Paleo Eating Program

neverstray

Why not decide for yourself on what you can tolerate?. Why call it Paleo or Primal or eating like a caveman? Seriously the terminology is so irritating to me. Everyone should listen to their own bodies plain and simple. Putting a stupid name to it just takes your power away. I decide what works for me and what food makes me feel good or bad or which foods make me tired or give me energy. We are all different that way. If you eat the foods not recommended then you are not following that diet or lifestyle as some call it. Similarly if you eat meat occassionally, you are not a real vegetarian. Or if you eat bread occasionally, then you are not gluten free. People call this a lifestyle so why would you allow those foods in your life part time? That makes no sense. But if you choose it for yourself, you have all the power to decide what works for you and what doesn't. Simple.

I agree that I can't stand the terminology. If you think back though, it's really a mucusless diet, which was written about in 1963, long before the trend names started. It's a very old concept. Don't get hung up on the terminology.

NeverGivesUp

I don't eat processed foods but I eat legumes and drink milk in my tea. I am the healthiest I have ever been, exercise a lot and feel fantastic because I base my diet mostly on fruits and veggies. I don't need guidelines of a diet like this to dictate what I should or shouldn't eat. I decide that for myself because I listen to my body. If you just listen. it is amazing what it will tell you. I sprout my own beans and seeds now and it makes them a million times more digestible and I feel so much energy. If you take processed food out of anyone's diet, then they will lose weight. I eat that way but I don't put a name to it. I do what works for me. Why not cut and paste what works for you instead of cutting out so many good foods that may or may not be harmful to you specifically.

scrapscot

There are some other great blogs on Paleo, including www.alternefit.wordpress.com Make up your own mind about it.

NicoWoodruff

I agree don't get hung up on terminology and find what works for you. Mucus-less diet, Anti-asthma diet, The Zone, Atkins, Paleo, Primal, Candida Free.. they're all very similar in many ways.

I do lots of fresh veggies raw and cooked. (salads and buttered cooked veggies of all sorts.)

With an almost equal amount of lean meats (pork, beef, chicken, fish, shrimp, eggs, etc with less of a focus on red meats and no more than 4 eggs per week).

No dairy except for butter. I use Blue Diamond unsweet almond milk in place of milk.

Only whole grains, no refined grains. Ezekial bread, brown rice, etc and small portions, no grains for as much as 2 weeks at a time especially if I'm trying to lose.

Only my own home made bean soups or hummus as far as legumes and in small portions, no beans for as much as 2 weeks at a time if I'm trying to lose.

Only one fruit meal a day of low glycemic fruit most of the time (Apples and berries) and no fruit for as much as 2 weeks at a time if I'm trying to lose. Almost no refined sugar, but I do sometimes use turbinado sugar or honey in small doses. If I have any refined sugar or source of sugar like vinegar, soy sauce, condiments, or wine.. I consider it an almost illegal treat and I monitor the portion very carefully if I indulge. I use lemon juice liberally as the only exception to the rule.

Nuts (except no pistachios and no peanuts much) raw almonds, raw pecans, raw sesame seeds, toasted pumpkin seeds etc.

I cook with safflower oil and flavor things with olive oil and toasted sesame oil.

Yes I cheat from this on occasion but I find the more I stick with this the better I feel.. (mood, creaky joints, weight and all) otherwise I wouldn't stick to it. Mostly I avoid refined stuff but occasionally allow myself a treat out if I've earned it.

SteveJWatson

Diet aside, I find the grasp of anthropology here quite saddening.

neverstray

Diet aside, I find the grasp of anthropology here quite saddening.

What should the grasp be?

mara232

Sorry to jump in, a few people mentioned IF. What is that?

SteveJWatson

Diet aside, I find the grasp of anthropology here quite saddening.

What should the grasp be?

I was thinking about making a lengthy post about it - but I realised that most people have access to libraries.

Suffice to say that the dawn of an agrarian society did not 'lead to osteoperosis and cancer' and the history of human evolution is about the 'stuff that happened' way after we 'descended from the canopy' see: The great plains of Africa.

Akimajuktuq

The primary basis of the Paleo diet is that you only eat foods that were available to man in the paleolithic period. That way all of the foods that came about after the advent of agriculture (grains, dairy, legumes, and processed foods) are out.

Seems strange...didn't agriculture evolve because it lead to healthier humans?

NO. Do some basic research into anthropology. The health of humans declines drastically as soon as they change to an agrarian society. This is widely observed by anthropologists looking not only at ancient societies, but also on more contemporary hunter/gatherer societies. The diseases (diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disorders, bone deformity, tooth decay, depression etc, etc) that most of us deal with now are referred to as "the diseases of civilization" because they did not exist in hunters/gatherers. Look into the work of Dr. Weston Price (and there are many others).

And, no, 10,000 years is not adequate for humans to have evolved to eat biologically inappropriate food. Plants may not be able to run away from us, but they use CHEMICALS for defence. And, no again, grain agriculture is NOT saving the planet and preventing famine. Monoculture of grains is destroying topsoil, water, self-sufficiency, cultures, and when fossil fuels run out (which are subsidized for machines, pesticides, and fertilizers) the famine that results may be like nothing ever before experienced by human kind.

I live in a community in the Arctic where the majority of people are Inuit. They lived for many generations on almost 100% animal foods. I am witnessing first-hand what happens to people who are changing from an animal-based diet to a grain based diet. It's heart-breaking. But it's situation normal compared to other grain based societies such as southern Canada and the US.

Akimajuktuq

Ive you want some real advice on the paleo diet, rather than an argument whether it's good or not, join the Paleo/Primal group! First topic is difference between primal and paleo which will explain the dairy conflict you have

Great advice. We cannot talk openly in the general forums. The ridicule and disrespect that often occurs is unacceptable.

SteveJWatson

NO. Do some basic research into anthropology. The health of humans declines drastically as soon as they change to an agrarian society. This is widely observed by anthropologists looking not only at ancient societies, but also on more contemporary hunter/gatherer societies. The diseases (diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disorders, bone deformity, tooth decay, depression etc, etc) that most of us deal with now are referred to as "the diseases of civilization" because they did not exist in hunters/gatherers. Look into the work of Dr. Weston Price (and there are many others).

Poppycock - as previously mentioned, they are diseases of old age, and/or would have resulted in death until fairly recently so of course they wouldn't be present in the population at large, with the possible exception of tooth decay. How you can say that paleolithic man did or did not suffer depression with any level of conviction is perplexing to say the least.

In fact, even if you go back two genrations - my ex-bosses father was professor of medicine at Belfast University and once said that when he was practicing, less people died from cancer, but lots of people died with cancer.


Again, nothing against the diet - seems a lot healthier than most, just have an issue with some of the "anthropology" involved.

lucasriggs

Paleo/primal isnt exactly restrictive its v v easy

It is.

Akimajuktuq

We enjoy all the foods that we eat, and really haven't had any issues not eating grains. Especially when you realize how unnatural and potentially bad for you they are, it's pretty easy to say no thanks and focus on eating foods that won't cause you problems.

How are grains unnatural, unless you mean genetically modified ones? Meat is also produced unnaturally, with hormones and even genetically modified chickens - but there are more natural versions of both available.

Humans are not able to safely ingest and digest raw meat, and don't have the claws and jaws of carnivores, so I don't think you could say we are made to eat meat any more than we are made to eat grains - but we can eat both. I am thinking during the ice age there was less of a fruit vegetable diet available, but we still have a lot of physical features(like hand shape) in common with our primate ancestors who ate primarily fruits and buds.

I'm really trying hard not to put in a bunch on comments in this thread, but I just can't STAND when I see outright FALSE info.

Um, yes, humans are perfectly capable of eating raw meat/organs/fat, and raw meat is not only safe to ingest, but the healthiest way to eat it. Of course, it is unsafe when it is from a factory farm, has been processed, and shipped around the world and stored. Duh. I live with Inuit people. Many of them still eat their original food, and it is often eaten raw (granted, less often than in the past there were no electric stoves-fuel for burning was in VERY short supply and it was important to eat enough fat, not just burn it all). I eat raw meat myself, but not when it's in a plastic package in the store.

Do we really have to go back to the physiology? We have the body of an OMNIVORE, very similar to other omnivores actually. No we have different traits than the primates who are vegetarian. For instance, learn about the differences between the digestive system of a Mountain Gorilla and a human. If you want to be vegan, go for it, but stop this ridiculous argument. Not one Paleolithic human society was vegan. Not one.

We became human by growing huge brains. This occurred because we learned to hunt and chose the fattiest foods that we could get our hands on. For the most part, that was other ANIMALS, but people also took advantage of whatever other things that were in season and available locally. For some groups, that included nuts, seeds, fruits etc. However, the groups, like Inuit, who had almost no access to plants, lived just fine on animals. Even raw.

NeverGivesUp

Sorry to jump in, a few people mentioned IF. What is that?

Intermittent fasting. You can google it.

neanderthin

We enjoy all the foods that we eat, and really haven't had any issues not eating grains. Especially when you realize how unnatural and potentially bad for you they are, it's pretty easy to say no thanks and focus on eating foods that won't cause you problems.

How are grains unnatural, unless you mean genetically modified ones? Meat is also produced unnaturally, with hormones and even genetically modified chickens - but there are more natural versions of both available.

Humans are not able to safely ingest and digest raw meat, and don't have the claws and jaws of carnivores, so I don't think you could say we are made to eat meat any more than we are made to eat grains - but we can eat both. I am thinking during the ice age there was less of a fruit vegetable diet available, but we still have a lot of physical features(like hand shape) in common with our primate ancestors who ate primarily fruits and buds.

I'm really trying hard not to put in a bunch on comments in this thread, but I just can't STAND when I see outright FALSE info.

Um, yes, humans are perfectly capable of eating raw meat/organs/fat, and raw meat is not only safe to ingest, but the healthiest way to eat it. Of course, it is unsafe when it is from a factory farm, has been processed, and shipped around the world and stored. Duh. I live with Inuit people. Many of them still eat their original food, and it is often eaten raw (granted, less often than in the past there were no electric stoves-fuel for burning was in VERY short supply and it was important to eat enough fat, not just burn it all). I eat raw meat myself, but not when it's in a plastic package in the store.

Do we really have to go back to the physiology? We have the body of an OMNIVORE, very similar to other omnivores actually. No we have different traits than the primates who are vegetarian. For instance, learn about the differences between the digestive system of a Mountain Gorilla and a human. If you want to be vegan, go for it, but stop this ridiculous argument. Not one Paleolithic human society was vegan. Not one.

We became human by growing huge brains. This occurred because we learned to hunt and chose the fattiest foods that we could get our hands on. For the most part, that was other ANIMALS, but people also took advantage of whatever other things that were in season and available locally. For some groups, that included nuts, seeds, fruits etc. However, the groups, like Inuit, who had almost no access to plants, lived just fine on animals. Even raw.

Vit C in raw meat as well, something that can be a problem..........raw liver.

AMBlass

I don't eat processed foods but I eat legumes and drink milk in my tea. I am the healthiest I have ever been, exercise a lot and feel fantastic because I base my diet mostly on fruits and veggies. I don't need guidelines of a diet like this to dictate what I should or shouldn't eat. I decide that for myself because I listen to my body. If you just listen. it is amazing what it will tell you. I sprout my own beans and seeds now and it makes them a million times more digestible and I feel so much energy. If you take processed food out of anyone's diet, then they will lose weight. I eat that way but I don't put a name to it. I do what works for me. Why not cut and paste what works for you instead of cutting out so many good foods that may or may not be harmful to you specifically.

If we're saying it works for us, why does that offend you? I don't agree with vegetarians but I don't go around harassing them. If you don't want to do something, then don't. You're saying you do what works for you -- so do I. End of story.

Akimajuktuq

The primary basis of the Paleo diet is that you only eat foods that were available to man in the paleolithic period. That way all of the foods that came about after the advent of agriculture (grains, dairy, legumes, and processed foods) are out.

Seems strange...didn't agriculture evolve because it lead to healthier humans?

No actually once agriicultue developed our brains got smaller and body's got weaker we developed osteoporosis and tooth cavities, cancer etc
It developed as it was easier and allowed us to stay in one place - easier for community etc

We started living longer, though, in agricultural societies - cancer and osteoporosis are diseases of old age. And it's hard to deny that quite a lot of the things we take for granted today have been developed after the dawn of agriculture-how could this have happened if it had such a detrimental effect on the brain?
Our primate ancestors ate a diet that was 95% herbivore and 5% insects/meat - I've been reading some material that shows that increasing the meat consumption, especially fish consumption with Omega-3s- probably helped with human evolutionary brain development.
But our brains are still fueled by glucose - it is "the only fuel normally used by brain cells". So complex carbohydrates are brain-healthy, not the opposite.
http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/carbs.html

Low carb diets are linked with decreased exercise capacity and increased fatigue:
http://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/scni18a3.htm

NO we did NOT live longer because of eating grain. Don't confuse correlation with causation. Please. Heart disease started skyrocketing in the mid 1900s and perfectly correlated with reduction of overall fat, esp saturated fats, and the increase of grain and seed oils. However, the ability of the health industry to deal with heart disease through heroic interventions has also increased along with the heart disease. Longevity does NOT necessarily equal a high quality of life.

Our brain is fuelled by glucose which our bodies easily make from fat and protein. Carbohydrates are the ONLY macronutient that is NOT essential to our body. Saturated, unprocessed fat is "brain healthy".

Also, your bottom assertion is completely FALSE. Sure there are "studies" used to support every ridiculous hypothesis but that doesn't make it FACT. A low carb diet is not necessary for everyone, but it is NOT detrimental. The modern Paleo/Primal way of eating is NOT necessarily low carb.

Akimajuktuq

[/quote]Vit C in raw meat as well, something that can be a problem..........raw liver.
[/quote]

Agreed, all the necessary nutrients we need are contained in healthy animal bodies (meat, fat, organs). Raw liver can be healthy, depending on the animal. Inuit NEVER ate raw liver from polar bears, but they did from seal, caribou, etc. Raw liver from factory farmed animals? No thanks.

Akimajuktuq

I considered this myself several months ago. I researched as well, and I foun the same whacky info. Too many conflicting things. Of course, I think this is because what our cave man ancestors ate depended on where they were geographically. What was available to some was not available to others. People near the equator would surely have different food available as opposed to hise further away. I think it is a hard diet to nail down for that reason.

It's hard to "nail down" eating natural, biologically and culturally appropriate food that are available locally and in season? Hmmmm.....

Akimajuktuq

Restrictive diets suck balls.

Yup, being in perfect health after being on death's door 6 months ago "sucks balls". But you can go for meds and treatments if "restricting" food is too hard. I don't restrict; I LOVE what i eat.