Page 60 - Winter2008

All Thumbs Book Reviews

Trick and Treat: the advice. Her response: “It’s healthy eating.”
How Healthy Eating is Making Us Ill But it gets better. Since that line of questioning
By Barry Groves was going in circles and he knew that the British
Hammersimith Press, 2008 Dietetic Association based its recommendations
on the Framingham study, he asked her a ques-
When Dr. Albert Schweitzer set up his mis- tion about that study. Her answer was, “What’s
sion in Gabon, he could find no cancer amongst the Framingham Study?”
the people there—but it was there when he left. Barry Groves spends a lot of ink on the
Wherever it goes and for hundreds of years, evidence that a largely grain-based diet is respon-
modern civilization has been consistently stalked sible for increased risk of modern disease. I was
by the shadow of modern degenerative disease. intrigued by the discussion on vitamin C. Appar-
Barry Groves relies heavily on evidence from ently a high intake of grain and carbohydrates
respected scientific journals to explore why this increases the need for vitamin C. Back before
has been the case and to expose the main culprit. British sailors became known as limeys they did
He refers to that culprit as “healthy eating,” eating not all suffer from scurvy. The ones who ate the
according to the USDA food pyramid that relies most biscuits were the ones who had problems.
heavily on grains and the associated politically For the veteran of the Weston A. Price Foun-
correct nutritional advice warning against tradi- dation, there are no bombshells in this book. But
tional foods full of saturated fat. He includes a even if you are familiar with most of the subject
quote from Dr. T. L. Cleave which sums up the matter, you will enjoy Trick and Treat a very well
insanity very nicely: “For a modern disease to written and interesting book. If you are new to
be related to an old-fashioned food is one of the the foundation, this book would make a good
most ludicrous things I ever heard in my life.” primer. Few books are perfect and I found one
Beyond bad advice from the experts, there or two details to disagree with—for example,
are other factors working against modern civi- cyanocobalamin is not a safe or useful form of
lization. Under European Union legislation it vitamin B —but his treatment of subjects like
12
is illegal to force pharmaceuticals to publish fats, which most experts get wrong, is very good.
negative trial results. In the USA, FDA-approved Thumbs up for this book.
drugs inflict a death toll similar to what would be Review by Tim Boyd
expected if a nuclear weapon were detonated in
Beyond bad a populated area each year. Another well-known ERRATA

advice from factor would be the toxic effect of big industry SUMMER 2008: In a letter form John Gold-
on the environment.
the experts, Groves comments on the amazing lack of maker, page 5, the correct location for the
Toronto Eaton Center is Fort York, in Canada,
there are education among many experts. He recounts a not New York, as stated.

other telling conversation with a dietitian. When asked Fall 2008: In the article on the busy school-
why the British Dietetic Association recommend-
factors work- ed five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, teacher, page 51, the author was incorrectly
ing against her answer was because this represents healthy listed as Alison Tyler. The author of the article
is Lynn Razaitis, our chapter leader in Atlanta,
modern eating. After being asked again what the basis Georgia. Apologies from your embarrassed
for that was, she said it was government advice.
civilization. She was asked yet again to identify the source of editor!

60 Wise Traditions WINTER 2008