The Paleo Diet by Dr. Loren Cordain

I few months ago I read a book The Paleo Diet by Dr. Loren Cordain who at the time this book was written taught at Colorado State University. Let me first state that this is an interesting book that makes the case for following a diet that our ancestors did prior to the agricultural revolution some 10,000 years ago.

The premise of the book is that prior to the agricultural revolution homo sapiens were hunter gatherers and as such ate what was available in nature. Dr. Cordain makes a good case of why the hunter gatherer diet is superior to diets that contain lots of processed food or byproducts of agriculture. A paleo diet consists of foods that include:

• Meat based protein – chicken breasts, fish and shell fish, lean beef, game meat
  • Note there is nothing processed such as lunch meat or any other bizarre concoction that we have come up with that passes as meat today.
• Fruits – all fruits
• Vegetables – except starchy ones like potatoes and legumes
• Fat – mostly from nuts and seeds, and some oils like olive and fish

Things to avoid:

• Dairy Foods – butter, cheese, cream, yogurt, ice cream, milk
• Cereal Grains – things like barley, corn, rice, and wheat
• Starchy Vegetables – potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams
• Manufactured Meats – salami, bacon, sausages, hot dogs, ham to name a few
• Sugar – all soft drinks, candy, deserts, and bottled fruit juice

There is a lot more detail in the book, but you get the idea, which is to stick to natural foods and stay away from anything that has been processed. I tried this diet for a few weeks and even to this day I still practice eating about 80% of my diet as Paleo.

Pros:

There is a lot of evidence that this diet is very healthy and you will actually feel better once you embrace it. One other major side effect is that you can easily lose weight especially if you combine it with intermittent fasting. One other great thing about this diet is you can eat as much as you like. With so much of it coming from fruits and vegetables you are getting lots of fiber and vitamins that are missing from many other diets, and the quality protein you are consuming leaves you satiated.

Cons:

The Paleo diet is so focused on natural food sources that you may find it too restrictive especially when you are eating out. It is easy to follow at home, but let’s say you want to go to your favorite Mexican or Chinese restaurant; you will find that the tortillas and rice are a big no no. Remember no bread or grains, arg!

Summary:

You can become a fat burning machine on this diet and feel great while doing it. The Paleo diet simplifies grocery shopping, which is kind of nice. While you might find this diet somewhat difficult to adhere to when eating out, it is still more liberal than the choices a vegan has in the same situation. Ultimately the benefits far outweigh the inconvenience. I really enjoyed the first half of this book and the second half seemed a bit repetitive, but overall is was well worth reading.

Namaste

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The Paleo Diet Revised