The following Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson,

and is narrated by Tina Lehman.

How to handle constructive criticism as a primal advocate.

It's a role that's probably more often

thrust upon us than one we individually choose, that of primal advocate. There we are, minding our

own healthy business, and somebody's question or comment fixes the spotlight or interrogation

light on us. Why do we eat so much protein? What could possibly be

wrong with bread? Why do we wear the shoes we do or race down the street like we stole something?

Sometimes it's the people in our inner circle who are the inquiring minds. Other times it's

coworkers or even strangers. It might even be our doctors. Whatever the case,

what might begin as a simple question can often devolve into a full-blown harang

about how we're putting our health in grave peril. On the flip side, it may be we who descend

into an extended diatribe on all things primal, as the other person tries to slink away, having just been

intrigued by our lettuce-wrapped on which.

How do we respond in these conversations without losing all patients or perspective?

Well, not all of us are out to become primal advocates, of course, but you don't need to be

sporting a grok, live-long, drop-dead t-shirt to garner attention.

The fact is, our choices can make us stick out.

Just by eating what we eat, or avoiding what we don't, or otherwise going about our primal

routines, we become accidental examples for a lifestyle conventional wisdom finds unusual

or even dangerous.

A lot of people these days have heard enough about paleo-slash-primal,

...