Dear Readers
A couple weeks ago I gave this “Dear Readers” format a try. There was such a tremendous response that I may make it a regular feature of Mark’s Daily Apple. What do you say? I love giving my advice and opinions, but add mine with all the knowledgeable readers of MDA and then you really have something. Take a look at some of the questions I’ve received below and share you stories, experiences and knowledge in the comment board. Thanks everyone!
Question 1
We see a lot about the importance of eating grass fed beef, but what about other meats?
I’ve never seen a pig out on a pasture eating grass, nor a chicken, but obviously not all meats are created equal.
At my local butcher, for instance, i noticed that they had free range corn fed pork. Now, from reading your blog and others my mind instantly went “free range = good, corn fed = bad”. So how do we find good quality pork and chicken (or other meats)?
Thanks,
Gus
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Question 2
Hello good friend! I appreciate what you do and getting the word out that there are alternatives to what is shoved down our throats, but I’ll get right to the question. Tell me what you know about “primal contraception”. What if Grock had a primal marriage but wasn’t ready for those little Grockaroos just yet? What do you think he would do? My wife has trouble with conventional contraception. She experiences mood difficulties, very low libido and often erratic periods. We’re trying to find a more “natural” way to have enjoyable sex and be able to plan for when we want to bring a child into the world. We have been to the gynecologist many times but they seem to just give you the pill they happen to be pushing that week and then it’s off with you! We really thought we had something with the copper IUD, but her uterus is apparently too curved and would have to have a child before being able to use the thing. Thanks for your continued insight.
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Question 3
As a follower of a clean healthy lifestyle (nearly 100% primal) I sometimes worry about tablets & pills etc. I was wondering if you know of a natural or primal painkiller, as I am currently suffering from terrible a toothache. Probably all my years of eating too much sugar!
Kane
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Question 4
Not sure where to post on your site as I am new but what about milk kefir, how does it fit in the Primal Blueprint? Tons of probiotic benefit in this gem, more so than yogurt by a long shot. Especially when your making the real deal from kefir grains and not from powder mixes or worse yet purchasing the commercial “dead” kefir at your local grocery store.
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Question 5
Note from Mark: This question was posed in the forum and there has already been a great response from the Primal community. Chime in here (in the comment board) or explore the forum to offer your take on this very common question from Primal newbies.
I am new to the Primal Blueprint and I am having issues with what to have for breakfast. I live at a hall of residence (coz I am at University) so don’t have access to eggs and stuff (I also don’t have a microwave/oven etc so can’t cook anything). For breakfast I generally have yoghurt (I know, not primal!) with whey protein powder (also not primal!) and some nuts and seeds.
Is this bad? And does anyone have any possible other ideas? I am a very much a breakfast person and I still like to have a relatively large breakfast. For lunch and dinner I have salad with some protein, which I think is ok?
Thanks 
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
Squire Hola..Please have you any idea how much Vit D3 we’d roughly get from say a 1000iu of D 3 please ?
Thanks much.
BTW Grok On…..deadly catchy
Simon (Fellows)
Q1: We use goats around here to get ag tax exemptions. Some animals, like goats, will eat almost anything! Just last week I watched a goat eat a coke can and countless other trash. I’ve also seen pigs eat all kinds of trash at my uncle’s farm. While it’s probably not best to dine on an animal thats been eating trash, I would imagine as long as the animal has been fed food that would be naturally available and eaten by the animal you should be in the clear. Cows naturally eat grass, yet we continue to feed them grains and the like. This is probably more of the reason you hear about grass fed beef.
Oh, one other comment. I see that there is some text below the comment text box that says who wrote it and when. IE(D wrote on May 18th, 2009). Some colorblind people like myself might find it difficult to read. In fact, I didn’t know it was there until I hi lighted it on accident.
Thanks,
D
Hi, re question 3, I had really really bad toothache about a month ago and I wasn’t going to get into the dentist for two weeks, so in desperation I consulted Dr G Oggle. He suggested I chewed a clove of garlic over the affected tooth, and I must say that it worked, it took the pain away, but the raw garlic did burn my mouth and tasted horrible, and as I had to go to work the next day and didn’t think my workmates would appreaciate the garlic breath,so I tried clove oil. That worked amazingly, I got a wee cottonball and soaked it in clove oil and put it in the cavity. In the end i had the tooth extracted cause the cavity was throught to the nerve but the clove oil helped heaps, I didn’t have to take painkillers. I just wish I had gone to the dentist about three years ago to get the cavity filled. Cheers from New Zealand, I love you site !!
Herbivore, omnivore, carnivore. Look at the gut. A pig is an omnivore like us and will eat pretty much anything. They can digest immature forage like us, (think salad). They cannot digest the cellulose in forage; which differentiates them from cows which have an amazing rumen which can break down and digest mature forage.
Breakfast Question…. check out Cliff Builder Bars… no gluten,dairy, preservatives, and all natural- 20 grams of protein – does have some rice sugar or something though.
I am leary of the Responsibly Slim shakes because of the sucralose (Splenda) in them. I had a brain tumor removed recently and really want to avoid chemicals if at all possible. I used sweet n low and splenda and drank diet cokes for years. don’t know if that had anything to do with it but would rather not have my head opened again. Be careful what you are putting into you bodies. Wish Responsibly slim was made with stevia or xylitol… might be something to look into.
Sucralose is the “LAST” ingredient listed in Responsibly Slim ingredients. I believe it’s safe because “all” of Mark’s products are perfectly balanced, safe, and totally trustworthy!
Question 3. While not necessarily primal but a natural option, gargling with a capful of Peroxcide has helped me tremendously with tooth aches (I don’t have any cavaties). I go to the dentist regularly but sometimes get tooth aches,gum sorenss, canker sores etc. and rinsing with Peroxide is cheap and works great.
Mark, do some research on Splenda. When your done you’ll be as convinced as some of the rest of us that Splenda is dangerous (along with all other artificial sweeteners). PLEASE switch to Stevia!
Dave,
I’m not the biggest fan of artificial sweeteners of any type. I’m also not a fan of sugar. When I was designing my Responsibly Slim, I wanted it to have a good dose of protein and still taste great. That’s tough to do with a meal replacement, because protein tastes like crap. In fact, some of the “best for you” taste pretty awful. Compliance is huge when you make a meal replacement. And I have always acknowledged that this is a substitute for food – not a food. I’d much rather you eat a meal.
I researched Splenda heavily and found no credible research that showed any health issues whatsoever. In fact, no sweetener has been so well-researched. I know Joe Mercola has a problem with it. If I could get away without using anything, I would, but I’ve had thousands of people use Responsibly Slim and swear by it for effective weight loss – primarily because it tastes so good. In the end, the choice for many of my customers is one of either not losing the weight as easily or of ingesting a few milligrams of an artificial sweetener that has demonstrated no harmful effects.
I completely agree with you. After drinking Propel (when it had sucralose)I started noticing the same strange feeling you get from aspartame which I tried in Canada and stopped using almost immediately. A very strange feeling!
Research is now pointing to the fact that all of these aspartame, sucralose are exitoxins which can cause neural problems and brain tumors. They have been using stevia for years in Japan and it works for me. I would also rather see pure cane sugar than any artificial sweetener.
I used to rationalize chemicals and additives in my food -like Sucralose being the “LAST” ingredient in the list but after having a massive brain tumor removed and no one knowing the origin I had to rethink my rationalizations. We can’t and don’t live in a perfect world but as Dave, the RN said the research is out there that this IS a dangerous product with multiple health concerns.
I think Mark is right on track about most things BUT… we do need to think for ourselves too.
I am with Mark on the present lack of evidence suggesting any health issues linked to Sucralose. At least I haven’t been able to find any.
While not *ideal*, I believe it can be very helpful, particularly for people transitioning from a long held high-carb/low-fat diet into a primal lifestyle.
Question 4:
I am a regular user of Kefir. I make it from fresh raw milk and Kefir grains. I regard it as taking a free Vitamine B complex + probiotics pill.
It has helped me with digestive problems, skindisorders and lowering cholesterol.
Here, here lets toast to the real kefir!
(clink)
Question 3 – Buy the book “Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition” by Ramiel Nagel. It’s $29 on Amazon but definitely worth it. Nagel talks about research that indicates tooth decay is caused by a lack of nutrients in the diet, and that you can prevent and cure cavities by eating certain foods, and avoiding other foods. Since I started eating the recommended foods, the tooth pain I had has completely gone away. Pain killers might make you feel better temporarily, but it will only mask the symptoms. You should look into how you can actually heal your tooth.
Nagel does recommend going to the dentist if you’re in pain and want to get it taken care of. You should pay attention to what your body is telling you!
Question 4
I answered this on dear reader 1 in response to a question concerning cheese.
I am very big on real kefir grains.
Question 3
I have had lots of issues with pain and painkillers. You have my complete sympathy. A few are MSM, white willow. I have a whole page of these on my website. They work very well and I don’t need to take any other pain medication when I need something.
From my reading these Fertility Awareness books have a higher success rate than the pill when you learn them properly, hands on with an experienced practitioner. Birth-control pills are almost as bad as antibiotics for fungus and yeast troubles.
I also strongly suggest you never use these contraceptives that promise no monthly events for months at a time. If you read the horror stories of the mental issues women are suffering from long after they are removed you would shudder.
I also recommend virgin coconut oil for thyroid and adrenal balance it is very good to balance hormones. Also make sure you get plenty of good fats. You need them to make hormones.
I too experienced catastrophic damage to so many body systems on the pill! Hormonal disruptions, depression, period problems-you name it! I read online about a study conducted by the University of Melbourne that investigated using lemon juice as a contraceptive. In their lab, they found that lemon juice not only quickly immobilized sperm, but it also effective in killing HIV. I wouldn’t bank on it, as I am not a doctor! But from personal experience, this works for me.
My husband and I preferred not to conceive immediately, but most importantly we could successfully care for any “surprises” (not accidents) that came our way. I diluted some lemon juice equal parts with water (so I wouldn’t turn any sensitive areas into ceviche) and soaked a natural sea sponge in it, then inserted pre-coitus. It is important for vaginal health to use sterile sponges; I just kept cutting appropriately sized chunks from the large sponge I purchased. My husband never noticed anything different during the dance. No babies to date.
From a historical standpoint, there is evidence that as far back as the Ancient Greeks and Egyptians used similar methods to this. Research it yourself; Dr. Mercola even talks about it on his web page. I can only vouch for my own experiences, but as my husband and I are not aggressively investigating our fertility- we don’t know if one or both of us are infertile to any extent! But as young couples are, we’re healthy and frequently amorous. It’s up to you to decide! Good Luck!
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2002/10/26/lemons.aspx