Up next on debunking fad diets: The Paleo Diet. This is another diet that has shot up to the top of the most well-known diets in recent times. The Paleo Diet pretty much means what is sounds like: eat like our cavemen ancestors did. I will explain later what is “allowed” and what is “banned”. For some reason someone thought it would be a good idea to come up with a diet that our ancestors of a long time ago ate. We must keep in mind, that they were only likely living to the age of 30, while our average lifespan is in the seventies. Another friendly reminder, people of the Paleolithic times literally had to run miles and miles to catch their meat, and likely ate easier foods that they gathered (i.e. fruits and vegetables). The Paleo diet we think of nowadays means steak, bacon, chicken, etc. Again, do you think people of the Paleolithic times had those luxurious meats? Nope. They were likely eating extremely lean game after they had spent days chasing and hunting it.
Here is a list of what to eat:
- Meat (especially game), poultry, fish, and shellfish
- Fresh fruits
- Fresh vegetables
- Eggs
- Seeds
- Nuts
- Olive, coconut, and flaxseed oils
Here is a list of what to avoid:
- Any food that is processed, man-made or prepackaged
- All grains
- Legumes (including peanuts)
- Dairy
- Salt
- Sugar
- Vegetable oils
- Potatoes
First of all, I find it interesting that this diet promotes the use of coconut oil (which is over 90% saturated) and bans the use of vegetable oil. So, if someone were to come to me and say I’ve been doing this Paleo Diet for awhile now and I’m feeling so much better. What they need to understand is that any time you can cut out packaged, highly processed foods, you are likely going to start feeling better, and might even lose weight. However, if you are cutting out all grains and legumes you run the risk of developing deficiencies in B-vitamins such as thiamine, folate, niacin and riboflavin. Any time you are cutting out an entire food group (grains) it immediately becomes nutritionally uncomplete. Another risk many people on this diet face is lack of fiber. In a “perfect” Paleo Diet you should be eating TONS of fresh fruits and vegetables, which would mean you are getting enough fiber. But, in America, we for some reason have a hard time with fruits and vegetables, and most people would struggle getting enough of both groups in. This will eventually lead to lack of fiber, which has major health risks.
In short, this is just another fad diet that has been made famous be certain influencers. Like always, if you’re diet restricts you from eating certain foods, this might lead to binging those foods later on. Unless you have will-power of steal, I would not recommend this diet. What we usually recommend is healthy lifestyles, eating a balanced plate every meal for the rest of your life. This is the most sustainable way of living and will lead to the best health outcomes. If you are on a diet and it feels like it’s getting harder and harder, you’re usually on restrictive diet that relies on will power. This eventually will fail. However, if your way of eating becomes easier, you’re likely doing the right thing and have made a successful and sustainable lifestyle choice. As always, if you have specific questions, please get in touch with your Registered Dietitian.
-Written by Sami Kratovil, SDSU Dietetic Intern
