How to Train for Backpacking

June is National Get Outdoors Month. Here at MDA, we’re spending the next couple weeks teeing you up to have your best summer yet in the great outdoors with posts to inspire you to get into nature.

Today we’re talking about how to train for backpacking. Let’s start with the most obvious question: what IS backpacking? Backpacking is simply multi-day hiking where you carry all your gear on your back.

Say you’re going out for a day hike carrying water, food, and basic survival gear, but you return to your car the same day you set out. That’s not backpacking.

If you’re trekking across the country, but someone else is sherpaing your gear from one sleeping spot to the next, that’s not backpacking either.

In a nutshell, backpacking is essentially a long hike with more gear and more details to think about because you’ll be spending at least one night—but possibly many more—camping out. I think of backpacking as a kind of endurance sport. As with any endurance sport, you want to train for your event. You probably wouldn’t enter a half-marathon this coming weekend with minimal or no training. You could, but it would hurt a lot less, and your chance of success would be significantly greater, if you took the time to train. Same goes for backpacking.

The good news is, if you already have a solid fitness base, you are well on your way. Now you just need to tailor your training to get ready for your backpacking expedition. The particulars depend on how long you’ll be out there, how much weight you’ll be carrying, your current fitness level, and the type of terrain you’ll encounter. Still, the general principles remain the same. You’ll need to prepare for:

• Time on your feet
• Carrying weight
• Walking over uneven ground
• Climbing (going up and down hills, stepping over logs, etc.)

Lower body strength is key, of course, but so are core, upper back, and shoulder strength, ankle and hip strength and mobility, balance, and, of course, stamina. Here’s how to begin.

Training for Backpacking: Getting Started

Let’s start with some general advice before moving on to some specific exercises you can use to prep your body for the adventure ahead.

First and foremost, give yourself enough time to prepare. Make a training plan commensurate with the demands of your trip. Experienced, fit hikers can probably set out on a short one- or two-night outing with minimal training. If you’re mostly sedentary and planning a seven-night thru-hike (point-to-point backpacking trip), you’ll need considerably more lead time—several months or more.

Don’t just focus on strength or endurance. I said it already, but it bears repeating: proper training covers strength, endurance, mobility, and balance. Think about stepping up onto a rock or fallen tree, crossing a river by hopping from one wobbly stone to the next, walking uphill over loose shale. That’s a lot of balancing on one foot and keeping yourself upright as nature and gravity conspire to pull you down. Single-leg exercises, BOSU balls, wobble boards, and the like can be invaluable training tools.

Do at least some of your training in the same gear you plan to use on your trip. Make sure your shoes don’t cause blisters and your sports bra doesn’t chafe. Wear your backpack on shorter hikes.

Try to replicate the environment you’ll encounter. You probably can’t do all your outdoor training in the exact same conditions you’ll encounter during your adventure, especially if you’re traveling to a different part of the world. That’s fine, but do your best to anticipate factors that are likely to impact your experience. If your trip will take you up the side of a mountain, find hills to train on, or plan to do a ton of step-ups at the gym. Do you need to train for hot or cold weather? High altitude? Humidity? The more extreme the environment, the more important it is to prepare accordingly.

Think of yourself as an athlete! It’s easy to get caught up in searching for the best ultralight gear, weighing the pros and cons of various tents and sleeping pads, but your most important piece of equipment is your engine—that’s you! (Part II of this series will talk more about the gear and other considerations.) Remember to test out fueling and hydration during training hikes.

Exercises to Get Ready for Backpacking

The following are a sampling of the types of exercises you can use to get ready for backpacking, but it’s by no means an exhaustive list.

Walking, hiking, rucking

As a dedicated Mark’s Daily Apple reader, I’m sure I don’t need to convince you that walking is awesome, full stop. Spending lots of time on your feet is also one of the most important things you can do to prepare for backpacking. If you haven’t already made a concerted effort to minimize your sitting and incorporate frequent movement and walking throughout the day, now’s the time to start!

You’ll also want to take some of those walks into nature. Voila, now you’re hiking! Carry a weighted pack, and you’re rucking. Rucking in the woods is fantastic, but also throw on the rucksack to stroll around the block or walk your kids to school. (Mark has a dedicated post on rucking coming soon.)

Gradually increase time, distance, and how much weight you carry. Try to hit different terrains—rocky, sandy, muddy, level, steep. These challenge your body in different ways and can be great for strengthening feet and ankles.

Go super Primal during hikes: pick up logs and rocks along the trail, carry them for a while, then put them down. Check out the ideas here.

Primal Essential Movements

This isn’t just a shameless plug, I swear! The Primal Essential Movements, plus variations, are perfect for getting ready for your big backpacking adventure.

Squats

After walking and hiking, squats are probably going to be your biggest ally. Do as many—and as many different types—as you can. Mix in sets of barbell squats, resistance band squats, and goblet squats, to name a few.

Split squats, where one foot is in front of the other in a lunge position, also challenge your balance, so make these a priority, too. Even better, do Bulgarian split squats where your back foot is elevated.

To further challenge your balance, try one-legged pistol squats or squats with one or both feet on an unstable surface like a BOSU.

Push-ups and Pull-ups

Walking for hours at a time carrying a heavy backpack is no joke. Your shoulders, chest, and upper back need to be up to the task.

Working at a computer all day causes tight pecs, rounded shoulders, and forward head posture (aka tech neck). Carrying a pack can exacerbate these issues. This post and this post offer some solutions.

Planks

Core strength is critical for balance and keeping your pelvis and spine in proper alignment. In addition to traditional planks, do side planks and the exercises in this Primal At-home Core workout.

Let me put in a plug here for Pilates, as well. It’s not only great for core strength and mobility, but many of the moves also target various muscles in the upper and lower body. For example, glute bridges are a classic pilates move that is super useful for backpackers.

Step-ups

This is just what it sounds like: stepping up on things. Step up on boxes at the gym or stumps in your backyard. Climb stairs or hit the stairclimber at the gym (just watch your heart rate if you want to keep it aerobic). For some high-intensity work, try Mark’s favorite, the versaclimber.

Once you are ready to add weight, wear a weighted backpack during step-ups for a fantastic workout.

If your expedition involves serious elevation gain, you can use this handy stair elevation calculator to plan some workouts that approximate the feet/meters you need to traverse.

Jumping

Plyometric exercises are incredibly effective and efficient for building strength and stamina, and they’re great for those feet and ankles.

These can include:

• Box jumps where you use both feet to jump up on an elevated platform
• Ski jumps where you jump laterally (sideways) from one foot to the other
• Burpees with a jump at the top
• Squat jumps where you lower into a squat and explode upward as you stand

Or any number of alternatives. These videos from the Mark’s Daily Apple YouTube Channel offer tons of ideas:

Jumping Workout (Beginner)

Jumping Workout (Advanced)

15 Alternatives to Burpees

Deadlifts

There’s arguably no better way to target the hamstrings. Make sure you use proper form to avoid straining your back. Avail yourself of the many deadlift variations to keep things interesting—Romanian, sumo, hex bar, kettlebell—and include one-legged deadlifts to once again work on balance and foot and ankle strength.

Hill sprints

We’re obviously huge fans of sprinting around these parts. Sprinting uphill has two distinct advantages for backpacking training: (1) lower risk of injury compared to regular (flat) sprints and (2) extra hill work.

Ok, that’s more than enough to get you started. There’s a good chance you’re already including a number of these moves in your regular workouts, which means you have a good foundation on which to build. I’ll end by mentioning ancestral rest positions. They aren’t exercises per se, but they complement your workouts by building ankle and hip mobility, stretching and strengthening the lower body, and getting you out of that chair, which is doing your body no favors.

That’s it for today. Stay tuned for part II in which we talk gear and more. This post is your sign to get outside today! And let us know in the comments where you like to go hiking and backpacking.

Related posts from Mark’s Daily Apple

14 Primal Tips for Better Hiking

Keto on the Trail: What Food to Pack for Primal and Keto Camping, Hiking, and Backpacking

Summer Survival Tips

Winter Survival Tips

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New and Noteworthy: What I Read This Week—Edition 179

Research of the Week

Among patients with invasive breast cancer, metformin does not seem to help.

“Long COVID” doesn’t appear on any blood tests.

Resistance training and mortality.

Stonehengers ate cattle lung.

The gut regulates emotions in women.

New Primal Kitchen Podcasts

Primal Kitchen Podcast Episode 30: Kelly Leveque on Weight Loss, Blood Sugar, Cancer and Pediatric Nutrition e

Primal Health Coach Radio: Kimberly Spencer

Media, Schmedia

“Medical breakthroughs” on social media versus in reality.

How TRT is changing aging.

Interesting Blog Posts

For a little while, New York was oyster heaven on Earth.

Grass is the crop, cattle the combines.

Social Notes

Indeed.

What’s the worst that can happen?

Everything Else

Is it really the answer?

Is this the oldest tree in the world?

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

Uncharted territory: Genetic embryo testing (and selection) is here.

Good idea: Walking groups for men (and women, for that matter).

Interesting article: On rebound COVID after using Pavloxid.

Unsurprising: More eggs, less metabolic syndrome.

Quite the quote: “the weight of animal evidence compellingly shows that randomizing pregnant or lactating humans to diets that include high linoleate oils as the sole source of fat would be frankly unethical because they would result in suboptimal child development”

Question I’m Asking

What are your summer goals?

Recipe Corner

• I prefer just eating them plain and raw but this is a good sugar snap pea recipe.
• Nigerian pepper soup.

Time Capsule

One year ago (May 21 – May 27)

• The Real Mediterranean Diet—The real Med diet hasn’t been tried.
• Foot Health for Better Ankles, Knees, Hips and Back (Plus 7 Foot-Strengthening Exercises You Can Do Anywhere)  —Keep it strong down there.

Comment of the Week

“i hate small talk, i do not see any use in it….”

-Try asking questions. Better way to frame it.

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Do You Sit All Day? Here Are 5 Mobility Exercises You Should Be Doing!

Hi, folks! Enjoy this guest post from my pal Ryan of GMB fitness in which he covers a topic near and dear to my heart: mobility exercises and undoing some of the negative effects of a too-sedentary lifestyle. Take it away, Ryan.

The unfortunate truth of modern life is many of us sit for too long during the day. This is mostly due to office culture that requires us to stay at a desk to get our work finished—even if we work from home. And while you might be combatting this with regular breaks, walks across the office, or even fancy ergonomic chairs and standing desks, it might not be enough to maintain a healthy range of motion throughout your joints.

You need mobility exercises designed to combat all that sitting.

If you’re making time to move and exercise regularly, you know how important your hip, shoulder, and ankle mobility is for deep squats, pullups, lunges, and other full-body movements. Over time, if you’re not actively working on improving and maintaining mobility, it’s easy to lose. Fortunately, we can keep a healthy, functional range of motion starting with these five mobility exercises you can do anywhere.

1. Backward Facing Wrist Flexor Stretch

This stretch will help open up your forearms and wrists after long days of typing.

• Kneel on a comfortable surface. Put your hands on the ground  in front of you, rotating your wrists around so that your fingers point toward your knees.
• At first, start with your fingers closer to your knees (this is easier if you’re especially stiff).
• Now with your palms flat on the floor, ease your butt back toward your heels, then pulse toward your hands. That’s one rep.

Do 10 total reps and hold for 10 seconds on the last one.

See the full movement on YouTube

2. Quadruped Shoulder Protraction and Retraction

This one is good for getting some movement in your shoulders and upper back.

Begin with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees right under your hips.

• Start by letting your chest sink downward, pulling your shoulder blades together.
• Then reverse the movement by pressing downward and pulling your shoulder blades apart.
• Don’t move your hips; this is all about the upper back and shoulders.

Take it slow and repeat for 10 total reps.

See the full movement on YouTube

3. Quadruped Spinal Circles

This exercise helps open up your back and releases the spine from being in a rigid position all day.

Start on your hands, placing them directly under your shoulders like the previous exercise.

• Push with your lat (the large muscle of your mid and lower back) to one side while dropping your chest.
• Pull your back upward and sway to the other side.
• Aim to make a circle with your spine while keeping your arms straight and firm on the floor.

Take your time and do 5 reps in one direction, then repeat 5 reps for the other side.

See the full movement on YouTube

4. Frog Stretch

This exercise helps open up your hips and groin, and gives you better squat depth.

Start on your hands and knees, bringing your knees as far apart as is comfortable.

• Keep your hips between your knees and the balls of your feet on the ground with toes pointed outward.
• Rock back and forth in that position.

Go forward and pulse for 10 reps, allowing your hips to drop steadily as you gain more range of motion. Then hold for 10 seconds.

Then push your butt back toward your feet, pulse for 10 reps and hold for 10 seconds.

See the full movement on YouTube

5. Three Point Bridge

This exercise is great for opening your hip flexors, shoulders, and chest.

• Sit down with your butt on the floor, knees bent, and one arm behind you.
• Lift your opposite hand in the air, then flex your butt to extend your hips to the ceiling.
• Extend your arm back and look at your thumb to encourage full extension of the hips.

Do 5 reps and then hold the final rep for 10 seconds. Focus on extending your arm that’s on the ground and feeling that stretch throughout your body. Repeat on the other side.

See the full movement on YouTube

Better Mobility Means Better Movement, Performance, and General Well-being

Getting down on the floor and knocking out mobility drills isn’t as sexy as an intense sprint workout or a bodyweight circuit that leaves you drenched in sweat. But taking the time daily, even just for 15 minutes, can do wonders for getting your body to open up and combat the stiffness that comes from sitting too long.

Plus, the 5 movements we showed you here can be used for a daily mobility practice and also as a warm-up before hard training. They are a part of GMB’s free 15-minute Mobility Boost that was created for people who get stiff and sore and want a practical solution to regain and maintain their mobility.

After a training accident ended his competitive gymnastics career, Ryan moved to Japan and competed in various martial arts until another injury made him reevaluate his priorities in life. As Head Coach at GMB Fitness, his mission is to show everyone that you can define your own fitness as a sustainable and enjoyable part of your life. You can follow GMB Fitness on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

 

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Oxalate Dumping: What Do We Know?

By now, you know about oxalates: plant compounds that bind with minerals like calcium and magnesium and form crystals. These crystals deposit in joints, kidneys, prostates, bladders, thyroids, the synovial fluid, and other tissues to cause pain, inflammation, and damage. Oxalate crystals have been linked to issues like kidney stones and arthritis. Many people who are experimenting with the carnivore diet are doing so at least in part to eliminate or reduce oxalates from their diet.

You might read about oxalates, say to yourself “I have some of those issues,” and start eliminating or reducing oxalate content in your diet by eating less (or zero) spinach, sweet potatoes, raspberries, beets, and other high-oxalate foods. But then something happens:

You get joint pain. You get fatigue. Your teeth start developing plaque. You feel stiff and achy and less mobile overall. Urination and defecation are painful, even “grainy.”

Everything was supposed to be better. These are the symptoms avoiding oxalates was supposed to improve. What’s going on?

Are You Experiencing “Oxalate Dumping?”

According to the prevailing conventional alternative oxalate wisdom, you’re oxalate dumping. You stopped eating oxalates and your body responded by “dumping” all the stored oxalate from the past years of oxalate consumption. And because the oxalate was stored throughout your entire body, all your tissues are expressing them, triggering all sorts of oxalate-related symptoms. The biggest proponents of the oxalate dumping idea say that the dumping process can even be dangerous to your health and last for months or even years.

To deal with the oxalate dumping, they say you should slowly titrate down your oxalate intake rather than do a cold-turkey full elimination. Eating small to moderate amounts of oxalate-rich foods as you taper off oxalates is supposed to slow the dumping process and allow you to safely and comfortably eliminate oxalates over time.

Oxalate dumping has always stumped me, if I’m being honest. It doesn’t make intuitive sense. Why does the body immediately start “dumping” oxalate just because you stop eating any exogenous sources of it? Why does it stop dumping oxalate when you start eating more of it? What’s the mechanism here?

I’m not discounting it or saying it’s a myth. There are enough anecdotes from generally trustworthy people who say that going on a low oxalate diet caused them to start getting symptoms of what felt like oxalate excretion:

• Oxalate crystals showing up on the teeth as plaque.
• Oxalate crystals appearing in the joints and feet.
• Oxalate crystals dispersing through various orifices of the body.

You can look at plenty of anti-oxalate Instagram accounts with photographic evidence of some of these oxalate crystals people are apparently dumping. Sally Norton is one. I can’t verify these are accurate, but I also can’t say they’re all wrong or confused.

I place heavy emphasis on anecdotes. After all, everything you experience and can personally verify is an “anecdote.” There is real value there. We move through the world using our own “anecdotes” as guidance.

You get enough anecdotes together and have an outside party analyze and record them, and you’ve got yourself some data. But nothing qualitatively changed between the creation of the anecdote and its verification. It’s as true as it ever was. It was data before; it just wasn’t recognized as such.

But the lack of elegance of the oxalate dump theory bugs me. I need to know why it’s happening (if it’s indeed happening that way). And while I don’t have a definite answer, I have some ideas for some other things that could be happening to make the problem worse.

You might be making more oxalate.

Not all oxalate comes from exogenous sources. A large amount of oxalate production—according to some sources, the majority of all oxalate we encounter—happens in the liver, and many nutrients and physiological states help determine how much oxalate we make (or don’t). After all, when someone eliminates oxalates from their diet, many other things change, too. They end up eating more of something else, or changing their diet entirely. Oftentimes they’re going carnivore and eliminating entire food groups. All of these and more can affect the rate of endogenous oxalate synthesis.

Thiamine Deficiency

Thiamine, or vitamin B1, is an important nutrient for oxalate metabolism. Without adequate thiamine, we make more of and have trouble dealing with the toxin glyoxal. If we can’t metabolize enough glyoxal, much of it turns into oxalate.¹

 

Many diets are low in thiamine. Carnivores who eat exclusively beef, even grass-fed organic beef, and ignore all other animal foods are missing out on two of the best thiamine sources: pork and salmon.

Many common inputs lower thiamine—or, more accurately, deplete thiamine—like caffeine and alcohol.

If any of this sounds familiar, thiamine might be a good supplement for anyone suffering from oxalate dumping symptoms.

Magnesium Deficiency

Magnesium chloride has been shown to reduce urinary oxalates via at least two pathways: reducing endogenous formation of oxalates and inhibiting intestinal absorption.² All in all, it will reduce the overall oxalate load in the body.

Taking some magnesium chloride in your water, taking magnesium chloride baths, and/or applying magnesium chloride oil to your skin are probably good ideas for anyone worried about oxalate dumping. At the worst it can’t hurt and will probably help you in other areas, since magnesium is such an important mineral.

Increased Oxidative Stress and Reduced Glutathione

Depleting glutathione stores in an experimental setting raises glyoxal levels and thus oxalate levels.³ Simply put, without enough glutathione, you can’t counter the oxidative stress that’s producing glyoxal. Enough glyoxal hangs around and a bunch of it turns into oxalate.

Oxidative stress is everywhere, of course. It’s in the sleep we don’t get, the circadian rhythm we don’t honor, the exercise we don’t do, the excessive exercise we do, the polyphenols we don’t consume. So take care of those and you should reduce the amount of oxalate you produce in-house.

Excessive Fat Intake Increasing Oxalate Absorption

Fat malabsorption has the tendency to cause saponification of calcium in the digestive tract, preventing it from binding to dietary oxalates and increasing the absorption of oxalates from the diet.⁴ If you suddenly increase your fat intake to extreme levels without adaptation, you may have trouble digesting all of it and create “fat malabsorption” conditions in your gut that leave you open to increased oxalate absorption—or “oxalate sensitivity.”

This is just speculation, of course, but it’s plausible. If you ate less oxalate but became far better at absorbing what little you ate, it could lead to a higher net absorption.

I’d like to get to the bottom of this issue, but there aren’t any specific studies looking at oxalate dumping. There’s clearly something going on here, and I hope we get more data (or at least any data) soon.

Until then, try the things I suggested, as well as the common advice of slowly rather than rapidly lowering oxalate intake.

Take care, everyone, and be sure to let me know down below your experiences with oxalates and oxalate dumping.

References

1. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/au/2012/819202/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7461010/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4891250/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/705253/

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Hindsight is 20:20 – What You Wish You Had Known Sooner

A couple months ago, I asked the Instagram audience what they wish they had known sooner in terms of taking care of their health. I really enjoyed hearing what you all had to say, so I’m going to share some of the replies here.

My motivation for asking was two-fold. One was simple curiosity, the other personal. Now that I’m a grandparent, I find myself thinking more and more about how to get the Primal message out to the younger generations so don’t have to spend their middle age or retirement years trying to fix problems that could have been prevented. How can I (and indeed, all of us) support parents who want to build a solid foundation of health for their kids? What information and interventions would be the most impactful for today’s youth?

While I like to think that we’ve made a dent in the problem with Mark’s Daily Apple, Primal Blueprint, and Primal Kitchen, there’s still a lot of work to be done to improve the average person’s health. I’m sharing these responses with the hope of spurring more conversation, more brainstorming, and, dare I say, more change in the future.

Unsurprisingly, the majority of the responses I received can be summarized as, “I wish I hadn’t followed conventional wisdom.” You and me both. What’s that saying, when you know better, you do better? Live and learn. Anyway, I hope these get you thinking.

Question: “What do you wish you had known about being healthy when you were younger?”

A: Eat more protein instead of carbs.

So “Meat-free Mondays” are a bad school lunch idea? (Sarcasm.)

A: Always thought processed foods were healthy.

Who can blame you? For decades, the only medical advice for people struggling with metabolic health was to lose weight by cutting calories and eating low-fat. (That still seems to be the standard rhetoric, unfortunately.) All the foods marketed to that end were uber-processed, “portion-controlled,” and not at all satiating. We were all sold the lie that these ultra-modified foods were better for us than the options nature provides. Too bad that those “diet foods” were stripped of nutrients, fiber, healthy fats, and often protein. And oh, by the way, they tend to lead to eating more calories and losing less weight.¹

A: Micronutrients matter.

Again, I blame the old “a calorie is a calorie” dogma, when the diet industry tried to convince us that 100 calories from broccoli is the same as a 100 calorie snack pack of low-fat chocolate chip cookies. Micronutrients fell by the wayside as calorie counting took precedence over food quality.

A: That healthy fats are good.

Amen.

A: Meat is good for you.

Double amen.

A: That you can celebrate without food.

That’s a good one. Listen, I have no problem with food being a part of festivities. It’s been that way throughout human history, and I’ll take every opportunity to enjoy a celebratory steak dinner with friends. But I do object to how celebrations, holidays, or really any milestone have become excuses to engage in sugar-and-booze free-for-alls. Many of you can attest to the fact that celebrations are just as celebratory without going buck wild—and paying for it the next day.

A: The benefits of fasting.

Interest in intermittent fasting has taken off in the past several years, not just among self-experimenters like myself but also with an explosion of scientific research. I love to see it. Unfortunately, the wheels of science turn slowly, but I anticipate that I.F. will continue to gain momentum as the results roll in. We’re just scratching the surface.

Q: “What do you wish you had started doing sooner?”

A: Strength training. / Lifting heavy. / As a women, to lift heavier earlier.

One hundred percent yes, and it’s never too late to start. How do we get these young ‘uns building muscle sooner? And not just for aesthetic purposes but to maximize metabolic health and lay down a foundation of functional reserve as early as possible?

A: Skip cardio, focus on strength training.

Maybe don’t skip it entirely, but definitely prioritize appropriately and avoid chronic cardio.

A: Learn to cook.

Love this one. As much as I’m a fan of trying different restaurants and eating out, home cooking has many advantages. Preparing your own food connects you to what you’re eating, starting with the grocery shopping and mindfully choosing what to bring home. Mastering basic kitchen skills imparts a sense of agency and self-confidence that can carry over into other aspects of life. Even if you never become a gourmet chef, you may find you’re more motivated to engage in other healthful behaviors since you’re already taking the time to prepare healthy, nourishing food for yourself. Plus it’s a great way to impress potential romantic partners.

A: Focusing on adding nutrient-dense foods, not just eliminating.

This one is pretty profound. A lot of health advice focuses on cutting out damaging elements and behaviors. Quit smoking. Eat less. Stop eating gluten. Even the Primal Blueprint starts with eliminating the “Big Three” of grains, excess sugars, and pro-inflammatory fats. This step is important, but in the long run, focusing on avoiding harm can keep people in a state of vigilance and even fear that can be detrimental in and of itself, leading to things like orthorexia.

Ideally, once you get through that initial phase of removing unhealthy or unhelpful choices, the focus should be on building positive behaviors—keeping your eyes on where you’re going instead of what you’re leaving behind.

A: Flexibility and mobility.

Absolutely, and not just for physical health. Flexibility and mobility practices often have a meditative component. All the better if you can work them into a morning or evening routine.

A: Blood panel testing.

Always a good idea to know your baselines, especially if you’re going to be trying something new. Here are seven biomarkers I think are worth following.

A: Daily walks.

Couldn’t agree more.

A: Follow the Primal Blueprint.

Can’t argue with that!

Question: “If you could give today’s teens one piece of health advice, what would it be?”

A: Sleep is important.

Not just important, critical.

A: Get off your phone and get outside more.

I endorse this one wholeheartedly. “Get off social media” was another common theme among respondents, but that’s probably unrealistic for the younger generations. Technology and social media are here to stay. (And there are good aspects to social media, but the bad aspects are worrisome, to say the least.) A more realistic goal is to moderate your use and be discerning about what you post and who you follow.

A: No smoking.

Vaping, too.

A: Gut health is everything. It causes acne and mood swings.

The only advice I remember getting as a teen was to avoid eating greasy foods to prevent acne. Of course, we didn’t know anything about the microbiome back then. Now that we do, how many teens are being encouraged to try dietary modifications with the specific intention of fortifying gut health?

Question: “What’s one thing you’ve learned from Mark that you think everyone should know?”

I asked this question for my own benefit to see what information or pieces of wisdom have been most impactful. I wasn’t intending to post the responses, but if these were the things that helped your fellow readers most, they’re also the nuggets most worth sharing with the people you’re trying to help in your own life. Presented without comment:

• You are in control of your genes.
• 80/20 rule.
• Metabolic flexibility.
• Bodyweight workouts for when traveling or on a budget.
• Look for hidden sugar in sauces and packaged foods.
• The eat every two hours theory is incorrect.
• Aging doesn’t have to be a bad experience.
• That it is not one size fits all.
• Have fun no matter what you do.
• You deserve to eat well and live your best life at any age.

That’s a perfect note to end on. Tell me in the comments what you would add to these lists. I look forward to hearing your additions.

References

1. https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/pdf/S1550-4131(19)30248-7.pdf

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Air Fryer Green Beans – Quick and Easy Recipe!

The air fryer is already your favorite appliance for making chicken wings and crispy Brussels sprouts, but you haven’t unlocked its full potential until you try this quick and easy air fryer green beans recipe. Flavorful, crispy green beans are the perfect addition to your next game day smorgasbord. Trying to get your kids to eat more veggies? Look no further than this fun finger food. Serve these air fryer green beans with Primal Kitchen Ranch Dip to tempt even the pickiest eater. (What kid doesn’t love dipping?)

Although you can air fry frozen vegetables, this recipe works best with fresh, firm green beans. Try it and let us know how it turns out!

Air Fryer Green Beans Recipe

Serves: 3

Time in the Kitchen: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. trimmed green beans
• 1 Tbsp avocado oil
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Primal Kitchen Ranch Dip, for dipping

Directions:

Toss the green beans in the oil and spices. Arrange the green beans in an air fryer basket.

Heat the air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Place the basket in the air fryer and set the timer to 8 minutes. At the end of the 8 minutes, check the green beans for doneness. You most likely will need to give them a shake and air fry for an additional 2 minutes. When finished, the green beans should be golden on the outside and tender.

Serve the green beans with the dip and enjoy!

Nutrition Information (1/3 of recipe):

• Calories: 85
• Total Carbs: 9 grams
• Net Carbs: 6 grams
• Fat: 4.5 grams
• Protein: 3 grams

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Air Fryer Green Beans – Quick and Easy Recipe!

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• Author: Mark's Daily Apple
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 3 servings

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Description

The air fryer is the perfect appliance for making crispy, flavorful green beans. Served with Ranch Dip, they’re a finger food everyone will love!

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Ingredients

12 oz. trimmed green beans

1 Tbsp avocado oil

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Primal Kitchen Ranch Dip, for dipping

---

Instructions

Toss the green beans in the oil and spices. Arrange the green beans in an air fryer basket.

Heat the air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Place the basket in the air fryer and set the timer to 8 minutes. At the end of the 8 minutes, check the green beans for doneness. You most likely will need to give them a shake and air fry for an additional 2 minutes. When finished, the green beans should be golden on the outside and tender.

Serve the green beans with the dip and enjoy!

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
• Category: Side dish
• Method: Air fryer

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/3 of recipe
• Calories: 85
• Sugar: 4g
• Sodium: 204mg
• Fat: 5g
• Saturated Fat: 0.5g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 9g
• Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 3g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Net Carbs: 6g

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New and Noteworthy: What I Read This Week—Edition 178

Research of the Week

Super high HDL levels linked to cardiac events in people with heart disease.

Regulating “eating cues” can help people lose weight.

Alcohol-related deaths are way up.

Just a small amount of physical activity lowers depression risk.

Nature always works.

Ketones may fight colorectal cancer.

New Primal Kitchen Podcasts

Primal Kitchen Podcast Episode 29: Childhood Behavior and Preconception Care with Pediatric Naturopathic Doctor, Ari Calhoun

Primal Health Coach Radio: Amanda Jane Snyder

Media, Schmedia

Environmental toxins and obesity (even intergenerational obesity).

Lettuce is the most common cause of food poisoning.

Interesting Blog Posts

How space changes the brain.

Experts agree that diet can achieve type 2 diabetes remission. Finally!

Social Notes

Indeed.

Context is everything.

Everything Else

Scientists grow plants in lunar soil (on Earth).

Does it really need to be “faster”?

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

Interesting finding: Small talk is good, apparently.

Good news: Warming trends have slowed upon reevaluation of the data.

Interesting article: Is an ancient civilization buried under Turkey?

Use this as you will: Fasting appears to make muscle cells more resistant to stress.

One of my favorite foods: Blueberries may protect against midlife dementia.

Question I’m Asking

Do you enjoy small talk?

Recipe Corner

• Yes, I’m linking to a mayo-free coleslaw recipe.
• Instant Pot sticky spare ribs.

Time Capsule

One year ago (May 14 – May 20)

• The Value of Eating What Your Ancestors Ate—Makes perfect sense.
• Keto on the Trail: What to Pack for Primal and Keto Camping, Hiking, and Backpacking —What to eat.

Comment of the Week

“To expound on my initial comment, I agree with Mark that I am not optimistic about President Biden involving himself in Americans’ diet and nutrition choices. From what I’ve seen, even his most well-meaning efforts to address legitimate issues tend to only exacerbate them.

In my opinion, this should not be within the purview of the federal government, let alone the executive branch; it should be the concern only of the individual household. The federal/state governments can influence their respective corrections and military meal plans… however, Joe Biden (along with Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Joe Rogan, Alexandria Occasio-Cortez, Bill Gates, Robb Wolfe, Mark Sisson, Julia Child, etc.) will never effectively tell me what I can or cannot prepare in my own kitchen.”

-I think we can all agree there, hate_me. Except for Julia Child—I’d listen to her.

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Ask a Health Coach: Seed Oils, Kiddos, and Eating Out

Hey folks, Board-Certified Health Coach Chloe Maleski is here to answer your questions about seed oils. Whether you’re wondering whether they’re really that bad, trying to avoid them when eating out, or scouting healthier treats for kids, you’ll learn some helpful tips and strategies. Got a question you’d like to ask our health coaches? Leave it below in the comments or over in the Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook group. 

 

Marta asked:
“Are seed oils really that bad? Are they okay in moderation? They’re in all the foods my kid likes to eat! Crackers, granola bars, muffins… Not to mention when eating out!”

Sigh… I know. Highly refined seed oils are cheap and everywhere. Yes, we find them in the usual suspects: fast food, highly processed food, and most conventional food that comes packaged and ready to eat. They also hide out where less expected, including in foods marketed as “healthy” and at restaurants and hot bars that might otherwise pass as Primal.

Unfortunately, the answer to your first question is Yes. Highly refined seed and vegetable oils are That. Bad. Even in moderation, they can be detrimental to health.

While some folks are more sensitive to highly refined seed oils than others, they can cause inflammation in pretty much everyone. Chronic, systemic inflammation is a scourge of modern times. It’s implicated in countless minor ailments as well as more serious ones such as heart disease and cancer. It also weakens our general immune system response, since the body is too preoccupied with active, ongoing inflammation to deal properly with exposure to bacteria, fungi, and viruses.

Now, this doesn’t mean you have to (or can) avoid inflammatory oils entirely—particularly when eating out. Depending on priorities and life circumstances, this may be a great place to lean into the 80/20 principle: “In the context of full and earnest commitment, an overall 80 percent conformity with the 10 Primal Blueprint rules will yield a solidly healthy result.”

That’s not a green light for choosing foods containing seed oils 20 percent of the time. Highly processed, inflammatory oils are never healthy, even in moderation. But if you aim to avoid them completely and a little slips by on occasion, overall outcomes will still land on the side of healthy. In other words: do your best, but don’t stress about perfection.

Which oils are bad for you anyway?

The fact that you’re asking these questions means you’re already on track! Once you know what to look for and find trusty staples, avoiding highly refined, inflammatory oils gets way easier.

As a starting place, let’s consider your kid’s favorites. Since crackers, granola bars, and muffins are usually snacks and treats rather than a primary food source, it’s best not to go overboard in any case (whether or not they contain unhealthy oils).

That said, sometimes a kid (or adult!) just wants a muffin. In those instances, you’re wise to check the ingredients when purchasing snacks and treats of any sort. Canola oil is an especially prevalent one to watch out for. Most canola oil is chemically extracted using the harsh petroleum-derived solvent hexane before undergoing other steps such as bleaching and deodorizing—all of which require heat and heat-generated degeneration. No need to remember these details! Just know that canola oil is neither a whole nor healthy food.

Other common culprits include soybean oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil, and safflower oil. Like canola, these generally undergo extensive industrial processing and often come from genetically modified, heavily pesticide-treated crops.

Not all oils are unhealthy, however! What’s more, a certain amount of processing is involved in producing oil of any sort. The key thing is to steer clear of those from pesticide-laden crops requiring processing on a large scale in industrial plants. You can find a handy comparison of healthy and unhealthy oils here, and can download the Free Guide to Fats and Oils here.

“But, mommmmm…”

Does this mean no store-bought treats? Not necessarily! More and more Paleo and Primal brands are making helpful changes, including ditching inflammatory seed oils and opting for better-for-you alternatives such as avocado oil and coconut oil. Read your labels closely, stick with brands you trust, and you’ll find healthier options for satisfying that urge for packaged, ready-to-eat snacks and condiments.

If home cooking’s in the cards, you and your kiddo have even more healthy (or healthier) options! Our extensive recipe archive of Primal treats and Primal snacks is an excellent starting place. Also check out NomNom Paleo, where Paleo mom Michelle Tam shares an abundance of kid-friendly meal and meal prep inspiration.

If going the above route, you might even involve your kid in the process—gently planting the seed that “healthy food is tasty and cooking is fun.” Food preferences start early and can be much harder to shift later on.¹ Whatever small steps you can take to make healthy swaps for you and your kid now, the less likely they’ll be hooked on unhelpful stuff later.

Of course, something that rarely works is pressuring kids into healthy choices! One of the best things you can do is model a Primal way of eating and living without making it too big of a deal. If you’re enjoying healthy, delicious food without extra fuss or stress, that will go far in nurturing healthy habits in kiddos.

As a Primal Health Coach, this is so cool to see! Just by shifting your own eating patterns and relationship with food, you’ll have a huge impact on any little ones watching.

And when eating out?

Same goes for restaurants and hot bars: Ask about the ingredients, make polite requests, choose the best available options, and remember that 80/20 rule.

Restaurants are often open to steaming or grilling vegetables and serving any sauces or dressings on the side. If you find a restaurant willing to cook your food in butter or olive oil, all the better!

As more people make such requests and bring attention to unhealthy seed and vegetable oils, more restaurants are taking notice and offering alternatives. So long as you’re respectful and recognize that not all establishments are able or willing to make substitutions, asking never hurts and may help to create change.

If your kids are watching, all the better! This is a great opportunity for modeling kind, respectful inquiry and self-advocacy while starting conversations about why food choice matters.

I realize these are big topics for little ones… and for hardworking parents who have lots on their plates! By even asking these sorts of questions and being on the watch for unhealthy seed oils, you’re already doing great.

If you want backup, consider working with a health coach! It’s more accessible than you might think, and we can help map out healthier solutions for you and your family. Visit myprimalcoach.com to check it out and get started!

Have any Primal, kid-friendly treats to share? Or tips for avoiding seed oils when eating out? Drop them or other questions for me in the comments!

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1351272/

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