Are brains paleo? I’m not talking about offal. I’m talking about YOUR BRAIN.
No, I don’t want to eat your brain. I want you to just freaking use it.
I might be more immersed in the paleo community than some, so I might be exposed to more paleo talk than I need to be. I’ve been seeing ludicrous questions asked about the paleo-ness of things, and it makes me think that people are missing the point. I’m not talking about legitimate questions about certain foods. Quinoa? Maple syrup? Butter? Potatoes? Are they paleo? Those are legitimate questions, and it’s completely understandable that they’re often asked. A lot of people who are embracing the paleo lifestyle are coming from a variety of other types of diets. Quite often, those former diets are on the complete other side of the spectrum. Going from a low-fat, calorie counting, cardio crazed lifestyle to a high fat, cholesterol loving, heavy lifting one is a huge transition. There are, of course, questions. 100% understandable.
What bothers me are the questions that suggest that we are supposed to be living some kind of historical reenactment, powered by google recipe searches. Do you see how ridiculous that very sentence is? We. Are. Not. Cavemen. Dress up as one for Halloween if you need to get it out of your system. But if you’re reading this, you live in a home with a solid roof on it. You buy your food from a store with just about every ingredient you can imagine. You bring those neatly packed bags of food home to a kitchen that is equipped with modern appliances, sharp knives, and smooth countertops. Bonus: There are no animals that try to eat you while you’re preparing your dinner. Begging dogs, maybe, but they’ll just clean the floor if you drop something.
Let’s entertain the idea that some things aren’t paleo or not paleo, they just ARE. Computers, Facebook, cars, makeup, toilet paper, contact lenses, spa days, cookbooks, 6 course gourmet dinners, office jobs; didn’t exist for our cavemen ancestors. Hell, some of these things didn’t exist for our grandparents.
Want to know the “Is it paleo” question that inspired this rant? Is flossing paleo? Someone asked about flossing in a paleo group the other day, and you wouldn’t believe the length of the thread that followed. People wanted sources backing up why flossing is healthy, and not actually some kind of ploy to get us all to unknowingly shove bacteria into our gums. (yes, really). Here’s a thought: Food gets stuck in between our teeth. Does eating a paleo diet give us a better chance of having good dental health? Yes. Will it prevent food from getting stuck in our teeth? No. Is food stuck in between our teeth for days on end a positive thing for our dental or overall health? I’m not a dentist, but I’m going to say No, no it’s not. Did cavemen have floss? Doubtful. Do I care? Not even a little.
Asking questions is great. Reading books, doing research, going to talks, all good. Knowledge is power. But let’s stop with the black and white, paleo non-paleo stuff. Not everything has to be one or the other. Twinkies? Fine, they’re just not paleo. But what about distance running? Does it have to be one or the other? Does it matter which one it is? Do you feel great when you run? Keep doing it. Does it cause pain to every part of your body ? Stop doing it. Simple as that. Enough is enough.
Yes, the paleo diet is based on an ancestral way of eating. There is plenty of science and a lot of common sense that shows how and why eating an ancestral diet is good for us. Grains are inflammatory and difficult to digest. Let’s not eat them, because inflammation is no bueno. Legumes, it turns out, are not so good for your heart because contrary to popular belief, farting more isn’t actually heart healthy. I never really liked them anyway. Oh and all of those additives that go into processed foods? They’re chemicals and we can’t pronounce their names. Maybe they’re not food? Huh. Let’s not eat those, either. *
Let’s Just Eat Real Food, and pay attention to how we feel after we eat it. Adjust as needed. Reassess. And for the rest of the stuff, let’s not be so obsessed with if it’s paleo or not, before we all start looking like crazed religious lunatics. Let’s use our big evolved brains, instead.
update 10/1/17: Grains and legumes can be problematic for some people, but are not universally unhealthy, especially when prepared correctly. I have reintroduced grains into my diet after being Paleo for years and personally do great with them, and am happier with gluten-free baked goods in my life. Again: do what works for you.
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Christine Damm says
Hoorah for this post! I have been guilty of a small obsession with doing things “the right way” and have now cleaned up my act. In reenacting circles (French & Indian War, not Paleo!) we call these people “correctness police”. They ruin it for everybody. I did see a post today about archaeologists finding evidence that Early people sometimes did damage to their teeth with toothpicks. So although they ARE paleo, they might have to be used with some common sense. Like eating Paleo. Thanks again.
Tari says
LOL!! Amen already, some people just seem to have way too much time I guess. At least the subject hasn’t gone to toilet items yet. Wait long enough and i’m sure it will and the answer should be only leaves are considered Paleo!!
Janie says
Agree! This is totally my Paleo pet peeve. It reminds me of those people who follow the Bible literally, down to the word, thereby losing track of the MEANING and PURPOSE behind it all. Inadvertently, they end up perverting the intended principles….
“What bothers me are the questions that suggest that we are supposed to be living some king of historical reenactment” <—I <3 you.
Kelli says
Well said! I couldn’t help but grin through the entire article although I find it frightening that so many people seem unable to use their “big evolved brains.” More evidence that good sense is not common.
Miranda Chestney-Law says
Perfect! I thin way too many people get caught in the trap of over thinking things and end up stuck, unable to change their lives for the better because of the aim for perfect…
pamela says
Love it. Every single sentence.
Keeks says
Wow, got this in my email and totally cracked up. On point post. So often, people throw the baby out with the bathwater – like this flossing discussion. I don’t eat Paleo, but might call myself Paleo-Inspired (really, we just ate meat and veggies and whole foods as a family growing up, so it’s not a stretch…). But really, are you going to throw away FLOSS because …well, the caveman didn’t floss!
Love the recipes, and love this post! Yes, please ask again (on your internet and electricity-powered super-computing device!) Is Flossing Paleo? 😉
Debbie says
Yeeha! You’re my hero!! This was brilliant. It feels like you were ranting right next to me. Love it!! mwah
Sara says
Right?!
Jenny says
This is awesome. Thank you! For the sake of convenience and to give a starting point of reference, I tell people I eat paleo, but the truth for me is that it’s about listening to my body and not eating foods that make me feel sick. I try not to read up on what is or isn’t paleo because it takes me away from the simple act of using my own empirical observations toward my body and about how what I consume really makes me feel. That is what has worked for me and made me well, not sticking to some list of what does or doesn’t qualify within the confines of paleo rules.
Elisa (@ElisaGIH) says
Hear, hear!
The many comments about how blenders are not paleo had me rolling my eyes repeatedly, but flossing, I hadn’t heard yet – I mean, come on.
Hurray for common sense, and thank you for telling it like it is!
P.S. On a separate note, I do love roasted lamb brains and I do believe they are Paleo 😉