The Paleo Lifestyle
There is so much confusion about the best diet for human health. With all the “modern” diet advice and the countless diet plans cropping up, it is difficult to decipher which diet plan will be helpful and which can be down right harmful. Taking into consideration that we are all different and have different food sensitivities and nutritional needs, there is one diet that has sustained human life for two and a half million years. A true “Paleo” diet has helped make humans the most intelligent and most successful species to ever walk the earth.
There are some common questions we ask when trying to decide on a diet:
How long has the diet been around?
Have others had success with this diet?
Will I have to buy strange and hard to find ingredients?
Is it hard to follow?
Is is expensive?
Will I lose weight?
Will I gain energy?
Is it palatable?
Let’s take a look at these questions in light of the Paleo diet:
How long has the diet been around?
2.5 Million years. How much more proof do we need that a diet can stand the test of time?
Have others had success with this diet?
This diet has made us the most successful species on Earth.
Will I have to buy strange and hard to find ingredients?
Whole foods are everywhere. There are many people living in fresh food desserts and will have to work extra hard to seek out fresh, whole foods. For most of us, however, these healthful foods are everywhere.
Is it hard to follow?
Eating whole foods couldn’t be easier. For example, it takes about 30 seconds to saute spinach. Serve it up with a grilled wild salmon filet and some roasted cauliflower and your done!
Is is expensive?
Organic produce and pastured meats will be more expensive in the short term. However, medical bills, lost wages and medication will cost a bundle. We can chose where to spend our hard earned dollars. Here’s another way to look at it. A cup of organic strawberries will run about $2.50 but a tall, toxic, sugar laden Starbucks latte will set you back $5.00.
Will I lose weight?
We have a wonderful ability to store excess energy as fat. But the body only does this when it deems it necessary, under conditions of stress. Weight gain and the inability to lose weight have been linked to nutrient deficiencies, toxic chemicals and stress. A Paleo lifestyle will address all three of these.
Will I gain energy?
Our ancestors needed mega amounts of sustained energy to find, catch, carry and prepare their food. They also moved all day long to build shelters, make tools, lug firewood, run from predators and, of course, perpetuate the species. Talk about energy!!! This kind of sustained energy is there for the taking but can only be found in nutrient dense foods.
Is it palatable?
Have you had a grass-fed steak, roasted vegetables and a crisp salad covered in hemp seeds and olives?
The Diet:
Leaves, Roots, Berries, Meat and Fish, Nuts and Seeds, Fruits and Vegetables Fresh, Local, In season, Organic when possible.
Our ancestors ate fresh foods that they could find locally, that were seasonal and most definitely organic. There were no chemical fertilizers. The soils were rich with nutrients. There were no pesticides. Food was shared among all species, including the bugs, which by the way, we ate!
The Lifestyle:
Our Paleo ancestors moved, all day long. They walked long distances to find food, sprinted to catch their next meal, lifted and carried just about everything. They also played, cared for each other and had a tremendous sense of community.
They endured intermittent stressors like predator attacks, famine, ingestion of poisonous plants and exposure to the elements, all which turned on survival genes. They did not, however, endure low grade chronic stress that never went away, like we do today.
The health of the human race took a big hit twice in our evolutionary history:
The first was about 10,000-15,000 years ago with the advent on agriculture. This is when we started growing grain crops, which became the dominate source of our calories. Anthropological evidence shows a marked decrease in bone density and stature of about 12 inches and a marked increase in dental caries starting about 8,000-10,000 years ago. The consumption of grains was already destroying our health.
The second hit came just 100 years ago with the advent of the industrial revolution. This is when we started manufacturing food and refining sugar, grains and oils. As we began eliminating natural foods and eating manufactured foods laden with chemicals, we started the modern health care crisis.
If you are seeking a diet and lifestyle change, give the “Paleo Lifestyle” a go. It can’t hurt....and may actually solve your health and weight problems.
