Paleo = dying young?

Eat like the cave men huh? Conflicted I Be!

Some say its healthy cause you leave out all the grains that were not a part of that diet, but some believe cavemen didnt live long because of all the high fatty meats they ate caused early deaths because of the cholesterol.

I think it be another fad. Look at Atkins....sure it helped, but was it a healthy life style change? Leaning more towards NO!

It's not a fad for some. People do it because of diseases like Hashimoto's.

Not sure what Paleo has to do with Hashimoto's. A diet appropriate for Hashimoto's and Paleo are not synonymous, even if they're compatible.

Many People who have Hashimoto's eat an AIP (auto-immune paleo) Diet in order to help with the symptoms of Hashimoto's and to avoid flair ups. Many people with this auto-immune disease have food sensativities or have reactions triggered by certain foods. Many people with Hashimoto's tend to avoid gluten and dairy along with other allergen foods for this reason.

That means the diet is due to those allergies though, and while people with Hashimoto's are more likely to also have food sensitivities, it's simply correlation. People with auto-immune disorders often also have a longer list of food sensitivities than most people. As for flare ups, as I mentioned earlier, supposedly some foods that could cause that are... considered paleo.

That's like me saying I avoid dairy because I get ovarian cysts. I get ovarian cysts, but I also happen to be lactose intolerant. Not that I avoid dairy...

All I am saying is that often this diet is suggested to people with Hashimoto's because of the food sensativities. When I eat certain things I can feel my symptoms get worse when I avoid them they are better, same with my psoriasis. many studies link auto-immune diseases such as these to the digestive system because they trigger the auto-immune antibodies which then attack which ever organ or tissues that they are focused on. Not entirely sure how this works or why aside from some strange confusion. That's what I've gathered from what I've read, anyway. I'm not gluten intolerant or lactose intolerant. They don't affect my digestive process, but certain foods affect my energy, and my cognitive issues (such as brain fog, confusion, and memory). I'm not an expert. I'm simply trying to provide information.

I'm also not promoting a paleo diet. I dont' see any reason to go on these diets aside from food allergies or medical conditions. Weightloss all you really need is food deficit and exercise.

Edited to add: as far as paleo foods that add flare-ups, there is actually a stricter paleo diet that cuts out many things including nightshades. The goitrogens you speak of? I've read mixed articles about but need to find more studies before I make my mind up on these things.

I understand where you're coming from, I'm just trying to clarify the semantics of it, because much of the science out there so far still keeps pointing to some correlation, but not causation. Same with goitogens--stuff's still mixed on it, but I'm just pointing out the whole, "Okay, we'll cut out one thing because it's bad for thyroids" and not the other thing, because it fits an argument better.

If you feel better after you cut certain things out, great! I just bristle at anecdotes being used as fact (not that you were doing any of the things that I mentioned, I've already seen them appearing in this thread, so I suppose my response is a bit of a broad brush to a few things now).

Sigh. Do whatever freaking works for you. I know many people who personally feel better now than they ever have because of switching to a Paleo lifestyle. All you have to do is Google and you will see a score of people who are now ailment-free because of ditching grains, gluten, dairy, etc. You really think all these people are making it up? Sorry, I don't.

Aren't anecdotes awesome?!

Absolutely, they are. When a friend tells me how great they feel, sorry if I don't feel the urge to tell them 'Nope, sorry, don't believe you. I need science.'

Sigh. Do whatever freaking works for you. I know many people who personally feel better now than they ever have because of switching to a Paleo lifestyle. All you have to do is Google and you will see a score of people who are now ailment-free because of ditching grains, gluten, dairy, etc. You really think all these people are making it up? Sorry, I don't.

Aren't anecdotes awesome?!

Absolutely, they are. When a friend tells me how great they feel, sorry if I don't feel the urge to tell them 'Nope, sorry, don't believe you. I need science.'

You probably should.

But since you don't can I sell you some Snakeology? It worked great for me! Lost all the weight and cleared up my skin and grew hair on my head. How big an order can I put you down for?

Being skeptical about claims, ESPECIALLY when it comes to weight loss, is crucial. There are a million people trying to sell you some crap that won't work.

Sigh. Do whatever freaking works for you. I know many people who personally feel better now than they ever have because of switching to a Paleo lifestyle. All you have to do is Google and you will see a score of people who are now ailment-free because of ditching grains, gluten, dairy, etc. You really think all these people are making it up? Sorry, I don't.

Aren't anecdotes awesome?!

Absolutely, they are. When a friend tells me how great they feel, sorry if I don't feel the urge to tell them 'Nope, sorry, don't believe you. I need science.'

I feel pretty amazing, and I eat beans and fast food. So, uh..... perhaps "feels great" isn't really a great thing to go by?

That's awesome! That works for you.
I just wish people would just let each other do their own thing...took me a while on here to realize that everyone has to find what works for them.
And obviously, it was more than her just telling me how great she feels...she's lost 20 pounds, 3 dress sizes, and her stomach issues are gone as well as her joint inflammation.
What happened to just being happy for someone and thinking it's great that they found something that works for them instead of always a debate?

Sigh. Do whatever freaking works for you. I know many people who personally feel better now than they ever have because of switching to a Paleo lifestyle. All you have to do is Google and you will see a score of people who are now ailment-free because of ditching grains, gluten, dairy, etc. You really think all these people are making it up? Sorry, I don't.

Aren't anecdotes awesome?!

I agree with mattowan. I just have to say though, the the principles of Paleo are okay and the foundation it provides for eating healthier is a good one. I don't eat a lot of meat, and I don't eat red meat nearly at all. You have to do what is right for you and for your body. But I think we can all agree that processed foods are no good for healthy bodies. If the only thing you take from Paleo is that, then you're in okay shape on the road to better eating habits.

As far as grains, they're not inherently bad for you. It's the way in which grain products are produced today that is the problem. Overly processed anything is not very useful to the body and can cause inflammation. When my great grandmother ate bread as a young girl, her father harvested the wheat. Her mother milled the wheat. They got eggs from the chickens on their farm that ate organic food (because there wasn't processed chicken feed), and they milked a cow and made butter without pasteurizing the milk. That is totally different than how bread is made today. I don't eat bread because my body doesn't like wheat at all. It's not gluten intolerance it's a wheat allergy. I also don't drink cow's milk. I'm still trying to get off cow cheese. Though I will still have dairy when I visit people overseas or who have farms and make everything themselves.

But it is important to note that you don't need grains. Fiber can be gotten from other whole foods. The argument is typically that you can't get enough of those foods, but I disagree. If I eat enough broccoli to get my fiber for the day, I'll be nice and full and get the nutrients I need to be healthy.

I'm by no means perfect. There's plenty of times I have processed foods. It's a habit. And a tough one to break.

But just remember, there's nothing inherently wrong about grains, about dairy, or about the Paleo diet. Paleontologists and archaeologists have actually recently been able to find evidence that Paleolithic people had a much more varied diet than previously believed--people at my work have been involved in some of this research--and what we're learning is fascinating.

Processed foods are not good for you. Unprocessed or lightly processed foods are okay. But that also doesn't mean you have to swear off processed foods forever. Just be smart.

Eat like the cave men huh? Conflicted I Be!

Some say its healthy cause you leave out all the grains that were not a part of that diet, but some believe cavemen didnt live long because of all the high fatty meats they ate caused early deaths because of the cholesterol.

I think it be another fad. Look at Atkins....sure it helped, but was it a healthy life style change? Leaning more towards NO!

Yeah ... Cavemen died from high cholesterol. That's gotta be it.