Every time a new study comes out that vilifies another macronutrient it only serves to confuse people even more.  It is tough to really educate people when the sensationalist media has such a large platform to parrot headlines.  When a new study comes out that says protein is as bad as smoking, or eggs are the devil incarnate, people get scared and decide to stop eating those things.  It is frustrating, because most us, myself included, don’t know how to digest what those studies really mean!

One of today’s articles will speak to the most recent of these sensational studies, and explain it a bit more fully.  However, before we get into today’s links I think it’s important to think about what the media and people who are pushing these studies are really trying to achieve, and progressing science isn’t it.

I recently finished “Made To Stick” By Chip and Dan Heath, and it sounds like the guys who authored this study are taking a page right out this book (which you really should put on your reading list).  The basis of the book is finding ways to make ideas sticky, like the urban legends you always hear, those are sticky ideas.  One of the ways this is done is by associating your idea with another that most everybody is already familiar with.

The authors did this beautifully with the protein is as bad as smoking study.  I believe Chip and Dan would give them an A+ for execution here.  You see we all know that smoking is very bad and can lead to a multitude of health problems like emphysema, lung cancer, and ultimately death.  This is an idea very firmly planted in all of our minds, and by linking the idea that protein is just as bad as smoking they have a sensational claim that any news organization worth its salt would want to cover.

In essence the authors and the media need a way to say “Hey Look Over Here” and claims like this do it.  They are more interested in getting attention and pushing an agenda or keeping their viewers surprised than presenting balanced information.  I’ll get off my soap box now, and let you learn from some folks much smarter than me.

High Protein Diets Linked To Cancer: Should You Be Concerned? -Spencer Nodalsky

This is a breakdown of the study that compares high protein intake to smoking.  It is pretty science heavy as Spencer is a wicked smart dude, and if you just want the high points read the blue highlighted sections.

Quick and East Ways To Feel and Move Better: Installment 56 – Andrew Zomberg 

This is an ongoing series at Eric Cressey’s site that is always worth a read.  I really like number 4.  We don’t realize how important foot and ankle mobility are to our entire body.  They are the foundation which our entire kinetic chain rests upon, and if you have issues that start that low, it can have pretty drastic consequences on the rest of your joints.

Training The Core: 4 Exercises That Take It To The Next Level – James Cerbie

It’s important to train the core and it should be a regular part of our programming.  I like the exercises James selects here to up the ante a bit on your core training.  If you are ready to bump the intensity give them a try, but be warned it might hurt to laugh the next day.

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