We Great Country farmers are both food producers and food consumers, so we think a lot about how our food affects our health -- and yours. This book surprised us. Using very recent science, it builds a strong argument about what happens in our bodies. Here's an excerpt from an article by the author:

"Through many years of research, I've found that very small things can cause big health problems. That’s exactly the premise of my new book, The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers of "Healthy" Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain, which shares how one plant protein could play a role in your health woes.

After nearly 20 years of researching the optimum nutritional treatments for myself and my patients, I’ve discovered lectins. These tiny proteins live inside certain plants and act as a defense mechanism by making their predator ill when eaten. I think they play a huge role in America’s health crisis.

A lectin is a type of protein (susceptible to various diseases, bacteria, and viruses) that forces carbs (sugars, starches, and fibers) to clump together and even attach to certain cells in your body when you eat them. Often, lectins can get in the way of important cells communicating with one another. And when that happens, the body’s response is usually inflammation or some other type of reaction to toxicity, like nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting. A break in cellular communication can also result in symptoms like fatigue or forgetfulness.

Trust me, 12 years ago, if I was reading my own book claiming that one tiny plant protein—in collaboration with other disrupters—was the cause of so much illness, such as diabetes, aching joints, Parkinson’s disease, depression, IBS, infertility, cancer, baldness, brain fog, weight gain, and more…I would have thrown it in the trash. However, after successfully treating tens of thousands of patients by cutting out lectins and adding polyphenol- and prebiotic-rich foods to their diet—I'm convinced. That is more than enough proof even for a perpetually skeptical mind like mine."

Read more here.