Denise Minger's new book: Death By Food Pyramid

Reading The China Study a couple of years ago, I was puzzled by all the fanfare. Take thousands or correlations, pick the ones you want and make your own case. Then, be sloppy about how you characterized the foods. Put chicken potpie in the meat category and ignore the industrial inflammatory carbs that make up the bulk of the dish.

Struck by the weakness of the book - viewed by vegans and vegetarians as “authoritative” - I searched the net for detailed critiques and quickly found those by English major Denise Minger. As a physician conditioned to turning first to the basic science and medical literature, I was struck by her critical mind as it delved into the cracks in the data and uncovered The China Study’s flimsy infrastructure. 

(I then read a debate between Dr. Loren Cordain, who has studied the Paleolithic diet for over 25 years, and T. Colin Campbell, the lead author of The China Study, and found a comment by Campbell discrediting the use of randomized studies -- after all, it's easier to make a case when one ignores the science.)

Now, Denise Minger, at the encouragement of publisher Mark Sisson, has written a book skewering the Food Pyramid. Since I have yet to read the book, I share Mark's comments:

“Now, with this book, she sets her sight on the disastrous, farcical USDA Food Pyramid, exposing the twisted liaisons between government and industry that enabled it and dismantling the shoddy science and erroneous conclusions supporting it.”

If you read the book, please share your thoughts.

Dr. John

Source: Introducing Death By Food Pyramid

Neurologist David Perlmutter on Brain Dysfunction & Your Daily Bread

"Yes, you read that right: Brain dysfunction starts in your daily bread, and I'm going to prove it. I'll state it again because I realize it sounds absurd: Modern grains are silently destroying your brain. By "modern" I'm not just referring to the refined white flours, pastas, and rice that have already been demonized by the anti-obesity folks; I'm referring to all the grains that so many of us have embraced as being healthful - whole wheat, whole grain, multigrain, seven-grain, live grain, stone-ground, and so on. Basically, I am calling what is arguably our most beloved dietary staple a terrorist group that bullies our most precious organ, the brain. I will demonstrate how fruit and other carbohydrates could be health hazards with far-reaching consequences that not only will wreak physical havoc on your brain, but also will accelerate your body's aging process from the inside out. This isn't science fiction; it's now a documented fact."

Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar – Your Brain’s Silent Killers

Image credit: Don't Die Early - The Book

John Durant on the Typical Hunter-Gatherer Diet

"The typical hunter-gatherer diet was very diverse. Over the course of a year a diet might have included hundreds of wild plant species and dozens of wild mammals, fish, reptiles, and insects. Almost the entire animal would be eaten or put to use, including bones, organs, and marrow. Roots and tubers were an important food source. The wild predecessors to grains - like wheat, corn, or rice - were negligible until late in the Paleolithic, though some wild grasses were consumed (we ended up domesticating them after all). Some foods were eaten raw, but a variety of cooking techniques were used. Because of the wide variety of food available and the tribe's migrations, famine was rare to nonexistent."

The Paleo Manifesto

New Book: The Paleo Manifesto

Just recieved my copy of The Paleo Manifesto by John Durant. Here is what Steven Pinker, the Johnstone Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, has to say:

“In an age of material abundance and high technology, why are we failing to thrive? Why are so many of us fat, tired, achy, depressed? Starting with the insight that every species is well suited to its natural habitat, John Durant explores how we might alter our own habits and habitats in ways that allow us to flourish. Durant is original, open-minded, and the nicest and smartest caveman you’ll ever meet. The Paleo Manifesto is brimming with ideas and a fascinating read.”

The Arrow People: Catching a glimpse of Paleolithic man

Writer and journalist Scott Wallace joined an expedition deep into the Amazon “to track one of the planet’s most isolated and dangerous indigenous tribes, the mysterious Arrow People.” An excerpt of Wallace’s book documenting the expedition, In Search of the Amazon's Last Uncontacted Tribes, was published in the Fall 2012 issue of Mizzou Magazine. 

Expedition leader Sydney Possuelo, dedicated to encountering “vestiges of isolated tribes,” attempts to find and contact these rarely seen people. Describing what is known of the Arrow People, and “rapt with marvel and admiration,” he notes:

They live from hunting, fishing, and gathering.

To facilitate contact and communication with the tribe, Possuelo recruited members of friendly tribes. From Mizzou:

Much like Lewis and Clark’s exploration of North America 200 years earlier, the team includes members of three friendly tribes … to get information he needs to protect them.

Upon entering the land of the Arrow People, the 34-member team found vestiges – palm leaves on the ground of a small clearing used as sleeping mats and partially eaten patuá fruit – but no signs of the “flecheiros.” They moved deeper in to their territory. Suddenly, expeditioner Paulo Welker yelled:

Over here! Over here, they’re crossing the river!”

Soldado and Paulo Welker were heaving deeply, hands on their knees, by the time we reached the bluff above the river. Behind them rose the upended roots of an enormous tree that had fallen into the water. Another tree of similar dimension had fallen from the opposite bank, some 30 yards distant, an the two trunks met halfway across the river to form a single span, in the shape of a shallow V, like a bridge that had taken a direct hit in the midsection and had collapsed into the water. Vines had been strung between the barren branches that protruded vertically from the prostrate logs to form a makeshift handrail. Clearly, this was a regular transit point for the flecheiros.

“I saw one!” Welker gasped, still struggling to recover his breath. “He was naked, with long hair. Broad shoulders. Strong. He ran across the bridge. Disappeared into the woods.” He pointed across to the far side of the river.

Soldado had caught a glimpse of two flechieros (Arrow People) and added a detail: “They were naked – but for a string around their waists.”

The expeditioners left gifts signaling their wish to communicate, but there was no response and threat was palpable. It would take time for the flecheiros to mobilized members from other villages. The expeditioners backed out of the area.

We stared across the river into the trees beyond the far bank. We saw nothing but the high wall of jungle, but we could feel their eyes upon us. All we could hear was the incessant flow of the water and the rush of the blood pounding in our ears. 

References

• The Unconquered: In Search of the Amazon's Last Uncontacted Tribes
• Lost and Found, Mizzou Magazine

MovNat's review of Practical Paleo

Diane continues to inspire people to good health through her podcasts and now with her new book, Practical Paleo, which releases today, August, 7th. After you read this review, I think you will want to mosey on over to Amazon and get your own copy.

MovNat

Books: Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo

Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food. This quote from Hippocrates is the first line in “Practical Paleo” and provides the backbone for the 415-page tome by Diane Sanfilippo, a certified nutrition consultant who specializes in ancestral nutrition — based on diets before processed foods. Unlike diet books that promise quick weight loss and six-pack abs, “Practical Paleo” focuses on nourishment.

New York Times

Opportunity

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

Thomas Edison

I flew to Washington DC last night to participate in a medical conference. This great quote from Thomas Edison comes from The Little Black Book of Innovation by Scott D. Anthony.

Sarah Fragoso announces new Paleo cookbook

Now, I get to introduce to you, the Everyday Paleo Family Cookbook, scheduled to be released September 4th and now available for pre-order on Amazon!!  Nope, this is not a “kids cookbook” but rather a book for everyone.  A book that will help you reconnect with family while helping you plan and prepare delicious meals so that you can spend more time with the ones you love. 

Yael Writes on Paleo cookbooks

A reader recently asked me which Paleo books and cookbooks I’d recommend, and so I thought I’d post links to all of my reviews and interviews in one handy place. This isn’t a comprehensive list, and there’s a handful of books I hope to review in the future, but this will give you a pretty good place to start. I love all these unique cookbooks, but they all have different personalities–some mean and dirty recipes, some far more complex.

Yael Writes

These 5 reasons to quit soda are 5 more reasons to go Paleo

MSNBC has a quick article on the 5 great reasons to kick your soda habit. Add these to the list of reasons fir changing to the Paleo diet:

1. Accelerated aging
2. Caramel cancer-causers
3. Mountain Dew mind
4. Toxic cans
5. Water pollution

Sarah Fragoso releases Paleo Pals storybook for children

The storybook, Paleo Pals: Jimmy and the Carrot Rocket Ship, by Sarah Fragoso has just been published. Visit Sarah's site for more info. 

Peggy Emch, The Primal Parent, recently reviewed the book. She and her 6-year-old daughter Evelyn give it high marks.