The Short and Simple Version
Primal, Paleo, Whole Food, Clean-Eating, Caveman Diet... Call it what you will. I don't believe that there is any one particular way of eating that is right for everyone, but I do believe that there are a few core principles that are pretty essential to good health. They are...
1. The more processed a food is, the less likely your body will be able to handle it without side effects or long term health issues
2. Meat and animal protein is good - but it should be pastured and free range where possible
3. Dairy, if consumed, should be raw & grass fed
4. Organic is better
5. Fat is not the bad guy
6. Refined sugar IS the bad guy
7. Toxins are the OTHER bad guy
If you haven't heard of the "paleo" or "primal" nutrition theory, in essence it is eating what our ancestors have eaten for a millennia or two. Or however many millennia there have been. Paleo is short for Paleolithic. The theory is that our bodies really haven't had the time to adjust or evolve to eating the foods we have in abundance today. Of course I'm talking about processed foods, but also grains and processed dairy. Even in their natural and most unprocessed forms, our bodies have only really had a few thousand years to become accustomed to these foods. Since about 8000-5000 BC to be (not very) precise. This may sound like a long time, but, if you subscribe to the theory of evolution (or even if you don't, it's been a while since the days of Adam and Eve right?), compared to the MILLIONS of years we spent hunting and gathering, it's pretty much a drop in an ocean. Which may go some way towards explaining all the health issues we have today that stem from problems with sugar and grains. There are most likely THOUSANDS, but let's just point out Diabetes and Celiac disease to start with. Not only are we suffering from more nutrition related diseases than ever before, as a society, we just seem to be a bit "off", you know what I mean? Tired, sick, fat, depressed, anxious. I, at least, am all of those things. I would dearly love for this to change.
I'm certainly not an expert, but I am sharing what I have learned and continue to learn on my journey. If you would like to know more, check out the bounty of information provided buy the guys over at Whole9, or Mark Sisson's website Marks Daily Apple. Mark wrote a book called The Primal Blueprint. I haven't read it all, but I do subscribe to his emails and he comes out with some great research, info and tips.
Disclaimer - Dairy is a matter of contention for some primal/paleo enthusiasts, and it really depends on who you ask as to whether or not it's ok. My theory is, alot of people can't handle it and therefore shouldn't eat it, but if you can handle it (especially fermented dairy), go for it, as longs as it is raw and unprocessed. If you are not sure if it causes you problems, try eliminating it for a month and then re-introducing it gradually to see how your body handles it.
Cheers,
Jas
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