Page 54 - Fall2012

All Thumbs Book Reviews

have better hair and skin, but it won’t change our ally be called “The Whole Animal” and include
genes. “Genes change in reaction to what we eat, the second pillar, which is to eat organ meats.
think and do,” says Shanahan and “Exercise, rest The Third Pillar is about fermented foods, in-
and eating right all work together to give you the cluding the fermentation and sprouting of grains.
kind of body you want," but these won’t give you She recommends sprouted grain breads without
long legs, high cheekbones and broad shoulders any warning about the added gluten so many of
if your diet did not program you for them almost these breads contain. Genuine sourdough breads
from the very beginning. are actually more nutritious and digestible than
Deep Nutrition contains much excellent sprouted breads, but Shanahan claims that our
discussion on the role of collagen in keeping us ancestors didn’t grind flour. In fact, even some
young looking, but the claim that bone broths of the most “primitive” peoples did grind flour,
can rejuvenate aging collagen is contradicted often with a pestle on a grinding rock. Grains
by the statement that elastin, a key component were also soaked, wet ground and fermented.
of collagen, “can be made only while your body The Fourth Pillar “Fresh, the Benefits of
is swimming in the hormones and growth fac- Raw” confuses raw with fresh. This section does
tors that orchestrate its manufacture—during contain an excellent discourse on the problems
embryologic life, early childhood growth spurts, with pasteurization and homogenization of milk,
and adolescence.” but it is marred by the suggestion to consume
Even when not talking about genes, Shana- organic pasteurized milk if you can’t find raw.
han makes exaggerated claims for a traditional “Organic” milk is usually ultra-pasteurized and
diet. “Getting healthy, really healthy. . . can be often from confinement cows―it's probably the
easy. . . everything you eat will help keep you greatest deception in today's food supply.
young, slim, smart and beautiful." According Conspicuously absent from the Four Pillars
to Shanahan, eating according to the Four Pil- are seafoods, surely a key factor in most tradi-
lars will make better health and weight loss tional diets, even of those living inland. Eggs
automatic, will even change the hormonally are missing also. A pillar called "Sacred Foods"
directed distribution of your weight. Sometimes could include these important items.
we do hear about dramatic weight loss and health The book includes a discussion of Mar-
recoveries simply by switching to a traditional quardt’s mask, a geometric format said to
diet, but for those who have been on the Stan- “crystalize” the ideal face according to the phi
dard American Diet for most of their lives, the proportion. But no explanation is provided as to
Conspicuously achievement of better health and weight loss is a how the mask incorporates the golden mean, and
absent from difficult journey. In fact, as Price pointed out, it when laid over the faces that Shanahan provides,

the Four Pillars often takes several generations of nutrient-dense seems like an arbitrary collection of lines. Shana-
food, with special emphasis on the fat-soluble han is fond of illustrating classic facial structure
are seafoods, activators, to return to unobstructed expression with photos of models, actors and actresses—a
surely a key of the genetic potential and perfect health. poor choice given the widespread use of plastic
Shanahan’s Four Pillars are confusing. The surgery, including jaw and cheek implants. Some
factor in most first one is called “Meat on the Bone,” but why of her examples of beauty are actually thin-faced
traditional eating a steak with a bone in it would be any more or even weird-looking. Much better to tell us
diets, even of nutritious than eating a steak without the bone is more about a study she did on changing facial
those living not explained. This pillar includes the admonition structure using old school photos, but that is just
to avoid overcooking meat, to eat meat with the mentioned and she passes on.
inland. fat and to make bone stock. The pillar should re- Her otherwise excellent discussion of indus-
54 Wise Traditions FALL 2012 FALL 2012 Wise Traditions

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