Mark Sisson’s 2009 release of The Primal Blueprint was the catalyst for the primal/paleo/ancestral health movement to gain mainstream awareness and acceptance. Both the hardcover and paperback editions enjoyed a seven-year run at the top of the primal/paleo charts and selling hundreds of thousands of copies. Sisson, publisher of the acclaimed MarksDailyApple.com, the acclaimed and most-visited primal/paleo blog, has spent the past six years diligently researching and evaluating recent the most up-to-date science and reflecting on thousands of users’ experiences going primal. The second edition of The New Primal Blueprint offers a comprehensively revised, expanded, and updated message from the original runaway bestseller.
The New Primal Blueprint serves as the ultimate road map for anyone wishing to make the shift from flawed conventional wisdom about diet and exercise to a healthy, happy empowering lifestyle patterned after the evolutionary-tested behaviors of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. The book details the ten immutable Primal Blueprint lifestyle laws that enable empower you to reprogram your genes to direct in the direction of weight loss, health, and longevity. The Primal Blueprint laws are validated by two million years of human evolution as well as an ever-expanding body of contemporary scientific research. Sisson’s philosophy was originally met with skepticism as he aggressively challenged numerous mainstream health tenets. Eight years later, mainstream medical and health science are validating the Primal Blueprint tenets assertions that a high-carb, grain-based diet will make you fat, tired, and sick; that a consistent routine of medium-to-difficult cardiovascular workouts can actually compromise your health and longevity and increase risk of heart disease; and that consuming (whole food sources of) fat and cholesterol does not lead to heart disease as we have been led to believe, but rather offers many health benefits.
The New Primal Blueprint comes alive with a vibrant full-color presentation packed with photos, graphics, and cartoons to make for a fun, easy, and memorable read. Join hundreds of thousands of primal enthusiasts and embrace a new way of life where you take responsibility for your health, fitness, and happiness. Reject once and for all the flawed conventional wisdom that has left modern citizens struggling with fatigue, excess body fat, and elevated disease risk factors as a consequence of grain-based eating habits, exhausting exercise routines, sedentary lifestyle patterns, and high-stress existences that misdirect our genes and promote illness instead of wellness and longevity.
This is a very interesting take on low carb eating, although the author considers it a take on Paleo, but what ever you call it, it is highly recommended for anyone interested in a more healthy lifestyle.
First he explains why we should avoid the following: Sugar, grains, an "industrial oils." He provides a good overview of the science. Even if you are familiar with the fact that science doesn't support the high carb diets that have been promoted over the last few decades, you will enjoy the information about healthy and unhealthy oils.
Nothing he writes about diet is controversial if you have been paying attention, but his take on exercise is quite startling. He argues that "Chronic Cardio" may be doing more harm than good. What he says makes sense, but I since I am not an endurance athlete I am not sure how relevant these ideas are to me.
What I really like about Sisson compared to hard core proponents of Paleo diets is that he doesn't base his diet recommendations on the arbitrary guideline that forbids all foods invented in the last 10,000 years, but instead recommends the common sense approach of asking if a particular food is healthy.
Great information and practical advice for changing your life around. One critique I have of the book is that it’s somewhat repetitive but since I suck at retaining information I view that as a way to remember the important information that’s been repeated.
Besides the references to evolution, everything else was very much what I have found to be true. I enjoyed hearing about his diet and different steps that he has taken to be more healthy. I am trying to implement a few of these things and have naturally lost a little bit of weight, but I’m taking it slow making changes in my life. I’m really confident that overtime I will be more healthy. I like that he does not have an approach that has a lot of array of people different sides of the spectrum of diet and exercise. After down and reading it I feel like I’ve been spending time with a friend just sharing with me how they got healthy and I like that.
Among the vast array of health gurus preaching how to live your life, this one was refreshing. Mark Sisson's approach is very accessible and unintimidating. Sisson advocates for reasonable practices surrounding diet, exercise, sleep and play that are more compatible with what humans are genetically designed for. Key points: avoid consuming toxic substances, avoid overexercising that stresses your system, sleep properly, never feel like your are depriving yourself. This is a great starting point for those interested in pursuing a paleo or "primal" lifestyle.
I really like the concept, although it is hard to buy into some of the reasons for doing all of this when I don't fully believe in evolution. Still I am able to take the recommendations in the book and implement them and I have for sure seen great results. I had to skim over some of the content as it was a bit dense for me, but I believe he encourages you to do this if you don't really care about the science.
Lots of great information in this. It’s basically the keto diet with some intermittent fasting. He spends a fair amount of the book throwing shade on the carb and sugar laden standard American diet pushed by big food companies. The interesting part is his laid back approach to exercise. He feels that less impactful and routine exercise are better for weight loss because they don’t leave you depleted and hungry and have less risk of injury.
Excellent update to the first edition that changed my life.
I went from never being able to get under 20% body fat even after following everything perfectly as per 'conventional wisdom' (Calories in Calories out theory), to getting to a lean, fit and strong body at 11% body fat in 9 months.
Great general message, but a bit repetitive. Great entertaining idea comparing Grok and the Korgs (why not the Groks?), but a little overuse of the word 'inflammatory' which has got to be the author's favorite word. It's a great subject and great information, just not a literary work of art. A blog entry summarizing the information would suffice.
I lost 30 lbs and turned around symptoms of an auto immune issue using primal practices. The book is great if you are interested in experimenting with your body.
Im a strong believer that not everything works for every person, but would certainly say this is worth a try. It worked great for me and I continue on my primal journey!
I thought he dwelled on certain subjects for too long and was overly repetitive. I also wish he had given more attention to other things, like how to use the lifestyle to get off of prescription drugs. Overall, it was longer than it needed to be. But the philosophy seems sound to me and I’ve already been seeing good results from following it, so I’m glad I found this book.
This book is filled with sound dietary and lifestyle advice that we all would do well to follow. Just give it 21 days and you will agree. Down with the disastrous SAD food pyramid that got us all in such a fix. Go primal and thrive!!!
Can you imagine? Reprogram your genes. This man can do it with a steak. And all these lab coats wasting times inventing poison like aspartame or the politicians blocking gene modification research!