Take a deep breath in.
Hold for five seconds.
Say it with me as you breath out…
…ughhhhhh, Paleo.
You may be familiar with the Paleo diet, sometimes called the hunter-gatherer diet. Essentially, the idea is to eat the same way prehistoric humans were presumed to have eaten during the Paleolithic era – roughly 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 B.C. So basically veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds, meat and eggs. The diet excludes grains, beans, dairy and any processed foods…..you know, because cave men weren’t going through the McDonald’s drive-thru on their way home from hunting for dinner. The Paleo diet stems from the belief that our bodies cannot keep up with modern-day agriculture and food technology.
Our bodies have not yet evolved to eat the foods that are advertised to us.
I’ll be honest – I’ve been skeptical of the Paleo diet because of how much it emphasizes animal protein. This concerns me for two reasons:
- Eating more meat and eggs leaves less room for healthy carbs, plant-based proteins and veggies. There’s so much research out there regarding the benefits of these foods. Can I really get behind a diet that emphasizes less of these?
- Due to the high temperature needed to cook meats, they are naturally going to be higher in Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). If you’re interested in learning more about AGEs (and you should be), I’d encourage you to look them up. Long story short – these are carcinogenic, oxidative stress-inducing buggers. Plainly put, less is more.
With that said, I need to also mention the reported benefits of following the Paleo diet:
- research has shown that it may help metabolic disorders such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, etc.
- studies indicate decent weight loss benefits, especially abdominal adiposity
- it focuses on more whole foods and less ultra-processed foods (which, let’s be honest, isn’t unique to Paleo)
I’ve also read conflicting research on what is actually allowed on this diet. Some sources say certain beans and limited dairy is okay while others have a zero-leniency policy. Some sources allow ham, pork and bacon while others are strictly against it. Seriously, where’s the truth here?
I’m still not completely sold on the idea of the Paleo Diet. BUT….I’m willing to give it a shot for one month to see what the hype is about and to get a firsthand experience with it. I found a couple Paleo diet plans and cook books that I’ve been using to meal plan. So for tonight, we had short ribs with homemade paleo braising liquid, roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts with steamed green beans. Breakfast is egg “muffins”, and lunch is chicken salad over greens made with homemade paleo mayo (that I wouldn’t recommend). Our snacks have consisted of fruit, veggies and nuts.
Have you tried Paleo? If so, do you have any recipes you’d recommend or tips to share? Help a sister out!!
Until next time….
…eat food, not food products!