Geek alert: My thesis work on neural stem cell development is now published

I just happened to be browsing on Pubmed and noticed that my latest paper is finally published. It's super geeky stuff about the molecular control of neural stem cell development in the olfactory bulb, but a lot of you have asked to see my work so here it is. 

You super geeks are extra lucky that you can view the entire manuscript for free. Check it out here.

And if you're wondering how on earth I survived working on something so technical and tedious for six solid years, I can assure you I'm wondering exactly the same thing.

Enjoy!

What do roosters do exactly?

This came out a few weeks ago, but it's still worth sharing.

The clip is of my boyfriend Kevin and co-host Alex on their podcast Diggnation. Apparently no one in the room knew the exact function of roosters in relation to egg laying, so they decided to call me and ask.

Please note: this contains potty-mouth language and is not intended for those with delicate sensibilities. 

Protip: Hens can lay both fertilized (with rooster) and unfertilized (sans rooster) eggs.

Chillin' with Jamie Oliver at Bar Jules

Jamie Oliver and Darya Pino at Bar Jules

Last night I unexpectedly ended up at a dinner with Jamie Oliver. I'm still not quite sure how it happened, meeting up with good friends at my favorite restaurant is not exactly unusual. But I was certainly honored to share a table with someone doing such amazing work--spreading the message about real food and real health. Keep fighting the good fight Jamie :)

Huge thanks to Chris Sacca for the invite and for snapping this photo. 

Toaster eats artichoke like a human

This was cracking us up. Our little foodie puppy @toasterpup tried his first artichoke tonight, and instinctively knew to scrape it with his teeth.

Amazing.

I'm kind of a big deal (and more on new the dietary guidelines)

This morning I put on my best Veronica Corningstone and made an appearance on News Nation on MSNBC. They called me yesterday and asked if I could make a comment on the new USDA Dietary Guidelines that were to be announced this morning. I jumped at the opportunity, and was looking forward to skewering the government for putting the US Dept of Agriculture (industry lobbyists) in charge of our dietary guidelines instead of the more appropriate FDA or HHS (public health advocates).

Imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning to find the new guidelines are a huge improvement over the last set issued in 2005. I cheerily sent MSNBC my revised talking points and headed down to the studio.

I guess they didn't get the message, however, because the segment was focused almost entirely on salt reduction--something I don't find particularly interesting. Needless to say I was not prepared to answer why the FDA singled out African-Americans to reduce salt intake. I apologize for my bumbling non-answer.

The show was still fun though. My favorite part being when anchor Tamron Hall exclaimed, "I don't remember the last time I ate a vegetable!"

Yikes.

Since I didn't get to make my points on air, I've included my thoughts on the new guidelines below. As noted above, I'm most impressed that the guidelines for the first time emphasize health over lobbying efforts. We still haven't seen the revised Food Pyramid (coming in a couple months), but this is certainly a step in the right direction.

Highlights from the USDA Dietary Guidelines 2010

• For the first time they prominently focus on the obesity epidemic and the population's need to lose weight. Emphasis on EATING LESS unhealthy foods.
• Eat less: "solid fats" aka saturated and trans fats, sugar, salt and refined grains. This is unfortunately a little cryptic.
• Translation: Eat less junk and processed foods
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks. Yes!
• Eat more nutrient dense foods: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lowfat dairy, seafood, lean meats/poultry, beans, nuts & seeds. Agreed! Though I consider dairy optional.
• I'm happy they emphasized eating more whole foods, not just nutrients.
• "Half your plate should be vegetables." Woohoo!
• Good emphasis on replacing less healthy choices with healthier ones (e.g "solid fats" with healthy oils, refined grains with whole grains, meat with seafood)
• Emphasis on physical activity is good, though this has very little impact on energy balance since even strenuous exercise burns relatively few calories.
• Generally a huge improvement, now the challenge is to make the message clear to the public.

 The entire segment is in the video above. Can you tell I tried to dress like a grown up?

My January detox plan

I'm not a fan of New Year's resolutions, but I do want to start 2011 off on the right foot. 

After a season (err, year?) of too much partying, eating and drinking, I'm ready to cut out all the crap and get my healthstyle back on track.

These aren't resolutions and this is not a diet. But this is my plan to give my health a little kick in the ass for January. Because I'm worth it.

For the rest of the month* this will be my plan:

1) No sugar. I'm not breaking this one, there's no reason I can't go 4 lousy weeks without dessert.

2) No alcohol. This will be the hardest to keep, but even on the few inevitable exception days* I don't plan on going nuts.

3) Eat most meals at home. Restaurant food is rich, and has been my biggest problem for the past 12 months (not eating out is much easier when you're a single grad student living in SF--you just can't afford it). When I cook at home my meals are both healthy and delicious, so this is not a sacrifice. It just requires dedication.

4) Gym 5-6 days per week. Working out is a joy when you've been taking good care of yourself. I want to feel fit and strong by the end of the month.

5) Practice meditation 3-5 days per week. I'm new to meditation, but have found it is very helpful in two key aspects of my life. First, mindfulness is half the battle in healthy eating. Mediation is great for helping eat mindfully so you can slow down, eat less and truly appreciate your food. Second, all my life I've struggled with insomnia. Meditation is by far the most effective way I've found to fall peacefully asleep without medication. I use the guided meditation CDs by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I highly recommend them.

I like to keep it simple, so that's it.

Who's with me? 

*I do have a few scheduled exception days--not having beer when going to see the Lakers demolish the Warriors is an impossibility