What’s Happening: Food that Heals

One of the best pieces of recent Paleo writing hit the internet this week. A Plea for Human Food is a sensitive, thoughtful essay by Charles Comey, who turned to Paleo after being diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a deadly autoimmune disorder that would have kept him in constant agony as the bones in his back slowly fused together, leaving him crippled for the rest of his very short life. It’s less of a success story and more of a meditation on the healing power of a nourishing diet (complete with entertaining and occasionally cringe-inducing digressions on how American culture has gotten dietary theory so very wrong over the years). Yes, it’s long, but it’s worth reading – and then going back to read again.

Another inspirational post this week is Dear America, Get Over Your Fat Phobia from Stacy at Paleo Parents. The title is a little confusing because it sounds like it’s going to be about dietary fat, but in fact it’s about fat people and how prejudice and judgment doesn’t help anyone. Stacy takes on all the negative comments she gets for prioritizing her health and healing over weight loss at all costs, definitely a reminder a lot of us could use.

There’s also plenty of less emotional (but no less interesting) Paleo news this week:

• One of the points that A Plea for Human Food touches on is how ancestral health principles are slowly but surely making their way into conventional medicine. This week, a new publication from the National Academy of Sciences proved the point: the report concludes that there isn’t any evidence for the benefits of salt restriction after all. Paleo: 1, USDA: 0.

• If this keeps up, you’ll want to show off the most attractive triumphant grin you have, so check out the Whole9’s recent series A Practical Guide for Dental Decisions (parts one, two, and three)

• As if we needed more evidence that the gut flora are important, a new study identified a specific type of bacteria, Akkermansia muciniphila, that may help treat obesity.

• Despite the mainstream salt support, yet another study supposedly “debunking” Paleo appeared this week, this time from an undergraduate researcher at OSU (which by itself should make you think twice about it). Responses include:
  • Evelyn at CarbSane reviews the pros and cons of the study as a whole.
  • Richard Nikoley delivers a scathing rebuttal.
  • Peter at Hyperlipid critiques the study’s version of “Paleo.”

• Finally, for the grown-ups in the audience, there’s an upcoming chance to learn all about sex and sexuality from a Paleo-friendly perspective at the Sexyback Summit, a free online event starting May 19^th.

Will you be attending the Sexyback Summit? Or are you too busy rejoicing in a guilt-free relationship with your salt shaker? (Like you needed their permission anyway!) Let us know on Facebook or Google+