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Nobody else is just like you, so your approach to healing prob-

ably needs to be unique too.

We each have distinct histories, genetics, environments, and

patterns of responding. That’s why standardized approaches

can have limited effectiveness.

A customized approach can help you to find the pattern of

living and eating that will best support your well-being.

Creating your healing protocol what this workbook is all

about.

A ‘protocol’ is a strategy designed for a specific purpose. It is

meant to standardize a process that might otherwise be un-

systematic or erratic, so we can experiment and learn more

about what works (and what doesn’t).

A healing protocol frequently includes nutritional strategies

and lifestyle practices. Your protocol may also include supple-

ments, medications or other approaches to treatment and, if

you wish, you can work with your trusted health care team to

incorporate those elements This workbook just focuses on

strategies that are low-risk and applicable for everyone:

nutrition and lifestyle.

This workbook is an overview of the strategies that are frequently

included in ‘ancestrally-inspired’ approaches to healing.

Page 2 explains what we mean by ‘ancestral’.

Page 4 offers a range of nutritional components that are often

included in these protocols. Page 3 lists the lifestyle elements

that are typically incorporated. Page 5 helps you to bring it all

together and decide how to begin.

Page 6 gives a quick overview of some of the ancestrally-

inspired healing protocols, with links to more information.

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The elements offered in this workbook are based on an

‘ancestral’ template. Ancestral healing protocols attempt to

replicate the patterns of eating and living that humans en-

gaged in for 99.9% of our history. These protocols have prolif-

erated in recent years due to new scientific discoveries and

increasing dissatisfaction with the ill-health that most of us,

sooner or later, experience as a result of life in the modern

world.

The recent explosion of ancestrally-inspired protocols has

created a lot of confusion for people who are trying to figure

out how to live well. That’s why this workbook was created.

We’ve gone through most: of the ancestrally-based protocols

and have pulled out their core elements. Now we are sharing

this information with you. The dietary elements are present-

ed as a range that you can pick from. The lifestyle compo-

nents are offered as six areas of focus that you can also cus-

tomize. Using this approach, you get to decide what’s in, and

what’s out, of your healing protocol.

‘Paleo‘ was a fad. Yes. Now that the excitement has (mostly)

worn off, what’s left is some information that is worth paying

attention to. Such as: there is no one ideal ancestral diet or

lifestyle. We’re an extremely adaptable species that excels

at surviving in diverse environments. We’ve always eaten

what has been available and have always done whatever was

required to survive (and have always enjoyed ourselves as much as

possible once the work is done). However, there are common

patterns that we can adapt to our modern lives. An ancestral tem-

plate acknowledges this diversity. It enables each of us to work with

our bioindividuality and preferences as well as what is available in

our particular environments, to find the foods and behaviours that

will help us to find our best possible health. In this workbook we

don’t dig into the scientific rationale for each element. Instead

we’ve included basic information about a few ancestrally-inspired

healing protocols on page 6, along with some links that you can use

to get more details.

When considering the range of options, keep in mind that the

healthier you are when you start, the more flexibility you probably

have. The more healing you have to do, the more thorough you

may need to be (at least at first) to see results.

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Dietary Element

The range recommended across various ancestrally-inspired protocols

You decide (circle your choice from the options provid-ed or write in your own variation):

Grains? From a limited amount of gluten free grains to grain free (some proto-cols that include grains advocate soaking or fermenting them) Limited amounts of gluten free grains or grain free or other:

Legumes? From a limited amount of legumes to legume free (some protocols include green beans and peas as legumes, some do not) Limited amounts of legumes or legume free or other:

Dairy? From inclusion of full-fat dairy (some specify that dairy products should be grass-fed, organic & raw. Others include only ghee. Some include only fermented dairy products like yogurt & kefir) to dairy free

Inclusion of full-fat &/or grass-fed &/or organic &/or raw dairy &/or ferment-ed dairy or ghee only or dairy free or other:

Eggs? From inclusion of eggs to egg free Inclusion of eggs or pastured eggs or egg yolks only or egg free or other:

Food Addi-tives?

From generally avoiding food-additives to completely food-additive free Mostly avoiding food additives or completely food additive free or other:

Nuts & Seeds?

From inclusion of nuts & seeds (some protocols that include nuts & seeds specify that they should be soaked. Some that include nuts & seeds specify that they should be included in moderate quantities) to nut & seed free

Inclusion of nuts & seeds or inclusion of soaked nuts & seeds or nut & seed free or other:

Nightshades? From inclusion of nightshades to nightshade free Inclusion of nightshades or nightshade free or other:

Coffee? From inclusion of coffee to coffee free Inclusion of coffee or moderate consumption specify: or coffee free or other:

Cocoa? From inclusion of cocoa to cocoa free Inclusion of cocoa or cocoa free or other:

Alcohol? From inclusion of moderate quantities of grain-free alcohol to alcohol free

Inclusion of grain-free alcohol or inclusion of red wine or alcohol free or other:

Industrial Oils? No ancestral healing protocols include industrial vegetable or seed oils Mostly avoiding industrial vegetable & seed oils or industrial vegetable & seed oils free or other:

Sweeteners? No ancestral healing protocols explicitly include non-nutritive sweeten-ers (some include ‘nutritive sweeteners’ such as honey, blackstrap molasses and maple syrup)

Inclusion of non-nutritive sweeteners or non-nutritive sweetener free or fully sweetener free or other:

High glycemic-load foods?

From limiting high glycemic-load foods to avoiding all high glycemic-load foods

Inclusion of high glycemic-load foods or moderate consumption specify: or high glycemic-load free or other:

Fructose? Some ancestral healing protocols suggest limiting or omitting fructose; others don’t mention fructose at all.

Inclusion of fructose or moderate consumption specify: or fructose-free or other:

Nutrient density?

Some ancestral healing protocols explicitly recommend including nutri-ent-dense foods

Inclusion of organ meats, shellfish, sea vegetables &/or 6-9 cups of vege-tables a day or other:

Intermittent fasting?

From inclusion of intermittent fasting as a core practice to explicitly avoiding intermittent fasting

Daily intermittent fasting or periodic intermittent fasting or no intermittent fasting or other:

Elimination Diet?

From a time-limited elimination diet (for a specified period or until symptoms reverse) to a lifelong nutritional lifestyle

Elimination diet for __ days/weeks/months or elimination diet until symp-toms reverse or lifelong nutritional lifestyle or other:

Strictness? From 80% fidelity to the food plan (or mostly strict) to 100% strict ‘80/20’ or 100% Strict or other:

Unsure? You can find links to information about a few different healing protocols on page 7. Some of these websites contain extensive background information on each of these elements and the reasons why they are included, or excluded.

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Include both nutritional and lifestyle elements.

You decide what’s in (and what’s out). You also decide how (and when) you begin:

Choose one or two

elements…

…or commit to a full

protocol right away.

How long will I run

this experiment?

What do I need to prepare in order to get started? How will I know if I am getting the results I am seeking?

When will I begin?

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The AIP is a diet + lifestyle protocol with

an elimination phase in which all foods

that may be inflammatory are removed

for 2-3+ months (until you experience

measureable improvements). See this

post for more information. Also visit the

following blogs: Phoenix Helix, Autoim-

mune Wellness & The Paleo Mom.

This template advocates ‘traditionally pre-

pared’ foods. Sally Fallon Morrell founded the

Weston A. Price Foundation, based on the

work of Dr. Price. The foundation encourages

consumption of traditional fats like cultured

butter, tallow, lard, cod liver oil and olive oil,

as well as raw full-fat milk. Unlike many other

ancestrally-inspired diets, it includes grains &

legumes, if they have been soaked, sprouted

or sour leavened. That’s what is meant by

‘traditionally prepared’.

Developed by Dr Terry Wahls, the Wahls

Protocol has three levels, enabling people

to individualize their protocol. Like the AIP,

the Wahls Protocol emphasizes nutrient

density, but it allows some foods that the

AIP excludes, so is less restrictive. The most

restrictive version of the Wahls Protocol

includes mild nutritional ketosis.

An early leader in the ancestral

movement. Mark Sisson popularized

the Primal Blueprint through his ex-

cellent blog Mark’s Daily Apple. The

Primal Blueprint is flexible. It’s not

specifically designed for healing

from chronic illness, but more for

‘ordinary’ people who are tired of

feeling crappy.

The Whole 30: a 30-day elimination

diet which is popular precisely because

it’s short-term. Matthew started with a

Whole 30 (many years ago), and was

disappointed that all of his symptoms

were still present after a month. If you

are dealing with complex chronic

health issues, the Whole 30 may not

‘cure’ you either, but it might give you

the energy you need to commit to a

longer-term protocol.

GAPS stands for ‘Gut & Psychology Syn-

drome’ and was developed by Dr. Natasha

Campbell-McBride based on the Specific

Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). It focuses on heal-

ing the intestinal tract to improve mental

health. GAPS includes an introduction phase

with six stages, beginning with a focus on

high-quality bone broth and fermented

foods. The introduction to the full GAPS diet

can take weeks, or as long as a year.

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Then...

At his worst, Matthew was in bed most of the time and unable to care for himself. He was taking 6-8 hydromorphone painkillers

and a pile of other medications each day. He walked with a cane. He was 40 when he became disabled by autoimmune arthritis

and the side-effects of the drugs he was taking to treat it. Matthew and Petra had three school-age kids, careers and a big mort-

gage when the worst of his illness struck.

Now

Ten years later, Matthew is successfully managing his illness through an individualized protocol he developed. He isn’t cured,

but he has learned how to manage his health without medication and is back at work after years on disability leave. It’s been

years since he needed a cane. Through using a self-experimentation approach, Petra also healed a laundry-list of health issues

that had been eroding her quality if life, including obesity, anxiety and

depression.

How?

Matthew and Petra found their own customized healing protocol through

an ‘n=1’ experimentation method they created together They combined

Petra’s skills in research and systems analysis with Matthew’s background

in continuous quality improvement from the aerospace industry. They

didn’t plan to use ancestrally-aligned protocols to find healing, but that ‘s

what enabled them both to find health and a new purpose in life.

Biohack U

Biohack U is the platform that Petra and Matthew created to help people

use self-experimentation for healing.

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