All posts by Karen Connington

Glycemic Index Aside, this Doc Goes Vegan

Culture & Trends, Nutrition, Plant Based People Profiles

Dr. David Jenkins is a Canada Research Chair in nutrition, metabolism and vascular biology, a professor in the department of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto, and scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital. In addition, he is the first Canadian recipient of the Bloomberg Manulife Prize for the Promotion of Active Health.

Dr. Jenkins is a frequent subject of worldwide news, particularly in Canada, but recent reports have more to do with his change of mind than his list of accolades. Dr. Jenkins, who also happens to be the lead architect of the glycemic index, announced recently that his personal lifestyle of choice is plant-based. Though his research inspired some of the most famous diets in the U.S.—Atkins, The Zone and South Beach to name a few—he is now stepping into the arena himself, by proposing a global revolution in the way we eat.

For his reasons why, and an overview of Canadian perspectives on plant-based nutrition, check out this article from Toronto’s Globe and Mail.

Dietary Guidelines Go Mainstream

Diatery Guidelines, Eggs, Meat, Nutrition

In 2015, for the first time in modern industrial agriculture, the government may advise Americans to take most red meat off the table. The possibility has ignited heated front page debates, heavy lobbying in Washington, and a 30-day extension for public comment. CLICK HERE to read the guidelines

Many of us have never been quite aware of the legislation, much less ready to forage through fields of federal commentary.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, developed jointly by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture, have been published every five years since 1995. A federal advisory committee releases recommendations early each year and then opens a forum for public comment. Ultimately, each new of set of Guidelines forms the basis of all federal food, nutrition education, and information programs over the next five years.

As Fox News proclaims “The Return of the Egg,” CNN, CBS, and Time Magazine are not far behind. Each cast their own opinions, backed by their own pundits, on how Americans will digest federal advice to cut meat, add veggies, and stop worrying about big bad cholesterol scares.

Google any one of them for the latest, or check out a fairly well balanced overview in the Pittsburgh Post-Gasette: