Is it really all about the wine?
The French Paradox is a phenomenon describing why heart disease deaths were lower than would be estimated in the French population during the early 1990s despite a high intake of animal products like butter and cheese. This idea is interesting because these types of foods are classically understood to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease yet this was not what the researchers who coined the term “French Paradox” observed.
Why could this be? Are we wrong about which foods increase heart disease risk? Is there something unique about butter and cheese that prevents heart disease? Is something else in the…
Don’t Believe The Headlines From Every Nutrition Study. Here’s Why — From a Nutritional Sciences PhD
A look at two recent studies on vegan diets and eggs
I am always scouring the latest articles published in nutrition journals to find interesting new research on diet and health. Sometimes, I find studies like these two below that advertise striking findings, but actually, turn out to be all smoke and mirrors.
Two recent nutrition studies separately suggested that A) vegan diets can be useful for weight loss and B) egg consumption is associated with type 2 diabetes. Although the results of these studies agree with those themes, what these studies DO NOT show is that C) Vegan diets are superior to other diets for weight loss or optimal health…
Organs are rich in nutrients AND their metabolites
Organ meats are some of the most nutrient-rich parts of the animal we can be eating. This makes sense because organs like the liver and kidney are major sites of nutrient storage and metabolism. I have written a few essays now on the many reasons we should be eating more organ meats. Here, I want to specifically explore how eating organ meat could plausibly overcome certain genetic weaknesses in nutrient requirements.
When I say genetic weaknesses, what I mean are single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). These are “misspellings” that occur in our DNA that can, but not always, affect the expression…
March is the perfect month to eat all the foods that don’t quite fit into Winter or Summer
Cooking and eating more “Real Food” is one of the most effective ways to improve the nutrient density of your diet while adding more variety and flavor at the same time. Until very recently, humans ate seasonally using the ingredients that were currently available. I think that one of the keys to enjoying “real food” is to eat foods at the peak of their season in a context that makes sense. Here are 5 ways to eat more real food this March.
1. Find a good spot in nature for a picnic
This one might vary based on your geographic location but if you are starting to see better and…
This is what I want everyone to know about plant-based meat alternatives
Bill Gates recently made headlines for suggesting that “rich nations” including the United States should sharply reduce animal product consumption and begin switching over to “synthetic meat”. Gates claims this will be an important step in fighting climate change. He has a point since most meat produced in the US is from factory farms which are at the very least contributing to the problem of climate change. However, I think cows are unfairly blamed for this problem since EPA data indicate agriculture only contributes 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the US. Cows are not the major contributor nor…
These eggs might have more folate than you think!
I am writing this piece as a response of sorts to a claim that I have seen recently that Joel Salatin’s pastured eggs contain somewhere between a whopping 1,000–10,000 micrograms of folate PER EGG! If you are keen on nutrition, you would know that the recommended dietary allowance for folate is only 400 micrograms per day and the “tolerable upper limit” of folate is 1,000 micrograms. So if this claim is true, even eating one of these eggs could put you at or above the maximum recommended daily intake for folate. Why does this matter? Keep reading below. …
Duck fat is a healthy way to up the flavor ante
Duck fat is a traditional cooking fat used in many cultures around the world. It’s well known for making some of the most delicious and perfectly crisp French fries you could find anywhere. However, duck fat is useful far beyond fries.
Duck fat has an excellent nutritional profile and its mild flavor and smooth texture make it a delicious addition to many of the dishes you probably already make. Read on to learn more about why you should consider adding duck fat to your culinary toolbox and how to do it!
The nutritional significance of duck fat
Duck fat has a melting point of 14 degrees…
Eat well and stay warm
We have made it to the second month of 2021 and there is so much happening already. Despite the chaos going on in the world, I think there is no time better than the present to start eating more REAL FOOD. When it comes to food in February a few themes that come to mind are citrus, warm and hearty food, and chocolate for dessert. Here are five ways to eat more real food that are perfect for the month of February.
1. Roast some vegetables in duck fat.
Duck fat is an amazing ingredient to cook with. Anything it coats will gain a nice hint of…
Were their highly vegetarian diets healthy?
Learning more about what different people were eating around the globe and throughout history is something I always find fascinating. In today’s world where our diet quality is poorer than ever, I think it is important to scour the history books and learn about how our ancestors ate. There is a lot we can learn about food and human nutrition from studying the various types of diets consumed by our ancestors.
In this essay, I want to point out an ancestral way of eating shared between two specific groups of people at different times and places in the world: ancient…
Processed does not mean unhealthy
I have written before about how ultra-processed foods are more than just a thorn in the side of the American diet when it comes to their contribution to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic disease. Cutting out ultra-processed “food-like-substances” in favor of nutrient-dense real foods is one of the lowest-hanging fruits we can reach for when it comes to improving our diet.
But what exactly defines ultra-processed food? Food processing is a very general term and there is even a kitchen tool that many of us use to prepare food at home called a “food processor”. So where do we…
Brandon J Eudy, PhD
Dr. Brandon J Eudy holds a PhD in nutritional sciences. He blogs about food, cooking, and nutrition at www.realfoodexplored.com
