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Has Paleo had its day?
paperpudding
Posts: 9,282 Member
in Debate Club
I have noticed that whereas there used to be lots of threads asking about Paleo, promoting Paleo, users endorsing it etc - have not seen any of these for a while.
Keto seems to have taken over as the new In Thing.
I do not follow either but keto seems more defined to me, is a clear plan - whereas Paleo was vague and following a largely non existent scientific basis IMO - has that consigned it to history?
Just curious.
Keto seems to have taken over as the new In Thing.
I do not follow either but keto seems more defined to me, is a clear plan - whereas Paleo was vague and following a largely non existent scientific basis IMO - has that consigned it to history?
Just curious.
9
Replies
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I was thinking the same.
I was also thinking, what is next.14 -
L1zardQueen wrote: »I was thinking the same.
I was also thinking, what is next.
I'm guessing 'reverse eating' like that South Park episode.15 -
I think the mania has ended but it has had it's effect and it will stay known - like Mediterranean diet is now. Many will still loosely follow out but the novelty has faded.
Ketomania will fade too. Give it another year or two. I will still be there but not such a popular thing.5 -
I don't think it's about something being defined. You can't get more defined than gluten free, but that fizzled out as quickly as it popped up. I think it came about because Paleo laid the foundation for grains being evils, and it fizzled out quickly because every website and their mother jumped on the debunking train.
Keto was the natural progression for Paleo, since grains and beans were already evil and sugar has been evil for a good while now. I also think that, sadly, it may have better staying power because it makes use of conditions that do benefit from lowering carbs to some extent that aren't as obscure as celiac, statistically speaking. "Mah hormones" feels more urgent, personal, and impending than "mah ancestors".
What's the next thing? I'm betting (or at least hoping) it would be plant based. With veganism rising globally and some vegan sources playing the health card, I can see how it would gain steam. This may have a fertile land when plant based and cruelty free products are refined to be closer to the real thing and become more affordable (lab grown meat, the vegan burger that bleeds, vegan eggs that taste like real eggs...etc).
Who knows, though. It may be something entirely different. I'm still hoping it's going to be plant based. At least people will be posting recipes and ideas that I will actually find appetizing, not meat swimming in butter in tiny portions. I also wouldn't mind cheaper plant based products.
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L1zardQueen wrote: »I was thinking the same.
I was also thinking, what is next.
I figure somebody will coin a catchy, flashy name for combining keto and IF, since that's already a very trendy combo right now, and make it into a "program" all its own. It would sell megatons of books, diet programs, supplements, website clicks, etc.
Bonus points if HIIT is prescribed as the workout of choice.
Paleo is definitely passé. Too many people have figured out that the "principles" it was based upon are all hogwash. Truthfully, I don't find a lot wrong with the foods in the diet itself (except that I don't arbitrarily exclude anything from my diet without a good reason), but the foundation for it, and a lot of the claims about it, are garbage.19 -
Based on the impressions that I get at work, (I work at a relatively popular, locally-owned health food store) I feel that the days of the "Paleo dieters" are pretty much over, but that Paleo-friendly, as a subtype of "health food" and supplements, is still really popular. I don't have that many people come in anymore that are asking for Paleo diet advice, but customers really like to see "Paleo-friendly" stamped onto anything and everything. Anything that claims to be grain-free or Paleo still sells like hotcakes, while I'm always having to mark down regular gluten-free stuff so that it doesn't go out of date. We sell cases and cases (and people sometimes will even buy cases and cases, for themselves,) of Simple Mills crackers, Siete chips & tortillas, and Ancient Nutrition protein whenever we run them on sale.
The tortillas have always particularly amazed me, considering that they cost $6.99 for an 8-pack when they're on sale (regularly $8.99).
Keto is the new "hot diet". Now I have tons of people coming in asking for advice for Keto-friendly foods and supplements because they've gotten tired of eating meat and MCT Oil Coffee for three meals a day and they don't understand much about Keto other than that they're supposed to eat fat and some protein.6 -
L1zardQueen wrote: »I was thinking the same.
I was also thinking, what is next.
I figure somebody will coin a catchy, flashy name for combining keto and IF, since that's already a very trendy combo right now, and make it into a "program" all its own. It would sell megatons of books, diet programs, supplements, website clicks, etc.
Bonus points if HIIT is prescribed as the workout of choice.
Paleo is definitely passé. Too many people have figured out that the "principles" it was based upon are all hogwash. Truthfully, I don't find a lot wrong with the foods in the diet itself (except that I don't arbitrarily exclude anything from my diet without a good reason), but the foundation for it, and a lot of the claims about it, are garbage.
I actually think this is the most logical progression. Both are popular right now and about time someone gives combining them a fancy name.4 -
paperpudding wrote: »I have noticed that whereas there used to be lots of threads asking about Paleo, promoting Paleo, users endorsing it etc - have not seen any of these for a while.
Keto seems to have taken over as the new In Thing.
I do not follow either but keto seems more defined to me, is a clear plan - whereas Paleo was vague and following a largely non existent scientific basis IMO - has that consigned it to history?
Just curious.
Human being are known to copycat what others do, it doesn't surprise me. Many don't even do keto because they like it, but because "they heard" that it works because some other person did it and worked for them....well that's what I usually read when I hear someone wants to start doing keto on these pages. Most of them don't have a clue what causes a person to lose weight directly, they simply think a diet alone makes all these magical things.8 -
tennisdude2004 wrote: »The clean eating and whole foods threads seem to have disappeared too.
Maybe they finally got the message they were not welcome.
No. Just wait until January and they'll all be back. All are welcome though. Every thread is an opportunity.
As for Paleo, I thought it had had its day, but then again, I saw a raspberry ketones thread just last week
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Yes, still plenty of whole foods adherents and discussions still going on, in my observation.
And references to clean eating
In different applications as individuals interpret it.
That seems a more sensible plan to me though - not the vague gimmick of Paleo diet
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The word or term Paleo is owned by no one. It can mean absolutely anything. Paleo meat bars. Yuck, I need a bucket. Coconut oil. Fat, fat, fat is where it's at. Eat coconut oil 3Xday for the big WIN. Grassfed butter in your coffee and tea. Those with the biggest and smartest marketing campaigns have made out like bandits, laughing all the way to the bank.
Paleo is very confusing because it's mostly alot of malarkey. Many of those that have lost whopping boatloads of weight going paleo have eaten it all back. You just don't hear about the going in reverse rebound weight gain sad stories. They keep starting over, thinking that another round of paleo will fix it. It won't. Just give me another round and I promise not to slide back off the goose when all of the paleo is done.
I'm waiting for the next big thing, too. It's coming because dieting is big biz. Dieting books, meal replacement powders and drinks, slick marketing campaigns. Multi-millionaires.
There's gold in those hills, diets. 11 -
I haven't seen as much about paleo lately. I think someone will just tweak it, rename it and we'll see it again. Like all the low carb diets or the old cabbage soup diet come back around.
I think right now keto, whole 30 are still popular but anti-inflamitory and set point diet is becomming the popular diet thing.4 -
I'll play devils advocate on this one.
First, I agree that "Paleo" can be looked at as a gimmick. Paleo bars, paleo this and that--some of it is completely marketing.
That being said, the basic tenets of Paleo (depending on who you follow--because there are different levels) are helpful in changing eating patterns.
For example, trying to stick to foods that aren't processed (make your own food), meat that is hormone free and as close to the initial production line (or avoiding production lines) as possible, lots of vegetables, avoid processed flours and sugars, unplugging from modern technology and exercise are all good things and are tenets of the majority of paleo plans.
Removing whole food groups is where it gets tricky as saying you can't have legumes, grains or dairy is where the diet turns into a potential fraud. I guess here is where there is probably a lot of dissent, as who wants to give up grains and dairy?
I was full Paleo for about a year, and lost 50 pounds. I liked it as I felt better. Have I introduced grains, legumes and dairy? Yes, but my body feels it when I go overboard. Do I really care if have hard cheeses sometimes or make a loaf of non-Paleo bread? No. I enjoy it when I do it.
The bottom line for me is that the framework of any diet is doing something that makes you feel better. What works for one person may not work for another. You can take tenets of one diet and mix it with another. For example, eating as close to Paleo as possible while following CICO is what works for me. Is it a fraud? Not in the least as my relationship with food has changed. Isn't that what most people need?
Labeling diets as good or bad isn't productive.12 -
I'll play devils advocate on this one.
The bottom line for me is that the framework of any diet is doing something that makes you feel better. What works for one person may not work for another. You can take tenets of one diet and mix it with another. For example, eating as close to Paleo as possible while following CICO is what works for me. Is it a fraud? Not in the least as my relationship with food has changed. Isn't that what most people need?
Labeling diets as good or bad isn't productive.
My problem with these diets is that many promote them with bad information. Someone doing paleo, keto or whatever diet, but knowing that CICO is what all that matters and enjoys their diet, I have no problem with that. Unfortunately, the majority get brainwashed by snake oil salesmen, they get all kinds of myth and then spread the information around to other people and they pass that information as truth.
Just the subject of sugar and carbs, it's amazing how many people fear these 2 things and they treat them more dangerously than they do with calories. For example, people will associate donuts as a food that will gain you weight, when in reality, donuts have less calories than muffin and has about the same number of calories of avocado that people think will help them lose weight. Of course in this case, we are not talking about food that are nutritious, we are simply talking about how people associate certain foods. In the case of donuts, people think of carbs + sugar = weight gain.
16 -
The problem is, for most of these diets the majority of people don't pick and choose what sounds reasonable. They go full cult. You can pick and choose good points in every single named diet, even the wackiest of them. What's wrong the blood type diet? It encourages whole foods and good exercise habits. What's wrong with raw vegan? It encourages more fruits and vegetables. A few people use these diets just to have some structure or because a certain way of eating jives well with their preferences and ability to regulate calories. They don't go full cult. That's a different case, and we don't have the diets to thank for it, but the sense and effort of the person using it.13
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You're right, eating protocols become a food religion. They would defend it even if their hair falls out, they go bald, lose their teeth and need plastic surgery to bellow out all of the flat spots. The extreme overrestrictive kinds.
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amusedmonkey wrote: »The problem is, for most of these diets the majority of people don't pick and choose what sounds reasonable. They go full cult.
Absolutely right about this.10 -
Full tilt food cult boogie....You must eat a million jars of paleo mayo, twigs and dirt, pinecones and old tennis shoes.3
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I don't think Paleo ever stood a chance. If "feeling good" requires too many rules, effort, or money without enough weight loss people will stop caring.
Keto is going to be hard to topple, IMO, because of the water weight loss and how so many people do not seem to know what that is. It is still so common to want quick results with minimal effort. The additional "magic" of keto will, no doubt, fade but not completely since ACV, cleanses, and detoxes are still around.
We are probably due for another round of a miracle diet drug with the resulting pop-up weight loss clinics though. Weight loss and class action lawsuits for everyone!6 -
Wish the paleo warriors that posted here actually come back to post about their actual experience to convey to others. I'm sure there are some that are still doing a form of it, but there were lots that used to be so argumentative about it and saying they'd never go back to eating processed foods, grains or dairy.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
9 -
I don't think Paleo ever stood a chance. If "feeling good" requires too many rules, effort, or money without enough weight loss people will stop caring.
Keto is going to be hard to topple, IMO, because of the water weight loss and how so many people do not seem to know what that is. It is still so common to want quick results with minimal effort. The additional "magic" of keto will, no doubt, fade but not completely since ACV, cleanses, and detoxes are still around.
We are probably due for another round of a miracle diet drug with the resulting pop-up weight loss clinics though. Weight loss and class action lawsuits for everyone!
Why does it need to be toppled?
9 -
tennisdude2004 wrote: »I don't think Paleo ever stood a chance. If "feeling good" requires too many rules, effort, or money without enough weight loss people will stop caring.
Keto is going to be hard to topple, IMO, because of the water weight loss and how so many people do not seem to know what that is. It is still so common to want quick results with minimal effort. The additional "magic" of keto will, no doubt, fade but not completely since ACV, cleanses, and detoxes are still around.
We are probably due for another round of a miracle diet drug with the resulting pop-up weight loss clinics though. Weight loss and class action lawsuits for everyone!
Why does it need to be toppled?
Because it's currently a faddy craze. It's best for many if it gets downgraded from magic back to preference and need status, just like any other diet. As it stands, it's rampant with misinformation and unrealistic expectations.15 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »I don't think Paleo ever stood a chance. If "feeling good" requires too many rules, effort, or money without enough weight loss people will stop caring.
Keto is going to be hard to topple, IMO, because of the water weight loss and how so many people do not seem to know what that is. It is still so common to want quick results with minimal effort. The additional "magic" of keto will, no doubt, fade but not completely since ACV, cleanses, and detoxes are still around.
We are probably due for another round of a miracle diet drug with the resulting pop-up weight loss clinics though. Weight loss and class action lawsuits for everyone!
Why does it need to be toppled?
Because it's currently a faddy craze. It's best for many if it gets downgraded from magic back to preference and need status, just like any other diet. As it stands, it's rampant with misinformation and unrealistic expectations.
Well it's certainly getting the 'welcome' treatment from the MFP regulars that's for sure.
But I'm confident you guys will topple it soon enough, then it will be on the toppling the DASH diet no doubt 18 -
Wish the paleo warriors that posted here actually come back to post about their actual experience to convey to others. I'm sure there are some that are still doing a form of it, but there were lots that used to be so argumentative about it and saying they'd never go back to eating processed foods, grains or dairy.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Pretty sure most of them found other forums and diet sites that were a little more welcoming.13 -
I'm liking this thread. Good way to farm woos.8
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amusedmonkey wrote: »I'm liking this thread. Good way to farm woos.
They are nice to collect.. Especially when you only have woos but no posts rebutting your opinion.11 -
L1zardQueen wrote: »I was thinking the same.
I was also thinking, what is next.
I figure somebody will coin a catchy, flashy name for combining keto and IF, since that's already a very trendy combo right now, and make it into a "program" all its own. It would sell megatons of books, diet programs, supplements, website clicks, etc.
Ketif. Patent pending.11 -
Paleo isn't hard to understand you just haven't looked into enough from the sounds of it. Eat meat and veggies ... kind of simple if you ask me. There are other things you can eat as well but that's all there really is to it.
Keto is the "in thing", I can't do it cause of IBS but if either program works for you or you find it easy to follow go for it.8 -
The issue with keto is that people choose it by default as their first attempt of losing weight, not because it's their personal preference, but based on hearsay. I would be curious to know what is the percentage of people who stick with keto for more than 2 years.9
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