Paleo 101: How and why you should eat like a Caveman

What is paleo?

In a nutshell the idea is that humans adapted to eating a certain diet as hunter gatherers for hundreds of thousands of years. This ended about 10,000 years ago with the advent of agriculture and the introduction of grains to our diets as well as domesticated animals and dairy products.

Since we are not especially well adapted to some of the relatively modern foods, if a cavemen didn't eat it, we shouldn't either.

Eat non-processed whole foods. Meats, fish, veggies, fruit. No grains (bread, cereal etc), processed sugars, legumes (peanuts, soy and beans in general are the big ones here) and avoid dairy (milk, cheese, etc *note some variants allow dairy in moderation, notably the Primal Blueprint).

You'll get some variation on what to eat depending on who you read, but essentially it's the same principles. The main take home points are whole foods, nothing processed. No grains, no processed sugars.

Why should I try this?

In my view everything should be treated with both skepticism and an open mind. This is no different. If you have said to yourself "I need to start eating better", then this might be worth your while.

At the very least, the idea of eating whole, unrefined, unprocessed foods wherever possible has absolutely worked for me. Paleo brings that ideal and adds some other layers on top: No grains (various reasons), no sugars, no dairy, no legumes. I can't say if any or all of those are necessary to anyone, but I am compelled enough to try. I know quite a few people who eat this way and they swear by it. So I'm creating this thread to inform those who would like to know more about it.

How strict is it?

First, don't let perfect be the enemy of good. Shoot for 100% but even 80% compliance is said to offer the vast majority of the benefits. So if you eat a cookie, nobody will arrest you. Just be sensible. You get out what you put in.

Eliminating all grains seems daunting, but for me it hasnt been as bad as I thought it would be. Same with sugar. I still crave my oatmeal from time to time, and I even indulge it on rare occasion. I sweeten my tea with honey. I have milk post workout. But I also make sure I eat quality protein, veggies and good fats with every meal and that's the lion's share of my daily calories.

A good article on not paralyzing yourself by over analyzing or trying to be too perfect with this:

http://balancedbites.com/2012/06/pal...ectionism.html

"Life is about not just being healthy, but being able to enjoy being healthy!"

Is this Low Carb?

I would say it's lower carb than a typical western diet. I dont think that makes it "low", or at least it shouldnt. If you note the food pyramids veggies are #2 on that list so make sure you're getting them. If you currently eat a lot of bread, cereal, bagels, pasta, sugary drinks including fruit juice.. yeah it's low carb comparatively.

Speaking of carbs, I cut them and I'm not feeling so energetic. It's been about a week now:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/low-c...#axzz2H2cyhzbE

Nonetheless, for some folks, there's a common, temporary but still bothersome bump in the road on the way to that Primal prize. Though it varies, it often means a couple weeks of mental fuzziness, fog and fatigue. Although your body might be off to the races, your brain can lag behind like a little brother in a stuffed snowsuit. It's a game of "hey, wait up!" while the body's mechanisms and metabolism align themselves. They call it "low carb flu," and rest assured it's just as temporary.

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Whatever happened to "Eat less exercise more"? That works.

This works for pure weight loss, generally speaking. Paleo is not a diet in the sense of how many people use the word. It's not a fat loss diet. It's a diet in the sense of here's what you should try to eat to be healthy.

The other problem with "eat less exercise more" is when you run into the person eating only pizza, bagels, cereal, ramen noodles, take out food etc and say "well just eat half a bagel and run around the block". They may lose weight but it's not really hitting the core of the problem. They'll likely be even more hungry... less food more expenditure... and it will be much more difficult to keep that up. Once they fail, the weight comes right back. You're also more likely to lose muscle and lean body mass, which isn't very helpful at all.


So what do I do exactly?

Give it a try for 30 days. Try this way of eating and see if you:

Feel better in general
Are not hungry every 2 hours
Look better
Sleep better
Have more energy



Eat:


Vegetables
Fruit
Lean Meats
Seafood
Healthy Fat
Nuts and Seeds

Avoid:

Grains
Dairy
Processed food and sugars
Legumes
Alcohol

Food Pyramid: ****NOTE this is from the Primal Blueprint (http://www.marksdailyapple.com)****
Primal is a variant of Paleo that allows some dairy. If you have problems with dairy or suspect you do, avoid it for 30 days then introduce slowly to see how you react to it.



WHY cant I eat grains on this diet? What's wrong with whole grains? I thought that was healthy.

There is no simple, satisfying answer to this.

People seem to agree if you have celiac disease, gluten is really bad for you.http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/celiac-disease/DS00319

Then you get into a grey area of "gluten intolerant". Is that real? Is it bullshit? Some first world syndrome? Are you intolerant? You have to decide that for yourself it seems like.

WebMD article: Only people with celiac need worry about it.
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disor...-against-grain

WSJ article: Celiac researcher says gluten intolerance exists:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...522456636.html

If "they're bad for you" is not acceptable on the face of it (and it shouldnt be), there are a lot of people who are happy to break it down for you. I've read through the pro and cons and at the end of the day I keep coming back to "Try it for 30 days and see what happens". Again, even the people arguing gluten and grains are fine for the majority admit that those with celiac disease should avoid gluten at all costs. They also argue there is not a lot of evidence backing the no grain gluten free thing (some say no evidence). So far as I can tell there may not be much hard evidence but there is some, and it seems to be getting traction.

Basically the Paleo arguments come down to:

- Grains are calorically dense but do not contain much in the way of nutrition. e.g. compare 100g of wheat bread to a cup of broccoli.
- Grains contain a lot of carbohydrate in a small package, this equates to a insulin spike when consumed
- Grains contain a high concentration of lectins (gluten is a lectin but there are many others). Many lectins are harmless, some may even be beneficial but some can be bad for your health. Lectins found in grains, in high concentrations are thought to be harmful to the stomach lining and thus cause inflammation, autoimmune issues and insulin resistance.

All of the above come from these articles:

http://whole9life.com/2010/03/the-grain-manifesto/

http://life.dailyburn.com/diet-and-n...why-no-grains/

And for balance here is an article arguing against all of this:

http://www.outlawfitnesshq.com/why-g...nt-bad-for-you

There is also a growing number of people who have begun to label themselves as gluten-intolerant, or gluten-sensitive. The medical industry now refers to this condition as non-celiac gluten-intolerance. This is not the same as celiac disease in that eating gluten is potentially dangerous to gluten-sensitive individual, but much less worrisome for the gluten-intolerant person. There are no antibodies for gluten present in non-celiac gluten-intolerant individuals and there is no observed damage to the lining and architecture of the intestine, unlike their celiac counterparts.

If you are an individual who is sensitive to gluten, allergic to gluten, or if you have full blown celiac disease, then gluten will make you feel miserable. It's responsible for a whole host of health problems in these individuals, from headaches to IBS. The effects of gluten on celiac individuals are not new, and medical professionals have been using a gluten-free diet to treat these individuals for over 40 years.

While there is no doubt that gluten causes problems in the minority of the population, there is no evidence whatsoever that gluten is problematic for the average, gluten-tolerant individual.

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And finally, Robb Wolf talking about the science behind gluten's effect on humans:

http://robbwolf.com/2011/01/12/hey-r...ets-are-bogus/

in which he refers to (among other things), this article:http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...sease-insights



So... no more bread or pasta... ever?

See above about the 80/20 adherence and "you dont need to be perfect". Try to be strict for 30 days. Reintroduce things slowly after that and see how your tolerance is. As I type this I'm getting ready to go over to my in-laws and she's making pasta. I'm eating some, with a lot of meatballs too. I also hit the gym 4 nights a week which gives me even more room for things like that. At least that's my rationale and I'm sticking to it...


MEALS

I personally find pictures to be the best way of communicating this way of eating. Below are examples of what I personally eat and a few things I plan to try. You may find some things not strictly paleo there, like cheese for example. See the above article on not having to be perfect.


Sample Breakfasts from Everyday Paleo:http://everydaypaleo.com/category/food/breakfast/

Italian Eggs:


Sweet Potato Latkes:
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l3...psc8f0c290.jpg

Roasted Eggplant Stacks
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l3...psca67722c.jpg



Snacks: Some of the things I like to eat.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l32/Dashel2/snack.jpg

Yes there is cheese next to the tomatoes in that picture. oh the shame of it all. Cheese isnt paleo. Primal allows some cheese. I like a little cheese now and then so I eat it in moderation.
Pictured: Cherries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries. Macadamia nuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, munster cheese, grape tomatoes.

*Pro Tip on Macadamia nuts: they are crazy expensive. Try to find them in Costco or similar warehouse type food store.


Here is the closest I could find to what I do:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l3...ps8ecdc6d9.jpg

Just deli turkey, wrap up some peppers, avocado, pickles whatever... No bread. I like them a lot. Try and get quality stuff. Ham or roast beef works well too. I also will put a slice of provolone in there. Tastes good.
Yes, deli turkey is processed. You're better off with a whole turkey breast and slicing that up... but nobody is perfect.


Sample Dinner: A couple of things I made.

Simple kebob with chicken, beef, peppers and tomato

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l32/Dashel2/010-3.jpg

Greek Bifteki with a simple salad of greens, tomatoes and strawberries.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l32/Dashel2/008-3.jpg


Resources:

http://balancedbites.com/
http://robbwolf.com/
http://nomnompaleo.com/
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Benefits:

http://robbwolf.com/wp/wp-content/up...2/benefits.jpg

Is this paleo?

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l3...ps8543da06.jpg

Common Criticisms:

Paleo is expensive!

http://robbwolf.com/2011/09/21/paleo-is-expensive/

Where do I get my vitamins and fiber?

http://robbwolf.com/wp/wp-content/up...81-300x225.jpg


Books:

Practical Paleo:This is by far the best book that I own on the subject. It's full of great info, recipes, meal plans and guides.
http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Pale...mm_pap_title_0

Everyday Paleo Family Cookbook: This one is another go to book. Great recipes, geared for a family with younger kids and what they might like too.
http://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Paleo...mm_pap_title_0

Primal Blueprint:Excellent resource that goes into not only the hunter gatherer diet but exercising and general lifestyle changes that might help you. There is also a Quick & Easy Meals book for the Primal Blueprint. I've made a few of them and I like them a lot.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Primal-Blu...7355168&sr=1-1

Make it Paleo:Extensive recipe list with simple and easy to prepare meals. Worth the money if you need more recipes, if not Practical Paleo has more info.
http://www.amazon.com/Make-Paleo-Gra...7355200&sr=1-1

There are others but these four are the ones I use the most by far. If you're looking for information, then go with Practical Paleo and Primal Blueprint. Lots of recipes are online but it seems the ones in the books are exclusive to print.

Sample meal plan for fat loss from Practical Paleo:

Day 1:
Breakfast - Swirly crustless quiche. Perfectly baked bacon.
Lunch - Mustard glazed chicken thighs. Green salad. Balsamic vinegrette
Dinner - Grilled Garlic Flank Steak with Peppers and Onions. Spinach

Day 2:
Breakfast - Left over swirly crustless quiche, left over flank steak w/ peppers and onions
Lunch - Wild Canned salmon with olives, lemon juice, tomato, evoo.
Dinner - Sage roasted turkey legs, roasted pearl onions, green salad

Day 3:
Breakfast - Eggs, perfectly baked bacon, kale.
Lunch - Mixed greens with wild canned salmon, asparagus, lemon juice, evoo
Dinner - Citrus & herb whole roasted chicken, simple baked kale chips

Day 4:
Breakfast - Grain Free Porridge, berries, left over citrus and herb chicken
Lunch - Spinach salad with walnuts & artichokes, left over roast chicken
Dinner - Chinese 5-spice lettuce cups


Doctor Approved:

aychamo_aycono_sl said:

I actually completely agree with the bulk of what's in this thread, which is eating home cooked meals and avoiding processed shitty food.

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Ok well, I have this post going on a few boards so I thought I'd drop it here too in case anyone is interested. I thought I could just cut and paste what I had but apparently I need to attach and I'm limited to 6 per post. So this is missing a few images.

Anyway feel free to ask questions and I will try and answer as best I can.

Paleo adherents argue that saturated fat is not evil and that the premise itself was flawed from the beginning. The only real disclaimer about saturated animal fats is that the animals be pasture raised and eat it's natural diet (grass fed vrs grain fed) to keep the same natural fat profiles.

Here's a video on how they view the saturated fat thing from the documentary Fathead :

Adebisi_sl said:

The Adebisi Diet

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This does work for weight loss but in the absence of any context you'll end up losing lean mass which is not particularly healthy. You're better off focusing on what you eat.

This place did seem the most resistant to the whole thing. That's ok the post is there for anyone interested. As for me personally I have nothing for sale. 2 summers back I was very lean from eating this way and counting calories at the same time. After that Starting Strength very intentionally bumped me from 170ish to 202 lbs over the course of 3 or 4 months. When I was doing SS I ate pretty much anything and everything. I did SS for 6 months total and then mixed things up but never cut since we just had a baby girl 8 months ago so that kept me busy.

I'm now finally cutting down to I hope 180-185 but the same degree of body fat %. I'm at 194 now since starting to cut about 10 days ago. This isme at 172, so I hope to be this + 10-15 pounds of extra muscle



This actually reminds me to take some "before" pictures. But the point of the thread is eating good food, not necessarily losing fat.

If you're looking for the scientific explanation to some of this I'd direct you here:

http://robbwolf.com/2011/01/12/hey-r...ets-are-bogus/
Which references this article:http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...sease-insights

and also this:

Based on our results, we concluded that gliadin activates zonulin signaling irrespective of the genetic expression of autoimmunity, leading to increased intestinal permeability to macromolecules.

Interpretation? Significance?

Everyone has CXCR3, everyone transports gluten into the enterocytes, everyone experiences gut irritation from gluten. I'll wager ALL grains, but I'll get to that later. Now we have evidence that dietary lectins (like gluten) appear to cause insulin resistance:

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And a bunch of studies cited. tl;dr gluten/grain is bad. causes insulin resistance, can effect stomach lining. No it wont kill you (unless you have celiac) but it might be worth eliminating to see how your body reacts.

McCheese_sl said:

I personally think Paleo is stupid. I'm currently in the best health of my life (after being sluggish, depressed, and obese from childhood to my mid-20s). The best "diet" is called common sense and moderation.

Basically, I just eat as much fresh food as possible. Prepare it yourself. Don't buy a frozen pasta dinner from Lean Cuisine or Weight Watchers. Instead, buy pasta, buy tomatoes, buy a block of cheese, some pepper, salt, etc. and prepare it yourself. Do you eat oatmeal for breakfast? That's fine, but don't buy Quaker Oats preflavored shit. Buy plain oatmeal, and add milk or fruit or whatever you like. I started eating mostly like this back in May and I've never felt better in my entire life. Now I literally feel sick when I eat frozen meals and heavily processed foods from the grocery store.

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This is great. It's what I did too and it will take you a long way. I think at a minimum everyone should do this. This is basically what primal advocates but they also add in some tweaks and specifics: Avoid refined sugars, avoid wheat/grains.