RE: evolution and diet

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

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    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

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