The Wild Diet
Avery, an imprint of
Penguin Random House LLC
375 Hudson Street
New York, New York 10014
Copyright © 2015 by Abel James Bascom
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Published simultaneously in Canada.
Photographs © 2015 by Melinda Bryce
Excerpt here: Originally published in the December 1965 Ladies’ Home Journal ® magazine
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
James, Abel.
The wild diet : get back to your roots, burn fat, and drop up to 20 pounds in 40 days/Abel James.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-698-18516-6
1. High-protein diet—Recipes. 2. Reducing diets—Recipes. 3. Prehistoric peoples—Nutrition. 4. Cooking (Wild foods). I. Title
RM237.65.J36 2015 2014047008
641.5'638—dc23
Neither the publisher nor the author is engaged in rendering professional advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures, and suggestions contained in this book are not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician. All matters regarding your health require medical supervision. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestion in this book.
The recipes contained in this book have been created for the ingredients and techniques indicated. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs that may require supervision. Nor is the publisher responsible for any adverse reactions you may have to the recipes contained in the book, whether you follow them as written or modify them to suit your personal dietary needs or tastes.
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Version_1
DEDICATION AND A TOAST
This book is dedicated to my grandparents Marion and Horace Bascom.
From Our Family to Yours: Nan’s Favorite Toast
“Here’s to thee and thy folks
from me and my folks.
sure there never was folks
since folks was folks,
ever loved any folks
half as much as me and my folks
love thee and thy folks!”
Wild adjective (of an animal or plant)
Living or growing in the natural environment; not domesticated or cultivated. Passionate, vehement, unrestrained. Untamed.
“Wild with excitement.”
Di • et noun
The kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.
“The native human diet.”
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Earlier this year, my wife, Alyson, and I dined at a farm-to-table restaurant in Florida with twenty leaders in the health movement, a motley crew of bestselling authors, nutritionists, Olympians, cooks, and physicians. After a long week, we were ready for a feast.
Our waiter scribbled furiously as Alyson, my cute-as-a-button, 105-pound wife, and I ordered:
Bacon deviled eggs
Two roasted marrow bones with local herbs and spices
Two hearty farm-fresh salads with aged meat, nuts, and avocado
Charcuterie board with a trio of duck, lamb, and pork pâtés; raw artisanal cheese; and a side of homemade sauerkraut
Sautéed sweetbreads
Wild sea bass with mushroom butter sauce
Grass-fed sirloin steak (medium-rare, of course) with heirloom vegetables
As others watched in awe, we polished off the lot, including more than our fair share of wine and champagne. One of the health experts said with a gasp, “How on earth do you two eat so much and stay so lean?”
This book is the answer to that question.
I hope you enjoy it.
In health and happiness,
Abel James Bascom
August 23, 2014
Contents
TITLE PAGE
COPYRIGHT
DEDICATION
EPIGRAPHS
AUTHOR’S NOTE
INTRODUCTION: BAND GONE WILD
PART I
How “Healthy” Food Made Us Fat and Sick
PART II
The Wild Body
PART III
Wild Movement
PART IV
The Wild Diet
PART V
Wild Cooking, Meals, and Recipes
40 FEASTS: THE WILD DIET RECIPES
CHICKEN AND PORK
Chicken Parmesan with Mixed Greens
Mustard-Roasted Chicken Legs with Peach Salad
Spicy Chicken Thigh Stir-Fry and Cauliflower Fried Rice
Mom’s Homemade Chicken Soup
Curried Chicken and Onions with Butter-Fried Parsnips
Lemon Kalamata Chicken Breasts with Caprese Salad
Cornish Game Hens with Sautéed Green Beans
Pulled Pork Sliders
Low-and-Slow Rubbed Ribs with Whipped Cauliflower
Slow-Cooker Chicken with Roasted Broccoli and Mushrooms
BEEF, BISON, AND LAMB
Chipotle Steak and Veggie Fajitas with Fresh Guacamole
Bison Taco Salad with Avocado
Ultimate Bacon Burger
Beef Brisket with Balsamic Mustard Greens
Wild Shepherd’s Pie
Spicy Beef Chili with Mashed Sweet Potato
Beef Tenderloin with Buttered Onions, Horseradish, and Arugula
Chimichurri Steak and Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Ginger Lamb Chops with Roasted Vegetables
Sun-Dried Tomato Meatballs with Zucchini Noodles
SEAFOOD
Macadamia-Crusted Cod with Tender Greens
Seared Ahi Tuna with Sesame-Ginger Asparagus
Parmesan Shrimp Lettuce Wraps with Avocado
Baked Pesto Salmon with Roasted Artichokes
Bacon-Wrapped Scallops and Sweet Slaw
Fish Tacos with Mango-Avocado Salsa
King Prawns and Seared Garlic Zucchini Spears
Lemon-Garlic Snapper
Swordfish with Spicy Peach Salsa
Smoked Salmon and Kale Salad
MAINLY VEGETABLES
Green Monster Frittata with Bruschetta
Field Green Salad with Apples and Buttered Pecans
Creamy Roasted Vegetable Soup
Cashew Cream Alfredo with Zucchini Noodles
Sweet Potato Hash
Immune-Boosting Veggie-Full Soup
Thai Carrot Curry Soup with Zucchini Chips
Roasted Red Pepper Mini Pizzas
Hearty Pancake Breakfast
Farmer’s Omelets with Balsamic-Roasted Sweet Potatoes
GREEN SMOOTHIES
Minted Melon Smoothie
Cucumber-Basil Smoothie
Creamy Cilantro-Lime Smoothie
Rosemary-Raspberry Smoothie
Strawberry “Milk Shake”
Spiced Blueberry
Smoothie
Virgin Bloody Mary Smoothie
Chocolate-Cherry Smoothie
Peaches ’n’ Cream Smoothie
DRINKS
Ginger-Lemongrass Tea
Ginger-Mint Tea
Cucumber-Strawberry Spa Water
Citrus Spa Water
Pear, Apple, and Rosemary Spa Water
Lemon Water
Lime in the Coconut
Green Juice Detox
French-Pressed Fatty Coffee
DESSERT
Peanut Butter Chocolate “Cheesecake” with Hazelnut Crust
Choco-nut Cookies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Cider Donuts
Alyson’s Coffee Cake
Carrot Cake
Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Topping
Mint Chip Ice Cream
Old-Fashioned Apple Pie
Nan’s Blueberry Salad
Butter Pecan Ice Cream
Pumpkin Bread
Coconut Whipped Cream
How to Soak and Dehydrate Nuts and Seeds
How to Soak Beans and Legumes
How to Make Sprouted Flours
Grandma’s Oatmeal
Brown Rice
TASTY BITS AND BITES
Simple Sauerkraut
Roasted Bone Marrow
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Hot-as-the-Devil Eggs
PART VI
The Wild Diet Challenge
PART VII
The Wild Diet Survival Guide
RECIPES FOR “WILD” DOGS
Beef Supreme
Half Chicken
Raw Meaty Bones
Dried Beef Liver Treats
Eggshell Calcium Supplement
Steak and Eggs
Fast Sunday
PARTING WORDS
PHOTOGRAPHS
NOTES
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INDEX
ABOUT ABEL JAMES
INTRODUCTION: BAND GONE WILD
As we hop aboard Tim McGraw’s tour bus idling outside a Quality Inn in Austin, Texas, I suddenly realize that being healthy is cool again.
Instead of smoking ashtrays, passed-out groupies, and stale beer, the smell of strong coffee wafts through the country superstar’s Zen-like tour bus. A veritable cornucopia of fresh produce, organic seaweed snacks, and an imposing 5-pound sack of Brazil nuts fill the mini-kitchen. Despite filming the Today show in New York City twenty-four hours earlier, these road warriors are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Denny, enjoying an unprecedented twenty-year reign as Tim’s guitarist and musical director, introduces us to the rest of the band.
Fresh off his feature on the cover of Men’s Health after losing 40 pounds, forty-seven-year-old Tim McGraw is a specimen of health. He credits his pumped-up biceps and six-pack abs to his band’s new routine of clean eating and intense outdoor workouts on the road. His tour bus even pulls a trailer dedicated to unconventional exercise gear—hauling heavy chains, sledgehammers, and sandbags across the country.
“Whoa, the Fat-Burning Man. . . . It’s so surreal you’re here!” Deano, the fiddle player, muses, somehow expressing precisely how I feel at that moment. I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but more people seem to know me as “Fat-Burning Man,” the tongue-in-cheek title of my hit health show, than as the road-weary musician I’ve been for most of my life. I’d taken time away from music to focus on inspiring others to live better by eating real food and breaking a good sweat. As far as I was concerned, I was just a regular guy babbling into a microphone on my computer and doing my best to make my show valuable to whoever happened to be tuning in. It wasn’t until I received my favorite thank-you note ever from a musician named Denny that I realized people were actually listening. Better yet, these newfound health nuts were actually getting results that blew my mind.
A loyal listener of Fat-Burning Man, Denny has been following the Wild Diet for more than a year. Enjoying hearty meals that include plenty of butter, bacon, and eggs, he’s dropped 46 pounds. Impressed by Denny’s transformation, several bandmates came along for the ride.
“Billy, our keyboard player, only decided to try the Wild Diet because he’s allowed to eat coffee cake.” Denny grins. “It really isn’t that complicated—you just listen to your body and eat when you’re hungry. It’s great. I’m full of energy and feel fifteen years younger.”
“My kids love eating this way,” adds Deano. “They’re totally into organ meats and headcheese. Their friends think eating brains is cool.”
After Deano convinces us to taste his latest culinary fascination, emu oil (it’s not bad, actually), we take Denny back to our place to play a few tunes. On the way, we grab two cups of fresh-roasted “fatty coffee” with butterfat and pure cocoa, our first “meal” of the day. To fuel an epic jam session, we polish off a few pints of green smoothie, sample asparagus and bacon quiche, and indulge in homemade blueberry muffins, pumpkin scones, and Alyson’s newest cheesecake recipe (Peanut Butter Chocolate “Cheesecake” with Hazelnut Crust) —try it yourself with our afternoon tea. A few hours later, our luxurious dinner includes bacon-wrapped sea scallops, wild Atlantic salmon, creamed spinach with toasted prosciutto, and a wee bit of wine. This ain’t no ordinary diet.
Sound incredible? Well, the truth is that I haven’t always had the body of an underwear model while feasting like a rock star. Before people knew me as my fat-burning alter ego whose abs are plastered all over the Internet, I was the chubby kid with chipmunk cheeks.
I’ve always loved food. As a toddler in the eighties, I discovered that the spiral cord on our kitchen phone didn’t quite reach the candy cupboard. So every time the phone rang, I sprinted to the candy and drooled like Pavlov’s dog. As soon as Mom picked up the phone, now safely out of reach, I’d stuff my face with as much chocolate, candy, and cookies as humanly possible.
One night, still dressed in my suspenders and bow tie after playing clarinet at the local diner for pocket money, my dad took me aside for an important talk.
“Abel, your body is about to go through some changes,” he explained with a gentle smile. “With our genes, you can grow up to be overweight . . . or strong and athletic. It all depends on how you eat and exercise in the next few years as you grow into a teenager.”
An athletic strapping stonemason for most of his life, Dad had packed on nearly 30 pounds after he was forced into a desk job when the economy tanked. I listened closely and took heed. I didn’t want to be overweight, and for the first time in my life I realized I had a choice. And then I was off.
I learned in one of Dad’s magazines that “fat makes you fat and clogs your arteries.” So I declared that I would switch to fat-free milk, shun red meat, and I even started to carry around extra napkins to sponge the grease off pizza in order to avoid excess cholesterol. I was eight years old.
I took up every sport I could. A little too excited after watching Rocky for the first time, I choked down a full glass of raw eggs before my morning workout and chased chickens around the backyard. I cranked the brittle gears of my yard-sale Huffy to the summit of the legendary Piper Hill and trained like a Ninja Turtle to get my purple belt in karate. By seventh grade, my baby fat and chipmunk cheeks grew into a chiseled frame with a strong jaw to match. The girls even started calling me “Mr. Buff,” my first stupid nickname.
I’d done it—the chubby kid who played clarinet at Christmas parties had transformed into a handsome, athletic teen. But getting fat doesn’t happen all at once. Sometimes it sneaks up on you.
After speeding through Dartmouth College, studying brain science, music, and technology, it was time to pay off a few nasty student loans and chase the American Dream. Turning down offers from Wall Street and the CIA, I took a job as a strategy cons
ultant for Fortune 500s in Washington, D.C., moonlighting as a computer programmer. I quickly learned that spending nearly all of my waking hours under fluorescent lights takes its toll. But there was work to be done, loans to be paid, and no time for hikes in the woods.
My fancy new office had a “Healthy Snacks” program to help us get through the long hours consulting with the bigwigs. I was pleased to find that many of the snacks lined up perfectly with the fat-free, low-calorie diet praised by the media and health magazines. I nibbled on fat-free whole-grain crackers, nonfat yogurt, and zero-calorie Jell-O, and I sipped cholesterol-free soy milk; cloudy, experimental diet soda; and other oddities provided by our Fortune 500 clients in the food and beverage industry.
When I sat down with my new physician for my first checkup as an adult, he avoided eye contact at first, shuffling papers on his desk. His brow suddenly furrowed as he looked up at me with a wide-eyed grin.
“You have great insurance!” he blurted.
From that point on, I peed in a cup and had my blood drawn every time I set foot in the doctor’s office, which was often. My results didn’t look good. I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, thyroid problems, insomnia, and many other disorders and diseases of civilization that we’re somehow conditioned to “expect” as our youth evades us.
“You have the body of a middle-aged man,” the doctor admitted grimly. “With your blood pressure and family history, you might be looking at heart disease, thyroid disorder, and even diabetes if you don’t cut out dietary fat and do more cardio starting right now.”
Doc put me on a new painkiller for a running injury, a prescription-strength antiperspirant, several sleep meds, and even an antidepressant that he promised would “help me sleep.”
Gritting my teeth, I followed the doc’s advice. I popped the pills, counted every last calorie, grew accustomed to constant hunger, nibbled on low-fat food that tasted like cardboard, and jogged five times a week.
I proudly became a vegetarian, swapped real butter for zero-cholesterol vegetable oil spread, and replaced farm-fresh eggs with 100% whole wheat bagels with nonfat cream cheese and zero-calorie jam from the supermarket. Without fresh veggies from our family’s garden, I stocked up on bananas, 100% orange juice (with pulp, obviously), and reduced-sodium canned vegetable juice from the Safeway down the street.