On Mon, 6 Jul 2009 23:35:22 -0700, Ron Hoggan, Ed. D. 
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>If it was possible to create a non-meat food that provided all the nutrients
>of
>meat would you switch to it rather to continue eating meat?
>
>[Ron] I don't believe it is possible. On almost any day you read this list
>there is considerable disagreement about the nature and content of the Paleo
>Diet. For instance:  The types and quantities of fats are huge bones of
>contention; The proportion and nature of proteins provide more room for
>debate; Then there are all of the debates regarding carbohydrates; Cooking
>or raw is another area of strong disagreement; Finally, there are
>disagreements regarding various impacts on individual measurements of
>cholesterol, blood glucose, triglycerides, etc. and their various impacts on
>health and fitness.  In short, current nutritional knowledge is extremely
>limited and enormously biased. It will be a very long time before we will
>know what nutrients are necessary and beneficial to humans. Without that
>knowledge we can't feasibly work toward creating a non-meat food
>replacement. I suspect that I would make such a shift if I thought it was
>possible, but I'd have to have a lot more confidence in the determination of
>exactly what is healthy than I currently have in any authority in this area.

Keep in mind that the cattle would no longer exist (at all) if they were 
replaced.  I greatly appreciated Todd's previous post on the subject, and 
would add that another question is whether it is preferable for the cattle to 
exist given the risk of inhumane treatement or not exist.

>Maybe there is someone out there who has experimented with adding these
>oils to their diet?
>
>[Ron] Yes, several list members, including myself, have experimented with
>fish oil, borage oil, primrose oil, coconut oil, and flax oil  supplements.
>My experience is that fish oil seem to work best for me, but my primary
>concern is now with food cravings, but I did struggle with arthritic pain
>for the first 6 months or so after I was diagnosed with celiac disease  and
>started avoiding gluten.

FWIW, I tried fish oil for a 3 month stretch and could detect no noticeable 
difference in health though I did not have my lipids tested.  I am skeptical of 
its benefit and have seen no conclusive studies that clearly demonstrate the 
benefits of Omega 3 supplementation.  That said I am willing to be convinced 
otherwise and recognize that others may benefit.  Other than being diabetic I 
have no other health issues such as food intolerances, allergies, etc, so that 
certainly may factor into my personal experience.