These are the notes I captured from the book Primal Blueprint: Reprogram Your Genes for Effortless Weight Loss, Vibrant Health, and Boundless Energy by Mark Sisson.
4/5 stars for its balance of thoroughness, clarity, and actionable guidance. I’m thinking back to when I read this in 2014. I remember appreciating the relative depth the author went into the mechanisms that would support his claims, if true. Few nutritional advice-givers consider what mechanisms would have to exist–let alone attempt to explain them–before making claims on what’s healthy.
50g to 100g of carbs per day is the weight loss “sweet spot”
100g to 150g is maintenance range
Brain, kidney, some Red Blood Cells need glucose but use ketones if glucose isn’t available
- 4.5 cal/g per ketone
ketosis = unmetabolized ketones in blood
- it’s healthy
- breath may smell of acetone
Blueprint Guidelines
Eat when hungry, learn to stop at decreasing marginal utility.
Intermittant eating (skipping meals) is ok because of gluconeogenesis via ketone bodies. Blood glucose doesn’t fall too low, of course not for everyone (diabetic, pregnant).
.7g to 1g of protein per pound of lean body weight
“our ability to catch and cook meat was critical in our branching up and away fromo our mostly vegetarian ape cousins”.
Farmed vs wild:
- Samon–Farmed is bad, unless it’s Coho
- Shellfish–Farmed ok
- Trout–good if domestic
ORAC (formerly popular measure of antioxidant capacity) of top veggies (side note–usefulness of ORAC scores have since been questioned):
- Avocado
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Beets
- Brussel sprouts
- Cauliflower
- Eggplant
- Garlic
- Kale
- Onion
- Red bell pepper
- Spinach
- Yellow squash
Fermentation reduces lactose, so raw milk and aged cheese are healthier dairy than their normal varieties
Local, pasture-raised/organic eggs higher in omega 3 fats
Magnesium and calcium compete for same absorption pathways
Domestic, extra virgin olive oil, 1st cold pressed is best
Avoid peanuts due to molds that create aflatoxin
Drink when thirsty
Best alcohol: red wine provides about 1g/day resveratrol
Best chocolate: 75% or higher, organic
@ annual physical, get tested for “25-vitamin D” or “Serum 25(OH)D”
Legumes high in lectin–>brush border damage–>immune response
Canola oil is bad (increase in Monounsaturated fatty acids and also Polyunsaturated fatty acids)