• The bad news: The "updated" Dietary Guidelines came out. These recommendations influence how millions will eat over the next 5 years. They underpin education (medical schools, dieticians, nutritionists), school, hospital, and military meals, and even farms and subsidies. Despite the actual science, they are telling us to eat less meat, less saturated fat, and more carbs. This is bewildering. 
  • How can they exclude virtually all clinical trials on weight loss? Exclude the last decade of science on saturated fats, which show that they don't have any effect on CVD or mortality? Exclude all the clinical trials on low-carb diets? Why would they refuse to address obesity and diet-related diseases? Is it ok to exclude all the major conflicts of interests, the fact that the majority of the members of the committee have ties with the food industry and pharma? Barbara Schneeman, the Chair of the committee, gets funding from Dannon, Monsanto, Coca-Cola, etc...Ron Kleinman, 2nd in command, has taken funding from General Mills, Hershey, Kellogg, Kraft, McDonald's, Nestle, Pfizer, and on and on...
• The good news: The Nutrition Coalition, a non-profit group that aims to bring rigorous science to nutrition policy, called out the "weak science," the "lack of any transparent, verified methodology used in reviewing the science," and "the exclusion of large bodies of scientific literature." 

• I got a funny email this week. It said "did you see this article about you?" It was titled "Whacked Out Nutcase."

• I'm fascinated by evolutionary ideas that help explain certain phenomenon. Like why the human brain is so big relative to our size, or how our diet was the fork that diverged humans from other hominids. And this week I read a theory on how music may have been a critical element in our rise up the food chain.

🎶 What had to go public:

• In the rules for my 2020 Challenge, "learn to make music," I said that I reserved the right to keep my 1st 6 songs private, but by song #7 I had to release it publicly. Well here it is...

• If you love Kirkland you aren't alone. This brand has become known as superior quality at a better price. How do they do it? They convince brands to cannibalize themselves; to take short term sales over long term control of their destiny. Lots of lessons in this one for entrepreneurs.