Re: Low-carb diets get thermodynamic defence

From: aj (aj_at_nospam.daisho.us)
Date: 08/23/04 

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2004 04:27:59 -0000

["Followup-To:" header set to misc.fitness.weights.]
On 2004-08-23, Randy Shrader <randyshrader@shaw.ca> wrote:
> Lyle McDonald wrote:
>> Ignoramus29728 wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> What the paleo folks are also saying, is that as soon as ancient
>>> people started eating grains, they started having health problem and
>>> deaths from diseases cut life expectancy. I saw a number stated that
>>> life expectancy dropped by 30 years.
>>>
>>> Whether that is actually true, is not clear to me as I like to see
>>> more evidence than I have seen.
>>
>> If they can source it, great.
>> I have a feeling it's a lot of bull***.
>>
>
> Skeletal remains show the appearance of deficiency diseases that coincide
> with the development of agriculture, simply because people then were just as
> lazy as they are now. Once they'd domesticated a plant they'd quit all that
> nasty gathering bull*** and get most of their calories from a single
> source. And when they learned to ferment it . . .
>
> Randy

If i remember right, Diamond indicated that there was a major
*disadvantage* to agriculture from a work in vs work out perspective for
individuals. Assuming you haven't decimated the wildlife, being a
hunter/gatherer gets you lots of leisure time and lots of nutrition for
not so much work. You don't need big food stores because you can walk to
more food.

But hunting and gathering doesn't give you much trade specilization.
Once you get enough fools together to farm for you, you can support
warrior specialists. Stationary populations also let you make tools
that are bigger than you can carry. Like anvils.

At that point the hunter nomads, who *do* have a better life, by and
large, have to watch the *** out. 

--
-aj
I did a lot of reading while I was holed up in the crackhouse. Going out
at night wasn't really the experience I was looking for. I must be older
than 25.