Chris Highcock is the latest to write about a shift away from a paleo-TM approach:
There is probably more to write about why I’ve moved on from low carb paleo, but essentially I drifted from low carb - I realised that carbs were not the enemy but often the preferred source of fuel. Then overtime I started to question much of the dogma of paleo, particularly the quasi-religious nature of the whole paradigm, this utopia from which we fell in which we all lived these ideal lives, with optimal diets, social interaction and physical activity.
He makes an interesting point about the Internet leading him astray. I guess you can see how there could be a “down the rabbit hole” like quality to what Chris calls the “alternative realms.”
For now, Chris is sticking with the basics. As he sees it:
- Eat real food
- Progressive strength training
- Stand up straight
- Get enough sleep
Reading Chris’ post got me thinking about Kurt Harris, paleo, and orthorexia. A quick Google search later and I was reading Kurt’s interview with Chris Kresser (an oldie but goodie from back in the Danny Roddy days). It holds up well for a two-year-old post, but this comment by Kurt re his IBS stuck out to me:
I would say that I can get away with eating just about anything [if] my mental state is good.
I’ve mentioned here many times Yoni Freedhoff’s maxim to live “the healthiest life that you can enjoy, not the healthiest life that you can tolerate.” I wonder if my life would be easier if I had the “no candy cigarettes” conviction of a paleo-TM guru, but Diane Sanfilippo’s admission of going on two years being tired shows that that’s not enough either.
I have never been hardcore paleo-TM, but these days, I find I’m increasingly with folks like Melissa or Amber on a less dogmatic, more real food approach. It’s not that I think a paleo-TM approach is wrong — it clearly works for many folks. But sometimes it doesn’t, despite how much you know or how diligent you are.
And when it does work, it’s not really clear whether the benefit is from excluding SAD foods compared to excluding dairy, grains, and legumes entirely. The science is not yet definitive (see Alan Aragon’s The Paleo Diet: Claims vs Evidence presentation for his take). Given that, the arguments about the paleo-TM diet are feeling to me a little bit like the “how many angels can dance on the head of a pin” debate. Fine if you have the time and interest for it, but it can be a rabbit hole if you don’t.
Cooking skillz
For me, like Chris, I “will keep reading, writing, thinking and hopefully progressing.” But I’m shifting my energy away from macronutrients and micronutrients and towards more pragmatic endeavors: I’m going to improve my cooking skills!
First, I’m working through the domestic section of Tim Ferriss’ The Four-Hour Chef and then I’m going to work through Michael Ruhlman’s Twenty. I always thought myself a decent enough cook, but the reality is, I would like to see myself cooking more. So spending some time with these books (alas, I’m too far from a decent cooking school) is meant to help me improve my skills — and my meals!
But it’s not just about that. I’m also going to use this time to explore the ways that cooking is both a personal as well as a political activity (paging Mark Bittman, Michael Pollan, Jamie Oliver and yee gads there must be some women in this space).
Stay tuned!
Weight Maven is written by Beth Mazur. Beth believes that obesity is more symptom than cause and that the real problem is our Western diet -- especially sugar, refined grains, and industrial oils. Beth writes about nutrition, ancestral health, & food policy. And cats! 
Sally Fallon would be the #1 voice, I suppose, at least politically. I highly recommend Art of Simple Food, by Alice Waters. It is a delight to read, and to cook from. She’s up there with Julia Child, for me.
Carol
Thanks! I hadn’t considered Sally Fallon, mostly because I see her so much more involved politically with food sourcing (e.g., raw milk) as opposed to cooking per se. But I have Nourishing Traditions, so will certainly dig into it a bit more for some of the WAPF staples (bone broths, ferments, etc). I’ll definitely check into Alice Waters.
Try http://www.anjasfood4thought.com/ - she’s made a journey into a no-grain, no-refined-sugar style of eating.
Thanks Caroline!! So nice to “see” you … I’m off to have lunch with Ginny and Karen tomorrow! Hope all is well.
Didn’t you have some success with the “Matt Lalonde” eating style you experimented with at one time (I’m thinking it was you - if not, I appologize)? Perhaps you could work further with that, or is that way too restrictive?
Yes, that was me. I did it for 60 days as essentially an elimination diet. It worked great for my health markers but it’s not an diet I’m ready for (yet anyways) as a lifetime approach.
If I didn’t have Hashimotos, I’d probably loosen up a bit on some foods. Whenever I stray eczema comes back on my hands - it’s my ‘canary’. Saying that I enjoy treats made with real sugar, as long as they are grain and mainly dairy protein free, on a regular basis. I’m not phobic about treat food, or any food for that matter including carbs, as long as they don’t compromise my immune issues.
I’m a big fan of starting paleo with an elimination type diet like whole 30, and using that as a starting point to look for problem foods. But it is not necessary to be pedantic for life. Food is pleasure after all. I’m also not a fan of ‘candy cigarettes’. Eat the real thing (or the gluten free variety if you need) of the real thing is what I believe.
Re the candy cigarettes, yes, I must admit to finding the juxtaposition in my reader recently of an orthodox paleo guru saying vinegar isn’t paleo with a reformed paleo blogger posting about paleo cinnamon rolls to be curious!
I have a canary too … it’s rosacea. But as an old lady wearing purple, I’m not vain enough to let that stop me! Of course, I have ED issues, so there’s that.
I think you’re right about using a whole 30 as a starting point. The concern I have though is if/when that kind of restriction leads to overswinging as far as overeating goes. I’d love to see Emily Deans write more about that.
Hi Beth,
Very nice article, thanks. I wasn’t aware of Yoni’s ‘maxim,’ but I really like it. On another note, I think some people do better with stricter rules – LC & Paleo work for them because these diets exclude virtually all processed foods & empty calories. For others, these diets might be ‘tolerable,’ but not necessary and likely excessively restrictive.
all best,
Bill
Thanks for the visit/comment! Re stricter rules, you may well be right. I’m not sure it’s ideal that people do better with external rules/structure, but I’m not sure there are lots of great alternative(s).