Supplies: Make your own Herbal Capsules

If you're like me and have purchased many different types of supplements over the last several years, you might want to start thinking about more efficient ways to deliver those herbal remedies with a fraction of the cost.  Actually, it's not just about monetary reasons, but more about the quality and the absence of those hidden and unwanted ingredients, binders, etc. Think about it...  Do you really know what all is in those supplements that you commonly buy online or at your local health store?

I'm dividing this subject into two parts.  The first subject, from a previous post, is entitled "Supplies: Make your own Herbal Tinctures."  The second subject, on this post, will involve the supplies that you will need to make your own herbal capsules - which is the method I prefer.

Not only is it fun to start making your own herbal supplements, but it also gives you a sense of independence and a peace of mind from knowing exactly what is put into those capsules.  My last project involved milk thistle seeds.  I made a fine powder from the healthy organic seeds that I use to mix into juice and to fill my empty capsules.  I plan on making my own ginseng supplements, turmeric, powdered hot pepper capsules, etc., in the future.  There's a broad range of herbal substances you can dry out and create a powder from, so if you have a decent knowledge about herb-related health benefits, your options and combinations are seemingly endless.

Okay, well, let's get down to the small amount of supplies that you will need to do this.  First of all, to make a powder out of dried herbs, some people use different things.  Take a mortar & pestle, for example.  Some folks like to chop 'em up in a traditional blender, as well.  But to me, the instrument that works the best for creating a very fine powder that allows for easy absorption within the body and that pulverizes the herbs within the shortest amount of time, is the coffee/herb grinder.  These little gadgets can turn hard seeds into powder in hardly any time at all.  Plus, they don't take up hardly any room at all.  The one shown below, is the coffee grinder that I recently purchased online, and I am more than satisfied with it.

* To browse through a selection of coffee grinders from Amazon, click the image (affiliate link) below:

Next up on the list of supplies that you will need, is the empty gelatin capsules. I like the '00' size because it allows me to put about 1000 mg. of whole crushed herb into each pill.  Since it will be completely natural and not the "extract" version of one particular chemical compound of an herb, you will generally need to consume more of it.  Personally, I think it is much more bio-available and, overall, better for the body to consume herbal supplements in their natural state, but that's another subject entirely.

* To browse through a selection of empty gelatin capsules from Amazon, click the image (affiliate link) below:

Even though it hasn't been a problem for me, as of yet, filling the empty capsules by hand may be a bit too tedious and time-consuming for some folks.  If that's the case, you may need additional supplies, such as the capsule filling machine.  It is a simple device that allows you to place the big part of the empty capsules in a "machine" (not really a machine by my standards) and the smaller part into the cover.  From there, you dump your herbal ingredients into the holding plate or whatever and put the cover on.  Then, you lift up on it and the capsules will all be assembled just like that.  I'm not promoting this overrated and overpriced (for what it is) product, but if you're interested just do a search for "capsule filling machine" or something similar. Cheers!

---End of Post "Supplies: Make your own Herbal Capsules"

Supplies: Make your own Herbal Tinctures

If you're like me and have bought various types of supplements online over the last several years, you might want to start thinking about more efficient ways to deliver those herbal remedies with a fraction of the cost.  Actually, it's not just about the money, but more about the quality and the absence of hidden, mysterious, unwanted ingredients, binders, etc. Think about it...  Do you really know what all is in those supplements that you commonly buy online or at your local health store?

I'm dividing this subject into two parts.  The first subject, on this post, is entitled "Supplies: Make your own Herbal Tinctures."  The second subject, which I'll write next on another post, will involve the supplies you will need to make your own herbal capsules - which is the method I prefer.

Personally, I never use tinctures since I don't mind taking numerous amounts of herbal capsules daily. However, when the tinctures are made with alcohol, the potency of the herbs will last a long time, to say the least.  Oh, that reminds me, some of the folks that are against alcohol often choose to use vinegar as the tincture base instead, although it will not be as potent nor will it last as long, but whatever floats your boat.  Alcohol is well-known for its ability to extract those beneficial compounds from the whole herbs at a more effective rate, but that is another subject entirely.  But for those worried about alcohol extracts, fear not.  You would only be consuming a few drops of the diluted stuff and it wouldn't even register on the scale of drinking.

Now that we have gotten the intro out of the way, let's move on to the supplies that you will need.  You will need mason jars (or something similar with a lid) to store the initial tincture mixture.  You will need 100 proof alcohol (vodka) or for a weaker tincture you will need vinegar or water to add to the vodka (why would you do that?).  Most people mix about 1 to 2 cups of whole crushed herb for every 1 to 2 cups of 100 proof vodka for most herbal tincture recipes.  You will mix this in a mason jar and let it set for about 6 weeks or thereabouts.  Every day or two (at least once or twice a week), make sure to shake it around a bit to help with the extraction process.

When your mixture is ready, you will now need a strainer, a tiny funnel, and some little tincture bottles with the dropper thingy.  You first pour the mixture through a strainer and into another jar, which will be your pure, filtered tincture that you will be using.  Now, you just need to funnel it into the dropper bottles.  Depending on what type of herb it actually is, you use the tincture daily or whenever needed by simply adding several drops of the extract into water or whatever beverage you like to add it to. [Edit: Some people prefer to place a few drops under the tongue for faster absorption.] Yep, simple as that.  

As you can see, it really doesn't call for a lot of supplies.  It just takes several weeks to extract the herb into the solution, but that's not a big deal.  Tinctures are mainly for convenience anyway, but, like I said before, I'd much rather supplement my diet by taking the whole herb in capsule form. Cheers!

* If you're in need of some of those cool-looking tincture bottles with the dropper tops, Amazon has a decent selection.  If you'd like to browse through a few, click the image (affiliate link) below:

---End of Post "Supplies: Make your own Herbal Tinctures"

How many days of rest should you allow for building muscle?

This particular query can't be answered with a universally numerical conclusion.  Many variables factor into how many days of rest one should have for optimal muscle building results.  However, I will go over a few scenarios in hopes that it helps paint a clearer picture.

First of all, no matter what type of Health & Fitness Guru Blog you are reading from, the best knowledge comes from personal experience.  Yeah, the stuff you have personally tried, tested and adjusted to your own genetic makeup.

While browsing through the Internet, I was surprised to see many of the health blogs saying the exact same answer, which was 24 to 48 hours of rest between workouts.  Personally, I disagree. For one, what type of workout?  How intense is it?  Are you concentrating on certain muscle groups per each workout or are you taking the shotgun approach?  How old are you?  Are you a beginner just starting to work out or are you a professional bodybuilder building massive muscles?  All of these things and many more factor into how many days of rest your muscles need for optimal growth and/or safe methods of building lean body mass.

The small groups of muscles like what are found in your forearms, for example, could be worked thoroughly almost daily while larger muscles like what are found in your chest, shoulders, hamstrings, etc., will most likely need more time to fully recover from a hard workout.  Your genetic makeup, hormone levels, overall health, age, hours of daily sleep, and so on, all affect how quickly your body recovers.

I have heard of many professional bodybuilders training 6 days a week, with only 1 off day.  But guess what?  They only train certain groups of muscles once a week.  Yep, so that means that they allow 7 days of rest per muscle group for building mass quantities of muscle.  However, you can rest assured that they totally tear down each muscle group during those days of pumping iron/working out.

The other thing you need to do is simply listen to your own body.  If you go back to the bench press and you still feel weak from a workout you did a couple days ago, wait a few more days before trying again.  I try to wait an extra day or two after I feel ready for another intense weightlifting session.  Always try to keep in mind, your muscles grow when you are resting, not when working 'em to the point of exhaustion.

With that being said, aerobic-style workouts don't really need "days of rest" in between, but it never hurts to have a couple off days during the week, right?  As for building muscle, lifting weights, intense training, etc., I like to take 6 to 7 days off between working that same muscle again.  For optimal gains, even if I was in a big rush, I still wouldn't want to take any less than 4 or 5 days off, but that's just my opinion; cheers!

Image Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:African_Lion_Resting_at_the_Entebbe_Zoo_in_Uganda.jpg

---End of Post "How many days of rest should you allow for building muscle?"

Related Post:
http://health-fitness-guru.blogspot.com/2010/12/gain-mass-dont-overtrain-your-muscles.html

Recent Post:
http://health-fitness-guru.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-reason-pork-rinds-skins-are-not.html

Does Vitamin C help with Muscle Soreness?

Now here is another debatable subject in the health & fitness genre...  Does the antioxidant properties of the beloved Vitamin C really have much impact when concerning muscle soreness?  I suppose the best answer may be:  "It couldn't hurt."

Before we go any further, there are now major debates and issues with what causes muscle soreness.  Yeah, can you believe that?  Ha!  But seriously, now that many trending scientific articles say that lactic acid isn't to blame for that delayed soreness you feel after an intense workout the next day or even the day after the next, things have gotten a bit complicated and, uh, stupid.

Of course lactic acid buildup would actually cause soreness, but since the lactic acid is said to leave the area quickly after your moments of exertion, they are blaming it mostly on microscopic muscle tears.  This sounds cute and all, but why can you simply get sore from an odd movement, prolonged flexing, or even cramps, for example?  Does that involve microscopic tissue tears?  LOL! Muscular acidosis can occur any time your oxygen is depleted in a certain area of your muscles, but that's another subject.

Before anybody gets their panties in a wad, of course a lot of the soreness comes from muscle tears and strains, whether it is micro or macro in size.  However, to sweep lactic acid under the rug while ignoring all of the other metabolic byproducts that occur at the scene of stress during strenuous exercise, is a bit ignorant to say the least.  At any rate, let's just drop the whole "what causes muscle soreness?" debate, and quickly move right through this Vitamin C craze.

In a thumbnail, Vitamin C can help pull out some of the acid buildup and byproducts that puddle around the strained muscles in question.  It is no miracle cure or anything, but there is some evidence that shows it could help.  The inflammation and tissue damage that occurs is a good thing, though, if you plan on building bigger muscles.  As you should all know, your muscles grow while resting, not when getting worked and/or stripped down during intense exercise. I've read some scientific evidence before that states that taking too many anti-inflammatory substances to combat muscle soreness may actually hinder the recovery process.  Hey, what's that old adage again: "No pain; no gain!"  Anyway...

Vitamin C can also help build collagen, which is very important for the repair of connective tissues, muscles, etc.  In fact, if you don't believe me, perform a quick web search with the keywords "collagen helps build muscles" or "how exercising produces collagen" or "vitamin c helps build collagen," and so on.

I may have slightly gotten off topic here, but the point is, Vitamin C definitely doesn't hurt anything when concerning muscle soreness and the recovery process. 

Image Credit/Source:
http://health-fitness-guru.blogspot.com/2014/12/grapefruit-is-not-good-for-detox-or.html

End of Post "Does Vitamin C help with Muscle Soreness?"

Random Health & Fitness Posts:

* http://health-fitness-guru.blogspot.com/2010/11/creatine-is-waste-of-money-for-most.html
* http://health-fitness-guru.blogspot.com/2010/11/methods-for-building-powerful-forearms.html
* http://health-fitness-guru.blogspot.com/2010/11/mystery-of-muscle-memory.html

Eating every 3 hours is not required for Bodybuilding

This particular 'frequent eating for bodybuilding' subject has really gained momentum over the last few years.  I'm not exactly sure why, but, like most things, it has probably propagated online more than anywhere else.

At any gluttonous rate, there are some pros to eating smaller, more frequent meals for some folks. Will it ultimately lead to enhanced muscle growth?  Not normally.  I'm yet to see any conclusive evidence that proves that eating protein (or whatever) every 3 hours is required for enhanced muscle growth, when compared to the traditional 3 meals a day - with or without a few snacks.

Two primary food-related things to factor in outside of your exercise regimen for the semi-normal person that isn't taking steroids and/or growth hormones:  1) Total caloric intake 2) Quality protein intake

3 meals of the same caloric value as 6, 7, or 8 meals shouldn't make a difference when concerning muscle growth and/or bodybuilding.  Since protein is overrated, it shouldn't be hard for a human being living in the 21st century to find enough quality protein with 3 fairly balanced meals per day.  However, since the body can only process so much protein at once, it would be a good idea to somewhat spread it out as opposed to consuming 90% of your protein in one meal.  You know, common sense can go a long way; ha!

Perhaps where this "eating every 3 hours is required for building massive muscles" thing gets more credit, is from the steroid-abusing bodybuilding freaks that inject "juice," workout constantly and eat all day to achieve monster status.  If that is your goal, then please ignore this common sense post.  I'm not about to type out a long post about the dangers of PEDs (performance enhancing drugs) or steroids, etc.  It is your body and it is up to you to decide on how you want to tax it.  And no, I'm not talking about natural supplements like Force Factor - Natural Testosterone Boosters. On the other hand, I did once write a post about alcohol abuse and how to combat the withdrawal symptoms.

In conclusion, this post was merely written in an opinion-style and didn't really provide scientific evidence for or against frequent eating for enhanced muscle gains. However, I have read numerous scientific pages and claims from both sides in the past, and my opinion still stands.  On the other hand, if you think that you have a valid point in favor for eating every three hours and really believe that it's required for ultimate bodybuilding, feel free to share your comments below; cheers!

If not, here is another debatable subject:
http://health-fitness-guru.blogspot.com/2012/10/working-out-your-lower-body-to-build.html

Image Credit: Public Domain - Wikimedia Commons

---End of Post "Eating every 3 hours is not required for Bodybuilding"

Random Post:
http://health-fitness-guru.blogspot.com/2011/05/peaked-stuck-leveled-out-in-progress.html

Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs) - Do they really have any negative impact on human health?

A long while back I was reading an article about perfluorinated compounds. Within that health-related post, they mentioned that researchers from Denmark think that chemicals used (PFCs) to keep stuff grease-free and stain-free could be predisposing children to metabolic disorders later in life.
PFCs are everywhere, evidently, and are not limited to food packaging like you find with microwave popcorn bags, etc. Here is a quote from the page that I was recently reading: "...they keep your upholstered furniture and carpets stain-repellant and water-repellant and your drapes wrinkle-free. The chemicals serve the same function on permanent-press clothing and any outerwear, backpacks or other accessories that are advertised as water-repellent. While you'll wind up eating PFCs that are used in food packaging, you'll most likely inhale PFCs in all the other applications listed, since the chemicals bind to dust floating around your home." Source = healthyliving.msn.com/pregnancy-parenting/kids-health/harmful-food-packaging-putting-kids-at-risk [link is no longer active]

On the other hand, after reading more about the recent study they mentioned, it made me less sure if the perfluorinated compounds really have any negative impact on human health. I mean, they were basically using overweight kids to prove their point. Yet, within that study, they plainly said that normal-weight kids that had high levels of PFCs in their body didn't show any ill effects. WTF? In conclusion, they assume that people who are already overweight would be more sensitive to these supposedly dangerous PFCs. Once again, WTF?

Now, what does seem to suck, is that it takes humans much longer to rid their self of the PFCs than it would for animals out in the wild, lab rats, etc. In fact, it takes several years for a typical humanoid to flush their current PFCs out of their biological system that they often refer to as a body. If you'd like to read more about that subject, go here: www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/half-life-of-perfluorooctanesulfonate-perfluorohexanesulfonate-and-perfluorooctanoate-in-retired-fluorochemical-workers-olsen-et-al/ (link is no longer active)

If you'd like to read another negative article about perfluorinated compounds, go here: pollutioninpeople.org/toxics/pfcs (Hmm, this link is also no longer active, as well. Really? Did those websites succumb to PFCs??? I thought perfluorinated compounds possibly had a negative health impact on humans, not websites! Ha!)

Now, here is where the "do they really have any negative impact on human health?" part of this post begins. What about the retired workers from places that manufacture stuff that is loaded with PFCs? You'd think they would have never lived to retirement age and/or would have all dropped dead by now or had severe problems if these particular chemical compounds were highly hazardous to human health, wouldn't ya say? Well, apparently not, since many of them are totally healthy. Could this latest PFC scare tactic all be a lie or simply some hyped-up hulajula mawktooey hoopla and ballyhoo? Either way, feel free to go visit an article about another study concerning this subject, except this one says that PFCs have no negative impact on human health: solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/PFOS/PFOA/Information/Health-Environment/ [link is no longer valid - who would have thought?]

At any rate, I'm getting tired of these studies that are constantly picking on my damn microwave popcorn! LOL!

---End of Post "Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs) - Do they really have any negative impact on human health?"

Semi-related Post: Worried about Popcorn Lung?

Will chocolate pills (Cocoa Extract) be the next health craze in the future?

Side Note:  This post is about 10 months old, as I recently moved it to this Health & Fitness Blog from another location/website.  Anyway...

In today's 'health supplement' market, you never know which supplement will really hit the floor running until after the commercial hype turns into a trending craze. In the past, one of the biggest pills to take the market by storm was the fish oil supplements. Like fish oil, these chocolate pills are also going to be aimed at cardiovascular and heart health. Numerous studies are underway, of course, so expect to see these cocoa extracts and/or chocolate pills explode in the coming years.

"The study will be the first large test of cocoa flavanols, which in previous smaller studies improved blood pressure, cholesterol, the body's use of insulin, artery health and other heart-related factors." Read more about the potential use of chocolate pills, here: news.msn.com/science-technology/study-to-test-chocolate-pills-for-heart-health [URL is no longer valid]

Personally, I'm not that impressed that they found a way to extract the goodness of chocolate into a mega dose and/or high-concentration pill form. Like most of y'all, I also already knew that chocolate was good for you; duh! Dark chocolate has the most health benefits, of course, but I'd much rather have it in the candy bar/brownie format; ha!

What I'm leery about is this "mega-dose" craze. Many studies of the past have shown that basically mega anything either has no additional benefits or, in some cases, causes more harm than good. For example, a lot of people now think that extremely high doses of antioxidants that you'd find in certain supplements actually raises your risk for cancer and/or causes it. As always, moderation wins again. The bottom line is, unless they find chocolate (cocoa extract) pills to be a good drug-replacement therapy for heart patients (or something along those lines), it will be nothing more than marketing hype. Simply eating dark chocolate on a regular basis should provide all the health benefits from this substance your body needs without expensive chocolate pills.

Update (3/27/2022): Well, it has been nearly 7 years since I posted this, and today I stumbled upon yet another article about this potential chocolate supplement craze. Just to give a quick quote from a post on msn.com: "In the study, published earlier this month in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers examined more than 20,000 U.S. adults ages 60 and up, following up after several years, supplementing some participants' diets with cocoa extract. Those who received the supplement were significantly less likely to die of cardiovascular disease. "We found that cocoa flavanol supplementation may reduce clinical cardiovascular events, including a statistically significant 27% reduction in cardiovascular disease death," study author Howard D. Sesso, ScD, MPH, says." https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nutrition/the-surprising-effect-of-eating-chocolate-new-study-suggests/ [link is no longer active]

Anyway, the point of this update is to show that after all of these years, it is STILL in the works and/or being studied, talked about, etc. I originally spoke about the potential for chocolate pills becoming the next health craze in the future, albeit the concepts never made very much sense to me. I mean, why not just eat it, instead? Nearly everybody likes chocolate! Okay, the sugar... Yeah, but no! Ha! Yeah, milk chocolate isn't as healthy, but most people think it tastes way better than dark chocolate. However, since dark chocolate is mainly recognized for having the most health benefits as opposed to the more commonly consumed milk chocolate, I suppose they will eventually meet in the middle and start promoting a Cocoa Extract via supplements (pills). In my opinion, though, that is a waste of chocolate. Plus, isn't chocolate rumored to possibly go extinct in a few decades? I hope not! Either way, some things are just better consumed the natural way as opposed to extracts, supplements, etc. 

---End of Update

Update #2 (12-7-2024): Wow! I just checked Amazon.com, and they currently have this stuff. The product description is as follows: "CocoaVia - Cardio Health Supplement, 30 Day, 500mg Cocoa Flavanols, Support Heart Health, Boost Nitric Oxide, Blood Circulation, Energy, Vegan, Dark Chocolate, 60 Capsules" - all for $44.99 (plus tax) which would equal about 50 bucks! Holy crap! I could buy a lot of chocolate for 50 dollars and enjoy eating it, too. I wondered when these products would start popping up. Anyway... ---End of Update #2

---End of Post "Will chocolate pills (Cocoa Extract) be the next health craze in the future?"

Drinking Alcohol helps combat Food Poisoning

Instead of the usual negative posts you read about alcohol from the Internet, I thought I'd change it up a bit and actually write something good about alcohol. I've known about this for a long while, which is the fact that drinking booze just before a meal actually helps combat food poisoning. Now, don't go out and try to get food poisoning just to test this theory; ha! I'm not sure what the current research says about why this is true, but in the past, it had something to do with alcohol breaking down the cellular membranes of certain types of bacteria and whatnot, that would then allow your stomach acid to kill the rest of it. Research has also demonstrated the ability of alcohol to kill salmonella, shigella and E-coli in the laboratory. One would have to drink a few drinks, though, and just sipping on a couple of light beers would most likely not be enough.

The research for the effects of alcohol being able to combat food poisoning most likely spawned from large crowds of people at restaurants that had an outbreak of food poisoning. People began to notice that the ones drinking alcohol prior to the poisoned food, were less likely to become ill. This is easily witnessed when everybody at the table is eating the same food, with the only variable being alcohol. You can check online for more resources, if you like. I didn't check for additional sources because this is a well-established fact. The first page I read the other day that was related to this subject, is located here: www2.potsdam.edu/alcohol/HealthIssues/1110384069.html [link is no longer active]

If you'd rather read about the health benefits of beer & alcohol, go here:
perpendicularity.org/blog/2010/05/04/health-benefits-of-beer-alcohol-cheers/ [Link is no longer active, but you can now find that post, here: "Health Benefits of Beer & Alcohol"]

---End of Post "Drinking Alcohol helps combat Food Poisoning"

Semi-related Post:  Natural ways to combat symptoms of alcohol withdrawal

Bench Shirts and Excessive Gear has ruined the concept of Bench Pressing

Over the last few years, I have witnessed the glorious bench press competitions turn into a freakish event that looks more like a clip from a movie that features a cyborg version of an armored Frankenstein trying to pump iron. I mean, for the ones that don't know, the bench shirts are strapped on so tight and act as a spring of some sorts, that if you master the technique, they can actually add a few hundred pounds to your bench press. Is that fair? Does it boil down to who has the best bench shirt wins?

The rules obviously don't apply in most of these competitions or claims or displays via YouTube, and I've seen people with their back arched so high that their butt doesn't even touch the bench. The last time I checked, bench pressing was about lifting weights, not about how close you can get your ass to your shoulder blades! Many of these people are so jacked up with equipment/excessive gear and upper body apparatuses (bench shirts), that they look like a freakish padded warrior that can't even put their arms down (due to the advantageous bench shirt) while walking to the damn bench. I just seen a person lift an enormous amount of weight without even bending his elbows. How does that count? The spotters lifted the weight down for him, then he lowered it a couple inches and rolled/squirmed it back to the spotters and they called that a bench press even though he never pressed anything!

At any feign rate of lifting, I just think this sport/competition has turned into a complete joke. Unless it is raw/natural with no equipment involved whatsoever and no spotters that help you lift it off the bench for you, it shouldn't count, period! If you need excessive gear, pads, supports, braces, tightly strapped upper body apparatuses and additional people just to perform YOUR bench press, you need to find another hobby or at the very least, quit claiming to lift several hundreds of pounds more than you can actually lift yourself!

Besides, the short-armed wide gripped tactic that involves the arched spring method is basically 80% technique and 20% strength. At one time, the bench press was one of the standard measures of strength, but now, going by what I've seen during the last few years, it means absolutely nothing!

Related Links to further your reading:
* The 1,000-pound bench press. (slate.com)
* forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=146545& [Link is no longer active]
* health-fitness-guru.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-to-estimate-your-max-bench-press.html

---End of Post "Bench Shirts and Excessive Gear has ruined the concept of Bench Pressing"


Recent Blog Post: "Grappling is overrated because of the MMA & UFC sport?"

The Reason Pork Rinds / Skins are Not a Significant Source of Protein

I'm sure most of you that has ever consumed store-bought pork rinds have seen the following under the nutritional label: "Not a Significant Source of Protein." Even though they may list 6 or 8 grams of protein or whatever, they will say that it is not a significant source. A long while back, possibly before the Internet, I remember reading about the source of protein in these pig skins. If I recall correctly, the protein actually comes from the structure of each hair follicle within the skin, hence its insignificance. It is not a protein that the body uses very effectively nor is it a balanced full chain of amino acids nor does it have enough value to even be called a partial source of amino acids.

It is somewhat trivial, though. I mean, who in the hell is going to try to live off of freakin' pork rinds? It is like, "Hey, my new diet consists of pork skins and water. Here's another pig skin to good health; cheers!" LOL! But anyway, the Internet is full of preposterous ideas when concerning this subject. In fact, some idiots, oops, I mean folks, actually think that the label is wrong and that pork rinds are actually a fair source of protein.

Out of all the pages I looked at online, I only found two statements on two separate forums that was halfway accurate. One of them said that pork rinds are not used by the human body, albeit even that isn't correct! They have a lot of selenium, trace elements, etc., and they are a source of energy/calories. One of the best comments was on a bodybuilding forum, in which this was stated: "The type of protein in pork skins is called collagen, the same substance found in hair, fingernails, and hooves. Its bioavailability is almost non-existent, hence the statement on the package." You can read more from that forum, here: forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=848935&page=1

But just calling it collagen doesn't really answer the question for most people. Collagen is very important to the human body and the protein structures therein. Collagen is also essential to the function of connective tissues. However, your body supposed to make this. In fact, Vitamin C plays an important role in the production of collagen, but that's another subject entirely. On the other hand, if you can understand that eating hair and fingernails would not be a significant source of protein, you will start getting a better idea of what's going on here.

After skimming through the World Wide Web, I like the more succinct answer that I've known for many years (the one stated in the first paragraph) much better than all the senseless chatter I had to endure while perusing random websites. At any swine-filled rate, I like store-bought pork skins on occasions, but I've never had the chance to eat the rinds that were fresh from the farm; cheers!

---End of Post "The Reason Pork Rinds / Skins are Not a Significant Source of Protein"

Random Blog Post: Creatine is a waste of money - for most people!

For the ones worried about Popcorn Lung...

I have stumbled upon this subject a few times lately and, for some reason, there seems to be a great deal of misinformation on the Internet about "popcorn lung." Some folks seem to think that you get it by simply eating butter-flavored popcorn a few times a week or that you are always at risk when consuming microwave popcorn.

Popcorn Lung is a lung disease that is cause by repeatedly breathing in lots of hot vapor and steam that has diacetyl in it, which is the chemical used to flavor butter popcorn. This started as a major issue with the factory workers at the popcorn plants, several years ago, as they breathed this crap in all the time. There is only one known consumer that was ever diagnosed with Popcorn Lung by merely eating microwave popcorn, and he said he ate 2 bags every night for 10 years and would always stick his head in the bag when he got it out of the microwave so he could deeply inhale the fumes. Yes, that is rather extreme, but it happened, nonetheless. However, there were several factory workers that developed this lung disease.

About 8 years ago, the major brand-name microwave popcorn companies removed the chemical that was responsible for this. You can read more about that, here: www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/12/18/popcorn_firms_removing_flavoring_chemical/

Even if they replaced the chemical with an equally harmful one, consuming a few bags of microwave popcorn here and there shouldn't even come close to the one reported case from that popcorn-crazy consumer, nor would it closely resemble the factory workers that once worked around diacetyl on a regular basis. Stuff like this and so much more, is what the Internet often turns into a widespread Urban Myth. It wasn't too long ago when a few bloggers got some bad rumors started about baby carrots. It was so ridiculous that they had to air it on the News; the carrot companies showed that it was all a bunch of lies and propaganda that propagated on the Internet.

Anyway, there is a chemical involved with microwave popcorn that could possibly be harmful to our health, and it is used to coat the inside of the popcorn bags. I still eat microwave popcorn, but like most things, moderation is the key. Cheers!

Side Note: I do go through occasional bouts where I simply pop my own popcorn. It is so easy and even cheaper than the microwave type (not that any of it is expensive or anything). I just add some coconut oil to a big pot, popcorn kernels (obviously), apply some seasoned salt and black pepper, then let the popping commence. It is also good for the ones that like to have full control over what type of fat, the amount of salt, etc., that is being used. Some people even air pop their popcorn, but to each their own...

Related Link: www.boston.com/dailydose/2012/009/20/you-need-worry-about-popcorn-lung-from-microwave-snacks/dDkwyN1sf2YoVsyszIIz3O/story.html (link is no longer active)

Image Credit: It is in the Public Domain and is not under copyright protection.

---End of Post "For the ones worried about Popcorn Lung..."

Random Blog Post: Grow your own edibles

Brazil Nuts are Radioactive

Yeah, yeah, I know... It seems that everything is radioactive nowadays. Personally, I like Brazil Nuts, and I won't let the fact that they are extra radioactive, stop me from enjoying them on occasions. Now, I wouldn't recommend living off of them or else your toes may start glowing in the dark; ha-ha!

Anyway, many of you may already know this since it has been known for a long time, but I thought I'd share this tidbit anyway. By what data I have read, Brazil nuts contain 1,000 times more radium than other foods do. This happens because of the extremely deep and elaborate root structure of the Brazil Nut tree. The roots absorb bits of radium over time, and it eventually ends up in the nuts. These trees are huge and can live to be a thousand years old, by what I've heard.

On the other hand, like all nuts and seeds, they are packed with nutrients and protein. They are a good source of magnesium, selenium, etc. In fact, selenium is believed by many folks to have anti-cancer properties. Anyway, if you like tree nuts but you're scared of getting too much radioactive stuff during the process, just avoid the Brazil Nuts. Since I don't eat them very often and only get a few in those "deluxe mixed nuts" containers, I'm not worried about it. People need to be more worried about the radiation they get from frequent x-rays at the hospital or dentist office.  Even people that fly high in the sky on those commercial airline flights get exposed to radiation. What? You stick your head in the microwave, as well? Okay, whatever... Ha!

Image Credit: Bing Image Search using the 'free to use & share' function.

---End of Post "Brazil Nuts are Radioactive "

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* Weight Gainers & Protein Shakes
* Quit blaming the meat!
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Chicken Noodle Soup for Common Colds

It is old advice and a seemingly ancient remedy for common colds, but is there any merit to the claim that chicken noodle soup helps with the symptoms and/or shortens the duration of the common cold? Evidently so... Apparently, those moms and grannies out there were right, as not only is the soup itself fairly nutritional, scientific evidence supports some of these claims, as well.

The anti-inflammatory properties of the soup, the extra nutrients that leak out of the chicken bones during the cooking process, the spices and seasonings, and the drug-like agents similar to modern cold medicines (like acetylcysteine) that are release from certain amino acids in chicken soup while being cooked, all factor in. Plus, the steam and warmth of any soup has to be somewhat comforting when you are feeling bad, cold, and sick.

Anyway, I've never made homemade chicken noodle soup, but I have made vegetable soup, beef stew, and spicy chili numerous times. At any culinary rate, I've read a few tidbits in the past about how there is some truth to chicken noodle soup being good for a common cold, flu or whatever, but I thought I'd spend a few minutes this morning searching online about it. If you'd like to watch this stuff getting cooked the old-fashioned way in a big stock pot with wholesome ingredients, go here: www.unmc.edu/publicrelations/chickensoup.htm [URL is no longer valid]

I found another good blog post about this subject, here: daytodaywoman.com/2011/02/23/will-chicken-noodle-soup-really-cure-the-common-cold/ [URL is no longer active]

Update: Since the last couple of URLs are no longer active or valid (it happens, as time marches forward), I decided it might be a good idea to find a couple more common links that was actually current, live, active, etc., to add to this post - especially since this is one of those types of blog posts where I was a bit lazy on the content I actually provided via the keypad; ha!

* Does chicken noodle soup help you get rid of your cold ? | SiOWfa15: Science in Our World: Certainty and Controversy (psu.edu)

* Why is chicken noodle soup so good for the cold? - Food & Drink | Learning with Experts

---End of Update

Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm actually going to go into the kitchen in a few and pop open a canned version of chicken noodle soup. All this writing and reading about it, made me hungry for it; ha! Yeah, y'all can make the homemade version if you desire, but I'm taking the easy way out this morning. I'll just be sure to add some hot sauce and extra black pepper to my store-bought version, for an added boost. Cheers!

Image Credit: Bing Image Search using the 'free to use & share' function.

---End of Post "Chicken Noodle Soup for Common Colds"

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