Susan Carmack <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> ... Nevertheless, I would like to avoid supplements and cure my maladies 
> the paleo way.
> I don't trust supplements. Who can really know what they are made from?
> I don't think they are paleo. I like to put things in my mouth that I 
> know more or less what they are or what they contain. 
> Vitamins/minerals present a mystery to me. A lot of supplements are 
> made of soy.

Hi Susan,

Some supplements do not contain soy, gluten, wheat, yeast, starch, corn,
etc., but if you don't want to try supplements that is of course your
right and I can empathize with your concerns.

> How would paleowoman cure her bunions and RLS? (Not that she would 
> develop them in the first place)....

I think you're right. My guess would be that bunions and RLS are
extremely rare among hunter-gatherers even today, though I haven't seen
any data on this.

> I only get RLS when I eat. If I don't eat before I have to sit for 
> extended periods of time, I don't get RLS.
> So, I think it is something in the food. Sometimes I get it from 
> pesticides in fruit (or the fruit itself?)
> I get it after I eat pemmican. Could it be too much meat? fat? grains 
> in the meat? I am able to eat only eat wild meat and fish.
> I hope you don't mind all the questions. You have done very well with 
> answers so far...!

Thanks. It sounds like your RLS symptoms sometimes occur after eating
certain foods, such as fruits, and sometimes not. That is a complicated
case that you probably know more about (because it's your body and your
experiences) than any of us. 

> I have been eating paleo since 1998 or so.... so is my body saying to 
> me that I should've become a vegan?

You mentioned previously that you experienced benefits from going Paleo
and they were apparently significant enough that they convinced you to
stick with it since 1998. That doesn't sound like your body is saying to
become vegan, despite the disappointing experience with RLS and bunions.
Unfortunately, Paleo diets aren't cure-alls. Vegans would likely argue
that your recent experience is evidence of the unhealthiness of Paleo
diets, but they would have to ignore your other improvements. It will be
interesting to see how Paleo diets stack up against other diets once
comparison studies involving moderners are performed.

Did you have flat feet or a very high arch before 1998? These structural
problems can contribute to bunion formation, though they are not
necessary precursors. Such structural defects can signal the early
underlying processes that eventually develop into bunions and other
disorders. Genetics are another factor. I am surprised, however that
there were no symptoms of bunions until around 9 years after you had
gone Paleo. It is possible that you would have developed bunions
regardless of what diet you switched to, but 9 years does seem like a
long time. 

> I am paleoperplexed. I went on the diet to STOP degeneration so where 
> do I go from here? Could I be allergic to wild meat? 

I wish I could say that there are tests you could take that would clear
this up for you, but my own research into food sensitivities and my own
experience with an ELISA test is that this is still an area of knowledge
that is in its infancy.

I am interested in bunions and related disorders because bunions and
overlapping toes run in my family and my own toes straightened after
going Paleo. I investigated it and found links between diet, arthritis,
bursitis, bunions, flat feet, etc. Your experience runs counter to the
links I found, which I appreciate your sharing, because I want to know
about the unsupportive cases as well as the supportive ones, to get the
whole picture. As to whether you could have remaining sensitivites to
some Paleo foods, I don't know. You are a better judge of that than I.

I too am a bit puzzled by the experiences you've related to us. However,
I'll bet that in the context of other improvements you've had that the
overall picture would not look so bad. I wish you the best.