Marks Daily Apple Forum: Recent Topics

Marks Daily Apple Forum: Recent Topics http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Just another bbPress community en-US Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:22:26 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.1 <![CDATA[Search]]> q http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/search.php Better Each Day on "7 day water fast" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/7-day-water-fast#post-41729 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:01:10 +0000 Better Each Day 41729@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ What are all of your thoughts on a 7 day water fast to a transition to primal? roccoernest on "Reverting to the SAD – an experiment (caution – end is a little gross)" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/reverting-to-the-sad-%e2%80%93-an-experiment-caution-%e2%80%93-end-is-a-little-gross#post-41454 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:53:40 +0000 roccoernest 41454@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ So for the last three weeks, things got a little crazy. I had to move (from one apartment to another in NYC with no help) which involved buying all new everything – furniture, bedding, bed; getting rid of nearly half my clothing (got to thin) so needed new; my regular 40 hour a week day job got super crazy, and my 15 hour a week second consulting job hit overtime as well. Add to that a bunch of weekend family obligations, and 2 classes that were running I was in, and I’m totally 100% maxed out. Of course it’s very temporary- after a few weeks, it should go back to normal. But for right not, the stress of everything were through the roof and I’m really not in a position to say add several hours a week of grocery shopping to my schedule, especially since (as long as I eat SAD) I get free food at work. After a couple of days of really struggling to find time for the gym, time to forage properly, etc I decided to combine a ‘fuck it’ with an experiment – what if I went back to my diet that I ate say a year ago for the three weeks? That’ll at least keep the stressors on diet and exercise low until I get past this hump. So: I went from a 90% carnivore, probably 60% fat diet at 100% paleo to ice cream and pb&j sandwiches, bread at every meal, etc. The only thing I didn’t really do was drink soda, and I was careful to not over-consume calories. I still stuck to about 2500 a day which for my weight is about baseline. However I stopped all exercise as well. Some results: First: by keeping calories down, I didn’t really gain weight. So I imagine if I ate like this but simply cut calories to 2000 or less a day, I’d lose. But… One notable thing is change in taste. Right before I started, some things just tasted awful and chemical, like Vitamin water (which I used to be addicted to). After 3 weeks it tastes heavenly again. As your tongue gets used to sweet and fake, that stuff turns into crack. Same goes for super sweet stuff like ice cream. When I was months in to paleo, eating ice cream was an exercise in “ooofff sooo sweeeeet”. After a few weeks of eating it every couple of days, it no longer seems super-sweet, but just a nice treat. Another is skin quality. I’ve got skin breakouts, greasy skin (didn’t have on a 90% fat diet, go figure), blackheads, and dry spots. My sweat smells much much worse now. My crotch is also a lot reekier. Energy levels are poor –I need several coffees a day to stay awake. Crashes in afternoon. Joint pain came back, fingers and ankles. Occasional foot pain. Neck spasms. But here’s the kicker: I finally figured out a lifelong health problem. All of my life I’ve had, well to put it bluntly, some kind of anal discharge. Skid marks. Ever since I was a tyke. At first I blamed it on poor hygiene as a kid. Then I blamed it on being obese (hard to wipe, which is true). I’ve always had it and needed to be careful, sometimes changing underwear twice a day. It’s not like I’m pooping my diaper or anything, it’s just nasty skid marks. The only people who knew about it were the people who do my laundry. I didn’t realize until going back on SAD that for the past 6-9 months: no skid marks! And after 2 weeks of SAD, there they are, uncontrollable as always. I’m not sure if it’s the grains or some other diet part that is causing it, or what exactly it is – unusual thin stool, or flatulence – but damn, they are back. So that’s my deal. Thankfully I’m all moved in and the work crunch is calming down, so starting tomorrow I’m in the park for windsprints and a good ol’ caveman breakfast. But anybody who wants a reason to go primal: no skid marks. Skeptic on "Why organic food, Mark?" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/why-organic-food-mark#post-41663 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:37:09 +0000 Skeptic 41663@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ First off, thank you Mark Sisson, for providing this great site. After reading through it, I find myself being steered toward a more PB-compliant lifestyle. My question to you is: why do you support organic food? The data that is out there suggests that organic food has little if any nutritional benefit over conventionally grown food. It is true that SOME organic crops are higher in antioxidants, but that is due to those plants mitigating damage from insects. Just to clarify, organic farming methods are the OLD way, the inefficient way that we grew crops before technology gave us SAFE synthetic pesticides and resilient gene-enhanced crops that yield abundantly. Organic pesticides can be lethally toxic to human beings and the environment, but the EPA has clearly stated that residue from synthetic pesticides like DDVP (not to be confused with DDT) poses no health threat to either. I tend to trust the EPA. I've drank tap water all my life and it has yet to make me sick. I've even tried eating some organic produce from Whole Foods, and was not impressed by the taste. I also have notably little concern for the "small farmer" or Al Gore or Greenpeace. I really want to commit to the PB, but I'm just not sold on organic food yet. Nick Hoffman on "New to paleo: my experiences and questions" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/new-to-paleo-my-experiences-and-questions#post-41688 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:45:03 +0000 Nick Hoffman 41688@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Hey guys. I've been on the paleo diet for about a month now. Prior to that, I was vegetarian for 3-4 years. I'm enjoying the paleo diet, but have noticed a couple of concerning changes. First, I require more sleep. As a vegetarian, my sleep cycle was like clockwork. I needed 7 to 7.5 hours of sleep, rarely set an alarm, and would spring out of bed in the morning, wide awake and ready for anything. Now, even if I get 8 hours of sleep, I'm bleary in the morning, and don't feel refreshed. Has anyone else experienced changes in their sleep requirements and/or patterns? The other disconcerting change that I've noticed is my desire for chocolate: it's sky-rocketed. This is very strange for me. As a vegetarian, I ate *very* little candy, chocolate, etc, because I rarely craved it. I actually went 13 months without a single bite of chocolate, just for fun. Last but not least, my sex drive has decreased significantly. To give you a bit more context, I'm 28 years old, 6'1", ~160lbs, and train parkour 2-3 times each week. My paleo diet mostly consists of: Breakfast: A large bowl of fruit (most of which is berries) with 2 handfuls of nuts (almonds, macadamias, and walnuts) and some coconut milk. When I get to work, I have 2 boiled eggs. Lunch variation #1: A twist on Mark's "Big Ass Salad": * spinach instead of mixed greens, but only half as much; * chopped red and yellow pepper (half of a pepper in total); * 6 cherry tomatoes; * sundried tomatoes that've been sitting in olive oil; * 6 cremeni mushrooms; * half of an avocado; * an 85g can of tuna; * 2 tablespoons of flaxseed oil. Lunch variation #2: Leftovers from dinner. Dinner variation #1: Beef curry, and curried or roasted vegetables. Dinner variation #2: Fish, and curried or roasted vegetables. Dinner variation #3: Shrimp and vegetable curry. Yes, I love curry. Yes, I cook everything myself. Most days, I also have a piece of fruit and/or a handful of nuts somewhere before or after lunch. All of the red meat that I eat is organic. Most of it is grass-fed. Some of it is grain-finished; it's hard to prevent that. All of the seafood that I eat is wild-caught. Some of the fruit and veggies that I eat are organic. There's always one dinner each week that isn't completely paleo. I do my best, but pizza or potato usually makes an appearance. I tracked my paleo diet on FitDay.com for 12 days. Here's a <a href="http://deadorange.com/temp/FitDay_data.png">screenshot</a> of the overview of my diet. So, are those changes that I explained above abnormal during the first month of switching to the paleo diet? Can I expect them to pass? Thanks for your advice! Nick PrimalK on "Clearer skin, anyone? Or other good stuff!" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/clearer-skin-anyone-or-other-good-stuff#post-41420 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:47:10 +0000 PrimalK 41420@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Yes, yes, I'm full of happiness at the moment. I love the PB way! So, a male friend of mine made a very nice comment the other day - that my skin looked very clear and bright and that he'd noticed the improvement since I'd changed my eating habits. Very nice of him, don't you think? Has anyone else noticed (or been told) such lovely things since going primal? Let's start a 'feel good' thread for the weekend! Diana Renata on "Primal Journal ~* Diana Renata *~" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/primal-journal-diana-renata#post-3218 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:39:53 +0000 Diana Renata 3218@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Ok, I'm gonna give this a go, even though I tend to start things and not finish them. That's why I have a non-existant blog- LOL. B: 3-egg spinach omelet L: 2 pork chops w/ marinara sauce 1/2 cucumber w/ spicy brown mustard D: Was going to IF, but... 2 large meadow mushrooms, 3 pickled eggs, some hazelnuts and a handfull of raisins I found in the fridge. Talk about foraging. FlyNavyWife on "Primal Journal (FlyNavyWife)" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/primal-journal-flynavywife#post-3685 Wed, 17 Jun 2009 02:42:36 +0000 FlyNavyWife 3685@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Hi all. I was first introduced to the Primal Blueprint when I saw that Mark was looking for new Worker Bees to develop recipes for his blog. I spent a couple of days exploring the site in depth and loved what I saw. Unfortunately, I wasn't hired to be a worker bee (Mark, let me know if you change your mind on that!) but after getting so excited over the PB, I couldn't let go that easily. So here I am. My husband is highly resistant to becoming Primal for several reasons. One is that he's afraid he'll not have enough energy for air combat maneuvers (he's a student Naval aviator) and if he passes out or something he could get kicked out of the Navy if they find out he's trying a new diet without the flight-doc's approval. Another reason is Oreos. I'm excited about it though! I am making the change even if he isn't. Earlier this year I decided to go from "living to eat" to "eating to live." Food is just too woven into my life in ways that have nothing to do with sustenance (social context and such) and I realized that the foods I was eating didn't always make me feel energized. I've been doing really well with eating BETTER but I think this is the next logical step for me. Though I love grains and cheese, I know they don't make me feel my best. As far as activity goes, I had been going to the gym regularly and doing cardio and weights. Right now it's on "pause" because I recently had surgery and am taking some time to heal before I jump back in. I'd love to find some more varied exercises though... bike riding, frisbee, other "playing." I didn't grow up in a super-active family so playing physically doesn't come naturally to me. Any tips would be appreciated! So, I guess that's my introduction. Some of my goals in "going Primal" are: 1. Furthering the "eating to live" goal and having a healthier relationship with food. 2. Losing a few pounds, and it would be awesome if my abs were visible again. (Currently 5'6" and 130 pounds) 3. Feeling more energetic in general. 4. Learning to enjoy being active more and figuring out how to play. bobbylight on "Do you guys ever doubt low carb?" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/do-you-guys-ever-doubt-low-carb#post-39616 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:22:54 +0000 bobbylight 39616@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Ok, let me first state a bit about me before I get into my question. I started the PB about 6 weeks ago, and I feel great. I was about 295 pounds when I started (at a very stalky 5'7) and I was probably about 110 pounds overweight (I am 23 now, but wrestled at 171 in high and I think that I have put on quite a bit of muscle since then, so I am guessing my ideal weight is about 185). Anyway, right now I am somewhere in the 260's. I feel great, and the weight comes off quickly, and my endurance just keeps on getting better. I love how the PB makes me feel and I understand the concepts of it. I will undoubtedly keep on this diet until I get down to my ideal weight (because it works and I like it and I have energy while doing it) but after that, I'm not so sure. Sometimes I doubt the effects of low carb. I know that everyone here is pretty much in the boat that carbs are bad for you, but do you guys ever doubt this too? Do you ever think "hey, maybe in 40 years I will really regret this diet." I recently started looking at lyle mcdonald's website. He is definitely knowledgeable about the subject and his opinions are quite interesting. One thing he states that vilifying a whole food group (carbs, or even fat for the ornish group) is stupid and counterproductive. He basically states that different people need different things nutritionally, and many people cannot function properly on a ketogenic diet. He also seems to state that a lot about how people are eating has to do with their situation. For instance, something that is very healthy for an athlete can be very unhealthy for a fat person, or vice versa. I don't know, I just find myself doubting this low carb thing. I know I will stay on this diet for a while (because it is working and I feel great) but I am starting to think that it might not be in my best interests in terms of longevity. I guess I will see though, right? I'm not meaning to stir things up, I just want to hear what you guys have to say and want to know if any of you have had doubts as well. SerialSinner on "Blood" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/blood#post-41449 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:39:24 +0000 SerialSinner 41449@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Guys, I wanted to share my mother's blood tests. She has been primal for months now and she's feeling great. She had high cholesterol before transitioning from a SAD-ish diet. Here are her new results: HDL: 79 mg/dL LDL: 179 mg/dL VLDL: 14 mg/dL Trig: 70 mg/dL Total: 272 (LDL + HDL + [Trigs/5]) Total Lipids: 530 Trig/HDL: 0.886 Total/HDL: 3.4 Oxidized LDL, antibodies: 16.8 UE/mL (indicator of arteroeschlerosis, plaque and other vascular issues) Where: < 20 UE/mL= NEGATIVE 20-25 UE/mL= INDETERMEDIATE > 25 UE/mL= POSITIVE) Now, if my understanding of the results is correct, her Trig/HDL ratio seems pretty bad. But then, the Oxidized LDL, antibodies tests are negative. I have seen her weekly cooking menus and the food seems almost completely primal except for the eventual mozzarella in caprese salads, some legumes such as string beans, and dairy in the form of heavy cream. So whats the deal with her Trig/HDL ratio then? Maybe most of the meat they are eating is not grass-fed. Trying to come up with further advice to help her lower that ratio. Any ideas? shastagirl on "Scientific meat?" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/scientific-meat#post-41102 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:33:30 +0000 shastagirl 41102@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Does anyone else find this article disturbing? <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20091119/sc_livescience/madsciencegrowingmeatwithoutanimals;_ylt=AlrkWBwklE3_iRIobPrlL92s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTN1cDBrbWhtBGFzc2V0A2xpdmVzY2llbmNlLzIwMDkxMTE5L21hZHNjaWVuY2Vncm93aW5nbWVhdHdpdGhvdXRhbmltYWxzBGNwb3MDOQRwb3MDNgRwdANob21lX2Nva2UEc2VjA3luX2hlYWRsaW5lX2xpc3QEc2xrA21hZHNjaWVuY2VzYw--" rel="nofollow">http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20091119/sc_livescience/madsciencegrowingmeatwithoutanimals;_ylt=AlrkWBwklE3_iRIobPrlL92s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTN1cDBrbWhtBGFzc2V0A2xpdmVzY2llbmNlLzIwMDkxMTE5L21hZHNjaWVuY2Vncm93aW5nbWVhdHdpdGhvdXRhbmltYWxzBGNwb3MDOQRwb3MDNgRwdANob21lX2Nva2UEc2VjA3luX2hlYWRsaW5lX2xpc3QEc2xrA21hZHNjaWVuY2VzYw--</a> sorry for the weird long link. but this has got me worried about the future for our children. cody on "question on abdominal weight" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/question-on-abdominal-weight#post-41592 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:00:52 +0000 cody 41592@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ I am hearing different answers on losing abdominal weight. I usually hear, that if you are over weight that by doing cardio the first to go is from the stomach. Then I hear it is the last to go. My belief is cardio helps you to lose abdominal fat first and then you can do abdominal exercises to firm up. Is this true? maba on "Nut Fast anyone?" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/nut-fast-anyone#post-40866 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:07:50 +0000 maba 40866@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ I'm planning on doing a Survival Week style contest. My only rule is - No nuts As in no bingeing of nuts. If they are present in small amounts in salads, stirfries or other dishes, that's OK. But no eating of nuts for entertainment or out of boredom and no eating nut butter straight out of a jar until it's empty. I'm sure most of you eat a handful now and then are ok with it. This contest is for people like me who can't seem to control their nut intake. I'm thinking of doing it for a month. How about Nov 23rd - Dec 23rd? And we report our progress at the end of every week. In my case, the rest of my diet is not going to change. Want to join me? PapaG44 on "Eggs Diablo" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/eggs-diablo#post-41336 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:26:54 +0000 PapaG44 41336@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Hey this a great dish I saw on Molto Mario a while back. Basically it's poached eggs on top of a spicy tomato sauce and it goes something like this: Saute an onion and 2 cloves garlic in olive oil until translucent. Throw as much hot pepper as you like. Add 1 28 oz can of crushed/whole tomatoes, preferably something quality like san marzano. Add a some basil fresh or dried and s&p. Let the sauce thicken for ~15 minutes. Finish the sauce with a tablespoon of butter. Crack 8-12 eggs on top and put a lid on and poach until soft boiled, 5-7 minutes. This part is hard to get exactly right. Optional: throw parmesan and fresh basil on top. Note: the tomatoes are really what make it, so get good ones! My island/moroccan variation: Saute the onion/garlic in coconut oil. Toss in a fresh habanero. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper, salt really isnt necessary and any combination of these spices: cumin, paprika, coriander, fresh thyme, maybe fenugreek if your feeling adventurous. Of course butter is always a nice addition. This is a really nice take on a tomato sauce. Enjoy! grokkillfire on "Help- Health/Slow Metabolism?/ Looking Primal" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/help-healthslow-metabolism-looking-primal#post-41497 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:09:52 +0000 grokkillfire 41497@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Help!? I am looking for input/fresh perspective in dealing with my Doc/medical establishment. A little health background first. I will try to keep this as succinct as possible. I am a 6ft/204lb/45yo professional firefighter who has made longevity of my career, high level of physical work performance- new hires seem to be younger ever year;), durability and being an example of long term physical health, and functional strength for my sons priorities in my life. Have just completed fifth round of p90x and have added a weight vest to my workout to increase intensity(p90x has given me a great workout framework that works well for my life at home and at work). I have been living/eating primal 2 months now. Through the fire department I receive yearly physicals/blood work/bodpod testing and all has been excellent except for body fat percentage, 24-26% over last several years. Every year they council about diet and physical exercise- low fat/oatmeal etc.- right;)? Throughout my life I have always have put on weight easyily and have had difficulty puting on muscle. I have always attributed roll around my waist and high bodyfat% to just not pushing hard enough and eating right. So for last two years I have increased resistance and aerobic training and followed low fat diet(until going primal 2mos ago). Today I feel stronger and have more muscle but still have a roll of jelly as my sons describe it. When I made changes and recommited to my health several years ago I independently had my Resting Metabolic Rate RMR tested, back in the prePrimal days of watching calories, and was told it is 1843 calories a day. At that time they said I needed to increase intensity/muscle to increase calorie burn. So I did increase my physical efforts and saw very little body fat change although aerobic capacity went up and general strength was better. But I also was getting more tired and sore. Several month ago had same RMR test done and my current RMR has dropped to 1627. Being literally sick and tired from working out I have tried to talk with my personal doc about my workouts, normal bloodwork/ekgs, tiredness/soreness and high bodyfat that gets me the anual warning from the department physician about being too fat. My Doc tested my thyroid which was on bottom end of normal range so I am currently on 50mg of synthroid after he thought we might give that a try?. I really have seen only a small change in visual body fat and waist of pants not as snug but still have the belly jelly. I am not sure thryoid medication doing any good and I sometimes feel more tired after taking it. When I talk to Doc/medical professionals about doing all of the above testing/excercise they all seem to listen to what I have to say but don't really believe I am as physically active as I am. AND, while I'm trying to get them to listen to me about body fat I am not even going to try to convince them of the validity of a Primal lifestyle. Not sure I explained all of this well but hoping someone has some input that might give me new perspective. I found MDA while searching for answers. I am not AS tired or sore since I have been eating primal but still body fat remains an issue. I am stronger and notice a functional strength I didn't use to have. But I am tired physically, I am tired of being told my body fat is too high, and the vein side of me is tired of the fat that my sons call belly jelly. My youngest son prays he doesn't end up like me working out like I do and still carrying too much fat. Thanks for the help. Dave mobious74 on "Water Brothers!" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/water-brothers#post-41511 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:38:04 +0000 mobious74 41511@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ I Grok! Or at least I'm starting to. First post for a guy attempting to go primal! Hopefully there are some out there that get the water brothers reference, hopefully I'm not the only geek/nerd in here trying to affect a lifestyle change :) Anywho, My name is Brian, I live in SoCal and I'm starting the process to go from a lazy/fat american to a grok worthy life! I quit smoking 3 weeks ago and this is my next step..diet... I'll work on exercise in a few weeks...1 step at a time. I've been trolling the threads for a couple of days and hoping to get in on the sense of community here because I'm sure I'll need some encouragement! Keep smiling Brian "Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own." maba on "Fruity Tiramisu" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/fruity-tiramisu#post-41659 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:02:35 +0000 maba 41659@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ I'm having friends over for dinner tomorrow and I'm making Tiramisu for dessert. I was wondering how it can be primalized in the future and this is the idea I have. Ingredients: mascarpone - small tub Creme Fraiche or whipped cream - small tub Berries - strawberry, blueberry, raspeberry, blackberry (any or all) liqueur of choice - maybe grand marnier, amaretto/disoronno, chambord dark chocolate - grated sweetener of choice - optional In a glass tray, spread a layer of berries that have been macerated with liqueur, top it with whipped mascarpone mixed with sweetener (if using). Use a spatula to smooth the top. On top of that, spread whipped cream or creme fraiche which has been flavored with liqueur. Garnish with grated dark chocolate. Cut into squares and serve. Or make the above layers in individual glass cups and serve as parfait. dixonge on "Diet Coke + Roast?" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/diet-coke-roast#post-41628 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:51:23 +0000 dixonge 41628@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Just did a recipe involving pork roast, a packet of onion soup mix and a can of diet coke in a crock pot. The pork was TEN-DER - fell off the bone. But still, it includes diet coke. Bad? Indifferent? dixonge on "The next phase" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/the-next-phase#post-41655 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:47:43 +0000 dixonge 41655@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ We've been doing some variation of Atkins off and on for several years. Weight went down, then floated back up, then down, then up. Being consistent has (obviously) been an issue. If you don't count binges or cheat days, we've probably averaged 20-30 net carbs per day for a long time. So in one sense PB seems like 'yet another diet plan' and yet it also feels like it may be the missing piece. I'm still reading the book, but I like what I've read so far, as well as what I've read here on the site. Plus Mark reads Pharyngula. :o) Geoff on "Alcohol Fast" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/alcohol-fast#post-37937 Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:03:29 +0000 Geoff 37937@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ O.K., I admit it, my biggest non-primal weakness is beer. A pint or two always puts a smile on my face. It's not an every day thing for me, but I think I'd feel better and make better progress toward my primal goals if I cut back a lot. To this end I'm going to go on an alcohol fast until the 26th (U.S. Thanksgiving). Anyone want to join in with me? dixonge on "Overhydrated?" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/overhydrated#post-41638 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:31:07 +0000 dixonge 41638@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Yesterday I did a quick bit of math and determined that between coffee, soft drinks, etc. I probably consumed around 130 oz. of liquid. That seems a bit much, yes? PrimalK on "One for the ladies...." http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/one-for-the-ladies#post-40487 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:11:12 +0000 PrimalK 40487@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Ladies/women/gals I am experiencing my second pain-free period since going primal and am over the moon! I always had the most excruciating pain, PMS, IBS and extremely heavy overall unpleasant periods, ever since the first time. Is this what I can expect for the rest of my primal life, do you know/think? Or is it just the honeymoon period? And what, in your opinion, is the main cause of this improvement? So totally happy - although the slightly weird thing is unless I keep a really close eye on the calendar, I could find myself in an awkward situation - previously I got *plenty* of warning! Sorry if that was a bit ooky.... JamieBelle on "Fido and Fifi can go primal!" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/fido-and-fifi-can-go-primal#post-41133 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:11:38 +0000 JamieBelle 41133@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ <a href="http://www.primalpetfoods.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.primalpetfoods.com/</a> Not sure how I feel about this, in all honesty. My local froo-froo pet boutique sells this stuff and i think I'll inquire how much it is. My dog eats Canidae currently and seems to do just fine. I know we discussed primal pets so I thought this would be a good follow up. On their site, they even recommend that a dog have a 24-hour fast once per week from breakfast to breakfast! haha Raphael S. on "I got this for free...?" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/i-got-this-for-free#post-41576 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:31:49 +0000 Raphael S. 41576@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ <a href="http://www.luckyvitamin.com/item/itemKey/53824" rel="nofollow">http://www.luckyvitamin.com/item/itemKey/53824</a> Came with my order of Magnesium/Calcium/Vitamin D supplements. As soon as I opened the box I am like "I didn't order this...???" Well there it was... I don't think it's a freebie, because this thing is almost 40 bucks. It must have slipped in there by mistake. I guess someone else isn't getting what they ordered! Anyways, it's pretty cool - all natural ingredients. Should I take it just for the hell of it? I know it can definitely benefit my mom also. AmyMac703 on "Primal Crock Pot Recipes" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/primal-crock-pot-recipes#post-41368 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:37:31 +0000 AmyMac703 41368@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Now that ski season is here, the time has come to break out one of my favorite cooking devices: the crock pot. Nothing quite like throwing a few ingredients together in the morning and coming home to a hot meal after a day on the mountain. So I thought I'd start a thread for primal crock pot recipes. One of my favorites last year was to take a 2lb beef roast and cook it with sliced onions in about 3/4cup of red wine mixed with about 1 tsp of basil, 1 tsp of thyme, and 1 tsp of garlic powder (but you could use real garlic instead; I'm just lazy). So, if any one has any other crock pot recipes to share, by all means, do :) Wyatt on "Getting Stronger" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/getting-stronger#post-40285 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:30:55 +0000 Wyatt 40285@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ I was benching with 70 pound DumbBells for over a year. I have changed things up and now I am making progress. Now I am at 80's, and I increase one repetition each work out. after I get to about 7 or 8 reps, I'll try moving on to 85s. I can now comfortably incorporate weights into my pull ups (25 lbs). Here is what I've done differently the past two months. - Don't fatigue to the point where I get hungry and exhausted - Don't eat after a workout until I am actually hungry (usually about two or three hours. - Do not lift heavy again until COMPLETELY healed (Averages out to about 1.5/2 workouts a week) -Spend time on grip strength: hanging (one arm and both arms), swinging, etc. -And of course, primal eating! I am stoked. Primal keeps getting easier. Thank You Mark. nina_70 on "Home-made chocolate? How to do it?" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/home-made-chocolate-how-to-do-it#post-40122 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:26:24 +0000 nina_70 40122@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Hey all...hope you home-cooks can chime in here. I'm a bit of a choco-addict (my one down-fall) and generally eat a teeny but of high-%-cocoa chocolate after dinner, but I really want to make my own so I can better control the ingredients esp. the sugar. Any easy recipe's? musajen on "Food Sensitivities and Addiction - Interesting Theory" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/food-sensitivities-and-addiction-interesting-theory#post-41187 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:05:50 +0000 musajen 41187@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ I'm listening to a podcast from Nora Gedgaudes (author of Primal Body Primal Mind) and in this episode she and a guest are discussing gluten sensitivity in detail. Something really interesting they brought up was to pay attention to the foods you think you can't live without (grains, breads, dairy, etc). The reason, it's very possible that you have a sensitivity to those items. Say what!?!? After they discussed it a bit, I could see the reasoning. If our body is sensitive to a substance, endorphins are released to combat the substance and we can get hooked/addicted to that biochemical reaction. It's definitely a different perspective from what I've heard before and something I'm going to pay more attention to. What do you think? maba on "Vitamin D and its benefits" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/vitamin-d-and-its-benefits#post-15447 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:30:13 +0000 maba 15447@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ I've been following Dr.William Davis' blog and he often emphasizes on the importance of Vitamin D for good health, as has Mark. I have never been tested for Serum Vit D level and other than cod-liver oil capsules that I have started taking only recently, I don't take any Vit D supplements. My question: How many of you have been tested for D levels in your blood and do you take any supplements to maintain the normal level? I would love to learn more. And have my mother, who is on statins, take them too. Thoughts and recommendations will be much appreciated. Dr.Davis' blog: <a href="http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/search/label/vitamin%20D" rel="nofollow">http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/search/label/vitamin%20D</a> maba on "What is Colloidal Silver?" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/what-is-colloidal-silver#post-41299 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:16:02 +0000 maba 41299@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ I took my mom to see a Naturopath today. While he had some good advice like asking her to stop statins, take CoQ10, Vit D and lots of fish oil, he also suggested taking Colloidal Silver. I have no idea what that is. I know I can google it but want to know if any of you have personal experience using it? He said it is used to remove any microbes harboring in her body. Surprise, surprise, we learnt today that she is sensitive to wheat and must follow a wheat-free diet. Who'd have thunk?! maba on "Can nuts make you gain weight?" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/can-nuts-make-you-gain-weight#post-40679 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:21:43 +0000 maba 40679@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ We've discussed plenty before about how nuts can stall weight. But can nuts actually make you gain weight, considering their carb count is relatively less. I've gained about 5 lbs since I started primal. I was in denial until my mom told me today that I look like I've gained weight. I've been pretty primal since August. As most people here on the forum already know, nuts are my nemesis. Can I lose weight if I give up nuts temporarily?