On Happiness Through Primal Living

You hear it more and more: civilization is, supposedly, at the technological peak of its evolution — and yet people feel genuinely happy less and less often.

The modern person takes in about thirty-four gigabytes of information a day — fifteen times more than thirty years ago, and as much as a medieval person absorbed over several days. Our basic needs are covered, we have the internet, and yet the pace of life presses down on us like a concrete slab, and texting in messengers is no substitute for the warmth of real, face-to-face conversation.

When people ask me how to find harmony in a reality like this, my answers can sound radical. But these are my values, and I’m not imposing them on anyone.

I start from the premise that the basic mechanisms of our body and the fundamental structure of our DNA haven’t fundamentally changed since Homo sapiens first appeared. Even though over the last 10–20 thousand years some populations have picked up adaptive mutations, our bodies on the whole haven’t had time to fully adjust to the deep changes in lifestyle and diet that came with modern agriculture. For me this means that technology only solves the everyday, practical stuff, while harmony with our environment and a healthy hormonal balance come from bringing our lifestyle and diet reasonably close to that of primal humans. What does that look like in practice?

Food

— A diet as varied as possible, with the emphasis on animal foods (grass-fed beef, lamb, eggs, seafood, caviar) and organ meats (liver, heart, and so on). I like my steaks medium-rare. Add to that vegetables, berries, greens, fermented foods (they carry fiber and polyphenols) — to support the gut microbiome and keep inflammation down.
— Cut out refined vegetable oils (canola, sunflower, corn, soybean, and the rest). My choice is lard or ghee.
— Drop processed foods in any form.
— Cut out added sugar.
— Cook simple dishes yourself, from the highest-quality, freshest ingredients you can find, ideally seasonal.
— Eat until you’re comfortably full, without overeating. An early dinner (five or six in the evening).
— Practice fasting for fourteen to eighteen hours a day to normalize blood sugar and hormones.
— Bonus: drink raw milk from your own free-range cow (a great motivational goal), or find safe unpasteurized dairy. Provided, of course, that you’re genetically lactose-tolerant.

Lifestyle

— Quality sleep is the top priority.
— Whenever you can, live closer to nature: walk barefoot (grounding), wander around naked, hug trees.
— Get sunlight, especially in the morning. Sun your genitals (in moderation, to raise vitamin D and hormone levels).
— Do household chores and physical labor: cook, clean, fix things, chop firewood.
— Turn off artificial light sources at night, and avoid the blue spectrum for at least a couple of hours before bed.
— Keep your circadian rhythms steady (go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time).
— Keep stress in check, never letting it turn chronic.
— Practice “healthy” hedonism.

Mind and Awareness

— Practice stoicism and self-reflection; keep a journal of your thoughts and emotions.
— Radically cut the time you spend reading the news and sitting in social media. The phone screen is the most dangerous drug of our time, and “easy” dopamine is the true devil of the twenty-first century.
— Spend time alone and in silence on a regular basis.
— Accept discomfort and treat hardship as fuel for growth.
— Set clear goals and see them through.
— Perform a daily ritual of gratitude — to the world and to other people.
— Value simple pleasures and savor the moment.

People

— Give priority to real, in-person communication.
— Build meaningful, deep relationships rather than shallow connections.
— Look for like-minded people who share your values and ideals.
— Learn to say “no” without awkwardness, and to take a “no” without resentment.
— Let go of your expectations of other people.
— Shield yourself from negative, toxic, or manipulative influences (online and off).
— Cut back on time with people who drain you emotionally or energetically.
— Hug each other for more than six seconds to release oxytocin (the hormone of social bonding).
— Build a family, love your spouse, work through disagreements together with open dialogue. Don’t run from problems, don’t shut down, don’t blame the other person.
— Don’t fall for the illusion of endless choice — even in the whole world, “your” people number just a handful. Value the good relationships you have and do everything to keep them.

Spiritual Growth

— Read the classics, philosophy included.
— Practice meditation or prayer regularly.
— Aim for simplicity and minimalism; clear your life of everything excess and distracting.
— Turn to traditions, the wisdom of the ages, and the lessons of history.
— Question accepted views and norms (especially the ones that are trending) — seek the truth through your own unique experience, and value your own identity.
— Reach for deeper meaning and purpose, not just comfort and stability.

Body

— Do strength training to build muscle and bone density. Add interval training and anaerobic work.
— Walk eight to ten thousand steps a day.
— Regularly do stretching, mobility, and reaction work. A tip: try the “lizard walk” — it’s no joke.
— Stay hydrated; avoid dehydration.
— Build resilience by exposing yourself to cold.
— Take supplements as prescribed by a competent doctor or nutritionist to make up for missing vitamins and trace elements. The nutrient density of food in primal times was many times higher than that of what’s artificially grown today.
— Watch your fatty-acid balance (Omega-3 and Omega-6).
— Cut down on porn and masturbation.
— Look natural and sexually attractive.
— Make love with one partner you have real feelings for.

Environment

— Many household cleaning products, along with perfumes and cosmetics (those containing phthalates, bisphenols, parabens, triclosan), disrupt the endocrine system.
— Keep the food and water you consume from coming into contact with plastic. Throw out every plastic cutting board in your kitchen.
— Wear less synthetic clothing.
— Use wired headphones.
— The quality of our air, water, and food is the quality of our life.

The takeaway (and the motivator): buy land somewhere with a pristine environment, build a house and your own eco-farm, raise a family, live off the land, enjoy yourself, laugh, be healthy, be happy, and live long!

I want to answer one objection separately — the “my grandfather drank, smoked, ate whatever he wanted his whole life, and was perfectly healthy” kind. Over the last few decades the world has changed dramatically: the environment and the quality of our food have gotten worse, and chemicals have seeped ever deeper into everyday life. Today nearly all of agriculture means pesticides and herbicides. Look at old photographs, compare people’s bodies then and now. How many of them will you find with signs of obesity? The average testosterone level in teenagers has dropped by half over the last forty years.

The approach above rests on research showing that, in practice, it normalizes your hormonal balance — and with it your drive, your vital and sexual energy. When we’re in good physical and emotional shape, we handle stress far better and bounce back from any upheaval faster.

May we all be a little bit primal — for happiness and harmony! 😎