"It's a ketogenic diet. I'm diabetic. And a ketogenic diet is no sugar, no carbs. Nothing white... So I eat healthy fats all day long-avocado, oil, coconut oil. I use butter."
says actress Halle Berry, when asked about her secret for ageless beauty.
In case you missed any of these newsworthy stories, here is a wrap on the best real-food-more-fat headlines last month.
- Really. Big. News. Prestigious medical journal, The Lancet, published the results of the PURE study, showing that high carbohydrate diets are linked to higher rates of mortality. And that fats, including saturated fat, appear to be neutral to slightly protective. Analysis from Larry Husten for MedPage, here. Delightful headlines ensue, like this one in the Telegraph: Low-fat diet could kill you, major study shows.
- Also in The Lancet, Senior Executive Editor Stuart Spencer endorsed Nina Teicholz's 2014 bestseller, The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet. Better late than never. Spencer writes: "Researchers, clinicians, and health policy advisors should read this provocative book."
- Mainstream podcast, Revisionist History's "The Basement Tapes," tells the story of recovering data from an old (1960s and 70s era) study that, when reanalyzed, showed corn oil was worse for health than butter. While working on the story, podcast host, Malcolm Gladwell, read and endorsed Nina Teicholz's book, The Big Fat Surprise.
- The mainstream is coming around to admit that exercise is a really bad weight loss tool. The Washington Post explores this topic in its piece, "Exercise does so much for you. Why won't it make you lose weight?" More, from PhillyVoice: "Running is a crappy way to lose fat and an inferior way to boost cardiovascular health, but it's somehow become the most popular exercise on Earth after walking."
- Do soda taxes lead to unintended consequences? Like higher consumption of cheap beer (a trend, wryly referred to as "From Coke to Coors")? The Wall Street Journal takes a critical look at the results in Philadelphia, eight months in. Meanwhile, Bloomberg enters the soda tax debate in Chicago with this ad, depicting chronic disease options on the buttons of a soda machine.
Want more?
Read about how this Canadian man lost 147 pounds (in 8 months) on a ketogenic diet. (He worked out a lot, too.) Or read about how this young mom lost 160 pounds with a low-carb diet and minimal exercise.
Check out this tiny study that shows a low sugar, low fruit diet reduces the liver fat levels of obese children by 22% in just nine days.
The Atlantic considers whether or not being overweight (but not obese) is actually bad for your health. Men's Fitness reports on how (and why) ultrarunner Zach Bitter, who eats almost no carbs, trained his body to become a fat burning machine. And Outside Magazine explores the question, "Could sugary sports drinks & gels put athletes at higher risk of developing diabetes?" Finally, keto goes mainstream, as People Magazine attempts to explain the keto diet. And Green Chef launches its keto (organic, dairy-free) meal kits.
Forbes explores a longterm study showing an association between sugar consumption and depression in men. Also, CBS reports on a new study that shows an association between a vegetarian/vegan diet and higher rates of depression. And speaking of a little depressing, New York Times contributing writer, Taffy Akner, reflects on the realities of dieting in a culture that pretends it only cares about health, not size. (And Akner reflects on Oprah, too.)
Does a high-carb diet make men smell less attractive to women? Does Silicon Valley have a vegan mafia? Is sugar more addictive than cocaine? What are fatbergs (yuck)? If you are of normal weight, can a little fat on your hips and thighs mean you are actually healthier? Do we have too many grocery stores? (YES!) How much grocery downsizing might be needed? (~25%!?!) Might eating more macadamia nuts protect your heart? Is salmon the last true wild food? What was the main course on European plates about 43,000 years ago? In food desserts, does blocking new fast food joints or subsidizing local supermarkets really reduce obesity? Are gastric balloon implants (used to combat obesity) killing patients? Is high-fat, high-protein the next big trend in baby food? In the future, will we shiver our way to weight loss?
From the wall of shame
- The FDA grants approval for soybean oil to sport "heart healthy" label claims. This deepens the misconception that this cheap and highly refined invention of food science (that has become a major source of inflammatory omega 6s) is good for us.
- Welch's relaunches a grape-flavored soda, using the weak association between grapes and heart health to sell its sugary drink.
- Strawster. An innovative, self-loading straw. Because inserting a straw should not require any effort on your part. Eye injuries, here we come.
- The hipster "avolatte." Has keto trendiness gone too far?
- Coke CEO, James Quincey, admits, "We're listening to consumers, and we agree with the World Health Organization that too much sugar isn't good for anyone..." AND? 🤔
Finally, for some fun with BUTTER...
Little House on the Prairie, in butter. NY state troopers, in butter. Justin Trudeau (and panda cubs), in butter? Illinois butter cow. Countertop butter. Cream cheese herb butter. Parmesan butter. Charred onion butter. Butter-roasted cauliflower. Butter shortfall. Butter blade.
Happy September,
The Moms @ Eat the Butter
About
This news gathering is from our collaborator Jennifer Calihan, who also blogs at Eat the Butter. Feel free to sign up for her monthly newsletter.