A few years ago, I was your typical office-worker: stressed out, uneven energy, overweight, and inconsistent complexion. Now I'm just your typical 28-year old urban hunter-gatherer on a quest to be healthy, and having a few adventures along the way. See my full bio.
Sometimes all you can do is laugh. I love this new piece at Time: Should you eat like a caveman? It's a perfect example of how this whole paleo concept can be sensationalized -- by the press AND by practitioners. But it's important to take these issues head on because as this paleo approach grows, this type of thing is going to happen more often.
It all went down at the De Vany book-signing a couple weeks ago. After the talk, this smart, sexy, firebrand of a reporter approached me about the potential conflict between Dan Lieberman's research, which points to the importance of endurance running in human evolution, and some of the paleo community, which tends to emphasize the role of high-intensity, "move like your life depends on it" exercise in human evolution. A good question, which we proceeded to discuss. But it quickly became clear that she was looking to stir up some controversy. The end result, an article that portrays paleo as an ideology that holds the following silly beliefs:
Evolution stopped 40,000 years ago
There was one single paleolithic diet and lifestyle
Women did not contribute very much to the tribe
Sigh.
What's odd about the article is that we offered up nearly every counter-point she uses to de-bunk the ideas above. Mainstream media, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Evolution did not stop 40,000 years ago
I can't think of a single paleo blogger or author or claims this. When the reporter asked about whether there has been continuing evolution, particularly in regards to diet, both Robb and I said, well, yeah, of course. Robb pointed out that indigenous tribes, like the Pima, will get diabetes in their teens and 20s eating a modern diet whereas people of European and Middle-Eastern descent won't get diabetes until a decade or more later eating the same diet.
There is no one, single paleolithic diet and lifestyle
Duh. Hunter-gatherers had all sorts of different diets depending on time, geography, season, and culture. Does anyone think the Inuit ate the same thing as the Hadza? And moved in the exact same ways? Or that these modern hunter-gatherer tribes perfectly represent the paleolithic? The paleolithic was a long period of time. There is no one "paleolithic diet".
That said, it's a common technique in mainstream peer-reviewed evolutionary psychology to talk about an Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness (EEA), an environment containing the selection pressures that led to specific adaptations. It's a theoretical construct, to be sure, but a useful construct nonetheless. Lieberman does the same thing when he talks about persistence hunting in some ancient savannah habitat from long ago.
And trying to reconstruct "the" diet of a species is something we do for all kinds of animals, not just humans. I think the burden of proof is on people who want to treat Homo sapiens as exceptional. We certainly have found ways to be generalist omnivores, but that's not to say there isn't a set of foods that we are better or worse adapted to. What would be completely unbelievable from an evolutionary standpoint is if we weren't better or worse adapted to certain foods -- now that would stretch the imagination.
Women are essential providers to the tribe
If I got annoyed at one point in this article, it was the one that implied we held misogynistic views:
"Meanwhile, it's likely the gatherer members of the hunter-gatherer community — who tend to get less attention from Paleos, despite having provided up to half of Paleolithic calories — walked up to 9 km (6 mi.) a day, often while weighed down by babies and food."
Again, the reporter's counter-point is based on what we told her. That gathering wouldn't have been some walk in the woods, but carrying pounds and pounds of plants, getting heavier as you go, toting a baby, digging up roots, walking miles. And we pointed out that gathering often includes catching small game and collecting seafood. Not to mention lots of evidence that hunter-gatherer societies were more egalitarian than most people assume.
Nearly all reporters have to depend on conventional wisdom to do their job
Because mainstream reporters are writing for the mainstream, they tend to reflect conventional points of view. This reporter did a good job of not putting too much conventional wisdom in her piece, but consider her brief "stated as fact" health views:
"There's no doubt that something is way off about our collective health; rampant rates of obesity, heart disease and diabetes make that self-evident. And there's no doubt that this is a direct result of our high-fat, high-calorie, sedentary lives."
Dogmatic acceptance of the calories-in / calories-out hypothesis AND the fat-makes-you-fat hypothesis (they're one and the same). Ignoring the scads and scads of diets that focus on indiscriminately cutting calories and fat and that don't work. This reporter had a more gentle touch than most.
We need to learn some lessons too.
There are many experts in fields like evolutionary biology and paleo-anthropology who know a hell of a lot more about specific subjects than Random Paleo Luminary X. And these experts may start chiming in. Good! There will be views in the "paleo world" that turn out to be wrong. Is dairy as evil as wheat? Is endurance running good for you? Are there long-term trade-offs to sun exposure? Maybe, maybe not. That's okay, realizing that you're wrong is a great way to figure out what is right.
We have to be good stewards of these ideas. So no gnawing on a raw steak for the cameras, please. Also, Art saying that Dan Lieberman's ideas are "full of crap"...well, let's just put it this way...Art confirmed that he has as much testosterone as he claims.
Reporters don't have your interests at heart. Their incentives are to get people to read articles, watch videos, consume their story. And in most cases, that means sensationalizing. Making something seem extraordinary, abnormal, and weird. Dan Lieberman knows what this is like...he's had his barefoot running work mangled in the press countless times.
This is just another natural stage in the movement as it starts to attract more attention. Now let's see what Nightline does tonight...
CBS Evening News did a segment on barefoot running in the run-up to the New York City Marathon. Jim Axelrod joined Barefoot Runners NYC in Central Park for a run and demonstration. You can watch segment below -- it ran on Friday evening.
The funny part is that Axelrod didn't even take off his shoes to give it a try. He was planning on running the marathon today, and he didn't want to injure himself. We gave him some grief for it, which got edited out. Particularly my line about "You call this investigative journalism?" I wonder if he sleeps in his shoes at night.
This is now the second time where a major news outlet came to film with us and the reporter was too afraid to actually go barefoot. The Today Shoe reporter wouldn't do it either. NEITHER REPORTER EVEN TOOK OFF THEIR SHOES. We do two entire segments on barefoot running, at least half of the runners are barefoot, we tell them that barefoot is the recommended way to learn good running form, and they both come up with excuses. Amazing. Axelrod had just come back from North Korea. Go figure.
I'm all for "starting slow", but you at least have to "start". Anyhow, Axelrod had a good sense of humor about it, he realized he was being a bit silly, and it's a nice segment.
(I don't know why this embed code ain't working right, here is the link.)
The New York Post and CBS local news picked up our Born to Run NYC event. See the two videos below, with the CBS article here. Good treatment -- and thank you to the reporters for taking the time to learn why we run the way we do. Though I have to say, CBS ends the piece by saying a possible benefit of barefoot running is...get this...burning more calories. So idiotic, all you can do is laugh. (Benefits of laughing: burning more calories.)
We had a blast. See my recap and photos. I've posted below the feedback that we received from people who ran the event -- pretty cool. We have a free beginner's session on Sunday at 4:30pm in Central Park.
“ Can't stop smiling about Wednesday, thanks again everyone. ”
“ Nothing but fun. Thanks to John and Maggie for organizing, Word book for hosting, the runners who volunteered to be sweepers, whoever thought to buy the Coors light, and, finally, Chris for writing the book that brought us together. ”
“ I had the best time ever! I'm still glowing over it. So much so that I had to get out there and run again tonight barefeet up the West Side Highway. I loved meeting so many wonderful people. I second on the Coors Light. ”
“ Had a great time. Well-organized and no one was left behind. It was great meeting other runners like me and I just loved being able to meet Chris, without whom, I wouldn't be running in the first place. ”
“ I haven't ran in a group in over a decade, to cadence as an Army infantryman, and this run was really interesting in how it was both similar and different to that kind of experience. There was the same powerful self-sustaining energy, but channeled in a different way. I look forward to joining the next human-millipede y'all organize! Thanks to everyone -- and I mean that literally -- for making this run what it was...and still is. ”
“ Congrats and well done to all the runners, and huge thanks to John and Maggie, organizers extraordinaire, and our tireless (literally) sweepers Chris and Melissa, and of course many many thanks to Christopher McDougall for being up for anything and turning a great run into an amazing one-of-a-kind experience, and so much fun! ”
“ simply perfect. Running with an army of my people, Barefoot savages!! You are all great!! ”
“ This was an amazing experience. Communal non-competitive running is a great joy! ”
“ John and Maggie, Thanks for organizing such a fun run with Christopher. The run had a great vibe, and I enjoyed chatting with so many nice folks. What's not to like about a run that ends with donuts? Even Christopher admitted that the Tarahumara would swap their Chia seeds for a Red-Velvet Cake Donut... I hope to be able to join in the next "event"
“ Very inspiring. Chris McDougall was very kind and gave full attention to each person who asked him a question or asked for his book to be signed. He is a true kind of "spiritual" leader of a movement that is very positive in running. The fact that he ran with everyone before the event deepened the experience of meeting an author, and produced a sense of connection that was better than other type meetings of authors. I liked that the event was non-competitive and welcoming to all. I like how powerful it was despite being simple. ”
“ This was, without a doubt, the most fun I have ever had running. Everyone was so friendly and supportive, and though most of us began the run complete strangers, I think it's safe to say that by the end we were a group of friends, bound by a love for running. My greatest thanks and respect to Chris, John, Maggie, and of course, Word Bookstore, for putting together such a fantastic event, however last-minute. Long live barefoot running! ”
“ Great run with great people. I had a blast. ”
“ WOW! What an awesome experience flowing through the streets and over the bridges of NYC with Chris and so many barefoot/near barefoot runners! Thanks John and Chris for making this happen! ”
“ Great group! Great run! Fantastic fun! Lets do it again SOON ”
“ this run was awesome! so much fun and cool to meet Chris. good job John and Maggie!! ”
“ Awesome run, great people. I had a blast and definitely want to find time to run with this group again. Thanks for putting this together! ”
“ What an awesome experience! Thank you John and Maggie for organizing an opportunity to come together in such an exhilarating and and satisfying way. My friend who I got to come the day of the event also had an awesome time and can't wait to do it again! Chris who was already an inspiration to me, was a beast on the streets, and so super nice and down to earth, It was an honor and a privilege to run with him. I talked to and ran with a few different people, and it was awesome, good people enjoying our bodies in space together. I also had some stretches running on my own, but I never felt like I was running alone. I always felt like a part of a tribe. It was a very cool feeling that I haven't really had since coming home to NYC. Thanks everyone for an awesome time and a great experience. I look forward to many more runs! ”
“ I only found out about your book this past Sunday and it was like reading some forgotten letter found in the attic or basement. It was pure serendipity that I then found out about this run, too! I haven't ran in a group in well over a decade -- almost two, now -- and it was so interesting just comparing this run with the many I did in the Army. There was the same sense of togetherness, though differently channeled, kind of like a male-female difference, so to speak. Then there was your talk, which was the first time I'd ever attended one by the author, and it was so great to have been able to be acquainted with you intellectually through the talk and on a much deeper level -- first -- through the run! Anyway, thank you for helping to bring out some of the best parts of myself by connecting me with a much greater whole, so to speak. My friend Amy, whom you helped encourage up a hill in Central Park, was equally affected by you. She also thanks you from the bottom of her heart! ”
“ Great Experience, beautifully prepared with stops and water and a scenic route to run. ”
“ Unbelievably perfect. Was without hitch--very impressive. Bravo to the organizers! Looking forward to the encore! ”
“ This was a great "First Event" for me, and it included running with many friendly people. I only feel badly that I didn't partake in the after-run party and lecture. ”
“ This was such an awesome time!! Great run everyone! ”
“ Great Event ”
“ Thanks John and Maggie for organizing. I had a great time meeting and talking with so many other runners. Chris is truly a class act and I'm sorry I couldn't stay for his talk. ”
“ It was really an awesome experience! It was great to meet Chris and connect with other barefoot runners. Hope to see all of you on future runs! ”
Check out the June issue of Details for yours truly featured in one of the cover stories, "Diet Wars: The Food Fight Gets Nasty".
They went for a paleo vs. vegan theme. Actually, paleo vs. hegan. A "hegan", a ridiculous word recently coined by the Boston Globe to sell papers, is apparently a more masculine vegan than the typical vegan male. Here's my bit of antagonism:
"Hunter-gatherers were serious badasses," [Durant] says. "Men who are vegan aren't the most masculine." Travis Robertson nimbly sidesteps the jab, but he does flex his muscles. "You'd never know," he says, "that so many right wing-conservative 25-year-old males are vegans." That's right. You'd be surprised how many men who look just like Tim Tebow eat precisely what Robertson eats."
Yes, how many men who look just like Tim Tebow eat precisely what Robertson eats? Not so many. Ricky Williams is vegetarian, but I have a feeling that competitive football players under-index in hegans. If the term sticks, it will be an ongoing testament to the fact that the vegan movement is heavily female. And that vegan men are mostly skinny professors, Hollywood types, and urban hipsters (who have to be skinny enough to fit into their skinny jeans). Here's one picture of a Brooklyn vegan male. The most masculine sub-species of vegan are the punk rock variety, some of whom do polar bear swims with me.
Anyhow, the best part of the article are the vegan and paleo sample menus, which unfortunately aren't in the online edition. Which would you rather eat? Wild boar summer sausage or peanut-butter toast? Tofu casserole or two dozen oysters? Go find a paper copy for the full treatment. Article here.
