I'm Darryl Edwards, a natural movement therapist, paleo clinical nutritionist, blogger and published author based in London, England. This blog documents my experiences with a primal lifestyle that has made me fitter and healthier in my forties than ever before. I am a contributor to Paleo Magazine and presenter at various symposiums such as Paleo:f(x), PrimalCon and other events globally.
Let's Explore Fitness!
Paleo for weight loss, performance and disease prevention. Read my full review here.
The impact of too much stress in our lives - impotence, obesity, heart disease and much more...
Usually we have to go back to basics to progress, this is a great place to start!
"Think about the toxic chemicals you put onto your body, and are exposed to on a daily basis. Frankly, quite worrying..."
First published in the mid 1990s. Amongst other things, disputes the 'fat intake causes obesity' argument and reasons why the high carb/low-fat diet doesn't work.
An inspirational read, whether you are a 'runner' or not. This book also investigates why expensive 'cushioned' running shoes increases the likelihood of injury.
An insight into real, simple and nutritious food. Insightful.
An excellent, non-scientific common sense quick reference to the often confusing question : "What should I eat?"
An alternative to Cordain's first book "The Paleo Diet" if who want to consider the impact of Paleo on athletic performance. It is geared towards endurance athletes but an interesting read nonetheless.
I'm an omnivore. I believe it is healthy to eat naturally-reared meat, non-farmed fish as well as a wide variety of fresh vegetables. This book is an interesting read and has a lot to say about why becoming a vegetarian isn't necessarily the best option for humans. However read this, do your own research and make up your own mind.
A discussion about the complex nervous system working in the gut, which produces neurotransmitters such as serotonin. In fact much more serotonin is produced in the gut than the brain!
This provides extraordinary insight into the reasons behind adopting a paleolithic diet. Some aspects are controversial and many may feel it is too dogmatic. I have often gone back to this book and re-read it for clarification as Dr Loren Cordain is often mis-quoted. There is now a revised edition (2010 edition) to counter some of its earlier criticisms, this is an excellent resource and a must-read for any one serious about paleo nutrition.
This book offers a comprehensive insight into the science, coaching and discipline of running. Energy systems, coaching and training. Often quoted as the bible of running.
Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 9:45 | by Darryl Edwards 
"Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own." - Bruce Lee
Quotes in Fitness, Motivation Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 13:38 | by Darryl Edwards "The sessions are always tough, but fun and never ever boring..."
I am a working mother of two children; a four year old and a four month old. I turn 40 in August and since having my first child, despite once being a competitive athlete, I have made very little effort to look after myself, letting both diet and exercise slide and using pregnancy as an excuse to pile on the (fat) pounds.
Additionally, following the recent birth, I have 10cm diastasis recti. Diastasis recti is basically when the abdominal muscles pull apart into right and left halves – or put another way, the muscles are 10cm from the midline and I am able to put my hand into my abdominal cavity and feel various organs: not very pleasant. The doctor recommended I see a physiotherapist.
With my 40th birthday looming, I really want to take the opportunity to take back control of my health and be as fit, healthy and strong as I can be for my children and to set them a good example for life – active parents, active children. I am breastfeeding my youngest, so my primary concern was ensuring any lifestyle changes would not adversely affect my milk supply. I am not interested in crazy weight loss at the expense of my baby’s wellbeing but would like to improve my overall health, strength and stamina.
I contacted Darryl on recommendation from a friend to see if he would be willing to help. I don’t live in London, so am unable to take advantage of one to one training, however because of my concerns about milk supply and any radical changes, not to mention being ultra-careful not to make my diastasis worse (the physiotherapist had instructed me not to do anything strenuous at all), we discussed a hybrid approach – a one to one initial health and fitness assessment (with baby in tow) and discussion of realistic goals followed by virtual training.
The health and fitness assessment involved a series of physical tests and body measurements to ascertain my starting point. This was followed up by a detailed 10-page report. To be honest, I have been using pregnancy and post-pregnancy as a mental excuse for being lazy and making poor food choices. The results however were a real wake up call: 41% body fat and a metabolic age 15 years older than my actual age. I was extremely downhearted that I had let things get this bad, but you have to start from where you are and that also means accepting your own role in how you got here!
Work began the following week with several virtual sessions to establish a baseline. At this point I also made a food diary and started to observe how I had fallen into a pattern of “reward” eating. Something I would never have done before children! We discussed how to sharpen up my diet with a nutritional consultation. I won’t lie – it’s really tough to stick to it, but I do feel much brighter in the mornings.
Each virtual training session is sent via email with a calendar reminder. Post-workout I provide feedback and Darryl adjusts my training accordingly. The sessions are always tough but fun and never ever boring. In fact, I can think of nothing more tedious than going to the gym, whereas I look forward to each session. Afterwards I always feel that exhilaration of achievement and to spur me on, after only two weeks, I have lost 3cm on my waist and “love handles”, 4cm on my hips and 3cm on each thigh.
I highly recommend this approach to anyone. Virtual training allows me to be flexible around my children and other busy family constraints. Each session is tailored specifically to the individual so you really get the benefit of Darryl’s expertise and support. I look forward to writing about further progress as my 40th birthday approaches!
-Zoe
Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 11:02 | by Darryl Edwards
Paleo Fitness Book
The book Paleo Fitness is available for release 11 June 2013 and is available for pre-order now at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon Germany, Amazon Japan, Barnes and Noble (US), Waterstones (UK) and other leading chain stores and independent stores globally.
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Book in Paleo Fitness, Primal Fitness 