The Definition of the Paleolithic Diet

The Paleolithic or “paleo” diet is not really a diet. It never ends. You are not supposed to do it for a specific period of time or a certain portion of the week. Proper paleo is 24 hours/day every day of the year. Only whole foods are really allowed. Think of it as not eating anything with ingredients. Instead, you are eating a single ingredient. Foods include grass-fed meats, fish and seafood, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Dairy, grains, legumes, and processed foods are not allowed.

Yes, this sounds tricky. Believe me, I know. However, I challenge anyone reading to try this for 30 days with no cheating. When you are done, I dare you to tell me you do not feel amazing. This diet suggestion was originally made by Whole9 Life.

http://www.whole9life.com/2013/08/the-whole30-program/

I have tried it, and I still do my best to stick with the rules. I cannot say for others who have tried it, but the benefits I noticed after only a few weeks were: sounder and more restful sleep, more energy during the day, a higher metabolism (I could tell because I was always hungry), less stress since there is no calorie counting, clearer skin, better hair, and an increased desire to exercise. I sometimes exercised twice a day to burn some of the excess energy!

Now are my results typical? Yes and no. I’ve heard people say they had similar things happen. I’ve also heard that this diet can cure things like Type II diabetes and ulcerative colitis. Is this a fact? Absolutely not. Is it a fact in some cases? Definitely yes. Is it worth it for anyone to try it? 100% YES YES YES

In subsequent posts, I will go over each of the food groups that I suggest you leave out and tell you why they should be left out.

The Red Flag of Proof

“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.”
-Carl Sagan

As I begin to consider how to go about making this blog truly informational to the casually  health conscious reader, I find myself choosing and re-choosing a starting point. This is because for the many years that I have been reading health blogs, health news, scientific articles, books, etc., they have been claiming “proofs” and “truths.” As a scientist, I don’t believe that it’s possible to prove something true. It is possible to prove something false; that’s easy. But in science, the closest we get to “proving the truth” is heaps of evidence that all point in the same direction. “True” in science pretty much  means “we haven’t proved it false yet.”

So as I begin to write this blog on what I consider healthy nutritional practices, please remember that I claim nothing to be irrefutably and undeniably true, but there is evidence to back up all of my claims.

I wanted to begin here because I wanted to establish the kind of blog I’m intending to pen. There will be no “get fit quick” tips, and no “exercise of the day” type garbage. If you are genuinely reading this blog to improve your health and life, you have come to the right place. If you’re not willing to do the research on your own, that’s ok. I’ll be doing it for you. (Although how anyone can trust anything they read about health without checking sources is beyond my comprehension.) The reading may get a little heavy for some, but I’ll try to hi-light bullet points along the way.

I hope you enjoy!

What’s CrossFit?

“I don’t like what CrossFit is doing to my body”
-No one ever

CrossFit © is training for real life. The specialty is not specializing in any one thing. Evolution favors the jack-of-all-trades. Workouts are well rounded, varied, and scalable to any age, fitness level, or weak body part. Movements include gymnastics, body weight exercises, barbell training, and plyometrics. It is a little bit expensive, but the group workout atmosphere helps push you to your limits to get the most out of your workout. If you really don’t think you wanna spend so much money to attend, find home workouts here. Those workouts can be done anywhere with little or no equipment. If you have equipment but don’t want to pay, almost all CrossFit affiliates run a blog that shows their daily WOD. Here is mine.