Today we’re here with Paul Jaminet, author of The Perfect Health Diet and the wildly-popular perfecthealthdiet.com. In this much-anticipated interview, we cover some serious ground: safe starches, intermittent fasting, the perfect diet for humans, and tons more.
Paul was kind enough to forward me the manuscript for the updated and expanded version of The Perfect Health Diet (due out in December). The new version is fantastic – perhaps my favorite book on the subject of nutrition (and very similar to the approach to nutrition I advocate). The Perfect Health Diet is incredibly well-researched, heady but readable, and – thankfully – is informed by the vanishing traditions of food preparation from various cultures across the world.
Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to hop on my soapbox for a moment.
Do Safe Starches Really Matter?
Watching the “safe starch” debate at The Ancestral Health Symposium was great fun. I nodded, I laughed, and I winced.
But let’s be real: there’s no need to attack Paul because he doesn’t pick the rice off his sushi.
When it comes to nutrition, 90% of the people out there are 90% wrong.
Sure, it’s tempting to bicker amongst ourselves about whether or not a white potato is “optimal,” but we should also remember that the vast majority of people washing down their low-fat whole wheat bagel with fortified orange juice thinking that it’s good for them.
That’s the low-hanging fruit, and it’s important that we go after the moronic misinformation in mainstream nutritional “thinking” and do our damnedest to change some minds. Our message of eating real food and avoiding Neolithic Frankenfoods – whether you’re Paleo, Primal, WAPF, low-carb, gluten-free, etc. is far more similar than different.
Let’s remember that if we want to take this mainstream, we need to band together and support each other to spread the message of health… even if that means admitting that it’s okay to eat a sweet potato from time to time.
After all, it is.
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Onto The Show
In today’s show, Paul and I cover:
- The skinny on the ever-controversial safe starch debate
- Why the perfect health diet is more Paleo than the Paleo Diet
- How antibiotics caused Paul to lose his mind (and later regain his wits)
- Why roots are more important than fruits to health, fat loss, and longevity
- Why protein powder, nutrition bars, and diet foods make you fat and sick
- Healthy approaches to intermittent fasting for men and women
- The issue of Neolithic decline
- And what you can learn from fat gorillas that eat biscuits
Listen by pressing the PLAY BUTTON below on the right.[audio:https://traffic.libsyn.com/fatburningman/33FBMPaulJaminet.mp3|titles=Paul Jaminet Author of The Perfect Health Diet](download link)
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There are few things better than the feeling of reassurance when it comes to diet and exercise. Your podcasts provides this and so much more. Thanks again, Abel.
I’m so glad! Thanks for stopping by.
Hey Abel and Paul,
Great interview. I listen to your show weekly and always find it informative. I can’t wait to get a copy of the new version of Paul Jaminet’s book.
Thanks Brian, the new version of the book is terrific. Glad you enjoy the show!
Love your pod casts. Another great one, thanks!
Abel,
Great information and great story about how Paul embarked on a self discovery mission after not getting the answers he needed from others. Love the show and can’t wait till they get released each week. Keep them coming!!!!
-Matt
Awesome, thanks for listening Matt!
I wonder if there will ever be a reconciliation between Jaminet’s views and those of Rosedale. Moreover, I wonder if many of the other low-carb experts will deign to read Jaminet’s book and blog. I was chagrined by Jimmy Moore’s post featuring such well-respected luminaries such as Dr. Uffe Ravnskov and Zoe Harcombe commenting on Jaminet’s views without having read a word of his writing.
Indeed. 0 carb vs. low-carb vs. high-carb are distinct issues; despite the fact that most of us agree, the bickering continues. I love Paul’s approach – it’s well-researched, confident, but open-minded.
I think it’s time to bring the fight to the mainstream… it’s the difference between 100 carbs a day and 500. Only one of those is in the ballpark.
Cheers,
Abel
Great interview, lots of useful information. I am always waiting and listening to your program every week. I decided to go on a diet for myself after finding too much harm from eating too much sugar and carbonated soft drinks.