Tell It Tuesday: Why Critics of BlacKKKlansman Need to Chill

Photo via The Hollywood Reporter 

By Ta-Ning Connai 

Spike Lee has done it again! He’s made a movie that has pissed some people off. The man who garnered iconic status for his thought-provoking, in your face, knock you upside your head black conscious projects back in the early 80s to late 90s has not deviated from his brand of cinematic flavor, all of which has always made him a source of irritation for the Hollywood film industry.

Well, now Lee is back with his film BlacKKKlansman (produced by Jordan Peele), but this time around, it’s quite a few black folk that are irritated and extremely bothered by what they feel is a way too gentle approach to his signature storytelling. From Do The Right Thing, to Malcolm X to School Daze and more, you could always expect to leave “A Spike Lee Joint” fired up and ready to justifiably slap a white jerk in the face, but instead be inspired to “fight the powers that be” without lifting one little finger. BlackKKKlansman didn't do that for a good amount of black critics, including some really disappointed black fans. Yet, white film critics, and both the Sundance and Cannes film festivals are all giving it a thumbs up. What's that about?

Continue

Spike Lee & John David Washington 

BlacKKKlansman was based on a true story. “Based" typically indicates that there is freedom and discretion for the filmmaker to adapt a true story, using his own better judgement in order to incorporate some creative embellishments that move the main point along in a captivating way. Personally, I think Lee filled those empty spaces brilliantly. He told the story about a black undercover cop named Ron Stallworth (played by Denzel Washington’s son, John David Washington) who infiltrated the KKK with the help of his white partner back in the 70s. True story. He also infused some very obvious, yet subtle similarities between the times of old (from slavery, lynchings and racist leadership) to the Trump presidency, its jacked up administration, and the reality that not much has changed in the America that was not so great in the first place. Another true story. And even though managing to merge two separate truths from two separate time zones into a 2-hour movie is a humongous undertaking, Spike Lee did it with flying colors! However, none of that stopped his mini-me wanna-be Sorry to Bother You director, Boots Riley, from complaining that he should've not only stuck to script, but should've given a harsher portrayal of police injustice and systemic racism. Sooooo, showing actual pictures of real lynchings and burnings of black people ain’t “harsh" enough?...Clearly pinpointing how such brutality is based upon baseless stereotypes and ignorance that is beyond embarrassing for white racists is “way too soft...and Harry Belafonte's detailed account of seeing his teenage friend tortured to death left you feeling warm and fuzzy all over? Look Boots, even the Gospel of Jesus Christ was told from four different perspectives, highlighting what each disciple CHOSE to emphasize. Yet none of them failed to establish the consistencies that mattered most; that God was real and Jesus was His Son. Spike too, chose what he wanted to emphasize, all while establishing the consistencies that mattered most; that God was real and that Trump was the modern day David Duke, the KKK’s puppet of choice. No, it doesn't have the guns blazing, murderous fantasies of Django or anything like that, but BlacKKKlansman does manage to leave a really bad taste in one’s mouth, even after laughing at the movie's plot twist. Mission accomplished as far as I'm concerned.

The Apostle Paul had to put Peter on blast that one time he rolled into town (Galatians 2:11-21). ‘Cause Paul got a glimpse of some racist nonsense and he wasn't about to let it go down. See, Peter conjured up in his own cocky mind that being born a Jew made him privileged. And being called to follow Jesus only cemented his wacky claim, since Jesus was Jewish too. Now, Peter was chosen to lead Gentiles to Christ, but he considered them very low class. So Peter was like, “Aaaaiiiight Jesus, whatever you say, but I won't be fraternizing, uh uh no way!” Only on certain occasions would he sit with them after he preached, and when his homies came around, he’d start frontin’ and leave. So that's when Paul had had enough, and he went over to Peter like, “Yo, what's up?!” Sadly, Peter's issue still popped up now and then, but he knew not to pull that crap around Paul ever again!

Clearly racism is something that goes way back and is an evil that has to be confronted. But no one can say our way won't work and we shouldn't judge someone else's effort either. Instead, let's just keep the fact in mind that we all have a role to play, and whether it's through movies, a book, a speech or a play, we all have something valuable to say.

When it comes to fighting racism is there more than one way to skin a cat?

TA-NING is a former model and clothing designer who one day got the "call" to leave the fab world of fashion behind. While in Bible College, she discovered her knack for mixing her quirky style of writing with her gift to teach. TA-NING'S TELL IT TUESDAY is a weekly column that uses doses of pop culture to tear down the walls of churchy tradition, change the face of Christianity, and present it's message in a lively way. Ta-ning resides in Santa Monica (by way of BK), is obsessed with dogs, and is an old school Hip-Hop junkie!

from Natural Hair Care | Curly Nikki https://ift.tt/2NtAu3E

Does a Growing Obsession With Granny Panties Make You Old?

By Erickka Sy Savané

Okay, this isn’t easy to write. I’m a woman and as such, age is one of those things we hate to talk about. Whether it’s grey hair, that dreaded menopause (we hate our periods, but having them stop to enter into the world of hot flashes is just criminal), or panties. Yes, panties. It was just recently that I looked in my panty drawer and discovered not a single thong or my once-beloved boy short, but plenty of granny panties. Grannies in colors like blue, pink and white, so soft… and though there was a time I wouldn’t be caught dead in a panty so big that it covers my whole butt with ease, now I wouldn’t be caught dead without it. Obviously, a part of me is okay with this change because it was me who bought them in the first place, still, no woman wants to knowingly turn into their mother. Does this mean I'm officially old?!

Continue
When I think about what I love about my new panty choice it’s been a gradual change centered around pure comfort. In my twenties, I modeled and wearing nude-colored thongs was essential on photo shoots because nothing could show. During my off-time I wore them depending on my outfit to get rid of panty lines, but they weren’t my first choice, though I had a few friends who also modeled and wore thongs 24/7. I could never really do it because I use the bathroom too much and having this string right in my crack continuously felt like torture. But boy did I love boy shorts! They came on the scene around the time of low-rider jeans and were perfect because they fell below the waist-line, yet still felt feminine and hip. After I had my babies they stopped making sense because I was bending over all day and my crack was always showing. I also gained some weight and they stopped covering my entire bum. That’s when grannies started looking a lot more attractive...one day I saw a 5-pack for less than $10 and it sounded like a hell of a good deal. I bought one, even though at first they seemed waaaayyy too big. They fit like a glove, and I realized I LOVE cotton, and now I won't wear anything else. But am I the only one? I mean, the girls on the package are all in their twenties?
 
I text a friend in her mid-20’s at the risk of sounding like a real perv, and I ask her what type of panties she wears and why? The news is not what I expected...She says,

"When I was younger, I wore regular panties (mainly the 5 for 25 from Victoria’s Secret). I never liked boy shorts because I found them uncomfortable and I was always small, they’d roll up under my clothing and it never looked good on me. Now, honestly, I opt out of wearing underwear unless my cycle is on obviously. I do this for several reasons 1. I like being free lol 2. It looks better aesthetically with your clothes (no panties lines etc) I wear a lot of dresses and skirts for work and going commando fits the style of clothing 3. I feel like panties trap my butt and alters its shape and I do a lot of squats and like to show it off in a tasteful way lol and 4. It’s just more comfortable for me. When I do wear underwear, I wear seamless thongs so that nothing shows through my clothing and it shapes everything well or I wear regular panties when I have to during that time of the month.”

Okay, so now the young ones are saying f*ck it to panties altogether? I’m feeling as old as Methuselah. With the hope of finding a kindred spirit, I text just one more friend, Ta-ning, who enthusiastically tells me to call her. She goes,

"Girl, you don’t even know. I was just on a plane and was praying that I didn’t get stopped for an inspection because my panties look horrendous. Not only do I wear granny panties, but I cut off the elastic so I can have comfort with a smooth silhouette. I want the g-string look without the g-string…I’d rather get busted with drugs than these panties!"

She went on to explain that not only is she afraid that she’s turning into her grandmother, because it was only a few short years ago that her mom had to tell her to stop wearing granny scarves outside, she also wonders what part her panties will play when she starts dating…

“Girl, I've been role-playing it out in my mind where I put it all on the table and tell him about my panties so he can decide right then if he wants to stay or not!"

I get it. If he’s looking for a g-string-wearing diva straight out of a music video or a Vicky Secret catalog, she ain’t the one. We both breathe a sigh of relief, thankful to not be the only ones.

In all, maybe the graduation to granny panties is really about getting older and what we’re willing to compromise. I know I could care less about a panty line today, but I still color my greys. In the end, it’s about choosing what’s best for us, no matter what age, or how old or un-hip it makes us appear.

In your panty choice about comfort, aesthetics or both? 

Erickka Sy Savané is managing editor of CurlyNikki.com, a wife, mom, and freelance writer based in Jersey, City, NJ. Her work has appeared in Essence.com, Ebony.com, Madamenoire.com, xoNecole.com, and more. When she’s not writing...wait, she’s always writing! Follow her on Twitter, Instagram or  ErickkaSySavane.com

from Natural Hair Care | Curly Nikki https://ift.tt/2NtHNbu

Dear Mark: Is Coconut Oil Pure Poison?

It appears that we’re well into “outrageous media frenzy over terrible or misleading claims by nutrition scientists” season….

Last week I covered the “low-carb” and mortality study, and for this week’s edition of Dear Mark I’m covering the (latest) coconut oil controversy. A Harvard professor recently launched a dramatic harangue against coconut oil, calling it “pure poison.” Is it true this time? Are we indeed killing ourselves?

Let’s find out:

Speaking of fat, I’d be interested in Mark’s take regarding the latest attempt to put the kibosh on consumption of coconut oil–specifically, a Harvard professor saying it’s pure poison, probably because it’s so heavily saturated.

I can’t stand the stuff, personally. I don’t like anything made with coconut, and it doesn’t like me either, possibly because I’m sensitive to the overload of lauric acid. However, this and many other websites tout coconut products as being super healthful.

So is there any truth to these new claims that coconut oil is actually bad for us? Is there any hard evidence that points to related health issues? Or is this just more of the same-old, same-old that we saw with eggs, red meat, etc.?

Here’s what Shary’s talking about.

I won’t even talk about the Tokelau, a Pacific Island people who obtained most of their calories from coconut. Or the Kitavans, who ate a relatively low-fat diet but got most of their fat from coconuts. Both showed pristine metabolic health, and in the case of the Tokelau, they actually got incredibly unhealthy after switching from their coconut-rich diet to one rich in mainland foods, including seed oils.

Nor will I talk too much about the animal studies, most of which have found favorable effects on health as a result of eating coconut oil.

Let’s just focus on the human trials—the intentional studies in which actual living humans ate coconut oil and then underwent lab tests to determine the health effects. Concrete, objective effects. If coconut oil is as toxic as this Harvard professor claims, the evidence should be overwhelmingly negative. A Harvard professor would never misrepresent the evidence, right?

First, there is 2017’s Effect of a Diet Enriched with Fresh Coconut Saturated Fats on Plasma Lipids and Erythrocyte Fatty Acid Composition in Normal Adults. Healthy adults either added coconut oil or peanut fat to their diet for 3 months, and researchers examined how the different fat sources affected their biomarkers. Coconut oil increased HDL levels and the proportion of an anti-inflammatory lipid subfraction in red blood cell membranes. All told, coconut oil had a neutral to beneficial effect on health.

2017 also had Physical Form of Dietary Fat Alters Postprandial Substrate Utilization and Glycemic Response in Healthy Chinese Men. As far as coconut oil’s toxicity goes, this one was a dud. Whether the men ate coconut oil or sunflower oil made no difference in their metabolic response to meals (though when the fats were in gel form, there was an effect).

Oh, but this one sounds negative: Coconut Oil Has Less Satiating Properties Than Medium Chain Triglyceride Oil. Finally! We’ve found a kink. Unfortunately, this one isn’t bad for coconut oil either. Although MCTs proved more satiating than coconut oil, the latter was still more satiating than the control oil—vegetable oil. This is actually a strong counter to the Harvard professor’s main contention that coconut oil is bad because it’s so high in saturated fat; MCTs are pure saturated fat and performed very well here. Also, most MCT oil products come from coconut oil.

Next is The Impact of Virgin Coconut Oil and High-Oleic Safflower Oil on Body Composition, Lipids, and Inflammatory Markers in Post-Menopausal Women.  There were no differences in body composition. Coconut oil raised total cholesterol, HDL, and LDL, but it was a wash. Both groups ended up with the same TC/HDL ratio (one of the best markers of overall heart health we have). One person had increased inflammation due to coconut oil, but most of the others had lower inflammation. Overall, though, the “impact of VCO and SO on other [inflammatory] cytokines varied on an individual basis.” The implication is that different people had different responses to the different oils. This is known, and it’s good to see researchers admit that people are different and the individual response arguably matters more than the statistical average of the responses.

In 2016, this came out: Postprandial serum endotoxin in healthy humans is modulated by dietary fat in a randomized, controlled, cross-over study. At first glance, it doesn’t look good for coconut oil. Compared to fish oil (which reduced it) and high omega-6 oil (which was neutral), coconut oil eaten with the meal increased the levels of serum endotoxin. Endotoxins are produced by bacteria in our guts and tend to increase systemic inflammation when they make it into our bodies. Coconut oil was pretty good at helping endotoxin make it past the gut and into the body. The good news is that this did not increase systemic inflammation—but keep in mind that these were “healthy humans.” An increase in serum endotoxins may have stronger effects on inflammation in unhealthy or obese humans. Another bit of good news is that pairing coconut oil with, say, fatty fish should mitigate any rise in serum endotoxins.

There’s also A Randomized Study of Coconut Oil Versus Sunflower Oil on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients with Stable Coronary Heart Disease. The title tells it: patients with heart disease added either coconut oil or sunflower oil to their diets for two years. Researchers tracked basic risk factors and the number of “events,” or heart attacks. Despite people with actual heart disease eating the “worst” oil possible, “there was no statistically significant difference in the anthropometric, biochemical, vascular function, and in cardiovascular events after 2 years.” No difference.

Heck, according to 2016’s The Effect of Coconut Oil Pulling on Streptococcus Mutans Count in Saliva in Comparison to Chlorexidine Mouthwash, the coconut oil “myth” all the “experts” love to malign—that swishing coconut oil in your mouth can reduce harmful bacterial colonization—is actually true.

It’s obvious just from looking at these very recent studies, even some of the ones with negative or neutral effects, that coconut oil is far from poison. “Experts” do themselves no credit when they ignore and misrepresent the evidence like this.

Luckily, we can read for ourselves. And we can try for ourselves.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Thoughts on this coconut oil controversy—or other health related media hype? Other studies you’d like me to look at? Have a great week.

References:

• Nagashree RS, Manjunath NK, Indu M, et al. Effect of a Diet Enriched with Fresh Coconut Saturated Fats on Plasma Lipids and Erythrocyte Fatty Acid Composition in Normal Adults. J Am Coll Nutr. 2017;36(5):330-334.
• Tan SY, Peh E, Lau E, Marangoni AG, Henry CJ. Physical Form of Dietary Fat Alters Postprandial Substrate Utilization and Glycemic Response in Healthy Chinese Men. J Nutr. 2017;147(6):1138-1144.
• Kinsella R, Maher T, Clegg ME. Coconut oil has less satiating properties than medium chain triglyceride oil. Physiol Behav. 2017;179:422-426.
• Harris M, Hutchins A, Fryda L. The Impact of Virgin Coconut Oil and High-Oleic Safflower Oil on Body Composition, Lipids, and Inflammatory Markers in Postmenopausal Women. J Med Food. 2017;20(4):345-351.
• Lyte JM, Gabler NK, Hollis JH. Postprandial serum endotoxin in healthy humans is modulated by dietary fat in a randomized, controlled, cross-over study. Lipids Health Dis. 2016;15(1):186.
• Vijayakumar M, Vasudevan DM, Sundaram KR, et al. A randomized study of coconut oil versus sunflower oil on cardiovascular risk factors in patients with stable coronary heart disease. Indian Heart J. 2016;68(4):498-506.
• Kaushik M, Reddy P, Sharma R, Udameshi P, Mehra N, Marwaha A. The Effect of Coconut Oil pulling on Streptococcus mutans Count in Saliva in Comparison with Chlorhexidine Mouthwash. J Contemp Dent Pract. 2016;17(1):38-41.

The post Dear Mark: Is Coconut Oil Pure Poison? appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

from Mark's Daily Apple https://ift.tt/2NnAMZY

True Story: I Dated a Guy with a Foot Fetish

By Tiffy Kink

When it comes to dating, I am a huge fan of three things: Openness, comfort, and communication. Openness, meaning nothing is off limits to talk about, comfort, meaning both parties in the relationship never feel as though they will be ostracized for having opinions that differ from the other party, and communication, being able to have an open-ended dialogue where we listen to one another not for the sole purpose of reacting to ones words but understanding them and asking one another to clarify ones point and hear each other out. While I do believe all three are encompassed in the word communication, I don’t believe that many people consciously apply openness and comfort into the dialogues they have with their partner.

So what does all of this have to do with dating someone who is into feet? A damn lot, that’s what.

Continue
I’m always down for partaking in dialogues of the sexual nature when it’s appropriate. How you like it, when you like it, what position you like it in, past experiences, embarrassing sex stories, the greatest sex you had, the worst sex you had, and even fetishes. You see, I believe everyone has some type of sexual deviancy in them. They either haven’t found it yet, they choose to suppress it, or they proudly let their freak flags fly. I’m a pretty shy person myself so I really have to trust the person I get with to let them know the real me. Dig?

So when I started dating this guy. We had talked for a couple of months and when things got sexual, we started talking more and more about sexual interest. We had somewhat similar kinks, putting together a mental will, won't, want list of things we would consider in the bedroom. Nothing too crazy. Until we started talking about fetishes and he mentioned feet. Now before I go any further, you have to understand that I have huge interest in how arousal and seeking pleasure varies from person to person. I just find it so interesting.

So when he said he was into feet, I wasn’t disgusted or weirded out at all. I was admittedly perplexed yet excited. I started asking him when he knew he was into it. He said he had discovered the attraction as a kid. I was curious about what type of feet he liked and didn’t like. The conversation then turned to me, telling me that he liked my feet and thought they were hot. And before we go any further, yes he’s a brother, ladies. Fetishes are for all colors of the rainbow.

I asked him if he had ever acted out his fetish with someone in the past and he said no. That’s when I was truly confused. Of course I asked him why, to which he responded, “You’re actually the first person I ever told this to. You’re the person I feel the most comfortable talking to about it.” The feeling was mutual, as I had told him a lot of things about myself sexually that I would never dream of telling anyone I wasn’t serious with. I think that’s what made it easier to be more accepting of the idea of him sucking on my toes, which I had never until this point thought about.

Here’s the Montra: Of course, the first time we had sex, I wasn’t surprised when he brought it up, asking to suck on my recently manicured and clean toes. I will say that one thing I loved about him was that he always asked and never assumed that it was okay to try something new.

As he was looking at my toes, I could tell he was getting aroused, kind of turning me on a little as well. Like I was reacting off of his energy. He was breathing heavily while rubbing my feet which actually felt pretty nice. When he started to suck on my toes however, that took an interesting turn. Feeling a wet tongue on my feet felt really good. I had seen this meme that said the only reason women entertain having their feet sucked is because “It makes y’all p*ssies tingle.” It was right. For some reason, all the licking and sucking he was doing was going straight to my nether regions, making me wet and ready for some action. You can read more about that in “True Story: The Best Sex I Ever Had Was an Unintentional Hook-Up.”

As we continued to date, I didn’t mind entertaining my partner's foot fetish, however, I found that my acceptance of it would backfire on me at times. He suddenly would always need to see my feet while we were having sex, which meant I would often contort myself into awkward positions where my feet were visible. Of course, this was all upon request. But the requests were frequent. I found myself being okay with it as it challenged my body and made me realize that I was more flexible than I thought. It also made me realize that I need to work out more. These old bones aren’t what they used to be. If we did the same position where I would have to bend my leg a certain way, I would always have a crook in my leg the next day. Not fun.

When we would hang out and I would have my feet out, I would be turning him on without realizing it. And it wasn’t because I assumed so. It was because he told me. I found myself making sure to keep my feet looking nice, even though they always did, because I enjoyed the unsolicited foot rubs I would receive whenever I went to his place. After telling me about his interest in feet, I asked him if he would ever consider working in a shoe store, to which he quickly said no because there would be too much stimulation around him.

After we broke up, I kind of missed the extra attention my feet were getting, but never actively sought out guys who had an interest in feet. I met only one other guy who was into it, but it’s not a requirement. The biggest thing I got out of the experience was being able to give someone pure joy and pleasure in such a unique way, which I strive to do when I can, and within my own limits of course. This is probably the freakiest thing I have done to date. Now that I’m thinking about it, that actually makes me pretty boring. I’m okay with that.

Have you ever tried something sexually you didn’t think you would like but then you did?

Tiffy kink is a New York-based Sex Blogger whose goal is to spread sex positivity and break down barriers for the sexually deprived and repressed through her blog posts and sex toy reviews where she not only talks about her interactions with sex and masturbation, but she also introduces her readers to body-safe sex toys and advice. If you like what you’ve read and would like to see more, visit her blog Aquakink.com Follow her on Twitter @Theaquakink and Instagram @Aquakink

from Natural Hair Care | Curly Nikki https://ift.tt/2PJpLUz

Why the Natural Hair Movement Has Been a Gift & a Curse to Black Women

By Arah Iloabugichukwu

I made it all the way from the Just For Me craze to the infamous wrap era without so much as a curling iron touching my head. Well, there was this one time for picture day in 5th grade that my mom decided to bless me with some Shirley temple curls. She made it about half through my mid-back kinks before throwing in the towel, tossing the entire middle section into a Bantu knot and sending me on my way. That 5th grade struggle photo, complete with Pebbles’ top knot, will forever encapsulate the relationship I have with my hair. Me in a constant state of “Really, Girl??” and my hair offering a boisterous “Really……period!” in return.

Continue
Being natural was a lot more challenging back then, when there were only two recognizable hair types: Type A, or “Oh girl, you need a perm,” and Type B, or “Ooh girl, you got that good hair!” Unfortunately, I was an extreme case of Type A which meant there was no escaping the constant reminder that my hair was inherently “bad.” If not for my mother’s strictness, I would’ve relaxed my hair much sooner than the 10th grade, a decision that only took me two years to regret. Back then a relaxer wasn’t just a Black girl’s coming of age, it was affirmation of her social attractiveness. The way my friends put it, natural hair was like slavery in a headband and emancipation was only a kitty kit away. So I chose freedom the first chance I got. Rocked my store bought emancipation until I found myself rocking a comb over, ultimately being forced to shave my hair off from all the damage.

Despite being natural the majority of my life, I never had anything to call it, no formal way to explain it to perplexed onlookers, both Black and White alike. That was, until the natural hair movement. For the first time in my life I wasn’t the girl who needed to “do something with that head”. I was a part of something much bigger, the global redefining of Black beauty as we saw fit. But just as I was starting to celebrate this new coming together for Black women, I realized that this movement was tearing us further apart.

Read On>>>


from Natural Hair Care | Curly Nikki https://ift.tt/2MRuDrW

Weekend Link Love — Edition 518

Research of the Week

Olympic gold medalists die earlier than silver medalists (on average).

Despite increased HPV vaccine uptake, HPV-related cancers are on the rise.

Cardio and weight lifting have different effects on our hormones (so do both).

If you’re sensitive to alcohol, you might be sensitive to sleep deprivation, too.

Sun exposure alters gut bacteria independent of vitamin D.

New Primal Blueprint Podcasts

Episode 273: Seamus Mullen: Host Elle Russ chats with Seamus Mullen, an award-winning New York chef and cookbook author who used diet to cure his rheumatoid arthritis.

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.

Interesting Blog Posts

Parenting an infant can be scary, but at least you know not to give your teething kid opium.

An interesting hypothesis for why those paleolithic Venus statues were so curvaceous.

Don’t count out Monsanto just yet.

Media, Schmedia

Veganism isn’t the answer.

Is a diverse diet actually important (or helpful)?

Everything Else

A Denisovan and a Neanderthal, sittin’ in a cave…

Kanye gets it.

It works in monkeys. Now, researchers are going to try reprogrammed stem cells in human Parkinson’s patients.

“Army of ticks…”

Teens prefer texting to books.

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

Study I’m reading: Health coaching works.

Analysis I enjoyed: Regarding the effects drinking (and not drinking) has on mortality.

Concept I’m pondering: Does purported longevity drug rapamycin slow down time?

Announcement I’m pleased to, well, announce: PETA has liberated the animals!

Interesting line in a study’s conclusion: “Hyperlipidemia is not an important cause of coronary atherosclerosis.”

Recipe Corner

• Keto caprese salad, just like what your keto Italian mama would have made.
• Got an air fryer? Try these coconut shrimp.

Time Capsule

One year ago (Aug 19 – Aug 25)

• Is Keto Bad for the Thyroid? – Well, is it?
• CrossFit Training: How Primal Enables Elite Performance – Upgrade your game without hurting your health.

Comment of the Week

“I know the ‘and his dog’ was meant as a joke, but our dog has bone cancer in her humerus. Rather than the recommended amputation, chemo and radiation treatment path, we have her on several holistic treatments and changed her diet to Keto. No glycogen to feed her cancer cells, and cancer cells (which need lots of energy) don’t do well on ketones. We are just months in, but she is enjoying life everyday.”

– That’s dogs for ya, Jan. Good luck!

The post Weekend Link Love — Edition 518 appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

from Mark's Daily Apple https://ift.tt/2MRFv9j

Bacon Pancakes

Bacon pancakes sound like a sinful breakfast treat, but these slightly sweet, mostly savory cakes require no repentance. Fluffy, moist and salty with just hint of sweetness, bacon pancakes can be served with a light drizzle of maple syrup, or a dollop of sour cream and a hit of hot sauce.

Peruse the list of ingredients for these Primal pancakes and you’ll see the usual suspects (coconut flour, eggs, butter) mixed with bacon and chives. But this recipe also has something completely new: gelatin. Why add gelatin to pancakes? Because you can, without affecting the flavor or texture.

Anecdotally, gelatin can benefit bone, joint and skin health and improve sleep quality. This recipe shows how easy it is to work unflavored gelatin into your diet. Add granular gelatin to other types of Primal pancakes and baked goods, soups and stews, meatloaf, smoothies, whatever. (Ideally, dissolve the gelatin in a little water or other liquid when adding it to a recipe).

But let’s get back to these delicious bacon pancakes. Serve them in a stack, or use two as buns for an egg and sausage breakfast sandwich. You really can’t go wrong.

Servings: 2 (6 small pancakes)

Time in the Kitchen: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 slices of bacon
• 3 egg whites*
• 1/4 cup coconut flour (30 g)
• 1 tablespoon purified granular gelatin (like this) (15 ml)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (30 ml)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives (30 ml)
• 1/2 cup water (120 ml)
• Optional: 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream for topping

Instructions:

Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium heat. Leave the bacon fat in the pan. Crumble or finely chop the bacon and set aside.

Whisk egg whites into soft peaks (an electric mixer works well for this). Set aside.

In a large bowl mix together the coconut flour, gelatin, butter, chives and bacon. Add the water and mix well then gently fold in the egg whites until combined. The batter will be thick and lumpy.

Re-heat the bacon fat in the frying pan over medium heat. Scoop small amounts (about 2 tablespoons) of batter into the pan, gently smoothing the batter out with a spoon to form small pancakes. Better yet, set a 3-inch biscuit cutter in the frying pan, drop the batter in the middle and then smooth out the batter to form perfectly round cakes.

Cook about 3 minutes on each side. Serve warm.

*Using the entire egg instead of just the whites can be done but it makes a heavier, less fluffy pancake

The post Bacon Pancakes appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

from Mark's Daily Apple https://ift.tt/2we9Chr