The Paleolithic Diet

[DemoDick]

Some of you may have heard of the paleolithic diet (AKA the "caveman diet"). The theory is simple. The human digestive system developed and evolved before the agrarian revolution and that from a biological standpoint, homo-sapiens are hunter-gatherers, not grain cultivators. HG societies get the bulk of their calories from meat and fat, with fibrous vegetables and fruit making up the difference. The underlying premise is that the human body was most definitely NOT designed to run on grains. They are obviously preferable to starvation, however they are a poor choice for human consumption when placed next to animal proteins, fats and fruits and vegetables.

So what do plaeo-dieters eat? Very simply, we eat meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables/greens. What do we avoid? Wheat, corn, rice, potatoes, beans/legumes, peanuts and cashews, and refined sugars. Our ancestors ate fruit that was smaller, more bitter and fibrous than anything we get in the produce section, so keep this in mind when eaing fruit.

Dairy is not strictly paleo. Though if you digest it without problems, by all means eat up.

I have been eating a diet 90% paleo-compliant for a couple of years now. I do eat dairy, as my Scotch/Irish bloodline allows me to ingest milk with no GI issues, and I need the calories and protein to keep up with my training schedule. If drinking milk causes stomach distress, avoid it. It's pretty intuitive.

Daily, I eat at least a pound of red meat, a half dozen eggs or so, a half gallon or more of whole milk, lots of veggies and fruit, mixed nuts (no peanuts or cashews) coconut oil, butter and some whey protein powder once in a while. I lift weights 4 or more times a week and adjust cardio to my physique goal. Right now I'm adding strength and mass so I avoid cardio. I eat a stunning amount of calories but I am not fat by any means. Once in a while I will go off paleo and eat "normal" foods, like last week while I was on vacation. I ate whatever was in front of me just to make sure I was getting enough calories in. And boy, did I pay for it. My gut sounded like a cement mixer.

Since adopting this "diet of death" (according to "health experts") I have seen dramatic improvements in body fat levels, strength, testosterone, blood pressure, cholesterol, and energy levels.

Before adopting this diet and a rigorous resistance-based exercise regimen, I was headed for an early grave. This is not hyperbole. I was eating a typical western diet, with lots of grains, processed starches, comfort food, fast food, etc. But very little actual nutrients. I was extremely overweight and my health was suffering. I couldn't fight off routine infections and ended up with a severe bronchial infection that lasted for months and landed me in an ER due to low oxygen levels in my blood. I also developed athsma as a result. My knees and back ached daily, and my feet were likewise in constant pain. I was also starting to have back and hip problems. I was 30 going on 60.

Once I got my diet and exercise routine straightened out the weight melted off, and fast. My health problems have reversed and I'm in better condition than most 20 year olds. I look and feel better, and am in excellent health. If you do nothing else, just poke around a little in the following link and try to keep an open kind. A lot of this stuff is pseudo-science, but expperience is the best teacher.

http://www.paleodiet.com

If anyone has questions, ask them here and I'll do my best to answer them. I make no money off of anything paleo or paleo-related.

Demo Dick

[maberi]

I was Zoning for a while but finally cut over to Paleo a few months back. Definitely enjoying it and the physical benefits from it. The owner of the gym I go to got me into it and I'm very glad he did

My only vice that isn't Paleo is beer

[DemoDick]

I was Zoning for a while but finally cut over to Paleo a few months back. Definitely enjoying it and the physical benefits from it

My only vice that isn't Paleo is beer

Wine and mead are both paleo, and more effective.

Demo Dick

[maberi]

Wine and mead are both paleo, and more effective.
Demo Dick

Indeed and I was sticking to 100% agave tequila for a while but I can't help but have a beer every so often.

[DemoDick]

Here is a photo comparison (no photoshop at all).

Me on a western diet, August 2008. I'm about 220 here, and I'm about 5'3" tall. I call this shot "Dead Man Walking", AKA "The Kool-Aid Man".



Me on a paleolithic diet+dairy, August, 2010 at a lean 165. I am eating haggis at a Scottish festival.



I would like to add another 30 pounds of lean muscle, and now that my shoulder injury is getting straightened out, I can add heavy weights back into my training to make that happen.

Demo Dick

[maberi]

This site was on the list under the original site Demo posted. It is a pretty easy site to gain some basic info and has some good ideas on food and recipes; although my meals usually just consist of bland meat, raw veggies and healthy fats. Food is just fuel right ?


http://www.marksdailyapple.com/


PS - Good lord Demo. I never realized how big you were before Big thumbs up for making such a dramatic change

[DemoDick]

PS - Good lord Demo. I never realized how big you were before Big thumbs up for making such a dramatic change

Thanks. I found that picture while digging through old DSO shots and was a little shocked myself. The day after that was taken I couldn't compete due to the respiratory infection I had at the time. I laid in bed in the hotel and listened to my chest rattle all day while Michelle handled Connor. I felt like I was drowning in air. Shortly after coming back to NY was when I ended up in the ER.

I got that fat in part due to nagging knee injuries that I sustained running on pavement. The more pain I felt, the less I moved, and the more garbage I ate. I will admit though, that it was easier to move resisting suspects when I was heavier (kind of like sumo). Though now I am actually able to catch the runners instead of watching them slowly dissappear on the horizon.

Demo Dick

[plebayo]

Hmmm thanks for posting this. I've hit a plateau in my weight loss and have been looking for the right nutritional support. It's definitely something I want to learn more about.

[Natalie]

Please please please make sure you get a lipid panel done at least once a year. Eating that many eggs and red meat puts you way above the RDA for cholesterol (RDA is 300mg/day, that's 1.5 egg yolk). You mentioned you weren't focusing on cardio right now either which is usually protective of high cholesterol. Don't want you to have a gripper, just be careful!

[DemoDick]

Please please please make sure you get a lipid panel done at least once a year. Eating that many eggs and red meat puts you way above the RDA for cholesterol (RDA is 300mg/day, that's 1.5 egg yolk). You mentioned you weren't focusing on cardio right now either which is usually protective of high cholesterol. Don't want you to have a gripper, just be careful!

If eating one and a half eggs caused any problem at all bodybuilders across the country would be dropping dead en masse. I know guys who eat a minimum 12 eggs a day who are perfectly healthy. My own cholesterol has never been above 150 with a favorable HDL/LDL profile, even when I was obese. Dietary intake of cholesterol absent a genetic predisposition has smurf all to do with blood serum levels.

I have a finely tuned bullshit detector. If the folks coming up with the various RDA's had any credibility I, along with hundreds of thousands of people worldwide who eat like I now do would be dead by now. Instead I'm in the best shape of my life eating 300+ grams of protein per day and enough dietary fat to grease a tractor-trailer.

Demo Dick

[maberi]

What Demo said

The old adage that egg yolks are bad for you just isn't true. There was a recent study done by the Harvard School of Public Health published in the Journal of the American Medical Association which determined there was no such link between egg consumption and increased cholesterol; and even went as far to say that regular egg consumption may actually prevent blood clots, stroke and heart attack.


--Matt (who just finished eating 4 hard boiled eggs with a side of avocado)

[DemoDick]

Matt,
I have recently been raiding the rotisserie chickens at the grocery stores. For 5 or 6 bucks I get a great post workout meal that's loaded with calories and pretty easy to wolf down. I usually wash it down with a couple 12 oz glasses of whole milk (not strictly paleo). This provides 1360 calories, 160 grams protein, and 80 grams of fat. With the milk it bumps it up to 1660 cals, 176 grams protein, and 24 grams of carbs. That's a little less than half of my daily intake and I don't have to count macros or calories. The rest of the day I can pretty much coast and keep munching on nuts, eggs, healthy fats & oils and beef and I hit my minimums easily.

Demo Dick

[plebayo]

On this specific diet are you supposed to consume massive amounts of protein, like as compared to the "neolithic way"? I just ask because 300g is quite a bit... I've always been told it was 1-1.5g of protein per lb of lean body mass? I mean, I'm not saying it's bad for you or anything, that's just a larger number than what I have been reading.

[plebayo]

And I also agree w/ the egg thing. Recent studies suggest that saturated fats are what raise cholesterol and that eggs are mostly polyunsaturated fat, which can actually lower blood cholesterol if you replace a saturated fatty food with an egg instead.

[DemoDick]

On this specific diet are you supposed to consume massive amounts of protein, like as compared to the "neolithic way"? I just ask because 300g is quite a bit... I've always been told it was 1-1.5g of protein per lb of lean body mass? I mean, I'm not saying it's bad for you or anything, that's just a larger number than what I have been reading.

Well, it's not a "specific diet", really. Paleo takes many forms. Typically yes, you would consume 1-1.5 gms of protein per pound of body weight on most fitness oriented eating plans and that is adequate. My current goal requires substantially more than that.

Demo Dick

[maberi]

I'm right there with ya... I LOVE those things; you can't beat the price or the taste!

What Demo said on the protein requirements. I eat no where near 300 grams but again, my goals are much different than Demo's, so I adjust my protein intake accordingly

Matt,
I have recently been raiding the rotisserie chickens at the grocery stores. For 5 or 6 bucks I get a great post workout meal that's loaded with calories and pretty easy to wolf down. I usually wash it down with a couple 12 oz glasses of whole milk (not strictly paleo). This provides 1360 calories, 160 grams protein, and 80 grams of fat. With the milk it bumps it up to 1660 cals, 176 grams protein, and 24 grams of carbs. That's a little less than half of my daily intake and I don't have to count macros or calories. The rest of the day I can pretty much coast and keep munching on nuts, eggs, healthy fats & oils and beef and I hit my minimums easily.

Demo Dick