Dean Esmay wrote:
> However, Anne Louise Gittleman's accounts are compelling inasmuch as they
> show what the vegetarian macrobiotic diet mindset is like, how
> quasi-religious it really is, and how they tend to believe that their diet
> despite any evidence or personal experience to the contrary.  Macrobiotic
> diet experts CLAIM that their diet is the one true ideal, optimal, healthy
> and natural diet for humans, and that most health problems are caused
> primarily by failure to follow their model of the ideal diet.  When their
> diet fails to produce the optimal results, they tend to blame the dietER
> rather than the diet for the problem, and will do everything possible to
> avoid the conclusion that veganism itself could possibly be unhealthy for
> anyone.

This is an accurate description of some vegans I've known, and also some
Zoners. I don't have enough familiarity with the paleofood list to judge
yet, but over on the Zone list there is a certain tendency for the
converts
to suggest that unsuccessful Zoners just haven't tweaked the ratios
quite
right. Of course, some of their suggests are excellent, and may indeed
make all the difference that's needed. But I find it plausible that some
people just won't ever get the results they want from the Zone, and
trying and trying to be an "ideal" Zoner is just a waste of time.

Also, and I mean this in the most good-natured way, your second
sentence, "Macrobiotic diet experts..." doesn't sound all that different
from how I've heard paleolithic eating presented on occasion. Or Zoning,
for that matter. :)

Toby