Page 64 - Winter2020

All Thumbs Book Reviews

for vaccines, she provides a detailed account of the fascinating history Where do things go from here? The medical
that led to this modern calamity. community has acknowledged for quite some
I also appreciate the fact that Fraser takes the time to help modern time that certain components of vaccines, such
people understand why vaccines came about and were so quickly accepted. as gelatin, are tied to allergic outbreaks (see
In our time, we are separated from the horrors of the early-1800s illnesses “Alpha-Gal Syndrome and Ticks: A False Trail?”
caused by the sudden and massive urbanization of large populations along in the Spring 2020 issue of Wise Traditions).
with incredibly poor sanitation and for some, subpar nutrition. But back Modern medicine also knows that the ever-
then, if you were watching loved ones die as their skin “slip(s) off the increasing number of vaccines on the childhood
body in sheets,” would you not also cry out for some form of protection? vaccine schedule means ever-increasing risks
Initially, many people focused on the perceived benefits of vaccination, of toxic metal accumulation in young children
unaware of the myriad risks. Far more was unknown than known. Also, and a greater risk of other adverse reactions
19th-century science was undergoing rapid and radical transformation, and allergies. At the end of the day, however,
with the relatively new germ theory—which justified vaccination—gain- “Vaccination [is] less about medicine than it [is]
ing more adherents. (Read Sally Fallon Morell’s and Dr. Tom Cowan’s about economics.” The vaccine industry and the
new book, The Contagion Myth, for more on this interesting history.) adverse conditions its products create—which
Although this book is primarily about the peanut allergy epidemic, often require treatment for life—represent a
it is full of other interesting, albeit disturbing, information. Fraser notes, revenue stream of billions and billions of dollars
for example, that “Increasingly, the health of boys and the birth rate of that are powerful incentives to continue with
boys has been impacted by environmental pollutants at a higher rate than business as usual.
girls. . . . [I]n a small population downriver of polluting petrochemicals, Fraser’s motivation for writing a thorough
female births outnumbered male births 2:1.” Indeed, Chapter Three alone History of the Peanut Allergy Epidemic is per-
was an eye-opening journey through parts of medical and Western his- sonal—her own child had a severe reaction to
tory with which I was only partially familiar. Even the well-read among peanut butter at thirteen months of age. Thus it
us are likely to find a lot of new information to add to our understanding is a book for thinkers, driven by concern from
of how we ended up where we are in terms of both health and medicine. the heart. Two thumbs up.
Review by John Moody

REAL FOOD FOR ROOKIES
By Kelly Moeggenborg, AKA Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Having trouble getting started with a healthier diet? Not convinced it’s worth all the trouble and expense? Then
Real Food for Rookies is a good place to start—now revised and expanded, with more useful information and up-to-date
advice. Kelly begins with her Grocery Store Cheat Sheet, to guide you through the aisles of your supermarket or health
food store. Like our Shopping Guide guidelines, Kelly gives you Good, Better and Best for meats, seafood, poultry, eggs,
nuts, milk and dairy products, butter, fats and oils, grain products, breakfast foods, fruits and vegetables, fermented foods,
baby foods, broth and soups, beverages, sweets and condiments. A great discussion on the organic label—what it tells
you and what it doesn’t tell you—segues into guidelines for purchasing foods directly from farmers. She provides separate
chapters on fats and oils, milk and soy.
The best comes at the end where Kelly discusses the motivations for making a change to healthy food. First and
foremost: better health for the whole family, a more harmonious home life, better behavior in your kids, more energy
and less suffering from aches and pains.
Can you afford a healthier diet? I love the graphic on page 158. Eating healthy, pasture-raised meats and organic
produce is expensive. What’s more expensive? Cancer, diabetes, inflammation, aging, gut issues, weight gain, brain fog,
Parkinson’s and many more (like special education for ADHD children). Don’t worry about appearing weird, Kelly advises.
“Many will mock you for being ‘weird,’ but remember that ‘normal’ is sick and tired!”
Then comes a great collection of recipes for newcomer moms who want to please the whole family: homemade pizza
crust, chicken strips, french fries, vanilla ice cream and kefir soda pop. The thumb is UP! Review by Sally Fallon Morell
62 Wise Traditions WINTER 2020