Contest: Give Advice, Win Books
UPDATE: This contest is closed. Visit the 30 Day Challenge Contest Page to find out which contests are still open, and to view winners.
The Prize:
A Primal Library. A collection of handy books to fill out the shelf of any newcomer or Primal veteran. Included are:
- The Primal Blueprint – A pastoral drama that explores the tension and frustration of unrequited love between a farm hand and an aristocrat during times of… just kidding. It’s my book!
- The Primal Blueprint Cookbook – And so is this one!
- Good Calories, Bad Calories – Gary Taubes seminal work on the take down of the old “calories in, calories out” approach to health.
- The Garden of Eating – Presents a practical plan for obtaining the health-building benefits of an alkaline, produce-dominated diet that includes pastured-animal products. Includes 250 delicious, family-friendly, grain- and dairy-free recipes.
- Sugar Shock – The ultimate handbook for yanking out the sweet tooth. And if you’re looking for some serious schooling on curing your sugar addiction, check out Connie Bennett’s 6 Week Online Course.
- The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook – Yes, there’s a giant cake on the cover of this one. But fear not, Grok Stars, Elana (of Elana’s Pantry) does some truly wondrous and Primal stuff with almonds inside the cover.
The Contest:
Got knowledge? Want to spread that knowledge? Do it now. In 50 words or less, leave a comment on today’s post with your best piece of advice for folks just starting out with the Primal lifestyle. While some of you have been reading Mark’s Daily Apple for years, many folks reading this hadn’t heard of “Grok” or the idea that “fat is healthy” until just a few days ago. So for anyone who’s spent a little time on the blog, now’s your chance to tell folks the one thing you wish you had been told at the beginning of your journey. A winner will be picked at random from all eligible comments.
The Deadline:
September 12, 8:00 a.m. PST. You’ve got one day, make it count!
Who is Eligible:
Anyone. Except the Easter Bunny. Because (spoiler alert) the Easter Bunny does not exist.
Fine Print:
Indeed, all the print you’ll be receiving if you win is fine. So fine.
The Official Contest Page – Contests are open, find out which ones can still enter!
Subscribe to the Mark’s Daily Apple Newsletter and Get Challenge Updates All Month Long
Posted By: Mark Sisson
Being a college student I was afraid that my budget wouldn’t be enough to cover this new lifestyle. And to begin with it has been a little more expensive than what I would normally pay for groceries, but the majority of that is because I didn’t have any spices or oils or anything to cook with. Now that I have started a collection of ingredients I’ve seen that I can actually buy “primal”-ly and afford it. So if you’re concerned with your first few visits to the grocery store to make the primal change, don’t worry about it too much! It does get easier.
Use common sense! You can listen to someone telling you to eat highly processed foods filled with chemicals and additives, or you can listen to someone telling you to eat the fruits of the earth, wholesome meats, vegetables, and fruits.
You decide.
Get ready to be called crazy.
Embrace crazy.
LOVE it!
Keep it simple, and learn to cook. When getting started stick to the basics: real food! Avoid replacements and substitutes. Don’t go crazy on nuts. Sleep a lot. Oh, and veggies taste awesome with butter.
Veggies are also awesome when they have a little coconut oil on them. Mmmmm!
Think about who you have to live for. Then imagine accomplishing that and teaching them how to live a long and healthy life. Going primal is not only effortless, but full of amazingly flavor and filling dishes. So give it a try, what’s the worse that could happen? Better health!
It’s hard for others to relate to this way of life unless they fully understand it. Find a Primal Partner who can help keep you motivated and stay confident, even on the slip up days.
Approach this initially as a one week challenge in self-discipline. Don’t fret over what you’re giving up or why at first – just consider it an experiment and see what happens! The results will almost inevitably make a believer out of you and old habits will be much easier to break.
Primal eating in a nutshell: When you are hungry (not craving) eat Primal food until you are satisfied (not stuffed). Then wait until you are hungry again, and repeat.
Make a commitment to purchase and try at least one new Primal food every week. This will really keep you motivated and excited as you discover how delicious clean and primal foods really are!
Sign up for the forum using the Forum Link above. There is a ton of support and alot of good advice from other grokstars.
Eliminate temptations and surround yourself with primal food options. Make sure you stick with primal at least 1-2 weeks.
Get rid of the grains. Purge your fridge, cabinets and pantry. That is one of the hardest things to do especially since most people are addicted to carbs and sugar. Once those toxins are out, don’t let them back in!
Forget conventional wisdom. Ask yourself how the humans evolved and try to hear your deeply-seated instincts. Stock up on healthy primal foods, move and play as if you were a child, and you will have a nice journey toward vibrant health. Read MDA for inspiration!
Don’t take everything you read here to be the whole truth! Think and investigate for yourself and find what works for you.
The third day is the hardest! It is almost like when you quit smoking, for some reason the third day is the hardest. So no matter what on that third day do not cheat AT ALL then when you wake up on the forth day it feels like a HUGE accomplishment and it motivates you and you feel great and you feel like you can do it!
Think long-term not short-term. You didn’t become unhealthy overnight, and you won’t become healthy overnight either. Over the long run, many great decisions outweigh a few bad ones. Don’t beat yourself up over minor slip-ups! Get back on that Primal horse and RIDE!
Primal living is all about what’s best for you, so use this as a time to nurture yourself. Take lots of naps, walks, hot showers. Eat lots of yummy foods. It’ll be okay when you mess up; just keep going. Don’t get caught up in perfection; instead, focus on you.
It’s easier than you think! Even easier if you have a partner who is doing it with you. You really won’t miss the grains especially with all the glorious fats! But I wish I was more prepared for the “withdrawal” after giving up grains. I was lethargic for a few days, but then back to normal energy levels. Then after a few weeks my energy was really really good…. Even with having two small energetic children to chase after!
Take note of all of the everyday ailments that afflict you (bloating, gas, afternoon slump, minor joint aches, sun sensitivity, sensitive teeth/gums, etc.). Write them all down on a list. Go primal for one month. Then revisit the list and see if anything has changed. Simple as that!
Don’t overwhelm yourself with doing a complete 180. Take the changes one at a time, progress will always be felt before seen. Build upon each day with another successful goal; everything will start to come naturally. Suddenly your physical appearance will change. Embrace your new life, and never look back.
The very best advice! Feeling overwhelmed is a big reason so many quit. Don’t strive for perfection, strive for progress.
The first few days are the hardest, but stick with it, and by the second week you will have never felt better, and it is all downhill from there!
Focus on eating real foods. Mostly meat and vegetables. Avoid grains, sugar, and vegetable oils. Once you get used to it, you’ll wonder how and why grains were ever a significant part of your diet.
When you go to the grocery store- Stick to the perimeter, stay clear of the middle isles. You want to eat foods with a short shelf life to give yourself a long primal shelf life!
Don’t keep food around your house that you know don’t belong to the PB. When you shop read labels, you will find so many products (like a tomato sauce for example) that are made with sugar. Usually fewer ingredients is better; avoid the weird names, and look for “no sugar added”, “all natural” and “no preservatives” on the labels.
I have only been eating primal for about 5 weeks but my best advice is to start slow and take about a week to completely eliminate grains. If you sit down to dinner knowing it will be your last pasta/pizza/sandwich then you are less likely to crave them. Your body will feel so good in the following weeks and if you do slip up you will realize how bad grains make you feel and you will never want to eat them again!
When I first started living primal I decided to do it for 30 days and see how I felt. Trying something instead of just reading and judging. Doing instead of critiquing. I feel so much better and that’s what it’s all about! Commit to your 30 days and then decide if it’s right for you!
The most important thing to know: It’s easy. It seems overwhelming to start but once you get a handle on the concepts and basics it all seems like common sense. The food is deliciously simple and the exercise is satisfyingly fun!
2 weeks in and I feel better than ever. It’s not about restricting your diet – but revising what you consider healthy. Insulin response and whole foods are the biggest things to change – it can save your life! Literally. Drop processed foods, drop the grains and sugars – enjoy the foods we were meant to eat!
Tupperware! it will become your best friend. Bake a pack of chicken for the week and eat it with sliced avocado, or prepare all your veggies for the week sunday night.
Everyone–young, old, fat, thin, healthy or those with health problems or limitations– can benefit by going Primal. Set optimum health as your intention, follow the guidelines, and success will follow.