18
November
Paleo/Primal Opinion

Paleo.

Oh paleo.

How trendy you are.

Some of you have been asking about our opinion about the “primal” or “paleo” way of eating.

Here it is…

It’s not bad.

And as a reader, we hope that you will read, to the END of this blog so you will have a greater understanding of cliches that are out there, and our beliefs, as health coaches/nutrition experts.

We believe that concepts like Paleo/Primal aren’t bad…they are just incomplete.

Let us explain.

We agree that you should be eating lots of vegetables and leafy greens (like paleo/primal enthusiasts believe).

We agree that you should be eating healthy fats such as nuts and avocados (like paleo/primal enthusiasts believe).

We agree that you should be getting protein from sources such as lean mean (turkey/chicken/etc…) (like paleo/primal enthusiasts believe).

We agree that you shouldn’t be eating highly processed grains/wheats/carbohydrates (like paleo/primal enthusiasts believe).

We do, however, think that you should be consuming beans and legumes, and fruits,

as well as, {yes folks, we are saying it} CORRECT COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES (which paleo/primal enthusiasts don’t believe).

Now, when we say correct carbohydrates, we don’t mean donuts, white bread and 7 cups of pasta.

We do mean correct portions of  whole grains/wheats/brown rice/quinoa/etc…(basically any carb that is white and/or doesn’t contain the word “whole ______….” as the first ingredient)…

It does mean that we believe that there are correct carbohydrates to consume; that there is a reason that your brain doesn’t function correctly on less than 100 g of carbohydrates per day (i.e. if you don’t eat enough carbs you get foggy headed, can’t remember what you just drove past, etc)…we believe there is a reason that when correct carbohydrates are not consumed, people become cranky…we believe there is a reason that people with epilepsy limit their complex carbohydrate to intake to inhibit certain brain function…Paleo/Primal/Ketogenetic…look it up, they are very similar.

Our view on “paleo/primal” food intake isn’t negative, per say…

Our view is simply, that it’s…

INCOMPLETE.

We believe there is a reason people become cranky when they don’t have correct carbs; we believe there is a reason the brain doesn’t function correctly without proper carbohydrate intake…

We believe in real life and moderation.

The truth is, is that there will always be holidays, birthdays, cakes, parties, alcohol, and  LIFE.

OMG…we just said there would be carbs, carbs, and more carbs…and genetically modified food and not lean meat and not vegetables.

Well duh.

We (unlike some trainers that give other trainers (aka-us) bad reputations) understand that. (ps-most of those other trainers don’t have nutrition certifications like we have, so please be very careful who you list to…)…

We (as experts, health coaches and realists) understand, that when you come to us, whether you have eaten horrible or eaten great, whether you have exercised or sat on your lazy booty, there is nothing we can do to change that.

And WE LOVE YOU (as a client) REGARDLESS.

WE SUPPORT YOU, REGARDLESS.

There is NO JUDGEMENT. There is no DISAPPOINTMENT. There is no CHANGING THE PAST. What is done is done. All we can do from now is move FORWARD.

We understand that America’s food supply has been tainted by companies that want to grow a bigger crop so they genetically modify the seeds to be bug and weed repellant (i.e. raid) vs. keeping it healthy, pure and safe for the consumers.

We understand that our animal food supply is being fed daily, with hormones, improper nutrients, and inhumane situations which lead to unnatural grown in animals as well as children who consume these products on a regular basis (ever seen a 10 year old child with abnormally large breasts)?

We understand that most animal products (especially fast food) has been either fed the wrong product (i.e. cows can’t digest corn but are fed corn on a regular basis because its cheap and convenient, despite the fact that they have to have a hole cut in their stomachs to take out the byproducts of the corn that their bodies weren’t made to process) …we understand that a lot of food (and all fast food) has been induced with genetically modified soy fillers that actually act as estrogen synthesizers (i.e. take a look at how many products include “soy/lechin” in them…your body thinks soy is the hormone estrogen, thus screwing with your hormones and adrenal system…ps-95% of soy is now genetically modified to be weed/bug resistant – i.e. includes raid in its growing process…good thing your body can repeal bugs/cockroaches! Those soy fillers screw up your hormones by ingesting soy products}!

Yes, there are things in our food system that are scary. Welcome to America (and yes, we love our country)!  Again, we reiterate, we believe in real life and moderation. Not in food intake that doesn’t take into consideration that we are human, we are flawed, we mess up, we eat cake, we drink wine, we love being social, and that’s OK!

There will always be birthday parties, there will always be holidays, there will always be celebrations and wine and cake.

We aren’t asking you to be perfect.

{Lord knows we aren’t}

We are asking YOU to understand the realty of things… that a portion of something is typically 1/2 to 1 cup of something (i.e. a serving of complex carbohydrates, like pasta, rice, quinoa,  etc is 1/2 cup (the size of a small lap top mouse)…not the 4-8 cups that you are served at the restaurant) and that half of your intake of carbohydrates – PER DAY – should be from fruits and/or vegetables.

That’s right…half of your intake of carbs should be from fruits and veggies…how many vegetables/fruits have you had today?!

{don’t kill the messenger}

Carbs (to make it easy) are typically anything that grows from the ground. Grains, wheats, oats, fruits and vegetables. It also includes things like beans and leumes. These things are not bad for you.

Beans and legumes are GREAT for you (contrary to Paleo/primal food recommendations)…

They are a great source of fiber, nutrients, carbs/fat/proteins.

One thing we find interesting about Paleo/Primal enthusiasts is their obsession with animal fat and protein.

First of all, our bodies attack bacon (i.e. one of the main “animal fats” paleo/primal enthusiasts endorse) as a virus. That’s right…our bodies attack pork as a virus because of how poor of a food source it is (ever seen what pigs eat? ever smell what they live in? they are what they eat…so are we…). How is a natural immune response/immune system attack from our bodies ever validated/justified?

We also find it interesting the high protein intake recommended by Paleo/Primal enthusiasts. Don’t get us wrong…we believe that protein is important for lean body mass growth, proper bodily function and all of that good stuff. We like protein (in moderation…are you seeing a trend here)? But, here is some info that you may not know…The protein molecule, itself, is actually slightly too large to fit through our adrenal system (i.e. it is harder to digest; it tends to clog and create blockages if there is too much protein in our bodies at one time…it is hard on our kidneys/can cause kidney stones, it messes with our adrenal system – ( our adrenal system controls our hormones and immune system) – it can dehydrate our bodies, etc, etc…)…again, moderation is the key.

We also find it interesting that people with higher fat intake (i.e. Paleo/Primal enthusiasts) have higher HDL as well as LDL numbers than the average person (HDL is your “happy” cholesterol levels and LDL is your “loudly” cholesterol levels)…sure having better HDL numbers are good, but when is high LDL cholesterol levels ever good?!

High LDLs cause heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc…

But anyways…no biggie…(*cough*…insert sarcasm)…

Going back to carbs being defined as  ”growing from the ground” and including things such as wheat/oats/grains/etc…we do agree (with Paleo/Primal enthusiasts) that the intake of these things should NOT be genetically modified…

{say no to GMO}

{it rhymes…catchy, huh?!} =)

What research finds  is that most people aren’t actually “gluten intolerant/celiac disease/etc…”

They are actually showing that this immune response is happening due to the way that wheat/grain/oats have been genetically altered (in America). What would happen if those people actually ate (on a regular basis) the grains/oats/what that were natural and not genetically modified with bug repellant and weed repellant properties? After all…our bodies weren’t meant to digest RAID…

Do restaurants carry non-GMO grains/breads/etc? No. And that’s ok. Go out to eat. Restaurants are not the enemy…

Don’t mind the side tangent…going back to carbs…

 Some people classify eating carbohydrates and the water/energy (glycogen) carbs cause to be stored in your muscles as “inflammation.” (and yes, we have heard/seen paleo/primal enthusiasts call ‘water in the muscles’ inflammation… thus the big letters)…

We aren’t sorry when we ask the question, “WHEN HAS WATER EVER BEEN CONSIDERED “INFLAMMATION?!”

Personally, we like water in our muscles and body. When water isn’t in muscles, they tend to dry out.

Like beef jerky.

Have you ever seen beef jerky??

Beef jerky is brittle. Beef jerky is dry; it crunches, it breaks.

Personally, we like our muscles to be watered, playable, movable, flexible, full of nutrients, and productive.

Not brittle, dry, crunchy and easily broken.

Some people ask about the weight loss associated with Paleo/Primal food intake.

Studies show that most people will lose weight with a caloric change.

Most people include complex carbohyrdates in their daily routine, so when those products are taken out, those calories are taken out, thus contributing to weight loss (i.e. when you don’t eat a big bowl of pasta from Olive Garden every Friday night like you normally have done for the last 3 years, your calorie intake will change, thus, your weight will change).

Despite Paleo/Primal having a brief “moment of fame in the 80′s,” and again, rearing its incomplete  head again, another thing that paleo/primal food enthusiast/people/bandwaggoners don’t understand,  is that carbohydrates contribute to water intake. When carbohydrates (again, things that grow from the ground) are inhibited, water intake from your muscles is changed. When most of your intake comes from protein, that will cause an even greater change (ever wonder why body builders carb deplete right before a competition and then eat a bunch of carbs right before the show? It’s to refill their muscles back up with proper nutrients, water intake, and energy storage!).

Protein in your body creates a greater energy expenditure (this is a good thing, folks). Protein burns over 4 times more water and energy than carbohydrates (insert smiley face); (despite carbohydrates being the main source of energy for the body…also another reason that building muscle is important, but not a reason to ignore the important carbohydrates contribute to energy). So, when someone changes their calorie intake from being primarily carbohydrates (most people) to primarily proteins (paleo/primal), the water consumption/intake/production/metabolism in their body will change, leading to “weight loss.” (ever wonder what happens when they actually have a piece of bread)?

Weight loss? Naaahhh…it’s probably the water in your muscles leaving your body and making your muscles more like jerky.

Dehydrated. Not pliable. Not flexible. Not able to build. Breakable. Prone to injury…

So, like we said…we believe that Paleo/Primal isn’t necessarily a bad philosophy. We agree that you should eat lots of vegetables AND fruits…we believe that you should stay away from GMO/process carbohydrates…Genetically modified food sources are not good for you…we believe that you should be consuming healthy fats (such as nuts, avocados, etc…)…but we also believe that Paleo/Primal, in our expert opinion, is INCOMPLETE..

What we do believe in is real life…

There will always be birthdays..there will always be Holiday parties…there will always be cake and wine…

So…

Take these things into consideration…

 Correct portions of correct carbohydrates ARE NOT BAD FOR YOU.

BEANS and LEGUMES are not bad for you.

Excess amounts of animal proteins and fats can be hard on your system but in moderation, ARE NOT BAD FOR YOU.

ALCOHOL, on moderation, is not bad for you.

Have a small piece of birthday cake, for goodness sake.

Go out to a restaurant with your family and friends and enjoy yourself! (make the right choices regarding the dish your order and how much of it you eat – because again, 7 cups of pasta is probably not the best choice – but yes, enjoy yourself)!

We, as human beings are social. We love connection.

Us as Nutritionists/Nutrition Specialists/Health Coaches/Trainers…We are real. We are trainers. We are health coaches. But we are real.

And we refuse to live in fear of certain type of foods because we might hold onto an extra pound of water weight tomorrow and we refuse to live in fear of having  a glass of wine/beer/cocktail because our body fat may go up a point.

Now, there is a difference between being in a weight loss goal and burning the calories that were eaten 5 years ago/1 year ago/6 months ago vs. maintaining a fitness goal, so don’t kid yourself…if you are trying to lose weight, you have a lot of work to do, and it’s not easy.

But just know, that whatever your fitness journey is, we will be here to guide you through it…

No matter what that journey may be…