Why the controversy!
little_miss_panda
Posts: 79
Struggling to understand why Primal/Paleo provokes such controversy, even anger for some people.
Some of the comments I've had about doing Whole30 as a starter for ten:
"That's too restrictive, it's bad for you not to eat grains, your body needs them"
"That's basically an eating disorder, you don't eat anything with any calories in" uhh, guess they didn't see my nut butter and avocado addiction in full force then!
"You're depriving yourself, you'll binge" - umm, depriving myself of what exactly? Nutrition-less junk? 30 days isn't permanent anyway, and the idea is to re-educate my eating habits/palate so I WON'T binge. And by the way, I didn't comment when you did the juice fast for 3 days then pigged out on pastries and fast food on day 4.
The friend I have who is most vehemently opposed to my "unhealthy diet" is the friend who eats nothing but fruit all day to try and stay under calories, then hits up the vending machine at 3pm for chocolate because she's got no energy, yet still tries to convince me that her diet of pretty much 100% sugar is healthier than eating "all that high calorie meat". I've bitten my tongue over it, yet still it's ok for her to tell me I'm asking for a heart attack eating salmon and eggs while munching on a "healthy" granola bar with chocolate chips in.
I don't want to convert people, I do bite my tongue when I get this nonsense but it's difficult sometimes when it comes from friends whose eating habits are not that great, yet because it somehow fits "the food pyramid" it must be healthier than mine!
there. Rant over!
Some of the comments I've had about doing Whole30 as a starter for ten:
"That's too restrictive, it's bad for you not to eat grains, your body needs them"
"That's basically an eating disorder, you don't eat anything with any calories in" uhh, guess they didn't see my nut butter and avocado addiction in full force then!
"You're depriving yourself, you'll binge" - umm, depriving myself of what exactly? Nutrition-less junk? 30 days isn't permanent anyway, and the idea is to re-educate my eating habits/palate so I WON'T binge. And by the way, I didn't comment when you did the juice fast for 3 days then pigged out on pastries and fast food on day 4.
The friend I have who is most vehemently opposed to my "unhealthy diet" is the friend who eats nothing but fruit all day to try and stay under calories, then hits up the vending machine at 3pm for chocolate because she's got no energy, yet still tries to convince me that her diet of pretty much 100% sugar is healthier than eating "all that high calorie meat". I've bitten my tongue over it, yet still it's ok for her to tell me I'm asking for a heart attack eating salmon and eggs while munching on a "healthy" granola bar with chocolate chips in.
I don't want to convert people, I do bite my tongue when I get this nonsense but it's difficult sometimes when it comes from friends whose eating habits are not that great, yet because it somehow fits "the food pyramid" it must be healthier than mine!
there. Rant over!
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Replies
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I have no idea...boggles my mind....0
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I've been full on paleo since July (I started phasing into it in May). I have even more restrictions because I'm also following the Pagano diet for psoriasis, so no nightshades or pork/beef either.
What gets on my nerves is when people at work stand behind me and comment on my breakfast "you're eating chicken and broccoli for breakfast??!?" Yes. I am. With almonds also. This and exercise is how I've lost 67 pounds, got off type 2 diabetes meds, hypertension medication, and got my total cholesterol to 144. If you don't like it, don't watch me eat.
In my time on this eating lifestyle, I've learned it's best just not to mention it to people, because they don't understand. I honestly don't know if I'll ever go back. I've never felt this good in my adult life.0 -
I've been full on paleo since July (I started phasing into it in May). I have even more restrictions because I'm also following the Pagano diet for psoriasis, so no nightshades or pork/beef either.
What gets on my nerves is when people at work stand behind me and comment on my breakfast "you're eating chicken and broccoli for breakfast??!?" Yes. I am. With almonds also. This and exercise is how I've lost 67 pounds, got off type 2 diabetes meds, hypertension medication, and got my total cholesterol to 144. If you don't like it, don't watch me eat.
In my time on this eating lifestyle, I've learned it's best just not to mention it to people, because they don't understand. I honestly don't know if I'll ever go back. I've never felt this good in my adult life.
that is awesome!! I can totally relate to people questiong my meals...they will never get it lol, I 've been Paleo for 10 weeks now, will never go back :happy:0 -
Controversy a few things...
1) muscle heads who work out all day so they need lots of carbs to keep up their energy to lift weights and look at themselves in the mirror - so they can't imagine not eating oatmeal or grains
2) people who tried Paleo/Primal (probably for 4.5 days) and decided they couldn't hack it (oh I was sooo tired, it gave me a headache, I felt groggy - umm people it is called your body adjusting and purging all the bad stuff) - so if they couldn't hack it that means everyone can't hack it.
3) People who have been brainwashed by the media and their doctors that the SAD is absolutely the way to go (I was one of these brainwashed people until I started reading and reading and reading on my own). I blame Dr. Oz for a lot of this...I can not even look at this man - every other show of his is about this diet and that diet and why you should eat this over this...even if todays show totally contridicts the previous days show...0 -
I hate explaining to people that I have been eating Paleo. I always start by saying, "It's not a diet". This is just how I eat. It started with a dairy allergy and in the process of educating myself on eating without dairy I found Paleo. I have lost 12 lbs in the last month or two. Everyone's first reaction is "how can you cut out all that stuff, that isn't healthy."
I am feeling good, my blood pressure is good, my blood sugars are good, I have energy and I am looking better than ever. I am not sure where the bad is. I was a former carbaholic who felt lazy and fat and tired.
What really makes me laugh is when I bring baked goods and food to parties and they all comment on how good it is, always amazed that they are made with coconut flour, and honey, no dairy, no sugar, no grains and yet tasty. See not so bad after all people...lol.0 -
It is amusing isn't it, my dairy free, gluten free macaroons made with coconut, ground almonds, rosewater and honey are always a hit, nobody ever pulls a face and says "but there's no sugar or grains in these"!
I just find it odd....nobody ever criticises the choice of people to do Weight Watchers or Slimming World or any of the other diet cons out there, but Paleo either appears to attract applause or derision and nothing in between. Somehow it's considered more "faddy" than other diets - even extremes like liquid diets or using Alli or detox diets and things like that. I get the "calorie is a calorie" argument against removing certain food groups, people who cite the study of that guy who lost weight on Twinkie bars. OK, I get the maths, but why would you not want to lose weight and be as healthy as you can whilst doing it? Losing weight by just eating junk but in smaller amounts kind of defies the point for me.0 -
It is amusing isn't it, my dairy free, gluten free macaroons made with coconut, ground almonds, rosewater and honey are always a hit, nobody ever pulls a face and says "but there's no sugar or grains in these"!
I just find it odd....nobody ever criticises the choice of people to do Weight Watchers or Slimming World or any of the other diet cons out there, but Paleo either appears to attract applause or derision and nothing in between. Somehow it's considered more "faddy" than other diets - even extremes like liquid diets or using Alli or detox diets and things like that. I get the "calorie is a calorie" argument against removing certain food groups, people who cite the study of that guy who lost weight on Twinkie bars. OK, I get the maths, but why would you not want to lose weight and be as healthy as you can whilst doing it? Losing weight by just eating junk but in smaller amounts kind of defies the point for me.
exactly!! well said :bigsmile:0 -
I love explaining it to people. For some reason I feel like I can do anything since they think its crazy and impossible to live without grains, sugars and etc....lol nope it's very possible. I have been doing it for almost 7 months! I like being different than the masses I talk to so its my pleasure! My hubby still gives me a hard time but that's just his sarcastic personality so I'm used to him...lol. When I started eating this way I wasn't sure if I would be successful for so long but I am on the life plan! Whoop!0
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People get religious about the things they learn on TV and such. They love the Food Pyramid (sorry, it's "MyPlate" now, isn't it?) dogma and dislike anyone with dissenting views.
When I explain it, most people say things in direct contradiction to what's actually occurred. They keep telling me my cholesterol is/will be out of control, I'll be *insert nutrient* deficient, etc., etc. Unbelievable.0 -
I had plenty of people telling me I was losing muscle, killing my liver and kidneys, going to blow my cholesterol through the roof.
I had my bf% professionally tested, complete lipid and kidney analysis (bloodwork) and my hormone levels tested.
When they continued to tell me how my bacon, eggs and butter coffee was killing me - I share my numbers and ask them theirs.
Recently I had my most vocal opponent (a family member) who made sure to say all these things publicly often, recommend to a friend that they talk to me about how to do paleo (although not quite ready to do it themselves).0 -
That's the main 'shut up ' point: just tell them "I've had my lab work done, and all of them are markedly improved. I'll show you mine - show me YOURS". They can't argue the numbers.
It just boils down to bias and prejudice. Example:
"You need grains for the fiber"
"You get all the fiber you need from eating vegetables"
"Um...well, grains taste better then vegetables..."
And the truth is known - it's not about the science - it's about pandering to their tastebuds.
I don't try to convince them of the rightness of a hunter/gatherer diet. I just have a few questions ready to poke holes in their blather....
"Grains are essential? Tell me then, what is in grains that I cannot get from vegetables?" They'll always say fiber. "I get plenty of soluble fiber in vegetables - and soluble fiber is better for your intestines than the insoluble fiber in grains, anyway". They generally don't have anything else to say after that.0 -
Just reading this makes me blood boil because I've been met with all of these same arguments. Most people either think I'm completely crazy or absolutely Wonder Woman. People do get passionate about their food choices don't they? Me included
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Because most people are sheep and can't possibly imagine not eating their grains and straying from the flock. We, however, eat sheep. This alienates us somewhat.0
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"Um...well, grains taste better then vegetables"
This is what it boils down to, but grains don't really taste of anything unless you add salt, fat, sugar or other flavouring to them. A lot of veggies on the other hand taste just fine by themselves, I will happily eat salad with just a squeeze of lemon on, whereas getting through a whole portion of rice or pasta is just bland, chewy and tasteless to me!
As a coeliac I often get asked what I miss most that I can't have anymore, and I honestly can't say there is any wheat based product I can't live without. The GF "substitutes" are often not very nice, and full of rubbish, so it doesn't really feel like food if you need to put that many additives in it to make it mimic a sausage roll or a pizza etc.0 -
I have stopped trying to justify anything and just win them over with my cooking..lol. This is the first time since giving up on 'diets' that I felt like I am actually just eating, enjoying food, and feeling better. That is all I need, and my family has stopped making comments about how the way I eat is not healthy when they have seen the weight I am losing and the energy that I have now. I guess the results speak volumes.
I will continue to beat them into submission with my paleo treats darn it.0 -
"Um...well, grains taste better then vegetables"
This is what it boils down to, but grains don't really taste of anything unless you add salt, fat, sugar or other flavouring to them. A lot of veggies on the other hand taste just fine by themselves, I will happily eat salad with just a squeeze of lemon on, whereas getting through a whole portion of rice or pasta is just bland, chewy and tasteless to me!
This. I often point out to people that bread and pasta is RARELY eaten without something topping it - various sauces, salt/spices, butter, cheese etc. - and that is really the only reason they eat it at all... As a vehicle for the actually good tasting stuff. On those occasions grains aren't eaten with something on them, it's because of extenuating circumstances, i.e. running out of those things to put on them and time constraints.
The ultimate point being, why don't you just put those things you like, on things that aren't nutritional garbage?0 -
Get this all the time ... almost 2 years eating paleo now; my DH is convinced I have an eating disorder and can't understand how I don't balloon into Michelin Man with all the fat I eat. He's disgusted with me cooking bones for broth and last week forbid this in future because 'we can afford to buy whatever food you need ... boiling bones and eating offal is what poor people do'. Don't know what to do about that. I wish he'd open his mind ... there are so many health benefits he could experience. People have been sucked in by Big Food, government, and mainstream media who depend on ad revenue--pointing that out makes one out to be tin-foil-hat-wearing nutter :-)0
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He's disgusted with me cooking bones for broth and last week forbid this in future because 'we can afford to buy whatever food you need ... boiling bones and eating offal is what poor people do'.
If he's not willing to get on board with it, then he should just leave you to it. If he doesn't want to go Paleo, fair enough, but you have a right to cook offal and bones if you want to, dammit! Anyway, you get offal in posh restaurants these days anyway. Lamb sweetbreads are a delicacy, and top chefs make their sauces, soups and jus with stock made from bones and gizzards and whatever. So that thing about it being only poor people....tell that to Michel Roux Jr or Heston Blumenthal with his liver pate lollipops, they charge a mint for serving people.....bone broths and offal. Admittedly, presented pretty as a picture, but still the same stuff!0 -
The worst thing about being Primal = talking to non-primals about being primal. Its easier to just not do it, but unfortunately, I enjoy talking about Primal! 11 months being Primal and I have lost 102 pounds. This lifestyle has saved my life! The results don't lie. People always ask "What do you eat for breakfast?". "Uhh...bacon and eggs". They can never believe it...lol. It works for me, and that's all that matter. Grok on!0
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Primal 2 years this month...I don't discuss it anymore with the sad eaters!
I have always had kidney stones and now have to cut out oxalates..which was a lot of primal food I was eating so I guess now I really must have an eating disorder!
I was with my dad and he had a blueberry coconut slice he wanted me to eat. He said why not? it's just coconut-
I said if it was just coconut it would still be a coconut! Really!0 -
Also, I think if you live the lifestyle the improvements others notice in us will make them second guess the standard diet.0
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He's disgusted with me cooking bones for broth and last week forbid this in future because 'we can afford to buy whatever food you need ... boiling bones and eating offal is what poor people do'.
That's infuriating and evidence of how disconnected people have become from the food we eat.0 -
I have only been eating primal for 6 days now and I am still phasing, but I had a friend who was acting concerned saying that it sounded like I was 'doing the atkins'. I explained that I would never do the atkins and that I eat fresh food not crap. He then asked why I was choosing to go low carb... I just frowned and explained that my food is not always low carb (especially as I love my sweet potatoes) and he sniffed and nodded. I am pretty sure he still doesn't get it. My Mum thinks i starve myself, when in reality I have never felt so full after my meals. I serve the same volume as I used to with grains and potatoes and am finding that I need to serve smaller portions as it is really filling. Even though I am suffering a bit at the moment, I feel really proud of what I am doing and I know this is right for me. Especially as I was always prone to not losing and this week alone I lost all my Christmas weight and a tiny bit extra, I hope it continues.0
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I didn't realise it was so controversial until I ventured into the forums one day.
I've been eating this way since Sept 6th and although Im yet to go and get checked professional I feel and see the benefits in me.
I get asked by friends and work mates what I am doing , I may get ask some questions about certain foods but no-one criticises me.
Personally I dont see what there is to criticise0 -
People criticize bc it's called a "diet". I don't tell anyone that I eat PALeO or whatever . If you go around saying you eat a certain way your going to get criticized. Most people who eat **** all day don't go around saying I'm on the I eat **** diet. Or I eat McDonald's breakfast daily diet. Stop running around telling people you eat paleo or primal. And to be frank the whole 30 or sugar detox doesn't help. Paleo is suppose to be a life long thing. If your doing something like a cleanse or something for a trial period ...again criticism. I'm gluten and dairy free bc I have to be. I love paleo eating but it doesn't define who I am. I eat whole foods with mostly veggies fruits and meat. I also will eat processed food if I want too bc that's life.
I meet friends out to eat and just order. If people ask how I lost weight I tell them MFP and working out. If people get really nosy I tell them I follow a lot of paleo recipes bc it's easier to eat meat veggies and fruit to be full and healthy. But I also tell them about tosca Reno or cleaner eating is just the way to go no matter what it's called.
Sometimes "paleo" people can get a little self righteous. It's like going out to eat with a friend who knows every calorie in every bite. Or the new vegan friend ..0 -
People criticize bc it's called a "diet". I don't tell anyone that I eat PALeO or whatever . If you go around saying you eat a certain way your going to get criticized. Most people who eat **** all day don't go around saying I'm on the I eat **** diet. Or I eat McDonald's breakfast daily diet. Stop running around telling people you eat paleo or primal. And to be frank the whole 30 or sugar detox doesn't help. Paleo is suppose to be a life long thing. If your doing something like a cleanse or something for a trial period ...again criticism. I'm gluten and dairy free bc I have to be. I love paleo eating but it doesn't define who I am. I eat whole foods with mostly veggies fruits and meat. I also will eat processed food if I want too bc that's life.
I meet friends out to eat and just order. If people ask how I lost weight I tell them MFP and working out. If people get really nosy I tell them I follow a lot of paleo recipes bc it's easier to eat meat veggies and fruit to be full and healthy. But I also tell them about tosca Reno or cleaner eating is just the way to go no matter what it's called.
Sometimes "paleo" people can get a little self righteous. It's like going out to eat with a friend who knows every calorie in every bite. Or the new vegan friend ..
THIS!! Great post, I totally agree on all accounts 0 -
Controversy a few things...
1) muscle heads who work out all day so they need lots of carbs to keep up their energy to lift weights and look at themselves in the mirror - so they can't imagine not eating oatmeal or grains
2) people who tried Paleo/Primal (probably for 4.5 days) and decided they couldn't hack it (oh I was sooo tired, it gave me a headache, I felt groggy - umm people it is called your body adjusting and purging all the bad stuff) - so if they couldn't hack it that means everyone can't hack it.
3) People who have been brainwashed by the media and their doctors that the SAD is absolutely the way to go (I was one of these brainwashed people until I started reading and reading and reading on my own). I blame Dr. Oz for a lot of this...I can not even look at this man - every other show of his is about this diet and that diet and why you should eat this over this...even if todays show totally contridicts the previous days show...
Omg. THIS.
Thank you, lol. Couldn't have said it better myself.....0
