healing—not just through meditation and stress management, but also using botanical, orthomolecular and functional medicine systems. His scientific mind combined with a holistic integrative perspective, makes him a skilled practitioner who therapeutically synthesizes optimal healing modalities for each individual. Dr. Foresman ranked among the top in the nation on his Internal Medicine Board Exams and has some of the most comprehensive Internal Medicine training to be found - including serving as a Clinical Professor who trained other physicians at a University Medical Center. In-depth commentary on thyroid dysfunction by Dr. Gary Foresman can be found in The Paleo Thyroid Solution written by Elle Russ. Selected Links: Dr. Gary Foresman - Website
5/27/2019 • 27 minutes, 27 seconds
Endurance: Brad's Tough Guy Warning, Blood Test Recommendations
Host Brad Kearns talks about the importance of tracking testosterone and other key blood values, and how we can have a tremendous and immediate influence over our blood values without having to resort to medication regiments. Brad mentions how he doubled his testosterone level, going from clinically low (and candidate for drug therapy) to beyond 99th percentile for males over age 50 six months later. The first reading was after several months of "chronic cardio" in the form of frequent Speedgolf. The second reading came after months of rest and recovery following a string of surgeries. The story comes with an important message about getting help when you are in pain instead of trying to tough it out like a tough guy. Brad's medical ordeal of an emergency appendectomy and months of complications and a few additional surgeries after could have been much less troubling had he insisted on further medical care instead of toughing it out. A few athlete Q&A is also included, including how "180 minus age" is a great reference for training, but not too relevant for a short sprint race.
5/24/2019 • 49 minutes, 56 seconds
Keto: Elle and Brad Recap Paleo f(x)
It's time for the annual Paleo Fx recap podcast with super duper podcast hosts Elle Russ and Brad Kearns. Brad and Elle go off on assorted interesting topics of mind and body, inspired by the consciousness expanding experience at the show. Brad and Elle talk about how vegan creeping into the conversation in Austin, and the importance of examining self-limiting beliefs and manifesting empowering beliefs. Elle won a freaking standup paddleboard at a raffle simply by intentionalizing her victory! We talk about how flawed science, or blanket reliance on science as the end-all, can be detrimental to your personal results. The pair discuss the awesome Primal Health Coach crowd, and some interesting products at the show: Therapeudic near-infrared red light exposure (and Brad's strategic application on key body parts), CBD products, and more. If you couldn't make Paleo Fx, now you can feel connected and inspired to attend next year.
5/22/2019 • 55 minutes, 12 seconds
Justin Perry
Elle Russ chats with Justin Perry - the founder and CEO of the world's largest Law of Attraction YouTube channel, YouAreCreators™. He founded YouAreCreators™ in 2012 which has over 1.4 million subscribers and over 100 million views combined. Justin’s life changed drastically when he discovered the principles of the Law of Attraction - he went from working on an assembly line to buying a house on the water with two boats, and much more. Justin has made it his mission to share his knowledge of positive thinking and the power of the subconscious mind…to help you create the life you desire, deserve, and love. Visit his YouTube Channel for inspiring videos, guided prosperity and wellness meditations, positive affirmations, and much more! SELECTED LINKS: YouAreCreators - YouTube Channel
5/20/2019 • 55 minutes, 30 seconds
Endurance: Debbie Potts On A Holistic Approach to Lifestyle Change
Brad welcomes Ironman triathlete, personal trainer, and holistic health coach Debbie Potts to discuss her area of expertise: Slowing down, being happy, playful, and mindful, and escaping the disastrous consequences of the hard driving, orthorexic, Type-A mindset that often takes you right to breakdown, burnout, illness, and injury. Debbie is on a long road to recovery after a decade-long binge at the highest levels of amateur triathlon racing (12-time ironman finisher) destroyed her health and well-being. Brad and Debbie talk about a healthy approach to dietary transformation, emphasizing eating wholesome, colorful foods, choosing the best in each category, and never struggling or suffering in the name of diet. This episode is syndicated on Debbie's WHOLEAthlete podcast so check out that channel and get deeper into a holistic approach to endurance training and healthy, fit living.
5/17/2019 • 43 minutes, 59 seconds
Keto: Dr. Cate Shanahan: How to Become Cancer-Proof!
Dr. Cate Shanahan, the author of Deep Nutrition and Food Rules, pulls no punches when discussing how our conventional view of screening and treating cancer could be ill-advised. Referencing the work of Dr. Thomas Seyfried, Cate explains that cancer is actually a metabolic disease, rather than a genetic disease. This implies that instead of aggressive chemo and radiation treatment to attack cancer at the genetic level, the dietary modification could be the most effective strategy. This aligns with Warburg Effect principle, which suggests cancer cells feed preferentially on glucose, at a rate greater than regular cells. The idea is that starving cancer cells of glucose with fasting and ketogenic eating patterns makes it possible to shrink tumors and heal. Cate tackles the big C question, our biggest fear: What would you do if you were diagnosed with cancer tomorrow? Cate says she would get to business with fasting and ketogenic eating, and head off to Turkey, yes Turkey!, to participate in cutting edge insulin therapy. While it might be unsettling to rethink the template strategy of cancer-fighting, Cate's commentary can help you reflect further about how your thoughts, beliefs, and food choices affect your overall health. Enjoy this discussion with one of the great leaders of the ancestral health movement, and be sure to read Deep Nutrition to learn the hows and whys about choosing the most nutritious foods that your genes expect for optimum health.
5/16/2019 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 50 seconds
Jeffrey M. Smith
Elle Russ chats with Jeffrey M. Smith - the leading consumer advocate promoting healthier non-GMO choices. For more than two decades, his research has exposed how biotech companies mislead policy makers and the public, and put the health of society and environment at risk. In 2018, he and Amy Hart released Secret Ingredients, a documentary that highlights numerous individuals and families that healed from serious conditions after switching to an organic diet. Mr. Smith’s books include: Seeds of Deception and Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods. They expertly demonstrate why the safety assessments by the FDA and regulators worldwide are based on outdated science and false assumptions, and why genetically engineered foods must urgently become our top food safety priority. Jeffrey is the founding executive director of The Institute for Responsible Technology (IRT), a leading source of GMO health risk information for consumers, policy makers, and healthcare professionals. Mr. Smith resides in California, as well as Iowa, surrounded by genetically modified soybeans and corn. SELECTED LINKS: Secret Ingredients - Movie
5/13/2019 • 29 minutes, 22 seconds
Endurance: Heart Rate Variability: Everything You Need to Know
Host Brad Kearns gives you a comprehensive education into the breakthrough technology of Heart Rate Variability, one of the most valuable biofeedback data available today. Measuring HRVgives you a direct window in the functional state of your autonomic nervous system, so you can accurately observe your stress levels, recovery rate and readiness to train, and make better decisions to balance stress and rest in daily life. HRV values are revealed by an EKG test in hospital or laboratory, but recent technology innovation enables you to track HRV in real time using the BradBeat HRV iPhone app, which has been custom designed to Brad’s specs to make it easy to use for athletes and anyone else interested in monitoring stress/rest balance. The BradBeat HRV, and other mobile HRV apps, pair with a wireless chest transmitter to reveal realtime data on your iPhone. HRV measures the beat to beat intervals in your heart rate. Greater variation indicates a harmonious balance between sympathetic (fight or flight) function and parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system function, and delivers a higher HRV score on the 1-100 HRV scale. A metronomic beat with minimal variation in beat to beat intervals indicates you are stressed, overtrained, or have poor cardiovascular health, resulting in a low HRV score. This show gets a little technical as you learn about the nuances of the additional readings of low frequency and high frequency autonomic nervous system function, but you will come away with an excellent understanding of the benefits of HRV and how to use them to your maximum advantage to make better decisions and learn to gain more control over your stress response.
5/10/2019 • 38 minutes, 4 seconds
Keto: William Shewfelt - "Compliance Is The Science"
Host Brad Kearns welcomes William Shewfelt back to the show to get into assorted healthy lifestyle and peak performance subjects. William is big into the carnivore diet and helping people get shredded by combining carnivore eating with a focused fitness program and a methodical goal setting process. At only 23 years old, William is making waves in the ancestral health scene with his carnivoreshredding.com website, his new Primal Body Podcast, and his no nonsense approach to making body composition dreams actually happen and stick. William promotes his peak performance "anchor point" of waking up at 4:30am and getting to work at the gym right away. Brad thinks that's a bit early, but could this mindset represent a self-limiting belief? Brad shares how his loosening of dietary guidelines became a slippery slope of indulgence and diminishing discipline, and the recalibration of focus he has achieved with his morning chest freezer cold plunge and his latest experiment of fasting until 12 noon; doing these mainly to ingrain pro-active patterns, guidelines, and self-discipline. This show will help you leverage your best intentions for diet, fitness, and lifestyle goals. William urges us to "take action, then ponder things later!" Good stuff, get to listening and get to work!
5/8/2019 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 23 seconds
Ben Pakulski
Elle Russ chats with Ben Pakulski, founder of Ben Pakulski Fitness International, the Muscle Intelligence podcast and the Muscle Intelligence and MI40 brands. He is a former Mr. Canada, and IFBB Professional Bodybuilder. Ben is most well-known for his intelligent approach to building maximum muscle and has helped 100,000 men and women change their body and life with his methods. Ben began building his body at 15 years old and turned professional at his 6th show at 26 years of age. Ben’s first pro show was the 2009 Tampa Pro where he placed 3rd and qualified to compete in Mr. Olympia. Highlights from Ben’s career include placing 2nd at the Arnold Classic, the second largest bodybuilding show in the world, twice competing in Mr. Olympia and placing 1st in the 2016 Vancouver Pro. Since retiring from competitive bodybuilding, Ben focuses on spending time with his wife and three children while building the Muscle IntelligenceTM brand. The mission is to empower men and women with the knowledge and skillset to build their greatest body and live their greatest life. Ben’s passion for helping others change their body, and live their greatest life led him to create the world’s foremost muscle building and body transformation educational brand, Muscle Intelligence™ which offers a simple framework around the 6 Pillars of a Lean and Muscular Body. SELECTED LINKS: Ben Pakulski's Website
5/6/2019 • 46 minutes, 51 seconds
Endurance: Ryan Hall, US Marathon Record Holder and Weightlifting Beast
Host Brad talks to all-time American distance running great Ryan Hall. Ryan retired from elite international competition a few years ago, and has been up to some amazing stuff since literally removing his racing flats for the last time. Ryanhad a phenomenal career as the top American marathoner, best known for his breakthrough performances like the 2:04.58 Boston Marathon, and the sub-60 min half-marathon in TX that remains the American record to this day. This guy shot for the stars, pushed himself as hard as any runner has, and displayed a fearless competitive disposition at all times. Ryan is an easy going guy but he gets pretty deep in this show, when discussing the importance of following his dreams, honoring his basic nature with his training approach, and having a go for it attitude about everything instead of living in fear or insecurity. This is the kind of stuff that makes his new book, Run The Mile You’re In, more than the typical athlete memoir. After Ryan retired, he jumped right into strength training and became an absolute beast in a short time. He’s packed on 30 or 50 pounds of muscle onto his previous 127-pound waif marathoner frame, and has reached the esteemed 1,000-pound club that combines his dead lift (over 400lb), bench press (over 300lb) and squat (well over 300lb). Seriously, pairing the 2:04 with a 400-pound deadlift is certainly a world record combo that will be hard for anyone to break. Interesting for all endurance athletes, Ryan describes how his transition over to strength training has made him healthier and more energetic overall. As running fans know, Ryan is married to Sara Hall, who is still going strong with an extraordinary career that has spanned from middle distance track to marathon. She recently set a PR 2:26 and is trying for another Olympic team in 2020! Ryan shares the incredible story of how the couple decided to adopt a baby from Africa and ended up bringing home (today it’s Flagstaff, AZ, but you never know tomorrow with the Halls!) four daughters from Ethiopia.
5/3/2019 • 41 minutes, 52 seconds
Keto: Introduction to Keto And How to Do It Right
Host Brad Kearns starts from the beginning with a big picture presentation of the what, why, and how of the ketogenic diet. You’ll learn why its so important to health and longevity, including the benefits for disease protection, improved cognitive function, , reduced inflammation and oxidative stress (these represent the essence of disease and accelerated aging), and the rapid and efficient removal of excess body fat. Keto is the red-hot dietary trend of the day, but it’s important to understand how to do it correctly and avoid the very common backsliding and burnout that occurs from a rushed approach or ill-advised approach. Brad talks you through the multi-step process detailed in the Mark Sisson with Brad Kearns New York Times bestseller, The Keto Reset Diet. This show is deeply informative and illuminating, but always in plain talk so you can grasp the concepts with needing heavy prior knowledge. If you are thinking about keto, this show will give you the essential tools to succeed without the nonsense of the keto flu that some people describe as inevitable.
5/1/2019 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 11 seconds
Arielle Ford
Elle Russ chats with Arielle Ford about the law of attraction mindset for love and life. Arielle’s The Love Codes Program looks into the way women’s thinking squishes their dreams and how to overcome obstacles in finding love. She is offering a FREE 75-minute webinar on this topic at www.Soulmate11.com Arielle is a gifted writer and the author of 11 books including the international bestseller, THE SOULMATE SECRET: Manifest The Love of Your Life With The Law of Attraction. She created the world’s first transformational coloring book based upon The Soulmate Secret, entitled, Inkspirations Love by Design: Coloring the Divine Path to Manifest Your Soulmate. This book blends Arielle’s step-by-step method for manifesting love with the romantic, original artwork of artist Manja Burton – a fun, creative and powerful process! She is also the author Turn Your Mate Into Your Soulmate devoted to exploring a simple, fun and effective way to attain groundbreaking shifts in perception so that you can embrace and find the beauty and perfection in yourself and your mate. Arielle lives in La Jolla, CA with her husband/soulmate, Brian Hilliard and their feline friends. SELECTED LINKS: FREE 75-minute webinar - The Love Codes Arielle's Website Youtube Podcast: https://youtu.be/-y65c1PwF0s
4/29/2019 • 55 minutes, 35 seconds
Endurance: Reduce Stress, Improve Performance, Part 2
Host Brad Kearns talks about introducing brief, explosive, high intensity workouts into your training schedule to prompt quick and dramatic improvements in your performance at all levels of intensity, even ultra endurance. When you become competent at sprinting, you reduce perceived exertion and improve metabolic function at all lower levels of intensity. However, you gotta do this stuff right or you will fry your brain and body with ammonia toxicity and cellular destruction. The end of the show gets really sciency so you can learn why the ideal duration for sprinting is just 10-20 seconds--breakthrough concepts from Dr. Craig Marker and his landmark article titled "HIIT versus HIRT." You'll learn why prolonged interval sessions with performance attrition and cumulative fatigue are more destructive and less effective than HIRT--High Intensity Repeat Training. Brief, explosive efforts coupled with "luxurious rest intervals' (Pavel Tsatsouline of Strong Endurance). If you want to get faster very quickly, you best listen to this show and make some important revisions changes to your current training patterns.
4/26/2019 • 28 minutes, 59 seconds
Keto: Brad and Brian Talk Carnivore and Striking a Balance Between Discipline and Enjoying Life
Brad and Brian are back! Primal video and audio master Brian McAndrew comes to the other side of the mic and gets deep into it with Brad Kearns on all matters of keto, carnivore, and the optimal balance between discipline and enjoying life. The pair discuss the surging popularity of carnivore, wondering about the carni argument that plants might be difficult to digest. They discuss the incidental benefits of keto and carnivore, providing structure, focus, and minimizing decision fatigue and the tendency to get an inch and take a mile. On that note, Brad cops to some recent popcorn binge behavior, and reflects on whether we might gain deeper enjoying from our eating when putting in some restrictions. Brian says keto is “easier” because you can skip meals comfortably—possibly the opposite logic of the SAD eater. As we get more and more sophisticated with dietary strategies, Brian wonders if we might be motivated by FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) instead of a true opportunity to enhance health and well being. This show flows into stuff that’s not usually covered in the informational-heavy programs and will really get you thinking. For example, if you were told that eating only salmon eggs for the rest of your life would deliver a 20% boost in peak performance and longevity, would you make that devils bargain?
4/24/2019 • 43 minutes, 32 seconds
Gary E. Foresman MD
Elle Russ chats with Integrative Physician Gary E. Foresman MD about coronary artery disease (CAD) screening, statin drugs, cholesterol, and when and how you should get tested. In 1994 when Dr. Foresman opened a private practice, he quickly became dissatisfied with the inability of established Western medical treatments to effectively treat many of his patients. Dr. Foresman began investigating alternative therapies and has since expanded his training in many systems of healing—not just through meditation and stress management, but also using botanical, orthomolecular and functional medicine systems. His scientific mind combined with a holistic integrative perspective, makes him a skilled practitioner who therapeutically synthesizes optimal healing modalities for each individual. Dr. Foresman ranked among the top in the nation on his Internal Medicine Board Exams and has some of the most comprehensive Internal Medicine training to be found - including serving as a Clinical Professor who trained other physicians at a University Medical Center. In-depth commentary on thyroid dysfunction by Dr. Gary Foresman can be found in The Paleo Thyroid Solution written by Elle Russ. Selected Links: Dr. Gary Foresman - Website
4/22/2019 • 48 minutes, 57 seconds
Keto: Lindsay Taylor, Ph.D., Co-Author of Keto Passport
Keto Passport is a fabulous new international cookbook written by Lindsay with Layla McGowan. This dynamic duo also co-authored the Keto Reset Instapot Cookbook. Keto Passport offers an opportunity to bust loose from the confines and staleness of ketogenic eating, where you feel like all you can eat is meat and vegetables. Keto Passport takes you across the entire globe with fabulous cultural recipes, including traditional favorites that were carefully modified to remain keto friendly. Lindsay, a social psychologist, says people get bored, stifled, or frustrated with the keto guidelines, and that keeping things from getting stale and less enjoyable is essential for continued adherence to admittedly tight dietary parameters. Layla brings in her Korean and German heritage to the project, sharing familial meals passed down verbally for generations right into this cookbook. The pair also curated many familiar cultural favorites that happen to be keto. Lindsay also weaves in some excellent health insights for how to do keto the right way, and to understand how to navigate the various recommendations and approaches to keto. One item of interest is how insulin ain’t all bad. In fact, Lindsay explains that pulsatile insulin spikes are desirable. Insulin allows you to replenish cellular energy but not suffer from the inflammatory effects and compromised fat burning of chronically excessive insulin production. Consequently, Lindsay and Brad echo the advice from the all-knowing Dr. Cate Shanahan, who strongly recommends against snacking between meals. When you eat any sort of food (yes, even a fat bomb!), you shut off ketone production and fat metabolism and trigger insulin release. It’s also good to give your digestive system a break, both from a maximum daily eating window (12 hours, per the work of Dr. Satchin Panda), and from the snacking habit. However, Lindsay cautions against restrictive dietary patterns if you have adrenal, thyroid, or eating disorder history. Keto Passport features recipes under 15g of carbs, usually under 10g. While dairy has become a centerpiece of keto to add to fat percentages, many object to heavy dairy intake, so Keto Passport offers plenty of variety to give you a dairy-free experience. There are a great assortment of recipes, from elaborate gourmet preparations to quick primers on how to make your own kimchi or sauerkraut or srihacha sauce. Get your copy of Keto Passport on amazon or wherever great books are sold. It’s a really fun read with a beautiful layout that will inspire you to try some exciting new dishes!!
4/17/2019 • 49 minutes, 22 seconds
Loren Cordain, Ph.D.
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Loren Cordain - the world’s foremost authority on the evolutionary basis of diet and disease. Featured on Dateline NBC, the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, Dr. Loren Cordain is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s leading experts on the natural human diet of our Stone Age ancestors. He is the author of more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles and abstracts, and his research into the health benefits of Stone Age Diets for contemporary people has appeared in the world’s top scientific journals including the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the British Journal of Nutrition, and the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, among others. He is also on the Advisory Board of Paleo Magazine the first, and only, print magazine dedicated to the Paleo/Primal lifestyle and ancestral health. Dr. Loren Cordain’s popular book, The Paleo Diet, has been widely acclaimed in both the scientific and lay communities. His next book, The Paleo Diet for Athletes, published in October 2005, discusses how the Paleo Diet can be modified for the high-performance endurance athlete and lead to improved health and performance. His next book, The Dietary Cure for Acne, is available in paperback and as an instant download ebook. The Paleo Diet Cookbook was published in 2010 and became an instant bestseller. His most recent book, The Paleo Answer,represents a sequel to The Revised Paleo Diet. Dr. Loren Cordain received his Ph.D. in Health from the University of Utah, his master’s in physical education from the University of Nevada-Reno, and his bachelor’s in health sciences from Pacific University. He was a professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University from 1982 – 2013. SELECTED LINKS https://thepaleodiet.com
4/15/2019 • 1 hour, 3 seconds
Endurance: Reduce Stress, Improve Performance, Part 1
Host Brad Kearns talks about transforming once and for all away from the high-stress, mileage obsessed approach to an evolved approach that makes recovery the central focus of your training instead of suffering and enduring. And by the way endurance athletes, its time to turn off the endurance gene off the race course and quit enduring crappy jobs and toxic relationship dynamics. Be good to yourself and honor the importance of balancing stress and rest. If you experience a slight disturbance in immune function, don't train at all! Avoid black hole workouts and be okay with lowering your heart rate way below MAF, you still get an awesome training effect. Brad talks about his recent experiences with overdoing his beloved Speedgolf and experiencing burnout and getting less consistent with cardio workouts to allow for more energy allocation to explosive workouts, which is the topic of part 2 of this important show
4/12/2019 • 34 minutes, 9 seconds
Keto: Dr. Lindsay Taylor on Silly Six-Packs And Going By Feel Instead of Appearance
Host Brad Kearns and Dr. Lindsay finally capture some of the magic that happens during their random off-mic conversations. Yep, Brad pushed the record button and Lindsay immediately throws out some profound philosophical and psychological questions to ponder. Is body composition a worthwhile goal, or are we placing too much importance on how we look instead of how we feel? The intuitive eating/body positivity movement has tremendous merit, but do we engage in too many rationalizations and self-defeating behaviors as life gets easier and easier? Striving for balance is important, but what if you really want the six-pack? Is it you that wants it, or is it society telling you to want it? It’s undisputable that it’s better to be in control of your destiny than to succumb to manipulative social media programming, and excess body fat is often a symptom of lifestyle flaws that are compromising your happiness, health, fitness, and longevity. Its important to reach some basic fitness and health standards to avoid the pain and suffering of aging. These are other topics will hit you hard and really get you thinking about your goals and priorities. Lindsay says, “Maybe the best goal is to care about how you feel, instead of how you look.”
4/10/2019 • 58 minutes, 21 seconds
Gary John Bishop
Elle Russ chats with Gary John Bishop - author of The New York Times Bestseller Unfu*k Yourself and his latest book, Stop Doing That Sh*t. Gary is a leading Personal Development expert with a global reputation that has impacted thousands of people worldwide. His “urban philosophy” approach represents a new wave of personal empowerment and life mastery that has caused miraculous results for people. Gary John Bishop began his life journey in Glasgow, Scotland. The grit and wit of his early life contributed to his tough-love, in-your-face approach to people and what it takes to change their lives. Coupled with world-class training and development, Gary has created a potent brew of effectiveness and the ability to reach through the crust of people’s circumstances and root out the deeper issues that consume them and tie them down. Gary doesn’t claim perfection. Like you, he has been through life too and embraces an authentic, in-the-world approach to everything he does. He uses that unmatched experience as both a human being and a world class coach to mentor and guide people to fulfill on what they themselves never thought possible. SELECTED LINKS: 1. Website: www.garyjohnbishop.com 2. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OneInSevenBillion/ 3. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garyjohnbishop/ 4 Twitter: https://twitter.com/GaryJohnBishop
4/8/2019 • 58 minutes, 15 seconds
Keto: Discipline, Structure, Accountability, and Social Influences
Host Brad Kearns gets personal discussing his varying commitment to keto and how loosening the purse strings here and there can become a slippery slope. When you relax standards like limiting food intake to a compressed eating window or allowing occasional indulgences for non-keto foods like popcorn, will power and decision fatigue enter back into the mix. Framingham Study data indicate that the lifestyle behaviors of your "clusters," the people who spend the most time with, is contagious up to three degrees. Obesity is contagious, as is maintaining a healthy body composition. Keto is contagious to your friend, as well as your friend's friend! This impresses the importance of accountability and group support to pursue goals together. Finally, Brad describes the dangers of a rushed approach to keto, where jumping into a dietary transformation before you are metabolically healthy and fat-adapted can cause big trouble; namely, an overstimulation of the fight or flight response leading to burnout and regression. If you want to drop excess body fat, first you must become metabolically healthy (heal leaky gut), then become fat-adapted. If you have to eat a lot of fat out of the gate, that's fine. Then you can transition to skipping meals and burning off excess body fat. This is a great show to get you motivated on some of the social and motivational factors behind succeeding with keto. Even Brad's morning cold plunging gets a cameo!
4/3/2019 • 41 minutes, 9 seconds
Ste Lane
Elle Russ chats with Ste Lane - a fellow Primal Health Coach and owner of Peak Primal Health. He has been an advocate for Primal living for roughly a decade. A life long martial artist, back-packer, coach and lover of all things health and wellness, Ste spends his time coaching others on the keys to unlocking their true human potential. Chronic disease riddled his younger years and it became his mission to help others reclaim their health so that they could lead a happy, disease-free, awesome life! Ste's mission is simple. Help people develop an effortless relationship with food, a desire to play and move our bodies because we want to, and to foster a more positive mindset, in regards to how we treat ourselves, what we think and how we see the world. SELECTED LINKS Ste's Website Peak Primal Health Click HERE to become a Primal Health Coach!
4/1/2019 • 54 minutes, 55 seconds
Dr. Robert Glover
Elle Russ chats with author Robert A. Glover Ph.D. about the "Nice Guy Syndrome" and his related book No More Mr. Nice Guy: A Proven Plan for Getting What You Want in Love, Sex and Life. He is a frequent guest on radio talk shows and has been featured in numerous local and national publications. As a result of his work, Dr. Glover has helped thousands of Nice Guys transform from being passive, resentful victims to empowered, integrated males. Along with these personal changes have come similar transformations in these men's professional careers and intimate relationships. Through his book, online classes, workshops, podcasts, blogs, consultation, and therapy groups, Dr. Glover has helped change the lives of countless men and women around the world. Dr. Glover lives in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and you can learn more about him and his work at www.DrGlover.com SELECTED LINKS: No More Mr. Nice Guy www.DrGlover.com
3/25/2019 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 52 seconds
Maria Emmerich
Elle Russ chats with Maria Emmerich - a nutritionist who specializes in the ketogenic diet and exercise physiology. She struggled with her health and weight throughout childhood which lead her to become such a passionate nutrition expert. "My goal is to help transform people's lives and start living again!" Maria specializes in brain neurotransmitters and how food can increase mental wellness. Her expertise has sent her around the World speaking about ketogenic diets. She spends the majority of her time with clients around the World via Skype with amazing results. She specializes in helping autoimmune disorders, diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2), heart disease, cholesterol issues, alopecia, hashimoto's, cancer, epilepsy, seizures, depression and anxiety. You would be amazed at the amount of people get off medication with her guidance. She is also an International Best Selling author of several books including "Quick and Easy Ketogenic Cooking" and "The 30 Day Ketogenic Cleanse". She also authored 8 other books including several cookbooks and 3 nutritional guide books including the best-selling book "Keto.". SELECTED LINKS Maria's Website Maria also runs a support site for getting all your questions answered here: keto-adapted.com
3/18/2019 • 48 minutes, 1 second
Keto: Tippy Wyatt: Author of Asian Keto & Low Carb Cookbook
Host Brad Kearns talks with the interesting and inspiring Tippy Wyatt, hostess of the popular Tippy Tales YouTube channel and co-author (with her sister Som Allison) of a new keto cookbook. This is a wide-ranging conversation on the topic of lifestyle transformation success and failure, the importance of having a support system to pursue your healthy lifestyle goals, how friends and family can unwittingly sabotage your progress by offering up effusive compliments, and how to balance an intense immigrant work ethic with an appreciation of the process and gratitude for what you have, whether you have a lot or a little. Tippy has lived a truly incredible life, from a penniless immigrant to a first generation college graduate, successful entrepreneur, and virtually overnight viral keto personality. This show will prompt some profound reflections about life, love, family and motivation, and could be the catalyst you need to take your keto passions to the next level! Follow Tippy Tales on YouTube and grab the fun new keto cookbook on amazon.com.
3/13/2019 • 57 minutes, 14 seconds
Gretchen Rubin
Elle Russ chats with Gretchen Rubin - the author of several books, including the block-buster New York Times bestsellers, Better Than Before, The Happiness Project, Happier at Home, The Four Tendencies, and her new book Outer Order Inner Calm. She has an enormous readership, both in print and online, and her books have sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide, in more than thirty languages. She makes frequent TV appearances and is in much demand as a speaker. On her weekly podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin, she discusses good habits and happiness with her sister Elizabeth Craft. Rubin started her career in law and was clerking for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor when she realized she wanted to be a writer. She lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters. Selected Links Gretchen's Website
3/11/2019 • 36 minutes, 32 seconds
Keto: Q&A With Brad Kearns
Host Brad Kearns tackles some interesting and in-depth questions from listeners. Topics covered include: Frustration with not being able to drop fat despite the devoted effort, visceral fat versus subcutaneous fat, controversy about the health dangers of red meat, strategizing keto for family and for premenopausal conditions, breath or blood meter, timing workouts with timing fasting, and fasting and medication concerns. Enjoy. Learn more about doing keto the right way at KetoReset.com.
3/6/2019 • 50 minutes, 34 seconds
Jimmy & Christine Moore
Elle Russ chats with Jimmy and Christine Moore about their new book Real Food Keto. Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Christine Moore has teamed up with her husband, health podcaster and international bestselling ketogenic book author Jimmy Moore (Keto Clarity, The Ketogenic Cookbook, and The Keto Cure), to help you apply the principles of nutritional therapy to a healthy low-carb lifestyle. Most people think that going on a ketogenic diet will fix all their health and weight woes, but this book explains that sometimes it takes a little fine-tuning in your diet and supplementation to get the desired results. Jimmy and Christine educate readers on the reasons why whole foods are a critical element in optimizing your pursuit of nutritional ketosis. Real Food Keto addresses a variety of topics rarely discussed in ketogenic circles such as: Digestion, detoxification, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, hydration, and more! Real Food Keto also provides an incredible collection of amazing keto recipes from international bestselling cookbook author Maria Emmerich. SELECTED LINKS: Real Food Keto Jimmy's Website
3/4/2019 • 53 minutes, 21 seconds
Keto: Avoiding The Fight or Flight Response
Host Brad Kearns give a sneak preview of the new book Mark Sisson and he is working on called Keto Longevity. It's critical to implement the correct approach to keto because an ill-prepared approach will simply activate the fight or flight response and eventually lead to big-time burnout. Some common mistakes people make are rushing into keto without sufficient fat burning ability, insufficient intake of sodium and other minerals and electrolytes, doing excess exercise while undergoing a major dietary transformation, or coming to the game with pre-existing health issues such as leaky gut, thyroid dysfunction, adrenal fatigue, or metabolic damage from yo-yo dieting. This show will really set you up well for a sensible approach and a healthy philosophy toward keto. A few Q&A questions cap off the show, like is keto good for kids, and how to break through weight loss plateaus.
2/27/2019 • 45 minutes, 52 seconds
Dr. Anna Cabeca (DO, OBGYN, FACOG)
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Anna Cabeca (DO, OBGYN, FACOG) about her new book The Hormone Fix: Burn Fat Naturally, Boost Energy, Sleep Better, and Stop Hot Flashes, the Keto-Green Way. Dr. Cabeca is an Emory University trained gynecologist and woman's health expert was diagnosed with early menopause at age 38 years old. Devastated, she went around the world looking for answers and and found them. A menopause and hormone expert. Dr. Cabeca has changed the lives of women across the globe, connecting to others through humor, honesty and passion. SELECTED LINKS: DrAnnaCabeca.com Julva.com Mightymaca.com WomensRestorativeHealth.com DrAnnaCabeca.com/helpdoctor
2/25/2019 • 47 minutes, 40 seconds
Keto: Choosing Carbs Wisely (especially kombucha and chocolate)
Host Brad Kearns talks about carbs and keto, clearing up some misconceptions and focusing in on an assortment of food categories to help you strategize and stay aligned with ketogenic eating guidelines. First, we must recognize that keto is best promoted by fasting/starvation—this is our genetically programmed response. Keto is not about stuffing your face with fat throughout the day. When it comes to carbs, we can enjoy abundant vegetable intake, emphasizing above-ground, leafy green veggies and cruciferous vegetables. And while colorful fruits and starchy tuber vegetables have many nutritional benefits, we want to sideline these when doing strict keto stints. We also cover how to choose the highest quality dark chocolate, habituating to the highest possible cacao percentage. You’ll get inspired to make your own kombucha (all you need is a friend with a SCOBY, and some sweet black tea), and watch out for the overly-sugared store-bought kombucha. Other categories include non-dairy milks, nuts, seeds, and their derivative butters, and packaged snacks that have ‘paleo/keto’ designation on them
2/20/2019 • 42 minutes, 37 seconds
Carrie Forrest
Elle Russ chats with Carrie Forrest - a thyroid cancer survivor and the creator of the blog, Clean Eating Kitchen, where she shares easy and nourishing recipes and resources. Carrie is also the host of the Clean Eating for Women podcast, featuring interviews with health experts and influencers, along with stories from her own health journey. Carrie has an MBA in marketing and entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California. After a short stint in retail corporate marketing and merchandising, she became interested in nutrition to try and heal from a variety of health issues, including chronic migraines, hormone imbalance, anxiety, and thyroid cancer. She later earned a masters degree in public health nutrition from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Carrie’s work inspires women to take control over their health, with a focus on holistic and natural healing. Find Carrie online at her website, www.cleaneatingkitchen.com, or on Instagram and Facebook @cleaneatingcarrie. Selected Links: Clean Eating Kitchen: https://www.cleaneatingkitchen.com Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/cleaneatingcarrie/ Facebook page link: https://www.facebook.com/Cleaneatingcarrie/ Clean Eating Every Daye-cookbook sales page (use code CLEANEATING for a discount): https://gumroad.com/l/cleaneatingeveryday Podcast episode index: https://www.cleaneatingkitchen.com/podcast/
2/18/2019 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 29 seconds
Keto: William Shewfelt: Power Ranger and Carnivore Shredder
Brad Kearns talks with an amazingly enthusiastic and focused young man named William Shewfelt. Famed for his role as the red-suited Power Ranger on the legendary television franchise, he has garnered tons of attention online for his carnivore diet approach to cutting down to 3.8% body fat. William provides details on the proper mindset, exercise program, and dietary strategy to take your body composition goals to the next level, to get ripped, or to go from ripped to super ripped. Beyond his killer 6-pack, this 23-year-old has some extremely impressive insights and strategies to dream about big goals and then actually go out there and execute them. William favors an intuitive approach both workouts and eating strategy, warning against the obsessive self-quantification and tracking that can drive you nuts and burn you out. “Tracking is like riding a tricycle,” he says. In this show, you will get past the potshots about carnivore and learn from someone who’s made it for 1.5 years and running.
2/13/2019 • 50 minutes, 54 seconds
Drew Manning
Elle Russ chats with Drew Manning - the New York Times Best Selling Author of the book, Fit2Fat2Fit and is best known for his Fit2Fat2Fit.com experiment that went viral online. He's been featured on shows like Dr. Oz, Good Morning America, The View and many more. His experiment has since become a hit TV show, called Fit to Fat to Fit, airing on A&E and Lifetime. Drew also has a very successful podcast called The Fit2Fat2Fit Experience. Since his self-experiment went viral, Drew has helped thousands of people learn to live a healthy lifestyle and completely transform their lives. In his new book Complete Keto, Drew offers a total ketogenic lifestyle reset that's based on a deep understanding of the challenges to living keto, as well as the benefits it brings and the science that makes it work - including a dive into the emotional and psychological aspects that can coincide with any health journey.
2/11/2019 • 42 minutes, 35 seconds
Keto: Sharon Brown – Benefits Of Bone Broth
Host Brad Kearns talks to Sharon Brown, Founder and CEO of Bonafide Provisions, makers of the number one selling frozen bone broth in America. We will learn all about the amazing amino acids present in bone broth that support gut health, deliver a collagen boost for healthy skin and nails, and help rebuild broken down connective tissue. Sharon will detail how to make bone broth at home in the correct manner, how to discern what is quality and what is crap at the story, and how bone broth helped her child go from sickly and ADHD diagnosed to a live of robust health. If you are eating a keto-aligned diet, you have narrowed your food options and consequently must be more vigilant to include the most nutrient dense food possible within keto guidelines. This will address the knee-jerk criticism against keto as the "bacon and butter diet" that raises health objections. As Dr. Cate Shanahan details in her bestselling book, Deep Nutrition, bone broth is one of the centerpieces of the ancestral diet that has been largely ignored and neglected in our modern diet. This show will cover how to shop for quality products and how to make your own at home. Enjoy the show and learn more about Sharon at bonafideprovisions.com
2/6/2019 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 39 seconds
Jennilyn Griffiths
Elle Russ chats with Jennilyn Griffiths about the upcoming 2019 FitCon Summit in Salt Lake City where Mark Sisson, Robb Wolf, Luis Villasenor, Elle Russ, and Ben Greenfield are guest speakers (and many more!). Jennilyn has been a certified personal trainer for 8 years and competed in NPC bodybuilding competition in 2014. She joined a passionate group of people in 2015 and helped put together Fitcon, one of the largest fitness events in the country. She has been deeply involved in the Keto and low carb community since 2014 and has brought Keto speakers each year to Fitcon. She lives a paleo lifestyle and has a goal to build the Keto and paleo communities. SELECTED LINKS ***GET $50 OFF FitCon tickets using Code “primal50” Www.fitconsummit.com
2/4/2019 • 51 minutes, 5 seconds
Keto: Listener Q&A
Brad tackles some interesting and varied Q&A, including concerns about fueling with carbs during long workouts, how family high cholesterol concerns jibe with feeling great while eating paleo/keto, and much more fun stuff. Email [email protected] to ask questions or give feedback on the show.
1/31/2019 • 37 minutes, 52 seconds
Dr. Alexander Haskell
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Alexander Haskell about prescription drug addiction and his approach to helping patients detox at the cellular level. Dr. Haskell is a Naturopathic Physician in Utah with over 30 years of experience focusing on the investigation and treatment of underlying causes of chronic conditions rather than simply addressing symptoms. Dr. Haskell believes in the innate, miraculous healing capacity within every person and believes that educating the client is foremost. Addictive prescription drugs, most being fat soluble - enter inside our cells leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. The only way to help a person to recover their physical and mental health is to get these residues out of their cells primarily by increasing the energy production of their mitochondria - and the quickest and most effective means to accomplish this is the intravenous use of NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide). SELECTED LINKS IVNADdrugaddictions.com ClearHealthCenters.com [email protected]
1/28/2019 • 39 minutes, 8 seconds
Logan Schwartz
Elle Russ chats with Logan Schwartz all about movement, strength, and performance. Logan has dedicated his life to helping individuals achieve a state of optimal health and vitality through a principle-based approach. He has positioned himself to learn from and work alongside the best coaches, personal trainers, physical therapists, and athletic trainers in the field of prevention, performance, and health. Recently, Logan was the Assistant Basketball Strength Coach for The University of Texas at Austin and is a consultant for Train 4 The Game, Inc., which is one of the elite performance facilities in the nation. Currently Logan owns Austin Vitality Coach and is the Director of Programming for Your Trainer, Inc. in Austin, Texas. He also presents Internationally for the Gray Institute and Power Plate. SELECTED LINKS: www.austinvitalitycoach.com
1/21/2019 • 55 minutes, 22 seconds
Keto: Dr. Anthony Gustin of Perfect Keto
Host Brad Kearns talks to a man on a mission - Dr. Anthony Gustin, co-founder of Perfect Keto and all-around health, nutrition, and peak performance expert. Dr. Gustin has been obsessed with healing people and promoting elite peak performance since a young age when he overcame illness and dysfunction as a teenager to become a doctor of chiropractic at the age of 24. After success with chiropractic and functional medicine clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area, Anthony started Perfect Keto to help give people tools to fight disease, achieve peak performance, and stay aligned with a ketogenic diet. We learn about Anthony’s fascinating fast-track background, his devotion to daily meditation, to self-experimentation, and to pure hard work and grand ambition. Anthony indicates there is a wide variation in individual responses to keto and other dietary strategies. In particular, Dr. Gustin mentions that fasting is actually stress to the body, and might be inappropriate for certain folks who are already piling on other stresses, such as extreme dietary modification or extreme workouts. It’s essential to test and refine constantly to discover your best approach for right now. That said, Dr. Gustin reminds us that there are certain fundamentals of healthy eating and living that are undisputed. For example, “eat real food,” and “move more!”. When it comes to ketone supplements, Dr. Gustin suggests there are a handful of higher uses: as a cognitive performance aid, as an adherence tool to prevent backslides and binges and suppress appetite, for athletes to get clean-burning energy, and for targeted disease prevention or care. One great insight from the show: Dr. Gustin believes that certain forms of suffering make us stronger. For example, his “zombie-like” ordeal of accelerated schooling helps him tackle any challenge he faces today with great resilience. This was an interesting insight coming from a millennial because we commonly typecast millennials as entitled. You’ll learn about keto best practices and much much more in this interesting show with Perfect Keto’s Dr. Anthony Gustin.
1/16/2019 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 29 seconds
Dr. Dominic D'Agostino
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Dominic D'Agostino about the research and benefits surrounding ketogenic diets. Dr. D'Agostino is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. He is also a Research Scientist at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC). His laboratory develops and tests nutritional strategies and metabolic-based supplements for neurological disorders, seizures, cancer and metabolic wellness. He was a research investigator and crew member on NASA's Extreme Environment Mission Operation (NEEMO 22) and has a personal interest in environmental medicine and methods to enhance safety and physiological resilience in extreme environments. His research is supported by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Department of Defense (DoD), private organizations and foundations. SELECTED LINKS: Metabolic Health Summit FEB 2019 CODE for 15% off tickets: PrimalBluePrintMHS Facebook Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dominic.dagostino Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dominic.dagostino.kt/ Twitter https://twitter.com/DominicDAgosti2
1/14/2019 • 58 minutes, 56 seconds
Tanya Stewart
Elle Russ chats with Tanya Stewart, Esq. - "The Alpha Life Coach" about how living a paleo/primal lifestyle can actually get you closer to attaining love and financial success! Tanya shows High-Achievers how to Separate Struggle from Success. She founded The Stewart Law Firm in 2001 specializing exclusively in high-conflict litigation. During 15 years of private practice, she grew skilled in taking lives and businesses apart and now puts them back together. She understands how Alpha Women & High-Achievers are wired and using her Master’s level Metaphysics background and Advanced Clinical Certification in Hypnotherapy, she brings rapid change from within, breaking you free of your blocks. She is a speaker, published author and Mensa member whose coaching is recommended by the World-Famous Motivator, Les Brown, Best-Selling Love Coach Greg Baer and International Change Expert, Dr. Eldon Taylor. SELECTED LINKS Free Gift For Audience: www.FearlessFocusCoaching.com/Paleo Website: www.FearlessFocusCoaching.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FearlessFocusCoaching Twitter: #AlphaWomenCoach Instagram: @AlphaWomenCoach
1/7/2019 • 59 minutes, 15 seconds
Evan Brand
Elle Russ chats with Evan Brand about gut health and autoimmune disorders. Evan is an author, podcast host of the popular The Evan Brand Show and a Board-Certified Holistic Nutritionist, Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, and Nutritional Therapist. Evan is passionate about healing the chronic fatigue, obesity, and depression epidemics after solving his own issues with IBS and depression. He uses at-home lab testing and customized supplement programs to find and fix the root cause of a wide range of health symptoms. He is the author of Stress Solutions, REM Rehab and The Everything Guide to Nootropics. Evan offers functional medicine phone consultations at his site EvanBrand.com Selected Links: Evan’s Website Evan’s Podcast Evan on Twitter Evan on Instagram Evan on Facebook
12/31/2018 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 11 seconds
Dr. Lindsay Taylor
Elle Russ chats with Lindsay Taylor Ph.D. about all things KETO! Lindsay is the Senior Writer and Researcher at Primal Blueprint. She has been a consultant, editor, and recipe developer for several of Mark Sisson's bestselling books and is the coauthor along with Mark Sisson of The Keto Reset Instant Pot Cookbook and The Keto Reset Diet Cookbook. She is also the author of the forthcoming cookbook The Keto Passport. An ultrarunner and Ironman triathlon finisher, Lindsay is an expert in preparing low-carb, nutrient-dense food to fuel her on and off the racecourse. Lindsay earned her Ph.D. in Social and Personality Psychology from UC Berkeley. She brings her expertise to bear on topics related to mindset, goal setting, and lifestyle change as a contributor to the Primal Blueprint and Primal Endurance Podcasts and as the founder and lead moderator of the thriving Keto Reset and Primal Endurance communities. She lives in Northern California with her husband and two boys, where she attempts to model a healthy, balanced approach to endurance training, work, and family. Find her healthy, colorful meal creations on Instagram @theusefuldish. SELECTED LINKS: The Keto Reset Diet The Keto Reset Diet - Cookbook The Keto Reset Diet - Instant Pot Cookbook Lindsay Taylor on Instagram ----- If you're thinking about a Keto Reset in 2019, visit primalkitchen.com/ketoreset before January 6, 2019, to sign up for our Keto Reset Kickoff. This week-long introduction to the Keto Reset Diet includes one lesson from Mark delivered to your inbox each day, plus the opportunity to get the Keto Reset Online Mastery Course (a $147 value) FREE with the purchase of a Primal Kitchen Advanced Keto Kit. And if you purchase The Keto Reset Diet, The Keto Reset Diet Cookbook, or The Keto Reset Instant Pot Cookbook before January 31, 2019, make sure you head to ketoreset.com to claim your free bonus gifts! Keto Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/460535967661514/
12/21/2018 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 23 seconds
Melanie Avalon
Elle Russ chats with Melanie Avalon - a SAG-AFTRA actress, author of What When Wine: Lose Weight and Feel Great with Paleo-Style Meals, Intermittent Fasting, and Wine, and co-host of the top iTunes podcast, The Intermittent Fasting Podcast with Gin Stephens, with listeners in the hundreds of thousands! Melanie holds a certification in Holistic Nutrition from the AFPA (American Fitness Professionals Association), is a certified wine specialist by the WSET (Wine And Spirits Education Trust), and a member of Mensa International. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Southern California in 2012, with a double Bachelor of Arts in Cinematic Arts and Theatre. While at USC, Melanie worked for major Hollywood producers, including Jerry Bruckheimer, and Jim Whitaker at Walt Disney Studios. She has appeared in numerous television and film projects, from Deadly Wives (Bio Channel) to Neighbors, and was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival for Pablo Moline’s No More Chances. What When Wine is an updated version of Melanie’s originally self-published The What When Wine Diet: Paleo and Intermittent Fasting for Health and Weight Loss, which became an Amazon #1 Best Seller, amassed 20,000+ readers, and was featured by Audible.com, Funny or Die, and other media outlets. The updated What When Wine features 80% new content, with 50 gluten-free recipes developed by celebrity chef Ariane Resnick. Melanie personally follows a whole foods Paleo diet, with a nightly glass (or 2!) of wine, and eats in an IF “One Meal Per Day” pattern. She has found this combination provides astounding benefits: effortless weight maintenance without restriction (important for the entertainment industry!), disease prevention, immune system revitalization, clearer skin, and better eyesight, to name just a few! She is now on a mission to spread the wonder of a whole foods and IF lifestyle, while fostering her career as an actress. Because who needs silly diet restriction and hunger? Twitter:@MelanieAvalon Instagram:@MelanieAvalon Blog:MelanieAvalon.com Podcast:IFpodcast.com IMDB:imdb.me/MelanieAvalon
12/17/2018 • 52 minutes, 16 seconds
Keto: Q&A Show
The questions keep coming in hard and hopefully will be of great value as you strategize your own best approach to keto. Some topics include: Best use of time as one head to an important competitive event - diet tweaks to make or not to make? Will keto help a strange autoimmune condition known as vitiligo? Tweaking protein intake after hitting body fat goal when you are already low body fat. A plug for and some questions about the carnivore diet. Keto for Type 1 diabetics. Keto for senior citizens dealing with early Type 2 diabetes. Enjoy - and participate by emailing [email protected]
12/12/2018 • 41 minutes, 6 seconds
Ashleigh VanHouten
Elle Russ chats with Ashleigh VanHouten - a writer, editor, Primal Health Coach, and host of Paleo Magazine Radio. She divides her time between Ottawa, Canada, and New York City, and when she's not reading about or interviewing authorities on health, fitness, and wellness, she's working on personal goals like competitive bodybuilding, BJJ, and convincing her friends to eat organ meat. SELECTED LINKS Connect with Ashleigh on Instagram @themusclemaven ashleighvanhouten.com
12/10/2018 • 54 minutes, 4 seconds
Keto: Brad's Keto Tips Health Mindset and Reaching Your Goals
Brad updates you on his most recent keto happenings, particularly his intuitive approach that features the traditional compressed eating window and keto aligned meals, as well as an intuitive and spontaneous fluctuation in carb intake and total caloric intake in conjunction with ambitious workouts. Brad also details what to do when you fail at keto, and the importance of a steady progression toward keto instead of a crash course that ends up in a stress hormone back. Brad talks about the dilemma between adopting a casual approach to keto instead of an overly stressful orthorexic approach but also being able to nail your goals without slipping and sliding into the luxuries and temptations of comfortable modern life. He provides compelling examples of the direct, no-nonsense success formula exhibited by Tippy Wyatt of "Tippy Tales" YouTube fame (put your money where your mouth is!) and Primal Blueprint film and audio master Brian McAndrew of @wholedoods Instagram fame ("I'm eating this...as long as its keto") thanks!
12/5/2018 • 40 minutes, 9 seconds
Maureen Vincenty
Elle Russ chats with Maureen Vincenty - A certified Holistic Health Coach, Personal Trainer, and Functional Nutritionist with over 15 years of experience. Maureen Vincenty has spent the past 15 years researching all there is to know about health, fitness, nutrition, and preventive wellbeing. She is passionate about the role that nutrition and movement play in health and has dedicated her life to helping people live better lives beyond losing weight, but by also reversing many chronic illness through proper nutritional intervention. VisitTransformative Wellbeing to learn more. LINKS: https://www.transformativewellbeing.org/about/
12/3/2018 • 45 minutes, 4 seconds
Keto: Longcuts to a Longer Life, Part 2
Getting your diet and exercise routine dialed (Longcuts Part 1) is certainly an essential entry point to leading a long, healthy, happy life. But it’s only a portion of the big picture. Sleep is arguably more important than any other lifestyle practice, because if its compromised than other bets are off. In hectic, high-tech modern life, our stress management skills are in higher demand than any other time in the history of humanity. Finally, relationships are what make the world go round, but we often neglect them in favor of tangible objectives like filling plate with healthy food, filling logbook with impressive workouts, and filling bank account with money. If you are falling short in the areas of sleep, stress management and relationships, your keto goals are doomed. High stress lifestyle circumstances keep you in fight or flight mode, which equates with sugar cravings, carb dependency, and burnout. Let's take a step back from intense keto objectives for a moment and look at healthy lifestyle tips that can support your keto goals. This show will be syndicated on Brad's new podcast, called Get Over Yourself. Check the show out, as Brad covers topics relating to health, peak performance, personal growth, happiness, and longevity, with humor and a little spice!
11/28/2018 • 26 minutes, 51 seconds
Scott Nelson
Elle Russ chats with Scott Nelson - a cofounder of Joovv, the first company to develop a full-body light therapy device designed for convenient, in-home use. Prior to starting Joovv, Scott spent his entire professional career in leadership positions with some of the largest medtech companies in the world, including Medtronic, Covidien, Boston Scientific, and C.R. Bard. Scott also hosts Medsider Radio, a top-ranked medtech podcast. On today’s episode, Scott shares the science and testimonials of the benefits of full body red light therapy - from better sleep, improved skin, anti-inflammation and much more. Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joovvsocial Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joovvsocial Website links: Homepage: https://joovv.com Educational articles on light therapy: https://joovv.com/pages/learn Reviews: https://joovv.com/pages/reviews
11/26/2018 • 46 minutes, 59 seconds
Keto: Longcuts to a Longer Life, Part 1
Are you tired of hearing the terms “hacks” and “shortcuts” when it comes to healthy living? So am I! Leading a healthy, balanced life is inherently enjoyable. Sometimes the best things in life take extra time. For example, preparing a fresh, home-cooked meal. These tips relating to diet and exercise are simple, common sense, and easy to implement into daily life. Yes, it's great to get deep into the realm of keto and explore your body's maximum potential, but sometimes we can miss the forest through the trees. Brad takes a few steps backward from the usual show content and talks about healthy eating basics along with exercise basics. Uh, how about making mealtimes calm, relaxed, and unhurried! How about making increased general everyday movement the #1 exercise priority (more than formal workouts!)? These and more great stuff from the Longcuts part 1. Stay tuned for an important Part 2 of Longcuts, relating to sleep, stress management, and relationships. This show will be syndicated on Brad's new podcast, called Get Over Yourself. Check the show out, as Brad covers topics relating to health, peak performance, personal growth, happiness, and longevity, with humor and a little spice!
11/21/2018 • 17 minutes, 41 seconds
Laura Rupsis and Erin Power
Elle Russ chats with Laura Rupsis and Erin Power of the Primal Health Coach Institute. The Primal Health Coach Program is centered on ancestral health principles, a scientifically validated wellness plan that mimics that of our primal ancestors and supports our genetic evolutionary blueprint with real-food, low-carb eating, inspired movement and play, and stress-reduction and balance in all aspects of life. As part of the ancestral health movement, the Primal Blueprint nutrition, fitness and lifestyle behavior program has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and counting. A health coach is a wellness expert who educates, motivates and guides clients toward lifestyle and behavior choices that support optimal well-being. A Primal Health Coach stays ahead of the curve with an integrated approach, helping others create lives of maximum vitality using nutrition and fitness intelligence based on scientifically validated ancestral health principles. The aim of the Primal Health Coach is to help clients extract the most joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment from their lives by focusing on their values, needs, visions and goals in an extremely personalized way. The Primal Health Coach program provides the most in-depth and up-to-date ancestral health education in the world, equipping you with an arsenal of well-informed alternative choices based on science and experience in order to best serve your clients’ goals. Using the model of Integrative Health Coaching, rooted in developmental and humanistic psychology, we shape expert coaches into persuasive catalysts for behavior change. Spark your clients’ craving for knowledge and help them access their sense of purpose and live according to their core values. Up-level your ability to motivate and inspire lasting change today." LINKS https://www.primalhealthcoach.com
11/19/2018 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 59 seconds
Keto: Tania Teschke: Bordeaux Kitchen Author on Healthy Eating and Parenting
Host Brad Kearns welcomes Tania back for a third show, on the heels of two fabulous shows covering the launch of Tania’s book and the massive amount of interesting content inside. This time, Brad and Tania have a more breezy chat about assorted health topics, and you will pull out some great nuggets to get you focused on optimizing your diet and lifestyle, and navigating through the unhealthy forces of hectic modern life filled with too much digital stimulation and too little nutrition. Topics covered include: the dangers of consuming refined vegetable oils, the health benefits of consuming organ meats, especially grass-fed organ meats (including Tania affinity for “scrambled brains”), and pasture-raised chicken and eggs. How to limit kids screen time, concerns about EMF exposure (such as the new 5G cellular network) and LED lights. She also covers the importance of sun exposure to improve digestion and reduce cancer risk, as well as the benefits of drinking wine with meals to enhance the social experience. Check out the absolutely fabulous and information packed book Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bordeaux-Kitchen-Immersion-Ancestral-Traditions/dp/1939563399/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1530822143&sr=8-1&keywords=bordeaux+kitchen PBP.com: https://www.primalblueprint.com/collections/books/products/the-bordeaux-kitchen
11/15/2018 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 12 seconds
Holly Perkins
Elle Russ chats with Holly Perkins - a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition. She is the author of Lift to Get Lean (Women’s Health, 2015) and the leader of Women’s Strength Nation. Holly spent over 25 years taking various anti-depressants until she ultimately discovered that two particular foods were the actual culprit of her mental health issues, and she eventually weaned off anti-depressants. Holly is a contributing writer and expert for Women’s Health, SELF, Fitness, Shape, Prevention, Men’s Health and LIVESTRONG. Holly’s mission is to empower women on a personal and spiritual level by leading them into the weight room on a journey of physical strength. Shape magazine named Holly as one of the “Top Trainers to Follow” on Instagram. After 24 years in the fitness industry, Holly now specializes in helping women to achieve their best life- inside and out- through her online programs and personal coaching. FREE offer from Holly in the show notes! Selected Links: Holly's website Lift To Get Lean FREE OFFER for audience
11/12/2018 • 47 minutes, 34 seconds
Keto: Dr. Cate Shanahan
Switch the B.S. meter to the "on" position and listen to the wise and powerful Dr. Cate Shanahan address many myths and misconceptions about keto, and other ancestral health practices on this hard-hitting show. Brad has avoided caffeine his whole life so he won't "fry his adrenals." Dr. Cate calls BS. How about eating in the evening--makes you store fat, right? Probably doesn't matter that much. Can you generate ketones on a super high carb diet? Yes you actually can, says Cate. It's all about long periods of fasting or eating in a caloric deficit. Cate gives us some sneak previews from her fabulous new book, The Fat Burn Fix, that will land in 2020 (hold your breath until then, this is bound to be a masterpiece follow up to her landmark mega-bestseller Deep Nutrition. This book was originally self-published in 2009 and helped spur the explosive growth of the primal/paleo movement. In it, Dr. Catepresented her trademarked "Four Pillars of the Human Diet" Oh yeah, you know those headaches that happen during a busy, sugar crash burnout day? This pattern can become a serious matter whereby you suffer from frequent mini-strokes when your brain is deprived of oxygen due to overconsumption of carbs and the brains over-reliance on sugar. Prominent author Dr. David Perlmutter calls Alzheimer’s “Type III diabetes” due to the close association between insulin resistance and cognitive decline. Good news shared by Dr. Cate is you can reverse early brain problems and stroke risk by transitioning to a more nutrient-dense, lower sugar, and especially keto-friendly diet. This is no funny business, as Dr. Cate offers the stat the typical western diet derives 66 percent of total calories from the big three main most offensive modern foods: sugars, grains, and refined vegetable oils. Dr. Cate is not afraid to call out entities like Harvard University for aggressively promoting nutrient-deficient diets for decades, spurred by corporate influences and the almighty dollar. This is highly disturbing, and greatly inspiring to take matters of health into your own hands.
11/7/2018 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 23 seconds
Ali Miller RD, LD, CDE
Elle Russ chats with Ali Miller RD, LD, CDE - an integrative functional dietitian, author of Naturally Nourished: Food-as-Medicine for Optimal Health cookbook (2016) and The Anti-Anxiety Diet (2018). Creator of Reset, Restore, Renew: Real Food Detox program, Optimal Eating virtual class, and interactive Virtual Food-as-Medicine Ketosis program. On this episode, Ali talks about her new book The Anti-Anxiety Diet and how food can stabilize your mood, where the common treatments for anxiety and depression are getting it wrong, and how to know where to start addressing anxiety. Visit AliMillerRD.com for more. SELECTED LINKS: AliMillerRd.com Anti-Anxiety Diet
11/5/2018 • 46 minutes, 11 seconds
Victoria Field
Elle Russ chats with Victoria Field - who has more than 15 years of experience in the fitness and nutrition industry and has developed ketogenic protocols for both Epigenix Foundation and KetoPet while spearheading cancer-focused pilot studies in partnership with oncologists and world-renowned institutions including Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Epigenix Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that was started by the co-founder of Quest Nutrition that has a mission centered on understanding the epigenetic impact of metabolic interventions on human and canine disease and performance. Since 2016, Victoria has helped more than 100 cancer patients and nearly 500 canines with a ketogenic approach to disease management. Victoria is passionate about educating people about the ketogenic diet, and in an effort to do so she co-founded Metabolic Health Initiative, an organization that hosts a large annual scientific conference - for both the professional and lay-person alike - called Metabolic Health Summit (MHS) in Los Angeles, California. MHS has a mission to revolutionize science and medicine by refocusing attention on the importance of nutrition and metabolism in treating disease, extending life, and improving human performance. Victoria started her career as an NBC affiliate TV news and health anchor and reporter while running an international online training and nutrition business that benefited fitness beginners to pro-level athletes. Victoria is also a former professional athlete in the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness. SELECTED LINKS Link to Metabolic Health Summit Link to Epigenix Foundation Link to KetoPet
10/29/2018 • 35 minutes, 18 seconds
Keto: It's All About Burning Stored Body Fat!
Host Brad Kearns addresses some of the common misconceptions and misinterpretations of the ketogenic diet, instead of describing how to do it right and enjoy lasting benefits. This is a syndicated presentation of a Facebook Live event. Join the Keto Reset Facebook Group for more Facebook live events Most importantly, Brad relates a message from Dr. Cate Shanahan (author of Deep Nutrition and future podcast guest) that ketone production is triggered by the burning stored body fat, not ingested fat. Dang son, trip out on that revelation, for it will turn lots of the keto hype on its ear! When you eat any meal, or even snack on your keto approved treats, you essentially shut off ketone production. This negates the premise of the bacon and butter diet and the fetishes for high-fat coffee in the morning and fat bombs for snacks and treats. This is a little oversimplified, but it's helpful to reframe your perspective about keto to associated it with fasting, eating in a compressed time window, and eating in caloric deficit if you are looking to lose excess body fat. We talk about people having difficulty reducing excess body fat and the importance of following the multi-step Keto Reset Diet approach, where you start with 21-Day Metabolism Reset, enter a fine-tuning period, and finally conduct a focused 6-week period of nutritional ketosis. Fun questions come in from the Facebook crowd to keep the show lively.
10/24/2018 • 59 minutes, 7 seconds
Andy Hnilo
Elle Russ chats with Andy Hnilo - CEO of Alitura Naturals. A near-death experience led Andy Hnilo to develop a cutting-edge natural skincare line that is revitalizing the skincare market. A former athlete, model, actor turned entrepreneur...Andy was hit by two large vehicles while crossing a busy street in 2011. A former model and high-level athlete, he relied on his body to make a living and knew that even if he recovered, his life may never be the same. He vowed to rebuild his body and spirit using the healthiest ingredients and products he could find. Alitura -- Latin for “feeding and nourishing” -- was created to offer consumers natural, soothing and effective skin remedies. 4 years since launching Alitura Naturals, his products are now in 77 countries and his brand is thriving. SELECTED LINKS Alitura Naturals
10/22/2018 • 52 minutes, 19 seconds
Keto: Ready To Go Keto? Tips to Make it Easy and Fun
Keto is the crazy fad diet of today, and with this excitement comes an excess of hype, misinformation, and a flawed approach. Host Brad Kearns talks about how to do keto the right way, with particular attention to doing the necessary prep work to develop metabolic fitness before you commence your first formal foray into nutritional ketosis. You'll learn why a regimented approach might be too stressful, and that the concept of refeeds and accordant strategies might be best addressed with Brian McAndrew's simple suggestion to not worry about it, because "life will give you refeeds." You'll learn how to stick it out if things get a little difficult early into keto, and how the most profound benefits are enjoyed when you complete a minimum six-week period of strict nutritional ketosis. You'll also learn about Brian's pre-existing commitment to keto that overrides any potential application of will power or decision fatigue on a day-to-day basis. Commit to a simple strategy where you choose from a list of approved foods and don't consider any outside options. Enjoy this informative show that will help you succeed with keto!
10/17/2018 • 53 minutes, 42 seconds
Jolene Goring
Elle Russ chats with Jolene Goring about the uses and benefits of systemic enzymes - including inflammation, gut health, excess fibrin, scar tissue, fibrocystic breasts, uterine fibroids, and much more!. Jolene is a leading integrated health and fitness, holistic nutrition and natural beauty expert based in Scottsdale, AZ; and the first Board Certified Holistic Nutritionist in Arizona. Jolene has recently been named one of USA Today’s “America’s Premier Fitness Experts,” is a best-selling author and has appeared in international magazines, newspaper, television shows, and fitness videos. She was the Director of Marketing at World Nutrition Inc, who has created the world’s ONLY liquid gel systemic enzyme complex. With 18 years of experience in the health and wellness industry, Jolene has a BSc. Geophysics and numerous health, nutrition, and fitness certifications. She loves learning about the latest scientific breakthroughs in the health field and making healthy living easy and fun for everyone.
10/15/2018 • 37 minutes, 46 seconds
Top 9 Keto Apps
I’m not a big app guy, instead preferring to keep a loose running tally of how I’m eating, training, and living, but my understanding is that kids these days love smartphone apps. Besides, I often forget that not everyone lives and breathes this stuff. Not everyone geeks out over all the minutiae and maintains an extensive database of keto and Primal-related errata in their heads. So today, I’m giving you a list of the top 9 keto (and keto-relevant) apps. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/9/2018 • 9 minutes, 22 seconds
Dr. Michael Ruscio
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Ruscio - a specialist in digestive, autoimmune and thyroid disorders, he consults out of his Bay Area clinic and reaches an international audience through his highly-rated functional medicine podcast and website www.drruscio.com. If you suspect you’re getting sicker and sicker… Your doctor just doesn’t get it… And you don’t have time to wade through dozens of stuffy medical journals looking for an answer… his simple and affordable approach to healing chronic illness could be exactly what you’ve been looking for. Dr Ruscio has spoken at The SIBO Symposium Summit, Paleo FX, Ancestral Health Symposium, Sean Croxton’s Digestion Sessions, as well as many other international conferences. You can find out more about his simple, evidence-based approach to healing chronic illness by visiting his website www.drruscio.com Purchase Dr. Ruscio’s latest book, Healthy Gut Healthy You today. SELECTED LINKS: Dr. Ruscio Website Healthy Gut Healthy You
10/8/2018 • 42 minutes, 46 seconds
Keto: Listener Q&A
Brad tackles some interesting and varied Q&A, including concerns about fueling with carbs during long workouts, how family high cholesterol concerns jibe with feeling great while eating paleo/keto, and much more fun stuff. Email [email protected] to ask questions or give feedback on the show. Brad offers a top secret 20% discount to the Keto Reset Mastery Course during the podcast!
10/3/2018 • 47 minutes, 36 seconds
Keto Compared: Analyzing Keto Against Popular Diet Trends
“There can be only one.” It’s the iconic quote from the only good Highlander movie, referring to the eternal battle immortal warriors wage across time to become the last of their kind and gain special powers over all lesser beings. I won’t say there can be only one perfect diet, but it is fun—and illustrative—to compare and contrast the different diets, not so much as a “contest” but as a method for winnowing out the differences and giving readers an idea of what might work for them. Today, I’m going to compare the Keto Reset (my particular Primal brand of the keto diet) to other popular diet trends. First, what is keto all about? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/3/2018 • 25 minutes, 37 seconds
Cornell Thomas
Elle Russ chats with Cornell Thomas - a multi-book author and expert in positive self-awareness. He has been endorsed by some of the top experts in his field including Tony Robbins and Dr. Cornel West. Cornell Thomas is the perfect example of turning a loss into a win. Two weeks away from playing professional basketball in Europe, Cornell suffered a career-ending injury that derailed his dream. Growing up with adversity his whole life allowed Cornell to get past “Why Me” and focus on “What Now”. Youtube Video Link: https://youtu.be/LN83C8bdBac LINKS Website: www.cornell-thomas.com Twitter: @cornellthomas Instagram: @cornellthomas34
10/1/2018 • 1 hour, 13 seconds
8 Dietary Truths We Wish We Could Tell Non-Primal Types
Longtime readers of the blog are so inundated with the latest dietary research and results from years of personal experimentation that they often take the simple, basic dietary truths for granted. But it’s the simple ones that make the most difference. Today I’m going to sift through the knowledge base to winnow out the dietary truths that, while basic, fundamental, and important, are unknown or misinterpreted in the “normal population.” If you think someone you know or care about could learn from this list, send it along. What follows are some basic dietary truths that everyone needs to understand. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/27/2018 • 13 minutes, 28 seconds
Male Menopause: What’s Behind Men’s Midlife Health?
It has many names and monikers. Male menopause. Andropause. Age-related testosterone deficiency. Hypogonadism. Manopause, my personal favorite. Although it isn’t as sharply defined as female menopause, male menopause is a catch-all for the gradual cascade of mental and physical health issues that men face as they approach and pass middle age and their testosterone drops. Wherever possible, I will insert “man” puns into the symptoms and conditions. Consider yourself warned. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/26/2018 • 11 minutes, 18 seconds
John Assaraf
Elle Russ chats with John Assaraf - one of the leading mindset and behavioral experts in the world! He has appeared numerous times on Larry King Live, Anderson Cooper and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. John has also built 5 multimillion dollar companies, written 2 New York Times Bestselling books and has been featured in 8 movies, including the blockbuster hit The Secret. Today, he is founder and CEO of NeuroGym, a company dedicated to using the most advanced technologies and evidence-based brain training methods to help individuals and corporations unlock and ignite their fullest potential. Go to MyNeuroGym.com and register for John's FREE online Brain-A-Thon event, featuring a variety of brain and success experts to help you develop a roadmap for shifting your mind and your life. SELECTED LINKS: http://www.myneurogym.com/go/?p=JAAFF7565&w=LBAT2018REGAFFEM Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/xlqrdIe78dk
9/24/2018 • 54 minutes, 16 seconds
Yacon Syrup: A Healthy Sweetener Option?
As the research continues to pile up against artificial sweeteners, it’s a race to take the lion’s share of the growing alternative sweetener market. While natural sweeteners like stevia and erythritol have become more popular in recent years, it’s still a wide field. One lesser known option is yacon syrup—a natural sweetener with a low calorie count and prebiotic abilities. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/20/2018 • 11 minutes, 1 second
Angela Mavridis
Elle Russ chats with Angela Bicos Mavridis - a Holistic Nutritionist and the CEO and founder of TRIBALI Foods. As a kid in her grandmother’s kitchen, she discovered the nurturing power of real foods. Today, she seeks and sources 100% organic high-quality proteins for TRIBALÍ Foods — from grass fed and grass finished beef to free-range chicken, pasture-raised pork, and wild-caught seafood — to create flavorful, versatile, and nutrient-dense centerpieces for wholesome, satisfying meals. Angela won the NOSH Live Pitch Slam 2017 on behalf of TRIBALÍ Foods and continuously strives to explore ways to "Make people healthier one meal at a time." SELECTED LINKS: Tribali Foods
9/17/2018 • 32 minutes, 45 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Metabolic Flexibility
Metabolic flexibility is the capacity to match fuel oxidation to fuel availability—or switch between burning carbs and burning fat. Someone with great metabolic flexibility can burn carbs when they eat them. They can burn fat when they eat it (or when they don’t eat at all). They can switch between carbohydrate metabolism and fat metabolism with relative ease. All those people who can “eat whatever they want” most likely have excellent metabolic flexibility. So, why does it really matter, and how does it happen? Let’s get into the weeds today. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/12/2018 • 9 minutes, 24 seconds
12 Daily Habits for Primal Well-Being
Most longtime readers of this blog could probably rattle off a dozen daily habits based on the inviolable Primal Laws. That’s not exciting, though. Let’s consider the basics just that: basics you should already have a handle on. These are practices that you’ve already integrated—eat whole foods, avoid unnecessary carbs, stop fearing fat and animal protein, lift heavy things, and such—and don’t require any more cajoling or prodding. It’s more helpful to develop some daily habits that you probably hadn’t considered. What are some daily habits for better Primal health? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/11/2018 • 13 minutes, 51 seconds
Sean Wittenberg
Elle Russ chats with Sean Wittenberg - the Cofounder and President of Safe Catch based in Sausalito, CA. With a deeply held belief that the health of our environment, our food and our society are all profoundly connected, Sean has spent the past 15 years focused on developing technologies and products that help people live healthier, happier lives while improving the wellbeing of our planet. In this episode, Sean educates the audience on the safety and environmental concerns surrounding fishing and consuming fish. SELECTED LINKS: Safe Catch
9/10/2018 • 45 minutes, 26 seconds
The Pros & Cons of Hormone Replacement Therapy for Primal Women
A Primal woman’s first reaction to the prospect of taking synthetic hormone replacements for menopause? Probably a healthy dose of skepticism. We in the ancestral health community, after all, tend to view pharmaceuticals as a last resort—interventions that are overprescribed by vested interests, create their own set of side effects, and may even do more harm than good. To suggest that we “need” this or that prescription raises our hackles. Besides, it’s not like menopause is a product of modernity or an aberration our ancestors never experienced; it’s a physiological stage that evolution has protected and selected in humans. It’s perfectly natural. Rather than the debilitating, miserable experience many women report having, menopause should be easier. Graceful, even. But it often isn’t. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/5/2018 • 17 minutes, 6 seconds
Ken Berry MD
Elle Russ chats with Ken Berry MD about the epidemic of Diabetes and how a patient can navigate test results, treatment, prevention, and reversing the disease. Dr. Berry is also the author Lies My Doctor Told Me which reveals the truth behind the lies told by well-meaning doctors. Whether it’s recommending a low-fat diet, or warning you to avoid the sun, these medical lies can cause really harm to your health. This book will help you sort through the medical myths and the outright lies, and begin to develop a health partnership with your doctor. Dr. Berry has been practicing Family Medicine in rural Tennessee for over a decade. He is board certified in Family Medicine, and was recently awarded the degree of Fellow by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Having seen over 20,000 patients of all ages over his career, he is uniquely qualified to advise on both acute and chronic diseases. Dr. Berry has focused of chronic disease caused by the Standard American Diet and Lifestyle, and has made it his mission to turn the tide on the epidemic of Type 2 Diabetes, chronic inflammation and dementia. Selected Links: Lies My Doctor Told Me Dr. Ken Berry – Facebook Dr. Ken Berry – Twitter Dr. Ken Berry – Instagram Dr. Ken Berry – YouTube Video Podcast: https://youtu.be/szu-LvA5kZQ
9/3/2018 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 50 seconds
What Can Heat Do For Your Health?
A few months ago, I explored the benefits and applications of cold therapy. Today, I’m going to talk about the benefits and applications of heat therapy—one of the most ubiquitous and ancestral therapies in the history of humankind. You name a culture and—as long as they didn’t live in perpetual tropical heat—they probably had some form of heat therapy. Native Americans had the sweat lodge, those of Central America the temazcal. The Romans had the thermae, which they picked up and refined from the Greeks. Other famous traditions include Finnish saunas, Russian banyas, Turkish hammams, Japanese sentó (or the natural spring-fed onsen), and the Korean jjimjilbang. People really like the heat. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/29/2018 • 11 minutes, 7 seconds
Are Your Children Sleep-Deprived?
It’s about that time: the start of the school year. Bleary-eyed kids everywhere are dragged from bed, thrown into clothing, handed an energy bar and glass of juice, and shuttled off to spend hours sitting at a desk. They come home, do hours of homework, squeeze in some screen time, squeeze some vaguely edible goo into their mouths, update their Facebook status, post a few Instagram pics, and climb into bed by 10 PM sharp, Snapchatting their way to the land of Nod. Then it starts all over again. I’m exaggerating, a bit. Things aren’t this bad—childhood Facebook usage is actually down! But too many children aren’t getting enough sleep. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/28/2018 • 11 minutes, 40 seconds
Dr. Mona Morstein
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Mona Morstein - a naturopathic physician with a medical practice focused in integrative diabetes treatment. Her clinic, Arizona Integrative Medical Solutions, is located in Tempe, Arizona, where she sees patients of all ages and genders for acute and chronic conditions. An expert on prediabetes and diabetes, she is a frequent lecturer at conferences and webinars, and is the founder and executive director of The Low Carb Diabetes Association. Dr. Morstein is a member of the Arizona Diabetes Coalition and her new book is Master Your Diabetes: A Comprehensive, Integrative Approach for Both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Selected Links: Dr. Morstein's Website Master Your Diabetes (book)
8/27/2018 • 40 minutes, 11 seconds
Keto: Facebook Live Simulcast - Metabolic Flexibility and Life Giving Your Refeeds
Enjoy this simulcast from Brad Kearns Facebook Live event, and join the Keto Reset Facebook community. Many topics relating to keto and healthy living are covered in this fast-moving show. Brad shares highlights of a recent conversation with Mark Sisson about metabolic flexibility and "fractal eating." Mark relates how his lifelong keto strategy is to spend lots of time fasting or in ketogenic eating patterns, but not worry about the details such that occasionally he will consume carbs outside the traditional keto range, but in what he calls the "keto zone." Mark mentioned a recent discussion with Dr. Joe Mercola who argues that fasting during jet travel protects you from the high levels of radiation and EMFs you face on an airplane, and also the lack of top foods available when you are on the go. Metabolic flexibility really means that you can handle anything, from fasting and turbocharged fat and ketone burning to perhaps even a carb binge. Brad discusses his recent experiment, inspired by Chris Kelly and Dr. Tommy Wood of NourishBalanceThrive.com, to consume additional nutritious calories to support his athletic training and recovery goals. It's also likely that you face a different set of decision making parameters based on your body fat goals and blood markers. Those recovering from metabolic damage or trying to drop excess body fat might pay more attention to carb intake levels until they achieve their goals. Those interested in performance and recovery can be more flexible. Ben Greenfield relates that he spends a lot of time fasted or in keto, but enjoys life in the evenings with his family, including consuming nutritious meals and treats that might be high in carbs. So what? He makes sure he recovers for future intense workouts and also that he enjoys life. Furthering that concept, we discuss Brian McAndrew's (Instagram @WholeDoods) quickly-going-viral concept that "life will give you refeeds"- so you don't have to obsessively plan them or track them. This is just a small taste of many other fun topics covered, so check out this show and send your comments and feedback to [email protected]
8/22/2018 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 9 seconds
Tips For Cycling Between Primal and Keto
Consistency is key in everything we do. Training in the gym: The most optimal workout imaginable won’t do a thing if you only get around to it once every two weeks. Sleep: A solid 8 hours of shut eye every night beats 10 hours one night, 6 the next. Learning a new skill: Practice for an hour each day and you’ll become a master. Spend twelve hours one time and never again, and you’ll remain a beginner. The same is true for nutrition. A consistent, reliable way of eating—especially with a diet like keto, where extended consistency actually builds new fat-burning mitochondria and establishes habits—tends to produce the best results. But what if you wanted to be a little less consistent? What if you wanted to cycle between Primal and keto? Is such a thing even possible? Yes. Just make sure you do it right—and for the right reasons. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/22/2018 • 8 minutes, 51 seconds
Mark’s Top 10 Tips for Getting Through a Whole30®
Next month, Primal Kitchen® will be teaming up with the Whole30® crew to help support people doing the Whole30 program. The guidelines complement the Primal Blueprint, after all, and the Primal Blueprint is a common after-Whole30 approach to long-term vitality for many folks. The Whole30 itself offers incredibly valuable feedback on the effects of certain foods on your health, and it’s an amazing kick-start for turning your diet (and well-being) around. Today I’m offering up my top tips for a successful Whole 30 experience. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/21/2018 • 11 minutes, 37 seconds
Seamus Mullen
Elle Russ chats with Seamus Mullen, an award-winning New York chef, restaurateur and cookbook author about his struggles with Rheumatoid Arthritis and his journey to complete healing through FOOD. An avid cyclist who raced competitively in his twenties, he was diagnosed in 2007 with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that forced him to rethink his relationship with food, and led to his first cookbook Hero Food, published in 2012. His second book Real Food Heals was released in 2017. Through food, exercise and lifestyle changes, Seamus was able to successfully turn his health around. For 7 years now, Seamus has been off all RA medication and has no RA markers on his blood results! Seamus opened his first solo restaurant Tertulia in Manhattan in 2011, which was awarded two stars from The New York Times and was a finalist for the James Beard Foundation Award for Best New Restaurant. In 2013, he opened El Colmado a Spanish tapas and wine bar at Gotham West Market, a food hall in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen. His latest venture is fast-casual concept Whitley Bird & Greens. After cooking throughout Spain, New York, and San Francisco, Seamus first rose to national prominence in 2006 with Boqueria, one of the first critically acclaimed and highly successful Spanish restaurants in New York. In 2009, he was one of three finalists on the Food Network’s “The Next Iron Chef.” He can often be seen as a featured judge on the popular Food Network series “Chopped” and “Beat Bobby Flay,” and is a frequent guest on programs such as The Today Show, The Martha Stewart Show and CBS This Morning. SELECTED LINKS Instagram, Facebook, Twitter: @seamusmullen Website: www.seamusmullen.com
8/20/2018 • 54 minutes, 39 seconds
Wearable Weights: Are They Worth It?
If you’re looking for an easy way to incorporate a beginning strength training practice (or just a little extra effort) into your exercise routine, wearable weights—which include weighted vests, ankle weights and wrist weights—can seem like a no-brainer. After all, you’re technically investing the same amount of time and doing the same activities but just with more effort and benefit. And you just have to slip them on and go, right? Not exactly. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/16/2018 • 6 minutes, 25 seconds
Keto: Brian Gryn
Brian is a personal trainer and scratch golfer from Chicago who has had some great success with intermittent fasting for both himself and his clients. He was initially inspired when he became frustrated by his inability to achieve the same results in the gym at age 38 as he did at 28 - imagine that! He started with the simple strategy of pushing his breakfast back an hour at a time until he was able to comfortably adjust to eating his first meal at around noon. Consequently, Brian typically ends up eating only two meals a day. Brian and Brad discuss an assortment of common sense tips to make fasting work for you, in particular: Be strict with your exercise so you don’t have decision fatigue and will power needed every day to stick with your plan; move around and keep busy during your fasting periods to make time fly by faster; clean up your diet so you can minimize glucose spikes and insulin crashes; make sure your dietary practices are a smooth fit into your busy life. Brian offers the memorable quote that muscles are made in the gym but that six-pack abs are made from diet. Another key benefit of adhering to some sort of fasting protocol is that you develop greater appreciation for natural hunger and satiety sensations, and gain a greater sense of control in your life than when you have to rely on food for your energy, mood, and cognition. Enjoy numerous simple, common-sense insights that will get you psyched to try and succeed with Intermittent Fasting!
8/15/2018 • 46 minutes, 35 seconds
Protein Intake While Keto: Why It Matters, How Much to Eat, and What My Intake Looks Like Now
If you ask the average person, ketosis is primarily about carb restriction and fat intake. Go on a low-carb diet, eat more fat, allow your body to burn its own reserves. Pretty straightforward. Ketones are supposed to replace glucose. But what do we make of protein? Some keto dieters avoid it like the plague, worried anything more than a quarter pound of animal flesh will knock them back into sugar-burning purgatory. Some have even likened it to “chocolate cake.” Others eat it freely. Who’s right? Well… (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/15/2018 • 10 minutes, 1 second
Arielle Ford
Elle Russ chats with Arielle Ford about manifesting love! Arielle is a gifted writer and the author of 11 books including the international bestseller, THE SOULMATE SECRET: Manifest The Love of Your Life With The Law of Attraction. She has just created the world’s first transformational coloring book based upon The Soulmate Secret, entitled, Inkspirations Love by Design: Coloring the Divine Path to Manifest Your Soulmate. This book blends Arielle’s step-by-step method for manifesting love with the romantic, original artwork of artist Manja Burton - a fun, creative and powerful process! She is also the author Turn Your Mate Into Your Soulmate devoted to exploring a simple, fun and effective way to attain groundbreaking shifts in perception so that you can embrace and find the beauty and perfection in yourself and your mate. I call this “going from annoyed to enjoyed!” Arielle has been called “The Cupid of Consciousness”, and “The Fairy Godmother of Love.” Arielle lives in La Jolla, CA with her husband/soulmate, Brian Hilliard and their feline friends. Join her newsletter at www.soulmatesecret.com Selected Links Arielle's Website
8/13/2018 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 27 seconds
Alcohol While Keto?
People like to get healthy, burn body fat, increase their aerobic capacity, and improve their cognitive function. The ketogenic diet is an excellent way to obtain those outcomes, which partially explains its meteoric rise in popularity. But people also like to drink alcohol. You might say it’s a toxin—I wouldn’t disagree. You might say we’d be better off without it—perhaps. The fact remains that people have been drinking for tens of thousands of years, and they’re not going to stop anytime soon. Can keto and alcohol coexist? Is there anything we need to take into consideration? First things first, does alcohol inhibit ketosis? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/8/2018 • 9 minutes, 36 seconds
Keto: Brian McAndrew: The Backstage Keto King
Brian McAndrew, the man behind the scenes of all of Primal’s audio and video production efforts, takes the stage again as the honored guest on the keto-themed podcast. At the age of 31, Brian has had quite a healthy journey of vast exploration and deep immersion. He’s been hard-core keto for over two years, all the while pursuing ambitious goals in the weight room. Brian’s experiences include: dealing with a serious parasite infection contracted while swimming in an African pond (hey it’s hot in Sierra Leone for an Oregon coast boy!); plunging into the trendy LA juice bar health scene and digging a hole from veganism and chronic cardio; getting big into the familiar combo of Paleo and Crossfit; getting a burnt out on Crossfit and transitioning into a pattern of MAF pace cardio workouts along with high-intensity strength training. Brian is constantly tweaking and testing on our behalf and today has a very groovy rhythm of simple, delicious meals, eating enough food to fuel his ambitious workouts, not stressing about testing his ketone numbers, and enjoying occasional departures from keto followed by effortless recalibrations. This is a very informative show where Brian shares insights from many resources; he processes and consumes a ton of podcasts and has 12,000 followers on his Instagram account (@WholeDoods) despite rarely writing anything more than, “I’m eating this” or showing pictures of his cute one-year-old daughter. Brian’s meals on Instagram and Brad’s underground recipe videos have become so popular that the duo are working on a top-secret book for lazy doods who want to cook keto but can’t be bothered to follow complex recipes.
8/8/2018 • 59 minutes, 33 seconds
Haley Morris
Elle Russ chats with Haley Morris, Certified Primal Health Coach and Holistic Life Coach and a thought leader who focuses her efforts on being the change she wishes to see in the world. Haley dedicates her life to creating value for others-helping people like you achieve what they are dreaming about. She does this by sharing her life experiences, by being a supportive and motivating friend/coach, and by helping people who want to live in health, wealth, success and happiness succeed through the process. Selected Links: IG: @haleyshealthyoptions Email: [email protected]
8/6/2018 • 50 minutes, 34 seconds
Keto: Listener Q&A
Brad tackles some interesting and diverse Q&A, including a lengthy discussion about the big question: Why aren't you losing weight on keto? A 70-year-old keto enthusiast who's lost 27 pounds in a few months now wants to increase energy. Another question comes about Brad's experiment with morning smoothies and increased caloric intake, with some commentary on the increasingly popular topic of digestive circadian rhythm and the work of Dr. Panda. Another question comes about evening leg cramps and possibly attribution to keto.
8/1/2018 • 48 minutes, 5 seconds
CJ Hunt
Elle Russ chats with CJ Hunt, the writer, producer and host of the break out film (and first Paleo documentary), The Perfect Human Diet, and author of the how-to companion guide of the same title. CJ is currently in production for The Perfect Human Diet 2. If you are in the Ancestral Health, Paleo, Keto or Ethical Omnivore camps, healthy animal foods and their production are under constant attack by popular films like Forks Over Knives, Cowspiracy and What The Health. These films and films like them claim that animal foods are not only destroying our health, but our environment as well. CJ's mission is to counteract these false narratives and bring the truth to the forefront by not letting these propaganda films go unchallenged. You can help support this mission by donating to the film which is non-profit endeavor. Selected Links: THE PERFECT HUMAN DIET 2
7/30/2018 • 57 minutes, 59 seconds
#266: Facebook Live Q&A
Host Brad Kearns talks about "8 Common Mistakes With Keto and How to Avoid Them" along with some live Q&A banter from viewers on the Keto Reset Facebook Page. You'll get a great overview of why you can't rush the process of keto, the importance of complementary lifestyle factors (exercise, sleep, stress management), making sure you eat colorful, nutritious foods instead of focusing only on keto-aligned macros, and plenty more.
7/25/2018 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 37 seconds
#265: Jezlan Moyet
Elle Russ chats with Jezlan Moyet - host of Good Morning LaLa Land...the first live-streaming daily talk show in the world. Good Morning LaLa Land focuses on discussions around current events, hot topics, and guest interviews through a positive, uplifting, and inspiring lens. In this very moving podcast episode, Jezlan shares a personal health journey with a freak accident that led to a permanent physical disability. Jezlan and Elle discover on the air for the first time that they share a similar physical disability, both completely unaware of the other's plight before this episode. Jezlan is an entertainment correspondent with red carpet, press junket, and live event hosting experience at conventions, and fashion shows. Jezlan has partnered with Focus TV Network, an affiliate of Focus Magazine, as a content creator and contributor. Jezlan has been featured on the cover of international magazines, newspapers, and she has been a featured guest speaker at many motivational events and conferences. Subject-matter expert media appearances have included: Every Way Woman, Fashion TV, Millennial Life, Good Morning LaLa Land, Focus TV, The Washington Post, and more. Selected Links: FB: https://www.facebook.com/decatorj Twitter: @JezlanMoyet IG: @Jezlan Good Morning LaLa Land on FACEBOOK
7/23/2018 • 42 minutes, 55 seconds
#264: Q&A From Facebook Live
Host Brad Kearns records this podcast as a Facebook Live for the Keto Reset Facebook Group, hitting some very complex and thoughtful questions from the email inbox and taking some questions on the fly from Facebook Live participants. One longtime chronic exerciser/carb addict struggled with the initial foray into keto, so it’s time to back off, recalibrate, be patient—and get stuff handled in the exercise, sleep and stress management categories. Another question wonders if the Keto Reset Mastery Course is worth it? (yeah mon, broaden your horizons, deepen your education!). Discussion ensues about leptin resistance, what it is and can you test for it? At the end, a question about Vitamin D gets Brad revved up for a full discourse on the importance of regular, strategic sun exposure, how diet is an insignificant contributor to Vitamin D needs, how skin cancer prevention strategies are misguided, how Vitamin D experts believe the “normal” range cited by mainstream medicine is too low, and how low Vitamin D (an epidemic in today’s indoor dominant lifestyle) greatly increases your cancer risk. Expose large skin surface areas of your body to direct sun during times of day and year of peak solar intensity in your area…or else!!
7/18/2018 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 27 seconds
#263: Tania Teschke: The Liver Show!
Bordeaux Kitchen author Tania Teschke returns to the show to detail some important matters relating to consuming the most nutrient-dense diet possible. The pair discusses Brian McAndrew's observation that vegetarianism/veganism might be effective for a small percentage of people with distinct genetic attributes--and how these folks might be the ones who are evangelizing! Tania ponders how the ultimate respect for an animal might be consuming nose to tail! There is also some conjecture that veganism works because any departure from Standard American Diet with junk food and oxidized oils will improve health, but that over time a diet restricting animal foods can result in depletion and health problems. Tania relates that her commitment to eating healthy ancestral foods, including unusual stuff like lamb brains and other such stuff you can find at taniateschke.com, is motivated powerfully by the desire to "stay out of the hospital." She makes liver a dietary staple because it is the most nutrient dense food on the planet! Tania relates how all offal (organ meats) are dense in mitochondria, boosting our own mitochondrial biogenesis. Her quip that she is more than a "chicken breast and salmon mother" when trying to feed her children healthy takes on special meaning when you consider how most salmon is the highly objectionable farmed Atlantic variety, and that chicken breast and lean cuts of meat in general, are among the least impressive nutrient content of an animal. Tania details the dangers of glyphosate, the evil Monsanto herbicide in the RoundUp brand weed killer that wreaks havoc on human health but is nevertheless widely used. Go organic or go home if you care about your health, says Tania. Finally, help people who are open to receiving help and don't waste your effort on resistant people. This is Tania's mission with Bordeaux Kitchen
7/16/2018 • 54 minutes, 49 seconds
Keto for Women: 7 Tips to Make it Work
Keto is exploding. No longer solely the province of cutting-edge bodybuilders or longevity enthusiasts and neurodegenerative disease warriors, keto has invaded every walk of life. I hear about it in grocery stores, coffee shops, spin classes, business meetings, dinner parties, morning talk shows. Judging from our blog and sales metrics, women make up the largest group of recent entries into the diet. This is great, but it also comes with a small wrinkle: Just like they should do with fasting, most women need to take special precautions when implementing a ketogenic diet. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/11/2018 • 13 minutes, 17 seconds
#262: The Fantastic Four Keto Show
Join this dynamic roundtable of kool keto kids Brad Kearns (co-author of Keto Reset Diet and Instagram @bradkearns1), Brian McAndrew (KetoReset.com success story, the filmmaker and audio master for all primal content, and Instagram @wholedoods), Layla McGowan (co-author of Keto Reset Instant Pot Cookbook and Instagram @strong.and.wellfed), and Dr. Lindsay Taylor (co-author of Keto Reset Instant Pot Cookbook and Keto Reset Cookbook and Instagram @theusefuldish) The group discusses the matters of the day in the Keto Reset Facebook community and the keto movement at large. In particular, are we applying an overly regimented, high-stress approach to our keto goals? Layla says we shouldn’t even worry about our macros until we have established a strong foundation of healthy, nutrient-dense eating and a sensible (i.e., NOT chronic) exercise program. Brian, who has been hard-core keto for 2+ years, explains that to reduce temptation and decision fatigue, he relies on a simple rotation of repeating meals that he enjoys. This was also a great insight from Luis Villasenor from KetoGains.com, who encourages people who are just getting started to eat the same exact thing every day (you know the macros work!) for a while until you build some momentum. Brad explains how 2018 has been about living in the “keto zone” for him, where some days or blocks of time are keto-aligned (under 50 grams of carbs per day) and other periods are more liberal with carb intake (especially in conjunction with strenuous workouts.) The group wonders whether an extreme approach to anything, be it athletic training or dietary compliance, might lead to a burnout rebound effect. The group discusses the common dilemma of how to adjust keto strategy to align with athletic goals, and also tackle the frustrating issue of social media pressures influencing body image. The question is posed: how much (re: results) is enough, where further results just aren’t worth the hassle? The audience is also reminded that our cultural ideas are typically fake people - often doped up, airbrushed, or primed for a single photo opportunity with a physique that is vastly different than their day to day average appearance.. Enjoy the show, and send your questions and feedback about the podcast to [email protected] LINKS: Olympic runner Lauren Fleshman with a great blog post about the difference between runway physique and everyday physique, even in the same week! A must-read for any impressionable young (or old) females. http://asklaurenfleshman.com/2013/11/keeping-it-real/
7/11/2018 • 58 minutes, 43 seconds
#261: Tania Teschke: The Book Launch
Host Brad Kearns welcomes Tania Tescke, author of the magnificent book, Bordeaux Kitchen, to discuss the amazing journey to getting her book publishing and launched in June 2018. Tania presents the most comprehensive cultural immersion into French cooking, living and wine you can ever imagine in a book. This is her life's work and filled with insights about improving health through ancestral-style eating, the rich tradition of French cuisine, always honoring the ancestral perspective, and a fabulous education about wine and how to pair it with assorted paleo meals. While there are now hundreds of paleo-inspired cookbooks, there really has never been a book anywhere near this level of sophistication that weaves in so many rich themes. What's more, Tania's inspiration for plunging deep into the world of ancestral health comes from battling her own health challenges, looking deeper than the simple and often unsatisfactory approach of mainstream medicine, and learning to slow down life for her and her young children along the way. This podcast gives you a great sense of what the book is all about, and the level of passion and absolute commitment Tania gives to this project. Just flipping thru a few pages of Look Inside on Amazon and you will realize what a masterpiece this is. Enjoy the show, and more shows are coming with Tania going deeper into specific topics. Bordeaux Kitchen on Amazon
7/9/2018 • 57 minutes, 26 seconds
10 Primal Skin Care Ideas
Morning, everyone. Hope you all enjoyed a happy and safe holiday. I’m turning over the reins to one of our Worker Bees today as I spend some time on a book project (more to come on that). I know many of you have asked about natural skin care ideas in the comment board, and we’ve got some great suggestions today. I hope you’ll welcome our Worker Bee to the fold (she just joined us recently) and offer up your own ideas below. (And for those who may have missed it, I shared several of my own favorites last spring.) Have a good end to the week. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/5/2018 • 8 minutes, 9 seconds
#260: Layla McGowan
This week, host Lindsay Taylor sits down with her coauthor on The Keto Reset Instant Pot Cookbook, Layla McGowan. Layla shares her 10+ year journey from vegetarian to keto. As an avid strength athlete, Layla had trained and (mis)fueled herself into a variety of health issues that she has resolved with the help of a low-carb, nutrient-dense diet. She shares how keto fits with the traditional Korean foods of her childhood and how she currently eats to fuel her physical pursuits. Check out Layla's enviable food photos and even more impressive feats in the gym on Instagram @strong.and.wellfed, and find her in the Keto Reset Facebook Group, where she is one of our expert moderators.
7/5/2018 • 40 minutes, 36 seconds
Does “Sleep Hacking” Work?
You can “hack” a lot of your health, diet, and lifestyle. You can cook the entire week’s meals ahead of time, buy high-quality prepackaged foods and ready-to-cook meals, cover your nutritional bases with smart supplementation. You can condense your training time by choosing the right exercises and upping the intensity to a sufficient level. You can fast-track your stamina in a fraction of the time with sprints and intervals. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/4/2018 • 17 minutes, 53 seconds
10 Tips for Sticking with Primal
Primal is simple, but it’s not exactly easy. At every turn, detractors and temptations appear. We have health authorities telling us we’re killing ourselves. Worried friends and family sharing news articles decrying the consumption of fat and meat and promoting wholly plant-based diets. Food companies employ food chemists to engineer delicious processed junk that hijacks our brains’ reward systems, making food that’s addictive on a biochemical level. It’s going to take a mix of concrete, tangible tactics, and psychological tricks to stick with Primal. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/3/2018 • 10 minutes, 43 seconds
#259: Dr. Erin Fall Haskell
Elle Russ Chat with Dr. Erin Fall Haskell (“Dr. Erin”) - the creator and host of Good Morning LaLa Land. She has been featured on the cover of magazines, radio, and ‘as seen on’ NBC, CBS, FOX, and ABC. She is the author of Awakening: A 40-Day Guide to Unleashing Your Spiritual Powers, Life’s Purpose, and Manifesting Your Dreams! Her mission is to awaken a billion people globally to their divinity while teaching them how to reprogram their subconscious, align with their personal truth and universal laws, and create a daily spiritual practice. Dr. Erin mentors people one-on-one on a body, mind, and spiritual level. She believes that when someone awakens, they naturally have a gift and message to bring to the world. After many years of working with a wide range of clients; from top celebrities to single mothers, her programs are now available to everyone. Dr. Erin believes that the route to happiness and fulfillment is not just knowing the truth, but living the truth! “There are moments in life when something happens, life alters, and your entire perception transforms instantaneously.” For Dr. Erin, that moment was 22 years ago when she was holding her stillborn son in her arms, just after giving birth to him. “Tears were streaming down my face as I looked at his beautiful body and realized his body was still there, but he wasn’t. I realized he wasn’t his body; he is a spiritual being. One can conceptually understand that we are not these bodies, but I got it on an entirely different level, my entire world crumbled, delivering me to spiritual revelation.” This sent her on an intense spiritual quest traveling around the world, discovering truths, and learning how to live and embody the truths that had been revealed. SELECTED LINKS: Dr. Erin's Website Dr. Erin's Book Awakening Dr. Erin on Facebook Dr. Erin on Instagram
7/2/2018 • 47 minutes, 26 seconds
#258: Common Themes and Concerns
Host Brad Kearns discusses common themes and concerns extracted from commentary on the Keto Reset Facebook Group. Topics include: the difference between fat-adapted and keto-adapted; what about the "keto rash?"; making keto work if you don't have a gallbladder; different approaches for fit/low body fat types versus those with metabolic damage; do you need to consume extra fat to make extra ketones? (N.O.); is there a no-mans land with carb intake for athletes where you are too high for keto and too low for proper recovery? Some incredibly important insights for anyone wishing to optimize keto. Send your questions/comments/feedback to [email protected] Links: Michael Rutherford on keto and gallbladder https://www.thesuper-humanproject.com/single-post/2017/09/20/The-Gall-Bladder-and-Keto - Differing approaches to keto based upon metabolic health http://www.tuitnutrition.com/2017/09/measuring-ketones.html
6/27/2018 • 45 minutes, 51 seconds
Find Your Tribe, Find Your Health?
Humans are a tribal species. We form alliances, align ourselves along ethnic, familial, religious, and cultural lines. Still, for the vast majority of people, “tribal” carries a negative connotation. Bitter partisan politics, ethnic genocides, religious wars, and the long history of bigotry make that connotation almost unavoidable. But I don’t think tribal in its true essence is all bad. The basic instinct to form and belong to groups is a simple fact of human physiology. It’s how we work, so we’d better make it work for us. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/27/2018 • 9 minutes, 7 seconds
#257: Monica Reinagel
Elle Russ chats with Monica Reinagel - a board-certified, licensed nutritionist and professionally trained chef. She’s the creator of the Nutrition Diva podcast, one of iTunes’ most highly ranked health and fitness podcasts since its debut in 2008, with more than 35 million downloads. She’s also a regular contributor to the Huffington Post, Scientific American, Food and Nutrition magazine, My Fitness Pal, and NPR Radio. She has a special talent for sorting fact from fiction and translating the science into practical, down-to-earth strategies. Her Weighless coaching program (co-founded with Brock Armstrong) focuses on helping people break the cycle of yo-yo dieting and achieve healthy, sustainable weight loss. SELECTED LINKS: Primary Website: http://nutritionovereasy.com Program Website: http://weighless.life Facebook and Twitter: @nutritiondiva
6/25/2018 • 53 minutes, 50 seconds
How My Response to Stress Has Changed Through the Years
Even after I fixed my diet, ditched the chronic cardio, and cleaned up my overall lifestyle to be more in line with our evolutionary upbringing, one big problem remained: my response to stress. This had always been an issue for me. Part of it was that I kept a full plate at all times. Whether it was my training load, my businesses, my overall type A personality, stress was simply unavoidable, I thought. How did I approach the situation and manage my stress differently over time? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/21/2018 • 7 minutes, 11 seconds
#256: Losing Belly Fat at 50
Brad tees up this Q&A show with an opening blast referencing Deepak Chopra and "youthful spirit" as the #1 longevity marker, how an overly strict and regimented approach to keto can lead to burnout, and why fitness enthusiasts carry excess body fat despite devoted attention to consistent workouts and portion control. A question comes in about belly fat concerns, and lengthy commentary is offered about how to right this ship - for both men and women - before it's too late. Yes, visceral fat is scary stuff. Accumulate a little and you predispose to accumulating more. Fix it with keto and sprinting! Brad discusses some of the awesome Keto Reset Mastery Course content and offers up a 20% discount during the show! Send your questions/comments/feedback to [email protected]
6/20/2018 • 44 minutes, 21 seconds
#255: James Broderick
Elle Russ chats with James Kevin Broderick - a Silicon Valley ancestral health coach, rewilding advocate, and 21st-century hunter-gatherer-gardener. James has a long history in the natural foods and supplement realm where his passion for teaching others about alternative health and wellness began. He is also creator and host of the Ancestral Health Radio podcast, where James interviews today’s leaders in nutrition, movement, and lifestyle on topics that bridge the divide between modern technology and our inherent ancestral wisdom. James’s purpose is to rehabilitate domesticated humans so that they may safely, and consciously, re-enter the wild. Explore more of your innate human wildness at www.ancestralhealthradio.com SELECTED LINKS: Website: www.ancestralhealthradio.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejamesbroderick/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009122947501
6/18/2018 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 54 seconds
#254: Keto Q&A
Host Brad Kearns dives into the increasingly deep mailbag and pulls out some excellent keto-related questions from real life enthusiasts trying to do the best they can with keto. Brad addresses numerous questions of significance to all enthusiasts, and there are some good practical takeaways from this show. If you have questions, comments, feedback, please email [email protected]. Enjoy the show and please take the time to leave a review on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts and spread the word to your peeps on social media.
6/13/2018 • 46 minutes, 8 seconds
#253: Karen Martel
Elle Russ chats with Karen Martel - a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach and weight loss expert. After struggling with her own health issues, Karen was determined to bring he knowledge to others with a bold new approach to women's health and weight management. Karen's passion lies in helping women break through weight loss resistance and find their personal weight loss code through nutrition, digestive health, hormone optimization, and managing stress. Karen is the founder of the On Track meal planning and group coaching program and host of the On Track video podcast on YouTube. Elle Russ and Karen Martel have teamed up as co-hosts for a FREE online event called The Women's Empowerment Project: RISE UP & KICK ASS! Sign up for FREE at www.RiseUpKickAss.com and join them for a month-long online Video interview summit from June 17th, 2018 through July 7th, 2018. You will get access to inspiring video interviews with incredible guest speakers, Topics include Happiness, Law Of Attraction, Health, Sexuality, Money, and more! Our mission is to inspire women to go within and change their lives for the better in order to be the most confident and happy version they can be :-) Video Podcast:ttps://youtu.be/-2YNuMFzJak SELECTED LINKS: Karen's Wesbite On Track Podcast FREE Online Women's Empowerment Summit! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karenmartelnutrition/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenmartelnutrition/
6/11/2018 • 57 minutes, 55 seconds
#252: Keto Q&A
Host Brad Kearns dives into the increasingly deep mailbag and pulls out some excellent keto-related questions from real life enthusiasts trying to do the best they can with keto. Brad addresses numerous questions of significance to all enthusiasts, and there are some good practical takeaways from this show. If you have questions, comments, feedback, please email [email protected]. Enjoy the show and please take the time to leave a review on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts and spread the word to your peeps on social media.
6/6/2018 • 52 minutes, 29 seconds
#251: Dr. Aaron Grossman, MD
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Aaron Grossman, MD - the Founder of CHEKD, America's #1 Optimization & Personalized Health company, helping top performers reach optimal levels of performance. CHEKD clients are having the best periods of performance in their entire careers after working with CHEKD. After graduating Medical School at the prestigious University of Florida in 2014, Dr. Grossman jumped right into the entrepreneurial space, growing CHEKD nationally to help NFL & MLB athletes, Top Realtors, Inc. & Forbes Magazine-featured Entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 CEO's, and other renowned Physicians reach the Top 3% of their fields. Dr. Grossman has authored and published research in Blood Biomarkers, Robotic Surgery, Cancer, Kidney Disease and Male Health which has appeared in renowned publications such as the Journal of Urology. His pioneering approach in the fields of Hormone, Anti-Inflammatory & Metabolic Optimization incorporated with the latest technology are setting the bar for Health Optimization and adding actual years to the lives of CHEKD clients. Selected Links - Connect with Dr. Aaron Grossman: CHEKD Facebook Instagram Twitter
6/4/2018 • 52 minutes, 9 seconds
Summer Reset: 30 Days, 30 Actions
We’re almost halfway through 2018. History is accelerating. New advances, technology, scientific findings, and social changes are occurring faster than ever before. There’s never any time like the present, but these days it feels like the present is slipping away at an exponential rate. This is no time to be resting on your laurels, biding your time, or waiting to see what happens. It’s time to act. It’s time to make the changes you’ve been mulling over, the ones you know in your heart are the right moves to make. To help you on your way, I’ve put together a 30-day action plan for the month of June. No one has to follow this to the letter, or even at all, but use it as a template or inspiration. Wake up on June 12 swelling with energy and unsure how to direct it? Check out the action plan. Feeling a bit lazy on June 19? See what the action plan recommends; it may resonate. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/31/2018 • 7 minutes, 55 seconds
#250: Brad's Intuitive Approach to Keto
Host Brad Kearns talks about the recent excitement of the new Keto Reset Instant Pot Cookbook and upcoming Keto Reset Diet Cookbook. Brad talks about his recent intuitive and varied dietary approach, featuring alternatively prolonged morning fasts as well as a morning super nutrition green smoothie. Brad’s trying to start his digestive circadian rhythm for high energy mornings, and also get an abundance of concentrated nutrition with the greens and the specialized performance/recovery agents in the smoothie. Fasted mornings deliver the often-detailed benefits of optimized fat burning and metabolic function, including autophagy—the natural cellular detoxification process. The smoothie helps with athletic performance and recovery and overall nutritional quality of my diet. Brad encourages you to experiment with different eating strategies and assess results, and avoid a stressful, regimented approach that often pervades the keto scene because the dietary guidelines are so distinct.
5/30/2018 • 25 minutes, 30 seconds
8 Misconceptions About Fiber
The tricky thing about fiber is that it’s not a monolith. There are dozens of varieties. Some of them perform similar functions in the body, but others have extremely unique effects. Some rend your colonic lining to stimulate lubrication. Some turn into gelatinous slurries. But we can’t talk about fiber without understanding that the word describes a variety of compounds. As such, anyone making declarative statements about “fiber” without differentiating between the different types and their effects isn’t being accurate (except for me in that exact sentence). This leads to a lot of confusion. People make blanket statements that might be true for some types of fibers and incorrect for others. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/30/2018 • 15 minutes, 15 seconds
#249: Wendy Meyers
Elle Russ chats with Wendy Myers is the founder of Liveto110.com and MineralPower.com. She is a detox guru, functional diagnostic nutritionist and NES Bioenergetic Practitioner in Los Angeles, Ca. She is the #1 bestselling author of Limitless Energy: How to Detox Toxic Metals to End Exhaustion and Chronic Fatigue. She uses Hair Mineral Analysis and other functional medical tests to design custom Mineral Power detox programs. Passionate about the importance of detox to live a long disease-free life, she is a sought-after speaker, appearing on countless summits and podcasts. She is the host of the popular Live to 110 Podcast. In 2018, she will unveil the Detox Institute to teach practitioners how to properly use and interpret toxic metals tests like hair mineral analysis, urine and stool tests.
5/28/2018 • 39 minutes, 37 seconds
Gaining (and Maintaining) Wisdom From Life Experience
My staff and I are quite close. Things stay busy these days, so there isn’t a lot of downtime, but I’ve worked with some of these folks for over a decade. We don’t discuss every grisly detail of our lives with each other. But we do share. We care about each other. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/24/2018 • 6 minutes, 8 seconds
#248: Keto Q&A
Host Brad Kearns dives into the increasingly deep mailbag and pulls out some excellent keto-related questions from real life enthusiasts trying to do the best they can with keto. Brad addresses numerous questions of significance to all enthusiasts, and there are some good practical takeaways from this show. If you have questions, comments, feedback, please email [email protected]. Enjoy the show and please take the time to leave a review on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts and spread the word to your peeps on social media.
5/23/2018 • 40 minutes, 18 seconds
The Carnivore Diet: Pros, Cons, and Suggestions
All-meat diets are growing in popularity. There are the cryptocurrency carnivores. There’s the daughter of the ascendant Jordan B. Peterson, Mikhaila Peterson, who’s using a carnivorous diet to stave off a severe autoimmune disease that almost killed her as a child. The most prominent carnivore these days, Dr. Shawn Baker (who appears to eat only grilled ribeyes (at home) and burger patties (on the go), recently appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience and Robb Wolf’s podcast, and is always breaking world records on the rower. Tons of other folks are eating steak and little else—and loving it. There are Facebook groups and subreddits and Twitter subcultures devoted to carnivorous dieting. What do I think? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/23/2018 • 12 minutes, 36 seconds
#247: Dr. Alvin Danenberg DDS
Elle Russ chats with fellow Primal Health Coach Dr. Alvin Danenberg DDS - otherwise known as Dr. Dan to his patients. He divides his career into two periods: before and after a unique periodontal laser procedure coupled with the dynamics of ancestral nutrition. The laser-based LANAP® protocol and the importance of ancestral nutrition, he believes, are revolutionizing the treatment of gum disease. His book, Crazy-Good Living, is based on ancestral nutrition and lifestyle. It incorporates his Four Pillars of Health: (1) nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods, (2) restorative sleep, (3) efficient exercise, and (4) stress reduction. Dr. Dan’s passion for periodontics in general, combined with evolutionary nutrition and lifestyle, is palpable. He currently sees patients at Bluffton Center for Dentistry in Bluffton, SC. To further his education in ancestral nutrition and lifestyle, he received advanced training at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health as well as The Center for Mind-Body Medicine. In 2014, he received a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner designation and then the Primal Health Coach Certification. In 2015, he was appointed to the faculty of the College of Integrative Medicine and created the college’s integrative periodontal teaching module. Then, in April 2017, he earned the designation of “ADAPT Trained Health Professional from Kresser Institute, the only functional medicine, and evolutionary health training company”. Selected Links: Dr. Dan's Website Dr. Dan's Book Crazy-Good Living Connect with Show Host Elle Russ: Twitter Instagram Facebook The Paleo Thyroid Solution ElleRuss.com
5/21/2018 • 55 minutes, 53 seconds
11 (Non-Dietary) Actions That Enhance Insulin Sensitivity
Insulin does a lot of important things for us. It pulls glucose from the blood and fritters it away into our cells to be burned for energy or stored as glycogen. It prevents hyperglycemic toxicity to neurons, pancreatic cells, the arterial walls and the generation of excessive levels of reactive oxygen species. It even promotes muscle protein synthesis and helps augment muscular hypertrophy, especially following resistance training. Clearly, we need insulin. Without it, we’d die, as type 1 diabetics readily do without an exogenous source. But this process goes off the rails when our cells become resistant to the effect of insulin over time. We secrete too much. Our levels remain elevated. It becomes harder to burn body fat. In fact, we end up in even more efficient fat storage mode. I’ve shared about nutritional means to enhance insulin sensitivity in the past. What about other non-dietary strategies? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/17/2018 • 7 minutes, 4 seconds
Intermittent Fasting for Women: What We Know Now
This is an updated version of a Dear Mark column from 2012. You can find the original version archived here. The below has been completely updated for 2018. The blank slate hypothesis has fallen. Everyone comes into this world imbued with attributes, characteristics, and predilections that are uniquely theirs. We’re all humans, but we’re a diverse bunch, and that makes it interesting. And though it also makes giving cookie cutter health advice impossible, I just take that as an opportunity to stand out from the crowd and provide actionable advice that genuinely helps real people. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/16/2018 • 16 minutes, 43 seconds
#246: Sydney Olson
Host Brad Kearns welcomes professional Parkour athlete and Hollywood stuntwoman Sydney Olson to discuss her unusual career and her amazing experience healing a severe head injury quickly with keto. Sydney, 25 and based in Los Angeles, has parlayed her penchant for the offbeat activity of Parkour into an actual career. For the uninformed, you have to visit Sydney’s YouTube channel to believe it! Parkour is like a gymnastics meet using real-world infrastructure as equipment. Participants flip, fly, and jump off, over and around buildings, walls, railings and anything else. Her demo reel is only 1:25 long and will blow your mind! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LGkG_oXR7Q Parkour has actual professional competitions. At a major event in Greece, Sydney was severely injured by an unusual freak accident just before the competition. After successfully completing a trick, she lost her balance and fell several feet backward, landing on her head. She endured post-concussion syndrome pain such as recurring headaches, dizziness, and vomiting. In the months that followed, things weren’t right and her work production was compromised. After a friend suggested keto, she experienced a radical turnaround in her health in only a couple weeks, virtually eliminating the painful neurological symptoms. As Keto Reset enthusiasts understand, her improvement was likely due to the profound anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective benefits of keto. Her traumatized brain was getting more oxygen by burning the cleaner fuel source that is keto, while anti-inflammatory signaling was happening at the genetic level. Enjoy as Sydney discusses her unusual career path, where she once was lit on fire and jumped into a swimming pool for the benefit of Hollywood cameras. Skeptics can dismiss keto as too extreme and too much bacon and butter, but when you can quickly enhance brain function and recover from a traumatic brain injury, it’s quite a profound endorsement for the ketogenic diet…
5/16/2018 • 33 minutes, 25 seconds
#245: Wayne Levine
Elle Russ chats with Wayne Levine, the director of BetterMen Coaching. Wayne has been mentoring men for over 25 years - individually and in groups. Currently traveling the world, he continues to coach men via Skype - to help them be the best men, fathers, husbands and leaders they can be. Wayne is also the author of the best-selling book Hold On to Your N.U.T.s - The Relationship Manual for Men. From navigating divorce to finding an authentic spiritual path, Wayne’s personal experiences and breakthroughs guide him intuitively to help men find their truth and a greater sense of freedom as they journey through life, career, relationships, and spiritual awakening. Selected Links: BetterMen Coaching Hold On to Your N.U.T.s - The Relationship Manual for Men
5/14/2018 • 55 minutes, 48 seconds
Do Coffee Brewing Methods Matter For Health?
Coffee is a perpetual topic of interest, and for good reason: Almost everyone drinks it, almost everyone is passionate about it, and it’s pretty darn good for you. A recent post covered whether coffee breaks a fast or not. Before that, I told you how to make your coffee healthier. And on a regular basis, I cover something coffee-related in the weekly Dear Mark. One aspect of coffee I’ve never explored, however, is how coffee preparation and processing affects its health effects. What’s healthier—filtered or unfiltered? Dark roast or light roast? Pre-ground or whole bean? French press or drip? Let’s get to it. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/10/2018 • 10 minutes, 27 seconds
Can a Vegan Go Keto?
Absolutely! Anyone can go keto, including vegans. They might not be able to stay vegan, but they can certainly go keto. Nothing stopping them. The more the merrier. Jokes aside. Can someone go keto while remaining vegan? That’s a tougher problem. Not intractable. But real tough. Why is it so hard? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/9/2018 • 12 minutes, 43 seconds
#244: Introducing the Keto Reset Instant Pot Cookbook and How To Do Keto The Right Way, With Dr. Lindsay Taylor
Host Brad Kearns welcomes Primal’s own Dr. Lindsay Taylor, the renaissance woman of keto, endurance, and culinary excellence, to discuss the imminent launch of The Keto Reset Instant Pot Cookbook. This book, by Mark Sisson with Lindsay and Layla McGowan, leverages the popularity of the New York Times bestseller, The Keto Reset Diet and the Instant Pot multiuse electric pressure cooker. Lindsay talks about the best uses of the Instant Pot for both quick, convenient snacks and meals and creative gourmet meals—of which the book covers the full spectrum. Take advantage of early order bonus offer items at ketoreset.com/instantpot. The pair then transition into a discussion of the best practices for ketogenic eating, including: taking your time to become fat adapted and not trigger the fight or flight response to make glucose; dispelling the misconception that keto is about stuffing your face with fat; understanding the evolutionary adaptation of keto entailed fasting/starvation/calorie restriction to enter ketosis; scrutinizing the articles slamming keto as unsustainable or even dangerous; why “plant-based” and keto can be one and the same; and how to avoid the pscyhological stress of both an overly-strict approach on one side, and an overly loosey-goosey approach on the other side—both of which increase stress and push you toward sugar burning. Enjoy this informative show!
5/9/2018 • 56 minutes, 53 seconds
#243: Lisa Nichols
Elle Russ chats with Lisa Nichols - one of the world’s most requested motivational speakers, as well as a media personality and corporate CEO whose global platform has reached and served nearly 30 million people. From a struggling single mom on public assistance to a millionaire entrepreneur, Lisa’s courage and determination has inspired fans worldwide and helped countless audiences breakthrough, to discover their own untapped talents and infinite potential. *On today's episode, Lisa reveals something big and surprising that she has never spoken about publicly before - tune in! As Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Motivating the Masses, Inc. – one of the country’s only publicly traded personal and business development training companies – Lisa has helped develop workshops and programs that have transformed the lives of men and women and altered the trajectory of businesses throughout the country and across the world. Lisa is also a best-selling author of six books, and her 7th book ABUNDANCE NOW, published by HarperCollins. In ABUNDANCE NOW, Lisa continues her journey with her fans, providing a clear and practical blueprint for personal success, drawn directly from the life experiences of its beloved author. ABUNDANCE NOW is the follow-up to Lisa’s New York Times bestseller, NO MATTER WHAT. Lisa has appeared on Oprah, The Today Show, the Steve Harvey Show, and Extra – just to name a few, and is also celebrated for the impact she has on the lives of teens. Through Lisa’s non-profit foundation Motivating the Teen Spirit, she has touched the lives of 211,650 teens, prevented over 3,800 teen suicides, supported 2,500 dropouts in returning to school, and has helped thousands reunite with families. Among the prestigious awards and honors bestowed upon Lisa for her extensive work is the Humanitarian Award from the country of South Africa, The Ambassador Award, and the LEGO Foundation‘s Heart of Learning Award. The City of Henderson, Nevada named November 20th as Motivating the Teen Spirit Day; and the City of Houston, Texas named May 9th as Lisa Nichols Day for her dedication to service philanthropy and healing. Lisa lives, plays and works in the greater San Diego, California area and on stages around the world, working alongside her world-class team committed to Motivating the Masses. Selected Links: Lisa's Website LISA'S FREE ABUNDANCE CHECKLIST Lisa on Instagram
5/7/2018 • 1 hour, 4 seconds
A Primal Primer: Lymphatic Health
I get more questions these days about lymphatic health—particularly lymphedema. Sometimes it’s an issue related to a reader’s cancer recovery or a co-occurring symptom seen with a loved one’s other health concerns. While I might take up specific conditions in future posts (let me know if you have suggestions there), I thought I’d spend today taking apart the basics of lymphatic health. As with many of the body’s core operating functions, the real story often gets camouflaged within vague, consumer-based terms that end up being only medically tangential. Consider today’s post a trip into the weeds and (maybe) the beginning of an ongoing conversation on the topic. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/3/2018 • 13 minutes, 9 seconds
The (Maybe Not So) Definitive Guide to Cold Therapy
Cold is really catching these days. Aubrey Marcus, whom I recently filmed a nice podcast with, was asked about his winning daily behaviors on another show. The very first thing he mentioned was “exposure to cold.” His practice is finishing his morning shower with a three-minute stint at full cold setting. He mentioned the hormonal benefits but also the mental edge he gets from psyching up and accepting the challenge instead of wimping out. He also cited research that people who engage in therapeutic cold exposure catch fewer upper respiratory infections. Hence, like many other elements of conventional wisdom, the old wives tale is backwards. Of course, we are talking about acute and optimal duration cold exposure, not prolonged exposure to elements that weaken your resistance and contribute to immune disturbances. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/2/2018 • 25 minutes, 59 seconds
#242: Elle & Brad Paleo F(x) Recap
Co-hosts Elle Russ and Brad Kearns provide an exciting account of the many highlights of the amazing 2018 Paleo F(x) show, April 27-29 in Austin, TX. They mention good stuff from Mark Sisson, Robb Wolf, Dr. Joe Mercola, Luis Villasenor and Elle's knockout inaugural presentation on all-things thyroid. Highlights from the informative Keto panel discussion and the endurance training panel discussion, where Brad and Mark and others talked about the importance of a relaxed approach to training and finding activities that get you into the flow state. They discuss the dynamic format of the show with indoor individual presentations and panel discussions, outdoor physical workshops, and the many interesting vendors from the show. Brad clears up the misconceptions around the booming popularity of exogenous ketone supplementation and discusses some best practices. The Primal Health Coach Tribe was out in full force, and had a fabulous lunchtime picnic, Ultimate Frisbee game with Mark, and running technique workshop with Brad. Elle talks about the importance of connection and group energy, mentioning the awesome VIP speaker party where she mingled with the coolest people on the planet, like the Lamberts of the Bee the Wellness podcast. Brad offers highlights from his video interview with the incomparable Luis Villasenor of Ketogains, including Luis's profound insight that if you are struggling with a dietary transition or keto adherence, just eat the same thing every day (with certainty on the macros) until you build some nice momentum.
5/2/2018 • 54 minutes, 55 seconds
#241: Max Lugavere
Max Lugavere is the New York Times Bestselling author Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive While Protecting Your Brain For Life. As a health and science journalist, Lugavere has contributed to Medscape, Vice, Fast Company, CNN, and the Daily Beast and has been featured on NBC Nightly News, the Dr. Oz Show, The Rachael Ray Show, and in The Wall Street Journal. He is a sought-after nutrition expert, invited to lecture at esteemed academic institutions such as the New York Academy of Sciences and Weill Cornell Medicine, and has given keynotes at such events as the Biohacker Summit in Stockholm, Sweden. From 2005-2011, Lugavere was a journalist for Al Gore’s Current TV.
4/30/2018 • 31 minutes, 14 seconds
#240: Keto Q&A
Host Brad Kearns dives into the increasingly deep mailbag and pulls out some excellent keto-related questions from real life enthusiasts trying to do the best they can with keto. Brad addresses numerous questions of significance to all enthusiasts, and there are some good practical takeaways from this show. If you have questions, comments, feedback, please email [email protected]. Enjoy the show and please take the time to leave a review on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, and spread the word to your peeps on social media
4/25/2018 • 51 minutes, 29 seconds
Does Coffee Break an Intermittent Fast?
This has got to be one of the most frequent questions I see: “Does coffee break a fast?” Let’s answer. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/24/2018 • 9 minutes, 50 seconds
#239: Ken Berry, MD
Elle Russ chats with Ken Berry MD, author of Lies My Doctor Told Me about ta variety of health topics - from sleep, ADD, parkinson's disease, to the carnivore diet. Dr. Berry has been practicing Family Medicine in rural Tennessee for over a decade. He is board certified in Family Medicine and was recently awarded the degree of Fellow by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Having seen over 20,000 patients of all ages over his career, he is uniquely qualified to advise on both acute and chronic diseases. Dr. Berry has focused on chronic disease caused by the Standard American Diet and Lifestyle and has made it his mission to turn the tide on the epidemic of Type 2 Diabetes, chronic inflammation and dementia. Dr. Berry has a variety of free YouTube videos on various topics. Selected Links: Ken Berry MD on YouTube Dr. Berry's Medical Practice Website Ken Berry MD on Facebook Lies My Doctor Told Me Connect with Show Host Elle Russ: Twitter Instagram Facebook The Paleo Thyroid Solution ElleRuss.com
4/23/2018 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 34 seconds
#238: Rob Rogers and Gary Millet
Host Brad Kearns talks to Rob Rogers and Gary Millet, Founders of the Real Ketones company, makers of the popular exogenous ketone supplement, Kegenix. Rob and Gary are ground floor guys, having developed a patent for ketone products in concert with noted researcher Dr. Dom D'Agostino. Rob and Gary talk through the best use of ketone supplements, including addressing some common objections and misconceptions about these products. This show gives you a nice overview of how targeted use of ketone supplements can help you address specific health concerns, help you adhere to a ketogenic diet and drop excess body fat accordingly, and also enhance athletic performance. Brad mentions he likes to consume ketone drinks before, during, and after high intensity sprint workouts, to afford cleaner burning fuel. Enjoy the show and send questions about ketone supplements or other keto related topics to [email protected]
4/18/2018 • 47 minutes, 52 seconds
The Roots of Depression: How Much Does Modern Culture Have to Do With It?
I can’t complain about my existence in modern culture. My life is great. I have a loving family. My kids are happy and successful. My wife is a friend and lover and confidante and partner. Business is good and interesting. I care about what I’m doing. Every day is meaningful—and unburdened by concerns around mental well-being. Depression isn’t an issue for me. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/17/2018 • 16 minutes, 13 seconds
#237: Rob Mack
Elle Russ chats with Robert Mack, an ivy-league-educated Positive Psychology Expert, Executive Coach, Published Author of Happiness from the Inside Out, Celebrity Love Coach on E Network’s Famously Single and Host of Good Morning LaLa Land. Robert writes and speaks to people about how to live happier lives from the inside, out. Robert’s work has been endorsed by Oprah and Vanessa Williams, among many others. has been a featured guest expert for shows like The Today Show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, CBS Early Show, The Balancing Act, and AskHer.com and magazines like Self, Health, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and Upscale. Robert has also served as a National Media Spokesperson, Management Consultant, and Executive Coach for companies like Capital One, FitBit, Buffalo Wild Wings, Microsoft, Carnival Cruise Lines, Deloitte Consulting, McCormick & Spice, IFF, Plus Consulting, and Falcon Credit Management. Robert was born in Pennsylvania. He was educated at Swarthmore College, where he received his Bachelors of Science in Psychology, and the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his Masters in Applied Positive Psychology (M.A.P.P.), an ivy-league degree held by only a few dozen people in the world. Robert lives in Los Angeles. SELECTED LINKS: IG, FB and Twitter: robmackofficial Website: coachrobmack.com Happiness from the Inside Out (book)
4/16/2018 • 53 minutes, 17 seconds
How Ancestry Might Inform Your Fat Choices
One of the more exciting developments over the past few years has been the explosion in population genetics research. People are a diverse lot, and even though we’re all people who essentially want the same things out of life (and we’re working with the same basic machinery), there’s a lot of wiggle room. It’s not just information for curiosity’s sake. The information researchers are uncovering about human ancestry can have real ramifications for how said humans should eat. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/11/2018 • 10 minutes, 41 seconds
#236: Shawn Mynar
In today’s show, host Lindsay Taylor talks to Shawn Mynar, NTP, a holistic nutritionist whom you might know as the host of the popular podcast The Keto For Women Show. Shawn is an expert on helping women heal and achieve optimal health through a ketogenic diet and supportive lifestyle modifications. While Shawn’s practice focuses on helping women navigate the world of keto, the information in today’s show will be relevant to everyone! Some of the topics they cover include: Who benefits from keto? What are the various motivations of the women with whom Shawn works to go keto? Tips for making the transition to keto as smooth as possible. How do we set ourselves up for success? Are there things that women in particular might want to consider? Are there “rules” for keto that we should all be following? How do you achieve “food freedom” or metabolic flexibility? When it is better to try to heal yourself before making any major dietary changes, versus using dietary changes to heal yourself? Analysis paralysis is real! What can people do to get going even if they feel overwhelmed by the transition to keto? How does Shawn help people find the optimal number of calories to eat, the correct macros for their specific needs, etc.? Intuitive eating is the ultimate goal, but how do we get there, especially for people who have a history of yoyo dieting or people whose metabolisms aren’t otherwise healthy to start? How does Shawn help her clients develop a mindset that leads to success? MORE ABOUT SHAWN: Shawn Mynar is a holistic nutritionist based out of Boulder, CO. After years of chronic health issues, Shawn was able to regain complete health by changing the food she puts on her plate, the lifestyle choices she makes, and the mindset she brings to daily life. She now has made it her life’s mission to help others understand and implement the power of using food as medicine, specifically with a high-fat, low-carb approach. She has an online holistic nutrition practice specializing in women’s health, autoimmune disease, hormonal imbalances, and gut health. She also teaches a group class, The Fat Burning Female Project, that takes women through the process of becoming keto-adapted with a safe, effective approach. Shawn shares her knowledge and experiences with the masses on her website shawnmynar.com.
4/11/2018 • 50 minutes, 39 seconds
8 Recommendations: Insights and Trends in Ancestral Health Documentaries
Most people learn about ancestral health through books and blogs, which makes sense—Primal folks tend to be big readers, and the complexity and depth and constant evolution of the knowledge almost requires the written word for proper transmission. But a well-produced, beautiful film with great content has a unique effect on viewers. The combination of video and audio are more convincing than prose to our lizard brains, making documentaries a great vehicle for the introduction of a radically new idea. Skilled creators in the paleo space have taken note, producing some excellent ancestral health documentaries. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/10/2018 • 8 minutes, 14 seconds
#235: Paul Robinson
Elle Russ chats with Paul Robinson - fellow thyroid patient and author of Recovering With T3: My Journey from Hypothyroidism to Good Health Using the T3 Thyroid Hormone. Paul became ill with hypothyroidism just before the age of 30. He is 60 this year (2018) and has accumulated a wealth of knowledge on thyroid and adrenal dysfunction. His scientific background enabled him to fight through the morass of misinformation and recover his health. Paul, was put on the most common thyroid treatment to begin with - Levothyroxine (also known as Synthroid or T4). However, the majority of his symptoms remained, much like they do for many on T4-only therapy. Over time he became even more ill, with both low cortisol and low thyroid symptoms. Paul saw many endocrinologists and doctors. Many of these were privately paid for, as he got more desperate and worried about losing his career. Eventually, he realized that he had to figure out what was wrong himself. During this time he was told, "You will have to live with it", "You have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome", "You cannot have a thyroid issue, as your thyroid results are within range". All of these were nonsense! Paul eventually recovered. But the costs were great. Over a 10-year period, the struggle had cost him his career, and relationships were damaged. Paul's own family doctor at the time was so impressed with the work he had done to get well - she suggested he write about it. In the Recovering with T3 he describes how he recovered from thyroid and adrenal hormone issues. Paul did get well again, after he had been written-off by numerous medical professionals. In the process of getting well he developed a safe protocol for using the T3 thyroid hormone (Liothyronine). This protocol is explained in detail in the Recovering with T3. In order to fully recover he developed an innovative approach that he details in his second book Circadian T3 Method (CT3M) which can correct adrenal function in many cases. Paul has now been taking T3-Only (T3-monotherapy) for over 20 years now. He has has worked with thousands of thyroid and adrenal patients, via many Internet forums, and some one-on-one coaching sessions. He knows that every individual thyroid patient needs a solution that suits him or her. All the thyroid hormone treatments have a role. With good clinical judgment, and all the available thyroid treatments, there is no reason for anyone to continue without symptom relief. Paul continues to be active as an advocate for thyroid patients through his website: http://recoveringwitht3.com. He also has a Facebook page where he posts relevant information from time to time:https://www.facebook.com/recoveringwitht3
4/9/2018 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 21 seconds
#234 (Keto): Q&A Show
Host Brad Kearns starts off with a fake question he asks on his own behalf: Should a keto enthusiast fast in the morning or drink a macronutrient balanced, nutrient-dense green smoothie? This relates to Brad's recent experiment with increased caloric intake, inspired by his Primal Endurance show #133 with Dr. Tommy Wood. We get into the details of the autophagy benefits derived from both fasting and doing challenging workouts. Additional listener questions are covered, including one with some important commentary about sleep--the importance of darkness and the drawbacks of excess artificial light and digital stimulation after dark. Enjoy the show and send your questions for the keto-themed show to [email protected]
4/4/2018 • 42 minutes, 4 seconds
What Happens “After Keto”?
Google searches for this question have shot up in recent weeks. I’m not surprised. An unprecedented number of people went keto in January purely as a quick weight loss hack, and now they’re looking to transition off of “this weird diet.” Tortillas and bagels beckon, after all. This is the wrong way to approach keto—obviously. It’s not a quick hack. It isn’t magic, and if it were magic, the magic takes awhile to happen. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/4/2018 • 8 minutes, 19 seconds
Women’s Fitness: Should It Change with Age?
Generally speaking, the basic Primal Blueprint for fitness and physical activity applies equally to men and women of all ages. Lifting heavy things works in everyone. Sprinting is a fantastic way—for anyone who’s able—to compress workouts and improve training efficiency. Improving one’s aerobic capacity through easy cardio doesn’t discriminate between the sexes. And everyone should walk, hike, garden, and perform as much low level physical activity as possible. These basic foundations—the 30,000 foot view of fitness—don’t really change across age or sex. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/3/2018 • 10 minutes, 53 seconds
#233: Arriane Alexander
Elle Russ chats with Arriane Alexander about putting yourself out there in the social media world through video! Arriane is a “rock your life coach” and has a Masters Degree in Spiritual Psychology. She helps entrepreneurs step into new possibilities so they can create a life and career they’ve always dreamed of. She spent over 12 years as a high level executive in the fashion business and walked away from that successful career to follow a heartfelt dream of succeeding in the entertainment industry and as a transformational Life Coach. Today, she works consistently as an Actor on TV shows like Justified, Grey’s Anatomy and The People vs O.J. Simpson. She is also the Host of two TV shows, and has booked numerous TV commercials. In other words, she has created the life of her dreams, and as a Rock Your Life coach for over a decade, she helps women do the same in a fun, inspired, and transformative way. She works with clients all over the world –Entrepreneurs, Health and Fitness Experts, and Executives to help them overcome their fears, self-doubt and any other obstacles blocking their path, to create the foundation for their new life, and a journey to take them there. Arriane’s Website Arriane’s YouTube Videos 3 Free Videos
4/2/2018 • 50 minutes, 4 seconds
#232 (Keto): Brad’s Experiment With Increased Caloric Intake
Host Brad Kearns talks about his month-long and still running experiment with increasing his overall caloric intake (and consequently allowing for an increase in carbohydrate intake). The experiment was inspired by his NourishBalanceThrive.com consultation with Dr. Tommy Wood, the content of which was presented on a previous Primal Endurance Podcast. Brad’s detailed NourishBalanceThrive test results suggested some deficiencies that might be righted with custom supplements as well as a superfood “green” smoothie. Brad embarked on a grand experiment to significantly increase his overall food intake—of course focusing on highly nutritious foods with little or no empty calories. Brad reports an improvement in athletic performance and especially recover. He went all-in with this test, including indulging in fabulous Las Vegas buffets, occasional carb binges, and big-time green smoothies in the morning. The early results of the experiment pose an interesting question: could there be a different set of rules and decision-making processes for someone in the category of optimal body fat, good blood numbers, and ambitious athletic goals, versus someone with metabolic damage and/or wanting to reduce excess body fat? Brad and Dr. Lindsay will look into this matter with further research and self-experimentation (stay tuned for a future show where Lindsay varies fat intake up and down from daily expenditure level to track effects on blood ketones).
3/28/2018 • 25 minutes, 5 seconds
5 Studies I’d Like to See
Imagine money is no object. Imagine you wield absolute control over the scientific community and can direct it to run whichever study you desire. If you can dream it up, they’ll get the subjects, produce the money, and make it happen. All you need to come up with is the overarching design. What would you choose? What do you wonder? What questions do you want answered once and for all? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/27/2018 • 9 minutes, 42 seconds
#231: Lauren Lobley
Elle Russ chats with Lauren Lobley - author of The Accidental Paleo: Easy Vegetarian Recipes for a Paleo Lifestyle. Lauren is a Canadian born-and-raised former pastry chef turned healthy chef. Together with her husband, Ted, and 22-month-old daughter, Madison Grace, they run and operate a yoga studio in Malibu, California, where Lauren provides the freshly baked vegan gluten-free granola, and Ted teaches the best class on this side of Malibu. After culinary school, she joined the ranks and worked her way up as head baker to celebrity chef and Food Network star, Duff Goldman, churning out thousands of cakes a week at his West Hollywood location. Realizing how terrible she felt by consuming so much gluten, dairy, and sugar, Lauren began recipe testing with one goal in mind: to make healthy food taste good. She blogged about her experience on her website, Delectable You, and began featuring her recipes both on that site and on her increasingly popular YouTube channel.
3/26/2018 • 29 minutes
Can Keto Actually Work For Hard-Training Endurance or Power/Strength Athletes?
Keto is red hot these days, and it’s not going away anytime soon. Call it the latest dietary fad, but keep in mind a great insight Robb Wolf told Joe Rogan on his podcast: keto was “likely the default human metabolic state” over the past 2.5 million years of human evolution. Only with the extremely recent (on the evolutionary timeline) advent of civilization have we been stuffing our faces with carbs and snuffing out our magnificent ability to generate ketones as a clean-burning alternative fuel source to dietary carbohydrates. And we certainly were compelled to evolve a highly efficient mechanism to keep our high energy demand brains fueled with glucose or the glucose-like substitute of ketones at all times—for this was a matter of life or death in primal times. When our ancestors were starving, they needed to keep working hard, and concentrating hard, to find food! (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/21/2018 • 21 minutes, 4 seconds
#230 (Keto): Megan Roberts (née Hall)
Megan Roberts (née Hall) is the Scientific Director of Nourish Balance Thrive. In September, 2017, she co-authored a paper that was published in the prestigious journal Cell Metabolism entitled A Ketogenic Diet Extends Longevity and Healthspan in Adult Mice that was widely commended in the scientific community. In this podcast, Megan sits down with host Lindsay Taylor to discuss her program of research and the most important and exciting findings from that study. They talk about the difference between lifespan and healthspan (hint: you want both) and the evidence for how a low-carb ketogenic diet can contribute to both. Taking a step back, Megan gives a brief lesson in Research Methods 101: What are the benefits and limitations of non-human research (e.g., studies conducted on mice)? Where can we and where should we not extrapolate from this type of research to human interventions? What do we know and what do we not know at this point about the ketogenic diet? Finally, Megan tells us what advice she gives people who are interested in adopting a ketogenic lifestyle and why it doesn’t work to try to micromanage your diet.
3/21/2018 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 13 seconds
A Look At Swerve Sweetener
As we move into a new era of health awareness, there’s more variety than ever available to us. Overall, this is a very good thing—the average Primal consumer now has far greater access to a wider range of organic, free range, pastured, GMO-free, wholesome foods and products. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/20/2018 • 7 minutes, 33 seconds
#229: Daniel Thomas Hind
Elle Russ chats with Daniel Thomas Hind - the founder of EvolutionEat, a transformational weight loss and lifestyle coaching company designed to help overwhelmed individuals solve their eating, food and dieting problems. Over the past few years Daniel has specialized in helping busy executives and high performers become more productive at work and create more meaningful lives by prioritizing their health and overcoming unhealthy eating habits. And here’s the kicker...he’s figured out how to make the process fun, so that it lasts forever. Every week, tens of thousands of people read Daniel’s material to learn how to use psychology, mindset and healthy habits to live a more meaningful life.
3/19/2018 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 33 seconds
Is the Autoimmune Protocol Right For You?
If you think going Primal is restrictive, the autoimmune protocol is downright draconian. But this is by design. The entire point of an autoimmune Primal/paleo protocol is to eliminate all the foods with the potential to trigger any allergenic, autoimmune, or inflammatory responses. That leaves out a lot of delicious foods, many of your favorites—but it can be a powerful way to assess your sensitivities, target the root causes of mysterious health problems, and illuminate a path forward. It gets you back to square one. A fresh start, a wiped slate. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/14/2018 • 11 minutes, 54 seconds
#228 (Keto): Leanne Vogel
In this episode, Lindsay Taylor sits down with Leanne Vogel, author of the popular book The Keto Diet and host of The Keto Diet Podcast. Listen in as Lindsay and Leanne chat about Leanne's journey from vegan blogger to becoming a respected leader in the ketogenic diet community, their personal philosophies about how to adopt a ketogenic diet and lifestyle in a healthy manner, and the stumbling blocks they see people--especially women--encounter along the way. Hear how Leanne used a ketogenic diet to reclaim her health after years of struggling with chronic health issues faced by many women today, and why she recommends a low-carb, high-fat approach for optimal health. Find Leanne at healthfulpursuit.com and on Instagram @healthfulpursuit. Connect with Lindsay via the Keto Reset Facebook group and on Instagram @theusefuldish.
3/14/2018 • 47 minutes, 52 seconds
#227: Cavin Balaster
Elle Russ chats with Cavin Balaster about his experience sustaining a severe traumatic brain injury that left him comatose with less than a 10% chance of regaining consciousness beyond a vegetative state. Since waking up, he has devoted years to researching and connecting with doctors, professors, researchers, nutritionists, practitioners, and neuroscientists. His book, How to Feed a Brain is the culmination of the nutritional tools that he has learned through this journey, presented as a user-friendly guide with handouts and web resources created to help anyone improve their brain function.
3/12/2018 • 56 minutes, 47 seconds
Why the Type of Folate You Take Matters
We have a problem. When discussing vitamin B9, common parlance is to use “folic acid” and “folate” interchangeably, as if the two are different terms for the same thing. Talk to most OB-GYNs about the type of vitamin B9 in your prenatal, and they’ll say the difference doesn’t matter. Look at the average nutrition label, and it’ll list folic acid rather than folate, even though it’s naturally occurring. They are not the same. The difference is meaningful. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/8/2018 • 8 minutes, 35 seconds
#226 (Keto): How and When to Add Carbs Back During Keto
Host Brad Kearns discusses this common and perhaps over-analyzed topic of the role carbs play in your keto journey. This show attempts to simplify the issue, giving you some important concepts to consider while allowing you the freedom and flexibility to follow a strategy that works best for you. Brad discusses whether mornings or evenings are better for carbs, where pre- and post-workout fueling fits in, and also what are the best carbs to consume and which you should always avoid.
3/7/2018 • 23 minutes, 36 seconds
#225: Michelle and Keith Norris
Elle Russ chats with Keith and Michelle Norris - Keith is a former athlete, a military vet, and an elite strength and conditioning expert with over 35 years of experience. His wife Michelle is a former corporate warrior and a trained chef. Keith and Michelle are serial entrepreneurs who are best-known in the ancestral community as the founders of the largest Paleo conference in the world, Paleo f(x)™ . As well, Keith is a partner in one of the most innovative lines of boutique training studios in the nation, Efficient Exercise. He’s also a partner in ARXFit training equipment, and a founding member of ID Life. In his spare time, he authors one of the top fitness blogs in the health and wellness sphere, Theory To Practice. Michelle recently developed a new website dedicated to breaking the bonds of the obstacles that hold us back and keep our should from soaring called www.ZeroGravitySoul.com
3/5/2018 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 6 seconds
Alternative Therapies For ADHD: Part 2
With 6.1 million children in this country bearing a past or present ADHD diagnosis, it’s little wonder folks had a lot to say in the initial post I did on the subject a few months back. For the most part, people were pumped to discover new potential therapies for themselves or loved ones, or at the very least to find validation in their own hunt for side effect free ADHD treatment. Others questioned the validity of certain alternative approaches, and still more posed questions about other treatments they’d heard about or were interested in. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/1/2018 • 14 minutes, 4 seconds
#224 (Keto): How to Make It to the 6-Week Mark With Nutritional Ketosis
Host Brad Kearns offers some important tips to make your first foray into nutritional ketosis a success. As you may know, the complete Keto Reset journey entails a 21-Day Metabolism Reset, a fine-tuning period of morning fasting, followed by a minimum 6-week stint of nutritional ketosis. Regardless of your long-term keto strategy, completing a single Keto Reset journey and staying keto for at least six weeks affords you the highest level of metabolic flexibility, which you can leverage into long-term benefits. Even when well prepared, it can be tough to make it through the initial weeks of keto, since you are making such a dramatic transition from your lifelong #1 fuel source of glucose over to fat and ketones. Follow the guidelines offered in the show to make sure you succeed out of the gate and hang in to the magic six-week mark and perhaps beyond (since it gets super easy by then!)
2/28/2018 • 18 minutes, 29 seconds
Slow Moving Training: Yoga
I like intensity when I train. Lifting heavy, running sprints, playing Ultimate Frisbee. I keep it brief, and the foundation is always a lot of slow movement throughout the day—easy runs, long walks or hikes, rarely sitting—but I go hard when I “work out.” What if you were to go slow, on purpose? Entire schools of physical culture are founded upon slow, deliberate movements. They squash momentum and lambast rapidity. They’re difficult in a different way. They require patience and fortitude. Take yoga. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/27/2018 • 12 minutes, 3 seconds
#223: Norm Robillard
Elle Russ chats with Norm Robillard, Ph.D., Founder of the Digestive Health Institute and a leading gut health expert. He turned his own suffering from chronic acid reflux into a mission to create the drug and antibiotic free Fast Tract Diet for functional gastrointestinal disorders, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and related health conditions. The Fast Tract Diet was presented at the Digestive Disease Week in 2013 to provide an alternative treatment to gastroenterologists for SIBO related conditions which affect over 100 million people in the US alone. The diet has been endorsed by the New York Times Best Seller Co-author - Dr. Michael Eades, GI Surgeon - Dr. Alan Hu, many certified nutritionists and healthcare providers. Dr. Norm consults with people around the globe for their digestive and related health issues. You can download his free ebook here.
2/26/2018 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 56 seconds
Restless Legs Syndrome: Causes, Factors and Treatments
For anyone who’s experienced it, the frustration can be miserable. The countless tossing and turning, the minutes that tick by (turning into hours), and you STILL haven’t gotten a modicum of decent sleep. No matter how hard you try to ignore it, that urge to constantly move or stretch your legs just won’t let up. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/22/2018 • 15 minutes, 10 seconds
Does the Fasting Mimicking Diet Live Up to the Hype?
Valter Longo is a leading fasting researcher. Since the early 2000s, he’s been one of the top guys running legitimate fasting studies in cancer patients, regular people, and, of course, rodents. He’s gotten great results, elucidating the idea that fasting causes human cells and tissues to enter “survival mode” which allowed them to survive the withering effects of cancer treatment. I’ve cited many of his studies in previous posts. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/21/2018 • 8 minutes, 54 seconds
#222 (Keto): Straddling The Line Between OCD and Properly Disciplined
Host Brad Kearns, leverages the previous show, by acknowledging that we don’t want to be orthorexic and uptight about dietary patterns and biofeedback numbers, but we also don’t want to exhibit a loosey-goosey, “Hey, everything in moderation” attitude where we make an excuse or rationalization for our frequent departures from ideal dietary and lifestyle patterns and from our stated goals. Living in a manner incongruent with your stated goals is a source of massive pain to the human psyche. For keto to work, you have to be methodical in your approach, patient with your progress, and precise at times when it comes to macronutrient intake and awareness of where you stand on the stated keto guidelines. However, it’s very possible to cultivate a precise approach without being uptight. This show will give you some good pointers to chill and succeed while you’re at it!
2/21/2018 • 27 minutes, 52 seconds
10 Basic Human Skills the Younger Generation Isn’t Learning
There are many reasons to be thankful for the cushy existence modernity affords us. War and other extenuating circumstances aside, you probably don’t fear for your life on a daily basis. You have clean water to drink. Food is widely available, and it’s affordable. You survived infancy, childhood, and adolescence, which is quite special on a historical scale. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/20/2018 • 10 minutes, 42 seconds
#221: Ken Berry, MD
Elle Russ chats with Ken Berry MD, author of Lies My Doctor Told Me about the health benefits of the ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting Dr. Berry has been practicing Family Medicine in rural Tennessee for over a decade. He is board certified in Family Medicine and was recently awarded the degree of Fellow by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Having seen over 20,000 patients of all ages over his career, he is uniquely qualified to advise on both acute and chronic diseases. Dr. Berry has focused on chronic disease caused by the Standard American Diet and Lifestyle and has made it his mission to turn the tide on the epidemic of Type 2 Diabetes, chronic inflammation and dementia. Dr. Berry has a variety of free YouTube videos on various topics.
2/19/2018 • 53 minutes, 47 seconds
Rapid Fire Questions and Answers: Getting Wild
Last month, you asked a ton of great questions in the comment section of my post on reclaiming your wildness and being less civilized, covering everything from rock climbing to role playing games, grappling to kung fu, walking meditation to grounding. For today’s post, I’m answering as many of them as I can. Let’s get right to the questions. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/15/2018 • 12 minutes, 54 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Chocolate
Ah, chocolate. What a life. According to the Aztecs, the great feathered serpent god of wisdom and creation known as Quetzalcoatl introduced the cocoa bean to mankind. It’s likelier that it originated in the Amazon rainforest and wound its way north to Mesoamerica, whose inhabitants figured out they could domesticate, ferment, roast, crush, and mix cocoa with water, chilies, and spices to produce a bitter, intoxicating drink. It then took a boat across the Atlantic, learning Spanish along the way. Europe wasn’t sure what to make of the bitterness until someone spilled a little sugar into the drink. Cocoa quickly swept across the continent, giving rise to large corporations that persist to this day, like Cadbury, Nestle, Hershey, and Lindt. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/14/2018 • 17 minutes, 19 seconds
#220 (Keto): Avoiding an OCD Approach to Keto
Yes, there is such a thing as an overly analytical approach to keto and health and fitness goals in general, where you compromise your intuitive abilities and obsess too much on the details. The massive amount of information we are exposed to on a daily basis and can obtain with a few clicks can result in the disease of TMI—too much information! Host Brad Kearns talks about how to avoid the traps of an overly obsessive, overly analytical approach, instead focusing on the big picture items. For example, if you are precise about macronutrient intake guidelines but are skimping on sleep, you don’t pass Go nor collect $200. Instead, cultivate an intuitive approach and trust yourself as the world’s #1 expert on your own diet, fitness and lifestyle practices. Learn from experience and recalibrate without feeling too stressed or like you failed in a quest for perfection.
2/14/2018 • 23 minutes, 5 seconds
#219: Vanessa & Adam Lambert
Elle Russ chats with Vanessa & Adam Lambert of Bee The Wellness - an innovative personal coaching company based in California. This couple has been living and working in the Paleo/Primal world for nearly 10 years now, helping to educate and empower clients on their personal journeys to optimal health. they have amazing and and some exotic bee the wellness retreats, and a lot of ways to support you on your health journey. welcome back...or...welcome home. Selected Links: Bee The Wellness Website Bee - Fest 2018 Connect with Show Host Elle Russ: Twitter Instagram Facebook The Paleo Thyroid Solution ElleRuss.com
2/12/2018 • 51 minutes, 13 seconds
8 Herbs and Spices You (Likely) Aren’t Using—and Should
Readers, especially those new to Primal eating, frequently request quick and easy ideas for ancestral cooking. While new recipes may be inspiring, sometimes expanding your kitchen repertoire doesn’t require whole new meals—but new flavors you can infuse into multiple recipes you’ve already mastered. More than just another ingredient to extend the cooking process, herbs and spices are quick, inexpensive additions that can literally transform just about any Primal meal. Parsley and cinnamon need no introduction, but how well acquainted are you with sumac and fenugreek? When was the last time you added lemon balm or Mexican oregano to a recipe? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/8/2018 • 7 minutes, 54 seconds
Keto and Type 2 Diabetes
If you think of Type 2 diabetes as carbohydrate intolerance, the natural dietary response should be to restrict the offending dietary component. And when this occurs—when diabetic patients restrict carbs—their symptoms improve, often to a greater degree than diabetic patients on other diets. Keto restricts more carbs than even other low-carb diets, so on the face of things, keto seems great for diabetes. Let’s take a closer look. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/7/2018 • 8 minutes, 43 seconds
#218 (Keto): Dr Cate Shanahan, Part 2
Co-hosts Brad Kearns and Dr. Lindsay Taylor welcome Dr. Cate Shanahan back for a second show where Cate discusses blood testing, fasting, meal timing, and how variation in meal patterns affects metabolic function. Cate proposes the compelling premise that “meal timing” is so important that it can be considered the “fourth macronutrient.” As you can read in the Keto Reset Diet, Cate’s view on carbohydrates is that when consumed in and around strenuous workouts, they will go right into the “open glycogen suitcases” and not disturb your fat loss or keto goals. Listen carefully at regular speed and get tons of juicy tidbits and “wow’s!” from Cate. Learn about the give and take between fasting/calorie restriction/autophagy and the anabolic effects of getting ample calories and nutrients. Learn about how to break through weight loss plateaus with anabolic periods (listen “Brad’s Experiment” show for more details)
2/7/2018 • 36 minutes, 30 seconds
#217: Kale Brock
Host Brad Kearns welcomes Kale Brock from a natural setting in Australia, amidst the noisy cicada beetles chirping in the background. Kale is on an awesome global adventure to discover the secrets of the gut microbiome, and has just released his wildly popular Australian book to the USA market, The Gut Healing Protocol: An 8-week holistic program to rebalance your microbiome. Kale offered up some memorable insights and quotes in this lively discussion, such as: "You can't make informed decisions until you're informed." Kale's quest to understand the important role of the gut microbiome in all aspects of health took him to Namibia to film a documentary called, The Gut Movie, which has been playing to sold out audiences throughout Australia. In this show, they discuss the miraculous results of FMT treatments (aka poop transplants). Kale talks about how most everyone has an imbalanced microbiome caused by antibiotic use (at any point in your life!), or obtaining antibiotics in food (eat organic animal products!) or tap water. Yes, we are all messed up, but gut problems manifest in assorted different ways. "Genetics loads the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger" (Kale quoting another health expert). Kale's holistic program includes getting BEEMS time: Breathe, Eat, Earth, Move, and Sunshine. The book discusses a healing protocol where you restrict certain foods for a short time and emphasize diverse plant intake, consume high quality probiotics, drink your bone broth, and try his favorite remedy of aloe vera and bovine colostrum. Here's a great analogy: The gut is like a screen door, designed to let in fresh air and sunshine but keep out insects and leaves and other debris from outside. Leaky gut is like a screen door with tears in it. If you have leaky gut, focus on that first. Eating healthy foods and probiotics may go to waste otherwise. Enjoy an extremely informative show, and check out the book. If you order directly from PrimalNutrition.com, we'll send a free bottle of Primal Probiotics! Just mention to live chat that you heard the host boast about the offer on this show. What did Kale Brock's diagnosis of a heart problem as a youth teach him the importance of nutrition? [00:01:57] What got him to he investigating the role of gut health? [00:08:00] We can only make decisions on what we know now. [00:09:30] Some people have gut problems and don't know it. [00:13:07] How does the imbalance of microbiome affect our guts? [00:16:33] What is the best gut-healing protocol?. [00:21:33] What are some symptoms of gut dysfunction that an otherwise healthy person might have? [00:24:37] What about the holistic side of gut health? [00:28:00] How does this manifest itself? What is leaky gut? What about gluten? [00:31:23] His favorite remedy is aloe vera and bovine colostrum. [00:39:39] What can one do to improve the effects of exercise and stress on your gut health? [00:43:16] Kale's book and documentary have all these practical steps and new fascinating information. [00:48:31] FMT Kale Brock
2/5/2018 • 57 minutes, 21 seconds
#216 (Keto): Dr Cate Shanahan, Part 1
Co-hosts Brad Kearns and Dr. Lindsay Taylor welcome Dr. Cate Shanahan for a long-awaited grilling on assorted matters of keto that are often misunderstood and disputed. As always, Dr. Cate sets listeners straight with her crisp explanations and reasoning. Some of the topics discussed including the debate about the role of dietary fat in keto efforts (high fat intake does NOT drive keto; it’s low carb/limited insulin). Cate drops the whopper insight that in a fully fed state, the liver will not produce ketones, it will just convert extra fat calories into cholesterol. Folks, this is BIG NEWS because it shatters one of the big misconceptions that keto is about stuffing your face with fat or chugging down high-fat coffee in the name of keto. If you want to get a clear and comprehensive education on keto, you can’t miss this show! Other topics covered include the difference between burning fat and ketones, whether the numbers do or don’t matter, and much more from this lively roundtable with Cate, Lindsay, and Brad!
1/31/2018 • 38 minutes, 31 seconds
5 Suggestions for Becoming Less Civilized (and a Giveaway)
Civilization has given us great gifts. Infectious diseases rarely kill us anymore. We have hot running water that’s safe to drink (usually). We can go down to the market and buy a thousand different foods. Things are, for the most part, safe and comfortable. Of course, many of the benefits of civilization have been solutions to problems it introduced. That we rarely die from infectious disease is significant because the high population densities of early civilizations created such high infectious disease burdens; nomadic hunter gatherers didn’t have that issue. But there are benefits. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/31/2018 • 8 minutes, 44 seconds
Primal Kitchen Efficiency: 13 Tips for Daily Organization and Smooth Cooking
Good cooking is art and science. You’re measuring, you’re tasting, you’re following recipes, you’re following intuition. You’re adding a dash of this, a level teaspoon of that. It’s clinical and sensual at once. For this kind of good cooking to occur, pleasurable cooking, the kitchen needs to disappear. It must get out of the way and become an extension of your body. You shouldn’t have to think about what to use or where to grab it; you just know it. A messy, disjointed lab or workspace is hell. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/30/2018 • 9 minutes, 13 seconds
#215: Ginny Gane
Elle Russ chats with Ginny Gane - bestselling author of The Champion Mindset and an adventurous, fun Law of Attraction expert for people who crave more out of life and are ready to realize their full potential. Ginny teaches LOA skills and guides you towards purposefully creating a life you are wildly in love with. Through her fun and easy courses, ebooks, and personal coaching, she reminds you of your incredible personal power. Learn the skills that will ultimately empower you to take control of your experience and truly uncover and be all that you want to be. When she’s not playing with LOA, you can find her indulging in sunshiny outdoor adventures, fun fitness exercise and practicing singing...along to the radio. Ginny is also the co-host of the popular Manifest It Now podcast.
1/29/2018 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 4 seconds
The Role of Supplementation in Keto: What’s Uniquely Useful
Yesterday, I explained my rationale for supplementation in a Primal lifestyle. Today, I’m going to get a bit more specific and discuss the role of supplementation on a keto diet. As a diet founded upon the restriction of an entire class of macronutrients, keto seems like the perfect candidate for stringent supplement requirements. And if you go around the web asking other people, you’ll find plenty of opinions, lists, and recommendations for this or that supplement that you absolutely must take or face certain death and disfigurement. I disagree. Done well, keto needs no overt supplementation. That said, some supplements can be useful. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/25/2018 • 10 minutes, 47 seconds
Grok Didn’t Take Supplements, So Why Should I?
The main objective of following the Primal Blueprint is to extract the healthiest, happiest, longest and most productive life possible from our bodies – and to look and feel good in the process. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/24/2018 • 18 minutes, 28 seconds
#214 (Keto): Tommy Wood
Host Brad Kearns welcomes Dr. Tommy of NourishBalanceThrive.com back to the show to talk all manner of diet, health and peak performance details. The show gets off to a surprising start, verging away from health practicalities to talk about the importance of mindset. Dr. Tommy reports that many of his health clients must reflect upon how mindset affects their results. We must ask ourselves why we set tangible, measurable goals, and if they will really lead to happiness. We must be wary of the orthorexic approach to diet, where stress levels increase and counteract the benefits of healthy food. Dr. Tommy notes that particularly with aging, one's mindset is highly predictive of longevity. Studies show that those with a positive perception of aging live longer. The conversation then turns to Tommy's expertise area in health and peak performance nutritional protocols. The duo discuss the provocative question of whether there are disparate decision making sequences for those with good blood and optimal body fat versus those with metabolic damage and excess body fat. Dr. Tommy proposes that low carb/keto is advised for those in the latter category, but that athletic types with distinct peak performance goals might instead eat as much nutrient dense foods as possible without gaining fat. That said, Tommy reminds us that, "modern peak performance goals are a modern construct," and that chronic training patterns should be avoided. Furthermore, even weight loss enthusiasts must first get metabolically healthy before contemplating caloric deficits that promote fat reduction. This show will really get you thinking about the big picture strategies that promote health, fitness and enjoyment of the journey. Enjoy the show and check out NourishBalanceThrive.com to see what Dr. Tommy's revolutionary offering is all about. You can even sign up for a free 20-min consultation to determine if the NBT protocol can help you, as it has for over 1,000 health and fitness enthusiasts.
1/24/2018 • 57 minutes, 23 seconds
#213: Jeffrey Brownstein
Elle Russ chats with Jeffrey Brownstein, a Certified Empowerment Coach and founder of Life Purpose U. He has been helping people to uncover their purpose and create meaningful, extraordinary lives since 2005. Jeff has Bachelor's degrees in English and Metaphysics, and is also a professional speaker, writer, photographer, and Certified Energy Healer. He currently lives on the East Coast with his wife Allison, and their 2 dogs Bailey and Murphy.
1/22/2018 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 5 seconds
Do “Dominant” Neurotransmitters Impact Training? (and a Giveaway)
Last year I was talking with Brad Kearns and Dave Dolle when Dave said something really interesting: he was using neurotransmitter analysis to build personalized training programs for his athletes. By giving a short written T/F test called the Braverman test, he could determine whether a client was dominant in dopamine, acetylcholine, GABA, or serotonin—and then use the results to determine their ideal training regimen. It was one of those instances where you hear something you know you’ll be chewing on for the next few months. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/18/2018 • 8 minutes, 35 seconds
#212 (Keto): Lindsay and Jake Taylor
Host Brad Kearns welcomes Folsom, CA’s #1 power couple, Jake Taylor and Primal Blueprint’s own keto queen Lindsay Shaw Taylor, Ph.D. These folks are the real deal and they have immersed themselves fully into ketogenic living and studying the various approaches. Interestingly, they have landed upon disparate approaches to keto and dietary habits in general. Lindsy is an ironman athlete and also happens to be a female. She has determined her best approach to be somewhat regular meals, with generally stringent carb intake guidelines ranging from full keto to low carb primal over the course of the year. Jake, always pushing the limits in the financial markets as well as personal peak performance, has found an effective strategy in prolonged fasting/compressed eating window, but with less stringent carb intake guidelines when he does eat.
1/17/2018 • 21 minutes, 29 seconds
Rest and Recovery: A Whole New Perspective (and A Giveaway)
Today I want you to completely rethink your basic philosophy about how you manage both your fitness activities and the assorted stresses of hectic, modern life. This post was inspired by a great article from training expert Joel Jamieson of 8weeksout.com titled, “All Pain, No Gain: Why The High Intensity Training Obsession Has Failed Us All.” Joel’s message set off a firestorm of internal dialog among members of the Primal Blueprint team. (Catch Brad Kearns’ recent interview with him for the Primal Blueprint Podcast.) After much back and forth and additional research, I’m eager to get you reflecting and commenting on the genuine nature of recovery from an entirely new angle. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/17/2018 • 15 minutes, 40 seconds
#211: Joel Jamieson
Brad Kearns chats with Performance Architect Joel Jamieson about his groundbreaking post about the energy cost of recovery, published on 8weeksout.com, called "All Pain, No Gain: Why The High Intensity Training Obsession Has Failed Us All". Joel details how our flawed perspective about training negates the concept that the body only has a given amount of energy to expend each day, and that recovery and restoration require energy just as training and stressful. Furthering the compensation theory discussed at length in Primal Blueprint books, Joel mentions respected science that contends we operate under a "constrained model of energy expenditure." If you burn up excess energy during exercise, your body becomes naturally lazier throughout the day and divert valuable energy away from recovery and immune function. Hence, Joel's argument for "recovery-based fitness" where you respect the resources necessarily allocated to three main functions: 1 - vital biological functions - basic daily survival 2 - physical activity AND general everyday stress of busy life 3 - recovery and restoration It follows that a type-A hard driver trying to dispense energy to career, family and also fitness endeavors is playing with fire, constantly challenging the body's maximum energy potential and incurring what Jamieson calls "recovery debt." This is where your hard training goes to waste because your body has insufficient energy to recover and restore. This show will really stop you in your tracks and get you re-thinking your basic principles of not only training, but daily living.
1/15/2018 • 51 minutes, 35 seconds
How to Do Keto As a Vegetarian
This is one of the most common queries I receive: How do I go keto as a vegetarian? One way to go keto as a vegetarian is to stop being vegetarian. You begin as a vegetarian, make the conscious decision to go keto, and then cease vegetarianism. Seriously, just try it out. A little animal won’t hurt you. Promise. Okay, jokes aside: How do you go keto while remaining vegetarian? Once you let the dust settle and consider the proposition with a calm, clear mind, going keto as a vegetarian isn’t all that outlandish. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/10/2018 • 10 minutes, 2 seconds
#210 (Keto): Overview of the Keto Reset Diet Journey
Host Brad Kearns walks you through Chapter 1 of The Keto Reset Diet—the what, when and how of keto. First, resetting your metabolism to ditch carb dependency. Then doing some fine-tuning to improve your metabolic flexibility. Finally, a six-week immersion into nutritional ketosis. Keto is the default human genetic factory setting; we have likely spent more time in keto-mode over the past 2.5 million years, because carbohydrates were never abundant until civilized times, and often regular calorie consumption was not assured either. Brad explains that if you do the journey correctly, there will be no struggling and suffering involved, because you will be getting a nutrient-dense diet. Regarding the widely-touted 50 grams of daily gross carbohydrate intake limit for keto, you can discount the contribution of avocados, leafy greens, and other high fiber above ground vegetables, since they have minimal net carb contribution. Brad talks a bit about blood testing and the surprising phenomenon of highly fat- and keto-adapted individuals delivering low blood values even with lots of fasting and keto-aligned eating. Also, the meters can be wildly off, as you can see at the @BradKearns1 Instagram account. Check out the post of 3 different machine readouts from the same blood prick showing wildly disparate numbers—from pre-diabetic to hard-core keto stud. All in all, a good overview of what the Keto Reset journey is all about.
1/10/2018 • 28 minutes, 25 seconds
How to Do Keto with Dietary Restrictions
Almost everyone has at least one dietary restriction. Maybe your religion or cultural traditions prohibit specific foods or food pairings. Maybe your physiological response to certain foods—an allergy or intolerance—prevent you from eating them. Or perhaps your immediate goals preclude a food’s inclusion in your diet. Like every other diet, keto is already circumscribed by basic principles, which can make further limitations difficult to accommodate. But the benefits of going keto, at least for part of the time, are well-established and worth the effort. You want to do it. How can you go keto while honoring your own dietary bounds? It depends on the restriction. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/9/2018 • 9 minutes, 28 seconds
#209: Dr. Joseph Mercola
Mark Sisson chats with Dr. Joseph Mercola - a board certified family physician who started Mercola.com 20 years ago...the most visited natural health site on the internet for the last 13 years. He has also authored many bestselling books including Fat for Fuel which details mitochondrial metabolic therapy. Mark Sisson and Dr. Mercola discuss topics ranging from intermittent fasting, KETO, stem cell therapy, mitochrondrial impairment, stem cell therapy, and issues around EMF.
1/8/2018 • 54 minutes, 56 seconds
What Will 2018 Mean For Your Life?
Every New Year, the cynics are quick to tell you how arbitrary all the motivational messages, resolutions, and new beginnings are. It’s just another day, they grumble. And, sure, they have a point. You could start that new diet, join that new CrossFit box that just opened down the street, and finally pursue the dream job you’ve always wanted on March 7th, February 15th, or August 3rd. It doesn’t have to be January 1st. Any day will do. The New Year is somewhat arbitrary. But we’re social animals who thrive in the presence of others. We feed off the energy around us to fuel our own initiative. On some level we’re always looking to what the group is doing for motivation, if not direction. The New Year presents a unique opportunity that way for all of us. Why would we not take advantage of the tailwind? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/3/2018 • 6 minutes, 25 seconds
#208 (Keto): The Wrong Way to Go Keto
Host Brad Kearns talks about the common mistakes and drawbacks of a shortcut approach to keto. If you are still even a bit carb dependent when attempting keto, what you will get is a flood of stress hormones in response to the sudden deprivation of your primary fuel source glucose. Lacking dietary carbs, you will commence the hallmark fight or flight process of gluconeogenesis to give your body the sugar it needs. You may even feel alert and energetic for a while from the stress hormone buzz, but when the stress response becomes exhausted, you are destined to crash and burn, featuring overeating, extra sleeping, and programmed lazy behavior to recalibrate. Also in the show, Brad rips on the concept of “cheat days.” If you are allured by the prospect of a cheat day, this suggests your approach is too regimented and unpleasant to sustain. With the Keto Reset approach, you will instead progress gracefully with your metabolic fitness so that you are enjoying nutritious, satisfying meals, getting better and better at burning stored energy so you don’t have to deal with “low carb flu” or afternoon blues, and be patient in unwind the metabolic damage caused by decades of carbohydrate dependency.
1/3/2018 • 22 minutes, 7 seconds
#207: Mark Sisson & Robb Wolf
Mark Sisson chats with with good friend and fellow New York Times Bestselling author Robb Wolf to answer a few listener questions and to chat about what they have been up to. 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. In Wired To Eat, he shares 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. Robb recently teamed up with filmmaker CJ Hunt for a new documentary called Dispelling The Lies
1/1/2018 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 35 seconds
10 Alternative Therapies for ADD & ADHD
A few months back, I put together an article on alternative therapies for depression. Many readers showed a lot of interest in some of the emerging non-drug treatments in that field, and, more importantly, many began to relay their own stories about how they overcame or successfully managed their depression through various strategies. That’s what I love the most about this community—sharing experience and expertise in the interest of broadening available solutions beyond what conventional thought tells us. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/27/2017 • 19 minutes, 52 seconds
#206 (Keto): The Liver Show (aka, Keto vs Carbo…Whoa!)
Host Brad Kearns talks about the contrast between liver function in a carb dependency state (hint: overwhelmed in processing excess glucose into fat and eventually becoming insulin resistant) versus a fat- and keto-adapted liver function (elegant regulation and dispensation of the exact amount of energy you need in your bloodstream any time. Enjoy a great excerpt from the Keto Reset Diet called “Keto vs Carbo…Whoa!” The amazing liver is the control tower for energy processing and distribution throughout your entire body. It’s amazing to reflect on the liver’s exquisite regulation of blood glucose within an incredibly tight range at all times. Our optimal circulating glucose level is only around five grams (a teaspoon) within a total blood volume of around 1.5 gallons (5.5 liters) of blood. In the typical modern human carbohydrate dependency eating pattern, your liver will fight valiantly under adverse circumstances to keep you energy balanced until finally it succumbs to insulin resistance and you end up with type II diabetes. In a fat- and keto-adapted eating pattern, you allow your liver to really shine; energy to brain and body is readily available, and no wasted energy or inflammation from excess caloric intake and hormonal imbalances.
12/27/2017 • 24 minutes, 47 seconds
#205: Jason Leapai & Jason Sikorski
Host Elle Russ chats with hilarious and fun-spirited podcasters Jason Leapai and Jason Sikorski. The Jasons host The Savage Podcast, where they chat with guests about topics ranging from MMA, sex, and even mind control. Both avid outdoorsmen and lifelong martial artists - both of their lives were transformed for the better after adopting a paleo/primal lifestyle. With an advanced understanding of primal living, they explain and discuss key nuances of living a primal lifestyle.
12/25/2017 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 50 seconds
The Best of 2017: Research Insights and Other Breakthroughs
Each year is fuller than the last. More and more scientific papers are published each year, and that trend is only quickening. The same trend goes for books, products, businesses. Humans are incredible producers. It’s what we do—create and consume. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/20/2017 • 6 minutes, 20 seconds
#204 (Keto): All About Fasting
Host Brad Kearns talks about one of his recent favorite subjects, exploring the long scientifically validated benefits of fasting. We know that your body works more efficiently and burns fuel more cleanly (less production of free radicals than when you are glucose burner) when in a fasted state, but that long-term extreme calorie restriction is not a viable option in daily life. By eating in a ketogenic pattern, you can enjoy fasting-like benefits while enjoying nutrient-dense, high satiety, high fat meals. You can also improve your metabolic fitness through keto such that you can fast more frequently, for longer periods, while enjoying peak cognitive and physical function and not suffering from hunger. Fasting and ketogenic eating helps upregulate fat metabolism and free you from carbohydrate dependency that is endemic to the modern diet. Fasting also stimulates autophagy, the natural cellular detoxification process that promotes longevity and disease protection, and apoptosis, the programmed death of dysfunctional cells that can nip cancer in the bud before it spreads. Athletes who develop excellent metabolic fitness can combine strenuous workouts to accelerate progress and “violently rewire appetite hormones” away from carb dependency. A great way to get started with fasting is to become fat-adapted through primal/paleo/ancestral style eating, then wait until you experience true sensations of hunger before consuming your first calories in the morning. Brad discusses his 140-day experiment with nutritional ketosis and how he landed on a long-term routine of a morning fast until midday as a foundational lifestyle pattern.
12/20/2017 • 33 minutes, 22 seconds
#203: Dave Scott
Host Brad Kearns catches up with the legendary Dave Scott, a 6-time Hawaii Ironman world champion and respected coach of both elite professional and amateur multisport enthusiasts. Dave is perhaps more steeped in the science of nutrition and exercise physiology than any other endurance athlete ever, so this show will give you insights on both cutting edge science and also the competitive mindset of a champion athlete. Brad gives you a brief intro in case you’ve never heard of Dave, then they jump right into it. Dave describes his transition from a high carb pioneer back in the 80’s to his current support of primal/paleo/ketogenic eating patterns. He describes the science behind keto, and how it can protect your health and your heart from potential damage caused by strenuous training. On the long-standing topic of “intensity vs. volume” Dave sets people straight by detailing the huge mistake of going “kinda hard” on a regular basis. Not only will your burn out in performance, you are putting your health at serious risk. Instead, Dave details his unique methods of introducing an assortment of distinct interval patterns that help to cleanse the cardiovascular system, protecting it from damage caused by excessive kinda hard endurance workouts. Yes, Dave even advocates strength training year-round for endurance athletes! Dave talks about the problem of excess body fat on hard training endurance athletes and how to right this unfortunate trend. In the age of the internet and social media frenzy, lots of athletes and coaches are full of themselves. Dave is full or experience and wisdom so give this show your undivided attention!
12/18/2017 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 32 seconds
The Future of Healthcare Is Health Coaching
I’ve been spreading the word about the primal lifestyle for over a decade now, and while the information on this blog and in my books has reached millions, I wonder how many of these millions have actually been able to live some version of a primal life consistently and confidently. My guess is, not as many as I’d like. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/14/2017 • 10 minutes, 2 seconds
Will Saturated Fat Kill Your Cells?
No matter what kind of evidence comes out to the contrary, the anti-saturated fat sect won’t relinquish its dogma. Whenever its advance is rebuffed—perhaps by an observational study showing the lack of relations between saturated fat intake and heart disease, or a study showing the beneficial effects of saturated fat on multiple health markers—they regroup and try another route. The latest is a study that several readers sent to me, worried that the attack had finally made it through the defenses. In it, researchers purport to show that saturated fat increases the solidity and rigidity of cellular membranes, reducing membrane fluidity and eventually leading to cell death. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/13/2017 • 6 minutes, 34 seconds
#202(Keto): Are You Ready for Keto?
Host Brad Kearns talks about his first failed attempt at keto (lasted 3 weeks doing really great, then a bomb-out at the Burbank Airport snack shop!), and how you can ensure that you are well-prepared for keto before struggling, suffering and backsliding. If you’re nervous about your metabolic fitness and whether you can handle the rigor of a ketogenic eating period, realize that any effort you make in the direction of fat- and keto-adaptation will improve your metabolic fitness and progress you closer to your goal of being a fat burning beast and further away from the disastrous state of carbohydrate dependency that the civilized world lives in. Learning from your mistakes and detours, you will have heightened awareness of your behavior patterns. Then, you can build more natural, healthy resolve to stay keto-aligned in the future. Absorb the lessons offered, accept that you’re not perfect, let it go, and brandish your weapon once again by engaging in an intermittent fast, a fasted workout, and a sustained pattern of high fat, moderate protein, low-carb succession meals.
12/13/2017 • 30 minutes, 44 seconds
#201: Anthony G. Jay, Ph.D.
Elle Russ chats with Anthony G. Jay, Ph.D. about his new book Estrogeneration: How Estrogenics Are Making You, Fat, Sick, and Infertile. It was in college where Anthony began researching inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and after college, Dr. Jay began working in an Alzheimer’s disease lab in Boston for the U.S. Veteran’s Affairs. Ultimately earning his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Boston University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts, he began researching different types of fats and cholesterol. Today, Dr. Jay continues to lead the AJ Consulting Company, which he founded in 2010, where he predominantly analyzes DNA for high performing individuals. Dr. Jay has other upcoming books as part of this book series called “Chagrin & Tonic” and a YouTube channel under that name, all focused on simplifying important scientific ideas.
12/11/2017 • 1 hour, 7 minutes
#200 (Keto): The Comprehensive Approach of The Keto Reset Diet
Host Brad Kearns talks about the methodical process outlined in The Keto Reset Diet and the Keto Reset multimedia online course, where you progress steadily away from carbohydrate dependency and toward fat- and keto-adaptation without the struggling, suffering, and backsliding that typically occurs when you fail to do your homework or follow an ill-conceived approach. This overview shows covers the 21-Day Metabolism Reset, where you ditch grains, sugars, and refined vegetable oils in favor of primal-approved foods, integrate the lifestyle elements of exercise (move more frequently, avoid chronic patterns), sleep (avoid excess artificial light and digital stimulation after dark), and stress management
12/7/2017 • 10 minutes, 25 seconds
Why Aren’t We Talking About the Cognitive Health Crisis?
If you look at the latest stats, you might assume there’s no cognitive health crisis. The overall number of dementia cases are going up, but that’s because the aging population is growing. Older folks are living longer than ever before, so there are more people around who can develop dementia. Dementia and Alzheimer’s rates are dropping in the Western world. Politicians, those archetypical paragons of cognitive aptitude, are hanging around in office longer than ever. Technology, science, and other fields that require large amounts of cognitive ability are progressing. But broad trends and large numbers are just statistics. However reassuring they are to public policy analysts, they mean nothing to the individual suffering from cognitive decline. They’re too abstract. Your grandpa no longer knowing who you are? That’s real. You, personally, don’t want to lose your cognitive abilities as you age. You, personally, don’t want to see the people you love get Alzheimer’s. Individual cases matter to those individuals and their loved ones. And it’s still happening more than it should. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/4/2017 • 9 minutes, 14 seconds
#199: Ken Berry, MD
Elle Russ chats with Ken Berry, MD, about his new book Lies My Doctor Told Me. Have your doctors lied to you? Chances are they have, and most likely unknowingly. If you've been misled by bad medical advice your health will suffer. It is time you discover the truth. Medical research is expanding so quickly that only the most dedicated doctors can keep up with it all. Is your doctor that dedicated? Lies My Doctor Told Me reveals the truth behind the lies told by well-meaning doctors. Whether it's recommending a low-fat diet, or warning you to avoid the sun, these medical lies can cause really harm to your health. Does your doctor still recommend that you avoid cholesterol and eat lots of whole-grains? What about a paleo diet or ketogenic diet, have they been mentioned in an office visit? So much of the nutrition and lifestyle advice doctors give is just plain wrong, and that can be dangerous. This book will help you sort through the medical myths and the outright lies, and begin to develop a health partnership with your doctor. Dr. Berry has been practicing Family Medicine in rural Tennessee for over a decade. He is board certified in Family Medicine, and was recently awarded the degree of Fellow by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Having seen over 20,000 patients of all ages over his career, he is uniquely qualified to advise on both acute and chronic diseases. Dr. Berry has focused of chronic disease caused by the Standard American Diet and Lifestyle, and has made it his mission to turn the tide on the epidemic of Type 2 Diabetes, chronic inflammation and dementia.
12/4/2017 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 41 seconds
21 Books to Begin 2018
The book is an ancient technology whose importance has only increased in modern times. With a book, you gain access to another person’s mind or life experiences. That’s hard to beat. People who aren’t reading are really selling themselves short and missing out on an enjoyable pastime as well as a leg up on the competition. Here are some fantastic books to dig into this coming year. Most of them are new and deal with health, fitness, and nutrition. Others are about history, productivity, or self-improvement. Some are just fun reads. They’re some of my recent (or long-time) favorites and all great options for people looking to read more this coming year. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/30/2017 • 13 minutes, 26 seconds
#198 (Keto): Welcome to the Keto Reset Series
Host Brad Kearns, the co-author with Mark Sisson of The Keto Reset Diet, welcomes you to the podcast about going keto the right way and enjoying the life-altering benefits of being fat- and keto-adapted. This show features an assortment of bite-sized content on specific topics that are sure to motivate and inspire. We pair the shorter shows with detailed discussions with the world’s leading experts in the world of ancestral living and ketogenic eating. We hope you enjoy the show and encourage you to contribute by emailing [email protected] to provide all forms of feedback and suggestion.
11/29/2017 • 7 minutes, 6 seconds
The Health Toll of Financial Stress
Sure, this post comes right on the heels of Cyber Monday…but is there ever a perfect time for a message like this? Yes, I run a business, but I still don’t mind kicking the cultural hornet’s nest. Some things don’t change. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t contradiction. Here I am doing my own holiday shopping today (don’t tell Carrie)—and offering my own deals to those who are interested. The holidays—with all the shopping and parties and prep—are fun. No doubt. Simultaneously, I know financial stress takes a major toll this time of year, and it doesn’t have to be that way. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/28/2017 • 9 minutes, 46 seconds
#197: Jacques Devore
Mark Sisson chats with Jacques DeVore about his book Bicycling Maximum Overload for Cyclists - a radical strength-based training program aimed at increasing cycling speed, athletic longevity, and overall health in half the training time. Rather than improving endurance by riding longer distances, you’ll learn how to do it by reducing your riding time and adding heavy strength and power training. Traditionally cyclists and endurance athletes have avoided strength and power training, believing that the extra muscle weight will slow them down, but authors Jacques DeVore and Roy M. Wallack show that exactly the opposite is true. The Maximum Overload program uses weightlifting to create sustainable power and improved speed while drastically reducing training time and eliminating the dreaded deterioration that often occurs during the second half of a ride. A 40-minute Maximum Overload workout, done once or twice a week, can replace a long day in the saddle and lead to even better results. This comprehensive program includes unique takes on diet, interval training, hard and easy training, and sustainable power. Backed by the most trusted authority in the sport, Bicycling Maximum Overload for Cyclists is a book that no cyclist should be without. Jacques DeVore is the founder of the Sirens & Titans Fitness Training Centers in West Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, and licensed as an expert USA Cycling Coach. DeVore is the creator of the Maximum Overload training plan. DeVore has successfully trained hundreds of cyclists and triathletes with this program, including pro rider Dave Zabriskie. He lives in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, CA. Roy M. Wallack is a fitness columnist at the Los Angeles Times, has freelanced for Outside, Men's Journal, Bicycling, Runner's World, and Competitor, among other publications. He the author of seven books including Bike for Life, The Traveling Cyclist, and Barefoot Running Step-by-Step. Wallack is also an endurance athlete and has competed in some of the most difficult athletic challenges on earth including the 750-mile Paris-Brest-Paris ride, and the Badwater Ultramarathon across California’s Death Valley. He lives in Irvine, CA.
11/27/2017 • 45 minutes, 4 seconds
14 Healthier Ways to Spend Black Friday
For most of my life, Thanksgiving was spared the overt commercialization of the other holidays. Christmas has the gifts, Halloween the candy and costumes, Valentine’s the chocolates, roses, jewelry, and guilt—perfect avenues for commercial interests. But Thanksgiving genuinely felt different, as if it was only about getting together with friends and relatives over a crispy-skinned bird and offering gratitude for what we had and who was still with us. These days, commercialization has crashed the party. You’ve got Black Friday. Then Small Business Saturday. Then Cyber Monday. (Giving Tuesday I can get behind.) The “Black Friday” deals on Amazon started going last week and should continue well past the holiday. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/21/2017 • 8 minutes, 49 seconds
#196: Cindy Lu & Earl Martin
Elle Russ chats with husband and 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 and will be discussed in detail in this episode. CindyLu & Earl 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.
11/20/2017 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 23 seconds
Collagen for Skin: The Truth Behind the Benefits
It’s easy to get into the habit of assuming that certain things “just happen” as we get older. As the years pile up, we brace ourselves for brittle bones, expanding waistlines, failing eyesight—and a propensity for falling asleep in front of the T.V. Statistically speaking, they do loom largely. This is what we often see around us after all. But, of course, we know it’s not the whole story. We certainly can resign ourselves to a common fate, but that’s probably not why anyone is reading today. Most people who visit this blog (and definitely those who frequent it) want more. They want something better, and they’re willing to learn, move, and eat to get it. And as with our bodies, so with our skin… (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/16/2017 • 11 minutes, 55 seconds
#195: Chris Kresser
Mark Sisson chats with Chris Kresser about his new book Unconventional Medicine. The world is facing the greatest healthcare crisis it has ever seen. Chronic disease is shortening our lifespan, destroying our quality of life, bankrupting governments, and threatening the health of future generations. Sadly, conventional medicine, with its focus on managing symptoms, has failed to address this challenge. The result is burned-out physicians, a sicker population, and a broken healthcare system. In Unconventional Medicine, Chris Kresser presents a plan to reverse this dangerous trend. He shows how the combination of a ancestral diet and lifestyle, Functional Medicine, and a lean, collaborative practice model can create a system that better serves the needs of both patients and practitioners. The epidemic of chronic illness can be stopped, if patients and practitioners can adapt. Chris Kresser M.S., L.Ac., is the CEO of Kresser Institute, the co-director of the California Center for Functional Medicine, the creator of ChrisKresser.com, and the New York Times best-selling author of The Paleo Cure. He is known for his in-depth research uncovering myths and misconceptions in modern medicine and providing natural health solutions with proven results. Chris was named one of the 100 most influential people in health and fitness by Greatist.com, and his blog is one of the top-ranked natural health websites in the world. He recently launched Kresser Institute, an organization dedicated to reinventing healthcare and reversing chronic disease by training healthcare practitioners in functional and evolutionary medicine. Chris lives in Berkeley, California, with his wife and daughter.
11/15/2017 • 48 minutes, 58 seconds
Top 10 Paleo Apps
"Apps aren’t paleo, Sisson. Grok waited for days for aurochs to wander within spear-chucking range, not overnight for the release of the iPhone X.” True. But this is the world we live in. These are the tools we have. If you’re going to lug around an addictive piece of tech in your pocket all day, it might as well contain some apps that make living healthy and living Primal easier, rather than harder. What follows are some of the best paleo/Primal apps I’ve found. Some I use, some I don’t. They’re not all explicitly “paleo,” but they’re all at least tangentially related to this thing we call the pursuit of optimal health and happiness. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/9/2017 • 8 minutes, 26 seconds
The Insulin-Illness Connection
Most discussion of chronically-elevated insulin levels (hyperinsulinemia) and insulin resistance revolves around their relationship to bodyweight. This is unsurprising. Bodyweight’s what “sells tickets.” It’s why most people get interested in diet, health, fitness, and nutrition—to lose weight or avoid gaining it. But improving insulin sensitivity and reducing fasting insulin levels have major ramifications for your health, longevity, and resistance to disease. And it’s not just because “weight gain is unhealthy.” Insulin itself, in excess, exerts seriously damaging effects. Today, I want to impress upon you the importance of controlling your insulin response by laying out some of the health problems that stem from not controlling it. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/8/2017 • 8 minutes, 59 seconds
#194: Thor Conklin
Elle Russ chats with Thor Conklin about romantic relationships from their perspectives and experience. Thor is an entrepreneur, profitability consultant and host of his daily podcast, Peak Performers Podcast. 2017 marks his 17th year as an entrepreneur. The first company Thor created was a global risk management consulting firm that served the private equity community. His top 15 clients had a combined revenue of $12.7 billion USD and operated in over 100 countries worldwide. Thor has started, bought and sold several multi-million dollar businesses making him a sought after, cross-industrial resource for entrepreneurs and executives in all stages of business. Thor lives a Paleo lifestyle and believes achieving optimum health is a critical co-factor in business success and becoming a Peak Performer. Thor has a talent for slicing through the noise of every day distractions and bringing his clients and audiences intellectual commodities like his: “Ultimate Success Map”, a simplistic, easy-to- follow guide for individuals who need to break through to the next level of achievement. Thor’s gritty, no nonsense and direct approach uncovers the real truth about what is holding people and organizations back from realizing their full potential. He can illuminate even the most successful and confident leader’s limiting beliefs. He is known as the Accountability & Execution Guy. Through his latest venture, Peak Performance Group, he teaches the tools, tips, tricks, psychology and strategies necessary to be a Peak Performer. He qualifies the psychology of success in one word: execution! “Nothing you’ve learned matters – unless you can EXECUTE!"
11/8/2017 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 42 seconds
7 Subjective Longevity Markers to Track (and Fix)
A few weeks ago, I went over 7 of the most important longevity biomarkers to track. Today, I’m shifting gears a bit. The theme remains longevity markers, but the markers I’ll discuss today are subjective, logistical, and psychological ones. A couple involve physical sense but you can’t measure these with a blood draw or a lab scan. The only way to assess your standing is through some genuine self-experiment and honest soul-searching. Or by, in one case, running a mile. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/7/2017 • 9 minutes, 15 seconds
Bitters: A Primal Primer
I have a German friend who, after one of her fantastic meals, breaks out her Kräuter and fills aperitif glasses for everyone. To her it’s simply tradition. For the rest of us it’s a pleasant extension of her unmatched hospitality—and a welcome end to a heavy dinner. Digestive bitters have been used for centuries as a highly effective way to boost digestive capacity, and naturally occurring digestive compounds in foods have been an integral part of our ancestral diets since day one. My friend says bitters are the secret to a hearty constitution. Knowing the science—and seeing her example, I’m unlikely to argue there. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/7/2017 • 15 minutes, 37 seconds
6 Ways Primal Types Can Observe Halloween
I’ll take the holiday bait today. It’s true…with its emphasis on candy consumption, many Primal types feel lost on Halloween. They don’t know what to do with themselves. The costumes are fun, and being with friends is always a good time, but how should they react to all that sugar? It’s a hard thing. Luckily, today I have 6 ways you can observe Halloween while staying true to your Primal roots. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/2/2017 • 7 minutes, 6 seconds
#193: James DiNicolantonio, Pharm.D.
Elle Russ chats with James DiNicolantonio, Pharm.D., about his new book The Salt Fix. James is a cardiovascular research scientist and doctor of pharmacy at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri. A well-respected and internationally known scientist, and expert on health and nutrition, he has contributed extensively to health policy and has even testified in front of the Canadian Senate regarding the harms of added sugars. He serves as the Associate Editor of British Medical Journal’s (BMJ) Open Heart, a journal published in partnership with the British Cardiovascular Society. He is the author or coauthor of approximately 200 publications in the medical literature. He is also on the Editorial Advisory Board of several other medical journals, including Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases and International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology (IJCPT).
11/1/2017 • 45 minutes, 56 seconds
How Does the Keto Reset Fit Into the Primal Blueprint?
Today I’m going to address a big question some of you have been asking in the comment boards and via email: Where does the Primal Blueprint eating plan fit into the Keto Reset diet? It’s a good question. An expected one. It’s true that I’ve been focusing almost entirely on the Keto Reset in 2017. I’m passionate about it. I truly believe it can help almost everyone, and I want to get the word out to as many people as possible. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/26/2017 • 6 minutes, 49 seconds
#192: Joe De Sena & Mark Sisson
Mark Sisson chats with Joe De Sena—founder and CEO of Spartan Race, the world’s leading obstacle racing company. Joe has demonstrated his entrepreneurial drive since his pre-teens. From selling fireworks at age eight, to building a multimillion-dollar pool business in college, to creating a Wall Street trading firm, and now the world’s fastest growing sports movement, De Sena is a living definition of the word entrepreneur. Following a successful career on Wall Street, De Sena moved his family to Pittsfield, Vermont to operate an organic farm, a bed and breakfast, and a general store for hikers. It was here his passion grew for ultramarathons, adventure races, and endurance events; and thus the idea for the Spartan Race was born. With more than 200 events in 30+ countries planned for 2017, Spartan Race has more than 1 million global participants offering open heats for all fitness levels and ages, as well as competitive and elite heats. The company has more than 5 million passionate social media followers, health and wellness products, and two popular NBC television series, making obstacle racing one of the fastest growing sports—and lifestyles— in the world. As a leader in the sport, Spartan Race is the first obstacle racing company to feature timing and global rankings. Joe’s message of inspiration and personal transformation, combined with his status as a two-time New York Times Best Selling Author of Spartan Up and Spartan Fit, makes him a popular keynote speaker and public figure. Throughout his lifetime, Joe has competed in any extreme sports adventure he could find, testing his mental and physical endurance against nature. Joe turned an interest in endurance racing into a passion. His racing resume is the stuff of legend – over 50 ultra-events overall and 14 Ironman events in one year alone.
10/25/2017 • 41 minutes, 38 seconds
Gender Bias in Medical Research: How It Operates and Why It Matters
Some months ago the issue of gender bias in medical research came up on the comment board. It was certainly an issue I’d occasionally read about. But I’m also a proponent of lifestyle design and intervention. I don’t spend as much time as others on the nitty-gritty of medical treatment for good reason, but the conversation got me thinking. Maybe it was time for an article after all…. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/18/2017 • 15 minutes, 39 seconds
The Lowdown on Keto Side Effects: What’s Real, What’s Not, and What’s Helpful
With more people enthusiastic about the ketogenic diet comes more talk about potential adverse side effects. Upon closer examination, almost all of the complaints can be traced to a flawed approach. Granted, if you are coming to the game with significant metabolic damage from decades of carbohydrate dependency, or not paying attention to some common sense best practices, such as choosing healthy foods instead of blindly focusing on macros, you will likely struggle with something as stringent as keto. Let’s cover some of the common keto complaints being bantered about these days, examine what’s really going on, and discuss strategy for how to avoid any adverse side effects to going keto. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/18/2017 • 12 minutes, 7 seconds
#191: Dr. Steven Gundry
Elle Russ chats with Steven Gundry, M.D.—who during his 40-year medical career performed over 10,000 heart surgeries and developed patented, life-saving medical technology. After discovering key secrets to health 15 years ago, his mission is to prevent surgery by helping patients heal themselves through proper nutrition. His best-selling book from 2008, Dr. Gundry’s Diet Evolution, focused on specific diet principles for weight-loss and disease reversal. His second book, The Plant Paradox, further illuminates truths about hidden dangers of supposed "healthy" foods. Dr. Gundry founded Gundry MD in 2016—a wellness blog, YouTube channel and supplement company to achieve optimum vitality. He practices medicine at the International Heart & Lung Institute and Center for Restorative Medicine in Palm Springs and Santa Barbara, CA.
10/18/2017 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 41 seconds
7 Longevity Biomarkers to Track
Last year, I wrote about 10 of the most interesting predictors of longevity. Many of them were subjective, but, as we all know, the objective physiological processes that occur in the human body also predict how long we live. Luckily, we can measure most of them. Some are standard at doctor’s checkups. Some require more involved (and expensive) testing. Some you can complete yourself at home with simple household objects. But if you care at all about how well you’re doing in the longevity game, it’s worth paying attention to some of them. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/13/2017 • 10 minutes, 25 seconds
Enzyme Supplements: Uses, Suggestions, and Alternatives
Few would disagree that a Primal way of life advocates simplicity above all else. Nutritious foods, strategic movement, and an aversion to stress bordering on (healthy) obsession. This “simple is good” mentality works swimmingly most of the time. Aligning our lifestyle to our evolved biology allows us to achieve a modern semblance of that all-important homeostasis, and I generally see no reason to tinker if it ain’t broke. But, unfortunately, it’s not always black and white…. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/13/2017 • 15 minutes, 44 seconds
#190: Lynne McTaggart
Description: Elle Russ chats with Lynne McTaggart - one of the central voices in the new consciousness movement. Lynne is the award-winning author of seven books, including worldwide bestsellers The Field, The Intention Experiment, The Bond, and her latest book The Power of Eight. Lynne is consistently listed in the Watkins’ annual list of the 100 most spiritually influential people in the world. As Editorial Director of What Doctors Don’t Tell You (www.wddty.com), she publishes one of the world’s most highly praised health publications and runs highly popular health and spirituality teleconferences and workshops. For the third time, What Doctors Don’t Tell You has been awarded “Best” and “Most Popular” website of the year for health and wellbeing. Lynne is also the architect of the Intention Experiments, a web-based “global laboratory,” which was prominently featured in the plotline of Dan Brown’s blockbuster "The Lost Symbol.” Lynne is a member of both the Transformational Leadership Council, launched by Jack Canfield, and the Evolutionary Leaders, launched by Deepak Chopra. She has appeared in many documentaries on the science of spirituality, including “What the Bleep?!: Down the Rabbit Hole,” “The Living Matrix,” “I Am” and “The Abundance Factor.” She is a highly sought after public speaker, speaking at conferences and workshops around the world. Lynne and her husband, WDDTY co-founder Bryan Hubbard, live and work in London, UK. They have two adult daughters. For more information, visit LynneMcTaggart.com.
10/11/2017 • 58 minutes, 17 seconds
What I’ve Learned from Eating Abroad
I’ve been lucky enough to travel to interesting places. The trips I’ve taken in the last 10-15 years, during my “Primal period,” have been the most meaningful, rewarding, and downright enjoyable because I’ve been able to view other cultures and customs through the prism of health, nutrition, and human evolution. I bring something back every trip—a tip, an insight, an alteration of an existing conviction. Travel abroad isn’t just a good time. It’s educational. What have I learned eating abroad? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/10/2017 • 9 minutes, 20 seconds
Where I Part Ways with the Popular Keto Movement
The explosive growth of interest in the ketogenic diet has been a net good for the state of nutrition. For one, people have accepted the fact that eating fat won’t kill you, and they’re even getting clued into the benefits of eating it. But there are places where I part ways with the popular keto movement. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/4/2017 • 7 minutes, 48 seconds
#189: Mark Sisson
Elle Russ chats with Mark Sisson, bestselling author of The Primal Blueprint, a former world-class endurance athlete, and one of the leading voices of the Evolutionary Health Movement. His blog, MarksDailyApple.com, has paved the way for Primal enthusiasts to challenge conventional wisdom's diet and exercise principles and take personal responsibility for their health and well-being. Today's episode focuses on Marks NEW book, The Keto Reset Diet: Reboot Your Metabolism in 21 Days and Burn Fat Forever. Learn how to make perhaps the most profound health and weight loss boosting lifestyle change you will ever make by transforming your body from carbohydrate dependency to become a fat burning beast. In his new book, Mark Sisson reveals his proven effective ketogenic eating strategy for losing weight and improving health. When you go keto, you will reset your metabolism for effortless fat loss using a targeted ketogenic diet of high-fat, low-to-moderate protein, low-carb foods, and complementary lifestyle practices that help optimize metabolic and hormonal functions. Unlike other ketogenic plans, Sisson first teaches readers the real secret to rapid and sustained weight loss, which is in becoming "fat-adapted" before entering full nutritional ketosis. This process allows your body to learn to burn fat more efficiently, resulting in increased and sustained weight loss over the long-term. It takes as little as 21-days to reprogram your metabolism to burn fat for fuel, by ditching processed grains, sugars, and refined vegetable oils in favor of nutrient-dense, high fat, primal/paleo foods--and you'll see immediate results. Next, you’ll fine-tune with Intermittent Fasting and then foray into full ketogenic eating for a further weight loss boost and improved health. In this way, you will achieve the highest level of what Sisson calls metabolic flexibility—the key to health, weight control, and longevity. The Keto Reset Diet is the definitive guide to help the keto-beginner or the experienced health enthusiast understand the what, why, and how to succeed with ketogenic eating.
10/3/2017 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 35 seconds
9 Ways to Normalize Your Hormones
Today, I’m going to give you some tried and true methods for helping to normalize your endocrine health. These are things that apply to everyone, as far as I can tell. They won’t fix every problem, but they’re good places to start. Whether you’re a post-menopausal woman, a 21-year-old bodybuilder worried about overtraining, or a thyroid patient, these interventions can’t hurt and will probably help. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/29/2017 • 11 minutes, 54 seconds
Testosterone Supplementation: My Primal Take
After I turned 60, a routine checkup showed that I had lower-than-normal free testosterone levels. I hadn’t noticed anything that would have alerted me. No symptoms. No indication. Everything worked well. But it nagged at me. I knew testosterone did much more for a man’s health than just “build muscle”—which I had no real interest in at this point—so I decided to explore TRT, or testosterone replacement therapy. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/27/2017 • 7 minutes, 58 seconds
#188: Rohini Ross
Elle Russ chats with Rohini Ross - a Psychotherapist, Leadership Consultant, Transformative Coach and a regular blogger for the Huffington Post. She helps organizations, leaders, couples, and individuals to experience more wellbeing and greater success. Rohini was a faculty member in the University of Santa Monica’s Masters program in Spiritual Psychology from 2011 to 2016, and the former Executive Director of Operations for Vive Family Support Program. Rohini brings the richness of what she has learned about success, transformation and reinvention from her diverse life experience to her clients. She is constantly evolving in her own life and has gone from being a cultural geographer researching anthropological work about the Mayan’s in Guatemala to working as an international model in Europe, to becoming a psychotherapist, and then working as a coach and consultant. She has also been on her own personal healing journey both physically and emotionally using a holistic approach to health and emotional wellness. She lives with her husband of over twenty years, and her two teenage daughters in Topanga, CA. You can learn more about her work and sign up for her weekly blog at her website www.rohiniross.com.
9/27/2017 • 52 minutes, 55 seconds
6 Food Products I Love to Hate and 5 I Just Love
Any old time readers remember the Fuming Fuji? He was the lovable yet ornery food critic of early MDA who railed against chocolate milk, cocoa puffs, chicken fries, applesauce (he was seriously biased here), and frozen waffles. He’d get a little carried away, and we eventually had to put him down (ironically, by turning him into applesauce), but his heart was in the right place. Today, I’m paying homage to the Fuming Fuji by having a little fun with some of today’s more absurd food offerings. Then I’ll follow up with some that I’m enjoying these days. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/26/2017 • 8 minutes, 53 seconds
#187: Evan Brand
Elle Russ chats with Evan Brand—author, podcast host and Louisville, Kentucky-based Board-Certified Holistic Nutritionist, Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, Nutritional Therapist, and Personal Trainer. He is passionate about healing the chronic fatigue, obesity, and depression epidemics after solving his own IBS and depression issues. He uses at-home lab testing and customized supplement programs to find and fix the root cause of a wide range of health symptoms. His Not Just Paleo Podcast has over 6 million downloads and counting. He is the author of Stress Solutions, REM Rehab and The Everything Guide to Nootropics. He offers free 15-minute functional medicine phone consultations at his site EvanBrand.com
9/20/2017 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 11 seconds
What Primal Types Can Learn from Plant-Based Diets (and Dieters)
I joke around a lot and give them hell, but I have love and respect for plant-based diets and the people who eat them. These folks come at health from an entirely different place, and, it’s true, I don’t think their diets are optimal. I think they get a lot wrong. They often misconstrue what Primal is all about. I’ve even received threats from some of the less grounded members of the community, though I know that these are the outliers, the extremists, and I never took them seriously. But…I’d also suggest plant-based dieters get a lot right. More than you’d think. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/19/2017 • 10 minutes, 34 seconds
Why Am I Getting Low Ketone Readings on a Ketogenic Diet?
Even having finished and printed The Keto Reset, the quest for deeper understanding continues. I keep researching, thinking, revisiting, and discussing the science and practice of ketosis. My writing partner, Brad Kearns, and I maintain a running dialogue on all things keto. The latest conversation revolved around two very common questions or “problems” that keep coming up in the ketogenic community.Why do some people on a keto diet blow high numbers of ketones while others eating the same way blow low numbers? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/13/2017 • 10 minutes, 2 seconds
#186: Craig Ballantyne
Elle Russ chats with Craig Ballantyne—author of two books, The Great Cardio Myth and The Perfect Day Formula. He has been contributing to Men's Health Magazine since 2000, when he also created the revolutionary home workout program, Turbulence Training. On his journey to success, Craig had helped over 151,000 men and women use his 5 Pillars of Transformation to lose 20-50 pounds in his 12-Week Transformation Contest programs. You can read his daily essays on success, productivity, and health at EarlyToRise.com.
9/13/2017 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 37 seconds
9 Factors That Influence Testosterone Levels
In the last several weeks testosterone has come up on a pretty regular basis. I’ve written about it before, of course, but there’s something about the novel elements (e.g. solar irradiation for certain choice body parts) in recent conversations that’s kept the exchange going. I thought I’d pull back from the peripheral findings a bit today and re-center the discussion. As you know, testosterone plays a pivotal role not just for libido levels (although we won’t leave that out), but also for bone density, protein synthesis and muscle building, hair growth, estrogen production, red blood cell production, sperm production—amid other key functions in the body (for men and women by the way). So, what are some factors that influence testosterone levels for the better and worse for both genders? What are the mechanisms behind these associations? And how do they relate to a healthy Primal life? Let’s dig in… (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/12/2017 • 15 minutes, 40 seconds
8 Tips for Cooking Vegetables
This spring when I asked what nutrition topics folks would be interested in reading about on the blog, the subject of vegetables came up repeatedly. Specifically, several readers wanted more ideas for how to cook them—with a mind to preserving (or enhancing) both nutrition and taste. As much as I love my big-ass salads, I get it. Sometimes you need to mix it up, and moving toward the cooler seasons only underscores the point. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/12/2017 • 10 minutes, 47 seconds
#185: Diana Keuilian
Elle Russ chats with Diana Keuilian - the author of the best selling cookbooks The Recipe Hacker and Recipe Hacker Confidential. She's passionate about removing the gluten, dairy, soy, grains, and cane sugar from traditional comfort food recipes like cake, tacos, cookies, waffles, and enchiladas. You can visit her popular blog RealHealthyRecipes.com, where she shares hundreds of delicious recipes with mouthwatering photos.
9/6/2017 • 22 minutes, 30 seconds
#184: Mark Sisson & Elle Russ
Mark Sisson chats with Elle Russ about her book The Paleo Thyroid Solution - Elle also gives some recent updates on her personal thyroid healing journey. The Paleo Thyroid Solution dispels outdated, conventional thyroid wisdom still practiced by uninformed doctors, and provides the in-depth guidance necessary to solve hypothyroidism, achieve vibrant health, and optimize thyroid fat-burning hormone metabolism. Over 200 million people worldwide and over 25 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease, but 60% are undiagnosed and unaware of their condition. Undiagnosed or mistreated hypothyroidism can put people at risk for serious conditions, such as: depression, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, gynecological issues (infertility/miscarriages/fibroids/PCOS etc.), hormonal imbalances, adrenal fatigue, anemia, and other diseases. The Paleo Thyroid Solution provides the only lifestyle and weight loss plan specifically targeted for maximizing thyroid hormone metabolism in harmony with paleo/primal/ancestral health principles. Elle Russ is a writer, coach and host of the Primal Blueprint Podcast. She is becoming the leading voice of thyroid health in the burgeoning Paleo, Primal, Ancestral Health movements. Originally from downtown Chicago, Elle lives and plays in Malibu, CA. You can learn more about her at elleruss.com. Elle wrote The Paleo Thyroid Solution after consulting with over two dozen endocrinologists, internal medicine specialists, and general practice MDs...but her thyroid condition was only getting worse - and nothing from doctors resembled a solution, or even hope. Exasperated and desperate, Elle took control of her own health and resolved two severe bouts of hypothyroidism on her own – including an acute Reverse T3 problem. Through a devoted paleo/primal lifestyle, intensive personal experimentation, and a radically modified approach to thyroid hormone replacement therapy…Elle went from fat, foggy, and fatigued – to fit, focused, and full of life!
8/30/2017 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 26 seconds
Two Final (and Favorite) Adaptogens: Rhodiola Rosea and Bacopa Monnieri
I’ve taken up the subject of adaptogens over the last several weeks, and today I’m wrapping it up with two of my favorites: Rhodiola rosea and Bacopa monnieri. Primal aficionados from way back will know that I’m a big fan of Rhodiola rosea. It’s an integral component of one of the original Primal Blueprint supplements, Primal Calm. It’s a formula I put together for my own needs and eventually decided to offer in the supplement line. (That seems to be how I come up with things, I suppose….) I’ve written in the past about stress being one of the issues I’m still working on in my Primal life, and adaptogens have been a useful tool I’ve employed. Living with an ancestral template doesn’t preclude being scientifically resourceful. But let’s dig into these final two players…. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/29/2017 • 18 minutes, 34 seconds
Is Keto Bad for the Thyroid?
Keto is fantastic, everyone says. It’s a great way to lose weight, improve cognition, and stave off degenerative disease. It may help your performance in the gym and on the track. It could even give Grandpa some respite from Alzheimer’s. But it’s hell on your thyroid. Right? Keto detractors and proponents alike often warn that remaining in ketosis will tank your thyroid. The thyroid’s an important gland, exerting major influence over essential systems like fertility, energy, metabolism, body temperature regulation, blood lipids, and general wellness. It controls the metabolic rate of every organ in the body. We want it working well, so this is a major blow to keto—if the criticism holds true. Fortunately, there’s much more to this story. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/23/2017 • 7 minutes, 47 seconds
#183: Elizabeth Baldwin-Lodge
Elle Russ chats with Elizabeth Baldwin-Lodge about her new book, Simple Suggestions to Nourish the Mind, Body, and Spirit - a guide to help readers feel happy every day. Baldwin-Lodge offers insights into nourishing knowledge and inspiration, and provides activities to enhance thought and feelings of joy. Baldwin-Lodge was inspired to write the book after two failed celebrity marriages. She explains, “The first marriage was to one of the famous Baldwin brothers and the second marriage was to one of the sons of, the famous rock and roll band, The Moody Blues.” While seemingly having everything, Baldwin-Lodge felt a void in her life. It was not until she found happiness within herself, by changing her thoughts through the art of simple suggestion, that she understood the process that happiness comes from. In the book, Baldwin-Lodge shares the tools she used to help guide herself toward a feeling of well-being when she was trapped in negative thought patterns. Elizabeth Baldwin-Lodge is an actress, interior designer and family-proclaimed fabulous chef. Baldwin-Lodge achieved her childhood dream of moving to Hollywood and becoming an actress. Her television and film credits include “Days of Our Lives,” “The Hogan Family,” “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “Mike Hammer Private Eye” and “Watercolor Postcards.” Baldwin-Lodge also designs residential interiors and was voted one of the Design Minds of the Year in 2010. She has received several other design awards of distinction. Elizabeth Baldwin-Lodge received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Theater Arts from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.
8/23/2017 • 34 minutes, 15 seconds
CrossFit Training: How to Support Overall Wellness and Longevity with Primal
There are some who hold the view that at birth, each of us is allotted a finite supply of energy which exercise depletes, thus hastening our demise. An intense regimen like CrossFit, in this paradigm, would hasten a person’s demise. That’s wrong, of course. Those who remain sedentary their entire lives often have short, miserable ones, while regular exercisers enjoy better health throughout their time on earth. Exercise has real potential to prolong life and compress morbidity. But it is a major stressor that, if applied incorrectly or excessively, can reduce health and overall wellness. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/17/2017 • 9 minutes, 16 seconds
Is There a Problem with Weight Loss Culture?
The article doesn’t come to a neat conclusion. There’s no prescription at the end. It meanders. It explores. It’s messy. I think that’s exactly how most people feel when trying to tackle this diet/health/bodyweight/eating thing: confused, lost, conflicted, overwhelmed.Go look at the comment section from the article, and you’ll see that pretty much everyone got something different from it. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/16/2017 • 7 minutes, 33 seconds
#182: Ben Greenfield
Elle Russ chats with Ben Greenfield - a biohacker, human body and brain performance coach, ex-bodybuilder, Ironman triathlete, professional Spartan athlete, anti-aging consultant, speaker and author of the New York Times Bestseller Beyond Training: Mastering Endurance, Health and Life and creator of the Christian Gratitude Journal. In 2008, Ben was voted as NSCA’s Personal Trainer of the year, in 2013 and 2014 was named by Greatist as one of the top 100 Most Influential People In Health And Fitness, and Ben's articles, podcast and videos reach over a million unique views each month.
8/16/2017 • 58 minutes, 19 seconds
Adaptogens: Maca Root, Sea Buckthorn Oil, and Schisandra
I’ve covered a number of adaptogens over the past few months including American and Asian ginseng, ashwagandha, astragalus, and holy basil—and for good reason. They offer an effective means to combat stress as well as boost health and performance from a number of angles. I’ve enjoyed experimenting with many of them and even use some on a regular basis. I thought I’d continue the series with a look at 3 additional adaptogens: maca, sea buckthorn, and schisandra. See what you think. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/15/2017 • 16 minutes, 54 seconds
CrossFit Training: How Going Primal Will Enhance Recovery
Exercise is a major stressor. But it’s a major acute stressor, rather than a chronic one. It hits us, then it’s over, and we recover. When the next session rolls around, we’re better/faster/stronger/fitter. We adapt. At least, that’s how exercise is supposed to go if you have enough buffer time between sessions. Most people do provide enough buffer time between their exercise sessions to promote recovery. Many provide too much, leading to detraining. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/11/2017 • 10 minutes, 58 seconds
#181: Brad Kearns & Elle Russ Part II
Elle Russ chats with Primal Endurance Podcast host Brad Kearns for the second part of the Primal Endurance Online Mastery course discussion about how Primal-style eating integrates into endurance training goals. Becoming fat adapted through dietary transformation can actually make you a faster endurance athlete, by improving your ability to burn stored fat for energy. Eating a high carbohydrate diet and training in chronic patterns can make you overstressed, inflamed, and carrying excess body fat despite devoted attention to training. What's more, the traditional "struggle and suffer" approach to endurance training can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease! Even if you are walking around as a fit and ripped specimen, bad things happen inside your body when you are in the carbohydrate dependency training paradigm. Slow down your cardio workouts, ditch grains, sugars, and refined vegetable oils. All these topics and more are carefully organized in the Primal Endurance online course to give you the most comprehensive education on endurance training ever created. Check it all out at primalendurance.fit (including the introductory discount and special bonus offer).
8/9/2017 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 36 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Bone Broth Benefits
I’ve been writing about bone broth for a long time. I’ve been drinking it even longer. I’m not sure you can get anything much more primal than a heap of bones cooked for hours into rich, gelatinous glory. Ritual and taste aside, however, I count quality bone broth as an important supplemental food. The copious health benefits are simply too substantial to pass up. Some of you, I know, are bone broth fans—a few even connoisseurs. You’ve been making your own for decades, maybe with recipes you learned in your grandparents’ kitchen. But what does the average Primal type need to know about bone broth? What goes into making it? What are the distinct health advantages? Are there risks or downsides? What are the alternatives? Finally, what about some recipes? I’m glad you asked…. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/4/2017 • 17 minutes, 56 seconds
CrossFit Training: How to Add Mass and Build Strength with Primal
Gaining mass and building strength while CrossFitting should be a breeze. You’re lifting heavy things using compound full-body movements like squats, deadlifts, and presses, providing a potent growth stimulus to your muscles. Yet, many people fall short of their goals, perhaps losing weight and improving performance but failing to really gain any real muscle or strength. Today, I’m going to explain how going Primal can help you achieve both goals. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/4/2017 • 10 minutes, 19 seconds
#180: Brad Kearns & Elle Russ Part I
Primal Blueprint Podcast hostess Elle Russ joins Primal Endurance Podcast host Brad Kearns in Malibu to discuss the release of the long-awaited Primal Endurance Online Mastery Course. This ambitious project is a comprehensive multimedia educational experience that essentially brings the book Primal Endurance to life through videos, eBooks and audio presentations. In this part 1 podcast, Brad and Elle discuss the importance of slowing down to develop an aerobic base and avoiding overstress patterns; the importance of an intuitive approach, instead of a robotic, regimented approach; and how an evolved and pure approach to endurance goals can carry over into peak performance and happiness in all other areas of life. Brad's online course features over 120 videos covering every aspect of the book content as well as in-depth interviews with many of the world's leading endurance athletes, coaches, and scientific and medical experts. All these topics and more are carefully organized in the Primal Endurance online course to give you the most comprehensive education on endurance training ever created. Check it all out at primalendurance.fit (including the introductory discount and special bonus offer).
8/2/2017 • 50 minutes, 56 seconds
CrossFit Training: How to Lose Fat with Primal
CrossFit is well-known for leaning people out. But there’s also a small but significant portion of people who struggle to lose body fat despite—or perhaps because of—hitting the box religiously and doing all the workouts. This post is for them. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/27/2017 • 11 minutes, 5 seconds
Stop Obsessing Over the Numbers
My friend, former co-competitor, business partner, and writing buddy Brad Kearns had been on a “Quantified Self” kick, tracking biomarkers, testing blood sugar and ketone levels, and staying abreast of all the various ways we can quantitatively check our progress. He’s months into a ketogenic experiment and had hoped to marry his subjective impressions to objective measurements to strengthen his intuition and improve his results. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/27/2017 • 7 minutes, 40 seconds
#179: Thor Conklin
Thor Conklin is an Entrepreneur, Profitability Consultant and host of his daily podcast, Peak Performers Podcast. 2017 marks his 17th year as an entrepreneur. The first company Thor created was a global risk management consulting firm that served the private equity community. His top 15 clients had a combined revenue of $12.7 billion USD and operated in over 100 countries worldwide. Thor has started, bought and sold several multi-million dollar businesses making him a sought after, cross-industrial resource for entrepreneurs and executives in all stages of business. Thor lives a Paleo lifestyle and believes achieving optimum health is a critical co-factor in business success and becoming a Peak Performer. Thor has a talent for slicing through the noise of every day distractions and bringing his clients and audiences intellectual commodities like his: “Ultimate Success Map”, a simplistic, easy-to- follow guide for individuals who need to break through to the next level of achievement. Thor’s gritty, no nonsense and direct approach uncovers the real truth about what is holding people and organizations back from realizing their full potential. He can illuminate even the most successful and confident leader’s limiting beliefs. He is known as the Accountability & Execution Guy. Through his latest venture, Peak Performance Group, he teaches the tools, tips, tricks, psychology and strategies necessary to be a Peak Performer. He qualifies the psychology of success in one word: “Execution”! “Nothing you’ve learned matters – unless you can EXECUTE”!
7/26/2017 • 55 minutes, 16 seconds
5 Non-Dietary Factors That Influence Your Microbiome
Our goal, then, is to improve our microbiological real estate in the many areas of the body that commensal and symbiotic bacterial like to put down roots—the gut, mouth, lungs, skin, reproductive organs, and so on. The average Primal enthusiast is well-versed with the role of food choices and smart supplementation (although research is always uncovering new wrinkles—more on this to come). I thought I’d give a little attention to some of the other basic practices that can influence microbial diversity and homeostasis. There are more answers and nuances than I can cover today, but let’s start with some of the fundamentals. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/25/2017 • 13 minutes, 43 seconds
CrossFit’s Criticisms: How Do I Keep Energy Levels High on Primal?
Over the past two posts in this series, I’ve explained how a Primal way of eating can not only support a heavy CrossFit schedule, but elevate it. Today, I’m going to explain how going Primal can help fix a common complaint among CrossFitters: fatigue. No energy. No pep. A distinct lack of physical and psychological motivation to train, let alone hit PRs. This doesn’t just make it hard to finish workouts and make gains. It bleeds into the rest of your life and makes that worse, too. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/24/2017 • 10 minutes, 22 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Children’s Nutrition
I’ve gotten a lot of requests for a post about children’s nutrition, so it’s long overdue. When it comes down to brass tacks, kids really are just small people. They aren’t a different species. They use the same nutrients their parents do. They need protein, fat, and glucose just like us. So in that sense, feeding kids is simple: Give them all the nutritious foods you already eat and know to be healthy. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/19/2017 • 19 minutes, 13 seconds
#178: Aarn Farmer
Aarn Farmer has been a frugal blogger for over seven years at GroceryShopforFREE.com and GroceryShopforFREEatTheMart.com. At 40 years old he was over 400 lbs, had a blood pressure of 200/160 and was diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome. His wife was also more than 100 lbs overweight and had Type II Diabetes. As he looked for a way to get his health under control, he found out that weight loss was primarily controlled by hormones and not calorie restriction as he previously thought. After more than two years of a low carb diet, followed by a ketogenic diet, Aarn has lost over 175 lbs, dramatically lowered his blood pressure, and no longer has Metabolic Syndrome. His wife has also lost over 100 lbs and no longer has Type II Diabetes. Aarn shares his story at MySugarFreeJourney.com where he blogs about how insulin is the main hormone responsible for weight gain and teaches how to eat a healthy diet while being frugal.
7/19/2017 • 51 minutes, 6 seconds
8 Primal Grilling Tips and Techniques
First off, let’s settle one thing right away. Grilling is not the same as barbecuing. Barbecue means big cuts of meat cooked low and slow. Depending on the animal, it can be an all-day affair with hours of preparation and plenty of leisure. In other words, it’s an actual event. With the time and labor intensity, barbecuing (as Michael Pollan put it so well recently) is the stuff of primal ritual, the site of social cohesion in our evolutionary story. Grilling, on the other hand, offers the smoke and fire experience without the bigger doings. While not as idyllic a prospect, it’s convenient. It means throwing a steak on the grill after work and eating it 20 minutes later. That’s the beauty of grilling. It’s relatively quick, requires very little clean up, and let’s you kick back outdoors while cooking dinner. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/18/2017 • 7 minutes, 32 seconds
Need to Know Factors for Bone Health
Considering how essential bones are to our existence, it’s surprising how most people take them for granted. A lifetime of neglect can suddenly reveal to us just how sensitive and integral this living framework is. Yet, there’s so much more to this truth than we commonly assume. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/13/2017 • 7 minutes, 37 seconds
#177: Dr. Loretta Breuning
Elle Russ Chats with Loretta Breuning, PhD - Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute, which helps people manage the brain chemicals we’ve inherited from our earliest ancestors. She's author of Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain your brain to boost your serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and endorphin levels, and The Science of Positivity: Stop Negative Thought Patterns By Changing Your Brain Chemistry. She’s Professor Emerita of Management at California State University, East Bay - and the mother of tax-paying adults.
7/12/2017 • 33 minutes, 24 seconds
CrossFit’s Criticism: How Do I Eat Enough Carbs on Primal?
By far the single most common criticism levied against paleo by CrossFitters is that it’s too damn difficult to eat enough carbs to maintain performance during workouts. There is definitely truth there. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/6/2017 • 8 minutes, 56 seconds
Hair Loss: Looking beyond Genetics
Conventional wisdom teaches us to accept our fate when it comes to hair loss. “Runs in the family,” we’re often told—and sometimes it does (but that’s usually not the full story). “It’s just part of getting older,” people say, too—and there we again find only partial truth at best. But the Primal path is one of thoughtful scrutiny, not blind acceptance. While most people would file hair loss under aesthetic concerns (ranging from neutral to negative depending on social norms and personal views), it’s not always that innocuous. Let’s look today the bigger picture behind hair loss and the situations in which it signifies a genuine health concern. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/5/2017 • 12 minutes, 21 seconds
Are CrossFit and Primal Compatible?
Back when they were infants, CrossFit and paleo were the best of friends. Robb Wolf was giving CrossFit nutrition seminars. CF boxes were running paleo challenges and offering meal plans to clients. Tens of thousands of people were introduced to paleo through CrossFit and CrossFit through paleo. Over time, however, they drifted apart. CrossFit met and fell in with the Zone Diet—a calm, well-mannered lad with impeccable balance, and paleo’s dad got a job in another city. They ended up going to different schools. These things happen. It’s fine. Both CrossFit and paleo are better versions of themselves for having met each other. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/5/2017 • 8 minutes, 37 seconds
#176: Mark Sisson & Derek Flanzraich
Mark Sisson chats with Derek Flanzraich—an entrepreneur on a mission to give everyone a "healthyish" attitude. He is the CEO & Founder of Greatist, a next-generation media startup working to make healthy living cool and build a truly trusted consumer-facing healthy living brand. Greatist reaches more than 10 million unique visitors per month. Flanzraich was previously with Clicker.com (acquired by CBS) and NBC Universal's Digital Entertainment Strategy & Operations, graduated from Harvard, and has been building brands and organizations that last since his dog-walking business at 10 years old. Besides everything health and wellness, he also loves theme parks and theme bars.
7/5/2017 • 52 minutes, 12 seconds
More on Adaptogens: Ashwagandha, Astragalus, and Holy Basil
Last week I waded into the adaptogen theme, examining the many ins and not-so-many outs of American and Asian ginseng. It got me thinking—why not keep the ball rolling? The ginseng varieties I mentioned are only two among many adaptogens after all. Let’s dive right in and take up three additional adaptogen choices—along with some additional suggestions for discerning the safest and most potent formulations. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/29/2017 • 18 minutes, 51 seconds
Coconut Oil Is Going to Kill Us All (or Maybe Not…)
I was beginning to rest on my laurels. It had been months since the inbox had flooded with upset readers asking me to address the latest episode of the conventional establishment’s attack on healthy food and living. Until last week, when people starting freaking out about the American Heart Association’s attack on coconut oil. As USAToday put it, “Coconut oil isn’t healthy. It’s never been healthy.” (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/28/2017 • 7 minutes, 53 seconds
#175: Cassie Parks
Cassie Parks loves the ocean, dancing for no reason and the power of possibly. Her best-selling books include the topics of money, business and lifestyle design. She is a mentor for those who want to turn their wildest dreams into their dreams come true. She is the host of the podcast Happy Ever After and the co-host of the Manifest it Now show on the Law of Attraction Radio Network. Other highlights include speaking at TAI talks and being a real estate investor who retired at 32. She is the creator of the Manifest $10K Course and the Double Your Business Workshop. Her forthcoming magazine is called Possible. Cassie loves to travel, being with those she loves and laughing a lot.
6/28/2017 • 50 minutes, 50 seconds
Adaptogen Effects: American and Asian Ginseng
I’ve been using adaptogens for quite some time, but in the last year I’ve been experimenting a little more with them. You may have caught my mention of a few adaptogenic varieties in one version of my daily big ass salad (not for a flavor hit). I’ve also briefly highlighted ashwagandha and holy basil, and I’ve always been a big believer (and user) of Rhodiola rosea for normalizing stress response. All well and good. But what’s the backstory on adaptogens? What is there to gain? And what about the other options? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/22/2017 • 16 minutes, 36 seconds
#174: Amy Berger
Elle Russ chats with Amy Berger, MS, CNS, NTP - a Certified Nutrition Specialist and Nutritional Therapy Practitioner about her new book The Alzheimer's Antidote: Using a Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet to Fight Alzheimer’s Disease, Memory Loss, and Cognitive Decline. She is a US Air Force veteran who now specializes in using low-carbohydrate nutrition to help people reclaim their vitality. You can read her blog at www.tuitnutrition.com, where she writes about a wide range of health and nutrition-related topics, such as insulin, metabolism, weight loss, thyroid function, and more.
6/22/2017 • 32 minutes, 8 seconds
Is Keto for Everyone?—Cautions, Caveats, and Contraindications
In a few months, I’ll be releasing a book extolling the virtues of a ketogenic diet. I’m currently several months into a ketogenic experiment, which is going well. I just wrote a Definitive Guide explaining why you should consider going keto. I’m on record as stating that everyone should dip into ketosis from time to time. You’d think I’d recommend that everyone go keto. Right? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/21/2017 • 10 minutes, 19 seconds
My 16 Favorite Fat Sources
Going ketogenic has made me hone in on my fat sources even more than before. This is an essential practice for anyone seriously pursuing a ketogenic diet. As fat will comprise the majority of your calories, you need to maximize the nutrition you’ll obtain from the fats you choose.
6/14/2017 • 12 minutes, 7 seconds
#173: Tero Isokauppila
Elle Russ chat with Tero Isokauppila, the founder of Four Sigmatic, is on a mission to make medicinal mushrooms, some of the world’s most researched superfoods, more accessible to everyone. Born in Finland to an agronomist father and nursing teacher mother, Tero grew up on a farm his family has owned since 1619. There, he foraged for mushrooms and other wild foods while learning about the natural food space at an early age. Following his early education on the farm, Tero later completed a Degree in Chemistry and a Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University. In 2006, he won a Finnish innovation award for discovering that the sought-after Japanese culinary matsutake mushrooms also grow in Finland. Tero is a reputable source on superfoods, an expert on natural health and has been a featured speaker at Summit Series, Wanderlust and WME-IMG. Tero has lived in eight countries on three continents. He has a strong personal interest in health and wellness, which includes activities like making raw chocolate and practicing yin yoga. He has also recently taken up a unique practice of napping on a nail mat, which is a modern form of acupressure and helps to energize his busy life. Tero founded Four Sigmatic in 2012 and its products are now sold in over 25 countries. In 2015, the company launched in the U.S. and relocated its headquarters to Los Angeles, California. Four Sigmatic’s functional mushroom coffees, hot cacaos and elixirs are sold at retailers nationwide, including Whole Foods and other natural grocers, as well as online at FourSigmatic.com and through online health websites like Thrive Market. Tero is a reputable source on superfoods, an expert on natural health and has been a featured speaker for example at Summit Series, Wanderlust, Further Future, Culinary Nutrition Conference, and WME-IMG. Tero was also chosen as one of the world's TOP 50 Food Activists by the Academy of Culinary Nutrition.
6/14/2017 • 40 minutes, 54 seconds
Cool Things You Notice Happening Once You Start to Lose Weight
Most people come to the Primal Blueprint because they want to lose weight. Ask any purveyor of a specific diet and they’ll say much the same thing. The majority of people are interested in dropping body fat, looking good naked, and fitting into their clothes. The interest in overall health, fitness, and lifestyle tends to develop organically out of that. Come for the weight loss, stay for the blue-blocking goggles. There’s a tendency to view weight loss as superficial compared to the other stuff. That’s a mistake. Weight loss isn’t just about belt notches and positive experiences with mirrors. It confers measurable and, most importantly, tangible benefits to health, happiness, and daily functionality almost immediately. Fat loss, it turns out, isn’t a flighty pursuit. It solves a lot of serious problems and makes some really cool things happen. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/13/2017 • 7 minutes, 33 seconds
ACEs and Primal Health
It’s fair to say that I gravitate towards tangible, actionable subject matter when it comes to improving my own and others’ health. Things like nutrition, fitness, sleep, hormonal responses, and supplement science may seem like a lot to chew on for the layperson, but these are my personal passions as well as my long-time profession. And while these are certainly the big, actionable players in the game of health, I fully acknowledge there may be more lurking behind the scenes than we realize. A body that refuses to heal no matter how Primal you eat. Stubborn health conditions that simply refuse to fully go away, despite all the changes you make in your life. A propensity for disease that defies everything you’ve learned about ancestral nutrition and wellness. An intriguing new angle in the health sphere suggests the hurdle for some people may be embedded deeper than outer changes can access. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/8/2017 • 17 minutes, 30 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Keto
I use my Los Angeles surroundings as a barometer for changes in the mainstream approach to health, and it holds up quite well. Silicon Valley can claim to be the cradle of technology, but L.A. is definitely the cradle of diet and fitness trends; and the latest is most definitely keto. At the local cafe where every species of Malibu fitness enthusiast gathers to gossip and fuel up, I’m seeing fewer gels and energy bars, and way more butter coffees and discarded packets of the new powdered ketone supplement products. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/7/2017 • 21 minutes, 15 seconds
#172: Marla Sarris
Elle Russ chats with PaleoPorn.com co-founder Marla Sarris. After dedicating six years to teaching at one of the nation's top high schools, Marla left her career to pursue a healthier, sustainable lifestyle. She discovered paleo in 2009 and continues to indulge her passion for teaching through PaleoPorn.com and her cookbooks - Pigskin Paleo and the upcoming Paleo MX (Authentic Paleo Mexican Recipes). When she's not in the kitchen, Marla makes up one-third of SPYR, a brand development agency. She is Executive Producer of the #1 indie documentary of 2016, Minimalism: A Documentary About The Important Things and co-creator of the meditation course Week of Zen. Use code Primal20 for 20% off the Week of Zen course.
6/7/2017 • 54 minutes, 16 seconds
7 Alternative Therapies for Depression
As I discussed last month, depression is the yin to anxiety’s yang. Between these two troublemakers, they’ve got dark clouds hanging over both the past and the future, making the present moment complicated at best (and for some people unbearable). Taken as a human composite, it’s an unfortunate trade-off for being cognitively complex. As individuals, however, we naturally just want a solution. The problem is, there’s just so many confounding factors surrounding depression that it’s hard to know where to start. Your mind is an infinitely complex latticework of moving parts; one which continues to baffle and divide the scientific community. How does a practitioner prescribe suitable treatments for a problem they don’t fully comprehend? And, yet, medical science often (and perhaps inevitably) works with incomplete information. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/1/2017 • 12 minutes, 43 seconds
Summer Reset: 30 Days, 30 Actions
At the onset of our annual 21-Day Challenge this past January, I offered up a post that proposed thinking small—“41 Primal Action Items and Individual Experiments for Success in 2017.” The idea here wasn’t shrinking our scope to the exclusion of big visioning, but homing in on the day to day aims we can set for ourselves that make the big changes happen. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/31/2017 • 7 minutes, 43 seconds
#171: Genevieve Howland
Elle Russ chats with Genevieve Howland, author of The Mama Natural: Week to Week Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth - the modern (and yet ancient) approach to pregnancy and childbirth. “Natural” recognizes that pregnancy and birth are normal, and that having a baby is a wondrous biological process and rite of passage—not a medical condition. Full of weekly advice and tips, Howland covers vital pregnancy nutrition, natural remedies for common concerns, as well as the appropriate (and inappropriate) use of medical interventions. Peppered throughout are positive birth and pregnancy stories from women of all backgrounds (and all stages of their natural journey) along with advice and insights from a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) plus a Registered Nurse (RN), doula, and lactation consultant. With over sixty million views on her YouTube channel, Genevieve Howland’s funny but informational videos have empowered millions of women to embrace natural pregnancy and parenting.
5/31/2017 • 51 minutes, 2 seconds
6 Primal-Minded Reasons to Hit the Farmers Market This Weekend
With Memorial Day come and gone, we’re rounding the corner to summer. Even in the northern-most regions of the country, farmers markets are back (if they ever closed where you live). Ten years ago when I started MDA, they were still a rarity in most parts of the country, but times have changed. Farmers markets aren’t just about local, seasonal produce. Sure, that’s a great reason to show up every week, but I’d argue also for some of the less noted (in some cases even less tangible) benefits of hitting these markets. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/30/2017 • 7 minutes, 15 seconds
10 Tips to Boost Your Serotonin
Serotonin is a major regulator of mood and depression risk. These are important, vital roles, to be sure. Your mood describes how you experience and interpret the world. If it’s consistently bad, you’regoing to have a rough time. Yet, serotonin is much more than the “feel-good hormone.” It also influences sexual desire and helps us remember. It’s the precursor to melatonin, the neurotransmitter that allows us to sleep. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/24/2017 • 7 minutes, 38 seconds
#170: Sarah Ballantyne, Ph.D.
Mark Sisson chats with Sarah Ballantyne, Ph.D. about her newest book Paleo Principles. Sarah is the creator of the award-winning online resource ThePaleoMom.com, cohost of the syndicated top-rated The Paleo View Podcast; New York Times bestselling author of The Paleo Approach, The Paleo Approach Cookbook and The Healing Kitchen, and creator of the online program Go To Bed. Sarah earned her doctorate degree in medical biophysics at the age of 26 and spent the next four years doing research on critical care medicine, innate immunity, gene therapy and cell biology, earning a variety of awards for research excellence along the way. Sarah’s transition from academic researcher to stay-at-home mom to award-winning and internationally-recognized health advocate and educator was driven by her own health journey, which included losing 120 pounds and using both diet and lifestyle to mitigate and reverse a dozen diagnosed health conditions. As a scientist both by training and by nature, Sarah is deeply interested in understanding how the foods we eat interact with our gut barriers, immune systems, and hormones to influence health. Sarah’s innate curiosity goes further than just understanding diet and she is also deeply interested in the impact of lifestyle factors like sleep, stress and activity. Her passion for scientific literacy and her talent for distilling scientific concepts into straightforward and accessible explanations form the foundation of her work and her dedication to improving public health. Learn more by checking out Sarah’s website, podcast and books. You can also find Sarah on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
5/23/2017 • 51 minutes, 58 seconds
8 Primal-Friendly Flours
While I don’t recommend making Primalized versions of grain-based foods a staple, the fact remains that people love them. They’re going to want them. There’s not much you can do about that. And if we want to incorporate pancakes, muffins, cookies, and other flour-based items into our diets without ruining everything we’ve worked toward, we need the healthiest, most Primal flours. The alternative flour market has exploded in recent years. A decade ago, you had gritty almond flour and fibrous coconut flour, and that was about it. Today, there are many more flours to sift through. But what are the best ones? Which ones fit best into a Primal way of eating, and why? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/23/2017 • 11 minutes, 40 seconds
How Your Oral Biome Influences Your Overall Health
In response to my post on oral health a few weeks ago, one reader offered a comment about the oral biome, and it’s a worthy follow-up, I’d say. The human oral cavity is home to hundreds of microorganisms. Latest estimates place the number of bacterial species in your mouth at close to 700, with the odd fungus, protozoa and even virus thrown in for good measure. This oral microbiome isn’t a whole lot different than that of our gut, but where things get interesting is when we consider the diverse range of habitats within the mouth: teeth, tongue, cheeks, gums, tonsils. All provide different living conditions for those microorganisms that colonize them, but that diversity of habitats also encourages a diversity of species. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/18/2017 • 16 minutes, 49 seconds
7 Reasons to Love Wheat
Wheat gets a bad rap in the alternative health sphere, receiving blame from all sides. Today, I’m here to provide the other side. Today, I’m going to give you seven solid reasons to love wheat, ranging from its effects on the environment, its role in the foundation of the American republic, its effect on gut bacteria and your health, its ability to stamp out hatred, its protective role in the lives of Bronze Age Chinese women, and its status as an enduring symbol of human rights and prosperity. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/17/2017 • 10 minutes, 12 seconds
#169: Adam & Vanessa Lambert
Elle Russ chats about living an expanded life with Adam & Vanessa Lambert - both exceptional paleo health and lifestyle coaches who make a uniquely formidable team. Adam’s knowledge is rooted in research, and he approaches wellness largely from a scientific perspective. Vanessa is more of an experiential learner who relies on intuition and feeling in her coaching practice. Together, these pros have all the bases of the wellness picture covered—which is why they appeal to such a broad and diverse spectrum of clients. Through Bee The Wellness and its diversity of programs and offerings, Adam and Vanessa leverage their incredible wealth of knowledge to help clients make real, manageable changes that are sustainable for life. They are known for their non-judgmental point of view, caring nature, passion, and commitment to helping people achieve their own personal formula for success. These traits are what truly make them a one-of-a-kind wellness team. Use the code "primal" to receive a 10% discount on the Bee The Wellness 2017 Costa Rica Retreat.
5/17/2017 • 55 minutes, 4 seconds
How Should We Harness Behavioral Economics for Better Health?
As much as humans think they’re objective beings whose every decision emerges from cold logical calculation, we’re just irrational, emotional animals. That’s why stories and anecdotes are more convincing than facts, why people fear losing money twice as much as they enjoy making it, and why the guy making $100k per year feels poor if his neighbors make twice that. This kind of phenomenon is best explained by behavioral economics, a method of economic inquiry that uses psychological, emotional, cognitive, and social factors to explain why we make the often-irrational financial choices we do. And it has some interesting applications for health… (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/11/2017 • 9 minutes, 37 seconds
What’s the Difference Between Primal and Paleo?
The paleo diet and Primal Blueprint way of eating (a.k.a. Primal) are both based on similar evolutionary science. The story goes something like this. Our modern Western diet bears little resemblance to the eating habits of early humans throughout several 100,000 years of evolutionary history. Instead, since the Agricultural Revolution some mere 10,000 years ago, we’ve adopted a nutritional regime to which our physiology is poorly adapted. When the basics of our diet return to the patterns of our pre-agricultural ancestors, we work with, instead of against, our physiology. More simply: eat as our ancestors ate, and we’ll be healthier for it. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/10/2017 • 10 minutes, 33 seconds
#168: Devyn Sisson
Elle Russ chats with Devyn Sisson about her new book Kitchen Intuition. Devyn Sisson is an author, artist, culinary enthusiast and restaurateur involved in the launch of the Primal Kitchen fast-casual restaurant chain. After graduating from the The New School in New York City with a degree in Psychology, she started to express her creativity with a deep immersion into the study of nutrition with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and self-improvement through the Spiritual Psychology program at The University of Santa Monica. She lives in Southern California where she is kind of successfully training her new dog, Ninja.
5/10/2017 • 54 minutes, 33 seconds
10 Actions for an Anti-Stress Protocol
It almost goes without saying: Stress is at an all-time high. Not the kind of major traumatic stress we see elsewhere, sure. At least in the Western world, there aren’t any horrific sectarian conflicts scouring the landscape and generations to come. Our infrastructure is built to withstand most natural disasters. Our world is safe and predictable and sterile. But we’re stressed out just the same, afflicted with the kind of pernicious, low-level, unending stress that drives people into substance abuse, that promotes depression and suicide and broken relationships. The type that never quits. The kind you just want to drown out with Netflix and Facebook and anything at all to take your mind off the churning within. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/9/2017 • 11 minutes, 20 seconds
Oral Health: What You Eat (and Don’t Eat) Counts
With conventional wisdom’s take on oral care, we’re left with a pretty superficial understanding of oral health. What if, for instance, cavities imply more than bad brushing habits? What if we changed the entire template from one focused on cosmetic and sensory criteria to an understanding founded on whole health principles? Answer: we’d be much closer to the truth. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/4/2017 • 9 minutes, 43 seconds
Popular Blood Tests—the Facts, Ranges, and Alternatives You Should Know
I’m of two minds when it comes to blood testing. For myself, I’m not a huge fan of obsessive, frequent testing and optimization. I have a good idea about how to optimize my health through the actions I take and the foods I eat, and by monitoring how I’m feeling, looking, and performing in response. It’s worked well for me. Whenever I do get a checkup or have blood drawn, my numbers are great. But many people are the opposite. They like to quantify what’s happening under the hood. That’s great, and often necessary. The problem is that there are big problems with many of the most common blood tests. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/3/2017 • 11 minutes, 49 seconds
#167: Gary E. Foresman MD
Description: Elle Russ chats with Dr. Foresman about all things vaccines - the controversies, the dangers, and the benefits. Dr. Foresman opened a private practice, he quickly became dissatisfied with the inability of established Western medical treatments to effectively treat many of his patients—many of which suffered from thyroid disorders. Determined to help his patients, he began investigating alternative therapies and has since expanded his training in many systems of healing—not just through Ayurveda, meditation, and stress management, but also using botanical, orthomolecular and functional medicine systems. His precise, scientific mind, combined with a holistic integrative perspective, makes him not only an exceptional diagnostician, but also a skilled practitioner who can therapeutically synthesize optimal healing modalities for each individual. In-depth commentary on thyroid issues by Dr. Gary Foresman can be found in The Paleo Thyroid Solution written by Elle Russ.
5/3/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 40 seconds
The Language of Microbial Culture: Explaining Prebiotics, Probiotics, Synbiotics and Postbiotics
It’s no secret that it’s one of my favorite subjects—the burgeoning field of human gastrointestinal microbiology. I know…it’s easy to get caught up in the comparative excitement of it all. The microbiota is familiar territory to most Primal types, but with time and research, we come to understand the nuances of the terrain a little better. New terms pop up. Novel discoveries grab our attention. Promising connections become apparent. It feels like a good day to go over a bit of the latest—to provide a little refresher for those who’ve joined us recently and most of all to offer some additional perspective on what we’re learning as studies branch into new depths. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/2/2017 • 12 minutes, 13 seconds
How to Move through Life with an Edge
Every former competitive athlete's worst nightmare is that moment when you lose to a younger person doing the sport you love. When the cocoon of invincibility and superiority you've erected around yourself comes crashing down and a piece of your self-identity shatters. It can truly feel like the end. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/1/2017 • 9 minutes, 57 seconds
5 Unconventional Ways to Extend Your Life
I’ve written about extending your life by slowing down the apparent passage of time. I’ve written about some interesting predictors—but not necessarily causes—of longevity, and the common characteristics of centenarians. Today, I’m going to describe several unconventional causal means of extending your life. I’m talking about cold, hard days, weeks, and months. Ticks on a clock. Objective measurements of time. Not just the perception of time, although that matters too. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/26/2017 • 9 minutes, 17 seconds
#166: JJ Virgin & Mark Sisson
Mark Sisson chats with celebrity nutrition and fitness expert JJ Virgin - who teaches clients how to lose weight and master their mindset so they can lead bigger, better lives. She is author of 4 NY Times bestsellers: The Virgin Diet, The Virgin Diet Cookbook, JJ Virgin’s Sugar Impact Diet, and JJ Virgin’s Sugar Impact Diet Cookbook. Her memoir Miracle Mindset: A Mother, Her Son, & Life’s Hardest Lessons explores the powerful lessons in strength and positivity that she learned after her son Grant was the victim of a brutal hit-and-run accident. JJ hosts the popular JJ Virgin Lifestyle Show podcast and regularly writes for Huffington Post, Rodale Wellness, and other major blogs and magazines. She’s also a frequent guest on TV and radio and speaks at major events. In addition to her work with nutrition and fitness, JJ is also a business coach and founded the premier health entrepreneur event and community, The Mindshare Summit.
4/26/2017 • 44 minutes, 11 seconds
#165: Justin Stenstrom
Elle Russ chats with Justin Stenstrom, a nationally-acclaimed life coach, best-selling author, and speaker. He's the founder of EliteManMagazine.com and the host of the Elite Man Podcast where he interviews world-class experts every week. Once anxious, insecure, depressed, and unhappy, Justin has overcome many of life's greatest obstacles and loves nothing more than helping others do the same! Coming up in May 2017 - Justin is holding the 2017 Elite Man Conference in Boston, MA.
4/19/2017 • 53 minutes, 31 seconds
7 Primal Mantras to Drive Your Success
Ignore the pseudo-spiritual baggage many people have with the notion of a mantra. Repeating and focusing on a meaningful phrase to help guide you through difficult situations, whether that's an hour of sitting meditation or a commitment to a healthy Primal lifestyle, is a legitimate tool anyone can use. Today, I'm going to give you 7 mantras that I find to be useful. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/17/2017 • 7 minutes, 58 seconds
“What’s That?” Ear Health: Dietary and Lifestyle Choices that Preserve It
Sure, they’re not exactly the sexiest body part, but it’s fair to say that life with substandard ear health would be notably less enjoyable. And as it happens, millions of Americans would be able to speak to that. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/13/2017 • 11 minutes, 49 seconds
#164: Devyn Sisson and Kyle Sisson
Description: Elle Russ chats with Carrie and Mark Sisson's grown children, Devyn and Kyle Sisson, about their new business endeavor - opening up a Primal Kitchen Restaurants franchise in Culver City, CA this Summer! You will hear all about "growing up Sisson" in this episode as Devyn and Kyle look back on their lives and share pieces of wisdom and guidance from their parents, while also sharing their personal health journeys.
4/12/2017 • 44 minutes, 2 seconds
How to Augment and Support Your Natural Detox Capacities
Conventional wisdom has decreed that "detox" is a myth. They're not even sure if toxins even exist, as far as I can tell. On the other side, you've got detox gurus prescribing cayenne-maple-lemon tea and glasses full of charcoal water as cures for essentially everything. Where's the truth lie? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/5/2017 • 10 minutes, 35 seconds
#163: Dr. Gary Foresman
Description: Elle Russ chats with Integrative Physician Gary E. Foresman MD about an often overlooked topic in thyroid discussion...HYPERthyroidism. While Hashimoto’s disease, hypothyroidism, and Reverse T3 hypothyroidism are widespread and on the rise, having hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland) can be even more dangerous and problematic than having an underactive thyroid. Too many doctors are uninformed on how to diagnose and treat the various nuances behind thyroid disorders—leaving millions of patients un-diagnosed or symptomatic. Dr. Gary E. Foresman, MD, is not only a Primal functional medicine doctor well-versed in all things paleo/primal, but also an informed integrative physician who Elle Russ chose to interview for her book, The Paleo Thyroid Solution. When Dr. Foresman opened a private practice, he quickly became dissatisfied with the inability of established Western medical treatments to effectively treat many of his patients—many of which suffered from thyroid disorders. Determined to help his patients, he began investigating alternative therapies and has since expanded his training in many systems of healing—not just through Ayurveda, meditation, and stress management, but also using botanical, orthomolecular and functional medicine systems. His precise, scientific mind, combined with a holistic integrative perspective, makes him not only an exceptional diagnostician, but also a skilled practitioner who can therapeutically synthesize optimal healing modalities for each individual. More in-depth commentary on thyroid issues by Dr. Gary Foresman can be found in The Paleo Thyroid Solution written by Elle Russ.
4/5/2017 • 44 minutes, 28 seconds
9 Trends of Primal Interest
I get a lot of industry news. I eat out a fair bit. I talk to people whose job it is to spot and track health trends. I'm privy to some of the greatest, most innovative minds in the alternative health community—my readers. And you guys are always sending me interesting links. Today, I'm going to discuss some trends of Primal interest. I might poke fun at some of them, and others might be relatively small-scale, but even the silly or minor ones point to interesting movements in the health and fitness zeitgeist. So, what are the 9 I'm highlighting today? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/4/2017 • 8 minutes, 53 seconds
The Plight of the Modern Foot: Conditions that Plague Us—and How to Avoid Them
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)
3/30/2017 • 15 minutes, 10 seconds
5 Obscure Nutrients: Why We Need Them and How Grok Got Them
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)
3/29/2017 • 10 minutes, 9 seconds
#162: Dave Asprey
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!
3/29/2017 • 56 minutes, 52 seconds
The Empathy Effect: How Befriending Your Future Self Can Impact Your Health Today
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)
3/28/2017 • 10 minutes, 7 seconds
How to Exercise with An Autoimmune Condition
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)
3/23/2017 • 13 minutes, 1 second
19 Personal Care Products I Use or Like
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)
3/22/2017 • 6 minutes, 56 seconds
#161: Helen Marshall
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.
3/22/2017 • 39 minutes, 42 seconds
How to Buy (and Appreciate) Eggs
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)
3/21/2017 • 12 minutes, 32 seconds
Sugar's Day Is Done? A Review of Gary Taubes' Latest Treatise, The Case Against Sugar
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)
3/15/2017 • 7 minutes, 17 seconds
#160: Robb Wolf
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.
3/15/2017 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 37 seconds
Are Infrared Saunas Beneficial?
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)
3/14/2017 • 8 minutes, 15 seconds
A Primal Look at Skin Care
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)
3/9/2017 • 14 minutes, 11 seconds
10 Uncommon Exercises For Maintaining Strength, Agility, and Power With Age
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)
3/8/2017 • 10 minutes, 5 seconds
#159: Christine Hassler
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.
3/8/2017 • 49 minutes, 17 seconds
Is Snoring Really a Health Problem?
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)
3/2/2017 • 10 minutes, 46 seconds
#158: Cindy Lu and Earl Martin
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.
3/1/2017 • 53 minutes, 56 seconds
8 Primal Food Challenges You Can Take
Humans are competitive animals. We like a challenge because it compels us to rise to the occasion, prove ourselves, get better at something, or become a bigger version of ourselves. For people, challenges are like hormetic stressors—they often cause suffering and require hard, unpleasant work but provoke a beneficial response that makes us stronger than we were before the challenge. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/28/2017 • 8 minutes, 1 second
The Personality Factor: How Does Introversion or Extroversion Interact with Well-Being?
Sometimes it seems like this world is built for extroverts. The most successful politicians, entertainers, and public figures are (or at least come off as) extroverts. One of the “Big 5” personality traits we use to judge and praise people is extraversion (Introversion, falsely assumed as simply the lack of extraversion, doesn’t merit mention.) Certain studies suggest that extroverts make more money than introverts, on average. Extroverts tend to be happier than introverts, regardless of the cultural context. Introverts are more likely to suffer from depression and asthma. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/23/2017 • 8 minutes, 53 seconds
Long Fasts: Worth the Risk?
Intermittent fasting, schmittermittent schmasting. The hot new trend is the extended fast—eating nothing and drinking only non-caloric beverages for no less than three days and often as many as 30-40 days. A mere compressed eating window this isn’t. If fasting for more than three days sounds riskier than just skipping breakfast, you’re right. Long fasts can get you into trouble. They’re a big commitment. You shouldn’t just stumble into one because it sounds interesting or some guy on your Twitter feed wrote about it. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/22/2017 • 15 minutes, 32 seconds
#157: Roland and Galina Denzel
Elle Russ chats with Roland & Galina Denzel about their new book Eat Well, Move Well, Live Well - 52 Ways to Feel Better in a Week. Roland is a weight loss coach whose first client was himself! Overweight his first 35 years, he lost over one hundred pounds in 2003, and has kept if off since. Along the way, Roland developed a passion for health, fitness, and nutrition that’s not only kept him slim and healthy, but allowed him to help others just like himself through his writing and coaching. Roland is an IKFF trained kettlebell coach, a certified personal trainer, and a sports nutrition and weight loss coach through Precision Nutrition. He has co-authored five books, including The Real Food Reset, and Man on Top, which was inspired by his own journey to becoming healthy, slim, and fit. Galina Denzel specializes in helping people in chronic pain and helps her clients return to a life of functional movement after an injury, accident, or trauma through a variety of corrective exercise methods and healing modalities. Galina is a Nutritious Movement certified Restorative Exercise Specialist, certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, author and educator. She is the author of The Real Food Reset and Man on Top in English, as well as The Art of Real Food in Bulgarian. Together, Roland and Galina have a health coaching practice, serving local and online clients, in Orange County, California. They write and podcast regularly at EatMoveLive52.com.
2/22/2017 • 58 minutes, 11 seconds
Some Primal Answers for Kids’ Problem Behaviors
Last week, Chris Kresser wrote a great article discussing the emerging—and likely causative—link between poor gut health and childhood misbehavior. He explained potential mechanisms for the association, as well as solutions to counter it. But as any parent knows, getting a picky child to adopt your arsenal of perfect gut-supporting foods and supplements isn’t always easy. Not every kid immersed in the righteous anger of the terrible twos will stop what he’s doing to drink sauerkraut juice, nibble on kimchi, take resistant starch, drink kefir and bone broth.. It’s certainly a major part of the problem and the solution, but are there any other dietary causes? What else can a parent try to stem the flood of tantrums? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/21/2017 • 8 minutes, 54 seconds
What Is the Vagus Nerve? (and How Does It Impact Health, Mood and Performance?)
In recent years, I’ve regularly vouched for the gut as our long-abused secondary brain. Given what most of us grew up learning in school, it can feel like a mammoth shift. Science and philosophy have long revered the brain as seat of consciousness, even the seat of humanity itself. But when it comes down to it, everything is interconnected. Our consciousness extends well beyond the brain. How we feel and who we are encompasses a much more expansive and intricate system than any of us learned in high school biology. At the center of this paradigm revision is something called the vagus nerve. Vagus…as a word it sounds a little off-putting. If someone called me a vagus, I’d probably be mildly offended. But the literary origins of this word are actually kind of mystical: “vagus” in Latin translates to “wandering.” And I’d struggle to find a more apt definition. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/16/2017 • 13 minutes, 5 seconds
8 Alternative Therapies Worth Considering
Here at Mark’s Daily Apple, I avoid writing off anything without first investigating it. I keep one foot in the “alternative” health world and one in the “conventional” realm, making sure to maintain a skeptical—but openminded—stance on everything. There’s no other way to do it, if you’re honest. At least as far as I can tell. No, not every alternative therapy works. A lot of it is pure hogwash. But whether we’re talking about off-label uses of conventional drugs and illegal drugs, natural pharmacological agents, or downright outlandish-sounding interventions, some therapies are worth considering. Not trying, necessarily. Considering. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/15/2017 • 8 minutes, 40 seconds
#156: Jeff Scot Philips
Elle Russ chats with Jeff Scot Philips - a nutritionist, professional speaker, and the author of BIG FAT FOOD FRAUD. In his early twenties he founded the company Fit Food, a food delivery company that sold healthy meals to gyms, weight loss centers, and grocery stores. He then co-founded a food manufacturing business, producing and private labeling meals for other companies and brands. Topics discussed in this episode: ”Edutising": how food companies disguise advertising as education, and why consumes shouldn't trust anything you see in the news. How food companies turned gluten-free, among other trendy things, into a scam and why health food can be worse for people than junk food. The various ways food companies manipulate nutrition facts and ingredients, why they do it, and how to look out for it. Working with the USDA / FDA, and how lethargic, and sometimes harmful, they are (e.g. making food companies put sugar --breads, pastas, etc. -- in frozen dinners, and how the FDA told Jeff that unless his food starts making people sick, they didn't want to regulate him. Why the FDA's new food labels (2018) will be even worse for consumers than they are now.
2/15/2017 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 22 seconds
A Primal Look at Gestational Diabetes
Every pregnant woman I’ve ever known has hated the oral glucose tolerance test. Yet, they still do it. Drinking a tall glass of sickly sweet orange-flavored glucose water on an empty stomach is thoroughly disgusting, but it, apparently, offers a rare and valuable glimpse into the state of a woman’s perinatal health. What they’re testing for is gestational diabetes mellitus—a variant of diabetes characterized by pancreatic insufficiency during pregnancy. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/14/2017 • 10 minutes, 41 seconds
Humor for Health: What Modern Science and our Evolutionary Story Teach Us about Lightening Up
I’ve always believed you could tell a lot about a person based on when they laugh. Or if they laugh at all. Laughter provides a brief but in-depth window into arguably the most enigmatic organ in the body—as well as the idiosyncrasies at work for that individual. I’ve suggested before that we adults take life way too seriously . Compared to the average child, who belts out around 400 laughs a day, we summon a measly 15-18 per day. Somehow I think we’re missing out with all that seriousness—mentally and maybe even physically. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/9/2017 • 13 minutes, 23 seconds
The Problem with Self-Improvement Culture (and What To Do About It)
We’re a little more than a month out from New Year’s, and most people have abandoned their resolution efforts. Gyms are emptying out; the squat rack is free again. Cars are piling up in the drive-thrus, the farmer’s markets are noticeably emptier. Was it all for naught? Are the grand visions, the big plans, the lofty resolutions really going to culminate in a sad sputter…a fizzle? Will one-time optimists resign themselves to just another personal failing, another reason to slink back into despair? If January is about hope and ambition, what’s the lesson for February? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/8/2017 • 7 minutes, 33 seconds
#155: Dr. Gary Foresman - Breast Health Part III
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Gary E. Foresman about breast health, breast cancer prevention and a variety topics surrounding breast health (This episode is part 3 of 3 podcasts dedicated to this topic). When Dr. Foresman opened a private practice, he quickly became dissatisfied with the inability of established Western medical treatments to effectively treat many of his patients—many of which suffered from thyroid disorders. Determined to help his patients, he began investigating alternative therapies and has since expanded his training in many systems of healing—not just through Ayurveda, meditation, and stress management, but also using botanical, orthomolecular and functional medicine systems. His precise, scientific mind, combined with a holistic integrative perspective, makes him not only an exceptional diagnostician, but also a skilled practitioner who can therapeutically synthesize optimal healing modalities for each individual. In-depth commentary by Dr. Foresman in the new #1 bestseller The Paleo Thyroid Solution.
2/8/2017 • 1 hour, 30 minutes, 20 seconds
What’s Wrong with the “Best Diets”?
Every year, it’s the same thing: U.S. News and World Report ranks 38 of the most popular diets from best to worst. And every single time, the paleo diet—or some variant, in this case the Whole30 plan—comes in dead last. I’ve written about this before. You know my stance. You know how silly the whole thing is, and why you shouldn’t care about a ranking, especially when you’ve transformed your health eating the “worst diet in the world.” Frankly, I’m skeptical these reports have much impact anymore. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/2/2017 • 6 minutes, 33 seconds
Where Do I Start? The Big Picture on Tackling Primal Challenges
Earlier this month, a reader posed a fantastic question that prompted today’s post. It was long, so I’ll give the choice bits rather than quote the entire thing: Where do I start? I’d be interested in seeing your opinion on the relative impact of various primal lifestyle changes… Eating “clean” would be a 10, etc… but what about subtler things like sprinting, IF, quality sleep, sunlight, and play… So I guess I’m asking you to write on a 30,000ft level, how all these things interplay and what their relative contributions are to overall wellness. Where does one start indeed? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/1/2017 • 7 minutes, 50 seconds
#154: Drew Canole
Elle Russ chats with Drew Canole—a rockstar in the world of fitness, nutrition and mindset, with a huge heart for others and doing his part to transform the world, one person at a time. As the founder and CEO of Fitlife.TV, he is committed to sharing educational, inspirational and entertaining videos and articles about health, fitness, healing and longevity. He is also a best selling author and the founder of Organifi, an organic, incredibly delicious greens powder, chock-full of super-foods to make juicing easy no matter your busy schedule.
2/1/2017 • 42 minutes, 33 seconds
14 Primal Tips for Better Hiking
The most basic advice I can give about hiking is to go find a natural space and walk around. That’s it. It’s not sexy or particularly exciting, but it’s good enough. I do have some additional thoughts, though. If you want to get deeper, if you want to “upgrade” or “hack” your hiking, you’ll find today’s post useful. I’m going to offer some ideas on how to get the most out of your forays into wilderness. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/31/2017 • 12 minutes, 36 seconds
#153: Ryan Hurst
Brad Kearns chats with Ryan Hurst, GMB Fitness Founder and the action man behind the wildly popular GMB Fitness online bodyweight exercise program. A former martial artist and longtime resident of Japan, Ryan brings a gentle, evolved approach to fitness that is beautifully evident in this interesting interview. Expand your perspective about fitness and goal-setting with Ryan's gentle touch. Ask your body what it has to deliver each day and don't push beyond what you are capable of on that day--patience and discipline will get you from wound tight to doing the splits in only a year. In sharp contrast to a “get-shredded-at-all-costs” message that dominates much of the fitness world, the GMB method appeals to a broad audience of people who want to overcome the challenges of getting older, expand their mobility and prevent injury, and experience physical autonomy and freedom in their daily lives. Check out GMB’s free bodyweight exercise circuit to find out more about the featured ‘assessments’ in the interview - like the Bear, Monkey, and Frogger. The interview concludes on some fun, interesting tangents like the cultural differences between USA and Japan. In conclusion, Ryan reminds us to move more each day, do little things to improve health, and strive to improve a bit each day instead of be a hero and crush occasional brutal workouts.
1/25/2017 • 36 minutes, 32 seconds
4 Ways to Harness Mindfulness for Health Goals
What’s motivating you right now? How do you feel yourself settling into the practices you’ve adopted since the first day? Even if you’ve experienced some wavering (that’s no reason to abandon the venture, you know), what brings you back to the center of your intention? How do you reclaim the moment? Reclaim the moment…. A rather powerful concept. It reminds us that—at any time—we can realign ourselves with the now. Moving our attention from the past (regret) or the future (pessimism, anxiety), we claim the potential of the present. We apply ourselves mindfully. In possessing the moment, we achieve self-possession. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/19/2017 • 10 minutes, 34 seconds
11 Physical Challenges to Take This Month
Some people don’t need any help finding physical challenges. They naturally and intuitively figure out ways to engage physically with the world and test their prowess. But that’s not everyone, or else we’d see people sprinting down the street, hurdling park benches, climbing flagpoles, and swinging from tree branch to tree branch. It’d be a cool world, to be sure. It’s just not the one we live in. In this world, where physical challenges are usually optional, we have to go looking for them. What are some fitness challenges to try? I’ve got 11. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/18/2017 • 8 minutes, 48 seconds
#152: Dr. Cate Shanahan, Part II
Brad Kearns welcomes back one of the most popular guests from the old days! Dr. Cate has been hard at work preparing the launch of her revised and updated bestseller Deep Nutrition, originally published in 2008 and relaunching a 512-page masterpiece in 2017. Cate gives you the straight scoop on her favorite topics, particularly the disastrous misinformation about dietary fats that has been entrenched in conventional wisdom for decades. Cate details why "natural fats" are so critical to human health, and how refined high polyunsaturated vegetable oils are directly responsible for hundreds of thousands of premature deaths annually. They disrupt normal cellular function immediately upon ingestion, increase oxidative stress throughout the body, and damage brain function in particular; this is the #1 disease catalyst in modern life, an underlying factor in every chronic disease study. Cate outs conventional wisdom as conducting a massive experiment to "feed modern humans the cheapest possible food and see what will happen." She outs researcher Ancel Keys as the dude who drove us toward bad fats and away from healthy fats ("he knew he was wrong too!," laments Cate). Speaking of losing weight, refined polyunsaturated vegetable oils are more likely to be stored and less likely to be burned than natural fats. In summary, here's how to save your life and optimize your health: Ditch refined high polyunsaturated vegetable oils (watch out when dining out; most restaurant food--fast food to fine dining--is soaked in these gnarly oils); eat more natural fats (eggs, meat, cheese, coconut products, olives/olive oil, avocados/avocado oil, etc.).
1/18/2017 • 31 minutes, 4 seconds
How Long Does It Take for Fitness Benefits to Show?
A big reason most people never stick to a serious exercise routine is that the benefits most people are interested in take a while to appear. Fat loss, muscle gain, boosts to strength, speed, and stamina—these physical manifestations of training adherence can take weeks and even months to show. That’s plenty of time for folks to give up, convinced exercise is just not for them. I get it. I do. But that’s not a valid excuse for not exercising. You know it’s important, you know what the benefits are, and I’m not going to sugarcoat things: training is not optional. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/17/2017 • 9 minutes, 59 seconds
Alternative Goal Setting: How Free Spirits and Slow-Burners Can Achieve Their Health Visions
I’m a type A personality, so setting and attaining goals comes naturally to me. I desire a thing, determine the steps necessary to attain it, and follow through. It’s how I work best. Thanks to some timely comments from my decidedly un-type-A wife, Carrie, I’ve realized something: much of my advice is unwittingly geared toward people with similar inclinations. But that doesn’t describe everyone. What about the rest of you? What about the slow burners and dreamers? The free spirits? When it comes to achieving a vision, what characterizes and organizes your process from desire to attainment? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/14/2017 • 11 minutes, 34 seconds
Primal Transition 101: Insider Kitchen Tips
Transitioning to the Primal Blueprint way of eating should be simple. There’s no need to invent the wheel at every meal. That said, it does likely mean shifting some of your routine in the kitchen. If you’re used to processed food, enjoy getting your hands a little messier. If you’re used to take-out, capitalize on the chance to use your creative skills. (Don’t worry, you’ve got an abundance of recipes and cookbooks right at your fingertips.) That said, all Primal cooks—beginners to old-timers—can make life easier with a few select tactics. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/12/2017 • 7 minutes, 11 seconds
41 Primal Action Items and Individual Experiments for Success in 2017
Not every challenge has to be massive. Not every action item needs to take you to the promised land of optimal health and body composition. Sometimes, you just want a writer you trust to devise a list of potential little mini-challenges, short self-experiments, and approachable action items. This is that list. Browse it. Jump around. See what resonates. Then get moving, and make them happen. I’m partial to 1, 5, 9, 13, 19, 20, 22, 26, and 30. But I’m sure whichever you choose will help you succeed this year. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/11/2017 • 10 minutes, 40 seconds
#151: Dr. Cate Shanahan, Part I
Brad Kearns welcomes back one of the most popular guests from the old days! Dr. Cate has been hard at work preparing the launch of her revised and updated bestseller DEEP NUTRITION originally published in 2008 and relaunching a 512-page masterpiece in 2017. Cate gives you the straight scoop on her favorite topics, particularly the disastrous misinformation about dietary fats that has been entrenched in conventional wisdom for decades. Cate details why "natural fats" are so critical to human health, and how refined high polyunsaturated vegetable oils are directly responsible for hundreds of thousands of premature deaths annually. They disrupt normal cellular function immediately upon ingestion, increase oxidative stress throughout the body, and damage brain function in particular; this is the #1 disease catalyst in modern life, an underlying factor in every chronic disease study. Cate outs conventional wisdom as conducting a massive experiment to "feed modern humans the cheapest possible food and see what will happen." She outs researcher Ancel Keys as the dude who drove us toward bad fats and away from healthy fats ("he knew he was wrong too!," laments Cate). Speaking of losing weight, refined polyunsaturated vegetable oils are more likely to be stored and less likely to be burned than natural fats. In summary, here's how to save your life and optimize your health: Ditch refined high polyunsaturated vegetable oils (watch out when dining out; most restaurant food--fast food to fine dining--is soaked in these gnarly oils); eat more natural fats (eggs, meat, cheese, coconut products, olives/olive oil, avocados/avocado oil, etc.).
1/11/2017 • 33 minutes, 17 seconds
New Year Pitfalls: Where Kick-Start Plans Go Wrong
Yesterday I laid out the benefits of doing a kick-start program—what a good community challenge, elimination program or other total reset could offer you in reclaiming (or enhancing) health. For the most part, I believe in the power of these plans. Obviously, I organize one every year here. I’ve seen countless folks turn their well-being around—lose weight, build strength and stamina, relish new energy, reverse or dial back medical conditions, kick medications they thought they’d be on for the rest of their lives. A kick-start gave them enough structure, support and momentum to move beyond the drag force, and they’re flourishing today as a result. And, yet, I’d be remiss to to say I haven’t seen them fail for some people. As a professional and a friend, I’ve witnessed (or at least heard the story after the fact) people getting fully sidetracked and even losing their footing on one of these plans. It happens, and there’s usually a clear reason why. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/5/2017 • 7 minutes, 8 seconds
The Power of a Kick-Off Plan: What Elimination Programs, Total Resets, and Community Challenges Can Do for You
You’re already quite Primal. You know your way around a grocery store. I mean “around” literally: you know to shop the perimeter. You’ve struck up relationships with vendors at the farmer’s market. The beet guy had Thanksgiving dinner at your house (being frank, the mashed beets were a bit much). You read this blog every day, so you’re aware there’s another Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge kicking off next week. If not, read yesterday’s posts in which I give a heads up and ask what 2017 will mean for your life. But if you’re already a devoted Primal adherent, what’s in it for you? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/4/2017 • 5 minutes, 34 seconds
#150: Adam & Vanessa Lambert
Host Elle Russ chats with Adam and Vanessa Lambert of Bee The Wellness, an innovative personal coaching company (and podcast of the same name) created by Adam and Vanessa Lambert and based in California. This couple has been living and working in the Paleo/Primal world for nearly 10 years, helping to educate and empower clients on their personal journeys to optimal health. Bee The Wellness offers personal paleo lifestyle coaching along with exciting retreats and events to get you on the right path and help connect you with others on the same journey. Upcoming events: Authentic Self Life Mastery Program Starts January 16th 2017. Unveil Your Wellness total wellness program new year starts January 9th 2017. North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains retreat from May 17-21.
1/4/2017 • 59 minutes, 20 seconds
What Will 2017 Mean for Your Life?
It’s 2017. There are old sci-fi stories set in 2017. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the basis for Blade Runner, takes place in 2019. That’s just two years away. It’ll come faster than you think. The time to make anything happen is now. But how? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/3/2017 • 5 minutes, 53 seconds
Dietary Trends: Are Popular Interests Inching toward Ancestral Wisdom?
As the calendar draws toward the close of another year, I’m inclined to take stock of where the Primal vision stands. Are people slowly warming to the idea of Primal eating (and living), or are we merely seeing inconsequential, lateral shifts within the same old confines of conventional grain-based, saturated fat-averse, dietary “wisdom”? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/29/2016 • 9 minutes, 12 seconds
A Primal New Year’s Eve Survival Guide
New Year’s Eve approaches. Parties beckon. Arsenals of alcohol accumulate. Whether you venture out into the wild night or keep it quiet with close friends and loved ones (that’s me), people will probably offer you a glass (or several) of something containing ethanol to mark the occasion. As always, it’s not about a right or wrong choice but about assuming responsibility for your health. I’ve heard a lot of readers over the years say going Primal has made them much more sensitive to the effects of alcohol. If you’ll be partaking, you can gird your system to deal with the incoming toxicity. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/28/2016 • 8 minutes, 18 seconds
#149: Arriane Alexander
Elle Russ chats with Arriane Alexander about creating a dream life and career! Arriane is a “rock your life coach” and has a Masters Degree in Spiritual Psychology. She helps female entrepreneurs and businesswomen step into new possibilities so they can create a life and career they’ve always dreamed of. She spent over 12 years as a high level executive in the fashion business and walked away from that successful career to follow a heartfelt dream of succeeding in the entertainment industry and as a transformational Life Coach. Today, she works consistently as an Actor on TV shows like Justified, Grey’s Anatomy and The People vs O.J. Simpson. She is also the Host of two TV shows, and has booked numerous TV commercials. In other words, she has created the life of her dreams, and as a Rock Your Life coach for over a decade, she helps women do the same in a fun, inspired, and transformative way. She works with women all over the world –Entrepreneurs, Health and Fitness Experts, and Executive Business Women to help them overcome their fears, self-doubt and any other obstacles blocking their path, to create the foundation for their new life, and a journey to take them there.
12/28/2016 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 55 seconds
My Experience with Exogenous Ketones: Tale and Truth
I have been playing with ketones. Over the past couple years, I’ve tried a lot of ketone supplements, from KetoCaNa, Pruvit, Kegenix, to a few others. I’ve even accepted and tried a one-off from a person trying to break into the market who I failed to thoroughly vet; that time, I felt like I might die. No joke. What have I noticed? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/27/2016 • 6 minutes, 40 seconds
Can You Retrain Your Taste?
It’s one of the unexpected upsides of the Primal Blueprint diet: learning/relearning the nuance of real food flavor. The experience doesn’t just reflect a psychological shift either. Taste acclimatization is a real, measurable thing. What do we know about the process? Quite a bit actually. Some of it rather surprising…. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/22/2016 • 9 minutes, 16 seconds
2016 in Review: The Top 14 Developments in Ancestral Health
2016 is just about over. I’m not a big party animal, as you probably know. Instead of bashes and balls, what I look forward to most of all at the end of a year is the quiet reflection on what impacted me most. Which science developments, business achievements, and thought evolutions characterized my 2016 more than the rest? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/21/2016 • 9 minutes, 8 seconds
#148: Christine Hassler
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.
12/21/2016 • 58 minutes, 11 seconds
8 Primal Things to Appreciate about the Winter Season
Winter has come. That means different things to people based on their climate, but I’m of the opinion that winter is relative. You’d be right that the “cold” I face isn’t as objectively dangerous or unpleasant as the cold people in New York, Ottawa, Chicago, Warsaw, or Stockholm face. What’s cold to me in Malibu is short-sleeve weather in my native Maine—but it’s still cold to me today! “Feeling cold” is the defining characteristic. Today, I’m going to tell you why you should appreciate and enjoy the cold season. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/20/2016 • 7 minutes, 28 seconds
14 Weird Plant Bits and Where to Find Them: Foraging Ethnic Markets
Today, I’m going to talk about the weird plant bits available in ethnic markets—spices, greens, roots, noodles, and fermented things. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/15/2016 • 9 minutes, 25 seconds
#147: Stuart Tomc
Elle Russ chats with Stuart Tomc, a natural health aficionado and science guru who’s worked at a litany of blockbuster nutrition companies, such as Nordic Naturals, North American Herb & Spice, and currently CVSciences - the makers of PlusCBDoil.com. Stuart explains CBD and talks about the emerging science on CBD (cannabidiol) and fat-burning. Mr. Tomc is a recognized authority on dietary supplements, with twenty years of experience in the nutritional health industry. Formerly the Vice President of North American Herb and Spice, where he served for 10 years, in addition to his service as Global Educator for omega-3 market leader, Nordic Naturals, Mr. Tomc is known for his extensive print interviews and contributions to noted books on integrative medicine, as well as his 4000 radio appearances. A renowned educator, Mr.Tomc recognizes CBD and its multiple mechanisms of action to support human health, and envisions a new category of dietary supplements derived from agricultural hemp.
12/14/2016 • 53 minutes, 9 seconds
How to Encode Better Choices
While I don’t consider Primal living particularly difficult, I think any behavioral shift can be tricky. It’s human nature to stick with what’s known. There’s a certain comfort in routine, however ill-advised our customary patterns are. And, let’s face it, some habits stick more than others. If only we were a more logical species, we might imagine, one able to simply encode the choices we know are good for us… Thankfully, our psychological blueprints are more complex than our gadgets, but that doesn’t mean we can’t optimize our settings and establish some tactical redirects. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/13/2016 • 10 minutes, 38 seconds
The Importance of Balance—and 15 Ways to Enhance and Preserve It
The older you get, the more the world challenges your balance. And when you’re pushing 80+ and a slight miscalculation can shatter your hip, balance is everything. Good balance lowers the incidence of those miscalculations. It’s essential for staying intact into old age. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/13/2016 • 13 minutes, 17 seconds
A Primal Take on Cannabis
Today I’m taking on a mammoth in the living room so to speak. Based on the emails I’ve received and the string of developments around the issue, it’s maybe a long time coming. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/7/2016 • 13 minutes, 11 seconds
#146: Dr. Gary Foresman - Breast Health Part II
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Gary Foresman about breast health, breast cancer prevention and a variety topics surrounding breast health (This episode is part 2 of 3 podcasts dedicated to this topic). When Dr. Foresman opened a private practice, he quickly became dissatisfied with the inability of established Western medical treatments to effectively treat many of his patients—many of which suffered from thyroid disorders. Determined to help his patients, he began investigating alternative therapies and has since expanded his training in many systems of healing—not just through Ayurveda, meditation, and stress management, but also using botanical, orthomolecular and functional medicine systems. His precise, scientific mind, combined with a holistic integrative perspective, makes him not only an exceptional diagnostician, but also a skilled practitioner who can therapeutically synthesize optimal healing modalities for each individual. In-depth commentary by Dr. Foresman in the new #1 bestseller The Paleo Thyroid Solution.
12/7/2016 • 1 hour, 42 minutes, 7 seconds
How the Grok Narrative Motivates Me
How do I connect to the Grok narrative? Apart from providing a unique approach to writing about health and fitness, what does it mean and how does it impact my life and my decisions? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/6/2016 • 8 minutes, 44 seconds
17 Gifts That Will MOVE You
Today’s guest post is by Katy Bowman, biomechanist and author of the bestselling Move Your DNA and a new release, Movement Matters, which examines our sedentary culture, our personal relationship to movement, and some of the global effects of outsourcing movement. I’m happy to welcome her back to Mark’s Daily Apple. Ancestral health models have begun reaching beyond diet and have expanded to include sleep, stress, parenting practices, and movement. This leads to the question, “Can we better incorporate the ideas of ‘natural health’ into our holidays?” (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Katy Bowman, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/2/2016 • 13 minutes, 6 seconds
My 8 Favorite International Dishes to Expand Your Primal Palate
Discover how international cuisine can offer unique nutritional benefits. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/30/2016 • 10 minutes, 25 seconds
#145: Dr. Brett Hill
Elle Russ chats with Dr. Brett Hill about his new book Nourish Without Nagging which helps parents to get their children to love eating healthy. Brett is the co-host of two of Australia’s top rated health podcasts, public speaker, Paleo advocate, chiropractor, barefoot runner and author of numerous book and ebooks. His coaching and consulting have inspired thousands of people over the last decade to live a long, happy, healthy life full of energy and vitality. In his early 20s, Dr. Hill realised that it was time to make a change. He had been the kind of child who was always sick – not terribly sick, but not terribly well either. For as long as he could remember he had suffered from coughs and colds at least half a dozen times a year, he didn’t sleep well, was low in energy and not particularly fit. He realised that he had been doing the same things over and over again (including regular doses of antibiotics) and kept getting the same results. He decided to do something different and followed the paleo/primal path to wellness.
11/30/2016 • 38 minutes, 49 seconds
How to Feed, Train and Care for Your Cartilage
People used to think that bone, body fat, and other “structural” tissues are inert rather than metabolically active. The truth is that bone is incredibly plastic, responding to activity and nutrition, and that body fat is an endocrine organ in its own right, secreting hormones and shaping the way our metabolism works. What about cartilage? Can we do anything to improve its strength and function? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/29/2016 • 10 minutes, 44 seconds
Should You Rethink Your Meal Timing for Weight Loss?
I’ve written about what to eat. I’ve written about what not to eat. I’ve even discussed the benefits of occasionally eating things you “shouldn’t eat.” I’ve written about skipping breakfast, eating a big lunch, and skipping entire days of meals altogether. I’ve discussed sleeping low (carb) and punctuating a low-carb diet with occasional high-carb refeeds. But I haven’t written very much about when to eat. I won’t tell you when to eat. There are many paths. You must find the one that takes you to your goal. But there are some physiological “truths” that impact how we process food depending on what’s happening in our lives which seem to apply to all humans. I’ll discuss several ways to think about meal timing, and then you can decide which concepts make sense for you and your life. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/23/2016 • 4 seconds
#144: Matt & Keris Whitmore
Host Brad Kearns connects across the globe with the dynamic duo of Matt Whitmore and Keris Marsden, co-authors of Paleo Primer: A Second Helping—the long-awaited sequel to their bestselling Paleo Primer: A Jump-Start Guide to Losing Body Fat and Living Primally. Matt and Keris cover an incredible range of topics, revealing of their broad expertise and personal passions for fitness, holistic health and nutrition, and cooking. Listen and enjoy topics like: Ketogenic eating and athletic training; how hot weather exercise can hamper gut health, and how you can rebuild gut health; doing health assessments with clients; how your skin reveals much about your health and immune function; how overstress can present as heart palpitations and racing mind in the nighttime; how fungal infections and low testosterone are related in males; and a four-week elimination diet with an addback favorite foods strategy. Yes, this dynamic duo can hold on just about anything, so enjoy this lively and informative show.
11/23/2016 • 51 minutes, 13 seconds
5 Common Prescriptions That Should Require Nutritional Counseling
Many of the most common prescription drugs affect the way we absorb, metabolize, utilize, and excrete vitamins, minerals, and other important health co-factors. People taking them deserve nutritional counseling. This is my quick and dirty attempt to encourage that. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/22/2016 • 10 minutes, 21 seconds
News Promises and Limitations of the “Personalized Care” Movement: Where We Are Now
Several years ago, I gave my take on the “personalized care” movement: the broad push to use a person’s genetic data to design optimal therapies, treatments, interventions, and pharmaceuticals. I was supportive and hesitantly optimistic, but I also acknowledged the limitations and drawbacks. Yes, genetics do determine how we respond to different therapies, and we can optimize medical care using the information—if we understand what our genes are saying and how they interact with the environment. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/17/2016 • 7 minutes, 3 seconds
Can You Harness the Placebo Effect For Yourself?
The placebo effect isn’t just a necessary artifact of randomized controlled trials. It describes a very real effect that people can probably use to improve their lives. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/16/2016 • 11 minutes, 33 seconds
#143: Jimmy Moore
Elle Russ chats with Jimmy Moore about the various forms and benefits of fasting. Jimmy Moore catapulted onto the health scene in 2004 after a phenomenal 180-pound weight loss enabled him to come off of prescription drugs for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and respiratory problems. He is the energetic personality behind the über-popular blog Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb and the host of the longest-running and one of the top-ranked iTunes health podcasts, The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show. Jimmy also hosts two other active podcasts Keto Talk With Jimmy Moore & The Doc and Low-Carb Conversations along with the retired podcast Ask The Low-Carb Experts. He has interviewed over 1100 of the world’s top health experts and has dedicated his life to helping people get the best information possible about living healthy so they can make the right decisions for their health. Jimmy is the international bestselling author of The Ketogenic Cookbook, Keto Clarity, and Cholesterol Clarity along with the October 2016 release The Complete Guide To Fasting.
11/16/2016 • 57 minutes, 6 seconds
How to Harness the Self-Enhancement Bias (and Claim a Bigger Life)
In yesterday’s post, “My 7 Favorite Practices for Engineering the Good Life,” I included a curveball of sorts—right at the end. Chase down fear. While all seven have been game changers, that one claims the pinnacle. The fact is, it’s the hardest one to embrace time and again, but it’s never ceased to move my life forward in very clear, tangible ways. Still, every time I have to talk myself through the same process.… How can I possibly take on something this substantial? What am I thinking? That one’s just too big, too complicated, too ambitious. This time, surely, you’ve overstretched, Sisson. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/10/2016 • 5 minutes, 18 seconds
My 7 Favorite Practices for Engineering the Good Life
Engineering the good life is about removing negative inputs as much as it is about adding positive ones. If a negative input confers momentary pleasure, removing it will remove some pleasure but add more. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/9/2016 • 9 minutes, 35 seconds
142: Paul Greive
Elle Russ chats with Primal Pastures farmer and co-founder Paul Greive. Today's discussion includes how to navigate the various "grass fed" and other tricky food labels along with what it means to be a holistic, pastured livestock farmer. Paul Greive is a pastured livestock farmer located in Southern California. His company, Primal Pastures, focuses on raising animals outside on green pasture with fresh air, sunshine, and a species-appropriate diet. In addition to over 4,000 retail customers that order their meats online for home delivery, they also supply some of the best restaurants and butcher shops in Southern California, including the LA Dodgers and LA Lakers team meals. Currently they ship to CA, AZ, and NV. You can find more about Paul and his company via the links below.
11/9/2016 • 45 minutes, 22 seconds
Eating Insects: No Longer a Fringe Choice
Though few people reading this consider insects anything but a novelty, for many human cultures they were (and are) staple foods. Humans have been eating insects for millions of years, starting with our distant ancestors and continuing through the present day. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/8/2016 • 9 minutes, 51 seconds
Embodiment for Emotional Health: Is Mindful Movement a Primal Key?
All of us are at various points in life subject to pain, loss and suffering. Whether we contend with something as severe as trauma or something difficult but normal like grief, anxiety or resentment, how do unresolved emotions linger within our physiology or even particular locations or functions within it? How might these feelings that we retain act as a wild card in our overall health? Finally, in keeping with this possibility, does “moving through” emotional suffering oblige us to move bodily toward healing? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/3/2016 • 6 minutes, 11 seconds
10 Nutrient Optimizing Tips for the Primal Enthusiast
You’re reading a blog about nutrition. You’re clicking links to scientific studies and abstracts. You’re in deep. You obviously care about the quality of the food you eat and the effect it has on your health. But you also know that perfect is a myth. We can’t achieve it, and if we think we can and spend all our time obsessing over perfection, we usually subvert our own goals. Perfection becomes the enemy. But better is always within reach, and today I’m going to give you a few ways to improve your nutrient intake and make your food healthier and safer. Who’s in? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/2/2016 • 11 minutes, 51 seconds
#141: Aaron Alexander
Aaron has been working with clients of all ages seeking a variety of goals from pain relief to improved athletic performance for over 10 years. He is currently seeing clients at his office, Align Therapy, in downtown Bend, Oregon. Aaron began the journey as a nationally certified personal trainer specializing in corrective exercise and nutrition consultation. During that time Aaron studied psychology at the University of Hawaii. Soon after, he evolved into becoming a licensed manual therapist studying myofascial release, neuromuscular therapy and trigger point therapy at Maui School of Therapeutic Massage. A fascination with connective tissue lead him to study structural integration at the Rolf Institute in Boulder, CO. Being a LMT and CPT on top of a Rolf Structural Integration Practitioner, Aaron has a strong understanding of the intricacies of the body and mind.
11/2/2016 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 2 seconds
Why the Blood-Brain Barrier Is So Critical (and How to Maintain It)
You all know about intestinal permeability, or “leaky gut.” The job of the gut lining is to be selectively permeable, allowing helpful things passage into the body and preventing harmful things from getting in. Nutrients get through, toxins and pathogens do not. Leaky gut describes the failure of this vetting process. But what about “leaky brain”? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/1/2016 • 11 minutes, 3 seconds
16 Ways to Increase Neuroplasticity (and Why That’s Important)
For hundreds of years, the localizationism theory of the brain reigned: the idea that the adult brain is composed of distinct regions, each responsible for a separate function. Most people still hew to this, assuming that vision goes here, memories there (with separate sections for short and long term memories), smell here, verbal fluency over here and quantitative processing over there. We assume the number of neurons is fixed and their wiring soldered. But the emerging science of neuroplasticity shows how wrong this is: rather than fixed and immutable, the neural connections between different “regions” of the brain can reorganize themselves. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/26/2016 • 10 minutes, 58 seconds
#140: Dr. Gary E. Foresman, MD
Elle Russ chats with integrative physician, Dr. Gary E. Foresman, MD, about breast health (this episode will be Breast Health, Part I, focusing on general breast health. Breast Health, Part II will delve deeper into diagnosis and treatment). Dr. Foresman is not only a Primal doctor well-versed in all things paleo/primal, but an informed integrative physician whom Elle chose to interview for her book, The Paleo Thyroid Solution. When Dr. Foresman opened a private practice, he quickly became dissatisfied with the inability of established Western medical treatments to effectively treat many of his patients—many of which suffered from thyroid disorders. Determined to help his patients, he began investigating alternative therapies and has since expanded his training in many systems of healing—not just through Ayurveda, meditation, and stress management, but also using botanical, orthomolecular and functional medicine systems. His precise, scientific mind, combined with a holistic integrative perspective, makes him not only an exceptional diagnostician, but also a skilled practitioner who can therapeutically synthesize optimal healing modalities for each individual. More in-depth commentary on thyroid issues by Dr. Gary Foresman can be found in The Paleo Thyroid Solution written by Elle Russ which is available on Amazon. If you would like to learn more about Dr. Gary Foresman and his medical practice, visit: Middlepathmedicine.com. If you would like to learn more about Elle or contact her, visit her website at: ElleRuss.com
10/26/2016 • 1 hour, 26 minutes, 32 seconds
Should You Eat Less Protein?
Over the past several years, I’ve noticed a subtle shift in the way the media discusses dietary protein, with many experts promoting lower intakes. The push for lower intakes hasn’t only come from the mainstream crowing about red meat and colon cancer. Many voices from the alternative health communities are urging a reduction in protein. Even the ancestral health community counts among its ranks protein skeptics. Am I one? I’m not sure. In past posts, I’ve discussed how my own tastes have changed, going from eating high protein to more moderate amounts. Today I’m addressing the standard arguments levied against high protein intakes. Hopefully, we can get to the bottom of the issue. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/26/2016 • 12 minutes, 51 seconds
Personal Improvement 7 Primal Ways to Bridge the Parent Happiness Gap
Particularly when you’re a parent, October can be a transitional month. I remember feeling like we’d just gotten the kids settled in school and suddenly we were knee deep in extracurricular activities, class projects, parent-teacher conferences—and the holidays. On my more exhausted days, I felt like we were navigating a two-month bender of parties and concerts, costumes and events. On the one hand, it was fun to see the kids’ excitement. It made for good memories, but it also exacted an extended toll. When every week is “special,” it’s wearing. These days life is simpler on the family front, but every once in a while I’ll remember those more frenetic patches. It’s easy to be nostalgic on the other side of the dogged years, but I haven’t forgotten the harder truth of parenting. Sometimes it’s a slog through overwhelm, and research reflects that much. But does it need to be as heavy as we often make it? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/20/2016 • 12 minutes, 59 seconds
The Benefits of Caloric Efficiency (and 10 Ways to Achieve It)
I’ve mentioned the concept of the minimum effective dose before, or the smallest dose that provides the desired outcome or effect. This applies to exercise, to sunlight, to carb intake, and to calories in general. It is this caloric efficiency that describes my goal for the last dozen years: How little can I eat and retain or build mass, have optimal energy, never get sick and still NOT GO HUNGRY? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/19/2016 • 9 minutes, 39 seconds
#139: Allan Misner
Elle Russ chats with Allan Misner about fitness for people over 40. Allan is the host of the 40PlusFitness podcast. He spent his adult years focused on his career and as a result, his relationships and health suffered. Upon meeting the love of his life, he committed to turn his health and fitness around. His efforts to learn health and fitness resulted in him earning a personal training certificate and specialties in corrective exercise and fitness nutrition. He adopted the primal lifestyle and recovered his health. He dedicated himself to helping people over forty get healthy and fit. He launched the 40+ Fitness Podcast to encourage, educate and entertain people as they move along their health and fitness journey. He is also the founder and head trainer at Forever Fitness, providing online personal training and wellness coaching.
10/19/2016 • 39 minutes, 6 seconds
Can Endurance Training Ever Really Be Primal?
For over a dozen years, I’ve railed against what I call “chronic cardio“—the excessive, unrelenting endurance training I did for the better part of three decades. Most of my health issues cleared up when I stopped stopped running and training for marathons and triathlons, removed the refined grains and sugar I ate to support my endurance training, and began taking it easy. Explore the MDA archives and you’ll read all about the downsides of chronic endurance training, as well as my experiences in that world. Next to Primal living, most people probably know me best for being against “chronic cardio.” It’s kinda my thing. As a result, a lot of people have this idea that any type of endurance training is verboten and totally antithetical to the Primal way of life. That’s a misconception, albeit an understandable one. But it’s persistent. I have been outspoken against chronic cardio. I’ve also released a book called Primal Endurance. How do I square my distaste for chronic cardio with the fact that I wrote an entire book devoted to endurance training? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/18/2016 • 9 minutes, 42 seconds
How Expressing Your Emotions—or Not—Affects Your Health
A little bird told me the other day that it might not be a bad time to talk about the impact of emotions on our health—particularly our choice to express or not express them. I’ve heard people around me share that they’re worn out lately—that emotions have imposed a toll regardless of how well they keep their own in check. It got me thinking. Increasingly, researchers uncover the remarkable imbrication of mental and physical well-being. How we nourish or neglect our physical selves affects how we feel psychologically. Likewise, the emotional terrain we traverse throughout a day, in turn, elicits its own physiological feedback. Yet in this culture, there’s a certain esteem for the stiff upper lip. We restrain ourselves for the sake of others—our perception of their comfort and/or of their opinion of us. But are we sacrificing something in doing so? When does the polite instinct to suppress our emotions benefit us, and when does it backfire? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/13/2016 • 7 minutes, 25 seconds
Updating the Primal Stance on Vegetable Oils: High-Oleic Varieties
Many years ago (I initially wrote that in jest, but it has been almost seven years), I wrote a definitive guide to oils, covering the benefits and drawbacks of over a dozen of the most common edible oils. Seven years is plenty of time for new data to come out, new perspectives to develop, and even new oils to hit the market. How would I go back and update my previous recommendations? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/12/2016 • 9 minutes, 5 seconds
#138: Elizabeth Resnick
Elle Russ chats with a former vegetarian/vegan who became a Marks Daily Apple's success story - Elizabeth Resnick. Elizabeth is a holistic health coach (and currently enrolled in the Primal Health Coach Program) who believes that all women deserve to feel happy, healthy and hot! She loves showing busy women how simple lifestyle changes can help them look and feel amazing. Elizabeth spent over 30 years as a vegetarian, pescatarian, and sometimes vegan. While she was always considered to be healthy, she struggled with cystic acne, digestive issues and anxiety. These problems were finally resolved after transitioning to a primal lifestyle.
10/12/2016 • 59 minutes, 23 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Wine
What are the health effects of wine consumption—positive and negative? A vast amount of observational evidence suggests that wine consumption is good for us. These types of studies cannot establish causality, but plausible mechanisms exist which strengthen the associations. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/12/2016 • 14 minutes, 24 seconds
6 Reasons Why Mistakes Are Important for Success
Life is and has always been trial and error. Human—and all of—evolution was one massive set of false starts and broken lines with only a few (and their progeny) getting out alive. There’s perspective on the five pounds you gained over the summer. It’s simple really. If we can just accept the patchy, errant nature of progress, we have a better chance of using our mistakes to propel rather than sink our success. Here are a few thoughts on that. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/6/2016 • 10 minutes, 8 seconds
Why the Variety of Your Protein Sources Matters
Eating a variety of protein sources ensures you’re getting all the amino acids you need to perform basic physiological processes. So here are a couple reasons why balancing your protein intake from different sources is important. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/5/2016 • 9 minutes, 52 seconds
#137: Brant Cortright
Host Elle Russ talks with Brant Cortright, Ph.D, a clinical psychologist and the #1 international Amazon bestseller The Neurogenesis Diet and Lifestyle: Upgrade Your Brain, Upgrade Your Life. He is a Professor of psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. He is also a licensed clinical psychologist with a private practice in neuroscience-informed depth psychotherapy as well as a coaching practice focused on brain health, anxiety and depression. He is the author of two previous books, Psychotherapy and Spirit and Integral Psychology: Yoga, Growth and Opening the Heart.
10/5/2016 • 54 minutes, 47 seconds
7 Ways to Deal with Food Anxiety
People frequently wax sentimental for what they call “simpler” days—presumably times when the rules were fewer and clearer, when choices weren’t so overwhelming, when demands were less and common sense was more prevalent. Eating, of course, is no exception to this. If you listen to the dominant voices in the social-media-marketing-medical culture, it’s enough to ruin your dinner and make you feel guilty for skipping breakfast (Don’t buy the guilt trip). We’re fed contradictory studies, warned of the latest threats lurking in our food supply, told every bite squashes the life out of another ecosystem, and led through fluorescent-lit warehouses filled with more food options and label claims than one person should ever be reasonably expected to handle. It’s exhausting, frustrating and on certain days defeating. So what’s a reasonable approach in an age when anxiety too often overtakes enjoyment of eating? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/29/2016 • 9 minutes
#136: Beverly Meyer
Elle Russ chats with Beverly Meyer about the importance of vitamin K2 for all humans - children and adults. Beverly Meyer is a natural health practitioner and podcaster. She is the host of The "Primal Diet - Modern Health" podcast. The show reflects her 30 years of experience as a naturopathic practitioner and Primal/Paleo food lover. Her video DVD, The Diet For Human Beings, teaches the how’s and why’s of the Primal/Paleo Diet, and is ideal for sharing with friends and family. Her motto is FOOD FIRST, and new clients catch an ear-full on why changing their food is the fastest way to start restoring health and body composition. After a successful but exhausting career in business, Beverly began practicing as a Certified Clinical Nutritionist in 1985. Her personal goal was to restore her immune system, adrenals and celiac-damaged gut. Her award-winning blog, newsletter, Twitter and Facebook pages offer up-to-date info on running your own lab work, creating a personalized Gluten Free Paleo diet, and restoring hormones and the immune system.
9/28/2016 • 54 minutes, 54 seconds
How Should You Balance Your Fat Intake?
How much of each type of fat should we be eating? How should we balance our fat intake between the various types? What’s the optimal dietary fatty acid ratio, Sisson? Include decimals if you can. There’s no single right answer. It—sorry, folks—depends on a lot of factors. It depends on your goals, your activity levels, the rest of your diet, your genetics. Almost everything, to be honest. But there’s one universal factor determining an optimal fat balance that everyone needs to get right: their mitochondria. That’s what we’ll be discussing today. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/28/2016 • 8 minutes, 20 seconds
10 Ways to Optimize Your Meat Consumption
Just because conventional wisdom got animal flesh wrong doesn’t mean there aren’t better and worse ways to eat it. Just as I’d say with any otherwise healthy food—cheese, almonds, broccoli, spinach, eggs, sweet potatoes—there are limits to healthy consumption. You shouldn’t eat unlimited amounts of anything. There are always downsides. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/27/2016 • 10 minutes, 39 seconds
4 Surprising Ways Other People Affect Your Health
Jean-Paul Sartre in one of his famous plays said, “Hell is—other people.” I think most of us might sympathize with that claim depending on the day and the person we’re dealing with. On the flip side, people can be the source of our greatest joys. His sentiment, regardless, speaks to the strong impact others can have on us. Whether we like it or not, we all live (and need to live) in some relation to others. None of us exist in a vacuum, and research on extreme isolation suggests the real hell on earth might be exactly that. So make no mistake—how people make us feel is not just the stuff of poetry and philosophy. Other people can and do influence our immediate physiology as well as our ongoing health. What does this process look like though? How does it play out in our lives? Let’s examine a few examples. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/22/2016 • 8 minutes, 58 seconds
Where Do Legumes Belong in the Primal Eating Plan?
I never cared much for legumes growing up. Growing up, beans were the “magical (or musical) fruit that made you toot.” They existed in a quantum state: beans were your ally in schoolyard rear-facing attacks and your downfall during encounters with that pretty girl from history class. But the issues I had were mostly superficial. I’ve never come out strongly against legumes. My focus has always been on grain avoidance. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/22/2016 • 10 minutes, 55 seconds
How to Snack Responsibly in the New World of Health Food Marketing
The growth of the Primal movement has not gone unnoticed. Food producers have latched on because, as much as we emphasize foraging the perimeter of the grocery store—the produce, the meats, the bulk goods—and eschewing processed foods, we remain creatures of convenience. Not everyone has the time or inclination to personally prepare every single morsel that enters their mouths. Sometimes we just need something quick and easy to snack on. And the food industry has risen to the occasion, offering ostensibly healthy Primal-friendly snack foods. But are they really healthy? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/21/2016 • 9 minutes, 51 seconds
How to Accept Your Body After Significant Weight Loss
While weight loss has the power to shift one’s entire health trajectory (not to mention life experience) may also be the most likely to come with unforeseen, even undesired results. I’m talking particularly about those who undergo dramatic transformations—the kind that can leave them feeling incredible, enjoying vitality, and (in particular) looking substantially different. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/15/2016 • 8 minutes, 25 seconds
CRISPR: What Does Gene Editing Mean for the Future of Primal Living?
By now, you’ve no doubt heard of CRISPR, the latest gene-editing tool sweeping research labs across the globe. It was first discovered in certain strains of bacteria, who use it as an important weapon against dangerous viruses. In bacteria, CRISPR identifies a virus that poses a threat, records the virus’ genetic data and imprints it onto RNA molecules. An immune enzyme called Cas9 grabs one of the RNA molecules and goes exploring. When Cas9 encounters a virus that matches the data on the RNA molecule, it latches on and slices the virus in half to prevent it from replicating and posing any threat. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/14/2016 • 9 minutes, 25 seconds
#135: Ann Green
Ann Green is the founder and director of BLiSS Ann Green Yoga, a waterfront wellness studio in Barrie, ON, and the owner of SHiNE OM Yoga Teacher Education. Ann has over 25 years of movement expertise cross pollinating athletics, yoga, manual body care and pain management and holds a Masters in Exercise Science, a Bachelor of Education, a Bachelor of Psychology and Physical and Health Education and 500 E-RYT. Ann can always be found out in nature or on the water, doing SUP Yoga. Ann is licensee of Surfset Fitness Canada, a licensee and Director of Surfset Yoga, and also runs Canada’s first float yoga studio.
9/14/2016 • 35 minutes, 58 seconds
Fitness How Using Fat for Fuel Can Boost Athletic Performance
A few weeks back, I explored the potential benefits using fat as your primary fuel can have on cognitive function. While the strongest research centers on people dealing with age-related cognitive decline and other neurodegenerative diseases, and whether burning fat and ketones can boost cognitive function in healthy adults remains unconfirmed, the totality of the evidence suggests it can provide a benefit. Today, I’ll be discussing a related topic with more solid scientific footing: the effects of fat-adaptation on athletic performance. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/14/2016 • 10 minutes, 47 seconds
How to Deal with Chronic Pain: Psychological Causes and Treatments
Acute pain can usually be trusted. Chronic pain is trickier. There may have been initial tissue damage, but instead of decreasing the pain as the damage healed, it increased: chronic pain usually gets worse, not better. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/7/2016 • 13 minutes, 57 seconds
#134: Domini Kemp & Patricia Daly
Cancer survivors Domini Kemp and Patricia Daly offer the first comprehensive ketogenic cookbook based on the most exciting new research on nutritional approaches to the prevention and management of cancer, The Ketogenic Kitchen. For decades, the ketogenic diet―which shifts the body’s metabolism from burning glucose to burning fat, lowering blood sugar and insulin and resulting in a metabolic state known as ketosis―has been used to successfully manage pediatric epilepsy. More recently, it has been used by the Paleo community as a weight loss strategy. Now emerging research suggests that a ketogenic diet, in conjunction with conventional treatments, also offers new hope for those coping with cancer and other serious diseases. With endorsements from leading researchers and oncologists such as Dr. Thomas Seyfried (Cancer as a Metabolic Disease), The Ketogenic Kitchen offers more than 250 recipes, as well as meal plans and comprehensive scientific information about the benefits of a ketogenic diet.
9/7/2016 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 13 seconds
The Dangers of People Pleasing in the Modern World (and What to Do about It)
Today, by comparison, we have at least peripheral contact with sometimes hundreds of people on a daily basis. We’re part of larger social groups, neighborhoods, families, social media cliques and work groups that, unlike the Paleolithic model, rarely overlap. We may not spend all day with these people hunting and dressing a kill, but we field countless micro-demands (e.g. favors, questions, invitations, feedback, etc.) from them in addition to more substantial requests and responsibilities. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/1/2016 • 10 minutes, 26 seconds
10 Primal-Friendly Tips from Wise People Throughout History
Wise men and women have been saying the same things for thousands of years around campfires, on scrolls, during lectures, in town squares, and on the printed page. Today, we’re going to read about ten of them. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/31/2016 • 11 minutes, 15 seconds
#133: Eileen Laird
Eileen Laird is a writer, podcast host, and autoimmune warrior, who is reversing rheumatoid arthritis through the Paleo diet and lifestyle. She's the author of the book, A Simple Guide to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol. Her popular blog, Phoenix Helix, receives 1 million unique visitors annually. There, she features recipes, research and personal stories about the autoimmune experience. She also writes Autoimmune Answers, a regular column in PaleoMagazine, and is the host of the Phoenix Helix Podcast, the only paleo podcast focused 100% on autoimmune healing.
8/30/2016 • 56 minutes, 19 seconds
The Genetics of Obesity: Are You Destined to Be Fat?
I can’t guarantee a six pack or a complete eradication of baby weight. But all in all, eating and living Primally way seems to produce good results. You can, it seems, affect your health, body composition, and fitness. But genes still matter. And there’s a large trove of evidence showing that a person’s genetics are really good at predicting their risk of obesity. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/30/2016 • 11 minutes, 20 seconds
How Caring Less Can Help You Accomplish More
Do we really need to throw ourselves into exacting standards and maniacal will to achieve anything of substance? I think not. So let me say a few words on behalf of caring less. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/26/2016 • 7 minutes, 45 seconds
Why Training Your Tendons Is Important (and 11 Ways to Do It)
Muscle isn’t the only thing you’re impacting when you lift heavy things, though. You’re also imposing stress on your tendons and demanding an adaptive response. You’re training your tendons, too. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/24/2016 • 15 minutes, 56 seconds
Should You Wear a Fitness Tracker?
From FitBit to Jawbone to Apple Watch to dozens of others, the wearable fitness-tracking gadget industry is growing quickly. Venture capital has responded, pouring billions into the wearable industry. Are they worth it? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/24/2016 • 9 minutes, 52 seconds
#132: Dr. Lauren Noel
Dr. Lauren Noel is a licensed naturopathic doctor and expert in natural medicine. She received her doctorate in naturopathic medicine from National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. Since 2010, Dr. Noel has treated over 5,000 patients using natural therapies. Her areas of expertise are digestive disorders, thyroid & hormone imbalances, and autoimmune disease. She has been a frequent guest/lecturer on health radio shows and medical conferences, and she is the host of Dr. Lo Radio, a top rated podcast on iTunes that has attracted nearly two million listens. Dr. Noel owns Shine Natural Medicine in Solana Beach, CA where she treats patients locally and all over the country.
8/24/2016 • 45 minutes, 13 seconds
Why Grok Didn’t Have Work-Life Balance and Neither Will You
For all our social and technological advancements, it seems we’re increasingly stuck in an unfortunate cul-de-sac of our own making. Shouldn’t we be beyond this by now? How is it that we can’t seem to innovate, design, reason or hack our way into a better collective work-life balance? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/18/2016 • 11 minutes, 14 seconds
8 Confidence Building Exercises for Primal Success
A lack of confidence can naturally present a big obstacle when you’re trying to overhaul your diet and lifestyle or take up new fitness challenges. No matter what your specific goal, a healthy dose of self-confidence is pretty key to getting the job done. For the days when it feels like the motivational well is dry, let’s look at some ways we can shore up our store of confidence. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/18/2016 • 11 minutes, 6 seconds
#131: Dr. Gary E. Foresman, MD
Hashimoto's disease, hypothyroidism, and Reverse T3 hypothyroidism are on the rise. Yet too many doctors are uninformed on how to diagnose and treat the various nuances behind thyroid disorders—leaving millions of patients un-diagnosed or hypothyroid and symptomatic, despite being on thyroid hormone replacement. Dr. Gary E. Foresman, MD, is not only a Primal doctor well-versed in all things paleo/primal, but an informed integrative physician who Elle Russ chose to interview for her book, The Paleo Thyroid Solution. When Dr. Foresman opened a private practice, he quickly became dissatisfied with the inability of established Western medical treatments to effectively treat many of his patients—many of which suffered from thyroid disorders. Determined to help his patients, he began investigating alternative therapies and has since expanded his training in many systems of healing—not just through Ayurveda, meditation, and stress management, but also using botanical, orthomolecular and functional medicine systems. His precise, scientific mind, combined with a holistic integrative perspective, makes him not only an exceptional diagnostician, but also a skilled practitioner who can therapeutically synthesize optimal healing modalities for each individual. More in-depth commentary on thyroid issues by Dr. Gary Foresman can be found in The Paleo Thyroid Solution written by Elle Russ which is available for pre-order on Amazon. If you would like to learn more about Dr. Gary Foresman and his medical practice, visit: Middlepathmedicine.com. If you would like to learn more about Elle or contact her, visit her website at: ElleRuss.com.
8/16/2016 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 19 seconds
Primal Performance: How to Stay Cool Under Pressure
When it comes to stress, the most pressing issue is how we take care of it. When we’re talking about pressure, however, the question is how we will meet it. Let’s look at some Grok-style Primal examples, shall we? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/11/2016 • 10 minutes, 22 seconds
7 Habits of Highly Successful Primal Endurance Athletes
Things have been busy for the Primal Endurance movement since I released the book back in December. People have been eager to learn more about this novel form of training, so we’ve been answering a lot of questions. Much like how The Primal Blueprint received a lot of attention because it bucked against Conventional Wisdom, such has been the case for Primal Endurance. Lots of head scratching, balking, but then, after learning the science and seeing the results, a healthy curiosity or full blown conversion. So what’s Primal Endurance training all about? What are the fundamentals? Who’s practicing it? And where can you learn more about it? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/10/2016 • 11 minutes, 26 seconds
#130: Cara Haun
Host Elle Russ sits down with longtime friend and Paleo Thyroid Solution Cara Haun. Cara was mistreated with Synthroid (T4-only/Levothyroxine) for hypothyroidism by an uninformed endocrinologist for eight years, and during that time suffered from miscarriages, asthma, a variety of food and other rare allergies—along with weight gain, depression, and severe exhaustion. Finally, another doctor (a D.O.) tested her thyroid properly and took an in-depth vitamin/mineral/antioxidant blood test. The results were shocking. The D.O. discovered Cara not only had Hashimoto's disease but that due to her endocrinologists's failure to diagnose her properly—combined with medical mistreatment over eight years, Cara had developed the immune profile of someone who had just gone through chemotherapy! Cara immediately ditched her endocrinologist in favor of a new doctor who started her on a compounded T4/T3 hormone combination, along with supplements, to support her drastically low mineral and nutrient levels. Cara's health was finally restored, hypothyroid symptoms vanished, her allergies and asthma disappeared, and she has been thriving ever since. However, despite losing the hypo weight and remaining slim and trim—Cara was still a chronic cardio, grain-eating sugar-burner. Two years ago, she went primal and the experience has changed her life in profound ways. Aside from the benefits and joys being a fat-burner, Cara has experienced even more improvements in her health and life...most significantly, a drastic reduction of her Hashimoto's antibodies due to the elimination of grains.
8/9/2016 • 54 minutes, 19 seconds
The Primal Competitive Instinct: What Is It Good for?
Sure, some of us are inevitably more drawn to competition than others, and we all gather energy from a unique mix of internal and external motivation. Nonetheless, we’re all born with the basic wiring. Competition is part of the human story after all. As a species, we’ve been propelled forward by the competitive edge time and again. Survival of the fittest may not mean as much in today’s world, but it was the principle that governed humanity’s evolution through the ages. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/7/2016 • 7 minutes, 15 seconds
Is Gluten Sensitivity All in Your Head?
A new study just out introduces another wrinkle: people who report having “non-celiac wheat sensitivity” show evidence of systemic immune activation and impaired intestinal permeability. In short, NCWS is characterized by leaky gut, increased translocation of gut contents—including microbial toxins—into circulation, and moderate immune reactivity to a gluten challenge. It certainly seems quite real. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/3/2016 • 8 minutes, 55 seconds
10 Ways to Beat the Low-Carb Flu
The low-carb flu is real and it’s terrible. While it doesn’t kill as many as the Spanish flu of 1918 did or inspire the amount of panic seen during the 2009 swine flu epidemic, low-carb flu has dissuaded millions of people from pursuing and sticking to a healthy diet. You can laugh now that you’re fat-adapted and humming along on stored body fat, but you’ve forgotten just how terrible the transition from sugar-burning to fat-burning can be. Do any of the following symptoms sound familiar? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
8/2/2016 • 9 minutes, 53 seconds
#129: Sher Smith
Host Elle Russ chats with Sher Smith, a Paleo Thyroid Solution Success Story from Elle’s upcoming release! By the age of 26, Sher Smith had resolved a decade long eating disorder but was struggling mightily with a laundry list of physical, mental, and emotional symptoms. With the help of Mark Sisson’s Primal Blueprint (goodbye gluten, hello fat!), life got a little bit better. But after being told that her thyroid wasn’t “the problem” and that she had to “just workout more” to lose weight, she started to believe her body was just broken and this was the unhealthy hand she had been dealt. Sher met Elle at one of Mark’s amazing PrimalCon’s in 2014 and since then, her life has completely changed. Over the last two years working with Elle and a doctor in Chicago, Sher has optimized her thyroid health. As a result, she has lost almost 60 pounds, resolved all her thyroid and adrenal symptoms, maintained a primal workout routine, and had a vibrant and healthy primal pregnancy and natural childbirth. As an unintended result of fixing her thyroid and regaining her health, Sher became an entrepreneur and now runs her own coaching business helping women permanently resolve their emotional eating without the decade long struggle that she endured.
8/2/2016 • 57 minutes, 8 seconds
How Language Affects Your Fitness and Weight Loss Practice
Every day we’re barraged by “good ideas”—all the things we should be doing with our lives and could start doing today if we really cared enough. Too much advice can overwhelm us, and, more importantly, it can inflate the power of “should.” It can cement an insidious (and, in my experience, ineffective) framework in our minds. We risk framing every choice—from work to pleasure—as an obligation. Doing so burdens life with a constant sense of onus, constraint and deprivation—not exactly the stuff of grand motivation. In my experience, we aren’t in for much fun or long-term success with that brand of approach. Luckily, there’s a better way to talk to ourselves. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/28/2016 • 6 minutes, 56 seconds
The Definitive Guide To Coffee
Coffee is serious business. We Americans drink about 400 million cups of it per day and spend several billion dollars on it each year. It’s the most popular drug on earth, and certainly the most socially acceptable. In many ways, coffee’s the closest thing we’ve got to a universal, daily ritual, as just about every morning, billions of people across the planet prostrate themselves before the holy, energy-giving legume. It also hails from the same place the earliest members of our species do: East Africa (Ethiopia, to be exact). That the most industrious animal ever to walk the planet and the psychoactive legume that fuels said industry both hail from the same place on earth is pure poetry. Coffee’s also delicious. I’d say you’d have to pry my coffee from my cold, dead fingers, only the ensuing struggle would slosh it all onto the floor, and that would be such a waste. Yet it’s also considered to be a vice, one of those substances that “everyone knows” is bad for you. Is it? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/27/2016 • 15 minutes
#128: Cassie Parks
Host Elle Russ chats with Cassie Parks, a Lifestyle Design Strategist who loves the ocean, dancing for no reason, and celebrating with champagne. What she loves most of all is living a life a she loves. Cassie is a best-selling author, international speaker and coach whose passion is leading others to live the life they have been dreaming about. Her latest book, Manifest $10,000 is available on amazon.com. Cassie is the creator of the Manifest $10k course which has helped thousands of people manifest more money into their lives. You can join the course at manifest10k.com and learn more about working with Cassie at liveyourchampagnelife.com.
7/26/2016 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 9 seconds
Take It Easy, Increase Progress: How to Make Your Training More Primal
Every day we’re barraged by “good ideas”—all the things we should be doing with our lives and could start doing today if we really cared enough. Too much advice can overwhelm us, and, more importantly, it can inflate the power of “should.” It can cement an insidious (and, in my experience, ineffective) framework in our minds. We risk framing every choice—from work to pleasure—as an obligation. Doing so burdens life with a constant sense of onus, constraint and deprivation—not exactly the stuff of grand motivation. In my experience, we aren’t in for much fun or long-term success with that brand of approach. Luckily, there’s a better way to talk to ourselves. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/26/2016 • 9 minutes, 51 seconds
Boring May Be Better: Why Routine May Be Best for Certain Health Goals
There’s a Flaubert quote I stumbled on once: “Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.” I’ve always been more of a science man than an artist of course (and I don’t know that carbohydrate curves or sprint intervals could ever be creatively “violent” anyway). Nonetheless, something about the underlying concept always stayed with me. It begs a fundamental, even pivotal question: where do you want the freedom to be bold and impulsive (or at least spontaneous) in your life, and where do you want the security of being fixed and (relatively speaking) unyielding? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/21/2016 • 9 minutes, 14 seconds
3 Common Types of Headache (and How to Treat Them Naturally)
The difficult thing about headaches is figuring out why they’re occurring. Pain in other areas is different. You can look at your hand if it’s hurting and figure out why. You can see the cut on your knee and know what’s going on. But you are your head, and the headache is inside. Your consciousness sits behind your eyes observing reality and directing your role in it. It’s all a big mystery. Or so it feels. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/20/2016 • 10 minutes, 56 seconds
#127: Matt Riemann
Matt is a social entrepreneur in the fields of personalized health and future medicine. A heart- centered visionary, Matt is focused on changing the health trajectory of the human race. He orchestrates a global collaborative vision to revolutionize the concept of health as we know it and facilitate personalized, predictive and preventive health change around the world. Matt holds a masters in applied human sciences, is a lecturer and clinical educator at several universities in Australia, and has been recognized for his passion and excellence in educating doctors, health professionals and fitness experts globally over the past 10 years. In 2013, Matt founded the Ultimate Human Foundation, a non-profit with a mission to transform world health and assist in eliminating chronic pain and disease from the planet. Matt has founded 7 businesses in health and medicine over the past 10 years, launching ph360.me, the world’s first smart health app based on personalized epigenetics and gene expression and most recently launching Shae, the world’s first virtual assistant to deliver interactive, intuitive, and personalized insights for health.
7/20/2016 • 43 minutes, 19 seconds
The Fat Burning Brain: What Are the Cognitive Effects of Ketosis?
Although mainstream sources still mistake “the brain needs glucose” for “the brain can only run on glucose,” regular MDA readers know the truth: given sufficient adaptation, the brain can derive up to 75% of its fuel from ketone bodies, which the liver constructs using fatty acids. If we could only use glucose, we wouldn’t make it longer than a few days without food. If our brains couldn’t utilize fat-derived ketones, we’d drop dead as soon as our liver had exhausted its capacity to churn out glucose. We’d waste away, our lean tissue dissolving into amino acids for hepatic conversion into glucose to feed our rapacious brains. You’d end up a skeletal wraith with little else but your brain and a hypertrophied liver remaining until, eventually, the latter cannibalized itself in a last ditch search for glucose precursors for the tyrant upstairs. It would get ugly. That’s adaptation. But is there an actual cognitive advantage to running on ketones? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/19/2016 • 10 minutes, 1 second
Don’t Be So Sure: Why Doubt Is an Essential Tool for Reaching Health Goals
How can you leverage doubt in pursuing a healthy life? Let me throw out a few takeaways and examples. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/14/2016 • 9 minutes, 24 seconds
12 Common Causes of Bloating (and How to Eliminate Them)
Bloating is mostly subjective. You can “feel” bloated without experiencing actual stomach bulging. Other times, it adds actual inches to your waistline. Why does it happen? Why do our stomachs distend and our sphincters proclaim their gaseous intentions to the world? What causes this nebulous condition and how can we avoid and fix it? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/13/2016 • 10 minutes, 41 seconds
#126: Glenn Livingston
Host Elle Russ sits down with Dr. Glenn Livingston, a veteran psychologist and long time CEO of a multi-million dollar consulting firm which has serviced several Fortune 500 clients in the food industry. You may have seen his (or his company's) previous work, theories, and research in major periodicals like The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Sun Times, The Indiana Star Ledger, The NY Daily News, American Demographics, or any of the other major media outlets you see on this page. You may also have heard him on ABC, WGN, and/or CBS radio, or UPN TV. Disillusioned by what traditional psychology had to offer overweight and/or food obsessed individuals, Dr. Livingston spent several decades researching the nature of bingeing and overeating via work with his own patients AND a self-funded research program with more than 40,000 participants. Most important, however, was his own personal journey out of obesity and food prison to a normal, healthy weight and a much more lighthearted relationship with food.
7/13/2016 • 38 minutes, 38 seconds
How Much Meat is Too Much?
I consider it my job to remove the stigma of healthful animal foods, to highlight the importance and vitality of meat in the human diet. But that doesn’t mean it’s a free for all. There are upper limits on meat intake, just as there are upper limits on everything. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/12/2016 • 12 minutes, 49 seconds
Why a Sense of Adventure Is Important (and 22 Primal Ways to Cultivate It)
How can we embrace adventure as a Primal force in our lives to enrich us, to move us forward, and to expand our sense of what’s possible? The idea here is less about life-endangering stunts (although those can have their merits, too) and more about expanding one’s field of experience to see what shows up and how it can enhance our Primal life. Let’s look at a few prospects rapid-fire style. And I hope you’ll add your own to augment this list. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/7/2016 • 9 minutes, 16 seconds
12 Reasons Why Swimming Is an Essential Primal Skill
There’s a whole host of benefits that swimming has to offer. So if you’re suffering from the summer heat and looking for a great way to cool down while getting in a pretty extensive workout, swimming should be toward the top of your list. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/6/2016 • 9 minutes, 3 seconds
Feeling Overwhelmed? 9 Ways to Cope With and Work Past Primal Roadblocks
Becoming overwhelmed can happen when we take on too much at once or when our approach to an endeavor takes us too much out of our comfort zone too quickly. The Primal Blueprint absolutely fosters physical as well as psychological resilience, but we inevitably go through uneven terrain on the way to it. Primal life changes us, as life in general thankfully does, and we can bring a Primal attitude to its challenges for perspective along the way—including times of feeling overwhelmed. So let’s look at a few ideas for how to do just that. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
7/5/2016 • 50 seconds
Why Fear May Be Blocking Your Primal Path (and How to Overcome It)
Let’s look at some of the most common fears that come into play when people of different bodies, ages and backgrounds move toward Primal-aligned health goals. And let me offer (and invite you to share your feedback on) some practical takeaways for overcoming situational fears as well as a few emotional insights for calling fear’s bluff. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/30/2016 • 11 minutes, 53 seconds
10 Reasons You Should Be Eating More Monounsaturated Fat
Today, I’m going to explain why, in explicit detail, you should be eating more monounsaturated fat—if you aren’t already. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/29/2016 • 9 minutes, 37 seconds
#125: Cara & Jimmy Haun
Host Elle Russ sits down with friends Jimmy and Cara Haun, two vastly talented Primal converts, for a lively talk on overcoming Hashimoto’s symptoms and how they’ve improved their overall health. Cara Haun has been producing music for commercials for 20 years for clients such as: BMW, Priceline, T-mobile, and Wells Fargo. Jimmy Haun is one of the music industry’s top composers and works with some of the biggest names in the business. He started playing with professional bands at the early age of 15. Following his musical dreams, Jimmy moved to Los Angeles, landed his first record deal with A&M and soon found himself touring with such rock legends as Sheryl Crow, Air Supply, Robin Beck as well as jazz artists Ronnie Laws and Michael Ruff, just to name a few!
6/29/2016 • 27 minutes, 43 seconds
Why Exercise Actually Does Matter for Weight Loss
Everyone knows it’s really hard, bordering on impossible, to out exercise a bad diet. You might be able to out exercise a bad diet if all you care about is abs and race times and make it your job, but eventually your poor health will catch up with you. That doesn’t mean exercise doesn’t matter for weight loss, though. It does. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/28/2016 • 15 minutes, 30 seconds
From Float Tanks to Silent Retreats: Why Are People Looking for More Extreme Forms of Sensory Deprivation?
Everywhere you look, people are trying to get away from it all. Sensory deprivation, or “float” tanks, are springing up all over the world. Meditation retreats are exploding, and pretty much everyone has a meditation app on their phone (even if they don’t use it much). Google searches for terms like “float tank,” “silent retreat,” “mindfulness,” and “sensory deprivation” have been trending upward for the last few years. Silence is in. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/23/2016 • 9 minutes, 25 seconds
Are Cell Phones and EMFs Really Harming Your Health?
But from brain cancer to bone loss to sperm mutation to behavioral problems, EMFs (a byproduct of many electronic devices) have been blamed for many health problems. What does the evidence say? And if there are real issues, what can we do to mitigate them? How far should we go? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/22/2016 • 12 minutes, 7 seconds
What is the Experience of Awe and Why Does it Matter?
Whatever the reason for its evolution, experiencing awe has several interesting effects on how we think, feel, and even heal. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/21/2016 • 8 minutes, 1 second
How Defining Moderation Can Help You Reach Your Health Goals
We’ve heard it a million times: “Eat a well-balanced diet with everything in moderation.” After all these decades of clear failure, it’s a hazy cliché still delivered by physicians, dietitians and nutritional “experts” with earnest assurance. The same goes for exercise and stress. Moderate amounts of stress are okay, moderate cardiovascular work is good, etc. We accept the concept of moderation so readily, I think, because it sounds so rational and simple. If we follow common sense, moderation suggests, we’ll be fine. But if it were that easy, most people would be healthy—and statistics on the rising rates of obesity and chronic illness tell us otherwise. So what’s the problem? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/16/2016 • 10 minutes, 32 seconds
Top 8 Changes Coming to Nutrition Labels
After years of committees, debates, panels, “consensus-building” retreats, and literature reviews, the FDA has finalized the new nutrition label guidelines. Packaged food companies have two years to incorporate the new labels. At that point, anything in a package that humans eat must have labels that reflect these changes. You’re probably skeptical. I was. The FDA doesn’t have the strongest track record. But before we condemn the new labels sight unseen, let’s take a look at what’s actually changing and what the implications are. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/15/2016 • 8 minutes, 24 seconds
#124: Mark Sisson on Paleo(f)x and Life
Host Brad Kearns catches up with our favorite guest Mark Sisson at his home in Malibu. (This episode is part of our new video podcast series, so you can enjoy also this show on YouTube.) Mark talks about his keynote address at Paleo Fx and some insights about where the primal/paleo movement is headed. He talks some recent business ventures and health/fitness endeavors during this wide-ranging, free-form discussion. Mark is eager to engage with listeners during future shows, so if you have any questions you would like him to answer on the podcast, email [email protected]. Show Notes: Mark describes the events at the PaleoFx and how the paleo world is expanding. [00:01:28] How is the movement going to be characterized now that it is more prevalent and people understand that it is not some fringe caveman fad? [00:03:54] Mark compares today's exercise theories with the lifestyle of the primitive man. [00:05:46] What about people's over-training for goals of big achievements? How does that fit with Mark's thoughts about exercise and training? [00:08:30] What is the most important part of the gathering at PaleoFx and the business part of the paleo movement? [00:10:47] What is Mark doing to improve his paleo lifestyle? [00:13:50] What is this new cooling mattress that Mark is trying out? [00:14:30] How should I schedule myself in training for this lifestyle? [00:17:39] How can I make choices so these changes are sustainable in my life? [00:21:49] How does Mark handle his stressful life? [00:22:40] What happened when Mark gave up drinking wine? [00:23:56] How you think and talk to yourself interferes with your ability to handle life. [00:28:44] Selected Links: Paleo(f)x
6/15/2016 • 33 minutes, 11 seconds
14 Ways to Help You Look Primal
Do you look Primal? I don’t refer to chiseled abs, prominent shoulder striations, and bulging calves that draw queries from failed actors. I’m not talking about loincloths, or fur togas, or wild unkempt hair and scraggly beards, or any of the other aesthetic choices paleo-reenactors make. In fact, this isn’t about your appearance at all; it’s about how you’re using your eyes to look at the world. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/9/2016 • 13 minutes, 35 seconds
Why the Kind of Body Fat You Carry Matters
Fat is an endocrine organ. Like any other organ, it secretes hormones and other bioactive compounds that affect our physiology and determine our health. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/8/2016 • 9 minutes, 55 seconds
#123: Taylor Collins
Host Elle Russ sits down with Epic Provisions Co-Founder, Taylor Collins. Taylor talks about his path from being a full-fledged vegan, to the owner of the first grass-fed meat based protein bar. Not only does Epic produce great products, but they've also had a hand in elevating industry standards in the meat production industry, ensuring ethical treatment and slaughtering methods. Tune in today to learn all about Epic and how this innovative company is shaping the world!
6/7/2016 • 34 minutes, 5 seconds
17 Activities for Primal Family Bonding
There’s nothing wrong with modern advances or some tablet time at home. After all, technology can help keep families in communication across great distances (like when mom or dad has to travel for work or the grandparents live across the country). But while it’s great for keeping in touch over distance, it can put up walls when we’re in the same room. Most of us are looking for more in our relationships. We want better for our kids and our partnerships. Many of us eat Primal. We move according to Primal principles. So what are some Primal-friendly ways to bond as a family? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/2/2016 • 10 minutes, 34 seconds
Why You Still Probably Need More Rest (and 23 Ways to Get It)
To sit in quiet or risk boredom isn’t the way of the world these days. So I’m going to venture that too many of us have forgotten what being rested actually feels like. In light of that, I thought I’d offer up a few suggestions to remedy the situation. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/1/2016 • 16 minutes, 35 seconds
The Health Paradox Paradox
The health, fitness, and nutrition spheres are rife with presumptions, conventional wisdom that pretty much everyone—from authorities and experts on down to laypeople—holds to be true. But we’re finding that these presumptions are increasingly challenged by the steady onslaught of new observations. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
6/1/2016 • 10 minutes, 43 seconds
#122: Richard Veech
Host Elle Russ sits down with Dr. Richard Veech, who has been a National Institute of Health scientist for over 45 years, and both a research biochemist and a medical doctor. Dr. Veech figured out a way to bottle ketone fuel, in a fat-free, salt-free, FDA approved concentrated food. So we're going to be talking a bit about that, as well as his vast research on ketosis. Not sure what ketosis is? Is is safe? Can you treat insulin resistance with ketosis? These questions and more answered today!
5/31/2016 • 50 minutes, 6 seconds
Humility: A Primal Virtue with Modern Value
I’ve gotten a lot of feedback about my leadership post earlier this year—particularly from people who connected with the humility aspect. It’s a characteristic I think most people would agree is in short supply these days, but most of us still admire it when we see it. In truth, little in our culture today encourages a humble disposition, and I think that’s a relatively new development. More than ever it seems to be the loudest, boldest, and (often) most obnoxious voices that garner our attention. Brashness somewhere along the line became an asset rather than an irritation. We’re told we need to do more, be more, have more, “fight” for what what we presumably deserve, and push our way to the front if we want our good in life. Put yourself out there, talk yourself up, and—above all—look out for number one. Is anyone else exhausted by these instructions? The key (and related) question of the day, however, is this: what would Grok have said about this social shift? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/26/2016 • 9 minutes, 23 seconds
8 Essential Tips for Primal Men
Men I know. I am one, after all. Have been for many years. For the most part, I enjoy it. It’s worked out really well for me. I don’t find it particularly difficult to be a man. Once I dialed in the basics of this Primal stuff, my health improved and my fitness became more well-rounded and applicable to the things I enjoyed doing. I haven’t struggled much. But many people do. And while the majority of Primal advice is geared toward humans in general, I’ll just get this out of the way early: These “men’s tips” all apply to many women, too. And many of the “women’s tips” from last week’s post also apply to men. But ignoring the gender-specificity of general trends serves no one. Everyone has the capacity for competitiveness; men tend to have more. Both genders can benefit from fasting, but women are more likely to have negative responses. Men and women both need sleep; lack of it hits women harder. That’s all. As always, if you recognize yourself in these tips, go for it! (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/25/2016 • 9 minutes, 33 seconds
#121: CJ Hunt
Host Elle Russ sits down with CJ Hunt, writer, producer and host of the break out film hit (and first Paleo documentary), The Perfect Human Diet, and author of the how-to companion guide of the same title. Graduating Summa Cum Laude in Electronic Communication Arts BA Radio /TV from SFSU 2007, CJ has had a career that spanned motocross racing and theme park announcer to over 20 years in broadcasting, with voice-overs, TV host, television and movie actor and author of two previous books on diet and nutrition.
5/24/2016 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 55 seconds
6 Reasons to Look Forward to Growing Old
There are days I genuinely think I’ve never had more fun, contentment and satisfaction in my life than I do right now. Unfortunately, the dominant culture pushes a different message for those of us over 50 (and definitely over 60). I’m talking about the message that these decades inevitably put us on the sidelines, ushering in an inevitable fade-out of all our faculties and enjoyments. But guess what? I’m here to tell you some good news: that doesn’t have to be your destiny. In fact, there’s a whole lot to look forward to as you grow older. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/20/2016 • 12 minutes, 29 seconds
12 Essential Tips for Primal Women
Look: I’m a man. I’ve lived a different experience than the average woman, with totally different equipment and different concentrations of hormones coursing through my body. But I have a daughter and a wife and a good head on my shoulders that’s spent the last 30 years thinking about health, nutrition, and fitness for humans, so I have a few things to offer. So let’s get right down to today’s post. What follows are 12 tips for Primal women. Or any woman, really. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/18/2016 • 10 minutes, 34 seconds
#120: James Swanwick
James Swanwick is a Los Angeles-based Australian-American entrepreneur who created the 30 Day No Alcohol Challenge to help social drinkers reduce or quit alcohol consumption. Swanwick also co-founded Swanwick Sleep to educate people on the importance of optimal sleep and hosts The James Swanwick Show podcast, where you learn about health, wealth, and relationships. As seen in Yahoo Health, James has spoken at the Bulletproof Conference, and has written for Thought Catalog, MindBodyGreen, Elite Daily, and Elephant Journal. Also, as a former ESPN SportsCenter anchor and Hollywood celebrity journalist, Swanwick interviewed world leaders like Al Gore, champion athletes, and movie stars like Bradley Cooper.
5/17/2016 • 56 minutes, 23 seconds
How to Have a Civil Discussion About Divisive Issues
Were Grok and his kin really rock-throwing brutes, or would they likely show up us “moderns” in their adherence to relative order and harmony? In other words, how much is civility really dependent upon civilization? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/12/2016 • 9 minutes, 54 seconds
10 Ways to Treat Burnout (and How to Avoid It Altogether)
How do we treat burnout once we find ourselves in this modern scourge? What can we do to recover both our emotional and physical vitality? And, even better, how can we avoid burnout altogether? The strategies, I’d argue, are largely the same if we can summon the motivation to follow through before we find ourselves hitting that bottom. Some attempt to address the physical manifestations of burnout, while others confront the core lifestyle issues that ignite and perpetuate it. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/11/2016 • 17 minutes, 27 seconds
Did Grok Suffer From Seasonal Allergies?
Seasonal allergies occur when your innate immune system perceives airborne pollen as a threat and overreacts to its presence in your body with a flood of histamine, producing runny nose, itchy eyes, nasal congestion, sneezing, headaches, and other symptoms. This type of response makes sense with foreign substances that are intrinsically dangerous, like pathogenic microbes, poisons, and toxins, but there’s nothing inherently dangerous about pollen. What gives? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/10/2016 • 8 minutes, 25 seconds
#119: Chris Adams on Stress, Shift Work and Sleep Disruption
Host Brad Kearns joins firefighter and PrimalCon legend, Chris Adams, to talk about the stresses of shift work and sleep disruption, as well as how he helped Arizona firefighter academy students dramatically improve their performance by emphasizing aerobic exercise instead of stressful, higher intensity cardio training. Chris and his partner Tina Leaman (Primal Blueprint audio engineer, who produces all podcasts and audiobooks) have the distinction of attending all nine PrimalCon events around the world from 2010-2014. They served as group and staff leaders to ensure guests had a fabulous time. Working in high stress environments that involve sleep disruptions can be a real health challenge, and also interfere with fitness progress. Chris, a devoted CrossFit athlete with superhuman strength and athleticism, learned the hard way about burnout when he combined a heavy CrossFit schedule with his night shift firefighting work and guaranteed sleep interruptions. Chris talks about expertly managing the Adrenalin rush that comes when the bell rings for emergencies, how to manage the common "compassion fatigue" that afflicts public servants, and how to respect the big picture instead of "compartmentalize stress," i.e., making workout decisions based on workout schedule, but not respecting the influence of your work schedule. Enjoy this informative conversation, especially if you deal with sleep disruption or are trying to balance enthusiastic workout goals with a challenging career. Learn how Chris helped fire academy students slow down and then deliver major peak performance breakthroughs on testing day.
5/10/2016 • 51 minutes, 10 seconds
How to Stop Using Food Like a Drug
Where’s the line between normal indulgence and chronic “abuse” of food? And what do we do when we find ourselves sliding into risky territory? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/5/2016 • 12 minutes, 20 seconds
13 Worthy Alternatives to Traditional Sprinting You Should Try
Whether because of old/current injuries, the general state of the body, or simple personal preference, a significant portion of the population isn’t going to be running sprints on a track. Maybe you hate it. Maybe it hurts too much, or you’re worried about throwing something out. Whatever the reason for your sprint abstinence, there are worthy alternatives to traditional sprinting. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/4/2016 • 11 minutes, 4 seconds
Why Grok Didn’t Have to Floss but You Do
Today’s article is a guest post by Dr. Mark Burhenne, the #1 bestselling author of The 8-Hour Sleep Paradox. As an authority on dental health, he is also on a mission to help shift the conversation about sleep from quantity to quality as the foundation for primal living. As a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, Dr. Burhenne blogs about the mouth-body connection on his website, AsktheDentist.com. Today, he addresses some of the most pressings topics surrounding oral health from an ancestral health perspective, which , if you think about it, can be summed up with the following question: If Grok didn’t floss his teeth, why should I, especially when I’m living a primal lifestyle? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Dr. Mark Burhenne, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
5/3/2016 • 10 minutes, 6 seconds
#118: Brad Kearns and Elle Russ
Hosts Elle Russ and Brad Kearns tackle an assortment of topics influenced by podcast listener and MarksDailyApple.com reader comments, including low testosterone (problematic for both males and females) and natural ways to optimize hormones. They discuss concerns about HbA1c, a test that reveals long term blood glucose levels and has the potential to bring up concerns about metabolic damage caused by decades of SAD eating, and how it might delay results when going Primal. Discussion continues about the reframing of alcohol in The Primal Blueprint in the “Avoid Poisonous Things” category, given how it can compromise gut health and fat reduction goals, and contribute to other health concerns and conditions. At the end of the show, Elle discusses the journey of writing her book The Paleo Thyroid Solution, and dispenses some interesting advice to those aspiring to write.
5/3/2016 • 52 minutes, 1 second
Why Weight Loss Doesn’t Promise Happiness
Weight loss and the resulting health enhancements can top offthe natural contentment and confidence some people for the mostpart already have. Alternatively, it becomes a catalyst forpsychological work that matches the same vigor as their physicaltransformation.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and isnarrated by Tina Leaman)
4/28/2016 • 8 minutes, 7 seconds
10 Common Primal Mistakes You Might Be Making
Most of us go Primal to solve problems created by conventional
dietary and lifestyle recommendations. Often these solutions
involve doing the opposite of what the authorities are telling us.
For the most part, it works.
Sometimes eschewing conventional advice goes too far,
though. Sometimes we make serious blunders in our pursuit of Primal
perfection.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is
narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/27/2016 • 10 minutes, 32 seconds
Why What You Walk (or Run) on Matters
Walking on flat, linear, manmade surfaces is certainly fine,
especially if I’ve got my wife or dog or a friend—or I’m exploring
a new city—but naturally deposited ground full of dips and peaks
and studded with random deformations is ideal.
And there’s growing evidence that it’s better for you, too.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and
is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/26/2016 • 10 minutes, 3 seconds
#117: Michelle Norris
Today Mark sits down with Michelle Norris, CEO and Managing
Event Coordinator of Paleo
f(x)™. Years ago, while waiting to depart the inaugural
Ancestral Health Symposium and head back to their hometown of
Austin, Texas, Michelle wondered aloud how in the world she and
Keith would be able to distill all they'd absorbed into usable
parcels for the everyday clients they worked with. Then and there,
the seeds for their own all-encompassing “paleo party” were
planted. Michelle was then, and is now, the driving force behind
the Paleo f(x)™ enterprise. To say she is passionate about this
movement is a major understatement. She lives and breathes Paleo
f(x)™, and is adamant about bringing Paleo—the diet, the lifestyle
and the community engagement—to the masses. Never underestimate a
determined woman with a dream to change the world. And with
Michelle at the helm, Paleo f(x)™ is poised to do just that.
Michelle is also a Founding Partner of ID Life, a new health &
wellness company that is poised to revolutionize the industry, and
is Executive Chef, owner and founder of Instinct Catering.
This episode is brought to you by Safe Catch Elite—the lowest
mercury tuna of any brand. Safe Catch is the only brand that tests
every fish and is paleo certified. For tuna with amazing purity and
amazing taste, go to Safecatch.com/primal and receive
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4/26/2016 • 25 minutes, 59 seconds
Why Saying “No” Is So Important
Today I’m talking limits—and how knowing where to draw the line is essential to living an awesome life.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/21/2016 • 5 minutes, 53 seconds
8 Ayurvedic Herbs That Actually Work
Whereas some older treatments have gone the way of the dodo in light of scientific scrutiny, many endure. In today’s post, I’ll subject the ancient world of Ayurvedic herbs to that same scientific scrutiny.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/20/2016 • 7 minutes, 56 seconds
Do Foam Rollers Really Work?
Should you foam roll everything? Is it worth getting into those ridiculously contrived positions in order to hit some small ribbon of fascia hidden between limbs? Should you foam roll your face?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/19/2016 • 8 minutes, 14 seconds
Episode 116: The Wim Hof Method with Jared Tavasolian & Chris Tai Melodista
Chris and Jared are the only instructors in the U.S of "The Wim Hof Method" certified by Wim aka the "Iceman" himself. Wim Hof teaches that through a proper breathing and training, you can train to hold your breath longer, making conscious contact with your heart, autonomic nervous system, and immune system. It also has a positive influence on your blood circulation. Learn why people like Laird Hamilton, Orlando Bloom, Joe Rogan, Tim Ferris, and Oprah Winfrey, practice the Wim Hof Method and feel the amazing benefits of this powerful and healing breathing method supported by science! Show Notes: What is the Wim Hof method? [00:01:05] How does the breathing technique set up the hormonal response? [00:07:17] What are the benefits of this ice bath? [00:08:49] Who is a good candidate for this breathing method? [00:11:25] Is the purpose of the Wim Hof method to increase the stress hormone response? [00:14:18] What are some of the success stories you have experienced? [00:15:41] How many people are trained to do these workshops? [00:23:16] What is the background of Jared? [00:27:15] How did Chris get into this area? [00:32:16] Look on Facebook for "Wim Hof method workshop"[00:37:19]
4/19/2016 • 1 second
Why Hobbies Are an Important Part of Primal Living
Beyond these suggestions from health-related research, there are experts who likewise push for a hobby comeback. One career coach shares that hobbies have helped her clients reduce stress, manage anger, and enhance work performance because of their potential to “improve…decision-making, creativity and confidence.”
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/14/2016 • 7 minutes, 33 seconds
12 Surprising Things You Can Do With Avocado Oil
First-press avocado oil retains most of the fat-soluble nutrients, antioxidants, carotenoids, and chlorophylls found in the fruit, just like extra virgin olive oil retains olive nutrients, first-press avocado oil provides the power of the avocado in a compact, reliable, convenient, pourable package.
And it lets you do lots of cool things...
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/13/2016 • 8 minutes, 9 seconds
Why Breakfast Isn’t the Most Important Meal of the Day (For Everyone)
What do the breakfast proponents actually claim? Let’s examine some of the claims and see what the evidence says.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/12/2016 • 14 minutes, 26 seconds
#115: Matt Whitmore and Keris Marsden
Host Brad Kearns welcomes Matt Whitmore and Keris Marsden in a joint podcast with Fitter Food radio channel in London! Their second book, Fitter Food, Second Helping is coming out soon. Their first book was a big seller in Europe under the title, Fitter Food, and in the U.S. under the title Paleo Primer. They have their own training/fitness facility in London where they work with individuals helping them learn all about the paleo/primal lifestyle. Keris and Matt discuss how a proper nutrition regimen for athletes has evolved over the years. They look at how much carbohydrate is needed for fueling exercise, as well as how much training is helpful or damaging. They explore how much ketosis is needed for high endurance performance and if are there negative side effects to long-term ketosis. This entertaining podcast will inspire listeners to question what you thought you knew about training and carbo-loading.
4/12/2016 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 51 seconds
15 Reasons Not to Trust That Latest Nutritional Study
Today, I’m going to discuss many of the reasons you shouldn’t trust the latest nutritional study without looking past the headlines.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/6/2016 • 10 minutes, 55 seconds
How to Get Organized and Stay Focused in a Modern World
How can our pre-industrial brains stay organized and focus on the things that matter? Here are a few tips to help.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
4/5/2016 • 14 minutes, 30 seconds
#114: Brad Kearns & Elle Russ on Burnout and Fatigue
Hosts Elle Russ and Brad Kearns talk about the common condition of adrenal fatigue and burnout—how to notice it and take corrective action with diet, exercise and lifestyle behaviors. Elle mentions some symptoms of adrenal fatigue, such as exhaustion in the morning and getting a second wind after 6 PM. While there are all kinds of products and remedies targeting the adrenal issue, Elle says focus on three things to give your adrenals the TLC they need: Vitamin B-complex, Vitamin C, and quality sea salts. Behavior suggestions include: sleeping more, cutting workouts back until you feel great at rest, napping whenever you need to, and becoming fat adapted through Primal eating. Late in the show, the conversation segue’s into a focus on Vitamin D and it’s widespread influence on health. Get tested and get your levels up over 70 ng/ml as recommended by Vitamin D advocates.
4/5/2016 • 45 minutes, 38 seconds
How to Develop Emotional Resilience in the Modern World
Adversity varies and challenges us in different ways. But our ability to endure and bounce back from stress, struggle, and loss is what emotional resilience is all about. What can our ancestors’ examples teach us about psychological hardiness and mental fortitude?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/31/2016 • 11 minutes, 43 seconds
How Going Primal Can Help With 5 Common Genetic Mutations
Let’s take a look at five genetic mutations and how the Primal way of eating, living, and moving can help mitigate their downsides.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/30/2016 • 10 minutes, 33 seconds
8 Primal Rules for Building Better Bones
Bones are living metabolic tissue. And though we can’t tell them what to do directly, they grow—or diminish—in response to the signals we send. What kind of signals should we be sending?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/30/2016 • 16 minutes, 50 seconds
#113: Craig Ballantyne
Elle Russ is in the studio today with fitness and personal development guru, Craig Ballantyne. Craig is the author of The Perfect Day Formula and has a set a goal to help 10 million people transform their lives, physically mentally, emotionally and financially by the year 2020.
Learn all about the “Five Pillars of Success” and how to become your best, and stay your best, in this eye opening episode.
3/29/2016 • 33 minutes, 22 seconds
How a Primal Lifestyle Can Help You Find Your Passion
Many people today lead lives of flatness or even despair in which they take paths dictated by cultural or familial expectation—or by the pursuit of money over passion. They go whole decades of life never asking what they’d rather be doing, and those frustrated inclinations end up coming out sideways in a midlife crisis or just a subtle resentment that smolders each day.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/24/2016 • 8 minutes
Should You Sleep-Low to Boost Performance?
What if you didn’t eat the potatoes after a hard workout? What if you abstained from carbs entirely after a glycogen-depleting workout? What if you just went to bed without any (carbs in your) supper? What if you were an elite athlete and skipped the carbs?That’s exactly what a team of French researchers had a group of highly trained male triathletes do, according to a study released a couple months back.They were exploring the effects of a “sleep-low” eating regimen on the type of performance indices relevant to endurance athletes.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/23/2016 • 8 minutes, 13 seconds
Why Are Some Wines More Primal-Approved Than Others?
Similar to the effect the modern industrialized food system has on those who eat from it, modern wine production may be causing most of the problems associated with its consumption.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/22/2016 • 13 minutes, 6 seconds
#112: Todd White, Founder of Dry Farm Wines
Mark is in the studio this week with Todd White, founder of revolutionary wine production company, Dry Farm Wines. Todd is a writer, speaker and leading authority on healthy, organic natural wines and supporter of micro-dosing alcohol for health, longevity and vitality. As an avid biohacker and health experimenter, Todd is also releasing a ketogenic cookbook called Keto Well that discusses his success in low-carb eating.
Todd is a bit of a Renaissance man, but for the last 15 years he has specialized in the natural health and wine business. He has dedicated his life to educating and helping people make better choices about food, nutrition, and how they think about consuming alcohol.
Today we’re getting a complete education on wine, including an in-depth look at common modern additives and the resulting issues they pose. If you're wondering where alcohol lands in your overall health goals, then this is the episode for you!
SPECIAL OFFER: Get a bottle of Primal-approved wine for just one cent!
3/22/2016 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 29 seconds
How to Handle Constructive Criticism as a Primal Advocate
Sometimes it’s the people in our inner circle who are the inquiring minds. Other times it’s co-workers or even strangers. It might even be our doctors. Whatever the case, what might begin as a simple question can often devolve into a full-blown harangue about how we’re putting our health in grave peril. On the flip side, it may be we who descend into an extended diatribe on all things Primal as the other person tries to slink away, having just been intrigued by our lettuce wrapped “un-wich.” How do we respond in these conversations without losing all patience or perspective?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/17/2016 • 9 minutes, 40 seconds
10 Interesting Predictors of Longevity
This isn’t a Homeric epic. There are no oracles laying out our destiny and predicting our inevitable demise. But even if we can’t know the precise date of our death, we can use certain biomarkers, measurements, and characteristics to make predictions—with a reasonable amount of accuracy—about a person’s propensity to kick the bucket.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/16/2016 • 9 minutes, 15 seconds
Can Exposure to Non-Primal Foods Actually Help?
Are we shortchanging ourselves by complete elimination of potentially allergenic or sensitizing foods like wheat, peanuts, or dairy? Do we become even more sensitive to “bad” foods by avoiding them entirely? This question stems from two things I recently encountered. The first was a recent rewatcing of The Princess Bride. The second was the recent peanut allergy study.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/15/2016 • 11 minutes, 28 seconds
#111: Melissa Hartwig
Mark sits down for a lively chat with Melissa Hartwig, Certified Sports Nutritionist, New York Times Best Selling author of It Starts With Food and The Whole30, and co-creator of the wildly popular Whole30 movement. Melissa is no stranger to major media as she's been featured by The Today Show, Dr. Oz, The View, Outside, Shape and Self Magazines, and The Wall Street Journal. Melissa has presented over 150 health and nutrition seminars worldwide, and connects with over 1.5 million people each month through the Whole30 website.
Mark and Melissa run through a number of fascinating topics, including how Melissa developed the Whole30 program, nutrition's role in addiction recovery, whether or not alcohol can have a place in a healthy diet, and why the Whole30 program is meant to be learning tool to get you on the path of having a healthy relationship with food. This is truly an episode you don't want to miss!
3/15/2016 • 39 minutes, 15 seconds
9 Primal Ways to Become a Better Communicator
We rely on communication for all we do—how we parent, how we lead, how we love, how we navigate the world and all of our relationships. And, yet, it’s no secret that we’re doing our communicative talents no favors these days. From the filter of technology to the culture of busy, we’re seem to be backing ourselves into our virtual, isolated corners more and more.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/10/2016 • 15 minutes, 2 seconds
Should You Be Getting More B Vitamins?
Primal people tend to assume they have the B vitamins covered. It’s no wonder: punch a slab of beef chuck steak or a few ounces of liver into the USDA nutrient database and that whole B vitamin section seems to fill up.
Let’s take a look. You may be right. You may be totally fine. But it’s always nice to refresh your focus.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/9/2016 • 19 minutes, 5 seconds
Minimalist Living: Is It Primal?
Readers of my blog are already familiar with my take on the minimalist, or “barefoot” shoe. Unencumbered by supportive arch inserts, stiff soles, and cramped dimensions, the healthy human foot performs, feels, and functions best in a minimalist shoe. It cuts out the fluff and the artifice, the rent-seeking yet unnecessary modifications and upgrades that characterize the modern shoe industry and distills the essentials of what shoe should do—protect the bottom of the foot without changing the heel height or cutting off incoming sensory data. Even if you don’t currently wear minimalist footwear, you grasp the argument, understand the appeal, and agree that minimalist shoes hew more closely to the ancestral environment in which our feet evolved. They are Primal through and through.
Does the same hold true for the growing minimalist movement? Was Grok a minimalist? Sorta…
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/9/2016 • 11 minutes, 10 seconds
#110: Andrew MacNaughton and Brad Kearns on Life Transformation
Andrew and Brad discuss how to “solve the puzzle” of transitioning gracefully through major shifts in career or life. In the athletic world, many struggle when faced with retirement because the intensity of competition and dedicated attention is difficult to match more traditional career pursuits. A process-oriented mindset is urged, so that self-esteem is not attached to results or one’s identity as an athlete, or as a career achiever as well. Another suggestion is finding new passions—they don’t necessarily have to be competitive—but something that lights you up and engages you deeply. More discussion of how to balance career, family, fitness/health, and personal goals, and how sometimes we look at health and fitness pursuits as “sacrifices,” when in fact, not practicing healthy behaviors is the real sacrifice. Enjoy a thoughtful show full of practical tips from Andrew and Brad.
3/8/2016 • 47 minutes, 26 seconds
7 Primal Ways to Be a Better Leader
Can we take what research tells us about the roughly prevalent hunter-gatherer model of leadership and decipher lessons for modern management? I tend to think so.
Here are what I’d consider 7 Primal ways to be a better leader….
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/3/2016 • 10 minutes, 13 seconds
Top 14 Ways to Increase Your Metabolism
On a literal level, your metabolic rate describes how much energy you expend to conduct daily physiological functions. This has many practical ramifications, however, because your metabolic rate also influences how you feel, how many calories you burn, how many calories you can eat without gaining weight, your libido, your fertility, your cold tolerance, how much subjective energy you have, how you recover from injuries and stress, how specific foods affect you, and how you perform in the gym. In short, it’s usually a good thing to have a higher metabolic rate.
Here are a few ways to increase your metabolism in a healthy, productive manner.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
3/2/2016 • 9 minutes, 34 seconds
#109: Dr. Peter Osborne
Host Elle Russ sits down with Dr. Peter Osborne, the clinical director of Origins Healthcare Center in Sugar Land, TX, and author of No Grain, No Pain. Dr. Osborne is a doctor of chiropractic medicine, a Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist and an expert in orthomolecular and functional medicine. His clinical focus is the holistic natural treatment of chronic degenerative diseases with a primary focus on gluten sensitivity and food allergies. He has helped thousands of patients recover from mysterious medical illnesses.
Get ready folks, because this episode is chock full of fascinating (and digestible) facts on the issues grains cause within the body.
3/1/2016 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 30 seconds
Primal Rage: How to Manage Unproductive Anger
How do we deal with anger? What do we do with this naturally occurring emotion when it’s not a matter of survival? Today's post covers a few tips for managing anger (so it doesn’t manage you).
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/25/2016 • 9 minutes, 11 seconds
17 Primal Tips for Vegans and Vegetarians
We all have people in our lives who avoid meat and/or animal products in general for multiple reasons—health, ethics, the environment, squeamishness, animal welfare—but we care about them. We also subscribe, with varying degrees of rigidity, to an eating philosophy based on the nutritional importance of animal foods. How do we reconcile these competing loyalties? Should we give up on them? Are they a lost cause? Should we simply wait for them to come limping toward us with sallow skin and low muscle tone? I kid, of course. We should absolutely help where and when we can.
Yet telling them to “just eat meat” doesn’t work. If anything, it’s counterproductive. Instead, we can offer productive, legitimately helpful advice from a Primal perspective.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/24/2016 • 13 minutes, 53 seconds
#108: Dave Dollé
Host Brad Kearns sits down with Dave Dollé, personal trainer and co-Author of Fruit Belly. Today we’re diving deep into Dave’s background and current career endeavors, including how he manages his two training facilities and keeps his clients motivated.
2/24/2016 • 56 minutes, 7 seconds
Grass-fed Vs. Conventional: When Does It Matter Most?
Not everyone has the luxury of buying and eating solely grass-fed, pasture-raised meat and dairy. Most folks have to choose. They have to pick their battles. Today’s post will help you choose wisely.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/23/2016 • 10 minutes, 26 seconds
10 Ways to Encourage Primal Body Positivity
When we dump the pervading culture’s nonsense of obsessing over comparative perfectionism, we’re free to own our own sense of worth. We’re free to enjoy living in our bodies and reveling in their abilities. We’re free to actualize ourselves physically to our own unique potentials. That sounds to me like a much bolder and worthier project in this lifetime. Let’s look at a few ways to take up this challenge.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/18/2016 • 12 minutes, 17 seconds
8 Ways Going Primal Can Help the Environment
No, you yourself can’t save the world. You personally won’t make a dent in the climate, or the amount of plastic in the ocean, or the number of cute baby seals that are bludgeoned to death. But collectively, we can. The choices we make, the things we value, the food we eat, the way our food is raised, who we buy our food from, and how we conduct our day-to-day lives in attempted harmony with our Primal natures really does seem to mesh well with the environment. Multiply those small personal choices by millions of readers (and their dollars) and you get real change.
I’m not putting any extra pressure on you. These are things you’re already doing, by and large. These are the ways going Primal can actually help, not harm, the environment.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/17/2016 • 9 minutes, 57 seconds
How I’d Change Grade School
Research indicates that the growing emphasis on academic rigor in grade school is ineffectual at best and counterproductive at worst. Here's what I would do if I were in charge.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/16/2016 • 13 minutes, 34 seconds
#107: Abel James
Abel James is a bestselling author of The Wild Diet, entertainer, and lifestyle entrepreneur. As the #1 rated Health podcast in 8+ countries, Abel's award-winning web series, Fat-Burning Man, has helped millions reclaim their health with cutting-edge science, outdoor workouts, and outrageously good food. When his debut cooking app, Caveman Feast, bested The Food Network and Martha Stewart with more than 1,000 5-star reviews in 48 hours, Abel became the first independent publisher to hold Apple's #1 food app and #1 podcast at the same time.
A leading voice in new media, Abel was named as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Health and Fitness along with Michael Pollan, Dr. Andrew Weil, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Deepak Chopra. Abel starred on ABC and has been featured in People Magazine, Entertainment Tonight, NPR, Forbes, and many more. Also a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Abel has toured internationally and won several awards for vocal performance.
After completing his B.A. at Dartmouth College a year early, Abel created his own interdisciplinary curriculum to study brain science, music, and technology, graduating as a Senior Fellow with Honors. He later independently published his research in The Musical Brain, which became a #1 Amazon bestseller.
On ABC’s “My Diet Is Better Than Yours” Abel’s contestant, Kurt, lost 87 pounds, 22% body fat, and is off all his prescription medications after 14 weeks on a high-fat, low carb diet. He practiced intermittent fasting (with butter coffee!), drank bone broth daily, and had plenty of organic veggies and pasture-raised meat and eggs, while staying away from processed foods and grains (except for a couple cheats).
The show based its competition on weight loss instead of fat loss. Even though Kurt lost the most total body weight and double the body fat of the other contestants (22%) he lost the competition to Jasmine who lost a higher body weight percentage. Jasmine only lost a total of 13% body fat.
Abel enjoys strong coffee and cheesecake, preferably together.
Today's show is brought to you by Casper. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by visiting casper.com/primal and using the promo code PRIMAL at checkout.
2/16/2016 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 8 seconds
Why Romantic Love is Essential to Human Experience
As with most cultural phenomena, Valentine’s Day is part commercial hoopla and part genuine human inclination. So how do we honor the substance of the holiday while separating out the marketing static? Maybe a Primal lens (at least in the anthropological sense) doesn’t make for the most sentimental post about romantic love. But there’s plenty of authentic awe—and maybe some thought-provoking sense—to be had from the exercise. See if you agree…(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/11/2016 • 9 minutes, 31 seconds
10 Reasons to Eat More Collagen
For years, the bodybuilding, protein-gorging community has maligned collagen for its inessentiality and lack of input into the muscle-protein synthesis process. From their perspective, it sort of makes sense. Why bother with “low quality” protein like gelatin/collagen when you can pound the whey, eat the meat, and focus on other sources of the essential amino acids directly involved in building muscle?(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/10/2016 • 11 minutes, 27 seconds
#106: Bethany Hamilton
Host Elle Russ sits down with Surfing Champion, motivational speaker, mother and all around inspiration, Bethany Hamilton.
For those of you not familiar with today’s incredible guest, she has been an amazing source of inspiration and hope to millions of people. During a surf session in 2003, at the age of 13, Bethany was attacked by a 14-foot tiger shark, resulting in the loss of her left arm, which seemed to end her career as a professional surfer. However, Bethany rose to (and far beyond) the challenge, was back in the water a month after and took home her first national surfing title a little over a year later.
13 years after what seems like a horrible event, Bethany says she wouldn’t change a thing and talks about how her experience ended up bringing such positivity and strength to her life and how she channels that to bring hope to others.
Bethany's latest book, Body and Soul, is a health, fitness and nutrition resource that teaches young women how to care for their bodies beyond the over-emphasis on physical appearance.
Tune in today for this very special episode you don't want to miss!
2/10/2016 • 31 minutes, 4 seconds
Nootropics: Brain Enhancers, Smart Drugs, or Empty Hype?
Hang around on nootropic forums where fans and users congregate and you’ll come away with the notion that you’re missing out on a leg up if you’re not taking the latest and greatest nootropic supplement. Nootropics promise vague benefits to “cognition” and “performance,” but what’s really happening? Do nootropics actually work as advertised? Some of them do, absolutely. But others, maybe not so much.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/9/2016 • 10 minutes, 30 seconds
Should You Favor Time or Money?
Time and money—the sources of endless hand-wringing in modern society. No one ever seems to have enough, including the people we think probably do. Instead of struggling with primeval conditions of scarcity, many of us are encumbered with the so-called “first-world problems” of modern day. For most of us, there’s a whole range of choices and flexibility that Grok never had. That said, when we bring a Primal perspective to the fore, just what is a healthy and productive relationship to time and money? And how much of each do we need to be happy?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/4/2016 • 10 minutes, 29 seconds
How to Create Your Own Active Workstation
When we sit or stand all day long in the same position, our body is learning to be immobile. Children can’t sit still because they haven’t had the natural human need to move beaten out of them yet. Adults never feel like moving because we’ve grown accustomed to never doing it. Since we spend at least a third of our lives at work, our workstation must enable and even encourage movement.
How do we do it? What do we need?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/3/2016 • 9 minutes, 18 seconds
#105: Adam and Vanessa Lambert
Brad Kearns is back this week with two of Primal’s favorite trainers, Adam and Vanessa Lambert! They’ve been busier than ever since last year’s podcast interview, so we have a lot of ground to cover. Aside from building their coaching business at BeeTheWellness.com, they’ve stepped into the tech world by collaborating with Vimify on their very own app-based coaching platform. It was by their suggestion that we moved the 21-Day Total Body Transformation Challenge to Vimify, facilitating a beautiful and vibrant community that grows by the month.
Learn the value of finding your tribe and the most critical aspect of improving your health (it’s probably not what you think) in this lively chat with old friends.
2/3/2016 • 32 minutes, 52 seconds
Top 16 Tips for the Perfect Primal Vacation
As Primal travelers, you are exceptionally thoughtful. You value experiences over things, and the things you choose tend to enhance life experience, not replace it. Your vacations should be no different.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
2/3/2016 • 13 minutes, 34 seconds
#104: Simon Whitfield
On today’s special show, hosts Brad Kearns and Andrew MacNaughton connect with retired triathlon legend Simon Whitfield from Victoria, B.C., Canada. Simon details his remarkable victory in the inaugural Olympic triathlon in Sydney, Australia in 2000, along with other memories and perspectives gained from his lengthy career at the top of the sport. Simon is an extremely thoughtful, introspective athlete whose insights can provide great value to whatever peak performance or life goals you pursue. “If you love your pursuits, you’ll find a way to success. If you succumb to your fears and insecurities, your results will suffer accordingly,” says Simon. With refreshing candor, Simon mentions the dangers of drifting into a prima donna perspective and how to recalibrate to focus on the journey; especially having a strong and authentic support team. “Hard truths come with sharp edges, but they are the source of the greatest learning,” Simon offers. Simon updates us about his recent doings, including epic standup paddling adventures in Victoria. Enjoy this deeply revealing and impactful discussion with triathlon’s most thoughtful coach, Andrew MacNaughton, and most thoughtful elite athlete, Simon Whitfield.
1/26/2016 • 56 minutes, 34 seconds
Why Did We Evolve to Feel Compassion?
While today we consider compassion one of the most esteemed human traits, what were its origins? Is this really a product of evolutionary forces rather than cultural response? How could it have grown out of the rough and tough, survival-of-the-fittest world of Grok’s day?
1/21/2016 • 6 minutes, 9 seconds
How to Personalize Primal Blueprint Fitness
How can different populations tailor PBF to their needs, goals, and capacities? How does the retiree do PBF? The former CrossFitter? The recovering triathlete? The harried parent of twins? Let’s go through some basic archetypes and my recommendations for each.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/20/2016 • 11 minutes, 35 seconds
#103: Aerobic Base Building with Brad Kearns
Brad talks about maybe the most important element of a successful endurance program--emphasizing aerobic base building at the proper heart rates. This fast paced narration will give you the straight scoop about how to train aerobically, and help you avoid the egregious mistakes that endurance athletes of all ability levels make when they drift into slightly too difficult intensity zone during workouts - training in the Black Hole! Brad dispenses Dr. Phil Maffetone's secret formula of "180-age" heart rate training, and details the burnout he experienced early in 2015 by mistakenly training at too elevated of an aerobic heart rate. Get your training straight by listening to this quick, informative podcast!
1/20/2016 • 22 minutes, 34 seconds
This Is Your Brain on Bugs: How Gut Bacteria Affect Mental Health
This microscopic landscape is worth talking about again—specifically because it influences your brain (that grand master of all organs) and how well you’re likely to stick to all those newly adopted changes in the future.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/19/2016 • 12 minutes, 20 seconds
Dear Mark: Bone Broth Edition
With bone broth bars popping up in cities, broth-based cookbooks appearing on Amazon, and grass-fed bone broth now available for order online, hot bone water is experiencing a renaissance. And not just among Primal devotees. Dr. Oz is recommending it as a coffee replacement and Kobe Bryant uses it to support his aging body. The renewed popularity has brought an endless string of questions from readers, and today I’m going to answer some of them.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/15/2016 • 12 minutes, 28 seconds
8 Kitchen Hacks Every Primal Cook Should Know
If you don’t approach cooking 3+ meals a day with a strategy, you’ll start feeling like you’ll never get out of the kitchen, which isn’t such a good thing.
A collection of Primal recipes right at your fingertips definitely helps. But if you really want Primal cooking to be easy, convenient, and manageable in the long haul, then what you need most are some kitchen hacks that every Primal cook should know.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/14/2016 • 11 minutes, 31 seconds
How to Discover Your Hidden Obstacles to Primal Progress
It seems like a universal dictum. When you start to make positive change, you’re going to get pushback. It’s not a magical force thing. The fact is, you’re rocking the boat. Your attempt to change, no matter how small, is throwing off the dysfunctional equilibrium you’ve been living with. Somewhere along the line you got used to how you live and how you feel. Inertia is as much a psychological as a physical phenomenon.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/13/2016 • 10 minutes, 50 seconds
5 Ways to Achieve Your Health Goals in 2016
Real change is simple, but it’s not easy. It takes planning. It means facing fears and overcoming stress. To really succeed, you have to know what you’re changing and have the willpower to see it through.
Here are five tips for ensuring your success—in anything—this year.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/12/2016 • 9 minutes, 12 seconds
#102: 115 Things Endurance Athletes Need to Know
Tune into this special preview of Mark Sisson’s newest book, Primal Endurance. Show host and co-author, Brad Kearns, details 115 things you’ll need to know as a Primal Endurance Athlete, including: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Primal Endurance Athletes, what your training schedule should look like per season, over the course over the entire year, and the importance of strict rest and recovery periods.Get better, faster, and stronger than ever before with the help of this groundbreaking release!
1/12/2016 • 36 minutes, 24 seconds
10 Ways to Make Every Day a Window for Change
New year, new you. It’s a powerful suggestion this time of year (and one of the reasons we do the 21-Day Challenge in January). That said, I make a point of writing about behavior change throughout the year because that choice is available to us at all times—not simply when the culture at large declares it so.
The fact is, we can claim a clean slate whenever we feel like it. (It’s good to stir up a little audacity now and then, right?) We’re simply dealing with a question of mindset. How can I effectively mobilize myself to begin achieving my goals (or upping the ante on them) any day of the year? In other words, how can I make each day a potent, no-holds-barred opportunity for change? Let’s look at a few ways….
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/7/2016 • 10 minutes, 10 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Using Your Recent Ancestry to Determine Your Optimal Diet
You can still glean useful info and make realistic inferences from genetic research by examining the regional and ethnic distribution of various alleles (i.e. gene variations) and matching them against your own ancestry. Let’s take a look at some of the alleles for which we have the most data.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/6/2016 • 15 minutes, 54 seconds
The Annual Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge Begins Next Week! (and Here’s How to Prepare)
With a new year comes new goals, which is why our team is ready to announce our favorite, much anticipated goal achieving event of the season: The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge! This year’s challenge will run from Jan 11th-31st, and we have quite the lineup of contests, prizes, and all around fun activities planned for everyone who wants to participate.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
1/5/2016 • 10 minutes, 2 seconds
#101: Martin Keen, CEO of Focal Upright Furniture
Host Brad Kearns talks with Martin Keen, CEO of Focal Upright Furniture—a cutting edge company headquartered in Rhode Island. Focal Upright is responsible for a wildly popular line of functional furniture products, including their unique leaning and mobile seats and assorted upright desk options. Martin discusses the many health hazards of prolonged sitting (electrical activity ceases in your leg muscles, fat metabolism enzymes decline by 90%, calorie burning minimizes, blood flow to brain is reduced, spine is compressed, hip flexors tighten, etc.) and how assuming an upright position can deliver exceptional health benefits.
Unlike other standup desk setups that are all-or-nothing propositions and can often represent too daunting a transition from decades of sitting at work, Martin asserts that the Focal Mogo leaning chair allows you to transition into an upright work setup without needing a chair as a safety valve. This is because the Mogo can support all of your weight when desired, while promoting a stable and elongated spine position. Interestingly, none of the Focal employees have chairs, but they do have a designated lounge (with couches, etc.) where they can go to take a true and authentic break from work. When they return to their desks, they put they bodies, and minds, into an optimal position to focus and get work done! Enjoy this interesting conversation with one of the leaders in the dynamic workstation movement!
1/5/2016 • 36 minutes, 57 seconds
End of the Year Review: What We Learned in 2015
It’s incredible what happens in just a year’s time. New Year’s for me is the time to appreciate all that—what we’ve explored here and what others have contributed. Let’s take a look at some of what we’ve discovered, shared, cooked and experimented with for 2015!
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/31/2015 • 7 minutes, 40 seconds
7 Ways to Slow Down Your Perception of Time
An important piece of living well as you age that most never consider is taking advantage of the fact that time perception is entirely a construction of the brain. By slowing down the perceived passage of time, you seemingly have more of it and live longer—and better.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/30/2015 • 10 minutes, 16 seconds
#100: Cindy Barbieri
Today’s show features a lively (and mouthwatering) talk between host Elle Russ and paleo cook Cindy Barbieri. In the last few years, there’s been a huge movement within the primal/paleo community to find more nutritionally friendly ways to recreate traditional recipes we all love. Of the many cuisines that present unique challenges to paleo adaptations, Italian food is probably one of the hardest that comes to mind. With gluten or grains as a staple to what many consider timeless recipes (whether we’re talking about pizza or pasta), one would think that making Italian food paleo is a pretty foolhardy pursuit. But on today’s show Cindy shares how she’s been able to crack the code!Cindy and Elle discuss how Cindy got into cooking as a pastime, why going paleo was the right switch for her and her husband, and how’s she’s been able to adapt a whole slew of her favorite, non-paleo dishes into nutritionally sound versions of their former selves.Do you miss Italian food like a long lost friend? Then you won’t want to miss out on today’s episode for a welcome primal/paleo reunion!Today’s episode is brought to you by Thrive Market, the leading direct-to-your-door provider of all your health food favorites at a fraction of their retail price. Go to thrivemarket.com/mda to get a free two-month membership and 15% off your first order.
12/30/2015 • 32 minutes, 16 seconds
Do You Have Something To Look Forward To?
This time of year it’s fun to remember the Christmases when my kids were young, and I’d venture many of us can recall similar experiences—whatever holiday they were part of. The night before, each of them would be practically leaping out of their own skin in excitement. Falling asleep was a near impossibility as they laid in their beds anticipating the next morning—finding the cookies they’d left for the man in red (with carrots for the reindeer) half-eaten, seeing the colorful wrapped gifts under the tree, wondering what new and fun thing they’d be creating fantastical scenarios with. It was their giddy, animated exhilaration that was so fun to observe—their imaginative suspense about how it would all reveal itself. When was the last time you felt anything close to that in your life? When was the last time you really looked forward to something—felt the thrill of anticipation?(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/24/2015 • 4 minutes, 43 seconds
8 Reasons Why Low-Carb Diets Actually Work
The popular story of how low-carb diets work goes something like this:Reducing your carbohydrate intake lowers your insulin levels. Since insulin keeps fat locked into adipose tissue, lowering insulin can increase the amount of fat released to be burned for energy.For the portion of the overweight/obese population with insulin resistance and chronically-elevated insulin levels, this is a fairly accurate description of why low-carb diets work so well. When you’re an insulin-resistant hyper responder in whom even a baked potato can cause elevated, protracted spikes in insulin that hamper fat-burning for long periods of time, or a person living under the backdrop of perpetually-elevated insulin, dropping the most insulinogenic foods can be your way out of obesity.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/24/2015 • 8 minutes, 56 seconds
#99: Katy Bowman
On today’s show, Brad sits down with world renowned biomechanist, author, and blogger Katy Bowman. Katy, a previous guest on the show, has started an entire movement (pardon the pun) around getting people to rethink exercise in the context of their everyday lives. The world of exercise is usually divided up into two camps: those who don’t exercise at all and those who overdo it. But Katy makes the case for how introducing fluid, varied movement in our everyday experiences can pay dividends for health in the long run. She takes the concept of the golden mean and applies it to the kinds of activity our bodies have evolved to require for optimal health.
Brad and Katy cover topics from Active Coach Potato Syndrome, fluid mechanics as nourishment, reevaluating the definition of exercise, the compromise between physical activity and productivity, the evolutionary roots of why we need to move, and the practical application of exercising holistically. So if you have a body, you won’t want to miss today’s episode!
Today’s episode is brought to you by Thrive Market, the leading direct-to-your-door provider of all your health food favorites at a fraction of their retail price. Go to thrivemarket.com/mda to get a free two-month membership and 15% off your first order.
12/23/2015 • 56 minutes, 14 seconds
The Power of Food Rituals
From the intricacy of Japanese tea ceremonies to the ornateness of holiday dinners, food related customs hold big sway in every culture. They all reflect in some way an element of that culture’s values and common story—whether long inherited or deliberately chosen. While some of our rituals can be traced to particular religious traditions, others are more secularly instituted, family oriented or even individually constructed. Those grander social customs might evoke more conscious nostalgia, but science suggests even the small practices we enact around our eating can have surprising results.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/23/2015 • 6 minutes, 7 seconds
Psychedelics: A New Medical Frontier?
In a world of cold empiricism, with doctors and pills and psychiatrists and online resources storing every bit of knowledge and wisdom available, does a legitimate role for psychedelics remain?(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/17/2015 • 19 minutes, 27 seconds
Could Gut Bacteria Be to Blame for Your Stubborn Belly Fat?
A recent review suggested “that in humans the changes in gut microbiota are an association with rather than the cause of obesity.” Rather than take their word for it, Let’s examine whether anything mediated by gut bacteria also changes body weight.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/16/2015 • 15 minutes, 58 seconds
Do You Know How to Properly Hydrate?
Hydration. It seems like it should be so easy: drink some water, go about your day, the end. If only it was that simple. In fact, there are many (often contradictory) opinions out there about what we should be drinking, and how much, and when, especially for the athletes among us. I have written about hydration before, and kept up to date with breaking research in recent years. Now, as I am working on the completely revised, updated, and expanded edition of The Primal Blueprint (slated for release in December 2016), I’d like to share a more sophisticated and nuanced opinion on the subject.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/16/2015 • 16 minutes, 18 seconds
#98: Stacy Toth
On today’s special show, Mark Sisson himself takes some time to interview Stacy Toth in the Malibu studios. Stacy blogs about a family-friendly approach to an ancestral lifestyle at the popular website, PaleoParents.com. A full-time working professional, Stacy incorporates her paleo beliefs in everything that she does. By utilizing a walking desk in a corporate setting, sharing paleo creations at work events, and mastering the art of eating paleo on the go, Stacy has successfully maintained a 100+ pound weight-loss for more than five years now.
Motivated by her passion for teaching others about healthy living, Stacy has been a speaker at national conferences focusing on health and wellness, appeared on television shows to share her story, been interviewed by leading national publications (such as Woman's World Magazine) and has appeared on international radio shows and podcasts. Stacy has authored multiple bestselling paleo cookbooks, such as Eat Like a Dinosaur, Beyond Bacon, and Real Life Paleo, as well as the popular ebooks 3 Phase Paleo and Paleo to Go. In addition, the Paleo Parents' award-winning recipes have been featured in several national publications and on many websites.
During today’s talk, Mark captures Stacy’s journey to getting fit within a corporate environment and delves deep into her tips for anyone looking to do the same. What are the benefits to switching to a standing and/or treadmill desk? Are there downsides? What are the hurdles to making the switch in a corporate environment? Find out the answers to some of these and other questions in today’s conversation.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Thrive Market, the leading direct-to-your-door provider of all your health food favorites at a fraction of their retail price. Go to thrivemarket.com/mda to get a free two-month membership and 15% off your first order.
12/16/2015 • 36 minutes, 38 seconds
Winter Blues: How Cold, Dark Days Can Take a Mental Toll
After last week’s look at what winter does in terms of physical symptoms, I’d be lax to not address the obvious elephant in the living room: mental health in the colder, darker season. I’ll admit I don’t know too many people who look forward to this time of year past the holidays. The adventure of winter sports aside (for those who love them) and the chance for a little social hibernation (for those who prefer that), winter can take an exponential toll on people past the New Year. That said, just how much is relative inconvenience versus clinical reality?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/11/2015 • 7 minutes, 26 seconds
Is There Really an Obesity Paradox?
A couple weeks ago, I linked to an article discussing the “obesity paradox”—the idea that across many different studies and populations, people with slightly overweight and even obese BMIs often have the lowest mortality risk. The author is Harriet Brown, a supporter of the “Health At Every Size” movement, comes down hard on the side of overweight/obesity as safe and even beneficial. At first glance, she makes a strong case. She appears to cite compelling research. She talks to obesity researchers who’ve found protective links between higher BMIs and better health and been lambasted by their colleagues. And if the general consensus is right, and carrying extra weight is so unhealthy, why are obesity and overweight consistently associated with a lower risk of death?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/9/2015 • 10 minutes, 56 seconds
#97: Andrew Magness
Join us on today’s show with Andrew Magness, a renaissance man who is a father, husband, trained physicist, former high school teacher, race director, climber, surfer, writer, endurance junkie, conservationist, philosopher, critical thinker, apocophiliac, and an avid neologist, to name a few.
He learned the art of suffering from a decade long love affair with climbing and mountaineering that started during his university years. It was a spectacular but at times abusive relationship, resulting in three of his four broken bones (the other was rollerblading!), but left him with a healthy and perhaps rare sense of what his mental and physical limits actually were.
This knowledge has served him well over the more recent decade when he's turned his affections towards the slightly more forgiving mistress of endurance racing. During that time, he's participated in a range of events from marathon swims to ultra-distance winter bike rides to 10-day adventure races. His book, UltraMental, explores the mental components of such undertakings and describes how he has effectively used extreme low volume training to approach some of the hardest endurance events in the world.
On today’s show, Andrew tackles the exciting evolution of endurance training and the new perspectives that are maximizing results and minimizing health risks. So if you have any interest in training less but gaining more, then this is the show for you.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Thrive Market, the top direct-to-your-door provider of all your health food favorites at a fraction of their retail price. Go to thrivemarket.com/mda to get a free two-month membership and 15% off your first order.
12/9/2015 • 56 minutes
4 Ways Winter Affects Your Physical Health
Humans evolved within a seasonal context—without any of the modern accommodations that would buffer climate or weather influences. Why would our bodies not have adapted with responsive wiring?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/3/2015 • 7 minutes, 50 seconds
8 Common Cold Cures That Actually Seem to Work
Winter is nearly here, and it’s getting cold out there. We’re staying inside, cloistered together, sharing bodily fluids, and trading germs. The sun is weak, if it’s out at all, our vitamin D levels are shot, and our immune system is suffering. Many of us are traveling in planes, trains, and automobiles tightly packed with other people in the same immune predicament. It’s the perfect breeding ground for the dozens of viruses responsible for upper respiratory tract infections like the common cold and flu.
What can we do?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/2/2015 • 9 minutes, 46 seconds
#96: Elle Russ and Brad Kearns
Today’s episode, hosted by Elle Russ, is chock full of reflections, history, and tips based on host Brad Kearn’s earlier career as an endurance athlete gone primal. The perils of chronic cardio are now a well-known fact within most primal circles these days, but there was a time when pretty much every top performing athlete was on the chronic cardio bandwagon. And it wasn’t until some of its biggest adherents (people like Mark Sisson and Brad Kearns) started scratching their heads after getting burned out by the process that a newer, healthier approach to endurance training has started to take form. But that took a lot of reevaluation of the fundamental concepts, motivations, and assumptions of endurance training as a practice.
So tune into today’s show as Brad discusses the ins and outs of the endurance community, performing as a triathlete, meeting Mark Sisson for the first time, the health risks of running your body ragged through endurance training, and the new ways endurance sports can be done in a way that’s more in line with promoting health instead of injury.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Thrive Market, the top direct-to-your-door provider of all your health food favorites at a fraction of their retail price. Go to thrivemarket.com/mda to get a free two-month membership and 15% off your first order.
12/1/2015 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 7 seconds
Antibiotic Resistance: Are We All Doomed?
Will antibiotic-resistant superbacteria take over the world? Will bacterial biofilms blanket the globe, supplant nations, and battle each other for global supremacy? Will the few human survivors be forced into personal bubbles, impermeable to any and all microbes, gathering resources until the chosen one (who looks a lot like Keanu Reeves) emerges to lead a Purel-soaked rebellion against the microbial overlords?
Don’t despair. All is not lost. We don’t have to wait for Keanu to save us. There is hope.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
12/1/2015 • 10 minutes, 20 seconds
5 Responses When Relatives Ask Why You’re Not Eating Stuffing This Thanksgiving
I thought I’d offer some of my favorite responses (some serious, some not) to the common questions we field at the holiday dinner table. To all of our MDA community, I’m grateful for your valued following and your incredible contributions over the years. I hope you’ll add your own favorite personal retorts, strategic redirects and discussion starters for the dinner table today!
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/26/2015 • 4 minutes, 3 seconds
How Bad is Charred Meat, Really?
A couple nights back, I found myself hovering over a pair of lamb shoulder chops sizzling on a charcoal grill, watching the marrow render before my eyes, anticipating the blackened lamb fat and caramelized marinated meat. Could it really be so bad? Should I have dropped these chops into a pot of boiling water instead?
As it turns out, I may have overstated the danger of the carcinogenic compounds found in charred meat.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/25/2015 • 9 minutes, 33 seconds
Primal Christmas Comes Early?
I’m getting a head start on my holiday shopping, and that includes gifts for my readers. So, I’ve got three “stocking stuffers” to help you get prepped and pumped for the holiday season. I’m including my latest eBook 6 Foods You Should Be Eating for a Healthy Gut, a free jar of healthy and delicious Primal Kitchen™ Mayo, and a heavily discounted digital copy of Paleo Primer, complete with over 100 must-eat paleo recipes. There are also over a dozen additional popular paleo books on sale today, and some really exciting news from Primal Kitchen.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/25/2015 • 8 minutes, 14 seconds
#95: Elle Russ and Eli Rohde
Today’s show features a variety of killer recipes, and a list of superfood ingredients, from our dynamic duo, Elle Russ and Eli Rohde. They share some of their favorite easy-to-make Primal/Paleo-friendly creations--all creative, all delicious, and certainly all good for your body. They start with one of the sometimes under-utilized grain substitutes, cauliflower, by offering up a recipe for cauliflower puree muffins and cauliflower pizza crust. How’s that for a gluten-free alternative? The two then discuss the newest additions to their kitchens, ranging from collagen-rich coffee, Primal coladas, protein-rich green smoothies, and more. If you’re looking for a list of classic or cutting edge recipes to revamp your meals, then you won’t want to miss this episode!
11/24/2015 • 35 minutes, 24 seconds
A Case Against Cardio, Part 27
In recent years, researchers have been running direct head-to-head comparisons between traditional endurance training and more intense forms of exercise, like strength training or sprint interval training. They almost always end badly for cardio. How badly? Let’s find out:
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/19/2015 • 9 minutes, 17 seconds
Should You Reduce Your Iron Intake?
Ask the average person and you’ll hear “the more iron, the better.” Consequently, many countries mandate iron fortification of wheat flour; in the US, we fortify pretty much everything with the stuff because it’s just so, so good for us. Is it true, though?
Not necessarily.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/18/2015 • 11 minutes, 29 seconds
#94: Dr. Dana Lyons
On today’s show, Elle sits down with Dr. Dana Lyons—a primal-aligned holistic health practitioner (and Primal Blueprint Cert grad)—to discuss the tips, techniques, and healing methods used in Dr. Lyon’s practice. Dana began following a primal lifestyle in her early 30s while studying medicine. Before that, she spent 10 years as a vegetarian with a chronic-cardio habit—continuing on that path even when she was hurting her health. But adopting a primal diet was pivotal to her own healing, which in turn shaped her practice as a doctor. Currently, she runs a holistic clinic with her husband, where implements what she calls an Alchemist Eating program, which helps people who experience food and eating as a place of struggle or pain.
So sit back, relax, and get an education in topics including willpower, the chemical changes in our bodies after 90 days of modified eating, the benefits of mindfulness, overcoming sugar addiction, and the potential harmony between Eastern and Western medicine.
This episode is brought to you by Harry’s. Go to harrys.com today and receive $5 off your first purchase by using the promo code PRIMAL at checkout.
This episode is also brought to you by Casper. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by visiting casper.com/primal and using the promo code PRIMAL at checkout.
11/18/2015 • 35 minutes, 28 seconds
What’s Behind Your Poor Health: Life vs. Lifestyle Issues
We focus a great deal on the proximate causes of obesity and lifestyle disease (e.g. what people eat, how much they eat, what metabolic issues come into play), but sometimes the actual headspring could be considered “Life” rather than lifestyle issues—negative relationships, family dynamics or job situations, etc. that admittedly don’t force people toward unhealthy behaviors but leave too many of them groping for these as coping mechanisms.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/13/2015 • 9 minutes, 19 seconds
Blindspots Even Informed Paleo Enthusiasts Often Have
I’ve been doing this for a long time. Over the course of 10-odd years, I’ve realized that many Primal and paleo enthusiasts have a few glaring blindspots. They may not be cataclysmic, but addressing them—or at least acknowledging their existence—can certainly improve your health and happiness.
Let’s look at three of them.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/12/2015 • 7 minutes, 53 seconds
15 Alternatives to Sitting Meditation
If we simply don’t enjoy meditation or can’t make it work, what options do we have? How can we get some of those attractive effects of meditation without actually sitting in a room for 30 minutes a day, every day? Here are 15 alternatives.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/10/2015 • 15 minutes, 56 seconds
#93: Tony Federico
On today’s show, Elle Russ sits down with Paleo Fitness Magazine editor Tony Federico, a ten-year veteran of the fitness industry who ditched the conventional wisdom of low fat, high carb eating after reading The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain and The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. After adopting the paleo lifestyle, Tony was able to resolve his lifetime struggle with binge eating and exercise addiction. He wrote the best-selling cookbook Paleo Grilling - A Modern Caveman's Guide to Cooking with Fire and is a regular contributor to Paleo Magazine. He also hosts the Paleo Magazine Radio Podcast. He recently partnered with fellow trainer "Relentless" Roger Dickerman to create a professional development program for Personal Trainers called Prime Time Trainer. Tony also blogs at LiveCaveman.com and can be found on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @tonyfedfitness.
On today’s show, Tony and Elle cover a wide range of topics, spanning Tony’s journey from a high carb, chronic exercise junky to a heavy hitter in the paleo community. The two talk about the importance of realistic body image, battling exercise addiction, transitioning into a paleo lifestyle, and following your passion. So sit back, relax, and absorbed a couple gluten-free grains of wisdom!
This episode is brought to you by Harry’s. Go to harrys.com today and receive $5 off your first purchase by using the promo code PRIMAL at checkout.
11/10/2015 • 54 minutes, 42 seconds
Stop Saying No, Start Saying Yes!
What would it be like, to have a “yes” day when it comes to Primal health? I’m not talking about eating dessert for every meal of the day or lounging in front of the T.V. all day long. It’s about taking back the intention to live well from all the dismal commandment thinking we typically assign to it.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/5/2015 • 8 minutes, 59 seconds
5 Things You Learn Being a Primal Lifer
Aside from the 10 Primal Blueprint Laws you already know so well, there are other bits of wisdom that you glean over time that can only come from years of adherence. Today, Mark discusses the five biggest ones.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/4/2015 • 10 minutes, 30 seconds
Primal Blueprint Publishing Update: Get Ready for Some New Books
We have a whopping ten books in our development pipeline right now. Here’s a quick overview of what’s coming and when. And at the end of the post, I have an important message for the real bookies out there who want to go the extra mile and read and publish thoughtful reviews on Amazon.com and elsewhere.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
11/3/2015 • 20 minutes, 27 seconds
#92: Doug McGuff, MD
Host Brad Kearns talks to Doug McGuff about how to save yourself from the beast that is the modern medical care system. Doug is an emergency room physician in South Carolina, so he wages a front-line battle with the daily challenges of emergency care, including challenging regulations, guidelines and the stupidity of the American humans requiring a trip to the ER.
As the co-author of The Primal Prescription, Doug authored the section called "Save Yourself,” where he detailed a comprehensive plan of attack entailing living healthily (so you don't need medical care in the first place), and navigating the system effectively when you do need medical care. A big key to your success is to find a go-to primary care physician with whom to develop a long term relationship—someone whose expertise you can rely on when you are thrust into a medical scene chock full of specialists.
Doug covers topics like false positives from elective screenings, how many unhealthy folks develop a mentality of "dependence and helplessness," and how prescription drugs deliver therapeutic effects and side effects. We must carefully assess whether enduring the side effects are worth receiving the therapeutic effect. And hey, maybe lifestyle change can deliver similar results to prescription drugs, but without adverse side effects?
The show ends with some fun as Doug details his "12 Ways to Avoid the Black Swan." Inspired by his years in the ER, he lists a bunch of things to do, or not do, to stay away from the ER. Don't miss the last part of the show, it will definitely make you laugh, and it could save your life!
This episode is brought to you by Harry’s. Go to harrys.com today and receive $5 off your first purchase by using the promo code PRIMAL at checkout.
11/3/2015 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 12 seconds
The What, Why and How of “Dispositional Mindfulness”
Research has shown that regularly practicing meditation for even just a couple months literally changes the brain’s structure and confers a whole host of health advantages. But what about the application of a mindful approach to everyday life rather than a particular “practice”?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/30/2015 • 8 minutes, 1 second
What Does the WHO Report Mean for Your Meat-Eating Habit?
I’m sure you’ve seen the rash of fear-mongering headlines proclaiming red meat to be as carcinogenic as smoking. In fact, I know so because dozens of you have asked me for my thoughts. What’s going on? Do we need to worry? What actually happened? Why have your vegan friends become even more smug than before? Why did your crazy aunt send an email in all caps pleading for you to stop eating “so much beef”?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/28/2015 • 12 minutes, 13 seconds
6 Hidden Superfoods You Probably Already Have In Your Pantry
Don’t expect to see dried Himalayan mulberries, killer bee pollen, or raw cacao nibs on this list. Or grass-fed beef liver, or pastured eggs, or any of the other animal foods we cherish and exalt in the Primal community. Those have been covered to death. It’s time to highlight the regular, everyday foods we probably take for granted.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/28/2015 • 12 minutes, 42 seconds
#91: Robert Murphy
Today’s show features a very special guest, Robert P. Murphy, who is a notable economist and co-author of the newly released book from Primal Blueprint Publishing, The Primal Prescription. Robert has a Ph.D. in economics from New York University. After teaching at Hillsdale College, Murphy left academia to work in the financial sector. In 2007, he started his own firm, Consulting By RPM, where he specializes in teaching economic principles and analyzing government policies for the general public. Murphy is affiliated with several non-profit organizations devoted to economic education, including the Institute for Energy Research, the Fraser Institute, the Mises Institute, and the Independent Institute.
On Today’s show, Robert goes over the extensive pitfalls of the American “sick care” system and how it came to exist as it currently does. Brad and Robert discuss the Affordable Care Act, the history of employer provided health insurance, rising health care costs, and what we can do to start fixing the problems each of us faces when trying to achieve the best, more cost-effective health care possible. Whether you’re currently in top notch health or someone who relies heavily on professional medical care, you won’t want to miss this episode.
This episode is brought to you by Harry’s. Go to harrys.com today and receive $5 off your first purchase by using the promo code PRIMAL at checkout.
10/27/2015 • 40 minutes, 17 seconds
A Brief History of U.S. Dietary Guidelines
It’s a legitimate and even, in some regards, culturally (and probably politically) significant question: why were government dietary guidelines ever put in place—and what was the backstory of their uses and modifications over time? Finally, what perspective can it bring to our understanding of embracing a “niche” dietary model like the Primal Blueprint?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/22/2015 • 16 minutes, 51 seconds
The Primal Prescription: Surviving the “Sick Care” Sinkhole (A New Primal Book Plus Limited-Time Bonus Offer)
For years I’ve been complaining about the state of my country’s health care—I’m sure you’ve heard me loud and clear. The lack of success America’s current system has in helping people achieve, maintain, or regain good health is literally sickening. The U.S. health system is ranked as having the highest cost (in 2011 $8,508 per person was spent on health care) and the lowest performance (a 2014 new Commonwealth Fund report ranked the U.S. health system last among 11 industrialized nations).
The U.S. health care system is broken, and our current efforts to fix it are only making things worse. But don’t despair just yet. Authors Doug McGuff, MD, and Robert Murphy, PhD, combine their expertise in medicine and economics in Primal Blueprint Publishing’s newest release: The Primal Prescription.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/21/2015 • 10 minutes, 11 seconds
#90: Stuart Tomc
Today’s show features Stuart Tomc, a natural health aficionado and science guru who’s worked at a litany of blockbuster nutrition companies, such as Nordic Naturals, North American Urban Spice, and, most recently, Cannavest. If you’re a science buff, and you’re ready to dive into the nitty gritty mechanics of the emerging science on CBD (cannabidiol) and omega-3 fatty acids, then you won’t want to miss this episode. First, Stuart sheds light on the optimal testing required to make sure you’re getting the omega-3 intake your body type needs. Then, Elle and Stuart dive into an in-depth review of the current scientific literature supporting the various benefits of compounds found in hemp. Those benefits range from neuroprotective, anxiolytic, seizure-reducing, and metabolic optimizing effects. Elle and Stuart go over the fundamental differences between the compound typically recognized in popular culture, THC, and the rich array of other compounds found in the plant that has an unmistakable history of controversy. So pop on your thinking caps, folks, and tune into this episode that doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to hard science!
10/20/2015 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 42 seconds
Health Perspective for Every Stage of Life: Part 2
Last week I took up the subject of health through the varying stages of life. What does health mean to us? How should we develop it or live it within the scheme of the different stages we go through as logistical events and developmental maturity shift the focus and parameters of our lives? How do our major milestones challenge our approach to well-being? Let’s pick up that topic again and finish off the discussion. I hope you’ll share your own thoughts on how differing stages of life influenced your thinking about health and what approaches fit the times best for you.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/20/2015 • 23 minutes, 48 seconds
Health Perspective for Every Stage of Life: Part 1
Today Mark highlights some perspective on the unique challenges or “spirit” of health at each age—how to live well and take care of yourself through each of life’s phases. Look for part two next week!
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/16/2015 • 17 minutes, 51 seconds
Top 7 Emerging Paleo Trends
Going Primal isn’t so strange or alienating anymore. Now that the status quo is catching up to us, it’s time to look to the horizon. What are the emerging trends in Primal/paleo thinking that will break out and propel us forward? Where are we taking this train next? And is the world changing in ways conducive to our Primal lifestyle?(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/15/2015 • 12 minutes, 6 seconds
Why Older (and Younger) Runners Need to Strength Train
Strength training can improve performance. Yes, even if you replace some of your miles with time in the gym. Yes, even if you spend less time running and more time lifting. Yes, even if you lift heavy, you’re not going to “get too big and unwieldy” enough to hamper your running performance.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/14/2015 • 13 minutes, 50 seconds
#89: Tommy Brice
On today’s show, Elle sits down with Tommy Brice, one of California’s top primal-aligned physical therapists. He is a graduate of Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI where he attained a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology and a doctorate in Physical Therapy. Tommy’s focus is around orthopedic rehabilitation, sports medicine, concussions, manual therapy, grade five passive mobilization and practiced trigger point dry needling. But now, Tommy has been facilitating more Physical Therapy treatment with nutrition in the quest to treat the whole patient and help heal injuries from the inside out.Elle and Tommy discuss how Tommy’s incorporation of a primal lifestyle has had a big impact on the patients in his clinic. More specifically, Tommy has seen dramatically improved recovery outcomes from various injuries, including faster overall healing times. The two of them cover topics ranging from pain management, injury prevention, proper exercise form, and the dangers of over-training. If you have a body, you won’t want to miss today’s episode!
10/14/2015 • 46 minutes, 49 seconds
Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Joining the Status Quo
While we Primal types are ridiculously far from being any kind of majority, numbered are the days perhaps of the Primal/paleo pariah. For the second year in a row, in fact, paleo was the most Googled diet. And while U.S. News & World Report might wish the “caveman” diet would just go away, it doesn’t appear we’re going anywhere but apparently more mainstream.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/8/2015 • 10 minutes, 35 seconds
The A-to-Z Guide to Leading a Primal Lifestyle
Print this out. Bookmark it. Send it to friends who don’t quite get the Primal thing. Consider this a valuable resource for all-things Primal. It’s a nice, alphabetical encapsulation of what it means to lead a Primal lifestyle. It’s not everything, of course. You can always dig deeper into the details, but this summary gives a high-level look at just about everything.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/7/2015 • 17 minutes, 9 seconds
The Primal Blueprint Definitive Guide to Troubleshooting Weight Loss
This brand new Primal Blueprint guide explains the 23 weight loss stumbling blocks I see most frequently trip people up (and how to overcome each one), describes the eight most common weight loss plateau archetypes (and how to figure out which one you are), and shows you how to use the information from the previous two sections to construct a weight loss plan that will work for you.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/6/2015 • 5 minutes, 34 seconds
#88: Christopher Walker
Host Brad Kearns talks to testosterone expert Christopher Walker, who details a remarkable story of self-healing from serious endocrine problems. Don’t flinch at the title—Chris’s approach is the opposite of the magic supplement obsessed blather you typically hear on the topic of testosterone enhancement. Chris was a college student at Duke and a hardcore triathlete when he first experienced some debilitating symptoms of low testosterone. When tested he was found to have a hideously low serum level of 11 ng/dl, where the normal range for his age group would be 400-1000 ng/dl. He was also discovered to have a pituitary tumor, which in addition to adverse lifestyle practices, was the cause of his serious disorder.
Chris boldly chose to forego the medically advised approach of either surgery or hormone replacement therapy and embark on a holistic lifestyle transformation. In a short time, he cured his condition and his testosterone level skyrocketed to 1192 ng/dl! Chris’s key to recovery included an assortment of holistic methods, including adopting a new empowering mindset and a diet full of primal-aligned foods.
Christopher offers these and other actionable tips for males to naturally elevate testosterone in today’s episode. Furthermore, testshock.com offers details about Christopher’s full program, including an excellent free print book (just pay S&H and he’ll mail you an actual book!) to get you started. So tune in to get a jump start on a common problem that may have a simpler (and more painless) solution than you might have thought!
10/6/2015 • 45 minutes, 26 seconds
Foodborne Illness Wrap-Up: The Role of Your Health and Your Food’s Health
Let me add my final two cents on the subject with these last two critical dimensions of foodborne illness risk and prevention. As always, I’m not offering medical advice to my readers—but lifestyle options for their personal deliberation. These last two themes are, of course, core Primal territory—and elements of the issue you don’t read much about in most discussions of food safety.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
10/2/2015 • 18 minutes, 4 seconds
9 Ways to Restart Your Primal Lifestyle
It happens to the best of us. You start sneaking a few more bites of bread when out to dinner and trying your buddy’s delicious-looking pizza. Your workouts trickle to once a week, sometimes none. You walk less, couch more. And then one day, you realize you’ve gone off the wagon. You’ve gained belly fat. You’re getting winded going up the stairs. Your once-pleasurable hikes have become grueling affairs that you dread and end up avoiding. Your fridge is full of takeout boxes and you realize you haven’t cooked in two weeks. You need to restart your Primal lifestyle, and fast.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/30/2015 • 12 minutes, 37 seconds
#87: Brad Kearns and Mark Sisson
Brad Kearns visits with Mark Sisson to discuss the delicate balance between striving for ambitious peak performance goals and pursuing longevity. Sometimes it’s a delicate balance that even the most experienced athletes might screw up by getting a little too ambitious with their performance goals and compromising health in the process. Mark mentions his lifelong athletic, competitive mindset that essentially leaves him with a 62-year-old body and a 21-year-old’s competitive intensity.
Aging gracefully is an important concept to embrace, which will enable you to set appropriate goals and accept an inevitable gradual decline in fitness that comes with chronology. Brad and Mark offer suggestions to recalibrate one’s competitive goals based on age and lifestyle circumstances while covering other interesting topics in this landmark broadcast that will change the way you think about fitness and longevity.
9/29/2015 • 33 minutes, 57 seconds
Eating a Super-Clean, Plant-Heavy, Whole Foods Diet? You Might Have Fruit Belly!
A little discussed phenomenon is disturbingly common among health-conscious eaters, especially those diligent about eating plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains. Granted, not very primal, but even super-primal-aligned folks suffer from digestive difficulties related to eating their abundant servings of veggies and fruit. The condition is called Fruit Belly—a bloated cranky, gurgly, and visceral-fat-hoarding abdomen that grows (or refuses to budge) despite your best efforts to eat healthy, and even despite your success at sculpting the rest of your body.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/29/2015 • 13 minutes, 23 seconds
This $1000 Primal Shopping Spree Could Be Yours
Today’s the day for another primal giveaway! Over the last year I’ve teamed up with Thrive Market to give Mark’s Daily Apple readers (you!) free jars of coconut oil, free jars of Primal Kitchen™ Mayo, exclusive eBooks, and even a $500 primal shopping spree. Not to mention dozens of free memberships. But now we’re taking things to the next level. Today, Thrive Market is offering Mark’s Daily Apple readers a chance to win a $1000 shopping spree.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/25/2015 • 4 minutes, 14 seconds
10 Things You Shouldn’t Do If You’re Trying to Build Muscle
While it’s important to think positive and focus on all the things you should be doing to achieve your goals, it’s equally important that we focus on those things that interfere with our goals and remind ourselves to avoid doing them. Some call it the “not to do list,” which I like. Many of the behaviors on not-to-do lists are deal breakers, so it’s arguably more crucial that we identify and curtail those that apply to our lives. But that’s hard; these are behaviors we might already be doing. Heck, they might be bad habits we’ve developed, or biases we’ve internalized. And so before adopting good behaviors, we should clear out the bad ones. Otherwise, we’re just pissing in the wind.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/23/2015 • 14 minutes, 8 seconds
#86: Bill Grundler
Host Brad Kearns catches up with CrossFit legend Bill Grundler, a 46-year-old retired firefighter and proprietor of CrossFit Inferno in San Luis Obispo, CA. Bill has defied the normal notions and realities of aging by competing in the Open division of the CrossFit Games—challenging the best athletes in the world despite having a couple decades of seniority on the pack. Bill subscribes to what he calls a firefighter mentality, where “you just get the job done. The fire doesn’t care how old you are.”
After suffering an ACL tear during a qualifier for the 2014 Open CrossFit Games, Bill endured an arduous recovery and, with minimal expectations for 2015, agreed to enter the Masters division to compete alongside his brother James. The Grundler brothers became the first brothers ever to compete together at the Games. The 2015 Masters contest featured an especially tortuous series of events (detailed by Bill in the podcast), and Bill finished a close second to an Australian when it was all over.
Bill is a lifelong athlete in swimming and wrestling. He was a high school state champ in wrestling and All-American wrestler for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he attained a top-10 national ranking his senior year. Interestingly, Bill explains that his wrestling career ended unfortunately, as he cut his hand right before nationals and had to watch from the sideline. Bill believes that this gave him a profound sense of “unfinished business” that provided a source of deep motivation for his lengthy competitive career. You can detect an incredibly resolute positive attitude from Bill during this show. His devastating college injury became a source of great motivation; his ACL tear was a “blessing in disguise,” and his heartbreaking narrow defeat at the 2015 Games didn’t dampen the joy of competing alongside his brother. Bill also explains the wonderful benefits of taking the Primal Blueprint Expert Certification, and his plans to set up members of CrossFit Inferno with easy access to the certification program.
Even as he basks in the adulation of being a true CrossFit legend, Bill offers a healthy perspective quote about CrossFit: “The essence of CrossFit is to become more functional for a lifetime. People can miss this when them become too focused on the competitive aspects of CrossFit.” Enjoy a truly inspiring show from this CrossFit legend!
9/23/2015 • 43 minutes, 32 seconds
What You Need to Know About Foodborne Illness – Part 2: Kitchen Strategies
The idea here isn’t to spread fear or panic – those saboteurs of a good life and, in this instance, a good meal. It’s about how to minimize risk with a measured, reasonable amount of time, effort and thought. I think there’s a sweet spot to be found here, too, as in most areas of Primal living in the modern age.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)
9/23/2015 • 11 minutes, 47 seconds
Why These 10 Famous Thinkers Napped
A few months ago, I wrote a guide to napping that included how, why, and when to flop down for a spell. That wasn’t a random throwaway post. It was the first salvo in a new war. I’m on a mission to legitimize the nap, to destigmatize the siesta for the average working human. And it’s not a selfish thing, because I can already pretty much take a nap whenever I want. I’m concerned about you. In a chronically sleep-deprived population such as ours, a 45 minute foray into the land of dreams can rejuvenate the mind, make up for sleep debt, and make us healthier and happier. Yet those who nap —or simply want to nap — often feel guilty about it, even if they have an hour or two to spare and are falling asleep at their desks. Perhaps it’ll make you feel better to know that some of the world’s greatest thinkers considered naps to be an integral part of their day — and their success.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/17/2015 • 13 minutes, 1 second
The Primal Laws: 7 More Honorable Mentions
A couple months back, I gave you a list of Primal Laws that didn’t quite make the cut, either because they weren’t “big” enough or didn’t apply to enough people. Turns out I was probably wrong: the response was huge and many of you were on the same wavelength. You even offered up some of your own ideas for honorable mentions. So today, I’m giving you 7 more honorable mentions that almost deserved a spot on the final list of Primal Laws. Read the post, take what resonates with you and discard what doesn’t. But give the article a fair shake and really consider how adopting these laws could improve your life.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/16/2015 • 13 minutes, 42 seconds
#85: David Epstein
Host Brad Kearns welcomes the red-hot author David Epstein to the show, on the heels of his whirlwind global tour to promote his bestselling book, The Sports Gene: Inside the science of extraordinary athletic performance. This is widely regarded as the seminal book on the topic of genetics in sports, and in it Dave dispels many widely held misconceptions and prejudices that people harbor relating to how genetics affects athletic performance.
In this conversation, Epstein discusses the pop culture of the “10,000 Hour Rule” (first presented by Dr. K. Anders Ericsson, Ph.D, and popularized by Malcolm Gladwell in the book Outliers.) Epstein dispels the accuracy of science behind the concept and the practical application of the concept. Basically, it’s BS! Genetic factors are relevant, as illustrated by the amazing “Tale of Two High Jumpers” featured in Chapter 2 in the book. Besides great physical attributes, there are genetic elements to the all-important athletic success factor of “desire to train.” People (like phenomenal ultra-athlete Pam Reed) have different dopamine response systems.
When it comes to stereotyping, for example, “Jamaicans are fast sprinters,” one must not overlook cultural factors. In Jamaica, youth track and field is king—there is no falling through the cracks or diverting to other sports. Epstein also writes for the progressive journalism nonprofit called ProPublica.org, which preserves the tradition of long-form investigative journalism. He had a huge impact with his recent article on the doping suspicions surrounding top track field coach Alberto Salazar. Enjoy the show and grab the book on amazon.com!
9/15/2015 • 47 minutes, 34 seconds
What You Need to Know About Foodborne Illness: Part 1
It’s a regular headline: “# of People Sickened by Contaminated Food.” Most recently, it was a case of imported cucumbers with salmonella (one of the most common and serious foodborne pathogens) that resulted in at least 341 people ill and two dead across 30 states. It’s difficult when public service information shifts us toward viewing our food with a nervous eye. The CDC estimates approximately 48 million people get sick from foodborne illness each year. Of those, 128,000 are hospitalized and about 3000 die. So, what do we do with this information?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/15/2015 • 12 minutes, 2 seconds
Why Camping Is So Great: The Benefits of Spending Time in the Great Outdoors
I’ve always loved to camp. From my early days as a kid growing up in Maine (where it seemed like everyone camped), to my death-defying adventures with Outward Bound in the wilds of New England as a teen, to my current setup running a business in the Malibu hills, I’ve been a camper. Even when I’d dedicated my life to endurance training and had little time for anything else, I always made it a point to get away to the woods with the family for a few nights whenever I could. The reasoning was basic: it was relaxing, enjoyable, decompressing, and just plain fun. And that’s why most people camp. It just feels right, doesn’t it?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/10/2015 • 12 minutes, 33 seconds
Personal Experiment: Does Daily Movement Make You Happier, More Energetic and Less Stressed?
It’s 3 o’clock in the afternoon. What’s the condition of your backside? Can you feel your legs, or did at least one of them fall asleep a few hours ago? And your back? Neck, shoulders – how much tension are they carrying at this point in the day? Not to mention your mood and concentration? Does your attitude take a nosedive this time of day? Has your brain turned to mush? Did you just have to read the same set of instructions or email memo a couple of times because your mind wandered off? How often do you end up feeling like this in a typical afternoon?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/9/2015 • 9 minutes, 40 seconds
#84: Gabrielle Reece
Today’s episode featuresWomen’s Beach Volleyball League legend, fitness icon, actress, author, and social advocate, Gabrielle Reece. Named one of the 20 Most Influential Women in Sports by Women’s Sports & Fitness,Gabby first came into the spotlight for her prolific volleyball career. In 1997, competing with the best global beach volleyball players ever assembled, Gabby’s 4-person team took first place at the first-ever Beach Volleyball World Championships. She continued playing across the next decade until she was five months pregnant in the summer of 2007. Besides her time as a player, Gabby has been featured in feature films, top-rated television shows, and magazines.
As a role model, Gabby has taken the opportunity to advocate healthier eating for future generations. She has an ongoing relationship with the American Heart Association Teaching Gardens, an initiative benefiting needy schools through the planting of organic gardens, by which she speaks to children about the importance of eating healthy and regular exercise (www.takepart/teachinggarden).
During today’s show, host Elle Russ talks to Gabby about a range of issues, spanning diet, pesticide use in Hawaii, raising children (with her husband, and previous guest on the podcast, Laird Hamilton), and ballistic training. This episode is an enthralling inside look at one of the most influential athletes of the last 20 years. So you won’t want to miss it!
9/8/2015 • 55 minutes, 5 seconds
Can Techies Improve Food?
Technology has improved our lives, whether through the creation of new tools or by upgrading existing ones. But are there limits to technological progress? Can technology improve everything? We’ll find out. There’s talk of a “food revolution” brewing in Silicon Valley, helmed by engineers and entrepreneurs convinced they can do food better than both nature and traditional agriculture.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/8/2015 • 16 minutes, 25 seconds
10 Food Pairings That Make Surprising Nutritional Sense
Some foods and flavors are just made for one another. Bacon and eggs. Strawberries and cream. Basil and tomato. Oil and vinegar. Sweet and sour. The list goes on and on. But what’s behind these classic and nearly universal combinations? Does taste alone drive the decision to, say, add fresh herbs to a charred piece of meat? And if pairings are driven by taste, which sounds reasonably, could it be possible that healthy pairings naturally taste better because we’ve evolved an innate draw towards these powerful combinations? The jury may still be out on that one. Nevertheless, some foods, when taken together, make surprising nutrition sense.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/3/2015 • 15 minutes, 46 seconds
Why Getting Fit Isn’t the Best Exercise Motivation (and 10 Better Reasons to Move Today)
We’re told time and again that in order to get healthy we need to let go of our “lower” instincts (e.g. conserving energy on the couch or preferring to go out and have fun) and embrace future goals. We need to take things seriously – have concrete objectives and clear steps to execute them. It’s about getting down to business and whipping ourselves into shape through the grit of sweat and discipline. Or?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/2/2015 • 6 minutes, 59 seconds
13 Ways to Move More Throughout the Day (Even While at Work)
This is a guest post from expert biomechanist Katy Bowman, author of Don’t Just Sit There!
What research has demonstrated in the last few years is that people aren’t either active or sedentary—they can be both. Even the active people are, by a new definition coined in movement research, actively sedentary.
Our totally body movement often tends to boil down to what we do for a bout of exercise each day. Trying to extract all of your movement needs from one or two hours of daily exercise is like trying get all your dietary needs from a single daily meal crafted from the same handful of foods every day. This approach just won’t do.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/1/2015 • 10 minutes, 39 seconds
#83: Katy Bowman & Mark Sisson
On today’s special show, Mark Sisson and Katy Bowman discuss their exciting joint project, “Don’t Just Sit There,” which is a comprehensive multimedia educational course designed to help people overcome one of the major health hazards of modern life: prolonged sedentary periods that compromise your health at the cellular level. Katy is a biomechanist (someone who studies living structures like the human body), author, and popular blogger at KatySays.com. Her focus is on how movement and variability are the keys to a healthy work environment. It turns out that true movement variability at work requires more than simply transitioning from a sitting to standing position at a standup workstation. And it’s not just about assuming the correct ergonomic positions at your keyboards, either. Anytime you have prolonged stillness, you are putting undesirable “loads” upon your cells that can lead to pain, dysfunction, and disease. This includes your eyes gazing at a computer screen at a fixed distance for hours.
Katy and Mark talk about the many challenges of going dynamic instead of static, and some practical tips to mix things up in your daily routine (within the confines and restrictions of the modern workplace environment, of course). This is a great discussion to acquaint listeners with the Don’t Just Sit There program, which comes complete with a detailed eBook and a series of instructional videos to help you custom-design a dynamic workstation and a workplace pattern of movement and variability. So if you find yourself interested in learning more after today’s podcast, then you’ll want to act fast:
Tomorrow is the LAST DAY to grab the Don’t Just Sit There program for the reduced price of $27!
Plus, if you act now, you’ll receive a whole series of bonus items, which won’t be available past tomorrow evening.
So listen to the podcast, then sign up and get moving!
9/1/2015 • 31 minutes, 21 seconds
Introducing Don’t Just Sit There!
Today’s an exciting day for me. One of those jump out of bed early in anticipation of what’s to come days. Today is the day I get to announce the launch of Primal Blueprint’s Don’t Just Sit There program, packaged and perfected with my friend and world-renowned biomechanist Katy Bowman.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
8/27/2015 • 9 minutes, 8 seconds
How to Create a String of Success
What I want to talk about today is something I’ll call hinge habits. They’re choices we make that – for our individual mentality – set the board for the rest of our day. The relative success and sanity of the day literally hinge on these simple practices. When we do them, the rest of the day seems to fall into place. We at least have an easier time staying on a solid, healthy path. Skip them, however, and everything else feels “off.” We flounder. Some days we can nonetheless steady ourselves, but it requires more effort.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
8/26/2015 • 7 minutes, 46 seconds
#82: Dr. Loretta Breuning
How much are we like our mammalian cousins in the animal kingdom? And what can they teach us about our mental and emotional lives? Elle Russ tackles these questions in a riveting interview with Dr. Loretta Breuning, blogger, former professor, and founder of The Inner Mammal Institute, which studies how our neurochemical makeup guides our feelings and behaviors in similar ways to our non-human relatives. Dr. Breuning began studying the brain chemistry of animals because she was not convinced by prevailing theories of human motivation. When she learned that our happy brain chemicals trigger survival behaviors in animals, she retired from her career as Professor of Management at California State University, East Bay to connect the dots. Now, her books and resources have helped thousands of people worldwide to make peace with their inner mammal. Her books include Beyond Cynical: Transcend Your Mammalian Negativity; I, Mammal: Why Your Brain Links Status and Happiness; and the forthcoming Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, & Endorphin. Her blog, Your Neurochemical Self, is hosted at PsychologyToday.com
So tune into today’s show to learn more about how you can improve your mental and emotional wellbeing through reworking the mammalian neural networks that comprise your brain!
8/25/2015 • 59 minutes, 28 seconds
What Screen Time Does to Our Kids (and What We Can Do about It)
Computers, laptops, tablets, phones, iWhatever, big screen T.V.s, portable players – not to mention the infinite libraries of apps, Netflix, Hulu and (of course) the Internets. Let’s face it. All those Baby Einstein DVDs seem quaint compared to everything a kid could do on a smart phone these days.
With their phones, computers, T.V.s and other gadgets, teenagers’ tech use might be well over eleven hours a day of screen time, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation report. The average 8-year-old isn’t far behind with eight hours of screen usage.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
8/20/2015 • 11 minutes, 28 seconds
7 Childhood Activities that Can Make You Healthier and Happier
I recently linked to a couple of research articles that connected typical childhood activities (for adults) with health benefits. (Just when our parents thought we were wasting time or getting into trouble…) As we head into the final weeks of summer, I thought it was a good opportunity to talk about how acting like we did all those years (or decades ago) can take our Primal living and inclusive health to a new level.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
8/19/2015 • 11 minutes, 26 seconds
#81: Chuck Hixson
Host Brad Kearns joins Chuck Hixson, CEO of AVAcore Technologies in Michigan, exclusive manufacturers of a phenomenal recovery product known as the RTX (Rapid Thermal Exchange) cooling glove. The product was developed in consultation with Stanford University researchers who made a stunning discovery in the laboratory related to improving peak performance—dramatically—by quickly cooling body temperature.
The glove works by quickly cooling the brain, vital organs and muscles by applying cool circulating water and a slight vacuuming effect to the temperature sensitive AVAs—a network of veins in the palms of your hands that regulate body temperature with a highly variable blood flow based on environmental temperatures. Physical performance is strongly associated with body temperature. When you get hot, you slow down—key enzymes change shape and malfunction when overheated, stopping cellular metabolic processes. If you are able to cool off during a workout (say, with a 3-minute session wearing the glove), you can keep going. Using the glove post workout will facilitate fast recovery by reducing the inflammatory cytokines that cause muscle damage. Listen to Chuck detail the technology and the practical application of this product that is now available for commercial use.
Visit AVAcore.com and click on the INDIEGOGO icon to participate in their limited time promotion to pre-order the RTX glove at a discounted price of $249. The offer expires on September 10th, 2015 so enjoy the podcast and then order your glove!
8/19/2015 • 44 minutes, 9 seconds
Seize the Day: Win a Primal Scholarship
Announcing the opportunity for three hard-working, passionate individuals to receive a FULL SCHOLARSHIP to the The Primal Blueprint Expert Certification program. To apply, write up a 250 word or less essay on how you think The Primal Blueprint Expert Certification would change your life and why you are deserving of a scholarship. Submit it by August 25th by using the form on MarksDailyApple.com. We’ll look over all the submissions and reach out to our picks to grant them their full scholarship access to the program. And even if you don’t get the scholarship, we’ve made it easier than ever to join, with only $1 down and $89 a month for 12 months.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
8/19/2015 • 8 minutes, 40 seconds
Introducing PrimalBeat HRV
While resting heart rate has long been the gold standard to measure an athlete’s general state of stress and recovery, heart rate variability (HRV) takes biofeedback to the next level by delivering more nuanced readings that accurately reveal conditions like hyper-arousal or burnout.I’m so enthusiastic about promoting the concept of HRV that I partnered with the industry leaders at Sweetbeat Life LLC to create a customized iPhone app called PrimalBeat HRV.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
8/13/2015 • 7 minutes, 38 seconds
Is Conventional Wisdom About GMO Safety Correct?
Conventional wisdom demands skepticism. Whether it’s the official stance on high-fat diets (“they’ll give you heart disease, don’t work, or do work but not for long!”), exercise (“you must jog at a moderate pace for an hour a day, four days a week!”), organic food (“it’s nutritionally identical to conventionally-grown food!”), or sun exposure (“you must always wear sunblock!”), I always question conventional wisdom. And when it’s lacking (as is often the case), I rightly skewer it.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
8/12/2015 • 18 minutes, 50 seconds
#80: Dave and Romy Dollé
Host Brad Kearns welcomes Dave and Romy Dollé to the Malibu studios, all the way from their home in Switzerland, during their West Coast vacation. This couple is a wealth of insight and inspiration on all matters of health and fitness. Romy is the author of an exciting forthcoming book from Primal Blueprint Publishing called Fruit Belly, originally published in German as Früchtewampe. Dave is a leading fitness trainer and coach who operates two training centers in the Zurich area. This show discusses the curious condition of Fruit Belly, where health conscious eaters can experience intestinal bloating and pain from eating too much of the good stuff: fruits, raw vegetables and other natural foods. Dave and Romy venture into an assortment of other health and fitness topics during this lively show. So you won’t want to miss it!
8/11/2015 • 46 minutes, 45 seconds
Why I Paddle Board (and Why You Should Try It)
If you’ve been keeping up with Mark’s Daily Apple, you know that standup paddling is a longtime favorite pastime of mine. And though I was into it before it was “cool,” I’m certainly not the first. Fishermen have been paddling their water vessels from a standing position for thousands of years and pre-contact Hawaiian surfers employed long paddles to reach the best waves on their 3-5 meter-long boards. In the mid-20th century, Oahu surf instructors would lead classes atop longboards with paddles, but it wasn’t until Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama started standup paddling (and being filmed doing it) that the sport gained broad “sport” status and board makers began producing dedicated SUP boards. So, a lot of people have asked: why do I love paddle boarding so much?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
8/11/2015 • 10 minutes, 11 seconds
A Free Jar of Primal Kitchen Mayo for You
I've got another sweet deal for you from Thrive Market: become a new member and get a free full-sized jar of Primal Kitchen™ Mayo. Just pay S&H of $1.95. If you’re an existing member, don’t worry. I wheel and dealed a perk out of Thrive Market for you too. Click here and you’ll get an extra 10% off your next order.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
8/6/2015 • 6 minutes, 14 seconds
How Important Is Consistency in Fitness?
Time to take an informal poll. Who here fits in two strength training sessions, 1-2 sprint/interval sessions and 3-5 hours of walking or low level cardio on top of ample play time – every single week? I’m betting there’s still a lot of hands raised in this crowd, but I’m going to wager I lost quite a number as the list went on. In an ideal world with a perfect schedule, we’d all consistently reach these goals. The best results come from this general protocol. That said, this level of regularity is probably the exception rather than the rule if you’re talking about the long-term – month after month, year after year. And, yet, plenty of us are in great shape – even if we didn’t always fit in the above full regimen. Hmm… Maybe the concept of consistency is more nuanced than we normally give it credit for.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
8/5/2015 • 9 minutes, 31 seconds
An Introduction to Isometrics: How to Build Strength Without Even Moving
This is a guest post from Todd Kuslikis of AShotofAdrenaline.net. Warning: Some of you are about to think I’m crazy. For those of you who haven’t heard of isometrics, this strength building concept is going to make you think I’ve officially walked off the deep end. Functional strength and awesome muscle mass gains with out even moving? This must be some kind of joke, right?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
8/4/2015 • 19 minutes, 31 seconds
#79: Eli Rohde
On today’s show, Elle Russ and Eli Rohde talk about making the transition from sugar burner to fat burner. Once you adopt new habits and lifestyle behaviors, they’re often easier to maintain than you might have initially thought. But getting over the initial hurdles of making the transition can be a challenge. So on today’s show, Elle and Eli share their own personal experiences, and expertise, when it comes to navigating through the initial stages of going primal. They talk about motivation, willpower, and implementing practical tricks to make the process easy—so sticking to your new habits can become a reality.
They cover topics ranging from prepping for a transition, quality vs. quantity when it comes to food choices, curbing the temptation to indulge in too much of a good thing, and not letting perfectionism get in the way of attaining your goals.
Special offer: Today's show is brought to you by Audible. Visit audible.com/primal for your free audiobook download!
8/3/2015 • 42 minutes, 10 seconds
Great Expectations: Why Good Health Is Awesome (but Not a Panacea)
Taking care of yourself can give you more energy (always a major plus). If your body is in good health, it will serve your hormonal balance and emotional resilience. You’ll likely sleep better and have a better immune response. You’ll be able to do more fun things like kayak or hike or surf for hours. There is almost no end to the benefits of being healthy and what it can do for your overall well-being. That said, let’s be clear. Getting fit and healthy won’t make you more lovable. You won’t suddenly be showered with good fortune. You won’t be released from all your unhealthy tendencies and personal faults. Bad memories and past indiscretions won’t be carried away by a blue balloon. Insecurities won’t disintegrate. Life won’t suddenly morph into a convivial Miller High Life commercial.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
7/30/2015 • 7 minutes, 27 seconds
The Best Kind of Health Insurance
I’m not interested in talking about Supreme Court decisions, the Affordable Health Care Act or for-profit versus non-profit business models. No, today I have something else in mind. It’s a perspective on health insurance that gets almost no attention at all despite the high costs and even higher stakes.
Let’s look at an actual definition first. From Wikipedia: “Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals.” And can those darn expenses ever get expensive… Just as budget experts and lifestyle minimalists advise that the best price is no price when that’s an option, I’d argue the same principle applies here. The cheapest health bill is no bill. And what if our daily choices could help make this possible?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
7/29/2015 • 8 minutes, 56 seconds
#78: Tovar Cerulli
Tovar Cerulli, a vegan-turned-hunter, is author of The Mindful Carnivore: A Vegetarian’s Hunt for Sustenance, which has earned praise from hunters, vegetarians, and ecologists alike. He serves as a unique bridge across diverse ways of thinking about human relationships with food, nature, and wildlife, and has led seminars for agencies, nonprofits, and universities across the country. As a consultant in the conservation field, he helps clients integrate conflicting ideas and values, gain insight into unfamiliar points of view, and expand and develop their thinking and perspectives. Tovar’s essays have been published in Outdoor America, High Country News, The Atlantic, Utne Reader, and Northern Woodlands, among others. He lives in Vermont with his wife Catherine and an eclectic mix of cookbooks.Do you or friends have moral reservations about eating meat? What about the actual act of hunting? And how does this all factor into our relationship with the land we live off of? On today’s show, host Elle Russ talks with Tovar Cerulli about modern ecology, gardening, fishing, hunting, the morality of meat eating, and wildlife conservation. If you want the deeper, essential picture of how primal living affects our world, (beyond personal health benefits) you won’t want to miss this show.
7/28/2015 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 25 seconds
Primal Kitchen Restaurants: Coming to a Town Near You? (With Your Help, Yes.)
For almost as many years as I’ve been writing this blog and these books, I’ve also dreamed about providing a very real and concrete outlet for people who want (and need) delicious, nutrient-dense food without always having to make it themselves: a Primal restaurant. As much as this movement has grown, it’s still young, still small. Most people don’t know about it, and although restaurants are making initial overtures with gluten-free buns and lettuce wrapped burgers and salad options, the majority of quick and easy “on the go” options are of terrible quality. It’s easy to complain about the sad state of casual restaurants, but that doesn’t help the people who eat there. I wanted to help them.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
7/28/2015 • 8 minutes, 8 seconds
Limited-Time Offer: Enter to Win My Favorite Things
Though most of your diet is comprised of fresh fruits and vegetables, grass-fed meats, and free-range poultry, you always need a few paleo-friendly condiments, simple snacks, and nonperishable goods. So to help simplify the primal life, I put together a box of all of my favorite paleo staples. These are the foodstuffs I always have on hand and eat daily. With a box of these goodies in your kitchen, you’ll have a really solid foundation on which to build your new healthy routine or maintain your dedication to primal eating.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Leslie Klenke)
7/23/2015 • 6 minutes, 10 seconds
The Primal Laws: 8 Honorable Mentions
If you follow the 10 Primal Blueprint foundational laws, you’ll be setting yourself up for a healthy, vibrant life. But what else is there? What were the honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the cut? In no particular order, here are several additional lifestyle behaviors that are central to my life and were a big part of our ancestors.’(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
7/22/2015 • 12 minutes, 46 seconds
#77: Mary Vance
On today’s show, we feature Mary Vance, a holistic nutritionist who helps clients with gluten-free and paleo meal plans. Through optimizing nutrition, she also specializes in helping individuals get their allergies under control. Mary was an animal lover since she was a child, and became a vegetarian at age 15 when she learned about the horrors of factory farming. She became anemic, and, following popular books based on vegetarianism, tried to heal herself with a diet high in soy, legumes and grains. But her health issues only grew worse, and Mary was left with an extreme hormonal imbalance and digestive distress. After graduating from Emory University in Atlanta, she decided to continue her education and seek out solutions to her health issues that defied conventional medical solutions. So she enrolled at Bauman College in Berkeley in 2004 and graduated as a Certified Nutrition Consultant in Summer, 2006. Since then, she has recovered her health completely, and spends her life making it her mission to help others do the same.
So tune into today’s show, which covers a range of topics such as estrogen dominance, the effects of milk thistle, cosmetic use, infertility, and Hashimoto’s disease.
Sponsors:$50 Discount: Today's show is brought to you by Casper. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by visiting casper.com/primal and using the promo code PRIMAL at checkout.30% Discount: Today’s show is also brought to you by DNAFit.com. Click here and enter the code PRIMALBLUEPRINT at checkout for a whopping 30% off your own personal genetic test!
7/21/2015 • 41 minutes, 37 seconds
From “The Games” to “The Cert”: The Story Behind the Grundler Brothers
If you’re up to speed on all the latest CrossFit Games news, then you’ve probably heard about the Grundler brothers. If you haven’t, you should. Bill and James Grundler have made a splash this year—and for good reason. The power duo are the first brothers to ever compete in the Games together, and they’ve shown that there’s a lot to be gained from having someone close, and knowledgeable, to help you achieve your goals. The two started off competing against each other in high school wrestling (proto-WFF stars by their own tongue-in-cheek accounts). But as the two grew up, they went their separate professional paths—Bill into a career as a high school athletics coach, firefighter and trainer, and James into the music biz, where he toured as the lead vocalist in a popular indie rock band. So how did CrossFit and primal living come into the mix?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
7/21/2015 • 10 minutes, 19 seconds
Instant Access to "The Cert" for Just $1
I’m announcing a special offer to everyone interested in the Primal Blueprint Expert Certification program: gain instant access for just $1 down. When my team and I released the Primal Blueprint Certification program last year we had high hopes for it. We envisioned it taking the paleosphere by storm and bringing ancestral health principles deep into the mainstream. With a strong team of experts, we could reach so many more people, change so many more lives, and expand our community ten-fold.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
7/16/2015 • 5 minutes, 10 seconds
5 Ways to Get the Most Bang for Your Workout Buck
What, exactly, are the minimum effective doses for exercise? How little do I have to train to stay and/or get fit? And what kind of effects can we expect to get from said minimal doses? The answers to those questions will depend on who’s asking, but we have a few specific examples of people maintaining, improving, or radically transforming their fitness levels with minimum effective doses of exercise. Let’s take a look.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
7/15/2015 • 13 minutes, 26 seconds
Take the 1000 Day Challenge!
First off: This isn’t the start of a new longer-term Primal Challenge. 1000 days would be fun, but I’m pretty sure we’d run out of ideas — and sponsors. Apologies to everyone out there chomping at the bit for a few years straight of new contests and prizes. You’d get sick of it yourself; trust me. Plus, that shorter 21-day Primal challenge format works because it’s the perfect way to quickly kickstart real change, disrupt bad habits and establish new ones. Today’s challenge concerns long, lasting, sustained, momentous change that happens over a greater timescale.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
7/14/2015 • 8 minutes, 9 seconds
#76: Diana Rodgers
Today’s show features special guest Diana Rodgers, a nutritional therapist, sustainable farm advocate, and author of the inspiring new book, The Homegrown Paleo Cookbook—a stellar resource that shows how we can incorporate classic self-sustaining practices for a healthier life. As a small child, Diana was sickly. This carried over into adulthood, where she went through a rough period of digestion issues. Even so, she was still surprised when her doctor tested and diagnosed her with celiac disease. Heeding the new diagnosis, Diana jumped on the gluten-free bandwagon—only still with a carb heavy diet, which lead her down a path that was dangerously close to type 2 diabetes. But around that time, Diana’s husband landed a job as an organic farm manager. While hanging around the farm, customers showed Diana the benefits of various nutrient dense foods, many of which were higher in protein and fat. She noticed some huge results, and decided to take her knowledge to the next level. She got a certification in nutritional therapy and took on her own personal studies in ancestral health. Now, Diana is happier and healthier than ever.So learn more about Diana’s journey through illness, her take on sustainable farming, how “gluten-free” doesn’t always mean “healthy,” and some awesome recipes to boot.
7/14/2015 • 35 minutes, 4 seconds
Doctors of the Future: 3 Promising Trends in Medical Education
We’re looking at two sides of the same coin here really: how “basic”/preventative health care (for most people, ideally the span of insurance qualifying/tax deductible services) can evolve to effectively serve more relevant preventative purposes AND how physician training (particularly for family physicians and general internists) might enhance doctors’ effectiveness in promoting healthy lifestyle and behavior change. In the spirit of this latter point, I wanted to highlight a few unique programs that are breaking through old academic impasses and forging the way toward a new view (and practice) of med school instruction. We the public, I think, may have something to gain here. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
7/9/2015 • 10 minutes, 19 seconds
10 Primal Foods You Aren’t Eating Enough Of
For the most part, your diet seems pretty solid. You’re eating eggs on a regular basis. You’ve got, like, six ways to make really good cauliflower. That subtle humming reverberating through the house is just your chest freezer full of half a grass-fed cow. Leafy green vegetables are staples, sweet potatoes appear post-workout, and you’re first in line to buy fresh wild salmon when in season (plus extra for the chest freezer). All your bases are covered, right? Maybe not. From all the years I’ve been doing this, I’ve spotted a few consistent blind spots in the diets of the Primal community. In today’s article, I will reveal the 10 Primal foods you probably need to eat more often. After each entry, I’ll tell you the easiest (and tastiest) way I’ve found to integrate said food into your diet; no excuses.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
7/8/2015 • 17 minutes, 15 seconds
#75: Dr. Gary Foresman
On today’s show, Elle speaks with Dr. Gary Foresman, and esteemed MD and integrative medicine specialist. After serving as a traditional physician and teaching as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California Irvine, he became dissatisfied with the shortcomings of established Western medical treatments to effectively treat many of his patients. Determined to help his patients, he began investigating alternative therapies and has expanded his training in many systems of healing, including Ayurveda, meditation, stress management, massage, as well as botanical, orthomolecular and functional medicine systems.
Elle and Dr. Foresman discuss topics ranging from the frustrations with traditional Western medicine, sugar consumption’s relation to cancer, anti-aging hormones, psychotherapy, useful blood tests everyone could benefit from, and more! So sit back, relax, and dive into today’s commentary on the benefits of integrative medicine.
7/7/2015 • 1 hour, 29 minutes, 4 seconds
Is the Paleo Diet Supported by Scientific Research? – Part 2
Last week, I countered claims that “paleo gots no science” with summaries of five recent (and not so recent) papers supporting the paleo/Primal approach to diet. The reception to that post was strong enough that I got requests to cover a few more this week. So today, I’m going to explain the findings of five more relevant studies. Not all of these studies come from the original list, but each gives an accurate and important portrayal of the effects of eating in accordance with one’s biology. More importantly, these are all interesting approaches to the diet, with some examining higher-carb paleo, some looking at higher-fat and downright ketogenic paleo diets, and still others trying to disentangle the beneficial effects of the weight loss that normally occurs on paleo diets from the effect of going paleo.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
7/7/2015 • 12 minutes, 22 seconds
Health Check-Ups: How Important Are They, Really?
What really should we be monitoring on an annual basis? As many of you know by now, I tend to embrace the devil’s advocate role, particularly in questioning conventional wisdom. It’s not that I’m out for blood or have a chip on my shoulder (although blatant misinformation does get under my skin). I simply don’t believe in accepting a truth or practice on the sole rationale of “that’s just how it’s done.” Standard health care parameters are no exception here. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
7/2/2015 • 11 minutes, 20 seconds
Is the Paleo Diet Supported by Scientific Research?
People constantly demand proof for the efficacy of the Primal eating plan. And I’m glad they do. The Primal Blueprint makes sense on an intuitive level, and those success stories we see every Friday sure are persuasive, but it’s also important to see broader support in the scientific literature. Many times, people demand proof without really wanting any; they assume it’s all imaginary just-so stories. “Where are the studies?” has become a retort rather than a legitimate query.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
7/1/2015 • 13 minutes, 2 seconds
#74: Christopher Smith
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!
7/1/2015 • 43 minutes, 50 seconds
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)
6/30/2015 • 9 minutes, 25 seconds
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)
6/25/2015 • 17 minutes, 7 seconds
9 Primal/Paleo Podcasts You Should Be Listening To
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)
6/24/2015 • 12 minutes, 54 seconds
#73: Hannah Crum
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!
6/24/2015 • 40 minutes, 46 seconds
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)
6/23/2015 • 10 minutes, 4 seconds
Why I Love Coconut Oil (Plus a Free Jar for You!)
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)
6/18/2015 • 6 minutes, 29 seconds
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)
6/17/2015 • 8 minutes, 27 seconds
#72: Mark Sisson, Elle Russ, & Brad Kearns
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!
6/17/2015 • 49 minutes, 50 seconds
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)
6/16/2015 • 14 minutes, 11 seconds
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)
6/11/2015 • 6 minutes, 52 seconds
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)
6/10/2015 • 10 minutes, 47 seconds
#71: Laird Hamilton
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!
6/10/2015 • 46 minutes, 58 seconds
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)
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)
6/4/2015 • 4 minutes, 47 seconds
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)
6/3/2015 • 11 minutes, 48 seconds
#70: Dr. David Perlmutter
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!
6/3/2015 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 7 seconds
The Myth of Perfect Conditions: 9 Common Excuses Used to Delay Exercise
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)
6/2/2015 • 13 minutes, 37 seconds
What Advice Would You Give Your Younger Self?
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)
5/28/2015 • 10 minutes, 48 seconds
A Brilliant Way to Enjoy the Summer
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)
5/27/2015 • 5 minutes, 7 seconds
How Does Ancient Wisdom Intersect with a Primal Perspective?
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)
5/27/2015 • 19 minutes, 10 seconds
#69: Ted McDonald
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!
5/27/2015 • 1 hour, 26 seconds
Introducing The Primal Endurance Podcast!
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)
5/26/2015 • 11 minutes, 42 seconds
Get a 5-Year Supply of Primal Kitchen™ Mayo for FREE
How would you like to a win a 5-year supply of Primal Kitchen™ Mayo? You have the opportunity to do just that today…but more on that in a moment. This is just one of several special offers I have in store for Mark’s Daily Apple readers in coming weeks (lots of chances to win!).I know almost all of you are aware by now, most of you probably even have a jar or three in your fridge as I type this, but for those of you who’ve been living under a rock, Primal Kitchen Mayo—the first ever paleo/Primal mayonnaise using avocado oil instead of nasty industrial oils—was released a few months ago.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Leslie Klenke)
5/21/2015 • 6 minutes, 19 seconds
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)
5/20/2015 • 16 minutes, 37 seconds
#68: Nicolette Hahn Niman
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.
5/20/2015 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 27 seconds
15 Alternatives to Burpees for When You’re Tired of Doing Burpees
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)
5/19/2015 • 14 minutes, 5 seconds
Food Shame: The Morality of Eating
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)
5/14/2015 • 9 minutes, 30 seconds
Is All Yogurt Created Equal?
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)
5/13/2015 • 15 minutes, 20 seconds
#67: Al Danenberg
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.
5/13/2015 • 42 minutes, 17 seconds
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)
5/12/2015 • 10 minutes, 26 seconds
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)
5/7/2015 • 10 minutes, 56 seconds
How We’re Setting Our Kids Up to Be Fat, Sick, and Unhappy
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)
5/6/2015 • 16 minutes, 27 seconds
#66: Annie Botticelli
Elle Russ hosts today’s podcast and talks to Annie Botticelli, a paleo life coach with a spiritual edge. Annie talks about her journey from suffering with chronic health problems, ranging from cystic acne to digestive issues, to enjoying optimal physical and emotional well-being. She specializes in the nutritional guidelines of a Primal diet, but also integrates her own spiritual and emotional counseling services to provide a holistic approach to wellness. On today’s show, she touches upon the ideas of guilt, forgiveness, the morality of meat eating, and even the fundamental nature of the universe that informs her perspectives on life. Tune in to get a great schooling on the big picture perspective of Primal living.
5/6/2015 • 58 minutes, 21 seconds
A Primal Weekend to Remember: Paleo f(x) 2015
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)
5/5/2015 • 7 minutes, 58 seconds
The Importance of Non-Negotiable, "No Matter What" Rules
Anyone can dream up goals, but it’s how we weave our intentions into our daily reality that matters.We go through the day perceiving our own intentions to be important but negotiable. Simultaneously, we consciously or unconsciously view others’ intentions for us (e.g. our time and energy) as fixed, non-negotiable. And there’s where the process falls apart.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brad Kearns)
5/1/2015 • 12 minutes, 22 seconds
#65: Dean Dwyer
Brock Armstrong interviews Dean Dwyer from the Toronto studio. Dean is well known both as a speaker at Paleo f(x) and for his books, Make Shift Happen and The Willpower Solution. On today’s show, he talks about the essential emotional, psychological and behavioral tips that help maintain long-term weight loss. Learning how to reach your health goals is only half the battle: sustaining your gains is the other. If you’ve succumbed to yo-yo dieting or thwarted weight loss, then you won’t want to miss this episode. And, as a bonus, stay tuned until the end of the show for a special offer for Primal Blueprint Podcast listeners.
4/29/2015 • 55 minutes, 40 seconds
The Year’s Biggest Deal from Mark’s Daily Apple (Expires May 6)
Today, I’m releasing two brand new Primal Blueprint eBooks and giving away several gifts as part of a special offer for Mark’s Daily Apple readers (you!). The offer lasts just one week (April 29-May 6). You won’t want to miss it. But more on that in a moment…One of the primary challenges to living a primal-adapted lifestyle is accessibility. Make that affordability and accessibility. One of the constant refrains I hear from Groks and Grokettes is “I just don’t have access to primal-friendly foods in my small town” or “paleo foods are so much more expensive that it’s hard to stay on track.”
4/29/2015 • 8 minutes
Do Low-Carb Diets Cause Insulin Resistance?
A few weeks back in the “How to Improve Your Insulin Sensitivity” post, I apparently dropped a bit of a bombshell: that very low carb diets can induce insulin resistance. Many of you wrote to me asking about the effects of low-carb dieting on insulin sensitivity and wondering whether you should begin eating more carbohydrates to counter it. Well, maybe, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to eat carbs if you’re low carb.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brad Kearns)
4/28/2015 • 9 minutes, 52 seconds
How to Get Your (Health) Groove Back
We get off track for various reasons – illness, parenthood, divorce, death, job change, moving. In probably every case, we didn’t anticipate losing sight of our health, but upheaval (good and bad) can often divert us in ways we don’t expect.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brad Kearns)
4/23/2015 • 9 minutes, 5 seconds
What’s So Healthy About Avocado Oil?
What's not to love about avocado oil? Today we're exploring the health benefits, adaptability and test.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brad Kearns)
4/23/2015 • 7 minutes, 55 seconds
Essential Oils: Separating Fact from Fiction
This Mark's Daily Apple blog post podcast is an episode of the Primal Blueprint Podcast. You can find the Primal Blueprint Podcast on iTunes, and all other Primal Blueprint Podcast episodes on the Primal Blueprint YouTube channel.Are essential oils a panacea that can replace every modern medicine, both over the counter and prescription? Or are they simply glorified air fresheners without any evidence of efficacy? Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in between...(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
4/23/2015 • 14 minutes, 31 seconds
#64: Elle Russ & Eli Rohde
Two young dynamic Paleo women, Elle Russ and Eli Rohde, present an information packed podcast about their own personal experiences with the Primal/Paleo lifestyle. They discuss the misconceptions, excuses, and objections that prevent people from taking the plunge, and offer their own wisdom and encouragement in response. They cover topics spanning saturated fat, the U.S. food pyramid, vegetarianism, going Primal on a budget, and CrossFit. Each offers their own personal coaching service, which you can learn more about at Paleoagent.com and PaleoPrimalcoach.com.
4/22/2015 • 39 minutes, 39 seconds
Paleo f(x) Kicks Off on April 24 and You Can Livestream It for Free
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)
4/16/2015 • 6 minutes, 54 seconds
#63: Robin Mazumder
In this colorful episode, Brock Armstrong interviews Robin Mazumder, who sheds some light on his life as a community builder dedicated to making his city a fun, vibrant, and socially inclusive place to live. His passion and expertise lies in using city building and urban design to encourage wellness for entire communities, particularly in the realm of mental health. He discusses the prevalence of Seasonal Affective Disorder, and how some creative engineering can brighten up a city, even in the darkest parts of the year. Robin also discusses the many ways each of us can take to the streets, right now, to create a happier, healthier community. You can learn more about his thoughts and projects at robinmazumder.com.
4/15/2015 • 33 minutes, 27 seconds
How Much Sugar Is Recommended Per Day?
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)
4/15/2015 • 11 minutes, 49 seconds
How to Raise Creative and Self-Reliant Free-Range Kids
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)
4/9/2015 • 14 minutes, 4 seconds
#62: Q&A with Mark Sisson
On today’s show, host Brad Kearns sits down with Mark Sisson to catch up on all the latest news at Primal Blueprint headquarters. They discuss the launch and overwhelming success of the Primal Blueprint Expert Certification program, the launch of the new Primal Kitchen line of foods (including the astounding success of Primal Mayo), and the upcoming titles from Primal Blueprint Publishing.
Mark also takes on listener submitted questions ranging from what to do when your weight loss has stalled, to the dangers of constant snacking. As always, he shares his own personal experiences, experimentations, and science-backed advice to help listeners lead a more Primal-aligned lifestyle. Today’s episode is chock full of essential information, so you won’t want to miss it!
4/8/2015 • 29 minutes, 30 seconds
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)
4/8/2015 • 14 minutes, 45 seconds
Do You Value Experiences Over Things?
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)
4/7/2015 • 14 minutes, 4 seconds
7 Ways You Might Be Inadvertently Sabotaging a Good Night’s Sleep
I’ve said it, your doctor says it, and anyone who’s ever had a bad night’s sleep and felt like death the next day will say it: sleep is absolutely essential to happiness, health, and longevity. On the positive side, there’s nothing quite so pleasurable as a good night’s sleep, from the initial application of one’s head to the pillow, to the insanely vivid dream-visions that descend upon you in the midst of it, to the peerless happiness and boundless energy you feel upon waking. Sleep’s the best, so you want to get it, and get it good.You know it, of course. I harp on it enough. And chances are, you’re doing your part to get good sleep. But what if you can’t? What if sleep is bad, or inadequate, or unfulfilling? What might be causing it? Let’s find out.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
4/6/2015 • 13 minutes, 29 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Resistant Starch
A few years back, I briefly covered a throwaway Yahoo! article about how “carbs will make you lose weight” because so many readers had emailed about it. It turned out that the “carbs” in the article were resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate that our digestive enzymes cannot break down. I’ll admit now, with regret, that I didn’t look as deeply into the matter as I might have. I didn’t dismiss resistant starch, but I did downplay its importance, characterizing it as “just another type of prebiotic” – important but not necessary so long as you were eating other fermentable fibers. While technically true, we’re fast learning that resistant starch may be a special type of prebiotic with a special place in the human diet.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
4/4/2015 • 14 minutes, 42 seconds
Self-Control: The Ultimate Exercise of Freedom
In a culture that worships impulse, self-control has all the appeal of soggy blanket. We see discipline as an imposition and chafe against the curtailment of our will. Cultural messaging and social belonging often hinge on following blind custom or our most unhealthy momentary inclinations. We exercise our autonomy or “choice” through (often market influenced) poor decisions. Freedom is conflated with whim. Any attempt to rein in stupidity is more than just the voice of a killjoy but an act of aggression. We’ve become such a precious, entitled bunch that the mere suggestion we temper our instinctive response feels like an insult. Where does that leave our health? Look around…
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
4/2/2015 • 10 minutes, 53 seconds
#61: Abel James
You won’t want to miss today’s special episode, hosted by Mark Sisson himself. He has a lively discussion with his good friend and guest, Abel James, a bestselling author, musician, speaker, and entrepreneur. As the number one rated health podcast in more than eight countries, Abel’s award-winning web series, Fat-Burning Man, has helped millions reclaim their health with outdoor adventures, cutting-edge science, and ridiculously good food. When his debut cooking app, Caveman Feast, bested The Food Network, Nickelodeon, and even Angry Birds with more than 1,000 5-star reviews in 24 hours, Abel became the first indie publisher ever to hold Apple’s #1 Food App and #1 Health Podcast at the same time. Among his accomplishments, Abel has presented keynotes for the federal government, lectured at Ivy League universities, and advised Fortune 500 companies including Microsoft, Shell, and Lockheed Martin. Now, he’s here on The Primal Blueprint Podcast to talk about his upcoming book, The Wild Diet, which you can pre-order on Amazon before its release on April 7th.
4/1/2015 • 48 minutes, 6 seconds
25 Ways to Improve Your Insulin Sensitivity
Insulin does a lot of important things for us. It pulls glucose from the blood and fritters it away into our cells to be burned for energy or stored as glycogen. It prevents hyperglycemic toxicity to neurons, pancreatic cells, the arterial walls and the generation of excessive levels of reactive oxygen species. It even promotes muscle protein synthesis and helps augment muscular hypertrophy, especially following resistance training. Clearly, we need insulin. Obviously, we don’t want to be insulin resistant. We want to be insulin sensitive. But how do we do it?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
4/1/2015 • 17 minutes, 43 seconds
Why Some Like It Hot
I decided to explore the health benefits of acute heat exposure in the form of saunas, baths, and steam rooms for one main reason: the sauna is a near-universal human tradition, and I’m always curious about those. Are all these many billions of people across time and space sitting in heated rooms for the heck of it? Luckily, we don’t have to guess: extensive research into the health benefits of saunas, steam baths, IR saunas, and other forms of acute heat exposure confirms that the human universal of getting really, really sweaty, hot, and steamy on purpose has merit.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
3/31/2015 • 17 minutes, 31 seconds
How to Go Primal with Food Allergies and Restrictions
I’ve steadily been accumulating questions from readers with food allergies and food restrictions looking for assistance. They are all interested in giving the Primal Blueprint lifestyle an honest shot, but because they can’t eat certain foods, many of which enjoy an (real or imagined) exalted place in our community, they need help. Can it be done without eating red meat? Can it be done as a vegetarian? Can one eat Primal without eating land animals? Can a person succeed without tree nuts? Without coconut products? Are almonds essential? Can a vegan succeed on this eating plan? Are these nothing but minor speed bumps on the road to Primal, or something more serious? Let’s find out.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
3/30/2015 • 16 minutes, 57 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Traditional Food Preparation and Preservation
Before huge multinational corporations did it for us, humans had to figure out how to turn raw, unrefined formerly-living things into food that could be cooked or eaten. And before standup freezers, refrigerators, ice boxes, canned soup, bagged bread, tinned fish, and grocery stores hit the scene, we had to figure out how to preserve foods.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
3/27/2015 • 17 minutes
How to Overcome Inertia and Get Yourself Unstuck
Is the inertia all in our heads? Should exercising on “day one” really be any harder than on “day ninety-one” when workouts are tailored to respective fitness levels? What about eating? Does healthier eating really become more appealing over time, or is just a matter of mental discipline and habit? Is it just our tastes and routines that adjust, or do our brains change as well? You might be surprised….(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
3/26/2015 • 10 minutes, 46 seconds
#60: Brad Pilon
Brock Armstrong hosts today's broadcast and interviews Brad Pilon, who discusses his book on intermittent fasting, Eat Stop Eat. Intermittent fasting is a topic that most followers of Mark's Daily Apple, The Primal Blueprint, or this podcast series should be quite familiar with. But today’s episode delves head first into the subject. Applied Human Nutrition and Nutritional Sciences are Brad's fields of study. He spent several years in the R&D department of the Canadian sports nutrition industry before he returned to school to study “No Nutrition,” aka, the science of fasting. In this show, he gives evidence-based guidelines on how to fast and why it benefits the body, cautions against fasting in conjunction with other diets, provides fair warning to lean individuals who want to try the practice, and spends quite a bit of time explaining why women and fasting has a bad rap.
3/25/2015 • 48 minutes, 19 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Seeds
If you've ever wondered whether chia seeds are good to eat, or sesame seeds can be legitimate snacks, or flaxseed actually isn't as good (or bad) as you may have thought, this is the post for you.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
3/25/2015 • 19 minutes, 46 seconds
How to Safely and Enjoyably Transition to a Barefoot-Dominant Lifestyle
The vast majority of people need to nail the transition between the shod and barefoot ways of life. And until now, there simply hasn’t been a reliable, comprehensive resource for making that transition in a safe and effective way.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
3/25/2015 • 9 minutes, 43 seconds
When Grok Lives with Korg, or How to Cope With an Unsupportive Partner
It’s a familiar story. One partner takes on a new health commitment. Life changes for that person. He/she goes through struggles, triumphs, growth – an entire physical and psychological process that potentially leaves a relationship chasm in its wake. Then there are the logistics, a menacing obstacle course of loaded questions and irksome details. Do you still eat together? Who cooks (not to mention shops)? Do we have enough pots and pans to make two different meals each night? How do we handle the kids’ food? Finally, what does it mean for the arrangement when one person’s food expenditure overshadows the other’s?(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
3/23/2015 • 9 minutes, 36 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Walking
Grok walked a lot. Heck, he walked everywhere. Riding animals didn’t appear until after the agricultural revolution, so unless you buy into the ancient aliens theory, you accept that our paleolithic ancestors relied on self-ambulation to get around. It seems pretty plausible to suggest that we’re probably well-adapted to walking on a regular basis. I’d even go so far as to posit that walking might even be highly beneficial to our health and well-being. Given our extensive history with the activity, you might even say our genes “expect” us to walk.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
3/23/2015 • 10 minutes, 30 seconds
Are We Thwarting Our Children’s Instinct to Explore?
Research shows that when kids avoid risky or scary situations (and thereby never get to see that they can do what they’re afraid to do and understand fear as a “manageable emotion”), they can actually become more anxious as a result.What can you do if letting the kids wander to their hearts’ content isn’t a realistic option for your neighborhood – or nerves? How can you offer them the opportunity to feel like they get to cut loose, experiment, walk the edge – and do it without the “lame” parental hand-holding?(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
3/23/2015 • 15 minutes, 48 seconds
#59: Dr. Kelly Starrett
Host Brad Kearns talks to Dr. Kelly Starrett, the larger-than-life Cross Fit/Mobility/Physical Therapy industry leader who started the viral MobilityWOD.com (Mobility Workout of the Day).Starrett wrote the bestseller Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance, and Ready to Run (where he applies his revolutionary movement and mobility philosophy to the injury-plagued world of running). He has a lot to say on the subject of how general fitness enthusiasts and competitive athletes can benefit from strength training and other complementary movement practices. This is especially so for endurance athletes, who often adopt that narrowly-focused, mileage obsessed approach.Kelly has a doctorate in Physical Therapy, operates San Francisco CrossFit, and works with an assortment of elite athletes, including: NFL teams, Olympians, runners and triathletes. As a whitewater paddler, he competed for the US team in two world championships. He is currently training his wife Juliet for the world outrigger canoe championships in Hawaii in September.In this wide-ranging conversation, Kelly offers up some urgent priorities for fitness enthusiasts to adopt a holistic approach and increase their mobility, prevent injury and improve general health. #1 is to participate in some form of movement practice - yoga, Pilates, CrossFit, kettlebells and other strength training programs are great examples. #2 is to engage in some soft tissue practice, such as foam rolling or using balls and other soft tissue mobility tools. #3 is to eat cleaner ala Primal style, to help minimize systemic inflammation and improve overall tissue health. #4 is to explore the advanced diagnostic technology available today, such as genetic testing and blood testing. Finally, remember that your "Desire to Train" - your intuitive signals of health and motivation each day, should guide you to the proper training decision over and above any fancy schedule that has been designed in advance. "Playing the long game (injury prevention, stress management, longevity promoting behaviors, etc.) is how you win the short game anyway," asserts Kelly. Enjoy this fascinating and thought-provoking show from perhaps the world's leading sports trainer and mobility expert.Host Brad Kearns talks Dr. Kelly Starrett, the larger-than-life Cross Fit/Mobility/Physical Therapy industry leader who started the viral MobilityWOD.com (Mobility Workout of the Day).Starrett wrote the bestseller Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance, and Ready to Run (where he applies his revolutionary movement and mobility philosophy to the injury-plagued world of running). He has a lot to say on the subject of how general fitness enthusiasts and competitive athletes can benefit from strength training and other complementary movement practices. This is especially so for endurance athletes, who often adopt that narrowly-focused, mileage obsessed approach.Kelly has a doctorate in Physical Therapy, operates San Francisco CrossFit, and works with an assortment of elite athletes, including: NFL teams, Olympians, runners and triathletes. As a whitewater paddler, he competed for the US team in two world championships. He is currently training his wife Juliet for the world outrigger canoe championships in Hawaii in September.In this wide-ranging conversation, Kelly offers up some urgent priorities for fitness enthusiasts to adopt a holistic approach and increase their mobility, prevent injury and improve general health. #1 is to participate in some form of movement practice - yoga, Pilates, CrossFit, kettlebells and other strength training programs are great examples. #2 is to engage in some soft tissue practice, such as foam rolling or using balls and other soft tissue mobility tools. #3 is to eat cleaner ala Primal style, to help minimize systemic inflammation and improve overall tissue health. #4 is to explore the advanced diagnostic technology available today, such as genetic testing and blood testing. Finally, remember that your "Desire to Train" - your intuitive signals of health and motivation each day, should guide you to the proper training decision over and above any fancy schedule that has been designed in advance. "Playing the long game (injury prevention, stress management, longevity promoting behaviors, etc.) is how you win the short game anyway," asserts Kelly. Enjoy this fascinating and thought-provoking show from perhaps the world's leading sports trainer and mobility expert.
3/18/2015 • 52 minutes, 54 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Nuts
Of all Primal-approved food categories, none is more bedeviling to even seasoned followers of the lifestyle than nuts. The questions never end. So today, I’m giving you the definitive guide to nuts. After today’s post, you’ll have a solid grasp of which nuts you should and maybe shouldn’t be eating.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
3/18/2015 • 26 minutes, 3 seconds
The Autoimmune Protocol: What to Do When Nothing Else Has Worked
People by the thousands are reclaiming their health and shedding diseases as well as excess pounds. Their shouts from the rooftops are giving credence to our movement: eating and moving naturally works. Our bodies are designed to be healthy, fit and lean. If we just give our genes the right input, everything will magically fall into place.Except when it doesn’t. Some of us have really buggered ourselves up by a lifetime of self-medicating and following conventional advice. We’re the ones that have to go the extra mile on our path to enlightened health and vitality—a standard ancestral diet just isn’t going to cut it. When autoimmunity is in the mix, all bets are off. You have to do things differently. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Tara Grant, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
3/17/2015 • 6 minutes, 55 seconds
How We Die: End of Life Planning
Last week’s post on the fear of death got quite a discussion going, and I appreciated the perspectives that folks shared on the subject. One interesting issue that people raised involved the circumstances of dying itself – specifically dying within a traditional medical setting where interventions and technology to prolong life abound.
In a decidedly un-Primal medical world, what role can self-determination play in a “desirable” death as it does in a vibrant life?(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
3/12/2015 • 12 minutes, 7 seconds
Top 50 Essential Paleo Pantry Foods
Restocking the purged pantry is a fundamental step toward going Primal — or strengthening your resolve. It’s one of the 5 Action Items in the 21-Day Challenge, and for my money it’s probably the most important because it can be a real springboard for the rest of your Challenge (and life). So you really want to get this right.So, without further delay, I present the definitive list of Primal pantry staples, complete with links, justifications, and suggested uses. I hope you find it helpful.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
3/12/2015 • 18 minutes, 9 seconds
#58: Eli Rohde
Description: Primal Blueprint Certified Expert Elle Russ guest hosts today’s podcast where she interviews her good friend (and fellow Certified Expert) Eli Rohde. Eli, an aesthetician, yoga instructor, and Primal coach, talks to Elle about how, after spending years as a vegetarian, she suffered from an assortment of health problems before discovering Primal-style eating, which changed her life forever. Eli details her previous maladies, such as joint pain and chronic inflammation, which she correlated with grain consumption after a 21-day cleanse and food reintroduction. Five years into primal living, Eli describes having more energy, absence of joint pain or inflammation symptoms, and even improved skin health. The latter is a topic of particular interest to Eli in her practice as an esthetician. She has convinced many clients to consider the link between diet and skin health with great success. You can learn more about Elle at paleoprimalcoach.com and about Eli at paleoagent.com. These two ladies are passionate, energetic ambassadors of Primal living—with deep expert knowledge to boot!
3/11/2015 • 52 minutes, 46 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Sugar
This Mark's Daily Apple blog post podcast is an episode of the Primal Blueprint Podcast. You can find the Primal Blueprint Podcast on iTunes, and all other Primal Blueprint Podcast episodes on the Primal Blueprint YouTube channel.What do we do when sugar naturally accompanies some of the healthiest fare out there? Do we forgo it altogether when a touch ties an otherwise good Primal recipe together? Are the typical substitutions any better when we choose to use a sweetener? We’ve covered the artificial options in the past, but today I’ll give several natural varieties of sugar their due – the obligatory facts, the practical details and a final Primal analysis.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
3/11/2015 • 15 minutes, 27 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Overcoming Procrastination
A definitive guide to overcoming the procrastination preventing you from accomplishing your goals, completing your duties, fulfilling your responsibilities, and realizing your dreams.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
3/10/2015 • 15 minutes, 12 seconds
Is Constant Ketosis Necessary – Or Even Desirable?
Last Sunday, I briefly mentioned a paper concerning a ketone metabolite known as beta-hydroxybutyrate, or BHB, and its ability to block the activity of a set of inflammatory genes. This particular set of genes, known as the NLRP3 inflammasome, has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome, and age-related macular degeneration. In other words, it’s in our best interest to avoid its chronic, pathogenic activation, and it looks like going into ketosis can probably help in that respect.One thing led to another, and this paper got me thinking: once we “go into ketosis,” how long should we stay? If some is good, is more better? Is there a point where the benefits slow and the downsides accrue?(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
3/5/2015 • 11 minutes, 45 seconds
Our Primal Fear of Dying
From an evolutionary perspective, we’re wired for survival. It’s the name of the evolutionary game itself – surviving and making sure our kin do as well in order to procreate and protect the genetic line. We’re built to fear death because how else were we to live? We fear ostracization because in primordial times, we weren’t likely to survive on our own. We fear conflict because in some deep, primeval chamber we associate it with death or disorder that can put the entire group at risk. Our ancestral memory can likewise flinch at the suggestion of want, neglect, or even change. Tens of thousands of years ago there wasn’t much room for error.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
3/4/2015 • 12 minutes, 43 seconds
#57: Camille Macres, Paleogasm Author
Today’s podcast features Camille Macres, an elite personal chef, author, cooking show host, and full-time foodie. She talks with guest host Elle Russ about her time as a private chef in the days before people paid extra attention to food intolerances. After years of fighting extreme exhaustion, she was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid and adrenal fatigue. Originally trained in using the whole pantry to make a meal (grains and all), Camille talks about how, based on advice from top Paleo authorities, she reclaimed her health through revamping her cooking style. Eventually, after some diligent labor and research, Camille went full speed ahead and created her first cookbook, Paleogasm. Now, she’s starting her own cooking show, the first episode of which aired March 3rd, which you can catch on paleokitchen.tv.
3/4/2015 • 36 minutes, 39 seconds
Are You Suffering From Decision Fatigue? (Plus What to Do About It)
The world is a maelstrom of choices. From smartphones (iPhone or Android?), diets (Primal or Paleo or vegan?), cars (electric or gasoline, SUV or sedan?), health plans (PPO, HMO, or health savings account?), to entertainment (TV or Twitter or YouTube or Xbox or Netflix), we’ve never had more options from which to choose. This is supposed to be a good thing. It’s supposed to be liberating. Having more options is supposed to help us make better decisions. But in reality, something called decision fatigue gets in the way.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
3/3/2015 • 15 minutes
Top 7 Most Common Reactions to Your High-Fat Diet (and How to Respond)
Actually, like the grain-free diet, explaining the high-fat diet is not that hard. I’ll even promise you that there are ways to do it, explanations and answers that don’t make you seem like a crazy person who hates his heart (I make no such promises for those of you with a stick of butter with bite marks and a tub of coconut oil with a greasy spoon beside it on your office desk, however). Now let’s get right to their questions and responses you can use:(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
3/2/2015 • 14 minutes, 12 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Sleep
The “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” overachiever mindset assumes our bodies aren’t doing anything useful when we’re buried beneath the covers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sleep is an incredibly active time for our bodies and brains when we undergo all manner of growth and repair processes through a dynamic biochemical orchestration. When we know the facts on sleep, we’re more likely to give it our full respect – and wholehearted Primal commitment. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
2/27/2015 • 17 minutes, 9 seconds
Liver, Lobster and Locusts: How Bizarre Foods Win Acceptance
Nutrition trends swing like pendulums. We’re beginning to understand how to optimally fuel our bodies, but it’s a rocky and roundabout road to get there. We observe this firsthand every day in the mainstream media; consider the messaging around fat: “all fat is good”, then “all fat is bad”, then “some fat is good”, and now “(almost) all fat is good”.Tastes and food preferences vacillate, as well. Much like nutrition trends, these preferences reverse and re-reverse year after year, ebbing and flowing as we take cues from world-class chefs and influencers. At Exo, we’ve obviously thought about these movements a lot, since we’re essentially trying to bring back a food that humans have enjoyed for eons, but which has recently gone out of style: crickets. In fact, we’ve closely studied some of the foods that have undergone these wild transformations in perception, and successfully made the transition from weird to normal. Today we’re sharing a few favorites. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Gabi of Exo Protein, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
2/26/2015 • 9 minutes, 34 seconds
Is Your Workout Worth the Risk?
We're going to work out. We're going to stay active and move our bodies and challenge our limits, but we don't want to get injured. How do we limit these injuries? How do we make good choices?(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
2/25/2015 • 13 minutes, 21 seconds
Can Getting Your DNA Tested Help You Optimize Your Diet and Training?
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)
2/25/2015 • 9 minutes, 36 seconds
#56: Andrew Steele of DNAFit.com
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.The company is stacked with PhD's in biochemistry, molecular genetics, and nutrigenomics, as well as fellow Olympian Craig Pickering, a Summer Games 100-meter runner and Winter Games bobsledder for the UK. This stuff is the real deal! The algorithms that calculate your results are based on highly respected scientific studies. Your DNA Fit test is a road map to help you choose the optimal training, dietary and lifestyle habits for peak performance. Learn more at DNAFit.com and enjoy the show!
2/23/2015 • 48 minutes, 40 seconds
6 Foreign Health Concepts from Around the Globe
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)
2/19/2015 • 9 minutes, 11 seconds
Primal Kitchen Mayo Is Now Available
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)
2/18/2015 • 5 minutes, 39 seconds
#55: Al Kavadlo
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.
2/18/2015 • 39 minutes, 14 seconds
Why Is Regaining Weight So Common?
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)
2/17/2015 • 12 minutes, 51 seconds
Top 8 Most Common Reactions to Your Grain-Free Diet (and How to Respond)
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)
2/16/2015 • 13 minutes, 33 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Dairy
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)
2/13/2015 • 16 minutes, 42 seconds
Why You Should Have a Morning Routine
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)
2/12/2015 • 12 minutes, 21 seconds
#54: Dr. Amy Myers
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.
2/11/2015 • 52 minutes, 47 seconds
PrimalCon Oxnard 2015 – The One and Only!
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)
2/11/2015 • 10 minutes, 59 seconds
What’s Messing with Your Appetite? Three Possibilities.
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)
2/10/2015 • 11 minutes, 55 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Oils
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)
2/10/2015 • 17 minutes, 17 seconds
Why You Should Reconsider the “Workout” Mentality
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)
2/5/2015 • 8 minutes, 58 seconds
How Quickly Can You Lose Weight?
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)
2/5/2015 • 16 minutes, 11 seconds
#53: Vanessa and Adam Lambert
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.
2/4/2015 • 37 minutes, 59 seconds
Zen and the Art of Calisthenics
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)
2/3/2015 • 8 minutes, 46 seconds
Finish Line: The 2015 Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge
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)
2/3/2015 • 7 minutes, 58 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Fermented Foods
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)
1/29/2015 • 14 minutes, 51 seconds
#52: Ashley Merryman, Part 2
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.
1/29/2015 • 29 minutes, 38 seconds
What Is the Point of Your 21-Day Challenge?
What behaviors, conditions or trajectories are you ready to jettison to welcome a healthier, more vital life?
(This Mark's Daily Apple articles was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
1/22/2015 • 8 minutes, 19 seconds
#51: Ashley Merryman, Part 1
Host Brad Kearns talks with New York Times bestselling author Ashley Merryman (author of Nurture Shock and Top Dog). Ashley offers 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.
Ashley relates the disparate challenges of focusing on writing and research versus the ambitious efforts to lecture to live audiences. Unlike many keynote speakers, Ashley makes the effort to create a customized presentation based on the nature and interests of her audience.
1/21/2015 • 28 minutes, 26 seconds
11 Ways to Assess Your True Fitness Level
Are you fit enough to pass these 11 assessments? Learn how to test your true fitness level.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
1/21/2015 • 13 minutes, 34 seconds
I Think Therefore I Do
Dr. Alessandra Wall (Life in Focus) stops by MDA to help you understand why despite feeling committed, prepared and supported you might find yourself facing set backs in your Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge (or any other endeavor).(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Dr. Alessandra Wall, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
1/20/2015 • 11 minutes, 36 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Fish Oils
Recommending a fish oil supplement is generally safe for anyone, but it’s important to understand why fish oil is so beneficial. So why should we take it as part of a Primal lifestyle?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
1/16/2015 • 13 minutes, 8 seconds
This One Simple Trick Will Make All Your Meals Taste Better
For the better part of a decade I’ve been playing with intermittent fasting on a personal level and by helping others integrate it into their lives through multiple posts on the blog. The effects on the quality of my meals has been staggering.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
1/16/2015 • 14 minutes, 14 seconds
From Desire to Reality: Why Setting Goals Is Critical for Success
PrimalCon presenter and psychologist Dr. Alessandra Wall stops by the blog to offer advice on how to make your goals a reality.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Dr. Alessandra Wall, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
1/15/2015 • 9 minutes, 3 seconds
#50: Dr. Timothy Noakes
In this episode, Mark Sisson has a discussion with Dr. Timothy Noakes of South Africa, who is an author and well-known expert in exercise physiology and human performance. As a physician, former longtime marathon runner, and co-founder of the Sports Science Institute of South Africa, Dr. Noakes has spearheaded efforts to advocate a low carb/high fat diet despite opposition in the mainstream medical community.
1/15/2015 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 12 seconds
It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way
"It doesn’t have to be this way." The power of an effective mantra rises out of our growing identification with it. Right out of the gate, all of us can identify with this statement. Tune into today's post for a simple, yet effective, exercise to inspire change.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
1/13/2015 • 8 minutes, 35 seconds
The Primal Blueprint 8 Key Concepts
Having a firm grasp of these key concepts will provide a framework for – and make you more resolute in – your daily decisions. Read them, commit them to memory, live by them, and you’ll be well on your way to a lifetime of health and wellness.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
1/13/2015 • 16 minutes, 12 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Feeding Primal Babies
Exactly when and how did baby/early toddler nutrition become a string of processed convenience foods? Can’t we do better by our baby Groks? We’ve taken up the kid question before, but I thought it was time for a definitive focus on the youngest of the seedling set.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
1/11/2015 • 20 minutes, 32 seconds
9 More Calorie Myths We Should All Stop Believing
Yesterday’s post introduced the major myths surrounding calories, weight loss, and human regulation of body weight, but there are some other serious misconceptions surrounding the topic that need clearing up.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
1/11/2015 • 20 minutes, 55 seconds
7 Common Calorie Myths We Should All Stop Believing
There are some major misconceptions about calories, body weight, fat loss, and health. These calorie myths are often rooted in truth but presented in black-or-white terms that are useless at best, harmful at worst, and do little to help the average person lose body fat.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
1/8/2015 • 15 minutes, 17 seconds
20 Ways to Set Yourself Up to Succeed in Your 21-Day Challenge
Our annual 21-Day Primal Blueprint Challenge starts next week! There’s a lot that comes before “just doing it.” We all need a little help getting started.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
1/8/2015 • 18 minutes, 3 seconds
#49: Dr. Cate Shanahan Q&A
Brad Kearns has another interesting meeting with Dr. Cate Shanahan of the Primal Advantage 1:1 Metabolic Consulting Program. Cate discusses some recent revelations heard on previous podcasts as well as answer some questions sent in to Mark’s Daily Apple.
1/8/2015 • 37 minutes, 41 seconds
The 10 Habits of Highly Successful Hunter-Gatherers
If we can learn from our forebears’ diets and activities, what wisdom can we garner or extrapolate from other elements of their living conditions – for example, their social structures and cultural patterns. Here are all ten habits – presented for the first time on MDA.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
1/6/2015 • 32 minutes, 59 seconds
Choose Your Booze: A Guide to Healthy Drinking
What’s a Primal type to do when it comes to a simple social drink?(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
1/6/2015 • 13 minutes, 13 seconds
Does 2015 Have Your Name on It?
The fact is, this year does belong to you. The only requirement is being lucky enough to be alive today. That’s it. If you’re beginning the year in health far poorer than you’d hope, 2015 is just underway. No matter if you have weight to lose, strength to gain, eating habits to change, or stress to be conquered, 2015 is one day in. What could you be doing, feeling and seeing by next New Year’s?(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
1/6/2015 • 6 minutes, 16 seconds
End of the Year Review: What We Learned in 2014
2014 has been a big year! 365 posts a year is a lot to remember, and sometimes you need to go back and jog your memory. Let’s take a look at what we learned and explored together.
(This Mark's Daily Apple articles was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
12/31/2014 • 12 minutes, 33 seconds
#48: Rob Hogan
Host Brad Kearns speaks with the fastest golfer in the world, Rob Hogan, who’s from Galway, Ireland. Rob is the 2013 Speedgolf World Champion and 2014 runner-up. He covers a championship caliber course in under 40 minutes while shooting in the 70s! Rob is a professional athlete dedicated full-time to Speedgolf and running at an elite level.
12/31/2014 • 31 minutes, 44 seconds
8 Signs You Probably Don’t Need More Protein
We tend to assume more protein is always better, but when is that not the case? What are the signs that we're eating enough protein? Listen to today's post to find out!(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
12/31/2014 • 10 minutes, 23 seconds
How to Gain Weight and Build Muscle
So you wanna put on some lean muscle mass. And you want to do it within the context of the Primal Blueprint, but aren’t sure where to start. It’s a common question and it’s about time I addressed it head on.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
12/31/2014 • 20 minutes, 2 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Low Level Aerobic Activity
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)
12/26/2014 • 9 minutes, 31 seconds
10 Ways to Stay Healthy During Holiday Travel
Whether your travels take you to extended family or to a holiday getaway, here are some Primal strategies to enjoy your time (and the trip home) with health intact.
(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
12/23/2014 • 12 minutes, 42 seconds
Why Grains Are Unhealthy
Apart from maintaining social conventions in certain situations and obtaining cheap sugar calories, there is absolutely no reason to eat grains. Believe me – I’ve searched far and wide and asked everyone I can for just one good reason to eat cereal grains, but no one can do it. They may have answers, but they just aren’t good enough. For fun, though, let’s see take a look at some of the assertions.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
12/22/2014 • 13 minutes, 15 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Conventional Wisdom
Every story needs a villain, and every protagonist needs an antagonist. Here at Mark’s Daily Apple, my regular nemesis is none other than Conventional Wisdom. Check out this episode for in depth description of why the common 'truth,' isn't necessarily so.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
12/22/2014 • 8 minutes, 45 seconds
The Definitive Guide To Play
Pure play has become more of a luxury nowadays or, even worse, is considered to be “kids’ stuff.” But when your kids can’t even play without checking their schedules first, you know there’s a serious problem.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
12/19/2014 • 8 minutes, 5 seconds
The Pros and Cons of Comparing Yourself to Others
We need to be entirely honest – which also means mindful – about the motivation behind our comparisons to others. What are really looking at when we’re glancing around the gym during our rest periods? What’s really going through our heads when we head for the back row (or the front row) at a fitness class? What are we looking to see in other people? Are we information gathering – on techniques or ideas? Or are we looking for ammunition to use against ourselves to affirm rooted thinking – or for justifications to boost our egos?
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
12/18/2014 • 12 minutes, 2 seconds
#47: Dr. Alessandra Wall
Brock Armstrong interviews Dr. Alessandra Wall, who has been presenting at PrimalCons about topics in psychology. This podcast talks about how we can get what we want out of life. Her website is: LifeinfocusSanDiego.com.
12/18/2014 • 34 minutes, 14 seconds
Happy Holidays from Lil’ Grok and the Korgs!
We are stoked to announce a Primal Blueprint Publishing endeavor that’s been brewing for a couple of years now, one that fills a huge gap in the paleo community—an action adventure picture book of the Primal kind made just for kids! If you’ve been looking to introduce Primal principles to your children in a fun and educational way, then Lil’ Grok Meets The Korgs is the perfect primer.
(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
12/17/2014 • 6 minutes, 59 seconds
The Call of the Wild
Why do wild animals fascinate us? Why do millions of people self-identify as hunters, bird watchers, butterfly collectors? Why, on hikes, do I still go “Oh, check it out!” every time a regular old lizard runs across my path, I narrowly miss stepping in coyote poop, or I hear a rattlesnake’s warning off in the bushes?Because the wild calls. And we listen, or at least our subconscious does, because the wild is within us.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
12/16/2014 • 11 minutes, 35 seconds
10 Real-Life Reasons Why the Primal Blueprint Works for Me
For those of you who are looking for more detailed rationale why living Primal is best for everyone (including your doubting spouse and your parents), here are my 10 Real-Life Reasons Why the Primal Blueprint Works for Me.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
12/16/2014 • 15 minutes, 9 seconds
What’s Behind the Mind-Body Connection?
How much does our overall mindset and emotional well-being feed our physical health? That’s the question behind the mind-body exchange that researchers have chased for decades (and philosophers have dissected for millennia). Just what’s behind the mind-body connection? How powerful is it really? How should it influence the way we approach our own health and happiness?(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
12/12/2014 • 12 minutes, 37 seconds
#46: Ronda Collier
Host Brad Kearns talks with Brock Armstrong (the voice of the MDA blog podcasts and a Sweetbeat ambassador/product tester) and Ronda Collier, CEO of Sweetwater Health, makers of the Sweetbeat Life iOS application. Sweetbeat Life allows for convenient Heart Rate Variability (HRV) measuring and information storage. This discussion will acquaint listeners with the basics of HRV, and proceed quickly to discuss some of the finer points of HRV’s effectiveness in monitoring stress and recovery. Heart Rate Variability is a measurement of the variation in intervals between heartbeats. More variation indicates better cardiovascular fitness and stress management, and is represented in a higher HRV number on a 1-100 scale.
Finer details of this show’s discussion include: how Low Frequency (LF) and High Frequency (HF) values correlate with sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activity; techniques for how to moderate your stress response and improve your recovery through breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, and extra sleep; and a step-by-step process for how to get started in HRV monitoring (buying the proper equipment, operating the Sweetbeat Life app smoothly, and understanding how to best use the informational graphs generated by the app). This is a fantastic show to help you jump head first into the amazing health technology of Heart Rate Variability!
12/11/2014 • 49 minutes, 19 seconds
The Quest for a Healthy Primal Mayonnaise (plus a Limited-Time Sweepstakes)
In a few short months, my team and I will be releasing a Primal mayonnaise using avocado oil as the base.Today, I want to tell you the story of how we arrived at the forthcoming mayo, and why we found that “organic” isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Brock Armstrong)
12/10/2014 • 11 minutes, 5 seconds
9 Worthy Alternatives to the Back Squat
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!Although the back squat has been called the king of exercises, you can get strong and healthy without doing a single one. Here are 9 alternatives.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
12/9/2014 • 12 minutes, 34 seconds
Examining the Concept of Self-Care
What exactly is “self-care”? Beyond the requisite showers, teeth-brushing and nail-clipping, beyond the eating well, exercising, sleeping and sunning, what does this mean? Naps? Facials? As I’ve considered the idea over time, I’ve come to see it in less precious and gendered terms than I think is common. Ultimately, I’ve come to believe that self-care puts a name and value to self-attunement in action.
12/8/2014 • 9 minutes, 56 seconds
#45: Rich Wilson
Host Brad Kearns talks with Rich Wilson, a Massachusetts-based sailor who completed the incredible Vendée Globe—a 28,000 mile solo round-the-world yacht race—in 2009. Rich was the oldest of 11 finishers at age 58.Inspired by his cousin and serious Primal enthusiast, Rick Simpson, Rich is embracing many of the Primal Blueprint laws as he prepares for his second attempt at the race, since his physical condition is paramount to surviving the Vendée Globe. Rich has a charity called SitesAlive.com where he has developed a comprehensive middle school student lesson plan based on his racing exploits. Students learn geography, math and other subjects through an integrated experience of plotting and evaluating Rich’s progress during the event.The two discuss, in detail, what preparation is required for the race, what the harrowing event entails, and how Primal Blueprint principles intersect with training for it.
12/3/2014 • 30 minutes, 18 seconds
Should You Eat Periodic Cheat Meals?
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!I get a lot of questions about cheat meals. Are they allowed on the Primal Blueprint? Is there a reason someone should actively seek to eat unhealthy food from time to time? The allure of the cheat meal is obvious: you get to eat stuff that’s otherwise off-limits and extremely delicious. You get to throw caution to the wind for a night. It’s like vacation and you’re a food tourist. But are there actual benefits? Today, we’ll take a look.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
12/3/2014 • 11 minutes, 51 seconds
How to Leverage the Minimum Effective Dose in Your Primal Life
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!If you haven’t heard about the minimum effective dose, here’s the simplest definition: the smallest dose that will produce the desired effect or outcome. And if you look closely, you'll see that the Primal Blueprint has always been about getting the best results for the least amount of pain, sacrifice, time, work, and suffering.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
12/3/2014 • 14 minutes, 47 seconds
What It Means to Be Thankful for Your Health
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!What does it mean to be thankful for your health? A lot, I think. At its most basic level it can be a “There but by the grace of God go I” feeling we get when someone we know dies of a heart attack or gets cancer. The news jolts us into awareness of our mortality, health being what keeps us on the other side.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
12/2/2014 • 8 minutes, 43 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Insulin, Blood Sugar and Type II Diabetes
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!We all know by now that type 2 diabetes is an epidemic. We’re seeing words like crisis and runaway all over the news and in the journals. Heart disease rates have been cut in half since the staggering margarine days of the 1980s, but diabetes has swiftly risen to fill that gaping void and meet the challenge of Completely Unnecessary Disease Epidemic.Here’s my ultra-simple explanation of the entire insulin/blood sugar/type 2 diabetes mess.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
12/2/2014 • 14 minutes, 30 seconds
The Many Wheys Whey Protein Can Improve Your Health
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!
Whey protein isn't just for bodybuilders. It also protects against diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and promotes a strong immune system.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
11/27/2014 • 10 minutes, 53 seconds
Episode #44: Interview with Mark Allen - Triathlon Legend, Author, and Coach
Host Brad Kearns catches up with Mark Allen, the greatest triathlete in history, who has a record six victories at the Hawaii Ironman and ten victories at the Nice, France World Long Course Championship. Today, he is a popular triathlon coach at MarkAllenCoaching.com, TV commentator, corporate speaker, author, and presenter of “Fit Soul, Fit Body” retreats with Brant Secunda, a Huichol shaman and healer.First, Mark talks about the importance of releasing attachment to outcomes and being committed to the enjoyment and appreciation of the process. He discusses how, after a series of unfortunate setbacks, Mark’s first victory in 1989 precipitated five Ironman attempts before he retired at the top of his game at age 39.Mark talks about balancing the pursuit of extreme endurance goals with maintaining health and how research on Heart Rate Variability has been a great breakthrough in monitoring stress and planning training.Mark and Brad discuss the importance of sleep when training and Mark elaborates on how he was able to live a normal, laid back lifestyle once his grueling training sessions or competitive seasons were over.Finally, they discuss how Mark has released a book called The Art of Competition, which blends stunning nature photography with inspirational quotes chosen by Mark for their significance to competitors seeking a healthy perspective and inspiration to pursue athletic goals.
11/26/2014 • 43 minutes, 27 seconds
Primal Blueprint Podcasts – Lend Us An Ear!
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!
Today episode is all about the podcast. Are you digging it? I want to hear your feedback! (These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
11/25/2014 • 28 minutes, 56 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Stress, Cortisol, and the Adrenals: When ‘Fight or Flight’ Meets the Modern World
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!Stress can make you gain weight, and it contributes to premature aging. Understanding how stress is related to your overall health and potentially even longevity is essential to achieving your health goals. But do not, repeat, do not go and buy yourself a bottle of Cortislim – just listen to this quick summary and you’ll know all you need to know.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
11/24/2014 • 10 minutes, 24 seconds
Change Coming to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans?
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!The Healthy Nation Coalition, whose director is Adele Hite, talented purveyor of the brilliant Eathropology blog, has produced a scathing letter detailing the specific shortcomings, failings, and falsehoods found in the past and likely future Dietary Guidelines. Though it’s addressed to Tom Vilsack of the Department of Agriculture and Sylvia Burwell of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Healthy Nation Coalition’s true target audience is “broad-based and includes scientists, health care practitioners, ranchers & farmers, health advocacy groups,” and people like you guys. You can read it here.So, what’s their beef with the Guidelines? The Coalition’s letter submits five points of contention. I’ll go through each one of them in turn.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
11/20/2014 • 13 minutes, 5 seconds
How to Support Healthy Skin Bacteria
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!Last week, I introduced the concept of the skin biome: the vast communities of microbes living on and in our skin. For some, it was unsettling. Gut microbes are out of sight, out of mind. But skin microbes are on us. They’re crawling, reproducing, digesting, and secreting various fluids and lipids all over the surface of our bodies. In people who’ve been conditioned to use soap and water to remove every last trace of bacteria from our hands and skin, the idea that our hands, faces, arms, and torsos are teeming with microbes – and that it’s probably unwise to remove them all – is hard to swallow. We might even recoil at the thought. I mean, viruses and mites living on us? Really?(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
11/19/2014 • 9 minutes, 34 seconds
Episode #43: Interview with Jonathan Bailor, Author and Founder of Sane Solution
Brad and Mark sit down with New York Times Best Selling author, and creator of the website Sanesolution.com, Jonathan Bailor: a nutrition and exercise expert who uses modern science and technology to simplify health.First, they discuss how Jonathan came to do what he does. He discusses his early days as a trainer who recommended eating less, and working out more—a philosophy that just made people sick and sad.Second, they discuss the flaws of the calories-in vs. calories-out philosophy and why it usually does more harm than good when it comes to achieving and maintaining weight loss.Next, they talk about the importance of avoiding the bad things in our diet and lifestyle, rather than looking for a panacea to good health. This leads into a discussion about the influence of genetic predispositions and how that constrains our control over our health.Finally, they talk about how mental health affects physical health, why drastic dieting can be counter-intuitive, and the importance of maintaining movement throughout the day.
11/19/2014 • 44 minutes, 25 seconds
8 Strategies for Cultivating a Vitality Mindset
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!Health, too often, is used as some relative term more descriptive of an absence of obvious ill symptoms than the kind of well-being I’m after. It smacks of problem-solving rather than growth. Vitality, on the other hand, ups the ante considerably. It suggests living from a different, more energetic, more fulfilling place.Allow yourself to define your own vision of vitality, but commit to revisiting that vision periodically – accepting and anticipating more for yourself as you grow into the process.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
11/18/2014 • 14 minutes, 10 seconds
Just Walk It Off: How Walking Can Improve Your Emotional Well-Being
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!We’re made to walk – obligated to, in fact. We can bask in the evolutionary continuum, quantify the health advantages or feel inspired by those whose daily strolls fueled their creativity and vision. On a more personal note, however, I wonder how much we turn to walking for more than exercise, more than utility. How much of our walking is emotionally-driven? How much of our walking, you could say, is about the desire to walk “away” from something?(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
11/17/2014 • 9 minutes, 49 seconds
Episode #42: Ask the Primal Doctor – Q&A with Dr. Cate Shanahan
Primal Blueprint Podcast welcomes Dr. Cate Shanahan, who will join the podcast to answer questions on a monthly rotation. In this show, we learn some fascinating insights about Cate's unique approach to optimal eating–a Primal-friendly philosophy that's based on her unique "4 Pillars of World Cuisine" philosophy, which examines the dietary habits of traditional cultures for similar health-promoting themes. Cate suggests that a collective downfall in diet occurred around 1950, when the post-war momentum drove us toward chemically-altered, heavily-processed foods that inflicted deep harm on a genetic level.She discusses how her interest in the genetic effects of food first took shape when she was a frequently injured collegiate runner, and later when she noticed the exceptional health of her patients in rural Kauai who ate a nutritious native islander diet.As a longtime primary care practitioner, Cate then discusses the conflict between her dietary philosophy and the traditional medical care system, especially in the field of cardiology.Finally, Cate explains how the momentum is turning in mainstream medicine to respect the success of low-carb eating for weight loss and the idea that carbohydrates are the primary driver of lifelong weight gain and the metabolic syndrome epidemic.
11/13/2014 • 40 minutes, 10 seconds
What’s Living on Your Skin?
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!Although research is young, we are learning that the critters living on our skin, who number in the billions per centimeter of skin, are supposed to be there. And even though we don’t know exactly all they’re doing, we know this…(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
11/12/2014 • 8 minutes, 31 seconds
Expert Certification Adds Accreditation and Advisory Board
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!While we are pleased to deliver a successful product to an eager audience, I’m also enthusiastic about the bigger picture of having the primal/paleo/ancestral health movement represented in a general sense when it comes to advanced professional education in the areas of diet, exercise, and health science.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
11/12/2014 • 13 minutes, 19 seconds
Are You the Working Out Type?
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!While the research might suggest that certain traits make exercise overall a more appealing choice for some people, I think it’s important to not run too far with the idea that certain personalities tend to embrace fitness more or might (in some studies) perform better along given physical measures.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
11/7/2014 • 8 minutes, 32 seconds
The 10 Rules of Successful Exercise
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!These ten items have helped me get fitter, healthier, and happier than I ever was as a professional athlete, and I think they’ll help you out, too.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
11/6/2014 • 16 minutes, 56 seconds
Episode #41: Listener Questions and Answers with Mark Sisson
First up, Mark details his revised stance on alcohol for the Primal Blueprint. Previously listed as a “sensible indulgence,” he discusses how alcohol’s less obvious health drawbacks have come to light, which spurred a reevaluation of the subject. Second, Mark mentions why The Primal Blueprint advocates the consumption of fatty meats, instead of the often mentioned refrain to consume “lean meats” that has been connected with the Paleo movement. Next, Mark answers some questions about how the Primal approach to eating can help repair unhealthy emotional and psychological attachments to food. Then, he addresses the multiple health benefits of becoming a “fat burning beast,” which allows the body to require fewer calories to sustain energy and metabolic function. Finally, Mark talks about how to deal with confirmation bias in his research and writing, i.e., how to fight against the urge to automatically have what you read agree with what you already believe.
11/5/2014 • 44 minutes, 21 seconds
Why I Don’t Trust the Acceptable Daily Intake Levels for Pesticides
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!When it comes to assessing the risk of pesticide consumption on human health, the experts have missed a few important factors.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
11/5/2014 • 11 minutes, 58 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Cholesterol
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!The message these days seems to be that no number is too low when it comes to cholesterol (except HDL but we’ll get to that). I’d like to offer a deeper look into the issue, user-friendly enough but more complex and contentious than you’ll get from the commercial sound bytes telling you to talk to your doctor about blah, blah, blah. Consider it one of MDA’s definitive guides that we’re happy to serve up for our gregarious and always thoughtful community.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
11/4/2014 • 17 minutes, 55 seconds
Are You Sacrificing Your Health?
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!So what are the reasons we can’t seem to follow through? Despite health being arguably the most important and fundamental thing in our lives, for what are we willing to sacrifice it every day? Consider the excuses and defenses you have offered as justification in not showing up for your health each day.If we truly value our health, I’d brazenly propose that our health actually be a concrete consideration for our decision making.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/30/2014 • 9 minutes, 36 seconds
Better Than a Marathon: The 1 Mile Challenge
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!We all like to test ourselves, and running a mile might be the simplest, best indicator of overall cardiovascular fitness. Here's why and how to do it.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/29/2014 • 9 minutes, 23 seconds
G’Day, Australia – The Primal Hotbed
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!What makes Australia such a hotbed for the Primal lifestyle? Several national characteristics converge to explain its unique and special relationship with ancestral health.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/29/2014 • 11 minutes, 5 seconds
Episode #40: Interview with Ben Greenfield, Author of Beyond Training
In this podcast, host Brad Kearns talks with Ben Greenfield, a leading endurance athlete, trainer, and fitness author. They discuss Ben's book, Beyond Training, which focuses on supporting and maintaining good health while training for high intensity endurance activities like triathlons. The two talk about the importance of balancing older, low tech training methods with newer, high tech ones. This leads into a discussion about heart rate variability and its implications for maximizing training efforts. Finally, they discuss the intersection between Ben's book and the Primal Blueprint principles, which includes many examples of how less can often be more when it comes to endurance training and reaching athletic potential.
10/28/2014 • 39 minutes, 40 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Saturated Fat
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!It all started with the infamous Ancel Keys and his Seven Countries Study, which tracked the fat consumption and heart disease levels of various nations. It was named for the seven countries that saw an increase in heart disease cases correspond with increased fat consumption, but it should have been named the Twenty Two Countries Study for all the data he omitted. Data, I should mention, that demolished his hypothesis of fat intake causing heart disease.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/24/2014 • 20 minutes, 2 seconds
Episode 39: Interview with Vinnie Tortorich, America's Angriest Trainer
Host Brad Kearns talks to Vinnie Tortorich, "America's Angriest Trainer!" Vinnie is a popular Hollywood trainer known for helping celebs drop weight quickly with his simple, no-nonsense NSNG strategy (No Sugar, No Grains). Vinnie describes getting his foothold in Hollywood by helping an obese employee of Playboy Enterprises lose a couple hundred pounds. Consequently, he caught the attention of the organization and was soon enrolled to help keep centerfolds in top shape after they received their windfall and started indulging in food accordingly. Vinnie is the author of Fitness Confidential and hosts the popular Angriest Trainer Podcast. He has hosted a very impressive assortment of guests in his 300+ shows, including many leading endurance athletes and primal/paleo authors. In this show, Vinnie describes that he is not an angry person, but he's angry on your behalf for the flaws in the conventional wisdom approach to fitness that result in struggling, suffering, and failed weight loss efforts. He blames trainers for not walking their talk and presiding over failed efforts of clients due to an overly stressful approach that fails to account for the importance of healthy, primal-aligned eating habits. Vinnie's advice for trainers trying to break into the big time is to do good work and let the rest happen naturally. Vinnie describes how his book covers an assortment of topics not found in other fitness books, like how to discern a good personal trainer from a bad one, and how to create an effective coach/athlete relationship for triathletes or runners. He offers an epic quote about the triathlon scene these days where, "it seems like there are more coaches doing the sport than there are participants." Vinnie is a lively character with sharp and refreshing opinions, making for a fun and entertaining show.
10/23/2014 • 27 minutes, 45 seconds
How to Accept Your Imperfections
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!
I’ve known a lot of people who have been truly solid individuals – amazing men and women, fantastic parents and partners, confident professionals, genuine friends – who confess that certain things about their physique bother them. They don’t obsess over them, but the feelings exist as background static they notice on occasion. Yes, you could say they have it “all,” but there’s still that nagging source of vulnerability. What can be done to overcome those deep seeded insecurities?
(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/23/2014 • 11 minutes, 9 seconds
Are Elite Athletes Inadvertently Training Like Grok?
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!
Modern elite athletes have different goals than our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Their training loads are higher and their physical activity is contrived and somewhat artificial. But for the most part, elite athletes are working with the same metabolic and neuromuscular machinery as Grok. The activities and movement patterns that benefited and shaped the evolution and performance of our hunter-gatherer ancestors should thus prove useful for contemporary humans seeking optimal physical performance.
(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/22/2014 • 10 minutes, 41 seconds
Are Video Games Good or Bad for Us?
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!
There’s a huge body of research examining the potentially negative effects of video games. There’s also a huge body of research examining the potentially positive cognitive effects of video games. I’ll examine the former, followed by the latter. Then I’ll give my take on everything.
(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/21/2014 • 15 minutes, 10 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Fats
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!
As you know, I’ve always been a friend to many fats. But the fact remains, ladies and gentlemen, that not all fats are created equal.A few fats, including but not limited to trans fats, deserve every bit of disparagement they get and then some. However, we feel for those other little guys in the group. Many of them are, assuredly, a good lot, and we’d like to put in a good word for them.
(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/21/2014 • 12 minutes, 32 seconds
How Your Primal Connection to Water Runs Deeper Than Thirst
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!
When was the last time you spent a period of time next to (or in) water? Maybe it was a week, or maybe it was ten minutes. Chances are, no matter how little time it was, it changed you somehow. It shifted your mood. It relaxed your thoughts. It softened the edges of your day, and you left at least somewhat revived.
(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/16/2014 • 8 minutes, 29 seconds
Episode #38: Ask the Primal Doctor – Q&A with Dr. Cate Shanahan
Dr. Cate Shanahan hits the Q&A hard, offering interesting commentary on a variety of topics, especially those relating to hormones and longevity markers. Cate explains how one's level of elastin is a major predictor of lifespan. Elastin is typically considered an important component of healthy skin. Losing elastin and collagen (a form of elastin that is also a major element of healthy skin) cause wrinkles, an obvious sign of aging. Elastin, however, is present in other cells such as those in joints and arteries. Losing elastin accelerates aging (arteries become stiffer and less resilient; joints become creakier and less fluid) and hastens demise. Across species, the typical half-life of elastin is a lifespan predictor. For example, the half-life of elastin in a dog is 10 years whereas it’s 75 years in humans. One develops a lifetime supply of elastin by age 20, which makes childhood and teen years critical for obtaining the optimal nutrition to fully realize elastin production potential. Pro-inflammatory lifestyle habits have a destructive effect upon elastin. On the other hand, consuming glycosaminoglycans, as found in bone broth and meat on the bone, can have a positive effect on elastin by helping maintain its structure (glucosamine supplements have been reported to serve this purpose too, but they are not as potent or comprehensive as the elastin supporting compounds found in whole food sources).A question comes in about hormone replacement therapy to combat aging and Cate comments about the proven effect of exogenous hormones to preserve elastin, which has distinct anti-aging effects. She also comments on its potential drawbacks, such as an elevation in triglycerides and blood pressure, as well as hot flashes from increased sensitivity to cortisol. Cate speculates that cheating nature will always have some repercussions to consider. While hormone manipulation could elevate peak performance potential, it could come with a consequent negative effect on longevity.
10/15/2014 • 29 minutes, 40 seconds
Why These Nine Famous Thinkers Walked So Much
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!Many of the most accomplished and creative people throughout history have also found walking to be an integral part of their daily routines and key to their success as artists, creators, writers, musicians, thinkers, and human beings.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/15/2014 • 11 minutes, 9 seconds
How to Increase Your Heart Rate Variability
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!
Increasing your heart rate variability can improve your fitness, cardiovascular health, and ability to handle stress. Here's how to do it.
(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/14/2014 • 13 minutes, 23 seconds
Mark's Daily Apple Best of 2014, Vol. 6: Gluten
Welcome to Mark's Daily Apple Best of 2014, Vol. 6: Gluten:Does Gluten Have Any Effect on Non-Celiacs?The “Dangers” of Going Gluten-Free(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/14/2014 • 22 minutes, 32 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Grains
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!
Grains. Every day we’re bombarded with them and their myriad of associations in American (and much of Western) culture: Wilford Brimley, Uncle Ben, the Sunbeam girl, the latest Wheaties athlete, a pastrami on rye, spaghetti dinners, buns for barbeque, corn on the cob, donuts, birthday cake, apple pie, amber waves of grain…. Gee, am I missing anything? Of course. So much, in fact, that it could – and usually does – take up the majority of supermarket square footage. (Not to mention those government farm subsidies, but that’s another post.) Yes, grains are solidly etched into our modern Western psyche – just not so much into our physiology.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/13/2014 • 14 minutes, 35 seconds
The Power of Words: How We Talk about Food
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!
Consider the common phrasing we’re all exposed to every day, such as the snack attack, cheat day or guilty pleasure? What about treating yourself? What about “king” size? On a branded note, what about Happy Meal or Weight Watchers? (Am I the only one who looks at this name and is bothered by the seeming identification with unrelenting vigilance?) Let alone “part of a well-balanced diet”… What phrases am I missing here?While we may over time disown those phrases from our own vocabulary, do they ever wholly lose their influence? What lingers longer than we’d care to admit?
(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/9/2014 • 7 minutes, 24 seconds
How to Outsource Your Physical Activity
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!As humans living in the Information age, we're winning. We've got nature on the ropes. But until the robot butlers, maids, and personal assistants have arrived, the threat of physical activity looms and we have the responsibility and duty to outsource it as much as possible...(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/8/2014 • 12 minutes, 22 seconds
Episode #37: Listener Questions and Answers with Mark Sisson
Mark Sisson is back in the Malibu studios for a free-form conversation with Brad Kearns about Mark’s latest fitness pursuits, recent developments and new products in the Primal Blueprint business, and the importance of balancing stress and rest when exercising.Mark mentions that there is likely a holistic fix for virtually any overuse injury. He talks about how he has modified his gym weight lifting regimen and offers some stretching techniques to improve compromised joints. Mark also discusses how to modify exercise patterns based on sub par immune function and not being in the right headspace for an intense effort. He mentions a new comprehensive online multimedia educational program called Don’t Just Sit There, where he works together with Katy Bowman, MS, author of Move Your DNA, to help combat the problem of excessive stillness and lack of variation in the modern workplace. Mark also mentions the general trend of Primal Blueprint Publishing transitioning away from chopping down trees to print hard copy materials to delivering multimedia digital educational products instead.Mark explains how digital products broaden the educational experience, allow users to personalize their learning process, and make learning more affordable. Furthermore, as in the example of the Primal Blueprint Expert Certification, the course material can be updated seamlessly to stay current and progressive. Also in development are a course on all aspects of effective sprinting and an anti-aging course from both Mark and Carrie Sisson. Furthermore, Mark is working on the third edition of the bestselling Primal Blueprint (hardcover release 2009, paperback release 2011, and a third paperback edition coming in 2015).
10/7/2014 • 33 minutes, 42 seconds
Have You Checked Your Heart Rate Variability Lately?
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!
People are always looking for that one biomarker to rule them all, the number on a paper that absolutely determines your health, longevity, fitness level, sex appeal, happiness, and productivity. Throughout the years, it’s bounced around as researchers think they’ve found “IT” – from cholesterol to LDL to BMI to small dense LDL to CRP to blood pressure to pulse rate and back again – but we always come up wanting. The “one biomarker” never pans out because biology is complex and irreducible to a single number.
(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/7/2014 • 14 minutes, 1 second
Mark's Daily Apple Best of 2014, Vol. 5: Getting Unstuck
Welcome to Mark's Daily Apple Best of 2014, Vol. 5: Getting Unstuck, featuring:How to Get “Unstuck” Do You Really Believe You Can Change? How to Overcome the “I’ll Do It Tomorrow” Instinct(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/6/2014 • 37 minutes, 45 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Primal Supplementation
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!Grok Didn’t Take Supplements So Why Should I? While there are many things we can do (or eat) today that very closely approximate what Grok did to trigger positive gene expression, there are also a number of obstacles that can thwart our attempts to be as Primal as possible. Here are a few of the best categories of supplements I can recommend to just about everyone.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/6/2014 • 14 minutes, 39 seconds
How to Deal with Health “Noise”
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!Every day we’re blasted with noise. From the talking heads on television, to the endless trove of information we can access at our fingertips, we’ve never lived in a time with more distraction. But in the midst of all this noise, how do we filter wisely and maintain some simplicity?(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/6/2014 • 7 minutes, 45 seconds
16 Ways Green Space Improves Your Life
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!
We're never so much at home as we are in the outdoors. We're drawn to nature - to green spaces filled with grass, trees, and leafy vegetation. It just "feels right", doesn't it? Well, it turns out that time spent in nature does much more than that.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
10/1/2014 • 15 minutes, 7 seconds
We Are Family: PrimalCon Oxnard 2014
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!
Tune into today's episode for a captivating recap of our annual PrimalCon retreat, held this past weekend in sunny Oxnard, California!(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/30/2014 • 17 minutes, 34 seconds
Mark's Daily Apple Best of 2014, Vol. 4: Primal Criticism Rebutted
Welcome to Mark's Daily Apple Best of 2014, Vol. 4: Primal Criticism Rebutted, featuring:Why Does the Paleo Diet Continue to Receive Low Points from “Established Authorities”?We Don’t Know What Constitutes a True Paleo DietOne True Paleo Diet Doesn’t Exist, but So What?(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/29/2014 • 33 minutes, 41 seconds
The Definitive Guide to Grok
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!
He’s the oft-cited star of our Paleolithic backdrop, the poster-persona of the Primal Blueprint itself. We would be remiss (and a little rude, don’t you think?) to overlook formal introductions. “It’s about time!” some of you might be saying to yourselves. Let’s meet the man of the eon!(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/29/2014 • 7 minutes, 52 seconds
How to Succeed with a Growth Mindset
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!
What could a “growth mindset” do for our health endeavors? For losing weight? For becoming fit? For changing our eating habits? For our happiness and success in general? And how would it change our self-talk and motivational strategy?(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
Primal Blueprint Expert Certification program director Brad Kearns presents a detailed description of the entire online course and its examinations. This recording includes a summary of the most frequently asked questions from prospective students, followed by a methodical review of the content in each of the 13 modules. Brad proceeds through the entire course, literally one module at a time, and gives you an overview of its main topics and some hints about the exams. He even tosses out a few actual exam questions!If you are thinking about taking the course, or perhaps have already signed up and want to know exactly what’s in store, this recording provides everything you’ll need to know to feel comfortable about the fun, challenging and comprehensive educational journey that awaits all participants in the Primal Blueprint Expert Certification program.
9/24/2014 • 2 hours, 31 minutes, 13 seconds
Why Exercise Feels Like a Drag (and What to Do About It)
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!
The stuff we do for exercise is pretty silly, isn't it? Walking on a treadmill, literally going nowhere for miles at a time. Picking up a metal bar with weights on either end and putting it back down over and over again. Is it any wonder that many people find modern exercise to be meaningless? Listen to today's post for thoughts on how to reinstill some purpose into our daily activity.
(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/24/2014 • 11 minutes, 22 seconds
Artificial Sweeteners May Leave You Absolutely Gutted
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!We’ve known for awhile that artificial sweeteners can affect the gut biome. A famous 2008 paper found that 12 weeks of sucralose had negative effects on the gut bacteria in male rats, including reduced beneficial bacteria, increased fecal pH, and inhibition of pharmaceutical bioavailability.While the science is far from settled, I think there’s enough that we can start making some decisions about whether or not to consume artificial sweeteners.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/23/2014 • 11 minutes, 18 seconds
Mark's Daily Apple Best of 2014, Vol. 3: Gut Health
Welcome to Mark's Daily Apple Best of 2014, Vol. 2: Exercise and Performance, featuring:16 Things That Affect Your Gut Bacteria A Primal Primer: Leaky Gut The Definitive Guide to Resistant Starch Resistant Starch: Your Questions Answered (These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/22/2014 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 17 seconds
The Definitive Guide to the Primal Eating Plan
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!
What does it mean to eat according to The Primal Blueprint? How do you figure out the proper number of calories – and breakdown of fats, protein and carbs – to accomplish your fitness and health goals? To lose weight? Lose fat? Gain muscle? Maintain status quo? Run marathons? Listen to this classic post to find out!
(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/21/2014 • 14 minutes, 51 seconds
Walking: The Human Condition
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!To be human is to walk. Learn how the human story is a story of walking, and why you should keep it going.
(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/18/2014 • 9 minutes, 27 seconds
A Brief History of the Primal Movement
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!Back in 2006 when I started writing my blog – Mark’s Daily Apple – the average person had no clue about the Primal lifestyle. Those of us who espoused it were fringe characters, radicals on street corners with cardboard signs. But sometimes those crazy guys on the street aren’t so crazy. Sometimes their rants and raves catch on. Check out today's episode for a recap of what's happened since.
(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/17/2014 • 13 minutes, 47 seconds
The Definitive Guide to the Primal Blueprint
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!In this extended article you will find the basic building blocks needed to discover the Primal side of your life. What does this mean? It means learning and understanding what it means to be human. It means using this knowledge to help you make important lifestyle choices. It means modeling your life after your ancestors in order to promote optimal health and wellness. And, most importantly, it means taking control of your body and mind.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/15/2014 • 22 minutes, 18 seconds
Mark's Daily Apple Best of 2014, Vol. 2: Exercise and Performance
Welcome to Mark's Daily Apple Best of 2014, Vol. 2: Exercise and Performance, featuring: Do Your Workouts Feel Like a Chore?Improve Your Workouts with This One Simple TrickHave You Had a Breakthrough Workout Lately? (These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/15/2014 • 32 minutes, 38 seconds
How Exercise Makes Us Feel
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!The benefits of exercise go far beyond the physical. What does exercise make us feel – in the moment, after the workout and later once the results start showing? Listen to today's post to find out!(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/11/2014 • 10 minutes, 23 seconds
12 Signs You Need to Eat More Protein
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!Today’s post will cover 12 situations, symptoms, and signs that indicate a direct need for more dietary protein.(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/10/2014 • 14 minutes, 8 seconds
Episode #35: Interview with Elle Russ, Primal Blueprint Certified Expert and Personal Coach
Elle joins host Brad Kearns to discuss her journey from chronic cardio sugar addict to primal success story, her completion of the Primal Blueprint Expert Certification as a critical beta tester, and her personal coaching services. Elle was one of the first five graduates of the Primal Blueprint Expert Certification program and made a tremendous contribution to the beta-testing program by scrutinizing and challenging assorted elements of the text and examinations. This helped clarify the official Primal Blueprint position and ensured that the examinations were a fair and relevant test of knowledge for students. In particular, Elle consulted with Mark Sisson and the primal team regarding the effects of alcohol. Besides its obvious pitfalls—those relating to its well-known toxic effect on the liver and its frequent abuse in modern culture—science is confirming that it directly compromises fat reduction efforts by acting as a “first to burn” calorie source, which contributes to lipogenesis. This information, along with Mark Sisson’s recent experiment with alcohol abstention, has helped us modify the Primal Blueprint position on alcoholic beverages. Red wine, for example, has been downgraded from a primal-approved sensible indulgence to yet another example of a substance that can, in some cases, be the aggravator of some people’s diet and health woes—even when consumed in moderation. Elle also discusses her background as a chronic cardio queen and how she exercised herself into hormonal imbalances that caused serious issues with her thyroid and adrenal functions. Her aggressively paced cardio workouts, daily hot yoga routines, and Standard American Diet adherence resulted in a complete addiction to carbohydrates and round-the-clock obsession with food. But by embracing the Primal Blueprint principles through her association with Mark and his company, Elle was able to reclaim her own health and pursue what became her dream career as a primal/paleo personal health coach. Elle is a dynamic and enthusiastic promoter of the Primal Blueprint lifestyle and a poster girl for the tremendous benefits of taking the Primal Blueprint Expert Certification. You can find details about Elle’s coaching services at paleoprimalcoach.com.
9/9/2014 • 43 minutes, 15 seconds
Rajio Taiso: Why You Should Start Doing Light Morning Workouts
Mark expands the Primal Blueprint Podcast by recording select Mark's Daily Apple posts for your listening pleasure!In today's post, Mark reviews the Japanese tradition of Rajio Taiso and how light morning workouts can improve your day. (These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/9/2014 • 8 minutes, 19 seconds
Mark's Daily Apple Best of 2014, Vol. 1: Food and Nutrition
Welcome to Mark’s Daily Apple's Best of 2014, Volume 1: Food and Nutrition, featuring: Do You Really Need to Eat Vegetables to Be Healthy?Is Gently Cooked Food Better for You?Why the Omega-3/Omega-6 Ratio May Not Matter After AllIs Processed Meat Actually Bad for You?(These Mark's Daily Apple articles were written by Mark Sisson, and are narrated by Brock Armstrong)
9/8/2014 • 49 minutes, 55 seconds
Episode #34: Interview with Dr. Cate Shanahan of The Primal Advantage
Dr. Cate talks about her experiences with Primal Advantage clients after the launch of the program in July. In particular, she discusses how traditional medical care is not structured to allow for the discussion of how diet and lifestyle elements affect disease patterns. Most family practice physicians are obliged to spend only 10 minutes with patients. This usually constrains doctors to only enough time to treat symptoms (rather than the cause of those symptoms) with prescription drugs that generate adverse side effects. Regarding blood tests, Cate mentions the recent disturbing headline about the UCLA meta-analysis that 75% of heart attack victims have LDL cholesterol readings in the “safe” or “normal” zone, and furthermore have no symptoms of heart disease until the actual heart attack. She mentions both the fasting blood glucose test and the average blood glucose test (A1C) as simple, inexpensive, but extremely critical markers that suggest a serious problem brewing if they are at objectionable levels. With the Primal Advantage 1:1 metabolic consulting program, Cate’s custom-design blood panel is a critical element, as is the 90-minute consultation. Cate explains that this provides plenty of time for a detailed evaluation of a client’s “metabolic snapshot,” which is an algorithm designed by Cate to reveal a score in one of six different categories: energy production, hormone receptivity, immune function, cardiovascular and circulatory health, brain and nervous system health, and connective tissue health. By reviewing the blood tests, the extensive client questionnaire, and client food diaries, Primal Advantage clients will get a detailed plan of action enabling them to enjoy more energy, improve performance and recovery, and decrease their true risk factors for heart disease, cancer and metabolic problems. As a dietary consultant for the Los Angeles Lakers and several individual NBA players, Cate also commented on the recent news that NBA greats LeBron James and Dwayne Wade have adopted a paleo-style diet. Cate has agreed to appear as a recurring guest on the Primal Blueprint Podcast, and encourages listeners to submit questions via email ([email protected]) or via the Speakpipe application on the blog.primalblueprint.com web site (notice the “submit a podcast question” blue tab at the right edge of the page.) At future podcasts, Cate can address listener questions as well as highlight some of the common trends seen among clients and the general population at her practice.
8/30/2014 • 43 minutes, 47 seconds
Episode #33: Introducing Mike Dilandro, Our First Primal Blueprint Certified Expert!
Host Brad Kearns talks with Mike DiLandro of New Jersey, a Primal Blueprint success story and presenter of the Primal Transformation Seminar and at PrimalCon. Mike was also the very first graduate of the Primal Blueprint Expert Certification program. Mike discusses how he came to try out the Primal Blueprint after becoming frustrated that his chronic cardio approach (10 gym workouts each week!) didn't improve his body composition. After switching to a primal eating pattern and backing off the chronic cardio in favor of more intense workouts and more rest and recovery between intense workouts, Mike lost 25 pounds of excess body fat, ditched his statin medication and resolved his ongoing knee pain.Mike's enthusiasm inspired him to get his parents into primal living, off of their statin meds, and with a combined weight loss of 80 pounds. He also took his enthusiasm to his workplace, where he has inspired numerous co-workers to pursue Primal eating and writes a outstanding monthly newsletter to inform and inspire his following. Mike discusses how he built his knowledge base and confidence to eventually present the Primal Transformation Seminar at locations all over the east coast, and also conduct popular presentations at PrimalCon. Mike is a true evangelist and consensus builder for Primal living and has had an amazing impact on his friends, family and co-workers. This lively conversation will get you focused and inspired to spread the word like Mike!
8/19/2014 • 38 minutes, 16 seconds
Episode #32: Listener Questions and Answers with Mark Sisson
Mark tackles a few challenging questions and gets deep into some of the main elements of primal living. First, he talks about how the conventional wisdom view of blood markers like LDL does not accurately reveal the true heart disease risk factors, and how it’s important to look at a bigger picture involving more relevant trackers like triglycerides-to-HDL ratio. He also discusses some drawbacks and side effects of statin use, particularly the depletion of CoQ10 and potentially compromised performance of cellular mitochondria accordingly. Next, Mark tackles the question of the contrasting influence of primal eating versus high carbohydrate eating on one’s appetite and hunger levels. A diet promoting carbohydrate dependency will throw appetite out of whack and generate more hunger than an eating pattern that promotes fat and keto-adaptation – an enhanced ability to generate energy internally and be less reliant on external sources of energy. Carbohydrate dependency and a distorted appetite can also easily occur in a chronic exercise pattern, where the brain responds to the too-frequent depletion of energy and physical exhaustion by overeating.Mark emphasizes one of his favorite tenets: That there is simply no getting around the reality that weight management is best accomplished naturally, where appetite is regulated by a low insulin producing eating pattern that allows you to become more calorically efficient; and how becoming calorically efficient translates into improved longevity.
8/12/2014 • 39 minutes, 57 seconds
Episode #31: Mark Sisson Talks to Jimmy Moore About Keto Clarity
Mark turns the tables on Jimmy Moore (host of the popular Livin' La Vida Low Carb podcast, where he has interviewed nearly 1,000 guests!) as Jimmy discusses his new book, Keto Clarity. Jimmy reveals how eating to promote a state of nutritional ketosis can have therapeutic effects on mood, energy levels, and brain function, as well as powerful fat reduction benefits. This is particularly true for people who have been eating primal/Paleo/low-carb and become stalled out on their progress. Jimmy himself lost some 180 pounds through low carb eating, then started to explore the world of nutritional ketosis to make further progress and experience incidental benefits with great success.Keto Clarity, which Jimmy wrote along with Dr. Eric Westman, details Jimmy's intensive self-experimentation, including blood testing several times per day for a year, to identify the dietary patterns that allow him to remain in a prolonged ketone-burning and fat-burning state. In the discussion, Jimmy mentions the confusion around "low carb" diets, which can often take the shape of a high protein diet.When people who engage in carbohydrate restriction go overboard on protein, that excess protein beyond metabolic requirements is commonly converted into glucose through the process known as gluconeogenesis. This results in a blood sugar and insulin spike, quickly kicks you out of ketosis, and inhibits the reduction of excess body fat and all the health benefits that come with being a fat-burning machine. Essentially, you are back into a high carb eating pattern even with dietary intake of carbs is moderated. In reality, the optimal ketogenic diet would be characterized as very low carb, moderate protein (.7-1g/lb of lean mass), and high in healthy saturated and monounsaturated fats primarily. As Jimmy says, "Eating fat stokes the burning of stored body fat".Jimmy also clarified some confusion about people measuring ketone levels. First, blood is the most accurate measurement, since the more common (and less expensive) Ketostix urine ketone testing sticks may reveal low readings not because someone is not making ketones, but because that person has become fully keto-adapted...hence they are not accumulating in the bloodstream. The book provides more details on self-experimentation and the benefits you can enjoy from being in a state of nutritional ketosis.
8/5/2014 • 34 minutes, 21 seconds
Episode #30: Primal Thrills: An Excerpt From Award Winning Book, The Primal Connection
Mark Sisson is back this week with host Brad Kearns to bring you yet another essay style podcast. This time Mark will be reading you a special excerpt of The Primal Connection. This follow-up to The Primal Blueprint goes far beyond diet and exercise; delving into lifestyle factors like sleep, sun, and play and their contribution to optimal gene expression. Since it’s publication, The Primal Connection has won numerous awards, including the bronze medal in the Health category from Foreword Magazine’s IndieFab Awards, two silver medals (Health and Body, Mind, & Spirit) from the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards, and lastly, The Eric Hoffer award for best self-published book from The Eric Hoffer Project. The Primal Connection has also experienced a resurgence during a promo earlier this month, skyrocketing it to #4 on Kindle and subsequently landing it on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list.Today’s excerpt is titled “Primal Thrills,” and dives into the importance of getting more excitement out of life. How could life for a hunter-gatherer be anything but an adventure? Just as our ancestors ventured to the edge once in a while, our genes expect the same from us. When you honor these impulses, you return to ordinary life refreshed and deeply appreciative of your secure surroundings, a warm shower, a nourishing meal, a group of friends to regale with your tales of adventure. We are indeed a species that thrives in dichotomy. This excerpt will guide you on how to incorporate Primal Thrills into your life with some modern day suggestions. Mark recommends a variety of different activities to try out as a source of Primal Thrills—anything and everything from slack lining to night hiking to scavenger hunts, and even amusement parks! After the excerpt, Mark even admits that it's been a while since he followed his own advice, and he and Brad discuss the importance of “avoiding stupid mistakes" when seeking out Primal Thrills.
7/29/2014 • 37 minutes, 12 seconds
Episode #29: A Case Against Cardio Essay, Part 2
Mark Sisson follows up his essay reading last week with an engaging discussion with host Brad Kearns about the dangers of chronic cardio, and some tips to help avoid the drawbacks of chronic exercise patterns. Brad and Mark discuss numerous real-life case studies of elite athletes in endurance sports such as ironman triathlon and long distance running, who have suffered serious heart problems. Mark and Brad mention the tragic deaths of multi-sport athlete Steve Larsen at age 39 (heart attack while running), and Ryan Shay (heart attack while racing the US Olympic trials marathon), along with an assortment of other high profile athletes and their ordeals. Mark presents a compelling solution in essay form, pulling highlights from some popular follow-up blog posts on the subject. Mark mentions eating Primally, downscaling the "filler" workouts that happen between challenging "breakthrough" sessions, and realizing that interval and sprint workouts can deliver a training effect superior to long-duration workouts, while also alleviating the risks of drifting into a chronic pattern. For a good takeaway sound bite, Mark reiterates a message from a popular post about burning a total of only around 4,000 calories per week during structured exercise sessions. This is a general rule of thumb that correlates with an impressive assortment of different types of workouts that develop broad-based functional fitness, and helps protect against the excesses of chronic exercise.
7/22/2014 • 33 minutes, 31 seconds
Episode #28: A Case Against Cardio Essay, Part 1
Mark Sisson tries something new with this podcast episode, as he reads an essay based on one of his most popular posts ever on MarksDailyApple.com: “A Case Against Cardio.” The original post, published in June 2007, helped shed light on the concept that extreme endurance training can actually compromise health and increase disease risk. Mark published several follow up posts over the years on the topic of chronic exercise and the ways to avoid the stress and damage caused when exercise patterns drift away from optimal stress/rest balance and into the extreme category. Mark’s essay covers the original landmark post, along with assorted commentary from follow up posts. For devoted fitness enthusiasts with passions for Crossfit, marathons, triathlons, heavy gym class participation, or even high-energy weekend warriors who are balancing exercise goals with hectic daily life, this is a very important podcast to absorb and ponder carefully how your own exercise and stress management patterns are looking these days.Next week, Mark will continue the theme with a Chronic Cardio Part 2 podcast where he and host Brad Kearns talk about some of the real-life cases of elite athletes being stricken with serious heart problems, some of the science behind what happens to the body when it’s pushed too hard with insufficient rest, and how you can avoid these negative consequences.
7/15/2014 • 32 minutes, 44 seconds
Episode #26: Introducing Dr. Cate Shanahan and The Primal Advantage
Mark Sisson interviews Dr. Cate Shanahan to discuss the launch of the exciting new Primal Advantage metabolic consulting program. In this podcast, Dr. Cate discusses her work with elite athletes, such as Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers; how your dietary choices affect your metabolic function (especially how adding oft-ignored food categories like bone broth can help improve joint function); how mainstream medical care essentially ignores the role of diet in promoting health and preventing disease; how the Primal Advantage can help everyone, from athletes stuck in a performance rut, to people who have sustained significant metabolic damage from years or decades of poor food choices, or even people with serious medical issues taking Rx drugs.To be clear, while Cate is a practicing family physician in California, the Primal Advantage is a metabolic consulting service that cannot be construed as a formal doctor’s appointment (due to the remote nature of the interaction). However, the Primal Advantage allows Dr. Cate to work 1:1 with clients interested in improving their health, increasing energy, and minimizing disease risk factors through personalized metabolic consulting—while honoring the Primal/paleo/evolutionary health principles. This is a unique opportunity to engage with a Primal-friendly doctor instead of feeling the disconnection that is common when visiting mainstream practitioners.The program, available at PrimalBluprint.com/product/The_Primal_Advantage, includes a 90-minute telephone consult with Dr. Cate where she discusses your Metabolic Snapshot, a representation of your health in six essential categories. You will complete a detailed health questionnaire, obtain specified Primal Advantage blood tests, and complete a food diary so the doctor has plenty of information to work with during your consultation. Dr. Cate will help you make the right choices with your new knowledge and use diet and exercise advice to coach you towards becoming the healthiest person you can be.
7/1/2014 • 34 minutes, 1 second
Episode #25: Internal Medicine Physician Dr. Ron Sinha Talks Fat, Cholesterol, and Stress
In this podcast, Mark interviews Dr. Sinha about his battle on the front lines trying to convince the mainstream medical community that fat and cholesterol are not your energy, and that the true risk factors for heart disease lay in overly stressful lifestyles, poor exercise habits, and a high insulin producing diet. Dr. Ron is an internal medicine physician who specializes in cardiovascular prevention. He is the medical director of employer services, serving major employee groups like Google, Oracle, and Yahoo. For these large employers, he designs health education lectures and wellness programs. Ron describes how mainstream physicians are seeing actual results with his alternative methods and hence embracing the principles of primal/paleo eating slowly but surely. Dr. Sinha describes the challenges of dealing with a highly intelligent, goal-driven population of Silicon Valley tech workers – particularly those of South Asian descent whom he works with extensively - who unfortunately have neglected health in favor of career goals. Dr. Ron describes how, when this numbers and results-obsessed population sees actual improvement in blood numbers, they embrace Primal Blueprint lifestyle recommendations: a Primal-style eating pattern, getting adequate sleep, engaging in more everyday movement, and following a sensible exercise program. Mark and Ron talk about stress as being a major risk factor for heart disease and other health problems, and how to slow down the pace of our hectic days to improve cardiovascular and immune function.
6/24/2014 • 35 minutes, 41 seconds
Episode #24: Mark Sisson’s Tips for Removing Excess Body Fat
Mark Sisson talks about some of the stumbling blocks to losing that last 5, 10, or 20 pounds of excess body fat, and how to overcome them. Experiencing a plateau is common (especially when lots of weight has been dropped over a relatively short period of time), and continued progress requires attention to some of the finer details of healthy living. Beyond the Primal Blueprint eating strategy basics of ditching grains, sugars, and processed oils, and moderating carb intake overall by the Primal Blueprint Carbohydrate Curve, Mark addresses other topics like moderating all forms of life stress, building more muscle mass, avoiding chronic cardio, increasing all forms of daily movement, engaging in intermittent fasting, and cultivating a healthy attitude and positive mindset.
Host Brad Kearns has a lively discussion with Leslie Klenke, who has just released her long awaited book, Paleo Girl. This truly is the first book in the Primal/paleo/evolutionary health space to target teenage girls, and Leslie does a masterful job speaking directly and emphatically to teens on issues that matter most to them.The foundation of Leslie’s approach is to encourage teens to reject the superficial and judgmental elements of modern culture, and pursue happiness as the primary goal and motivator for healthy lifestyle behaviors and dietary changes. Leslie shares some of her own experiences struggling with yo-yo dieting and fatigue from poor lifestyle habits in college, and how she pursued a more sensible and balanced approach to healthy living; a journey that sent her west from her home in Ohio to Los Angeles, and eventually into the inner circle of the Primal Blueprint movement.
6/10/2014 • 32 minutes, 45 seconds
Episode #22: Listener Questions & Answers with Mark Sisson
Mark Sisson answers questions from listeners varying from eating green bananas in order to integrate resistant starch, to accepting legumes in the paleo diet. Mark also addresses relieving stomach acidity, intermittent fasting, and he takes a deep look at ketosis, with all the pros and cons. Then he answers the question you’ve all wondered about: How do you know when you have become a good fat-burner?
6/3/2014 • 24 minutes, 30 seconds
Episode #21: Chris Adams & Tina Leaman Talk PrimalCon & The Primal Blueprint Certification
Chris Adams and Tina Leaman, the Primal power couple from Phoenix, AZ, have a lively discussion about their long history as PrimalCon group leaders. Chris and Tina have attended all seven PrimalCons held, and list some of their highlights and humorous memories. Included are the Oxnard ocean plunge/jacuzzi sprint, where the resort jacuzzi (a 2 minute sprint from the chilly ocean) overflows beyond capacity; an impromptu Oxnard beach house party where 100 people danced the night away; the beautiful hike to Angora Lakes above Lake Tahoe; the amazing connections formed where strangers traveling from across the world become close friends and vacation together beyond PrimalCon; and the great work of presenter Angelo Dela Cruz, another 7 for 7 PrimalCon attendee, who starts each day off with his VitaMoves session and does 1:1 bodywork with guests to promote natural healing.Chris and Tina then detail their role as beta-testers for the Primal Blueprint Expert Certification course. They, along with Primal Transformation Seminar presenter Mike DiLandro, became the first three graduates of the course. They provided intensive feedback on the text material, making suggestions for additions and clarifications. They, along with DiLandro, also scrutinized every test question to ensure fairness and relevance to the course. They describe how taking course renewed their enthusiasm for Primal living, and how the material will be appealing to a broad audience of not just trainers but all Primal enthusiasts.
5/27/2014 • 33 minutes, 42 seconds
Episode #20: Listener Questions & Answers with Mark Sisson
Mark gets back into the Q&A rhythm with some great commentary on an assortment of questions related to peak performance and Primal living. We begin by reviewing a unique training approach where you “stack” hard workouts on consecutive days, which allows for additional recovery time afterward, and also respects the idea that stress hormones flow for a sustained period of time after challenging workouts. Then, we discuss the importance of maintaining intensity during tapering to preserve blood volume for peak performance events. Mark also examines the dilemma of whether to refuel with carbs after tough workouts or to fast to optimize the flow of adaptive hormones into the bloodstream. This leads to the topic of how you can adopt an intuitive eating and exercise approach, which helps with disciplining for healthy habits. Mark then closes the show with a discussion on how endorphins can have pro and con effect on the body.
5/20/2014 • 34 minutes, 55 seconds
Episode #19: Solving Leaky Gut with Steve Wright
“Leaky Gut” is the common name for intestinal permeability, where the digestive tract becomes damaged and permeable. This happens from the ingestion of objectionable foods – mainly gluten, as well as from traumatic brain injuries/frequent concussions, excessive NSAID use, excessive alcohol consumption, and poor sleeping habits. When leaky gut is developed, toxins, food particles, bacteria and leak out of the digestive tract into the bloodstream, triggering an undesirable immune response (note that 80% of immune system located in intestinal tract). The immune system responds to this invasion of foreign agents with systemic inflammation, setting the stage for an assortment of health problems. In many cases, the inflammatory cascades cause chronic diseases in the area of your genetics that is your “weakest link.” It could be actual digestive conditions like celiac or IBS, or it could be arthritis, ADHD, allergies, asthma, or thyroid conditions. Leaky gut is becoming increasingly linked to heart disease, cancer and numerous other serious health problems.Zonulin is the substance that triggers leaky gut; it directs the “tight junction” cells in the intestinal lining to open up undesirably. Chronic cortisol production is also involved in the leaky gut story. Steve Wright discussed a couple tests for leaky gut that are okay but not perfect. One test measures rate of sugar absorption, while another tracks antibodies in the bloodstream. Listeners who think they might have leaky gut should visit primalblueprint.com/leakygut. Here you can access extensive details about this condition, and enroll in an extremely detailed multimedia educational course that will provide you with all the tools and information you need to identify your particular vulnerability and make decisive lifestyle changes to quickly heal your gut and regain your health. Mark and Steve emphasize that many people are not aware they have the condition and are suffering accordingly (including Sisson himself for many years before he eliminated grains). Take a few minutes to review the information at primalblueprint.com/leakygut, as it could be tremendously beneficial to your health.
5/13/2014 • 36 minutes, 54 seconds
Episode #18: Examining Performance Enhancing Drugs in Professional Sports with Mark Sisson
Mark extends the thread from the previous week's show about human performance by discussing the role of doping in professional and Olympic sports today. Far from a black and white issue, Mark explains that inconsistencies in the testing procedures and random demarcation lines for what constitutes a performance enhancing substance (e.g., Gatorade enhances performance when you are thirsty!). Also discussed is how the public perception that certain athletes cheat to gain an advantage is actually a more complex cultural issue than a true morality weakness. For example, in pro cycling, recent controversies have affirmed that an athlete was virtually compelled to boost blood with doping products to have a chance at being competitive. Furthermore, the highly selective and competitive nature of elite sports compels athletes to search for every possible recovery advantage, including those that cross the line into doping offenses. Mark explains that we might view modern pro sports as theater, where athletes are performing for the pleasure of fans, with big money on the line, and hence we will always be fighting a battle - perhaps a losing battle - against dopers who might remain a step ahead of the testing efforts. And how there is a bit of hypocrisy with society at large, where use of "performance enhancing" substances (such as caffeine or prescription drugs to treat ADHD for example) is viewed differently than an athlete trying to recover faster.Mark has an inside perspective on the topic, having served for over a decade as the anti-doping commissioner for the international governing body of the sport of triathlon. In that role, he helped draft the original guidelines for elite triathletes across the globe to be tested fairly and regulated for substances they can and cannot use as elite athletes. His efforts helped the sport of triathlon first gain acceptance into the Olympic Games in 2000.
5/6/2014 • 31 minutes, 53 seconds
Episode #17: Human Fitness and Peak Performance Potential with Mark Sisson
Mark Sisson departs from the usual Primal Blueprint lifestyle topics for an interesting discussion with Brad Kearns about human fitness. For starters, Mark discussed the recent Outside Magazine article "How Far Fitness Has Fallen". Researchers claim that our hunter-gatherer ancestors, and even early farming ancestors, were far fitter than modern humans.While it's granted that the average citizen today is soft compared to primal humans, Mark takes exception to the scientist's conjecture that, “Even our most highly trained athletes pale in comparison to these ancestors of ours." While hunter-gathers were likely excellent general physical specimens well-adapted to challenging primal life, it's ludicrous to imagine any of them competing in the specialized endeavors of today's Olympic sprinters, or marathon runners, NFL athletes. "It's hard to imagine Grok dunking over Kevin Durant". Mark then comments on the work of Tim Noakes, PhD, a South African considered by many to be the world's leading exercise physiologist and author of the acclaimed Lore of Running. Noakes is a recent devotee of the Primal Blueprint, a lifestyle transformation that has caused him to rethink his life's work in the carb-paradigm of mainstream exercise physiology (and take a ton of heat in the process from colleagues wedded to status quo thinking). Mark also comments extensively on Noakes's mind-blowing Central Governor Theory, which suggests that our brains are the true regulators of peak performance, in contrast to the long-held belief that performance is limited peripherally – that is by the fatiguing of the arm muscles on your final rep or your legs getting tired at the end of the marathon. Mark's takeaway message is that while we can respect our "mind over matter" powers, we must take care to balance stress and rest in a modern world that is devoid to life or death peak performance challenges.
4/30/2014 • 29 minutes, 27 seconds
Episode #16: Listener Questions & Answers with Mark Sisson
Mark tackles an interesting assortment of questions, including some extensive discussion about sprinting. For example, the difference between sprints on foot and stationary bike sprints with respect to work and rest intervals; the importance of sprint workouts with consistent perceived exertion and intuitive alignment with energy and motivation; implementing the Tabata interval method; and how sprinting can turbocharge fat metabolism and promote weight loss breakthroughs better than any other workout, because of its extreme impact on genetic signaling and metabolic function. Mark also provides a helpful overview of resistant starches and how they act in the body; offers tips on how to successfully introduce primal eating to vegetarians; and the considerations when eating CAFO meat if you can't afford grass-fed.
4/23/2014 • 38 minutes, 35 seconds
Episode #15: Listener Questions & Answers with Mark Sisson
Mark Sisson starts out tackling a "very interesting question full of nuances" from Karl Bendy (PB Seminar presenter) - about the balance between low-carb, fat adapted living and the need to refuel with acceptable carbohydrates to replenish muscle glycogen when performing high intensity glycolytic exercises. Mark's detailed take on this oft-pondered continuum is to avoid chronic training patterns first and foremost; evaluate your carb intake decisions based on whether you carry excess body fat; adopt an intuitive approach where your intake might fluctuate based on your workout regimens, and finish workouts refreshed and energized instead of craving sugar intensely. Other questions include how food is treated as information by the genes and hormones; how autophagy (programmed cell death) is enhanced by fasting - promoting optimal health and longevity; and how to optimize the use ketones for fuel by the brain and body. Questioners came from disparate locations as far away as Austria, Hawaii, and Thailand!
4/16/2014 • 32 minutes, 49 seconds
Episode #14: On All Things Sleep with Mark Sisson
Mark discusses one of the most important--and most neglected--elements of primal living: getting adequate sleep. The discussion covers why we are genetically aligned to sync rest and wake cycles with the rising and setting of the sun, and how our health and energy levels are compromised by high tech modern life hampering the efficient cycling through all phases of sleep. In particular, how hormones like cortisol, melatonin, and serotonin become imbalanced when we introduce artificial light and digital stimulation after dark. Mark describes how to create an optimal sleeping environment (calm, quiet, dark and cool); how to minimize exposure to the blue light spectrum that disturbs melatonin release; how fat reduction goals are compromised by insufficient sleep; how napping can help rebalance your circadian rhythm and refresh brain synapses; how to adjust your sleeping habits based on time of year and your latitude; and how to awaken naturally near sunrise refreshed and energized!
4/9/2014 • 29 minutes
Episode #13: Developing the Ideal Mindset and Disposition for Peak Performance with Brad Kearns
Brad's message emphasizes three themes that counter the narrowly-focused rat race mentality that equates dogged hard work with success without considering the big picture. In the presentation, Brad gives examples from his nine-year career as a professional triathlete (coached by Mark Sisson!), where he learned the lessons of success and failure in an intense and dramatic manner. In the athletic arena, personal frailties and flawed perspectives are exposed for all to see with sub-par performances or difficulty functioning in real life despite material success. Brad explains that to truly experience peak performance, you must:1. Balance Stress and Rest: This includes all forms of stress in life, as even pleasurable events such as workouts are a form of stress to the body
2. Release Attachment to the Outcome: Don't attach your happiness or self-esteem to the results of your endeavors. Pursue peak performance goals in the workplace, in fitness/athletics, and even with body composition for the right reasons - for the love of the journey, the appreciation of a healthy, balanced lifestyle, and the thrill of the challenge.
3. Cultivate an Intuitive Approach: Reject the obsession with consistency promoted by conventional wisdom when it comes to fitness, diet and even career goals. Listen to the little voice inside of you that knows the right thing to do, whether it's back off on your exercise schedule to get more rest, move to a new city for a career change or pursue an interesting relationship. Your mind and body are not robotic and will thrive with a more fluctuating and open-ended approach to peak performance.
4/2/2014 • 49 minutes, 26 seconds
Episode #12: Listener Questions & Answers with Mark Sisson
Join Mark Sisson as he comments extensively on many of the most common challenges and confusions of living Primally. Topics covered include how to drop those final five or ten pounds of excess body fat when you have stalled at a certain level - through dialing in your appetite and sensible, intuitive eating, optimizing your carb intake level through personal experimentation, and adding sprint workouts to aggressively stimulate accelerated fat burning; eating in a compressed time window and how morning coffee intake affects that; experiencing nausea when eating high fat primal foods without anything else; the best way to read at night to not disturb your circadian rhythm. Mark also gives an overview of the forthcoming Primal Blueprint Expert Certification program, soon available online at PrimalBlueprint.com - a great resource for health/fitness professionals or devoted primal enthusiasts to deepen their education on primal principles and motivate others to live primally.
3/26/2014 • 33 minutes, 27 seconds
Episode #11: Listener Questions & Answers with Mark Sisson
Mark recaps the incredible PrimalCon Vacation Tulum event, which took place March 1st-6th at the Dreams Tulum resort in Mexico. He mentions the many excellent presenters as well as some interesting guests who attended. He then gets into some interesting questions from listeners. Topics covered include: how to stay motivated with diet/health/fitness goals when life throws you some curves; the importance of a sustainable approach as reflected in the Primal Blueprint 80/20 rule; the importance of an intuitive approach to balance workout stress with ample rest, so listeners never do a crazy workout like Mark's 16 x 800m in 2:24-2:28!; the benefits of standup work environments; carb intake strategies for weight management and adrenal fatigue; where potatoes stand in the Primal camp; and the pros and cons of alcohol consumption.
3/19/2014 • 40 minutes, 22 seconds
Episode #10: On All Things Play with Darryl Edwards
Darryl Edwards joins host Brad Kearns broadcasting from PrimalCon Vacation Tulum to talk about his favorite subject: Play! Darryl has made a big splash at the last several PrimalCons, taking guests out of their comfort zones to rediscover their playful, childlike spirits. Darryl is the author of Paleo Fitness, and founder of Fitness Explorer Training & Nutrition based in London, England. Darryl discusses how to make your ordinary workouts become more fun and inspiring, not just with practical suggestions but also in the cultivation of a playful attitude.
Steve Levine is an ordinary guy with an extraordinary passion for primal living. A voracious consumer of all available written and audio material in the primal/paleo/ancestral health community, Steve joins the Primal Blueprint podcast to discuss his personal journey and success with transitioning out of the Standard American Diet into a primal lifestyle. Steve, an attorney by trade, has a refreshing and passionate perspective that will be helpful for both newcomers to primal living and reaffirming and enlightening to hard-core primal folks. He has taken a methodical, critical thinking approach to all aspects of the movement to create a personal success formula that he has followed for nearly a decade. Give it a listen and hang on for a fun ride with Primal Blueprint enthusiast Steve Levine!
3/4/2014 • 27 minutes, 36 seconds
Episode #8: Listener Questions & Answers with Mark Sisson
In this podcast, Mark Sisson takes questions from the audience relating to enjoying grains with no ill effects; effective decision making with your workouts to avoid getting sick or overtrained; how to motivate and inspire family and friends to go primal without turning them off; the best uses of Primal Calm and the beneficial effects of phosphatidylserine (including an extensive discussion on the importance of managing the fight or flight response and preventing chronically elevated cortisol levels); and how to deal with a tendency to get sugar cravings in the evening.
2/26/2014 • 40 minutes, 10 seconds
Episode #7: Primal Blueprint Fitness with Mark Sisson
In this podcast, Mark Sisson addresses the common theme of devoted fitness enthusiasts who tend to exercise in a chronic pattern, and suffer from declines in health and fitness accordingly. Sisson discusses how to transition out of a chronic pattern and into a sweet spot where your fitness efforts are sufficient to support outstanding fitness, peak performance efforts, and safe, diverse, injury-free play efforts, but not too extreme or excessive where you might compromise your health.
Included in this discussion are the potential pitfalls of pursuing the endorphin high to excess, the importance of cultivating an intuitive approach to workout planning rather than a robotic approach, and the importance of each of the three Primal Blueprint fitness laws: Move frequently at a slow pace, Lift heavy things, and Sprint once in a while.
2/19/2014 • 30 minutes, 6 seconds
Episode #6: The Reality of Calories In, Calories Out with Mark Sisson
In this podcast, Mark Sisson explains how appetite supersedes the oversimplified equation of calories in = calories out, and how optimizing hormones and gene expression is the true path to effortless lifelong weight management. Mark discusses how moderating insulin production is the key to lifelong weight control, for it unlocks the potential to minimize reliance on ingested calories in favor of burning stored body fat and ketones for energy. Optimizing insulin also regulates appetite hormones such as leptin and ghrelin, and enables you to obtain the fat reduction and cellular repair benefits associated with Intermittent Fasting.
2/12/2014 • 27 minutes, 41 seconds
Episode #5: Supplementation with Mark Sisson
In this podcast, Mark Sisson discusses the rationale for why supplementation can be considered in pursuit of a healthy Primal lifestyle. Starting with the question of whether we need to supplement or not and how it aligns with the primal/paleo dietary philosophy, Sisson explains that the influences of hectic modern life and the limitations of modern dietary options might call for use of certain dietary supplements in a strategic manner. For example, taking vitamin D in the wintertime when sun exposure is unavailable. Sisson covers various popular categories of supplements, the reasons to use them, and how to select for high quality products. The categories of supplements discussed are vitamin D, omega-3 fish oil, multivitamins, antioxidants, probiotics, and high protein meal replacements.
2/5/2014 • 32 minutes, 28 seconds
Episode #4: The 10 Laws with Mark Sisson
In this podcast, Mark Sisson presents the compelling premise that you can reprogram your genes in the direction of weight loss, health, and longevity by following 10 immutable “Primal” laws validated by two million years of human evolution.
1/29/2014 • 40 minutes, 57 seconds
Episode #3: Intermittent Fasting with Mark Sisson
In this podcast, Mark Sisson discusses his strategy of eating in a compressed time window of typically 1pm-7pm each day, and various other methods of Intermittent Fasting. He details the various strategies for post-workout recovery, comparing the carb paradigm strategy of immediate refueling with the Primal strategy of optimizing hormonal benefits by fasting until hunger ensues after intense workouts.
1/21/2014 • 18 minutes, 40 seconds
Episode #2: The 80/20 Rule with Mark Sisson
In this podcast, Mark Sisson discusses the popular Primal Blueprint concept of the 80/20 rule, which is often misinterpreted and manipulated to compromise dietary quality. Sisson explains that the spirit of the 80/20 rule is to strive for 100% compliance with Primal guidelines and maximum nutritional value of your diet, but to accept the imperfections and limitations of your food choices. The common excuse of having difficulty finding quality meals away from home is countered by Sisson’s strategy of practicing Intermittent Fasting when healthy options are not available. Sisson also mentions the flip side of being too obsessed with Primal perfection, and experiencing increased stress from an overly rigid approach. He also talks about society’s distorted perception of ideal body composition, urging you to focus on your own personal peak performance potential and enjoyment of life, instead of struggling to adhere to the sensationalized standards of models and elite fitness specimens.
12/30/2013 • 14 minutes, 27 seconds
Episode #1: Chronic Cardio with Mark Sisson
In this podcast, Mark Sisson discusses the common phenomenon of an excessive and overly stressful approach to fitness, for which he coined the term "Chronic Cardio" back in 2005. Chronic cardio applies to not only endurance athletes, but to devotees of Crossfit, exercise class junkies, or anyone who is inclined to overdo it on exercise and compromise health in pursuit of fitness. Sisson discusses how to adopt an alternative strategy and philosophy, where you perform the optimal amount of exercise necessary to realize your fitness goals, nurture your health, and promote longevity - as opposed to compromise your health and accelerate aging when drifting into a chronic approach to exercise.