Paleo Diet/ Primal Lifestyle

[Jim]

Not purely diet, and therefore purely a food topic, nor is it purely a fitness topic. It's both.


I'm curious, are there other members who consume a paleo type of diet or live a "paleo" or "primal" lifestyle. As briefly mentioned in the past, I was forced off wheat, oats, and dairy due to allergies, and I never really consumed a lot of sugary foods and therefore simple carbs. I have, for years, eaten mostly leaner meats, abundant fruits and vegetables, and try to eat healthy. I barely drink alcohol, and today when I do, it's a hard cider.

Then there is the hiking. Moderate to brisk hiking is regarded as a foundation of old time, or paleo lifestyle fitness. Unlike a guy in Florida who wants to eat meat and veggies but doesn't really have the ability or motivation to hike 15 miles and 4000' at a given time, we can, and many of us frequently do.

So, are there many here who regard themselves in this light, even if only by default, or is it shunned in favor of other ways? The beer and pizza lifestyle, or candy and cardio lifestyle?

[SgtLumpy]

Perhaps I'm not exactly sure exactly what the "Paleo Diet/Primal Lifestyle" is. Exercise a lot and eat clean, unprocessed food. That seems like a pretty natural concept that humans have followed for a few thousand years until the last century or so. Putting a label on it doesn't change the concept. And it doesn't sound much different than nearly any other "diet method" or "fitness method" with someone or something's name on it. There have always been extremes, of course. In the 60s and 70s it seemed like every month some endocrinologist author would write a "diet method" that claimed you could eat Snickers bars and be just as healthy as if you drank carrot juice or beans and rice. Dr Lim advocated drinking cherry flavored scraped beef hide liquid protein while fasting. Gypsy Boots went weeks at a time on carrot juice or dates. Arnold talked about eating cashews slathered in mayonnaise to build muscle.

Exercise seems to be a great mediator. It will tend to nullify any of the dietary goofups we endulge in. UNTIL a little later in life, at least for me. Then no matter how much you exercise, the diet's the thing.


Sgt Lumpy - n0eq

[azbackpackr]

BBQ giant ground sloth, roots and berries...

[Jim]

Perhaps I'm not exactly sure exactly what the "Paleo Diet/Primal Lifestyle" is. Exercise a lot and eat clean, unprocessed food. That seems like a pretty natural concept that humans have followed for a few thousand years until the last century or so. Putting a label on it doesn't change the concept.

Well, people do love to put things in boxes, call it something, or label, name, or codify everything we can.

The main points from the diet perspective, since this thread went that direction, can be summed up as lean grass fed and free range animals, organically grown fruits and vegetables, and avoiding grains, especially wheat, corn, soy, and any processed foods made from them. Also, plant oils and plant oil derivatives are out. There are some who exclude dairy, as that is neolithic not paleolithic. There is probably more, but I am not actually all that interested in it. If you think about what a hunter gatherer may have been able to eat, about 12,000' years ago, then that would be "OK". Obviously, as omnivores who would probably eat anything that tasted good, about the only purely "non-paleo" foods are those that are processed. Still, butter, cheese, and things like that are processed. Of course, the differences between what was available to a late paleo-lithic hunter gatherer living in western Europe 12,000 years ago is pretty different in terms of species of animals and plants from someone living in southeast Asia, but more or less the principles are the same. Pretty much, aside from those living in a relatively small area of land in the middle east, no one ate wheat, then they ate wild wheat, not the stuff we have today that is so far from it's wild ancestors. Corn didn't exist at all, and the only source of sugar came from bees.

If you are interested in it:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/#axzz2D6NEivti

You'll find that many members are recovering from obesity and using it as a way to slim down, but there are others there are well. My interest was really only in my allergies. I find some of the nutritional information useful.

[cactuscat]

I am 41 now, and probably in the best shape of my life ... don't own a scale, but when I went to the clinic I was well under 120 - and I just bought my first ever size 2 pants (though I am sure that some "vanity sizing" on the part of Columbia is in play here).
I eat whatever I want, including regular trips to the Wendy's in Tusayan ... though I eat much less fast food now, simply because it's much less available. I do not cook - I eat from the deli at my store, frozen food, and fast food. Many days I do not consume many calories simply because I am too busy at work and there is no time.
I also do not work out - cannot stand gyms - I just hike.
I have recently become more interested in getting ripped ... thinking of cutting out the ice cream and alcohol, and buying some weights and a pull-up bar to work out at home.
I was a vegetarian for about five years during my early thirties ... during a two day climbing class at J-Tree, I felt the need for more protein to increase my strength - ate some tuna fish that day, and never looked back!

[beterarcher]

Paleo, to me =(cave man voice) meat with bones, cooked on fire. UG!

[azbackpackr]

Yes, and preferably dripping with grease! Yum!

[azbackpackr]

All kidding aside, I'm going to research the paleo thing because I don't think Atkins is necessarily all that healthy in the long run, although you can lose weight fast with it.

[Jim]

Someone I work with has a kid who raises pigs for FFA and they will be slaughtering soon. I might be able to buy a side or two of bacon, nitrite and nitrate free, for a good price. Lots of bacon to have this fall, and other cuts if I can get some. Loin, chops, snout? Perhaps, even hooves? Mmmmm, I have a hankering for some pork products!

[azbackpackr]

Hooves? I'd have to draw the line somewhere, and probably somewhere in the area of hooves and snouts. They make sausage with the snouts, and some of the unmentionable parts...

[Jim]

Hooves might be fun to play with, like little feet walking on the kitchen counter. Or, just make a soup, or both? But, there's ....
BACON!!!!

[azbackpackr]

Tell ya what you can do with your little hooves, Jim...

[Jim]

All kinds of things?