About a month ago I promised a review of Mark Sisson's new book "The Primal Blueprint".
I've been chewing over what to say about the book. I've read it and re-read sections. I've smiled at parts, been stimulated, learned things and been refreshed by the simple wisdom. The sort of things I've been writing about here for the last couple of years - adequate sleep, intermittent fasting, sprints/intervals, walking, weights, a low carb diet, minimal chronic stress, play - are pulled together into a meta narrative, a big story that makes sense of fitness, food, stress and more.
I don't want to be accused of sycophancy (again) but this really is a great book - accessible without being dumbed down. If someone wanted to read something that would sum up what I think is the cutting edge in health and fitness, this is where I'd point them.
The science is there - I think Mark expects intelligent readers - but it is well presented and explained so that you can make sense of what he is talking about.
After introducing the Ten Primal Blueprint Laws in Chapter 1, Mark gives us a parable of the laws and how far we have departed from this great Torah. We meet Grok and his modern antithesis - Korg. Grok naturally follows the laws..he has to, they define his life. Korg of course has departed far from that way of life. His food and movement is fundamentally unnatural.
Then Mark exlains the laws in detail - how to eat, how to exercise, to rest. Yes the rationale is doing what Grok would have done....but naturally we find that this is also what is healthy.
Lots of the material is on Mark's website, but here it is drawn together, integrated into a convincing and compelling argument that is difficult to challenge.
A nice thing as well is that this book is fun! Eating and moving like this is not work, it is play. It is doing what you were built for, what you were designed for. And when you do that you will be having fun!
Highly recommended!
Comments
Mark says:
Primal diehards who average very low carb intake over extended periods (50-100 grams or less per day) will likely benefit from having an occasional higher carb day (maybe 250 -300 gms of non sugar carbs) to fine-tune insulin sensitivity.
Lets look at what he says:
occasional - this is not a daily thing
250 -300 grams - is not actually that high for many people.
Anyway, why is he saying that?
Well as I understand it - and I'd recommend that you read Lyle McDonald's The Ultimate Diet 2.0 to understand the biochemistry- when you reduce carbs, blood sugar and therefore insulin goes down. Which is good - it lets fat burning start. But lowered insulin can also be problematic - it can limit muscle growth for example. What you want is high
Temporarily elevating insulin levels will boost a variety of other anabolic hormones which
contribute to anabolism - i.e. gaining muscle.
Do a Google search on the "anabolic diet" or carbohydrate cycling / refeeds and you will find out the biochemistry behind all this.
That's very interesting. I'll do some research on that. Thank you!
I'll just post why higher carbs (or calories) are good (straight from Lyle's mouth):
Overfeeding
Calories Up
Protein Up
Carbs/fat (energy) Up
Insulin Up
Total testosterone Up or no change
Free testosterone Up
GH Up
IGF-1 Up
Thyroid Up
Catecholamines Down
Cortisol Down
Leptin Up
Ghrelin Down
Cellular energy state Up
Protein synthesis Up
Bodyfat levels Up
Muscle mass Up
Net effect: Body is systemically anabolic
Best,
Skyler
I thought about cutting and pasting that but tried to explain it myself - badly!
A lot of info is out there if people just use google and know what to search for.
It's nothing new, nothing primal - just good nutrition practice.
I've had Mark's book sitting on my desk for several weeks now, I really should crack it open sometime :)
too many other books to read!
Ill post my own review up soon enough and link yours as well Chris.
-Anthony
Apparently this doesn't bother anyone else?