What is Better? Fresh or Frozen Food?

Photo by Marta Dzedyshko from Pexels

By: Mark Sisson

In the hierarchy of vegetables, the best choices are fresh, in-season, and local.

Realistically, though, that’s not always going to happen. For one thing, some of you live in climates where access to a variety of local and in-season vegetables isn’t a thing. Likewise, your neighborhood might have a dearth of supermarkets, so you have to make a trek to find fresh produce.

Although home-grown is the best of the best, I know that saying, “Just grow your own!” is presumptuous on a lot of levels. Assuming that you have the space and resources to plant a garden, time is a big consideration. Plus, once they’re grown, preparing fresh vegetables takes more time than preparing frozen or canned, which are already washed and chopped for you.

All this is to say, I’m sure many of you find yourself turning to frozen and canned vegetables—as well as fruit, seafood, and meat—for reasons of availability and convenience. You might wonder if you are sacrificing any health benefits or if I’m giving you the side-eye for eating vegetables that aren’t farm-fresh. Let me put those concerns to rest.

Fresh vs. Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

Are Frozen and Canned Foods Inherently Less Primal?

If you’ve been avoiding frozen or canned foods because you think you’ll have to turn in your Primal card, be assured that isn’t the case. Grok would not have frozen or canned foods, that’s true. Food preservation is nothing new, though. Our ancestors dried, smoked, salted, and fermented foods for “shelf life.”

Anyway, just because a technology is new does not mean it’s “un-Primal.” I am not now, nor have I ever been, opposed to using modern methods of food preservation and storage that make it safer or more convenient to eat healthy foods. I like safety and convenience.

That said, I have historically avoided canned vegetables in the store due to concerns over BPA in the can linings. (Home-canned in jars is different, of course. I’m all for home canning.) Since people sounded the alarm about BPA in the past decade, industry reports suggest a significant number of manufacturers have moved away from BPA-lined cans, but not all of them.

I still strongly favor frozen over industrially canned vegetables. If nothing else, the taste and texture are usually superior. Nutritionally, though, the data show that frozen and canned are comparable overall.

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Recipe of the Week - Peanut Butter Banana Oat Protein Cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium very ripe bananas

• 1 cup old fashioned oats, or quick oats (check labels for gluten-free)

• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, I like Orgain

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

• Pinch kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• ¼ cup peanut butter, or nut butter, or seed butter

• ¼ cup sugar free chocolate chips, such as Lily's

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment or silicon baking mats.

• Move oven racks to the second from top and second from bottom slots.

• In a medium bowl, mash the bananas.

• Add the oats, protein powder, egg, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, and peanut butter and chocolate chips and mix with a fork until combined.

• Scoop ¼ cup of mixture and place on a baking sheet, flatten the top slightly with the back of the measuring cup. Repeat with remaining mixture, adding 4 cookies to each sheet.

• Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, rotating pans ½ through bake time to allow for even browning.

• Allow to cool 5 minutes on the pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

NOTES

• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Can be eaten warm, cold, at room temperature or warmed in the microwave for 10 seconds.

Nutrition Information

• Serving Size: 2 Cookies

• Calories: 304

• Carbohydrates: 39g

• Protein: 12g

• Fat: 14.5g

• Saturated Fat: 4g

• Cholesterol: 47mg

• Sodium: 140mg

• Fiber: 8.5g

• Sugar: 9g

Everything You Need to Know About Your Liver

Photo by Vinicius "amnx" Amano on Unsplash

By: Mark Sisson

The liver is incredible. Most people think of it as a filter, but filters are physical barriers that accumulate junk and have to be cleaned. The liver isn’t a filter. It’s a chemical processing plant. Rather than sit there, passively receiving, filtering out, and storing undesirable compounds, the liver encounters toxic chemicals and attempts to metabolize them into less-toxic metabolites that we can handle.

• It oxidizes the toxins, preparing them for further modification

• It converts the toxins to a less-toxic, water-soluble version that’s easier to excrete

• It excretes the toxins through feces or urine

Bam. It’s an elegant process, provided everything is working well back there. And it’s not the only process it controls.

The liver is the primary site of cholesterol synthesis and disposal. It creates cholesterol as needed and converts excess into bile salts for removal via the bile duct. The liver also plays a huge role in the burning of fat for energy, the storage of vitamin A, the metabolism of hormones, and the regulation of blood sugar. If you enjoy burning ketones, you can thank the liver because that’s where they’re produced.

The liver supports full-body health, in other words. If it isn’t working correctly, nothing is. Everything starts to fall apart.

How do we support the liver?

It’s not one thing we do. It’s many things. It’s nutrition, supplementation, lifestyle, sleep — everything. It’s also the things we don’t do. The stakes are high, you see. Whenever there’s a grand overarching orchestrator regulating dozens of different processes in the body, you must protect it from multiple angles. A lot can go wrong. Or right, depending on how you look at it.

Since the liver is “hidden away” and you can’t really “feel” it, you may not give it too much thought. When you’re overweight, you know it. When your fitness is suffering, you consciously experience it. When your liver is overburdened or suffering, you don’t necessarily know it. That’s where doing the right things for the sake of doing them comes in handy.

So, what should you do to maintain pristine liver health?

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11 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Liver

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Liver health depends on steps you take toward a healthy lifestyle, and equally as important, the things you refrain from doing.

Here are some things you can to to contribute to lifelong liver health:

• Reduce linoleic acid intake

• Reduce refined carb intake

• Reduce alcohol intake

• Stop overeating, and lose weight

• Practice time-restricted eating

• Eat fatty fish and get omega-3s

• Eat egg yolks and other choline sources

• Take NAC

• Take whey protein

• Regularly deplete your liver glycogen

• Get good, regular sleep

Recipe of the Week - Three Ingredient Strawberries Romanoff

Strawberries Romanoff – a quick and easy 3-ingredient dessert, delicious and perfect for any night of the week!

INGREDIENTS

• 16 oz strawberries, washed and cut

• 4 oz reduced-fat sour cream, full fat yogurt can also be used

• 2 tbsp light or dark brown sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

• Combine sour cream and brown sugar and mix well. Place about five strawberries in each glass and drizzle each with 2 tablespoons of cream sauce.

NOTES

• The cream can be made ahead and be refrigerated for up to 4 days

Nutrition Information

• Serving Size: 5 Strawberries & 2 tbsp Cream

• Calories: 79

• Carbohydrates: 15g

• Protein: 1g

• Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1.5g

• Cholesterol: 9mg

• Sodium: 12mg

• Fiber: 2g

• Sugar: 12g

How to Quickly Get Over a Cold

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch from Pexels

By: Mark Sisson

No one likes a cold, and various colds of one origin or another are going around this winter season. One of the worst parts of the common cold is that it’s unpleasant enough to make daily life annoying but mild enough to force you to still go out into the world and maintain a normal schedule.

But you don’t want to have to do that. You don’t want to get anyone else sick, and you want to feel better—fast. How do you do it? How can you speed up your clearance of a cold, whether through actually expelling the virus from your body, getting rid of the symptoms, or both?

Let’s talk about that.

How to Feel Better Quickly When You Have a Cold

These are the basic, research-backed things to do when you have a cold and want to get over it fast.

• Get enough selenium

• Get enough zinc

• Eat a bunch of garlic

• Drink raw golden milk

• Try nasal irrigation

• Try povidone-iodine gargling and nasal rinsing

• Drink bone broth

• Eat spicy food

Get Enough Selenium
Almost every upper respiratory tract infection I’ve ever studied has selenium deficiency as an enhancing variable. Most viruses, for example, sequester selenium and utilize it to replicate and to weaken the host, leaving them wide open for further, deeper infection. The common cold is likely no different.

Eat Brazil nuts (one to three per day) and oysters and wild salmon. It is possible to overdo selenium, so don’t go overboard with supplementation. Just eat selenium-rich foods while you’re experiencing symptoms.

Get Enough Zinc
Zinc is the most important mineral for immune function, especially regarding upper respiratory tract infections. Depending on the virus, zinc has been shown to inhibit replication, lower binding, and block various physiological processes many viruses use to attack and ingratiate themselves with the host (you). And this isn’t just theoretical or based on cell culture studies. The best evidence we have shows that zinc supplementation reduces the duration of common colds in adults.

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Recipe of the Week - Crock Pot Italian Sloppy Joe

Crock Pot Italian Sloppy Joes made with Italian chicken or turkey sausage, tomatoes, peppers and onions made in the slow cooker for an easy weeknight meal.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb Italian turkey or chicken sausage, removed from casing

• 1/2 cup chopped onions

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces

• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces

• 1 1/3 cups crushed tomatoes, Tuttorosso

• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

• kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

For serving:

• 6 1-inch thick slices Italian Bread, from 1 large loaf (2 oz each)

• olive oil spray

• dried Italian seasoning or Parsley, to taste

• 2 tbsp grated cheese

• garlic clove, cut in half

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a medium non-stick skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat, breaking up as it cooks into small bits until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes.

• Add onions and garlic, and cook another 2 minutes.

• Transfer to the slow cooker and add the bell peppers, crushed tomatoes, rosemary and fresh cracked pepper.

• Cover and cook on low 4 hours.

• Prepare the garlic bread slices.

  • Place 6 slices of the bread on a sheet pan, spray with olive oil, and sprinkle with Italian Seasoning and Parmesan on each side.

  • Spritz with a little more oil and broil about 6 inches from the heating element, until the top of bread is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes keeping an eye on it.

  • When toasted, remove from oven and rub a garlic clove over the bread.

  • Top each slice with 1/2 cup meat and add shredded mozzarella, about 2 1/2 tablespoons on each. Place back into the oven for about 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Nutrition Information

• Serving Size: 1 Sandwich

• Calories: 361

• Carbohydrates: 38.5g

• Protein: 24g

• Fat: 13g

• Saturated Fat: 5g

• Cholesterol: 74.5mg

• Sodium: 1135.5mg

• Fiber: 3g

• Sugar: 7.5g

Why is Starting a Workout Program So Hard?

Photo by Nathan Cowley from Pexels

By: Chloe Maleski

This week, Board-Certified health and wellness coach Chloé Maleski is here to answer a few of your questions regarding New Year’s Resolutions, specifically why starting them is such a challenge. If you’re struggling to get going, you’ll definitely want to check out Chloé’s recommendations in today’s post. We love getting your questions, so drop them in the comments below or in our Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook group.

James asked:

“I’m committed to eating healthier this year, but if I see pizza, corn chips, or cookies in the pantry or fridge, I can’t resist. I’ve tried keeping fresh veggies, bison burgers, and salmon on hand, but I always give in to the junk food first. Got any tips for staying on track?”

If you want to start eating differently, you have to set your environment up for success. Think about the foods in your pantry and fridge right now. Does keeping pizza, corn chips, and cookies on hand get you closer to your results or further away? Sure, buying fresh produce and protein-rich foods is a great place to begin. But if you really want to get off on the right foot, you’ve got to purge the junk, especially if they’re a trigger for you. People tend to believe that their healthy habits are formed by motivation and willpower. It’s actually your environment that pulls the biggest lever.

According to habit expert, James Clear, “If you want to maximize your odds of success, then you need to operate in an environment that accelerates your results rather than hinders them.” That being said, my first recommendation is to do a pantry purge.

Step 1: Purge your Pantry . . .

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Recipe of the Week - Pollo Guisado

INGREDIENTS

• 4 skinless chicken drumsticks, on the bone, 14 oz total

• 4 skinless chicken thighs, on the bone, trimmed, 20 ounces

• 1/2 teaspoon adobo seasoning salt

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 4 medium scallions, chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus 2 tbsp for garnish

• 8 oz can tomato sauce

• 1 packet sazon seasoning, optional

• 1/4 cup pitted green olives, plus 2 tablespoons brine

• 1 tablespoon Chicken Better Than Bouillon, or 1 cube

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin

• 2 bay leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

• Season chicken with adobo seasoning salt.

• In a large deep skillet, pot or Dutch oven, over medium heat saute the scallions in olive oil until soft, 2 to 3 minutes.

• Add the garlic and 1/4 cup cilantro cook until soft, 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.

• Nestle the chicken in the pot and let brown 5 minutes, turning halfway.

• Add tomato sauce, Sazon if using, 1 cup water, olive, olive brine, Bouillon, cumin and stir. Add the bay leaves and bring to a boil.

• Cover and cook 50 minutes over medium-low heat, until the chicken is tender.

• Uncover the pot, increase the heat to high and cook to thicken the sauce, about 5 to 10 minutes.

• Remove the bay leaves, adjust salt if needed and add the remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro.

To make this in the Instant Pot

• Cook on high pressure 20 minutes.

• Natural release, discard bay leaves and top with remaining cilantro.

Nutrition Information

• Serving Size: 2 Pieces of Chicken 1/3 cup of sauce

• Calories: 344

• Carbohydrates: 7g

• Protein: 49g

• Fat: 12g

• Saturated Fat: 2.5g

• Cholesterol: 221mg

• Sodium: 1100mg

• Fiber: 2g

• Sugar: 3g

7 Herbal Alternatives to Hormone Replacement Therapy, or HRT

By: Mark Sisson

For many women, menopause can introduce new health challenges. In addition to the symptoms that perturb basic quality of life like hot flashes, headaches, night sweats, and irritability, menopause is also associated with higher risks for serious health concerns like osteoporosis, cognitive decline, and metabolic syndrome. This has made the standard treatment for menopause—hormone replacement therapy, or HRT—a multi-billion dollar business.

A few weeks ago, I explored the benefits and risks of HRT. It has its merits certainly, but it’s not for everyone. Today’s post is for those people who want to try something else. Say you’ve waded through the morass of HRT research and would prefer a different route. Or maybe you’ve actually tried conventional or bioidentical HRT and found it just didn’t work for you. Whatever the reason, you’re probably interested in using “natural” products if you can swing it and if it’ll actually help.

Are there herbal alternatives to HRT that actually work?

As a matter of fact, there are.

Which Herbal Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Treatments Work?

These are the eight most promising herbal alternatives to hormone replacement therapy:

• Black Cohosh

• Maca

• Black Seed Oil

• Red Clover

• Ginseng

• Evening Primrose

• St. John’s Wort

• Wild Yam

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Recipe of the Week - Colombian Chicken Sancocho

Sancocho de Pollo, a hearty soup almost like a stew, is a traditional dish in the Antioquia region of Colombia that combines potatoes, yuca, corn, plantains, and chicken.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

• 6 scallions, chopped

• 1 medium tomato, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped

• 6 skinless chicken thighs on the bone

• 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems, divided

• 3 medium red potatoes, peeled and chopped into 6 pieces (1 lb)

• 10 ounces frozen yucca, about 3 to 4 pieces

• 3 medium ears corn, cut in half

• 1/2 medium green plantain, peeled and chopped into 1" pieces

• 1 tsp cumin

• 2 chicken bouillion cubes

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a large pot, saute scallions and garlic in oil. Add tomatoes and saute another minute.

• Add chicken pieces and season with a little salt. Saute a few minutes, then add yucca and plantain and fill pot with water.

• Add chicken bullion, cumin and half of the cilantro and cover pot.

• Simmer on low for about 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, adjust salt and add potatoes, cook and additional 15 minutes.

• Add corn and cook an additional 7 minutes or until corn is cooked.

• Serve in large bowls, and top with cilantro.

Nutrition Information

• Serving Size: 1/6 of Recipe

• Calories: 405

• Carbohydrates: 41g

• Protein: 34g

• Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g

• Cholesterol: 140mg

• Sodium: 599.5mg

• Fiber: 5.5g

• Sugar: 10g

Can Friends Help You Live Longer?

Photo by Helena Lopes from Pexels

By: Lindsay Taylor

Humans are inherently social creatures. We know this. Looking at our species through an evolutionary lens, we tend to talk about our need for social connection as it relates to survival. Our ancestors needed to work in teams to hunt, collect water and firewood, build shelters, rear young, keep watch for predators, and all the other business of staying alive. While that’s undoubtedly true, our need for affiliation runs much deeper than those practical concerns. Our health and well-being quite literally depend on having strong social bonds with others.

Even when our survival is assured thanks to safe housing, easy access to clean water and plentiful food, medical care, and financial security, lonely or socially isolated individuals are likely to die sooner. On the flip side, a robust social support network is associated with better physical and mental health outcomes and longer lives.

Friends, it turns out, have a profound impact on health and longevity. Of course, it’s not just about the number of years we have but how we spend them, and good friends also make our lives more enjoyable in countless ways.

Are Good Friends a Key to Longevity and Health span?

There’s no doubt that social integration and social support are associated with greater health and longevity, while the opposite, social isolation and loneliness, significantly increase mortality risk. In a 2010 meta-analysis covering 148 studies and 308,849 participants, the researchers concluded that individuals with strong social ties were 50 percent more likely to survive compared to those with weak social networks.1 When the researchers looked only at studies with more in-depth measurements of social connectedness, that number jumped to 90 percent. Participants who reported being less lonely similarly enjoyed a 47 percent survival advantage.

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Recipe of the Week - Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata is an Italian chicken dish served in a lemon, wine, butter sauce with capers and parsley.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 16 oz total

• freshly ground black pepper

• 2 large egg whites

• 2/3 cup seasoned whole wheat dry bread crumbs

• olive oil spray, about 1 tbsp worth

• 1 tbsp whipped butter

• juice of 1 lemon

• 1/4 cup dry white wine

• 1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

• 1 tbsp capers

• Sliced lemon, for serving

• Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

• Cut chicken into 4 cutlets, then place cutlets between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

• In a shallow plate, beat the egg whites and 1 teaspoon of water together.

• Place the bread crumbs in another plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the egg, then bread crumbs.

• Heat a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat.

• Spray a generous amount of olive oil spray on one side of the chicken, and lay it in the pan, oil side down.

• Spray the top of the chicken generously to coat and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Set aside until you make the sauce.

• For the sauce, clean the saute pan. Over medium heat, melt butter, add the lemon juice, wine, chicken broth and the reserved lemon halves, salt, and pepper.

• Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes.

• Discard the lemon halves, add the capers and serve one chicken cutlet on each plate.

• Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Air Fryer Method:

• To cook the chicken in the air fryer, pre-heat the air fryer 370F. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, turning halfway until crisp and golden and cooked through.

Nutrition Information

• Serving Size: 1 Chicken Breast

• Calories: 262

• Carbohydrates: 11.5g

• Protein: 30g

• Fat: 9.5g

• Saturated Fat: 2.5g

• Cholesterol: 88mg

• Sodium: 233.5mg

• Fiber: 1.5g

• Sugar: 0.5g

Should Teens Take Creatine?

Photo by Tara Winstead from Pexels

By: Mark Sisson

One of the most common supplement questions I receive is about creatine. Namely, is it good for you? Is it safe? And, today, should teens be using it?

You should run any new supplement or practice by your doctor, but my quick and short answer is “yes.” In general, teens can safely take it with some medical exceptions. Teens can greatly benefit from it. Teens, especially those who don’t eat any animal products, should consider taking creatine. But I don’t only do quick and short answers here. Let’s dig into the science of teen creatine use to determine exactly why it’s so beneficial and safe. First, the question:

Hi Mark,

I have 2 sons who are athletes and asking me about Creatine.

One is 21 and plays college football… and the other is 15 and plays football and baseball.

My youngest one is hitting me up to start taking Creatine. Do you have feedback on this? Or an article you can pint me to that you have written. I have always been against it, only because I don’t know enough about it.

Thanks for your help,

Alicia Murray

Now the details. To begin with, let’s dispel some popular myths about creatine.

Creatine Myths Destroyed

Creatine isn’t some synthetic compound created in a lab and never before seen by human biology—it exists in muscle tissue, including both human and animal. The best dietary source of creatine is in fish and red meat. In other words, if you’re eating animal products, you’re “taking creatine.”

Creatine isn’t the same as anabolic steroids, even though many scare stories in the media over the years have likened the two.

Taking creatine isn’t a shortcut to muscle growth. You still have to do the work. In fact, without doing the work creatine won’t help you build any muscle at all. Creatine helps you do more work than you otherwise would. That’s why it’s effective.

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Recipe of the Week - Baked Chicken Breasts

Perfect, juicy Baked Chicken Breasts topped with crispy panko-parmesan crumbs are flavorful and delicious!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 6 ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts , preferably organic

• kosher salt

• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

• 1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 1/3 cup seasoned Panko Breadcrumbs, OR gluten free pankp

• 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

• 1 lemon, cut into wedges for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

• Pound the thicker end of the chicken to make both sides leveled out so they cook evenly.

• Fill a large bowl with 6 cups of water and add 1/4 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt, stir to dissolve.

• Add the chicken breasts to the water and let them sit, refrigerated at least 1 hour, or up to 2 to brine.

• Remove from water, pat dry with paper towels and discard the water.

• Preheat oven 425F degrees. Spray a 9 x 12 baking dish with olive oil.

• In a small bowl combine 3/4 teaspoon salt, with the remaining spices. Rub the spice mix over the chicken and transfer to the baking dish.

• Spread the mayonnaise evenly over the top of each breast then sprinkle with panko and Parmesan. Spray the top with olive oil spray.

• Bake until chicken reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees, 24-27 minutes.

• While the chicken bakes, slice lemon into wedges and serve with chicken.

NOTES

• You can brine ahead and drain, refrigerate overnight if needed before baking.

Nutrition Information

• Serving Size: 1 Chicken Breast

• Calories: 271

• Carbohydrates: 5g

• Protein: 40g

• Fat: 9g

• Saturated Fat: 2g

• Cholesterol: 129mg

• Sodium: 170mg

• Sugar: 0.5g

Flipping the Script on Resolutions: MORE, not Less

Photo by Anna Tarazevich from Pexels

By: Lindsay Taylor PhD.

Resolutions season is rolling around again, and I want to propose something a little different this year.

What if we all agreed to resolve for MORE? More what? More of whatever brings meaning or happiness to your life. More of the things that fill your proverbial bucket.

I’m proposing a mindset shift for this coming year. Instead of looking at your life and asking, “What needs fixing?” or “What ‘bad’ behaviors do I need to change?” what if you asked yourself:

• “What can I add that would make next year more joyful?”

• “In what ways would I like to grow next year?”

• “How can I help myself flourish?”

We all need and deserve more good right now. Here are some ideas getting more out of the coming year.

More Green

No, not money (though good for you if you get it!). I’m talking about nature.

If you didn’t jump on the houseplant bandwagon last year, what are you waiting for? Houseplants can help reduce stress and negative emotions. Place a few plants in your workspace to improve attention and productivity.

Plant a little garden this year. Gardening can be incredibly therapeutic, and it is one of the activities that helps Blue Zones residents stay active well into their ninth and tenth decades, while also providing fresh food. Have a brown thumb? No problem, you can bring more green into your environment by painting a wall or adding green accent pieces to your decor. There’s a whole field of study called “color psychology” that suggests that the color green evokes feelings of peace and harmony. Add some green to your workspace to boost creativity.

Get more green exercise, meaning exercise done in nature. Green space produces myriad health benefits ranging from stress reduction to better immune function to longevity. This need not be time-consuming or arduous exercise either. Research suggests that just five minutes of walking in nature or gardening can significantly improve mood and self-esteem.

The Japanese practice of forest bathing, or shinrin yoku, involves deliberate slow walks through forests (or other green spaces like parks). In order to reap the many physical and mental health benefits, however, you must unplug and make a concerted effort to be present in the moment, noticing the sights, sounds, and smells around you. (More forest bathing is my number one intention for next year.)

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Recipe of the Week - Instant Pot Braised Beef

Instant Pot Braised Beef spiced with fragrant spices cooks in a fraction of the time in the pressure cooker. Perfect for everything from rice bowls and tacos to enchiladas.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3-pound chuck roast, cut into 4 pieces

• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• Olive oil cooking spray

• 1 cup finely chopped onion

• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 1 teaspoons ground cumin

• 2 bay leaves

• 14- ounce can diced tomatoes, drained, (discard liquid or reserve for another use)

• 3 chipotle peppers in adobo (from 1 can), finely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce

• 1 cup beef broth

• 1 cinnamon stick

INSTRUCTIONS

• Season the beef pieces with the salt and pepper.

• Set instant pot multi cooker to SAUTÉ (normal heat) function. Spray inner pot with cooking spray.

• Add beef, in two batches, and brown—about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and set aside.

• Add onions and garlic to the pot; cook stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in oregano, cumin, and bay leaves; cook for 1 minute more.

• Turn off heat and add the remaining ingredients.

• Return the beef and any accumulated juices back to the pot.

• Close the lid and set the pressure release valve to SEALING. Pressure cook (on HIGH) for 60 minutes.

• Allow pressure to release naturally (let the pot sit without disturbing) for 10 minutes, then turn the pressure release valve to the VENTING position to release the remaining steam.

• Open the lid and remove the meat to a large shallow dish. Set aside.

• Skim as much fat as possible from the surface of the cooking liquid then strain over a bowl, pressing the solids to extract all of the juices.

• Return the strained liquid to the pot. (Discard the solids.)

• Set the cooker to SAUTÉ function and allow the liquid to boil until reduced by half (about 1 1/2 cups), about 10 minutes.

• While the liquid reduces, use two forks to pull the meat into shreds. Adjust salt, to taste. Serve moistened with sauce.

NOTES

• Store meat and sauce separately in airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days (2 days for the sauce) or freeze both for 3 months.

Nutrition Information

• Serving Size: 3ounces beef (about 3/4 cup), plus 3 1/2 tablespoons juices

• Calories: 255

• Carbohydrates: 5.5g

• Protein: 36g

• Fat: 10g

• Saturated Fat: 3g

• Cholesterol: 126mg

• Sodium: 477mg

• Fiber: 1g

• Sugar: 2g

Recipe of the Week - Black-Eyed Peas with Leftover Ham, Collard Greens and Cabbage

Black-Eyed Peas with Leftover Ham, Collard Greens & Cabbage is a great stew to ring in the new year!!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 leftover ham bone plus 2 cups diced ham, 10 oz

• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped

• 3 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 7 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock or water

• 1 small head cabbage, 1 1/2 lb, chopped

• 1 bunch collard greens, stemmed and chopped (12 oz stemmed)

• 1 ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, optional

• 2 15-oz cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium.

• Add the onions and celery with the salt and cook until the onions are translucent and browned along the edges, 10 to 14 minutes.

• Add the garlic and saute for another minute, just until fragrant.

• Pour in the stock and add the ham bone, ham, black eyed peas increase the heat back to medium-high, and bring to a boil.

• Stir in the cabbage, collard greens, black pepper, and (if using) cayenne pepper.

• Turn the heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, until the greens cook down a bit and start to become tender, 15 minutes or so.

• Partially cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook 25 minutes, allowing the greens to cook down further and the stew to come together.

• Remove the bone.

Nutrition Information

• Serving Size: 1 3/4 Cup

• Calories: 320k

• Carbohydrates: 50g

• Protein: 19g

• Fat: 6g

• Saturated Fat: 1.5g

• Cholesterol: 25mg

• Sodium: 752.5mg

• Fiber: 13.5g

• Sugar: 14.5g

Seven Herbal Alternatives to Hormone Replacement Therapy (or HRT)

By: Mark Sisson

For many women, menopause can introduce new health challenges. In addition to the symptoms that perturb basic quality of life like hot flashes, headaches, night sweats, and irritability, menopause is also associated with higher risks for serious health concerns like osteoporosis, cognitive decline, and metabolic syndrome. This has made the standard treatment for menopause—hormone replacement therapy, or HRT—a multi-billion dollar business.

A few weeks ago, I explored the benefits and risks of HRT. It has its merits certainly, but it’s not for everyone. Today’s post is for those people who want to try something else. Say you’ve waded through the morass of HRT research and would prefer a different route. Or maybe you’ve actually tried conventional or bioidentical HRT and found it just didn’t work for you. Whatever the reason, you’re probably interested in using “natural” products if you can swing it and if it’ll actually help.

Are there herbal alternatives to HRT that actually work?

As a matter of fact, there are.

Which Herbal Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Treatments Work?

These are the eight most promising herbal alternatives to hormone replacement therapy:

1. Black Cohosh

2. Maca

3. Black Seed Oil

4. Red Clover

5. Ginseng

6. Evening Primrose

7. St. John’s Wort

8. Wild Yam

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Can Regular Exercise Reduce Risk of Death from Pneumonia?

Photo by Robina Weermeijer

By: Hannah Joy

People who exercise regularly are at lower risk of developing and dying from pneumonia, reveals a new research.

The study, led by the University of Bristol and published in GeroScience, analysed, for the first time, ten population cohort studies with over one million participants. 'Follow a healthy lifestyle, quit smoking and drinking, exercise regularly to keep pneumonia at bay.’

The benefits of regular exercise are well-known and can reduce the risk, length or severity of infectious diseases.

Previous research has suggested that regular exercise might be associated with a reduced risk of pneumonia, but the studies have had mixed findings with some reporting evidence of a relationship and others no evidence. The researchers carried out a pooled analysis of all published studies to re-evaluate the relationship between regular exercise and the risk of developing pneumonia.

The questions the study aimed to answer included:

• Is there an association between regular physical activity and future risk of pneumonia?

• If there is an association, what is the strength and nature of the association?

• If there is an association, is it stronger or weaker in specific groups of people?

The study found people who exercise regularly have a lower risk of developing pneumonia and pneumonia-related death compared to those who were the least or not physically active. The relationship was shown for pneumonias that did not result in death and those that resulted in death.

The results did not change on taking into account known factors that can affect pneumonia such as age, sex, body mass index, socioeconomic status, alcohol consumption, smoking, and pre-existing diseases. The strength of the association did not vary by age or sex.

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