How are Paleo and Atkins diets different?

natskedat
natskedat Posts: 570 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Just wondering. I'm not particularly interested in doing either of them, but I am interested in understanding what makes them different, other than the Paleo diet is based on something (supposedly) historical.

Replies

  • kimmerroze
    kimmerroze Posts: 1,330 Member
    bump
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
    As far as I understand it Paleo is eating like our pre-agricultural revolution ancestors ate. No grains is a big piece of it. Atkins is just low-carb.

    I bet a quick google search will do wonders.
  • Naomi91
    Naomi91 Posts: 892 Member

    I bet a quick google search will do wonders.

    google?! what is this nonsense you speak of ;D
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member

    I bet a quick google search will do wonders.

    google?! what is this nonsense you speak of ;D

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • xfitely
    xfitely Posts: 3 Member
    The Paleo diet is based on how Paleolithic people ate: obviously no processed foods, no grains, and no dairy. Humans are the only animal that consume dairy after infancy and we do not get it from our own-- we take it from other animals. It is not natural. Paleo diet is based on the idea of sticking to the natural food sources that have always been around; various animal proteins, vegetables, nuts, berries, fruits.

    Atkins diet is NO CARBS! Only meat and fats! Which is why he died of congestive heart failure-- all of that saturated fat!

    Paleos get plenty of carbs from fruits and veggies. Just because we don't eat bread or pasta doesn't mean we are no carb advocates, which is a common/incorrect assumption.

    I encourage you to do your own research on Google!!!!!!! Or there are lots of books!
  • Michelemybelle
    Michelemybelle Posts: 52 Member
    I'm reading Primal Blueprint right now. From what I understand, Paleo allows you to have low sugar fruits (berries and such). I try not to eat fruit after lunch. It allows you between 50-100 grams of carbs a day, but from fruit and veggies, no dairy (limited cheese, although I don't eat it) and no grains (wheat, corn, rice, potatoes etc). You should also try to eat as organic as possible - the less processing and chemicals, the better. I'm doing it now, and so far I really like it. I don't know about processed meats like bacon, and sausage, but I'm trying to eat as clean as possible, so I stay away from those.
  • MissKim
    MissKim Posts: 2,853 Member
    The Paleo diet is based on how Paleolithic people ate: obviously no processed foods, no grains, and no dairy. Humans are the only animal that consume dairy after infancy and we do not get it from our own-- we take it from other animals. It is not natural. Paleo diet is based on the idea of sticking to the natural food sources that have always been around; various animal proteins, vegetables, nuts, berries, fruits.

    Atkins diet is NO CARBS! Only meat and fats! Which is why he died of congestive heart failure-- all of that saturated fat!

    Paleos get plenty of carbs from fruits and veggies. Just because we don't eat bread or pasta doesn't mean we are no carb advocates, which is a common/incorrect assumption.

    I encourage you to do your own research on Google!!!!!!! Or there are lots of books!

    What she said....except not sure about the saturated fat comment, pretty sure from what I've read studies are proving that saturated fats are not the devil like people think they are. I mean the yolk in eggs are saturated fat and we can have all of that we want on paleo/primal. the "fake" fats made from corn and grains are the bad stuff. natural animal fats are okay. but agree that atkins is different b/c it encourages cheese while paleo/primal doesn't really encourage it. and paleo/primal is moderate carbs, not "no" carbs. We just believe that the govt standards for carbs is way more than we really need. enless ofcourse you are an athlete, whole different set of standards for that.
  • Meganne1982
    Meganne1982 Posts: 451
    The Paleo diet is based on how Paleolithic people ate: obviously no processed foods, no grains, and no dairy. Humans are the only animal that consume dairy after infancy and we do not get it from our own-- we take it from other animals. It is not natural. Paleo diet is based on the idea of sticking to the natural food sources that have always been around; various animal proteins, vegetables, nuts, berries, fruits.

    Atkins diet is NO CARBS! Only meat and fats! Which is why he died of congestive heart failure-- all of that saturated fat!

    Paleos get plenty of carbs from fruits and veggies. Just because we don't eat bread or pasta doesn't mean we are no carb advocates, which is a common/incorrect assumption.

    I encourage you to do your own research on Google!!!!!!! Or there are lots of books!

    Atkins isn't NO carb, it's just very low carb. Atkins dieters eat LOTS of veggies and can eat some fruits, depending on individual sensitivity. And Atkins did not die of heart failure. He hit his head on the ice. Once again- a quick google search can do wonders.
  • BR1986FB
    BR1986FB Posts: 1,515 Member
    Which is why he died of congestive heart failure-- all of that saturated fat!

    Do a little research before you start spouting off falsehoods. Atkins died from a head injury after slipping and falling on the ice.

    I'm Paleo too and don't follow Atkins but you might want to get your facts straight. Sorry for going off but that comment just isn't factual.
  • mursey
    mursey Posts: 191 Member
    The Paleo diet is based on how Paleolithic people ate: obviously no processed foods, no grains, and no dairy. Humans are the only animal that consume dairy after infancy and we do not get it from our own-- we take it from other animals. It is not natural. Paleo diet is based on the idea of sticking to the natural food sources that have always been around; various animal proteins, vegetables, nuts, berries, fruits.

    Atkins diet is NO CARBS! Only meat and fats! Which is why he died of congestive heart failure-- all of that saturated fat!

    Paleos get plenty of carbs from fruits and veggies. Just because we don't eat bread or pasta doesn't mean we are no carb advocates, which is a common/incorrect assumption.

    I encourage you to do your own research on Google!!!!!!! Or there are lots of books!

    Dr Atkins didn't die of congestive heart failure.

    I have done Atkins for about 10 years and my cholesterol is good. In fact my triglycerides and HDL are usually ridiculously good. You don't have to eat processed food on Atkins, either. You can tailor it many different ways. Also, for the last 3 years or so, I read or listened to radio articles about how studies are showing that fat is NOT the cause of heart disease we thought it was- it's more related to processes foods.

    I like both diets, Atkins and Paleo, but I have a nut sensitivity and therefore don't really like almond milk or nut milks . . so I decided to stick with regular low carb and make it mostly organic.

    I also did the Blood Type Diet for blood type O and that sounded almost exactly the same as the Paleo Diet when my friend who is on it explained it to me (no gluten, no dairy, eggs are ok, meats and organ meats are good, no starchy legumes?)

    I did really well on the Blood Type Diet but I just love a little dairy here and there, I do like coconut milk (is that allowed on Paleo?) but it's higher in carb and I think when I first need to lose weight I have to do really low cabs and sugars for a few months.

    It should be noted that all these people "steal" from each other and that in defense of Dr Atkins, he started the whole low carb thing that a lot of other people hijacked, tweaked a few things and re-sold as "South Beach" or something else. Not to mention he was in a hell of a lot better shape than a lot of people on this site who rip the low carb thing apart.

    If you think animal fats are so bad, I'd also recommend reading (yes, reading!) the "Weston A. Price" website which deals which research on natural healing and eating with farm foods.

    http://www.westonaprice.org/healthtopics/971-myths-and-truths-diet
  • mursey
    mursey Posts: 191 Member
    It kills me that so many people tell me how bad the Atkins diet is - then I ask them if they read the book and of course they say no. They don't know the half of the information in there, and they think the entire diet is phase 1. it's amazing how many people don't like to read, research. . or put any effort into finding out things for themselves before they start talking.
  • Meganne1982
    Meganne1982 Posts: 451
    It kills me that so many people tell me how bad the Atkins diet is - then I ask them if they read the book and of course they say no. They don't know the half of the information in there, and they think the entire diet is phase 1. it's amazing how many people don't like to read, research. . or put any effort into finding out things for themselves before they start talking.

    Exactly.
  • BR1986FB
    BR1986FB Posts: 1,515 Member
    I do like coconut milk (is that allowed on Paleo?) but it's higher in carb and I think when I first need to lose weight I have to do really low cabs and sugars for a few months.

    Very much so. Coconut milk and coconut related products, no problem. I actually put Bob's Red Mill unsweetened coconut in my protein shakes to add some healthy fat.
  • lilmissy2
    lilmissy2 Posts: 595 Member
    I find the 'studies' that show that saturated fat is not bad for your heart intriguing. Mostly because they are made to look like fabulously comprehensive literature reviews yet somehow, these obviously experienced and highly skilled researchers accidentally fail to include the long term randomised controlled trials that are the basis of the health recommendations we have. So what you have is an article that looks very convincing to anyone (including health professionals) who are not experts in the area and does not know that the other studies exist.

    Just something to ponder.
  • SOOZIE429
    SOOZIE429 Posts: 638 Member
    I do like coconut milk (is that allowed on Paleo?) but it's higher in carb and I think when I first need to lose weight I have to do really low cabs and sugars for a few months.

    Very much so. Coconut milk and coconut related products, no problem. I actually put Bob's Red Mill unsweetened coconut in my protein shakes to add some healthy fat.


    Thank you! I was wondering what to do with my Bob's Red Mill coconut. Any other suggestions?
  • natskedat
    natskedat Posts: 570 Member
    Thanks for the great responses! They both seem very similar, yet both came to the same conclusion about diets from completely different places. Neither diet seems appropriate for an athlete (although some might differ), but it seems a great plan for moderately active people in today's world.

    And, Dr. Atkins slipped on ice and died of complications stemming from his massive head injuries. He had a viral heart condition, but the coroner found no evidence of blockage during the autopsy.

    Again, thanks for the responses! If you're on these diet plans, I hope you are enjoying a great level of success and feel great! Cheers!
  • LdyGeko
    LdyGeko Posts: 433
    EDITED TO ADD: Ah, looks like several people already posted the following. Sorry, I clicked "quote" before reading further.....

    Actually, Dr. Atkins died after a traumatic head injury - he slipped on the ice in on the sidewalk and hit his head. He didn't die of congestive heart failure. http://www.snopes.com/medical/doctor/atkins.asp

    Atkins is a LOW-carb lifestyle, not a NO-carb lifestyle....
    The Paleo diet is based on how Paleolithic people ate: obviously no processed foods, no grains, and no dairy. Humans are the only animal that consume dairy after infancy and we do not get it from our own-- we take it from other animals. It is not natural. Paleo diet is based on the idea of sticking to the natural food sources that have always been around; various animal proteins, vegetables, nuts, berries, fruits.

    Atkins diet is NO CARBS! Only meat and fats! Which is why he died of congestive heart failure-- all of that saturated fat!

    Paleos get plenty of carbs from fruits and veggies. Just because we don't eat bread or pasta doesn't mean we are no carb advocates, which is a common/incorrect assumption.

    I encourage you to do your own research on Google!!!!!!! Or there are lots of books!
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
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