My recent attendance at the Mat Lalonde PhD nutrition seminar was by far the best step forward in my education that I have taken to date. Let that sink in for a minute. Yes, this one day seminar exceeded all my expectations and blew away the many college courses which I have paid dearly for. Dr. Lalonde is a precise, eloquent, and passionate speaker who really knows his shit! Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way we can move onto what you can expect if you decide to attend a future seminar.
First off, do not be threatened by the PhD label. Yes Mat is extremely intelligent and does possess an advanced degree from THE Harvard University, but he is very approachable and easy to converse with. You won’t need a bachelor’s degree to get along here either. While the content does get very detailed and scientific, if you pay attention and take a few notes you will be fine. Mat himself starts off his presentation with a caveat that if you leave retaining ten percent of the information given you will be just fine. As well all the slides from the presentation will be e-mailed to you shortly after attending giving you the rest of your days to study and add your own notes. And let me tell you, the slide sets alone are worth the price of admission.
We started at 9am and went until just after 5pm with an hour break for lunch. The mass exodus to Chipotle was quite funny, and I’m sure they went through a significant amount of carnitas and guacamole on that day as well. The presentation is broken down into six sections with each one building upon the last in a progressive fashion. This style of learning, for me, is most beneficial in that it lends itself to retention of the material. You will move at a brisk pace, but it is necessary and not all that noticeable. By the time five o’clock came around I was still yearning for more. I’m still unsure if it is my own hunger to learn more and dig deeper, or just Mat’s charisma that sucks you in. maybe Robb Wolf is right about the rock star chemist tag? Seriously though Mat is the kind of guy that you would want to hang out with all the time just to absorb information and the positive vibe he puts out.
On to some of the information covered. If you are even remotely involved with a Paleo eating style then you obviously know that grains and legumes are a no-no. And this is covered in great detail, so you can be well informed when dealing with the masses of skinny fat food pyramid zombies. What you will also incur is a more in depth look at endocrine (hormonal) interaction and diet, fructose and all the fun it has in the body, and gut permeability issues. These are just a few that stand out in my mind as hot topics. No, I’m not going to give detailed analysis of each section covered. Why? For starters I’m not nearly as polished as Mat at discussing these topics, my brain is still fried from all the material, and most of all because I want you to attend for yourself and fine out!
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of the most important details about the seminar, and that is the scientific method. Mat, like others in the hard sciences, calls out nutritionists on the crap science at which they continue to present. According to Mat, and agreed upon after further inquiry, the way in which nutrition science is being presented in the journals is laughable to real scientists and should be called out for doing so! The epidemiological study linking shaving to coronary heart disease is a great example, and also quite hilarious. Throughout the presentation Mat is giving you information and then backing it up with research that has merit. He would never say not to question him, but be sure that you have measurable and repeatable evidence to back your stance. “Everyone is entitled to my opinion” as Mat would say.
In summary, I can’t recommend this seminar enough. You will get a lot of information, be challenged, and have some fun along the way. Whether you are just looking to figure out your own diet, help clients you may be working with, or simply prepping for becoming a Registered Paleo Dietician you will not be disappointed. I still have some more questions, but hopefully there will be a level 2 or advanced seminar in the future as I would jump at the chance to attend. If you have any questions or comments about these seminars don’t hesitate to drop a note in the comments.
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