I am eating quite a bit of turnips, rutabagas, carrots, sweet potatoes,
beets and kohlrabi.  But the Paleo diet seemed so
vehemently against Irish potatoes.  What do you think about them, Amadeus?

Paul
----- Original Message -----
From: "Amadeus Schmidt" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2001 6:04 AM
Subject: Re: tubers ?!


> On Tue, 27 Nov 2001 11:05:46 +1100, Dean Pistilli
> <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> >Hi Amadeus,
> >
> >I have to say the below is one of the weirdest and least probably
> >theories I have heard regarding paleo and prehistoric food sources..
>
> I'd suggest to take a look at "The Raw and the Stolen"
> (Group of Prof Wrangham) which is an
> outline of the theory. I think it has a lot of strengths and
> overcomes some drawbacks of the alternatives.
>
> >Have you ever tried eating raw tubers and spuds? You would probably be
> >dead if you relied on raw tubers as your staple diet. Apart from a large
> >percentage being toxic in a raw state, its unlikely they would simply
> >meet the nutritional needs of previous and current human beings.
>
> I eat raw tubers every day. Maybe some 2-300g.
> Several kind of white tubers which we have at the casino salad bar.
> Maybe some kind of raddish or similar tubers.
> Veeeeery good are Teltow-turnips (a favourite food of Goethe).
> Sometimes carrots too.
>
> Others, Yams etc taste only when cooked.
>
> Wrangham has pointed out that not one single root, but a combination
> of 5 different ones (within a week or so) do meet the nutritional needs
> of humans.
>
> Additionally it would be a requirement against the rabbit starvation
> problem if homo erectus ate considerable amounts of carrion or hunt.
> Wrangham et al mentioned not directly rabbit starvation, but the beneftis
> from cooked starch for eating the lean savannah meat.
>
> >..its mainly fantasy and weird
> >forms of guilt relief that lead people to immagine the answer was in any
> >way related to fructarianism, veganism, eating sprouts and tubers,
> >vegetarianism, natural hygiene, macrobiotics etc. etc.
>
> You may be right. The guilt relief is not my professtion ;-)
> However the food resources from plants I find in both taste and variety
> great.
>
> Amadeus S
>
>