Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Paleo Diet Q & A - 11.11.09


Dear Readers,

More Q & A from the Paleo Diet community. We hope you're gaining insight into others' experiences with the Paleo Diet and the helpful responses from our team.

Thank you for your continued interest in the Paleo Diet.



Q: I recently purchased the Paleo Diet book and I was wondering about eating bacon. I’m assuming regular bacon is out of the question because it’s high in fat. I was curious about Turkey or Chicken Bacon. Are these allowed?

A: Yes you're right. Bacon is approximately 77% fat and only 21% protein, so it shouldn't be part of a regular diet. Moreover, the kind of fat in bacon is higher in saturated fats (they increase the risk of cardiovascular disease) compared to game meat. Chicken or turkey bacon is also high in fat.



Q: My friend and I are both on the diet. We are arguing about ground turkey. Is ground turkey allowed?

A: Yes, ground turkey is a Paleo-friendly food, especially if you eat the lean cuts, such as turkey breast.



Q: I'm reading The Paleo Diet for Athletes am an athlete, and I'm concerned about losing weight on the diet. How can I avoid losing weight and still eat Paleo?

A:
If you are prone to losing weight there are a few things you should do:
  1. Increase your caloric intake using fat-dense foods such as olive oil, coconut oil, avocado or nuts. All of them sources of good fats.
  2. The Paleo Diet is high in Branched-chain Amino Acids (BCAA)-valine, leucine and iso-leucine. BCAA, are crucial for muscle recovery and muscle growth. BCAA are found in lean meats and fish, however you can use them as a supplement, especially in the 30 minute post-exercise period. Cereal grains are poor sources of BCAA compared to lean meats and fish. Egg whites are also a good BCAA source. The recommended dose is 6 grams/day as a supplement.
  3. The Paleo Diet is high in net base carbohydrates. This means that the post-exercise metabolic acidity is halted by vegetables and fruits. This prevents muscle wasting as a result of metabolic acidity.
  4. Use high-glycemic load fruits (bananas and grapes) and vegetables (sweet potatoes and yams) in the 30 minute post-exercise period to restore muscle glycogen levels.



Q: I am not a fan of the taste of shellfish or seafood. Can I still obtain the same benefits of this diet if I only eat the meat and not any of the suggested fish or seafood?

A: There are a lot of crucial substances for optimal health in fish and seafood, such as omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, selenium, vitamin E, etc. So, if you can't eat seafood we suggest you to take some supplements, such as:
  • Omega-3 fatty acids: EPA+DHA 3-4 grams a day.
  • Zinc: 25mg per day.
  • Multivitamin/multimineral supplements
Eat lean meat to ensure an adequate protein balance.

3 comments:

  1. Hello, I'm keen to know what your position on ghee is? Also, how come sesame seeds and other whole spice seeds (like coriander seeds) are allowed - don't they contain anti-nutrients, being the unit of life for that plant?

    ReplyDelete
  2. In regards to the question on seafood, doesn't the recommendation to take supplements conflict with a recent newsletter that said vitamins aren't necessary? And that the human body wasn't meant to receive vitamins/antioxidants in pure form?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've read the book, have been on the diet for three weeks and have lost 7 lbs so far. I lose weight VERY slowly and this has been the only diet I've tried in the last two years (since being diagnosed with celiac) that has had some result. I'm trying to set some parameters in my food diary software so I can keep a closer eye on my intake. Do you have recommended grams/ounces for fat, carbs, fiber, and protein?
    I'm a female needing to lose 80 lbs (hopefully) in one year. Thanks for any help.

    ReplyDelete

The Paleo Diet Team invites you to leave comments or post questions to our blog. We receive a great amount of feedback, but we are not able to always answer personally. We read all comments, and we are very interested in hearing your thoughts, learning about your experiences, and understanding what questions you have. Note that we review all comments before publishing them on the blog. Comments posted that do not contain questions or comments related to paleo nutrition, or those that point to web sites that do not provide content that would be deemed helpful to our readers, will be rejected.

Thank you.
The Paleo Diet Team