On Thu, 7 Oct 1999, Troy Gilchrist wrote:

> >I think that the one small step that they're able to take that will bring
> the greatest >benefits, is to read and heed "The Omega Diet", by Artemis
> Simopolous.
>
> I really like THE OMEGA PLAN. It's got a lot of good recommendations. It
> answered a lot of questions for me concerning the Omega-3/Omega-6 issue. The
> average person would see a marked improvement in overall health by following
> Dr. Simopoulos' recommendations. For people who aren't able or willing to
> give up all agricultural foods, THE OMEGA PLAN is one of the best diet
> programs available IMHO.

I agree, and I would add _The Schwarzbein Principle_, by Diana
Schwarzbein.  Her prescription is simple enough: limited carbs,
"real" foods; balanced EFAs.  She allows dairy and grains, but
warns against the techno-processed forms of these foods, and
especially warns against the dangers of excessive carb
consumption.  Like Simopoulos, Schwarzbein makes a strong case
against damaged and artificial fats.

One of the things that makes Schwarzbein's book a good
recommendation for a person who is skeptical of paleo is the fact
that Dr. Schwarzbein herself is an endocrinologist with
first-hand knowledge of the failure of low-fat, high-carb diets
as part of a treatment for diabetes, heart disease, etc.

The truth is, we don't know whether the elimination of all
agricultural foods provides significant benefits beyond the
advantages of more moderate programs such as those of Simopoulos
and Schwarzbein.  It is possible, for example, that the metabolic
balance achieved by maintaining proper insulin levels and EFA
supplies strengthens the immune system to the point where it can
easily cope with moderate exposure to foreign proteins.  That is,
after all, the immune system's job.

Anyway, I agree that if one wishes to help someone who is
nevertheless not really open to the paleo idea in its fullness,
such a person may nevertheless be receptive to these other
approaches.  I am finding this to be so with my own father.

Todd Moody
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