{"id":302372,"date":"2010-02-10T12:51:51","date_gmt":"2010-02-10T17:51:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/?p=10715"},"modified":"2010-02-10T12:51:51","modified_gmt":"2010-02-10T17:51:51","slug":"mirror-mirror-on-the-wall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/302372","title":{"rendered":"Mirror, Mirror on the Wall"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"muscularbodyYesterday I shared<\/a> the desire to \u201clook good naked\u201d among my reasons for living Primally. A few readers seconded the logic. Though the point was in good fun, it wasn\u2019t in jest. At 56 and counting, I happily take pride in my appearance. Although there\u2019s a lot more to my life and self-confidence than appearance, I enjoy looking as dynamic as I feel. Although some might see the sentiment as vain, I\u2019ll wholeheartedly stand by it. Although some might cry vanity at any focus on appearance (like my top ten admission), the wordsmiths say it\u2019s more accurately \u201cexcessive pride\u201d in one\u2019s looks. But then, is one person\u2019s perception of \u201cexcessive\u201d the same as another\u2019s? Is it a matter of kind, degree, or aim? We might balk at someone\u2019s attention to perfect clothes or hair, but what about the same dedication to a great body?<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Here in our MDA corner, we tend to focus on the strength, vitality and health parts of the PB. The Primal Blueprint<\/a> book is similarly directed. I\u2019d venture to say, however, that in the midst of these higher aims, all of us still want to look good naked. Are we all vain? Are we, in fact, hiding behind the fa\u00e7ade of health and wellness when all we really want is to admire our incredible reflections in the full-length mirror while we dance around in our skivvies?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think many of us would simply put that pleasure in context: health first, appearance \u2013 well, a welcome but secondary motivation. But what about others in our community who would put looks squarely if not solely on top? They might be as committed, meticulous, and enthusiastic as a PBer working his\/her way off insulin. Would any of us begrudge these folks their choice to view the PB chiefly as a means to an aesthetic end? And for our collective self-inquiry, are we entirely honest about our own regard for the aesthetic benefits?<\/p>\n

\"Strong<\/p>\n

The truth is, some of us might cringe at any \u201cripped\u201d or \u201cshredded\u201d talk, putting it in the same jokey category as \u201cbuns of steel.\u201d<\/strong> For some with a more traditional, modest style, the language can feel embarrassing or even unseemly. In fact, many people have felt at home with the PB because we talk about this aspect (and these images) relatively infrequently. But for many of us, particularly those who spent time in the bodybuilding or other hardcore fitness realm (and maybe still keep one foot in that arena), the language rings true and feels richly motivating.<\/strong> We might relish each subtle uptick in leg muscle tone. We might be gratified by the graceful lines of a lean, taut torso. We might take significant pride in the developing curves of our shoulders and arms. We love what the PB does for our body composition<\/a>, allowing us to hone and maintain the attractive, \u201ccut\u201d physique we\u2019ve always aimed for.<\/p>\n

A great body reflects great health, you might say. The end result of the PB, of course, encompasses both benefits \u2013 whether we intend it\/appreciate it or not.<\/strong> Six-pack abs can comfortably accompany a good glucose reading. A tight caboose can be the perfect complement to healthy blood pressure or resting heart rate. The fact that the PB offers serious aesthetic advantages doesn\u2019t diminish its credibility as a health paradigm. Just as we all settle into our own Primal practice, maybe we all carve out our own vantage point in the Primal Blueprint rationale itself. There\u2019s room in the tent for all of us \u2013 wherever we\u2019ve chosen to place ourselves.<\/p>\n

So, is looking good reason enough to do the PB? Absolutely, I\u2019d say.<\/strong> More power to anyone so intentioned. Nonetheless, don\u2019t expect to see the health news and commentary dry up here any time soon. The pursuit of wellness and vitality will always be the heart of the Blueprint and MDA, however it dovetails (or doesn\u2019t) with more \u201coutward\u201d achievements. Funny thing, that old beer ad comes to mind now \u2013 the one with two sides shouting at each other in a competition between \u201ctastes great\u201d and \u201cless filling.\u201d A tongue-in-cheek but apt comparison, I think. In the Primal Blueprint realm, isn\u2019t it great you don\u2019t have to choose?<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your take on the aesthetic pursuit of the PB? Where would you say you are on the appearance-health spectrum in your Primal commitment?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Yesterday I shared the desire to \u201clook good naked\u201d among my reasons for living Primally. A few readers seconded the logic. Though the point was in good fun, it wasn\u2019t in jest. At 56 and counting, I happily take pride in my appearance. Although there\u2019s a lot more to my life and self-confidence than appearance, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-302372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/302372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=302372"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/302372\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=302372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=302372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=302372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}