[h=2]The Paleo diet is not a new concept, it has been with us in published form from1863, the high protein low carb diet was inspired by William Banting (c. December 1796 16 March 1878), was a formerly obese English undertaker who was the first to popularise a weight loss diet based on limiting intake of refined and easily digestible carbohydrates. He undertook his dietary changes at the suggestion of Dr. William Harvey, who in turn had learnt of this type of diet, but in the context of diabetes management, from attending lectures in Paris by a Claude Bernard. [/h][h=2]Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public[/h]In 1863, Banting wrote a booklet called Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public which contained the particular plan for the diet he followed. It was written in the form of an open letter in the form of a personal testimonial. Banting accounted all of his unsuccessful fasts, diets, spa and exercise regimes in his past, then described the dietary change which finally had worked for him, following the advice of a physician. His own diet was four meals per day, consisting of meat, greens, fruits, and dry wine. The emphasis was on avoiding sugar, saccharine matter, starch, beer, milk and butter. Bantings pamphlet was popular for years to come, and would be used as a model for modern diets initially, he published the booklet at his personal expense. The self-published edition was so popular that he determined to sell it to the general public. The third and later editions were published by Harrison, London. The pamphlet's popularity was such that the question "do you bant?" referred to his method, and eventually to dieting in general. Banting's booklet remains in print as of 2007.
The Banting process which was devised by his doctor William Harvey, which in turn was based on the works of three French doctors, was the standard medical diet until the 1960s. In the 1960s a speculative paper was published on the possibility that fats are turned into fat in the body. This has been disproved several times in sound scientific studies. Unfortunately the speculative idea is now a fact and is used as a mass marketing tool for all manner of foods. The paleo diet has a proven medical history so it could be very successfully argued that the fad diet is the one we are all living on now. The neopaleo diet (my term) has a demonstrable affect on blood sugar levels, cortisone and adrenaline spikes all of these contribute to weight gain and obesity. It has good recorded responses with type 2 diabetes
which takes us back to Banting. What is medically known and recorded is that communities who were not exposed to refined carbohydrates had no diabetes or history of diabetes, alas when western refined foods come along this changes rapidly.
Bread is the stuff of life and I could never adopt a diet that prohibited it.
