To Paleo or Not to Paleo? For the past decade, the low carbohydrate, high protein Paleo diet has been growing in

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1 Boncich 1 Stephanie Boncich Feature Article To Paleo or Not to Paleo? For the past decade, the low carbohydrate, high protein Paleo diet has been growing in popularity as a new eating plan with promises of losing weight and feeling healthy. There is continuing debate, however, whether the diet is a healthy and effective one, or just another fad diet. There are countless fad diets that have been circulating over the years that claim to shed weight and trick your body into being healthy. From eating fourteen cans of baby food a day, to eating nothing but grapefruit for twelve days, fad diets are typically thought of as abnormal and the majority of the time, unhealthy and hard to maintain. None have been proven effective or healthy diet plans, and none have thought to trace all the way back to the years of the caveman quite like this one. The Paleo diet is a diet some consider as a new fad diet as it restricts many foods consumed by most humans on a daily basis. It is also known as the Caveman diet and the Ancient diet because the food in the diet plan is meant to replicate what our ancestors ate over 10,000 years ago during the Paleolithic era. It is essentially a modernized way of eating the way the caveman did, before processed foods and convenience foods were introduced to the human diet. Some consider the Paleo diet as the healthiest new diet plan, while others dispute that it is another unhealthy fad diet with no long-term positive effects. The Paleo diet is a high protein diet with a large intake of vegetables and meat. It is an organic, gluten-free, dairy-free diet and refrains from refined sugars and all processed foods. The diet is based off of the idea that our modern eating habits are not compatible with our genetic human heritage. It is believed by many that humans are not built to consume and digest as many

2 Boncich 2 processed and non-organic foods that are common in our modern diet. In her article, The Evolution of Diet, Ann Gibbons notes an opinion by Colorado State graduate and Paleo-advocate Loren Cordain, from a book he wrote called The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and be Healthy by Eating the Foods You Were Designed to Eat. If we stick to the foods our hunter-gatherer ancestors once ate, we can avoid the diseases of civilization, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, even acne (Cordain). Cordain believes anything that has been introduced into our diet that was not consumed by our ancestors, is unhealthy because we have not yet adapted to many foods such as starches and dairy. Gibbons further agrees with Cordain believing that our body has trouble breaking down these kinds of foods, therefore also believes that the Stone Age diet is the only diet that fits our genetic makeup (Gibbons). To extend the pro-paleo opinion, an interview with fitness coach Alexandra Cohen who specializes in workout routines and meal plans, gave us a different way to look at the diet. She is a believer in the Paleo diet however does not look at the diet as a way of the caveman or the way our Stone Age ancestors used to eat. I prefer to look at the Paleo diet, not as strictly eating what our ancestors ate, but more focusing on eating simply more protein and fresh vegetables, and less refined sugars, carbohydrates, and processed foods (Cohen). Cohen has always preferred to maintain a low carb diet and one that avoids processed foods, which the Paleo diet resembles, as does her many meal plans she provides for her clients. Cohen believes that cutting out sugar and processed foods will keep the body clean and prevent it from slowing down. Not all professionals believe the diet is good news, however. Many professionals believe that a diet which restricts someone of eating many foods they are used to eating, will be hard to maintain, resulting in that person not being able to continue the diet for long. Furthermore, once off the diet that person may end up with increased, unhealthy eating habits than before they

3 Boncich 3 started the diet. The Paleo diet can be considered a restrictive diet, as when practiced properly, the diet forbids all processed foods and most sugar, dairy, and grains. These restrictions can be challenging to an individual and difficult to maintain for an extended period of time. In the article Promoting Self-Compassionate Attitudes Toward Eating Among Restrictive and Guilty Eaters, Claire Adams and Mark Leary explain restrictive diets in detail and how they have negative physical and psychological impacts. Research on restrained and unrestrained eaters has uncovered a paradoxical effect in which consuming food often results in increased eating for those who are trying to restrain their food intake (Adams, Leary). The scientists go on to explain that when foods are considered forbidden to consume, such as they are on the Paleo diet, the person living with those restrictions is more inclined to want to eat those forbidden foods. Moreover, that person will not be able to maintain that diet plan, and when they stop restricting themselves, they will later end up eating more of the foods they were not allowed to eat, in an increased amount. This has an opposite effect of the intended diet plan, which is one reason the Paleo diet, along with any restrictive diet, can be detrimental to the body. The restrictive nature of the Paleo diet is not the only reason some people are opposed to it. Because of the heavy meat intake involved in the Paleo diet, it is understandably frowned upon by the vegan lifestyle, in which people choose to avoid consuming products made by animals. In an interview with vegan enthusiast Runa Brakaj, she explains not only why she opposes eating meat and other animal products, but also why she does not believe the Paleo diet is logical as it is advertised. I used to be a meat eater until I saw the amount of cruelty that animals go through I now choose not to support that kind of behavior and prove that cruelty isn t necessary and the easiest way to do that is to refrain from eating products made by animals (Brakaj). Brakaj brought to light that there are cruelty laws against pets that do not apply to farm

4 Boncich 4 animals, so the farmers do not get punished for the immense abuse they cause the animals that we later consume. Brakaj is not only a disbeliever in the Paleo diet simply because of the high meat consumption. She made a convincing argument against the background of the Paleo diet as well. Meat that is sold in stores today is not the same as meat the cavemen used to eat, and the plants aren t either. (Brakaj) Brakaj explained that the Paleo diet, as it is advertised, is not possible. The Paleo diet suggests eating the same food that our ancestors ate, however our foods of today are much different than they ever were in the past. Brakaj explains that domesticated animals are given little to no room to breathe in their cages which results in cuts of meat with a higher percentage of fat. This means that the meat we are provided with today is not nearly as lean as it used to be, moreover, not nearly as healthy. In addition, Brakaj also pointed out that humans in ancient times lived a fraction of the time we do today. Maybe the Paleo diet isn t as healthy as we were initially taught. There are many convincing arguments for both sides of the Paleo debate. The diet can very well be practiced in a healthy way, as the foods consumed on the diet are natural and healthy foods, however it can be hard to maintain if a person is accustomed to eating the foods banned from this diet. As debate continues, it is important to understand that although it is known that much of what the modern human diet consists of today is processed and inorganic, the human diet is all about moderation. It is not necessary or realistic for most people to completely restrict certain foods from entering the human body, and has been proven to not be a permanent solution. As long as you receive the essential amount of nutrients found in vegetables and proteins, a few potato chips in moderation will not harm the body.

5 Boncich 5 Works Cited Gibbons, Ann. The Evolution Of Diet. National Geographic (2014): Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 Dec Adams, Claire E., and Mark R. Leary. Promoting Self-Compassionate Attitudes Toward Eating Among Restrictive And Guilty Eaters. Journal Of Social & Clinical Psychology (2007): Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 Dec Brakaj, Runa. Personal Interview. 10 Dec 2014 Cohen, Alexandra. Personal Interview. 8 Dec 2014