Costa Rica March 2011
Date: March 14th to 20th
Host professors: Rilion, Rolles, Roger, Igor, Kyra and Gregor.
Package includes:
Stay: Six night stay at a four star hotel in Jaco, CR. with breakfast included
Training sessions: two training sessions per day with all of our professors.
Gear: One Storm Gi ($159.00 value)
Canopy zip-line tour: You can venture on a zip-line journey through the treetops, guaranteed to get your adrenaline pumping. The tree tops provide breathtaking panoramic views that Costa Rica’s beautiful beaches are famous for.
Rafting: The Central Pacific of Costa Rica provides Class II, III and IV  rapids, which are more than manageable. And of course you can expect internationally trained guides, along with bilingual and security trained, who will train you for navigating the various rivers.
Crocodile Safari: One of the coolest things to do in Costa Rica is the Crocodile Tour. Experienced guides hand feed GIANT crocodiles…some in [...]

Original post by knuckleup

Why are so many people in first-world countries so overweight? Why is metabolic syndrome so prevalent? The familiar contenders are diet and exercise — more specifically, the wrong kind of each. Both Conventional Wisdom types and nutrition nerds (myself included) agree that we’re doing something wrong in the kitchen and the gym, and that fixing that stuff could solve most of our weight (and even health) problems. Of course, that’s about all we agree on. Specific definitions of “fixing” and “that stuff” remain subjects of vociferous debate. That said, I like when we can agree on something, even if that something is just speculation about another possible factor in the obesity problem. In today’s Monday Musings we’ll take a look at one such factor.
A recent study out of the journal Obesity Reviews notes that it’s not just diet and activity levels that have changed in correlation with rising obesity numbers, [...]

Original post by Mark Sisson

I really don’t care which diet plan you choose to follow.
Nor should I care which diet plan you choose to follow.
All I want is what’s best for you, and chances are, what’s best for you is to lose some excess body fat (just guessing)
So if you find a comfortable way to accomplish this, who am I to judge?
Now, I have a big issue when it comes to false statements about a diet program.. or false statements about physiology and health in general (especially when these false statements are being sold for a profit)
But your personal choices? those are none of my business.
Here’s an analogy (keep in mind, I’m known for really bad analogies)
4 employees drive into work.
One drives a 2001 Celica
The other drives a leased Ford Escape.
The other Drives a brand new Audi A6 that her daddy bought her for her 21st birthday.
The last employee drives a fully loaded Escalade [...]

Original post by Brad Pilon

Complete 4 2-minute rounds of:
Jabs and Crosses

How-to:
Warmup: 20 seconds each of practice punches. Go light and fast, making sure to establish proper form.
Although we Primal types tend to be lovers rather than fighters, knowing how to most effectively introduce your fist to another’s face with great insistence is an important skill to have. Even if you never engage in fisticuffs with another human in your lifetime, you can get a fantastic total body workout by beating up on a padded, inanimate opponent. Now, I’m definitely not a fighter, but I can appreciate the power generated and conditioning displayed by those who do it on a regular basis.
First, you’ll need something to hit. You could shadow box if you have to, but hitting an opposing force really helps. You’re more liable to put real weight behind your strikes and thus generate more power and get a better workout if there’s something [...]

Original post by Mark Sisson

Now here’s a vegetable that doesn’t have it easy. The Jerusalem artichoke is neither an artichoke nor is it from Jerusalem. It’s no beauty either; the knobby, brown exterior doesn’t exactly whet the appetite. Perhaps worst of all, however, is its reputation for causing a bit of, well, there’s really no delicate way to say this… gas.
So why do Jerusalem Artichokes have a devoted foodie fan base? A unique but delicate flavor, for starters. Secondly, it’s a vegetable that’s really easy to cook in a variety of ways. Last but definitely not least, we appreciate this low-starch tuber for its prebiotic fiber and think that in moderation it can add healthy variety to your diet.
To make this veggie more accessible, let’s start with the confusing name. There are many theories why it’s called a Jerusalem artichoke, perhaps the most believable one being that it’s part of the sunflower family and [...]

Original post by Worker Bee

Taking control of your health can have profound, far-reaching effects on your life. With newfound energy and well-being it can change your outlook entirely. This was Matt’s experience. I received this email from Matt a few months ago and it floored me. Peruse and enjoy his opus, and feel free to chime in on the comment board with #98, 99, and 100. Did going Primal spark a sea change in your life? What other aspects of life, maybe totally unrelated to diet and exercise, fell into place once you starting living according the Primal Blueprint lifestyle principles? Grok on!

If you have your own Primal Blueprint success story and you’d like to share it with me and the community please contact me here. Have a wonderful Friday, everyone, and thanks for reading!
—
Mark,
The Primal lifestyle has completely changed my life and I wanted to share this with you and everybody involved. I [...]

Original post by Mark Sisson

Quick exercise today.
Since people seemed to like the body fat = debt analogy, let’s look at it a bit more closely.
Take a look at your excess body fat.
Now imagine it as a negative number.
In this sense, extra body fat is the same as excess debt.
It’s stuff that you purchased and consumed, but couldn’t afford.
An ultimately, for long term health, it’s stuff you eventually need to  pay for.
So the debt of overeating is bodyfat, it’s sitting there…staring at you as a daily reminder that you owe.
If you have 20 pounds of excess body fat, you owe 20 pounds fat worth of calories.
In other words: In the calorie out, calories in equation, you owe some calories.
And just like debt, wishing it away doesn’t work.
Neither does pretending it’s not there.
And just like debt, there’s a weird sort of interest on body fat.
Extra body fat slows you down, and in a weird sort [...]

Original post by Brad Pilon

I have an article coming soon and I can almost guarantee that you will get to learn about something completely new and fascinating. A topic I haven’t seen covered anywhere else outside the deepest pits of PubMed.
At least I don’t think so. Not from this perspective. But if I’m wrong I’m gonna have to go spank myself.
In the meantime, let me provide some motivation for getting in outrageously good shape this summer. Or spring. Or just about any damn occasion.
Success stories are emailed to me from people all across the globe and everyone has been using the simple but effective intermittent fasting guidelines I’ve outlined in “The Leangains Guide.” 
This is from David Bengtsson in Sweden and here it goes.

Leangains Summer Motivation

“I never believed in the idea that certain types of food or special diets would be the key to getting very lean. I have always kept in mind that the only way [...]

Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Martin Berkhan)

What can compare to the sweet, buttery mac nut’s tender embrace? As far as nuts, seeds, and pseudo-nuts go, its fatty acid profile is unparalleled. Throw a handful into a bowl of Greek yogurt, along with blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries (or any berry, really), and you’ve got yourself a rich, masterful dessert with minimal linoleic acid. And it’s got good amounts of magnesium, manganese, thiamine, copper, and iron. Pack a baggy full and you’ve got yourself the perfect trail food for day long hikes. Suffice it to say, they’re my go-to snack when I’m feeling a bit peckish throughout the day.
But that’s not why I’m here today — to extoll the virtues of the macadamia nut.

I tend to get a little carried away when it comes to those little mouth bombs of satiety, so I apologize. Today’s post concerns the mac nut’s lifeblood: macadamia oil. I know what I’ve said about [...]

Original post by Mark Sisson

Before I begin, I want to make something clear: this is not your standard definitive guide to whatever. I’d like to be able to issue a proclamation regarding diet soda that stands the test of time immemorial, but I cannot. Research is still in its infancy, and exactly what diet soda does to those who drink it — if anything — is incredibly confusing. The one thing I can say with any certainty is that, while it’s unfair to say it will kill you or give your unborn child prenatal tumors or make you impossibly obese, you’re probably better off without diet soda. It tastes weird, the list of unpronounceable ingredients is too long for my comfort level, and I’ve seen one too many unsuccessful dieters that seem to live on the stuff.
There are two things to consider when making any conclusions about diet soda’s place in a healthy diet. [...]

Original post by Mark Sisson