There are many advantages to living in the current day – an increased awareness of social justice, equality, democratic access to information and resources, on and on it goes.
Living in the modern world also means living out of whack with nature, getting further and further from our biological roots, relying on fast and processed foods to get by and keep up with the pace of life. The results are still out as far as what effect this boxed food revolution is having on our bodies and our minds.
The Paleo Diet attempts to reverse these effects by returning to the way our ancestors ate during the Paleolithic Era.
The Paleo Diet does not mean foraging for roots, tubers and grubs, as we learn from Nell Stephenson, the author of the Paleoista blog, who took a moment to tell us about her journey with Paleo living, some of the benefits and dispel any doubts that you must sacrifice flavor and pleasure to be healthy.
Can you introduce us to Paleoista? When did you start your blog? Where are you based out of? What did you feel that the other food sites were missing?
I began blogging in 2007 after two years of Paleo living. I’m based in Los Angeles and work with clients globally. I began my blog because I wanted to share what I’d learned about how simply choosing real, fresh foods can allow our bodies to heal, while many of the foods we’re taught are good for us can actually make us quite sick. Back then, there weren’t many sites on Paleo, so my motivation was just to reach others and try to help them learn how they could begin to tune into whatever might be going on in their bodies and to address it with introducing this healthy manner of eating into their lifestyle.
How did you first become aware of the Paleo Diet, and what made you so passionate about it?
After a lifetime of being plagued with mysterious GI issues, endless visits to doctors and hospitals and every test in the book, I learned how to heal myself simply by omitting certain foods and focusing on the natural balance of Paleo: local, seasonal vegetables; wild proteins and natural fats.
For me, the last straw occurred when I was in my early twenties. I had gone to the nth gastroenterologist, who tested me for Celiac disease (after I’d already been “diagnosed” with colitis, IBS, “possibly Crohn’s” and my favorite – “a sensitive stomach”), and when the results came back negative, told me not to omit gluten as it would create an inability to eat enough fiber, as many gluten-containing foods are marketed as the best source, and then handed me a prescription for Prozac; since there was nothing physically wrong with me, I must have been imagining it!
I decided to take matters into my own hands and began researching online. I didn’t know what I was looking for, but I was convinced that despite eating what was considered a “healthy athlete’s diet,” there must be something I was eating that was making me sick, or at least contributing to it.
I stumbled across The Paleo Diet by Dr. Loren Cordain, PhD, read it and began following it straight away.
I felt better in three days. Since then, it’s become incredibly important to me to get the message out there to others who were experiencing issues similar to what I was, or worse, and to help them learn how to return to eating the foods we’re meant to be eating!
In the bio section of Paleoista, you talk about some of people’s misconceptions of the Paleo Diet, from “subsisting on raw meat to the concept that it’s a no carbohydrate manner of eating.” To clear up the confusion, can you briefly describe what Paleo living means to you?
The Paleo Diet is based on the foods our ancestors ate, mimicked with what we can easily find in the grocery store, farmers’ market and our own back yards.
Fresh, local veggies, wild fish and game, natural fats…those are all food!
We humans are not meant to be eating grains, legumes (this includes soy and peanuts) or dairy (unless you’re an infant and you’re ingesting dairy…from the same species).
If you think in terms of what people ate during the Paleolithic era, it would have been food that could either have been picked or foraged and eaten as it was, or an animal that either ran across the land or swam in the sea.
Both grains and legumes contain anti-nutrient properties. While growing from the ground, these very components serve to protect them from pesticides and predators, but when we ingest them, they work against us by adhering to many of the vitamins and minerals in our food, preventing us from properly absorbing them and causing microscopic tearing in the intestines, thus increasing intestinal permeability.
Over time, “leaky gut syndrome” ensues, whereby proteins are able to leak into the blood stream, causing inflammation, infection and subsequently a whole host of maladies throughout the body, not just in the GI tract but also in the body as a whole.
This helps set the stage for acne, joint pain, exacerbation of autoimmune disease, chronic fatigue, IBS, colitis, Crohn’s disease, cancers and so on and so on and so on.
As far as dairy products are concerned, they’re the most acidic items we can consume. Dairy products create an acidic pH in the body, and in an attempt to buffer the pH back to alkalinity, the body leaches calcium from the bones. Over time, this can lead to osteopenia and osteoporosis. The most important thing to look at here is actually calcium balance, rather than calcium intake. You’re actually better off eating a cup of alkaline spinach with 220mg of calcium than a 250mg cup of milk!
There is also a high correlation between dairy and acne, diabetes and insulin resistance, and it’s also cross-reactive with gluten, making it a poor choice for anyone with gluten sensitivity.
Food is tied to how we feel, how we sleep, how we think, how we perform, so to not connect with how what we put in our bodies so clearly affects what we get out of it would be a shame, as we all deserve to feel great!
You also describe the goal of the site as “being a one-stop shop to learn all you need to know about how to implement the True Paleo regiment into your life.” What are some steps someone can take to begin incorporating Paleo living into their life?
The first step is to read up on it, but read the right sources. In particular, I recommend the work of Dr. Loren Cordain, PhD.
Also, I outline in Paleoista how to clean out your kitchen, do a healthy grocery shop, easily prepare food in an hour in the kitchen and review some very commonly asked questions and misconceptions.
Another great resource is my APP in which I offer nearly 20 Paleo meal plans with shopping lists for a wide variety of health concerns and lifestyles, from runners to triathletes and from those suffering from autoimmune conditions to acne.
What would you say to someone who thinks that the Paleo diet is all eating acorns and tree bark? How can some have delicious, gourmet foods that are still healthy?
Acorns and tree bark…that’s not Paleo! I don’t know what it is, but it’s not Paleo! Just one quick peek at the recipes on my site is enough to show just a sampling of how deliciously decadent True Paleo can be!
What have been some of the most elaborate and memorable dishes you’ve come across since you began Paleoista?
I always default to simple, myself; a grass-fed filet with sautéed garlic broccoli or wild salmon with my raw kale fusion. I do, however, enjoy some other preparations more timely for special occasions and got a kick out of doing Paleo versions of cassoulet, braised grass-fed short ribs, coq au vin, ropa vieja, moussaka…the list goes on and on and any type of regional cuisine is fair game. It just takes a little creativity!
You offer Paleo Nutritional Plans for people at Paleoista. What are some things you look at with a new client to help them plan a balanced diet? How can someone go about designing a Paleo menu for themselves?
First we start with a food log analysis, review health history and nutritional goals and factor in anything and everything that will affect diet from dining out to travel to endurance training. Then we work side-by-side to develop a practical regime that the client can stick to and get the results they’re looking for most efficiently.
What advice do you have for people practicing the Paleo Diet when eating out at restaurants?
I actually have a mini book I wrote on that very topic!
Do you have any words for people who consider themselves foodies, but are still curious about the Paleo Diet?
Eating real, fresh food and eating food that tastes delicious are not exclusive of one another; in fact, they’re the very same thing! As I always say, “Eat Food. And Move.”
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