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Research of the Week

Potential mechanisms behind the links between full-fat dairy and health.

Religious belief predicts compassionate love.

A close relative of ketamine treats the most resistant type of depression.

CBD helps schizophrenics.

High-dose vitamin D reduces PMS in teen girls. Indirect benefits for teen boys.

New Primal Blueprint Podcasts

Episode 211: Joel Jamieson: Host Brad Kearns chats with Joel Jamieson about what most people get wrong about training, recovery, rest, and energy.

Each week, select Mark’s Daily Apple blog posts are prepared as Primal Blueprint Podcasts. Need to catch up on reading, but don’t have the time? Prefer to listen to articles while on the go? Check out the new blog post podcasts below, and subscribe to the Primal Blueprint Podcast here so you never miss an episode.

Interesting Blog Posts

Swedish tips for outdoor parenting.

Doctors, coaches, and athletes are finally realizing that female athletes who get enough rest, recovery, and calories to avoid the female athlete triad perform better.

Media, Schmedia

The UK now has a Ministry of Loneliness. This isn’t normal.

A nice overview of how fiber benefits health.

Everything Else

Putin shows the health benefits of certain traditions.

Overlooked thanks to its propensity to degrade over time, the stick played a huge role in human evolution.

The boy who stayed awake for 11 days.

Make Lighting Great Again.

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

Podcast I’m liking: The Insight, a podcast all about human population genetics, ancient history, ancienter prehistory, and migration.

Video I’m digging: Central African pygmies building a bridge across croc-infested waters.

Area of research I’m eyeing: The interplay between the gut biome and physical performance.

Article I found fascinating: Is general anesthesia general amnesia? How we might consciously experience—but soon forget—surgery. 

Great AMA: A pair of CRISPR experts.

Recipe Corner

• Why do Brussels sprouts have such a bad reputation? Because most people don’t roast them with bacon.
• Eye of round is an inexpensive cut, but it’s fantastic.

Time Capsule

One year ago (Jan 21– Jan 27)

• Dear Mark: More of Your Challenge Questions Answered – A nice Q&A.
• Contest Poll: Primal Blueprint Recipe Videos – Watch, get hungry, get cooking.

Comment of the Week

“Making stainless steel pans non-stick: Heat up on the stove, like, really, really hot. Put in some oil (I prefer coconut), about a tablespoon and swirl it around till it smokes. Dump out the oil. Turn off heat, and sprinkle kosher salt in the pan, a nice layer on the bottom. Using a handful of paper towels, rub the salt around, including the sides, like you are scouring the pan. Be careful not to burn yourself. After a minute or two, dump out the salt and wipe pan clean, It is no seasoned! You’ll note that the surface seems much smoother and slicker than before.

The key is to then use some fat in an already-heated pan. Like The Frugal Gourmet on PBS used to say, “Cold Oil, Hot Pan, Food Won’t stick.” For scrambled eggs (Mark!) or an omelet, I take a stick of butter and manually rub it all around the pan after it’s heated, to coat it well. Let it heat another moment, you want it hot enough that a water drop will ‘roll’ around. Then put in the eggs. Voila. Scrambled are a piece of cake and if you make an omelet, or fired eggs, they won’t won’t stick.

I clean the pan just with a paper towel, not soapy water (treat it like you would a seasoned cast iron pan) and it will stay non-stick for a good while. I repeat the seasoning process every couple months, depending on use.”

– Great comment, Pcskier.

The post Weekend Link Love — Edition 487 appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

http://www.thealternativedaily.com/

Saunas are used regularly by nearly one-third of all adults in Finland. They’re also extremely popular in the U.S. That’s because nothing is more invigorating for the body like a sauna. They relieve tension, relax muscles and mentally recharge your brain. Now, a new study reveals that saunas may be more than just relaxing, they’re […]

http://www.thealternativedaily.com/

Do live lobsters feel pain when they’re plopped into boiling water? They do scream, after all. Or, is that simply the sound of air escaping from their bodies? Boiling lobsters alive may be common practice for both chefs and home cooks, but is it really the most humane way to cook a lobster? Boiling any […]

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

This is succulent pulled pork with an Indian twist. The pork is swimming in a fragrant coconut sauce rich with spices like garam masala, turmeric, coriander, and cinnamon (plus, lots of onion, garlic, and ginger).

This recipe is made in two parts. First, cook the pork shoulder. Then, simmer the coconut curry sauce. Using one pot, the Instant Pot, for both steps keeps the cooking time and the dirty dishes to a minimum.

Typically, pork shoulder is cut into small stew pieces for curries. On some days though this step can feel like too much time and effort. So, for this recipe, the pork is cooked in large pieces instead and then shredded into the sauce.

Serve Instant Pot Pulled Pork Coconut Curry with sweet potatoes or roasted squash. It’s also great with sautéed greens on the side.

Time in the Kitchen: 1 hour of hands-on cooking time, plus 80 minutes in the pressure cooker

Servings: 6 to 8

Pork Ingredients

• 3 to 4 pound boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4 pieces (1.4 to 1.8 kg)
• Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup/60 ml)
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil (30 ml)
• 1 tablespoon garam masala (15 ml)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (5 ml)
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (1.2 ml)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (10 ml)

Coconut Sauce Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided (30 ml)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or ghee (15 ml)
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (411 g)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or pressed
• 2-inches/50 mm peeled ginger root, grated
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (5 ml)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (2.5 ml)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin (2.5 ml)
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander (2.5 ml)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (2.5 ml)
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom (2.5 ml)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (1.2 ml)

Instructions

Recipe Tip: The pork can be made a day head, or be made on the same day as the coconut curry sauce.

For the pork, mix together lemon juice, avocado oil, garam masala, garlic powder, cinnamon, and salt. Pour marinade over the pork pieces. Marinate 30 to 60 minutes at room temperature (while prepping the rest of the ingredients) or several hours in the refrigerator.

Using the sauté function of an electric pressure cooker (like an Instant Pot) set on medium, heat one tablespoon of coconut oil. Lift each piece of pork out of the marinade, shaking excess marinade off (save the marinade). Cook the pieces of pork until browned on all sides; about 8 minutes total for each piece. If the pot gets too hot and the spices on the pork start to burn, turn down the heat, and/or add more oil.

When the pork is browned, pour the remaining marinade into the pot. Add 1/4 cup (180 ml) water. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to loosen any bits of meat that have stuck to the bottom of the pot.

With all the pork in the pot, cover and lock the lid. Set the pressure cooker to cook for 80 minutes under high pressure. Make sure the valve is in the “sealed” position. When 80 minutes has passed, let the pressure release naturally (about 15 minutes).

Take the pork out of the broth; shred when cooled. Reserve ¼ cup of the broth; the rest can be refrigerated for another use (add to soups or stews for extra flavor, or use the broth to flavor meat or roasted vegetables.)

Using the pressure cooker’s sauté function on medium, heat the unsalted butter or ghee, plus the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil. Add onion, cook until soft and nicely browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Be careful that the onion doesn’t burn; turn heat to low if necessary. When the onion is nicely browned, add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute more. Add turmeric, garam masala, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cardamom. Add tomatoes, ½ cup coconut milk and ¼ cup of the broth left from cooking the pork.

Bring sauce to a simmer. Simmer five minutes, then stir in the pork. Simmer 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

Before serving, taste and add salt or more coconut milk if desired. Garnish with cilantro or parsley, and an optional dollop of whole milk yogurt.

Instant Pot Pulled Pork Coconut Curry is a recipe that tastes good the first day, and even better the next day, when the spices and flavors have time to meld.

The post Instant Pot Pulled Pork Coconut Curry appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

http://www.thealternativedaily.com/

There are few things more delicious than freshly prepared sushi with tasty ingredients. However, one California man had a crazy experience with the Japanese cuisine. After eating salmon sushi every day, he found out that a whopping five-foot tapeworm was living inside his body. Doctor Kenny Banh spoke about the Fresno man’s crazy experience on a […]

http://www.thealternativedaily.com/

This year’s influenza season is inspiring dread across the country. According to reports in the LA Times, some California hospitals look like “war zones” with tents set up to treat influenza patients. An especially deadly flu season The news is hardly better elsewhere. In Kentucky, the death toll from the flu just topped 50. In […]

http://www.thealternativedaily.com/

You never forget to brush your teeth before bed, right? If not, you might be putting more than your breath at risk. Along with bad breath and a sore mouth, gum disease might also be linked to cancer, according to a recent Finnish study. The link comes down to a type of bacteria, Treponema denticola. […]

http://www.thealternativedaily.com/

According to reports, a healthy 10-year-old boy named Nico Mallozzi has died from the flu. As expected, this year’s flu has brought its usual surge of people to hospitals. However, it also reminds us of the impact that that virus can have on some of society’s most vulnerable people, in this case a child. So […]

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

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http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

In 2011 I was 80 lbs overweight, I was on 8 medications, I was sick, sad, and scared. As a doctor, I couldn’t understand how I’d ended up there. I “knew” what to do. I just had to eat less and exercise more, right?

I’d done Weight Watchers (which worked for a while, until I gained all the weight, plus more, back), seen a nutritionist, a therapist, and even a hypnotist to control my lack of willpower.

I was eating low-fat meat and dairy, whole grains, and tightly controlling my portions. I ate vegetarian meals frequently and snacked on pretzels and hummus, and chips and salsa. I went to the gym 3 times a week and did 30 minutes of cardio. I was doing everything “right,” and this was me.

One day a friend, who had no medical background, told me he was going to do this “Paleo” diet. Meats, eggs, nuts, fruits and veggies. No grains, no dairy, no legumes. I was horrified. “You can’t do that,” I said, “you will DIE!” All that meat and eggs and fat would spike his cholesterol, no dairy and his bones would all break, no grains and he wouldn’t get any fiber. “Wait,” I said. “Don’t do anything crazy. Let me research it and get back to you.”

So, I set out to save my friend’s life. To find evidence to convince him that this Mark Sisson guy was crazy. What I found was shocking. I read Loren Cordain, Robb Wolf. And it all made sense. From a biochemical standpoint, based on everything I knew about physiology, it all made sense.

Well, I knew that couldn’t be right, so I set out looking for criticism of the Paleo diet. And none of it made sense. The criticisms were weak, they were not based in science.

So, I did it. For 4 months I ate Paleo. I lost 20 lbs, I felt better, and I wasn’t so damn hungry all the time like I’d been on Weight Watchers.

Then life, a move, and a divorce got in the way. But in 2013 I found It Starts With Food. I read it while I polished off a box of donuts and cried. I didn’t know why I couldn’t stop the donuts, but Dallas and Melissa told me. I did a Whole30. I kept reading medical articles supporting this lifestyle. I met Dallas Hartwig in 2014. I was still struggling because over enthusiastic exercise had led to injuries. He told me “Just walk. You can still be an athlete if you just walk.” So I started walking. And walking.

And in 2015 I walked a half marathon. I got serious about eating well. I started dropping medications (with my doctors permission). I had followed Mark’s Daily Apple sporadically, but when the New Primal Blueprint came out, I bought it. I still believe It Starts With Food, but it doesn’t end there. I was ready to dial in my exercise, my sleep, my relationships, my stress.

I have lost 70 lbs, I’ve lost 6 clothes sizes. I no longer take any of those 8 medicines. I lost my depression, my anxiety, my snoring, my insomnia, my rosácea, my thinning hair, my chronic constipation, and my glasses/contacts. I’ve lost cravings. I’ve lost interest in highly palatable junk food. I’ve lost the need for “willpower” over food. I’ve climbed glaciers in Iceland and volcanoes in Hawai’i. My sex drive is back, and I have the stamina to enjoy it. I’m happy, peaceful, and calm.

I’ve cured patients of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, rosácea, IBS, PCOS, and autoimmune disease. I’m taking patients off more medicines than I’m prescribing.

I’m inspiring others. I’m inspiring my kids. I’m inspiring myself.

Happy, healthy, fit, confident. I enjoy exercise, I don’t obsess about food, I sleep like a baby and wake with the sun. I turn off my phone and read books. I have a loving relationship. Life is good.

I’m Grokking On!
Joanne Watson, MD

The post I’m Taking Patients Off More Medications Than I’m Prescribing appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.