Actually, I had never heard of this symptom until you mentioned it, Tyler, and couldn't find anything on the Net about it. Is there a name for it? Do you know what the "toxins" are? That doesn't mean it doesn't exist--just that it suggests that it's not very common.
The effect was very minor and only occurred after eating dates and then only for 24 hours afterwards. If it had been even vaguely significant, I should have felt some pain or some other symptom. As it is, it's well-known that fluids from the eyes get rid of toxins(some research has been done on tears being useful for getting rid of toxins for example(though I wasn't crying at the time!LOL!). And, it's really no different from similiar negligible symptoms I've gotten after eating cooked animal foods(after eating the latter, my eyes routinely get heavy amounts of dust at the corners, merely a detox of some trace toxins. And, unlike with cooked animal foods, I get no other symptoms from consumption of dates.
Despite your frequently very negative posts about ZC, Tyler. According to your statement...
"My own view is that anywhere between 5-15% raw carbs, by calorie, is required as an optimum (for me) but that the 35% carbs that Cordain et al promote is rather too high."
http://www.rawpaleoforum.com/general-discussion/fats-and-cuts-of-meat/msg12169/#msg12169
...your own level of carbs "required as an optimum" seems rather low. Just to make sure I understand you--is this what you consider your miminal requirements or optimal values? In other words, is 10% carbs what you consider to be about your "optimal" level of carb intake?
Having only a few carbs doesn't mean that one thinks they are unhealthy. Anyway, I, as I've mentioned before, can veer frequently between eating only raw carbs(raw fruit) for a week or two to just eating raw animal food and nothing else for 2 weeks(though I dare not overdo the latter, given past nasty experiences). I suppose it was rather grossly inaccurate of me to give percentages, however vague, for my diet, as so often, it's down to numerous factors such as whether my meat-supply is reliable at any time, to other factors such as the fact that I feel far too hot if I don't eat most of my intake as raw carbs in the hot summer, whereas I'll eat a higher percentage of raw meat in winter and fewer carbs). Plus, throughout my diet I've veered between high-carb, low-carb, very-low carb and even the more unusual zero-carb trial, and I'll eat more carbs during my various bursts of physical activity. In short, carbs don't bother me as such. I'm more concerned with eating lots of raw meat/fat to ward off possible nutritional deficiencies obtained on raw vegan/fruitarian diets, while at the same time avoiding ZC and near-ZC VLC because of the health-issues I had with ZC etc.
As for optimum ranges, I have no idea. I was under the (possibly erroneous) impression that the 35% of carbs in the diet that Cordain et al recommend involved a very high intake of plants, so that in previous times, I aimed at lower-recommended figures.I suppose, now, I think a minimum of 5% carbs is best and a maximum of 25-35% carbs is ideal, these days.
