I get emails every day from people who are changing their lives for the better by following the guidelines I outline on Mark’s Daily Apple. Many are looking for more of what the Primal Blueprint has to offer. That is to say, they want a comprehensive breakdown of the elements that make up the Blueprint—a Primal primer, if you will.
In this extended article, you will find the basic building blocks needed to discover the Primal side of your life.
What does this mean?
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It means learning and understanding what it means to be human.
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It means using this knowledge to help you make important lifestyle choices.
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It means modeling your life after your ancestors in order to promote optimal health and wellness.
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And, most importantly, it means taking control of your body and mind.
It is my hope that you will use this information as a jumping-off point to build the healthiest possible body with the Primal Blueprint. Then share it with friends and loved ones who have yet to discover how they can use the Primal Blueprint to live awesome.
My basic premise is this:
The Primal Blueprint is a set of simple instructions that allows you to control how your genes express themselves in order to build the strongest, healthiest body possible, taking clues from evolutionary biology.
Sometimes we get so lost in the science of human biology that we just can’t see the forest for the trees. We overlook the simplicity and ease with which we could all be achieving exceptional health and fitness.
Living in modern society is extremely complex. With daily mind-boggling achievements in science, technology, and medicine, it’s no wonder that we often look for complicated scientific solutions to problems that really only require simple answers.
Of course, we should all be profoundly grateful for the advances that allow us to recover and heal from treatable infectious disease and trauma. Yet the fact remains that most of life is really much simpler than modern medicine and science would like to have you believe.
You can have a tremendous impact on how your genes express themselves simply by providing your cells with the right environments.
All you need is:
You may already have a fair understanding of how the human genome evolved to where it is today based on the environmental and behavioral factors that shaped our ancestors’ lives.
Anthropologists, evolutionary biologists, paleontologists, geneticists, and others have worked for over 100 years to piece together a detailed picture of the elements that influenced our development as a species.
Ironically, when we examine all these influences, we arrive at a very simple list of general behaviors our early ancestors followed.
This list is essentially the original Primal Blueprint—the behaviors that enabled them to become healthy, robust, and resilient human beings, and to pass those traits down to us.
The goal of the modern Primal Blueprint is not to revert to a caveman lifestyle.
Instead, it asks:
How can we learn from our past to shape a healthier future?
These 10 laws form the foundation of optimal health and longevity.
Focus on:
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Quality protein (meat, poultry, fish)
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Colorful vegetables
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Some fruits (mostly berries)
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Healthy fats (avocado, olive oil, nuts, full-fat dairy if tolerated)
Observe portion control over time rather than meal by meal.
Limit exposure to:
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Chemical toxins (pesticides, herbicides, fungicides)
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Processed foods
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Sugar and grains
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Trans and hydrogenated fats
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Mercury in certain fish
Walk as much as possible every day.
Aim for 2 to 5 hours per week of low-level aerobic activity:
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Walking
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Hiking
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Easy cycling
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Swimming
Spend 30–45 minutes, 2–3 times per week lifting weights or resistance.
Focus on full-body movements:
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Pushing
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Pulling
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Carrying
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Climbing
Do occasional high-intensity sprint bursts, such as:
Sleep is critical for:
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Energy
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Immune function
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Overall health
Prioritize it.
Engage in active play regularly.
Play helps:
Moderate sun exposure helps:
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Produce vitamin D
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Improve mood
Avoid burning, but don’t avoid the sun completely.
Eliminate obvious risks:
Keep your brain active:
Let’s simplify the goal.
We all want to be:
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Healthy — free from illness
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Energetic — able to enjoy life fully
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Happy — motivated and positive
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Lean — metabolically balanced
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Strong — physically capable
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Bright — mentally sharp
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Productive — contributing to life and society
Our ancestors naturally embodied these traits—not as goals, but as a result of how they lived.
Now, understanding that everything we do affects our biology, we can apply these principles to modern life and create the same outcomes.
Thank you for reading!
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* This blog reflects my personal views and opinions and isn’t intended as medical advice, but I hope it will be informative and inspiring as you pursue a healthy, fulfilling life.
