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Whether you’re a man or woman reading this, excellent, it applies to both genders. Are you an aging adult, or someone who has experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI)? Yes? Then, keep reading. If you’re an athlete or non-athlete and you’re reading this, even better, because it applies to you as well.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Here are three things I knew prior to training for competitions or setting a new PR during a session.
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If you are trying to quit your soda habit, or perhaps reduce your daily cups of coffee, you may cast an eye towards tea. There are thousands of different teas to choose from, each with different flavors, properties, and benefits, and if you’re going to ditch the soda or coffee, you might as well drink […]
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Broccoli is such a versatile vegetable, and it’s fantastic in Summer salads. This salad is simple with a flavorful lemon tahini dressing. Broccoli and the other veggies in this salad are hearty, so the salad will hold up well as leftovers. The beauty of this recipe is getting all of the different
vegetables in one bite since they are chopped very small. While I may find chopping veggies back and forth on a cutting board until very fine a therapeutic and enjoyable experience, many don’t and will want to chop
everything up more quickly! To do so, roughly chop your veggies and
then pulse them in a food processor until they are chopped quite small.
Serves: 4
Time in the kitchen: 5-10 minutes to prep, and we recommended chilling for 30 minutes before serving to enhance flavor
Ingredients
Directions
Give your broccoli a fine chop using a knife.
Chop your red onion, radishes, and cucumber to be about the same size.
The easiest way to chop it up if you don’t want to do so by hand is to give it a rough chop with a knife, then pulse it in a food processor until you have very small pieces. Combine the broccoli, red onion, radishes, cucumber and parsley in a large bowl.
In another bowl, combine the lemon juice and tahini paste. Mix using a fork or a whisk. Add the water in slowly as you mix. The final result should look like a thin sauce that coats a spoon well.
If it is still too thick, you can add an additional tablespoon of water. Whisk in the Primal Kitchen Extra Virgin Olive Oil and garlic, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the dressing on top of the salad and mix well. Allow the flavors to meld together for at least 30 minutes prior to serving.
Calories: 277
Fat: 21g
Total Carbs: 18g
Net Carbs: 10g
Protein: 10g
The post Summer Broccoli Salad Recipe appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
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When we think of stress, we are accustomed to concentrating on the harmful types of stress. In our everyday lives, we have to deal with lots of work stress, such as deadlines, low cash flow, high sales quotas, and type-A bosses, among others. Then don’t forget the rush hour drive home. How could anyone drive so stupidly?
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Diabetic patients taking metformin had lower coronavirus mortality than diabetic patients not taking it.
“Increased cardiovascular disease in African-Americans with Covid-19.”
Unsaturated fat intake and deficiencies in calcium and albumin linked to higher coronavirus mortality.
Episode 425: Robert Glazer: Host Elle Russ chats with Robert Glazer, founder and CEO of the global performance marketing agency Acceleration Partners.
Primal Health Coach Radio, Episode 62: Laura and Erin talk with Dr. Jade Teta about metabolism and hormones.
Women are not just men with “boobs and tubes.”
Who’s still getting sick in New York?
How to slow down time (seriously).
“The human voice contains information about dynamic bodily states.”
ApoE4 gene predicts severity of coronavirus infection (in the UK).
A beautiful video about traditional wool clothing. Best part is how they “shear” the sheep without cutting the wool. Looks so satisfying.
Fascinating article: How loners help species survive.
Interesting result with big implications for hunger: High-carb meal results in initial increase in available energy followed by a drastic crash.
Great turn of phrase: Fructoholism.
Fact I was unaware of: Mice and many other animal models used in studies do not depend on vitamin D for their innate immune circuitry.
My favorite paradox: High-fat dairy linked to better health, again.
How much nature are you getting these days? (get some)
One year ago (May 24 – May 30)
“A note about sunglasses: Some folks should be wearing them. For instance, a lot of the fisherman in native tribes would go blind at a fairly early age from staring into the water for long periods of time. The Eskimos had really cool bone sunglasses, with little slits they would use, so they would not go snowblind. After my own daily sun exposure, I’m not averse to putting on my shades.”
– Nicely said, Nocona.
The post Weekly Link Love – Edition 83 appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
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If you’ve been staying on top of natural health trends, you may have heard of black seed oil. This multipurpose oil has a time-tested reputation for treating many health issues and ailments. Black seed hails from Nigella sativa, a flowering shrub that grows abundantly in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and parts of Asia. The […]
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In this week’s edition of Ask a Health Coach, Erin answers more of your questions from the Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook group. She’ll be discussing strategies on the best way to go Primal, the real reasons we crave sugar (and what to do about it), and what happens when we all go back to work and have to wear real clothes. Got more questions? Keep them coming on the MDA Facebook page or in the comments below.
Michael asked:
“I’m planning on starting the Primal Blueprint next week. Better to dive in 100% or do it more gradually?”
As you might have guessed, some people do great diving right in, while others find it too overwhelming and have more success with a gradual approach. I think the bigger question we need to ask here is: what will make you stick with it for the long term?
For the record, the Primal Blueprint isn’t a diet or a workout routine — two things that have “short-term” written all over them. It’s not an all-or-nothing approach either. The Primal Blueprint is based on an 80/20 principle that allows you to abide by the theories of ancestral living without worrying about a French fry here or a glass of red wine there.
The key is to know yourself well enough to understand what works best for you. Do you have proof that you’re better going cold turkey rather than dipping your toe in? Or maybe you’ve always been more successful taking baby steps. Look at all the areas of your life — all the times you thrived when there was zero room for negotiating versus not wanting the pressure of everything needing to be perfect 100% of the time.
There’s not a ton of research out there about which is better, but this study 1shows that you’re more likely to stick with a new diet and exercise routine by making small changes. However, this study 2 contradicts that finding, saying that going all out in the beginning can influence how well you do in the long-term.
For some, the immediate reward of dropping a bunch of water weight with an all-in approach can be really gratifying. For others, starting gradually can feel less scary and more comfortable.
No matter which way you decide to pursue it, it’s important to be 100% committed to the changes you’re making, knowing that 80/20 doesn’t mean you have a free pass to binge on ice cream or stay out late 20% of the time. And if you’re not totally committed, you might be better off taking a step back to figure out why this change is important to you in the first place.
Suzanne asked:
“I know sugar is bad for me, but why do I crave it so much?”
Since you’re already aware of sugar’s health-degrading properties, I’ll save you the lecture and the research. But you bring up an interesting question. Why do we crave it so damn much?
Any kind of emotional or psychological dependence on sugary foods, or even foods that convert to sugar in the body is classified as a sugar addiction. So, we’re on a similar playing field to other addictions like cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol.
Sugar provides a quick fix 3 that takes the edge off a stressful day. It makes staying at home under quarantine a little more bearable. And gives us a jolt of dopamine, even if it’s only temporary.
The reason we crave it so much is because it allows us to cope. It helps us change our reality (or our perception of our reality) in the moment. That need to want to change where we’re at is so strong sometimes, it overrides our innate knowledge that sugar is bad for us.
Jenny asked:
“Ok. I’ve really let myself go these last few months. Any tips for getting back on track? You know, for when I have to wear real clothes again?”
Here’s an idea. Love where you are, right now. And if you can’t do that, try giving it some respect. Now, before you start rolling your eyes, hear me out. The human body is an incredible, multifaceted, miraculous organism that keeps you alive. It effortlessly adapts to the nutrient-dense foods and fresh air you give it — and just-as-effortlessly course-corrects when you inevitably mess it up. So, the least you can do is show it some appreciation.
Micromanaging your macros, obsessing, or forcing your body to look like it did 10 years ago or 10 weeks ago is a serious waste of time. Trust me.
I spent way too many years wishing some parts of my body were smaller, wishing some were bigger, and hating on my stretch marks and dimples; and I regret those years of lost joy. It can be hard living in a world that’s obsessed with “perfect” physiques, but here’s the thing. Your body is already perfect as-is. It knows how to breathe. How to pump blood through your veins. And how to let you know when it needs fuel. Frickin’ amazing!
The time we spend bad-mouthing our already perfect bodies is unbelievable. So what if you’ve gained a few pounds or got softer in a few places? Instead of focusing on the parts that might have changed over these past few months, start loving on the ones that have kept you alive all these years. And if you can’t love on them, at the very least, start respecting the hell out of ‘em.
References
http://www.thealternativedaily.com/
Did you know your tongue offers a wealth of information about your health? If your tongue is pink and covered with papillae (small nodules), there’s no cause for concern. However, any changes in appearance or pain could signal internal problems. So, stick out your tongue and have a look in the mirror. Here’s what your […]
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The ancients prayed to it. Farmers relied on it. The seasons depend on the earth’s tilt toward it. The sun is always up there, shining down, filling the world with light and heat, sending down powerful rays of energy that scatter across the surface, sneak through windows, penetrate otherwise dark caves. You can’t avoid it, unless you shut yourself inside, draw the blinds, and close your eyes.
That’s what we’re supposed to do: avoid it. “Any amount of sun exposure is unsafe,” according to the experts, and will give us skin cancer. They tell us it’s a toxin. If we have to be outside, we’d better slather on the sunscreen, wear a hat that shields our entire body, and avoid the harsh midday sun at all costs.
And yet, for hundreds of thousands of years of human evolution, we couldn’t avoid it all the time. We were exposed to the sun when we hunted, when we gathered. When we fished, dug, fought, climbed, and explored. The intensity of our sun exposure varied according to the climate, the latitude, the time of year, and we weren’t out there tanning, but it was always around. Exposure occurred to some degree on a daily basis. We are adapted to the sun, like most other life on earth. We aren’t just able to withstand it. We can derive vital benefits from our exposure to it. We need the sun in a direct way.
Today I’m going to tell you why we need sun exposure, what the benefits are. I’m going to tell you how to make it safe, how to avoid sun damage, and the best time of day to do it. I’ll discuss too much sun and too little. I’ll give you safe ways to block the sun and reveal the unsafe ways to avoid.
First, what’s so good about sunlight?
The benefits of sunlight include:
How does this all play out?
Sun exposure causes the skin to produce vitamin D, a “pro-hormone” that regulates sex hormone production, immune function, bone, dental, and heart health, cancer prevention, and gene expression—to name a few functions. In other words, it’s one of the foundational compounds in the body, an extremely vital substance. We can get it from food or supplementation, but getting it from sunlight is auto-regulatory. It’s extremely hard to overdose on sun-induced vitamin D production, whereas you can overdo supplemental vitamin D (although even that is hard).
Nitric oxide modulates the function of our endothelial system—the veins and arteries. Nitric oxide literally widens blood vessels and arteries, thus increasing blood flow to tissues (and the amount of nutrients that blood carries to those tissues). It even reduces blood pressure, improves our cardiovascular health, and is extremely important for our overall health, well-being, and physical performance.
It turns out that sun exposure increases nitric oxide production in the body.1
We need exposure to light at certain times of the day in order to regulate our sleep-wake cycle – our circadian rhythms. Without daytime/morning light, or with too much evening light, our internal clocks – and general health – go awry. Getting outside in the sun (even in winter) as early as possible is an effective and quite possibly necessary way to establish a healthy circadian rhythm. Plus, the more sunlight you get in the first half the day, the more resistant you will be to circadian disruption by artificial light at night.
Sunlight doesn’t just improve immune health by way of increasing vitamin D. It also has direct, immediate effects on immune function: increasing hydrogen peroxide production by and motility of T cells in the skin. T cells can use hydrogen peroxide to engulf and destroy pathogens, and increased motility improves their ability to move around and find pathogens to destroy.2
This study can’t determine causation, but high sun exposure is strongly linked to better cognitive function among Chinese elderly and we have reason to believe there’s a real effect here.3 For one, the vitamin D you produce in response to sunlight does boost cognitive function, particularly in the elderly (that’s been tested in clinical trials using vitamin D supplementation).4
Most people only think about sun exposure in terms of skin health, but it can also play an important role in the health and function of our eyes. This makes sense when you think about evolutionary precedent: just like humans evolved without chemical sunscreens blocking the sun from reaching the skin, we never wore sunglasses preventing the light from hitting our eyes. If our skin is adapted to a given level of sun exposure, so too are our eyes.
As it turns out, children who get inadequate outdoor time throughout their early lives have an increased risk of myopia.
Sun exposure offers many benefits, and the conventional wisdom that sunlight is a toxin is clearly incorrect, but it’s not completely harmless. There is such a thing as excessive sun exposure. Skin cancer can happen. Burning occurs. These are bad. How can you avoid sun damage?
Sunburns are just bad. They shouldn’t happen. And if they do happen, damage has occurred. Sunburn history is a strong predictor of skin cancer risk.
This means watching your exposure time, but it could mean finding shade, wearing hats, putting on clothing, or even wearing sunscreen. More on that last one in a later section.
Getting a window desk isn’t the same as being outside in the sun. Windows filter out the UVB and allow the UVA to pass through. This has two major problems. First, UVA without UVB degrades vitamin D and fails to produce any more. You need UVB to make vitamin D. Second, UVA promotes melanoma while UVB protects against it.
Our resistance to the sun follows a circadian rhythm, with our defenses strongest in the first half of the day. So you might not want to go tanning after an all-night bender, nor do you want to get too much UVA-rich sun in the late afternoon when your defenses are down.
You know who’s less likely to get melanoma? The person with “occupational” sun exposure—the lifeguard, the surfer, the outdoor laborer. You know who’s more likely to get melanoma? The person with “intermittent” sun exposure—the holidayer spending a couple weeks baking on a beach in Hawaii every year, the indoor office worker who tans for hours on the weekend. The intermittent type is more likely to get sunburned, more likely to get too much sun in a single dose, and more likely to end up with melanoma. The occupational type is less likely to burn, more likely to get the right amount of sun day in and day out, and less likely to end up with melanoma.5
Daily low/moderate-dose sun exposure is a healthier choice than infrequent high-dose sun exposure.
A study out of Australia found that adults with the highest serum concentrations of DHA and EPA had the least “cutaneous p53 expression.”6 High levels of cutaneous p53 expression indicate skin damage; low levels indicate the skin is protected from the sun. The more omega-3s in your serum, the more protection from the sun you enjoy. And although serum omega-6 content didn’t seem to correlate with high p53 activity, my speculation is that serum omega-6 content passed a critical threshold. Because it’s so prevalent in the modern Australian (and overall global diet), even “low” levels are likely still above the threshold for increased susceptibility to sunburn. Going higher than that threshold won’t make things any worse, and it won’t show up in the statistics. Drop those seed oils, though, while getting an equal amount of omega-3s? I bet you’d see some incredible UV-resistance.
By eating lots of colorful plants and animal foods, you apply “edible sunscreen.” For instance, eating a high-carotenoid diet protects the skin against UV damage, and lycopene, the active constituent in tomatoes (more active eaten with fat and cooked), has similar effects. 7 Polyphenols in general tend to increase the skin’s antioxidant capacity, as do vitamins C and E.8 Anthocyanidins, found in red wine and berries, also protect against skin cancer.9
My picks? Berries, red wine, cooked tomatoes (tomato sauce, paste, ketchup), carrots, paprika, pastured egg yolks, sockeye salmon, shrimp form the basis of a good sun-resistance protocol.
In a stunning example of the elegance of nature, early morning sunlight is rich in infrared light, which prepares your skin for subsequent UV exposure in the afternoon by enhancing its UV resistance.10 This protective effect of infrared light lasts for 24 hours, and it can come from either morning sunlight or an infrared light device, like a sauna.
Fair-skinned and red-haired? You need far less sun to get the vitamin D and other benefits you need, and you have far less leeway before damage occurs. Dark-skinned and living at a northernly latitude, like England? You might need to take supplemental vitamin D to get what you need.11 Even Indian men living in India may need at least an hour of sun to maintain optimal vitamin D levels.12
This is a common question, but it’s not really the right one. The sun is technically strongest at midday when it’s pumping out the most UVB and UVA rays. That’s also when you have the most potential to make vitamin D, which depends on the UVB content.
High UVB produces vitamin D, which protects against UVA-related damage and actively kills melanoma cells.13
High UVA in the absence of UVB promotes skin damage. Having both at the same time elicits a protective effect, or at least mitigates the damage of either alone.
So even though UV intensity is highest at midday, that’s arguably the safest time to get sun because it’s the best way to get balanced sun exposure.14 If you go mid morning or late afternoon, you’ll get too much UVA and too little UVB. Just make sure to get only as much midday sun as you need. For the lightest-skinned among us, 10 minutes of full body exposure at noon should be enough.
The internal and lifestyle “sunblocks” detailed above form the foundation of your skin protection regimen, but sometimes you need actual sunscreen. The problem is that the majority of mainstream sunscreens use chemical UV filters rather than physical UV filters. What’s wrong with chemical sunscreens?
Many sunscreens use UV-filters like benzophenone and oxybenzone for their UV-blocking properties, but they also possess a hidden feature: endocrine disruption. Certain forms of benzophenone, for example, inhibit the action of thyroid peroxidase, an enzyme necessary for the production of thyroid hormone.15 Another study showed that application of sunscreen containing benzophenone-2 for five days lowered T4 and T3 thyroid hormones in rats.16 Later, researchers examined the estrogenic effects of another UV-filter used in sunscreen—octyl-methoxycinnamate—and found that typical amounts were enough to disrupt hormonal function and exert other, non-endocrine health effects when applied to rat skin.17 That might not a problem if UV-filters in sunscreen weren’t designed to be absorbed into the skin, and therefore the body, nor if every expert weren’t telling us to slather a quarter cup full all over our bodies at the first hint of sunlight. But they are: the only way the chemical sunscreens work is if they are absorbed into the skin—and into systemic circulation.
Another downside of chemical sunscreens is that they’re selective screeners. They tend to block UVB while allowing UVA passage. This blocks the tanning/burning effect, but it also blocks UVB-induced vitamin D production. And the worst part? It’s not even effective against the development of melanoma! In fact, one study found a positive association between sunscreen usage and melanoma incidence.18
Meanwhile, physical sunscreens are broad spectrum: they block both UVA and UVB. They can be unsightly because they don’t absorb into your skin, but they offer the most protection with the least toxicity.
These ingredients are absorbed into the body, show up in your urine, have estrogen mimetic effects, and can often cross the blood brain barrier and cause neurotoxicity.1920 Some of the most common include:
For a full list of chemical sunscreen ingredients to avoid, check out the data from this paper.
There’s only one that I can recommend whole-heartedly: Zinc oxide. It reflects light, offers the broadest-spectrum UV protection, and cannot absorb into the skin. This is why it stays white and doesn’t rub in.
Nano-zinc oxide does rub in, but that also comes with a price. You absorb some of it. It appears to be less harmful than the chemical sunscreens, though not completely.
These are ones that hit all the requirements.
Badger Balm – All their products are good, but the sunscreens are the most renown. They are very thorough with the science behind their sunscreens, and they run regular tests to confirm the safety of their zinc oxide formula. Best of all, they’ve managed to minimize the whitening without increasing the potential for toxicity.
Raw Elements Eco Formula – Active ingredient is zinc oxide. It’s thick, but stays on well even with water exposure and activity. Not too whitening, either.
Kabana Skincare – Another good sunscreen source that uses zinc oxide. They’ve even got a formula with added vitamin D, presumably to make up for the UVB you’re blocking. Not sure if that actually works, but it certainly can’t hurt.
Mexitan – They don’t just make non-toxic, zinc oxide-based sunblock. They also offer recommendations for beach resorts and produce safe self-tanner.
Okay, that’s it for today, folks. With summer right around the corner and the sun beginning to show, now’s the time to start getting smart, safe sun exposure—and after today’s post, I believe you are prepared to do so.
If you have any other questions, comments, suggestions, or concerns, leave them down below!
The post The Definitive Guide to Sun Exposure appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
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