BOOK REVIEW: IT STARTS WITH FOOD
“Reactive foods are heavily linked to Inflammation, Leaky Gut Syndrome (Increased Intestinal Permeability), and pain. This is the natural cycle of all sorts of disease processes…. Again, the reason that these specific food groups are to be avoided is their penchant for reactivity. Reactivity causes Inflammation, illness and pain. There is no debating that those who have Autoimmune Diseases (or are headed down this pathway) will perform better physically and neurologically by cutting the most potentially reactive foods out of their diet.
By cutting these specific food groups listed, reactive people end up with less inflammation. Decreased amounts of Inflammation mean that there will be less Immune Response to things that the body should not be responding to.” Dr. Russell S. Schierling from a post on Veganism -vs- Paleo
One of my patients (PASTOR LARRY TUBBS) recently told me about a book that he was given called, It Starts With Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig. Larry had been dealing with severe NASAL CONGESTION to the point that not only was his breathing becoming almost impossible; the problem was so severe that it was giving him claustrophobia and panic attacks.
He and his wife were on a vacation not too long ago, and fortunately for him, someone had told him that following the advice in this book would change his life — and fix his congestion. Not only did he read the book, he was so captivated and motivated to change his health that he started the Whole 30 Program immediately after reading the book —- halfway through his vacation! Although Shirley probably thought it was crazy, she started the program right along with him.
What sorts of results did Larry and Shirley have? No more sinus congestion. He can breathe again normally. They both lost weight. They both have less joint pain. And that’s just for starters. When I saw him the other day, Larry was totally pumped —- enough so that he wanted me to read the book as well. It’s an excellent book that can benefit virtually anyone who follows its advice (THE PALEO DIET)! And as of 2017, is still the book I recommend people who would rather have a book than use my site.
My wife and I spent Saturday motorcycling past the area lakes (Bull Shoals, Beaver, Table Rock), then went to Eureka Springs, and then south on the “Pig Trail” (actually the ride home up 21 and then the area around the Boxley Area of the Buffalo River was better). Since I get up much earlier than any normal person should, I read the book early Sunday morning on the front porch of a cabin along the Arkansas River. I was so enthralled with the information the Hartwigs presented that I finished it in one sitting.
After getting sucked into my website and bouncing from blog post to blog post for hours on end, I have had many people suggest that I write a book. The thought has crossed my mind —- but after reading It Starts With Food, I feel that someone has already written my book. As I turned the pages, I honestly felt in many ways that I was reading a book that I had written.
The way they were promoting health and explaining to people why they were sick and how to turn the tables and get well, was, in many ways, almost verbatim what I have written extensively about on my website. The truth is, the Hartwigs got down to the ROOT OF PRACTICALLY ALL DISEASE with It Starts with Food —- the place where Chronic Pain and Chronic Inflammatory Degenerative Diseases live; as well as the solution for at least a great portion of people living with this wide range of health problems.
What did they talk about in It Starts with Food? They talked about things like…..
- How critical to your health it is to understand INFLAMMATION.
- ANTIBIOTICS and DYSBIOSIS.
- GUT HEALTH and LEAKY GUT SYNDROME as well as their relationship to AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES (MORE AUTOIMMUNITY).
- The concept of “GOOD BACTERIA” and the importance of them to your body’s immunity.
- Why it is important to CONTROL YOUR BLOOD SUGAR (even if your doctor thinks you are already doing a good job).
- The importance of WHOLE FOOD NUTRITION.
- A few of the various problems associated with not understanding what a healthy diet is —- PCOS, FIBROMYALGIA, THYROID, ADD / ADHD, MIGRAINE HEADACHES, ACID REFLUX, OBESITY, DIABETES, AUTISM, ASTHMA, ALLERGIES, DEPRESSION, and even Larry’s dual nemesis, CHRONIC COUGH / CHRONIC CONGESTION.
- The fact that the only way to successfully kick the SUGAR HABIT is by going cold turkey.
- Eating a LOW CARB / PALEO-LIKE diet being the root of good health.
- They wrote about GLUTEN and even talked in a round about way about GLUTEN CROSS REACTORS.
- Their entire program is about doing an ELIMINATION DIET.
- The incredibly inflammatory nature of virtually ALL GRAINS.
- Food additives such as MSG and ASPARTAME.
- The difference between GENETICS & EPIGENETICS.
- INFERTILITY / LOSS OF LIBIDO.
- CHOLESTEROL and STATIN DRUGS.
- The way people SUBSTITUTE SUGAR FOR MORE SUGAR.
- WEIGHT LOSS
- Many others
The bottom line is that if you are interested in getting lean and healthy, this book will benefit you. HERE and HERE are testimonials from a couple of our patients who have used It Starts With Food as the template for their dietary changes.
