I’m really not a fan of the term “Paleo”. It seems to stir up controversy and misunderstanding. I suppose that happens with just about anything that lies outside the mainstream. Recently a lot of Paleo bloggers were talking about and responding to this post, for example. I’m not addressing that post specifically, but I’d like to address a few topics that seem to keep coming up over and over again. You know, like nutritional Whack-a-Mole...
1) Because the Caveman did it.
This is not a reason to do anything. I don’t care what the caveman did. I eat meat, vegetables, fruit, and nuts because they are whole, unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods. No, grains are not unprocessed or nutrient-dense.
2) People have been eating grains for 10,000 years.
Yes. Yes, they have. That is no better a reason to do anything than “because the caveman did it.”
3) It’s too low-carb.
This way of eating is not *necessarily* low-carb. Yes, it is lower-carb than a diet filled with pasta, burgers, fries, nachos, beer, and soda... but you can still get plenty of carbohydrate matter from starchy vegetables. There is no set optimal macronutrient ratio (sorry, Dr. Sears). YOU have to find the balance of proteins, carbs, and fats that works for YOU, based on YOUR activity level, metabolism, insulin sensitivity...
4) It’s too expensive.
No, it isn’t. You can do real food on a budget. Is grass-fed, organic, free-range, massaged beef from cows that have been sung to and tucked in at night for their whole lives best? Sure. Is that an excuse to stop at a drive-through instead of buying conventional meat? No. And think of all the money you’ll save on medical bills...
5) It’s inconvenient.
Stop being lazy and cook your own damn food.
6) It’s unhealthy.
Huh?
7) I don’t want to give up dairy.
Ok. Don’t. Here’s the deal with dairy. Some people do fine with it, some don’t. I love cheese. LOVE it. But I do better without it. Wanna know how I know that? I cut out all dairy for a month, then added it back in. I was congested the next day and broke out almost immediately. Do I still have some every once in a while? Of course I do. It just isn’t one of my staple foods.
8) I can’t imagine life without bread (or sugar or pizza or coke...)..
I used to be one of these people. Were the first few weeks hard? Of course they were, but I feel so much better without it. I’m stronger and healthier, and a steak and sweet potato is so much more satisfying than pizza.
9) What about fiber?
There are these wacky things called fruits and vegetables... loaded with fiber.
10) But... but... I don’t wanna...
Ok, fine. Don’t. Do you know why some of us are so passionate about this? Because people are literally changing their lives by changing how they eat. For some it’s small stuff like body composition and athletic performance. For others, it’s big stuff like reversing disease and getting off of prescription drugs. If you’d rather pop a pill, let a doctor cut you open, or just live with being sick and tired, that’s fine. It’s your life. I’m still gonna tell people who want better for themselves that they can heal themselves with food.
The bottom line is, there is no cookie-cutter solution. I recently read a post over at Go Kaleo that I really liked. I don’t agree with her 100%, but I really like the perspective. She has a Venn diagram that shows how she determines her “Food Foundation”. Most of the time, choose foods that support your health and your goals, taste good to you, and that you tolerate well. It’s as simple as that.
We all need to sort through the misinformation and think for ourselves. As an advocate of the so-called Paleo Diet, I want to emphasize the fact that this is not a reenactment or a religion. Don’t eat something because it’s “Paleo”, eat it because you enjoy it and it supports your health.
Let go of the dogma, and make choices that make sense for you. This is your life and your body, and taking care of it properly is going to require some thinking and tinkering. Be mindful about what you eat, and be wary of anyone who tries to tell you that they have all the answers.
1) Because the Caveman did it.
This is not a reason to do anything. I don’t care what the caveman did. I eat meat, vegetables, fruit, and nuts because they are whole, unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods. No, grains are not unprocessed or nutrient-dense.
2) People have been eating grains for 10,000 years.
Yes. Yes, they have. That is no better a reason to do anything than “because the caveman did it.”
3) It’s too low-carb.
This way of eating is not *necessarily* low-carb. Yes, it is lower-carb than a diet filled with pasta, burgers, fries, nachos, beer, and soda... but you can still get plenty of carbohydrate matter from starchy vegetables. There is no set optimal macronutrient ratio (sorry, Dr. Sears). YOU have to find the balance of proteins, carbs, and fats that works for YOU, based on YOUR activity level, metabolism, insulin sensitivity...
4) It’s too expensive.
No, it isn’t. You can do real food on a budget. Is grass-fed, organic, free-range, massaged beef from cows that have been sung to and tucked in at night for their whole lives best? Sure. Is that an excuse to stop at a drive-through instead of buying conventional meat? No. And think of all the money you’ll save on medical bills...
5) It’s inconvenient.
Stop being lazy and cook your own damn food.
6) It’s unhealthy.
Huh?
7) I don’t want to give up dairy.
Ok. Don’t. Here’s the deal with dairy. Some people do fine with it, some don’t. I love cheese. LOVE it. But I do better without it. Wanna know how I know that? I cut out all dairy for a month, then added it back in. I was congested the next day and broke out almost immediately. Do I still have some every once in a while? Of course I do. It just isn’t one of my staple foods.
8) I can’t imagine life without bread (or sugar or pizza or coke...)..
I used to be one of these people. Were the first few weeks hard? Of course they were, but I feel so much better without it. I’m stronger and healthier, and a steak and sweet potato is so much more satisfying than pizza.
9) What about fiber?
There are these wacky things called fruits and vegetables... loaded with fiber.
10) But... but... I don’t wanna...
Ok, fine. Don’t. Do you know why some of us are so passionate about this? Because people are literally changing their lives by changing how they eat. For some it’s small stuff like body composition and athletic performance. For others, it’s big stuff like reversing disease and getting off of prescription drugs. If you’d rather pop a pill, let a doctor cut you open, or just live with being sick and tired, that’s fine. It’s your life. I’m still gonna tell people who want better for themselves that they can heal themselves with food.
The bottom line is, there is no cookie-cutter solution. I recently read a post over at Go Kaleo that I really liked. I don’t agree with her 100%, but I really like the perspective. She has a Venn diagram that shows how she determines her “Food Foundation”. Most of the time, choose foods that support your health and your goals, taste good to you, and that you tolerate well. It’s as simple as that.
We all need to sort through the misinformation and think for ourselves. As an advocate of the so-called Paleo Diet, I want to emphasize the fact that this is not a reenactment or a religion. Don’t eat something because it’s “Paleo”, eat it because you enjoy it and it supports your health.
Let go of the dogma, and make choices that make sense for you. This is your life and your body, and taking care of it properly is going to require some thinking and tinkering. Be mindful about what you eat, and be wary of anyone who tries to tell you that they have all the answers.
