I am not doing Paleo per se but close and it has transformed my life for the better. Almost effortless weight loss and health, energy, vitality at all time highs at 48.
There are many misconceptions about it. The core is whole foods and plenty of non-starchy vegetables. Eggs. Grass fed meats whenever possible. No grains. Plenty of good saturated fat, coconut oil and I think grass fed butter. I say I think because Paleo is non dairy but I for sure have grass fed butter and cheese.
The base is whole foods and veggies. And I do believe meat can be healthy.
Also NO vegetable oils. The omega 6 levels in them I do believe are killing people.
Not only have I lost 80 plus pounds but allergies and back pain gone. And NO hunger. Never calorie counted your appetite drops like a rock with these approaches.
The idea of eating like our ancestors ate is appealing to many. And, some people are sensitive to grains. I did gluten free for 30 days, grain free for 2 weeks and I'm not one of them. But, I know that some people are sensitive and report feeling much better without grains (which is why I did the gluten free thing for 30 days to see if I was one of them).
Bear in mind, that we can't totally eat like our ancestors ate because the available food now is not the same as then. Yes, people can buy grass fed beef and that may help, but that beef is still not the same as beef thousands of years ago.
Also, eating like our ancestors doesn't mean going out and eating a lot of processed red meat.
That is, one can eat Paleo with healthy foods or one can say that he or she is eating Paleo and eat foods that aren't so healthy.
I eat Paleo style and while I think the name has become a gimmick, I do think the principles of it are sound -- lots of vegetables at every meal, some protein and some fats. Get your carbs from those vegetables and not from processed foods or grains.
I think as with any diet, you have to find what works for you within the "paleo" style, but I don't see anything wrong with the diet. People will always carry ANY diet to the extreme and in Paleo, it seems to be eating a lot of bacon or eating a ton of meat but very little vegetables.
The key here is to eat lots of vegetables and the protein and fats and other carbs are in moderation.
Well I think in general you have to throw out the idea that you are eating how your paleolithic ancestors ate. Our ancestors were opportunistic eaters who ate legumes, grains, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, insects, small animals, large animals, etc, etc. The plant and animal foods that they ate look nothing like ours look like today.
If you search paleo on these forums, you'll find a ton of threads.
I follow closer to Mark Sisson ' s primal eating. I allow dairy and I stick to 80/20 and cheat occasionally.
I lost 100 pounds and fixed a few health problems eating this way. I don't nit pick too much about meat being grass fed (my beef is because I have access, but every thing else is store bought). The key is to cut out processed foods and stick to the basics.
Nelie and I are going to have to disagree about grains. I think there is compelling evidence they weren't part of the human diet until around 10,000 years ago and humans haven't evolved enough to do more than barely tolerate them. Especially if they are not soaked, sprouted, or fermented. Grains have many defenses that say to animals hey dont eat me. Livestock, cats, dogs, and I feel humans, don't do well on them. Birds and rodents do.
I feel a lot of what we think of as inevitable in old age is because of grain eating.
And whole grains contain a lot of 'anti nutrients' that in many ways make them even worse than refined grains. Add high glycemic index for many and all those carbs also.
Everyone needs to find out for themselves but going grain free was the single best food decision I ever made for me.
Diamond, I base my comment on stuff I've read that show dental records of paleolithic people did had tarter that indicate they ate grains. Did they eat bread? Obviously no. They also didn't eat coconut flour cupcakes with coconut sugar (Paleo type recipe)
Yep everyone needs to find out for themselves. As I understand it, grains were incendential at best. And there is nothing essentinal or needed about them you can't get elsewhere. And many controlled studies are showing whole grains are literally worse than nothing nutrition wise. People end up with worse nutrition profiles eating them. Now obviously people need calories and they do serve that purpose for many around the world.
Regardless, going grain free has been fantastic for me. So could not be happier. But this is my road. Many on Paleo primal approaches are also thrilled by going grain free. It is a discovery process for anyone choosing it. Just glad I did.
Best thing I've ever done by far. Grains/ non veggie carbs I believe lead to inflammation. Not ONLY leading to weight gain, but diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Also arthritis, allergies, joint pain etc.
Marks Daily Apple is a great resource. He even calls it following a primal template. He knows people will vary.
Nelie and I are going to have to disagree about grains. I think there is compelling evidence they weren't part of the human diet until around 10,000 years ago and humans haven't evolved enough to do more than barely tolerate them. Especially if they are not soaked, sprouted, or fermented. Grains have many defenses that say to animals hey dont eat me. Livestock, cats, dogs, and I feel humans, don't do well on them. Birds and rodents do.
I feel a lot of what we think of as inevitable in old age is because of grain eating.
And whole grains contain a lot of 'anti nutrients' that in many ways make them even worse than refined grains. Add high glycemic index for many and all those carbs also.
Everyone needs to find out for themselves but going grain free was the single best food decision I ever made for me.
It sounds like your WOE has had dramatically positive results for you so far. And it's been conclusively demonstrated that getting to a lower weight eliminates many chronic conditions. Beyond that, I don't see how you can make assumptions about long term effects on aging, on paleolithic populations, or even on long term health outcomes based on your experience. You haven't wracked up enough years with current WOE for one thing.
Diamond, I base my comment on stuff I've read that show dental records of paleolithic people did had tarter that indicate they ate grains. Did they eat bread? Obviously no. They also didn't eat coconut flour cupcakes with coconut sugar (Paleo type recipe)
I just say do what works for you.
That's another really good thing to touch on for the original poster - Don't get bogged down in the fancy recipes too early or you may have issues. Some of them have quite high carb and natural sugar contents that while still better for you than a twinkie, may halt your progress. Plus it's expensive.
Honestly, I find it easier on the wallet, the clock and my patience to just have an off plan day occasionally rather than spend 9 hours trying to perfect an almond flour and avocado torte or what have you.
I am not an archeologist so I can't be sure. To me though there is very compelling evidence humans are not adapted to eat grains.
There are a lot of RCT studies showing whole grains effectively reduce nutrient levels in people. Livestock, dogs, cats all do very poorly on grains. I know I do. If anyone wants to eat grains, well they are the most readily available food around.
The thing is, I KNOW they don't work for me. I lived 48 years with grains and now coming up on year without. So I've done my personal expirement.
And there is no downside. Nothing essential about grains or even carbs for that matter. Of course I choose to eat veggie carbs. You have to eat fat and protein but not carbs. So for me as an individual, whether Paleo person eat grains or not, and I think they did not, eliminating them has agreed wonderfully with me.
Last edited by diamondgeog; 03-12-2014 at 04:29 PM.
I'm a little late to the party, but I also try to keep Paleo/Primal. My big push right now is trying to eliminate dairy. I'm so bad at it though that I will actually accidentally eat dairy. Today, I got a milk with lunch and I was half way through it before I remembered I'm not eating dairy. ...oops.
It's not too pricey but it can get up there when you account for coconut oil and gassfed anything (butter, meat, etc). I just like the idea of the way of eating and I want to try and follow it more closely.
Has Anyone Got Any Comments About the Paleo Diet?
