A diet is a way of eating (at least for the purposes of this post). Not a means to lose weight. It’s an important distinction, and one that often gets lost.
PSA: Diets are not religions. A particular diet is not going to save you, nor flip a switch in your body and make you perfectly healthy forever. Nutrition is important, sure, but it’s not a religion.
This is just some basic information to demystify some popular diets.
The Paleo Diet
WHAT IT IS: The Paleo diet is based on foods similar to what our ancestors in the Paleolithic era would have eaten. The Paleolithic era ended about 10,000 years ago with the advent of agricultural cultivation (farming). So, permitted foods are generally those in-line with diets of hunter-gatherers as opposed to farmers.
Things allowed on the Paleo diet:
Meats
Fish
Fruits
Vegetables
Nuts
Seeds
Things NOT allowed on the Paleo diet:
Dairy
Legumes
Grains
Sugar
WHY MIGHT SOMEONE CHOOSE THIS? There are still some cultures in the world that are hunter-gatherer societies, so someone might choose to continue this style of eating, either within the community, or if they move away from the community as a means to connect more to their culture.
Outside of that, the Paleo diet is marketed as a means by which humans can achieve optimal health and longevity while maintaining an “ideal” body composition.
TYPES OF PALEO
Standard Paleo: This is your standard Paleo diet as described above
Autoimmune Paleo Diet: This is Paleo’s “Whole 30.” It is an elimination protocol where the staple foods are basically meat and vegetables, but the macronutrient ratios are less restrictive than the Keto diet. It is largely marketed as a “fix” a condition called leaky gut.
RELATED DIETS
Keto – low-carb/high fat diet with moderate protein
Carnivore – virtually no carb diet
RELIGIONS THAT ARE LINKED WITH PALEO
CrossFit
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS
The purported health benefits of the Paleo diet are not necessarily exclusive to the Paleo diet. The Paleo diet’s emphasis on whole, unprocessed foods likely leads to an increase in micronutrient ingestion, which may account for a better sense of well-being
Paleo is not all bacon all the time – in fact, lean meat should still be prioritized due to the potential issues arising from a diet high in saturated fat intake
Paleo is not particularly conducive to resistance training and other exercising methods that use carbs as a preferred fuel source, since it tends to err on the lower end of the cab spectrum
Now that we’ve discussed what the Paleo diet is (and is not), let’s talk about the pros and cons of this particular way of eating.
As always, how you eat is your business, and I am not here to tell you what is right – rather, give you (as much as possible, because we’re all biased in the end), a balanced perspective:
PROS
The Paleo diet has a strong emphasis in the eating of whole and nutrient-dense foods. No one ever got hurt from eating more vegetables. You do not even have to “eat Paleo” to do this, and reap the benefits.
A diet heavy in whole, unprocessed foods can help to mitigate hunger during times of a deficit, which can make the experience of being in a deficit less painful, which can increase adherence, which in turn may help you reach your goals. This, again, is not a thing that is exclusive to the Paleo way of eating.
Paleo diets tend to be significantly higher in fact, and lower in carbohydrates. High fat can slow digestion, which leads to increased satiety while on the diet, again, potentially making it easier to adhere to a calorie deficit. Not shockingly, this is also not exclusive to a Paleo way of eating.
Some clinical trials have compared paleo to regular diets and found improvements in weight loss, glucose tolerance, blood pressure, triglycerides, and appetite management. Though, enough (if any) controlled long-term trials have not been done to assess long-term outcomes/risks of this diet.
CONS
Not sure this needs to be said, but just in case, the Paleo diet is EXTREMELY restrictive. Like, we’re cutting out multiple food groups restrictive. Before you jump on the Paleo bandwagon, ask yourself if this is a way of eating that you can sustain, both mentally and physically, for the long-term. If not, know that there are other options out there that are not as restrictive and have many of the same benefits that might be a better choice for you
Contrary to popular belief, you can still eat “processed” food while following a Paleo diet. Paleo “treat” recipes abound, and while food isn’t inherently good or bad, if you goal is to limit sugar, know that following a Paleo diet does not necessarily guarantee that will happen. Coconut sugar is still sugar, after all.
The Paleo diet places high emphasis on organic fruits and vegetables, and grass-fed/pasture-raised meats. This can be expensive, sometimes prohibitively so, for some. Not to mention that organic/grass-fed being inherently healthier for us has been largely debunked in the scientific community. The diet itself, because of these things, and because of the gurus that tend to perpetuate it, is steeped in this aura of privilege and elitism.
Eating out is virtually impossible within the confines of the Paleo diet. Many restaurants have entrees that can be made grain-free upon request, however, note that most restaurants cook using soybean and/or canola oil, both of which are not allowed within the confines of the diet. While you don’t necessarily have to go out to eat, even periodically, to live a full and happy life, I would say that missing out on social situations because of the cooking oil used may be detrimental.
All that being said, it is worth noting as well that the entirety of the “paleo hypothesis” may be factually incorrect. Paleo-ism is steeped in the belief that we can replicate the diets of our ancestors before the first cultivation practices were born. It is worth noting that the diet does not mention or consider differences in ingredient availability due to climate differences and climate changes through the age, which is an important consideration if one wishes to replicate a diet. Furthermore, there is archeological evidence that our Paleolithic ancestors, in fact, did eat wild grains (where they were available) as early as 30,000 years ago, or before intentional cultivation began. And even then, genetic research itself has shown us our own genetic adaptation to farming practices, by turning on multiple genes related to the ability to break down grains and legumes.
COOKING PALEO
Paleo cooking is, all things considered, relatively straightforward. With a focus on meat and vegetables, it’s not difficult to build layers and diversity in flavors, since they all exist in baking.
It is important to note that many paleo recipes call for fattier cuts of meat – which is great for flavor – but it is an important consideration when deciding how much additional sources of fat to use in the dish (butter, olive oil, etc), even if they are for cooking a different component. Since fat slows digestion, fat-laden meals can often feel “heavy,” and for some are not pleasant to eat. If fattier cuts of meat are used, it is important to add an acidic component to a dish cut cut the richness and lighten the dish some.
The only component that may consistently be missing from a paleo plate is texture. A prevalence of cooked foods is a prevalence of soft foods, and, sometimes adding a raw element doesn’t really work. That’s where grains can be useful, as they can add texture to a dish without making it seem disjointed, and, in fact, round out and complete a dish’s flavor profile.
Other considerations for paleo cooking include choosing spices and other flavoring ingredients that are aligned with paleo eating practices. This is harder than it looks – many widely available spice blends are made with sugar, which is not allowed under paleo guidelines. The same holds true with bacon and other cured meats – many contain sugar as a part of the curing process.
For that reason, it is important to read nutrition labels carefully should you chose to follow a Paleo diet, and to find spice purveyors are “paleo-friendly” (cough, cough @thefigandtheknife – I know, I’m shameless. She’s a good friend, and an awesome chef).
The other sneaky ingredient to note in paleo cooking is soy – technically, as soy is a legume, it is not permitted in a strict paleo diet. And, soy is in nearly every prepared food in the grocery store. Recently, more and more “paleo-friendly” prepared foods (spice blends, sauces, salad dressings) have been surfacing in mainstream grocery stores and online, and while convenient, note that these ingredients often come with a significantly higher price tag.
This all being said – if eating Paleo works for you, you’re getting your necessary fiber and micronutrients, and you can sustain it, that’s awesome! If you are considering going Paleo, just be sure to go in with all the information, and for the right reasons.
