Complimentary Copy

Nutritional Anthropology™: Eating in Harmony with our Genetic Heritage

February 2001 The Bond Effect vol 4.02

NATURAL EATING NATURAL EATING NATURAL EATING

Members’ Newsletter
Anthropology: Termite Dinners. Q of Month: Sweet Stevia. News Flashes: Milk Machines; Genetic
Code; Bleeding Time. Food/Disease: Porky Ki ds and CVD. Quick Fix: SuperVeg Spaghetti. Q&A’s:
Apricot Kernels, Hominid Origins, Peas and Beans, Face Creams Again, New Food Adaptation, Macro-
biotic Diet, FAQ’s: Blood Group Diet, Microwave coo king, Sprouted Bread. Hints & Tips: Eating
Policing. Events: Radio Shows, Seminars. Resources: Books, Cookbooks, Manuals, Memberships etc.
Nutritional Anthropology
Termite Dinners Question of the Month News Flash
More than a million years ago
Sweet Stevia Milk Machines
termites were a tasty meal for
pre-humans previously thought to Q. You suggest aspa rtame for Cow Concentration Camps
be vegetarians, scientists said sweetener. But what about What ro sy imaginings do those
recently. A fresh analysis of stevia? The South Americans still-unreformed milk drinkers
bone tools fo und in South use it to cure diabetes. have? That the fluid they are
drinking comes from contented
Africa's renowned Sterkfontein A. Stevia sweetener is derived
caves showed that the insects cows c hewing the cud in a sunny
from the leaves of the Peruvian
were a key source of protein and meadow? None of it!
stevia shrub. It is a much
fat for man's ancient cousins. sweete r compound than table The new USDA rules state that
But is that the case for us sugar. It does not raise glucose organic milk must co me from
today? See: page 5 or insulin levels and it has zero dairy cattle that have “access” to
calories. pasture. Bad enough that those
News Flash organic cows only get ‘access’
The sweet stevi a compounds But what about ordinary cows –
Ozymandias (diterpene glycosides) have no access at all? See page 4
Genetic Code Highlights been the subject of a number of
The initial sequence of the studies.
human genetic co de has been So is it safe? See page 4
Food/Disease Links
published in a scientific achieve- Porky Kids and CVD
ment that will revolutionize Overweight children as young as
science a nd medicine. News Flash 8 years old have a smoldering
Bleeding Time type of blood inflammation.
• Betwee n all humans on the 20,000 people a y ear die from
They also have abnormally high
planet the maxi mum DNA non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
white blood cell counts showing
difference is only 0.2 %. drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen.
that the body is reacting to
Aspirin users are 68% more
It is been known for some years plaque build up.
likely to have intest inal bleeding.
that human beings, in spite of This indicates inflamed arteries
external appearances, are “If aspirin were developed today
and the beginning of heart
extraordinarily similar to one it would have a difficult time
disease. Such obese children will
another – much more than getting approval from the FDA”,
have a high risk of dying from
gorillas are to each other for says Dr Michael Loes Director,
cardio-vascular diseases in
example. Arizona Pain Institute.
adulthood.
And how do we compare to fruit Continued: Page 5
Comment: Page 5
flies? See page 5
February 2001 The Bond Effect Newsletter page 2
Quick Fix of the Month Reader’s Questions
So with apricots it is best to just
Eating healthily need not be comp- We receive many questions from
eat this great fruit and throw
licated…. readers. This is a selection.
away the stone with its kernel.

SuperVeg Spaghetti Apricot Kernels As for fats bei ng an enigma, that

Serves 2 Q. What about apricot kernel is quite understandable, given the
oil? On the bottle it says clamor of vested interests,
Ingredients: saturated fat 1g, polyunsaturated grinding axes and snake oil
• 8 oz (225g) whole-wheat angel fat 4 g, monounsaturated fat 8g. merchants wanting to pick your
hair spaghetti Can you interpret this? Fats are pocket for over-priced and
• 1 tablesp. (15ml) olive oil an enigma to me. I had some usually worthless nostrums. In
• 8 oz (225g) zucchini apricot oil on hand and the first i nstance check out the
remember that Hunzas 1 used it section 'Fat s and Oils' starting on
• 8 oz (225g) broccoli mini-
mainly. page 79 of the Natural Eating
florets (can be frozen)
book.
Optional: A. The apricot tree was an
• ¼ cup (60 ml) salsa or liquid, important ele ment in Hunza life Hominid Confusion
low-sodium, tomato purée. and culture. They certainly used Q. Didn’t humans/hominids
every part of the fruit, including migrate out of Africa much
Method: sometimes the kernel. However, earlier than 60,00 years a go as
that was not one of their secrets you claim? There are sites for
Add the spaghetti to a large
for health and long life. early humans going back over
saucepan of boilin g water.
700,000 years in places like
Add 1 tsp salt if you have to. Fat labeling laws are quite Java.
Add the olive oil. inadequate, so food labels on
Slice the zucchini into thin, their own do not give enough A. This kind of discussion is
straw-size strips. information t o make a judgment. bedeviled by the imprecise
Buried in the poly unsaturated fat meaning of terms like “early
When the spaghetti is within
figure of 4g is the undisclosed humans” and “human/hominids”.
three minutes of being fact that 99% of it is BAD omega
cooked, ad d the zucchini and 6 oil!
Our species is Homo Sapiens
the broccoli to the spaghetti. Sapiens. This is the “Modern
Bring to the boil and finish Indeed the Hunzas only used Human”. Another specie s of
cooking the spaghetti (about apricot kernel oil, extracted only similar creature, Homo Erectus,
three minutes) with great difficulty, to fuel their was prevalent in large parts of
oil lamps! Maybe yo u can think Europe and Asia. His remains are
Optional:
of a better use for your apricot oil to be fo und dating back indeed up
Serve with a sauce of salsa or - but don't put it in your body.
to a million years. One well-
liquid tomato purée.
known variant is t he Neanderthal.
What a bout the kernels It is this Homo Erectus that is
Comment: themselves ? The Hunzas did often misleadingly called “early
This is a quickly prepared, sometimes eat the kernels but human”.
they also admitted to digestive
nourishing meal. It contains a
difficulties. This is not surprising. It is misleading because no
good ratio of vegetables to Apricot kernels are rich in
human on this planet is
starch (2 to 1). The spaghetti is cyanide and, every year, many
descended from these European
a low glycemic starch. Only over-enthusiastic kernel and Asian Homo Erectus
those who are gluten sensitive consumers are admitted to creatures. This was long
need avoid this dish. hospital with cyanide poisoning. suspected, but could only be
conclusively proved with the
1
A long-lived and healthy tribe that lives in advent of DNA analysis. Our
a high Himalayan valley. (See Book, page species has absolutely no
40.)
February 2001 The Bond Effect Newsletter page 3
Neanderthal genes or European A. Quite so . The food group they are not dying off, before
or Asian Homo Erectus genes. ‘legumes 3’, also known as themselves having children, to
‘pulses 4’, includes beans, lentils change the human genome in that
Furthermore, this DNA analysis and peas. direction.
has been able to ‘work back up
the genealogical tree’ to establish Peas have similar, but not Face Creams Revisited
that every body on the planet is identical, advantages a nd dis- Q. Last month, you gave us
descended from a group of advantages as beans and lentils. ladies a tough time over vitamin-
Modern Humans who lived in They are more glycemic, situated ized face creams. Is there
eastern Africa just 60,000 years in the ‘borderline category. They nothing to be done?
ago 2. They originated in a group are less gassy. Their cargo of
of African Homo Erectus. antinutrients is different and A. Wrinkles a nd aging skin have
slightly less toxic. some very clear causes that are
It is for t his reason that we talk easy to avoid.
about humans still being tropical Peas are OK to be eaten in They are:
creatures. Physiological studies moderation. Diabetics and slim- • excessive sun exposure,
on all humans from Eski mos to mers should consume frugally. • smoking
Yanomamo show that there are • a micronutrient-poor diet.
no significant genetic adaptations Adapting to New Foods
to the c old or other geographical Q. Surely, with the advent of new No surprises there! These are by
extremes. foods, humans will have far the most powerful drivers of
developed bod ies ‘adapted’ to skin aging. Fondly imagining
All the vicissitudes of glaciations, these new foods? otherwise is just self-delusion.
climate changes and the like that
prevailed in 1 million years of How to combat skin cell aging?
A. Just because a creature
European and Asian pre-history The same way as to combat
tolerates a particular distortion
are not relevant to our ancestry. aging in general – a high
doesn't mean that there is
automatically selection pressure micronutrient diet – a Natural
On the contrary, it is what was Eating one!
to change anything.
going on in East Africa that is
relevant. This, too, has been There is just one other strategy –
Natural Selection (contrary to
extensively studied. It is a hormone replacement therapy.
popular belief) works to keep the
knowledge of the feeding This can sometimes be effective
status quo. It constantly weeds
opportunities and the mechanics in preventing the catastrophic
out mutations. Only when the
of food acquisition in those times collapse into dee ply lined
stress is so extreme that survival
that has enabled scientists like wrinkles that happens to some
of off spring is compromised can
myself to e stablish the human menopausal women.
Natural Selection operate.
naturally adapted eating pattern.
Macrobiotic Diet
Will humans ever evolve to a Q. What do y ou think of the
Has Beans naturally adapted diet junk food macrobiotic diet?
Q. I have always thought of peas diet? Only if enough offspring die
A. This suite of diets, loosely
as a veg etable, now I am not so in childhood. Then those surviv-
based on traditional Japanese
sure, I heard they were a type of ors will possess genes 'fo r' junk
cooking, has a rationale that is
bean. Is this so? food. based on subjective meta-
physical5 criteri a rather than on
Even in the c urrent lamentable any scientific basis.
state of a dolescent eating habits, It is materialized in a diet that is
basically ve gan with an emphasis
3
2
the fruit or seed of leguminous plants (as on brown rice and vegetables. It
‘Tracing the Genetic History of Modern peas or beans) used for food avoids dairy and animal
Man’ ; Cavalli-Sforza, et al; The History 4
the edible seeds of various leguminous
and Geography of Human Genes ; crops (as peas, beans, or lentils) - both
Princeton University Press, 1994. Webster words well understood in many 5
relating to a reality beyond what is
areas but a complete mystery in others. perceptible to the senses. (Webster)
February 2001 The Bond Effect Newsletter page 4
products. It believes that cooking Q. What do you think about temperature- and light- controlled
vegetables is a good thing. microwave cooking? sheds – and fed not on grass, but
a sci entifically developed ‘feed’
While s ome people sometimes A. No problem. If you are going to maximize production. And of
feel better in the short run, this is to co ok, then a quick burst of course, pumped full of hormones
not surprising. They are microwaves is a lot better than and antibiotics to increase the
eliminating many foods from the most of the alternatives. milk ‘yield’ yet further.
diet (e.g. wheat, dairy , animal (December 1999)
fats) that make humans sic k in No. Milk of any source is not for
general. human consumption, but take pity
Sprouted Bread
on the poor cows , untimely ripped
But the emphasis o n a starchy Q. Is sprouted bread better than from their newborn calves, to
grain (rice) is already a major regular bread? provide this ghastly liquid for
lapse. It cooks its vegetables, misguided humans.
which is something we should A. Sprouting bread removes
keep to a minimum. It makes food most of t he wheat gluten. Net Sweet Stevia (cont.)
choices based on transcendental result, the glycemic index goes However, the US FDA has not
notions of ‘yi n’ and ’yang’ which up from 70 to 90. Even if you are yet approved Stevia as a sugar
may or may not correspond to gluten intolerant, avoid this bread substitute in processed food
the sorts of balances we are just like any other. although it can be sold as a
trying to achiev e with Natural (March 1999) dietary supplement,
Eating.
Hints & Tips Stevia megadoses on rats
The macrobiotic diet is seriously Eating Policing decrease d sperm counts and
flawed. It certainly does not Changing our eating habits is not increased cancers, depression,
corres pond to the Natural Eating easy. One of the techniques is to anxiety, and hyperactivity.
pattern. Avoid. keep detailed daily eating
records. Comment:
Common Questions Japanese manufacturers have
used stevia for over 30 years
Many questions come up over Do not be judgmental about this.
without noticeable ill effect.
and over again. Here is a This is not the purpose, and you
succinct summary of some of will only discourage yourself. The
Stevia has a ll the advantages of
the ones that have featured in purpose is not to make your feel
artificial sweeteners like
earlier ne wsletter (referred to in ‘bad’ or ‘guilty’.
Aspartame. Clearly, it can be
brackets).
Don’t get bogged down in detail. helpful in controlling the blood
Blood Group Diet Being consistent in your self- sugar stress that leads to
diabetes.
Q. What do you think a bout the monitoring is more important than
getting the exact weights right.
Blood Group Diet? It is unlikely that megadose-
Think of it as an information- induced diseases in rats
A. It is based on a fallacy – that gathering exercise. At the end of translate into minidose-induced
blood groups have arisen
the week you can c almly look at sickness in humans.
recently in human evolution. It’s
the patterns that are in there and
not the case – blood groups have
then work on the areas that you If you use stevia sparingly, it is
been around in our ancestors for surely no greater a threat to
will change the following week.
millions of years. health than other sweeteners.
One thing for sure, stevia is far
Is it wo rth doing? No. It does From Page One better than sugar.
nothing to address the serious Milk Machines (cont.)
errors in modern diets. Organic Food Ozymandias (cont.)
(September 1998) So where does or dinary milk Human Genetic Code
come from then? Cows kept in There must have been a
Microwave Cooking ‘bottleneck’ in the past (some
February 2001 The Bond Effect Newsletter page 5
200,000 y ears ago) when Comment:
humans were reduced down to These findings confirm the ideas Just do it – by any means at your
just a couple of hundred people. of famed ape researchers Jane disposal!
Goodall and Louis Leakey who in
DNA analy sis like this tells us that the 1960s predicted that, like Upcoming Events
our common ancestors were chimpanzees, our early
Contact us for further de tails, toll
found in a small, coherent group ancestors also foraged for free 1-888-240-3493
that burst out of tropical Africa termites. Indeed even chimpan- Visit us on the Web!
some 60,000 years ago zees are quite adept at using www.naturalea ter.com
twigs to probe for termites. So it Radio Talk Shows (USA)
• Humans have fa r fewer genes is not surprising that our They often com e up at short notice.
than expected at 30,000 to ancestors did the same at some These were known at the time of
40,000, c ompared to the round- time in the past. writing:
worm with 18,000 a nd the fruit Weds, February 21 st 3.30 pm
fly with 13,000. There is strong evidence that this Marshall Gilbert Show. Station
kind of nutrition was quite KNWZ, Palm Springs, 970 AM
It is a humbling thought that the important for human evolution. and 1140 AM
number of genes needed to But readers will be happy to know
describe a human is only double that humans have since lost the Sat, February 24 th 10.00 am
that needed to describe a ability to digest chitin, the scaly Naturally Speaking with Lisa
roundworm or a fruit fly. outside of insects – so insects Ensign. Statio n KGAM, Palm
are no longer considered an Springs. 1450 AM.
But when you think about it, essentia l part of the human diet.
these creatures have to be Seminars (USA):
variously equipped with nerves, Even so, many cultures still eat Thursday, March 1 st at 5.00 -
digestive s ystems, enzymes, insects, such as ants and 7.00 pm
muscles, hearts, eyes, brains locusts, on a regular basis. “Natural Eating”
and livers just like a human. It is Desert Hospital (Stergios
mostly the form and the volume Bleeding Time (cont.) Building), 1150 N. Indian Cyn.
that are different. Aspirin is present in tiny amounts Palm Springs. Reserv ations:
in much of the fruit we eat. It is 1-888-240 3493
Humans need extra genes to perhaps an important micro-
develop complex areas of the nutrient for humans. Seminars (UK):
brain, like those fo r language; Friday, March 30th at 7:00 –
and being long-lived, we need Just because a little is good, 9:00 pm
genes that build our complex cell does not mean that more is “The Bond Effect - Natural
repair and immune system. better. Eating” Ashtead, Surrey,
Information and Reservations:
Termites (cont.) Much healthier is to Eat Naturally 01372 279 617
Using computer image analysis and avoid the need for doses of
and sophisticated microscope aspirin in the first place!
techniques, scientists Backwell Porky Kids (cont.)
and d'Errico analyzed marks on 1 Comment:
million year old bone tools. It is a tra gedy that our children
are being co ndemned to a life of
Early hominids were also smart. disease and an early death, just
They were looking for a long, because we don’t sto p them
dagger-shaped bone to dig with -- getting fat.
not just any r andom shape. “That
reflects cognitive ability," It is such a serious matter that
Backwell said. we don’t even insist that your
Source: Proc eedings of the National children slim down the best way,
Academy of Science; January, 2001 by Natural Eating.