my article

This week's lucky "winner"... Oreo cookies!!! Read more »

Above is a page of photos from William Moreira's book. William Moreira is the author of a case study of his experiences and research relating to "Dr. Fritz" The Phenomenon of the Millennium (2002) involving Rubens de Faria, Jr., the Brazilian trance channel medium healer. Beginning the book is Moreira's letter sent in December 1995 to twenty well-known American television programs (with some typographical errors corrected for this article) .  Moreira was a resident of Weehawken, New Jersey at the time.  I am also presenting his "Note From The Author" that followed the letter in the book.   Soon after arriving at Faria's makeshift 'hospital' that Moreira witnessed to be "a clinic for miracles," he heard "Rubens giving a few explanatory speeches about how everyone should behave and how to concentrate on God, Jesus and the spiritual doctors that will come to help 'Dr. Fritz.'"    To: American Media ______________________...

As we continue to explore the foods our ancestors relied on during our evolutionary history, and what foods work best for us today, we come to legumes such as beans and lentils.  These are controversial foods within the Paleolithic diet community, while the broader nutrition community tends to view legumes as healthy. Beans and lentils have a lot going for them.  They're one of the few foods that are simultaneously rich in protein and fiber, making them highly satiating and potentially good for the critters in our colon.  They're also relatively nutritious, delivering a hefty dose of vitamins and minerals.  The minerals are partially bound by the anti-nutrient phytic acid, but simply soaking and cooking beans and lentils typically degrades 30-70 percent of it, making the minerals more available for absorption ( Food Phytates . Reddy and Sathe. 2002).  Omitting the soaking step greatly reduces the degradation of phytic acid ( Food Phytates . Reddy and Sathe. 2002). The only tang...

This photograph taken by Kelsie McKinney at John of God's healing center in Brazil is from her website www.johnofgodboulder.com . Kelsie (Kenefick) McKinney is a biofeedback therapist and a guide who brings groups of people to John of God's healing center, the Casa de Dom Inácio de Loyola in Brazil. The author of Migraines Be Gone (2006) and The Stress Mess (2008), Kelsie attended the State University of New York at New Paltz, where she received her masters degree in Humanistic Psychology and Education.  She is a licensed mental health counselor in New York, is board certified in medical biofeedback, and is a licensed professional counselor in Colorado.  Her John of God: Journey to the Spirit World (2012) begins with her considering how the book originated. As I sit in Abadiania, Brazil, I begin to write my story with great resistance.  But, the Entities — the good spirits that come through John of God — insist the story be told. Kelsie reflected in her book, "I feel...

Smarter Science of Slim Jonathan Bailor recently released an interview we did a few months ago on the neurobiology of body fat regulation, and the implications for fat loss.  It's a good overview of the regulation of food intake and body fatness by the brain.  You can listen to it here . Super Human Radio Carl Lanore interviewed me about my lab's work on hypothalamic inflammation and obesity.  I'm currently wrapping up a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Michael Schwartz at the University of Washington, and the interview touches on our recent review paper " Hypothalamic Inflammation: Marker or Mechanism of Obesity Pathogenesis ?"  Dan Pardi and I are frequent guests on Carl's show and I'm always impressed by how well Carl prepares prior to the interview.  You can listen to the interview here . The Reality Check podcast Pat Roach of the Reality Check podcast  interviewed me about the scientific validity of the "carbohydrate-insulin hypothesis" of ...

This is an image from the documentary "Healing: Miracles, Mysteries and John of God." The spiritual healing facilitated by John of God ( João de Deus) is known among millions of people who have received treatment from the Brazilian trance channeler.  When I searched "John of God" at Google, one of the first results was a link to a rare mainstream media article about him — the February 10, 2005 ABC News article "Is 'John of God' a Healer or a Charlatan?" derived from an "ABC Primetime" special report telecast.  In this post I am providing an analysis of the ABC News article and reporting about more recent media coverage of João . This is how the article begins: For nearly 30 years, millions have visited the tiny village of Abadiania in remote, central Brazil to see a man some call the most powerful spiritual healer since Jesus and others call a charlatan. "Primetime" followed the journeys of five people who sought out the man ...

One of my most popular posts of all time was a recipe I published in 2010 for sourdough buckwheat crepes ( 1 ).  I developed this recipe to provide an easy, nutritious, and gluten-free alternative to flour-based crepes.  It requires no equipment besides a blender.  It's totally different from the traditional buckwheat crepes that are eaten in Brittany, in part because it's not really a crepe (I don't know what else to call it, maybe a savory pancake?).  I find these very satisfying, and they're incredibly easy to make.  They're especially delicious with fresh goat cheese, or scrambled eggs with vegetables, but they go with almost anything.  Chris Kresser also developed his own version of the recipe, which is fluffier than mine, and more like a traditional pancake ( 2 ). Buckwheat is an exceptionally nutritious pseudograin that's rich in complete protein and minerals.  In contrast to most whole grains, which have low mineral availability due to phytic acid, buckw...

Cover art from Spiritual Alliances . "The scientists who studied João are convinced of his capabilities, but bewildered as to how to handle the information."—Emma Bragdon, Spiritual Alliances: Discovering the Roots of Health at the Casa de Dom Inácio A contemporary spiritual healer is Brazil’s trance channeler John of God, who has been mentioned in several previous blog articles (including “Some Recordings of Channeling” , "Spiritual Healing" and "Spirituality & Health: Healing Spirits of Brazil" ).  Those with some knowledge of such metaphysical concepts as 'oneness' or 'nonlocality' will have an advantage for understanding the spiritual force documented in this case. A n explanation for the succession of entities controlling an entranced medium's body was offered through one communicator from the ascended realm speaking through medium Mrs. J. H. Conant as recorded in Flashes of Light from the Spirit-Land through the Mediumship...