Mark’s Daily Apple

Make Your Own Primal Energy Bars in 10 Easy Steps33

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

You know the drill. You slept late, your son misplaced his lunchbox, the cat threw up in the flowers. You’re already 10 minutes late for work and there’s nary a minute to scarf down a breakfast, let alone one that a caveman would approve of!

Enter the protein bar – it’s individually packaged, it’s relatively affordable, and you can easily eat it in the car while you’re doing your hair in the rear view mirror and practicing your presentation for later this afternoon – in essence, it’s the ultimate grab-and-go food.

However, there is a downside. In many cases, these protein bars contain ingredients and chemicals that very few people – bar the odd organic chemist or real nutrition expert – can pronounce and still fewer would actually want to ingest.

The solution? It’s time to put your chef hat on, because the only way you’re going to find an energy bar that is Primal and palatable is if you do a little D.I.Y… (and trust us, it’s really not that hard!).

Ingredients:

1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup almond or sesame seed meal
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup coconut oil (check your local health food store)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp of raw honey
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries or blueberries

Method:

1. On a cookie sheet, toast nuts and shredded coconut until golden brown (you may need to shake the tray once or twice to make sure they cook evenly).
2. Once toasted, pour mixture into a food processor and pulse until nuts are chopped and the mixture becomes coarsely ground.
3. In a mixing bowl, melt coconut oil and almond butter (about 20 seconds). Remove from microwave and stir until smooth.
4. Add vanilla extract, honey and sea salt. Mix thoroughly.
5. Fold in nut mixture and almond (or sesame seed) meal until mixed thoroughly.
6. Fold in blueberries/cranberries.
7. Press mixture into an 8 by 4 loaf pan.
8. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm.
9. Cut “loaf� width wise. Should make 6 good-sized bars.
10. Enjoy! (or, if you don’t plan to eat immediately, you can store the bars in the refrigerator, covered loosely with a paper towel and plastic wrap.

manray3 Flickr Photo (CC)

Further Reading:

How to Make Your Own Jerky

DIY - Butter, Yogurt, Kefir, Oh My!

Homemade Condiment Creations

Choose Your Own Salad Adventure

The Easiest Guide to Safe Household Cleaners You Can Make Yourself

If you like this post please share it with StumbleUpon.

Subscribe to Mark’s Daily Apple for FREE updates via RSS or email.

Posted: Health, How To, Nutrition, Primal Health, Recipes, The Tuesday 10

Dear Mark: To Tea or Not to Tea?31

Dear Mark,

Do the benefits of tea outweigh its negatives (caffeine, teeth staining, etc.)? Is tea a worthy substitute to a glass of water? If so, how many times a week should one drink tea?

Given our big fall theme the last week or so, I thought this was an especially timely question. The truth is it’s nice to kick back at night with something warm (even in California) once Autumn hits. Call it nostalgia if you will.

The Primal Blueprint is all about loading up on antioxidants. Though I wouldn’t ever suggest that tea should (or could) stand in for veggies and certain fruits like berries, I believe in using other sources to boost my overall antioxidant intake. Wise supplementation is obviously a part of this, as is tea and red wine among other things.

It’s true that tea does carry a few negative factors as our reader mentions. One quick point: since black tea is the worst culprit for teeth staining, you can always go for another variety like white tea. As far as the caffeine goes, I think this is more of a reason to pause. Caffeine, as we mentioned in our Caffeine Talk post, can decrease blood flow to the heart during exercise and can increase blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Additionally, if you’re more caffeine sensitive, it can cause heartburn and even increase your risk for non-fatal cardiac events.

I don’t mention these points to be a killjoy - especially for you tea lovers out there. I use tea myself and recommend it as a great addition to a good Primal diet. The fact is tea has only 1/4-1/2 of the typical content of brewed coffee. Besides, even if you don’t want the caffeine, there are other “tea” related possibilities. (I’ll get to that in just a minute.)

But now to the upsides, and there are many. Tea offers anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative properties, which relate to any number of minor and major health issues. The overall picture of research seems to suggest that tea can offer protective factors against cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, arthritis, and (less definitively) many cancers. There’s even some indication that tea intake can lower the body’s absorption of carbohydrates and that tea can play a positive role in the body’s response to bacterial infection.

How much do you need to make a difference? I’d argue that any increase in antioxidant power in your diet is a positive thing. It’s not an all or nothing proposition. In terms of protective factors for diseases (as seen in particular studies), the amounts vary. In a Swedish study showing tea’s protective impact against ovarian cancer, 1 cup a day (black tea) lowered the women’s risk by some 24%. Two cups a day decreased risk by 60%. (It’s important to note that these kinds of dramatic results were not replicated in other prominent studies.) Some research related to tea’s allegedly protective effect in cardiovascular health cites 3 cups a day. Quite a few studies cite 2-3 cups as making the most significant difference but note that 1 cup a day often shows measurable impact.

A few words about choosing teas…

All true “teas” are from the same plant. (Herbal teas aren’t really tea. While they may offer certain particular, often marginal “medicinal” benefit, they generally don’t contain the same antioxidant load of tea.) The differences in black, green, and white tea (the true tea varieties) are a product of processing rather than source. The less processed the leaves are, the more of their polyphenols are retained. White is the least processed of the three main varieties, and black is the most processed. Green and something called oolong (between green and black essentially) are in the middle. Incidentally, not only does white tea retain the most polyphenols, it also has the least caffeine. Nonetheless, if you grew up on black tea and can’t get yourself to drink anything else (and you’re not caffeine sensitive), don’t sweat it. Tea as a whole offers solid antioxidant value whichever variety you choose.

As for “red tea” or Rooibus (not really a tea, but we’ll grant it admittance here), it hasn’t been studied as much as the true teas. Nonetheless, it does seem to display antioxidant properties. If you prefer it to tea, I say go for it especially because it doesn’t have any caffeine.

And let me address the inevitable question about bags versus loose. The trouble with bagged tea isn’t necessarily the bag itself. (Although a lot of people argue that the bag design doesn’t allow the tea to steep properly.) Bagged tea is generally the “dregs” of tea separation and processing. (And usually old, to boot.) Though the powdery remains will offer some antioxidant benefit, it won’t be nearly that of fresh, loose tea. To use loose tea, you’ll likely want to invest in either a press or some kind of an infuser. Alternatively, if you’d rather give up tea than give up the convenience of the bag, look for tea leaves in individual “sachets.” (They’re more common now just about everywhere.)

Yes, you’ll likely pay more for loose, fresh tea than for the jumbo box of Lipton at Costco. I always say it’s about nutritional bang for your buck, and that mantra holds here as well. HOWEVER! (Worth the capitalization.) This doesn’t mean you have to go to a fancy specialty shop and break the bank. Though the service and variety in these places are excellent, I’m sure, the important thing you’re looking for is freshness. (As with anything else in the nutritional realm, freshness equals optimum antioxidant value.) Most specialty shops will likely offer that, but I’d argue that a good ethnic market likely provides the same fresh product for a fraction of the cost. If you live in an area that doesn’t offer this type of market, consider going online for fresh tea rather than using the typical grocery store fare. (There’s no telling how old it is.) Good readers -we’d love to read your suggestions for Internet/mail order sources! I’ve heard good things about Upton Tea Imports and Adagio Teas, but I’m sure there are many good online purveyors out there. 

Finally, the one “tea” I’d forgo (and forget) is chai. I mean specifically the doctored up chai tea drinks you see in the West at coffee houses. They’re loaded with sweeteners - some hovering at or above 40 grams of sugar per serving! My advice: stick to the simple thing. (How often that’s true in life and nutrition, eh?)

Thanks again for your questions and comments, and keep ‘em coming!

mat.teo, naama, slambo_42, avlxyz, Allie’s.Dad Flickr Photos (CC)

Further Reading:

Tea Time

How to Eat More Chocolate and Drink More Wine Every Day

Is All Chocolate Created Equal?

Top 10 Natural Ways to Reduce Inflammation

The Entire “Dear Mark” Series

If you like this post please share it with StumbleUpon.

Subscribe to Mark’s Daily Apple for FREE updates via RSS or email.

Posted: Dear Mark, Diet, Health, Nutrition, Prevention, Sisson Said What?

Weekend Link Love2

I Look Like Fit gives step by step instructions on how to get a comprehensive workout in with no gym equipment in sight.

Zen Habits provides 10 unbeatable tips to overcoming micro-addictions.

You may be feeling the financial pinch, but your workout certainly doesn’t have to. Blogger 60 in 3 tells you how to score some serious bargains on everything you need for fitness.

Thinking of ditching the gym in favor of home workouts? Burning the Scale gives you a shopping list (and a few handy tips!) to get started.

We all know ‘em – someone who just really grinds our gears. Now Dumb Little Man teaches us how to deal with ‘em.

Fitarella deconstructs some of the best excuses in the book for not following a healthy, active lifestyle.

Fit Sugar explains the connection between beets, red urine and iron.

We all know spot-reducing doesn’t work, but there’s nothing wrong with learning some new exercises to tone up a specific area. In Denial Health shares a few pilates-inspired moves that promise to perk up your buns (and aren’t bad for your thighs either!).

LiveWell360 offers up a delicious recipe for a chicken, apple and walnut salad that’ll really liven up your lunch menu.

That’s Fit offers up some solutions to some of your biggest workout problems.

Can’t live without your coffee fix? Tree Hugger gives us the lowdown on all kinds of fun facts about coffee and its consumption.

Subscribe to Mark’s Daily Apple for FREE updates via RSS or email.

Posted: Health

Sports Fans, Fish Eyes and Dental Hygiene6

Ah, yes. Another mishmash of random yet relevant contemporary science news updates is upon us. This week’s offering includes news that engaging in sports (or even just being a fan) can improve one’s mental faculties; that though a diet rich in oily fish is supremely beneficial to your overall health, just a once-a-week fishy fix can protect your eyesight in old age; and that a link between gum disease and heart disease has been established. Interesting enough, but how do these studies relate to - or even support - the Primal Blueprint? Read on to find out.

Sports Make Grok Smarter!

Future Linguistics Research Team?

It seems that sports aren’t just for dumb jocks anymore. A new study by a team of University of Chicago scientists reveals that playing, or simply watching, sports can stimulate areas of the brain, normally used for physical action, to engage in language building. The region of the brain normally used for controlling and planning action (like, say, in the midst of a heated basketball game) is activated when fans and athletes listen to discussions about their favorite sport. They could be sitting on the couch drinking beer and watching the game, without any intention to exert themselves physically, but their brain’s action centers would still be activated and firing off. Scientists say this could be key to understanding how the brain’s various areas learn about language.

Playing sports improves our language skills? No argument here. Why, we can remember learning a whole slew of four-letter words in our first year playing ball with the older kids. Back then, we never gave it much thought, but it’s obvious we were just expanding our minds’ ability to deal with language through sport. Quite seriously though, it’s important to note that the brain’s action centers are related to understanding language. Mind and matter being inextricably linked is a big part of the Primal philosophy, and this is just more confirmation.

Seeing is Believing (In Eating Oily Fish)

We Primalists sure do love our oily fish. Packed with protein, healthy fats, and great taste, fish pretty much covers all the important bases. A new study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that weekly consumption of oily fish can prevent the vision loss incurred by wet AMD, a major cause of blindness in elderly adults the world over. Their findings show that people who eat oily fish - as opposed to non-oily white fish, which had no effect - at least once a week had a 50% lower rate of wet AMD incidence than those who rarely ate it. Furthermore, people who consumed at least 300 mg of EPA and DHA fatty acids derived from fish were 70% less likely to have wet AMD.

Although there was no word on whether fish oil supplements have the same effect, they certainly can’t hurt. We don’t think you guys need any more reason to eat lots and lots of oily fish, but it’s always nice to have even more ammunition to defend your lifestyle from skeptics and fast-food enthusiasts who wrinkle their noses at your sardines and herring.

Brush Your Teeth, Kids, Or Suffer Debilitating Heart Disease (no, really!)

A new study has implicated gum disease as a possible precipitator of heart disease. Wait, what? So failing to brush your teeth can lead to plaque buildup which can lead to gum disease which can… lead to atherosclerosis (heart disease)? You see, oral infections lead to the production of heat shock proteins. These proteins are produced both by infections (like in gum disease) and by our bodies. Unfortunately, our immune system doesn’t seem to be able to differentiate between invading heat shock proteins and heat shock proteins produced by our bodies, so they both get the same reaction: white blood cells gathering in the artery tissues, resulting in atherosclerosis. Scientists say this means a new focus on oral hygiene is absolutely essential to fighting heart disease, and that people should (duh) brush their teeth and floss regularly.

But what about taking an extra step to promote oral hygiene? Like, say, eliminating from our diet the foods that cause most of the plaque buildup on our teeth. According to the Web MD, carbohydrates - starches, sugars, and sodas - are the primary culprits in tooth decay and gum disease. Starches and sugar get stuck in your teeth and promote the development of bacteria, and soda destroys enamel and leaves your teeth vulnerable to attack. Brushing and flossing are crucial, but don’t you find it interesting that the very foods the Primal Blueprint decries play a key role in destroying your dental health? We sure do. Grok certainly didn’t have an electric toothbrush and Colgate toothpaste, but he got along just fine.

Maybe we should start chewing twigs?

ktpupp, Hulagway, prettywar-stl Flickr Photos (CC)

Further Reading:

Salmon: Factory Farm vs. Wild

Omega-3 Round Up:

Omega 3 to 6 Ratio

Omega 3 Daily Dose

Omega 3 Food Sources

Cooking Omegas

If you like this post please share it with StumbleUpon.

Subscribe to Mark’s Daily Apple for FREE updates via RSS or email.

Posted: Fitness, Health, Prevention, Worker Bees' Weekly Bites

Fantastic Fall Recipes9

This week, we hyped some of Fall’s finest vegetables and, while they all sounded great, you’re not exactly sure what to do with them.

Read on to discover some of delicious Primal Autumn recipes…

Fall Vegetable Medley

With so many great Fall vegetables, sometimes it’s hard to pick a favorite to have with your meal, but with this recipe you don’t have to play favorites – and you’ll find this dish so hearty, you can even serve it as your main dish!

1 small cabbage, cut into 6 wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp onion or garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
4 medium carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small onion, cut into wedges
1/2 pound whole fresh mushrooms
1 small green pepper, cut into strips
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Lay out 6 large squares of heavy duty foil. On top of each square, position the cabbage wedges, spread oil on cut sides, sprinkle with onion/garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Arrange remaining vegetables and bacon around the cabbage. Seal the foil tightly and grill, covered, over medium heat
for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender, turning occasionally.

Ratatouille

Great Disney movie, great Fall dinner entrée!

1 small eggplant
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper taste
4 tomatoes, chopped
2 small zucchini
1 medium onion, sliced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped fine.
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, sliced

Peel eggplant and slice lengthwise into 1/4″ thick slices. Cover with water and let stand for 30 minutes (if you like, you could take this time to prepare the other vegetables). Drain the eggplant, pat dry with a clean towel, and then cut slices into quarters. In a pan over medium heat, heat half of the oil, fry the eggplant, remove eggplant and set aside. In same pan, add remaining oil and fry garlic, onions and peppers until softened. Place tomatoes on top of mixture, cover pan and cook. After five minutes, remove lid, raise heat to medium-high and cook five minutes uncovered. Add in minced parsley.

In a large casserole dish, arrange a layer of tomato mixture. Cover with a layer of sliced zucchini and half of the eggplant. Repeat. Finish with a layer of tomatoes and bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Spaghetti Squash & Meat Sauce

(pictured sans meat sauce)

If you thought following a Primal diet meant you had to give up good ol’ pasta and meat sauce, think again, because this recipe is good enough to fool even the kids!

For the “spaghetti�:
1 spaghetti squash
pinch of salt

For the sauce:
1 lb of ground beef
1 large can of tomato paste
2 cans of water
1 cup fresh mushrooms
1 clove of minced fresh garlic
1-2 tbsp fresh oregano
1-2 tbsp fresh basil

In a large pan, heat oil and add onions, garlic and beef. Cook until beef turns brown. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer and cook for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the sauce is simmering, cut the spaghetti squash in half. Place cut side up, covered with plastic wrap in a microwave safe dish for 10 minutes. Remove from microwave, and let sit, covered, for at least 5 minutes. To create the “spaghetti,� rake a fork over the spaghetti squash until you have essentially emptied the shell.

Heap spaghetti into a bowl (the noodles are typically a bit more watery than traditional noodles and can get a bit sloppy on a plate!), and top with marinara sauce the way you would with the good ol’ fashioned Italian dish!

littlepomegranate, Ben Millet, peskymac Flickr Photos (CC)

Further Reading:

Great Pumpkin Recipes

The Whole Series of Eat This Today, Feel Better Tomorrow: 1, 2, 3, Intermittent Fasting, Special Occasions and Dessert Editions

Choose Your Own Stir Fry Adventure

If you like this post please share it with StumbleUpon.

Subscribe to Mark’s Daily Apple for FREE updates via RSS or email.

Posted: Health, Recipes