vilhjalmer stefansson

[alaskaman]

I just got a copy of his book, 'not by bread alone" and am just BLOWN AWAY!!!Not only does he talk about the historical roots of lc, meat based diet, not only does he report the famous experiment where he and a colleague ate nothing but meat for a year and flourished, he also has FIVE(5, count 'em) chapters on pemmican!! this is his 1946 book, he later published an updated one called "the fat of the land." Maybe this is old news to you-alls, "ho hum where has this guy been" but if not, GET this book!! I got mine at a library, it seems to be kind of scarce, didn't see a lot of copies for sale on abe.books, but get however you can, a wonderful read. Bill

[alaskaman]

I'm replying to my own thread, was reading last night in the book, that Stafansson, Peary and other explorers loved Pemmican, went miles on it, believed in it, so he was dumbfounded when the army tested it in WW2, and all the GI's got weak, acetone breath, etc. They stopped the trial after 3 days, gave them their typical starchy army chow, everybody got better. He couldn't understand it, I bet what was going on, was like the first few days of atkins induction. Anyhow, he didn't understand it but reported it honestly unlike so many of the lowfat spin masters. Bill

[Elihnig]

I agree, they were probably beginning to detox from the carbs they had been eating and if they had stuck it out longer they would have adjusted.

Is pemmican the meat mixed with fat and berries or is it more like jerky?

I think it's the first.

I would be interested in reading that book if I saw it somewhere.


Beth

[JenofWi]

I've reserved the book from my local library. I'm getting the copy form 1946, there was never a reprint, I guess.

[PaleoDeano]

i just reserved it at my public library (from 1946) as well...:)

sure wish i could find it to buy... i searched the web with no luck... does anyone know where it can be purchased?

[alaskaman]

This must truly be a scarce book, did an extensive search of antiquarian booksellers, found only one copy, at $295.OO. Same with the enlarged edition, The Fat of the Land, I will check, there are some bookstores here in AK that specialize in stuff like this, but do not have websites. Wiil get back to you. A wonderful book, so far ahead of its time. Bill

[PaleoDeano]

not by bread alone

just got this book from the library! it is the original book from 1946! wow! hopefully no one will request it for a long time and i will be able to study it. so far, what i have read... i agree, it seems way ahead of it's time!
http://forum.lowcarber.org/images/icons/icon14.gif

[PaleoDeano]

This is a quote from a web site that i found while searching for this book:

***************** quote *****************
The book by Stefansson was in its third edition in 1961, the date on the copy I now have, and this may have been the end of the publishing run, for I have not seen any copies later than this. The title is The Fat of the Land. An earlier version of the tale is called Not by Bread Alone. The Macmillan company has gone though a lot of changes since the time of the publication, and now no one at the firm seems to know anything about the book.
***************** end quote *****************

here is the url... and, i might add, this person really has great things to say about low carb woe! i found their entire essay on "Diet and Exercise" (scroll down on this web page) to be VERY interesting and informative! it supports the hunches i have gotten while reading the book "Life Without Bread" and other things about a diet of mostly animal foods (especially animal fat!).

http://www.thebear.org/essays1.html (http://www.thebear.org/essays1.html)
(scroll down to "Diet and Exercise")

here are some other urls that are very interesting!

http://www.westonaprice.org/traditional_diets/native_americans.html (http://www.westonaprice.org/traditional_diets/native_americans.html)

http://health.centreforce.com/health/dietarywisdom.html (http://health.centreforce.com/health/dietarywisdom.html)

http://www.westonaprice.org/traditional_diets/nasty_brutish_short.html (http://www.westonaprice.org/traditional_diets/nasty_brutish_short.html)

http://www.flackfamilyfarm.com/wholefood.htm (http://www.flackfamilyfarm.com/wholefood.htm)

i am probably heading toward an all meat and fat diet!
:)

[black57]

I recall seeing a culture of people who were nomads. I don't recall where they were from but it was like Iceland. These people drank mugs of melted butter just like we drink hot tea or coffee.

Black57

[sunkist]

I think too climate has a big impact on what an indiginous people eat. Mugs of butter probably wouldn't do much good to the people in a tropical climate - but to a people needing to keep their body temps high in cold climates such as Alaska, Iceland, Greenland, etc - definitely needed!!!


My grandmother always had her food piping hot since that was the way she was raised to eat it in the winter in Sweden

what does anyone else think?

[nela]

Climate certainly influences the way people eat. Here in Spain, there are several different climates.
It's very hot in the south in summer, so they eat this cold vegetable soup called Gazpacho all the time. Then they'll have a seafood rice dish and for dessert they always have fruit.That would be a typical lunch.

In the north, the Pyrenees, it snows for months during the winter and people eat wild boar in a pot with a heavy wine sauce, wild mushrooms, all kinds of pork, etc. Heavy meals, all in all. Funnily enough most people are slim in spite of eating those huge meals.
Food is extremely important here and the whole culture revolves around it. Some towns even have things called Gastronomical Societies where a select few get together and cook gourmet meals at the weekends.

[sunkist]

Oh Nela
I would LOVE to belong to a Gastronomical Society. Gourmet cooking is one of my favorite things to do - although I don't do it too often.

It seems like in America we get so caught up in QUANTITY over QUALITY of food - it's like, well piggies feeding from a trough. You don't care what you eat, just as long as there is LOTS of it. Just go into any Fast Food place and you will see signs saying to SUPERSIZE your meal with gallons of soda, pounds of hamburgers, buckets of french fries.

Frankly I think it messes with our sense of taste and we don't understand subtle flavor anymore when we eat like that. I KNOW if America could adopt the food, the style of eating and the attitude towards dining that most European countries have, we would NOT have such an obesity problem. :cry: :agree:

We are leaving for Brazil in 4 weeks, and mjy friend (who we are going with and who is from Brazil) says that the people are so relaxed and they just eat slowly and laugh while they eat and it's not such a feeding frenzy.

Sometime in the next few years I want to try to go to Tuscany, Italy or somewhere in France with my whole family and rent one of those villas or chateaus where they teach you how to cook in the provincial style etc. I haven't done alot of research on it yet, but that would be cool. Can you tell I love to travel?

When I was growing up in Brooklyn, I thought a train ride into Manhattan was a big vacation - ha ha!! So now instead of spending my money on jewelry and other junk, I travel!! Works for me!! You're lucky to be in Spain because you can hop around to other countries!! :wiggle:

[TBoneMitch]

Hey, wanted to resurrect this thread since I found «The Fat of the Land» by Steffanson on abebooks.com. I was blown away, as the other posters reported.
However, I wanted to point out that in this book, he adresses the issue of «hot climate-low fat food/cold climate-high fat food».
He says that it's nothing more than a myth, and that the people of Australia, central Africa, the South American jungle, all eat fat first when they can get it, and animal fat preferrentially. He gives many examples, and cites lots of explorers who noticed the same thing, that fat is primarily a hot climate food, and not a cold climate food.

[Linell2005]

Wow, this is totally exciting to discover other people who read Vilhjalmur Stefansson! I will be looking for the books mentioned above. If anyone cannot get them, try a web browser for "Adventures in Diet" Parts 1, 2,and 3 from Harper's Magazine, November, December, and January, l935, l936. I have learned that many people eat almost entirely or entirely sea foods, as the Moken people of the Andaman Sea, who survived the Dec. 26 Tsunami. That can be found on the 60 Minutes website.

[Idioglossi]

so interesting

[Duparc]

I have read and re-read a lot about Stefansson lately only to discover that he was a poor leader in arctic exploration, and a bit selfish and probably arrogant too, but, he was a great survivor and a lucky man.

He updated his article on his experiences with the protein and fat diet, when aged 56, and in this edition he mentioned that. although, the Eskimos were healthy they died around the age of 60 and in appearance looked 20 years older than their westernised counterparts.

Stefansson was unable to account for this apparent contradiction but I wondered if this aging condition was brought about by the consumption of fish and other marine animals which, in many cases, was the Eskimos's staple diet. Most marine animals have a high content of polyunsaturated fat which, although obviously nutritious, also creates those horrible ''wee free radicals' that harm the body. It does seem odd that a healthy race of people should age quickly and die relatively young. One would have thought that their apparent continuous good health would have taken them into advanced old-age.

[TBoneMitch]

Duparc, that's a very interesting thought about the fish/early aging connection of the Eskimos....I never thought about it but it sure does make sense!

Where did you read that Stef was arrogant and a poor leader?

[Duparc]

TBoneMitch, while reading articles by Stefansson's contemporaries and arctic rivals there was the odd caustic comment made on him but, possibly the best reference, is in the book, 'Karluk', by William Laird McKinlay ISBN 0 297 77164 7. The Karluk was the leading ship of Stefansson's 1913-18 expedition, which, when it got stuck on an ice-flow he abandoned it, leaving it to its fate. The description of the amateurish way he prepared for the voyage is revealing of the nature of the man. Although his incompetence and selfishness brought about the death of a number of his colleagues, he did, however, through default, become a national hero.

[doreen T]

... Although his incompetence and selfishness brought about the death of a number of his colleagues, he did, however, through default, become a national hero.
Isn't that often the way?? :lol:

~~~~~

Regarding your question about Stefansson's observations of the longevity of the Inuit - or lack thereof .... There was a recent discussion on this very subject in our Health forum; perhaps you might find some insights there .. Why did Eskimos die 10 years younger than Americans? (http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=240208).

:idea:

Doreen

[Duparc]

Some interesting and contradictory comment Doreen on that other Thread but it served only to complicate and confuse. The article by Stephen Byrnes goes into 33 pages which I have downloaded to read at my leisure. Whenever one reads of remote peoples living into healthy advanced old-age, and on reading Price's observations too, what seems to be important for good health is unprocessed, fresh, organically produced food and, as we know, this principle applies to low-carbing diets too.

[TBoneMitch]

Thanks, Duparc!

On Steffanson, I had only read «his» side of the story of his explorations, so I had no knowledge of these unfortunate events...

But I really am interested in your idea that the high level of polyunsaturated fats in the diets of Eskimos is what shortened their life span...

[kallyn]

the Eskimos were healthy they died around the age of 60 and in appearance looked 20 years older than their westernised counterparts.


Interesting idea about the fish. The first thought that popped into my head was the climate the Eskimos live in. Constant cold and wind has a way of weathering people. Perhaps it is a combination of the two?

[TBoneMitch]

Yes, Kallyin, I thought about the cold and the wind before, it probably also plays a role, along with the sun which is reflected on the ice and snow...

the Kalahari Bushmen and Australian Aboriginies also have weathered and wrinkled faces (and bodies) by middle age, since they go around almost naked year-long in scorching climates fully exposed to the sun.

[Duparc]

Someone's post somewhere lead me to this interesting article from the early 80s which seems to answer many of today's questions and lends a little support to what I have been saying.

www.powerhealth.net/articles/requirementsforoptimalhealth.htm