Columns

Column #213

Here in America we’re not supposed to say that changing what one eats can cure a disease. So I’m here to tell you that I’m not saying it. BUT . . . there is a study out that’s titled: “Crohn’s Disease Successfully Treated with the Paleolithic Ketogenic Diet.” You can read it and be the judge. I’m just a messenger.

The report was compiled by a diverse team of researchers whose goal is to document the impact of eating a true paleolithic diet that keeps one in a state of ketosis. Three of its authors are with Paleomedica, a medical unit in Hungary that has a very bold slogan: “WE OFFER A DEFINITE CURE – We not only treat symptoms but reverse disease.”

Column #212

National Public Radio recently ran a commentary about consumers being duped by the meat industry. It said that deli meat processed with nitrates is carcinogenic and will cause cancer. The other beef it reported was that uncured meats with celery juice or celery powder have the same nitrate levels as conventional deli meats and therefore the meat industry is conning consumers.^1-3

Well, as with many media sources these days the gripes are partially true, partially false, and unequivocally another “the-sky-is-falling” report.¹⁴

Here are some actual facts.

Column #211

It was like staring down the barrel of a gun. Dorian formed as a tropical storm on Sunday, August 25 making it the fourth-named storm of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season. Wednesday, August 28, it became a hurricane that was predicted to hit SE Florida. Immediately everyone in the targeted area started preparing. Gas stations ran out of gas, batteries were snatched up, water disappeared from store shelves, generators sold out, and on and on it went for several hectic days. Per normal some people were in panic mode and somewhat rude. But most folks took it in stride with a “been there done that” attitude.

On Friday, August 30 The National Hurricane Center projected that Tuesday evening Dorian’s eye would pass directly over Stuart, Florida. The next day word spread like wildfire through the Treasure Coast that The Weather Channel’s storm chaser meteorologist Jim Cantore was in downtown Stuart broadcasting updates on Dorian’s progress.

Column #210

Do you ever wonder how we compare with people from bygone eras? How about 40,000 years ago or 430,000 years ago?

Neanderthals were around from about 430,000 years ago to 40,000 years ago. That may seem quite distant, but 2% of our DNA is Neanderthal. We might think of them as “cavemen,” but they were actually very intelligent and accomplished humans living in a very harsh environment. Their brain size ranged from 1,200 cubic centimeters (cm³) to 1,750 cm³.

Homo sapiens appeared about 300,000 years ago in Africa and were found to have lived in southwestern France 40,000 years ago. These European Homo sapiens were originally called Cro-Magnons. Their brains were about 1,600 cm³ and they were highly talented in hunting, crafting tools, painting, and wood carvings. Both Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons buried their dead.

For perspective, today an average man’s brain is 1,260 cm³ and 1,130 cm³ for a women.

Column #209

Okay, summer’s about over and it’s back to school and back to work. Now what are we going to do about healthy lunches?

There are numerous websites providing “healthy” lunch box ideas.^1-2 And their ideas aren’t limited to just school-age children, but they apply to all of us hard-working stiffs including those who work at home.

Of course, what some advisor/marketers believe is healthy won’t fill the bill. To be completely healthy a food selection needs to pass these three tests:
●    Be low glycemic. High glycemic foods cause debilitating energy spikes that are associated with ADHD, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and fungal issues.
●    Have balanced essential fatty acids (EFAs). The overall diet must have an Omega-6 EFA to Omega-3 EFA balance of 2:1 or lower. This is critical for nerve, immunity, and brain function.
●    Be nutrient dense and diverse. A diet of nutritionally deficient foods cannot contribute to all of our body’s requirements.

Column #208

If you’re concerned about your heart, you’re not alone. The incidence rate for heart disease has remained the same for decades with heart disease consistently being the leading cause of death.

From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
●    About 610,000 Americans die of heart disease every year–that’s one in every four deaths.
●    Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women with over half of the deaths being men.
●    Coronary heart disease is most common, killing more than 370,000 people annually or 1,000 daily.
●    About 735,000 Americans a year have a heart attack. Of these, 525,000 are first time events and 210,000 occur in people who have had one before.

There’s no question that with a healthy heart your life span and overall quality of life increases. So, it’s important to learn how to avoid heart health issues.

Column #207

Are you forgetful and worried about dementia? Are you always on edge? Are you depressed? Is problem solving more difficult? What about the children and grandchildren? Will they all go nuts? Is craziness the new normal?

The mental problems many Americans are dealing with are staggering. They range from suicides, broken homes, addiction, uncontrollable anger, anxiety, problem children, low self esteem, Alzheimer’s, bipolar disorder, depression, and more.

I sifted through my research library looking for answers and pulled out the ones that dealt with mental function. I’ve footnoted them in this column for additional reading. From each one I selected a pertinent point and put them in quotes preceded by the lead author’s name. It’s no secret, brains are diet dependent plus they must be maintained properly. These reports underscore that knowledge. Let’s step through them and I’ll conclude below.

Column #206

This is not about religion. It’s a review of what people ate in biblical times. Just the same though, I wonder, are there as many religions as there are diets? Everyone believes in something even if they believe there is nothing to believe in.

Scholars say the Bible’s 66 books were written between 1500 BC and 45 AD. (AD stands for “anno Domini” which is Latin for “in the year of the Lord.” There is no zero year.) This period is the focus of this column.

Computer searches using “King James Bible Online” provide the number of times a keyword is mentioned in the Bible. Of course, sometimes a word is mentioned more than once in a sentence. The searches below indicate to me that domesticated animals played a significant role in the lives of people living in the biblical period.

Column #205

Is it fair to say there’s a grassroots movement to convince all Americans that humans are vegetarians and shouldn’t eat meat? Some believers are so convinced meat is not a proper food that they feed their cat vegetables and grain. Yet cats are true obligate carnivores. They must eat meat for their nutritional needs. Plant-based foods cannot sufficiently provide cats certain key nutrients such as Omega-3 DHA, taurine, Omega-6 arachidonic acid, vitamin A, and vitamin B12. Without these key nutrients cats can suffer from liver and heart problems, skin irritation, and hearing loss.

Of course, humans aren’t cats.

Column #204

A few months ago I received a question about the credibility of a Netflix documentary titled “What the Health” (WTH). Supposedly this 2017 film “exposes the collusion and corruption in government and big business that is costing us trillions of healthcare dollars, and keeping us sick.”

It doesn’t fulfill its hype. Instead, it’s a vegan promo co-directed by Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn--the creators of another Netflix documentary, “Cowspiracy.” Typical of films like WTH, this one used straw man arguments to influence the viewer to opt in for the director’s vegan diet. In so doing Kip exposed his own corruption.

For example, WTH pummeled animal products of all kinds for being bad for your health starting with them being dangerous sources of dioxins. But it failed to mention a couple facts. Fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes (along with animal products) are sources of dioxins. In addition, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences recently announced that: “Strict regulatory controls on major industrial sources of dioxin have reduced emissions into the air by 90 percent, compared to levels in 1987. Today, the hazards posed by dioxins have faded from public view. And, in fact, the extent of the hazard has diminished in the U.S., as environmental controls significantly reduced the introduction of new industrial sources of dioxin.”