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In A Rush?

Today’s 30-Second Summary

If you don’t have time to read the whole email today, here are some key takeaways:

• Most of us are divided into early birds and night owls, but how much is genes and how much is within our control?

  • Today’s main feature looks at the genes that predispose, but do not predetermine, our sleep schedules, and what that means for our health

  • We also share resources on changing things up, as well as getting insider info about your own genes!

• As we age, our collagen levels tend to get depleted more easily. Collagen is important not just for youthful good looks, but also for the health of bones and joints

  • Today’s sponsor NativePath are offering high-quality collagen without additives or harmful impurities

• Today’s featured recipe is ready for summer with a gut-healthy salad that’ll be the talk of your party/picnic/potluck—in a very good way. Check it out down below!

Read on to learn more about these things, or click here to visit our archive

A Word To The Wise

Watch and Learn

20 Easy Ways To Lose Belly Fat (Things To Not Do)

Prefer text? The above video will take you to a 10almonds page with a text-overview, as well as the video!

Mythbusting Friday

A Sliding Slope?

In Tuesday’s newsletter, we asked you how much control you believe we have over our sleep schedule, and got the above-depicted, below-described, set of responses:

• 45% said “most people can control it; some people with sleep disorders cannot

• 35% said “our genes predispose us to early/late, but we can slide it a bit

• 15% said: “going against our hardwired sleep schedules is a road to ruin”

• 5% said “anyone can adjust their sleep schedule with enough willpower”

You may be wondering: what’s with those single-digit numbers in the graph there? And the answer is: Tuesday’s email didn’t go out at the usual time due to a scheduling mistake (sorry!), which is probably what affected the number of responses (poll response levels vary, but are usually a lot higher than this).

Note: yes, this does mean most people who read our newsletter don’t vote. So, not to sound like a politician on the campaign trail, but… Your vote counts! We always love reading your comments when you add those, too—often they provide context that allow us to tailor what we focus on in our articles 😎

However, those are the responses we got, so here we are!

What does the science say?

Anyone can adjust their sleep with enough willpower: True or False?

False, simply. It’s difficult for most people, but for many people with sleep disorders, it is outright impossible.

In a battle of narcolepsy vs willpower, for example, no amount of willpower will stop the brain from switching to sleep mode when it thinks it’s time to sleep:

Source: The neurobiological basis of narcolepsy

For further reading, especially if this applies to you or a loved one:

Living with Narcolepsy: Current Management Strategies, Future Prospects, and Overlooked Real-Life Concerns

Our genes predispose us to early/late, but we can slide it a bit: True or False?

True! First, about our genes predisposing us:

Genome-wide association analysis of 89,283 individuals identifies genetic variants associated with self-reporting of being a morning person

…and also:

Gene distinguishes early birds from night owls and helps predict time of death

Now, as for the “can slide it a bit”, this is really just a function of the general categories of “early bird” and “night owl” spanning periods of time that allow for a few hours’ wiggle-room at either side.

However, it is recommended to make any actual changes more gradually, with the Sleep Foundation going so far as to recommend 30 minutes, or even just 15 minutes, of change per day:

Sleep Foundation | How to Fix Your Sleep Schedule

Going against our hardwired sleep schedule is a road to ruin: True or False?

False, contextually. By this we mean: our “hardwired” sleep schedule is (for most of us), genetically predisposed but not predetermined.

Also, genetic predispositions are not necessarily always good for us; one would not argue, for example, for avoiding going against a genetic predisposition to addiction.

Some genetic predispositions are just plain bad for us, and genes can be a bit of a lottery.

That said, we do recommend getting some insider knowledge (literally), by getting personal genomics tests done, if that’s a viable option for you, so you know what’s really a genetic trait (and what to do with that information) and what’s probably caused by something else (and what to do with that information):

Genetic Testing: Health Benefits & Methods

Take care!

Our Sponsors Make This Publication Possible

NativePath Collagen

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Please do visit our sponsors—they help keep 10almonds free

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• The 7 Approaches To Pain Management

• The Truth About Chocolate & Skin Health

• Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us (book)

This Or That?

Vote on Which is Healthier

Yesterday we asked you to choose between sunflower oil and canola oil—this was more a case of “relatively least bad”, but we picked the sunflower (click here to read about why)!

Now for today’s choice:

Click on whichever you think is better for you!

Bonus (Sponsored) Recommendation

XWERKS introduces Grow, a new extra-healthy protein powder. With 25 grams of premium protein and over 6 grams of muscle-fueling BCAAs per scoop, Grow is the lean way to boost your muscle. Sourced from grass-fed cows in New Zealand, it's 100% whey isolate, meaning it’s low in lactose, carbs, and fat, and high in top-quality protein. Click here to check it out!

Recipes Worth Sharing

Turkish Saffron Salad

Summer is upon us, and we need salad options! Here’s one that’s packed with superfoods, not to mention flavor:

Click below for our full recipe, and learn its secrets:

One-Minute Book Review

The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Beginners: A No-Stress Meal Plan with Easy Recipes to Heal the Immune System – by Dorothy Calimeris and Lulu Cook

First, about the authors: notwithstanding the names, Calimeris is the cook, and Cook is the nutritionist (and an RDN at that).

As for the book: we get a good primer on the science of inflammation, what it is, why it happens, what things are known to cause/trigger it, and what things are known to fight it. They do also go outside of nutrition a bit for this, speaking briefly on other lifestyle factors too, but the main focus is of course nutrition.

As for the recipes: while distinctly plants-forward (as one might expect of an anti-inflammatory eating book), it’s not outright vegan or even vegetarian, indeed, in the category of main dishes, there are sections for:

• Vegetarian and vegan

• Fish and shellfish

• Poultry and meat

…as well as, before and after those, sections for breakfast and brunch and snacks and sweets. As well as a not-to-be-underestimated section, for sauces, condiments, and dressings. This is important, because those are quite often the most inflammatory parts of an otherwise healthy meal! So being able to make anti-inflammatory versions is a real boon.

The recipes are mostly not illustrated, but the steps are very clearly described and easy to follow.

Bottom line: if inflammation is currently on your to-tackle list, this book will be an excellent companion in the kitchen.

Click here to check out The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Diet For Beginners, and give your immune system some care!

Penny For Your Thoughts?

May today see you well-prepared for the coming weekend,

The 10almonds Team