I have had so many questions on Paleolithic eating this week that I will share quick referencing on those items acceptable to the “Paleo” lifestyle. Briefly, the paleolithic style of eating takes us back to our roots when the industrialized farming principles did not exist. It is only within the past 100-150 years that we have incorporated pesticides, processing, and genetic modification of our foods. As far as our bodies are concerned, we and our gut bacteria have not evolved fast enough for this food revolution we have experienced here in America. If the gut bacteria cannot recognize the extra gluten, modified soy, or hybridized corn, for example, it will view it as a foreigner and pathogen, and start the immune cascade to fight it off. We also all understand that the pesticides are, indeed, pathogens, and they are wreaking the same kind of havoc on our systems, and it is no wonder the diseases we are developing simply stem from our food sources. Factor in the true “hunter-gatherer” style diets that our ancestors had that certainly varied from climate to continents, you can see how far astray from our recommended diet that we have gone. Assuredly, our paleolithic forebears were not eating sugar, drinking sugar, nor eating crunchy processed chemicals stored in a bag! The diseases of this century have many of their origins from the “food” we are ingesting. There are a few cross-over debatable items that can be added to the list, and what determines acceptability on this list depends upon whether that item causes inflammation to the gut or the body. With that in mind, there is a subset of Paleo eating that is reserved for the autoimmune patient. This is termed “Autoimmune-Paleo” (AIP). That list is even more restrictive because of some of the shells, casings, lectins, and natural defenses these foods have that are difficult to digest in an already inflamed system.
Drinks
· Allowed : Water, fermented drinks such as kombucha, herbal teas, sparkling water with natural flavors, juiced vegetables, coconut water. In limited amounts: alcohols from non-grain sources, coffee, beverages with natural sweeteners, bone broth
· Not allowed : milk, kefir, fruit juices, sodas, energy drinks, sport drinks, anything with artificial color or flavoring, grain-based alcohols (for instance, beer)
Meats
· Allowed: Sustainably caught seafood such as fishes and shellfishes, organic eggs, grass-fed beef, pork, turkey, clean free-range hormone-free chicken and duck, lamb, game meats, rabbit
· Not allowed: Hormone fed, grain fed, antibiotic injected processed meats, hot dogs
Oils:
· Allowed: Lard, Tallow, Ghee, avocado, coconut, palm, olive oils, flaxseed, walnut, macadamia being very aware of purity, sourcing, and avoid deep frying
· Not allowed: canola, corn, “vegetable”, margarine, Crisco, peanut
Carbohydrates:
· Allowed: sweet potato, cassava, plantain, squash, beets
· Not allowed: GRAINS including rice, quinoa, corn (a vegetable that behaves as a grain), wheat, rye, barley
Vegetables
· Allowed: NEARLY everything including greens, celery, tomatoes, onions, zucchini, turnips, mushrooms, lettuces, eggplant, pumpkin, artichoke, carrots, broccoli, peppers, cauliflower
· Not allowed: white potatoes, beans, chickpeas, snow peas, soy beans, peanuts, lentils
Fruits:
· Allowed: nearly everything trying to stay low-carb with jicama, berries, kiwi, watermelon, lime, lemon, plums, apples, figs, dates
· Not allowed: dried fruit with added sugars
Sweeteners:
· Allowed: honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, stevia, date paste, fruits, monk fruit
· Not allowed: processed cane sugar, aspartame, saccharin, xylitol, erythritol, brown sugar, corn syrup, agave
Snacks :
· Allowed: fruits, vegetables, the leftovers from a meal, baked items from Paleo ingredients
· Not allowed: candy, chips, popcorn, packaged snacks
The list is not exhaustive and there are debatable ones. Items that may have surprised you boil down to if there is harm to the system, or if they have been genetically modified beyond recognition. This is also why some ultra-Paleo gardeners prefer the heirloom varieties which have not been modified. Hope this keeps grocery shopping easy. Happy Healing!
