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In California, where I live, March marks the start of artichoke season. That’s when the vegetable — officially, a spiky flowering plant called a thistle — starts showing up in farmers markets across the state.

Cooked and eaten around the Mediterranean for at least two millennia, the ancient artichoke is known as the “aristocrat” of the vegetable world, with its delicate flavor and impenetrable exterior, at least to the uninitiated.

It’s also the subject of a little-known chapter in the history of organized crime. Almost a century ago, New York City mobsters weren’t just bootlegging, gambling, and loansharking. They were engaged in another shady million-dollar operation: artichoke racketeering.

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Weeknight meals that can be enjoyed multiple times are the gifts that keep on giving for most home cooks. Not only are these types of dinners quick and easy to make on night one, but they also taste just as good, if not better, when reheated.

Tonight’s meatloaf becomes tomorrow’s hearty sandwich; a beefy macaroni skillet dinner becomes the lunch you stick in your kid’s thermos; and a veggie soup become your breakfast (yes, breakfast!) for the rest of the week. So think beyond tonight’s dinner when you plan meals for the week, and consider how many ways you can enjoy them beyond day one. Here are 20 meals to kick things off.

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This won’t be the only time you hear me say it, but paper straws have got to go. Yes, they look adorable on your bar and your Instagram, but they get so soggy. Because I’m a sucker for cuteness, though, I do have an alternative for you: stainless steel straws.

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The party problem: You’re throwing a pizza party birthday party and you want to make an extra-special dessert. But even a from-scratch cake doesn’t seem special enough — after all, you’re feeling a little guilty that you didn’t really cook for the party.

The party trick: Make a giant sugar cookie cake that surprisingly looks like a pizza.

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 My story is a fun one. Nothing crazy drastic, but fun nonetheless. It started January of 2012, when I first started reading success stories from MDA. At this point in my life, I was no stranger to the human body and how best to treat it. I exercised moderately, and ate plenty of vegetables and fish as part of my normal diet. I tried to get at least 6-7 hours sleep and remained injury-free. So when I first started reading, I thought this makes sense. It’s working obviously—however, I’m not going to take the plunge quite yet.

Also, wasn’t quite sure what exactly this Mark guy was selling. My problem, like everyone else’s, with taking that leap was giving up my wonderful sources of carbs. I freaking loved bread and pasta—they made up the better part of my diet. I, however, did ramp up my fat intake immediately.

It wasn’t until the first week of April that I decided to pull the trigger. And how my world changed! After 7 days I lost 9 lbs and was able to pull a 29-hour fast like it was nothing! I was able to feel for the first time in my life, what true hunger felt like—much less mild than the crippling “starving” feeling. Two weeks into it, I was squatting on the potty—not with a Squatty Potty mind you—and my lifelong constipation and hemorrhoids were gone. After three months I was down 25 lbs, corrective lenses forgotten, hours in the sunshine without protection and burning, and just boundless energy.

As soon as I made the plunge in April, I could not get enough info crammed into my brain. I would spend up to 8 hours a day reading article after study after lecture, and podcasts, back to articles. I would jump from MDA to Chris Kresser, Chris Masterjohn, Robb Wolf, Dave Asprey, Jimmy Moore, Abel James, Denise Minger, Peter Attia, etc. The more I read and listened, the stronger the fire grew to learn. By June of 2013—just a little over a year into it—I had amassed approximately 2000 hours devoted to learning as much as I could though reading, watching and listening.

And then I had a baby. I lost sleep, lost hours at work (translates to lack of money), so I ate less. Fasting 18 hours everyday became part of the routine, and certainly not with enough nourishment. I of course ended up losing even more weight, and got all the way down to 136 by August ’15! As a reference, my starting weight was 170 back in April of ’12, and I am 5’10. I made the conscious effort to eat more, and naturally my sleep improved—both from eating and from a baby who was more often sleeping through the night.

Also in August ’15, I finished the Primal Expert Certification (now the Primal Health Coaching Program) and started my own Health & Wellness business, Revolution Food. I started out with a couple clients and transitioned into cooking meals for families—primarily Primal meals of course. In May ’16 we ended that service and suspended our business as we were about to embark on a transitional period. My wife enrolled in the NASM Personal Trainer course, and became certified in August ’16. I had taken a retail job to have a regular paycheck, and even more so ate and slept more regularly. In December 2016, I finished my classes for culinary school and was able to take on a new client. My first real (paying) client as a Primal Health Coach, and one that I was able to devote more time to.

As of today, I sit between 150 and 155, and am now making a conscious effort to exercise more—whether it be doing MovNat or hitting the gym. I am enrolled in the NASM Personal Trainer program myself, with the goal of being MovNat certified by this time next year. One can never have too many certifications.

This is my story of lighting a fire, rolling with life’s punches, and turning that fire into blaze. Mark is right, don’t let a bad decision one day, or a few days out of the year define you. If you are thinking of leaping into this community, just let the damn bread go—trust me, you’ll thank yourself for it.

Jamie Farrington

The post How My World Changed! appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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Pork tenderloin is the lean cut of meat you need to know if you’re really into pork chops. As its name implies, pork tenderloin is the most tender cut of pork, and it cooks up into a mild-flavored main in under 30 minutes. From buying pork tenderloin to the prep and cooking that happens before it hits your table, here’s what you need to know to master this cut of meat.

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Your knives may be more dangerous than usual if you own Calphalon brand products. The company announced a recall of 2 million knives in the United States and 7,100 knives in Canada. The recall took place after more than 3,000 cases of knives breaking and 27 reports of consumers suffering from finger and hand lacerations, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

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When I moved to New York eight years ago, I got a crash course in bagels — where to find the best ones, what each spot’s specialty was, and, the biggest shock of them all, which places didn’t toast.

“Well, this must be some kind of silly mistake,” I thought. “New Yorkers are serious about their bagels. So why in the world would some institutions skip the most crucial step?” The toasting of the bagel, in my humble opinion, is non-negotiable. Same goes for every single breakfast carb: English muffins, bread (also known as, you know, toast), fluffy rolls … come one, come all to the electric dunk tank of deliciousness. Everything that can be toasted should be toasted!

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Optical illusions have the power to send the internet into a frenzy. Just think of the dress or the ham picture. Now, a psychology professor at Ritsumeikan University in Japan has a new illusion and it’s all about strawberries. Or, at least, their red hue.

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(Image credit: Ashley Poskin)

From Apartment Therapy → How To Make Homemade Citrus Cleaner

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