Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Why is corn frowned upon by Paleos? Has anyone ever tried POLENTA that 'log-o-corn' ofttimes seen on grocery store shelves? Would anyone out there recommend consuming polenta as a carb source?

flag	asked Apr 21 2011 at 23:15 PersonMan

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Hello ladies, my name is...PersonMan. I jest, I jest! Welcome new jacked version of PersonMan. – Kamal♦ Apr 22 2011 at 0:09

Also, you gotta read the ingredients on the "log of corn." Guaranteed that it has something you don't know what it is or can't pronounce. If you grind the corn meal yourself and make it from scratch, eat all the Polenta you want. Otherwise, eat a veggie instead. – Oranges13 Apr 22 2011 at 0:13

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Dam PersonMan is jacked...I guess asking many questions really helped him out. – ROB Apr 22 2011 at 1:03

Thank you , thank you... Once I had attempted to make a corn-meal-paste-in-a-pan but found it was quite fattening. Maybe corn flour wouldn't be too bad to sample again(although I hear the prevalence of rickets in India is attributable to this; that and kwashiarkur in Africa...). – PersonMan Apr 22 2011 at 1:25

Thomas Seay · Answer 1 · 2011-04-21 23:37:12Z UTC

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For a different perspective, Ray Peat writes in this article that traditionally prepared corn is one of the better starches: <<

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answered Apr 21 2011 at 23:37

Thomas Seay

	No POlenta then? – PersonMan Apr 21 2011 at 23:44
	Polenta may be ok, if you make it yourself. If you make it like the do in Polenta, it's quite an arduous task. Basically, to make it the Italian way, you have to constantly stir it for an hour. Most Italians have a machine with a rotary device that does this. – Thomas Seay Apr 22 2011 at 16:14
	You can make it in a pressure cooker very easily – nick Jan 9 at 21:42

g. · Answer 2 · 2011-04-22 05:56:24Z UTC

Forget the tube stuff; from what i gather from yr prolific postings, yr on a budget. ....So, keeping in mind what everybody else said - that is, if you still want to eat it - make it yr own dang self! It's totes easy and insanely cheap.

h2o+ corn meal, coarse (or not) + butter (or not) = polenta. Done and done.

Travis Culp · Answer 3 · 2011-04-21 23:59:31Z UTC

I'm not aware of any specific antinutrients or lectins or anything like that in a cob of corn. It's actually, oddly enough, all glucose (glucose-6-phosphate isomerase is used to convert the glucose into fructose for HFCS). I suppose that if you were eating cobs of non-GMO, organic corn, there wouldn't be a downside, but someone please chime in with any specific harmful agents that would be present in whole organic corn if you are aware of any.

Edit: There do appear to be corn agglutinins, so maybe it should be avoided.

Oranges13 · Answer 4 · 2011-04-22 00:12:26Z UTC

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Have you ever seen Food, Inc.? Have you seen what corn does to cows? And considering that it's probably the #1 most used ingredient in EVERYTHING (which is causing this whole obesity mess...)

Eating corn on the cob now and then won't kill you. Polenta is a bit more processed and just carb heavy with little to no nutritive value.

You'd do better to eat a sweet potato. Still high in carbs, but at least it has some other vitamins and minerals in there. Hell, even a white potato would be better.

answered Apr 22 2011 at 0:12

Oranges13
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	I was thinking of russet... – PersonMan Apr 22 2011 at 1:29
	Russet is a white potato, but you'd REALLY be better served with some more nutrient dense veggies. Taters aren't it. – Oranges13 Apr 22 2011 at 2:33
	But what about carbs post-workout? What would you prescribe for a post-workout carb meal? – PersonMan Apr 22 2011 at 4:02
	Eat a sweet potato, if you're doing dairy, drink some milk? Either way if you're eating carbs you should have it with a protien source as well. Have a big ass steak with veggies & butter and a sweet potato on the side. – Oranges13 Apr 22 2011 at 12:05
	King Corn is also a fun documentary about the ubiquitous nature of corn in our food supply. – Dave S. Apr 22 2011 at 14:44

show 2 more comments

Bread-Eating Beelzebub · Answer 5 · 2011-04-22 02:57:21Z UTC

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About once every few months I get a craving and eat a bunch of polenta just freaking drowned in butter. And tabasco sauce.

So far I haven't died. And it's delicious. THe massive amount of butter prevents it from spiking my blood sugar. I got this habit when I lived in Sweden and got sick and craved grits.

The stuff in the tube doesn't have any added crap. I don't know what people here are talking about. I don't eat it often mainly because of the omega-6.

answered Apr 22 2011 at 2:57

Bread-Eating Beelzebub
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	Would the Omega-6 really be that bad given the low-fat content of corn? I just had 7 oz. of pig liver & kidneys and I seem fine(no joint pain or inflammatory response), and there is a lot more 0-6 there than corn. But maybe its just me....? Maybe something unpleasant will be awaiting me in the future? Care to be my crystal ball? – PersonMan Apr 22 2011 at 4:09
	Even if the 06 isn't the issue it just has no nutrients :( – Oranges13 Apr 22 2011 at 12:07
	that's why I put butter on it! it's mostly butter! – Bread-Eating Beelzebub Apr 26 2011 at 3:57
	I have always thought that a little bit of starch is ok as long as it is paired with a lot of good fat, like a small amount of polenta with a large quantity of butter as part of a meal, or a thin piece of toast supporting bone marrow. – UncleLongHair May 5 2011 at 18:59

animalcule · Answer 6 · 2011-04-22 03:33:55Z UTC

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I eat some corn products and they don't disagree with me in the least - white corn and white rice are my 'safe' grains.

I do enjoy polenta but haven't had it in a long time. I mostly eat masa corn tortillas because I fricking love tacos, quesadillas, and enchiladas. Corn for tortillas, at least the brands I buy, are treated with lime, which removes some of the phytic acid and increases bio-availability of the nutrients a bit...

For anyone who is wondering, I also eat white potatoes, sweet potatoes, other roots and tubers, white rice, and chocolate! Bring on the carbs! I eat so much goddamn food every day I am not worried about 'nutrient-poor' starches. I am more worried how many nutrients I vastly exceed recommendations for.

answered Apr 22 2011 at 3:33

animalcule
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	Any idea what the digestion time for a russet potato is eating by itself(with sea salt) after a workout? This was my plan you see... – PersonMan Apr 22 2011 at 4:01
	I don't have a time off the top of my head but IIRC white potatoes are nearly pure glucose and are digested extremely quickly. Rapidly digested starches like potatoes and white rice do not give me what feels like 'blood sugar crashes' the way wheat products, oatmeal, most other grains do. – animalcule Apr 22 2011 at 16:52
	Would you recommend consuming protein with carbs contrary to the theory that they should be seperated as they cause indigestion(through PH differences/different digestive enzymes in digestion)? – PersonMan Apr 28 2011 at 2:08
	All I can recommend is eating real, biologically appropriate food. I do think it would be very silly for our bodies to not be able to digest protein and carbs at the same time... look at all hunter-gatherer cultures we have been able to study, they all bring various foodstuffs back to the campsite and partake in a group meal, often cooking animal and vegetable foods together. – animalcule Apr 28 2011 at 2:24

Diane · Answer 7 · 2012-12-16 16:58:02Z UTC

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I do not buy the tube. I use Bob's Red Mill and the only ingredient is corn.

answered Dec 16 at 16:58

Diane
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Dexter · Answer 8 · 2011-04-21 23:31:22Z UTC

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Corn, like wheat is a neolithic food. Prior to 10,000 years ago there was no farmed corn and our ancestors did not consume it. And we have not yet evolved enough to handle it properly. May is a couple hundred thousand years our DNA will have mutated enough where it is not a blood sugar spiker.

Polenta is processed corn and have you looked at the extenders and sugars that are in those nice tube packages? Not anything I want in my body.

answered Apr 21 2011 at 23:31

Dexter
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	Looking for a carb source post workout and thought it would be a handy treat. Are you advocating carbs that are only slow release(ie. G.I)? What would be wrong with a spike in blood sugar post-workout for someone who consumes no carbs otherwise? Are you saying all neolithic foods are taboo in the Paleo world? What options exist(tubers/roots/harvest veggies, etc...?)? – PersonMan Apr 21 2011 at 23:41
	I doubt humans will ever eat a sugar and not have blood sugar go up; the current alt-path is liver processing (fructose) and that does not seem to be a good way to go. Not sure why people fear having blood sugar change though, seems to be a normal body function (unless proposing humans never ate roots/fruit....). – Turnkey Apr 21 2011 at 23:42
	@PersonMan - Just a thought on that sugar spike post-workout, it will shut down that extra growth hormone your workout provided. Your better off not eating an hour before and after workouts. – Mark V Apr 22 2011 at 0:36
	You sure about that Mark? I've researched and read countless articles and such stating that you should eat within an hour. Some even stating within 30 mins. I've read this in so many books, CrossFit articles, and paleo articles. Curious as where you got that info, and if you have any links that I can check out. – Josh Apr 22 2011 at 0:42
	I had gotten into the habit of eating immediately post-workout but recently I have instinctively waited 30-45 minutes. My plan was to replenish the little muscle glycogen I have(through VLC diet) immediately after a workout with a mashed potato/sea salt/molasses combo but I think I'll attempt the potato, wait 30 minutes then have a protein/fat meal; or wait 30, potato, 30+ P+F meal. Is this IGF-1 you're refering to Mark? – PersonMan Apr 22 2011 at 1:28

Jay · Answer 9 · 2011-04-22 00:06:54Z UTC

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I avoid it because it is relatively high in omega 6 (5% of its calories). I prefer my starched to have close to zero.

answered Apr 22 2011 at 0:06

Jay
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ben61820 · Answer 10 · 2011-04-22 01:57:29Z UTC

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I've often thought about one or two of these for my PWO starch: http://www.foodforlife.com/product-catalog/gluten-free-wheat-free-breads/wheat-free/organic-sprouted-whole-kernel-flourless-co

Sprouted corn tortillas. Haven't done it as yet cuz I always just go for my easy and tasty sweet potatoes.

answered Apr 22 2011 at 1:57

ben61820
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I got these the other day and they are delish. Nowhere near as bland as regular corn tortillas. I keep them in the freezer since I don't want to eat them often, but there is no substitute for tortillas, so every once in a while... – wood Apr 22 2011 at 3:35

Pablo · Answer 11 · 2011-04-22 16:40:15Z UTC

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If you, like many other people, are considering starting the Every Other Day Diet most likely you will want to do a bit of reseach on it first!

answered Apr 22 2011 at 16:40

Pablo
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PaleoAngel · Answer 12 · 2011-04-24 22:38:30Z UTC

It was through going Paleo and my subsequent "relapse" on corn chips that I discovered that my chronic headaches and migraines were rooted in corn and corn derivatives. I believe it's not Paleo because it can not be eaten in it's raw state.
I'm grateful it's not because now I can live free!

bittykitty · Answer 13 · 2011-05-05 11:15:06Z UTC

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I had an intolerance of it during the first two years after learning I was celiac.No more dizziness or itchy rash, but it does give me mud butt if I over do it, and will pack weight on my body like crazy.

answered May 5 2011 at 11:15

bittykitty
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Corn and Polenta

13 Answers