With A Little Help From My Friends

Well its been almost 4 weeks since I started this blog and I am approaching 1000 page views, so thanks to all of you that read this.

When I started this blog my goal was simply to share what I had learned over the past few months. So much of the dietary advice we are given is so deeply flawed that I simply could not stay quiet. I figured that most people would cling to this advice so it might be a long road.

Surprising, I have found almost the complete opposite. Most people are pretty willing to consider an alternative view especially when it been backed up by positive changes. I managed to drop 30lbs and for some reason that seems to be enough to make people even just a little bit curious ... curious enough to give this thing a try.

What seems to stop people in their tracks though is what the heck are they going to eat.  I think I have been doing this whole Paleo thing for so long now that I forget what it was like in the beginning. Paleo can be a pretty big change for some people and that can be intimidating. So for those of you who need a bit of help getting started I am going to provide a couple resources.

First I will be continuing my series on "What To Eat". My first post in this series was on breakfast and can be found at http://www.freddybeachpaleo.com/2011/11/eating-on-paleo.html. I hope to get something posted on Lunch and Supper as well as Snacks a bit later on.

In addition I've added a new page over here (page not posted yet) which outlines a lot of the foods that I consider to be Paleo. One thing to realize about Paleo is that there really is no single diet. Heck, the whole thing is not really even a diet, it is a framework that you can use to apply to your own situation. So what you eat will depend on what your situation is, and what you believe in. Most Paleo folks do not consider dairy to be Paleo. However I think once the first 30 days are up and you have been compliant and removed dairy, why shouldn't you try it again and see how you do? If you do not care for dairy then by all means skip it, but if you do then some of the dairy sources I list may work for you. I consider this a Paleo approach even though the foods are not in the core common foods that most Paleo folks eat. The diet that you end up eating will be customized for you.

So what type of food will you find on this list? Paleo emphasizes REAL WHOLE FOODS, preferably from natural sources. You will find lots of meat and fish. You will also finds lots of veggies and fruit. Rounding out the list will be some nuts, and some healthy fats like olive oil, macadamia oil, avocado oil and coconut products (milk, oil, flakes, and butter). I also add in some dairy, mostly fermented (cheese, yogurt) with a preference for grass fed sources and non-pasteurized. Does this mean you can never eat pizza again? Of course not. What you will do is go 30 days without grains, legumes, and dairy and then you will see how you feel. If you feel great then you can add something back in at your leisure. If it has no affect on you then you can probably still eat it in the future without too much trouble. If you do not do well on it then the next time you are faced with the option you will have to make the choice between eating the food and feeling like crap, or avoiding it and feeling good. Sometimes you will pick column A, and sometimes you will pick column B. It is about choices.

Lastly I plan to begin leading by example. While I will not go as far as creating a food log on here I plan to post daily (or try to) what exactly I ate for meals that day so people can get an idea of how to string this all together. If any of it sounds appetizing, by all means ask for the recipe. **Update: It pretty much has turned into a food log :D See the first one here **

Paleo is also about more than nutrition, it is also about exercise, stress reduction, and sleep quality. These 3 factors are just as important as nutrition and neglecting them can derail even the best of "diets". To give you an idea on how I deal with the first two I plan on chronicling my workouts and rest periods on here as well. For sleep all I can tell you is that there are a few tips I can pass along

1. Minimize light sources in your bedroom. Yes, all of them, even the alarm clock.
2. Get to bed early. Pre-midnight sleep tends to be the most restorative according to studies.
3. Get at least 8 hours sleep per night. Do not rely on coffee or caffeine in general to make up for lack of sleep. Riding the caffeine train up and down is a quick road to adrenal fatigue. As a parent I know this can be hard, so do your best.
4.  Minimize exposure to electronic screens (TV, computer, etc) within an hour of sleep
5. Food, same as above. If you tend to snack late then maybe try snacking earlier and make it protein based (animal based).

 Well folks that is about it. I will start working on the promised pages tomorrow and hopefully put something together that you will all find useful.

Enjoy!

Fresh Fish For Everybody

Arguably one of the most nutritious Paleo friendly foods on the east coast is fresh caught wild fish. We have the luxury of living life on the coast and having access to fresh caught fish, but most of us never take advantage of it. A lot of fresh fish in supermarkets is farmed (which isn't always problematic but farmed fish can be less than desirable) or imported long distances and as such is not always as "fresh" as it could be.  Regardless, the point of this post is not on which type of fish is better.

Numerous species of fish are a healthy food source as they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and selenium as well as a rich protein source. Most important is fish are rich in EPA/DHA (an omega-3) which have numerous health benefits including protection against cardio vascular disease, auto-immune diseases and a reduction in total mortality. DHA/EPA also play a big role in fetal brain development which makes fish a great choice for pregnant women. If you are concerned with PCB/Toxin exposure from fish, especially mercury, then you should read this article from Chris Kresser on the topic. In essence mercury is only an issue in species of fish where the level of Selenium is lower than the level of Mercury. Since Selenium has a binding affinity for Mercury the two tend to cancel each other out.

So why should you care? Well other than the obvious health benefits fresh fish is extremely yummy. Yes, that is a subjective observation but I stand by it. For those that agree I have some exciting news for you. Earlier today I received an email from Real Food Connections (my favorite store) regarding an exciting new program from the Fundy North Fisherman’s Association in St. Andrew's. The gist of the program is that you pay $10/year and RFC will offer a fresh local fish option once per month on a specific day. This month is fresh live lobster, $5/lb. Yes, that is not a type.  If you are interested in the program you can read more about it here.

Space is limited so please contact them ASAP if you are interested.

Paleo Myth: Nutrient Deficiency

So Paleo has been in the news quite a bit lately (see recent Breakfast TV spot here) and it has pretty much become a script for how this plays out. Scene 1 we see some random person who has adopted the Paleo lifestyle, insert editorial about cavemen, etc and then a brief description of the eating habits (meat, fish, veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds). In scene 2 we tend to see the naysayers who trot out all manner of excuses as to why this 'diet' could potentially be 'dangerous'  as well as numerous other poorly thought out arguments concerning our Paleo ancestors.

The biggest myth I have seen appear over and over, usually by a dietician or nutritionist, is that you will become nutrient deficient without your healthy whole grains or dairy.  Instead of arguing why I think this is a fallacy and the result of "just not doing your homework", let us actually look at what you get out of grains and dairy.

If I take bread for instance, and flip over to the back and take a look at the vitamin content (I linked in the info for Dempster's Ancient Grains to give you an idea) you see that it contributes mostly to Selenium, Magnesium, and Maganese. Depending on the type of bread you may also see an "Ok" amount of other minerals like Iron, Thiamine, or Folate (most at 8 - 10%).

If we look at what types of foods are actually high in these vitamins/minerals you'll notice some interesting things. I have taken the vitamins/minerals above and searched out the foods that contain the most. It is a pretty easy exercise, simply Google the vitamin/mineral name and then "foods".

Magnesium
Selenium
Maganese
Iron
Thiamine
Folate

If you take a look through these you will notice that fruits/veggies/nuts/seeds/meat/fish MAKE UP MOST of the top foods. You will see flours and grains in there, I will not lie. However if you look at HOW MUCH you have to eat of each you can gain a better appreciation, especially if you are concerned about caloric content. Calorie per calorie, Paleo-friendly foods are amongst the most nutritious you can eat. Conversely most grains are pretty nutrient-poor if you consider the calorie content one must eat to accumulate the necessarily vitamins/nutrients. Also do not be fooled about protein content, most grain protein comes in the form of gluten, which the digestive system has issues breaking down (or can't break down at all).

"How about dairy then? How will I ever get my calcium, vitamin A and D" you say ... well.

Vitamin D
Calcium
Vitamin A

In all cases but calcium, Paleo-friendly foods outperform dairy. Regarding calcium, and this goes for all the vitamins/minerals even the ones Paleo is plentiful with, it is not just about how much you eat, it is about about how much you absorb. Co-factors that aid in calcium absorption are Vitamin D and Magnesium, both of which Paleo is high in. Dairy products also tend to be high in vitamin D (fortified) but here is an interesting tidbit. Just as you need some vitamin D to help with calcium absorption, you require a fat source for vitamin D to be digested properly. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin meaning that it is absorbed in the intestines with the aid of lipids (fats).

Now, think about that for a second then consider the vast majority of dairy you eat. It is probably low-fat, right? Think about it.

For some other fun facts about calcium on Paleo you should definitely check out Diane Sanfilippo's blog post on calcium here. While most people are probably willing to give something different a try they are less adventurous when it comes to their children. If you are nervous about your children being nutrient deficient (especially if they tend to be pickier eaters) you can check out Diane's other post on the USDA Recommendation for kids vs Paleo.

I do not think the issue here is that Paleo is necessarily a nutrient deficient way of eating (obviously), it is that we have come to rely on grains and dairy so much as an "easy way" to eat and the food industry (mostly forced by the gov't) has fortified these foods with vitamins/minerals such as A, D, and folate so we do not become deficient from lack of better alternatives.

If you will not eat veggies and fruits, nuts/seeds, and meat to get these vitamins/minerals then by all means eat fortified grains and dairy. However I really am becoming tired of RDs and nutritionists raising the alarm bells because you decide to get your nutrients from REAL WHOLE FOODS. Do your homework folks, the information is out there. If you are reading this then you already know how to use a computer, work on your Google-fu and start cutting through the garbage dietary advice we are being force fed.

Do not want to believe me? Oh, you need to hear it from an actual science people. Sure, here you go.

Origins and evolution of the western diet: Health implications for the 21st century. Am J Clin Nutr 2005;81:341-54.

The nutritional characteristics of a contemporary diet based upon Paleolithic food groups. J Am Nutraceut Assoc 2002; 5:15-24

Nutrition and health in agriculturalists and hunter-gatherers.

Hone your new found Google-fu by searching for others, they are plentiful. Grab a healthy snack of some fruit, veggies, or nuts (or even jerky! there are healthy versions) before you do, you may be there awhile.