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There are few foods that have earned the unbridled love of a giant swath of people yet scare off everyone else.

I hear people not from the States think that Twinkies and Marshmallow Fluff are disturbing and beyond reason (they are delicious — thank you and good day). Blood sausage is delicious, and spoiler alert: made of blood. This delicacy pops up in many countries from as far ranging as Brazil to Chile to Mongolia to Hong Kong to Iceland. Yet, people either hate it or love it; or, they’re simply horrified that someone would even think to make it at all.

But honestly, sausage might make more sense to add to a pasta dish than what Nigella Lawson is telling everyone they should put in their pasta.

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Supplementation is a word that is often tossed around in the fitness industry without much regard for its end-user audience. Simply put, supplementation as we know it comes in two forms: dietary and hormonal.

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There are a lot of stresses that come with moving to a new country. When I moved to the Netherlands for a six-month stint at the University of Amsterdam, I desperately tried to squeeze all of my favorite pots, pans, and utensils into my suitcase, because I wanted the comfort of those familiar items. Ultimately, though, airline baggage fees and limited suitcase space forced me to leave my cherished cooking supplies behind.

For the first few days I was there, I didn’t cook — I subsisted on fresh bread, cheese, and bitterballen (delicious, little fried croquettes). Then came the moment of truth. Was there a place in Amsterdam that could fulfill my need for high-quality yet cheap items to temporarily fill my kitchen?

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This may be hard to believe, but there’s an elusive corner of the internet where everyone is really, really, really nice to each other. No, it’s not Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood Dot Com — it’s the world of secret, invitation-only, food-centric Facebook groups. And we believe that they’re some of the few places where the words “happy” and “internet” can coexist.

To back up this sweeping claim, we did some ethnographic research (read: joined three specific secret Facebook groups) to get a feel for each vibrantly unique community. After several weeks of observing how members of the Leaf Rakers Society, Kitchn’s Meal Planning Club, and Instant Pot Community all interact in the privacy of their comfort zones, I can confidently say that I have found the internet equivalent of holding hands and singing Kumbaya. We’re talking a deep passion for pumpkin spice that transcends the seasons, collaborative Instant Pot cheesecake adventures, and passionate fridge clean-out brainstorms. And if there ever was a time that we all needed that, it’s now.

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We live in a stress-filled world. Poor quality nutrition, toxic chemicals, xenoestrogens, EMFs, blue-light, deadlines, and traffic have us competing for our health. But on March 20, 2011, life got much more stressful than I could have ever imagined.

That particular day, I found myself in an ICU bed after recently being hit by a series of large vehicles. I recalled crossing a busy street in Traffic Nation, a.k.a. Los Angeles, where I was unexpectedly hit by a Land Rover headed west. The force of the blow threw me into the eastbound lane, where I was then run over by a Toyota Tundra. Needless to say, my world was rocked.

Lying unconscious in the middle of Melrose, paramedics and first responders aided my broken body. Upon impact I had seven broken ribs, a collapsed lung and “the worst compound fracture’ the maxillofacial specialist at the hospital had ever seen…BUT I was still alive. Perspective.

For any person, this would be a traumatic experience, but for a young, 30-year-old working actor and model, my future was suddenly completely unsure. At this time, my physical appearance was a huge part of my livelihood, and quite honestly, I wasn’t certain I would ever look the same.

My body wrecked and my confidence not far behind, I found a silver lining by focusing on what I DID have rather than what I didn’t. Some say true purpose is born from tragedy, and luckily for me, this was the case. As easy as it would have been to give up, my near-fatal accident turned out to be the ultimate blessing in disguise — that experience sparked the fire in my soul’s purpose. I set forward with passion to recover my health and to get back in better shape than I was before the accident. Along the way, I shared everything I had learned about nutrition, natural healing, skincare and how to feel better about the reflection in the mirror with the rest of the world.

All Natural Recovery

My recovery wasn’t easy, physically or mentally. I had pain from head to toe, my jaw wired shut and nubs for front teeth, I felt myself turning into a zombie from the antibiotics, CT scan and monthly x-rays. It was dark. I lost my zest as a human being. I definitely wasn’t my ‘happy-go-lucky’ self, and it is a scary thing to witness yourself changing for the worse as a person. But I didn’t give in to that feeling, I quickly decided I was going to do everything in my power to ‘beat’ this funk that I was in and recover as quick as I could, as best as I could. A walking ball of inflammation, I began researching ingredients for how I was going to accelerate my healing both internally and externally. I met with several Chinese herbalists and developed a morning tonic that would help build my blood, assist in ridding my body of toxins and provide the best nutrition possible while not being able to chew food. It was extremely tough. Deer Placenta, egg yolks, bison liver… You name it, I tried it. I just wanted to get back to the old me!

In addition to this, my face was extremely swollen, covered in abrasions, and I had an unsightly deep scar on the left side of my face from point of impact that really was an eyesore. Social situations were uncomfortable, so I spent most of my time in my little apartment researching. Unhappy with the toxic, paraben-laced products that my doctors were recommending that I use to heal my skin, I began obsessive research into creating my own remedy. My simple understanding of the negative side effects of the medical and conventional led me into an ever-evolving journey of education of ingredient decks. I learned a lot about the physiology of toxic fragrances, artificial colors and other synthetic chemicals.

It turns out, most conventional skin-care products were going to do more harm than good for my skin. Parabens, one of the more common ingredients, is estrogenic and antagonistic to androgen production, meaning they interfere with the endocrine system’s ability to produce and regulate hormones—this physiological mechanism makes them correlated with breast and other cancers. This sort of research only further validated my protest against the recommended creams and further fueled my desire to heal my body, naturally. I understood that the skin pores are vulnerable to everything they are exposed to, so I only use products that are free of any known toxic, carcinogenic, inflammatory substances. I also ensured that every ingredient that touched my skin came with beneficial, therapeutic effects for my skin cells. I deeply felt that my skin would respond best to a blend of nutrient dense organic ingredients, clays, superfood extracts, cold pressed essential oils and butters.

Researching and finding these hidden gem ingredients became my own little creative outlet! I would isolate certain ingredients and note their effect on my skin, I would pay close attention to the activity of the ingredients and the synergy that they created together. What started as a carefully formulated blend of clays sourced from all over the world, quickly turned into a mineral rich, superfood regenerative meal for the skin on my face. Not only did it help reduce the swelling, and completely heal the abrasions on my face, but my complexion was crystal clear and silky soft. I knew I had something special. The same people that saw me in an ICU bed were blown away by what they saw just a few weeks later. Wondering what I did to heal so quickly, I drove all around town with my backpack, wooden spoon and bowl and would mix up a mask for them to try.

Blown away by the feedback, I knew I had something special. The Alitura Clay Mask was born! Next thing you know I’m melting down cacao butter in a cast iron pan in my kitchen, combining it with Manuka Honey, adding Sea Buckthorn Oil and other skin healthy botanical extracts…. And the best part…seeing and feeling results! The concoction made out of that cast iron pan became my Alitura Night Cream. It was great because I really became my own biggest science experiment. The cell turnover process was sped up by staying extremely consistent with a routine of using the Clay Mask which exfoliated dead skin, then following with the cream that I was making to heal, hydrate and deeply nourish the freshly exfoliated skin’s surface. I started to look forward to doing it.

Just 2 1/2 months after a life threatening accident, I was back on the runway, modeling for Macy’s! My first victory in my recovery.

Shortly after that, Bulletproof CEO Dave Asprey heard about what I was doing and had me on his top ranked podcast ‘Bulletproof Radio.’ Our podcast got such a response from it that he invested in me and my brand and the rest is history. Four years after launching the business out of a dingy studio apartment in North Hollywood, California, Alitura Naturals now has 20 products and is in 76 countries. Alitura is Latin for ‘feeding and nourishing,’ and we maintain that in our core brand mission and ingredient integrity in every product that we make.

I specifically want to say thank you to Mark Sisson and the extremely kind staff at Primal Blueprint, Primal Kitchen® and Mark’s Daily Apple. The first book that I ever read in the health and wellness space was The Primal Blueprint. From cover to cover, I found myself devouring information in that book and implementing it into my and my family’s lives. That book flat out changed my life, and was the catalyst in leading me towards an enriched quality of life by keeping me on a path towards my ultimate purpose.

It truly is an honor to contribute on a blog that I have read and been a fan of for years. Thank you!

— Andy Hnilo, CEO & Founder, Alitura Naturals

Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

Folks, I hope you enjoyed Andy’s story as much as I have. I’m happy to share that Andy’s offering Mark’s Daily Apple folks a generous discount. Check out his product line and use the coupon code “primal” (of course) to receive 20% off anything in the entire store—and enjoy free U.S. shipping, too.

Be sure to catch Andy on this coming Monday’s Primal Blueprint Podcast (10/22/18). Our own Elle Russ chats with Andy about his near death experience, his commitment to full recovery, and the thriving business that came out of his resolve. 

Have an awesome weekend, everyone. 

The post From Bedridden to Radiance: How I Used a Holistic Lifestyle to Heal From a Near-Death Accident appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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Have you ever described a close friend or family member as “really tough to buy for?” Well, here is the story of the time that I fit that bill (which paid off in the form of the best birthday gift ever: Italian pickled vegetables). Allow me to explain.

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Have you noticed a proliferation of teal-hued pumpkins adorning the steps and porches in your neighborhood? No, you haven’t stumbled into a particularly ardent enclave of Martha Stewart acolytes. These bright turquoise jack-o’-lanterns, whether a simple paper cutout or an actual pumpkin that’s been given a fresh coat of paint, indicate a home that is participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project.

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What’s more fun than partnering little kids with sharp knives and hard gourds? I can actually think of plenty of activities, but carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns (and roasting their seeds) is one of those fall family traditions that I personally can’t resist.

Like any kitchen project, pumpkin carving with kids requires some prep, some patience, and a few tips for making it easier and more fun. Here’s how to do just that!

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If you’re a parent, I don’t have to tell you that mealtime is a struggle. There’s a reason why kids’ menus usually feature grilled cheese and hot dogs. So, when faced with transitioning my child to solid foods, I swore up and down that I wouldn’t raise a picky eater.

Like many a modern mom, I embraced the idea of Baby Led Weaning. Coined by British PhD and former midwife Gill Rapley, the practice refers to the notion of mush-free mealtime. More importantly, it means letting your child feed themselves from the very start of weaning. No spoons, no airplane sounds, no pouches. The family eats together, baby included.

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Come fall, the first thing I do is get out a baking sheet and make a big batch of classic roasted Brussels sprouts. With their charred leaves and caramelized bottoms, they have a charm that makes them easy to keep on repeat all season long. But don’t stop at just plain ol’ sprouts! There are plenty of other glorious ways to get these little green globes on the table — here are our favorites.

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