SAD
TID Board Of Directors
- Feb 3, 2011
- 3,938
- 2,897
A sweet potato and other yams are considered starchy vegetables and are not a product of the agricultural revolution. Roots have been eaten for tens of thousands of years and are a great source of carbohydrates. The same cannot be said for grains. Grains promote inflammation in the body and especially in the digestive system. Here's where one has to define what a study considers a "grain". A "grain" can be used in referencing the size of an object, i.e. "grain of sand" or "grain of salt". In the quote you produced, it says "starchy granules" and this could very well mean sweet potato granules. Below is a link that provides a research article and then goes on to debunk the idea that our paleolithic ancestors ate post-agricultural-revolution grains.
Ancient Carbs? So, Did Cavemen Eat Bread? by Josef Brandenburg | Josef Brandenburg's Fitness Blog
I don't know much about Native American agricultural habits, and I'm not going to run off and do some half-assed research to come back and try to sound like I do, but I can say that paleontologists widely agree that the most devastating revolution in history is the agricultural revolution. Pre-agricultural-revolution skeletons had less bone malformations, almost no cavities, thicker and stronger bones, and were generally taller than post-agricultural-revolution skeletons. One will almost always hear the argument "but what about the fact that the life-expectancy for paleo-era humans was so short?", and the simple and honest answer is, environmental hazards and lack of modern medicine. Paleolithic humans that made it past the hunting and gathering ages and to the "elder" age had a life expectancy of almost 70 years old, and that is without any medications or doctors. Common colds could kill infants, childbirth could kill both the child and the young mother, and saber-toothed tigers or falling off of cliffs while hunting could kill the young men, all of which bring the average life-expectancy WAY down. Look at the hunter-gatherer tribes of the modern day, and you will find 70+ year old people with low bodyfat, no diabetes, normal blood-pressure, and very sharp minds. Everyone should buy the book "The Paleo Solution" by Robb Wolf, which brings me to my next point......
And my next point is, grains don't need to be in the diet at all. Here's the story of my father and his success since I turned him on to the Paleo diet. (Note: I am not completely Paleo due mostly to the time, money, and effort it takes to stay 100% Paleo, however, I have never felt better than the 2 months I WAS 100% Paleo.)
My dad has full-blown type II diabetes and was on Metformin along with a host of other medications including statins and ACE inhibitors. Back in January, he was 260lbs and felt like shit most of the time. I convinced him to buy and read "The Paleo Solution", and after he did, he agreed that it made sense and would give it a try. Fast forward to June of this year, he was 218lbs, had dropped the Metformin as well as the statins and ACE inhibitors, and his blood sugar (which he monitored religiously) held steady at 110-120 throughout the day. To this day, his doctors are amazed and impressed that he could control his diabetes, cholesterol, and blood pressure, with just dietary changes. He even eats 4 or 5 servings of fruit a day and his blood sugar remains stable. He feels great, has regular and painless bowel movements, has steadied his weight at 214-216 (he's a big guy) with probably 11-12%bf, and his skin/eyes/hair look great. He is living proof that grains are NOT needed and are in fact a major contributor to our modern health issues. None of this is exaggerated or sensationalized, it is the true story of my father. Now if I could just convince him to see a TRT doctor......
