http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

I get a fair amount of emails from vegetarian readers asking how to start eating meat again after a period of vegetarianism or veganism. Although they see the health benefits of reclaiming omnivorism, they’re hesitant about the transition itself. As you all know, I have a number of vegetarians in my life, and there are many present and active in our MDA community. I empathize with the thinking that goes into their commitment, but I choose to eat meat and obviously encourage others to do the same for the sake of optimum health.

I’ve found their concerns generally fall into four areas that I’ll label taste, digestion, morality, and psychology. For all the vegetarians out there interested in rejoining the omnivorous side, let me take up your concerns and offer some Primal-minded suggestions.

Taste and Texture

Some vegetarians after many years are still nostalgic for certain meats (bacon seems to be the most common), while others have entirely lost any semblance of craving. Maybe they’ve managed to satisfy their taste for umami so well, they learned to live happily without any meat source. Alternatively, they may have vehemently talked themselves out of the taste long ago.

Faced with the interest in reclaiming meats’ nutritional benefit, they wonder how to rebuild a positive relationship with their estranged fare. We are, all of us, creatures of habit, and we tend to lean toward the familiar. As hard as it may be for meat lovers to understand, giving up a food group for years (and in some cases decades) means wholly disengaging from it. One’s associations with meat may become apathetic at best and full-on revulsion at worst. One reader worried because he’d come to hate the smell of grilled meat that wafted through his neighborhood from the corner restaurant. “If I can’t even take the smell,” he said, “I wonder how I’m ever going to stand the taste again.”

Readers will undoubtedly have good advice on the subject, but let me offer a few suggestions to ease the taste transition. It goes without saying (except I’m saying it) to take it slowly. Use small bits of meat (shredded or ground) as filler in what are already favorite dishes. Add a bit of shredded lamb to a ratatouille. Include small bites of chicken or shrimp in a Greek salad. Throw a little ground beef in a veggie stew.

Alternatively, let someone else do the cooking for a while. Make your first forays in a restaurant. Look around the room and see what other people are eating. Go with a visually appealing dish or something that just sounds good on the menu. Bring an experimental mindset. If the restaurant thing doesn’t do it for you, ask some meat-eating friends to share a couple of their best dishes. Host a potluck. Aim to try as many things as you can. Who knows, you might like it.

Digestion

Many vegetarian readers share a trickier concern. They worry – either because they’ve heard they should or (in some cases) they’ve experienced trouble in the past – that their bodies can’t digest meat anymore. Let me say there’s a lot of falsehood thrown around on this issue.

Do I suggest a 10-year vegetarian reignite his meat-eating lifestyle with a large t-bone steak or a blood sausage? No. But I think there’s a way for just about anybody to integrate meat again if they take it slowly enough.

Most of the clamor revolves around stomach enzymes. People declare their stomachs simply don’t produce meat digesting enzymes anymore, and they’re forever confined to a plant-based diet. Most of the time I hear this claim coming from people who’ve been vegetarians for five years or less.

This is one of the those times when I wish I could point to a group of studies and say, “See, there’s really no need to worry that a few years has selectively demolished your digestive profile.” Unfortunately, I have yet to come across any particular study with this focus. (If you know of one, please send it my way.) Nonetheless, reason and experience can often tell us what scientific research can’t. While long-term, strict vegetarianism or veganism can possibly lower the production of certain protein-directed enzymes, it shouldn’t be enough to halt it, let alone undo the genetic potential one has to produce them.

That said, I can see why people don’t want to jump in the deep end of the pool right away. Some people, particularly if they’ve been vegans or vegetarians for many years, do experience digestive upset during the first few days or weeks of including meat again. (Similar in some way to a sugar-burner turning fat-burner during the low carb flu period.) Rest assured it doesn’t mean you’ll always be plagued with nausea. In my experience, most people who take it slowly say they have little to no digestive issues during the transition.

Nonetheless, here’s a modest proposal for easing back into efficient meat digestion.

Moral Hangups About Meat

I’ll admit there’s no sugar coating the basics. Yes, it was an animal and – unless you forage for roadkill – it died to become food. As bad as a person may feel about this act, it’s the way of life of course. Nature isn’t a gentle, magnanimous force. We evolved to eat both meat and plants, regardless of what some people say. Meat eating (particularly after cooking was added to the mix) was a significant boon to our species. Yes, we can live without it, but we live better with it.

All that said, I can understand many people’s discomfort with the modern meat industry. In a fitting correlation, the livestock practices that produce the healthiest meat also tend to be more humane and less environmentally destructive overall. It’s not a perfect scenario, but it’s a better one.

These days it’s possible for most people to find more humanely raised, pastured meat either within driving distance, through local co-ops and buying clubs, or by direct mail. If local stores don’t offer what you’re looking for, research the area farms and natural buying clubs available to you, and check out direct farm to consumer mail order options. You should be able to find out how the animals are raised, what their diet is, and even what facility handles the slaughter and processing. Consider the facts, weigh the financials, and choose the best you can.

Then there’s always the do-it-yourself approach. As unappealing as killing an animal must sound, the option provides the best chance to ensure an animal has had as natural a life (and humane a death) as possible. Some people fish for their dinners or raise their own chickens for this exact reason. Raising a small herd of cattle or sheep is obviously more complicated, but I’ve known a few folks who do it. People also hunt, of course, for this among many other reasons. I’ll admit that I’ve done a mental 180 in recent years around the hunting issue. There are of course hunters who are cruel and irresponsible, but friends and MDA readers (among others) have helped me see how hunting – when done with respect and skill – offers a humane and even reverent way to relate to the animals we eat.

Psychology

Oftentimes, people’s emotional reservations are caught up primarily in the previous factor. Sometimes, however, there’s another level to the aversion – a heebie-jeebies kind of feeling. It’s more common in people who have been vegetarians or vegans for many years or who focused on the “repulsive” fleshly aspect of carne to maintain their commitment.

Some vegetarian readers have told me they try to ignore the meat in the dish. They tell themselves – in vain – that it’s just another ingredient. Their efforts to disconnect thought from sensory experience ends up making the situation worse. The flesh is all they can think about.

Although I can see why they would want to put it out of their minds and just do the deed with as little thought as possible, maybe the opposite approach is in order. Fire up the grill or, better yet, campfire. Give the occasion its primal due. Make a ceremony out of it. Think about that animal and all it offers to you now. Think about your ancestors and what they sacrificed through the ages to achieve basic survival. Toast them all. Celebrate the choice you have to indulge today. Eat with your hands. Feel the meat’s life-giving energy, and relish its connection to what’s essential and wild. After all, we’re all animals at the end of the day.

How to Start Eating Meat Again After Being Vegetarian or Vegan

• Start with good gut bacteria. Incorporate fermented foods, and go with a probiotic supplement for at least a few weeks before and after starting meat again. A healthy gut environment sets the stage for optimum digestion (among other benefits of course).
• If you’ve had digestive issues with meat before, try broth, particularly bone broth, for the first week. It’s good nutrition, and it might be easier to handle. Continue broth until you’re ready to move on to solid meat.
• Eat meat or fish alone, and don’t eat again for a few hours. (Be sure to eat it earlier in the day rather than at night.) Allow plenty of time for digestion and stomach emptying if you want to gauge how it will make you feel.
• Use a marinade that contains an acid like vinegar or a natural meat tenderizer like the bromelain in pineapple.
• If you experience ongoing problems, try a short-term course of HCL or enzyme supplement.

Thanks for reading today, everyone. Have you made the meat-eating transition? Know someone who has? What’s helped (or not)? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

The post How to Start Eating Meat Again: Transitioning Away from Vegetarianism appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

There’s just something cozy about autumn aromas coming from the oven by day, culminating with steaming plate of home-cooked comfort food. Even if you’re laying low for the holidays this year, you can re-create your favorite family recipes that bring you back home with every bite. No Thanksgiving spread is complete without sweet potatoes or yams, and this Gluten Free Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe delivers the creamy, sweet experience without all of the sugar that traditional recipes call for.

This recipe calls for small amounts of coconut sugar and maple syrup so that you get the fall flavors you crave, without the sugar crash later.

Here’s how to make it.

Gluten-free Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe

Serves: 8

Time in the kitchen: 60 minutes, including 35 minutes baking time

Ingredients

For the souffle

• 6 medium/large sweet potatoes (mine were 6-8” long)
• 1 tbsp. avocado oil
• 1/4 cup almond milk (I used Elmhurst1925 brand)
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 tbsp. coconut sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp. coconut flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Brand)
• 2 tbsp. almond flour
• 1-2 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 3 egg yolks
• 4 room temperature egg whites

For the pecan topping

• 1.25 cups pecans – some halved, some crumbled
• 3 tbsp. very soft salted butter or ghee
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. almond flour
• 1.5 tbsp. coconut sugar

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the sweet potatoes in half and toss them in avocado oil. Place them cut-side down on a baking dish or baking sheet and roast for about 50-60 minutes, or until they are soft.

While the sweet potatoes are roasting, make the pecan topping. Place the pecans in a bowl along with the butter, half of the almond flour and coconut sugar. Mix to combine so the butter coats the pecans and a crumble forms. Gently fold in the remaining almond flour.

Allow the sweet potatoes to cool a little, then scoop the insides out into a food processor. Add the almond milk, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract and pulse to combine.

Then add the cinnamon, coconut flour, almond flour and salt and blend. Add the egg yolks and blend until smooth. Pour the sweet potato mixture into a large bowl.

Whip the room temperature egg whites in a glass or metal bowl using a whisk or stand mixer until they start to get frothy (see the Tips section for tips on whipping your egg whites.) Keep whisking until soft peaks form.

Gently fold the egg whites a little at a time into the sweet potato mixture until they are incorporated evenly into the sweet potatoes.

Spread the sweet potato mixture into a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish.

Sprinkle the pecan mixture all over the top.

Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the sweet potato feels firm yet springy.

Allow the souffle to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Tips

• You can use your favorite milk in lieu of the almond milk.
• For the pecans, use pecan halves and crumble 1/3-1/2 of them and leave the rest of the pecans whole.
• Whipping the egg whites: This gives the souffle a light and airy texture. Separate the whites from the yolks and then let the egg whites come to room temperature. Whisk the egg whites in a glass or metal bowl (not plastic.) Make sure your bowl and whisk are both clean and Very dry. Any moisture will interfere with getting peaks. Whip them with a whisk until peaks form and then slowly fold them into the sweet potato mixture.
• For a less sweet souffle, feel free to reduce the maple syrup or coconut sugar or replace it with a sugar substitute. The pecan topping benefits from a granular sweetener so I don’t recommend omitting it.
• I haven’t tried this with anything other than sweet potatoes, but I imagine it would also be great with acorn or butternut squash. Aim for about 6-8 cups of roasted squash.

Nutrition Info (? of recipe)

Calories: 419
Fat: 28g
Total Carbs: 37g
Net Carbs: 30g
Protein: 9g

The post Gluten Free Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Research of the Week

“Molecular mimicry” (a la autoimmune disease) may lie at the heart of COVID-related pathology.

Early domesticated cats dined on rodents who followed human agricultural settlements.

“The recommendation to wear surgical masks to supplement other public health measures did not reduce the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate among wearers by more than 50% in a community with modest infection rates, some degree of social distancing, and uncommon general mask use. The data were compatible with lesser degrees of self-protection.”

A megadose of vitamin D3 in severe COVID patients was safe but ineffective.

Gobekli Tepe inhabitants were using huge stone troughs to cook porridge.

New Primal Blueprint Podcasts

Episode 456: John Gray PhD: Host Elle Russ welcomes John Gray of Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus fame.

Primal Health Coach Radio Episode 85: Laura and Erin chat with Tony Horton of P90X fame.

Media, Schmedia

The Iroquois hope to compete in Olympic lacrosse as a separate nation.

Looks like I’m supposed to have diabetes.

Interesting Blog Posts

Keto vs. ketones.

Social Notes

A good dad.

Everything Else

No.

An ancient epidemic brought COVID-relevant adaptations in East Asian populations.

Giving kids beef, whole milk, butter, and green veggies reduces the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections.

Fatty liver on the rise in children.

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

Instrument I’d never encountered: The Japanese shamisen.

Interesting hypothesis: Micro-filtered raw cow milk for COVID protection.

Good day: A day in the life of Brad Kearns.

Treatment just keeps getting better: Ivermectin, zinc, vitamin D3, and doxycycline appear effective against COVID.

Important detail: Dopamine does not contribute to felt pleasure.

Question I’m Asking

Why is there a petroglyph of a Phoenician-style sailing boat at a Michigan copper mining site from 1600 BC?

Recipe Corner

• Gluten-free cornbread stuffing, for those who miss the real stuff.
• Thanksgiving side dishes.

Time Capsule

One year ago (Nov 14 – Nov 20)

• Dear Mark: Synthetic Peptides – What to try, what not.
• What We Get Wrong About Childhood Obesity – What we miss.

Comment of the Week

“I never bought the idea that stoicism and epicureanism are rival philosophies. While the largesse of the stereotypical epicurean is at odds with stoicism, so is it at odds with truly embracing life’s pleasures – decadence without temper becomes cloying and, ultimately, unsatisfying. Constant orgies (of any flavor) act counter to the actual epicurean ideal.

A true stoic, guided by discerning taste, can grasp Epicurus’s goal of modest and sustained pleasure more than anyone who just heaps indulgence upon indulgence as they become stale.”

-Nicely said, hate_me.

The post Weekly Link Love — Edition 108 appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Hi folks, in this edition of Ask a Health Coach, Erin helps out her fellow over-doers with strategies for managing the hustle mentality, overthinking calories, and enjoying the holidays guilt free. Got questions? Share them in the comments or in our MDA Facebook Group.

Cassie asked:

“I always burn the candle at both ends making sure everyone is happy this time of year, but I can already tell I’m burning myself out. How do I get through the holidays without needing a vacation afterward?

Overdoing it is kind of my specialty. At least it has been in the past, so I totally get where you’re coming from. If you’re like me, you have a long history of being highly productive — and wearing a huge badge of honor about it. The more hustle, the better. The less rest, the better. Even to the point of total burn out.

You might also be a bit of a people pleaser, which, by definition, suggests that you’ve got a deep emotional need to please others at the expense of your own needs.¹ For many of my clients, the eagerness to please ties into their self-worth and the need for approval and external validation. And it always gets put to the test around the holidays. By ensuring that everyone’s dietary preferences are met at dinner or getting the decorations “just right,” they feel more worthy, likeable, and accepted.

Keep in mind that people pleasing isn’t the same as being a good host.

To others, it probably just looks like you’re being really gracious and accommodating — and I have no doubt in my mind that you are. But being helpful at the expense of your own health and happiness isn’t a good trade off if you ask me https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/10.1521/jscp.2012.31.2.169.

If you’ve always felt compelled to put everyone else’s needs before your own, it’s hard to imagine it being different, since people-pleasing isn’t just what you do, it’s a big part of who you think you are.

Here’s the good news though. The fact that you’re aware you’re doing these things is a sign you’re open to change. So, here are a few strategies you can start putting into practice right away:

1. Understand what you are and aren’t responsible for. If you’re hosting, providing food and conversation is likely in your responsibility wheelhouse; however, taking on the burden of ensuring your guests are happy every second of their visit isn’t.

2. Determine your boundaries and be assertive about them. Are you really okay with making four kinds of potatoes or having people stay later than you wanted? Get clear on your boundaries and practice sticking to them. And remember, asserting yourself can be scary at first, but it’s worth it in the long run.

3. Know that everything will work out fine. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that the world is a crazy, unpredictable place and no amount of planning and people-pleasing can possibly ensure a perfect outcome.

I think that you’ll find when you free yourself from the rigidity of hardcore hustling and people pleasing, you’ll begin to experience your own state of flow. Heck, you might even enjoy the holidays this year.

Jason asked:

“I want to enjoy the holidays without feeling guilty about it. I’m sick of everyone posting healthy versions of desserts and drinks. Can I not just have the real thing without being shamed?”

I have a hunch you’re overthinking this a little. Yes, you absolutely can eat whatever you want. Who’s stopping you? There’s no keto police. And no one’s going to pull your paleo card if you indulge in some pecan pie and eggnog.

Eat it whatever you want, I don’t care. The problem is, I think you care. Maybe you care what other people think.² Or you care how it will affect your goals.

I’m not here to tell you to eat a whole sheet of sugar cookies or not, I’m just here to help you have a more effortless relationship with food. One where you have a solid understanding of how certain foods work or don’t work in your body. That way you’re free to make choices that support you — or don’t support you. Which is totally okay too, as long as you’re clear on the consequences, which might be anything from feeling sluggish and foggy to having pants that don’t fit.

It’s always your call.

That said, if someone is shaming you for your choices, that’s a totally different topic.³ Food has become so controversial and everyone loves to point a finger at anyone who’s got a different health ideology than they do.

Here’s a note to all you shamers: if you’ve decided to eat more plants, more meat, less sugar, less carbs zero carbs, or all the carbs, remember that everyone is different, and your beliefs don’t need to be smeared all over someone else’s. Ok, rant over.

If you’re metabolically flexible, treating yourself to a few “real” goodies won’t be a huge deal. As you go through the holidays, keep the 80/20 framework for the Primal lifestyle in mind. While it isn’t meant to support cheat days, it is about navigating real life.

Cheri asked:

“I’m thinking about adding in a few more workouts a week so I can indulge in holiday treats without derailing my progress. What are your go-to exercises for burning extra calories?”

Diet culture has sure done something to us, hasn’t it? Weighing, calorie counting, macros tracking, step tracking, making sure you’ve torched more calories than you’ve consumed…it’s just too much. And don’t get me started on those calculators that tell you how many sit ups or jumping jacks or hours of cardio you need to do in order to burn off whatever it is that you ate.

I’m fed up with contrived nutrition and fitness messaging. It keeps us stuck in the pattern of deprivation and all the ways we’re not good enough — or worse yet, how *good* we’ll be when we reach a certain weight or pant size.⁴

So, no. I don’t have any go-to calorie burners. And I certainly don’t have any low-cal diet recipes. What I do have is advice on how to stoke your metabolism and how to stop caring about how you aesthetically show up in the world.

Sounds like a pretty great gift, right? Not caring? Not scheduling in extra workouts to accommodate the holidays? The diet mentality has been hard-wired into a lot of us and one of my goals as a health coach is to help people break free from it. And that starts with three key things:

1. Releasing judgement toward food. Food isn’t good or bad, it just has consequences. If you have a few treats, you might experience a sugar crash followed by more cravings. If you eat a protein rich meal, you might not have to white knuckle it past the candy dish.

2. Learn to listen to your body. Try tuning in to what your body is telling you https://www.marksdailyapple.com/whats-messing-with-your-appetite-three-possibilities/. Learn to recognize your body’s hunger and thirst cues and how to separate physical hunger from emotional needs like comfort and personal growth.

3. Check your stories and limiting beliefs. Think you’re only lovable at a certain weight? Or that “treating” yourself is a bad thing? Pay attention to the stories you tell yourself and see if you can shift them into a more positive light.

Do you have a habit of overdoing it? Got more questions? Share in the comments below.

The post Ask a Health Coach: How to Stop the Cycle of Overdoing It appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Organ meats are an untapped resource in most healthy eaters’ diets. Although your grandparents and every antecedent generation likely grew up eating liver and onions, kidney pie, and organ meats stuffed into sausages, the people reading this blog largely did not. Now it is your job to rediscover what they were blessed to grow up eating. It may not be easy, it may take some effort, but it is worthwhile. Luckily, the beauty of organ meats lies in their nutrient-density—you don’t need to eat it every day to get the benefits. In fact, you shouldn’t eat most of them everyday.

In general, the same organ from different animals will confer similar health benefits. A liver will be rich in vitamin A and iron whether it comes from cow, pig, lamb, or chicken. But there are some differences between species, and when those differences are significant I will make a note of it in the article.

Without further ado, let’s learn about all the various organ meats.

Instantly download your Guide to Cooking Fats and Oils

Heart

Probably my favorite organ to eat, heart is more like extremely nutrient-dense muscle meat than it is any other organ you’ll encounter. It’s very high in vitamin B12, riboflavin, and niacin. It’s rich in zinc, iron, selenium, and, best of all, CoQ10. CoQ10 is an interesting nutrient that increases production of ATP, the body’s energy currency. We can make it ourselves, but it seems to help have an external source, too. For instance, statin users especially need to take CoQ10 because the drug inhibits CoQ10 production along with cholesterol synthesis; doing so can stave off some of the muscle damage statin users often experience.

Pros: Heart gives me tons of energy. The most “high” I ever felt from eating normal food was when a friend served me up some fresh venison heart, just killed. It was like several shots of espresso, only cleaner. I couldn’t sit still. I couldn’t sleep. I ended up staying up getting a ton of work done. And then, after a couple hours, I was able to sleep normally. Maybe it was the CoQ10, or maybe something else.

Cons: Sometimes trimming the hearts can be difficult. There are a lot of fibrous parts that can detract from the eating experience.

Some people like to braise hearts for hours and hours, treating it like strew meat. I prefer slicing them horizontally into strips and searing them like steaks, quickly over high heat. Medium rare, always. Either that, or Peruvian-style anticuchos (which I can always find here in Miami).

If you get chicken (or turkey, or duck) hearts, marinate them in vinegar, hot chilis, soy sauce, and a little honey and grill them on skewers over flame or coal.

Read next: The Definitive Guide to the Carnivore Diet

Liver

I like to call liver nature’s multivitamin because it’s the single most nutrient-dense cut of the animal on the planet. Rich in vitamin A, iron, every B-vitamin except for thiamine (and it even has a decent dose of thiamine), choline, zinc, selenium, and vitamin D (if the animal is a fish or pasture-raised pig), liver

Fish livers have the added benefit of providing tons of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. Poultry livers are a bit higher in iron and lower in vitamin A than mammalian livers.

Pros: Delicious if you cook it right (to medium/medium-rare, still pink) and use a healthy liver from a freshly killed animal. As liver is the storage place for the “animal form” of glucose—glycogen—fresh liver can be sweet. This sweetness disappears as time-from-slaughter increases, however.

Cons: Absolutely wretched if you cook it wrong. An overcooked liver turns chalky and grey, fibrous and revolting. Once the animal is killed, the liver begins degrading its glycogen. Glycogen counters the inherent bitterness of liver, so if the glycogen is gone the liver will taste bitter. This is why most people hate liver—they’ve never had a fresh one prepared the right way.

One of my favorite ways to cook liver is using this Terry Wahls recipe for Middle Eastern Lamb Liver. It also works with beef or chicken. Or, you could try prosciutto-wrapped chicken livers. Either way, the trick is not to overcook it.

Another great way is to sauté ginger, garlic, and onions, add gelatinous bone broth, reduce until it’s syrupy, and then add salt and chopped liver to briefly cook for 1-2 minutes. Makes a really rich sauce.

And if you’re truly adventurous, you could marinate thinly sliced beef liver in a mixture of fish sauce, sesame oil, and lemon juice and eat it raw like carpaccio. Sourcing is key here, because parasites and hepatitis are a risk if you’re not cooking your liver.

Kidney

Kidney has a similar nutrient profile to liver, albeit one lower in vitamin A and much higher in selenium and riboflavin. It’s slightly higher in thiamine and slightly lower in folate, niacin, and pyridoxine. The extreme selenium content means you probably shouldn’t eat kidney every day, just like the retinol content means you shouldn’t eat liver every day.

Pros: Kidney is very inexpensive, can be eaten slightly more frequently than liver due to the lower retinol levels, and often comes with suet attached—the fat in and around the kidneys which is loaded with stearic acid. The stronger flavors of kidney means it can stand up to bolder, zestier seasonings, giving you a lot of freedom in the kitchen to experiment.

Cons: Kidney can have a very disagreeable flavor unless it’s prepared right. Liver gets a bad rap but if you get a fresh one and avoid overcooking it, you can usually make it tolerable and even downright delicious. Kidney needs prep time, and older animals produce stronger-tasting kidneys. Lamb kidneys are usually milder and more tender than beef kidneys.

Try sautéed kidneys in red wine sauce.

Bone Marrow

Bone marrow may not “feel” or look like an organ, but it is. Bone marrow is an active participant in dozens of physiological processes and contains osteoblasts (which form bone), osteoclasts (which control bone resorption), and fibroblasts (which form connective tissue). It is anything but inert biological material, meaning it possesses a number of beneficial micronutrients used to conduct those processes in the body. The thing is, the actionable components in bone marrow aren’t identified. Sure, you’ve got some B-vitamins, iron, magnesium, and selenium among other “classic” micronutrients, but there’s all sorts of other interesting stuff in marrow that doesn’t show up in the USDA nutritional database.

Pros: You’re eating one of hominid’s “first foods.” Back before we were apex hunters, we could pick up a big rock and smash the leftover femurs that other top but less cunning predators couldn’t utilize, giving us access to the marrow.¹ The taste has never left us. Eat a big spoonful of roasted bone marrow and you’ll feel it. It triggers something special in you.

Cons: The only con I can think of is that it’s not always easy extracting all the marrow. Canoe cut bones are cut lengthwise, giving you instant access to the entire whack of marrow. They’re the best but also the rarest. The more commonplace horizontal cuts require that you fish around in the cavity with a spoon to get everything—and sometimes you leave a bit behind.

My favorite way to make bone marrow is to roast it with rosemary and garlic.

Brain

Much like marrow bones, large predators often leave behind the heads of their prey. A large cat simply won’t risk cracking a tooth to crack open a skull. Risk/reward ratio too great. A small upright hairless ape, however, will pick up a large rock to smash a skull open. Risk/reward ratio flipped. Brains of even land animals are excellent sources of DHA, the omega-3 fatty acid our bodies and minds need to function, the omega-3 fatty acid our ancestors needed to turn into the humans we know and love today.

Pros: Brain has a mild taste and a soft texture that easily melds with other foods. For instance, a popular dish in some parts of the world is scrambled eggs with brains. The two are seamless together.

Cons: Prion diseases, while exceedingly rare, are unsettling. Prions are impervious to heat, accumulate in the brains of infected animals, and can cause rapid-onset death and dementia in people.

Simmer whole brains in salty water full of aromatic herbs and spices for 5 or 6 minutes. Remove, let cool, then sauté in butter or avocado oil until crispy on all sides. A light dusting of potato starch may help the crispy form.

Tongue

Tongue is a fatty piece of meat that has no special nutrient content; it’s your standard “B-vitamins, iron, selenium, etc, etc” lineup. But it’s really, really delicious if you do it right.

Pros: The perfect snack for a keto dieter, tongue is richly marbled with fat and tastes great sliced cold like lunch meat.

Cons: The skin on cow or lamb tongue is inedible and must be removed. If you do it right, the skin slips right off. If you do it wrong, you’re hacking away for ten minutes trying to skin a hot cow tongue and losing a lot of meat in the process. Perfect this process and you will be a tongue lover forever.

I love this recipe for tender beef tongue.

I also love pickled beef tongue (no need for the saltpeter).

Spleen

Spleen is sometimes called a poor man’s liver. It tastes a bit like it, but not as strong. It kinda looks like it, but not when you look closely. It’s high in iron, copper, selenium, and vitamin B12. It’s more delicate than liver with none of the retinol. In the body, the spleen filters out old red blood cells.

Pros: You can eat spleen far more often than liver because it contains almost no retinol while still being nutritious. And because it’s milder, spleen can be a “gateway” organ for people who want to learn to enjoy liver and other more intense parts of the animal.

Cons: Spleen is difficult to find. Most grocery stores simply won’t carry it.

This Tamil recipe for dry fried goat spleen looks great and I bet you could substitute beef or lamb spleen.

Lung

Lung is a surprisingly good source of potassium, at least as far as meats go. A 200 calorie serving of beef lung nets you nearly 800 mg of potassium along with B12, iron, copper, zinc, and a good amount of vitamin C.

Pros: Lung is mild, milder than most organs, and cheap. A nice way to get some protein and micronutrients.

Cons: Hard to find and take some cooking to render edible.

I once had a fantastic lung stew that I’ve never had since but often think about. This Austrian dish sounds very similar to what I ate. You can easily omit the flour and use other modes of thickening the sauce, like bone broth or powdered gelatin.

You can also simmer them in salted water for 20-30 minutes, allow them to cool, and then sauté in butter until crispy.

Gizzard

This is poultry-only, obviously (although a cow gizzard would be amazing if it existed). Gizzards are one of the bird’s digestive organs, chambers where foraged pebbles help grind up the hard grains and seeds the bird has consumed for better absorption and digestion. Think of the gizzard as a sort of biological mortar and pestle that you can eat.

Pros: Delicious grilled over open flame.

Cons: Only one per bird.

Treat gizzards like the chicken hearts I mentioned earlier.

As you can tell, the real stars of the organ show are liver, heart, and marrow. You can eat those and none of the others and get most of the benefits. They taste the best, in my opinion, and they offer the most upside. But if you get the opportunity, you should try everything I mentioned today. We owe it to ourselves and to the animals that give their lives to make the most of the available cuts. All of them. You don’t know what you’re missing.

I mean that literally: standard nutritional databases do not encompass all that an organ meat contains. Organs like bone marrow are certainly more than the minerals and vitamins they contain. And if you give any credence to the “eat like for like” concept—eating liver to improve liver health, kidney to improve kidney health, heart for cardiovascular health, and so on—we should all be eating everything just to be safe.

That’s it, folks. That’s the guide to organ meats. What are your favorite organ meats?

References

1. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/701477?journalCode=ca#rf130

The post Guide to Organ Meats appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

It’s the most wonderful time of the year again! The time for family gatherings (but not this year), holiday feasts (maybe), and, according to my TV, buying brand new his-and-hers SUVs (not ever).

I’m not being sarcastic, I do enjoy the holiday season, but there’s no question that it’s stressful. The whirlwind of holiday excitement, decorating the homestead, dredging up the same old family fights, last-minute shopping, and love-hating the winter weather can be a lot, even under the best of circumstances. For all the people who relish this time of year, there are others who dread it.

Some stress is unavoidable, especially if the holidays are difficult due to complicated family situations, past losses, or financial hardships. However, a great deal of holiday stress is self-imposed. As much as you might feel like you have to do certain things to make the holidays magical for everyone, very few are truly non-negotiable. Just because you usually put up elaborate decorations, bake 12 types of cookies, and produce homemade gifts doesn’t mean you’re required to this year. It’s possible—though not always easy—to opt out of the things that cause more stress than pleasure.

Stay on track no matter where you are! Instantly download your Primal and Keto Guide to Eating Out

By setting some basic ground rules for yourself, you can manage a great deal of holiday stress:

Control the variables you can control.

These are things like:

• How much you do or don’t stick to your usual healthy routines.
• How much time and energy you devote to decorating and upholding other holiday traditions.
• How much money you spend.
• Who you do or do not celebrate in person this year.

Try not to lose sleep over the things you can’t control.

• COVID restrictions
• Whether or not other people are following the rules.
• Other people’s expectations of you.
• Whether friends and extended family are accepting of the boundaries you set for your immediate family.

Have reasonable expectations of yourself and others.

I’d argue that unreasonable expectations are at the heart of a lot of holiday stress. There’s only so much time, money, and emotional energy to go around, and we often spread ourselves too thin. This year, stress is higher than ever, nerves are frayed, and we’re probably not at our bests. If ever there was a year to lower your expectations and make do with less, this is it.

Treat yourself and others with kindness and compassion.

My mantra is always prioritize self-care, but this goes beyond that. It means extending yourself and your loved ones extra grace when tasks go undone, tempers occasionally flare, and it’s impossible to make everyone happy. Basically, be cool to yourself and others.

Ok, I hear you saying, but these are all pretty abstract. What are some concrete ways to avoid, or at least mitigate, holiday stress?

7 Ways to Avoid Holiday Stress

1. Prioritize sleep

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that if you can do this one thing, a lot of the other things will fall in line. Prioritizing sleep lays the foundation for stress management.

How so? First, sleep deprivation is inherently stressful, physiologically and mentally. It makes you cranky and irritable, so it’s darn near impossible to extend that aforementioned grace to anyone, including yourself. You make poorer decisions and have less willpower to do hard things, like sticking to your diet and setting healthy boundaries. Plus, you’re more likely to end up sick and unable to do even the basics.

On the flip side, when sleep is non-negotiable, it’s easier to say no to things like staying out too late at holiday parties (maybe not this year…) and drinking too much and too often. Your mood and outlook are better, so it’s easier to spread positivity to others.

Melt stress away with Adaptogenic Calm

2. Schedule “me time”

As in, literally put it in your calendar. Set reminders on your phone. Make sure your family knows what times are off-limits for urgent laundry requests, homework checking, and general griping.

Ideally, you’d set aside a daily block, plus a weekly time that’s devoted to just to you. For example, you might schedule 30 peaceful minutes in the morning before the busyness of the day starts, plus an hour or two one evening that’s your self-care time. Read, journal, meditate, walk, sit quietly with a cup of coffee, watch holiday movies—it doesn’t matter as long as it’s restorative, not draining. Protect this time. Make it sacred.

3. Stick (mostly) to your typical food and movement/exercise

I say mostly because I don’t think it’s the worst thing in the world to indulge a little on the holidays, but your mileage may vary. In my experience, the holidays are more stressful when you feel pulled in different directions, wanting to enjoy traditional foods or the occasional treat but feeling that you’re not “allowed” because of your diet. “Mostly normal” allows for flexibility.

More generally, it’s ok to relax when we’re dealing with so much else in the world right now. Especially if you’re a perfectionist, it might be good to lower your standards just enough to take some of the pressure off.

That said, don’t let the pendulum swing completely. There’s no good reason to spend the next six weeks making choices that cause you to feel bad physically and mentally. Strive to find the sweet spot where you are enjoying the holidays but not setting yourself up to feel miserable in January. Remember, good nutrition bolsters your body’s natural defenses against stress.

4. Set boundaries ahead of time

Setting boundaries with other people can be uncomfortable, especially if you’re not particularly assertive. Nevertheless, it’s an important adulting skill that can massively protect your own mental health and prevent conflict when done correctly.

If you don’t want to talk about politics, your diet, or anything else at the next family dinner, say so before getting together. Be kind but firm and direct. Explain why you’re making the request and what will happen if your wishes aren’t respected. For example: “It really hurts my feelings when you and Dad make comments about my weight. If I’m going to come over for dinner, I need that topic to be off-limits. If you both can’t agree to that, unfortunately I’m going to have to stay home.”

Boundaries can’t save you from all drama, but they can help you avoid the worst of it, or at least give you an escape route if things go south. They aren’t just for other people, either. You may also need to set firmer boundaries for yourself, deciding ahead of time what behaviors are and are not acceptable. Committing to sleep, me time, and what dietary excursions, if any, you choose to take are all forms of boundary setting. So is making a budget and sticking to it.

5. Only do the things that really matter

Ask yourself: Which of the tasks and traditions that suck up my time every year actually have to get done? Which do I want to do? What would happen if I didn’t do ____ this year? Could we still have a wonderful holiday if we only did ____?”

Perhaps upholding every family tradition truly fills your metaphorical bucket, in which case, go for it. On the other hand, if you just can’t bear the thought of going through all the usual motions, you can and should feel free to Marie Kondo your holidays—keep only the things that bring you joy and scrap the rest. Let each of your family members nominate their top two or three priorities and make those “must dos.” Let everything else be “we’ll sees.” Worst case scenario, if it turns out that you do miss spending hours elaborately wrapping gifts on Christmas Eve, you can do it next year again.

6. Come up with a guilt-free mantra and use it liberally

Guilt is usually the result of the stories we tell ourselves: “The grandparents will be so sad if they don’t get their homemade ornaments this year,” or “Christmas won’t be the same for the kids if we don’t have our cookie decorating party.” They may or may not be true, but in any case, they’re not your problem. It’s not your job to burn yourself out trying to make other people happy.

This is where self-compassion comes in. Instead of playing a loop in your head about how you’re single-handedly ruining everyone’s holiday, try: “This year is hard, and I’m doing the best I can. That’s all anyone can reasonably expect from me, and I’m not going to feel guilty.”

Instead of “I’m not going to feel guilty,” you can sub in:

• “It doesn’t help anyone if I sacrifice my mental health trying to make the holiday perfect.”
• “My family loves me and understands.”
• “I can choose not to be around people, even family, who make me feel bad about it.” (Setting boundaries!)

7. Stave off seasonal depression and anxiety

Doctors aren’t quite sure what causes seasonal affective disorders, but some people are more susceptible than others. Shore up your defenses if you’re someone who typically struggles in the winter months.

Start by eating a nutrient-dense diet. Depression and anxiety symptoms are linked to a host of nutrient deficiencies, including magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, zinc, and folate.^{1 2} Supplement if needed with a multivitamin/multimineral.

Seasonal depression also seems to be linked to decreased serotonin activity in the brain, and possibly increased melatonin levels. Both could cause or be the consequence of dysregulated circadian rhythms.³ If you suffer from seasonal depression, it’s doubly important to protect your sleep fiercely. To boost serotonin, eat meat and poultry, which contain tryptophan (a precursor of serotonin), and omega-3-rich fish and eggs. Get plenty of sunshine, or look into light therapy, to increase vitamin D synthesis. Vitamin D is important for serotonin production, and individuals with seasonal depression often have low vitamin D levels. Vitamin D supplements can help fill the gaps, but sunshine is better. Maybe you can take daily nature walks during your scheduled “me time” and kill two birds with one stone.

Let it Go, Let it Goooo!

I know from experience how easy it is to absorb all the stress and just deal with it rather than taking steps to alleviate it. Your heart is in the right place. You want other people to have a good holiday! You don’t want to let other people down! You want to teach your kids the family traditions! That’s kind and generous, but it easily tips into martyrdom, resentment, and losing your own joy.

Give yourself permission to simplify, change, cancel, and otherwise adapt the holidays as needed. Eliminating the “optional” stress means that you have more mental space to deal with the stressors that you can’t easily eliminate so you can focus on all the things that are truly wonderful about this time of year.

The post Actionable Ways to Avoid Holiday Stress appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

When you go to a grocery store, you’ll see a lot of different kinds of olive oil – different colors, from almost clear to yellow to deep green, different descriptors on the label, and vastly different price ranges.

Which one goes with which application? How does the taste compare? Is the expensive stuff worth the money? In this article, we’re going to go through it all.

Always choose the right oil for your recipe! Instantly download your free Guide to Fats and Oils

Types of Olive Oil

Virgin, extra virgin, light, blended… what does it all mean? Here, we will go through the different types of olive oil and the pros and cons of each.

Virgin Olive Oil

Virgin olive oil is produced only by physical means, rather than by chemical treatment. The best stuff comes from only ripe olives (as green and overripe olives produce bitter and rancid oil, respectively) ground into a paste using millstones or steel drums. By definition, a virgin olive oil has not undergone any processing other than washing, decanting, centrifuging, and filtering (although none of these are required for virgin oil, nothing else is permitted). Some heat can be applied and, as long as it doesn’t alter the composition of the oil, the process can still be dubbed virgin pressing.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil is extracted from the first press. As with virgin olive oil, processing involves only washing, decanting, centrifuging, and filtering. Low heat can be applied as long as it does not alter the quality of the olive oil.

Extra virgin olive oil is widely regarded as the pinnacle of olive oils. According to the International Olive Oil Council, extra virgin olive oil must contain at most 0.8% acidity, with a “superior taste.” Extra virgin can also be unfiltered (which deepens the flavor and reduces shelf life) or cold-pressed (wherein the pressing is slow and gradual, without generating much frictional heat, and which results in better flavors). Most extra virgin also contains the most polyphenols, which are some of my favorite antioxidants.

Extra virgin olive oil will generally be more expensive than virgin olive oil of similar quality.

Primal Kitchen® Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil available here 

Light Olive Oil

Light olive oil doesn’t have fewer calories than the other varieties of olive oil. It just lacks flavor and color. It may also contain less of the beneficial polyphenol compounds that make olive oil so appealing.

Refined Olive Oil

Refined olive oil takes poor quality (either due to acid content or other defects) virgin oil and processes it until it is edible. Refining is usually done with charcoal filters or chemical processes. Refined olive oil is more shelf-stable, but it’s also essentially flavorless.

Olive Pomace Oil

Olive Pomace oil is extracted from the olive solids (pomace) leftover from the pressing, usually using chemical solvents. This isn’t culinary olive oil, and it’s definitely not meant to be eaten. Most olive oil-based soaps you see are made with olive pomace oil.

Blended Olive Oil

Blended olive oils are, in my opinion, to be generally avoided. While it can be a blend of different olive oil varieties, most often you’ll find it blended with cheaper industrial seed oils like canola or some other vegetable oil. You’ll get increased shelf life and polyunsaturated fat content along with less monounsaturated fat. No thanks.

What to Look For When You Buy Olive Oil – A Few Things to Keep in Mind

Just because something is labeled “extra virgin,” though, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily good. In fact, rather than buying a mid-priced or inexpensive bottle of Italian or Greek extra virgin olive oil, you might look for a domestic brand. Those extra virgins are fragile oils, and the journey from the Mediterranean can result in a bland bottle. I’ve also read that a lot of the extra virgin that makes it over here in mass quantities isn’t worth it (and that’s been my experience, sadly).

When choosing an oil, treat it a bit like wine and engage your senses. Smell it – it should smell like olives, very clean and almost like grass and apples. Don’t rely too much on sight – the color of an oil is easily manipulated. Instead, go with the one that really matters: taste. Take a half teaspoon or so into your mouth and swirl it around (again, like wine). First and foremost, it should taste like olives, but there are other flavors in the best oils. Grassiness, apples, even fennel are pretty common in really great olive oil. If it’s metallic-tasting or has a faint paint thinner scent, it’s probably rancid. If it’s light, delicious, and barely coats your mouth (without feeling greasy), it’s probably great stuff. And then my favorite part, the finish. The best oils from the first harvest with the highest antioxidant content will leave a spicy finish on your throat, like mild peppers.

Just experiment. Keep trying them until you find one you like. The different varietals are all unique, so your journey might be a long one. Of course, I have a favorite. I kept these qualities in mind when sourcing and developing it.

The thing with olive oil is that you need to use it the right way. The best extra virgin, unfiltered, cold-pressed olive oil should never be used to sauté something because heat can mar the delicate flavor. Instead, use high quality stuff as a finisher. Cook with butter then top the dish off with your prized extra virgin oil. That way, the taste and nutritional benefits are retained without wasting any of your precious nectar on a cast iron skillet.

Olive Oil Storage

Store your oil in a cool, dark place. Heat and light are now your biggest enemies (be sure to buy an oil in a dark bottle). Extra virgin is the least stable, so keep it at a good temperature (somewhere between 57 and 65 degrees, like a wine cellar). You can refrigerate other olive oils if your kitchen is too hot, but refrigerating extra virgin olive oil can disrupt the delicate flavors. If you get extra virgin that’s tasty enough, of course, you won’t have to worry about long-term storage – you’ll be guzzling it straight out of the bottle.

Further Reading:

The Definitive Guide to Fats

The Definitive Guide to Saturated Fats 

The Definitive Guide to Collagen

The post How to Choose the Best Olive Oil appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

“Maximise the recruitment of high-threshold muscle fibers, increase strength, muscle, and volume using this advanced training tactic.”

read more

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Cranberry sauce adds a pop of color and tangy zing to any Thanksgiving spread. Problem is, cranberries are naturally pretty sour on their own, and the sweetness you taste in most recipes usually comes from more sugar than a can of soda.

If you’re going to indulge in sweets, save it for dessert. This cranberry sauce recipe is sweetened with applesauce, with the option to use maple syrup, honey, or your favorite natural sweetener if you want to tone down the tartness.

It’s easy to make, and likely the quickest recipe you’ll make for your whole Thanksgiving celebration. Here’s how to do it.

Cranberry Sauce Recipe with No Added Sugar

Time in the kitchen: 15 minutes

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 18 oz. fresh cranberries (we love Honestly Cranberry)
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 3 Tbsp. fresh squeezed orange juice
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• Zest from ½ orange
• 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp. ground ginger

Directions

Place the cranberries and water in a pot and heat over medium heat.

Mix in the applesauce, orange juice, honey, and orange zest.

When the pot comes to a boil, reduce it to a simmer and stir in the ground cloves and ginger and the cinnamon.

Allow the sauce to simmer for around 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reaches the consistency of your liking. Taste the sauce occasionally and adjust the sweetener to taste.

Serve this cranberry sauce alongside your favorite meat or holiday meal. It’s also delicious as a lower sugar sweet option when paired with a bit of coconut cream, dark chocolate or fresh whipped cream.

Tips:
– If the cranberry sauce is too tart for you as written, feel free to add additional honey. You could also use maple syrup.
– Depending on the strength of your stove top burner and the size of your cranberries, you may need a little more or less time for the sauce to finish cooking.

Nutrition Facts (1/8 of recipe):

• Calories: 60
• Fat: 0g
• Total Carbs: 13g
• Net Carbs: 10g
• Protein: 0g

The post Cranberry Sauce Recipe with No Added Sugar appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Research of the Week

High sugar diets may cause “persistent” epigenetic changes to an animal’s appetite for junk food.

Vitamin D improves cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Keep sprinting, folks.

Starchy and sugary foods linked to cavities, especially when consumed as snacks.

Convalescent plasma appears to work in COVID patients.

New Primal Blueprint Podcasts

Episode 455: Dr. Cheyenne Bryant: Host Elle Russ welcomes Dr. Cheyenne Bryant to talk health, happiness, and community empowerment.

Primal Health Coach Radio Episode 84: Laura and Erin chat with Dr. Sandra Scheinbaum about the importance of having a mission.

Media, Schmedia

It’s been out.

This Neolithic farmer from Germany had terrible teeth.

Interesting Blog Posts

Is Epicureanism a better alternative to Stoicism?

Call your grandma.

Social Notes

Send this to someone who says salt is bad for you.

Beautiful and tragic.

Everything Else

The most effective anti-COVID medicine in one recent analysis? Melatonin.

This must have been a hard study to conduct.

Human kin detection.

Hell yeah.

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

With Thanksgiving approaching: Native Americans (some of them, at least) had domesticated turkeys.

I am not surprised: Better cattle management begets output and climate gains.

Makes you wonder: A doctor’s experience with seed oils in his patients.

Gorgeous art: The cell.

Cool new study: Women hunted, too.

Question I’m Asking

What are your plans for Thanksgiving?

Recipe Corner

• Mash those sweet potatoes up and feed them to even your vegan friends.
• Paleo-friendly sticky Asian chicken.

Time Capsule

One year ago (Nov 7 – Nov 13)

• 12 Natural Cold Remedies Examined: What Works and What Doesn’t – What to try, what not.
• Ribeye Roast – Try it.

Comment of the Week

“Media fast: The news is like caramel corn – after the first bite you just keep eating. I have been limiting my exposure to the news – actually since Covid started. The media moguls try to get us to hang onto their every word by telling us that each news segment is, “Breaking News.” It’s not all “Breaking News.” It’s their way of training our taste buds to keep coming back for more or to never leave. We need to step away from the TV. You are so right. Our brains, our bodies, our spirits need a break.”

-Great analogy, Barbara.

The post Weekly Link Love — Edition 107 appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.