Welcome to the inner workings of my brain. Having given very little thought to eating a Paleo Diet or researching it until about five minutes ago, I will now take you on a journey as I process the entire matter. This could be fun! (Fun is relative.)
What is the Paleo Diet?
The Paleo Diet suggests you eat lean meats and fish, fruits, vegetables, eggs, nuts and seeds, olive oil, and coconut oil. It suggests you avoid eating dairy, refined sugar, legumes, processed foods, grains, and refined vegetable oils.
Some Paleo Diet sites suggest that you should “eat a Paleo diet to lose weight.” I never, ever recommend that you “go on a diet” to lose weight. Eat nourishing foods, exercise, and watch portion control – all in the name of good health – YES. But please never “go on a diet” for the sole purpose of losing weight. That’s not a lifestyle; it’s an “I just want to lose weight” mindset and I think it’s unwise. But sure enough, I think a person would lose weight eating the Paleo diet, especially if they are used to eating many processed foods.
This is where Laura says, “I Just Can’t Do It.”
Can’t or won’t? I don’t know. After all, I’m processing this as I write.
I just took a moment to picture what it might look like to feed my family absolutely no grains at all. No rice. No popcorn. No oats. Certainly no wheat. No bread. No pasta.
I hate to play the “I can’t afford it” card, but how in the world would I keep all these teenage boys full if I don’t feed them any grains? I’m not sure there are enough cows and chickens in Nebraska to make up the difference.
Did I see that right? The Paleo Diet doesn’t even allow beans? No peanuts? (Did you know peanuts are a legume?) No dairy. No potatoes?? Well. Since I love it when my teenage boys get hungry and ask for food every five minutes, I can see that this diet would be full of giggles for all of us.
Come To Think of it, I Really Like the Paleo Diet
Hard to keep up with my thoughts here?? Well, like I told you – I’m processing. Plus I’m a woman, so I totally get to swing from one side of the fence to the other in one thirty-second interval. Hang with me (if you dare).
The thing is, while I struggle with some of the “don’t eats” recommended by Paleo, I definitely agree with all of the “do eats.” Eat good meat. Yes. Eat fruit and vegetables. Yessssss. Eat eggs and nuts (but not peanuts because that’s a bean and I do not know what to do with this information). Eat good oils like olive oil and coconut oil. Of course, yes.
Don’t eat refined sugar and processed food. Well sure, I agree with this. I even believe we could all use fewer grains in our lives.
So it appears that I nod my head yes to much of what Paleo recommends. (She says, as she licks peanut butter from her fingers and washes it down with a glass of milk. So what??)
Liking it and Following it to the Letter are Different Stories
I hereby conclude that an exclusive Paleo diet isn’t best for my family right now. I could be convicted otherwise eventually, but for now, I’ve gotta stick with feeding us potatoes and whole grains with our meat and vegetables. My athletic, growing sons need more variety and balance. And please don’t take away my peanut butter. Shoot – what is up with peanuts being a bean? I cannot get over this.
While I do think it’s worth it to invest money in food that nourishes, I think my grocery bill would actually double if I didn’t stretch it with brown rice, oats, potatoes, other whole grains, and beans (like our friend, the peanut). Doubling what already doubled a few years ago when my boys hit their teen years makes my calculator curl up into a ball and cry. (Not me though. I’m never emotional. It’s only my calculator that is unstable.)
#almostbutnotquitepaleo
Two Weeks Later…
I wrote all of the above a couple of weeks ago. Since then, I’ve been reading more and processing the information.
I’m choosing to learn more about eating Paleo recommended foods and how to prepare Paleo specific recipes. When I think about it, many of the foods our family eats count as Paleo friendly (roast, chicken, broth, coconut oil, all the fruits and veggies…). So see? I’m not against eating Paleo foods. I just can’t cut the cheese. Nor do I want to.
Paleo food is very nourishing. I love nourishing food. Some of you may love and embrace an exclusive Paleo lifestyle. The rest of us? We’re all on board with nourishing food for our families, right? Maybe if you and I don’t look at the Paleo diet like one specific way of eating, but simply use Paleo resources and recipes in an effort to easily put nourishing meals on the table? I think this is a fantastic idea (of course, I thought of it myself…).
PaleoDork is My New Friend
There’s a fairly new site called PaleoDork that is helping me figure all this out. They keep it simple, and we all know how much I love simple. I thought you would like to know that right now, PaleoDork is offering a bunch of paleo resources for FREE. I hesitantly checked into it, because it looked too good to be true, you know? (I thought maybe they needed a glass of milk or maybe – I don’t know – a handful of peanuts to clear their heads.) But no. It’s actually a big bunch of free stuff, they are giving it to everyone who wants it, and there’s no catch. We just sign up and get all kinds of downloadable resources including videos, meal plans, skin care suggestions, fitness memberships, and of course like three-dozen recipe books!
I’m thinking – why not get these free resources and learn how to pack more nutrition into our days (while still holding on to some trusty standbys like rice).
Of all these resources, I’m most interested to check into the Paleo Crock Pot Recipe book and the 5-Minute Paleo Recipes book because I know those recipes will be both super nourishing and super easy. I’ll report back in a few days to share what I’ve tried and what my family thought about the recipes/meals. (By the way, the freebies are only being offered until February 12.)
I want to hear your brain’s thoughts on this.
Have you researched the paleo diet? What do you think? Does it (mostly) make sense to you how my brain is working on this? Why not grab some paleo friendly recipes since we know they will be packed with nutrition?? I’m in.
P.S. Here’s the link to PaleoDork so you can get all the free stuff. I’m curious to hear which of the resources you like best and which recipes you try and recommend.
P.P.S. I like what PaleoDork is offering so much that I signed up to be an affiliate for them. When you click through and sign up through my links, you get free stuff and they give me a small referral bonus. For that, my family and I say thank you.
P.P.P.S. Paleo will never take away my butter. No one ever doubted this.
I have been eating Paleo plus dairy for a month now and feel so amazing. My kids are small but already eat a ton so we are keeping our (gluten free – we can’t have gluten) grains for them. Just me eating palo and my husband eating both whole foods and paleo depending on the meal has dramatically increased our budget. Plus little kids need more carbs and are picker so it works out for us. I’m excited about the resource you mentioned.
I will add I started with two goals, more nutritious (you cut put grains and insert veggies/fruit how can it not be), better blood sugar balance, AND to lose weight because whole foods and exercise alone weren’t taking care of it for me.
Hey Laura, I feel compelled to write this even though I don’t want to. Years ago I went down this track. My husband has type 1 diabetes (that means insulin dependent) and I have some blood sugar issues. I will spare all the explicit details but through much prayer, research and Bible reading I truly believe the premise of the Paleo lifestyle alone should keep Christians from following this lifestyle. The concept that we evolved and were basically better off as hunter gatherers is a lie. From the beginning God first created a garden and said it was good. Through the fall we now have many things to overcome but I can’t in good conscience believe that if we are eating grains, dairy, pulses,etc. the way God intended we are harming our bodies. I can see the good sides of this diet and believe that one could certainly use aspects of it but to even use the phrase Paleo shows a certain misunderstanding of Creation. If you read how Joseph saved the land of Egypt and surrounding people he did it with grain. There was meat in the land but the grain sustained them. Even in rural areas if we are diligent we can have access to affordable grains. I really like Sue Becker from breadbeckers.com on this subject and would encourage anyone struggling with this to read her work. Answers in Genesis also has really helped me understand the timeline from the Fall and the Flood. There truly were hunter gatherers but not because of evolution but because of the way people were dispersed after the tower of Babel. I feel like this is a huge subject and it really took me a few years to come to grips with it. I guess ultimately I was reminded that the Bible is full of the wisdom we need for everyday applications and this concept is not in line with His Word. I know we live in fallen times and we must nourish our bodies with what works best for us. Personally my husband and I eat very little refined carbs, stay away from excess sugar and try to eat as much real food as possible. With the addition of raw milk my husband’s blood panels have never looked better. I pray that my thoughts in no way come across as rude, pompous or offensive. This is truly what the Lord showed me through His word and other resources. One quick thought to add. This would dramatically increase most people’s food budget. How many of us can afford an entire jar of almond butter for one dessert? Or an entire dozen free range eggs for one meal? If you are considering sustainability it is definitely not a great way to go:+)
Thank you for your comments. I really appreciated them and did not get the sense you were being pompous at all. Your humility is refreshing. I think you hit on a really important and often overlooked point– to always critically examine the finer points of any position and take into considerdation their understanding of the world around them. Worldview impacts everyday life decisions. A biblical understanding of food- what to eat, how much, when, etc.- must start and end with appreciation for God’s good gifts and enjoying His gifts for His glory. The paleo diet is not all bad (and I think this is what you are saying), but it falls short in a number of areas in being completely accurate.
I agree totally! I would prefer to eat biblically instead of like the caveman did. Besides, I am from northern European descent and my anscestors have eaten dairy products for hundreds of years. We stay away from processed foods and cook from scratch with whole foods as much as possible, limit sugar intake and try to eat organic as much as we can afford. I always was suspicious of the Paleo diet even though there are good things about it.
I appreciate these comments. The Paleo diet has always seemed cult-ish to me, like people are worshiping a healthy eating lifestyle (“clean” and “pure” foods)and making “bad foods” into demons. Maybe I’m sensitive to this because I have a true IgE allergy to cows milk, and I can’t imagine people eating such diet by choice. It is socially isolating to not be able to meet friends at a restaurant (or not eat) or not enjoy a meal cooked by friends because it’s not allergy-safe. On the other hand, I appreciate the support because vegan and paleo have opened the door to so many dairy alternatives. I think it works for many people and makes them feel better because a lot of us are intolerant to dairy, gluten, fructose in fruits. We stop eating the foods we’re sensitive to, and feel better. There has to be a balance, moderation.
I really appreciate your reminder on this.
I thank you so much for this wonderful reminder!
I also do not believe you came across arrogant …. truth is truth and I appreciate you taking the time to write what you did.
I agree with you. I would rather eat biblically and trust the Lord knows how to feed me and my family. He knows our budget and health needs.
Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Besides I would rather not perpetuate the whole evolution myth by jumping on the Paleo bangwagon.
Eating healthy fats, meats, and some grains (not processed foods) in portion controlled sizes and exercising 4x a week or more makes generally makes for a healthy body.
It is sooo refreshing to see that there are other people out there that feel the same way I do about the new paleo life style! Yes, there are many benefits that do make sense to me, but it’s the way people dare I say, “worship” this life style! I’m so happy I came across your blog, it was just perfect timing! I have 2 toddlers that do not eat well at all, and I’m a strong believer of REAL foods, but I feel a little better reading your posts! It’s ok to give them regular cheese from time to time, that’s not homemade with organic milk! ????
Meant to be a smiley face at the end, don’t know where the questions marks came from!
I love the whole foods trend but Paleo specifically makes me wary since it seems to me to be rooted in an “evolutionary” mindset. It seems fairly clear to me that our “ancestors” were created by God to tend a garden and of the first children, Cain tended the fields while Abel tended the flocks. These few facts make me feel that Paleo is on shaky ground from the get-go so I will never jump on board, but hurray for the people who use Paleo to eat more whole foods and ditch the processed junk!
Did you just say you can’t cut the cheese without making a joke? Don’t you live with a house full of boys? Surely you had a momentary lapse and this flew under your radar. ;)
But seriously, I totally get you. You make imperfectly perfect sense. :)
Ditto! :)
First off, rest assured not everyone who lives the paleo life gives up dairy. Raw milk and high quality butter/cheese/yogurt are eaten by some. :) My family is paleo. After reseaching and following many health summits, I couldnt keep feeding my family foods that had no nutritional value. We were already on a real food diet when I came to that conclusion. Something I learned is that calories are not created equal. Paleo food is way more filling than carbs. So you naturally eat less. I love your blog and make paleo versions of your recipes often. :) personnally I’ve never seen grains for any cheaper than vegetables. We’ve actually saved money going paleo.
I just completed 11 months of eating Paleo (actually even more strict than Paleo — it was grueling), not because I believed the faulty reasoning about our ancestors but because I had a health condition that was only manageable while eating that way. I believe a lot of people have better health on the Paleo diet for a variety of reasons. Probably often their success is due to eliminating sugar and processed food as you mentioned, but other times an illness requires a Paleo diet to help them feel better. In the latter case, we are talking about an abnormal state and not the way we were created to be fueled.
With healthy individuals, I believe grain in moderation is good. As you mentioned, it is a lot harder to be full and I would add, stay regular, without grains. It IS easy to abuse them, but if we had to harvest them by hand and grind them on a stone mill, we’d probably be using them more sparingly and probably naturally regulate our consumption of them to a more healthy level (not to mention always using the whole grain).
I’d also add that modern wheat is a very far cry from the plant as God created it. My husband cannot digest it without pain, whereas he has no problem with the ancient grain Einkorn.
For the record, I am thankful for my Paleo eating journey as it did teach better eating and cooking habits in a lot of areas, but I am also SO thankful to have back my Einkorn bread fresh from the oven smothered in peanut butter (in moderation, of course)!
Thanks for the insightful article on a pretty popular diet right now. As usually your God based wisdom has steered you away from fads and on the right coarse.
As the parent of a child with an eating disorder, I find ANY restrictive diet can pull the trigger for a person predisposed to mental illness. My daughter was 11 when I announced a complete diet change for our family: out with processed foods and in with fresh milled grains, and nourishing foods. We became Pharisees watching others eat their pork chops with Mountain Dew. My daughter would lie awake in her bed for hours at night, riddled with guilt for eating a candy bar or store bought yogurt at a friends house, convinced she was going to die for going “off diet”. I will spare you the details of the hell we’ve lived trying to help our daughter. She’s almost 19, and trending upward, but these diets and discussion of how God originally made wheat to how it’s grown now, causes her to question every single bite and fear which bite will kill her. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of ALL mental illnesses. In addition, professionals are recognizing a new category of eating disorders: it’s called orthorexia. It’s an obsession with “healthy foods”. I think it’s a slippery slope for all of us. Most of know someone that secretly suffers from an eating disorder or an unhealthy relationship with food. When we label food as good or bad for you and discuss things in black and white terms, we heap guilt on someone suffering in silence. Eat whatever you want for whatever reasons you want, but I think we should all consider HOW we communicate about our diets.
Thank you for this reminder. My heart breaks for you that you have this advice to offer due to firsthand experience. Praying for your daughter.
I just saw a number of comments about paleo not being christian? Most of the paleo movement has been spurred on by christians. Its not by any means about evolution :) its about being good stewards of our bodies (the temple of the holy spirit) so that we can be effective for christ!! Grains are not the same as they were when God created the garden. 90% of wheat is GMO. Animals are no longer grazing on pastures and are drugged. Living paleo is about eating responsibly and sustainably. The way God designed. I think its good to be skeptical when we see words like paleo. However we need to look at why they live the way they do. :)
“90% of Wheat is GMO.” Please re-research this. Wheat is NOT GMO. While the conventional wheat in the USA is treated with pesticides, and possibly Roundup, while it is hybridized, while the soil it is grown in is deficient in many of the minerals that were present 100 years ago, it is NOT GMO!
Oh, I love that the commenter above me said, “Pharisees.” That is exactly how I feel sometimes, and we have a far from perfect diet around here. My son had been allergic to corn, rice, soy, and all nuts. Believe it or not, it was much easier for our entire family to eat healthy because we basically didn’t buy packages of anything. He is no longer allergic to these things except for tree nuts, and now (at age 13) he is impossible to fill. Like Laura, all I hear all day long is, “I’m hungry, what can I eat?” It would not be possible to feed him without bread and potatoes, and of course CHEESE. I buy organic dairy, but I don’t think I could live without it. I’m a vegetarian, and beans are my life. We eat ok, but Paleo is not for me.
And communion…..breaking bread.
Having said all that^^^, I would like to mention that a dear, sweet young woman in our congregation has rheumatoid arthritis as well as celiac’s and all but cured herself by going Paleo. (She was already allergic to dairy, though.)
I use Paleo recipes quite often, simply because they are naturally gluten free (for my Celiac husband and daughter) and contain whole foods. But I will use dairy milk in place of coconut quite often and butter in place of Ghee and certainly cannot always afford the very best meat. We are in no way strict “Paleo” for many of the reasons listed above (budget, kids needing more carbs, evolutionary thoughts and almost arrogant militant attitude of many strict followers). However, I believe in being balanced in all things and if having some Paleo cookbooks helps me in my overall meal planning, bring it on. And free cookbooks? Sign me up! You are doing a great job Laura. Thanks for all you do.
I believe a balanced approach is best for me and my family. We follow Trim Healthy Mama – which basically removes sugar, white potatoes and white rice. (There is a bit more to it – separating fats and carbs). I’ve noticed that by eliminating these three, my whole family is feeling better.
I understand the premise and if you have health problems I believe this way of eating is a purification process to allow your body to heal. I do not believe it to be a way of eating for the rest of your life once you are healed. Grains and beans should be the smallest portion of your diet. Most of your calories should come from healthy animal choices, vegetables and fruit last. Most fruit is very high in carbohydrates so you still need to limit fruit intake. I tried this paleo for a week and found it to be extremely time consuming to prep food and very expensive.
Look up the primal diet, which does include dairy. Also, look up Mark’s Daily Apple, which includes the well-balanced, researched thoughts of Mark Sisson. Big warning: you will encounter major evolutionary nonsense and some unnecessary foolishness in the comments. But, his approach is based on common sense, individualizing to meet a person’s needs, and research, not hype and fads. He’s also been known to change his view on eating certain things based on research or how eating something affects him personally.
This post actually gives me a sigh of relief. I too, have researched Paleo, and came to the same conclusion as Laura…feed hungry boys without any grains, potatoes, or legumes? Are you KIDDING me? Our food budget won’t allow that! I was also troubled by Paleo’s assumption that man “evolved.” I’ll allow them their faith, because to me, belief that a human’s complex body evolved from a one-celled creature by the sea takes more faith than my belief in Yahweh, the Creator. But this isn’t an argument for/against evolution.
When I compared Paleo’s prescribed diet to what the Bible had to say, it still came up lacking. In the Garden of Eden, Yahweh gave Adam and Eve every seed bearing plant for food. That would include beans, rice, and wheat. (As well as all the wonderful fruits and vegetables.) In Exodus and Leviticus, Yahweh gave dietary laws to his people, specifying which meat was clean (hoofed animals that chew cud, certain fowl and fish) and which is not clean. He brought his children into the Promised Land, a land flowing with “milk and honey.”
From this, I have concluded all fruits and vegetables and grains that do not cause me or my family harm are GOOD FOOD. Clean meats (beef, sheep, bison, venison, chicken, turkey, clean fish) are GOOD FOOD. Dairy is GOOD FOOD. Honey (limited sweets) is GOOD FOOD.
Some people are allergic or have intolerances to certain foods. I’m not judging them. They need help and support, not condemnation. Some people feel better not eating grains. That is fine too. We each need to recognize that as individuals, we have individual requirements for optimal nutrition.
Perhaps Michael Pollan did say it best….Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
In our house, we eat food…not “food like products.”
I have no problems with grains, dairy, or legumes. I did a Whole30. Doesn’t affect me one bit. But as I get older I find that I don’t need as many carbs because I am not burning them up in this present culture of so many conveniences. But I had to seriously question myself when In eliminating grains I hesitated in partaking of communion because it was a grain. Something was wrong there with that picture. I now eat whole grains but in moderation. Sometimes I wonder if this is a subtle trick of the enemy for those of us who can tolerate them as Jesus is the bread of life. Cutting out processed food and sugar has been most beneficial to my health.
I am all for eating nutritional food. Food is fuel and thanks to God, was given to us and is to be received with thanksgiving. I think like anything else, Satan will use ANY tool to tear believers apart. And this is no exception. It is unbelievable to me how much focus is now placed on our “diets” and discussing “what we do vs. what you do”… Excuse or not, the majority of families simply cannot afford this lifestyle and it can be a source of unnecessary stress. THAT is not from God. Laura, I so often appreciate your approach to the balance of striving for the best, and grace for less-than-best.
1 Timothy 4:3 is what I’ve been coming back to. I understand Paleo has been accepted by many Christians, but the fact remains it WAS/IS a diet based on what would have been accessed by “our ancient ancestors/cavemen 10,000 years ago”. I think it’s a slippery slope and one that could cause confusion to non-believers. My only wish is that as Christians we would remove ourselves from using the description of Paleo and simply say, we aim to eat healthy, whole foods. The end. No big explanation, no doctrine other than what God has said is good.
I think the Paleo diet is nothing more than a variation of the Atkins diet (from the mid 90s when I did it then) at the lower levels after you have come off induction and closing in on your goal weight. I have food allergies to wheat, corn, soy, peanuts and mushrooms so my diet is basic meats, vegetables (minus nightshades) and low glycemic fruits. I also have some dairy and small amounts of rice. I feel so much better since eliminating my allergens and nightshades so some people say I follow a Primal diet . I try to follow a WAHLS / AIP diet. I was on vicodin for years at night because of intense back pain that went away after excluding them. I have not taken vicodin in months due to this diet and I am really happy about that. I also want to mention that I recently saw an in depth interview with Stephanie Seneff, the MIT researcher, on the effects of glyphosate and the implications for increased disease we are seeing in the US and it is very thought provoking. I think we are entering a phase of medicine where n=1 will become more popular and this is the way it should be as we are all different and need to modify our diets according to our individual needs. I think the best advice came from our mothers “In Everything Moderation”. I find myself telling my son this all the time.
We went full paleo in 2012 and stayed that way for about a year. Honestly, it was rough. Our grocery budget was insane. I spent every spare minute in the kitchen cooking and cleaning up. Finding affordable, consistent sources for clean, organic, paleo-friendly ingredients was a part-time job. (This was before “grass-fed” became a mainstream word.)
The upside was we both lost weight and felt great physically, at first. But the difficulty in eating a restrictive diet so far outside of the mainstream started to take a toll on us. Eating at restaurants, eating at someone else’s home, eating on the road, eating anywhere but home was difficult. (I’m pretty sure we annoyed our friends and family to no end.) And the constant focus on good vs. bad foods had put me on a path towards orthorexia. To make it worse, I received no support from the paleo community who mostly reinforced orthorexic tendencies each time I reached out.
Not wanting to completely abandon paleo, I discovered Mark Sisson and we went primal – adding back organic, full fat dairy and white potatoes. It was a huge relief to eat dairy again! (Raw dairy was illegal in the state where we lived.) We stayed primal for about a year. However, I still struggled with orthorexia tendencies, very high grocery bills, difficulty sourcing plan-approved foods, and long hours in the kitchen.
To sum up this incredibly long comment, after 2 years total of paleo/primal eating, we chose to go back to a whole foods diet. I still try to find grass-fed/pasture-raised meats and dairy, but it’s no longer mandatory. I try to buy organic fruits and vegetables, but again, not mandatory. We do limit our grain consumption, as we both feel better when we eat less of it, but we don’t avoid it entirely. We still avoid processed foods, sugars, and vegetable oils at home, but eat them if that’s what friends and family offer. For us, the stress associated with an overly strict diet was far more damaging to our long-term health than the occasional consumption of pizza and birthday cake.
Megan your approach sounds very down to earth. Basically, do the best you can, when you can and don’t worry about the rest. I applaud you on your end result.
I highly recommend the book Grain Brain by Dr. David Perlmutter, a neurologist and Fellow of the American College of Nutrition. Reading this book convinced me to give up grains, even though it initially felt very daunting to make that leap. Dr. Perlmutter lays out the connection between the inflammatory effects of grain and Alzheimer’s, which is truly sobering. Grain consumption is also linked to diabetes and many other health problems.
My husband and I are now totally grain-free and eat very similar to paleo, although we eat cheese and small amounts of cream and butter. My kids are teenagers and they do still eat a modest amount of grains. Yes, our grocery bills have gone up, but the health benefits are worth it. I feel so much better eating this way! I thought I would miss grains and potatoes but I don’t, not even a tiny bit. It wasn’t until I gave up those foods up that I realized how bad they were making me feel.
We just finished our second Whole30 (extremely strict paleo program, eschewing even natural sweeteners). I ate dairy and sugar yesterday for the first time in a month, and today feel awful.
Two options:
a) My body just has to get used to the dairy again, or
b) I can’t tolerate it well.
I honestly don’t know which one it is. Time will tell. I didn’t notice how great I was feeling eating Paleo until I woke up this morning. I do love me some cheese though! :)
Only some Paleo sources say “no white potatoes”. All the sources I use do allow potatoes (white, sweet, etc.) and I eat potatoes frequently.
I was reading your post and I was thinking there is no way I could do this. I have 5 teenage boys 15-19(foster children) and they would never be full. We already limit sugars and processed foods and there would be total revolt if grains etc. were removed!
Plus the effects on my budget would be devastating!!
I follow a mostly paleo diet, but I’ve cut grains and rice to once a week. I do eat peanut butter. It’s hard to cut things you know God created (although I know they’ve been modified). I’m doing it because of autoimmune disease, but I don’t make my family keep to it. Another great site is paleogrubs.com.
From my vantage, I feel like this is another gimmicky eating plan like the Atkins, low-fat of the 90’s, South Beach, etc. I have a spouse the struggles with unhealthy eating and comes from a family who has the same struggles. These types of eating plans make people feel like they are going to finally lose that weight when in actuality there needs to be lifestyle changes, not a quick fix by using the “fad of the month” diet plan. No one can live on that type of eating plan for life.
My husband tried the Atkins plan for over a year and it was difficult for me to fix food for him separately and it was torture to him for me to make regular foods that he couldn’t eat. It did help his lose some weight, but it also came from his exercising regularly too. I can’t tell you the number of times my in-laws have decided “Monday is it, we’re not going to eat x, y, z anymore” only to have it last a week or two and then they return to their old ways because it’s too hard. They have tried the Atkins a lot of times too and every time they have always gained back the lost weight plus more. It is very concerning to me for their healthy. I love them dearly, but feel like they are constantly on a diet plan that only seems to harm them. I honestly don’t understand why they just can’t eat sensibly.
I truly believe being healthy requires living an active lifestyle and eating a variety of healthy foods. Steering clear of the “goodies” everyone loves and treating them as a treat, not an everyday indulgence. A balance of healthy foods is what God designed us to have. Why did he provide grains if he didn’t want us to have them? Everything in moderation is my motto. Just my 2 cents (and then some).
I’m with you on the Paleo thing. There is no way I’m giving up all grains, peanut butteror dairy. Granted we could probably benefit from eating less of these things, but I love them, my family loves them and they are economical. My husband and son don’t consider it a meal if we don’t have some sort of bread on the table (course they feel the same way about meat, so vegan or vegitarian are out too), there would be a riot here if I tried to implement this.
I think Trim Healthy Mama is a much more balanced and biblical approach to healthy eating. They don’t call it a diet, but a lifestyle change.
I’m really shocked to see the religious undertones (or lack of religion) ascribed to the paleo diet. My Christian faith is what spurred me to look closer at the paleo diet. Cows were designed to eat grass and their health improves when they eat their species specific diet. They get unhealthy when they don’t. It was not a far stretch for me to think the same thing about humans.
“Paleo” is simply a term used to describe a general template of what to eat so that we can use google and find recipes and information. There’s no one definition and no one person is the authority.
Many “paleo” people eat dairy . . . if they tolerate it. Many “paleo” people eat legumes . . . if they tolerate it. Many “paleo” people eat rice . . . if they tolerate it. I could go on and on.
Grains . . . well as some commentors already said are not the same as they were in biblical times. They also didn’t eat nearly the same volume that modern man eats. I had more grains by the age of 20 then any average person in biblical times had in their whole life. Grains back then were a guard against times of famine. They were labor instensive to grow, harvest and properly prepare. If you want to use the “bible” as your proof that grains are okay, I hope you are eating ancient grains and soaking and fermenting them as they did.
I didn’t know how good I could feel or what health issues would magically resolve until I cut out the potentially problematic foods. After some time, I could experiment by adding them back in and see how it affects me. Unfortunately, most grains especially gluten containing grains are just out for me. I can handle dairy in small quantities. I can handle rice and potatoes in small quantities.
I find it mind boggling that my food choices would be equated to Satan’s work. Eat what you know works for you and most of all let me eat what works for me. If you have ANY health issues at all, you deserve to have the freedom to experiment with your diet to see if any are diet related. You really have no idea what is caused by certain foods in your diet until you cut them out for a period of time and then re-introduce them.
For those who say we have to soak and ferment grains as they did in biblical days….Matthew 12:1, “At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck ears of grain and to eat.”
I started laughing as soon as I saw today’s title. Like you, I try to do the Paleo diet. Like you, I will NEVER give up butter.
I thought, ” she is never going to give up that butter! Even for a Paleo diet!”
I have traded out the peanut butter for sunflower butter, which I love. I don’t like the almond butter so much.
But, NEVER giving up the butter!
I would definitely recommend watching Forks Over Knives, it gives great info about plant strong diets. Additionally, as a Mormon, I believe that no/low animal products is the way to go. You can read more about it here: http://discoveringthewordofwisdom.com/about/jane-birch-author/
I know that you’re not LDS, but I believe that the Word of Wisdom is great for everyone.
Just to clarify–the linked article is not official LDS doctrine.
That is correct, thanks for pointing it out. The official doctrine can be found in Doctrine and Covenants 89. An excerpt here:
10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—
11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.
12 Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly;
13 And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.
14 All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth;
15 And these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger.
16 All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground—
I think that we would be wise to determine what nourishing food suite our individual body chemistry the best and mostly eat that. I don’t tolerate fatty meats well. When I don’t have grain or dairy in my diet, I tend to get a lot of heartburn. I can only eat broccoli and cauliflower cooked, not raw. I don’t tolerate peppers well. Soup always sits well, especially with a nice whole grain bread. I don’t eat Paleo because I would feel awful, also butter, but it might be just the thing for someone else.
You just need to keep it simple – a balanced diet of fresh real foods.
We don’t drink milk, and try to eat as few processed foods as possible. No real food is off limits. We do real butter, we eat peanut butter and cheese, and beans. We do eat sweets in moderation. Once you give up packaged and processed foods, and pop – you’ve already cut a lot of sugar out of your diet.
Why would God put chocolate and peanuts here if we aren’t supposed to enjoy them? Food is to be enjoyed. The only catch is it must be real food not lab created food.
Someone mentioned Michael Pollan. He also said that if your grandmother wouldn’t recognize it as food, don’t eat it. Jack Lalane said “If man made it, don’t eat it.”
You all seem to have a good handle on eating healthy. Trust yourself.
I am wary of the paleo diet as well- primarily because it has its basis in evolutionary beliefs. I also believe all this anti-grain propaganda is something the Enemy is behind. There is NOTHING else that can be stored as easily as grains for long-term use that is also so high in nutrients (lacking only a few like vit. C, which can be obtained by sprouting the grains!) There may come a day when we will need to depend on stored food as they did in Joseph’s time, and then where will we be if so many people have turned their backs on God’s wonderful provision of whole grains? Now, Laura, I would love for you to address the latest diet fad in Christian circles – Trim Healthy Momma. I have concerns about it as well because of all the expensive and non-food “substitute ingredients”, not to mention what I feel amounts to an almost obsession over what one eats if one is to follow their “plan”.
Have you heard of the ministry “Be in Health” in Georgia and the spiritual roots of disease? The short story of a very long personal one, is I had a gluten sensitivity/allergy for YEARS (undiagnosed most of them). I was told by many to check out the book “A More Excellent Way to Be in Health” and honestly I thought it was borderline “heresy” for YEARS. Then I saw many people first hand travel to Georgia and they are their ENTIRE families were healed of a host of ailments from severe allergies to other things. Sue Becker from the Bread Beckers also spoke at a homeschool conference on the spiritual roots (backed by secular science) of her colon cancer and other diseases. Heart ache, bitterness, or even other things I hadn’t thought of. Anyway, my fertility was healed 7 years ago when I started milling my own wheat, BUT since then I have found DEEPER healing from a gluten allergy (and my 2-year-old son was healed immediately as well!) by praying through the root to allergies in his book–just prayed in my living room on my own during nap time and I and he were healed IMMEDIATELY (I didn’t even pray over him and he was sleeping in another room!) I found food freedom but pioneering out to believing many of the principles taught in the book–especially those about the love of our Father. I highly recommend checking out the book and ministry http://www.beinhealth.com/
4 years ago I had some blood tests that revealed that i was sensitive to dairy and yeast. It was recommended I use a paleo diet to limit carbs (to keep the yeast under control). I started small, eliminating yeast and dairy first, and now after 4 years i am nearly 100% paleo. I have tried adding grains back in slowly but often with terrible result (swelling, painful joints, brain fog, mood swings, fatigue, etc.) so I continue in order to feel well. I am Christian. I love The Lord with all my heart and do not follow Paleo because of the caveman aspect- simply because for me, grains/high sugar make me sick. I do eat a few legumes, peas and organic soy yogurt mostly (i once thought i could never give up peanutbutter or chocolate- but surprisingly i have and no longer really care for them), but again- it is not a lifestyle choice, but necessary. My family eats whole grains and legumes without hesitation, we just modify for me (grain free) and my son (gluten free -6 years old). Stir fry without rice is still amazing, lettuce wrap sandwiches, almond butter waffles, organic beef burgers covered with lettuce, tomatoes caramelized onions, no bun- still incredibly yummy!
I welcome your insights on the Paleo Diet! I agree with the above comments that as Christians we do need to be careful about these kinds of diets that seem to be rooted in evolutionary ideas. However, I don’t think we need to throw out the proverbial baby with the bathwater, either.
I generally feel that the Paleo/Primal diets focus too heavily on meats and animal products, but I think the overall concept can be beneficial depending on your family needs. For example, one of my spark plugs has Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease. Because of these two conditions, I think a modified Paleo Diet – just focusing more on veggies and a little less on meat – would work well for him.
That said, the Paleo Diet can easily become a ketogenic diet, which does NOT work for my diabetic kiddo because ketone test strips can’t tell a difference between dietary ketones and blood-sugar-related ketones, the latter of which can be life-threatening. For us, we would need to consume enough carbs so that dietary ketones don’t develop all while keeping meals low-carb enough that his blood sugar is easier to control (can you see where this gets really difficult?).
All of that said, this could be a good fit for our particular family if we modify it to fit our specific needs, and I think that’s the ultimate point I’m trying to make: do something because it works for you, not just because it’s a trend.
Anyway, thank you for this amazing resource! I plan on reading several of the ebooks to help us reach our goals of eating fewer carbs and more along the lines of a Paleo diet.
And, I’m totally with you on the peanut butter! But peanut butter can also contain molds that have mildly been linked to diabetes (sigh). We’ve yet to give it up, though! :)
I have spent the last year doing non stop studying of food and food sensitivities. My husband went gluten free late February of last year and it improved his health in huge ways, and since then I’ve learned a ton about food sensitivities and how our modern american food is produced. In July of last year, my husband, sister and I all did a very strict elimination diet targeted towards eliminating all common food sensitivities. The healing we all experienced was incredible. So was the work load. After a month, my husband and I stopped the diet because I was so exhausted I couldn’t prep for it anymore. My sister continued on it in a much more simple way and continued to experience healing for health issues she’s had for a decade. She lost a huge amount of weight, and when she added dairy back in, she discovered that she has serious allergic reactions to it. If anyone is interested in this diet, check out The Elimination Diet by Alissa Segerston and Tom Malterre and Ali’s blog NourishingMeals.com.
From all this learning and experience, I have come to the understanding that everyone is different. There is no golden solution that will work for everyone. If you have food sensitivities (some of which can be worse than the officially recognized “allergies”) then it should be obvious that stopping eating what you are sensitive to will improve your health. Stopping eating so much processed food with all kinds of crazy chemicals and additives in it will improve your health. Stopping eating so much sugar of any kind will improve your health. These are all obvious things. Becoming a pharisee about whatever made you feel better won’t help your neighbor, because they are different than you are, and will react differently. I don’t react to dairy. My sister gets really sick when she has it. What’s good for her won’t help me.
Paleo is probably so helpful to so many people because of several things. First it removes many of the common foods people are sensitive to. Second, it removes practically ALL of the additives that food is processed with. Finally, it focuses on eating extremely healthy, nutrient dense foods. All of this would naturally help someone who tries it.
If you are gluten sensitive and don’t have a sensitivity to dairy, there’s no real reason to remove dairy from your diet. The reverse is also true. I believe in encouraging people to eat foods that are as wholesome and as close to what God intended as possible, but not being judgmental about it. And if you can’t afford grass fed beef (I can’t) then just remember that God is Bigger than a Free Range Chicken (love that post, Laura!), and do what you can!
I agree with everything you said, Laura! (Unless I missed something while skimming. lol) It’s also nice to see a lot of comments on here where people are pointing out truth. God did make grains for our use. Plus “Give us this day our daily bread” I know is symbolic but still interesting that it doesn’t say, “Give us this day our daily vegetables and meat.” :) And, the Promised Land was a land flowing with milk and honey (otherwise known as ice cream?? lol) That said, I do think that Paleo can help some people, obviously especially those who are gluten and/or dairy intolerant. Personally, I have extremely severe toxic injury and react strongly to chemicals, HOWEVER, interestingly, I have no discernible trouble with non-organic wheat. (We can’t afford organic.) In fact, the times I have tried to go gluten free, I got worse (stomach problems, I think from what I was trying to eat to substitute for gluten). I also do better with raw milk than with no dairy. Again, some people may do better off gluten/dairy–my feeling is try to listen to your body and of course pray for wisdom…. But one thing I know for sure–Christians should never judge another’s diet (Colossians 2:16). It is great to live in freedom while asking God for what He wants us to do!