I had lunch with a coworker today.  We went to a BBQ joint.  It was hamburger special day.  He jokes around with me from time to time about my “caveman diet.”  I have made every effort over the last 3 months or so to not bring my diet into a conversation even when a good friend brings it up for conversation’s sake.  I find when others bring it up they’re much more interested when I talk about it.

So, I ordered my burger, and as always it was without the bun and a salad instead of fries.  My friend said something about low-carb.

Above picture is stock photo, but basically is what I ate.

I replied that actually I was eating a “normal carb” lunch… trying not to sound like a jerk.  He asked what I meant by that, and I told him that I’m eating normally, I’m eating how humans ate for millions of years.   The vegetables with the meat have a normal carbohydrate level commensurate with the carb level of a “caveman diet” portion.  I pointed out that low carb in a way would be eating very little fruits and vegetables or no veggies/fruit at all.  Low carb shouldn’t be defined as “not eating bread or corn.”  I’m eating the norm, and he was eating a high carb meal… again, trying not to sound like a jerk.  Well, I know this guy rather well, and he knew I wasn’t trying to offend him.  I was just taking “normal carb” imagery out for a spin.  It needs some refining, some “softer” delivery lines.  I’m looking forward to working on that theme.

Anytime I hear from now on “low-carb” to describe paleo (or any other normal carb persuasion), the “normal carb” gun now will come out of its holster.   And that’s the real issue, how does the “normal carb” explanation get through to a high sugar/carber without coming across as sounding like a jerk if I’m basically saying they’re a sugary high carb abnormal mess!

I think it has to be said with a smile, I think it has to be explained that their image of a normal carb diet as being abnormally low is a function of numbers

-numbers of people eating high-carb currently on this earth

-numbers of ag subsidies on corn, rice, and wheat that steer them that way,

-numbers of incorrect studies back in the 50’s & 60’s that became dogma before insulin was understood

A high carb diet is not a function of what’s best for our bodies.  I dig the show Mad Men.  It’s set in the 60’s.  Everyone on the show smokes, on the plane, on the subway, in the office.  Everywhere and everyone, smoking.  The person that didn’t smoke was “abnormal”, in the sense that they were out of the norm by not smoking.  We know now that smoking is not good for you.  Of course, I believe smokers have the right to smoke, but I’m glad to know that the risks are better known.  There is a growing body of evidence that a high carb diet is bad for you.  Just because most people in the industrialized world eat that way doesn’t mean it’s normal, and it doesn’t mean that people who eat a normal carb diet (paleo diet) are abnormal.

Smokers and high-carbers, everyone may be doing it, it doesn’t mean it’s healthy.