OT - Anyone tried a paleo diet?

I didn’t think it was gluten free, just any kind of food processing free. So… do you get to drink tea on this diet?

I have a number of friends on paleo, all doing different things. One does the no gluten. Other does no grains at all. Another does the no food processing and everything organic, but eats grains. I figure the mainstream it is a gluten free diet.

IMO, just sounds like another Atkins / ketogenic diet to me, and one should probably be popping vitamins to be safe. http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/paleo-diet/reviews
I’m personally not a fan of anything evolutionary psych like – explaining (guessing) how something worked from the cavemen era seems flawed as it can explain everything and impossible to test.

I try to follow only one rule I’ve learned from all the research I’ve done on the Paleo diet. It works well and has really changed my perception on how I eat. The rule is this:

When shopping, don’t go down the aisles. Perimeter shop.

It sounds stupid but it makes you look at food differently. Stick to the walls of the grocery store and you’ll find everything healthy: fish, vegetables, meats, fruits, everything you’re supposed to be eating but don’t.

Look down the aisles and you’ll see bright, obnoxious boxes of crispy crunchies, gooey glops, crunchy cracklins and a whole bunch of other crap you don’t really need at all. You’ll start to see how strange and gross all that junk is that takes up 90% of the market. It’s crazy.

Try perimeter shopping for a week or two. It’ll take a little planning and might be just a bit more expensive but it’s totally worth it. I’m not going to promise you anything but if you’re interested in changing your eating habits at all, it will also change the way you look at how you buy food in general.

…except the tea aisle. Don’t walk past that.

I’ve been eating paleo (or primal, really, because I include dairy) for about nine months.

For me, this means I eat meat (grass fed whenever possible), eggs, fruits and vegetables, some nuts, and milk. I don’t eat grains, legumes, or anything processed. I do use Splenda to sweeten my tea on occasion.

I didn’t choose paleo/primal for the evolutionary logic (especially since, as an anthropologist, I know that the diet eaten by early humans would have varied widely by geography) – I like the emphasis on whole, unprocessed foods and avoidance of grains.

I have much better energy than I did when I was eating grains/etc. I have been much healthier, physically – no migraines, only one cold, no sinus or upper respiratory infections since I made the switch.

I follow the Primal Blueprint, which is a variation of paleo – it allows for raw dairy, dark chocolate, and generally encourages a higher fat intake to make up for reduced dietary carbs. I pretty much eat no “grains” except for corn, and have done this for almost 5 months now. It has worked well for me.

What I like about Primal/Paleo is the emphasis on less processed food. Also, there is no “set” way to do it – the focus is on self experimentation and figuring out what works best for your body. Very data driven, which appeals to my little scientific heart.

So, in a nutshell, I like being paleo and I love that I get to drink tea. A lot of teas (like 52Teas Pancake Breakfast) have become especially awesome to me now since they are literally a way for me to have my cake and eat it too. :)

Are you paleo/considering it?

What I like about paleo is the raw food emphasis. I think skipping dairy altogether is a bit extreme, especially if you have an opportunity to consume unpasteurized milk (farm fresh), which is not a bad thing for you. Obviously, the best part of the diet is dumping processed foods. The only thing I don’t like is the $4.50 Paleo bar that someone tried to sell me at The Fresh Market store. I’m sure there are better ways to experience the diet than to spend that much on a bar.

My younger relative has been on it for some time and likes it. I think it is good in many respects, but mainly because it’s a shorthand way to refer to a lot of good eating habits – such as eating more fruits, vegetables, and healthy foods and fewer processed foods and stuff like candy/cookies.

I don’t tend to favor absolute rules about dieting and think a little compromise helps people stay motivated for the long run, but a focus on healthier foods is a good thing.

Rayn and I have been paleo/primal for awhile now (we’re fans of marksdailyapple.com) and both feel great. Rayn lost about 20lbs, since I’m gluten free it wasn’t much of a stretch for me, and we’ve both experienced less joint pain. I think the media tends to misrepresent paleo/primal quite a bit, that it’s an all or nothing thing but I’ve found the “diet” is really a spectrum (and the spectrum works). I don’t eat much dairy but Rayn has cheese almost every day. Rayn doesn’t eat much grains but I have rice at least 3 times a week. We’re both in good shape and feeling well. If you’re interested I highly recommend Mark Sisson’s and Robb Wolf’s books/websites. And if you really get into it message me for tons of awesome recipe websites!

I’ve been primal for over a year. No grains or gluten. I try (with some but not complete success) to stay away from sugar. Lots of meat, eggs, veggies, and diary. I started because of digestive issues that the doctors had not idea what to do with. I have since come to the conclusion that while I do not have celiac, I am nevertheless sensitive to gluten. Whenever I eat gluten(because I can never resist my mom’s pizza), the next day I feel the effect.
At any rate, in general I have more energy, I sleep better and I have lost weight.
And, contrary to what conventional nutritionists would have you expect when someone is on a high sat. fat diet, my cholesterol is fine, so is my weight, my sugar and my blood pressure.
So I guess, for me, it works :)

if your eating healthy why bother with gimmicky diets which limit one specific group of foods, in this case gluten/grains? unless your sensitive to gluten it shouldnt make a bit of difference. cant argue with the notion of avoiding processed foods as a general rule of thumb, or things that people get too much of or dont need, ie: sugars,fats,salts.