Paleo-ish
I had the opportunity to listen to Dr. Loren Cordain, of The Paleo Diet. He is a Colorado local, so he gave a free talk at the library. I really enjoyed it. I was taking notes like I was back in college. I wish I had lectures like that back then. So, I had been telling myself that I want to go Paleo but I can't convince myself to give up the dairy. I said Dr. Cordain himself will have to convince me. Okay, he did it. I never liked milk, but I will avoid or severely restrict yogurt and cheese. I'm still going to eat the pasture raised heavy cream and ghee, but at least whiles my body is trying to get back into balance with this lifestyle, I will not have any cheese or yogurt.
I had read all of his books already, but after listening to him speak, I am very convinced about Paleo. For example, he spoke about legumes. I understood the reference about peanut oil actually being used to induce cardiovascular disease in the lab rats, but I must have glossed over why the rest of beans and legumes shouldn't be eaten. He described how the legume is actually the seed surrounded by toxins to protect itself from predation and these toxins are harmful to us. I will still have beans once in a while (certain dishes need them), but they will not be a basis of my diet like they have been. And when I eat them they will be fully cooked and not from a can.
Gosh, he talked about so many interesting things, it made me just want to take up hunting. I want to get my own wild game and elk and deer. (: He mentioned myopia, acne, dementia, depression all connected with metabolic disease, which is caused by the standard western diet. (OMG, check out this link of what a weeks groceries looks like around the world, USA family lost out big time food around the world).
He mentioned how the standard western diet changes the bacterial flora of our bodies to be more gram negative, and that these bacteria are thought to cause chronic low grade inflammation and may damage the lining of our stomachs and intestines. This got me thinking that what if this has something to do with my salicylate intolerance? What if I cure my gut and repopulate my flora, would I be able to eat egg plant and mint again? Would I have a greater toleration for salicylates with out the nausea, vomiting, head aches? I can't say, but I'll keep you posted. I also am wondering if there is a connection with this lifestyle and pregnancy induced hypertension and the excessive weight gain during pregnancy. So far I have come across that they don't know why pregnancy causes this inflammation of the blood vessels and it is some reaction to the pregnancy. That being said, are there studies that show that diet can help reduce this inflammation. Pregnancy does cause the mother to be insulin resistant to varying degrees. Would eating a paleo diet help with excessive weight gain?
A fellow scientist was criticizing this diet to me and I told him just look at the literature of all the studies performed on this topic and compare it to the studies where they say eat low fat, eat corn oil, margarine, and whole grains, oh and don't forget not eating egg yolks (boo, I can't get over the ridiculousness of that) He said that Paleo doesn't have any research. Well how about a 40 page bibliography in Dr. Cordain's book, ahem, ahem. However, I learned at his lecture that on his website that I put the link above, for The Paleo Diet, he has all his research papers available for download for free. So check them out.
I really enjoyed the lecture and hope to attend more like it. It is very motivating in my quest to give up sugar.
Thanks Dr. Cordain!
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