Ok, so I was browsing the web and came across a site called Mark's Daily Apple. This guy has written a book called the Primal Blueprint. It's both a diet and exercise system, and a lifestyle. He's not the first or only person to research and advocate this, there is also a book called the Paleo Diet, and a number of others.
The premise is this:
Human beings have been around for 2.5 Million years. During the first 2.49 million we ate mostly lean meats, eggs, nuts, seeds, and vegetables - no refined grains, no refined sugars, no grain-fed cattle or assembly line chickens - agriculture only having been discovered about 10,000 years ago. So, we have evolved to handle a diet high in protein and vegetables, but not carbs and simple sugars. Now, most diet related illnesses (diabetes, heart disease, obesity, etc...) do not apply selective evolutionary pressure because most folks who dies from these things have already had children. So, we have never adapted to handle a diet of mostly grains.
He puts forth that the ideal human diet should be high in healthy fats, protein, and vegetables, and devoid (to varying degrees) of grains, starchy roots, legumes, and dairy.
He also advocates strength training in the form of short, intense strength training workouts two to three times a week, sprinting at least once a week, and lots of slow moving around whenever possible- as opposed to frequent low-intensity workouts. His pattern of exercise more closely resembles what our distant ancestors would have been doing to survive.
Now, even though this system flies in the face of conventional wisdom, it makes a lot of sense to me.
Why shouldn't we look at how our species evolved to determine what we should eat and do for optimal health.
I'm giving it a try, and I'm on my second week, and so far so good. I've lost 11 lbs, and feel great.
What I'm wondering is this:
Has anyone else here tried this sort of diet? Were you able to stick with it for the long run? What were your results? What do you think about this approach to health and nutrition?
The premise is this:
Human beings have been around for 2.5 Million years. During the first 2.49 million we ate mostly lean meats, eggs, nuts, seeds, and vegetables - no refined grains, no refined sugars, no grain-fed cattle or assembly line chickens - agriculture only having been discovered about 10,000 years ago. So, we have evolved to handle a diet high in protein and vegetables, but not carbs and simple sugars. Now, most diet related illnesses (diabetes, heart disease, obesity, etc...) do not apply selective evolutionary pressure because most folks who dies from these things have already had children. So, we have never adapted to handle a diet of mostly grains.
He puts forth that the ideal human diet should be high in healthy fats, protein, and vegetables, and devoid (to varying degrees) of grains, starchy roots, legumes, and dairy.
He also advocates strength training in the form of short, intense strength training workouts two to three times a week, sprinting at least once a week, and lots of slow moving around whenever possible- as opposed to frequent low-intensity workouts. His pattern of exercise more closely resembles what our distant ancestors would have been doing to survive.
Now, even though this system flies in the face of conventional wisdom, it makes a lot of sense to me.
Why shouldn't we look at how our species evolved to determine what we should eat and do for optimal health.
I'm giving it a try, and I'm on my second week, and so far so good. I've lost 11 lbs, and feel great.
What I'm wondering is this:
Has anyone else here tried this sort of diet? Were you able to stick with it for the long run? What were your results? What do you think about this approach to health and nutrition?
