Page 48 - Winter2010

All Thumbs Book Reviews

Addiction: The Hidden Epidemic A. Price, Sir Robert McCarrison, and Dr. Vil-
Common Sense Solutions for hjalmur Stefansson. She goes on to show that
Our #1 Health Problem therapists who implement nutritional protocols
By Pam Killeen in their treatment programs experience much
Xlibris Corporation 2010 higher recovery rates among their clients than
conventional treatment programs.
It is a common belief that those who struggle Besides a paucity of good fats, the near
with addictions, especially to alcohol or street hegemony of industrialized foodstuffs in the
drugs, suffer moral or character flaws that in- modern diet, devoid of nearly everything except
evitably produce these behaviors. Perhaps more sugar, salt, toxic oils, and devitalized flours, has
kindly, we might blame emotional or environ- helped to create an undernourished population
mental stressors for leading these souls astray. primed for addiction, among other maladies. A
Yet it is now possible to show that individuals culture of pervasive prescription drug use abets
struggling with addiction—whether to alcohol, this nutritional wasteland. Killeen delineates the
sugar, gambling, prescription drugs, or the inter- commonly missing nutrients that are absolutely
net—have very clear and often severe biochemi- vital for the health of the brain, and shows how
cal imbalances. In other words, these people treating malnourished individuals with these
are terribly malnourished, and their “unhappy nutrients can liberate them from their compensa-
brains” are merely seeking relief from otherwise tory addictions as they are restored to health.
It seems clear constant misery through the outlet of their ad- Killeen provides insightful interviews
that unless we dictions. Nutritionally targeted therapies—as with numerous researchers and therapists who
treat psychiatric conditions with nutritional ap-
opposed to the familiar psycho-spiritual conven-
develop more tional programs for addiction recovery—have proaches, including the late Dr. Abram Hoffer,
successful already demonstrated very impressive success pioneer in orthomolecular (nutritional) medicine;
recovery rates and relieved many from years of suffering. Dr. Charles Gant, of the Alliance for Addiction
Better yet, these newly healthy individuals tend Solutions; Julia Ross, a leader in the field of
strategies that to go on to lead productive, creative lives—to nutritional psychology; Dr. Natasha Campbell-
address the their own, and society’s, benefit. McBride for her work with children, and many
Pam Killen, a nutrition consultant, educa-
others. It seems clear that unless we develop more
central tor and author located in London, Ontario, has successful recovery strategies that address the
concern of written Addiction: The Hidden Epidemic as a central concern of nutrition, we will continue
nutrition, wake-up call to modern society. Killeen dem- to see skyrocketing rates of mood disorders and

we will onstrates that addictive behaviors and the mood addiction for generations—if we last that long.
disorders such as depression and anxiety that Since typical conventional therapies miss the
continue both precede and accompany them cut across nutritional and biochemical components behind
to see all generations, incapacitate millions, make life mood disorders and addiction, we have no time
skyrocketing miserable for countless families, and in general to lose in integrating effective nutritional ap-
exert devastating effects on society at large.
proaches into treatment programs. Killeen’s book
rates of mood Killeen emphasizes the critical importance is full of supportive resources and is certain to
disorders and of animal fats for good physical and mental be helpful—and truly hopeful—to those who are
addiction for health and presents a historical perspective on suffering mood disorders and/or addiction or for

their protective role in the diet by highlighting those who love them.
generations the work of nutritional researchers Dr. Weston Review by Katherine Czapp
48 Wise Traditions WINTER 2010

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