Paleo diet?

[GLC1968]

I noticed the end of your last post after I posted.

Playing the devil's advocate here:
But the average leafy vegetable doesn't want to be eaten either, and there are all sorts of anti-herbivore compounds in those. Why is one better than the other?

I'm pretty sure that most of the benefits of whole grain comes from the fact that fiber just binds all the fat and a lot of other stuff in your intestine. And it doesn't surprise me that there's a bioavailability issue for certain compounds. But that should be true to one extent or another for any plant-based food... I'm also curious as to how it would work for fueling intense exercise--for me, fruit/veggie-derived carbs get burned off quickly. Maybe it's psychosomatic, but a combination of grain- and fruit-based carbs sticks around a bit longer for me.

I know you don't think this way, and I thank you for it, but I for one am a little tired of "Eliminating grains and dairy will solve all your problems!" I've had eczema issues since I was two. It isn't caused by diet; it's stress. Provided I ride my bike or get other intense exercise on a regular basis, it's a non-issue. And yet people (not here) still say that I should stop drinking milk or eating toast.

Anyway, I'll stop bringing my own issues into the discussion. I'm not anti-Paleo, just skeptical. I'm an everything-in-moderation kind of person--veggies, beans, beef, beer and cheesecake. If it works for you, great! If you think you have something to gain from it, try it and tweak it.

And as always, if someone has a tasty recipe, feel free to share. I'm always up for new food.

Not trying to attack you, I swear.

Nope, I totally get where you are coming from! A year ago, I might have felt like you were jumping all over my nerves on this one, but I've definitely mellowed.

Generally, veggies have more fiber than whole grains too. I think the idea is that there is nothing in whole grains that you cannot get from vegetables, so we don't NEED them. Even the starches (which is the part that is utilized for fueling workouts) can be gotten from other types of plant matter (like potatoes or root veggies or fruits). I fuel best with these anyway, and they don't ever cause me digestive distress like some of the grains do.

I saw a comparison in a blog somewhere (I'll see if I can find it) where the person compared the soluble fiber content of oatmeal (said to improve cholesterol) with the fiber content of spinach (I think it was spinach!) and how it would work way better than oats but no one would buy eating a bowl of spinach for breakfast. Plus, oats have lobbyists!

Granted, there are a lot of things to be said for the taste, social aspect, and enjoyment of eating grains and most paleo proponents accept this as a fact and expect that no one will be 100% strict 100% of the time.