Hello Primals!
A couple weekends ago, we were out at Mechanicsville Little League all day for my middle son Danny’s 9U team. They were playing in the Rumble N Richmond two-day tournament—which they went on to win (proud dad moment!).
Saturday was a long one—out there from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM in the sun.
At some point, the heat snuck up on me. I saw the Flavored Ice truck and thought, “Eh, one won’t hurt.” I mean for years I’ve watch kids and adults partake in this treat.
I went for the Lavender Lemonade flavor. Cold, sweet, refreshing—it hit the spot. Danny’s team kept winning so I meant I took a couple more trips back to the flavored ice truck! Three frozen flavored ice servings later, I felt awful—head pounding, gut bloated, completely out of it. The following day I was low energy, had little appetite, and my gut was giving me feedback that the wrong bacteria was working overtime to breakdown the toxicity I had recently ingested. What the heck just happened?
In today’s issue:
What’s actually in that “harmless” Frozen Flavored Ice cup
How artificial ingredients attack your gut and energy
Why processed food triggers confusion in your body
The primal power of steak (and why it never betrays you)
A clear takeaway to help you bounce back
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WEEKLY DEEP DIVE
The Real Cost of Artificial “Treats”
After feeling awful, I looked up the ingredients in just three small servings of Kona Ice Lavender Lemonade:
Artificial colors (Red #40, Blue #1)
Citric acid (often lab-made from black mold)
Propylene glycol (used in antifreeze)
Sodium benzoate & potassium sorbate (preservatives)
Each one of these might seem harmless on its own—but together, they create a chemical cocktail your body has to fight through.
Here’s what they do:
Artificial dyes: disrupt gut balance, trigger mood swings, and cloud your thinking
Citric acid: can irritate the gut lining
Propylene glycol: pulls excess water into your gut, causing bloating or diarrhea
Preservatives: wipe out beneficial gut bacteria, weakening your digestion and immune defenses
But here’s the deeper problem…….These aren’t just “empty” ingredients! They’re invasive!
Because they’re unstable, they stick to your cell membranes—jamming up the gears of your metabolism. They block nutrient flow, scramble hormonal signals, and spark internal inflammation. Your cells literally can’t function the way they’re designed to. This inflammation leads to weight gain and low energy because your hormones that regulate hunger and fat storage fire on wrong signals and your metabolism slows and you burn less energy.
And when that internal chaos builds up—your energy tanks, your resilience drops, and that’s when negativity creeps in. You feel foggy, anxious, short-tempered, or just not like yourself…. Because your body’s not just undernourished—it’s under attack. These are food like substances causing metabolic confusion and reducing your energetic frequency!
The Primal Contrast
Now picture a ribeye steak. It’s everything your body understands at a molecular level.
Protein, fat, minerals, vitamins
Zero preservatives
Zero dyes
Zero confusion
This is bio available food your body evolved to digest. As we evolved our ancestors traded a big robust digestive system for a larger brain. Our digestive tract—short, acidic (1.5-3.5), enzyme-rich—is built to break down and absorb meat efficiently. No fermentation of sugars or plant cellulose. Our digestive tract is designed to produce good energy quickly as long as we give it the right inputs. Where processed food sends your body into defense mode, meat lets it thrive.
The Primal Takeaway
My Kona Ice day was a reminder: Just because it’s sold as food doesn’t mean it serves your body. The matrix is designed for mass confusion.
Your cells crave simplicity and you gut wants clarity. Your body performs best on what it evolved to eat: real, whole, animal based, nutrient-dense food. Our digestive system is perfectly equipped to deal with the full bounty of animal based nutrition nature has to offer!
Choose nourishment over novelty and ask yourself, “Is the food i’m about to consume going to positively serve me and my family?” Will it fill me with unlimited enthusiasm and self belief where I can lead my family and those in our community to better health? It all starts with food and one thing I can guarantee you is our results will always match our choices. Choose to…….
Keep It Primal,
Will Winston, PHC
“I can do nothing for you but work on myself. You can do nothing for me but work on yourself”
Ready to start your Primal Journey? Here’s how I can help…
The Primal Protocol isn’t a one-size-fits-all program—it’s a personalized strategy built for your body, your goals, and your lifestyle. We start with an InBody scan to get a clear picture of your current body composition, then we map out a targeted plan to shift it—through a custom mix of training, movement, and animal-based nutrition. You’ll understand the why behind everything we do, from metabolic pathways to macro breakdowns, so you’re not just following a plan—you’re mastering your physiology. This isn’t about quick fixes. It’s about building an environment where your body thrives and progress becomes inevitable. If you’re ready to get stronger, leaner, and more dialed in—book a discovery call and let’s see if coaching is the missing link in your journey.
Body Composition Analysis
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Get the insights you need to reach your goals — schedule your scan today!
See you next week,
Will Winston
Certified Primal Health Coach
References
Study: McCann et al., The Lancet, 2007
Finding: Artificial food dyes are associated with hyperactivity and behavioral issues in children, possibly due to neuroinflammatory effects.
Source: Toxicological Concerns with Industrial Citric Acid – Frontiers in Immunology, 2018
Study: Kanaan et al., Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2013
Finding: Sodium benzoate may induce oxidative stress and alter immune response.
Review: Nutrients, 2020 – “Dietary Emulsifiers, Artificial Sweeteners and Colorants Disrupt the Gut Microbiota and Gut Barrier”
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