In accordance with the essential principle of ‘walking the talk’, I live and swear by a primal lifestyle and incorporate these principles into my programme. Living more primally in a modern world is possible, and one of the best ways to optimise mental, physical, and emotional health. Primal Health is founded on ten laws, which is perfect for lawyers who love laws! Founded by Mark Sisson, the Primal Health blueprint is a scientifically validated wellness plan that mimics Paleolithic living and supports our genetic evolutionary blueprint with whole-food, low-carb eating, inspired movement and play, and stress-reduction and balance in all aspects of life.
Why is Primal Health a Good Fit for Lawyers?
Lawyers are notoriously short on time, and this comes at the expense of self-care. Developing a plan to build a Primal Health blueprint can actually be a great option for lawyers who know they need to improve their physical and mental health but are not sure where to begin. In addition to living a very sedentary life that requires a lot of time at desks and computers, lawyers often do not make time to eat well, exercise, or reflect on what is important to them. While the job is certainly demanding, it should not come at the expense of the lawyer’s health. Primal Health fits into lawyers’ busy schedules by providing a short and simple blueprint of basic ways to connect to their roots and stay active and healthy, the way our ancestors did.
Understanding Primal Health: The Basics
Primal Health states that there are ten laws fundamental to a long-term and holistic approach to wellbeing, and four of their laws in particular are incredible in supporting a healthy approach to weight loss. By mirroring the way our ancestors lived, ate, and moved, anyone, can follow these four simple and affordable steps to achieve weight-loss results that not only work but work long-term.
When it comes to modern-day wellbeing, going back to Primal is progressive. I offer programs that expertly and lovingly guide clients to understand how Primal Health can be easily incorporated into modern living by supporting them on their individual personal, physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual journeys. Contact me today to learn more and set up a consultation to find out how the Primal Health Blueprint can help you increase your overall quality of life.
Ten Laws for a Primal Health Blueprint
The foundation of my coaching programs are established upon the ten laws of Primal Health.
1. Eat natural, nutrient-dense food
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 da
6. Get Plenty of Sleep
In the Paleolithic era, our ancestors started and ended their days in alignment with the sun and nature’s circadian rhythm, eliminating sleep disorders and mid-afternoon slumps. Until modern electricity was common, everyone was always awake during the day, and asleep at night.
Waking at sunrise and winding down as the sun sets is not actually possible for everyone. However, we can all create regular sleep habits and even relaxing bedtime rituals, like going to bed at night and waking up in the morning around the same times (including on weekends). The goal should be to get eight to nine hours of sleep a night to help reduce stress, inflammation, and depression, while improving your memory, keeping you alert, and helping you lose weight. Resting is an important part of human life, and getting plenty of sleep is critical to a healthy lifestyle for lawyers.
7. Play More
We know from studying cave drawings that the Paleolithic tribes spent around six hours a day playing, creating, and making art. Under the idea of play is the importance of human connection, exploration, intimacy, and sex.
The number of adults dealing with stress and depression is increasing all the time, with work pressures regularly cited as a reason. This illustrates how important work/life balance is, which means making more time for things we love.
Carving out time to play, make love, and be creative boosts endorphins, improves cognitive function, and reminds us that intimacy is a sacred part of our lives. Make time every day for love, laughter, and playfulness, perceiving playtime as quality time. Take the opportunity to return to your inner child with your own children, spend time with friends in activities that do not involve screens, enjoy quality time with your partner, or play with a pet.
For anyone living with a romantic partner, consider embracing elements of a Tantric lifestyle, which is offered as part of my Holistic Coaching Service, whereby intimacy, connection, and sex are considered sacred and pleasure considered a birthright!
8. Get more natural light
Primal law waxes lyrical about the benefits of spending time outside as our ancestors would have done. Getting outside every day, even if just for a short walk or run provides an essential dose of vitamin D, which is produced naturally in your body when directly exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D fights disease, reduces depression, and boosts weight loss.
Time outside in nature is an essential part of wellbeing for lawyers, and in fact, studies have shown that natural sunlight is not only good for the eye’s health but also skin health and overall metabolism.
9. Avoid Common Sense Mistakes
This may sound obvious, but in the primal sense, this law applies means not doing too many things at once; in essence, being present. Today’s society is anaesthetized to modern environmental dangers by distraction and overstimulation We all do it: texting while driving, sending emails during meetings, chatting on the phone while eating dinner.
Taking time to do just one thing at a time seems downright luxurious, even wasteful – but research shows that it is not nearly as efficient as we like to believe and can even be harmful to our health.
Doing too much can be harmful to your relationships, cause you to overeat, stifle creativity, and cause stress. Make time to be present in your routine, fitting in both the things you need to do and the things you want to do. Not only will this allow you to take time to focus on yourself, but it will also improve your ability to diligently represent your clients.
10. Be Creative and Engage Your Cognitive Abilities
As Osho said: “To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty…”
Creativity infuses life with depth and richness and allows self-discovery. It also promotes thinking and problem-solving and reduces stress and anxiety.
Using your brain in a legal setting as a lawyer does not only mean using the logical and linear parts of your mind. You should foster an attitude of creativity by making time to do something you love, which stimulates your brain and allows you to use your whole brain, both at home and at work. these activities can include art, singing, making something, a hobby, or a passion project.
A simple and truly beautiful way to integrate this law into our modern life is to start journaling. Set some time aside to write every day. With practice, negative thoughts can be replaced with positive ones using tools such as daily gratitude – that is, simply writing a list of five things you are grateful for every morning.
With time and dedication to these practices, you can replace negative thinking patterns with thoughts that actually help. This can make a huge difference in your day-to-day happiness and comfort. Including a creative hobby in your daily life can be a very positive wellness initiative: art in any form (playing an instrument, painting, drawing) or any form of artistic endeavour is healthy for the mind and help relieve anxiety.
Reach Out to Learn More About Primal Health for Lawyers
Primal Health can transform your life. By being mindful of the way our ancestors lived, humans – yes, even those in high-stress legal jobs – can organically address many of the problems that plague us today. Weight gain, stress, depression, and chronic pain are often a result of the environment and our attitudes about the way lawyers live. If you are interested in understanding Primal Health or taking the next step, contact me online. I would love to hear your questions and thoughts and start supporting you through your journey as an attorney to greater wellbeing and better overall health.
