[amazon_image id=”1118016084″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]The Paleo Answer: 7 Days to Lose Weight, Feel Great, Stay Young[/amazon_image]

Since I have been put on a new diet per my doctor, I started doing a bit of research!

I talked with some friends about my new diet and they let me barrow this book,

Let me just say that this book has really opened my eyes and has me second guessing a lot of things.  I’ve oftentimes found myself wondering why we have so many obese and people who really struggle with their weight in this country.  I’ve also wondered why the government hasn’t looked to more research to figure out why and make new recommendations.  I’ve come to the conclusion, that our government really has no clue about nutrition and in my opinion, really should not be setting recommendations unless they are going to reference all the research that is out there.

Disclaimer: As a Christian, I do not fully agree with everything that has been said in this book, however, while I may not agree with the theories, I can believe and understand the factual studies and conclusions drawn.

Chapters

1. Paleo 2.0
2. The Truth About Saturated Fat
3. Your Own Paleo Diet
4. Vegetarianism Can Be Hazardous to Your Health
5. Just Say No to the Milk Mustache
6. Grains Are Antinutritious
7. The Trouble with Beans
8. Potatoes Should Stay below Ground
9. The Food-Autoimmune Disease Connection
10. The Paleo Answer 7-Day Diet Plan
11. Paleo Supplements and Sunshine
12. Paleo Water
13. The Paleo Diet for Women
14. The Paleo Diet for Children

What I Learned

This book is very thought provoking, and I oftentimes found myself saying, “Really?  Is that really true?  That goes against all that I was taught.”  I will have to say that honestly, there were times that this book made me feel extremely ignorant.  There were also times I felt like he was being extremely nit picky and some things can seem unrealistic in our modern world.  The Paleo Diet is a low carb and natural diet.  The basic premise is that if caveman ate it, then it’s alright for us to eat it.  In other words; protein, fruits, and veggies are good.  Grains and milk are bad.  (My friends told me that he has gone back a little on some of this dairy conclusions and basically says if you are trying to loose weight than dairy needs to be avoided, if you are trying to gain weight than dairy is a good option, however, I have not found this information on-line anywhere).  I also learned, that not all veggies are good for you.  For instance peas, potatoes, green beans, legumes, and beans are not good for you.  Many beans can even be toxic!

What I Didn’t Like

As I mentioned, much of this information goes against everything I was taught growing up.  I honestly have a hard time believing some of this information.  I also didn’t like how he would tell you something was bad, but then also say that the “solutions” were also bad.  There were a few times I thought well “Damned if you do and damned if you don’t!”  To be honest the milk chapter thoroughly grossed me out and the chapter about grains made me sad, because that’s one of my favorites!

My Conclusion

I think that this book has some amazing information in it (I mean it has 50 pages of references in it)!  I do think that this is a book that almost everyone should read, especially parents.  I do think we need to really consider what we are putting into our and our children’s bodies.  There are so many health issues in today’s modern world and I can’t help but wonder if our diet really has played a major role in that!  While the reasoning and information in this book seems sound, I really don’t know what to believe, because I believe that you can make almost any information/data say what you want to prove your point if it is worded carefully.  However, I do think that much of what is in this book is worth a try.  Our friends have implemented this diet for over two months and both feel amazing and say they will never go back.  One thing that I do really like and think is essential is their 85/15 rule.  Meaning that you can have 3 meals a week of whatever you want.  Pretty much, throw the rules out the window and enjoy.

I have tried this diet for a little over two weeks.  I’m not so sure I’m convinced, but I don’t crash in the afternoon like I used to.  I don’t wonder how I’m going to make it another 6-7 hours before bed.  I have been a little sleepy, but I’ve been told that that is common when you drastically change your diet, plus I’ve also been sick during that two weeks too.  Right now, my answer is to try and cut back on carbs and dairy.  I try to make it a point to eat a spinach salad everyday for lunch, to follow the Paleo plan for dinner, and I am experimenting with lots of Paleo recipes.  (Check out my board on Pinterst).

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Other books I’m interested in:

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Here are some good blogs I’ve found so far:

Paleo OMG

Paleo Plan

Mark’s Daily Apple

The Paleo Diet

Have you heard of Paleo?  Do you have any experience with it?