• "Well written, well researched, and the thesis put forth is well argued.... Woods has opened up an area of historical analysis that should invite further study."
    -Journal of American History

  • "During these times that challenge our freedoms there is no one more qualified to make U.S. history relevant to the fight against big government than Thomas Woods."
    -Barry Goldwater Jr.
    Former Member of Congress

  • "I strongly recommend Woods's work."
    -The Honorable Ron Paul,
    U.S. House of Representatives

  • "Written with great clarity and fluency, making the complex philosophical and theological concepts approachable."
    -Journal of American Studies

  • "A must-read."
    -Barron's

  • "An excellent reading source for anyone interested in financial markets, and much more so for anyone interested in learning about capitalism without all the misinterpretations being thrown about in the financial media."
    -Asia Times

  • "Provocative, well-written, and deserves to be read."
    -Catholic Historical Review

  • "An engaging and important contribution to scholarship on the history of American Catholicism."
    -Journal of the Historical Society

  • "Woods and [co-author Kevin] Gutzman appeal to both left and right in this constitutionalist jeremiad…. The authors' exegeses of the Constitution and court decisions, heavy on original intent arguments, are lucid and telling."
    -Publishers Weekly

  • "A marvelous read. Every chapter taught me something new and unexpected."
    -Tom Bethell, senior editor,
    The American Spectator

  • "The hottest book today is Meltdown, by my friend Tom Woods."
    -Judge Andrew Napolitano, senior judicial analyst,
    FOX News Channel

  • "Should be required reading."
    -Economic Affairs (London)

  • "Woods, one of the best classical liberal [libertarian] scholars of his generation, has once more placed us in his debt with this lucid and tightly argued book."
    -David Gordon, The Mises Review

  • "Tom Woods is one of my dearest allies in the struggle against wrong-headed and dangerous economic policy."
    -Peter Schiff

Should I Go Primal?

I’m interested in Mark Sisson and his new book (The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation), but I’m wondering about taking the plunge.  My reasons against it will sound absurdly trivial, I know, but I don’t want to eat sandwiches without bread, and heck, I like sugars.  I can’t imagine replacing a cupcake with a green pepper and being happy.  Can someone tell me why I’m being ridiculous?

Unlearn the Propaganda!

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  • Rosesinthepass

    My dogs nap every day.  If I didn’t work, I would too, even though I sleep fine all night.  Naps are one of my healthy indulgences.

  • http://www.facebook.com/nextJin Steven Harvey

    Tom my wife and I eat Paleo which is Primal minus the dairy.  You’ll go through carb sickness at first but honestly you feel like a million bucks after a few days.  It’s generally more expensive and prep time is longer because your not putting garbage in your body.  There are quite a few of us in the Military that live this way and a good book to read is Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the
    Controversial Science of Diet and Health.

    I simply can not eat fast food or processed food in general without feeling terrible.  We lost weight, my PT scores dramatically improved and we eat as much as we want.  You don’t count calories being Paleo/Primal.

  • Doug

    Tom, I was chronically tired all through high school and college until junior year when I went primal. My first two years of college I would take monster naps every day, of one or two hours or more.

    Going primal made all the difference. The biggest thing for me I think was substituting cereal or bagels in the morning for a massive helping of bacon and eggs. Now I take 20 or 30 minute catnaps if I’m tired and wake up feeling fully energized.

    For me going primal has been great. For me, cutting out sweets hasn’t been bad knowing I can eat endless steak, bacon, eggs, lamb, pork chops, butter, etc.

  • J_gehman

    I’d second getting a big energetic dog. I take ours on a 4-6 mile bike ride daily, and feel guilty when I miss because of weather.

    -1 on the wheat products. LOTS of reasons to avoid grain, especially wheat. I’ve recently added Shirataki noodles (also called konnyaku or yam noodles) to my diet and love them. Zero carbs, lots of fiber. I’ve also heard good things about kelp noodles, although I haven’t tried them yet.

  • J_gehman

    Self-denial works for some people, not for others. I LIKE to eat, and self-denial isn’t going to work for me long-term. Learning to eat the right things, and finding healthy ways to get your treats is the way for me. It helps that I also like to cook, and if you don’t that can be a problem. But even there, there are a lot of simple things you can do better.

    Lemon tea sweetened with stevia (zero-glycemic natural sweetener) is a great replacement for soda. Yoghurt sweetened with stevia and vanilla or fruit is a great easy dessert. (Lots of other zero-guilt desserts can be created with stevia.)  Shirataki noodles is a great replacement for pasta. Unfortunately I haven’t found a good replacement for bread, but considering all the other tasty things I eat I’m managing that craving.

    I will second what someone said above, that there is no diet that is perfect for everyone. Everyone is biochemically unique, and needs a different proportion of macronutrients for ideal health. But everyone can improve their health by focusing on QUALITY macronutriets (fats/protein/carbs). As for finding the ideal macronutrient balance for you, Dr. Mercola has a free test on his site to guide you in building the best diet for you. It’s not a quick fix, but it’s a step on the path to optimum health. (www.mercola.com) I also agree with the people who were pushing Fallon and Enig’s “Nourishing Traditions”. Wonderful book.

    Unless you’re among the minority who are way on the high-carb side of the macronutrient scale, the Primal diet is a great place to start.

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