“…I decided I wanted to be healthier…. I thought I would have to give up something that I loved. My food. Eating healthy is not boring or bland, if you know what you are doing. Here is a quick summary of my research of the three eating philosophies and how I decided that none of them were right for me.”
III. Paleo
Paleo is almost the opposite of vegetarianism. Paleo is an effort to eat like a caveman. This means that you can only eat things you can hunt or find – meats, fish, nuts, leafy greens, regional veggies, and seeds. You can’t eat cereal grains, legumes (including peanuts), dairy, refined sugar, potatoes, processed foods, salt, refined vegetable oils. For the most part, I like paleo. I like that it doesn’t encourage calorie counting or portion control. I like that it is not just defined with restrictions. I agree that processed foods, refined sugar, and refined vegetable oils should be eliminated from the diet. However, I am not convinced that legumes, potatoes, salt, and whole grains need to be eliminated from the diet. I just haven’t seen any studies that prove this to me. And it counterintuitive to me. Potatoes and legumes are plants, why are they bad? Moreover, paleo suggests that diets should be high in fat, moderate in animal protein and low to moderate in carbohydrates. I also don’t agree with this. I believe your body needs equal parts fat, protein, and carbs. And they should all be high quality. I worry that encouraging a diet high in fat could lead to the creation of bad habits. You know, like wrapping everything in bacon. I have seen some paleo people go really wild. So, for this reason, I decided not to be paleo.
Part 3 of a 4 part series, if you missed part 2 of the series click here .
Dr. Kristian Henderson Edwards is a professor of public health, a natural lifestyle enthusiast, and the founder of BLK+GRN, an all-natural marketplace by all Black artisans. www.DrKristianH.com
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