by Anthony Amato, Eg.BSc Hons, Dip Dietary Therapy, Dip Nutritional Therapy
Retail Development Manager at Healthy Life Group
Retail Development Manager at Healthy Life Group
In the Western world there’s is an over abundance of everything, especially food – we are obsessed with what we should and should not be eating. Yet, with so many choices and so much information isn’t it peculiar that food allergies, food intolerances and degenerative diseases growing at an alarming rate?
Paleo lifestyle advocates believe that many current health issues are related to our modern lifestyle: the food we eat, the amount and type of activity we engage in and the quality of our sleep.
Why go Paleo?
Anthropologists studying the 84 remaining hunter-gatherer tribes left in the world, whose diet and lifestyle are pretty well unchanged from their Palaeolithic ancestors, have found these people remain amazingly free of what have become known as the ‘diseases of civilisation’. They have great teeth and good eyesight, and in addition occurrences of common diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer are rare. There’s a growing body of evidence to suggest this is largely due to their eating regime, which has stuck with the foods that the human species genetically evolved to obtain calories from instead of the ones that have been introduced over the last 10,000 years since the development of cooking and farming cultures.
Anthropologists studying the 84 remaining hunter-gatherer tribes left in the world, whose diet and lifestyle are pretty well unchanged from their Palaeolithic ancestors, have found these people remain amazingly free of what have become known as the ‘diseases of civilisation’. They have great teeth and good eyesight, and in addition occurrences of common diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer are rare. There’s a growing body of evidence to suggest this is largely due to their eating regime, which has stuck with the foods that the human species genetically evolved to obtain calories from instead of the ones that have been introduced over the last 10,000 years since the development of cooking and farming cultures.
Going back to our roots
To understand the thinking behind the Paleo diet, a quick history lesson is in order. For millions of years humans ate the leaves, roots and fruits (including nuts and seeds) of many plants, as well as protein from meat, fish and birds. Until about 10,000 years ago a wide variety of plants were unavailable to us because in the raw state they contain toxins that made them inedible. These toxins help preserve the seeds and make the plants unappealing as food, thereby protecting them from predators. But then we discovered cooking. Heat denatured many of these toxins enough to allow us to eat the roots and seeds of many more plants. Enter grains, beans and potatoes into our diet and suddenly many more calories became available, calories that were relatively easy to store and to transport. We soon learned to grow these crops, which meant that humans can now settle in one area rather than roam in search of food. Domestication of animals then ensued. Our new lifestyle ensured a ready abundance of calories, and over time this abundance released more and more of us from the physical effort of producing food. So began the growth of civilization and our waistlines!
To understand the thinking behind the Paleo diet, a quick history lesson is in order. For millions of years humans ate the leaves, roots and fruits (including nuts and seeds) of many plants, as well as protein from meat, fish and birds. Until about 10,000 years ago a wide variety of plants were unavailable to us because in the raw state they contain toxins that made them inedible. These toxins help preserve the seeds and make the plants unappealing as food, thereby protecting them from predators. But then we discovered cooking. Heat denatured many of these toxins enough to allow us to eat the roots and seeds of many more plants. Enter grains, beans and potatoes into our diet and suddenly many more calories became available, calories that were relatively easy to store and to transport. We soon learned to grow these crops, which meant that humans can now settle in one area rather than roam in search of food. Domestication of animals then ensued. Our new lifestyle ensured a ready abundance of calories, and over time this abundance released more and more of us from the physical effort of producing food. So began the growth of civilization and our waistlines!
What’s the problem with grains and dairy?
The trouble is, cooking doesn’t destroy all the toxic enzymes and our bodies have not fully evolved to digest foods such as grains and legumes or dairy products. For some people, the enzymes in these plants act as anti-nutrients, blocking our own digestive enzymes, making it difficult for the body to break down proteins effectively. The enzymes found in dairy products and agriculturally developed grain crops can interfere with the natural processes in our cells, imitate our cells’ own chemical messengers, attack the tissues and disorder the immune system. As we rely more and more on foods outside of the diet we originally followed when our digestive system was evolving, the more degenerative diseases are impacting on our health.
The trouble is, cooking doesn’t destroy all the toxic enzymes and our bodies have not fully evolved to digest foods such as grains and legumes or dairy products. For some people, the enzymes in these plants act as anti-nutrients, blocking our own digestive enzymes, making it difficult for the body to break down proteins effectively. The enzymes found in dairy products and agriculturally developed grain crops can interfere with the natural processes in our cells, imitate our cells’ own chemical messengers, attack the tissues and disorder the immune system. As we rely more and more on foods outside of the diet we originally followed when our digestive system was evolving, the more degenerative diseases are impacting on our health.
‘Caveman’ diet isn’t just about meat
A common misconception about the Modern Paleo diet is that it’s all about protein and fat. What many don’t realise is that whilst nutrient-void processed carbohydrates are eliminated, the diet is naturally supplemented with loads of vegetables, healthy fats, nuts, seeds, berries and fruit, all of which are full of minerals and vitamins. Combine that with the improved gut health and increased nutrient absorption through avoidance of irritating grains and legumes, and you get a very balanced diet.
A common misconception about the Modern Paleo diet is that it’s all about protein and fat. What many don’t realise is that whilst nutrient-void processed carbohydrates are eliminated, the diet is naturally supplemented with loads of vegetables, healthy fats, nuts, seeds, berries and fruit, all of which are full of minerals and vitamins. Combine that with the improved gut health and increased nutrient absorption through avoidance of irritating grains and legumes, and you get a very balanced diet.
The Paleo diet promotes healthy saturated fat from grass fed meat, organic free range poultry, seafood, ghee, grass fed butter and coconuts; lots of monounsaturated fat from olive oil, nuts and seeds and a small amount of polyunsaturated fats; no Tran’s fats; a healthy ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids. The right types of fat are essential in maintaining healthy arteries, brain function, healthy skin, as well as decreasing inflammation.
In addition, following our hunter-gatherer ancestors by consuming real whole foods automatically eliminates a whole range of preservatives, additives, colourings and artificial flavouring, as well as hidden sugars and sodium. As a result unnecessary toxins are eliminated and more of what you consume has nutritional value. Plus the food tastes so much better.
What about weight-loss?
The primary goal of the Modern Paleo diet is a longer life without degenerative disease. However, most people experience some form of weight loss and muscle growth, which is obviously relative their level of physical activity. Improved metabolic processes and gut health, better sleep, stress management, sufficient vitamin D and a healthy ratio of omega-3/6 fatty acids all aid in burning off stored body fat. It also provides lots of fibre, which together with adequate water intake (coconut water provides natural hydrating electrolytes) and a smaller intake of sodium, help to decrease the bloat many people experience on a Western diet.
The primary goal of the Modern Paleo diet is a longer life without degenerative disease. However, most people experience some form of weight loss and muscle growth, which is obviously relative their level of physical activity. Improved metabolic processes and gut health, better sleep, stress management, sufficient vitamin D and a healthy ratio of omega-3/6 fatty acids all aid in burning off stored body fat. It also provides lots of fibre, which together with adequate water intake (coconut water provides natural hydrating electrolytes) and a smaller intake of sodium, help to decrease the bloat many people experience on a Western diet.
Resource: healthylife.net.au
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