Strong Medicine By Blake Donaldson(Fatty Meat and Walking)

Context

A few years back when I had been researching/applying the carnivore diet to my life I stumbled upon a book titled, “Strong Medicine” by Blake Donaldson M.D. in the early 1960s. The book was his account of solving obesity not through calorie counting…

“Even in those days we thought there was nothing to the treatment of obesity but to see that patients exactly adhere to a low-calorie diet” (p2, Donaldson) 

But through other methods some of which most likely caught flak during his time and would definitely be targeted today by, “Experts”. The book was refreshing in that there was a doctor not only willing to step outside the established paradigm/toolset but based on his accounts get results. His methods were extremely simple,

• Fatty Steak, with vegetables or fruit

• Walking For 30 Minutes Prior To Breakfast. 

Recently I had gotten into the Hippocratic writings and it was interesting to find how the first couple of pages are all about food and how it affects our health. If all diseases are born in the gut as Hippocrates stated and today we have chemicals defined as “ingredients” in our foods then it should be no wonder that we have health problems at a level that didn’t exist in the past. Modifying what goes in has a significant effect on our health but often times the go-to these days is to just spray and pray with pills and prescriptions. 

Big Pharma, “Administering“ Pills

“As the years roll by I find myself resorting less and less to drugs in the effort to combat disease processes” (p7, Donaldson)

But here is a physician, in line with Hippocrates, who says that maybe the food we eat can bring about better results. 

“Any book that is written about the simple aspects of medicine should concern itself with the mental processes of the little woman pushing a cart through the country’s shopping center. What she buys, or doesn’t buy, can have manufacturers tremble as governments totter.” (p6, Donaldson)

Initial Research

The author started down this food rabbit hole when he came back from World War One and started working in a cardiac clinic in New York. This clinic he was working at took it upon themselves and with a Doctor Robert Halsey at the helm, worked to find ways to assist children with heart problems to make it past childhood. Through Doctor Halsey's ideas as well as the authors they started looking at the problem by addressing root causes.  

“Halsey had taught me a couple of basic facts: that almost nothing is known about what is normal; and that all cells in the human body have qualities in common and then specialize afterward. 

It might be that the cells had a common need in nutrition. The best food to prevent cataracts in the eyes and holes in the teeth might be the same food that would best prevent and treat migraine and duodenal ulcer and heart disease.” (p32 Donaldson) 

Donaldson at this point started traveling around, going through the history books, and asking museum experts about the teeth of our ancestors. What helped us to get to where we are now? After searching and deep contemplation he came to the conclusion that fatty pieces of meat are not as prevalent in the diet as they should be. The rations he would later use on his later/older patients was 3 parts meat to 1 fat. In addition to this, there would be a side dish of either fruit or potatoes.

But no bread. 

“For the human animal potatoes seem more agreeable form of starch than wheat flour” (p35 Donaldson)

Then half a cup of coffee/or tea, and most importantly water in between meals. 

“Many of the patients easily lost an average of seven pounds a month” (p37 Donaldson)

Allies 

Through a friend by the name of A.J.T. Taylor he heard and eventually met a guy by the name of Vilhjalmur Stefanson. Vilhjalmur had spent some time with the Eskimos and adopted their way of living for a short time. What he and his buddies discovered was that one could live mostly on fish granted that all the parts of the fish were used up. In the carnivore world, it’s described as, “Nose to Tail.” You eat the muscles, organs, and with bones, you can make some type of broth. 

These days and here in modernity we’ve gotten used to just muscle meats but there is immense benefit in the other stuff as well. 

But anyways Vilhjalmur ran into a problem on one of his campouts when they missed a fall migration of caribou. 

“The fall migration of caribou had been missed. The animals on their return in the spring had exhausted their supply of fat. In spite of the catches groaning with lean meat starvation stalked the camp. Weakness, protuberant abdomens, and diarrhea developed. Access to fat saved their lives. This report had likewise been greeted with skepticism.  ”(p37 Donaldson)

This account, which Vilhjalmur passed on to Blake worked to better solidify his theory.  

“Accustomed to fat in their food, their bodies seem to crave it and groceries do not satisfy.” (p 41 Donaldson)

Amino Acids 

What I found interesting was his take on amino acids aka proteins. His thoughts on nutrition deficiency are that it all comes down to whether the individual is getting the appropriate amounts. If they aren’t, they will become sick but if they have the right amounts, their body can repair at a faster rate. There could be other deficiencies but from his standpoint, I believe he’s saying that amino deficiency is the primary cause. 

“There is little in the food we take that has the ability to grow cells and repair cells except for amino acids. These are the most readily available fresh-fat meat.

Everything goes back or rather forward to enough amino acids in food,” (p 43 Donaldson)

Wrap Up

I was just going to do a single post but now I’m thinking I’ll just comb through this entire book once more not just for yall but for me as well. I might pick up some stuff I missed before. 

“A doctor’s Office is not an experimental station and patients should resent being fitted to a sample drug, even if it is for free.” (p7, Donaldson)

Thank you for making it to the end and if you have any questions comments are below. 

Until next time…