Paleo...the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

I wouldn't say that I'm "up in arms about it." I like paleo's focus on non processe foods, but I also think it unnecessarily excludes foods that can be made part of a healthy diet.

There is a group for paleo/primal people on here.

It depends on what you are looking to do with it...

Overall Paleo/Primal is an eating style - not a weight loss "diet" - within the eating style you can certainly skew it so you are in a calorie deficit in order to assist in loosing weight.

If you are looking to change your eating habits and move to a clean eating style then following Paleo/Primal is a good way to go.

BTW - I refer to it as Paleo/Primal because there are lots of variations based on who and what you read... for me the basics are

Paleo - removal of grain sources, beans, legumes, concentration on whole foods - veggies, meats, fruits, nuts and good oils. Preferably organic and grassfed but if not no biggie

Primal - the above with dairy added in

I eat a little bit of dairy so I would put myself in the "Primal" association

I have been eating Paleo/Primal since November - I have had good luck with it as far as my overall health - I am sleeping better, my skin is clearer, my nails and hair are stronger/shinier than ever. I have lost weight BUT I eat in a calorie deficit (and I skewed it towards lower carb as well - staying under 85 g/carb most days) and workout. I did find it was easier for me to loose weight overall while eating this lifestyle (I have been logging for a long time and for ME it really is the food I choose to fuel my body with vs calories in= calories out...fueling my body with cleaner foods and I think going lower carb really helped me personally - NOW one can eat lower carb and not eat primal/Paleo - but when I look at what I want to eat and what I like to eat it fits neatly under the Paleo/Primal lifestyle so I choose to align myself within this eating style as it makes it easier for me to find like minded people, great support and good recipes...

That being said - it does take time to adjust to this way of eating - I do find i really have to take time to plan out my meals to make sure I have food available - I spend more time making things in advance for quick grab and go convience. And I have learned willpower...

It really is a lifestyle change - I am lucky that my husband is more than willing to go along for the ride and has willingly made changes on his own (he makes his own lunch and has recently started doing rollups using broad leaf lettuce instead of bread with the lunchmeat he eats) - My daughters - wellllll....I attempt but i don't want them to have food issues like I did growing up - so I ask them to try things i make - sometimes it's a hit - other times they are making a PB&J...

Lots of people will shut down this way of eating and that is their opinion...I will say if you want to give it a try go for it - BUT give it a good 3 weeks - don't just give up after a week - if you do eat a lot of processed foods, soda, higher carbs daily the first week maybe rough as your body adjusts and purges - this can include feeling tired, headaches, sick to your stomach.. I have had a few friends ask me about what they need to do after seeing my success with the lifestyle...and I alwasy give them a bunch of infomation as far as good websites/blogs and books and tell them first thing they need to do is read and come to thier own conclusions and if they decide to give it a whirl to give it 3 weeks...

I'm wondering who is currently following this and having success and who has tried it and not had a good run with it. Personally, it doesn't seem to be such a radical ideology to me as it sounds very similar to things/suggestions I've heard from nutritionists and doctors over and over again...so why are people so up in arms about it?

It's the current fad diet. It is not historically accurate. Paleo people tend to be self-righteous jerks (not that there's anything wrong with that), who feel like everyone should believe/eat the exact same things they do. The part of it that actually works (don't eat processed crap) should be common sense. If you don't know that eating 5 big macs, and pound of fries, and a milkshake is not good for you, then no diet will help you. Its concepts of inflammatory foods are completely fabricated, and not at all scientifically validated (in fact, they completely contradict, in my case at least, the results of a scientifically validated test of inflammatory mediator production in response to various foods).

On the other hand, not eating a ton of processed crap is obviously going to improve your health. There is nothing wrong with eating better foods. The low-carb element can be helpful in the short-term for people dealing with insulin resistance and other metabolic issues as well (this is not unique to Paleo, but Paleo is definitely healthier than the other low-carb diets). For some people, I think it can be very helpful.

It really is a lifestyle change - I am lucky that my husband is more than willing to go along for the ride and has willingly made changes on his own (he makes his own lunch and has recently started doing rollups using broad leaf lettuce instead of bread with the lunchmeat he eats) - My daughters - wellllll....I attempt but i don't want them to have food issues like I did growing up - so I ask them to try things i make - sometimes it's a hit - other times they are making a PB&J...

My husband has been such an awesome sport. He willingly chose to experience the starch-free meals that I create. He even found an admiration for spaghetti squash when I do a nice garlic-cheese side with it. He tried roasted eggplant yesterday and said "its like candy, OMG!".... but I will always have his favorites available when he wants them. If I do a bowl of Pho, his gets the real rice noodles... I use the shirataki noodles for my bowl... things like that.

Shirataki noodles????

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/37-primal-paleo-support-group
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-group
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/438-primal-paleo-challenges
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/621-the-primal-life-tips-from-the-cave
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/852-paleo

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR - I am so making those Cauli Sticks......

They are quite good. I've liked everything I've made with cauliflower (breadsticks, rice, pizza, tater tots) as a sub EXCEPT mashed "faux-tatoes". I've tried a couple of different variations and still don't like them, so I've given up.

I went "paleo" on Jan 7th.... I started with just the diet and just recently started easing myself into the gym (I have a bad habit of doing too much too fast, hurting myself, and killing my progress). I lost almost 20 lbs since then.... I try to do as much research as to WHY certain foods are not included...

Grains are cut for multiple reasons, one of which, is that it promotes inflammation. Some people that have arthritis issues and start the paleo diet notice that a lot of those problems get better or go away completely.

Legumes have proteins which are bad for your gut.... When I started the diet I went on 100% -- I wasn't playing games. MY husband was "easing himself into it." He started by cutting out all legumes and most of his grains (most of the time). After a few weeks of this he decided to have some peanut-butter.... shortly after that he had an upset stomach and refuses to touch peanuts since.

Paleo diet also promotes grass-fed or free range meets. That's something I always felt was better for you even before this diet came into my view.... but it is pricey, so we do what we can when we can.... however, the grassfed is not a deal breaker.

THE UGLY: I was going through a period of eating a lot of crappy food: processed, fast food, etc. So when I started the Paleo diet, I went through a detox period. I got a head for the first 3 days (went away w/ tylenol... but I put it off). And then off and on for a few more days after that. Once I got past that I had a burst of energy and I just felt great!

I do have the occasionally sugary treat (usually chocolate or candy)... and I occasionally have some non-grassfed dairy, but I have stood firm on the NO grains 100%. It was a little difficult at first to get rid of my beloved bread, but I'm quite comfortable with being in the same room as other people enjoy it, without breaking into a cold sweat Besides, I'm reaping the benefits of it so far.

I have a long way to go, but I've NEVER had these kinds of results on any other diet I've tried. I swear by it