Revealed: The Soviet Secret Recipe For Success That The CIA Admits Put The US To Shame

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Today’s edition of 10almonds brings you a blast from the past with a modern twist: an ancient Russian peasant food that became a Soviet staple, and today, is almost unknown in the West.

Before we get to that, let’s take a sneaky look at this declassified CIA memorandum from near the end of the Cold War:

(Click here to see a bigger version)

The take-away here is:

  • Americans were eating 2–3 times more meat than Soviets
  • Soviets were eating nearly double the amount of grain products and potatoes

…and both of these statistics meant that nutritionally speaking, the Soviets were doing better.

Americans also consumed more sugar and fats, which again, wasn’t the best dietary option.

But was the American diet tastier? Depends on whom you ask.

Which brings us to a literal recipe we’re going to be sharing with you today:

It’s not well-known in the West, but in Russia, it’s a famous national comfort food, a bastion of health and nutrition, and it rose to popularity because it was not only cheap and nutritious, but also, you could eat it for days without getting sick of it. And it could be easily frozen for reheating later without losing any of its appeal—it’d still be just as good.

In Russia there are sayings about it:

Щи да каша — пища наша (Shchi da kasha — pishcha nasha)

Shchi and buckwheat are what we eat

Top tip: buckwheat makes an excellent (and naturally sweet) alternative to porridge oats if prepared the same way!

Где щи, там и нас ищи (Gdye shchi, tam i nas ishchi)

Where there’s shchi, us you’ll see

Голь голью, а луковка во щах есть (Gol’ gol’yu, a lukovka vo shchakh yest’)

I’m stark naked, but there’s shchi with onions

There’s a very strong sentiment in Russia that really, all you need is shchi (shchi, shchi… shchi is all you need )

But what, you may ask, is shchi?

Our culinary cultural ambassador Nastja is here to offer her tried-and-tested recipe for…

…Russian cabbage soup (yes, really—bear with us now, and you can thank us later)

There are a lot of recipes for shchi (see for yourself what the Russian version of Lifehacker recommends), and we’ll be offering our favorite…

Nastja’s Nutritious and Delicious Homemade Shchi

Hi, Nastja here! I’m going to share with you my shchi recipe that is:

  • Cheap
  • So tasty
  • Super nutritious*
  • Vegan
  • Gluten Free

You will also need:

  • A cabbage (I use sweetheart, but any white cabbage will do)
  • 1 cup (250g) red lentils (other kinds of lentils will work too)
  • ½ lb or so (250–300g) tomatoes (I use baby plum tomatoes, but any kind will do)
  • ½ lb or so (250–300g) mushrooms (the edible kind)
  • An onion (I use a brown onion; any kind will do)
  • Salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, parsley, cumin
  • Marmite or similar yeast extract (do you hate it? Me too. Trust me, it’ll be fine, you’ll love it. Omit if you’re a coward.)
  • A little oil for sautéing (I use sunflower, but canola is fine, as is soy oil. Do not use olive oil or coconut oil, because the taste is too strong and the flashpoint too low)

First, what the French call mise-en-place, the prep work:

  1. Chop the cabbage into small strips, ⅛–¼ inch x 1 inch is a good guideline, but you can’t really go wrong unless you go to extremes
  2. Chop the tomatoes. If you’re using baby plum tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes), cut them in half. If using larger tomatoes, cut them into eighths (halve them, halve the halves, then halve the quarters)
  3. Chop the mushrooms. If using button mushrooms, half them. If using larger mushrooms, quarter them.
  4. Chop the onion finely.
  5. Gather the following kitchenware: A big pan (stock pot or similar), a sauté pan (a big wok or frying pan will do), a small frying pan (here a wok will not do), and a saucepan (a rice cook will also do)

Now, for actual cooking:

  1. Cook the red lentils until soft (I use a rice cooker, but a saucepan is fine) and set aside
  2. Sauté the cabbage, put it in the big pot (not yet on the heat!)
  3. Fry the mushrooms, put them in the big pot (still not yet on the heat!)

When you’ve done this a few times and/or if you’re feeling confident, you can do the above simultaneously to save time

  1. Blend the lentils into the water you cooked them in, and then add to the big pot.
  2. Turn the heat on low, and if necessary, add more water to make it into a rich soup
  3. Add the seasonings to taste, except the parsley. Go easy on the cumin, be generous with the rosemary and thyme, let your heart guide you with the salt and pepper.
  4. When it comes to the yeast extract: add about one teaspoon and stir it into the pot. Even if you don’t like Marmite, it barely changes the flavour (makes it slightly richer) and adds a healthy dose of vitamin B12.

We did not forget the tomatoes and the onion:

  1. Caramelize the onion (keep an eye on the big pot) and set it aside
  2. Fry the tomatoes and add them to the big pot

Last but definitely not least:

  1. Serve!
  2. The caramelized onion is a garnish, so put a little on top of each bowl of shchi
  3. The parsley is also a garnish, just add a little

Any shchi you don’t eat today will keep in the fridge for several days, or in the freezer for much longer.

*That nutritious goodness I talked about? Check it out:

  • Lentils are high in protein and iron
  • Cabbage is high in vitamin C and calcium
  • Mushrooms are high in magnesium
  • Tomatoes are good against inflammation
  • Black pepper has a host of health benefits
  • Yeast extract contains vitamin B12

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    Do we need animal products for our health? The science suggests that humans are adaptable when it comes to diet, but red and processed meats should be avoided for optimal health.

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  • Grain Brain – by Dr. David Perlmutter

    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.

    If you’re a regular 10almonds reader, you probably know that refined flour, and processed food in general, is not great for the health. So, what does this book offer more?

    Dr. Perlmutter sets out the case against (as the subtitle suggests) wheat, carbs, and sugar. Yes, including wholegrain wheat, and including starchy vegetables such as potatoes and parsnips. Fruit does also come under scrutiny, a clear distinction is made between whole fruits and juices. In the latter case, the lack of fiber (along with the more readily absorbable liquid state) allows for those sugars to zip straight into our blood.

    The book includes lots of stats and facts, and many study citations, along with infographics and clear explanations.

    If the book has a weakness, it’s when it forgets to clarify something that was obvious to the author. For example, when he talks about our ancestors’ diets being 75% fat and 5% carbs, he neglects to mention that this is 75% by calorie count, not by mass or volume. This makes a huge difference! It’s the difference between a fat-guzzling engine, and someone who eats mostly fruit and oily nuts but also some very high-fat meat/organs.

    The book’s strengths, on the other hand, are found in its explanation, backed by good science, of what wheat, along with excessive carbohydrates (especially sugar) can do to our body, including (and most focusedly, hence the title) our brain, leading the way to not just obvious metabolic disorders like diabetes, but also inflammatory diseases like Alzheimer’s.

    Bottom line: you don’t have to completely revamp your diet if it’s working for you, but data is data, and this book has lots, making it well-worth a read.

    Click here to check out Grain Brain, and learn about how to avoid inflaming yours!

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  • What Happens To Your Body When You Do 100 Glute Bridges Every Day

    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.

    Not just for a sculpted butt:

    Benefits

    With consistent daily glute bridge practice, you may expect:

    • Rounder, toned butt: targets the gluteus maximus, toning and lifting the butt for a rounder appearance.
    • Improved posture: strengthens glutes to support the spine and pelvis, alleviating lower back and hip pain. Stretches tight hip flexors from prolonged sitting.
    • Stronger lower back: glutes support the lower back and spine, reducing pain and making it easier to lift heavy objects. Activating the glutes transfers force from legs to core, preventing injuries.
    • Stronger knees: stabilizes the knee joint and promotes alignment by engaging glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, reducing knee pain.
    • Sculpted hamstrings: contracts hamstrings during lifts for strength, while stretching them on the way down increases flexibility.
    • Increased hip flexibility: strengthens muscles around the hip joint, improving mobility and counteracting tight hips from sedentary habits.
    • Reduced back pain: strengthens glutes to correct pelvic tilt and reduce strain on the lower back.
    • Faster running speed: improves hip extension, strengthens hamstrings, and activates the gluteus medius for better running power and balance.
    • Enhanced strength training performance: strengthens glutes, back, and knees, improving performance in exercises like squats and deadlifts.

    As for how to get going, the video offers the following very sound advice: begin with 25–30 reps per session and gradually increase to sets of 100 daily. It should take about 5 minutes (that’s 3 seconds per repetition). Results can be seen in as little as 2 weeks, with significant changes after a month of consistent practice.

    For more on all of this plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:

    Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!

    Want to learn more?

    You might also like to read:

    Strong Curves: A Woman’s Guide to Building a Better Butt and Body – by Bret Contreras & Kellie Davis

    Take care!

    Share This Post

  • Thinking, Fast and Slow – by Dr. Daniel Kahneman

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    We all try to make the best decisions we can with the information available… Don’t we?

    Yet, somehow, a survival chance of 90% seems better than a mortality rate of 10%, and as it turns out, we as fallible humans are prey to all manner of dubious heuristics.

    Nobel Prize winner Dr. Daniel Kahneman lays out for us two sytems of thought process:

    • Fast, intuitive, emotional
    • Slow, deliberate, logical

    He makes the case for how and why we do need both, but often end up using the wrong one. He notes how the first is required for efficiency, or we would spend all day deciding what socks to wear… The second, meanwhile, is required for high-stakes decisions, but is lazy by nature, and often we don’t engage it when we ought to.

    Over the course of many diverse examples, Dr. Kahneman shows how again and again, the second system is slowly cogitating at the back of the class, while the first system is bouncing up and down with its hand in the air saying “I know! I know!”, even when, in fact, it does not know.

    For a book largely founded in economics (it’s a massive takedown of the notion of the rational consumer), it is not at all dry, and is very readable in style. It’s engaging throughout, and readers far removed from Wall Street will find plenty of ways it relates to our everyday lives.

    Bottom line: if you’d like to avoid making many mistakes in what you’d assumed to be rational decisions, this book is critical reading.

    Click here to check out “Thinking, Fast And Slow”, and enjoy the results of better decisions!

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Related Posts

  • No, your aches and pains don’t get worse in the cold. So why do we think they do?
  • How old’s too old to be a doctor? Why GPs and surgeons over 70 may need a health check to practise

    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.

    A growing number of complaints against older doctors has prompted the Medical Board of Australia to announce today that it’s reviewing how doctors aged 70 or older are regulated. Two new options are on the table.

    The first would require doctors over 70 to undergo a detailed health assessment to determine their current and future “fitness to practise” in their particular area of medicine.

    The second would require only general health checks for doctors over 70.

    A third option acknowledges existing rules requiring doctors to maintain their health and competence. As part of their professional code of conduct, doctors must seek independent medical and psychological care to prevent harming themselves and their patients. So, this third option would maintain the status quo.

    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Haven’t we moved on from set retirement ages?

    It might be surprising that stricter oversight of older doctors’ performance is proposed now. Critics of mandatory retirement ages in other fields – for judges, for instance – have long questioned whether these rules are “still valid in a modern society”.

    However, unlike judges, doctors are already required to renew their registration annually to practise. This allows the Medical Board of Australia not only to access sound data about the prevalence and activity of older practitioners, but to assess their eligibility regularly and to conduct performance assessments if and when they are needed.

    What has prompted these proposals?

    This latest proposal identifies several emerging concerns about older doctors. These are grounded in external research about the effect of age on doctors’ competence as well as the regulator’s internal data showing surges of complaints about older doctors in recent years.

    Studies of medical competence in ageing doctors show variable results. However, the Medical Board of Australia’s consultation document emphasises studies of neurocognitive loss. It explains how physical and cognitive impairment can lead to poor record-keeping, improper prescribing, as well as disruptive behaviour.

    The other issue is the number of patient complaints against older doctors. These “notifications” have surged in recent years, as have the number of disciplinary actions against older doctors.

    In 2022–2023, the Medical Board of Australia took disciplinary action against older doctors about 1.7 times more often than for doctors under 70.

    In 2023, notifications against doctors over 70 were 81% higher than for the under 70s. In that year, patients sent 485 notifications to the Medical Board of Australia about older doctors – up from 189 in 2015.

    While older doctors make up only about 5.3% of the doctor workforce in Australia (less than 1% over 80), this only makes the high numbers of complaints more starkly disproportionate.

    It’s for these reasons that the Medical Board of Australia has determined it should take further regulatory action to safeguard the health of patients.

    So what distinguishes the two new proposed options?

    The “fitness to practise” assessment option would entail a rigorous assessment of doctors over 70 based on their specialisation. It would be required every three years after the age of 70 and every year after 80.

    Surgeons, for example, would be assessed by an independent occupational physician for dexterity, sight and the ability to give clinical instructions.

    Importantly, the results of these assessments would usually be confidential between the assessor and the doctor. Only doctors who were found to pose a substantial risk to the public, which was not being managed, would be obliged to report their health condition to the Medical Board of Australia.

    The second option would be a more general health check not linked to the doctor’s specific role. It would occur at the same intervals as the “fitness to practise” assessment. However, its purpose would be merely to promote good health-care decision-making among health practitioners. There would be no general obligation on a doctor to report the results to the Medical Board of Australia.

    In practice, both of these proposals appear to allow doctors to manage their own general health confidentially.

    Surgeons operating in theatre
    Older surgeons could be independently assessed for dexterity, sight and the ability to give clinical instructions. worradirek/Shutterstock

    The law tends to prioritise patient safety

    All state versions of the legal regime regulating doctors, known as the National Accreditation and Registration Scheme, include a “paramountcy” provision. That provision basically says patient safety is paramount and trumps all other considerations.

    As with legal regimes regulating childcare, health practitioner regulation prioritises the health and safety of the person receiving the care over the rights of the licensed professional.

    Complicating this further, is the fact that a longstanding principle of health practitioner regulation has been that doctors should not be “punished” for errors in practice.

    All of this means that reforms of this nature can be difficult to introduce and that the balance between patient safety and professional entitlements must be handled with care.

    Could these proposals amount to age discrimination?

    It is premature to analyse the legal implications of these proposals. So it’s difficult to say how these proposals interact with Commonwealth age- and other anti-discrimination laws.

    For instance, one complication is that the federal age discrimination statute includes an exemption to allow “qualifying bodies” such as the Medical Board of Australia to discriminate against older professionals who are “unable to carry out the inherent requirements of the profession, trade or occupation because of his or her age”.

    In broader terms, a licence to practise medicine is often compared to a licence to drive or pilot an aircraft. Despite claims of discrimination, New South Wales law requires older drivers to undergo a medical assessment every year; and similar requirements affect older pilots and air traffic controllers.

    Where to from here?

    When changes are proposed to health practitioner regulation, there is typically much media attention followed by a consultation and behind-the-scenes negotiation process. This issue is no different.

    How will doctors respond to the proposed changes? It’s too soon to say. If the proposals are implemented, it’s possible some older doctors might retire rather than undergo these mandatory health assessments. Some may argue that encouraging more older doctors to retire is precisely the point of these proposals. However, others have suggested this would only exacerbate shortages in the health-care workforce.

    The proposals are open for public comment until October 4.

    Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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  • Why are people on TikTok talking about going for a ‘fart walk’? A gastroenterologist weighs in

    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.

    “Fart walks” have become a cultural phenomenon, after a woman named Mairlyn Smith posted online a now-viral video about how she and her husband go on walks about 60 minutes after dinner and release their gas.

    Smith, known on TikTok as @mairlynthequeenoffibre and @mairlynsmith on Instagram, has since appeared on myriad TV and press interviews extolling the benefits of a fart walk. Countless TikTok and Instagram users and have now shared their own experiences of feeling better after taking up the #fartwalk habit.

    So what’s the evidence behind the fart walk? And what’s the best way to do it?

    CandyBox Images/Shutterstock

    Exercise can help get the gas out

    We know exercise can help relieve bloating by getting gas moving and out of our bodies.

    Researchers from Barcelona, Spain in 2006 asked eight patients complaining of bloating, seven of whom had irritable bowel syndrome, to avoid “gassy” foods such as beans for two days and to fast for eight hours before their study.

    Each patient was asked to sit in an armchair, in order to avoid any effects of body position on the movement of gas. Gas was pumped directly into their small bowel via a thin plastic tube that went down their mouth, and the gas expelled from the body was collected into a bag via a tube placed in the rectum. This way, the researchers could determine how much gas was retained in the gut.

    The patients were then asked to pedal on a modified exercise bike while remaining seated in their armchairs.

    The researchers found that much less gas was retained in the patients’ gut when they exercised. They determined exercise probably helped the movement and release of intestinal gas.

    Walking may have another bonus; it may trigger a nerve reflex that helps propel foods and gas contents through the gut.

    Walking can also increase internal abdominal pressure as you use your abdominal muscles to stay upright and balance as you walk. This pressure on the colon helps to push intestinal gas out.

    Proper fart walk technique

    One study from Iran studied the effects of walking in 94 individuals with bloating.

    They asked participants to carry out ten to 15 minutes of slow walking (about 1,000 steps) after eating lunch and dinner. They filled out gut symptom questionnaires before starting the program and again at the end of the four week program.

    The researchers found walking after meals resulted in improvements to gut symptoms such as belching, farting, bloating and abdominal discomfort.

    Now for the crucial part: in the Iranian study, there was a particular way in which participants were advised to walk. They were asked to clasp hands together behind their back and to flex their neck forward.

    The clasped hands posture leads to more internal abdominal pressure and therefore more gentle squeezing out of gas from the colon. The flexed neck posture decreases the swallowing of air during walking.

    This therefore is the proper fart walk technique, based on science.

    A woman walks with her hands clasped behind her back
    Could walking with your hands behind your back yield better or more farts? candy candy/Shutterstock

    What about constipation?

    A fart walk can help with constipation.

    One study involved middle aged inactive patients with chronic constipation, who did a 12 week program of brisk walking at least 30 minutes a day – combined with 11 minutes of strength and flexibility exercises.

    This program, the researchers found, improved constipation symptoms through reduced straining, less hard stools and more complete evacuation.

    It also appears that the more you walk the better the benefits for gut symptoms.

    In patients with irritable bowel syndrome, one study increasing the daily step count to 9,500 steps from 4,000 steps led to a 50% reduction in the severity of their symptoms.

    And just 30 minutes of a fart walk has been shown to improve blood sugar levels after eating.

    Two people go for a walk.
    Walking after eating can help keep your blood sugar levels under control. IndianFaces/Shutterstock

    What if I can’t get outside the house?

    If getting outside the house after dinner is impossible, could you try walking slowly on a treadmill or around the house for 1,000 steps?

    If not, perhaps you could borrow an idea from the Barcelona research: sit back in an armchair and pedal using a modified exercise bike. Any type of exercise is better than none.

    Whatever you do, don’t be a couch potato! Research has found more leisure screen time is linked to a greater risk of developing gut diseases.

    We also know physical inactivity during leisure time and eating irregular meals are linked to a higher risk of abdominal pain, bloating and altered bowel motions.

    Try the fart walk today

    It may not be for everyone but this simple physical activity does have good evidence behind it. A fart walk can improve common symptoms such as bloating, abdominal discomfort and constipation.

    It can even help lower blood sugar levels after eating.

    Will you be trying a fart walk today?

    Vincent Ho, Associate Professor and clinical academic gastroenterologist, Western Sydney University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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  • Healthy Relationship, Healthy Life

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    Only One Kind Of Relationship Promotes Longevity This Much!

    One of the well-established keys of a long healthy life is being in a fulfilling relationship. That’s not to say that one can’t be single and happy and fulfilled—one totally can. But statistically, those who live longest, do so in happy, fulfilling, committed relationships.

    Note: happy, fulfilling, committed relationships. Less than that won’t do. Your insurance company might care about your marital status for its own sake, but your actual health doesn’t—it’s about the emotional safety and security that a good, healthy, happy, fulfilling relationship offers.

    How to keep the “love coals” warm

    When “new relationship energy” subsides and we’ve made our way hand-in-hand through the “honeymoon period”, what next? For many, a life of routine. And that’s not intrinsically bad—routine itself can be comforting! But for love to work, according to relational psychologists, it also needs something a little more.

    What things? Let’s break it down…

    Bids for connection—and responsiveness to same

    There’s an oft-quoted story about a person who knew their marriage was over when their spouse wouldn’t come look at their tomatoes. That may seem overblown, but…

    When we care about someone, we want to share our life with them. Not just in the sense of cohabitation and taxes, but in the sense of:

    • Little moments of joy
    • Things we learned
    • Things we saw
    • Things we did

    …and there’s someone we’re first to go to share these things with. And when we do, that’s a “bid for connection”. It’s important that we:

    • Make bids for connection frequently
    • Respond appropriately to our partner’s bids for connection

    Of course, we cannot always give everything our full attention. But whenever we can, we should show as much genuine interest as we can.

    Keep asking the important questions

    Not just “what shall we have for dinner?”, but:

    • “What’s a life dream that you have at the moment?”
    • “What are the most important things in life?”
    • “What would you regret not doing, if you never got the chance?”

    …and so forth. Even after many years with a partner, the answers can sometimes surprise us. Not because we don’t know our partners, but because the answers can change with time, and sometimes we can even surprise ourselves, if it’s a question we haven’t considered for a while.

    It’s good to learn and grow like this together—and to keep doing so!

    Express gratitude/appreciation

    For the little things as well as the big:

    • Thank you for staying by my side during life’s storms
    • Thank you for bringing me a coffee
    • Thank you for taking on these responsibilities with me
    • I really appreciate your DIY skills
    • I really appreciate your understanding nature

    On which note…

    Compliment, often and sincerely

    Most importantly, compliment things intrinsic to their character, not just peripheral attributes like appearance, and also not just what they do for you.

    • You’re such a patient person; I really admire that
    • I really hit the jackpot to get someone I can trust so completely as you
    • You are the kindest and sweetest soul I have ever encountered in life
    • I love that you have such a blend of strength and compassion
    • Your unwavering dedication to your personal values makes me so proud

    …whatever goes for your partner and how you see them and what you love about them!

    Express your needs, and ask about theirs

    We’re none of us mind-readers, and it’s easy to languish in “if they really cared, I wouldn’t have to ask”, or conversely, “if they wanted something, they would surely say so”.

    Communicate. Effectively. Life is too short to waste in miscommunication and unsaid things!

    We covered much more detailed how-tos of this in a previous issue, but good double-whammy of top tier communication is:

    • “I need…” / “Please will you…”
    • “What do you need?” / “How can I help?”

    Touch. Often.

    It takes about 20 seconds of sustained contact for oxytocin to take effect, so remember that when you hug your partner, hold hands when walking, or cuddle up the sofa.

    Have regular date nights

    It doesn’t have to be fancy. A date night can be cooking together, it can be watching a movie together at home. It can be having a scheduled time to each bring a “big question” or five, from what we talked about above!

    Most importantly: it’s a planned shared experience where the intent is to enjoy each other’s romantic company, and have a focus on each other. Having a regularly recurring date night, be it the last day of each month, or every second Saturday, or every Friday night, whatever your schedules allow, makes such a big difference to feel you are indeed “dating” and in the full flushes of love—not merely cohabiting pleasantly.

    Want ideas?

    Check out these:

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