RE: evolution and diet

From: gts (gts_2000@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Apr 26 2003 - 01:27:47 MDT

  • Next message: Anders Sandberg: "Re: Fiction Books"

    I William Wiser:

    I thought you might be interested in this quick summary of Dr. Loren
    Cordain's paleodiet recommendations, given that you've shown an interest in
    his book _The Paleo Diet_.

    ----
    THE SEVEN KEYS OF THE PALEODIET:
    1) Eat a relatively high amount of animal protein compared to that in the
    typical American diet.
    2) Eat fewer carbohydrates than most modern diets recommend, but eat lots of
    good carbs from fruits and vegetables, not from grains, starchy tubers, and
    refined sugars.
    3) Eat a large amount of fiber from nonstarchy fruits and vegetables.
    4) Eat a moderate amount of fat, with more good (mono and poly unsaturated)
    fats than bad (saturated) fats, and nearly equal amounts of omega 3 and
    omega 6 fats.
    5) Eat foods with a high potassium content and low sodium content.
    6) Eat a diet with a net alkaline load.
    7) Eat foods rich in plant phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, and
    antioxidants.
    ---
    I don't recall any discussion of 6) in these threads. The typical American
    diet is too acidic relative to the paleodiet. Acidic diets promote bone and
    muscle loss in aging. 
    Fruits and vegetables tend to be alkaline and are needed to buffer the acid
    from meats - another reason to eat your fruits and vegetables. Acidic
    non-paleolithic foods are grains, legumes and dairy products - another
    reason to avoid these foods. 
    Dr. Cordain cites an interesting study in the New England Journal of
    Medicine in which daily doses of simple potassium bicarbonate (alkaline)
    reduced urinary excretion of calcium and increased bone formation, helping
    to prevent or reverse osteoporosis. 
    I think those who cannot or will not eat properly should take alka-seltzer
    (sodium bicarbonate, aka baking soda) with each meal. This is of course
    assuming they don't need an alka-seltzer after each meal anyway. :-) A daily
    potassium supplement would also be called for in that case. The alka-seltzer
    would keep the diet alkaline and the potassium supplement would be needed to
    compensate for the low potassium in the diet and to offset the sodium in the
    alka-seltzer. 
    I'm not sure if potassium bicarbonate is available in convenient consumer
    form, but if so then it would be preferable to the sodium bicarbonate in
    alka-seltzer. 
    Of course it's best just to eat right in the first place.
    -gts
    


    This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Sat Apr 26 2003 - 01:36:21 MDT