Kale Shakes

When I analyzed my diet I realized that it was lacking in vegetables. As a college student my diet is mostly on the go and dining out. I thought about where I get my veggies and it is usually lettuce/tomatoes on a sandwich. Not the best source. I follow an interesting personality on twitter named Joe Rogan, I also listen to his podcasts. He was the host of Fear Factor and is involved with the UFC; he started drinking Kale Shakes a while back and immediately felt the difference.

I will say this, I noticed a change in my energy levels. We are always hopped up on caffeine and sugar, so the Kale Shake is a good change of pace. I also noticed I was happier and more optimistic, although this could be purely psychological. The ingredients in Kale Shakes are high in antioxidants, the number one fighters against free radicals (cells that cause bad things to happen like cancer). Usually the greener the veggie the more antioxidants and kale is a dark dark green. Lets take a look at the ingredients

Ingredients for Kale Shakes:
1. 4 celery shoots
2. 1 cucumber
3. 4 large slices of pineapple
4. 4 large leaves of organic kale (if small leaves eyeball 3 handfuls)
5. 2 cups of coconut milk (you can also use water)

(other recipes found online will contain ginger, garlic, etc. feel free to add that if you like).
Of course you use a blender, I found it was best to rotate between grind/blend. Usually it took 2-3 minutes to blend it into a purely liquid state.

Kale is rich in antioxidants, Vitamin A, C, and K, calcium and iron. It also contains protein! It truly is a superfood and is one of the most nutrition dense foods. Many experts believe that kale is a great way to prevent certain cancers and inflammation.

Grass Fed Beef

This fall I started to eat grass fed beef. Whether I was cooking at home or eating out, anytime I had beef I made sure it was grass fed. The primary reason for this is grass fed beef is healthier for you and natural. Cows were meant to eat grass, not starch/corn, however many farmers feed their cows with starch because they fatten up quickly and it is cost efficient.

Grass fed beef is lean meat, meaning it has lower calories and can even lower your LDL cholesterol. Consuming grass fed beef gives you healthy fats in the form of Omega-3 fatty acids. Believe it or not fat is good for you and necessary to everyones diet. Fat is one of the best sources of energy for the body. Omega-3 fatty acids are considered brain food, they help the body respond to stress and control multiple metabolic processes.

 Now, on the flip side grain/starch fed beef are essentially being fed junk food (for cows), so how does this turn them into healthy food for humans? It doesn't, grain fed beef contains the wrong fatty acids, hormones that cause obesity and mycotoxins(biotoxins caused by mold).

Grass fed beef is not a exotic meat, nor is it reserved for the 1%, it is just not as common in the food we purchase today because farmers have a large demand for beef with population increases. Grain fed beef is a quick way to produce fat cows. Not to worry below I will list several ways to obtain grass fed beef.

In the D.C./Maryland area if you want grass fed beef when you are eating out:
1. Elevation Burger
2. Busboys and Poets

If you want to order in bulk online:
1. LogicMeatLocker

I hope this was informative to you and wish you the best in exploring grass fed beef. It truly is the healthier choice!

What about Biohacking and BioProgress?

Health is an interesting subject, it is difficult to make claims about the body when there is a long life of science behind it (aka *disclaimer* I am no expert). Humans discover new things about our body/mind everyday. Discoveries like playing an instrument adds 8 years to your life, having a dog adds 5 years and flossing as much as 7. Wait a second, I can add 20 years to my life if I participate in three activities?? No way! What about everything gives you cancer? Maggots don't eat microwaved food, why is that? You don't mean to tell me that given current regulation we wouldn't have the cure for Polio if it went through the FDA today? Why doesn't President Obama go on TV and promise we will defeat cancer within 5 years? Well shoot, that would just be bizarre, right? These of course are not really the scientific claims I was referring to. But yes, take a look at the New England Journal of Medicine and you will see that science is making progress in understanding our bodies and minds.

I recently became curious on the subject of biohacking. Pretty cool word, bio-hacking, the first thing that comes to my mind is a mischievous superman like character set to unleash contagion on the upper middle class. Kind of like a virus in the Matrix? Biohacking defined by Wikipedia is, "the art of managing one's own biology through a combination of medical, nutritional, and electronic techniques." I don't see myself getting crazy dedicated to the art, but I have been exploring several techniques/habits since the end of summer. I want to share these ideas I have been trying on this blog. So, if you are interested in improving your health inside and out and maybe waking up with more energy and less inertia, give it a read. 

In addition to biohacking techniques/ideas I want to question the "progress" we have seen in healthcare and other technologies; it might have something to do with the government. I am interested in progress, and while many believe we are headed toward the future in an ultra fast and ultra elegant fashion, I do not necessarily believe this to be true (hint: progress is not limited to computers). More on that later though.