The Paleo Diet and other thoughts about eating...

There are SOOOOOO many diets out there for every purpose, and for every person: Atkins diet, cabbage soup diet, Buddhist diet, cookie diet, detox diet, gluten-free diet, grapefruit diet, halal and kosher diets, juice diet, organic, macrobiotic, vegan..... I could go on and on for days.  Some of these diets are meant to be followed for a short amount of time, and others are designed as a permanent lifestyle.  So my question is, is there a single diet that is best for every human?

The first answer that comes into my mind is "No."  I say that because some people get seriously ill when they eat, for example, gluten, or peanuts, or shellfish, while many others eat as much as they want of these foods and suffer no ill effects whatsoever.  So how can experts promote a "healthy diet" when our individual systems are so different from one another?

The Paleo Diet is based on what we believe our hunter-gather ancestors would have eaten: lean meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, and nuts.  Those who promote a lifestyle that includes the Paleo diet claim that if a person follows this diet, that person can expect to be naturally lean, have acne-free skin, improved athletic performance, and relief from numerous ailments such as cancer, obesity, diabetes, arthritis, gastrointestinal diseases, and so on.  Folks that follow a Paleo diet avoid all dairy foods, all grains (including oats, wheat, corn, rice, barley), beans and peanuts, and starchy, salty, fatty, and sugary foods.  See a sample list of Paleo foods at http://altmed.creighton.edu/Paleodiet/Foodlist.html

Dr. Vance Inouye, N.M.D., promotes an extreme low-carb lifestyle in which fruits are also avoided, although I believe he allows dairy foods and peanuts to be eaten.  I must say I felt good when I followed this diet, I just couldn't see giving up fruits forever, I love them too much.

So, how much are we willing to give up for the sake of perfect health?  And is there even such a thing as perfect health?  Is there a middle ground?

One thing that both of these approaches have in common is the avoidance of foods such as donuts, pastries, croissants, cakes, cookies, muffins -- foods that most of us agree are really not good for us.  In fact, most processed foods in general are avoided.

So, what is left if we avoid processed foods and anything from the bakery?  Well, lots, if you are blessed to have access to a full service grocery store that includes a fresh produce department and a fresh meat department (and I don't mean a deli!)

With a little know-how and imagination, you can turn raw, fresh meats and produce into yummy, mouth-watering dishes such as the seafood stew pictured above... ummmm ...  I didn't make it!!!  But it still looks delicious!!  (It's from the "Paleolithic diet" page of Wikipedia!)  And you don't have to slave all day in the kitchen either, but you do have to think about food, what you are eating and what you are feeding your loved ones.

So get out your knife, cutting board, frying pan, and a few spices, and start cooking!  And I don't mean semi-homemade!  Sorry Sandra Lee, processed shortcuts are not necessary!!  And please, enjoy some crunchy apples, sweet, juicy strawberries, carrots and celery sticks along the way!

Holla!!!