A Primal New Year’s Eve Survival Guide

New Year’s Eve approaches. Parties beckon. Arsenals of alcohol accumulate. Whether you venture out into the wild night or keep it quiet with close friends and loved ones (that’s me), people will probably offer you a glass (or several) of something containing ethanol to mark the occasion. As always, it’s not about a right or wrong choice but about assuming responsibility for your health. I’ve heard a lot of readers over the years say going Primal has made them much more sensitive to the effects of alcohol. If you’ll be partaking, you can gird your system to deal with the incoming toxicity.

Now, a word of caution. This protocol may very well make you feel invincible. It might even reduce the deleterious effects and increase the pleasurable effects of alcohol. That doesn’t mean you should drink more. Keep it moderate. Maintain the buzz. If you go further, however, I can’t vouch for your safety.

In the Days Leading up to the Party

Sleep well. Remember how every tissue in your body has a circadian clock keeping rhythm? For you organs to work properly, you need to sleep well and sleep consistently. New Year’s Eve throws that into disarray, so in the days leading up to a late night proper sleep hygiene is vital. Don’t mess this up.

Limit omega-6 fats, emphasize MUFAs and SFAs. Animal study after animal study each confirm that high-O6 PUFA feeding increases liver damage in response to ethanol, while more stable fats like cocoa butter and coconut oil protect against it. And if you do eat omega-6s, make sure they’re in whole food form (nuts, seeds, eggs, etc).

Day of the Party

Train hard and go for a brisk walk. Exercise up-regulates antioxidant activity and, at least in rats, actively reduces alcohol damage.

Eat five egg yolks or some liver. Your liver will be burning through its choline stocks, so be sure to top them off. Choline supplementation will also work well here. Choline is so important for alcohol metabolism that it can even protect fetuses against maternal alcohol ingestion (not that I’m recommending alcohol use while pregnant).

An Hour before the Party

Eat a teaspoon to a tablespoon each of extra virgin avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil., and red palm oil. The polyphenols in EVOO and avocado oil and the vitamin E in red palm oil protect against alcohol-induced oxidative stress, and the monounsaturated and saturated fats in all three protect the liver against alcohol-induced injury.

Eat a light-to-moderate meal. You want food in your stomach to slow the absorption of alcohol. If you flood your body with too much ethanol too fast, the conversion into highly toxic acetaldehyde will overwhelm your antioxidant defenses. Make sure you salt your food.

Take n-acetyl cysteine (600 mg) and vitamin C (1 gram). NAC is a precursor to glutathione, the premier antioxidant responsible for metabolizing alcohol. Hospitals give NAC megadoses to prevent Tylenol liver poisoning. Vitamin C helps NAC supply glutathione.

Take 200-400 mg magnesium. Alcohol depletes magnesium (it’s actually how we become tolerant to alcohol’s subjective effects)

Eat a few squares of high-cacao dark chocolate. Not only does the cocoa fat protect against ethanol-induced liver injury, the cocoa polyphenols increase your antioxidant capacity.

Eat some polyphenol-rich plants and spices. Turmeric, ginger, berries, beets. Anything pungent and/or colorful will be good for your alcohol metabolism. But don’t stack all of the spices and plants. Much of the benefit comes from hormesis, or the beneficial response to acute stressors. Eating a tablespoon of turmeric, a pound of blueberries, a carton of raspberries, a handful of goji berries, and two inches of ginger root might be too much of a good thing.

Have a cup of green tea. Green tea contains polyphenols that protect against ethanol-induced oxidative stress.

Eat collagen. The glycine in collagen/gelatin reduces lipid peroxidation and antioxidant depletion in the livers of ethanol-exposed rats. Hmm…maybe this is the perfect time for a PRIMAL KITCHEN™ collagen bar.

During The Party

Drink the best alcohol you can access. I’m talking about Dry Farms wine. I’m talking about $40+ scotch, tequila, and rum. Avoid plastic bottle vodka and $8 tequila.

Dilute your wine with sparkling mineral water. Unwatered wine was for barbarians, according to the Romans, and they were onto something. Not only does watered wine improve your hydration, I find it can actually accentuate some of the more subtle flavor notes on a good red.

Drink NorCal margaritas. Robb Wolf’s creation is a legitimately great drink, combining high quality tequila, fresh lime juice, sparkling water (Gerolsteiner!), and salt. This same basic formula—citrus, salt, mineral water—will work with most liquors.

Drink a glass of water (ideally mineral) with a pinch of salt for every drink you consume. Stay hydrated.

Right before Bed

Mix 1/2 tsp sea salt, juice from one lime or lemon, 1 T blackstrap molasses, and 12 ounces water (again, preferably mineral or coconut). Drink 30 minutes before bed to give yourself enough time to urinate.

Eat 200 mg magnesium. More magnesium always helps.

Eat a banana with salty nut butter. It might even be time to pull out the tub of peanut butter. Dodge the lightning bolts the paleo gods will certainly send your way.

Take 3 mg melatonin. Alcohol reduces melatonin secretion (PDF), which contribute to early awakenings. Don’t worry about taking melatonin late at night in discordance with your regular circadian rhythm. This one time it’s about improving your sleep and reducing alcohol-induced oxidative stress (which melatonin fights).

In the Morning

You should be feeling great. If not, here’s what to do.

Drink the pre-bed drink from last night. Mix up another batch and send it down the hatch.

Eat two charred corn tortillas with salted butter. Charred starch provides an activated charcoal effect. It seems to “soak up” any residual toxins floating around. Some say burnt toast works well, but the last thing I want to introduce to an upset hungover stomach is a big dose of gluten. Slap those tortillas directly over a gas flame until they singe and blacken on both sides. Spread with a little butter and eat. Maybe serve with eggs.

Activated charcoal would probably work, but I like getting something to eat.

Sprint. Go do something—anything—that gets you sweating. Do that, come home, hop in a really hot shower followed by 30 seconds to a minute of cold water, and you’ll feel right as rain.

This may seem like a lot to do, but consider the alternative. It’s your day-after and health at stake. And as a one-time, one-off thing, it really isn’t a big hassle for the benefit. If you find yourself resorting to this guide on a regular basis, however, you’re probably drinking too much.

Thanks for reading, all, and if you do try it this coming NYE, let me know how it worked! And take a moment to share your own tips and tricks for party survival.

The post A Primal New Year’s Eve Survival Guide appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

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Coarse Hair Treatment

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by Mary Wolff

There is a lot of confusion about coarse hair. Coarse hair can mean a lot of things in the natural hair community. It most commonly refers to hair that is thicker and wider in strand width than medium or fine hair. Some people incorrectly refer to hair that is dry or unhealthy as coarse hair. Coarse hair is not a condition caused by over styling or damage! Coarse hair is a type of hair and offers beautiful variations within that hair type category. From hair that is kinky all over to hair that is tighter in certain spots and looser in other areas for a curl pattern unique to you! While coarse hair is not meant to be a negative word applied to dry, damaged hair as it often incorrectly is, as a type it is more prone to dryness and damage. When it comes to coarse hair treatment, we have a few pointers for our curlies!

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Most of us who have coarse hair struggle with keeping strands moisturized. The most important coarse hair treatment is keeping hair full of moisture to help avoid frizz and dryness. Look for a coarse hair treatment product rich in natural emollients meant to penetrate strands and lock in moisture such as shea butter, coconut oil, and raw honey. These natural ingredients are great for hair of all types but especially helpful for curls. Check out curly care options like Alikay Naturals Moisture Rich Hair Parfait or Mielle Organics Babassu Oil and Mint Deep Conditioner for deep hydration using natural ingredients.

It is important to know what is in the products you use on your hair, from shampoo to styling products. Coarse hair is prone to breakage and struggles to retain moisture so using products made for other hair types will dry out strands faster. Don’t make it harder on yourself by using the wrong products! You want to avoid products known for stripping away the natural moisture found in hair, such as shampoos with sulfates because you need all the natural oil you can get to keep hair hydrated. Aside from using a sulfate free shampoo, make sure you use a conditioner that offers nutrients hair needs like vitamin E and keratin, to help fortify against breakage. Some of my favorites are Karen’s Body Beautiful Complete Hair Conditioner and Curl Company Keratin Emulsion. When it comes to styling, products with silicones can be your best friend, if used correctly. Silicones seal strands for a sleek appearance for frizz-free curls you’ll love to show off!

When caring for your hair, it is a matter of preference, and no two heads are the same. Experiment with different products and routines to find what works best for your beautiful curls!

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Best Combs and Brushes for Natural Hair

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by Mary Wolff

Hair care is a world full of choices. Your curlfriends are always suggesting new products to try. We all love getting good advice. Sometimes, hair care really just comes down to finding what you like, what works for your curls, and then sticking with it. For some curlies, brushing leads to a frizzy hot mess. For others, brushing is less upsetting. The decision of how often to brush your hair is a personal decision every woman has the right to make for herself. Part of the battle against the brush is to know the best combs and brushes for natural hair. Detangle your beautiful strands with the right equipment, ladies!

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When it comes to considering the best combs and brushes for natural hair, it depends on your hair type and your needs. A few general guidelines are to choose natural bristles as opposed to nylon and make sure you are brushing gently to avoid damage regardless of hair type. Yanking on hair will lead to some less than pretty results.

Different brushes serve different purposes. Combs are better for detangling purposes than brushes, but again it depends on the hair. The two most common combs are rat tail and wide toothed. A rat tail comb is ideal for separating hair and is great for combing through straight hair without disturbing moisture or products. A wide-toothed comb is an ideal option when looking to detangle or work out any knots. It will gently separate hair while minimizing pulling that leads to breakage. Of course, when using either of these for detangling, make sure hair is coated in a moisturizing agent, preferably one meant for detangling, to keep your lovely locks from breaking.

When choosing a brush, always look for natural bristles, such as boar bristles, to help evenly distribute natural oils and avoid damaging hair. The best way to know if you are using a brush that is gentle enough and the right shape for your hair is the amount of hair left behind. If your brush is full of hair after brushing, it is time to break up with your brush!

While the two most commonly used options are paddle brushes and the Denman brush, it really depends on your hair texture and type for what brush will work best for your hair.

Nikki says "my favorite is the Breezelike Sandalwood Hair Comb. This wide toothed comb is made of real wood and more importantly it works through hair tangles with so much ease. It prevents static and helps cut down on frizz. I also like the Ouidad double detangler, but the Breezelike Sandalwood Hair comb with its wide toothed style is definitely a must-have for curlies. "

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Carmelo Anthony Surprises Cancer Patient With Car For Christmas

Carmello Anthony surprised 17-year old cancer patient Jarrell Lara and his family with new car on Christmas Day. Photo courtesy of MSG Networks

Written by Mike Orie of TheConsciousTip.com

Christmas may not always be a wonderful time for everybody, but Knicks player Carmelo Anthony made sure it was enjoyable for one family.

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On Christmas Day, Anthony, along with Kia and his foundation Garden of Dreams surprised 17-year old Jarell Lara with a brand new car, just hours before his basketball game against the Celtics.

Lara was diagnosed with Langerhans cell histiocytosis, a rare form of cancer that can damage tissue and is more often found in children. Earlier this year,  he completed 18 months of chemotheraphy treatment, and the cancer is in remission.

17-year old Jarrell Lara. Photo courtesy of MSG Networks

"I don't think you can put that in words," Anthony said. "That is a family that I have gotten a chance to know. My foundation donated a car to them, working with Kia [and the Garden of Dreams]...and just to see the expression on their faces, the son, one of the kids wanted to cry but held it in...that is what it is all about."

Jarrell's parents gave up their jobs to care for their son. The back doors of their old car didn't open, forcing their kids to hop over the passenger seat to get in and out.

"I thought someone was punking me," Jarell told MSGNetworks.com. "It hasn't sunk in. It's a blessing from God. There are so many people Carmelo Anthony can help, and he chose to help me. It's the greatest Christmas you could ask for."

Watch the video below and check out the full story here.

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Mike "Orie" Mosley is a freelance writer/photographer and cultural advocate from St. Louis. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Arts, Entertainment & Media Management from Columbia College Chicago and a Masters in Higher Education Administration from LSU. He is also the co-founder of music and culture website http://ift.tt/1QXC23X. In his spare time, he's probably listening to hip hop & neo soul music, hitting up brunch or caught up in deep conversations about Black music. You can follow him on Twitter @mike_orie or on Instagram @mikeorie

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How to Wash Fine Curly Hair

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by Mary Wolff

While most people think of curls as big and thick, there are so many variations when it comes to our beautiful ringlets. One of the more common, and most complicated, is hair that is both fine and curly. Fine hair tends to require more care because it is especially vulnerable to breakage. When you add in the curl factor, good hair care is even more important. Most curlies have a complicated relationship with the wash process. Washing your fine curly hair doesn’t have to be a production! We have some tips on how to wash fine, curly hair that may help lower some stress.

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The most important part of learning how to wash fine, curly hair is learning how often. Larger and thicker curls tend to suffer from dryness. On the opposite side of the spectrum, curls that are fine are prone to retaining too much natural oil and buildup. This buildup is brought on by daily styling product use for the most part. Before you start to worry, the answer is not to throw out your styling products, ladies! We just need to adjust the game plan a little. The most essential part of any hair care routine, regardless of hair type, is to pay attention to your hair. If you find you have too much residue after a few days of not washing hair, then consider washing more often. If you can go a few days and hair still feels great, then wait until hair feels dirty or heavy with buildup. Hair washing frequency is a matter of lifestyle and personal preference. There are no set rules for when a curlgirl should wash her mane. Figure out what works best for you!

The next step is to figure out which products work best for fine curls. It is recommended to use products sparingly on fine curls. Thinner hair needs less shampoo to get out the dirt trapped under follicles. Shampoo should be gentle but since fine hair retains oil better than thicker curls, it is usually okay to use a stronger shampoo for help removing buildup. When washing fine, curly hair, it is a good idea to separate hair into sections to make sure you thoroughly get each section clean. This is useful for curlies with a lot of hair. Massaging the scalp can help spread oils more evenly and relieve stress for an added bonus!

When it comes to washing fine, curly hair, it is important to try new things and experiment to find the routine and products that work best for you. Hair care is a deeply personal endeavor and you know your hair better than anyone.

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My Experience with Exogenous Ketones: Tale and Truth

I woke up the morning of the ceremony with butterflies in my stomach. I’d done the necessary prep. I’d abstained from carbs the past week and food the past 24 hours. I’d performed four consecutive full-body circuit workouts to deplete muscle glycogen, and undergone a liver biopsy to confirm full depletion of liver glycogen. I wasn’t taking any chances. Although I had extensive experience generating endogenous ketones and subsisting on my own body fat, exogenous ketones were another matter entirely. You don’t want to mess around with a holy sacrament without doing due diligence.

Holy sacrament? Yes.

According to ethnographic accounts from early Arctic explorers who encountered the sacred compound, the exogenous ketone was developed by traditional peoples of the wintry north. No one’s quite sure where it arose first—Siberia, Greenland, Alaska, Lapland. What they do know is that these societies revered the type 1 diabetic, a rare find in the pre-contact Arctic. Using an admittedly grisly and cruel process, these groups would starve the tribe’s diabetic to induce ketoacidosis, harvest the ketone-rich urine, and reduce it slowly to a ketone-rich tar over a wood fire. Tribe shamans would dissolve the tar in pine needle tea and distribute it to members exclusively before hunting trips, warfare, and any other activity requiring optimal physical and mental function to boost energy and improve performance. As Mark Twain famously quipped, “The strongest coffee I ever had was a Laplander’s piss.”

So when I showed up to the small building on the edge of town on a rainy evening, I was anxious. What was I in for? The solemn countenances worn by my two guides for the day—Dr. Peter Attia, wearing dark robes and swinging a thurible loaded with burning MCT oil, and Gary Taubes, face smeared with bacon grease, body adorned with wreaths of stevia leaf—impressed upon me the import of the approaching ceremony.

Detractors are scoffing already. “Sisson, you’re degrading yourself taking the shortcut to ketones with a pill. Instead, spend years sweeping the ashram, maintaining a low-carb, high-fat diet, and doing low-level aerobic activity just shy of the anaerobic threshold to boost mitochondrial fat-burning capacity and generate ketones on command. There are Sami gurus who can produce so many ketones in their saliva that a single French kiss from one will boost your IQ one standard deviation for a day. That’s true power—freedom from reliance on a ketone powder.”

Maybe so. But as I said, I’ve been there already. I’ve lived that life for more than a decade. I’ve long been convinced of the merits of a fat-based metabolism, and now I wanted to push the boundaries. To build on the existing scaffolding.

So I took the ketones, Jimmy Moore effigy made of coconut husks and pork rinds looking on.

All the universe unfolded before me. I was discovering solutions to long-standing problems—business disputes, moral quandaries, plans for the future—before consciously considering them. I’d think about a problem and discover my ketone-enhanced brain had already solved it. If I closed my eyes, I could actually hear the whirr of my mitochondria churning through all the additional ketone bodies. I flung open the temple door and practically sprinted through the hills, covering five miles at 4:15 per without breaking the anaerobic threshold and returning only to purge through both ends.

“All part of the process,” Attia said, handing me a bucket and washcloth.

Jokes aside, I have been playing with ketones. Over the past couple years, I’ve tried a lot of ketone supplements, from KetoCaNa, Pruvit, Kegenix, to a few others. I’ve even accepted and tried a one-off from a person trying to break into the market who I failed to thoroughly vet; that time, I felt like I might die. No joke.

What have I noticed?

There is usually some GI discomfort, occasionally outright distress that’s only relieved once there’s nothing left to give. So you have to plan for that.

About half the time I’ll take ketones right before Sunday Ultimate Frisbee matches. It provides a discernible extra burst of speed during the game, more overall energy (I just feel like “going” more), and less soreness the next day. I speculate that my ability to hit higher performance levels without dipping as deep into anaerobic territory is less stressful overall on my body, so I recover more quickly and with less pain.

There’s also the potential for ketones being anti-inflammatory. Sure enough, exogenous ketones seem to have an anti-inflammatory effect, suppressing expression of an inflammasome involved in various disease states. Some research shows that blocking the inflammasome by deleting the gene responsible for it protects against arthritis in rodents. If the same is true for humans using ketones, that—along with my increased intake of collagen—might explain why I’ve made a strong recovery from serious Achilles’ tendinosis.

I recently did another long fast of over two days. Prior to ketone usage, two days was really rough. I could do it, but I wasn’t happy. This time using a small dose of ketones throughout the first day really helped me through the rough patches. In fact, those rough patches never came. 48 hours was a relative breeze.

I don’t know how much these supplements would help someone on a standard higher-carb diet. It’s clearly a good performance booster on its own, but I think this stuff should be complemented by a foundation of fat and keto-adapted eating which provides a robust infrastructure set up to handle ketones. Longer-term fat-adaptation is the powerful trigger for mitochondrial biogenesis—so you have the extra mitochondria necessary to wring every last drop out of those ketones. You need to look at the long picture here.

Anyway, after the busy holiday I wanted to have a little fun and provide some real actionable information for this post. Hope you all dug it. I’m truly excited about this ketone stuff, and I’m actually feverishly working on a breakthrough new book about keto-adapted eating, living and performing that should come out around Fall 2017. Details TBA.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Have you tried ketone salts or esters? What do you think? What have you noticed?

Take care!

The post My Experience with Exogenous Ketones: Tale and Truth appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

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What Is Silicone?

 IG @el.michell

by Mary Wolff

Most women are nervous about what we put on our hair. We want to make sure we are using the best products to get the results we desire. The problem is sometimes understanding that ingredients takes an advanced degree in chemistry.  With so much talk lately about what chemicals do to skin and hair, it’s no wonder you have questions!

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Silicone is a top concern among curlies, and it is often misunderstood. Much like sulfates, silicone serves a purpose but sometimes gets a bad rap due to misunderstandings. What is silicone? What does it do to hair?

Silicones are compounds found in many beauty products, from wrinkle cream to shampoo. A good way to determine if your products have silicone is to look for anything ending in “cone,” such as the commonly used amodimethicone or lauryl methicone copolyol, within the ingredient listing. Before you start throwing out your styling gels, let’s learn a little more.

There are two types of silicones, soluble and non-soluble.  Soluble silicones are easily washed away with water whereas non-soluble silicones require more intense removal such as a sulfate based shampoo. What does this mean for hair?

Silicones can provide some benefits for the hair, despite their bad rap. Whether soluble or non-soluble, silicones coat hair to help make it appear less frizzy or dry. They are also great at creating a barrier to protect the hair from heat tools. While both types of silicones do the same job essentially, it is better to opt for soluble silicones so you can wash them out of your hair and let it breathe.

If silicones serve a purpose, what’s the fuss? The reason silicones get a bad reputation is because they can lead to build-up, making hair heavy and weighed down. They also create a barrier that may make it harder for certain nutrients to reach the follicles. If you choose to use hair care products with silicones, make sure you use a clarifying shampoo or a sulfate based shampoo on a regular basis to keep hair healthy and beautiful. Another option is to opt for light silicones to reap the benefits of frizz-free shine without as much buildup. Lighter silicones tend to be the soluble ones because they are more easily broken up by water. Be sure to look for "PEG" before any dimethicone. If it contains PEG, then you know it's water soluble.

Your hair is your choice. If you don’t want to use silicones, there are plenty of natural remedies out there that might get the job done. Whatever you decide, curl care is more than a one-step process. Get to know your hair and you’ll quickly figure out what works best!

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