Bingo,  this is the question I was really trying to ask.....thanks, Alec.

I once dealt with an endocrinologist for some Thyroid issues I was having when I 
was a neolithic eater.  She suggested that in the absence of some carbohydrate 
daily, the thyroid could not produce adequate thyroxin.  She really was not a 
great fan of the zero carb/low carb diet.  She had no problems with the carbs 
coming from paleo sources, but they needed to be included in some form daily, 
according to her view of healthy thyroid output.  I tried just meat and fat one 
winter. By the third month, all I wanted to do was sit at the computer.  I lost 
all drive to move, or do any real physical activity.  Once I started 
incorporating more veggies, and denser carby foods like cooked carrots, winter 
squashes, yams and more cooked seasonal fruits (apples, pears, some dried fruits 
in dead winter), I felt like I could move.  I also noticed I had much more 
muscle tone, probably a result of adequate stores of glycogen.  I eat tons of 
fatty meats, nut butters, avocado, etc.  But I still need denser vegetable carbs 
to feel "normal".  I think the zero carb is much easier to do in a warmer 
climate, because lighter cooking doesn't heat the body.  But in the cold, if you 
don't up the paleo  carbs, I think a person will wind up craving and possibly 
succumbing to grains to stoke up internal heat.  


Best,
Batsheva


 



________________________________
From: Alec Wood <[log in to unmask]>

Re: starch and sugar. The enzyme Amylase is present in human saliva which begins 
the digestion and breakdown of starch and carbohydrates in the mouth.  The 
question is are we intended to eat starch only as an emergency method of 
survival or eat carbohydrates everyday?