The fruits, nuts, and berries you get in the grocery store today are nothing like what our ancestors ate.  The fruits and berries have been bred to not only be larger but to contain much much more sugar.  That and the fact that plant based foods would only be available seasonally, a high-fat meat based diet would be more in line with what is natural to eat, with very occasional fruits, nuts, and berries.  I don't think tubers fall into the paleo realm.





________________________________
From: Kenneth Anderson <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2009 1:42:16 PM
Subject: How fire made us human

Following the reactions to “How fire made us human” it seems that this
Paleofood Digest” is irrevocably devoted to a raw meat, no carb diet,
with only a few rarely heard other voices.

To review: Dr. Cordain, ( http://www.thepaleodiet.com/), who was
involved in the beginning of this digest, found that scientific
research reveals that the evolutionary, genetic, and clinical evidence
point to a natural (i.e., unprocessed foods), OMNIVOROUS diet as the
healthiest way to eat. That is, “ Roots and tubers, Berries, Fruits,
Nuts. The most obvious plant food missing is grains and grain
products. If you can concentrate on fresh versions of the plants above
- and eliminate or drastically reduce grains, grain products, sugars,
and sugar products - you will be well on your way to eating the plants
that fit your genetic constitution.  The animal sources were: wild
terrestrial animals (including the muscle tissue, fat and organs,
although the total amount of fat and the fatty acid composition were
quite different than that found in modern domestic animals). Fowl,
Insects, Fish and seafood, Eggs.  And Cordain does not suggest that we
do not cook our meat.  Virtually all of the carbohydrates Paleolithic
people ate came from nonstarchy, wild fruits and vegetables.
Consequently, their carbohydrate intake was much lower and their fiber
intake much higher than those obtained by eating the typical modern
diet."

Cordain makes more sense to me than the raw-meat-only-folks. Cordain's
diet deserves the title Paleodiet, even if a few isolated hunters ate
mainly raw food.  It was Human to develop fire and cook our meat, it
was mainly Prehuman to eat raw meat. Those of you who have health
conditions which only respond to raw meat seem to be making a virtue
of a fault.

Ken