Hi from Yorkshire (and a couple of little questions) page

[polly]

Hello everyone,

I've been following a roughly Primal diet for over a year, but have only just become very strict and got rid of the sugar completely, except for dark chocolate. I've been pregnant and had a wonderful natural birth during that time, and my daughter (who is exclusively breastfed, she's three months old) will be getting primal goodies right from the start. I'm so excited for her.

I live in East Yorkshire, England. It's a bit of a "backwards" place, which means not many people know about Primal living (none that I know of), but it is very easy to get great pastured meat and eggs, as there is a lot of green space here.

My husband is just getting into the benefits of a really primal lifestyle and it's helping him put on weight. My daughter actually has the weight of a six month old baby, but she's not fat by any means. She can already roll from belly to back and vice versa. She's an incredibly strong little bub, and I'm sure this is down to the awesome primal milk she's getting.

I have a few questions:

My husband would like to bulk out. He's almost 6ft and 142lbs, which is skinny for his height, but he has some good lean muscle. Is his best bet to up the protein and fat, simply, or should I be feeding him plenty of carbs, as he burns it so fast? We both have an awful "carb history", sugary cereal as kids and such, so is it best for him to be low or high (by primal standards) on the carb scale? He currently has a coconut cream smoothie, lots of yogurt and berries in the morning, then bacon, eggs and sausage late morning, and meat and veggies at night. Usually some snacks too, a banana and some jerky. Is this too much in carb load? I also eat as much as this, but have been getting light-headed. Should I up my carbs or my protein? I'm 5'5" and 130lbs.

Thanks to anyone for any advice. Happy to be here!

Here's our primal girl, Summer:

IMG_1511.jpg

[Gary Conway]

Hi Polly! At that weight I would just suggest that he ups all his macros and does some weight training. He'll need all of it for good recovery and muscle gains. I'm the same height and looking to put some muscle on as well. It's tough work but I try not to worry too much about macros until I've built a good foundation.

[polly]

Thanks for the reply Gary! I've been wondering if maybe we could add in some protein powder at breakfast, too, just for an extra. Don't suppose anyone can advise as to the best protein supplement; would it be Mark's own?

[Gary Conway]

I used to use Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey. You can get it from amazon for about £40. Chocolate is best. It's a bit more pricey than some other brands but was pretty good stuff.

[Lewis]

I've been wondering if maybe we could add in some protein powder at breakfast, too, just for an extra. Don't suppose anyone can advise as to the best protein supplement; would it be Mark's own?

I don't know if Mark ships overseas. However that may be, if you need to use that kind of product I'd look for one that's cold-processed. Spray-drying at a high heat could denature the proteins and make them a bit toxic.

But have you checked out Mark's guide to the Primal Blueprint and seen what he advises as a daily protein requirement? Here's the link:

How to Eat According to the Primal Blueprint | Mark's Daily Apple

He's saying there from 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of lean bodymass. If you want metric that's about 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per kg of lean bodymass.

I doubt eating protein in excess of Mark's figures is likely in itself to help anyone add muscle, though I'd be interested to see any data that suggested otherwise.

I think people like protein powder because they can make quick drinkable meals from it when they're on the go. Or sometimes the portability aspect of it appeals: people think drinking a high-protein drink immediately pre- or post-workout will be helpful. Maybe it would be - although even if it is, is there any reliable data to show a can of tuna or a slice of cold meat wouldn't do as well?

In short, I don't think going above Mark's top figure for daily protein requirement is likely to do much for anyone. So I doubt your husband needs to do three good meals a day and then add a shake made from whey protein, too. But if protein powder fits your lifestyle and when and how you want to eat, why not? Just don't feel it's a necessity when there's a new baby and plenty of other calls on money.

[Zoebea34]

Hi polly I'm from east Yorkshire too, just wanted to say hi x

[polly]

Hi polly I'm from east Yorkshire too, just wanted to say hi x

Hi! Nice to know there's someone else out there. Do you manage to get hold of grass fed meat in Hull?

[polly]

I don't know if Mark ships overseas. However that may be, if you need to use that kind of product I'd look for one that's cold-processed. Spray-drying at a high heat could denature the proteins and make them a bit toxic.

But have you checked out Mark's guide to the Primal Blueprint and seen what he advises as a daily protein requirement? Here's the link:

How to Eat According to the Primal Blueprint | Mark's Daily Apple

He's saying there from 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of lean bodymass. If you want metric that's about 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per kg of lean bodymass.

I doubt eating protein in excess of Mark's figures is likely in itself to help anyone add muscle, though I'd be interested to see any data that suggested otherwise.

I think people like protein powder because they can make quick drinkable meals from it when they're on the go. Or sometimes the portability aspect of it appeals: people think drinking a high-protein drink immediately pre- or post-workout will be helpful. Maybe it would be - although even if it is, is there any reliable data to show a can of tuna or a slice of cold meat wouldn't do as well?

In short, I don't think going above Mark's top figure for daily protein requirement is likely to do much for anyone. So I doubt your husband needs to do three good meals a day and then add a shake made from whey protein, too. But if protein powder fits your lifestyle and when and how you want to eat, why not? Just don't feel it's a necessity when there's a new baby and plenty of other calls on money.

I did think that perhaps I ought to carry on with the Blueprint book (reading it now) before asking about the powders. Thanks for the link and the information. You're right about the money side of things, too; it would add a substantial monthly expense.