25 April 2013 by Erik Davis
About a year ago, I had my first attack of gout. It sucked. It came on during the weekend we were moving into our house, and I was convinced I’d somehow broken my big toe in the move. I’d dropped a box on it or rolled a dolly over it or something — I must [...]
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Diet and Nutrition, Featured, Health, Medical Conditions, Skepticism6 Comments
14 November 2012 by Erik Davis
I’ve been on a quest to lose weight over the last 6 months. It had been a long time coming, and I’d put it off for too many years. But while I have been achieving my goals, it’s got to be a statistical fluke, because I’ve done just about everything wrong! 1) I ate wheat! [...]
Posted in Diet and Nutrition, Featured, Health, Skepticism45 Comments
02 October 2012 by John Underhay
Dr. Ken Walker, more well known under his pseudonym, W. Gifford-Jones, has a column published by 70 Canadian newspapers, several papers in the U.S., and the Epoch Times which has editions in a number of European countries. Because of his notoriety, he can be quite influential in shaping public opinion of medical and health issues. [...]
Posted in Diet and Nutrition, Skepticism7 Comments
12 September 2012 by Erik Davis
Throw a stone in a supermarket, pharmacy, or bookstore, and you’re almost certain to hit a product that promises to make you thinner. From diets books to Health Check seals to herbal supplements, I’d wager there’s no more persuasive marketing message in the world than “Helps You Lose Weight”. At first blush, it’s tempting to [...]
Posted in Diet and Nutrition, Health, Skepticism9 Comments
03 September 2012 by Steve Thoms
Once in a while, a major Canadian media outlet runs a story on some alternative medicine fad. These stories often have several themes in common: 1) Claims that the fad in question is derived from ancient knowledge and practices. 2) Paradoxically, it’s totally new and hip. 3) It’s also fairly expensive. 4) You have to [...]
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Diet and Nutrition, Health, Ontario, Skepticism3 Comments
09 February 2012 by Scott Gavura
I’m a runner, and have been actively running for over a decade. Since I started running, I’ve consumed Gatorade Lemon-Lime almost exclusively as my as my rehydration fluid of choice. Whenever my run will last over about an hour, I carry and consume Gatorade to offset fluid loss and give me some carbohydrate. The formulation [...]
Posted in Diet and Nutrition, Health25 Comments
07 December 2011 by Richelle McCullough
Image credit: B Tal Near my house in Winnipeg, there’s a summertime Farmer’s Market that I used to go to every weekend to buy fresh local fruits, vegetables and honey. I grew up in rural farming communities and come from a long line of farmers, so I like supporting the little guys who still run family [...]
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Diet and Nutrition, Prairies16 Comments
24 November 2011 by Scott Gavura
I have skeptical confession to make. I was once a panacea-seeking antioxidant-taker. As background, I’m a marathon runner and occasional triathlete. Several years ago, I was training for an Ironman triathlon, and banking 20+ hours of intense exercise per week. That may sound absurd to many (it does to me, now that I have kids) [...]
Posted in Diet and Nutrition, Health3 Comments
30 August 2011 by Marion Kilgour
Recently, I stopped adding salt to my water for cooking pasta. I had always been told by my mother that adding salt makes the water boil faster…but everything seemed to be taking the same amount of time. This seemed like something I hadn’t thought about before but could now easily apply some critical thinking to. [...]
Posted in Critical Thinking, Diet and Nutrition, Science14 Comments
16 August 2011 by Scott Gavura
It’s the lazy days of summer, folks. We’re thinking skeptically, but let’s just say we’ve been, well, distracted. Here’s what we’ve been reading, dockside. Homeopathy Homeopathic manufacturer Boiron is threatening to sue an Italian blogger regarding the homeopathic remedy Oscillococcinum, claiming posts are “defamatory” Here’s his blog, translated into English. In yet another example [...]
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Diet and Nutrition, Probability and Statistics, Skepticism2 Comments
More consequences of calling sugar pills “safe and effective”
Crack Your Back instead of a Vial of Vaccine?
Toronto Media, false balance, and the lack of evidence for claims about MIA vet John Hartley Robertson
How Western journalists in Vietnam and POW NGOs were not fooled by tales of MIA Vet back from the dead
Did a Canadian filmmaker find a left behind Vietnam vet or did credulous Toronto media give new life to an old scam?
