As you know from recent posts, I am completely overwhelmed by the idea of writing about diet. Since I chickened out on Wednesday and failed to bring you any of the revolutionary information in this month’s Cellulite BOTM selection (Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig), I didn’t want to let the week go by without giving you at least an appetizer. So we are going to begin with something small (thanks, Naked Man, for the tip!).
The authors of Eat Fat, Lose Fat base their research on the traditional diets of healthy, non-industrialized societies [see, Is Cellulite A Disease of Civilization?]. The main purpose of their book is to help people who struggle with being overweight, not with cellulite. But in reading it with an eye for cellulite-related info, two themes began to jump out at me. These are the two nutritional leads we’ll follow at this point in our investigation.
Lead #1: Digestion
As we learned from our interview with Dr. Thomas Cowan, any substance that is not properly digested can end up in the lymph [see, What is the Lymph Theory of Cellulite?]. Sally and Mary show how traditional societies went to great lengths to maximize their digestive capabilities.
I must admit, the thought of maximizing my digestive capability never even crossed my mind until I launched the Cellulite Investigation. How could poor digestion contribute to cellulite? This is a question we will pursue further in the weeks ahead.
Lead #2: Nutrient-density
We tend to associate ‘detox’ with special periods of juice fasting or steam baths. But the body is in a constant process of detoxification as it chemically breaks down food to its most basic elements, uses what it can to build and maintain cells, and then gets rid of what’s left over. All these chemical reactions are set into motion by nutrients.
All nutrients assist in the detoxification process. The healthiest non-industrialized societies ate TEN TIMES the amount of fat-soluble vitamins than their American counterparts. Nutrient-density is another theme we will explore in upcoming posts.
So there you have it. Any thoughts on our starting points?
*This post is part of Fight Back Friday hosted at FoodRenegade.
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Awesome post for introducing some of that serious "D" word business, Melissa. Those two properties you mentioned really are the key to good health–and therefore perhaps the key to curing cellulite as well? Heck, my cellulite is doing great on a nutrient-dense, digestible diet, so I think you're onto something…
Oh yay! I'm so glad to hear your cellulite is doing well. I've heard from several women who've seen success with cellulite on a traditional, nutrient-dense diet. It seems to take awhile, though. Perhaps a year or more. Keep us posted!
I've been thinking about reading Eat Fat Lose Fat for a while, but I haven't bought it yet. Is it a program to lose weight or does is explain the theory of how people become overweight?
I'll be posting more about Eat Fat, Lose Fat in the next two weeks but briefly, it's more of a diet/weight loss program than an explanation of the theory. Part One goes into the lipid hypothesis and cholesterol research, but the rest of the book is about traditional foods, meal plans, and recipes. For a more theoretical book, I was fascinated by Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes. Have you read that one yet?
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