"Country" Food...

fgummett · #1 (**permalink**) 08-10-2009, 12:21 PM

Flew in to Toronto today for work and on the plane I watched a Discovery Channel show about a team making an attempt on Everest.

I was interested when they commented on the major difference in what the Sherpas ate as compared to the "European" climbers -- after all it is the Sherpas who really do all the heavy lifting of supplies up to the camps. Turns out that while the Euros are stuffing themselves with carbs -- pasta, mars bars etc... the Sherpas live on Yak meat... raw or fried up.

It reminded me of my experiences in Canada's North with the Inuit where they only really felt satisfied and able to spend all day out on the ice if they had eaten "country food" -- seal meat and blubber (muktuk) for example.

I realise there is the genetic argument where these communities have adapted to specific climates but I still find it interesting that they seem to have the most stamina on a diet of Fat and Protein... while many of the rest of us seem to think that Carbohydrates are what we need for energy.

Dis-N-Dat · #2 (**permalink**) 08-10-2009, 12:27 PM

Yup, and the statistics for cancer in those societies is also extremely low.

It also remindds me of a community in the Yural mountains of Russia. Brutal geography, they spend all day walking up and down steep hills just to go about their normal lives and eat mainly lamb and goat cheese...nary a case of heart disease to be found.