An Open Letter to Kids and Teens (and Infant Prodigies)
Dear youngsters,
You’re going through some difficult times, no doubt. I’ve been in your shoes before. I’ve been a kid dealing with basically all the same stuff you have to contend with. I’ve been there.
Your hormones are probably (depending on age, gender, and exposure to attractive members of opposite/same sex) either raging, simmering, fomenting, budding, and/or swelling.
Your legs and arms may be growing at disproportionate rates, leaving you feeling like a stranger in your own body.
That cute new guy whom you planned on eventually marrying has a funny last name, which just won’t work with the names of the kids you’ve chosen.
You just discovered the Beatles, and you totally want to tell everyone about it, but they’re all into top 40 stuff. You just can’t relate.
Your opinions on everything, who your best friends are, your relationship with your parents, and your post-high school plans change rapidly from day to day to day. And not superficial changes, but real, soul-rending ones.
Everything’s in flux, but (or ergo?) everything’s exciting. Everything’s the end of the world, or the start of something new and magnificent. In short, you’re young, the world is big, and you want to make the most of it all.
But I have a suggestion for you. It’s a suggestion that I wish I would have read on a computer somewhere when I was a kid (of course, that would have required me waiting an hour for Al Gore to patch me through on the ARPANET on a computer the size of a room):
Consider going Primal. Don’t wait until you’re old, hurting, and full of regrets to seize control of your health. Take it from someone who did wait until he was old(er) and hurting to conquer his health issues. You don’t want to wait. If you do, you’ll still likely make it, but you’ll miss out on valuable time.
I’m not even going to say you have to go 100% hardcore Primal - although it certainly wouldn’t hurt. I’m just saying it would be a fantastic idea for you to become aware of this stuff while you’re still young and on the cusp of the prime of your life.
The way I see it, if you don’t, you’re squandering a golden opportunity to extend the prime of your life through, well, the rest of it. Right now, I feel like I’m at my best. I honestly do. Mentally, emotionally, physically, professionally, I’m at a place where I wouldn’t trade places with myself 20 years ago. I was fit, doing triathlons, coming off of a strong career as a marathoner, but I was missing true health. Thanks to going Primal, I’m better than ever.
Now, think of what I just said. I’m 58. I’m probably older than your dad. I’ve lived over half a century, and yet I can:
Keep up with guys younger than half my age in high intensity Ultimate Frisbee.
Hike for twelve hours on an empty stomach.
Produce pretty decent content for a popular blog on a daily basis.
Write books and develop supplement lines that people actually buy and seem to really like.
Pass incredible quality time with my beautiful wife whenever I want.
Take a day off just to relax with the family if I so desire.
Spend half the day stand up paddle boarding.
Take my shirt off without feeling self conscious about my sagging gut and man-boobs.
Bound up flights of stairs because it’s easier and less time consuming than walking up them and scoff at escalators.
Feel mentally “there” and “on” at all times (okay, maybe the morning coffee helps in this regard, sometimes).
The thing is, these aren’t magical or fantastical accomplishments. I think these are extremely basic things any human should be able to expect out of themselves, albeit with minor variations. Not everyone is going to blog or play Ultimate, but everyone should be able to find creative satisfaction and engage in physical activity whenever they want without worrying out getting injured, something hurting, or fatiguing too quickly.
And I’m just some old dude who made a ton of mistakes early on and paid dearly for them… and I’m still doing pretty darn good. I’m not the only one, either. Many, if not most, of our success stories on this blog come from people who came back – better than ever – from poor health caused by making the wrong choices based on the wrong information in their younger years. Learn from their and from my mistakes so you don’t have to make them yourself.
Just imagine where you’ll be at 58 if you stay abreast of this health and fitness and nutrition and stress stuff starting from an early age. Just imagine how ahead of the game you’ll be, and stay for as long as you want.
Honestly, though? There’s a little selfishness going on here, too. I’m convinced that the earlier you commit to a Primal lifestyle, the greater the rewards later on in life, and I really want to see it happen. I know we’re never going to get anything close to a big study on the Primal lifestyle funded to test this idea out, but if we can convince a host of youngsters to start young – and stick with it – I think we’d see some remarkable things happen.
No, I’m not talking about forging Olympians or NBA stars or anything like that, necessarily. I’m referring to the promotion of a generation of healthy, happy, robust, fit, attractive, and most importantly of all, self-sufficient people forging their own paths toward health and wellness. I’m imagining a world where doctors flourish as the skilled technicians they are, meeting acute challenges without having to focus so much on the chronic stuff that they’re often unprepared to handle and their patients are unwilling to handle. Where people take responsibility for their own health, and it’s not a struggle or an ordeal, but rather just second nature. Heck, maybe it’ll even be a generation for whom this Primal stuff isn’t so crazy at all.
So, teens, tots, children, whoever (heck, even parents) – give it an honest shot. You don’t have to give up hanging out with friends or even grabbing pizza after a game sometimes. Embrace the 80/20 principle and just learn to make the right choices most of the time and understand that humans don’t come broken out of the box. That even though observing the greater population at large might lead you to the opposite conclusion, people are by and large born primed for excellent health.
Now go. Get healthy while you’re still healthy, while you’re still unbroken. It’s always easier – and more effective – to keep a new knife sharp than to restore a chipped, rusty, neglected old one.
Thanks for reading, everyone, and please share your advice with the younger amongst us in the comment board below.
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
YES! Well said, Mark – right on.
heck yes, i loved this post! wish i’d read it when i was in high school.
Very true. That’s why I’m raising my kids up right from the start. I’m not 100% primal, or even 80%, truth be told, but even following a few basic principles is making a huge difference. We don’t fear fat, and we know which fats to choose. We avoid processed foods and toxins of any kind. We eat plenty of animal products, while keeping grains as more of a treat. If I ever make it to 100% Primal (which will take a raise in the grocery budget and a bit more motivation than I’ve got right now, considering I’m feeling fine), we’ll be doing even better. But the one thing that really motivates me to put effort into what we eat is knowing that my kids are going to grow up better the better I feed them. They will avoid so many childhood chronic illnesses that are considered “common” (even type 2 diabetes for kids now! what the heck!), build healthy, strong bodies, and have good eating habits.
Most likely they’ll rebel at some point and eat a ton of junk food. But they’ll recognize that sick feeling it gives them as NOT normal, and hopefully they’ll come back to the way I taught them. (My mom was considered sugar nazi when I was a kid, spoiling my childhood by not giving us more than one piece of candy a day or letting us eat cereal with more than 12 grams of sugar per serving … and I simply can’t binge on sugar now. I don’t have a high tolerance for it, and I instantly recognize that yucky feeling that tells me to stop.)
Haha your mom seems lenient compared to mine! She gave away all our halloween candy, and cereal was never an option in our house. I DID rebel – freshman year of high school I bought a Nutty Bar and FunYuns every day after lunch.
However, when I finally started growing up a bit and thinking about my health, my parents teaching were the first to come to mind. I didn’t really get caught up in diet fads with processed food because I had previously been taught that low sugar and high fat was the best way to live.
Kids will always rebel, but if you teach them the right things to begin with, they should find their way back.
Man, I wish I had found you when I was still in high school.
I applaud the effort but unless the young are a lot smarter than we were wisdom must be earned or it will not be recognized. This is especially true since they are being lied to by the CW professionals and must have time to sort through the BS before the Holy Grail becomes obvious.
I was 16 at the beginning of summer, 17 at the end. I was 180 lbs at 5’7″ at the beginning, 150 at 5’8″ at the end.
Thanks, Mark.
P.S. I stopped living Primal when school started (do you know how hard it is to stay awake in calculus without chocolate? It’s TOO HARD.), but I’ve been getting back into it. I’ll give you a proper success story by the end of senior year
I can’t wait to read your success story!!
Absolutely! I SO wish I had discovered this as a teen, and I’m jealous of all you younger people who are Primal as you have such a wonderful head-start
I had been thinking I would have to be a ‘terrible warning’ to the young folk in my life…. NOW I’m determined to be a ‘shining example’ instead! Lol
I am a 16 year old teenage boy, and going primal nine months ago was the best thing that ever happened to me! Sure, I was in shape before going primal, but if I didn’t work out a lot or run and swim a lot I would be out of shape in no time. Plus, I feel great! I used to feel like crap all the time, but after cutting grains my body thanked me. One thing to also mention in this post that actually might help convince many people to go primal is skin! Going primal can really clear out acne, especially after balancing out your omega3′s and omega6′s (not eating such an inflammatory diet.)
I have had a growing interest in my health throughout my teenage years, and all this information on living primal and paleo is like a drug for me! I love learning more about it, and I read your blog on a daily basis. I am actually going to write my junior research paper on living primal, and if anyone that knows a lot about paleo would willing to be my mentor, I’d greatly appreciate it! Shoot me an email at jeremythomasjordan@gmail.com if you’re interested.
PS, After my friends have seen how great I feel and the great shape I am in, the are finally deciding it might be worth it to make the switch! Grok on!
Cool post!! I turn 30 next year and hope that I can stick with living Primaly, drop 60lbs and then continue to live this way forever!!
I’ll be 30 next year as well. I’m always dumbfounded by how my friends look tired and out of shape even though we’re all relatively young. Meanwhile I just ran up and down a mountain outside of Tokyo in 3 hours round trip even though it was rated at 3 hours UP! They often say, “Jay, you’d better have kids before too long or you won’t have the energy to raise them!” Hah! Hopefully I’ll be able to convert them through example…
Totally agree. I found this stuff when I was 22, and that was already late enough to be overweight and metabolically damaged. A year and a half later I’m nearly where I want to be in terms of body composition (and that’s with several months of less-than-80% adherence) and feeling better than I ever have in my life. I know I’m on a path that will keep me getting stronger, fitter and happier for years to come. Don’t wait! The earlier you take control of your health, the bigger the benefits and the more you will get out of it!
I found this site during the spring of my senior year in high school (2010) from a link on barefoot Ted’s website. I’ve been at it for almost two years now, and everyone calls me crazy for doing what I do (being as primal as possible), yet I still manage to be more fit and healthier than the rest of them. Definitely not easy to stay motivated, but it’s always worth it. Anyway, I’m still going strong now in college. Here’s to you, Mark, and all the (young) lives that you’ve touched
When I see other people’s kids I can’t help but think about when I have my own and how great it’s gonna be to raise them Primal from the start!
Totally. My fiancee and I are planning on getting started on a family in a few years, and I’m definitely looking forward to raising strong, healthy, happy Primal kiddos.
Yes, do it. Raise them primal from the very beginning. It’s a daily challenge in my house. I went primal almost exactly one year ago. I feel better and lost 30lbs. I’m wearing a size 4 to 6 now (I’m 37 years old)… but my children, despite the evidence in front of their faces, are putting up a fight. I would say they’re about 60% primal, if I had to put a number on it. But especially my 10 year old daughter rebels against primal, even though my closest friends and I (and my husband) have completely changed our lives.
Being a kid is not easy.
You think you’re just so much smarter than all the adults together. And evidence means nothing. sigh…
And for further ways to incorporate the 80/20 Principle into your lives (I did in the kitchen), go here (http://wenchwisdom.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-i-create-my-own-cave-kitchen.html)
From a document that no longer appears on my blog: “Streamlining and improving your food choices will lead to more cupboard and refrigerator/freezer space, more time and money for other things, weight loss (which leads to less spent on clothing, less closet space needed, and less laundry), and improved health. Better nutrition also leads to more energy, less stress, slowed aging, and less susceptibility to sickness, both obvious and hidden (blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.)
Convenience foods cost us in many ways, and they really aren’t so “convenient” after all—especially when you discover that you really don’t need any of them!”
…and this was written well before I discovered Paleo. This is what I learned from reading ALL the 80/20 guy’s books, even though they cover the work place. The kitchen IS my work place.
Biggest problem for kids?
Peer pressure.
Once they get past that, then they might have a chance!
My almost 4 year old is nearly 100% Primal. She knows that “sugar and grain and bread don’t make us big and strong”. Yes, perhaps I’ve brainwashed her, but how many other kids consider a square of dark chocolate to be a special treat? She still doesn’t love her veggies, but we’re working on that!
Mine do
19 and primal since March 2011! My friends and family still think this is just another manifestation of how crazy I am, but I feel great. Even at this age, it’s clear how nutrition and simple tweaks like paying attention to >how< I sleep can make an incredible difference. The biggest difference: changing how I eat uncovered a passion for nutrition, and that passion is the only reason I decided to go to college. Another one: now that I see that vast improvements can be made in an individual within a short time, I'm inspired to improve in all areas of my life.
I want to thank not only Mark here, but everyone who is a part of this community, whether or not you feel you've contributed. Seeing that this is in fact a community has no doubt given some amount of persuasion or courage to those looking to improve.
I’m 19 and primal since around Oct. 2010. My family also thinks I’m crazy and full of it because I would tell them about every new piece of information I found and I’m not afraid to admit that something I read previously was probable wrong. I don’t talk about how I eat or exercise (kettlebells and DDR) anymore so when I make an adjustment I don’t have to deal with the comments anymore. Primal has also helped me appreciate nutrition more but I still refuse to do to college.
Excellent advice. I only started taking a serious interest in healthy eating around 31. I ate what I thought was healthy-er before that, but I’m in much better shape now that I’m mostly low-carb paleo.
Those that are young: it may seem unnecessary now (<25yo), but wait until your buddies start crossing that 25yo mark, or so. Even though I'm only 31, many of my buds have clearly added a few pounds a year since college. After a decade, that's starting to add up. Most of them couldn't do a basic fitness test: 5+ full pullups, 20+ proper pushups, run a mile, or show any core strength. I hope they start watching the beer and food intake, or it's not going to be pretty at 40.
So true,I am almost 48 but I even think going primal would have minimized up my acne back then when I was a teen.
It certainly seems to have helped reduce my adult acne since I started in Nov 2010.
So appeal to their vanity
Oh, the acne… I almost couldn’t believe how immediately it cleared up when I started primal. I cut out dairy at the very beginning and thank goodness I did– a bite of any recipe with dairy in it can make my face angry by the next morning, sometimes earlier. I don’t even crave dairy, and haven’t since a week after I got rid of it. 19 and with a clear face after four years of terrible acne. My before/after is like a Proactiv commercial. Yeah, not a single craving here.
It’s a lot easier to start with the right habits when you are younger rather than trying to adopt them later in life. I agree with the the 80/20 rule. If you can do the right thing 80% of the time you will be way ahead of the game. You don’t need 100% perfection, striving for perfection is a recipe for failure, especially in health. You have to enjoy life a bit a long the way.
This is a very timely post. I have two wonderful little girls 2 and 5 years old. The 5 year old has been overweight for the last year. She doesn’t eat terribly, but puts on weight easily. Starting this week I am changing her diet to 80% primal. I really hope her body responds positively, as primal eating has had a fantastic effect on me.
Wish me luck.
Thank you for this post!
I’m 19 and discovered this website and primal living this past summer. I’m thankful to have found this early enough in life so that I will hopefully never struggle with major health issues. I am lucky enough to have a mother who is trying to follow a paleo/primal lifestyle aswell.
I have to agree that peer pressure is the hardest thing to overcome sometimes, especially when you do not want to be seen as being weird or on a diet. Trying to explain this lifestyle to people my age is rather difficult when they seem to care very little about how what they are doing now will affect them later…
Peer pressure just sucks. I started intermittent fasting after my cans of tuna were not well recieved during lunchtime
Why would anyone be weirded out by tuna? Even “normal” people eat canned tuna!
I started intermittent fasting for similar reasons too (before I even knew it existed actually).
You’d think tuna would be normal but the reactions by young people are just plain silly. Sorry it smells a little?
Ha ha! I take a can of sardines to work for breakfast. No one has said anything yet, but I’m kinda hiding in the break room so I can’t be seen. It’s a great breakfast, though!
Hey Mark! Wow, i read your website everyday and right when i am having doubts about my nutrition, this post shows up! I’m 15 years old in high school and health has been very interesting to me these past years and i really want to immerse into the primal lifestyle. It is sometimes tough to stay 100% but thats why i love the 80/20 rule. I hope to do a success story for you after i really adapt to eating primal. Thanks again for giving attention to us kids
Great Post! Unfortunately my 8 year old chubby son is too young to grasp the importance of this post. I’m waiting until he gets older and more mature to care about how he looks, feels and performs. Its a daily battle against sugar in my house, but I am one against many. hop[efuly in a few years he will come to me and say “dad, please help me get leaner and stronger like you have done a few years ago.” I hope this is not wishful thinking on my part…
WOW Your post reminds me about my house, I have just went along my beginning primal journey by myself also. My family loves there sugar and processed junk, I don’t buy it anymore so then they go out and get it themselves. (Order pizza anyone!< sodas) My son who is 9 is overweight as well as my husband and my 15 year old who is getting a ponch also but I am sick of trying to talk to them about it, they blow me off like I am on some kind of fad, weirdo. I hope they see results in me to change there ways but I am not holding my breath. How does one address this?? Maybe Mark can give us some pointers?
I am so glad you wrote this post. It really summarizes how my wife and I are raising our kids. My wife and I both have success stories on your page and our hope is that our kids success stories are simply ‘we are in great health, we manage our stress, we enjoy life, we effortless manage our weight, we rarely get sick, etc.’ I hope my kids don’t have to get on a scale and see 300 lbs as a teenager like I did. I hope the changes we had to make are the norm for them.
Keep up the great work!!
I hope my peers read this someday while searching the internet during a WoW patch time so together we can become a vibrant, capable generation. I am seventeen years old, a senior in high school, and absolutely disgusted with the self-serving culture around me. After going primal I really could see that so much of our apathetic lethargy stems from our dietary choices; it’s kinda hard to optimistically progress society when you’re hurting deep in your bloodstream and don’t even know it.
Awesome letter. I feel so lucky I stumbled upon this lifestyle and research at the ripe age of 20. I definitely feel like I have an edge on many people my age when it comes to health, productivity, and happiness.
Thank you so much for this post, Mark. I have been waiting for one like this!
I am 19, and I have been on-and-off Primal for almost a year. The “off” times were due to having insufficient funds for things like grass-fed meat and other Primal necessities. It took nearly 9 months to really learn how to find a good source, for a good price, and to learn how it satiates and that the up-front costs might be higher, but the long-term benefits are tremendous. Not to mention that there’s more humanity (depending on the farmer and stuff).
I’m fully Primal now. I am 6’2″ and when I weighed myself 6 months ago, I was 320 lbs. I don’t know how much I weigh now, and I may have not lost any weight, but I have energy like I’ve never had before and have never felt better. The other reason for my “off” time was that I had a very bad back injury, and I was too stressed out to really think about anything.
The problem now, though, is helping my partner go Primal. She’s normal weight, high height, but lives a high-stress, no-(physical)-activity lifestyle, clings to foods that are cheap and fast (like pizza, sandwiches, &tc.), but fully understands the Primal concept, understands how the metabolism works, and knows that she would be better off and that it would help secure her genes (and present health). She just “doesn’t have the time,” and she’ll fall for quick things like 15 minute convection-oven pizza and potato chips from a bag because they’re there and they’re fast and easy. Maybe I’ve been pushing it too hard on her. I forget about the 80/20 principle. Thank you so much for reminding me, Mark!
I’m going to start trying to help her and incorporate 80/20! I do more of 95/5. I let myself have a little Ben & Jerry’s on the weekend, after a hard week’s work. It’s pretty benign, compared to a lot of things, I think.
Thanks, Mark!
One thing your partner might find helpful is finding easy and yummy meals to cook that can be made in big batches and then refrigerated/frozen for later. I know that being in school full-time, working part-time (or working full-time and doing school part-time, which I’ll be switching to soon) as well as trying to have a life can make it really challenging to eat well. I found that setting aside 1-2 hours on a Sunday and 1 hour on a Wednesday to do my cooking for the next few days was really helpful. I’ll often cook up a couple of steaks, some chicken breasts and a pork tenderloin as well as some sauces/toppings and then stick them in the fridge. Most things will keep for up to a week and I can mix and match to suit my tastes, with the food only needing 10-20 minutes in the oven to reheat. Crock-pot meals can also be a good solution – normally 10-15 minutes prep, toss them in the fridge overnight and then pop them in the pot in the morning to cook throughout the day.
As for snacks, kale chips are quick and easy (10 minutes to prep and 10-15 to cook) and don’t cost any more than potato chips. They’re also very customizable. I normally cut up my kale when I get it so I can just grab a handful, toss with oil and seasoning and then pop them in the oven. Quicker than going to the store for potato chips and I can use whatever seasoning I want. Hand-made sweet potato, carrot or zucchini chips are just as easy if you have a mandolin or specialized cutter. They take a little longer to cook but are still pretty easy and certainly much yummier than the over processed bag of chips. You might even be able to make them for her so she gets to try them without the effort (they keep well in sealed containers).
My 10 year old is currently struggling with the decision to go dairy free. He understands the war against acne would be easier won without dairy, however he really likes a nice glass of whole milk in the afternoon. I tell him it’s his choice and I know he’ll make a good one.
I have to say though: I am 27 and Mark – you are STILL older than my Dad. I say that with love, age is just a number.
Hi, Jen, just curious if your 10 year old is drinking raw milk (if it’s even an option for you)? I’ve had acne problems with pasteurized (who wouldn’t?), but raw milk causes no problems for me. I know it’s not really paleo, and everyone’s body reacts differently, but maybe it could be a good compromise, or a good way to help him ease into the transition?
Thanks Mark
I stumbled upon the primal/paleo world a few months ago, age 16, and I completely love it. I’m 17 now and have shown it to my parents and friends, most of whom seemed pretty interested in and supportive of the idea.
I’ve also become an adept cook, a vibram-wearer, and a buyer of responsibly-raised foods.
I became very interested in human psychology and anthropology after taking those classes in school. I’m also a high-school athlete (rower). The primal/paleo lifestyle blends all these things together seamlessly.
Keep up the great work! I’ll continue to visit every day as long as you keep posting every day!
Great column, Mark. I have forwarded this page to all my contacts – young and old. Happy new year, everyone.