What do we really know about cave men (and women)?

Here is the answer:

http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Debunking-the-Paleo-Diet-Christ

Stop making sense! That's not allowed here.

AH BROSCIENCE RUN!

But seriously... I watched my wife's grandmother die at the age of 93... She was gone the last 10-20 years of her life, locked in a place to die away from family. She's cuban, ate mostly healthy grains and legumes her whole life and being a woman from cuba, stayed away from high fat meats (that was something only men partook in.) I respect the heck out of her and her life, but despite her long life her last 20 years weren't any more fulfilling despite eating a diet that by most standards today was quite healthy. (Olive Oil, Healthy Grains, Fruits, Legumes, Vegetables, low fat diet all around, low sugar)

So eat what you want, if you live to 100+ great, hopefully by that point you'll remember the people around you and be able to do something about it instead of slowly dying in a bed somewhere.

My question is, how do we know that what was optimal for survival of cave people is optimal for us? Cave people didn't live very long; the key to life, for them, was living to the point where they could have children and raise those children to the point of being able to take care of themselves. Very long life might even have been counter-productive. Sure, the elders could provide some wisdom from things they had experienced that would help younger people, but having too many elders would harm the clan or tribe because they mostly consumed resources without contributing them.

Much of the reasoning is that our bodies were designed (over tens of thousands of years) to eat a more whole, raw food diet including lots of vegetables and some meat (depending on where your ancestors are from) and are not yet adapted to eating processed foods, many of which are nutrient deficient. It is also true that if you look at the ages of ancient peoples and take away causes of death from accidents/injuries, being attacked by an animal, etc. many groups of people lived much longer than is commonly thought by the general public. I do understand that the human body has developed some adaptations to the newer foods we are eating, but there are better nutrition choices than processed or starchy foods. My take on eating paleo/primal has been to incorporate more whole, natural foods into my diet, and eating as nutrient-dense foods as possible, I see this as a sensible and logical way of eating.

In reference to incorporating more meat into a person's diet as being unhealthy, it is true that adding red meats (specifically processed red meats, as many of the studies include processed red meats alongside items such as leaner cuts of steak as one conglomerate entitled "red meat") can be unhealthy, but my experience on the primal diet hasn't been laden with absurd amounts of red, or any meat, really. And it's not really "cave" people it's referring to, it's the paleolithic peoples, who may, or may not, have actually lived in caves lol.

...and they didn't have to worry about filing their taxes. :grumble:

This is enough to make me want to move to a cave!

we totally eat Paleo for b'fast in this house...Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles, only the best will do for my family :flowerforyou:

Very thoughtfully stated.

People live so much longer now, but what is the quality of life for many elderly people? What's so great about living to be 90+ if you lose you mind, wear diapers and need constant care?

Whether you end up like that depends a lot on lifestyle. Check out the Okinawan study, and a book called 'The Blue Zones'. There are areas of the world with a high concentration of centenarians who are still active and mentally with it, due to their lifestyles largely.

I don't know about cave men... but I am a christian and the original man was Adam from the Bible. And we know from what the Bible says that he did not eat meat, but lived perfectly in the garden with a diet of fruit and veggies.

.....not sure if you're joking.

I hope you're joking.

If you really want to do a hunter-gatherer diet, you should run around all day to catch an animal for the village (or spend all day foraging if you're a woman), eat as much as you physically can, then eat again when you get more food. No wonder that hunter-gatherer's are so lean.

I find it strange that some recommend eating small meals throughout the day (at the same time as recommending that we eat only foods which our evolutionary ancestors would have eaten), when our evolutionary ancestors would eat large meals, then possibly not eat for a day or two. I guess it depends on what you find the best for yourself

Instead of hitting on women at the club they hit them over the head with a club, which I can say from experience, is a LOT more effective.

HAHAHA! I'm glad someone's got it all figured out.