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If only buying chicken were as simple as picking out a pack, paying for it, and heading on your merry way. That’s not to say it’s super complicated (it’s really not!) — it’s just there are a few things you should know before you head to the store.

These insider-y tips will make sure your shopping trip, meal prep, and dinner are the clucking best.

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Just a couple of days after Kraft Heinz started a national debate about whether it should sell the same combination of ketchup and mayo that you could make with your own condiments, the company is back with yet another new sauce. Its newly launched Springboard platform (more on that in a sec) has announced that it has partnered with Momofuku founder and chef David Chang to release his restaurants’ Ssäm Sauce nationwide.

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Dear_Mark_Inline_PhotoFor today’s edition of Dear Mark, I’m answering three questions from readers. I’ve come down hard against phones in bedrooms in the past. Is there a “good way” to use your phone in the bedroom? Reader Kathy offered some good reasons for keeping a phone there; what do I think? Next, HealthyHombre laments having to take antidepressants (but he shouldn’t lament). And finally, I cover the differences in omega-6 between pastured eggs and conventional eggs.

Let’s go:

I use my phone in bed in airplane mode to generate a binaural beat and a rainy night white noise. Grok would not do that but Grok would not live near a busy railroad and a neighbor with outdoor chihuahuas. Grok would not crank up an old favorite story on audiobooks when he couldn’t sleep but I do. The phone has a very dim red light at night (Twilight app). Is that really bad or does the no-phone advice refer instead to radiation from operating radios or attending to email, calls, and Facebook pings?

That’s an excellent question.

A ton of evidence indicates that dim light at night is bad, even just a little bit. It disrupts our cellular circadian rhythm (every cell in our body has a circadian component) and metabolism, leading to weight gain. It increases REM sleep and the number of times we wake up during the night. It may even lead to trans-generational depression and neurodegeneration.

Unless the dim light is red or from a fire. If anything, dim red light will help you sleep, not hinder you. A 2012 paper found that female basketball players using nighttime red light therapy improved sleep quality, increased melatonin production, and boosted endurance capacity.

The way you use your phone at night is ideal. It’s a tool to enhance your life, to replace what’s missing and essential and human in the most ancient sense—stories, soothing white noise.  You’ve got it on airplane mode, so you aren’t getting texts and updates and notifications. You aren’t tempted to check email or Facebook.

Keep doing it.

HealthyHombre wrote:

The article about antidepressants is of interest to me as I take 10mg of Lexapro daily to help mitigate severe panic attacks. For some reason it seems to be the only thing that provides consistent help. I’m 65 years old and it is the only pharmaceutical I take. I exercise regularly, diet is super clean, I’ve tried meditation, deep breathing, journaling, various natural supplements, therapy sessions etc. … all positive things but only the med seems to really work for me. Maybe it is the placebo affect, the mind is very powerful and if we believe something strongly enough it can manifest in a biological response. I’ve been told that a small percentage of people have problems utilizing neurotransmitters and the ad helps prevent re-uptake. I’ve spend hundreds of hours reading everything I can on the subject. Hopefully someday there will be some breakthroughs, until then I reluctantly take it daily and try not to beat myself up too much about it. Have a great day everyone!

If they work, they work! Never beat yourself up for doing what works. Just because many take them unnecessarily doesn’t mean you are. Remember, we’re all individuals charing our respective courses through life. Only we can decide which turns to take and tools to use along the way.

We are our own arbiters.

For what it’s worth, many psychiatrists who value the importance of nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle in treating depression also note the efficacy (and sometimes necessity) of antidepressants in certain patients. Dr. Emily Deans is one.

David wondered:

Hey Mark, I note the inclusion of pork and chicken as foods to be aware of as high in omega 6 linoleic acid (from their feed). Does this line of thinking also apply to egg yolks? If so, only for conventional eggs and not for pastured eggs?

Yes. Keep in mind that many pastured hens still receive a standard feed that contains soy and corn, both of which can contribute to omega-6 levels. However, pastured hens tend to have higher levels of omega-3, so the O6:O3 ratio is lower in pastured chicken eggs. Does it matter?

I think so. A study from several years ago compared the in vivo effects of regular eggs vs “special eggs” in humans—what happens in people who eat them? The conventional hens ate typical stuff high in omega-6 fats, like soy, corn (and its oil), sunflower, and safflower; their eggs were high in omega-6. The special hens ate wheat, barley, and sorghum, with an antioxidant blend to replicate the broad spectrum of compounds they’d get foraging in nature. Their eggs were lower in omega-6. Human subjects ate two eggs a day from either regular or special hens for several weeks. By study’s end, people eating the conventional eggs had 40% more oxidized LDL than people eating the eggs low in omega-6. Oxidized serum LDL is strongly associated with atherosclerosis (and it’s probably a causative relationship), so this is a big finding.

Pastured and wild chickens eat wild plants, seeds, bugs, and grain (most of which contain various antioxidant phytochemicals and low levels of omega-6); the experimental hen wasn’t the perfect approximation of this diet, but it was pretty close.

Any egg is better than no egg, though. If all you can eat are standard eggs, they’re still worth having for the choline content alone.

That’s it for today, folks. Thanks for reading. Be sure to leave a comment, ask a question, or answer a question down below.

 

The post Dear Mark: Phones in Bedrooms, Antidepressants, Pastured Egg Omega-6 Content appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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For practically as long as I was engaged, people were telling me that I needed to be sure to eat on my wedding day.

“There’s going to be so much going on and you’re going to be totally overwhelmed as soon as things are underway,” they said. “Stock up on snacks for the morning. And be sure you have someone bringing you something to eat during the wedding itself, because you’re going to forget.”

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Earth Day happens just once a year, and although it’s over for 2018, Seventh Generation wants you to celebrate every day. To help, the eco-friendly cleaning line is currently offering Prime members 20% off one item eligible item, and 35% off if you buy two or more.

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If you want a good night’s rest, you know to avoid the big three: caffeine, sugar, and booze. That means no late-night cup of coffee, decadent dessert, or nightcap. And, while hotels may leave a square of chocolate on the pillow, eating it before bed will also interfere with your sleep (chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is full of caffeine).

But what about more unlikely foods that may disrupt your rest? We spoke to sleep experts to find out five unexpected items that can get in the way of a good night’s sleep.

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My husband and I just moved to Charlotte, NC, and we chose our new apartment because it’s a five-minute walk to Publix. I mean, there were other reasons too, of course — like the layout, the price, and the well-managed building — but really Publix was a pretty big factor.

That’s because for this girl from the Northeast, Publix was a magical wonderland only visited when on vacation in Florida. It became even more so when I moved to New York City and my grocery store options were limited to narrow aisles, overpriced products, and anxious shoppers. So yes, being near the Publix was important.

If you’ve never been to one (and you really should make a point to get there!), here are a few things you should know.

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There needs to be a revolution in the poultry world. While many people think that boneless, skinless chicken breasts are the end-all-be-all for a chicken recipe, chicken thighs deserve the real love.

When cooked correctly (which isn’t hard), chicken thighs will make the most succulent chicken you’ll ever eat, with a perfectly crispy skin.

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I’m just gonna say it: Spring cleaning is a ridiculous idea. I get the logic behind it (fresh, new beginnings and all) — I just don’t want to do it. And I don’t think you should, either.

Here are three reasons why I’m skipping out on spring cleaning — and why you should too.

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Carnitas of any kind (including peach!) is one of my very favorite dishes to make, with its tender juicy meat and browned edges. I always thought those who didn’t eat pork were missing out — until now. It turns out that chicken carnitas is a beautiful, delicious thing.

Quickly oven-braise chicken thighs in the same carnitas seasonings, and after a quick stint under the broiler, the shredded, flavorful meat has the same crispy bits that are the hallmark of a good platter of pork carnitas. Just grab some tortillas, and chicken tacos are at your fingertips!

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