The Paleo Diet Part 5

Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis As with every other disease of civilization, it is not the soluble fiber from fruits and vegetables that will reduce your digestive problems, but rather the entire diet. Dairy products, cereals, and yeast have been implicated time and again in the development of Crohn's disease, an inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Elemental diets (special liquid formulas without dairy, cereal, or yeast proteins) are the first line of defense physicians use in treating these patients. Amazingly, almost 80 percent of patients achieve complete remission while on elemental diets with absolutely no drug therapy. But there is a big problem here: hardly anyone can stay on a liquid diet forever. What would you rather do, drink a liquid diet or eat humanity's real foods-fruits, veggies, and lean meats?

One of our most powerful therapies to calm down the inflammation of both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (an inflammatory disease of the colon) is to prescribe fish oil capsules-an excellent source of omega 3 fats. Once again, we find that multiple elements in humanity's original diet complement one another to eliminate or prevent chronic illness. And it is our deviation from the three simple foods (fruits, vegetables, and lean meats) we are genetically adapted to eat that invariably causes us trouble and ill health.

Inflammatory Diseases Omega 3 fats are powerful weapons in other wars as well. Perhaps because of their anti-inflammatory properties, they may prevent cancer from developing. They are also extremely effective in calming down virtually all inflammatory diseases-illnesses that end in "itis," such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and gingivitis. These amazingly healthful fats can even reduce symptoms of certain autoimmune diseases: the combination of supplementing your diet with omega 3 fats and eliminating grains, dairy foods, legumes, potatoes, and yeast may substantially reduce the severity of symptoms of these diseases.

Autoimmune Diseases Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 (juvenile) diabetes develop when the body's immune system can't tell the difference between its own tissues and those of foreign invaders. The result: the body attacks itself. The type of disease depends on the nature of the body's a.s.sault: When the immune system invades and destroys nerve tissue, multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases develop. When the pancreas is the target, type 1 diabetes occurs. When joint tissues are attacked and destroyed, the result is rheumatoid arthritis.

All autoimmune diseases develop because of interactions between the genes and one or more environmental factors, such as a viral or bacterial infection or exposure to a certain food. No one knows exactly how viruses, bacteria, and foods can spark the disease in genetically susceptible people, but research from our laboratory increasingly implicates recently introduced Neolithic foods such as grains, legumes, dairy foods, potatoes, and other members of the nightshade family.

Many environmental agents have been suspected in the development of autoimmune diseases. But only one of these types has proved capable of causing a disease. Cereal grains-such as wheat, rye, barley, and oats-are responsible for celiac disease and dermat.i.tis herpetiformis. In celiac disease, the immune system attacks and destroys cells in the intestine, leading to diarrhea and many nutritional problems. In dermat.i.tis herpetiformis, the skin is attacked.

Withdrawal of all gluten-containing cereals causes complete remission of both diseases. Cereal grains, dairy products, and legumes are suspected in other autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. To date, no dietary intervention studies have been conducted to see whether Paleo diets-free of grains, dairy products, and legumes-can reduce the symptoms of these diseases. However, anecdotal reports from Canada show improvement in symptoms of multiple sclerosis patients following the Paleo Diet.

Lectins and Autoimmune Disease My research group and I have published a paper in the British Journal of Nutrition British Journal of Nutrition describing our theory that dairy foods, grains, legumes, and yeast may be partly to blame for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases in genetically susceptible people. Legumes and grains contain substances called lectins. These substances are proteins that plants have evolved to ward off insect predators. Lectins can bind with almost any tissue in our bodies and wreak havoc-if they can enter the body, that is. describing our theory that dairy foods, grains, legumes, and yeast may be partly to blame for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases in genetically susceptible people. Legumes and grains contain substances called lectins. These substances are proteins that plants have evolved to ward off insect predators. Lectins can bind with almost any tissue in our bodies and wreak havoc-if they can enter the body, that is.

Normally, when we eat food, all proteins are broken down into basic amino acid building blocks and then absorbed in the small intestine. Lectins are different. They are not digested and broken down; instead, they attach themselves to cells in our intestines, where nutrient absorption takes place. The lectins in wheat (WGA), kidney beans (PHA), soybeans (SBA), and peanuts (PNA) are known to increase intestinal permeability and allow partially digested food proteins and remnants of resident gut bacteria to spill into the bloodstream. (Alcohol and hot chili peppers also increase intestinal permeability.) Usually, special immune cells immediately gobble up these wayward bacteria and food proteins. But lectins are cellular Trojan horses. They make the intestines easier to penetrate, and they impair the immune system's ability to fight off food and bacterial fragments that leak into the bloodstream.

Surprisingly, we have found that many common gut bacteria fragments are made up of the same molecular building blocks as those found in certain immune system proteins and in the tissues under attack by the immune system. This matchup-of gut bacteria or food protein, immune system protein, and body tissue protein-may confuse the immune system, causing it to attack the body's own tissues. A number of research groups worldwide have found that milk, grain, legume, and nightshade proteins can also trick the immune system into attacking the body's own tissues by this process of molecular mimicry.

If you have an autoimmune disease, there is no guarantee that diet will cure it or even reduce your symptoms, but there is virtually no risk, and there are many other great benefits from the Paleo Diet that will improve your health.

Psychological Disorders One of the least known benefits of grain-free diets is their ability to improve mental well-being. My colleague Dr. Klaus Lorenz of Colorado State University has extensively studied how cereals may influence the development and progression of schizophrenia. In a wide-ranging review study, Dr. Lorenz concluded that in "populations eating little or no wheat, rye and barley, the prevalence of schizophrenia is quite low." Dr. Lorenz's a.n.a.lysis included the clinical studies by Dr. F. Curtis Dohan of the Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Inst.i.tute. In studies spanning almost twenty-five years, Dr. Dohan reported time and again that the symptoms of schizophrenia were reduced in patients on grain-and dairy-free diets but worsened when these foods were returned to the diet. Exactly why cereals may alter mood and mental well-being is not entirely clear. But several studies have shown that when wheat is digested, it contains a narcoticlike substance that may affect certain areas in the brain that influence behavior. Similar substances called "casomorphins" have been isolated from cow's milk; however, no one knows whether they can alter mood or behavior.

My colleague Joe Hibbeln at the National Inst.i.tutes of Health has demonstrated that omega 3 fats may be effective in reducing depression, hostility, schizophrenia, and other mental disorders. His finding was confirmed in a four-month study of thirty manic-depressive patients by Dr. Andrew Stoll of the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Dr. Stoll used medicine's most powerful study tool, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, to compare the efficacy of omega 3 fats versus olive oil for treatment of manic-depressive illness. According to Dr. Stoll and his colleagues, "for nearly every outcome measure, the omega 3 fatty acid group performed better than the placebo group." This work lends credence to a number of recent studies demonstrating that the symptoms of depression are much lower in people who eat a lot of fish (an excellent source of omega 3 fats).

The Paleo Diet will also improve your mental outlook because it normalizes your insulin level. Almost everyone knows that a low blood sugar level can make you feel tired, irritable, and tense. When you normalize your insulin level with low-glycemic carbohydrates and plenty of lean protein, your blood sugar level will be more even throughout the day and so will your mood.

Vitamin-Deficiency Diseases In the United States the common vitamin deficiency diseases (beriberi, pellagra, and rickets) were wiped out after World War II with the wide-scale fortification of our white flour and white rice with B vitamins and our milk and margarine with vitamin D. However, people living in less developed nations are not so lucky; these diseases still run rampant wherever diets are heavily based on cereals and legumes. It goes without saying that the world's primary vitamin deficiency diseases, including scurvy from a lack of vitamin C, are completely a result of agriculture's new foods. When you eat the way nature intended, you will protect yourself from all illnesses that develop from vitamin deficiencies.

Dental Cavities Nearly all archaeological studies of Paleolithic people's teeth show them to be almost completely free of cavities. How can this be when they never brushed, gargled with mouthwash, or flossed? The answer is simple: with their diet of lean meats, fruits, and veggies, cavities simply couldn't get a foothold. Historically speaking, cavities and tooth decay didn't start until the coming of agriculture and its starchy, sugary foods. Cavities are caused when acid produced by certain bacteria eats away part of the enamel of your tooth. These bacteria can't set up shop in your teeth unless there is a constant source of sugar or starch that fuels their acid production.

We can learn a lot from our teeth because any food that does so much damage to our teeth can't be very good for the rest of our bodies, either. Refined sugars and starches are foreign substances to our Paleolithic bodies. We simply haven't had time to adapt to agriculture's new foods. We are best designed to run on the foods nature provided: lean meats, fruits, and veggies.

Alcoholism Alcohol-and its enormous potential for abuse-was not part of the preagricultural equation. No alcoholic beverage has ever been linked to Paleolithic people, although it would have been possible to make alcoholic drinks from gathered honey (mead) or berries (wine) by natural fermentation. It wasn't until the Agricultural Revolution, with its abundance of starchy grains, that the first beers were brewed on a regular basis. Quite a bit later came wine, made from fermented grapes. (Because beer and wine are yeast fermentation by-products, they do not contain more than about 6 to 13 percent alcohol; the alcohol-producing yeast organisms die when the alcohol concentration rises above this level.) Hard liquor didn't come on the scene until about 800 A.D., with the invention of distillation.

In most Western countries, moderate consumption (five to ten drinks per week) of alcohol is not considered detrimental to health; in fact, it has been a.s.sociated with a reduced risk of dying from all combined causes of death. Moderate alcohol consumption also may improve your insulin sensitivity and is a.s.sociated with a reduced risk of other chronic diseases.

Does this mean you should take up drinking to improve your health? Absolutely not. You don't need alcohol to obtain the health and weight-loss benefits of the Paleo Diet. However, if you currently enjoy an occasional gla.s.s of wine, there is no need to forgo this pleasure. Consumption of alcoholic beverages a few times a week won't hurt your health, nor will it slow your weight loss. However, if you suffer from an autoimmune disease or another serious health problem, alcoholic beverages should not be part of your dietary equation.

Skin Cancers Skin cancers come in three basic varieties: * Squamous cell Squamous cell cancers, which form on the top layers of the skin cancers, which form on the top layers of the skin* Basal cell Basal cell cancers, which form on the bottom layers of the skin cancers, which form on the bottom layers of the skin* Melanomas, Melanomas, which form within the skin's pigment-producing cells, the melanocytes which form within the skin's pigment-producing cells, the melanocytes The American Cancer Society estimated that 2 million Americans would develop the first two types of skin cancer in the year 2010. These cancers grow slowly, rarely spread to other areas of the body, and are easily curable by early removal. An estimated 69,000 Americans were expected to develop melanoma in 2009. If detected early and surgically removed before they spread to other parts of the body, melanomas are highly curable, with 95 out of 100 people alive five years after diagnosis. But if melanomas spread to the rest of the body, they can be deadly; the five-year survival rate drops drastically, to 16 out of 100.

Scientists know that excessive sunlight exposure is linked to all three cancers. But this does not mean you should avoid sunlight in any amount. Here again, the experience of our hunter-gatherer ancestors proves helpful. Ironically, many studies have shown that people with high lifetime sunlight exposure (similar to that of hunter-gatherers) have lower rates of melanoma than those with low sunlight exposure. Also, indoor workers have a greater risk of developing melanoma than outdoor workers do. Even more puzzling, melanomas often arise in body areas that are infrequently or intermittently exposed to the sun. These unexpected findings have led researchers to believe that severe sunburn during childhood, or intense burns in body areas that are infrequently or intermittently exposed to the sun, may be more important in the development of melanoma than c.u.mulative exposure during adulthood.

When your exposure to sunlight is gradual, moderate, and continuous-if you don't get excessive sunburn-your body responds in a manner guided by evolutionary wisdom. The skin begins to tan from increased production of melanin, and the darkened skin provides protection from the sunlight's damaging ultraviolet rays. Also, vitamin D levels in the blood begin to rise as ultraviolet light strikes the skin, causing it to convert cholesterol into vitamin D.

Vitamin D is a potent inhibitor of the cancer-causing process. In fact, vitamin D has been shown to prevent the growth of melanomas in experimental animals and cultured tissue lines.

An unexpected bonus of vitamin D is that it may also be one of our most important allies in the war against prostate, breast, and colon cancers. Evidence from population studies confirms that people with the greatest lifetime sun exposures have the lowest rates of these cancers.

Skin cancer is a complex disease, with several factors influencing its ultimate course. In laboratory animals, scientists have found that excessive omega 6 fats promote the development of skin cancer-but omega 3 fats slow it down. Furthermore, antioxidants like beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E tend to prevent the sun's ultraviolet damage to the skin. You can get these same dietary advantages when you adopt the dietary principles I have laid out in the Paleo Diet. (Note: As with many of the diseases we have discussed, proper diet reduces your risk of developing some types of skin cancer, but it cannot completely prevent it.) Exposure to sunlight is natural for human beings. It is part of our evolutionary heritage. Without sunlight, it is virtually impossible to achieve an adequate intake of vitamin D from the natural foods that were available to our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Our food supply has been a significant source of vitamin D for a very short time-less than a century, when dairy producers began adding it to milk and, later, margarine. Sunlight exposure is healthy as long as it occurs in a slow, gradual, and limited dose over the course of a lifetime.

As you have seen, the Paleo Diet will not only help you get thin; it will also help prevent and treat a broad range of diseases. The Paleo Diet is good medicine!

PART THREE.

The Paleo Diet Program

7.

Eating Great: What to Eat, What to Avoid Now that I've talked about why the Paleo Diet is the diet nature intended, let's get down to specifics: how do you get started?

This is the best part-it's so easy. You don't have to balance food blocks, weigh portions, keep a food log, or count calories. As I've shown, the basic guidelines of the Paleo Diet are very simple : all the lean meats, poultry, fish, seafood, fruits (except dried fruits), and vegetables (except starchy tubers-primarily, potatoes) you can eat. Because the mainstay of the Paleo Diet is high-quality, low-fat protein, you won't need to feel guilty about eating lean meat, fish, or seafood at every meal. This is exactly what you should should be doing, along with as many low-glycemic fruits and veggies as you want. be doing, along with as many low-glycemic fruits and veggies as you want.

You're about to embark on a diet of enormous and bountiful diversity, fully backed by thousands of clinical nutrition trials and-most important-by 2.5 million years of evolutionary experience. What do you get in return? If you follow the simple nutritional guidelines laid out in this chapter and spelled out in the next two chapters with tempting meal plans and delicious, easy recipes, you will lose weight; reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases; and feel energized all day long. And unlike with almost every other diet you can think of, you won't feel hungry all the time. you won't feel hungry all the time. You will feel good on this diet, You will feel good on this diet, because this is the only diet that is consistent with your genetic makeup. because this is the only diet that is consistent with your genetic makeup.

By imitating the diets of our Paleolithic ancestors with foods you can buy at the supermarket or grow in your own garden, you'll be able to reap the health benefits that are your genetic heritage-freedom from obesity, a high energy level, and excellent health.

It is not possible for us to duplicate precisely all the foods that our ancient ancestors ate. Many of these foods no longer exist-such as the mammoth-or they're unavailable commercially, or they just aren't palatable, given our modern tastes and cultural traditions. However, most of the advantages and benefits of the Paleo Diet can easily be obtained from common foods following the general nutritional guidelines observed by our Paleolithic ancestors.

Making the Diet Work for You It isn't easy to change the habits of a lifetime, and you don't have to do it overnight. You can ease the transition by adopting the three levels of the Paleo Diet. The levels are based on the concept that what you do occasionally won't harm the overall good of what you do most of the time. Does this mean you can cheat? Yes-sometimes. Occasional cheating and digressions may be just what you need to help you stick to the diet the rest of the time, and they won't sidetrack the weight loss and health effects of this diet.

Getting Enough of the Right Foods As I discussed earlier, there was no single Paleo diet. Our ancient ancestors made the most of their environment wherever they happened to be. For example, the Inuit people were able to live healthy lives, free of chronic diseases, on a diet that derived at least 97 percent of its energy from animal foods. At the other end of the spectrum were groups like the !Kung in Africa, who obtained 65 percent of their daily calories from plant foods (chiefly the mongongo nut). However, most Paleolithic groups fell somewhere in between, with animal foods generally making up around 55-60 percent of the daily caloric intake. On the Paleo Diet, you should attempt to get a little more than half of your calories from lean meat, organ meats, fish, sh.e.l.lfish, and poultry and the rest from plant foods.

Let's take a look at the wonderful, diverse foods that you can eat in unlimited quant.i.ties.

Meats The key word here is "lean." Of course, this includes chicken and fish. But many people are surprised to find that red meat-beef and pork-organ meats, and game meats are also on the list. How can this be? Because, as I discussed earlier, the Paleo Diet is not a fat-free diet, it's a bad fat-free diet. the Paleo Diet is not a fat-free diet, it's a bad fat-free diet. As long as the meat is lean, you can eat your fill. Another noteworthy aspect of the meats available on this diet is their great variety. This is a common response as people begin this diet: "I was in a rut before-hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza. Now I'm planning my meals around all kinds of meats-some I had never tried before, some I'd never even heard of." As long as the meat is lean, you can eat your fill. Another noteworthy aspect of the meats available on this diet is their great variety. This is a common response as people begin this diet: "I was in a rut before-hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza. Now I'm planning my meals around all kinds of meats-some I had never tried before, some I'd never even heard of."

In order to get enough protein and calories, you should eat animal food at almost every meal. You can't just eat animal food, however. You must eat fruits and vegetables, too. Here's why: if protein-dense, extremely lean meats and seafood are your main sources of calories, you will get sick-with nausea, diarrhea, and weakness-because your body can't handle this much undiluted protein without something else, either fat or carbohydrates. As we discussed earlier, early Arctic explorers, trappers, and frontiersmen who had no choice but to eat the fat-depleted meat of game animals in the dregs of winter rapidly developed these same symptoms, frequently referred to as "rabbit starvation" or protein toxicity.

The problem, as shown in Dr. Daniel Rudman's laboratory at Emory University in Atlanta, is that the liver can't effectively eliminate the nitrogen caused by the protein overload. For most people, the dietary protein ceiling is 200 to 300 grams a day, or about 30 to 40 percent of the normal daily caloric intake.

On the other hand, eating too many fatty meats can wipe out any health benefits that eating high levels of protein will help you achieve. Paleolithic people couldn't eat fatty meats if they tried-they had nothing like the tubby grain-fed animals that produce our steaks today. Wild game meat contains about 15 to 20 percent of its calories as fat. A lean cut of beef trimmed of all visible fat contains more than double this amount (35 to 40 percent fat). And certain fatty cuts of meats may contain 65 to 80 percent fat.

FAT AND PROTEIN CONTENT (PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL CALORIES OF MEAT AND FISH).

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Not only is the total amount of fat higher in commonly consumed fatty meats-such as hamburger, T-bone steak, hot dogs, and lamb chops-than that found in fish and game meat, but the types types of fat are also quite different. Because most commercially available beef has been feedlot-fattened (mainly with corn and sorghum), it contains low levels of omega 3 fats and high levels of omega 6 fats. This is the wrong mix. When eaten in excess, omega 6 fats are harmful, while omega 3 fats are greatly beneficial. The average Western diet is burdened by high levels of omega 6 fats-which can promote the development of heart disease in many ways. The meats, fish, and seafood you'll be eating on the Paleo Diet are low in fat and high in protein, and they contain the correct balance of omega 3 and omega 6 fats. of fat are also quite different. Because most commercially available beef has been feedlot-fattened (mainly with corn and sorghum), it contains low levels of omega 3 fats and high levels of omega 6 fats. This is the wrong mix. When eaten in excess, omega 6 fats are harmful, while omega 3 fats are greatly beneficial. The average Western diet is burdened by high levels of omega 6 fats-which can promote the development of heart disease in many ways. The meats, fish, and seafood you'll be eating on the Paleo Diet are low in fat and high in protein, and they contain the correct balance of omega 3 and omega 6 fats.

What about eggs? Eggs are a relatively high-fat food (62 percent fat, 34 percent protein). Eating too many eggs can promote weight gain and increase blood cholesterol levels. There is no doubt that Paleolithic people would have eaten wild bird eggs whenever they found them. But this wasn't that often. Wild eggs always would have been a seasonal food and would not have been eaten every day. Also, wild bird eggs are nutritionally different from domesticated chicken eggs; they have higher levels of beneficial omega 3 fat and lower levels of certain saturated fats. You should also buy eggs enriched with omega 3 fats. Eggs are a relatively high-fat food (62 percent fat, 34 percent protein). Eating too many eggs can promote weight gain and increase blood cholesterol levels. There is no doubt that Paleolithic people would have eaten wild bird eggs whenever they found them. But this wasn't that often. Wild eggs always would have been a seasonal food and would not have been eaten every day. Also, wild bird eggs are nutritionally different from domesticated chicken eggs; they have higher levels of beneficial omega 3 fat and lower levels of certain saturated fats. You should also buy eggs enriched with omega 3 fats.

The high protein of the Paleo Diet is the key to many of its weight-loss benefits. Protein helps you lose weight faster by boosting your metabolism while simultaneously blunting your hunger. And while this is happening, low-fat protein is improving your blood lipid and cholesterol levels, as studies from Dr. Bernard Wolfe's laboratory at the University of Western Ontario have confirmed. Low-fat protein also prevents blood sugar swings and reduces the risk of hypertension, stroke, heart disease, and certain cancers.

Salmon for breakfast? Breakfast is one part of the Paleo Diet that may seem a bit strange at first. In Western countries, breakfast is usually a high-carbohydrate affair, featuring a cereal product (bagel, sweet roll, b.u.t.tered bread, packaged cereal with milk, oatmeal), coffee or fruit juice, and a piece of fruit. The other common option is the high-fat, "stick to your ribs" breakfast-bacon, sausage, ham, eggs, omelets, hash-brown potatoes, and occasionally steak or pork chops. Breakfast is one part of the Paleo Diet that may seem a bit strange at first. In Western countries, breakfast is usually a high-carbohydrate affair, featuring a cereal product (bagel, sweet roll, b.u.t.tered bread, packaged cereal with milk, oatmeal), coffee or fruit juice, and a piece of fruit. The other common option is the high-fat, "stick to your ribs" breakfast-bacon, sausage, ham, eggs, omelets, hash-brown potatoes, and occasionally steak or pork chops.

Salmon steak and chicken breast aren't on very many breakfast menus. And yet studies indicate that for Paleolithic people, the morning meal was high in protein, was low in carbohydrates and fat, and probably contained "leftovers" from the animal that was killed the day before. A common breakfast on the Paleo Diet, then, might be a cold salmon steak or cold crab (left over from last night's supper) and half a cantaloupe. So go ahead-try fish or meat first thing in the morning. You'll soon find yourself looking trimmer and feeling fitter right at the start of the day.

What to Eat?

Here are the specifics of the Paleo Diet. We'll start with domestic meats. Eat as much as you want for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Cook the meats simply, without too much added fat-broiling, baking, roasting, sauteing, or browning, then pouring off excess liquid fat, or stir-frying over high heat with a little olive oil (but never deep-fat frying).

Lean Meats Lean beef (trimmed of visible fat) * Flank steak * Flank steak* Top sirloin steak* Extra-lean hamburger (no more than 7 percent fat, extra fat drained off)* London broil* Chuck steak* Lean veal* Any other lean cut Lean pork (trimmed of visible fat) * Pork loin * Pork loin* Pork chops* Any other lean cut Lean poultry (white meat, skin removed) * Chicken breast * Chicken breast* Turkey breast* Game hen breast Eggs (limit to six to twelve a week) * Chicken (go for the enriched omega 3 variety) * Chicken (go for the enriched omega 3 variety)* Duck* Goose Other meats * Rabbit meat (any cut) * Rabbit meat (any cut)* Goat meat (any cut) Organ meats * Beef, lamb, pork, and chicken livers * Beef, lamb, pork, and chicken livers* Beef, pork, and lamb tongues* Beef, lamb, and pork marrow* Beef, lamb, and pork "sweetbreads"

Next, more exotic fare. You may hunt your own or buy locally or via mail order. For a list of exotic-meat suppliers, see chapter 8.

Game meat * Alligator * Alligator* Bear* Bison (buffalo)* Caribou* Elk* Emu* Goose* Kangaroo* Muscovy duck* New Zealand cervena deer* Ostrich* Pheasant* Quail* Rattlesnake* Reindeer* Squab* Turtle* Venison* Wild boar* Wild turkey Fish * Ba.s.s * Ba.s.s* Bluefish* Cod* Drum* Eel* Flatfish* Grouper* Haddock* Halibut* Herring* Mackerel* Monkfish* Mullet* Northern pike* Orange roughy* Perch* Red snapper* Rockfish* Salmon* Scrod* Shark* Striped ba.s.s* Sunfish* Tilapia* Trout* Tuna* Turbot* Walleye* Any other commercially available fish Sh.e.l.lfish * Abalone * Abalone* Clams* Crab* Crayfish* Lobster* Mussels* Oysters* Scallops* Shrimp Fruits and Vegetables It's not easy to get 50 percent of your daily calories from fruits and vegetables because of the high bulk and low caloric density of fruits and salad vegetables. On an average 2,200-calorie diet, you'd have to eat more than 5 pounds of fruits and vegetables a day. Most people are simply unwilling or physiologically unable to consume this much plant food; there is a limit to how much fiber the human gut can hold. However, some plant foods, such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil, are rich in healthful fats. Eating these in moderate amounts will help you get the calories you need for a balanced diet.

Unless you are severely overweight or obese, you should not worry about how many fresh fruits you eat on the Paleo Diet. Only people with signs and symptoms of metabolic syndrome need to limit consumption of fresh fruits. High-sugar fruits like grapes, bananas, cherries, and mangos should be limited for obese patients or those with signs and symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Low-sugar fruits like berries and melons represent no problems. Check out my Web site: www.thepaleodiet.com/nutritional_tools/fruits_table.html to see a list of fruits that are low in sugars. to see a list of fruits that are low in sugars.

Nuts are rich in calories. If you are trying to lose weight, you should eat only about 4 ounces of them a day. Also, except for walnuts, almost all nuts have high levels of omega 6 fats, and if eaten excessively, they can unbalance the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fats in your diet.

For ideal health, then, you should eat fruits and vegetables with every meal, along with moderate amounts of nuts, avocados, seeds, and healthful oils (flaxseed and olive). However, just because it's a vegetable doesn't mean it's good-or that it's on the list below. High-carbohydrate, starchy tubers like potatoes are restricted on the Paleo Diet. Also, dried fruit should be eaten only in small amounts because it, too, can produce a high glycemic load (causing a rapid increase in the blood glucose level), particularly when you eat too much of it. When you're hungry or in doubt, start with a high-protein, low-fat food. Remember, lean protein is the most effective nutrient in reducing your appet.i.te and boosting your metabolism to help you burn stored fat.

Fruits * Apple * Apple* Apricot* Avocado* Banana* Blackberries* Blueberries* Boysenberries* Cantaloupe* Carambola* Ca.s.sava melon* Cherimoya* Cherries * Cranberries * Cranberries* Figs* Gooseberries* Grapefruit* Guava* Grapes* Honeydew melon* Kiwi* Lemon* Lime* Lychee* Mango* Nectarine* Orange* Papaya* Pa.s.sion fruit* Peaches* Pears* Persimmon* Pineapple* Plums* Pomegranate* Raspberries* Rhubarb* Star fruit* Strawberries* Tangerine* Watermelon* All other fruits Vegetables 1 1 * Artichoke * Artichoke* Asparagus* Beet greens* Beets* Bell peppers* Broccoli* Brussels sprouts* Cabbage* Carrots* Cauliflower* Celery* Collards* Cuc.u.mber* Dandelion* Eggplant* Endive* Green onions* Kale* Kohlrabi* Lettuce* Mushrooms* Mustard greens* Onions* Parsley* Parsnip* Peppers (all kinds)* Pumpkin* Purslane* Radish* Rutabaga* Seaweed* Spinach* Squash (all kinds)* Swiss chard* Tomatillos* Tomato (actually a fruit, but most people think of it as a vegetable)* Turnip greens* Turnips* Watercress Nuts and Seeds Nuts are rich sources of monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats tend to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease and may also reduce the risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer. However, because nuts and seeds are such concentrated sources of fat, they have the potential to slow down weight loss, particularly if you're overweight. Again, if you are actively losing weight, you should eat no more than 4 ounces of nuts and seeds a day. Once your metabolism has increased and you've reached your desired weight, you can eat more nuts, particularly walnuts, which have a favorable omega 6 to omega 3 ratio. Note: Peanuts are legumes, not nuts, and are not on the list. Peanuts are legumes, not nuts, and are not on the list.

* Almonds* Brazil nuts* Cashews* Chestnuts* Hazelnuts (filberts)* Macadamia nuts* Pecans* Pine nuts* Pistachios (unsalted)* Pumpkin seeds* Sesame seeds* Sunflower seeds* Walnuts Foods You Can Eat in Moderation Some people are surprised to find alcohol in this next category. There is no evidence to suggest that our Paleolithic ancestors drank any form of alcoholic beverage. And it's abundantly clear, in our own day, that abuse of alcohol-in addition to causing a host of serious behavioral and social problems-can impair your health, damage your liver, and increase your risk of developing many cancers. However, if you currently drink in moderation-if you enjoy an occasional beer or gla.s.s of wine-there's no need to give up this pleasure on the Paleo Diet. In fact, numerous scientific studies suggest that moderate alcohol consumption significantly reduces the risk of dying from heart disease and other illnesses. Wine in particular, when consumed in moderation, has been shown to have many beneficial health effects. A gla.s.s of wine before or during dinner may help improve your insulin sensitivity and reduce your appet.i.te. Wine is also an appetizing, salt-free ingredient that adds flavor to many meat and vegetable dishes. Note: If you have an autoimmune disease, you should avoid alcoholic beverages and other yeast-containing foods. (For more information, see chapter 6.)

Oils * Olive, avocado, walnut, and flaxseed oils (use in moderation-4 tablespoons or less a day when weight loss is of primary importance) * Olive, avocado, walnut, and flaxseed oils (use in moderation-4 tablespoons or less a day when weight loss is of primary importance) Beverages * Diet sodas (These often contain artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharine, which may be harmful; you're better off drinking bottled and mineral waters.) * Diet sodas (These often contain artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharine, which may be harmful; you're better off drinking bottled and mineral waters.)* Coffee* Tea* Wine (two 4-ounce gla.s.ses. Note: Don't buy "cooking wine," which is loaded with salt.)* Beer (one 12-ounce serving)* Spirits (4 ounces) Paleo Sweets * Dried fruits (no more than 2 ounces a day, particularly if you are trying to lose weight) * Dried fruits (no more than 2 ounces a day, particularly if you are trying to lose weight)* Nuts mixed with dried and fresh fruits (no more than 4 ounces of nuts and 2 ounces of dried fruit a day, particularly if you are trying to lose weight) Foods You Should Avoid I've spent a lot of time talking about why the foods in this next category should not be part of your diet. (You don't have to stop cold turkey, though; you can gradually wean them from your diet, as I'll discuss below.) Except for honey, refined sugars were nonexistent in Paleo diets; so were dairy products and excess salt. Almost all processed food is a mix of three or four of the following: sugar, some form of starch (wheat, potatoes, corn, rice), fat or oil, dairy products, salt, and flavorings. Because most processed foods are made with refined grains, starches, and sugars, they are high-glycemic items and can cause large swings in blood sugar levels. Most modern cereal- and sugar-based processed foods adversely affect insulin metabolism and are a.s.sociated with a greater risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other chronic health problems.

Just because these foods are not part of the diet, you don't have to banish them from your life forever. But you should try to avoid them most of the time.

Dairy Foods * All processed foods made with any dairy products * All processed foods made with any dairy products* b.u.t.ter* Cheese* Cream* Dairy spreads* Frozen yogurt* Ice cream* Ice milk* Low-fat milk* Nonfat dairy creamer* Powdered milk* Skim milk* Whole milk* Yogurt Cereal Grains * Barley (barley soup, barley bread, and all processed foods made with barley) * Barley (barley soup, barley bread, and all processed foods made with barley)* Corn (corn on the cob, corn tortillas, corn chips, cornstarch, corn syrup)* Millet* Oats (steel-cut oats, rolled oats, and all processed foods made with oats)* Rice (brown rice, white rice, ramen, rice noodles, basmati rice, rice cakes, rice flour, and all processed foods made with rice)* Rye (rye bread, rye crackers, and all processed foods made with rye)* Sorghum* Wheat (bread, rolls, m.u.f.fins, noodles, crackers, cookies, cake, doughnuts, pancakes, waffles, pasta, spaghetti, lasagna, wheat tortillas, pizza, pita bread, flat bread, and all processed foods made with wheat or wheat flour)* Wild rice Cereal-Grainlike Seeds * Amaranth * Amaranth* Buckwheat* Quinoa Legumes * All beans (adzuki beans, black beans, broad beans, fava beans, field beans, garbanzo beans, horse beans, kidney beans, lima beans, mung beans, navy beans, pinto beans, red beans, string beans, white beans) * All beans (adzuki beans, black beans, broad beans, fava beans, field beans, garbanzo beans, horse beans, kidney beans, lima beans, mung beans, navy beans, pinto beans, red beans, string beans, white beans)* Black-eyed peas* Chickpeas* Lentils* Peas* Peanut b.u.t.ter* Peanuts* Snow peas* Sugar snap peas* Soybeans and all soybean products, including tofu Starchy Vegetables * Starchy tubers * Starchy tubers* Ca.s.sava root* Manioc* Potatoes and all potato products (French fries, potato chips, etc.)* Sweet potatoes* Tapioca pudding* Yams Salt-Containing Foods * Almost all commercial salad dressings and condiments * Almost all commercial salad dressings and condiments* Bacon* Cheese* Deli meats* Frankfurters* Ham* Hot dogs* Ketchup* Olives* Pickled foods* Pork rinds* Processed meats* Salami* Salted nuts* Salted spices* Sausages* Smoked, dried, and salted fish and meat* Virtually all canned meats and fish (unless they are unsalted or unless you soak and drain them) Fatty Meats * Bacon * Bacon* Bacon bits* Bologna* Breakfast sausage* Chicken and turkey skin* Chicken wings* Deli meats* Fatty lamb chops* Fatty pork chops* Pepperoni* Pork sausage* Salami* Spam Soft Drinks and Fruit Juices * All sugary soft drinks * All sugary soft drinks* Canned, bottled, and freshly squeezed fruit drinks (which lack the fiber of fresh fruit and have a much higher glycemic index) Sweets * Candy * Candy* Honey* Sugars As you can see, there's a bounty of wonderful foods you can eat on the Paleo Diet, so you'll never get bored. Use your imagination and have fun with these delicious foods.

8.

The Paleo Diet User's Manual Stocking Your Refrigerator and Pantry You know those diets where you have to buy their food, their food, in in their packaging, their packaging, at at their stores their stores? This is different. You don't need to buy any special foods to follow the Paleo Diet. Just about everything you need is right in your local supermarket-particularly if it has a health food section. Even if you live in a rural area, the basics of the diet-lean meats, fish, fresh fruits, and vegetables-can be found in small grocery stores. If you choose, you can order specialty oils and game meats through the mail (some suppliers are listed below). But you don't need anything out of the ordinary to get started.

Look for Lean Meats The mainstay of the Paleo Diet is lean animal foods. Always choose the leanest cut of meat you can find.

Beef If you can get it-it might be at the butcher's counter, not out in the main meat aisle-"range-fed" is better than grain-fed beef because it's leaner, and it has a better ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids. Note: The words "natural beef" are no guarantee that the animal hasn't been fattened with grains (or pumped full of antibiotics, for that matter); check with your butcher. A simple visual inspection of the fat on any cut of meat lets you know if the animal was raised on pasture or on grains. Pasture-produced meat has fat that is orange to dark yellow in color, whereas grain-produced meat has fat that appears white.

Poultry "Free-range" chickens are almost always better than broiler chickens, because-like range-fed beef-they're not as fat. Here, too, the natural foraging diet (of insects, worms, and wild plants) guarantees a healthful ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids. Free-range chickens can be found in many upscale or health-oriented supermarkets.

Turkey Turkey breast is one of the best and cheapest sources of very lean meat-it's even leaner than most game meat-and fortunately, it's available almost everywhere. Tip: Before you cook very lean domestic meats, rub them with olive oil. This will add flavor and help keep them moist during cooking. Tip: Before you cook very lean domestic meats, rub them with olive oil. This will add flavor and help keep them moist during cooking.

Pork Some pork is even leaner than chicken. even leaner than chicken. Lean pork tenderloin, for instance, has 28 percent fat compared to skinless chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s at 37 percent. Naturally grown pork-similar to free-range chickens-is leaner, too. Lean pork tenderloin, for instance, has 28 percent fat compared to skinless chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s at 37 percent. Naturally grown pork-similar to free-range chickens-is leaner, too.

Other Choices What about organ meats? Many people mistakenly think organ meats are fatty. Organ meats are low in fat and are rich sources of vitamins, minerals, and omega 3 fat. Bone marrow is another overlooked food that's seldom eaten in the United States but is considered a delicacy in Europe. Even though it contains about 80 percent fat by weight, almost 75 percent of the fat is monounsaturated-which means that marrow is a good fat that won't raise your cholesterol.

As for lamb, if you can find gra.s.s-fed, free-range meat, go for it. The type of lamb produced in Australia and New Zealand is leaner than American grain-fed lamb and contains more healthful omega 3 fats. Remember, leaner, gra.s.s-produced meat is the key to making this lifelong nutrition plan work for you.

One of the best online resources for locating healthy, naturally produced, gra.s.s-fed meats is my friend and colleague Jo Robinson's Eatwild Web site: www.eatwild.com. Jo's Web site is an incredible cornucopia of information that will help you locate a reliable producer of gra.s.s-fed, natural meat in your local region. Eatwild's Directory of Farms lists more than 1,300 pasture-based farms, with more farms being added regularly. It is the most comprehensive source for gra.s.s-fed meat in the United States and Canada. For your convenience, Jo provides customers with contact information of suppliers who will ship their products to you.

Wild Game Meat-at a Gourmet Store Near You In the United States, it's illegal to harvest wild game meat for commercial use. This means that the game meat you can buy from specialty suppliers (some are listed below) didn't come from the wild, but from a ranch or a farm-where these animals graze freely in large fenced or open areas. Most game animals are raised in free-range conditions. Like its wild counterpart, this game meat is quite low in fat and maintains a healthful balance of omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids.

You can find buffalo and sometimes rabbit meat in many supermarkets-especially the upscale or health-oriented ones-and more exotic fare in specialty meat and butcher shops. Your local butcher may be able to order game meat as well, but be prepared-it isn't cheap. If you are a hunter (or if you know someone who is, who would be willing to help out), you can save a lot of money by acquiring wild meat yourself.

Like all very lean meat, game meat is a bit tricky to cook. It's also easy to ruin so that it loses its texture and appeal.

It also helps to rub the meat thoroughly with olive oil before cooking and keep basting it as it cooks. If you grill game meat, keep it on the rare side, baste it often with olive oil or marinades, and it will be tender.

The secret to making game tender-and not rubbery or leathery-is to cook it very slowly over low heat in a covered dish with a bit of water If you've never tasted game meat, you may be in for a big surprise. Some game meats, like buffalo and elk, taste a lot like lean beef, but with a sweeter, richer flavor. Others, like antelope or sage hen, can have a distinctively pungent flavor-the telltale "gamey" taste. This gamey flavor is actually a good sign; it results from the increased levels of omega 3 fats in the meat, plus various wild plants in the animal's diet. It also indicates that the game meat you're eating is healthy, with a good balance of omega 6 and omega 3 fats. If you're not used to game meat's distinctive flavors-or if you never want to get used to it-overnight marinating can do wonders.

Here are some mail-order suppliers that specialize in the sale of game meat: Game Sales International P.O. Box 7719 Loveland, CO 80537 Phone: (800) 729-2090 Fax: (970) 669-9041 www.gamesalesintl.com Exotic Meat Market 130 Walnut Avenue, Unit A-18 Perris, CA 92571 Phone: (951) 345-4623 http://exoticmeatmarket.com Hills Foods Ltd.

Unit 130 Glacier Street Coquitlam, British Columbia Canada V3K 5Z6 Phone: (604) 472-1500 www.hillsfoods.com Grande Natural Meat P.O. Box 10 Del Norte, Colorado 81132 Phone: (888) 338-4581 www.elkusa.com Mount Royal Game Meat 3902 N. Main Houston, TX 77009 Phone: (800) 730-3337 www.mountroyal.com Polarica (West Coast) 105 Quint Street San Francisco, CA 94124 Phone: (800) 426-3872 www.polarica.com Broken Arrow Ranch 3296 Junction Highway Ingram, TX 78025 Phone: (800) 962-4263 www.brokenarrowranch.com Exotic Meats USA 1330 Capita Blvd.

Reno, NV 89502 Phone: (800) 444-5687 www.exoticmeatsandmore.com Southern Game Meat (Kangaroo) Unit 1/5 Stanton Road Seven Hills NSW 2147 Australia Phone: 61-2-8825-8350 www.sgm.com.au Fish and Seafood Nutritionally speaking, fish and seafood are a lot like humanity's original staple food-lean game meat. They're high in protein, low in total fat, and typically high in omega 3 fats. Many scientific studies have shown that regular fish consumption reduces bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while simultaneously increasing the good HDL cholesterol. The omega 3 fats in fish also prevent the heart from going into irregular, uncontrolled beating patterns called "arrhythmias," which can be fatal. Fish is just plain good for you. Fish is just plain good for you. It lowers your risk of heart attack, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. By eating fish and seafood regularly, you can significantly reduce your risk of dying from the number one killer of all Americans-heart disease. It lowers your risk of heart attack, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. By eating fish and seafood regularly, you can significantly reduce your risk of dying from the number one killer of all Americans-heart disease.

Unfortunately, there's a downside, and it has nothing to do with fish and seafood, but with our own environment. Fish and seafood are often contaminated with heavy metals, particularly mercury; by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); and by pesticides such as DDT and dieldrin. The places where fish live-oceans, rivers, lakes, and streams-are also the dumping grounds for many of these potentially harmful chemicals. Once in the water, these toxins seep into the sediments and then into the plants. They're ingested by the tiny animals that form the base of the food chain. Little fish eat plants and tiny animals, and bigger fish eat little fish. Heavy metals and fat-soluble pesticides can become concentrated in older fish, in predatory fish, and in fatty species of fish.

Mercury finds its way into our waterways as a by-product of fuel-burning and through household and industrial wastes. Bacteria in the water convert mercury into the toxic compound methylmercury. When we eat mercury-contaminated fish, we can develop mercury poisoning, which can damage the brain and the nervous system. The good news is that most of the time, the amount of mercury we get from fish is quite small. And the amount of mercury that you can potentially acc.u.mulate by eating fish three or four times a week is tiny compared to how much you could get by industrial or occupational exposure. And the amount of mercury that you can potentially acc.u.mulate by eating fish three or four times a week is tiny compared to how much you could get by industrial or occupational exposure.

For healthy people, regular fish consumption poses virtually no risk to brain or nervous system function. It's safe even for pregnant women and very young children, concludes a comprehensive study conducted by Dr. Philip Davidson and colleagues at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York. Their findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical a.s.sociation, Journal of the American Medical a.s.sociation, come from a nine-year study conducted in the Republic of the Seych.e.l.les, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, where most people eat fish nearly a dozen times a week and have mercury levels come from a nine-year study conducted in the Republic of the Seych.e.l.les, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, where most people eat fish nearly a dozen times a week and have mercury levels about ten times higher about ten times higher than those of most Americans. In fact, no harmful effects were seen in the nervous systems and behavior of children at mercury levels than those of most Americans. In fact, no harmful effects were seen in the nervous systems and behavior of children at mercury levels up to twenty times up to twenty times the average American level. the average American level.

It is a worrisome fact that we live in a polluted world, and most of us are exposed to a host of toxic compounds. However, the greatest risk to your health is not from environmental pollutants, but from heart disease, diabetes, obesity, stroke, and the a.s.sociated health disorders of metabolic syndrome. Eating fish protects you not only from these diseases but from all causes of death, including cancer. Eating fish protects you not only from these diseases but from all causes of death, including cancer. Because fish is one of our greatest sources of omega 3 fats, it can also help prevent depression and improve your mood, as my friend and colleague Dr. Joseph Hibbeln of the National Inst.i.tutes of Health has shown. In short, fish should be part of your diet. Because fish is one of our greatest sources of omega 3 fats, it can also help prevent depression and improve your mood, as my friend and colleague Dr. Joseph Hibbeln of the National Inst.i.tutes of Health has shown. In short, fish should be part of your diet.

You should still be prudent when you shop for fish and seafood. Here are a few ways you can minimize your risk of eating contaminated fish: * Avoid freshwater fish taken from lakes and rivers-particularly the Great Lakes and other polluted, industrialized areas.* Choose fish that come from cleaner waters, such as the Pacific Ocean and in Alaska.* Eat mainly smaller, nonpredatory species such as flounder, herring, sardines, sole, pollock, catfish, halibut, and clams.* Eat big fish-swordfish, shark, and tuna-sparingly. These long-lived predatory fish tend to acc.u.mulate more mercury.

Fortunately, over the long run, the Paleo Diet's many fruits and vegetables-and their disease-fighting antioxidants-can help prevent cancers and health problems that are a direct result of our environmentally polluted world.

How to Be a Savvy Shopper for Fish Yet the possibility of environmental contamination isn't the only thing you have to worry about when you eat fresh fish and seafood. Another, much bigger concern is simply whether the fish has gone bad. Improper handling and warm temperatures offer great potential for bacterial contamination and spoilage as fish makes its way from wherever it was caught to its eventual place of sale. The freshness clock begins to tick immediately: most fish have a shelf life of seven to twelve days once they're out of the water. But fish often remain on a boat for five to six days after they're caught. They may spend another day or two in transit from the processor / wholesaler to the marketplace-and then may sit on a retailer's display counter for several days more before they are sold. If the fish get too warm during any stage of transport, they'll spoil even faster. Bacteria are the main culprits in the spoilage process, but enzymes in the fish tissue and even atmospheric oxygen can contribute. Fortunately, spoiled fish release a pungent warning-a compound called "trimethylamine," which causes the telltale fishy odor a.s.sociated with bad fish.

Fresh fish is practically odorless. If a fish smells, spoilage is most likely well under way-so stay away from smelly fish. Here are some other tips: * If you're buying whole fish-and it pa.s.ses the odor test-check the gills. If they're bright red and moist, the fish is probably fine. If the gills are brown or clumped together, the fish has been on the shelf too long.* Buy fish last. If you're making a prolonged excursion to the grocery store, don't get the fish first and then let it sit in the cart for an hour while you get everything else on the list. Select it, pay for it, go home-and immediately refrigerate the fish in its original package in the coldest part of your refrigerator. in its original package in the coldest part of your refrigerator. Try to eat the fish no more than a day after you buy it. Try to eat the fish no more than a day after you buy it.* To protect yourself from bacterial contamination, wash the fish in cold water and then cook it thoroughly, until it's opaque and flakes easily with a fork. This is important: bacteria and parasites sometimes live in raw fish. But if you cook the fish completely, you'll minimize your chances of getting sick-even if you inadvertently eat fish that has partially spoiled.* Avoid eating raw fish of any kind for the reasons above.* If you can't eat fresh fish within a day or two of buying it, freeze it. Freezing completely stops bacterial growth. However, once the fish thaws, the same deterioration process starts again.* Be careful when you buy fish labeled "previously frozen." This may be once-fresh fish that wasn't bought, went past its expiration date, was frozen by the retailer, and was thawed again for quick sale.* Look for light-colored, cottony spots on the fish-they're freezer burns. Sometimes frozen fish is allowed to thaw and then is refrozen, sometimes several times. Also look for ice crystal coatings-and walk away if you find them. These are fish you don't want to buy. The highest-quality frozen fish are caught at sea and then quick-frozen individually on board the ship. (Often, there's a label to this effect, saying that the fish was "frozen at sea.") What about Farm-Raised Fish?

It's called "aquaculture." Many species of fish and sh.e.l.lfish-including salmon, trout, catfish, tilapia, carp, eels, shrimp, and crayfish-are produced in closed waters and ponds and fed soy-and cereal-based chows. This is similar to the situation of feedlot-fed cattle. What they eat causes their own meat to be low or deficient in the beneficial omega 3 fatty acids that help make fish so good for us. Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated the omega 3 fatty acid inferiority of farmed fish compared to wild fish.