How and Why to Adopt Primal Lifestyle Factors

Learn How and Why to Adopt Primal Lifestyle Factors to go beyond a Primal diet and live like your ancestors!

Bust out those loincloths, folks! OK, perhaps I am getting just a tad too excited. However, as a huge fan of the primal lifestyle, loincloths are not entirely off the table for a gal like me.

What exactly are primal lifestyle factors? These include the simple things that can give a boost to our mood, our health, and – this one may be my favorite – don’t really cost much, if any, money. What’s not to love? If you are interested in adopting some primal lifestyle factors into your routine but would like to know more about how to do so, read on.

Why Primal Lifestyle Factors are Important?

Primal lifestyle factors are those activities which help us to regain our focus and connect ourselves with the earth. In a day and age where most people are glued to their phone, computer, or some other screen, it is important to step away and engage that primal side since doing so offers tons of great health benefits.

Here are a few primal factors that you MUST try below:

Cold Therapy

Throw away that bottle of ibuprofen. Cold therapy offers relief to aches and pains thanks to its ability to reduce inflammation.

If you struggle with anxiety or are just in a plain ol’ awful mood, a cold plunge may be just the medicine you need to start feeling like yourself again. It even gives a boost to your metabolism and helps with weight loss. If you have a pool or body of water nearby, hop on in during January.

Do not, repeat, do not ease in. Just plunge. You will be surprised how amazing you feel immediately when you get back on dry land.

Sun Exposure

The message about sun exposure has been a frustrating one to say the least. Most of us have been hit over the head with the message of slathering ourselves in an SPF even if we are just talking a quick stroll to the mailbox.

Truth? We NEED sun. The sun helps the body to synthesize the essential micronutrient Vitamin D. The term “essential” means just that. Without Vitamin D, we are goners. Though some foods have Vitamin D, such as fatty fish, most people do not get enough of it.

Get out between 5:30 and 6:00 am and show your face to the sun to drink up some rays without risking a sunburn. That Vitamin D is just the thing you need to feel better and improve bone health.

Grounding

While you’re out and about getting that good dose of natural vitamin D from the sun, you might as well take your shoes and socks off, too my friend! Placing your bare feet to the bare ground is known as “grounding” or “Earthing.”

And it’s named rightly so…when you reconnect with the Earth’s surface you help your body to discharge all of that negative tech energy that’s roaming freely around in your body, wreaking havoc on your immune system, health, and happiness. After spending a few minutes with your feet to dirt or grass, you end up feeling lighter, freer, and GROUNDED.

Don’t have a patch of grass to spread your tootsies out on? It’s been said that you can ground on concrete as well! Another option is to hug a tree for at least a minute, or hold onto the leaves or branches of a plant that is planted in the ground.

There are also grounding mats available for purchase for those who are super stuck in the city skyline and can’t get out often. (Though I strongly encourage you to break free of the concrete jungle at least once a week and reconnect to your ancestral ways through grounding!)

Community

To quote moms everywhere, “A man is known by the company he keeps”. A community of great people who make you happy means that you, in turn, will be happy.

Find a tribe that is kind, supportive, and encouraging. If those in your little village are a bunch of Debbie Downers, consider making some new friends and see how quickly that gives your spirit a nice kick in the pants.

Movement

Some people hear the word exercise and assume it means hitting the gym or running around a track. Any movement you do is a tremendous benefit to your health and happiness.

Enjoy water aerobics? Perfect. Prefer to run around with your kids at the park? Awesome. Want to bust out some squats while waiting for your coffee to brew? Go nuts. You do not need to start training for the Ironman Triathlon to achieve the health benefits that exercise brings.

You do, however, need to move. The results will be strong bones and muscles and even improved sleep quality.

Joy/Fun

An unskilled cavewoman walks into a bar, and the bartender says, “Hey, don’t be Crood!” OK, so maybe that didn’t get a good laugh.

However, if there is something in this world that brings a smile to your face, then get out there and engage in it. Doing so will help to relieve stress, and stress is a far bigger killer than most people realize.

When stressed, the body releases cortisol which can trigger fat storage. No thank you! Get some laughs and have some fun in whichever way works best for you. Go dancing, reminisce with family, or make friends with someone who has a puppy.

A Good Night’s Sleep

Like stress, a lack of sleep is also bad news. Those who do not get enough of it often look ragged and run down. Poor sleep has been associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and even heart attacks.

A good night’s sleep is how the body repairs and recovers. If you are not getting plenty of quality sleep, the negative health effects are sure to follow. You will find that adequate sleep will aid in stress reduction and help you to burn fat more efficiently. Good night!

Digital/Environmental Detox

We are all very guilty when it comes to digital consumption. Most people can be found staring at their phones while sitting in a social setting with tons of friends. What the heck?

I promise that engaging with those friends will be way more fun than whatever is in that handheld device. Commit to taking time away from your screens and instead engaging in one of the options in this list. Of course, it can be hard to put the phone down, but you should challenge yourself to try.

No, the irony is not lost on me that you may be reading this on your phone right now – or that I wrote this on my desktop. Feel free to start that detox once you get to the end.

How and Why to Adopt Primal Lifestyle Factors: In Conclusion

When people hear “primal lifestyle”, they may think that we primal types are out there field dressing a deer. Though that may be my very definition of a fine afternoon, you can adopt a primal lifestyle very easily without even spending a dime.

Consider taking a cold dip, moving more, getting some sunlight, laughing often, and topping it off with some restful, restorative sleep. Try one of these factors at least once a day to get started. Primal. Sleep. Repeat.

You may now put that phone down, hun!