Carnivores:

• Cool article on Mongolian steppe dwellers based on archeologic remains. They reconstruct a traditional pastoral lifestyle where people lived in small groups, relied on a protein-rich diet and used animals for transportation.They found one dental cavity out of 252 teeth. Three people (out of 25) had inflammatory conditions. The proportion of old adults in the sample, and the fact that the pathologies recorded are predominantly the result of trauma and old age, illustrate a life with very little chronic morbidity. 
• Schmorl’s nodes in the spine and patterns of degenerative joint disease are suggestive of interpersonal violence, close contact with animals, and horse riding. 
• An excerpt from Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World hit twitter recently, describing how the mongol army would survive on meat and dairy, and could live days without eating, giving them an advantage over the people they conquered. Ketogenic diets are unnatural though.

Meat is the enemy?:

• People are talking about the new Lancet EAT guideline article (summary here), basically condemning meat and recommending a vegetarian lifestyle. Of course many in the Paleo community are revolting, most making sound arguments. 
• Diana Rogers of Sustainable Dish posted this criticism of the guidelines, backing up her 20 points with evidence. One quote: “On this diet you can eat 8 tsp of sugar but 1/4 egg per day.” 

Stress to Live Longer:

• Cool article from Bloombergon the hardiness of Holocaust survivors. They cover a JAMA publication out of Isreal. The bottom line is that those who were able to survive the Holocaust lived longer than aged matched individuals who did not suffer through such a thing. They compare this to data from US Civil War POWs with similar longevity.
• The author seems to argue for the resilience of the folks who do make it through trauma, sort of a survival of fittest. They don’t discuss the epigenetic hormetic effect of living through tough times and enjoying an extended life span. 

Krill:

• You want to have higher omega 3 content in your diet. But you hate to eat fish, you don’t want to drink a spoon of fish oil, and you don’t want the rancid oil in fish oil capsules. There is an answer. 
• Krill oil comes from tiny shrimp-like creatures. This oil is somewhat lower in omega 3 content, but is more stable on the shelf. Krill oil also has astaxanthin, a molecule known to have anti-inflammatory properties, protecting against UV light and skin damage, with a host of other benefits. 
• This post by Tim Ferriss covers the many reasons to take krill oil. Check out Mega Red, or the good old Kirkland brand which is almost identical but cheaper. Get some Kirkland jeans while you’re at Costco. 

Loving the Stranger:

• If you have not heard of Jonathan Sacks, check him out asap. A Rabbi in Great Britain, Sacks is a prolific author of books, but also free content on his site rabbisacks.org. He has a weekly segment that I just found out about! 
• A recent postcovered the topic of xenophobia, how tribalism pushes us to hate those who are different from us. Many religious faiths, though not always all-inclusive, do teachthat we should love all people, even as much as we love ourselves. Think about this with family and friends on the other side of the political divide, with patients in different socioeconomic situations, with other drivers on the road, etc. 

Quote:

The Torah asks, why should you not hate the stranger? Because you once stood where he stands now.There is only one reply strong enough to answer the question: Why should I not hate the stranger? Because the stranger is me.
– Rabbi Sacks