CrossFit South Rockland

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Eagle naturopath touts benefits of paleolithic diet

Something I found online: 


For many, many years, I have been touting a whole foods diet and urging anyone who would open their ears to my health rants to eat a diet full of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds and small amounts of animal proteins. We know that diet plays a tremendous role in our health and that what we put in our mouths affects everything. Time and again, I have stepped upon my soap box to lecture about the merits of this whole foods diet. And then, I learned there is a healthier way to eat. At a continuing education conference, I heard it mentioned that the ultimate human diet is the “Paleolithic Diet.”

It was mentioned as a side note, but my interest was piqued and I started to investigate.

My research started with websites, which led to books, which led to research papers. Eventually I adopted the paleolithic diet myself and started recommending it to my patients.

The paleolithic diet is just what it sounds like; the diet our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate. The pre-agriculture, pre-industrial “cave man” diet. This translates into animal proteins (beef, chicken, turkey, wild game, fish, eggs, etc.), vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. It excludes any processed foods, grains, beans and legumes, alcohol, sugar, dairy and white potatoes. It is a true whole foods diet without any item that has to be processed to be eaten.

The foods inclusive in this diet are rife with nutrients; much higher in vitamins, minerals and protein then the standard American diet. It is also devoid of processed foods (which tend to be devoid of nutrients), sugar and alcohol ( both of which greatly spike blood sugar and insulin levels), and grains, beans and legumes, which release anti-toxins upon digestion leading to inflammation and irritation of the digestive tract. The Paleolithic Diet, therefore, is a low carbohydrate, low glycemic, hypoallergenic, anti-inflammatory diet, all rolled into a lifestyle aimed at treating chronic diseases and promoting optimum health.

Eating the paleo diet has many health benefits. Scientists and anthropologists have found that our hunter-gatherer ancestors were actually much healthier than we are today. They lived without chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, cancer and heart disease. They had a larger stature and thicker, denser bones. In modern times, this translates into a stronger frame, lower body fat and more muscle mass.

Hopefully, your interest is piqued, too. 

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