An Apple A Day…

by

keeps this MizFit educated & entertained.

I give you Mark. Please to get a snack, grab a water bottle, settle in & sucketh up the knowledge.

My thanks to MizFit for the guest invitation and for her post on Marks Daily Apple a few weeks ago!

Now to the great questions so many of you offered up. The list was ninety-something? You all are awesome, I have to say. (MizFit note: AMEN, Brother!) Here goes…answers to not exactly all 90+ but to a hopefully fair cross section and many of the most common. Stop by MDA or shoot me a line anytime if you don’t see your question here!

How do you handle keeping up with the seemingly ever-changing advice in the nutrition world? How do you know who and what to listen to?

My take on things continues to evolve between the research I do and the real life experiences I see in myself and in my clients. I was a biology major years (O.K., decades) ago, and I’ve always had a soft spot for science. Even in my years as an athlete I was always reading up whenever I could. But in the years that my health took such a major downturn at the end of my competitive career, I think that was a turning point. Conventional wisdom wasn’t cutting it, and I wanted to know why. That’s when I really dove back into science – everything from the American Clinical Journal of Nutrition to Cell journals. (I readily admit, I’m a science geek among other things.)

However, I think getting back to the basics and viewing daily choices through the lens of how our ancestors lived and ate was key. Not only did this approach interest me as ultimately logical, the fact is it has held up time and again in my own health experience and that of my clients. Part of this exploration involved looking at the work of Loren Cordain and Weston Price, researchers who (in very different times) have sought to make overarching connections among research, observation and real life trends. I always make a point of reading Michael Pollan’s books. I certainly have my disagreements with him, but I appreciate the insight and perspective he offers. I’m a friend and fan of Art De Vany, and I’ve recently been digging into the research of a scientist named Bruce Lipton. His book “The Biology of Belief” further fuels my own assertion that we have the ability to literally recreate our bodies and our health based on the signals we give our genes through food, exercise and even our thoughts.

Protein. How do I know if I’m getting enough? Do I need bonus protein after workouts? Any tips for protein on a budget? I’d love to hear your favorite non-meat protein sources. What’s your take on dairy?

My rule of thumb is this: 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass (discount body fat) for people moderately active. It might sound like a lot at first, but it’s very doable once you cut out the carbs. A few months ago we did a post that listed protein contents for common foods (everything from meat to nuts). It’s true that meat sources are by far the best bets when it comes to protein. Timing for protein can make a difference as well. Protein synthesis is at its peak in the 30-60 minutes following a strength-training workout.

Though I understand that a lot of people choose not to eat meat for ethical/environmental reasons (my wife and son among them), I absolutely recommend it for health reasons. If you’re looking for non-meat sources (for ethical or budget reasons), eggs, nut butters/nuts, and cottage cheese (if you do dairy) are probably at the top of my list. As for dairy in general, I do cheese here and there as a “primal compromise” because I enjoy it and can tolerate it. Other people can’t. I don’t think people were meant to eat a lot of dairy, and lactose intolerance statistics show that. Aged cheese and yogurt tend to be safer bets than milk for most people. One other note, I definitely try to stay away from soy. I don’t think it’s the wonder food it’s often made out to be, and a lot of research suggests the possible hormonal influences may not be desirable for everyone, including women who have a history of or risk for breast cancer.

What’s the impact of nutrition on injury? What foods heal, and does improper fueling lead to injury?

Whether it’s acute injury or overall health, I recommend hands down an anti-inflammatory diet. The Primal Blueprint is based on this principle, and the research is stacking up on how much of a difference diet can make for chronic conditions in particular. Though the impact of injuries tend to be too short term for research to follow as effectively, the best thing you can do for recovery is keep inflammation down, your immune system in top order, and your anti-oxidant load at peak.

A diet (high carb) that induces inflammation draws the body’s defenses to battle against the attack it perceives in the blood sugar and insulin spike, a defense which eventually results in low-grade inflammation. What suffers as a result? The healing of your injury. Earlier this year I was out of commission with a knee injury, and I can say that my own experience supported what the research suggests. (For an anti-inflammatory boost, take a fish oil supplement each day, but talk to you doctor first. Fish oil thins the blood, and it might not be the best thing for the initial stage of healing or if you’ll be having surgery in the short term.)

High glycemic carbs and especially sugar basically shut down your immune system. I won’t go into all the dirty details here, but check out our Carb Binge post if you’re interested. Basic advice: avoid them at all costs – whether you’re healing from an injury or just trying to avoid getting the flu this year. Finally, loading up on anti-oxidants can boost immune function, decrease oxidation in the body, and keep all your basic systems in tip-top shape. All so your body can focus on the real task at hand – healing.

As far as improper fueling and injury, I think the case could be made for at least an indirect connection. If your body, for example, isn’t getting adequate protein, it won’t be able to effectively repair muscle tissue. If it’s overloaded with carb-induced inflammation and you then overexert yourself on cardio, let’s say, you’re compromising your basic physiological functioning. You’ll be on a crash and burn cycle that can set you up for fatigue related injury. Even if you don’t succumb to injury itself, a high carb, low protein diet can throw off hormone balance enough to undermine overall health.

How can I get omega-3s when I firmly believe that fish belong in the water and not on my plate?

The fatty acids you’re really looking for in the omega-3 family are DHA and EPA. Fish or krill, for better or for worse, are a much better source for these than traditional vegetarian sources. For example, you likely hear a lot about flaxseed, which is a good source of ALA (another member of the omega-3 family) but not of DHA and EPA (more potent anti-inflammatories). Because there are unfortunately so many concerns about the safety of fish these days, I recommend people choose wisely and depend more on a quality, molecularly distilled fish oil supplement. If you categorically don’t do fish or fish oil, I’d recommend looking into some new supplements hitting the market this year whose DHA and EPA are derived from algae sources. There’s some question regarding the harsh processing method, but do your research for the best brand in this respect.

What’s cortisol’s true impact on weight loss anyway? What about too little sleep and weight loss?

Cortisol, while essential in small doses, can become toxic to the body when too much of it is secreted too often. In the face of stress, cortisol sends the body’s system into hormonal havoc. There’s a release of glucose and then insulin. The ensuing chaos, which the body perceives as attack, cues the body to store fat, particularly in the abdominal area around the organs. Women, especially, seem subject to stress’s (cortisol’s) impact on body shape. Because of the cortisol-fat storage connection, high stress can make weight loss that much harder. (And who needs that?)

As for the sleep deprivation, there’s indeed a connection with hormones that influence stress management and appetite. Particularly relevant for weight loss, research has illustrated that sleep duration impacts leptin levels, which impact/regulate appetite.

What’s your take on gender differences in diet and working out? Do female hormones change the picture? Any suggestions (food/supplements) that help when they seem out of control?

First off, let me say that overall there are very few differences based on gender. The Primal Blueprint applies equally to men and women. That said, while the principles are the same, a few differences exist in degree or what I call “genetic range of outcome.” For example, I recommend interval training (the repetition of short “sprints” followed by a brief rest). While this approach improves cardiovascular health, endurance and fat burning in both men and women, interval training seems to especially boost fat burning potential more for women than men. Women’s bodies also appear to burn fat more effectively during low and moderate cardiovascular activity than men’s do. It also seems that women’s bodies are more prone to adrenal burnout and the corresponding hormonal imbalances. In keeping with this perspective, I’d say it’s especially important for women to keep high intensity cardio to well under an hour and to maintain a low carb diet, since both exhaustive high intensity cardio work and a diet high in carbs can throw off hormonal balance in the endocrine system, which in turn impacts the balance of sexual hormones. Likewise, research seems to suggest that a higher protein, low carb diet supports fertility more than the typical Western diet. Though I didn’t necessarily know this when I first designed the Primal Blueprint model, I’ve come to see over time that it seems to serve women’s health especially well.

By now most MizFit readers will know that women respond very favorably to strength or resistance training and that the fear some women harbor of building muscles that are “too big” is completely unfounded. The low-carb diet, combined with the reasonable levels of aerobic work and occasional intense efforts will stimulate gene expression to optimize hormone balance and create the lean, sculpted, functionally strong body that women and men all seek. Hmmm. Maybe I’ll conveniently wrap it up on that point, eh?

Thanks again for all your great questions, everyone, and thanks for reading! Stop by MDA anytime!

I have to add here that Im honored Mark was willing to do a MizFit guest post.

Back in the day, when MizFit was still Sisyphit, I could only have dreamed he’d guest post on MY blog (seriously, People, but please to cue uplifting movie montage music none the less…).

Thanks Mark for making a poor humble MizFit’s dreams a reality.

Now you heard the man: get to commenting and then to weight training.

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Comments

  1. Okay – I have four actions to take;

    1. Add Marks site to my blog feed (why haven’t I done that before)
    2. Read his Primal Blueprint article in depth
    3. Eat less carbs
    4. Eat more protein

    Here we go!

    Great stuff!

  3. and like anything the primal is GREAT for some and others just dont thrive on it.

    while it works well for me….I also am a smidgetad away from primalperfection (looks wistfully at old halloween candy sitting on the table).

    that said, I would recommend digesting (rimshot!) all mark has written as pieces of it apply to all of us and knowlegde?

    ALWAYS A GOOD THING.

    Miz.

  4. Very interesting! Thanks, Mark. To be honest I don’t agree with all of your beliefs but you’ve got some really good information here. Certainly things to think about!

  5. Very interesting post – thank you!

    QUESTION – I had always understood that beans (except for soy) are not a complete protein – that they have to be eaten with something else (corn?) in order for the body to process them as protein – ???

  6. To be honest I don’t agree with all of your beliefs but you’ve got some really good information here.

    that pretty much sums up my entire life, Sagan.

    in that Ive not read anything (from spiritual to fitness) not met anyone (hello beloved Ren Man!) with whom I 100% entirely mesh.

    right or wrong my life is a buffet.

    Im the result of a buffet probably in more ways than the figurative but that’s not important right now .

    I take what works for me in all arenas of life and leave what doesnt and, as you intimated, I may think information is good or relevant but that doesnt mean it’s for me.

    Miz.

  8. I want to shout out to any super-women who haven’t added strength training to their fitness plan. I have been working out at the gym since May =6 months!= and even though the pounds aren’t falling off, I can totally tell how my body is reshaping. I have no fear of becoming all muscle-bound or bulky *(someone at my gym warned me to watch out for that recently, and I didn’t laff at her). I LOVE that I am seeing REAL muscles instead of flab. My flappy arms may never go away, but the pipes I’m getting in the bicepular *my word* region make me happy.

  9. Vickie-I’ll answer your question about the beans. Here’s the questions:
    QUESTION – I had always understood that beans (except for soy) are not a complete protein – that they have to be eaten with something else (corn?) in order for the body to process them as protein – ???

    It is not that your body won’t process the beans as a protein source, what people are referring to is if there is a complete amino acid profile which you get from high biological value proteins like meat, egg yok and white and tofu. It is is suggested to add something like rice to beans, bread with peanut butter, etc. The idea is that these lower BV (biological value) proteins do not have the complete host of essential amino acids and that you need to combine them in order to “complete the set” so to say. That used to be the standard thinking for instance when planning a vegetarian diet but it is now going more towards the thought that they will all average out over several days if you eat a variety of foods. Most people eat so much meat as a protein source that it is not concerning to leave your beans uncombined with rice, etc. That being said, it is definitely not a BAD thing to do either unless you are avoiding carbs or on a renal diet (whole ‘nother can of worms there.)

    Hope that helped.

    Great guest post, Mark does such a wonderful job explaining concepts in easy to understand ways that are not TOO simplified. That’s something I am practicing and not very good at yet, but I’ll get there!

  10. FAB RESPONSE erin.

    Thank you (I’ll bold when @ computer/I can edit).

    And Bea? Not my day to yammer 😉

    Miz.

  11. Some interesting information here, thanks Mark! Especially interested by the injury section.

    I agree with some of the commenters that the very low-carb thing just doesn’t work for me personally, I need some whole grains otherwise I’m a nightmare. And I DID stick to low carb for nearly a year and that didn’t change once (in fact my temperement got even worse!), so I don’t think it’s a case of “stick at it” either. Like you say though Miz, take what works for you, right?

    Too much dairy doesn’t work for me sadly, I do wonder what will happen to my protein intake when the recession really starts to hit!

    TA x

  13. LOL @ sisyphit.

    and thank you mark!!

    and Miz I’m curious now about what you do…and it is your blog so yammer!65

  15. I agree – that was great info! I really need to start focusing more on the right combos of what I’m eating. There are certain times of the day (and the month) that I absolutely crash. I haven’t done enough research – or thinking on it – to determine exactly how to fix it… but this post is a great start for me. Thanks!

  17. I’m bookmarking this page. Although the low-carb thing didn’t work for me, I’ve definitely managed to reduce my carbs, and do try many of Mark’s recommendations.

    Call me a Primal City girl.

  18. Thanks for giving a straight answer to the questions! I got answers to things I didn’t even know I had 🙂 That’s when you know the post is great!

    Lean muscle mass…how do you calculate that when your weight is far removed from anything close to lean?

  19. Don’t forget, Miz: Progress, not perfection!

    OOH youre right. I thought it was PROTEIN not PERFECTION. (rimshot? no? ok.)

    alicia? bea? my shortversion?

    I frontload my complex carbs (yep thats a shoutout to you oatmeal/brown rice/couscous/quinoa etc.) and after mid-afternoon end up with the fiberous carbs (Hey there steamed veggies! ‘sup salad!)

    make short sense?

    Miz.

  22. Great post!

    The Bag Lady learned a few things, and will attempt to put them into practice. (Hmmm, might have to print this post in order for her to remember them…..)

  24. Actually it’s an onion a day, but Marks Daily Onion just doesn’t sound as good!

    Even though I don’t agree with all of Mark’s views, I respect his work, and really, I wish I would have had him as one of my teachers in Medical School!

    PS. My favorite med. school rotation was at a hospital where they had an apple orchard on the grounds, where I could pick my own after work!

  28. Adding this blog to my list. Wonderful. Well written, knowledgeable, and informative.

    I’m fascinated by the whole thing, but particularly the parts about hormonal effects and inflammation, as I’ve struggled with these phenomena in particular. I’m definitely putting some of these suggestions into practice.

    I will say that I, too, have found that I need carbs for proper nutrition and energy, but in moderation. I, too, tend to front-load, and my afternoon and evening meals tend to be (not intentionally, just happens that way) extremely low-carb. I also limit my carbs to vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Again, not intentionally, that’s just how it ends up. Lots of lean protein, lots of fresh produce, etc.

    That said, I think I am going to experiment a little with reducing my carb count some and see what happens. Not hugely, just a little.

    All in all, very interesting post – thanks so much!

    V.

  29. Man, there are ever changing “suggestions” in the nutritional world. Looking at the bookstore shelf SHOCKS me with all of the different theories.

    I totally agree with you…looking into the past and how food was nutrition and full of nutrition.

  30. really interesting and Ive never heard of mark before so thank you.

    Miz Im curious for more information now on how you eat.
    I watch your videos every week and want your arms.

  31. so can I really blame the 5 pounds (ok 15) I can not lose on stress????

    and MizFit will your book be a diet book?

    or a workout book?

    and how soon????????

  32. Valerie?

    I think I am going to experiment a little with reducing my carb count some and see what happens.

    dont reduce too much 🙂

    Before my last bodybuilding show I lowcarbedmyselfstupid.

    for one day.

    couldnt drive. lesson learned (for me. for my body.) and a story for a day when *I* am posting…

    Miz.

  37. Thanks so much for answering my question about nutrition and injury! I’ve read a little about anti-inflammation diets and I take fish oil for this reason. I’m going to do more research on this now.

  38. I simply cannot low carb and be set loose in society. The headaches, the dizziness, the crabbiness… not worth it. But the same thing happens when I eat too much of the simple carbs. Balance!

    I had Sahar’s tabbouleh for breakfast – which is a good good carb, and maybe it helped me to crush the 5K elliptical in 28:39 this morning (Miz, send me some confetti!).

  40. Thanks Mark for the great Guest post.

    While I have not gotten completely “primal” I have chosen to limit my grain consumption to early in the day, getting carbs later from veggies. You can eat a whole lot of veggies without that big a carb load! I’m OK with my carbs right around 100-120 gr./day. Except that I sometimes wonder what I can eat when hungry later in the day.

    Almost each of post gives me something to think about.. a good thing.

  41. (Deb? You and I are so alike.)

    Mark? Aaron? Ya’ll coming by so we can see how lovely & gracious you are whilst accepting all the proffered *compliments* (wink)?

    Miz.

  42. I wonder if our tolerance for the amount of carbs we are getting dependent on the diet of our ancestors. I remember in my nutrition course in college, the professor mentioned from his research that difference groups of people response better to certain types of diets because our ancestors evolve to eat certain diets based upon their geographic location, whether they are an agrarian society, etc.

    Being Chinese myself, I know that I feel sluggish when I do not get enough carbs in my diet. I am not talking about the headaches and such that Marianne mentioned in her comment, but just a feeling of being off. But like Mizfit, I also tend to front load my carbs and get most of my protein at dinner.

  43. …leaving the science to MDA I know for me, asithi, it took becoming aware of my body to figure the carb thing out.

    As you must already be to KNOW that you feel ‘off’ with too few carbs.

    So many years not living inside my bod (& being chock full of the processed white cr*p) until it finally all clicked.

    What worked for me was practically cutting out all processed white (pasta, breads etc. The *processed* ones) for a shortbit and then adding it back in slowly.

    And FEELING (finally) what it did (& didn’t do) for me.

    Miz.

  44. Thanks for the great post. I have the daily apple in my blog feeds 🙂

    I don’t go primal, but I do watch what carbs I consume. I have found that I can eat fruits and most whole grain products without issues, but need to stay away from processed stuff, even in small amounts. Causes horrible cravings for me – and seeing my face plant into a bowl of white rice with butter is not a pretty sight.

    I do better weight loss wise when I incorporate more protein and fat, and that by nature brings my carb intake lower – since I count calories. Since I strength train, the protein is very important to me (no pink weights here!).

  47. interesting stuff, mark.

    especially the gender differences.

    I will definitely check out your blog.

  48. Your answer on omega 3 was great. It is hard to get DHA and EPA from veggie sources. I have not researched the algae forms yet but if they have good levels – they might be worth using. The person did not say if they were vegetarians – if not krill oil is supposed to be superior to fish oils for a few reasons like omega 3 in phospholipds – and high anti oxidant levels. Plus krill is supposed to be more of a renewable food source. We are obviously running out of fish. To Learn More About Omega 3 -> Krill Oil

  49. Great post! So much information in here, especially the section about which sources for nutrition information you trust, that I will definitely have to come back and do more reading when I’m not rushing off to work. Thanks, Mark and Miz!

  50. Thanks to everyone for the comments and questions so far! A few of you have noted that you can’t really go low carb without irritability issues or low energy. Fair enough. But the issue is really what constitutes low carb. In our program, as long as you are getting enough calories from fat and protein, you really won’t need more than 150 grams of carbs to cruise through the day. If you eliminate grains (cereal, bread, pasta, etc) and sugary crap, you’re most of the way there. I still see people assuming I espouse ultra-low carbs (less than 50, no fruit, etc), but our magic zone is actually 100-150 a day, which allows for copious servings of vegetables and fruits all day long (we’ve done a few fitday posts where we show how difficult it is to exceed 150 just doing vegetables and fruit).

    Even when I advise someone to do an aggressive weigt-loss (fat loss, really) program, I suggest aiming for the “sweet spot” of 80-100 grams of carbs per day and not really any lower. Also, realize that at that level, when you eat sufficient protein, the body will take whatever protein it doesn’t need and convert it to glucose if you need more. Yes, the transistion takes about two weeks to where you don’t feel that occasional lightheadedness, but it’s a beautiful thing, because you’re burning stored body fat to manufacture the glucose.

    Thanks again, everyone!

  51. Very interesting stuff! I am all about eating to reduce inflammation and particularly like hearing about how I can speed my body’s recovery. I do adore (minimally processed) soy products like whole soybeans, and I also feel like I do very well on unrefined carbs, but I’ve seen beautiful things happen physically when I make good fats (fish, nuts, etc) a higher percentage of my diet which I guess does push down the carbs. I also am all about the non-interval long more aerobic workouts, but am fascinated that these may impact fertility? I know from experience that they’re not as good for weight loss, BUT hey, I enjoy them, and they’re probably a healthier habit than sitting on the couch watching tv, which I also enjoy!

  52. Thanks so much for answering my question about nutrition and injury! I’ve read a little about anti-inflammation diets and I take fish oil for this reason. I’m going to do more research on this now.

    my DIZCLAIMER is that Ive not read this book yet but Monica Reinagel’s book, The Inflamation Free Diet Plan, is supposed to be fantastic.

    (CLICK HERE for her guest post @ Miz.)

    Miz.

  53. have never read mark’s blog before, but now i’m thinking i need to check it out. i loved this post – i think someone else mentioned that his writing style is somewhere between Medical Expert and Completely Ignorant Meat And Potatoes Girl.

    not that i’d know who that girl is, mind you. i’m just sayin’…

  54. and mark I SO WANNA ECHO YOU WITH THIS:

    If you eliminate grains (cereal, bread, pasta, etc) and sugary crap you’re most of the way there.

    SO.SO.TRUE.

    I rarely eat white bread, processed pasta & processed cereals (and the sugary crap? well, methinks we all know I plan some of that in, but please to remember IM A POSTER CHILD FOR NOTHING) & yet dont feel as though Im too too low carb…even eliminating all that.

    I feel *worlds* better & more energetic.

    thanks again, Mark.

    Miz.

  56. The part about the differences in men and women was very interesting. That is a question I’ve been wondering about for a while. Good to know that interval training is best for women… I’ve been doing that for a while, and it looks like I will keep at it!
    Now I must go eat more protein… I hardly ever remember to get enough protein….

  57. Because I am freakishly anal, I went back and looked at a few of my weekly meal plans. I can see that on the days where I did not have a lot of bread, or starch with dinner, my carbs were actually in Mark’s range. So I am going to go forth and make menus in that range, stick to it for a few weeks, and see what happens. Can’t hurt, and promises to be a fun experiment!

  58. wow. really informative.
    Weights, done. reading now.

    Injuries and Inflammation were exactly on my mind today since I am dealing with my knee pain and now have inflammation in my left foot. UGG.

    Going to read up on all this!
    Thanks

  59. Thank you Mark and Miz for a great post. What you can’t tell is I’m actually lifting weights whilst I type! Not really, but I’m getting into the strength training thaang.

  60. oh Tisha we can tell.

    the Miz?
    the Mark?

    we all knowing & all seeing.

    now stop doing bicep curls and throw in some tricep kickbacks…

  61. Great article and I agree wtih MOST of what he says. But what’s the aversion to soy all about?
    Can we talk about Soy?????
    Let’s have a soy post soon…. (unless I missed it in the past, then please send me link).

    I have soy milk after every run, every other day. It’s a quick, easy way to drink some protien/calories while rushing around in the morning. Actually, my nutritionist suggested it, since I wake up and run at 5:30am, but don’t have time to eat until 9:30 am.

    Am I setting myself up for something bad, like hormone issues/breast cancer/etc? I also eat other soy products at least twice a week. But I think other cultures have much more soy in thier diet and they are healthier than we are.

    Argh – pondering away (*Scrathing head…)

  62. Great post Mark. I checked out your Carb Binge article and wonder when you had time to follow me home from that birthday party!! It’s strange to see in words what was happening inside my body after FOUR hunks (yeah, I said it) of cake!!!

    I must say that while I agree with a lot of your primal blueprint style of eating, it saddens me that you eschew my beloved oatmeal. Despite differing carb opinions, I’m still giving your site a good and thorough LURK.

    Another excellent guest post, Miz!! Love it.

  64. Yes, we need to have a soy discussion! I am definitely on the pro side…all of the con articles are fairly outdated.

    This 2008 review article in the Nutrition Journal shows that there is little evidence for the promotion of breast cancer (and some articles even suggest that the isoflavones in soy help prevent breast cancer, though that too is a little shaky):

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18522734?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedreviews&logdbfrom=pubmed

  66. kellie? I adore the word eschew.

    (I’m an english nerd at heart)

    And the soy thing (E? links always welcome!)?

    Here’s hoping mark swings back to add his .02 (there is that link to his site…I think the word breast cancer is clickable, yes? I’m not at computer).

    More from me by way of a post but I’m undecided.

    *I* choose not to do more than 1 serving a day out of genetic predisposition for breast cancer and, quite frankly, not being ballsy enough to ‘risk it.’

    Intellectually? Most of me thinks I *could* do more and be safe.

    Rambles later when my thumbs aren’t doing the talking….

    Mark?

    Miz.

  68. this is so great!!!! i know protein is important but i was always confused as to when to eat, how much etc..this sure cleared up some stuff..thanks!!

    now if i could only answer yesterday’s question:)
    xo

  72. Just a little something about The Primal Blueprint. When I first discovered the Paleo Diet, I decided I wanted to give it a try for a month so that I could write about it. After discovering Mark’s Daily Apple and reading, studying and understanding THE PRIMAL BLUEPRINT, I gained the knowledge of how a comprehensive approach can lead to an overall healthier lifestyle.

    It’s not just the way you eat. Learning that from Mark has been instrumental in my surpassing a plateau that I have never surpassed before in my health and fitness. I would call that serenity in success.

    Thanks again Mark and Miz!

    All the Best,

    Andrew R

  75. I definitely find that during periods of high stress I tend to gain weight, even if I stick to my regular exercise routine. I think that stress reduction methods are an important part of any weight-loss program. Thank you Mark (and MizFit)!

  77. just curious, when you say “eliminate grains” are we talking eliminating all grains here? or just the white ones? how do you feel about barley or quinoa or brown rice, etc etc?

  78. Mark? as for me I do eat litttttttle of the white (pasta rice etc) but bountiful of the brown rice barley quinoa.

    that said, DG, methinks you werent asking me 🙂

    I’ll see what I can getcha from Mark!

    Miz.

  79. LIke most things in life, it’s not black and white. There is a “continuum” of worst-to-best when it comes to grains. The worst are wheat, rye, barley, corn. These are the ones I try to avoid like the plague for their phytates, lectins, gluten and high carb content – not to mention their high fiber content (not all fiber is good – more on that in a later post maybe). Sure, I’ll have a chip or two with guacamole or a small bite of bread once in a while, but I also know that I’ll have a slight gastrointestinal discomfort for having done so. For many of those same reasons (and the phytoestrogens in soy), I personally avoid soy also.

    On the other end are the slightly “less offensive” grains like oats and rice. I don’t shy away from rice in a few sushi rolls, for instance, but I wouldn’t sit down to a bowl of the stuff. I don’t do oatmeal, but if someone tells me they can’t mentally handle a 100-gram day without a small serving of oatmeal, I say go for it once in a while. But over time, as you wean yourself from the very strong addiction that carbs (and especially grains) have, you’ll see how easy it is to replace them with other, healthier, more satisfying and more nourishing choices. In a while, it won’t be an issue.

    In sum, it’s not about completely giving something up as much as it is understanding the impact that food has on your system and being able to make choices based on both what will appeal to you in the moment and what you understand will be the short term effect. It’s also about surrounding yourself with the most variety in those healthier choices.

  80. I’ve read a lot about soy. If you google, you’ll find tons of articles, mostly all contradicting each other, but one or two articles (unfortunately I do not have the links anymore) indicated that a moderately high soy consumption, combined with low iodine intake could cause issues.

    Since I was having some extreme er, issues with my monthly cycle (surgery was the doc’s recommendation)… I decided to try giving up soy. I’ll tell you, my cycle issues practically disappeared! I went from nearly constant “sanitation changes” and two-week periods to nearly normal in two cycles… so obviously for me (mostly vegan and using natural sea salt – noniodized – for 14 years) it was a bad combination.

    I guess my warning is, if you are depending on soy – watch your iodine intake too.

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