Sunday, August 1, 2010

They had an average lifespan of just under 50 years and were forced to chase their food before eating it.

In the early days of the 21st century, a lot of us expect - or at least hope - to live a lot longer. And fingers crossed, we don’t generally have to stare anything in the eye and then kill it before we stick it in the pan.

But we can learn a lot from the cavemen and their ways, according to advocates of ‘The Paleo Diet’, a controversial eating plan designed to promote healthy living.

Professor Loren Cordain, the brains behind the idea, believes the dependence on cereal grains and departure from the
traditional prehistoric menu has led to “diseases of civilisation” like cancer, obesity and high cholesterol.

In place of processed foods, sugar, grains, bread and dairy products of the modern age, the Paleo Diet has promoted seasonal fruit, lean meat, fish.

Web site manager Vlad Averbukh is a big fan of the bizarre regime.

The 29-year-old follower of the ‘caveman lifestyle’, says while chewing on a sizeable but uncooked cut of beef: “It could be bloody. A lot of folks might find this unpalatable.

But to me it tastes good.

“It may not be as sexy and feminine to eat raw meat and animal products.

“The theory is that you only eat what our ancestors ate 10,000 years ago.

It’s what you could get with a stick in the forest,” Vlad explains.

Early hunter-gatherers had to live fast and eat at irregular times. And lean, mean, fitness freak Vlad is no different to his ancient ancestors.

He explains: “I like to do my exercise before I eat. The diet and exercise go together. It was part of our ancestors’ lives. They had to exercise because they were hunting for food. We still need it.”

But don’t panic, it’s not all meat, as much as Vlad enjoys that side of things.

Vegetables are encouraged, although some versions of the diet won’t permit green beans and peas as they are legumes.

Potatoes are also out, as they can’t technically be eaten raw.

Devotees swear they are healthier and more at peace than the millions of stressed, poorly nourished, overweight people outside the cave.

We, outside the cave, might be larger in numbers, but we are known as “zoo humans” to many Paleo Diet followers.

But for all the fans, there are doubters out there too. Keri Gans of the American Dietetic Association doesn’t mind healthy eating.

But she’s not sold on the idea of such a big step back in time.

She says: “What we know from science, not just cavemen, is that a diet full of fruits, vegetables and plenty of whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats - that’s what leads to longevity.

“Let’s think about how the cavemen lived. They didn’t have very long lives. “Unfortunately it’s another fad. It’s another gimmick of a diet.”

Nutritionist Marissa Lippert called the diet “interesting” and says there was nothing wrong with very high quality, grass-fed meat.

“But the diet falls short in a couple of ways. We’ve evolved as a civilisation over thousands and thousands of years. You are forgetting all the great sources of grains and healthy complex carbohydrates.”

What’s on the menu
Lean meat is in but seasonal fruit,  fish and chicken are also big in the Stone Age diet.

Avoid any grains, including bread, and dairy products. Foods such as potatoes or beans, which you need to cook first, are also off the menu.

chris.fraser@7days.ae