Josh:

Thank you!  The articles I write are gradually forming a coherent picture as I fill in the gaps, and I'm absolutely honored that you consider me on a level with MDA.

Peggy:

Others have written on the subject before (Guyenet, for one) but I don't recall anyone putting it together with protein and nutrient deficiency.  And I hope that drawing more attention to Mike's ideas gets some of the heavyweights to really dig into the theory and see how well it holds up.

Beth:

No, it applies to any food...although it's most apparent with snacks.  People expect to feel at least somewhat satiated after meals...but the "heart-healthy whole grains" propaganda has caused an alarming number of people to think they should feel satiated after eating lentils and brown rice, and to feel guilty that they don't.

Table bread is the classic example of junk food with a meal.  So is eating pasta with meatless marinara...I wonder how many pounds of fat have been gained at Fresh Choice and Olive Garden over the years?

Asclepius:

Exactly.  There's a parallel with consumer culture here: you want to sell people as much as possible -- but without actually satisfying any wants or needs -- so they'll keep buying more.

Katie:

Kids instinctively eat real food -- I know I always tried to pick the meat out of the stew -- but when their parents are starting their day with breakfast cereal and packing them Lunchables and their school is full of vending machines, the conditioning is pretty strong.

"What kind of dead animal are we eating today, Mom?"  I laughed.  People think their kids can't handle the truth: in reality, they're only reflecting your own squeamishness.  

Julianne:

Very interesting!  I'll have to look at the Gabriel Method some more.  And I agree: nutrient deficiency makes intuitive sense.  Even butterflies know to lick water off mineralized rocks, so it's hard to imagine that we don't have pre-conscious systems that cause us to seek out whatever we're deficient in.  The problem is the supernormal stimulus of the cookies in the cupboard, which we see and eat before we can find whatever it is we really need...just like the birds that can't resist sitting on the big fake plaster egg.

Chris:

It seemed like a nice round number.

JS

Juan:

Thank you!  I'm always trying to put the many different parts of dietary and behavioral science together to form a picture that people can understand and act on.  Anyone can write a diet book that says "do this, and this, and this"...I want people to understand how their mind and body work so that they can make good decisions for themselves, and not be bamboozled by the next diet book (or blog) that tries to drag you a totally different direction.

I'm glad you enjoyed The Gnoll Credo!  Gryka's wonderful, isn't she?  I greatly appreciate the word of mouth: since neither Oprah nor the New York Times took notice, readers like you telling others is the only way people will know about it.  And, frankly, I'd rather people buy the book based on genuine enjoyment than on media hype.  "The next big thing" has a way of becoming "last week's news".

JS

PS: Juan was too modest to link his website, but he's a strong portrait artist whose work can be viewed at juanmartinez.com.

Katie:

Bacon is magical, isn't it?  It's what we put on other things to make them taste better.  

I think if you wrap bacon around anything, it becomes a meal, not a snack.  Whatever it was, it now contains complete protein and a big dollop of animal fat.

I'm about a day and a half into a fast myself.  Not sure how long I'll go or what I'll break it with, but odds are good that bacon will be involved in some way.

JS