July 4, 2024 — “I don’t eat like an American,” says our good friend and wise dietitian Linn Steward. “I spend more on food than the average American, but I economize in other areas, like clothing, travel, and entertainment. So I figure that in the long run, it all evens out.” But as we contemplate the quintessential American holiday, […]
July 2, 2024 — This is one of the most robust and enduring myths of food policy. The mythology holds that the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods is clear, but many consumers are confused about it. So if we can educate, persuade, cajole, or nudge them toward buying more of those healthy foods and less of the unhealthy […]
November 26, 2023 — As an article of faith, we like to believe that healthy habits will lead us to a longer life. So of course, it makes sense to develop healthy habits for eating, enjoy an active life, and get enough good sleep every night. But putting a number on the benefit of those habits is not so […]
March 9, 2023 — More and more, dietary health guidance points us to consider whole foods and how they fit into the overall pattern of our eating. Advice that divides individual foods or nutrients between good and bad labels is not so helpful because context matters. And yet, advice to avoid saturated fat remains ubiquitous. Perhaps such a broad […]
January 30, 2023 — Are we reaching a point where the reductive assumptions embedded in dietary recommendations are more confusing than helpful? A new paper in Scientific Reports begs this question. Yutang Wang and colleagues find evidence that polyunsaturated fatty acids are associated with a small reduction in cardiovascular mortality in the general population of the U.S., but not […]
November 18, 2022 — It is already starting. Here in North America, the weather is becoming crisp and winter holiday preparations are underway. The traditional feast of Thanksgiving is coming upon us next week. So a recent analysis of copious continuous glucose monitoring data from a small group of diabetes patients offers relevant insight into the challenge of metabolic […]
August 9, 2022 — We are not done with the notion of time-restricted eating. Two new studies tell us that it might be helpful. One is specifically about weight loss with early time restricted eating. The other is a simple test of the metabolic effects of limiting the window for eating to ten hours in the day – all […]
June 16, 2022 — Genes are not destiny. We tire of people who cling to this one side of the false nature versus nurture dichotomy. They’re stuck on the fallacy of thinking that genetic and environmental influences on health must sum to 100 percent. One or the other must be dominant, they seemingly assume. But the truth is that […]
April 21, 2022 — Somehow, we’re beginning to detect a pattern. Yet another hot concept in weight loss – intermittent fasting, a.k.a. time restricted eating – once again is showing no better results than simple calorie restriction. Could it be a safe bet that the diet du jour will always turn out to be a big yawn? Though hope […]
January 7, 2022 — We are stuck in an infinite loop, it seems. Yet again, we have a new report in MMWR to tell us that Americans are eating too few fruits and veggies. In fact, only one in ten meet the recommendation in the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans. That’s one and a half to two cups of […]
