Paleo Eating- Who does it?

Figured I'd give this a bump so others can find it more easily

Hi:flowerforyou:

I've gone gluten free due to intolerance. I'm easing into Primal 1st. So far this is the best I've felt in long time. 

Peace

@kaitlinj: Great links, thank you! I really enjoyed the Chris Kresser article in particular, which describes the broad spectrum of this way of eating.

I'm planning to slowly transition into this lifestyle. What are must haves? Great recipes? Thanks in advance.

Tomorrow is my first day using MFP. I am interested in the paleo lifestyle as well. I was recently diagnosed with Lyme Disease and have read that carbs can be inflammatory. Looking forward to the journey and learning from those of you who follow this.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/313703-palelo-support-group

It's mispelled but there is a paleo support thread, come take a look over there. Lots of people and info.

*misspelled* {sigh} oh, the irony...

I doubt that the early homonids were consuming meat that was was as fatty as what's available to us today. We're not even talking homo-sapiens yet in the Paleolithic period. These were still apemen, if you like. They were eating wild animals, not farm raised heifers and pigs bred to be nice marbled restaurant style quality or even what you see in your supermarkets. Also, they hunted their food, they didn't grocery shop. A few more calories burned there, I'd assume. On top of that, depending on where they lived, their diet would be different. They didn't import food, they were confined to the local fauna. Some would have been fisherman, some ate more meat, some may have been more nomadic existing on the regional plants. I'm not trying to knock the diet, but think about it. Nothing we buy today matches what was eaten then. This is minimum 30,000 years ago. I would think a whole grain, low fat, moderate protein, with fruits and veges probably the healthiest. When you tip the scales in one direction toward one type of nutrient, it doesn't sound that healthy to me. I think maybe an extremely active person might burn all that fat, but I don't know. Just my two cents. This is the first that I heard of that diet. It seems like something invented to sell a book. I know I'm going to get blasted, but that's just my two cents. If its working for you and you love it, go for it. I'm not telling anyone to change what they're doing.

I doubt that the early homonids were consuming meat that was was as fatty as what's available to us today. We're not even talking homo-sapiens yet in the Paleolithic period. These were still apemen, if you like. They were eating wild animals, not farm raised heifers and pigs bred to be nice marbled restaurant style quality or even what you see in your supermarkets. Also, they hunted their food, they didn't grocery shop. A few more calories burned there, I'd assume. On top of that, depending on where they lived, their diet would be different. They didn't import food, they were confined to the local fauna. Some would have been fisherman, some ate more meat, some may have been more nomadic existing on the regional plants. I'm not trying to knock the diet, but think about it. Nothing we buy today matches what was eaten then. This is minimum 30,000 years ago. I would think a whole grain, low fat, moderate protein, with fruits and veges probably the healthiest. When you tip the scales in one direction toward one type of nutrient, it doesn't sound that healthy to me. I think maybe an extremely active person might burn all that fat, but I don't know. Just my two cents. This is the first that I heard of that diet. It seems like something invented to sell a book. I know I'm going to get blasted, but that's just my two cents. If its working for you and you love it, go for it. I'm not telling anyone to change what they're doing.

You raise some very good points. One of the key components of an ideal "paleo" diet today is that the meat would be from grass-fed and pastured sources because, indeed, cows and other animals that we use for meat today were never meant to eat the diet they are fed today in factory farms. But I feel like the factory farm/fattier meat argument only serves to strengthen arguments in favor of the paleo diet. Ruminant animals aren't evolved to eat diets high in corn and soybeans. That makes their meat nice and fatty and it makes the animals sick.

So... we feed farm animals food that they were not evolved to eat to make them fatty.... but we don't stop to think about what humans are optimally adapted to eat (and not optimally adapted to eat)?

The paleo diet isn't about tipping the scales in favor of any one nutrient. Or at least it isn't in its current realization. I would encourage you to read my previous post and read the links in my signature if you are really interested in learning more about it.

I've been toying with heading towards a paleo diet and just finished reading two books the first one called NeanderThin almost turned me off, because it felt so strict, but the second one The Modern Paleo diet for athletes made a lot of sense and allowed for the modern differences between us and our distant ancesters. The Acadmeic Director at the school I work for recommended them as she is paleo and an ultra marathon runner (100 milers) and she is in amazing health.
We've been Gluten free for a while and I use Quinoa and potatoes some times, but have cut out most processed food except for protein bars and protein powder and the occasional rice crisp or corn chip. My wife said she would not follow it with me, but I think it's doable because our current diet is so close. For me the hardest part is cutting back on cheese (we already use almond milk for our shakes and smoothies) and the Modern book said coffee in moderation was okay, but the other one was no coffee and that was hard to "not swallow". :-)
Great thread it's very informative and helpful;. Thank you.

Paleo is bunk!!! You're asking your body to devolve thousands and thousands of years and what? You think that the caveman didn't eat corn, or grind grain on a rock? Look at primitive natives, they definately did both. Paleo is just the new Atkins and the results are the same...eventual return of whatever weight you lost.

LOL. Evolution takes longer than 200 or 1000 years......

The reason it's called Paleo is because it's modeled around humans during PALEOLITHIC Era. If you don't want to try it or haven't tried it......that's certainly your choice. But before calling it complete garbage because you love eating your corn on the cob and your wheaties in the morning, you should probably do a little bit of reading as to the reasons why grains and legumes are removed from the diet. It might open your mind.


I changed the way I eat to a strict primal diet 7 weeks ago and I LOVE it. I have never felt better.

Ummmm btw the Paleolethic era took place over 2.6 million years ago not 200-1000 years ago. Secondly, do you really think that I would be making comments without having done the research? I know several people who are currently or have used it in the past and though (yes I know) it's not identical to the Atkin's diet it has a lot of similarities. If wheat, corn or other grains make you sick than obviously I don't think you should eat those particular grains however, speaking as someone who's family suffers from various forms of food allergies I can tell you that there are many options that would also give you the carbs that your brain and body actually need. This isn't opinion, this is fact.

I have no doubt you are capable of making stupider statements about Paleo diets but I do not want to issue a challenge for you to try. There is nothing wrong with Atkins or low carb diets like Paleo, your brain and body do not need carbs. What the brain needs is glucose which your body can produce from protein or from triglycerides. Carbs in fact are the only macronutrient the body can completely avoid without developing a deficiency disease. Something to think about, eh?