Eating like a Caveman: The Paleo Diet
Amy Tobey
FCSC 430 George Fox University
Eating like a Caveman: The Paleo Diet
In 2002, Loren Cordain, Ph.D., a research scientist and professor in the Health and Exercise Science Department at Colorado State University, published a book called The Paleo Diet. In it, he proposes that humans have strayed far from their evolutionary ability to digest food by incorporating dairy foods, cereal grains, legumes, starchy vegetables, salt-containing foods, fatty meats, soft drinks and fruit juices, and sweets into their diet which causes type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, obesity, acne, breast cancer, prostate and colon cancers, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, asthma, digestive diseases, autoimmune diseases, psychological disorders, vitamin deficiencies, dental cavities, alcoholism, and skin cancers. The author cites scientific research to back these claims done by his research team and colleagues in other fields of studies. The reader is not told exactly what kind of studies the research team conducted to find these results, only that research was done and the findings. What the author does mention are scientific journals that his research has been published in. This sounds very valid, yet still is vague enough to warrant doubt. The main reasoning behind eating like a caveman is the human body never evolved to be able to handle cereal grains, processed foods, salt, fatty meats, and legumes and that by eating these foods, the human race is basically in danger of poisoning our bodies, pushing them to work harder in a toxic environment. The book further claims that those who follow this diet do not have to worry so much about the amount they eat as what they eat. Dieters are encouraged to eat as much of the Paleo approved foods as they want.
When I reviewed the Paleo Diet on WebMD, Kathleen M. Zelman’s, MPH, RD, LD, article stated that supporters of the diet have published multiple articles, books, and websites dedicated to this way of eating. The diet supports what nutritionists have been advocating for years, a diet based on whole foods, lean meats, fruits and vegetables, low-sodium, and less processed foods. However, the Paleo Diet gets into trouble with experts when it excludes whole food groups. By taking away grains and dairy, dietitians are concerned that people will be cutting out essential nutrients when they follow this diet. Furthermore, the cost and repetitive eating patterns are of further concerns to experts.
When I looked into USNews and World Report’s article on the Paleo Diet, I found that the controversy may go deeper than just the food groups. An anthropologist at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, Peter Unger, argues that “reverse engineering” the diet of our Paleolithic ancestors may lead us to false conclusions about what they ate. We can only surmise from the fossil record what they could have eaten, not what they did eat on a daily basis. He says the main problem we face as a society when it comes to our waistlines is lack of diversity in our diets and not burning off the calories we consume. The good things about the Paleo Diet here are its focus on whole foods, eating animals that are grass fed, and exercise. Dairy is not necessary in the diet as much of the world survives without it, but grains are considered essential, according to Walter Willett who chairs the nutrition department at Harvard School of Public Health. The basic premise of eating a balanced diet with plenty of whole foods is acceptable though.
When I entered the information from the book’s level two diet plan into MyNat, a web based diet analysis tool found at www.myfoodrecord.com, I was surprised by the results. The diet plan packed a whopping 3368 calories, only 75% of the daily need for fiber, 47% of recommended intake for calcium, 92% of needed thiamin, and profound overages on almost every other nutrient. To me, this is not the reading of a carefully balanced diet plan where my entire nutrient needs will be fully met. It looks more like a mess.
This program does not ask you to buy special foods, bars, or shakes. What it does advocate is fresh produce and meats. These can be fairly expensive. Furthermore, grass fed or free range food is preferred over grain fed, an added expense. The diet does build in some wiggle room. Dieters are allowed off the beaten path of Paleo 5-20% of the time but are cautioned that too much of this will result in loss of the effectiveness of the plan. Four rules are suggested for eating out: avoid a starchy main dish; get a meat entrée that has been baked, broiled, sautéed, roasted, poached, or steamed; eat fresh produce with the meal; and keep the meal simple. Traveling means planning ahead or finding a grocery store on your route.
This diet plan would be rather expensive in the grand scheme of things. Grains help keep the expense of daily eating down, and fresh produce is not available to everyone everywhere. Also, the author recommends the supplements of vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin C, and selenium be added to the diet if the recommended daily intake of these substances is unable to be met through food.
The Paleo Diet was designed to be used as a lifelong method of healthy eating, allowing its participants the choice of one, two, or three “open meals” a week. An “open meal” is one that contains foods which fall outside the Paleo guidelines. No behavioral modification is asked for except that the dieters exercise as they are participating in this diet.
The Paleo Diet is a bit alarming to me. I do not think taking away food groups that some people have trouble with is the best way to approach the disease epidemic in our country from poor nutritive habits. I think education is a more powerful tool than removing grains and dairy from the diet. Our love of convenience foods and carelessness designing what we eat in regards to both nourishing us and satisfying our taste buds is, in my personal opinion, the culprit behind the rash of illness we are suffering. Grains and dairy are not the problem. The way we use them is. I agree with the author that we must be intentional about what we eat, that we need to exercise, and that we need to take care of our bodies. But I do not agree that the best way to do this is to cut out grains and dairy altogether. We need to be eating a variety of foods prepared in a way that keeps the nutritional value intact and our pallets intrigued. The Paleo Diet goes too far with what it eliminates from the diet in my opinion.
References
Cordain, Ph. D., Loren (2002). The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Food You Were Designed to Eat. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Hobson, Katherine (2009, April 28). Paleo Diet: Can Our Ancestors Teach Us the Best Modern Diet? Our eating patterns should perhaps be based on what Paleolithic hunter-gatherers ate. USNews and World Report. Retrieved from http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/articles
Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, Kathleen M. (n.d.). Diet Review: The Caveman (Paleo) Diet. WebMD. Retrieved January 13, 2012, from http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/diet-review-the-caveman-paleo-diet?page=2
