Food for Thought
The Ancestral Diet is a logical framework applied to modern humans — not a historical reenactment. ~Andrew Badenoch
Chew on this. How many times do you or have you thought: Is this Paleo? I know – “Paleo is so “passé”. Is it? Or did we just need something new to call it so it didn’t become boring and it appealed to a modern generation? Maybe we should call it “Ancestral eating”. Whatever we term it, let’s get over that and speak to the point that the closer we could eat to how past disease-free generations ate might be beneficial to our health. And the closer we can get to moving the same as our ancestors did – again, beneficial right? Because we currently move less than they did. There has to be a link between all our current problems and our lifestyles, and how disease wasn’t rampant “back then”. We aren’t really thinking about what we eat related to the Paleolithic era, are we? I think not – I mean, our society and world has evolved, even if we haven’t much! The question you should ask yourself is “does this fit into the framework of that which is ancestral logic?” In other words, when our bodies were limited to the most natural foods available (waaaaay back then), does this (the food I’m about to eat or want to eat) fit into what I know to be healthy or a good evolutionarily grounded choice? Whether we’re talking about a specific fruit or vegetable, Canola vs Olive oil, wine, or even some of the safer supplements like fish oil…some of these things are OBVIOUSLY non-existent in the Paleo era, but they’re pertinent today because of our environment and the difference and challenges we face today versus “back then”. Some things make sense – some are obvious outliers. Logic plays a role in just about everything we do, including the questions we ask about the food our ancestors eat.
Know this though, now that you’re beginning your au natural journey, once you do decide you want to try to reintroduce something you miss from your diet, first, find the most natural source. If it’s dairy, try raw first. If it’s grains….oye! If you must…go for a more refined version to help eliminate many of the anti-nutrients we know are found in the whole or cracked grain. If it’s beans, again, go slow and make sure they’re soaked and prepared in the manner known to eliminate the gut irritating elements of that food. And maybe do it yourself. I know… but Sam, it takes time. Well, so does filling prescriptions and making doctors appointments. Choose your burden.
It’s cool to get your own body functioning well down to a science before you reintroduce foods you miss…this way you’ll actually know what you react to, if you react to anything. Then you can make choices that are more informed. You may react to dairy but decide some heavy cream in your coffee in the morning is worth a little bit of sinus stuffiness! Who knows!
I’m writing this on day 7 of a 21 day health challenge at our gym. We’ve stripped our diets down to all grown foods – whether plant or animal. We’ve gone sugar, grain, dairy, beans and legume free. This week we’re loosening the reins a little but the feedback I’ve heard may suggestion some of us may want to extend our whole foods, grown foods a little longer. Do I really feel better? How can it be? (insert sinister grin on my face here!).
I’m really motivated about what I’ve seen so far. You can change your diet – you can learn new things about how to manage your own body – you can take a stand and be a participant in your own healthcare. And simplifying your plan, looking for results and then starting to tinker with supplements, macros, etc. is the right order to attack this human project of ours. Clean up the house first by eating along the ancestral lines as close as you can. Give your body time to adapt. And THEN we’ll tinker!
BONUS QUESTION:
You may have to do some research.
What’s the difference in farmed versus wild caught salmon?
EMAIL your answer (click link).