Even though lo-carb diet books have been on the best-seller lists since the
1850s, they have always faced cultural prejudice against them from the
"establishment" in spite of their enviable track record in overcoming a wide
variety of health issues.  If you saw the recent appearance of Dr. Atkins on
"Ophrah" you know what I mean.  Why does this prejudice exist!

Perhaps the most dificcult part of eating Paleo for many is that it's not
politically correct.  This political correctness has it's roots in
theological correctness as many modern religions consider meat eating to be
of questionable value.  In order to overcome this prejudice I have had to
consider the question of religion and its' relation to diet.

Many anthropologists examine the purpose of human endevors in a
social-biological context.  That is, how does this behavior help us to
survive and reproduce?  What is it's evolutionary advantage?

One's religion in this world seems to be related to what one eats.  A map of
the world's major crop species also demarks the worlds great religions.  As
agricultural practices change, religions seem to change to accomodate these
new practices.  Religion itself first appeared when man first entered into a
domestic relationship with dogs as the tools of religion and those of
hunting with dogs appeared at the same time in the fossil record.

Perhaps religion is the forced modification of our natural instinctive
behaviors in order to enter into symbiosis with another species.  In
hunter-gatherers who depend on animal species only regularly hunted since
the domestication of the dog, this takes the form of totemic religions.
Religions based on plant species take different forms depending on both the
species involved and the technological inovations used to produce them.
Those religions that produce ill health also produce medical practices to
help deal with those problems (see:Aruvidic Medicine, Chinese Medicine,
Kellogg's "San" at Battle Creek, Loma Linda etc.).  As a result of this
symbiosis, humans have reached populations levels unprecedented befor we
entered into such relartionships.  We have paid a high cost for this
reproductive sucess as many people are miserable as a result of
civilization.

Our religions often require that we sacrafice our health or even our lives
for the sake ot the other species involved.  By understanding this we can
improve the health of millions and perhaps cause people to think before they
behave as they have in the Balkans, Ruwanda, Nothern Ireland or Israel where
religious differences have led to the deaths of millions.  Sacraficing our
humanity for the sake of another species can only lead to inhumanity.
Understanding prejudice is the first step in overcoming it.

Ray Audette
Author "NeanderThin"