Food as Medicine

[Sand]

You probably did not know that you were going to spend three hours watching this video, and neither did I know, when I stumbled upon it.

Food as Medicine.

[steve(thelil)]

Testing

[Uli]

tasting

[Sand]

Originally Posted by tippy

Sand, this is fascinating and very timely. I will be distributing to several people some of whom will be directly interested and hopefully those who think they might have less reason to be directly interested will listen too. Brunetti is a compelling speaker. Really excellent. Thank you very very much for posting this link.

Thanks for the feedback, Tippy.

[Ron Thorne]

Thanks very much for the link to this very compelling, informative video lecture, Sand.

I agree with Tippy. Brunetti is a very articulate, provocative speaker who commands your attention and respect.

[Sand]

Originally Posted by Ron Thorne

Thanks very much for the link to this very compelling, informative video lecture, Sand.

I agree with Tippy. Brunetti is a very articulate, provocative speaker who commands your attention and respect.

I hear you, Ron.

This should be of interest to most people, not only those who has to deal with cancer, diabetis, heart conditions and the side effects of drugs offered by the modern medical machine.

Did I leave anyone out?

[LennyH]

He's right on the money. Still have to watch part 2.

His point about how much sugar we consume today is an important one. Our ancestors didn't down three 20oz Cokes a day and eat donuts for breakfast. It wouldn't be hard for us to exceed our ancestors' annual consumption of sugar is just a few days. And synthetic sweeteners aren't a reasonable alternative (see the recent study about saccharin making you fat).

We all would be wise to consider what the human diet looked like for the last 100K years. The farther we stray from that the worse off we'll be. Our bodies have evolved based on certain eating habits and the "modern" diet is in conflict with this.

Also, check out the results from studies on natural foods. There was a big study done over a few years (I believe it was by the University of Copenhagen) that demonstrates how superior organically grown fruits and vegetables are. Pay extra for naturally grown foods!! If avoiding pesticides and chemicals aren't enough of a reason for you to buy organic than check out the nutritional benefits.

He mentioned insulin resistance as well. If you care about eating healthy, do some research on Glycemic Index. We're all better served to stick to foods that have a smaller immediate impact on blood sugar levels. It's easy to see why diabetes (the acquired kind) is such a problem.

I was at a doctor's office the other day (He's actually more of an herbalist) and I read part of a Newsweek article about the ever growing problem with allergies in children. We all know about peanut allergies, etc, but it's becoming more and more common for kids to be allergic to shellfish and many other foods. I fully expected this article to be chock full of BS but I was surprised to find that it did touch on some sensible points. Here's a mixture of their points and my own: Going back to the way we evolved, we're supposed to travel through a birth canal that's full of bacteria. We need to be subjected to this bacteria. This is our first exposure to the bacteria that will inhabit our bodies and digestive tracts until the day we die. If a mother takes antibiotics, which can wipe out the beneficial bacteria, or if a C section is necessary then a child can be born close to "sterile", which is bad. Even in the absence of a recent course of antibiotics, it takes a proper diet to support the 2.5 pounds of bacteria that's supposed to inhabit our digestive tracts. Much of the modern diet, including chlorinated water, not only doesn't support the bacteria but actually kills it. Not being exposed to bacteria starts babies off on the wrong foot and it might just be the reason for all the allergies. Then, we're supposed to be breast fed. This continues the process of building our digestive tracts and immune systems. Many mothers don't breast feed today and have no idea how important this is. So many children start off on the wrong foot and then begin a lifetime of bad eating habits. It's a disaster. Is there any wonder that digestive problems are so rampant?

Another study I heard about recently concluded that antibiotics did not reduce the time it takes to recover from a sinus infection. What a shock. I'm sure this won't stop doctors from pumping you full of augmentin, etc, next time you have a sinus infection. If there's one thing I've learned it's not to take prescription medication unless it's absolutely necessary. If a doctor expects me to take antibiotics again they'd better have one hell of a compelling story.

[LennyH]

Yeah, it's a mess, Tippy. I believe the US is one of the few places in the World where drugs are marketed directly to consumers.

Healthcare in the US is driven by the drug companies and the insurance companies, neither of which has our best interest in mind.

As he pointed out in the video, natural remedies are not even pursued. They can't be patented and therefore there isn't enough money to be made. They sure as hell try to make synthetic versions of natural substances while the natural substances are ignored. Amazing.

[Sand]

He mentioned insulin resistance as well. If you care about eating healthy, do some research on Glycemic Index. We're all better served to stick to foods that have a smaller immediate impact on blood sugar levels. It's easy to see why diabetes (the acquired kind) is such a problem.

Excellent post all in all! And too much to comment on...

Glycemic indexes à la Montagniac is obviously helpful to some. I prefer to go one step further and I don't relate to indexes. I believe in a controlled/restricted consumption of carbs in all its forms are better. For me the best book in field has been one published originally in 1967 by Austrian MD Wolfgang Lutz. His book doesn't only deal with weight reduction, though it is covered in one chapter.
The essential chapter is the one on carbohydrates and hormones.
It has given me more insights than the other books I've seen.
Lutz is now 94 years old and did clinical treatment of some 15000 pasients through several decades. He started out by treating his own health problems. An American edition of "Life without Bread" was released about 7 years ago.

In Poland there has through decades grown a movement around Jan Kwasniewski. 2 million people are said to follow his diet (optimal nutrion) - including Lech Walesa the last few years. JK doesn't want to commercialize his activity and even his books translated into English is hard to find.

In Sweden things are happening. This last month several major newspapers have had editorials supporting a MD called Annika Dahlqvist and her dietary recs. She had to leave her job as advisor for elders with diabetes a couple of years ago after complaints from dietitians to the equivalent of the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Socialstyrelsen).
In january this year they admitted that her recs were founded in science and proven pratice. A few days ago a panel of experts who were to work out new official dietary recommendation were sacked. Their ties with business interests were too obvious.

The science that have been supporting official food recommendations around the globe through the last few decades are indeed weak.

Gary Taubes' "Good Calories and Bad Calories" explains why.

Also Uffe Ravnskov's research. Cholestrol Myth, etc

[LennyH]

Originally Posted by Sand

Excellent post all in all! And too much to comment on...

Haha! I knew my post was all over the map when I wrote it but upon reading it again it's an even bigger mess than I thought. Too many topics to shove into one post.

I'd love to address these things in more detail but it would take an awfully long thread.

[LennyH]

The funny thing, Sand, is that no matter how much you learn it doesn't really change your idea of what you already knew about what's healthy and what isn't. There are some things that I've changed my opinion of, such as the value of whole grain breads, etc, but for the most part we all know what's good for us.

[Sand]

Originally Posted by LennyH

The funny thing, Sand, is that no matter how much you learn it doesn't really change your idea of what you already knew about what's healthy and what isn't. There are some things that I've changed my opinion of, such as the value of whole grain breads, etc, but for the most part we all know what's good for us.

I believe that 40 years of doctored "science" a la Ancel Keys and political food recommendations have left a lot of people rather confused, including me on the theme of whole grain breads/potatoes, etc. I've had all the right atitudes all along, except a full understanding of the role of carbs in a diet.

I never gave in to the margarine propaganda and stayed with real butter, I
remember my grandfather who was born in the 1870ies and died 96 years later. Row boat, fish nets, tiny hen house outside the kitchen, cows/sheep/farm, hunting deer.

My father, a reindeer hunter who provided us with reindeer meat all through the year, but who through his civilized work also placed us in the center of modern trends.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by Sand

My father, a reindeer hunter who provided us with reindeer meat all through the year, but who through his civilized work also placed us in the center of modern trends.

No wonder your "favorite Sami artist thread."

God bless you.

God damn, how could you eat Rudolph?

[Sand]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

No wonder your "favorite Sami artist thread."

God bless you.

God damn, how could you eat Rudolph?

We're not Sami people and we're not related to Joni and yes, we did eat Rudolph! Rudolph's brother is still alive.