Ancestral Diet... eating right for your origins
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Maybe I should just blame GMO's, it seems easier.0
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lemurcat12 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Well I know that 85% of Asians are lactose intolerant. I know my body feels different (digestive wise) when I eat indigenous foods as opposed to an American diet.
Lactose intolerance is a real thing and we understand the genetic adaptations behind why some populations are better able to tolerate lactose than others. It doesn't follow that this applies to foods like rice. I regularly eat tropical fruits without a problem, foods my Irish ancestors probably never ate.
And similarly the Irish did quite well on potatoes (pre famine) even though potatoes were not an indigenous food (and many in Europe were quite resistant to them -- apparently the French tried to get them to catch on to deal with the regular failures of the grain crop in the years leading up to the Revolution). And of course tomatoes don't seem to have been a problem for the Italians, even though it was a New World introduction.
Also, what IS indigenous food when you are talking about the US diet? We've adopted stuff from everything, and come from all over. My ancestry is Irish/English/Welsh/Swedish, mostly, so maybe I'm just sensibly resistant to the depressing diet I'd likely have to adopt if this were so, especially in the winter months.
I think the larger point is that many traditional foodways/indigenous diets DO tend to be healthier, overall, than the SAD. You don't have to be Italian to benefit from the Mediterranean diet or Japanese to benefit from a Japanese diet. These diets aren't good for people because they fit their specific genetic code, they tend to be good for people because traditional diets often do a good job of maximizing health benefits. But we shouldn't confuse that with thinking that we need to pick a specific diet that matches our heritage.0 -
Who says I'm blaming them. LOLGuitarJerry wrote: »Seems silly. Take personal responsibility for yourself and stop blaming your ancestors.
And allergies? What allergies?
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I'm Irish, so I should drink a lot of beer. I'm also Polish, so I can consume mass amounts of meat.0
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I'm Scotch-Irish. So potatoes, haggis, whiskey, beer and I am good to go apparently.0
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juggernaut1974 wrote: »It never ceases to amaze me how people can fall for the idea that an ideal diet comes from a time when the average life span was 30-ish years old.
We now know that short life spans of the past had more to do with how numbers were figured. Infant mortality rates heavily influenced average life expectancy.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Well I know that 85% of Asians are lactose intolerant. I know my body feels different (digestive wise) when I eat indigenous foods as opposed to an American diet.
Lactose intolerance is a real thing and we understand the genetic adaptations behind why some populations are better able to tolerate lactose than others. It doesn't follow that this applies to foods like rice. I regularly eat tropical fruits without a problem, foods my Irish ancestors probably never ate.
And similarly the Irish did quite well on potatoes (pre famine) even though potatoes were not an indigenous food (and many in Europe were quite resistant to them -- apparently the French tried to get them to catch on to deal with the regular failures of the grain crop in the years leading up to the Revolution). And of course tomatoes don't seem to have been a problem for the Italians, even though it was a New World introduction.
Also, what IS indigenous food when you are talking about the US diet? We've adopted stuff from everything, and come from all over. My ancestry is Irish/English/Welsh/Swedish, mostly, so maybe I'm just sensibly resistant to the depressing diet I'd likely have to adopt if this were so, especially in the winter months.
I think the larger point is that many traditional foodways/indigenous diets DO tend to be healthier, overall, than the SAD. You don't have to be Italian to benefit from the Mediterranean diet or Japanese to benefit from a Japanese diet. These diets aren't good for people because they fit their specific genetic code, they tend to be good for people because traditional diets often do a good job of maximizing health benefits. But we shouldn't confuse that with thinking that we need to pick a specific diet that matches our heritage.
Exactly.0 -
I am Scottish and Irish, so that means STINGY TILL IT COMES TO THE DRINK..... very true with me.0
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Indigenous, I was referring to food of my heritage.lemurcat12 wrote: »And similarly the Irish did quite well on potatoes (pre famine) even though potatoes were not an indigenous food (and many in Europe were quite resistant to them -- apparently the French tried to get them to catch on to deal with the regular failures of the grain crop in the years leading up to the Revolution). And of course tomatoes don't seem to have been a problem for the Italians, even though it was a New World introduction.
Also, what IS indigenous food when you are talking about the US diet? We've adopted stuff from everything, and come from all over. My ancestry is Irish/English/Welsh/Swedish, mostly, so maybe I'm just sensibly resistant to the depressing diet I'd likely have to adopt if this were so, especially in the winter months.
Makes perfect sense.janejellyroll wrote: »I think the larger point is that many traditional foodways/indigenous diets DO tend to be healthier, overall, than the SAD. You don't have to be Italian to benefit from the Mediterranean diet or Japanese to benefit from a Japanese diet. These diets aren't good for people because they fit their specific genetic code, they tend to be good for people because traditional diets often do a good job of maximizing health benefits. But we shouldn't confuse that with thinking that we need to pick a specific diet that matches our heritage.0 -
I know what my grandparents ate. I wouldn't touch 70% of it.0
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janejellyroll wrote: »Well I know that 85% of Asians are lactose intolerant. I know my body feels different (digestive wise) when I eat indigenous foods as opposed to an American diet.
Lactose intolerance is a real thing and we understand the genetic adaptations behind why some populations are better able to tolerate lactose than others. It doesn't follow that this applies to foods like rice. I regularly eat tropical fruits without a problem, foods my Irish ancestors probably never ate.
There are other foods that I cannot tolerate, cows milk was only one example.
So wouldn't a better suggestion be to identify foods that don't agree with you if you are having digestive issues? I guess I really don't understand jumping straight on the bandwagon of the guy that claims his mother died of cancer because she didn't eat like her grandparents.
Also, this is weird because how your grandparents ate and how your ancestors ate over generations years before likely don't have much to do with each other.0 -
I think the larger point is that many traditional foodways/indigenous diets DO tend to be healthier, overall, than the SAD
I'll take exception to the occasional famine, which I'm happy to give up in these modern times. Also, I am fond of modern refrigeration, food safety, preservation, and hygiene. Until modern times, it was safer to drink the beer than the water.0 -
juggernaut1974 wrote: »It never ceases to amaze me how people can fall for the idea that an ideal diet comes from a time when the average life span was 30-ish years old.
We now know that short life spans of the past had more to do with how numbers were figured. Infant mortality rates heavily influenced average life expectancy.
Same questionjuggernaut1974 wrote: »Whitezombiegirl wrote: »juggernaut1974 wrote: »It never ceases to amaze me how people can fall for the idea that an ideal diet comes from a time when the average life span was 30-ish years old.
Thats got very little to do with diet and more to do with lack of modern medicine e.g antibiotics. Also higher infant mortality alters the stats.
Just so I'm clear...are you suggesting that diet has nothing to do with longer life spans?0 -
The only true suggestion I have seen of ancestry affecting how we metabolize certain foods was the recent study regarding Inuits and omega-3 fatty acids (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/22/science/inuit-study-adds-twist-to-omega-3-fatty-acids-health-story.html). However, this study is talking about a relatively small group of people who have adapted to living in a very extreme environment. It also makes no sweeping statements about this type of evolution occurring in large populations and people living in more moderate climates with much greater access to a variety of foods.
I was going to point to this article, too. More specifically:
"Food is a powerful force in evolution. The more nutrients an animal can get, the more likely it is to survive and reproduce. Humans are no exception. When we encounter a new kind of food, natural selection may well favor those of us with genetic mutations that help us thrive on it.
Some people, for example, are able to digest milk throughout their lives. This genetic adaptation arose in societies that domesticated cattle thousands of years ago, in such places as Northern Europe and East Africa. People who trace their ancestry to other regions, by contrast, tend to more often be lactose-intolerant."
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I think the larger point is that many traditional foodways/indigenous diets DO tend to be healthier, overall, than the SAD
I'll take exception to the occasional famine, which I'm happy to give up in these modern times. Also, I am fond of modern refrigeration, food safety, preservation, and hygiene. Until modern times, it was safer to drink the beer than the water.
I was referring more to the foods/combinations of foods, but I agree. I wouldn't say that we are worse off for all the things that you mentioned -- they are real benefits.0 -
I'm Irish so...please pass the whiskey
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I think it's less to do with ancestry and more to do with the fact that... Carbs, veggies and fruit can be really good for you (+ easy on the body), and the more included in your diet might benefit you.0
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My inner anthropologist REALLY hates these kinds of diets!
There are a few isolated occurrences in which regional populations show a propensity for metabolizing certain specific foods differently. For instance a higher proportion of norther Europeans are lactose tolerant, but a study suggested this was related to factors other than historic consumption of dairy (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22643754).
The only true suggestion I have seen of ancestry affecting how we metabolize certain foods was the recent study regarding Inuits and omega-3 fatty acids (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/22/science/inuit-study-adds-twist-to-omega-3-fatty-acids-health-story.html). However, this study is talking about a relatively small group of people who have adapted to living in a very extreme environment. It also makes no sweeping statements about this type of evolution occurring in large populations and people living in more moderate climates with much greater access to a variety of foods.
I would like to conclude by agreeing with juggernaut that diet absolutely played a role in the lifespans of earlier humans and hominids. Their shorter lifespans compared to modern people resulted from a number of factors including different diet, not just access to modern medicine.
It says the lactose tolerant genes migrated in because cattle farming wasn't big up there. Probably from places where it was common, like central Europe.0 -
I keep envisioning the Syrian leaf soup.
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melonaulait wrote: »I think it's less to do with ancestry and more to do with the fact that... Carbs, veggies and fruit can be really good for you (+ easy on the body), and the more included in your diet might benefit you.
Veggies and fruits are not easy on my body. They cause major GI distress0 -
As an Irish-Scottish-French-Scandinavian-Portuguese-American with some other mix in there, I am confused as to what alcohol I should be drinking. I must be intolerant to most of them because when I drink too much my body rejects it.
Eh I'll stick with rum.0 -
I don't know most of my background....what the heck am I supposed to eat? I feel so left out.0
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People who are adopted are also SOL.0
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Salt, herring, salted herring, meat, salted meat, beer, blood in sausages, patties and flour dumplings, guts, rutabaga, peas...0
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My maternal grandmother: High in fat foods, sweet tea, typical fixin's of the Southern US.
- Yeah, okay. I could do this. But she ended up with severe osteoporosis and curvature of the spine that nearly crippled her. Also, she died of heart disease, so maybe not.
My maternal grandfather: Lots of liquor, steaks, and potatoes.
- Died from liver failure, surprise, surprise. Um, no thanks.
My paternal grandmother: Crazy. Only ate raw carrots and nibbled bologna in her final decade.
- Nope.
My paternal grandfather: Skinniest in the family. Ate only McDonald's and drank Ovaltine and Diet Coke.
- Woohoo! This, I could do! Aaaand probably gain a 1/2 ton of weight.
"Extended" family ancestors: Came from a mix of five or six different countries. Experienced war, famine, and drought and had to eat whatever they could find that would keep them living.
- What would this even look like in a modern diet? I'm an American mutt.
No, I'd rather eat a diet that makes me feel healthy, can aid me in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, and gives me room for an occasional treat.0 -
SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage wrote: »I don't know most of my background....what the heck am I supposed to eat? I feel so left out.
This thread should really come with an ad for those ancestry.com DNA tests. It seems like a perfect pairing.0 -
SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage wrote: »I don't know most of my background....what the heck am I supposed to eat? I feel so left out.
Water only for you...0 -
I should have clarified in my OP by stating folks who are genetically homogeneous.
And since I didn't, it invited a whole slew of other comments and confusion. lol 0 -
And hilarity0
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