Paleo diet raises the steaks

PHOTO COURTESY MCT CAMPUS WIRE SERVICE

Dieting is so easy, a caveman could do it.

At least that is the attitude of people practicing the Paleolithic, or “Paleo,” diet.

This “caveman” diet is based on the notion the human body has not fully adapted to agriculture and foods that were available to pre-historic humans are still the only suitable food for our bodies.

Paleo dieters live mostly on meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds. This simple diet is very high in saturated fat, but there is an increasing amount of evidence showing saturated fat may not be as bad as was once thought.

In his paper “Enjoy Saturated Fats, They’re Good for You,” Dr. Donald  Miller, Jr. explains, “Now we are eating a greatly increased amount of carbs in cereal grains, dairy products, beverages, refined sugar and candy, along with processed vegetable oils and dressings that did not exist in our diet for 99.9 percent of human history. During this time the human genome became adapted to follow a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. Nevertheless, health authorities today say that we should do the opposite and follow a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet.”

Brian Arehart is a sophomore in the respiratory therapy program and he has been on the paleo diet—or at least a similar regimen, what he refers to as the “grain-less diet”—for about a year.

“Once you look at the science and the physiology—what happens inside the body—low-carb and paleo are pretty much the same,” Arehart said.

Miller examined modern day hunter-gather civilizations such as the Inuits of the Arctic and Maasai and Rendille tribes of Africa and found they “live long, healthy lives free of heart disease and cancer,” and their diets consist of 63 to 75 percent
saturated fats.

“The biggest hurdle is getting over the fear of fat,” said Arehart, who gets 60 to 80 percent of his calories from fat. “I’ll have to admit that when I first started doing that I was a little nervous because since the cradle … you’re told that fat and cholesterol are the devil, when they are not.”

In “Enjoy Saturated Fats,” Miller points out, “There were 500 cardiologists practicing in the U.S. in 1950. There are 30,000 of them now—a 60-fold increase for a population that has only doubled since 1950.”

Comedian and health writer Tom Naughton’s 2009 documentary “Fat Head” addresses this paradox.

“The problem with linking obesity to most diseases is like saying, ‘well the real problem with lung cancer is bad breath or smelly clothes,’ rather than blaming cigarettes. Meaning we are blaming an associated symptom rather than the underlying cause of these heath conditions,” Eric Oliver, Ph.D., said in the documentary.

“When you’re on a grain-based diet, which is what the USDA wants you to be on with six to 11 servings … your blood glucose goes sky-high then drops like a roller coaster all the way down,” Arehart said. “But somehow it’s supposed to be good
for us.”

Arehart said after cutting grains out of his diet he has more energy and  an improved ability to concentrate.

“One of the biggest differences I’ve noticed is that I don’t get hungry … I forget about food sometimes which was just completely foreign to me,” Arehart said.

Want to try paleo but can’t live without your favorite condiments? Here’s help:

Paleo ketchup

Ingredients

• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste;
• 2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice;
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard;
• 1/3 cup water;
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon;
• 1/4 tsp salt;
• 1 pinch ground cloves;
• 1 pinch ground allspice;
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, optional;

Preparation

1. Simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk well to combine. Refrigerate overnight to let the flavors develop and enjoy!

Paleo mustard

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mustard powder;
• 1/2 cup water;
• Sea salt to taste;

Preparation

1. Combine the mustard powder and water in a bowl and mix well.
2. Optionally, add a bit of chopped fresh parsley or basil, lemon or lime zest and a tablespoon or two of your favorite vinegar.
3. Let the mustard stand for about 15 minutes before enjoying.

From paleodietlifestyle.com

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Posted by Lindsey Hileman on Jan 30 2012. Filed under Culture, Sub Feature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.