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PrimalCon

PrimalCon 2013

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I’m just back from a fantastic Paleo trip to America (Jetlag is most definitely not Paleo). A couple of weeks after PaleoFX in Austin, Texas, I made my way to Oxnard, California, for my third year at Mark Sisson’s PrimalCon weekend. Unlike the Ancestral Health Symposium, or PaleoFX, PrimalCon is a hands on practical weekend. As well as hearing about all things Paleo – the focus is on doing.

PrimalCon Oxnard CA 2013

With relatively small numbers of attendees – and lots of different presenters, there’s a chance to meet and speak to everyone. There are lots of regulars, who attend each year, but it was also great to meet so many new faces – as well as some others from Australia and the UK!

With Kelly Starrett and the Gokhale family, there were several session on posture, mobility – and the correct way to stand and move to avoid injury. Whilst these sessions were completely different, it was interesting that their methods and ideas are completely complimentary – hardly surprising as they’re based on how we’re supposed to move.

Another highlight of PrimalCon for me was finally meeting Sarah Fragoso of Everyday Paleo – who really is every bit as lovely and knowledgeable in real life as she is on her podcast!

Chef Rachel Albert gave another fantastic cooking demonstration. It’s amazing how many simple tips I pick up each year, despite being a regular in the kitchen myself!

I also loved William Vives Kettlebell session and as usual, learnt lots of new techniques that I can’t wait to practice at my Crossfit box. There were a few other fitness sessions too, such as barefoot running and sprinting techniques – and I especially loved the Olympic Lifting session – I can’t wait to master that!

As always, the food was absolutely fantastic. A local Paleo food truck (so jealous we don’t have those in Sydney!) provided a lot of the catering, and there was such a huge variety of grass fed meats, burgers, salads, veggies, nut butter – and an amazing coconut bark! It’s so nice to be able to dive into all of the food on offer, without even having to ask what is in the meatball sauce. You just know it’s 100% Paleo!

What would you most enjoy about an event like PrimalCon? The people, food or particular activities?

Paleofx conference seminar event expo paleo fx-min

PaleoFX

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Last weekend I had the opportunity to travel to Austin, Texas to attend the second PaleoFX conference. Three days of talks and panels on all things Paleo – surrounded by like minded people! It was good to see a few other people had also travelled to the event from outside the US.

It was especially great to see Jimmy Moore and Nora Gedgaudas, who have both been out to Australia for seminar series in the last year or two. I also got to meet Robb Wolf, Sean Croxton, Abel James and so many others.

PaleoFX 2013

Having attended the Ancestral Health Symposium, I was interested to see how this event would differ. As well as lectures, PaleoFX had a lot of panels, where a group of “Paleo experts” sat on stage and answered a wealth of questions on a particular topic. As with the Ancestral Health Symposium, up to three talks occurred simultaneously, so it wasn't possible to listen to everyone. Fortunately they are releasing videos, so it will be possible to catch up on what I missed!

The highlight for me was meeting Dr Terry Wahls and listening to her lecture. I also enjoyed Dr Cate Shanahan, who I first heard on the Paleo Summit.

PaleoFX 2013

On the ground floor was a big exhibition set up, with stalls selling all manor of Paleo products. Books I've not been able to get in Australia, jerky, kombucha, fitness products, supplements, vitamins, Paleo snacks – everything you could possibly want.

With such a big Paleo community of our own here in Australia and New Zealand, we’re really excited about the next seminar series we have in the pipeline. I’d love to hear who you would like us to invite to speak in Australia and New Zealand – and what you would like them to speak about? And which cities should the series travel to, each state capital? Please please share your thoughts in the comments below, or send me an email.