On Sun, 25 Mar 2001 11:53:22 -0500, Don Wiss <[log in to unmask]> wrote
(thread: Re: Wheat, was Re: How do you eat for high-energy? Definition ):

>Charles Alban wrote:
>
>>Wheat is paleo, because hunter gatherers gather grass seed, and wheat is
>>grass.

Don:
>No. First you can't easily gather wheat. Prior to man's selective breeding,
>all of the seeds spontaneously fell off when ripe. And with their points
>they would stick into the ground.

How does that claim match to:
"Over 60 species of grasses have been harvested for their grains in Africa.
 .. Several species, however, have provided food on a
 massive scale and have been staples for a number of tribes.

 Natural stands of wild grass can give very respectable yields of
 high-quality food. Yields of 500-800 kg/ha are not uncommon and 1 ton/ha
 can occasionally be obtained. ... Harlan cites
 Chevalier, who described an African wild-grass harvest and stated that one
 adult could easily gather 10 kg in a mornings effort."
More text at:
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?A2=ind9808&L=paleodiet&P=R393

In the first time, I tended to believe such statements from Ray Audette.
Now, to me it looks more as a resoning on purpose of a diabetic.
Zero.point.zero grain may fight common allergies,
but aktual paleo seems to be different...

>Then processing is required to make the
>seeds edible. They have to be ground.

From my own experience I know that you can eat unground grains (e.g. spelt)
when soaked (or sprouted) for a few days. Soaking can be done easily whith a
little water on a leaf, peace of wood or a flat stone.

>.. Some have argued that they ground the
>grains with their teeth. Well, maybe, but you couldn't have consumed more
>than a token amount of them.

But soaked they are tender, just a little chewy.
Roasting in sand at a fire is also a possible processing (like in Tibet).

Not as the staple, but as a common contribution, even a main dish in the
season I think we can see wild grains.

I support Charles' view.

Amadeus