How To Live A Primal Lifestyle
Some of the Reasons Better Health Feels Out of Reach
Most people today don’t know what’s missing. In the bustle of life we rush through our day fueled by caffeine and our fight or flight nerves. Feeling limited on time and skill we eat whatever is quick and easy. We visit a drive thru for something to reward the pleasure centers of our brain even though it leaves our body unnourished.
Alternately we tear open a package covered with bold health claims and pop it in the microwave. When we’re done eating we still feel hungry but if we want to uphold the health promises made on the box we ignore the hunger signal.
Hurrying to the next task we don’t notice that we didn’t really chew our food. We’re too tired to notice and too overwhelmed to care.
Most of us are just trying to get through the day with hopes of ticking off our to do list. If we really push through we can impress our boss, co-workers, and that part of ourselves that wants to feel like we’re good enough.
Our digestion and sleep are abysmal. We struggle to get out of bed because surely life should be more fulfilling than dragging yourself to a job solely for the purpose of paying bills. Meanwhile your family and friends get the leftover crumbs of your time and energy.
After decades of fighting weight gain (which we believe is the hallmark of health) we’re too overwhelmed and frustrated to give it more of our attention. Spending the last decades of life attached to pill bottles has become the standard. Chronic illness is so common we’ve come to believe it’s normal. It’s not.
Visit any school or playground and you’ll see kids with countless food sensitivities and behavioral struggles. Peanut butter and wheat bread used to be a staple at every lunch table, now peanuts are forbidden and wheat is a close second. Genes don’t change that fast and if our kids are struggling perhaps there’s a reason adults are too.
Fight or Flight In the Modern World
Spending 8+ hours a day stressed out behind a computer screen showered with blue light isn’t normal. It’s not just our screens though.
The modern world has us in a constant state of fight or flight. Bad news sells and most of us receive a steady stream via the phone in our pocket. Unless you know how to switch off the outside world you won’t get a break from the stress.
Our ancestors were fortunate in that their news was limited to their small community. They didn’t have to carry the troubles of the entire planet with them.
When we’re stressed it shuts down a number of the body’s processes such as digestion. Stress also causes the body to release cortisol which in turn raises blood sugar. It’s one of the many reasons skipping desert isn’t enough to get rid of your sugar cravings. Your stress is feeding your body sugar from the inside.
What Is A Primal Lifestyle?
The Primal Lifestyle remembers humanity before we were disconnected from nature. When most people hear the word Primal they think of a TV show, that Sisson guy, or something to do with cavemen. The Primal Lifestyle is simply an endeavor to live in alignment with our original human nature.
Our ancestors had no idea what calories or macros were, yet their weight maintenance was effortless. You’ll hear the snide remark that their average life span was 30 years, so why would anyone want to be Primal? They had a high infant mortality rate and their primary causes of death were injuries and infections — both of which are more likely in childhood.
What you won’t often hear is that they lived well into their 70’s without chronic disease. Their brains were larger, their bones were stronger, and they had room for their wisdom teeth.[1]
Today’s hunter gatherers, the closest we can get to our Paleolithic ancestors, enjoy an average age of 72 years. [2] The good news is that anyone can adopt a primal lifestyle. You don’t need fancy gadgets or expensive food, all you need is a willingness to learn.
Spend More Time In Nature
While our climate controlled lives are cozy, nature is our original home. It’s why people feel relaxed at the beach, walking through a forest, or seeing a beautiful sunset. Type the words Forest Bathing into any browser or book search and you’ll find countless sources listing the benefits. You’ll also find resources on the barefoot connection called Earthing.
For decades we’ve been told to avoid the sun but avoiding it completely is worse for human health. The Primal Lifestyle purposefully includes more time and activites in the outdoors because nature is good for us.
Blue Light & The Importance of Sleep
If you’ve ever been camping what’s the last thing you see before bed? A campfire? Think of the light from a campfire and it’s reddish-orange glow. It’s the perfect light hue for bedtime and one of the reasons people say they sleep better when they’re camping.
Conversely, the screens in our life hinder our sleep. Blue light emitted from our devices sends a signal to our brain telling us the sun is up. In order for your body to produce the sleep hormone melatonin the sun needs to go down. Limiting screen time, especially a few hours before bed, wearing blue light blocking glasses, and turning off LED lights can help put you on a path towards better sleep.
When it comes to our pursuit of weight loss did you know that sleep is equally as important as exercise? Some data from sleep studies:
If you get 30 minutes less sleep a night than you need just on weekdays, you have a 39% higher risk of insulin resistance.If you get an hour less sleep a night, you have a 78% higher risk of insulin resistance.When the participants were recruited, those that typically didn’t get enough sleep were 72% more likely to be obese.At 12 months, for every 30 minutes of weekday sleep debt, the risk of obesity was 17% higher and the risk of insulin resistance 39% higher. [3]
Like other lifestyle factors that could improve our health sleep is often an overlooked component. Poor sleep is so common we’ve come to brush it off as normal. Then we push our tired selves to exercise in pursuit of weight loss. We’re completely out of alignment with our original primal nature. Our days are covered in blue light at the expense of the natural and necessary phenomenon called sleep.
Our ancestors wouldn’t have survived if they didn’t sleep or if they had to vigorously exercise for 60 minutes 5 days a week to be healthy. They didn’t have a drive thru or convenience store to replenish calories on a whim. Walking at a leisurely pace was their primary form of exercise. On occasion they’d lift heavy things and when the situation called for it they’d sprint. They didn’t have fitness trackers or apps yet their workout is perfectly designed for humans.
Our thinking on fitness and health today is also off the mark.
What you burn during 30–60 minutes of exercise is small in comparison to what you burn the other 23 hours of the day.
This is where the Primal Living approach to eating is important. When it comes to chronic disease, autoimmunity, digestion, sleep, joint pain, mental health, weight loss, and countless other health challenges — the food on your plate is the biggest factor. Every cellular process relies on nutrients. If you’re not giving your body what it needs, via food, why would you expect it to be healthy?
What Is A Primal Diet?
The Primal Diet is a whole food diet comprised of: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, vegetables, nuts, seeds, animal fats, and seasonal fruit. That is, if you were suddenly forced to live and survive in the woods what would you eat? Now think about how much sugar you could find in a forest. Then compare that to any supermarket. Do you see the disconnect not only in sugar quantity but also fresh food vs processed food?
It’s why a common shopping tip is to stick to the perimeter of the store. That’s where you find real food. Many of these foods you can grow or raise on your own. When you shop local farm stands and buy produce in season it contains more nutrition than produce that’s traveled half way around the world.
Why does food choice matter? Today most of us are wired to use glucose as our primary energy source. The body burns through glucose quickly and when blood sugar levels drop you’ll feel tired and hangry which prompts you to eat again. Since primal foods have a lower glycemic index it creates a space for your body to remember how to use protein and stored body fat for fuel. Not only will you find consistent energy and focus, you’ll also find how simple weight loss actually is.
The point of the Primal Lifestyle is to simply live as long as you can with the best health that you can.
Live Long, Drop Dead — Mark Sisson
Your Environment & Lifestyle Play A Huge Role In Overall Health
Our modern world has shown us that living out of synch with our original human nature definitely hasn’t done us any favors. We’re inundated with fake food, fake light, fake environments, and a false belief that it’s all fine and normal. When all these pieces come together you can see how it’s different than the way most of us live in the modern world.
Functional Medicine Practitioners and practitioners from The Paleo Physicians Network will most likely support your ancestral health journey.
[1] The Story Of The Human Body
[2] https://www.marksdailyapple.com/life-expectancy-hunter-gatherer/
The information above is provided for educational purposes. It’s impossible to write an article that’s perfect for everyone’s health circumstances. Please seek the advice of a healthcare professional who will support you and the changes you’d like to make.
