on Wed Sep 17 02:48:55 1997, cdoyle writes:
>
> What is the basic difference between the Atkins  diet and the
> Paleothin?  Has anyone been on both?
> thanks. Claud

Neanderthin's focus is not weight loss (though that can certainly happen),
but general health and well being.  It is to a large degree not concerned
with macronutrient ratios (some Neanderthin followers eat large ammounts of
fruit) as is Atkins.  The guiding principle is that you can eat only the
things that you could eat if you were naked and had a sharp stick, ie. what
a hunter-gatherer would eat, ie. what evolution designed our bodies to eat.

Foods includes meat (including insects), eggs, vegetables, fruits, and
nuts.  Grains, legumes, starches (e.g. potatoes), and dairy are not
eatable.  Processed foods in general are not part of the diet.  The closer
the food is to its natural state, the better.

If you are concerned about weight loss, carbohydrate reduction is
recommended.  In fact, Atkins and Neanderthin could be used together.  You
would simply eat mostly meat/eggs and low-carb vegetables.

My wife follows the Atkins plan, and I myself try to follow the
macronutrient ratios of the Zone along with a reduction of processed foods
and the elimination of high-carb foods (ie. grains, etc), sort of a cross
between Zone and Neanderthin.  If I were single, I would go strict
neanderthin, but my relationship with my wife is more important to me than
my diet, and she would find it very difficult to eliminate all processed
foods and dairy from her diet.

There is a good description of a paleolithic diets at
http://www.newhope.com/magazines/nsn/NSN_backs/Apr_97/paleolithic.html.
And a good total resource at http://www.panix.com/~paleodiet/.

Hope this helps.

P.S. If I have misstated anything here, please feel free to correct me.

--
Brian Glass | [log in to unmask] | http://www.andrews.edu/~glass | 313-995-9022
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A religious conservative is a fanatic about a dead radical.