Speculation on ancestral lifespan is fun and potentially illuminating, but I think examining living, albeit imperfect, examples of modern hunter-gatherers offers greater insight. Sure, the environment has changed, wild food sources have shrunk in diversity and availability, and modern civilization has encroached and meddled and disrupted, but the few remaining hunter-gatherer populations exhibiting relatively untouched traditional lifestyles represent the most promising window into what life actually looked like and how long it lasted for our ancestors. Luckily, a couple of researchers – Gurven and Kaplan – had the bright idea to look at ethnographic studies on actual, living HG populations and analyze the available data on actual lifespan and mortality therein. They found some interesting stuff.

This study (PDF) has been floating around for a while. Readers have sent it to me on several occasions, and I believe it’s been mentioned in other bits of the online ether (blog comments, etc). [...]

Original post by Mark Sisson

It’s a question that frequently comes my way. Teenagers, who have found MDA and jump on board with the PB, have their brand of difficulties going Primal: skeptical – if not disapproving – parents, decidedly un-Primal school lunches and social outings, team fast food stops, etc. How does a high schooler go Primal when his/her family isn’t? What does the choice mean for navigating other areas of teen life?
Dear Mark,
I’m 17 and have been trying to switch over to the PB, but some areas are harder right now than others. I’m really getting into the workout ideas and love the simplicity of your Primal Blueprint Fitness ebook program. For me, the eating part is the most complicated. My parents are unsure about the diet and don’t offer much support for the choices I make with the PB. I think they believe it’s just a phase that I’ll give up if [...]

Original post by Mark Sisson

Throw it out.
You know exactly what I’m talking about.
Throw. It. Out.
I know you paid money for it. I know there are people in the world that are starving. It doesn’t matter right now.
This is an ESSENTIAL DIET HACK, and one that I’m positive if you can master it, you will see massive increases in your success.
It’s the day after Halloween.
Your house is FULL of candy you DO NOT NEED.
Throw it out.
(If you have kids, keep enough for them, but you do not need a month’s worth of Candy.)
Throw it out.
It doesn’t have to be Halloween.
It could be the day after a birthday, or a retirement party…you name it.
The half eaten cake in your fridge? WHY DO THAT TO YOURSELF??
I know you feel guilty but you need to learn to WIN this battle.
By keeping that food you are PAYING to have more Body Fat then you want.
Repeat after me.
“IF I KEEP [...]

Original post by Brad Pilon

This post is the first in what may become a new series here on MDA. Most of my articles are full-length feature articles. While I love and will continue to do them I think there’s room for a post each week that’s a little less formal; something shorter than my usual fare that’s published each Monday (along with the WOW) that allows me to spout off on any number of things on my mind. I’ll likely be reviewing the latest medical research and ranting on hot topics in the news. What do you think? Would you like a hodgepodge collection of my thoughts on the world of health and fitness? I hope so, because I’ve got a lot to say! Let me know what you think in the comment board. And now… the inaugural Monday Musing…
Marathon running is supposed to be good for [...]

Original post by Mark Sisson

Announcement: Stay tuned for another blog post, published later today. Grok on!

5 cycles of 4 reps:
Hang Clean to Right Shoulder
Left Leg Lunge
Right Shoulder Dominant Push Press
(Repeat sequence on left side to complete one rep)

How-to:
Warmup: Pick two or three exercises from the hip mobility post. Finish with a 30 second Grok Squat.
Equipment: Something heavy that can rest on a single shoulder – think sandbag, heavy rock, heavy bag, slosh tube, kettlebell, dumbell.
Are you aware of the Bear?
The Bear is a popular, grueling complex of movements that attempts to – and, I think, succeeds at – provide an intense total body strength/conditioning workout using free weights. It’s not clear where or when it started, nor who came up with it, but I’m going to tweak it pretty hard for this week’s WOW. Typically performed using a barbell, the Bear puts you through the ringer: [...]

Original post by Mark Sisson

 
Even though there aren’t really any stomach exercises for women only, many women still would like a list of exercises to get a toned, flat stomach specifically for women only. The reason for this is that a lot of women feel like they feel that if they do “guy exercises” they’ll get a guy’s physique — even though it’s simply not true.

Men and Women Have Different Genetics

 
Men and women have different genetic make ups. They can do the exact same exercises and they will NOT get the same bodies. Women can get hard and toned — but they can’t get bulky like a man. Heck, many MEN have trouble getting bulky — so women definitely don’t have to worry about it.
That Being Said…Here Are 3 Stomach Exercises For Women to Get a Flat, Toned Stomach
That being said, I do know that many women are reading this and [...]

Original post by rafael@thefitnessadviser.com (Rafi Bar-Lev)

[I have a serious question about this picture. Is this a "belly shirt" or did she roll up a normal shirt specifically for this picture. What do you think?]
If you’ve ever wondered how to tone your stomach — you’ve come to the right place. In fact, tons of people think getting 6 pack abs is one of those things regulated only to some athletes and models. But it doesn’t have to be so, because almost anyone get 6 pack abs if they follow the right steps. Here are the 3 easy steps you have to follow to get 6 pack abs and a flat stomach:

Step 1: Exercise
Step 2: Diet.
Step 3: Repeat

Yes, I know it seems like I’m oversimplifying — but I want you to see how the basic idea behind getting 6 pack abs is NOT rocket science. As long as you keep to step 3 and consistently exercise and diet [...]

Original post by rafael@thefitnessadviser.com (Rafi Bar-Lev)

Spooky Scary! Thanks to Bryant for the Grok carving to the right.
U.K. Mail Online asks… Can cutting carbohydrates from your diet make you live longer? The answer is a bonafide “Yes!” Good to see Conventional Wisdom cracking.
Razor blades in bite sized Snickers, a kidnapper around every corner, Lenore Skenazy of Free Range Kids pens a great piece on Halloween Paranoia in the Wall Street Journal.
Want to scare you kids away from sugar? Gross them out with chocolate poo drops, urine sample candy, and these other nasty concoctions. On second thought, they might love this stuff.
Today is the last day to sign up for Jimmy Moore’s Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb fan club. Take your Jimmy podcast listening to the next level.

And finally, here’s RoboKid. How are you dressing your kid for Halloween? Tell me in the comments section.
Bloody Recipe Corner

Fake Blood — Finally, a good use for corn syrup!
Blood Soup — [...]

Original post by Mark Sisson

Halloween signals that the sugary season is upon us again, that willpower-testing time of year when bowls of candy and plates of baked goods seem to appear at every turn. If indulging at some point is inevitable, make it something that doesn’t divert too far from the Primal foods that will keep you feeling healthy during the holiday season. Enter Primal desserts.
You know what some of our typical dessert choices are; usually, the simpler the better. A square of (very) dark chocolate (dipped into almond butter, perhaps) or berries with whole cream don’t require a recipe and aren’t accompanied by a load of guilt. When holiday season is full swing, we’ve also been known to enjoy a mug of Primal Eggnog or and a slice or two of Primal Pie.

This holiday season, we’re adding three more desserts to our rotation of holiday goodies: Coconut Macadamia Bark, Primal Chocolate Chip Cookies [...]

Original post by Worker Bee

Last week I shared news from the Pharma front, specifically the latest on questionable business practices and undisclosed alliances that continue to dog the industry’s public image. Pharma, however, isn’t the only part of the health field cast in doubt these days. What would you say to a person who claimed that some 90% of medical studies were false – flawed in their parameters, riddled with basic error, skewed by presumption and bias? (No, it’s not me sayin’….) I’m talking about an insider: a highly esteemed, widely acclaimed, much admired, often cited medical researcher who has to turn down speaking engagements left and right. He’s a professional with a flair for statistics and penchant for credibility. His initial groundbreaking research (meta-research, actually) hit the medical scene years ago, but he’s still going strong and in more public headlines these days as the focus of an in-depth Atlantic Magazine feature.

His name [...]

Original post by Mark Sisson