It’s been a long time since I have used the blog to vent but this is something that infuriates me.
A Current Affair aired yet another segment designed to discredit Paleo Chef Pete Evans last night and as far as I am concerned it just further discredited the program and the Australian Medical Association, so well done ACA!
‘Doctors are seeing red’ over Pete Evans’ new documentary. And rightfully so. How dare he claim that food is medicine? Apparently it’s a dangerous claim, according to the President of the AMA Dr Michael Gannon.
He refers to the Paleo diet (I like to refer to it as a way of life) as a controversial diet. It’s become that way because of all the people out there so ready and willing to slam the likes of Pete Evans who endorse it, before they have taken the time to understand what he is actually endorsing.
I particularly love how the journo refers to the ‘strict nutritional regime where you can only eat foods like seafood, meats, vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts’. Well this must be dangerous right? Forgive my sarcasm but when they refer to Pete’s philosophy as ‘old school snake oil stuff’ I can’t help but laugh…get a grip.
I don’t normally buy into this stuff on social platforms, but I admit I have a rant about this absurdity on both the ACA and Pete Evans’ pages, along with thousands of others.
The statement that really got me was made by Dr Gannon. “All Pete Evans has is recipe for poor health”. Are you kidding me???? He’s promoting whole foods for Christ sake. He’s encouraging people to eliminate all the crap that this unhealthy modern society has been consuming. Sugar, grains, dairy, additives. He is encouraging people to get back to eating real, unprocessed foods. Tell me, please, how can that be unhealthy?
And for anyone who wants to claim that we need grains in our diet, point me in the direction of a person anywhere in this world that is suffering from a grain deficiency.
I get that there is an expert on everything, particularly nutrition and I am big believer in listening to your body. I personally follow the Paleo way and my body thrives eating this way. While I never push this onto anyone, nor do I recommend that every living soul become Paleo, I do get infuriated with uneducated journalism like this, along with peak health bodies like the AMA who rave on about the hazards associated with eating this way. When you look at facts, despite whether you like Pete Evans and his approach to it or not, calling this way of life dangerous is laughable.
If you want to eat bread, eat bread. If you want to be vegan, be vegan. No-one knows your body like you do, so listen it and feed it what it needs (not what the brain desires). Before you cut out food groups or follow a new nutritional regime too strictly do your research.
And my last point has to do with Pete’s claims that food is medicine. I am coeliac and when I get a gluten attack, it’s not pleasant. I have been curled up in the foetal position for hours, with pain that’s lasted for days, from consuming gluten, sometimes purely from cross-contamination. Eating foods that are listed as highly beneficial in the Eat Right For Your Blood Type book, is the best way for me settle the inflammation. Food consumed the right way is medicine. And when it comes to Pete getting slammed for claiming that food can help people with chronic illnesses…forgive me, I don’t believe he is telling people to stop taking their medication or give up chemo for cancer, he’s saying improve your diet and it can help, so why wouldn’t you give that a go. The whole attack on Pete is ludicrous and not doing much for the AMA’s credibility. I think if this keeps going on the way it is, all it can do is work in Pete’s favour because the AMA is really looking like a bit of joke.
Rant over!! It’s snack time. I am going back to my cave to fuel my body with some of those dangerous nuts and seeds now.
Read more about the social media slugfest here
