Resources
For You
Astrup, A, Krauss, RM, et.al. "Saturated Fats and Health: A Reassessment and Proposal for Food-Based Recommendations: Journals of the American College of Cardiology State-of-the-Art Review." J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020 Aug, 76 (7) 844-857
https://www.jacc.org/doi/pdf/10.1016/j.jacc.2020.05.077
This recent, technical meta analysis of many studies worldwide found that they show no benefit in reducing saturated fatty acids (SFA) to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD). SFA-rich foods such as whole-fat dairy, unprocessed meat, and dark chocolate are not associated with increased risk of CVD. The past and current US Dietary Guidelines setting upper limits on saturated fat consumption in the US will not prevent CVD or reduce mortality.
Davis, William, MD Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health. New York: Rodale Books, 2011.
Dr. Davis tells the story of the creation of modern wheat and its impact on health. In the 1960s researchers began to hybridize wheat to increase yield-per-acre with the laudable goal of reducing world hunger. Dr. Norman Borlaug ("Father of the Green Revolution") won the Nobel Peace prize in 1970 for developing the high-yielding dwarf wheat that today comprises 99% of all the wheat grown worldwide. Because hybridization experiments did not require documentation of animal or human testing, we can't know exactly which genetic variations introduced into what we still call "wheat" are impacting human health.
This book is extremely readable science regarding how the new wheat is affecting our health. Chapters include: The Addictive Properties of Wheat, The Wheat Obesity Connection, Wheat and Celiac Disease, Wheat and Insulin Resistance, Wheat and Heart Disease, Wheat and the Brain. Reading this book will make you look at your morning breakfast just a little differently.
Enig, Mary G. Know Your Fats: The Complete Primer for Understanding the Nutrition of Fats, Oils and Cholesterol. Silver Spring, MD: Bethesda Press, 2000.
Written by a biochemist and renowned expert on fat, this book gives you the science behind fats and oils and the foods where they can be found. Dr. Enig takes on why "low fat" foods have been a bad diet choice and the positive health effects of animal fats. She was an early and articulate critic of the use of trans fatty acids and advocated their inclusion in nutritional labeling. Although the book is technical in nature, it is worth the investment in defining all the different fats and which ones are healthy.
Gedgaudas, Nora. Primal Fat Burner: Love Longer, Slow Aging, Super-power Your Brain, and Save Your Life with a High-Fat Low-Carb Paleo Diet. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2017.
Gedgaudas's second book is a lively account of the value of eating fat in our diet and cutting out sugar. Her genius is to describe the benefits of fats, including the fat-soluble vitamins, in a lively, clear, personable way so that the science is understandable. This is an excellent intro to concepts of the keto diet because it explains the difficult idea of why your body runs better on energy from ketones from fat rather than on glucose from sugar. The primal diet is a subset of the keto diet because it limits protein to protect your kidneys and fills out your plate with fibrous vegetables and greens. Gedgaudas wrote this book in responses to her first book, Primal Body, Primal Mind requesting a transition eating plan and recipes.
Graveline, Duane.Statin Drugs Side Effects and the Misguided War on Cholesterol. www.spacedoc.net: Duane Graveline M.D. publisher, 2004.
Dr. Graveline's first book tells the story of his experiences with transient global amnesia after starting on Lipitor. After he recounted his expierience on The People's Pharmacy NPR radio show with the head of the UC-San Diego Statin Effects Study, the dam broke with emails from across the world to both the show and him from people whose loved ones were suffering cognitive side effects. Dr. Graveline's website has helped millions of people understand the potential side effects of statin drugs and empower them in dealing with the medical establishment.
Lipitor® Thief of Memory: Statin Drugs and the Misguided War on Cholesterol. www.spacedoc.net: duane Graveline, M.D. publisher, 2006.
The Statin Damage Crisis. www.spacedoc.net: Duane Graveline, M.D. publisher, 2009.
The Dark Side of Statins and The Wonders of Cholesterol, Spacedoc Media LLC, 2010.
Quote from a 2019 review: "Don't start statin therapy until you have read and digested this book, then don't start at all. If you are taking a prescription statin insist that your doctor read the book and then have a very deep discussion with him/her before continuing."
Lustig, Robert. Interviewed May 8, 2021 on The People's Pharmacy
Show #1257 on NPR.
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/show-1257-the-metabolical-results-of-the-american-diet
Dr. Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist, is the author of Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine, which makes the case that processed foods along with their added sugars, are “a toxic and addictive consumable poison” that have increased rates of many chronic diseases. He provides compelling evidence that sugar and processed foods are at the heart of our nation's disease epidemic.
In this podcast Lustig reviews the sub-cellular mechanisms that can be altered by manufactured foods and sugar. He argues that these cellular imbalances cannot be treated with medications but need to be addressed by changing to a diet of real foods. His easy-to-remember mantra, Protect the Liver and Feed the Gut, provides a structure for making dietary changes to reduce processed foods and eat to improve your health.
The Oiling of America [Video]. (2011, Sep 3) B.S.R. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvKdYUCUca8
Also uploaded as:
The Greatest American Lies - The Oiling of America and Heart Disease [Video]. (2013 Jul 30) InovaNature.com. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ0WJOQzrgg
This two-hour lecture and PowerPoint presentation, written by Mary Enig, PhD and presented by Sally Fallon-Morell, will rock your cooking world. The video presents the history of the diet/heart hypothesis, exposes behind-the-scenes manipulation and industry propaganda, reveals the vital role of cholesterol and saturated fats in human biochemistry, enumerates the considerable dangers of cholesterol-lowering drugs, and explains how a return to old-fashioned fats from real foods can help us solve a health crisis that threatens the civilized world.
Stoll, Andrew. The Omega-3 Connection: The Groundbreaking Anti-depression Diet and Brain Program. New York: Free Press, 2001.
A must-read for anyone dealing with depression. We are starting to understand that years of eating highly processed foods may be altering our brain chemistry, leaving us vulnerable to anxiety disorders and depression. Stoll, director of the psychopharmacology research lab at McLean Hospital in Boston and assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, points out that the problem is also what we're not eating: foods containing omega-3 essential fatty acids—the "good fats" that help maintain optimal brain function. He suggests that restoring our body's natural balance of omega-3s may help alleviate and prevent many types of depression and prove helpful with cognitive decline. The book includes recipes rich in omega-3s.
This website carries on the work of Dr. Duane Graveline, astronaut and family doctor, on the side effects of statin drugs. Dr. Graveline himself experienced a strange cognitive issue (twice) after the NASA docs prescribed Lipitor for his high cholesterol. After the second incident, Dr. Graveline got in touch with the University of California-San Diego Statin Effects Study. He wrote several books about his own experience and the statin damage crisis (see Graveline, Duane below) and went on to create this website, which lists all research on the efficacy and effects of statin drugs and, at Spacedoc Forum (http://www.spacedoc.com/board/) 12,000 reader posts about their family experiences with statin drugs. This is citizen science at its best.
Teicholz, Nina. The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat & Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2014.
This book is a gripping read for anyone who has ever tried to eat a healthy diet. In dynamic journalistic prose, Teicholz lays out proof that, not only are foods rich in saturated fat not harmful to our hearts, but they are actually good for us. She describes the human story of how bad science became federal policy and uncovers how flawed nutritional science has created a health nightmare in America.
Weston A. Price Foundation: www.westonaprice.org
Originally founded by Sally Fallon and the late Mary Enig, PhD (see Know Your Fats above), the organization promotes aspects of Weston Price's work and food activism, such as access to clean, certified raw milk and a ban on soy-based infant formula. There are many regional chapters, which are a good source for local organic/pastured foods in your area. The foundation publishes an alternative medical journal that contains articles from all over the world. WPF does outstanding work on prepared parenting and nutrition for children.