Clearly, I am fascinated by how often our most widely accepted beliefs lay at the foundation of the behaviors that serve us least. So why “Against the Grain?”

Because what’s a good blog title without a clichéd double entendre?

The foolishness of official doctrine can be seen with devastating clarity in the effects of United States nutritional guidelines and food policy over the last 40 years. Indeed, there may be no realm in which supposedly well-intentioned, state-promulgated wisdom has proven more disastrous to human health.

History of Obesity Rates, by State (1990-2010), click to enlarge:

Nevermind the corporate-sponsored, convenience-centric mentality that now informs most Americans’ moment-to-moment decisions about what to put in their mouths. Even folks who go out of their way to “eat healthy” are often doing themselves more harm than good. Continue reading →