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Drikus’ Community

26 members • $29/month

3 contributions to Drikus’ Community
Olive Oil and Cooking
Most people ask the wrong question. They ask: “Is olive oil healthier than seed oils?” That’s not the decision. The real question is: What fat causes the least damage when you heat it? 🫠 Heat is the constraint Cooking applies heat. Heat breaks fragile fats. Broken fats don’t stay neutral. They turn into inflammatory byproducts. So the best cooking fat is the one that stays stable under heat. 💔 Why fats break Fats break through oxidation. Oxidation increases with: - Heat - Light - Time Polyunsaturated fats are fragile. Saturated fats are stable. This difference explains most diet-related inflammation. 😵 Linoleic acid is the bottleneck Linoleic acid is a polyunsaturated fat. Because of that, it: - Oxidizes easily - Accumulates in body fat and cell membranes - Persists for years once stored High tissue levels of linoleic acid are associated with: - Chronic inflammation - Insulin resistance - Obesity - Cardiometabolic disease This isn’t about one meal. It's about long-term accumulation. 🧪 How much linoleic acid is in common fats - Butter / tallow: ~1–2% - Coconut oil: ~2% - Olive oil: ~8–12% - Avocado oil: ~15–20% - Seed oils: 50–70%+ Lower linoleic acid = less oxidation Less oxidation = lower inflammatory burden 🫒 Where olive oil fits Olive oil is better than seed oils. It contains: - Mostly monounsaturated fat - Polyphenols - Vitamin E These compounds are associated with improved lipid markers and reduced cardiovascular risk. But here’s the constraint: Olive oil still delivers meaningful linoleic acid. And heating it still accelerates oxidation. So while olive oil may be beneficial in some contexts, it is not an optimal cooking fat if the goal is lowering long-term metabolic stress. 🐮 Why animal fats and coconut oil perform better Butter, ghee, tallow, and coconut oil are predominantly saturated. That makes them: - Heat-stable - Resistant to oxidation - Far less likely to contribute to inflammatory byproducts
1 like • 28d
Thanks. I appreciate the feedback...👍
1 like • 28d
Something I forgot to mention earlier - we tend to use olive oil (always "extra virgin") mostly in winter for convenience when saturated fats are hard and difficult to use because of cold weather conditions. In winter we keep the butter out on the benchtop all the time, but sometime it is still quite hard. We also have a container with coconut oil out on the benchtop when the weather is not too hot. Also we re-use fats and broth from almost all meat dishes - especially from trotters, hocks, lamb shanks and roasts. We have several jars of various broth/fats in the fridge - these are our "go-to" fats for cooking.
Why Week 1 Looks Too Simple (And Why It Works)
Most people think sleep problems are caused by: - bad discipline - bad habits - bad willpower They’re wrong. Sleep and energy issues are almost always timing problems, not effort problems. That’s why Week 1 is intentionally boring. Not because it’s weak. But because it’s foundational. ⏰ The real problem we’re fixing in Week 1 Your nervous system doesn’t know when to be on and when to be off. So it stays half-on all the time. That shows up as: - wired-but-tired energy - afternoon anxiety - late-night racing thoughts - poor sleep even when you “do everything right” Week 1 fixes the timing signal. Not your diet. Not your motivation. Not your discipline. Timing first. Everything else later. 🌅 Why the first hour of your day matters so much Your brain has a short window after waking where it decides: “Is this a high-energy day… or a stressed-out one?” Light in the first hour after waking sends a clear message: - stress hormones go up early - and come down later Miss that window, and stress shows up when you don’t want it. - afternoon - evening - bedtime This has nothing to do with waking at 5am vs 9am. It’s not about being a “morning person.” It’s about what you do after you wake. That’s why Rule 1 exists. 🌙 Why nights are won before bedtime Most people try to “fix” sleep at night. That’s too late. Good sleep is set up 12–14 hours earlier. If your brain gets a clear daytime signal: - it knows when to shut off later If it doesn’t: - melatonin stays low - stress stays high - sleep gets light and broken That’s why: - morning light matters - evening stimulation hurts - consistency beats hacks ⚠️ Why we’re ignoring diet, caffeine, and exercise (on purpose) Because changing everything at once: - raises stress - lowers compliance - slows progress When rhythm improves: - energy improves - cravings drop - discipline gets easier Then we layer the rest. You don’t earn progress by doing more.
Why Week 1 Looks Too Simple (And Why It Works)
1 like • Jan 28
Adenosine, a non-hormonal chemical accumulates in the blood throughout the day, increasing sleep pressure and making you feel tired by bedtime. Caffeine acts as a nonselective, competitive antagonist that binds to adenosine receptors in the brain, blocking adenosine from binding to them. By preventing adenosine from slowing down nerve cell activity, caffeine promotes alertness, reduces fatigue, and stimulates the release of other neurotransmitters like dopamine.
Vitamin C Isn’t About Oranges
It’s About Environment Most people think vitamin C comes from oranges. That’s wrong. Oranges are average. Vitamin C density varies wildly. And the best sources aren’t the most common ones. Here’s the difference. An apple has ~5 mg. An orange has ~50 mg. A guava? Over 200 mg. Kiwi. Papaya. Strawberries. All higher than oranges. Not by accident. By design. --- Vitamin C Was Always Meant to Come From Food Humans don’t make vitamin C. That’s not an oversight. It’s a signal. Our physiology assumes regular intake from food. When that assumption is met, things work. When it isn’t, things break. Fast. Especially collagen-heavy tissue: Gums. Teeth. Skin. Joints. The body doesn’t depend on optional nutrients. If something is required, it’s required consistently. --- Why Tropical Fruits Are Higher in Vitamin C Vitamin C isn’t a vitamin to plants. It’s protection. It shields against: - Intense sunlight - Heat - Oxidative stress - Microbial pressure Where are those pressures highest? The tropics. So tropical plants make more vitamin C. Temperate fruits don’t need to. Apples and pears are built for storage. Durability. Shelf life. Not nutrient density. That’s why they last longer. And why they deliver less. --- Here’s the Part People Miss Vitamin C deficiency doesn’t show up quietly. It shows up where turnover is highest. The gums. The connective tissue. The immune system. That’s why early deficiency was first noticed in the mouth. Not the muscles. Not the brain. The gums. --- The Takeaway If vitamin C is the goal: - Stop chasing apples - Stop worshipping oranges - Choose tropical and subtropical fruit Guava. Kiwi. Papaya. Strawberries. The body expects vitamin C. It expects it from food. Remove the source, and the system fails. Same rules. Different nutrient.
Vitamin C Isn’t About Oranges
1 like • Jan 28
Plants produce vitamin C (ascorbate) primarily in their leaves through the Smirnoff-Wheeler pathway, a 10-step process that converts glucose (derived from photosynthesis) into ascorbic acid. This metabolic pathway, which is vital for protecting plant cells from damage caused by high light energy, drought and high salinity, is mainly active in chloroplasts. While produced in all cells, it is most abundant in leaves, serving as an antioxidant that controls reactive oxygen species generated during photosynthesis, supports growth, and acts as a coenzyme in metabolic reactions. In fruit vitamin C plays a crucial regulatory role in the ripening process, ensuring the fruit matures properly. By reducing oxidative damage, vitamin C acts as a natural preservative, slowing down decay and maintains the viability of the seeds contained within the fruit. Eating fresh, in-season fruit is best because the amount of vitamin C decreases rapidly over time due to oxidation and enzymatic activity. Some fruits, such as berries, may lose 30–37% of their vitamin C after several months in cold storage, others can lose a substantial amount of their vitamin C within just a few weeks. Cutting fruits (e.g., melons) and refrigerating them can cause further, rapid reduction of vitamin C. Freezing fruits and vegetables can better preserve their nutritional value compared to long-term cold storage in a refrigerator.
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Darvey Conradie
2
15points to level up
@darvey-conradie-2801
The Body heals with good nourishment and play, the Mind heals with frequent laughter, and the Spirit heals with joy...

Active 14d ago
Joined Jan 28, 2026
Hamilton, New Zealand