Weekly Link Love — Edition 36

Research of the Week

Agriculture (and increased availability of carbohydrates) increased the frequency of genes controlling blood sugar. People with the ancestral version of the gene have an easier time maintaining blood sugar while fasting but tend to have more trouble controlling blood sugar after carb consumption.

For the first time ever, scientists directly observe the transfer of RNA from an animal’s brain to its sperm and onto its offspring. Is this the mechanism for transgenerational inheritance?

Trigger warnings don’t actually help students reduce stress or learn any better but they make students believe in their efficacy.

Pesticide exposure linked to increased depression in teens.

We once walked with (or ran from…or ate) birds as big as elephants.

New Primal Blueprint Podcasts

Episode 353: Endurance: Brock Armstrong: Host Brad Kearns talks with frequent guest Brock Armstrong about synching endurance training and goals with quality of life and losing fat the healthy way.

Episode 354: Oren Jay Sofer: Host Elle Russ chats with Oren Jay Sofer about nonviolent, mindful communication.

Primal Health Coach Radio, Episode 17: Laura and Erin talk with Rachel Bell about building your empire.

Each week, select Mark’s Daily Apple blog posts are prepared as Primal Blueprint Podcasts. Need to catch up on reading, but don’t have the time? Prefer to listen to articles while on the go? Check out the new blog post podcasts below, and subscribe to the Primal Blueprint Podcast here so you never miss an episode.

Media, Schmedia

How has legal cannabis gone in Colorado (NY Times link)?

Obesity takes the lead.

Interesting Blog Posts

Debunking top keto myths is a lot easier (and more convincing) when you have 150,000 days of patient care to draw upon.

Is Dean Ornish’s lifestyle program actually proven to reverse heart disease?

Social Notes

My constant companion.

Talked about some stuff.

Everything Else

Primal Jellyfish Collagen coming Spring of 2020.

There’s really no good metaphor for the human microbiome.

The Pentagon has a laser that can identify people by their heartbeat.

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

I’m not sure what to think about this: The Water Bar opens in DC, featuring a $25 bottle of water, among others.

Article I found interesting: How a man’s biology changes after becoming a father (NY Times).

I feel like I read a similar story every few months: There’s a new tick in the US.

Some cool concepts here (gluten warning): What you can learn from Norwegian packed lunches.

This is a powerful story: A boy had a rare genetic lymphatic disorder. Doctors inserted the relevant genetic mutation into 10 sets of zebrafish, tested different drugs in each set, and gave the one that worked to the boy. It worked in him too.

Question I’m Asking

Read the Norwegian packed lunch article from above. Can you come up with a similar concept for no-frills, easy-prep, near zero-cleanup Primal or keto lunches?

Recipe Corner

• Truly caramelized onions.
• Pizza burgers? Pizza burgers.

Time Capsule

One year ago (Jun 30– Jul 6)

• What is Paleo? – Well, what is it?
• Does “Sleep Hacking” Work? – Can you cheat your sleep?

Comment of the Week

“Like most of us, I sometimes procrastinate for what seems to be no good reason. However, I’ve found two categories of procrastination that actually make me more productive.

With the first type of deliberate procrastination, I will put something off to allow for ‘subconscious fermentation.’ I find this very useful for certain tasks that involve problem solving that I am highly motivated to get done right away, but backing off for a day or two improves my effectiveness at tackling the task. For example, I had very large limb from a tree on my property break in a wind storm and get hung up in another tree with both ends suspended ten-plus feet off the ground. My first instinct was to deal with it right away. That meant either calling a professional and paying several hundred dollars or climbing up a tall ladder and wielding a chainsaw at a height that seemed precarious—neither of these options was particularly attractive to me, but something had to be done. I so badly wanted to get moving on this the day it happened, but I forced myself to procrastinate to allow my mind to work on the problem in the background. Two days later inspiration struck: I threw a rope over the limb, tied a large trash can to the rope and hoisted it several feet in the air, tied it off, put a garden hose in the trash can, turned it on, stepped back, and let the gradually increasing weight of the water-filled can safely pull the limb out of the trees and to the ground. Thank you, procrastination!

The second type of planned procrastination I use is for completing simple tasks I don’t care for that I have a tendency to do inefficiently and/or lament over if I give myself plenty of time. Put another way, some tasks become less unpleasant when I use procrastination to force a sense of urgency. For me, packing for a trip is a good example. I find if I decide to wait almost until the last minute (critical to this is giving myself a reasonable window of time), I’m forced to be highly focused in getting all my stuff together and the work becomes much more enjoyable and I spend my time more effectively.

With both of the above types of procrastination, I find I need to make a deliberate decision to delay. For the first type, it allows for more effective solutions to complex tasks. For the second type, it helps me to be more efficient and avoid the unease of anticipating doing a task I otherwise find monotonous or distasteful.”

– I love “subconscious fermentation,” Jim.

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