Bump: The Diabetes "Crash" Cure & Pancreatic Fat

Bumping Again!

New Article in BMJ:  Analysis: Beating type 2 diabetes into remission*

The original posting of this was shortly after the first papers published on the success of a very low calorie diet -- essentially a 6-800 calorie protein-sparing-modified-fast, protein shakes + non-starchy veggies -- in curing diabetes in relatively short order.  You may also be interested in the following posts:

The Diabetes "Crash" Cure Revisited (a follow-up to this one)

Diabetes "Crash" Cures: VLCal vs. VLCarb

Check Featured Comment (if any) for further updates from me.

*In light of commentary below, I'll add that I am not a fan of using the term remission here.  Cancer does seem to strike at random most times and recurrence seems to be equally random.  At best we have few if any ways to predict who will see cancer return etc.  But Type 2 diabetes doesn't work that way in most.  The source of the beta cell dysfunction is pretty well known now, and that it IS reversible and can be restored is as well.  An underlying genetic propensity towards T2 (e.g. weight distribution and having a low personal adipose storage threshold) is not the same as having an active disease or condition.  There's considerable evidence that those whose diabetes resolved following gastric bypass do not see it return -- in other words they haven't worn out their pancreases and just kick the can of beta-cell exhaustion (a model that has been invalidated quite thoroughly at this point) down the road.

In my opinion, diagnosis of T2 needs to be followed by a much more aggressive lifestyle change "prescription" than is currently given.  Sadly, the medical establishment would rather add obesity to its lists of chronic, incurable lifelong diseases than adjust their model for existing disease that turns out to be curable after all.

Keto Clarity Academy ~ Medical Disclaimer

Blogstress Note:  I'm trying to finish up a project outside the Asylum, have had lots of computer issues that have made this frustrating to say the least, coupled with family obligations and "real job" starting back up.  An unfinished, older, now past-its-shelf-date post went live the other day that I have since unpublished.  I may or may not re-publish it merged with another at some point.

I've been meaning to weigh in on the whole Keto Clarity Academy launched by Jimmy Moore and Melanie Miller (of Evangelizing Low Carb fame), and a more in depth look will have to wait until higher priorities are fulfilled.  

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Here is the current front page of Keto Clarity Academy.  Finally, the stock photos have been replaced, though at this time we still don't have bios and official roles of the four ladies joining Jimmy and Melanie in this endeavor.

For $75 (down from $100) you can take KETO 101 based on Jimmy's book.  The blurb on the bottom reads:

KETO Clarity Academy

Based on the best selling book by Author & pod-caster Jimmy Moore. The KETO Clarity Academy is a fantastic starting point for the ketogenic lifestyle. KCA specializes in helping clients achieve their personal goals, improve health gains and receive knowledge of the science of the ketogenic lifestyle.

PURE Rubbish

Let me preface this post by saying I'm a bit time constrained, and computer issues have made my life miserable these past few days.   However a new article from the PURE study was recently published in Lancet, and I wish to add some limited commentary to the mix.  

First things first, the links:

• Associations of fats and carbohydrate intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 18 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study

• The first study:  The Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study: Examining the impact of societal influences on chronic noncommunicable diseases in low-, middle-, and high-income countries

Secondly, I've tweeted these links out.  Commentary by others:

• Kevin Klatt:  On PURE
• Nutrition Wonk:   Research Review The 5 Continent (PURE) Study: A Prospective Cohort Study

And now for my favorite headline!

That Seven Countries White Paper and Ancel Keys' Six Country Plot

Summary:

• A white paper has been published by the True Health Initiative attempting to set some things straight vis a vis Ancel Keys and his Seven Countries Study
• Such discussions will always involve the erroneous conflation of that 1970s study and Keys' 1953 "Six Countries Plot"
• ANCEL KEYS DID NOT CHERRY PICK.   In 1953, it was "possible to get fully comparable dietary and vital statistics data from 6 countries" from 1948-9.  
• Yerushalmy originally put forth data from 12 and then 22 countries.   These data were from different sources and for different classifications of disease vs. that used by Keys.
• NEITHER set of data used by Y&H even existed in 1953, so it could not have even been available to Keys.
• Zoe Harcombe is a terrible researcher at best.  Some institutions will give a PhD to pretty much anyone these days.

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Tom Naughton Doubles Down on Kooky Kalorie Klaims for Fat Head Kids

Preface:

I have to say this.  Sorry, not sorry.  If you have children, and you want to help them with nutrition and health as they grow, teach them about food and teach them how to cook.   Get your own weight and health under control (if it's a problem) so that you can pass down good habits to your children.  Or do nothing.  None of my business.  But whatever you do, do not buy your child a copy of Fat Head Kids or let them within 50 yards of a showing of the Fat Head Kids movie if it ever comes out.  Put a block on your Hulu or whatever streaming service it is eventually on.  I cannot recommend more strongly against this.

Every time I have watched snippets of some video of Tom talking about this book, or read the preview content on Amazon, I just get utterly creeped out by the whole thing, and Tom Naughton specifically.  Books for children should not include shirtless pictures of the middle aged author who goes on about boy boobs.  

Tom seems to be working through his unresolved childhood issues and perhaps even ongoing body image issues, and has a weird obsession with "moobs".  How else to explain a chapter entitled "Bad Food Makes Boy Boobs"??   Never mind that this topic is irrelevant to half of his prospective audience and his own two children.  

Podcast Appearance Tomorrow: Superhuman Radio

Hello inmates!  I'll be appearing on Superhuman Radio with Carl Lanore tomorrow, August 10, at 12 noon EST.

You can listen live HERE

You can always listen to rebroadcasts, and I'll post a link once the podcast is "in the can".

Our topic will be A New Perspective on Type 2 Diabetes.  This was inspired by a meme on Carl's Facebook wall and my response that carbohydrates are neither the cause of diabetes or the the direct cause of the associated hyperglycemia.   Basically challenging the notion that diabetes is a disease of carbohydrate intolerance.

Should be good!

J.E.R.F.? Just Eat Real Food ...

... an acronym most closely associated with Sean Croxton.   [ Or as I call him in my head:  Sean Ton of Crocks, because Croxton is the king of the alt func med summit marketeering spree].  But now it looks like Croxton is in the processed convenience food biz, releasing a J.E.R.F. bar!  

screenshot of today's JERFbar.com home banner

One of the things that most annoys me about Noakes and his "Real Meal" revolution.  Many in paleo talk about eating "real food", and many exclude from this definition foods that aren't part of their restrictive food paradigms.  You know, such UNreal aka fake foods like whole grains and legumes for the low carbers,  soy and veggie oils for the "ancestrals", maybe dairy for the vegans, regular sugar for just about everyone.    "Real food" is a foolish label.   If what you mean by *real* is "whole" foods, then concoctions don't fly, no matter how "clean" the ingredients list is, and almond flour and butter are not almonds.  If by *real* you mean "natural" -- as opposed to synthetic or artificial -- then Fritos qualify as they contain only corn and oil.  If by *real* you mean "clean" (according to your definition of allowed foods for your paradigm) you're the worst of all using the term as a fraudulent marketing one.

Real food?  Most food is real food, or likely upwards of 95% by weight *real*.  Even many food additives are real -- take lecithin for example, that can be derived from a number of foods such as eggs, soybeans or sunflower seeds.  Sugar is real.  Flour is real.  White rice is real.  Coconut oil is real, but so, too is corn oil.  

The #IRONY is soooo thick with this JERF bar.  

Disabilesity ~ Part II: An Epidemic?

This series was inspired by my own "journey" through what I'm going to call disabilesity.  If you haven't done so and would like some personal background, read Disabilesity ~ Part I: Intro and My Own Journey.

This installment is about increased risks and rates of physical impairment, preceding and including formal physical disability, that have coincided with the rising rates of obesity.  A theme of this series is that unlike the chronic metabolic disease risks (diabetes, CVD, etc.), the impairment of physical ability is often overlooked.  In my opinion, this does a disservice, especially to younger obese individuals who are not properly educated/warned about these very real consequences.  Most people don't die of things like osteo arthritis, but quality of life can be greatly affected.

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Disabilesity ~ Part I: Intro and My Own Journey

This post was inspired by my own "journey" through what I'm going to call disabilesity.  It got insanely long and cumbersome, so I'll break it up into parts:

• Intro and My Own Journey of Disabilesity
• The Forgotten Disabilesity Epidemic
• How the Obesity Industrial Complex does a disservice to those at risk or suffering from Disabilesity

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It has been my observation for a while now that various interests I shall refer to collectively as the Obesity Industrial Complex, are only marginally interested in *fixing* any problems attributable to the obesity epidemic in affluent countries.  Instead, for various reasons and in varying ways, the different factions seem more intent on maintaining some level of the status quo for profit, relevance, notoriety or some combination of the above.

Defensiveness

It's been a very long time since I've highlighted a post or podcast from someone else on this blog.  It's also no secret that my own blogging has fallen off big time.  This has been from a "perfect storm" of burnout, frustration, personal priorities, and search for a future focus/mission in blogging.    I feel like "I've blogged on that" a zillion times already. 

Around a year ago I listened to a podcast from someone I'm honored to call a friend.  On my list of "people I've met online I must meet someday", she's right up on top.    I know it sounds egotistical to say this, but I don't care.  There are so very few out there whom I consider valued sources of information.  I try and link them up, support them, share their work.  I'm not a marketer, and although a few years ago I incorporated, I've yet to really take a leap into much in the way of selling anything or making any sort of living off of doing what I do in this area.  My inaugural venture in that vein didn't work out so well, and then, as they say, life got in the way.  Still, there were a few good things to come of said debacle, and a connection with Leigh is top on that list.

This person is Leigh Peele 

When I listened to this podcast I was well on my way through already having figured out a lot of things that had stymied me.  I was still in a very tenuous place with a lot of other things (mostly personal).    I just re-listened AGAIN (I think this may well be the fourth or fifth time now) before sharing this, because I will reference this in some upcoming "off topic" blog posts.    I really hope you will all give a listen, and show Leigh some love afterwards.  She's a fitness person, but just lean back and apply what she has to say to whatever and wherever you are or are coming from.

Here ya go:  Defensiveness is the Enemy

If you like what you hear, I'd love for you to give Leigh some support love and leave a review on iTunes.  Defensiveness is the Enemy

Oh ... and I'm calling out a few people who REALLY need to listen to this.  

• Dr. Sarah Ballantyne PhD.
• Stacy Toth 
• Melanie Miller
• Jimmy Moore (X 1000)
• Diane Sanfilippo
• Melissa Hartwig
• Robb Wolf
• Mark Sisson

This is not an all inclusive list by a long shot.  Some may not understand why I listed who I did.  So be it.