The Origin Diet: How Eating Like Our Stone Age Ancestors Will Maximize Your Health [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Somer M.A. R.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2001

From a leading nutrition expert comes the perfect health and weight-loss plan for fast-paced modern lives -- a revolutionary diet that takes us back to age-old nutritional basics.

Scientific evidence reveals that in prehistoric times -- before the high-carb diet, before the all-protein diet, even before calories were counted -- obesity and chronic-disease rates were dramatically lower. Today's sedentary way of life and fast-food culture is out of balance with our ancestral roots. In The Origin Diet, Elizabeth Somer builds on the wisdom of our bodies to help us get back to our beginnings and live healthier lives.

Somer does not suggest that we live in caves, but does advise painless changes in the way we eat -- such as incorporating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into our diet -- to help align the body with its evolutionary needs. She introduces the Origin Pyramid -- an invaluable model for preparing easy, nutritious meals -- and encourages us to follow twelve Getting Back to Basics guidelines for eating and exercising.

The Origin Diet also offers a tempting, healthful array of recipes and menus, plus lifestyle tips that are easy to incorporate into today's time-challenged schedules. Now, with Somer's help, you can graze and nibble your way to weight loss the naturally healthful way.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"For 99 percent of the time humans have been on earth, our ancestors ate and evolved on diets of plants and very lean wild game," writes Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D. During the last few thousand years, humans converted from hunters and gatherers to farmers, and finally to automobile drivers headed for fast-food restaurants. Somer's point is that although our behavior and eating habits have changed, our basic biology remains the same as our hunger-gatherer ancestors. We are "genetically programmed to thrive on a diet of nuts, seeds, leaves, honey, and wild game, but not gorging on doughnuts, cheese puffs, domesticated beef, soda pop."

We would be healthier, says Somer, if we would eat as our ancestors did when there was no cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, or diabetes. In The Origin Diet, she describes how to translate to modern life the five "Stone Age Secrets":

• Stay strong and lean.
  
• Focus on wild (natural) foods.
  
• Stay healthy and alert.
  
• Handle stress quickly, then relax.
  
• Belong to a supportive tribe of family and friends.
  

Although the premise is unusual and interesting, much of Somer's advice is similar to what you hear from all the major health and medical associations: eat lots of fruits and vegetables, avoid processed foods, eat starchy carbohydrates and grains, eat fiber, cut back on saturated fat, drink water, exercise vigorously, and manage stress.

Somer is not recommending that you hunt your own mastodon (although wild game is only 4 percent fat, compared with 25 to 30 percent fat in domesticated meat); you can substitute chicken breast and salmon (while salmon is higher in fat than other types of fish, it's high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids). Eat more produce and fiber, she urges us. Graze, don't gorge. Exercise. "The secret to regaining our evolutionary balance is to glean the best of our ancient ancestors' eating habits and combine those with the safe, abundant, nutritious foods available today," says Somer. The book includes an appendix of recipes such as Garbanzo Cilantro Dip, Chili-Glazed Chicken, Crusty Basil Salmon, and Tofu Confetti Burritos (no bison burgers!).

Somer, contributing editor to Shape and Eating Well and former consultant to Good Morning America, has written several other books on nutrition, including Food & Mood: The Complete Guide to Eating Well and Feeling Your Best (with Nancy Snyderman), Age-Proof Your Body: Your Complete Guide to Lifelong Vitality, and Nutrition for Women: The Complete Guide. --Joan Price

From Publishers Weekly

"Genetically speaking, our bodies need the same amount of nutrients that were needed by our Paleolithic ancestors," Somer claims. Registered dietician, health writer and self-described "research junkie" (she spent the last 20 years reading thousands of nutrition and anthropological studies), Somer (Age-Proof Your Body; Nutrition for Women; etc.) takes a novel approach to the age-old problem of dieting and recommends readers get back to their evolutionary roots, literally, and conscientiously maintain a diet of countless fruits, vegetables, roots, water and some animal meat (although she does not favor red meat). Somer presents a workout plan that's specific, gradual and measurable, as well as recipes, menus, a shopping list and plenty of coaching, motivation and inspiring tips (e.g., people should avoid drinking alcohol when eating out because doing so makes them eat more, but for those who prefer to, she recommends that they drink two glasses of water for every glass of alcohol). It's a demanding program for weight loss and maintaining that loss for the long term, but what she says makes senseAand is convincing. Somer's program is a diet for people willing to make a definite commitment, but, as she explains, readers can make significant improvements in their overall health and fitness by implementing even some of her advice. Agent, David Smith. (Jan. 3).
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.; 1 edition (January 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805063358
• ISBN-13: 978-0805063356
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,453,022 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My "thing" is that I keep up with the current nutrition research. I've been reading 100s of research studies for years, then packaging that information into news-you-can-use for magazines, books, national and local television and radio, presentations to the general public, and continuing education seminars for health professionals. I specialize in understandable and practical information on how to eat and supplement and why to prevent disease and premature aging, promote health, and attain and maintain a healthy weight. For the past two decades, my aim has been to be the source of nutrition information that people can really trust to be accurate, up-to-date, and sound. I passionately love the science of nutrition, as well as cooking and preparing healthy meals, and believe with all my heart that if people just nourished their bodies with high-quality fuel, they would be rewarded a hundred-fold with health, energy, vitality, longevity, clear thinking, a fit figure, and improved moods.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For lasting and comprehensive nutritional changes, December 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Origin Diet: How Eating Like Our Stone Age Ancestors Will Maximize Your Health (Hardcover)

This is the best advice from Elizabeth Somers' books compiled into one simple nutrition plan. As always, her emphasis is on high-fiber, minimally-processed foods, especially vegetables, fruits and grains (Somer recommends eating two fruits or vegetables at each of three daily meals, and at least one at each of two daily snacks for a daily minimum of eight); She also urges readers to select ONLY whole grains, and suggests strategies to help boost intake of omega-3 fats and soy-protein. While her plan challenges readers to create real nutritional changes in their lives, she helps to make these changes accessible through helpful lists of meal-planning techniques and ideas -- a personal favorite of mine is her list of suggestions for "brown bag lunches" for those of us who work and cannot be in the kitchen at lunch-time! Another helpful one for me was the "origin grocery list" designed to help readers navigate modern supermarkets for foods the closest to what our ancestors made. She also includes information on avoiding chemical pesticides and waxes in produce items, a sample five-day eating plan and recipes -- and lots more! I'm just highlighting what I personally found most useful.

Personally, I read the book for it's nutritional advice, but Somer also explores her "Origin" theme -- that returning to the diet/ lifestyles that humans evolved on (as much as possible) will lead to the most vital health possible -- from multiple angles. She includes information on exercise, environmental conditions (i.e. household toxins, getting outdoors, including exposure to fresh air in our daily lives), and stress-management. While these sections can be helpful, her nutritional program will likely pose the most rigorous challenge to readers.

Although the changes Somer encourages nutritionally are comprehensive, she allows room for "the human factor" by suggesting strategies for making changes slowly, and finding ways to include old, "forbidden" favorites in your new eating plan.

This book offers no quick-fixes. It is solidly research-based and Somer honestly endevors to guide readers gently toward a wonderful new way of living and eating.

81 of 95 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Absurd Nonsense, May 18, 2002

By 

Stephen Byrnes (Honolulu, HI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Origin Diet: How Eating Like Our Stone Age Ancestors Will Maximize Your Health (Paperback)

Dietician Elizabeth Somer has done it again: she has written yet another politically correct nutrition book that has little truth in it. In this one, she's attemtping to cash in on the current interest in the Paleolithic diet--the way our ancestors ate.

Somer starts off by rightly stating that for 99% of its history, humanity lived and thrived on a hunter-gatherer diet and that widespread use of agricultural foods is a relatively recent phenomenon. She rightly states that, at the genetic level, people are still the Paleolithic eaters of yesteryear, implying that we should eat more Paleolithic foods.

After that, her premise gets thrown right out the window and she recommends such modern food items as skim milk, whole grains, low-fat cheese, and soybeans! I'd like to see evidence of paleolithic peoples eating a bowl of brown rice. It is just stupid and historically impossible. Her book is full of Food Pyramid hogwash--from misinformation on fatty acids to eating tons of grains to maintain optimal health.

Don't waste your money on this piece of unmitigated garbage. Better and more accurate buys would be Allan and Lutz' book LIFE WITHOUT BREAD, Weston price's NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL DEGENERATION, or Fallon and Enig's NOURISHING TRADITIONS.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Absurd Nonsense Indeed, July 14, 2005

By 

Master Hahn (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Origin Diet: How Eating Like Our Stone Age Ancestors Will Maximize Your Health (Paperback)

Thankfully I was able to read this book at my local library system and did NOT have to waste money on a false premise!

When I saw "fortified soy milk" in the preview, I knew it was pretty much garbage at that point. (Contrary to what the Soy Industry wants you to believe, Orientals have not been eating any appreciable amounts of soy foods, much less for "centuries"). Conversely our ancient forefathers were herding milk animals long before agriculture (especially growing grains) was established, so regular milk is much closer to our "natural heritage" than any type of soy milk or rice milk - fortified our otherwise. That said, I would agree that pasteur-fed animals and the availability of raw milk (and raw milk products) would be highly beneficial.

Comparisons of fat percentages of "lean wild meat" to domesticated livestock today is also misleading. Number one, animal fats have been highly valued in all traditional, native cultures. Secondly, those comparison compare only the well trimmed muscle meat and completely disregard the substantial stores of subcutaneous and visceral fat the wild animals possess - and that was universally prized by hunter-gatherer socieites (see "The Preference for Animal Protein and Fat: A Cross-Cultural Survey" by anthroplogist H. Leon Abrams). That said, I would also agree that pasteur-fed animals and the availability of organic, pasture-fed meat would be highly beneficial.

Much better books for those interersted in legitimate "cave man diets" or even just "traditional native culture diets" would include "NeanderThin", "The Garden of Eating" and "Nourishing Traditions".