On Tue, 21 Dec 1999, Dr. James Alpigini wrote:

> I have some questions about what is, and is not, allowed on a paleolithic
> diet.  I tried searching the archives but was thwarted by the excessive
> slowness of the server.  Has a list been posted anywhere which constitutes
> the cannon of P-F?

I assume you mean the canon.  The cannon of P-F is Michael
Audette.

Anyway, the dominant approach here is Ray Audette and Troy
Gilchrist's _Neanderthin_, although people have their own
variations.

> I would assume that peanut oil and corn oil are right out.  How about
> canola, sesame and flax oils?

Canola is frowned on, since the rapeseed from which it is
extracted is not, as far as I know, a human food.  Sesame oil
should be okay, since sesame seeds are edible.  Plenty of people
use flax oil, although it is again open to dispute whether flax
seeds were eaten by paleolithic people.

> Is vinegar allowable in small quantities?  A dash of balsamic vinegar with
> olive oil does justice to any salad.

According to Neanderthin, vinegar is out, because it is
fermented.  Personally, I don't think this is sufficient reason
to exclude it, since we have a metabolic pathway for handling the
stuff, which we only ingest in small amounts anyway.  But you
should choose vinegar, if you are going to use it at all, from
paleo sources; e.g., wine or cider vinegar.

> Along the same line, what about sour pickles?

If you're going to allow yourself the vinegar, then they should
be okay, depending on the vinegar used, I guess.

> Would mustard, say Grey Poupon, be acceptable?  How about mustard powder?

I think Grey Poupon uses white wine vinegar, n'est-ce pas?  There
should be no objection to the mustard powder.

> Hot sauce, Worcester (sic) sauce?

If you get a hot sauce without a lot of additives, then it should
be okay, assuming again that you have decided to use vinegar.

> Are cocoa powder or unsweetened chocolate allowed?

Don't think so.

> Is it required to read Jean Auel? :-)

No, but anything that Vilhjalmur Stefansson ever wrote is
regarded as _ex cathedra_.

Todd Moody
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