When did you become interested with the concept of evolutionary nutrition/fitness being that it was certainly not mainstream in academia?
For the longest time in my early years of exploring the field of nutritional science I was led down the rabbit hole of minutiae at the expense of a bigger unifying and underlying foundational picture. In 1991 I spent time in the High Arctic studying the behavior of wild wolves (long story) and found myself contemplating the lives of the humans that historically populated this area of the world, recognizing its similarity to Northern and lower Southern Hemisphere Ice Age conditions. It got me thinking along the lines of related environmental and evolutionary influence on nutritional requirements. I also became aware of the central importance of fat under these conditions and began recognizing the disconnect behind what was an obvious anthropologic historical reality and the mainstream mantras surrounding the pervasive idea that dietary fat was central to disease. It just didn’t add up. It took many years, though, to really connect the dots of our ancestral heritage, physiological makeup and how it all had to have influenced our nutritional requirements as a species. I would say the spark which catalyzed that bonfire in me was reading “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration” by Weston A. Price—a real eye opener, as well as the works of Arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson.
From there a light came on that illuminated the exploration of the rest of the picture (or a good part of it) for me. My thinking and orientation has been more foundational ever since. Let’s just say it was a process of unfolding along a fairly convoluted path to where I am now. This “eye-opening” time period for me was in about the mid-1990’s, though my interest and formal study of nutritional science actually began back in the late 1970’s.
What is your elevator pitch for a primal lifestyle in the 21st century?
In a nutshell, we have been shaped and molded over more than two and a half million years by what can only be termed a climatically variable hunter and gatherer lifestyle—well established in the literature as being one that is largely free of modern day degenerative afflictions— and this is what our physiological makeup as humans is designed for. The modern day health care challenges we face demand that we adopt an awareness and serious consideration of this perspective. My own modified approach is based in these evolutionary principles and then modified for our uniquely challenging modern day conditions. I have also refined aspects of it to incorporate certain principles of current longevity science (something our ancestors would not have likely considered nor had access to—which I see as our modern day advantage.
The dietary approach I advocate essentially entails the elimination of dietary sugar and starch (as well as hidden sources of substances such as gluten), moderating your protein intake (slightly off the “beaten paleo path”) and eating as much natural dietary fat as needed to satisfy your appetite. You can also eat as many fibrous vegetables and greens as desired for added bulk bust mostly for the antioxidant value. Nuts and seeds (preferably soaked and sprouted) are great–if well tolerated–and a few antioxidant/phytonutrient-rich berries are fine. This is not a “high fat” diet so much as a “high percentage fat” diet. It’s pretty satisfying…and the effects of this on some people are nothing short of miraculous.
In you book you make a good point that crazy long intensity/duration exercise (such as marathons) is not in accordance with how we evolved. Can the primal way of living be beneficial to those that do plan to engage in elite level performance?
It’s certainly true that our ancestors sometimes employed a method of hunting known as “persistence hunting” where certain individuals might have pursued certain prey animals on foot for many miles or even days to exhaustion. This is clearly marathon-like in its appearance…but a far cry away from what modern day marathon runners do day to day to prepare themselves for an athletic event of this magnitude. Punishing training schedules, carb loading and other manners of unnatural preparation for this sort of thing would have entirely befuddled our primitive ancestors. It would undoubtedly appeared as a ridiculous waste of time and energy to them. Although it is quite likely that our average Ice Age ancestor could have given today’s modern elite athlete a real run for their money in any SINGLE event this is very different from spending day in and day out in grueling workouts and extremes of preparation for something like an Olympic event. This would logically have been considered a real waste of energy and resources to your average primitive hunter-gatherer.
For any feats surrounding elite professional athletic performance a level of daily preparation and replenishment of glycogen stores would probably be more essential and the risk of injury following such a grueling regimen of daily workouts would be a constant nagging concern. Immune dampening cortisol output would be constant under these conditions. It’s not the regimen I would employ s a means of optimizing my long term health and longevity.
That said, with such a constant need for glycogen replacement I would add sweet potatoes (in preference to white potatoes), squash and more fruit with a higher glucose to fructose content such as white grapes, blueberries, kiwi, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and pineapples and oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, tangelos, passion fruit and ripe banana. I’d eat the whole fruit and not drink the juice—and I would restrict its intake more to just prior to workouts or immediately following them so the glucose at least goes to the right place. This plus some creatine supplementation would likely be more necessary for replenishing elite athletic glycogen stores. I would still avoid all grains at all costs, though, as well as fruit juice, Gatorade and sugary snacks.
For everyone else, the Primal approach (as outlined in my book) with give the average weekend warrior the healthiest performance edge long term.
What is the craziest/funniest comment you have ever received about your primal way of eating or living?
This one requires a little background first:
I was forwarded a letter from an MD written by their 74 year-old patient who had been on a strict regimen based on my dietary recommendations for a period of time (at the advice of the MD). The man had started out with a myriad of health issues ranging from being pre-diabetic with high blood pressure, “high” cholesterol, ghosting vision (was very worried about passing his upcoming drivers license exam), an enlarged prostate, knee and hip pains plus chronic pain in both thumbs from years of repetitive work related stress, asthma, food cravings and allergies. He was additionally on a cocktail of previously prescribed medications (from another doctor) of dubious effectiveness for many of these conditions.
Following the very first two weeks of the regimen he followed based on my book his conditions began to improve. He’d cut out all grains and most dairy, was eating no processed foods and came to depend on dietary fat for his primary source of fuel. He started feeling almost immediately stronger, had more energy and lost all his food cravings. After just 3 weeks his hip and morning pain disappeared, 95% of his chronic thumb pain disappeared (and had actually started lessening within the first week or two), his allergies went away—“no more sneezing fits”, his nails and hair improved in strength and texture, and his prostate began to shrink. After 4 ½ months he had lost 25 lbs that was easy for him to keep off, he was off all blood pressure and cholesterol medication with perfect numbers, his fasting glucose normalized, he got off all his prostate medication and no longer got any major asthma attacks. His vision also dramatically improved and he was able to pass his driver’s exam “with flying colors”.
At the end of the letter he said that he had decided to start a church called “The Virgin Mother Temple of the Primal Body” in order to “spread the word”. He said he has continued to make converts, though he hasn’t started going door to door yet. He said he wondered whether he should go on TV.
He was kidding, of course….(at least I think he was). That one gave me a pretty darn good laugh.
In a nutshell if I am looking to increase performance as an athlete, fitness enthusiast, what additional measures should I be taking, given you follow basic primal nutrition?
In a nutshell, if you want to increase performance as an athlete or fitness enthusiast a lot depends on what it is you are trying to accomplish. Different sports will require different supplemental regimens. In general, though, unless you are an “elite professional competitive athlete” with an über-demanding training schedule you will likely do superbly well following the diet I have outlined in Primal Body, Primal Mind. If you are especially athletically active your protein requirements may be slightly higher (1.2 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight). If you are an endurance athlete following the dietary guidelines in Primal Body, Primal Mind you will be well ahead of the curve.
As any athlete, past a certain level of skill 90% of your performance in any sport will depend largely on your mental game and sharpened brain health. Primal Body, Primal Mind can show you how to get the ultimate edge most of your competitors miss. Make nurturing your brain health using “Primal Mind principles” your secret weapon toward superior performance in any sport. Most of those you compete against will overlook this critical point…to your ultimate advantage.
You have mentioned that eating whole, real foods, is the best way to get all the nutrients your body’s need. However you do mention that since the quality of food nowadays has diminished, what kind of supplements would you recommend for superior performance?
Again, a lot depends on what it is more specifically you are trying to accomplish. Sprinters might need something different from marathon runners. In just general terms here, though, I would be focused on maintaining that sound foundational Primal diet coupled with making a habit of taking in quality unsweetened (or sweetened only with a little stevia) green drinks with concentrated antioxidant potential and real phytonutrient density. As any sort of athlete you are a real free-radical factory (believe it or not). Compensating for this as much as possible will spare you some break down later on and possibly even help give you a performance edge. Consuming more “energy ready” fats like omega-3 fish/krill oil and also coconut oil and/or pure MCT’s can really help fuel your performance and endurance edge. The extra omega-3’s can additionally help dampen inflammatory processes, which may help speed recovery. Ionic trace mineral drops (I like the ones made by Trace Minerals Research) can help really fuel your body and brain’s electrical system and help supply numerous trace elements now otherwise missing in our soils and food supply. Adding these to water can blow away toxic, additive-laden, hack and overly hyped junk beverages like Gatorade. Also, don’t neglect your brain. In fact, supplying your brain with brain nutrients such as Alpha-GPC, Huperzine-A, Vinpocetine and Acetyl-L-Carnitine can radically boost healthy Nitric Oxide isomers (eNOS and nNOS) while dampening the one isomer that generates destructive inflammation (iNOS) that you want to avoid making at all costs. –This is a whole universe better and safer than L-Arginine or L-Citrulline-based formulas commonly sold for enhancing nitric oxide which actually makes all three isomers. BIG mistake. Additionally, Alpha-Ketoglutarate can enhance healthy NOS production while helping scavenge excess ammonia in your system, too.
(Nora interviewed by Sports Nutrition Insider)
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