Episode #23: Meet “Paleo Girl” Author Leslie Klenke

pb_podcast_banner_E23

Description: Host Brad Kearns has a lively discussion with Leslie Klenke, who has just released her long awaited book, Paleo Girl. This truly is the first book in the Primal/paleo/evolutionary health space to target teenage girls, and Leslie does a masterful job speaking directly and emphatically to teens on issues that matter most to them.

The foundation of Leslie’s approach is to encourage teens to reject the superficial and judgmental elements of modern culture, and pursue happiness as the primary goal and motivator for healthy lifestyle behaviors and dietary changes. Leslie shares some of her own experiences struggling with yo-yo dieting and fatigue from poor lifestyle habits in college, and how she pursued a more sensible and balanced approach to healthy living; a journey that sent her west from her home in Ohio to Los Angeles, and eventually into the inner circle of the Primal Blueprint movement.

Keep reading…

Episode #22: Listener Questions & Answers with Mark Sisson

pb_podcast_banner_E22

Description: Mark Sisson answers questions from listeners varying from eating green bananas in order to integrate resistant starch, to accepting legumes in the paleo diet. Mark also addresses relieving stomach acidity, intermittent fasting, and he takes a deep look at ketosis, with all the pros and cons. Then he answers the question you’ve all wondered about: How do you know when you have become a good fat-burner?

Keep reading…

Episode #21: Chris Adams & Tina Leaman Talk PrimalCon & The Primal Blueprint Certification

pb_podcast_banner_E21

Description: Chris and Tina, the Primal power couple from Phoenix, AZ, have a lively discussion about their long history as PrimalCon group leaders. Chris and Tina have attended all seven PrimalCons held, and list some of their highlights and humorous memories. Included are the Oxnard ocean plunge/jacuzzi sprint, where the resort jacuzzi (a 2 minute sprint from the chilly ocean) overflows beyond capacity; an impromptu Oxnard beach house party where 100 people danced the night away; the beautiful hike to Angora Lakes above Lake Tahoe; the amazing connections formed where strangers traveling from across the world become close friends and vacation together beyond PrimalCon; and the great work of presenter Angelo Dela Cruz, another 7 for 7 PrimalCon attendee, who starts each day off with his VitaMoves session and does 1:1 bodywork with guests to promote natural healing.

Keep reading…

Episode #20: Listener Questions & Answers with Mark Sisson

pb_podcast_banner_E20

Description: Mark gets back into the Q&A rhythm with some great commentary on an assortment of questions related to peak performance and Primal living. We begin by reviewing a unique training approach where you “stack” hard workouts on consecutive days, which allows for additional recovery time afterward, and also respects the idea that stress hormones flow for a sustained period of time after challenging workouts. Then, we discuss the importance of maintaining intensity during tapering to preserve blood volume for peak performance events. Mark also examines the dilemma of whether to refuel with carbs after tough workouts or to fast to optimize the flow of adaptive hormones into the bloodstream. This leads to the topic of how you can adopt an intuitive eating and exercise approach, which helps with disciplining for healthy habits. Mark then closes the show with a discussion on how endorphins can have pro and con effects on the body.

Keep reading…

Episode #19: Solving Leaky Gut with Steve Wright

pb_podcast_banner_E19Are you suffering from the growing leaky gut epidemic? Click here to find out, and to access Steve Wright’s Solving Leaky Gut program.

Description: “Leaky Gut” is the common name for intestinal permeability, where the digestive tract becomes damaged and permeable. This happens from the ingestion of objectionable foods – mainly gluten, as well as from traumatic brain injuries/frequent concussions, excessive NSAID use, excessive alcohol consumption, and poor sleeping habits.

When leaky gut is developed, toxins, food particles, bacteria and leak out of the digestive tract into the bloodstream, triggering an undesirable immune response (note that 80% of immune system located in intestinal tract). The immune system responds to this invasion of foreign agents with systemic inflammation, setting the stage for an assortment of health problems. In many cases, the inflammatory cascades cause chronic diseases in the area of your genetics that is your “weakest link.” It could be actual digestive conditions like celiac or IBS, or it could be arthritis, ADHD, allergies, asthma, or thyroid conditions. Leaky gut is becoming increasingly linked to heart disease, cancer and numerous other serious health problems.

Keep reading…

Episode #18: Examining Performance Enhancing Drugs in Professional Sports with Mark Sisson

pb_podcast_banner_E18

Description: Mark extends the thread from the previous week’s show about human performance by discussing the role of doping in professional and Olympic sports today. Far from a black and white issue, Mark explains that inconsistencies in the testing procedures and random demarcation lines for what constitutes a performance enhancing substance (e.g., Gatorade enhances performance when you are thirsty!). Also discussed is how the public perception that certain athletes cheat to gain an advantage is actually a more complex cultural issue than a true morality weakness. For example, in pro cycling, recent controversies have affirmed that an athlete was virtually compelled to boost blood with doping products to have a chance at being competitive. Furthermore, the highly selective and competitive nature of elite sports compels athletes to search for every possible recovery advantage, including those that cross the line into doping offenses.

Keep reading…

Episode #16: Listener Questions & Answers with Mark Sisson

pb_podcast_banner_E16

Description: Mark tackles an interesting assortment of questions, including some extensive discussion about sprinting. For example, the difference between sprints on foot and stationary bike sprints with respect to work and rest intervals; the importance of sprint workouts with consistent perceived exertion and intuitive alignment with energy and motivation; implementing the Tabata interval method; and how sprinting can turbocharge fat metabolism and promote weight loss breakthroughs better than any other workout, because of its extreme impact on genetic signaling and metabolic function. Mark also provides a helpful overview of resistant starches and how they act in the body; offers tips on how to successfully introduce primal eating to vegetarians; and the considerations when eating CAFO meat if you can’t afford grass-fed.

Keep reading…

Episode #15: Listener Questions & Answers with Mark Sisson

pb_podcast_banner_E15

Description: Mark Sisson starts out tackling a “very interesting question full of nuances” from Karl Bendy (PB Seminar presenter) – about the balance between low-carb, fat adapted living and the need to refuel with acceptable carbohydrates to replenish muscle glycogen when performing high intensity glycolytic exercises. Mark’s detailed take on this oft-pondered continuum is to avoid chronic training patterns first and foremost; evaluate your carb intake decisions based on whether you carry excess body fat; adopt an intuitive approach where your intake might fluctuate based on your workout regimens, and finish workouts refreshed and energized instead of craving sugar intensely. Other questions include how food is treated as information by the genes and hormones; how autophagy (programmed cell death) is enhanced by fasting – promoting optimal health and longevity; and how to optimize the use ketones for fuel by the brain and body. Questioners came from disparate locations as far away as Austria, Hawaii, and Thailand!

Keep reading…

Episode #14: On All Things Sleep with Mark Sisson

pb_podcast_banner_E14

Description: Mark discusses one of the most important – and most neglected – elements of primal living: getting adequate sleep. The discussion covers why we are genetically aligned to sync rest and wake cycles with the rising and setting of the sun, and how our health and energy levels are compromised by high tech modern life hampering the efficient cycling through all phases of sleep. In particular, how hormones like cortisol, melatonin, and serotonin become imbalanced when we introduce artificial light and digital stimulation after dark. Mark describes how to create an optimal sleeping environment (calm, quiet, dark and cool); how to minimize exposure to the blue light spectrum that disturbs melatonin release; how fat reduction goals are compromised by insufficient sleep; how napping can help rebalance your circadian rhythm and refresh brain synapses; how to adjust your sleeping habits based on time of year and your latitude; and how to awaken naturally near sunrise refreshed and energized!

Keep reading…