Eskimos need a different (low carb) diet?

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johndela1
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Post by johndela1 »

According to the wai book, we all should eat the same diet. I've thought about this. I sometimes think about where our ancestors are from. Eskimos are different that I am. If they stick their hand in ice water blood will rush into it to warm it and keep it active. if I do the same, blood will leave it to maintain my core temp. Our skin colors are different, there are many differences. Isn't it possible that our ideal diets can be different?
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RRM
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Post by RRM »

johndela1 wrote:Eskimos are different that I am. ... there are many differences. Isn't it possible that our ideal diets can be different?
They need the same mineral and vitamins, cholesterol etc, in similar amounts. Their metabolism is no different than ours. They are only different in that they are accustomed to the cold climate. They have adjusted, but not genetically, just 'superficially'.

You see this in all medical fields; once you analyse different peoples in the same environment, they develop similarly, developing the same diseases. As far as i know, this is true for all diseases, including vascular diseases, cancer and also osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a good example. There are seemingly genetic differences regarding susceptibility to osteoporosis, but this appears not to be the case when you investigate this more thoroughly; bones from people from China or Gambia living in western countries develop similar to native westerners, developing the same osteoporosis risk.

A change in genetics is developed very slowly (hundreds of thousands of years), and its the most superficial aspects that change first (skin color).
Thats because nutrient metabolism is much more fundamental.

Back to the issue of carbs:
Our need for vitamin C shows us that fruits are our natural foods, and therefore also tells us that we can manage carbs perfectly, if we eat naturally (small meals very frequently).
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Post by chris m failla »

That is interesting on the need for vitamin c and low carb diets. On the old forum there is a link to a site for the Optimal diet. And on that site they have literature on the great importance of vitamin c for humans, however: they really dont mention on how to get it, as they also dont recommend much fruits. Which is obviously contradicative. That also reminds me that on most of all the low/no carb sites, they recommend lots of vitamin supplements and they never really have much evidence that fruit is harmful, they kind of just lump fruits in with grains, wheat, and flour.
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Post by Oscar »

Exactly. And if you need to take (or recommend) supplements, then your diet per definition isn't optimal.
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Post by johndela1 »

In my experience with low carb diets, many say vitamin C is much less needed on a low carb diet. Something about how glucose competes for something that vit C does, too. So when you are not eating much sugar the vitamin C can be better utilized.

This makes sense to me. From what i know vitamin C is made (in plants) from glucose and is structurally similar to glucose.

here is a related link
http://www.annalsnyas.org/cgi/content/a ... f_ipsecsha

here is a quote I found:
"Vitamin C and glucose take the same pathway through your body. This means that when there is too much glucose, the body discards dietary Vitamin C because it can't process it. When you cut your sugar intake down, your body finds plenty of Vitamin C without the need for orange juice or any fruit juice for that matter. "
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Post by chris m failla »

That make you wonder. Do you do low carb somtimes instead of Wai diet? Just wanted to know because that seems to be the million dollar question: low carb or fruit based diet w/fat? Im especially concerned that Christina was having trouble losing weight on strict wai.
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Post by johndela1 »

I am (since a few weeks ago) doing lower carb. I'm following a diet called 'the primal diet'. Lots of raw animal foods and smaller amounts of raw fruit (with fat).

I feel better. I quit smoking on new years and my weight has come down from 145 to 142. I'm not trying to loose weight, but am glad I'm not gaining weight from quitting smoking.

the primal diet recommends raw dairy

I only eat raw cream and butter on occasion not milk.

I am eating wai foods just not in wai ratios... When I get home from the market my fridge is full of meat and eggs and my shelves have some fruit. Before, my shelves where loaded with racks of fruit and I had smaller amounts of animal protein.
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Post by Christina »

Hi Chris
I'm thinking of trying the fruit one fruit at a time and without oil. Dr. Doug Graham recommends fruit without oil and lots of people testify to have lost lots of weight that way. And I'd have the oil with the fish, yolks, salad. I will NOT go vegan. THAT's for sure!
But you need to remember that I'm not really overweight. My BMI is 23 and I have no rolls or cellulite. I just want to tone down a size or two which I'm sure will happen once I get the right tune down. I'm sure that someone who needs to loose weight to get to a normal weight range will do so much quicker on a good plan. You know how they say that the last 10 lbs or so are the hardest to lose. So don't be discouraged by me not having lost weight. I will surely let you know if I find a way that takes the lbs off. :) But don't do low carb. It's been proven to cause heart problems etc. Claudia Schiffer who is rail thin eats lots of fruit for breakfast. Her motto is eat like a pauper at night. Try that eat very little after 5 or 6 pm or nothing at all. Just drink water.
We'll figure this out.
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Post by Christina »

Just saw your mail John. My husband has been on the raw meat, egg..Aajounous sort of plan for over 7 years. Before that he was raw vegan for 10 years. He ran into digestive problems and it is better now that he cut out veggie juice, dairy products and egg whites. It took over three years to show problems. Since my Wai ways and him adopting some of the rules, he is better with lots of yolks with bananas, oj and oo, beef and yolks or fish with cucumber, tomatoe and coco cream.
I've been around Aajonous and his crowd and lots of people have turned away from his principles after running into problems. I know very few people on the diet who actually look good. But everyone is different and needs to make their own experiences.
I did not fair well on his diet at all. And I did it for a few years. Green juice, beef fish, berries, goat cheese...the whole thing. The diet is really good for gaining weight if you are ematiated. That's where it's proven to be miraculous. You can put on 20lbs in 2 months.
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Post by chris m failla »

Thanks again Christina for the encouragment and advice. I dont know about not having oil with the fruit though, because I thought that was most important to avoid diabetes. Yolks have DHA, and salmon has good fats also. So Im not sure if you need the oil with those foods, but I think Wai recommend lots of fat with sugars to avoid any problems. But I have been doing what you said about not having to much at one time, like a banana and yolks. And I have'nt had a anxiety attack. :D
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Post by johndela1 »

Christina wrote:But don't do low carb. It's been proven to cause heart problems etc.
Can you refer me to any studies that prove low carb causes heart problems? My research has led me to believe just the opposite.
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Post by Christina »

John, I read it somewhere on the internet. It supposedly is esp. true for Atkins followers. Sorry,i don't have the source. If I come across it again, i'll post it here.
This is what I got when I just now googled low carb diet and heart problems http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-carbohydrate_diet
look under neg. side effects

Chris, RRM mentioned that it is not a must to have oil, if you are eating smaller portions, like less than one fruit at a time.
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Post by chris m failla »

Thats cool 8) I just had a small pink grapefruit, no oil. I feel good with the right amount of energy.
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Post by johndela1 »

RRM wrote:
johndela1 wrote:Eskimos are different that I am. ... there are many differences. Isn't it possible that our ideal diets can be different?
They need the same mineral and vitamins, cholesterol etc, in similar amounts. Their metabolism is no different than ours. They are only different in that they are accustomed to the cold climate. They have adjusted, but not genetically, just 'superficially'.
Not genetic? If a baby eskimo was born near the equator they would still be dark and look like an eskimo. Isn't that genetic? They have many obvious differences to me and I'm thinking they have other non-obvious differences (like they way they respond to cold water).


Have you read about Pima Indians? They seem to be genetically different in the way they can't tolerate the SAD diet at all.

I assume you consider these superficial differences, but where do you draw the line and how do you know about the non-superficial changes if you can't see them.

I'm just saying if my ancestors came from an area where there was no fruit and other differences and they even looked different because they had physically adapted to being there, I think there digestive system would have had at least some changes.
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Post by johndela1 »

Christina wrote:John, I read it somewhere on the internet. It supposedly is esp. true for Atkins followers..
If I told the people I work with, I believe it is so, because 'I read it somewhere on the internet', they would assume I was making a joke or being sarcastic.

I'm not trying to be sarcastic or talk down to you, but (I'm sure you know this already) there are a lot of idiots that post all kinds of crap on the internet.

You can read anything you want on the internet, is what I'm trying to say.
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