Tag Archives: Mark Sisson

Healthy Household: Fast Exercise

Posted on by

“There is a persistent widespread belief in the fitness industry that the more time you spend exercising, the better.”
Fast Exercise by Dr Michael Mosley

I have just finished a very simple and interesting book called Fast Exercise by Dr Michael Mosley. He has also written a book called Fast Diet which is basically the same as the Every-Other-Day Diet which you can read about here and here.

The book Fast Exercise will outline how to get all the health benefits of exercise in a very short period of time. If you have ever used the excuse that you don’t have time for exercise, this book is for you.

The system is based on two types of exercise. The Fast Strength workout is based on doing 2-3 sets of body weight exercises. These full-body exercises can be done anywhere and without any equipment. The most common full-body exercises are: pushup, pullup, squat, and plank. The book also has a Fast Exercise Park workout that can be done in any city park. The second type of exercise is called a Fast Fitness workout which is based on High Intense Training (HIT) and High Intense Interval Training (HIIT).

The time required for exercise is minimal:

  1. Fast Strength workout take 5-7 minutes, twice a week.
  2. The Fast Fitness workout requires two sets for 20 seconds of hard exercise twice a week. If you’re really gung-ho you can do three sets for 30 seconds of hard exercise twice a week.
  3. The program requires lots of rest between workouts!

“Hunter-gatherers would have likely alternated difficult days with less demanding days when possible. The same pattern of alternating a strenuous workout one day with an easy one the next day produces higher levels of fitness with lower rates of injury? The natural crosstraining that was a mandatory aspect of life as a hunter-gatherer improves performance across many athletic disciplines.”

Fast Strength and Fast Fitness is an excellent addition to a daily walking routine and eating a nourishing traditional diet from quality sources. Getting enough sleep and controlling stress is also important for maintaining vibrate health. Because the Fast Exercise workouts are so short there is less chance of injury. Even if you don’t like exercising the routine is over quickly. For more information see: Fast Exercise Tips. Here’s more tips for improving well-being:
Daily Prescription to Improve My Well-being

optional-exercise-equipment

Exercise equipment is optional. For Fast Strength I use a pad and reused containers as weighs. I bought a used bicycle for Fast Fitness but you can skip rope, climb stairs, or do jumping jacks. There’s no need for any equipment or expensive gym memberships.

Below is Mark Sisson showing how to do progressively more difficult Primal Movements which are basically the same exercises as Fast Strength. Here’s more information about four Primal Movements.

For more recipes please see Healthy Household: Staying Clean Safely and Saving Money.

Updated June 13, 2015: Here’s John Kiefer talking to fatburningman.com about ketogenic diets, high intensity training, life extension and functionality later in life.

Healthy Household: A Good Night’s Sleep

Posted on by

“Our circadian clocks govern our sleepiness, and circadian clocks are extremely responsive to, and even dependent on, environmental light. Managing your exposure to light, especially blue light throughout the day and night can help you get to sleep at a normal time.”
Mark Sisson of 17 Ways to Improve Your Sleep

sleep-problem-1

Valerian Extract is a good herbal remedy for short-term sleep problems.

Our hectic lives can sometimes get in the way of a good night’s sleep. To naturally improve our sleep:

  1. Get outside everyday and get lots of natural light during the day. Our circadian cycle is governed by blue light. Use daylight hours for computer use or watching television, another source of blue light.
  2. Get ready for bed by reducing the light in the evening. Enjoying evening meals by candlelight. When the sun goes down do not use computers or watching television. Have enjoyable evening activities that require low or no unnatural light. Red light from fires or candles are fine.
  3. Make your bedroom as dark as possible for a good night’s sleep. If you are still having trouble sleeping try turning off the breakers in the house for a better night’s sleep. Never turn on any technology during the night! (Turn those smart phones off!) Any blue light source during the night will disrupt our circadian cycle.

If you would like more information about how unnatural light is negatively effecting our health please see Mark Sisson on How Light Effects Our Sleep.

If you have an occasional problem with sleep here are two herbal remedies that can help. These remedies are for short term problems with sleep. If you have a chronic sleep problem, don’t ignore it. You have a serious health problem that needs attention. Fortunately, most chronic sleep problems can be solved by lifestyle adjustments.

Valerian Extract
Valerian root helps support healthy sleep and relaxation. Valium was originally made from Valerian. Valerian should not be used long term and may cause dependency.

1 part organic Valerian Root (Valeriana officinalis), dried
3 parts Organic Vodka
Use a small pint-sized glass canning jar with a plastic lid. Put the Valerian root into the jar. Add the alcohol of choice and fill the jar. Label the jar with the name of the plant, percentage of alcohol, today?s day, and the decanting day. Decanting day will be in six weeks or longer. The jar will need to be turned over every day for at least the first week. On decanting day, use a cotton cloth to squeeze out all the liquid from the roots. Store the extract in a dark glass bottle. If available, use a dropper top for easy dispersal.

sleep-problem-2

Passionflower extract will help with sleep problems caused by repetitive, circular thinking. Passionflower works synergistically with Valerian.

Passionflower Extract
Passionflower extract helps with anxiety and insomnia caused by repetitive, circular thinking. Passionflower works?synergistically with Valerian root extract. Only then (if necessary), another antibiotic aimed at solving a narrower problem is prescribed. At the same time, the results of studies show that antibiotics of the first type can be at least as effective.

1 part organic Passionflower Leaf (Passiflora incarnata), dried
3 parts Organic Vodka
Use a small pint-sized glass canning jar with a plastic lid. Put the Passionflower leaf into the jar. Add the alcohol of choice and fill the jar. Label the jar with the name of the plant, percentage of alcohol, today?s day, and the decanting day. Decanting day will be in six weeks or longer. The jar will need to be turned over every day for at least the first week. On decanting day, use a cotton cloth to squeeze out all the liquid from the roots. Store the extract in a dark glass bottle. If available, use a dropper top for easy dispersal.

For more recipes please see Healthy Household: Staying Clean Safely and Saving Money.

Marrow Bones and Parsley Salad

Posted on by
bone-marrow

Bone marrow is a superfood. I like eating marrow with just sea salt but Parsley Salad is nice too. Don't overcook marrow. Marrow should have a custard-like consistency. Chew on the bones and eat the connective tissue. When you are done save the bones for bone broth.

One of my favorite foods is beef and lamb marrow. Marrow is the soft fatty center of leg bones and is consider a delicacy. Marrow is also a superfood. Marrow is a special treat in our household. I remember when I first ate bone marrow, I couldn’t get enough. There was something in the fat that my body totally craved. I like eating my marrow all by itself with a bit of sea salt. The last time I cooked marrow we tried this recipe for Parsley Salad. The recipe is very good and might help someone new to bone marrow enjoy this nourishing food. I found this recipe in The Primal Blueprint Cookbook by Mark Sisson.

6-8 pastured beef, veal or lamb marrow bones
1c organic parsley, finely chopped
2T organic shallots or sweet onion, finely chopped
1/2 organic lemon, freshly squeezed
2T organic extra virgin olive oil
small amount of sea salt
Finely chopped the parsley and shallots. If you do not have shallot use sweet onions. (If your onions have a strong flavor, add a small amount of sea salt to the chopped onions and let sit for 30 minutes. The onions will taste sweeter.) Add the lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt. Mix well and let the salad sit until the marrow is cooked.

Place the marrow bones on a glass baking tray and sprinkle the marrow with sea salt. Bake at 375F for 20-30 minutes until done. Be careful not to overcook. If you do, the marrow will liquify and run out of the bones. Marrow should be eaten right out of the oven with small spoons and lots of napkins for greasy fingers. Spoon out a few tablespoons of Parsley Salad for each marrow bone. Get “primal” with your bones and eat all of the meat and connective tissue on the outside of the bones. Skip the glucosamine and eat your gristle! Remember to save any marrow fat for later use in soups or stews. This is a very special fat. Use the marrow bones in bone broth.