Good Stuff: Why We Get Fat

ByJohn Brown

What if everything you know about fat, cholesterol, and diet is pretty much wrong?

What if you found out that the science behind the good old food pyramid is, well, not really there?

We’ve been told that a healthy diet consists of lots of grains, bagels, bread, pasta, cereals, rice, etc. and very little fat. What if it’s actually the reverse?

If it is, then it might explain why the rates of diabetes and obesity began to skyrocket as the nation started to implement a low fat high carb diet.

I remember having gained about fifteen pounds when I was first married. I decided I would go on a diet. I read up on the low fat high carb diet and followed it strictly. Two weeks later, I had gained ten more pounds. Did I, at the time, look at the diet and think that maybe there was something wrong with it?

No. That would have been too intelligent.

Instead, I figured something must be wrong with me and continued to try to “eat healthy.” What’s that definition of insanity—doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? Call me insane. Or slow. Or too trusting of authority.

It appears that the science of nutrition got hijacked. Government policy then ran away with it. It’s a fascinating and cautionary tale. Let me recommend three books that explain what really causes us to deposit fat and how we got off track.

The first is Why We Get Fat by science writer Gary Taubes. In it he reveals the bad nutritional science of the last century, why the good science was ignored, what really causes us to store fat, and what to do about it.

The next is The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung. Fung is a kidney specialist. Obesity and diabetes are the root of many kidney problems. And so he decided to help his patients by strop treating symptoms and get at the root cause. Fung’s gift is clarity. He explains how obesity and diabetes became an epidemic, the errors in how we think about calories and diet, and then he explains in great clarity the new model of what really causes obesity and how to reverse it.

The last is The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat & Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet by investigative journalist Nina Teicholz. She spent nine years investigating this, and the book reveals how the misinformation about saturated fats took hold in the scientific community, government, and the public and how recent findings overturn these beliefs. It’s a startling history, a cautionary tale showing how ego, bias, and premature institutional consensus allowed dangerous misrepresentations to become dietary dogma.

If you’re dealing with obesity, heart disease, or diabetes, I think you’ll find these books very interesting.

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  • Some 101 for Congress and the President

    ByJohn Brown

    It’s not really rocket science.

    1. If you have loans outstanding and the payment is due, you owe the creditors a payment. Payables for Idiots 101.
    2. If you have received goods and services, then you owe your vendors a payment. Payables for Idiots 102.
    3. You pay your bills. End of story. That’s what grown ups do. If you have to float some debt for a few months, you do it. And you staple a note to your head to stop spending like a slot machine junkie. Payables for Idiots 103.

    The debts we have are for goods and services we’ve already received. So increase the debt limit and pay your damn bills. What about spending?

    1. You do not spend more than you take in year after year. If you do, that’s called running your business into the ground. In the case of the Congress (primarily Harry Reid’s Senate at this point, although many, but not all, of the Republicans were happy to go along with dumb spending earlier) and the President, it’s the country they’re running into the ground. Spending for Idiots 101.
    2. If you’ve got all sorts of cool things planned like Acorn subsidies for pimps and Antarctica Jell-O wrestling grants for scientists, but you can’t afford them—i.e. you have to go into debt to get them–you cancel those plans. Spending for Idiots 102.
    3. The problem is that Congress and the President buy all sorts of crap and expect to put it on a credit card when it comes due. And there’s nothing to prevent them from doing it.
    4. They’re like irresponsible teenagers. They need controls that won’t allow them to overspend. Kind of like putting limits on a teenager’s cell phone minutes. Or forcing them to use a debit card. When they’re out of cash, they get a card denied response from their vendors.
    5. So you set spending limits, debt limits, and force them to balance the budget each year, except in extreme emergencies like when space aliens try to wipe out humanity. Spending for Idiots 103.

    This means you pass Cut, Cap, and Balance and quit spending money you don’t have. Really difficult stuff. What about getting out of debt?

    1. You eat rice and beans until you’re debt is gone or down to a manageable level. That means you cancel crap you can’t pay for. Sorry earmarks, you’re gone. Sorry grants for nude artists in trees, you’re gone. Sorry subsidies for PBS, you’re gone.  Finances 200: How to Not Be A Money Moron.
    2. You figure out how to reduce your current cost structure. This means you figure out a way to reduce the costs of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and every other service or product you provide, cutting those that aren’t essential. You hire someone like Mitt Romney who knows how to go through every line in a budget and turn a bloated ship around.  Finances 300: No, You Can’t Pay For Your Sister’s Hair Implants with My Money.
    3. You remind people this is the freaking U S of A. A place where a man or woman can make themselves. Not where the government changes your diapers and feeds you mush three times a day. Communism and socialism have failed. They were badly conceived utopias, much like multi-level soap and vitamin marketing schemes that are supposed to usher in the Second Coming.  Finances 400: The USA Buried the USSR for a Reason.
    4. You increase your revenues.
    5. However, if you raise taxes, you’re actually going to depress your revenues. Think about this. Which car company has bigger revenues–Lamborgini or Honda? Who is going to put out, if they’ve got Louie the Fingers and his buddy Jockstrap taking increasing amounts of their money in a protection racket? Don’t be a thug. Be an enabler.  Do what Wal-Mart does and go for volume.  Do what Ebay does–create the environment that entices tons of commerce, entices people to dramatically increase their transactions. Transactions go through the roof; you take only a tiny cut, and, shazam, you increase your revenues.  Finances 500: Um, Do You Want People to Work to Become Rich or Do You Want Them To Pick Up Torches and Burn the Houses of the Rich Down?

    Cut spending, reduce cost structure, and increase your revenues. That’s getting out of debt.

    Is this really that hard?

    EDIT: 8/1 Seems that “wacky” Ron Paul actually has a simple commonsense approach that doesn’t sound crazy. Why couldn’t we do this?

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  • Stonefather by Orson Scott Card

    ByJohn Brown

    stonefather_72dpi“When Runnel was born, he was given a water name even though there had never been a wetwizard in the family.

    In the old days such names were given only to those babies as would be sacrificed to Yeggut, the water god. Later, such names were given to those whould would live to serve as priests to Yeggut. Still later, wetnames went to children of families thath pretended they once had a watermage in their ancestry.

    But now, in the village o Farzibeck, wetnames were given because the mother was fond of a nearby brooklet or because the father had a freind with such a name.”

    So begins Stonefather by Orson Scott Card. It tells the tale of Runnel who is the ninth son and fifteenth child of a farmwife who likes all her children well enough but calls them all “by each other’s names and didn’t know enough numbers to take a census and notice when one or two were missing.”  He’s also the son a man who beats him. Eventually, Runnel leaves home and seeks his fortunes in Mitherhome, the big city far to the south.

    This isn’t a full novel, but a novella of 112 pages. However, the Subterranean Press edition has a glorious cover and ink illustrations inside. More importantly, the story tells a tale that’s full of wonder, humor, and a number of delightful characters. It reminded me of the best of Card’s Hatrack books. But, of course, this world is very different. It’s strange, and I was happy to explore it with Runnel as my guide. Take an hour to read this. You won’t be disappointed. Then you can look forward, as I do, to the first of the Mithermage novels based on this world.

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    Nancie Atwell and Real Learning

    ByJohn Brown

    If you’ve read my article on the Teachers section, you know I think a good portion of what we do in our public schools is a waste of time because it’s not driven by any natural motivation. The result is that  students are bored more than they need to be. They develop a distaste for many subjects that could provide them great joy. Finally, when they do learn, it’s for a test, not life. And so when the test is over the promptly forget what they’ve learned. 

    This is not to say that I’m against testing or teaching to a test. Far from it. A good test demonstrates that you’ve learned what you’re supposed to have learned. A good test focuses on the main things you want to learn. Good tests (and there are many types of tests) are critical.  The problem is the objectives the tests are built on. If the objectives are idiotic then teaching to the test becomes idiotic.

    Now Nellie just got a job (we’re so happy!) teaching 7th and 8th grade English. For some of you that will elicit groans. The memories of supreme boredom produced by endless grammar lessons and assigned readings with worksheets are still that strong. And Nellie and I had the same feelings. If her job was to teach grammar et al for nine months, she was going to shrivel and die.

    Because grammar is bad? No, for heaven’s sake. Because grammar isn’t the point. Nor are assigned readings. Or iambic pentameter, rising action, theme, character, plot, induction, deduction, the six traits and all the rest of the usual suspects. The point is to enjoy writing and reading for the things writing and reading do.

    So we’ve been working and disussin how she might still meet all the state requirements yet teach the practical joy. Becasue if she teaches the joy, then the students will become better readers and writers than they ever could be otherwise. Which means they’ll be able to do and enjoy the things that can be enjoyed and done when you know how to write and read.  Case in point: our girls. Nellie’s done such a good job teaching the joy of reading that we have to ground them from books every once in a while.

    So anyway, I came up with some ideas, a first draft of a curriculum. Of course, starting from scratch is a huge project. There were issues with it. More importantly, would it work? You don’t want to risk your first year on the job. Luckily, Nellie is smarter than I am and found someone who already discovered this wheel. Nellie handed me Nancie Atwell’s In the Middle.

    I began to read, and I didn’t stop until almost 1 AM. Everything I’ve learned about teaching in the last 20 years, everything I’ve learned about learning how to write in the last 20 years–it’s all there. The key principles are all there. And the implementation of those principles is simple and proven (they actually test results).

    What are the principles? What is the program?

    Read the book. Heck, just read the first chapter.

    I cannot tell you how excited I am for Nellie. We ordered these books and can’t wait to devour them.

    • In the Middle: New Understanding About Writing, Reading, and Learning
    • The Reading Zone: How to Help Kids Become Skilled, Passionate, Habitual, Critical Readers
    • Lessons That Change Writers
    • Naming the World: A Year of Poems and Lessons
    • Side by Side: Essays on Teaching to Learn

    Nellie is also going to apply for a four-day intership at the Center for Teaching and Learning in Edgecomb, Maine. I hope she gets in. She’s also going to do a week-long writer’s workshop at BYU.

    Stay tuned. I’m going to twist her arm and see if she won’t blog about her experience this first year.

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  • Sherlock Holmes, Mission Impossible, The Art of Shaving, Wages

    ByJohn Brown

    Sherlock Holmes & Mission Impossible

    I have been looking forward to two movies this holiday season. One of them was as good as I’d hoped it would be. The other disappointed me because the story tellers forgot to make things clear. The two movies were Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

    I loved the first Sherlock Holmes movie—the story was intriguing and plotted well, the atmosphere and music were amazing, and the characters and relationships were even better. In fact, the movie presented some of the most delightful characters I’ve enjoyed over the last few years. So it was a no-brainer to plan in a date to see this new episode.

    Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows provided the same great atmosphere and music as I enjoyed before. Holmes and Watson were as wonderful as they’d ever been. The film introduced a wonderful new character: Madam Simza Heron, a gutsy gypsy who you can’t help but want to know better. And it brought on Professor James Moriarty, the uber-villian. There was plenty of the wit that we enjoyed in the first one. It had all the elements to work.

    However, the film fell down in its plotting. There were many times when I had no idea why the characters were doing what they were doing or how it fit into the overall threat. At other times, it appeared Sherlock could have taken out the villain but didn’t only because it would have ruined the plot.

    The film makers also decided to kill off one of the characters, and therefore relationships, that had provided so much satisfaction in the first movie. And they did it without much fanfare. Who thinks it’s a good idea to kill off beloved characters like that? If you’re going to kill someone we love, you’d better make it meaningful and the core of the film. Alas, they didn’t.

    In fact, it felt like there was too much stuffed into this film. Cool ideas that couldn’t be explored or have much impact including facial surgery for spies, a lost brother, European politics, resistance fighters, a henchman we hardly see. The wonderful Madam Simza Heron didn’t play the pivotal role she could have. So unlike Irene Adler in the first movie who becomes central to the story, she’s more of a bit of the setting.

    If you loved the first film, you’ll have to see this. There’s a lot of good. But you must go knowing it’s a grade lower than the first film.

    Now, I stopped liking the Mission Impossible movies about thirty minutes into the second in the series. But the previews for Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol intrigued me. I like Tom Cruise as an actor. And so we decided to give it a try.

    Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol didn’t provide the atmosphere or super-delightful characters and relationships of Sherlock Holmes. But that’s not to say its characters were tepid. On the contrary, the cast was great with a lot of funny interplay. Furthermore, unlike some action films where everything seems to work for the hero, a lot of things go wrong for Tom Cruise’s character. These problems and his reactions are part of what make the movie.

    The story also provided plenty of “action” but did it in a new way. This is the first time, for example, I’ve seen a car chase in a sandstorm. And it was a fab chase. It’s also the first time I’ve seen a final battle in an automated parking lot. The director and writers did a good job choosing new twists on common action elements.

    But a story needs more than characters and new sights—the plot has to make sense. Especially when the plot takes center stage, which it does in action movies. And I’m happy to say that I never once wondered why our characters were doing something or how it affected the main threat. Furthermore, every one of the characters made a difference. The result was that I thoroughly enjoyed the film from start to finish. I can’t wait to watch it again. If you like action films, I think you’ll enjoy Ghost Protocol.

    The Art of the Shaving

    When I was on a mission in the Netherlands I was an idiot and did not take care of my face in the winter. I’d hop onto the bicycle with the temperature hovering around zero degrees (not counting the wind chill) and bike out with Fearless Companion to an area to meet with people or knock on doors. And I’d do it with hardly a thing covering my face and ears. As a result, I damaged my skin.

    So now when I’m exposed to cold, my face flushes and stays that way for some time even when I’m in a warm house. I can’t wear cologne. And I’ve had a love/hate relationship with shaving. I can’t stand the prickle of a beard and so love to shave, but I hate the fact that when I shave, my face turns the color of a tomato for four to six hours. And this is when I use shaving cream specifically formulated for “sensitive skin.”

    But then I walked into The Art of Shaving store in Fashion Place Mall and learned that those shaving creams designed for sensitive skins weren’t super gentle. They just numbed the skin so you didn’t feel the shave. The folks at The Art of Shaving suggested, of course, I use their product.

    I bought a kit (I’m a sucker for good sales pitches even when I know I’m being suckered) which included: a badger hair brush (they say it is optional, but I love mine and wouldn’t do this without it), pre-shave oil, shaving cream, and after-shave balm. They had five types to choose from: unscented, lemon, sandalwood, ocean kelp, and lavender. I selected the lavender because it was formulated for sensitive skin. At first I was worried about being overpowered with the smell, but was pleasantly surprised to find the scent as light as a feather. I didn’t need a new razor; they said my Mach3 was just fine.

    I came home with my bag expecting a huge dose of buyer’s remorse. Except after my first shave with their product, my face didn’t flush. Could this really be a product that worked? I wasn’t willing to make that conclusion at the time. But now, after about a month of shaving, I can honestly say that this is the best shave I’ve had in years. My face doesn’t flush. The after-shave balm does what a balm is supposed to do–soothe. There’s no alcohol burn. In fact, I use the after-shave balm on non-shave days. If your skin hates shaving, let me suggest you visit theartofshaving.com and order some product or go to one of their stores. I think you’ll also become a fan. 

    Info for Choosing a Career

    There are many things I wished I’d done differently when choosing a career. I wish I’d broadened my horizon on the horde of different careers possible. I wish I’d really looked at what the various careers earned on average. Luckily for those looking to select a new career today, Utah’s Department of Workforce Services compiles data on more than 700 occupational wages and shows you the average and median annual wage as well as the average for inexperienced folks in that occupation.

    Not only does looking through the list help you see options you might not have considered, it also helps you get a realistic expectation for what you might earn in that profession. Now, the list, although large, doesn’t show every possible occupation (FBI agent, Marine) or every permutation of the occupations shown. For example, there’s one line for accountants and auditors, but there are tax accountants, fraud accountants, security accountants, auditing accountants, etc. Nevertheless, this is an excellent list to begin a search.

    To get the list, go to this state website: http://jobs.utah.gov/jsp/wi/utalmis/default.do. Click on “Utah Occupational Wages.” That will open a page with a map of Utah. Click on the link on the right “Utah Occupational Wages” to get the Excel spreadsheet of all 700+ occupations listed.

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  • 2 Great Cook’s Country Recipes

    ByJohn Brown

    Yeah, I know–I should be writing. But I promised you two wonderful recipes from my experiments with the Cook’s Country June/July 2011 issue. There were a whole bunch of other recipes we tried that worked out well, but these were our favorites and good enough to get me to subscribe.

    By the way, I found these recipes were not only tasty, but they were great to do on a date (in this case, with my daughters). Why just eat when you can enjoy the time together as well?  Besides, two people working together make these recipes a breeze.

    Chocolate Eclair Cake

    Chocolate, vanilla pudding, whipped cream, and graham crackers–baby, is this good!  I found I liked the cake best with HALF of the pudding and whip cream mixture. You’ll see the half amounts in parentheses. That way I got a taste of the pudding, graham, and ganache in every bite. The directions make it look like there’s a lot of steps, but they all go quickly.

    INGREDIENTS

    Pudding Mixture

    • 1 ¼ C sugar (1/2 + 1/8 C)
    • 6 T cornstarch (3 T)
    • 1 tsp salt (1/2 tsp)
    • 5 C whole milk (2.5 C)
    • 4 T unsalted butter cut into chunks (2 T)
    • 5 tsp vanilla (2.5 tsp)

     Whip Cream Mixture

    • 2 T water (1 T)
    • 1 ¼  tsp unflavored gelatin (1/2 + 1/8 tsp)
    • 2 C heavy cream (1 + ¼ +1/8 C)

    Graham Crackers

    14 ounces of Nabisco Honey Maid graham crackers

    Ganache topping

    • ¾ C  heavy cream
    • 1 C semisweet chocolate chips
    • 5 T light corn syrup

     DIRECTIONS

     Make Pudding

    1. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in large saucepan
    2. Wisk milk into sugar mixture and bring to boil over medium-high heat, scraping bottom with rubber spatula.
    3. Immediately reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook and scrape until thick bubbles appear on surface, about 4-6 minutes
    4. Take off heat and wisk in butter and vanilla.
    5. Transfer hot pudding to large bowl and place plastic wrap directly on surface.
    6. Refrigerate for about 2 hours until cool.

     Make Whip Cream Mixture

    1. Stir water and gelatin together and let sit for 5 minutes.
    2. Microwave until gelatin dissolves and mixture gets bubbly around the edges, 15-30 seconds
    3. Whip 2 cups of cream on medium-low for about 1 minute, until foamy.
    4. Increase to high and whip for 2 minutes, until soft peaks form
    5. Add gelatin mixture and whip for 1 minute, until stiff peaks form

     Combine Pudding and Whip Cream Mixture

    1. Wisk one-third of whipped cream into chilled pudding.
    2. Fold remaining whipped cream into pudding.

     Layer Pudding Whip Cream Mixture with Graham Crackers

    1. Line bottom of 13 x 9 inch baking dish with a layer of graham crackers. Break and cut crackers if you have to.
    2. Top the bottom layer of crackers with ½ of the pudding whip cream mixture
    3. Place another layer of crackers over the pudding.
    4. Top that layer with the rest of the pudding whip cream mixture
    5. Place one last layer of crackers over the second layer of pudding whip cream mixture

     Make Ganache and Pour Over

    1. Microwave chocolate chips, ¾ C cream, and corn syrup in bowl 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    2. Cool for 10 minutes to room temperature
    3. Cover top layer of graham crackers with glaze
    4. Refrigerate cake for 6 – 24 hours. Then serve.

     

    Dill Potato Salad

    A potato salad with a perfect dill zing. Everybody in the Brown household loved this. Super wife especially loved it because she does not like eggs. Please note that there’s fresh dill used in all three parts. So when you shop, make sure you get enough for all three.

     INGREDIENTS

     Dill Vinegar

    • ¼ C white wine vinegar
    • 1 T minced fresh dill

     Boiling Mixture

    • 1 disposable coffee filter
    • ½ C coarsely chopped dill leaves and stems
    • 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (don’t get any other type), peeled and cut into ¾ inch pieces
    • 1 T salt

     Dressing

    • ½ C mayonnaise
    • ¼ C sour cream
    • 1 T Dijon mustard
    • ½ tsp salt
    • ¼ tsp pepper
    • 2 T minced fresh dill
    • 3 scallions (green onions) green parts only sliced thin

     DIRECTIONS

     Make Dill Vinegar

    1. Combine vinegar and 1 T minced dill in bowl and microwave until steaming, 30-60 seconds
    2. Cool at room temperature for 15-20 minutes

     Boil Potatoes

    1. Place chopped dill inside disposable coffee filter and time with thread.
    2. Put potatoes, dill sachet, and salt into large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch.
    3. Bring to boil on high heat then reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, 10 minutes

     Cool and Soak Potatoes

    1. Drain potatoes thoroughly and throw away dill sachet
    2. Drizzle 2 T of the dill vinegar over hot potatoes and gently toss until evenly coated
    3. Refrigerate until cooled, 30 minutes. This allows the Yukon potatoes to suck up the dill vinegar.

     Make dressing and Combine with Potatoes

    1. Wisk mayonnaise, sour cream, remaining dill vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth
    2. Add dressing to cooled potatoes
    3. Stir in scallions and 2 T minced dill.
    4. Cover and refrigerate to let flavors meld, 30 minutes.
    5. Serve with salt and pepper to taste.

     EDIT 9/7: Somehow I deleted four of the dressing ingredients when I posted. They’ve been added back 🙂

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  • What you need as a storyteller

    ByJohn Brown

    Brand-StorytellerOne of the most important things I ever learned about telling stories was in Orson Card’s weeklong boot camp where we “workshopped” stories by doing zero workshopping. Zero critiques. In fact, critiques were verboten.

    Instead, Card asked us to simply provide a report of what he called the three grunts a reader makes when things aren’t working–where it was boring, unclear, or didn’t ring true.

    We were to provide a report of our reader reaction, including parts that really entertained or interested us. NOTHING more.

    He compared it to going to the doctor. We were to report our “symptoms.” The writer’s job was to diagnose if it was an issue and prescribe a remedy, if any.

    Doing that with 19 stories over three days was amazing. It totally opened up what story was about. And taught me what beta reading was all about. One of the most insightful writing experiences I’ve ever had.

    Nowadays when I read, I try my best to simply report. And that’s it. If, afterwards, the writer wants to brainstorm ideas together, that’s fine. But I don’t ever want to diagnose and prescribe because there have been too many books that didn’t work for me that delighted tons of readers. My critique or advice would have been exactly the wrong thing.

    All I can do is report my reaction. And then think about what would have fixed it for me.

    Kristine Rusch recently wrote a great article about this and other things called “Writing by Committee” in which she suggests a list of things authors need to be successful. Give it a read. I think she makes a lot of good points.

    And a few I disagree with. She is quite forceful about writers not acting as first readers. I think that’s bunk. And she says as much in the comments. If a writer can give a reader response instead of a critique, that’s as helpful as a non-writer giving a reader response. I also disagree that you have to toss something and start over if it doesn’t work. If it’s fundamentally broken, sure. But many times a small adjustment gets you back on track.  Finally, yes, a story has to be surprising. At the same time, you had better deliver the type of experience you promise your reader. And that’s all defined by genre. You can’t promise your readers a thriller and deliver a romance. That only leads to irritated readers. I believe you have to consider your audience. But these are all quibbles. The article is great.

    BTW, please note I used “storyteller” in the title. I did that on purpose. More and more, I find I’m not interested in writing. “Writing” doesn’t seem to convey what I’m after. However, I am interested in telling cracking stories.

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6 Comments

  1. Thanks for the latest update as you explore this concept re health and diet; I’ve been waiting patiently 🙂

    2018 is the year i specifically try different things. I’ve lost 85 lbs over the last 5 years primarily via nutritional choices -but mainly according to typical food pyramid guidelines. I am interested in both increasing my activity along with alternative thoughts on food choices.

    So this will be something i am very interesting in following. Keep the updates coming!

  2. 85 is a lot, my friend. I’m betting you cut sugar, refined carbs, and processed foods. Correct?

  3. You got it – that was the main thrust.

    Best efforts were to contain suger <= 38 gm/day and total carbs at 180 gm/day, concentrate on whole grains and whole foods, avoid sweeteners from artificial sources, watch sodium and limit fats (hence interest in your study).

    When most successful, I was tracking intake with My Fitness Pal (or similar): Which is a lot of work! I recently retired -so now i have the time to test plans and use the tracking tools correctly. I have proven that "every now and then" will just not create the linear results that i want (and need).

    Anyway, I should have just said "yes" 🙂

  4. Were you taking any meds that you were able to drop?

    The thrust of all this new thinking on diet revolves around insulin which above a certain level basically tells fat cells to hold onto the fat. When it drops, it opens the doors and allows the fat to be used. Insulin resistance is a condition that has you producing chronically high levels of insulin.

    There are a number of things that increase insulin, so the idea is to change those to work for you, decreasing insulin, as opposed to increasing it.

    – Sugars
    – Processed carbs (flour-based products, corn-based products, etc.)
    – Artificial sweetners
    – Frequent eating
    – Not enough sleep
    – Too much stress
    – Some drugs

    You can augment with exercise, but activity alone won’t budge it because the key drivers are what you eat, sleep, etc.

  5. Ok, you are either prophetic, a doctor, very very well studied (my guess!),,,, or you recently stayed at a Holiday Inn 🙂

    The variety of topics you write about is truly a blessing, John. Keep it up.

    SHORT VERSION
    [1] In last 2 years i have dropped need for Insulin injections to control blood sugar + also dropped blood pressure medication; all due to better nutrition choices and weight loss.

    [2] The information you share above is spot-on. You should write a book 🙂

    LONGER VERSION (feel free to stop here if intrest has waned 🙂

    I have always been a workaholic -ignoring most other aspects of life; including my own well-being. I just never thought about diabetes or poor health.

    i was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about 11 years ago – I have had it well in control since then; initially involving insulin injections.

    About 6 years ago, i decided to take my life back and take charge of my health. I have a wonderful team of professionals that help me discern truth from fiction, get-rich-quick-schemers, etc. Albeit they are mostly etched in traditional medical/nutritional thinking.

    Hence, with better nutritional choices, experimentation with healthier cooking techniques (e.g. pressure cooker), executing a sleep study [=> CPAP use], identifying stress catalysts and then finding ways to mitigate such – I’ve lost the 85 lbs, feel much better, BS and BP very stable, and dropped the two meds i mentioned above.

    For anyone that has read all this, bless you -your patience is appreciated. I have no more secrets.

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