What is a Paleo Diet and Could it be Right for You?

Jul 7

I don’t think we can learn about the Paleo Diet without learning about the history of the food pyramid.

In 1894 when the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) first released its nutrition guidelines, they were criticized for being inappropriately influenced by the agriculture industry. The primary issue the USDA nutrition guidelines were focused on avoiding were malnutrition and starvation.

In 1916 the USDA introduced food groups and their recommendations to consume milk, meat, cereal, vegetables and fruit, fats, and sugary food (in that order I might add). Between the 1940s and 1990s, the USDA introduced different serving size recommendations for each of the food groups.

Fast forward to 2020 and the recommendations include eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods from the six food groups, avoiding excess calories and sugar, and forgo refined and processed foods.

Over the last 60 years the rates of chronic disease have steadily increased, so it is clear that releasing dietary recommendations as a set of guidelines is not supporting the public health. Also, fewer than 10% of Americans choose their food intake based on the USDA recommendations!

Let’s redirect to the Paleo Diet. Throughout the past 10 years the Paleo Diet has been gaining popularity. I want to be clear that the Paleo Diet is not a fad diet that should be used to lose weight quickly. Rather a simple word to define a group of foods. The goal of the Paleo diet is to increase foods that heal and nourish the body, while removing foods that promote disease and inflammation. The Paleo diet provides a balance of nutrients while avoiding refined foods and empty calories. It is a whole-food and nutrient-dense focused way of eating.

Following a Paleo diet there are plenty of nutrient-dense foods to choose from including:

All meats
All seafood
Eggs
Vegetables
Fruits
Edible fungi (i.e. mushrooms)
Nuts and seeds
Herbs and spices
Unrefined, unprocessed fats from animals and plants
Probiotic and fermented foods

Building a plate following a Paleo template would look like filling ⅔ (or more!) of your plate with plant-based foods, and the other ⅓ with animal foods.

Meat and seafood are encouraged because they provide essential nutrients we cannot obtain from plant foods, including all 9 essential aminos acids and other vitamins and minerals. Sourcing the highest-quality foods is encouraged wherever possible-- grass-fed meat, wild-caught seafood, local and organic produce that is in season. A variety of foods is also encouraged on the Paleo diet to provide a wide range of different nutrients.

Foods that are eliminated on a Paleo diet include:

Grains and pseudograins (quinoa is a pseudograin)
Legumes
Dairy
Refined and processed foods containing refined seed oils, refined sugars, chemical additives, and preservatives

These foods that are eliminated on a Paleo diet are typically difficult to digest, provide little nutrition (looking at you processed foods!), increase inflammation in the body, and can disrupt our hormones.

As listed on pages 14-15 in Paleo Principles, the pros of a Paleo diet include:

Promotes a healthy digestive system. The focus on prebiotic and probiotic foods support the healthy growth and diversity of beneficial gut bacteria. It also provides essential nutrients to support healthy gut tissue.
Reduces inflammation.
Supports healthy immune system function. Foods that promote inflammation and gut dysbiosis are avoided, which removes the potential stimuli that activate our immune response. See my blog post on Food Allergy vs. Food Sensitivity to read more.
Helps regulate blood sugar.
Provides essential nutrients to the liver that support its functions in detoxing the body.

Following a Paleo diet can be beneficial for you if you are looking to decrease inflammation, manage blood sugar regulation, reduce the risks of cancer, reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease, diminish autoimmune disease, improve performance, balance hormones, heal digestive dysfunction, uncover hidden food allergies, or just increase your level of health!

Coupled with additional healing measures if necessary, many foods may later be reintroduced into your diet. These foods may include white rice and high-quality dairy products.