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Primal Design Newsletter
Curated content from the best in Health & Fitness designed to empower you to live longer, stronger and more primal
Primal Design
April 13, 2025
Hello my wellness warriors! This is your 5 minute weekly dose of integrative health and fitness goodness from the best in the business. This week we have content in the areas of Nutritional Health and Self Development plus the latest must-read news and articles. Enjoy!
Nutritional Health 🥑
Summary:
Dr Sean O’Mara discusses the differences between visceral fat and beneficial superficial subcutaneous fat, highlighting the importance of understanding these types for health and aesthetics.
Highlights:
📊 Visceral Fat vs. Subcutaneous Fat: Visceral fat surrounds organs and is harmful, while subcutaneous fat is beneficial and protective.
🛑 Health Risks: Accumulation of visceral fat is linked to serious health issues like heart disease and diabetes.
💤 Lifestyle Factors: Stress, poor diet, and lack of sleep contribute to visceral fat accumulation.
👩⚕️ MRI Advantages: MRIs provide insights into fat types, helping individuals understand their health better.
🏋️♂️ Optimal Fat Levels: Ideal body fat levels support hormonal balance and performance, particularly for bodybuilders.
⚖️ Aesthetic Considerations: Superficial subcutaneous fat contributes to a youthful appearance; extreme fat loss can have negative cosmetic effects.
💡 Educational Outreach: Dr O’Mara aims to educate the public about the importance of fat types for overall health and well-being
Practical takeaways:
Sprint Your Way to Fat Loss: Ditch long, slow runs. Sprinting helps burn more belly fat in less time, boosts energy, and improves muscle tone. Start with short bursts, and watch the results!
Cut Sugars, Not Protein: Skip the carbs and focus on high-quality proteins like grass-fed beef and wild-caught fish. Your body will burn fat more effectively, and your gut health will improve too.
Stress Less, Lose More: Stress is a hidden fat-builder. Combat it with quick, intense exercises like sprints or yoga to lower stress hormones and target belly fat.
Don’t Just Look at the Scale—Track Visceral Fat: Weight isn’t the whole picture. Track your visceral fat (the fat around your organs) with an MRI scan—it’s the best way to see real health progress.
Sleep Better, Lose Belly Fat: Poor sleep leads to more fat around your belly. Aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep to help your body shed visceral fat and improve heart health.
Incorporate Fermented Foods for a Healthier Gut: Foods like kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut help balance your gut bacteria, improve digestion, and reduce cravings. Try adding them to your meals today.
Reduce Refined Carbs for a Flatter Belly: Cut out refined sugars and processed foods that mess with your microbiome. This will help you reduce fat and avoid that bloated feeling.
Exercise Intensity Matters: High-intensity exercises, like sprinting or weightlifting, burn fat more efficiently than low-intensity workouts. Step it up for better results!
Track Your Progress, Not Just Your Effort: Use tools like MRI scans to track your visceral fat levels. Seeing real, measurable results will motivate you to keep up the good work.
Stay Active—Even with a Busy Schedule: You don’t need hours at the gym. Quick, intense exercises like sprinting or using an assault bike can be done in as little as 20 minutes, helping you stay fit even on tight schedules.
Did you know 💡
Eating dark chocolate can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes! Harvard research shows that five portions a week cut the risk by 20%. The more dark chocolate you eat, the greater the benefit—up to 21% lower risk. White chocolate doesn’t have the same perks and may even cause weight gain. Flavanols in dark chocolate help balance out sugar and fat!
Self-Development 📚
Summary:
David Epstein challenges the myth of the 10,000-hour rule for mastery, emphasising the importance of a broad skill set and self-regulatory practices in personal development and productivity.
Highlights:
📚 10,000-Hour Rule Critique: Epstein challenges the rule, arguing it restricts broader skill development.
🔍 Self-Regulation Strategies: Emphasises the importance of reflecting, planning, monitoring, and evaluating for continuous personal growth.
⏰ Embracing Failure: Failing 15–20% of the time is normal and essential for improvement.
📧 Email Productivity Trap: Starting the day with emails can reduce focus—minimise distractions early on.
⚕️ Risks of Early Specialisation: Over-specialising can be harmful; diverse knowledge supports better decision-making.
🌱 Adaptability for Success: Long-term achievement comes from flexibility and a willingness to evolve.
🎉 Milestone Celebration: Marking 7 million YouTube subscribers with monthly raffles for loyal followers.
Practical takeaways:
Stop Wasting Your Mornings on Email: Start your day with your most important task, not a scroll through messages. It’ll boost focus and productivity.
The 10,000-Hour Rule is a Myth: You don’t need years of practice to succeed. Focus on learning smarter, not just longer.
Try Small Experiments in Your Career: Instead of obsessing over big life goals, run small, low-risk experiments to figure out what truly works for you.
Journaling Isn’t Just for Writers: Reflecting on your day or your goals can improve focus and help you grow—try it for just 5 minutes each evening.
Spaced Repetition Will Make You Smarter: Review things you want to remember at regular intervals—quizzing yourself is an easy way to boost retention!
Get Comfortable with Discomfort: If you’re not feeling a little uncomfortable, you’re probably not growing. Take risks and try new things to stay ahead.
Stop Multitasking, Start Focusing: Task-switching stresses you out and makes you less productive. Commit to one thing at a time and notice the difference.
Don’t Fear Failure—Embrace It: The best growth comes from trying, failing, and improving. Failure is a stepping stone to success, not the end.
Diverse Skills = More Career Options: Don’t narrow your skill set. Learning a mix of things will make you more adaptable and open up more opportunities.
Hire for Potential, Not Just Experience: When building a team or hiring, look for people who can grow, learn quickly, and bring unique perspectives.
In the press this week 🗞️
More Women Are Training For The Pull-Up Than Ever Before—Here's Why You Should Too
Women Are Redefining Strength—One Pull-Up at a Time
Pull-ups are emerging as a major milestone for women in fitness, symbolising empowerment and full-body strength. Influencers like Brie Larson and Jessica Biel have helped normalise the challenge, while social media searches for women’s pull-up tips are skyrocketing.
Experts like strength coach Tina Tang and NYU exercise physiologist Heather Milton emphasise that pull-ups are achievable with the right mindset and training. Tang’s Women's Health+ Ultimate Pull-Up Plan, launching April 14, is designed specifically for women and offers a six-week progressive strength program targeting key muscle groups, grip strength, and mental barriers.
Key insights:
Pull-ups require all-over strength, not just upper body.
Mental blocks and misinformation often hold women back more than physical limits.
Tang’s program uses dumbbell workouts and strength tests to ensure safe, steady progress.
Grip strength is linked to longevity and overall health.
Proper fuelling, especially adequate protein intake, supports strength gains.
The biggest advice? Lift weights, stay consistent, and believe in yourself.
Health & Fitness Challenge 🏋️
Focus & Growth Challenge
1. Declutter Your Morning
Action: For the first 5-10 minutes of your day, avoid checking emails or social media. Instead, dive straight into your most important task. This will help you start the day with focus and avoid distractions. Track how your productivity feels after one week.
2. Start Journaling for 5 Minutes a Day
Action: Take just 5 minutes each evening to reflect on your day. What went well? What could be improved? Write down your thoughts to build self-awareness and stay focused on continuous growth.