The Ancestral Health Society just posted a video of my recent talk "What Causes Leptin Resistance?" Follow the link below to access it. Enjoy!
What Causes Leptin Resistance?
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Lapsang Souchon poached Steelhead Trout for CBC's Weekend Morning Show
This morning on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with Host Terry MacLeod, I presented the following elegant lunch items. Lapsang Souchon Poached Steelhead Trout and Pancetta, peas and mint pasta.
Lapsang Souchon Poached Steelhead Trout
2 fillets Steelhead Trout (or Wild Sockeye Salmon)
1 l Lapsang Souchon Tea (Available in most Asian markets, tea shops such as Cornelia Bean), steeped and cooled
1/2 cup Mirin (sweet Japanese cooking wine)
1 tbs grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp white pepper
good drizzle good sesame oil (I like Kadoya, found in Asian markets)
1/4 + soy sauce
1tbs sugar
Mix marinade/poaching liquid when tea is steeped and cooled. Place fillets in marinade after scoring the skin to prevent curling the fillet in poaching. Leave skin on to keep fish moist. It can be removed after cooking.
Let marinate over night or for a few hours.
Pour poaching liquid into a pan large enough to hold the fillets. Bring to boil and then simmer the fillets for 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.
Serve hot with reduced poaching liquid or chill for a luncheon. Garnish with chives or chopped green onions.
Pancetta, Peas and Mint Pasta
(serves 3)
5-10 Strips Pancetta, cut into smaller strips
1 cup peas (frozen)
few sprigs fresh mint, chopped or shredded
chilies, to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch nutmeg
few tablespoons cream
drizzle olive oil
cooked pasta (I used shells but farfalle is traditional)
grated parmesan
In a saut� pan, heat oil and add pancetta and garlic and cook over medium heat. Add some spoons of pasta water to soften if too crisp. Add peas and remaining ingredients. Toss together with pasta and grate cheese over top. Enjoy!
2 fillets Steelhead Trout (or Wild Sockeye Salmon)
1 l Lapsang Souchon Tea (Available in most Asian markets, tea shops such as Cornelia Bean), steeped and cooled
1/2 cup Mirin (sweet Japanese cooking wine)
1 tbs grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp white pepper
good drizzle good sesame oil (I like Kadoya, found in Asian markets)
1/4 + soy sauce
1tbs sugar
Mix marinade/poaching liquid when tea is steeped and cooled. Place fillets in marinade after scoring the skin to prevent curling the fillet in poaching. Leave skin on to keep fish moist. It can be removed after cooking.
Let marinate over night or for a few hours.
Pour poaching liquid into a pan large enough to hold the fillets. Bring to boil and then simmer the fillets for 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.
Serve hot with reduced poaching liquid or chill for a luncheon. Garnish with chives or chopped green onions.
Pancetta, Peas and Mint Pasta
(serves 3)
5-10 Strips Pancetta, cut into smaller strips
1 cup peas (frozen)
few sprigs fresh mint, chopped or shredded
chilies, to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch nutmeg
few tablespoons cream
drizzle olive oil
cooked pasta (I used shells but farfalle is traditional)
grated parmesan
In a saut� pan, heat oil and add pancetta and garlic and cook over medium heat. Add some spoons of pasta water to soften if too crisp. Add peas and remaining ingredients. Toss together with pasta and grate cheese over top. Enjoy!
Monday, September 8, 2014
Thoughts on the McDougall Advanced Study Weekend
For those of you who aren't familiar with him, Dr. John McDougall is a doctor and diet/health advocate who recommends a very low fat, high starch, whole food vegan diet to control weight and avoid chronic disease. He's been at it for a long time, and he's a major figure in the "plant-based diet" community (i.e., a diet including little or no animal foods).
Dr. McDougall invited me to participate in his 3-day Advanced Study Weekend retreat in Santa Rosa, CA. My job was to give my talk on insulin and obesity, and participate in a panel discussion/debate with Dr. McDougall in which we sorted through issues related to low-carb, Paleo, and the health implications of eating animal foods. I was glad to receive the invitation, because I don't see myself as a diet partisan, and I believe that my evidence-based information is applicable to a variety of diet styles. I saw the Weekend as an opportunity to extend my thoughts to a new community, challenge myself, and maybe even learn a thing or two. It was particularly interesting to compare and contrast the Advanced Study Weekend with the Ancestral Health Symposium, which is more Paleo- and low-carb-friendly.
General Observations
The attendees were a lot older than AHS attendees. I estimate that most of them were in their 60s, although there were some young people in attendance.
I don't place too much emphasis on peoples' personal appearance at conferences like this. You don't know what a person's background, genetics, or personal struggles may be, you don't know how closely they adhere to the program, and you don't know to what degree a group of people might be self-selected for particular traits*. But I will note that Dr. McDougall, his family, and many of the other starch-based/plant-based diet advocates tended to be extremely lean with low fat and muscle mass. They also tended to have a healthy and energetic appearance and demeanor. As I would expect, decades of exceptionally high starch intake hasn't made them obese or obviously ill.
Read more �
Dr. McDougall invited me to participate in his 3-day Advanced Study Weekend retreat in Santa Rosa, CA. My job was to give my talk on insulin and obesity, and participate in a panel discussion/debate with Dr. McDougall in which we sorted through issues related to low-carb, Paleo, and the health implications of eating animal foods. I was glad to receive the invitation, because I don't see myself as a diet partisan, and I believe that my evidence-based information is applicable to a variety of diet styles. I saw the Weekend as an opportunity to extend my thoughts to a new community, challenge myself, and maybe even learn a thing or two. It was particularly interesting to compare and contrast the Advanced Study Weekend with the Ancestral Health Symposium, which is more Paleo- and low-carb-friendly.
General Observations
The attendees were a lot older than AHS attendees. I estimate that most of them were in their 60s, although there were some young people in attendance.
I don't place too much emphasis on peoples' personal appearance at conferences like this. You don't know what a person's background, genetics, or personal struggles may be, you don't know how closely they adhere to the program, and you don't know to what degree a group of people might be self-selected for particular traits*. But I will note that Dr. McDougall, his family, and many of the other starch-based/plant-based diet advocates tended to be extremely lean with low fat and muscle mass. They also tended to have a healthy and energetic appearance and demeanor. As I would expect, decades of exceptionally high starch intake hasn't made them obese or obviously ill.
Read more �
A Moment
Hey friends, you may have noticed some silence around here.
My dad�one of the funniest, coolest, most vibrant and charming troublemakers I've ever met�passed away two weeks ago.
Things may continue to be quieter around here while I�ll take a moment to figure out how, for the first time in my 29 years, to live in a world that he isn�t in�while simultaneously putting final touches on Evan and my wedding, which is just 4 weeks away.
I�ll be back when the inspiration strikes, maybe in a week, maybe post honey-moon. But in the meantime, I wanted to let you know I�m not going anywhere, and I hope you�ll stick around too!
XO
Thursday, September 4, 2014
What about the Other Weight Loss Diet Study??
The same day the low-fat vs low-carb study by Bazzano and colleagues was published, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a meta-analysis that compared the effectiveness of "named diet programs". Many people have interpreted this study as demonstrating that low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets are both effective for weight loss, and that we simply need to pick a diet and stick with it, but that's not really what the study showed. Let's take a closer look.
Johnston and colleagues sifted through PubMed for studies that evaluated "named diet programs", such as Ornish, Atkins, LEARN, Weight Watchers, etc (1). In addition, the methods state that they included any study as low-carbohydrate that recommended less than 40% of calories from carbohydrate, was funded by the Atkins foundation, or was "Atkins-like". These criteria weren't extended to the low-fat diet: only studies of name-brand low-fat diets like the Ornish diet were included, while the meta-analysis excluded low-fat diet studies whose guidelines were based on recommendations from government and academic sources, even though the latter group represents the majority of the evidence we have for low-fat diets. The inclusion criteria were therefore extremely asymmetrical in how they represented low-carb and low-fat diets. This fact explains the unusual findings of the paper.
The abstract immediately activated my skeptic alarm, because it states that at the one-year mark, low-carbohydrate diets and low-fat diets both led to a sustained weight loss of about 16 pounds (7.3 kg). Based on my understanding of the weight loss literature, that number seems far too high for the low-fat diet, and also too high for the low-carbohydrate diet.
Read more �
Johnston and colleagues sifted through PubMed for studies that evaluated "named diet programs", such as Ornish, Atkins, LEARN, Weight Watchers, etc (1). In addition, the methods state that they included any study as low-carbohydrate that recommended less than 40% of calories from carbohydrate, was funded by the Atkins foundation, or was "Atkins-like". These criteria weren't extended to the low-fat diet: only studies of name-brand low-fat diets like the Ornish diet were included, while the meta-analysis excluded low-fat diet studies whose guidelines were based on recommendations from government and academic sources, even though the latter group represents the majority of the evidence we have for low-fat diets. The inclusion criteria were therefore extremely asymmetrical in how they represented low-carb and low-fat diets. This fact explains the unusual findings of the paper.
The abstract immediately activated my skeptic alarm, because it states that at the one-year mark, low-carbohydrate diets and low-fat diets both led to a sustained weight loss of about 16 pounds (7.3 kg). Based on my understanding of the weight loss literature, that number seems far too high for the low-fat diet, and also too high for the low-carbohydrate diet.
Read more �
Monday, September 1, 2014
Low-carbohydrate vs. Low-fat diets for Weight Loss: New Evidence
A new high-profile study compared the weight loss and cardiovascular effects of a low-carbohydrate diet vs. a low-fat diet. Although many studies have done this before, this one is novel enough to add to our current understanding of diet and health. Unlike most other studies of this nature, diet adherence was fairly good, and carbohydrate restriction produced greater weight loss and cardiovascular risk factor improvements than fat restriction at the one-year mark. Yet like previous studies, neither diet produced very impressive results.
The Study
Lydia A. Bazzano and colleagues at Tulane University randomly assigned 148 obese men and women without cardiovascular disease into two groups (1):
Results
Read more �
The Study
Lydia A. Bazzano and colleagues at Tulane University randomly assigned 148 obese men and women without cardiovascular disease into two groups (1):
- Received instructions to eat less than 40 grams of carbohydrate per day, plus one low-carbohydrate meal replacement per day. No specific advice to alter calorie intake. Met regularly with dietitians to explain the dietary changes and maintain motivation.
- Received instructions to eat less than 30 percent of calories from fat, less than 7 percent of calories as saturated fat, and 55 percent of calories from carbohydrate, plus one low-fat meal replacement per day. No specific advice to alter calorie intake. This is based on NCEP guidelines, which are actually designed for cardiovascular risk reduction and not weight loss. Met regularly with dietitians to explain the dietary changes and maintain motivation.
Results
Read more �
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Grilled Stuffed Figs 2 ways and Glammed up Smokies for CBC's Weekend Morning Show
This morning, it was my pleasure to present a buffet of options on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.
Lucious and versatile, the fig can be grilled in a number of ways for a delightful amuse bouche.
Stuffed Grilled Figs
1 lb fresh figs
Parmesan reggiano
balsamic reduction
To make the Balsamic Reduction:
Heat a saucepan over high heat. Add a cup of balsamic vinegar to the pan and reduce liquid by half. Take pan off of heat immediately.
To make the stuffed figs:
While the balsamic is reducing, heat your broiler on high. Cut the figs in half lengthwise, (but do not cut all the way through). Stuff with Parmesan cheese, cheddar is also good (you can also then wrap the figs with prosciutto), place under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes or until cheese is browned. Serve with balsamic reduction drizzled over top.
Or:
Drunken Figs
1 package of dried figs
red wine such as Lambrusco works great as it is a sweet wine to begin with, but merlot, shiraz, zinfandel or pinot noir would work great too!
Place dried figs in a glass bowl, cover with wine. Place in fridge. DONE
Enjoy on their own, with ice cream, pound or angel food cake, etc.
Or:
Grilled figs stuffed with prosciutto and arugula
I also prepared Glammed up Smokies. I used Italian sausages from DeLuca's on Portage Ave. They make a wide variety but for today I presented Hot Italian, Fennel and Chicken sausages.
The condiments were Rhubarb Apple Chutney with Ras el Hanout, Caramelized onions with chipotle and beer, tomato chutney, kimchi, wasabi mayonaise, St. Andre cheese, roasted red peppers and Dijon mustard.
Rhubarb Apple chutney
-6 cups each chopped rhubarb and apples,
2-4 tbs ras el hanout,
1 1/2 cups white or brown sugar,
1/4 cup water, to start the cooking
pinch of salt.
2 tbs grated fresh ginger.
May add a splash of vinegar before canning.
Cook until fruit is soft.
Use with whatever you like.
Enjoy the Labour Day Weekend!
Lucious and versatile, the fig can be grilled in a number of ways for a delightful amuse bouche.
Stuffed Grilled Figs
1 lb fresh figs
Parmesan reggiano
balsamic reduction
To make the Balsamic Reduction:
Heat a saucepan over high heat. Add a cup of balsamic vinegar to the pan and reduce liquid by half. Take pan off of heat immediately.
To make the stuffed figs:
While the balsamic is reducing, heat your broiler on high. Cut the figs in half lengthwise, (but do not cut all the way through). Stuff with Parmesan cheese, cheddar is also good (you can also then wrap the figs with prosciutto), place under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes or until cheese is browned. Serve with balsamic reduction drizzled over top.
Or:
Drunken Figs
1 package of dried figs
red wine such as Lambrusco works great as it is a sweet wine to begin with, but merlot, shiraz, zinfandel or pinot noir would work great too!
Place dried figs in a glass bowl, cover with wine. Place in fridge. DONE
Enjoy on their own, with ice cream, pound or angel food cake, etc.
Or:
Grilled figs stuffed with prosciutto and arugula
I also prepared Glammed up Smokies. I used Italian sausages from DeLuca's on Portage Ave. They make a wide variety but for today I presented Hot Italian, Fennel and Chicken sausages.
The condiments were Rhubarb Apple Chutney with Ras el Hanout, Caramelized onions with chipotle and beer, tomato chutney, kimchi, wasabi mayonaise, St. Andre cheese, roasted red peppers and Dijon mustard.
Rhubarb Apple chutney
-6 cups each chopped rhubarb and apples,
2-4 tbs ras el hanout,
1 1/2 cups white or brown sugar,
1/4 cup water, to start the cooking
pinch of salt.
2 tbs grated fresh ginger.
May add a splash of vinegar before canning.
Cook until fruit is soft.
Use with whatever you like.
Enjoy the Labour Day Weekend!
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