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Brown Fat: It's a Big Deal

Monday, July 29, 2013

Non-shivering thermogenesis is the process by which the body generates extra heat without shivering.  Shivering is a way for the body to use muscular contractions to generate heat, but non-shivering thermogenesis uses a completely different mechanism to accomplish the same goal: a specialized fat-burning tissue called brown fat.  Brown fat is brown rather than white because it's packed with mitochondria, the power plants of the cell.  Under cold conditions, these mitochondria are activated, using a specialized molecular mechanism called uncoupling* to generate heat.

The mechanism of brown fat activation has been worked out fairly well in rodents, which rely heavily on non-shivering thermogenesis due to their small body size.  Specialized areas of the hypothalamus in the brain sense body temperature (through sensors in the brain and body), body energy status (by measuring leptin and satiety signals), stress level, and probably other factors, and integrate this information to set brown fat activity.  The hypothalamus does this by acting through the sympathetic nervous system, which heavily innervates brown fat.  As an aside, this process works basically the same in humans, as far as we currently know.  Those who claim that rodent models are irrelevant to humans are completely full of hot air**, as the high degree of conservation of the hypothalamus over 75 million years of evolution demonstrates.

Two new studies concurrently published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation last week demonstrate what I've suspected for a long time: brown fat can be 'trained' by cold exposure to be more active, and its activation by cold can reduce body fatness.

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Zucchini: The Home Gardener's Worst Friend? With bonus garden-related rambling.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

One of my main gardening goals has been to harvest more of something than I can eat, despite my limited gardening space here in the Emerald City.  I want the feeling of abundance that comes with having to preserve and give away food because I can't eat it all.

Enter zucchini.  My grandfather used to say that in New Jersey in summertime, you'd have to keep your car doors locked, otherwise the car would be full of zucchini the next time you got in!  In mid-May, I planted two starts from my local grocery store labeled "green zucchini", with no further information.  I put them in a bed that used to be a pile of composted horse manure, and that I had also cover cropped, mulched, fertilized, and loosened deeply with my broadfork.  They look pleased.


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i can't really express with words what emotions this picture evokes of my precious firstborn. she is brave, loyal, kind and true. she seeks to harm no one, and is comfortable in her own skin. she'll never have to say, "i wish i would have tried", because she sets her mind to do what she desires to accomplish and doesn't quit. watching your children deal with pain and hurt makes you hurt with them. dealing with loss and experiencing rejection, even of the smallest kind, can seem so hard and unnecessary, yet i praise God for it. i praise Him for the way that He draws her to Himself, how He loves her like i cannot, and how she leans into Him during those times. it's really a beautiful thing to see her faith grown, and mine right along side of her. i certainly don't deserve this blessing and i am so unfit for this task, but He fills in my gaps and by His grace alone, we can do hard things. He IS enough. #soisingofYourmerciesanew #andthankYouforthetrials #Youmakeallthingsbeautiful #inYourperfecttiming

Friday, July 26, 2013



Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! Lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior, makes me whole.


Jesus! what a Strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him.
Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, my Strength, my victory wins.


Jesus! what a Help in sorrow!
While the billows over me roll,
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my Comfort, helps my soul.


Jesus! what a Guide and Keeper!
While the tempest still is high,
Storms about me, night overtakes me,
He, my Pilot, hears my cry.


Jesus! I do now receive Him,
More than all in Him I find.
He hath granted me forgiveness,
I am His, and He is mine.


Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah! what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.

xo


i really didn't have time to rearrange the girls' room today, but the dust bunnies were out.of.control. now @ellygrace_99 has her own sweet little spot to create. totally worth it. :). #timewellspent #thelaundrycanwait

Thursday, July 25, 2013


sometimes you just gotta set aside the laundry...again...and spend some quality time with your girl.
elly's style is a little more eclectic than mine, but i think i love it.
i'll never regret spending this time with her, making this space special.

xo

there are days when defeat and sadness rule my day. my expectations aren't met, i get easily offended, and these FEELINGS spiral into deeper sadness and feelings of worthlessness. such things never come from God, and are a full on attack from the evil one to render me useless for His kingdom. feelings will always fail you, but He never will. to think that my God cares about the intimate affairs of my life is so overwhelming to me. He loves in the details, and uses others as a tangible reminder of His unfailing, never stopping, pursuing, agape love. thank you @theadoptshoppe! YOU are a blessing and this necklace came at just the right time on one of those very low days when i wanted to quit. so glad i didn't. what has He done in the details for you lately? #boastintheLord.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013



there is nothing more beautiful and reassuring than knowing that no matter what,  you are loved.
whether you're high on the mountain top or deep in the valley, God is there, waiting to meet us 
RIGHT WHERE WE ARE.
there is something so freeing about being vulnerable, and sharing your heart.
it's something i am learning to be better at each day, pushing my ugly pride aside.

i have found myself surrounded by the most beautiful women who encourage me daily and blanket me in their affirmations that we are in this together.
in the messy and the beautiful.
i am so thankful.

xo

there is no normal with these two. :). my mama heart is so full because they gave their salvation testimonies before our preacher and the deacons tonight. we'll be headed to the river next sunday! expect lots of tears from this mama. CANNOT wait! God is so SO good. :)

Monday, July 22, 2013


hello, friends.
i don't know exactly what it is or why, but lately God has been tugging at my heart to revive this little space of mine.
when i started my blog, i had the wrong mindset, the wrong aspirations for it.
i had this idea that i had to have hundred of followers, and that it always had to be perfect.
the problem is, perfect isn't real.
expectations aren't met, feelings get hurt and well, i think you know what happens from there.  :)

so, i'm starting a photo journal, a little space to store and tuck away memories, for me, and for my family.
no expectations.
just a place where i can come and remember, smile, and thank God for what He has given me and boast in His goodness.
i may only post a photo, i may add some words.  
who knows?

what i DO know is that this life is fleeting, my kids are growing, and instead of feeling like time is slipping through my fingers, i want to embrace each new season, because that's the way God intended it to be.
children don't keep, and i want to love them well, embracing each day.

my mama heart is full, and if you read the title of this post, i think you'll know why.

xo


The Genetics of Obesity, Part III

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Genetics Loads the Gun, Environment Pulls the Trigger

Thanks to a WHS reader* for reminding me of the above quote by Dr. Francis Collins, director of the US National Institutes of Health**.  This is a concept that helps reconcile the following two seemingly contradictory observations:
  1. Roughly 70 percent of obesity risk is genetically inherited, leaving only 30 percent of risk to environmental factors such as diet and lifestyle.
  2. Diet and lifestyle have a large impact on obesity risk.  The prevalence of obesity has tripled in the last 30 years, and the prevalence of extreme obesity has increased by almost 10-fold.  This is presumably not enough time for genetic changes to account for it.
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Return to the Source Parkour Camp

For those who are interested in natural movement training, this summer my friend Rafe Kelley will be hosting an interesting three-day event near Bellingham, WA called "Return to the Source".  Rafe is skilled in a variety of movement disciplines and is the co-founder of the Seattle parkour gym Parkour Visions.  Parkour is a very fun sport that hones our natural ability to skillfully navigate physical obstacles, but it's usually done in an urban context.

The camp will take place from August 23-25.  Here's a description from the Parkour Visions site:
"This summer, return to the source of human movement with Parkour Visions as we explore the natural environment in and around Bellingham, WA. Rafe Kelley will introduce you to the benefits of training and playing in nature. You will learn how to adapt your technique and movement to moving effectively through woods, over rocks, and in trees during this unique, 3-day experience."
Watch this video if you want to see what you're in for.

Knowing Rafe, it will be fun and productive.  You can sign up through this page.

The Genetics of Obesity, Part II

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Rodents Lead the Way

The study of obesity genetics dates back more than half a century.  In 1949, researchers at the Jackson Laboratories identified a remarkably fat mouse, which they determined carried a spontaneous mutation in an unidentified gene.  They named this the "obese" (ob/ob) mouse.  Over the next few decades, researchers identified several other genetically obese mice with spontaneous mutations, including diabetic (db/db) mice, "agouti" (Avy) mice, and "Zucker" (fa/fa) rats.

At the time of discovery, no one knew where the mutations resided in the genome.  All they knew is that the mutations were in single genes, and they resulted in extreme obesity.  Researchers recognized this as a huge opportunity to learn something important about the regulation of body fatness in an unbiased way.  Unbiased because these mutations could be identified with no prior knowledge about their function, therefore the investigators' pre-existing beliefs about the mechanisms of body fat regulation could have no impact on what they learned.  Many different research groups tried to pin down the underlying source of dysfunction: some thought it was elevated insulin and changes in adipose tissue metabolism, others thought it was elevated cortisol, and a variety of other hypotheses.

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