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I have been Paleo eating for awhile now and I'm seeing great results. I'm happy with that but I do keep getting questions from people and I'm terrible at defending my current eating plan. When I was a calorie counting, high protein / high fiber eater I had all kinds of information to support my choices and I thought I understood how my body was processing the food too.

Now, I have to admit, a lot of the science in relation to how the enzymes and hormones and all interact in our bodies goes completely over my head. I'd like to understand it all better and I'm willing to take a class or two at one of our local colleges, but I have no idea where to start! Would a basic nutrition class or biology class or maybe a class on Human Evolution help me the most?

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Possibly biology. Definitely not basic nutrition. I had to take it at Columbia University and instead of discussing enzymes, etc., it was the same old SAD stuff about needing X amount of carbs per day and this much calcium. I know more about human digestion and therefore nutrition from biology classes. Instead of a class I would recommend just getting good biology textbook and learning about enzymes, energy storage, etc., on your own. I learned the most from Robb Wolf's book because he puts it all together. I read his book with my old bio text next to me so that I could look things up and flesh out certain processes in my mind.

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1 
 Thank you! It's Robb Wolf's book that is making me ask. I always had a hard time in science and math in school, so this stuff is just really hard for my brain to process. I think just a text book may not help as much, because I need more explanation than just reading it, if that makes sense. I think I process things better that way. My mind tends to wander while reading if it's not getting it. I figured nutrition classes would be awful! – sherpamelissa Nov 27 2010 at 17:34
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Anthropology! Especially the sub fields that deal with prehistoric man. There is a new area of anthro called Nutritional Anthropology.. Which is totally paleo

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I love social studies type classes, but I have a feeling I need more science. If I could find Nutritional Anthropology, that would be fantastic! – sherpamelissa Nov 28 2010 at 0:34
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Check out the free class materials on the web. You can 'take' a biology class complete with reading assignments and videos of the lectures from schools like MIT.

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/biology/

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Sweet! That is absolutely awesome. I will definitely check it out! – sherpamelissa Nov 28 2010 at 0:36
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I think reading Robb's book, keeping up with his blog & then there are several others out there, as well.

http://theorytopractice.wordpress.com/

http://freetheanimal.com/

http://donmatesz.blogspot.com/

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I appreciate where you are coming from, but honestly, those are the things that are confusing me. I really have no base of knowledge for what he's talking about and my head is just swimming! – sherpamelissa Nov 28 2010 at 0:35
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 agree. you need a systematic approach. robb suggests biology courses like those required of healthcare professionals, if i recall correctly. – paleonyc Nov 28 2010 at 13:52
@paleonyc, thank you. I know Robb recommended basic biology, but there are a million biology courses out there. I hadn't remembered the "for healthcare professionals". I think I may have to do that. I'm so lost! – sherpamelissa Nov 29 2010 at 0:54
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Melissa, I was trying to commment on our previous thread but having trouble tonight.

I was not a science person until I returned to school for a second career and discovered that I loved it! But I still have no talent for working in the lab, so while I loved studying biology and chemistry from a text, I did not enjoy my lab classes. I recommend browsing at a university bookstore for a bio book that appeals to you and has great diagrams. Even if you were not previously a science person, sometimes having a new motivation can change your outlook and studying abilities!

I think the emphasis on evolotion in high school bio is a mistake. I'm convinced that if we started kids off on human anatomy and physiology, it would be much more interesting and relevant to them, and would attract many more non-traditional science students.

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Thank you again! I actually have a fairly decent university down the street. I should totally do that. I am very open minded about becoming a science person. I want to learn! I think what I do need is more diagrams. I fully plan on starting Robb's book over again the minute I finish it. It's really just not sinking in the way I want it to. It makes sense when I read it, but when I come back to it or try to explain it to someone else, it's turned to mush in my head. I'll get it though. – sherpamelissa Nov 28 2010 at 13:09

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