Last night, I decided to stop at the local healthy food store to pick up some grass-fed steak, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes for a dinner I was making for Sherry and I. While I was checking out, I took notice of the food that my fellow shoppers were buying in a bid to be healthy. NONE of it was what I’d consider to be healthy food, yet these people were shopping at this place and purchasing food that they believed would help them be healthy and to lose weight (it was pretty obvious that they were trying to lose weight based on the choices; I know, because I made those exact same choices in the past when I was trying to lose weight before I knew about Paleo, Whole30, Keto, etc).

Once again, as it always does, it made me sad. But, I didn’t say anything. It’s not my place to be the diet police, nor is it acceptable for me to just bluntly give advice when it’s not asked for. I just watched the items get checked out by the grocer, and two of the people in front of me even had a conversation about how the food they were buying was so bland but “All the stuff that’s good for you just tastes so bad.”

Sigh.

Healthy food is fuel that doesn’t negatively affect your health. It doesn’t cause cravings and false appetite. Healthy food doesn’t spike your blood sugar, and it doesn’t force your body to store excess energy faster than you can use it. Healthy food is food that leaves your body fulfilled until the next meal. It nourishes and fuels you for whatever it is you do. Healthy food doesn’t mean organic. There is organic cane sugar that is as bad for you as any hard drug. Organic doesn’t mean healthy. And that’s a big part of the problem. Misunderstanding.

I have spoken to so many people who mistakenly believe that organic means healthy. There are also countless number of people who still believe that things like bacon, butter, and fat is bad for them. These very same people eat oatmeal, bread, and peanut butter in a feeble attempt to get healthy. When they are successful, it’s likely due to CICO: Calories In/Calories Out. They simply ate fewer calories than they took in. But it’s not because the organic whole wheat bread with peanut butter and organic jelly is actually good for them.

I was asked today what long-term studies have shown that the Paleo Diet is good for you. There are many studies under way, and there have been studies done in the past, but to me, the most telling study is that of my own grandparents and great-grandparents who ate high-fat low-carb diets and all lived well into their 80’s and 90’s. That’s all I need to know about what’s good for my body. Oh, and the fact that I still feel great at 51 (better, in fact, than I did at 30!) and my blood work backs it up has sold me on the lifestyle.