The Roundup

Here is The Roundup, Edition 28, bringing you the best from around the web from the past two weeks!

Blast from the Past

You might want to stand up for this one: yet another study suggests that a single bout of exercise alone is not enough to mitigate the harmful effects of too much sitting.

This particular study used healthy, normal weight adults and put them through one of three experimental conditions: continuous sitting for 9 hours, brisk walking for 30 minutes and then sitting for the remainder of the 9 hours, and regular activity breaks that provided a total of 30 minutes over the 9 hour period. The authors found that not only did regular activity significantly reduce blood sugar and insulin compared to sitting all day, but that it had similar benefits compared to the 30 minutes of physical activity combined with prolonged sitting.

Like the studies that have come before, this study suggests that regularly breaking up periods of prolonged sitting may be a very important thing to do for your health. I’ve written about the dangers of excessive sitting before, and this research further demonstrates that even in healthy people, blood sugar control is impaired by prolonged sitting, even if these people had previously exercised before the bout of sitting.

This study reinforces my recommendation to stand up for at least two minutes every hour, taking a brief walk or doing some light stretching. As this study confirms, even short breaks like this throughout the day can make a big difference.

Research Report

• A Harvard report describes television watching as a significant sleep detriment in children.
• A new study shows that mice on a zero-carbohydrate diet “consistently gained more weight than animals consuming standard chow”.
• Evidence suggests that the composition of the human gut microbiome is influenced by seasonal variations.
• Overweight? High blood sugar? Watch your use of electronic media at night, and go to bed on time!
• According to a new study, CDC sodium guidelines are “excessively and unrealistically low.”

Worth A Look

• Find out what is truly causing symptoms like weight gain, hair loss, exhaustion, depression or mental fog in The Thyroid Sessions.
• Stephan Guyenet uses graphs to show that over the past 50 years, calorie intake and BMI in the US are nearly perfectly correlated.
• Amy Berger discusses the importance of “Vitamin J” – otherwise known as the enjoyment of life – in promoting overall wellbeing.
• Mark Sisson explains how we’re all susceptible to food advertising.
• I’m pretty excited about the potential for biometrics tracking with the upcoming iWatch.
• Dr. Emily Deans has written a great article on one of my favorite topics: the gut-brain connection.
• Obese dads have nearly double the risk of having a child with an autism spectrum disorder.

For the Foodies

• Plaid and Paleo: Paleo Twice Baked Breakfast Sweet Potatoes
• Delicious Obsessions: Creamy Coconut Avocado Smoothie
• Ancestralize Me: Cuban Stuffed Squash
• The Iron You: Chicken Souvlaki Kebabs with Tzatziki Sauce
• Cavewoman Cafe: Thai Chicken Patties with Cabbage Slaw
• Cinnamon Eats: Roasted Celeriac Mash with Paprika
• Mangia Paleo: Honey Almond Salmon with Roasted Fennel
• The Healthy Foodie: Ginger Cashew Beef Stir-Fry
• Real Food Forager: Chicken Feet Broth
• Healing and Eating: Banana Cream Pie
• Kitchen Tested: Lemon Meringue Coconut Macaroons