December | 2016 | Man vs. Suburb

I am not waiting to make a new year’s resolution to start getting more serious about my health. I’m not saying I haven’t been serious thus far, I’m just getting more serious about it. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say I’m being more intentional and mindful about it. I am moving it up the priority list.

Up to this point I have been relying on nutrition and merely staying active to keep me healthy, and it has been working. I have 14% body fat, my triglycerides regularly come in at around 35, my HDL was 86 and my LDL was 46 on my last visit. Unfortunately I have Juvenile Diabetes (I hate using the term type 1, there are plenty of people with type 1 because of their lifestyle choices, not because they have juvenile diabetes), and this means good enough isn’t good enough. It’s time to get physical.

Now on to my main point here. I have been on BP meds for years now, and the more I learn, the more I think I shouldn’t be. I’m not talking about getting off my meds by lowering my blood pressure – which I plan to do – but the fact that I have borderline to occasionally mild hypertension and I’m starting to think that shouldn’t constitute being medicated for it. I am going to start weaning myself off of them and see what that does.

My approach is this: I am going to modify my supplement intake, substitute red wine for hard liquor (except during the cowboys game), and begin working out regularly. Currently I already drink green tea once per day 5 days per week, and I am taking fermented cod liver oil which should be getting me my daily requirement of EPA and DHA. I also currently take 120 mg magnesium once per day, but have discovered that many take a more aggressive approach of 150 mg 3x per day.

I am going to begin Potassium supplementation utilizing dosages ranging from 2.5 to 5.0 grams of potassium per day. I am going to contact my Dr and see if he can write me a prescription for this so I can get a higher dose and better quality than I can with an OTC. It looks like I should be taking 2.5 – 5 grams per day. Interestingly enough, NoSalt and Nu-Salt, are actually potassium chloride at a dosage of 530 mg of potassium per one-sixth teaspoon.

I may look into Bonito Peptides as well. From what I’ve read, it seems to reduce the systolic by at least 10 mm Hg and the diastolic by 7 mm Hg in people with prehypertension and borderline hypertension. These protiens are anti-ACE, which is an enzyme that converts the compound angiotensin 1 to angiotensin 2 which causes the blood vessels to constrict while at the same time increasing the volume of fluid running through them.

FYI: Prehypertension is (120-139/80-89); Borderline is (120-160/90-94); Mild is (140-160/95-104); Moderate is (140-180/105-114); and Severe is (160+/115+)

Have a Great Day!

Lubimûr

Here’s the question: How long does Beef Stock / Bone Broth /Bone Soup stay good in the fridge?

Well, I have some stock that I made myself from pastured / grass fed cows. I reduced it down to the consistency of jelly (not jello, it was definitely firmer than that), removed the fat cap, put it in a mason jar and put it in the refrigerator. Well actually I put some in the fridge and some in the freezer. The jar in question went into the freezer, but has now been in the refrigerator for 3 weeks.

I ate the last of it today, and it seemed fine. It didn’t smell bad and it tasted like it should. If I don’t post anything regarding getting sick from it, then it was fine. If I do get sick, I will post my results.

Verdict: if the bone soup is gelatinous, and kept cool at the back of the fridge, then 3 weeks should be safe.

Turkey

Next up is the Thanksgiving Turkey. I brined it for 10 hours, then smoked it for about 14-15 hours. I think it hit 165 degrees, but can’t exactly remember. The hip sockets were still a bit underdone, one was red the other almost slightly raw. The breast was done all the way to the breast bone, and the wings were very much done.

Anyway, the dark meat I finished off today with the bone soup, some of the breast meat is still in the fridge. It was cooked last Wednesday night and came out of the smoker on Thursday about 12:30 PM. It was wrapped and in cooler until we ate at about 2:30, then it sat out until I got home and put it in the fridge about 8:00 PM. That was roughly 8 days ago (7.5 days technically).

It smelled good and tasted delicious.

Verdict: a smoked turkey can go 8 days no problem at all.

Please note that I am NOT a doctor, a nutritionist, dietician, or particularly smart person. These are the biohacks of a madman.

Have a Great Day!

Lubimûr