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Phil Maffetone on the Celiac Pandemic

Phil Maffetone is a thinker ahead of his time.  He has been recommending a low carb, grain free diet for years and was advocating being barefoot or having minimal shoes when most of the recent paleo advocates were still eating tofu 6 times a day.

Anyway, I'd recommend checking his new article:

Medical Acceptance of the Celiac Pandemic:  Is the Decades-Old Ridicule Ending?

Those carrying the gene for celiac disease, about a third of the population, can easily bring out the condition. Just eat enough wheat and you can trigger the celiac gene to express itself, resulting in the illness. This is just what’s been happening. Since 1950, the incidence of celiac disease has increased by almost 500%. It’s not just more recognition and diagnosis of the condition but a worsening of the pandemic. While the experts are still calling this explosion a “mystery,” it seems to be yet another example of environmental pressure – namely diet stress – on existing genes. In particular, it’s people stuffing down bagels, bread, pasta, cereal, muffins and many other foods containing gluten. It’s giving babies and young children wheat as their first and primary foods instead of vegetables, fruits and meats, and using wheat as a reward.
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Donovan said…
One, I love your blog and repost often.
Two, I do and have worked in food service for some time now.
Three, I have a rather advanced base of knowledge (compared to most) about physical culture and pre-modern diets.
You have nailed it with this post, even the head of the Dole Co. is sick to death about how people eat. I often must check or explain contents with the thought in my mind 'I only eat this on occasion, why would you think of eating it if it could kill you?'. That is the power of food. It can make a person get the bends and still a body will stuff it down their gullet. Whole foods have no advocates other than the impossibly athletically accomplished (compared to most). I believe, when grain is priced like amber and gold, then people will stoop to eating kale, chard, local eggs and fowl, mutton and goat. Oh, well, from our keyboards to the gods' ears, neh?
By the way, your blog is fantastic, I really look forward to your posts on my iGoogle Reader. Serious, thanks.
November 8, 2010 at 12:57 AM
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