Paleo/Primal Diet

[Scrumhalf]

We live longer than ever in America while our diet is worse than it ever has been in history with the most obese people in our population ever. Medical techniques and drugs have extended our life span, diet has had nothing to do with it. The majority of Americans eat fast food and donuts.

That may be true, but Americans have one of the shortest life spans among advanced countries. The places with the longest life spans have diets that are cleaner and lifestyles that are more active. I think there is plenty of evidence that the increase in lifespan is due to our amazing successes at controlling disease, but that our eating habits are actually hindering further advances in this regard.

[Bouncer]

The primary premise of the paleo diet is to eschew foods that appeared in the human diet after the advent of organized agriculture, i.e. sometime in the last 10,000 years. So, no farmed grains and fruits, primarily. This results in a diet that is high on protein, relatively low on carbs and with a fair amount of good fats (nuts, etc.). Sound familiar? It's a lot like the diet most people on this board aspire for.

Sorry but the premise is a very flawed one. Reason being is that many things that happened in the last 10'000 years have been extremely beneficial to human health and evolution.

And no, it doesn't sound familiar to what people in the bodybuilding world aspire too. Complex carbs are essential to not only bodybuilding but general good health and energy levels. Taking complex carbs out of the diet and only eating simple sugars like fruits etc.. as your carb source is not a healthy nor good idea.

[Bouncer]

That may be true, but Americans have one of the shortest life spans among advanced countries. The places with the longest life spans have diets that are cleaner and lifestyles that are more active. I think there is plenty of evidence that the increase in lifespan is due to our amazing successes at controlling disease, but that our eating habits are actually hindering further advances in this regard.

Again, you are comparing this Paleo diet to the average american type diet. In that regard, almost any kind of diet would look good.

But when you compare this paleo diet to a diet consisting fish, chicken, lean meats, veggies, oatmeal, brown rice, olive oil.. aka a healthy bodybuilding diet.. the paleo diet falls flat.

[alwaysgrowing]

Again, you are comparing this Paleo diet to the average american type diet. In that regard, almost any kind of diet would look good.

But when you compare this paleo diet to a diet consisting fish, chicken, lean meats, veggies, oatmeal, brown rice, olive oil.. aka a healthy bodybuilding diet.. the paleo diet falls flat.

I am no advocating the diet. I through it out there to see what people think. From my reading, the paleo diet is similar to a bodybuilding diet. It replaces grains with fruit. So it is not much different. For putting on mass, it by no means compares to how we on the board eat as you stated. And remember, the way we eat for bodybuilding is considered abnormal for most people. Some doctors and dieticians beleive we eat to much protein. So there is always two sides.

I find the premise interesting. There are fruits that are low on the GI index, albeit sugars rather than complex carbs. But fiber intake will be higher especially if berries are the primary fruit chosen. So i see some postiive aspects as well as some drawbacks.

As to where I got the idea of this diet, some friends who does crossfit advocate it. I used to brush them off, but decided to research with an open mind. Too oftne I find myself brushing off contrary ideas simply because they do not mesh with mine. I decdied to do some research, but as I stated before, there is nothing definite I have found that convinves me of it utility, or lack thereof.

[liftsiron]

That may be true, but Americans have one of the shortest life spans among advanced countries. The places with the longest life spans have diets that are cleaner and lifestyles that are more active. I think there is plenty of evidence that the increase in lifespan is due to our amazing successes at controlling disease, but that our eating habits are actually hindering further advances in this regard.

Not true here is a list of life expectancy in the top 100 longest lived countries. Some of the undeveloped countries have longer average lifespans although
other than the top 2 or 3 countries Americans have life spans similar to most other countries in the world. Also note that you would expect life expectancy to be lower in countries with larger populations who have high rates of morality in young people due to accidents and violence.

# 1 Macau: 84.33 years 2008 Time series
# 2 Andorra: 82.67 years 2008 Time series
# 3 Japan: 82.07 years 2008 Time series
# 4 Singapore: 81.89 years 2008 Time series
# 5 San Marino: 81.88 years 2008 Time series
# 6 Hong Kong: 81.77 years 2008 Time series
# 7 Australia: 81.53 years 2008 Time series
# 8 Canada: 81.16 years 2008 Time series
# 9 France: 80.87 years 2008 Time series
= 10 Switzerland: 80.74 years 2008 Time series
= 10 Sweden: 80.74 years 2008 Time series
# 12 Guernsey: 80.65 years 2008 Time series
# 13 Israel: 80.61 years 2008 Time series
# 14 Iceland: 80.55 years 2008 Time series
# 15 Anguilla: 80.53 years 2008 Time series
# 16 Cayman Islands: 80.32 years 2008 Time series
# 17 New Zealand: 80.24 years 2008 Time series
# 18 Italy: 80.07 years 2008 Time series
# 19 Gibraltar: 80.06 years 2008 Time series
# 20 Monaco: 79.96 years 2008 Time series
# 21 Liechtenstein: 79.95 years 2008 Time series
# 22 Spain: 79.92 years 2008 Time series
# 23 Norway: 79.81 years 2008 Time series
# 24 Jersey: 79.65 years 2008 Time series
# 25 Greece: 79.52 years 2008 Time series
# 26 Austria: 79.36 years 2008 Time series
# 27 Malta: 79.3 years 2008 Time series
# 28 Faroe Islands: 79.29 years 2008 Time series
# 29 Netherlands: 79.25 years 2008 Time series
= 30 Luxembourg: 79.18 years 2008 Time series
= 30 Martinique: 79.18 years 2006 Time series
# 32 Germany: 79.1 years 2008 Time series
# 33 Belgium: 79.07 years 2008 Time series
# 34 Guam: 78.93 years 2008 Time series
# 35 Virgin Islands: 78.92 years 2008 Time series
# 36 Saint Pierre and Miquelon: 78.91 years 2008 Time series
# 37 United Kingdom: 78.85 years 2008 Time series
# 38 Finland: 78.82 years 2008 Time series
# 39 Man, Isle of: 78.8 years 2008 Time series
# 40 Jordan: 78.71 years 2008 Time series
# 41 Korea, South: 78.64 years 2008 Time series
# 42 Puerto Rico: 78.58 years 2008 Time series
# 43 Bosnia and Herzegovina: 78.33 years 2008 Time series
# 44 Bermuda: 78.3 years 2008 Time series
# 45 Saint Helena: 78.27 years 2008 Time series
# 46 Cyprus: 78.15 years 2008 Time series
# 47 United States: 78.14 years 2008 Time series
# 48 Denmark: 78.13 years 2008 Time series
# 49 Ireland: 78.07 years 2008 Time series
# 50 Guadeloupe: 78.06 years 2006 Time series
# 51 Portugal: 78.04 years 2008 Time series
# 52 Albania: 77.78 years 2008 Time series
# 53 Taiwan: 77.76 years 2008 Time series
# 54 Kuwait: 77.53 years 2008 Time series
# 55 Costa Rica: 77.4 years 2008 Time series
= 57 Cuba: 77.27 years 2008 Time series
= 57 French Guiana: 77.27 years 2006 Time series
# 59 Chile: 77.15 years 2008 Time series
= 60 Libya: 77.07 years 2008 Time series
= 60 British Virgin Islands: 77.07 years 2008 Time series
# 62 Panama: 76.88 years 2008 Time series
# 63 Ecuador: 76.81 years 2008 Time series
# 64 Slovenia: 76.73 years 2008 Time series
# 65 Czech Republic: 76.62 years 2008 Time series
= 66 Georgia: 76.51 years 2008 Time series
= 66 French Polynesia: 76.51 years 2008 Time series
# 68 Northern Mariana Islands: 76.5 years 2008 Time series
# 69 Netherlands Antilles: 76.45 years 2008 Time series
# 70 Argentina: 76.36 years 2008 Time series
# 71 Saint Lucia: 76.25 years 2008 Time series
# 72 Uruguay: 76.14 years 2008 Time series
# 73 Saudi Arabia: 76.09 years 2008 Time series
# 74 United Arab Emirates: 75.89 years 2008 Time series
# 75 Mexico: 75.84 years 2008 Time series
= 76 Paraguay: 75.56 years 2008 Time series
= 76 Tunisia: 75.56 years 2008 Time series
# 78 Brunei: 75.52 years 2008 Time series
# 79 Poland: 75.41 years 2008 Time series
# 80 Dominica: 75.33 years 2008 Time series
# 81 Serbia and Montenegro: 75.29 years 2008 Time series
= 82 Qatar: 75.19 years 2008 Time series
= 82 Turks and Caicos Islands: 75.19 years 2008 Time series
# 84 Slovakia: 75.17 years 2008 Time series
# 85 Croatia: 75.13 years 2008 Time series
# 86 Aruba: 75.06 years 2008 Time series
# 87 Sri Lanka: 74.97 years 2008 Time series
# 88 Bahrain: 74.92 years 2008 Time series
# 89 New Caledonia: 74.75 years 2008 Time series
# 90 Lithuania: 74.67 years 2008 Time series
# 91 Macedonia, Republic of: 74.45 years 2008 Time series
# 92 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 74.34 years 2008 Time series
# 93 West Bank: 74.29 years 2008 Time series
# 94 Antigua and Barbuda: 74.25 years 2008 Time series
# 95 Réunion: 74.18 years 2006 Time series
# 96 Oman: 73.91 years 2008 Time series
# 97 Algeria: 73.77 years 2008 Time series
# 98 Mauritius: 73.75 years 2008 Time series
# 99 Maldives: 73.72 years 2008 Time series
# 100 Jamaica: 73.59 years 2008 Time

[alwaysgrowing]

Not true here is a list of life expectancy in the top 100 longest lived countries. Some of the undeveloped countries have longer average although
other than the top 2 or 3 countries Americans have life spans similar to most other countries in the world.

# 1 Macau: 84.33 years 2008 Time series
# 2 Andorra: 82.67 years 2008 Time series
# 3 Japan: 82.07 years 2008 Time series
# 4 Singapore: 81.89 years 2008 Time series
# 5 San Marino: 81.88 years 2008 Time series
# 6 Hong Kong: 81.77 years 2008 Time series
# 7 Australia: 81.53 years 2008 Time series
# 8 Canada: 81.16 years 2008 Time series
# 9 France: 80.87 years 2008 Time series
= 10 Switzerland: 80.74 years 2008 Time series
= 10 Sweden: 80.74 years 2008 Time series
# 12 Guernsey: 80.65 years 2008 Time series
# 13 Israel: 80.61 years 2008 Time series
# 14 Iceland: 80.55 years 2008 Time series
# 15 Anguilla: 80.53 years 2008 Time series
# 16 Cayman Islands: 80.32 years 2008 Time series
# 17 New Zealand: 80.24 years 2008 Time series
# 18 Italy: 80.07 years 2008 Time series
# 19 Gibraltar: 80.06 years 2008 Time series
# 20 Monaco: 79.96 years 2008 Time series
# 21 Liechtenstein: 79.95 years 2008 Time series
# 22 Spain: 79.92 years 2008 Time series
# 23 Norway: 79.81 years 2008 Time series
# 24 Jersey: 79.65 years 2008 Time series
# 25 Greece: 79.52 years 2008 Time series
# 26 Austria: 79.36 years 2008 Time series
# 27 Malta: 79.3 years 2008 Time series
# 28 Faroe Islands: 79.29 years 2008 Time series
# 29 Netherlands: 79.25 years 2008 Time series
= 30 Luxembourg: 79.18 years 2008 Time series
= 30 Martinique: 79.18 years 2006 Time series
# 32 Germany: 79.1 years 2008 Time series
# 33 Belgium: 79.07 years 2008 Time series
# 34 Guam: 78.93 years 2008 Time series
# 35 Virgin Islands: 78.92 years 2008 Time series
# 36 Saint Pierre and Miquelon: 78.91 years 2008 Time series
# 37 United Kingdom: 78.85 years 2008 Time series
# 38 Finland: 78.82 years 2008 Time series
# 39 Man, Isle of: 78.8 years 2008 Time series
# 40 Jordan: 78.71 years 2008 Time series
# 41 Korea, South: 78.64 years 2008 Time series
# 42 Puerto Rico: 78.58 years 2008 Time series
# 43 Bosnia and Herzegovina: 78.33 years 2008 Time series
# 44 Bermuda: 78.3 years 2008 Time series
# 45 Saint Helena: 78.27 years 2008 Time series
# 46 Cyprus: 78.15 years 2008 Time series
# 47 United States: 78.14 years 2008 Time series

Looking at the list as i changed it in your quote doesn't look so good

[Bouncer]

yea im not sure #47 is proving much of a point lifts. lol

hell even jersey is #24! :D

[liftsiron]

yea im not sure #47 is proving much of a point lifts. lol

hell even jersey is #24! :D

Sure it is look how close the USA is in in years and in cases only months behind the others. Canada at number 8 has a life expectancy less than two years greater than the USA. Then consider the respective populations the USA and Canada, little doubt that the US has 10 0r 20 times more people living longer than the the average life expectancy of the entire population of Canada.

[alwaysgrowing]

Sure it is look how close the USA is in in years and in cases only months behind the others. Canada at number 8 has a life expectancy less than two years greater than the USA. Then consider the respective populations the USA and Canada, little doubt that the US has 10 0r 20 times more people living longer than the the average life expectancy of the entire population of Canada.

Because we have more people. The average is a better indication. We have 320 million (give or take) people in the US. We should have people living longer than other countries.

But we are still 47. One of the richest countries in the world, and our life expectancy is 47. That is not good.

[liftsiron]

Why is it so hard for everyone to understand that the US #47th on the list the average person lives 78 years while Andorra at #2 the people average 82 years. That's only four years difference b/t 2nd and 47th. The point that I'm trying to make it's not like we are dying decades before people in other countries. And yet the average American diet sucks, those of us who do watch our diet and exercise will likely surpass the 78 year mark. btw my mother will be 93 in may and going strong.

[alwaysgrowing]

Why is it so hard for everyone to understand that the US #47th on the list the average person lives 78 years while Andorra at #2 the people average 82 years. That's only four years difference b/t 2nd and 47th. The point that I'm trying to make it's not like we are dying decades before people in other countries. And yet the average American diet sucks, those of us who do watch our diet and exercise will likely surpass the 78 year mark. btw my mother will be 93 in may and going strong.

Still, something is lacking if we are 47. I like to consider the US to be the best, (sorry Austrilians/British), so we should not be 47 out of 195 countries is not good. We are barely in the top 1/3. That is like getting a 70% C on a test, its okay but not something you would post on the fridge

[Bouncer]

yep, we should strive to be better. #47 is not acceptable. the country should strive to be healthier.

[liftsiron]

Still, something is lacking if we are 47. I like to consider the US to be the best, (sorry Austrilians/British), so we should not be 47 out of 195 countries is not good. We are barely in the top 1/3. That is like getting a 70% C on a test, its okay but not something you would post on the fridge

Look at the numbers it's like getting a 70 on a test in a class with 195 students where the highest score in the entire class is 74 and the course is graded on a curve.

[Bouncer]

whats the average age of Jamaicans when they die? 35? lol

[Bouncer]

Look at the numbers it's like getting a 70 on a test in a class with 195 students where the highest score in the entire class is 74 and the course is graded on a curve.

compare us to Japan. they have a population of 128 million and are #3 on the list.

we have a little more then double their population and we are #47 on the list.

using your own standards, we are absolute shit compared to japan. lol