Just checked out the blurb on Paleolithic Nutrition.
Just wondering what some of your thoughts are on getting all your carbs from fruits and veggies. Currently I get most of my carbs from milk, bagels, and salad. Would cutting out all dairy and bagels and replacing with more fruits and vegetables have a favourable response in bodyfat %ge if you are already in the 8-10% range? Presumably you would have to jack up your protein to replace all the protein you get from milk. And man, with two large bagels being 640 cals I don’t wanna think how much fruits and vegetables you need to eat! Is this diet really feasible?
Dam Vanne [when you gonna make another movie bro? :-)]…I truly believe that these researchers on Paleolithic Nutrition are on to something. The only big problem with following this type of diet is that it is very difficult to find/afford wild game meat, eggs to eat that have been laid by chickens who are allowed to eat worms and other free range natural feed, etc. Even fruits/veges today have been manipulated to have a higher content of sugar, to make them sweeter. Ever see what original corn used to look like? Two or three fricken kernels each!!! A far cry from modern bred corn. I do think, however, that this type of eating plan is possible with some tweaks here and there. The main concept is to avoid basing your diet on grains and other starches, and concentrate more on lean meats, leafy green veges, fruits, other veges, nuts and seeds. The nuts and seeds are the KEY here, because they will provide you with the healthy fats, fibers, and calories to replace what you would get from grains. It is not just the protein, but the healthy fats you should be concerned about. I would eat chicken breasts, very lean meats, and supposedly they are introducing eggs that have a higher omega-3 content onto the market now. If you don’t like nuts and seeds, use flax meal or oil. The human body can survive quite well without carbs! (read about the Inuit Eskimos). Anyhow, see if you like this way of eating by experimentation, if not, then go back to eating bagels. No biggy. Also, you may want to check out a book called ‘Nutrition and Evolution’ by Michael Crawford and David Marsh.
I used to subscribe to eating all my carbs from fruits and vegetables, but in practice, it is very difficult. Plus, it is very expensive. As a bodybuilder, you will have much easier time getting the calories you need by consuming grains. Just make sure that you make intelligent choices by looking at the glycemic index and perhaps even the insulin index. Bagels are way high on the glycemic index, even higher than white bread. I would look to al dente white pasta, bulgar wheat, and oatmeal. Yes, it is true that Eskimos thrived on a 40% protein 60% fat diet, but without eating all the cold water fish that they do, it may not be healthy, besides being boring as hell. When I was on a low glycemic, whole food diet, I stayed lean and muscular, but I had trouble putting on mass. Perhaps that sort of build is best for hunting deer and defending the village from sabertooth tigers, but I wanted to get massive. So, in closing, don’t fear carbs. Just do some research and make smarter choices.
I prefer to skip the fruit and instead go with some oatmeal and/or brown rice. The differences in my results and energy levels are profound to say the least when eliminating the processed grains and other processed carb sources
A buddy of mine calls that the green instead of white switch. He cut way down on pasta, rice, and bread and substituted veggies. He lost fat and felt better. Some of the weight loss was due to the calorie difference between the two I suppose. The benefits to the body are increased dietary fiber and a boatload more minerals and micronutrients that processed starches just don’t have. If you get too low on calories you can always eat a bagel or something.
By the way, does anyone else listen to a radio station that plays these horrible public service announcements from the National Cancer Institute exhorting you to eat more fruits and vegetables? These commercials have this completely fruity English character who just
raves about how much he loves watergreen with a double vinaigrette sauce – he explains that that is two portions of some kind of wine with one portion of olive oil – and for a fabulous treat wrap it in a tortila, etc. etc. ad nauseum. I hate that fruitcake. Goes by the name of “Glen Care” or something like that, but his diction is so bad you can’t tell.
As to the main point, once the carbs are absorbed, for a given glycemic and insulin
index I am sure the body could not care in the least whether the carbs came from an ear of organic corn, or from cornbread, or from whatever. It might be a healthful idea to eat more vegetables, I’d watch out for too much fruit because fructose is not a great carb for humans, but there are certainly price and convenience issues. Vegetables are often VERY expensive per calorie.