Paleo Elevator Talk

Being in a fraternity there are some things you simply don't talk about: emotions, Nobel prize laureates and diet. In fact, the majority of conversations between brothers just consists of a bunch of grunting and spitting. So when I start telling my bros that I am eating this diet called Paleo I get alot of anger and resentment directed at me. They are all shocked that I would dare breach one of the 3 sacred commandments of the bro code. So when I have to explain the diet I have to do it in an elevator talk format; quick and effective, because if I don't I risk forever being labeled as a girl who diets. So here is my quick, 1-2 minute, elevator talk about eating paleo.

We as humans evolved over the last 2 million years to be what we are today. Of that time about 99.5% of it was spent eating a hunter-gatherer diet. This means that our body's genes are evolved for a hunter-gatherer diet instead of a diet based on agriculture like we see today. So the paleo diet means no grains, no dairy, no legumes and certainly no high fructose corn syrup, it doesn't mean low-carb or low-fat, our body needs both of those nutrients to survive. There is no regulation for calories because if we eat with these simple guidelines our body's natural hunger sensors will fire properly and we will eat what we need, not more than that. Quite simply, paleo eating is more of a lifestyle choice than a diet and I feel great when I follow it properly. Evolution is an accepted part of society today and it is time we apply the scope of evolution to the diet we eat.

After this talk there are some regular questions that people bring up, I will answer them for you now:

• Question: But didn't our ancestors live to be like 30? Answer: Yes but the majority of those deaths were trauma induced, not degenerative diseases like we see today. Hunter-gatherer societies have virtually no history of heart attacks, strokes, alzheimers or diabetes. We know this due to anthropological studies of fossils and existing hunter-gatherer tribes of today, yes they do exist, loincloths and all. There must be something they do differently than us and all signs are starting to point to diet
• Question: So it's like Atkins then right? Answer: No, both fruits and veggies have a high carbohydrate content. Carbohydrates are good and necessary for a variety of vital body functions. Grains and other neolithic foods are the problems, not carbs.
• Question: Then why do asian countries tend to be skinnier/live longer? Answer: I'm going to quote Melissa from the Whole9 blog because she phrases it best "Generalizing about the 'Asian' doet is tricky, because there are so many cultural variants. But if I had to sum it up, high level, in a nutshell... Asian cultures do eat rice, yes. But they ALSO tend to eat a lower calorie diet, far less sugars and process foods, way more fish (and therefore less crappy quality red meats), more dark, leafy vegetables, less fruit AND get a heck of a lot more exercise than Americans. I'm going to say all those factors more than compensate for the rice. (And don't forget, rice isn't as 'bad' as wheat and other grains, because it contains no gluten (the most "toxic" of the grain lectins)." 

So now you can explain to all your friends why you eat bacon 3 times a week and look better than them naked... or maybe you can't. But if they don't understand by your logic they will assuredly understand by your results.

Beer=Paleo