Paleo-Diet Myth

[thesummerqueen]

It’s a part of my paleo fantasy, it’s a part of my paleo dream

Good breakdown, starting with the first paragraph.

There are many fallacies that undergird alternative medicine, which evolved into “complementary and alternative medicine” (CAM), and for which the preferred term among its advocates is now “integrative medicine,” meant to imply the “best of both worlds.” If I had to pick one fallacy that rules above all among proponents of CAM/IM, it would have to be either the naturalistic fallacy (i.e., that if it’s natural—whatever that means—it must be better) or the fallacy of antiquity (i.e., that if it’s really old, it must be better). Of course, the two fallacies are not unrelated. In the minds of CAM proponents, old is more likely to have been based on nature, and the naturalistic fallacy often correlates with the fallacy of antiquity. Basically, it’s a rejection of modernity, and from it flow the interest in herbalism, various religious practices rebranded as treatments (thousands of years ago, medicine was religion and religion was medicine—the two were more or less one and physicians were often priests as well), and the all-consuming fear of “toxins,” in which it is thought that the products of modernity are poisoning us.

I encourage you to click and read all the way through.

[The Grand Nudger]

5 billion thumbs up. I despise these people and this "movement". By all means, paleo tards, go back to your caves and scrounge for food. No one will miss you.

[thesummerqueen]

I have lost respect for many a friend who I thought was an intelligent and skeptical individual who bought into this shit and stubbornly refused to budge on it. It's the most ridiculous crap I've ever heard regurgitated by otherwise rational people...except maybe otherwise intelligent theists.

[Confused Ape]

No matter what we do, nature intends us to die of something.

[The Grand Nudger]

Nah, it just isn't interested in or capable of lifting a thumb to prevent it..hehe.

[thesummerqueen]

Meanwhile, modern science is actively trying to prevent it. Go figure.

[The Grand Nudger]

You know, the first thing that should stand out to paleo types is that humanity didn't exactly flourish in those early years. One would imagine that this would be a huge warning light to people with functioning brains.....I mean, the whole "paleo" portion of our history is probably the most dramatic example of people trying (and often failing) to find ways to subvert and circumvent the narrow little band that nature and circumstance "placed" us in.

[thesummerqueen]

I pointed out to my father that early grains from paleolithic times are quite different from the grains we've evolved to be more easily eaten nowadays. That didn't register. Somehow the idea that we might have caused foods to evolve into something more palatable was inconceivable.

[The Grand Nudger]

Apparently, our ancestors didn't enjoy that little black stick as thoroughly as we might imagine.

[thesummerqueen]

You know, the first thing that should stand out to paleo types is that humanity didn't exactly flourish in those early years. One would imagine that this would be a huge warning light to people with functioning brains.....I mean, the whole "paleo" portion of our history is probably the most dramatic example of people trying (and often failing) to find ways to subvert and circumvent the narrow little band that nature and circumstance "placed" us in.

Oh, also, I think this observation is refuted in those people's minds by a healthy and wrongfully placed idea that the world would be better off with less people (therefore it's okay if humanity doesn't flourish). We have plenty of resources...we have selfish and greedy people who won't allocate them correctly.