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The latest issue of Scientific American (Aug 2010) has an interesting article titled “When the Sea Saved Humanity”. Apparently at some point between 195,000 and 123,000 years ago, before humans migrated out of Africa, there was a 70,000 year long glacial phase that resulted in cold, dry climate conditions. Most of Africa was desert, and became uninhabitable. The DNA of modern humans suggest that during that time period, the total population size of humans was reduced from an estimated 10,000 breeding individuals to a few hundred.
This small population survived in one spot along the coast of southeastern Africa because it harbored an abundance of shellfish and edible plants at that time. Based on archeological findings, the primary diet consisted of shellfish high in fats and protein. The area was also rich in plants called fynbos producing low fiber, high carbohydrate underground storage tubers at certain times of the year that could be stored. The area is very poor in animals available for hunting, or fruit, although birds and sea mammals were occasionally available.
So it looks like one of the earliest paleo diets, which our ancestors subsisted on for 70,000 years, consisted primarily of shellfish and fynbos tubers with minor contributions from birds, sea mammals and other vegetation/seeds.
Rosie
The original paleo diet
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
The original paleo diet
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time………Thomas Edison
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Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
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wow - low fibre high carbohyrdate..... sounds familar.
the shellfish would have been high in omega 3 & 6
more and more the concept of going back to basics means so much more.
i have figured out if i have any more than 4 different veges in a meal i get minor issues.
Thanks rosie, i will research this a bit more
the shellfish would have been high in omega 3 & 6
more and more the concept of going back to basics means so much more.
i have figured out if i have any more than 4 different veges in a meal i get minor issues.
Thanks rosie, i will research this a bit more
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
I am wondering if today's tuber veggies are comparable - things like Jerusalem artichoke, crosne (whatever that is), potato, sweet potato, taro, jicama, cassava. I know most of us do OK on potato and sweet potato. Maybe we should try to track down some recipes and try these - they might be a good source of calories for those who need to gain weight. Or easily tolerated during a flare.
Tubers are related to root veggies, like rutabaga, parsnip, carrot, etc. I have always tolerated these well. But I would guess that they are higher in fiber than tubers and might irritate the gut during the initial stages of MC.
Any cooks out there with recipes for tubers? I'd like to experiment myself.
Love,
Polly
Tubers are related to root veggies, like rutabaga, parsnip, carrot, etc. I have always tolerated these well. But I would guess that they are higher in fiber than tubers and might irritate the gut during the initial stages of MC.
Any cooks out there with recipes for tubers? I'd like to experiment myself.
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Polly,
Remember that tapioca is made from the starch of the cassava. As you probably recall, Matthew, myself, and several others here, have had problems with tapioca.
Tex
Remember that tapioca is made from the starch of the cassava. As you probably recall, Matthew, myself, and several others here, have had problems with tapioca.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Polly and Gabes, your questions got me googling! I looked up "fynbos geophytes (tubers)" and there isn't much direct information. It turns out that fynbos is the name of the region, not the name of a particular tuberous plant. There a a number of tuberous plants found in the fynbos region, which is a very unique ecosystem, and very diverse. In the Scientific American article, there was a picture of an unidentified fynbos geophyte, with long strap-like leaves very like a picture of a Belladona Lily (Naked Lady) found in that area. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaryllis This lily, also called an Amaryllis, is a different species than the Amaryllis that is commonly sold at Christmas. I assume that there are a number of edible geopytes in the region, not just that species, but I couldn't find other information. So it appears to be a bulb more related to the lily family than the potato/cassava family.
As for other examples of related paleo diets , I think of the Camas lily that was a food staple of native American Indians where I live in the Willamette Valley. They grow in wet prairie. The Indians tended huge fields of wild camas, and burned over their fields in the fall after harvest to keep shrub and trees from encroaching. They would harvest and dry the bulbs, and pit-roast, boil and also pound the bulbs into a flour. The Indians also would catch large numbers of salmon during the runs up the various rivers, and dry and smoke them to preserve them. So the smoked salmon plus the camas roots made up much of their diet especially in the winter when game was hard to come by.
The paleo examples are really interesting. There seems to be a common theme of a staple protein (animal) plus a staple carbohydrate (plant) making up much of the diet, with some added wild game/birds/fruits/seeds/nuts as available for some variety. Maybe that tells us something........
Tex, that's a good reminder that just because it's paleo doesn't always mean that it's necessarily healthful. In various parts of the world, people have to make do with what's available, and sometimes it isn't the best. The cassava is native to South America, and so is a relatively recent addition to our diet. Evidently corn and cassava allowed for the high populations of the Maya and Aztec kingdoms, so I would say that it's a similar pattern to the wheat and related grains that allowed for cities in other parts of the world. It wasn't until I read up on cassava that I realized that it has to be specially treated to get rid of the toxic compounds that actually release cyanide after the plant is harvested!
What I find fascinating about the Scientific american article is that humans first evolved in Africa, adjusting to the plants and animals available there. The fynbos diet evidently was what our ancestors survived on for another 70,000 years when the climate deteriorated. So it must be pretty close to what our bodies are adapted for.
Rosie
As for other examples of related paleo diets , I think of the Camas lily that was a food staple of native American Indians where I live in the Willamette Valley. They grow in wet prairie. The Indians tended huge fields of wild camas, and burned over their fields in the fall after harvest to keep shrub and trees from encroaching. They would harvest and dry the bulbs, and pit-roast, boil and also pound the bulbs into a flour. The Indians also would catch large numbers of salmon during the runs up the various rivers, and dry and smoke them to preserve them. So the smoked salmon plus the camas roots made up much of their diet especially in the winter when game was hard to come by.
The paleo examples are really interesting. There seems to be a common theme of a staple protein (animal) plus a staple carbohydrate (plant) making up much of the diet, with some added wild game/birds/fruits/seeds/nuts as available for some variety. Maybe that tells us something........
Tex, that's a good reminder that just because it's paleo doesn't always mean that it's necessarily healthful. In various parts of the world, people have to make do with what's available, and sometimes it isn't the best. The cassava is native to South America, and so is a relatively recent addition to our diet. Evidently corn and cassava allowed for the high populations of the Maya and Aztec kingdoms, so I would say that it's a similar pattern to the wheat and related grains that allowed for cities in other parts of the world. It wasn't until I read up on cassava that I realized that it has to be specially treated to get rid of the toxic compounds that actually release cyanide after the plant is harvested!
What I find fascinating about the Scientific american article is that humans first evolved in Africa, adjusting to the plants and animals available there. The fynbos diet evidently was what our ancestors survived on for another 70,000 years when the climate deteriorated. So it must be pretty close to what our bodies are adapted for.
Rosie
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time………Thomas Edison