One definition of a fanatic is “someone who forgot the original cause behind their actions”. That is, people who take anything to its extreme often can’t remember why they were doing it in the first place. The solution meant to solve their problem tends to become a new problem. Where Paleolithic eating is concerned, this is a topic that that comes up frequently and I believe it should be communicated from many different angles.
I originally started a loosened up version of our natural Paleolithic diet to lose body fat. I very quickly lost fat, but at the same time became exceedingly healthy and happy. The benefits of eating this way vastly outweighed any costs. 20 years later they still do. Over the years I have slowly drifted closer and closer to a pure evolutionary diet because my original goals are even better served by eating more delicious organic vegetables, fruits, and game meats. This also happened because I have made it my mission to find out exactly how to find and prepare convenient and inexpensive Paleolithic foods. Finally, I have learned how to fit this philosophy on eating into my modern life (not the other way around!) with no additional hassle or work.
At times I follow a pure Paleolithic diet, but never for too long. I always end up eating a little bit of dessert, bean salad, a little whole grain bread or some other food that is not overly processed, but certainly isn’t Paleolithic. I never worry about crossing these boundaries because it makes no difference to my health or my physique. My original goals are still being met beyond my wildest expectations.
Conversely, insisting on eating only pure Paleolithic foods all of the time tends to cause unnecessary stress in my life. You can’t live in a bubble and trying to ensure that you are eating only Paleo foods 100% of the time can require an undue amount of time, effort and concern. Socially, you become nothing short of a “pain in the ass” to your friends who feel compelled to include “wild yac” in their dinner party menu because you are such an intransigent SOB. You invariably end up becoming a social pariah and may need to find new “Paleo-only” friends who like you are also “food Nazis” and just as obsessive-compulsive. This would be no fun at all.
I’m telling you that it is okay to include some non-Paleolithic foods in your diet. Eat the artisan Asiago Cheese imported from Italy – trust me, it’s freaking delicious! Eat the homemade chocolate and strawberry cheesecake made from scratch on a local farm with real strawberries and artisan chocolate. Eat the organic corn chips with loads of organic salsa and guacamole…go ahead! You are at one of the best Japanese restaurants in town, and ….wait, what are you doing? You’re stripping the fish off the sushi roll? Stop it! Eat the damn rice! Drink the wine, drink the champagne. Have big glass of cider or Sangria. Have another. It’s good for you! Here’s why:
1) These minor dalliances from your primarily Paleolithic diet will represent such a low % of your total caloric intake they won’t harm your good health. Actually, they will likely improve it because you will less stressed-out about your food and a quite a bit happier
2) These foods won’t do a thing to your physique – if you have been eating a diet of primarily Paleolithic foods, your fat loss problems will be over and your average day is already in caloric equilibrium or deficit. There will be no visible difference in your lean physique
3) Omnivores, like humans need dietary curve balls! They are good for us, make us stronger, and keep our omnivorous survival mechanism well oiled and operating so we don’t evolve into “Human Koala bears” that can only eat two or three things or we’ll die
Wait, aren’t these foods addictive? The ones from the Agricultural-industrial food processors certainly are; much more so than the ones you will be eating. That is, the non-Paleo foods you should eat are made from natural products by real people, outside of industrial processing – they are fine! Further, any naturally addictive properties that are in those foods will be much weaker than your healthy addiction to your natural Paleolithic foods. Your primary evolutionary foods are addictive to you in large part because of the benefits they provide:
- Nutritionally, they are exactly what your body needs and desires
- They keep you lean, strong and healthy
- You will feel great
- You will look great
These great benefits in turn deliver a whole new list of rewards: youthful vitality, excellent physical function, attention from the opposite sex, anti-aging effects, etc. It is for these reasons and many more that folks who convert to Paleolithic eating never go back to crappy, illegitimate modern foods. Rather, they tend to eat more, progressively pure versions of our evolutionary foods.
My goal here is not to get you off of our natural human diet, quite the contrary; it is to help ensure that you remain eating healthy Paleolithic foods. One way to do that is to communicate that it’s okay to eat some delicious, common non-Paleolithic foods on a regular basis while following what is in essence an evolutionary diet.
For more info on a diet plan that will help you lose weight and feel better, check out my book, the eco-diet. You can find it at http://www.eco-diet.com