On Sep 18, 2004, at 10:48 pm, Sharon Giles wrote:
> One glass (150ml) counts as one of the five fruit and veg portions we
> should
> all be aiming for each day.

As I understand it, the main reason given to eat fruit and veg is to
prevent cancer.  Since, by eating a paleo diet, you are eliminating
many major causes or contributing factors of cancer (although obviously
environmental pollution etc are beyond your control), is there any
reason to stick religiously to the 5 fruit and veg a day
recommendation?  There are many hunter-gatherer communities that eat
almost *no* veg whatsoever, and yet remain healthy.  (Although I guess
they don't smoke on the drive to work, breathing traffic fumes for half
an hour before sitting on their backside all day in a building full of
stale air and radiation-producing equipment, eating pesticide-coated
fruit and meat laced with hormones and artificial preservatives.*)

I eat plenty of meat and eggs, so I am fairly confident that I am not
mineral deficient.  I eat lettuce once a day, usually a portion of
onion-family veg, and mushrooms quite often (which I think are not
counted as a portion of fruit and veg).  This is well short of the
5-a-day recommendation, but I see no reason to change.  I've got the
toughest immune system of anyone I know, and I get much better energy
levels this way, even compared to a moderate fat/moderate carb paleo
diet.  Eating more veg would only increase my carb intake, which I am
happy to have below 10g daily.

Ashley

*We aren't all this bad I guess- I don't smoke for a start.