Healthy Eating - the 'Bushcraft Eating Plan'?

[TwoSticks]

I've always been interested in following a healthy diet and eating well, and as usual have a few pounds I'm in the process of losing at the moment. There seems to be a constant stream of (often conflicting) information about what we should and shouldn't be eating - how much fat, protein or carbohydrate. And over the last few years I've been vegetarian, and only really from a health point of view.

Now, I'm having one of those moments where things suddenly start to make sense. We're constantly reminded about the perils of 'modern' and 'western' diets, and how only a hundred years ago people did more activity because of a lack of labour saving devices. Then I read Mike Strouds book 'Survival of the fittest', which explains that our bodies evolved as long distance exercise machines and our modern sedentary lifestyles are killing us. And that our digestive systems evolved over millions of years to make us fit and healthy but haven't had time to evolve to process modern (ie 10,000 years to present day) foods.

Then up pops this article - featuring guess who! http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/men/article4919415.ece

Which led me to this website http://www.thepaleodiet.com/

So, before I start eating meat again (because apparantly our bodies evolved with it and needs it), has anyone any experience of this? I don't want another 'to-be-a-vegie-or-not' thread, but rather peoples comments and observations about the merits of eating food our bodies evolved to utilise. It all seems to me (a layman) to make very good sense. Any thoughts?

 

[Toddy]

There's another thread running kind of on this subject........it's about how mankind really has evolved to eat cooked food..........small mouths, teeth, short digestive system, etc..
Despite it's adherants the Palaeodiet isn't the full picture. To quote my dentist, "Teeth aren't up to it!"

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Neumo]

That was a good articale there; enjoyed reading it. About half the meat/fish I eat is stuff that I have harvested myself, which I have been doing for about 3 years now. Not only is it cheaper but I swear it makes me feel better. There is nothing like a fresh fish dinner from something that was swimming round less than an hour before. Next I need to get into the foraging/wild food thing to get that other half of the necessaties covered.

 

[rik_uk3]

The old saying "A bit of what you fancy won't kill you" is true; you can eat what you like but use common sense.

The rise of ready made meals means your only choice is what meal to have and not the ingredients that go in the meal. I would bet that my home cooked rib of Beef with all the trimmings is healthier than a frozen 'Sunday Lunch.'

Food items that have been taboo for several decades are now 'fine' to eat and cook with, butter, lard, beef dripping, Ox Tail etc. The main problem is the lethargy toward cooking shown by so many; cooking and or prepping your own meals at home for you and the family seems like hard work to many and out come the ready made meals which is very sad IMHO.

 

[TwoSticks]

The old saying "A bit of what you fancy won't kill you" is true; you can eat what you like but use common sense.

But is it? I suppose that's the question we need to face now. I know this belief is widespread but evidence seems to suggest we evolved consuming a fairly narrow diet (by modern standards) - and our bodily functions evolved to make the most use of (and needing) the foods available at that time These foods were the best fuel for our bodies, and our bodies are designed to run on it.

Modern (21stC) man seems to treat their body like a waste disposal unit - shovel anything down your throat and it will be ok - a bit of what you fancy....but that has led to a diet a long way away from the diet we evolved to utilise. It's a bit like having an expensive car and one week putting unleaded in it, the next four star, the next chopped up plastic etc and expecting it to run perfectly.

Survival of the fittest - we can't have evolved to have high blood pressure, cholesterol, furred up arteries and obesity - but 'modern' man seems to know better than mother nature and eats a diet that causes us health problems. Shouldn't we be eating what mother nature intended? But what was that??? What were the foods we evolved to eat that we should be using as fuel to make our bodies operate like a well tuned car engine?

There's another thread running kind of on this subject........it's about how mankind really has evolved to eat cooked food..........small mouths, teeth, short digestive system, etc..

Thanks, I haven't seen that - I'll do a search.

 

[TeeDee]

I think Wolfdiver ( Jay ) said he follows basically a paleo diet and avoids the refined carbs like the plague.

Maybe worth PM'ing him about his experiences and what he has noticed since following this type of eating style.