#(this is an anti-RDA post not an anti-human post)

[nattikay]

after the post from yesterday, thinking more about the folks who claim that the RDA are “actually the good guys” and the more I think about it the more baffled I am that this is an actual take people have.

First, I’m not sure where people are getting the idea that the RDA in A1 is trying to “save humanity” (most of the what arguments I see are regarding A1 so Bridgehead City and Ardmore’s “new home for humanity” thing in A2 are irrelevant and a topic for another day). As I already detailed in the previous post, A1 makes it pretty dang explicitly clear that the RDA is mining unobtainium for the money and the money only. Unobtainium is a convenience for humans, it’s desirable, but it’s not a necessity. They can use it to make some dang fancy technology, but they can survive without it.

But ok, let’s play devil’s advocate for a moment. For the sake of argument, let’s pretend that the RDA’s main goal is to protect humanity and that unobtainium is crucial to humanity’s survival. Does that justify their actions? The bombing of Hometree, the bulldozing of the Tree of Voices, the assault on the Well of Souls?

Starting with Hometree, it may be true that the unobtainium deposit underneath it was the richest in the local area, but that doesn’t mean it was the only possible deposit available anywhere. They’d just have to move their operation somewhere else. “They [the Na'vi] can move!”, Selfridge shouts? You can move too, buddy. Violently forcing the Omatikaya out of their home to take the resources you need (even if you really do need them, not just want them!) is not justified when you can just get said resources somewhere else. Sure, it would be a hassle to pack up and move the operation, but violence is not a proportional response to inconvenience.

But ok, let’s add another stipulation, let’s say that the deposit under Hometree was THE only one available absolutely anywhere. Combined with the idea that humanity needs unobtainium to survive (which again is not actually true, but for the sake of the argument), this is the closest you can come to possibly justifying the attack. Even with all these stipulations, though…bombing a village and killing innocent people in the process is still…not good. You can certainly argue that it’s a necessary evil in these specific circumstances—a desperate “either they die or we die, we can’t both live, so of course we’re gonna fight for ourselves to be the survivors” kind of thing—but still an evil nonetheless.

But even if you can kinda-sorta justify Hometree IF you pretend that 1.) humanity needs unobtainium for their survival and 2.) the unobtainium deposit under Hometree is the only one available on the whole moon, what about their other attacks?

What about bulldozing the Tree of Voices? That place didn’t have a special unobtainium deposit. What could bulldozing that area possibly do to “save humanity”? What would the point of that be?

Well, they tell you in the movie. Grace comments on the situation, “they bulldozed a sacred place on purpose to trigger a response”. Jake concurs, “when people are sitting on s*** that you want, you make them your enemy, and then you’re justified in taking it.”

The RDA bulldozed the Tree of Voices specifically to anger the Na'vi, to provoke them into retaliation so that the RDA has a better excuse to attack Hometree. I’m sorry but you cannot justify that with “but they’re just trying to save humanity guys!!1!”

And the attack on the Well of Souls? Even worse. Bombing the Well of Souls was not meant to “help humanity”, it was meant explicitly to harm the Na'vi. Quaritch says during his briefing, “we will blast a crater in their racial memory so deep that they will never come within a thousand klicks of this place ever again”. I cannot fathom how anyone can hear a brief like that and not recognize it as straight-up literal terrorism.

…and then, of course, you remember that canonically the RDA is not doing any of this to “save humanity”, they’re doing it for MONEY. They’re doing it to protect their bottom line. Any shred of justification they might have been able to scrape as “defenders of humanity” evaporates there.

And that’s only the stuff they do in A1! They have a plethora of other sins under their belt, such as the massacre of the Sarentu clan in AFoP. I don’t even wanna know how the RDA defenders attempt to justify that.

so um. Yeah. Believe it or not the very clear and very obvious bad guys are in fact the bad guys. Again it absolutely baffles me that this has to be stated but apparently it does.

[princess-nobody]

Avatar Rant: Two Avatar takes that bother me

(Pssst! This was originally posted on reddit, but I liked it so much I decided to post it onto my this account! Here's a link to the original if you'd rather read it there!)

So, I saw a semi-viral tweet a while back that bothered me because it not only felt like a complete misunderstanding of the point of Avatar as a film franchise, but also just a very childish view of how societies and different communities function. I can't find it though (I didn't interact with it and it has since been buried) so I apologize for not being able to give the best context.

It was your typical RDA sympathizing humanity first take (makes sense, the account that tweeted it was a walking red flag) that claimed that the na'vi were stupid for not accepting human advancement and technology, that humanity should always put its preservation first, and that the RDA were simply prioritizing the well being of their people whilst the na'vi wanted them gone. I want to start by addressing the latter take(s).

The first and second movies make it very clear that the RDA are NOT prioritizing the survival of Earth or humanity. They are a money hungry organization that want to monetize pandoran resources to their dying people in hopes to squeeze out whatever little money they have left. The people of Earth are said to be protesting them for that very reason, every solution to their planet's problems that they have discovered is insanely expensive and inaccessible to anyone below the upper class one percent. The RDA don't care about humanity, they care about profit, which is the exact reason why their actions are so callous in the films.

There are certainly humans that want to preserve humanity, but I truly cannot wrap my head around how you can watch either film and come to the conclusion that it is the RDA that wants the best for humanity. Avatar is not a "human bad" movie, it is a "corporate greed bad" movie, which is reflective of real life environmental issues. The individual is green, the individual recycles and doesn't litter, the individual cleans their local rivers and sea shores. However, the powerplants continue to polute our air, the corporations continue to flood our oceans with plastic, the rich continue to cut corners and burn the air with private jets.

I truly believe the reading of Avatar as an anti-humanity movie is what has lead to people thinking the RDA are the "good guys". It is because they actually believe the RDA are supposed to represent humanity and their will to keep surviving (and that James Cameron is portraying them as wrong for that), when it is clear they are a representation of the corporate greed that leads to environmental damage and the destruction of humanity.

As for the belief that the na'vi are hostile and somehow wrong for not caring to "advance" in the way humanity did, that is just flat out wrong. When it came to the respectful, peaceful humans such as Grace and her team, the na'vi were incredibly welcoming. I mean, Grace built an entire school for them and taught them human language and other human academics, so clearly they aren't against learning from humans. Again, Avatar is clear about the fact that humans as a collective aren't bad, corporate greed is.

However, why should the na'vi "advance" when there is no need to? Innovation is built on the back of necessity, and in a world where there is no need for certain technological advancements, why should the na'vi chase it? Why do they need phones and tablets and video games and McDonalds? They are living just fine without it. This idea that every society needs to be "modernized", even when they function just fine without said modernization has always driven me up a wall.

This entitlement from the western world is what leads colonial brained weirdos to try and go to indigenous islands and force religion or their world view upon them, because they believe that if a society doesn't function like the "modern" world, it is wrong. The na'vi don't need currency, or modern tech, or modern trends or fast food. They aren't perfect, but they also aren't in a desperate situation that would call for innovation or some sort of technological evolution. They are fine, they don't need nor even want it, and it is strange to believe humanity is in their right to force it upon them.

I'll stop this here because it's getting too long, I would love to hear your thoughts. Last time I made a post in this vein I got some really interesting responses, I couldn't reply to all but I'll try and reblog if that means anything!

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

Haha sorry I should’ve been clear: these are the themes, I’m not saying they were successful or like, done perfectly. They certainly have major issues, almost all stemming from James himself. But that is definitely what the goal was, no matter how much he might fumble it at times. The goal of the movie is to be anti-colonialist and anti-racist and just because James Cameron is a white man who does not do it correctly at times, does not mean that redeeming genocide guy is not spitting on that theme. He and Jon Landau have stated that the point is to uplift these voices and these communities, and they’ve taken steps to address the criticisms they got from making the first film in the making of the others. They are clearly trying, however flawed, and their message is clear. Even if they hadn’t been clear and they’d made the most accidentally offensive movie in the world, if their goal was still to be anticolonilist then it’s still a terrible choice. Redeeming Quaritch would be a frankly baffling thematic misstep.

In addition, I totally agree that these scenes are more for Spider than Quaritch, and that these all set up reasons for him to save Quaritch later. I was just focusing in my post about Quaritch, and what those actions mean for him. I will continue to do that, as that’s the point of this post, but I have many a post on Spider and his themes and traits on my blog. Quaritch taking Spider from torture, regardless of what Ardmore says, is still not the point. He brought him there knowing what they would do. He still put him in that situation. Everything he does in that scene is for his benefit as well if not more so than Spider’s. Parallel that scene with the one where he offers Jake legs for intel on the Na’vi. If Spider’s not buying the manipulation yet, it doesn’t make it not manipulation?

Quaritch caring about Spider is a human trait they give us of his. It’s just an unrelated trait to his redemption arc, if one is possible. Being somewhat nice to your own child is super not helpful in atoning for an unrelated genocide you did. A human or good quality is not enough. It’s not even a start for a theme as serious as this one.

I also really enjoyed your points in the tags, but I think I respectfully disagree. As we previously established, James Cameron is not subtle at all in Avatar. This is even more clear with the RDA and Earth’s demise. The point of Earth being they way it is is because Pandora is an allegory for Earth, the movie is about nature conservancy and ecological harm almost as much as it is colonialism. We are supposed to see our future if we keep going and don’t attempt to slow climate change, but also what could be when we see Pandora and the Na’vi’s connection and respect to their planet. The RDA being greedy is absolutely the point, but it also gives us that added layer of anticapitalistism and antimilitarism when we consider Earth’s overpopulation and the amount of people who are innocent and just trying to survive, when the fault of their situation lies with these companies. These companies who we are shown directly have not learned from what happened to Earth, as they mine unobtanium and kill tulkun for finite resources same as before, destroying the environment. The message is clear: we change our ways or this is going to be us. This is not on Jake, and this is not on the Na’vi to fix or lend aid. It is these large companies, and Jake hasn’t abandoned anyone. He’s specifically shown as a disabled veteran, one of the most forgotten about and abandoned members of society.

@tigrain1994​ I can’t address this comment properly in my comments with the text limit!! 

Bestie, my friend, my darling, kidnapping a child and taking him to be tortured for information and then coming into the child’s prison cell and saying “you can come help me rn or you can stay here and be tortured more” is not saving him from torture. It is manipulation, textbook. It makes us (the audience) understand how Quartich can endear himself to Spider, how Spider, the vulnerable and manipulated party in this, can begin to get to the point where he would save him at the end. It makes us understand and sympathize with how Spider would empathize with Quaritch, because in Spider’s warped perspective it seems like Quaritch gives Spider a choice, a way out. That is not a choice, and he doesn’t. Quaritch just deliberately puts himself in the perfect position to seem like it. Understand? If you (or James Cameron, idk I’ve never heard of this interview) find that relatable or sympathetic, that’s sus buddy!

Now, I know they have emphasized how they wanted the show that love is not always good or healthy in the relationships in the movie. We can debate all day and go in circles about if Quaritch loves Spider, but if he does, it is distinctly not healthy or good! The scene of Quaritch and Spider in the cell is not a sign of redemption or something to see as sympathetic. It is another major part of his manipulation. 

I do not and did not say anything about Quaritch fans. I criticize people who think Quaritch can be redeemed, because this is a media trend that is harmful. He can’t be, not by anything in this movie that’s for sure, and he has not started down that path. I don’t think he ever can. The themes he represents are extremely heavy. A path to redeem him properly while treating these themes with the proper respect and seriousness, and doing it in a way that doesn’t spit on the movies point would be very complex and layered and much more complicated, frankly, then the writers have shown themselves capable of. If you want a story of a bigot being redeemed in a way that respects the seriousness of bigotry, watch the other Avatar. Zuko is a masterclass in a proper redemption arc, and we shouldn’t take anything less in our stories. These topics are serious, and they shouldn’t be swept under the rug because you find the white man hot.

[madamlaydebug]

Cheikh Anta Diop was an Afrikan historian, anthropologist, physicist, and politician who studied the human race's origins and pre-colonial Afrikan culture.

Early life and career

Born on December 29, 1923, in Thieytou, Diourbel Region, French Senegal, Diop was born to an aristocratic Muslim Wolof family in Senegal where he was educated in a traditional Islamic school. Diop's family was part of the Mouride brotherhood, the only independent Muslim fraternity in Africa according to Diop. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Senegal before moving to Paris for graduate studies, where he ended his scholastic education.

Within a very short time, however, he was drawn deeper and deeper into studies relating to the African origins of humanity and civilization. Becoming more and more active in the African student movements then demanding the independence of French colonial possessions, he became convinced that only by reexamining and restoring Africa's distorted, maligned and obscured place in world history could the physical and psychological shackles of colonialism be lifted from our Motherland and from African people dispersed globally. His initial doctoral dissertation submitted at the University of Paris, Sorbonne in 1951, based on the premise that Egypt of the pharaohs was an African civilization--was rejected.

Regardless, this dissertation was published by Presence Africaine under the title Nations Negres et Culture in 1955 and won him international acclaim. Two additional attempts to have his doctorate granted were turned back until 1960 when he entered his defense session with an array of sociologists, anthropologists and historians and successfully carried his argument. After nearly a decade of titanic and herculean effort, Diop had finally won his Docteur es Lettres! In that same year, 1960, were published two of his other works--the Cultural Unity of Black Africa and and Precolonial Black Africa.

During his student days, Cheikh Anta Diop was an avid political activist. From 1950 to 1953 he was the Secretary-General of the Rassemblement Democratique Africain (RDA) and helped establish the first Pan-African Student Congress in Paris in 1951. He also participated in the First World Congress of Black Writers and Artists held in Paris in 1956 and the second such Congress held in Rome in 1959. Upon returning to Senegal in 1960, Dr. Diop continued his research and established a radiocarbon laboratory in Dakar.

Political activity

Diop had since his early days in Paris been politically active in the Rassemblement Démocratique Africain (RDA), an African nationalist organisation led by Félix Houphouët-Boigny. He was general secretary of the RDA students in Paris from 1950 to 1953. Under his leadership the first post-war pan-African student congress was organized in 1951. Importantly it included not only francophone Africans, but English-speaking ones as well. The RDA students continued to be highly active in politicizing the anti-colonial struggle and popularized the slogan "National independence from the Sahara to the Cape, and from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic." The movement identified as a key task restoring the African national consciousness, which they argued had been warped by slavery and colonialism. Diop, inspired by the efforts of Aimé Césaire toward these ends, but not being a literary man himself, took up the call to rebuild the African personality from a strictly scientific, socio-historical perspective. He was keenly aware of the difficulties that such a scientific effort would entail and warned that "It was particularly necessary to avoid the pitfall of facility. It could seem to tempting to delude the masses engaged in a struggle for national independence by taking liberties with scientific truth, by unveiling a mythical, embellished past. Those who have followed us in our efforts for more than 20 years know now that this was not the case and that this fear remained unfounded." Diop was highly critical of "the most brilliant pseudo-revolutionary eloquence that ignores the need" for rebuilding the African national consciousness "which must be met if our people are to be reborn culturally and politically."

Diop believed that the political struggle for African independence would not succeed without acknowledging the civilizing role of the African, dating from ancient Egypt. He singled out the contradiction of "the African historian who evades the problem of Egypt."

In 1966, the First World Black Festival of Arts and Culture held in Dakar, Senegal honored Dr. Diop and Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois as the scholars who exerted the greatest influence on African thought in twentieth century. In 1974, a milestone occurred in the English-speaking world when the African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality was finally published. It was also in 1974 that Diop and Theophile Obenga collectively and soundly reaffirmed the African origin of pharaonic Egyptian civilization at a UNESCO sponsored symposium in Cairo, Egypt. In 1981, Diop's last major work, Civilization or Barbarism: An Authentic Anthropology was published.

Dr. Diop was the Director of Radiocarbon Laboratory at the Fundamental Institute of Black Africa (IFAN) at the University of Dakar. He sat on numerous international scientific committees and achieved recognition as one of the leading historians, Egyptologists, linguists and anthropologists in the world. He traveled widely, lectured incessantly and was cited and quoted voluminously.

He was regarded by many as the modern "Pharoah of African studies." Cheikh Anta Diop died quietly in his sleep in Dakar, Senegal on February 7, 1986.

Critique of previous scholarship on Africa

Diop's early condemnation of European bias in his 1954 work Nations Negres et Culture, and in Evolution of the Negro World has been supported by some later scholarship. Diop's view that the scholarship of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century was based on a racist view of Africans was regarded as controversial when he wrote in the 1950s through to the early 1970s, the field of African scholarship still being influenced by the scientific racism of Carleton S. Coon and others. Coon used racial rankings of inferiority and superiority, defined "true Blacks" as only those of cultures south of the Sahara, and grouped some Africans with advanced cultures with Caucasian clusters. Based on Coon's work, the Hamitic Hypothesis held that most advanced progress or cultural development in Africa was due to the invasions of mysterious Caucasoid Hamites. Similarly, the Dynastic Race Theory of Egypt asserted that a mass migration of Caucasoid peoples was needed to create the Egyptian kingships, as slower-witted Negro tribes were incapable. Genetic studies have disproved these notions. A 2004 review of DNA research in African Archaeological Review supports some of Diop's criticisms. It found that some European researchers had earlier tried to make Africans seem a special case, somehow different from the rest of the world's population flow and mix. This seemed to apply in matters both of evolution and gene pool makeup. The reviewers found that some researchers seemed to have shifted their categories and methods to maintain this "special case" outlook.

From the Wikipedia and other sources.

[nafsibotanicals]

Happy new month lovelies, and Welcome to a new post 🙂

Fire cider has been long touted as a folk remedy for generations, said to combat the flu and even the common cold among other things, including aiding digestion and boosting the immune system. ingredients can vary, as long as they are healthy and natural preferably ORGANIC and fresh, such as fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices of your choice. 

My mean reason for making FIRE-CIDER is because of digestive issues, the COLD, yes this cold ah! and to also boost my immune system not to mention a little help with this belly fat is much-needed #sigh.

Nutrition facts are listed below, or you can skip that and scroll further down for the instruction on how to make your own homemade cider.

DISCLAIMER: I am NOT under any circumstances claiming this will cure anything. I’m laying out a recipe that is both delicious and nutritious. I am also explaining some of the purported health benefits of the ingredients that go INTO MY recipe.

  GINGER ROOT: 

Support digestive health

Eases inflammation by boosting a healthy immune response

blocks bacterial infection

improve brain function

relieves joint and muscles pain & regulates blood sugar

eases menstrual pains & protects against stomach ulcers

helps treat nausea

TURMERIC:

Does contain compounds with medicinal properties, these compounds are called curminoids, the most important of which is curcumin. Curcumin has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.  The benefits include but not limited to:

curcumin is a natural ANti-inflammatory compound

increases the antioxidant capacity of the body. The main reason antioxidants are so beneficial is that they protect your body from free radicals. Free radicals tend to react with important organic substances, such as fatty acids, protein or DNA.

curcumin may help delay again and fight age-related chronic diseases

  GARLIC:

Scientists now know that most of its health benefits are caused by sulfur compounds formed when a garlic clove is chopped, crushed or chewed. Perhaps the most famous of those is known as allicin.

However, allicin is an unstable compound that is only briefly present in fresh garlic after it’s been cut or crushed. Other compounds that may play a role in garlic’s health benefits include diallyl disulfide and s-allyl cysteine.

The sulfur compounds from garlic enter the body from the digestive tract and travel all over the body, where it exerts its potent biological effects. 

contains compounds with potent medicinal properties

highly nutritious 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of garlic contains (5):

Manganese:23% of the RDA

Vitamin B6:17% of the RDA

Vitamin C:15% of the RDA

Selenium:6% of the RDA

Fiber:6 grams

combat sickness including the common cold

active compounds can reduce blood pressure

Contains antioxidants.

  CHILI PEPPER:

Chili pepper contains an impressive list of plant derived chemical compounds that are known to have disease preventing and health promoting properties.

Chili peppers have amazingly high levels of vitamins and minerals. Just 100 g provides (in % of recommended daily allowance):

240% of vitamin-C (Ascorbic acid), 39% of vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine), 32% of vitamin A, 13% of iron, 14% of copper, 7% of potassium

Chilies contain health benefiting an alkaloid compound, capsaicin, which gives them strong spicy, pungent character.  capsaicin has anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogenic, analgesic and anti-diabetic properties.

Fresh chili peppers, red and green, are a rich source of vitamin-C.100 g fresh chilies provide about 7 µg or about 240% of RDA. Vitamin-C is a potent water-soluble antioxidant. It is essential for the collagen synthesis inside the human body. Collagen is one of the main structural protein required for maintaining the integrity of blood vessels, skin, organs, and bones.

 other antioxidants such as vitamin-A, and flavonoids like β-carotene, α-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and cryptoxanthin. These antioxidant substances in capsicum help protect the body from injurious effects of free radicals generated during stress, diseases conditions.

Chilies carry a good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure.

Chilies are also good in the B-complex group of vitamins such as niacin, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), riboflavin and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential in the sense that the human body requires them from external sources to replenish.

LIME:

Lime is a type of citrus fruit that is an excellent source of antioxidants. Antioxidants protect your body by preventing or stopping damage caused by free radicals, or chemicals that harm cells. Benefits include but not limited to:

Limes are also a good source of:

potassium

vitamins A, B, C, and D

calcium

magnesium

Rejuvenates skin: Limes contain vitamin C and flavonoids, the antioxidants that strengthen collagen. Drinking lime water can hydrate and rejuvenate your skin

improves digestion: Drinking lime water improves digestion. Limes are acidic and they help saliva break down food for better digestion. Additionally, flavonoids in limes stimulate secretion of digestive juices

Fights infections: Your risk of infection is higher during cold and flu season

Another benefit of lime water is that it helps you manage your weight. Citric acids can boost metabolism, helping you burn more calories and store less fat.

Reduces inflammation: Arthritis, gout, and other joint problems are all caused by inflammation. Vitamin C can reduce the level of inflammation in your body, so adding lime juice to water can relieve symptoms of arthritis and similar conditions that cause joint pain and stiffness. Limes can also reduce uric acid levels. Uric acid is a waste product the body produces when breaking down foods that contain purines, like meat, liver, mushrooms, and dried beans

LEMON:

A rich source of vitamin C, lemon possess immense health benefits ranging from its antibacterial and antiviral properties to its immune boosting abilities.

One of the most common ways to reap the health benefits of lemon is by juicing it. Lemon juice acts as a digestive and a detoxifying agent and helps in cleaning the liver leading to better digestive health. Lemon has similar benefits to LIME (listed above).

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR:

It is claimed to lead to all sorts of benefits, many of which are supported by science. This includes weight loss, reduced cholesterol, lower blood sugar levels and improved symptoms of diabetes. It is also an ancient folk remedy and has been used for various household and cooking purposes.

high in acetic acid, with potent biological effects

can kill many types of harmful bacteria. Vinegar can help kill pathogens, including bacteria.  Vinegar has also been used as a food preservative, and studies show that it inhibits bacteria (like E. coli) from growing in food and spoiling it

lowers blood sugar levels

helps to lose weight and reduces belly fat

improves heart  health

   ONION:

All onions contain antioxidants, compounds that may prevent DNA damage by inhibiting the action of free radicals within the body. In addition to manganese, each serving of yellow onions provides small amounts of potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, copper, and phosphorus

Vitamins 1/2 cup of yellow onions provides trace amounts of vitamin B-6, folate, and vitamin A, it contains a high concentration of vitamin C. Each serving fulfills between 8 and 10 percent of the RDA of vitamin C.

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Add ginger, onion, garlic, chili peppers, lemon, Lime, turmeric, and cayenne into a mason jar.

Pour apple cider vinegar in the jar until all the ingredients are fully covered and the vinegar reaches the top of the jar. You want to be sure all the ingredients are covered to prevent spoilage.

Use a piece of natural parchment paper under the lid to keep the vinegar from touching the metal, or use a plastic lid if you have one.

Shake jar to combine all the ingredients and store in a dark, cool place for 4-6 weeks, remembering to shake the jar a few seconds every day.

Store from 1- 8 weeks ( the longer you store it the stronger the potency and taste), use a mesh strainer or cheesecloth to strain out the solids, pouring the vinegar into a clean jar. Be sure to squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can. This stuff is liquid gold

Add honey to the liquid and stir until incorporated. ( if you wish, for newbies this might help with the taste.

Taste your fire cider and add more honey if needed until you reach your desired sweetness.

Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator or in a cold, dark place.

Drink 1-2 Tablespoons when needed. I take a shot first thing in the morning/ after my workout, and before bed.

  Set it into a cool, dark place and let the vinegar become infused with the ingredients for about a month. I do go really heavy on the Chili during the winter and only use ACV organic ( buy at life store in Norway). If it is your first time, I suggest you start small and dilute your ACV with 50 % water. I am going to store this for about 4 weeks, as I am running low on the one I made the last time, but I normally store for about 8 weeks.

HOW TO USE TIPS:

Take a shot (about 1-2 Tablespoons) straight up.

Dilute the fire cider tonic with warm water or juice.

Swap vinegar in a salad dressing for fire cider

Drizzle over steamed veggies.

Use as a marinade for meat, etc.

Use as a hangover cure. ( not for me LOL)

  Hope you give it a try, or if you already have please feel free to share your experience.

Love & Light :*

Nafsibotanical

  FIRE- CIDER: SUPPORT DIGESTION, BOOST IMMUNE SYSTEM & FIGHT COLD & aid FAT LOSS! Happy new month lovelies, and Welcome to a new post 🙂 Fire cider has been long touted as a folk remedy for generations, said to combat the flu and even the common cold among other things, including aiding digestion and boosting the immune system.

[paleorecipecookbook]

The 9 Top Benefits of Selenium (Plus: Selenium-Rich Foods)

Selenium is an antioxidant-rich essential trace mineral that works with other enzymes and proteins that are involved in many antioxidant enzyme pathways. It is estimated that up to one billion people worldwide suffer from selenium deficiency. Selenium is found in foods such as Brazil nuts, garlic and tuna.

This key mineral is essential for our bodies and plays a role in reproduction, DNA synthesis and protection from free radical damage.

In particular, selenoprotein S is involved in the protection against cellular stress and regulating the release of pro-inflammatory cytokine release. Having adequate selenium levels is essential for not only proper immune function, but also for regulating excessive immune response and chronic inflammation. (1)

Signs of Selenium Deficiency

Selenium deficiencies are higher for people living in selenium-deficient regions, which includes countries whose diets consist of vegetables grown in low-selenium soils, such as China. People who are undergoing kidney dialysis, and those with HIV, autoimmune issues and cancer are at a higher risk of being deficient in selenium.

Signs of selenium deficiency include a decline in cognitive health, immune health, as well as heart disease and infertility. A blood test would be the best marker for showing deficient levels throughout the body.

9 Health Benefits of Selenium

1. Selenium Boosts Immune System

Selenium is known for its immune-stimulating properties. Selenoproteins exert strong anti-oxidant effects throughout the body and help recycle vitamin C in the body. This can improve overall cellular, metabolic and immune function. Selenium also creates glutathione, the body’s master antioxidant, which supports detoxification pathways, such as the liver. (2)

2. Selenium Fights Cancer

Research highlights selenium’s role in its ability to have anti-cancer effects, thanks to its antioxidant properties and ability to support overall immune function. Interestingly enough, selenium’s cancer-fighting benefits were discovered through research that found higher cancer rates in areas with lower crop selenium content.

In 2015, research published in the International Journal of Cancer found that higher selenium levels were linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer, particularly in women. In 2016, a meta-analysis of 69 research studies found that high amounts of selenium had a protective effect on overall cancer risk and decreased the risk of breast, lung, gastric, esophageal and prostate cancer. (3, 4)

3. Selenium Supports Thyroid Health

Selenium is required for the proper functioning of the thyroid hormone and plays a major role in converting T4 to T3, which is the active thyroid hormone in the body. The body has receptors for thyroid hormones in almost every single cell; thyroid health is required for metabolic health, libido and fertility. Selenium also protects the thyroid against antibodies that can create thyroid disease such as Hashimoto’s. (5)

4. Selenium Forms Powerful Antioxidants

Selenium forms a part of specific antioxidant enzymes, such as glutathione, that help recycle other antioxidants in the body. Selenium also maximizes the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), a natural antioxidant that protects cells from oxidative damage and helps the body repair itself. (6)

5. Selenium Protects Against Heart Disease

Increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can cause damage to cellular lipids, proteins and DNAs, which has been linked to heart disease. Having high levels of ROS can cause the oxidation of LDL particles, which has been associated with a threefold increase in the development of heart disease. Selenium can reduce the production of oxidized LDL particles and regulate blood plasma levels of cholesterol. (7)

6. Selenium Eases Asthma Symptoms

Several observational studies indicate that patients who have chronic asthma may have lower levels of selenium. When people with asthma took selenium in a supplement form, they experienced fewer asthma-related symptoms compared to those taking a placebo. This could be due to the fact that selenium levels can influence the release of various pro-inflammatory cytokines, as well as boost overall immune function. (8)

7. Selenium Supports Fertility

Increasing evidence indicates selenium is a key chemical element to reproductive health. Studies suggest selenium deficiency in reproductive and obstetric complications, including male and female infertility, miscarriage, preterm labor, and gestational diabetes. (9)

8. Selenium Helps Fight Bacterial and Viruses

Many viral and bacterial infections are associated with micronutrient deficiencies, such as selenium. Supplementing with selenium may benefit those suffering from HIV and influenza A virus infection, as selenium can help support the overall function of the immune system. Selenoproteins can regulate overall inflammation and immunity. (10)

9. Selenium Fights Oxidative Damage

Selenium plays a role in redox reactions in the body, which is a chemical reaction that is important in regulating oxidative processes and oxidative damage to cells. This element also plays a role in cell proliferation and apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Selenoproteins (proteins with selenium in them) help to protect against endoplasmic reticulum (a network of organelles found in cells) stress and regulate the release of pro-inflammatory cytokine release. (11)

Top 10 Selenium-Rich Foods

If you are looking to increase your intake of selenium, you don’t have to stray too far from the Paleo diet, as many Paleo-approved foods are high in selenium. Seafood and organ meats are some of the richest sources of selenium. Certain nuts, seeds and vegetables also contain significant amounts of selenium.

The current RDA for selenium for men and women ages 19-50 is 44 mcg, while needs can increase for women who are pregnant to 60 mcg and those who are breastfeeding to 70 mcg.

However, the amount of selenium varies depending on the amount of selenium found in the soil. Today’s soil is depleted of many of its vital nutrients and has varying soil pH and organic matter (all which can affect mineral content). This makes it extra important to buy organic when looking to up your selenium intake. The selenium content of soil also affects the amount of selenium in the plants that the animals eat, so the quality of your protein is equally as important! (12)

Below is a quick list of selenium-rich foods and how much selenium a serving contains.

Brazil Nuts 1 oz = 544 mcg

Yellowfin Tuna 3 oz = 92 mcg

Halibut 3 oz = 45 mcg

Grass-fed Beef 3 oz = 33 mcg

Sardines 3 oz = 45 mcg

Turkey 3 oz = 31 mcg

Liver 3 oz = 28 mcg

Eggs 1 large egg = 15 mcg

Spinach 1 cup = 11 mcg

Sunflower Seeds 3.5oz = 79 mcg

How to Choose a Selenium Supplement and Dosage

Selenium exists mainly in two forms: inorganic (selenite and selenite) and organic (selenomethionine and selenocysteine). Generally soils contain the inorganic form. Most of the selenium that is found in human tissues is in the selenomethionine form. The body stores most of its selenium in the skeletal muscles, roughly 28 percent to 46 percent of total selenium.

The main active dietary form is selenomethionine. General intake of selenium when it comes to supplement form ranges in the dosage of 200-300 mg daily. You can find selenium in a multivitamin form as well as a standalone supplement. Research shows that the human body absorbs more than 90 percent of selenomethionine. (13)

(Read This Next: The 9 Top Benefits of Potassium and Potassium-Rich Foods)

The post The 9 Top Benefits of Selenium (Plus: Selenium-Rich Foods) appeared first on PaleoPlan.

Source: https://ift.tt/10qRbxJ

[samcaarter]

so one day I found this post, and of course I immediately thought about Sam and Jack

the biggest SJ tragedy is not the lack of canonical confirmation of their relationship, no, not that. It's that they weren't actually supposed to be together

don't look at me like that. In universe they were so meant to be, but that's not what I'm talking about

I'm talking about the fact that one day AT and RDA decided they could get away with a bit of flirting between their characters, that it would be fun to do it

I'm talking about the fans picking up on the smallest things between the characters they cared about and making it into a Big Deal

I'm talking about tptb deciding to just roll with it, because wouldn't that just add more drama? And doesn't them falling in love kinda make sense? Oh yes, yes it does

but mostly I'm talking about the fact that they were never planned. There was never the Sam and Jack arc running parallel to the main arc

not even after their confessions, after tptb, supposedly, truly committed to this relationship

you can say that there were too many different writers, or that Sam and Jack were just that good at hiding their feelings. But neither of these things actually changes anything. The writers could've been told. And Sam and Jack are only human. And you can even say that the show wasn't about them, and I will even agree. But it didn't need to be. The SJ romance arc could've run alongside the main arc just fine. A good written romance only adds to a show

what we got instead is, well, a mess. I'm quoting Christine "It was like in s5 they tried to pretend like their declarations of love in s4 didn’t happen and then in s6 kinda brought back some of it, but went crazy in s7 with all the looks and the hallucination kisses"

there is just no Sam and Jack arc

and it sucks

I know that there are people who wouldn't ship them no matter what. But there are also people who weren't happy with this on and off occasionally and when the stars aligned thing. But, won't speak for everyone, there's a good chance that had the SJ relationship been properly fleshed out, a lot more people would've been on board with them

as a shipper, I find this very saddening. As a B5 fan I find tptb bad, ish, writers

there are many definitive Sam and Jack moments. Don't. Get. Me. Wrong. They are most definitely a thing. And I'm grateful that we have these moments. Unfortunately they are stretched over a really long period of time and feel like an afterthought. Tptb occassionally remembering that these two characters still feel deep feelings for each other

and there are also ambiguous (sometimes on purpose) moments. And it's not like I'm bitter that I can't just shut the antis up with how canon they are (that's a lie, I am bitter, but so are you), the point is that they are ambiguous. Even if we the shippers have this ability to make everything about Sam and Jack

we are starving. Of course we can take the most innocent looks between them, that weren't supposed to mean anything, and turn them into everything

I once wrote "their not quite confirmed relationship is my favourite disappointment" and it's true. Because this is worse

people, the antis, whoever, can never take away what Sam and Jack are and what they've become over the course of the show

but just think about how much more they could've been

[sunnahealinguk]

POMEGRANATE FACTS The pomegranate is a fruit that contains hundreds of edible seeds called arils. They are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and bioactive plant compounds, but they also contain some sugar. Pomegranates have an impressive nutrient profile: One cup of arils (174 grams) contains: Fiber: 7 grams. Protein: 3 grams. Vitamin C: 30% of the RDA. Vitamin K: 36% of the RDA. Folate: 16% of the RDA. Potassium: 12% of the RDA. Pomegranates contain punicalagins and punicic acid, unique substances that are responsible for most of their health benefits. The punicalagins in pomegranate juice have been shown to reduce inflammation, one of the leading drivers of many killer diseases. There is preliminary evidence that pomegranate juice can be useful in men with prostate cancer, potentially inhibiting cancer growth and lowering the risk of death. Laboratory studies have shown that pomegranate extract can help fight breast cancer cells, but human studies are needed to confirm this. Regular intake of pomegranate juice has been shown to lower blood pressure levels in as little as 2 weeks. Studies in animals and isolated cells have shown that pomegranate extract may be beneficial against several forms of arthritis, but human research is needed. Several human studies have shown that pomegranate can have benefits against heart disease. It improves the cholesterol profile and protects LDL cholesterol from oxidative damage. Pomegranate has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, which may be useful against common diseases of the gums and Candida albicans. Some evidence shows that pomegranate can improve memory in the elderly and post-surgery, and studies in mice suggest that it can protect against Alzheimer's disease. Pomegranate is rich in dietary nitrates, which have been shown to improve exercise performance. Pomegranates are among the healthiest foods on the planet. They have wide-ranging benefits, and may help reduce the risk of all sorts of serious diseases. (at London, United Kingdom)

[vsplusonline]

TrueBasics Multivit Women One Daily, Multivitamins, Multiminerals, Anti-Oxidants, with Bone, Joint & Beauty Blend, Clinically Researched Ingredients, 90 Tablets

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/truebasics-multivit-women-one-daily-multivitamins-multiminerals-anti-oxidants-with-bone-joint-beauty-blend-clinically-researched-ingredients-90-tablets/

TrueBasics Multivit Women One Daily, Multivitamins, Multiminerals, Anti-Oxidants, with Bone, Joint & Beauty Blend, Clinically Researched Ingredients, 90 Tablets

Price: (as of Jan 01,1970 00:00:00 UTC – Details)

Product Description

TrueBasics Multivit Women

Scientifically Crafted formulations

● All our products comprise of the highest quality ingredients and are made following highest class manufacturing standards

● To maximize efficacy, all of our products are designed with superior bioavailability in mind, making them readily digestible and absorbable

● All our formulations contain clinically tested ingredients which are backed by research

All-in-One Solutions

So where do you start? Vitamin aisles can be overwhelming. What’s actually in them? How much should I take? Some of these are empty, and some are too powerful?

TrueBasics plans to make it simple: Based on the guidelinesset by FSSAI, our science-based formulations are covering all the basics and more. Crafted from meticulously sourced ingredients.

Honest Guidance

TrueBasics believes in balance of nutrients in human body for optimum performance. To achieve this balance, we promise to be honest with you with transparency on formulations, scientific research and ingredient sources.

Product Features

Scientifically Proven Ingredients

TrueBasics Multivit Women is a result of efforts put in by highly qualified food scientists and nutrition experts. It contains scientifically proven ingredients like Acticissus, CurcuWIN, Centellin, Lutemax 2020 that are efficacious.

Efficient amount of Nutrients

The TrueBasics Team have researched the causes of the lack of nutrients in women of ages above 18 and have developed a product with multiple herbal blends to help fill the micronutrients gaps. The lack of nutrients can arise due to poor eating habits, lack of nutritious food in the diet, age, and metabolism. TrueBasics multi-blend daily multivitamin for women ensures efficient amount of vital nutrients to help add to your fitness goals.

40 Nutrients

From herbal to patented extracts, the TrueBasics formula may help nourish your body from inside out with its multiple blends with ingredients from antioxidants blend, skin & beauty blend, Women’s wellness blend, and Bone & Joint blend.

Product Benefits

Energy

Women are pro at multitasking but at a huge cost of their own health. TrueBasics Multivit Women may help fulfill the need for extra nutrients to juggle through the multitasking day in and out. Its 40 bio-active nutrients help improve day-long energy. Efficient RDA of vitamins and Minerals helps support energy levels throughout the day.

Immunity

Anti-Oxidants like Astaxanthin, Lutein, Grape seed extract, Pomegranate, & Bilberry may help reduce the free radical damage in the body. TrueBasics Multivit Women may help improve body’s defense mechanism.

Beauty

Women and beauty mean the same thing and to keep the sheen of their beautiful skin and hair, TrueBasics Multivit Women brings to you its beauty blend with clinically researched ingredients including Centellin, Lycopene, Green Tea & Soy Isoflavones to enhance the synthesis of collagen, improve skin radiance, and may help delay signs of ageing.

Joint

Women tend to experience weaker bones at a younger age as compared to men due to lack of bone density and demineralization of bones. TrueBasics Daily Multivitamins for women has Joint Blend that may support bone and joints health.

Anti-oxidant blend: Potent anti-oxidants like Astaxanthin, Grape seed extract, Pomegranate & Bilberry help tackle the free radical damage in the body and boost immunity. Skin & Beauty Blend – With Centellin, Lycopene, Green Tea & Soy Isoflavones TrueBasics Multivit Women enhances the synthesis of collagen and helps delay signs of ageing. Women’s Wellness Blend – Enriched with Actaea racemosa, Asparagus, Licorice, Lutemax 2020 TrueBasics Multivit Women provides health benefits for overall wellness of women Bone & Joint Blend – Acticissus, CurcuWIN, L-Arginine in TrueBasics Multivit Women helps in bone strengthening and improves joint flexibility & mobility.

[juliusgermani]

The Best Supplements to Prevent and Treat Cold and Flu

The 2017-2018 cold and flu season has been the worst since 2014/2015, with the majority of flu cases linked to influenza A virus H3N2. During the week of December 13, 2017 to January 6, 2018, the CDC reported seven influenza-associated pediatric deaths, as well as a lab-confirmed hospitalization rate of 22.7 per 100,000 people. Emergency rooms across the country have been hard hit, with the flu virus widespread in nearly every state. The flu season may be peaking, but the CDC predicts 11-13 more weeks of increased flu virus activity. In this post, we'll talk about some of the most effective supplements to prevent and treat cold and flu – vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc.

Vitamin C Supplements for Cold and Flu

Vitamin C has been demonstrated to have a strong anti-viral effect. Orthomolecular.org states: “In high doses, vitamin C neutralizes free radicals, helps kill viruses, and strengthens the body's immune system. Taking supplemental vitamin C routinely helps prevent viral infections.” It has been shown to be effective against both the swine and bird flu.

The recommended dosage on Orthomolecular.org is as follows:

For best results, take vitamin C in evenly divided doses during the waking hours. Continue taking vitamin C on this schedule until, Pauling says, you have loose stool (just short of diarrhea). After having loosened stool, reduce the vitamin C dosage reduce by about 25 per cent. If you have another loose stool, reduce the vitamin C again, but if the symptoms of the viral infection begin to return, increase the dosage. You will quickly learn how much vitamin C to take; even children can learn to do this. Continue until you are completely well. Vitamin C greatly shortens the severity and duration of viral illnesses.

How much vitamin C do you need?

The recommended daily allowance of vitamin C for adults is 60 mg/day for adults, but research suggests that this a minimum to prevent deficiency diseases such as scurvy, not promote optimal health. The Linus Pauling Institute offers a comprehensive overview of optimal vitamin C intakes for different ages and conditions. Their basic recommendation is as follows:

For healthy men and women, the Linus Pauling Institute recommends a vitamin C intake of at least 400 mg daily. Consuming at least five servings (2½ cups) of fruits and vegetables daily provides about 200 mg of vitamin C. Most multivitamin supplements provide 60 mg of vitamin C. To make sure you meet the Institute’s recommendation, supplemental vitamin C in two separate 250-mg doses taken in the morning and evening is recommended.

I enjoy Trace Minerals Power Paks (raspberry flavor) as a vitamin C supplement that also provides an assortment of other needed minerals.

What are the best food sources of vitamin C?

www.health.gov provides the following information on vitamin C content of common foods.

One of my personal favorites for winter vitamin C – raw sauerkraut. The German Food Guide states that 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of raw sauerkraut has 15 mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin D Supplements for Colds and Flu

Did you know cholesterol acts as a building block for vitamin D in our bodies? (Learn more about how cholesterol works in our bodies and why we need it.)

The World's Healthiest Foods website explains:

Cholesterol is the basic building block of vitamin D in humans….when ultraviolet light hits the cells of our skin, one form of cholesterol found in our skin cells-called 7-dehydrocholesterol-can be converted into cholecalciferol, a form of vitamin D3.

The best source of vitamin D is sun exposure, which of course is often difficult to come by in winter. In lieu of sunlight, food and supplements are your next best option.

Click here to get vitamin D with coconut oil for easy absorption.

The RDA for vitamin D from the National Institute of Health is as follows:

Table 2: Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Vitamin D [1]

* Adequate Intake (AI)

In 2010, the National Academy of Sciences set Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs) for vitamin D as follows (source):

infants, 0-6 months: 25 micrograms (1,000 IU) per day

infants, 6-12 months: 38 micrograms (1,500 IU) per day

1-3 year old children: 63 micrograms (2,500 IU) per day

4-8 year year old children: 75 micrograms (3,000 IU)per day

9-18 years old children and adolescents: 100 micrograms (4,000 IU) per day

adults, 19 years and older: 100 micrograms (4,000 IU) per day

pregnant and lactating women, 100 micrograms (4,000 IU) per day.

As you can see, there's a pretty big difference in those numbers, and some individuals with chronically low levels may need additional supplementation. Studies have linked low vitamin D levels to increased risk of cold and flu.

What are the Best Food Sources of Vitamin D?

The National Institute of Health lists some of the top foods for vitamin D:

Table 3: Selected Food Sources of Vitamin D [11]

* IUs = International Units. ** DV = Daily Value. DVs were developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help consumers compare the nutrient contents among products within the context of a total daily diet. The DV for vitamin D is currently set at 400 IU for adults and children age 4 and older. Food labels, however, are not required to list vitamin D content unless a food has been fortified with this nutrient. Foods providing 20% or more of the DV are considered to be high sources of a nutrient, but foods providing lower percentages of the DV also contribute to a healthful diet.

Personally, I wouldn't touch the margarine, and am not too keen on the breakfast cereal. Mushrooms didn't make their list, either, and they can be a good source of vitamin D. I'd prefer whole, raw milk, too. Vitamin D is a FAT SOLUBLE VITAMIN – which means your body can't use it without fat.

Zinc Supplements for Colds and Flu

It has been shown that zinc lozenges or syrup taken early in the course of a cold can shorten its duration and severity. WebMD states:

First, zinc interferes with the ability of rhinoviruses, which are responsible for about 80% of all colds, to reproduce. Second, it appears to block their ability to dock on cell membranes and subsequently cause infection.

Some well rated zinc supplements for cold and flu include:

Zicam Kids Cold Remedy Relief Zinc Grape Soft Chewable Tablets

EZC Pak Echinacea, Zinc and Vitamin C Supplements

Hyland's Cold Tablets, with Zinc

If you would like to get your zinc from food sources, the top foods recommended by the National Institute of Health are as follows:

A wide variety of foods contain zinc (Table 2) [2]. Oysters contain more zinc per serving than any other food, but red meat and poultry provide the majority of zinc in the American diet. Other good food sources include beans, nuts, certain types of seafood (such as crab and lobster), whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy products [2,11].

Phytates—which are present in whole-grain breads, cereals, legumes, and other foods—bind zinc and inhibit its absorption [2,12,13]. Thus, the bioavailability of zinc from grains and plant foods is lower than that from animal foods, although many grain- and plant-based foods are still good sources of zinc [2].

Table 2: Selected Food Sources of Zinc [11]

* DV = Daily Value. DVs were developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help consumers compare the nutrient contents of products within the context of a total diet. The DV for zinc is 15 mg for adults and children age 4 and older. Food labels, however, are not required to list zinc content unless a food has been fortified with this nutrient. Foods providing 20% or more of the DV are considered to be high sources of a nutrient.

Good Nutrition is Your First Line of Defense Against Colds and Flu

If you eat a variety of real foods, including plenty of vegetables and fruits, fermented foods, bone broths and organ meats, you'll be well on your way to getting what you need to help your body stay healthy. Regular exercise and time in the sun is also very important. If you're going to use supplements, choose a reliable brand.

If you've found this post helpful, you may also enjoy the other posts in the series:

Thieves Vinegar – Immune Booster and Germ Killer

Probiotics for Colds and Flu – Fewer Symptoms, Faster Recovery Time

Knock Out Cold and Flu Germs with Essential Oils

Originally published in 2014, updated in 2016, 2018.

The post The Best Supplements to Prevent and Treat Cold and Flu appeared first on Common Sense Home.

The post The Best Supplements to Prevent and Treat Cold and Flu appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.

The Best Supplements to Prevent and Treat Cold and Flu posted first on https://homesteadingalliance.com/

[jesseneufeld]

The Definitive Guide to Protein

Protein is an incredible essential macronutrient. Fat is plentiful, even when you’re lean, and there are only two absolutely essential fatty acids; the rest we can manufacture from other precursors if required. Carbs we can produce from protein, if we really must, or we can just switch over to ketones and fats for the bulk of the energy that would otherwise come from carbs. Protein cannot be made with the raw material available in our bodies. We have to eat foods containing the range of amino acids that we need.

In other words, protein is incredibly important—which is why today I’m writing a definitive guide on the subject. After today’s post, you’ll have a good handle on the role protein plays in the body, how much protein you need to be eating, which foods are highest in protein, and much more.

First, what roles does protein play in our bodies?

It helps us build muscle.

We use it to construct new cells, muscles, organs, and other tissues.

It’s a chemical messenger, allowing us to turn on and turn off genes.

It forms the fundamental substrates used to manufacture enzymes, DNA, and hormones.

It can even be a fuel source, either directly or through conversion into glucose.

Now, am I saying that the steak you eat directly becomes a thyroid hormone? Does chicken breast turn into DNA?

No. But the strings of amino acids and peptides that make up proteins are eventually broken down and cobbled back together to fulfill all the roles I describe. Every bite of protein you consume contributes toward maintenance of your physiology. And we can’t make new protein. We have to eat it.

What’s the Recommended Daily Protein Intake?

If you go by the official numbers, the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDI) for protein is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, or 0.36 g protein/lb. That’s what the “experts” say to eat. That’s all you “need.” I disagree, and I’ll tell you why down below, but there’s the official answer.

Sufficient is one thing. Optimal is another. In reality, the amount of protein required for optimal health and performance is different for every population.

Protein Intake for Athletes and Exercisers

Athletes need more protein than the average person, but perhaps not as much as most fitness enthusiasts think (or consume). A 2011 paper on optimal protein intakes for athletes concluded that 1.8 g protein/kg bodyweight (or 0.8 g protein/lb bodyweight) maximizes muscle protein synthesis (while higher amounts are good for dieting athletes interested in preserving lean mass), whereas another settled on “a diet with 12-15% of its energy as protein,” assuming “total energy intake is sufficient to cover the high expenditures caused by daily training” (which could be quite high).1 2 One study even found benefit in 2-3 g protein/kg bodyweight (0.9-1.4 g protein/lb bodyweight) for athletes, a significant increase over standard recommendations.3 That said, I wouldn’t be too quick to discount anecdotal evidence or “iron lore.” A significant-enough portion of the strength training community swears by 1-2 g protein/lb bodyweight that it couldn’t hurt to try if lower amounts aren’t working for you.

Protein Intake During Weight Loss

Weight loss involves a caloric deficit (whether arrived at spontaneously or consciously). Unfortunately, caloric deficits rarely discriminate between lean mass and body fat, while most people are interested in losing fat, not muscle/bone/tendon/sinew/organ. Numerous studies show that increasing your protein intake during weight loss will partially offset the lean mass loss that tends to occur. In obese and pre-obese women, a 750 calorie diet with 30% of calories from protein (about 56 grams) preserved more lean mass during weight loss than an 18% protein diet.4 Another study in women showed that a 1.6 g protein/kg bodyweight (or 0.7 g protein/lb bodyweight) diet led to more weight loss, more fat loss, and less lean mass loss than a 0.8 g protein/kg bodyweight diet.5 Among dieting athletes, 2.3 g protein/kg bodyweight (or a little over 1 g protein/lb bodyweight) was far superior to 1.0 g protein/kg bodyweight in preserving lean mass. And, although specific protein intake recommendations were not stated, a recent meta-analysis concluded that high-protein weight loss diets help preserve lean mass.6

Protein Intake When Injured

Healing wounds increases protein requirements. After all, you’re literally rebuilding lost or damaged tissue, the very definition of an anabolic state, and you need protein to build new tissue. One review recommends around 1.5 g protein/kg bodyweight or close to 0.7 g protein/lb bodyweight for injured patients.7 Children recovering from illness or injury may need up to 2.5 g protein/kg. If you mess this up and undershoot your protein intake during recovery, you will compromise your healing.

Protein Intake for Seniors

The protein metabolism of the average senior citizen is compromised. They need more protein to do the same amount of “work.” The protein RDA is simply not enough for seniors, who lose thigh muscle mass and exhibit lower urinary nitrogen excretion when given the standard 0.8 g protein/kg bodyweight.ref]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11382798[/ref] What’s good for the goose may not be good for the elderly, frail gander. More recent studies indicate that a baseline intake of 1.0-1.3 g protein/kg bodyweight or 0.5-0.6 g protein/lb bodyweight is more suitable for the healthy and frail elderly to ensure nitrogen balance.8 That said, active seniors will do better with even more and evidence suggests that increasing protein can both improve physical performance without necessarily increasing muscle mass and increase muscle mass when paired with extended resistance training in the elderly.91011

How Much Protein on Keto?

What about another population entirely: ketogenic dieters. We’ve got a lot of those around here, so this is important. If you’re on a keto diet, should you restrict protein? I mean, doesn’t extra protein just convert directly into glucose?

Our livers only convert protein into glucose when we—for whatever reason��need more glucose. It’s demand, not the supply. And since keto-adapted people are running mostly on fat and ketones, they have a lower requirement for glucose and are much less likely to trigger the kind of perceived glucose deficiency that necessitates gluconeogenesis.

Extra protein can however impair ketogenesis by contributing oxaloacetate donors to the Krebs cycle. With oxaloacetate, fatty acids enter the Krebs cycle and are fully oxidized and turned into ATP, the body’s energy currency. Without oxaloacetate, fatty acids can’t enter the Krebs cycle and are instead converted into ketones to generate energy.

If you’re dealing with cognitive decline, elevated inflammation, or any other condition that requires or may improve with deep ketosis, aim for a lower protein content (10-15% of calories). Get those high ketone levels, see how it feels, and see if that’s the protein intake for you. Start low, really revel in those high ketone readings, and stick with them if you’re improving.

If you’re losing weight (or trying to), eat closer to 15-30%. For you, the ketone readings aren’t the biggest focus. How you look, feel, and perform are your main concern. Eating slightly more protein will increase satiety, making “eating less” a spontaneous, inadvertent thing that just happens. It will also stave off at least some portion of the lean mass accretion that occurs during weight loss; you want to lose body fat, not muscle.

If you’re trying to gain large amounts of muscle, eat closer to 20-30%.

Understand, however, that everyone is unique. For some, protein is deeply anti-ketogenic—eating too much protein will knock you out of ketosis almost immediately. For others, protein has little to no effect. Or if it has a momentary nullifying effect, you can quickly slip back into ketosis. Unless deep ketosis is medically necessary, don’t worry about protein too much either way. There are studies of “modified ketogenic diets” where protein goes as high as 30% of calories and subjects still get the benefits.12

High Protein Benefits

Beyond supporting the basic underpinnings of human physiology, eating more protein than the RDI offers extra benefits.

Protein Satiety

As a fundamental biological motivator, hunger can’t be ignored forever. Eventually you crack, and the diet fails. Eventually, you’re going to eat. Where extra protein helps is adding satiety. Successful fat loss comes down to managing your hunger; protein helps you manage it without relying on sheer willpower.

Protein For Muscle Gain and Muscle Retention

To increase muscle protein synthesis, you need two primary inputs: resistance training and protein intake. You can lift all the weights in the world, but if you’re not eating enough protein, you won’t gain any muscle. You can’t make extra, it has to come from outside sources.

And then during active weight loss, upping your protein intake will minimize the loss of muscle that usually accompanies fat loss. In women, for example, cutting calories while keeping protein higher than normal led to better lean mass retention than cutting the same number of calories and keeping protein low.13 Simply put, more protein tends to enhance fat loss and preserve muscle.

Protein to Increase Energy Expenditure

Metabolizing protein is costlier than metabolizing fat and carbohydrates: it takes extra energy to process protein than it does to process the other macronutrients. This increases the amount of calories you expend, simply by eating more protein. Thus, higher protein diets increase energy expenditure relative to diets lower in protein.

Higher Micronutrient Intake

While we love our fat-soluble vitamins around here—your vitamin Ds, your vitamin K2s, your retinols, your vitamin Es—we musn’t forget about our B-vitamins and minerals. Those latter two groups come bound in the muscle meat. The more whole food-based protein we eat, the more micronutrients we’ll take in.

Protein Foods: Where to Get Your Protein

The best sources of protein for humans are animal foods. Meat, fish, fowl, shellfish, eggs, and dairy all contain the most bioavailable form of protein: animal protein. Makes sense when you consider that we are animals, and we use the protein we eat to build new animal tissues in our own animal bodies. Of course animal protein will be better and more efficient at doing protein-y things than plant protein.

Following resistance training, soy protein blunts testosterone production in men.14

In both the young and the elderly, whey promotes greater muscle protein synthesis than soy protein.15

Compared to milk, soy protein results in less hypertrophy following resistance training.16

Women who consume animal protein have greater muscle mass than female vegetarians.17

We can also confirm this by studying the Biological Value (BV) of a given protein source. The BV describes the proportion of protein in a food that becomes incorporated into the consuming organism’s tissues, with 100 being best.

Egg protein: 100 BV

Whey isolate: 100 BV

Milk protein: 91 BV

Beef: 80 BV

Casein: 77 BV

And then:

Soy protein: 74 BV

Wheat gluten: 64 BV

Pea protein: 65 BV

Another factor to consider is that animal protein is complete; it contains all essential amino acids—those amino acids which we cannot produce ourselves and must obtain from outside sources. Plant proteins tend to be incomplete. No individual plant protein is complete, except for perhaps potato protein (but the absolute levels of protein in a potato are too low). If you want to go all plant, you have to combine different ones to hit all the amino acids you need.

So in theory you could get your protein from an algorithmically-derived blend of gluten powder, pea protein, rice protein, and fermented free range soy. Or you could just eat 5 eggs for breakfast (30 grams), a Big Ass Salad with a can of oysters (11 grams), some cheese (8 grams), and a can of sardines (24 grams) on top for lunch, and a ribeye for dinner (40-80 grams, depending on size).

I know what I’d choose. I know what’s easier, what’s more delicious.

Collagen Protein

Collagen protein is the type of protein you get from connective tissue in meats. You can slow-cook tougher cuts of meat until they’re tender, or simmer a batch of bone broth to get your collagen.

Collagen is so important that I consider it the fourth macronutrient. It contains amino acids that aren’t as plentiful in muscle meats and other protein sources, so it helps your body complete the amino acid chains that would otherwise be limited. You get more benefit out of the other protein you eat by eating collagen-rich foods or supplementing with a hydrolyzed collagen protein supplement. You can read more about collagen here.

How about you, folks? How do you get your protein? How much do you eat per day?

(function($) { $("#dfpWwMd").load("https://www.marksdailyapple.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=dfads_ajax_load_ads&groups=674&limit=1&orderby=random&order=ASC&container_id=&container_html=none&container_class=&ad_html=div&ad_class=&callback_function=&return_javascript=0&_block_id=dfpWwMd" ); })( jQuery );

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22150425

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1763249

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14971434

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17299116

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16046715

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23097268

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/711879_7

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16886097

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22889730[ref][ref]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22889730

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22889730

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22770932

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18175736

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17622289

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24015701

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20368372

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17413102

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19678968

The post The Definitive Guide to Protein appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

The Definitive Guide to Protein published first on https://drugaddictionsrehab.tumblr.com/

[lauramalchowblog]

The Definitive Guide to Protein

Protein is an incredible essential macronutrient. Fat is plentiful, even when you’re lean, and there are only two absolutely essential fatty acids; the rest we can manufacture from other precursors if required. Carbs we can produce from protein, if we really must, or we can just switch over to ketones and fats for the bulk of the energy that would otherwise come from carbs. Protein cannot be made with the raw material available in our bodies. We have to eat foods containing the range of amino acids that we need.

In other words, protein is incredibly important—which is why today I’m writing a definitive guide on the subject. After today’s post, you’ll have a good handle on the role protein plays in the body, how much protein you need to be eating, which foods are highest in protein, and much more.

First, what roles does protein play in our bodies?

It helps us build muscle.

We use it to construct new cells, muscles, organs, and other tissues.

It’s a chemical messenger, allowing us to turn on and turn off genes.

It forms the fundamental substrates used to manufacture enzymes, DNA, and hormones.

It can even be a fuel source, either directly or through conversion into glucose.

Now, am I saying that the steak you eat directly becomes a thyroid hormone? Does chicken breast turn into DNA?

No. But the strings of amino acids and peptides that make up proteins are eventually broken down and cobbled back together to fulfill all the roles I describe. Every bite of protein you consume contributes toward maintenance of your physiology. And we can’t make new protein. We have to eat it.

What’s the Recommended Daily Protein Intake?

If you go by the official numbers, the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDI) for protein is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, or 0.36 g protein/lb. That’s what the “experts” say to eat. That’s all you “need.” I disagree, and I’ll tell you why down below, but there’s the official answer.

Sufficient is one thing. Optimal is another. In reality, the amount of protein required for optimal health and performance is different for every population.

Protein Intake for Athletes and Exercisers

Athletes need more protein than the average person, but perhaps not as much as most fitness enthusiasts think (or consume). A 2011 paper on optimal protein intakes for athletes concluded that 1.8 g protein/kg bodyweight (or 0.8 g protein/lb bodyweight) maximizes muscle protein synthesis (while higher amounts are good for dieting athletes interested in preserving lean mass), whereas another settled on “a diet with 12-15% of its energy as protein,” assuming “total energy intake is sufficient to cover the high expenditures caused by daily training” (which could be quite high).1 2 One study even found benefit in 2-3 g protein/kg bodyweight (0.9-1.4 g protein/lb bodyweight) for athletes, a significant increase over standard recommendations.3 That said, I wouldn’t be too quick to discount anecdotal evidence or “iron lore.” A significant-enough portion of the strength training community swears by 1-2 g protein/lb bodyweight that it couldn’t hurt to try if lower amounts aren’t working for you.

Protein Intake During Weight Loss

Weight loss involves a caloric deficit (whether arrived at spontaneously or consciously). Unfortunately, caloric deficits rarely discriminate between lean mass and body fat, while most people are interested in losing fat, not muscle/bone/tendon/sinew/organ. Numerous studies show that increasing your protein intake during weight loss will partially offset the lean mass loss that tends to occur. In obese and pre-obese women, a 750 calorie diet with 30% of calories from protein (about 56 grams) preserved more lean mass during weight loss than an 18% protein diet.4 Another study in women showed that a 1.6 g protein/kg bodyweight (or 0.7 g protein/lb bodyweight) diet led to more weight loss, more fat loss, and less lean mass loss than a 0.8 g protein/kg bodyweight diet.5 Among dieting athletes, 2.3 g protein/kg bodyweight (or a little over 1 g protein/lb bodyweight) was far superior to 1.0 g protein/kg bodyweight in preserving lean mass. And, although specific protein intake recommendations were not stated, a recent meta-analysis concluded that high-protein weight loss diets help preserve lean mass.6

Protein Intake When Injured

Healing wounds increases protein requirements. After all, you’re literally rebuilding lost or damaged tissue, the very definition of an anabolic state, and you need protein to build new tissue. One review recommends around 1.5 g protein/kg bodyweight or close to 0.7 g protein/lb bodyweight for injured patients.7 Children recovering from illness or injury may need up to 2.5 g protein/kg. If you mess this up and undershoot your protein intake during recovery, you will compromise your healing.

Protein Intake for Seniors

The protein metabolism of the average senior citizen is compromised. They need more protein to do the same amount of “work.” The protein RDA is simply not enough for seniors, who lose thigh muscle mass and exhibit lower urinary nitrogen excretion when given the standard 0.8 g protein/kg bodyweight.ref]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11382798[/ref] What’s good for the goose may not be good for the elderly, frail gander. More recent studies indicate that a baseline intake of 1.0-1.3 g protein/kg bodyweight or 0.5-0.6 g protein/lb bodyweight is more suitable for the healthy and frail elderly to ensure nitrogen balance.8 That said, active seniors will do better with even more and evidence suggests that increasing protein can both improve physical performance without necessarily increasing muscle mass and increase muscle mass when paired with extended resistance training in the elderly.91011

How Much Protein on Keto?

What about another population entirely: ketogenic dieters. We’ve got a lot of those around here, so this is important. If you’re on a keto diet, should you restrict protein? I mean, doesn’t extra protein just convert directly into glucose?

Our livers only convert protein into glucose when we—for whatever reason—need more glucose. It’s demand, not the supply. And since keto-adapted people are running mostly on fat and ketones, they have a lower requirement for glucose and are much less likely to trigger the kind of perceived glucose deficiency that necessitates gluconeogenesis.

Extra protein can however impair ketogenesis by contributing oxaloacetate donors to the Krebs cycle. With oxaloacetate, fatty acids enter the Krebs cycle and are fully oxidized and turned into ATP, the body’s energy currency. Without oxaloacetate, fatty acids can’t enter the Krebs cycle and are instead converted into ketones to generate energy.

If you’re dealing with cognitive decline, elevated inflammation, or any other condition that requires or may improve with deep ketosis, aim for a lower protein content (10-15% of calories). Get those high ketone levels, see how it feels, and see if that’s the protein intake for you. Start low, really revel in those high ketone readings, and stick with them if you’re improving.

If you’re losing weight (or trying to), eat closer to 15-30%. For you, the ketone readings aren’t the biggest focus. How you look, feel, and perform are your main concern. Eating slightly more protein will increase satiety, making “eating less” a spontaneous, inadvertent thing that just happens. It will also stave off at least some portion of the lean mass accretion that occurs during weight loss; you want to lose body fat, not muscle.

If you’re trying to gain large amounts of muscle, eat closer to 20-30%.

Understand, however, that everyone is unique. For some, protein is deeply anti-ketogenic—eating too much protein will knock you out of ketosis almost immediately. For others, protein has little to no effect. Or if it has a momentary nullifying effect, you can quickly slip back into ketosis. Unless deep ketosis is medically necessary, don’t worry about protein too much either way. There are studies of “modified ketogenic diets” where protein goes as high as 30% of calories and subjects still get the benefits.12

High Protein Benefits

Beyond supporting the basic underpinnings of human physiology, eating more protein than the RDI offers extra benefits.

Protein Satiety

As a fundamental biological motivator, hunger can’t be ignored forever. Eventually you crack, and the diet fails. Eventually, you’re going to eat. Where extra protein helps is adding satiety. Successful fat loss comes down to managing your hunger; protein helps you manage it without relying on sheer willpower.

Protein For Muscle Gain and Muscle Retention

To increase muscle protein synthesis, you need two primary inputs: resistance training and protein intake. You can lift all the weights in the world, but if you’re not eating enough protein, you won’t gain any muscle. You can’t make extra, it has to come from outside sources.

And then during active weight loss, upping your protein intake will minimize the loss of muscle that usually accompanies fat loss. In women, for example, cutting calories while keeping protein higher than normal led to better lean mass retention than cutting the same number of calories and keeping protein low.13 Simply put, more protein tends to enhance fat loss and preserve muscle.

Protein to Increase Energy Expenditure

Metabolizing protein is costlier than metabolizing fat and carbohydrates: it takes extra energy to process protein than it does to process the other macronutrients. This increases the amount of calories you expend, simply by eating more protein. Thus, higher protein diets increase energy expenditure relative to diets lower in protein.

Higher Micronutrient Intake

While we love our fat-soluble vitamins around here—your vitamin Ds, your vitamin K2s, your retinols, your vitamin Es—we musn’t forget about our B-vitamins and minerals. Those latter two groups come bound in the muscle meat. The more whole food-based protein we eat, the more micronutrients we’ll take in.

Protein Foods: Where to Get Your Protein

The best sources of protein for humans are animal foods. Meat, fish, fowl, shellfish, eggs, and dairy all contain the most bioavailable form of protein: animal protein. Makes sense when you consider that we are animals, and we use the protein we eat to build new animal tissues in our own animal bodies. Of course animal protein will be better and more efficient at doing protein-y things than plant protein.

Following resistance training, soy protein blunts testosterone production in men.14

In both the young and the elderly, whey promotes greater muscle protein synthesis than soy protein.15

Compared to milk, soy protein results in less hypertrophy following resistance training.16

Women who consume animal protein have greater muscle mass than female vegetarians.17

We can also confirm this by studying the Biological Value (BV) of a given protein source. The BV describes the proportion of protein in a food that becomes incorporated into the consuming organism’s tissues, with 100 being best.

Egg protein: 100 BV

Whey isolate: 100 BV

Milk protein: 91 BV

Beef: 80 BV

Casein: 77 BV

And then:

Soy protein: 74 BV

Wheat gluten: 64 BV

Pea protein: 65 BV

Another factor to consider is that animal protein is complete; it contains all essential amino acids—those amino acids which we cannot produce ourselves and must obtain from outside sources. Plant proteins tend to be incomplete. No individual plant protein is complete, except for perhaps potato protein (but the absolute levels of protein in a potato are too low). If you want to go all plant, you have to combine different ones to hit all the amino acids you need.

So in theory you could get your protein from an algorithmically-derived blend of gluten powder, pea protein, rice protein, and fermented free range soy. Or you could just eat 5 eggs for breakfast (30 grams), a Big Ass Salad with a can of oysters (11 grams), some cheese (8 grams), and a can of sardines (24 grams) on top for lunch, and a ribeye for dinner (40-80 grams, depending on size).

I know what I’d choose. I know what’s easier, what’s more delicious.

Collagen Protein

Collagen protein is the type of protein you get from connective tissue in meats. You can slow-cook tougher cuts of meat until they’re tender, or simmer a batch of bone broth to get your collagen.

Collagen is so important that I consider it the fourth macronutrient. It contains amino acids that aren’t as plentiful in muscle meats and other protein sources, so it helps your body complete the amino acid chains that would otherwise be limited. You get more benefit out of the other protein you eat by eating collagen-rich foods or supplementing with a hydrolyzed collagen protein supplement. You can read more about collagen here.

How about you, folks? How do you get your protein? How much do you eat per day?

(function($) { $("#dfv15Mh").load("https://www.marksdailyapple.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=dfads_ajax_load_ads&groups=674&limit=1&orderby=random&order=ASC&container_id=&container_html=none&container_class=&ad_html=div&ad_class=&callback_function=&return_javascript=0&_block_id=dfv15Mh" ); })( jQuery );

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22150425

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1763249

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14971434

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17299116

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16046715

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23097268

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/711879_7

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16886097

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22889730[ref][ref]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22889730

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22889730

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22770932

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18175736

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17622289

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24015701

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20368372

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17413102

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19678968

The post The Definitive Guide to Protein appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

The Definitive Guide to Protein published first on https://venabeahan.tumblr.com

[gethealthy18-blog]

Kefir: What It Is + 10 Benefits + How To Prepare

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/getting-healthy/getting-healthy-women/kefir-what-it-is-10-benefits-how-to-prepare/

Kefir: What It Is + 10 Benefits + How To Prepare

Ravi Teja Tadimalla August 30, 2018

You want to be healthy and live long, don’t you? But did you know all of that depends on your gut health? Take care of your gut – and it will take very good care of you. Because when it comes to your gut, it’s serious business.

Statistics by the National Institute of Health show that about 70 million people in the US alone suffer from some digestive disease every year (1). You don’t want to be one of them, do you? This is where kefir comes into the picture. A cultured dairy, kefir is one of the most probiotic-rich foods on the planet. It contains far more friendly bacteria than your regular yogurt. And it is bound to boost your health in several ways. Just keep reading to know how.

Table Of Contents

What’s Kefir?

What Are The Benefits Of Kefir?

Kefir Vs. Yogurt – Which Is Better?

How To Prepare Kefir At Home

What Are The Side Effects Of Kefir?

What’s Kefir?

Kefir is a sour-tasting drink that is made by fermenting bacteria and yeast in cow milk. This combination of bacteria and yeast is called kefir grain. Unlike typical grains (like rice or wheat), kefir grain doesn’t contain gluten. It is combined with milk and stored in a warm area to culture, and what you get is the kefir beverage.

Kefir is available in different types – milk kefir (made from the milk of cows or goats or of coconut) and water kefir (made from sugary or coconut water). And most of the benefits of kefir can be attributed to its incredible probiotic content. Let’s take a look at the benefits.

What Are The Benefits Of Kefir?

1. Boosts Digestive Health

Shutterstock

The probiotics in the drink explain it. Kefir restores the balance of friendly bacteria in the gut, and this boosts digestive health like nothing else. Studies show how probiotics can even treat most forms of diarrhea (2).

Research also tells us how they can help treat numerous other digestive ailments, some of which include irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, and H.pylori infection.

The probiotics in kefir also help treat acid reflux.

2. Kefir Improves Bone Health

Kefir is replete with calcium and vitamin K2, both of which contribute to bone health. Studies show how adequate calcium can improve bone health and prevent the onset of osteoporosis (3). Osteoporosis happens when the bone tissue deteriorates – but calcium and vitamin K2 can prevent this.

Kefir can also enhance calcium absorption by the bone cells – which results in improved bone density and reduced risk of fractures.

3. Can Aid Weight Loss

Low-fat kefir can help in this regard. Kefir also is rich in protein, a nutrient that can keep you satiated and stop you from binge eating. Though more research is warranted, some studies show how probiotics can promote healthy weight loss (4).

The way probiotics influence gut bacteria impacts appetite and digestion – and this also can have some beneficial effects on weight loss (5).

4. May Prevent Cancer

Compounds in kefir can make the cancer cells self-destruct – and this is especially true with regard to gastric cancer (6).

Other bioactive compounds in kefir, like peptides, polysaccharides, and sphingolipids, also help prevent cancer. These compounds induce cancer cell death.

When compared to yogurt, kefir fares far better in preventing cancer. One study showed how kefir extract reduced the number of human breast cancer cells by as much as 56%, as opposed to the 14% by the yogurt extract (7).

5. Boosts Immunity

The biotin and folate in kefir boost the immune system. Even the probiotics in kefir do a great job here. For example, Lactobacillus Kefiri, a particular strain of probiotics in kefir, protect your body against salmonella and E.Coli, some very harmful bacteria (8).

Thanks to the anti-inflammatory properties of kefir, this drink also helps prevent allergies and asthma (9).

6. Helps Lower Blood Sugar

Though more research is warranted, one Iranian study shows how kefir can be used to lower blood sugar levels. The study concludes by saying kefir could be an alternative treatment for diabetes (10).

7. Can Lower Cholesterol Levels

One study showed how women who drank low-fat kefir for eight weeks saw a significant decline in their bad cholesterol levels (11). Though we need more research, experts conclude that the probiotics in kefir influence how much cholesterol the body can absorb from food.

8. Good For Those With Lactose Intolerance

Shutterstock

Lactose intolerance occurs when the body cannot digest the lactose present in dairy products (due to insufficient lactase in the body, which it needs to digest lactose). But the probiotics in kefir play a role here – they help digest the lactose. This eventually helps boost lactose tolerance.

One American study also shows us how kefir can be used as a potential treatment for lactose intolerance (12).

9. Could Be Beneficial During Pregnancy

We have limited research here as well. Though the probiotics in kefir help prevent infections like bacterial vaginosis, we don’t know yet if they can be beneficial to pregnant women or babies in any way (13).

10. Kefir Can Boost Skin Health

Did you know there is a connection between your gut health and skin condition? Gut issues can also manifest in the form of rashes, acne, psoriasis, and eczema. Kefir restores the good gut bacteria, and this enhances skin health as well.

Kefir also contains a carbohydrate called kefiran that improves the pace and quality of skin wound healing. It even protects the connective tissue (14).

These are the ways kefir can make your life easier. But hold on – what’s the big deal between kefir and yogurt? Only that kefir contains more probiotics, right?

Wrong. Not just that.

Kefir Vs. Yogurt – Which Is Better?

The most significant difference is the types of probiotics each contains. While yogurt contains 2 to 7 types of good bacteria strains, kefir contains 10 to 34 good bacteria strains, in addition to beneficial yeast strains.

Another difference is that yogurt contains transient bacteria, which clean and line the gut and offer food to the good bacteria. This means these bacteria don’t stay in the gut. But kefir bacteria attack the gut walls and colonize. They stay back and regulate the gut. They also are aggressive – they can go out of their way and attack the pathogens and other bad bacteria in your gut.

Talking about consistency, yogurt is thicker while kefir is thinner. And while yogurt is made by heating milk and adding a bacteria starter, kefir is made of kefir grains that are added at room temperature.

So, which of the two is better? Kefir, isn’t it? How do you get it? We recommend you prepare it at home. That way, you get the healthier version of the power probiotic, and you can save some money as well!

How To Prepare Kefir At Home

The process is simple.

Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of kefir grains (you can get them here) to a small jar.

Add about 2 cups of milk (organic or raw; milk from grass-fed cows work best) and leave an inch of room at the top of the jar.

You can also add some full-fat cream if you want a thicker consistency.

Put the lid on and leave the jar undisturbed for 12 to 36 hours at room temperature.

When it starts to look clumpy, it is ready.

You can again strain out the liquid, and what is left behind are the original kefir grains. Repeat the process for more kefir.

In addition to probiotics, 200 grams of kefir also contains 11 grams of protein (22% of the RDA), 10 grams of fat (15% of the RDA), 12 grams of total carbs (4% of the RDA), and 200 calories.

Despite all the rosy stuff, there is something you need to keep in mind.

What Are The Side Effects Of Kefir?

Issues During Pregnancy And Breastfeeding

Though kefir may help fight bacterial vaginosis, information is incomplete. Hence, stay safe and avoid its use if you are pregnant or nursing.

A Weakened Immune System

Kefir boosts immunity. If you are someone with conditions that weaken the immune system (like AIDS), consuming kefir might cause infections due to the presence of bacteria and yeast.

Colon Cancer

Individuals undergoing chemotherapy for colon cancer must stay away from kefir – or they may experience side effects like mouth sores, drowsiness, sweats, hair loss, and even intestinal issues.

Conclusion

As we said, it all resides in your gut. Take care of your gut, and it will take care of you. Start having kefir today!

Tell us how this post has helped you by leaving a comment in the box below.

Expert’s Answers for Readers Questions

How much kefir can I drink?

Start small. You can go with 1 to 4 cups of kefir a day.

Is kefir lactose-free?

Yes. In fact, the bacteria it contains help digest the lactose.

How to tell if kefir has gone bad?

The best way to check is to go with the color. If kefir starts changing color, from creamy white to greenish blue or orange, it has gone bad. Just throw the product away.

References

“Digestive diseases statistics for the United States”. National Institute of Health.

“Probiotics for the prevention of…”. US National Library of Medicine.

“The role of calcium in human aging”. US National Library of Medicine.

“Kefir drink leads to a similar…”. US National Library of Medicine.

“Probiotics in prevention and treatment of…”. US National Library of Medicine.

“Induction of apoptosis of gastric cancer cells…”. ScienceDirect.

“Kefir extracts suppress in vitro proliferation…”. US National Library of Medicine.

“Safety characterization and antimicrobial properties…”. US National Library of Medicine.

“Anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects of…”. US National Library of Medicine.

“Effect of probiotic fermented milk…”. US National Library of Medicine.

“Kefir drink causes a significant yet…”. Journal of Clinical Lipidology.

“Kefir improves lactose digestion and tolerance…”. US National Library of Medicine.

“Taking probiotics during pregnancy”. US National Library of Medicine.

“Antimicrobial and healing activity of kefir…”. US National Library of Medicine.

Feedback

×

How can we improve it?

This article contains incorrect information.

This article doesn’t have the information I’m looking for.

×

How helpful was it?

This article changed my life!

This article was informative.

The following two tabs change content below.

Latest posts by Ravi Teja Tadimalla (see all)

Kefir: What It Is + 10 Benefits + How To Prepare – August 30, 2018

Conjugated Linoleic Acid: Burns Fat, Treats Diabetes, And More – August 27, 2018

Chymoral Forte: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions, Price, And More – August 27, 2018

20 Everyday Foods That Boost Testosterone Naturally – August 9, 2018

Alpha Lipoic Acid: Top 11 Benefits Of The Power Antioxidant + Dosage – July 31, 2018

Ravi Teja Tadimalla

Ravi Teja Tadimalla is a Senior Content Writer who specializes in writing on Health and Wellness. He graduated from SRM University, Chennai, and has been in the field for well over 4 years now. His work involves extensive research on how one can maintain better health through natural foods and organic supplements. Ravi has written over 250 articles and is also a published author. Reading and theater are his other interests.

RELATED ARTICLES

Source: https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/kefir-benefits/

[lindafrancois]

6 Ultimate Health Benefits of Chlorella-the Superfood

In these times when foods more than nutrients are filled up with chemicals, we must look out for better choices.

That’s where Superfoods come into play. Just like Spirulina, there’s another blue-green alga, Chlorella, that has been recognized as a superfood.  

Yes, chlorella is a single cell freshwater alga that is endowed with various health benefits. Chlorella has gained its important because of its amazing protein and vitamin content. It is also found to be helping in weight loss. [7]

So what does this chlorella actually contain for which it is all over the health radar? First of all, it is proven that Chlorella is supremely blessed with various nutrients.

One hundred grams of dried chlorella generally contain:

58g protein

9g fat

23g carbohydrates

1026% RDA of vitamin A

722% RDA of iron

22% RDA of calcium

17% RDA of vitamin 

Source

Wondering how to utilize the goodness of superfoods to the maximum through diet? Get a FREE consultation from a Truweight Nutritionist today! Click here.

Get FREE Weightloss Consultation Today!

Chlorella is rich in amino acids, potassium, phosphorus as well as biotin. It naturally increases oxygen uptake in the blood as well as acts as a great detoxifier of heavy metals from the human Healthbody.

There are different scientifically proven health benefits of chlorella and we bring to you 6 of the most amazing ones.

1. Chlorella reduces cholesterol 

A high level of cholesterol is one of the major contributors to cardiac diseases.

And studies have found that daily consumption of Chlorella supplements can reduce the level of serum cholesterol[1].

Chlorella clears reduces cholesterol by removing it from the digestive tract and also preventing its reabsorption.  Chlorella contains nutrients that are related to lowering of cholesterol.

It contains fiber that reduces the bad cholesterol as well as the overall cholesterol by eliminating cholesterol particles. Also, it contains antioxidants that reduce heart issues by preventing the oxidation of LDL.

2. Chlorella helps to improve the blood sugar levels

Chlorella improves blood-sugar levels

Chlorella contains certain nutrients that can be beneficial for sugar levels in the blood. It contains magnesium [2] that is found to be effective in improving blood sugar levels.

Moreover, it is also found that consumption of chlorella helps in activating genes that improve insulin sensitivity within cells.

3. Chlorella boosts the immune system

Studies have proven that chlorella can be effective in improving the immune system[3]. Moreover, it contains anti-inflammatory properties that keep the overall health intact.

In another study, Researchers from Yonsei University in Korea did an experiment on healthy people who were divided into two groups with one being given 5 grams a day of chlorella.

It was found that the group which was intaking chlorella showed –

a) Increased activity of certain immune cells, Natural Killer cells in the body

b) An increase of immune providing proteins in the body.

4. Chlorella boosts energy

Do you get tired very easily? Well, chlorella supplements will help you.

Studies show that chlorella consumption helps in increasing the energy levels by significantly increasing the oxygen uptake in the body [4]. 

Hence, it is definitely a source of natural body revitalizer.

5. Chlorella helps in weight loss

Chlorella helps in weight loss

Another very important and popular use of this superfood is that it can greatly help in weight loss.

Studies have shown that chlorella reduces body fat percentages, fasting glucose levels as well as cholesterol levels that help in weight loss.

Moreover, it is also found that Chlorella helps in fighting obesity by improving insulin resistance in the body[5].

Also, chlorella fulfils nutrient supply required by the body which lowers the food cravings and hence helps in weight loss further.

Chlorella, as mentioned already, helps in removing heavy metals which is a natural detox phase that can promote weight loss.

6. Chlorella can be beneficial for chemotherapy

 There is evidence that chlorella supplementation can help people going through chemotherapy. Chemotherapy often leads to weakening the immune system with radiations.

But it has been found that chlorella reduces these harmful effects.

A study showed less respiratory infections and different illnesses[6]. Also, chlorella helps in fighting cancer-causing factors like heavy metals by helping in eliminating them.

Correct dosage for Chlorella

The doses may differ from person to person. Usually, the recommended dosage of chlorella ranges from 4-8 grams per day.

FAQs

Q. What is Chlorella used for?

A. Chlorella is used as a nutritional supplement for health and medicinal purposes.

Q. Can Chlorella help in weight loss?

A. Yes, chlorella has been found to be recommended by Nutritionists for weight loss.

Q. Which is better chlorella or spirulina?

A. Both Chlorella and Spirulina are considered as superfoods for their amazing nutritional contents. So, both of them can be included in your diet to bring various health benefits.

Q. Can Chlorella make you constipated?

A. Yes, it has been found that chlorella can cause constipation. Therefore, you can consult a doctor before going for its daily consumption.

Get FREE Weightloss Consultation Today!

The post 6 Ultimate Health Benefits of Chlorella-the Superfood appeared first on Blog.

6 Ultimate Health Benefits of Chlorella-the Superfood published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[dietauthority]

Green Shakes Galore By Dr. Michelle Storfer

With the remarkable heat that was upon us momentarily (as well as readied to return, evidently!), my mixer's been placed to excellent usage. I have actually been whipping up all types of "drinks" - as well as definitely loving them! While I have created a load of various mixtures (more which I thinking of sharing here over the coming weeks), in the meantime I'll be sharing my two favourite “go-to” shake recipes that I whip up for myself at least 2-3 times a week (also in the colder climate!).

While “juicing" is in vogue right currently, and also it definitely does have its health benefits, I'm a lot more in favour of "shakes” (depending upon components, of program!), which retain all the vegetables and fruit's nutritious pulp and are therefore, a great method to pack in a lots of vitamins, minerals as well as nutrients. Additionally, they give your system a straight dose of enzymes, plant-based protein and fiber, without your body having to function hard at damaging down the ingredients.

Obviously what goes into your beverage is key - you do not want a lots of high-GI fruits or fruit juices (or sugarcoated and syrups) that will certainly increase blood glucose levels and also trigger insulin levels to spike (& crash!)

My Green Power Shakes actually have NO added fruit, fruit juice or sugars whatsoever and are super tasty and healthy - you do not have to seem like you're putting away some revolting green "filth" to get your benefits in! As a matter of fact, these trembles are super filling and decadently delicious.  They are not only LOADED with muscle-building protein, fibre and healthy fats, however additionally boast a blend of healthy nutrients, nutrients that nourish your body, boost your energy levels and immune system, and provide you gorgeous beautiful skin - all whilst leaving you complete, satisfied and refreshed!

They're excellent for breakfast or as a mid-day/ post-workout snack and are also a great means to healthily please a sweet craving (goodbye Starbucks Caramel Frappuccinos!). These are ensured to "wake you up" without weighing you down!

The “super-leaf” spinach (the main ingredient of my Power Shakes) is a good source of protein (an incredibly high 3g each 100g!), calcium, magnesium, folate, nutritional fibre, B Vitamins, vitamin C, Vitamin E, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin K, manganese, iron, zinc, copper as well as phosphorus, to name but a few!  Magnesium is a vital nutritional part as it helps prevent headaches and also fatigue - compounding the effects of stress - and with merely one offering 40% of your RDA, these drinks make certain to renew your magnesium stores!

Whey protein isolate is one of the highest high quality resources of protein and, being extremely soluble and therefore easily and efficiently taken in by the human body, it's considered by many scientists as one of the "Gold Standards" of proteins for our bodies. It is likewise naturally gluten-free, with minimal quantities of lactose, carbohydrates and fat.  (You can easily replace it with soy/ pea protein powder for a vegan/ dairy-free alternative).

Nut butter (or avocado) provides heart-healthy fats, an abundance of vitamins as well as minerals, helps ensure you're left full and also satisfied, prevents sugar cravings and is a key ingredient for radiant skin!

The addition of cocoa to create the Chocolate Green Power Shake will give you a chocolate fix without adding any unnecessary calories or sugar (just heart-healthy anti-oxidants!)! It likewise makes it difficult to presume there was a complete offering of spinach in it - the excellent rouse to obtain your children (or picky grownups!) glugging down their greens!

What’s even better about these recipes is that they are the quickest and simplest of all shakes - there is NO preparation, food preparation or chopping entailed. Merely toss all the ingredients right into a blender or food processor, whizz it up, as well as there you have it - a thick, indulgent, nutrient-packed smoothie!

So in case it’s guilt-free deliciousness wasn't sufficient to encourage you, there are even more compared to sufficient great factors to whip up among these Power Green Shakes while the British warmth is after us (and even otherwise!) ... The benefits are certain making all those around you green with envy! J

Recipes

The Food Result Environment-friendly Electrical power Shake

( Gluten-free, Dairy-free as well as/ or Vegan alternatives consisted of)

Serves 1

Ingredients

70g frozen chopped spinach 2 cups (small) ice cubes 1-2 scoops (30g) vanilla protein powder * 1 Tbsp. nut butter** (e.g. Meridian peanut/ almond butter) 2 Tbsp. granulated sweetener (Splenda/ Stevia) 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground ginger (optional) Few drops almond essence (optional, but advised!) 1/2 cup skimmed/ almond/ soya milk

* Can substitute with 30g skimmed milk powder OR vegan (soya/ pea) protein powder. ** Can substitute with 1/2 an avocado for nut-free version.

Directions

Add ice as well as frozen spinach into mixer. Blend up until ice is fully crushed (if your blender has an "ice-crusher" feature/ button, utilize that!) Add the remainder of components, blend for several mins on highest rate till smooth ... Pour right into a HUGE glass, offer with a straw, and enjoy!!

The Food Effect Chocolate Eco-friendly Power Shake

( Gluten-free, Dairy-free and also/ or Vegan alternatives consisted of)

Serves 1

Ingredients

70g frozen chopped spinach 2 cups (small) ice cubes 1-2 scoops (30g) vanilla healthy protein powder * 1 Tablespoon. Nut butter (e.g. peanut/ almond butter) 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder 2 Tbsp. granulated sweetener (Splenda/ Stevia) 1 tsp. ground cinnamon Few goes down mint extract (optional, suggested for chocolate minty version!) 1/2 mug skimmed/ almond/ soya milk

* Can substitute with 30g skimmed milk powder OR vegan (soya/ pea) protein powder.

Directions

Add ice and also frozen spinach right into blender. Blend until ice is completely smashed (if your blender or food processor has an "ice-crusher" function/ switch, make use of that!) Add the rest of components, mix for numerous mins on highest rate up until smooth ... Pour right into a BIG glass, serve with a straw, and appreciate!!

For a lot more from Michelle check out www.thefoodeffect.co.uk and follow The Food Effect on Facebook https:// www.facebook.com/foodeffect and Twitter https://twitter.com/TheFoodEffectDR 

[cynthiamwashington]

Top 10 Paleo Apps

“Apps aren’t paleo, Sisson. Grok waited for days for aurochs to wander within spear-chucking range, not overnight for the release of the iPhone X.” True. But this is the world we live in. These are the tools we have.

If you’re going to lug around an addictive piece of tech in your pocket all day, it might as well contain some apps that make living healthy and living Primal easier, rather than harder. What follows are some of the best paleo/Primal apps I’ve found. Some I use, some I don’t. They’re not all explicitly “paleo,” but they’re all at least tangentially related to this thing we call the pursuit of optimal health and happiness.

Apnea Trainer

Apnea Trainer  (iOS, Android) is meant for free-divers, spearfishers, abalone hunters, and anyone interesting in increasing their lung capacity. It also has a “pranayama” setting that promotes a more meditative breathing pattern. Tim Ferriss turned me on to this, which he uses in an “off-label” manner as a replacement for meditation when he doesn’t have the time.

I’ve written about the potential benefits of meditation many times before, but I’ve never been able to get into it myself. Last year I gave you some alternatives to formal sitting meditation, and if I went back and wrote that one again I’d probably add Apnea Trainer to the list. It’s a great way to center yourself, do some deep diaphragmatic breathing, take a few minutes out of the day to get present, and improve your lung capacity in the process.

Interval Timer

Interval Timer (iOS) is exactly what it sounds like: a simple, no-nonsense interval timer. Completely customizable, so you can make any type of interval. 5 seconds on, 10 seconds off? You can do it. 2 minutes on, 1 minute off? Easy peasy.

There aren’t any bells, whistles, frills, or widgets, and that’s totally fine with me. You don’t need any. All that fluff just takes away from you, the work period, and the rest period. I’m sure other interval timer apps are perfectly fine and perhaps even have more functionality than the basic Interval Timer. This one’s free, so give it a shot and if it doesn’t meet with your expectations, try another.

Android users, this free interval timer looks to be a solid choice.

Bedtime Alert on the Clock App

The iPhone’s standard clock app is niftier than most realize. Rather than the wakeup alarm—which I try to avoid and usually succeed in doing—I like the bedtime alarm it has.

You choose when you want to wake up, how much sleep you need, and it determines a bedtime for you, backed up with an alert telling you to get yourself to bed. My only quibble is that it also includes a wakeup alert, or alarm clock that can’t be turned off or disabled.

If you’re like me and hate morning alarm clocks, use the basic “Reminder” app to set a bedtime reminder that repeats every day. If you like morning alarms, use the Bedtime Alert feature on the Clock App.

Nom Nom Paleo

There are other paleo/Primal recipe apps out there. Many, I’m sure, are quite good and full of incredible recipes. It’s just that I’ve tried a lot of the recipes from Nom Nom Paleo over the years, and I’ve never been disappointed. Not once.

Each recipe gets the full multimedia treatment, with stunning step-by-step photos and technique videos. Or if you just want the basics, the recipe cards give you the crucial information—ingredients, amounts, directions—you need to shop, cook, and eat. There’s even a 30-day meal plan included.

Zero

Zero (iOS) is a fasting tracker. You choose the fasting regimen you prefer—16-hour long fast, a “circadian rhythm fast,”or create your own schedule, then hit “start” and hit “stop” when you eat something. Over time, you accumulate reams of exportable data, which you can plot against bodyweight changes and relevant health markers to spot trends and identify connections.

I don’t use it personally. I’m not a quantified self guy, nor do I need any special assistance following a fasting schedule. Truth be told, I don’t even really follow a set schedule. I eat WHEN—when hunger ensues naturally. Yet, I can see where an app like Zero could help people just getting started.

Android users can try Vora.

AllTrails

Anytime I’m in a new area and have a few hours to kill, I’ll fire up AllTrails (iOS, Android) and see if there are any interesting trails nearby. I do this partially because I love to hike and take every opportunity to do it, especially if it’s someplace new. It’s also a key component of my anti-jetlag strategy which revolves around circadian entrainment to the new timezone. Physical activity alone is a strong entrainer of circadian rhythm. Physical activity outdoors in natural sunlight is an even better entrainer of circadian rhythm. 

You can filter the trails by difficulty, dog- or kid-friendliness, length, busyness, and route type.

Paleo (io)

How many times have you uttered the words, “Is it paleo?” How often does someone who knows you as the resident Primal expert ask it of you?

This is probably old hat to most of you. You can probably scan an aisle of food and immediately analyze the paleo-ness of the ingredients, complete with Terminator-style HUD readouts. Many of you have the answers.

In case you don’t have it, however, Paleo (io)(iOS, Android) does. A simple “yes” or “no,” that is. You can also search the app’s paleo food database of over 3000 foods to get more information.

Keto Diet Tracker

With keto gaining adherents and dabblers by the day, apps are popping up everywhere. Keto Diet Tracker (iOS, Android) looks to be the best of the bunch.

Pair this one with Paleo (io) for maximum accuracy. Use Keto Diet Tracker to identify the keto-friendliness of your food, then run that through a Paleo (io) filter.

It does require a monthly subscription. Quite a modest price, but make sure you know how to cancel your subscription in case it’s not a good fit for your preferences.

Cronometer

CRON-O-Meter (iOS, Android) draws on the latest USDA databases for nutritional info to help you track calories, micronutrients (including vitamins and minerals) and macronutrients (including specific amino acids, fatty acids, and carbohydrates) to plot them against the RDAs.

While its intended audience is the CRON (calorie restriction with optimal nutrition) crowd, most of whom tend to be vagualy plant-based, the app is just a solid nutrition tracker that provides a lot of detailed information relevant to any type of eater. It’s fun to enter a half a pound of beef liver and see your vitamin A, folate, and B-vitamin requirements instantly satisfied.

Spotify

A music app may not seem relevant to this list. Remember though: this is about health, happiness, and wellness, not just diet and exercise. A music app like Spotify (iOS, Android) offers major benefits to any Primal fan.

You can vibe to the music. Much of the best music attempts to capture the harmony of life, the rhythms to which we’re all subject.

You can dance. Nothing more Primal than moving your body to the rhythm that permeates all being.

You can sing along. Singing is repeatedly shown to be beneficial for elderly folks, particularly those with neurodegenerative diseases. I see no reason why those benefits wouldn’t apply to younger people as well. It’s been shown to improve heart rate variability, for example. But beyond all that is the basic joy of it. Song is a human universal; there must be a good reason to do it so much.

Those are the ten paleo/Primal smartphone apps that I’ve found most useful, interesting, and promising. What are yours? Thanks for stopping by today.

The post Top 10 Paleo Apps appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

Article source here:Marks’s Daily Apple