Blog
Food is the bridge to connection at Christmas
Christmas for me has always been about connection. And food has always been the bridge. I love this time of year, all the chatter about who’s bringing what on Christmas Day, the shared planning, the anticipation. Food naturally pulls us together. Being animal-based gives us a chance to bring something meaningful to the table, and to make it a little festive too. This year, Marty and I are both heading to a family lunch. We’re bringing a roast leg of lamb, slow-cooked with garlic and rosemary. It’s one of my favourite meats, because it really is the gift that keeps on giving - hot on the day, then cold the next. We’ve grown used to eating cold meat, without bread, just adding some pickle or some kraut. Delicious. Shared meat has always brought humans together. Our family knows how we choose to eat, and it’s always a conversation starter. We both look and feel healthy, and that opens the door to good discussions; sometimes curious ones. Sometimes lively ones - especially when there are vegetarians around. And that’s okay. Our food becomes a conversation starter, a subject for debate, a path towards connection. Sharing food from the same platter is what humans do. For most of our history, celebration and feasting went hand in hand.When there was something worth marking - a successful hunt, a season of abundance, a gathering of family - people didn’t pick at plates or try to balance things out. They ate well. Together. Meat was central, not because of trends or rules, but because it was the most valuable, nourishing food available. It took effort to source and prepare, and that effort made it meaningful. Feasting wasn’t reckless; it was intentional. Christmas carries that same energy. It’s a pause in the year. A moment to gather, to rest, to reconnect. And historically, moments like that were always marked with abundance, not restraint. Somewhere along the way, especially in our summer Christmas culture, we swapped feasting for keeping things light. Plates full of salads, breads, and sweet treats that look festive, but often leave us unsatisfied. Grazing all day, crashing later - still searching for something. An ancestral banquet is different. It’s generous cuts of meat.Food that anchors you.A table that invites people to sit, slow down, and actually eat, not just snack between conversations. This doesn’t mean heavy or complicated. It means intentional. Choosing foods that truly nourish the body, so you can enjoy the day without crashes, cravings, or that familiar Boxing Day regret. Our bodies still recognise what a feast is. And Christmas is one of the few moments left in the year when we have the time to eat together, linger at the table, and leave feeling satisfied, both physically and emotionally. So, if your Christmas table looks a little more meat-heavy this year, you’re not doing something extreme. You’re doing something very old. Very human. A celebration deserves real food.A gathering deserves abundance.And Christmas deserves to feel as good as it looks. Christmas Eating FAQs Do I have to be strict on Christmas Day? No, and that’s not the goal. Animal-based eating isn’t about white-knuckling your way through Christmas. It’s about staying anchored in foods that nourish you most of the time, even on special days. Start with meat. Eat until you’re satisfied. From there, you get to choose — without guilt or urgency. One day doesn’t undo anything, and Christmas isn’t a test of discipline. It’s a celebration. Isn’t animal-based eating too heavy for a summer Christmas? Heavy isn’t about meat; it’s about unstable blood sugar. Protein and fat are actually what keep energy steady in the heat. Most people feel worse after a “light” Christmas of salads, bread, and sugar because they’re constantly grazing and crashing. A meat-centred plate keeps you satisfied, clear-headed, and able to enjoy the day, without needing to eat every hour. What if my family doesn’t eat this way? That’s okay, they don’t need to. You don’t have to convince, explain to, or convert anyone at the Christmas table. Often, the simplest approach is to quietly fill your plate with the foods that work for you. If you’re hosting or bringing a dish, make it generous and delicious. Let the food speak for itself. Connection matters more than agreement. What about Christmas desserts? This is where intention beats rules. If you’re well-fed on meat and fat, dessert becomes a choice, not a compulsion. Some people skip it entirely and feel great. Others enjoy a small amount and move on. There’s no prize for deprivation and no benefit to guilt. Eat in a way that lets you enjoy the day and how you feel afterwards. What if I “fall off” over the holidays? You haven’t failed, you’re human. One meal, one day, or even one week doesn’t erase anything. The most animal-based thing you can do is return to nourishment without drama. No punishment. No restriction. Just real food, again. The body responds very quickly when you give it what it needs. A Final Christmas Reminder Animal-based eating at Christmas isn’t about perfection.It’s about presence, nourishment, and staying connected to yourself and the people around you. Eat the meat. Enjoy the day. Let Christmas be Christmas.
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Nourishing the whole body
Your body doesn’t heal in isolation. Nothing in the body works on its own. Each system is connected, constantly supporting and responding to others. When we look at nourishment through this lens, it changes how we think about food and supplements. Instead of isolating one nutrient or trying to fix one thing at a time, we start paying attention to how the body functions as a whole. This is how we’ve always approached nutrition at Homegrown Primal. When you look at an animal in its entirety, you see the same interconnections. Bone and marrow provide foundational fats and minerals. Organs are dense with vitamins and cofactors. Muscle supports strength and structure. Liver, for example, is incredibly nutrient-rich, yet the amount the body actually needs is relatively small, roughly the equivalent of 100g of raw liver a week. It’s not about more. It’s about balance. That way of thinking naturally carries through to how we approach our products. Pairing Is Caring One of the most common questions we’re asked is which of our products work best together. It’s a fair question because modern nutrition can often feel overwhelming, especially when you’re run down or short on time. Our bundles exist to simplify that decision. Every pot or blend in a bundle has been chosen for a reason. We look at how the body absorbs nutrients, how systems connect, and what tends to be missing when someone is depleted, low on energy, or just not feeling quite right. The goal is simple: support the body in a way that makes sense, because when nutrients work together, the body responds. The Iron Bundle Take iron support, for example. It isn’t just about iron on its own. It’s about absorption, balance, and supporting the systems that help the body actually use it. That’s why the Iron Bundle combines Blood+, Thrive, and Bone + Marrow. Together, they support iron stores, energy, and overall strength in a way that takes the guesswork out of what to take when. The Gut Bundle The same thinking applies to gut health. Digestive issues are rarely one-dimensional, so our Gut Bundle reflects that reality. By pairing South Island raw, organic colostrum powder with Bone + Marrow and Thrive, the focus is on nourishment, repair, and daily support. Because when the gut is supported, other systems begin to settle too. The Wellness Bundle Feeling a bit off or a little run down is often a sign that the body needs broader support. The Wellness Bundle is designed to support the cardiovascular system through the gut, because that’s where everything starts. And as always, real food matters too. Adding liver alongside this bundle can make a real difference. Making Nourishment Simpler At the end of the day, these bundles are simply there to make things easier. They’re built for consistency, not perfection. When supplements are paired thoughtfully, routines feel manageable rather than rigid, especially at this time of year when work, family life, and holiday commitments fill up our days. Have a look through our bundles here and see what feels right for where your body is at right now. There’s no rush, just support when you need it.
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Learning to love your gut
How many people do you know dealing with gut issues like IBS, reflux, bloating, or who need to sprint to the loo after a meal? If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms yourself, or someone close to you is, you’re not alone, and you’re certainly not weak. You’re simply running a high-level biological system on low-quality fuel. The truth is your gut is a powerhouse. It contains a vast neural network (often called the second brain) that works nonstop to turn food into energy, hormones, neurotransmitters, and muscle-building nutrients. When that system is supported properly, digestion feels calm and predictable. But when it’s constantly irritated, your whole body pays the price. Why A Species-appropriate Diet Matters Humans evolved as apex predators and opportunistic scavengers, with stomach acid that stayed fiercely acidic for one purpose: to digest animal foods effectively. While our microbiome can adapt to many dietary patterns, the fundamental design of the human digestive tract hasn’t changed. That’s why I recommend a species-appropriate approach to eating: Animal-based foods as the foundation Fermented foods as intelligent additions Minimal industrial inputs We don’t fix digestion by adding powders, fibres, or ultra-processed fake “health foods”. We fix it by not feeding the gut foods it never evolved to tolerate. Research consistently shows the digestive and metabolic advantages of animal-based diets. Their capacity to improve nutrient absorption and digestive efficiency compared to diets heavy in plant defence chemicals and lectins. Lindberg (2016) describes the digestive advantages of a carnivorous template, especially around absorption and gut workload. Buchinger & Ceballos (2017) highlight the microbiome stability and gut-health benefits seen with animal-based eating patterns, compared to plant-dominant diets that commonly aggravate digestion. On a population level, higher intake of quality animal foods correlates with lower mortality from major chronic diseases, reinforcing the protective role of animal protein and fat in human health (Micha et al., 2017). The Industrial Spray Problem (and why your gut feels it) Glyphosate-based herbicides are used widely on staple crops, and that usage has risen sharply over the last few decades. Benbrook (2016) documents this global surge and the resulting presence of glyphosate residues in everyday foods. Why does that matter for digestion? Because your gut lining and microbiome are sensitive ecosystems. Constant exposure to chemical residues is a modern pressure your body has never had to navigate. Even regulatory reviewers acknowledge the ongoing debate around glyphosate’s impact on human health (Monsanto Company, 2019). And glyphosate doesn’t just sit harmlessly on plants. Zobiole et al. (2010) show that glyphosate alters plant physiology and nutrient dynamics, meaning residues entering the food chain may also change what we absorb and how our gut responds. So if your digestion feels chaotic, sensitive, or inflamed, it’s not random. Your gut is reacting to a modern food environment that’s out of alignment with human biology. What To Do This isn’t about fear. It’s about returning to what works. To support a strong, stable and resilient gut: Eat an animal-based diet that your body can digest cleanly. Prioritise foods that are simple, unprocessed, and unsprayed. Use fermented foods to populate your gut with beneficial bacteria. Cut back on foods that trigger symptoms; listen to your body, it’s giving you the data. You don’t need to fight your gut. You need to feed it like the biological masterpiece it is. FAQs: Is Your Gut Trying to Tell You Something? What causes leaky gut? Leaky gut happens when the intestinal lining gets inflamed, and its tight junctions (your gut’s “security gates”) loosen. This can allow particles that should stay in the gut to cross into the bloodstream and trigger immune reactions. Common contributors include: Ultra-processed foods Industrial seed oils Chronic stress Excess alcohol Food intolerances Chemical residues in food The good news: when the gut is fed species-appropriate foods, and inflammation reduces, the lining can repair itself. Your body wants to heal; it just needs the right environment. Should I be taking probiotics or digestive supplements? Possibly, but they shouldn’t form your foundation. Supplements can offer temporary support, but they won’t override a diet that keeps irritating your digestive system. Think of them like the scaffolding, not the building. Healing should start with food first: Animal-based meals you can easily digest Simple, unprocessed natural ingredients Fermented foods (if you tolerate them) Then, if needed, you can add targeted support like digestive enzymes, minerals, or specific strains of probiotics. Why do “healthy” foods like vegetables, grains, or legumes upset my stomach? Because “healthy” doesn’t always mean human-appropriate. Many plant foods contain defence chemicals, such as lectins, oxalates, phytates, and FODMAPs, that can irritate the gut lining or ferment aggressively in sensitive people. If you get bloating, gas, cramps, reflux, or urgency after consuming certain plants, your body isn’t being dramatic; it’s giving feedback. Sometimes the best gut reset is less variety and more digestibility. What are the signs my digestion is improving? Less bloating after meals Smoother, more regular bowel movements No urgent trips to the toilet A calmer, more settled belly throughout the day Better energy and mood stability Fewer cravings for sugar or heavy carbs Improved digestion is a sign that your entire nervous system is calming down. Digestive health is full-body health. So, look after your gut, and it will look after you, too.
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Time to Relax
The focus of my thoughts this week has been on Relaxation. Not the kind you try to force, but the kind your body naturally falls into when it feels safe, nourished and grounded. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure how to start this one… until I caught a glimpse of myself lying under a huge tree, looking up, just listening. No drama. No noise. Just peace. It’s a place I feel truly relaxed. For me, relaxation isn’t a switch I flip; it’s a practice. A sensory sanctuary. A way of stepping away from mental chatter and dropping back into the body. Sometimes I breathe into every part of myself - jaw, shoulders, belly, hips - and I can feel my whole system soften. A full-body exhalation. Total release. I’m sure you have your own way of finding that kind of peace.But if you don’t, let me gently nudge you: find a practice that guides you there.Because relaxation is trainable, and you deserve it. Gratitude is woven into this, too. Learning to be grateful for your life, even if that blessing is something as simple as resting under a tree and listening to your breath. Truthfully, the words ancestral and animal-based don’t feel big enough to hold this whole idea, so I’m naming this space something wider: Radical Humanism (thanks, Dr Marc Gafni) Meaning: as spectacular beings, we get to love our lives, love each other, and love ourselves… so our experience here can be magnificent. And yes, food matters.A radical human is well nourished.Because a nourished body downshifts more easily and a steady nervous system finds calm faster. That’s why I choose an animal-based, species-appropriate diet, because it gives the body what it needs to feel safe, regulated and able to relax at a cellular level. It’s also why I take our products every morning: they give me a simple, reliable way to start the day feeling fully nourished, grounded, and supported. So, for today, here’s your simple invitation: Find a tree in your garden or a nearby park.Spread out a blanket. Lie down.Breathe. Give yourself at least thirty minutes.If your mind wanders, smile, that’s ok. Let it wander, then return to your breath. Slow in… slow out.Feel the cool air at your nostrils.Notice your chest rising and falling.Eventually, peace will come. It always does. One of our greatest gifts as humans is that we all have this capacity to drop into our bodies and rest. Then smile. FAQs: Relaxation is a practice How can I rest? I feel so wired that relaxation seems impossible.You’re not broken, you’re just upregulated. Start small and try to stay consistent. A guided practice (breathwork, nature time, yoga nidra, prayer, somatic work, even quiet walking) helps train your nervous system to downshift. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen if you keep showing up. And if you need more support, talking with a counsellor or coach can be a powerful step. Do you relax every day?Not perfectly. Life gets busy. But I’ve learned to recognise my signals. When I’m scratchy, resentful, or rushing, I now know that’s my body asking for stillness. Even ten to twenty minutes can change my whole day. Are there foods that help with relaxation?Yes. Keep it simple and species-appropriate: meat, organs, animal fats, eggs, and dairy if you tolerate it. Minimise processed foods and frequent carb spikes. Blood sugar swings can raise stress hormones, and make calm harder to access. A well-nourished body is much easier to relax. What if I sit down to rest and my mind won’t stop?That’s normal. The goal isn’t to silence your mind, it’s to return to your body whenever you notice you’ve drifted. Smile, come back to breath, repeat. That repetition is the practice. I don’t have thirty minutes. Is anything still worth doing?Absolutely. Two minutes counts. One minute counts. Even a single slow breath is a signal of safety to your nervous system. Stack tiny moments of down-regulation through the day, and your baseline starts to shift. Relaxation, nourishment, grounding, that’s the heart of Radical Humanism.The truth is you deserve to feel safe in your own body, connected to your life, and capable of experiencing real peace.
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FINDING YOUR SPARK
One of our core health goals at Homegrown Primal is Vitality; that unmistakable feeling of being fully alive in your body. When you eat in a way that honours your biology, something shifts. A quiet inner fire reignites, reminding you that this is how you're meant to feel. And honestly? Every time I lean into a truly species-appropriate diet that vitality shows up in force. Sometimes the life in my body feels so strong it’s astounding, and it makes me wonder how many people have never felt that before, simply because they’ve never been properly fueled. Vitality foods are simple and powerful. Meat. Organs. Animal fats. Dairy. When you fuel yourself with these potent sources of energy, vitality isn’t something you chase; it becomes something you radiate. And here’s the important part. Vitality isn’t just about sexual energy. It’s life energy It’s the fire in your eyes.The strength in your stride.The clarity in your purpose.That grounded confidence.That “I can handle life” feeling.That quiet, primal sense of resilience. Why Animal-based Nutrition Rebuilds Vitality Unlike modern diets packed with processed foods, refined carbs, and ingredients that don’t serve human biology, animal-based nutrition aligns with the way we’re designed to thrive. Your body recognises it and responds: Hormones rebalance naturally (testosterone and estrogen included) Fertility and libido rise (for both men and women) Energy becomes stable and sustained Mental clarity and confidence return Foods like grass-fed beef, pastured eggs, wild-caught seafood, and raw dairy nourish the endocrine system, your hormone-producing glands that drive vitality. And organ meats like liver, testicles, and heart are the original multivitamins: dense, bioavailable, and deeply supportive for strength, fertility, and longevity. The Forgotten Fire Within In today’s world, vitality is quietly slipping away for so many people because modern food and modern living drain the body over time. For generations, we were taught to rely on cereals, grains, and sugary “convenience foods” as staples. Now we’re seeing what those foods actually do long term: they dull energy, disrupt hormones, and pull us away from the primal spark we were born with. The good news?We can rebuild it.Meal by meal. Habit by habit. Choice by choice. Returning To The Source Vitality isn’t something you find in a stimulant, a supplement, or a quick fix. It’s something you build by eating in a way that matches your biology. So, if you’ve been feeling flat, foggy, tired, unmotivated, or like your spark is dimmer than it should be… this is your reminder: Your body was made for real food. And life feels better when you feed it that way. FAQs: Rediscovering Your Vitality What is Vitality? Vitality is your life-force; the steady energy, strong mood, clear thinking, confidence, resilience, and healthy hormones that humans are designed to experience when properly nourished. It’s how you're meant to feel. Why does an animal-based diet support vitality so well? Because it's the diet humans evolved to thrive on. Animal foods are packed with bioavailable nutrients - meaning your body absorbs and uses them with ease. These nutrients directly support the foundations of vitality: hormones, brain function, muscle, metabolism, and the nervous system. When your biology gets what it’s built for, vitality rises naturally. Why are organs - especially reproductive organs - so important for vitality? Organs are where vitality gets supercharged. They're the most nutrient-dense foods on earth, loaded with the exact compounds our bodies use to build hormones, energy, and resilience. Reproductive organs like testes, ovaries, and uterine tissue are uniquely powerful. They provide targeted, ancestral nourishment for the endocrine system - the hormone network that governs how alive, calm, strong, and energised you feel. That's why our blends are rich in these ingredients. They help support: Deeper, steadier energy A more balanced mood A grounded sense of calm A stronger connection to our natural rhythm It's not magic. It's biology meeting the foods it was designed to thrive on. What if I'm coming from a high-carb or plant-heavy diet? Totally okay. Transitioning can be gentle and personal. Some people feel better fast, others need a few weeks for digestion, hormones, and energy to recalibrate. Start simple: Add more animal protein and fat, remove the biggest offenders (seed oils, refined carbs, sugar), and let your body set the pace. Is vitality only about libido and fertility? No, Libido is just one expression of vitality. True vitality is broader; it provides: Stable energy Emotional resilience Focus and drive Physical strength Confidence and calm A spark of aliveness in daily life When the body is truly nourished, every part rises together.
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Normal isn't a number
Normal isn’t a number. It’s not a goal weight, a size, a shape, or a before-and-after photo. Normal is balance. It’s your body doing what it was designed to do, using fuel efficiently, recovering deeply, moving freely, and feeling fully alive. A normal body doesn’t chase extremes. It isn’t starving, restricting, or constantly negotiating with itself. It’s fed the right way, trusted, nourished, and allowed to function the way nature intended. Burning when it needs to, resting when it should, adapting with ease and without expectation. Normal Is Metabolic Harmony A truly normal body is insulin-sensitive, calm, and in sync with its own rhythm. Energy rises and falls like a tide. Hunger arrives naturally, without panic, and leaves without guilt. When you’re in harmony, there’s no battle between mind and body, only communication. It’s not about losing or gaining weight. It’s about using food as fuel, sleep as repair, and stress as information – a signal to pause and recalibrate. When the body is nourished properly, every cell gets what it needs. From that foundation, balance isn’t forced. It returns on its own. What Does Normal Feel Like? You wake up clear-headed and grounded. You move because you can, and you want to. You eat food that tastes good and does good. You feel steady and safe in your own skin. That’s normal. That’s what happens when you stop battling your biology and start feeding it. Homegrown Primal Is Built for This We don’t chase weight or numbers. We cultivate strength, balance, and metabolic resilience from the inside out. Our products are made from pure, nutrient-dense, bioavailable organs from regeneratively raised cattle. Foods your physiology recognises and thrives on at a cellular level. Because when your body is nourished properly, it finds your perfect version of normal. And it’s always more grounded, powerful and sustainable than the version we’ve been re-programmed to pursue. This Is What Normal Looks Like Rooted. Responsive. Resilient. Human. Feed your normal, not others’ choices or expectations. Your body knows the way. Let it guide you. FAQs Normalising Weight and Metabolic Balance Why do we talk about “normal” instead of numbers? Because “normal” isn’t a number, it’s a state of balance. When your body is working as it should, supported by nutrient-dense foods, daily movement, proper rest and a calm rhythm, it naturally finds the weight that matches your hormones and genetics. Chasing a number ignores what really matters: how efficiently your metabolism uses fuel and manages energy. What determines your natural weight? Your hormones, especially insulin, play a major role. When you’re insulin sensitive, your body knows when to switch between burning and storing energy. When insulin resistance sets in, that balance becomes blurred. Your hunger and energy signals can feel out of sync. You crave glucose, never seeming to get full, and you become trapped in a vicious, unhealthy cycle. Can nutrition help my body return to its natural state? Yes, but it begins with nourishment, not restriction. Choosing whole nutrient-rich foods that stabilise blood sugar helps your body regain its natural rhythm. Protein and fats are essential for steady energy and proper hormone signalling, all of which support your body in maintaining a normal, healthy state. How does insulin relate to weight? Insulin tells your cells what to do with energy. When insulin sensitivity is high, your body uses energy from food efficiently. When it’s low, excess energy tends to be stored rather than burned. The goal isn’t to “control weight”, it’s to support insulin sensitivity through lifestyle and nutrition. What are some simple ways to support a healthy metabolism? Eat whole, unprocessed foods, focusing on proteins and natural fats. Move often, making a habit of walking after meals helps regulate blood sugar. Prioritise sleep; your hormones reset overnight. Manage stress, elevated cortisol keeps insulin high. Seek sunlight and daily rhythms; your body thrives on consistency and natural cues. Why doesn’t Homegrown Primal focus on weight loss? Because we believe true health isn’t found in chasing numbers on a scale. Focusing on metabolic strength, cellular nourishment, and energy efficiency supports your body's ability to find stability. When you feed your body properly, weight becomes the byproduct, not the goal. What role do Homegrown Primal products play? Organ meats are naturally rich in essential vitamins and minerals that support wellbeing, helping you feel grounded, energised and more deeply connected to your normal. Our products are made from pure, 100% grass-fed, regeneratively raised cattle. These organ blends are whole-food supplements with nothing added and nothing taken away. Real nose-to-tail nutrition that supports you to feel truly nourished every day. Lastly, remember, health doesn’t have to be complicated. Your body knows its normal. It just needs the right support to return to it.
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Insulin: The Key to Energy and Weight Balance
We talk a lot about health goals: energy, strength, vitality, and feeling good in our own skin. But underneath it all, there’s one quiet hormone running the show: Insulin. Insulin is the gatekeeper of your energy; it decides whether you burn fuel or store it. When you’re insulin sensitive, your body uses energy efficiently, your hunger signals make sense, and your weight naturally finds its balance. When you’re insulin-resistant, everything starts to feel harder. Your metabolism feels like it’s stuck in the mud, energy dips, hunger rises, cravings take over, and you're not burning fat. What is Insulin? Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. Its job is to move glucose from your bloodstream into your cells so it can be used for energy. When your diet is carb-heavy, glucose becomes your primary fuel source, and insulin rises to manage it. But when you are in ketosis (on a low-carb diet), the body relies primarily on ketones for fuel instead. This keeps insulin low and steady, allowing it to rise only when the body truly needs it. What Does It Mean to Be Insulin Sensitive? Being insulin sensitive means your body responds well to insulin. • Your cells easily absorb glucose,• Your blood sugar remains steady• Your hunger cues feel natural • Your body maintains a healthy weight range, without obsession or restriction. It’s a state of metabolic freedom, where your body runs efficiently, switching smoothly between ketones and glucose when needed. A well-tuned machine. What Leads to Insulin Resistance? Modern life doesn’t make it easy to stay insulin sensitive. Insulin resistance can develop when we: • Constantly snack on refined carbs • Sit too long and move too little • Experience chronic stress• Don’t get enough sleep • Rely on processed foods and inflammatory seed oils Over time, these habits chip away at our insulin sensitivity and metabolic health. The result is energy crashes, stubborn weight gain, and a sense of disconnection from our body. We’re left feeling numb and out of control. How to Support Healthy Insulin Sensitivity: Daily choices make a big difference: • Eat whole, nutrient-dense foods, especially protein and animal fats. • Keep carbs to a minimum.• Move daily, walk, lift, play. Your muscles are like glucose sponges.• Prioritise deep restorative sleep. Even one bad night can affect insulin the next day.• Manage stress - cortisol and insulin are tightly linked.• Stay consistent, it’s not about restriction, it’s about rhythm and lifestyle. At Homegrown Primal, we promote an animal-based approach for a reason. To support your body's balance. Our products contain bioavailable nutrient-dense organ meats that deliver protein and minerals, providing stable energy and a steady metabolism. Why It Matters: Insulin doesn’t just control blood sugar. It influences: • Mood• Focus• Recovery• Fat-burning • Long-term cardiovascular health. When insulin is working for you, everything feels clearer: energy, hunger, performance, all add up to peace of mind. If your goal is natural weight balance, supporting insulin sensitivity is one of the most powerful steps you can take. Focus on metabolic harmony, eat a species-appropriate diet, give your body the fuel it was designed for, and it’ll become a fat-burning machine.
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The Benefits of a Carnivore Diet for Cardio Performance
When you’re training your cardiovascular system, it’s not just about aerobic volume or intervals. It’s about fuelling, repairing and sustaining the lifeline of your performance: your heart, lungs and blood. At Homegrown Primal, we believe that an animal-based approach provides deep targeted support, especially when you include organ blends that nourish tissues often overlooked. Why It Matters: Your heart isn’t just a muscle; it’s a metabolic engine. It demands intense nutrient support: from saturated fats for mitochondrial resilience, to organ-derived compounds for cell repair and circulation. Your lungs and the oxygen-exchange system depend on cellular membranes, phospholipids, and clean vascular walls. Animal-based nutrients provide the building blocks of these vital structures. Your blood carries energy as well as immunity and recovery signals throughout your body. Supporting whole-blood health means we’re supporting cardiovascular capacity, endurance, and recovery. Ruminant Organ Advantage: Our Heart & Lung and Blood+ products are designed to feed these systems directly: Heart & Lung delivers organ-derived tissue support, rich in peptides, which your cardiovascular system can use for resilience and efficiency. Blood+ provides nutrients geared toward red-blood-cell membrane integrity, haemoglobin function, and immune cell health, all critical for oxygen delivery, clearing waste, and regenerating tissue under cardiovascular load. What The Experts Say: Dr Ben Bikman emphasises that metabolic health, insulin sensitivity, lipid quality, and mitochondrial efficiency are key to cardiovascular integrity. He questions the idea that saturated fat alone causes heart disease, instead pointing to issues such as carb load, inflammation and vascular stress. Dr Paul Saladino promotes an animal-based, nutrient-dense, organ-rich diet as the foundation for lasting health. Though his model has evolved beyond strict carnivore, his core focus remains: feed the body with bioavailable nutrients to support structure and function from within. Together, their work supports a simple idea: organs aren’t just fuel, they’re tissue support for performance. How To Apply It: Before training: Eat saturated-fat-rich animal foods plus one serving of an organ product 1–2 hours before a long cardio workout. This primes mitochondrial capacity and supports blood flow. After training: Use Blood+, which can help repair red-cell membranes, replenish immune cells, and enhance circulation, reducing vascular load and supporting recovery. On rest days: Organ blends can serve as foundational nutrition because your heart and lungs don’t take a day off. Regular use ensures your cardiovascular system isn’t just surviving, it’s thriving. Track markers beyond HR and VO₂: Monitor blood pressure variability, heart-rate recovery, red-cell quality and subjective recovery (less fatigue, better sleep). Key Takeaways: Modern cardiovascular training means: Stress the system (intervals, endurance, load) Fuel the system (saturated fats, organ blends, animal-based nutrients) Recover the system (blood health, tissue repair, mitochondrial support) Organ-based nutrition gives your body more than calories; it provides structure, support and the building blocks for repair. That’s the primal edge: a cardiovascular system built for resilience, endurance and longevity. FAQs For Animal-Based Cardio Support Can An Animal-based Diet Really Support Heart Health? Yes, when done right. Animal-based diets rich in saturated fats, organ nutrients, and clean protein can strengthen the cardiovascular system by improving mitochondrial efficiency, metabolic flexibility, and inflammation control. Experts like Dr Ben Bikman and Dr Paul Mason remind us that context matters; saturated fats behave differently in a low-carb, low-inflammation diet than in a high-carb, seed-oil-driven one. It’s about fuelling your heart with ancestral nutrition, not fear-based modern guidelines. What Does The Heart & Lung Blend Actually Do? Our Heart & Lung formula nourishes the tissues that keep you alive and moving. Each serving delivers organ-specific nutrients, including peptides, coenzymes, and tissue proteins, that the heart and lungs use for resilience, oxygen uptake, and energy regulation. Think of it as feeding your internal engine with the parts it’s made from. How Does Blood+ Help With Endurance And Recovery? Blood+ was formulated to support red and white blood cell integrity, the carriers of oxygen, nutrients, and immune defence. By nourishing blood cells with heme-iron, B vitamins, and natural cofactors from organ sources, you’re improving: Oxygen delivery to muscles Waste removal and recovery speed Overall cardiovascular performance Better blood means better endurance. How Do These Organ Blends Support Cardiovascular Training Specifically? Training puts your cardiovascular system under intense oxidative and metabolic stress. Organ blends like Heart & Lung and Blood+ feed that system at the cellular level, giving your heart mitochondria the nutrients they need to stay strong, while supporting the oxygen-carrying capacity of your blood. It’s nutrition that trains with you, rebuilding the system as you challenge it. Do I Still Need To Do Cardio Training If I Take These Products? Absolutely. These blends don’t replace movement; they enhance adaptation. Cardio training strengthens the heart through load and demand. Organ-based nutrition provides the raw materials to recover, rebuild, and perform under pressure. One fuels the work. The other makes the work worth doing. Can I Combine Tallow Or Bone & Marrow With These Blends? Yes, that’s where you’ll feel the biggest benefit. Tallow Capsules provide the stearic and palmitic acids that power mitochondria. Bone & Marrow supplies the collagen and minerals that support vascular elasticity. Heart & Lung and Blood+ nourish the cardiovascular tissues and the blood itself. Together, they feed strength, endurance, and recovery at every level. In Summary: Your cardiovascular system isn’t just a pump. It’s a living network of muscle, blood, and oxygen. When you fuel it with organ-based nutrition, you’re not guessing; you’re giving your body the fuel it’s biologically built for.
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Train Like a Carnivore - the metabolic edge of animal fats
For decades, we've been told that fitness runs on carbs, powders, and seed oils. But nature says otherwise. Real cellular, muscular, and mental strength are built on animal fats.When you train like a carnivore, you're not just working out your body; you're restoring the energy systems your ancestors thrived on. At Homegrown Primal, we believe fitness begins with your metabolism, not your macros. And to fuel that fire, there's nothing cleaner or more powerful than the fats nature designed for humans: beef liver, organ blends, tallow, bone marrow, and brain are all full of species-appropriate nutrients. What Makes Saturated Fat The Ultimate Fitness Fuel? Modern diets have demonised saturated fat, but science says otherwise.In 2018, researchers published a Nature Communications study showing that stearic acid (C18:0), a major component of animal fats, literally activates your mitochondria, the powerhouses of your cells. Within hours of consumption, subjects experienced mitochondrial fusion, a process that boosts fat burning and energy production. In primal terms: Stearic acid wakes up your metabolism It helps your body burn fat cleanly and efficiently It builds endurance from the inside out Kiwiburn delivers this exact fatty acid profile, rich in stearic and palmitic acids, tested at over 40% saturated fat content. These aren't empty calories. They're structured energy, the kind your body was built to thrive on. Why Does True Training Start Inside Your Cells? Most people focus on the gym. Few train their cells. Your mitochondria decide how efficiently you produce energy, recover, and burn fat. When powered by saturated fats instead of seed oils, they perform cleaner and stronger, like running your engine on premium fuel instead of sludge. This is where Ignition and Kiwiburn come in: Ignition is rich in phospholipids, especially phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), vital for brain and muscle cell membranes. Kiwiburn delivers stearic-rich fats and micronutrients that regulate hormones and rebuild tissues. Together, they don't just feed your muscles, they feed your entire system. Why Should You Skip Nuts, Seeds, And Powders? Nuts and seeds may look "healthy," but in nature, they're naturally defended. They are also often grown in mono-crop environments where sprays are used. They're loaded with anti-nutrients like phytic acid, compounds that can bind minerals and block absorption. For athletes, that means slower recovery and weaker performance. Animal-based fats are different. They're bioavailable, mineral-rich, and free from plant defence chemicals. That's why our philosophy is primal and simple: Skip the nuts. Eat as nature intended. Train like a carnivore. How Do Animal Fats Support Recovery And Hormones? Training hard is easy. Recovering well is the art. Essential fats like stearic acid support: Hormone production (testosterone, growth hormone) Joint health and tissue repair Inflammation control and recovery When your mitochondria burn clean animal fats, you recover faster, think sharper, and perform stronger, without the crash. So, Why Train Like A Carnivore? Because fitness isn't about chasing calories or macros, it's about aligning your fuel with your biology. Animal fats aren't the enemy; they're the original endurance fuel. So next time you hit the gym, the trail, or the barbell, remember: You're not just building muscle, you're reviving a primal metabolism. You're training like a carnivore. FAQ's To Train Like a Carnivore Is Saturated Fat Actually Good For Fitness? Yes, when it comes from natural animal-based sources like beef tallow, saturated fat enhances metabolic health. Essential fats like stearic acid activate your mitochondria, your body's engines, to increase endurance and improve fat burning. Unlike seed oils, these fats burn clean, support hormones, and provide long-lasting power. What Makes Stearic Acid Different From Other Fats? Stearic acid is unique. It's the only known fat that signals your body to fuse mitochondria, improving energy production and fat metabolism It's found abundantly in beef tallow (Kiwiburn) and beef brain (Ignition). This is energy your body recognises. Can Animal Fats Improve Recovery After Workouts? Absolutely. Healthy saturated fats support hormone balance and help repair cell membranes. Ignition provides phospholipids that enhance neural recovery and reduce inflammation. Should I Replace Carbs With Fats For Energy? You don't have to cut carbs completely. When you do exercise that requires fast anaerobic activity, carbs are the body's preferred fuel for performance. Here, fruits or honey may support your training. But you should reclaim fat as your primary fuel. When your metabolism runs on animal fats, you gain metabolic flexibility, the ability to burn both fat and glucose with ease. That means no crashes. No slumps. Just clean, primal energy. Which Foods Or Supplements Help Me Train Like A Carnivore? Start with nutrient-dense animal fats and organ-based nutrition: Eggs, meat, and organs. Raw dairy and some supplementation with our products will help you be the best carnivore athlete possible. No powders. No plants. Just ancestral strength in capsule form. When Training Like A Carnivore, We Recommend: Protein and fat for breakfast Cut refined carbs and snacking throughout the day A 10 am - 6 pm eating window Daily walks after meals Train hard. Recover harder. Eat like your ancestors.
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