The Paleo Diet: Really Healthy or Really Crazy?
The paleo diet, otherwise known as the caveman diet, builds upon the idea that human beings should be eating like our early ancestors did during the paleolithic era. By following the paleo diet, you'll be filling up on your fair share of fresh produce, nuts, lean protein, and fish. At the same time, you'll also be cutting out all grains, legumes, dairy products, sugar, and processed oils.
According to the basic doctrine of the paleo diet lifestyle, if it has lived, grown, or died, then it is okay to eat. Amy Kubal is just one of the many dieticians that have taken to the paleo diet, and now she works as a consultant to Robb Wolf, the acclaimed author of The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet and creator of the website robbwolf.com. According to her, the things you want to avoid come packaged and have an ingredient list that is as long as your arm.
Dairy, Grains, and Legumes
Now as it is with anything popular, there are going to be people sitting on both side of the fence. Most people can agree that as a country, we could do with a little less sugar and sodium in our diets. However, not as many people wholeheartedly agree that grains, dairy products, and legumes are that bad for you.
Amy Kubal claims that there are compounds in these types of foods which can have negative effects on the human body. In fact, there are many people who view these types of foods as the reason why heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders are affecting more people than any other time in human history.
It is an Issue of Portion Control
On the other side of the fence, there are a number of nutrition experts who argue that things like dairy products, grains, and legumes are not the things that we should be cutting out of our diets. Jim White, the spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition, says that these foods are not inherently bad for human beings. While there are people who may be lactose intolerant or gluten intolerant, the majority of people can tolerate these food groups just fine.
White claims that it is not the foods themselves that are to blame for these problems, but the fact that they are being consumed in such large quantities. Like many other issues facing Americans today, we have a bit of a problem with portion control. White believes that people don't need to completely cut these foods out of their diet; they just need to practice a little moderation.
Does It Go Far Enough?
White and other nutrition experts are concerned that by cutting out traditional core food groups like grains, dairy, and legumes, people will not be getting the nutrition they need. These food groups tend to be rich in nutrients and other vitamins which support a healthy body. White says that deciding to forgo these food items means that people will have to supplement these needed vitamins. So while he agrees that the paleo diet is healthy, he also believes that it does not go far enough.
One other concern that health experts tend to have is that the caveman diet could increase a person's overall fat intake, due to its meat-heavy guidelines. In general, the meat that is consumed today has a higher fat content than anything that would have been consumed back in the paleolithic era. This increased fat intake can cause some people to develop high cholesterol or other heart problems.
In fact, during a recent panel meeting, leading health experts ranked the caveman diet last in a polling of today's most popular diets.
The Focus is on Lean Meat
Amy Kubal has retorted that people who follow the paleo diet can get all of the calcium they need from eating fish and other leafy greens. As for the high fat content issue, she says that this diet focuses more on the lean part of the meats. Meanwhile on the website, Wolf recommends a nice balance of omega 3 fatty acids and omega 6 fats to stay healthy.
Try It before You Judge
Kubal believes that people who are interested in the paleolithic diet should give it a chance and try it for themselves before deciding to pass judgment on it. Skeptical people should see what it is like for 30 days and if it isn't working for them, they can always go back to eating their regular foods.
As White likes to put it, there are no diets which will work for everyone. He believes that the best thing people can do is try and add some diversity to their plates. As a general rule, people should try to add a little carbs, fat, and protein in every major meal. In the end, no matter what side of the fence you are on, you can't go wrong with choosing some fresh, unprocessed foods.
According to the basic doctrine of the paleo diet lifestyle, if it has lived, grown, or died, then it is okay to eat. Amy Kubal is just one of the many dieticians that have taken to the paleo diet, and now she works as a consultant to Robb Wolf, the acclaimed author of The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet and creator of the website robbwolf.com. According to her, the things you want to avoid come packaged and have an ingredient list that is as long as your arm.
Dairy, Grains, and Legumes
Now as it is with anything popular, there are going to be people sitting on both side of the fence. Most people can agree that as a country, we could do with a little less sugar and sodium in our diets. However, not as many people wholeheartedly agree that grains, dairy products, and legumes are that bad for you.
Amy Kubal claims that there are compounds in these types of foods which can have negative effects on the human body. In fact, there are many people who view these types of foods as the reason why heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders are affecting more people than any other time in human history.
It is an Issue of Portion Control
On the other side of the fence, there are a number of nutrition experts who argue that things like dairy products, grains, and legumes are not the things that we should be cutting out of our diets. Jim White, the spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition, says that these foods are not inherently bad for human beings. While there are people who may be lactose intolerant or gluten intolerant, the majority of people can tolerate these food groups just fine.
White claims that it is not the foods themselves that are to blame for these problems, but the fact that they are being consumed in such large quantities. Like many other issues facing Americans today, we have a bit of a problem with portion control. White believes that people don't need to completely cut these foods out of their diet; they just need to practice a little moderation.
Does It Go Far Enough?
White and other nutrition experts are concerned that by cutting out traditional core food groups like grains, dairy, and legumes, people will not be getting the nutrition they need. These food groups tend to be rich in nutrients and other vitamins which support a healthy body. White says that deciding to forgo these food items means that people will have to supplement these needed vitamins. So while he agrees that the paleo diet is healthy, he also believes that it does not go far enough.
One other concern that health experts tend to have is that the caveman diet could increase a person's overall fat intake, due to its meat-heavy guidelines. In general, the meat that is consumed today has a higher fat content than anything that would have been consumed back in the paleolithic era. This increased fat intake can cause some people to develop high cholesterol or other heart problems.
In fact, during a recent panel meeting, leading health experts ranked the caveman diet last in a polling of today's most popular diets.
The Focus is on Lean Meat
Amy Kubal has retorted that people who follow the paleo diet can get all of the calcium they need from eating fish and other leafy greens. As for the high fat content issue, she says that this diet focuses more on the lean part of the meats. Meanwhile on the website, Wolf recommends a nice balance of omega 3 fatty acids and omega 6 fats to stay healthy.
Try It before You Judge
Kubal believes that people who are interested in the paleolithic diet should give it a chance and try it for themselves before deciding to pass judgment on it. Skeptical people should see what it is like for 30 days and if it isn't working for them, they can always go back to eating their regular foods.
As White likes to put it, there are no diets which will work for everyone. He believes that the best thing people can do is try and add some diversity to their plates. As a general rule, people should try to add a little carbs, fat, and protein in every major meal. In the end, no matter what side of the fence you are on, you can't go wrong with choosing some fresh, unprocessed foods.
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