An Explanation of the Paleo Diet Principle.
First things first, The standard idea of how you should eat is Wrong. Dead wrong, It's making you ill, it's destroying your joints, your circulatory system, making you weak, tired fat and pushing you into an early grave.
That sounds harsh, yes? It's meant to be. It's the literal truth for most of us. There are a few people who have bodies adapted to a high carb, grain based diet, but they are the minority, rather than the rule.
Homo Sapiens have been wandering this Earth for something like half a million years. For most of that time they ate meat, fish and whatever fruits, nuts, leafy veg and the occasional roots that they could find. It was only in the last ten thousand years or so that we started farming and eating grain based foods.
As I'm sure you're aware, evolution takes a long time, so ten thousand years is but the blink of an eye in evolutionary terms. this goes some way to explaining why we encounter so many problems when we eat grains, legumes, dairy, sugars and starchy tubers.
Our bodies simply are not adapted to them. For most of our species time on this planet, we have eaten wild foods, lean meats, low carb veg and occasional treats like fruits, nuts, maybe even a little honey.
Our bodies evolved to process protein as fuel, not carbs. It's that simple. True, if you are running a marathon, then at some point you'll have to get some energy into your system and fast, thats the time for carbs. All other times though, stick to protein, something like 2 grammes/kg of body weight is the usual, much more and you wont process it, you'll come down with protein toxicity. While that isn't great, it basically means that it's impossible to get fat from eating protein. It just wont happen. Unlike carbohydrates and fats, your body will not ever turn excess protein into fat. EVER!
Now, i'm not advocating some carb free zone like Atkins or one of the other cranky, short term diets. Paleo is about being fit and well, and to achieve that, we need a myriad of plant nutrients as well as those we get from meat, fish etc.
If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. three meals a day, some form of meat, fish or nuts plus a selection of fruits, leafy veg and the odd root on each plate. Simple, I know, but if you make the effort to try and stick to it, after a few days your skin will be clearer, your joints will stop aching and you wont feel welded to the couch every evening....You may just take the first of many steps away from your own grave.
Later!
Spence.
P.S. Have a look at these links if you have the time, some remarkable stories about how changing your diet can save you from "incurable" illness.
How a doctor changed her diet and beat MS
How coconut oil may relieve Alzheimer's
And again.
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