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Manic Depressive Bipolar Disorder and the Ketogenic Diet

July 17, 2019

First used in the 1920s, the ketogenic diet is established for its efficacy in treating intractable epilepsy and is best known clinically for this role. Even today, the mechanisms underlyin its efficacy are complex and not fully understood. However, it likely involves metabolic adaptation in cellular signaling pathways, decreased neuronal excitability, and neuroprotection. As such, it is possible that the ketogenic diet may prove to be an effective treatment for other neurological diseases,...

Ketogenic Diet as a potential treatment for Autism

July 17, 2019

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental syndrome. It begins before three years of age and is characterized by pervasive deficits in social interaction, impairment in communication, and stereotyped patterns of interests and activities. To date, no known causes have been identified that fully explain the occurrence of ASD. Instead, the etiology of ASD appears to be attributed to complex behavioral phenotypes as well as the involvement of various genetic and environmental...

Hope for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) with the Keto Diet

July 10, 2019

First used in the 1920s, the ketogenic diet is most known for its established efficacy in treating intractable epilepsy and is best known clinically for this role. Unfortunately, the mechanisms of the ketogenic diet are complex and not yet fully understood. Though, it likely involves metabolic adaptation in cellular signaling pathways, decreased neuronal excitability, and neuroprotection. As such, it is likely that the ketogenic diet may prove to be an effective treatment even for...

Response to Impossible Foods attack on Regenerative Ag

July 8, 2019

Recently, the Internet has been ablaze with ardent debates on the role of agriculture and how our diets contribute to the global crises we face. Passionate supporters of vegan diets and lifestyles point to the loss of biodiversity that comes with cutting down rainforests to raise cattle for the meat demand of western consumers, while regenerative ranchers and farmers point to studies done by the Savory Institute (among others) that show how holistic management of livestock can improve soils...

What is Xanthan Gum and Is It Good for You?

June 30, 2019

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What is Xanthan Gum and Is It Good for You?

June 30, 2019

Xanthan gum is a common food additive found in many products. Should you be concerned about consuming it?

Rickaroons: Energy Bars that Give You More than an Energy Boost

June 24, 2019

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In decades past, energy bars, or nutrition bars, were mainly marketed to gym enthusiasts and performance athletes needing a quick boost of energy and vitality. Today, however, more and more people in our fast-paced society are looking for healthy snack alternatives that can give them the energy and nutrients they need while on the run. Energy bars, then, are no longer simply a niche product sold at backpacking outfitters and in the vending machines at your...

Is Guar Gum Keto?

June 11, 2019

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]How many times have we been warned that if we “See an ingredient we don’t recognize, our body won’t either.” Many keto dieters and paleo dieters alike have adopted this food ideology, almost without question. However, if you’re on the ketogenic diet, you’ve likely seen some strange ingredients in recipes that you have never heard of before, such as xanthan gum or guar gum. You may have even assumed that these food stabilizers were unhealthy. It is this...

Is the ketogenic diet safe during pregnancy?

June 10, 2019

While the ketogenic diet increases in popularity, so does its increased use in women of child-bearing age for seizure management, as well as management for other metabolic or neurological disorders. This raises the obvious question as to whether or not the ketogenic diet is safe during pregnancy. However, there is a distinct lack of information related to the effects of a maternal ketogenic diet. The ketogenic diet that is characterized as being high in fat and low in carbohydrates was...

Heuristics: Reducing Consumer Decision Friction

June 5, 2019

Often, the under-appreciated advantage that successful brands and marketers have is an understanding of behavioral psychology. A critical facet of behavioral psychology is the study of heuristics. Think of a heuristic as a shortcut our brains use to make decision-making processes easier. Heuristic principles are cognitive biases that reduce decision friction— turning more extended decision-making processes into more nominal ones. Heuristics can influence purchasing decisions ranging from...