Eating Like a Caveman - A Review of the Paleo Diet...and My Personal Journey

You may have heard me mention a few times, okay – more than a few times, about my success with getting healthy by going gluten free and following a Paleo diet.  Because so many of you expressed an interest, I decided to write a little (okay, a big) post about Paleo – what it is, the science behind it, how to “go Paleo”, the health benefits of going Paleo, and give you a little glimpse of my life before and during Paleo. **Warning - this is a long one!

What exactly is Paleo?

Usually, when people ask me what Paleo is I respond the wrong way.  The first things I mention are all of the things I DON’T eat – grains, dairy, legumes, sugar and processed foods.   The problem with this response is that there is probably at least ONE of those food groups in most people’s diets.  For most people, not eating any of those food groups is probably hard to wrap your head around.  It also puts me in the position of having to justify from a scientific standpoint why the foods I don’t eat aren’t actually good for me.  And it’s pretty hard to stand up to a lifetime of “milk gives you strong bones”, “whole grains have extra nutrition” and “black beans are a good source of protein”.

So, here’s my new response:

I eat “real” food – fresh, natural food like meat, vegetables and fruit.  I choose foods that are nutrient dense, with lots of naturally-occurring vitamins and minerals, over foods that have more calories but less nutrition.  And food quality is important – I’m careful about where my meat comes from, and buy produce locally and organically as often as possible.

It’s not a low calorie “diet” – I eat as much as I need to maintain strength, energy and, once I finish losing weight, to maintain a healthy weight.  In fact, my diet is probably much higher in fat than you’d imagine.  Fat isn’t the enemy – it’s a great energy source when it comes from high quality foods like avocado, coconut and nuts. And I’m not trying to do a “low carb” thing, but since I’m eating vegetables and fruits instead of bread, cereal and pasta, it just happens to work out that way.

Eating like this is good for maintaining a healthy metabolism, and reducing inflammation within the body.  It’s been doing great things for my energy levels, body composition and PCOS symptoms.  It’s been scientifically proven to help minimize the risk for a whole host of lifestyle diseases and conditions, like diabetes, heart attack and stroke.

According to Robb Wolf, “The Paleo diet is the healthiest way you can eat because it is the ONLY nutritional approach that works with your genetics to help you stay lean, strong and energetic! Research in biology, biochemistry, Ophthalmology, Dermatology and many other disciplines indicate it is our modern diet, full of refined foods, trans fats and sugar, that is at the root of degenerative diseases such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, depression and infertility.” 

Who is Robb Wolf? 

Robb Wolf is an expert on Paleolithic nutrition and author of the New York Times Best Selling book "The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet". He is also host of a weekly internet podcast called "The Paleo Solution", with Greg Everett (formerly Andy Deas). The podcast focuses mainly on Paleolithic nutrition, Paleolithic lifestyle and exercise. He is co-owner and coach at Norcal Strength and Conditioning in Chico, CA. He has an education and work background as a research biochemist and as an athlete.

Wolf won the Natural Athletes Strength Association California State Power Lifting Championship at the age of 19. He is also a USAW Olympic Weightlifting coach. He earned a BS in Biochemistry from California State University Chico.  he then worked as a research biochemist for 5 years, which included lipid metabolism research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. He also was a research assistant with Prof. Loren Cordain of Colorado State University (who is the author of the book, "The Paleo Diet"). He is a review editor for the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism. 

His website also happens to be the first site I found on Paleo, so I like to give him credit for getting me started.

Medical and Scientific Approval of a Paleo Lifestyle:

Instead of bombarding you with a lengthy post on each article I found, I'm just going to provide you with links and abstracts for the information.

Diet-dependent acid load, Paleolithic nutrition, and evolutionary health promotion 1,2

S Boyd Eaton, Melvin J Konner, and Loren Cordain  http://thepaleodiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Eaton-Cordain-AJCN-20102.pdf

‘‘It is difficult to refute the assertion that if modern populations returned to a hunter-gatherer state then obesity and diabetes would not be the major public health threats that they now are. Proponents of evolutionary health promotion maintain that this principle applies to all the complex degenerative "diseases of civilization" and that an appreciation of human experience during the late Paleolithic will eventually become the foundation for preventive research and recommendations."

The Nutritional Characteristics of a Contemporary Diet based Upon Paleolithic Food Groups 

Loren Cordain, PhD1*

Department of Health and Exercise Science, Colorado State University,

Fort Collins, Colorado  http://thepaleodiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/The-Nutritional-Characteristics-of-a-Contemporary-Diet-Based-Upon-Paleolithic-Food-Groupsabstract4.pdf

Conclusions: 

Contemporary diets based upon Paleolithic food groups maintained both trace and macronutrient qualities known to the reduce the risk of a variety of chronic diseases in western populations.

Old and new concepts of healthy eating

http://www.staffanlindeberg.com/OldAndNew.html

Dietary advice to prevent and treat common western diseases should be designed in accordance with human's biological heritage as much as possible. Foods that have been part of the human staple diet for less than 10,000 years should be critically examined before they are recommended as staple food. Even the risks with foods that were available during the Paleolithic era (Old Stone Age, approximately 2.5 million - 10,000 years ago), but which may contain anti-nutritional substances, should be carefully examined, in particular foods that are consumed in large quantities on a daily basis

Diabetologia, a publication devoted to publishing clinical research on Diabetes, ranked the Paleo Diet as the best lifestyle regimen for Diabetes sufferers, and remarked upon its superior results regarding weight loss. Their 12 week study of different diets uncovered superior results for Paleo practitioners, including a 5.6 cm reduction in waist circumference.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/h7628r66r0552222/fulltext.pdf?MUD=MP

Accumulating evidence suggests that this mismatch between our modern diet and lifestyle and our Paleolithic genome is playing a substantial role in the ongoing epidemics of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. – The Mayo Clinic

http://www.direct-ms.org/pdf/EvolutionPaleolithic/OKeefeCardio.pdf

A 2009 study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition by the University of California San Fransisco School of Medicine concluded that the Paleo diet has significant health benefits.  "Even short-term consumption of a paleolithic diet improves BP and glucose tolerance, decreases insulin secretion, increases insulin sensitivity and improves lipid profiles."

 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nig.gov/pubmed/19209185?dopt=Abstract 

Specific Health Benefits of Going Paleo:

For most people the fact the Paleo diet delivers the best results is enough. Improved blood lipids, weight loss and reduced pain from autoimmunity is proof enough.  Many people however are not satisfied with blindly following any recommendations, be they nutrition or exercise related. Some folks like to know WHY they are doing something. Fortunately, the Paleo diet has stood not only the test of time, but also the rigors of scientific scrutiny.

With a very simple shift we not only remove the foods that are at odds with our health (grains, legumes, and dairy) but we also increase our intake of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

The carbohydrates (unlimited fruits and veggies) in The Paleo Diet are of a low-glycemic index, meaning that they cause slow and limited rises in your blood sugar and insulin levels. Excessive insulin and blood sugar levels are known to promote a cluster of diseases called Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X (obesity, hypertension, undesirable blood cholesterol and other blood lipid levels, Type 2 diabetes and gout). The high fiber, protein, and omega-3 fat content of The Paleo Diet will also help to prevent Syndrome X diseases and will help to reduce the symptoms of diseases related to Syndrome X, like PCOS.

Because of the unlimited amounts of fruits and veggies permitted on The Paleo Diet, your body will be slightly alkaline — meaning that diseases and disease symptoms of acid/base imbalance (osteoporosis, kidney stones, hypertension, stroke, asthma, insomnia, motion sickness, inner ear ringing, and exercise-induced asthma) will improve.

The high soluble-fiber content of The Paleo Diet will improve most diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and the high omega-3 fat content will improve most of the “itis” or inflammatory diseases.

If you still have questions or concerns about the health benefits of Paleo, there is a very informative Q&A section at http://thepaleodiet.com/faq

You can also view Robb Wolf’s Paleo Quick Start Guide here:  http://robbwolf.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/thePaleoSolution_QuickStart.pdf

How Do I Get Started:

Clean Out The Pantry

We do not have self-control. PLAN AHEAD! Don’t have tempting foods in the house. Remove the bread, rice, pasta, cookies, crackers, puddings, ice cream, waffles, juice, sodas, cereals, oatmeal, artificial sweeteners, yogurt, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, canned soups, apple sauce, noodles…all refined, packaged foods. Bag it all up, take it to a food bank or homeless shelter. No, the kids do NOT need crackers and Goldfish. They might actually be healthier if YOU are healthier!

Sleep & Stress

Black out your room. No, REALLY black out your room. No LED lights from alarm clocks, fire alarms, TV’s etc. Do not watch TV or check email for at least 1 hour before bed. Go to bed early, get at least 8- 9 hrs of sleep. You should wake up without an alarm, feeling refreshed.

Exercise

The foraging lifestyle of our hunter-gatherer ancestors left them lean, strong, and healthy. Those who lived into advanced age did not lose muscle mass or gain body fat as they aged. It appears the default mode for our species is a balanced physique . Lean, muscled, and prepared for anything nature wished to unleash. By emulating the amounts and types of activities of our Paleolithic ancestors, we can affect remarkable changes in our physique, mental outlook, hormonal state, and overall health.

Throw Your Scale Away

While we are on this “weight topic” please just throw your scale away. Or smash it (wear safety glasses and go wild). But for the love of all that’s holy, do NOT rely on it as a significant marker of whether this process is working or not.

The fact is that you may not lose a ton of weight (read: pounds) on this plan. Why? Because you’re increasing muscle mass and losing fat . Increasing your muscle mass is good for controlling your blood sugar, helping your body to naturally regulate appetite, and has anti-aging properties. Muscles make you look good naked! So, don’t focus on scale weight.  I know it's easier said than done.  I still have my scale, and I still use it.  I'm a "numbers" person.  It's kind of my "thing".  That being said, I've learned to judge my progress more on how I feel and how my clothes fit than by what the number on the scale says.

Go Shopping

Fill your kitchen with good, Paleo food choices! Having the right foods on hand make healthy cooking and snacking easier. Use the Paleo Food List for great ideas, but here’s a short list to get you started:

• Proteins: beef, poultry, pork, shrimp, fish
• Vegetables: all, except for corn and peas
• Fruit: choose berries and oranges to start if you have Insulin concerns (apples and pears are also good choices if you're not Insulin Resistant or Diabetic)
• Fats: coconut oil, ghee, olive oil, avocados
• Herbs and Spices: as many as you can find
• Flours: almond and coconut
• Beverages: water, coconut water, seltzer water, tea

Eat grass fed beef and organic, locally grown foods whenever possible.

*Please view the Paleo Food List at http://www.practicalpaleoliving.com/recipes/paleo-food-list/  for a good list of Paleo-friendly foods.

A Paleo Challenge

If you decide to try a 30 Day Paleo Challenge, keep in mind that the first few weeks may be difficult. You may initially feel tired and shaky as your body readjusts its Insulin levels; make sure to seek out support and know that your body should adjust by week three, if not sooner. Hopefully you will never want to go back to your old eating habits again.

Keep in mind that you will be able to incorporate a few things back into your diet after the strict 30 days; you may find that you can have more fruit, or incorporate some natural sugar sources like honey, depending on your Insulin levels.  Again, I advocate getting a glucometer and using it!  Even if you don't haven't been diagnosed with Insulin Resistance or Diabetes, it's good to check your blood sugar once in awhile - especially when you start changing the type of food you put into your body.

Think of it this way: The worst case scenario is that you spent a month without some of the foods you really like. The best case scenario; you discover you’re able to live healthier and feel better then you ever expected.

A Paleo lifestyle is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Everyone’s body is different and our responses to dietary changes will vary. Listen to your body and start to get in touch with how food consumption makes you feel. Keep in mind your personal nutritional and fitness needs and goals. As with any diet or lifestyle change, make sure to consult your physician.

Isn’t Paleo Boring?

When I first began to research Paleo, I thought it sounded pretty bland.  However, as I’ve incorporated it and it’s become a part of my life I find it’s anything BUT bland.  Sure, I don’t eat bread or pasta or any of the processed crap that I came to know and love over my lifetime.  But that doesn’t mean that I sacrifice taste – I eat whatever I want.  I’ve just learned that making recipes from fresh, Paleo-friendly ingredients can be much tastier than anything that comes out of a container or from a mix.

I eat pancakes, I eat waffles, I eat ice cream, I eat spaghetti (squash) and meatballs, I eat “fried” (cauliflower) rice.  I’ve learned how to substitute ingredients to make my favorite recipes Paleo-friendly.  Head on over to the forum on Robb Wolf’s site http://robbwolf.com/forum/ .  There’s a TON of recipe ideas from people living the Paleo life, as well as a section with a ton of resources for “newbies”.

I’ve also recently fallen in love with http://paleomg.com/ .  As her tagline says, Juli Bauer’s site is “Real Food.  Real Life. Real Simple”.  There are no funky or hard-to-find ingredients in any of the delicious recipes she posts (I’ve made most of them myself).  And her style of posting is honest, comical and refreshing.  If you’re looking for some good recipes to get you started, Juli’s site is the place to go!

My Paleo Story:

If I’m being completely honest, I wanted to post on Paleo weeks ago.  But, as we all know, life gets in the way sometimes and things need to take a back-seat.  While it did take a lot of time to gather the basic Paleo information and the scientific and medical information, I have to say that this section of the post literally caused me anxiety.

Why?  Because it means that I have to tell you about my weight struggle.  I’ve been overweight my entire life – I’ve lost weight, mainly by severely cutting calories and exercising for a minimum of 3 hours a day.  But I’ve always gained it back.  And when I gained it back I would always gain more than what I’d lost.  I never understood why I had to basically starve myself and work out to the point of exhaustion to see any movement in the number on the scale.  When I was a teenager and got my PCOS diagnosis, it all started to make sense.  Or so I thought.  I thought that I was just destined to be fat because of PCOS.  At that time, there was little to no research being done about PCOS so information was extremely hard to find. 

Fast forward about 15 years.  After losing my job and, subsequently, my health insurance in 2009, I began to do a TON of my own research on PCOS (I had a lot of free time and I’m a huge science geek – I wanted to be a doctor – so why not?).  It just so happens that I was finally able to receive treatment again earlier this year (almost 18 years after receiving my PCOS diagnosis).  At that time, I was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance, chronic inflammation, and whole slew of health conditions that stemmed from not being treated for PCOS for so long.  When I came home and began to research a gluten-free lifestyle, I came across Robb Wolf’s site for the Paleo Diet.  It’s naturally gluten and soy free, and I was able to confirm all of the health benefits and research claims that are posted on the site.  So I decided to give it a whirl.

Here’s where being honest is a struggle for me.  In February of this year, I stepped on the scale at home and literally fell to the floor sobbing when I saw the number.  398.  Yep, I said it.  398.  I weighed almost twice as much as my husband, and had just found out that I had Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension, SVT, hypothyroidism, an elevated lipid profile, and was told that my PCOS was so severe that I would probably never conceive a child.  I was horrified.  I was mortified.  And I was ashamed.  In fact, I really want to erase the whole beginning of this paragraph because I’m still so ashamed of that number.  But, I digress.  So, in February I made a conscious decision to do my absolute best to get healthy – in spite of everything that had stacked up against me.  I cut out gluten and soda (I was a HUGE Coca-Cola addict) and began to drink only water. I continued to research the Paleo diet (I love to research and I’m a HUGE pro/con listmaker).  From the beginning of February until mid-March, I lost 22 pounds.  And that was just from eliminating gluten.  I was off to a good start, but I still felt exhausted every day and just plain “yucky”. 

March 17, 2012 (St. Patty’s Day and my niece’s birthday) I decided to go full-steam ahead with Paleo.  If all of the research and testimonials held true, I had nothing but weight to lose and good health to gain. 

It’s now June 27, 2012.  I just stepped on the scale and it said 336.  While I’m still horrified at that first “3”, I feel better than I have in a VERY long time (is forever long enough? Lol).  I’ve lost a total of 62 pounds – by simply adjusting my lifestyle.  I honestly haven’t exercised in over a month (I know I need to and I know that I would probably lose more weight if I included exercise, but I’m not too good with making time for it) and yet the number on the scale gets lower and lower every week.  I’ve completely shocked my doctors.  When I began seeing my PCP, OB/GYN and RE in February, each of them told me that, because my PCOS and health conditions were so serious, they didn’t expect to see any improvement in me (blood work or weight related) for at least 2 years.  They all fully support my efforts, are now recommending Paleo to their patients, and have said they want the first copies of the book I’m writing for 1in10.  I still have a long way to go in my weight loss journey, but I’m getting healthier every day and, for the first time, I’m looking to living a long, healthy life with my husband, Jason, who has been my most avid supporter.

What’s the Bottom Line?

If you’ve ready any of the articles I’ve posted on the 1in10 Forum, you know that I couldn’t possibly end a post without a “Bottom Line”.  So, here it is:

Am I a doctor/dietitian/health professional?  No. I’ve never claimed to be (though I should have been and still just may be).  Do I recommend Paleo?  Absolutely!  There are a TON of health benefits to Paleo (even benefits specific to PCOS and fertility) that have been backed by a lot of scientific research.  Even if you’re unsure about making Paleo your way of life, start a 30-day challenge.  Give Paleo 30 days.  If you need to lose weight, compare the numbers on your scale from Day 1 and Day 30.  If you’re healthy but just feeling “blah”, take note of how you feel on Day 1 and then again on Day 30.  If you don’t see those numbers drop on the scale, and if you don’t have more energy and just an all-around better sense of well-being, don’t move forward (although I would be shocked by anyone who said they didn’t at least feel better).  Give it a chance – you’ve got nothing to lose but weight (if you need to) and better health to gain.

As always, I and everyone at 1in10 encourage you to read our research, do your own research, and take it to your doctor.  We will always give you up-to-date and scientifically backed information with regards to PCOS and general health, but, as we’ve always said, YOU are your biggest health advocate.  You know your body best.  When you make changes in your treatment/lifestyle, take note of how those changes make you feel.  If you feel better, you’re probably on the right track.  If not, you may need to do some more adjusting.  Remember – although we’re all women with PCOS, we don’t all have the same issues and symptoms.

No matter what you decide, Raise Your Voice!  I want to use a little bit of this post to personally thank each and every one of you who have welcomed 1in10 into the PCOS Community with open arms.  We are thankful and humbled by your continued belief in our mission and excitement for the work we’re doing now and plan to do in the future.  1in10 began out of sheer frustration – frustration at the misinformation being presented, frustration at the lack of information available to the general public, frustration at the forced exclusivity that some of the PCOS organizations and foundations portray, and frustration at the general lack of awareness for PCOS.  When Rhi, Amy and myself decided to move forward and form 1in10, we promised that, no matter what, we would give our supporters correct information, always work to achieve PCOS awareness, and give women of all ages the PCOS education and support they need.  We never imagined to gain a following so quickly, but we are so grateful that we have.  I am humbled, amazed and touched by each one of you.  Your stories, feedback and excitement give me the motivation to work hard every day, and to continue spreading the mission of 1in10.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

~ Jenn