Diets come and go.
And today’s most popular diet is undoubtedly paleo, aka the paleolithic diet.
Paleo is based around eating only foods that our ancient “hunter-gatherer” ancestors would have eaten during the paleolithic times – like meat, nuts, and berries…
Proponents of paleo argue that we should eat this way because it is the way that “nature intended.” They argue that the digestive systems of humans have not evolved to handle the agricultural boom that occurred just after this period and brought us new foods like dairy, grains, and other processed foods.
Yes, there are other arguments for paleo that I’ll cover in a moment, but this is the basis of the diet… a laughable one at best.
(Side note: I’m not a big fan of paleo’s popular workout partner Crossfit either, but let’s not get off track)
The “History” of the Paleo Diet
You see – the paleolithic era spanned over 2.5 million years, and saw humans living across a variety of geographic locations, and eating a variety of different diets… some of which included non-paleo foods like grains and legumes. There’s simply not even close to enough cohesive data to back up these claims.
On top of this, paleolithic skeletons that have been recovered indicate their life expectancy was about 35.4 years for men and 30.0 years for women… Not something that indicates that they were a model for healthy eating. The average lifespan today, for comparison’s sake, is 68.5 years for men and 73.5 years for women.
Sure, some of this difference can be attributed to things that were more prevalent back then, like warfare and infectious diseases with no effective medical treatment, but still – it’s seems extremely questionable that we should base our modern diet on what people ate during the paleolithic era.
Yes, there are plenty of things wrong with the average man’s diet in today’s world, for sure, but is paleo really a good answer? Are the plethora of new foods available to us as a result of human progress really such a bad thing?
Take a few minutes to read the rest of this article and you’ll see why paleo – and any pre-packaged diet for that matter – is not an intelligent answer…
Why Paleo “Works”
Before I jump into destroying paleo I’d like to give credit where it’s due. In my mind, paleo has become so popular because of the following 3 reasons:
- Caloric restriction
When you eliminate so many foods – dairy, grains, legumes, processed foods, etc. – from your diet, you also remove a whole hell of a lot of calories in the process. It’s nearly impossible to make up for all the calories you cut out by eating more of the few paleo-approved foods (shown above), especially because they tend to be relatively low calorie.The result is almost always weight loss… Something that nearly everyone is seeking in today’s obesity-plagued world. However, you can always cut calories and keep enjoying foods you love without going full paleo and indiscriminately giving up a bunch of potential foods sources in the process.
- The low carb factor
Another reason paleo is so popular is the same reason that any other low-carb diet (e.g. keto, slow-carb, atkins, etc.) is popular… It leads to an enormous, almost instant loss of water weight.This comes as a result of the emptying of all of your glycogen stores that have been “filled up” as a result of the carbohydrates that have been in your diet before going low carb. So, because the number of paleo-approved carb sources is so low, many people who begin the diet experience a big drop in weight after only a few days. The thing to remember is that this isn’t fat loss… it’s just water leaving your body tissue.
- Avoidance of common allergens
In my mind, this is the most legit reason to follow paleo (especially given my miserable digestive system). A lot of people today are lactose intolerant, and by following paleo you cut dairy – and lactose – out of your diet. A smaller percentage of the general population is gluten-intolerant, and by following paleo you cut grains – and gluten – out of your diet as well.So for people who unknowingly have foods allergies, following paleo will drastically improve how they feel throughout the day. But it’s important to note you can easily cut out whatever you’re personally allergic to without having to go full paleo.
Paleo’s Colossal Downfall
As you probably gathered above, all of the main benefits of paleo can be achieved without actually having to eat paleo.
The problem with paleo, any every other one-size-fits-all diets, is just that: one size never fits all. There’s no reason you should have to give up foods you love just because you’re doing paleo.
- If you want to lose weight, just cut back your total calories for the day
- If you’re allergic to dairy or gluten, then stop eating the damn foods you’re allergic to!
You don’t have to go crazy and tell yourself you’re not going to eat any dairy, grains, legumes, or other processed foods… There’s simply never a good reason to do so.
And the worse part is psychological: it’s almost certainly going to make you drive yourself crazy when you go out and want to enjoy a slice of pizza, a piece of bread, or some other non-paleo food you enjoy… And then it’s going to make you feel guilty when you inevitably slip up and do it anyway.
How Paleo Fails All Athletes and Bodybuilders
As we explored above, paleo excludes our biggest source of carbs – grains. And limiting carbs is very detrimental to athletic performance.
You see – it’s very hard to maintain high levels of glycogen without eating a good amount of carbs (glycogen is a form of energy stored in our bodies, and it occurs primarily as a result of carbohydrate intake).
Glycogen is so important because it powers your mind and your muscles. This is one reason why it’s common to feel lethargic and tired when you cut carbs out of your diet.
But on top of this, converting glycogen to glucose is one of our bodies three main ways to generate energy during bouts of exercise, and when you don’t have a lot of stored glycogen to begin with, then you’ll surely hinder your performance in any physical activity – whether that means running a sprint, bench pressing, or fighting in the ring.
Proponents of low carb diets will argue that this isn’t so vital and that our bodies adapt to use fat as energy instead, and this is true to a certain extent, but there’s no question that limiting carbs will have a net negative impact on physical performance – something competitive athletes, or just people looking to get stronger, can’t afford to risk.
What to Do Instead of Following Any “Diet”
So now that I’ve made my argument for why paleo is far from an ideal diet, I suppose it’s time to tell you what I think you should do instead.
Well, it’s really pretty simple. Just follow these steps to construct a diet that will be ideal for YOU:
- If you suffer from bad bloating, gas, constipation, or diarrhea:
- Take the time to experiment with a dairy free diet for a week and see if it goes away…
- If it does, then don’t eat dairy…
- If it doesn’t then take the time to experiment with a gluten free diet for a week and see if it goes away…
- If it does, then don’t eat gluten…
- If it doesn’t, go see your doctor
- If you want to lose weight, eat less food
- If you want to gain weight, eat more food
- Eat mainly “paleo” type “healthy” foods like meats, fruits, and veggies
- Don’t avoid eating a little bit of other not-so-healthy foods that you enjoy
(Side note: Always supplement a good diet with weight lifting… this is non-negotiable for men)
There you go – now you’ll have a diet that’s optimized for YOU. You won’t be eating shit that bothers your stomach, you’ll be getting closer to your fitness goals, and you’ll still be enjoying foods that you love but paleo doesn’t want you to eat.
The reality is the only person I can possibly think of that paleo would work well for is someone who has extraordinary self-control, to avoid so many common foods, but at the same time is too damn lazy to figure out a diet that works for them…
And that’s some type of contradiction.
Hey David!! Nice article as always!!What do you think about Sodas, do you drink them? if so, how often?
Keep up the great work man!! You have helped men in a big way!!
Thank you César!
I don’t drink soda, but I don’t think they’re “bad” in moderation.
Great article, David.
I couldn’t agree more. It’s just common sense that one diet can’t fit all.
Thanks for laying out the facts about why strict paleo is just not the thing to do.
Thank you Mariza!
I saw you’re moving to Spain, I’ll be there in the fall so maybe we can link up.
I respectfully disagree with some of the things you’ve mentioned, David. Most people are not professional athletes so there is no need to load up on carbs.
There is also science that has shown that high insulin levels from processed high carb foods block receptors to signals that tell you you’re full. Also it blocks the release of hormones that stimulate fat burning.
If you exercise with the intensity and can withstand the hunger pains, you will lose weight still eating these high carb foods. You’ll be miserable from fatigue and you could succumb to an injury that would put you out of your program.
Going paleo allows the typical individual to stick to this plan. You still can from time to time enjoy a dessert and it won’t harm you. You just don’t want to have the high carb foods for every meal and every snack every day. You will not be able to burn those calories off for a sustained period of time.
I agree with you, John, if you’re not an athlete then you don’t need a lot of carb.
However, not being Paleo doesn’t mean you have to be High-carb. I’m a mostly vegan, so I can’t be Paleo. I have objections to consumption of large quantities of meat from the standpoint of health, environment and moral grounds — but that’s a whole other blog post.
It is completely possible to be low-carb and not Paleo. I try to maintain 50% protein/25%fat/25%carb. I increase the carbs when I increase my activity.
David offers a very good perspective here on how to tailor your diet to your needs. E.g. allergic to something? don’t eat it. Need to more calories because you wanna get big? then eat more. Trying to lose weight? eat less.
This Paleo trend is not great for your body or the environment. And just as David says, there’s a lot more scientific research to prove that.
Oh absolutely, Mariza. Paleo doesn’t mean all low carb. You could eat all fruits and vegetables and it’s still paleo.
I think having 60% or more of your daily caloric intake from carbs is a bad advice by the USDA, especially from grains that contributes to this metabolic syndrome we are facing. Obesity is just one of the symptoms of this dreaded disorder.
Great points, Mariza – I agree with everything you said here.
Hey John,
I certainly would NOT recommend a high carb diet to an average individual who’s trying to lose weight.
So I don’t think there’s much we disagree on.
And, as Mariza said, limiting your calories and/or carbs does not imply that you need to follow paleo in the process.
That being said – I do appreciate you chiming in and making a good discussion of this
David
Thanks David.
Limiting your calories on a low carb diet is easier because you don’t get hungry as quick and stay not hungry longer. Trying to reduce calories on a standard American diet is difficult because you will be hungry sooner and pig out and eat more because insulin blocks the satiety hormone to let you know you’ve had enough to eat.
If you exercise intensely and burn off the carbs, then ok. But you still undergo the effects of glucotoxicity, even for a short duration until your pancreas pumps insulin to lower your blood glucose. Eventually after years of this type of abuse to your pancreas, it craps out and you become insulin dependent aka diabetes.
Eating food high in starch is bad for you. This is fact. It causes your insulin to spike which inhibits fat loss and aids fat retention.
The average person..and I highlight average…will be better off on a paleo diet than eating the 6-7 recommended servings of starch everyday.
While this MAY be true (and I emphasize MAY), it still is not a good reason to eat paleo… only to avoid starches… which I still don’t think is ANYWHERE EVEN CLOSE to one of the main causes of people being fat in society today.
People simply need to eat less to lose weight.
I disagree. As you have noted yourself, it is difficult to overeat (too many calories) on a high protein, low carbon diet. It isn’t in a high starch diet. ‘Starch’ being anything high on the glycemic index. Wheats, sugars, carbs…cut them out of the diet and the obesity epidemic disappears.
Carbs tend to be the main foods that obese people overeat on, I agree.
However, this article isn’t aimed at the obese population… And even they can follow the basic approach I outlined above and succeed in losing weight and being healthier.
There are people that are skinny, yet still suffer from metabolic syndrome. Symptoms include arteriosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, cancer, dementia, high cholesterol to name a few. These are not the diseases from obesity, these are the SYMPTOMS of the problem called metabolic syndrome.
I’m curious how you define Paleo. Different people define it differently. Maybe we’re talking about the same thing.
I recommend reading the research done by Dr. Richard Bernstein about diabetes. And also YouTube video the Complete Skinny on Obesity with Dr. Robert Lustig if you have time. Video is about an hour long.
Well thankfully I’ve been eating starch all my life and in as slim as they come, paleo is plain stupid.
#PaleoForLife But I do agree that “protein good”.
I might even argue that no team good like protein good. Like if there were a tournament of different “teins” I think that proTEIN would take the proverbial chocolate brownie flavored cake. What do you think? Why’d you respond to every comment except for mine? What’s your deal bro?
Ain’t no team good… just ain’t no team good…
I found it a bit amusing that the title of this article alludes to the “science” of why eating paleo is “plain stupid” (click-bait perhaps?) yet the article did not cite one single scientific study to support any of the author’s claims. It is nothing more than opinion, with some conventional wisdom thrown in the mix. As an eater of primarily paleo/bulletproof whole foods, I am always interested to hear legitimate criticisms that are backed up by current research. I was disappointed to find none of that in this article.
And I would disagree with you, Steve.
The simplicity of scientific concepts like glycogen, glycolsis, thermodynamics, and basic food allergies are age-old scientific cocnepts that don’t need new studies or research to back them up.
Is there any point, specifically, that you object to?
Specifically, I disagree with your argument that paleo dieting does not acknowledge the role of glycolysis (thus the need for eating carbs) in providing energy or building muscle.
Read any of Mark Sisson’s work, or Dave Asprey’s bulletproof diet, and you will see that carbs are part of the framework…the difference is what kind and how much. It seems fairly standard nowadays that sweet potatoes are one of the “paleo approved” carbs for athletes, along with some form of rice…though Asprey advocates for white rice (fewest anti-nutrients) while Sisson pushes wild rice (minimal processing). Some paleo folks who fall more within the strict ketogenic arena wouldn’t allow these foods, but this just shows the spectrum paleo fits…something I don’t think your article fairly addressed.
Second, the argument that low carb eating results in sluggish behavior is true only if the person’s body is not properly adapted to burn ketones. This transition is claimed to take anywhere from 1-4 weeks, but when the adaptation is complete, even endurance athletes have bounced back to perform at levels equal to those they had before transitioning. Of course the body prefers glucose over ketones as an energy source because it’s an easier chemical reaction…but ultimately this requires a higher volume of food to maintain ourselves (think Gu packets). Assuming you are correct in that all a person needs to do to lose weight is eat less food, doesn’t paleo act as a biohack to aid in doing just that?
I think a better topic to delve into might be the benefits (or lack thereof) of a sustained ketogenic diet, because this seems controversial even within the paleo community, and seems to be more what you are targeting as opposed to the blanket generalization that all paleo is stupid.
Ever heard of the Microbiome diet? If so, what are your thoughts?
I honestly don’t know enough about it to offer a well-formulated opinion.
Also, what are your thoughts on intermittent fasting?
I like it for 2 reasons:
1. If you want to lose weight, and you fast in the morning – and get adjusted to it so you avoid the hunger pangs – then it’s a simple way to essentially remove one full meal’s worth of calories.
2. I’ve seen no research supporting this, but it seems to improve my digestive issues (bloating, gas, etc.)
I know I am late to the debate, but I would like to add my 2 cents. Most of what causes obesity in America is sugar and refined flour. Their are cultures all over the world that follow all types of diets and are relatively healthy compared to America. Studies have shown that many of these cultures have had low rates of heart disease and cancer. Yet when an American diet is introduced(sugar and refined flour) the rates for these two diseases explode. Paleo is a great way of eating for non athletes, and those who follow a relatively sedentary lifestyle. For athletes and those who engage in rigorous workouts, carbs are needed, but they need to come from clean sources to optimize your health.
What about the fact that wheat has been so genetically modified that it doesn’t even resemble the wheat of 60 years ago?
After drastically cutting wheat consumption chronic GERD (that I took medication for) went away. Became a believer that wheat is horrible, at least for some people, after that.
Do you have any thoughts on wheat belly and similar books?
Thanks for chiming in Jake, glad to hear you were able to cure your GERD condition.
I certainly believe that some people are allergic to wheat, at least in some capacity, and are therefore better off avoiding it.
Thanks. I agree in that everyone should experiment for themselves, instead of just blindly following the next big diet.
I have Ulcerative colitis so I think about food a lot. It’s baffling that some people will eat a food and get fucking bloody diarrhea while for another person the same food is a “safe food” that they can tolerate.
Good post.
Thanks Jake – I have my fair share of digestive issues and food allergies so I feel your pain.
There are no bad or good foods, only bad or good decisions. Going “paleo” may be one of them.
Bear in mind that all diets based on a restriction of some kind are doomed to failure.
You will surely lose weight when restricting a macronutrient that makes about 50% of your total food intake. (In the first days the weight loss will be mostly water.) However, most low-carb dieters give up after a few months for the simple reason that we are all designed to crave carbohydrates.
Also bear in mind that there was no single paleo-diet.