Paleo Eating- Who does it?

luscadero

Since people are always wondering about actual bloodwork changes from implementing this lifestyle... My husband just had his annual health assessment done today for his insurance through work, and compared it to his results from a year ago when he still ate grains/sugars (although we really had already cut most sugar). The only thing he has changed is cutting grains and sugars out of his diet at about 90% success (cheats sometimes). He still eats dairy, legumes, etc. He works out at the gym on his lunch break and runs a few times per week (he has for years), but has actually been slacking on the exercise this summer. He's 35, and 6'1". He doesn't track his calories AT ALL. And, I didn't think he was at all overweight at this time last year! He looks the same to me, just leaner and more defined. Here you go:

Total Cholesterol-226 to 226

Good cholesterol- 55 up to 59

Good to bad ratio- 4.1 to 3.8 (I guess it's supposed to be under 4.0?)

Glucose level- 95 to 84

Blood Pressure- 140/82 to 120/86

Body fat percent- 16.7 to 13.8 (!!!!!)

BMI- 24.7 to 22.4

Weight- 182 to 165 (!!!!)

He scored a 99% on the assessment for insurance purposes Whatever the hell that means.

lockef

Eaton et al. Paleolithi­c nutrition revisited: A twelve-yea­r retrospect­ive on its nature and implicatio­ns. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1997) 51, 207±216

Interesting read, thanks!

"Carbohydrate
The typical carbohydrate intake of ancestral humans was
similar in magnitude, 45±50% of daily energy, to that in
current af¯uent nations, but there was a marked qualitative
difference. Under most circumstances during the late
Paleolithic, the great majority of carbohydrate was derived
from vegetables and fruit, very little from cereal grains and
none from re®ned ¯ours (Eaton & Konner, 1985). This
practice extended the multimillion year experience of
primates generally (Milton, 1993). Current recommendations,
that individuals consume 55% or more of their
energy as carbohydrate, are slightly high compared with
our estimates of human evolutionary experience, but the
different makeup of the carbohydrate involved probably
has more important implications. Only 23% of American
carbohydrate consumption is derived from fruit or vegetable
sources (Committee on Diet and Health, 1989) while,
for Europeans, the proportion is lower still (James et al,
1988). The corollary is that preagricultural humans consumed
roughly three times the vegetables and fruit that
typical Westerners do today. Their intake would have
equaled or exceeded that of current vegans whose consumption
of vegetables, roots, fruit, and berries is 2.6 times
that of matched omnivores and whose antioxidant vitamin
intake is 247±313% greater (Rauma et al, 1995)."

Edit: I don't think I could eat a 3000 calorie diet consisting of 50% of carbs coming from fruits and vegetables.

Editing my edit: I'd also assume that intakes would be strongly determined by where these people lived. You can't eat vegetables and fruit where they can't grow.

jmeeej

Isn't it funny how you can take things out of context to support your side of the debate?

Drunkadelic

Eaton et al. Paleolithi­c nutrition revisited: A twelve-yea­r retrospect­ive on its nature and implicatio­ns. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1997) 51, 207±216

Interesting read, thanks!

"Carbohydrate
The typical carbohydrate intake of ancestral humans was
similar in magnitude, 45±50% of daily energy, to that in
current af¯uent nations, but there was a marked qualitative
difference. Under most circumstances during the late
Paleolithic, the great majority of carbohydrate was derived
from vegetables and fruit, very little from cereal grains and
none from re®ned ¯ours (Eaton & Konner, 1985). This
practice extended the multimillion year experience of
primates generally (Milton, 1993). Current recommendations,
that individuals consume 55% or more of their
energy as carbohydrate, are slightly high compared with
our estimates of human evolutionary experience, but the
different makeup of the carbohydrate involved probably
has more important implications. Only 23% of American
carbohydrate consumption is derived from fruit or vegetable
sources (Committee on Diet and Health, 1989) while,
for Europeans, the proportion is lower still (James et al,
1988). The corollary is that preagricultural humans consumed
roughly three times the vegetables and fruit that
typical Westerners do today. Their intake would have
equaled or exceeded that of current vegans whose consumption
of vegetables, roots, fruit, and berries is 2.6 times
that of matched omnivores and whose antioxidant vitamin
intake is 247±313% greater (Rauma et al, 1995)."

Edit: I don't think I could eat a 3000 calorie diet consisting of 50% of carbs coming from fruits and vegetables.

I love you for this

jmeeej

lol I couldn't eat 1500 calories with of fruit and veggies either. On a 2-day carb refuel day I did on an 1800 cal max diet I was so sick of fruit by day two I was happy to be going back to low-carb/high-fat

Acg67

Isn't it funny how you can take things out of context to support your side of the debate?

isn't one of the arguments for a paleo diet and it's health benefits, is that refined carbs and grains are evil and cause a myriad fo problems. but could it not be the case that paleo man didn't die of disease (as proponents like to point out) not because of the lack of grains and refined carbs but high phytonutrient intake? also Paleo man took in about 20% total fat, while Paleo proponents ingest a much higher % of fat. while i don't think fat is evil, possibly the low to medium intake combined with high veggie/fruit lead to the supposed health of Paleo man and it was not the lack of grains?

lockef

Paleo doesn't have to mean a low carb.

luscadero

could it not be the case that paleo man didn't die of disease (as proponents like to point out) not because of the lack of grains and refined carbs but high phytonutrient intake?

I definitely think this is a distinct possibility, but I have also recently seen studies showing a lack of absorption of nutrients when comparing non-grain eaters to grain eaters. Unfortunately, I cannot remember for the life of me where I read it. Anyone else see this? This interests me because I have pernicious anemia, and do not absorb B12 through digestion.

lockef

also Paleo man took in about 20% total fat, while Paleo proponents ingest a much higher % of fat.

I just want to add that man used to hunt game such as buffalo, which is a lot leaner than the meat we eat today.

jmeeej

I'm going out on a limb here and saying that most people new to the lifestyle are attracted because of the many benefits......one of which seems to be the almost effort-less weightloss.

Not everyone starts off with 10% body fat and a high metabolism. For the first while on this diet my goal is to keep my carbs very low on my non-workout/non-mountainbiking/non-snowboarding days in order to maximize my leaning results.

Once I get to the point where I'm happier with how I look I will certainly be adding more carbs back into my diet in the form of fruits and veggies, maybe even some honey now and again. This will bring my percentages more inline with the numbers that have been showing up in the research people have pointed out.

CatMauro

Paleo is bunk!!! You're asking your body to devolve thousands and thousands of years and what? You think that the caveman didn't eat corn, or grind grain on a rock? Look at primitive natives, they definately did both. Paleo is just the new Atkins and the results are the same...eventual return of whatever weight you lost.

LOL. Evolution takes longer than 200 or 1000 years......

The reason it's called Paleo is because it's modeled around humans during PALEOLITHIC Era. If you don't want to try it or haven't tried it......that's certainly your choice. But before calling it complete garbage because you love eating your corn on the cob and your wheaties in the morning, you should probably do a little bit of reading as to the reasons why grains and legumes are removed from the diet. It might open your mind.


I changed the way I eat to a strict primal diet 7 weeks ago and I LOVE it. I have never felt better.

Ummmm btw the Paleolethic era took place over 2.6 million years ago not 200-1000 years ago. Secondly, do you really think that I would be making comments without having done the research? I know several people who are currently or have used it in the past and though (yes I know) it's not identical to the Atkin's diet it has a lot of similarities. If wheat, corn or other grains make you sick than obviously I don't think you should eat those particular grains however, speaking as someone who's family suffers from various forms of food allergies I can tell you that there are many options that would also give you the carbs that your brain and body actually need. This isn't opinion, this is fact.

lockef

I can tell you that there are many options that would also give you the carbs that your brain and body actually need. This isn't opinion, this is fact.

I can tell you that the brain and body don't NEED carbs... THAT'S a fact. *wink*

jmeeej

You misunderstood my comment. My comment was directed toward you. "You're asking your body to devolve thousands and thousands of years and what?"

Evolution is going to take more than 3000 years to adapt to. Especially something as complex as a new food source to be ingested and digested.


I am well aware of when the Paleolithic Era is and I didn't exactly jump into this lifestyle change with both feet without find out EVERYTHING I could first.

Acg67

I can tell you that there are many options that would also give you the carbs that your brain and body actually need. This isn't opinion, this is fact.

I can tell you that the brain and body don't NEED carbs... THAT'S a fact. *wink*

agreed CHO is not essential, some operate much better with CHO in their diet, but it is not needed to live.

"I just want to add that man used to hunt game such as buffalo, which is a lot leaner than the meat we eat today. "

but my point being that to ascribe various benefits to Paleo eating based on the fact that some research shows Paleo man was lean and died relatively disease free, is silly, since most Paleo dieters are not following the diet Paleo man ate, not even by macronutrient proportions

jmeeej

no no man........she's obviously done all her research. we have no idea what's up.

jmeeej

but my point being that to ascribe various benefits to Paleo eating based on the fact that some research shows Paleo man was lean and died relatively disease free, is silly, since most Paleo dieters are not following the diet Paleo man ate, not even by macronutrient proportions

Our lifestyles are also much different. While to proportions may not be the same......the types of foods are. Whole/unprocessed foods are the basis.

ReneeClaireR

My brother does Paleo and LOVES it. He is definitely in great shape with the paleo and crossfit exercises.

Acg67

but my point being that to ascribe various benefits to Paleo eating based on the fact that some research shows Paleo man was lean and died relatively disease free, is silly, since most Paleo dieters are not following the diet Paleo man ate, not even by macronutrient proportions

Our lifestyles are also much different. While to proportions may not be the same......the types of foods are. Whole/unprocessed foods are the basis.

while i would agree whole/unprocessed is better for health purposes, i think there are other confounding factors that make it hard to say it was the lack of refined grains and and other processed carbs that lead to Paleo man's health

jmeeej

Anyway..........can we please stop debating about whether Paleo/Primal is garbage or not and let this be a discussion for people who support and love this lifestyle and for those curious about it?

jmeeej

I don't know what contributed to paleo-man's health for certain. I am no an anthropologist.

It could be all the fresh air. It could be all the exercise. It could be all the vitamin D. It could be all the promiscuous sex with other cavepeople. Who knows.

All I know is that the modern version of Paleo was one of the best decisions I have made and I do intend to stick with it for the foreseeable future