Enjoy!
1) What is the "Big Idea" of this book?
2) List three things you learned about nutrition from this book.
3) Did you find anything contradictory to the philosophy of this class?
4) What are your thoughts/comments/perspectives about this book?
As modern day's idea of health is blurred by a political fog related to food production, Nourishing Traditions, written by Sally Fallon, brings clarity by providing accurate information about our food that is supported by years of history and research. As placed on the title, this cook-book "challenges politically correct nutrition and the diet dictocrats" as well as emphasizes the importance of real, properly prepared, nutrient-dense foods of our ancestors. Three of the most interesting items I learned about from this book include: the process of hydrogenation, pasteurization of milk, and the refining of salt--all which have significantly harmful effects on their consumers and simple remedies.
To be quite frank, the process of hydrogenation of oils and the creation margarine is quite repulsive. In the hydrogenation process it " turns polyunsaturates, normally liquid at room temperature, into fats that are solid at room temperature" by a manufacturing processes that "begin with the cheapest oils…already rancid from extraction--and mix them with tiny metal particles…then subjected to hydrogen gas in a high-pressure, high temperature reactor." As if that weren't enough, "soap-like emulsifiers and starch are squeezed into the mixture to give it a butter consistency" and "Margarine's natural color, an unappetizing grey, is removed by bleach. Dyes and strong flavors must then be added to make it resemble butter" (Fallon 14). To think that these manufactured products are in almost every American's pantry and are regularly consumed in the American family is astounding! Just a simple step of removing these toxic substances, that can be found in "Skippy's peanut butter" and "I can't believe it's not butter", along with many other products, can substantially make a difference in a person's overall health. Another interesting fact on hydrogenated oils is that, "during the 1940's researches found a strong correlation between cancer and the consumption of fat--the fats used were hydrogenated fats although the results were presented as though the culprit were saturated fats" (15). This unclear research led many to believe that a "low-fat" diet was beneficial, when in reality, it led to more consumption of highly processed, low-quality foods. Using real food, like raw (unpasturized) butter, that our ancestors have been using for generations, not only make food taste great, but are chalked full of natural vitamins, enzymes, and minerals that are nourishing to our bodies. Our modern day food has been compromised of quality because of various events throughout history; another great example of this being the pasteurization of milk.
During the great depression when people were desperate to sanitize milk from sick cows, they turned to pasteurization, or heating of milk, to kill off infectious diseases, but it also destroyed many of the vital nutrients that raw milk contains. As Sally describes, "Heat alters milk's amino acids lysine and tyrosine, making the whole complex of proteins less available; it promotes rancidity of unsaturated fatty acids and destruction of vitamins…the Wulzen or anti-stiffness factor is totally destroyed as is vitamin B12 needed for healthy blood and a properly functioning nervous system" (34, 35). Even though it is no longer necessary to pasteurize milk if obtained from healthy cows and farms that use great sanitation practices, Americans continue to consume these compromised products void of nutrients. In addition to killing the nutrients, "pasteurization destroys all the enzymes in milk--in fact, the test for successful pasteurization is the absence of enzymes" (35). Milk, in it's raw state, is packed with enzymes that help your body to digest it and assimilate the nutrients it contains. This perfect food becomes difficult to digest and void of nutritional value in modern day processing. A simple remedy is to find a local dairy farm that has healthy cows where you can obtain raw milk. A simply adjustment, such as your source of milk, can significant impact your overall health.
Another interesting/repulsive fact I learned about food is that most store-bought salt is refined. As Sally describes, "to keep salt dry, salt refiners adulterate this 'pure' product with several harmful additives, including aluminum compounds" (48). In order to provide a "nicer" consistency for salt to pour, corporations have added harmful substances. Salt, in it's natural, unrefined state is a great source of essential minerals which are lost in the refining process. Sally explains that, "to replace the natural iodine salts that are removed during processing, potassium iodide is added in amounts that can be toxic" (48). It's a tragedy to know that our food is being polluted in such a harmful way and many people are completely unaware of the toxins being put into their bodies. Again, a simple solution is finding a source of Celtic sea salt, or unrefined sea salt and getting rid of polluted, refined salt.
Reading Nourishing Traditions, not only was highly informative, but it also reignited my passion to help educate people about real food and help them achieve optimal health. There are simple remedies to degenerative diseases and it begins by educating the general public to obtain real, unadulterated foods and properly prepare them for optimum nourishing of their bodies. Throughout this book, I didn't read anything that I found contradictory to the philosophy of the Nutritional Therapy class, but I found much information that was supplementary to the teachings. I love everything about this cook-book and I look forward to following the recipes and sharing them with my future clients.
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