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The Paleo Diet – So Easy Even a Caveman Can Do It

cavemanBy Jacquie Eubanks BSN, RN

The Paleo diet is based on the principle that we should be eating the same foods as our ancient hunter-gatherer ancestors.  During the Paleolithic era, our forebearers ate a combination of grass-fed animal meats (including fat and organs), seafood and shellfish, eggs, tree nuts and seeds, fruits, vegetables (likely as leaves, roots and stems), honey, mushrooms, birds and insects.  We drank water, perhaps some kinds of herbal tea and possibly coconut water.  We did not eat salt, sugar, legumes, dairy nor any cultivated grains.  The basic premise behind the Paleo diet is that our bodies are genetically and evolutionarily designed to thrive on caveman-era foods, and that if you can’t forage for it, hunt for it or gather it, humans are not designed to consume it.  Theory holds that on this diet humans led a healthy existence for a million years or more. 

Although this diet is currently gaining in worldwide popularity, “The Stone Age Diet,” authored by Walter Veogtlin was originally self-published in 1975.  Many proponents of the diet insist that this way of eating has improved their health, increased their energy, and helped them lose and then maintain their optimal weight.  Critics hold that the diet is too strict and that elimination of whole groups of foods such as grains and dairy is not necessarily healthy.  Advocates claim lowered risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer, as well as improved sleep, higher immune function and a general feeling of wellbeing.  Proponents claim that although the diet seems initially restrictive it actually opens the door to a wide selection of healthier food choices.

The Paleo diet is purported to have the following benefits:

  • Healthy cells –  Cells require fats for growth and maintenance.  The Paleo diet suggests a balance of fats in healthy amounts.
  • Healthy brain – One of the sources of protein and fat suggested by the Paleo diet comes from cold water fish especially wild-caught salmon, which is packed full of omega 3 fatty acids that support brain, eye and heart health. 
  • Builds muscles  –  The diet relies heavily on protein that is used for building muscle mass, supporting improved metabolism. 
  • Gut health – Sugar, processed foods and unhealthy fats all cause inflammation in the intestinal tract which can contribute to leaky gut syndrome.  Elimination of these foods allows complete digestion and absorption of foods.
  • Provides vitamins and minerals – A variety of colorful vegetables is a basic part of the diet, which recommends you eat a large amount of them. 
  • Limits fructose – The diet recommends eliminating some fruits that are high in fructose such as bananas, and limiting fruit consumption to 2-3 pieces daily. 
  • Allergy reduction – The diet suggests minimizing or eliminating foods known to be allergens for some people such as dairy, peanuts and grains.  This diet is naturally gluten and casein free. 
  • Reduced inflammation – Many of the foods on the Paleo diet are considered anti-inflammatory and focuses on foods containing omega 3’s.  Pasture raised animal protein has a higher ratio of omega 3’s to omega 6’s, leading to a better balance of fatty acids. 
  • Weight loss – The Paleo diet is low carb by design.  Simply reducing processed foods limits carbohydrates which fuels weight loss.  A low carb diet is associated with improvements in some coronary heart disease factors. 
  • Increased insulin sensitivity – Constant feeding of processed and sugary foods desensitizes the body’s response to insulin.  When insulin is not used effectively, glucose is not properly absorbed by the cells which can lead to prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.  A healthy diet low in sugar and fat along with maintaining a healthy weight can help reverse insulin resistance.
  • Reduced risk of disease –  The Paleo diet focuses on eating whole foods and avoiding foods that are known to be harmful to health such as processed foods, fast foods, and foods high in sugar, corn syrup and unhealthy fats. 

“The diet may put you in sync with your genetic requirements and thus boost your health if its theory is correct,” says Jack Challem in the Nutrition Reporter article “Paleolithic Nutrition: Your Future is Your Dietary Past.”  Eating a modern diet, on the other hand, makes you more susceptible to cancer, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and many other modern-day diseases, says Challem, also the author of “Stop Prediabetes Now” and “The Inflammation Syndrome.”

From a historical perspective, agriculture was introduced about 10,000 years ago.  Around 1900 with the Industrial Age came refined sugar and grains.  That means, from a genetic perspective, 100,000 generations survived as hunter-gathers, 500 generations utilized agriculture, 10 generations have followed the Industrial Age and only a few generations have been exposed to highly processed and fast foods.  Elimination of foods known to increase the risk for many of our current health conditions is of great benefit.  The American Heart Association recommends eliminating processed and fast foods that have little nutritional value and are high in unhealthy fats, added sugars, and sodium.  A modified version of the Paleo diet, with less restriction on low fat dairy, legumes and whole grains, may be just the answer to increased health and wellness. 

Products by Designs for Health that support the Paleo Diet:

PaleoGreens Powder –  PaleoGreens is a great tasting, unflavored greens food made with organic ingredients with the principles of wholesome Paleolithic nutrition in mind.  It contains cleansing, regenerative and alkalinizing grass juices, algae, enzymes, and prebiotics, combined with high ORAC value vegetables, fruits and berries.

PaleoCleanse  –  PaleoCleanse contains quality macronutrients to fuel detoxification pathways, a full multivitamin/mineral for detoxification enzyme support, all the nutrients needed to support and balance phase I and II metabolic pathways, and high levels of antioxidant support for safe detoxification.

PaleoBar –  Available in a variety of flavors, PaleoBars are a micronutrient dense, health promoting snack/meal supplement that can be very beneficial in the implementation of a successful low-carbohydrate eating plan.

Featured Brand: Designs For Health

DesignsForHealthLogoBy Susan Brown

The guiding philosophy behind Designs For Health products, “Science First,” is demonstrated by their commitment to research-driven products, synergistic formulations and meaningful quantities of therapeutic ingredients.  Designs For Health offers superior quality, professional-grade nutritional supplements with proven efficacy.  From raw material selections through manufacturing, Designs For Health adheres to the strictest quality control standards, ensuring consistent potency and effective nutritional supplements available exclusively through healthcare providers. 

Designs For Health guarantees their products are manufactured according to the highest standards.  Specifically, they guarantee that each nutritional supplement:

  • Contains only qualified, superior raw materials.
  • Meets required specifications for quality and purity.
  • Is evaluated and monitored for potential contaminants such as heavy metals and pesticides.
  • Is analyzed to confirm the quantity of all dietary ingredients ensuring the consistency and accuracy of label claims.
  • Is manufactured at FDA inspected facilities with stringent internal quality control procedures. 

Top sellers from Designs For Health:

Twice Daily Multi contains optimal amounts of nutrients in a therapeutic dosage to provide a strong foundational multivitamin/multimineral in a convenient twice daily formula.

Vitamin D Supreme with Vitamin K1 and K2 provides a clinically useful dose of vitamin D3, 5000 IU per veggie cap, and vitamin K in both K1 and the MK-7 form of K2, which is highly bioavailable.

Magnesium Malate Chelate is fully chelated to glycine and malic acid, providing a combination of the two most health-promoting and most absorbable forms of magnesium available.

Adrenal Complex is a glandular-based product designed to support overall adrenal and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function with the intention of rejuvenating tired adrenal glands.

B Supreme is made with an extremely potent formula that delivers an essential B vitamin blend.

OsteoForce delivers super absorbable bone supportive nutrients needed to restore healthy bones. 

Inflammation Part II: Reduce For Long Term Health

Inflamation Part II Reduce For Long Term Health.By Jacquie Eubanks BSN, RN

Chronic inflammation is quietly becoming the 21st century’s silent killer.  Chronic inflammation can remain undetected, while the inflammation process carries on for weeks, months or even years.  Chronic inflammation, also termed metaflammation because of its link with the metabolic system, differs from acute inflammation in that it is low-grade and persistent.  It perpetuates rather than resolves disease and is associated with a reduced metabolic rate.  Chronic inflammation has become epidemic in America and threatens to destroy many lives with serious and chronic degenerative diseases

Wellness is the absence of inflammation.  The key to optimal health and disease prevention is detection and treatment of the root causes of the inflammation.  There’s no quick fix for chronic inflammation which means that protecting yourself against the onset of chronic disease involves changing your lifestyle habits. 

 To restore your body’s balance and help reduce and prevent inflammation: 

  •  Lose weight if you are overweight or obese.  Overweight people have increased levels of inflammation.  Scientists believe that this level can be traced directly back to the fat itself.  Fat cells churn out proteins known as cytokines which can cause low-grade systemic inflammation.  Excess abdominal weight is linked to a condition called insulin resistance which can lead to hypertension, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes
  • Look to make changes in your diet.  Revising your diet is one of the easiest, most effective ways to modulate inflammation.  Foods contain specific messages that can increase or reduce inflammation.  Reducing or eliminating the consumption of fast foods, unhealthy fats, processed foods and food irritants can help reduce inflammation and the risk of developing chronic disease.  Increasing the amounts of a variety of colorful unprocessed fruits and vegetables with high anti-oxidant values can quell inflammation and sweep up damaging free-radicals.  Think in terms of natural, minimally modified foods as anti-inflammatory and processed foods as inflammatory and eat accordingly. 
  • Supplement with Omega-3 fish oil.  Well documented studies show that omega-3 fish oil is strongly anti-inflammatory.  This is one of the simplest, safest, yet most effective steps you can take to quell chronic inflammation in your body.  Maintaining a diet high in omega-3’s through supplementation and dietary changes can help balance the omega-3 to omega-6 fat ratio, lowering inflammation and guarding against chronic disease. 
  • Exercise.  Regular physical activity is one of the best ways to keep inflammation at bay.  An active body produces more anti-oxidants, which combat free radicals and reduce inflammation. 
  • Reduce stressStress produces cortisol, which is anti-inflammatory.  However, it also produces pro-inflammatory cytokines. These proteins are designed to protect the body from an invader.  If the cause of your distress is psychological rather than physical, the immune system works overtime and inflammation results. 
  • Focus on gut health.  The beneficial bacteria in probiotics can help keep harmful bacteria in check, reducing the inflammatory response.  Identify and eliminate foods that trigger allergies or digestive upset.  Ignoring food sensitivities stokes the fires of inflammation.  Leaky gut syndrome, a condition where bacteria, undigested foods and other toxins can leak into your blood stream, triggers an autoimmune response and a host of painful inflammatory symptoms. 
  • Get plenty of rest.  Sleep gives your body time to heal and can undo the effects of the inflammatory response. 
  • Break bad habits.  Tobacco smoke and alcohol are toxins.  One quick way to reduce inflammation is the cessation of smoking.  As well, if you consume alcohol limit yourself to 1-2 drinks or less daily.  If you can eliminate tobacco and alcohol altogether, your overall health should improve. 

By being proactive, you can prolong your good health and your life.  Aging is an interesting pro-inflammatory inducer, the effects of which can be reduced by healthy living.  Eliminating the causes of inflammation by changing your diet, streamlining your daily habits, and adding supplements can dramatically improve the inflamed state of your body and increase the quality of your overall health.  Our bodies are wonderfully complex and resilient, but they need our nurturing.  Keep watch over your internal fire to reap untold rewards of good health and wellness. 

Supplements to aid in reduction of inflammation include:

X-FLM (K-37) by Apex Energetics  –  This product offers nutritional support for the immune system and contains ingredients that are involved in antioxidant processes.  Highly ranked by our customers who have found relief using this product. 

Inflamma-bLOX by Ortho Molecular  –  Useful in reducing inflammation while reducing the side effects on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.  Contains natural ingredients with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune enhancing properties. 

OmegaGenics EPA-DHA 2325 by Metagenics  –  Features a highly concentrated source of health-promoting omega-3 essential fatty acids from cold-water fish.  Each teaspoon provides 2325 mg of highly concentrated EPA and DHA for adults seeking higher levels of EPA and DHA. 

InflammEnz by Advanced Formula Enzymes  –  InflammEnz helps combat the symptoms that accompany inflammation with a powerful combination of the proteolytic enzymes bromelain and pHysioProtease™, plus grape seed and rutin, antioxidants that aid in improving peripheral circulation and decreasing capillary permeability.  Contains, vitamin C, an antioxidant essential for collagen formation and tissue repair, as well as minimizing clotting and bruising, along with calcium and potassium, minerals essential for healthy nerve transmission and muscular contraction. Indications: Soft tissue trauma, soft tissue inflammation and post-operative protocols.

UltraFlora Balance by Metagenics  –  As a nutraceutical, this product is formulated to complement dietary recommendations to promote gastrointestinal and immune health. This formula is designed to encourage growth of beneficial bacteria and support healthy immune function, intestinal integrity, and healthy digestive function.

Buffered Vitamin C by Integrative Therapeutics  – As a powerful antioxidant, vitamin C supports a healthy immune system response.  In addition, healthy skin, collagen, connective tissues, bone tissue, and tooth tissue formation depend on vitamin C.  Buffered vitamin C uses pure crystalline ascorbic acid to supply 1 gram of vitamin C in each capsule.  This preparation is buffered with calcium and magnesium to make it easier on sensitive stomachs.

DigestZyme by Transformation Enzyme –  The ultimate goal of digestion is getting nutrients to the cells.  Nutrients not only feed the cell, they protect it from free radical damage.  Healthy cells lead to optimal metabolism, energy, and immunity. Supplementing with digestive enzymes is a vital part of this nutrient acquisition process. This unique formula is the perfect introduction to digestive enzymes. It supports immune system health by encouraging more complete digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats for increased absorption and availability of nutrients. Transformation’s DigestZyme™ is designed to assist the body in maximum digestion of nutrients, production of energy, and immune system support.