Basically, the Paleo diet includes eating the foods we ate as our hunter/gatherer cavemen ancestors (about 2-7 million years ago). Foods such as grains, legumes, all dairy products, oils, salt, sugar and all processed foods are not included in the diet. The thinking behind this diet is that in those times, modern day diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers did not exist, so adopting this diet may see these diseases diminish. While eating like this could eradicate modern day conditions there have been no long term benefit studies to prove this factor.
One big reason for the paleo diet supposedly curing modern day conditions is not the fact that we’re eating like cavemen, it is the fact that so many foods are excluded from the diet, which results in lower kilo-joule (calorie) intake. Lower kilo-joule intake=weight loss=lower rates of obesity etc.
Along with the rest of the fad diets, the Paleo diet also has it’s many issues and complications. One problem with the paleo diet is that it is nearly impossible to follow. In the cultural, modern world we live in, it is an extremely hard diet to maintain unless you live on a farm, hunt all your own meat and plant/gather all of your own vegetables. Even then you’ll still probably be deficient in at least one nutrient.
Moreover, many Australian families do not eat native foods such as Kangaroo and wild fish. This is because they’re not readily available in modern day supermarkets- most, if not all, the meat at supermarkets are farmed. Furthermore, many of the modern day meat we see in our supermarkets are not what our ancestors ate anyway. Which makes the diet really hard to follow when we cant even access such foods.
Another BIG reason (my favourite reason) why this diet is hard to maintain is because you are less likely to meet your daily nutrient requirements. This can put you in a dangerous situation for you and and your body due to nutrient deficiencies causing all sorts of complications. You are much more likely to be at risk of the following deficiencies: Calcium, vitamin E, Carbohydrate, Vitamin B, and dietary fibre.
For those thinking you can get calcium from non dairy products, you’re absolutely correct. However, you would have to eat five or more servings of certain greens and fish daily to meet the recommended calcium needs and that isn’t practical whatsoever. There are also some greens such as spinach that are high in calcium too, except they contain oxalates (chemical found some food, excreted in waste products) and phytates (plant storage of phosphorus that can prevent nutrient absorption) that bind to calcium which means that not as much calcium is absorbed into the body.
An important side note is that a lot of Australian paleo diet advocates base their knowledge off of minimal research which results in poor advice- even dangerous advice. It has also resulted in health professionals refusing to associate themselves with these advocates because advice was so misleading and dangerous. It’s important that you listen to dietary advice from someone who is qualified to give it, like a registered dietitian or health professional.
My major take home message is that if you do choose to adopt a Paleo diet then make sure you do your research, speak to your health professional before making the decision, make sure you consume all of your daily nutrients from adequate food sources, and regularly see your health specialist to make sure you are not putting yourself in danger. Most of all, eat what makes you HAPPY. There is no correct way to eat if you are doing it in a responsible and healthy way.
For all nutritional and food questions, contact me below.
Eat well and be happy,
Jaz Batchelor xx
Jaz Culinary 