Posted onSeptember 4, 2022|Comments Off on And Now For Something Completely Different… Enslaved Icelander Describes Horror of Ottoman Slave Market (1627)
Nearly all studies demonstrating the healthful effects of the Mediterranean diet were done in adults. Here’s one suggesting benefit in children.
Our findings suggest a positive correlation of Mediterranean diet adherence with health-related quality of life in children and adolescents. However, future research is needed to strengthen the evidence of this relationship.
Posted onSeptember 3, 2022|Comments Off on President Biden’s Sept 1, 2022, Speech on “Democracy”
President Biden’s Sept 1, 2022, speech in Philadelphia is likely to have major impact on the November elections. Especially what he says starting at minute 4. “MAGA Republicans do not respect the Constitution, they do not believe in the rule of law…..”
“We must be honest with each other and with ourselves. Too much of what’s happening in our country today is not normal. Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our Republic.”
Three thousand “likes” when I viewed it on YouTube but the “dislike” counter seems to be de-activated. I wonder why. BTW, the U.S. is a constitutional republic, not a democracy.
Many people think of salads as boring diet food that will leave you hungry and unsatisfied. But we disagree. Our keto salad recipes are rich in protein — and they’re filled with nutrition, flavors, and healthy fats to keep you fueled all day long.
When a government is dependent on bankers for money, they and not the leaders of government control the situation. Money has no motherland; financiers are without patriotism and without decency; their sole obligation is gain.
Napoleon Bonaparte
After I read that, I thought about the US’s Federal Reserve System of banks, the Russia-Ukraine war, the US’s raging inflation problem, the World Economic Forum, Blackrock and Vanguard, income and wealth inequality, recent US shortages of infant formula and tampons, covidiocy, and predictions of basic food shortages and famine. Is it all masterminded by the banksters, to enrich them?
Remember how the woke and super-concerned and awfully caring and, most of all, ignorant (I use this word in its technical sense) censors at YouTube, Twitter and all the rest quashed accounts that said myocarditis was likely a prominent side effect of the mRNA viruses? Which, as we’ll see below, it surely was?
Censoring the unwashed is their natural inclination, yet that happy duty was strengthened by Experts in the bureaucracy whose policy was the Noble Lie. Yes—the “L” word. For do you also remember when CDC Director Rachel Walensky, a physician, announced in her most serious voice, “Vaccinated people don’t carry the virus, don’t get sick.”
But it has nothing to do with our wedding. Open your eyes. This is happening everywhere. Non-COVID-19 deaths are up dramatically in the United States (and all over the world). Life insurance companies report non-COVID-19 deaths are up 40% or more among young, working-age Americans. Lincoln National reports death benefit payouts are up over 163% in the year since COVID-19 vaccines came out. These are death increases not seen during World War II.
Read the headlines: Every day a new celebrity, actor, rock star, athlete or CEO is dropping dead “suddenly and unexpectedly.” Most of them are way too young to die or suffer strokes or heart attacks. I’m betting they all have one thing in common: they are VACCINATED.
These proximate causes likely relate to a few more fundamental causes. For example, delayed or deferred hospital admission or medical care likely resulted in increased deaths from heart disease and stroke. People were simply reluctant to go to the ER for fear of catching COVID there, and because hospitals were overwhelmed. Having experienced the ER during the pandemic I can tell you it was full of a lot of unhappy patients, waiting for beds in overcrowded conditions.
Other deaths are deemed “death of despair”, due to increased alcoholism and drug overdoses. Increase in motor vehicle deaths is interesting, attributed to more fast and reckless driving provoked by relatively empty roads. Increase in homicides was similarly attributed to increases in anxiety and restlessness during the pandemic.
Here is my list of over 40 leading indicators that the momentum is moving in our favor. I’d be surprised if the narrative doesn’t fall apart soon. It’s now unravelling quickly in the UK.
So far, effectiveness has been shown in only one placebo-controlled trial. Diet and exercise must be continued. It doesn’t work well for everyone: 6 out of 10 users lost at least 5% of their body weight; the other 4 didn’t. It appears to have fewer side effects than other weight loss products. Not a way to achieve ideal weight, but probably worth trying for patients who understand that it is only an aid and not a final solution. I hope they will be encouraged enough by a 22-pound weight loss to continue losing weight with or without Plenity.
Steve Parker, M.D.
PS: Overweight or obese? I can help. No pills or surgery needed.
DJ Foodie has come up with a low-carb version of zuppa toscana, my wife’s favorite soup at Olive Garden restaurants. We haven’t tried it yet but post a link here for future reference. 9.4 net carbs per 330 calorie serving.
Right off the bat, I don’t like that they studied both diabetics and prediabetics. There were only 40 original study participants, with complete data on only 33. Why lump the two together?
Participants followed each diet for 12 weeks then lab data and body weight were assessed.
The researchers conclusions:
HbA1c [a measure of blood sugar control] was not different between diet phases after 12-weeks, but improved from baseline on both diets, likely due to several shared dietary aspects. WFKD [ketogenic diet] was beneficial for greater decrease in triglycerides, but also had potential untoward risks from elevated LDL-C, and lower nutrient intakes from avoiding legumes, fruits, and whole intact grains, as well as being less sustainable.
Triglycerides dropped more on the keto diet, no surprise. Body weight dropped the same for both diets, 7-8%. HDL-cholesterol (the “good cholesterol”) rose 11% on keto and 7% on Mediterranean diet. HgbA1c dropped the same on both diets, about 8% from baseline. Both diets lead to eating ~300 calories less per day than baseline consumption.
The authors reported that LDL “dangerously” rose 10% on the keto diet. But was it really a dangerous change? Triglycerides went down on the keto diet, as we would expect. And as we saw in 2018 with the Virta Health trial, on average, LDL went up 10%. However, the calculated cardiac risk score went down 12%.
In terms of answering the headline question, Keto Versus Mediterranean Diet: Which Is Best for T2 Diabetics and Prediabetics, the answer really depends on long-term data concerning longevity and various diseases. This study doesn’t answer the question.
What say you?
Steve Parker, M.D.
PS: Can’t decide between Keto and Mediterranean? Why not combine the two? The best of both worlds!
Whether you are traveling and can’t cook or you are celebrating something special with people you love, Olive Garden has some low-carb options that are simply delicious!
They might be known for their endless breadsticks and overflowing plates of pasta, but there are some keto-friendly choices on the menu, too. You just have to know where to look.
Olive Garden is also known for its large portions, so you will have to think ahead before eating everything on your plate.
When you don’t have time to cook or just want to dine out, Olive Garden can be an appealing option for people on a ketogenic diet. Thankfully, there are ways to eat a keto meal at Olive Garden – you just have to be a little creative with a custom order!
Thank you, Lisa.
Steve Parker, M.D.
PS: The Advanced Mediterranean Diet (2nd Ed.) includes a ketogenic option.
Advanced Mediterranean Diet 