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about diet, exercise, aging, immune function, prescription medication, and numerous other Conventional Wisdom elements that have been surreptitiously compromising your health for decades. One ofthe most common testimonials on MarksDailyApple is “I’ve lost 50 pounds effortlessly, but it feels likeI’ve also lost 1,000 pounds off my shoulders, because I know I can live like this for the rest of my life!”While you’ll hopefully experience an exceptional first 21 days, it’s possible that you’ll have some difficulty out of the gate, depending on your particular history and lifestyle circumstances. If you’ve spentyears eating the Standard American Diet (let’s call it “SAD,” shall we?) marked by heavy consumptionof processed carbohydrates, sugars, and certain unhealthy fats, and if you’ve been immersed in what Icall a “Chronic Cardio” exercise pattern, you may struggle with occasional swings of hunger and energy for the first 7-21 days of eating Primally. Have no fear; these symptoms will dissipate with eachpassing day as you gradually repair some of the metabolic damage from SAD eating, normalize yourinsulin levels, and reprogram your genes to burn stored body fat for energy.Shoot - Just For Kicks!Consider taking a “Before” photograph at the outset of your 21-Day Transformation. This isnot about winning a trip to Hawaii by starving yourself and snapping an amazing “After”photo. Rather, it’s recording for posterity—and for fun—the starting point of a long-termlifestyle transformation. Please don’t feel any negativity about your starting point—justgrab a camera and snap a full-body shot in private. In 21 days, you will likely be down afew pounds of excess body fat (if desired), a jeans size or two, and may noticeadded/toned muscle. However, you should emphasize enjoyment of the process overphysique changes, allowing results to happen at a comfortable pace. Who knows? In threemonth’s time, or a year’s time, your improvement may be dramatic enough to submit an“After” photograph to MarksDailyApple.com!Marie Bencivenga from San Francisco went from 157 lbs to 123 lbs on her Primal journeyin 2010-201110The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation

introductionTAKINGRESPONSIBILITYYour Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation will be characterizedby flexibility and personal empowerment. I hesitate to use words like “program,” “regimen,” or “diet” when talking about the Primal Blueprint. Really, thisjourney is about understanding the behaviors that promote optimal gene expression, and taking responsibility for the consequences of your day-to-daylifestyle choices. When you embrace this mentality, you will be able to skirt theall-too-common phenomenon of diving enthusiastically into a program, regimen, or diet, becoming fixated on a specific result, and then losing momentumfor various reasons. Perhaps you’ve lost motivation with past “programs” because they were too difficult, impractical, or physically and mentally stressful tosustain long term. Perhaps you didn’t achieve the result you expected and didn’thave any fun in the process. Worst of all, you probably experienced a decline inhealth despite devoted efforts to do the right thing by Conventional Wisdom.Your Primal efforts must be fun, energizing, and easy to maintain at all times,otherwise you are destined to fail. What are the best workouts within in theparameters of the Primal Blueprint Fitness principles? Whatever is the mostfun for you—seriously! What are the best foods to eat within the parameters ofthe Primal Blueprint Food Pyramid? e ones that you enjoy the most!‘‘“Your Primal efforts must be fun, energizing,and easy to maintain at all times, otherwiseyou are destined to fail. ere is no greater feeling of empowerment than truly comprehending howmuch influence you have over your health, fitness, and well-being. Once yourealize that your genes respond to environmental signals that you largely create, you are no longer at the mercy of your parents’ legacy, your doctor’s nebulous warnings, or the tremendous momentum against health and balance inhectic modern life. Everything changes as soon as you “own” the Key Conceptthat you can influence gene expression on a day-to-day basis. In many cases,you can choose which genes to flip on and which to flip off through your foodand activity choices! is is a profound responsibility to reflect upon. We live in a world of suchabundant choice and freedom that we can direct gene expression away fromhealth and still not suffer any penalty in the traditional “survival of the fittest”evolutionary sense (today, unfit humans are not eaten by predators, and furthermore, are able to reproduce freely!). For two million years, humans wereIntroduction11

subjected to unimaginably severe selection pressures, and adapted and thrived to enjoy a position atthe top of the food chain. Since the advent of civilization 7,000 years ago, the typical evolutionary selection pressure ceased to the extent that we are literally “devolving” from the pinnacle of humanhealth represented by our hunter-gatherer ancestors.I strongly support taking advantage of free choice, but I’d like you to reflect for a moment on the obligation you have to yourself, your loved ones, and the planet to take good care of yourself. Today,cloaked in the veneer of affluence and rampant consumerism, there is far too much unnecessary, expensive, and totally preventable pain and suffering caused by poor health practices and unconsciouslifestyle choices. is program entails making informed choices and exercising personal responsibilityand empowerment!WHOM TO TRUST? HOW ABOUT YOU!I must admit that some of the Primal Blueprint Key Concepts are hotly contested, with respected scientists and health professionals passionately defending their life’s work on both sides of the debate. Itcan be quite disconcerting to absorb conflicting advice when determining the best course of action foryour health. I don’t want to force dogma down your throat and urge that you simply take my word forit with so much on the line, particularly since I’m not an accredited scientist or doctor. Instead, I’llpresent you with my interpretation of a variety of scientific, medical, and anecdotal data relating to theKey Concepts and let you decide for yourself. But the anecdotal evidence of the success of my 21-DayTransformation approach is there: I have had the pleasure of seeing thousands of people lose fat, increase energy, and regain excellent health by following the Primal Blueprint.‘‘“Regardless of your starting point, pastfailures, or bad luck with familial genes,you can turn things around quickly—starting with your next meal and nextworkout. Your genes expect you to belean, strong, energetic, and healthy.First, you might want to take stock of how things are working for you right now. For example, are youone who enjoys engaging in chronic exercise—always balancing on the edge of burnout, illness, andinjury? Do you enjoy strictly controlling fat intake in the name of weight control, avoiding some of themost delicious foods on the planet (steak, eggs, bacon, butter, macadamia nuts, avocados, etc.)? Doesportion control and the hassle and regimentation of trying to balance calories consumed with caloriesburned each day work effectively for you? Do you already enjoy optimal health, fitness, and body com12The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation

introductionposition, and have you managed to avoid the overstress/burnout syndromethat is epidemic in our hectic modern world, or could things be a little—or awhole lot—better?It’s clear that even today’s most devoted health and fitness enthusiasts strugglewith weight control, recurring fatigue and minor illness, chronic pain in jointsand muscles, increased risk factors for lifestyle-related diseases, and an agingprocess that is vastly more accelerated and debilitating than it has to be. What’salso apparent from recent scientific advances is how readily and efficiently ourbodies embrace behaviors that promote optimal gene expression. Regardless ofyour starting point, past failures, or bad luck with familial genes that predispose you to excess body fat and other health problems, you can turn thingsaround quickly and build momentum for lifestyle transformation—startingwith your next meal and next workout. You can literally recreate, rebuild, andrenew your body using the Primal Blueprint principles. Based on two millionyears of human evolution, your genes want—and expect—you to be lean,strong, energetic, and healthy.I have great respect and interest in science, medicine, epigenetics, evolutionarybiology, and exercise physiology, but I default to personal experience whenever I’m conflicted about what is the best course of action to promote myhealth. I strongly encourage you to do the same. If you aren’t having fun atworkouts, then whatever you’re doing is dead wrong for you. If you’re not enjoying meals, then your diet is literally unhealthy. One caveat here: I aim to behealthy, happy, and energetic, and I want to achieve that with the least amountof pain, suffering, sacrifice, discipline, calorie-counting, and portion controlpossible. I will make the assumption that you do too.Introduction13

THE PRIMAL BLUEPRINT 21-DAYTRANSFORMATION: KEY CONCEPTS ANDACTION ITEMS e eight Key Concepts create the framework around which you will smoothly transition into acustom-designed Primal lifestyle. Once you understand these concepts, you can implement the fiveAction Items with confidence, dialing in your eating, exercise, sleep, and play for the rest of your life.energy metabolism that has supportedhuman survival for two million years.This shift is the most liberating aspectof Primal living.{ {KEY CONCEPTS1. Yes, You Really Can Reprogram YourGenes: More than just determiningyour fixed heritable traits, genes areresponsible for continually directingthe production of the proteins thatcontrol how your body functions everysecond. Genes turn on or off only in response to signals they receive from theenvironment surrounding them—signals that you provide based on thefoods you eat, the types of exerciseyou do (or don’t do), your sleepinghabits, sun exposure and so forth.2. The Clues to Optimal Gene Expression Are Found in Evolution: Two million years of selection pressure andharsh environmental circumstances created the perfect genetic recipe forhuman health and longevity. Our genesexpect us to be lean, fit, and healthy bymodeling the lifestyle behaviors anddiets of our hunter-gatherer ancestors—even in the context of hectic modernlife. Plants and animals(meat/fish/fowl/eggs, vegetables,fruits, nuts, and seeds) should comprisethe entirety of the human diet, with allowances for the moderate intake ofcertain modern foods. As for exerciseforms and frequency, less is often more.3. Your Body Prefers Burning Fat overCarbohydrates: Conventional Wisdom’s grain-based, low-fat diet has artificially created a sugar andcarbohydrate-based metabolism thatyou’ve been stuck in, and sufferingfrom, your entire life. Going Primalshifts you into the fat-based, all-day14The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation4. 80 Percent of Your Body Composition Success Is Determined by HowYou Eat: Many modern foods (evenones you thought were healthy) arecausing you to gain weight and getsick. Moderating insulin production byditching grains, sugars, and legumes,and lowering inflammation by eliminating harmful manmade fats, will promote efficient reduction of excessbody fat, effortless maintenance ofideal body composition, increaseddaily energy levels, decreased risk forillness, and optimal function of variousother hormones systems (stress, appetite, immune, metabolic, sleep, thyroid, etc.).5. Grains Are Totally Unnecessary: Thecenterpiece of the Standard AmericanDiet (SAD) offers minimal nutritionalvalue, promotes fat storage by raisinginsulin, and contains anti-nutrients thatpromote inflammation, compromise digestion, and often interfere with immune function. There is no goodreason to make grains (or legumes, forthat matter) any part of your diet unless you want a cheap source of calories that easily converts to sugar.6. Saturated Fat and Cholesterol AreNot Your Enemy: The ConventionalWisdom story about heart disease isonly validated when you eat lots ofsugar and refined carbohydrates. Cholesterol is one of the body’s most vital

molecules. Saturated fat is ourpreferred fuel. The true heartdisease risk factors—oxidationand inflammation—are drivenstrongly by polyunsaturatedfats, simple sugars, excess insulin production, and stress.Limiting processed carbohydrates and eating more highquality fats and whole foods(including saturated animalfat) can promote health,weight management, and reduced risk of heart disease.7. Exercise Is Ineffective forWeight Management: Burningcalories through exercise haslittle influence on your abilityto achieve and maintain idealbody composition. When youdepend on carbohydrate (glucose) as your primary fuel, ex-ercise simply stimulates increased appetite and calorieintake. Chronic exercise patterns inhibit fat metabolism,break down lean muscle tissue, and lead to fatigue, injury,and burnout.8. Maximum Fitness Can BeAchieved in Minimal TimeWith High Intensity Workouts: Regular brief, intensestrength training sessions andoccasional all-out sprints promote optimal gene expressionand broad athletic competency. Enjoy more benefits ina fraction of the time spentdoing the chronic exerciseadvocated by ConventionalWisdom.{ {ACTION ITEMS1. Eliminate SAD Foods: Outwith the objectionable foodsthat promote weight gain andchronic health problems.2. Shop, Cook, and Dine Primally: Re-stock your pantryand kitchen with Primal foods,and implement winningstrategies for shopping, mealpreparation, dining out, andsnacking.3. Make the HealthiestChoices Across the Spectrum:Make the best choices in thecategories of meat, fish, fowl,eggs, vegetables, fruits, nutsand seeds, fats and oils, foodsallowed in moderation such asdairy, and occasional sensibleindulgences.4. Exercise Primally – Move,Lift, and Sprint!: Pursue broadathletic competency with anintuitive blend of workoutshonoring the three PrimalBlueprint Fitness laws (MoveFrequently at a Slow Pace,Lift Heavy Things, and SprintOnce in a While).5. Slow Life Down: Take thetime to enjoy simple pleasuressuch as “slow food” over industrialized food; balanced instead of chronic exercise;focused work habits insteadof multitasking; interpersonalrelationships over socialmedia; calm, relaxingevenings instead of excessiveartificial light and digital stimulation, and plenty of time forplay, sun exposure, and restand relaxation.Introduction15introduction{ {KEY CONCEPTS continuedThese twopages haveeverythingyou need toknow to getPrimal!

OUT WITH THE OLD21-Day TransformationSneak PreviewHere’s a quick overview of the lifestylechanges you will make during your 21Day Transformation and beyond. Theway you proceed with your 21-DayTransformation is up to you. If you arethe deliberate, analytical type, feel freeto read the entire book before you embark on your first kitchen/pantrycleanout or Primal workout. If you arethe enthusiastic, fast-action type, youcan implement lifestyle changes as youmake your way through the text, building some momentum immediately withthe following “Out with the Old” and “InWith the New” sneak previews.We’ll detail everything over the courseof the book, but the essence of Primalliving is not complicated. It’s about reducing the complexity of modern lifeand adapting the simple lifestyle practices of your hunter-gatherer ancestorsas best you can.16The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation1. Grains, sugars, sweetened beverages:Processed carbohydrates drive excess insulinproduction, which can lead to lifelong insidious weight gain. Even if you don’t have excessbody fat concerns, a high insulin-producingdiet promotes systemic inflammation, fatigue,and burnout. Grains might be the most offensive foods in your diet because they also contain “antinutrients” that may cause healthproblems beyond just weight gain.2. Industrial and polyunsaturated oils: Transand partially-hydrogenated fats (from heavilyprocessed snack or frozen foods); deep-friedmenu items (from fast-food joints), assortedpackaged snacks and baked goods (chips,crackers, cookies, etc.), margarine-typespreads, and bottled vegetable oils (canola,corn, safflower, etc.) promote oxidation and inflammation, setting the stage for cancer andheart disease.3. Beans and other legumes: Beans, lentils,peanuts, peas, and soy products contain antinutrients that compromise digestion, immunefunction, and general health. e highly toutedfiber in beans is problematic, and the carbohydrate content in all legumes is high enough towarrant cutting or eliminating them in the interest of moderating insulin production.4. Dairy: Most commercial dairy products areunhealthy for everyone and laden with hormones and other impurities. Organic butterand heavy cream are the preferred forms ofdairy, if you are lactose tolerant.5. Chronic exercise: Workouts that are toohard, too long, and done too frequently withinsufficient recovery lead to burnout and failedweight loss efforts. Reject the notion thatreaching a consistent level of mileage, hours, orworkout frequency is the key to fitness.6. Sedentary patterns: Prolonged sedentaryperiods (commuting, desk jobs, and digital entertainment) promote fat storage, elevated cardiovascular disease risk, joint pain, muscle

introductionweakness, and diminished energy and focus on peak performance tasks.7. Poor sleep habits: Excess artificial light and digital stimulation in theevening disturb the optimal flow of sleep and stress hormones, compromisinghealth, fitness, weight management, and longevity.8. Somber, spartan approach to lifestyle transformation: No more caloriecounting, portion control, rigid meal timing and menu choices, guilt, or binging cycles. No regimented workout schedule or predetermined mileage, time,or rep standards to attain without regard to daily fluctuations in energy, motivation, and performance levels. No struggling or suffering in the name ofhealth and fitness! Going Primal can truly feel easy, effortless, and natural,once you break free from die-hard old habits.IN WITH THE NEW1. Primal foods: Meat, fish, fowl, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds, highquality fats, a moderate intake of high-fat dairy products and supplementalcarbs (for heavy exercisers and growing youth), and occasional sensible indulgences such as red wine and dark chocolate.2. Primal eating philosophy: Enjoy tremendous freedom and flexibility whenchoosing your favorite foods and recipes within the incredibly broad PrimalBlueprint guidelines. Eat to your heart’s content, with full awareness and appreciation of natural hunger and satiety cycles. Indulge sensibly with a clearconscience that it’s okay to enjoy life!3. Increase daily movement: Make a concerted effort to engage in more general daily movement (neighborhood strolls, using stairs instead of elevators,spontaneous play sessions, walk breaks at work, etc.). Conduct regular lowlevel (easy) aerobic workouts at appropriate heart rates, and take frequentmovement breaks when engaged in prolonged sedentary tasks.4. Brief, intense workouts: is is a centerpiece for optimal gene expressionin muscles, heart, and lungs, and is essential to maintain high energy, antiaging, and broad athletic competency. Go harder but less frequently and forless duration. irty-minute strength workouts or 15-minute sprint workoutsare plenty—any longer is probably too much for most people.5. Calming evening rituals: A er dark, minimize exposure to artificial lightand digital stimulat

8 The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation e 284-page Primal Blueprint (released in September 2009) took three years of research and writing, and over 30 years of immersion in the world of diet, fitness, performance nutrition, and elite athletics.File Size: 2MB