From: gts (gts_2000@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun May 04 2003 - 23:53:05 MDT
Mike Lorrey wrote:
> I am glad to see some studies confirming the diet I've advocated on
> this list for a number of years.
And I am glad to know I'm not the only one here who sees the virtue of a
natural paleolithic diet!
> I have not always practiced it myself, but I am getting better.
I understand. It is always a struggle to resist the temptation to stray into
non-paleo territory. High-carb and high-saturated fat foods are everywhere.
Processed foods full of transfats and other undesirable ingredients are
everywhere. The supermarket is an obstacle course for the American consumer,
and sometimes I stumble just as you do. I try to do my shopping around the
perimeter, where the paleo foods can be found. The fresh produce, fresh fish
and meats sections are where the best foods are located.
I notice that I have become even more diligent about adhering strictly to my
diet since I started participating in these diet threads. I hate to say one
thing while doing another. :)
> [Five servings of fruits and veggies on Atkins] is quite possible, so
> long as you avoid the starchy veggies like corn, potatoes, carrots,
> peas, etc.
I suppose it can be done by a very careful Atkins dieter who knows his plant
foods.
Speaking of knowing one's plant foods, corn is not properly considered a
vegetable in the first place, except perhaps by the loosest definition. Corn
is a grain in the same category with wheat, rye, rice, etc. All grains are
extremely non-paleolithic.
It's notable that farmers fatten their cattle on high-carb, high-omega-6,
non-paleo corn.
Also potatoes and other starchy tubers including carrots were not an
important part of the paleodiet. Potatoes in particular are very
non-paleolithic; they cannot be digested well in their raw state.
Peas are legumes; also not part of a strict paleodiet.
So then what you're really saying above is that Atkins dieters can eat five
servings of fruits and vegetables each day provided that they avoid
non-paleolithic "quasi-vegetables" like corn, potatoes, carrots and peas.
> I will generally eat lettuce, celery, onions, mushrooms in a salad. I
> will also eat lots of broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, and other leafy
> greens.
Excellent, very paleo. Spinach, broccoli and onions are my favorites. I make
my salads with raw chilled baby spinach leaves and top them with chopped
broccoli crowns, and usually include chopped onions along with other
vegetables. Broccoli is such a great vegetable that I sometimes also take
broccoli sprout extract as a supplement. Among other things, broccoli
sprouts are rich in a substance called sulphorophane, known to help protect
against some forms of cancer. Onions are also thought to be beneficial
against cancer, though the evidence for onions is not so conclusive.
> I haven't analyzed beets...
Beets make the cut.
-gts
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