Mark Sisson is one of the OGs of the low-carb movement. What originally started as a blog, Mark’s Daily Apple, has since grown into an entire way of “primal living:” a community, multiple books, a podcast, even food products from his brand Primal Kitchen.
(Bless Mark for creating the Primal Kitchen Avocado Mayo—so good.)
The Primal lifestyle focuses on a holistic approach to life through diet, exercise, and daily patterns of living.
What’s good about Mark’s Daily Apple
Success stories
So many success stories. Ever since the beginning, Mark has published stories from his readers about how they’ve lost weight, put autoimmune illnesses into remission, and generally feel better about their lives.
The stories are always inspiring, even the ones that aren’t about overcoming Crohn’s Disease. On days when my motivation or commitment are dragging, MDA’s success stories are one of my go-to’s to remember that good health is possible.
Reading the research
Mark pays attention to the science. Often, if I’m wondering “why is a certain food off-limits, anyway?” the archives of Dear Mark will be one of my first places to look, because I know that Mark has done the research, and I trust him to present it accurately in a way that’s easy to understand—but from a holistic lens that researchers often overlook.
Mark pays attention to what’s going on in the world, so his site has pivoted with the “keto” craze, so you can find resources specific to keto (or even carnivore) there. Because Mark and his staff are engaged, you aren’t left on your own trying to piece together research from 5 years ago with a diet you want to try today.
What’s missing
Because MDA is focused more on general health and wellness, there isn’t a lot of content focused specifically on Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. There are articles which can be helpful, but they are scattered throughout the site.
While there are articles on, say, leaky gut, and plenty of success stories, MDA is not the place to hash out the nitty gritty details of having IBD.
(The good news, tho, is even if you focus on general wellness…you’ll probably still feel better.)
Who it’s for
I’ve recommended Mark’s Daily Apple to almost everyone that I know. Seriously.
It’s such a good “get started” website that I feel comfortable sending people there without any qualifiers or warnings.
While it may not drill down to condition-specific needs, the primal/paleo approach to living is a healthy and positive start.