Kiltz Blogs Archive

Flow State 101: What is Flow, and How to Get into it?

June 10, 2021/in Mind Flow State, mindfulness, Positive psychology, Productivity /by Liam McAuliffe

A flow state can be experienced by anyone in any activity. All it takes is the right balance of interest, skill, and challenge, along with a clear and realistic goal.

To a figure skater, flow state can feel like a rush where all movement happens automatically without thinking or even trying. A poet describes it as floating effortlessly within a realm where language and the world are one. A composer describes it as losing oneself into an ecstatic state where the music writes itself across the blank music paper of the mind.

This universal experience of flow has been shown to increase happiness, enjoyment, and meaning in life.

Sounds fantastic, right? But what exactly is flow state? And are there things we can do to get into flow?

In this article we’ll explore the science of flow states, it’s measurable effects on wellbeing, and offer tips on how to get into flow.

What Is Flow State

“[Flow is] a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, p. 4)

In 1975 the psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi coined the term ‘flow state’. And he defined flow as a state of absolute absorption within an equally enjoyable and challenging task.

But to know what flow really is, let’s look at how he discovered it.

The Discovery of Flow State

As a budding positive psychologist following World War II, Csikszentmihalyi wondered: ‘when do people feel most happy?’. Following an early life of adversity, Mihaly’s research set out to explore this question.

Csikszentmihalyi found that happiness does not depend on outside causes, such as having more material resources, but on internal resources and perception. Csikszentmihalyi found that each person’s happiness must be self-cultivated.

Csikszentmihalyi studied the rare, but universal moments that people experience mastery over a task and the deep sense of enjoyment that comes with it. He called this an optimal experience.

To study optimal performance Csikszentmihalyi interviewed athletes, musicians, and artists. He found that these optimal performers all had something in common: they entered a state in which the activity flowed out of them without much effort.

Flow vs. Habit

“Enjoyment appears at the boundary between boredom and anxiety, when the challenges are balanced with the person’s capacity to act” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, p. 52)

It can be easy to confuse the flow state with habitual activities used to assuage boredom. These might be the day-dreamy actions of doodling or humming. While doodling may seem like an experience of flow, it actually does little to increase positive qualities of joy.

An important difference between habitual activities and flow states is that the flow state actually works to cultivate enjoyment.

The enjoyment of a flow state is dependent upon the complexity of the activity.

Doodling may cultivate a day-dreamy experience, but it lacks the challenge, structure, and skill required to drop into a flow state.

By contrast, a coloring page can provide challenge through the structured lines of an image, requiring your hand-eye coordination to remain within the boundaries.

Activities that balance challenge and skill can yield richer and more enjoyable experiences.

Characteristics of Flow

When in a state of flow, a person enters a sweet spot between action and awareness. Their skills adequately meet the challenge and their psychic energy becomes absorbed by the activity.

“As a result, one of the most universal and distinctive features of optimal experience takes place: people become so involved in what they are doing that the activity becomes spontaneous, almost automatic; they stop being aware of themselves as separate from the actions they are performing” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, p. 53) [2]

Most optimal experiences happen when activities are goal-directed and contained by rules. This allows your mind to relax into steady focus on a task without feeling overwhelmed.

There are seven main characteristics involved in the process of optimal experiencing or flow states.

When Csikszentmihalyi interviewed professionals about their experience of flow, they all mentioned at least one of the seven characteristics.

The seven characteristics of flow are:

Completability: a knowing that one’s skills are adequate to complete the task
Absorbed concentration: there is an experience of immersive focus on the task
Clarity: the task has clear goals, direction, or a structured intention and there is immediate feedback
Ecstasy: the task suspends ordinary life and one enters a kind of an alternate reality
Reward: the actions of flow are intrinsically motivating and produce feelings of reward
Serenity: boundaries between a normal, egoic sense of self and the task merge
Timelessness: a traditional sense of time is skewed and hours may feel like minutes

When all seven characteristics of flow occur, profound enjoyment and reward become possible despite the energy involved in a task.

Examples of Flow

When top performers were asked to describe their experience of the flow state:

A dancer: “Your concentration is very complete. Your mind isn’t wandering, you are not thinking of something else; you are totally involved in what you are doing…Your energy is flowing very smoothly. You feel relaxed, comfortable, and energetic.”
A rock climber: “You are so involved in what you are doing [that] you aren’t thinking of yourself as separate from what you are doing.”
A mother: “Her reading is the one thing that she’s really into, and we read together. She reads to me, and I read to her, and that’s a time when I sort of lose touch with the rest of the world, I’m totally absorbed in what I’m doing.”
A chess player: “…the concentration is like breathing – you never think of it. The roof could fall in and if it missed you, you would be unaware of it.”

What are the Benefits of a Flow State?

Being in a flow state offers numerous benefits to our mental wellbeing and positive sense of self. Some of the many, researched benefits of flow experiences include:

Emotional Regulation

We all feel positive and negative emotions daily. Emotional regulation is the ability to cope with our changing feelings in a healthy way.

A flow state can help provide a structured path towards achieving a goal, which can support emotional regulation.

Flow experiences can support adolescents in increasing self-regulation abilities and social skills.
Finding flow in drawing can improve mood and help regulate emotions such as sadness and anger.

Builds Skills and Confidence

When in a flow state, the challenge of activity equals a person’s skill level.

This means that in order to remain in a flow state, you have to challenge yourself and continue building your skills.

One study examined the relationship between performance and flow state in tennis, indicating that flow states increase performance levels.

Increased Productivity

Flow states happen when there is a clear goal or direction. When in a flow state, feelings of accomplishment and intrinsic reward occur–that good feeling you get simply from completing the task at hand.

Studies on motivation at work suggest that flow states can increase employees’ levels of intrinsic motivation, leading to more positive work environments.
The American Psychological Association found that flow states can increase free thought and creativity at work.

Finding Greater Meaning in Life

The experience of being in a flow state can enhance meaning in life through increasing intrinsic motivation. Finding motivation from internal resources can create greater inspiration.

One study found that experiencing flow deepened people’s connection to place where flow occurred. It also allowed them to integrate the qualities of their environment into a stronger sense of themselves.
Researchers created a diagram of how flow works like an engine: it uses fuel (the characteristics of flow and effort) to power creativity. Creativity enriches meaning.

from www.semanticscholar.org

Greater Enjoyment

Flow states can produce rewarding feelings that help activities feel more enjoyable on a neurological level. When rewarding feelings increase, enjoyment and fulfillment become possible.

In a TED talk, Csikszentmihalyi discussed the results of his research, finding that when in flow, people feel more fulfilled.
Research in neuroscience has found that flow states are correlated with an increase in the brain’s reward chemical, dopamine.

Your Brain on Flow

Neurologically speaking, when you experience a state of flow your lose the habitual experience of what it feels like to be you.

What does this mean, and how is it a positive thing?

Research shows when you’re in a flow state, your frontal cortex goes offline. This is the part of the brain responsible for the logical, orderly, habitual decision making.

While the frontal cortex is necessary for surviving the modern world, like remembering where we put our keys, it is also the place of habit formation, and the seat of the “inner critic”. This is the voice inside our head that tells you you’re stupid or bad for making mistakes, or that you’re not good enough to take certain risks.

When your frontal cortex momentarily goes offline, your habitual sense of time, space, and self are skewed. This results in:

Self-consciousness dissipating
The inner critic shuts up
A richer experience of the present moment (less rheumentating on past experience or fantasizing about the future)

When your brain stops trying to fit experience into habitual frameworks new neural pathways have an opportunity to form. This results in:

An influx of creative ideas.
Feelings of openness and curiosity, connected to the brain’s dopamine reward circuit.

How to Induce Flow State

The recipe for dropping into a flow state involves a few key factors:

You are personally/emotionally invested in the activity
There is a clearly defined goal or direction to achieve
Distractions are eliminated
You have developed skills sufficient for fully participating in your activity
Your skill level is in balance with the level of challenge. In other words, the challenge compels you to use all your skills to the best of your ability.

When the above factors occur at once your focus can be absorbed completely by the activity at hand. A profound sense of effortlessness and joy is possible–welcome to flow!

Tips for Getting into a Flow State

Now that you know what flow is, how it affects your brain and the necessary factors for getting into flow, let’s look at a few tips to help you find more flow in your life.

Make a go-to ‘Flow’ List

Take some distraction-free time to brainstorm by creating a written list. Start by making 3 columns.

In the first column list 1-3 activities you care about, that you’re good at, or want to get better at.

In the second column write down realistic goals for each.

In the third column jot down a few concrete actions, you will take to meet your goal.

Create a Container

Since the essence of the flow state is a total immersive focus, creating a distraction-free environment is key.

Turn on the “Do Not Disturb” function on your phone. Put away your laptop. Tell your friends and family you are taking some time alone. Containing your activity will help you drop into ‘the zone’.

Create a Ritual

Biologically speaking, creating a ritual around our activity can create what’s called a homeostatic function in the environment. This means that our mind and body respond automatically to cues we set up, making it so it takes less effort to sink into focused action.

Ritualizing your activity can be as simple as listening to the same song before an activity, lighting a candle, or incense. Sound, light, smell are all-powerful cues to your brain about what it can expect and prepare for.

Be a Beginner

Feeling uninspired or stuck? Trying something new can help you find an activity that brings you into a flow state. Already an expert? Try adding in more challenges. Take a yoga class, a tennis lesson, a pottery workshop. Keep in mind that you don’t have to be an expert to find your flow!

Cultivate Micro-flow Moments Throughout the Day

Finding your flow state does not require you to run a marathon or invest in a new sport.

Remember the simple equation: Sufficient skills + adequate challenge= flow.

Activities like crossword puzzles, coloring pages, reading, or even cooking a meal can be completely immersive and produce the enjoyment of flow.

Flow State: The Takeaway

Being in a state of flow has been shown to increase enjoyment, happiness, and deepen meaning in life. The flow state helps strengthen wellbeing and internal resources through dedicated practice, rewarding accomplishments, and increased confidence. Happy flowing!

How to Reduce Antinutrients in Your Diet

June 9, 2021/in Antinutrients and Plant Toxins antinutrients, Glucosinolates, Lectins, oxalate, Phytic Acid, Plant Toxin, Tannins /by Liam McAuliffe

Antinutrients are plant compounds that diminish your body’s ability to absorb key vitamins and minerals.

In some cases, antinutrients can have beneficial effects due to their antioxidant properties as well as their ability to bond with some heavy metals. But for most people, eating foods that are rich in antinutrients can result in health problems.

This article will explore what antinutrients are, and how you can lower your dietary intake of these potentially harmful plant compounds.

[TOC]

Phytate

Phytate, also known as phytic acid, is an antinutrient that stores phosphorus in the seeds of plants. Consuming foods that contain phytate reduces the absorption of iron, zinc, magnesium, copper, and calcium. Phytate can also prevent digestive enzymes from breaking down proteins and starches in foods.

What Are the Risks of Phytic Acid?

Eating a diet that consists mainly of high-phytate foods can increase your risk of zinc and iron deficiencies. Notably, people in developing countries who consume grains and legumes as the majority of their diet are at greater risk of nutritional deficiencies.

Low iron levels can lead to anemia, a condition that results in a depleted count of healthy red blood cells. This reduces your body’s ability to deliver oxygen to all of your cells. Symptoms of iron deficiency anemia may include fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath.

Pregnant women are at greater risk of iron deficiency due to higher iron requirements. Iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy can cause maternal illness, low birth weight, prematurity, and restricted fetal growth.

People who follow vegetarian and vegan diets are also prone to low iron stores due to a higher intake of phytate compared to those who eat mixed diets.

Foods High in Phytic Acid

Phytate is found in all plant-based foods. The highest concentrations of phytate occur in cereal grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and pseudo grains. In cereal grains, phytate is found in the outer layer of the seed known as the bran. In legumes, phytate is present in the endosperm and embryo.

Common examples of foods high in phytic acid include:

Chickpeas: 11.33-14 mg of phytate per gram
Soybeans: 22.91 mg of phytate per gram
Wild rice contains: 12.7 and 21.6 mg of phytate per gram

Processed foods contain significantly less phytate than whole foods. For example, white rice consists of only 1.2-3.7 mg/g phytate.

Interestingly, in Asian societies that rely on white rice instead of whole grains and legumes people have less nutrient deficiencies despite the fact that white rice is an “empty” calorie source. “Empty” means that it has almost no nutrients beyond carbohydrates. These counterintuitive findings are due in large part to the presence of phytates in whole grains and legumes.

How to Reduce Phytate in Your Diet

Processing techniques can significantly reduce phytate in foods and increase the bioavailability of minerals.

Cooking

Cooking legumes at over 200 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour can reduce phytate in yellow split peas by 23%, lentils by 20-80%, and chickpeas by 11%.

Soaking

Soaking seeds in water can also reduce phytate levels by activating the natural phytases in foods. Phytases are enzymes that break down phytate. Soaking millet, maize, rice, and soybeans in water can reduce phytate by 28%, 21%, 17%, and 23%, respectively. However, this process also reduced the levels of iron and zinc.

Germinating

Germinating seeds can lower phytate content while also maintaining their mineral content. For example, one study found that germinating chickpeas and pigeon peas reduced phytate levels by over 60% due to phytase activation.

Fermentation

Another study showed that fermentation can also reduce phytate levels in foods. Fermentation of quinoa and amaranth can lower phytate concentrations by 47-51% for quinoa and 12-14% for amaranth. Fermented foods improve the bioavailability of iron, zinc, and calcium.

Glucosinolates

Glucosinolates are a diverse group of plant compounds that can inhibit the absorption of iodine. This antinutrient produces a sulfur-like smell in foods.

What Are the Risks of Glucosinolates?

Because glucosinolates prevent the absorption of iodine, eating foods that contain this antinutrient can cause thyroid problems such as hypothyroidism and goiter. People with low iodine levels who eat a diet high in glucosinolates are at higher risk of experiencing these problems.

Some studies show that glucosinolate consumption is also associated with increased thyroid cancer risk in women.

What’s more, glucosinolates may also play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes. One study found that people who eat a high glucosinolate diet have a 19% higher risk of type 2 diabetes than those who eat a low glucosinolate diet.

Foods High in Glucosinolates

Glucosinolates are found in plants in the cabbage and mustard family. This includes:

cruciferous vegetables
cabbages
mustard plants

The highest concentrations of glucosinolates occur in:

kale
brussels sprouts
collard greens
broccoli

How to Reduce Glucosinolates in Your Diet

Cooking and fermenting foods can remove glucosinolates. Research shows that steaming broccoli for five minutes can reduce glucosinolate content by more than 50%. Additionally, cooking foods with iodized salt can replenish iodine levels.

Tannins

Tannins are antinutrients that interfere with the absorption of non-heme iron from plants. However, they do not affect the absorption of heme iron from red meat. Like other antinutrients, tannins can also inhibit the function of digestive enzymes.

What Are the Risks of Tannins?

Consuming too many tannins can increase your risk of iron deficiency anemia. In one study, healthy adults experienced a 37% decrease in iron absorption after drinking tea with an iron-rich porridge. However, the participants did not have any effects on iron absorption when drinking tea one hour after eating.

Another study found that women with low iron levels experienced a greater reduction in iron stores after eating foods high in tannins.

Tannins may also cause digestive issues such as nausea.

Foods High in Tannins

Tannins are the chemicals that give certain foods a bitter, dry taste. You can find tannins in:

Cocoa beans
Tea
Wine
Fruit
Seeds
Nuts
Legumes
Cereal grains.

The highest amounts of tannins are found in :

Dark chocolate
Black grapes
Apricots
Cherries
Apples
Berries

How to Reduce Tannins in Your Diet

Cooking tannins can reduce the total tannin content in foods. Cooking rhubarb, board beans, and pears can reduce tannin content by 28%, 58%, and 26%, respectively.

However, many tannin-rich foods are consumed raw. Removing the skins of fruits and nuts can reduce tannins in raw foods.

Tannins in tea increase with a longer infusion time. Brewing tea for less than 4 minutes may prevent tannins from reaching peak levels. Additionally, drinking tea after or in-between meals may help prevent tannins from blocking iron absorption during meals.

Consuming tannins in combination with vitamin C may offset some of the inhibitory effects of tannins.

Lectins

Lectins are a group of proteins found in many plant foods. Interestingly, small amounts of lectins are also found in animal products. This is because the lectins that animals eat can accumulate in their tissues. Lectins are considered antinutrients because they can reduce the absorption of certain nutrients due to changes in intestinal integrity.

What Are the Risks of Lectins?

Consuming foods high in lectins can lead to altered gut function and inflammation due to lectins’ ability to bind with cells in the digestive tract.

Lectins can damage digestive health by forming lesions in the intestinal wall, which allows harmful bacteria to penetrate the digestive tract. Leaky gut can reduce the absorption of proteins, lipids, and vitamin B12, increasing your risk of inflammatory bowel disease.

What’s more, lectins can also disrupt your hormones and have negative consequences on fertility.

Foods High in Lectins

Lectins are found in legumes, seeds, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. Raw legumes and whole grains provide the greatest sources of lectins. Whereas fruits and vegetables usually contain low amounts. Foods high in lectins include:

Beans
Soybeans
Peanuts
Wheat
Dairy
Seafood
Potatoes

How to Reduce Lectins in Your Diet

High cooking temperatures can remove lectins from legumes such as soybeans and kidney beans. One study found that boiling legumes for one hour at more than 200 degrees fahrenheit can reduce lectins by 93.77-99.81%. Another study showed that boiling red and white kidney beans can completely remove all lectin content.

Other processing methods that can remove lectins include soaking, sprouting, and fermenting. Fermenting lentils for more than 72 hours can destroy the majority of lectins in lentils.

It may be best to avoid foods that contain lectins that cannot be eliminated through boiling, sprouting, or fermenting.

Protease Inhibitors

Protease inhibitors are plant compounds that prevent enzymes from breaking down proteins and peptides. This antinutrient accumulates in tubers, seeds, and leaves.

What Are the Risks of Protease Inhibitors?

Eating foods high in protease inhibitors can impair the nutritional quality of protein. Some studies show that protease inhibitors in legumes may cause pancreatic hypertrophy in animals. However, these findings may not apply to humans.

Foods High in Protease Inhibitors

Protease inhibitors occur in all types of plants, but especially in legumes, grains, and nightshades. Foods high in protease inhibitors include :

Pineapple
Chickpeas
Millet
Buckwheat
Rice
Sweet potatoes
Lentils
black-eyed peas
Soybeans
Corn

How to Reduce Protease Inhibitors in Your Diet

Cooking plant-based foods can lessen the content of protease inhibitors and improve their nutritional quality. For example, the levels of protease inhibitors in tofu and cooked tofu are 19% 11%, respectively, of that in raw soybeans.

Oxalate

Oxalate, also known as oxalic acid, is an antinutrient that reduces the absorption of calcium.

There are two forms of oxalate: water-soluble oxalate and insoluble oxalate. Soluble oxalates bind with calcium and can also be absorbed through the intestines and colon. On the other hand, insoluble oxalates are removed from the body in the stool.

What Are the Risks of Oxalate?

Excessive soluble oxalate intake can increase your risk of calcium kidney stones and renal damage.

One study found that the calcium in spinach is less readily available than calcium from animal products such as milk. Because calcium in plants is poorly absorbed, it is excreted in the urine. A high concentration of calcium crystals in the urine can lead to the formation of kidney stones.

Foods High in Oxalate

Many common plant foods contain oxalate. The leaves contain higher amounts of oxalate than the stalks or roots.

Foods that contain the highest amounts of oxalate include:

Spinach
swiss chard
Amaranth
Taro
sweet potatoes
Beets
Rhubarb

Foods that contain lower amounts of oxalate include:

Raw legumes
whole grains
Nuts
Cocoa
Tea

Examples of soluble oxalate content per 100g :

spinach contains 543 mg
peanuts contain 108 mg
wheat bran contains 113 mg

How to Reduce Oxalate in Your Diet

Because oxalate can dissolve in water, boiling and steaming foods is the most effective way to remove this antinutrient.

Boiling vegetables for 12 minutes can remove around 30-87% oxalate, whereas steaming vegetables can remove 42-46% of oxalate. However, boiling vegetables with less surface area such as carrots, beets, and Brussels sprouts did not yield similar results.

Other processing methods such as soaking and microwaving foods can also significantly reduce oxalate levels. Eating foods like full-fat dairy rich in calcium and organ meats high in potassium can minimize the absorption of soluble oxalate.

Antinutrients: The Bottom Line

Antinutrients are plant compounds that bind with certain vitamins and minerals, preventing their absorption in the digestive tract. In extreme cases, consuming excess antinutrients can result in nutritional deficiencies, thyroid dysfunction, gastrointestinal symptoms, and kidney stones.

Some studies show the beneficial effects of antinutrients in the treatment of cancer and other diseases. But the ingestion of antinutrients has harmful effects on healthy cells.

People with sensitivities, and who are vegetarian or vegan have a greater risk of experiencing health problems associated with excessive antinutrients.

In most cases, you can prevent potential complications by eating a balanced and nutrient-dense diet, preparing your food with different methods, and reducing your intake of antinutrient-rich foods.

Following a keto diet or carnivore diet can help you limit your consumption of antinutrients. A keto diet replaces grains and legumes with antinutrient-free animal products.

Yoga Nidra 101: Full Body Relaxation, Benefits, and Tips

June 7, 2021/in Yoga Anxiety, Awareness, meditation, mindfulness, Yoga, Yoga Nidra /by Liam McAuliffe

Stress and anxiety are issues that most of us deal with everyday on some level. Globally, about 284 million people experienced an anxiety disorder in 2017, making it the most prevalent mental health issue worldwide.

While we don’t always have control over what happens in our lives, we can develop control over our responses. Controlling our responses to stressors goes a long way towards reducing how much stress and anxiety we feel. This is where yoga nidra comes into play.

What is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga nidra (also known as “yogic sleep”) is a state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleeping that allows you to reach a deeper and less reactive state of consciousness.

In yoga nidra, sleeping is not seen as a form of relaxation, nor is sitting in a comfy chair to wind down. Though relaxing, simply winding down and sleeping actually allow the mind to get distracted. The point of yoga nidra is to maintain awareness while you relax so that you can access deeper levels of your subconscious.

Where did Yoga Nidra Originate?

Yoga nidra is derived from two Sanskrit words; “Yoga” meaning union, and “Nidra” meaning sleep.

It is an ancient practice that originated in India (first documented around 700 BC). These early teachings have evolved over the centuries through the philosophies of Advaita Vedanta and the Tantric teachings of Kashmir Shaivism.

How is Yoga Nidra Different from Other Forms of Yoga?

In the West, we typically see yoga as a fitness class where you follow specific poses, or “asanas”. These classes are one of the various forms of yoga; Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Hatha, Yin, Iyengar, and Kundalini, to name a few.

However, there are actually “eight limbs” of yoga, only one of which is these active postures. A yogic lifestyle also involves more physically passive practices like non-violence, meditation, and austerity.

Yoga nidra is a physically passive style of yoga that doesn’t require any body movement.

It does, however, require a movement of the mind. This means that it is more accessible to disabled populations as well as folks who have never tried active styles of yoga before. While at the same time yoga nidra provides a balanced approach to yoga even for expert practitioners who can turn their body into a pretzel.

How is Yoga Nidra Different from Meditation?

Meditation is a way of changing consciousness by focusing the mind on a single-pointed object. Traditionally, meditation is practiced sitting up in a seven-point posture .

Yoga nidra is practiced comfortably, lying down in Savasana, or “corpse pose.” And it is guided so that the practitioner stays awake while journeying inward. The focus here is more on relaxation while staying awake.

The other unique part of yoga nidra is that it prompts you to explore your five Koshas or “sheaths”, also known as “the layers of the Self”:

Annamaya Kosha: The external or physical body
Pranamaya Kosha: The life-force body and cellular body that functions within the Annamaya kosha
Manomaya Kosha: The conscious mind that senses and is always preoccupied
Vignanamaya Kosha: The subconscious mind
Anandamaya Kosha: The “blissful sheath.” The deepest layer of the Self

Yoga nidra involves visiting each of these layers, beginning with the outermost and working inward.

What are the Benefits of Yoga Nidra?

Many people run through modern life on auto-pilot, accumulating stress from work, parenting, studying, elections, global pandemics, etc. without knowing how to release that stress.

Having the ability to quickly tap into a realm of inner peace, which yoga nidra brings, can offer numerous physical, mental, and emotional benefits.

Physical Health Benefits:

Reduces blood-glucose levels in diabetic patients.
This study also indicates that it has the potential to reduce headaches, insomnia, sweating, and heart palpitations
Helps increase heart rate variability (HRV). A low HRV is associated with increased risk of death and cardiovascular disease.
Reduces blood pressure, heart rate, breath rate, body mass index (BMI), and Hamilton anxiety rating scale (HARS).
Helps to stabilize breathing and reduce thoracic dominance (shallow breathing in the upper chest).
Alleviates lower back pain.

Mental and Emotional Benefits:

Positively influences stress-related parameters such as skin conductivity and cortisol level.
Improves the ability to adjust socially.
Improves self-esteem by lowering life stress intensity levels.
Increases theta brain wave activity while maintaining alpha brain wave activity. This means that it is different from sleeping and includes conscious awareness and can improve creativity.
Increases dopamine release by 65%, which can increase positive mood and motivation.
Decreases anxiety and depression.
Reduces rage, anxiety, and emotional reactivity, while increasing feelings of relaxation, peace, self-awareness, and self-efficacy in people who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Increases emotional intelligence.

Sleep Benefits:

It helps to improve sleep by activating the parasympathetic nervous system and lowering hyper-arousal, which contributes to relaxation.
It has been shown to help those who suffer from chronic insomnia.

Sleep is one of the most important factors in your overall health. If you’re having trouble sleeping you may want to consider combining yoga nidra with other sleep-specific yoga practices that your can learn about here.

How to Practice Yoga Nidra

The steps of practicing yoga nidra can often be misunderstood. While instructions vary by teacher, studio, and class, here’s a step-by-step overview of what to expect in a typical session.

Step-by-step Yoga Nidra Script:

Set up your space. This step is very important! Your physical space often dictates your mental space. You can play tranquil music, light candles, or burn incense with scents that foster peace.

Note that if the temperature of the air in the room you practice in is too warm, or if you practice in your bed, you might fall asleep. The goal is to stay awake – so select your surroundings with that goal in mind.

Lie flat on your back in Shavasana with your arms stretched out by your sides. You can use props like a yoga mat, blocks, a bolster, and blankets to make sure that you’re comfortable. It’s important to be as comfortable as possible so that your physical body doesn’t distract you during your practice.
Close your eyes. You may also practice the traditional Tibetan Buddhist meditation approach by allowing your eyes to remain slightly open–letting a sliver of light flow in. This will help you stay awake.
Choose a clear Intention (Sankalpa). Sankalpa is a short, clear, phrase or sentence (much like a mantra), used to bring positive change in one’s life. Connect to your most heartfelt desire. This is set at the beginning of each practice.
Repeat the clear intention you chose in Step 4 until it becomes ingrained.
Become aware of your breath. You can focus on the sensation of your breath of your physical body first, then the temperature of the breath, or the quality of your breath.

Which parts of your body are moving?
Is the air warm or cool?
Is it smooth or choppy?
Become curious about your breath – as if it’s the most interesting thing going on in this moment.

Bring your attention to the right side of your body. From there, scan your awareness through all parts on that side of your body limb by limb, organ by organ. As you bring your focus to each body part, name and visualize it.
Bring your awareness back to your physical body as a whole.
Repeat Step 7 on the left side of your body.
Bring your awareness back to your entire physical body again.
Repeat Step 7 on the front side of your body.
Bring your awareness back to your entire physical body again.
Repeat Step 7 on the back side of your body.
Bring your awareness back to your entire physical body again.
Repeat Steps 7 through 14. Notice the sensations of relaxation–is your breath freer, deeper. Notice a softness in your limbs, the absence of tension.
Reaffirm your initial intention again until it feels second nature.
Bring your awareness to the space surrounding your body.

You can hear far away sounds, and then noises that are close to you.
Smell the scents around you.
Sense the taste in your mouth.
Feel the floor or mat beneath you.

Gently wiggle your fingers and toes, take a deep breath, and finally open your eyes, coming back into the space around you.

Timing and Format of Yoga Nidra Sessions

There is no time requirement or limit for yoga nidra. With that said, typically sessions last anywhere between 5 and 60 minutes.

If you practice on your own, set a good amount of time so that you don’t feel rushed or distracted.

Try to make the transition in and out of the practice as stress-free as possible. When you finish, just as with meditation, give yourself 10 to 15 minutes to reestablish yourself in the space of normal interaction.

Avoid Practicing After Eating

Though there’s no set time of the day to practice yoga nidra, it is more difficult to practice after eating when the body is focusing on digesting and may get sleepy.

When are Good Times to Practice?

Yoga nidra is a great practice to do early in the morning to set an intention for your day.

It’s also just as beneficial to practice in the evening before bed, to get the body ready for sleep.

Interestingly, studies show that memory consolidation and learning retention improve when done just before sleep. So doing yoga nidra at night may deepen your relationship to your intention (sankalpa).

Doing it before bed may also encourage a kind of consciousness or lucid-dreaming while you sleep.

How to Get Started

Now that you know about the benefits of a yoga nidra practice and the step-by-step process, you’re probably wondering where to begin. Here are some resources to help you get started.

Books

If you enjoy reading, here are a few book recommendations to learn more about the practice:

Yoga Nidra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Yoga Nidra: A Meditative Practice for Deep Relaxation and Healing by Miller Richard
Yoga Nidra: The Art of Transformational Sleep by Kamini Desai
Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief by Julie Lusk
The iRest Program for Healing PTSD: A Proven-Effective Approach to Using Yoga Nidra Meditation and Deep Relaxation Techniques to Overcome Trauma by Miller Richard

Apps

Sometimes it’s easier to click a button on our phone than to set up our laptop or go in person to a studio to practice. There is a wide range of apps that offer yoga nidra classes below:

Gaia offers a handful of recorded yoga nidra classes and costs $11.99 per month. Their free trial period is one week.
Glo offers several yoga nidra classes for wellbeing, deep exhaustion, and inspiration and costs $18 per month. Their free trial period is 15 days.
Yoga Nidra: Sacred Sleep is a free app, and is a perfect introduction to yoga nidra. It contains three sessions less than 30 minutes long; deep relaxation, gentle relaxation, and deep healing and energizing.
Alo Moves offers a 30 minute Psychic Sleep session with master yogi Sri Dharma Mittra and costs $20 per month or $199 per year. Their free trial period is 30 days.
Yoga Nidra – Deep Relaxation costs $3.99 on the app store and is great for all levels. It has 3 different lengths of guided relaxation practice: 10 minutes, 20 minutes, and 30 minutes.

You might also visit some of the sites suggested below.

YouTube

YouTube offers an abundance of yoga nidra music and guided practices. If you’re on a budget, it’s definitely the way to go.

If you don’t have much time to research, I recommend the channels Yoga Nidra Network or Meditation Relax Club. These channels offer varied lengths and themes for their classes and they’re not the only ones.

You can also explore YouTube for other instructors who teach different styles of yoga and have one or a few videos on yoga nidra.

Go Local

If you’d like to incorporate support for your own community while practicing, purchase yoga nidra literature from your local bookstores, yoga studios, or ask your yoga teacher. With so many ways to integrate this practice, it’s difficult to find a reason not to get started.

Yoga Nidra: The Takeaway

Yoga nidra is one of the most impactful and ancient yogic styles. Having been practiced for over 1300 years, it has stood the test of time and made its way into our stressful modern lives.

A robust body of research has shown that yoga nidra brings numerous powerful benefits to your body, mind, and emotions.

Yoga nidra also happens to be one of the most accessible and low-impact yogic practices. This means you don’t have to look great in yoga pants to receive its positive effects on stress, anxiety, depression, and associated physical problems.

Though alleviating these mental and physical issues is often what first draws people to yoga nidra, the spiritual experience of profoundly connecting with the deepest layers of oneself is what keeps people coming back.

Click here for more tips on how to make practices like yoga nidra part of your daily routine.

Beef Liver Supplements: Nutrition, Benefits, and Best Products

June 7, 2021/in Liver, Vitamins and supplements Beef Liver, Beef Liver Supplements, Carnivore Diet, Keto Diet, organ meats, Superfood /by Liam McAuliffe

Beef liver is one of nature’s top superfoods. It’s rich in highly absorbable varieties of hard to get nutrients like iron, B vitamins, selenium, choline, and zinc. But beef liver isn’t exactly palatable or convenient for everyone. That’s where beef liver supplements like Dr. Kiltz’s very own Beef Liver supplements come in. You get the superfood benefits of beef liver in the convenience of a tablet, and without torturing your taste buds.

As nature’s original multivitamin, beef liver has been used to support numerous health factors from fertility to athletic performance.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at beef liver supplement nutrition, benefits, and a comparison between the top beef liver supplements on the market.

[TOC]

What are Desiccated Beef Liver Supplements?

When talking about beef liver supplements, the term “desiccated” just means“dried.” The best beef liver supplement manufacturers use a gentle freeze-drying process. This transforms raw liver into a convenient powder that can be stored in gel capsules. Voila, beef liver tablets!

This freeze-drying method retains much of the nutrition of the fresh meat, unlike high-heat processes that can degrade mineral quality.

Beef Liver Supplement Nutrients

Beef liver is incredibly rich in vitamin A, vitamin B12, copper, and more.

Beef Liver: Raw
Based on 100 grams
Calories	135
Fat	3.6g
Protein	20.4g
Net Carbs	3.9g
VITAMINS		%Daily Value
Vitamin A Vitamin A IU Vitamin B6 Vitamin B12 Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin D Vitamin D3 Vitamin E Vitamin K	4968μg 16898IU 1mg 59.3μg 1.3mg 1.2μg 49IU 1.2μg 0.4mg 3.1μg	552% – 84% 2471% 3% 8% – – 2% 3%
MINERALS
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium Thiamine Riboflavin Niacin Folate Choline	5mg 4.9mg 18mg 387mg 4mg 9.8mg 0.3mg 39.7μg 0.2mg 2.8mg 13.2mg 290μg 333.3mg	1% 62% 6% 39% 27% 488% 16% 57% 13% 163% 66% 73% 61%

Benefits of Beef Liver Supplements

Thanks to its superior nutritional content, beef liver possesses benefits that even the best muscle meat just can’t match.

The possible health benefits of beef liver supplements include:

Supports fertility
Improves energy
Promotes exercise performance
Provides hard-to-get nutrients

Benefit 1: Improves fertility

Long before food scientists knew what a B vitamin was, our ancestors were busy supporting their fertility with B12-rich beef liver.

The pregnancy diets of many traditional cultures provided just the right amount of liver to their moms-to-be. In addition to animal liver, these diets often included grass-fed beef, full-fat dairy products, and fish roe.

Author and traditional foods expert Sally Fallon describes this practice well: “Without knowing the names of the vitamins contained in these foods, isolated traditional societies recognized their importance in the diet and liberally ate animal products containing them. They rightly believed such foods to be necessary for fertility and the optimum development of children.” [4]

More recent research reveals that beef liver’s vitamin C, E, D, and B12 are largely responsible for its fertility-supporting effects.

Benefit 2: Improves Energy

Quality beef liver supplements contain more vitamin B12 than any other food in existence.

How much? Just 4 ounces of liver supplies 40,000% — 400 times — your B12 RDV. B12 contributes to cell division, nervous system function, and ATP generation.

Many people feel a tangible increase in energy within an hour of eating beef liver. After the B vitamins have done their job of mobilizing unused energy, any excess simply gets excreted through the urine, so don’t be surprised if your pee turns bright yellow following any liver-rich meal.

Liver is rich in other B vitamins, too. The same 4-ounce serving contains over 100% of your biotin RDV. Biotin regulates inflammation and immunity and also contributes to the conversion of food calories into usable cellular energy.

CoQ10

Beef liver supplements contain another energy-promoting compound you should know about: Coenzyme q10 (CoQ10). This important enzyme helps regulate everything from energy to skin regeneration. Studies hint that it may also support heart health.

Benefit 3: Boosts Exercise Performance

Liver and physical fitness have gone hand in hand since at least Grecian times when a champion runner named Dromeus popularized the use of animal meat among athletes.

These early athletes and their trainers viewed eating the organs of animals as a powerful way to support various functions of their own bodies. The Greek anatomist Galen, explained that “the liver is the source of the veins and the principal instrument of sanguification.”

Beef liver came back into athletic vogue around the turn of the 20th century. Physical culturist Arthur Saxon used a beef organ supplement called Bovril during his preparation for the ‘two hands anyhow’ lift. He hoisted an incredible 448 pounds overhead in this movement — a feat that hasn’t been replicated to this day.

Bodybuilders have also identified the benefits of beef liver. 1950 Mr. America Armand Tanny, ate generous amounts of liver as part of his all-raw, mostly-meat diet.

Other bodybuilders followed suit after hearing about Dr. Benjamin Ershoff’s successful experiments with desiccated liver tablets, which showed that beef liver boosted exercise performance.

“It was Ershoff who conducted the famous liver study wherein rats fed 10 percent desiccated liver swam far longer compared to controls,” the Weston A. Price Foundation explains.

Liver supplementation was promoted by the best natural bodybuilders of all time. Mr. Olympia’s Steve Reeves and Reg Park both took beef liver in various forms. Here’s the story in Park’s own words: “Step up your protein intake. Soft boiled eggs, cheese . . . lean beef, veal, liver, and all kinds of shellfish are good” [18]

Benefit 4: Provides Hard-to-Get Nutrients

Pound for pound, beef liver is as much as 100 times higher in vital nutrients than muscle meats. [19]

Many of these nutrients are hard to get from so-called ‘healthy’ plant sources — making their presence in beef liver supplements even more important.

	Daily Recommended Intake	Beef Liver (100g)	Kale (100g)	Spinach (100g)	Blueberries (100g)
Vitamin A	Men: 3,000 IU Women: 2,300 IU Pregnant Women: 2,566 IU	16,899 IU	15,376 IU	9,376 IU	54.0 IU
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)	Men: 1.3 mg Women: 1.1 mg	2.8 mg	0.1 mg	0.2 mg	0.0 mg
Niacin (Vitamin B3)	Men: 16 mg Women: 14 mg	13.2 mg	1 mg	0.7 mg	0.4 mg
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)	Adults: 5 mg	7.2 mg	0.1 mg	0.1 mg	0.1 mg
Vitamin B6	Adults: 1.3 mg	1.1 mg	0.3 mg	0.2 mg	0.1 mg
Folate (Vitamin B9)	Adults: 400 mcg Pregnant Women: 600 mcg	290 mcg	29 mcg	194 mcg	6 mcg
Vitamin B12	Adults: 2.4 mcg Pregnant women: 2.6 mcg	59.3 mcg	0.0 mcg	0.0 mcg	0.0 mcg
Calcium	Adults: 1,000 mg	5 mg	135 mg	99 mg	6 mg
Copper	Adults: 0.9 mg	9.8 mg	0.3 mg	0.1 mg	0.1 mg
Vitamin C	Men: 90 mg Women: 75 mg	1.3 mg	120 mg	0.0 mg	9.7 mg
Vitamin D	Adults: 600 IU	16 IU	—	—	—
Vitamin E	Adults: 15 mg	0.4 mg	—	2 mg	0.6 g
Iron	Men: 8 mg Women: 18 mg Pregnant women: 27 mg	4.9 mg	1.7 mg	2.7 mg	0.3 mg
Magnesium	Men: 400 mg Women: 310 mg	18 mg	34 mg	174 mg	6 mg
Phosphorous	Adults: 700 mg	387 mg	56 mg	49 mg	12 mg
Potassium	Men: 3,400 mg Women: 2,600 mg	313 mg	447 mg	558 mg	77 mg
Selenium	Adults: 55 mcg	39.7 mcg	0.9 mcg	1 mcg	0.1 mcg
Zinc	Men: 11 mg Women: 8 mg Pregnant women: 11 mg	4 mg	0.4 mg	2.8 mg	0.2 mg

Beef liver’s ability to restore nutrient deficiencies and imbalances is largely to credit for the benefits we’ve mentioned earlier.

Research from Indiana’s Purdue University has found that pregnant women are deficient in several important vitamins and minerals. Potential deficiencies include :

Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Vitamin C
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
Calcium

Beef liver offers highly bioavailable forms of many of the above nutrients, making it perfect for people who want to support their fertility naturally.

Benefit 5: Oxygenating Nutrients

Some people need more oxygenating nutrients than others. Pregnant/nursing women and athletes (yes, the two groups we keep mentioning) both require greater than average amounts of B12 and iron.

As a holistic approach to boosting these vitamins and minerals, beef liver is so effective that Geoge R. Minot later won the Nobel Prize for identifying it.

Here’s the method in his own words:

“By May of 1926, we had fed liver intensively and daily to 45 patients. In many of these patients symptomatic improvement was obvious within about a week. Soon they craved food, and color appeared in their faces. Tongue and digestive symptoms rapidly lessened. Within about 60 days the red blood cell counts had risen on the average from low levels to approximately normal […we conclude that] by feeding liver, significant improvement had been obtained.”

Why People Don’t Eat Beef Liver

There’s really only one type of problem with organ meats like liver: they’re not accessible to everyone. Some people can’t stand the taste; others don’t mind it but can’t find high-quality liver.

Taste

Taste is the most common objection most people have about liver. Even when properly prepared, liver tastes radically different than the muscle meat you’ve probably grown up with.

Convenience

Then there’s the convenience factor. Liver can be difficult to prepare properly. It can also make your kitchen smell bad. Bringing liver’s nourishment to your family or friends can be inconvenient and off-putting.

Sourcing Problems

Finally, there’s the problem of sourcing. Even if you like liver’s taste and don’t mind the time involved in preparing it, you may not be able to find high-quality liver in the first place.

How to Choose A Beef Liver Supplement

If any or all of the above apply to you, you may be interested in supplementation.

Supplementing with beef liver capsules provides all the benefits of liver in a much more palatable and convenient format. When choosing a beef liver supplement, however, it’s important to know what to look for.

Grass-Fed and Grass-Finished Beef Liver Supplements

Grass-fed, grass-finished beef is more nutritious than grain-fed varieties.

Even the fatty acid profile of grass-fed beef is better: it contains fewer inflammatory PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids).

Grass-fed beef organs also contain more CLA (conjugated linoleic acid ) than grain-fed beef does. CLA, in turn, may foster weight loss and improve body composition.

Pasture Raised

Remember that old phrase about happy cows making happy milk? It might actually be true. Research implies that the stress an animal undergoes can make or break its overall nutrition. [29] Organ supplements from happy, pasture-raised cows are probably more nutritious than other alternatives.

Freeze Dried

Freeze-drying preserves the integrity of the nutrients as if they were found in fresh meat. 2

Beef Liver Sourced from New Zealand Cattle

New Zealand cattle are among the world’s healthiest. This is due in large part to New Zealand’s pristine climate of mild and wet winters, and sunny summers providing the perfect conditions for year-round pasture.

Most ranchers in America have to keep their cattle indoors during winter months. And even if these cattle are grass-fed, they have to rely on dried hay for significant periods.

It’s no surprise that the healthiest and most nutrient-packed liver comes from New Zealand cattle.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, New Zealand beef liver provides significantly more nutritional value than U.S.-raised beef liver. Some of the key nutrient differences include:

Vitamin B12 – New Zealand beef liver has 43% more than U.S.-raised beef liver.

Vitamin B5 – New Zealand beef liver has 44% more than U.S.-raised beef liver.

Iron – New Zealand beef liver has 72% more than U.S.-raised beef liver.

Thiamin (Vitamin B1) – New Zealand beef liver has 96% more than U.S.-raised liver.

Vitamin A – New Zealand beef liver has a staggering 459% more than U.S.-raised liver.

Other Ingredients: Fillers, Additives, Flow Agents

Supplement purity is paramount. Your supplement’s beef organs should be delivered in an additive-free, filler-free beef liver tablet.

Dosage

You may be thinking that 3000 milligrams isn’t a whole lot of liver. But keep in mind that liver used in supplements is desiccated or dried. In its fresh state, the majority of liver’s weight is water content.

That means 3000 mg, or 3 grams of dried liver is actually nutritionally equivalent to roughly 1 oz (28 g), a standard serving size of beef liver. And keep in mind that micronutrients in dried liver are more densely concentrated.

Price

The pricing of a beef organ supplement is yet another important consideration. We’ve found that moderately-priced products are often the best.

Best Beef Liver Supplements

Our three favorite beef liver supplements are all high-quality products that contain 3000 mg (3 grams) of freeze-dried beef liver per serving of .

As mentioned above, this 3-gram serving contains the nutritional power of roughly 1 oz of fresh liver in 6 beef liver tablets.

Beef Liver Supplement Comparison

Brand	Doctor Kiltz Nutritional Solutions Grass-Fed Beef Liver	Ancestral Nutrition Grass-Fed Beef Liver	Vital Proteins Grass-Fed Beef Liver
Liver Content Per Serving	3000 mg freeze-dried liver	3000 mg freeze-dried liver	3000 mg freeze-dried liver
Servings Per Bottle	30	30	30
Cattle Feed and Location	Grass-fed and finished, pasture-raised in New Zealand	Grass-fed and finished, pasture-raised in New Zealand	Grass-fed and finished, pasture-raised in New Zealand
Other Ingredients	No Fillers, Additives or Flow Agents	No Fillers, Additives or Flow Agents	No Fillers, Additives or Flow Agents
Capsules per serving	6 easy to swallow beef liver tablets per serving	6 easy to swallow beef liver tablets per serving	4 larger beef liver tablets per serving
Cost	$35 + Free Shipping	$36	$38
Subscription Discount	$31.5 + Free Shipping	Free Shipping if Amazon Prime	$32.3 + Free Shipping

Each brand sources their liver from grass-fed, grass-finished, pasture-raised, New Zealand Cattle. And they contain nothing but pure beef liver.

These qualities are the hallmarks of any high-quality beef organ supplement. If you come across another beef organ brand, make sure it checks all of these boxes.

If you want to learn a bit more about each of these products you can see further individual highlights below.

Doctor Kiltz Nutritional Solutions

Doctor Kiltz’s grass-fed, grass-finished organ supplement is a true nutritional solution. Each 500 mg capsule contains pasture-raised New Zealand beef liver goodness and is totally free from additives.

Key Features:

3000 mg of Grass Fed and finished beef liver, pasture-raised in New Zealand
Freeze-dried to preserve optimal nutritional profile
No fillers, additives or flow agents
6 easy to swallow pills per serving
$40 one time purchase
$35 + free shipping with subscription
Free Shipping

+ Shop Doctor Kiltz Nutritional Solutions Beef Liver Supplements

Ancestral Nutrition Beef Liver Supplements

Ancestral Nutrition’s beef organ supplement features 500 milligrams of premium grass-fed liver per capsule.

3000 mg of frass fed and finished beef liver pasture-raised in New Zealand
Freeze-dried to preserve optimal nutritional profile
No fillers, additives or flow agents
6 easy to swallow pills per serving
$48
Free Shipping if you have Amazon Prime

Vital Proteins

Short bit about this product

3000 mg of grass-fed and finished beef liver pasture-raised in New Zealand
Freeze Dried to Preserve Optimal Nutritional Profile
No fillers, additives or flow agents
4 larger pills per serving
$38 one time purchase
$32.30 + Free Shipping if you subscribe

The Bottom Line

Beef liver can be a vital part of any well-rounded diet. And for people eating keto or carnivore diets, beef liver can be a one-stop source for crucial vitamins and minerals that are hard to get elsewhere.

But finding — and eating — high-quality beef organs isn’t feasible for everybody.

If you’re having trouble fitting in fresh beef liver, consider supplementing with beef liver tablets. They provide the nutritional essence of this superfood in the palm of your hand.

Ice Bath 101: Benefits, Research, Tips

June 5, 2021/in Immune System, Mind, Smile Anxiety relief, Ice Bath, immune system, Inflammation, Weight loss /by Liam McAuliffe

Ice baths have been a common therapeutic practice of athletes and other fitness enthusiasts for centuries.

Also called cold thermogenesis or cryotherapy, ice baths are often used to speed workout recovery and bolster the immune system.

But do ice baths work?

That depends on what your personal goals are, and how you ice bathe. Keep reading to learn more about the pros and potential cons of ice baths.

What are Ice Baths?

Ice baths are exactly what they sound like: baths in extra cold water, with lots of added ice.

Ice baths are thought to constrict blood vessels, leading to a ‘rebound effect’ of increased blood flow (vasodilation) once you warm up again. This process of vasoconstriction and vasodilation may improve circulation, promote mental health, boost metabolism, and more.

One advantage of ice baths (as opposed to just icing a muscle) is that large groups of interconnected muscle can be cooled at once. Ice baths expose a radically larger surface area to cold than ice packs or ice vests do.

Ice Bath Research

Ice baths may have been around for a while, but modern science hasn’t yet confirmed many of their most commonly purported benefits.

One 2017 study found that ice baths were no better than a traditional ‘cool down’ of low-intensity cycling when it came to reducing muscle soreness.

Yet many experts believe in the benefits of ice baths. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. A. Brion Gardner explains that this study doesn’t mean ice baths are useless — it just hints that they may not provide every benefit we thought they did.

“[The study] suggests that the previously believed benefits of faster recovery, reduction of muscle and tissue damage, and improved function aren’t necessarily true,” Dr. Gardner says.

That being said, there are numerous other potential benefits of ice baths. It’s telling that many (if not most) professional athletes continue to include ice baths in their routines to this day.

Five Potential Benefits of Ice Baths

Ice baths aren’t exactly fun, at least not for most people.

If you’re considering trying out ice baths for yourself, you’re probably wondering if the physical benefits are worth the discomfort involved. Is subjecting your body to icy cold water worth it?

We think so — and the 5 potential benefits below explain why.

Relieve inflammation
Relax your nervous system
Restore your core temperature
Help you lose weight
Boost your immune system

1. Relieve inflammation

Taking an ice bath immediately after a workout is a great way to shut down the inflammatory hormonal cascade that accompanies hard training.

In other words, ice baths help get your body out of ‘fight or flight mode’ as quickly as possible. You’ll probably find the cold water a powerful antidote to sore, inflamed muscles. Just a few minutes in an ice bath may be enough to experience this anti-inflammatory effect.

2. Relax your nervous system

Ice baths can also benefit your nervous system. They tone and relax your Central Nervous System by strengthening your vagus nerve–a major nerve linked to the parasympathetic nervous system. Improved vagus nerve function leads to improved digestion, cognition, mood, reduced anxiety and much more.

All of this results in an improved tolerance to stress — including stress of the exercise-induced variety.

3. Restore your core temperature

One of the biggest barriers to recovery from exercise is a practical one: heat dissipation.

A car that’s pushed to its limits will eventually develop an overheating engine, and the human body isn’t much different. Small inefficiencies in the way we generate energy mean we sometimes need a little help cooling down. Taking a post-workout ice bath is one of the best antidotes for this type of physiological overheating.

4. Help you lose weight

This benefit might seem surprising at first, but it’s really just a matter of thermodynamics. Ice baths are so effective at lowering your skin and core temperature that they force your body to burn more calories in an attempt to stay warm.

After all, the original definition of the word calorie is intrinsically tied to heat. Many people find themselves burning far more calories than usual once they begin taking ice baths. Thousands of people, including ex-rocket scientist Ray Kronise, have successfully used ice baths to shed unwanted pounds.

The ability of Ice baths to manipulate metabolism means good things for your mitochondrial–the energy factories in your cells– health, too.

Studies show that exposure to cold triggers the production of more mitochondria within your fat cells, resulting in the conversion of white fat into healthier brown fat.

5. Boost your immune system

Another not-so-intuitive benefit of ice baths: improved immune system health.

This particular benefit was first brought to public awareness by Wim Hof, the so-called ‘Iceman’ whose feats include running up Everest in shorts, and swimming under solid sheets of ice.

Hof claims that his fondness for the cold makes him immune to diseases — and, amazingly enough, research has just started to prove him right.

One study found that subjects trained in the Wim Hof Method had a stronger immune response when injected with a known pathogen. They also had greatly reduced symptoms of infection.

Though the connection between cold and immunity has only recently become popular, it’s actually nothing new. Ice baths and contrast showers have been practiced in Europe for centuries for the very same reason.

Tips for taking an ice bath

If you’re feeling up to giving ice baths a try, great! There are just a few things to keep in mind before your first polar plunge.

Start off slow
Dial-in temperature
Go full-body!
Timing is important
Alternate hot and cold
Watch for side effects

Start off slow

Your first ice bath will likely be an unforgettable experience. The climate-controlled settings most of us modern humans live under mean we’re simply not used to extreme temperatures. Your first exposure to ice baths will probably feel pretty shocking.

Be on the lookout for something called the mammalian diving reflex, a reflex all mammals (including us) have. This reflex makes you gasp when your face comes in contact with icy water— it’s responsible for most of the tragic deaths that occur when people fall into frozen oceans or lakes.

To train your body to avoid this reflex, begin with a cold shower or cold water face dunk before trying a full-blown ice bath.

And even seasoned ice-bathing pros should use some restraint. We recommend keeping your sessions under 15 minutes.

Dial-in temperature

The temperature of your ice bath matters, too. Coldest isn’t always better!

The ideal ice bath temperature should be roughly 50-59 ° Fahrenheit. If you’re trying an ice bath in the comfort of your own home, make sure to monitor your water temperature with a thermometer.

If the water temp is too high, add more ice; if it’s too low, add a little warm water.

Go full-body

The greater your body’s exposure to ice water, the greater the potential benefits of ice bathing. Try to immerse your entire body (up-to-and-including your upper chest) in the ice bath. This will allow your circulatory system to benefit as much as possible.

If submerging yourself fully seems daunting, you can always work up to it. Simply begin by submerging your feet, then your legs, then your core, et cetera.

Timing is important

If you’re using ice baths to speed your recovery from exercise, timing is crucial. The sooner you can get into the water, the better.

Wait too long and you won’t be able to curb exercise’s inflammatory aftereffects quickly enough. Aim to begin your ice bath no more than one hour after wrapping up your workout.

Another important consideration: never take an ice bath before your workouts. Your body should be fully warmed up — not cooled down — prior to intense exercise.

Alternate hot and cold

Some people believe the benefits of ice baths become even more pronounced if temperature contrast is thrown into the mix.

If you switch between hot water and cold water, for example, you may speed up the vasoconstriction/vasodilation process even more.

Watch for side effects

Ice baths may be great, but they do have some side effects, particularly the mammalian dive reflex mentioned earlier.

Those with preexisting blood pressure or cardiovascular problems may want to shy away from taking ice baths. If you’re in doubt, cold showers provide some of the same benefits without such intense side effects.

How to Make Your Own Ice Bath

Making your own ice bath at home is pretty simple. You just need three things: a large tub, lots of ice, and all your willpower. Here’s how it’s done.

Step 1. Obtain a large tub

Though a regular bathtub will do the trick, an ideal ice bath is slightly larger. There are several commercial options:

Rubbermaid’s 100-150 gallon stock tank
ColdTub’s Icepod unit
3B Scientific’s Ice Tub

Step 2. Get some ice

We recommend starting off by buying 100-200 pounds of ice, which will be enough to last for at least 2-3 hours. Since this much ice can get pricey fast, you might consider calling your health-conscious friends up and asking them to join you. That way everyone can pitch in — and everyone can experience ice bathing’s benefits.

Ice Baths: The Outlook

The verdict may be out when it comes to some of ice bathing’s science-backed benefits, but that hasn’t stopped thousands of athletes and health and wellness enthusiasts from bringing theory to practice and benefiting from ice baths themselves.

Besides, some of the most powerful proven benefits of taking ice baths are also some of the most unexpected — things like stress relief, improved immunity, and accelerated weight loss.

Ice baths present a valuable opportunity to break out of the climate-controlled modern world and get in touch with your body, breath, and nervous system. If you’re looking for a challenge, this might just be it!

Ghee vs Butter: Which is Healthier?

June 2, 2021/in Butter Butter, Dairy, Fertility, Ghee, Keto Diet, Saturated Fat /by Liam McAuliffe

Ghee is a type of butter that’s been processed to contain fewer dairy proteins. At first glance, ghee seems to be a great substitute for ‘regular’ butter, especially for people with dairy intolerance — but is it healthier?

In this article we’ll dive deep into the ghee vs. butter debate. Read on to learn about ghee and butter similarities, differences, and see which comes out on top.

The Difference Between Ghee and Butter

The difference between ghee and butter is a matter of preparation. Ghee has been clarified (basically, filtered by heat) into lower lactose, higher-fat version of butter.

Definition of ghee

Ghee is a special form of butter that’s made when regular butter is heated and separated into liquid and fat portions. Ghee is richer, has a nuttier taste, and is more oily than butter.

How is ghee made?

Ghee is made through the simple process of clarification.

Ghee is made by slowly simmering butter to remove its milk solids and water content. Once these are separated out, only a rich, oily product remains ghee!

Ghee’s lengthy cooking time allows it to develop a nutty caramel flavor and scent. Ghee is basically a richer, more aromatic version of butter.

You can also make ghee at home using nothing more than unsalted butter and a good cooking pan. Just melt your butter slowly, skimming off the whey solids that gather on the surface of the liquid. Eventually other milk solids will sink to the bottom of the liquid and begin browning.

Once you notice the milk solids becoming darker and more fragrant, remove the liquid from the heat. After you’ve let it cool a while, pour it through a sieve into a jar and let it fully solidify. You’ve got ghee!

Expect an 80% yield during this process, since butter is about 20% water by weight. The conversion rate and effort involved in making ghee help explain why store-bought ghee can get pricey when compared to butter.

The History of Ghee

Ghee has been known and loved among South Asian, ( Indian and Pakistani) cultures for thousands of years. These areas are known for their high centenarian populations — in some areas life expectancy rises to 90 years.

Ask these long-lived people why they remain so healthy into old age, and they’ll probably give at least some credit for all the ghee they’re eating.

In India ghee is actually a part of the ancient system of medicine called Ayurveda for its anti-inflammatory and other therapeutic properties.

In Northeast India ghee first came into being when nomads were searching for a shelf-stable butter alternative. While butter tends to turn into an impractical puddle by midday, these nomads found that ghee stayed intact (and edible) almost indefinitely.

Ghee’s popularity took off from there. It spread to Southern India (where it’s still a staple cooking fat today) before working its way around the world. Ghee became so prevalent in India that it was incorporated into the Country’s religion: chapter 9 of the Bhagavad Gita and at least one of the Rig Veda’s hymns mention ghee.

The Historical Uses of Ghee

Ancient Indian peoples soon ascribed a therapeutic power to ghee. According to traditional texts, ghee increases the digestive fire (agni) and improves the absorption of nutrients. It also nourishes the subtle essence of a person’s connective tissues (ojas).

In ayurvedic medicine, ghee has several medical applications. Some practitioners use it to treat allergies and respiratory diseases. Ghee is also an excellent delivery vessel (anupana) for transporting the active compounds in herbal preparations deep into the body.

Modern science brings a surprising amount of validation to these traditional beliefs. It turns out ghee really is a great addition to therapeutic herbs — its lipophilic nature means ghee can transport fat-soluble nutrients directly into the cell. One study found that delivering a herbal extract with ghee was more effective than using it in powder or tablet form.

What does ghee taste like?

Ghee’s taste is quite different from butter. It’s rich, toasty, and somewhat creamy. It also has a stronger aftertaste than butter. Actually, it tastes more buttery than butter does — if such a thing is possible. Imagine a healthier version of the fake popcorn butter you get at the movies. Try it for yourself and you’ll see what we mean.

Ghee vs Butter Nutrition

Ghee doesn’t contain as many dairy proteins as butter does, so it may be a better choice for people who don’t tolerate dairy products. Ghee has a few other nutritional distinctions, too, but we’ll look at the similarities first.

	Butter (1 tbsp)	Ghee (1 tbsp)
Calories	102 calories	123 calories
Total fat	12 grams	14 grams
Saturated fat	7.3 grams	8.7 grams
Cholesterol	31 mg	36 mg
Sodium	91 mg	0.3 mg
Carbohydrates	0 grams	0 grams
Protein	0.1 gram	0 grams
Vitamin A	97 mcg	117 mcg
Vitamin D	0 mg	0 mg
Vitamin E	0.33 mg	0.39 mg
Vitamin K	1 mcg	1.2 mcg
Calcium	3.41 mg	0.56 mg
CLA (conjugated linoleic acid)	0.038 grams	0.038 grams

Ghee vs. Butter: shared benefits

Both ghee and butter are rich in health-boosting, fat-soluble nutrients. These nutrients include:

vitamin A
vitamin D
vitamin E
Vitamin K2
selenium
Iodine
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)

The vitamin A content of ghee and butter makes them both great for vision, immune function, endocrine function, and thyroid health. Better still, the vitamin A in these fats is present in a highly absorbable form.

The vitamin D in ghee and butter can strengthen your immune system and promote hormonal health. Vitamin D also enhances the absorption and uptake of calcium by your teeth and bones.

The vitamin K2 in ghee and butter may direct calcium to the right places, too, preventing the buildup of plaque in your arteries. One study found that consistent K2 supplementation reduced the progression of atherosclerosis. A similar decalcifying effect might even be seen in people who are already ‘healthy.’

Both ghee and butter are rich in conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA. This omega-9 fatty acid is associated with decreased risks of cardiovascular disease and better body composition. It also has been shown to reduce inflammation.

Finally, ghee and butter are saturated enough that consuming them can push polyunsaturated fats out of your cell membranes. This is a good thing: an excess of stored PUFA can cause oxidation, energy generation problems, and premature aging.

Ghee vs. Butter on Keto

Both ghee and butter are very keto-friendly.

Technically ghee is even more keto-friendly than butter since it contains no carbohydrates whatsoever. That being said, unless you’re eating stick upon stick of butter a day, neither ghee nor butter will really contribute to your daily carb intake.

Ghee vs. Butter for Cognition?

Ghee also shines when it comes to naturally promoting cognition. One of the many ayurvedic uses for ghee is memory enhancement. Cow ghee (goghruta) itself is viewed as an overall brain tonic, said to improve all three aspects of mental function. Ghee is also said to be helpful for promoting mental awareness.

So far Western studies haven’t managed to elucidate any ghee-cognition link, but one rodent study did find that ghee caused more weight loss than butter did.

Ghee vs. Butter Sourcing

Next up is a key similarity between ghee and butter: the source of both cooking fats matters.

A 2016 review of the available studies discovered that milk from organic cows is higher in vitamin E, iron, CLA, and other healthy fats than other types of milk. Organic milk also had a radically better (higher) omega 3:6 ratio.

These differences are also seen in grass-fed vs. conventional ghee. Considering how important the omega 3:6 ratio is for regulating inflammation, improving body composition, and boosting general health, we’d encourage you to choose grass-fed ghee if you can.

Ghee vs. Butter for Fertility

Both ghee and butter are likely great for promoting natural fertility, but this is yet another area where ghee deserves a special mention.

Ghee contains many of the nutrients needed to boost fertility — so much so that ghee and other full-fat dairy products may reduce infertility by over 50%.

In Indian mythology, it’s believed that Prajapati, the Lord of creatures, generated his offspring by pouring ghee into a fire. To this day, men at Hindu weddings have a ghee-eating ‘contest’ to boost their fertility.

What About the “Danger” of Dairy Fat?

Ghee is about 48% saturated fat by calorie. Its high saturated fat content has led some people still living in the fat scare of the 1990s to wonder if ghee is contributing to cardiovascular disease.

The idea that saturated fat is bad because it raises cholesterol, however, is not grounded in science. A 2010 meta-analysis of 21 studies involving nearly 350,000 people found that saturated fat consumption was not associated with stroke, heart disease, or other problems commonly attributed to saturated fat.

Ghee consumption doesn’t even raise cholesterol levels in normal rodents fed a 5-10% ghee diet. The study’s authors stated that traditional ghee isn’t to blame for India’s growing cardiovascular disease rates: “Factors that may be involved in the rise of [cardiovascular disease] in Asian Indians include the increased use of vanaspati (vegetable ghee) which contains 40% trans fatty acids, psychosocial stress, insulin resistance, and altered dietary patterns.”

Finally, a 2018 study of 200 people in India found that those who ate more ghee and less vegetable oil had healthier serum lipid markers.

All in all, the research makes it clear that the saturated fats found in grass-fed dairy products — including both ghee and butter — are cardioprotective.

Why use ghee instead of butter?

The choice to use ghee or butter in your cooking is ultimately up to your personal taste preference (and you can always use both). That being said, below are three things that might swing you over to the ghee side.

Reason #1: It’s better for higher-temp cooking.

Ghee can be used in all the same ways you’d use butter or coconut oil — and then some.

Ghee is perfect for high-temp cooking. Its smoke point is 465°F (80° higher than any other cooking oil) and it can withstand temps of up to 485°. You can fry eggs, beef, or veggies in ghee without having to worry about any unwanted smokiness.

Since ghee is free of milk proteins and sugars, it’s less easily oxidized or ‘burned’ during cooking. Studies show that ghee produces less acrylamide, a potentially cancerous compound, than other cooking fats/oils.

Reason #2: It’s tastier.

Ghee can be an acquired taste — but once you acquire it, you might just prefer it over butter.

Even if you decide you like ghee and butter about equally, they say that diversity is the spice of life, right? Ghee can be a welcome addition to just about any keto/carnivore diet.

You might even come to love ghee’s nutty, smoky flavor enough to relate to the Rig Veda’s near-mythical description of it as “the tongue of the gods” and the “navel of immortality.”

Reason #3: It’s less allergenic.

Ghee’s lack of milk proteins (whey) and sugars (lactose) also makes it ideal for people who normally struggle with dairy products. Many people with lactose intolerance find that they can tolerate ghee just fine.

All in all, ghee is remarkably easy to digest and absorb for people of all ages and health backgrounds.

The takeaway: Ghee vs. Butter

Ghee and butter both have many strengths and few weaknesses. If you’re big on high-temp cooking or lactose intolerant, then ghee is the better choice. If you can’t find high-quality ghee near you, however, you can’t go wrong with butter.

So, which one is healthier?

Considering that both ghee and butter are nourishing, healthy foods…

…we’ll just say that the healthier option is whichever one you’re most likely to eat.

Leaky Gut Diet: How to Eat to Heal Your Gut

June 2, 2021/in conditions Bone Broth, Carnivore Diet, Chronic Inflammation, Glycocalyx, Ketogenic diet, Leaky Gut, Microbiome /by Liam McAuliffe

In recent years leaky gut syndrome had been identified as a possible root cause for many chronic illnesses, from skin issues to autoimmune disorders, and even cancer.

Though leaky gut is not a medical term in and of itself, it is the common name for a condition known as “increased intestinal permeability.”

Though the links between leaky gut and disease are still unclear, it has been clinically associated with various autoimmune and chronic diseases including celiac disease and type 1 diabetes.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what leaky gut is, its causes, and the surprising diet and lifestyle changes you can make to heal it.

[TOC]

What is Leaky Gut?

Leaky gut is a syndrome that results from increased intestinal permeability.

But to really understand what leaky gut is, and why intestinal permeability is a big deal, you have to know a bit more about how the gut works.

Inside our bellies, we have an extensive intestinal lining covering more than 4,000 square feet of surface area. When working properly, it forms a tight barrier that controls what gets absorbed into the bloodstream.

An unhealthy gut lining may have large cracks or holes, allowing partially digested food, toxins, and bugs to penetrate the tissues beneath it. This may trigger inflammation and changes in the gut flora (normal bacteria) that could lead to problems within the digestive tract and beyond. The research world is booming today with studies showing that modifications in the intestinal bacteria and inflammation may play a role in the development of several common chronic diseases.

How the Gut Works

The gut, otherwise known as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, processes everything you consume. It’s the conveyor belt that starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. The other organs involved are the throat, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and rectum.

Most of the foods and liquids you consume are not absorbed by your body until they reach the small intestine. This 20-25 foot long tube is where the nutrients we eat enter our bloodstream and are carried to fuel and support all the cells in our bodies.

The Intestinal Barrier

Your intestines comprise around 4,000 square feet of surface area, much of it protected by a lining called the intestinal barrier.

The intestinal barrier is a dynamic entity that separates the body and the gut. It requires approximately 40% of the body’s energy expenditure to maintain it. And it consists of multiple elements including:

The lumen, where gastric acid, bile, pancreatic juice, and bacteria degrade antigens and pathogenic bacteria
The glycocalyx and mucus layer that prevents interactions between gut bacteria and intestinal epithelial cells
Epithelial cells connected by intercellular proteins (tight junction, adherens junction, and desmosome) that limit the entry of bacteria and/or bacterial products into systemic circulation
The lamina propria, another defensive layer

Source: academic.oup.com

What Makes the Gut Leaky?

Think of the intestinal barrier as a castle gate, with the tight junctions as the guards that open and close it after learning the identities of visitors.

Under normal circumstances, anyone considered an intruder would be kept out of the castle.

But if the guards were injured or incapacitated, intruders would be able to just walk right in. This is what happens to a leaky gut.

The case of leaky gut intruders includes harmful foreign bodies like bacteria, toxins, and undigested food particles. They’re harmful because they’re not intended to be flowing throughout your body.

And since your immune system knows that these substances are unwanted, it triggers a cascade of reactions include autoimmune responses like chronic inflammation.

Diseases Linked to Leaky Gut

Twenty-five hundred years ago, the Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates said, “All disease begins in the gut.” And it turns out, he wasn’t far off.

Physicians are finding more and more diseases — intestinal and extraintestinal — associated with leaky gut.

Why is this so?

The intestinal barrier has the critical job of maintaining homeostasis or balance, in the gut.

The gut accounts for 70% of the cells that make up your immune system, And it houses your microbiome–the trillions-strong ecosystem of bacteria tasked with crucial responsibilities from digesting food to regulating neurotransmitters and hormones.

So when the lining that maintains and balances this intricate system is jeopardized, the effects can spread to every other part of your body.

Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The following list includes diseases related to intestinal permeability.

Intestinal	Extraintestinal
Gastric ulcers	Allergies
Infectious diarrhea	Infections (e.g., respiratory)
Irritable bowel syndrome; functional gastrointestinal diseases	Acute inflammation (sepsis, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, multiple organ failure)
Inflammatory bowel disease, Celiac disease	Chronic inflammation (e.g. arthritis)
Cancer (esophagus, colorectal)	Obesity-associated metabolic diseases (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, diabetes type I and II, cardiovascular disease)

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4253991/

In addition to the above, leaky gut may be a complicating factor in:

Autism
Alzheimer’s disease
Parkinson’s disease
Asthma
Multiple sclerosis
Autoimmune diseases

Symptoms of Leaky Gut

Here are some signs and symptoms you can look out for that may suggest a leaky gut:

Digestive issues (diarrhea, constipation, bloating, gas, etc.)
Chronic fatigue
Muscle pain or fibromyalgia-type symptoms
Joint pain
Headaches
“Brain fog” or trouble concentrating
Food allergies or sensitivities
Skin issues, including eczema, acne, rosacea
Autoimmune diseases
Hormone imbalance
Vitamin deficiency

What Causes Leaky Gut?

Physicians and researchers have so far been unable to pinpoint a direct cause of leaky gut. But there are certain factors that likely play a major role.

Plant Toxins

This one may be surprising. After all, we’ve been told for decades by doctors and other mainstream health officials — with good intentions — that we need to eat more plants.

Some of these colorful foods are also well-known “superfoods,” with claims of health benefits that range from relieving chronic inflammation to potentially curing cancer.

They look innocent enough. We can agree to disagree on taste, but we can assume most people aren’t worried about being harmed by broccoli.

But plants don’t love you. And they certainly don’t want you to eat them.

Since plants can’t move, they’ve evolved toxins and antinutrients to fend off predators. In fact, researchers estimate that we consume about 1.5 grams of natural pesticides every day or about 10,000 times more than they do synthetic ones.

Antinutrients only exacerbate the situation by causing nutritional deficiencies that lead to a leaky gut. Plant toxins and antinutrients include:

Lectins
Saponins
Tannins
Glycoalkaloids
Glucosinolates
Sulforaphane
Oxalates
Phenols
Salicylates
Cyanogenic glycosides
Trypsin inhibitors
Isoflavones and phytoestrogens
Photosensitizers
Omega-6 fatty acids
Mold

All these plant toxins and antinutrients are associated with inflammation, which affects your gut health.

Lectins

Gluten may have been one of the main villains of mainstream nutrition for several years, but have you heard of its cousin lectin?

Like gluten, lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins produced by plants to ward off predators and microbes.

Although they are found in most plants, legumes and grains have the highest amounts, followed by dairy, seafood, and plants in the nightshade family (e.g., tomatoes).

Once inside our bodies, lectins can bind to virtually all types of cells, including the cells lining your gut. These interactions can result in damage to the epithelium and interfere with nutrient digestion and absorption.

If consumed at high levels, lectins can threaten the development and health of their predators.

Lectins can also contribute to intestinal dysbiosis, resulting in a low-grade inflammation known as endotoxemia. More on this below…

Ironically, many health practitioners recommend a plant-based diet to treat leaky gut.

Gluten

As a type of lectin, gluten is one of the most well-known plant antinutrients. It’s likely you know someone with gluten intolerance. And you may be wondering why some people have gluten sensitivity and not others?

It comes down to a protein called zonulin, the master regulator of tight junctions. When zonulin is released, tight junctions open slightly, allowing larger particles to pass through.

Of the potential stimuli that trigger zonulin release, researchers have identified two powerful factors: bacteria and gluten.

This means that when gluten-sensitive people eat food containing gluten, high levels of zonulin are released. This leads to leaky gut, allowing microbial and dietary antigens to trespass into the bloodstream.

High levels of zonulin have also been found in people with chronic inflammatory diseases, including obesity, high blood sugar, celiac disease, type 1 diabetes, insulin resistance, certain cancers, and nervous system disorders, among others.

Once gluten is removed from the diet, zonulin levels in the blood decrease and the intestinal barrier is given time to heal. Even for people who can tolerate gluten, there may be benefits from removing it.

Intestinal Dysbiosis

Your gut microbiome is composed of trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Together, they shape your immune, metabolic, and nervous system functions.

And it’s changing all the time in response to your diet and lifestyle, toxins, environment changes, stress, medication, etc.

Researchers refer to unnatural shifts in the composition, such as when bad bacteria greatly outnumber the good ones, as dysbiosis.

A leaky gut and intestinal dysbiosis aren’t necessarily linked, meaning they can occur with or without one another.

However, researchers have found that increases in harmful gut bacteria can release enterotoxins, thereby inducing inflammation and leaky gut.

In turn, an inflamed gut provides an optimal environment for the continued growth of pathogenic bacteria. It’s a vicious cycle.

Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The problem isn’t just the number of pathogenic bacteria. Cell walls of gram-negative bacteria contain lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin known to be a potent inducer of inflammation.

Under normal circumstances, LPS plays an important role in regulating the inflammatory responses in the gut towards pathogens. When coupled with a leaky gut, however, LPS can enter the bloodstream and interact with immune cells.

When that happens, immune cells mobilize to eliminate the LPS in a cascade of activities that eventually leads to tissue inflammation. The inflammation triggers even more immune cells, disrupting tissue homeostasis and creating chronic low-grade inflammation.

Source: academic.oup.com

Other Causes of Leaky Gut

So far we’ve discussed some of the main culprits of leaky gut. But it doesn’t end there.

Below is a list of foods and other factors that can cause inflammation in your body, while harming good bacteria, and promoting unhealthy ones. All factors that can contribute to leaky gut.

Processed meats
Wheat-based products
Sugar and artificial sweeteners
Snack foods like crackers, popcorn, etc.
Junk food
Commercial sauces
Refined oils
Dairy products
Alcohol
Sugary and/or carbonated beverages
Industrial seed oils
Stress
Yeast overgrowth
Use of NSAIDs
Nutrient deficiencies

Eating to Heal Leaky Gut: The Carnivore Diet

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of the phrase “apex predator”? For many, it might be a shark, a lion, or a wolf.

But new research suggests that humans were on that list for nearly 2 million years. Our ancestors were “morphologically and behaviorally adapted to carnivory,” specializing in hunting massive prey called megafauna.

The switch to a more omnivorous diet occurred only about 11,000 years ago, right around the time of the agricultural revolution.

There’s no question that humans are omnivores–meaning we can get energy from both meat and non-meat foods. But like wolves, our ancestors were facultative carnivores. This means we specialized in eating nutrient-dense meat, and only resorted to plants when we had to. I.e. when we were starving.

Returning to this ancestral way of eating may heal dysbiosis and leaky gut syndrome. In essence, the leaky gut diet is how we evolved to eat. It works by limiting and eliminating potential toxins. While at the same time a leaky gut diet provides the gut with the most bioavailable nutrients on earth–all found in meat. More on this below.

Benefits of the Carnivore Diet

Most people are unfamiliar with the carnivore diet. Though an ancient way of eating, it’s new to the diet world. So when determining at the benefits of a carnivore diet, we rely on decades of research on its close cousin, the ketogenic (keto) diet.

A well-formulated carnivore diet may lead to:

Weight loss
Reduced inflammation
Improved gut health
Improved insulin sensitivity
Mental clarity

What Can You Eat on The Carnivore Diet?

As the name implies, on a carnivore diet you eat exclusively animal products. Note that it’s not just about meat, though and certain types of carnivore diets are more restrictive than others.

Food allowed on the carnivore diet include:

Muscle meat (fatty cuts)
Organ meat
Eggs
Seafood
Fats
Bone broth
A2 dairy
Salt, pepper, and some herbs

The Fiber Myth

You might have noticed something missing from the leaky gut diet list above: fiber-rich fruits and vegetables.

That’s because mainstream nutrition has misled us for decades to believe fiber is essential to a healthy diet. We’ve been told that without fiber to act as a “colonic broom,” we’d be at risk of developing health problems like constipation, high cholesterol, heart disease, etc.

But more recent research has revealed that fiber is not the panacea it’s been made out to be.

In fact, consuming large amounts of fiber can be harmful.

One study found that women who ate a high fiber diet had lower hormone concentrations and a higher chance of anovulation, a common cause of infertility.

Another review of previous studies found little to no support for a protective role of fiber against colorectal diseases.

On a leaky gut diet, Dr. Kiltz recommends cutting your insoluble fiber intake as much as possible. Any fiber you consume should be from whole-food sources.

There is evidence that eliminating all-fiber may be beneficial in the short term, it may be necessary to reintroduce soluble fiber. In this case, potatoes and sweet potatoes are a good option.

Why The Carnivore Diet Improves Gut Health

A well-formulated, nutrient-dense carnivore diet removes many toxins and inflammatory foods found in the standard American diet. At the same time, it maximizes healing by providing your body with the most nutrient-dense food in existence.

Think about it. Your cells are starving for proper nutrients, and an inflamed gut is harder for them to get the nutrients they need.

This is why high-fat, low-carb keto diets have been used successfully for patients with inflammatory conditions. Lift the toxicity burden, feed your cells, and you’ll see a dramatic decrease in inflammation.

In particular, organ meats are jam-packed with both fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins, which have been shown to be critical to gut health.

Just a few weeks on a vitamin A-deficient diet is enough to cause changes within your gut bacteria that impair the intestinal barrier. Vitamin D deficiency could also compromise the barrier, which may be why it’s associated with inflammatory bowel disease.

Eating organ meats can quickly and completely reverse these deficiencies. For example, just 3.5 ounces of beef liver provides 4,968 µg of vitamin A, easily meeting the recommended daily intake. And carnivore foods like pastured lard and salmon roe are a fantastic source of vitamin D.

Some amino acids also play key roles in gut health. Glutamine, found in eggs and beef, regulates tight junctions and prevents permeability to toxins.

And don’t forget about bone broth! The collagen in bone broth provides amino acids that work to mend damaged intestinal lining, reducing the “leakiness.”

Goodbye, leaky gut!

Intermittent Fasting for Leaky Gut

Let’s consider the fact that the world’s first supermarket opened in 1916, and electric refrigerators entered mass market production just two years later.

This means the overabundance and constant availability of food has only been available to humans for just over 100 years, a mere blip in human evolution.

And this is not without consequences.

Our ancestors evolved in environments where food availability was sporadic. They would often go for days or more without food. When and if they were successful on a hunt, they would feast.

Today the recreation of this cycle of feasting and fasting is known as intermittent fasting.

Natural selection favored our ancestors who were capable of outperforming their competitors, cognitively and physically, while in a fasting state.

Some researchers argue that the advanced cognitive abilities of the human brain originally evolved to meet the challenges of food acquisition. And the removal of such a challenge may account for the ~10% reduction in human brain volume since the agricultural revolution.

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting for Gut Health

Intermittent fasting can be a powerful addition to your leaky gut diet.

Our cells and organ systems become complacent when they are not subjected to metabolic challenges.

Sadly, the modern lifestyle is plagued with constantly and excessively eating highly processed, high-carb foods. It’s no wonder that inflammatory conditions like obesity, leaky gut, and heart disease are skyrocketing. Especially in many parts of the world where a sedentary lifestyle and a poor diet have become the norm.

Mimicking our ancestors’ way of eating can help reduce chronic inflammation in your body, including in your gut. Certain intermittent fasting methods may help improve gut barrier integrity and gut microbiome compositions, preventing leaky gut.

Another — perhaps more obvious — benefit to intermittent fasting is that it gives your gut a break.

Your gut is not designed to be digesting all day every day. So letting the gut rest may be especially important for people with leaky gut. Not having to spend its energy digesting food may help your gut expend its tremendous energy needs on healing itself.

In an animal study, researchers showed that fasting can increase stem cell functions that help regenerate the intestinal lining.

Other Changes to Heal Leaky Gut

Here are some additional ways to improve your overall gut health:

Take immunoglobulin supplements that bind to viruses, bacteria, and toxins, helping your body eliminate them before they damage your gut lining.
Take a zinc carnosine supplement: Zinc carnosine can helep stabilize gut lining.
Reduce stress: Chronic stress can increase gut permeability and cause negative changes to your gut bacteria. Try mindfulness exercises, breathing techniques, or yoga.
Reduce alcohol consumption: Excessive alcohol intake can cause changes in the intestinal microbiome and breakdown of the intestinal barrier.
Get more sleep: Lack of sleep can increase the risk of a leaky gut inducing dysbiosis. These bedtime yoga poses can help.
Don’t smoke: Smoking can increase inflammation in your digestive tract. Quitting can increase the population of healthy gut bacteria.
Use alternatives to NSAIDs and Aspirin: Studies have linked the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to intestinal barrier impairment and alterations in the gut microbiota.
Avoid over-exercising: The stress of heat and oxidative damage during high-intensity exercise can damage the tight junction proteins. Try to stick with regular moderate-intensity exercises, which can reduce inflammation. Walking, stretching, swimming, and bicycling are all great options.

Leaky Gut Diet: Outlook

Leaky gut syndrome is a condition caused by increased gaps in the intestinal barrier that make it easier for toxins and bacteria to pass through into your bloodstream.

While leaky gut is not widely recognized as an official medical condition, evidence of leaky gut as a symptom of and contributor to many chronic diseases continues to mount.

If you are experiencing symptoms associated with increased intestinal permeability, there are a number of dietary and lifestyle changes that can help.

First and foremost is a leaky gut diet. Though some nutritionists and doctors may recommend a diet high in vegetables and fiber, this may exacerbate dysbiosis in your gut. It will also increase your intake of potentially irritating plant toxins and antinutrients.

An alternative and potentially more effective leaky gut diet is based around muscle meat, organ meats, and healthy fats loaded with bioavailable nutrients.

One way to dramatically rebalance your gut is to practice a carnivore diet. Though based on ancestral ways of eating, it’s new to the world of nutrition. This means there haven’t been clinical studies assessing its benefits. However, we do know from decades of research on the keto diet that a high-fat, moderate protein and low-carb diet are effective in the short term for rebalancing the microbiome and reducing inflammation.

Combining keto and carnivore diets with intermittent fasting can activate cellular renewal, give your gut time and energy to heal while replenishing it with the nutrients it needs.

Sweetbreads 101: Nutrition, Benefits, and Recipes

May 31, 2021/in Pancreas, Spleen, sweetbreads, thymus Carnivore, Carnivore Diet Meal Plan, Ketogenic diet, Low Carb, Organ Meat, sweetbreads /by Liam McAuliffe

If at first mention, sweetbreads conjure images of delectable, fresh-out-of-the-oven baked treats, you’re way off…

Sweetbreads are neither sweet nor bready. In fact, they’re organ meat! The term is used for the thymus, pancreas, and sometimes parotid gland of an animal.

Keep reading to learn more about sweetbreads and why they can make a great addition to your healthy whole foods diet, whether fresh or as a beef organ supplement.

What Are Sweetbreads Made From?

Sweetbreads are the thymus and pancreas, and sometimes parotid gland of an animal, usually a ruminant animal. Common ruminants that we eat include cattle, sheep, bison, deer, and elk. Though less common, sweetbreads can also come from pork.

Sweetbreads are divided into three different categories: chest sweetbreads, throat sweetbreads, and heart sweetbreads.

The type of sweetbreads most commonly used in restaurants is from young animals, especially veal.

Why are they called sweetbreads?

The word “sweetbread” first appears during the 16th century, though its etymological origins are unclear. ‘Sweet’ is thought to come from the subtly sweet taste of the thymus gland, while ‘bread’ probably comes from brǣd, the Old English word for ‘flesh.’

What do sweetbreads taste like?

Sweetbreads aren’t especially sweet, at least not to the modern palate — but they can be delicious when properly prepared.

The taste of sweetbreads can be described as rich, creamy, or even succulent. Sweetbreads make a great addition to stews or other recipes that call for a rich broth.

In general, healthier animals will have healthier, more tender sweetbreads.

Types of Sweetbreads

Sweetbreads can come from any of five main sources:

Veal (calves)
Cows
Lambs
Deer and Elk
Pigs

Veal

Veal sweetbread comes from the meat of a young calf. Compared to beef sweetbread, veal sweetbread has a lighter color and softer texture. Grass-fed, carefully cooked veal sweetbread is the tastiest type of sweetbread of all. In French cuisine, this type of sweetbread is known and loved as “riz de veau.”

Cow

Sweetbread from older cows isn’t as common as veal sweetbread, since it’s not quite as tender or rich.

Lamb

Lamb sweetbread is another popular type of sweetbread, second only to veal. The throat sweetbread is especially popular. You might find lamb sweetbread available at fine Italian or French restaurants; otherwise, it’s quite rare. On a French menu, they’re called riz d’agneau.

Pork sweetbread

Pork sweetbread is a rare, relatively unpopular type of sweetbread. It has a chewy, greasy flavor that makes it more of a fallback food’ than other options.

Venison and Elk

Elk and deer sweetbreads are rich and without the “organy” flavor of other animal organs if cooked well. These are usually a hunter’s delicacy, and rarely available at restaurants.

Sweetbreads Nutrition

Sweetbreads are an excellent nutritional choice. Just like other types of offal, sweetbreads are jam-packed with rare nutrients that are hard to get from muscle meat or other non-animal sources.

The nose-to-tail way of eating favored by our ancestors put a priority on sweetbreads. Modern nutritional analysis has recently confirmed that sweetbreads are rich in a wide variety of high-priority nutrients:

Vitamin C
Vitamin A
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Minerals
Omega 3 fats

And here are the nutritional highlights of a 4-ounce serving of sweetbread:

Nutrient	110g Sweetbreads	Recommended Daily Value (RDV)	% RDV
Calories	267	2500	11%
Protein	14 grams	60g (standard diet, not keto)	26%
Fat	23 grams	30g (standard diet, not keto)	77%
Carbohydrates	0 grams	120g (standard diet, not keto)	0%
Magnesium	17mg	420mg	4%
Vitamin C	58mg	90mg	64%
Iron	2.6mg	20mg	13%
Cobalamin	0.2mcg	1.8mcg	13%
Vitamin B6	0.2mg	2mg	10%
Potassium	440mg	4000mg	11%

Of all the nutritional benefits of sweetbreads, their vitamin C content probably stands out the most. Very few other animal products are this rich in vitamin C. Sweetbreads are also an unusually good source of potassium, which plays a vital role in regulating blood pressure and enabling muscle contraction.

Consider sweetbreads your best friend if you’re on a 100% carnivore diet — these nutrients are pretty hard to find otherwise.

Benefits of Sweetbreads

Let’s now take a look at the nutritional benefits of sweetbreads one by one.

High in protein
High in vitamin C
Rich in B vitamins
Packed with peptides
Loaded with minerals

High in Protein

A small, 4-ounce serving of sweetbreads contains more than 12 grams of protein. Like other animal products, sweetbreads contain all 9 essential amino acids in an easily assimilated form. Protein is highly satiating and promotes better body composition. If you’re on a low or zero-carb diet, protein is also necessary for the synthesis of glucose needed to fuel a portion of your brain cells and muscle tissue.

High in Vitamin C

Sweetbreads are an incredible source of vitamin C. They may not be as rich in energizing B vitamins as some organ meats, but they excell with their antioxidant content.

In fact, sweetbreads have as much vitamin C as many citrus fruits like clementines. Research shows that vitamin C has anti-stress, anti-aging, and pro-immunity properties. Considering that humans can’t make vitamin C themselves, it’s important to get it from your diet.

Rich in B vitamins

Sweetbreads contain a variety of B vitamins. They’re highest in vitamin B12, which is needed for functions as diverse as the formation of blood cells and cellular energy generation. B12’s pro-metabolic properties are so strong that it can even assist with weight loss.

Packed with peptides

Thymus sweetbreads are rich in several immune-boosting peptides, including thymic humoral factor and thymosin alpha-1. These peptides may support your own thymus gland, which research has shown would otherwise disappear with age. Sweetbreads are great for maintaining a healthy immune system in the long run.

Abundant Minerals

Like other organ meats, sweetbreads are an excellent source of many essential minerals. They’re rich in phosphorus, selenium, potassium, zinc, iron, and more.

Phosphorus and selenium content is especially high: 39% and 25%, respectively. Phosphorus works to strengthen bones (just make sure it’s balanced with calcium), while selenium boosts the thyroid and bolsters your immune system.

Risks of Sweetbreads?

Sweetbreads are high enough in purines and cholesterol that they may be of concern for certain groups.

For healthy people, and in the proper context of a low-carb diet, it is likely that purines and cholesterol do not pose health risks.Both substances are physiological building blocks that play important roles in maintaining physiological health.

Purines are naturally occurring substances that can be found in everything from meat to coffee and make up your RNA and DNA. Even a high-protein, high purine diet shouldn’t cause gout if carbohydrate intake is kept low.

Cholesterol provides much-needed structure to your cells. It’s also the precursor, or building block, for “youth-associated” hormones like testosterone and progesterone.

People with hypercholesterolemia may want to consult their physician before eating high cholesterol foods.

How to Fit Sweetbreads into Your Diet

Fitting sweetbreads into your diet is simple: just find one or two sweetbread-based recipes you like and make them each week.

As always, though, quality matters. Try to get your sweetbreads from grass-fed cows. If you have a thriving farmer’s market near you, ask around and see if any of the cattle farmers sell them, or could source them for you.

How to prep sweetbreads

The first step on the path to sweetbreads mastery is preparation.

And the first step of preparation is soaking. Soak your sweetbreads in cold milk or water for 4-24 hours — the longer the better.

Next, simmer your sweetbreads until they’re just barely cooked through (you can also put them in a pressure cooker). Throw them in an ice bath to cool, then cut off any gristles or membranes using a sharp knife.

Crispy Sweetbreads

This simple recipe is almost as tasty as fried chicken — and way healthier.

Image from Forager Chef

Ingredients:

Sweetbreads
5 tbsp suet or ghee
¼ cup coconut flour
1 tbsp of lemon juice or red wine vinegar
Sea salt/Himalayan salt

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil
Lower heat, then mix in lemon juice and salt
Add your sweetbreads to the boiling water, then cook for 10 minutes
Remove sweetbreads from water, then run them under cold water until cool
Dry the sweetbreads with a clean clothe and transfer them to a new plate
Place another new plate on top of your sweetbreads and weigh them down with some cans or forzen packages
Cut flattened sweetbreads into small slices about half an inch wide
Place slices into a bowl of coconut flour, rubbing the flour in
Heat your suet or ghee in a large skillet
Add your sweetbreads to the pan and fry until golden brown (this should take under 5 minutes)
Flip sweetbreads over and fry until they’re golden brown on the other side, too (this should take under 3 minutes)
Transfer sweetbreads to yet another new plate, let cool, and enjoy!

The above recipe isn’t set in stone, so feel free to use it as a template upon which you can build with other flavors and food combinations. Sweetbreads tend to taste best in vinegar, citrus, or wine-based sauces.

To add some extra fat for a keto version, dip them in a cream-based ranch dressing.

The Bottom Line on Sweetbreads

After being neglected for decades, sweetbreads are making a much-deserved comeback as part of a nose-to-tail lifestyle.

They’re surprisingly tasty and incredibly rich in nutrients–especially C, which is very hard to come by for carnivore dieters:

High in protein
High in vitamin C
Rich in B vitamins
Packed with peptides
Loaded with minerals

Plus, when prepared right, sweetbreads are simply delicious!

Are Scrambled Eggs Good for You? What the Science Says

May 30, 2021/in Eggs Carnivore Diet, eggs, Keto Diet, Ketogenic diet, Superfoods /by Liam McAuliffe

Scrambled eggs are high in cholesterol and fat, yet they’re one of the most nutrient-rich foods on the planet. Scrambling eggs is also the most popular way to prepare them, accounting for 36% of all eggs consumed in America. This all begs the question, are scrambled eggs good for you?

This is really a two-part question.

Are eggs healthy in general?
Does scrambling eggs make them more or less healthy?

Let’s take a look at what the science says…

Are Eggs Healthy?

This may come as a surprise to some, but the short answer is, yes!

Eggs are very healthy. After being demonized for nearly 60 years, eggs are finally being let out of the cage–nutritionally speaking.

A 2017 meta-analysis looking at numerous studies confirmed that even people with heart disease risk factors can safely consume at least seven eggs per week as part of a healthy diet.

These findings are reflected in a 2013 meta-analysis in the British Medical Journal, showing that not only is eating an egg a not associated with increased risk of coronary, it also will not increase risk of stroke. 2

And again, in a large-scale Harvard study looking at more than 80,000 female nurses, we see the same thing–eating eggs is not associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

On the contrary, recent research shows that eating eggs may actually reduce the risk of heart disease.

One massive study examining 500,000 Chinese people found that those who ate eggs daily had a 14% lower risk of major cardiac events, an 11% lower risk of CVD, a 12% lower risk of ischemic heart disease, and an 18% lower risk of CVD death.

What About Cholesterol in Eggs?

Much of the demonization of eggs is based on the fact that they’re the most cholesterol-rich food on earth.

A single egg yolk contains appx 237 mg of cholesterol. Yet, better science has revealed that eating high cholesterol foods does not necessarily increase blood cholesterol levels. The idea that dietary cholesterol is bad, is but a myth.

Rather, it’s the carbs we eat that are the main contributor to dangerous blood lipid levels.

Studies show that getting more than 60% of your calories from carbs lowers your HDL (good) cholesterol while raising triglycerides–not good for heart health.7

So, how do eggs affect cholesterol?

Numerous studies have shown that eggs increase HDL (good) cholesterol.

And most people (70%) see no increase in either total or LDL cholesterol. A small percentage of people may see a small increase in a benign type of LDL that does not have an effect on heart health.

Scrambled Eggs Nutrition

Now that we know that scrambled eggs aren’t the dietary kryptonite that they’ve made out to be, let’s look at the nutrition benefits that you’ve been missing out on.

9 Scrambled Eggs Nutrition Benefits

Eggs are the most inexpensive source of high-quality protein. 6.7 grams per 1 egg, at $.17 cents each (conventional)
They offer all 9 essential amino acids, making eggs a complete protein
One scrambled egg offers 147 mg of choline–25% RDA. The choline that pregnant women get from scrambled eggs can reduce the risk of birth defects. While choline deficiency in both men and women can result in muscle damage and abnormal deposition of fat in the liver.
Rich in vitamins A, necessary for healthy eyes.
Contains vitamins A, E, B2, B6, and B12 that dilate blood vessels and reduce the accumulation of cholesterol in the arteries.
42% of Americans are vitamin D deficient. A single egg offers 6% of vitamin D, necessary for bone health and a strong immune system
Egg yolk contains antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin which can protect against cataracts and macular degeneration.
Scrambled eggs are extremely satiating, making you less likely to eat other less healthy foods
The “good” HDL cholesterol in scrambled eggs has antioxidant properties. It can even remove LDL cholesterol from your bloodstream.

Nutrition facts per 1 scrambled egg:

Macronutrients

Calories	70	4%
Fat	5	8% (N/A for Keto/ Low-Carb)
Saturated Fat	1	5% (N/A for Keto/ Low-Carb)
Protein	6	12%

Vitamins

Vitamin A	400 IU	8%
Vitamin D	1 mcg	6%
Vitamin E	1.2 mg	6%
Riboflavin	.229 mg	18%
Folate	24 mcg	6%
Vitamin B6	.1mg	4%
Vitamin B12	.45 mcg	19%
Pantothenic Acid	.7 mg

Minerals

Nutrient	Amount	DV
Calcium, Ca	28.00 mg	2 %
Copper, Cu	0.036 mg	4 %
Fluoride, F	0.6 mcg
Iron, Fe	0.88 mg	5 %
Magnesium, Mg	6.00 mg	2 %
Manganese, Mn	0.014 mg	1 %
Phosphorus, P	99.00 mg	14 %
Potassium, K	69.00 mg	1 %
Selenium, Se	15.3 mcg	28 %
Sodium, Na	71.00 mg	3 %
Zinc, Zn	0.65 mg	6 %

Proteins and Amino Acids

Nutrient	Amount	DV
Protein	6.28 g	13 %
Alanine	0.367 g
Arginine	0.410 g
Aspartic acid	0.664 g
Cystine	0.136 g
Glutamic acid	0.837 g
Glycine	0.216 g
Histidine	0.154 g	22 %
Isoleucine	0.336 g	24 %
Leucine	0.543 g	20 %
Lysine	0.456 g	22 %
Methionine	0.190 g
Phenylalanine	0.340 g
Proline	0.256 g
Serine	0.485 g
Threonine	0.278 g	26 %
Tryptophan	0.083 g	30 %
Tyrosine	0.249 g
Valine	0.429 g	24 %
Phenylalanine + Tyrosine	0.589 g	34 %
Methionine + Cysteine	0.190 g	18 %

Looking at scrambled egg nutrition by itself is compelling, and it’s even more impressive when you compare scrambled eggs with the nutrients in vegetables:

Scrambled Eggs May Help You Lose Weight

Because scrambled eggs are extremely satiating, researchers have explored their role in weight loss.

In one 2005 study obese subjects were randomly served one of two breakfasts each morning over two weeks. One breakfast was eggs, and the other was bagel-based, and both had equal calories. At the end of two weeks researchers concluded that the egg-breakfast “induced greater satiety and significantly reduced short-term food intake.”

A 2013 study showed that an egg-based breakfast resulted in participants consuming 270-470 fewer calories at a buffet lunch and dinner that same day.

And there is no research suggesting that eating eggs can lead to weight gain.

Are There Drawbacks to Scrambled Eggs?

Though eggs are healthy, as with most foods, cooking eggs can reduce some nutrients. This is especially true if they’re cooked for long periods of time, or at high heat.

One study found that baking eggs for 40 minutes can reduce their vitamin D by up to 61%. But when fried or boiled for shorter times, they only lose up to 18%.

Another study looking at the effects of cooking eggs, showed that it reduced the vitamin A by 17-20%.

Studies have also shown that cooking eggs may also reduce their antioxidant levels by 6–18%.

But cooking eggs isn’t all bad. It makes the protein far more digestible and available for use in the body. .

One study comparing raw and cooked eggs found that the body can use 91% of the protein in cooked eggs, but only 51% in raw eggs.

The takeaway is that shorter cooking times are best. But even though cooking reduces some nutrients, eggs are still a great source of nutrition.

High-heat Cooking and Cholesterol Oxidation

As mentioned above, eggs are high in cholesterol. Though there are no longer upper limits on recommended daily allowance (RDA) of cholesterol, the cholesterol in eggs may pose a problem if it becomes oxidized from high heat cooking.

When the cholesterol in eggs is oxidized it can form compounds called oxysterols. Oxysterols in the blood are linked to increased heart disease risks.

It’s worth noting that the eggs pose a minor source of oxidized cholesterol. Most of the oxysterols in our diet come from fried foods, like fried chicken and french fries. Furthermore, the cholesterol that’s oxidized in the body–from eating processed foods and added sugars–is likely more dangerous than the oxidized cholesterol you eat.

The most important point to consider with regards to oxidized cholesterol in eggs is that for healthy people NO studies link consuming eggs with an increased risk of heart disease.

The Healthiest Way to Scramble Eggs?

Though scrambling eggs may oxidize some of the cholesterol in the yolk, there are ways to make your scrambled eggs healthier.

The first step is to start with the healthiest eggs.

Pastured Eggs vs. Conventional

Not all eggs are created equal. Pasture-raised eggs where the hens are allowed to roam around outdoors in the sunshine have higher vitamin D.

(For an in-depth guide to understanding egg labels and buying the best eggs, click here.)

In 2007, Mother Earth News surveyed 14 flocks of truly pasture-raised egg producers. Compared to the USDA caged eggs. The survey found pasture-raised eggs contained:

1/3 less cholesterol
2/3 more vitamin A
2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
3 times more vitamin E
7 times more beta carotene

Values per 100 grams	Vitamin E	Vitamin A	Beta Carotene	Omega-3s	Cholesterol
Eggs from Caged Birds	.97mg	487IU	10mcg	.22g	423mg
Pasture-Raised Eggs	3.73mg	792IU	79.03mgc	.66g	277mg

Omega-3 enriched eggs have 39% less arachidonic acid than conventional eggs. This is an inflammatory omega-6 fatty acid that most people eating a Standard American Diet, have far too much of. They also have 500% more omega-3 than both conventional and organic eggs.

Don’t Overcook Scrambled Eggs

High heat for longer periods can both reduce the nutrients and oxidize the cholesterol in eggs.

The best way to scramble eggs is to cook them for a short amount of time over medium heat. The good thing about scrambled eggs is that they’re the fastest way to cook eggs, meaning they’re subjected to less heat than other methods.

Use a Heat-Stable Cooking Oil

Stay away from vegetable and seed oils high in PUFAs that can oxidize easily when heated.

For rich, satiating, and healthy scrambled eggs choose heat-stable whole animal fats like tallow, lard, ghee, and butter.

Are there Healthier Ways to Prepare Eggs?

If you’re concerned about reducing oxidized cholesterol and getting the maximum nutrients, poaching eggs may be the healthiest way to prepare them.

Poaching eggs is relatively cool and quick while keeping the yolks intact.

To poach eggs simply simmer water between 160–180°F (71–82°C), crack your eggs in and cook for 2–3 minutes.

Are Scrambled Eggs Good for You? The Takeaway

Scrambled eggs are very good for you. In fact, eggs, whether scrambled or otherwise are one of the most nutrient-rich foods on the planet.

After decades of misinformation, we now know that for healthy people, eggs have no negative effects on heart health, and may actually improve cholesterol levels.

But remember, cooking your eggs for the shortest time with the lowest heat will retain the most nutrients while resulting in the least amount of cholesterol oxidation.

Choose pasture-raised eggs when available, and always use a heat-stable cooking oil like tallow and ghee loaded with healthy saturated fats.

Bone Marrow 101: Benefits, Nutrition, and Recipes

May 28, 2021/in Bone Marrow, Organ Meats, recipes bone marrow, Carnivore Diet, Carnivore Diet Meal Plan, Keto Diet, Low Carb, Organ Meat, Saturated Fat, Superfoods /by Liam McAuliffe

Bone marrow is a food that’s been enjoyed by various cultures long before recorded time.

In fact, bone marrow was likely the first animal food that the earliest humans learned to scavenge long before we knew how to hunt. And it was the rocket fuel for the rapid growth of our brains that made us the superintelligent species we are today.

In recent years, bone marrow has experienced a much-deserved resurgence in popularity. Chefs consider it a delicacy, while health and fitness enthusiasts view it as a superfood.

In this article we’ll take a closer look at the nutritional benefits of bone marrow, and provide a few simple ideas for how to include it in your daily diet.

What is Bone Marrow?

Bone marrow is a fatty tissue located in the center of animal bones. Marrow is most concentrated in the bones of the hip, thigh, and spine. Though many other bones also contain marrow. Bone marrow typically comes from cows, lambs, buffalo, or caribou.

Bone marrow offers a wide variety of health benefits. Studies show that it’s far richer in vitamins and minerals than muscle meat, and the stem cells it contains can help your own body produce both red blood cells and white blood cells.

These specialized cells move oxygen throughout your bloodstream and reduce the chance of blood clotting. More on these benefits later…

One of the best things about bone marrow is that, unlike other organ meats, it’s easier to palate for most people.

What does Bone Marrow Taste Like?

Bone marrow tastes incredible — once it’s cooked it becomes rich, soft, and buttery. But it’s lighter than butter, with a more delicate, melty, texture. The taste is slightly tart, slightly sweet, with a nutty afternote.

If we only had one word to describe the taste and texture, it would be, nourishing.

Bone marrow can be eaten plain, used to make bone broth, or incorporated into both vegetable-based and carnivore dishes.

Bone Marrow’s Fascinating History

Traditional cultures followed a nose-to-tail way of eating that saw them treasure bone marrow.

Weston A. Price, the dentist who set out to discover what traditional cultures were eating to stay so healthy, witnessed this firsthand. “I found the Indians putting great emphasis upon the eating of the organs of the animals, including the wall of parts of the digestive tract,” he explained in his book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.

“Much of the muscle meat of the animals was fed to the dogs. It is important that skeletons are rarely found where large game animals have been slaughtered by the Indians of the North. The skeletal remains are found as piles of finely broken bone chips or splinters that have been cracked up to obtain as much as possible of the marrow and nutritive qualities of the bones. […] An important part of the nutrition of the children consisted in various preparations of bone marrow, both as a substitute for milk and as a special dietary ration.”

Price went on to bring these concepts to friends, patients, and even orphanages — often with great results. Many people recover from tooth decay and degenerative disease.

Numerous other traditional cultures adored bone marrow, too. It was once considered a staple food in Europe, Southeast Asia, and Korea. Some cultures ate marrow raw, while others used it as a garnish for more intricate dishes. Pretty much every culture ate it at one point in their gastronomic history.

Bone Marrow Nutrition

Ironically, for an ancient food, bone marrow’s nutritional profile is only partially known.

Available analyses of bone marrow reveal small amounts of phosphorus, calcium, iron, and vitamin A. Bone marrow also likely contains vitamin K and other fat-soluble vitamins, but so far these values have not been fully elucidated.

Despite these unknowns, we do know that bone marrow is 97% fat, under 3% protein, and virtually 0% carbohydrates.

Nutrient	100g of Bone Marrow	Recommended Daily Value (RDV)	% RDV
Calories	770 calories	2,500 calories	30%
Protein	7 grams	50 g (standard diet, not keto)	14%
Fat	80 grams	30 g (standard diet, not keto)	266%
Carbohydrates	0 mg	120 g (standard diet, not keto)	0%
Niacin	0.4 mg	16 mg	3%
Selenium	20 mcg	70 mcg	36%
Iron	0.8 mg	20 mg	4%
Magnesium	1.8 mg	420 mg	0.4%
Zinc	0.1 mg	11 mg	1%
Potassium	137 mg	4000 mg	5%
Phosphorus	7 mg	700 mg	1%

Some of bone marrow’s top nutrition stats aren’t fully portrayed in the above nutrient list, so let’s go through these nutrients one by one.

Collagen

Bone marrow is a truly excellent source of collagen and other rare proteins, which means it can support healthy skin, bones, and connective tissue.

Saturated fat

Some nutritionists believe that bone marrow contains a greater proportion of polyunsaturated fats, but firsthand accounts tell a different story.

In his book The Fat of the Land, Vilhjalmur Stefansson describes two types of marrow, one of which is obtained from humerus and femur bones and is “hard and tallowy at room temperatures.”

Any fat that’s this solid at room temperature is highly saturated — and any highly saturated animal fat is likely high in mitochondria-boosting components like stearic and oleic acid.

Bone marrow also contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a special omega-9 fat that could reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. Fittingly enough, CLA may promote your bone health.

B vitamins

Bone marrow contains small-to-moderate amounts of several B vitamins, including B1, B5, B7, and more. These vitamins contribute to energy production at a deeply fundamental level.

Other nutrients

Though the research on bone marrow is lacking, marrow probably contains other important nutrients. It’s likely to be rich in known joint-builders like glycine and glucosamine.

5 Bone Marrow Health Benefits

Bone marrow’s utility can be seen most clearly in its health benefits. We placed these benefits into 5 categories:

Improved body composition
Increased immunity
Healthier skin
Stronger joints
Reduced inflammation

Improved body composition

At first glance, you might not think of a food that gets 97% of its calories from fat as being body composition-friendly.

The truth, however, is that eating a high-fat diet is the best way to turn your body into a fat-burning machine. In the absence of excess carbs, dietary fat is not fattening.

Far from it. Studies have found that the fat content in bone marrow contains adiponectin and other pro-metabolic hormones.

Adiponectin breaks down fat stores and converts them to usable energy. It’s also been linked with improved insulin sensitivity, reduced risks of diabetes and CVD, and more. As people’s adiponectin levels rise, their weight tends to go down.

Increased Immunity

Bone marrow contains the very same myeloid and lymphoid cells our bodies use to generate both white blood cells and red blood cells. These cells systematically improve immunity and help your body’s other cells regenerate.

Bone marrow also contains alkylglycerols, a special type of lipid that has innate immunomodulating properties. Some researchers propose isolating these lipids into single-compound supplements, but a cheaper, more holistic solution can be found in bone marrow.

Besides, the components of bone marrow probably work better together. Pediatric doctors have been using dietary bone marrow to stimulate the marrow function of leukemic children since the 1950s. [18] Even people who are already healthy can expect an immune boost from bone marrow.

Healthier Skin

Skincare enthusiasts may also discover a newfound love for bone marrow. That’s because it’s a great source of glycine-rich collagen and other ‘relaxant’ proteins. Collagen is found throughout your body and plays a crucial role in many facets of skin health.

Research has found that supplemental collagen may improve skin health and reduce aches and pains. Collagen also has antioxidant properties. One study of nearly 70 women found that supplementing with several grams of collagen per day improved markers of skin hydration and elasticity — in other words, it promoted the skin’s youthfulness.

Just keep in mind that collagen only works for as long as you’re taking it, so stay consistent with your bone marrow intake for best results.

Stronger Joints

Bone marrow contains many compounds that are known to improve joint health. These include glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and the collagen/glycine mentioned above.

Glucosamine is so powerful that some studies have tested it as a viable natural treatment for osteoarthritis. Collagen is great for your joints, too — one six-month-long study of athletes found that 10 grams of collagen a day was enough to decrease sports-related pain.

Reduced Inflammation

Both glycine and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) are found in bone marrow — and both have known anti-inflammatory effects.

In fact, their effects go deeper than that. According to endocrinologist Ray Peat, glycine has a “great variety of antistress actions.” Even the process of collagen’s breakdown into glycine and other amino acids is anti-inflammatory.

Some of these actions stem from its ability to ‘balance out the excitatory blend of amino acids found in muscle meat:

“The range of injuries produced by an excess of tryptophan and serotonin seems to be prevented or corrected by a generous supply of glycine. Fibrosis, free radical damage, inflammation, cell death from ATP depletion or calcium overload, mitochondrial damage, diabetes, etc., can be prevented or alleviated by glycine.”

Bone Marrow Food Sources

As you might expect, the bones of ruminant animals (cows, buffalo, bison, etc) are a prime source of bone marrow. All of these foods are keto/carnivore-friendly.

Sourcing your marrow from beef is the easiest option: the shank marrow bones, knuckle marrow bones, neck marrow bones, and oxtail of grass-fed beef are an accessible and inexpensive source of this nourishing food.

If you’re getting bones from your butcher, ask them to split the bones for you.

Easy Bone Marrow Recipe

This simple, easy-to-make bone marrow recipe goes great with roasted vegetables or red wine. Bone marrow also goes great with bone broth, a close relative. We think you’ll find this marrow recipe delicious and decadent.

Ingredients

2 pounds marrow bones, cut 1 ½” thick
1 teaspoon high-quality salt
1 clove garlic
lemon zest

Instructions

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Preheat your oven to 425°
Line a baking sheet with foil, then place the marrow bones face side-up on top
Sprinkle marrow bones with salt
Roast in the oven for 20 minutes
Once the marrow is done roasting, transfer it to a serving platter and sprinkle roasted garlic and/or and lemon zest
Use a small butter knife or spreader knife to scoop out the marrow
Enjoy!

Bone Marrow: The Bottomline

Bone marrow is one of nature’s most underrated superfoods. Rich in collagen, saturated fat, B vitamins, and other nutrients, bone marrow offers eaters a wide variety of health benefits:

Improved body composition
Increased immunity
Healthier skin
Stronger joints
Reduced inflammation

And, unlike most of the so-called superfoods today, bone marrow is also affordable and tasty. If you haven’t tried it already, what’s stopping you?

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