Primal Blueprint Podcast

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!

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)

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)

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)

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.  

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)

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)

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)

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.

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)

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)

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)

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.

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)

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)

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.  

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.”

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)

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)

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)