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Table of Content
The Paleo Diet
Pg 4
Health Benefits of the Paleo Diet
Pg 6
Fruits and Vegetables
Pg 8
Consuming a Modern Day Paleo Diet
Pg 9




The Paleo Diet
The paleo diet is one of the most intriguing diets that have come out in
recent years. Its revelations may seem new, but the formulation is actually
based on the eating patterns of our most ancient hunter gatherer ancestors
— the early humans of the paleolithic (stone age) period, who roamed the
earth millions of years ago.
Over the course of human evolution (until around 10,000 years ago), all
hunter gatherers had the same dietary approach – they consumed only
those foods provided and available by nature. They obtained their food from
hunting wild game and gathering diverse fruits, vegetables, plants, nuts,
and seeds available over the seasons of the year.
The foods our ancestors consumed remain to be the foods best adapted to
our metabolisms today. Human genes have not changed enough over the
last few thousand years to adapt to our new agriculture-based diet. In fact,
our present genes are still 99.99% identical in makeup to those of our
paleolithic ancestors.
Research findings provide ample indications that hunter gatherers were very
healthy. They were taller, had better builds and bigger brains. Although
their life expectancy was shorter, deaths were often caused by outside
factors such as extreme weather conditions, accidents, infections, and
predatory animals. They did not suffer from chronic or degenerative
diseases such as diabetes, cancer or heart disease. These diseases emerged
only when we shifted to agriculture - modern diseases are the consequence
of civilization, the result of a mismatch of our genetic makeup and our
lifestyle.
Our ancestors were always physically active – hunting and gathering for
food. Their physical challenges were extreme, as they raced to hunt wild
game. Some hunter gatherers would walk approximately 19km (12 miles) a
day on average looking for prey, including bursts of quick activity and
running speeds when game was spotted.
Humans have evolved to meet the challenges and opportunities of our
natural environment. Our ancestors bodies where fueled by healthy primal
foods which allowed their bodies to work at peak efficiency all the time.
Their bodies were perfectly adapted to the food they ate, not for the foods
modern technology brings.
The dietary habits of our ancient ancestors have been thoroughly studied in
recent years. The phenomenal abilities of our ancestors are rooted in the
diet they consumed and the lifestyle they lived.
Meat from wild game as well as fish gave them proteins and essential fatty
acids. Nuts and seeds provided oils and other essential fatty acids; fruits
and berries for low GI carbohydrates and nutrients. They did not have any
dairy products, grains or processed foods, as these came only with
agriculture and the domestication of animals.
According to nutrition experts specializing in the eating patterns of the
paleolithic period, the average hunting-gathering tribe had a diet that very
likely consisted of one-third hunted food and two-thirds gathered food.
Meat comprised of 65% of our ancestors total energy intake. There is a key
difference in the energy and nutrient content from the meat of wild game
and the meat we commonly consume from our domesticated animals today.
Wild animals produce meat that contains less than 10% total fat on the
average - our current domesticated cattle average about 30% total fat.
There is also a quality difference in the fatty acid makeup of the animal -
domesticated animals contain mostly fully saturated fats, whereas wild
game has a higher proportion of polyunsaturated fat.
As a result, our dietary choices today result in us having four times less
omega-3 fatty acids compared to our ancestors and 1.5 times less
monounsaturated fat. Some of the nuts and seeds our ancestors consumed
also contained omega-3 fatty acids, while they where consumed in raw
form, the retention of these heat-sensitive fats was maximized.
Paleolithic nutrition researcher Dr. Loren Cordain, PhD, provides the
following comparative daily nutritional intake of our ancestors and the
common western diet.
(% of diet)
Paleolithic Diet
Average Western
Diet
Protein
31
16
Fats
38
35
Carbohydrates
31
49
[From The Paleo Diet (2002) by Loren Cordain]
The availability of meat our ancestors had was dependent on hunting
success and the season. Since animal supply was not steady year round,
the greater part of the food consumed often came from uncultivated
vegetable foods gathered from the wild, such as berries, bulbs, seeds,
fruits, flowers, melons, nuts, leaves, roots, stalks.
One important part about the diet of our ancestors is the fact that their
foods could not be stored for a long time, so food was distributed and
consumed fresh after foraging or after the hunt.
Food was very diverse and varied widely with the changing of the seasons
and by the locality where our ancestors lived, allowing them to consume a
great variety of foods.
The paleo diet can be further characterized by the following:
• Caloric intake (around 65%), came from eating all the edible parts of
vertebrate animals (wild game and fish).
• A significant part of our ancestors diet consisted of fresh fruits, plants,
nuts, seeds, flowers, leaves, and bulbs. These were all consumed raw,
which maximized the retention of nutrient rich content and disease-
preventing compounds.
• Grains where never present in any significant quantity. Even though they
where around, the grains and small seeds were never milled or ground
into fine particles and cooked in order to be consumed safely.
• Sodium salt, when present, was in very minimal amounts.
Health Benefits of the Paleo Diet
Agriculture has introduced wide-sweeping changes in the way we eat today,
yet our genes have not changed as rapidly. Our bodies are still designed for
the high-protein, low-carbohydrate food consumption pattern of our hunter
gatherer ancestors. This means we are genetically ill-equipped to handle the
high-carbohydrate, low-protein diet of modern times.
This state of better health is true even among the indigenous cultures that
have survived into the present day and continue to follow a diet of foods
available to them in their natural surroundings. When anthropologists
compare these primitive, hunting-gathering peoples with their modernized,
grain-eating neighbors, the close association between diet and disease is
very clear. You will not find heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis or
other “diseases of civilization” among the hunter gatherers. But all these
conditions exist among their modernized relatives, with their diets of grain
products, sugar laden and processed foods.
Modifying our diet so it becomes closer and more similar to the dietary
patterns of our paleolithic ancestors, who ate only natural — not
manufactured — foods, our body will be healthier and we will be at lower
risk of suffering from the many illnesses and diseases in society today.
The paleo diet provides the body with healthy low-GI carbohydrates from
natural food sources, while avoiding our modern diet’s over-consumption of
highly processed carbohydrates. Our bodies are not genetically equipped to
handle processed carbohydrates, let alone an excess of them. Yet, we are
often consuming excessive amounts which can result in a weakened
immune system, diabetes, obesity and many other chronic illnesses.
Excessive carbohydrate consumption is rare with the paleo diet. The main
source of carbohydrates is fruits and vegetables — the same way it was for
our ancestors. Fruits and vegetables generally have a much lower glycemic
response than cereal grains and dairy products while providing plenty of
antioxidants and assorted phytochemicals which protect against free-radical
damage and the carbohydrate need for the body on a daily basis.
The paleo diet will provide the body with a higher proportion of fat than the
average Western diet which provides for an additional health benefit as this
is the body’s preferred energy source and is what will help the body perform
optimally. The fat sources found in our modern diet is generally unhealthy;
consisting largely of transfats. It is important to realize that the human
body needs a certain level and quality of fat to enable many body
processes, for example; fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E, and
K and the coenzyme CoQ10 cannot be absorbed without fat, and each of
these vitamins (and many more) are extremely important in order for the
body to avoid nutrient deficiencies.
Our ancestors evolved with omega-3 fatty acids, and many fundamental
biochemical processes in our bodies still require this fatty acid. The
consumption of omega-3 fatty acids in the modern diet is substantially
lower than that of omega-6 fatty acids; another family of polyunsaturated
fatty acids. The diet of our ancestors showed a 1:1 ratio for omega-3 to
omega-6. The modern diet has a much lower ratio of 1:20, or even less.
Omega-3’s are known to benefit the human body in many ways. Cordain
believes omega-3 fatty acids were key factors in increasing the brain size.
They provided the dietary support that allowed the formation of brain
tissue. They are essential in maintaining structural functions, such as
creating the membranes in your cells to keep tissues healthy, as well as in
supporting biochemical processes and body metabolism. A favorable
omega-3:omega-6 ratio is important for physical as well as mental health,
including but not limited too immune system strength, cardiovascular
system strength and a healthy digestive system.
The modern diet, with its excessive consumption of sugar and simple
carbohydrates and dangerous fats upsets the natural balance of the bodies
ecosystem.
One of the most effective dietary solutions to the health problems we face
today can be found within the power within the paleo diet. It is necessary
for good health to restore the high-protein, high-fat, and low-carbohydrate
balance and to regain the quality of the nutrients which has been lost in
modern day food processing and farming. By striving to duplicate the
nutritional intake of our hunter gatherer ancestors, the paleo diet enables
us to have a clear path towards transforming physical and internal health.
Fruits and Vegetables
It is not always easy to determine which foods fit in the paleo diet. For
purist followers of the diet, the rule is to eat only those foods that our
ancient ancestors had available to them, however, we are now at an
advantage greater than our ancestors in that we have the ability to
consume a greater range of nutritionally rich fruits and vegetables and use
them to create a nutritionally rich meal.
It’s important to note however, that starchy tubers usually are not
recommended for inclusion in the paleo diet as they are toxic when not-
cooked, hold a high-glycemic index, are low in phytosterols, while also
containing enzyme blockers and lectins. Sweet potatoes (yams) hold a
higher nutritional value to that of potatoes and some other tubers and are
recommended as an alternative food source for nutritionally deprived high
carbohydrates when needed – such as for athletes.
Fruits are acceptable for inclusion in the paleo diet, however should be
consumed sparingly to avoid a high carbohydrate intake as well as providing
the body with an overload of fructose/sugars and a daily carbohydrate
excess.
Nuts and seeds should be consumed sparingly, as they would have been for
our hunter gatherers.

Consuming a Modern Day Paleo Diet
Interview with Greg Battaglia
Greg Battaglia is a Certified Level I Crossfit trainer and a Dietetics
student at Immaculata University who is passionate about constantly
exploring ways to improve human health and performance and helping
others to achieve their health and fitness goals.
The paleo diet is defined by eating meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, plants,
nuts and seeds. But should we be concerned, or at least aware of the
modern modifications we often implement to create a meal? Are we
eating paleo with too many modifications, or do we hold the ability to
create an even more nutritiously dense meal and obtain better health
than our ancestors? What if we could find out the exact foods our
closest genetic ancestors ate and mimicked that to our diet as close as
possible, would we obtain the same good health our ancestors had, or
has our environment changed too much that our bodies now require
more?
To obtain a better insight I spoke with Greg Battaglia.
The paleo or paleolithic diet is one which bases the concept of the
foods available to our hunter gatherer ancestors, which ultimately
breaks down to foods provided and found in nature, without the
necessity or addition of modern food techniques, chemicals,
preservatives or processing. The fundamentals of the paleo diet
provide us with the basic guidelines and principles we should apply to
our diets and lifestyle today; not necessarily the exact foods available
to our ancestors within their environment.
But the question then arises, are we ultimately in a position now where
we are fortunate enough to have a large range of food sources we can
choose from - and have the ability to achieve even greater health than
our ancestors because of this. Or should we possibly be avoiding many
of the food sources our ancestors wouldn't have had available and/or
in the amount they would have had available, because our genes are
still adapted from the more minimal food sources our ancestors
consumed and had available?
It is known that our ancestors had good health and didn't suffer from
chronic illness as we do today. Ultimately the diet of our ancestors
varied somewhat depending on where they lived, their environmental
climates as well as other factors.
Ancestors living around Canada would live mostly of fresh salmon,
deer, elk, berries and plants. Whereas ancestors living around Africa
would have lived on plant roots and animals. And then there are the
Aboriginals in Australia who live off the land who eat animals, bugs,
plants, native nuts and honey.
But research shows all our ancestors had good health - because they
where eating natural food sources available. But if this changed, and
Aboriginals suddenly lived in Canada, eating salmon and berries, and
ancestors in Africa suddenly lived in the outback of Australia - would
they all still have vibrant health?
This is a great question that I've pondered myself self many times. I can't say
that I have an exact answer. I personally look at paleo as an explanation for
why certain dietary strategies work rather than a prescription, per se. For
instance, the fact that many people are gluten intolerant can be explained using
the paleo model. If gluten didn't cause any problems we wouldn't tell people to
not eat grains simply because our ancestors didn't. I guess what I'm saying is
that the paleo model can guide our ideas, but ultimately solid science must be
there to confirm it.
In terms of diets differing based on geographic locating, there is some evidence
that isolated groups develop adaptations to certain foods. For instance, the
people on the island of Okinawa have developed a salivary enzyme that is used
specifically for breaking down starches contained in rice, whereas people of
European descent do not have this specific enzyme. This is obviously due to the
fact that Okinawans have been eating a lot of rice for a long time and somehow
were able to develop some adaptations to it.
I think it's also important to consider that probably not all of our ancestors in
the Paleolithic were necessarily healthy. Some probably had to survive long
periods on limited food sources and indeed developed deficiencies. Others
probably survived in a lush environment with a wide variety of nutrient dense
foods and flourished with excellent health. I think at the end of the day the
goal is this:
1. Get all essential nutrients needed
2. Avoid things that cause problems (possibly grains, dairy, legumes)
Whether all of our ancestors were able to do this or not is irrelevant to our
modern needs. The fact that the Australian Aboriginals, the Inuit, and the
Kalahari Bushmen were able to survive for so long suggests that all of their
diets met the 2 previous requirements. If they didn't, they would have died off
pretty fast, as I'm sure happened to plenty of cultures that failed to thrive.
I think the main reason that paleo works so well is because it simply removes
the stuff that we know to cause problems. Whether you eat lots of fish,
broccoli, spinach, and collard greens or lots of beef, cauliflower, carrots, and
sweet potatoes (not saying that you can eat just those foods and meet all
nutritional requirements) and end up meeting all your macro and micronutrient
and calorie needs you'll be healthy since you met your needs and avoided the
stuff that's going to cause damage in the first place.
Our current environment and lifestyle is far different from that which
our ancestors had. What other aspects of our hunter gatherer's lifestyle
should we consider to implement in addition to following the paleo diet
food principles, which could ultimately enhance our health even
further?
I think an area that is majorly lacking in many discussions of evolutionary
fitness (but certainly not all) is the psychological aspect of evolutionary fitness.
We often hear about what we should eat, how we should exercise, how many
hours of sleep to get each night, what supplements to take, and other
tangibles. But what we don’t often address is the primal mind and how our
evolutionary environment has shaped our minds and way to optimize the
function of mind to adapt to industrial living while remaining happy and
healthy.
Something that I’ve noticed and I say this out of compassion, not criticism, is
that we sometimes adopt a primal lifestyle in the tangible sense but do nothing
to change our mind-set. We still attach our identity to material things and seek
happiness and gratification from external things like shopping, watching TV,
drinking, and possessions. We even identify ourselves by how much money we
make, or what cloths we wear and attempt to use this as an attempt to attain
fulfillment. Contrast this with our hunter-gatherer ancestors who had few
possessions and lived a nomadic existence. The only things they needed for
happiness were food and shelter, social interaction with their tribe and intimate
relationships. Now don’t get me wrong, I fall into these same materialistic and
consumerist holes sometimes, and I’m certainly not perfect, but I do feel that it
is critical to take some measures to take a step back and make note of what is
really important in our lives and put our main focus on those things. Indeed,
research has shown that money only improves happiness to the extent that it
helps one achieve their basics needs of living and comfort, whereas health is a
much more accurate indicator of happiness.
So, in essence, the take-home message of this is that our mental perspectives
should, ideally, be focused on the things that really matter in life, like health,
family, friends, and what we’re passionate about. That’s not to say we should
all just go live in shack somewhere and not make money, but that we should
not lose sight of what is most important and not sacrifice quality of life just to
make more money that is not really needed for happiness.
A good way of improving our primal minds that our ancestors didn’t have to use
is meditating. Our ancestors certainly weren’t sitting around meditating or
practicing strategies to become more present-minded- they had enough down
time during their daily activities to not need any stress relief techniques to keep
their stress response in check- but meditation has been supported by scientific
findings to lower the stress response, promote a stronger immune system,
decrease blood pressure, reduce chronic pain, improve cognitive function, and
improve sleep quality. The good news is that you don’t have to sit around with
your legs crossed like a Buddhist monk to get the benefits of meditation (unless
you want to, of course).
The following are some great ways to “meditate”:
1. Focus on your breath. When you feel stressed and are thinking about a
million things just slow down and focus on your breathing. Do this for at least a
minute and focus on breathing in deeply and then imagine that every breath
out is a release of all the built up tension in your body. Be completely aware of
your body…..feel your body, so to speak, and feel it become relaxed and loose.
This can be very helpful.
2. Become more aware of your body and surroundings. A good quote by the
famous psychologist Erik Erikson’s wife, Joan Erikson is “Get out of your mind
and into your body.” What this means is that you focus on your senses. Most
people in western societies have so many responsibilities that our minds are
always active to the point where the body goes into autopilot and we
completely lose touch with the present moment. We become completely
focused on, and worried about, what we have to do for the future or dwelling
on things that happened in the past rather than focusing solely on the present
moment. The key to taking a break from all this constant thinking is
to focus on our senses. What do we see, hear, feel, smell, or taste at this
moment? Focus on it and you’ll be present.
3. Practice flow. Flow is a mental state in which a person is completely
immersed in an activity that they are currently doing and any concept of time
has been stripped away. It is an intensely enjoyable state to be in and
everyone has felt this at one time or another. The key to activating it is to do
any activity that you enjoy but that also offers a challenge, but not so much of
a challenge that it stresses you out..
4. Accept fully whatever circumstances arise in your life at any point in time.
That’s not to say that you don’t try to change undesirable circumstances if
you’re capable of doing so, it just means that you don’t complain or worry
about whatever is happening in reality. For instance, let’s say you set up a
picnic and tell all of your friends to come because there’s supposed to be nice
weather. You get everything set up, bring your grill, a Frisbee for some fun
afterward, etc. Before you know it starts pouring rain as soon as everyone
shows up. The natural instinct is to flip out or complain, get agitated, feel like a
victim, etc. But this does nothing but make the situation worse. Instead, if we
simply accept the situation for what it is and take action to fix it as best
possible we will avoid much suffering.
If something goes wrong we simply take action to fix it if possible, or if we can’t
fix it, completely accept it for what it is. If we emotionally resist a situation that
cannot be changed it only causes unneeded stress that accomplishes nothing
other than to decrease our quality of life and health. If we complain or feel bad
for ourselves it only intensifies our negative perception of the situation. This
sounds like common sense, but we humans can be highly irrational beings, and
this resistance to whatever the circumstances currently are in life is widespread
in western culture.
Another great way to improve your health that isn’t always mentioned by
proponents of Primal living is by fostering good relationships and compassion
for other human beings. In our technologically advance societies it becomes
increasingly easy and tempting to just throw on the TV, computer, ipod, or
whatever other distractions are available and ignore other people. In fact, many
people do just this on a daily basis and have minimal interaction with other
human beings, at least on any sort of compassionate level. Instead, turn that
stuff off and talk to a friend, family member, or just spark random conversation
with interesting people that you meet. Do things with people, stay socially
active, laugh, smile,
compliment people and go with the flow. People will sense this and good
relationships will be born.
Also, I know this response is a bit philosophical in nature overall, but another
good one that our ancestors probably didn’t think about, or didn’t have to at
least, was what their purpose was in life. Having a purpose in life is something
that can propel us forward and keeps us happy and motivated in day-to-day
living. Many people in our society are told what’s important to them, how they
should think and act, and what aspirations they should have in life. Most people
go to a job everyday that they hate just to pay the bills. They use their job as a
means for making money only, and don’t enjoy the process. On Monday they
can’t wait until the weekend because of their undesirable circumstances. This is
another cause of the lack of present-mindedness mentioned above.
Our hunter-gatherer ancestors likely found purpose in their daily hunting and
other activities and enjoyed the process. In our culture we need to think about
it and develop an honest idea of what’s important to us in life and then
embrace it fully and put all of our heart into it. I truly believe that is a major
key to both health and happiness throughout the lifespan.
On a more tangible note, something else that I think is good for people living in
more northern climates is a light box. Some people in northern climates literally
do not see a significant amount of bright sunlight for weeks or months
depending on the location and season. A 10,000 lux light box can be used to
simulate the effects of sunlight and has been well-researched and shown to
have proven benefits in improving mood and preventing/treating depression.
The great part is that some insurance plans cover these things if your doctor
prescribes it. It can be turned on in the morning while eating breakfast and
stimulates sensors in the eyes that help to regulate circadian rhythm, resulting
in more alertness and energy during the day and an easier time falling asleep
at night.
I promise this is the last one, but I think recreational dancing is a great addition
to a primal lifestyle. Our ancestors had ritualistic dance ceremonies around
camp fires during the night to entertain themselves and honor their gods. I’m
personally a terrible dancer and it’s not something I even take seriously (It
doesn’t really need to be for our purposes anyway), but if I go out to a bar with
a group of friends and music is playing I’ll often dance around and have a good
time just to sort of joke around and have a good laugh. It’s great exercise, it
makes me laugh, and my friends get a kick out of my terrible dancing skills,
which ties in with the whole social aspect of primal living. I don’t think this one
is necessary, but for people who are more outgoing it’s definitely something fun
and is actually really good, pumpy exercise that gets the circulation going.
With all the outside environmental factors we are faced with on a daily
basis which impacts on our health negatively, i.e. stress, pollution and
radiation, we are in a positive position where we have the ability to
take extra nutrition through supplementation which can be a means of
helping to balance out the negative impact our environment has on our
body. What supplements should we consider to add into our diets to
help increase our nutrition? Fish oil seems to be a big one.
When it comes to health, I believe that supplements should be kept to a
minimum. The main purpose of any supplement within the context of
primal/paleo eating is to put something back into your diet that you would be
getting if you were eating an optimal paleo diet based on all of the highest
quality foods like pastured animal products and organic plant foods.
Unfortunately, not all of us can manage to do that and inevitably some
supplements will be needed to optimize health. Like you mentioned, fish oil is
an excellent on that every paleo dieter should be taking if they aren't eating all
pastured animal products. 3g per day is what most studies have found to have
the health benefits of taking fish oils.
Another one that has worked well for many people is a high quality probiotic.
Our paleo ancestors consumed the organ meats of the wild animals that they
hunted and the beneficial bacteria that came along with the certain organs like
the small intestines. They also consumed adequate dietary fiber from non-
cereal plant foods and never had a chance to consume refined sugar, which can
disrupt the balance of intestinal bacteria.
Another supplement that is an absolute must in my book (along with fish oil) is
vitamin D. Indoor living has dramatically reduced our exposure to sunlight and
consequently results in low serum vitamin D levels. 2000 IU's/day is a safe
upper limit for vitamin D supplementation if you haven't had a blood test to
measure your vitamin D status. However, for some people 2000 IU's will not be
enough to bring serum level into the optimum range. That being said, I highly
suggest that all people taking vitamin D get their blood levels tested
periodically to determine the dosage that is appropriate for them.
Other than that, there are a few supplements that are optional but could be
very beneficial for some people. One of these is ZMA, whichs should be taken
30 minutes prior to bedtime. It helps to improve quality of sleep and recovery
from exercise, which is very useful for highly active individuals and athletes.
L-glutamine is an amino acid that can be taken during the transition phase from
a typical western diet to a lower carbohydrate paleo diet. The body can use L-
glutamine to fuel the brain during the adaptation period to fat metabolism,
while blood glucose level will be low and cognition will suffer. It basically helps
to ease the symptoms experienced while switching to being a fat burner instead
of a sugar burner.
Creatine monohydrate can be used to improve work capacity within an
anaerobic domain and has some nice research to back it up. It also may have
other health benefits like improved cardiac function and cognition.
Although our ancestors wouldn't have combined foods, we are now
able to eat more than one nutritious food source at any one time.
Additionally, combining certain foods can help the synergy of nutrients
and help with digestibility. With that in mind, should we be concerned
with high calorie meals, high carb meals or liquid meals even if 100%
of the ingredients are paleo friendly? And does this ultimately begin to
go outside the basic principles of the paleo diet?
When it comes to food combining, I keep a very simple rule: never eat a meal
that is both high in fat and carbs. All meals should be either high in fat and
protein or high in protein and carbs, but never high in both fat and carbs. The
reason for this is that the insulin spike that follows carb consumption signals for
fat molecules to be stored at the nearest adipose sites. If blood insulin levels
and blood fat levels are simultaneously elevated body composition will suffer
along with performance, as the body will be running on glucose rather than the
more consistent burning fat.
Don't get me wrong, calories still count when it comes to fat loss and body
composition, but so do macronutrients ratios and combinations. However, it's
also important to understand when to consume a protein/carb meal. The best
time is post-workout if you have a performance goal. If I don't workout on a
particular day I keep all of my meals high in protein and fat and low in carbs,
since my muscle didn't need any glycogen to be replace, hence the absence of
a post workout meal containing starchy carbs.
Here would be my recommendation:
For general health/longevity: 90% of the time eat high protein/high fat meals,
even post workout. Eat meals higher in paleo carbs occasionally to re-calibrate
insulin sensitivity.
For performance goals: Eat a high-carb(starchy paleo carbs such as sweet
potatoes, squash, yams, etc.)/high protein meal post workout after metabolic
conditioning workouts, but not after strength work. The rest of your meals
should be high protein/high fat/low carb.
For fat loss: Keep it low-carb and zig-zag your calorie intake. For instance, if
you need to consume 1500 calories per day to lose weight you would eat 1000
kcals one and then 2000 kcals the next day to "trick" your metabolism and
hang onto muscle while still losing fat. This actually has worked very well for
me in the past and I highly recommend it. When I keep my calorie intake the
same everyday while cutting I start to notice problems with water retention,
and indication of excessive cortisol production. I also tend to lose muscle mass
with that method. On the zig-zag approach I lose fat and keep muscle much
easier.
When it comes to liquid meals and higher carb paleo meals the above
suggestion should be considered. It really depends on your goals. From a
health perspective liquid meals are to be avoiding due to insulin spikes, and like
I said higher carb paleo meals from solid food should be kept occasional. Some
people can benefit from liquid post workout meals, but others will still present
signs of hypoglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. That being said, whole food is
always best, unless your running a marathon or some other long-distance
death grind that requires high calorie/carb intake on the go that doesn't require
tons of digestion.
I think it's important to understand that everything is goal-dependent. If you
want to live really long and be super healthy you're going to have a different
plan than if you want to run a marathon and a different plan than if you want to
become super strong. However, since the paleo lifestyle is one based on health,
longevity, and quality of life I think it's key to stay with he basics.
Eat whole paleo foods, keep carb and fat meals separate, moderate calorie
intake and don't gorge, load up on veggies and pastured meats, incorporate
some intelligent intermittent fasting, develop some stress reducing techniques,
exercise just enough to get the benefits, but not enough to get injured or cause
long-term wear and tear. When you have goals that go beyond that, such as
performance or body composition goals, you have to stretch the paleo concept
and make some compromises with your lifestyle and sometimes with your
health and longevity.
The Paleo Cookbooks provide you with a range of dishes for
every occasion - from light no-fuss meals through to dinner
parties, family celebrations and summer salads.
Using foods provided by Mother Nature that provide the
framework and principles for healthy living, these exciting and
flavorsome recipes using foods which are basic to our biology
and our digestive system will help you experience wonderful
results in your health and help to achieve positive results such as:
Increased Energy - Increased Sex Drive - Clearer, Smoother
Skin - Weight Loss Results - Better Performance and
Recovery from Exercise - Stronger Immune System
These paleo recipes are easy to follow and use wonderfully fresh
ingredients, with the emphasis on flavor and visual appeal. The
Paleo Cookbook provides a wealth of ideas and recipes for a
collection of mouth watering meals.
Simple and Easy to Create Recipes with clear step by step
instructions you will be able to produce paleo friendly meals that
get rave reviews from friends and family every- time!
www.paleocookbooks.com