Category: Rant

So, this is something that comes up every now and then. I am a huge fan of the Paleo diet, but not the diet of cavemen. I don’t, for a minute, believe that cavemen were healthier than us because they ate less beans, soy, dairy, sugars, etc. What I do believe is that this diet that is called Paleo hits upon some food restrictions and recommendations that work for me. They have allowed me to get healthy and, in a roundabout way, get fit.

I know that what I’m saying here is sacrilege to those who came up with the idea and many who wholeheartedly believe in it. I’m sorry. I just don’t believe that part of the origin story of Paleo.

I heard once that Paleo is a good diet but a terrible religion, and that’s how I feel about it. I follow the diet, I believe in the diet, but not necessarily in the origin story. I don’t think I am healthier now because I live like a caveman. I believe I’m healthier now because I live a low-carb life without sugar, dairy, grains, soy, and legumes. That’s all.

What’s in a name, anyway, if it works? It seems so many people get offended by the name of the diet or the idea behind eating “Like a caveman.” Heck, I’ve even seen people shy away from the Paleo diet because of their religion not believing in evolution (therefore, Paleo man was not human). I don’t really care what it’s called. You could call this the PaleoMarine Diet if it makes you feel any better. I won’t be offended.

I get asked every few weeks or so, “So, you never eat bread anymore?” and many variations on this question with bread replaced with the things I don’t eat anymore. I take that as an invitation to discuss diet, so I tell them, “No. Not anymore.” So far, that has always been followed by, “But why? I heard bread is good for you.” I then go into why it’s really not good for us, how the food lobby has paid for studies the government cites as sources of why we should eat more grains and how sugar isn’t as bad as some of us say it is. These people nod, smile, and tell me how shocked they are and then they go (literally, right before my eyes) and take a bite of a donut and wash it down with orange juice.

Really?

Maybe I’m just a curiosity to them. I really don’t know. Ultimately, like I tell people all the time, I’m not the Paleo Police, and I honestly am not going to give you crap for eating whatever you chose to eat. It’s your decision, and I respect that. But if you ask me my opinion on the food you’re eating, you’ll get it. And most likely, unless you’re eating Paleo, it won’t be what you want to hear.

Maybe they’re trying to be polite and have conversation on the only thing they know about me. I’ve become “That health nut guy” or “That Paleo guy.” Now, I have added to that, “That fitness guy” and “That guy who runs.” I’m okay with these labels, I guess. It’s better than, “That really heavy guy,” “That overweight guy,” or “That fat guy.”

Are they trolling, or are they really oblivious?

Weight loss is 90% diet. Eat right, and your body will reward you. Eat crap, and your body will respond accordingly. It’s a pretty easy concept.

Please, for the love of all things, if you’re going to post about how hard you work out and how hard you’re trying to lose weight and then post about the awesome Cinnabon you ate and a few hours later post about how hard it’s been for you to lose weight, know that while I’m not judging you, I’m making the face in the picture above. You know what to do. You know the right way to do this. You’re making a conscious decision to sabotage your progress. And for that, you get no sympathy from me.

It’s been a while, but it’s time for a rant.

We need to reject the horrible anti-nutritious food that we are being bombarded and inundated with. The vast majority of the food available to us in the grocery stores are filled with either sugar, grains, soy, dairy, or chemicals. The only foods that I can trust are meats and vegetables, but again, only as long as they are unprocessed in any way. Some foods that you would NEVER expect to have harmful or questionable additives do. Try to find tuna fish that is just tuna fish in a can. Bacon? Good luck finding any without sugar and nitrates.

There is nearly nothing good for you in the frozen section except for frozen vegetables and maybe some fruits, but even a lot of the frozen fruits have sugar added to them. It’s maddening trying to find anything good to eat in a GROCERY STORE.

What’s worse is how much of this horrible stuff is marked as “Heart Healthy,” “Healthy,” or “Organic” all while being filled with sugar, grains, soy, and dairy. The low-fat, no-nut, gluten-free labels are all over the place, as if those were really any better for you. Rice is still a grain. I can understand people with Celiac disease avoiding gluten, but everyone else? It’s the GRAINS you need to avoid!!!

Nuts? If you have a nut allergy, sure, avoid them. Everyone else? It’s one of the best foods for you to eat!

I feel like Mugatu in Zoolander: “Am I the only person here not taking crazy pills?”

Is it a conspiracy? Maybe. It is the food industry that has paid for our nutrition research over the past 50 years, and they’re the ones who came up with this whole nonsense of low-fat, not eating eggs, gluten-free, etc that is nothing but BS and causes more harm than good. Now, drug companies are buying food companies that sell high-carb foods. The high-carb foods cause health problems which the drug companies medicate for. Is that not a conspiracy?

Eat meat and veggies and fruits, people. You will get healthier just through eating right. Avoid the middle of the grocery store; shop the perimeter. Your body will thank you.