Peas? Potatoes? Green beans? Rice? Organic/Grassfed dairy? Whey protein powder? Quest bars? Butter? Quinoa? ….
Folks, it seems everyone is pretty damn confused about what is and isn’t “Paleo”. One app or website tells we’re good to go and the next gives a definitive NOPE. And the ‘Paleo’ recipes out there don’t help with sometimes questionable ingredients. Bottom line: I get A LOT of questions and emails asking if something is or isn’t gonna fly if you’re trying to “be Paleo”. Seriously, if I had a nickel for each one I’ve answered I’d be in the same tax bracket as Bill Gates – no lie.
Some people are pretty damn serious about this stuff too. Lots of times the questions I get are posed like this: “If I have ________ (insert food in question here) does that mean I’m not Paleo?” Well, let’s be honest here. No, you are NOT paleo – the simple fact that it’s 2016 and not 2.6 – 12,000 BP (before present) pretty much wipes that chance out altogether, regardless of if you’re eating a steak or a Big Mac. That whole “Paleo ship” has sailed, and I’m sorry to be the one that has to break it to you, but you’re never gonna be a caveman unless that’s your Halloween costume. Using the words of Garth Algar (because Wayne’s World is only the BEST movie ever made…), “LIVE IN THE NOW!”
So what exactly determines the ‘Paleoness’ of certain foods? Who’s the “Paleo Boss” making all the calls as to what does and doesn’t fit, and in the end, does this dude or dudette’s opinion really matter? Well, folks the definitive answer is that there is no definitive answer. Think about it. Can anyone that’s living today actually KNOW with 100% certainty what was around back in the day of caves and clubs? And, in reality is there any way we can recreate the same foods and/or with the same nutrient profiles that the cavemen had access to without some totally un-Paleo food technology? I mean really, when’s the last time you saw a woolly mammoth when you were driving down the road? I think that we can all agree that achieving perfect Paleo in today’s world ain’t gonna happen AND if it were, you’d need to give up that ‘smart’ phone, computer, car, house and ‘Paleo cookie’ to even start getting close.
Now, let’s talk for real – so ‘STRICT’ Paleo as defined by the OPG (Original Paleo God), Loren Cordain, says that all dairy and foods containing it, grains (including quinoa, buckwheat, etc.), legumes (including peanuts, soybeans/products, green beans, all peas), all salt containing foods (sorry, that means bacon too…), fatty meats (poultry with skin, ribs, ribeye, sausage, etc.), juices, starchy vegetables (yes, even sweet potatoes and yams if you’re STRICT), all forms of sugar (honey, maple syrup, date or coconut sugar, etc.), vinegar, processed foods and fried foods are NOT part of a Paleo diet. And if you’re finding all of that a little hard to digest… There’s more. The following should only be eaten in MODERATION (don’t worry the amounts are detailed in the upcoming link…): eggs, farmed fish, high sugar and dried fruits, nuts and seeds (including nut flours – sorry, no paleo cookies for you!), oils (yes, even coconut and olive), farm-raised meat and poultry, canned foods AND foods cooked on high heat (grilled, griddled, fried, etc.). See this website for all the gory details (if you think you can handle them…).
Those are the ‘official rules’ – take a little time to wrap your heads around all that. You still with me? So, I guess this means that if you really want to be “Paleo”, you’re going to need to kiss that bacon goodbye and the sausage too while you’re at it. Now, before you go getting all depressed about your future meals, I’d like to challenge you to think about what’s really in a name (I’m talking about “Paleo” here – not the whole Romeo and Juliet thing.)? I mean, ultimately, does calling yourself ‘Paleo’ really get you anything in this life? And does anyone really care? I’d venture to guess that most of your closest friends, your coworkers, and your family kind of wish you’d just put a cork in it when you start going all pretentious Paleo on them (trust me on that one). I also want to bring up the fact that with all the ‘Paleo’ cookies, breads, bars, pancakes, (insert rest of EPICALLY LONG list here)… The “Paleo” that most folks are doing is probably about as watered down as the bottle of vodka in your parent’s bar when you were 16 – yeah, that bad.
Now, I’m pretty sure there’s going to be someone(s) that tries to argue against the aforementioned list of “Paleo rules” – and go ahead BUT I’m not the person you need to argue with. I didn’t come up with this $h!t, I’m just the messenger. And ultimately, it’s totally your choice as to whether or not you want to follow all the ‘regulations’. I’m not here to fight, but rather to inform and to be completely honest – I couldn’t give a flying fart as to how awesomely paleo you are or aren’t. Why? Well, let me tell you…
So, I’ve had A LOT of clients that have been RELIGIOUSLY “paleo” and have actually experienced some less than optimal results over time. Now, I’m not necessarily talking weight or body comp (unless they’re hitting the paleo cookies or fat too hard) but more importantly overall health and how they feel physically and mentally. There have been numerous cases of either the development of constipation or the opposite (that would be diarrhea for those of you that didn’t pick that up) due to lack of starch and/or soluble fiber. Sure, all those sweet potatoes are great, but they aren’t enough for everyone – add some gluten free oats, chia or flax seeds, and/or legumes (in the cases where these foods are appropriate and tolerated) and guess what? Problem solved! There’s also folks that are completely void of energy and generally feel like a bruised turd that’s been run over twice. We add a carb that’s not primarily sugar based (that means something other than fruit and sweet potatoes…) and WHAM-O! That energy is BACK. And then there’s the stress, hormone and mental aspects of ‘staying strict’ – some folks psych themselves into and out of intolerances because of something they read (yeah, the mind is THAT powerful). And there are other cases where people don’t go out or to gatherings where there will be food or without taking a pre-made meal packed in Tupperware. These folks are often depressed and confused about where the lines between being normal and being healthy cross. And if the quality of your life isn’t better when you’re “doing paleo”, is it even a good idea to be super dictator-like with your rules?
Again, I’m not going to tell you what to eat – this is something you need to figure out for yourself. I can help you figure it out, but I can’t know exactly what your body needs by reading or listening to your story. It’s trial and error, people, and it can be a long process if you’ve been super militant about your food for a long time. But I assure you that there is a happy medium and that you can find it. Figuring out the best way of eating for YOU and YOUR body is a whole lot more important than fitting into or under a label. You’ve got to remember that what’s right for Internet Einstein X or book author Y just might not be right for you, AND understand that this is TOTALLY okay.
So while some of you are flipping the freak out, and others breathing a huge sigh of relief, I’ll be over here eating my oatmeal and Greek yogurt; because yeah, that works for me.
Yes, yes and more yes! Wish we’d stop letting perfectionism get the best of what is good for the individual. Now back to my oats and yogurt as well…ok and maybe some potatoes and cheese 🙂
Amy – useful article, thanks!
You mention about using carbs that are not primarily sugar based to help low energy. Please could you give some examples of what foods you mean? (I still find the carb/starch stuff really confusing)
Potatoes, parsnips, cassava, tapioca, rice, potentially oats and other gluten free grains based on your health, tolerance and goals.
Thanks, Amy!
Eggs, farmed fish, high sugar and dried fruits, nuts and seeds, oils, farm-raised meat and poultry, canned foods and foods cooked on high heat… all about Paleo…
Great post! Even Loren Cordain has relaxed his stance on some things — wine and saturated fat — to name a couple.
Couldn’t agree more, Amy! That’s why I try not to label myself. The important things are eating real food and listening to your body. If you feel like crap, something isn’t working. I try to eat as clean as I can at home, and not stress when I’m out. But I also know which foods really mess with me, and make them a priority to avoid. A little soy is no prob, but dairy leads to subtle puffiness around my eyes the very next day. Which makes me think there is probably some subtle puffiness elsewhere. And grains make my stomach hurt…just not worth it! But I really don’t worry if something is paleo “approved”….I just try to stick with the things that work for me.
Great post. Some people assume the Paleo Diet is too difficult to follow but I think they may just make it too difficult for themselves. In general I try to stick to about 60% of calories from animals and 40% from plant based foods. It’s important to keep the “spirit of the law” more than getting caught up too much in the details.
Amy, thank you for this. My stomach and intestines can’t do strict Paleo. I have both IBS and a stomach condition. What that means is many fruits and vegetables cause uncomfortable symptoms. I’ve learned to listen to my body. Bananas and white potatoes work well along with lightly cooked spinach. My diet would be too restrictive if I went total Paleo. Even avocados are out.
Very Well written article. It has inspired me to read more.
Thank you for this article, I completely agree.
I like to focus on eating nutrient dense foods rather than following any specific diet. I eat some carbs, but I try and choose low glycemic index, such as beans. In meals where I’m not eating a carb, I also include high fat dairy like grass fed butter and sour cream because otherwise, I find it hard to eat enough calories.
I really enjoy reading the comments provided for commonly-asked questions. It makes sense and makes eating proper food manageable. I have never felt better since I gave up dairy, grains and caffeine. Yes, I do have the odd dessert or glass of wine, but it doesn’t have nearly as bad an effect on my as if I were eating like I used to. Thanks all!
I was curious what your opinion is on intermittently fasting for Bjj athletes. I’m talking someone who trains Bjj 3x a week and does strength and conditioning 3x a week as well. I have been a high level athlete for a long time, but I’m 35 now with a family and just want to have a healthy lifestyle without losing anything physically. Thanks
I have been eating for my health since I got diagnosed with ms 15 years ago, so far so good. I cleaned up my gut with the work of my naturopath which rid my of a life gluten and dairy and of IBS. I have read guite a bit staring The MS Diet book to vegan and now to The Wahl’s Protocol. Dr. Wahl’s brought herself from a tilt recline wheel chair, due to her MS, to an active lifestyle she can share with her kids. I haven’t read any Paloe books yet, but Wahl’s is based on paleo principles and high fat, which includes coconut oil.
Stay Healthy,
Derek
Do you think you could do without the profanity ? I was enjoying reading until I saw so many curse words. You need to be a role model and be professional.
Debi
Thank you Debi. I had the same reaction to her occasional crudeness. It only detracts from the message and adds nothing.
Debi – didn’t see any offensive words in the entire article. Then again I don’t take offense to people using the english language in all its glory.
Me thinks you are being overly sensitive, didn’t even see a micro aggression, what ever those are.
Hey folks! I’ve looked through this original paleo diet list. Can anybody explain me what’s going on with all this banning red meat and sticking to lean meat? I mean, every time I read US based text on paleo diet it says you should avoid steak, lamb, etc. Why is that? Firstly it has a lot of benefits (e.g. some vitamins dissolve in fats, cow won’t eat crappy food, chicken will, for athletes – beef has a lot of natural creatine also, and few others). Also I don’t think paleolithic cavemen reared chickens. In this case red meat sounds better to me, as it’s closer to game in my opinion. And not everybody has access to wild protein.
chris- You are spot on, stick to the fatty AND lean cuts of meat. Snout to tail is best.
And not all super strict Paleo foods are good for everyone. I tried flax seeds. I would rather eat a weapons-grade gluten sandwich than try them again.
What a great read – literally made me laugh and say YEAH! Thank you!
I agree that there is no diet that suits everyone.
Sometimes, total avoidance of certain foods makes you fail at the certain diet. What we eat most of the times is what counts. If one makes sure to eat enough fibers, avoids sugar and have enough vitamins and mineral, BUT only sometimes fails to do so, that is still GREAT!
Please check my efford on the field of Paleo Diet here: http://paleorecipes.launchpad.inboxblueprint.net/
Enyoj! PaleoMD
Amy, you almost seem to be saying “eat what you want and call it Paleo if it ‘works’ for you.” I know that’s to the extreme, but if we’re interested in following a low-inflammation diet there needs to be some do’s and don’ts. Ex.: do I lessen the anti-inflammatory nature of the diet if I add back black-eyed peas? How about whey protein? Peanut butter? And on and on. It’s as if what is needed is a “Paleo scale” whereby each food’s inflammation-response is out on a scale from 1-10. At least that way we could see which were the biggest culprits and which were so negligible that the burden of excluding them wasn’t worth the aggravation. Waddya think?
Great post Robb, I also tried going on a Paleo diet, I had suffered from heartburn for years and was taking omeprazole daily, I looked into a number of different diets and came across paleo which I had never heard of and found that it had a lot of benefits, so though I wouldtry it for 5 weeks, after the 2nd week my heartburn stop bothering me. Im now not on a 100% paleo diet, I have my vices lol, but ypour right, Its about finding the right balance for each person.
I like food and wasnt sure what to do at the beginning so I found a package that gave me lots of recipes and help, some of your readers might find it helpful to so here it is https://tinyurl.com/y7l4eyuq
What a great post Amy.
I’m almost Paleo, this because i love Quinoa and Oats, but the rest is pretty much in the Paleo spectrum. It help me with inflamation excluding gluten and legumes. 😉
Great Article Amy. I trief for a crossfit challange within the framework of our article (https://fitnessbeast.de/ernaehrungsplan-crossfit-diaet/) i tried for a while to change my diet according to the rules of the Paleo diet.
Meanwhile I eat less strict and more balanced. It was very hard for me to keep the paleo rules really strict. After some time I noticed mood swings and also a quite detachedness. But when this phase was over, I felt more alert and ‘agile’ than ever before.
A good experience but to stick strictly to “Paleo” was way too exhausting for me and especially for my family in the long run.
I certainly agree that people should eat a diet of natural, whole and unprocessed foods, and/or adjust their diet depending on their tolerance of gluten, lactose, and etc., so my comment is not about that.
But the “Paleo” approach to eating has always made no sense to me. “Eat how a caveman ate!” Huh? How do advocates know what a caveman ate, and WHICH caveman, in which caves? The cavemen living on a hot, dry savannah, or the the cavemen living on a glacial mountain?
So in trying to learn the answer to that, I researched as much scientific info as I could, including numerous lectures by anthropologists discussing that very issue. These from CARTA (it’s a consortium of research scientists) is a great place to start, “The Evolution of Human Nutrition”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGUsMYXdDDc.
They are very eye-opening, and conflict with things that people have just assumed when advocating a Paleo diet. No honey in Paleo? Chemical analysis of fossil teeth shows that honey was commonly eaten. No grains? One of the ways scientists can differentiate between species is also from their teeth, as early hominids began to eat wild grains, and evolution changed our physiology. Etc. Etc.
I sincerely have nothing to advocate or argue about, I’m simply offering that people interested in their health should look at the actual science behind what IS advocated for by others.