28 days no chocolate challenge - the results are in

The end of my 28 days without dark chocolate and why I don't really care for it anymore

Its been 28 days now, or just over and I have to say that all said and done, it has been a good 4 weeks. To reiterate the challenge; no chocolate (dark or otherwise) for 28 days, and journal what happens. During the time, my exercise routine has stayed roughly the same and I haven't been eating very differently than the norm. For full disclosure, a few times my blood sugar was slightly low I caved and grabbed some cheesecake (another weakness to stomp out in due course). I wanted to give an idea of what has changed, or not changed this past 4 weeks, and a few of my observations from my journalling.

The key stats

Before                                                      After
Weight - 156.25 lbs                                  Weight - 148.5 lbs
Body fat - 17.1%                                      Body Fat - 15%

So, a loss of 7.75 pounds and 2.1% body fat, almost exclusively from dropping dark chocolate from my diet as a regular indulgence. Not a bad result if I do say so myself. And a further testament to the importance of diet in body composition over exercise alone.

Not me, but you get the idea. And my trousers are definitely baggier now than before

Other observations

Carbohydrate intake was the single best predictor of body-fat gain or loss the subsequent day, above fat intake (which was relatively stable anyway) and almost completely independent of exercise. But lets backtrack slightly, I work on a 4 day wave of exercise (see Scott Sonnon's work) running through; no intensity mobility work, low intensity compensatory yoga, medium intensity interval training (focussed on practicing the skill and increasing good form), and high intensity interval training (focused on maintaining the form, while increasing exertion). 90% of the time after a medium or high intensity TACFIT session, I will take two scoops of protein powder for the boost to recovery. Back to the last month. Here is an example from one of my high intensity days. First thing in the AM, I did joint mobility exercises, then I rode my bike 8 miles to an epilepsy awareness training session for work, and the 8 miles home; I then had my high-intensity 30 minutes running 6 exercises in tabata intervals. I'm sure i added in a few brief jogs and mobility drills throughout the day as well. Now, with all that exercise you might expect I would loose some weight, but you would be wrong, so very wrong. You see, while I ate healthily, I was snacking constantly throughout the day on a big box of strawberries I had bought on route to the training. Also, my post workout berries, honey and natural yoghurt (mostly paleo/primal, at least far better than conventional deserts) added to the carb load. The next day I had gained about 2 pounds, and 0.5% body fat. The weight doesn't bother me, when I begin weight training, or heavy club swinging, I will be looking to add mass, but increasing body fat while I ate so 'healthily' was disappointing. Again, the importance of moderation, and the carb load was stressed to me.

Overall, I feel more vibrant and active. Considering this has been a hectic and stressful month, and the next few weeks will be worse. But, I know now from first-hand experience that sitting to relax with a bar (or two) of dark chocolate and some TV/Xbox or whatever was only hindering me from working to maximum capacity. The more my breaks from work involve walking, mobility, or my actual workouts, the more productive I am overall. Also, the fewer carb loads I have, the less insulin I have which helps a great deal to avoid the fatigue of dropping blood sugars.

Journaling can be an extremely useful tool, if done right. Sadly I have been too busy to journal the past week (by which I mean if I have not been at Uni, on the way to Uni. working, testing participants in the lab, or some other kind of work, I had been allowed some sleep). But the little things, like how being ill affected my diet and vice versa, and how my energy improved the more I moved. Also recovery rates, and progression in workouts in terms of increased form, lower discomfort and higher reps makes progress quantifiable.

The Primal Blueprint N=1 journal

This thing was awesome, and it helped me log nearly everything pretty well. I only have two minor issues. First, it isn't designed to have specific sections for blood glucose testing, which would have been helpful. I wouldn't expect it to have, but it still doesnt make it 100% perfect for my purposes. Second, its a bit too big, so you kind of have to leave it at home and fill it in at the end of the day, which becomes a bit of a chore. I would prefer a smaller and more manageable sized journal. I'm aiming for say a5 size, and pretty thin. I'm going to devise my own, based on my own routines; including but not limited to; blood sugar testing, food diary, workout recordings (including not only reps, but perceived: technique, excursion, and discomfort). I'll maybe make it to fit into the 28 day 7x4 cycle I run, which would be pretty cool.

What's next?

To be honest, I'm not sure. But as soon as I find a new challenge, I'll post it and share the experience.
What's your challenge? What should be my next one? comment and lets see together.

Anyway, here's some minions for the T1D perspective.

Respectfully,
Sam

28 day no-chocolate challenge and back to journaling

I have a problem with chocolate. I always have. Its the only food that I can easily scoff down a massive amount of and still want more. It's like I have a black hole inside me for chocolate alone. When I began transitioning to primal eating, chocolate was a late food for the chop. For a while it went well, until I discovered that as my sweet tooth reduced, my liking of dark chocolate increased. The pseudo-addiction began again. As much as I tried to tell myself that it was an acceptable vice; in truth, it became excessive and at best could be described as a lesser of two evils compared to milk chocolate - but only just. Excessive consumption of indulgent foods is what will lead me down a bad road that I want to avoid. I had a good A1c result last week, and I want to keep it good. Plus, injecting less insulin has always been awesome. So I came to a decision after reading Mark's no-alcohol experiment and thought I'd do the same with chocolate of all kinds and see what happens.

It just tastes soooo good

I'm not after some massive fat reduction from the elimination of dark chocolate from my diet and I understand the benefits dark chocolate has to offer. I have found however, that testing myself to challenges like this useful in the past. My last challenge was to go without alcohol, and I haven't looked back. I don't want to consume a substance that impedes my training, and more importantly my training recovery. So there we are, 28 days without chocolate of any kind. Just to see what happens, or doesn't happen. At best, I have eliminated a calorie excess in the order of 500-1500 from my diet (yes, it definitely became a problem), at worst, I miss chocolate quite a bit and eat more fruit to compensate. Not a bad situation all in.

What if I fail? That dreaded will-power sapping doubt. Well, first I understand that it has been an unnecessary indulgence. Second, I need to save for a few pieces of gym equipment (med ball, paralettes and the like) and can manage to put aside a few pennies here and there if I abscond from dark chocolate. Third, I was getting a bit sick of the stuff anyway. Most importantly, I have begun journaling again.

I wanted to start journaling again for a while, however the stupidest thing stopped me. I didn't want to be honest. I knew I had indulged that day and didn't want to admit it on paper so I didn't write anything. Well, now I'm holding myself to the advise I would give to others (or maybe just think, silently, judgingly) "Get over yourself, be honest and make yourself better. You can only be better by really looking at yourself now. You don't get the changes you want by doing nothing." Though I might, no I would, swear at myself more. I need to be harsh on myself, because I want great things for myself and my family. I'm trying to not beat myself up as much, but push myself forward more - and we'll see it work together.

Here's the first few pages, I still have a few notes to add though - my aim is to fill every page. Making good notes towards my training goals and technique will enable good progression and avoidance of injury. Oh, and apologies for my terrible, terrible handwriting.

What's your challenge? what are you hoping to achieve in the next few months? If you don't have one, then I humbly suggest that you find one and push yourself to be better than ever.

Respectfully,
Sam

Weight loss - an outdated and dangerous term

Weight loss - an outdated and dangerous term

I'm mid way through writing a post relating to living by the ten laws of the primal blueprint specifically for type 1 diabetics. After all, it is one of my missions with this blog to find even one person who might benefit from the information and maybe even make the transition towards better health, blood glucose control and overall life satisfaction. I've taken a break from what will likely be my longest post yet, as I have tried to include as many references and external sources as possible. I have taken a break because a recurring annoyance has once again surfaced and I want to vent my opinions on this important issue. The issue is one that we have all heard of, "weight loss" and it's supposed importance. Why does it annoy me? Well, firstly because it is based on bad premises and ignorant viewpoints, but more importantly, because in writing my latest post I found myself slipping into using this awful phrase. I hate the misinformation the notion of weight loss has caused, and feel the need to vent, so here we go.

Apart from being an excellent anti-advertisement for fast food, this picture may raise a key question. Without thinking, does this child need to loose weight? I bet 90% or more people immediately answer yes; but I will argue here that you are dead wrong. This kid needs to loose excess body fat, that's it. Yes, weight loss will likely follow (unless he builds muscle mass, to be discussed later) from a reduction in this "little" boy's body fat, but weight reduction should not be the goal.

Not me sadly, one day though

Question 2: is this man (Scott Sonnon - awesome dude btw) borderline obese. If you said no then you are dead right. However, if you looked at the scales alone, or read his BMI you would get a 'borderline obese' result. Can you see where I am going with this - weight alone is not a measure of health or body composition. 

You really are, truely

Human beings are more than the weight we see when standing on our scales in the bathroom.
We are complex organisms that amount to more that a mere number of pounds or kilos on a set of bathroom scales. Yes you have fat, we all do, some more than others. But YOU are not fat. Weight and BMI do not equate to health. In no study has lower BMI/weight (as they are essentially the same thing, just in proportion to size) been associated with better health. However, lower body fat has. There is a difference. Which reminds me, I watched a TV special where two doctors tried a no-fat, or a no-carb diet which while interesting held the following statement "Your BMI is 24.6 (roughly, I forget the actual numbers), so you are 25% fat". No, no, no no no no no. For doctors these two were surprisingly misinformed and these things annoy me. BMI does not equate to body fat. Therefore BMI is not a worthwhile measure of good health (alongside weight).

Body fat and excess fat. 
I agree that too much excess body fat is bad for us, and I don't think anyone would disagree that shouldn't be sectioned under the mental health act. But, we should not be viewing weight as a measure of fat lost or gained. Especially if you are not rigorous in your testing (Yesterday I overheard a woman state that she weighed herself at home the day before and the scales at the doctors said she had lost 3 pounds - she sounded pretty happy, and I simply sighed internally).

Please please revise your thinking.
I don't claim to be an expert in health. I know what is good in general, and my research and education has provided me with some additional insight, as well as dealing with type 1 diabetes. What I do know is that over-reliance on meeting weight goals, and loosing that last 5 pounds is just plain unhealthy; mentally and physically. I am certain that a number of people with mental health issues surrounding their body image are focusing on weight far too much. I know that I am a guy, and to be honest, I want to put on some muscle mass which will likely increase my weight. But that does not mean that I don't understand that harm that can come from looking at a set of scales and allowing the number staring up at you to define your worth. After all, pre-diagnosis I was pretty happy that I had lost some 20 pounds and was getting skinny (another pet peeve, skinny is bad, lean is good - redefine this thought too). I am glad that I am no longer so stupid to view weight loss as a good thing, though I do relish the fact that my excess body fat is melting away with a combination of Primal dining, and Tacfit training.

I hope this makes my point clear, same weight (and BMI), healthier, fitter body

The above picture is from an article on paleo zone nutrition regarding bmi, weight and body image. Check it out for another article driving my point home.

Moan over, I needed that vent. Apologies that I have likely missed out some important key points, and couldn't find some of the literature I wanted to link.

Respectfully,
Sam

The Primal blueprint 10 laws - some action points to work on

Its been a while since my last post and I've been way too busy with revision for my exam (social psychology) to finish my planned post of the benefits of the primal blueprint ten laws specifically for type 1 diabetics.

F*****g exams

So, as a quick replacement until time makes itself free once again; here are ten action points that I am planning to implement over the next few weeks or months in order to better meet each of the ten laws. See my previous posts, or marksdailyapple for more information about the primal blueprint laws themselves.

1. Eat Lots of Plants and Animals
Eat a wider variety of plants and animals - I've been relying too much on salad-style meals to accompany the different meats I cook and if I'm honest, I'm getting pretty bored of it. Steaming veg for lunch meals will help me increase the variety here.

2. Avoid Poisonous Things
In general, I do pretty well here now. I've quelled my love of cheesecake and my sugary sweet tooth is focused on dark chocolate at the minute which seems to be working. Next step is to reduce the artificial sugars I take. I will do this by using less in tea, and subbing regular tea for green/herbal tea more often during the day.

3. Move Frequently at a Slow Pace
Meet my minimum quota of two 6 minutes mobility exercises daily, ideally first thing in the morning and late afternoon or early evening. This should be on top of any other specific mobility, compensation or training days.

4. Lift Heavy Things
Continue working to complete Tacfit Commando mission 2 (then 3) at level 3 over the next month and a half. Then a month of trial by fire and flow-fit.

5. Sprint Once in a While
Gradually introduce running sprints into the week. Starting with a few 30 second rounds of sprinting, and gradually building up over the next few months. Cant focus too much here or I will risk hindering my lift heavy things goals.

6. Get Adequate Sleep
No TV, computer or mobile phones/tablets 30+ minutes before sleep. This is especially important at the minute because my sleeping hasn't been great

7. Play
Make time to play, especially with the family at the weekends (when I am not working), if not then playing with my dog (barney). Find an activity that we can all, especially me and Claire can enjoy and find fun in free time, rather than just waste it in front of the TV.

8. Get Adequate Sunlight
Dog walks in the sun! yes, we actually have some sun out now, and it's pretty great

9. Avoid Stupid Mistakes
As I am beginning to use my Vibram fivefingers more often, the stupid mistake to avoid is using them too frequently, or for too long a period. I want to build up to using the vibrams as much as possible in favor of regular restrictive shoes, but must be careful in doing so.

10. Use Your Brain
MSc Dissertation project - this is going to tax my brain to the max over the summer. My action point is to ensure that other brain activities are going on as well; reading fiction, learning a new skill or re-visiting the guitar.

I lied, there are 11; however, this last action point should be maintained always and kept as a constant lifestyle choice as part of the primal blueprint.

11 - Be Badass, everyday
The primal blueprint is nature and evolution's method of creating awesome people who not only meet their potential, but exceed it and push the boundaries to new heights. There are no limits, just plateaus to break through. Be badass and be awesome, everyday - by being the best you, or in this case, the best me.

In the words of the great Scott Sonnon

Stay Strong when Tempted.
Stay Brave when Frightened.
Stay Grateful when Defeated.
Stay Humble when Victorious.
Be Helpful when Discouraged.
Be Hopeful when Overwhelmed.
Be Badass Everyday.

Respectfully,
Sam

What the Primal Blueprint means to me. Law#10 Use your brain

Ironically enough, I have had to put off this post due to two coursework deadlines, dissertation programming and exam preperation - however, putting aside that mental exercise for a moment, lets briefly consider Primal Blueprint Law 10 - using your brain. If I were a harsh person, I might note that the brain is currently one of the most underutilized muscles in the human body, with many favoring the overuse of their mouths and/or TV strained eyes. But I am trying to not be a harsh person, so we'll look at the positives. Society, for better or worse, would not be the way it is if our brains had not evolved to be as useful, creative, and essential in attaining mastery. Our ancestors survived because they were intelligent, sentient individuals who used their brainpower constantly to survive. Think about it, knowledge of local wildlife, plant life, geography, and conforming to law#9 (avoid stupid mistakes) requires a level of consistent brainpower to avoid injury and death while enabling them to live full lives.

My cognitive faculties allow for the deduction that pointy end goes in hairy beast - then I eat beast.
Meat make Grok happy.

Modern life bombards us with stimulation and it is easy to simply sit-back and absorb this constant stream of information from TV and the internet. But, as this blog has taught me - it is better to be a producer of information, rather than merely a consumer. It is similar to the way that teaching another person the lessons you have learned enables you to develop your own understanding of the same concepts.

How can we use our brains more? I would consider myself to do a lot of mental gymnastics most days, with University, work and the many activities associated with these integral components to my current life. The addition of this blog has increased my adherence to Law#10 because while I am discussing concepts drawn from other sources, I am referencing how they apply to my own life. So what can we do to increase the use of our brain? Here are my top suggestions that I think everybody will be able to follow.

• Spend an extra few hours weekly (or daily if you are a high user) away from the TV or computer screen. This gives you time for other activities that will benefit your life in a far greater and healthier way (see the exercise laws fro example). This includes those late night Netflix binges that destroy sleeping patterns.
• Read. During the day, read anything that you find stimulating. I have no love for gossip magazines and all the associated nonsense, but at least it is better than the TV. During the night, before bed - read fiction. It avoids the dreaded blue-light build up pre-sleep that avoids healthy sleep cycles and allows for a nice wind down from the day. Why fiction? because it is inconsequential to the real world - you will not be trying to assimilate information from factual sources while you try to sleep. Even though textbooks send me to sleep, they are perhaps not the best late night reading.
• Write, or draw - use the things you consume, to produce something. The other side of the coin. Keep a journal, write a story, or write a blog. Lots of options and you have the benefit of creating something, even if it's just for you to read.
• Learn a new skill. Pick something you have wanted to learn for a while; an instrument, a new language, or even a new sport/martial art. New stimulus, new people and new skills to assimilate - all awesome ingredients for expanding the mind. If you're worried that you don't have the time, check out this TED talk from Josh Kaufman on how to learn anything in 20 hours.
• Reassess your consumer behavior. If you decide you need a few hours in front of the TV, then what are you watching? is it something trashy that will in no way influence your life, or an award winning series with seriously amazing acting and scripting? do you pick reality tv, or documentary? one of the two might be more 'entertaining' in a sort of mindless way, but the latter is by far more mentally stimulating.

Books are great - and there are millions of them out there

So there we have it, the last of the primal blueprint 10 laws. It's also probably the most important, because everybody should be using their brain to choose the primal blueprint as the healthiest way of living, supported by modern scientific observations and our human evolution.

Respectfully, 

Sam

What the Primal Blueprint means to me. Law#9 Avoid stupid mistakes

Also known as Law#9 Avoid trauma. Either way, there are a lot of implications here for the way we live. Our ancestors did not benefit from a healthcare system and an injury as (relatively) minor as a sprained ankle could mean death at the claws of a predator. It is likely that injury was the lead cause of death. Looking at modern day hunter-gatherers, we can see that they maintain good health as well as fitness and strength into their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. Our caveman ancestors might ask us why we are so reckless as a society if we value our lives so much. I find myself leaning towards this thought too. Imagine what our society would look like if healthcare and easy access to food disappeared overnight. All those youtube videos of people "accidentally" injuring themselves, or acting foolishly and breaking something - Dead, all dead. Slowly, almost definitely, but dead nonetheless. Any trekker, or adventurist injured in the wild - dead. Any infected open wound - likely dead. A single trip or fall could lead to a slow end without the massive support we receive from the established healthcare system. All those drugs designed to keep those alive that have destroyed their systems through drink, drugs, obesity, negligence, or plain stupidity would most likely die.

We can all get injured, but avoidance/prevention is always better than recovery/cure

 Beyond these dark prediction, what does this leave for us as primal blueprint-ers? In short, use common sense. Do you need to rush across the road, or can you spare that 30 seconds to wait for the walk now sign? Do you need to drink that last vodka-red bull at the end of a night out when you can barely stand? Do you warm up, and cool down appropriately after exercise or do you neglect this crucial aspect? Do you push yourself to perform that extra rep at max weight despite fatigue and failing form, or do you break and finish when you cannot maintain near perfect form any longer. The list goes on, and if I looked at my full day I probably have done something slightly dangerous when I could have been safer. I could wear a crash helmet while on my bicycle for example. Which reminds me, I have seen 3 separate cyclists today jump a red light and continue on while I wait at the lights. I'll say it again, avoid stupid mistakes - especially when the slightest miscalculation can leave you injured, or worse. Wear a helmet, and stop at the lights - cars win against people. simple as. Oh, and wear your freaking seat belt, and get off the mobile phone while driving.

YOLO doesn't give you permission to be stupid - try to value life without stupid injury and risk

YOLO doesn't give you permission to be stupid -
try to value life without stupid injury and risk

Don't get me wrong, I don't believe in bubble-wrapping society until no danger exists. Primarily because we would only learn that the slightest scratch is the worst thing ever, and in result we would be training ourselves to be wusses all of the time. In effect, bubble-wrapping society becomes its own stupid mistake. This law applies to each of the other laws also. Don't over-exercise and under-recover; don't eat zero protein and lift heavy weights; don't ruin the benefits of eating and moving primally by acting stupidly in another way.

You don't need to risk assess everything - but at least be mindful that the risks exist

You don't need to risk assess everything - but at least be mindful that the risks exist

Type 1 diabetics, I think that this law particularly applies to us. Ensure you test your bloods regularly, check your feet, don't reuse needles or lancets, don't miss out on health appointments and ensure that you manage your condition well. In transition to primal eating, take it slowly because then you lessen the likelihood of hypos and falling off the wagon. Ultimately, avoid the stupid mistakes of eating poorly (see law#1 and law#2) and worsening your health outcomes. 

Have I missed anything? Or have I been too harsh? Please do comment so we can build the primal blueprint awareness for the benefit of everybody, including my type 1 brethren. What do you do to avoid stupid mistakes, or what don't you do?

Respectfully,
Sam

What the Primal Blueprint means to me. Law#8 Get adequate sunlight

Time to get some sun

Another often neglected aspect of good health is getting enough sunlight. Surely by now we can all agree that getting some sun is good for us. There is a reason why Seasonal Affective Disorder exists, in large part due to the great decrease in sunlight we are exposed to during the winter months. Sunlight allows for the production of vitamin D, which is essential to many aspects of our health, including psychological. I'm sure everybody has noted the recent surge of 'are you getting enough calcium?' advertisements and health notices, especially aimed at children and promoting yogurts. As with a lot of things we have discussed so far (such as eating less fat does not equal less body fat), the relationship between consuming enough calcium and bone health, etc is not linear. Vitamin D plays a key role in the absorption and synthesis of calcium into the bones and rest of the body, and as such getting little to no sunlight will effectively negate all those calcium+ yoghurts and other additions made for this purpose. For this and many other reasons aside, getting adequate sunlight is essential.

But, too much sunlight will burn or cause skin cancer some people will say. I believe that this is why mark has dubbed the law adequate sunlight, i.e. enough, but not too much. Laying on a suntan bed for 2 hours daily will obviously damage your skin and cause damage, and anybody doing this should be well aware that they will be suffering in the future. On the other end of the spectrum, working 9 hour office days, followed by time at home in front of the TV and not getting enough direct sunlight will also cause damage. There is also evidence that a lack of sunlight (and vitamin D) relates to skin cancer. So there we have it, not too much, not too little. So how much is just right? the answer isn't really definite. But there are a few good suggestions. One is that having a slight tan suggests that you are getting enough sunlight, but not so much that you have burned. Spending 15-30 minutes in direct sunlight (maybe on a nice walk to fill some of our exercise goals), on a daily basis might well be enough. In part it depends how fair skinned you are, as some of us burn far quicker. Experiment, if you come near burning then you have been out for far too long. If you have that good feeling from getting outside and actually experiencing nature and the sun, rather than sitting in a dark room, then you might have it just right. Another option I use currently is supplementing vitamin d in winter months and when the weather has been terrible or I have needed to spend too much time in the lab recently (actually, this is most of the time right now). This by no means substitutes for actual sun exposure, but part of the primal blueprint is using modern methods to attempt to emulate our ancestors lifestyle. Not a perfect solution, but definitely helpful.

There you have it, law 8 is as simple as it sounds, get some sunlight on a daily basis to improve your health, mood, and many other factors aside. It is also something that can be combined with other laws, particularly the exercise laws. Going for a sprint, do it in the sun. Lifting weights, maybe in the garden/park rather than in the gym. Walk in the sun to work rather than drive. All these small changes have drastically beneficial effects.

Respectfully,

Sam

What the Primal Blueprint means to me. Law#7 Play

I think we can all agree that leading a stressful life is damaging to our health, there shouldn't be any debate there. But on the other side of the coin, I think we forget the benefits of stress-free times, and at the far end of the spectrum, actually having fun and playing. Play isn't just a past time for kids who haven't had the misfortune to grow up and commit to full-time jobs (including the hour commute each way) and family commitments. We all need to play, the release of "feel good" hormones (including, but not limited to endorphins) is essential to de-stress and have a bit of enjoyment in our lives. Play allowed our ancestors to socialize, build relationships, and actually use their health and fitness to enjoy simply moving. No, sitting in front of the TV for 2-3 hours after a long days work is not considered de-stressing or playtime under the primal blueprint.

Sadly, in the UK it rains far too much in the autumn to enjoy this kind of play

What is play? Play can be a huge number of things, sports are a great example because you are literally playing them. In addition though, you are competing, socializing and building teamwork. In addition, these kinds of playtime are enjoyable ways to move and get the heart going outside of the pre-defined exercise regimes without the view to simply up the number of hours in the gym each week. If anything, play is more important to overall well being than some of the movement laws. Sadly, we don't really allow ourselves to play anymore.

Here are some good, and some bad examples of "playtime" that I have taken part in over the past few years.

• Martial arts - good exercise, discipline, progression, and applied physical ability. Also working with others to refine skills and build the relationships afterwards. I like this example because it combines all of the primal blueprint exercise laws while building skills and physical ability and control.
• After-training drinks - After a 1-2 hour karate session, meeting in the pub afterwards is a great for socializing, catching up with friends and solidifying relationships outside of working hard, and well, beating each other up for a few hours a week. This has taken two forms over my University career. In the early years it was drinking time, i.e. get the drinks in, spill into halls after midnight with maybe 8 pints down, and sleep still in need of a shower. Later on, this became a far more tame glass of water to re-hydrate and maybe a few drinks maximum, or just an orange juice depending on my mood and cash-flow. Socializing, tick. However, there is a bit of a fuzzy area surrounding drinking and good health. Some is perhaps ok, but after exercise, maybe not so much. I'll call this one part of the 80/20 rule.
• Hanging with the family in the garden in summer time. Must be summer in the UK otherwise it rains 95% of the time. Good socializing and catching up
• Sports - I have had games of badminton, chucked a Frisbee around and just general playing around outside and enjoying time.
• Games nights - kind of counts as socializing, but too much time sitting in front of a screen, in a dark room and playing video games for hours isn't really conducive to a healthy lifestyle.
• Playing with my dog - he's coming on 14 years old now so he isn't quite as sprighty as he once was, but still good fun to play with.

I liked this infographic as a fair summary of the benefits of playing sports.

Play is good for us, and just because we have commitments and busy schedules does not mean that we should neglect this key component of our lifestyles. In addition, trying to 'primalise' the play you do get has benefits also and allows playtime to merge with the movement and exercise laws (e.g. does going out drinking with friends, coming home fairly incoherent at 3am and feeling pretty sick the next day really count as play? answer- no, even with all those selfies you took showing how much fun you were having). I am guilty of not getting anywhere near enough play, and this is the primal law I am having the most trouble with. As much as saying that a full time master's degree and a part-time job, as well as fairly strict exercise regime leaves little time for play (especially when I am stressing about coursework) seems like a fair excuse; it will not do if I want to have the best health possible. Once again I'll stress the point, for type 1 diabetics, looking after all elements of health is essential - de-stressing and playing often enables better diabetes control and allows for avoidance of related complications. Its not all about only diet and exercise anymore; we must take a holistic approach.

So here is a challenge for us all. Take a few hours over the course of the next week, and play. Do something new/different, or do something more of what you enjoy. Do it with family or friends, and try to make it as primal as possible. Head to the park with the family and the dog and run about, play and enjoy the time spent. Take a football, Frisbee or whatever you can play with and play. Maybe post a comment and share the playtime fun. I'll try to write a brief follow up post sharing some play that I will be doing while the sun is out. One of the popular quotes of today is 'you only live once', often as an excuse to act like a stupid, spoiled, and selfish child. However, when we recontextualize this into 'you only die once, you live everyday', perhaps we can see the importance of playing, de-stressing and enjoying life everyday - rather than as an attempt to justify reckless behaviors. 

YOLO? I'd rather not. I want to live every day

Respectfully,

Sam

What the primal Blueprint means to me. Law#6 Get Adequate Sleep

Ah, sleep. Sometimes the most elusive of beasts, other times its all we can do to not fall asleep sitting at our desks. We've covered diet and exercise in the first 5 laws; now its time for the lifestyle laws. This primarily in my view where the paleo diet (the hint is in the word - diet) and the primal lifestyle differ. It is not sufficient to only eat and exercise well for optimum health, and laws 6 through 10 cover key, sometimes unspoken rules that when followed bring us closer to our cave-man ancestors and their capacity for amazingly good health.

See, even the most awesome folks need a nap every now and then

Why is sleep important? It seems a stupid question, but the importance of sleep goes beyond simply filling the time at night when we are tired and finished with mass streaming a new tv series on netflix. We don't only need sleep because we're tired, although tiredness is a good indication of when we need sleep.
Sadly, sleep is one of the most neglected elements of health as many don't understand its purpose fully. The other reason is that we focus so heavily on what we eat, and how much we exercise, as well as our jobs, family obligations, and so on, that we forget about getting enough quality sleep.

Now, I cannot claim to be an expert in the science of sleep, but I have some primal information that may help at least the uninitiated. In principle, it comes down to one key concept - recovery. We need to recover from our hectic lifestyles and rebuild ourselves for the coming day. Exercise is one of the best examples. Your exercise gains (muscle mass, strength gain, etc) do not come in the gym, they come from the recovery process. This is why doing weight training every day will not build muscle mass, because you're focusing to much on breaking your body down, that the re-building that strengthens it gets left by the wayside. When it comes to sleep, this is when the majority of our recovery and immune system behaviour kicks in (this is one of the reasons the flu leaves us unable to do much apart from rest - because we need it).

So how did our ancestors sleep, how did they do it? After all, they didn't have soft mattresses with snugly warm tog 15 duvets, or even alarm clocks to wake them up. They used the sun of course, sleeping following sunset and waking with the sunrise. It may not  have been unbroken sleep due to the need for awareness of nocturnal predators, but this isn't necessarily a great measure of quality sleep anyway. Oh, and without 9-5 jobs taking up the whole day, taking a mid-afternoon nap in the shade on a hot day would be perfectly fine and guilt free.

How do we emulate this today? Well, have a look at some of these awesome resources from marksdailyapple. As for what I have to say, here are some observations/ things I have been working on to help me get enough quality sleep.

Me, far too often with Uni at the minute

• Go to bed earlier - this comes from my and Claire's habit to stay up till 2/3am watching recorded TV and then sleep late the next day. Needless to say that this is no longer workable with full-time working weeks and early mornings. What I have noticed however is that simply going to bed when I am tired, rather than the oft-abused 'just one more episode' feeling has helped improve the amount of sleep I get.
• Fully wind down before sleep - I've noticed nowadays that watching TV, or being on the laptop/smartphone/tablet too close to attempted sleep messes up my sleep rhythm. Either it takes me longer to sleep, or I wake up constantly and don't get the quality of sleep I need. I am currently trying to read for 30 minutes before bed each night, and whenever I do my night's sleep is far more refreshing.
• Avoid blue light in the evenings - Blue light gets us up, and this is part of the reason that late-night TV/smartphones/computer screens disrupt our sleeping patterns. I have installed blue light filters on all of my equipment so that if I must check my phone, or be up late working on Uni coursework (most nights at the minute) then at least I reduce the negative effects these can have on sleep. 
• I keep the bedroom for sleeping - I try especially hard to treat the bedroom as a sleeping place, so it is not associated with day-time stressors and can be simply a space for sleep. I must admit that having a partner affects this greatly, especially if there is a particular series she wants to catch up on. But, its a work in progress.

I will likely think of more action points as soon as I post this, but as this post is already overdue because of sickness I'll keep it short. As usual, the best place to look is marksdailyapple, in particular at the definitive guide to sleep, and 17 ways to improve your sleep and embrace this crucial element of good health. Next time, we'll look at law#7 - Play and try to have some fun. In the mean time, here's a picture of cute animals sleeping.

Respectfully,

Sam

Two years a diabetic

I forgot my dates and just remembered that last week was my 2 year diabetic anniversary, if there is such a thing. I know that I was diabetic long before diagnosis, but April 4th 2012 was my diagnosis date. Perhaps what I should say is two years injecting insulin - that's more accurate, I think.

Except without the cake

So, what have I learnt in those two years? It feels like I've learnt more biology and health, diet, physical education in those two years than my nearly 5 years so far in psychology at undergrad and now postgrad level. I guess you pay more attention when its your life on the line. As its my second anniversary, I want to write about two major lessons I've learned about living with type 1 diabetes. This doesn't sound like much, but they cover so much.

1 - You need a holistic approach

You cant deal with type 1 diabetes, or any health condition for that matter, by acting on only a single element. This is why so many type 1's have such bad experiences, because their struggle is only about trying to impossibly balance a high-carb SAD diet, with insulin injections (often two types), regular testing and a lot of stress. Exercise and diet play crucial roles in health. Just because type 1 diabetes is not necessarily caused by being obese, sedentary and eating only pies, chocolate and red bull - but that doesn't mean that living a clean, active life eating good food wont help with the condition. The way I see it is this. There are so many related complications with type 1 diabetes, and I don't want any of them. As I've said more than once, 'I will not be one of those diabetics that looses a foot'. That became a mini-rant, sorry lets return to my main point. Since I started eating primally 90% of the time (completely eliminating grains as a first key objective), and exercising on the 4-day wave, I have reduced my insulin requirements massively. Now I take 5 units/daily basal, and 95% of the time I take 0 bolus units. That's right, most days I only need to inject once. I haven't had a hypo for months - other type 1's know how awesome this is. I am leaner and stronger than ever; down maybe 4% body fat and 4 inches around the waist, with little actual weight loss meaning that my muscle mass has increased greatly as well. In short, taking a holistic approach is the only way to make everything related to your health, and diabetes; awesome. And, do you know what, I love feeling awesome.

How life should be

2 - You have to be prepared to go it alone

This may not be true oprimallyne, but I've found that despite the support of others, you have to be able to make decisions and take charge of your own health. You have to make yourself the accountable person and you alone. I'm not saying don't seek support, but use it wisely. I'll give two examples. My fiancee Claire has been so supporting of my transition into eating and moving primally. But, it is still up to me to maintain this lifestyle. Its still up to me to decline that chocolate cake offered in good faith as I "eat so well the rest of the time". Even with positive reinforcement, you still must recognise your role in keeping yourself healthy. My second example are those people who don't understand, or do but see the way of eating as different and weird (I'm hearing weird a lot at the minute). What you have to accept is the nonacceptance of others. Even though I am by far the healthiest person in my household (despite type 1 diabetes), I am still the one ridiculed as the odd one out. Often it isn't ill-meaning, but there's only so many times I can hear 'just have a sandwich', 'you eat too much meat/fat', 'won't you have a hypo if you don't eat carbs?' and so on. The popular one currently is that I'm off to do my weird exercises again (I refrain from shouting vehemently about that being healthier than sitting in front of the TV for hours straight). Anyway, the point is, whenever you try something new and not within the cultural norms - you will have critics (ironically this may continue when you are the one who is making the healthy choices and suceeding). Its up to you what you do with these critics, and to follow only your own way, the way that works best for you. 

My message is this, whether you receive support and praise, or scepticism and ridicule - its up to you to follow your own best way to health in a holistic way. Its actually quite liberating as now I recognise that I am the responsible, accountable, and master of my own health destiny. For better or worse, its all down to me. 

To all other type 1s, find your way to great health and be awesome.

Respectfully,
Sam

What the Primal Blueprint means to me. Law#5 Sprint once in a while

We're half way there. Law#5 Sprinting once in a while. We've covered what to eat, what to not eat, moving a lot slowly, and lifting heavy things sometimes, now lets get sprinting.

Time to Bolt...

Here's the basic premise. Way back when, we had brief intense events where we might have been running down a hunt, running away from a predator, fighting a rival, etc - but nowadays we simply don't, at least in the same way. These extremely brief, yet extremely explosive and hormonal events triggered increases in strength, speed, twitch muscle responses and greatly increased longevity by becoming simply put, faster. Oh, and improve insulin sensitivity you type 1 diabetics will be glad to know. See, exercise is great for us - when done correctly. Now, this does not advocate a spin class at 85% max heart rate for an hour to exhaust yourself and in reality do little functional good. What it does mean is conducting super-short, super intense bursts of activity. These should be all-out, max effort sessions lasting less than 10 minutes (otherwise it becomes chronic cardio territory and you actually gain less).

So what does a sprint session look like. Well, as long as you follow the rules above almost anything goes. Actual sprints are good, or they could be done on a bike, or in a swimming pool (minus the bike). Here's a basic example using tabata timing. Now, I love tabata timing and TACFIT Commando uses it exclusively, as well as some other TACFIT programs. Take an exercise, in this case lets say a straight sprint on a track. Perform the exercise for 20 seconds, followed by a 10 second break where you catch your breath (by exhaling heavily - I'll cover this in a later post) - repeat this for eight rounds. So in four minutes you have beasted a single exercise and if you have been going at max capacity you really are smoked. One exercise I am working on at the moment is the leaping lunge - basically a jumping lunge trying to reach your legs as high as possible mid air. At the moment, its not in sprint territory because the reps are too low, but when I get up to 20 or so in that 20 second round - its gonna be a push. That reminds me, always maintain good form and if you feel pain, stop the exercise. Its better to be fully recovered performing less than max reps, than perform max reps and spend days aching. I rarely have the two-day aches I used to have, because I exercise smart - again, see Scott Sonnon's pages to go into this point in more depth.

Hill sprints are great, though they are killers

I must confess, I do not set aside specific sprint sessions. However, as some exercises do push me into that sprint - adrenalin response territory, I class these as sprinting elements of my exercise regime. Find what works for you is the main thing, but do include some amount of sprinting every week or two in your regime to fulfill your maximum health potential. For type 1 diabetics, compare a 10 minute sprint session to a prolonged hour in the gym and test your blood glucose before and after to conduct a bit of a self experiment. I've found the more I eat primal - see law#1 and law#2, the less exercise effects by blood sugars, but we must always be wary.

Now, lets all get out there for a sprint :-) To end the movement laws I like the pyramid below as a handy reference. Print it, and pin it up.

Respectfully,
Sam

What the Primal Blueprint means to me. Law# 4 Lift heavy things

Last time we covered moving frequently at a slow pace and the benefits of such exercise. I also discussed how prolonged cardio-based exercise isn't particularly functional or useful (if health or fat-loss are your goals, if you're a dedicated marathon runner then power to you). This time I want to discuss lifting heavy things as a mode of exercise that stimulates muscle growth and strength building.

Our ancestors walked a lot, and this should be a given when thinking about hunter-gatherer societies. Also, they lifted heavy things, not for exercise per se, but to drag the kill home, climb a tree to avoid danger, or haul something heavy across a campsite. For any parent readers, there were no carriers or places to leave your young ones for a few hours, babies would be carried almost non-stop through the days travels. This was an every day event, and as such our ancestors (including the children, and the women) were strong and lean. We may not be able to emulate these brief, yet regular exposures to lifting heavy things in modern society due to 9-5 working weeks and hectic lifestyles. But, the importance of lifting heavy is integral to health. Oh and for type 1 diabetics, increasing muscle mass (especially combined with reduced excess body-fat) increases insulin sensitivity and therefore less insulin is needed. Sound good?

The closest we can get to regular heavy lifting in modern society is planned exercise. There are loads of options out there, but a few key rules should be followed. Firstly, sessions should not exceed around 45 minutes (maybe an hour with breaks, not counting warm-ups and cool downs). Secondly, watch the intensity, you should be working hard, but not at full speed/capacity - that's what law#5 - sprint occasionally is all about. If you rated your excursion on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being maximum effort, I would say around a 6-8 rating would be ideal. Third, the sessions should focus on full body exercises where possible and not focus on isolating individual muscles. But I like the bicep curl machine, or the ab machine or the bench-press machine at the gym some will say. I could argue at length about this, but to keep it short I will only point out that our bodies are designed to work as an entire unit. Take the bench press as an example. You are missing out on the stabilizing tension the core and legs must perform during push ups. This is why gym muscle builders are so injury-prone, because their bodies are imbalanced and their musculature is out of whack. Personally, I would rather be fully-recovered, balanced, and have the ability to perform full body movements, rather than under-recovered, injury prone, but with the ability to boast defined biceps. So, in short lifting heavy things sessions should be brief, intense and full body events. See Marks post on the exercise action items here. What counts as a heavy thing? Firstly, we are heavy things - I weigh about 155 pounds, I would say that that's a heavy thing to lift. Of course weights, kettlebells and so on all count, but I argue that body-weight exercises should form the center of any exercise regime.

Push-ups are good

If you're feeling adventurous.

I plan on writing a series on different full body exercises and routines for beginners with progressions etc. But as I currently utilize TACFIT almost exclusively, I would feel like too much of a thief of Scott Sonnon's work just now. For a series of awesome body weight, dumbbell, and clubbell routines, amongst others - check out the TACFIT programs offered here.
Here's an overview of my medium and high intensity sessions. The exercises stay the same, but I vary reps to increase intensity. Medium intensity should be 6-8 on our exertion scale, and High intensity should be 8-10 (this is where it gets into sprint-like sessions).
Part 1- After warm-up - TACFIT Commando. Six exercises, each performed for 8 rounds of 20 seconds exertion folllowed by 10 seconds rest with a 60 second break between exercises. Totaling 30 minutes exercise. There are three 'missions' each with three progressions. Each runs for 28 days.
Part 2- Clubbell exercises. I'll post a full video on clubbell exercises soon, but for now lets agree that they're awesome. For the uninitiated, the clubbell is like a baseball bat, made of steel, weighing between 2-20kg. It doesn't sound heavy, but the swinging motions work the whole rotational movement. True caveman exercise :-) I am currently working on achieving a century in the double swipes from Trial by Fire to build up.
End with full body compensation yoga, and I am done in around an hour. I know this pushes the boundary of the prescribed 'lift heavy things' mantra. However, I have higher goals than average and ensure that I keep the sessions within safe limits and most importantly know my own limits.

Get a clubbell (or two), use it, love it.

I'll be writing a future post about the benefits of the TACFIT and CST health and recovery first exercise because it is the way forward. It functions perfectly with the primal/paleo lifestyle and most importantly for me, works amazingly to maintain my health living with type 1 diabetes. So, there we have it. Exercise 1-3 times a week for a brief, intense session with full body exercises to improve overall health, and build muscle mass. See you next time for Law#5 Sprint occasionally.

Respectfully,
Sam

Link love #2 Scott Sonnon

My second idol after Mark Sisson. Scott Sonnon is an awesome dude and his health first fitness is pure genius. He also endorses a paleo diet combined with smart exercise.
Don't work harder, work smarter

Check out his blog here

What the Primal Blueprint means to me. Law#3 Move Frequently at a Slow Pace

Primal Blueprint Law#3 - Move frequently at a slow pace.

The evidence against the sedentary lifestyle is mounting. Sitting is killing us. When I began my attempts at a standing desk, I was told that it was weird. I replied simply that the longer we sit, the quicker we die. I firmly believe this, and the science backs it up. We can no longer think that throwing an extended cardio session at an otherwise sedentary lifestyle will stave off obesity, ill health, or make-up-for last nights extra large pizza (even if it was with a diet coke). If we take as given that the previous posts in this series - which covered the primal blueprint eating laws - are sound, then the next few posts will build upon this basis.

Masses of fast food and the occasional heavy exercise session does not make a healthy, fit person

Before going any further, lets get one key element out of the way. Some 80% of body composition is determined by diet alone. This is why massive exercise sessions do not make up for a diet heavy in our primal avoids and the SAD diet. Have you ever seen those people who are regulars at a gym/exercise class, they show up dedicated every time and work the hardest of all- but remain overweight and under-toned. Well, the answer is simple, our bodies adapt to perform our exercise easier - but, these people have already adapted to theirs. That's right, the benefits eventually slide with continued prolonged and unchanging exercise (avoiding this will feature in my next few posts) because your musculature has already adapted to it. That excess fat you're trying to get rid of - I have already explained the best way in my previous posts - eat lots of plants and animals, and avoid poisonous things. To this I can now add; move frequently at a slow pace.
I've spent a long time writing against the methods some have tried and failed with to become healthy. Now it's time to look at the primal blueprint law and how we can follow it. The crux of the matter is this, we have evolved into bipedal walkers because we needed to. We would have walked for hours daily, either to relocate, or to hunt and gather as that's what we were - nomad hunter-gatherers. So, what does moving frequently at a slow pace look like?

Walk, walk, and walk some more

Firstly, lets define moving at a slow pace is personal to ourselves. One persons easy run might be another person's deathly sprint. Take the tour de France, it is likely that the cyclists rarely leave what would be described as moderate level activity - whereas if I attempted one of those mountains I would pass out within five minutes. Perhaps the best way to capture low level aerobic pace is to keep your heart rate between 50-65% Max heart rate, any higher and you begin to move into higher levels of exertion. Want to know the best thing about movement at this pace? You burn fat. Blasting through an hour session at 80% or higher heart rate will burn carbs (and leave that fat around your belly). Moving at a slow pace for 2-5 hours a week (or more) is a fair trade for lasting health.

What does moving at a slow pace look like? The options are massive, to name a few:

If you can, enjoy the scenery

• Walking or hiking
• Cycling
• Swimming

I also class mobility drills and compensation yoga as part of my low level activity. On my 4 day exercise cycle (to be discussed more in later posts), my first day involves around 20 minutes of mobility drills. Think of it as an extended warm up - without the exercise following. I also do similar mobility drills as a comprehensive warm up on my medium and high intensity days. Compensation yoga fits into my second day of the cycle. The focus is not on stretching per se - but performing recovery exercises that allow full recovery from the more high-impact exercise I do. In this way I am enabling full recovery from exercise while maintaining movement regularly. Add in daily dog walks, bike rides to University, walking with and to work and the bike rides me and Claire have started going on more regularly and you have plenty of low level activity. Now, my favorite bit, how does this impact type 1 diabetics? Well, you lose the excess fat that hinders insulin responsibility, by virtue of having a leaner body composition you need less insulin. You don't need to worry about hypos - as you should be burning fat at this intensity. Mostly, it's just healthy - as we already have a long-term health condition, it's important we look after ourselves as a whole, and then our bodies will look after us as well. Remember, the lower your activity level, the quicker you die.

If you want to begin going barefoot for all the additional benefits - grab some vibram five fingers
They are awesome  :-)

Low level activity, when combined with the primal blueprint eating plan really are a match made in heaven. Fat burning activity, with little injury risk and all the benefits. Now, you likely wont build muscle with only laws 1,2, and 3; but, thats where the next law comes in - Law#4, lift heavy things. See you next time.

Respectfully,

Sam