I tried to get to the actual paper but it’s gatekeeped even beyond my institution not-so-great access to that kind of stuff. However, with trends, I always take the safe approach of 1) how many things get lost between the actual research and the research journalism, and 2) who has interests in whichever market forces are being shifted by any of this. Not wanting to say with all of this that every superfood is a scam, but every super food is a scam.
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Is it because ethanol is a disinfectant? That’s at least the base of my detox diet.
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Ha! I don’t need my doctor to tell me I’m immortal, I already know!
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This is kind of my point. I’m not saying there are no benefits to adding certain foods to our diet, people should just be wary of how hard the industry tries to sell us on miracle foods.
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Put it this way, it probably wont have any real negative effect on you, but it also won’t really have much of a positive effect either. Recent studies have shows that the dosage required for Omega fats to have a significant impact far outstrip the amount we could possibly ingest daily. And even then, it wouldn’t be ideal for everyone.
Remember POM Wonderful and when Pomegranate juice was a miracle food? And then it wasn’t because there was zero empirical evidence to back any of Pom’s claims and the FDA warned POM Wonderful not to continue making false claims. I doubt anyone thinks of POM Wonderful anymore, and they were once everywhere. Anytime anyone hears about a miracle food, remember POM Wonderful.
In short, food is a miracle, but there are not miracle foods 
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Sorry for the all of text coming!
Definitely not claiming it’s a wonder drug, I just feel better when I take it regularly before food in the morning and my blood markers all stay pretty steady. You do have to ingest the stuff somehow. It’s called an essential fatty acid because your body can’t make the stuff and your brain needs it. I reference back to the fact that the western diet is very lacking in omega 3s. I think conflating it with a wonder food is silly, but it is a necessary thing that a lot of people don’t get enough of. I also think it’s very important to read studies, but also test bio individuality the best you can. I look at situations like when my wife had colon cancer, and I started reading every study in the world, reading every statistic about every drug, and then after a while I realize very little of any of that matters because it’s all studies on people over 50 and not 35 year old women.
There’s definitely no such thing as a specific wonder food, but I’ll argue there’s a couple of categories of wonder foods. The biggest one being fiber. I’ve worn CGMs (got them through the Levels company) to test out how different foods affect my blood glucose. I could eat a bowl of white rice plain, and watch my blood sugar go to 200 and I feel like shit. Pair it with black beans and it might get to 140 and I don’t notice much. I know not everyone is American here, but Americans are only getting half of the recommended amounts of fiber, and I swear getting that number up could improve so many of the issues people have.
Anyway, long way of saying I agree with your premise of it not being a miracle drug, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing for people to take. You just have to know why you’re taking it, and write down your observations before and after taking it regularly.
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That’s kind of what I’m saying, it’s not a bad thing for people to take. But the science is starting to show that just taking omega pills does very little because the dosage is so low.
As for fibre, it’s less the case that fibre in isolation is close to a wonder food and more so that we need a balance of fat, carbohydrates and protein for basic bodily functions. And high fibre sources of carbohydrates tend to provide a lot of benefits, so I’m not discounting what you’re saying. People do need higher fibre diets. I would say though that the average person needn’t, and shouldn’t worry about glucose levels, nor should they worry about glucose spikes, and that because they have a regularly functioning pancreas which regulates their sugar via insulin. Glucose spikes are normal, because eating will always raise your blood glucose levels. The only people that need to be concerned about it are diabetics or people with health conditions that necessitate careful diet planning, like individuals with cancer who sometimes have to reduce sugar intake.
There’s been a recent push by the pharmaceutical industry for non-diabetics to monitor their blood glucose because selling glucose monitors to a larger pool of people will make them more money. But there’s a lot of people who don’t need to monitor their blood sugar who are, and they are taking the wrong information away from it. If you eat, your blood sugar will go up. If you eat simple carbs your blood sugar will go up a bit faster. If you eat fibre or protein with a simple carb, your blood sugar will go up slower. But none of that matters unless you’re a diabetic.
What is more important for non-diabetics is simply to focus on balanced meals, and having a mix of protein, fat and carbs that also provides sufficient vitamins, minerals and other beneficial things such as soluble and non-soluble fibre. The problem is the diet industry wants us to focus on things like blood glucose because it stands to create crazes that drive sales. They want people to buy into fads because then they can sell items targeting fads. Eating a balanced, complex diet with plenty of variety doesn’t make any one industry any richer, so they don’t want to focus on that. And they want us to buy supplements instead of getting things from our food (supplements have their place, are important and I’m not dossing them). But the best place to get things we need to be healthy is from a well balanced diet.
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I’ll say this. You don’t have to trust or listen to me. Don’t trust anyone on the internet about nutritional health and science. Always talk to a registered dietitian and they’ll give you the best advice for you.
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I just deleted a wall of text because we’ll just go back and forth forever. Conversations about food and nutrition makes me angry. The western world is incredibly sick, and I think people should have access to the tools that let them know what food is doing to their bodies. I don’t like phrases like “well balanced diet” because no one knows what that means.
To add to this, you also need to be able to figure out what makes a good dietitian. Find one that works with people who have similar goals to you and have had good results/experiences.
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One answer to this would be to teach nutritional science as a full subject from an early age. If more people understood the human body as well as food science, we’d be better equipped in our adult lives.
Absolutely. It’s important to find a dietitian that fits your needs. Most should provide a free consult, so it’s a good idea to shop around. And they specialize, so look for specializations that match your needs.
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Anyone got a home espresso/latte set up? I’m looking to invest some money into making my wife and myself a morning caffeinated beverage, but there is so much equipment that it is hard to know where to start.
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Oh boy, this is a deep pool you’re diving into my friend. There is a lot of info, and a lot of equipment, and a lot of differing opinions. And it all might depend on what you want and how much you want to invest.
Maybe a good starting point is this: what do you envision for yourself? Do you want easy, or do you want to really get in deep? Also, what kind of budget do you imagine to start you off?
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So I envision fresh espresso with frothed milk. So I know that means I need:
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Grinder
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Espresso machine with wand
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Tamper
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Tamper mat
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Milk froth pitcher
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I guess I’d take recs for syrups
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Or storage stuff
I know espresso is a deep rabbit hole, but this seems like a good starting place. I’m looking to stay around $1000USD.
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Ok. Let me see if I can put a recommendation list for you. At this price point the key is going to be to focus on a grinder because a great machine with a poor grinder is worse than a low end machine with a decent grinder. For espresso you need grind consistency. I’ll think on it.
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I was looking at Breville or KitchenAid for the grinder, but this was where “Am I cheapskating myself out of a good grinder” came into mind.
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Budget Entry Level Kit:
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Espresso Machine: Breville Bambino Plus $499.99
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Grinder: Baratza Encore ESP $199.99
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Accessories: The Bambino Plus comes with a tamper and a frothing pitcher, and the latter is a pretty standard stainless steel pitcher. The only time you might need to invest in another pitcher is if you want a smaller size for preparing drinks like cortados or macchiatos and don’t want to waste milk.
My thoughts on this setup:
This is a recommendation with a big caveat. It’s a budget pick, and there are much worse budget picks. I’m not a fan of Breville, based on direct experience having previously owned one. They aren’t easily repairable because Breville operates like many contemporary low end appliance companies, they don’t really strive for repairability. In most cases, you can get your unit swapped, either in warranty, or for a price out of warranty.
However, it’s also one of the only decent units in the sub $500 range. As long as it doesn’t break down, you’re ok and lots of people swear by them. But here are some extra considerations:
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This is a gateway machine. If you just want to casually make espresso here and there, it’s fine. If you want to get in deep, you’ll want to replace it with something in a larger budget before long.
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It uses a ThermoJet heating system, which is Breville’s fancy name for a heat jacket. This means you don’t have a boiler. The advantage is that you don’t need to wait for the machine to perform an initial boil before pulling shots or frothing milk, it’s fairly instantaneous. The disadvantage is that the temperature is less consistent than a copper boiler, and you can only pull a limited amount of shots before you have to wait for the heat jacket to work again. It also usually means more limited milk frothing capabilities because you have to wait a bit between pulling a shot and frothing the milk. Hopefully Breville has improved this since I owned a Breville, but it wasn’t great, especially when making drinks for company. With a brass or copper boiler you can pull more shots, steam more milk and some units even allow for temperature control so you can adjust the boiler temperature. But then we move outside your budget.
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Be wary of the type of filter basket included. Breville used to only provide pressurized baskets. If you want easy, yet mediocre coffee, get a pressurized basket. It makes up for poor grind calibration. If you want to learn how to make espresso by calibrating for specific beans, you want an unpressurized basket. You’ll make worse coffee to start, but you’ll be able to learn how to improve. I think Breville moved past only including pressurized baskets, but make sure you check before buying. I found hunting down third party baskets for Breville almost impossible.
The Baratza Encore ESP is a decent starter grinder. It’s reasonably priced and can grind precise enough for espresso. Make sure you buy the ESP model. I have an Encore that was available before the ESP was released, so I own a different grinder for espresso. The Encore is decent, but be aware of the fact that it does have plastic parts, which can break. Thankfully they are also easy to replace.
Mid-priced Entry Level Kit:
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Espresso machine: Lelit Anna 1 ~$800
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Grinder: Rancilio Rocky ~$500
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Accessories: You’ll likely need to buy these separately but the key to a tamper is just ensuring it has good weight and is machined flat. As for a frothing jug, any stainless steel jug that you like should do.
Thoughts on this kit:
This is pricier, but a better learning kit because it gives you more room for growth. The Lelit Anna 1 has a brass boiler, so it has none of the issues that a heat jacket will produce. It also has boiler temperature control so you can adjust for different beans and roasts.
The Rancilio Rocky is a better all-around grinder, with flat burs that produce a more consistent grind. Parts are metal and can be fully replaced. However, if this kit is too expensive, you can get away with the Encore ESP paired with the Lelit. You might just want to upgrade to a flat burr grinder later on as you progress.
Other accessories to consider later on:
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Knock-box - a container with a padded impact area for dumping your grinds. Cleaner than a garbage pail, and gentler on your portafilter.
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Scale - a decent scale to measure grind portions
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Leveler - tool to level your grinds before tamping and some Baristas forego tamping in favour of leveling
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WDT tool - to distribute the grinds evenly to improve flavour extraction
I can’t really recommend anything about syrup since I don’t personally drink them in my coffee. I used to enjoy Torani for Italian Sodas, so I don’t think you can go wrong with their products. World Market used to have an entire wall of Torani flavours to chose from.
There is something I will recommend, because I don’t know if you will have access to any basic barista classes that you can sign up for. If you don’t have access to any formal training, and you are relying on coffee videos on YouTube, one thing you’ll miss out on is taste testing for calibration, because videos can’t provide that experience. Instead, try this:
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Buy a good espresso blend from a cafe that you trust and like. Since you live in a great city for coffee, I recommend Metropolis Redline Espresso blend as a fantastic starter. Not only is it great tasting, lots of great indie shops serve it the city.
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Buy that and then go to a location that serves it. Try a single or double espresso shot of Redline prepared by a barista you trust (I like Other Brother in Evanston, but there are so many great places around). Taste it slowly. Take some notes about what you taste: initial flavours, acidity, lasting flavours, finish.
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Then when you are practicing at home and trying to find the right grind size, try to reference those notes to see if you can match the flavours.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask baristas for tips, lots of them love to share their knowledge with people who are into the craft.
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Lol stop editing this post. It’s too long, I can’t check for your changes.
Mid-priced is probably where I’m looking to land. I really don’t want to buy something cheapo and feel like I need to replace it in two years. I figure if I’m already spending on this, I might as well spend a little more so it lasts.
I used to be a barista so I know a lot of the mechanics, but technique seems endlessly deep. I’ve been watching James Hoffman videos to help me make a decision with purchasing my coffee gear. If you got anybody you think I should check out, let me know.
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Lol. Most were just editorial changes like typo fixes, clearer titles. Not a lot of content changes.
What is mid-priced in your mind? Does the Lelit exceed mid-price in your mind? I also like the Rancilio Silvia but it’s skyrocketed in price.
Oh, you’re good then 
Sure, but all of that is just experimentation. If you have a foundation, just play around with the ideas you like.
I don’t, sadly. I don’t really consume a lot of video content like that. My knowledge comes from my previous life in the food industry and lots of keeping up with barista friends who try to keep me up-to-date since I left the industry.
Do you have any takeaways from Hoffman. Any pieces of equipment that he likes that fit your budget? He has this video, which is funny because I’ve kind of been thinking about buying a Niche Zero. It’s just expensive to import.
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Hoffman talks about the Lelit Anna and the Rancilio Silvia here in his mid-budget picks. The Lelit fares a bit lower than I expected (but it is less expensive) but I’m pleased that he seems to like the Rancilio as much as he does because it’s still my favourite home machine. Its big downside is the reservoir, but there are mods to plumb the water supply which removes that issue.
He also reviews the Breville Bambino (Sage) and note that he dings it a lot on build quality. And my biggest problem with them is exactly that, poor build quality.
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Oh, I didn’t see this. Budget grinders are ok, but mostly for things like drip or cold brew. They don’t grind consistently enough for espresso. I wouldn’t even use my Baratza Encore for espresso even though some claim to. I bought it for my partner’s cold brew because I brew a batch every couple days. The Encore ESP model is decent, but I would say is really the lowest price point I’d recommend for a grinder.
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