Paleolithic vs. Neolithic

This past summer, Tommy, the Crossfit enthusiast and probably one of the most physically fit men I know, introduced me to the paleo diet.  He says to me while we are sitting at Six Flags gorging on a 4th of July picnic feast, "I think we should do Paleo!" Impecable timing. "What's Paleo?" I ask.  He explains to me that it is the diet of the caveman, the hunters and gatherers so to speak.  He says we will eat lean meats, seafood, nuts/seeds, vegetables, fresh fruits, and nonstarchy vegetables.  "What about dairy?" I ask.  No dairy, no soy, no beans, no wheat, no starchy vegetables, and the list continues.  Because I like a challenge and food is a passion of mine, I delightfully agreed to try it.  He says we will "shoot for 30 days".  I wasn't sure why we needed a time frame but I soon realized why.  It's hard!! After about a week of what I like to call cheese-withdrawal I was feeling very angry.  Kudos to Tommy because he seemed happy, skipping around the house and "feeling great!".  Me not so much.  We lasted about 21 days, although I know Tommy could have lasted forever.  He strongly believes the Paleo diet is the best diet for improved athletic ability and overall heatlh and wellness.  I don't disagree with this, but I don't think I could make it without dairy for the rest of my life. 




So again being the Dietitian I am, I did some research about the Paleolithic era.  I soon stumbled upon the Neolithic era, which began in Europe about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago at the end of the Stone Age. This era was intruiging to me because it seemed to have radically transformed the way in which food was acquired. Although many periods of the Neolithic stage exist, the most important shift in culture during this time period is in relation to farming.  During the Neolithic revolution, crop farming and cultivation was first developed. The previous paleolithic ways of hunting and gathering food was replaced with food produced from cultivated land, particularly wheat and barley crops. An increase in sophisticated farming technology began and so did the possibility of producing surplus crop fields.  This meant food supplies in excess of the immediate needs of the community could now be provided.

In essence, better farming technology, better cultivation of the land, and excess food supplies yielded a dramatic change in the way people ate.  Paleolithic ways of eating was replaced by the neolithic diet and a significant shift towards an increase in starch and plant protein was seen.  Hunters and gatherers became farmers, animals became domesticated, and society was forever changed. 

Enter Cyrus McCormick.  I bet you haven't heard that name since elementary school! An American invester, McCormick founded the mechanical reaper which brought an end to long hours of hand labor. Eventually replaced by the self-propelled combine, the reaper was the first step of mechanized farming we have today.
In summary, through years of changes and advances in technology, we have evolved into processed eaters.  I hate the term "processed".  It sounds so cheap and stale.  Unfortunately this is how we eat.  I will now slowly step away from the soapbox I am about to set sail on and spare all of my readers a great deal of time.  I could spend hours discussing the ways in which food has evolved and the poor ways in which we eat today. 

**I should take this time to note my disclaimer.  I have absolutely nothing against farming, agriculture, and the way in which land is cultivated.  I thoroughly enjoy food produced through hours of farming and I appreciate every minute of agricultural production work.  And I have enjoyed it for the past 20-something years until I realized what some of it is doing to my body.  I am in no way attempting to verbally bash our farmers. I think they are quite honorable.**