The "Primal" in Primal Health Coach Institute:
A Distinction that Makes a Difference

Discover the secret ingredient to Primal

Health Coach Institute's success

The “Primal” in Primal Health Coach Institute stands for...

Primary

We get back to the basics... back to a time when processed food was rare rather than the norm. When movement was a natural part of life. When entertainment involved getting together with other humans for an adventure and socializing rather than binge-watching Netflix.

Our great grandparents wouldn’t even recognize the boxed and packaged fare of today as food. And even when we know better, it’s tempting to pop a pre-made meal into the microwave after a full day’s work, when we are too fatigued to do much more than sit in front of the television at night.

That’s why “primal” at its core means “fundamental,” because we focus on what needs to come first before all else—your health. And the fundamentals of health are real, nutritious food, movement that utilizes both our muscles and cardiovascular systems, and life choices that keep stress at a minimum, sleep at a maximum, and balance at the center.

Because while technology has advanced and populations have boomed, there is one thing that hasn’t changed...from our primitive ancestors...to our great grandparents...to 21st-century humans—our very life processes.

And the optimal functioning of these life processes depend on getting back to the basics. On eating foods that our bodies are designed to eat - real food foraged from plants and animals raised in natural conditions, grass-fed and free of hormones and antibiotics. On moving more like our ancestors, and living life with the occasional acute stressor while managing the imminent threat of chronic stress that comes with modern living. On playing more, resting well, and connecting often.

Just as plants have a root system that feeds and anchors an entire forest, so do humans. And living life with primal purpose keeps those roots strong and supported.

Ancestral & Evolutionary

Evolutionary biologists and ancestral health scientists focus on how evolution has shaped human biology and health. Following the blueprint of our earliest ancestors can help prevent and reverse modern health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. While there’s never a one-size-fits-all prescription for health, living according to evolutionary science makes wellness more attainable.

It’s one fundamental philosophy with unlimited applications.

  • Have a client who needs help managing blood sugar? Great! A low-carb ancestral approach can help! 
  • Prefer a more plant-based game plan? No problem. Plants are at the base of the ancestral food ecosystem.
  • Working with high-level athletes that need clean fuel? Perfect! Following a balanced, smart-carb primal blueprint is just the right fit! 

Based on evolutionary science, primal is a nutrient-dense, whole-food, low-inflammatory approach to food choices. It’s all about finding the right strategy for each individual client and tailoring it to their needs, preferences, and goals.

The Primal Blueprint

Primal Health Coach Institute founder Mark Sisson, considered one of the pioneers of the ancestral health movement, wrote the wildly successful book, The Primal Blueprint, which started an entire primal movement. He wrote several followup books, including Primal Endurance, The Primal Connection, The Primal Blueprint Cookbook, and The Keto Reset Diet, a New York Times bestseller.

 The Primal Health Coach Institute health, fitness, and nutrition coursework is based on those books, going deeper than ever before, expanding and expounding. And as a Primal Health Coach grad, you get the benefit of both the knowledge and the built-in niche to distinguish yourself from other health coaches in this burgeoning wellness field.

What Makes Primal Different?

Primal isn’t just a diet. In fact, it’s not even a diet. Primal is a template for eating, moving, living, and thriving.

Primal health incorporates diet and nutrition within a holistic framework that includes exercise, stress management, sun exposure, and lifestyle behaviors.

And it doesn’t end there. Living primally means spending time in nature, nurturing relationships and social connections, balancing work and play, and becoming a sleep master. Because every single choice we make affects our health and wellness.

What Is a Primal Diet, Exercise Strategy, and Lifestyle?

The primal diet, exercise strategy, and lifestyle center around the foods we have evolved to eat and the movements and behaviors we have evolved to perform.

Diet

  • Nutrient Dense
  • Fresh
  • Whole
  • Unprocessed
  • Plants and Animals
  • Healthy Fats

Movements

Primal exercise puts the “fun” in FUNctional by stressing movements that mimic those of our primitive ancestors: lifting heavy things, running really fast sometimes, walking a lot, playing more, and working out with short, intense bursts rather than long, strenuous, and unnecessary cardio sessions.

Primal fitness is accessible and appropriate for all levels, from the beginner to the athlete, and is supported by sound nutritional advice that eschews the carb-loading favored by traditional nutrition recommendations.

Lifestyle

Mind-body wellness depends on so much more than what we eat and how we move. Our health is determined by how well and how much we sleep. The amount of vitamin D we get from the sun. The quality of our interpersonal relationships. 

  • We’re meant to be outside, in nature, barefoot, exposed to the sun from time to time.
  • Hunger is a normal and welcome physiological reaction. Skip the occasional meal and you’ll kickstart fat-burning and unlock a host of beneficial health effects.
  • Maintain your social relationships. You don’t have to be a social butterfly or have dozens of friends, but it’s important to keep a few close confidantes you can count on nearby.
  • Staying active and sitting less helps you age gracefully so you don’t settle into old age sedentism. Keep your mind engaged to stave off cognitive degeneration.
  • Play more! Weekends were made for fun, so enjoy them.
  • Balance it all out with rest and leisure. Sleep well and often. And implement strategies to get the rest you deserve.
  • Stay in the present. Certainly take advantage of the convenience of modern technology, but don’t let your smartphones and social media accounts rob you of precious time with friends and family or steal you away from more creative endeavors.

What Most Other Health Coaching Schools Get Wrong

There are many terrific health coaching schools to choose from, but often they focus only on nutrition and diet without giving the art of coaching and the development of business skills the attention they deserve.

What this means is that there are a lot of newly minted health coaches who know a ton about nutrition but haven’t gotten the coaching tools or business-building skills needed to actually launch a health coaching biz. Ultimately, the time and money they invested in certification comes to naught. And that’s part of the reason only 10% of coaches are taking up the 90% increase in health coaching demand. No other program goes farther to aid students and grads in their business efforts than the Primal Health Coach Institute. 

The Primal Health Coach Institute zeros in on ancestral health, offering you a built-in niche that sets you apart from other health coaches. It makes it easier to find the clients that are the best fit for you and to help them reach and maintain their wellness goals over the long term.

Many health coaching schools address various diets that may or may not be helpful for your clients. Touching generally on many types of diets can lead to a watered-down, non-committal approach to different nutrition philosophies where veganism is just as good as carnivorism. And while learning the basics of 100 different diets has some merit, it’s far more useful for health coaches to learn how the body actually works so they can get clients off the diet roller coaster and on with their healthy lives.

That's why we teach the coach how the human body physically responds to its environment. How it uses proteins vs. carbs vs. fats for energy. How cellular biology really works. 

How lack of sleep impacts the stress response. As well as the various fitness efforts that signal the body to burn fat efficiently rather than merely using glucose. 

When you dip your toe in different nutrition protocols you can’t adequately cover all approaches in depth. Because we focus on primal living, our curriculum is university level, so you graduate an expert in evolutionary science with the coaching and business acumen you need to start and sustain a thriving health coaching practice.

And best of all, the flexibility of an ancestral model helps you improve the health of ANYONE, whether they prefer a mostly plant-based diet, mostly meat-based diet, or a diet anywhere in between!

Primal’s Track Record of Success

Track record of success

Validated by science and 2 million years of evolutionary history, the primal approach has changed the lives of millions across the world, helping people lose weight, reverse chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, and reach goals they thought were impossible.

1000s of certified coaches

We’ve been honored to graduate thousands of certified Primal Health Coaches since our inception in 2014. Our ancestral health experts have gone on to enjoy lucrative health coaching careers, developing profitable online workshops, authoring bestselling books and cookbooks, opening restaurants, becoming food photographers, and more!

Is the Primal Approach to Health
and Health Coaching Right for You?

If you’re serious about pursuing certification as a health coach, then let’s take a moment to find out if primal is a good fit. 

The primal approach is right for you if...

  1. 1
    You feel understanding health sciences and how the body works is an important part of your health coaching education.
  2. 2
    You believe there is no one-size-fits-all diet that is appropriate for all humans, but you do believe that some version of a nutrient-dense, whole-food diet will serve everyone.
  3. 3
    You believe there is more to this puzzle than food. Movement, sleep, stress, relationships, nature, etc. also play important roles.
  4. 4
    You’re looking for a program that teaches the art of coaching, including different methodologies to use at every stage of the behavior change game.
  5. 5
    You believe business-building skills and ready-made marketing tools should be included in a coaching program so you can hit the ground running and start making money ASAP.

Are You Ready to Join the Primal Community of Coaches?

If the primal approach resonates, one that has worked for countless people and one that thousands of health coaches are practicing and preaching, and you’re ready to commit to your new career and the ancestral health niche, then join the community today.

And don't forget that the "primal" difference is just one key difference. We also offer in-depth business education, training, resources, and support. (CLICK HERE to view our program comparison page for more details.) Take the first step and subscribe below!

Ready to become one of the world’s most trusted, experienced, and knowledgeable health coaches? Get certified as a Primal Coach.

Establish clout. Elevate your career. Enrich your knowledge with the only comprehensive ancestral health
certification program in existence.

Got questions? We have answers. Gain instant access to the Primal Health Coach Institute Course Catalog.

In course catalog, you will learn:

  • How to become a health or fitness coach in just 5–7 hours per week
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