What the devil is paleo?

Anyone who took the time to read my last post knows what lead me to paleo, but for those curious about what it is you have come to the right post.

Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free and Legume-Free -- According to Dr. Cordain, author of "The Paleo Diet," the Paleolithic environment, including foods, shaped human genes; therefore, health and well-being can be achieved by consuming the foods that humans are "genetically programmed" to eat.

Among the nutritional goals of a Paleo diet are the consumption of large amounts of fiber from non-starchy fruits and vegetables, the inclusion of mono- and polyunsaturated fats, a more balanced consumption of pro- and anti-inflammatory fats, raising the dietary potassium to sodium ratio, ensuring a more alkalizing diet, and eating foods rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Foods that were not part of the diet in Paleolithic times should not form part of the diet today. Forbidden foods include refined sugars like candy and baked goods; dairy products like milk, yogurt, butter and cheese; cereal grains like barley, wheat, corn, oats and rice; legumes, including all beans, lentils, peas, peanuts and peanut products and soybeans and soy products; starchy vegetables like potatoes and all potato products; salty or processed foods such as deli meats, pickled foods and ketchup; and sodas.

Protein from grass-fed meat, game meat, wild-caught fish and seafood, as well as free-range fowl and eggs, is central in the Paleo diet, which explains why many refer to this diet as a carnivorous diet. Proteins are important to maintain your lean body mass and keep you satiated between meals. Natural sources of protein are preferred to grain-fed meat and poultry, cage eggs and farmed fish because of the healthier fatty acid profile they offer. Grass-fed and wild meat have a better omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids constitute essential fats in your diet, but modern diets contain disproportionally high amounts of omega-6 and a smaller amounts of omega-3, which is not optimal for human health. One of the goal of the Paleo way of eating is re-establishing a better omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in your diet.

The Paleo diet is not only a carnivorous diet because it allows the consumption of seasonal fruits and vegetables, although fruits and starchy vegetables are not recommended if you want to lose weight. Eat non-starchy vegetables in generous amounts, as they are an excellent source of health-protective phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals in the Paleo diet.

The Paleo diet recommends getting enough healthy fats in your diet. The best sources of fat for your health are monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids. These fats can be found in olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, wild-caught fish and grass-fed meat. Coconut oil is also a good source of lauric acid, a type of saturated fat also found in human milk and thought to have antiviral properties.

So is this diet really the best way to go? I don't know. Is this the final stage of my diet? I am not sure... hopefully I am not done learning and it will evolve. What I do know is that a majority of my inflammation problems have gone away and that it is fairly inarguable that my diet is more nutritious. Where a typical breakfast for me used to be a muffin and a bowl of cereal it is now generally 2 cups of spinach, a cup of strawberries and a cup of raspberries, and sometimes with a side of fish. In my eyes, I have made the correct decision.

Ref:
--"The Paleo Solution"; Robb Wolf; 2010
--Robb Wolf: Paleo Overview
--"Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy"; The Importance of The Ratio of Omega-6/Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids; A.P. Simopoulos, et al.; October 2002
--"Diabetologia"; A Palaeolithic Diet Improves Glucose Tolerance More Than a Mediterranean-Like Diet in Individuals With Ischaemic Heart Disease; S. Lindeberg, et al.; May 2007