Quote Originally Posted by lph View Post
Methinks the "debate" is also there because sciency types are obsessed with causality, while journalists trying to make a point just want a good story, and the rest of us just want to stay healthy. So if anyone says anything even resembling "this food is good for you because it's what we ate in the paleolithic" a paleo scientist will cringe at the "because" and proceed to debunk part 2. While the point is rather part 1 "this food is good for you", and the reason isn't particularly important.

If people feel better eating no grains, or no legumes, or no meat for that matter, more power to them....
That is my approach, as I said above, I don't really care about the "because". I initially decided to try Paleo because I knew others who had been able to heal a problem gut with it - I had already lost most of my weight at that point. It worked so well and I just feel so darn good eating this way that I will never go back to a conventional diet.

Food is a loaded issue for people, it is about so much more than fuel - though that is what it IS, in the end. What we eat is also tied up with our culture, family, relationships, comfort... I've had interesting reactions from friends at my change of 'diet' (I don't consider it to BE a diet, just eating well sourced, unprocessed real food), and have even had a former friend react with anger when she saw me eating what she considered to be unhealthy. I am no longer afraid of fat - as long as it is good, well sourced and unrefined (I do keep track of my macros so I don't over-consume).

She became totally offended when she saw me eat a fatty cut of meat and, to make matters worse, I turned down what she considered a "gourmet" dessert at the restaurant. I forget what it was but it was loaded with fake ingredients and sugar - both of which I avoid. If I am going to have a dessert, it is going to be made of high quality real ingredients. Part of me wonders if my different food choices led to her feeling like I was judging her choices - that is the only explanation that makes sense. I made no big deal of it, I simply ordered and focused on our conversation. I wasn't "preaching Paleo" as some do. While this was the most extreme example of this I've seen, I've seen milder versions of this a couple of other times.