Customer Reviews

The Primal Blueprint: Reprogram your genes for effortless weight loss, vibrant health, and boundless energy (Primal Blueprint Series)

5 star:		(189)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

After reading numerous posts and amazing pictures of 'primal' meals by my facebook friend, curiosity got the best of me and I ordered this book. I expected it to be just like Atkins but it wasn't. Yes, it does promote low carb eating but it's not NO carb. I tried Atkins a few times and although I loved how I looked and felt when I didn't eat carbs, I could not sustain that for life.

Eating primal is something that I have been implementing in my diet w/o actually realizing it. The author does a great job explaining and drawing parallel examples of Grok and Korg....and I noticed that when I don't eat grains, I feel amazing. So I decided to get rid of all grains in my life as well as sugar (which is really hard for me as I am a chocoholic). I feel amazing, I don't feel bloated like I did before, I have so much energy and I am excited about eating....I can have a WHOLE egg with the yolk...something I haven't done in years.

The fact that I am encouraged to eat lots of veggies and some fruit and even dark chocolate is very appealing to me as this was the minus I saw with the Atkins diet.

I am not looking at this as a diet, I am looking at it as a lifestyle change. Since I've already cut out a lot of starches and sugar out of my life in the past year, this recent transition is not very drastic for me.

Since I am at my goal weight, I am not looking to LOSE weight but rather maintain it which is always a challenge for me. I am hoping that this way of eating will help me stay at this weight without putting too much effort into it.

And if you are just starting out cutting out grains and sugar (not carbs!) out of your diet and you find yourself not knowing what to eat...it really is easy. Roast some veggies and throw some steak/chicken/fish on the grill. Add cut up avocado, tomatoes or any other veggies on your plate with eggs. Have a huge salad with chicken or beef cut up and put some interesting nuts or seeds...flax, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc. Make a homemade coleslaw that you can add to any meal....bag of coleslaw, thinly sliced red/orange pepper (I buy those mini bell peppers), grated green apple (or not), lots of fresh cut up herbs (cilantro, dill and scallions are my fav) and make dressing out of 2tbsp oil (I love sunflower seed oil) to 2-3tsp red wine vinegar...add some garlic, salt, pepper and voila...a wonderful side dish with any meal! Fills you and healthy too!

Think outside of eating just eggs and bacon (nothing wrong with those though) and add veggies! marksdailyapple forums are a wonderful place to get advice from other primal followers.

So I read Sisson's book and have been a regular reader of his website [...]

I found that the book gives a good introduction to the Paleo-style way of life (cut the sugars, grains, processed carbs, and processed fats/trans fats) and focus on proteins and fats (good fats). This is from the simple premise that we evolved in an environment where grains weren't highly available and that sugar was difficult to extract (as there were NO government-subsidized grain programs and NO Green Revolution of the 1960s to mark the explosion of cheap grain availability). Furthermore, our primitive ancestors tended to be a lot more active than what we have been especially over the past half century (hugely to blame thanks to sedentary-style desk jobs that much of America has switched onto).

It all makes sense, and I do believe with everything Mark is saying --- and I would recommend this book.

The only reasons why I gave this book a 3/5 was because I felt that the biochemistry needed a bit more explanation as it was a little unorganized (he gives some basic facts about human metabolism but doesn't really explain it all the way through), and then goes on giving recommendations for how to do the program. It would have been helpful if he gave some more quantitative data as well.

For instance, he doesn't really explain how much higher carb intake to fat deposit turnover is compared to fat intake to fat deposit rates. It's important to describe these things quantitatively (and I understand it can't be too too complex given the audience) because a 100% rate stands out a lot more than say a 5% or even a 1% rate compared to the other.

So he will describe some basic biochemistry (which again is appropriate) but neglects to fill in some other pieces that make the entire picture clear.

The second minor complaint was that the book never really made references to its sources for evidence WITHIN the text and it should have used footnotes and not endnotes at the very least. The way the book is setup is that it makes verifying his claims more difficult to do because he doesn't cite sources when he needs to. This is important because it lends more credibility to what he is saying, and helps those who are doubtful to reassure themselves at the appropriate points when necessary.

Third, I don't like the subtle recommendations for his own supplements --- I mean, it's his book yeah, but I think it is unprofessional to be recommending your own products especially when you're trying to teach people the right thing. It makes the author look biased for the wrong reasons, looking for a quick buck especially when there are a lot of competing nutrition guides out there with similar claims. My advice is: Don't waste your money on any supplements as they're overpriced here, and you can find better deals at other stores. The only supplements that I use, btw, are a Centrum Multivitamin, Omega 3 fish oil pills (take 2 1000 gs a day), and 1000 IU of Vitamin D3 (I live in a high latitude/long winters). And how significant these benefits are by taking these specific supplements is still up for debate --- in Sisson's own words, you may be literally pissing gold. Mark, if you read this, you should realize that your message will be more easily accepted by people, who are already skeptical of supposed health claims, if you don't advertise in your book for your own personal profit.

Fourth, there should have been more recipes and a recipe guide/schedule in visual format that would help people get started on the Paleo-style way of eating.

The book is about 270-280 pages long, and it's in relatively big size font, and at the price it's selling at, I'm sure that the next edition (if there will be one),can afford and should include a good template for a beginner 30 day recipe guide for commonly/easily available foods/spices/condiments/etc. in American grocery stores.

Besides these points, the book is a good read, and is not overly complex or overly simple and it has a good balance of information and advice to follow.

Nevertheless, I would also urge all of you to read the book (and any other nutritional book) with a critical mind and don't just passively accept the arguments the author makes without verifying it for yourself.

Finally, I would also be cautious/wary of all the 5-star reviews that this book and any other book gets on Amazon.com and any other website --- especially seeing as you really can't tell if the writers work for the publisher/author, or if they may be influenced by a hive mind mentality (following the crowd), a placebo effect, or are just plain dumb.

First let me say that I am a believer in the Primal Blueprint Plan. I stumbled across Marks Daily Apple web site and wanted to learn more. I was pleased to discover that he had written a book. I figured rather than dig through the web site to find out more, I would buy the book and have the whole plan at my fingertips -- no more searching the web site.

WRONG. The book continuously gives an introduction and then section after section, refers you to marksdailyapple.com for more information. It doesn't say where on the web site, either. If I have to mine through the web site, why did I need to buy the book?

I agree with other reviewers who indicate the book is very repetitive without giving solid examples -- lots of overview. There isn't a 7 day plan or 30 day plan or sample work outs, just generalities. Again, if you want examples, you are referred to the web site.

I purchased the Kindle version of the book -- there are no charts or graphs, all text. I am not sure if the printed book is presented in the same format, but I find it hard to read. For example, identifying fruits from most favorable to occasional, a chart would have been easy to read. Instead, it is written in paragraph format.

Again, I am a supporter of the plan and am beginning to adopt it myself. However, I can't really recommend the book. It seems that all the info you need is on the web site. If you buy the book, you will be referred to the web site anyway.

I was 257 lbs. 6'1" 53 years old. I was addicted to junk food, donuts, flours and coffee in my sugar. Aftewr the first day and first chapter I surrendered to this simple and nutritious as well as satisfying lifestyle and within 2 days my knees stopped aching me, and I was feeling my clothes getting looser. After a week I weighed in 7 pounds lighter and in 13 days I was 12 pounds lighter. I have energy off the charts and feel like a teenager again! If you have failed at many diets, regimes or fads buy this book and make a decision to alter your life and live in the light. It is the best decision I ever made. I recommend buying this book as well as his recipe book and joining his online website for support , networking and tips, and recipes. It is well worth every penny.

I've been involved in diet, nutrition and exercise for many years. Mark's foundation of information, based on insulin regulation, rips apart the clutter and gets right to the core of why America is so obese and ridden with diabetes. By applying some simple principles, a much greater life can be had. My recent path of research took me on quite the journey - from the issues we should all have with Monsanto and the amount of corn in our food, the horrid industrialization of our meat sources and the overwhelming studies that show saturated fat is NOT to blame for the issues at hand. Primal Blueprint addresses these issues and has a community of followers that grow by the day with stories of success. At 42 I've brought my bodyfat down to 10%, I'm in excellent shape and I eat to my belly's satisfaction. My blood/lipid panels prove this plan is the real deal. Most other plans might CLAIM this, but can they say it again and again?
If you are overweight or diabetic - run to get this book. For everyone else - it's time to take the "Matrix pill" and wake up to a whole new world.

I've read them all. Paleo Diet, Neanderthin, Primal Body Primal Mind (and others) and am otherwise well-versed in this approach to health and wellness. This book blows them all out of the water in its readability, comprehensiveness, entertainment value, practical tips and principles you can actually use, and is built on solid scientific research.

If you're going to buy one this is it.

If you're looking for a change - a new approach to a healthy lifestyle this is it. If you want a personal transformation guidebook that will answer all your questions and inform as to WHY certain foods and exercises are good for you while others are not this is your book.

Do yourself a favor and get a copy. Trust me. Before you know it you'll be back here buying copies for all your friends and families. It really is life changing.

When I stumbled upon this book, I had no intention of giving up grains. I figured I'd read the book with an open mind, but planned on holding fast to my beloved starches and grains. I'm not overweight, nor do I have any health issues. I've worked out consistently since I was a senior in high school and I've always had an interest in nutrition and all things health-related. I adore pasta, bread, rice and the occasional fried food. (After all, I live in New Orleans.)

Mark makes the case that by eliminating grains, the body will burn fat rather than store it. Even though I didn't need to lose weight, what American woman couldn't stand to lose a little stored body fat? Tempted by the concept of burning fat and thereby allowing my hard earned muscles to become more visible, I decided to give up all grains for one week, just as an experiment. Guess what? My jeans got looser; I wasn't falling asleep at my desk at 2:30 in the afternoon; my hunger came on gradually, not in one big, crashing swoop. All this while I was feasting on steak, sausage, eggs, nuts, cheese, apples, oranges, vegetables sautéed in butter, huge salads dressed with olive oil - I wasn't depriving myself of ANYTHING - except grains, of course. And I was loving it.

Admittedly, 10 days after being 100% grain-free, the starchy cravings arrived with a vengeance. But since Mark concedes that an 80/20 approach is still effective and beneficial, I indulged in a few, select grain-based foods, in moderation. Then came the big test: Thanksgiving. No worries - I enjoyed a generous spread without feeling deprived OR suffering any repercussions - I was back to "primal" two days later, jeans still bagging at the waist.

I go walking almost every morning and truly enjoy it. No longer is exercise greuling or mundane. (How I used to dread those boring 4 mile jogs I forced upon myself for years.) While I've always been active, this is the first time I actually enjoy exercise, because I do what comes naturally - I listen to my body and I don't adhere to a 'workout schedule' dictating that I work on independent muscles or groups of muscles 2 - 3 times a week. It's an approach that's so simple, so obvious, but so overlooked.

This book is nothing short of revolutionary. I can't count how many times I've recommended it to family members, friends, co-workers - I stop short of forcing it upon strangers I see who could clearly benefit from it.

If you're not convinced a book can change your mind, your life, you owe it to yourself to read The Primal Blueprint.

I've always felt intuitively that eating low carb is the way to eat because whenever I ate any other way, I'd gain weight and feel sick, exhausted and unmotivated most of the time. When I met my husband seven years ago, I was in the best shape of my life, and I was eating "primally", but my husband said it was unhealthy and that I should be eating a grain based six meals a day, work out to the point of exhaustion on a daily basis, etc...etc. So, ultimately I gained weight, was starving all of the time, was exhausted, and was working out like crazy never seeing any results. Then the depression set it. So one day I just sat down at my computer and did some research. I came across Mark's Daily Apple and it just clarified everything I had already sensed was the right way of eating and living, and I haven't looked back since. And I can't say enough good things about the book either. The best part of all of this is that my husband is now on board and we both feel better than we've ever felt before. He was fed up because he was having terrible heartburn on a daily basis and instead of the doctor looking at his diet, he put him on a pill (which, since eating primally, he no longer needs!). I had a similar situation where I was getting terrible migraines (with aura) four times a week and instead of eliminating things from my diet, my neurologist gave me a pill that could ultimately kill me. Fortunately, I was able to figure out on my own that caffeine was causing my problems, but I'm still amazed that he never considered looking at my diet at all.
I truly believe that what we eat is the root cause of so many of our illnesses and common ailments, and that grains are at the base of all of it. This book answers so many of the questions that I had about eating low-carb and it couldn't have been written at a better time for me. I'm back on track and am almost back to my "normal" weight. I'm relaxed, I feel strong, and feel healthy once again. I love how he talks about eating intuitively in his book as well because we've all become puppets who will seemingly do anything that other people tell us to do (especially those in the business of making money) despite the fact that it goes against our own common sense and is making us fat and sick. I'm looking forward to this getting out to all of those who are "stuck" in the conventional wisdom ways of thinking and am pushing everyone I know to pick up this book and give it a good look. Are you?

I won't reiterate what others have already said about the content of this book. Instead, I'll tell you about the results I've seen thus far. I stumbled across the author's website by accident and started reading the posts. I've never bought into fad diets and other such nonsense because they always result in a short-term fix, never really focusing on long-term lifestyle change. I finally bought the book and began to start following the basic principles a little over two months ago. As some others have mentioned, a lot of the content is what I would call "common sense", but in today's world, it isn't really that common anymore. Following this lifestyle isn't going to be easy at first, but most things worth doing rarely are. I'm taking a gradual approach to adopting this lifestyle, rather than diving in head first. And as the author says, even a little change can go a long way. I've followed the dietary recommendations pretty well (maybe 70-80%). I have yet to go organic on everything. I need to improve my exercise routine, which I am easing into gradually. Other than, that I've found that I've already been following the plan naturally in regards to sleep, stress, play, etc. Again, the lifestyle changes won't be easy for most, and will be harder for many who have a lot more to change from their current lifestyle, but I wouldn't say it's difficult for the average person to adopt by any means. A little effort goes a long way here - I love the author's 80/20 mentality rather than focusing on strict adherence. In just a couple of months, I've dropped over 20 pounds, at a rate of about 2-3 pounds weekly. The thing that really sold me was being able to stop taking Prilosec after a week. Another benefit for me was improved focus during the work week. I have a very technical job, and found it difficult to concentrate at times throughout the day. My focus has noticeably improved, as well as my energy levels, throughout the day. Some may call this another fad diet, or call into question the science behind it, but I can't deny the results I've seen so far. Once I got over the initial sugar-cravings, I haven't found it too difficult to change my dietary habits. The hardest thing for me has been giving up the fast, convenient, sugary breakfast staples - pop tarts, cereal, donuts, danish, etc. Now, I just grab an apple or banana if I'm in a hurry, or make an omelet if I have the time. It's well worth it to to read this book and try it out for 30 or 60 days. I doubt there are too many people who won't notice any tangible benefit if they follow the author's advice. Let the results speak for themselves.

Make no mistake, while the author spins a narrative about how our prehistoric ancestors lived, his recommendations for diet and lifestyle (sleep! play!) are based on the most up-to-date scientific evidence available.

This book is a favorite of mine. I have visible abs for the first time since I was a teenager, visible triceps, increased endurance, I've lost 20+ lbs (got rid of the scale so I'm guessing) and somewhere in there, I also lost my PMS, acne, hypoglycemia, and migraines. Unlike other 'diets' I've been on (all of them), I am actually looking more athletic, rather than just smaller, and with very little effort on my part.

People who used to pass up an opportunity to eat because they 'just weren't hungry' always puzzled me; I was always hungry! Now I can get to 2;00 and realize I need to eat. I realize now that losing weight requires almost no willpower at all. Ditch the junk and the metabolic dysfunction that causes cravings and binges goes away. Mark Sisson's lack of rigidity and sense of humor are a breath of fresh air in a weight loss industry full of bullies and guilt trips and false hope.

The authors recommendations have helped people w/PCOS, autoimmune issues, digestive problems like IBS, endurance athletes suffering burnout, weight lifters looking to gain weight, people like me who've tried everything else w/o success; the range of people who benefit from 'going primal' is amazing. Check out the success stories on his website, then buy the book. Buy a few copies; you'll want to share them w/friends and family.