Despite the many grain free recipes on this blog and my frequent admonition to eliminate refined grain based carbs from the diet and limit even properly prepared grains to a moderate level, I don’t choose to eat paleo or primal.
I especially don’t want my children to eat this way.
My reasons are pretty straightfoward when it comes to Paleo. They are more subtle with regards to Primal.Â
Paleo Diet – Misguided from the Get Go
The Paleo Diet as written by Loren Cordain can be quickly dismissed as unhealthy because it makes a number of wild claims that are completely unsupported through close examination of Traditional Societies as studied and documented by Dr. Weston A. Price in his book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.
For starters, he says that wild animals are low in fat, but buffalo fat is more saturated than even beef fat from domesticated cattle.
He recommends canola oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids, yet most canola oil is deodorized during manufacturing which destroys these delicate fats. It is almost always of GMO origin.
Cordain extols the virtues of lean meats but Traditional Man prized the fatty, cholesterol rich liver and other fatty cuts.
Perhaps Cordain’s most ridiculous suggestion of all is to rub flax oil on meat before cooking. Flax oil should never be cooked as it turns rancid and would be toxic and carcinogenic to consume!
His recommendation against grains and all starchy root vegetables (tubers) goes against discoveries of grains in the ashes and pottery of some of the most primitive humans and widespread use of tubers by many Traditional Societies. For example, ancient hunter-gatherers ate oats as confirmed by archaeological evidence.
Finally, his claim that primitive man did not consume salt is just plain baffling. Just because a salt shaker wasn’t on the dinner table doesn’t mean that salt was not consumed via other methods!
Ashes from salt rich marsh grasses were added to food in African tribes. Salt rich blood from hunted game was used in food preparation after being carefully collected.
In the final analysis, there isn’t a whole lot of paleo in The Paleo Diet! Â
With so many misguided recommendations in the book as a whole, embarking down the path of the Paleo Diet is clearly fraught with a clear and present danger to health!
Primal Diet – Traditional But Is It Optimal?
My reasons for not eating Primal, however, are a bit more subtle.
Folks who eat Primal typically base it on the book The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. The diet excludes all cereal grains and recommends against all conventional dairy although raw dairy is considered acceptable. Saturated fat and natural cholesterol are rightfully embraced as health supporting. Learning how to make bone broth is advised.
The book warns against soy, transfats, phytates, lectins, processed foods, and of course sugar.
In essence, the Primal Diet does indeed recommend a way of life and eating that is in harmony with Traditional Wisdom and following this approach to eating can be a healthy choice for some.
Remember though, that only a few Traditional societies didn’t eat grains. The vast majority did! Hence, unless you are of Eskimo or Masaai heritage who ate a carnivore diet, it is best to be eating your grains.
Primal Eating Blows Out Thyroids?Â
As an example of Primal eating not being a good long term choice, let’s examine the case of the former Fitness Editor for this blog, Paula Jager CSCS, who used to eat Primal for several years. She was even featured on Mark Sisson’s website in 2011 as an example of newly minted 50 year old in amazing physical condition. Indeed, Paula eats extremely well and works out religiously. She’s gorgeous!
However, back in 2015, Paula made the decision to go back to eating traditionally prepared, gluten free grains for health reasons. I know several other women who went back to grains due to failing thyroid health after several years eating Primal or Paleo. Women beware! I have not observed a single woman do well on this type of diet for more than a few years, particularly those with children or those who are perimenopausal or menopausal.
Why is eating traditionally prepared grains ultimately a better approach than Primal?
Not All Traditional Diets Are Created Equal
In Dr. Price’s travels, he noted that some Traditional Societies were healthier and had more excellent physical form than others.
For example, during Dr. Price’s travels in Africa, he examined several five cattle keeping groups: The Maasai of Tanganyika, the Muhima of Uganda, the Chewya of Kenya, the Watusi of Ruanda, and the Neurs tribes on the western side of the Nile near the country of Sudan.
These groups were largely carnivores with their diet consisting primarily of blood, meat and milk. Fish was also eaten by some. The liver was highly priced and was consumed both raw and cooked.
Grains, fruits, and vegetables were consumed in small amounts.
These largely carnivorous tribes were very tall with even the women averaging over 6 feet in height in some tribes. All these tribes had marvelous physiques and perfectly straight, uncrowded teeth. Six tribes had no dental decay whatsoever.
On the other extreme, Dr. Price also examined largely vegetarian tribes such as the Bantu. This agricultural group’s diet consisted primarily of sweet potatoes, corn, beans, bananas, millet and sorghum. A few cattle or goats were kept for meat and milk and frogs, insects, and other small animals were also consumed.
These tribes were dominated by their carnivorous neighbors and they did suffer from low levels of dental decay – about 5-6% of all teeth.
The final African group Dr. Price researched were the Dinkas.  The Dinkas followed a truly mixed diet of whole foods without the tendency toward the extremes of the carnivorous Maasai or the agricultural Bantu.
While not as tall as the primarily carnivorous, cattle herding groups, they were physically better proportioned and had greater strength.
The Dinka diet primarily consisted of nutrient dense, properly prepared whole grains and fish.
Dr. Price’s close study of these African groups convinced him that the best Traditional Diet – one that encourages optimal physical development in children – consisted of a balance of properly prepared whole grains along with animal foods (especially fish), and not tending toward extremes in either direction.
This is surely one of the most important lessons from Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. Avoiding of extremes particularly when it comes to the diet of growing children, is the best and most wise approach when their optimal development is the goal.
So while I am not against eliminating grains in the diet particularly when a temporary period of gut healing is called for (such as with the GAPS Diet), the long term optimal way of eating is a balanced one that includes grains as described and noted by Dr. Price.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
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Sources
The Paleo Diet, Thumbs Down Book Review
More Information on Maintaining a Healthy Weight
Dukan Diet
Losing Weight with Coconut Oil
Zoe Harcombe Diet
Fasting with bone broth
Raw milk fasting
Bulletproof Coffee Weight Loss Risks
Great article. Thank you. For me, WAPF makes sense, it feels very balanced.
Love WAPF 😀
With my health issues and my son’s ADHD we’ve gone pretty much Primal. Or full GAPS but with sweet potatoes and some beans. I don’t know what to call it, but it’s working. Because of all this my 15 month old has never had a grain. No rice or corn or wheat or oats or anything. Do you think I should add in some for her? I don’t have the $ to buy sprouted flours. But maybe some soaked oatmeal or rice? She’s on the small side (16.7 lbs and 29 in tall) so I make sure she always gets in plenty of fats. She loves broth, meats, eggs, avocado, veggies, fruits, yoghurts, the coconut flour baked things I make, etc. She’s a good eater, just thin. Do you think the grains are what she needs?
My 11 month old has never had grains either. She’s a solid 25 lbs and happily breastfed. She eats egg yolks, some legumes, sweet potatoes, avocados, kefir, yogurt, veggies and fruits. I don’t plan on introducing grains anytime soon. You can also sprout your own flour. It takes time but is fairly easy. I say do what feels right to you and feed baby what your family eats.
If you are grain free for health issues, then keep on if it’s working for you.
If she tolerates beans well, I would think she would do fine with brown rice and soaked (for 24 hours) oats. One of my kids has ADHD, too. We’re doing gluten-free, but with gluten-free grains and legumes (like sprouted lentils), raw milk too. I bake with brown rice flour/arrowroot combo (tastes the most like ‘regular’ baked goods) or almond flour or coconut flour.
Right on point, Amanda. Thank you for posting your sound thoughts.
this article seems unnecessarily contentious, and is based on some inaccuracies. dr. cordain reevaluated his position on saturated fats and has reversed his stance on canola oil quite some time ago. his is also not the only voice out there. the “paleo” diet is comprised of many, many voices who are constantly reevaluating their position based on new research and information. never the less, dr. cordain has been on the forefront of ancestral diet research and deserves a lot of credit. no one has ever claimed that the “paleo” diet, despite its somewhat unfortunate (but catchy) moniker, is about reenacting the diet of “paleolithic people”. rather it uses the diets and wisdom of modern hunter-gatherers as a model for the optimal human diet in which we receive the highest concentration of micronutrients in the fewest amount of calories, while always experimenting with macronutrient ratios to find the ideal balance for the individual. the paleo diet is more about what a person does not eat than what they do eat. i know a paleo vegetarian, pescatarians, high carb paleo dieters, and zero carb paleo dieters. there are many ways to god, so to speak and i think it would be more beneficial to ALL if we focused on the legion of positive contributions the various movements have made to the ancestral diet movement, rather than tearing other people down in the name of WAP.
This willingness to find one’s own way to god is underlined well in this post: http://freetheanimal.com/2011/10/guest-post-the-five-failings-of-paleo.html
These retorts to this insufficient article are revealing of what it would take to step out of a WAP acolyte mindset and do the research needed to present a balanced post:
The MDA community is quite supportive, though rigorous, and you’ll see how many people on that thread are regular HHE readers and know their WAP, so it’s no like a mud-slinging contest. At least from their side.
what little i’ve looked at it, i don’t agree with .. that’s why i haven’t done much delving into it. i’m glad i’m not alone. i didn’t realize they condone cooking w/flax and canola oils.
They don’t!
Why add to the misinformation Sarah? I have recommended your site to sooo many people that have not even heard of WAPF or Paleo or Primal or NT!!! Now I am weary. People need to find their own philosophy on healthy eating and after watching Nora Gedgaudas video at the Ancestral Health Symposium I decided that even one grain of gluten was going to get in my way of optimal health! I am saying that I was doing grains in “moderation” with out considering that total elimination would help me get to the healthy place I was after. (my daughter has celiac just diagnosed last year and at 22 yrs old is doing the GAPS diet!) Had I only known when she was a child I keep telling my friends!!!
Re introducing grains as you suggest (properly prepared) will be a LOT easier for me once I am healthy IF I decide to do it. But for my friends that want in introduction the concept of eating healthier, your site just added to the confusion (in my humble opinion). I will hesitate before recommending your site again.
I realize the definition of Paleo has changed over the years but the fact that it is in fact evolving is an indication that it is not optimal.
Exactly, Sarah. If the definition has to keep changing, something wasn’t right about it in the first place. I feel the same about PRIMAL, whatever that is. Good grief, just eat what you want and eat locally. Most people make themselves sick worrying about “oh dear, should I be eating this or should I have that today because I had some yesterday” . . . what a bunch of stress-inducing nonsense.
Adhering to someone else’s idea of the “perfect” diet is ludicrous. “Perfect” is what’s best for you and that’s to eat whatever you want or whatever you have access to, and that’s the long and short of it. Life is short. Personally I like to eat from all the food groups and have been doing so for 58 years with pretty dang good success! I don’t feel deprived, am not fat, overall healthy for my age, and don’t have unrealistic expectations from myself or my diet.
I disagree totally. I think the changing probably indicates that they are willing to learn. That they are willing to reverse themselves on occasion indicates open minds. A willingness to learn is far better than being stuck in one position and refusing to evaluate when new knowledge or information comes along.
One of the things I like about both Mark Sisson’s take on primal and Robb Wolf’s take on paleo is that they both incorporate things like exercise and sleep and light therapy – they are more rounded philosophies in many ways than the real food blogs that base everything they say on WAP or NT and ignore entire other aspects of health. Food is a huge part of the answer but it isn’t the only part. Paleo/primal folks tend to recognize that better.
Me, I just combine all the info and pick the parts I think make the most sense…. and change my mind if need be. I came to this ‘community’ because I thought Jenny from Nourished Kitchen was crazy doing a 28-day real food challenge and rendering her own tallow and whatnot – an article caught my attention. Now I cook 99% of my meals at home, avoid low-fat crap, cook with coconut oil, soon to try raw milk. If I wasn’t willing to learn and change my mind, it would never have happened. So I just can’t fault folks willing to do the same.
Willingness to learn doesn’t fix the fact that it was clearly wrong in the first place. It never started from the right premise at the get go. It is best to seek out wisdom that was not inherently flawed from the beginning such as what traditional cultures practiced .. the healthiest of which ate grains and other plant foods in balance with nutrient dense animal foods without being too extreme in either direction. I see Paleo and Primal as a reaction to the overconsumption of grains in our western culture. Overreactions to something are rarely correct. Best to not overreact but to make objective decisions about what to eat based on observation and historical accuracy.
Just wondering? The diet you follow isn’t adapted from discoveries, either? Things once discovered are set in stone, sort of like a Bible? I’m trying to wrap my head around this, but then again I’m not into dogma, but practical experience.
My own diet tends towards the primal. I eat dairy. And, yes, stepping away from primal, I will occasionally eat real bread or real grain. I feel excellent whether I eat my limited grain or not, but I realize the mileage of others may vary.
My auto-immune disease is ONLY managed by a Paleo/GAPS diet. Sure, my story is anecdotal–hear me out.
I never knew anything was really “wrong” with my body until I suddenly slipped into a LOT of pain. After a lot of experimentation, the only way I am able to eat and live the way I want to live (not sick) is through a “strict” diet–no grains, no legumes, no dairy. Call it extreme, call it unhealthy–my friends and family will quickly attest to the extreme improvement in my appearance and mood. I don’t believe I’m so different from every other person I meet.
I think bottom line that there is tremendous confusion out there about Paleo and Primal and whose philosophy is what. The idea is to eat balanced and not exclude a healthy group of foods like grains and starches except during a period of healing perhaps.
Excluding grains I think is particularly risky for children as properly prepared cereal grains add much to their diet after the age of 1.
There’s not much in grains that we can’t get in better quantities and more absorbable forms elsewhere. Considering the tiny size of childrens’ stomachs, I find that wasting their limited appetite on grains rather than something more energy dense is unwise. In addition, the risk of gluten and its comorbidities is just not worth the ease of a noodle-based dinner or sandwich-centric lunch.
I’m also curious as to why you think grains are necessary for kids. I eat mostly primal, though if I want bread I’ll pull out my sourdough starter and make some bread the hard way so at least I have to work for it. But given the lack of nutrients overall in grains compared to other sources of carbs (like sweet potatoes) – can you explain? Other than using WAP’s observations; that is not enough of an answer for me personally. A starting point but not the whole answer.
Can you please tell me what cereal grains offer that my children can’t get from protein & veggies or fruits?
Yes, Sarah, I would love to know what your research shows on this. I have looked and looked, as I certainly don’t want to short-change my children in the “health department.” But when I google this, I can’t find support for that claim. Even when I compare a bowl of whole grain pasta or a slice of whole grain bread with a cup of vegetables on a nutrition site, the grains come up way short. So if you are going to fill your child’s tummy with a food, why not fill it with something more nutritionally dense? Any help would be appreciated…
I’m really glad you put that last paragraph in there! I agree with your philosophy on diet for the most part (although since our corn supply is almost 100% contaminated with mold/fungus, I think you should avoid all corn and corn products as much as is humanly possible). IF YOU ARE ALREADY IN GOOD HEALTH AND A HEALTHY WEIGHT. However, if you have any type of health symptoms or are overweight, I think you should adhere to a completely grain-free diet free of sugar, potatoes, grain-fed dairy and meat, and even most fruits and legumes (especially peanuts) that are either high in sugars or starches until you are symptom free. I have some VERY serious health conditions due to poor medical care, poor diet, and environmental toxins early in life and I can attest that eating a diet similar to GAPS called the Know the Cause Phase One Diet has greatly improved my overall health. As your health and/or weight improves, you can and should add back in healthy grains, fruits, and legumes – only temporarily removing them in periods of sickness or following indulgence in unhealthy diet.
Yes .. we cut out grains if we are sick in our home as it does help simplify digestion and we do get well faster. But when in good health, properly prepared cereal grains add much to the diet.
I’m a bit puzzled by this… you write:
> Yes .. we cut out grains if we are sick in our home as it does help simplify digestion
> and we do get well faster
does that not say something to you about how much strain cereal grains puts on your digestive system? You have admitted that you get better faster when not consuming them, so why go back to eating them when you are better, just to begin the cycle again?
If you compare a bowl of vegetables to a bowl of cereal, it’s not hard to see which contains the most nutrients and is easier to digest – for everybody.
I’m also curious as to what you mean by ‘properly prepared’?
Out of interest, have you read Wheat Belly: http://www.amazon.com/Wheat-Belly-Lose-Weight-Health/dp/1609611543 you might find your opinions on whether wheat adds anything to a healthy diet changes somewhat…
Best wishes
Tara
From what I’ve read, the Dinka ate millet and rice. The fact that they thrived on those grains doesn’t mean all grains are good.
I second the recommendation for Wheat Belly. It does a good job explaining why the wheat we have today is in no way traditional and is in every way bad for you. Soak or ferment it all you like. It’s still bad stuff. It isn’t even the same wheat that was around when Price was doing his research. Corn has also been altered greatly from what people used to eat. I generally avoid grains and have seen greatly improved health. I’m not afraid of a little rice now and then, but gluten grains and corn are on my hit list.
we also eat rice at home from time to time. I think it’s pretty ‘safe’ as far as grains go, also quinoa which isn’t technically a grain anyway!
corn and wheat I avoid at all costs!
Interesting.
I eat primal, basically, and just wanted to point out that a lot of what you’re saying is actually “backed” by Mark Sisson. It’s not in the book, but Mark and his team are pretty good with updating the website (www.marksdailyapple.com) and staying current to the motions of Paleo/Primal or “Ancestral Health”… not long ago Mark/co wrote an article regarding grains, and how properly prepared they cease to be as dangerous (as WAPF has already noted long long long ago) though he did mention this is something to undertake if you actually want to eat them, personally I see no real need and don’t feel as though I’m missing out. If ever I do want some grains (bread/whatever) I just eat them straight up. I figure I only do this a handful of times a year, so I can handle it.
Similarly, paleo bloggers such as Robb Wolf have begun to revise some of their dietary restrictions, most notably the move towards “safe starches” such as white rice and potatoes, where before they were shunned by paleo, are now back on the menu.
I don’t think people should totally base their diets on what others think, I for one never stopped eating potatoes because a) they’re a real food and b) I love them, and they’re a big part of my culture, and I’m not overweight/metabolically deranged.
I guess what I’m saying is, you are maybe a bit out of the overall loop, not your fault I’m not expecting you to read all these blogs daily or nothing as you must be plenty busy running your own site and taking care of your family. I just want your readers to know that both these approaches to diet are still evolving, but I endorse their overall message, as it seems you do (for the most part) as well.
Love your site!
+1 to iniQuity –
With respect to Paleo, yes Dr. Cordain did write a book, but 99% of the people who eat a Paleo diet are listening to Robb Wolf, Sarah Fragoso, Dr. Kurt Harris, and even Chris Masterjohn and do not eat canola, eat plenty of saturated fats, etc.
That would be Primal then, correct? Not really Paleo since Dr. Cordain coined the phrase.
The difference between primal and paleo is that the former includes some dairy and is intended as an entire lifestyle. Paleo is the overarching theoretical model, though that term is losing ground to “ancestral health” as the field splits between strict adherents (such as crosfitters) and those who are more generally interested in better health, allergy reduction and such.
It’s a bit unfair to trash an entire integrative model of health promotion based on a single superceded book. As other commenters have noted, there’s a LOT more to paleo than Loren Cordain.
I’ve been following a primitive diet for more than five years now and I use the terms paleo/primal/primitive/caveman diet (even “ancestral” at times) interchangeably. I eat some raw dairy, mostly cream and butter and eat a bit of white rice and oats. I run several communities for paleo diet and lifestyle and I find most adherents use the terms interchangeably as well.
Actually Paleo is evolving to include more fats and I believe he no longer endorses canola oil. I have a Paleo friend who likes to debate and keeps me updated that way. (we do gaps).
Don’t feed the elitists, please! Paleo, Primal, they’re almost the same.
Thanks for the clarification! I appreciate your input 🙂
Why I Don’t Eat Paleo or Primal – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/5ogw314M