Someone explain why we shouldn't eat legumes

Ok, so I can see the reasoning behind eliminating grains and dairy, but I don't understand why eating lentils and beans would lead to negative health consequences. Someone who has gone paleo, please explain. I am curious.
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Replies

  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    That is interesting, because I cannot understand the reasoning behind cutting out grains or dairy.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    That is interesting, because I cannot understand the reasoning behind cutting out grains or dairy.

    This...dairy gives you calcium, grains are just yummy as for legumes who knows...eat what you want stay in a reasonable calorie deficet to lose weight.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    The only explanation I got from my Paleo husband is that it's not allowed on Paleo. Nothing more than that. And then the endless list of new things that are a legume that we didn't know were one. It's exhausting. I wish I knew where Mr. Paleo lived so I could stick some legumes up his man cave.
  • Just nevermind.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Just nevermind.

    Sounds like you dont want actual opinions.

    Since you dont, then the reason Paleo doesnt allow legumes is because our ancestors didnt eat them. That is all.
  • Yetta729
    Yetta729 Posts: 68 Member
    I wish I knew where Mr. Paleo lived so I could stick some legumes up his man cave.

    Bwahaha ... made me snortle
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    it's the whole carbohydrate/insulin thing

    Personally, I think it's a shame to cut out the musical fruit...meh whatevs.
  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
    I don't see why anything should be a no-no for a healthy person. Just don't eat large servings. Everything in moderation.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    You should eat legumes. Legumes are great.
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    Is your question only for those using Paleo or for anyone avoiding legumes in general?

    I avoid legumes because I'm allergic. :D
  • JNettie73
    JNettie73 Posts: 1,211 Member
    it's the whole carbohydrate/insulin thing

    Personally, I think it's a shame to cut out the musical fruit...meh whatevs.

    :love: :love: :love: That you called them the musical fruit. :laugh:


    I don't understand it either. They are packed with protein and are a staple in my diet. I have no problem with them. Recent blood work showed all my levels are fine. It works for me so I will continue to eat them. :happy:
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Why would I not eat anything? No comprendo.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    Not wanting to body shame but I don't think Paleo is the way to go:

    captain_caveman.jpg

    For a start, you lose depth. And you sound funny.
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
    Only reason to cut something out is if you don't like it or it makes you ill.

    If you like lentils and beans, eat them.
    You do not need to eat Paleo, clean, etc to be epic.
    Sara is pretty damn epic and she eats poptarts.
  • jrcrmr
    jrcrmr Posts: 31 Member
    I don't see why anything should be a no-no for a healthy person. Just don't eat large servings. Everything in moderation.

    this times a million...i've lost around fifty pounds (i stopped updating my weight on mfp since i want to stay stable where i am..and i haven't changed my eating habits much..maybe a little less takeout here and there...but if i want fast food, i will eat it..you just can't eat it every day

    this summer, i went ice cream crazy (3 times a week) and my new addiction is those self serve froyo places...so as long as everything else balances out (the vast majority of my meals are home cooked with controlled portions and balanced...), then i should be okay...i think it's all about balance for everything

    I know of three vegans (out of like the ten that i've met in my life) that just went crazy one day and basically ate a raw steak..that's got to be the weirdest coincidence...but unless you're doing it for medical reasons, it mostly causes imbalance...


    maybe i'm too zen
  • Chainbreaker
    Chainbreaker Posts: 124 Member
    Just nevermind.

    Sounds like you dont want actual opinions.

    No, she clearly wanted facts or reasons with some basis of merit if any exist. At that point she hadnt gotten any. Uninformed pinions arent worth a hill of beans.
  • dirty_dirty_eater
    dirty_dirty_eater Posts: 574 Member
    Just nevermind.

    Sounds like you dont want actual opinions.

    No, she clearly wanted facts or reasons with some basis of merit if any exist. At that point she hadnt gotten any. Uninformed pinions arent worth a hill of beans.

    Hill of beans? Legumes?
    Very puny.
  • SpookyElectric
    SpookyElectric Posts: 56 Member
    Not wanting to body shame but I don't think Paleo is the way to go:

    captain_caveman.jpg

    For a start, you lose depth. And you sound funny.


    But he made Captain......?
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member

    The very first line of that makes me rage:

    "Recently my boyfriend has been straying from his normal Paleo ways because he feels that grain-laden cookies are more important than his overall health and longevity"
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Just nevermind.

    Sounds like you dont want actual opinions.

    No, she clearly wanted facts or reasons with some basis of merit if any exist. At that point she hadnt gotten any. Uninformed pinions arent worth a hill of beans.

    My opinion is uninformed? Funny.
  • travlinjess
    travlinjess Posts: 243 Member
    Google search 'Phytic Acid.'

    After a shocking dentist trip that revealed I needed 7 fillings (very unusual for me), I started evaluating my diet, as that was the only thing that had changed since my last dentist visit.

    That's when I began reading up on Phytic Acid. My diet consumed of lots of legumes and nuts. In addition, I wasn't getting enough Calcium and Vitamin C…which I think MAY have been a factor in the increase in cavities.

    At the end of the day, moderation and balance is key, not just for weight-loss, but overall health. Being skinny with no teeth isn't the look I'm going for ;) I still eat these things, but in lesser quantities, and I now track my Vitamin intake.
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,323 Member
    Just nevermind.

    wow...a "nevermind" post after only 4 responses.


    IN™...

    ...for reasons i shouldnt eat the things i enjoy.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member

    so seeds are good and beans are bad? sounds too confusing to me
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I see no reason to eliminate anything...I eat grains (no allergies here)...same for dairy...and legumes are a staple in my household. I'm 40 Lbs down and I rock my fitness and have completely reversed all of my bad blood work...all the while not eliminating anything from my diet.

    There really is no legitimate reason to eliminate any of those things if you don't have an allergy or some other medical condition. I give Paleo some credit for getting people into more nutrient dense whole foods...but it is also pretty stupid in many other respects.
  • Lizzard_77
    Lizzard_77 Posts: 232 Member
    Legumes and grains are high in phytates which make them not only hard to digest but they also bind to other nutrients like magnesium, iron, and calcium rendering them useless to your body.

    "Phytic acid is the principal storage form of phosphorus in many plant tissues, especially the bran portion of grains and other seeds. It contains the mineral phosphorus tightly bound in a snowflake-like molecule. In humans and animals with one stomach, the phosphorus is not readily bioavailable. In addition to blocking phosphorus availability, the “arms” of the phytic acid molecule readily bind with other minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc, making them unavailable as well. In this form, the compound is referred to as phytate.

    Phytic acid not only grabs on to or chelates important minerals, but also inhibits enzymes that we need to digest our food, including pepsin,1 needed for the breakdown of proteins in the stomach, and amylase,2 needed for the breakdown of starch into sugar. Trypsin, needed for protein digestion in the small intestine, is also inhibited by phytates.3" -Weston A. Price Foundation

    If you find you are not sensitive to grains and legumes then by all means eat them however, you should ensure that you soak, sour or sprout them prior to consumption to help neutralize the phytic acid content and make them more digestible. Many people have turned to the paleo/primal or traditional foods lifestyles because they are trying to heal gut and body inflammation which is triggered by grains, legumes, soy, and pasteurized dairy. Its not a lifestyle for everyone, I have become mostly pain free from following a traditional food lifestyle and using food as medicine rather than popping pills. Healing starts from within. It may not be the choice others in this thread have chosen but we all have our own path to walk and no one should be mocked or put down for the choices they make to better their bodies :)
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
    Ok, so I can see the reasoning behind eliminating grains and dairy, but I don't understand why eating lentils and beans would lead to negative health consequences. Someone who has gone paleo, please explain. I am curious.

    perhaps you are asking the wrong question...

    ...maybe you should asking, "why would anybody in their right mind follow such an arbitrary and silly regimen as paleo eating?"
  • There are lots of myths out there, but legumes have great nutrients in them, and for the price, it's a must have in our diets! Paleo diet isn't for everyone, they tell you what you should and shouldn't eat, but they forget to mention their very own "re-feed" day, where they'll usually "cheat" or pig-out high amounts of complex carbs to sustain them till the next week where they can have a cheat day again.

    If legumes isn't your thing, try eating brown rice

    Good luck!
  • Katla49
    Katla49 Posts: 10,385 Member
    The theory is that paleo man didn't eat beans or grains. People want to return to a "healthier" way of eating. I am sure in my heart that real paleo humans ate whatever was available. Humans are omnivores who will eat almost anything. That said, there are very good reasons for some people to avoid certain foods. I am lactose intolerant and can't have milk or butter without a nasty tummy ache. DH is diabetic and needs to avoid foods that are high on the glycemic index, such as white rice. We have always had a meat heavy diet, and have been overweight because we ate too much. We still have a meat heavy diet because we both feel better that way, but since we're counting calories and eating less, we're losing weight. We do eat veggies and grains. DH eats beans and I avoid them because they upset my tummy. Everyone is different. You have to listen to your own body.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Ok, so I can see the reasoning behind eliminating grains and dairy, but I don't understand why eating lentils and beans would lead to negative health consequences. Someone who has gone paleo, please explain. I am curious.

    It doesn't matter whether one eats Paleo or not, they will not be able to explain with anything other than "a book or blog told me so".

    Statistically, the two healthiest diets (more people following them long term have good health) are vegetarian and Mediterranean. Both of those typically feature a lot of legumes. That one statistic alone argues they are not “unhealthy”.

    And there simply is no scientific evidence to prove otherwise.