Paleo/Primal Diet

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emberd
emberd Posts: 36
in Food and Nutrition
Has anyone heard of the Paleo or Primal diet? My husband is wanting to try it, but it sounds like a gimmick to me. I would love to hear all opinions on the subject! Thanks!

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  • hill242
    hill242 Posts: 412 Member
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    I truly do not think this is a gimmick diet.

    Check out all the recent video post submissions to www.marksdailyapple.com. So many people reaping the benefits of the primal lifestyle.

    I am not 100% primal but I am following it about 75% of the time. I feel better than ever.
  • foxylady8098
    foxylady8098 Posts: 57
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    This diet is not a gimmick; the only thing is with diets like that is that you have to make it a lifestyle choice. If you are willing to make the lifestyle choice, then it will be very beneficial for you.
  • Beebee78
    Beebee78 Posts: 703
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    Paleolithic eating is not a diet. It's a lifestyle choice. It certainly isn't a gimmic either. By doing it you chose to eat a healthy diet. I have been paleolithic bar one day a week for almost 6 weeks now. I didn't look at it as a temporary thing, It is the way we eat for good. It works and I feel so much healthier for it.
  • platoon
    platoon Posts: 340
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    All it takes is some creativity and discipline... totally doable lifestyle change. :-)
  • gwynniem
    gwynniem Posts: 1
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    The paleo diet has changed my life for the better. i highly recommend it...
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    I agree with everyone's comments here.
  • Mangoaddict
    Mangoaddict Posts: 1,236 Member
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    what types of foods can one eat on this diet?
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    what types of foods can one eat on this diet?

    The plan I subscribe to is Primal Blue Print (aka www.marksdailyapple.com)

    Basically it is a higher fat, moderate protein and low carb plan...........

    Protein - meat, eggs, nuts

    Fats - Eat the chicken skin, eat the fat on your steak (yes saturated fats ARE Good for you, they are all NATURAL afterall), extra virgin coconut oil, virgin palm oil and extra virgin olive oil)

    Carbs - Veggies, Veggies and more Veggies................eat small amounts of fruit, preferrably berries, apples, plums, peaches and melons..........


    Stay away from - Dairy, grains, beans and legumes............


    For me, it is easy to stay away from the grains, beans and legumes - but I love Fage Greek Yogurt, so I do include small amounts of dairy in my eating plan.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    Has anyone heard of the Paleo or Primal diet? My husband is wanting to try it, but it sounds like a gimmick to me. I would love to hear all opinions on the subject! Thanks!

    As I previsouly mentioned, I agree with the other posters about Paleo / Primal eating is NOT a gimmick.

    I find calorie counting to be more gimmicky than Paleo / Primal eating. It is a very clean eating plan.

    Pros to Paleo Eating Plans:
    **Effortless Weightloss
    **Better Cholesterol numbers, lower triglycerides
    **NO Calorie Counting, you just eat!!
    **NO Hunger
    **Bounds and Bounds of Energy


    Cons to Paleo Eating Plans:
    **Time required to plan, shop, prepare and cook.
  • Mangoaddict
    Mangoaddict Posts: 1,236 Member
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    It doesn't seem any different than ATKINS DIET. Is that basically what it is?
  • Beebee78
    Beebee78 Posts: 703
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    For me it's nothing like the Atkins diet as it's not a diet. I'm not following a particular website or book. My trainer provided me with knowledge and we use it. In simple terms in our house if you can catch it or pick it we eat it. So meat has to be pure cuts - no sausages etc just pure cuts of meat. On the atkins diet you cannot eat much fruit and veg from what I remember yet my daily intake of fruit and veg is quite high!

    It's definitely worth considering as a lifestyle change as you don't get all the additives that are in processed food xxx
  • wdhpiano
    wdhpiano Posts: 4 Member
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    My crossfit gym is launching a 60 day Paleo challenge today. From their point of view, Paleo is a refinement of the Zone diet. It is as much about what you don't eat as what you do eat. I have been on a 30 day challenge and it resulted in getting off my sticking point and I lost 12 pounds. I find it an easy plan to follow in principle, but a little hard to follow strictly - especially finding free range beef and chickens, which most grocery stores don't sell. I think it is much healthier than Atkins, since you can eat more carbs in veggies and fruits. My digestion is much better since I dropped all the milk and cheese products. The best weight aid is that I don't have sugar cravings like I used to, because I am not eating high glycemic bread and grain stuff. After a week or two, you really don't miss these foods. I recommend it as an easier alternative to South Beach, etc. (PS - over the last 2.5 years I have gone from 245 pounds to 182, 20 pounds more to go.)
  • cutmd
    cutmd Posts: 1,168 Member
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    I like the clean eating idea of paleo very much, and i try to eat as clean as possible and need to avoid gluten for my health. I guess my issue with is the fact that there is no proof ancient man's diet was better. Their average life expectancy was like 20 years, so who knows the long term effect.

    Man has been eating beans and rice and potatoes for centuries, I haven't been convinced those need to be cut out, though I'm sure doing so makes weight loss even easier because of their calorie density.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    For me it's nothing like the Atkins diet as it's not a diet. I'm not following a particular website or book. My trainer provided me with knowledge and we use it. In simple terms in our house if you can catch it or pick it we eat it. So meat has to be pure cuts - no sausages etc just pure cuts of meat. On the atkins diet you cannot eat much fruit and veg from what I remember yet my daily intake of fruit and veg is quite high!

    It's definitely worth considering as a lifestyle change as you don't get all the additives that are in processed food xxx

    With the Atkins plan, you do eat lots of veggies and fruits..............It is just added in very slowly and according to the glycemic index so that you can see if you have any allergies or intolerance to any foods.............

    You would have to read the book!!!

    Here is the Phase 1 vegetable list alone for the Atkins plan. That is a big list of veggies, eh???

    Vegetable Serving Size/Prep grams of net carbs
    Alfalfa sprouts 1 cup/raw 0.4
    Arugula ½ cup/raw 0.2
    Bok choy 1 cup/raw 0.8
    Celery 1 stalk 0.8
    Chicory greens ½ cup/raw 0.6
    Chives 1 tablespoon 0.1
    Cucumber ½ cup 1.0
    Daikon ½ cup 1.0
    Endive ½ cup 0.0
    Escarole ½ cup 0.0
    Fennel 1 cup 3.6
    Jicama ½ cup 2.5
    Iceberg lettuce
    ½ cup 0.1
    Mushrooms ½ cup 1.2
    Parsley 1 tablespoon 0.1
    Peppers ½ cup/raw 2.3
    Radicchio ½ cup/raw 0.7
    Radishes 10/raw 0.9
    Romaine lettuce ½ cup 0.2



    The following vegetables are slightly higher in carbs than the salad vegetables listed above. They also provide important nutrients and add variety to your daily foods. Make sure you stay within the 12-15 grams of net carbs. Unless otherwise noted, measure these veggies after you cook them.

    Vegetable Serving Size/ Prep Net Carbs
    Artichoke ¼ of medium 4.0
    Asparagus 6 spears 2.4
    Artichoke hearts 1 canned
    1.0
    Avocadoes 1 whole (raw) 3.5
    Bamboo shoots 1 cup canned
    1.1
    Broccoli
    ½ cup 1.6
    Broccoli raw ½ cup 1.0
    Broccoli rabe ½ cup 1.3
    Broccoflower ½ cup 1.4
    Brussels sprouts ¼ cup
    2.4
    Cabbage ½ cup (raw) 2.0
    Cauliflower ½ cup (raw) 1.0
    Swiss chard ½ cup
    1.8
    Collard greens ½ cup
    4.2
    Eggplant ½ cup
    1.8
    Hearts of palm 1 heart 0.7
    Kale ½ cup 2.4
    Kohlrabi ½ cup 4.6
    Leeks ¼ cup
    1.7
    Okra ½ cup
    2.4
    Olives green 5 2.5
    Olives black 5 0.7
    Onion ¼ cup (raw) 2.8
    Pumpkin ¼ cup
    2.4
    Rhubarb ½ cup (unsweetened) 1.7
    Sauerkraut ½ cup (drained) 1.2
    Peas ½ cup with pods 3.4
    Spaghetti squash ½ cup
    2.0
    Spinach ½ cup (raw) 0.2
    Summer squash ½ cup
    2.0
    Tomato 1 (raw) 4.3
    Turnips ½ cup
    2.2
    Water chestnuts ½ cup (canned) 6.9
    Zucchini ½ cup
    2.0

  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    It doesn't seem any different than ATKINS DIET. Is that basically what it is?

    No, it is actually stricter than the Atkins plan.

    With Atkins, you eventually add back in grains, beans, legumes, lentils and dairy according to the carb ladder..............which is basically the glycemic index.

    With a Paleo or Primal plan you cut all that stuff out.
  • cpresaka
    cpresaka Posts: 1
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    Awesome! I am just starting Zone/Paleo as well. My priority is sticking to Zone blocks, but I am trying to cut out breads, cereals, pastas etc. as well.
  • ppassine1
    ppassine1 Posts: 7
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    I like the clean eating idea of paleo very much, and i try to eat as clean as possible and need to avoid gluten for my health. I guess my issue with is the fact that there is no proof ancient man's diet was better. Their average life expectancy was like 20 years, so who knows the long term effect.

    Man has been eating beans and rice and potatoes for centuries, I haven't been convinced those need to be cut out, though I'm sure doing so makes weight loss even easier because of their calorie density.

    Man has been eating rice and beans since the Agricultural reveloution. Also at this time, humans shrank in size and developed cancers and diabeties and a whole host of other problems. Check out "The Paleo Solution" by Robb Wolfe. Great book with info backed by science. Should answer all your questions

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