07/01/2013
Paleo diet craze!
What is the Paleo Diet?
The paleo diet has been getting a lot of coverage recently, but it is actually been a concept around since the mid 1970s. Also commonly referred to as the caveman diet and the hunter-gatherer diet, the paleo diet is a modern version based on what cave-dwellers would have consumed during the Paleolithic era, which lasted for almost 2.5 million years and came to an end some 10,000 years ago as the development of agriculture cave rise to grain-based diets, and changed the way people ate. Today’s paleo diet is based upon commonly available modern foods and includes cultivated plants and domesticated animal meat as an alternative to the wild sources of the original pre-agricultural diet
Neolithic man used agriculture and farming techniques and introduced large amounts of dairy, cereals, beans, salt and alcohol into their diet, which changed the way our bodies would store and use energy. The rise of the industrial revolution only a few hundred years ago, gave man the means to mechanically develop food-processing techniques and intensely farm livestock. This introduced refined cereals and sugars, and processed vegetable oils into our diets, fundamentally altering several key nutritional characteristics of the human diet forever. These dietary compositional changes have been theorized as risk factors towards chronic illnesses that are widely prevalent in Western societies, including irritable bowel syndrome and indigestion. These post-Paleolithic changes to the modern-day diet has had an effect on the following factors:
How quickly sugar enters the bloodstream (glycemic load), and effects fat storage.
The ratios of macronutrients, effectively diluted the protein content of the human diet, effecting lean muscle mass.
A much higher sodium-potassium ratio, increasing the risk of hypertension and stroke.
Decreased fiber content, which can increase insulin insensitivity and lead to type-2 diabetes.
The paleo diet consists mainly of foods that could would have been hunted, fished, and gathered in woods and forests, such as fish, grass-fed raised meats, vegetables, and certain fruits and nuts, with a high percentage of animal flesh being one of the key features of the diet. The paleo diet excludes foods that we know now to be farmed and manufactured, such as grains, dairy products, and even potatoes.
Why follow the paleo diet?
The basic premise for many who follow the paleo diet is that they believe modern human genetics have barely changed since the beginning of agriculture, and natural selection has had too little time to make the optimal genetic adaptations to these new foods such as dairy and grains.
A big factor for many who make the switch believe that they see improved health, and reduced disease-like symptoms, due to the elimination of such foods as dairy and grains, which can effect those with a lactose intolerance and gluten sensitivity. Both signals that our bodies have yet to fully adapt to these new foods. Our bodies have devolved over time to function very well on diets consisting mostly of fats and proteins, with small amounts of carbohydrates. Humans do not actually need dietary carbohydrates. Any carbohydrate the body may require can be synthesized from fat and protein. Rather than carbs for energy, experts claim that our bodies prefer ketones: energy producing by-products from fat metabolism.
As with most diets, the question of amounts and ratios are often left unaddressed, and so it is here I will address the recommended proponents of the macro nutrition ratio. According to experts, 56-65% of daily calories should come from animal foods, and 36-45% from plant foods. Therefore, if you were to apply this to a daily intake of 2500 calories, you could expect that 1400- 1625 calories would come from animal foods (made up of proteins and fats), and 900-1125 calories would come from plant foods (including nuts, seeds and root vegetables). (While dieting for a recent competition, I followed a ratio of 55:45 for protein to fat calories, and consumed 2 servings of vegetables at 5 of my 6 meals. Find out more at www.robriches.com).
One look at the typical American diet and you’ll see that with more than 70% of all foods eaten coming from refined and manufactured based foods, such as dairy products, cereals and alcohol, it’s hardly surprising that excessive consumption of these novel Neolithic foods are responsible for the epidemic levels of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease that are seen in many western populations.
Our diets aren’t the only thing that have slowed us down and changed the way our bodies look and function. Cavemen, just like all carnivorous predators had to hunt for their food to survive, and so mankind evolved with the expectation of requiring a certain threshold of physical activity and movement. The sedentary lifestyle for many today has resulted in abnormal gene expression, leading to excessive weight gain and prone to many new-age diseases. While modern man may have a longer life expectancy than that of their Paleolithic ancestors, they also have increased levels of body fat and substantially less lean muscle, which puts them at high risk for insulin resistance.
Humans have basically evolved where we exert a lot of energy, followed by periods of rest. Take for example when man used to hunt for food, or would have to run for his life. The same can be seen in today’s animal kingdom in those who hunt and are prayed upon. These metabolic processes, which regularly deplete skeletal muscle of glycogen stores, have been said to account for one-third of their caloric intake, which is 1000 calories a day spent on some form of moderate-intensity exercise. Said by the founder of the paleo diet, as we know it today, Dr. Loren Cordain, the optimal level of physical activity is around 90 kcal/kg/week (900 kcal/day for a 70kg man)
What are others saying about the paleo diet?
Diets are always a subject of controversy, and the paleo is no different. One of the main arguments is that since agriculture came into existence some 10,000 years ago, there has been some 400-500 generations of mankind who have somehow adequately adapted to these new food groups due to the intensity of natural selection seemingly pressuring for an evolutionary change.
Another argument is that the length of time we’ve been exposed to agricultural farming has genetically distanced modern man and accelerated human adaptive evolution since the Paleolithic.
What foods can be eaten within the Paleo diet?
Meats: Poultry, grass-fed beef, steak, pork, wild game, ostrich, bison (preferably wild game meats and grass-fed beef since they contain higher levels of omega-3 fats compared with grain-produced domestic meats)
Seafood: Salmon, halibut, tilapia, tuna, (practically all fish), crab, shrimp, oysters. (Seafood represent a particularly rich source of omega-3 fatty acids and other micronutrients, such as zinc, that are crucial for proper brain function and development).
Vegetables: Asparagus, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower. (Unrefined wild plant foods typically have low glycemic levels, which placeless stress on the pancreas to produce insulin due to staggered absorption of glucose, thus preventing insulin insensitivity. All vegetables may be cooked, although that are many true practioners of the paleo diet that eat all foods raw)
Oils/Fats: coconut oil, macadamia oil, avocado oil, olive oil.
Nuts: almonds, cashews, pine nuts, walnuts, and sunflower seeds. (Cashews and peanuts are high in fat. If you’re trying to lose weight, limit the amount of nuts you’re consuming)
Humans require certain fats for proper brain function and development that they must get from their diet. These are long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), and are much greater than any other animal due to our larger, more evolved brain. The best foods to get these from are fish and the fatty organs of animals, including bone marrow, although plants offer a small source in the form of microalgae.
Fruits: apple, avocado, berries, plums, lemons, oranges, and bananas. (See the full list at www.robriches.com)
Fruits contain large amounts of fructose which If you’re looking to lose weight on the paleo diet, you’ll want to cut back on the fruit intake and focus more on the vegetables. Humans, like chimpanzees who are the closest to mankind genetically, are primarily frugivores (fruit eaters), meaning we are well adapted to eating fruit. This along other gathered plant-vegetation and seeds and nuts would have made up the bulk of the Paleolithic diet, with meat coming from a big kill less frequently.
Liquids: Only water and teas* (without milk and sugar). All alcohol, sodas and juices are restricted from the paleo diet. (* I’ve allowed black coffee into my diet, plus the addition of natural sweeteners like Stevia that do not effect glycemic index levels).
For athletes following the paleo diet to build muscle, you’ll need plenty of the starchier foods on to sustain energy levels, with fruit being ideal for post-workout. However, if you’re trying to lose weight on the paleo diet, you’ll want to limit the quantities of these foods, even excluding them if you’re close to a competition date.
What foods should be avoided within the Paleo diet?
Dairy: butter, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, (milk, has a low glycemic level, but is highly insulinotropic, with an insulin index similar to that of white bread)
Soft Drinks: All of them.
Fruit Juices: Apple juice, orange juice, grape juice (all of them).
Legumes: All beans, peas, peanuts, lentils, soy, tofu.
Grains: Breakfast cereals, bread, crackers, oatmeal, pancakes, pasta, muffins, beer.
Fatty Meats: processed meats, including deli meats.
Salty Foods: most condiments such as ketchup, and processed foods, which use salt as a preservative.
Starchy Vegetables: sweet potatoes, squash, yams, beets
Energy Drinks: All of them.
Alcohol: Beer, wine, spirits.
Sweets & Chocolate: Sugar is almost all manufactured and should be avoided in the paleo diet.
Practically all processed and manufactured foods contain substances known to interfere with the body's absorption of many key nutrients.
Paleo Diet Summary:
I’ve tried many different diets over the years for various stages of my training and for general wellbeing and health. Since switching to the paleo diet at the start of 2013, I’ve seen many reasons that have confirmed why this approach to nutrition is one that I’m committed to following for the foreseeable future. These include:
Increased power and strength
Minimal loss of lean muscle mass while dieting
No loss of energy, which was a big factor when dieting in the past
Improved sense of wellbeing and happier mood
Whether you’re thinking about making the switch to paleo or not, I’m sure that there’s been a few areas within this article that has bought to your attention the need to eat certain foods, and the benefit of excluding certain foods from your diet.
