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!
I Love Cutting out the Grains:
When I started changing my lifestyle, I began to question everything I had been taught about nutrition, exercise, and health. One of the biggest changes I made was after Googling “Is oatmeal good for you?” While I found a lot of responses stating the so-called benefits of grains and oats, I also found a lot of resources talking about how people needed to cut out oatmeal due to high blood sugar concerns and diabetes. That led me to consciously cut out the oatmeal and grains altogether.
I only Eat Paleo, Run Sprints, Lift Heavy:
I kept things simple. One of the first things I learned from The Primal Blueprint was the simple concept of cutting out the grains, eat fruits, veggies, meats, and drink water. I lift heavy things and run sprints. So I have always focused on those fundamentals into whatever I do with regard to my health. One of the most important was RUN SPRINTS!!! When I first started the Paleo lifestyle I was not running sprints. I think it’s safe to say that I still thought the conventional cardio exercises were going to be enough to keep me fit. I am now very much into sprinting. So in 2013 I started sprinting every week. The first year I did a set of eight sprints a week, the next year I did two sets of eight a week, and now in 2016 I am doing 10 sprints a day(on average). I have noticed muscle growth, definition, greater heart health, and the list of benefits goes on. So I think running sprints religiously every week should be a priority for every Human on Earth.
I Don’t Spend Money on Fitness Memberships:
Since I started on the Paleo lifestyle I have not paid a penny on Gym memberships. The only money I spend on working out is to buy weights, sneakers, or athletic clothing. So I work out on as little to no financial budget as possible. I have weights at home.
So lifting heavy things are a must. I have become creative about it finding heavy weights to lift. My son is 10 years old and weighs a little under 100 or so. I have him get on my back and I run sprints, do push ups, squats, and calf raises.
I Do Not Count Calories:
I eat until I feel full. I make sure I am eating healthy portions of meats, veggies, and fruits. I only drink water. I eat the healthy fats, like paleo friendly mayo, olive oil, and animal fats. I noticed that I was becoming a bit over-indulgent with nuts, so I have since cut out nuts entirely. On occasion, I will eat almonds.
Regulating Glucose Intake:
I remember Mark Sission mentioning on a YouTube video that the less glucose you take in during a lifetime, the better. I try to keep that in perspective. I try to have an omelet or grilled chicken with mayonnaise on hand for any time I need to eat a quick meal. That way I can avoid just munching away on bananas and apples.
Cut Out the Lights at 9:00 PM:
I remember Mark saying that developing a sleep routine is crucial to healthy sleep. This is something that I was not practicing when I first started the Paleo diet. I was working out, eating Paleo, but not cutting out the lights at bedtime. Since 2014 I have started to cut out the electronics after 9:00 PM. I also start reducing lighting at home. I will take a cool shower and just relax in bed with a blindfold over my eyes. So I prioritize darkness and sleep after 9:00 PM, even on the weekends.
The differences are amazing. I have more energy. I don’t feel ashamed of taking off my shirt anymore at the pool. I eat food in order to live, and not live life to eat food. My meals take me to the place I need to go to. Exercise is more about enjoyment, not torture. I see exercise as a stress relieving, fun activity. Exercise is an opportunity to go outdoors, even during the winter. I sleep a lot better. I think that’s one of the best benefits at this point. I always tell people that Paleo can give you a great body, energy, and strength, but best of all is the quality sleep. I wouldn’t trade the quality sleep over anything. I also like to stand up a lot and move now. I cringe at the thought of just sitting all day long. It’s like I feel like my heart is telling me to get up and move, every day.
The last thing I want to share with readers is that I started this journey five years ago. I look back and see that with every passing year I gain more benefits from practicing a Paleo lifestyle. I view life as a chance to give 100% of myself to everything I do. I think the Paleo diet, lifestyle, or whatever you want to call it is part of something bigger than myself. Inside of all of us, we hold the inheritance of our ancestors. These ancestors are flowing in our veins, and they survived massive obstacles. It was with this ability to adapt and overcome challenges that our hunter-gather ancestors gave us the ability to do intermittent fasting, lift heavy things and run sprints. By living a low stress, happy, healthy life, we honor them. They drew a blueprint for us a very long time ago, but that blueprint is still encoded inside of us. As a species, we have deviated from that blueprint, but we can now realign ourselves with it again. It’s what being Human is all about.
Jim
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