Under Pressure: A Guide To Controlling High Blood Pressure – by Dr. Frita Fisher
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Hypertension kills a lot of people, and does so with little warning—it can be asymptomatic before it gets severe enough to cause harm, and once it causes harm, well, one heart attack or stroke is already one too many.
Aimed more squarely at people in the 35–45 danger zone (young enough to not be getting regular blood pressure checks, old enough that it may have been building up for decades), this is a very good primer on blood pressure, factors affecting it, what goes wrong, what to do about it, and how to make a good strategy for managing it for life.
The style is easy-reading, making this short (91 pages) book a very quick read, but an informative one.
Bottom line: if you are already quite knowledgeable about blood pressure and blood pressure management, this one’s probably not for you. But if you’re in the category of “what do those numbers mean again?”, then this is a very handy book to have, to get you up to speed so that you can handle things as appropriate.
Click here to check out Under Pressure, and get/keep yours under control!
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How To Rebuild Your Cartilage
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We’ve covered before the topic of wear-and-tear on joints such as:
Avoiding/Managing Osteoarthritis
But what of cartilage, in particular? A common belief is “once it’s gone, it’s gone”, but that’s not quite right.
Cartilage is living tissue (metabolically active, with living cells). Within this tissue, specialist cells called chondrocytes produce extracellular cartilage matrix and collagen fibers, which provide smooth joint gliding as well as shock absorption.
Is exercise good or bad for cartilage?
Yes, yes it is. Exercise is good or bad for cartilage depending on the details:
- High-impact exercise e.g. running, jumping) places stress on cartilage, which is broadly bad
- However, impact loading strengthens the subchondral bone plate (layer under cartilage)
Strengthening this bone layer can help in long-term adaptation for high-impact sports.
See also: Resistance Is Useful! (Especially As We Get Older)
So, how to do that without wiping out your cartilage first?
Building up
A gradual process is what’s called-for here:
- Start with cyclic, non-impact moderate resistance exercises (e.g. cycling, rowing, swimming).
- Gradually add soft-impact loading (e.g. fast walking, soft jogging).
- Incorporate strength training to improve overall joint stability (e.g. leg press, for lower body joints)
- Slowly transition to running and jumping over a long period to allow tissues to adapt.
How exactly you go about that is a matter of personal taste, but here are some illustrative examples:
- Indoor* cycling
- Cross trainer
- Leg press machine
- Tennis
*Why indoor? It’s so that you can control the resistance level at the twist of a knob, and get on and off when you want.
See also: Treadmill vs Road ← for similar considerations when it comes to walking/running. Outdoor definitely has its advantages, but so does indoor!
And the very related: How To Do HIIT (Without Wrecking Your Body)
Note that HIIT is High Intensity Interval Training, not High Impact Interval Training!
Strength from the inside
One of the most important things for cartilage is collagen. You can supplement that, or if you’re vegetarian/vegan, you can take its constituent parts to improve your own synthesis of it.
See: Collagen For Your Skin, Joints, & Bones: We Are Such Stuff As Fish Are Made Of
Another supplement that can be helpful is glucosamine & chondroitin, which is best taken alongside a good omega-3 intake:
Want to know more?
This book is technically about (re)building strength and mobility in the case of arthritis specifically, but if your joints have more wear than you’d like, you may find this one an invaluable resource:
Take care!
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Encyclopedia Of Herbal Medicine – by Andrew Chevallier
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A common problem with a lot of herbal medicine is it’s “based on traditional use only”, while on the other hand, learning about the actual science of it can mean poring through stacks of Randomized Clinical Trials, half of which are paywalled.
This beautifully and clearly-illustrated book bridges that gap. It gives not just the history, but also the science, of the use of many medicinal herbs (spotlight on 100 key ones; details on 450 more).
It gives advice on growing, harvesting, processing, and using the herbs, as well as what not to do (with regard to safety). And in case you don’t fancy yourself a gardener, you’ll also find advice on places one can buy herbs, and what you’ll need to know to choose them well (controlling for quality etc).
You can read it cover-to-cover, or look up what you need by plant in its general index, or by ailment (200 common ailments listed). As for its bibliography, it does list many textbooks, but not individual papers—though it does cite 12 popular scientific journals too.
Bottom line: if you want a good, science-based, one-stop book for herbal medicine, this is a top-tier choice.
Click here to check out the Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, and expand your home remedy repertoire!
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Feta Cheese vs Mozzarella – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing feta to mozzarella, we picked the mozzarella.
Why?
There are possible arguments for both, but there are a couple of factors that we think tip the balance.
In terms of macronutrients, feta has more fat, of which, more saturated fat, and more cholesterol. Meanwhile, mozzarella has about twice the protein, which is substantial for a cheese. So this section’s a fair win for mozzarella.
In the category of vitamins, however, feta wins with more of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12, D, & E. In contrast, mozzarella boasts only a little more vitamin A and choline. An easy win for feta in this section.
When it comes to minerals, the matter is decided, we say. Mozzarella has more calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium, while feta has more copper, iron, and (which counts against it) sodium. A win for mozzarella.
About that sodium… A cup of mozzarella contains about 3% of the RDA of sodium, while a cup of feta contains about 120% of the RDA of sodium. You see the problem? So, while mozzarella was already winning based on adding up the previous categories, the sodium content alone is a reason to choose mozzarella for your salad rather than feta.
That settles it, but just before we close, we’ll mention that they do both have great gut-healthy properties, containing healthy probiotics.
In short: if it weren’t for the difference in sodium content, this would be a narrow win for mozzarella. As it is, however, it’s a clear win.
Want to learn more?
You might like to read:
- Making Friends With Your Gut (You Can Thank Us Later)
- Is Dairy Scary? ← the answer is “it can be, but it depends on the product, and some are healthy; the key is in knowing which”
- How Too Much Salt May Lead To Organ Failure
Take care!
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Tooth Remineralization: How To Heal Your Teeth Naturally
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.
Dr. Michelle Jorgensen, dentist, explains:
The bare-bones details:
Teeth cannot be regrown (yet!) but can be remineralized, which simply involves restoring lost minerals. When we’re talking about health, “minerals” is usually used to mean elemental minerals, like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, etc, but the specific mineral that’s needed here is hydroxyapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral, the same as is found in bones).
Not only can acids from food and bacteria dissolve the minerals from the teeth, but also, the body itself may extract minerals from the teeth if it needs them for other functions it considers more critical and/or more urgent.
Cavities occur when acids create porous holes in teeth by dissolving minerals, which allows bacteria to invade, which means more acid, and cavities.
Remineralization can be achieved by doing the following things:
- Use hydroxyapatite-based products (tooth powder, mouthwash).
- Improve gut health to ensure proper mineral absorption.
- Reduce acidic food and drink intake.
- Maintain good oral hygiene to prevent bacteria build-up.
- Eat foods rich in vitamins A, D, E, and K, which help direct minerals to teeth and bones.
For more on all of the above, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like to read:
- Less Common Oral Hygiene Options
- Fluoride Toothpaste vs Non-Fluoride Toothpaste – Which is Healthier?
Take care!
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Coenzyme Q10 From Foods & Supplements
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Coenzyme Q10 and the difference it makes
Coenzyme Q10, often abbreviated to CoQ10, is a popular supplement, and is often one of the more expensive supplements that’s commonly found on supermarket shelves as opposed to having to go to more specialist stores or looking online.
What is it?
It’s a compound naturally made in the human body and stored in mitochondria. Now, everyone remembers the main job of mitochondria (producing energy), but they also protect cells from oxidative stress, among other things. In other words, aging.
Like many things, CoQ10 production slows as we age. So after a certain age, often around 45 but lifestyle factors can push it either way, it can start to make sense to supplement.
Does it work?
The short answer is “yes”, though we’ll do a quick breakdown of some main benefits, and studies for such, before moving on.
First, do bear in mind that CoQ10 comes in two main forms, ubiquinol and ubiquinone.
Ubiquinol is much more easily-used by the body, so that’s the one you want. Here be science:
What is it good for?
Benefits include:
- Against aging
- Against skin cancer
- Against breast cancer
- Against prostate cancer
- Against heart failure
- Against obesity
- Against diabetes
- Against Alzheimer’s
- Against Parkinson’s
Can we get it from foods?
Yes, and it’s equally well-absorbed through foods or supplementation, so feel free to go with whichever is more convenient for you.
Read: Intestinal absorption of coenzyme Q10 administered in a meal or as capsules to healthy subjects
If you do want to get it from food, you can get it from many places:
- Organ meats: the top source, though many don’t want to eat them, either because they don’t like them or some of us just don’t eat meat. If you do, though, top choices include the heart, liver, and kidneys.
- Fatty fish: sardines are up top, along with mackerel, herring, and trout
- Vegetables: leafy greens, and cruciferous vegetables e.g. cauliflower, broccoli, sprouts
- Legumes: for example soy, lentils, peanuts
- Nuts and seeds: pistachios come up top; sesame seeds are great too
- Fruit: strawberries come up top; oranges are great too
If supplementing, how much is good?
Most studies have used doses in the 100mg–200mg (per day) range.
However, it’s also been found to be safe at 1200mg (per day), for example in this high-quality study that found that higher doses resulted in greater benefit, in patients with early Parkinson’s Disease:
Effects of coenzyme Q10 in early Parkinson disease: evidence of slowing of the functional decline
Wondering where you can get it?
We don’t sell it (or anything else for that matter), and you can probably find it in your local supermarket or health food store. However, if you’d like to buy it online, here’s an example product on Amazon
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Buckwheat vs Oats – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing buckwheat to oats, we picked the oats.
Why?
First of all, for any thinking about the health concerns sometimes associated with wheat: buckwheat is not a kind of wheat, nor is it even in the same family; it’s not a grain, but a flowering plant. Buckwheat is to wheat as a lionfish is to lions.
That said, while these are both excellent foods, one of them is so good it makes the other one look bad in comparison:
In terms of macros, oats have more carbs, but also more protein and more fiber.
When it comes to vitamins, a clear winner emerges: oats have more of vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6, and B9, while buckwheat is higher in vitamin K and choline.
In the category of minerals, things are even more pronounced: oats are higher in calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. On the other hand, buckwheat is higher in selenium.
All in all: as ever, enjoy both, but if you’re picking one, oats cannot be beaten.
Want to learn more?
You might like to read:
The Best Kind Of Fiber For Overall Health?
Take care!
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