Paleo diet? Your thought?

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  • ipag
    ipag Posts: 137
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    That's the cool thing about Paleo it's so flexible that it fits to everyone's needs and wants. The only thing that's really restricted are grains and legumes. As long as it is whole, unprocessed and if it was an animal, taken care of properly,(ie grass fed, pasture raised etc), and doesn't give you a bad reaction, then it's good to go. I keep pointing back to vegetarian paleo, as proof this isn't a low carb, all out bacon fest but I guess some people can't grasp that.

    Those first two sentences are oxymoronic for me. I need and want legumes. I eat them just about every day. And what is processed or not whole about a legume? Some can be eaten with right off the vine, and for others I don't see how shucking off the pods is less processing than skinning and deboning meat.

    Legumes make me ill, as well as grains. By cutting them out I've cured my IBS. This is probably not an issue for you, it is for me. I don't need them at all. When you reference beans eaten right off the vine, I assume you mean green beans and sugar snap peas? Those are paleo. No legumes or grains isn't finite, To malign an entire category of food with impunity and without regard for the subtleties that exist between individual foods within that category is foolish. Black beans, kidney beans are bad, and green beans and sugar snap peas are good. Wheat based products are bad, rice is ok, yes paleo's can eat rice. (SHOCK AND SUPRISE) Beside, what nutrients do they supply that I can't get from plants or meats? What makes them so essential to nutrition? In fact I'd wager that I can get a better supply of nutrients from plants and meats, than I can get from a bowl of kidney beans or oatmeal.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    The worst part about paleo: No peanuts! :sad:
  • iron_jj
    iron_jj Posts: 446 Member
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    Too restrictive in my opinion. I dont see the point of it either.
  • _Wits_
    _Wits_ Posts: 1,286 Member
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    Ok you are going to get a lot of different comments for this...some very bad..some very good...and some in the middle.

    What you need to know is this....if you are going to try Paleo, work your way down. It's very strict and very hard to do overnight (IMO). I've done it before and I couldnt' stick with it because of this.

    However, I now am at a point where I don't eat very many grains anyway...I eat limited dairy and try to fill up on all the goods Paleo is essentially built around. I feel better without the other stuff. My skin and hair look amazing when I'm following a Paleoish diet. I don't say no to things like bread, pasta and rice...but I also only eat those things maybe once a week, if that. It's in such a small amount that it doesn't upset my system.

    Read some info on it and try it for yourself. Give it at least 30 days. Some people don't see the point..others have amazing results and there is more good results besides just weight loss.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    That's the cool thing about Paleo it's so flexible that it fits to everyone's needs and wants. The only thing that's really restricted are grains and legumes. As long as it is whole, unprocessed and if it was an animal, taken care of properly,(ie grass fed, pasture raised etc), and doesn't give you a bad reaction, then it's good to go. I keep pointing back to vegetarian paleo, as proof this isn't a low carb, all out bacon fest but I guess some people can't grasp that.

    Those first two sentences are oxymoronic for me. I need and want legumes. I eat them just about every day. And what is processed or not whole about a legume? Some can be eaten with right off the vine, and for others I don't see how shucking off the pods is less processing than skinning and deboning meat.

    Legumes make me ill, as well as grains. By cutting them out I've cured my IBS. This is probably not an issue for you, it is for me. I don't need them at all. When you reference beans eaten right off the vine, I assume you mean green beans and sugar snap peas? Those are paleo. No legumes or grains isn't finite, To malign an entire category of food with impunity and without regard for the subtleties that exist between individual foods within that category is foolish. Black beans, kidney beans are bad, and green beans and sugar snap peas are good. Wheat based products are bad, rice is ok, yes paleo's can eat rice. (SHOCK AND SUPRISE) Beside, what nutrients do they supply that I can't get from plants or meats? What makes them so essential to nutrition? In fact I'd wager that I can get a better supply of nutrients from plants and meats, than I can get from a bowl of kidney beans or oatmeal.

    Um, kidney and black beans and other legumes are plants. I don't care if you eat them, just sayin.
  • PhilyPhresh
    PhilyPhresh Posts: 600 Member
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    Comment removed by poster
  • junyr
    junyr Posts: 416 Member
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    I would supplement with a multivitamin and speak to a dietician or your doctor about the paleo diet before you make it a lifestyle change. Just off of the top of my head, I would expect calcium to be a difficult nutrient to get and therefor, you would need to supplement for it.

    Why would you expect calcium to be difficult to get? Salmon, almonds, figs, oranges, broccoli, kale, collard greens, spinach... all these foods contain good levels of calcium in them.

    It's just people trying to have input on subjects they know nothing/little about.
  • dayone987
    dayone987 Posts: 645 Member
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    You have to eat a lot of those foods to get the RDA of about 1200 mg

    e.g.
    Milk avg ~300mg/cup
    Plain yogurt 290 /3/4 cup

    Turnip greens
    1/2 cup
    104

    Chinese cabbage/bok choy
    1/2 cup
    84

    Okra
    1/2 cup
    65

    Mustard greens
    1/2 cup
    55

    Kale
    1/2 cup
    49

    Chinese broccoli/gai lan
    1/2 cup
    46

    Broccoli
    1/2 cup
    33

    Salmon is higher 200-250 per 75 gms (~3 oz) and almonds have 92 mg per 1/2 cup.

    I'm not really for or against Paleo but you would have to be vigilant about your calcium intake if not eating dairy.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I'm not really for or against Paleo but you would have to be vigilant about your calcium intake if not eating dairy.

    Collard greens baby! So delicious, good in so many dishes and lotsof calcium. Rutabagas are good too. And then there's almond milk, though that is processed.

    (I'm not Paleo, just don't like milk)
  • chammich
    chammich Posts: 104 Member
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    I'm doing it and it's awesome. Great for a food addict like me. And it does have carbs, just healthy ones.
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,676 Member
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    If it's helpful and you enjoy doing it, then do it!
    You could do it for just a period of time.
    You don't have to get religious about it as some do.
    I think lowering carbs is a good idea, helps me anyways.
    But I cannot sustain doing super low carbs for long periods of time.
    Try it...I'm sure you will benefit!
  • Sarahwillow
    Sarahwillow Posts: 56 Member
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    I love the paleo diet!! I have been over weight for ever!! This diet not only made me realize that I didn't need to eat grains or dairy to feel full but it really broke the I need sugar that I used to crave after every meal.
    I have lost 17 pounds since July 9, 2012.
    It's about preparing, planning and going grocery shopping smarter.
    I also agree with the statement of don't trust your government to tell you what to eat!!
    I get tons of natural sugar from fruit and it makes you feel so much better than the processed white sugar.
    Diet and exercise is the magic pill, this just helps you along with the process!
  • renkatrun
    renkatrun Posts: 111 Member
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    What do yall think about the paleo diet? Its based mostly on protein and veggies. No carbs, dairy, or sugar seems kinda strict. Any input would be great! <3

    Paleo does not mean no carbs. It generally means no carbs from grains. (Which includes everything made from corn - including high fructose corn syrup, which is found in just about everything... even the pork chops that seemed harmless enough when I pick them up in the supermarket today.)

    There is no trademarked "paleo plan" with rules that everyone who calls themselves paleo follows - it is a fluid term and there is a lot of disagreement among very educated folks out there. My input is to read and sort it out according to what makes sense to you in regards to intellectual, moral and health choices.
  • Drussander
    Drussander Posts: 266 Member
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    This is just my opinion, so I hope I don't get attacked by angry cavemen, but the notion that paleo humans were healthier than we were today strikes me a laughable. They died young, and had many infections and parasites. What they didn't have was alot of sugar. And what many people don't realize is, according to some studies, they ate mostly plants, not meat. I have read meat was not that easy to get back then and a real treat that took alot of effort to obtain.

    There is something to be said about spending most of your day shopping for meat the hard way - with spears, arrows, traps, etc. And then gathering the tubers, edible plants etc. takes some work too. In short, while I see the benefit of lower processed carbs, I am dubious of the caveman diet propaganda.

    Here is an interesting wiki on it with opposing views that I found fascinating:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet

    Also, this article is an interesting counter to it:

    http://evolvify.com/the-paleo-diet-and-politics/

    In short, be your own judge. The big draw for me is the concept of eating less refined foods, but that doesn't mean I need to wolf down t-bone stakes every day (not that I wouldn't like to mind you).

    I have a feeling if we truly adopted a genuine paleo diet, our calories would be severly restricted as would our food choices and we'd be exercising our *kitten* off trying to find food.
  • jus_in_bello
    jus_in_bello Posts: 326 Member
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    I do primal which is a little more forgiving, I'm gluten intolerant so it was an easy switch, but it's made a huge difference in my joints. MarksDailyApple is a great site for information. My mom, aunt, and I are all seeing great results.
  • authordixon
    authordixon Posts: 4
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    it seems like a good plan but i have hard time loosing the dairy! i love a low carb ice cream bar for a snack at night and i dont know if anything could replace it and give me the same satisfaction for only 110 calories! good luck if you try it!
  • catsclaus
    catsclaus Posts: 1
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    one of my friends have changed his diet and lifestyle to paleo for to months now. He just wanted to be healthy, but ended up losing ~10lb. His rule is to eat anything (non paleo too) during the weekend in social settings (since he goes out to eat a lot during the weekends). One time he ate non paleo for more than a weekend.. like two extra days and he gained about 8 lbs in 2 days. So..... unless you can stick with it it's not an effective weight loss plan... and this goes for any other diet as well, i guess.

    To gain 8 lbs in two days your friend would have had to eat (3600*8)+2000=32,400 calories over those two days. A lbs equals 3600 extra calories eaten. Most likely the 8 lbs was due to water retention for eating a lot of sodium; though, I'm not an expert so there could be other culprits. I think Paleo is a fine diet and can be very healthy as long as a person eats a wide range of foods with various nutrients. I don't personally do paleo because for some reason the more natural a food the more it costs and I'm on a budget. I'm also a single parent so convenience rules in my household. We have cut out all fast food (having a budget helps) and I try to get as many fresh natural foods as I can afford.
  • SkinnyChemicals
    SkinnyChemicals Posts: 86
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    Just another restrictive diet. Nothing more, nothing less.
  • AverageAngel
    AverageAngel Posts: 123 Member
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    I don't really see it as a fad, and thanks to Crossfit, and natural food revelations, I have seen good things. Most of the firefighters in my area , practice paleo.
  • dayone987
    dayone987 Posts: 645 Member
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    I'm not really for or against Paleo but you would have to be vigilant about your calcium intake if not eating dairy.

    Collard greens baby! So delicious, good in so many dishes and lotsof calcium. Rutabagas are good too. And then there's almond milk, though that is processed.

    (I'm not Paleo, just don't like milk)

    Almond milk 2 mg of calcium per cup (sorry) I don't mind greens but you'd have to eat quite a lot to get to the 1200mg mark.
    There's always cheese:smile:

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