Caveman Did Not Have a Long Life Span - Why Eat Like One?

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Camille0502
Camille0502 Posts: 311 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So this is something I've been curious about. I think I need to just read the book. Some people swear by the paleo diet. However, the lifespan back then was about one-third of the lifespan today. So why is it a good idea to emulate that diet?

Plus, another thing I wonder is - people lived all over the world with very varied diets - depending on where they lived and the climate and what was abundant there. Why is a certain supposedly "paleo" diet chosen?

The whole idea just does not pass the common sense test to me. Ok, have at me all you paleo lovers!
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Replies

  • lilpoindexter
    lilpoindexter Posts: 1,122 Member
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    Yep. Just eat in moderation, and you will be ok.
  • KS_4691
    KS_4691 Posts: 228 Member
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    Think of all the things we have now that are increasing our life span: modern medicine, plumbing, dental care, law enforcement, etc. THESE are the reasons we live longer than the cavemen. It's certainly not our superior modern diet.
  • SFBarbear
    SFBarbear Posts: 146
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    Then don't do it. But it works for millions of others.
  • alaskaang
    alaskaang Posts: 493 Member
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    Life span then was due more to environmental hazards, predators, lack of medicince, infant mortality etc - But, health problems such as obesity, diabetes, etc were not as prevelant.

    The premise of the plan is that physiologically we are not much different in our nutritional needs than then and most of our issues area result of our overprocessed non-natural GMO food supply.

    In terms of diet, the focus is eating whole natural foods such as meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, and fruit. How is that not healthy?
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,735 Member
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    it's just another fad diet, right? they come, they go. there's always another one around the corner that somebody is going to get rich from with their book, once they can get on TV to promote it.

    i've never in my life followed a diet. i've always known that fitness was a result of eating right and exercising. i just didn't have a way of quantifying "eating right" until i discovered the BMR equation.

    also, i'm pretty sure cavemen ate bugs. that negates the paleo diet concept if you ask me. :)
  • MrsGSR
    MrsGSR Posts: 88
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    Think of all the things we have now that are increasing our life span: modern medicine, plumbing, dental care, law enforcement, etc. THESE are the reasons we live longer than the cavemen. It's certainly not our superior modern diet.

    Exactly, from what I've read Cavemen died from diseases caused by bacteria and viruses, or trauma.

    I also found this:
    www.cavementimes.com/health-a-lifestyle/207-cavemen-lived-longer-than-you-think
    which suggests that if it wasn't for the above factors cavemen could and did live much longer.
  • ObtainingBalance
    ObtainingBalance Posts: 1,446 Member
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    Think of all the things we have now that are increasing our life span: modern medicine, plumbing, dental care, law enforcement, etc. THESE are the reasons we live longer than the cavemen. It's certainly not our superior modern diet.

    Exactly. Our modern diet isn't what has helped. People have been getting more health problems in modern life. Like gall bladder needing to be removed.... a know a guy at 17 who needs surgery and my mom also might... years ago people didnt need this, it has to be diet related...so much processed food now days


    Paleo... I think its a bit crazy, I mean... you have to limit a lot of carbs and you cant eat oatmeal or anything... lol.
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
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    We live longer on average now than even 100 years ago. I don't think it's diet that makes the difference.
    There's nothing wrong with eating as close to nature as possible. The more processed the food, the less nutrition: that's a fact.
    I think that's what we need to remember.
  • Sick_Beard
    Sick_Beard Posts: 407 Member
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    We live longer on average now than even 100 years ago. I don't think it's diet that makes the difference.
    There's nothing wrong with eating as close to nature as possible. The more processed the food, the less nutrition: that's a fact.
    I think that's what we need to remember.

    *Drum Roll* This^
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I think the more important variable is that humans evolved from a varied diet, including eating grains and legumes. The modern human body, from our teeth to our digestive system, is very different from the paleolithic human.
  • nphect
    nphect Posts: 474
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    the way i see it , its still better than 50% of other peoples diets. i don't eat that diet unless i need to loose weight fast, but don't eat that diet if you can't go 2 weeks without a cookie.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    We live longer on average now than even 100 years ago. I don't think it's diet that makes the difference.
    There's nothing wrong with eating as close to nature as possible. The more processed the food, the less nutrition: that's a fact.
    I think that's what we need to remember.

    *Drum Roll* This^

    Agreed! And I also agree that you don't have to embrace paleo to eat as close to nature as possible.
  • Rhia55
    Rhia55 Posts: 247
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    Brontosaurus burger?
  • ali_b83
    ali_b83 Posts: 324 Member
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    For me, not eating modern, chemically-laden, crap-in-a-box makes me feel good. I could really care less how cavemen or anyone else eats. I just try to eat in the way that makes me feel best.
  • ang3h
    ang3h Posts: 185 Member
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    Diets = restriction. If you don't NEED to restrict anything from your diet, why do it? Like the whole no beans/peanuts/whatever thing about the paleo diet.. wtf? Beans and peanuts are delicious and filling and packed with protein!

    I'd rather eat like a 2012 human being instead of a Neanderthal. There's a reason we evolved :)
  • CakeFit21
    CakeFit21 Posts: 2,521 Member
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    Paleo... I think its a bit crazy, I mean... you have to limit a lot of carbs and you cant eat oatmeal or anything... lol.

    OH MY GOD! You can't eat OATMEAL??? That is *kitten* CRAZY!!!
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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    So this is something I've been curious about. I think I need to just read the book. Some people swear by the paleo diet. However, the lifespan back then was about one-third of the lifespan today. So why is it a good idea to emulate that diet?

    Plus, another thing I wonder is - people lived all over the world with very varied diets - depending on where they lived and the climate and what was abundant there. Why is a certain supposedly "paleo" diet chosen?

    The whole idea just does not pass the common sense test to me. Ok, have at me all you paleo lovers!

    I am not Paleo, but I understand what they are doing. They want the best of both worlds and to eat healthier. However I find it too much of a combination of my 100% organic days and Atkins days. I now like to cherry pick from various diets, I might have a Paleo meal and then a normal meal (by just adding some carbs or whatever)

    I've found that all diets that label some foods as good and some as bad can possibly set you up for failure later on down the road and leads to some weird eating issues bordering on emotionally disturbed (speaking from one who is reformed from this trend in modern society diets).

    I did all these diets in the last 15 years: Low fat high carb, Slim-Fast, Weight Watchers, Atkins, Organic, Weston Price Diet, The Schwarzbein Principle, Eat Fat Lose Fat, The Ultimate PH Solution, The Makers Diet, A friends diet from a personal trainer/dietician. I yo-yo'd for 15 years beating my head against the wall, and all the while ran marathon after marathon, lifting weights, hiking, biking, martial arts, you name it, thinking I could exercise away the fat (you can't out exercise too many calories and the smaller you are (hint: shorter) the less calories you need compared to bigger/taller people).

    I finally just got sick of it all and made up my own diet with healthy foods I enjoy and smaller portions.
    I ate my meals from small desert plates and bowls. I stopped eating in the evenings. I started calling what I did mini-meals and mini-fasts and I lost 40 lbs. Then I found intermittent fasting which Paleo also promotes this. The version I use is called Eat Stop Eat because of the wealth of research done in the paper and that I was able to take it to my doctor to get an opinion on the research backing it.

    So the bottom line for me is I will never follow any of these diets again because I believe they are not sustainable, but I will cherry pick from them for very short periods of time if I feel like it, and I will glean out from them lessons/research.
  • MsNewBooty83
    MsNewBooty83 Posts: 1,003 Member
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    cave men also didnt have alot of the modern day medicine and skills that we have today. i bet millions of cavemen died from hang nails and crap like that. lol. just not knowing about infections or how to treat simple illnesses etc. hygene was probly not on theur top 10 list of things to do every day.
  • Sheirai
    Sheirai Posts: 79 Member
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    Paleo... I think its a bit crazy, I mean... you have to limit a lot of carbs and you cant eat oatmeal or anything... lol.

    OH MY GOD! You can't eat OATMEAL??? That is *kitten* CRAZY!!!

    Whoa, Karincakes! If that is you in the profile pic, I'll have whatever it is you're having....
  • farmwife3815
    farmwife3815 Posts: 326 Member
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    I follow it loosely. I do it because I'm diabetic. Eating veggies and lean protein and not potatoes, pasta, and such keeps my blood sugars down and I've gotten off one of the insulin's I had to take. For me, that's enough right there. I'm not fanatical about it and I don't believe you need to be. I use it as a guide. If I want something like a cookie or a piece of cobbler, I have it. But not 2 or 5. And not all the time. It's something I will do for the rest of my life. That's my thoughts on the subject!! :wink:

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