Has Anyone Tried the Paleo Aka Caveman Diet?

Not sure about the "canned" version of this diet... but as an anthropology student: farmed diets are extremely limited, compared to the extremely diverse diets that were eaten for apx 60,000 years during the hunting/gathering majority of human existance.

Typically, the more diverse one's diet, the healthier one is... since one is ingesting a wide variety of nutrients from many sources.

Catch22 : It's almost impossible to actually have that kind of diverse diet in our agricultural world.

Why? Because we buy our food from the store.

Maybe 20 kinds of meat/fish on sale... instead of the 500 or so that are on the hoof, foot, clamp, and fin. Maybe 100 types of plants on sale, instead of the 10,000 or so edible kinds that are out and about in nature.

Even the wealthiest of us, just usually can't mimic the bionutrientdiversity that was / is available in the wild.

If one is fairly well off, though, one can mimic to a certain degree. Buying 'game' meats, every single kind of fresh seafood available, shopping at all the ethnic stores, etc. But it's still extremely limited compared to what our ancestors ate.

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If the canned version of this diet is just "cooking from scratch"... then, yeah. All the benefits of cooking from scratch. IF the ingredients are varried enough, and IF they're prepared well (so the volatile nutrients aren't destroyed, and the 'locked' nutrients are released), and they keep the ingredients rich and balanced... then what one gets is a diet that won't have a lot of nutritional deficits. HOWEVER; there are a lot of nutrients that are not readily available UNLESS one supplements. I don't eat idodized salt. But that's becuase I (on purpose) get my iodine from seafood sources. When I can't afford seafood sources rich in iodine, durn straight, I need iodized salt.

This is a problem with many faddish kinds of diets. Option A being super healthy... except when it's NOT. When it's not healthy, is something very few diets go into. So people often end up UNhealthy, because they don't know the exceptions to the case.

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In general, though:

Good nutrition from a diverse and balanced diet helps EVERYONE.

Good nutrition from a diverse and balanced diet is particularly needed in those that have more demands on their body than others (athletes, people with medical issues, etc.).

I have celiac disease so the paleo diet has a lot of options for me. I feel better and I don't get the blood sugar highs and lows that I used to get. I don't follow the diet religiously - however, I do use many of the recipes and philosophy of the diet. try http://www.elanaspantry.com/

I think that it helps people with autoimmune conditions feel better because the diet is free from chemicals and grains - grains have been shown to cause inflammation in people with autoimmune disorders. There is a clear association between autoimmune disorders, inflammation and grains. (The book wheat belly is a good read)

Well, I can tell you that my mom (inadvertently) follows this diet fairly closely (my dad hunts and fishes and my mom grows her own garden) and it doesn't do much for her fibro. My parents are also big on nuts (primarily almonds and pecans, although they will really eat any of them). So, again, my mom unintentionally follows this pretty darn closely and it doesn't help her with her fibro.

One big theory in this lifestyle is that we didn't used to eat quite so many grains. Like corn for instance is in every product practically that is processed in any way. Some people's digestive system is stressed out by the grains (wheat, rice, corn, etc etc)...and that the stress in the "gut" causes inflammation in the digestive tract that gets your immune system out of balance becasue it is fighting the grains your system is having problems processing...

The paleos stress a healthy digestive balance...

I just read three books on the subject and am using a lot of their recipes...they are pretty good.

I don't have time right now to totally get into the whole thing...but I can't see how this diet could hurt you...and limiting carbs is not a bad thing.

I am not sure why the diets either. Chronic Fatigue (and I have had it so I know) you need to improve your immune system as well as Fibromyalgia. There are things out there that help.

I know several people who have one or the other and are doing wonderfully on Shaklee products. Fibro your muscles don't repair and Shaklee has something that helps them repair along with other supportive products. Nutriferon and Immunity Formula I helps the immune system and helps things like Chronic Fatigue. I had Chronic Fatigue for only about a year and I really believe that Shaklee helped me get over it. And during that year I was exhausted but still managed to do things. I know people who have had Chronic Fatigue and Fibro for more than a year and are still fighting it. But they aren't using Shaklee. I also know people who are proactive and are either on Shaklee or trying Shaklee for 3-6 months to see the difference and then they usually see and feel the difference and don't get off Shaklee.

Now I will tell you that eating correctly without a lot of sugar and bad fats and eating lots of protein and veggies helps all conditions - so in that she is right if those diets do that. But, again, you still need supplementation.

If you are interested to learn more without pressure then contact me. Everyone has to make their own choices as to what they will do and what they want to live with.

http://nutritionproducts.myshaklee.com

Health Coach
N.

Riley nailed most of it in a nutshell.

My personal thoughts are with Garfield the Cat: http://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1978/08/30 Diet is "die" with a "t".

If you hunt and fish to supplement your foods, and cook healthier, your health will benefit from the lack of chemical additives and preservatives. I have friends who hunt, and I trade them recipes and take the time to make their season blends for the folks who process their meats, and get Venison and other seasonal game meats. I fish when I can safely do so, or buy fish that are from a farm to reduce the strain on the wild fish population.

On the subject of grains. I eat a lot of rice dishes(being half Korean), and I make and eat pierogis(also half Polish). I can tell when I've not had enough of these foods and too much processed, because I feel sluggish, fatigued, and all around lousy. I drink and eat RBGH free organic dairy(self sufficient green dairy farms are viable if people support them). I shop smart and use the farmers markets when in season, and grow my own herbs and veggies when time and money allow, and budget buy from the locally grown organic sections in the regular stores when possible. I believe if enough people shop this way, the stores will cater to them and stock more organic local grown produce.
I was raised to eat lots of fruits and veggies. She grew veggies whenever possible, and canned the surplus. She bartered goods for a good recipe. In the Winter, Mother blew the budget monthly on produce because she said, "Good food is cheaper than a good doctor." She's right you know!
She made rice dishes weekly, and a balance of other foods; pastas, meatloaf with either an oatmeal or rice filler. She made fresh breads(rather I made the dough and she baked it) often. I was healthy(I did develop a couple of food allergies based on eating waaaaay too many of them in too short a span, so I've avoided them until my body forgets about the big "oops" I did to it, but that's a whole other ball game).
When Pregnant, I had a very near Vegan intake only because I tossed my cookies whenever I ate anything processed. If I even smelled McDonalds friving down the road, I was hanging out the window. Even then, things like Amaranth bread, Russian Black Bread, and home made flatbreads, fresh veggies, fruits, and home made canned preserves were a staple.

It's all the preservatives they use to have extended shelf life and taste and colour and smell that messes up the works that we call our bodies.
I do understand we can't all afford to hunt and fish and farm, but if we cut down on the garbage we demand our bodies to filter out, choose wisely what we cook, simplify our intake by eliminating preserved processed junk, in general our lives will be healthier. I remember back when Pizza Hut, McDonalds, and Long John Silvers were TREATS. We splurged on junk food as a special family time treat. These days folks are eating it one meal a day, seven days a week. I have friends who are just floored that I won't join them every other day to goto the nearest junk food joint. I can't think of a single reason to do it, can you?

Sorry for the wallotext, it's...

Just my 2cp.

I have had two people that I know tell me about their great success with this diet. One is 25... and my first response to her was, "you're 25" of course you feel great." The other one however, is in her 60's and says that she's never felt better. Her blood levels are perfect and she no longer needs glasses.
Don't ask me... it's worth a try; I don't see anything bad about it.