Paleo Diet/Way of Life
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ComingUntrue wrote: »
The note about Paleo ranking last among diets is quite funny. If you want to live and die by what government agencies say is best for you, believe those lists and studies.
I feel functional when I eat real food. That's what Paleo is. Nutrient dense real food.
So, just to let you know, that list was not fashioned by the government. It was done by U.S. News. They compiled a list of experts in diet and nutrition, from varied backgrounds, and asked them to rank many popular diets.
Here is their score for the Paleo diet
http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/paleo-diet/reviews
Here is who was on the panel
http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/experts
With absolutely no disrespect, every person knows more about what is nutrient dense and what is good nutrition than you do. I mean no insult by this - these people know more about nutrition than I do, too. (And likely most people on this site, as well)
Now, many people who have chimed with their "thoughts" on the Paleo diet, freely admit to making quite significant alterations to this diet - including dairy, including some legumes (green beans are a legume, you know), and also starchy tubers. these alterations greatly improve the nutritional profile of the diet and make it easier, to meet daily nutritional recommendations.
Lastly, here is a "pro-paleo" site. It lists the 4 most common dietary deficiencies of people who are following the diet.
http://paleotrack.com/blog/4-most-common-nutrient-deficiencies-on-the-paleo-diet/
Top of the list - calcium deficiency. This is no a big surprise if dairy is not consumed.
What about people who are lactose intolerant. They can't consume dairy. So, how do they meet their calcium requirements? Legumes and soy, generally speaking.... Both of these items are not Paleo and are specifically avoided.
So, on the one hand, Paleo says - No dairy. This takes away most people's major source of calcium. And then it says, no soy products and no legumes. But if you don't eat dairy, then soybeans, kidney beans, french beans, yellow beans, peanuts and all other legumes like this do or should become more important as good sources of calcium.
Here's a great list of "nutrient dense" non-Paleo beans and legumes. Last time I checked, they count as Real Food.
http://www.calciumrichfoods.org/beans/
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ComingUntrue wrote: »There is much misinformation about Paleo in this thread. It boils down to eating the most nutrient dense foods. It's not all about how cavemen would've ate -- although that's a nice place to start when thinking about this lifestyle for beginners.
...
I feel functional when I eat real food. That's what Paleo is. Nutrient dense real food.
Legumes are real food. Real nutrient dense food. You'd be hard pressed to find a single food with a better nutrition profile than legumes.
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The other thing that is worth noting is the potential for a Paleo diet style to raise one's consumption of red meat.
It is totally possible to eat Paleo and keep red meat consumption to a reasonable amount, esting, instead fish, seafood, chicken, and other lean meats. However, some people construe the Paleo diet as carte Blanche to eat lots and lots of red meat.
Modern research, however, is increasingly linking large consumption of red meat with a variety of cancers and this is probably worth making note of.
http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/Red-meat-and-colon-cancer.shtml
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/red-meat-may-raise-breast-cancer-risk/
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/red-meat-consumption-linked-to-increased-risk-of-total-cardiovascular-and-cancer-mortality/
Most diets that are consideredcutting edge, scientifically and well supported by the medical community and health professionals, advocate limiting red meat intake, and focusing on other sources of protein - fish, shellfish, chicken etc and even choosing to have a meatless dinner, from time to time. (Enter those beans, legumes again)0 -
Some great and interesting discussions on Paleo with lots of valid points - too many to grasp at the moment so I can only comment from my own personal experience.
Food to me is medicine. What we put in our body and on our bodies matter and so for 20 years or more I have followed this theory and received lots of criticism and snide remarks from my friends as I try to eat as close to nature as my budget would allow. I eliminated most processed foods and as many additives as I could years ago and my remarks such as "Coke being poison" never went down well.
Now I don't follow Paleo to the letter and I definitely include dairy in my diet and the occasional wine but it is a way of eating that suits me. Wheat is a big issue for me and an even bigger one for my asthmatic daughter who is definitely wheat and lactose intolerant. And the recipes from Paleo book are great and inspire you to eat well.
I don't eat like our ancestors, at best I am Paleo/Primal 80% of the time and 20% whatever the social side dictates. I can't afford to buy organic, (very expensive in Australia) and I struggle with believing some of the restrictions in the Paleo diet and tend to listen to my body and the effect the food has on it. But honestly the amount of good healthy food you can get from the remaining list is never ending and is a wonderful guide.
Beware, if you are trying to lose weight as all this healthy food will help add on weight and is the reasons there is restrictions of fruits such as bananas and mangos. Portion control is still important.
Our ancestors may not have had wine in the beginning but they sure dedicated a lot of time and effort along the way to produce it for us modern day Paleo/Primal or whatever we choose to call ourselves these days.
Honestly good people, just Cut the CRAP -
Carbs
Refined Sugar
Alcohol
Processed Food
and just eat real food. And in the meantime I will work on my alcohol problem.
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^^^ since when are carbs not real food.0
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I have been eating PALEO for 4 months now..... I have lost 80 pounds...I have reversed type 2 diabetes....I was taking insulin shots every night ..49 units.....i take no insulin now...doctor says i am NON DIABETIC...I have quit blood pressure med.... I feel amazing.....
I bought the book PALEO for DUMMIES..... its the best book out there...
good luck0 -
You're never going to transform any restrictive diet into a permanent lifestyle change. It's definitional.
All these diets fail for one reason or another five years out. Weight is regained.
Studies show this.
Paleo will prove to be no different.
Has a zippy name- I'll give it that.
It's not your fault, however.
Our culture works against you with non-sensical food commercials and encouraging a false understanding of how your body works.
Even some doctors are taken in by this basically "stomach as a gas tank" belief.
And ALL carbohydrates- that are absorbed- wind up in the blood as 95% glucose with a little fructose and galactose thrown in.
There HAS to be a way where people can eat what they want and not have to worry about gaining weight.
Just makes sense, doesn't it?
Hilarious, slightly condescending post.
Poor little dumb me but "it's not my fault"
What's not my fault - that I eat fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, and don't eat wheat because it gives me a massive gut ache.
I don't find it restrictive at all and if you opened my fridge at any time you would find a huge assortment of healthy real food.
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Oh hey, another paleo thread...
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You're never going to transform any restrictive diet into a permanent lifestyle change. It's definitional.
All these diets fail for one reason or another five years out. Weight is regained.
Studies show this.
Paleo will prove to be no different.
Has a zippy name- I'll give it that.
It's not your fault, however.
Our culture works against you with non-sensical food commercials and encouraging a false understanding of how your body works.
Even some doctors are taken in by this basically "stomach as a gas tank" belief.
And ALL carbohydrates- that are absorbed- wind up in the blood as 95% glucose with a little fructose and galactose thrown in.
There HAS to be a way where people can eat what they want and not have to worry about gaining weight.
Just makes sense, doesn't it?
Hilarious, slightly condescending post.
Poor little dumb me but "it's not my fault"
What's not my fault - that I eat fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, and don't eat wheat because it gives me a massive gut ache.
I don't find it restrictive at all and if you opened my fridge at any time you would find a huge assortment of healthy real food.
as opposed to the fake food that the rest of us eat….0 -
I've read the "it starts with the food" book and there's pretty good explanation to why they decided to cut the foods they did.
I did a restrictive diet some years back and it was the only diet that have ever worked for me, I've been overweight for all of my life and simply by cutting of sugar, gluten, beans and dairy I've lost weight, felt better, it was awesome.
Unfortunately, that specific diet was very expensive for me, because I ate all sorts of supplements, gluten free items weren't cheat and also the protein bars, so I had to stop.
But when I learned about paleo and I saw how close it was to that diet I did and I decided to try it.
It was never hard for me to go out with my friends and family to dinner, I always took my tea and gluten free cookies for snacks and they were very supportive, picking restaurants where we knew they had amazing salads that would satisfy me.
That's why I'm trying the whole30 now, it's makes much more sense to me than to simply cut calories, something I've been doing my whole life with other diets and it has never worked, the weight loss was minimal and with a "restricted" diet I felt much much better.0 -
Lady_violet_ wrote: »I've read the "it starts with the food" book and there's pretty good explanation to why they decided to cut the foods they did.
I did a restrictive diet some years back and it was the only diet that have ever worked for me, I've been overweight for all of my life and simply by cutting of sugar, gluten, beans and dairy I've lost weight, felt better, it was awesome.
Unfortunately, that specific diet was very expensive for me, because I ate all sorts of supplements, gluten free items weren't cheat and also the protein bars, so I had to stop.
But when I learned about paleo and I saw how close it was to that diet I did and I decided to try it.
It was never hard for me to go out with my friends and family to dinner, I always took my tea and gluten free cookies for snacks and they were very supportive, picking restaurants where we knew they had amazing salads that would satisfy me.
That's why I'm trying the whole30 now, it's makes much more sense to me than to simply cut calories, something I've been doing my whole life with other diets and it has never worked, the weight loss was minimal and with a "restricted" diet I felt much much better.
so one form of calorie restriction is superior to another?0 -
[/quote] as opposed to the fake food that the rest of us eat….[/quote]
Ndj, why do you consider your food fake? What do you eat that is different to me?
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My definition of real food is as close to nature as possible. I try not to eat highly processed food that has additives and preservatives added. I am cautious of Gluten free foods.
I actually becoming very curious. What should I be adding to my diet? What am I missing out on? If I continue to eat the way I am eating, what will happen to my health or my weight?0 -
Ignore user steve098, it's a fraudulent account using a stolen picture.-2
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Lady_violet_ wrote: »I've read the "it starts with the food" book and there's pretty good explanation to why they decided to cut the foods they did.
I did a restrictive diet some years back and it was the only diet that have ever worked for me, I've been overweight for all of my life and simply by cutting of sugar, gluten, beans and dairy I've lost weight, felt better, it was awesome.
Unfortunately, that specific diet was very expensive for me, because I ate all sorts of supplements, gluten free items weren't cheat and also the protein bars, so I had to stop.
But when I learned about paleo and I saw how close it was to that diet I did and I decided to try it.
It was never hard for me to go out with my friends and family to dinner, I always took my tea and gluten free cookies for snacks and they were very supportive, picking restaurants where we knew they had amazing salads that would satisfy me.
That's why I'm trying the whole30 now, it's makes much more sense to me than to simply cut calories, something I've been doing my whole life with other diets and it has never worked, the weight loss was minimal and with a "restricted" diet I felt much much better.
so one form of calorie restriction is superior to another?
Sorry if I didn't express myself properly, but I never counted calories on the restricted diet0 -
Some great and interesting discussions on Paleo with lots of valid points - too many to grasp at the moment so I can only comment from my own personal experience.
Food to me is medicine. What we put in our body and on our bodies matter and so for 20 years or more I have followed this theory and received lots of criticism and snide remarks from my friends as I try to eat as close to nature as my budget would allow. I eliminated most processed foods and as many additives as I could years ago and my remarks such as "Coke being poison" never went down well.
Now I don't follow Paleo to the letter and I definitely include dairy in my diet and the occasional wine but it is a way of eating that suits me. Wheat is a big issue for me and an even bigger one for my asthmatic daughter who is definitely wheat and lactose intolerant. And the recipes from Paleo book are great and inspire you to eat well.
I don't eat like our ancestors, at best I am Paleo/Primal 80% of the time and 20% whatever the social side dictates. I can't afford to buy organic, (very expensive in Australia) and I struggle with believing some of the restrictions in the Paleo diet and tend to listen to my body and the effect the food has on it. But honestly the amount of good healthy food you can get from the remaining list is never ending and is a wonderful guide.
Beware, if you are trying to lose weight as all this healthy food will help add on weight and is the reasons there is restrictions of fruits such as bananas and mangos. Portion control is still important.
Our ancestors may not have had wine in the beginning but they sure dedicated a lot of time and effort along the way to produce it for us modern day Paleo/Primal or whatever we choose to call ourselves these days.
Honestly good people, just Cut the CRAP -
Carbs
Refined Sugar
Alcohol
Processed Food
and just eat real food. And in the meantime I will work on my alcohol problem.
I think this is a really thoughtful and interesting post! Diet, I think, is a very personal thing and involves an individuals relationship to food and their body. By this, I mean that people need to make some sort of peace with food. It's a major part of your life - since people eat every day (or almost every day, in instances where people fast).
For me, I eat by feel, rather than prescription (a set plan from any particular book) but my diet would probably fall into the category of a balanced diet.
What general directives do I use.
1) I Try to eat real food most of the time. Real food meaning that it has some nutritional value (based on accepted science and nutrition). So, I'm with you on the coke - it has no nutritional value. (This doesn't mean that I never, ever have one - but it would be pretty rare)
I'm aware that my teeth were designed for a little bit of everything - so I eat veggies, fruit, dairy, grains (I have grinders), nuts, seeds, fish and meat. No particular food is "off limits", and a common comment in our household would be "what do you feel like eating".
I have no food sensitivities or allergies. My blood pressure is low (102/60). All my blood work is normal. My aerobic capacity is very good. My weight is normal. I am lucky. I am in good health. Some of this is luck and genes (At 51 years of age, I have lost friends to cancer - one of them only 48 and an international level show jumping rider, who cared for his body very well. There are no guarantees). Some of this is also that I try to be "mindful" and to take care of my health. I have lived a fairly active lifestyle and continue to try to do so.
2) I try to eat seasonally and locally - My diet changes according to season. I eat more fresh fruit in the summer, when it's in season, more root veggies and starches in the winter (I live in Canada and we do have winter here). I eat more salads in the summer, when it's hot. I eat more stews, perhaps with whole grain roll, in the winter. This is not to say that I don't or won't eat berries in the winter - but I try to be "mindful" and "appreciative" of how far it had to come.
I try to be aware that meat is an "environmentally expensive" thing and I try to be appreciative that I live in a G8 country - a rich country - and that I shouldn't be "a pig". So, I also try to plan some meatless meals from time to time, to broaden my sources of protein. (There are few people who really need a 16oz steak for dinner. You have to be pretty darn active, especially if you are woman, to require that kind of sustenance)
I absolutely believe that people have to experiment with food to find what works for them, personally, what diet style works for them, and this is an experiment of one. But there are a lot of ways to meet daily nutritional requirements, so I don't think there is "one diet that fits all". So, I try to be respectful of different diet styles, although I do think that wrong information and new scientific studies should be discussed and taken into account. Diet is not and should not be static.
On that line of thought, I have some problems with the Paelo diet from a wider perspective - simply because if we are to demonize grain(s) (as some Paleo people do - not on this thread but I have seen it and hear it quite frequently) - then, we can't feed the world.
Grain was an important development in the history of man. In fact, civilization itself developed because of our ability to grow grain. Now, when I go to the grocery store, I see everywhere "gluten free" and people who say, "I don't eat bread, bread is bad for you."
The truth is that eating meat and eating "a lot of meat" is the privilege of the really rich in the world. Rice, oats, barley, wheat, corn, are all useful and nutritious for "most" of the population - and there is no reason not to include it in one's diet - "unless" these things don't agree with you - or unless one doesn't like them. (This isn't that wide a swath of the population, though)
So, when I stand off and I look from a very big distance I see, a diet, developed by rich Americans that mostly can be afforded by Americans, Canadians, and Australians because we still have land and can afford to grow that beef.
Europeans eat a lot less meat than we do. (Have a look at world beef consumption statistics). Yet, they are thinner, more active, and healthier than we are. (Generally, the intake of protein in America is more than required)
It's sort of like meat is the "prized" thing. (I'm sure hunters and gatherers thought so, and I'm also sure that they were not able to hunt and kill - every day.) So, someone comes up with an idea - let's make a diet and make meat the main feature. Eat lots of meat. Protein is good for you. And by the way - we'll give it a catchy name. We'll call it Paleo and we'll all be like cavemen. So, "if" Paleo is used (which is isn't always) as a way to "avoid" eating fresh vegetables and fruits and focusing in on meat, I'm not very in favor of it. This, in my mind represents a type of gluttony in a society and societies that are already suffering from too much of it - just look at the scales.
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Paleolithic peoples ate lots of food that every paleo poster here would hurl over, but what they did differently was everything after they got out of bed, try that and see if you don't want a burger or a donut because it won't matter, you'll sleep just fine.0
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^^^^^ very well thought out and written post. Kudos to you and thanks for the 'food for thought' as an Aussie.0
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Thank you Tracy, I also enjoyed reading your post and I just wanted to reassure you that Paleo is not about increasing meat consumption and certainly encourages everyone to eat a wide range of protein and to increase their vegetable and fruit intake.
For me personally, cutting out wheat has been a blessing but I can certainly see what you mean in regards to feeding the world without the use of wheat and grains. It would be an economical disaster.
Please don't get me started on the Gluten Free range as it is just another commercial push. Modern day Paleo when used in a sensible way is just healthy eating, leaving out the foods that effect you personally and avoiding sugars, additives and preservatives.0 -
Thank you Tracy, I also enjoyed reading your post and I just wanted to reassure you that Paleo is not about increasing meat consumption and certainly encourages everyone to eat a wide range of protein and to increase their vegetable and fruit intake.
For me personally, cutting out wheat has been a blessing but I can certainly see what you mean in regards to feeding the world without the use of wheat and grains. It would be an economical disaster.
Please don't get me started on the Gluten Free range as it is just another commercial push. Modern day Paleo when used in a sensible way is just healthy eating, leaving out the foods that effect you personally and avoiding sugars, additives and preservatives.
I still think it's hilarious when people advertise really dumb things as gluten free. Like "our strawberry and cream dessert is gluten free!". Well no *kitten*. Or rice cereal. Or salads.0 -
What we put in our body and on our bodies matter and so for 20 years or more I have followed this theory and received lots of criticism and snide remarks from my friends as I try to eat as close to nature as my budget would allow. I eliminated most processed foods and as many additives as I could years ago and my remarks such as "Coke being poison" never went down well.
Interesting. You don't like criticism and snide remarks from your friends about your diet but you feel free to tell them Coke is poison.
And wonder why it didn't go down well.
Hmmm.
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My friends are exactly that, friends. We comment, exchange views and generally enjoy being together. They never took it as a snide remark and instead researched and found out for themselves. They never drink coke now and as the years have progressed their eating habits have changed. Some have even given up smoking. It may not have gone down well but they were comfortable with our conversation and our friendships endured and strengthened.
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Thank you all for your advice! I will definitely research it a little more during the week
I forgot to mention to Syren, the poor girl that started this thread and whose head must be spinning at the moment, that there is a Paleo/Primal Support Group on this site if you are interested. Lots of interesting things there to help you.
Don't bother with Paleo unless you are prepared to give up wheat and eat more vegetables than a vegetarian. I personally don't follow the ancient Paleo but a more modern version as I think our world has changed so much and we have to change with it.
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That's great then.My friends are exactly that, friends. We comment, exchange views and generally enjoy being together. They never took it as a snide remark and instead researched and found out for themselves. They never drink coke now and as the years have progressed their eating habits have changed. Some have even given up smoking. It may not have gone down well but they were comfortable with our conversation and our friendships endured and strengthened.
But still not getting why their comments about your diet were 'snide remarks' ( your words) but you commenting on their diet was 'exchanging views'
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@ Leena
Frankly, I think the Swiss are on the right track with their pyramid. (Someone had talked about the American food pyramid and how it is inverted - I think this person was trying to make a case for meat being on the bottom - which is never going to happen.)
With the Swiss Pyramid - water is on the bottom. Then the next level is vegetables - your "green leafies" are here (but not all veggies) and fruit. So, they are recommending a plant based diet (and I agree with you, when really followed correctly, Paleo is or should be a plant based diet, first - it's name is actually not to it's credit, and strongly implies that the focus is elsewhere.)
The next level up is starches - So it contains rice, cereals and grains, starchy vegetables like potatoes and yams and beans - so Legumes fit here, too.
Then comes the protein portion - fish, meat, dairy, tofu, eggs, cheese
Then next comes the fats - nuts, oils, butter. (It's high up because of calorie density and a little goes a long way.)
The top of the pyramid is sweets - as just a tiny "delight" from time to time.
I think this is the type of pyramid that is most cutting edge. The nutrition is good. The balance of starches is good - they are not featured on the bottom but nor are they eradicated - they stand in balance and perspective to the other veggies. It's quite environmentally friendly and more sustainable. And each level also provides enough choice to construct a diet in many, many ways - either excluding something like wheat, or excluding something like meat (for vegetarians).
I think it's a pretty well thought out model. Contrary to this model - I have seen ads and people's personal pictures where the plate is simply split in half with meat on one side, fats on the other and a note that says, "it's not that hard, people". This view of Paleo, I think will be just a fad - and, in my mind actually deserves to be called out.
http://www.agroscope.admin.ch/forschung/05832/index.html?lang=en0
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