Why I Don’t Follow The Paleo Diet

Gasp.

What?!?

I mean, has she lost it?

Yea,  yea, yea, I know, I’m coming out to clarify the reason why I’ve never stood beside the paleo name or simply why I’m not paleo.

Do you want to know the real reason I don’t stand behind any diet or gimmick?

Before we get there, lets start with the truths.

The truth is the paleo diet has helped hundreds of thousands of people achieve lasting weight loss, see a reduction in health complications and more simply put, achieve health. This, without argument is a really beautiful thing. But the reality is, it’s still a diet that has set rules and boundaries to what to eat and what not to eat.

Now I’m not denying this is a good thing but the reality is that anytime we’ve put “standards” out there for what to eat and what not to eat, it hasn’t worked for everyone. You know what I’m talking about if you jumped on the paleo bandwagon or weight watchers or any other diet out there and you poured your heart and soul into it  without any noticeable difference in how you felt or looked.

Frustrating, isn’t it?

I’m also not denying that regardless, the paleo diet is probably working in most people to reduce inflammation but in other people it could be worsening known complications. I want you to know that I’m not putting down the paleo diet at all.

What I am doing is shedding light on the fact that maybe we’ve all missed the bottom line when it comes to health and nutrition.

That being that we are each our own individual people, with very specific and set needs that vary greatly from person to person. What works for one may not work for another and instead of listening to how our body responds and its needs we get stuck in the trap of listening to all the noise about health.

And I’m going to call it just that, noise.

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m a part of that noise. Having my own beliefs about nutrition and health and what is best.

But again, we’ve all fallen short. We’ve made nutrition a more complex manner than it needs to be and yet we are left with a nation more confused and unhealthy than ever.

I like the name simple and I keep coming back to that lately. Simply (pun intended) because it makes life easier, less stressful and more appealing. Can you imagine a life free of the diet traps and chains of an unhealthy body? Free to eat food, real food that tastes really good? I mean we can all sum it up, that would be a stinkin’ good life, right?

Instead, we are left here in the pits trying to crawl out of our latest disaster of a plan.

But it’s all about the science, right?

Funny how it all comes back to the science and you all know I love me some good deep, dense science articles but it is quite funny. Over the past several weeks I have had numerous people come out to make arguments or just stand up to different health issues and the science that stands behind it. And as I sat down and talked to a respected Doctor about this, we both laughed and really just recognized the truth. We all know regardless of what the science says on what is good for us and what isn’t. It’s not a complex manner.

And even if there is science for something there is most likely there is also ample amounts of science against the same thing. In some regards we can make science what we want and some of that comes from funding. But that’s another issue.

The real issue is the science doesn’t mean everything. Sometimes it is just common sense and sticking to what we all know to be true.

What we all know, real food, grown from the earth wins every.single.time.

No argument.

What we also know, everyone is different and requires a different amount of nutrients and thus why not one diet works for everyone.

So why are we an obsessed nation that relies so heavily on the beliefs of others instead of cold hard truth?

Because we think it will be easier and we want the quick fix.

But here’s the main point:

The truth is, your body knows best and that looks different on everyone. But I will tell you this may not be the quickest “external” fix, it sure is a lasting one and until we make it known and end the arguments, we will continue down this path of yo-yo dieting. We’ll continue down the path to chasing the dream without ever understanding the chase.

I’ll argue it time and time again, this is not a complex manner.

Nutrition is quite simple, your body ultimately wants to be healthy and the answer once again is that real food wins every single time.

So while I’d like to tell you I have strict rules for myself and my family, I don’t.

Because rules aren’t the answer.

The answer is having values that place what we consume so high you won’t settle for less than stellar quality. Without valuing your health, you’ll never get a true look into what health looks like in your own body. You’ll miss it as you keep looking to the stars for the next best thing.

Health values that help you walk by that cookie not because your “diet” told you, you couldn’t have it but really because you value your health so much it doesn’t even seem appealing. Don’t think this can happen? Think again.

This is real health, you’ve first placed an ultimate value on your body and on yourself that above all you need to take care of the very vehicle for everything else to happen. To be the best wife, mother, friend, employee or sister means you must take care of yourself so you have everything in you to give back to others.

Unfortunately this isn’t a black and white manner.

It’s not a means of setting strict rules and following to it, because if you are like 99.9% of other people you are going to break them simply because we are rebels.

Nutrition is such a grey area. It is sticking to your beliefs and values and not letting anyone sway you from what you believe to be true about your body.

So no, I’m not paleo and the reason;

I occasionally enjoy a small amount of cheese on my food. Of course I mostly try to get this from goat’s cheese or sheep’s cheese, but I’m not going to deny the fact that I do like cheese and yogurt.

Yes, I do limit them but I also feel my body can handle them as I don’t have a known sensitivity or allergy and I otherwise feel healthy.

I’m also not paleo because on occasion I do eat organic corn and corn chips (yes, I’m a real human).

I also enjoy beans in my soups and in my taco bowls.

And gasp.

Brace yourself.

I eat some grains.

While I never waver with gluten, simply because it makes me feel bloated. Like bloated with a capital B, I do eat other grains on occasion like rice and oats. It’s not an everyday thing but a once in a while thing and I’m totally okay with it.

My wish for you is that you too could embrace health in a way that made it realistic and exciting for you. Too often I find that half of the battle with weight and other health issues is that doctor we all trust named “google” has diagnosed and misdiagnosed so many things we now have people who are health-phobic. We are paralyzed when it comes to food and what to eat and what to do that we can’t even be real with ourselves.

Listen up!

Your body knows best, it wants to be healthy. Now allow it to achieve health by fostering a healthy diet without restriction and deprivation.

Place a value on your health that is so great it literally changes the way you look at food.

Not in a negative way but a positive one.

One that allows you to embrace real food, healthy food and yet so amazingly delicious food that you don’t ever want to stop.

This is health, not some formulation someone came up with and found research to back it.

This is common sense and that being we all know what good, wholesome, nutritious food is.

Stop believing the lies. Start listening to what’s within.

End Rant.

And because you listened to my rant so long and I really don’t want you to hate me (I’m just being honest),  I’ve included a slightly sweet and hearty go-to, make-ahead, kid-friendly peachy quinoa oatmeal porridge.  Full of protein, hearty carbohydrates and fresh juicy peaches, this really does provide a nutritional bang and one that is okay every once in a while.

Just eat it up.

Listen to your own body and love life.

M’kay?

Now give me a big ol’ hug!