Mary Rittenhouse said:
I was just wondering if piosyachios were acceptable....because peanuts and
cashews are not. I have a brain thank you. If I didn't I would still be
eating the politically correct food pyramid guidlines.
I guess this is not the right list to ask questions on.

My reply:

Mary, please do not stop asking questions, on the paleo list or elsewhere!
I think what Hans was trying to convey is that the questions, "is it paleo"
may not be the best question to ask.  If you ask several people you may get
several different answers.  For sample, Ray's book gives the impression that
roots are not paleo; however, if you talk to Loren Cordain, S. Boyd Eaton,
Marjorie Shostak, Melvin Konner, and others who have either studied or lived
with native people and modern HGs, you'll discover that many healthy peoples
ate roots.  If you ask Ray, "Is this Paleo" you may get a different answer
than if you ask the author of the Kitava study.

Some people on this list eat roots and even some tubers with a moderate
glycemic index.  Some folks on this list eat cashews and cashew butter.
There is no one unifying body of knowledge nor consensus on the issue of
foods.  But I think most of us can agree on some basic underlying
principles. 

We do not have an iron clad agreement or  listing of all paleo foods, as
they would have varied at different times, in different places, and in
different seasons.  There are so many varieties of edible and nutritious
plants, which some of us are familiar with and others among us are not.
What can happen when people get stuck in the mode of asking if this or that
is paleo, is that they may miss the overarching principles.

Perhaps better questions might be, "do many of you eat pistachios?
" Or, you might ask yourself,
1) "Is it edible raw?
2) Is it in its natural, unrefined state?
3) Is it fresh?  
4) Is it a source of nutrients?
5) Is it a significant source of antinutrients?"

There are many wholesome plant foods that I eat that are super nutritious,
fresh, and delicious, that may not be on this or that paleo list or in this
or that person's diet because the person who wrote a given list may not be
familiar with this or that plant and may not eat it.  But that does not make
it unfit for a modern paleo diet.

I have enjoyed many of Hans' posts while on this list and do not think he
meant to rebuke you. I think he was trying to get you to look at the big
picture.  Btw:  I used to think pistachios were pink; that's what I saw when
I was a kid---horrible dyed nuts in the candy machines!  I later tried fresh
pistachios and was impressed with their natural beige colored shell and
green tinged flesh and slightly sweet flavor.

When  shopping for nuts it is wise to buy them raw, stored under
refrigeration (our local health food stores sell them this way).  If you
want them toasted---toast them lightly (no  higher than 325š F and only
briefly--not to the point of browness!)  If you want them salted, you can
dissolve a little sun dried, mineral-rich, unrefined sea salt into hot
water, then douse the warm nuts, stir, then return to the oven for a few
minutes to dry.  Rancid nuts, over-roasted nuts, and those roasted in oil,
cheap oil, and with cheap salt are not a good source of nutrients; they can
do more harm than good.

Hang in there!  It gets easier!  Also, you are dealing with people who speak
many different languages.  Sometimes things get lost in the translation,
when you don't know the person or his or her personality or native tongue!

Sincerely,

Rachel