Are you seeking a lactose intolerant cavewoman, ideally with celiac disease, who wears sunglasses at night? As the Paleo movement was just gaining traction a few years ago, John Durant of The Paleo Manifesto joined The Colbert Report, delving into the idea of a modern, happily barefoot, hunter-gatherer interested in dating someone like this. All laughs aside, it actually isn’t far from the truth for single Paleo men and women in search of love. In fact, a new trend has emerged in matchmaking websites aimed for specific diet and exercise preferences, including those who follow the Paleo lifestyle. Although having similar interests can support a new relationship, there’s more to it, and even researchers haven’t solved the mystery of how and why we choose who we love.1,2
Stories lead us to believe that it was commonplace for a caveman to club his chosen cavewoman and drag her by the hair to his den. The ancestral state of early human relations is actually not well known due to the lack of conclusive archaeological evidence.3 The above scenario is unlikely based upon what we know from research on the interactions between men and women in present day hunter-gatherer societies. The characteristics that lead to attraction in hunter-gatherer tribes are not purely based on physical appearance. Even though, there is evidence we are programmed to look for a high reproductive capacity in a partner,4 such as through shoulder to hips and hips to waist ratios.5, 6In the Hazda of Tanzania, men value fertility and work ethic, while women look for a man with intelligence and foraging capability.7 Ethnographic evidence from other foraging societies indicates that, parents strongly influence the mating decisions for both their sons and daughters.8
We have much more choice when selecting a partner today, where it appears that there is a preference for partners who we perceive as similar to ourselves across a number of characteristics, called the “likes-attracts” rule.9 For those following a Paleo Diet, it would be appealing to find a supportive partner who understands these choices or one that is interested in living similarly.
Navigate the dating jungle and highlight the assets your Paleo lifestyle brings to the table.