The Genetic Diet

About the Book

After nearly half a century in family practice, I have written a book outlining a rationale for identifying the human animal as essentially carnivorous.  I have lectured to small groups suggesting that many of the ills of man could be traced to dietary indiscretion as he deviated from his genetically programmed feeding habits.  That many were impressed by my discussions served my vanity well but, most importantly, suggested that there could be a need for a concept with broad appeal in the lay community and could even stimulate some interest in academia.  I found supportive evidence for my views and conceived the idea that I could present to the public a feeding program which would, as closely as possible, be consistent with the feeding practices of our ancestors.  My interest in nutrition actually antedated my training in medicine when, as a student, I came upon the writings of Vilhjalmur Stefansson who preached carnivorosity, Roger Williams who espoused the concept of biochemical individuality, Marvin Harris who described the feeding behavior of the human in rational terms, and Reay Tannahill who explored the history of the feeding habits of humans.  

The major focus of the book is that we might avoid the "modern" diseases of degeneration, such as diabetes, arteriosclerosis, osteoporosis, arthritis, mental retardation and deterioration, obesity and other eating disorders, hyperlipidemia, anemia, vitamin deficiencies, and possibly tumors in general, by excluding certain dietary elements, so that we can grow old in the best of health.  Essentially I have indicated that it is my view, however "revolutionary," that dairy foods and grass seeds (grain) are to be avoided if it is possible for the human animal to feed otherwise.  I have attempted to compare feeding customs in our society to those of our primitive contemporaries, to those of our recent ancestors, and to those of our more remote ancestors.  With some exceptions, I have taken up the human as he existed after the last glacier, some ten to twelve-thousand years ago, and have followed him to the present.  The key elements of my discussion are:  genetic influences, carnivorosity, excessive consumption, and inappropriate choices.

Though I have mentioned some disorders specifically and others more generally, I have not made therapeutic recommendations directed toward particular diseases as others have done.  The book is therefore not intended to be a treatment manual.  I have provided no recipes, as others have done, so my book is not a cookbook.  I recognize that other books touch on many of the subjects I discuss, but none of these proposes that carnivorosity may be the ideal and that the use of other foods is a compromise at best.

The information presented has come from hundreds of sources, published over a period of at least a century in a wide variety of publications.  I list as "recommended reading" major sources of information which have served me well and may further enlighten the interested reader. I include a glossary of terms since, in many instances, my language may include terms unfamiliar to the average layman.  The book is primarily intended for the lay public but may also be of interest to students and practitioners of nutrition and will hopefully further their interest in the genetic origins of our nutritional requirements.  The following subjects are discussed:  

* Biochemical Individuality  * Our Primitive Ancestors * Contemporary Primitive Societies * Genetics & Ancestry * Nutrition, Malnutrition & Starvation * Food in General * Meat * Milk & Dairy Products * Breast Milk & Infant Feeding * Vegetarianism * Excess Consumption * Obesity * Diet & Disease * Particular Requirements * Activity & Exercise * Feeding the Brain * Health Foods, Junk Foods & Food Allergies * Adaptation, Ethnic Influences & Biblical Admonitions  * Carbohydrates *

About the Author

In 1957, at age 35, I found myself in fear of an early demise. As part of a research project, in a very early effort to predict the occurrence of heart disease in American males, physicians were asked to submit blood samples of randomly selected subjects. Among those I submitted was my own.