Black Forest Chia Pudding

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This pudding tastes so decadent, it’s hard to believe it’s so healthy, but it is! Not only is it delicious, it’s also packed with nutrients including protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats (including omega-3s), fiber, vitamins, minerals, and assorted antioxidant polyphenols. Perfect dessert or breakfast!

You will need

  • 1½ cups pitted fresh or thawed-from-frozen cherries
  • ½ cup mashed banana
  • 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds, ground
  • Optional: 2 pitted dates, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and then drained (include these if you prefer a sweeter pudding)
  • Garnish: a few almonds, and/or berries, and/or cherries and/or cacao nibs

Method

(we suggest you read everything at least once before doing anything)

1) Blend the ingredients except for the chia seeds and the garnish, with ½ cup of water, until completely smooth

2) Divide into two small bowls or glass jars

3) Add 1 tbsp ground chia seeds to each, and stir until evenly distributed

4) Add the garnish and refrigerate overnight or at least for some hours. There’s plenty of wiggle-room here, so make it at your convenience and serve at your leisure.

Enjoy!

Want to learn more?

For those interested in some of the science of what we have going on today:

Take care!

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    • Pasteurization: What It Does And Doesn’t Do

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      Pasteurization’s Effect On Risks & Nutrients

      In Wednesday’s newsletter, we asked you for your health-related opinions of raw (cow’s) milk, and got the above-depicted, below-described, set of responses:

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      • About 31% said “raw milk is a good source of vital nutrients which pasteurization would destroy”
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      • About 9% said “both raw milk and pasteurized milk are equally healthy”

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      “Raw milk is dangerous to consume, whereas pasteurization makes it safer: True or False?”

      True! Coincidentally, the 47% who voted for this are mirrored by the 47% of the general US population in a similar poll, deciding between the options of whether raw milk is less safe to drink (47%), just as safe to drink (15%), safer to drink (9%), or not sure (30%):

      Public Fails to Appreciate Risk of Consuming Raw Milk, Survey Finds

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      Source for both of the above claims:

      Characteristics of U.S. Consumers Reporting Past Year Intake of Raw (Unpasteurized) Milk: Results from the 2016 Food Safety Survey and 2019 Food Safety and Nutrition Survey

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      Raw milk is a good source of vital nutrients which pasteurization would destroy: True or False?

      False! Whether it’s a “good” source can be debated depending on other factors (e.g., if we considered milk’s inflammatory qualities against its positive nutritional content), but it’s undeniably a rich source. However, pasteurization doesn’t destroy or damage those nutrients.

      Incidentally, in the same survey we linked up top, 16% of the general US public believed that pasteurization destroys nutrients, while 41% were not sure (and 43% knew that it doesn’t).

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      FDA | Raw Milk Misconceptions and the Danger of Raw Milk Consumption

      this page covers a lot of other myths too, more than we have room to “bust” here, but it’s very interesting reading and we recommend to check it out!

      Notably, we also weren’t able to find any refutation by counterexample on PubMed, with the very slight exception that some studies sometimes found that in the case of milks that were of low quality, pasteurization can reduce the vitamin E content while increasing the vitamin A content. For most milks however, no significant change was found, and in all cases we looked at, B-vitamins were comparable and vitamin D, popularly touted as a benefit of cow’s milk, is actually added later in any case. And, importantly, because this is a common argument, no change in lipid profiles appears to be findable either.

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    • Ear Candling: Is It Safe & Does It Work?

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      (Yes, 38%+13%=51%, but that’s because we round to the nearest integer in these reports, and more precisely it was 37.5% and 12.5%)

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      It is a safe, drug-free way to keep the ears free from earwax and pathogens: True or False?

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      In a medium-sized survey (n=122), the following injuries were reported:

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      • 3 x otitis externa (this also called “swimmer’s ear”, and is an inflammation of the ear, accompanied by pain and swelling)
      • 1 x tympanic membrane perforation

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      ~ Dr. Joy Rafferty et al.

      Source: Canadian Family Physician | Ear Candling

      Under no circumstances should you put things in your ear and set fire to them: True or False?

      True! It’s generally considered good advice to not put objects in general in your ears.

      Inserting flaming objects is a definite no-no. Please leave that for the Cirque du Soleil.

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      Ear Today, Gone Tomorrow

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      • A Peek Behind The 10almonds Curtain

        10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

        At 10almonds we give a lot of health information, so you may wonder: how much do we (the 10almonds team) put into practice? Is it even possible to do all these things? Do we have an 80:20 rule going on?

        So, here’s what someone who thinks, reads, and writes about health all day, does for her health—and how it ties in with what you read here at 10almonds.

        Hi, it’s me, a member of the 10almonds team and regular writer here, and I’m going to do the rest of this article in the first-person, since it’s using me as an example!

        (PS: yes, the thumbnail is a digital impression of my appearance, though I would correct it that my hair is much longer, and my eyes are more gray; I must admit though it captured my smile, not to mention my collarbones-that-you-could-sit-on)

        Dietary habits

        Before we get to foods, let’s talk intermittent fasting. I practise 16:8 intermittent fasting… Approximately. That is to say, I’m mostly not religious about it, but I will generally breakfast around 12 noon, and have finished eating dinner before 8pm, with no food outside of those hours.

        See also: Intermittent Fasting: What’s the truth?

        Importantly, while I feel free to be a little flexible around start and finish times, I do very consciously decide “I am now fasting” and “I will now break the fast”.

        Note my imperfection: it would be ideal to have the eating period earlier in the day, and have a bigger breakfast and small dinner. However, that doesn’t really work for me (leisurely evening meal is an important daily event in this household), so this is how I do it instead.

        Foods!

        It gets an exclamation mark because a thing about me is that I do love foods.

        Breakfast: a typical breakfast for me these past months is a couple of ounces of mixed nuts with about 1oz of goji berries.

        The mixed nuts are in equal proportions: almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews. Why those four? Simple, it’s because that’s what Aldi sells as “mixed nuts” and they are the cheapest nuts around, as well as containing absolute nutritional heavyweights almonds and walnuts in generous portions.

        Often, but not always, I’ll have some dates with it, or dried apricots, or prunes.

        I go through phases; sometimes I’ll enjoy overnight oats as my breakfast for a month or two at a time. I really just follow my gut in this regard.

        See for example: Spiced Pear & Pecan Polyphenol Porridge

        Lunch: I don’t really lunch per se, but between breakfast and dinner I’ll usually snack on a 3–5 organic carrots (I literally just cut the tops off and otherwise eat them like Bugs Bunny—peeling them would be extra work just to lose fiber). Note my imperfection: I don’t buy all of my vegetables organic, but I do for the ones where it makes the biggest difference.

        If I’m feeling like it, I may lunch on a selection of herbs sabzi khordan style (see: Invigorating Sabzi Khordan), though I’m vegan so for simplicity I just skip the cheeses that are also traditional with that dish. On the other hand, for protein and fat I’ll usually add a cup of beans (usually black beans or kidney beans), seasoned with garlic and black pepper in an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing (that I make myself, so it’s just those ingredients). See also: Kidney Beans vs Black Beans – Which Is Healthier?

        Dinner: this is my main sit-down meal of the day, and it’s enjoyed in a leisurely fashion (say, 40 minutes average with a normal distribution bell curve running between 20 and 60 minutes) with my son who lives with me. I mention all of this, because of the importance of relaxed mindful eating. In the instances of it being nearer the 20 minutes end, it’s not because of rushing, but rather because of a lighter meal some days.

        See also: How To Get More Nutrition From The Same Food

        Regular recurrences in the menu include:

        I’ll often snack on something probiotic (e.g. kimchi) while I’m cooking.

        See also: Make Friends With Your Gut! (You Can Thank Us Later)

        In terms of what’s not in my diet: as mentioned, I’m vegan, so animal products are out. I don’t drink alcohol or use other recreational drugs, and I mostly drink decaffeinated coffee, but I’ll have a caffeinated one if I’m out somewhere. I’m not a puritan when it comes to sugar, but also, I simply don’t like it and I know well its health effects, so it doesn’t really form part of my diet except insofar as it’s in some ready-made condiments I may sometimes use (e.g. sriracha, teriyaki sauce). I’m also not a puritan when it comes to wheat, but it’s not something I consume daily. Usually on a weekly basis I’ll have a wholegrain pasta dish, and a dish with some kind of wholegrain flatbread.

        See also:

        Exercise!

        First, some things that are lifestyle factors:

        • I do not own a car, and I dislike riding in cars, buses, etc. So, I walk everywhere, unless it’s far enough that I must take the train, and even then I usually stand between carriages rather than sitting down.
        • I have a standing desk setup, that hasn’t been lowered even once since I got it. I highly recommend it, as someone who spends a lot of time at my desk.
        • You may imagine that I spend a lot of time reading; if it’s books (as opposed to scientific papers etc, which I read at my desk), then I’ll most of the time read them while perched like a gargoyle in a sitting squat (Slav squat, Asian squat, resting squat, deep squat, etc) on a balance ball. Yes, it is comfortable once you’re used to it!

        About that latter, see also: The Most Anti Aging Exercise

        In terms of “actual” exercise, I get 150–300 minutes “moderate exercise” per week, which is mostly composed of: 

        • Most days I walk into town to get groceries; it’s a 40-minute round trip on foot
        • On days I don’t do that, even if I do walk to a more local shop, I spend at least 20 minutes on my treadmill.

        See also: The Doctor Who Wants Us To Exercise Less, & Move More

        Strength and mobility training, for me, comes mostly in what has been called “exercise snacking”, that is to say, I intersperse my working day with brief breaks to do Pilates exercises. I have theme days (lower body, core, upper body) and on average one rest day (from Pilates exercises) per week, though honestly, that’s usually more likely because of time constraints than anything else, because a deadline is looming.

        See also: Four Habits That Drastically Improve Mobility

        You may be wondering about HIIT: when I’m feeling extra-serious about it, I use my exercise bike for this, but I’ll be honest, I don’t love the bike, so on a daily basis, I’m much more likely to do HIIT by blasting out a hundred or so Hindu squats, resting, and repeating.

        See also: How To Do HIIT (Without Wrecking Your Body)

        Supplements

        First I’ll mention, I do have HRT, of which the hormones I have are bioidentical estradiol gel in the morning, and a progesterone pessary in the evening. They may not be for everybody, but they’ve made a world of difference to me.

        See also: HRT: A Tale Of Two Approaches

        In terms of what one usually means when one says supplements, many I use intermittently (which is good in some cases, as otherwise the body may stop using them so well, or other problems can arise), but regular features include:

        Why weekends only for Fisetin? See: The Drug & Supplement Combo That Reverses Aging ← the supplement is fisetin, which outperforms quercetin in this role, and/but it only needs be taken for two days every two weeks, as a sort of “clearing out” of senescent cells. There is no need to take it every day, because if you just cleared out your senescent cells, then guess what, they’re not there now. Also, while sensescent cells are a major cause of aging, on a lower level they do have some anti-tumor effects, so it can be good to let some live a least for a while now and again. In short, cellular sensescence can help prevent tumors on a daily level, but it doesn’t hurt that capacity to have a clearing-out every couple of weeks; so says the science (linked above). Note my imperfection: I take it at weekends instead of for two days every two weeks (as is standard in studies, like those linked above), because it is simpler than remembering to count the weeks.

        Cognitive exercise

        Lest we forget, exercising our mind is also important! In my case:

        • I’m blessed to have work that’s quite cognitively stimulating; our topics here at 10almonds are interesting. If it weren’t for that, I’d still be reading and writing a lot.
        • I play chess, though these days I don’t play competitively anymore, and play rather for the social aspect, but this too is important in avoiding cognitive decline.
        • I am one of those people who compulsively learns languages, and uses them a lot. This is very beneficial, as language ability is maintained in a few small areas of the brain, and it’s very much “use it or lose it”. Now, while I may not need my French or Russian or Arabic to keep the lights on in this part of the brain or that, the fact that I am pushing my limits every day is the important part. It’s not about how much I know—it’s about how much I engage those parts of my brain on a daily basis. Thus, even if you speak only one language right now, learning even just one more, and learning even only a little bit, you will gain the brain benefits—because you’re engaging it regularly in a new way, and that forces the brain to wire new synapses and also to maintain volume in those parts.

        See also: How To Reduce Your Alzheimer’s Risk

        And about language-learning specifically: An Underrated Tool Against Alzheimer’s ←this also shows how you don’t have to be extreme about language learning like I admittedly am.

        How’s all this working out for me?

        I can say: it works! My general health is better now than it was decades ago. I’ve personally focused a lot on reducing inflammation, and that really pays dividends when it comes to the rest of health. I didn’t talk about it above, but focusing on my sleep regularity and quality has helped a lot too.

        In terms of measurable results, I recently had a general wellness checkup done by means of a comprehensive panel of 14 blood tests, and various physical metrics (BMI, body fat %, blood pressure, etc), and per those, I could not be in better health; it was as though I had cheated and written in all the best answers. I say this not to brag (you don’t know me, after all), but rather to say: it can be done!

        Even without extreme resources, and without an abundance of free time, etc, it can be done!

        Caveat: if you have some currently incurable chronic disease, there may be some limits. For example, if you have Type 1 Diabetes, probably your HbA1c* is going to be a little off even if you do everything right.

        *HbA1c = glycated hemoglobin, a very accurate measure of what your blood glucose has been on average for the past 2–3 months—why 2–3 months? Because that’s the approximate lifespan of a red blood cell, and we’re measuring how much hemoglobin (in the red blood cells) has been glycated (because of blood glucose).

        In summary

        The stuff we write about at 10almonds can be implemented, on a modest budget and while juggling responsibilities (work, family, classes, etc).

        I’m not saying that my lifestyle should be everyone’s template, but it’s at least an example of one that can work.

        • Maybe you hate walking and love swimming.
        • Maybe you have no wish to give up fish and eggs, say (both of which are fine/good in moderation healthwise).
        • Maybe you have different priorities with supplements.
        • Maybe you find language-learning uninteresting but take singing lessons.
        • And so on.

        In the absolute fewest words, the real template is:

        1. Decide your health priorities (what matters most for you)
        2. Look them up on 10almonds
        3. Put the things into action in a way that works for you!

        Take care!

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      • Achieve optimal fitness after 40 with the support of a dedicated community of subscribers. Discover effective strategies, including incorporating 10 almonds into your daily routine, to enhance your overall health and well

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        A: Hormones are complicated and often it’s not a simple matter of higher or lower levels! It can also be a matter of…

        • how your body converts one thing into another
        • how your body responds (or not) to something according to how the relevant hormone’s receptors are doing
        • …and whether there’s anything else blocking those receptors.

        All this to say: spearmint categorically is an anti-androgen, but the mechanism of action remains uncertain.

        Panax ginseng, meanwhile, is one of the most well-established mysteries in herbal medicine.

        Paradoxically, it seems to improve both male and female hormonal regulation, despite being more commonly associated with the former.

        But it also…

        Bottom line: Panax ginseng is popularly taken to improve natural hormone function, a task at which it appears to excel.

        Scientists are still working out exactly how it does the many things it appears to do.

        Progress has been made, and it clearly is science rather than witchcraft, but there are still far more unanswered questions than resolved ones!

        Q: I like that the quizzes (I’ve done two so far) give immediate results , with no “give us your email to get your results”. Thanks!

        A: You’re welcome! That’s one of the factors that influences what things we include here! Our mission statement is “to make health and productivity crazy simple”, and the unwritten part of that is making sure to save your time and energy wherever we reasonably can!

        Q: Do you know if adrafanil is as good as modafinil? It seems to be a lot cheaper for the same result?

        A: Adrafinil is the pro-drug of modafinil. What this means is that if you take it, your own liver will use it to make modafinil inside you. So the end result is chemically the same drug.

        As to whether it’s as good, it depends what you need. It’s worth noting that anything that taxes liver function can be harmful if you take too much, and/or your liver is already strained for some reason.

        If in doubt, consult a doctor! And if it’s something that’s accessible to you, a recent lipids test (a kind of blood test that checks your liver health) is always a good thing to have.

        Q: Would love to see your take on polyphasic sleep!

        A: Watch this space

        Don’t Forget…

        Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!

        Learn to Age Gracefully

        Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:

      • Parsley vs Spinach – Which is Healthier?

        10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

        Our Verdict

        When comparing parsley to spinach, we picked the parsley.

        Why?

        First of all, writer’s anecdote: today’s choice brought to you by a real decision here in my household! You see, a certain dish I sometimes prepare (it’s just a wrap-based dish, nothing fancy) requires a greenery component, and historically I’ve used kale or spinach. Of those two, I prefer kale while my son, who lives (and dines) with me, prefers spinach. However, we both like parsley equally, so I’m going to use that today. But I was curious about how it performed nutritionally, hence today’s comparison!

        Ok, now for the stats…

        In terms of macros, the only difference is that parsley has more fiber and carbs, for an approximately equal glycemic index, so we’ll go with the one with the highest total fiber, which is parsley.

        In the category of vitamins, parsley has more of vitamins B3, B5, B7, B9, C, and K, while spinach has more of vitamins A, B2, B6, E, and choline. So, a marginal 6:5 win for parsley (and in the margins of difference are also in parsley’s favor, for example parsley has 13x the vitamin C, and 2x or 3x the other vitamins it won with, while spinach boasts 2x for some vitamins, and only 1.2x or 1.5x the others).

        When it comes to minerals, parsley has more iron, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc, while spinach has more copper, magnesium, manganese, and selenium. So, a 4:4 tie on these.

        In terms of phytochemicals, parsley has a much higher polyphenol content (that’s good) while spinach has a much higher oxalate content (that’s neutral for most people, but bad if you have certain kidney problems). So, another win for parsley.

        Adding up the sections makes a clear overall win for parsley, but by all means enjoy either or both, unless you are avoiding oxalates, in which case, the oxalates in spinach can be reduced by cooking, but honestly, for most dishes you might as well just pick a different greens option (like parsley, or collard greens if you want something closer to the culinary experience of eating spinach).

        Want to learn more?

        You might like:

        Invigorating Sabzi Khordan ← another great way to enjoy parsley as main ingredient rather than just a seasoning

        Enjoy!

        Don’t Forget…

        Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!

        Learn to Age Gracefully

        Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails: