Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Are there some health related things that you know are true (at least for you) but for which there is no scientific basis? This could be something that affects your health positively or negatively. Let me get this out of the way: we know that correlation does not equal causation (yada yada) but go ahead and tell us about it anyway.

For example, I know that I sleep worst on full moons. I don't have an almanac at my house and don't keep track of the phases of the moon, however, like clockwork, I will have really bad sleep the few days around and on the full moon. It has happened too many times for me to ignore.

flag	asked May 12 2011 at 16:32 Thomas Seay

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If you're not sleeping in a room with full blackout blinds, it could be that the increased light is messing with your sleep. – Simibee May 12 2011 at 16:45

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Well murderers and disturbed people weren't called lunatics for nothing Carly :) – OldBear May 12 2011 at 16:51

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@ Carly; interesting - if Thomas Seay is living with a woman, it could be that he's experiencing some sort of sympathetic effect e.g. like Couvade Syndrome. – Simibee May 12 2011 at 16:55

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Is that not the result of one of your great great great grandparents being a werewolf? – Matt May 12 2011 at 17:10

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Nah, he's just secretly a member of the British Royal Family. – Simibee May 12 2011 at 17:13

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Carly · Answer 1 · 2011-05-12 16:51:48Z UTC

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I KNOW my child and I ARE gluten intolerent, despite what the medical "tests" may or may not say if we decide to have them. My partner can tell if my littlun has been contaminated with gluten as soon as he sees her. We both experience ridiculous bloating, dark cirlces under our eyes, digestive problems, but it's all my head right? Isn't this a fad diet?

answered May 12 2011 at 16:51

Carly
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Very Interesting. Do you have problems with other foods that contain lots of inulin, like onions? – Jay May 12 2011 at 17:00

Onions can make me gassy yes. Is that a common cross reactor then? – Carly May 12 2011 at 17:02

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@Carnivorous Carly -- I have had the same experience. Once I stopped eating wheat/gluten, my migraines disappeared yet medical tests tell me I have no sensitivity. – Patrik♦ May 12 2011 at 18:37

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It makes you wonder on the reliabilty of the tests doesn't it. – Carly May 12 2011 at 18:55

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Wheat contains inulin, which causes bloating in people who don't tolerate fructans well. Google FODMAPs to read about fructans and IBS. It also can cause GERD in some people. I asked because I think it's clear that wheat is causing you problems, but it's not (yet) 100% clear it's gluten that is behind it. There are other problems with wheat, like inulin, that can cause problems. – Jay May 12 2011 at 20:44

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UncleLongHair · Answer 2 · 2011-05-12 18:10:40Z UTC

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Mood and attitude has at least as much to do with overall health, if not more, than what you eat and how you exercise.

The "food pyramid" is upside down.

In most cases, taking medicine every day is probably worse for you than not taking it.

answered May 12 2011 at 18:10

UncleLongHair
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i like that first one a lot. Kesser said something in a podcast about a chinese proverb along the lines of "better to enjoy bad food than to suffer good food." I think there really is something there, within boundaries of course. you have to be happy to be healthy, and that means eating things that make you fully happy. – ben61820 May 12 2011 at 18:26

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I totally agree with both of y'all about that. Stressing out about food is not good! – gone2croatan May 12 2011 at 18:53

Do you have a link to that podcast? – Joey May 13 2011 at 22:11

Joey, go to the Healthy Skeptic website and listen to episode 9. – Carly May 14 2011 at 13:24

gone2croatan · Answer 3 · 2011-05-12 16:43:52Z UTC

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My DNA is not human but is, in fact, pure unadulterated Honey Badger.

answered May 12 2011 at 16:43

gone2croatan
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Do you take what you want? Without giving a shit? – a hut full of spears May 12 2011 at 16:47

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Absolutely. I am also "nasty" and a "sleepy fuck." – gone2croatan May 12 2011 at 16:47

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and you have loose skin which allows you to move about freely? – tartare May 12 2011 at 17:00

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Unfortunately, yes. I am also exceptionally good at running in slow motion (a constant struggle in my CF workouts). – gone2croatan May 12 2011 at 17:02

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Ok, there is some kind of cultural allusion that I'm not getting here. Would some enlighten me? – Thomas Seay May 12 2011 at 18:10

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The Quilt · Answer 4 · 2011-05-12 17:54:17Z UTC

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The cause of cancer is cellular homeostasis based.......not disease based as is currently believed.

That hormone status is critical to understanding cellular homeostasis

Timing is more critical to eating than substance

That the government actually knows they are harming American health with food policies to support the only industry that we can export with high profits.....grain, wheat, corn, and soybeans

That there is no concept as random chance ever

That life does come down the the Heisenberg uncertainty principle

answered May 12 2011 at 17:54

The Quilt
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please discuss "timing is more critical to eating than substance" – tartare May 12 2011 at 17:55

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I don't understand everything you wrote, but whole heartedly agree with "That the government actually knows they are harming American health with food policies to support the only industry that we can export with high profits.....grain, wheat, corn, and soybeans" – sherpamelissa May 12 2011 at 18:01

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Yes could you elaborate on "Timing is more critical to eating than substance" please Dr K. – Carly May 12 2011 at 18:26

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I am very glad that we have Dr. K here. It's good to know that there are some knowledgeable physicians out there who are thinking outside of the box. – Thomas Seay May 12 2011 at 18:41

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I also appreciate Dr. K's informative answers. I just wish more of his many, many answers were informative. I look forward to the time when he has his very own platform. – g. May 12 2011 at 19:07

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Dave S. · Answer 5 · 2011-05-12 17:09:47Z UTC

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Space aliens.
Ghosts.
The guy that's been following me.
Zombies. Specifically, Kung fu Zombies from Outer Space. Aw, heck yeah!
The Mafia.
All conspiracy theories.
Homeopathy.
Raw Milk.
Telomeres.

:)

answered May 12 2011 at 17:09

Dave S.
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I'm sure Dr. K will be here in a few minutes to let us know that homeopathic dilutions of raw milk farmed by ghostly space aliens and distributed by the Mafia is the only surefire way of lengthening telomeres. ;) – Simibee May 12 2011 at 17:18

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You forgot the "nipple messages" Simibee! – sherpamelissa May 12 2011 at 17:28

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You can't miss out on the nipple massage :) paleohacks.com/questions/37538/… – Matt May 12 2011 at 18:01

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Ha ha, thanks :) I was getting worried that I'd have to go around wearing some sort of aluminium foil bra to prevent my areolae picking up CIA radio waves. – Simibee May 12 2011 at 18:08

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Hee! Love you gone2croatan! I was going to send you a nipple message as well, but wasn't sure your plan included those. I didn't want you to incur any extra charges. – sherpamelissa May 12 2011 at 19:13

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lalabomba · Answer 6 · 2011-05-12 17:12:51Z UTC

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vinegar helps me with my heartburn, though when I've told doctors this they claim that I am only making it worse by drinking vinegar. My response to them is "if its making it worse then why does it make it go away?"

I think this is more along the lines of doctors doing their "job" and trying to lead people to the pharmacy rather than leading them to a holistic healing center. pppffft! rolls eyes

answered May 12 2011 at 17:12

lalabomba
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Doesn't vinegar have an alkaline affect in the stomach? Much like limes and lemons? That's what I thought anyway. – Carly May 12 2011 at 17:19

thats what I've always thought. I will have to go research this! :) – lalabomba May 12 2011 at 17:48

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Same reason betaine HCL works......lots of docs know this. Lots don't apparently – The Quilt May 12 2011 at 17:56

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vinegar cures my hiccups - try it next time you have the hiccups - one capful of vinegar. – Thumper May 12 2011 at 20:21

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@lala I think it's when the heartburn is actually indigestion, the vinegar gives you a digestive boost (like HCl would). The alkalizing effect of lemons and limes and ACV is, as I've understood it, in reference to your blood.. or your 'system' or whatever - not the digestive tract itself. I mean, you don't want yr stomach to be alkaline - it's supposed to be acidic! :) – g. May 12 2011 at 22:55

Matt · Answer 7 · 2011-05-13 19:44:53Z UTC

Can I add something I suspect to be true rather than know?

I suspect that the current fashion for megadosing vitamin D supplements to achieve very high blood vitamin D levels will in the long-term turn out to be unnecessary or even harmful.

Purely a suspicion though.

Edit: Oh I certainly think there are benefits to it, I just wonder if the majority of people would not get the same benefit from 1000-2000 units a day over the long-term. It's the 5000-10000 units a day I wonder about. Humans have not consumed these amount orally before, and the body cannot regulate the intake in the same way skin production is regulated. There have been no long-term studies on high level supplementation.

Currently little of the research on vitamin D looks at the conversion of cholecalciferol (the pro-hormone found in supplements) into the active form (calcitriol). Levels of calcitriol are rarely measured even though this is the active form of vitamin D.

Also the gene for the vitamin D receptor comes in several different types. So the vitamin D receptors in the cells of some people are more sensitive to the effects of vitmain D than in others.

I tend to think about the things we might not know about yet.

Caveman formally known as Dan · Answer 8 · 2011-05-13 20:17:24Z UTC

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That peanut butter and oreo cookies really are made by the devil. On a personal note I don't remember the last time I ate either one and have no desire to but I do remember how good they user to be.

answered May 13 2011 at 20:17

Caveman formally known as Dan
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saintpuffy · Answer 9 · 2011-05-14 23:45:45Z UTC

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That mind-set (optimism, trust, happiness) can give you 15+ year of life-span. Related, that most people basically choose when they want to die, within a wide range.

answered May 14 2011 at 23:45

saintpuffy
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kim · Answer 10 · 2012-03-30 18:22:53Z UTC

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They are not really trying to cure cancer. Treating cancer patients is too big of an industry.

answered Mar 30 2012 at 18:22

kim
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MimsySeoul · Answer 11 · 2011-05-14 23:18:31Z UTC

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Part of me thinks that the U.S. government's choice of commodities is part of a long-standing ethnic cleansing effort.

answered May 14 2011 at 23:18

MimsySeoul
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Travis Culp · Answer 12 · 2011-05-13 18:52:27Z UTC

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My gut feeling is that fish oil or large amounts of fatty fish are actually bad things to consume if you're a healthy paleo-type person. I'm sure there's an advantage for SAD eaters, but I'm highly skeptical of it conferring an advantage for us.

answered May 13 2011 at 18:52

Travis Culp♦
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	Why do you think,large amounts of fatty fish is bad? – Joey May 13 2011 at 22:14
	I think you are probably right, it definitely has it's place but my understanding is the fats in the fish are really unstable and easily oxidised, unlike saturated fat which is not so prone to oxidative damage. – Carly May 14 2011 at 13:28

Leo · Answer 13 · 2011-05-13 20:16:01Z UTC

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I find it hard to believe that human adults need as much sleep as some paleos advocate.I see folks say to get AT LEAST 8 or 9 hours a night and some reporting sleeping like 10 hours??? The only way I could sleep that much every night is if I was seriously ill or drunk every night. When I was job searching for like two months and slept all I wanted every night, I slept 6 and 1/2 hours like clockwork.

Edit: To answer the question, what I know to be true, but can't prove: a healthy adult doesn't sleep for 10 hours every night. There's something going on if you sleep that much day in, day out.

edited May 13 2011 at 20:16

answered May 13 2011 at 20:07

Leo
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Conditioning ? I trained myself to wake up at 6 AM without an alarm clock. All it took was a month of systematic 15 min decreases in waking up (10-945-930-915...). – Ikco May 13 2011 at 20:19

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I bet you could sleep for 10 hours if there was no electricity. 10PM --> 8AM == 10 hours. – Kamal♦ May 13 2011 at 20:22

I sleep about 10 hours a night, but I also do a ton of hard exercise. How much exercise did you do when you were sleeping 6.5 hours and doing so well? – Anonymous Coward May 13 2011 at 23:01

What do you think our ancestors did then? It was obviously optimal for them, epecially in winter, considering they only had natural light and fire. – Carly May 14 2011 at 13:26

My sleep changes with the seasons. 9-10 hours in the winter. 5-7hr in summer. I wake up when the sun hits my window. about 30 min after sunup. – Ebice Mar 30 2012 at 14:22

dorchid11 · Answer 14 · 2011-05-14 23:11:00Z UTC

As far as health is concerned...

Contemplative prayer and/or mindful meditation

Lunar cycles (I'm a lunatic!)

The effect of electromagnetic fields on brain waves, ESP, general well-being

I think psychedelic drugs are related to chakras / kundalini / madness

chessguy · Answer 15 · 2012-03-30 12:27:03Z UTC

Raw Bitter melon freshly pressed took me completely of Diabetic medication,

30 ml every morning.For the first month then 10 ml every third day been 3 years now ,

And I no longer need glasses, my optician and the Diabetic clinic are amazed,

, also known as Bitter gourd.

MY hb1ac was around 9.8 it is now regularly 5.0

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11025141

MrsD · Answer 16 · 2012-03-30 13:42:09Z UTC

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That Bulletproof coffee on an empty stomach makes me blast through my workouts!

answered Mar 30 2012 at 13:42

MrsD
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Me too, MrsD. AND blasts through my work day :) This is probably the one thing i'll miss the most on my Whole30 starting Sunday :( Something about butter in my coffee that just tickles my happy. – DanielleO812 Mar 30 2012 at 15:51

Paleo_Wes · Answer 17 · 2012-03-30 14:33:33Z UTC

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The use of my cellphone close to my head. It has caused many headaches and low grade depression like symptoms hours after use. There is no proof that cell phones cause any brain damage in humans, yet, but I know my skull fells hot an hour after usage and that can't be a good thing.

answered Mar 30 2012 at 14:33

Paleo_Wes
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The younger generation has it right! Just text. ;) – DanielleO812 Mar 30 2012 at 15:52

JeJ · Answer 18 · 2012-03-30 20:28:42Z UTC

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The placebo effect is alive and well, and that is not necessarily a bad thing.

answered Mar 30 2012 at 20:28

JeJ
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Simibee · Answer 19 · 2011-05-12 16:59:28Z UTC

Alternatively it could be another factor affecting your sleep, which fluctuates on a monthly cycle, it's just that full moons are both (visually) obvious and historically/romantically associated with the inexplicable.

As for me, I find that anticipation of not sleeping well is often a self-fulfilling prophecy...

Anonymous Coward · Answer 20 · 2011-05-13 17:57:39Z UTC

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Things I know are true but can't prove? Are those like things I'm sure are squares but can't be sure they're not circles?

answered May 13 2011 at 17:57

Anonymous Coward
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JeezLoise · Answer 21 · 2012-03-30 13:40:47Z UTC

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I have a feeling that LC paleo is keeping my skin from healing quickly. In fact, my skin looked a lot better on a mostly vegan, high-carb, gluten-free diet. I don't know why that is, but it's frustrating. Otherwise I feel great on the diet.

answered Mar 30 2012 at 13:40

JeezLoise
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	I've cut out most dairy except for the occasional tablespoon of pastured butter. Yeah, it's very peculiar. I know that high-carb was reeking havoc on my blood sugar, energy, and body comp, BUT it did make my skin glow. – JeezLoise Mar 30 2012 at 14:17
	I have noticed the exact same thing (I was vegan, high-carb and gluten-free before). Do you have dairies? I do, so I don't know if that could make a difference. – Pedrita Mar 30 2012 at 14:57

Things You know are true but can’t prove

21 Answers