To Paleo or Not to Paleo?
By Mike Hehn, BSN, CPT
Owner, Smart Weight & Nutrition
So the buzzword for today’s chronic diet fans is the “Paleo
diet”. Not too long ago it was the Mediterranean diet but
who’s keeping track? Proponents of the Paleo diet
agree that to stay healthy, fit and lean, like our ancestors in
the Paleolithic era (2.6 million to 10,000 B.C.) we need to eat
the foods they did. Those consisting of meats, fish, reptiles,
insects, organ meats, bone marrow, eggs, honey, fruits and
vegetables, seeds and nuts. Skip the grains, dairy, beans,
peas and lentils. Minus the reptiles, insects and organ meats
overall, not bad right? The assumption is that our Paleolithic
hunter gatherer ancestors were healthy and robust, had little
disease, and ate the same foods. Until the shift to Neolithic
Agriculture, about 10,000 years ago, where we got sicker,
shorter, and spindlier. Our modern hunter gatherer ancestors continue declining in health with the introduction of
today’s modern diet. The foundation of the Paleo diet is that
by returning to a meat and produce-based diet would greatly
decrease chronic diseases.
Assumption #1
Evidence published in The Lancet now shows that our Paleolithic ancestors had parasites, infectious diseases and signs
of Atherosclerosis.
Assumption #2
Of the few surviving hunter gatherer populations left in the
world, we see huge variations in diet. From the meat and fat
eating Inuit of the arctic, to the root vegetable eating Kitavans
near Papua, New Guinea, and the seed and nut eating !Kung
of Africa, the diverse diets most likely reflects the food available in those regions.
RECIPE
bigger and sweeter, or produce larger yields. Similarly, most
modern animals aren’t the same either. Grass fed beef is not
the same as bison and deer.
Assumption #4
Studies in the proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, find ancient humans have been eating grasses and
cereals before the Paleolithic era. Legumes have been found
at Paleolithic sites all over the world and in some cases the
primary food available.
Assumption #5
Many modern diseases have been caused by underlying
inflammation as a result of increased amounts of grains and
cereals in the diet. While research shows that processed
grains do cause inflammation, whole grains actually have no
effect. With the exception of people with Celiacs (1% of the
population) and Non-Celiac gluten sensitive (10%) it appears
that it’s the processing, not the grain itself.
No matter how you look at it, the evolutionary arguments
don’t hold up but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good diet.
Maybe just for the wrong reasons. My recommendations:
learn from our ancestors by eating fresh organic food (no
pesticides back then), breathe fresh air, drink water, move
more, and sleep well. Stay well informed and avoid cultish
thinking. Primitive eating may actually turn out to be more
right than wrong.
Putting a few blueberries or cranberries on a salad
isn’t really new, but this recipe features a whole array
of fresh summer berries for a satisfying combination
of sweet fruit and fresh greens. A raspberry-flavored
dressing that really brings out the fruit flavors and
also adds some healthy fats to help you absorb the
vitamins in the spinach. Vitamins A, E, and K in particular need some fat to really let your body use them,
and the mayo in the dressing – plus the avocado on
top of the salad – delivers exactly that.
A sprinkle of roasted walnuts adds some crunch on
top of the salad, and also some extra nutrition, especially vitamin E and Omega-3 fats. You can roast walnuts by simply putting them in a hot oven (375-400
degrees) for 5-10 minutes, until they’re just browned.
Keep an eye on them because they cook fast!
You could add some grilled chicken to this for a
complete meal, or try it with hamburgers – the sweet
berries actually make a nice contrast to juicy beef hot
off the grill.
There is no single “Paleo Diet”.
Assumption #3
Our ancestors did eat a lot more fruits and vegetables than
most people eat today but probably not the ones we eat. Most
modern fruits and vegetables have been genetically altered
in someway to take out the bitterness, eliminate toxins, make
Recipe submitted by Mike Hehn of Smart Weight Nutrition
and Fitness, in conjunction with his story “To Paleo or Not To
Paleo.”
Berry Salad with Raspberry Dressing Recipe
Serves: 4 Prep: 15 min
Ingredients for salad:
6 oz. baby spinach
½ cup fresh strawberries, sliced
½ cup blueberries
½ cup blackberries
½ cup raspberries
2 large avocados, sliced
1/4 cup. roasted walnuts, chopped
Ingredients for the Raspberry Dressing:
½ cup raspberries
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup almond milk
4 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. poppyseeds
Berry Salad with Raspberry Dressing preparation
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients for the
dressing, and pulse until smooth. In a large salad bowl,
combine spinach and berries. Top the salad with avocado
slices and sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Drizzle with
dressing and serve.
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