Dear Mark: Is Flax Bad?

Dear Mark,

I’ve been researching flax and am ready to pull the plug on my dedicated flaxseed grinder. The kicker was seeing flaxseeds associated with prostate cancer. What’s your take?

Thanks to reader Clare for the thoughtful correspondence on flax. This is exactly why I love doing this blog. Research continues to unfold, and the conversation never fails to engage and inspire me.

Posted By: Mark Sisson

64

How to Get that Natural Glow

We’re showing a little skin today at MDA. No, it’s not another photo of Mark’s abs, although the last picture did elicit a rousing response. We’re talking glow, color, clarity, tone. Sound like a beauty ad? Well, it certainly could be except for the fact that there’s nothing to “buy” except a healthy primal lifestyle.

Mark advocates the Primal Blueprint for many dimensions of wellness: healthy aging, disease prevention and therapy, physical fitness, sexual health, and mental well-being. But what if it helped you look good too? No need to suddenly feel guilty or vain. (We don’t.) We know you’re in it for the health, and so are we. Consider it the icing on the cake. It’s doubtful any of us are out to be the next cover model on Vogue or GQ (although you never know – anyone?). Nonetheless, who doesn’t want to enjoy a little extra, natural boost?

Posted By: Worker Bee

11

Dear Mark: Primal Compromises for Athletes

I’ve been getting a slew of emails lately from marathon runners and other endurance athletes among our group, many in response to our 30-Day Primal Health Challenge. Questions have run the gamut but generally get at how to combine endurance training and Primal Blueprint methodology:

How do I combine a low carb diet with marathon training? (Hint: you generally can’t)

What would you recommend for carb refueling post-race?

Can I even do the PB challenge if I have to adapt the diet for training purposes?

Posted By: Mark Sisson

36

Dear Mark: Better Nutrient Forms

Dear Mark,

What’s the story about certain kinds of vitamin C, calcium, etc.? Does it make any difference?

Because we live in a more complicated, modern world with chronic stress, pollution, etc., I always suggest wise supplementation for optimum health. The best supplementation is effectively comprehensive, properly balanced, and efficiently bioavailable. Some forms of some nutrients are simply more readily absorbed than others. Additionally, some forms of certain nutrients are easier on the digestive system than others, particularly in those with stomach sensitivity.

When it comes to food, you want the best your money can buy, and the same thing goes for supplementation. Different supplements (we’ll stick with “multivitamins” for now) fulfill their nutritional claims differently. Some forms of certain nutrients, generally the more bioavailable and stomach-friendly forms, are more expensive than less bioavailable or harsher forms.

Posted By: Mark Sisson

5

Vitamin D and RDA for Children

It’s probably of little surprise that we take issue with some of the Recommended Daily Allowance values and how they’re often determined. Case in point: New research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism suggests that the current children’s RDA for Vitamin D (200 IUs) does not sufficiently support the “bone growth and musculoskeletal health of children and adolescents.”

The RDA value for children was set at 200 IUs because, unlike testing for adults’ dosage, there wasn’t adequate research into the benefits of higher amounts.

Vitamin D deficiency is a growing problem around the world, including in developed countries where children spend little time outside. Questions have existed for some time regarding the adequacy of the current RDA, particularly for older children and adolescents, who undergo a great deal of bone growth. As the researchers of this study note, Vitamin D levels during adolescence have bearing on a child’s future bone density and risk for other diseases.

Posted By: Worker Bee

11