Paleo Diet

[crushing]

I know a couple of people doing crossfit that are really in to it. They basically say that paleo plus heavy workouts is fitness nirvana.

Drawbacks, on the surface it looks to be an expensive way of eating to maintain, and also difficult to maintain day after day. It seems to be more suited to a person that doesn't travel, always brown bags their lunch and rarely goes to restaurants.

I agree with your comments. I work with a crossfitter that is also a paleo diet proponent. He swears by it. We had a department picnic last week and for fun I decided to make my dish to pass a paleo one so he would have more options. That was the most expensive hummus and chips I ever made! I don't think he was a fan of the hummus, but he loved the chips.

If anyone is interested in the recipes, check them out here: http://libidiny.blogspot.com/2010/08/there-have-been-many-times-since-began.html

 

[harlan]

I would be VERY interested in the specs of this plan. I've been on a pseudo-'paleo' diet, low-carb/sufficient protein for years now. Worked extremely well to take off excess weight (85 lbs), but with ostearthritis restricting my ability to exercise am looking to tweak that diet. I haven't heard of anything, other than supplements and fish, that directly impact arthritis. (Feel free to pm, as I don't want to derail the thread. )

I'm about to start it... or something very close to it to help with arthritis found in my right hip this week. It was recommended by a nutritionalist (not "the paleo" but a plan close enough to it to use) for helping the joint itself & in muscle building since I've joined a gym to get a more directed workout for hips.

 

[punisher73]

I think it's just marketing hype and some really bad rationalization to justify the hype/sell.

Now, let me explain....our "paleolithic" ancestors were NOT known for their longevity, life expectancy was around 54 years old (taking into account early deaths before the age of 15) Next, we have to assume that man's systems have NOT evolved at all during that time period. For example, milk. Everyone talks about how animals are lactose intolerant and you shouldn't drink milk or eat dairy because of the lactose intolerance (hormones aside), but lactose TOLERANCE was a gene that was mutated and passed on to humans so we CAN eat/drink dairy for many of us without side effects.

Is the diet effective? Sure, so is healthy eating. Do people feel better when they start this diet? Sure, so would anyone when you start cutting out all the artificial chemicals you are putting into your body.

If you want to sum up ANY diet without the hype here it is: Eat lean cuts of meat and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid things out of a box or processed foods. Exercise daily and don't eat more than you need to.

 

[crushing]

So, it's a healthful and effective diet consisting of just marketing hype that supported by bad rationalization?

 

[elder999]

Now, let me explain....our "paleolithic" ancestors were NOT known for their longevity, life expectancy was around 54 years old (taking into account early deaths before the age of 15) Next, we have to assume that man's systems have NOT evolved at all during that time period. For example, milk. Everyone talks about how animals are lactose intolerant and you shouldn't drink milk or eat dairy because of the lactose intolerance (hormones aside), but lactose TOLERANCE was a gene that was mutated and passed on to humans so we CAN eat/drink dairy for many of us without side effects.

It's also worth pointing out that lactose tolerance is a product of our evolution for specific phenotypes, and only about 10,000 years old.

The high-altitude tolerance of the Tibetans is even younger.

 

[searcher]

I have been on it in the past, as it is pushed big time in the CrossFit circles that I hang in. I am currently on the Primal Diet setup by Mark Sisson. I like it much better, seems to be more "do-able." The Paleo can get you some crazy good results if you are strict with it. I am all for anything that is pro-meat and anti-grain. I have never felt better than when I eat Primal/Paleo/Grain free/.......

 

[punisher73]

So, it's a healthful and effective diet consisting of just marketing hype that supported by bad rationalization?

In my opinion, "yes". Let's assume for a second that the hunters were successful EVERY TIME they went out in a party. By the time they either got the big animal killed and ready to take back or got enough of the smaller animals to feed the tribe, how much time is left in the day? If you look at hunter/gatherer tribes that still existed and were documented by anthropologists in the early 1900's, they were mostly gatherers with only a small component of meat that was given by the hunters. Yet, the diets claim that meat was a large component and have you eat the vast majority of your diet on meats, which wasn't the case.

If you want to use their "logic" on dietary evolution, then humans are not designed to be mainly carnivores based on our digestive tracts and teeth. We are more designed to eat fruits and vegetables. Because we eat more and more meat we have developed genes to allow us to handle that, just like grains and dairy. So I find it faulty that we can allow one type of gene evolution, but not others.

 

[crushing]

I have been on it in the past, as it is pushed big time in the CrossFit circles that I hang in. I am currently on the Primal Diet setup by Mark Sisson. I like it much better, seems to be more "do-able." The Paleo can get you some crazy good results if you are strict with it. I am all for anything that is pro-meat and anti-grain. I have never felt better than when I eat Primal/Paleo/Grain free/.......

My Paleo/Crossfit friend that I mentioned previoiusly in this thread has moved more towards Primal for nutrition and SealFit for exercise. As I am reading more about Primal I have started to adopt a more Primal diet over the last couple weeks. The last few days I've been reading Sisson's ideas regarding exercise they sound good to me. By the way, I've lost about 10 pounds in the last couple weeks and it was a great feeling this morning when easily slipped my work slacks on and they weren't so snug around the waist.

I won't go completely Paleo or Primal, I enjoy quaffing a grain based drink nearly every evening.

 

[Gnarlie]

Drawbacks, on the surface it looks to be an expensive way of eating to maintain, and also difficult to maintain day after day. It seems to be more suited to a person that doesn't travel, always brown bags their lunch and rarely goes to restaurants.

I keep a diet that has the same lifestyle parameters. At first, this sounds limiting. You find ways. You mitigate the cost in other areas if it bothers you. I buy expensive dairy free confectionery...but I'm not buying expensive meat. I don't brown bag, I just do a little research before I travel. I know what i like to eat and where to get it. This became habit very quickly, so I wouldn't let those reasons hold you back.

QFT.

I have a friend who is a vegan. She is severely overweight because she eats too much starches. It's not about what you eat as much as how much.

calories in=calories out. Change that balance and you either gain or lose weight.

It would be very easy to be overweight as a vegan. There are many processed products on the market and a lot of people make the switch without finding out what it's really about. That's why we hear so many horror stories about unhealthy vegans. It can be a balanced diet if carefully planned, though.

Experimentation with veganism and other diets has certainly made me more aware of what I am or am not putting into my body, and that awareness can only be good. I'd say 90 per cent of the people I meet who ask me about my food reveal that they never really think too much about the health benefits or drawbacks of their dietary habits.



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[shesulsa]

Eat less, exercise more, you lose weight. That's all. Diets are bunk.

That's just math for weight loss - it says nothing about the quality of the food you ingest.

I think trying to eat for a caveman lifestyle would be smart if you're a caveman.

If the quality of the calories you're taking in don't matter then we wouldn't have diet-based illnesses or conditions affected by what we take in.

I just try - *try* mind you - to eat as much stuff without a label as possible, I try to stay away from *starch* and consume whole grains instead ... limit the carbs after noon, drink water flavored with berries or a splash of fresh-squeezed citrus juice. If I had the resources to do so, I'd buy all organic, local, seasonal with limited supplements.

I will admit to the more-than-occasional eggs fried in bacon grease, more often than I should have them cheeseburgers and the occasional coke. *sigh* The flesh is weak.

 

[Carol]

There was a study in Boston that supports the notion that a low-glycemic diet has many advantages over low-carb and low-fat diets. If I'm not mistaken, Paleo, Primal and similar diets are all low-glycemic.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505269_162-57461579/study-not-all-calories-are-created-equal/

 

[elder999]

Here's a persistence hunt:

100 degee temps. 8 hours of running. You're not gonna do that on a stomach full of steak.....:lol:

 

[JWLuiza]

There was a study in Boston that supports the notion that a low-glycemic diet has many advantages over low-carb and low-fat diets. If I'm not mistaken, Paleo, Primal and similar diets are all low-glycemic.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505269_162-57461579/study-not-all-calories-are-created-equal/

I've read the study in JAMA and think there will be more to this in the future. The low-carb dieters had an increase in CRP (c-reactive protein) which is associated with risk for heart disease, however they had beneficial lipid changes which are also a modifier for vascular disease. What is interesting is this diet probably didn't use grass-fed vs. corn fed beef and there was no focus on omega-3 consumption. I predict in 5-10 years a lower carb diet with an appropriate fat profile will be the standard for weight loss and maintenance.

 

[JWLuiza]

And the study showed the low-carb dieters had the best metabolic profile other than cortisol and CRP. I'd love to see longer term evaluations of these diets and a breakdown of the types of protein/fats and omega-3 consumption in all arms of the study.

 

[ETinCYQX]

Eat less, exercise more, you lose weight. That's all. Diets are bunk.

"diets" and "nutrition" are not the same thing. Crappy fuel nets crappy results.

 

[crushing]

Here's a persistence hunt:

100 degee temps. 8 hours of running. You're not gonna do that on a stomach full of steak.....:lol:

They look like they are pretty good at portion control, by choice or not.

 

[Isebell]

Thanks for sharing amazing post. I'm big lover of green vegetables and fruits. I have thoroughly read about Paleo diet, it looks amazing for health and fitness. Yet I've not tried it but I'll.

 

[Josh Oakley]

I just don't see how the dietary requirements (whether or not the paleo diet reflects them) of Homo Habilis will match the requirements for me. I just did my lifestyle change simply. I worked out, and paid attention to what my body was wanting. If what I was eating made me feel loagy, I tried something else. If it made me feel more energetic and happier, I made a note of it. In about a year I lost 50 lbs. And it stayed off. And I feel better. I kept it simple.

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