Six Common Questions About the Paleo Diet
Dr. Jeannine Hogg, the medical director for Baptist Women’s Hospital’s pediatric hospitalist program, is this month’s Ask the Expert on the Paleo Diet.
[toggle title=”What is the Paleo Diet?” state=”open”]The Paleo diet (short for Paleolithic) is a diet that focuses on eating whole, unprocessed foods similar to what our hunter/gatherer ancestors did. This means eating lean meats such as grass-fed beef, range chicken or wild caught fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds and avoiding highly processed foods, grains, legumes and most dairy.[/toggle] [toggle title=”Is the diet safe?” state=”close”]For any diet or lifestyle change to be safe, careful attention needs to be paid to making sure you have a varied diet that supplies all the required vitamins and nutrients that the body needs to function.
[/toggle] [toggle title=”Is the diet acceptable for both children and adults?” state=”close”]Both children and adults can follow this eating plan; however it does require more preparation than people tend to be used to with our standard American diet as there is no use of any pre-packaged or prepared foods, and most fast foods wouldn’t be allowed on this diet.
[/toggle] [toggle title=”Does the the Paleo Diet have any negative side effects?” state=”close”] There are some studies that propose that the higher ingestion of meat and other animal products could lead to high cholesterol levels.[/toggle] [toggle title=”Why are so many people interested in the diet? What can it accomplish?” state=”close”] People are interested in the diet because they feel it gives them more strength and energy and makes them understand their food better. In general, one of the big things this diet accomplishes is the reduction of systemic inflammation thought to be caused by foods that our bodies are not properly evolved to digest. People feel this type of systemic inflammation is related to numerous health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, autoimmune diseases and obesity. Also weight loss is an outcome that people hope to see by the adoption of this lifestyle change.[/toggle] [toggle title=”What is the best advice for keeping children healthy?” state=”close”] In general, strict, restrictive or fad diets are not recommended for children. Children should be fed a varied, healthy diet with a balance of fruits, vegetables and high-quality protein sources that give them all the vitamins and nutrients that provide optimal nutrition. Fast foods, heavily processed foods and sweets should be limited. Children should be encouraged to engage in physical activity daily, as well.
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