Is Paleo Right For You?
Paleo has received a lot of media interest in the last couple of years. Proponents assert that by eating like our hunter gatherer ancestors, we can lose extra weight, lower blood glucose, triglyceride (a blood fat), blood pressure, in addition to threats of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
With over two thirds of Americans being either heavy or fat and growing rates of chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, can eating Paleo be the panacea for our health problems? The following describes how paleo came about, whether the paleo manner of eating is best for your body, and what it entails.
What Shifted From Paleo To Now?
The paleo diet is founded on the concept of eating only foods our bodies were designed for over the last 2.6 millions years of development. During the Paleolithic period,
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The most nutrient-dense foods are organ meats from pastured eggs, grass fed beef, lamb, wild game, seafood, pastured animals, fresh vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds, and herbs and spices.
Our modern western diet focuses too much on grain-based desserts (cakes, biscuits, etc.), yeast breads, deep fried foods, pizza, sweetened beverages, and alcoholic drinks. By eating less of these foods that are poor, we can make room for more fitter options.
In contrast to high-carb, low-fat diets which have led to skyrocketing rates of diabetes, obesity, and other inflammatory diseases, those who go on a paleo diet typically report lower blood sugar, triglyceride, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and blood pressure levels. In addition they often slim down along with belly fat.
Since paleo is a grain-free diet, it's suited to those who have Celiac disease or non-Celiac gluten sensitivity. For such people, they require to rigorously avoid gluten-containing grains like barley, rye, and wheat.
The Paleo Diet's
In 2009, I had just completed my annual physical for the fire department and was unhealthy. The doctor said I was pre-diabetic, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Coincidently, my wife also received similar news from her doctor during that same time frame. A short time went by and I happened to be working with an old friend, Kevin, at the firehouse. I hadn 't seen Kevin for a few months so I was surprised to see that he had lost weight and was in great shape.
Do-able Ideal Americans are spending more and more money on exercising and eating right in an effort to lose weight and get healthy, unfortunately, in reality, we are getting fatter and fatter every year. In his article “Escape from the Western Diet”, Michael Pollan argues that we need to stop eating the western diet to improve our overall health and leave the industrial food system. He introduces his idea with a three part rule “Eat food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.
After learning the truth about our country’s food systems, I have become more skeptical of mass produced foods and the processes the animals go through to become the food we eat today. Good and healthy food is very important to myself and to my family. Food means a lot in my family. A meal is an essential part of each day. While sipping my delicious soup, that my grandparents would make for my me
This shows the impact on how important it is to make a priority in eating and making well balanced meals. Being able to see the history in how eating habits have changed generation to generation gives an insight on what we need to change. Many people such as Mark never ate a fresh vegetable until 19 years old. This shows that there is a big gap in eating balanced and healthy meals because of the mass production of frozen and canned foods. Mark Stated that, “it cut down on the variety of food we ate” (Mark Bittman 2007 Ted Talk, transcript 10:17).
In the article, “Escape from The Western Diet,” by Michael Pollan, who has also written many nutritional books, blames our unhealthy eating on the food industry. He argues that we should avoid any processed foods because of what they have become (424). Also, he claims that the American views for preparing a meal has downgraded over the years (425). His solution is to not overeat, but to eat plants instead because they are not as manipulated
“Thou shouldst eat to live; not live to eat”, is a famous quote by the well known philosopher Socrates, who believed this is the perspective we should take when we are eating food. Unfortunately, the times have changed and so has the way we eat. We no longer have to go hunting for our food, or grow crops to receive all of our fruits and vegetables. Because we have become a society that has grown into the new world of technology, there would be no need to rely on ourselves for what we need-- we can simply gather our resources from other people. In the book, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”, written by Michael Pollan, takes us on a journey full of concerns of the “Food Industrial Complex”.
In the book The Omnivores Dilemma, by Michael Pollan he brings us on his journey with him through analyzing the model of “four meals” and how our thinking habits have changed the way we choose to eat and go about eating throughout the years and the role our society and the different expectations put on individuals has effected their thoughts and relationship to food. Each section and chapter of the book is broken up into different fads, opinions and findings that Pollan has found along his journey. Throughout the book his pre determined notions and thoughts around our society with food is challenged but also is backed up by different healthful and food activists like himself and how like minded people can differer in opinions and thoughts on how our society has changed involving
America is one of the most obese countries in the world, known for apple pie and an excessive amount of McDonald’s. As a culture, there is a lack of self control when it comes to the foods we consume. People often over consume and over indulge, which has wreaked havoc on the health and well being of those who give in to these temptations. The issue is that large corporations and even our own government play a role in helping feed the problem; they care more about profitability and benefiting the business than the health of the consumer. The health of Americans is declining and more chronic diseases and health problems are appearing as a result of unhealthy diets, but there are many different methods that can help fix this issue.
This return to a traditional lifestyle of hunter gatherer resulted in weight loss, lower blood pressure, and a drastic reduction of signs of diabetes. For Pollan, this was proof positive that the modern Western diet is what is making people sick. Similar studies revealed that when native populations adopted a Western diet, multiple health issues
1.) Paleo Indians The Paleo-Indians were groups of people that traveled to America from Northeastern Asia around 13,000 B.C.E. They traveled in bands (containing fifteen to fifty people) where women cared for the children and prepared the food that the men hunted. At Monte Verde, Chile, the Paleo-Indians had a wide variety of plants and animals to choose from; however, they had a greater interest in large mammals such as: mammoths, caribou, and bison. Upon encountering other groups, the Paleo-Indians shared ideas and traded goods.
There are gluten free options but 9/10 of them are like eating bricks because they are made with rice flour not wheat. Living gluten free is not a fun way of life! All in all, Celiacs is nothing to mess around with. I hope I was able to give you a glimpse of the average life of somebody who suffers with Celiac Disease. It’s getting more and more common to hear about people with Celiacs.
The more we worry about eating, the likelier we are to listen to claims that food companies make. In 2002, an article in a magazine said that carbs make you fat. Overnight, millions of Americans stopped eating bread and started eating mainly meat. But there are places around the world where people are nowhere close to being as “health-crazy” as Americans. And yet the people living in those countries are proven to have lower rates of heart disease and obesity.
Just to make sure that I am serving my family the healthy kind of food that is good for their health. On the other hand, I rifle for those nutrient facts but I don’t know where they came from and how it has developed. In this book The Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan, He is trying to prove a point that all the food that we placed
Foods from all different kinds of groups should be eaten. We should consume whole grains such as wheat, rice and oats. They have many nutrients including dietary fiber and several vitamin B and minerals. Protein foods such as lean meats, poultry, seafood that are rich in omega- 3 fatty acids, beans, peas and eggs are good protein sources. (U.S department of agriculture, 2017) 3.
“I asked myself a question: "Knowing what I know, why am I not a vegetarian?"’ Graham Hill, an inspiring speaker, introduced a new way to eat. During his speech on TED Talk, he explains to his audience how eating meat has affected the world. In a calm and humorous tone, Hill proposes his purpose. He explains to his audience by becoming a “weekday veg” you will live a better live, it’s great compromise that will help people, animals, and the environment.