A Little Gary Taubes for Your Listening Pleasure

So, I was feeling in need of a little somethin' last night.  I had this craving, a real deep-seated need for... what?  I wandered around my house picking up books and putting them down.  I looked around the kitchen for some project to start.  I did some pushups on the living room floor.  But, still, nothing was hitting the spot.

Then, I caught a glimpse of my beloved on the book shelf - my worn out, dog-eared copy of "Good Calories, Bad Calories".  I realized how long it had been since I had me a good dose of the ingenius, Monsieur Gary Taubes.  It's been far too long.

So, with a cuppa' tea in hand, I sat down to listen to a debate between Gary (we're on a first name basis in my imagination) and Dr. Ronald Krauss.  This is an oldie, but a goodie.  If you haven't heard this little ditty before, I guarantee it's worth thirty minutes of your time.  It's a great introduction to the problems with carbohydrates and the erred demonization of fat.  Gary Taubes for President!

Grain-Free Human

I have been asked (so very, very many times) why I don't eat grains. In fact, when people find out I don't, I am usually met with confusion or sometimes even hostility. We sure have bought into the idea that grain is important for our health, haven't we? You know, the "staff of life" and all that jazz. I find it difficult to put my anti-grain sentiments into little sound-bites of information when there's a multitude of reasons our family doesn't include them in our diets. These reasons include environmental (the destruction of entire ecosystems for mono-cropped fields) to health (grains are loaded with anti-nutrients that cause all sorts of mischief with our ability to absorb minerals and vitamins).

Mark, over at Mark's Daily Apple just wrote up a great little ditty, nicely summarizing our stance on living grain-free.

Further reading:

• If you're interested in learning more about the factual science about what our bodies require for health and how we got so far off the mark with our public health policies, I highly (highly!) recommend Gary Taubes book, "Good Calories, Bad Calories". Gary Taubes is genius (I might just have a wee little crush on his brain...shhhh...).
• Lierre Keith's book, "The Vegetarian Myth", is a brilliant look into the environmental, ethical, and health implications of eating a vegetarian/vegan diet. More than that; however, Lierre's book allows the reader an intimate look at a wounded world, hungry for her grasslands and woodlands, swamps and forests. Earth has been stripped of her complex ecosystems in order to grow mono-crops of GMO grain and legumes. "The Vegetarian Myth" is a profound, life-changing read and, I say, it should be mandatory reading for all those intent on saving the world by filling their plates with grains. This book is amazing. Amazing!