Paleo?

[Cara]

I figured this was the best place for this discussion.

I started a modified version of the paleo diet this past Monday (modified because I'm going to include dairy... but less dairy than I normally eat). However, I found out that I had already broken it by eating sugar snap peas.

This is really confusing to me - I don't understand how a food like this is not considered paleo - anyone know why?

Also - anyone have success with paleo or a modified version of it? Does anyone know why some fresh veggies (legumes?) are excluded? Thanks!

[Brian Wild]

Cara, I use paleo as a guide to stay on the zone (if that makes sense), I find paleo pretty easy to know the rules to which is why I like it. At one point I read a whole bunch of articles regarding paleo but I have sense lost them, but will try to find them again. To answer your question, paleo frowns on any vegetable that has to be cooked in order to be eaten. Beans/legumes of all types fall into this category, since you can't consume them in a raw state, but they first must be cooked and some must be soaked and then cooked. Since I am not a hard-core paleo person I make all kinds of exceptions (namely asparagus and green beans) but the "must be consumable in a raw state" is a general rule of thumb.

- Brian

[Cara]

Thanks Brian, that makes sense! I was reading up on sugar snap peas, and I'm pretty sure they can be eaten raw (but correct me if I'm wrong). So yay for that! :-)

[Kevin Drury]

Crossfit Milford has an excel worksheet with paleo friendly foods and the amounts based on your block perscription http://www.crossfitmilford.com/ check the right side of the page for the "Download the Food Blocks Tracker." Good convenient info in there.

Also, Robb Wolf (the guy who does Crossfit nutrition certs) is always a bastion of information www.robbwolf.com if you scroll down to categories and click paleo you will find some extremely useful information.

And finally, Loren Cordain's site has some good info too www.thepaleodiet.com which can answer some questions as to why certain foods are off limits etc... Mainly, alot of them have adverse hormonal effects because of the harmful substances they contain.

Hope this helps, good luck!
-Kevin

[Cara]

Thanks!

[Linda]

From what I've read, legumes and the like contain phytates and aflatoxins that interfere with mineral absorption (little of which we get with from the seemingly unavoidable big-Agra food sources).

Some Paleo/additional (re)sources for you:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/
http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/
http://lowcarbism.com/
http://lifespotlight.com (IF-centric)
http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/ (my go-to, interesting discussion on dental caries)
http://lowcarbconfidential.com/
http://darwinstable.wordpress.com/
http://cavecooking.blogspot.com/
http://evolutioncatering.blogspot.com/
http://thepaleogirl.blogspot.com/
http://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com/

Also, Google Dr. Michael Eades -- the wife/husband MD duo have loads of information.