Doug Freyburger wrote:
> Jeßus wrote:
>> If you follow the basic principles at http://www.westonaprice.org you
>> won't go too far wrong.
>>
>> The question is: if so many traditional diets are high in saturated fats
>> - why did they not suffer from diabetes, obesity, 'cholesterol', etc?
>
> Until a century ago refined grains were rare. Flour got ground and
> baked into bread and eaten all within a few days and whole grain was the
> only kind there was.
>
> Until a century ago sugar was rare in most of the world. It would be in
> fruit during a brief season and only available from honey the rest of
> the year.
>
> Starting much more recently than that unlimited quantities of food have
> been available in some parts of the world.

Looks like we're pretty much on the same page Doug.

Up until 10000 years ago - which is only a millisecond in terms of
evolution - man never ate grass seed (grains).
That only came about due to climate change which prompted the advent of
agriculture.
Thus, we're not really designed for such a diet, although many do manage
to be able to eat grains without any obvious issues.

I do wonder how many people don't realise that grains may be
compromising their health. In my case, I was completely unaware of any
intolerance until I went on a low carb diet back in 2003 - that's when
it became obvious to me that I have an intolerance to wheat in
particular. If I eat just one meal occasionally with wheat in it, I
usually get away with it without any symptoms. If I eat more again the
next day, the symptoms will manifest themselves. So I pretty much avoid
grains, and wheat in particular.

>> The so-called authorities have had is so very wrong for so very long...
>
> Blaming fat was obvious, but obvious does not equal true. Since the
> start of the focus on low fat obesity has gone from a level that might
> have been stable for centuries to an epidemic. Maybe the focus on low
> fat was one of the causes and maybe it was not, but it absolutely did
> not contribute to a solution.

Ever notice 'low fat' foods (ie; weight watchers) in supermarkets tends
to be much higher in carbs than their 'high fat' equivalent? And these
poor people wonder why they can't lose weight!

>> sadly, the way most food is produced these days complicates matters further.
>
> Two centuries ago pickles, cheese and salami were the processed foods.
> That's quite a difference from what it means now.

Understatement...

I grow most of my own fruit and veggies, or collect food from the wild
(mostly damsons and apples at the moment) and/or trade with the locals
here. I'm lucky enough to have access to fresh, raw milk and cream...
which sadly is illegal to buy or sell here in Australia. I have my own
sheep, goats and poultry, the creek has brown trout in it, and plenty
of rabbit, Venison and Wallaby in and beyond the paddocks.

All this means my visits to the supermarket have become very infrequent.
The only packaged/processed foods I buy in a supermarket that come to
mind are Ryvitas (rye and oats don't seem to affect me as much).
I do buy a fair amount from a delicatessen (mostly liverwurst, duck fat,
bacon, and prosciutto), but almost all of that is locally sourced and
uncompromising in quality.

NB: I do plan to try making my own prosciutto now that we are heading
into winter... can't wait!

The only other 'processed items' I can think of is coffee beans and raw
cacao. It's amazing how long it takes for me to fill up the rubbish bin
these days - probably 2-3 months?


--
The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism
by those who haven't got it - George Bernard Shaw