{"id":7165,"date":"2025-01-10T08:57:52","date_gmt":"2025-01-10T08:57:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/?p=7165"},"modified":"2025-01-10T08:57:52","modified_gmt":"2025-01-10T08:57:52","slug":"dried-halibut-whale-jerky-traditional-inuit-diet-powered-amazing-kayak-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/?p=7165","title":{"rendered":"Dried halibut and whale jerky: How a traditional Inuit diet powered an amazing kayak journey"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\"><span class=\"dcr-15rw6c2\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-7166\" src=\"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-300x180.avif\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-300x180.avif 300w, https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-1024x614.avif 1024w, https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-768x461.avif 768w, https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-1536x922.avif 1536w, https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-750x450.avif 750w, https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-1140x684.avif 1140w, https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163.avif 1900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>F<\/span>or a period of two months last year, a typical day for chef Mike Keen would see him skipping breakfast and lunch in favour of snacks such as dried capelin (a small bait fish), dried halibut, jerky-like dried whale and a local Greenlandic whale skin and blubber treat called\u00a0<em>mattak<\/em>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"3a1c19ef-0cec-42f2-b8de-c2fbf36dc505\" class=\" dcr-15m7hh5\" data-spacefinder-role=\"halfWidth\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><picture class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/80fa2e96fcaa625ded2b2422806900a6e1a11424\/0_38_2208_2760\/master\/2208.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/80fa2e96fcaa625ded2b2422806900a6e1a11424\/0_38_2208_2760\/master\/2208.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/80fa2e96fcaa625ded2b2422806900a6e1a11424\/0_38_2208_2760\/master\/2208.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" alt=\"Portrait of Mike Keen holding a knife with a bit of blood on the tip\" width=\"445\" height=\"556.25\" \/><\/picture><a class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2025\/jan\/06\/dried-halibut-and-whale-jerky-how-a-traditional-inuit-diet-fuelled-an-epic-kayak-adventure#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1sv232j\" type=\"button\" data-element-id=\"3a1c19ef-0cec-42f2-b8de-c2fbf36dc505\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption class=\"dcr-eyv1cr\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\">\n<ul>\n<li>Mike Keen eats fermented seal blood in Sermilik fjord, east Greenland. Photograph: Mike Keen<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div id=\"sign-in-gate\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">In the evening he would dine on seal or whale stew, essentially just boiled meat in water, while camping on rocky islands. He might also add seabirds\u2019 eggs and perhaps fish, walrus, reindeer, fish roe and crowberries (similar to blackberries), if he found them. He swapped his usual coffee for water or tea made with foraged herbs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">All this while kayaking almost the distance of a marathon every day, through a particularly cold spring in Greenland.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">So what was Keen up to? It started with a challenge raised over a beer with a Greenlandic chef: what if you kayaked from the country\u2019s most southerly town to the most northerly? In Greenlandic, the phrase is a rapid fire of Qs:\u00a0<em>qajak<\/em>\u00a0(Greenlandic for kayak) from Qaqortoq in the south to Qaanaaq in the north. Keen had regularly worked in Greenland as a chef in luxury camps along its jagged fjords, and liked the sound of the 3,000km (1,850-mile) adventure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">\u201cI thought: if I did 30km a day, that\u2019s 100 days,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s probably doable. And then I thought it might be interesting to include a scientific study.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"c87ae29f-9cf5-42fe-9042-39d01b4927da\" class=\" dcr-imskkt\" data-spacefinder-role=\"immersive\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\">\n<div id=\"img-3\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><picture class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4a9211d60fca7fd00ae62aa7f79017bd18932fd3\/0_0_1125_831\/master\/1125.jpg?width=1300&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 1300px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 1300px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4a9211d60fca7fd00ae62aa7f79017bd18932fd3\/0_0_1125_831\/master\/1125.jpg?width=1300&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 1300px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4a9211d60fca7fd00ae62aa7f79017bd18932fd3\/0_0_1125_831\/master\/1125.jpg?width=1140&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 1140px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 1140px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4a9211d60fca7fd00ae62aa7f79017bd18932fd3\/0_0_1125_831\/master\/1125.jpg?width=1140&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 1140px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4a9211d60fca7fd00ae62aa7f79017bd18932fd3\/0_0_1125_831\/master\/1125.jpg?width=1125&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 980px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 980px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4a9211d60fca7fd00ae62aa7f79017bd18932fd3\/0_0_1125_831\/master\/1125.jpg?width=1125&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 980px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4a9211d60fca7fd00ae62aa7f79017bd18932fd3\/0_0_1125_831\/master\/1125.jpg?width=965&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 740px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 740px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4a9211d60fca7fd00ae62aa7f79017bd18932fd3\/0_0_1125_831\/master\/1125.jpg?width=965&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 740px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4a9211d60fca7fd00ae62aa7f79017bd18932fd3\/0_0_1125_831\/master\/1125.jpg?width=725&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 660px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 660px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4a9211d60fca7fd00ae62aa7f79017bd18932fd3\/0_0_1125_831\/master\/1125.jpg?width=725&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 660px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4a9211d60fca7fd00ae62aa7f79017bd18932fd3\/0_0_1125_831\/master\/1125.jpg?width=645&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 480px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 480px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4a9211d60fca7fd00ae62aa7f79017bd18932fd3\/0_0_1125_831\/master\/1125.jpg?width=645&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 480px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4a9211d60fca7fd00ae62aa7f79017bd18932fd3\/0_0_1125_831\/master\/1125.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4a9211d60fca7fd00ae62aa7f79017bd18932fd3\/0_0_1125_831\/master\/1125.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4a9211d60fca7fd00ae62aa7f79017bd18932fd3\/0_0_1125_831\/master\/1125.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" alt=\"Aerial shot of Mike Keen kayaking past an iceberg\" width=\"465\" height=\"343.48\" \/><\/picture><a class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2025\/jan\/06\/dried-halibut-and-whale-jerky-how-a-traditional-inuit-diet-fuelled-an-epic-kayak-adventure#img-3\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" type=\"button\" data-element-id=\"c87ae29f-9cf5-42fe-9042-39d01b4927da\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption class=\"dcr-lvclai\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\">\n<ul>\n<li>An aerial shot captures Keen kayaking past an iceberg near Alluitsup Paa, south Greenland. Photograph: Mike Keen<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">He decided to explore the effects of an Inuit diet on health and wellbeing, working with the department of twin research and genetic epidemiology at King\u2019s College London.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">\u201cIn Greenland and a few other pockets in the world, there are people connected to the environment, living in a hunter-gatherer community. They\u2019re still living off the land and the environment. I wanted to try that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">Keen kayaked the west coast of Greenland in 2023 following a strict ancestral Inuit diet, and then completed a second expedition in 2024, spending 60 days in eastern Greenland eating the same diet but without the exercise, to compare results. The trek was far from the usual luxurious foodie adventure that might normally tempt a chef.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"db216fa7-d750-40a9-b22f-09c5edef782d\" class=\" dcr-173mewl\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.MultiImageBlockElement\">\n<div class=\"dcr-pw8kty\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2ke8sa\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\" data-gu-name=\"first\">\n<div id=\"img-4\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><picture class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/e46fd460f580fbcf5b4c04f0667eb32dbe0914e6\/136_175_2888_3610\/master\/2888.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" alt=\"Stew in metal camping bowls\" width=\"445\" height=\"556.25\" \/><\/picture><a class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2025\/jan\/06\/dried-halibut-and-whale-jerky-how-a-traditional-inuit-diet-fuelled-an-epic-kayak-adventure#img-4\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1sv232j\" type=\"button\" data-element-id=\"db216fa7-d750-40a9-b22f-09c5edef782d\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\" data-gu-name=\"second\">\n<div id=\"img-5\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><picture class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/101f31cb7fb7a6f8faa53b83a72e7846582941a4\/0_0_3000_3750\/master\/3000.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/101f31cb7fb7a6f8faa53b83a72e7846582941a4\/0_0_3000_3750\/master\/3000.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/101f31cb7fb7a6f8faa53b83a72e7846582941a4\/0_0_3000_3750\/master\/3000.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" alt=\"A seal skin stuffed with bird meat lying on rocks on the ground\" width=\"445\" height=\"556.25\" \/><\/picture><a class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2025\/jan\/06\/dried-halibut-and-whale-jerky-how-a-traditional-inuit-diet-fuelled-an-epic-kayak-adventure#img-5\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1sv232j\" type=\"button\" data-element-id=\"6bca1aa1-a065-474e-91c3-b9596a45936c\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<figure id=\"9f8271ac-5b25-4c20-9a83-2db0e6f1987f\" class=\" dcr-173mewl\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.MultiImageBlockElement\">\n<div class=\"dcr-pw8kty\">\n<div class=\"dcr-pw8kty\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2ke8sa\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\" data-gu-name=\"first\">\n<div id=\"img-6\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><picture class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/9912d567f7ce6470964b6ba498f5be47c187b81e\/0_0_3024_3780\/master\/3024.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/9912d567f7ce6470964b6ba498f5be47c187b81e\/0_0_3024_3780\/master\/3024.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/9912d567f7ce6470964b6ba498f5be47c187b81e\/0_0_3024_3780\/master\/3024.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" alt=\"A cooked bird and a fermented eider duck egg\" width=\"445\" height=\"556.25\" \/><\/picture><a class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2025\/jan\/06\/dried-halibut-and-whale-jerky-how-a-traditional-inuit-diet-fuelled-an-epic-kayak-adventure#img-6\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1sv232j\" type=\"button\" data-element-id=\"9f8271ac-5b25-4c20-9a83-2db0e6f1987f\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\" data-gu-name=\"second\">\n<div id=\"img-7\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><picture class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/e3c22a078a7ae640307a125033166573039c2c75\/515_358_2491_3114\/master\/2491.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/e3c22a078a7ae640307a125033166573039c2c75\/515_358_2491_3114\/master\/2491.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/e3c22a078a7ae640307a125033166573039c2c75\/515_358_2491_3114\/master\/2491.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" alt=\"Pink and white seal blubber in a bowl\" width=\"445\" height=\"556.2946607788037\" \/><\/picture><a class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2025\/jan\/06\/dried-halibut-and-whale-jerky-how-a-traditional-inuit-diet-fuelled-an-epic-kayak-adventure#img-7\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1sv232j\" type=\"button\" data-element-id=\"23871329-66f7-470c-8556-d244db2069c1\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"dcr-eyv1cr\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\">\n<ul>\n<li>Clockwise from top left: some of the dishes that sustained Keen on his trip \u2013walrus stew; seal skin stuffed with little auk sea birds to make\u00a0<em>kiviaq<\/em>, a traditional Inuit food;\u00a0<em>iginneq<\/em>, fermented seal blubber from south Greenland; kiviaq and a fermented eider duck egg. Photographs: Mike Keen<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">\u201cClimate change has made the seasons in Greenland unpredictable,\u201d he says. \u201cI went in spring, but temperatures were more like winter: -12C. Sometimes the sea was iced over and I would have to break the ice in front of the kayak, each kilometre taking an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"dcr-1oak5ld\" data-spacefinder-role=\"supporting\">\n<blockquote class=\"dcr-zzndwp\"><p>Our food has changed so much and been modified so it doesn\u2019t reflect what we were eating a few thousand years ago<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<footer><cite>Mike Keen, chef<\/cite><\/footer>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">At one point he was stuck in a storm for three days and three nights and the wind picked up his kayak and threw it with such force at his tent that the main pole broke and cut his face. It brought home to Keen how close to the edge life in Greenland can be. When he finally made it to Nuuk, he got another shock.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">\u201cI thought I\u2019d lose some weight because of the exercise,\u201d he says. \u201cBut when I got to Nuuk, about four weeks in, I was really shocked at how much I had lost.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">Keen had access to scales for the first time and found that his weight had dropped from about 90kg to 75kg. \u201cI thought: actually, that\u2019s too fast. And if it keeps going at this rate, at some point I\u2019m going to keel over in the kayak and drown.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"b4e12708-28b2-4bce-a895-20594443ed99\" class=\" dcr-15m7hh5\" data-spacefinder-role=\"halfWidth\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\">\n<div id=\"img-8\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><picture class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/232ad6b919e94e797d1dd244ee7b0953b3e4ee57\/0_241_3024_3780\/master\/3024.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/232ad6b919e94e797d1dd244ee7b0953b3e4ee57\/0_241_3024_3780\/master\/3024.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/232ad6b919e94e797d1dd244ee7b0953b3e4ee57\/0_241_3024_3780\/master\/3024.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" alt=\"An X-ray of a human skeleton \" width=\"445\" height=\"556.25\" \/><\/picture><a class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2025\/jan\/06\/dried-halibut-and-whale-jerky-how-a-traditional-inuit-diet-fuelled-an-epic-kayak-adventure#img-8\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1sv232j\" type=\"button\" data-element-id=\"b4e12708-28b2-4bce-a895-20594443ed99\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption class=\"dcr-eyv1cr\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\">\n<ul>\n<li>Scans measuring bone density were among the pre- and post-journey tests carried out on Keen. Photograph: Mike Keen<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">However, Keen\u2019s weightloss levelled out and he completed his journey. In pre- and post-trip tests looking at everything from lung function to blood pressure and grip strength, the results were striking.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">\u201cWe saw a dramatic improvement in virtually all his health parameters,\u201d says Dr Tim Spector, professor of epidemiology at King\u2019s College London. \u201cI wasn\u2019t surprised they improved, but I was surprised at how dramatically they improved.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">In both trips, Keen lost a significant amount of weight \u2013 12.4kg on the first trip and 14.3kg on the second \u2013 and his blood pressure reduced significantly, his grip strength improved, his lung function improved, and his body fat dropped from 26.8% to 17.4%.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"e3b32776-35a9-411d-a200-0260c2166745\" class=\" dcr-1your1i\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\"><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">\u201cWhat\u2019s interesting to see is that he was following the exact opposite of a zero fat diet, and it had this incredibly beneficial effect,\u201d says Spector. \u201cHis fat intake must have quadrupled, his protein intake probably doubled and he massively reduced carbohydrates. He was on something close to a ketogenic [low-carb, high-fat] diet, which most people can\u2019t support long term.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">The experience has changed how Keen looks at food.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">\u201cThere are only a few people who are still hunter-gatherers left in places like Greenland and the Amazon,\u201d he says. \u201cThey\u2019re the only ones that still have that connection to the environment and landscape. It\u2019s kicked me off on a journey to explore an \u2018eat your environment\u2019 mission.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">The mission involves looking critically at the global food system and seeking out ways to reconnect with the regions where people are still eating food untouched by it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">His next expedition\u00a0will be taking place soon when he heads off to live with the Kichwa and Huaorani tribes along the banks of the Napo River in Ecuador to see how their hunter-gatherer diet will affect his body.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"00e2a49d-7700-435b-ae95-112f275555ef\" class=\" dcr-173mewl\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\">\n<div id=\"img-9\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><picture class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/81755653a59156493996a3e47b607961b4f028fb\/0_92_2048_1229\/master\/2048.jpg?width=620&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 660px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 660px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/81755653a59156493996a3e47b607961b4f028fb\/0_92_2048_1229\/master\/2048.jpg?width=620&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 660px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/81755653a59156493996a3e47b607961b4f028fb\/0_92_2048_1229\/master\/2048.jpg?width=605&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 480px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 480px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/81755653a59156493996a3e47b607961b4f028fb\/0_92_2048_1229\/master\/2048.jpg?width=605&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 480px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/81755653a59156493996a3e47b607961b4f028fb\/0_92_2048_1229\/master\/2048.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/81755653a59156493996a3e47b607961b4f028fb\/0_92_2048_1229\/master\/2048.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/81755653a59156493996a3e47b607961b4f028fb\/0_92_2048_1229\/master\/2048.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" alt=\"Mike Keen smiling with an Inuit woman\" width=\"445\" height=\"267.04345703125\" \/><\/picture><a class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2025\/jan\/06\/dried-halibut-and-whale-jerky-how-a-traditional-inuit-diet-fuelled-an-epic-kayak-adventure#img-9\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" type=\"button\" data-element-id=\"00e2a49d-7700-435b-ae95-112f275555ef\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption class=\"dcr-eyv1cr\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\">\n<ul>\n<li>Keen lands in Sisimiut, west Greenland, six days into his epic trip. Photograph: Aqqalu Inuuteq Dahl<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">For those who don\u2019t have Arctic food in the freezer, it\u2019s still possible to connect with the spirit of his mission. Mike\u2019s advice is to choose food that is as close as possible to its natural state.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">\u201cMost of our food has changed so much and been selectively modified so it doesn\u2019t reflect what we were eating a few thousand years ago,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">Back in Suffolk, however, he still has a taste for the Arctic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">\u201cI barely eat carbs now and my freezer is full of Greenlandic food,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s full of seal and mattak and I occasionally break out a couple of bags of\u00a0<em>ammassak<\/em>\u00a0(capelin) as well.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For a period of two months last year, a typical day for chef Mike Keen would see him skipping breakfast and lunch in favour of snacks such as dried capelin (a small bait fish), dried halibut, jerky-like dried whale and a local Greenlandic whale skin and blubber treat called\u00a0mattak. View image in fullscreen Mike Keen [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7166,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163.avif",1900,1140,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-150x150.avif",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-300x180.avif",300,180,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-768x461.avif",768,461,true],"large":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-1024x614.avif",1024,614,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-1536x922.avif",1536,922,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163.avif",1900,1140,false],"jnews-360x180":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-360x180.avif",360,180,true],"jnews-750x375":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-750x375.avif",750,375,true],"jnews-1140x570":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-1140x570.avif",1140,570,true],"jnews-120x86":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-120x86.avif",120,86,true],"jnews-350x250":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-350x250.avif",350,250,true],"jnews-750x536":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-750x536.avif",750,536,true],"jnews-1140x815":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-1140x815.avif",1140,815,true],"jnews-360x504":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-360x504.avif",360,504,true],"jnews-75x75":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-75x75.avif",75,75,true],"jnews-350x350":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-350x350.avif",350,350,true],"jnews-featured-750":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-750x450.avif",750,450,true],"jnews-featured-1140":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163-1140x684.avif",1140,684,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"Newssoccer","author_link":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/?author=1"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/?cat=1\" rel=\"category\">Blog<\/a>","tag_info":"Blog","comment_count":"0","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/8163.avif","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7165"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7165\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7167,"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7165\/revisions\/7167"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}