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"Eat Like A Predator, Not Like Prey": Paleo In Six Easy Steps, A Motivational Guide
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October 16, 2013
5:23 am
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Allen:

That preventcancer website is down, so I can't speak to any claims it makes...but I'm not aware of any conclusive research one way or another.  (The NYU website you linked doesn't give or link any actual information about anything, let alone cancer.)  And the studies I know of on meat and cancer are so equivocal, and contain so many confounding factors (they're prospective studies, not controlled trials), that I'm loath to use them as proof of anything.

Personally, I'm much more concerned about antibiotics, because their use in animal feed results in drug-resistant bacteria in humans!

That being said, we have to eat something...and based on what I know about hormone dosages and the bioavailability (or lack thereof) via oral dosing vs. injection/implantation, that phytoestrogens from soy, pesticides on grains, etc. are a more potent source of estrogenic hormones in the diet than anything left in meat.

Yes, I mostly eat grass-finished beef which I buy by the side, for a host of excellent reasons...but worries about hormones are some distance down the list.

I'm sorry that this answer doesn't contain a lot of definitive statements, but I don't know of any solid facts...just fearmongering, like in the NYU article.  If you (or anyone) comes across any pertinent primary research, do let me know!

JS

October 17, 2013
9:26 am
Allen
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I think the study done by Harvard on red meat consumption and implications on health gets cited by many in the media. I agree that it is based on "survey" on what people responded and the "fudge factor" is certainly present as people don't always tell the truth. However, is there any other ways to do this??? I think not. Unless it's an animal testing on lab rats which are locked up all day long for 10 years, there really isn't an easy way to do this kind of experiment. Even the study comparing Atkins, Zone, and a couple of other methods relied on people answering survey questions which, later, were found to be not 100% truth. (and many of in the Paleo camp keep on citing that study including myself)

I guess my point is that statistical methods and error corrections (used scientifically with best known academic studies) should negate some of these outlier responses from people who have either a "vegan" agenda or "meat" agenda. In the end, the average of the results obtained from a large number of trials should be close to the expected value, and will tend to become closer as more trials are performed - thus; the reason why the survey type studies are done with huge number of people.

Lastly, I wouldn't knock on the researchers at Harvard. Harvard school of public health came out boldly AGAINST drinking 3 cups of milk per day as recommended by government. They also warned us about the dangers of too much soy consumption. Not many health related institutions are this bold and independent. Also they are not dependent on funding from say, the Kellogs of the world either, as their endowment size is huge and don't have to kiss anyone's behind. In other words, they are about as close to independent as you are going to get.

October 17, 2013
12:20 pm
no name
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THIS WEBSITE IS STUPID

October 17, 2013
12:39 pm
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Gnoll
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Gahahahaha!!! Is that you, Clint? The Man with No Name?

J, please don't delete the above comment.

I've seen the light now. In just a few words, I realise just how gullible I have been. As researched, reasoned and intelligent as you are J, what you write is stupid. Clearly, plain stupid. What a total ditz I feel now for falling for your idiocy.

Living in the Ice Age
http://livingintheiceage.pjgh.co.uk

October 21, 2013
10:25 pm
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Allen:

"In the end, the average of the results obtained from a large number of trials should be close to the expected value, and will tend to become closer as more trials are performed..."

Only if all the studies get published! 

In practice, studies which produce the desired result are far more likely to be published than studies that do not...so when you're trying to "prove" that red meat causes cancer, two things will happen:

1. You'll play with your Nurses' Health Study or Health Professionals Followup Study data by "adjusting" for various factors (or not) until you get the results you want.

2. If you can't get the results you want, you'll simply not publish the paper.  (Data mining is cheap, unlike actual controlled experimentation.)

This is why funnel plots were invented: to see whether publication bias is affecting the results of a meta-analysis.  Unfortunately, since almost all of the red meat scare articles come from the same two data sets I listed above, we can't really do a funnel plot.

I'm sure I've said this before...but in reality, no one but nutritionists trying to "prove" a pre-existing hypothesis gets excited about correlations below a doubling of risk:

"In an unpublished study, Meehl and Lykken tabulated 15 items for a sample of 57,000 Minnesota high school students, including father's occupation, father's education, mother's education, number of siblings, sex, birth order, educational plans, family attitudes toward college, whether they liked school, college choice, occupational plan in 10 years, religious preference, leisure time activities, and high school organizations.  All of the 105 chi-squares that these 15 items produced by the cross-tabulations were statistically significant, and 96% of them at p< .000001 (Meehl, 1990b)." -Jacob Cohen, "The Earth Is Round (p < .05)"

Mainly I knock Harvard for pushing the lipid hypothesis and the diet-heart hypothesis for so long -- and according to their website, they're still pushing them.  Since neither has ever been true, and the combination is, quite literally, killing millions of people worldwide, I have very little sympathy.

That being said, they've started to come around to the idea that massive sugar intakes are bad even if they come from fruit juice or smoothies -- but that's a problem of their own fat-phobic creation.  So are the consumption of soy products and skim milk: they're coming out against foods that their own policies have pushed people into.

 

no name:

Compared to what?

 

Paul:

Caps lock can be very convincing!

JS

November 6, 2013
2:24 pm
Allen
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Do you have any thoughts on Perilla Seed Oil? I personally find the taste and smell of this oil to be much more palatable than sesame oil when making Asian cuisine (not to mention that I am addicted to Perilla leaves - it's awesome with goat meat). I am aware that the Omega-3 claims are pretty much based on the ALA content..... so, still not as good as fish oil. However, it seems there are readily available organic cold pressed bottles at reasonable prices. Perhaps not all seed oils are bad???

November 6, 2013
4:36 pm
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Allen:

ALA isn't intrinsically terrible for you, and it's certainly better than omega-6...it just doesn't substitute for EPA or DHA.

Keep in mind, though, that all omega-3s are unstable, even more so than omega-6...so high-temperature cooking with flaxseed oil, perilla seed oil, etc. is not a good idea!  (There's a reason you're supposed to keep them in the fridge, in the dark...)  Using them as part of a dressing, however, should be fine so long as you're not guzzling it by the bottle.

JS

November 6, 2013
4:44 pm
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Gnoll
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… that, and fish oil is best imbibed … from a fish, with a fish. Eat fish, eat meat, don't worry about it – your n-xs are covered.

Living in the Ice Age
http://livingintheiceage.pjgh.co.uk

November 12, 2013
7:47 am
Steve
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The advice to not count/measure/calculate what you are eating doesn't work for everyone. I tried eating fairly strict paleo earlier this year with little success - my bodyfat didn't budge.

Turns out, I was simply eating too much!

I threw steak, liver, egg yolks, butter, red palm oil, spinach, mushrooms, and bell peppers in a spreadsheet, then designed a diet to meet my nutritional requirements with a major calorie deficit.

Viola! Rapid fat loss with boundless energy and a sustainable level of hunger with no desire to binge or break the diet.

Once I finish burning off a decade of adipose deposits, perhaps I can go back to eating ad libitum, but not everyone can actually burn off bodyfat that way.

November 15, 2013
3:59 am
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Steve:

It's true that switching foods doesn't get everyone where they want to be...but I think it's important to do it the way you did: eat the right foods first, see where that gets you, and only then start trying to reduce the quantity.  Otherwise it's tempting to eat the same junk that made you fat, just less of it...resulting in hunger and inevitable weight regain.

Often I see your situation in people who have dieted and regained multiple times, particularly women: they're so used to restricting their food intake that they don't really have any idea what satiety feels like or when to stop eating!  In those cases, It Starts With Food gives some good rules of thumb for food quantity.

JS

December 3, 2013
7:57 am
AD
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This was so cool. I read it in the voice of Ron Swanson.

December 5, 2013
2:43 am
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AD:

Everyone knows how to eat paleo, and it's not difficult...what's often missing is the motivation.

JS

December 11, 2013
9:45 am
Mike
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Interesting, a bit, and funny in places.

And complete nonsense the way it ignores the fact that Paleolithic peoples were adaptable omnivores and ate what was available where they were. Some did drink milk, and managed animals in order to provide them with milk and meat. Some did eat a diet with a lot of vegetables, fruit and nuts and little meat. Some did harvest and process grains. And you can be pretty sure they would have eaten honey when they could find it and get it without being stung too much - it's far too energy-dense a food for them to have ignored.

But people should be free to eat what they like, even those who gleefully embrace all the trappings of a society/civilisation that would never have come about if we hadn't abandoned nomadic hunting & gathering for settled agriculture, which gave us the time and the more reliable food sources to develop arts, crafts, metal tools, civic society etc etc.

December 12, 2013
12:41 pm
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Mike:

Yes, humans are omnivores, and when you're hungry, you'll eat anything that doesn't immediately poison you or make you vomit...but the archaeological evidence is that the overwhelming majority of our calories in the Paleolithic came from hunted meat.  See Miki Ben-Dor's AHS 2013 slides for an overview.

And if you're quoting Christina Warinner's junk-science anti-Paleo TED talk, you can read this article to see several of her key claims debunked as trivially false.  (Here's a longer discussion: the comments point out several more gaffes.)

Yes, cavemen would have eaten honey here and there -- but as this video shows, it would have required massive risk and effort to give each family member the honey-equivalent of perhaps a 12oz can of Coke.  Honey would not have been a significant contribution to total calories.

And therein lies the issue: the breathless pop-science articles which proclaim "CAVEMEN ATE BREAD!!1!!1!" base this silly claim on a tiny bit of starch residue caught in their teeth, with absolutely zero evidence of the massive-scale processing required to generate a significant fraction of calories from starches -- meanwhile ignoring the giant piles of hundreds and hundreds of defleshed and disarticulated animal skeletons located nearby.

Finally, your claim about "the trappings of a society/civilisation that would never have come about if we hadn't abandoned nomadic hunting & gathering for settled agriculture" is completely false.  All but one of the traits we think of as "civilized" actually predate agriculture: sculpture (~40-45 KYa), painting (~30 KYa), music (~43 KYa), and even monumental architecture (see: Gobekli Tepe).  The single exception is written language, which apparently arose as a record-keeping system for government tax collection.

JS

December 23, 2013
4:49 pm
Allen
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I found an hilarious article on WebMD by Dr. Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, who is the director of nutrition for WebMD. No research links, no reference to any studies, just claims. We should do the opposite I think....

------------------
9 Surprising Foods That Do Increase Cholesterol

Ground turkey. Even when ground turkey is labeled as 85% lean, it has 12.5 grams of fat in a 3-ounce portion, says Christine Rosenbloom, PhD, RD, Georgia State University nutrition professor emerita. Her advice: Ground turkey breast can be a heart-healthy substitute for ground beef, but watch the portion size because it's not without fat."
Added sugars (such as table sugar or high fructose corn syrup). One of the biggest surprises is that added sugars in processed and prepared foods are associated with decreased HDL levels. A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association in April 2010 found an association between added sugars and blood lipid levels and discovered adults averaged 21 teaspoons of added sugars daily. "Increased added sugars are associated with blood cholesterol levels and heart disease risk," says Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, author of Guide to Better Digestion. Everyone would benefit by reducing the amount of added sugars in the diet because they can also lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes, Bonci says. The AHA recommends getting no more than 100 calories from added sugars on a 2,000 calories-per-day diet.
Mashed potatoes. "Most mashed potatoes, especially at restaurants, include hefty portions of butter, cream, whole milk, sour cream, and/or cream cheese, turning a perfectly healthy potato into a saturated fat bomb," says American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Marissa Moore, MBA, RD. Order a plain baked potato and top it with vegetables, salsa, or low-fat sour cream. Another option: Enjoy the natural sweetness of a vitamin A-rich plain baked sweet potato.
Pizza. Just one slice of plain pizza has 10 grams of fat and 4.4 grams of saturated fat -- and we all know that one slice without any pepperoni is not the usual order. Stick to one slice and top it with lots of high-fiber, filling vegetables.
Whole-fat dairy products. "Dairy foods are nutrient-rich, loaded with calcium, protein, vitamins, and minerals, but if your choice is full-fat, you could be getting a hefty dose of saturated fat," says nutrition consultant and author Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD. For example, one cup of Fage Total Plain Classic Greek yogurt has 18g saturated fat, but if you choose their 0% variety, it has no fat. When you choose nonfat or low-fat, you get all the nutritional benefits without the extra calories or fat. If you love full-fat cheese, "portion control is the answer," Ward says.
Plant foods from the tropics. Coconut, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, and cocoa butter all sound healthy but they are the only plant foods that contain saturated fat, says Connie Diekman, Med, RD, Washington University nutrition director. "Read labels for these terms and enjoy them in small doses so they won't sabotage your cholesterol level," she says. Karmally calls pina coladas "heart attack in a glass -- there are 602 calories and 20 grams saturated fat in a 12-ounce glass." And Moore says, "Don't forget about chocolate, when eaten in excess can lead to increased cholesterol levels."
Ghee (clarified butter). In India, ghee is associated with healthful eating and honoring your guests but it is very high in saturated fat, just like butter, says Karmally. "It is also high in palmitic acid which is artery clogging." Use heart healthy olive oil or a trans fat-free margarine instead of ghee.
Pie and pastries. "Flaky crusts, streusel topping, custard filling, cheese filled pastries -- these all promise a hefty dose of saturated fat because they often include butter, shortening, cream, cream cheese, and/or whole milk," Moore says. It is the butter or shortening that makes the crust so nice and flaky. Choose fruit pies and eat mostly filling and only a few bites of the crust for a lower-fat and calorie treat.
Movie theater tub popcorn. Regal Cinema's medium-sized popcorn has a whopping 60 grams of saturated fat and 1,200 calories. Why? Because it is popped in fats, then topped off with more fat, earning it a spot on foods that can wreck your cholesterol level. Shave the fat and calories by skipping the buttery topping and opt for a smaller portion.

December 24, 2013
11:00 pm
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Allen:

That's hilarious.  Only two of the nine foods are anywhere close to correct (sugar, pizza), and the reasons given for pizza are bogus.

Score: 1.5/9 = F

Pop quiz:

Estimate the number of people killed by the dietary advice given by the following organizations.  (You may round to the nearest 100,000 deaths.)

1. Harvard School of Public Health

2. WebMD

3. U.S. Department of Agriculture

4. Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)

5. Livestrong.com

6. American Dietetic Association/American Diabetic Association

JS

February 2, 2014
1:23 pm
big juicy
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Fake

February 3, 2014
8:21 pm
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big juicy:

Which part?  I'm reasonably sure I'm real, and this site isn't sponsored by anything other than my own wallet.

JS

February 5, 2014
10:16 am
Valerie
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J. I "met" you before Christmas when I was searching for a gravlax recipe and I found yours. By the way it was delicious! I have been paleo for about 3 weeks, but I have been almost paleo for about 6 months. I now enjoy the most wonderful breakfasts, before that I ate steel cut oatmeal gruel (for my health!!), had to smother it with a lot of berries in order to eat it. I had an issue with high blood pressure, I take my PB every day and have not taken any pill in 6 months. In the last 3 weeks haven't eaten any grains (pasta is what I will miss), and the persistent hip bursitis that I have had for almost a year is almost disappeared. I believe it is a result of the elimination of grains, which resulted in a reduction of inflammation.I will now be able to resume exercise. I also lost 4 lbs while that isn't much it's a start. After reading your article I think I may be eating too many vegs. I am eating from 100-120 grams per day and about 65 to 85 of protein. I was concerned about getting enough vitamins. I will get your book, hopefully it is available on Kobo. At the moment I am making a beef bone broth made from grass fed beef. I love you site. As others have said, you make much sense. Thank you!

February 8, 2014
11:01 pm
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Valerie:

"the persistent hip bursitis that I have had for almost a year is almost disappeared."

That's wonderful!  Almost everyone, particularly those in the medical profession, underestimates the inflammatory effect of grains, especially gluten grains.  You could easily have gone to two dozen doctors and not had a single one tell you to try eliminating grains from your diet.

Being able to exercise again will help tremendously, too.  Sickness builds on itself: once you hurt too much to move, you'll quickly get sicker and sicker.  Fortunately, health builds on itself, too: once you start feeling physically fresh and capable, you'll naturally find reasons to be more active and eat well.

Don't worry about "too many vegs", unless you're talking about potatoes or other starchy roots: it's nearly impossible to overeat them unless you're juicing in pathological quantities.

I would personally suggest more protein unless you're very small: 1g/kg/day is pretty much the minimum for health and maintenance, and if you're active or trying to build muscle, I recommend up to 2g/kg/day.

TGC is not available as an e-book, but it's available worldwide: this page will direct you to a place you can buy it in your country.

JS

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