Paleo Diet: Fad Diet or Life Style Change?

 Part 2 in the “Fad Diet or Lifestyle Change?” series is the Paleo Diet!

The paleo diet is when an individual eats foods that basically a caveman would eat, such as meat, fish, fruit, and veggies. This type of lifestyle has gotten a lot of publicity through popular sites like Pinterest and Facebook with in the past few years, although there are research articles dating back all the way to 1997 for the Paleo diet. There are also many celebrities who swear by it (such as Jack Osborne, Jessica Biel, Megan Fox, Matthew McConaughey, etc.) However, just because a celebrity endorses a product or diet/lifestyle doesn’t always mean you should hop onto the bandwagon.  Be smart and do your research first (which is what you’re about to read!)

The Paleo lifestyle is one that can be altered. Some individuals prefer to go extremely low carb (higher protein and fat diet), while others need those carbs in their diet such as potatoes, rice, or extra fruits and veggies. 

There are two main rules I found while doing my research with the paleo diet. 

First, eat whole and nutrient dense foods at all times. No, you do not have to act like a caveman, that’s just the “mascot”. You want to eat foods that are more healthful than harmful to your health. For example, your diet should consist of grass-fed meat and eggs, fresh veggies and fruit, as well as nuts and seeds in moderation.

Secondly, avoid all the processed and sugar added foods out there. Really try to stay out of the middle isles (however- I always like to get my beans, corn, and some other canned veggies that I just rinse under water).  You also want to avoid gluten, dairy, and other sugar or white carb type of grains while on this diet.

You may be thinking to yourself, this sounds great! Or you may be thinking, “this sounds terrible”… either way, here’s some of the benefits and consequences of going paleo.

Benefits:

•        Adapting an extremely clean lifestyle
•        Rich in nutrient-dense food
•        No calorie/macro counting, no grey area.
•   Paleo-style eating emphasizes whole foods, lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and other healthy fats, which is a massive improvement over the average Western diet.
•      You may end up losing weight, gaining clearer skin, and overall feeling better. This is simply because you are eating right and getting rid of processed foods. However, you may feel fatigued at first when you switch over to a Paleo Lifestyle. This is why I always recommend to switch SLOWLY! 
•        The paleo diet truly shows you how awful packaged and processed foods are

Consequences:

•       You eliminate entire food groups, making yo more likely to binge eat them or develop intolerance to it, as well as lacking in a certain mineral. For example, you cannot eat dairy. This may work well for some, however this means no yogurt, cottage cheese, or milk! These things that contain protein and calcium are vital to your diet, and you must find these nutrients elsewhere. Another example is that if you give up dairy for an entire year, you could develop intolerance to it.
•        It may be harder to eat out, although most of the time restaurants are more than willing to accommodate your needs.
•        This is not a “one-size-fits-all” diet. Some people need dairy and legumes in their diet more than others. Find what works for YOU! Personally, I need some type of starchy carb (sweet potato, quinoa, or couscous) in my lunch or else I will be a hangry monster looking to feast the rest of the day.

Overall, what do I think? I think this is your choice! Paleo is such a great way to get acclimated in the clean eating world, or it's a great way to spruce up your diet! However, I choose to just eat clean. I believe that there are no good or bad foods when it comes to legumes, quinoa, couscous, dairy, etc. The only “bad” foods I try to stay away from are processed junk food like chips, baked goods, candy, etc. Remember that if you do want to go on a paleo diet, you MUST start phasing out all your processed foods for at least a week! You need to slowly phase these bad foods out so you do not put your body into shock and develop headaches, stomachaches, fatigue, etc. And if you feel the Paleo Lifestyle isn’t right for you, adjust slowly. Start phasing foods back into your diet to avoid bloating, headaches, stomachaches, etc.

Tip: Although I am not following the paleo lifestyle, (I feel that other than eating dairy, I follow it loosely) I love to search paleo recipes. These will typically be the cleanest and easiest recipes! Below is a chart that I feel represents the way I eat vs. Paleo. Tell me what you think! 

Veganism: Fad Diet or Lifestyle Change?

Veganism: Fad Diet or Lifestyle Change? 

Hey guys! Okay, so this is week one of my series going in depth with every type of lifestyle choices and/or fad diet out there. I am digging deep to give you all the info you need to make the right choice! This week I am digging into Veganism. In the beginning I will be giving a brief overview, followed by the good and bad of going vegan. In the weeks to follow I will be digging into paleo, HGC, Vegetarian, Whole 30, etc. So lets go! 

With all the different types of diets out there, it’s hard to decide which ones are a healthy lifestyle choice and which ones are simply fad diets. Something that has been popping up more and more lately is the Vegan lifestyle.

Veganism doesn’t have the best reputation when many think about it. People tend to think of vegans as animal loving hipsters who constantly talk about being a vegan. I disagree with that entire statement, however. Veganism is evolving ever so fast, with more and more vegan restaurants opening, and more vegan friendly options on shelves at the local grocery store.  So, what exactly is veganism? In true definition, veganism s a way of living, which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose. In short- veganism is a lifestyle in which individuals omit all animal products from their diet and/or clothing and other lifestyle choices. Veganism omits all animal products such as meat, eggs, milk, etc.

You may be thinking to yourself, what the heck is so great about this lifestyle… what do they even eat? I thought that at first too. However after much research, veganism is not as restrictive as people may think! Although, I am not a vegan, I am challenging all of you to try a few of the recipes I have listed below (just as I did!). You will not be disappointed.

Here are a few quick tips you may want to consider before going on a full vegan diet, even if you just try it for a week!

     1.)  Take vitamins as part of your morning routine. B12 is a vitamin that is only naturally occurring in animal sources. B12 keeps the body's nerve and blood cells healthy and helps make DNA, so deficiencies can lead to tiredness, weakness, constipation, and loss of appetite. Include Iron as well with your b12. According to New York City nutritionist Christian Henderson, Iron comes in two forms: heme and non-heme. The body easily absorbs heme, which makes up about 40% of the iron in animal foods. Vegan diets contain only non-heme, which is less readily absorbed, so you may need to ingest more iron if you want to get the same benefit.

     2.)  Watch your protein intake. No more chicken, steak, tacos, and burgers? That’s fine! There are plenty of other protein options out there that are vegan friendly. Vegan protein powder makes for a great snack, and can easily be found at your local vitamin/supplement store. Other great sources of proteins are: lentils, tofu, black beans, quinoa, soy milk, green peas, edamame, tempeh, and chia seeds.

     3.)  Do not just eat junk food because it’s “vegan friendly”. In order to get full results of a vegan lifestyle, you need to keep up with the 80/20 rule. 80% clean eating, 20% treats- such as dessert after dinner, a night out with friends, etc. don’t go over board, and don’t restrict! Keep up a balanced diet.

     4.)  Start out slow. Before going on a 100% vegan based diet. A week prior to actually starting the vegan lifestyle, slowly start phasing out all meat and animal products. You body could potentially go into “shock” if you cut everything out over night. You could experience headaches, fatigue, dizziness, etc. Phasing out animal products slowly over the span of a week or so will help you ease into this transition.

    5.)  Check out this website: http://www.happycow.net/ you type in your address or where you will be venturing out to, and you can find vegan/vegetarian friendly places to eat in the area you will be in.

Check out some of the great recipes here: http://www.peta.org/recipes/

Try them out and let me know what you think! What could you loose by going vegan for just a week?

So, what exactly are the pros and cons of going vegan? In short, here is what I gathered from my research.

Pros:

• Greater self-control and awareness
• Lower cholesterol and blood pressure
• Increases raw and natural intakes such as fruits and vegetables
• Save money from not dining out as often (especially with those pricy steaks!)
• However, more and more restaurants are becoming vegan friendly!
• Your skin will start glowing because you are not intaking the hormones from the meat and other animal products
• Get into a great community and find new places to eat out
• You are eating less animal products; therefore you are living a greener life (diet AND environmental wise!)
• You are also standing up to the slaughter houses and taking a stand, whether you mean to or not, against the inhumane slaughter houses

Cons:

• Big lifestyle change- takes a lot of work! (this isn’t really a con though.. more of a fun challenge!)
• Eliminating an entire food group could be detrimental to your health on the nutrient level, so be sure to get protein and iron in with other healthy sources
• No official studies are out there proving that veganism is the end all be all. Meaning, there is not enough evidence out there to support that this type of lifestyle choice is better than any other.
• There are also no real studies on why cutting out ALL animal products is really the way to go.

Bottom line:

Veganism is a LIFESTYLE choice. This is not some quick fix detox that you choose to participate in overnight. It take preparation. There are no studies that show veganism is the best out there, however, there really aren’t any studies that show what lifestyle choice is the best either. Everyone’s bodies are different, so it is too hard to conduct a study to say what works for the majority. So, what have you got to loose for trying to become vegan for a week? (Remember, if you do this- take a week to slowly start phasing out animal products before your full week of being a vegan. Then, slowly start adding in the food groups after the week is over, if you choose to. Do not do this all overnight!)