What is the paleo diet?

The paleo diet is a set of dietary and lifestyle recommendations aimed to replicate the kind of diet we as humans all evolved eating. Along with that, foods that were recently introduced with the agricultural revolution are to be avoided.

What's so special about paleo versus any other low-carb diet?

Most diets are aimed at one specific thing, be it weight loss, managing the symptoms of a disease, bulking up muscles, or are a short term fix for a long term problem. The paleo diet is a huge leap from this mindset because it aims to promote exceptional overall health and is sustainable long term.

What could my benefits be from switching to the paleo diet?

Everyone's problems are different, and everyone will respond differently, but common boons are effortless weight loss, muscle gain, less fatigue, more energy, better digestion, better skin, more stamina, better sleep, control or remission of diseases like celiac disease, type 2 diabetes, Crohn's disease, IBD, IBS, high blood pressure, psoriasis, and the list goes on and on.

Is there an adjustment period with paleo?

Yes. It takes about 3-4 weeks for your body to rid itself of the lingering gluten and for the long-term inflammation to heal, and for your body to adjust to using fats as a fuel source rather than the carbs it's gotten accustomed to on your previous diet. Once that's passed, you should have more energy than ever! If you're scared about the adjustment period, you can ease your way into it over some time, but do realize that how you feel during this period of quasi-paleo is not indicative of how you'll feel on a more regular paleo diet as you are still feeding into the inflammation cycle.

Wait, didn't cavemen die young?

Cavemen gave birth outside, had no meaningful way of storing much food/water in times of famine, and had to kill mammoths with pointy rocks on sticks. In contrast, we live in climate controlled buildings with access to great medical care, and can pop on down to the grocery store to pick up a cut of beef and a gallon of distilled water. In more simple terms, paleolithic man had a great many things that skewed the overall median life expectancy lower. It has only been in the last century that our life expectancy has grown much longer, and that is due to the prolific advances in medicine. It's only been a few decades that people have been eating dangerous amounts of sugars, preservatives, and vegetable oils, and the obesity epidemic pretty much sums up how that's working for us.

But doctors always say to cut out fat if I want to be healthy. How can you eat so many eggs and so much bacon and not have a heart attack?

Doctors receive very little education on diet whatsoever, and whatever they do learn is whatever the regulating bodies agreed on. Doctors' training also focuses more on treating diseases rather than preventing them. Besides, when's the last time your doctor really sat down with you and discussed how you are eating?

Paleo also isn't about just eating all meat, it's about really increasing your intake of produce, too. You are eliminating fats like processed oils, hydrogenated oils, corn oils, and regular butter for example. You are then replacing those fats with natural, healthy fats like coconut oil, expeller pressed olive oil, and grass-fed butter. It's not that you are eating MORE fats, just different ones your body can tolerate and process better.

Right down this vein is the misconception that fats are bad for you. Plaque cannot stick to artery walls without there being prior inflammation, and the things that are the biggest culprits of causing chronic inflammation? The overload on our systems from simple, highly processed carbohydrates (sugar, flour and all of the products derived from them) and the excess consumption of omega-6 vegetable oils like soybean, corn, and sunflower that have weaseled their way into so so so many ingredient lists. Simply put, this inflammation is your body's natural reaction to foreign invaders such as bacteria, viruses, and toxins. Stop introducing these things your body rejects, and you will stop the inflammation. Poof, half a slab of bacon and three eggs a morning and no heart disease!

Potatoes and rice are natural, why can't I eat potatoes and rice?

You can totally eat potatoes and rice! Problem is they are also full of starch and really an inferior source of nutrition compared to other foods. If you're looking for weight loss, potatoes and rice aren't your friend! These also have the tendency to be 'trigger foods', which are the equivalent of gateway drugs. If this isn't you, great! Enjoy your potatoes and rice in moderation, and you should be just fine. If this IS you, consider substituting in sweet potatoes instead.

Isn't sugar all natural?

So are arsenic and bears. They'll both kill you too, but it will happen much faster. Hopefully.

Furthermore, the types of sweeteners we eat, agave nectar and honey for example, are full of nutrition and have a more even effect on your blood glucose levels. See, all food turns into sugar, it's how our body feeds our brain. How fast our body breaks down food into sugar affects many of our bodies functions, including (especially) fat storage.

Can I go back to eating like I used to after I lose my weight on the paleo diet?

Sure, it's your life and you'll do what you want, but that's the definition of insanity. If it didn't work to keep you thin before, why would you think it would again? Besides, once you've tried it and seen the benefits for yourself, I highly doubt you'll be going back.