Plant sterols, found in Benecol and Flora proactive, are associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease

This study was published in Steroids 2015 Mar 23

Study title and authors:
Increased plant sterol deposition in vascular tissue characterizes patients with severe aortic stenosis and concomitant coronary artery disease.

Luister A, Schött HF, Husche C, Schäfers HJ, Böhm M, Plat J, Gräber S, Lütjohann D, Laufs U, Weingärtner O.
Klinik für Innere Medizin III¸Kardiologie, Angiologie und Internistische Intensivmedizin.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25814070

Phytosterols are present in very small quantities in fruit and vegetables. The phytosterol content of plant sterol-enriched margarines (Benecol, Flora proactive etc) are higher by an order of magnitude of up to 841 times than the average vegetable (see here). Campesterol and sitosterol are types of phytosterols.

Oxyphytosterols are phytosterols that have gone rancid.

Cholestanol is a derivative of cholesterol.

The aim of the study (of 104 patients) was to evaluate the relationship between phytosterols, oxyphytosterols, lathosterol, cholestanol and cholesterol in patients with severe aortic stenosis (artery blockages), some of whom also had coronary artery disease who were scheduled for elective aortic valve replacement.

The study found:
(a) The ratio of campesterol-to-cholesterol was increased by 26% in plasma of patients with coronary artery disease compared to those without coronary artery disease.
(b) Sitosterol concentrations were increased by 38.8% in the tissues of patients with coronary artery disease compared to those without coronary artery disease.
(c) Campesterol concentrations were increased by 30.4% in the tissues of patients with coronary artery disease compared to those without coronary artery disease.
(d) Oxidized sitosterol-to-cholesterol ratios were up-regulated by 22.7% in the plasma of patients with coronary artery disease compared to those without coronary artery disease.
(e) Oxidized campesterol was increased by 17.1% in the aortic valve cusps (the triangular fold or flap of a heart valve) of patients with coronary artery disease compared to those without coronary artery disease.
(f) Neither cholestanol nor the ratio of cholestanol-to-cholesterol was associated with coronary artery disease.

Luister concluded: "Patients with concomitant coronary artery disease are characterized by increased deposition of plant sterols, but not cholestanol in aortic valve tissue. Moreover, patients with concomitant coronary artery disease were characterized by increased oxyphytosterol concentrations in plasma and aortic valve cusps".

Is it wise to consume margarines high in phytosterols (such as Benecol and Flora proactive) when the study suggests that phytosterols are associated with a higher risk of coronary artery disease?

Rhabdomyolysis occurring under statins after intense physical activity in a marathon runner

This paper was published in Case Reports in Rheumatology 2015;2015:721078

Study title and authors:
Rhabdomyolysis Occurring under Statins after Intense Physical Activity in a Marathon Runner.

Toussirot É, Michel F, Meneveau N.
Clinical Investigation Center for Biotherapy, CIC-1431, FHU INCREASE, University Hospital of Besançon, 25000 Besançon, France

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25815236

This paper reports the case of a marathon runner who developed rhabdomyolysis.

(i) A 50 year old man healthy man started to take atorvastatin but soon suffered from severe muscle pain. He then was prescribed rosuvastatin.
(ii) The patient was a regular long-distance and marathon runner. He was preparing for an international competition.
(iii) On the day of the competition and while being still under rosuvastatin, the patient experienced progressively worsening muscular weakness. At the end of the race, he suffered from severe pains in the lower limbs similar to diffuse cramps associated with generalized muscle contraction.
(iv) Muscle enzymes (creatine kinase) were tested two days after the race and were at 2631 IU/L (normal levels 300) and he was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis.
(v) One year later, (without taking the statins), for another marathon, the patient felt no muscle weakness at all or muscle contractions after the race.

Toussirot concluded: "Intense physical activity, as performed by statin treated athletes (whether professional or not and particularly during long-distance races) could have adverse consequences on muscles".

Acute exacerbations and infections increase in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who take aspirin and statins

This study was published in the International Journal of Medical Sciences 2015 Mar 2;12(3):280-7

 

Study title and author:

No Significant Detectable Anti-infection Effects of Aspirin and Statins in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Yayan J.

Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Sleep Medicine, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg/Saar, Germany.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25798054

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the name for a collection of lung diseases including chronic bronchitis, emphysema and chronic obstructive airways disease.

This study examined  the effect of using aspirin and statins in the exacerbation and infection in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The study included 300 patients, average age 69 years, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The study found:
(a) Patients taking aspirin and statins were 40% more likely to develop an infection than not develop an infection.
(b) Patients taking statins alone were 230% more likely to develop an infection than not develop an infection.
(c) Patients not taking either aspirin or statins were 40% LESS likely to develop an infection than develop an infection.
(d) Patients taking aspirin and statins had a 16% increased risk of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease compared to patients not taking either aspirin or statins.
(e) Patients taking statins alone had a 56% increased risk of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease compared to patients not taking either aspirin or statins.

Yayan concluded: "In this study, the number of acute exacerbations and infections increased in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who took aspirin and statins compared with those who took neither aspirin nor statins".

Volunteer with Healthy World Cafe

Just eight days from our grand opening (April 6!), we're excited to invite our community to volunteer with Healthy World Cafe. As a nonprofit, our operations rely heavily on volunteers. We'll have two shifts on each cafe day (Monday through Friday), plus additional times on weeknights and weekends for special events.

Starting March 31, we'll be running final tests on our recipes for the cafe, running through systems, and preparing for our grand opening April 6. So, volunteer slots begin March 31!

We're introducing new online system for coordinating volunteers, called YourVolunteers.com. We love this system because it is non-profit focused and meets our needs — we hope you like it too!

Here's how it works. First, create your username...

1. Follow the link to http://bit.ly/HWCvolunteer and click Register. Enter a username and password. (We recommend writing that down so you remember!) 
2. You will see “Success!” Then, click on Login Now and go back to sign in using your just-created username and password. (Remember to check the box about being human!) Then, click sign in.
3. Scroll to bottom of terms of service page and click I Accept for YourVolunteers.com's Terms of Service. Ta Da! You’re in! 

Once you're logged in, share your contact information...

1. We'd love to get your contact information. Click the tab at the top called You, and complete Your Contact Information. (Don't forget to hit submit!)
2. If you wish to sign up for The Week Ahead emails (the last option on the same dropdown menu under “You”), please do! YourVolunteers.com will then send a reminder email for the shifts you sign up for — just click Change on the Week Ahead emails page.

And sign up for shifts!

1. Go to the Shifts tab in the top menu bar. Choose Scheduled Shifts by Calendar from the dropdown menu. The “forward” and “back” arrows at the top of the calendar will navigate months. You are able to go up to 3 months ahead to select the day(s) you wish to volunteer. (For now, we are scheduling just April shifts as we become familiar with the platform. Please check back in a few weeks for shifts in May and June!)
2. Select the day you wish to volunteer to view the shifts — for a typical cafe day, that will be 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and noon to 3 p.m. Select the one(s) you want, then click Add. If there is availability, you will see assigned appear on the right. You will receive an email a week ahead as a reminder, if you sign up for that form of contact. (See step No. 4 above!)

That's it!

We appreciate in advance your patience with us and the system. We know there’s a learning curve, so please contact us if you need help. We have a new dedicated email account just for volunteers and scheduling of shifts: HWCvolmgr@gmail.com.

Please check out our volunteer guidelines in advance, available at www.healthyworldcafe.org.

See you at the cafe!

Is Meat Unhealthy? Consolidated links

Several people have asked for a consolidated list of links to my series on meat and health.  Here it is!  This should make it easier to share.  

Is Meat Unhealthy?  Part I.  Introduction and ethical/environmental considerations.

Is Meat Unhealthy?  Part II.  Our evolutionary history with meat.

Is Meat Unhealthy?  Part III.  Meat and cardiovascular disease.

Is Meat Unhealthy?  Part IV.  Meat and obesity risk.

Is Meat Unhealthy?  Part V.  Meat and type 2 diabetes risk.

Is Meat Unhealthy?  Part VI.  Meat and cancer risk.

Is Meat Unhealthy?  Part VII.  Meat and total mortality.

Is Meat Unhealthy?  Part VIII.  Health vs. the absence of disease.

Is Meat Unhealthy?  Part IX.  Summary.

Salted Caramel Oatmeal

Salted. Caramel. Oats. You like the sound of that? Oh yes you do. Having dessert(ish) foods for breakfast is what life is all about. Seriously, if you haven't tried the Creamy Chocolate Oatmeal that I posted some time ago, get on it, NOW! So next up is this sinfully indulgent beast of a breakfast that'll leave you fully satisfied and ready to take on a new day.

This recipe owes its sweetness to date paste, or date caramel as I prefer to call it (see below). I make mine by mashing a few soft dates with a fork but this may not be so easy if you don't have the right kind of dates. The ones I'm talking about here can be seen above; soft, un-pitted ones that are super easy to peel and have a melt-in-your-mouth consistency. If you can't find these where you live, soaking a few of the drier, pre-pitted dates overnight would probably work as well.

Date Caramel

The wonderful, caramel-y flavour comes from the amazing Organic Burst Maca Powder that I've been putting in everything lately. If you don't have any maca at hand then I suggest you sub it for a spoonful of mesquite powder or simply leave it out and let the dates work their caramel magic all on their own.

Salted Caramel Oatmeal

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup rolled oats

- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

- 3-4 soft dates with the pits still in them or 3-4 pre-pitted dates soaked overnight (30 g)

- 1/2 tbsp Organic Burst Maca Powder (could sub for mesquite or omit completely)

- Salt to taste

How to:

1. Bring oats, salt and almond milk to the boil (in a small saucepan) then lower the heat to a simmer.
2. Peel (optional) the dates and mash them to a gooey mess using a fork and a spoonful of water.
3. Add the date paste to the saucepan and stir well until the paste has dissolved in the oatmeal.
4. Stir frequently as you wait for the oats to get to the desired consistency. Add in the maca powder right at the end to preserve its nutrients as much as possible.
5. Add toppings such as banana coins and/or peanut butter and serve immediately.

Women who consume diet drinks have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease

This study was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine 2014 Dec 17

Study title and authors:
Diet Drink Consumption and the Risk of Cardiovascular Events: A Report from the Women's Health Initiative.

Vyas A, Rubenstein L, Robinson J, Seguin RA, Vitolins MZ, Kazlauskaite R, Shikany JM, Johnson KC, Snetselaar L, Wallace R.
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, 200 Hawkins Dr., Int. Med. E316-1 GH, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA, ankurvyas7@gmail.com.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25515135

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between diet drink intake and cardiovascular events. The study included 59,614 post-menopausal women, average age 62.8 years, who were followed for 8.7 years.

The study found:
(a) Women who consumed two or more diet drinks per day had a 30% higher risk of cardiovascular disease events compared to women who consumed 0-3 diet drinks a month.
(b) Women who consumed two or more diet drinks per day had a 50% higher risk of cardiovascular disease deaths compared to women who consumed 0-3 diet drinks a month. 
(c) Women who consumed two or more diet drinks per day had a 30% higher risk of overall deaths compared to women who consumed 0-3 diet drinks a month.

Vyas concluded: "This analysis demonstrates an association between high diet drink intake and cardiovascular disease outcomes and mortality in post-menopausal women".

Healthy World Cafe's grand opening is Monday, April 6!

We are so excited to announce big news for the cafe:

Our grand opening and ribbon cutting will be 11 a.m. Monday, April 6!

After many months of renovations and tremendous support from the community, we're thrilled to be able to open in downtown York and share our mission to build a sustainable community by providing nourishing food for all — and to eat some great good while we do it!

Please join us at the Cafe, 24 S. George St., York, PA 17401, to celebrate!

Check out our opening menu below.

Want a sneak peek?

We'll also be open on First Friday in April, 5 to 9 p.m. April 3, with live music from Vinyl Souls, beer tastings from the Beer Ace and our full menu offerings. Stop by, see the space and help us launch the next era of Healthy World Cafe!

Starting April 6, we'll be open for lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Please spread the word to friends, family, coworkers and neighbors.

OPENING MENU —

$5.50
– Rustic Swiss Chard, Herb and Cheese Quiche/Torte
– Chicken Salad on Greens
– Chicken Salad Sandwich on Foccacia
– Roasted Carrot Hummus, Beet Chutney, Chapati
– Roasted Carrot Hummus (with Roasted Vegetables or Chopped Greek Salad with Feta) on Focaccia

$3.50

– Chicken Vegetable Soup with Ginger
– Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
– Butternut Squash Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette
– Middle Eastern Bean Salad

EXTRAS

– Seasonal Pickled Vegetables, $1
– Dried Fruit and Oatmeal Cookie, $1
– Chapati, $1

Water and iced tea are free with your purchase, and all our menu items sourced from our farmer friends in southcentral Pennsylvania.

Lunch will be served 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday beginning April 6. Take-out orders are available during lunch hours by phone only; please call 717-814-8204.

Statins may increase the risk of liver disease in patients with Graves orbitopathy

This study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 2015 Mar 9

Study title and authors:
STATINS MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF LIVER DISFUNCTION IN PATIENTS TREATED WITH STEROIDS FOR ACTIVE GRAVES' ORBITOPATHY.

Covelli D, Vannucchi G, Campi I, Currò N, D'Ambrosio R, Maggioni M, Gianelli U, Beck-Peccoz P, Salvi M.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25751109

Graves' orbitopathy is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder affecting the orbit around the eye, characterized by upper eyelid retraction, lid lag, swelling, redness, conjunctivitis, and bulging eyes.

Graves' orbitopathy is often treated with methylprednisolone (an intravenous glucocorticoid). Often patients with Graves' orbitopathy and using an intravenous glucocorticoid, are also treated with statins.

This paper records the cases of two patients, (a 64 years old man and a 58 years old woman), who were prescribed methylprednisolone and concomitant administration of statins.

In the 64 year old man:
(a) After starting simvastatin and methylprednisolone he suffered from liver dysfunction. (His liver enzymes were significantly increased).
(b) He stopped taking simvastatin and methylprednisolone.
(c) He restarted methylprednisolone (but not simvastatin) and his liver enzymes returned to normal.

In the 58 year old woman:
(d) After starting rosuvastatin and methylprednisolone she suffered from liver dysfunction. (Her liver enzymes were significantly increased).
(e) She stopped taking methylprednisolone but continued rosuvastatin.
(f) Her live enzymes increased further.
(g) Three weeks later she stopped the rosuvastatin and there was a progressive normalization of her liver enzymes.

Covelli concluded: "Our study shows that statins, when concomitantly employed with methylprednisolone, may be a cause of liver dysfunction during intravenous glucocorticoid in active Graves' orbitopathy".

Statins and low cholesterol associated with a higher risk of Parkinson's disease

This study was published in Movement Disorders 2015 Jan 14

Study title and authors:
Statins, plasma cholesterol, and risk of Parkinson's disease: A prospective study.

Huang X, Alonso A, Guo X, Umbach DM, Lichtenstein ML, Ballantyne CM, Mailman RB, Mosley TH, Chen H.
Department of Neurology, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25639598

This study examined the relationship between cholesterol levels and statin use in relation to Parkinson's disease. The study included 15,792 participants, aged 45-64 years, who were followed for 11 years.

The study found:
(a) Statin users had a 139% higher risk of Parkinson's compared to non-users.
(b) Those with the highest cholesterol had a 57% reduced risk of Parkinson's compared to those with the lowest cholesterol.

Professor Huang concluded: "Statin use may be associated with a higher Parkinson's disease risk, whereas higher total cholesterol may be associated with lower risk".

Statins associated with elevated risk of high-grade prostate cancer

This study was published in the European Journal of Cancer 2015 Feb 23. pii: S0959-8049(15)00124-0

 

Study title and authors:

The risk of prostate cancer for men on aspirin, statin or antidiabetic medications.

Nordström T, Clements M, Karlsson R, Adolfsson J, Grönberg H.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25727881

This study estimated the association between prescribed medications and the risk of either any prostate cancer or high-grade prostate cancer. The study included 185,667 men having a first recorded prostate specific antigen test and 18,574 men having a first prostate biopsy.

Regarding statins, the study found:
(a) Men using statins had a 16% increased risk of any prostate cancer compared to men not taking statins.
(b) Men using statins had a 25% increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer compared to men not taking statins. 

Nordstrom concluded: "Use of any statins was associated with an elevated risk of being diagnosed with high-grade prostate cancer".

Raspberry and Cherry Crumble Pi(e) for one

Happy pi(e) day! I always love to celebrate otherwise insignificant days that have somehow come to revolve around food. There is National Cinnamon Roll Day (which is kind of a Swedish thing), Mardi Gras, several pancake days and so on. This day in particular kind is so geeky and amazing at the same time that you just can't help but loving it. 

I pondered long on which pie to make. There was an idea of making it a banoffee-thingy lurking somewhere inside my mind, and vegan key lime pie had a certain appeal to it as well. As I was brainstorming, I kind of ran out of time. So what better way to save the day than to whip up an extraordinarily simple crumble pie! All you need is frozen or fresh berries and a couple of pantry staples and you're all set and ready to go!

Before going in the oven

Now, I usually make sure to test my recipes more than once before posting them on here but as there is so little that could possibly go wrong with this, I'll share this recipe before pi(e) day has passed. Let me know if you give it a try!

Raspberry and Cherry Crumble Pi(e) for one

Filling:

- 1 cup (roughly) frozen or fresh berries, I opted for frozen sweet cherries and frozen raspberries

- 1 tbsp cornstarch (potato starch/tapioca flour works as well)

- 1/2-1 tbsp sweetener of choice, such as coconut sugar or erythritol

Crumble:

- 4 tbsp rolled oats

- 1 tbsp coconut flour

- 2-3 dates (24g)

- 1/2 tbsp unsweetened apple sauce

- 1/2 tbsp melted coconut oil

- Pinch of pure vanilla powder

How to:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/175C
2. Place berries in a bowl and toss in cornstarch until everything is coated.
3. Transfer to a small pie dish and add your sweetener to the berries by sprinkling/pouring it on top. (If you've gone for all sweet berries such as sweet cherries and strawberries, you may want to omit the sweetener.)
4. In another bowl, combine all the ingredients for the crumble -except for 1 tbsp oats- by blending them with a hand blender until a sticky dough forms.
5. Mix the remaining oats into the dough. It should crumble easily and if not, add a bit more liquid/flour until you've reached the right consistency.
6. Sprinkle the crumble evenly on top of the berries and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until it starts to brown.
7. Let cool for a few minutes and serve with a few spoonfuls of coconut cream (preferably whipped - mine wasn't) and even more fresh berries if you wish.

Food Reward Friday

This week's lucky "winner"... a bacon hot dog donut, by Krispy Kreme!

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Statins increase the risk of diabetes by 46%

This study was published in Diabetologia DOI 10.1007/s00125-015-3528-5

Study title and authors:
Increased risk of diabetes with statin treatment is associated with impaired insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion: a 6 year follow-up study of the METSIM cohort
Henna Cederberg & Alena Stančáková & Nagendra Yaluri & Shalem Modi & Johanna Kuusisto & Markku Laakso
Institute of Clinical Medicine, Internal Medicine, University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital

This study can be accessed at: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/840884

The aim of this work was to investigate the mechanisms underlying the risk of type two diabetes associated with statins. The study included 8,749 non-diabetic men, aged 45–73 years, who were followed up for 5.9 years.

The study found:
(a) Individuals taking statins had a 46% increased risk of developing diabetes compared to individuals not taking statins.
(b)  Insulin sensitivity was decreased by 24% in individuals on statin treatment compared with individuals without statin treatment.
(c)  Insulin  secretion was decreased by 12% in individuals on statin treatment compared with individuals without statin treatment.

Cederberg concluded: "Statin treatment increased the risk of type 2 diabetes by 46%, attributable to decreases in insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion".



Food Reward Friday

This week's lucky "winner"... donuts!!

Krispy Kreme donuts being made.  Hopefully this image isn't appetizing enough to make you want donuts.

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Positive review of my books in Caduceus magazine by Dr Rajendra Sharma

My books "Cholesterol And Saturated Fat Prevent Heart Disease" and "Low Cholesterol Leads To An Early Death" have received positive reviews in issue 80 (page 11) of Caduceus magazine by Dr Rajendra Sharma.

Statin use is significantly associated with cataract requiring surgical intervention

This study was published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology 2014 Dec;30(12):1613-9

Study title and authors:
Statin use and risk for cataract: a nested case-control study of 2 populations in Canada and the United States.

Wise SJ, Nathoo NA, Etminan M, Mikelberg FS, Mancini GB.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25475465

This study examined the effect of statin use on the risk of cataract and need for surgical intervention. Data was derived from two health databases: The British Columbia Ministry of Health database and the IMS LifeLink database (US health claims database). The British Columbia Ministry of Health database included 162,501 male and female cataract patients who were matched with 650,004 control subjects. The IMS LifeLink database comprised of male patients aged 40-85 years; 45,065 cataract patients were matched with 450,650 control subjects.

The study found:

(a) In the British Columbia group, statin users had a 27% increased risk of cataract requiring surgical intervention compared to nonusers.

(b) In the IMS LifeLink group, statin users had a 7% increased risk of cataract requiring surgical intervention compared to nonusers.

Wise concluded: "This study demonstrates that statin use is significantly associated with cataract requiring surgical intervention.".

 

 

 

Links to other studies:

Statin use is associated with a 57% increased risk of age-related cataract

The unintended adverse effects of statins in men and women

Statins increase the risk of cataracts by 20%

Build Your Own Yogurt Maker, Sous-vide Cooker, and All-purpose Fermenter for $40

I make a half gallon of yogurt, twice a month.  I like making my own yogurt for many reasons, but it's a bit of a pain.  Since I make large batches, I can't use a standard yogurt maker.  I often get distracted and over-heat the milk, and the method I use to incubate the yogurt is wildly inefficient (my beloved Excalibur dehydrator).  I also need a constant warm temperature for various other fermentation projects, and that's often difficult to achieve with the tools I have.

I finally found a better solution: a temperature controller that accurately regulates the temperature of a slow cooker by turning an outlet on or off.  I simply set the temperature of the controller, place the temperature probe into the slow cooker, and plug the slow cooker into the temperature controller outlet.  The slow cooker then stays at whatever temperature I want.  Here's what the temperature controller looks like:

Once built, the temperature controller with or without the slow cooker can be used for a variety of other tasks (including regulating cooling devices).  Here are some ideas that come to mind:

• Sous-vide cooker
• High-capacity yogurt maker
• Bread dough riser
• All-purpose thermophilic fermenter (e.g., for tempeh, natto, koji)
• Beer/cider/wine fermentation temperature controller
• Kegerator controller
• Freezer-to-fridge conversion
• Egg incubator
• Soil temperature controller for seed starting

Don't worry, I'm not turning into a food blogger.  But this sous-vide-cooked
chicken I made with my DIY temperature controller was pretty tasty.
I used this recipe from NomNom Paleo.

You can build the whole thing for about $40, including the slow cooker.

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