The Paleo Diet: Fad or Fact

 
You can find over a hundred books on the newest diet: The Paleo Diet. This plan suggests we return to what our ancestors ate—all the way back to the Paleolithic times. During this era, the first homo sapiens, the modern day species of humans, evolved. Some of the ideas seem like good common sense—stop eating processed food, additives, and preservatives. But is it even possible to truly turn back the hands of time regarding food?

Via Wikipedia

Paleo Diet Claims

Proponents of this diet—also known as Caveman, Stone Age, Primal, and Blueprint eating—advise us to stop eating all grains and processed food. Remember, sugar is a processed food and grains include staples such as oatmeal and one-hundred percent whole wheat—what we typically think of as health food. Instead they recommend eating animal protein, vegetables, and fruits. The amounts of each depend on which of the hundred books you choose to purchase.

However the overall basics are the same, regardless of how the details may vary:

1. The agricultural diet is creating disease.
2. We must stop eating based on agriculture and return to eating like humans did during the Stone Age.
3. This ancient diet was high in meat, especially red meat, in addition to some vegetables, fruits, nuts, and oils. 
4. Avoid Grains, legumes, and dairy.
5. To improve health and longevity, we should return to this diet.

The entire foundation of these recommendations rest on what the first homo sapiens ate. Yet the Paleo diet has “no basis in archeological reality,” according to archeological scientist Christina Warinner.


A Real Caveman Diet

Even if the types of foods allowed on this new diet were accurate, there are a few concerns from the start.

• · These people lived over two million years ago. They had to hunt and gather, not hop in their SUV to the nearest grocery. While we have desk jobs and orthopedic beds, they squatted and slept on the ground. With such different life styles is it fair to say the fuel we ingest should even be the same?
• · Today 97% of our beef comes from feedlots where cows eat grains and are injected with antibiotics and many of these also have been given growth hormones. This is a far cry from the meat our ancestors enjoyed.
• · Most of the foods in existence today weren’t even around two million years ago or their form was quite different than what you’d find today: bananas, carrots, salad, tomatoes, avocados, olives, blueberries, eggs, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, almonds, apricots, and that’s just the short list!
• · There was no one diet. Cavemen were nomads traveling from place to place and eating what they found there. If they weren’t moving, they had to adapt their diet according to the season: during winter meat was the main source and during summer plants.
• · Food combinations that are available in our global environment weren’t possible in the Stone Age. For example, blueberries were from New England, avocados from Mexico, and eggs from China. You never would have found these foods on the same plate—not to mention the fact that wild blueberries were far smaller and more tart than the hybrids we get today.

Archeologists have uncovered evidence to prove what foods were really eaten during the Paleolithic period (still bear in mind not everyone had access to the same foods):

• · Bone marrow
• · Animal organs
• · Meat
• · Plants
• · Barley, yes that’s a grain
• · Legumes and tubers
• · No oil

Not exactly what the diet fad claims.



To Paleo or not to Paleo

The modern day Paleo diet might not be a real representation of what was going on two million years ago, and frankly, you’d be hard pressed to even find the actually foods that were truly being eaten back then, but that doesn’t mean the recommendations are all bad.

People following the suggestions outlined for a Primal diet are claiming huge benefits in health, energy, and appearance. Some even claim to have gone from chubby to muscular.

Via Wikipedia

Okay, you probably won’t end up looking like Mr. Olympia Frank Zane from a bit more red meat or cutting grains, but the jury is still out on if the newest diet on the market is as healthy as it claims.

If you choose to follow this regimen, just don’t buy into the notion that you’re truly returning to what your ancestors ate.

Coconut Oil: Is Saturated Fat Good for You?

 
Could coconut oil, a major source of saturated fat, be part of a healthy diet? A dietitian friend of mine says Yes. Yet, when I was in college, the fat-free craze was in full-swing, and the answer would have been a resounding No!
Bakeries pushed dozens of fat-free products. Butter became low-fat margarine, chicken became the new meat of choice, salad dressings became low-fat, and even bags of pretzels—an already fat-free snack—had large bold letters announcing the lack of this vile substance. Evil fat was being blamed for America’s health problems.Those who cared about their health cut down on red meat. We started cooking with less oil and devoured the zero-fat bakery items. I remember thinking one more slice of fat-free cake wasn’t so bad—without the fat, how bad could it be? What I hadn’t realized was that insane amounts of sugar were being added instead.
Studies Explore Saturated Fat
Today, researchers are questioning anti-fat thinking, and they have the science to back them up. Fat used to be the devil and was to be avoided at all costs. But now the question has become: Is saturated fat really bad for you?
At first glance, scientists can’t seem to agree: some studies claim yes, and some no. But more and more, we’re realizing it can be part of a healthy diet as long as moderation is used. More interesting is that all saturated fat is not the same.
There are twenty-four different types of saturated fat! Each type affects your body in diverse ways. There are even beneficial types:
· Stearic acid, found in chocolate, lowers LDL (the “bad” cholestrol).
· Lauric acid, found in coconut oil, may improve our cholesterol ratio and have an antibacterial and antiviral effect.
Studies seem to contradict each other. Upon taking a closer look, you have to consider what form of coconut oil is being tested. For example, one study tested hydrogenated oil—a far cry from virgin organic oil: they are like two totally different substances. Past studies are being seriously questioned.
New data points to the benefits of saturated fat. In the past few years, twenty-one studies concluded that saturated fat had been falsely accused. It may not be so bad after all.
Fat Found in Coconut Oil
· Coconut Oil: 12 grams saturated fat/1 tablespoon
· Olive Oil: 2 grams saturated fat/1 tablespoon
Okay, even if new research implies saturated fat might not be the devil, I’m still cautious. Ten years ago, looking at the numbers above would have been enough to keep me as far away from coconut oil as possible. But today, it’s worth adding some to our diets.
Science has discovered two healthy acids in coconuts: ferulic and p-coumaric acid. Both of these acids fight free-radicals—molecules responsible for aging and tissue damage. Coconut oil, in moderation, could help us stay younger.
Conclusion
Coconut oil can be a healthy addition to your diet, even though it’s loaded in saturated fat. The key is moderation, moderation, moderation.
Chris Cosentino, chef at Incanto in San Francisco, says it best: “Excess in anything is bad for you. But a good balance of animal fat with protein is actually good for you.”