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
Â
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 Sarah, this really clears things up for me. Just got my GAPS book yesterday and hope I can 100% clear the psoriasis on my scalp as well as a slight remaining allergy and lose another 25 lbs. I seem to do fine with grains a couple of times per week, and I probably consume too many dairy products – looking forward to complete healing and finding the right balance for my body.
Great explanation Sarah. I’ve never read the Paleo nor the Primal diet books, but I have many friends that claim these are the most healthy diets you can be on (esp the Paleo). As popular as the Paleo has become, I think you are going to spark a fire storm with this article…. have fun :).
R
Speaking my mind has never been a problem for me Rick LOL
I think folks deserve to know what I really think if they read this blog even occasionally. They are free to disagree with me but at least there is no doubt where I stand.
I appreciate being able to read about your thoughts and ideas. You cut through it all and present very useful information. Thank you!
Hi Sarah,
Interesting post, as always. Could you provide a reference for this following statement,
“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”.
I read some of Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, but not all of it, and didn’t see this.
Read the Chapter on Dr. Price’s travels in Africa. He discusses the Dinka’s superior strength and well proportioned physiques in relation to other tribes that are primarily carnivores or largely vegetarian.
Love your blog, but must disagree with you on the grains. I feel grains are bad – even if prepared traditionally. The grains of today have been hybridized and modified so much that nothing is available that even resembles the grains of the peoples that Dr. Price studied. You just cannot aquire good quality grain with the original chromosonal make-up intact. Period. I do agree that some require more complex carbs than the traditional “primal” diets suggest. That’s where healthy legumes (e.g. various beans) and tubers come in. I, personally, add sweet potato and winter squash a lot. White potatoes are out as they have been hybridized and modified too much for my liking. I do not eat any grain and I am healthy, have a great immune system and my weight remains constant. After 18 months off grain, I did have a few servings on vacation in order not to offend my hosts. Boy, could I feel the difference – “sinus-y” issues and joint pain. That can’t be good.
If you had tried properly prepared grains, you may have been fine. I eat grains and I get very tired when I eat them made in a modern fashion. I am in no way advocating eating grains prepared in a modern way. It is better to eat no grains than eating improperly prepared ones.
Actually, the reaction occurs equally as bad with properly prepared grains. Have tried that “experiment” when craving something “bready”. The grain genomes have been changed so significantly from the past, there is just no way to compare the properly-prepared grains of the peoples that Dr. Price studied with the properly-prepared grains available today. You just can’t get the same grains.
I don’t buy that argument. MOST of our plant foods have been hybridized.
I certainly agree with you on that and am not happy about it. That’s why I love the heirloom varieties that I can find at some of the farmer’s markets. My Amish farmer “connection” is great too as his farm, animals and seed for crops are the same varieties that have been passed down the generations. No hybridization, no genetic modification, etc. I feel so very blessed to be able to get his products.
Funny timing! I just saw this (posted today) and Dr. William Davis makes the point much more eloquently and accurately than I did: http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2011/11/you-can-put-lipstick-on-a-pig/
I don’t necessarily feel that hybridization is a bad thing. I know a local, organic biodynamic farmer in my area who thinks heirloom seeds are a waste of time and if science comes up with an excellent hybrid (not GMO of course — whole different ballgame there) then that is wonderful and we should use it. I tend to agree with her. There’s nothing wrong with selecting a plant for the characteristics that are desirable. People and animals are hybridized too (natural selection … survival of the fittest).
The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson got a thumbs UP review on the Weston Price website (look for it through their health topics page).
I think one thing that people are reacting to is that Sarah has said that the way to be the most healthy, physically excellent and strong is to add in grains (per WAP). To me, that is the statement that sounds contentious.
Others are clearly not experiencing that health from eating grains. I am beginning the GAPS journey because I’m such a mess physically. Doing without grains right now is pure heaven. That may or may not be temporary.
Read Mr. Price’s book to get a fuller picture.
Once you heal on GAPS, it will likely be best for you to add grains back in unless the autoimmune issues are too severe to allow this. My husband healed on GAPS and is better now eating properly prepared grains in moderation than he was before with no grains at all. In time, people will understand the wisdom of Dr. Price’s observations that a balanced and not extreme approach to eating is the best traditional diet of all.
At 52 years old and having lived in all regions of the United States, I have learned one really valuable lesson on eating. EAT LOCALLY. To eat healthy is to consume regionally the foods grown closest to your home. Less complications of allergies, more opportunity to learn the history of the food and if you can grow your own its better monitored by you than the FDA. Having been raised in Florida I grew up on fresh fish and veggies, educated in California I opened my menu to ethnic foods, but still dish ingredients locally grown. In the North East I learned to make healing soups and stews and in the Midwest I had the best of what free range ranching could produce. I have always stuck to the small multiple meal system and I remember my children,s friends telling their own parent that we are eating all the time instead of the traditional 3 square meals. The base of our plan is not Paleo or Primal, it is human and balanced. We eat lean and clean, we eat fresh or preserved naturally. We dont visit local fast food places and we love to have family meals with everyone contributing a special dish to share. Food is medicine is so many ways. It is your fuel to keep the machine running in it’s best condition. Exercise is every bit as important, but Im more interested in the activity of hunting and gathering as I am the balancing of my inner self. I dont need to be a gym rat to get the exercise I need. I need to get moving! Living healthy is not complicated, it just needs a bit of thought, a desire to take charge of my own health, and not allow advertising or convenience of ready made products to poison my well being. I raised two kids with the knowledge to eat well. What they do with it will be their journey. Either way, I am doing what makes me better.
Oops! Hit the wrong button by mistake 🙂
Anyway…as I was saying… The fact that the mentioned diets GET RID OF PROCESSED FOODS makes them better than the SAD any day!! My husband and I eat Primal/Paleo and we’ve never felt better. When we found out he was diabetic, it was the simplest way I could see to reduce the amount of carbs he was eating but still be satisfied with what we were eating. I love your blog and read it every day so the fact that primal isn’t for you doesn’t matter at all to me. It’s up to all of us to do what we feel is best for us. You still provide an extremely valuable source of information and I really appreciate all of your grain free and whole food recipes. Your grain free breakfast cereal is one of my all time favorites. I just tweaked the amount of maple syrup so that the carbs are much lower and my husband and I can both enjoy cereal again! Thanks Sarah!
I think that at the end of the day, the BEST thing about any of the diets/lifestyles that have been mentioned in the posts is that they GET RID OF
Metabolic typing is the best way forward in my opinion, watch the videos here to find out more about your individual ratios http://www.metabolictypingadvisor.co.uk