Grind up cacao beans and steep in hot water and you get choffy. This is not unlike grinding up coffee beans and steeping it in hot water to make coffee.
Mark Sisson says choffy is primal because of the high antioxidant of cacoa, the stuff that dark chocolate is made out of.
Coconut water is okay in moderation or if diluted in water. It is definitely healthier than soda. Because soda is one of the two worst foods according to Dr. Jonny Bowden. (The other food is french fries.)
The healthy part is because it contains five important electrolytes and minerals: potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and sodium. [reference]
The main drawback is that it does contain some amount of sugar. And too much sugar is bad. David Getoff says in a podcast that he doesn’t consider coconut water healthy due to the sugar.
Yes, butter contains trace amounts of casein. So if one is on a strict casein-free diet, as some children with autism, ADD, and ADHD are, then butter would not be acceptable. Ghee, which is clarified butter, is casein-free. [reference]
The amount of casein that butter contain is not a large amount, however. Casein is a protein found in dairy. And if you look at the box label, it typically says 0 grams of protein.
Butter has less casein than milk. Depending on a person sensitivity, they may be able to tolerate butter even though they may not be able to tolerate milk.
Zeno is a Greek philosopher who lived around the time of 490 to 430 BC. His full name is Zeno of Elea. Sometimes, some people spell Zeno with an X as in Xeno.
He actually came up with many various paradoxes. So there is not just one “Zeno Paradox”, but “Zeno Paradoxes”.
The three of the well known one are …
Perhaps the one that is most commonly provided as an example of one of Zeno’s paradox is the dichotomy paradox. And it goes like this…
Let’s say that I need to travel a distance of one mile. In order to get there, I must get to half-way. But in order to get to half-way, I must get to half of that (or 1/4 of mile). But in order to get to 1/4 of a mile, I must first get to 1/8 of a mile. Before that I need to go 1/16 of a mile. And before that, 1/32. Then 1/64 and 1/128 and on and on and on for an infinity. There is an infinite number of steps. So how in the world will I ever get to where I want to go?
Generalizing the problem… In order to travel a distance d, one must travel d/2. And before that, one must travel d/4. And d/8, etc.
The solution is resolved via calculus. In effect we have an infinite sum of a “geometric series”. In particular, we are summing (1/2)i as i goes from 1 to infinity. The answer to that sum converges to 1 and can be proven via calculus.
In short, it mean that the sum of an infinite number of “half-step” is finite. Therefore, you will get to where you will be going.
Math Joke
There is a math joke that is based off of Zeno’s paradox.
A group of boys line up at one wall at one end of the ballroom. A group of girls on the opposite wall. The two group walks towards each other. When will they meet at the center of the ballroom?
The mathematician says never, because it involves an infinite number of steps. The physicist says that they would meet when time equals infinity. And the engineer says that within one minute, they are close enough for all practical purposes. Hand it to the engineer for being practical.
Achilles and tortoise are in a race. Since Achilles is a faster runner, he gives tortoise an 100 meter head start.
Therefore, it will take some time before Archilles reaches the tortoise starting point. But by that time, the tortoise (although slow) has since moved ahead. In order to catch up, Archilles must reach the spot where tortoise has already been. Thus, whenever Achilles reaches somewhere the tortoise has been, he still has farther to go. Because in the time it take for Achilles to reach there, the tortoise has progressed further.
So how in the world does Archilles catch up with the tortoise?
In the below video, watch as a math teacher explains this paradox…
The solution is similar to the one before. The infinite number of catching up that Archilles has to do is counterbalanced the infinitely small time it takes for the subsequent steps. And therefore Archilles is able to catch up to the tortoise.
Calculus comes to the rescue by saying that it is possible to add an infinite number of steps. In fact, Calculus is the subject of adding, comparing, and manipulating infinities. But Calculus was not invented yet in the time of Zeno. That is why they were perplexed.
In the book Physics written by Aristotle, the Arrow Paradox goes like this …
“if everything when it occupies an equal space is at rest, and if that which is in locomotion is always occupying such a space at any moment, the flying arrow is therefore motionless”
Confusing? Okay, here it is stated in another way by Wolfram Math World…
“An arrow in flight has an instantaneous position at a given instant of time. At that instant, however, it is indistinguishable from a motionless arrow in the same position, so how is the motion of the arrow perceived?”
Basically, Zeno is saying that the flying arrow is motionless.
Of course that is ridiculous. And it is refuted by Aristotle when Aristotle writes …
“This is false, for time is not composed of indivisible moments any more than any other magnitude is composed of indivisibles.”
Okay.
Some nutrients that might be lacking in a vegetarian diet may include …
Denise Minger talked on the Livin La Vida Low Carb Show talked about in how she started out as vegetarians for many years until they encounter health challenges. Her health improved when she added back animal products. She then got interested in nutrition and gave talk at the Ancestral Health Symposium of some believes about health and nutrition that some vegetarian believe may be wrong.
Chris Masterjohn, who studies nutritional science, talked with Dr. Mercola about how Chris was a vegetarian until he encounter health issues which resolved after adding back animal products. He believes that everyone can benefit with at least some animal products.
Nora Gedgaudas’s talk at the Ancestral Health Symposium says that vegetarian, vegan, or very high carb diets may lack sufficient complete protein source to have enough raw amino acids to build neurotransmitters.
In PaleoHacks Podcast episode #6, guest Paul Jaminet says that it is difficult to be strong when on a vegetarian diet. But it is possible to be healthy on vegetarian diet if dairy and eggs are consume. But a long term vegan diet would eventually lead to deficiencies.
Professor George Jelinek at site OvercomingMultipleSclerosis.org recommends a vegetarian plus seafood diet. His “OMS” diet excludes animal meats of all kinds. But he does advocate getting omega-3 and B12 from seafood.
It is just a tad bit more dangerous than drinking pasteurized milk. But not really that much more dangerous in the big scheme of things. Chris Kresser put this into perspective.
But there are some extra benefits of drinking raw milk as mentioned by Chris Kresser.
Gluten sensitivity is a broader category of which celiac disease is only a small subset. The estimation of amount of gluten-sensitive people varies widely. Here are some references on the web …
Dr. Mark Hyman writes in HuffingtonPost.com Dairy: 6 Reasons You Should Avoid It at All Costs He has the following YouTube video …
Dr. Walter Willett said in a FrontLine interview that …
“The huge push for high consumption of dairy products is really not based on good science.”
Dr. Cordain writes the following about why milk is unhealthy …
“Drinking of cow’s milk or other species’ milk by children and adults is an unhealthy practice that increases the risk of many chronic diseases and adds no micronutrients to the diet that cannot be obtained from fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, seafoods and nuts. Human’s have no nutritional requirement for cow’s milk.”
There are some evidence that suggests there might be a link between casein and Type 1 diabetes. For example, the paper “A1 beta-casein, type 1 diabetes and links to other modern illnesses” says …
“people with Type 1 diabetes have enhanced levels of antibodies to beta-casein and in particular A1 beta-casein … high milk intake in children linked to high incidence of diabetes”
A1 beta-casein (as opposed to A2 beta-casein) is found in milk that comes from certain breeds of cows. Here they are talking about Type 1 diabetes which is an autoimmune disease.
Another study titled “Antibodies to bovine beta-casein in diabetes and other autoimmune diseases” found that subject with Type 1 diabetes, Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA), and Coeliac disease has increased levels of antibodies to beta-casein as compared to age-matched control groups.
Kurt Harris’ Archevore diet framework has one tip that advises …
“If you are allergic to milk protein or concerned about theoretical risks of casein, you can stick to butter and avoid milk, cream and soft cheeses”.
Butter does have very small amount of casein. But depending on your sensitivity to casein, it may or may not be tolerable. If not, try ghee (clarified butter) which has even less casein to the point of virtually none. See forum thread “Casein in Butter” on celiac.com.
Milk and dairy product contains lactose which is a disaccharide sugar and is on the “avoid list” of FODMAP foods if you are doing a Low-FODMAP type of diet.
Mat Lalonde says in a Chris Kresser podcast that …
“I say the casein can be problematic, lactose can be problematic, so the best macronutrient, the least problematic macronutrient in dairy is the fat”
HowStuffWorks.com writes that …
” Dairy is one of the most commonly reported food allergies”
Potentially. It all depends on where the oyster came from, how it was handled, and how it got to your plate, and how strong your immune system is. There is always a risk.
The danger in raw oysters is not in the mercury level, but rather the pathogens and virus that they may contain. The mercury level of oyster considered “lower levels” category in the similar range of that of salmon.
Oysters are filter feeders and can contain pathogens and bacteria. Immuno-compromised individuals, individuals with poor liver functions, or pregnant, or other conditions may want to avoid raw oysters.
But for healthy individuals, oysters are eaten raw as in this Executive Chef shows on YouTube how to shuck and eat one. Shucking an oyster means to open and remove half of its shell. They are usually opened with oyster top up. Which side is the top? The flat shell is top. The rounded shell is bottom.
The Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference says …
“Oysters harvested from approved waters, packed under sanitary conditions, and properly refrigerated are usually safe for raw consumption by healthy individuals. Cooking oysters to an internal temperature of 140 F or greater for 4-6 minutes destroys the common microorganisms of public health concern.”
Wikipedia says that “oysters must be eaten alive, or cooked alive.” That is why you do not often see frozen raw oysters. After frozen and thawed, their texture changes so that they need to be consumed cooked, and can no longer be consume raw. If they are canned, they are cooked before canning.
SafeOysters.org says that shucked shellfish can be kept in the refrigerator at …
“Temperatures below 35°F will minimize bacterial growth and help shucked shellfish stay fresh longer, usually 4 to 7 days or by the “use by” date printed on containers. Refrigerator temperatures greater than 40°F will decrease shelf life.”
However, if you remove half its shelf, don’t you kill the shellfish? So personally, I get nervous at keeping shucked oyster that long.
An oyster that can not close its shell is a dead oyster. When buying oyster, buy only those with fully closed shells. Oyster should be purchased live, as fresh as possible, and from a quality source. To avoid killing the oyster due to lack of oxygen, do not keep oysters in air-tight containers.
If you eat at a restaurant, eat them from a place you trust. The chef should know all of the above and be able to detect bad oysters (including by smell) and toss them out. Some bad oysters can look the same as good ones.
If you cook the oyster, scrub and wash the shell thoroughly and then it can be smoked, boiled, baked, fried, roasted, stewed, canned, pickled, steamed, broiled.
Boiling is a good way to kill pathogens. If you boil them in the shell, they will open on its own, saving you the need to shuck them. Boil them until the oyster flesh edge curls.
Here on YouTube is what Oysterologist Daniel Notkin says about oyster and his reply to eating raw oysters: “Get them as fresh as possible, with a chef that you trust. There is always a risk. … But if you look at the grand scheme of things, there are more recalls on peanut butter, meat, eggs, than anything we heard of oysters.”
WiseGeek.com says …
“Eating raw oysters can potentially be dangerous. Taking the time to cook an oyster will greatly reduce the risk of picking up a food-borne illness. People who are pregnant or who have compromised immune systems should always cook an oyster before eating it”
Disclaimer: I am not a profession chef. Everything I learned about oysters, I’ve learn from the Internet.
The are some people who believe in eating more healthy fats in the diet.
You absorb more nutrition from salads if you have some fat in your salad or salad dressing rather than to use low-fat dressings.[source: sciencedaily]
Dr. Rosedale say in one of his website Q&A that …
“Yes, the major portion of your diet should be composed of healthy fats.”
Dr. Mercola’s interview of Paul Jaminet is summarized Mercola’s site where Jaminet recommends the following as the optimal balance between carbohydrates, proteins, and fats …
However, one issue that Jaminet and Rosedale differ on is the amount of carbohydrates that one should consume. Jaminet allows for more carbs and says rice and potatoes are “safe starches”. He believes that it is possible to go too low on carbs resulting in “glucose deficiency” and certain negative health effects. Rosedale believes that there are no “safe starches” and that one can never be too low on carbs.
After hearing both Jaminet’s and Rosedale point of view, Dr. Mercola tend to side with Jaminet’s view in that it is possible to go too low in carbs as Dr. Mercola has personally experienced. (reference Dr. Mercola and Paul Jaminent interview)
Dr. Mercola writes article mentioning that he himself consumes 60% to 70% of his calories from healthy fats.
Kurt Harris MD writes on his Archevore blog that …
“Archevore eaters typically range from 5-35% carbohydrate, from 10-30% protein and from 50 to 80% fat (mostly from animals) …”
Archevore is a diet framework and in the link provided has quite a few other healthy tips.
Mark Sisson’s article says that during training he consumes up to 50% of his calories from of healthy fats plus a lot of anti-oxidants.
Dave Asprey writes that he eats 50% of his calories from fat and puts butter and MCT oil into his coffee. MCT oil stands for medium chain triglyceride oil of which coconut oil is among them. Dave Asprey has a recipe for putting butter in coffee.
Paul Jaminet often drinks coffee with half coffee and half heavy cream [from his book The Perfect Health Diet]
Essay by Stephanie Seneff writes that fats and cholesterol are healthy especially for the brain. She says …
“… aim for something like 50% fat, 30% protein, and 20% carbohydrate, so as to pro-actively defend against Alzheimer’s.”
The idea that saturated fat is unhealthy is false. She writes her opinion as follow …
“You would practically have to be as isolated as an Australian Aborigine not to have absorbed the message that dietary fats, particularly saturated fats, are unhealthy. I am extremely confident that this message is false”
Because of this reasoning, many are now adopting a low-carb high-fat style of diet. Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt has an good explanation of the low-carb high-fat style of diet on his site DietDoctor.com.
Dr. Andrew Weil has said on his site that his “thinking on saturated fat has evolved”, citing studies that indicates no difference in coronary heart risk between low saturated fat consumers and high saturated fat consumers. He says that …
“refined starches and sugars are more likely than saturated fat to be the main dietary cause of coronary heart disease and type-2 diabetes.” [reference]
Heart surgeon Dr. Dwight Lundell speaks out as in an article saying that it is sugar that causes heart disease rather than fat. [reference]
If you want to learn more about a group that went on a low-carb high-fat diet, watch the documentary My Big Fat Diet. Or to learn about lipid metabolism in Kevin Ahern’s Biochemistry YouTube Channel.