Thanks to the good folks at Paleohacks for today’s recipe.
There’s nothing quite like cozying up on the couch with a warm bowl of rich and hearty soup. Unfortunately, hearty soup recipes often rely on high-carb ingredients like potatoes, rice, and noodles to achieve comfort food status.
Luckily, we know tons of Paleo-friendly soup recipes that fuel your body and nourish your belly – all while keeping you in ketosis. Think fat bomb hamburger soup loaded with veggies and beef, or a velvety, dairy-free celeriac soup with chorizo, sage crisps and walnuts. If you’re craving takeout, there’s keto-friendly hot and sour soup, or if you need something that takes hardly any effort, we have a go-to chipotle chicken soup you can make right in a slow cooker. Whatever you crave, there’s a healthy soup to enjoy this fall. Check out these 23 keto-friendly snacks to keep you going between meals.
Celeriac, also known as celery root, is a hearty root vegetable ideal for a smooth, creamy soup. In fact, it’s the perfect replacement for high-carb potatoes!
Craving creamy beef stroganoff without the carbs? Try this soup! It’s chock-full of umami steak and mushrooms, made velvety smooth with silky coconut cream.
Skip the takeout and make this Chinese mainstay soup at home. This healthy version is made with thin slices of pork tenderloin and gets its characteristic tang from gut-healthy apple cider vinegar.
This simple and satisfying butternut squash soup is spiced with fall flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg and thyme. Try blending in some cauliflower to make it even thicker.
Who doesn’t love those super simple recipes where all you have to do is dump everything in the slow cooker? Let your crockpot do all the work in this flavorful chipotle chicken soup recipe.
Do you have a freezer full of frozen seafood like fish and shrimp? This is the soup you need to cook up tonight. Enjoy succulent seafood in a rich, creamy tomato broth.
Boost your go-to tomato basil soup with thick slices of Italian sausage for a meal you can enjoy on its own. If you’re feeling particularly indulgent, serve with this cauliflower grilled cheese for dunking!
Thanks again to Paleohacks for today’s recipe. Have a great Sunday, everyone.
From olive to coconut, it seems as though every oil we come across is better than the next. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype, especially when we see our favorite You Tubers and hair crushes raving about the newest trends.
Although most of us would like to argue that coconut oil is the be-all-end-all solution for everything from dry scalp to crusty feet, apricot oil has been making waves for a while as possibly being one of the best oils in the game. So what’s so great about it? What is it about apricot oil that has everyone in such a tizzy?
Apricot oil is derived from dried apricot kernels that have been cold pressed. These kernels have an oil content of about 40-50% and is mainly composed of linoleic and oleic fatty acids, as well as Vitamin A, D & E. The fatty acids that it contains work wonders for both skin and hair health, paving the way for apricot oil to make its way into a host of different beauty products of all descriptions. What Apricot Oil Does For Your Hair
Oleic acid specifically makes both hair and skin softer and more pliable while linoleic acid actively stimulates hair growth and aid in moisture retention. Although it does not penetrate the actual hair shaft, apricot oil prevents moisture from evaporating from your strands. This is incredibly important for those of us who suffer from high porosity hair (such as myself) and loses moisture easily.
Apricot oil is very light, which is perfect if your hair has the tendency to feel greasy with other carrier oils. Its light nature allows it to be used as a sealant, leave-in, pre-poo, post-poo, hot oil treatment, and as a treatment for dry scalp.
Apricot oil seals moisture into the hair shaft by shaping the scales of the cuticle and holding them together. This helps protect the hair from harsh elements and damage, and smooth cuticles encourage hair sheen. Vitamin A helps heal a host of skin conditions such as dandruff, psoriasis and eczema. In addition to this, Vitamin E prevents free radicals and UV damage in order to reduce the risk of damage from pollution and harmful UVA rays.
How to Use Apricot Oil
This amazing oil is fairly versatile in its use in comparison to some heavier carrier oils. It can be used to grease the scalp, as pre-poo, hot oil treatment, as a leave-in, split end “mender,” and as an oil treatment before chemical hair treatments. Add apricot oil to your favorite conditioner, shampoo, leave-ins and creams.
Since it’s a carrier oil, it can be paired with essential oils such as lavender, peppermint and rosemary as a custom oil mixture and can be whipped with your favorite butters in order to aid in their sealant properties.
What are some of your favorite ways to incorporate apricot oil into your regimen?
from Natural Hair Care | Curly Nikki https://ift.tt/2aGaNNy
New year, new rinse-- rice water. DiscoveringNatrural is sharing an addition to her natural hair routine that resulted in improved health and growth last year. Curious about the benefits of rice water for hair? Get the deets--
"Rice water has amazing hair and skin benefits. A recent research has shown that rice water exhibit hair care effects, such as decreasing surface friction and improving hair elasticity. Rice water has inositol, a carbohydrate, that can repair damaged hair, as well as protect it from damage. Specialized imaging technique shows that inositol stays inside the hair even after rinsing, offering continuing hair protection and beautifying effects. So, Rinsing or washing your hair with rice water will improve manageability and protect it from future damage. In addition, the amino acids in the rice water strengthen the hair roots, add volume and sheen and make hair silky smooth." - HairBuddha
Health Coach Radio Episode 5: Ste Lane: Hosts Laura Rupsis and Erin Power chat with Ste Lane, a Primal health coach highlighting the importance and vitality of mindset in the pursuit of health and fitness.
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.
Media, Schmedia
The plaintiffs in an ongoing trial against Monsanto allege that the agrochemical company planted a mole in an independent lab to fake safety data for Roundup.
Another “vegan” Youtuber got caught eating animal foods. You’ll never guess what happened next.
In last week’s SWS, I mentioned a product Kickstarter for Thin Ice, a wearable cold vest that claims to trigger thermogenesis. I want to make clear that I wasn’t recommending it, just expressing interest in the concept. I have no connection to the brand and no clue if the product actually does what it claims.
Everything Else
Look for a coffee-related giveaway this coming Monday on the blog. Has nothing to do with April Fool’s. (I never joke about coffee.)
Why are we “still waiting” for a male birth control pill? Maybe because the only viable one they’re trying to push lowers (an already historically low) testosterone.
Shmita, the ancient Jewish practice of agriculture.
Things I’m Up to and Interested In
We can do epidemiology, too: A new study on carb consumption and heart disease finds that “strong and probably causal” links between coronary heart disease and glycemic load/index “exist within populations.”
I’m intrigued: “In order to reveal how ‘peculiar a creature we are,’ Stewart-Williams offers an alien scientist’s perspective on modern human civilization, studying us as we would study animals in the wild.”
Men: Would you take a birth control pill that lowers testosterone? Women: Would you want your men to take a birth control that lowers testosterone? And I guess this follows, too…how do you feel about women’s birth control pills’ effect on your own hormonal picture?
Recipe Corner
Get that daikon radish you randomly bought but didn’t know to do with and make some Chinese beef stew.
“‘Physiological Functions and Metabolism of Endogenous Ethanol and Acetaldehyde in the Reindeer’ is a bit of light reading that pairs well with a smokey single malt from Islay on a cold winter night.”
– I’m waiting for someone to bottle endogenous reindeer moonshine, Aaron.
Over the years I have learned so much about natural hair and most of what I’ve learned has come from my own journey with my hair. After watching countless Youtube videos and educating myself on natural hair, I came to conclusion that there are 4 tips necessary for natural hair growth that are simple and easy. I wanted to keep this short, sweet, and to the point. Enjoy!
1. Deep Condition
You’ll be surprised on how many people miss this essential step during their hair cleansing process. Deep conditioning adds moisture and nourishes the hair after shampooing. It also helps the hair be soft and more manageable for styling. Every single time I wash my hair I deep condition whether it’s with heat or not. Deep conditioning with heat includes adding the product than sitting under the dryer for about 10-15 minutes. The heat helps the product fully saturate the hair and the outcome is amazing. When I don’t feel like pulling out the blow dryer which is most of the time I simply add the conditioner, comb the hair out to evenly distribute the product, and let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour.
2. Moisturize
Moisture is a huge step when it comes to growing out hair. Dried out hair causes damage and breakage. To top it off not keeping the hair moisturized just looks bad. There is so many moisturizers out there to use including oils but the key is to find the best one for your hair type. When applying moisture what works best for me is adding the product after conditioning the hair while the hair is still wet before styling.
IG: @itsmsjones_2u
3. Use As Little Heat As Possible
I had to learn this the hard way. When I first went natural I had no idea how to handle or style my hair therefor blow outs were my go to style for convenience. I soon came to the conclusion that applying all that heat slowly but surely was damaging my hair. When applying heat to the hair the saying ‘less is more’ does not only apply to fashion. Using little heat doesn’t only apply to flat ironing. When washing my hair I use warm water, water too hot is harsh. After styling I try to air dry if possible but if I do use the dryer I apply heat protection to my hair before styling and I use the middle temperate dial instead of the highest temperature.
4. Wear Protective Styles
Whether it’s Senegalese twist, box braids, or any kind of updo protective styles are the best! The key word is protect and that’s exactly what it does. These styles eliminate the need for heat, retain moisture, and just look freakin cute. I’m for protective styles mainly because I can get up and go and not have to worry about my hair. Convenience is what I look for but more than that if you want your hair to grow and be in it’s most healthiest state, protective styles are important during that process.
What have you learned about natural hair growth during your journey?
from Natural Hair Care | Curly Nikki https://ift.tt/2ah3ASK
It’s always a pleasant surprise when you stumble upon a vitamin or supplement that can cure some of the most common health issues, while also giving you a nice little beauty boost. And such is the case for MSM!
I was recently chatting with a newly natural neighbor (try saying that 3 times fast!), when she asked about supplements she could take for hair growth. I suggested MSM. I guess she expected me say something like biotin or a multivitamin, because she instantly looked confused. So I explained that MSM, aka methylsulfonylmethane, is a sulfur-based compound that is naturally found in many foods such as milk, onions, garlic and green vegetables. Next to water and salt, MSM is also the 3rd largest compound found in the human body. Within the medical community, MSM has been traditionally used to treat pain bone and joint diseases such as osteoarthritis and tendonitis. But it also has a really cool side effect. And this really cool “side effect” is hair growth.
The main ingredient in MSM is sulfur- one of the principle building blocks of hair (and nails). So MSM helps hair growth because it gives your body a building block for hair. But besides just contributing one of the main building blocks of hair, it is also theorized that MSM increases hair growth potential by lengthening the growth phase (anagen phase) of the hair cycle.
Where to get MSM?
You can find MSM supplements at any local health food store or pharmacy. Or you can just skip the pills and powder supplements and just focus on getting MSM from your food. But sometimes that’s easier said than done.
In addition to a healthy diet, I also take an MSM supplement. I primarily do this because, although MSM can be naturally obtained through a healthy diet, the cooking process and other factors can diminish MSM content in foods.
What Else Is MSM Used For?
MSM can be used to treat a variety of conditions including:
• Muscle and bone problems
• Chronic pain
• Hay fever
• Allergies
• Asthma
• Snoring
• Stretch marks
• Wrinkles
• Eye swelling
• Dental disease
• Stomach upset
• Constipation
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
• Obesity
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Type 2 diabetes
A Few Precautions Before Taking MSM
There is no recommended daily allowance for MSM, but high doses can cause MSM might cause nausea, diarrhea, bloating, fatigue, headache, insomnia, itching, or worsening of allergy symptoms in some individuals. And although MSM is generally for most people, not much in the medical literature is known about its safety during pregnancy and breast-feeding. So if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding it would be wise to consult your physician before taking this supplement.
Do you take MSM for hair growth? Have you noticed a change in your hair or nails since taking MSM? This article was originally published on November 2011 and has been updated for grammar and clarity.
from Natural Hair Care | Curly Nikki https://ift.tt/1NJNh0G
Paleo f(x), my favorite holistic health and fitness event in the world, returns to Austin, TX, April 26-28th! Yup, that’s right around the corner! In case you missed it the last 7 years, Paleo f(x) is the ultimate Who’s Who gathering of the ancestral health movement—as well as the best Primal party you’ll ever go to, hands down.
I’ll be one of the speakers in several Mastermind Panels, and I’ll be giving a talk on “The Top 5 Most Common Mistakes When Starting a Health Coaching Practice.” Our very own Elle Russ, host of the Primal Blueprint Podcast, will also be speaking as will my friend and co-author, Brad Kearns. You can look for our Primal Health Coach and Primal Kitchen teams, too, among the vendors.
You’ll also be getting deep inside the brains of other world-class speakers including New York Times bestselling authors, physicians, scientists, athletes, health entrepreneurs, fitness professionals, biohackers, and more. Robb Wolf will be joining me, along with Chris Kresser, Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, Dr. Michael Ruscio, Ben Greenfield, and dozens upon dozens more. You can register for the event and see a full list of speakers here.
I had such a great time rubbing elbows with thousands of like-minded Primal/Paleo enthusiasts at last year’s Paleo f(x). The Palmer Events Center featured all the biggest companies in the ancestral health sphere along with over 30 expert speakers. Overall, there wasn’t a dull moment, an empty belly, or a lack of enthusiasm among the pop-up community of Primal/Paleo attendees.
2019 promises to be even more of a thrill. The event features:
Keynotes: Be empowered and inspired by the thought leaders of the wellness movement at the keynote stage talks. (You’ll find me in this crew.)
Workshops: Work live with coaches and fitness experts at the small group expo floor workshops. Master your squat, conquer your kettlebell swing, or have fun at a “Primal Playout.”
Cooking Demos: Learn new mouth-watering Paleo recipes, up close and personal with your favorite bestselling cookbook authors and foodie bloggers.
Paleo On-Ramp: The special beginner-friendly stage has “Paleo 101” level talks that gently introduce you to real food and optimal living.
Health Expo: Discover an array of health-conscious, paleo-friendly companies and sample delicious foods on the expo floor.
Book Signings: Meet all your favorite authors and speakers at book signing meet and greets.
Networking: Connect with entrepreneurs, creatives, and other passionate “builders” in the Paleo f(x) networking lounge. Includes special guided networking sessions for bloggers, fitness professionals, and health practitioners. If mingling isn’t your thing, Paleo f(x) also offers special guided networking sessions. You’ll be matched with 8-12 other attendees who share your similar interests, so there’s no way you’ll leave without making personal and lasting relationships with your paleo/Primal tribe.
Special Events: Celebrate the community and join us for the Saturday Night Charity Festival.
I’ll also be walking the ground floor for the entire event, so it’s a great chance for us to meet. Or catch me at my talk or at one of the Mastermind sessions.
Paleo f(x) takes place at the Palmer Event Center, a premier space in downtown Austin, adjacent to the city’s best food, music, and culture. Last year our Primal presence filled the streets, pervading every corner of Austin for the weekend.
This event is just around the corner (and tickets traditionally sell out), so be sure to register today!
Check out the website to learn more about why you won’t want to miss this opportunity.
Biological systems are self-maintaining. They have to be. We don’t have maintenance workers, mechanics, troubleshooters that can “take a look inside” and make sure everything’s running smoothly. Doctors perform a kind of biological maintenance, but even they are working blind from the outside.
No, for life to sustain itself, it has to perform automatic maintenance work on its cells, tissues, organs, and biological processes. One of the most important types of biological maintenance is a process called autophagy.
Autophagy: the word comes from the Greek for “self-eating,” and that’s a very accurate description: Autophagy is when a cell consumes the parts of itself that are damaged or malfunctioning. Lysosomes—members of the innate immune system that also degrade pathogens—degrade the damaged cellular material, making it available for energy and other metabolites. It’s cellular pruning, and it’s an important part of staving off the worst parts of the aging process.
In study after study, we find that impairment to or reductions of normal levels of autophagy are linked to almost every age-related degenerative disease and malady you can imagine.
Cancer: Autophagy can inhibit the establishment of cancer by removing malfunctioning cellular material before it becomes problematic. Once cancer is established, however, autophagy can enhance tumor growth.
Diabetes: Impaired autophagy enables the progression from obesity to diabetes via pancreatic beta cell degradation and insulin resistance. Impaired autophagy also accompanies the serious complications related to diabetes, like kidney disease and heart failure.
Osteoporosis: Both human and animal studies indicate that autophagy dysfunction precedes osteoporosis.
Alzheimer’s disease: Early stage Alzheimer’s disease is linked to deficits in autophagy.
Muscle loss: Autophagy preserves muscle tissue; loss of autophagy begins the process of age-related muscle atrophy.
Okay, so autophagy is rather important. It’s fundamental to health.
But how does autophagy happen?
The way it’s supposed to happen is this:
Humans traditionally and historically lived in a very different food environment. Traditionally and historically, humans were feasters and fasters. While I don’t think our paleolithic ancestors were miserable, wretched, perpetually starving creatures scuttling from one rare meal to the next—the fossil records show incredibly robust remains, with powerful bones and healthy teeth and little sign of nutritional deficits—they also couldn’t stroll down to the local Whole Foods for a cart full of ingredients. Going without food from time to time was a fundamental aspect of human ancestral life.
They worked for their food. I don’t mean “sat in a cubicle to get a paycheck to spend on groceries.” I mean they expended calories to obtain food. They hunted—and sometimes came back empty handed. They dug and climbed and rooted around and gathered. They walked, ran, stalked, jumped, lifted. Movement was a necessity.
In short, they experienced energy deficits on a regular basis. And energy deficits, particularly sustained energy deficits, are the primary triggers for autophagy. Without energy deficits, you remain in fed mode and never quite hit the fasted mode required for autophagy.
Now compare that ancestral food environment to the modern food environment:
Almost no one goes hungry. Food is cheap and plentiful, with the tastiest and most calorie-rich stuff tending to be the cheapest and most widely available.
Few people have to physically work for their food. We drive to the store and walk a couple hundred steps, hand over some money, and—BOOM—obtain thirty thousand calories, just like that. Or someone comes to our house and delivers the food directly.
We eat all the time. Unless you set out to do it, chances are you’ll be grazing, snacking, and nibbling throughout the day. We’re in a perpetually fed state.
The average person in a modern society eating a modern industrial diet rarely goes long enough without eating something to trigger autophagy. Nor are they expending enough energy to create an energy deficit from the other end—the output. It’s understandable. If our ancestors were thrust into our current situation, many would fall all over themselves to take advantage of the modern food environment. But that doesn’t make it desirable, or good for you. It just means that figuring out how to trigger autophagy becomes that much more vital for modern humans.
Here are 7 ways to induce autophagy with regular lifestyle choices.
1) Fast
There’s no better way to quickly and reliably induce a large energy deficit than not eating anything at all. There are no definitive studies identifying “optimal” fasting guidelines for autophagy in humans. Longer fasts probably allow deeper levels of autophagy, but shorter fasts are no slouch.
2) Get Keto-Adapted
When you’re keto- and fat-adapted, it takes you less time to hit serious autophagy upon commencing a fast. You’re already halfway there.
3) Train Regularly
With exercise-related autophagy, the biggest effects are seen with lifelong training, not acute. In mice, for example, the mice who are subjected to lifelong exercise see the most autophagy-related benefits. In people, those who have played soccer (football) for their entire lives have far more autophagy-related markers of gene activity than people of the same age who have not trained their whole lives.
At least in mice, both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee induce autophagy in the liver, muscle tissue, and heart. This effect persists even when the coffee is given alongside ad libitum food. These mice didn’t have to fast for the coffee to induce autophagy.
Disclaimer: The autophagy/nutrient literature is anything but definitive. Most studies take place in test tube settings, not living humans. Eating some turmeric probably won’t flip a switch and trigger autophagy right away, but it won’t hurt.
Autophagy is a long game.
This can’t be underscored enough: Autophagy is a lifelong pursuit attained by regular doses of exercise and not overeating every time you sit down to a meal. Staying so ketotic your pee tests look like a Prince album cover, doing epic 7-day fasts every month, fasting every other day, making sure you end every day with fully depleted liver glycogen—while these strategies might be “effective,” obsessing over their measures to hit some “optimal” level of constant autophagy isn’t the point and is likely to activate or trigger neurotic behavior.
Besides, we don’t know what “optimal autophagy” looks like. Autophagy isn’t easy to measure in live humans. You can’t order an “autophagy test” from your doc. We don’t even know if more autophagy is necessarily better. There’s the fact that unchecked autophagy can actually increase existing cancer in some cases. There’s the fact that too much autophagy in the wrong place might be bad. We just don’t know very much. Autophagy is important. It’s good to have some happening. That’s what we have to go on.
Putting These Tips Into Practice
Autophagy happens largely when you just live a healthy lifestyle. Get some exercise and daily activity. Go hard every now and then. Sleep deeply. Recover well. Don’t eat carbohydrates you don’t need and haven’t earned (and I don’t just mean “earned through glycogen depleting-exercise”). Reach ketosis sometimes. Don’t eat more food than you need. Drink coffee, even decaf.
All those caveats aside, I see the utility in doing a big “autophagy session” a few times a year. Here’s how mine looks:
Do a big training session incorporating strength training and sprints. Lots of intense bursts. This will trigger autophagy.
Fast for two or three days. This will push autophagy even further.
Stay busy throughout the fast. Take as many walks as possible. This will really ramp up the fat burning and get you quickly into ketosis, another autophagy trigger.
Drink coffee throughout the fast. Coffee is a nice boost to autophagy. Decaf is fine.
I know people are often skeptical of using “Grok logic,” but it’s likely that most human ancestors experienced similar “perfect storms” of deprivation-induced autophagy on occasion throughout the year. You track an animal for a couple days and come up short, or it takes that long to make the kill. You nibble on various stimulants plucked from the land along the way. You walk a ton and sprint some, then lift heavy. And finally, maybe, you get to eat.
If you find yourself aging well, you’re on the right track. If you’re not progressing from obesity to diabetes, you’re good to go. If you’re maintaining and even building your muscle despite qualifying for the blue plate special, you’ve probably dipping into the autophagy pathway. If you’re thinking clearly, I wouldn’t worry. Obviously, we can’t really see what’s happening on the inside. But if everything you can verify is going well, keep it up.
That’s it for today, folks. If you have any more questions about autophagy, leave them down below and I’ll try to get to all of them in future posts.
Thanks to the good folks at Paleohacks for today’s recipe.
Biological systems are self-maintaining. They have to be. We don’t have maintenance workers, mechanics, troubleshooters that can “take a look inside” and make sure everything’s running smoothly. Doctors perform a kind of biological maintenance, but even they are working blind from the outside.
