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What was the hardest previous bit of food 'wisdom' for you to overcome in switching to a Paleo way of eating? I think mine involves absorbing the idea that whole grains and oatmeal are not good for me.

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9 Answers

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That saturated fat is good for us!

I think we (society) have become indoctrinated into thinking that we should take the skin off chicken breast and that lard is wicked and butter bad. This one was really hard for me to overcome. I am asked regularly by my mother if I am still eating 'too much' lard, when I remember distinctly when I was little, she used to have dripping on toast for breakfast, now she would never dream of doing this because nowadays it is just not politically correct.

I still get shocked reactions from friends when they hear what I eat for breakfast everyday and that does make me sometimes think twice about the levels of fat I am eating, but then thoughts of the health benefits I am experiencing whilst eating this fat (and from coming to places like this) outweighs the social pressure I feel.

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Corn was the hard one. I still have a hard time grokking (so to speak) that even fresh local corn on the cob isn't good for me. I may still succumb and eat some anyway come summer, but given that the season where I live is only 6-10 weeks, I don't think it'll be too big a deal healthwise. And for sure it will be slathered in plenty of good pastured butter...

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Agreed! Nothing beats fresh corn- I used to pick it fresh and eat it raw in the garden. Yum. – henny Mar 8 2010 at 22:48
So as you remember there's a difference between "isn't good" and "bad" sure, I agree. But to categorically swear off corn on the cob straight from the garden is nuts. Why bother living if we can't enjoy the simple pleasures in life? Absolutists are nuts, whether Paloe or Vegan. What's the saying, "All things in moderation. Including moderation." – PortlandAllan Mar 8 2010 at 23:44
And if I have it in my garden next summer, I will probably do what you suggest PortlandAllan. I will invoke the 80/ 20 rule. – henny Mar 9 2010 at 2:55
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I've always loved eating the fatty parts of meat, so eating fat has never been a problem.

For me, it wasn't the role of grains, it was the role of legumes. I love beans, and have always thought they were healthy for you. And to learn that peas and nuts fall in the legume category was a bit of a shock. Sounds silly, but you don't think about those things until they start to become important.

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It definitely was the saturated fat, as I'd already learned that grains were bad. But after reading, Good Calories, Bad Calories, I was convinced about sat fat.

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Well, I not only tilt PaNu, but also WAPF :). So while I'm with you on the grains issue conceptually, I guess I haven't sworn off them for life yet. For now, I'm definitely grain-free, but not sure where I'll be down the road. TBD!

No, for me, I'm with Suzan and Louisa. I'm old enough to have been around when fat became bad, and feel about as indoctrinated as if it were a religion! Eating olive oil is one thing, but butter? Coconut oil?! Fat in meat?

Love how I feel eating this way, but my brain still sometimes pushes back!

Still

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 I think it's funny that people came to adore olive oil, that's it's seen as an absolute panacea. You always hear news articles about how X amount per day will help protect against some nasty disease. People only love it because it's the only fat "allowed." I mean, yeah it tastes kinda good on salads sometimes if you mix it with vinegar first, but it can't beat last thanksgiving when I went crazy and cooked everything in butter or ghee for the first time in a year and nearly swooned from the wonderfulness of it all. – Anna Mar 9 2010 at 17:44
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Fruits! I love them, but now only enjoy them in small quantities and only a few times a week.

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Dairy. I'm hard-pressed to give it up.

UPDATE (my comment wouldn't fit in the comment box):

Rick, some paleos don't agree that dairy is part of a paleo diet; because evidence suggests that man didn't start consuming dairy until animals were domesticated, which I think is around the beginning of the neolithic period. However, as Kurt Harris M.D. reminds us, "Metabolism first, history second." So perhaps dairy is okay. But some people have found that too much dairy does not help a recovering metabolism. For example, I think I've discovered that I've all but broken my insulin resistance and therefore, I should limit my dairy intake, since dairy is full of carbs. Those who are doing paleo to lose weight, should likely give up or limit dairy for the weight loss period. Those who are doing paleo for simple metabolic or health reasons aside from weight loss, should feel free to continue consuming dairy, provided that their bodies are capable of digesting it. Thoughts?

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 They'll have to pull the teat from my cold dead hand. :-) – PortlandAllan Mar 8 2010 at 23:46
Yeah, I didn't give it up at all, in fact increasing my consumption of it for the fats. Besides, it tastes great! – drsm Mar 9 2010 at 0:56
Yes, I LOVE whipped cream too. – henny Mar 9 2010 at 4:11
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 Why would you want to give up dairy? It's an animal product, and fits well with all of the metabolic goals of a Paleo diet. – Rick Kiessig Mar 9 2010 at 23:37
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 I made dairy a delicacy. If I crave it, I can have it, but only if I want to cough up $5 for a cappuccino. It's worked so far. – Michelle Mar 10 2010 at 0:14
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I was never indoctrinated with 'conventional wisdom'. Nothing there for me to overcome. Probably because I was only 18 when I switched to paleo, had never dieted, a mom who only used real butter and I don't live in the states.

It's the social aspects of food that I still struggle with.

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Do you mean eating weird when you are with others? – henny Mar 8 2010 at 22:50
No, I meant that it's hard to get out of my head what a nice sunday family breakfast used to look like. – Naomi Mar 9 2010 at 14:49
Aah- yes. I just eat the same thing without the toast or pancakes and way less fruit/no juice. – henny Mar 9 2010 at 17:33
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 I've never had a pancake for breakfast in my life :P But we always had warm bread with a big selection of cheeses, olives, honey, fruit salad, tomatoes, chocolate paste, peanut butter. And we'd sit at the table together for over 2 hours. I really miss it. – Naomi Mar 9 2010 at 19:19
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That artificial sweeteners in zero calorie drinks cause an insulin response just as drinking a real "Coke" (as we say in the South) does. Probably should have been drinking the real thing all those years.

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