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Everyone has got a different schedule these days. Whether you’re a business person working 9 to 5, a college kid with a varying schedule, or anything in between, eating healthy and staying fit poses the same challenge to any lifestyle or schedule. On my site, Go Healthy Go Fit, I break up different lifestyles by categories that encompass a certain type of schedule. This way you can identify what category best matches your current lifestyle and read about the tips. It’s just about tweaking it to fit your particular schedule. So here are a few helpful tips about staying Primal in any lifestyle!

The Business Person

The great thing about having a 9 to 5 job is that it’s consistent. You can build a routine for yourself that allows you to maintain a healthy diet (i.e. getting all your fruits and vegetables, good fats and lean protein). Here are a few points on how to stay healthy throughout the day.

• Pack a lunch, save some money - As Mark can tell you, nothing substitutes for a good salad! Plus you can always change it up by substituting in different type of nuts (Almonds, Brazil nuts, Walnuts) and berries. Hint: put your dressing in a separate small container
• Pack small meals for throughout the day - Mark just wrote about 10 steps to Primalize Your Pantry, and in that post he’s got my 3 favorite mid day snacks: Nuts, dried fruits and jerky! You don’t have to refrigerate them and they’re great for when you’re on the go. Make sure you pack an appropriate amount so that you won’t binge out on these.
• Get a sturdy water bottle - Keeping water handy is a really smart idea. Sometimes if you’re working, you’ll just forget to drink water for long periods of time. If you buy a strong, reusable water bottle you can refill it often and cut down on waste.

As for staying fit, this may be easier than you might imagine. Only you are able to make the decision about when to go to the gym. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of your time at the office.

• Wireless headset - If a big part of your day is spent on the phone, get a wireless headset and make a habit of walking while you talk. It might not sound like a workout, but as the Primal Blueprint has shown us, walking is a very important part of sound health. So why not maximize the time you have to simply walk around?
• Get a grip - You can use a stress ball, grip exerciser, etc. to exercise your grip while you’re pacing around on your wireless headset. These days, a lot of people tend to forget about working out their grip, but it’s a key component in the amount of weight you can lift.
• Join a weekend sports league - This is a great way to satisfy your inner need to play, exercise, get some sun. By joining a league, you create a commitment to others and thus are more likely to honor that commitment.

The College Kid

You can substitute blogger, business owner, or independent personal trainer in for this title. This category is basically for those of us whose schedule requires a self-starter mentality. We don’t necessarily have a set schedule, however, time can fly when you are constantly moving from one thing to another.

• Set reminders - Set an alarm on your phone or computer to remind you to eat. This doesn’t have to include every meal or be the same every day, as intermittent fasting has shown us, but it can be a reminder that it’s been too long since you last ate.
• Cook your meals - This is key. If you work from home, take advantage and make your own meals. It’s a much healthier alternative and it doesn’t have to take up your whole day. Check out Mark’s tips for quick cooking in 15 Minutes Or Less.
• Take a cooler - If you are always out and about, think about bringing a cooler with you. It will take away the temptation of fast food on the go.

While the consistency for the 9 to 5′er is a plus, the inconsistency for those with dynamic schedules is also just as much of a plus (I always like to look on the bright side!).

• Switch it up - Since you make up your own schedule, go to the gym at different times of the day. It will help you get better results if you workout in different ways and at different times of the day. Mark talks about why mixing it up is important for your fitness progress as well. It will make visits to the gym more fun as you’ll see different faces. Simply by exercising your freedom to go to the gym whenever you want can be rewarding in and of itself.
• Go for a walk - Please, if you don’t have to be confined by a cubicle, take advantage of it and go for a walk. You’ll get some sun, a Primal exercise and you’ll put a smile on your face in the process!

Those are just a few tips to incorporate living a healthier, more Primal existence under different types of lifestyles. The key is to find out what works for you. I want to give a big thanks to Mark for asking me to write this guest post and to all of the faithful readers of MDA!! I look forward to hearing your comments on how you incorporate leading a healthy lifestyle into your schedule.

mathowie and marttj Flickr Photos (CC)

Other Guest Posts:

Fitness Black Book: Shake Your Gym Addiction. The Outside World is Waiting For You

10 Questions with MizFit from MizFitOnline

Modern Forager: The Tropical Oils

The IF Life: Building Muscle 101

Health Hackers: Conquer Restless Nights with This Simple Sleep Cure

Almost Vegetarian: Almost Vegetarian and Kitchen Geology

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Oh, Lordy.

I’ve been grain-free for nearly three years now. Oh, every once in a while, I’ll have a bite or two of bread at a restaurant (it had better be really good bread though and even then I’ll still douse it with olive oil or real butter) or a couple of chips with guacamole - mostly just as a vehicle for delivering the precious emerald mixture to my mouth. I might even have a few sushi rolls with sticky white rice from time to time. But for the most part I stay far away from grains. No cereal ever, no pasta ever, no wheat, barley, rye, corn or anything of that sort. My exodus from grains was gradual, starting about five years ago, but it increased in fervor and resolve as I discovered more and more through my research how inappropriate grains were as a component of the human diet.

All throughout my youth and just up until a few years ago, I had also suffered from occasional intense, sometimes debilitating, gastrointestinal cramping that I had always chalked up to stress. The classic Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS. You know how some people claim to carry stress in their necks, their groin or their shoulders? I simply believed I carried stress in my gut and that that was the main cause of my IBS. I missed school some days as a kid. I’d take a day off work once in a while years later. I even missed races occasionally as a result of it. As recently as three years ago, I spent several sleepless nights doubled over in excruciating pain during a stressful period when I was producing 50 episodes of my TV show within a very compressed time frame. As I look back now, I was still eating bread (sandwiches) and whole wheat rolls (at dinner) during that time. Hmmm.

I had basically lived on grains for 50 years, during 20 of which I had to cram down all the bread, pasta, rolls and cereal I could to obtain the 1,000 grams of carbs a day I needed to fuel my athletic pursuits. On a day-to-day basis, I felt fine. In all that time it had never occurred to me that my gut-wrenching stress episodes might have also had something to do with grains in my diet. I didn’t make the connection because I could go for many months at a time without an IBS episode, and yet I always had the grains in my diet. It wasn’t until I completely eliminated grains that any form of IBS fully disappeared - even during very recent times of significant stress. So it wasn’t just the grains and it wasn’t just the stress; it was the two combined that set off the alarm bells.

I had a real experience of that again just last week, though, and the connection became even more apparent. I was off on an organized weekend “self-discovery” retreat. I had signed up on the advice of a good friend and really had no idea what I was in for, except that it would be somewhere up in the mountains and we would be challenged on multiple levels. A few hours into the first night I realized that for the next few days one of the challenges would be the Spartan diet of nothing but granola, water and a few slices of fruit. My first inclination was to forgo these meager victuals and use this as a fasting (IF) weekend, but not knowing whether we were in for “Survivor”-type challenges, long nights shivering in the cold or forced 15-mile marches, I decided I might need the calories in whatever form I could take them. So I started downing the granola with the rest of the participants. I knew what I was doing, but I thought “how bad could three servings of rolled oats each day possibly be?” Oh, Lordy.

Everything was copacetic for the first 24 hours, but by Sunday morning, I was noticing a sensation I had thankfully not experienced for three years - the doubling over in pain and the urge to purge. By the end of the course Sunday afternoon, I was completely preoccupied with the pain and unable to participate in any of the post-event discussions as I tried to meditate my way to a “happy place”. Several trips to the bathroom provided only marginal relief, and it wasn’t until I got in my car to drive home Sunday night that I could see light at the end of the tunnel. The cramping continued sporadically well into Monday and only subsided as I resumed my regular diet.

I tell you all this to reiterate that the problems that arise from eating grains aren’t always obvious. As I have said here, the fact that you can eat grains for years and manifest no symptoms doesn’t mean they are not having some small insidious effect. In my case, it has always been the combination of stress and grains that has caused the red flags to go up, but I think there was always something going on even when it didn’t manifest itself in IBS. In the three years since I have been grain-free, the arthritis in my fingers - that I had already had for five years and had always assumed to be a natural result of getting older - has disappeared. I never get sick anymore, even when I’m stressed. I maintain my body fat level so easily it’s almost criminal. Yes, these could be due to other factors as well, but this past weekend really opened my eyes once again.

Further Reading:

The Definitive Guide to Grains

2 Minute Salad Video

My Knee is Killing Me… No Really.

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Nature’s Candy

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.

Ok, now on to the good stuff - let’s dehydrate some fruit in 10 easy steps!

1. Fruit Finder

The first step? Deciding what type of fruit will work for drying. The obvious are apricots, apples, bananas, berries, coconut and plums, but be sure to give cherries, citrus peel, figs, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, papaya, peaches, pears and pineapple a try! An even more off the wall - yet no less delicious option? Cantaloupe - it tastes just like candy!

2. Pick a Candidate

When selecting candidates for fruit dehydration, you’ll need to employ the same stringent eye you would use in the grocery store. As such, you should be picking up fruits that firm, blemish free and ripe, but not overly so (which means using fruit dehydration for the forgotten contents of your fruit bowl is not going to prove successfully!)

3. Slicing and Dicing

Preparing fruit for dehydration is no different than preparing fruit for consumption. You’ll want to wash all fruits thoroughly, particularly if the fruit you are going to use will be eaten with its skin, to remove any dirt and lingering pesticides. If necessary, pit and slice the fruit into equal-sized pieces. For larger berries or cherries, for example, you’ll want to cut them in half. Apples and Pears should be cored and then sliced into ½ inch thick slices. The key here is that all of the pieces are of similar size so that they dry at an equal rate.

4. Proper Pre-Treatment

Remember how we mentioned that store bought dried fruit often contains sulfur to make the fruit look a little more appealing? Well, there is a simple, no chemical way to pre-treat fruit that also has the benefit of restoring a portion of the vitamin C that is lost during the dehydration process. The easiest way to do this is to dip the fruit slices in an ascorbic acid dip made by combining 2 tbsp ascorbic acid - or the equivalent of 5 grams of crushed vitamin C tablets - in one quart of water. Another method is to blanch the fruit by putting slices in a steamer for five minutes then transferring them to an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Though this process is really only good for a few fruits, such as apples, pears and apricots.

You know how they say there’s more than one way to skin a cat? Well, there’s also more than one way to…errr…dry a fruit! Here are a few of our favorites:

5. Sun Drying

By far the most environmentally friendly method, sun drying is really only a viable option for those living in climates with 100 degree heat and relatively low humidity…and where you can guarantee that this fine weather will last two to four days. To do, line a cookie tray with sides with cheese cloth or a fine netting. Arrange slices on the tray and place in direct sunlight. Turn fruit once a day to promote equal drying. Some fruit drying aficionados recommend positioning a fan close by to boost air circulation and also suggest that you bring the trays indoors overnight to prevent dew from forming on the fruits.

6. Oven Drying

Yes, the oven is on for a long time, but it’s on at such a low heat, that it really isn’t that bad on the environment (or, lets face it, the electricity bill!) To dry fruit in the oven, line the racks with cheesecloth and place fruit slices on top. The oven should be set at its lowest setting, reaching a temperature of no higher than 145 degrees Fahrenheit, and the door should be left slightly open to allow any steam to escape (again, experts recommend positioning a fan close by to keep air circulating).

7. Electric Dehydration

If you’re planning on making a habit out of dehydrating fruits, it might be smart to invest in an electric dehydrator. They’re more economical than running your oven for that long and, unlike an oven, you don’t have to stay home when the dehydrator is going! Plus, it’s the fastest way to get the job done, meaning you’ll get your prunes pronto!

8. All Done

Although drying times vary based on the type of fruit, how it is prepared, and how you dry it, there are a few simple tricks you can use to test when it is done. A good way to test whether the fruit is “cooked” is to first touch it - it should feel dry but not brittle, almost taking on a leathery yet pliable texture. Then, tear a piece apart and look along the tear. If there are moisture beads, you’ll need a little more time.

9. Dried-Up

You spent all that time doing the dehydrating, the quickest way to reverse all your hard work? Store it improperly. To keep the (dried) fruits of your labor in tip-top shape, store them in a Ziploc bag or other airtight container that is then wrapped in a brown paper bag or other covering that will keep the fruits protected from sunlight. Then, store the package in a cool, dry place. If you must keep the fruits in the fridge, take extra steps to ensure that the package is airtight so that the cool moisture of the fridge doesn’t spoil the fruit.

10. Pass the Pasteurizer

Not going to get to your dried cantaloupe pieces any time soon? There is a way to extend the life of your fruit: Pasteurizing. There are two options to do this: The first is to heat the dried fruit in an oven at 175 degrees for 10-15 minutes. The other requires you to freeze the fruit for several days at zero degrees. It should be noted, however, that you’ll need a deep freezer to do this (the one attached to your fridge just won’t stay cold enough!). Once pasteurized, follow the same storage protocol as detailed above.

Final Thoughts: Fresh and dried fruit is a welcome addition to the Primal eating plan. In moderation, dried fruit can be a healthy, sweet treat. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t reiterate that, especially with dried fruit, you may want to keep an eye on consumption if you’re trying to keep your carb count within the healthy Primal range. Check out FitDay’s nutrition facts panels for select fruits here.

jalalspages, S and C, massdistraction Flickr Photos (CC)

Further Reading:

Dear Mark: Best Fruit Choices

Make Your Own Primal Energy Bars

How to Make Your Own Jerky

10 Delicious DIY Salad Dressings

National Center for Home Food Preservation - Drying Fruits and Vegetables (PDF)

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A Scrumptious PWO Meal

Before I jump into this week’s Dear Mark post I wanted to direct everyone’s attention to Andrew Rubalcava’s site, Go Healthy Go Fit. Andrew just published an interview with me. Here are just a few of the questions I answered:

Who have been your top 3 favorite bloggers over the years?

How did you get involved in physical competition such as your experience as a triathlete?

If you could give a few words of advice for those who are just beginning to enter a world of health and fitness, what would you say?

Check out the interview here, and check back on Thursday when I’ll be publishing Andrew’s guest post on how to stay healthy no matter what type of lifestyle you lead.

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For this week’s Dear Mark I thought I’d follow up on the issue of post-workout nutrition from a couple of weeks ago. I mentioned in Dear Mark: Muscle Building and Carbs that I fast once in awhile after a workout. I’ve gotten a lot of comments and messages about this point since that post. So, here’s my take on PWO fasting as promised!

As I mentioned in the earlier Dear Mark, after a workout is prime opportunity for protein synthesis. For that reason I usually do a high protein snack in the first 30-60 minutes to capitalize on that benefit. (Carbs, as you recall, aren’t necessary for the enhanced synthesis, and I don’t recommend them in any form after a workout that’s under an hour’s time.) However, I also occasionally choose to fast after a workout to maximize another physiological benefit - the rise in human growth hormone (HGH), which critically influences everything from bone density to muscle mass and organ reserve to general cell reproduction in the body’s systems.

As I’ve mentioned before in relation to intermittent fasting (IF), fasting is known to significantly increase HGH secretion. (Grok’s survival depended on the ability to hormonally kick start efficiency and preservation modes during the lean days.) Research has also consistently confirmed that intense exercise, particularly resistance training, also triggers a rise in HGH. While I can (and do) take advantage of each individual method, combining the two opportunities can maximize my body’s HGH release.

Furthermore, insulin suppresses HGH. Skipping the carb snack and subsequent insulin upsurge goes a long way post-workout. But skipping anything that might even mildly raise insulin levels (that heightened sensitivity in the muscles, you know!) can be better yet.

And I should add that I do this without worrying about a blow to muscle mass. Fasting occasionally post-workout, provided I maintain a high protein diet the rest of the time, doesn’t negatively impact nitrogen retention and protein synthesis. Just as I mentioned last week that the body won’t suffer if you don’t force reloading of glycogen stores with a shot of glucose after a workout, I’ll go out on a limb and say that you’re unlikely to waste away if you don’t fuel muscles immediately with protein as well. The fact is HGH has its own protein conservation potential. And, while the post-workout period is an optimum opportunity for protein synthesis, it’s not the sole time your body is able to use protein and provide for the muscles’ needs.

While I’m not suggesting fasting after every workout, I think it’s worth doing occasionally. (After all, Grok probably wasn’t successful with every hunt.) In the spirit of IF and recreating patterns of our primal ancestors’ lives, varying your eating/exercising/fasting practices ultimately allows for maximizing the hormonal and upregulating benefits of different physiological scenarios.

Finally, yet another means of naturally encouraging HGH release is getting a good night’s sleep. After a good fast (and a great workout), I find this part comes the easiest. Honestly, it’s the best sleep I get.

As always, thanks for your questions and comments. Keep ‘em coming!

DeathByBokeh Flickr Photo (CC)

Further Reading:

The Hype Over Human Growth Hormone

1 Meal vs. 3 Meals

How To: Intermittent Fasting

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Keep Tightening That Belt!

Loathe your love handles? A study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests the extra belly fat isn’t just an eyesore; it can increase your risk of an early death.

While the link between extra belly padding and health problems has been long established, this new study is the first to show such a powerful link between pant size and death risk.

For the study, researchers from Imperial College London studied almost 360,000 people from nine European countries. The average age of participants at study onset was 51. Across the 10 year study period, 14,723 study participants died.

Analyzing mortality rates by waist size, the study finds that men with waists exceeding 47 inches had rates of death double that of their peers with waists under 31.5 inches. Similar statistics were observed among women with waists exceeding 39 inches when compared to those under 25.5 inches. In fact, the relationship between waist size and death risk was so strong that when comparing people with the same body mass index, the researchers determined that every additional 2 inches on the waistline increased the risk of death 17% for men and 13% for women.

Although the researchers concede that the reasons behind the link aren’t clear, a researcher from the German Institute of Human Nutrition at Potsdam-Rehbrucke suggested that abdominal fat may be unlike other forms of fat in that it is capable of releasing messenger substances that promote the development of chronic disease.

Noting that “there aren’t many simple individual characteristics that can increase a person’s risk of premature death to this extent, independently from smoking and drinking,” the researchers recommend that people be particularly mindful of excess fat accumulation around the abdominal area. The better news? The added poundage around the middle doesn’t have to be confirmed by an expensive test or some mind numbing algorithm. Rather, you can monitor your waistline by simply keeping an eye on how your clothes fit and take steps to cut back if your waistband starts feeling particularly tight.

So what can you do to prevent the waistline expansion? The key is to maintain a healthy diet and exercise program that allows you to maintain a healthy body weight. However, since we know that even people with the same BMIs can have dramatically different body shapes, it’s important to include interventions that specifically target the waistline. For example, a recent study suggests that a diet rich in protein, red meat and fiber was best at helping to reduce abdominal fat in men. Sound familiar? Now pair it with a plan that keeps you active and adding notches to your belt (for weight gain people - get your mind out of the gutter!) and the death threats associated with an extra tire around the middle shouldn’t even be an issue!

reallyboring Flickr Photo (CC)

Further Reading:

Did Grok Really Eat That Much Meat?

Dear Mark: Healthy Body Weight?

How to Eat Enough Protein

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What is antigravity yoga? FitSugar explains the new fitness trend of combining yoga with circus. And for an irreverent approach, read Elastic Waist’s antigravity yoga experience.

Don’t let flue season get the best of you. Read HealthBolt’s tips for winter colds.

Two big meals per day, or eighteen tiny meals? The IF Life explains why eating more meals does NOT speed up your metabolism.

Whether or not you’re weathering the economic crisis, No Magic Pill has a wonderful list of cost effective ways to live healthy.

Is heavy metal music bad for your heart? Read Health and Men’s post to find out.

Obesity is a cancer. And it’s not your fault. At least that’s what Barry Sears (author of the Zone Diet) has to say. Watch his interview posted on At Darwin’s Table.

And finally, forget expensive personal trainers and one-on-one yogi guides. Learn stretching and yoga from everyone’s favorite green friend.

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