Our mission is to present the Contra Diet that is based on the research and findings of Dr. Ray Peat, PhD
When Dodie Anderson connected with Dr. Ray Peat, her stress levels were over the edge. Her son Billy, who had Down's Syndrome, would not eat and her husband Bruce, struggling to breathe from a lung condition that would eventually end his life, required her constant attention and care. The overwhelming stress was exhausting and Dr. Peat’s first instructions to her to start drinking milk and orange juice seemed a bit suspect! As a nutritionist, this was quite the opposite of what she had been teaching and practicing! She followed his advice and then spoke with him weekly for twelve years and then almost daily for another seven years. Their long connection cemented her understanding of his work and she learned how to implement his ideas on a daily basis with his guidance, especially in her diet. Even before Dr. Peat’s death at age 87, she was laying the groundwork to teach and share how to incorporate his ideas on a practical level, particularly in relation to diet. And that is the purpose of this website. In this endeavor, she is joined by four of her clients/students who have been on the Contra Diet long enough (years!) to provide helpful experience and knowledge. They have chosen to share their personal stories and be part of this presentation of Dr. Ray Peat’s work. (See biographies of Dodie Anderson, Patty Lermer, Lisa Giannani, Bill Barnes and Louise Dorian).
Why the name Contra Diet?
Ray Peat, PhD in biology, with a specialization in physiology, was a scientific researcher who wrote many books and on his website, raypeat.com (currently maintained by his wife, Katherine) we have access to a myriad of articles he wrote, all heavily footnoted with scientific sources to substantiate his views, many of them in opposition to prevailing science. Searching for truth, he drew on the work of Nobel scientists and scientists whose findings were dismissed by the scientific community.
The Contra Diet is truly contrary to many current dietary recommendations that tell us, for example, to substitute artificial sweeteners in place of sugar, to avoid saturated fats, salt, and dairy and to curb carbohydrates and eat a higher protein/fat diet. But if this is how we should eat, it doesn’t seem to be working very well for many of us and raises the following questions:
Why are so many of us not feeling well?
Why are we such a drug dependent culture, relying on medications with side effects that often treat symptoms rather than root causes?
Why are so many of us anxious and/or depressed?
Why do we have fluctuating energy levels that are disconcerting and interfere with how we function on a daily basis?
Why do we have trouble sleeping and long for a good night’s rest?
Why do we have back and joint pain?
Why is there so much painful inflammation in our bodies manifesting as diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, colitis, fibromyalgia and lupus to name a few.
We hope the presentation on this website will guide you to a healthier, happier life experience and look forward to working with you.