5 Key Benefits of Biotin for Hair, Skin and Health

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

Hair and skin feeling lackluster? Biotin, a little known B vitamin, might be your secret weapon to restoring their natural glow.

Previously known as “vitamin H” due to its powerful influence on hair and scalp health, biotin has since been renamed vitamin B7.

This B vitamin sends energy to cells and has some pretty amazing benefits for your health. Biotin influences the nervous system, and might soon be used as a progressive method to treat multiple sclerosis.

The impressive benefits of this nutrient might be enough to convince you to add it to your shelf of supplements.

What is Biotin?

Biotin is a water-soluble B vitamin, also referred to as B7. Since water-soluble vitamins do not get stored in fat tissues, they get depleted quickly and must be regularly supplied through dietary sources.

This B vitamin hasn’t been researched as much as B12, riboflavin, and thiamine.

This is because symptoms of biotin deficiency result in more frustratingly subtle issues, like lackluster hair, skin, and nails, along with nerve irritation and mood problems. While these might not seem extreme, low levels can have a dramatic impact on our personal appearance and how we feel in our own skin.

Symptoms of Low Biotin

The average recommended daily intake for biotin is 5 micrograms for infants and small children, 30 micrograms for adults, and 35 micrograms in pregnant and breastfeeding women. While true deficiency is rare, it’s possible to be low on the daily intake and still notice symptoms.

Common symptoms of low biotin levels might include: 

• Dry, itchy, or red skin
• Face rash
• Pink-eye
• Brittle hair or hair loss
• Low energy levels or fatigue
• Digestive problems
• Muscular aches, joint pains or nerve damage
• Seizures
• Mood changes
• Tingling in extremities
• Cognitive decline or impairment

5 Key Benefits of Biotin

Without enough biotin, the body is short on energy. Here are five of the biggest benefits of making sure you get enough.

1. Healthy Hair, Nails, and Skin

The quality of your hair, skin, and nails are a direct reflection of the body’s internal health. If your hair feels dry, your skin is dull, and your nails are brittle, you can help correct them with biotin. In particular, supplementation can improve nail thickness and reduce flimsy, peeling problems.

Research also shows that preventing deficiency in biotin can help protect against hair loss.  Make sure you’re getting enough to keep your hair healthy.

2. Helps Manage Type 2 Diabetes

While type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune driven attack of the pancreas, type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disease where insulin and blood sugar regulation cease to function effectively.

Biotin is studied as a way to help control blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes. It’s been theorized that people with type 2 diabetes have lower levels initially, which might contribute to metabolic dysfunction in the first place.

While biotin alone can’t improve glucose levels, compelling research shows that when paired with another supplement – chromium – the combination can work to reduce blood glucose levels.

3. Better Digestion and Nutrient Absorption

Biotin is part of a group of enzymes that help the digestive system do its job – basically, it helps the body make glucose (blood sugar) and digestible fat from the foods that you eat.

Without enough biotin, your body won’t be able to fully break down fats, carbs, and proteins during digestion, which can set off a chain reaction that leads to other nutrient problems because the body can’t use the vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat.

Biotin helps pull glucose from non-carb foods, like meats and other proteins, in a process known as gluconeogenesis. This is important for the body to be able to make the most out of the food that it takes in while also being able to supply a constant stream of blood sugar to keep the body in balance.

4. Boosts Thyroid Health

Thyroid disease causes a host of body-wide symptoms that can become a full-time job to manage. Between body aches and low energy levels, the final straw for most thyroid patients is the hair loss.

In addition to encouraging hair growth, biotin gives the body healthy hemoglobin and blood. Because the thyroid requires iron to make hormones, if the body is inefficient at transporting nutrients through the body or low in critical nutrients, like iron, thyroid hormones will be too low. This is why biotin is a vital part of supporting a healthy thyroid at a cellular level.

5. Nervous System Support

One of the major diseases that affect the nervous system is multiple sclerosis or MS. It’s driven by an autoimmune attack of the myelin sheath, which covers and protects nerve fibers in the brain, spinal cord, and eyes.

Biotin is an essential element for producing the myelin sheath and is currently being researched as a treatment for progressive MS.

Even if you don’t have MS, ensuring you’re not deficient in this crucial nutrient is a great way to protect your neurological health.

How to Safely Supplement with Biotin

Since deficiencies are not common, do you really need to take it as a supplement?

In short, supplementing should be at the discretion of your doctor. If you regularly get lab tests to monitor certain chronic conditions, like thyroid disease, speak to your doctor before starting a supplement.

Too much of it can falsely elevate thyroid test results, so even if you are taking a supplement, you may need to take a break for a few days before a doctor’s visit.

Like most B vitamins, biotin works best with the total B-complex family and shouldn’t be supplemented on its own without a doctor’s direction.

Natural Sources of Biotin

Your microbiome creates a small amount of biotin itself, though not enough to supply the body with its optimal amount. Here are the top Paleo sources:

Offal, especially liver and kidney

Yeast

Nuts and nut butters

Egg yolks

Leafy green vegetables

Cauliflower

Mushrooms

Watch this video – The Benefits & Side Effects of Biotin for Hair Growth, Skin & Nails

Bottom Line

It’s not common to be completely deficient in biotin, but many people do run low on this vital nutrient. Biotin supports energy levels, healthy blood, and can even help balance glucose levels. If you don’t regularly eat foods rich in this vitamin, ask your doctor whether supplementation might be right for you.

Written by Aimee McNew

Author Bio:

Aimee McNew is a Certified Nutritionist who specializes in women’s health, thyroid problems, infertility, and digestive wellness. She ate her way back to health using a Paleo diet, lost 80 pounds, and had a healthy baby after numerous miscarriages. She focuses on simple nutrition practices that promote long-lasting results.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook

The Superior Nutritional Benefits of Ghee Vs Coconut Oil

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

Fats have made a recent comeback, and we have options. Among the many healthy fats, coconut oil and ghee have gained some of the most popularity, but which is the superior fat? Get the scoop in this article and decide for yourself.

For years now I have been consuming both high-quality coconut oil and ghee, as well as many other nourishing fats. Of the many healthy fats I enjoy, coconut oil and ghee are the two most common I recommend to friends and clients.

While both of these elite foods provide incredible health benefits, there are definite differences between them, so let’s take a look at exactly what those differences are.

Then from there, you can decide for yourself which is the best choice for you – or, why choose when you can have both?

The Benefits of Coconut Oil

One of the reasons coconut is so great is that we are very accustomed to it.

Coconuts are a very old food that we have been consuming for ages. Often, food allergies are a result of us not having enough of a particular food, so the immune system is not used to it and therefore has no immunity to it. This is probably why most people digest coconut well.

Coconut is a survival food and everything about it is good: the meat, the fat, the water, and even the husks, which can be used for charcoal or fires!

Not only is this functional food a source of calories, it has many healing and medicinal properties:

• Anti-Fungal (Anti-Candida)
• Anti-Inflammatory 
• Promotes Healthy Hair
• Improves Energy
• Weight Loss

Just to name a few…

Aside from its many positive influences on our health, coconut oil is excellent for cooking. It tolerates high heat much better than butter, olive oil and other low-smoke point oils. This is great because the fat in coconut oil is much less likely to go rancid.

Coconut oil is also very digestible. It’s primarily composed of medium-chain triglycerides, whereas most other saturated fats are long-chain triglycerides. 

MCTs require little to no work from the digestive system to break down into energy. Just a small bit of bile from the gallbladder and a tiny amount of digestive enzymes are all it takes to break down these fats for energy.

This makes coconut oil a fantastic source of fat for those with no gallbladder, poor digestion or who are intentionally keeping their digestive load light to reserve energy.

Reasons to Avoid Coconut Oil

Perhaps the only real downside to coconut oil is that it is not very rich in fat-soluble Vitamins A, D and K that we will find in ghee.

Also, for some, the taste of fresh coconut oil might take a bit of getting used to.

Coconut oil has a bit of a natural sweetness, which might not pair with some foods according to some people’s palates.

While coconut oil is a perfectly healthy fat, each individual has a unique metabolism.

In the case you tend to be underweight or anxious, experiment with removing coconut oil from your diet. It is digested and absorbed quickly and might further speed up an already fast metabolism, making you a bit more energetic than you’d like.

While it is good to have abundant energy, remember that health is a balance and too much stimulation can over-activate our sympathetic nervous system, leading to imbalances.

The Benefits of Ghee

The reason so many are intolerant to dairy is because it’s a relatively new food compared to coconut oil – our systems simply aren’t used to it. Humans did not start consuming dairy until the domestication of animals. Through the process, people soon learned that fresh milk from sheep, goats, and yaks had some benefits.

There is even speculation that the consumption of raw, fermented milk dates back to biblical times. The fermentation of milk makes it easier to digest, and still to this day, it is ideal to consume fermented dairy.

In the big picture of human evolution, 13,000 years isn’t much time at all. Milk and other dairy products still aren’t very popular in some parts of the globe. This would explain why many people are still intolerant to it.

Studies show that throughout the world, dairy is more or less tolerable. It is said that dairy intolerance is most common in Finland where 1 in 60,000 new-borns are dairy intolerant. However, in Northern Europe only 5% of people are intolerant.

While the ability to digest dairy fluctuates due to genetics and other factors, it is common for 65% of people to lose their ability to digest dairy after infancy.

However, a good portion of people (such as Northern Europeans) are able to digest dairy just fine. When it comes to dairy, it’s best to see how your body responds to it and go from there.

The Demand for Fat

You might be wondering, if dairy is not well-tolerated by humans, why would we go out of our way to produce ghee? There are many reasons, actually. It turns out that butter fat is exceptionally rich in Vitamins A, D and K (IF pasture-raised). If it’s high-quality butter you’re getting, then you’ll be getting a party of brilliant nutritional goodness.

What’s great about ghee is that it is pure butter fat. All of the sugar and proteins are cooked out, leaving behind an easy-to-digest liquid gold that is grass-fed butter fat.

Essentially, ghee is just butter that has had the moisture, proteins and sugars cooked out.

Aside from ghee’s delicious creaminess and subtle sweetness, ghee makes an exceptional cooking fat. Because it lacks any water, it doesn’t spatter when used for pan cooking. Also, because it lacks any sugar and protein, it has a very high smoke point.

For these reasons alone, ghee is superior to butter. The only time I would say butter has the upper hand is if it were of outstanding quality and also raw and cultured.

Raw butter is also very easy to digest, since it contains the enzymes to aid the digestive process. In addition, raw butter contains healthy bacteria to support gut health. If you do not have access to raw, cultured butter, though, ghee is comparable if not just as good.

One job of the immune system is to identify foreign proteins, like viruses and bacteria, and remove them from the body. However, it will also attack any protein in food it considers an invader. This is what happens when we eat a protein our body doesn’t agree with (like casein from dairy) and there is an immune response.

Here’s the deal: the immune system will not attack fat. Because ghee has no casein and is pure fat, typically people who are very dairy sensitive can consume ghee liberally and have no symptoms or immune response.

Which Is Better?

Looking at the details, it’s easy to see that both coconut oil and ghee are wonderful foods. When deciding between the two, the choice would ultimately boil down to what you are looking for in a food. While they have their differences, the main deciding factors would be:

• Weight: If you’re trying to lose weight, then go for coconut oil. If you’re looking to add some weight, then ghee is your best bet!

• Nutrition: Ghee is more nutritious according to the nutritional analysis. If you are trying to get a healthy dose of fat-soluble vitamins, then ghee is going to provide more nutrition. If you want something strictly anti-fungal, then coconut oil may be better.

• Taste: Coconut oil tends to have a somewhat strong taste; some people may dislike that about coconut oil. On the other hand, ghee is more neutral and versatile in its application to dishes.

Aside from these few details, I say they’re both keepers. The best decision would be to first know what function you are looking in the fat. Then, rotate them to meet those specific needs.

You could even make a mixture of half ghee, half coconut oil and experience the best of both worlds. This is a great combo in coffee, as well. I also recommend trying different brands, as I have noticed that some are tastier.

Watch this video – Ghee vs coconut oil everything you need to know

Written by Nick Kowalski

Author Bio:

Nick Kowalski is a Transformational Coach, fitness model and unconditional lover. You can find more of his writing on his blog NicksFit. His mission is to inspire the transformation toward love consciousness. Follow him on Instagram for more living in love inspiration and transformational mindset motivation!

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook

2 Quick and Easy Ways to Make Homemade Ghee

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

How to Make Ghee On the Stove (Or in an Instant Pot)

Need an alternative to butter? Check out two quick and easy ways to make homemade ghee instead. Not only is it great for lactose-sensitive diets, but it can be made in under 20 minutes using your Instant Pot or stovetop!

One of the greatest benefits of incorporating ghee into your diet is that it is lactose-free. Many people with dairy sensitivities struggle with sugars found in milk (aka lactose), typically causing bloating or uncomfortable gut inflammation.

Ghee is a great substitute since the straining and cooking process helps to remove the lactose from its solid state.

Additionally, ghee has a much higher smoke point than traditional oils – meaning it can be heated to higher temperatures for cooking. 

Note: The smoke point of ghee is 485°F. The main difference between clarified butter and ghee is its taste. Ghee is cooked longer to bring out a nutty, caramel flavor.

To start, you’ll need one pound of organic grass-fed butter, an Instant Pot or large pot for the stove, and a thin cheesecloth for straining.

Whether you’re making your ghee on the stove or in your Instant Pot, the process is the same. Sauté the butter until it bubbles and browns for about 10-15 minutes. The butter will start to turn white and foamy on top and then change to a chestnut brown color when done.

Strain your ghee with a cheesecloth over a large glass bowl. Let it cool for 10 minutes and then transfer to a Mason jar. Let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to set. When finished, enjoy spreading it on Paleo-friendly breads or use it to cook and bake your favorite recipes with!

How to Make Ghee On the Stove (Or in an Instant Pot)

Recipe by Megan Olson

Check out two quick and easy ways to make homemade ghee instead.

Tools:

• Instant Pot or large pot for the stove
• Cheesecloth
• Mason jar for storing

Ingredients:

1 lb organic, grass-fed butter

Instructions:

1. To Make in the Instant Pot: Place the butter in an Instant Pot and turn on the sauté setting to cook for 10-15 minutes.

• To Make on Your Stove: Melt the butter in a large pot and bring to a medium simmer for 10-15 minutes. The butter will start to bubble into three distinct layers: foam on the top, golden in the middle, and a solid chestnut color with brown bits on the bottom. (Check readiness by peeking through the foam and looking to see if the middle layer is golden).

• When finished, turn off heat and remove the foam layer with a spoon or strainer. Allow the middle and bottom layers to cool in pan for 2-3 minutes.

• For Both Instant Pot and Stove Methods: Once cooled, carefully strain the butter through a cheesecloth into a clean Mason jar. Discard the brown pieces that have been strained. Make sure any utensils you use during this process are clean.

• Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 20 minutes. Keep ghee refrigerated in between uses. A jar of refrigerated ghee will last up to 1 year.

Watch this video – Homemade Ghee From Butter Recipe | 20 Minute failproof ghee recipe from Unsalted butter

Written by Megan Olson

Author Bio:

Megan is the author of the gluten free website, Skinny Fitalicious where she creates easy, low calorie recipes. Megan is also a nutrition practitioner specializing in weight loss. When she’s not in the kitchen or coaching clients, she’s in the gym teaching group fitness. To view more of her work, visit Skinny Fitalicious.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook

3 Anti-Stress Fats to Naturally Calm Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

It might sound surprising, but certain healthy fats can ease the chronic stress that causes adrenal problems, fatigue, and thyroid issues.

If you’re constantly feeling overwhelmed, odds are that your adrenals are working on overdrive to cope with it. Here’s how to recognize the tell-tale signs of high cortisol levels and overworked adrenals, plus natural ways to ease fatigue and bring down your stress levels.

11 Symptoms of High Cortisol

Cortisol is the hormone produced by the adrenal glands to help the body cope with stress. It has a positive effect in the body when it occurs as nature intended it.

But what nature didn’t expect is that we would be chronically exposed to stress, kept in a perpetual state of “fight or flight” when our lives aren’t actually in danger. As a result, unchecked stress leaves us with constant high levels of cortisol.

When cortisol becomes too high and remains elevated for too long, it produces noticeable symptoms. These include: 

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Digestion issues
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Increased risk for heart disease
• Sleep disorders and insomnia
• Weight gain and inability to lose weight
• Problems with concentration and memory
• Reproductive problems
• Low thyroid function

While some of these symptoms could be attributed to other factors, our bodies work together in unison to maintain balance in the body. If just one organ starts to produce too much or too little hormone, there is a trickle-down effect throughout the whole body.

Stress hormones especially can have a whole-body impact in three major areas: weight, fertility, and thyroid.

Weight

Cortisol, especially when high, leads to fat storage and alterations in the hormones that regulate appetite: it makes you want to eat, even if you’re not technically hungry.

Fertility

In women, stress can interfere with ovulation and lead to irregular cycles, prevent ovulation, or even stop menstruation altogether.

If a woman isn’t ovulating, she cannot get pregnant. Even if she isn’t trying to conceive, altered menstruation during reproductive years can lead to other hormone changes, stress, sleep problems, and mood problems.

For men, research shows that stress can lead to lower sperm counts and quality issues, leading to reduced fertility.

Thyroid

The thyroid and adrenal glands are both endocrine organs – meaning that they produce hormones. These hormones have such a close connection that when one gland goes awry, the other is affected, too.

During stress, thyroid function slows down and puts out lower amounts of T3 and T4, the two main thyroid hormones. Stress can also affect thyroid hormone conversion in the tissues, producing symptoms similar to hypothyroidism.

Anti-Stress Fats to Calm Adrenal Fatigue

To alleviate adrenal fatigue, practice stress-busting methods, like deep breathing, yoga, and therapy. If you drink coffee or alcohol, try lowering your consumption to keep the body from perpetuating the cycle of overstimulation.

Next, let’s explore a little-known way to help your body cope with chronic stress: eat more healthy fat. The fats below can easily be worked into any diet and offer nutritional benefits beyond stress-balancing, too.

Grass-fed Butter and Ghee

Creamy grass-fed butter and ghee can help protect the body from the damaging effects of stress, like inflammation and oxidation.

If you’re sensitive to dairy, opt for ghee. But if you’re not, you can use grass-fed butter and ghee interchangeably. Serve butter over your vegetables, sear your meats in ghee, drizzle butter over fish, and even add ghee to your morning coffee. Just one tablespoon daily is enough to help your body to better cope with stress.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is considered a superfood for its antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiviral properties, and it might be able to ease stress as well.

One study on animals showed that coconut oil helped with the physical and mental effects of chronic stress. In human research, coconut oil lowered inflammation markers in the body associated with systemic inflammation.

Add coconut oil to smoothies, mix it into your coffee, use it as a replacement for butter in baked treats, or use it to make delicious, keto-friendly coconut oil fat bombs.

Even if you’re not following a keto diet, these make great stress-busting snacks to have on hand.

Avocado and Avocado Oil

Avocado is rich in fiber, which can have a balancing effect on glucose. Even if you’re not diabetic, chronic stress can lead to increases in glucose and decreases in insulin levels (or to insulin resistance problems).

Plus, avocado contains lots of B vitamins that help to control the stress response in the body. Both avocado and avocado oil contain monounsaturated fats that can decrease inflammation.

Add avocado slices to your salads, mix them into smoothies, bake them with an egg cracked inside the hole, or use avocado oil in place of other cooking oils.

Watch this video – How to Overcome Adrenal Fatigue | Dr. Josh Axe

Bottom Line

Stress can feel all-consuming, but giving your body the supportive nutrients it needs can help ease symptoms. As your body copes better with the physical effects of stress, you’ll be able to mentally take on the challenge of finding relief, too. The right healthy fats can fight the negative effects of stress while providing other beneficial nutrients as well.

Written by Aimee McNew

Author Bio:

Aimee McNew is a Certified Nutritionist who specializes in women’s health, thyroid problems, infertility, and digestive wellness. She ate her way back to health using a Paleo diet, lost 80 pounds, and had a healthy baby after numerous miscarriages. She focuses on simple nutrition practices that promote long-lasting results.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook