Raw diet, and Paleo diet, a couple questions. ?

Question

For those of you that follow raw and paleo diets, i have a few curiosities towards your practices. i was always taught not to limit the diet, but to balence it. my greek parents, particularly my father drilled the ancient greek saying : Pan Metron Ariston. it means everything in moderation. now, dont these diets limit diversity and uptake of nutrients? for instance, the paleo diet correct me if im wrong, excludes dairy and grains. why? in western society rarely if ever will someone live similar to hunter gatherer societies, so wouldent energy expenditure be different? we live a largely sedintary lifestyle, be it at work or at home, wouldent the faily high engergy (and therefore caloric) load of exessive meats tax the body, rather than help it?

why remove grains? whole grain breads offer good vitamins, and they are filling in smaller amounts. as for raw dieters, i fully understand the need for raw food in the diet, its a very valuable portion. however, isnt removal of the process of cooking a bit drastic? im not telling you fry your veggies in lard and eat em while their sogged, but a little heat and olive oil go a long way for personal enjoyment. why totally eliminate cooking? lastly, on the paleo diet, we may not have evolved much since then, however our practices and lifestyles have.

thank you for your time

Answer 1

Everything "bad" in moderation is "bad" for you!

I believe at least 80% of your diet should be raw....because...When you cook food it kills the enzymes(do  some research on enzymes, digestions is only a small part of what they do) it also destroys the nutrients.

Raw and sprouted (living foods) are the best way to go!  Yes, once in awhile eat whatever but keep it limited. Try it and see for yourself how you feel.

I would eat to many grains....remember what you said earlier. They put stress on you pancreas even the whole grain ones do.( not as much as  the white,however)

YOur diet seems to be ok. But if you do a little research it could be even better and you could preserve your health.

Answer 2

Paleolithic Diet is not Raw Vegan Diet. It is more to a Raw foodist.  

(1) Primitive people eat the organs, fat and blood of the animals they catch; they let nothing go to waste. Unlike the Paleo diet, where it is emphasized that only lean meat should be eaten.

(2) Dairy products eaten either raw or soured (cultured) are a huge part of primitive diets, okay, not for paleolithic people, but for people who had learned to tame cattle, goats and sheep, milk was a vital source of nourishment and it meant that they didn’t have to rely so heavily on meat for their survival. “If you’re of Northern European ancestry, you can probably digest milk, and if you’re Southeast Asian, you probably can’t. In most mammals, the gene for lactose tolerance switches off once an animal matures beyond the weaning years. Humans shared that fate as well–until a mutation in the DNA of an isolated population of Northern Europeans around 10,000 years ago introduced an adaptive tolerance for nutrient-rich milk. The likelihood that you tolerate milk depends on the degree to which you have Northern European blood.” Bruce Grierson. Remember pasteurisation has been with us for only 100 years.

(3) Grains and legumes were eaten by people who had learnt how to cultivate crops. But the food was prepared by fermenting before eating it, so it became easier to digest. Unlike the fast-rise bread processes today.

(4) Fruit and vegetables - its crazy to think that primitive people could have survived on fruit and veg alone. For one thing, fruit is only available for half the year if you are lucky and for veg it is perhaps slightly easier, if you are allowed to eat those roots. But what about some tribes such as the Inuit? Their diet includes miniscule portions of fruit or veg ~ did they survive as a race until they were assimilated into modern life by us? Yes, absolutely without doubt, and with perfect health.

So from all this, I have concluded that the Paleo diet is a step in the right direction (excluding meat as we already civilized), but it is not by any means the whole story. In fact, changes have to be made in order not to become deficient in some vital nutrients that the Paleo Diet does not provide. Please read on, these two articles are hugely valuable if you are following or thinking about starting the Paleo Diet…..

http://www.westonaprice.org/bookreviews/...

http://www.westonaprice.org/traditional_...

then read the following book: Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon...

http://www.amazon.com/Nourishing-Traditi...