Bingo, this is the question I was really trying to ask.....thanks, Alec. I once dealt with an endocrinologist for some Thyroid issues I was having when I was a neolithic eater. She suggested that in the absence of some carbohydrate daily, the thyroid could not produce adequate thyroxin. She really was not a great fan of the zero carb/low carb diet. She had no problems with the carbs coming from paleo sources, but they needed to be included in some form daily, according to her view of healthy thyroid output. I tried just meat and fat one winter. By the third month, all I wanted to do was sit at the computer. I lost all drive to move, or do any real physical activity. Once I started incorporating more veggies, and denser carby foods like cooked carrots, winter squashes, yams and more cooked seasonal fruits (apples, pears, some dried fruits in dead winter), I felt like I could move. I also noticed I had much more muscle tone, probably a result of adequate stores of glycogen. I eat tons of fatty meats, nut butters, avocado, etc. But I still need denser vegetable carbs to feel "normal". I think the zero carb is much easier to do in a warmer climate, because lighter cooking doesn't heat the body. But in the cold, if you don't up the paleo carbs, I think a person will wind up craving and possibly succumbing to grains to stoke up internal heat. Best, Batsheva ________________________________ From: Alec Wood <[log in to unmask]> Re: starch and sugar. The enzyme Amylase is present in human saliva which begins the digestion and breakdown of starch and carbohydrates in the mouth. The question is are we intended to eat starch only as an emergency method of survival or eat carbohydrates everyday?