Hi Steve, 
Stefansson depicted the traditional indoor life of the Inuit as almost
tropical. Further, their very innovative clothing kept them quite warm most
of the time when outside. 

You are correct in recognizing that fat consumption is far more important
for staying warm in cold weather. (Carbs just don't seem to do the trick in
extremely cold conditions.) However, this same diet seems to cure drug
resistant epilepsy and many treatment resistant cancers. It also works
wonders for obesity, autoimmune disease, etc. Many body builders are also
moving toward the ketogenic diet. So the Inuit diet may be closer to our
evolutionary past than is currently believed.  Thus, it may be more
productive to look at what diets make us healthier rather than rely on what
we imagine to be the norm for human pre-agricultural diets as the litmus
test for dietary choices. When we see such obvious health benefits from a
fat dominated, moderate protein diet, in conditions where drugs are
ineffectual, there is good cause to think otherwise.  

Estimates for how long humans have been in the Americas have changed several
times in recent decades and the explanations for Polynesian genes in the
Americas hasn't (IMO) been satisfactorily explained. Thus, it really isn't
relevant how long people have been on this continent. What counts is whether
their diet is congruent with our genetic past, and hence, confers protection
from, and treatment for, many of the diseases of civilization. 

Best Wishes, 
Ron


> Sent: Monday, January 05, 2009 8:39 AM
> 
> [log in to unmask] wrote:
> > I like zero carbs, moderate protein, and the balance in the form of fat.
> >  I follow the 1.2 grams of protein per kg of reference ("ideal") body
> > weight that Phinney uses in his study on exercise and ketosis.
> >
> > Here's a quote for you from the Phinney review
> > (http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/1/1/2)
> >
> > "It is interesting to note from the careful observations published from
> > the Bellevue study that Stafansson ate relatively modestly of protein,
> > deriving between 80-85% of his dietary energy from fat and only
> > 15-20% from protein [9]. This was, and still remains, at odds with the
> > popular conception that the Inuit ate a high protein diet, whereas in
> > reality it appears to have been a high fat diet with a moderate intake
> > of protein. In his writings, Stefansson notes that the Inuit were
> > careful to limit their intake of lean meat, giving excess lean meat to
> > their dogs and reserving the higher fat portions for human consumption
> > [11]."
> >
> > The moderate protein regime contradicts most of the paleo friendly low
> > carb plans out there.
> >
> >
> >
> > Jim Swayze
> > www.fireholecanyon.com
> >
> >
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2009 8:39 AM Steve ([log in to unmask]
said: 

> The Inuit however were in a different environmental niche (very cold,
> few plants) and I don't think that their diet is particularly reflective
> of the evolutionary diet in general. Currently, some science places man
> in the Americas for at most 30,000 years (common assertions are closer
> to 12,000 years ago). In any case, I don't think a cold climate was par
> for the course for our current genetics.
> 
> Steve