The Paleo Diet


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  • 9 months later...

First I would like to see how someone arrived at the conclusion that our ancestors didn't eat grains, is there some evidence of this or are they just assuming we (our ancestors) never ate seeds?. Second our ancestors ate whatever happened to be nearby, that doesn't necessitate that they were genetically *designed* to eat that, it's just what was available. Excepting specific medical conditions whole grains are rather nutritional and healthy.

I just don't buy it!

 

I thought you might like this link, it explains how right you are.

 

http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Debunking-the-Paleo-Diet-Christ

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I thought you might like this link, it explains how right you are.

 

http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Debunking-the-Paleo-Diet-Christ

I really enjoyed it. I actually found the part where she shows the difference between wild crops and the domesticated versions really interesting. I had no idea they were actually that different.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I can't say that I'm any expert in Paleo. I have a friend, witch is more of the expert, that went Paleo to solve several health problems he was having. He had me read a book called The Paleo Solution and made a few comments and suggestions. After that I was on my own. This is some of the things I found.

 

First some of the Science

 

For me the easier things I have found to swallow(pardon the pun) was getting plenty of sleep and eating only when hungry.  Most people don't see sleep as a part of a diet. The Paleo Solution makes it clear that the hormone levels are a big part of our health. Getting plenty of sleep and eating right helps to regulate that. Parts of the Paleo also encouraged having close relationships with family and friends.

 

Most of the Paleo community don't seem to believe that "Being Paleo" means that they eat a lot of meat. It does cut the grains and legumes but it doesn't replace them with meat. In most places it seems to recommend a calorie content of 20-30% fruits and vegetables(carbs), about 20-30% protein, and the rest come from natural and healthy fats. A lot of people are scared of fats because they believe fat makes you fat witch makes sense but if you eat too much of any food it will make you fat. The big thing about fats and Paleo is that there are fats that our body can't make but needs to consume. A lot of these fats are best found in healthy meat and some go toward making things like the nervous system and parts of the brain.

 

In Paleo grains and legumes don't work with the body. First theory is that as grain goes into the intestine it seems to cut the intestine wall allowing undigested food, toxins, and bacteria into the blood stream. Second is that the protein chain in grains and legumes look similar to proteins in the body but shorter. If antibodies try to attack the grain or legume proteins they could inadvertently attack different proteins in the body as well. I have herd though that sourdough bread if prepared correctly can change this.

 

Now the Word of Wisdom

 

This is what it's all about the important stuff doing the right thing and following the commandants. Spiritual health is just as important to physical health as anything and following the word of wisdom is part of it. When Paleo was first given to me my friend gave me his prospective of the word of wisdom and had me read it again. This is what I found.

 

There is no question that fruits and vegetables are good. That part of it seems to be clear. I wold just like to point something out that is found in the foot notes of this part. (D&C 89:11). There is a foot note for prudence that refers to temperance in the topical guide. In the next verse sparingly has a foot note that refers to temperance in the topical guide. This got me to look up the definition of sparingly and its history. I found reference to frugality as in uses with the mind of conservation.

 

The meat is somewhat more difficult. (D&C 89:12-13). There is a comma that may be misplaced. If the comma is taken out it seems to reads differently, it has no fragment, and its a complete sentence.

 

Now the grain is more difficult but if you read it it seems to be straight forward. (D&C 89:14-15) The semicolon in thees verses is showing that you are meant to read the verses together. Grain can be used to maintain life, "to be the staff of life", and best "only in times of famine".

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I tried and succeeded for half a day. I blame my aunt, who only serves pizza at a birthday party ;)

I know someone who has succeeded on the paleo diet, lost a ton of weight. But it's not for me. Personally, I'm more of a South Beach diet guy (paleo for 2 weeks, then go low carb).

If you have the will power, more power to you! Unfortunately, not all of us do

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I tried and succeeded for half a day. I blame my aunt, who only serves pizza at a birthday party ;)

I know someone who has succeeded on the paleo diet, lost a ton of weight. But it's not for me. Personally, I'm more of a South Beach diet guy (paleo for 2 weeks, then go low carb).

If you have the will power, more power to you! Unfortunately, not all of us do

 

I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but if weight loss is your goal, then the only real solution is, ultimately, will power, whatever specific diet plan you go with, including South Beach.

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I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but if weight loss is your goal, then the only real solution is, ultimately, will power, whatever specific diet plan you go with, including South Beach.

I totally agree, but I don't have the willpower required for going paleo. Maybe some day, right now I'm starting this novel idea of sticking to the suggested serving sizes, and from there, move up in my weight loss. Slow and steady. Gave up soda about a month ago, didn't even think it was possible.

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I totally agree, but I don't have the willpower required for going paleo. Maybe some day, right now I'm starting this novel idea of sticking to the suggested serving sizes, and from there, move up in my weight loss. Slow and steady. Gave up soda about a month ago, didn't even think it was possible.

 

I think the line-upon-line, don't run faster than able, approach to fitness and eating is the right choice. It can be terribly difficult to jump cold-turkey head-first into a strict diet and exercise regime. Some personality types can. But for many, a long-term plan to get there over a set time is wise. I recommend always pushing yourself just past where you're comfortable. In doing so you will consistently improve.

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  • 1 month later...

My wife and I have been eating "Paleo" style for over four years, its actually closer to "Primal" . We have tracked our progress and wonderful successes the entire time. I personally have lost over 60 lbs being on a Paleo type diet (I hate the word diet, its a way of life for us.) I contribute most of my weight loss to eating Paleo, as I was very active and working out prior to my change in diet.

 

A brief summary of my experience is here at our blog.

 

My wife has brilliantly and very successfully, cut our budget cost and introduced to our five kids a completely new way of eating. She has documented those successes, failure and her recipes on our same blog

 

For those who say its not sustainable, not good for weightless, and not good for strength gains, its not following the WOW and not healthy. Well, its just not true. Its important to understand ever persons body is different and not one solution fits all. However, to suggest eating a Paleo/Primal way is not good is just unfounded. As for the WOW, anyone who suggests it doesn't comply with the WOW either, 1. doesn't understand Paleo/Primal, 2. Doesn't understand the doctrines/principles of the WOW, 3. doesn't understand either. In fact I would defend that Paleo/Primal is more compliant with the WOW then any other "diet" or our traditional view of eating in the church.

 

The important thing however, is to learn your body, master it, understand how it responds to certain foods. Its a constant fine tuning. As I am much stronger now and more healthy then ever, must eat differently depending on the season, if I am competing etc.

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I don't think the Paleo-diet can possibly be construed as against the Word of Wisdom. I find that argument odd. I'm not personally a fan, but for those who like it and it works for them, I can't see it being actually bad for you. What I do see is some of the ideas therein being unnecessarily extreme. I'm all for extreme if extreme is necessary. Needless extremism is...well...needless. That being said, for some the Paleo diet works both for their physical well being and their psyche. So -- go for it.

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For those who say its not sustainable, not good for weightless, and not good for strength gains, its not following the WOW and not healthy. Well, its just not true. Its important to understand ever persons body is different and not one solution fits all. However, to suggest eating a Paleo/Primal way is not good is just unfounded. As for the WOW, anyone who suggests it doesn't comply with the WOW either, 1. doesn't understand Paleo/Primal, 2. Doesn't understand the doctrines/principles of the WOW, 3. doesn't understand either. In fact I would defend that Paleo/Primal is more compliant with the WOW then any other "diet" or our traditional view of eating in the church.

 

 

I don't think the Paleo-diet can possibly be construed as against the Word of Wisdom. I find that argument odd. I'm not personally a fan, but for those who like it and it works for them, I can't see it being actually bad for you. What I do see is some of the ideas therein being unnecessarily extreme. I'm all for extreme if extreme is necessary. Needless extremism is...well...needless. That being said, for some the Paleo diet works both for their physical well being and their psyche. So -- go for it.

 

I can agree that certain renditions of the paleo diet are closer to the word of wisdom than the traditional american diet of processed junk, simply because it involves an aspect of stewardship over your body. But how can you deny the fact that the Paleo camp is very anti-grain and the word of wisdom specifically asserts wheat for man. The word of wisdom also appeals to the use of meat in moderation (largely open to interpretation), which can be done on a paleolithic diet, but isn't the general take home message.

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I can agree that certain renditions of the paleo diet are closer to the word of wisdom than the traditional american diet of processed junk, simply because it involves an aspect of stewardship over your body. But how can you deny the fact that the Paleo camp is very anti-grain and the word of wisdom specifically asserts wheat for man. The word of wisdom also appeals to the use of meat in moderation (largely open to interpretation), which can be done on a paleolithic diet, but isn't the general take home message.

 

Because the Word of Wisdom has no indication that wheat is required for man. It's pretty simple. There is no "eat wheat or your sinning" implication whatsoever. That is reading into the WoW something that is not there.

 

One can, certainly, abuse the Word of Wisdom with the Paleo diet. But the diet itself does not automatically equate thereto.

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Because the Word of Wisdom has no indication that wheat is required for man. It's pretty simple. There is no "eat wheat or your sinning" implication whatsoever. That is reading into the WoW something that is not there.

 

One can, certainly, abuse the Word of Wisdom with the Paleo diet. But the diet itself does not automatically equate thereto.

 

I agree, but you have also just agreed that it can be construed against the word of wisdom. It certainly doesn't have to be, but the general leaning is certainly there.

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I agree, but you have also just agreed that it can be construed against the word of wisdom. It certainly doesn't have to be, but the general leaning is certainly there.

 

You're putting a bit more into what I said than I mean. Overeat or under-eat on any diet and you move beyond wisdom and health. Any diet has that potential. I'm not saying I don't see your point. A meat heavy diet is to be carefully considered in terms of health. There is a time and a place, of course. I think if an LDS member is going to utilize the Paleo diet they need to do so wisely. But the use of the diet itself does not imply automatic Word of Wisdom issues. You can go Paleo and still eat meat sparingly.

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  • 1 month later...

I thought this write up from Precision Nutrition does a great job of explaining the pros and cons of the Paleo Diet for anyone still interested. Essentially it once again shows that the paleo diet is based on false premises, but that it is a healthier way of eating than most are following.

 

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/paleo-diet

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  • 4 months later...

Paleo is effective because it acknowledges the principle that, generally speaking, carbohydrates are not good for us.  Simple sugars trigger insulin response, which leads to insulin resistance in our muscles which leads directly to obesity and diabetes.  This is because our muscles become insulin resistant and block energy, but our fat cells don't, and are more than happy to continue storing it.  Complex carbs aren't much better because they're still broken down by our system into sugar.

 

The nutrition pyramid is upside down.  We need to eat protein and fats, and stay off the carbs.

 

Think about it... We as a culture have been told for 50 years to cut out fats and eat more stuff with carbs and we're getting fatter and fatter.  More people are visiting gyms than ever before yet we hear a lot about the "obesity epidemic."

 

3 months ago, I weighted 353 lbs.  After cutting the carbs I lost 20 lbs in 6 weeks, and that's with very little exercise and eating plenty of fruits and meats.  For example, bacon cheeseburgers without the bun.  The holidays are a problem but I'll be returning to a strict low carb diet in January.

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  • 3 years later...

I am also about 90% paleo. I think it's important psychologically to always have a little room for "bad foods", because otherwise one feels too restricted and tense. It's awkward also in social gatherings. I can't say to friends "no, I won't even taste your chocolate cookies because they don't fit my diet". But it's also wrong to take more than a byte/snack because otherwise you break the plan and might begin to binge eat sweets or whatever.

If I find myself craving a little cookie once a week - great. If I find myself craving cookies the next day after I just had one then I refrain myself. Little pleasures are good, but discipline is very important.

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On 12/19/2014 at 12:32 PM, unixknight said:

3 months ago, I weighted 353 lbs.  After cutting the carbs I lost 20 lbs in 6 weeks, and that's with very little exercise and eating plenty of fruits and meats.  For example, bacon cheeseburgers without the bun.  The holidays are a problem but I'll be returning to a strict low carb diet in January.

Wow. It's been around four years since this post, any updates? Was it sustainable for you, have you continued to lose weight?

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@unixknight I'm happy to hear that you found something that seemed (seems?) to work for you. 

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Paleo is effective because it acknowledges the principle that, generally speaking, carbohydrates are not good for us.

This is largely untrue. Carbohydrates are the cleanest burning fuel source in the body and the preferred fuel source of the brain and muscles. Furthermore, fruits and vegetables are some of the richest sources of nutrients of a broad spectrum, and they are primarily carbohydrate foods. Legumes are also high in carbohydrates and yet are associated with health and longevity. Whole grains offer a wide array of useful nutrients including vitamin e and fiber. The most likely reason the Paleo diet works as well as it does is because it cleans up the diet a lot which helps to correct hunger cues by avoiding over-processed food-like items which allow for immense caloric values to be consumed without the nutrients, fiber and water necessary to trigger satiety. This helps control calories without counting them.

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 Simple sugars trigger insulin response, which leads to insulin resistance in our muscles which leads directly to obesity and diabetes

This is only half true. Simple sugars do trigger insulin response, but so does protein. Excess fat in the blood stream gums up insulin receptors leading to insulin resistance. Excessive sugar consumption can eventually be turned into fat which can also gum up the receptors. insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are conditions of excess calories period. Blood sugar levels can be controlled by limiting carbohydrates, but they can also be corrected eating plenty of carbohydrates when they are eaten in a whole-food setting allowing for proper satiety, avoiding excess and not gumming up the insulin receptors with fat. Either way increased physical activity is very helpful because sufficiently vigorous exercise can not only improve insulin sensitivity for a period of time after each bout, but can also lower sugar levels independent of insulin activity.

On 12/19/2014 at 12:32 PM, unixknight said:

Think about it... We as a culture have been told for 50 years to cut out fats and eat more stuff with carbs and we're getting fatter and fatter.  More people are visiting gyms than ever before yet we hear a lot about the "obesity epidemic."

We also as a culture don't follow the guidelines we're given very well at all. It's true that the food pyramid, MyPlate, Canada Food Guide and many other national eating guidelines are not ideal, but it's also true that the vast majority of people would actually be a lot healthier if they followed these guidelines. Relatively few people actually consistently eat  more than 3 servings of fruits and vegetables every day, nevermind 7-10+. Most people don't restrict themselves to servings of meat the size of a deck of playing cards at a meal either. Indeed, certainly not many follow the WHO recommendation to limit added sugar to <10% of total calories or approximately 6 teaspoons or less per day. People are eating more fat, protein and carbohydrates than ever before. It's no wonder they are getting bigger. Instead of blaming imperfect, but useful guidelines, the blame almost surely rests more squarely on the media always eager to report on any new finding that may appeal to peoples eating preferences leaving the vast majority confused. Are eggs good or bad? Red meat? It's the gluten, people! Nope, it's avoiding gluten. This hype and confusion is enough to have everyone throw there hands up and say it doesn't matter - moderation in everything. Only moderation isn't really defined, so this is code for, eat whatever you want. By and large or society does and it shows.

 

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