http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
(Image credit: Samantha Bolton)
Sausages, brats, bangers, and dogs are terms that are often used when referring to any of the fresh sausage links we adore for their ability to pair well with ball games and beer. It is likely that you can distinguish a hot dog from the bunch, but do you know the difference between a sausage and a bratwurst?
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
(Image credit: Melissa Ryan)
The popular Myers-Briggs personality test can provide keen insights into the right career or even the right relationship, so we figured why not use it for something that really matters? We’re talking about summer parties, of course. With the season of flip-flops and gin lemonade upon us, here’s what your four-letter personality type says about your soirée of choice.
To thine own self be true — and to your outdoor entertaining style, be even truer.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/
Amidst all the debate over how saturated fat and PUFAs differentially affect our health, we often forget about monounsaturated fats, or MUFAs. These are almost universally tolerated, if not loved. No one really maligns them. Vegans and carnivores alike consume them on a regular basis. You find ’em in nuts and seeds alongside PUFAs. You find them in animal fats alongside saturated fats. In most healthy diets, whether alternative (Primal, keto) or conventional (Mediterranean, AHA), monounsaturated fats feature prominently. They can’t really be avoided.
But they’re an afterthought in hard core nutrition geek circles. Probably because no one really attacks them. Probably because they’re uncontroversial.
Let’s change that. Today, I’m going to explain why, in explicit detail, you should be eating more monounsaturated fat—if you aren’t already.
Saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats are defined by their molecular structure. When we talk about “oxidized fatty acids,” we’re talking about oxidation of the carbon atoms that lie between double bonds. PUFAs are highly unstable because they have two more double bonds; that’s two more weak spots vulnerable to oxidative damage. Saturated fats are highly stable because they have no double bonds, no weak spots. MUFAs, with their one double bond, are theoretically vulnerable to oxidation—but it rarely actually happens. The literature shows that MUFA-rich oils, like olive and avocado, are highly resistant to heat damage during cooking.
Mitochondria are (almost) everything. Cellular power plants whose design we co-opted from parasitic bacteria billions of years ago, mitochondria provide ATP—the basic energy currency. They regulate both individual cellular metabolism and, since we’re just collections of cells, overall metabolism. The more mitochondria we have and the better they work, the more energy we’re able to consume, utilize, and produce. They’re quite essential.
They’re also sensitive to oxidative stress if they’re not built with the right materials. Mitochondria whose membranes contain high levels of PUFAs are less stable, more prone to oxidative damage, and function worse than mitochondria with MUFA-rich membranes. We need our mitochondria to work if we’re to enjoy good health and a strong metabolism, and MUFAs make that possible.
We eat foods, not nutrients, remember. And by choosing foods high in monounsaturated fat, in a roundabout way you’ll be choosing foods high in many important nutrients.
Consider the mac nut. Buttery, sweet, associated with many health benefits. A favorite treat of mine is salted, dry-roasted mac nuts in Greek yogurt with a drizzle of raw honey. “Salted”? Yep. Try it.
Consider the avocado. Everyone’s favorite “healthy fat.” A rich source of potassium, half an avocado can reduce the postprandial inflammatory load of a big meal. I don’t mean to use scare quotes in a negative way—I love avocados. That everyone but Ray Peat embraces it amuses me, is all.
Consider the almond. A surprising source of prebiotic fiber and repository for vital minerals, the almond is mostly known as a “bag of linoleic acid.” It has PUFAs, sure, but MUFAs are still the primary fatty acid present in the almond. Didn’t know that, did you? We forget.
Consider the olive, whose MUFA-rich oil reduces inflammation in heart disease patients.
Consider the egg yolk. Easiest/tastiest source of choline around. Great source for folate, selenium, B12, complete protein, dietary cholesterol (yes, it’s important). Go pastured and it gets even better. Did you realize that MUFA is the predominant fatty acid in your average egg yolk? It is.
Consider grass-fed beef. Who doesn’t love it? It’s higher in nutrients, lower in cruelty. Even vegans will begrudgingly admit it’s “better” and “slightly less murderous” than conventional beef. Turns out that the grass-fed stuff is higher in MUFAs (and stearic acid, a type of saturated fat that desaturates to MUFA in the body).
Research has established the pivotal role of oleic acid in immune function: it improves wound healing, increases the elimination of pathogens, and is associated with protection against autoimmune diseases.
Several lines of evidence point to a protective effect.
Eat it up, diabetics.
Oleic acid plays a crucial role in the initiation of several anti-carcinogenic cellular processes. It even combines with bovine lactoferrin (a bioactive protein found in milk) to form a novel anti-tumor compound, and animal studies indicate a number of anti-cancer properties inherent to oleic acid. Don’t go sticking raw milk with olive oil in your Vitamix and selling it as a cancer cure or anything, but that’s pretty cool.
Even as controversy over the importance of the lipid profile rages across the nutritional world, one thing remains certain: whatever stance you take, monounsaturated fat has a neutral or positive effect. It increases HDL and reduces LDL. It reduces triglycerides and increases the all-important HDL:Total ratio. It does this in healthy people and diabetics, in the overweight and the heart disease-stricken. It does this without increasing LDL’s propensity to oxidize, as happens in high-PUFA diets.
MUFA (and its constant companion, saturated fat) has been shown to increase the resilience of cartilage exposed to stressful conditions. Omega-6 PUFAs have the opposite effect. This may come down to oleic acid’s inhibitory effect on TNF-alpha, a cytokine involved in local joint inflammation.
We like to flout conventional wisdom, but it’s important to only do that when it’s actually wrong. Sometimes conventional wisdom is correct. And when everyone agrees on something, take a closer look before discarding it.
It turns out that the pro-MUFA stance is not based on fluff or propaganda. Real legitimate science shows that MUFAs are beneficial. The kind of science that your average vegan, paleo, and conventional cardiologist would all cite and find credible.
Now, I have no idea what pure oleic acid tastes like. Not much, I’d imagine. But think about olives, bacon, beef, brie, and, oh, avocados. Foods that contain it tend to be delicious.
This is why I chose avocado oil as the foundation for most of our Primal Kitchen products. Whether it’s mayo (chipotle lime or regular), dressing (Greek vinaigrette or honey mustard), or straight up avocado oil, MUFAs as they appear in the wild taste as good as they are good for you.
Oleic acid, the primary MUFA, isn’t magic. It’s not a “superfood.” It’s the work horse of the fatty acids. It’s the foundation. It’s the one constant amidst all healthy diets. Meat eaters get tons of it through animal fat. Lacto-ovo vegetarians get it through dairy and eggs. Vegans get it through nuts and oils. We all carry a lot of it in our adipose tissues, if not by weight then by percentage. Our bodies even convert certain saturated fats, like stearic acid, into oleic acid; that’s how much our bodies need it.
It’s time we pay closer attention to MUFAs. Don’t you agree?
What did I miss? What other health benefits do oleic acid and other MUFAs offer? What’s your favorite way to obtain them?
Thanks for reading, all!
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
Summer cooking is all about minimalism, and the treats we whip up for the Fourth of July are no exception. We want things to be delicious, sure, but we don’t want to have to work that hard for it. If you’re looking for a dessert to bring to an Independence Day bash and have zero interest in turning on the oven, any of these picks below will work.
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
(Image credit: Andrea D’Agosto)
Corn dogs are actually pretty amazing. Think about it: It’s a hot dog covered in cornbread batter and deep-fried on a stick. The result is a symphony of flavors and textures that deserves more than just a slick of yellow mustard.
Consider the dressed-up corn dog a centerpiece of your next get-together. Whether you make your corn dogs from scratch or grab the bake-at-home variety from the grocery store, here are 10 ways to dip, drizzle, sprinkle, or dress your corn dog for maximum delight.
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
Something about summer makes me want to simplify. Maybe it’s the long, warm days tugging me out of the kitchen and into the sun, or maybe it’s the abundance of perky produce begging to be no more than subtly embellished. Maybe it’s both. Either way, this seasonal snack of toast, fresh fruit, and Arla Original Cream Cheese is exactly the kind of thing I’m craving. It’s made with simple ingredients yet checks all the boxes for a perfect snack: crunchy, creamy, and juicy.
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
(Image credit: Ariel Knutson)
It’s that magical time of year again, when too many delicious things to count make their way into the Javits Center in New York for Summer Fancy Food. My feet are sore and my stomach is full, but I’m exited to share a few of the most delicious and innovative products I saw at the event this year. From moon cheese to dessert hummus, there’s a little something for everyone to enjoy.
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
(Image credit: Brie Passano)
Potato salad is essential at any cookout. This creamy recipe is mayonnaise-free and full of crisp bacon and celery. The dressing has a cool, creamy tang that mayonnaise-based dressings just can’t beat. Bonus: this potato salad is even better when made ahead.
And that marvelous dressing? Sour cream is part of its appeal, but the real secret lies in a nostalgic blast from the past: Cheez Whiz. That’s right, we double-dog dare you to pick up a can of that junior high snack and put it to respectable use.
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
(Image credit: Oleksandra Naumenko/Shutterstock)
From Apartment Therapy → Make It Yourself: 7 All-Natural Sea Salt Cleaners & Scrubs
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
Book your class NOW!
click this ==>
