I enjoyed reading this critique by an ex-Paleo dieter. It shed light on many things I've been noticing about the Paleo movement that make me uncomfortable. There is no room for indivudual adaptations, only demonizing of large segments of food (all grains, all legumes, etc), and an increasing commercialization of the diet. There is overreliance on certain ingredients like coconut and almond meal, which is contrary to the benefits of diet rotation. Not to mention the glorification of meats like bacon, which are being eaten in high quantities (seems like Adkins again). I no longer think Paleo is a magic cure-all. Each person must find what does and doesn't agree with them. This woman ended up eating gluten again (I would never), but I don't feel so guilty about having occasional GF bread or crackers, or a modest helping of legumes that seem to agree with me. She does mention upping her use of probiotics, which ultimately may be what it all boils down to...eating whatever you need to maintain an optimum gut flora.
http://huntgatherlove.com/content/break ... rce=feedly
An interesting critique of the Paleo diet
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
An interesting critique of the Paleo diet
1987 Mononucleosis (EBV)
2004 Hypomyopathic Dermatomyositis
2009 Lymphocytic Colitis
2010 GF/DF/SF Diet
2014 Low Dose Naltrexone
2004 Hypomyopathic Dermatomyositis
2009 Lymphocytic Colitis
2010 GF/DF/SF Diet
2014 Low Dose Naltrexone
Hi Zizzle. I read the article and found it very honest. I was never a believer in a strict one diet fits all method. We are all so different in what our bodies need and want, but I do know that carbohydrates are necessary for many of our systems to thrive. You can however, get enough carbs from fruits and vegetables. People who are trying to lose weight will do best with that kind of eating. However, I eat rice, potatoes, and corn products and know that i would be exhausted without them. That's just me though. Everyone has to figure this all out themselves. I do wonder sometimes if some of the folks here on the forum have restricted their diets so much ( and still don't feel better) that they have made things worse. I just don't know.
Anyway, thanks for posting it.
leah
Anyway, thanks for posting it.
leah
Leah,
What's concerning to me is the number of parents putting kids on Paleo diets too. I don't know the research, but I suspect ketosis is not good for growing children. I think there is a biologic reason kids crave more carbs and less meat than adults.
What's concerning to me is the number of parents putting kids on Paleo diets too. I don't know the research, but I suspect ketosis is not good for growing children. I think there is a biologic reason kids crave more carbs and less meat than adults.
1987 Mononucleosis (EBV)
2004 Hypomyopathic Dermatomyositis
2009 Lymphocytic Colitis
2010 GF/DF/SF Diet
2014 Low Dose Naltrexone
2004 Hypomyopathic Dermatomyositis
2009 Lymphocytic Colitis
2010 GF/DF/SF Diet
2014 Low Dose Naltrexone
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I am one of those people who does best on a very low carb diet. I once weighed 245 pounds. That was about 10 years ago. I started eating a low carb paleo diet and 85 pounds came off easily over about 2 years. I eat no grains and the only fruits I eat are a few berries. My weight stays stable. I threw out my scale several years ago and all my clothes still fit so unlike most people who diet I am able to maintain my weight loss without any trouble. Granted I am not at a weight that the bmi table considers "normal" but I think that the bmi table is a very flawed measure of health. I did not and do not count calories. I am satisfied. As I tell my doctor, I have no intention of starving myself to lose a few more pounds.
I have suffered from gastrointestinal problems since I was in college and I am now 64 so I imagine that my system has sustained some amount of damage that others here who had sudden onset symptoms of MC without a long history of gastrointestinal trouble don't have. Also some people here have trouble maintaining their weight. That is certainly not my problem. Plus there is a history of type 2 diabetes in my family. My memory of my paternal grandmother is of a very old woman in a wheel chair without any legs. She is only the most dramatic example of diabetes in my family. For me low carb paleo with further restrictions based on my Enterolab results (like no eggs or chicken) plus keeping things as low histamine as possible, since that seems to bring the D back, makes the most sense for me. I happen to not mind what others might find an excessively restricted diet. I like the simplicity of it all. What I try to do is be careful about the advice I give, couching it in a "this is what works/worked for me" type language. Food is a very contentious issue and it often brings out the fundamentalist in people from strict vegans to zero carb meat eaters to fruitarians and raw food faddists.
I guess what I am trying to say is we each need to figure it out for ourselves utilizing the advice we get here and elsewhere if it makes sense and seems to help. Keeping an open mind when it comes to food and people can be hard but it can be damaging to assume that what worked for you is what will work for everyone else.
Jean
I have suffered from gastrointestinal problems since I was in college and I am now 64 so I imagine that my system has sustained some amount of damage that others here who had sudden onset symptoms of MC without a long history of gastrointestinal trouble don't have. Also some people here have trouble maintaining their weight. That is certainly not my problem. Plus there is a history of type 2 diabetes in my family. My memory of my paternal grandmother is of a very old woman in a wheel chair without any legs. She is only the most dramatic example of diabetes in my family. For me low carb paleo with further restrictions based on my Enterolab results (like no eggs or chicken) plus keeping things as low histamine as possible, since that seems to bring the D back, makes the most sense for me. I happen to not mind what others might find an excessively restricted diet. I like the simplicity of it all. What I try to do is be careful about the advice I give, couching it in a "this is what works/worked for me" type language. Food is a very contentious issue and it often brings out the fundamentalist in people from strict vegans to zero carb meat eaters to fruitarians and raw food faddists.
I guess what I am trying to say is we each need to figure it out for ourselves utilizing the advice we get here and elsewhere if it makes sense and seems to help. Keeping an open mind when it comes to food and people can be hard but it can be damaging to assume that what worked for you is what will work for everyone else.
Jean
Before I got LC, I would have thought the paleo diet was one of the worst ones out there. Of course, back then I would rarely eat red meat, loaded up on fiber and carbs and figured I was doing the "right" thing based on the food pyramid, etc. I have been nearly a hundred percent paleo for about three months now, and it works for me. It evolved kind of naturally because the less carbs I ate, the better my gut felt and my D would stop. I notice more energy, less need to be constantly nibbling on snacks, and most surprisingly, my mood has been great--very relaxed, content, happy. I lost about ten pounds, which I really didn't need to do. But I agree with everyone's comments here that our bodies respond differently and what works for me might not for others.
The other Jean
The other Jean
"The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not." Mark Twain
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fatbuster205
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That is a very interesting observation - I am lucky that I have my Doctors who are very receptive and are therefore not encouraging at this point a full on elimination etc. That said I live in the UK so my medical care and prescriptions are currently free!Leah wrote: I do wonder sometimes if some of the folks here on the forum have restricted their diets so much ( and still don't feel better) that they have made things worse. I just don't know.
Anne
If you ever feel too insignificant to be noticed, you have never been to bed with a mosquito!
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fatbuster205
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Totally agree, but I would add that so far in my experience here the suggestions and advice have helped me when talking to the medics because while anecdotal, they represent a significant body! And my Docs seem to have read Tex's book!!!JFR wrote:I guess what I am trying to say is we each need to figure it out for ourselves utilizing the advice we get here and elsewhere if it makes sense and seems to help. Keeping an open mind when it comes to food and people can be hard but it can be damaging to assume that what worked for you is what will work for everyone else.
Anne
P.S. I did give them both a copy!!
If you ever feel too insignificant to be noticed, you have never been to bed with a mosquito!
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fatbuster205
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- Joined: Tue May 22, 2012 7:53 am
- Location: Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland
Hi The Other Jean AKA JeanIrene!JeanIrene wrote:our bodies respond differently and what works for me might not for others. The other Jean
Totally agree! But this Forum is the ONLY forum I have found that provides real open honest experience from fellow sufferers thus giving us great privilege in gaining much knowledge as a result! While some might try to be extreme in dealing with this disease, and I can completely understand their desperation for a quick fix!! I have learnt that this is a long process precisely because it is individual! And being individual here with the Potty People is completely allowed! Even though we are all Potty People!!
Anne
If you ever feel too insignificant to be noticed, you have never been to bed with a mosquito!
That's probably a valid point, (though I'm not sure I understand why it would make things worse), but for every one who is unnecessarily restrictive with their diet, there are probably several others who are not restrictive enough, and those are the ones whom I'm concerned about.Leah wrote:I do wonder sometimes if some of the folks here on the forum have restricted their diets so much ( and still don't feel better) that they have made things worse.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Awesome! And you're awesome for being able to convince them to read it.Anne wrote:And my Docs seem to have read Tex's book!!!
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Hi, I read a Paleo diet cookbook and cut back on carbs and increased vegatables a meats. I found that I was always hungry and do not need to lose any more weight. I recieved my hair tests results and my calcuim/potassium ratio dropped from 19.00 to 1.17. and my sodium/potassium ratio dropped from 2.00 to 1.17. The report stated that "Low calcuim-to-potassium and low sodium-to-potassium is frequently indicative of excessive tissue protein breakdown [catabolism] which may result in a negative protein [nitrogen] balance. Complex carbohydrates are known to spare protein, and in conjunction with dietary fats, the sparing effects of carbohydrates are further enhanced. Due to the current metabolic profile. the previous carbohydrate, fat and protein suggestions found in the general dietary guidelines should not be followed at this time. Temporarily, carbohydrate intake should be increased to approximately 50%, fats approx. 25% and proteins 25% of the daily caloric intake." So for me a totally Paleo Diet would result in muscle loss. In dealing with a muscle disease the Paleo Diet would be dangerous. It is also dangerous for children as they are growing and need good quality carbs and proteins for growth. Jon
It's true Jon. When you don't feed yourself enough carbs ( which some systems in our bodies absolutely have to have), your body will use it's own protein ( muscle) and turn into usable glucose. You CAN get enough though with fruits and veggies, but some of us can't eat much fruit.... like me- hence, the rice and corn :)
Leah
Leah
Big sigh.
Paleo doesn't have to be something that consumes you. It does not have to involve reducing calories or hanging out with only paleo-obsessed people. It is not low carb - unless you choose to eat that way. It should not be low calorie ( In fact, I keep seeing people on the forums saying 'eat more'). And it will not magically 'fix' everything wrong in your life, or even your body. Yes, you may have an underlying medical condition that is helped by FODMAP diet or by surgery or modern pharmaceuticals. But a good diet is a good basis for healing. It is not helpful to treat it as a religion.
I can't see the problem with a focus on eating nutrient dense food, so you actually get enough nutrients for your body to function at it's best. ie, vegies, fruit, meat, seafood, nuts, dairy if not intolerant. But any of the heavily processed stuff, I don't see the need for. So no gluten for me, occasional rice or other grains, but not as a staple. And as for bacon - well I love the term 'meat candy'.
If Melissa can eat gluten without problems, then good luck to her. However, that is not true for an awful lot of people. I do wonder if a period of eating high nutrient food, and probiotics, can help heal the leaky gut that a long term diet of processed junk created. Once the leaky gut is resolved, it makes sense that you can then eat moderate amounts of problem foods without them being an issue. Good luck to Melissa, but her diet still sounds like it has a paleo basis.
/rant
Paleo doesn't have to be something that consumes you. It does not have to involve reducing calories or hanging out with only paleo-obsessed people. It is not low carb - unless you choose to eat that way. It should not be low calorie ( In fact, I keep seeing people on the forums saying 'eat more'). And it will not magically 'fix' everything wrong in your life, or even your body. Yes, you may have an underlying medical condition that is helped by FODMAP diet or by surgery or modern pharmaceuticals. But a good diet is a good basis for healing. It is not helpful to treat it as a religion.
I can't see the problem with a focus on eating nutrient dense food, so you actually get enough nutrients for your body to function at it's best. ie, vegies, fruit, meat, seafood, nuts, dairy if not intolerant. But any of the heavily processed stuff, I don't see the need for. So no gluten for me, occasional rice or other grains, but not as a staple. And as for bacon - well I love the term 'meat candy'.
If Melissa can eat gluten without problems, then good luck to her. However, that is not true for an awful lot of people. I do wonder if a period of eating high nutrient food, and probiotics, can help heal the leaky gut that a long term diet of processed junk created. Once the leaky gut is resolved, it makes sense that you can then eat moderate amounts of problem foods without them being an issue. Good luck to Melissa, but her diet still sounds like it has a paleo basis.
/rant
I agree with this. Paleo is not necessarily either low carb or low calorie and it's not a religion. It's just a healthy way to eat that works for many people. I choose to make it low carb because that is what works for me.Bifcus16 wrote:Big sigh.
Paleo doesn't have to be something that consumes you. It does not have to involve reducing calories or hanging out with only paleo-obsessed people. It is not low carb - unless you choose to eat that way. It should not be low calorie ( In fact, I keep seeing people on the forums saying 'eat more'). And it will not magically 'fix' everything wrong in your life, or even your body. Yes, you may have an underlying medical condition that is helped by FODMAP diet or by surgery or modern pharmaceuticals. But a good diet is a good basis for healing. It is not helpful to treat it as a religion.
I can't see the problem with a focus on eating nutrient dense food, so you actually get enough nutrients for your body to function at it's best. ie, vegies, fruit, meat, seafood, nuts, dairy if not intolerant. But any of the heavily processed stuff, I don't see the need for.
Jean