Posts

Showing posts from May 8, 2017

Poop 101: A Guide to Gut Health, Common Problems, and Simple Solutions

Image
Guest post by: Ben Greenfield   Although it’s not the sexiest thing in the world, we’re going to talk about poop. If you don’t already look in the toilet after going number two, it’s time to start. The state of your poop can tell you a plethora of things about your health, with no extra money or effort required. Just get over the whole looking at your own poop thing. In this article, I’m going to tell you about the characteristics of healthy and unhealthy poop, what it can tell you about your health, some of the common causes of unhealthy poop, and a few tips you can use to increase the health of your stool and your digestive system. Scientists are continuing to learn that the gastrointestinal tract (and the bacterial colonies within) has a direct role in conditions ranging from emotional disorders like depression and schizophrenia, brain function, food sensitivities and allergies, inflammation, digestive function, and more. The thing is, sometimes there are no clear signs that so

Sunday In Sports & Meals

Image
^^Typical morning happenings. Note the laundry bag transportation and Star Wars chest tattoo! We started the day with oatmeal in a jar!! It was quite chilly out, and warm oatmeal sounded like the perfect start. I whipped in some bananas, added chia seeds and cinnamon, and served it with the rest of this Sunbutter jar. I also stirred in a little powdered vanilla peanut butter, which totally took this over the top good! World’s most appetizing photo –> Did you notice my blog’s new redesign!?! I made subtle changes to the header and sidebar, but I am SO into them! For the longest time I was digging grays, marble, muted colors, watercolor, and subtle sparkle, but lately I’ve been in the mood to brighten things up. You guys have felt that shift, I am sure! I also brought back food photos in the header, something I ditched a long time ago when I was going for a cleaner look. Now I’m really liking them! Refer to this post to see lots of my old headers! #fullcircle So that’s how I

Just the 10 of Us

Image
The wolf pack was reunited this past weekend, and it was glorious!!! Dave and Marie, their two girls, and two dogs stayed with us on Saturday night, so we had quite the full house.  Just the seven of us (remember when we lived with Dave and Marie?) is now just the TEN of us . It’s crazy how different life is nowadays when we all get together, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world! Dave and Marie and their girls (and dogs) arrived at our house with (early) birthday presents for Quinn since they can’t make it to his party next month. How sweet is that?! They’re such good friends. Qman was so excited when he realized the “prizes” were for him and immediately went to get his scissors. Inside was an awesome  dump truck and trencher , which Qman was so  pumped about– he loves all things construction nowadays! And the vehicles are  Tonka brand and made of steel, so they’re perfect for upcoming outdoor play this spring/summer/fall. Thanks, Dave and Marie + family! Once everyone got

Dear Mark: Testosterone and Marriage, Dangerous Gluten-Free Diets

Image
For today’s edition of Dear Mark, I’m answering two questions from readers. The first one concerns the reduction in testosterone men experience with marriage. Is it a feature? A flaw? Is it inevitable? After that, I get into a pair of new studies that question the safety of gluten-free diets in the absence of celiac disease. Is your gluten-free diet going to kill you? Let’s go: Mark, What are your thoughts on the “marriage tanks testosterone” study you linked to today? Is it something we just have to accept? I question the premise of the ScienceNordic piece : that even though married men see declines in testosterone, it’s totally normal, unlikely to have negative consequences, and likely to improve their ability to be good husbands. When you look at other demographics, for example, the relationship between marriage and testosterone levels changes. A 2003  study  looked at testosterone levels among monogamously married, polygynously married, and unmarried Kenyan Swahili men. Dr

Clean Eating Almonds And “Brown Sugar” Overnight Oatmeal Recipe

Image
Do you miss those easy, instant oatmeal packets you could buy in a box and make in minutes? You don’t have to! You can make them up in minutes and store them in the freezer for an easy grab-n-cook breakfast, or better yet, for overnight oats! Overnight oats are fabulous things simply because they are so darn easy and convenient. I mean, who doesn’t love the idea of breakfast already being ready for you first thing in the morning? These are great served cold out of the fridge on a hot summer morning, or warmed in a pot or the microwave on chillier mornings. You just combine the oats with the milk of your choosing in a jar, then let it sit, covered, in the fridge overnight. In the morning when you get up, your oats are all ready to go! In fact, just like I did with the sheet pan dinners (I’ve got more coming too!), I’m going to do an entire series on these. So stay tuned for more flavor combinations in the coming days ahead! CLICK PLAY TO SEE THE RECIPE IN ACTION:   YOU MIGH

Weekend: Parties + Pearls

Image
We are wrapping up one of those long weekends that feels like it went on forever! So rewinding back to Friday night…..we went to Tavola to celebrate a friend’s birthday. They rented out the private room in the back for the occasion, and we had a special three-course menu with shared appetizers, a choice of entree, and dessert. We technically paid for our dinner, but I loved how they organized everything for us —  it felt extra special! We had drinks in the bar before dinner began, and I had two glasses of vino throughout the night. BURRATA!! This cheese is this beeest. Plus there was a big plate of appetizers which we passed around. That gouda in the middle was my favorite. I had the salmon for my entree, and Thomas had the pork — both were excellent! And I would expect nothing less than perfect tiramisu at Tavola, and that’s exactly what was served : )   Saturday morning we made waffles! T is quite the waffle expert, but I decided to throw some Great Harvest Panca