WHAT IS PALEO?

Imagine yourself thousands and thousands of years back in time. Roaming with the caveman, essentially living the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Your diet consisted of what you could find on your journey. Meats, nuts, berries, leafy greens, regional veggies, and seeds. Back in the day, pasta, cereal, cheese and potato chips didn’t exist. You didn’t stumble upon a cheese plant or a Dorito tree. The majority of food that makes up our diet in today’s times did not exist thousands (really hundreds) of years ago. The cavemen were the original trendsetters of this new, popular diet called The Paleo Diet.

Surely you’ve heard of The Paleo Diet, or at least have stumbled upon it. So, what makes this diet so special? It’s easy to roll our eyes when the word “fad diet” appears. But, if this diet is proven in the history of time and not a 4AM infomercial, it’s surely worth looking into. Maybe this was thousands of years ago, but our genes have not changed that much from our ancestor’s.

The average Homo Sapien back then: tall, muscular, agile, athletic, and incredibly versatile.

The average Homo Sapien now: overweight, out of shape, stressed out, unhappy, sleep deprived and dying from a myriad of preventable diseases.

So what happened?

After the agricultural revolution our diet shifted from heavily based nuts, berries, and meats, to grains…grains…and more grains. We settled down and learned to farm, but our bodies never quite adjusted to this influx of new “foods.” The Paleo diet is essentially an attempt to get us eating the way our ancestors did. The way that is right for our genes.  Over 66% of American’s are overweight, and like stated above, dying and suffering from preventable disease. Something is not right. Since food is essentially your medicine, we are treating our bodies with the WRONG kinds of medicines. The unhealthy kinds of medicines that only riddle us with disease and sickness. The Paleo Diet is  an attempt to go back to eating how we are biologically designed to eat.

So what is it?-

The Paleo Diet does not include-

1. Grains- Grains consumed in a mass quantity can actually be unhealthy and dangerous. Grains are composed of carbohydrates, and those carbs turn into glucose (a type of sugar) that is used for energy and various other functions. When these extra amounts of glucose go unused they store in our body as fat. Most grains contain gluten (yes as in gluten-free) and most American’s have realized they have somewhat of a gluten allergy. If you posses such intolerance, consuming gluten can cause joint pain, reproductive issues, acid reflux, and a whole lot more problems. Lecitin (also found in gluten) is grain’s defense system from being eaten by us (one step in evolution). The lecitin stores in our gastrointestinal tract and prevents this part of our body from repairing itself. Really, nothing about grains are good.

2. No sugar or processed foods- Unless your sugar is coming from a fruit, it is not included. Sugar causes a spike in energy levels which causes our bodies to crash. Processed foods are also beyond unnatural and consumption of sugar and processed foods is linked to several diseases including cancer. Need some proof, read this Time article here.

3. You’re probably saying so WHAT do I get to eat?? No dairy, no carbs, no sugar-thats barbaric! Well, actually it kind of is. But, our ancestors were not dying from cancer or preventable disease. They were consuming what our bodies are designed to consume. You can actually eat A LOT on the paleo diet-

• Meat – GRASS-FED, not grain-fed. Grain causes the same problem in animals as they do in humans.
• Fowl – Chicken, duck, hen, turkey…things with wings that (try to) fly.
• Fish – Wild fish, as mercury and other toxins can be an issue in farmed fish
• Eggs – Look for Omega-3 enriched eggs.
• Vegetables – As long as they’re not deep-fried, eat as many as you want.
• Oils – Olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil – think natural.
• Fruits – Have natural sugar, and can be higher in calories, so limit if you’re trying to lose weight.
• Nuts – High in calories, so they’re good for a snack, but don’t eat bags and bags of them.
• Tubers – Sweet potatoes and yams.  Higher in calories and carbs, so these are good for right after a workout to replenish your glycogen levels.

I’d suggest including a really good protein source with each meal (eggs, steak, chicken, pork, fish) with vegetables. You will notice that this simple combination will keep you surprisingly full all day.

Common Misconceptions-

1. The Paleo Diet is a Fad

Unlike your typical fad that is unhealthy, shortsighted, and promises dramatic weight loss results with little effort (take the cabbage soup diet) the Paleo Diet actually SUGGESTS you eat good, healthy fats, and helps you balance your caloric intake by properly consuming each type of healthy food on a balanced regime. It is not so much a diet but a lifestyle.

2. The Paleo Diet is largely Carnivorous and better suited for men than women

Just because the diet is based on the dietary habits of cavemen does not mean you should picture yourself in a loin cloth gnawing on a bone. Really, the Paleo Diet is not barbaric, and it is not better suited for one sex or the other. You can choose what healthy fat you want to eat. You can consume far more seafood than red meat. You can get your energy from coconut products or healthy nuts instead of scarfing down a steak with each meal. Incorporating eggs into your daily routine does not seem very barbaric to me. Paleo can seem macho to women, but most of the success stories of the Paleo Diet are based around women, whats so manly about berries?

3. The Paleo Diet is a low-carb Diet

Sure, the Paleo diet does cut out a large amount of “carbs,” but pasta and bread are not the only carbohydrates. You can get your daily dose of carbs from vegetables.

4. Cutting out entire food groups is unhealthy

Some people suggest that removing entire food groups can be unhealthy, cause deficiencies, and create an unbalanced diet. But grains and dairy only (relatively) recently entered the human diet at the beginning of the agricultural revolution around 10,000 years ago. There are certainly no essential micronutrients, amino acids or fatty acids that can only be found in dairy, legumes or grains. If this was the case we would not have made it this far without them for 99.5% of our evolutionary history.

I love this infographic from Livestrong.com about the Paleo Diet. Here’s the thing, no one is perfect, including me. I’m not a Paleo expert nor a die hard. I eat as close to the way nature intended from a source I feel I can trust. I eat clean, fresh and organic food. I am not strict about how I eat other than the later. Eating healthy is a lifestyle not a diet but I do believe some diets help people organize their choices and make better ones. I eat grains but I understand that it should be on occasion. I am a foodie ya know. I’m having french bread when I’m in Paris and Fondue when in Switzerland! However, just because you follow a Paleo diet, does not give you a license to eat bacon at every meal. Balance and color are important in a healthy diet.

I truly believe if you eat well and live well then you will be well.

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