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Millions of people suffer from chronic pain, either from an injury or as a result of a health condition. And many of them turn to pharmaceutical drugs for relief. While these drugs may indeed relieve the pain, they are often accompanied by some nasty side effects. Some are even highly addictive. The primary culprit behind […]
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Some people feel like they shouldn’t snack, but there are lots of reasons you might reach for something to tide yourself over. Maybe you’re snowed in with work and your schedule was thrown off. You could be a little hungrier than normal from yesterday’s tough workout. You could need a snack because you’re just starting with intermittent fasting or keto as your metabolism is adjusting. Quality snacks are a good thing to have on hand so you’re not caught off-guard. These homemade energy bars are perfect snacks filled with my favorite fats and very low in carbs and sugar.
Frozen Coconut Macadamia Bars are incredibly easy to make and have a deliciously decadent flavor and texture. Macadamia nuts and coconut oil add a naturally sweet
taste. Coconut flakes and chia seeds add a crunchiness that contrasts perfectly with the otherwise smooth and creamy texture of the bars.
And, that’s pretty much all there is to these bars! Just pop them into the freezer, and 30 minutes later they’re ready. Keeping the bars frozen is essential – if left out too long they’ll start to melt. The cold texture is partly what makes them so delicious, almost like a keto ice cream bar.Feel free to add more chia seeds if you’d like. You can also drizzle some nut butter or dark melted chocolate on the bars if you’d like.
Feel free to add more chia seeds if you’d like. You can also drizzle some nut butter or dark melted chocolate on the bars if you’d like. Make sure to keep them stored in the freezer so they stay firm and solid. We used thick pieces of dried coconut, but you can use thinner flaked coconut as well.
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay the coconut out on a sheet pan or baking dish and let it toast for 5-15 minutes, or until the coconut is golden.
The length of time it takes for the coconut to toast will depend on its size and thickness, so watch it closely to prevent burning. Once the coconut is toasted to your liking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool.
Place the macadamia nuts in a food processor and blend. Once the nuts begin to crumble and turn into a paste, add the coconut oil and process until smooth. You may need to scrape the sides of the food processor down once or twice in between processing.
Add the toasted coconut, chia seeds, vanilla and salt and pulse or blend until a chunky paste forms, or until the coconut is just incorporated into the macadamia mixture.
Line a 8”x8” pan with parchment paper and pour the macadamia mixture in. Place the pan in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
Take the pan out of the freezer and lift the parchment out. Use a knife to cut the macadamia coconut square into 12 or 16 pieces.
Keep leftover pieces in the freezer.
Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 30 min Total Time: 40 min 
Yield: 12-14 bars Frozen Macadamia Coconut Energy Bars – a low-carb, low-sugar, homemade snack that satisfies.
1 cup dried coconut
1.5 cups macadamia nuts
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 tbsp. chia seeds
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay the coconut out on a sheet pan or baking dish and let it toast for 5-15 minutes, or until the coconut is golden. The length of time it takes for the coconut to toast will depend on its size and thickness, so watch it closely to prevent burning. Once the coconut is toasted to your liking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool.
Place the macadamia nuts in a food processor and blend. Once the nuts begin to crumble and turn into a paste, add the coconut oil and process until smooth. You may need to scrape the sides of the food processor down once or twice in between processing.
Add the toasted coconut, chia seeds, vanilla and salt and pulse or blend until a chunky paste forms, or until the coconut is just incorporated into the macadamia mixture.
Line a 8”x8” pan with parchment paper and pour the macadamia mixture in. Place the pan in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
Take the pan out of the freezer and lift the parchment out. Use a knife to cut the macadamia coconut square into 12 or 16 pieces. Keep leftover pieces in the freezer.
Feel free to add more chia seeds if you’d like.
You can drizzle some nut butter or dark melted chocolate on the bars that sounds good to you.
Make sure to keep them stored in the freezer so they stay firm and solid.
We used thick pieces of dried coconut, but you can use thinner flaked coconut as well.
Category: Treats, Snacks
Method: FreezerKeywords: energy bars recipe
The post Frozen Coconut Macadamia DIY Energy Bars Recipe appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
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Research of the WeekThe earliest known modern humans in Europe were products of a recent coupling between humans and Neanderthals.
How your face and body morphology influence how threatening you appear to others.
Thru-hiking—at least as commonly practiced—can impair vascular health.
In rodents, early life sugar consumption impairs later life cognition, perhaps via changes to gut bacteria.
Episode 481: Dr. Caroline Leaf: Host Elle Russ chats with communications pathologist and cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf, an expert in using direct mind input to change how you think.
Episode 482: Dr. Greg Kelly: Host Brad Kearns chats with Dr. Greg Kelly about circadian strategies for fat loss and longevity.
Health Coach Radio: Erin and Laura chat with Charlene Gisele, who went from high-powered corporate lawyer to higher-powered health coach.
Everyone needs to go outdoors on a regular basis.
L0st Golden City discovered in Egypt.
How vegetarian politics is preventing India from truly addressing its diabetes epidemic.
How and why did the Aztecs sacrifice so many humans?
Better get those hibernating bears on statins!
Isn’t this how Planet of the Apes begins?
Isn’t this how The Walking Dead begins?
Turns out that Baltic amber is chock-full of promising pharmaceuticals.
Physical strength and anxiety levels.
How about that: For 2 million years, humans were apex predators eating mostly fatty meat.
Important reminder: Sunlight works.
Rocky’s manager knew: No sex before squats.
This is terrible: Dog-napping on the rise in the UK.
This seems abusable: Sampling DNA from ambient air.
Do you think thru-hiking can be healthy if you do it right?
One year ago (Apr 3 – Apr 9)
“The British have a fascination with naming types of birds after female epigamic displays. They already have tits (e.g., marsh tits and great tits), and boobies (e.g., the blue footed booby). Now it looks like they have a ‘knocker’. The real question, though, is ‘Are all knockers white?’”
-Great observation, Aaron.
The post New and Noteworthy: What I Read This Week — Edition 125 appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
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Hey folks! In this week’s edition of Ask a Health Coach, Erin is answering your questions about how to offset the effects of a poor sleep routine, dealing with a difficult partner, and which is more important for optimal health: low stress or a Primal diet. Thanks for all your questions. Keep them coming in the comments or over in our Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook group.
Christopher asked:
Any strategies for countering the detrimental effects of not getting enough sleep? Preferably ones that don’t involve caffeine. My work schedule and family responsibilities are making it difficult, most of the time impossible, to get enough sleep during the week and sometimes on weekends too. I also have to wake up hours before sunrise to get ready for work, and naps during the day are impracticable.
The short answer is, you can’t offset it. No amount of deep breathing, fasting, cold showers, or B3 supplements can trick your body into believing it got a glorious, uninterrupted night of shut eye when you regularly don’t get enough sleep.
These approaches just mask the damage. The body is miraculous, and it can adapt to a single night or two of staying up too late working or parenting or even *gasp* having fun, but a steady stream of sleep deprivation is setting you up for more issues down the road:
Long-term effects of not getting enough sleep:
The list goes on. And really, you don’t want to see where it goes. That’s why instead of trying to off-set your non-optimal sleep schedule, work on improving it – even if that means taking small steps at first. And since it sounds like the amount of sleep you get each night is non-negotiable, going to bed earlier or sleeping in is totally off the table for you. That means, instead of focusing on quantity, you’ve got to focus on the quality of your sleep.
You’re not alone in managing exhaustion day-to-day. Most of my clients are busy working moms and dads who barely have time to think straight, let alone have a cushy after-hours routine. But there are some things you can do to move the needle on your sleep quality. Here are three practices I swear by, both for my clients and myself:
P.S. The Primal Health Coach Institute team is hosting a live Q&A webinar with Mark next week: 3 Things To Look For In A Health Coaching Program. What are the three things? 1) Health Science & Nutrition Education; 2) Health Coaching & The Art of Behavior Change, and; 3) Business Building & Entrepreneurship Skills. Join us, Thursday April 15th at 5:00pm Eastern Time. Mark and my colleague Laura Rupsis (PHCI’s Admissions Director) will dive into each of these three topics and discuss how health coaching education should go beyond just teaching students the basics of nutrition. They’ll also be taking some Q&A time with Mark! We hope you’ll join us.
Norbert asked:
I’m starting to realize that keeping stress low is just as important as proper eating, but everyone seems to focus on nutrition more than anything. I’ve eaten right and been stressed; but have felt better with low stress and not as good eating. Thoughts?
I like where you’re going with this, Norbert. We spend a lot of time talking about how food and exercise impacts biochemistry. And by “we” I mean all of us here at Mark’s Daily Apple and every other health focused website. Having a solid real food diet and daily movement routine are never wasted efforts, but as you’ve noticed, chronic stress (and a chronic output of cortisol) can put a serious damper on any benefits you’re getting from it.
So yeah, it makes sense that you feel better with less stress. But let me ask you this: why does it have to be one or the other? Can you chip away at having lower stress and better eating habits?
Meticulously watching your macros, counting calories, and overthinking everything that goes into your mouth is really stressful. I’m not saying that’s what you’re doing, but if you are, maybe knock it off. Diet culture tells us that to “eat properly” there are rules that need to be followed to a tee. And honestly, I’m over it.
What if you decided you were going to stop buying some of the “not as good” foods you’re eating and replaced them with better options? What’s one simple thing you can replace in your day to start to move into the “proper eating” category?
Maybe it’s swapping soda for seltzer water. Or just starting your day with a protein forward meal that may just influence how your whole day goes.
Obviously high stress and a poor diet are a recipe for disaster (I’m talking everything from digestion issues and memory impairment to a lifelong imbalance of hormones and neurotransmitters). But this doesn’t need to be a this-or-that situation. Start small and make simple changes that can improve your diet without actively amping up your stress levels.
Anna asked:
I’m looking for advice and tips on dealing with loved ones (particularly the romantic kind) who do not understand and/or follow a primal lifestyle. I’ve been dating an amazing person for about half a year now, and he is receptive and open-minded, but I cannot for the life of me stop cringing inside when I watch him eat certain foods. I am having a hard time knowing when and how to say something and when to say nothing. I know that I can’t make anyone change, nor do I want to. I hope to mostly inspire through being a role model, but it drives me crazy inside. I don’t know what the balance is. Got any advice?
One of the biggest challenges of following a primal lifestyle, or really anything that goes against the grain of the Standard American Diet, is dealing with loved ones who aren’t on the same page. As you know, there are tons of studies on the consequences of eating processed snacks, industrialized oils, and non-food food items, but that doesn’t stop people from consuming them.1 Clearly, living with someone who agrees with that science doesn’t either.
And you’re right. You can’t change someone’s behaviour. Acting as a role model is a much saner way to go. But even that has its challenges. If you’re expecting your actions to influence your partner’s habits and they don’t, that will leave you disappointed, angry, or even resentful.
You might be saying to yourself, “can’t they see how great I feel when I eat this way?!” and totally expect them to follow suit. Everyone has their own relationship with food. Your significant other has every right to decide if a primal diet is right for them – even if they see how great you feel when you eat that way.
Listen, I have lots of clients that are in your shoes. One half of a couple decides they’re done feeling foggy and fatigued and are ready to make a change. The other half has zero interest in doing so.
I’ll tell you the same two things I typically tell them:
What else would you add? Tell me in the comments.
The post Ask a Health Coach: Sleep Deprivation, Cortisol Spikes, and Cohabitating with a Twinkie Eater appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
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You may know that eggs are nutritional powerhouses, containing 4 grams of protein along with vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, calcium, and folate. Lysozyme is one of the many functional proteins found in egg whites that contains potent antibacterial properties and is widely used in the food industry. Eggs for breakfast is indeed a good […]
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People fear the deadlift. For one, the name itself has the word “dead” in it. Two, they’ve been told for years—often by medical experts—that deadlifts are terrible for your back. “Oh, you might look/feel good now, but just you wait. One day you’ll regret it.”
But they’re wrong. The basic idea of a deadlift is sound and the movement is a foundational human one. If you look at a kid pick something off the ground, they hinge at the hips, maintain a flat back, and pick it up by extending the hips (bringing them forward). Now, there are certainly wrong ways to perform a deadlift. Dangerous ways, methods that can (some might say will) damage your back and put your future health and basic ability to function at risk. The back and all it contains, including but not limited to the spine, is a foundational human structure. It connects to and connects every other part of the body to each other. It’s riddled with nerve endings that start along the spine and run down to every muscle in the body. You ruin your back and you compromise your ability to move through the world. So deadlift, but deadlift properly.
Today, I’m going to lay out proper deadlift form and highlight some common mistakes you might be making when performing it. That way you can safely and effectively integrate the deadlift into your training regimen.
Here’s how to do the basic deadlift.
Act as if you’re going to jump and then see where your feet naturally are. That is probably the strongest, most stable stance for you.
Stand over the bar with the bar directly over the middle of your foot. Make sure you’re measuring the middle of your foot starting from the back of your heel, not the front of your ankle.
It’s important to brace your core and tighten up all over before grabbing the bar. Once you grab the bar and then try to tighten, it’s hard because your position is already compromised. Bracing before bending over improves cohesion and stability.
Push your butt back and break at the hips, rather than “bend” at the back, while keeping your back flat. This will place the load on your glutes and hamstrings with your back as the supporting lever, rather than employing your back as the prime mover.
Imagine you’re trying to bend the bar in half. Doing so will keep your shoulders externally rotated and stable and strong.
You bring the bar up by extending your hips—thrusting them forward—with a flat, neutral spine.
Keeping the bar in contact with your legs as it rises will keep the immense weight close to your center of gravity, enforce proper form, and keep you safe.
You should feel the exercise in your glutes and hamstrings.
At the top of the pull, you should be standing up straight. Don’t lean back, don’t arch your back. Just be straight and tall.
Lowering the bar should look the same as the initial descent without the weight: break at the hips, flat back, staying tight.
What are some common mistakes people make when deadlifting? How can you fix them?
This compromises strength by creating a “floppy lever” and leaves you open to injury.
This might be the most dangerous. Once your back position is set, don’t stray from it. Some people (advanced powerlifters who know what they’re doing; I don’t recommend) may pull deadlifts with slightly rounded backs, but no one allows a back to round in the middle of the lift. The nuance is important.
Bending at the back makes your lower back the prime mover. The back is not a “mover,” it’s a stabilizer. It resists movement, and that’s how it builds strength. Breaking at the hips establishes the glutes and hamstrings as the prime movers and the back as the resister.
The reason for the “drag bar up legs” is to protect your back and improve your performance. If the bar drifts in front of you (away from contact with your legs), the load placed on your back increases dramatically.
Don’t try to brace when you’re already bent over. Brace when you’re standing, then descend to grab the bar. Get arranged before your lift.
Again, don’t lift with your back. Lift with your hips—glutes and hamstrings.
A deadlift is not a squat. You don’t want to squat down and try to lift it up with deep knee flexion. It is a hip extension movement.
Sometimes, people will arch their back in an attempt to get tight and maintain a flat back. Doing so places the spine in a disadvantageous position. You want to brace your spine by engaging the musculature surrounding the discs, not by stacking your discs together in a hard arch. An arch feels stronger than it is.
Keeping your shins vertical will ensure the majority of the load is borne by your hips and posterior chain. As your shins angle too far forward, you turn the movement into a knee flexion-centric squat.
Even though you initiate the movement with the hips, the angle of your torso shouldn’t change. Keep your chest up as you drive your hips forward and lift the bar so that you’re entire body moves in concert. The deadlift is not a good morning.
If you’re not sure, it’s worth paying an experienced trainer to help you make the adjustments and learn to “feel” a proper deadlift. Once you’ve got it, you’ll be using more weight than other groups.
The post Learning Deadlifting: 10 Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
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Stressed, anxious, overcommitted—the unholy trinity the undermines mental health and wellbeing for so many people today. I’d argue that chronic stress is the number one threat to health and happiness. Yes, even more detrimental than modern diets, being too sedentary, overexercising when we do exercise, and all the other ways we mismanage our genes nowadays.
By and large, we accept chronic stress as a standard, even inescapable, part of life. To some degree, that’s true. It’s hard to detach from workplace demands, financial pressure, social media and other time sucks, and the generally frantic pace of modern life. That said, most of us have more control over our daily schedules, environments, and habits than we choose to exercise. We don’t set the boundaries we need, nor take even relatively small steps to mitigate life stressors. Why is this so challenging?
Paradoxically, simplifying life and making it easier almost always involves some investment of time and/or money up front. Don’t let this deter you. This is a short-term investment for long-term payoff, which you deserve.
The last thing any of us needs is more stress, and getting advice that’s not applicable or realistic can be super annoying. For example, I hate when people tell me to Marie Kondo my house. I like my stuff, and I don’t want to get rid of it. It’s put away in closets and the garage not bothering anyone. Leave me alone, minimalists!
With that in mind, take what you need from today’s post and leave the rest. Do something, though, to make your life a little easier.
Get out a piece of paper and make a list of all the things that are weighing on you: major life stressors, but also the arguments that you have on repeat with your partner or kids, and small tasks you keep moving from one to-do list to the next instead of just taking care of them.
Next, separate your list into things you can control and things you can’t. For situations you can’t control, brainstorm ways to relieve your stress about them. For example, if you’re caring for a sick family member, could you ask friends to take turns driving your kids to sports practice or dropping off dinner? With stressors you can control, identify the steps that you’d need to take to alleviate them.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
Then, choose ONE to address. Just one. Take the first step.
Streamline your home cooking with ready-made sauces, marinades, and dressings to amplify your flavors with no extra effort. All made without gluten, sugar, industrial seed oils.
Asking for help, saying no, and tackling those nagging little tasks become easier the more you do them. Often it’s just a matter of breaking the inertia and getting started. Figure out what you need to feel calmer and more relaxed, then do it.
And don’t forget to reward yourself! Adulting is hard. Rewards can be an essential part of instilling new and better habits.
Technology can increase or reduce stress depending on how you use it. Here are four ways you can use technology to your advantage:
Set limits on technology, though. Set specific times to check email and social media, then stick to them. Turn off notifications. Put your phone in a different room. Download Inbox Pause so your email only gets delivered at certain times.
Email is a significant stressor for most people. If you dread your inbox, here’s what to do:
The busyness of daily life can easily become overwhelming, so it’s important to build pauses into your days.
With Pomodoro, you do focused work for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break. Download an app like this one that lets you organize your to-do list and reminds you to stop for a breather. Use those breaks wisely:
Use those times to focus on work uninterrupted, check something off your to-do list, or take a nap if you need it. Parents or caregivers who can’t carve out time every day, can you find an hour or two each week where a friend or neighbor kid could hang out with your kids to give you a break, even if you don’t leave the house? Maybe you and your partner could each take one Saturday afternoon a month where it’s just “you time.” Make sure it’s on the calendar!
This has been a game-changer for me during quarantine. It’s so easy to work straight through lunch or use your lunchtime to catch up on email or other tasks. Give yourself 20 to 30 minutes to eat and chill. Maybe check in with social media during this time, but even better, listen to some music and relax.
Getting routines in place can be a hassle, but once you have them established, they create both calm and structure in your day. Even though they might seem like obligations at first, routines actually give you less to think about because they become automatic. More routine = fewer decisions = more mental space.
Adapt this to make sense for your life, but here are some ideas:
Check in with your schedule and to-do list for the day only once you’ve gotten through your routine. I like to use a good old-fashioned planner, in which I only write in pencil. On Sunday nights, I fill in my calendar for the week and make to-do lists, both work and personal. Each morning I look my planner, see what’s on tap for the day, and adjust my to-do list based on what I got done the previous day.
Again, pick and choose what works for you:
Whatever you do, start your routine early enough that you can go to bed on time. Having an evening routine will help you not get sucked into Netflix or Instagram at bedtime, too.
If you’re like me, you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, especially right now with kids and spouses all at home for every. meal. Here are some ways you can free yourself from spending your whole life in the kitchen:
Menu plan and/or meal prep
Prepare big batches of grilled chicken, shredded beef or pork, hamburger patties, hard-boiled eggs, and roasted vegetables. Wash and chop fruit and vegetables to grab quickly for snacks, salads, and stir-fries.
On Sunday night, pack lunches for the whole week. Make jar salads, egg muffins, and chia puddings to grab quickly.
Personally, I like the flexibility to decide what I’m eating each night, but other folks like to plan a week’s dinners in advance and do all the shopping at once. Pick what works best for you.
For simplicity’s sake, all your meals can be one meat + one vegetable, or repeat your favorite recipes over and over. There’s no reason that dinner has to be something new and exciting every night.
Embrace convenience
I know, I know, I said that I hate when people tell me to Kondo my home. Still, I admit that it feels great to pack a box off to the donation center. You don’t have to get rid of everything that doesn’t bring you immense joy, but still—what do you have lying around that could give someone else more joy than it brings you?
That aside, if I can impart one piece of wisdom in this post, it’s that it’s easier to keep your home clean than to deep clean it when it’s filthy. If your living space is messy and causing you angst, block off a few hours this weekend. Check out my post about how to clean almost anything. Then get scrubbing.
Once your home is clean, break it down into simple daily tasks that maintain the cleanliness so you don’t have to do massive deep-cleaning again for a while. Put a bottle of all-purpose cleaner and some rags in the kitchen and every bathroom. Make a quick wipe-down part of your evening routine, as I said above (this is a great job for kids).
Clean bathrooms more thoroughly on Saturday, wash sheets and towels on Sunday, fold and put away laundry on Wednesday— whatever makes sense for your schedule. Delegate tasks to specific people, or use a chore chart with kids. One person cooks, another person loads and empties the dishwasher, that sort of thing. That way, there’s no question about whose turn it is.
If you’re struggling to make movement part of your daily routine, put workouts in your calendar. Set aside that time and make it non-negotiable so you don’t get overscheduled and miss your “me time.”
On the other hand, if you’re flirting with overtraining and burnout, throw your training log out the window. Stop being regimented with your exercise. Leave your heart rate monitor at home.
Go for a less-is-more approach. As Mark says, JFW (just f&*$%ing walk). Focus on joyful movement, moving for fun. Sign up for the MDA Microworkout Challenge and only do formal exercise for a few minutes a day.
When life becomes too complicated, embrace the concept of good enough. Toss out your to-do list once you’ve crossed off the non-negotiable items. Say no to every extraneous invitation or work request without feeling the need to justify your decisions.
Stop exercising and just move your body around.
Get takeout.
Let your house be a little messy. Your kids don’t care if their laundry is folded; they can pull clean clothes straight from the laundry basket. Don’t make your bed.
Give yourself permission not to worry about stuff that really doesn’t matter in the long run. It’s good practice in this unpredictable world.
The post How to Simplify Your Life: Streamline Your Food, Home, Workouts and More appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
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Hasewaga et al (2020) assert that 1 in 10 people will develop plantar fasciitis in their review of minimally invasive treatment of plantar fasciitis. The term itself is applied to inflammation and micro-tearing of the plantar fascia. Your plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue running along the arch of your foot, from your toes to your heel.
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What do we make of alcohol? In sufficient amounts, it’s a poison. It’s incredibly addictive. It destroys entire communities.1 It tears families apart and compels otherwise reasonable, upstanding individuals to commit terribly senseless acts.
On the other hand, it’s a powerful social lubricant. The good stuff tastes great and can enhance the healthfulness of certain foods while inhibiting the unhealthfulness of others. It’s fun, it’s pleasurable, and it brings real (if chemically enhanced) joy to people. Moreover, we have a long and storied history with alcohol. It’s been an integral part of human culture and society for thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years.
So, what’s the deal? Is it good, or is it bad? Is it poison, or is it a gift? Let’s take a look at both sides of the story, which, as is often the case, isn’t exactly black and white.
If you found this article because you suspect you may have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, visit this page for more resources. Alcoholism is a serious issue for some people and I am in no way suggesting there is any “workaround” or excuse herein for someone with those issues, or that drinking, even in moderation, is part of a healthy lifestyle.
First, the downsides.
Our ability to break alcohol down into less toxic metabolites didn’t arise because of our tendency to seek out fermented fruits. Over the course of an average day, the average human digestive system produces about three grams of ethanol just from the gut flora fermenting the gut’s contents. If we didn’t have the ability to metabolize and detoxify ethanol, those three grams would add up real quick and represent a huge toxin load on our bodies.
After alcohol is consumed, a number of enzymatic reactions ensue. In the liver, an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase converts the ethanol to acetaldehyde, an incredibly toxic compound that’s been implicated in causing many hangover symptoms. An enzyme called acetaldehyde dehydrogenase converts the acetaldehyde into acetic acid, or vinegar, which is harmless unless you’re a cucumber. From there, you’re good to go. Sounds simple enough, right? Just let the enzymes do their thing. As long as you make those enzymes, the alcohol will be safely and effectively metabolized into table vinegar which can then be extracted to form a delicious salad dressing (that last part isn’t true).
Unfortunately, not everyone produces the same amount and quality of detoxifying enzymes. Many people of East Asian descent possess a dominant mutation in the gene that codes for aldehyde dehydrogenase, making it less effective. While they’re less likely to be alcoholics, folks with the mutation (characterized by a “flushing” upon ingestion) are at an elevated risk of liver damage and esophageal cancer.2
We usually talk about non-alcoholic fatty liver, a disease associated with sugar and fat intake coupled with inadequate choline to support the liver’s function. But notice that we have to qualify it with “non-alcoholic.” That’s because the most-studied type of fatty liver is alcoholic fatty liver. The mechanisms behind alcoholic fatty liver are myriad and multifaceted,3 but it ultimately comes down to the fact that you’re bathing your liver in a known toxin. Liver alcohol metabolism increases the NADH/NAD+ ratio, thereby promoting the creation of liver fat cells and a reduction in fatty acid oxidation. The result is added fat in the liver and impaired fat burning.
Acetaldehyde, especially if it lingers for too long, also induces inflammation in the liver, which can ultimately progress to full cirrhosis and liver failure.
Alcohol in moderation shouldn’t be a big concern, as long as you can limit yourself. Not everyone can.
Excessive alcohol intake is an established epidemiological risk factor for several cancers,4 including stomach, liver, and colon cancer (to name just a few; more than a dozen cancers are linked to alcohol abuse).
In the stomach and liver, alcohol dehydrogenase converts ethanol into acetaldehyde, which is inflammatory and toxic. Alcohol that makes it through the stomach into the small intestine is also oxidized into acetaldehyde, this time by gut flora. While the liver produces the necessary enzymes to break down acetaldehyde into acetic acid, our gut microbes aren’t so well equipped and the acetaldehyde is allowed to linger longer.
While I’d argue that being addicted to anything will have a negative effect on your life, if not your physical health, being addicted to alcohol is particularly harmful because of how toxic it is – especially the more you drink. Alcohol is less addictive than nicotine, crystal meth, and crack, but more addictive than heroin, intranasal amphetamine, cocaine, and caffeine.5
One’s susceptibility to alcohol addiction is often hereditary,6 too, meaning some people will be far more likely to become addicted than others.
A nightcap is a misnomer. Sure, it’ll help you fall asleep, but your sleep won’t be any more restorative. It increases the incidence of sleep disruptions, and it perturbs the healthy sleep cycles.7
Mocktail Recipes to Try: Dragonfruit Margarita, Blackberry Gin Fizz or Bubbly Whiskey Cherry Lemonade
Even though alcohol destroys a person’s ability to safely maneuver a motor vehicle, one in three car accidents that result in death involve drunk drivers.8 Everyone knows that you shouldn’t drive drunk, but why does it keep happening?
A recent study even showed that just a single drink caused subjects to find “intentionality” in other people’s actions. Subjects who got the alcohol were less likely to view simple actions as accidental, rather than intentional. Thus, when you’re under the influence of alcohol, you’re more likely to take personal offense at the guy bumping into your shoulder, the lady stepping on your shoe, or the person “staring” at you from across the bar. Because, after all, they “meant” to do it, right?9
Everyone who’s ever gotten at least a buzz from a glass or two of wine or a mixed drink has felt the often irresistible urge to snack, to order something salty, crunchy, and sweet from the menu, to beg the driver to swing by the greasiest fast food drive-thru.
This is a well-documented phenomenon. Alcohol affects both active overeating and passive overeating.10
Active overeating describes the conscious decision to “get some grub.”
Passive overeating describes the amount you eat once the food is in front of you.
Under the influence of alcohol, you tend to do more of either – or both. This wouldn’t be such a bad thing if you’re drinking at a Primal meet-up, where you’re surrounded by relatively healthy food, but that’s not where most drinking occurs.
What’s worse than a bad hangover? I’m unaware of anything, at least on a physical scale. Sure, you can mitigate the damage, but the fact that a hangover even exists tells us that whatever we’re ingesting that gave us the hangover is bad for us (in the amount we ingested, at least).
Okay, those were the not-so-great aspects of alchol. What about the positives?
Impaired release of nitric oxide from the endothelial11 cells is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease.12 Ethanol actually increases the production of nitric oxide,13 which dilates blood vessels, regulates blood pressure, induces vascular smooth muscle relaxation, and basically improves endothelial function. If you want good cardiovascular health, you want good endothelial function. However, it’s important to note that large doses of ethanol seem to decrease endothelial function,14 so caution is obviously warranted.
A lot of people use a glass of wine or beer to “wind down” after a hard day. This sounds bad on the surface – you’re using alcohol as a crutch! – but really, if you have to choose between stewing in your stress hormones all day and night and having a drink or two to settle yourself down, I think the drink can be a better option for some people – particularly if the stress is going to impair your sleep and affect your relationships. You’ll want to identify and deal with the original source of the stress, of course, but some people may find a net benefit from having that drink.
Humans are social animals, and we are happiest and healthiest when we have friends, loved ones, and spend quality time with them. Social isolation is a consistent and strong risk factor for increased mortality and morbidity (meaning it’s linked with earlier death and worse health in the days up until that death).15
You shouldn’t base your socialization entirely on drinking alcohol, but it can certainly be a powerful enhancer of your social life. And if you’re having a couple of glasses of wine as you host dinner parties, hang out with friends, enjoy a candlelit dinner with your significant other, or throw a BBQ with your social circle, it will likely have a net positive effect on your health. Of course, this isn’t to say that alcohol is any way needed to have a good time in a social setting.
Just like it says above, drinking alcohol (like wine, for example) with food may reduce postprandial blood glucose16 and the susceptibility of blood lipids to peroxidation.17
Although the conventional push is to increase the intake of iron from foods (especially via fortified grains), some people don’t actually need the added iron. If you have hemochromatosis, a genetic condition that probably arose in Europeans as a survival response to the bubonic plague, you are a hyper-absorber of dietary iron. Luckily, ethanol seems to inhibit the absorption of heme iron,18 the kind you find in red meat. Red wine is also effective at reducing non-heme iron absorption,19 an effect most likely due to the polyphenols present. That said, the entirely non-alcoholic black tea also inhibits iron absorption and has even been shown to reduce the frequency of blood-draws required in patients with iron overload.20 Coffee works, too.21
Note that if you’re deficient in iron or at risk for deficiency, alcohol could be harmful for you.
When you eat a meal, and your stomach is “full,” the pyloric sphincter – which controls the passage of food and drink from the stomach into the small intestine – closes up until your stomach can break down its contents. Any alcohol added to a full stomach will also spend more time being broken down by the relevant enzymes. If you drink on an empty stomach, the pyloric sphincter is wide open, and a greater proportion of alcohol will make it to the small intestine for immediate absorption.
Plus, as I mentioned earlier, drinking alcohol with food can reduce postprandial blood glucose and the susceptibility of blood lipids to peroxidation. Keeping your drinking around meals will let you take advantage of these benefits.
From an evolutionary perspective, consuming high-proof, concentrated alcohol is a relatively recent practice. Some accounts suggest that the Chinese were distilling rice liquor in 800 BC, while others say it wasn’t until the 12th century AD that distillation became commonplace across the “known” world. At any rate, one could certainly argue that alcohol with a low fluid content is an evolutionarily novel food item.
Less fluid means less “stuff” in your stomach, which means a more open and allowing pyloric sphincter, which means faster absorption through the small intestine. More fluid means more “stuff” in your stomach and a more restrictive pyloric sphincter and slower absorption. You could even make like the ancient Greeks and water down your wine, which some people seem to think actually improves the wine.22
Even in adulthood, peer pressure-induced binge drinking is a reality. There’s actual research that found that if your group of friends gets absolutely obliterated every time you go out with them, you’re more likely to join in on the “fun.”23
Conversely, if your friend group has a glass or two of wine with dinner or saves the “good stuff” for special occasions, you’re more likely to follow suit.
It’s the same concept as becoming an average of the five people you spend the most time with. Whose life do you want to emulate?
All the research suggesting health benefits to drinking revolves around “moderate drinking.”24 This amounts to one or two drinks a day depending on who you ask, and depending on who you are (women are affected by lower amounts of alcohol than men).
They’re not talking about pounding shots, or drinking Long Island iced teas, or doing Jello shots (although the gelatin might help matters). They’re talking about a glass or two of something.
If you want to drink and remain healthy, you should strive to eat healthy, exercise well, reduce stress, walk a lot, experience nature, hang out with friends and loved ones, get sun when available, avoid nighttime light exposure as much as possible, and every other lifestyle prescription I recommend. In short, alcohol can augment (or at least fail to impact either way) an already healthy lifestyle, but it probably won’t make a bad situation better.
It’s tough to find yourself in a social situation as the only one not consuming alcohol. Sometimes, it makes people wonder whether your choice to eschew alcohol is a part of a larger issue – Are they not drinking ever again? Is there a drinking problem? Are they judging me and my drinking?
Some days, I’m just not really wanting an alcoholic beverage. I’ve done a 45 day no alcohol experiment, or I’ll do a dry a month or more just because.
In those cases, I don’t draw attention to it. Sometimes, people notice and ask why, in which case I’ll reply, “I’m just not drinking today.” If they press the issue, just repeat yourself.
That line works whether you’re not drinking for a day, or a month, or ever again. You don’t have to make it a big thing.
Full disclosure: I do drink (except when I don’t). My drink of choice is red wine, and I might have a glass or two in a sitting, but I never get drunk. Heck, I don’t even really get “buzzed.”
I have decided that small amounts of alcohol every now and then works with my individual biology. I don’t have any alcoholics in my family that I know of, I can stop at one or two without a second thought, and I don’t ever crave alcohol. If any of that was different, my stance on my own alcohol consumption would probably be different, too.
I’d never recommend that people take up drinking or continue drinking, but I also don’t see it as a great evil in and of itself. The dose and frequency make the poison; it’s just that depending on a number of factors, the dose that makes alcohol a poison might be lower or higher for you than for me. If your sleep is affected or you are the least bit “off” the next day, you probably surpassed your ability to effectively process it and you should factor that in to your choice and approach to drinking again.
Okay, that’s about it for me. Let’s open it up to you guys, now. I want to hear your thoughts on alcohol, especially whether it’s had a positive, negative, or neutral effect on your life and the life of those you care about. I want to hear how you’ve integrated alcohol into your otherwise healthy lifestyle (or not). Thanks for reading!
References
The post Is Alcohol Bad For You If You’re Not Addicted? appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
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