"Primal Blueprint" by By Mark Sisson

• The 10 Primal Blueprint laws are:
• Eat lots of plants and animals
• Enjoy the natural, satisfying foods that fueled two million years of human evolution.
• Avoid poisonous things
• Avoid processed foods (sugars, grains, and chemically altered fats) that are foreign to our genes and make us fat and sick.
• Move frequently at a slow pace
• Enhance fat metabolism and avoid burnout by keeping active but taking it easy.
• Lift heavy things
• Short, intense sessions of functional, full-body movements support muscle development and delay aging.
• Sprint once in awhile
• Occasional all-out sprints trigger optimal gene expression and beneficial hormone flow.
• Get adequate sleep
• Avoid excessive digital stimulation and sync with your natural circadian rhythm for optimal immune, brain, and endocrine function.
• Play
• Balance the stress of modern life with some unstructured, physical fun!
• Get adequate sunlight
• Don’t fear the sun! Adequate sun exposure helps synthesize vitamin D to ensure healthy cellular function.
• Avoid stupid mistakes
• Cultivate hyper-vigilance and risk management to avoid the stupid mistakes that bring “avoidable suffering” to modern humans.
• Use your brain
• Engage in creative and stimulating activities to nurture your mental health and overall well-being.
• Focus on quality sources of animal protein (organic, free-range, or wild sources of meat, fowl, and fish), an assortment of colorful vegetables and fresh fruits, and healthy sources of fat (nuts, seeds, their derivative butters, certain oils, avocados, etc.).
• Eat when you are hungry and finish when you feel satisfied.
• By toxic I mean human-made products that are foreign to your genes and disturb the normal, healthy function of your body when ingested. The big offenders, including sugars and sodas, chemically altered fats, and heavily processed, packaged, fried, and preserved foods are obvious. What’s less accepted and therefore more insidious as a dietary “poison” are processed grains (wheat and flour products, such as bread, pasta, crackers, snack foods, baked goods, etc., as well as rice, corn, cereals, etc.).
• Ingesting grains and other processed carbohydrates causes blood glucose levels to spike.
• Because insulin’s job is to transport nutrients out of the bloodstream and into the muscle, liver, and fat cell storage depots, its excessive presence in the bloodstream inhibits the release of stored body fat for use as energy.
• It’s as simple as this: you cannot reduce body fat on a diet that stimulates excessive -- or even moderately excessive -- levels of insulin production. Period.
• Today most of us either are too sedentary or conduct workouts that are too stressful and misaligned with our primal genetic requirements for optimum health.
• The uplifting -- but actually catabolic (“breakdown”) -- effect of cortisol in the bloodstream is the reason many people feel fantastic for about four to eight weeks following a severe exercise and diet program.
• What are genes truly crave is frequent movement at a slow, comfortable, pace: walking, hiking, easy cycling, or other light aerobic activities with a heart rate range of 55 percent to no more than 75 percent of maximum.
• Strive to accumulate two to five hours per week of low-level exercise. More is better as long as you have the time and can resist the temptation to “go hard.” If possible, make an effort to go barefoot frequently to develop natural balance, flexibility, and leg strength.
• Today, following a strength-training program featuring natural, total-body movements (squatting, lunging, push-ups, pull-ups, etc.) helps you develop and maintain lean muscle mass, increase metabolism to maintain low levels of body fat, increase bone density, prevent injuries, and enjoy balanced hormone and blood glucose levels.
• Today occasional maximum effort sprints help increase energy levels, improve athletic performance, and minimize the effects of aging by promoting the release of testosterone and human growth hormone (these are beneficial for women as well as men).
• Once a week (or more frequently if you are an experienced athlete), when energy levels are high, choose a simple, brief session and go all out! Examples include sprints on hills, grass, or beach; plyometric drills; and intervals on a stationary bike.
• It’s critical to create calm, relaxing transitions into bedtime and then obtain sufficient hours of sleep such that you wake up naturally (no alarm, except occasional special circumstances) refreshed and energized.
• Don’t be afraid to take naps when your afternoon energy levels lull.
• Take some time every day to unplug from the office or daily chores and have some unstructured fun.
• Adequate vitamin D is nearly impossible to obtain from diet alone, and we cannot manufacture it without sufficient exposure to sunlight.
• Natural sunlight also has a powerful mood-elevating effect, which can enhance productivity at work.
• Devote a little more attention and energy to risk management in your daily choices so you can enjoy a long, happy life, and pass your own superior genes to the next generation.
• The overall functioning of your body is primarily dependent on how your genes respond to their immediate environment.
• When you control insulin production and eat optimal amounts of protein, you become more insulin sensitive.
• Plants and animals are much more nutritionally dense than processed carbohydrate foods, which constitute a large percentage of calories in the typical modern diet.
• Vegetables and fruits (which consist mainly of carbohydrate) are nutrient-dense yet calorically sparse, so that even generous portions of these foods will usually prompt minimal insulin production.
• If you want to accelerate your fat loss for a period of time, lowering your average carb intake to 50 to 100 grams or less per day will allow you to easily drop an average of one to two pounds of body fat per week.
• Eighty percent of your ability to reduce excess body fat is determined by how you eat, with the other 20 percent depending on proper exercise, other healthy lifestyle habits, and genetic factors.
• The Primal Blueprint is based on eating as much as you want, whenever you want, from a long list of delicious foods -- and simply avoiding eating from a different list.
• Most nutrition researchers are in agreement that protein is essential for building and repairing body tissues and for overall healthy function. Intake recommendations among doctors and nutritionists vary, with most falling in the range of 0.5 to 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass per day (I favor an average of 0.7 to 1.0).
• Carbohydrate controls insulin; insulin controls fat storage.
• Carbohydrates are not used as structural components in the body; instead, they are used only as a form of fuel, whether they are burned immediately while passing by different organs and muscles or stored for later use.
• If you are insistent upon doing chronic cardio, you must increase carb intake to account for regular depletion of stored liver and muscle glycogen and an elevated metabolic rate. You can experiment with consuming perhaps 100 additional grams of carbs per day for every extra hour of training and notice how your body responds.
• It’s really easy to stay in the optimum range of 100 to 150 grams per day even when you eat a ton of colorful vegetables and liberal servings of fruit -- as long as you stay primal and consume no grains.
• Carbohydrate intake is often the decisive factor in weight loss success and prevention of widespread health problems like Metabolic Syndrome, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
• Carb zones:
• 0 - 50 grams per day: Ketosis and I.F. (Intermittent Fasting) zone. Excellent catalyst for rapid fat loss through I.F. Not recommended for prolonged periods due to unnecessary deprivation of plant foods.
• 50 - 100 grams per day: Sweet spot for weight loss. Steadily drop excess body fat by minimizing insulin production. Enables 1-2 pounds per week of fat loss with satisfying, minimally restrictive meals.
• 100 - 150 grams per day: Primal maintenance zone. Once you’ve arrived at your goal or ideal body composition, you can maintain it quite easily here while enjoying abundant vegetables, fruits, and other primal foods.
• 150 - 300 grams per day: Insidious weight gain zone. Most health conscious eaters and unsuccessful dieters end up here, due to frequent intake of sugar and grain products. Despite trying to “do the right thing” (minimize fat, cut calories), people can still gain an average of 1.5 pounds of fat every year for decades.
• 300+ grams per day: Danger zone of average American diet. All but the most extreme exercisers will tend to produce excessive insulin and store excessive fat over the years at this intake level. Increases risk for obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes.
• Carb intake level is the decisive factor in your weight-loss success or failure, and excessive carb consumption is arguably the most destructive behavior disparity between ourselves and what our genes crave to support health, longevity, and peak performance. Eliminating grains and sugars from your diet could be the number one most beneficial thing you ever do for your health!
• Consuming healthy fats from animal and plant sources supports optimal function of all three systems in your body.
• Ingesting fat helps you feel full and satisfied in a way that carbohydrates cannot.
• Fat is calorically dense at nine calories per gram.
• If you consume excessive carbs (150 to 300 grams or more per day), produce a high level of insulin, and eat any appreciable amount of fat along with your high-carb diet your fat intake will contribute directly to making you fat.
• When switching from a carbohydrate-based diet to a Primal eating style, keep in mind that it takes your body two to three weeks to “learn” how to burn fats better.
• You should always satisfy your cravings with abundant amounts of approved foods instead of suffering through them with willpower and other flimsy, short-duration weapons.
• Pick your favorite Primal Blueprint approved meals and rotate them for the first two weeks of your transition to Primal Blueprint eating.
• Never struggle, suffer, or go hungry: Surround yourself with Primal Blueprint approved foods and enjoy them as much and as often as you like.
• The complete lack of regimentation or caloric deprivation in the Primal Blueprint eating style is the secret to its long-term success.
• Eating lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and animal foods, and avoiding processed foods, creates a more calorically efficient, nutrient-dense diet.
• Eighty percent of your ability to achieve body composition goals is determined by your diet -- essentially, your ability to moderate insulin production so you can access and burn stored body fat for energy, while preserving or building muscle.
• Obtain between 0.7 and 1.0 gram of protein per pound of lean body weight per day. Limit carbohydrate intake to an average of 100 to 150 grams per day (or 50 to 100 grams per day if you seek accelerated fat loss), something that will happen automatically when you enjoy plenty of vegetables and fruits and avoid grains, sugars, and other processed carbs.
• With protein intake in optimum range and carb intake strictly controlled, fat becomes your main caloric energy variable.
• Organic, locally grown vegetables and fruits are the most nutritious and safest. They are teeming with antioxidants and micronutrients that support health and help prevent disease. Organic animal foods are healthy and nutritious and will help you reduce excess body fat and build lean muscle.
• Eggs are healthy and nutritious.
• Plants (vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and herbs and spices) and animals (meat, fish, fowl, and eggs) should represent the entire composition of your diet.
• 80% of body composition success is determined by diet. Limit processed carb intake (hence, insulin production), and obtain sufficient protein and fat to fuel and rebuild.
• Protein: average 0.7 to 1.0 gram per pound of lean body mass per day -- depending on activity levels (more at times is fine).
• Carbs: 50-100 grams/day (or less) = accelerated fat loss. 100-150 grams/day = effortless weight maintenance. Heavy exercises can increase carb intake as needed to replace glycogen stores.
• Fat: enjoy freely but sensibly for balance of caloric needs and high dietary satisfaction levels.
• Eliminate: sugary foods and beverages, grains (wheat, corn, rice, pasta, breads, cereals, etc.), legumes (soy and other beans), trans and partially hydrogenated fats, high-risk conventional meat and produce, and excess PUFAs (instead, increase omega-3 oils).
• Moderation: Certain high glycemic fruit, coffee, high-fat dairy products, starchy tuber vegetables, and wild rice.
• Supplements: Multivitamin/mineral formula, probiotics, omega-3 fish oil and protein powder.
• Herbs, spices and extracts: Offer many health benefits and enhance enjoyment of meals.
• Sensible indulgences: Dark chocolate, moderate alcohol, high-fat treats.
• It is preferable to select locally grown, in-season, organic vegetables whenever possible.
• It may take some acclimation to center your diet around vegetables, as we are so accustomed to reaching for packaged, high-carbohydrate snacks as a first option.
• Serve yourself heaping portions that crowd everything else on your plate.
• If you decide to eat non organic produce, note that there are varying levels of residue exposure risk depending on the item. Be particularly careful to avoid conventional sources of vegetables that have a large surface area or a skin that is consumed. If you do find yourself purchasing these, be sure to soak and/or rinse them with soap or a “fruit and vegetable wash” solution, which you can find in any health food store. On the other hand, conventional broccoli, asparagus, avocados, cabbage, onions, and other vegetables with an easily washable or non-edible skin have minimal pesticide exposure risk.
• Organic fruit offers vastly superior nutritional value to conventionally grown fruits.
• If you must eat conventional fruits, wash your fruit thoroughly with soap or a special solution.
• I strongly suggest drinking only moderate amounts of juice and sticking with freshly squeezed when you do.
• Fruits:
• outstanding: High-antioxidant, low-glycemic fruits, including all berries and stone (pitted) fruits.
• Great: lower-antioxidant, higher-glycemic fruits, including apples, bananas, cherries, kiwi, and pomegranate.
• Moderation: Low antioxidant, high glycemic fruits, including dates, dried fruits (all), grapes, mangoes, melons, nectarines, oranges, papayas, pineapples, plums, and tangerines.
• Top 10 fruits:
• berries
• cherries
• prunes
• apples
• peaches
• pears
• figs
• grapefruit
• kiwis
• apricots
• Animal foods are healthy and nutritious and will help you reduce excess body fat, build lean muscle, and generally promote peak performance.
• I strongly urge you to look for USDA-certified organic meat whenever possible.
• The healthiest sources of fish are small, oily fish, such as wild-caught Alaskan salmon, sardines, herring, anchovies, and mackerel. Domestic mahi mahi, Pacific halibut, pollock, white sea bass, and shellfish are also healthful and carry a lower risk of contaminants. The fish at the top of the marine food chain are the least desirable, due to their tendency to accumulate concentrated contaminants. Hence, you should avoid or limit your consumption or swordfish, ahi tuna, shark, and Chilean sea bass, to name just a few.
• Farmed fish should be avoided because they are raised in unsanitary, waste-infested waters; have dangerous chemical additives in their diets; and offer much lower levels of omega-3s than their wild counterparts.
• Eggs can be freely enjoyed as an excellent source of healthy protein, fat, B complex vitamins, and folate. Be sure to obtain organic chicken eggs, which contain up to 20 times more omega-3s than factory-produced grain-fed chicken eggs.
• Shifting from bottled waters, juices, and all manner of sweetened beverages to a simple water-filtration system in your home can save money and improve dietary quality. Shifting from designer foods such as synthetic energy bars and meal replacements to such basics as trail mix, jerky, or farm-fresh eggs can also reduce your budget while improving dietary quality.
• Nuts and seeds and their derivative butter products are filling and nutritious and may be consumed liberally in place of high-carbohydrate snacks.
• Walnuts are known for their high omega-3 levels. Other highly nutritious choice that have earned the FDA’s “heart healthy” distinction include almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. I’d add chia seeds and macadamia nuts to that list.
• Definitely skip the Skippy and replace peanuts and peanut butter with less objectionable alternatives. Avoid nuts that have been processed with sugary or oily coatings or other offensive ingredients.
• Use a mini food processor to grind nuts and sprinkle onto salads, oven baked vegetables, or even into omelets.
• Almonds have the highest protein content of any nut (20 percent of total calories) and are high in antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, and plant sterols that support health and lower disease risk.
• Primal Snack:
• beef jerky
• celery
• cottage cheese
• dark chocolate
• dried fruit
• fish
• fresh berries
• hard-boiled eggs
• nuts and seeds
• olives
• trail mix