Paleo Diet- Who's a fan?

3/3/2013

For some reason I have been coming into contact in conversation with the Paleo diet everywhere I turn. I heard about a friend who was trying it, a doctor who told me about it and even the event DC Heathy Bites I'm attending is having a guest speaker who will be discussing it. Do any of the you out there have thoughts about this diet or have any of you considered trying it? I have to say I'm kind of intrigued. For starters, it's really supposed to help people with hypothyroid and autoimmune diseases (which I have both of). It's also supposed to help people with diabetes and other diseases. It does follow our gluten free lifestyle. It just however takes it to such extreme measures. I'm totally on board with following a no processed food, completely healthy lifestyle, but it does appear to be very limiting and tough to sustain.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Paleo diet the premise basically is to return to our healthy roots and eat like our ancestors, the cavemen. So basically, we only eat what comes from nature. The diet consists of meat, veggies, and fruits and nuts. Everything else is restricted. So no grains (even restricting rice and potatoes. Sweet potatoes are for some reason ok though) no beans, no caffeine, no alcohol etc. The one redeeming fact of this though is that it is stated that as long as you follow this diet 80% of the time you will see the benefits. So you are allowed to cheat :)

The plan does list many benefits including better health, better skin, weight loss :), more energy and just an overall better feeling. And you are supposed to feel the effects within two weeks of trying it. There are a lot of good recipes out there as well, it just looks like you definitely will be required to spend a lot of time in the kitchen and planning ahead to sustain this lifestyle. So what are your thoughts on this? Could the possible benefits outweigh the inconvenience? Would any of you be willing to try this diet? Please weight in, I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

3 Comments

Corey

3/5/2013 02:06:43 pm

I tried this for about 2-3 months this past year and got soooo tired of eating salad often and felt very hungry even though I thought I was eating enough. I had to go back to eating grains.

Gluten Free NOVA Girl

3/6/2013 05:32:00 am

Did you feel any different in a good way? As in did you notice any of the supposed good health benefits?

Erin

3/13/2013 01:56:34 am

I've been eating Paleo for 8 months. It's an adjustment in the fact you have to rebuild your habits. There are tons of meal options, awesome cookbooks and plenty of resources to help get you started as well as a fantastic support system. I've seen a ton of benefits, more energy, no carb/sugar cravings any more and I'm also able to get rid of snacking and just eat 3 meals a day and feel full. The key is to make sure you're replacing the calories you're losing from grains with healthy fats to keep you satisfied and full. I've also lost weight without restricting the amount of food I eat (I actually eat more now) or calorie counting. I suggest if you're curious about it to pick up "It Starts With Food". It gives a great overview and really talks about the relationship we have with food and not just the "yes/no's" of the Paleo lifestyle. The whole idea is to learn how food affects your body and based on your individual reactions you'll learn how to eat most effectively for you.

Paleo Diet- Who's a fan?

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