In a message dated 3/28/01 6:07:32 AM Pacific Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<<
 I don't question the premise that the shift to a grain-dominated
 diet was and is a challenge to the health of human beings.  I do
 question the claim that humans didn't eat grains at all during
 their long omnivorous career.
  >>
I think part of the problem here is this word grains. This is a modern word
which refers to cultivated food crops. These crops were originally wild
grasses, and it is the seeds of these grasses that are still today gathered
by h-g's. These seeds are gathered by brushing the seeds loose into gathering
baskets. They have to be lightly crushed, then winnowed in the wind, then
ground into flour. This is ancient technology. The germ is retained, and this
is where the fat is. This is quite different to our modern flour.

Was this practiced by Paleos? Maybe there is no physical evidence of grinding
stones prior to 17,000yago.  So what did they eat? Only animals? Animals
require a high level of sophistication to hunt. They probably ate a lot of
grubs and insects, which would leave no trace.

The fact is modern people, like us, can tolerate food made from ground up
seeds, grass or other, very well, as exemplified by modern h-g's. They thrive
on this type of food.

Charles