Ten Laws for a Primal Health Blueprint

The foundation of my coaching programs are established upon the ten laws of Primal Health.

1. Eat Plants and Animals

Primal principles recommend that we eat as our ancestors would have done. Of course, foraging, hunting, and gathering are not as accessible in today’s society, but the point is to eat discerningly. Move away from instant availability and industrial processing, and instead pursue high-quality and nutrient-dense foods. Treat your body with respect by loving what you are fueling it with. Moving back towards foods that are not heavily processed can only create more health within your body. 

A truly holistic and healthy approach to food is one that gets as close to the source as possible. Choices that we can all make are to select foods that are local, organic, seasonal, and whole when it comes to eating in a Paleolithic way.

Enjoy meat, poultry, eggs, and fish as healthy sources of protein, try cooking with butter or extra virgin coconut oil, as these fats are very good for you. Eat your fruit and vegetables as fresh as possible to benefit from all of their nutrients, and sprinkle seeds on your meals for extra nutritional value.

For lawyers, eating healthy can be a challenge. Making it to the grocery store on a tight schedule is a miracle as it is, let alone avoiding all of the snacks, luncheons, and temptations lurking in the office. Where possible, prepare your own meals and invest in organic, whole foods to nourish your body and mind.

2. Avoid Poisonous Things

A healthy approach to eating is to have a varied diet, to love what you eat, and eat what you love. Think about your diet in terms of what you are adding, such as a richer variety of fruit and vegetables or good quality, organic meats.

However, going a little “Marie Kondo” in your kitchen is essential as it is crucial to know what you should be eliminating from your diet. Try to cut out foods that were entirely absent prior to modern civilization, such as refined sugars, sugary beverages, processed foods, refined grains such as pasta and breakfast cereals, and industrial/chemically altered oils like canola or sunflower. These processed foods are far-removed from the natural and organic diets of our forefathers. 

The Primal principles also recommend limiting the consumption of alcohol. (As a French lady from Bordeaux, the world’s red wine capital, I do admit drinking an occasional glass of red wine with my dad and feel absolutely happy about that!). However, excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to dietary challenges as well as emotional challenges. Statistically, lawyers have high rates of alcoholism, and it is better to find healthier options to deal with stress in the workplace.

3. Move Frequently

We all know we are not meant to be sedentary creatures, with numerous health implications associated with spending too much time seated or inactive.

Lawyers usually work in an office, which requires a fairly sedentary lifestyle. There are so many helpful ways that you can prevent it from having a negative impact on your health, wellbeing, and fitness levels.

Start the day with some yoga, a morning workout, or a short bike ride (even if to the shops or to run errands) before you set yourself up for work. Break your day up with lunchtime activity like a brisk walk to ensure you are getting your heart pumping, your blood circulating, and a break from your computer screen.

Studies have found many mental health benefits for a 30-minute walking lunch, such as an increase in enthusiasm, a greater ability to relax, improvements to physical fitness, and other measures of health. The World Health Organization, for instance, found that physical activity reduces the likelihood of depression and anxiety, in addition to promoting health benefits like cardiovascular and immune health. It does not take hours of working out each day to maintain healthy movement. 

4. Lift Heavy Things

Our ancestors were much more active than we are today. Tribes of peoples throughout the world would have carried wood for fires, large stone tools, or hunted heavy buffalo and bison. These people would have worked and had physical labor throughout every day. 

The modern equivalent might be to incorporate some functional bodyweight training into your routine. There are certain essential movements that humans were designed to be able to do, such as lifting your own body weight, push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and planks.

With so many, free online weight and calisthenic workouts available online, this primal law can be done from the comfort and privacy of your own home.

Weight training is not just about building muscles. Its benefits include improved posture, better sleep, increased bone density, maintained weight loss, boosted metabolism, decreased inflammation, and less chronic disease.

5. Sprint Once in a While

The law regarding sprinting also nods to our ancestors’ hunter-gatherer lifestyles and the short bursts of cardio required to chase and hunt their food. 

A great way to replicate this way of living in a modern routine is with Tabata or HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workouts. Trainers everywhere love HIIT because these workouts are usually fast, efficient, adjustable to just about any level of expertise, and can be done from your living room. Short bursts of cardio are also a great way to burn maximum calories in a minimal time. Studies show huge health benefits to HIIT workouts, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, which suggests that HIIT workouts can improve insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, and body composition, comparable with those resulting from moderate-intensity continuous training.

Short bursts of high-intensity workouts are a perfect fit for busy lawyers. Not only are they short and efficient, but they can be done almost anywhere, and they are very effective at burning off all the stress and anxiety after a difficult day