Friday, December 27, 2013 at 08:37AM 
Moondog by Tony Smith
Is depression an inflammatory & degenerative disorder?
Run 2,800 miles in 64 days - loose muscle, fat, and brain!
Gluten Sensitivity on the Rise
Paleolithic Nutrition: Alzheimer’s and Diet
Travel: A day in the nation's capital
John Michael: Notes on a Manifesto
Simply Paleo: Sautéed Chicken with Broccoli and Carrots
Saturday, November 2, 2013 at 08:04AM An extensive review of non-celiac gluten sensitivity published in Nutrients found “recent studies raised the possibility that, beside gluten, wheat amylase-trypsin inhibitors and low-fermentable, poorly-absorbed, short-chain carbohydrates” contribute to irritable bowel syndrome. If future investigations confirm these initial finding, non-celiac gluten sensitivity may be more appropriately called “wheat sensitivity.” (emphasis added)
Source: Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: The New Frontier of Gluten Related Disorders
Friday, March 9, 2012 at 11:34PM 
View of the Anthropocene. In this case, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Image: NASA Earth Observatory
THE ANTHROPOCENE
One year ago, I posted on how the proposal for a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene, got its start:
Paul Crutzen coined the term “anthropocene” while attending a scientific conference. When the chairman kept using the term Holocene to describe the current epoch, Crutzen exclaimed “'Let's stop it, we are no longer in the Holocene. We are in the Anthropocene.'"
Although the epoch has not been formally approved, it is catching attention. Time magazine has just named it one of their 10 Ideas That Are Changing Your Life. I picked up an issue, flipped to the article and was nonplussed to read the title: Nature is Over. What led the author, Bryan Walsh, to take this disturbing view?
Human activity now shapes the earth more than any other independent geologic or climatic factor.
True. This essentially is the definition of the Anthropocene, also known as the Age of Man or the Age of Humankind. Walsh quotes Crutzen:
Human dominance of biological, chemical, and geological processes on Earth is already an undeniable reality. It is no longer us against 'Nature.' Instead, it's we who decide what nature is and what it will be."
Walsh continues:
Humans have been changing the planet ever since the dawn of agriculture 10,000 years ago, when Homo sapiens began altering the land - and the plants and animals growing on it - rather than simply living on it as hunter and gatherers.
Is Walsh's conclusion, "There's no getting back to the Garden," correct? Should we even try? What is the role for nature in the relentless Anthropocene? Is environmentalist Stewart Brand correct: "We are as gods. And we have to get good at it?" Write and send your impressions.
PALEO DIET
As noted in a previous SUNDAY PALEO, Berlin, Germany was the first to have a Paleo restaurant. Soon, ‘Palæo’, a "24-hour takeaway," will be opening in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Danish menu is posted here. According to founder Thomas Rode Andersen:
"It's all about going back to something original, going back to what we are designed to eat and the way our bodies are designed to work..."
CBS Miami recently ran video segment titled Paleolithic Diet Gaining Modern Followers:
MODERN DISEASES
Although gluten-free is just one step toward Paleo, it is important to be informed on gluten allergy and gluten sensitivity. These disorders allows us to understand at least one of the mechanisms underlying the impact of grains on health. While gluten allergy is a verified medical disorder, there is still some debate on gluten sensitivity. However, the "evidence is mounting" as noted in the recently posted Wall Street Journal article New Guide to Who Really Shouldn't Eat Gluten:
Evidence is mounting that gluten sensitivity does exist. ... And in a study published last year, researchers in Australia showed in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that subjects with suspected gluten sensitivity had substantially fewer symptoms on a gluten-free diet than control subjects who unknowingly ingested gluten.
PALEO RECIPES
URBAN FARMING
Urban farming is one way to bring natural foods (from which Paleo foods can be selected) to our towns and cities. Here is a video from The Appeal of Urban Farming:
Related Posts
Sunday, July 3, 2011 at 11:40PM 
File image: Mark Howard PhotographyAs John Durant identified, The Wall Street Journal ran an article on tennis star Novak Djokovic: The Diet That Shook Up Tennis? Starch Madness: Novak Djokovic's Domination of the Sport Has Coincided With His Gluten-Free Turn.
Well, now there is no question about it, gluten-free Novak just shook up the tennis world by beating Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon. The WSJ, writing before today's men's singles championship win, asked:
How did Novak Djokovic conquer the tennis world? Maybe the answer is as simple as this: Since last year, he's swearing off pasta, pizza, beer, French bread, Corn Flakes, pretzels, empanadas, Mallomars and Twizzlers—anything with gluten.
Yes, it can be that simple.
Related Post
Gluten Sensitivity on the Rise
Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 09:47PM Guest Post by Gerard Guillory, M.D.
Approximately 1% of persons in the US have celiac disease, an immune reaction to the gluten protein in wheat (above), barely, rye and sometimes oats. Many more may sensitive to this foreign protein.Gluten sensitivity is more common than medical experts once believed, affecting perhaps as much as 1 percent of the U.S. population. The symptoms of this condition, also referred to as celiac disease, can be widely varied and highly unpleasant. The good news is that celiac disease can be detected through a simple blood test and effectively managed through changes in diet.
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye and food products such as breads and pastas that are derived from these grains. Gluten also is sometimes found in oats, which frequently are contaminated with gluten during processing and, as a result, also contain the protein.
In some people, the body’s immune system is triggered by the presence of gluten, causing a variety of problems. In children, these can include failure to thrive and short stature. Many gluten-sensitive adults experience chronic gastrointestinal problems, including diarrhea, flatulence and weight loss. Recent studies have indicated that many adults who are gluten-sensitive experience non-gastrointestinal problems as well, including iron-deficiency anemia and decreased bone density.
I became interested in gluten sensitivity in 1989, when I wrote my first book on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). I had included a chapter on the so-called elimination diet. In those days, we didn’t have effective tests for many food allergies, so we recommended that patients eliminate various foods from their diet and then resume consumption of these, one by one. This would help identify the cause of IBS symptoms.
Through this method, we found that when some patients eliminated gluten from their diets, not only did IBS symptoms disappear, but so did other problems such as rheumatism, allergies and skin disorders.
Recent studies suggest that this isn’t a coincidence; in fact, there appears to be a direct link between gluten and auto-immune disorders. If you have an auto-immune disorder such as rheumatism, I recommend that you ask your physician about gluten sensitivity and consider getting a blood test. You also should consider testing if you are experiencing unexplained gastrointestinal problems such as chronic diarrhea or weight loss. Testing should be done before you attempt to eliminate gluten from your diet, so that the lab can determine whether gluten is triggering an immunological response.
If you test positive for celiac disease, your physician is likely to recommend that you work with a dietician to develop a gluten-free diet. Many people also join a support group, which helps them stay with the diet. Growing numbers of grocery stores and natural-foods stores sell gluten-free products, so the difficulties associated with the diet are perhaps not as onerous as they once were.
Gerard L. Guillory, M.D., is board-certified in internal medicine and has been practicing in Aurora, Colo., since July 1985. As an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Dr. Guillory is actively involved in teaching medical students, resident physicians, and nurse practitioner students. He has lectured extensively on the role of nutrition and disease. Over the years, he has fostered an interest in patient education and has authored three books on digestive troubles.
Originally posted at The Care Group, update Feb 7, 2011