Mark's Daily Apple

Primal Inspired Holiday Gifts (to Give or Receive!)

The holidays, as fun as they are, can take a toll on our health. (The ultimate inspiration for those New Year’s resolutions, we suppose…) Beyond the party fare, even the gifts themselves (Aunt Marge’s fruitcake, the office’s enormous popcorn tins, your mother’s traditional box of Fannie May chocolates, etc.) can send our best Primal selves looking for cover (or our best intentions into a tailspin). And, on the giving end of things, we may find ourselves so taken by our Primal successes this year that we’d like to share gifts that encourage the same healthy lifestyle in others. Though this time of year holds different traditions (and compromises) for each of us, we thought we’d share some MDA-inspired gift ideas that put the health in our Happy and Healthy Holiday wishes to you, our good readers.

Posted By: Worker Bee

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My Top 10 Favorite Books

A few readers have asked me to offer up a list of my favorite books. That’s always a tough call since typically my favorite book is the one I’ve just finished (I also typically don’t finish a book I don’t like). Nevertheless, there are a few books that are probably more relevant to MDA and my health and fitness philosophies than others. In no particular order, here are five novels and five from the “health/medicine/fitness” category that come to mind as having shaped my worldview one way or another.

Posted By: Mark Sisson

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How to Make Dried Fruit

Dried fruit? Isn’t that kind of high in sugar? Well, the short answer is yes, but the long answer is that in small doses – such as in a nut-based snack mix, or sprinkled on top of a high-fat plain yogurt (e.g. Fage Total) for a sweet dessert – dried fruit can be a welcome addition to the Primal eating plan. With that said, it is called Nature’s candy for good reason, so be careful not to overdo it.

Before we get started, let’s first address why you should be drying your own fruit – especially when dried fruit is available just about anywhere (and by that we mean even the grimiest of gas stations are stocking it these days!). According to the folks over at Wikipedia, some commercially available dried fruit products are first treated with sulfur dioxide to enhance the color of the product after drying. The problem? Sulfur dioxide can trigger asthma symptoms in those with the disorder. You can avoid purchasing sulfur dioxide-treated fruit by always opting for organic dried fruit products.

Posted By: Worker Bee

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10 Steps to “Primalize” Your Pantry

The freezer has ice cream and frozen pizzas, but it’s the pantry that harbors the usual carb suspects – chips, cookies, crackers, pasta, cereal and bread galore. If you’re not careful this cool and dark space could derail your best efforts to eat Primally. So follow these 10 easy steps and you’ll be well on your way to having a truly Primal pantry. And be sure to share what’s in your pantry in the comment boards! Are we missing any major Primal staples?

Posted By: Aaron

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The World’s Healthiest Countries (and What We Can Learn From Them)

More than anything, the Primal Blueprint is a pragmatic approach to diet and lifestyle. It is not dogma; rather, it is based on empirical evidence suggesting that following the diet and many lifestyle behaviors of our early ancestors is the healthiest way to live. Though we keep abreast of the latest scientific news, how we feel when we eat, exercise, and live Primally is what motivates us to follow the Primal Blueprint. Results matter, and so we feel it might be useful to take a look at some of the healthiest countries in the world and understand what works for them.

Posted By: Worker Bee

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