Ok kids, here we go! The newest ‘trendy’ diet on the market.... The Paleo Diet. My girlfriend Kat introduced me to this celebrity-driven phase of getting healthy (by healthy I mean losing weight, and quickly gaining it back...in abundance). She pretty much had the same feelings towards it I did once I did some research... “UGHHH, are you kidding me?!” Man this stuff really grinds my gears. Almost as much as this meathead a friend told me about on talk radio endorsing the Convenience Store diet (stay tuned).

 

The Paleo diet is being endorsed as ‘The World’s Healthiest Diet’- I see that statement as an oxymoron. First of all diet cannot equal health (this one exclusively because it is being sold as a lifelong journey to optimal health and reduction of disease). I hate the word diet. I don’t believe in diets. Diets are not sustainable. Diets are trends, aimed at selling people on the idea of successful weight loss. What forever baffles me is the hype one diet receives by the public followed later on down the road by the criticisms and countless reasons for its demise. This is one trend I can assure you will continue in the realm of dieters. Look around -you will see a large group of individuals jumping on this bandwagon, but what you don’t see is them tumbling off shortly after.

 

To me, The Paleo Diet is just a glorified Atkins. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it’s the evolution of Atkins. And because its advocates are using big fancy words like “Scientific Journals”, and “Ancestors”, and my favourite “Paleolithic”- everyone assumes this is a big deal, heck it might even be the “magic pill” we’ve all been searching for. Well I’ve got news for you daydreamers; nothing is going to make you healthy like eating well and getting your butt in gear.

 

We have a lot of dim-wits promoting this right now, and don’t get me wrong their credentials are impressive, but what are they really in it for? Money- like all intelligent people in the health industry, we as experts know a diet is only so good for so long, but the capital gain can be quite enticing! And that’s why you see Professors, Scientists, and MD’s promoting something like this.

 

If you aren’t familiar with the Paleo Diet, here is some info about it...

 

What you eat

 

Lean meats

Seafood

Vegetables

Fruits

Nuts and seeds

Diet soda (although controversial)

Coffee

Tea

Alcohol

 

What you don’t eat

 

Grains/Carbs

Processed/packaged foods

 

The Philosophy

 

The Paleo advocates, such as Professor Loren Cordain, believe that our ancestors ate this way and therefore we are genetically programmed to this type of lifestyle. Well I’m not sure which ancestors he is referring to because the last time I reviewed ancient eating habits, they consisted highly of a grains. That is why we call things like quinoa and amaranth ANCIENT GRAINS. Yes we did descend from hunters-and gatherers, but I think it is important to note that there were various cultures and tribes, none of which consisted solely of lean meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds- all year round (which this diet claims you can do), unless you’re living in the tropics, which even still, you were consuming high fat meats such as hog. I highly doubt our ancestors were concerned with trimming their catch and only consuming the lean cuts.  

I will grant Cordain one ounce of credit- this diet is, to some extent suited for people who are Blood Type O’s: however, the complete exclusion of grains and carbohydrate rich foods is not even ideal for O type’s. O type’s simply do well with a reduction in grains in comparison to the other blood types. That’s it. No more, for everyone else, my advice is avoid, avoid, avoid!

 

The Importance of Consuming Grains.

 

Consuming good quality grains is an essential part of living a balanced lifestyle. Contrary to what Cordain would have you believe, people who consume, whole, unrefined grains consistently weigh less than the portion of the population who do not. Not only are grains delicious, they are our primary fuel source. Carbohydrates, in the form of glucose fuel our bodies and our minds. When we are deficient in carbohydrates our body burns off of its reserves- not something you ever want to force your body to do. Eventually your body will start turning on itself and using fat for energy and then protein- neither of these is desirable, both forms of energy are taxing on the body and require great output.

You’ll also emit the smell of acetone (yes, the smell of nail polish remover) on your breath and repel your friends.

Consuming grains regularly will reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease, lowers your cholesterol and blood pressure, reduces inflammation, allows the body to repair tissue, promotes a healthy colon, provides you with cancer-fighting antioxidants, reduces migraines, prevents gallstones, supports bone health, reduces risk of metabolic syndrome, reduces PMS symptoms, and has been shown to be beneficial in reducing childhood asthma.  

 

I think it is safe to say grains are a staple item in a meal plan that is geared towards OPTIMAL living, I encourage all of you to avoid the diet of the month and stick to what makes sense- wholesome, fresh, local, organic ingredients- that is the only way to health, not a diet.