most recent 30 from http://paleohacks.com 2013-05-23T11:00:04Z http://paleohacks.com/feeds/question/5877 http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/rdf http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve Stephen-Aegis 2010-06-09T02:03:21Z 2011-08-04T13:56:48Z

<p>I've found that I have to supress the urge to chastise people everywhere for eating poison and for not knowing better!</p> <p>I have to restrict myself from lecturing on the evils of sugar and wheat</p> <p>I have to restrain from interrupting someone talking about low fat diet X being the latest greatest</p> <p>I have to bite my tongue when someone complains about themselves or a loved one with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or other easily curable "disease" because when I open my mouth to explain, they say "you're no doctor" "my doctor says otherwise" "no way, studies!!! Show that fat is bad for you" really which ones?</p> <p>No one wants to listen</p> <p>no one wants to hear that they've been LIED to their entire lives</p> <p>no one wants to hear that the government has misinformed them and worse MISTRAINED their doctors...</p> <p>Anyone else feel like they should be shouting from the rooftops but don't want to have to dodge rotting fruit to do so?</p> <p>I get people that ask me how I lost 105lbs... Then scoff at me and call me stupid when I say i eat fat instead of carbs/sugar, they insist I'm going to kill myself or that their friend X tried diet Y that they read about on the Internet and now they have disease Z</p> <p>what do we do? How do we break thru the shell and let them hear the truth?</p> <p>Edit: additional question... how do we paleosmack our childrens athletic coach, who wants to carb load junk food into all the kids?</p> <p>Edit: wanted to share a little "sigh" story.</p> <p>At work, we had a luncheon. only "safe" food was a salad. Lettuce. So im grabbing a plate of lettuce so as not to be the only guy sitting around with nothing. Normally Id just skip the meal. 2 slightly overweight guys suggested I take food (I think it was chicken pot pie). I said, I can't. One insisted, no, you want to, but are avoiding it. I replied: no, Im allergic to wheat. The other quickly replied, oh that makes sense why you're so skinny. /facepalm. If you understand that wheat makes you fat... Why do you eat it? /ragequit.</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/5879#5879 Ryan 2010-06-09T02:23:14Z 2010-06-09T02:23:14Z

<p>Yes, but I don't keep my mouth shut although maybe I should. I think that people that come to Paleo are problem solvers so we see and want to fix other people's problems as well. You are right though about resistance. I'll tell people all about the diet, they'll say "wow, that really does make sense," and then they'll go right on eating the way they always ate. The emphasis on fat seems very hard for people to accept, the dropping of processed food and grains people seem a bit more open to </p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/5881#5881 Earl Cannonbear 2010-06-09T03:13:40Z 2010-06-09T03:13:40Z

<p>A very famous historical figure once said something I think you should heed:</p> <blockquote> <pre><code>Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. </code></pre> </blockquote>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/5883#5883 joe 2010-06-09T03:21:19Z 2010-06-09T03:21:19Z

<p>live by example ..if they ask i tell if they laugh oh well..im not here to convert people the only time im upset is with my family and the crap they feed the kids but i dont know what its like as i have none of my own so i cant really talk.....people dont respond to preaching usualy and are lazy too,,it usualy takes somthing drastic like disease or obesity to spark somthing in most...just what i think...let them have their S***t and Eat it too...i feel and look better and ill tell them how im doing it if they care thats how i feel</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/5884#5884 Laren 2010-06-09T04:28:58Z 2010-06-09T04:28:58Z

<p>I think it is obvious that homo sapiens are the least intelligent creatures on Earth. Enlightening anyone can be very frustrating. Is it worth your stress? Galileo said the world is round, so they locked him away for the restof his life.</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/5885#5885 Belinda 2010-06-09T05:14:46Z 2010-06-09T05:14:46Z

<p>Yes, yes, yes - I feel all those frustrations! I have to try to stop myself from being preachy or arrogant, and I suspect I sometimes don't succeed. Oops. Overall, I think you need to let people ask you, rather than broach it yourself, and try and give fairly topline answers at first, then go onto the science stuff if they ask more. </p> <p>The guys from Whole9 were on Robb Wolf's show the other week, and said that instead of saying 'you can't eat grains etc', they talk about what they do eat, and how it makes them feel, and some of the benefits. </p> <p>Sally Fallon from Weston A Price reckons all the dumb, lazy people who keep eating crap will die out, and the healthy people will rule the earth. OK, I am paraphrasing, but seriously, that's what she thinks. And I have to say, when the fat person in front of me at the checkout is buying six bottles of coke and tons of white bread, I think I must agree!</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/5889#5889 Pieter D 2010-06-09T07:00:26Z 2010-06-09T07:00:26Z

<p>I have learned to only give advice when people ask for it. And trust me, I know what you mean and still often feel the urge to preach.</p> <p>Also, leading by example seems to help, especially for the people I care about and love. My wife was a bit skeptical at first, but bit by bit she changed.</p> <p>People often thinks the evolutionary approach makes a lot of sense, but in the end they always ask something like: and what about your liver with all that fat? or: don't you have to watch you cholesterol? or: you look fine but you'r still young. or: really interesting, but every week there is a new diet? or... You probably all know these excuses.</p> <p>Currently trying to convince my parents. They eat butter again!! They lessen their sugar! Next step: grains!</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/5891#5891 Laren 2010-06-09T07:49:06Z 2010-06-09T07:49:06Z

<p>What about "vegetarians" that barely exist on cheese pizza and soda telling me I have 5 lbs of meat in my intestines! That's what I have to deal with!</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/5896#5896 42 2010-06-09T11:12:08Z 2010-06-09T11:12:08Z

<p>Pretty much all the vegetarians/vegans I know are overweight to some extent from mildly to quite obese. WTF, Mountain Dew is vegetarian, right? It is a challenge to refrain from comment, but I do. Last thing I want to do is come off as another strident food activist who turns people off to the message.</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/5899#5899 Karen 2010-06-09T12:28:31Z 2010-06-09T12:28:31Z

<p>IMO no one can hear what they are not ready to hear. Preaching (even though you are right) will only make them turn off the message. I would absolutely answer questions from people - start with simple answers - don't lay it all out for them at once. Let them know that if they want to know more, you'd be glad to answer any other questions or point them info resource - IF they seem interested in your preliminary answers. If they are hostile, with the "you're going to die" type response, I would just say something like "Well, in my experience, this is working very well for me (I've lost xx pounds)" and leave it at that, unless they follow up with a curious or respectful question. If it's hostile still, you should probably agree to disagree. </p> <p>I'm giving better advice here than I am sometimes able to follow myself. The urge is strong to try and save/better the lives around us, but I've found over and over that that info overload or preaching just doesn't work. Let them watch what happens to you, and if they become ready to hear, they'll come to you.</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/5907#5907 Ed 2010-06-09T14:07:20Z 2010-06-09T14:07:20Z

<p>We are bombarded with so many health and nutrition "truths" and that makes people defensive about their choices. Many institutions are complicit and it keeping an open mind is difficult.</p> <p>I just wait until they ask. If they are curius and persist I will copy an article for them or send them to a website. My friends are older, generally accepting and non-judgemental. A vegan friend cooks special meals for me when we are entertained at their house.</p> <p>My outrage is barely contained when i see what parents allow kids to put in their mouths. When I stop for gas at a convenience store I have to bite my tongue.</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/5912#5912 sarah-ann 2010-06-09T15:23:53Z 2010-06-09T15:23:53Z

<p>I love the whole9 health elevator pitch ('tis a bit of a mouthful though) when trying to let people know how you lost weight, have loads of energy, clear skin etc.</p> <blockquote> <p>I eat “real” food – fresh, natural food like meat, vegetables and fruit. I choose foods that are nutrient dense, with lots of naturally-occurring vitamins and minerals, over foods that have more calories but less nutrition. And food quality is important – I’m careful about where my meat comes from, and buy produce locally and organically as often as possible.</p> <p>It’s not a low calorie “diet” – I eat as much as I need to maintain strength, energy and a healthy weight. In fact, my diet is probably much higher in fat than you’d imagine. Fat isn’t the enemy – it’s a great energy source when it comes from high quality foods like avocado, coconut and nuts. And I’m not trying to do a “low carb” thing, but since I’m eating vegetables and fruits instead of bread, cereal and pasta, it just happens to work out that way.</p> <p>Eating like this is good for maintaining a healthy metabolism, and reducing inflammation within the body. It’s been doing great things for my energy levels, body composition and performance in the gym. It also helps to minimize my risk for a whole host of lifestyle diseases and conditions, like diabetes, heart attack and stroke.</p> </blockquote>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/5913#5913 Mark 2010-06-09T16:00:25Z 2010-06-09T16:00:25Z

<p>The paleodiet has now gone viral, and is breaking into the mainstream with articles and coverage in the mainstream press (although it's reported simply as a curiousity). There are also some honest-to-god studies underway which should make knowledge of the diet spread even faster. I bought Cordain's book in 2002 when it was still in hardcover, and started the diet then. It made a lot of sense to me on an intuitive level and I lost over 20 pounds in 2 months. When people asked how I did it and I explained the diet, they were basically dismissive, despite the evidence right before their eyes. In my experience, the single biggest problem people seem to have is with grain-based foods, especially bread. </p> <p>"But bread is low fat." "it's the staff of life." "there's nothing healthier than pasta, what do you think marathoners eat it for?" "like cavemen? sounds like male-oriented marketing hype to me."</p> <p>Grains, and foods made from them, are so culturally entrenched that it takes a paradigm shift before people can see the problems with eating them. The people I was talking to had such a problem with the <em>idea</em> that grains were unhealthy that they mentally shut down and didn't hear much of the rest of my explanation. I may as well have been telling them that the earth is flat and I have evidence.</p> <p>So I stopped explaining. I simply said how much weight I lost, how healthy I now was, and what I ate, and that agricultural foods are so unhealthy that they should be regarded as starvation food only. If they had other questions, I answered them. I have faith that with time, and more and more paleos out there, the word will spread. And so will better health.</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/5914#5914 Steven 2010-06-09T18:24:02Z 2010-06-09T18:24:02Z

<p>"Reason is not automatic. Those who deny it cannot be conqured by it. Do not count on them. Leave them alone." Ayn Rand </p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/5919#5919 Adam Crafter 2010-06-09T20:30:48Z 2011-08-04T13:56:48Z

<p><strong>I sometimes preface my response to "how did you do it?" with a smile and the statement "You would not believe me if I told you."</strong></p> <p>For some reason, this lets more people actually listen critically, and I'm not sure why humans are wired to believe new-to-them information if they think it is some sort of hidden knowledge.</p> <p>and <em>Yes yes yes</em>, I sometimes want to shout at people who are about to kill themselves by another (waistline) inch with that next poor/evil/bad food choice... I make myself wait to be asked, it gives me some small chance of being heard.</p> <hr> <p>Now that I am much shrunk from my prior state, those who did not know the bigger me seem to be thinking I always looked like this.</p> <h2>Flattering, yes, but I've lost one of my strong 'proofs' for paleo-based body change.</h2> <p>No, I'm not going to start carrying around a before picture, that would creep out my id AND ego.</p> <hr> <p>Update2: I seem to have gotten a bit younger in my appearance... Most express strong doubts that I am in my 40s. I tell them that I've been aging slower as I eat ia paleo style.</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/5965#5965 Marc 2010-06-10T10:23:47Z 2010-06-10T10:23:47Z

<p>Would you rather be right or happy??<br> That's what I like to keep in mind ;-)</p> <p>Nice thread.</p> <p>Marc</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/7849#7849 pjnoir 2010-07-28T07:22:53Z 2010-07-28T07:22:53Z

<p>No- it is not my place to get anger. I can help explain but in no way do I want to act like a missionary bent on conversion over logic. </p> <p>SET AN EXAMPLE. When people say- "You look great." Be great, not an ass. </p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/7850#7850 John R 2010-07-28T11:21:29Z 2010-07-28T11:21:29Z

<p>I don't care what other people (aside from close friends and loved ones) eat. I really don't. Their choices are not my problem. If they ask me what I'm doing, I tell them. If they don't choose to believe me, that's not my problem either. Why get frustrated about something I can't control? That's definitely not paleo.</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/7866#7866 Shirley Sommers 2010-07-28T21:41:23Z 2010-07-28T21:41:23Z

<p>Tell that d*mn coach that they are YOUR children and you , the parent, are legally responsible for their health and upbringing ........... BY LAW ! </p> <p>They must stop trying to derail your family's values. You could sue or just take your kids out of that curriculum .......... after all which is more important? I am sure you can find a pastime to jazz your kids up. Luck, Shirley</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/29081#29081 rob 2011-03-23T16:16:43Z 2011-03-23T16:16:43Z

<p>My family is annoyed by me and at times angered by me because I am EXTREMELY judgmental.</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/29095#29095 Bread-Eating Beelzebub 2011-03-23T17:01:29Z 2011-03-23T17:01:29Z

<p>No, if other people ate this way, grassfed meat might be more expensive. Supply and demand and whatnot :)</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/31502#31502 Mikey 2011-04-04T19:33:09Z 2011-04-04T19:33:09Z

<p>I am judgmental. Especially at those whom I have pointed out how I have done this with very little effort and they say "It's just so hard". Having been obese I can tell you that the effort in eating this way is nothing compared to being 100 pounds overweight and just getting up in the morning to face the day as some sort of land whale. Then there are those who have the mentality that they must suffer to lose weight and by trying to do so they "try" but in an effort to make it miserable they make it too miserable and then say it is too hard. </p> <p>Now I try really hard to keep to myself unless someone asks about how I lost weight. I do find myself referencing my weight loss a bit because of how it affects my job and attire and other considerations, so that can be a lead in. </p> <p>I find myself having to hold my tongue and work hard to contain the disgust when I see parents with young kids who are obese to the point of having fat rolls. Having been the fat kid all of my life and just recently in my mid-late 30's finally getting fit this strikes a deep nerve. </p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/5877/are-you-extremely-judgemental-do-neolethal-eaters-hit-your-nerve/31504#31504 queen of the stone age 2011-04-04T19:59:32Z 2011-04-04T19:59:32Z

<p>I've never been overweight or had any serious health issues so when I try to explain that there are certain foods I don't eat people can't understand why. I've started saying I'm Paleo for political reasons as I pour a big dollop of heavy cream into my coffee. ('Wheat is murder' is my new catchphrase - thanks Paleosister) I do get the urge to preach but I've come to realise that people who don't want to listen can always come up with an argument against everything so there is no point. On the other hand just generally chatting about my reasons with a bit of humorous self-deprecation thrown in "I know I'm weird but..." has led two of my co-workers to give it a go - one of whom has lost over 30lbs in 5 weeks. The biggest tongue-biting will have to be reserved for my 20 year-old niece who gets home from university this week having just turned vegan. I know there will be nothing I can say to someone newly converted and utterly convinced of their own self-righteousness. I think I'll just put her in the same room as my 16 year-old, anarchist daughter who has just read The Vegetarian Myth and stand well back.</p>