Why the Paleo Diet Is Half-Baked (2013)

Re:Why the Paleo Diet Is Half-Baked (2013) by js2 on Tuesday July 29, 2014 @08:31PM (#8105804)

I crossfit, a community that is associated with the paleo diet. No one interprets paleo literally. It's just a buzz word that generally means eat less processed foods, more fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and healthy fats, and limit grains. Some folks do cleanse diets first. I've seen folks loose dozens to hundreds of pounds. For many, this is the first time they've actually paid attention to what they are eating. And this is really the important part. Pay attention to what you eat and avoid processed foods as much as possible. Call it paleo or "clean eating." Who cares.

Aside, I don't think carbs are evil, but they are very energy dense and not particularly satiating, especially refined carbs (i.e. carbs not from produce). I run 60 miles a week, crossfit 3-5x a week, and still have to pay attention to limit calories from refined carbs.

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Re:Why the Paleo Diet Is Half-Baked (2013) by noodle on Tuesday July 29, 2014 @11:21PM (#8106211)

> No one interprets paleo literally

I have done crossfit in the past and have many friends who still actively participate. The majority of them do take paleo literally.

The reality is, I think, that it varies from box to box, community to community.

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Re:Why the Paleo Diet Is Half-Baked (2013) by lipoicacid on Tuesday July 29, 2014 @08:49PM (#8105851)

Are you including indigestible carbs (fiber) as part of natural whole grain sources, fruits (pectin), oats (soluble fibers) as part of your "not particularly satiating" carbs? I spent 6 months on paleo, 12 months on keto, and 6 months cyclical keto. I have found that complex carbs have helped my training and weight loss far more than restricting carbs in general. It seems that proper carb sources are just as satiating as loading my bowels with red meat (and the outcome is vastly preferred).

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Re:Why the Paleo Diet Is Half-Baked (2013) by js2 on Tuesday July 29, 2014 @09:02PM (#8105890)

I don't eat red meat but maybe a few times a year. My protein is mostly from fish, eggs, greek yogurt, fowl, and protein powder/bars sparingly.

I don't find carbs in any form particularly satiating. Unless I have protein and/or fat with a meal, I'm hungry quickly after. So steel cut oats, not satiating on their own. But if I add say crushed walnuts to the oats and have a couple eggs or greek yogurt too, I fine almost till dinner. The more refined the carbs, the worse it is for me.

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[deleted]

Re:Why the Paleo Diet Is Half-Baked (2013) by artmageddon on Tuesday July 29, 2014 @08:55PM (#8105870)

I run about the same as the parent, give or take, and mine are fine. I've done a few ultra marathons and I'm gearing up for one in September where I'll be traversing 170mi for a week while carrying 8-10kgs of weight(www.g2gultra.com, for the curious). For what it's worth, I'm 32, and have done a number of ultras since I started running actively at 25. It takes time to build up.

One observation is that if you were running everyday(I'll assume you mean that literally), then you weren't giving yourself time to rest and recover, which may be why you are experiencing your pain. I hope you recover soon!

Having said that though, if you are experiencing knee pain(and I can say I've had my share), you're doing the right thing by resting and taking up swimming. I'm not much of a swimmer at all, but getting in the pool and being able to work out despite having hurt myself felt like heaven.

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Re:Why the Paleo Diet Is Half-Baked (2013) by redmaverick on Tuesday July 29, 2014 @09:00PM (#8105886)

Thanks for the reply. I deleted my original post as I didn't want to derail the main topic.

I did run literally everyday. I stopped completely now. Hopefully I should recover soon.

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Re:Why the Paleo Diet Is Half-Baked (2013) by lazyant on Tuesday July 29, 2014 @09:18PM (#8105942)

why limit grains? (honest question)

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Re:Why the Paleo Diet Is Half-Baked (2013) by js2 on Tuesday July 29, 2014 @09:43PM (#8105986)

Because they are energy dense and not particularly satiating. A slice of bread can be 75-100 calories, a bagel 200-250 calories, a bowl of pasta 400 calories. I like to translate my calories to miles. A mile walked or run burns ~ 100 calories. So that bagel is 2 miles, that bowl of pasta 4 miles.

I'd rather eat fruits and vegetables, yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, fish, etc.

To be clear, I don't avoid grains entirely. I'll have a slice of toast with 3 eggs at breakfast, or put homemade granola in my yogurt, etc. I eat rice with sushi or chicken tikka. Challah is one of my great weaknesses. It's just that grains are so readily available and easy to eat too much of, so I limit them when I can.

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