A Deeper Dive Into Seaweed
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We wrote briefly about nori yesterday, when we compared it with well-known superfood spirulina. In nutritional terms, it blew spirulina out of the water:
Spirulina vs Nori โ Which Is Healthier?
We also previously touched on it here:
21% Stronger Bones in a Year at 62? Yes, Itโs Possible (No Calcium Supplements Needed!) โ nori was an important part of the diet enjoyed here
What is nori?
Nori is a seaweed, but that can mean lots of different things. In noriโs case, itโs an aggregate of several kinds of red algae that clump together in the sea.
When dried and/or toasted (which processes improve* the nutritional value rather than diminishing it, by the way), it looks dark green or dark purple to black in color.
*Effects of pan- and air fryer-roasting on volatile and umami compounds and antioxidant activity of dried laver (Porphyra dentata) โ this is nori, by another name
If you enjoy sushi, nori is the dark flat sheety stuff that other things are often wrapped in.
The plant that has animal nutrients
As established in the head-to-head we linked above, nori is a nutritional powerhouse. But not only is it very full of the perhaps-expected vitamins and minerals, it also contains:
Omega-3 fatty acids, including EPA, which plants do not normally have (plants usually have just ALA, which the body can convert into other forms including EPA). While ALA is versatile, having EPA in food saves the body the job of converting it, and thus makes it more readily bioavailable. For more on the benefits of this, see:
What Omega-3 Fatty Acids Really Do For Us
Iodine, which land plants donโt generally have, but seaweed usually does. However, nori contains less iodine than other kinds of seaweed, which is (counterintuitively) good, since other kinds of seaweed often contain megadoses that go too far the other way and can cause different health problems.
- Recommended daily amount of iodine: 150ยตg โ note thatโs micrograms, not milligrams
- One 10g serving of dried nori contains: 232ยตg โ this is good
- Tolerable daily upper limit of iodine: 1,100ยตg (i.e: 1.1mg)
- One 10g serving of dried kombu (kelp) contains: 13,270ยตg (i.e: 13.3mg) โ this is far too much; not good!
So: a portion of nori puts us into the healthiest spot of the range, whereas a portion of another example seaweed would put us nearly 13x over the tolerable upper limit.
For why this matters, see:
- 8 Signs Of Iodine Deficiency You Might Not Expect
- Foods For Managing Hypothyroidism (incl. Hashimotoโs)
- Eat To Beat Hyperthyroidism!
As you might note from the mentions of both hypo- and hyperthyroidism, (which are exacerbated by too little and too much iodine, respectively) hitting the iodine sweet spot is important, and nori is a great way to do that.
Vitamin B12, again not usually found in plants (most vegans supplement, often with nutritional yeast, which is technically neither an animal nor a plant). However, nori scores even higher:
Vitamin B12-Containing Plant Food Sources for Vegetarians
Beyond nutrients
Nori is also one of the few foods that actually live up the principle of a โdetox dietโ, as it can help remove toxins such as dioxins:
Detox diets for toxin elimination and weight management: a critical review of the evidence
Itโs also beenโฆ
โrevealed to have anti-aging, anti-cancer, anti-coagulant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-Alzheimer and anti-tuberculose activities.โ
~ Dr. ลรผkran รakir Arica et al.
Read: A study on the rich compounds and potential benefits of algae: A review
(for this to make sense you will need to remember that nori is, as we mentioned, an aggregate of diverse red algae species; in that paper, you can scroll down to Table 1, and see which species has which qualities. Anything whose name starts with โPorphyraโ or โPorphridumโ is found in nori)
Is it safe?
Usually! There are two potential safety issues:
- Seaweed can, while itโs busy absorbing valuable minerals from the sea, also absorb heavy metals if there are such pollutants in the region. For this reason, it is good to buy a product with trusted certifications, such that it will have been tested for such along the way.
- Seaweed can, while itโs busy absorbing things plants donโt usually have from the sea, also absorb allergens from almost-equally-small crustaceans. So if you have a seafood allergy, seaweed could potentially trigger that.
Want to try some?
We donโt sell it, but here for your convenience is an example product on Amazon ๐
Enjoy!
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Clams vs Oysters โ Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing clams to oysters, we picked the clams.
Why?
Considering the macros first, clams have more than 2x the protein, while oysters have nearly 2x the fat, of which, a little over 5x the saturated fat. So, in all accounts, clam is the winner here.
In terms of vitamins, clams have more of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12, and C, while oysters are not higher in any vitamins. Another win for clams.
The category of minerals is more balanced; clams are higher in manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and selenium, while oysters are higher in copper, iron, magnesium, and zinc. This makes for a 4:4 tie, though it’s worth noting that the margin of difference for zinc is very large, so that can be an argument for oysters.
Nevertheless, adding up the sections makes for a clear win for clams.
A quick aside on “are oysters an aphrodisiac?”:
That zinc content is probably largely responsible for oysters’ reputation as an aphrodisiac, and zinc is important in the synthesis of both estrogen and testosterone. However, as the synthesis is not instant, and those sex hormones rise most in the morning (around 8am to 9am), to enjoy aphrodisiac benefits it’d be more sensible, on a biochemical level, to eat oysters one day, and then have morning sex the next day when those hormones are peaking. That said, while testosterone is the main driver of male libido, progesterone is usually more relevant for women’s, and unlike estrogen, progesterone usually peaks around 10pm to 2am, and is uninfluenced by having just eaten oysters.
So, in what way, if any, could oysters be responsible for libido in women? Well, the zinc is still important in energy metabolism, so that’s a factor, and also, we might hypothesize that oysters’ high saturated fat and cholesterol content may increase blood pressure which, while not fabulous for the health in general, may be considered desirable in the bedroom since the clitoris is anatomically analogous to the penis, andโwhile estrogen vs testosterone makes differences to the nervous system down there that are beyond the scope of today’s articleโalso enjoys localized increased blood pressure (and thus, a flushing response and resultant engorgement) during arousal.
Want to learn more?
You might like to read:
Does Eating Shellfish Really Contribute To Gout? โ short answer is: it can if consumed frequently over a long period of time, but that risk factor is greatly overstated, compared to some other risk factors
Take care!
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Apple vs Apricot โ Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing apples to apricots, we picked the apricots.
Why?
In terms of macros, there’s not too much between them; apples have a little more carbs and fiber, but the margins are slight and we’ll call this round a tie.
Micronutrients, however, set these two fruits apart:
In the category of vitamins, apples are not higher in any vitamins, while apricots are higher in vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, C, E, and Kโin most cases, by quite large margins, too. All in all, a clear and easy win for apricots.
Looking at minerals, apples are not higher in any minerals, while apricots are higher in calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc. There’s simply no contest here.
Adding up the sections makes the conclusion clear: if an apple a day keeps the doctor away, then an apricot a day will give the doctor a nice weekend break somewhere!
Want to learn more?
You might like to read:
Top 8 Fruits That Prevent & Kill Cancer
Take care!
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How To Do A Cossack Squat
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It may not be easy at first, but the benefits are very much worth it, so hereโs how to build up to it:
Bit by bit…
Step by step:
- Split squat ankle rocks: lift the toes of your front foot, raise the heel of your back leg, and shift your weight forwards and backwards, to warm up your ankles and challenge your balance.
- Narrow squat heel lifts: bend your knees into a narrow squat and alternate lifting each heel to mobilize your ankles, while stabilizing your body in the squat position.
- Rear-leg calf stretch: extend one leg back until you feel a stretch in your calf, then lift your heel slightly, to intensify the stretch through the back of your lower leg.
- Pulsating sumo squats: take a wide stance with your toes turned out, lower into a sumo squat, and pulse up and down, to warm up your adductors and open your hips.
- Wide lateral weight shifts: keep your legs wide and shift your weight side to side while bending the knee of the working leg and keeping the opposite leg straighter, to prepare your hips for the cossack squat pattern.
- Cossack position practice: shift deeply to one side, bend that knee, keep your opposite leg straight with your toes pointing upwards, and alternate sides while controlling the position.
- Supported lateral shifts: put yoga blocks in front of you, keep your legs wide, and do deeper side-to-side shifts, using the blocks for balance and a greater range of motion.
- Supported deep squats: put yoga blocks in front of you, sink into your deepest squat with control, then stand back up, to build strength entering and exiting the bottom position.
- Floor adductor and hamstring stretch: bend one knee and extend your other leg to the side while lowering your hips to stretch your inner thigh, then straighten your bent knee, to shift the stretch into your hamstring.
- Heel-elevated deep squat: place a thin block or book under your heel and use blocks or a chair for support while lowering into a deep squat, to access deeper ranges when ankle mobility is limited.
- Heel-elevated cossack hold: keep the heel elevation, shift into a deep cossack squat with one knee bent and your other leg straight with your toes pointing upwards, and hold the position.
- Full cossack squat: remove all supports and shift side to side into a deep cossack squat using only your strength and mobility, while maintaining control at the bottom position.
Note: if you don’t have yoga blocks, something similarly-sized will do, and it can also simply be a conveniently-positioned surface such as a table or chair.
For more on all of this plus visual demonstrations in a follow-along fashion, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesnโt Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like:
Tight Hips? Stiff Back? These 5 Exercises Improve Everything โ cossack squats are in this shortlist!
Take care!
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The Power Foods Diet โ by Dr. Neal Barnard
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First, what this is not: itโs not a cookbook. There are recipes, more than a hundred if we consider such things as โbarbecue sauceโ as a standalone recipe, and if we overlook such things as how โperfect hot oatmealโ is followed on the next page by a recipe for โperfect hot oatmeal with berriesโ.
However, as we say, itโs not a cookbook; itโs first and foremost an educational text on the topic of nutrition.
Here we will learn about good eating for general health, which foods are natural appetite-suppressants, which foods reduce our bodyโs absorption of sugars from foods (not merely slowing, but flushing them away so they cannot be absorbed at all), and which foods actually boost metabolism for a few hours after the meal.
Dr. Barnard also talks about some foods that are more healthy, or less healthy, than popularly believed, and how to use all this information to craft a good, optimized, dietary plan for you.
Bottom line: thereโs a lot of good information here, and the recipes are simply a bonus.
Click here to check out The Power Foods Diet, and optimize yours!
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We Hope This Email Blows Your Tits Clean Off
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.
The Right Kind Of โEmail Hacksโ!
Are you a Gmailer or an Outlookista? Whatever your preference, youโre probably facing many of the same challenges that most of us face in our work and personal lives:
Emailโs greatest strength (its ease of accessibility) brings about its greatest problem (our inboxes are cluttered and chaotic), not to mention that each of us are usually managing a whole flock of email addresses.
Sometimes we put productivity resources up against each other; thatโs not what weโre going to do today! Each of these can play a role alongside each other; grab as many as will make your life easier:
ProtonMail: this is an email client; itโs the nicest, simplest, easiest, free email client that doesnโt track, let alone share, everything you do.
Bonus: there also exists ProtonCalendar (itโs a calendar that doesnโt share your data), ProtonDrive (itโs a cloud storage provider that doesnโt share your data) and, because theyโre indeed serious about your privacy, ProtonVPN (itโs a VPN that, of course, doesnโt share your data).
Clean Email: maybe youโre stuck with the email provider you have. It happens. But it doesnโt have to be a chaotic mess. This tool will make tidying your email (and keeping it tidy!) a simplified dream.
See How Clean Your Email Can Get With Just A Few Clicks!
Right Inbox: a Gmail extension with many useful features, including read receipts, emails scheduled for later (e.g: time your email to send at 7am to look like a morning lark when in fact youโre peacefully snoozing), add unforwardable โFor Your Eyes Onlyโ notes to emails, and more.
Power Up Your Gmail With The Right Inbox Extension!
Email Finder: find the verified work email address of any person, so long as you know what company youโre looking for them in! No more โI thought it was lastname.firstname@ and it was firstname.lastname@โ, no more โthe wrong John Smithโ, no more โundeliveredโ bounceback notices. Just: your email delivered.
Never Hear From The Mailer Daemon Again, With Email Finder!
Unroll.me: love your subscriptions, but hate the clutter? Unroll.me aggregates them for you in a virtual roll-up, with an โunrollโ button to read them.
Get What You Really Want From Your Subscriptions, With Unroll.Me!
On which note, anything youโd like to hear more of from us? Let us know! You can always just hit reply, or use the feedback widget at the bottom of this email
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6 Blood Markers That Predict Disease Years Before Symptoms Appear
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Do you have these 6 done?
When “normal” isnโt helpful
Most of the most common blood tests are designed to confirm established disease, not detect the slow, early biological drift that occurs years before symptoms appear.
Here are 6 that do better:
- High-sensitivity CRP: persistently elevated hs-CRP within the โnormalโ range reflects chronic low-grade inflammation that predicts cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and dementia long before diagnosis.
- Fasting insulin: elevated fasting insulin with normal glucose reveals early insulin resistance, a reversible stage that predicts type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and often even Alzheimerโs disease years in advance.
- ApoB: apolipoprotein B directly counts atherogenic particles and predicts heart attack and stroke risk more accurately than LDL cholesterol, especially in people with metabolic dysfunction.
- Homocysteine: raised homocysteine damages blood vessels and brain tissue, increasing risks of cardiovascular disease and dementia, and is often correctable with adequate B-vitamin status.
- HbA1c trajectory: trends and position within the normal range matter more than cut-offs, with gradual rises over years signalling worsening metabolic health and cumulative glycation damage.
- GlycA: this little-known marker reflects long-term inflammatory burden and predicts cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and mortality more strongly than many traditional tests.
Lastly, Dr. Wibberly advises us that patterns that can be noted from repeated measurements over time reveal true risk, whereas isolated โnormalโ results can hide a worsening biological trajectory.
For more on all of this, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesnโt Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like:
Early Dementia Screening From Your Blood & More
And for a much more comprehensive overview of blood tests in general:
Common Sense Labs: Blood Labs Demystified โ by Dr. Ken Berry & Kim Howerton
Take care!
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