Unlike the black-and-white, yes-or-no
attitude of many diet plans, Clark prefers
science, writing in the first paragraph that
his nutrition philosophy “rejects dogma
while embracing revision and refinement,
always based on sound evidence.”
T
he mythological story
of the search for the
Holy Grail has a special
place in Western civilization.
From its influence on classic
literature to the production
of Indiana Jones films, there
are few corners of culture the
story has not touched. But
food science?
In this, his first book,
Christopher James Clark uses
the metaphor of the quest for
the fabled cup to explain his
perspective on health and
nutrition.
The grail, Clark writes,
is an archetype for the
individual’s journey to selfrealization, and the story itself
embodies themes like that
of the importance of asking
questions.
“The grail story has much
to teach us about health
and nutrition,” Clark writes.
“During the past century, our
relationship with food became
greatly imbalanced. Cancer,
heart disease, and diabetes
rates skyrocketed. How
did this happen? How can
we heal ourselves? Simply
by asking questions, the
nutritional grail quest begins.”
Christopher James Clark
is a chef and writer based
in Dubai. His passion for
good food and vibrant,
lifelong wellness have
propelled him into a career
focused on making the best
food choices easy—and
delicious—to make. Clark
serves on the Advisory Board
of Men’s Health magazine
(Middle East), writes for
Dr. Loren Cordain’s The
Paleo Diet website, and is a
contributor to The Huffington
Post. Nutritional Grail was
published in 2014 and is
already making waves with
the Gold Medal in the Food/
Cooking category of the 2014
Readers’ Favorite Awards,
the Gold Medal in the Diet/
Nutrition category of the 2014
Dan Poynter’s Global eBook
Awards, and the Silver Medal
of the Nonfiction Authors
Association Awards.
Clark’s approach to
nutrition has been called
“Paleo with benefits,”
which means he advocates
the basic Paleo template with
the addition of non-Paleo
foods like butter and full-fat
yogurt for anyone who can
tolerate it. Unlike the blackand-white, yes-or-no attitude
of many diet plans, Clark
prefers science, writing in
the first paragraph that his
nutrition philosophy “rejects
dogma while embracing
revision and refinement,
always based on sound
evidence.”
From a food perspective,
this means eating what Clark
calls “smart macronutrients”
to prioritize food quality and
nutrient density, supporting
ongoing detoxification,
preventing inflammation,
increasing antioxidants and
strengthening digestion. A
gluten-free diet that is low
in carbohydrates and sugar
and rich in high-quality
animal protein, and that also
emphasizes the power of
nourishing fats, is what Clark
recommends—and with a few
minute differences, like the
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potential inclusion of full-fat
necessary for that to happen.
dairy and sprouted gluten-free The “Implementation” chapter
grains, it is very nearly the
takes the lessons learned
Paleo diet. The key, however,
and applies them to practice:
is an emphasis on quality
From how to choose the right
while also promoting a sense
kinds of salt and cooking
of experimentation. For, as
techniques, to water filtration
Clark writes, “successful
systems and meal planning,
results cannot reasonably be
Clark leaves no nutritional
expected while eating poorstone unturned. The final
quality ingredients.”
chapter contains a host of
But Nutritional Grail isn’t
inventive, nutrient-dense
just about food. Clark’s
recipes like Scallops with
approach teaches how to
Capers and Tomatoes, or
limit exposure to and prevent
Hungarian Pork Goulash.
damage from environmental
Through the model of
toxins like those found in
an ancient quest, Clark’s
water and cookware, and
Nutritional Grail is an
it also promotes a different
invaluable tool for making the
perspective on the concept of
best nutritional choices for a
detoxification.
healthy life. It’s deeper than
“First-level detoxification
dieting, and more impactful
is an ongoing process
than the choices you make at
involving every cell in the
the grocery store—a quest of
body,” he writes. “Instead of
this nature changes a person
thinking of detox as a series
in ways beyond the body:
of temporary cleanses or
“The quest for the
one-off treatments, think of
detox as an everyday process, nutritional grain begins
by asking q Օ