Rebel Musician Goes Primal After Years of Hard Living
It’s Friday, everyone! And that means another Primal Blueprint Real Life Story from a Mark’s Daily Apple reader. If you have your own success story and would like to share it with me and the Mark’s Daily Apple community please contact me here. I’ll continue to publish these each Friday as long as they keep coming in. Thank you for reading!
Dear Mark,
Here follows a detailed timeline of how I came across MDA and your book The Primal Blueprint along with more details about my health history:
I was born in Houston, Texas and adopted by a family of Czech origin. I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia as a kid. I don’t so much buy into that diagnosis. I think I was just bored and constrained within the typical public school system. However, unbeknownst to me at the time, the breads, kolaches, pastries and potatoes that were so prevalent in my mother’s native food were spiking my blood pressure to the moon.
I was always involved in gymnastics, competitive swimming, baseball and basketball as a child, so I was never really overweight. Since I was adopted, my mother, who is very wise, took the time to cook differently for me and I ate a lot of seafood and vegetables growing up.
When I got to college I started eating out a lot and since I was physically active and involved in Jeet Kun Do and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu I was always in relatively good shape. However, a few pounds a year adds up after twenty years, and at the age of forty I found myself creeping up on the scale to 240 pounds. I am 6’2” so I was able to hide it fairly well with a big frame, but I felt sluggish. I was living a musician lifestyle and waking up every day at 11 AM.
I have a good friend who is authentic and real. I went to see him in Vegas, and the minute I walked in his door he told me I didn’t look good with three chins and I would never attract a decent woman fat. He has a way with words and I decided to take control of my life and my fitness. My friend and his wife had lost forty pounds a piece utilizing the Atkins diet. I understand enough about psychology to realize that I could simply model their behavior and achieve similar results.
I did and I lost a lot of weight and I felt a lot better. However, I found the shakes and the bars that had the fake sugar in them to taste very repulsive. I believe how you do anything is how you do everything. I have dedicated my life to music and consider it a fine art. I try to make all my relationships a masterpiece and consider friendship a fine art. I was happy with the results of the Atkins approach, but found many of the meals and supplementation boring, and far from fine art when it comes to cuisine.
I have a lot of friends who are foodies and gourmet chefs and I knew there had to be a better way. One night I Googled “no carb recipes” and MDA popped up in my search. I was hooked from the front page and once I started taking a look at the recipes my mouth began to water. Real food in its natural state, no strange ingredients, nothing in a box or can – I was hooked.
I was using Evernote at the time and I copied recipe after recipe from your site. I fell in love with eggs all over again. I had such misinformation about eggs. You mentioned on your site how every grandmother who lived to a ripe old age had that can of bacon fat on top of her stove that she cooked everything in. Mark, that was my grandmother Sophie Slansky. I loved all her food as a kid and she grew up on farm.
Your site elegantly and with fortitude debunked every foolish myth there was about food. Fat, including animal fat, is essential to our well-being, and you have the moxie and the courage to step out on the edge and challenge all of these myths.
The number one thing I learned from MDA and that I encourage everyone who wants to get lean and mean with a great low body-fat percentage is to understand this: 90% of all body composition begins with what you put in your mouth. You could join all the gyms in the world, buy every ab machine, personal trainer and run thirty miles a day and never have the body composition of someone who adheres to the aforementioned principle.
Since I started the Primal approach I have woken up every day for the last two years at 5:30 in the morning. I crave my fennel and dill omelet I learned from you. I crave poached eggs, I look forward to breakfast. I honestly in the deepest depths of my soul can not imagine how anyone could convince me that they honestly crave a bowl of oatmeal or Captain Crunch.
The differences I have seen are incredible. All my friends tell me I look fifteen years younger. It’s completely revived my music career as a performer. There aren’t that many fat rock stars. I can see my abs for the first time since I was fourteen years young. I can’t believe how much I enjoy what I eat. A typical day for me might be a vegetable omelet for breakfast, grilled chicken wings with scrumptious crispy skin for lunch along with a side of celery and real blue cheese, then at dinner a prime dry aged rib-eye with cauliflower mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus, a glass or three of Cabernet, and a piece of 85% cocoa chocolate.
I feel completely satiated and content after every meal.
Here is a video I made featuring me preparing my Primal Sushi Rolls, which are really not sushi at all. They are made with beef and asparagus. They are always a huge hit at parties!
Your post about drinking ten to twelve big glasses of water a day being ridiculous was spot on as well. I was drinking way too much water before I found your site.
This is the greatest thing that drew a rebel musician like myself to your site. Just about everything on MDA is counterintuitive. I found that to be where the truth lies these days you have to seek it out. That food pyramid they stuffed down our throats all those years is a complete joke.
I also want to note that Adelulf – my beloved, non neutered, all black male German Shepherd – eats Primal as well. Every morning I walk out into the yard and give him two fresh eggs in the shell. I set them down in the yard and it’s like Easter. Even as a puppy he knew what to do. He carefully picks up the egg, puts it in his mouth, takes it where he wants, pokes a hole in the shell with his canines and slurps up every last drop of both eggs. He eats raw chicken with the bones, turkey necks, liver, kidneys, and raw beef. His teeth are completely white, and his coat incredibly shiny. If I had a dollar for every so called animal lover, dog expert and veterinarian who told me my dog is going to die from salmonella poisoning from the raw eggs and choke on the raw bones I would be retired on a beach in Hawaii right now drinking margaritas. Here’s a picture of me and my dog where I landed at about twelve to thirteen percent body fat.
Thanks Mark. Pardon the long email, but I have a lot of deep appreciation for what you are doing.
All the best and Grok on, Mark.
Eric
Check out Erik’s website EricKeyes.com and his music video of an original song titled “Words of a Song“.
Grab a Copy of The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation and Start Getting Primal Today!
Posted By: Mark Sisson
Rock on Erik!
Great story and I love that your dog is on board with your new lifestyle too. My pitbull is also a big MDA fan
Oh and can I come round to yours for dinner – sushi rolls? cauliflower mash with steak? YES PLEASE
Just let me know when you come to Texas and you are on the list!
I always look forward to Friday testimonials. Congrats, Eric! The beef sushi looks really tasty, too.
Thank you Shannon
Lol, I laughed at you commenting that we never see skinny rock stars, since I couldnt help but think that they’re keeping themselves skinny through starvation and drugs.
You are way more legit than they are! Also your description of how your dog eats eggs was awesome and adorable ^_^
Dammit, i meant we never see FAT rockstars. Sorry I was just overwhelmed by your progress all i could think was skinny!
That’s true about those skinny rock stars doing it through drugs and starvation and cigarettes. They can have all that, I will stick to The Primal Blueprint
Anyway those skinny rock stars legs look like parentheses and don’t get me started on skinny jeans
Skinny jeans are a total turn off. I mean, I always wonder where the men who wear them store everything. Probably not the effect they had in mind.
Wow, WHAT a story! There’s so much awesomeness here I’m not sure where to start…but what a great straight-shooting friend you’ve got! And “how you do anything is how you do everything.” And how primal has pumped life into your body AND your music career.
Well done, Eric!
Thank You Annie, I appreciate the kind words
wow!!
Eric, wonderful story and it’s always good to hear about Paleo turning people from good to great! Animals too.
I’m going to make your sushi rolls soon!
Thanks for sharing
DAYUM, Eric! Beautiful!
And I totally relate to the need to make your mealtime an art. Love this: “I honestly in the deepest depths of my soul can not imagine how anyone could convince me that they honestly crave a bowl of oatmeal or Captain Crunch.”
Thanks Joy,
I concur, I think I would rather eat gravel that oatmeal
Great story! I love that your whole family (aka dog) is on board with you. I can’t image eating all this healthy food and then watching my dog suffer with puppy chow. The music industry needs great role models like you. I only wish your video had your performance in it
Hi Stacey,
Thanks for the kind words, Mark put a link to my music video at the end of the blog. just click on “Words of a Song” and you can hear it. I appreciate ya’
Here’s a link as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec444nXQjKE
really cool sushi rolls, I can’t wait to make them. great story. thanks for sharing.
oh yeah. awesome dog! i’ve got two primal dogs myself. though I admit, I use primal dog food. I’ve given them the occassional raw egg here and there, but I’m not so bold to use raw meats.
Steve — your dogs aren’t eating primal if they aren’t eating raw. Go here: http://www.barfaustralia.com/what_is_barf.php?pid=1
Your dogs (and cats too!) will adore you for it.
What do you give your dog as ‘primal dog food’? I have been thinking about the ‘good quality’ (read more expensive brand) but commercial dog food my dog gets -and feeling worried. Since going primal myself, I have given my dog less commercial chow and more other stuff (raw and cooked liver, bacon rinds, meat, raw and cooked eggs, fish skins – plus veggies, carrot peels, whole carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, etc. I give her a fish oil capsule now and again)
I read about raw feeding your dog, but it seemed a bit messy and complicated. Is there something in between giving a whole, raw, unplucked chicken and grain rich dog kibbles from the supermarket?
I haven’t tried giving the raw egg in the shell. Sounds fun to watch!
We fed our Doberman a raw meaty bones (RMB) diet for years and she had superior health. It isn’t as hard as people think. You just go buy whatever meat is a good deal at the moment. Give to dog. Repeat as needed. Our girl ate chicken quarters, fresh fish, rabbit, turkey legs, eggs, pretty much anything. Raw liver was a favorite, but she drew the line at kidney.
Still, if that is too much work, it is very easy to get a grain-free kibble. In fact, I think all dogs should be on grain-free kibble at a minimum. You’ll be amazed at the health conditions that will fix themselves once you take rice and corn out of a dog’s diet (a human’s too for that matter.)
Hello, Violet. I found MDA, and my husband and I started the Primal lifestyle because of our German Shepherd pup. Our first GSD lived to be 13, and was healthy until the last two months of his life, he was always on a raw diet. Go to rawfed.com and Leerburg Kennels for information.
Its important that the dog gets some veggies. They have the same basic digestive tracks as Wolfs which eat the intestines of their kills and get their veggies/fiber that way.
Check out Orijen dog food for the best grain free kibble.
I didn’t no oyster sauce was gluten free? Or is that a special brand? I would love to have oyster sauce again. I miss it. I know its pretty high in sugar content tho.
This one seems to be gluten free. Wok Mei All Natural Oyster Sauce. Google it. I’m not sure how to find out the sugar content, but I’m dying to try these “sushi” rolls.
From HonestFoods.com, Wok Mei Oyster Sauce Ingredients: Evaporated cane juice, salt, natural corn starch, caramel color, natural oyster extract, distilled vinegar. All Natural. Gluten Free.
I think the cane juice and corn starch make it non-primal … that’s why I’ve stopped using it.
I know it probably has some gluten and sugar but I find that as long as it’s in the 20% of my 80-20 rule. I feel just fine. I treat it like I do beer. Everything in moderation, including moderation.
“everything in moderation, including moderation” love it, totally my new catch phrase
Hot.
Is oyster sauce primal? I thought it was made with sugar and/or flour.
Thats what I was thinking.
Still, just a bit of 80/20.
Great success story
I buy live oyesters and use those juices.
“I believe how you do anything is how you do everything.”
that’s gonna be my new skype tag
Thanks David that is awesome!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec444nXQjKE
Eric
You are gorgeous my friend…great story! I loved your comments on those Atkins bars/shakes…they are truly repulsive. I’ll never understand those low-carbers who won’t eat a handful of berries but will eat Atkins peanut butter cups!
I know, when I would eat those fake sugars, I found something very interesting. The chemicals in them send a signal to the brain that sugar is coming so that you experience it on a psychological level. However it never comes, so it kind of tricks you. Then you end up craving it even more on a biological level. That is why diet coke is words that the regular ones. Also notice how people who drink diet sodas just keep drinking and drinking them. They never get the sugar
whoo hoo Eric! You and Adelulf look incredible and HAPPY! Thanks for the recipe too!
Grok on man!
Thanks Mars, I appreciate that
That’s amazing Eric! Congratulations and Grok On!!!
Thank you Christine.
Much Love,
Eric
Love this one! Primal doggy!! Kinda makes me sad though because the dog I grew up with was recently put down (at the age of 14) but if we had fed her more of a primal natural diet I’m sure she would of lived with better health. It was a cocker-spaniel and she had eye problems (cataracts most cockers do) but I wonder if proper nutrition could of prevented that…of course no vet would tell us if it would. Just like big pharma, getting people sick to get paid I guess.
Great story and great attitude.
Thank You Mario, I am so happy I found MDA and this community of rhino’s taking charge of their lives.
Couple of things. Big congrats on your transformation! You look mahvelous! Also, if somebody could figure out how to make low carb kolaches, they would win a Nobel Prize. Every time I drive through west, I gaze at my favorite kolache place (Not Czech Stop) and drool. Finally, I am glad Atkins worked for you, but I have to correct a myth. Atkins makes bars and shakes available to those who want them. You never have to consume one bar or shake. Collette, their nutritionist, will tell you the same. You can be just as creative on their approach as you can eating paleo/priimal. I lost the bulk of my weight on Atkins too (I’m down 97 pounds) but as I read more about the harmfulness of legumes, gluten, dairy and vegetable oils, I gradually shifted to paleo. Atkins eventually allows for that stuff to come back in, but again, you never HAVE to add it back in. Sorry to be a nit-picker, but I just get so frustrated when I see Atkins mis-characterized. If you think about it, people like Mark Sisson and Robb Wolf stand on Robert Atkins’ shoulders.
Again, kudos on you loss, dude! Keep up the good fight.
Thanks Brandon and I agree. Atkins was a great man. Haha that’s cool about West. What is your favorite Kolache place? On my next gig in Austin, I will stop there and get my Mom some
Geriks. There is also another gas station just south of Czech Stop on the feeder road that has superior kolaches than Czech Stop. Their ham and cheese one has the ham ground up and mixed with the cheese. Oh so good.
Mmmm, I miss the kolaches from West (am in SF Bay Area now). I used to go to Westfest all the time!!!
Very inspiring Eric!
Thanks Greg, so glad to be a part of this community
Very interesting life story, thanks for sharing! You and your dog look like you are really enjoying life now! And everybody needs that one straight-shooting friend in their lives.
Congrats!! You look great!! The primal sushi looks DELICIOUS!! I noticed your “vintage” crock pot in the back…I have the same one! Your dog is gorgeous!! I want to get my min pin on a raw food diet. He is allergic to everything and gets ear infections all of the time..even on a limited ingredient food that has rice…I gotta use the rest of it and then he is going RAW!! You are truly an inspiration!!
GROK ON!!
You dog will love you for it and that’s the way wolves eat
No, actually, you don’t “gotta use the rest of it” — donate it to the local pound (they can always use it) — and start your fur-child on a healthy diet right away! (Do you really mean: “I’m feeding him stuff that’s making him sick, but I’ll KEEP making him sick till I run out of the sickening stuff”?! {shudder} Would you do that to yourself?!)
Always cool to read these success stories. Good job, Eric, and a big hi5 for giving your dog the food he loves!
In other news, your post-weight-loss face makes me think you’re clearly related to Neil Peart. Maybe I’m crazy!
Wow thanks! Neil Peart is a badass!
RUSH is my all-time fave band in the world! Yes, you do resemble The Professor
You rock Eric!
I love that you treat your dog in the same Primal sense that you treat yourself. That’s amazing he can eat eggs like that. Would you post a video up of that?
My fiancee’s cat is also primal. I let it chew on a T-bone after I’ve finished the meat of it, have him run sprints every now and then, he only eats grain free food, and occasionally he IF’s.
Thanks Matt, I would post a blog at my site of Adelulf eating his 2 raw eggs.
That’s a great idea
Rock out with your Grok out!
Thanks Chris, you are ripped brother. Congrats, what is your body fat at?
Hey Eric,
Thanks! I’m not sure what is was when that picture was taken which was about a year ago. I’m leaner now and I think I’m around 7 or 8 percent. I should update my picture but I keep waiting thinking that I’m going to send in my own success story.
BTW – It’s super cool what you’re doing with your dog. Conventional dog food wisdom can suck it!
I am a musician like you and I’m wondering how do you do to go to bed early. Moste concerts are at night and usually end very late!
Thanks Bruno, it’s wird I only sleep 5-6 hours a night now. I think when you eat primal digestion is much easier and the food combining angle just makes it easier on the body. Rest is more effective as well. I also fast one day a week.
wow. wow. wow.
“The number one thing I learned from MDA and that I encourage everyone who wants to get lean and mean with a great low body-fat percentage is to understand this: 90% of all body composition begins with what you put in your mouth. You could join all the gyms in the world, buy every ab machine, personal trainer and run thirty miles a day and never have the body composition of someone who adheres to the aforementioned principle.”
Very wise words to live by, and as I’m finding out for myself, so very true. Another good example: look at last week’s success story of The Butterfly.
Thank you Eric for your story and congratulations on your success both with your weight and your music.
Thank You and now that I look back my beloved Grandma was primal and she didn’t even know it
Congrats on your story!
I found your comment about craving and Captain Crunch interesting — true, I never crave sugar cereal now, but before, if I would have a small bowl of cereal, I would instantly want a second bowl as soon as I finished the first. It got to the point of anxiety when I knew I was eating the last spoonful. That’s when I knew that type of food wasn’t good for me.
Hey Eric, good to see your article, stay strong and see you soon.
I appreciate you brother, let’s get Primal and have some ribeyes on Sunday!