Diet for the Urban Troglodyte - 07. The Protein Issue

 

Is protein an issue? No! O.K. some people make it an issue. I must admit that transitioning to become a vegetarian in the early 1990ies I thought getting enough protein would be an issue. It isn’t! If you eat an adequate amount of calories you would have problems designing a diet inadequate in protein.

How about our caveman ancestor?

Eating lots of meat – no problem.

Eating lots of fish – no problem.

Eating lots of seeds – no problem.

Eating lots of grubs and insects – no problem.

Eating lots of nuts and seeds – no problem.

Eating lots of leafs, grasses, blossoms, fruits, tubers – no problem.

Each season however might have been different for our caveman. But he wouldn’t have a problem with protein if he had enough to eat. So the caveman was faring well, and the urban troglodyte will fare even better.

On the average we already eat too much protein. Some people promote an increase in protein to lose weight – a myth! The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine [1]: “… Americans tend to take in twice the amount of protein they need already.” And: “Excess protein has been linked with osteoporosis, kidney disease, calcium stones in the urinary tract, and some cancers.” Taking more and more protein to get healthy is a myth. Another myth had been unwillingly created by Frances Moore Lappé in her book “Diet for a Small Planet”: combination of plant protein. No you haven’t.

Too much protein means more nitrogen to be excreted by the kidneys. It also means an increase in calcium excretion and thus promotes osteoporosis. Highest calcium and vitamin D intake have traditionally living Inuit, but they also have the highest rate of osteoporosis. Some proteins and also amino acids promote growth, and so might increase the risk for cancer; the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) would be such a protein, which you get by drinking milk and eating dairy products [2]: “The consumption of cow’s milk and milk products is linked to increased levels of IGF-1, which in turn are linked to various cancers.” The caveman had no access to milk and dairy. The urban troglodyte doesn’t have to use milk and dairy.

The urban troglodyte should take an adequate amount of protein. Veggies, dark leafy vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and legumes would be perfect.  

Links:

[1] http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/vsk/vegetarian-starter-kit-protein

[2] https://www.whitelies.org.uk/health-nutrition/insulin-growth-factor-1-igf-1

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Diet for the Urban Troglodyte - 06. More Veggies

Caveman ate meat. No, caveman also ate meat. Even the Neanderthal man ate veggies. There is evidence (poop studies!) that the Neanderthal man ate cooked and raw veggies about 50,000 years ago [1]. Other studies in tooth plaque showed evidence for grasses, tubers, and other plants, even cooked barley.

Caveman ate anything that nourished him/her. And caveman surely ate differently due to geographic or seasonal conditions. High up in the North maybe meatier, near the equator maybe more fruits and veggies.

Veggies underwent “profound changes”, but surely later ,when farmer to transform vegetables by selection. Kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi are all brassicas, “derived from a single prehistoric plant variety” [2].

The urban troglodyte isn’t the caveman of 50-100,000 years ago. Our immune system changed, the microbes of the guts changed (maybe to the better), enzymes changed. The urban troglodyte doesn’t have to take what’s available, but has a choice.

Spinach, cauliflower, and broccoli (OT: I always have to think of James Bond, if I see broccoli), zucchini, green onion, tubers, Brussels’ sprouts, carrots, cabbage, asparagus, mushrooms, avocado, bell peppers, leeks etc. are all good for the urban troglodyte. Remember the urban troglodyte eats other veggies than the caveman, but unprocessed like the caveman.

Urban troglodyte, eat more veggies!

Links: 

[1] http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/06/neandertals-ate-their-veggies-their-feces-reveal

[2] http://www.slate.com/articles/life/explainer/2012/02/the_real_caveman_diet_what_did_people_eat_in_prehistoric_times_.html

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Diet for the Urban Troglodyte - 05. Fruits, Berries

Fruits and berries have been food for humanoids and the caveman as well. We thrived on fruits and berries earlier than on veggies, though I could imagine our ancestor eating leafy vegetables and roots.

Paleolithic fruits like apples and pears, plums, figs will have been much like today in my imagination, but “often smaller and tarter than modern varieties” [1]. I guess these fruits looked more like the wild varieties you find out of areas of settlement and agro- or horticulture.

What are berries? I think botanists must be bananas, calling bananas berries. Berries had always played a huge role in cavemen’s diet. [2] Raspberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, gooseberries, and elderberries are good sources for phytochemicals and antioxidants.

Too much sugar can’t be part of the diet for the urban troglodyte. But as our caveman ancestors had berries and other fruits, we can have some, too. The caveman needed carbohydrates for storage reasons, during summer he had to accumulate fat to be better equipped to survive winter. Modern trogs don’t need to store fats under their skin. So we shouldn’t eat too much fruits and berries.

Some fruit and some berries are fine for der urban troglodyte.

Links: 

[1] http://theplate.nationalgeographic.com/2014/04/22/prehistoric-dining-the-real-paleo-diet/

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berry

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Diet for the Urban Troglodyte - 04. Glycemic index

Have a look at the cave painting of Lascaux and Altamira [1]. The reasons for our ancestors to paint these pictures are unknown, maybe gratitude for hunting success. Nowhere will you find a list of foods with glycemic index (GI).

The glycemic index indicates the effect of foods on a person’s blood glucose level. Some people think this index could be used for diet. “The glycemic effect of foods depends on a number of factors, such as the type of starch, physical entrapment of the starch molecules within the food, fat and protein content of the food and organic acids or their salts in the meal.” [2]

According to this classification fructose or sweet fruits have a low, grape juice or common sugar a middle, and glucose and high fructose corn syrup a high glycemic index. A Super Supreme Pizza has a lower index than carrots and green peas.

There are high variations in different individuals as well as in the same person at different times: the same food does not cause the same increase in blood glucose levels. [3]

Fats delay the gastric emptying and thus delay the glycemic response.

The glycemic index may vary widely depending on the type of preparation. , the GI can vary widely. Noodles cooked for different length of time may have a variation of 65 % in glycemic index. It is hardly possible to give precise information on the glycemic index for processed products if you only look at isolated ingredients.

However, you will studies that conclude: "Lowering the glycaemic load of the diet appears to be an effective method of promoting weight loss and improving lipid profiles and can be simply incorporated into a person's lifestyle." [4]

Miguel des Cervantes, die author of Don Quixotte, said: “No hay libro tan malo que no tenga algo bueno.” So, we’ll try to get something out of this confounded index.

The caveman didn’t have to use a glycemic index, hence no lists in the caves of Altamira or Lascaux, as he had hardly any access to high GI foods – save for some wild honey every now and then. The diet for the urban troglodyte isn’t a weight reduction diet, though this will happen in the course of time, if you’re overweight. You can use the GI, if you apply at the same time shunning processed foods. A Super Supreme Pizza may have a low GI, but it is highly processed, and thus highly discouraged to be eaten.

Moreover we can conclude:

·         whole grain better than processed grain

·         or: dietary fiber lowers GI

·         raw or al dente better than overcooked

·         berries better than juice

Urban troglodyte, look at such a glycemic index list of foods once, take out the principles and forget the list!

Links:

[1] https://de.slideshare.net/banquetearte/2-chauvet-altamira-lascaux-levantina

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_index

[3] https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glyk%C3%A4mischer_Index

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17636786

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