Paleo Diet?

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  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    ...they found very few infant or child skeletons in the hunter-gatherer communities that they dug up.

    That is interesting, if not even fascinating. It flies in the face of the "common wisdom", which is not really surprising. That says to me that infant mortality rose along with the rise of civilization and agriculture.

    It's actually not surprising when you think about it. Paleolithic man lived in small groups. They ate a wide range of plants and animals (hunter gatherers). Neolithic man began living in much larger groups and often relied on one or two staple foods. Which would be healthier? Primarily eating grains with the occasional bit of meat/fruit/vegetable or a diet which was varied and ever changing?

    Also, once our ancestors started relying on one crop, they fall victim to blights, droughts, inadequate food storage and poor food distribution whereas the paleolithic people were better able to adapt to changing environmental and communal living changes (they could pull up and move to better areas, large populations could not).

    Luckily today, in most countries where people are using MPF, we have access to an even wider variety of food than ever before. We no longer rely on a small, nutritionally poor ration of bread, day in and day out.

    Paleolithic man was healthier than neolithic man but modern man (excluding poor, third world regions) are healthier than either set of timetable ancestors.

    Now, I recall that they guy on the TED lecture said that Paleolithic man ate something like 140 different foods and that was drastically reduced when there was a turn to agriculture. I think he said that, even today, most of us only eat about 3 dozen different foods.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I think he also said that those who eat a lot of processed food, eat maybe only 7 or 8 different types of food. :frown:

    I tried to find the lecture so that I could post a link to it, but I couldn't find it. It was fascinating.
  • nycnettie
    nycnettie Posts: 44 Member
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    Thanks for all the feed back. It's ending day 3 on Paleo and I feel great. I don't have that weighed down feeling in my stomach, bloading, cramping etc... I think I may have had stomach issues from al lthe processed food I've been eating. It's easy and quick and I was consuming alot of it. Being lactose intolerant I don't miss the dairy as I've stayed away from it. I take calcium supplements and drink almond milk to get my calcium. I have a bad history with diabetes (lost my Mom to it) and the Paleo seems to be a good lifestyle for diabetics. My doctor has told me to stay away from white flour for the longest time, but I guess I needed to want it on my own. I love veggies, fruit, meat and seafood, so the dirt doesn't seem so restrictive to me. The only restriction is giving up the urge to reach into a bag or box to eat and it's time to eat healthy and give up the junk that comes out of bags and boxes in my cabinet.
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
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    Thanks for all the feed back. It's ending day 3 on Paleo and I feel great. I don't have that weighed down feeling in my stomach, bloading, cramping etc... I think I may have had stomach issues from al lthe processed food I've been eating. It's easy and quick and I was consuming alot of it. Being lactose intolerant I don't miss the dairy as I've stayed away from it. I take calcium supplements and drink almond milk to get my calcium. I have a bad history with diabetes (lost my Mom to it) and the Paleo seems to be a good lifestyle for diabetics. My doctor has told me to stay away from white flour for the longest time, but I guess I needed to want it on my own. I love veggies, fruit, meat and seafood, so the dirt doesn't seem so restrictive to me. The only restriction is giving up the urge to reach into a bag or box to eat and it's time to eat healthy and give up the junk that comes out of bags and boxes in my cabinet.

    Best of luck!
  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
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    Lol, fearmongering over GMO and processed foods again. Care to actually substantiate that GMO or processed foods are causing people to have a shorter lifespan?

    go troll somewhere else
    [/quote]

    Asking for substantiation of a claim is trolling?
  • brandynmill
    brandynmill Posts: 1 Member
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    It seems that Paleo's biggest downfall is people who know only a fraction of what it is about. The Whole 30 is an elimination style 30 day challenge it is not meant to be that long term that's why there is a day limit with it. Unfortunately most people have been consuming an overwhelming amount of crap throughout their lives to the point where your bodies are in a state of chronic stress. These elimination style diets are to allow your body & digestive system to reset itself.

    While I love that Paleo is getting more and more attention, a lot of the information is very fragmented and misinterpreted, I.E. dairy. Dairy is not allowed on these elimination style diets because only about 30% of the world's adult population produce the enzymes to digest it properly but are completely unaware. If after your elimination period is over and you reintroduce dairy without and hiccups such as congestion or lethargy then begin including dairy again, if you notice any of these signs you are likely one of the 70% of people in the world that don't digest it properly.

    The biggest piece of advice I can give to people just starting out with Paleo is to educate yourselves with any and every bit of nutritional knowledge you can get and see what works for you. That is what Paleo is about.
  • isisbryan
    isisbryan Posts: 105 Member
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    *bump*
  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
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    Dairy is not allowed on these elimination style diets because only about 30% of the world's adult population produce the enzymes to digest it properly but are completely unaware.

    Skewed statistics are skewed.

    90% of Asian-Americans are lactose intolerant.

    70% of Afro-Americans are lactose intolerant.

    if your ancestors are Northern European, the odds of lactose intolerance are only 5%.


    I'm pretty sure most people know what their odds are.
  • Babeskeez
    Babeskeez Posts: 606 Member
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    I like the "I eat whatever the *kitten* I want" diet because hey, life is too damn short to restrict.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    Primal and Paleo are two different ball games, Paleo is quite restrictive, but if you eat the Primal Blueprint way, its far less restrictive, and in fact you can eat dairy, the recommendation is just not to eat breads, pastas, rices, noodles, etc. hardly that restrictive, thats one group of foods.

    I think you are right. Primal seems to have better long-term compliance than Paleo. I eat mostly Primal--couldn't eat Paleo because I couldn't go without a bit of cheese, cream and/or butter in my diet. I eat a LOT of vegetables and some fruit every day. I don't eat a lot of grain (only a bit of steel-cut oats a couple of times a week on my heavier exercise days). And I eat no sugary or processed food. I feel great on the diet I'm on, never hungry and losing about a 1/2 pound a week (I don't really want to lose any faster than that because of various health issues). I intend to stay on it the rest of my life. When I get to the level of body fat that I want ( 25% or less) I will just increase the amount I eat slightly.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    Dairy is not allowed on these elimination style diets because only about 30% of the world's adult population produce the enzymes to digest it properly but are completely unaware.

    Skewed statistics are skewed.

    90% of Asian-Americans are lactose intolerant.

    70% of Afro-Americans are lactose intolerant.

    if your ancestors are Northern European, the odds of lactose intolerance are only 5%.


    I'm pretty sure most people know what their odds are.

    I agree. My ancestors all came from N. Europe and I have absolutely no problem digesting dairy (I have a problem with gluten/wheat though). My husband (whose grandparents all came from Italy) has no problem with wheat but he is allergic to dairy. Macaroni and cheese is not a big seller at our house. :wink:
  • momzeeee
    momzeeee Posts: 475 Member
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    I started transitioning to primal eating last month and so far I'm really enjoying it. I feel a lot better since I've cut out wheat, most other grains, processed sugars and foods and have gotten rid of my fast food habit. I still eat a few non-primal things, like the occasional slice of cheesecake :) But, I'm making positive changes in my health and that's my goal.

    I do agree with some of the other posters that there does seem to be a strong 'fringe' group of people who follow this lifestyle-touting an all or nothing attitude. Some of the posters on MDA are really hard core and a bit scary lol. But, I think there's many of us out there who do a primal-ish diet, with a few non-primal things still in our diet because frankly, we just enjoy them. But, overall we believe in the primal eating philosophy and we're working on becoming healthier :)
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
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    I like the "I eat whatever the *kitten* I want" diet because hey, life is too damn short to restrict.

    Well being chronically sick will sure shorten one's life. I kinda think quality of life matters too. I feel so "restricted" living on steaks, bacon, eggs, butter, macadamia nuts, leafy greens, berries... yeah, I'm really suffering. Poor me.
  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
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    I do agree with some of the other posters that there does seem to be a strong 'fringe' group of people who follow this lifestyle-touting an all or nothing attitude.

    That's pretty much true of all lifestyle changes recommended in these boards. If we didn't have a tendency to extremes, we probably wouldn't need myfitnesspal. ;)

    Sorry, any program that says "you have to avoid X for the rest of your life" or "you have to scrupulously eliminate Y from your diet/behaviors or it won't work" is a nonstarter for me. This is as much about behavior as it is about what you're putting in your body ... but behavioral change is a lot harder than dietary rules for us, so we search for that "magic bullet". And when the magic bullet doesn't live up to our expectations, we go looking for the next magic bullet rather than admitting that our problems are in our heads. Ask yourself, why are Americans dieting more than ever, but they're also fatter than ever; it should be obvious to everyone that diets just don't work as a permanent lifestyle change. I have come to believe we struggle with obesity because of our beliefs and behaviors surrounding food and eating, more than because we use too much oil or eat an occasional piece of chocolate, or eat carbs or legumes.

    What I've taken away from all the reading I've done and the experience of my own struggles is this: be aware of what you're putting in your body and your activity levels; keep moving and exercise regularly; eat what you really like, take the time to enjoy what you're eating, and learn to recognize your satiety cues so you can stop when you're satisfied; log what you eat; eat reasonable amounts of animal protein; eat healthy fats and proteins; avoid sugars added to foods; limit sugar in sodas and fruit juices, and limit refined carbs like flour, as well as potatoes and white rice. That's pretty much it ... and if your lifestyle is a burden so you are constantly looking forward to the day when you "don't have to diet any more", my bet is, you're not going to keep the weight off. Just my opinion.
  • monizjm
    monizjm Posts: 92 Member
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    I enjoyed this website about the Paleo Diet. In case anyone is interested. I'm ALMOST tempted to give the Paleo Diet a try, but I love my dairy. Soooo I don't know if I could give that up.

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/10/04/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet/

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