Knowing why something is not a good idea can be almost as important as knowing why a choice is the correct path. A good example is in the nutrition world. Americans are looking at more dietary options and variations than ever before, eager to find products that help support their dietary lifestyle, and one of …
Author: J. Stone
Playing With Percentages
Having successfully run corporate businesses, built brands and gained an expertise in research and insights, I'm no stranger to data and percentages. When building a business case, creating segmentation and assessing the risk/reward profile of an investment or initiative, we are constantly playing with percentages. However, one of the rules that applies to both this …
Stating the Obvious
With today's 24/7 barrage of news and information, it's hard to decipher what's really important, what is actually true & factual, and what pieces of "news" are so obvious that we have to stop and question whether those are actually newsworthy at all. A few days ago I came across a news article with the …
Change the Trajectory
Typically when we talk about a record being broken, it's a good thing. Whether it's an individual athletic event where a sprinter or swimmer smashes a world record with a scintillating performance, a team accomplishment like winning a Super Bowl or Stanley Cup, or a major milestone by a company or industry, we tend to …
Spirit Shining Bright
"Man's Best Friend." Just hearing these three words triggers an immediate picture of an owner and his/her dog, and the kinship that is formed through a myriad of life experiences. Ask a dog owner what it's like to own a dog, and in most cases, you'll get a response in the neighborhood of "(dog's name) …
A Better Way
Here's a hypothetical question. If I asked you to eat a substitute item that was more expensive, provided a poorer nutritional profile, was made with more additives & fillers, delivered less of a critical macronutrient, and tasted worse, would you buy it? It's actually not a hypothetical question, as that is what Beyond Meat is …
Five Takeaways From Low Carb 2022
From August 25 - 28, I had the opportunity to attend the Low Carb Conference in beautiful San Diego, CA. I was particularly keen to learn more about the scientific advances of how a low carbohydrate lifestyle contributes to metabolic health, and I was not disappointed. At this conference we covered low-carb diets, the ketogenic …
Shifting the Odds
Cancer. Just the word sends a chilling and daunting feeling into any conversation. If you've ever been diagnosed, or know someone close who has received a cancer diagnosis, your life changes in an instant. The truth is there is still so much we don't know about cancer. How does it start? Who is at a …
Improving Metabolic Health
Recent data from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) 2022 survey reaffirmed the trend of more people looking to follow diets. In this year's survey, roughly 52% of respondents confirmed following a "diet or eating pattern" in the last year, up 13% from the 2021 survey. The segment driving this increase were those aged below …
Delving Into Dairy
In the latest issue of People Magazine, the People Food Awards highlighted over 60 of their favorite new items to hit store shelves. Not surprisingly, the bulk of the foods highlighted were a sugary mess…waffles, sugary cereals, candy, ice cream, snacks, etc. However, there is one product I wanted to highlight as an example of …
The Rise of Flexitarian
According to a new CFANS Insights survey from the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, 80% of consumers prefer animal-based protein, but plant-based protein is on the rise as 31% suggest they will eat more in the next five years. https://www.nationalhogfarmer.com/news/umn-survey-80-us-consumers-prefer-animal-based-protein Protein Importance Among the three macronutrients, protein is arguably …
A New Chapter
It's been a while since I posted a new commentary on my blog, and the reason is I've accepted a new professional role in the nutrition/wellness industry. Making a Difference As most of you know, I've spent the last few years being a champion of health & wellness while offering consulting and advisory support to …
When Diversity Does Not Fit The Narrative
It is impossible to scroll through http://www.linkedin.com during a day without seeing multiple posts about the importance of corporate diversity. Lectures come fast and furious about the importance of racial, gender, sexual orientation and religious diversity, and I've been surprised at how many of the proxy statements for stocks I own focus on making the …
Europe’s Obesity Problem
At the recent 2022 European Congress on Obesity, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared obesity rates in Europe have reached epidemic proportions, and that COVID-19 was a key contributor in making the obesity trend worse. https://www.gbnews.uk/news/who-declares-obesity-in-europe-has-reached-epidemic-proportions-after-covid-19-made-things-worse/286184?utm_source=ground.news&utm_medium=referral In North America, we tend to think of Europeans as generally healthier & less obese, but that perception may …
Bad Policy Drives Poor Decisions
Unless you've been under a rock for the last 16 months, you are well aware of the inflationary pressure Americans are feeling across almost every area of their lives. For a recap: The annual inflation rate in the US accelerated to 8.5% in March of 2022, up from 7.9% in February, and the highest since …