That's So Primal

About

The Primal Philosophy

If you read My Story, you know who I am. This page isn’t about me—it’s about the lifestyle that changed my family’s health.

What is “Primal”?

The term was popularized by Mark Sisson, author of The Primal Blueprint. While I credit him for the framework, the concept is much older than any book.

In short, it is a lifestyle that mimics our ancestors to thrive in a modern world. It is built on simple, non-negotiable pillars:

  • Eat: Nutrient-dense whole foods (animals and plants).

  • Avoid: Modern industrial poisons (seed oils, processed grains, sugars).

  • Move: Frequent slow movement (walking), occasional heavy lifting, and rare sprints.

  • Recover: Prioritize sleep and sun exposure.

Primal vs. Paleo: What’s the Difference?

If you Google this, you’ll find endless debates. Here is the practical difference:

The Paleo Diet is often stricter, typically excluding all dairy. The Primal Lifestyle is more flexible and focuses on metabolic health.

Primal (and the similar “Animal-Based” approach) welcomes high-quality dairy like grass-fed butter, raw cheese, and heavy cream—if you tolerate them.

My family falls in the Primal/Animal-Based camp. We eat cheese on our eggs. We use heavy cream. Occasionally, we have white rice or potatoes because we are active. We align closely with the philosophy of the Weston A. Price Foundation: Eat real, traditional food. Avoid processed fake food.

Is This a Gluten-Free Diet?

Technically, yes. We discourage gluten (wheat, rye, barley) entirely.

The Science Simplified: Gluten is a protein that many people (estimates suggest 1/3 of the population) cannot properly digest. Think of the grain’s shell as a defense mechanism—it doesn’t want to be eaten. When you eat it, your body may launch an immune response, attacking the lining of your intestines.

I rarely eat gluten because the “reward” is never worth the inflammation.

  • Note: Just because a package says “Gluten-Free” doesn’t mean it’s Primal. A gluten-free cookie is still full of sugar and processed junk. Stick to food that doesn’t have an ingredient label (like a steak).

The Carb Curve

I generally watch my carbohydrate intake to maintain metabolic flexibility. A standard baseline for weight maintenance is staying under 150g of carbs per day.

If you eat meat, veggies, and fruit, it is actually hard to go over 150g. However, the Standard American Diet (cereal for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, pasta for dinner) easily pushes 300g+. That excess energy has nowhere to go, so it is stored as fat.

  • Active Families: If you are sprinting, lifting, or playing sports, you earn your carbs. We utilize clean sources like sweet potatoes, fruit, honey, or white rice.

“Won’t I Be Hungry Without Bread?”

No. Actually, you will finally feel full.

The modern diet is low-fat and high-sugar, which causes blood sugar crashes (hangry!). The Primal diet encourages Healthy Fats.

  • EAT Saturated Fats: Tallow, lard, butter, coconut oil, animal fats. These are stable, clean-burning fuels for your body.

  • AVOID Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFAs): Canola oil, soybean oil, corn oil. These industrial seed oils oxidize (break down) easily inside your body, causing inflammation.

When you fuel with fat and protein, your body learns to burn its own stored body fat for energy. You stop being a slave to the snack cabinet.

Resources & Inspiration

I am a graphic designer, not a doctor. I encourage you to do your own research. If it weren’t for the following resources, I would still be eating skinless chicken breasts and hating my diet.

Recommended Reading (The Foundations):

Blogs & Recipes I Trust:

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