Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I was reading up on some bits regarding why peanuts are bad for you on this site and came across the following article:

http://paleohacks.com/questions/26642/peanuts-why-are-they-vilified

When reading it I came across one of the answers that said the following:

"All foods have lectins, all of them. Someone like Cordain or Wolf was talking about specific lectins in legumes and now people seem to think lectins themselves are bad."

This was news to me. So, in an effort to make sure that I don't look like an idiot when explaining this stuff to people, I would like to ask:

What are the most common misconceptions surrounding the Paleo way of eating made by Paleo eaters themselves in your experience?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Nick Kinsella

flag	asked Jun 2 2011 at 11:28 Nick Kinsella 121●3

This is a great question, I'm excited about reading the answers. Thanks! – Ali Jun 2 2011 at 15:21

Ikco · Answer 1 · 2011-06-02 12:35:34Z UTC

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The biggest misconception ?

That there is one paleo diet (the mother of "Is "xxx" paleo ?" threads).

answered Jun 2 2011 at 12:35

Ikco
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Dave S. · Answer 2 · 2011-06-02 12:37:24Z UTC

Yes, all plants have lectins. But there are hundreds (if not thousands) of different lectins - some lectins are worse than others - the lectin in wheat (WGA - wheat germ agglutininen) is particularly nasty. So the real question is whether a particular lectin is problematic.

Peanuts are bad because of the lectins and phytates and a bad n6:n3 ratio (and high PUFA overall). Of course, you could say the same about most tree nuts. The real reason peanuts should be avoided is aflatoxin - the mold that is often present which causes the problem for those allergic to peanuts.

I still eat peanuts once in a while (It's probably my favorite flavor after chocolate). But I consider it a "cheat".

ben61820 · Answer 3 · 2011-06-02 12:33:33Z UTC

One of the biggest for me personally is the dairy issue.

Let me be clear, I'm always the one saying indeed that the whole premise of "paleo" is simply three ideas: avoiding GRAINS, LEGUMES, AND DAIRY. And I still tell people new to the scene, that if they simply avoid those three things they will see improvements to their well-being across the board. This I still believe.

That being said I'd say a big misconception I've had is that storebought, pasteurized dairy is absolutely deleterious to everyone's health, period. I no longer believe this. I maintain that we all can go without dairy with no problems, and that if one is fat, metabolically deranged, etc then they would do better without dairy. But, I now feel that if one is fit, active, athletic, then dairy can contribute to improved athletic gains, repairing beaten-down muscle fibers, etc.

PaleoGreyhound · Answer 4 · 2012-03-07 00:01:03Z UTC

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I think a misconception is the idea that all acute and chronic conditions have some sort of link to paleo. Although diet is a major factor, there are many other ways the body interacts with the surrounding environment and world.

answered Mar 7 2012 at 0:01

PaleoGreyhound
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DFH · Answer 5 · 2012-03-07 00:10:46Z UTC

From the Paleo Robustus-"Paleo is not a diet, and it's not about low carb."

From the people entering to lose weight-"Oh, carbs are fine now! I need an IF schedule. I'm really messed up, but I can do this without even a blood test to start."

The Quilt · Answer 6 · 2011-06-02 12:57:30Z UTC

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All farmed fish is bad and all meat is good
High protein is bad
As macronutrients change you need to adjust some supplements
Arguing about dietary pillars are useless without context
Organic acid testing is great for detecting causes of stalls
You don't need to eat perfectly clean all the time
The ultimate outcome of eating clean is good labs absent biomarkers and a trend showing lengthening of telomeres
What is good for performance is not always optimal for you longterm
Age effects diet so it too must evolve as your body does
Hormones are more important than most think

answered Jun 2 2011 at 12:57

The Quilt
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So which of those are misconceptions and which are truths you're trying to state? It looks like you include both... – Daniel Jun 2 2011 at 13:25

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I am also confused here. – JakeA Jun 2 2011 at 13:36

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"7. The ultimate outcome of eating clean is good labs absent biomarkers and a trend showing lengthening of telomeres" Woh.... really? Is that even possible? Am I understanding you right? I heard that the gene responsible for telomere production gets turned off early on in the unfertilised egg while it is still in the ovary and that the thelomere at the end of the chromosome shortens with every division of a cell and finally that of cannot be natrually regrown. I'd love to hear some more info on what you were getting at. – Nick Kinsella Jun 2 2011 at 17:53

Common misconceptions surrounding the paleo diet by Paleo Eaters?

6 Answers