From Publishers Weekly
Family physician Miller had seen countless cases of chronic illness and weight gain, but it wasn't until she saw a patient recently returned from Brazil that a light bulb went off in her head: the patient had noticed marked improvement after just a few weeks in her father's native village. Intrigued, Miller did some research and found a number of "cold spots" around the world, areas where chronic diseases like diabetes, depression and heart disease are disproportionately low. She then embarked on a world tour to find out why. As she travels through Copper Canyon, Mexico to Cameroon, West Africa to Iceland-where locals manage to avoid depression in one of the darkest and coldest regions in the world-and beyond, Miller finds that, in each case, local diet plays a key role. Many of her overarching tips will sound familiar (eat fresh foods, eat more fish, avoid refined sugar, watch the salt, etc.), but a handful of suggestions, such as eating fermented foods and using mushrooms to fight cancer, should come as news. Miller's work is consistently informative and educational, if at times meandering; each "cold spot" is accompanied by a specific regimen, and Miller's practical advice and recipes are all geared for the novice. Anyone unafraid of modifying their diet will find this anthropological diet guide useful.
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Review
"In this bracingly hopeful and eminently practical book, Daphne Miller shows us how we can bring the wisdom of traditional diets to our own plates, in the interest of both our health and our pleasure. The Jungle Effect is a fascinating, useful and important book." --
Michael Pollan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food"Miller’s work is consistently informative and educational...and Miller’s practical advice and recipes are all geared for the novice. Anyone unafraid of modifying their diet will find this anthropological diet guide useful." --
Publishers Weekly online"Presents us with a unique travelogue of healthy eating." --
Gail Altschuler, MD, Medical Director, The Altschuler Clinic, A Center for Weight Loss & Wellness"The Jungle Effect was such an enjoyable read that I almost forgot I was being fed a steady dose of valuable nutrition advice—advice that combines the wisdom of our ancestors with the latest nutrition research." --
Bradley J. Willcox, MD, co-author of the New York Times bestseller, The Okinawa Program and Clinician-Scientist, Pacific Health Research Institute, University of Hawaii"[F]ascinating, well-researched." --
Miami Herald"[The Jungle Effect] reads like an exotic, ever-unfolding international mystery - with recipes." (Heidi Benson, , San Francisco Chronicle )
"A wonderfully practical tome that explains how folks around the world benefit from the healing power of food." (Mehmet C. Oz, MD, co-author of You: The Owner's Manual )
"This fascinating, well researched book explores the health benefits of traditional diets from Iceland to Cameroon. The benefits include reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes and depression." (Miami Herald )
"Daphne Miller is the Sherlock Holmes of healthy eating. The Jungle Effect is an odyssey where she follows clues and food experts to discover some of the healthiest diets around the world -- and how best to recreate those meals and lifestyles in our daily lives." (Juliette Rossant, author of SUPER CHEF )
"The Jungle Effect is a brilliant piece of work. Why? Because it is so gloriously green: indigenous knowledge is recycled and transformed into a comfy, hip, yummy set of food choices. The message is practical, palatable, and pleasing." (Harriet Beinfield, coauthor Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine )
