Must Read Books about Nutrition that AREN'T Diet Books
It's January and you might be swamped with Facebook stories about your friends going on cleanses, or hot yoga binges, or committing to a month with no added sugar, or eating strictly cotton balls. Or they're reading some book heavy on the nutribabble and light on the science and telling you ALL ABOUT IT. Le sigh. Maybe you- the dedicated nutrition nerd - need to escape from the madness. Maybe you want to send your friends a book full of common sense (but maybe don't be that p
Behind the News saying "Saturated Fat could be Good for You"
A close read of the #FatFunc study You might recognize it from the press-release headline, "Saturated fat could be good for you." And we discussed controversial headlines this study spawned in the first installment of this article. This study, named FatFunc (#FatFunc) was a neat RCT that sought to examine differences between two weight loss diets: high fat low carb (HFLC) - 10% carbs, 17% protein, 73% fat - and a low-ish fat diet (LF) - 53% carb, 17% protein, 30% fat. Is it
"Ever Seen a Fat Fox? Human Obesity Explored" Review
This book and review are also featured in the post: Nutrition Summer Reading. For the other books I'm (attempting) to read this summer and for other folks' thoughts, pop over to the post to see! I have just completed reading "Ever Seen a Fat Fox?" and I have to say I was extremely impressed. This is NOT a light read- it contains an extensive lit review and a slightly more academic tone that is occasionally punctuated with Professor Mike Gibney's irreverent (and sometimes no
Is the Insulin Theory of Obesity Over?
Kevin Hall, PhD, says his most recent metabolic ward study combined with the paper his team released over the summer falsifies the insulin-carbohydrate theory of obesity. The insulin theory of obesity, in short, posits that higher carbohydrate diets increase insulin secretion, which then drives fat storage and essentially “starves” muscles and organs of energy. This causes increased hunger and overeating. The reason a low-carb diet works, according to the theory, is that th
Are Fried Worms Healthier Than Fried Chicken?
A recent study, "Are edible insects more or less 'healthy' than commonly consumed meats?" attempted to determine just that. Commercially farmed insects are more sustainable and less expensive to raise than livestock, so there has been a push to expand production and promotion of these foods. But are insects healthier than beef, pork, and chicken? Researchers from Rikkyo University in Tokyo and Oxford University in the UK wanted to find out. In the study, published in the Eur
Is the Paleo Diet Really Killing You? An Investigation into a Mouse Model
The press release for a recent study out of the University of Melbourne is titled, “Diabetes expert warns paleo diet is dangerous and increases weight gain.” These findings are reiterated by the lead author, Associate Professor Sof Andrikopoulos, in a YouTube video describing the experiment, which was done in New Zealand Obese (NZO) mice. Much of the nutrition internet reacted in the expected way – people who are generally supporters of lower-fat diets liked it and people wh