Boldface references indicate illustrations.
A
Accreta, 22
Acupuncture, 287–88
Acute medical care, 24–25, 285
Adhesions, 21–22
Agbeh, Cephas, 16–17
Agriculture. See also Confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs)
author’s background and, 231–36
disease outbreaks related to, 238, 241, 244–45
industrial style of, 81, 97, 98–100, 243, 247–48, 260–62
legislation and, 257–58
vs. natural harmony, 187
traditional style of, 71–72, 78, 80–82, 99–100
AI. See Artificial insemination
Allen, Arthur, 168
Alta Dena dairy, 96–97
Alternative medicine, 176, 265–69, 280, 287–88
Alzheimer’s disease, 144
Amylase, 115
Andre, Mark, 225
Animal welfare, 77–79, 248–49, 252–54, 258, 260–62
Antibiotics, 75, 76–77, 238–39, 245
Antibodies, in breast milk, 65
Arcata Community Forest, 225
Artificial insemination (AI), 235–36, 237–44, 245–47, 255
Atomism, 86, 109, 112–15, 136, 297, 299–301
Aurochs, 65
Australian Aborigines, 153–55
Autoimmune disorders, 68, 173–75
B
Bacteria, beneficial, 65–68, 84–86, 87–90, 93–94, 97. See also Infection/ infectious disease
Beck, Wendy, 153
Behavioral economics, 51
Benedetti, Fabrizio, 270–71
Beta-N-methylamino-levoalanine (BMAA), 148, 150
Bifidobacterium infantis, 87
Bingham, Debra, 13–15
Biosphere 2 experiment, 203–4
Birth. See also Caesarean surgery; Obstetric practices
author’s background and, 1–8
complications during, 7–8, 16–20, 39–40, 59
evolutionary history, 26–28
immobilization of mother during, 14, 19, 41
labor induction, 32, 39, 57–58
as physical vs. medical event, 38–39, 47–48, 298
psychology and, 41–43
Blue-green algae, 150
Body, vs. mind, 276
Brackett, Len, 221, 223, 225–27
Bradford, William, 197
Breast milk, 65, 87–90, 114–15, 116–17
Breckinridge, Mary, 44–46
Burnett, John, 125
C
Caesarean surgery
complication risks, 11–12, 16–19, 21–23, 49–50, 51–52
neonatal psychology and, 5–6
Caffeine, 122
CAFOs. See Confined animal feeding operations
Campylobacter jejuni, 67, 79, 91–94
Cancer, 146–47, 235, 259, 280–83
Catching Fire (Wrangham), 157
Catholicism, 289–90
Cattle. See Dairies
Caughey, Aaron, 51–52
Cerebral palsy, 12
Certainty, desire for, 205, 212, 293–94. See also Uncertainty
Cervix, relaxation of, 41–42
Cheese, 113
Chemicals
in health/disease, 276
Chicken pox, 171
Childbirth. See Birth
Chroman, Thea, 162–64
Chronic diseases, 93, 99, 110, 283
Circle Four Farms, 242
City environments, 229–30, 302–3
Civilization, vs. nature, 184, 228–30, 302–3
Claussen, Michael, 44–45
Clear-cutting, 195, 196–99, 200–203, 223
Clearview Dairy, 96
Climax communities, in forests, 188, 190–92
Clinton, Bill, 127–28
Commons, management of, 205–11, 219–30
Community. See Cooperative management; Social connection
Compulsion, 130–31
Confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs)
AI role, 235–36
animal welfare issues, 248–49, 252–54, 258
described, 238–43
development of, 247–49, 255, 257
effects of, 234, 256–57, 258–59
future of, 259–62
vs. traditional farming, 243, 260–62
Confounding factors, in nutrition science, 110
Consciousness, 154–55
Consumer choice/demand
food supply effects, 255–58
healthcare effects, 273
Context, 119, 214. See also Uncertainty
Control
limits of, 301
by patients, in healthcare, 54–55, 277–83
Controlled burns, 215
Cooperative management, 219–30. See also Social connection
Cowpox, 160
Crib use, 294–96
Cultural knowledge, 155, 158–59, 176–78, 228–30
Culture, of food, 136–37
D
Dannon, 84–86
Death, fear of, 282
Derham, Thomas, 194
Desert tortoise, 181–82
Diets, 140–41, 157. See also Nutrition
Diphtheria, 165
Disease. See also Healthcare; Vaccines
agricultural practices and, 238, 241, 244–45
diet-related, 107, 122 (see also Food safety)
as focus of healthcare, 274, 289, 297–98
germ theory of, 62–63, 65–69, 89, 174
infectious, 50, 68, 91–94, 297
neurodegenerative, 144–50
Divorce, 293–94
DNA testing, 76, 90–96, 91, 95
Domestic abuse, 258
Dopamine, 129–34
Doulas, 57
Dreamtime, 154–55
E
Earthing, 268–69
Eastern medicine, 176
E. coli outbreaks, 73–77, 79, 90–96, 97–98
“Ecology of Medical Care, The” (White), 283–84
Economic factors. See also Consumer choice/demand
economies of scale, 99
in food choice, 79–80, 83–84, 99, 255, 257–58
in healthcare, 56, 99, 267, 286
resource management, 205–11
sugar production, 124–28
sustainable building, 226–27
uncertainties in, 210–11
Ecosystem services, 208–9
Emergency medical care, 24–25, 285
Emotions. See also Psychology
healthcare role, 276
physical effects of, 271
Endocrine disruptors, 158
End of Overeating, The (Kessler), 132–33
Endorphins, 271
Enlightenment philosophy, 195–96
Environment
assumptions about, 184–86
author’s background and, 179–84
cooperative management of, 219–30
philosophical traditions regarding
free-market economics, 205–11
natural law, 186–95
scientific dominion, 195–205
politics and, 212
Environmentalism, 184–86, 227–28
Episiotomy, 40
Erickson, Bob, 222
Essential nutrients, 109
Estrogen, 158
Expert knowledge, 158–59, 223, 283–84
Externalities, 208
F
Fadang flour, 146
Family Health and Birth Center, 43
Farming. See Agriculture
Fat
in food, 114–15, 136, 157, 240, 249, 251
neurochemistry of, 132–33
Fee-for-service models, 285–86
Fetal heart monitoring, 13–14, 49
Fiber, sugar digestion and, 120
Fierer, Joshua, 97
Fisher, Elliott, 267
Fisher, M.F.K., 136
Flavor preferences, 116–18, 123–24, 135
Folic acid, 117
Food. See also Nutrition
costs, 79–80, 83–84, 99, 255, 257–58
culture of, 136–37
health and, 106
production (see Agriculture)
structure of, 113–14
Food industry, sugar and, 126–28, 133, 136
Food safety
author’s background and, 61–64
consumer expectations, 297
E. coli outbreaks, 73–77, 79, 90–96, 97–98
producer scale and, 97
regulatory practices, 98
Forests
clear-cutting, 195, 196–99, 200–203, 223
complexity of, 216
human influence on, 192–95, 200
’Inimim Forest project, 219–28
lumber harvesting, 196, 200, 201–3, 209, 223, 226–27
management of, 193–94, 195–205, 213–14, 215–19, 297
recovery patterns, 188
1491 (Mann), 193
Francis (retired doctor), 277–80, 290–91
Free-market economics, 205–11
Friedman Curve, 49
Frontier Nursing Service, 44–48
G
Gaskin, Ina May, 31–35
Gender issues, 36–37
Genepacker hogs, 253
German, Bruce, 87, 99, 108–12, 118–19, 136
Germ theory, 62–63, 65–69, 89, 174
Ghrelin, 122
Glucose, 120
Glycogen, 251–52
Goal-finding, 218
Grass pea, toxins in, 147–53
H
Harkin, Don, 189–92, 199–201, 203, 207–8, 210, 213–18, 224
Harris, Robert, 21
Hawkins, Peggy, 253
Healers, vs. doctors, 274
Healing Spaces (Sternberg), 274–75
Healthcare
acute medical care, 24–25, 285
alternative medicine, 176, 265–69, 280, 287–88
author’s background and, 263–65
for chronic disease, 93, 99, 110, 283
disease model of, 274, 289, 297–98
doctors and, 50, 266, 274, 283–87
fee-for-service models, 285–86
food costs and, 80
litigation in, 298
patient role (see Patients)
placebo effect, 269–73, 287–88
risks associated with, 24–25, 267, 297–98
technological benefits, 24–25, 268, 288
Western medicine, 6, 273–77, 288
Hemispheres, of brain, 299–302
Hepatitis C, 266
Herzog family, 75
Hiaasen, Carl, 128
High fructose corn syrup, 120, 122
Hog farming. See also Confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs)
animal welfare, 248–49, 252–54, 258, 260–62
breeding practices, 235–36, 237–44
genetic diversity, 238, 241, 245, 247–48, 249–56
Holism, 86, 109, 112–15, 136, 297, 299–301
Holistic medicine, 280
Home birth, 6–8, 34. See also Midwifery
Home construction materials, 226–27
Hormones
in plants, 158
pregnancy and, 42
Hossfeld, Johann, 202
Hróbjartsson, Asbjørn, 270
Human diversity, diet and, 109, 114–16, 136
anatomical changes, birth and, 26–29
mesolimbic dopamine reward system, 131
microbes and, 88
Human Experiment, The (Poynter), 204
Humility, in science, 205
Hutcheson Memorial Forest, 191–92
Hyaline membrane disease, 34
Hygiene hypothesis, 65, 89, 174
I
Illich, Ivan, 290
ILSI, 126–27
Immune system. See also Infection/infectious disease
autoimmune disorders, 68, 173–75
beneficial bacteria and, 88, 93–94, 97
vaccines and, 173–75
Immunization. See Vaccines
In Defense of Food (Pollan), 108
Independence Trail, 188–89
Individuals
commons and, 205–11
control by, vs. institutions, 109, 115, 116–18, 136, 168–70, 207
flavor preferences, 116–18, 123–24, 133
responsibility of, 298
self-interest, 206–8
social connection and, 303–4
Industrialization
in agriculture (see Confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs))
consumption patterns and, 125, 133–34
of forest management, 196–97
property rights issues, 234
Infants. See also Birth
crib use, 294–96
separation from mothers, 14
Infection/infectious disease, 50, 68, 91–94, 297
’Inimim Forest, 219–28
Injuries, surgical, 50
Institutional, vs. individual control, 109, 115, 116–18, 136, 168–70, 207
Insulin resistance, 122
Insurance, healthcare and, 285–86
Intermountain Healthcare, 55–56
International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), 126–27
Into the Wild (Krakauer), 304
Intoxication, 154–55
Intussusception, 171
Irritable bowel syndrome, patient studies, 287–88
Isolation, 304
J
Jenner, Edward, 160
Johnson, Nathanael, personal reflections on
agriculture, 231–36
environment, 179–84
healthcare, 263–65
immune system, 61–64
nature, x–xi, 194, 227–29, 301–2
toxins, 138–42
Journalism, 231
K
Kaptchuk, Ted, 287–88
Kellogg, John Harvey, 107
Kennedy, Robert F., Jr., 161, 167
Kennelly, Patrick, 76–77
Kessler, David, 132–33
Krakauer, Jon, 304
Kurland, Leonard, 145
L
Labor and delivery. See Birth
La Pere, Louis, 33–34
Lathyrism, 147
Lavender oil, 158
Leclerc, George, 197
Left brain, 299–302
Leptin, 122
Lester, Betty, 46–47
Liking, vs. wanting, 129–34
Litigation, 298
Live food diets, 140–41
Logging. See Forests
Logic, pitfalls of, 301
Lou Gehrig’s disease, 144–52
Lumber, 196, 200, 201–3, 209, 223, 226–27
Lustig, Richard, 121–22
Lydgate, John, 128–29
M
Main, Elliott, 22–23
Malakoff Diggins, 190
Malaspina, Alex, 127
Mangos, 145
Mann, Charles, 193
Manure management, 78, 242, 261
Marketing, of food, 79–80, 97, 133
Marriage analogy, 228
Martin, Chris, 75
Martin, Edward, 169
Martin, Tony, 74–75
Master and His Emissary, The (McGilchrist), 299
Maternal mortality rates, 9, 11–12, 22, 43
Mathematical models, in forest management, 201–3
May, Robert, 211–12
McAfee, Mark, 74, 76–77, 90, 92–99
McCandless, Christopher, 304
McGilchrist, Iain, 299
Meaning, Medicine and the “Placebo Effect” (Moerman), 272
Meaning effect, 272
Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, 162, 165, 166, 174
Meat
cooking techniques, 108
industrial agriculture and, 237, 240–41, 251–52, 254, 261
Meatpacking plants, 241
Medicaid, 285–86
Medical schools, 274
Men, presence at births, 36–37
Mennella, Julie, 117
Mesolimbic dopamine reward system, 129–34
Methamphetamine, 233–34
Microbes. See Bacteria, beneficial; Infection/infectious disease
Milk
fat in, 114–15
human, 65, 87–90, 114–15, 116–17
nutritional research role, 111–19
pasteurization of, 66–68, 77, 82–84
production of (see Dairies)
raw
benefits associated with, 89–90, 98
food safety aspects, 68–77, 93–100
Miller, Bruce, 151
Mind, vs. body, 276
Mintz, Sydney, 124–25, 128, 134
MMR vaccine, 162, 165, 166, 174
Moerman, Daniel, 272
Molecular understanding, of nutrition, 48, 106–10, 112–14, 118, 126, 136, 297
Monsanto, 253
Morning sickness, 4
Mortality rates
healthcare-related, 267
N
Naloxone, 271
Nation, Allan, 77
Natural perspective
cultural inheritance and, 176–78
in healthcare, 268
limits of, 298–99
as part of technological perspective, 296–99
Nature. See also Environment
author’s experiences in, x–xi, 194, 227–29, 301–2
vs. civilization, 184, 228–30, 302–3
commons as metaphor for, 206
cultural knowledge and, 228
hazards of, 73
value of, 208–9
Navajo Nation, birth statistics, 43
Neighbors. See Social connection
Neurodegenerative diseases, 144–50, 152
Neuwirth, Michael, 85
Niman Ranch Pork Company, 260–62
Nurse-midwives, 46–48
Nutrition
author’s background and, 101–6, 118–20
food supplementation, 109, 117
industrialization and, 125
molecular understanding of, 48, 106–10, 112–14, 118, 126, 136, 297
sugar and, 121–37
WHO conclave on, 127
Nutritional deficiencies, 117–18
O
O157:H7 E. coli strain, 75, 79, 91–92, 97–98
Obstetric practices. See also Caesarean surgery; Midwifery
craft aspects, 15
institutional aspects, 29–32, 47–48
perspective and, 49–52
shortcomings of, 14, 30, 41–42, 50, 297, 298
Ohta, Masayuki, 149–50
“Old-friends” hypothesis, 89
Oligosaccharides, 87
Organic Pastures, 74, 76–77, 90, 92–96, 97–98
Organic practices/products, 78, 81
Ortiz, Fernando, 124
Osteoporosis/osteopenia, 110, 266–67
Ostrom, Elinor, 219
P
Paglia, Camille, 20
Pain management techniques, 8, 270, 280
Pakistani immigrants, studies of, 89
Paleolithic diet, 102
Palm oil, 157
Parkinson’s disease, 144
Partial knowledge. See Uncertainty
Parts. See Atomism
Pasteur, Louis, 67
Pasteurization, 66–68, 77, 82–84, 90, 99
Pathogens. See Immune system; Infection/ infectious disease
Patients
control by, 14, 30, 54–55, 290, 298
demands of, 273
as focus of healthcare, 50, 274, 282
Perkin, Michael, 89
Personal responsibility, 298
Pheochromocytoma, 289
Pierce, Wendell, 234
Pigs. See Hog farming
Pinchot, Gifford, 203
Placebo effect, 269–73, 287–88
Placenta/placental tissue, 16–17, 22, 26
Plantation forestry, 195, 196–99, 200–203, 223
Population control, 207
Pork. See Hog farming
Postpartum hemorrhage, 7–8, 16–19, 59
Poynter, Jane, 204
Pregnancy-related hormones, 42. See also Birth
Prejudice, 100
Profit/profitability
in food production, 79–80, 83–84, 99, 255, 257–58
in healthcare, 56, 99, 267, 286
Promethean myth, 156–57
Protein, pork as source of, 249
Protestantism, 289–90
Prusa, Ken, 250
Pseudoscience, 107
Psychiatry, 275
Psychology, 5–6, 39, 41–43, 275, 276. See also Placebo effect
R
Radioactive waste dump protests, 181–82
Rationalism, 195–96
Raw foods
toxins in, 156
Reed, Walter, 168–69
Regulatory practices, 98
Relaxation, during childbirth, 41–43
Relaxin, 42
Rennet, 113
Right brain, 299–302
Rosenberg, Karen, 29–30
Rotavirus, 171
Ruminant digestion, 78–79
S
Salk vaccine, 175
Salmonella contamination, 96
Samuels, Martin, 271
Sanitation, effects of, 67, 88–90, 99, 238–40
Sapolsky, Robert, 134
Satiety, 129
Schmidt, Michael, 69–73, 80–84, 86, 99–100
Science
diet-related research, 107–8, 118–19
as environmental philosophy model, 195–205
limits of, 110, 177–78, 200, 205
medicine and, 273–77
Sears, Bob, 172–73
Self-interest, 206–8
Sexual Personae (Paglia), 20
Shamanic rituals, 154–55
Sheela-na-gigs, 41
Shoulder dystocia, 40–41
Sierra Pacific Industries, 220
Slare, Frederick, 126
Sleezer, Derrick, 237
Sleezer Fertility Clinic, 236–43
Smithfield Foods, 247–48
Social connection, 29–30, 229–30, 290–91, 296, 303–4. See also Cooperative management
Soda, 122–23
Soil composition, 216
Specialized medicine, 283–84
Spencer, Peter, 147–53
Spiritual Midwifery (Gaskin), 31–35
Spotted hyenas, 27–28
Steady states, 191–92
Steiner, Rudolf, 72
Sternberg, Esther, 274–75
Stoker, Brent, 78–80
Streets, as commons, 229–30
Stress, in hogs, 251–52. See also Anxiety
Stueve, Harold, 96
Succession, in forests, 187–88, 190–92
Sucrose, 122
Suffering, 28, 259, 278–83, 290–91
Sugar
consumption patterns, 122–24
food structure and, 136
neurochemistry of, 128–34
perception of, 119–22
as preservative, 125
Sugar Blues (Dufty), 120–21
Supplementation, of food, 109, 117
Surgery, 272–73, 289. See also Caesarean surgery
Sustainability, 226–27
Sweetness and Power (Mintz), 124–25
Swickard, Deane, 220–24
Swine flu, 163
Swine Robotics, 253–54
T
Taboos, 38
Taste training, 116–18, 123–24, 135
TDaP vaccine, 165
Tea-tree oil, 158
Technological perspective
control and, 298
cultural inheritance and, 176–78
expert knowledge in, 158–59
in healthcare, 24–25, 268, 288
overreliance on, 55–56
as part of natural perspective, 296–99
Teitz, Joan Ann, 129
Testosterone, 27
Thousand Years of Sweet, A (Teitz), 129
Timber. See Forests Tobacco industry, 127
Toxins
author’s background and, 138–42
uncertainty regarding, 142–43, 152–53, 175, 177–78
in vaccines, 143
“Tragedy of the Commons, The” (Hardin), 206–7
Transcendentalism, 184–85
Trees, vs. forests, 198
Trevathan, Wenda, 29–30
Trust, 170–73, 176–78, 229, 266
Type 1 diabetes, 89
U
Ultrasounds, 53–55
Uncertainty
birth and, 60
in ecosystem economics, 210–11
food safety and, 100
regarding toxins, 142–43, 152–53, 175, 177–78
Unknown, fear of, 280–83. See also Uncertainty
Urban environments, 229–30, 302–3
V
Vaccine (Allen), 168
Vaccine Book, The (Sears), 172–73
Vaccine Roulette (documentary), 166–67
Vaccines
ecological context, 176
immune system and, 173–75
safety of, 143, 161–65, 166–70, 176–77
trust issues regarding, 170–73
Vegetables, toxins in, 143–44, 150–51
Vertical integration, 247–48
Von Mutius, Erika, 89
W
Wakefield, Andrew, 161–62, 165, 166–67, 174
Waldsterben, 202
Wanting, vs. liking, 129–34
Watje, Ryan, 243–47
Way, Kari, 75
WD Swine Farm, 243–47
Wendland, Claire, 50
Wertenbaker, C.P., 169
Western medicine, 6, 273–77, 288
Whiting, Marjorie, 145–46
WHO, 127
Wholes. See Holism
Willis Paul, 260–62
Willrich, Michael, 169
Witchcraft, 289–90
Women, birth and, 9, 11–12, 22, 25–26, 28–29, 43
Work, consumption and, 125, 134
World Health Organization (WHO), 127
Wrangham, Richard, 157
Y
Yoga, 280
Yogurt products, 84–86
Yolngu peoples, 153