To expand my knowledge, and my reader's knowledge, I searched Wikipedia for some elaborations on my subject. The paleo diet was the diet humans followed during the stone age. Hence where it gets the name, from the paleolithic era. It's hard to imagine that modern people can consider this lifestyle a fad if everyone used to eat this way until ten thousand years ago. Did our entire system really evolve over ten thousand years, or do our bodies work better with our original fuel? It defines the diet to include fish, grass fed pasture raised meats, eggs, vegetables, fruit, fungi, roots, and nuts. It prohibits the consumption of grains, legumes, potatoes, refined salt, refined sugar, dairy products, and processed oils.
I have noticed that the paleo diet emits half of the common allergens that plague modern societies today. Milk, peanuts, wheat, and soy are all excluded. It is arguable that chicken who are fed certain grains may lay eggs that cause an allergic reaction to gluten intolerant people. However, if chickens were allowed to roam around and eat bugs like they did before agriculture, the common egg allergy might be less severe or non existent. Eggs, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish are the other half of the equation. It is relatively easy to avoid these allergens while following a paleo diet.
This is the first time I discovered that potatoes are not allowed when following the paleo diet. It makes sense, because potatoes are part of the nightshade family that cause inflammatory reactions in some people. The inflammatory diseases they cause range from heart burn to arthritis. This excludes yams and sweet potatoes because they belong in different families. Not everyone is sensitive to nightshades, only those who suffer from inflammation problems.
There is a strong debate about the paleolithic diet in most industries. There are many people on opposite ends of the spectrum, some write it off as a fad diet, and others incorporate it into their lives almost religiously. Scientists argue that there is no scientific proof supporting it, while others argue there is personal proof to back it up. I take the side of the supporters, because you can't bash something you haven't tried when it's proved itself to be beneficial.
It's amazing how many variations of the paleolithic diet exist. The hardest thing for followers of this diet to agree on is the ratios of the food groups. Some believe that a meat based diet is ideal, similar to an Atkins diet. Others believe that a high-carb vegetable diet is ideal. Variations of the diet are endless, but some include a raw, vegetarian, vegan, high fat, low fat, high protein, low protein, four day rotation, fasting, part-time plaeo, and a local version. With all of these options and more, I can't imagine how this "diet" is lumped in with all the other heavily restricted diets commonly followed today. Some people go all out limiting eggs, honey, and sweet potatoes because they weren't gathered in abundance back in the day. Others rely on these as staples because they closely resemble the comfort food they miss. They may disregard moderation and an accurate duplication of the diet. There is tons misinformation out there. People are sold the idea that they are on a paleo diet when they include milk from grass fed cows, and should eat quinoa since it might be a seed. Others find it more convenient to live a partially paleo lifestyle, while sticking to their regular diet some or most of the time.
I think it's hard to pinpoint the exact facts of what our ancestors ate, and we should listen to our bodies more than an external influence like the media, parents, friends, or certified health instructors. One person might have an allergy to blueberries. Although blueberries are paleo by every definition, consuming them would be more harmful to this individual than consuming a triple cheese factory produced casserole. I think everyone should give the hunter-gatherer diet a try at least once, and adjust it however they want.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Sunday, July 14, 2013
My Accidental Experiment
The first time I changed my diet to a semi-paleo one, I was unaware that it was. At the time, I was pre-diabetic and felt incredibly fatigued. My doctor warned me that I was pushing my luck, and that I needed to restrict my refined carbohydrate intake. Even complex carbohydrates, like brown rice and whole wheat, made me sleepy during the day. I knew something had to change, and I was determined to reduce my acne, and increase my energy.
Ever since I was in middle school, researching diet and nutrition has been one of my biggest hobbies. While normal kids would be messing around on You Tube in the computer lab, I would be hard at work typing in all of my questions regarding internal health. Starting my Freshman year, I used myself as a diet guinea pig. At first I tested out a protein bar diet, then a soup diet, apple diet, and a (laughable) instant hot chocolate diet. Granted, the hot chocolate diet was more of a snowed-in last resort than an educated experiment. Throughout all this, I never strayed from my life-long vegetarian diet. I'm not bragging, since it wasn't an option to eat meat growing up. Some veggies I know pride themselves on loving animals, being true to their religion, or being healthier than everyone. Which are all great reasons, and makes me wish I had a better one than the fact that my taste buds never adjusted. Now back to the topic.
I never was fond of foods with a high protein content. I am not nuts about nuts. However, I always fancied cashews, and decided they would be my main source of protein. Later on I found out they were really seeds from the poisonous when eaten raw tropical cashew fruit, go figure. I bought them in bulk at Fred Meyers, and there were a few rancid ones which I managed to pick around. I knew the importance of vitamin C to help me absorb the iron, so I decided on buying clementine cuties. For those who aren't a fan, they are smaller, sweeter, and tangier versions of an orange. At that time in my life I couldn't care less about variety. Cashews and clementines seemed like all I needed. Also water of course, plenty of water.
My diet lasted a month, which is surprising when I look back on it. The results were different than what I expected. I lost forty pounds, which was disappointing. I had a nice womanly figure before, and my clothes fit well. Afterwards none of my jeans fit, but at least my bra size stayed about the same. I had transformed from an hourglass into cone in one month. It may be shallow, but I missed the attention I got walking down the halls in summer school. Also, the last day my lips were chapped and hurt when I touched them. During that month I had intense cravings. At summer school, the snack bar tempted me with it's chocolate chip muffins. I succumbed to their chocolaty goodness a few times I'll admit. I had a dream about cheese. The cheese was just a mirage, and I woke up shaking. I knew there was cheese downstairs in the fridge, but restrained myself, and stuffed my face with cashews instead. I knew that my skin would clear up somewhat, but not to the extent that it did. I looked airbrushed for the first time since I was a baby. One result I didn't see coming was the disappearance of my dark eye circles, which made my complexion look radiant.
Despite the negative side effects and giving in, I didn't regret this experiment. I reached my goals if only temporarily. Later I would learn about the Paleo diet, and how balance plays a big role in over all health, not just partial. A quick overview of the Paleo diet. It's what our ancestors ate before the agricultural revolution. Anything that requires cooking to become edible is ruled out. This would technically rule out cashews, except that only their shell is poisonous and can easily be avoided. The diet includes grass fed meat and eggs, seafood, vegetables, fruit, herbs, nuts, seeds, and water. As you can tell this sounds like a dead end for a vegetarian. It's not, and I plan to be living proof one day when I decide to put down the block of cheese for good.
Ever since I was in middle school, researching diet and nutrition has been one of my biggest hobbies. While normal kids would be messing around on You Tube in the computer lab, I would be hard at work typing in all of my questions regarding internal health. Starting my Freshman year, I used myself as a diet guinea pig. At first I tested out a protein bar diet, then a soup diet, apple diet, and a (laughable) instant hot chocolate diet. Granted, the hot chocolate diet was more of a snowed-in last resort than an educated experiment. Throughout all this, I never strayed from my life-long vegetarian diet. I'm not bragging, since it wasn't an option to eat meat growing up. Some veggies I know pride themselves on loving animals, being true to their religion, or being healthier than everyone. Which are all great reasons, and makes me wish I had a better one than the fact that my taste buds never adjusted. Now back to the topic.
I never was fond of foods with a high protein content. I am not nuts about nuts. However, I always fancied cashews, and decided they would be my main source of protein. Later on I found out they were really seeds from the poisonous when eaten raw tropical cashew fruit, go figure. I bought them in bulk at Fred Meyers, and there were a few rancid ones which I managed to pick around. I knew the importance of vitamin C to help me absorb the iron, so I decided on buying clementine cuties. For those who aren't a fan, they are smaller, sweeter, and tangier versions of an orange. At that time in my life I couldn't care less about variety. Cashews and clementines seemed like all I needed. Also water of course, plenty of water.
My diet lasted a month, which is surprising when I look back on it. The results were different than what I expected. I lost forty pounds, which was disappointing. I had a nice womanly figure before, and my clothes fit well. Afterwards none of my jeans fit, but at least my bra size stayed about the same. I had transformed from an hourglass into cone in one month. It may be shallow, but I missed the attention I got walking down the halls in summer school. Also, the last day my lips were chapped and hurt when I touched them. During that month I had intense cravings. At summer school, the snack bar tempted me with it's chocolate chip muffins. I succumbed to their chocolaty goodness a few times I'll admit. I had a dream about cheese. The cheese was just a mirage, and I woke up shaking. I knew there was cheese downstairs in the fridge, but restrained myself, and stuffed my face with cashews instead. I knew that my skin would clear up somewhat, but not to the extent that it did. I looked airbrushed for the first time since I was a baby. One result I didn't see coming was the disappearance of my dark eye circles, which made my complexion look radiant.
Despite the negative side effects and giving in, I didn't regret this experiment. I reached my goals if only temporarily. Later I would learn about the Paleo diet, and how balance plays a big role in over all health, not just partial. A quick overview of the Paleo diet. It's what our ancestors ate before the agricultural revolution. Anything that requires cooking to become edible is ruled out. This would technically rule out cashews, except that only their shell is poisonous and can easily be avoided. The diet includes grass fed meat and eggs, seafood, vegetables, fruit, herbs, nuts, seeds, and water. As you can tell this sounds like a dead end for a vegetarian. It's not, and I plan to be living proof one day when I decide to put down the block of cheese for good.
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