Brenda Young wrote:
> I just have one question. Not intended to fight with anyone. But...Paleo is based on the fact that we are still the same creatures with the same nutritional needs as we were thousands and thousands of years ago, correct??? So, um, how does evolution fit in here??? If we have really "evolved", then that doesn't make sense. Again, I am not on a religious agenda here...I am completely comfortable and happy with my religious stance and will not be convinced otherwise, but again, how do the two of those mesh with your theory??? I am in the middle of the road, so to speak, with my Paleo thinking and the other stuff. I, by NO MEANS, think we evolved, boy it's hard to not continue on this, lol, at least as far as nutritonal needs are concerned, so again, how do you equate firmly believing in evolution AND Paleo??? Doesn't make sense to me at all.
>
> And just so you know, I don't think man has evolved from ANYTHING, and neither has his nutritional needs. You have to pick one side of the fence...or not, I guess. But the fence part does not make sense to me AT ALL. Pick one or the other, I guess I would say.
>
> Love,
> Bren
Evolution is not a fast process (and not one directional) and
evolutionary modern man is between 100,000 and 200,000 years old
depending on how/where one defines the changes. In other words, our
ancestors 100,000 years ago are essentially the same as we are today and
both groups could likely interbreed (assuming appropriate time machine
technology). How far one can go back in time before one then and now
would be able to interbreed is not known, but there is a point.
Introduction of agriculture has occurred in roughly the past 10,000
years. Our genes have not had near enough time to adapt to these
changes including husbandry (milk). However, adaption is ongoing and
lactose intolerance is less prevalent in the western world and gluten
intolerance is widespread but not in everyone. There are other foods
that have achieved some adaption but perhaps another 50,000+ years are
needed to adapt to the changes agriculture and husbandry brought to
diets. Hence, the paleo diet is still the best diet and one most like
to proved to greatest health benefits, even though this "diet" is
different depending on food available and seasonal issues depending on
location and latitude.
For me, evolution explains WHY the paleo diet is ideal and genetic
changes over time provide more than sufficient evidence that any version
of religion is bound to fail as a viable explanation. Evolution is full
of flaws, flaws that identify a "perfect" god as not a possible
explanation for existence. Evolution has viable explanations for
diseases, beneficial bacteria, predators, flawed attributes (blind spot
in the human eye), and many other things ancient religions failed to
consider and place in their creation and god myths.
As the saying goes "phylogeny recapitulates ontogeny" (while not exactly
true, is eye-opening none-the-less).
Scan down to:
Modern observations
and
Modern theory
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recapitulation_theory
My religious roots are in Mormonism and they have a "Word of Wisdom"
revelation on diet which states to eat meat sparingly and only in winter
and to get plenty of wheat("All grain is ordained for the use of man and
of beasts"D&C 89:4 <http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/89>). How wrong is
that! I've yet to read any religious doctrine on nutrition that comes
close to a rational paleo diet - usually they are into the neolithic
diet additions. I place modern religious roots clearly in the neolithic
era due to respective dietary recommendations even though paleo man
likely had his/her superstitions. Judaism and Christianity are
neolithic religions based on diet and Jericho was a thriving city
thousands of years before the neolithic Adam myth had him exiting from
the garden as the first man.
The benefits of the paleo diet can be explained by evolution while
religious explanations on diet are way off in the weeds (or wheat).
--
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