Don Wiss wrote:
> >and without changing my diet, in 4
> >weeks my cholesterol has dropped 50 points, my HDL and LDL are in normal
> >range for the first time ever, my triglycerides decreased, blood sugar went
> >from 180 to 114 (and that's while eating lots of processed wheat flour and
> >sugar) and my blood pressure has improved.
>
> But all these things will also improve on a Paleo diet without taking fiber.

This is not a certainty, however. Todd Moody's case comes to mind, and I
find
it plausible that if it happened to him, it could happen to others.
(i.e.
I find it more plausible than the possibility that he is some kind of
one-in-a-million genetic anomaly)

Also, while I'm fairly anti-supplement, I wonder why you make this
statement
in an almost critical way (you seem to be downplaying the value of the
supplement mentioned). ASSUMING that this gentleman's anecdote isn't
bullshit, we have a situation where a guy is eating a regular diet of
foods he presumably likes, and he takes a little pill to get all these
health benefits. And you're saying, "yeah, but you can get the same
thing
by eating a restrictive diet that will take some time to get used to,
and
that you might not like as much, and that might be more expensive, and
if
you leave it after being on it for a awhile it might make you sick, so
why would you take that silly pill?" Hmm.

> >Clearly we need to be getting enough fiber.  The amount that is being
> >recommended is 30 to 40 grams, with a high percentage of soluble fiber.
>
> Again you have no evidence that fiber is needed for someone on a
> Paleolithic diet. Maybe for someone eating toxic grains, foods high in
> phytates, and the like, then maybe fiber is needed. Please stop pushing
> your pet supplement on this list.

I think you have already made your point about pushing supplements. Why
are you berating him for a sentence that doesn't even contain mention
of a supplement? I think the original poster's generalization that low
carb diets ignore fibre is off-base, yes. The Zone is probably one
of the most popular "lower-carb" diets out there, and fibre is
definitely not ignored. Neither is it ignored in the Paleolithic
Prescription. Have you read this book? It offers many things
NeanderThin doesn't. No, it doesn't prove that fibre is an
essential part of the diet, but is has something to say about
the importance of fibre in a paleolithic diet.

Toby