CBS News San Francisco recently did an in-depth report on The Paleo Diet. In this informative five part series, Kim Mulvihill, MD of CBS HealthWatch follows The Paleo Diet for just two weeks with remarkable results: reversed insulin resistance (insulin resistance precedes the development of Diabetes 2), reduced blood pressure, and reduced LDL (the bad cholesterol). Dr. Mulvilhill also lost 30 pounds by continuing to eat a diet of lean meats, fish, vegetables, fruits nuts and by eliminating all dairy, grains, beans and processed foods (a.k.a. – The Paleo Diet)!
This is exactly why I don’t follow the advice of traditional Registered Dietitians. Recently the so called “experts” ranked The Paleo Diet as the least effective diet for losing weight and improving overall health (here). These experts did not do their research before shamefully stating their ill-informed opinions (here). Now folks much like myself who have experienced tremendous success on The Paleo Diet (here) are ensuring their voices be heard or at least their votes be counted. Tamara Abraham reports that readers polled on the US News “Best Diets Overall” ranked The Paleo Diet as the MOST effective of all diets ranked by the so called “experts”! You can read Abraham’s article by following the link below.
U.S. News and World Report recently ranked the Best Diets Overall based on ease of use, health benefits and weight loss effectiveness. The Paleo Diet was ranked #20, surprisingly ranked after such diets as SlimFast, Nutrisytems and Medifast as healthier alternatives for successful weight loss. Researching the validation of this ranking a little further, I was not surprised to discover the claims made by the U.S. News “experts” were totally false – not only based on my personal experiences (here), but also on existing peer-reviewed research on The Paleo Diet. Fortunately, Dr. Loren Cordain recently wrote a “Rebuttal to U.S. News and World Top 20 Diets” highlighting the “erroneous and misleading” conclusions made by the U.S. News “experts”. Follow the link below to read Dr. Cordain’s rebuttal:
Based on these latest findings, Robb Wolf shares his thoughts in “The Paleo Solutions” Podcast #53. Robb believes short term high dose fish oil intake is good for intervention (“people who are very overweight and who have loads of inflammation”) , but high dosages of fish oil supplementation longer than 1 to 3 months could increase your chance of Cardio Vascular Disease in the future. With good sleep and by following The Paleo Diet, one’s need for high dose fish oil dosages should quickly Continue reading
For a while now I’ve wanted to blog about some of my favorite Paleo Nutrition reads but simply have had little time to sit in front of my computer. When I find something worthy of sharing, I know it’s gonna take several hours of research and writing to do it justice. Mark Sisson’s body of work is a perfect example of this. His book, The Primal Blueprint, is one I often recommend to folks when they are interested in understanding Paleo Nutrition. He’s in great shape, and is just as informative as he is funny.
He also has a fantastic blog, Mark’s Daily Apple which is full of helpful resources for understanding the science behind the diet. One of the big questions I get often is “What do I eat for breakfast?”.To illustrate how helpful Mark’s daily blog can be, Mark took the time to answer this question in depth on his website (and in his book):
Intrigued? If so, check out Mark’s “About” page which completely summarizes the content on his website. There’s some good stuff here – all well-organized and easy to find!
Well said Nell! This is exactly why my family surprised me with this website last year. I’m a zealot when it comes to spreading Paleo Nutrition. Why? Because I know from personal experience that it works (and is still working):
Fads fade with time, but this has not been the case with the Paleo Diet. As Dr. Cordain states in his revised edition of the Paleo Diet, the popularity of Paleo Diet has exploded since it was originally published in 2002. Why? It has a lot to do with “the masses” following Robb Wolf’s Paleo recommendations as the “once upon a time” nutrition guru of CrossFit. Dr. Cordain also states in his new book that “electronic interconnectedness” has exploded in the last decade making information that is relevant to our lives easily accessible through emails, websites, and blogs. But the main reason the Paleo Diet has grown in popularity within Crossfit and the electronic community is because it actually works.
Not only will you lose weight, but you will also prevent (and reverse) future disease. Future diseases that are mistakenly believed to be an inevitable part of the aging process: getting heavier – the proverbial “spare tire around the middle”, abnormal blood sugar levels leading to Diabetes II, abnormal blood lipids leading to high triglycerides, cholesterol and LDL, increased risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. It doesn’t have to be this way, folks. I’ve not only read the research myself, but I have also applied the paleo principles in my own life with very positive results:
Being healthy and losing weight is not about counting calories or measuring food. As Dr. Cordain lectured this Thursday evening, it’s about eating in accordance with our evolutionary ancestral diet. We evolved for millions of years on a diet of nutritious minimally-processed wild plants and animals. Since the onset of the agriculture revolution some 15,000 years ago, we have increasingly displaced this nutritious diet with highly-processed, refined foods. Researchers are now beginning to recognize a strong correlation exists between our modern diet (the highly coveted USDA Food Pyramid), metabolic syndrome, and autoimmune disease. What we typically eat on a daily basis is making us very sick. Scary.
How do you stay healthy? Not by counting calories, but by avoidingall varieties of grains (wheat, corn, rice, etc), grain-fed meats, legumes (including soy and peanuts), dairy products, refined sugars, refined vegetable oils, salt and processed foods. What’s left? A diet of natural foods: lean meats that are grass-fed, wild-caught fish, vegetables, fruits and the “good fats”. It’s that easy. This is how you can take control of your own life and prevent (and in most cases reverse) chronic inflammation, metabolic derangement, acne, acid reflux, asthma, etc. You can also prevent hundreds of auto-immune diseases that may develop over time due to Leaky Gut Syndrome (see “Got Leaky Gut?”). Leaky Gut Syndrome has been implicated in auto-immune disease and is believed to be caused by grain, legume, dairy and nightshade vegetable consumption.
Special thanks to Dr. Ken Ford of the IHMC and the many sponsors involved in bringing Dr. Cordain to Ocala so that others may benefit from his work. It was wonderful to have an opportunity to express our gratitude for the personal successes we have each experienced by applying his life’s research in our own lives.
Chef Al Rosas of Rosas Farm and Dr. Cordain
Erin Rosas adding the finishing touches to a beautiful table!
In additional, a heartfelt thank you to Al and Erin Rosa of Rosas Farm for creating a truly enchanting gourmet paleo event in their home following the lecture. Based on our experience with them that evening, with much anticipation I’m hoping they will soon publish a gourmet paleo cookbook so that we may all re-create Al’s paleo gourmet magic in our own homes! In the meantime, please visit the Rosas Country Market which is well stocked with organic and completely grass-fed beef, pork, poultry, eggs and wild-caught sea food. They also offer their own line of organic seasonings and the best organic barbecue sauce I have ever tasted (and the only one I’ve ever seen that does not list “corn syrup” on the label)!
Dr. Cordain, Dr. Montes, Cheryl Polack, and Dr. Wartels arriving in the Rosas Home
An evening of incredible food and great conversation!
Basically just finished pouring through, page by page, the long awaited Revised Edition of The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain, PhD. Not sure if it’s because I’ve been doing this a while or recently finished a fantastic webinar with Matt Lalonde (the Bill Nye of Nutrition) – but this was a much easier read than Dr. Cordain’s first book written in 2002! The revised edition is definitely “new and improved”: it’s informative, provides thorough explanations of the science behind the diet, and cites numerous studies as they apply to the Paleo Diet.
I strongly encourage those who are interested in better understanding the science and research behind the Paleo Diet to order this book. His presentation is convincing. By following the Paleo Diet you will not only lose weight, but also prevent future disease. Sounds like a great Christmas gift for someone you love!
A couple of highlights from the revised edition include:
Mark Sisson would be proud to read Dr. Cordain’s revisions on “recommended oils” – he now puts canola oil on the “foods to avoid list”. Allowed oils are basically culled down to four: olive, flaxseed, avocado and walnut oils.
Dr. Cordain has “softened his stance” on saturated fat. Based on the latest research he now believes the original view of “artery-clogging saturated fat” is incorrect even though he states saturated fat, specifically lauric acid, myristic acid and plamatic acid (but not stearic acid), elevates blood cholesterol. New research points to the role inflammation plays in artery-clogging plaques and heart disease. Unless your immune system is chronically inflamed, atherosclerosis from saturated fats “will not likely kill us from either heart attacks or strokes”. He continues to drive home the point that by following the principles of The Paleo Diet, you will be protected from dangerous low-level inflammation that has been shown to occur from eating a diet of grains, vegetable oils, sugar, legumes, dairy products , salt and/or processed foods (Neolithic or Modern Foods).
Dr. Cordain discusses the connection between anti-nutrients found in modern foods (grains, legumes, dairy products, and nightshade vegetables) and the role they may play in auto-immune disease. Referring to the numerous mysterious autoimmune diseases that have baffled researchers in the past, Dr. Cordain shares that through new research we can now better understand how following the Paleo Diet can “protect us from these one hundred or more illnesses.”
Dr Cordain also discusses at length the mechanisms that contribute to the development of Metabolic Syndrome and concludes time and time again that by following the Paleo Diet you can halt and in many cases reverse the progression of Type 2 Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease and Dyslipidemia.
As a woman, I especially enjoyed his in-depth discussion of the role high carbohydrate diets may play in breast, colon and prostate cancers. A high carb diet results in high insulin levels which increase IGF- 1 (a powerful growth hormone) and decreases IGFBP-3 (which regulates out-of-control cell growth). In other words, high insulin levels can promote the unregulated growth of cancer cells.
And the most exciting meaningful part of the book to ME? Wine is now “allowed” in moderation citing health benefits that may result from an occasional glass of wine. But don’t go overboard; we’re talking a 4oz glass on date night! If you have an auto-immune issue of any sort, alcohol is NOT permitted. Alcohol has been known to increase gut permeability.
My brother-in-law recently sent me a link to “Fooducate” – a new iphone app created by “a team of parents, dietitians, and techies”. You use “Fooducate” while shopping to scan product labels in order to help you make better nutritional choices. Yikes - their “see how it works” slide show offered “B+” rated breakfast cereals as “better options” for a “C” rated cereal. Obviously this is not a team of paleo parents, dietitians and techies!
I emailed my brother-in-law back an explained it’s pretty easy to find “paleo foods” in a local grocery store by only shopping the perimeter of the store (organic fruits and vegetables, wild-caught fish and grassed beef and poultry). Yet being a paleo newbie himself, he insisted it would be helpful if there were a way to determine if a product was paleo-friendly. Even”gluten free” products often list ingredients (corn, potato, soy, kidney beans, vegetable oils, etc) that are not eaten when following The Paleo Diet.
Come to find out, my brother-in-law is not alone. In one of my early morning paleo-google searches, I came across “Paleo Approved“. Karen Pendergrass and Kimberly Eyer have founded Paleo Approved, Inc. in order to help consumers identify foods that meet the standards of The Paleo Diet. Qualifying paleo foods (see “Get Paleo Approved“) will be labeled to help consumers figure out which foods are safe to eat. Check out their informative website and very funny video!
In my very last minute search for Thanksgiving Paleo recipes, I came across Naturally Engineered’s helpful blog post. Thankfully, Naturally Engineered did the research for us and has combined several Paleo Thanksgiving resources in one post!
I am glad to find that you have your website up, and that you continue to take your knowledge, training and overall expertise to yet another level.
During the 6 weeks that I worked with you last summer, I lost 14 pounds and improved my diet and lifestyle as well as my ability to adequately perform different exercise routines. My fasting insulin decreased by half. For the first time in 2 years my lipid profile normalized - even increased the HDL without the need for statin therapy!
I am now using much of your advice and your recommendations with my patients.
Thanks so much. I am looking forward to working with you again soon.
Jose A Gaudier, MD, Neurologist
I met Cheryl at a level 1 CrossFit cert I was coaching several years ago. Then I saw her at another Level 1. Then a CrossFit Nutrition cert...on the other side of the country! Then another! Cheryl has a a seemingly insatiable desire to learn. This curiosity, as powerful as it is takes a back seat to perhaps one thing however and that is Cheryl's desire and capacity to HELP. I think one of the most profound things any of us can do is leave a legacy of helping. I was very excited to hear about her forthcoming blog and will be reading it every day.
It says here that Cheryl has a new blog. I say, it's about damn time. Cheryl has been accumulating knowledge and experience about the serious side of exercise for a while now, and I can't think of a better ambassador for barbell training to women who typically refuse to consider its benefits. One look at Cheryl dispells any apprehensions they may have regarding the aesthetic effects, and she is quite capable of explaining the health and fitness advantages to this group of folks in desparate need of a better way to approach their exercise prescription.
Cheryl,
I met Cheryl at a level 1 CrossFit cert I was coaching several years ago. Then I saw her at another Level 1. Then a CrossFit Nutrition cert...on the other side of the country! Then another! Cheryl has a a seemingly insatiable desire to learn. This curiosity, as powerful as it is takes a back seat to perhaps one thing however and that is Cheryl's desire and capacity to HELP. I think one of the most profound things any of us can do is leave a legacy of helping. I was very excited to hear about her forthcoming blog and will be reading it every day.
It says here that Cheryl has a new blog. I say, it's about damn time. Cheryl has been accumulating knowledge and experience about the serious side of exercise for a while now, and I can't think of a better ambassador for barbell training to women who typically refuse to consider its benefits. One look at Cheryl dispells any apprehensions they may have regarding the aesthetic effects, and she is quite capable of explaining the health and fitness advantages to this group of folks in desparate need of a better way to approach their exercise prescription.