From: gts (gts_2000@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Apr 14 2003 - 14:24:24 MDT
Damien Sullivan wrote:
gts wrote:
>> I think the question is not whether grains are "good" or "bad" in any
>> absolute sense. It is rather "What are the best sources of calories?"
>
> Sure. But there's nutrients and nutrients. Is taking lots
> of protein good? I've seen signs it isn't -- gout, calcium
> competition, kidney stones.
Yes, I've seen those studies also. They may be among some of the
(subconscious?) reasons I tend to keep my personal recommendations a little
shy of Cordain's bold estimates of up to 75% of calories from animal
sources. Also I've seen other papers by Cordain in which his estimates were
more modest. I think 40%-50% of calories from animals is a reasonable target
that stays within the bounds set of paleodiet theory.
> And where do free radicals come
> from, metabolically?
They come from many places.
> Are the "empty calories" of carbs a
> cleaner burning fuel than protein, without by-products gumming up the
> works?
I don't believe so. Excess protein is converted to glucose in a process
called gluconeogenesis, at which point to follows the same pathways as
carbs. Offhand I don't recall any research that shows gluconeogenesis as
generating free-radicals. This is not to say it doesn't.
> Maybe the Okinawan success come from pure calories + lots of
> antioxidants and stuff + plus some (not much) good protein
> and fat from fish, with a touch of calorie restriction.
I don't think the Okinawan diet is unhealthy but I do think it would be a
lot better without the rice. They should eat even more fish and veggies!
We haven't discussed fish much in this thread, but cold-water ocean fish is
probably among the best foods available. I keep a stock of sardines in my
cupboard and try to eat several cans per week.
If I were forced to live on a deserted island with access to only two foods,
I would choose sardines and blueberries. I would have blue lips and bad
breath but I would be healthy.
>>> Grape juice or whole wheat bread: which would you rather live on?
>> One cannot live on either of these foods alone.
> I did always say grains weren't complete, didn't I?
Actually, no. You wrote a day or two ago:
"One test I do is to ask 'what would I be getting if I got all 2000 of my
calories from this
food?' and good breads and pasta hold up decently."
I didn't call you on it, Damien, because I figure you didn't have your
thinking cap on at the time you wrote it. :-)
-gts
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Mon Apr 14 2003 - 14:31:19 MDT