The Real Paleo: Why You Wouldn’t Go Near Ancient Cuisine

Lots of wellness experts recommend the paleo diet for enhancing your wellbeing, but are you really eating the same things as your caveman ancestors? According to John Williams, PhD, and Lou Schuler, author of the Home Workout Bible, ‘The paleo diet gets a lot of things right. First and foremost, it’s a simple and effective system for reducing your daily calories without starving or depriving yourself of important nutrients. The recommended foods include most of the best protein sources—meat, fish, poultry, eggs—along with plenty of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. It’s hard to go wrong with a diet in which 100% of the foods are unprocessed, with no added sugar or salt. But no one should ever claim with a straight face that it represents what people actually ate in the Paleolithic, an era that started roughly 2.5 million years ago and lasted until the rise of agriculture about 10,000 years ago.’ In fact, some of the actual choices on the original paleo menu will give you a whole new appreciation for modern foods:

 

1. Stomach Stew: Paleo people used to love a bit of Chyme or the semi-digested stomach contents of animals. ‘Imagine you’re a caveman living in an ice age,’ note Williams and Schuler. ‘You have zero access to plant food for months at a time. Along comes an unsuspecting herbivore, looking for moss and lichen and whatever else it can scrape off rocks or bark. After you kill it, those stomach contents give you the first hot meal of the day—no microwave required—and provide nutrients you wouldn’t otherwise get, including active live cultures to aid digestion.’ However, the desire for stomach stew didn’t stop in the Paleolithic area. Williams and Schuler point out, ‘Inuits of the 19th and 20th centuries were observed eating partly fermented, pre-digested mush from the rumen of reindeer. Deer, like cattle and sheep, are called ruminants because they digest food through a circular process of chewing, digesting (in a part of the stomach called the rumen), regurgitating, chewing again, and repeating.’

 

2. The Original Gatorade: You might be worried about the contents of your energy drinks, but that’s nothing compared to what the Comanche drank in the 19^th century. Pulitzer Prize-winner Sam Gwynne, author of Comanche-inspired novel Empire of the Summer Moon, writes, ‘Children would … squirt the salty bile from the gallbladder [of animals] onto the liver and eat it on the spot, warm and dripping blood.’ All fluids were appreciated, including ‘warm curdled milk from the stomach of a suckling calf.’ Yum.

 

3. Man ham: Williams and Schuler comment, ‘Today we think of cannibalism in terms of the Donner party—something desperate people do during desperate times. But archaeologists and historians have found lots of evidence of cannibalism throughout human history, including the remains of 11 juveniles who were butchered and eaten 800,000 years ago at a cave in Spain. Our close cousins, the Neanderthals, were also known to have feasted on their own.’ For the Tonkawa tribe, who rivalled the animal fluid-drinking Comanche, ‘the goal was to absorb the mojo of their badass enemies,’ Williams and Schuler explain.’ In fact, there is an eyewitness report of dead-guy goulash from Noah Smithwick, one of the rare palefaces to live and travel with Indian tribes in the 1800s. According to Smithwick, ‘Having fleeced off the flesh of the dead Comanche, they borrowed a big wash kettle … into which they put the Comanche meat, together with a lot of corn and potatoes – the most revolting mess my eyes ever rested on.’

Categories: cannibalism, comanche, Paleo, paleo diet, schuler, stomach, stomach contents, stomach stew, Urine, williams

Three Fad Diets That You Want to Try, But Don’t Have To

There are a lot of crazy fad diets out there, but how do you know if any of them work? Instead of putting your wellbeing through the mill, we’ve taken a look at a few of the craziest diets out there, and what you might expect if you give them a try.

 

1. The Paleo Diet: On this Stone Age–inspired regimen, you can forget about your modern favourites. No wheat, no dairy, no legumes and you can say goodbye to fruit juices. Instead, the Paleo diet features hunter-gatherer staples such as lamb, poultry, bison, and other lean game. While the diet asks you to ditch junk food – and that certainly is no bad thing – as of yet there are scant studies to prove the Paleo’s efficacy. There’s also an issue of convenience here, as you’re required to swap easy options for home-cooked meals, such as grass-fed meatloaf with almond meal, vegetables sautéed in coconut oil, and cocoa-covered nut balls with coconut shreds. This means less time in the gym, and more time preparing and eating foods that will send you into a sluggish food coma. While the Paleo Diet brings you life without processed foods, all that red meat isn’t great for your cholesterol. So maybe “back to basics” isn’t the best plan for your wellness.

 

2. The Karl Lagerfeld Diet: Based on the 2004, the Karl Lagerfeld Diet was devised for the Kaiser by Jean-Claude Houdret. This nutrition specialist helped the designer drop 90 pounds in the early aughts, based on a three-phase plan of a 900 calorie-a-day limit for two weeks; 1,200 a day for one week; and then maintenance at 1,600. Unfortunately, the phase one bland shakes and petite portions of vegetables (sautéed or raw) will leave your stomach and taste buds longing for more. You get more substantial options later on – including grilled chicken, avocado on toast, and Greek yogurt – but still the portion sizes are brutal. Sure, this can lead to fast weight loss and better skin, but there’s no way you can sustain the Karl Lagerfeld Diet long-term. Still, if it gets you trimming a little off your portion size in future, it can’t hurt to try.

 

3. The Pil-Sook Diet: This crazy diet fat comes from hit K-drama Dream High, which is a South Korean television series – I’m not making this up. In the show, pop-star wannabe Pil-sook wants to drop 65 pounds in 200 days, so her teacher paraphrases twentieth-century nutritionist Adelle Davis’ famous rule: ‘Eat breakfast like a queen, lunch like a commoner, dinner like a pauper.’ This diet also includes cutting out liquids after 7pm and taking part in daily 30-minute jump-roping sessions. At least the Adelle Davis rule has science on it’s side; according to an American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study, eating a high-protein breakfast reduces the release of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates hunger. Initially, you might find those queen-sized breakfasts a bit of a waste if you have little appetite in the morning, but once you’ve had a few nights of starving on your Pauper meal-plan, you’ll wake up ravenous. In some ways, knowing a big breakfast is on its way makes it easier to have a little dinner, especially if you can eat pretty much what you want for breakfast, guilt-free. And, if skipping ropes aren’t really your thing, you can trade it in for some other form of cardio and still reap the weight loss benefits. So, even though it comes from South Korean TV, it seems as though the Pil-Sook Diet may be the most logical option on our list – now who saw that one coming?

Categories: adelle davis, Fad Diets, karl lagerfeld, Karl Lagerfeld Diet, lagerfeld diet, paleo diet, pil sook, Pil-Sook Diet, saut ed, south korean, vegetables saut

Going for Gold? How the Paleo Diet Helps Endurance Athletes

The Paleo Diet has become more and more popular among wellness experts and enthusiasts, but a diet devoid in carbs and dairy products doesn’t seem suitable to the well-being of a runner or endurance athlete. However, when Iron-man athlete Nell Stephenson contracted a parasite and developed a gluten-intolerance and stomach problems, she decided to try eating like a caveman and ‘felt better in three days.’ So how can the Paleo diet still serve those who traditionally carbo-load for a better performance?

 

Paleo prescribes a diet of just lean protein, healthy fat, and fresh fruits and vegetables, which most athletes would also accommodate in their diets. However, dairy, grains, legumes, and refined and processed food are completely avoided as part of the ancient eating regime, and many fitness fans still rely heavily on grains, processed sugars and lots of starches. Yet according to Joe Friel, US Olympic triathlon coach and co-author of The Paleo Diet for Athletes, you can go for gold and still benefit from the Paleo diet, with just a few simple adjustments.

 

Friel comments, ‘[Paleo offers] better long-term recovery, due to greater micro-nutrient content [than a standard high-starch and sugar diet], allowing the athlete to train with a greater stress load.’ He explains that the trick is to divide your diet into stages, following the basic Paleo diet during most of your meals, but changing the rules during and immediately after workouts. Roughly two hours before your long or hard workout or race, you should consume food with a low to moderate glycaemic index and low fibre content.

 

But if you’re switching back and forth between diet plans, what’s the point in going prehistoric in the first place? Friel notes that, as opposed to the high-starch and sugar diet you may be on right now, the Paleo diet has several effects:

 

1. More vitamins and minerals. This helps to keep your immune system strong, which means there’s less of a chance of illness getting in the way of your training regime.

2. Increased fat oxidation. This is extremely beneficial in long-event endurance.

3. Balanced pH levels, which increase your speed.

4. Better retained and recovered muscles. This helps your performance as well as your physique.

 

Don’t believe him? Ask Stephenson! Since the Paleo diet has changed her life, the Iron-man athlete, trainer and nutritional coach has started a popular Paleo informational blog, Paleoista, and has come out with a book of the same name. As she simply states, ‘My body is functioning optimally.’

Categories: Benefits, Endurance Athletes, high starch, iron man, man athlete, paleo diet, sugar diet

Three of the Worst Modern Fad Diets: Expert Weights In

If you choose a diet plan that is healthy, satisfying and reasonably simple to follow, it is possible to lose weight, improve your wellbeing and keep things that way on a long-term basis. However, according to Mary Hartley, the registered dietician and nutritionist for dietsinreview.com, there are many popular diets out there which really don’t fit the bill.

The premise of the paleo diet is that obesity is a pretty modern phenomenon, and so you should eat like your hunter-gatherer ancestors to stay trim. This means gorging on red meat and eliminating anything that a caveman wouldn’t have eaten. However, in the US News and World Report’s most recent best and worst diets survey, this diet ranked dead last out of 29. There’s not a thing about this diet that wellness experts like; it’s hard to follow, ineffective for weight loss and a poor choice for heart health.

Ok, so maybe giving up modern agriculture isn’t the way to go, but plenty of people live without gluten these days, right? How about the gluten-free diet? While people with celiac disease, gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance absolutely have to eliminate gluten products such as barely, wheat and rye, Hartley says, ‘Gluten has nothing to do with weight loss, so the diet simply doesn’t work.’ In fact, the majority of celiacs end up gaining weight when they follow a gluten-free eating plan for the first time, as their bodies can finally absorb calories and nutrients properly. Plus, gluten-free treats tend to be packed with more fat, sugar, preservatives and calories than standard snacks.

You shouldn’t eat like a caveman or a celiac, then, but how about a baby? The baby food diet was created by celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson for her A-list clients, who are told to eat up to 15 jars of baby food a day; although some versions of the plan let you eat a regular meal for dinner – how kind. However, Hartley dubs the baby food diet ‘the silliest diet imaginable,’ noting that there’s no magical fat-melting power in mashed bananas and pureed peas. Hartley points out that the trick behind diet is extreme portion control, as those tiny containers add up to only about a thousand calories a day. However, Hartley comments that dining on baby food is neither palatable nor sustainable for people who have teeth and like to chew their food.

Categories: baby food diet, Gluten-Free, paleo diet

Is the Paleo Diet Right for You?

You’ve undoubtedly heard about the Paleo diet, also sometimes called the Caveman Diet, in which followers eat only the food that was consumed by our distant ancestors, embracing meats, veggies and fruits — while eschewing entirely American diet staples like dairy, grains and processed food.

 

There are a lot of benefits to following the Paleo diet, but it’s not right for everyone. It’s quite restrictive and can be high in cholesterol. Here’s how to tell if this diet is right for you.

 

Can You Afford It?

Paleo puts an emphasis on high-quality meat cuts, such as organically raised chicken and grass-fed beef, as well as free-range chicken eggs. This is all undoubtedly healthier food, but it’s also not cheap. You won’t be rounding out your plate with low-cost grains like rice and couscous, either, which can also result in more expensive meals.

 

Are You a Carb Queen?

If carbohydrates are your main squeeze, then the Paleo diet is definitely not for you. You won’t be able to eat your beloved carbs in the form of rice, traditional pasta or most traditional flour. And bread is largely off-limits as well.

 

Are You Vegetarian?

It’s not impossible to go Paleo as a vegetarian, but it is very difficult. The diet emphasizes meat to a large degree, and it also eliminates legumes, which include beans, a dietary staple of many vegetarians. It may be difficult to get enough food when eating vegetarian Paleo, as well as enough high-quality protein to keep you going throughout the day.

 

Do You Adore Peanut Butter?

The good news is that nuts are okay on the Paleo diet. The bad news is that peanuts are not technically considered nuts. They are legumes, and — remember — legumes are off-limits on Paleo. So if you absolutely have to have peanut butter, Paleo is not a good fit, unless you’re willing to substitute something else, like almond butter.

 

Do You Drink a Lot of Alcohol?

It’s possible to drink in moderation on the Paleo diet. But if you drink in excess, in addition to looking into alcohol rehab treatment centers, you probably shouldn’t try Paleo, where alcohol consumption should be limited to a few times per week, if that.

 

Can You Go Without Dessert?

There are some Paleo-approved desserts, most of them based on fruit and made from scratch. But if you adore ice cream and cake, you probably shouldn’t try Paleo. On some diets you can have those types of foods, with restrictions. But on the Paleo diet, full categories of food are off-limits, and so that might lead to frustration if you really want an ice cream cone on vacation.

Categories: diet and nutrition, Food, paleo diet

What Foods can be Eaten on the Paleo Diet?

If you have been online this past year or so you would have undoubtedly seen endless articles and adverts for the Paleo Diet, a diet that at first glance will seem like just another fad that won’t actually help see any real results.

Who in their right mind would believe that a diet that would involve you matching the eating habits of our prehistoric ancestors could possibly work?

Yet if you delve a little deeper you will realise that in reality the Paleo Diet could actually help with your weight loss efforts and improve your overall health.

For a start you won’t be allowed to eat all those unhealthy modern meals, so that is a good thing.

 

What are you allowed to eat?

Those who decide to eat the Paleo Diet can only choose those foods found in the Paleolithic period.

These food types are normally free from gluten and casein, with very little sodium.

Below you will find more detail on the types of food allowed on the Paleo Diet:

 

 

Meat and Eggs

Meat, including fish and eggs are the most important food source found in this diet. Though you need to ensure that the source of the meat is natural.

Basically this means that the animals should be eating a natural organic diet.

Some authors will say that only low fat meat should be consumed, mainly due to modern day meat being high in saturated fats. There are those who disagree, however.

 

Vegetables

Vegetables are another important food that you should consume while undertaking this diet.

Usually the vegetables you can choose to eat could be eaten raw, although this does not mean that they should be eaten raw.

Green bean and peas should not be consumed as these are forms of legume.

 

Fruits

Although fruit is allowed you should attempt to limit the consumption of fruit juice, dried fruits and those fruits that contain high levels of sugar.

 

Nuts and Seeds

If your aim is to lose weight then you limit your daily consumption of nuts to 4 ounces.

You are not allowed to consume peanuts as these are a form of legume, while cashew nuts cannot be consumed as they cannot be eaten raw.

If you want an alternative to cow’s milk then unsweetened almond or coconut milk are good options.

 

Oils

Olive or nut oil are preferred, while fish oil supplements are recommended while on the Paleo Diet.

 

Drinks

Apart from drinking water and tea there are very few beverage options available.

Some people will say that the occasional coffee or little alcohol is permitted, though most will say that those drinks containing artificial sugars and sweeteners which should be avoided.

 

What are you not allowed to consume?

You are not allowed to consume the following while undertaking the Paleo Diet:

 

Refined Sugar

This should not be a surprise as you would be hard pressed to find any diet that would recommend the consumption of too many sugars.

 

Grain

Grain is not allowed as it is simply not logistically possible to collect enough to eat.

 

 

Starchy Tubers

Some authors of various forms of the Paleo Diet would claim that the occasional root vegetable would not harm your progress while others would say that you should avoid potatoes, yams, cassava, manioc and many forms of beet.

 

Legumes

Legumes are not allowed to be eaten simply because they cannot be consumed raw.

Another more scientific reason is that they contain lectins, which can negatively affect your metabolism.

 

Dairy Products

As animals were not domesticated during the Paleolithic period dairy products should not be consumed.

Some will say that a little butter is okay, but as before the animal should have eaten a natural diet.

 

Processed Meat

Meat that has been processed, such as bacon and sausage cannot be consumed.

 

Oils

Corn, cottonseed, peanut, soybean, rice bran or wheat germ oil should be avoided. This means that mayonnaise cannot be consumed.

 

Salt

Most popular diets would recommend that you limit your salt intake, the Paleo Diet is no different.

 

What else is recommended?

If you really want to be successful with the Paleo Diet then you cannot rely solely what you are eating.

Our ancestors did not sit and wait for their food to be brought to them so you need to get up off your sofa and do a little exercise.

 

Author biography 

Jac Jenkins is a stay at home Mom passionate about health and fitness. She is currently running her own blog at: http://www.yourweightlossaid.com/

Categories: consumed nbsp, dairy products, diet and nutrition, diet nbsp, eaten raw, Food, nbsp, nbsp nbsp, nbsp oils, paleo diet, paleolithic period