Podcast
The Primal Shift
Hosted by Michael Kummer · EN
Primal Shift is about helping you achieve optimal health by bridging the gap between ancestral living and the demands of modern society. We'll talk about every aspect of a healthy life, including sleep, nutrition, exercise, stress management, environmental toxins, hormesis, belonging and tribalism, and reconnecting with nature.
Get ready to unlock the transformative power of nature as the ultimate biohack, revolutionize your health and reconnect you with your primal self. Each episode is short and concise, providing you with actionable tips and tricks you can use to start living a more primal lifestyle today.
37episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
145: If I Had To Fix My Sleep in One Week, I'd Do THIS
2w ago00:20:15Tap to summarizeMost people treat sleep as a shopping problem — a new mattress, a supplement, a fancy tracker. But that's not what's broken. Your body is waiting for signals it evolved to read, and modern life stopped sending them. In this episode, I break down the three most common sleep problems — trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up exhausted — and walk you through how to identify which one you're actually dealing with. Then I give you a simple, free, week-by-week framework to start fixing it without buying anything. The one thing I'd do first? Get outside within an hour of waking up. No sunglasses, no phone. Just real daylight. That single habit sets the tone for everything that follows. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, Peluva! Peluva makes minimalist shoes to support optimal foot, back and joint health. I started wearing Peluvas several months ago, and I haven't worn regular shoes since. I encourage you to consider trading your sneakers or training shoes for a pair of Peluvas, and then watch the health of your feet and lower back improve while reducing your risk of injury. To learn more about why I love Peluva barefoot shoes, check out my in-depth review: https://michaelkummer.com/health/peluva-review/ And use code MICHAEL to get 10% off your first pair: https://michaelkummer.com/go/peluva In this episode: 00:00 Intro 01:24 Why sleep matters 02:59 Circadian light signals 04:39 Skip sleep shopping 05:14 Find your sleep issue 06:33 Audit daily habits 13:33 One change this week 16:06 Stack weekly fixes 17:59 Morning light priority 19:40 Final thoughts Find me on social media for more health and wellness content: Website: https://michaelkummer.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelKummer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primalshiftpodcast/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/michaelkummer/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mkummer82 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realmichaelkummer/ [Medical Disclaimer] The information shared on this video is for educational purposes only, is not a substitute for the advice of medical doctors or registered dietitians (which I am not) and should not be used to prevent, diagnose, or treat any condition. Consult with a physician before starting a fitness regimen, adding supplements to your diet, or making other changes that may affect your medications, treatment plan, or overall health. [Affiliate Disclaimer] I earn affiliate commissions from some of the brands and products I review on this channel. While that doesn't change my editorial integrity, it helps make this channel happen. If you'd like to support me, please use my affiliate links or discount code.
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144: The Fitness Lie Homesteaders Believe
3w ago00:12:19Tap to summarizeThere's a clip going around from a well-known homesteader implying that carrying heavy milk jugs is enough of a workout, and that you don't need to lift weights or do any structured training. I think that's worth pushing back on – not as body shaming or anything like that, but because the logic has a real flaw in it. There's an important distinction between maintaining your current level of fitness and actually improving it. If you're already in the shape you want to be in, manual labor can absolutely be enough to hold that ground. But if your body fat is high, your bone density is low, your inflammatory markers are elevated, or you're just not where you want to be metabolically, shoveling compost and hauling milk jugs isn't going to move the needle in any meaningful way. After all, you can find plenty of hardworking manual laborers who are overweight. Whatever they're doing all day clearly isn't enough stimulus on its own. In this episode, I explain why manual labor and structured resistance training are not the same thing, what it actually takes to cause muscle tissue to grow and bone density to improve, and why where you're starting from determines what kind of work you actually need to do. The key variable is stimulus. If you're 18 and weigh nothing, almost any physical activity provides enough stimulus to get stronger. If you're 40 or 50 and you've been sedentary, carrying 25 pounds overhead a few times a day isn't going to challenge your body the way it needs to be challenged. Case in point: I can farmer carry 200 pounds. I'm not saying everyone needs to be at that level, but if you are, there's a meaningful difference between that and a milk jug – and pretending otherwise doesn't serve anyone. I also want to be clear about what I'm not saying. Not all women want to look like they train for powerlifting meets, and most women have higher body fat (for legitimate biological reasons). But there's a lot of ground between a six-pack and poor bone density and metabolic dysfunction, and that ground is worth fighting for regardless of your sex. These days, I only get to the gym once or twice a week, and I rely on homestead work the rest of the time. And that's enough for me to maintain what I built over years of serious training. But I can only maintain that because I built it first. If I'd started with a shovel and never picked up a barbell, I wouldn't have gains worth maintaining. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, Peluva! Peluva makes minimalist shoes to support optimal foot, back and joint health. I started wearing Peluvas several months ago, and I haven't worn regular shoes since. I encourage you to consider trading your sneakers or training shoes for a pair of Peluvas, and then watch the health of your feet and lower back improve while reducing your risk of injury. To learn more about why I love Peluva barefoot shoes, check out my in-depth review: https://michaelkummer.com/health/peluva-review/ And use code MICHAEL to get 10% off your first pair: https://michaelkummer.com/go/peluva In this episode: 00:00 Intro 00:35 The debate 01:44 Maintaining vs improving fitness 05:00 Why stimulus matters 07:10 How heavy is enough 07:27 Women, men, and healthy balance 09:26 My current training routine 10:47 Final thoughts Find me on social media for more health and wellness content: Website: https://michaelkummer.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelKummer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primalshiftpodcast/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/michaelkummer/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mkummer82 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realmichaelkummer/ [Medical Disclaimer] The information shared on this video is for educational purposes only, is not a substitute for the advice of medical doctors or registered dietitians (which I am not) and should not be used to prevent, diagnose, or treat any condition. Consult with a physician before starting a fitness regimen, adding supplements to your diet, or making other changes that may affect your medications, treatment plan, or overall health. [Affiliate Disclaimer] I earn affiliate commissions from some of the brands and products I review on this channel. While that doesn't change my editorial integrity, it helps make this channel happen. If you'd like to support me, please use my affiliate links or discount code.
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143: I Stopped Eating by the Clock. Here's What Happened
4w ago00:18:05Tap to summarizeMost of us eat by the clock, not by hunger. In this episode, I break down the difference between real physiological hunger and the cravings, habits, and schedules that drive most of our eating decisions — and why that distinction matters more than any diet. I share what happened when I skipped breakfast before a photo shoot in Miami, how ghrelin trains itself to your schedule, and why fasting for a day might be the simplest recalibration tool you're not using. If you can't skip a meal without falling apart, your metabolic flexibility needs work. This episode is about fixing that — no supplements, no apps, no cost. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, Peluva! Peluva makes minimalist shoes to support optimal foot, back and joint health. I started wearing Peluvas several months ago, and I haven't worn regular shoes since. I encourage you to consider trading your sneakers or training shoes for a pair of Peluvas, and then watch the health of your feet and lower back improve while reducing your risk of injury. To learn more about why I love Peluva barefoot shoes, check out my in-depth review: https://michaelkummer.com/health/peluva-review/ And use code MICHAEL to get 10% off your first pair: https://michaelkummer.com/go/peluva In this episode: 00:00 Intro 01:53 Miami breakfast decision 03:02 Ghrelin and cravings 07:24 Skip meals benefits 10:08 24-hour fast calibration 11:44 Stress hunger waves 13:32 Protein fat safety net 15:07 Eat to true hunger 17:13 Final thoughts Find me on social media for more health and wellness content: Website: https://michaelkummer.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelKummer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primalshiftpodcast/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/michaelkummer/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mkummer82 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realmichaelkummer/ [Medical Disclaimer] The information shared on this video is for educational purposes only, is not a substitute for the advice of medical doctors or registered dietitians (which I am not) and should not be used to prevent, diagnose, or treat any condition. Consult with a physician before starting a fitness regimen, adding supplements to your diet, or making other changes that may affect your medications, treatment plan, or overall health. [Affiliate Disclaimer] I earn affiliate commissions from some of the brands and products I review on this channel. While that doesn't change my editorial integrity, it helps make this channel happen. If you'd like to support me, please use my affiliate links or discount code.
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142: You Don't Need Expensive Meat to Eat Well
Jun 1700:18:41Tap to summarizeMost people hear "buy the best meat you can afford" and immediately picture the $30 pasture-raised ribeye at Whole Foods — and then conclude that eating well is simply out of reach. But that's not a fair test of what quality meat actually costs. Ribeye is the most expensive cut at the highest tier, and comparing it to cheap conventional ground beef is like comparing a BMW to a used Corolla and deciding all cars are unaffordable. The more useful question is what "good enough" looks like across different categories of meat, because the answer isn't the same for beef as it is for pork or poultry. In this episode, I lay out a tiered framework you can use when buying meat, explain why I draw a hard line at industrial pork and poultry (even though I'm more forgiving about conventional beef), and share my honest reaction to a specific product launch that put the whole question in sharp relief. On the beef side, the tiers are fairly forgiving. Grass-fed, grass-finished ground beef from a local regenerative farm often runs around $10 a pound — and you can find it cheaper than that at Aldi or Walmart. That's not far from conventional at all, and it's where most families actually spend their beef budget anyway. The $30 ribeye is real, but it's also not the only option in the category. Pork and poultry are a harder conversation. Roughly 93% of US pigs are raised in factory farms where pregnant sows spend most of their adult lives in gestation crates too narrow to turn around in, standing on concrete under artificial light. Beyond the animal welfare problem, pigs and chickens are monogastric animals — unlike cattle, they don't have the ruminant digestive system that buffers against poor feed inputs. Whatever is in their feed shows up directly in the meat and fat, including pesticide residues, soy isoflavones, and rendered animal byproducts that are still legally used in US monogastric feed. That's a problem conventional beef simply doesn't have to the same degree. Carnivore Bar recently reached out to introduce me to a new lower-cost version of their product called the Everyday Bar, priced at around $5 versus their original $16 bar. The catch is that it uses grain-finished beef. My gut reaction was to say "no," but after sitting with it for a few days, I settled on a more pragmatic: if the choice is between this and a conventional protein bar packed with lab-derived ingredients, the Everyday Bar wins. Grain-finished beef is still significantly better than industrial pork, industrial poultry, or anything plant-based. But if you can afford the original, that's the one I'd buy. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, Carnivore Bar! Carnivore Bar makes some of the highest quality meat bars I've ever had — grass-fed, grass-finished beef, tallow, and salt. No fillers, no seed oils, no nonsense. I've been eating them for a while now, and the Apple Pie flavor is still my go-to when I need something portable and actually satiating. If you're looking for a real food snack that travels well and doesn't compromise on ingredients, I encourage you to give Carnivore Bar a try. To learn more about why I recommend them, check out my in-depth review: https://michaelkummer.com/health/carnivore-bar-review/ And use code MICHAELKUMMER to get 10% off your order: https://endlss.io/sl/the-carnivore-bar/kummer In this episode: 00:00 Intro 01:16 What good meat means 01:38 Steak vs. ground beef 03:30 Three-tier framework 05:27 Why pork and poultry are worse 06:33 Factory farm reality check 08:08 Feed matters for monogastrics 09:50 Carnivore Bar dilemma 12:23 Pragmatic buying advice 16:59 Final thoughts Find me on social media for more health and wellness content: Website: https://michaelkummer.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelKummer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primalshiftpodcast/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/michaelkummer/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mkummer82 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realmichaelkummer/ [Medical Disclaimer] The information shared on this video is for educational purposes only, is not a substitute for the advice of medical doctors or registered dietitians (which I am not) and should not be used to prevent, diagnose, or treat any condition. Consult with a physician before starting a fitness regimen, adding supplements to your diet, or making other changes that may affect your medications, treatment plan, or overall health. [Affiliate Disclaimer] I earn affiliate commissions from some of the brands and products I review on this channel. While that doesn't change my editorial integrity, it helps make this channel happen. If you'd like to support me, please use my affiliate links or discount code.
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141: The Protein Mistake That's Costing You Muscle
Jun 1000:19:14Tap to summarizeMost people treat the recommended daily protein intake as a target. It's not; it's the bare minimum to avoid getting sick, and I've been eating well above it for years without gaining fat or damaging my kidneys. In this episode, I break down how much protein you actually need per day, why protein timing for muscle matters less than how you dose it, and the one variable almost nobody talks about: the leucine threshold. Hit it per meal and you trigger muscle protein synthesis. Miss it and nothing happens — no matter how much you eat across the day. I also get into why animal protein vs plant protein isn't even a close comparison when it comes to bioavailability and amino acid completeness, and why your protein intake for aging should go up, not down, as you get older. If you want to know how to maintain muscle mass without living in the gym or counting every gram, this one's for you. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, Peluva! Peluva makes minimalist shoes to support optimal foot, back and joint health. I started wearing Peluvas several months ago, and I haven't worn regular shoes since. I encourage you to consider trading your sneakers or training shoes for a pair of Peluvas, and then watch the health of your feet and lower back improve while reducing your risk of injury. To learn more about why I love Peluva barefoot shoes, check out my in-depth review: https://michaelkummer.com/health/peluva-review/ And use code MICHAEL to get 10% off your first pair: https://michaelkummer.com/go/peluva In this episode: 00:00 Intro 01:31 Muscle health benefits 04:02 How much to eat 06:10 Protein dosing basics 09:22 Leucine and quality 12:17 Protein myths busted 15:37 Practical protein tips 18:50 Final thoughts Find me on social media for more health and wellness content: Website: https://michaelkummer.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelKummer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primalshiftpodcast/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/michaelkummer/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mkummer82 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realmichaelkummer/ [Medical Disclaimer] The information shared on this video is for educational purposes only, is not a substitute for the advice of medical doctors or registered dietitians (which I am not) and should not be used to prevent, diagnose, or treat any condition. Consult with a physician before starting a fitness regimen, adding supplements to your diet, or making other changes that may affect your medications, treatment plan, or overall health. [Affiliate Disclaimer] I earn affiliate commissions from some of the brands and products I review on this channel. While that doesn't change my editorial integrity, it helps make this channel happen. If you'd like to support me, please use my affiliate links or discount code.
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140: How to Support Your Immune System With a Mushroom Compound Backed by 100+ Studies
May 2700:58:57Tap to summarizeMost of the mushroom supplements you'll find on Amazon are ground-up fruiting bodies or myceliated grain in a capsule. AHCC is something entirely different. It's a patented fermented extract from shiitake mycelia that has been used in over 1,000 cancer clinics worldwide, backed by more than 100 published studies, and studied specifically for its effects on natural killer cells, HPV clearance, autoimmune conditions, and liver disease. I'd never heard of it until Mimi Lindquist introduced me to it. Lindquist is the co-founder of The Medicine alongside her husband, Chase. She started as a clinical dental hygienist in Seattle, where she observed firsthand how oral health mirrors systemic health, and eventually followed a thread from a patient's HPV recovery all the way to a research compound developed at the University of Tokyo in 1986. In this episode, Lindquist explains what AHCC actually is, how its manufacturing process makes it fundamentally different from any other mushroom product on the market, and why the clinical research behind it is unusually robust for a supplement. The mechanism that makes AHCC interesting is that it doesn't just boost the immune system indiscriminately. It modulates it. For healthy individuals with normal NK cell counts, it doesn't artificially raise them. For people dealing with HPV, cancerous tumors, or autoimmune conditions where the immune system needs more information, it does. This adaptogenic quality is why AHCC can support both an overactive immune response (as in autoimmune) and an underactive one (as in immune suppression from chronic illness or aging) without contradicting itself. I pushed back on this in the conversation because AHCC is a processed product that requires industrial manufacturing to produce, which doesn't fit neatly into an ancestral framework. Lindquist's response was honest: if we were living 100 years ago without microplastics, glyphosate in the rain, and the chronic stress loads of modern life, we probably wouldn't need it. But that's not the world we live in, and the thousands of testimonials she's received from people who had tried everything else and found relief with AHCC are hard to dismiss. Dosing is two capsules daily for general immune support, four for conditions like HPV, Lyme, or autoimmune, and six to eight for serious situations like tumors or advanced liver disease. Their product, Immune Intel AHCC, uses 750 milligrams per capsule with nothing else added. About Mimi Lindquist: Meagan (Mimi) Lindquist is the co-founder of The Medicin, alongside her husband Chase. With her background as a clinical dental hygienist, culinary nutrition guide, and AHCC educator, she has been helping others prevent disease for over 12 years. Now, Mimi has dedicated herself entirely to sharing the benefits of Immune Intel AHCC, a mushroom supplement unlike any other, to as many people as possible. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mimi_themedicin/ Website: https://www.themedicin.com Podcast: https://feeds.captivate.fm/themedicin/ [Discount Code] Use code PRIMALSHIFT for 10% off Mimi's products → https://www.themedicin.com Thank you to this episode's sponsor, Peluva! Peluva makes minimalist shoes to support optimal foot, back and joint health. I started wearing Peluvas several months ago, and I haven't worn regular shoes since. I encourage you to consider trading your sneakers or training shoes for a pair of Peluvas, and then watch the health of your feet and lower back improve while reducing your risk of injury. To learn more about why I love Peluva barefoot shoes, check out my in-depth review: https://michaelkummer.com/health/peluva-review/ And use code MICHAEL to get 10% off your first pair: https://michaelkummer.com/go/peluva In this episode: 00:00 Intro 04:24 From dental health to holistic 07:47 Oral microbiome and inflammation 11:58 How AHCC entered her life 16:58 What AHCC actually is 19:17 Origins and NK cell research 28:13 Immune modulation explained 30:40 Fungal network intelligence 32:30 Primal vs processed supplements 36:15 Modern stress and immune support 40:10 Dosing for different needs 41:19 Kids and pets success stories 43:13 Industrial consistency vs foraging 47:37 How long until results 56:10 Final thoughts Find me on social media for more health and wellness content: Website: https://michaelkummer.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelKummer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primalshiftpodcast/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/michaelkummer/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mkummer82 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realmichaelkummer/ [Medical Disclaimer] The information shared on this video is for educational purposes only, is not a substitute for the advice of medical doctors or registered dietitians (which I am not) and should not be used to prevent, diagnose, or treat any condition. Consult with a physician before starting a fitness regimen, adding supplements to your diet, or making other changes that may affect your medications, treatment plan, or overall health. [Affiliate Disclaimer] I earn affiliate commissions from some of the brands and products I review on this channel. While that doesn't change my editorial integrity, it helps make this channel happen. If you'd like to support me, please use my affiliate links or discount code.
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139: If I started over at 25 with what I know now, here's what I'd actually do
May 2000:17:48Tap to summarizeThe other day my brother-in-law asked me a simple question: if you could go back to age 25 knowing what you know now, what would you do differently? The answer turned out to be anything but simple, because every change I'd make would unravel the chain of events that led me to where I am today. If I hadn't gotten into computers at 12, I probably wouldn't have gone into IT security. Without that career, I wouldn't have started my own company, moved to Switzerland, transferred to the US, met my wife, had our kids, or ever started homesteading. One different decision and none of this exists. In this episode, I work through that tension and share the principles I'd build my life around if I were starting over – even knowing I probably wouldn't change the path itself. The biggest one is making money work for you as early as possible. Trading time for dollars is a losing proposition long-term because time is the one thing you can't make more of. I'd start investing immediately, spreading across ETFs, real estate, cryptocurrency and precious metals. We started investment accounts for our kids shortly after they were born, and half of everything they earn from chores and their businesses goes straight into compounding. By the time they're my age, that head start will matter enormously. The second is buying land. Even a small piece somewhere out in the sticks with water access and room to grow. Land with resources is independence, and the earlier you acquire it, the more options you have later. I'd save aggressively to make that happen as fast as possible. The third is learning to build things with your hands. Woodworking, framing, welding, masonry. I'm learning all of this now at 44 and wishing I'd started at 15. Those skills also put you outside in nature, which is another thing most people have to artificially incorporate into their lives later. And the last is learning to think critically about established systems early. Most of what everyone does, how we eat, how we live, when we go to bed, doesn't hold up to scrutiny. Being willing to do things differently and tolerate the inconvenience of going against the grain is a skill that compounds just like money does. I saw myself in Silicon Valley at one point, building and selling tech companies. Now I'm raising cattle and recording a podcast from a tiny home on 45 acres. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Learn More: How We FOUND the Perfect Homestead Land: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6E4k7D0P1M Thank you to this episode's sponsor, Apollo Neuro! Apollo is a wearable that delivers gentle vibrations to calm your nervous system and help your body stay in a restful state through the night. I've been wearing it for years and still notice a measurable difference — higher HRV and a lower resting heart rate on nights I use it. That's not placebo. That's my nervous system responding differently. If your sleep issues feel stress-related — and honestly, most of them are — Apollo is worth trying. To learn more, visit apolloneuro.com/michaelkummer and use code PRIMALSHIFT for $60 off. In this episode: 00:00 Intro 01:36 How one choice changes everything 06:34 Make money work for you 07:37 Teaching kids to invest 10:24 Buy land early 11:19 Learn hands-on skills 13:04 Question the default path 14:26 Money mistakes and lessons 16:37 Final thoughts Find me on social media for more health and wellness content: Website: https://michaelkummer.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelKummer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primalshiftpodcast/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/michaelkummer/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mkummer82 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realmichaelkummer/ [Medical Disclaimer] The information shared on this video is for educational purposes only, is not a substitute for the advice of medical doctors or registered dietitians (which I am not) and should not be used to prevent, diagnose, or treat any condition. Consult with a physician before starting a fitness regimen, adding supplements to your diet, or making other changes that may affect your medications, treatment plan, or overall health. [Affiliate Disclaimer] I earn affiliate commissions from some of the brands and products I review on this channel. While that doesn't change my editorial integrity, it helps make this channel happen. If you'd like to support me, please use my affiliate links or discount code.
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138: Why Eating Cheap Is the Worst Financial Decision
May 1300:20:13Tap to summarizeMost people think healthy food is expensive. But when you factor in healthcare costs, tax-funded subsidies, and environmental damage, you're actually paying three times what the price tag shows. In this episode, I break down the hidden cost of processed food, how food subsidies and health outcomes are directly connected, and why the real food vs junk food cost comparison looks nothing like what you see at the register. I also make the case for regenerative farming, the grass-fed beef vs factory farmed debate, and how to eat healthy on a budget by buying whole animals and cutting out what isn't actually food. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, DeltaG Ketones! DeltaG gives your brain a cleaner, more efficient fuel source than glucose. I mix it into my morning coffee on days I'm recording or doing anything that requires sustained focus — and the difference is noticeable. Unlike stimulants or nootropic stacks, this is a single molecule your body already knows how to use, just delivered on demand. To learn more about DeltaG ketones and why I use them, check the link below. Use code MICHAELKUMMER to get 10% off: https://www.deltagketones.com/MICHAELKUMMER In this episode: 00:00 Intro 00:36 Food cheaper, healthcare higher 02:43 True cost hidden ledger 03:51 Health and environmental toll 05:58 Subsidies rig the market 09:04 Vote with your dollars 13:16 Bulk buying whole animals 16:19 Junk food cost comparison 17:28 Four practical takeaways 18:19 Final thoughts Find me on social media for more health and wellness content: Website: https://michaelkummer.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelKummer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primalshiftpodcast/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/michaelkummer/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mkummer82 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realmichaelkummer/ [Medical Disclaimer] The information shared on this video is for educational purposes only, is not a substitute for the advice of medical doctors or registered dietitians (which I am not) and should not be used to prevent, diagnose, or treat any condition. Consult with a physician before starting a fitness regimen, adding supplements to your diet, or making other changes that may affect your medications, treatment plan, or overall health. [Affiliate Disclaimer] I earn affiliate commissions from some of the brands and products I review on this channel. While that doesn't change my editorial integrity, it helps make this channel happen. If you'd like to support me, please use my affiliate links or discount code.
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137: The Nutrient Gap Most Carnivores Don't Know About
May 600:22:43Tap to summarizeWhy bother with organ meat when you can just have a ribeye? After all, steak is already one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. It's a fair question, and one I get all the time. The ancestral health world has generally answered it with "because our ancestors did" or "because predators eat the organs first," and while those things are true, they don't actually tell you what you need to know. The real question is how much more nutritious is an organ than a steak. Is it 10% more? Twice as much? Because if the gap is small, eat the steak and move on. But if it's enormous, that changes things. In this episode, I share the results of a lab analysis that finally answers the question with actual data, nutrient by nutrient. Our freeze-drying partner sent samples of freeze-dried beef organs alongside grass-fed and grain-finished ribeye to the Center for Human Nutrition Studies at Utah State University, where Dr. Stephan van Vliet led the project. They accounted for water content across all samples so the comparison would be fair. And the results weren't subtle. For example, compared to ribeye, 100 grams of freeze-dried beef liver had… 73 times more B12 42 times more preformed Vitamin A 430 times more folate 280 times more Vitamin D 55 times more copper 7 times more choline. Perhaps what was most interesting, though, is that the study revealed that no single organ does it all. Liver wins on fat-soluble vitamins and B vitamins. Heart dominates in CoQ10. Kidney leads with folate and choline. Spleen owns iron by a wide margin. Together, they cover virtually every essential nutrient your body needs. Ribeye is a great food and by far my favorite cut, but it's not complete food. The animal as a whole is. In the episode, I also go into why eggs can help narrow the nutritional gap but can't fully close it, why a traditional Sami reindeer herder in Norway told me they feed the organs to the dogs, and why declining soil fertility makes concentrated nutrient sources like organs even more important than they were a generation ago. Learn More: Top Health Benefits of Consuming Organ Meat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WytdCdykAaA Beef Liver: Benefits of Consumption and Supplementation: https://michaelkummer.com/beef-liver-benefits/ The Health Benefits of Eating 15 Different Organ Meats: https://michaelkummer.com/organ-meat-benefits/ Thank you to this episode's sponsor, Apollo Neuro! Apollo is a wearable that delivers gentle vibrations to calm your nervous system and help your body stay in a restful state through the night. I've been wearing it for years and still notice a measurable difference — higher HRV and a lower resting heart rate on nights I use it. That's not placebo. That's my nervous system responding differently. If your sleep issues feel stress-related — and honestly, most of them are — Apollo is worth trying. To learn more, visit apolloneuro.com/michaelkummer and use code PRIMALSHIFT for $60 off. In this episode: 00:00 Why organs matter 02:06 Modern meat habits 02:46 Sami reindeer lesson 04:40 Eggs versus organs 09:19 Lab test setup 11:11 Liver nutrient bomb 13:46 Heart, kidney, spleen 16:27 How to eat organs 19:42 Soil nutrients decline 21:21 Final thoughts Find me on social media for more health and wellness content: Website: https://michaelkummer.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelKummer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primalshiftpodcast/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/michaelkummer/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mkummer82 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realmichaelkummer/ [Medical Disclaimer] The information shared on this video is for educational purposes only, is not a substitute for the advice of medical doctors or registered dietitians (which I am not) and should not be used to prevent, diagnose, or treat any condition. Consult with a physician before starting a fitness regimen, adding supplements to your diet, or making other changes that may affect your medications, treatment plan, or overall health. [Affiliate Disclaimer] I earn affiliate commissions from some of the brands and products I review on this channel. While that doesn't change my editorial integrity, it helps make this channel happen. If you'd like to support me, please use my affiliate links or discount code.
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136: Rethinking Sun Exposure From Scratch
Apr 2900:20:27Tap to summarizeSun exposure isn't as simple as "eat clean and you're bulletproof." In this episode, I share how my sun exposure habits had to change after moving to a larger homestead — and why spending more time outdoors forced me to rethink everything I thought I knew. I break down why diet still matters for UV tolerance, what actually causes photo aging, how I structure my day to get sun safely, and why I rarely use sunscreen — but when I do, what I reach for. Learn More: How to Avoid Sunburn Without Sunscreen: https://michaelkummer.com/avoid-sunburn-naturally/ OneSkin Sunscreen Review: https://youtu.be/VzxwbOcLiVs Thank you to this episode's sponsor, Delta G! DeltaG gives your brain a cleaner, more efficient fuel source than glucose. I mix it into my morning coffee on days I'm recording or doing anything that requires sustained focus — and the difference is noticeable. Unlike stimulants or nootropic stacks, this is a single molecule your body already knows how to use, just delivered on demand. To learn more about DeltaG ketones and why I use them, check the link below. Use code MICHAELKUMMER to get 10% off: https://www.deltagketones.com/MICHAELKUMMER In this episode: 00:00 Intro 00:30 Homestead life more UV 01:50 UV stress and photoaging 04:28 Springtime burn wakeup 08:03 Seed oils and sun damage 11:32 Sunscreen trends and melanoma 15:08 My daily sun exposure protocol 16:38 My favorite sunscreen 18:41 Final thoughts Find me on social media for more health and wellness content: Website: https://michaelkummer.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelKummer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primalshiftpodcast/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/michaelkummer/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mkummer82 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realmichaelkummer/ [Medical Disclaimer] The information shared on this video is for educational purposes only, is not a substitute for the advice of medical doctors or registered dietitians (which I am not) and should not be used to prevent, diagnose, or treat any condition. Consult with a physician before starting a fitness regimen, adding supplements to your diet, or making other changes that may affect your medications, treatment plan, or overall health. [Affiliate Disclaimer] I earn affiliate commissions from some of the brands and products I review on this channel. While that doesn't change my editorial integrity, it helps make this channel happen. If you'd like to support me, please use my affiliate links or discount code.
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