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 All Thumbs Book Reviews
The Omega Plan
By Artemis P. Simopoulos, MD and Jo Robinson
Review by Sally Fallon
Dr. Simopoulos has done much to bring the merits of omega-3 fatty acids
to the attention of the public, and her book rightly points out that
the omega-3's can protect us against cancer and heart disease. But she
is a pediatrician, not a lipid chemist, and makes many mistakes.
Toeing the politically correct line, she blames saturated fats for
contributing to heart disease because they "raise cholesterol." What
she doesn't mention is that it is the saturated fats in the diet that
help the body put those omega-3's in the tissues, where they belong.
The healthy Greek diet of Dr. Simopoulos' ancestors supplied omega-3's
in fish, eggs and green vegetables but was also rich in saturated fatty
acids from sausage, lamb (which is fattier and contains more saturated
fat than beef) and goat milk products (which are fattier and contain
more saturated fat than cow's milk products).
Recipes in the book feature omega-3 rich foods like walnuts, whole
grains and flax meal, but no precautions are given for neutralizing
zinc-blocking phytic acid—and without zinc, the omega-3's cannot
be converted to prostaglandins.
The luscious extra virgin olive oil of the Mediterranean supplies
protective antioxidants and vanadium, so why do so many of the book's
recipes call for canola oil instead? Just because canola oil contains
oleic acid and omega-3 fatty acids does not mean that this highly processed,
genetically manipulated product will confer the health benefits of the
Mediterranean diet.
About the Reviewer
 Sally
Fallon is the author of
Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct
Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats (with Mary G. Enig, PhD), a well-researched,
thought-provoking guide to traditional foods with a startling message: Animal
fats and cholesterol are not villains but vital factors in the diet, necessary
for normal growth, proper function of the brain and nervous system, protection
from disease and optimum energy levels. She joined forces with Enig again to
write Eat Fat, Lose Fat, and has authored numerous articles on the
subject of diet and health. The President of the Weston A. Price Foundation
and founder of A Campaign for Real Milk,
Sally is also a journalist, chef, nutrition researcher, homemaker, and community
activist. Her four healthy children were raised on whole foods including butter,
cream, eggs and meat.
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