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I’m part of a generation who was at one time, bombarded with the virtues of breakfast being the holy grail of all meals. How many of you were convinced that if you didn’t start your day with a big ‘ol bowl whole-grain cereal accompanied by a side of OJ you’d be destined to fall asleep in glass or (gasp) your metabolism would slow down? The issue of whether or not you should have breakfast is a huge source of conflict. You’ve got your conventional eat-within-two-hours-of-waking-up wisdom, dysfunctional metabolic conditioning that tells you to ignore your hunger cues — and starve yourself until you can’t take it any longer, and newer studies that say that it doesn’t matter when you eat as long as you just eat less.1, 2. Breakfast is When You Break Your Fast Historically, breakfast was a term used to describe your first meal of the day, no matter when that meal took place. Sometime around the 15th century, it became synonymous with the meal you consume shortly after waking up. And now, thanks to the hundreds of thousands of people thriving with intermittent fasting, breakfast is returning to its first-meal-of-your-day roots. Simply put, breakfast is how you break your fast. Whether you have a planned eating window or your fast is just the hours that you’re asleep, the meal that answers the day’s first call of hunger is arguably the most important. Let me repeat that: your first hunger of the day is the most important. It’s your body’s first polite request for you to deliver substantial, supportive, and sustainable fuel to your body. Somewhere between parental advice and diet culture influence, many of my own health coaching clients have been taught to answer their first hunger with a banana and piece of toast. Or an energy bar. Or a single hard-boiled egg. The problem is, when you start your day with one of these unsatisfying breakfasts, you’re doing yourself and your body a disservice, well, unless you’re cool with the rollercoaster of snack attacks, constant hunger, or needing to eat again in about an hour. The Metabolic Benefits of Eating Breakfast Breakfast is whenever you break your fast – it doesn’t have to be 6:00 a.m. or 9:00 a.m. or even noon. But there are metabolic benefits to consuming a significant meal earlier in the day. In this study, 93 overweight women between the ages of 30 and 57 were put into two isocaloric weight loss groups: one had their largest meal of the day at breakfast; the other had their largest meal at dinner. Over the course of 12 weeks, the group who consumed the most calories at breakfast lost two and a half times more weight than those who had a light breakfast — or skipped it altogether. They also had significantly reduced fasting glucose, insulin, ghrelin, and triglyceride levels. Apply this approach to your own life and within a few days you’ll start to notice: Your cravings disappear You’re not thinking about food 24/7 You have more sustained energy You stop snacking all day You sleep better at night You’re not spiraling into guilt or shame because you binged once the sun went down So having a satisfying, satiating, nutrient-dense, and calorically dense breakfast could be the key to optimal metabolic health. But how do you get out of the biggest-meal-of-the-day-at-night routine? Breaking the Late-Night Eating Cycle Often times, my clients will tell me they don’t feel hungry when they wake up. If that’s the case with you, I’d argue that you’ve trained yourself not to be hungry. Years of waking up, rushing to get ready for work, and not making time for a solid, sit-down breakfast has resulted in the belief that you don’t need to eat. (Side note: if you don’t eat ‘til dinner time and feel awesome, that’s great! This is for folks looking to make a change in their health, their hunger levels, and their relationship with food, and who feel like, perhaps, their meal timing could be their ace in the hole.) To break the cycle, I typically have my clients eat a morning meal loaded with protein and fat — whether they’re hungry or not.3 I’m all for listening to your body’s cues, but most people are so disconnected from what their bodies are telling them already, and this is a great opportunity to retrain the mind and body to actually want a meal in the morning. Somewhat forcing the issue of breakfast is a means to an end; a tool to help bring hunger signaling back online. That, and, if you have an epic break fast meal, there is a greater chance that you will eat less as the day goes on. Pretty soon, once we’ve flipped that eating schedule on its head, many people do start feeling a slight grumble of hunger in the morning. Remember there’s a difference between skipping (or skimping on) breakfast because you’re following conventional wisdom or you’re still feeling full from the previous night, and “skipping” it because your first meal falls a little later in the day. How to Break Your Fast Epically In my opinion, food isn’t just fuel. It should satiate hunger. It should be delicious and enjoyable. And it should support your metabolic needs for energy and vitality. If you want to break your fast in an epic way, you probably already know what to do, you just might need a nudge in the right direction. Respect yourself enough to make time. I don’t love “grab-n-go” breakfasts, and I even question their necessity at times. When people tell me they’re too busy to make a nutrient-dense, supportive meal for themselves, all I hear is “I don’t value myself.”If you’ve decided that getting out the door is more important than appropriately feeding yourself, this is your chance to show yourself how much you respect the miracle that your body is. Not only that, consider the extra time you spend scouring the cabinets for snacks or thinking about what you’re going to eat (or not eat) next. What if you took that 15 or so minutes and tacked that on to the beginning of your day? Prioritize protein and fat. Want to set yourself up for sustained energy between meals without fatigue, mood swings, and cravings? Break your fast with a combo of protein and good-for-you fats. And I’m not talking about a single egg and half a piece of bacon. You can do better than that. Filling your plate with a healthy portion of these miraculous macronutrients regulates the hunger hormone ghrelin, so you feel fuller for longer and keep cravings at bay. So, slide a pan of bacon into the oven, fry up a few eggs, and top it all off with some colorful veggies slathered in butter. Reset your circadian rhythm. Your circadian rhythm affects everything — both cognitively and metabolically. When you have the habit of eating later at night and consequently, not eating during the day, you disrupt your natural body clock, which can lead to increased production of insulin, among other things.4There are two ways to reset your rhythm: a) eat a smaller meal at night so that you’re hungrier in the morning, or b) eat a larger meal for your first hunger of the day and you’ll naturally want less food at night. Know that breakfast doesn’t have to look like breakfast. Eating “breakfast food” for breakfast is a construct that’s been spearheaded by cereal manufactures, created to make you believe your morning meal has to look, smell, and taste a certain way. There’s absolutely zero reason you can’t have leftover ribeye and asparagus or a Big Ass Salad for your first meal of the day. You’ve got your protein, your healthy fats, and vital nutrients to support your body for the long haul. What else do you need? How Important is Breakfast? Whether you consider it self-care or just taking ownership of the miraculous organism your body is, breakfast — the meal you break your fast with — is the most important meal of the day. There’s no better way to take the reins back from hunger, cravings, and chronic energy dips than by making time to front load your day with an epic protein and fat-forward meal.

This BBQ grilled salmon recipe makes a frequent appearance on my back patio all summer long. It’s easy, it’s quick start-to-finish, and you can’t beat a smoky BBQ sauce against a cool fruity salsa. You’re just minutes away from a simple and delicious meal the entire family will enjoy! We topped this simple BBQ salmon with a peach and cucumber salsa, but you can use any type of topping you choose! To mix it up, brush the salmon with Hawaiian BBQ or Mango Jalapeno BBQ Sauce.

Chances are, you’ve experienced intrusive thoughts. I’m talking about those odd or disturbing thoughts that pop into your head seemingly out of nowhere. Usually, they involve imagining yourself, just for a moment, doing something dangerous, harmful to others, or socially inappropriate. It’s not that you want or intend to do so, but you realize that you could stand up and yell obscenities in church, kiss a stranger on the bus, or ram your car into the car in front of you at the stoplight. We don’t talk about intrusive thoughts all that much, probably because the content is often violent or sexual in nature. Yet, research suggests that intrusive thoughts are a near-universal human experience.1 More often than not, people simply dismiss them because they’re so “out there.” A particular thought may make you pause long enough to ask yourself, “Whoa, where did that come from?!” but then you move on. For some folks, though, intrusive thoughts become incredibly disruptive because they arise with great frequency, or because the person finds them so disturbing that they have a hard time letting them go. Sometimes both. People who struggle with intrusive thoughts can become sidelined by shame, guilt, or anxiety. They worry that these thoughts reflect who they “really are” deep down. They believe that friends and loved ones will reject them if they knew. When the same intrusive thoughts run on a loop in their heads, they may fear that they are willing those bad things to happen or creating self-fulfilling prophecies. Often, these individuals are reluctant to seeking help despite their profound distress. Intrusive thoughts are incredibly normal, but they shouldn’t interfere with your quality of life. While banishing them is easier said than done, some techniques show promise for helping people deal with unwanted thoughts and the angst they cause. What Are Intrusive Thoughts? Intrusive thoughts pop into your head unbidden, flooding your mind with upsetting content or imagery. You might suddenly picture yourself doing something you find abhorrent because it is violent, sexual in a way that you find unappealing, or just plain wrong according to your moral standards. Some intrusive thoughts involve memories of past traumatic events or incidents you’d rather forget. Others have to do with fears or phobias. The thoughts themselves are disturbing enough on their own, but the follow-up can be worse if you start to ruminate on them: “What does this thought mean about me?” “What kind of person thinks these things?! I must be terrible.” “If I’m thinking about this, does it mean that I actually want to do it? That I will do it?” Some people even worry that they have already committed those acts without remembering. Anxiety and self-doubt become the bigger problem in many cases. (This isn’t necessarily true for folks who have PTSD or otherwise experience intrusive thoughts related to past trauma.) Most effective treatments for problematic intrusive thoughts focus on how you respond to them rather than the thoughts per se. Common Intrusive Thoughts Intrusive thoughts tend to organize around common themes, such as: Harming yourself Intentionally or unintentionally harming others Sexual attraction or behavior Sacrilegious behaviors, sinning Getting sick Existential concerns2 If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or others, immediately call SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Importantly, the content of intrusive thoughts is ego-dystonic, meaning that it’s inconsistent with how you see yourself and your closely held values. For example, you might worry that you’re attracted to someone whom you wouldn’t consider an acceptable or desirable partner, even if others would. The thoughts and images you find disturbing might not bother someone else. One of the most distressing things about intrusive thoughts is that they make people feel so isolated. Embarrassment and shame prevent people from talking about their intrust thoughts, so it’s easy to assume—incorrectly—that you’re the only one who has them. However, there are almost certainly other people out there who experience the same thoughts as you, no matter how bizarre they may seem to you. For instance, most new parents imagine harming their baby or fear that they will do so, despite a strong desire to keep their newborn safe.3 Despite how common it is, I don’t recall ever being asked or counseled about intrusive thoughts after having my babies, nor talking about it even with my closest friends. What Causes Intrusive Thoughts? Nobody knows exactly what causes intrusive thoughts, nor why some people seem to get stuck on them but not others. One theory is that intrusive thoughts come from our brains “practicing” what we will do in dangerous or stressful situations. From a survival perspective, it behooves us to anticipate potential threats and avoid doing things that would get us kicked out of the social group. Intrusive thoughts may be your brain’s vigilance system turned up to haywire, imagining extreme situations in an attempt to circumvent them. Thus, although it feels counterintuitive, intrusive thoughts could be your brain’s misguided attempt to help you navigate the world. Even if that’s true, it still doesn’t explain why intrusive thoughts disrupt some people’s lives tremendously while others experience them only infrequently. One possibility is that individuals who struggle with intrusive thoughts make less GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps suppress unwanted thoughts through mechanisms that aren’t fully understood.4 5 Mental Health Disorders Associated with Intrusive Thoughts Again, let me emphasize that intrusive thoughts are very normal. Most people, probably all people, have intrusive thoughts at least occasionally. Intrusive thoughts are not necessarily a sign that you have a specific mental health issue, any more than feeling very sad sometimes means you have clinical depression. As with the sadness-depression spectrum, it’s a matter of degree—how frequently the thoughts occur and, in particular, how much distress they cause you. Intrusive thoughts that cause you significant distress or anxiety, or that otherwise detract from your day-to-day quality of life, might signal a bigger issue. That said, your intrusive thoughts don’t have to feel severe in order for you to seek help. Certain mental health disorders are characterized by frequent intrusive thoughts. The obsessions in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are types of intrusive thoughts. Compulsive behaviors attempt to mitigate the negative arousal they cause. People diagnosed with a subtype of OCD called “Pure Obsessional” or “Pure O” experience obsessive thoughts without stereotypical compulsive behaviors (though they might exhibit less obvious compulsions).6 Intrusive thoughts frequently occur with other anxiety and mood disorders as well, including: Generalized anxiety disorder PTSD Phobias, including social phobia Postpartum depression Bipolar disorder Eating disorders How to Stop Intrusive Thoughts Note: Before taking a particular course of action, consult your healthcare provider, especially if you have been diagnosed with (or suspect you have) a concurrent mental health condition. While the treatment options listed below are generally considered best practices, individual needs vary. For help finding services, contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Intrusive thoughts are outside our conscious control, so we can’t really stop them from happening. Sometimes, treating any associated mental health issues with targeted therapy and medications like SSRIs will alleviate intrusive thoughts. However, many people find that the thoughts return after stopping medication. Although your instinct might be to try to push away intrusive thoughts, that rarely works. If “just don’t think about it” was an effective strategy, nobody would need treatment in the first place. Furthermore, psychologists widely agree that trying to shove down and ignore unwanted thoughts is actively counterproductive. Suppressing thoughts actually makes them more likely to stay in conscious awareness.7 Likewise, self-soothing actions like seeking reassurance that you’re a good person or compulsive behaviors in the case of OCD may provide short-term relief for the discomfort, but they aren’t effective long-term strategies. Plus, they can become debilitating in their own right. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Since there’s no good way to prevent intrusive thoughts altogether, the preferred treatment paradigms help people learn to live with their intrusive thoughts. According to the Cognitive-behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach, it’s not the intrusive thoughts that cause a person to suffer, it’s how they react. With CBT, people learn to change their responses—their thoughts about their thoughts—so they don’t cause as much distress. Over time, intrusive thoughts may become less frequent as they become less impactful. One popular CBT technique is Exposure Response Prevention (ERP). With ERP, individuals are encouraged to face their fears head-on so they become desensitized to them. ERP has proven to be effective especially for OCD. However, it might be triggering for individuals with PTSD, which is why it’s important to work with a trained professional. Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Mindfulness practices teach us to observe our thoughts without becoming too wrapped up in them. Some people successfully use mindfulness meditation to separate themselves from their intrusive thoughts so that they aren’t so upsetting. In a similar vein, self-compassion exercises can help you process your intrusive thoughts without getting stuck in a cycle of self-recrimination. A branch of CBT called Mindfulness-based Cognitive-behavioral Therapy aims to help people accept intrusive thoughts rather than being dragged down by them.8 Specific approaches that draw from mindfulness and CBT are Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). Take Care of Your Overall Health You might have already noticed that intrusive thoughts pop up more often when you are tired, stressed, or otherwise not taking very good care of yourself. That’s probably because your brain has fewer resources to keep unwanted thoughts at bay.9 Recognizing these patterns allows you to work on good self-care practices. Thyroid imbalances—both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism—are also prevalent among folks with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental health issues associated with intrusive thoughts.10 11 12 Despite the well-known correlations, many doctors don’t screen people seeking mental health care for thyroid issues. Ask your doctor about getting your thyroid hormone levels checked. Don’t Let Shame Prevent You from Seeking Help Many people are reluctant to seek help because their thoughts feel so despicable. Surely if they tell anyone, the other person will think they’re horrible, right? The likelihood that your intrusive thoughts are the worst, most socially unacceptable thoughts that have ever been thought by any human ever is exceedingly small. Even if they are, you still deserve to feel better. Any competent therapist should be able to listen without judgment. Frankly, they’ve probably heard it all before. If you somehow manage to come up with something new, it’s their job to listen and offer the help you need. There are books and workbooks you can start to work through on your own if you’re not ready to talk to anyone yet. Online therapy could be another great option if face-to-face therapy feels too daunting. If you take nothing else from this post, know that you are not alone. Intrusive thoughts do not make you a bad person. Thoughts are not actions, and thinking about something is very different from actually doing it. It might not be possible to stop intrusive thoughts, but with help, you can learn to live in peace, which you deserve. Intrusive Thoughts FAQs What are intrusive thoughts? Intrusive thoughts are thoughts that pop into your head, seemingly from nowhere, that you find disturbing or distressing. Often, they are violent or sexual in nature, or they involve things you are afraid of. Some intrusive thoughts are memories of past experiences or trauma you’d rather not think about. Are intrusive thoughts normal? Yes! Nearly everybody experiences intrusive thoughts, at least occasionally. Intrusive thoughts are not a sign that anything is “wrong” with you, nor that you have a more serious mental health problem. However, if you find your intrusive thoughts upsetting, it’s a good idea to talk to a professional. What causes intrusive thoughts? One theory is that intrusive thoughts come from our brains “practicing” what we will do in dangerous or stressful situations. Intrusive thoughts are characteristic of anxiety and mood disorders, though it’s not clear whether they lead to or are caused by these disorders, or possibly both. What are some common intrusive thoughts? Intrusive thoughts tend to follow a few common themes: fear of hurting yourself or others; engaging in behaviors, including sexual behaviors, you deem undesirable or inappropriate; getting sick or contaminated; or existential concerns. It’s important to note that thinking about these things doesn’t mean you want to act on them. How do I stop intrusive thoughts? You can’t control the thoughts that pop into your head, but you can learn to manage your response to them using cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness techniques. Psychopharmacological treatments might be useful in some cases. Take care of your overall health as well.

The most important part of the workout isn’t the workout—it’s after. That’s when muscles grow, when you get stronger, when mitochondria replicate, when glycogen regenerates, when depleted cells rehydrate. It’s where the actual benefits of physical training occur. The workout is the stimulus, and the time after your workout is where your body adapts to the training. Your recovery methods make or break your training. What’s the typical advice? Eat, sleep, repeat. This advice isn’t bad. It’s actually the foundation of workout recovery. Of course you have to eat food, sleep, and do the whole sequence consistently to get results in the gym. That goes without saying. But it’s the absolute bare minimum. There’s more you can do, and should do. There’s also the possibility of doing too much. Of getting lost in the weeds. Of optimizing all the gadgets and hacks and supplements and forgetting about the foundational precepts of workout recovery methods: good food, good sleep, and consistency. So today I’ll lay out everything I’ve learned about recovery methods over the last 40-50 years of training. Food Food comes first, both chronologically and in importance. Food provides the raw substrates your body needs to recover from and adapt to training: the macronutrients to provide structure and energy; the micronutrients to produce and activate the hormones, neurotransmitters, and other chemical messengers we use to make things happen in our bodies. For about 2 hours after the workout, you have a “window” of opportunity for optimal distribution of nutrients: Your muscles are primed for dietary protein to lay down new tissue and begin repairing the damage done by the workout. Your muscles are primed to accept carbohydrates as glycogen (the form of carbohydrate stored in muscles and used for intense activities). Your entire body is insulin sensitive, so you can shuttle nutrients like protein and glycogen into muscle without needing as much insulin as you’d normally need. Your body has also triggered something called “insulin independent glucose transport,” which allows glycogen repletion without the use of insulin. All in all, now’s the time to eat. That said, the “window” isn’t closed forever after the two hour mark. Eating later will still improve recovery, replete glycogen, and so on. And a post workout fast (or abstention from food for a few hours) can actually increase growth hormone secretion. Whether this is physiologically relevant to workout recovery remains to be established, but it’s something you can play around with. But the point is that food matters, maybe more than anything else. You need high quality Primal food and you need adequate amounts of it. What I do: Follow my hunger. If I’m ravenous after a training session, I eat right away. If I’m not, I hold off a bit. I trust the instinctual cravings of my subconscious to let me know what’s optimal in any given post workout period. I aim for protein, first and foremost. 30-50 grams for the first meal, usually in the form of meat or seafood or eggs but sometimes whey. Protein is my primary concern. I’ll eat whatever fat comes along for the ride, and if I’ve expended a lot of glycogen I might include some fruit or tuber. But personally, I’m not that worried about refilling my glycogen right away. I’m at the point in my life where I’m not destroying myself in the gym anymore, nor am I trying to compete the next day in some grueling event. “Refueling” isn’t my primary concern. Cold Water Immersion Cold water immersion done right after a workout can reduce soreness and muscle pain and get you back into competition more quickly, but it may impair strength and fitness gains. How do you reconcile this? If you absolutely need to get back into the gym or on the track on short notice, cold immersion will get you competing faster. The studies are clear: Cold water exposure restores muscle contractile function and reduces soreness following simulated collision sports (in this case, rugby).1 Both cold water immersion and hot/cold contrast therapy help restore force production following high intensity interval training.2 Cold water immersion helps sprinters maintain their performance over the course of consecutive training days.3 Cold water immersion helps basketball players recover from their games.4 This is why you see athletes getting into ice baths after games: so they can play again tomorrow. Makes sense for competition, but not training. If you’re training for long term adaptations to your strength and cardiovascular fitness, cold immersion should not be done immediately post-workout. Doing so (within 10 minute after a training session) has been shown to reduce long term strength adaptations and even size gains by attenuating the normal post-workout rise in satellite cell number and activity of the kinases that control muscle hypertrophy.5 What I do: Take a cool bath/shower or dip in the ocean the evening after a workout, or the next day. I don’t do it right after the workout. I don’t do it every time. I wait at least 5-6 hours for the acute inflammation of a training session to subside. Sauna If the post-workout effects of cold immersion are often undesirable, the post-workout sauna is a wholly positive force for workout recovery. Post-workout sauna sessions improve endurance performance in runners.6 For three weeks, endurance runners sat in 89° C (+/- 2° C) humid saunas for 31 minutes following training sessions. This amounted to an average of 12.7 sauna sessions per runner. Relative to control (no sauna), sauna use increased time to exhaustion by 32%, plasma cell volume by 7.1%, and red cell volume by 3.2% (both plasma cell and red cell volume are markers of increased endurance performance). Post-workout sauna use increases plasma volume in male cyclists.7 Following training sessions, cyclists sat in 87° C, 11% humidity saunas for 30 minutes. Just four sessions were sufficient to expand plasma volume. This is important because increasing plasma volume improves heat dissipation, thermoregulation, heart rate, and cardiac stroke volume during exercise.8 What I do: Either use a dry sauna, an infra-red sauna, or take a hot bath or dip in the hot tub after my workout. I’m not a stickler for timing or heat medium (dry, wet, bath, IR). Whenever I can squeeze it in, I do it then. And foam rolling just after the sauna while your muscles are warm feels incredible. Walk Walking is always a good idea. No matter your situation, go for a walk. At the worst, it doesn’t make anything worse and nothing changes (but you still got a walk in). And there’s a very good chance it improves whatever situation you’re dealing with. Same goes for workout recovery. There’s a real epidemic of people who train hard in the gym a few times a week and then sit on their asses the rest of the week. They might even look strong or fit, but they’re leaving a lot of fitness on the table by not moving frequently at a slow pace. Resting doesn’t mean “being sedentary.” On the contrary, consistent low level movement helps stimulate lymph flow, which helps reduce and repair muscle damage and speed up both recovery and adaptations. A post-workout walk will also burn many of the free fatty acids you just liberated during the workout. This can improve body fat loss, if you’re going for that. What I do: Immediately post workout, I like a brisk 15-20 minute walk to cool down and to get some gentle movement for the tissues I just stressed. On the off days, I make sure to get a lengthy walk, or series of walks. Walk as much as you can, as often as you can, basically. Let’s call this strategy JFW—”Just F—ing Walk.” Magnesium The average person is already deficient in magnesium, and the severity and incidence rise the more you train. Sweating and exertion increases magnesium requirements by around 20%.9 Without adequate magnesium, you shortchange your ability to generate energy, build muscle, and recover from your workouts. It’s one of those minerals that acts as a precursor to hundreds of physiological processes in the body, including those relevant to the post-workout period. What I do: If I’m taking a hot bath, I’ll add some magnesium chloride flakes to the water. I also keep magnesium chloride oil (flakes dissolved in purified water in a spray bottle), which I apply generously to my skin—especially the areas of the body I just trained. Sleep As always, it’s not that sleep is magical. It’s that a lack of sleep is so totally destructive. Poor sleep impairs exercise recovery primarily via two routes: by increasing cortisol, which reduces testosterone production and lowers muscle protein synthesis; and by disrupting slow wave sleep, the constructive stage of slumber where growth hormone secretion peaks, tissues heal and muscles rebuild.10 That’s probably why sleep deprivation has been linked to muscular atrophy and increased urinary excretion of nitrogen, and why the kind of cortisol excess caused by sleep deprivation reduces muscle strength.111213 Additionally, sleep loss can increase the risk of injuries by decreasing balance and postural control.14 If you trip and fall, or throw out your back due to poor technique, you won’t even have a workout to recover from. What I do: Get 8 hours a night, making sure to follow best practices for optimal sleep and circadian hygiene. Stress Stress is fungible. Psychological stress (“mental” stress, bills to pay, relationship issues, job you hate, commute you hate more) and physical stress (hard workout, lack of sleep, inadequate calorie intake) do not exist in separate categories, never to interact. They are additive. Stress is stress is stress. If you’ve just finished a hard workout, there is good evidence that psychological stress will make recovery go more slowly. In one study, 31 undergrads were assessed for baseline mental stress levels using a battery of psychological tests, then engaged in a heavy lower body strength workout. At an hour post workout, students with high baseline stress levels had regained 38 percent of their leg strength, while students low baseline stress levels had regained 60 percent of their strength back. Another study showed that tissue healing is impaired during times of stress. Students received puncture wounds to their mouths, and half went on vacation and the other half had exams. On average, the exam group took three days longer for their wounds to heal. Even though we aren’t talking about puncture wounds, the muscle recovery process operates along similar pathways.15 What I do: Apart from regular anti-stress techniques, I also take Adaptogenic Calm, my own anti-stress supplement that I actually developed way back in the day to help elite endurance athletes recover from the stress of their (and our) training. Consistency in training is crucial for stress management, as the beauty of training and recovering is that it makes you more resistant to other forms of stress (the fungibility goes both ways). Sun Sunlight improves workout recovery via several pathways. It boosts vitamin D, which is important for testosterone production and bone density—two key elements of the adaptation to training. It increases nitric oxide, which increases blood flow. More blood flow to your muscles and other tissues means better delivery of nutrients necessary for recovery. It lowers stress hormones, which are catabolic in nature and oppose the actions of testosterone. One study in soccer players even found that increasing sunlight exposure led to increases in testosterone levels and sprint performance over the course of a season.16

Hi folks! This week, Erin is here to help you get the non-primal eaters in your life onboard with your way of eating. From carb-crazed kids to aging parents, she’ll be sharing her own personal strategies for finding balance, while transitioning away from the Standard American Diet. Got more questions? Post them in the comments section below or over in our Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook group. Maggie asked: “My kids love bread. Is there any bread that is good for you? As they were eating their 3rd slice at dinner last night, I read aloud the long list of ingredients shaking my head. Any suggestions?” I hear from a lot of my clients that, now that they know the ills of grain-based foods (among other things, grains contain lectins, a toxic substance that can reduce the body’s ability to absorb nutrients), they’d love to get their kids off of them too. The young, resilient bodies of kids don’t often suffer the consequences of eating grains as immediately or as noticeably as we grownups do. In a sense, they don’t have as much skin in the game; they have less immediate incentive to make a healthier choice. They may not develop IBS, eczema, or PCOS ‘til they’re in their twenties or thirties which, for a kid, is a lifetime away. That said, if you really want to steer them in a different metabolic direction (and it sounds like you do), the time to start is now. How to Help your Kids Stop Eating Bread My guess is that you are the one buying the groceries. That means you’re in control of the foods you bring into your home and put on your table. A lot of my clients have serious guilt around “forcing” their kids to eat the way they do, depriving them of childhood staples like sandwiches, sugared cereal, and goldfish crackers. …but most parents would also feel terrible if their kids developed a chronic health condition or contributed to the fact that nearly 20% of today’s youth are classified as overweight or obese — simply because they couldn’t bring themselves to stop adding bread to the weekly shopping list.1 Feel empowered to make a bold leadership decision for your family that will keep them safe from the scourge of chronic illness when they’re older. The Science Behind Kids’ Cravings Understanding your kids’ preference for carby foods like bread is a key factor in helping them develop a healthy relationship with food. Researchers from Northwestern University studied the energy requirements of the brain from birth to adulthood and found that during the slow period of growth between toddlerhood and puberty, kids’ metabolic needs shift to optimizing brain-glucose levels, with half of their daily energy intake going to their developing their brains.2 Their hungry, growing brains seem to call out for more carbohydrate foods. So when the bread basket appears on the table, well, it’s almost not the kids’ fault that they reach for it. They’re wired to! Anyone who’s transitioned to a Primal way of eating — or just ditched bread from the cabinets — will tell you that it’s not the easiest thing in the world. That’s why the best thing you can do is make gradual and manageable changes. Progress Over Perfection Give your kids free rein in the kitchen and you could be contributing to health issues. Restrict too much and you run the risk of, what researchers call, eating in the absence of hunger, which is basically a form of mindless eating.3 I prefer to opt for a sort of co-feeding approach, where you as the parent lead by example, getting your kids involved with the shopping, preparing, and eating. Get cooking. Forgo the store-bought loaf and make one at home using paleo-friendly ingredients. (We live in exciting times; 12 years ago when I went Primal, there were no grain free bread recipes. We just stopped eating bread!) Time it right. When kids (and frankly adults) are starving and grumpy, they’re less receptive to trying new things. Keep your family well fed and satiated with delicious Primal foods and they’ll be biologically more receptive to ditching the bread from their plate. Avoid labeling. Diet culture bombards us with messages about foods being “good” or “bad.” Do what you can to explain the consequences of eating certain foods vs labeling them (I share a few suggestions a little further down the page). Remember the big picture. While a lifelong habit of reaching for the bread basket might derail their health, a slice here or there isn’t terribly egregious in the grand scheme of things. It doesn’t help that store-bought breads (and other carb-centric foods) are hyper-palatable, however, understanding your kids’ biology, cravings, and preferences — and making a smart plan of action — can help put your family on a healthier path. It’s a process, and eventually, when you’re consistent, it clicks! Tamzin asked: “I recently persuaded my mom to give up dairy, bread, pasta, etc., so her diet is basically Primal. It has been 8 weeks and she’s feeling great, but she is losing weight and does not want to (she looks great already). I have been telling her to eat more carb-dense foods like bananas and squash and to just eat more food, but she complains that she does not feel like eating. What’s the best way to get her to eat more?” The fact you got your mom to transition away from SAD foods is a huge win! Having said that, if she’s losing weight (which may be muscle loss, since it sounds like she didn’t have a lot of fat to lose in the first place) there are some factors to be addressed.4 First off, know that muscle loss, or sarcopenia, is common in aging adults. After age 30, you can lose up to 5% per decade, so I’d love to know: is your mom doing anything to increase strength? Many of my female clients in this age group have simply never lifted weights or strength trained in their entire lives. They came of age during a time when women were worried about getting too “bulky,” which — in case you (or your mom) weren’t aware — is nothing to worry about. The Truth about Muscle Loss A strength training or resistance regimen in conjunction with a Primal eating plan can help prevent any further muscle loss. Some research shows that it can even lead to a gain in muscle.5 This includes everything from bodyweight exercises like squats and planks to lifting heavy. Another thing I’d mention here is that older adults often aren’t as in tune with their hunger levels. Same goes for their thirst levels as one commenter noted on my recent post on hydration. The reasons for this are because they:6 Typically have a lower metabolic rate Are usually less active Can have changes to their sense of smell and taste, which makes food less appealing May be struggling with a chronic illness that reduces their appetite Amplify Your Primal Eating Plan As your mom adapts to using protein and fat as fuel, she’ll naturally have steadier blood sugar levels — and less hunger. The body burns through starchy breads and pastas extremely fast and if she’s getting satiated on Primal-focused foods, she naturally won’t be as hungry. I’m all for honouring the body’s hunger cues, but in this case, it’s smarter to supplement with additional sources of protein (chicken, fish, eggs, beef), healthy fats such as avocados, nuts and seeds, and carb-dense foods like starchy veggies, sweet potatoes, and fruit to help keep her muscle tone and energy in check. Tyson asked: “I’ve been Primal since the first of January and my wife is starting to pick up on it as well. The problem is the kids. We have shared custody of my two daughters. When they’re with us, they eat very well. When at their mom’s they go out to eat and have constant candy. We have thought about improving their diet more when they are with us, but we considered if it would do any good since they eat so poorly at their mom’s.” Anytime you have a split household, it can cause challenges — with food rules and regular rules. But take comfort in the fact that you’re on the right track with what you’re currently doing. Honestly, “you’re doing the best you can” is my mantra when I hear parents struggling with situations like this. You really are. When your girls are at your place, they’re not only eating healthier, they’re learning why that’s important. They’re seeing that food doesn’t always have to come from a box and that home cooked meals can be just as tasty as take out. They’re watching you and your wife live vibrant, healthy lives. They may also be noticing what happens when they eat a steady stream of candy and processed foods versus eating nutrient-dense whole-food-based options.7 Because they go back and forth between the two houses, they might even pick up on those nuances more easily. Maybe they feel crankier at their mom’s. Or more sluggish. Don’t Force Food Rules I actually think you’re better off NOT making a big deal out of it. The more you force food rules, the more kids, and really anyone, will resist. Instead, continue to lead by example, preparing and eating the Primal foods you enjoy. And share the benefits of eating those foods in a way your kids can understand. For instance, swap phrases like, “blueberries have antioxidants in them,” and “veggies are healthy” for “blue foods boost your brain power” and “green foods keep you from getting sick.” Even though it feels like you’re oversimplifying things, it will start to resonate. And the beauty of this language, is that it’s informative without being instructional. Your kids get to figure out for themselves how they want to eat to support their vibrant health — and this sort of “health autonomy” is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Keep the Big Picture in Mind I know I may be making this out to seem a lot simpler than it really is, but to reiterate: you’re doing the best you can, and every little attempt you make to encourage healthy food habits and a healthy relationship with food will pay big dividends later. I’m not saying that info is the magic bullet that will make them pass up fast food or candy at every turn – at least not right away — but they’ll start to notice that there are two very different ways to eat. Whether it’s heading off to their mom’s house for a week or going to a friend’s birthday party or eating the junk that seems to creep up into school lunches, the education (and feel-good nutrient-dense food) you and your wife are providing make a huge difference. You may not get to see the benefits of your efforts ‘til they’re grown adults and raising kids of their own, but if you keep sending the message, I believe they’ll hear it.

Want to pursue a career as a Primal Health Coach? Or maybe you just want to really drill down and learn everything you can for your own personal knowledge? Enter the sweepstakes today for a chance to win free tuition to the Primal Health Coach Certification Course, a $4,495 value. Research of the Week Going meatless barely reduces carbon footprint, and that’s assuming all the meat eaten is conventionally raised in feedlots. A high-fat, low-carb, high-protein diet with 2 days of fasting per week was safe for patients with brain cancer. According to the labels, plant-based “meat” is the same as beef, but when you look more closely… The genetic architecture of COVID susceptibility. Animal protein beats plant protein. New Primal Blueprint Podcasts Episode 505: Alex Terranova: Host Elle Russ chats with Alex Terranova, the Dream Mason. Great name. Episode 506: Microworkouts to Boost Fitness, Increase Daily Activity, and Prevent Burnout: Host Brad Kearns talks about the power of microworkouts. Health Coach Radio: Dr. Tro is an MD who uses health coaches more than prescriptions. Media, Schmedia Strong link between brain cancer and cell phones. Good sleep is essential for brain health and longevity. Interesting Blog Posts The developing story of humanity. Mongongo nuts. Social Notes Nice summary of the fake meat versus real meat study. Everything Else Pre-sleep protein is fine for fat loss. Spiders eat a lot of snakes. Things I’m Up to and Interested In One does wonder: What’s the deal with ear wax? Interesting older paper: The one where they treated soft tissue calcification with oral and topical magnesium. Says it all: “…current evidence regarding the effect of meat consumption on health is potentially confounded.” Interesting piece: How to build a small town in Texas. Great story: The yogurt mafia. Question I’m Asking Will you eat plastic-fed cows? Recipe Corner Ful medames, an Egyptian fava bean dish. Thai yellow curry with eggplant that’s vegetarian as written but can easily handle meat. Time Capsule One year ago (Jul 3 – Jul 9)