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Seth Roberts Tsinghua University & UC Berkeley blog.sethroberts.net www.sethroberts.net Quantified Self Silicon Valley Meetup 11 August 2011. QS + Paleo = ?. What in common?. [Year 2073] Doctor 1 No deep fat? No steak or cream pies or hot fudge?
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Seth Roberts Tsinghua University & UC Berkeley blog.sethroberts.net www.sethroberts.net Quantified Self Silicon Valley Meetup 11 August 2011 QS + Paleo = ?
What in common? • [Year 2073] Doctor 1 No deep fat? No steak or cream pies or hot fudge? Doctor 2 Those were thought to be unhealthy, precisely the opposite of what we now know to be true. -- Sleeper (1973) by Woody Allen • I have begun [tracking] by measuring my sleep using the Zeo sleep coach and am now trying to expand to diet, measuring the effect that various meals have on my energy levels. -- QS forum post by journalist
Answer: They need each other … and don't know it.
AFTER PALEO 1995 morning faces 1996 standing 2000 Shangri-La Diet 2006 omega-3 2009 one-legged standing 2010 butter My Story: QS Needs Paleo BEFORE PALEO • 1990 breakfast (started 1979)
Acne: Paleo Needs QS • Cordain et al. (2002): No acne among two groups of "primitive" people. Proposed explanation: low levels of insulin. • Then . . . nothing. No follow-up. No additional evidence. • Tsinghua student tracked her acne. Eliminating sugar helped, but no cure-all. • QS-type tracking study would really help
AHS vs QS: First Conference • SIMILARITIES enthusiasm, novelty, potential, youth, data, examples • DIFFERENCES • AHS [Ancestral Health Symposium] more diverse (e.g., more women, professors), intellectually deeper, sold out much faster, more bloggers, more controversial/crazy/dangerous, more passionate, older ideas, more concrete benefits • QS more entrepreneurs, more human scale
AHS vs QS: First Conference "QS feels like a smaller movement for enthusiasts, AHS has the potential to change the health of the world." -- Steve Omohundro
Dangers • Paleo Wrong lesson spread. Example: cause of obesity. • Paleo Unconvincing evidence. Example: dietary change followed by health improvement. • QS 100 things are tried, nothing works. Tracker gives up. • QS lack of enthusiasm to experiment. Example: friend's sleep tracking.
Paleo Brainy QS Open Slightly-Hidden Strengths
It Would Be A Shame If... • Paleo Not persuasive enough • QS Main use "communication with doctor"