Paleo vs Non-Paleo Meals

The longer I live this paleo lifestyle, the more I pay attention to what people eat.  It's interesting to me how many people insist they have a very healthy diet, when every time I see them they're eating sugar and refined carb laden food.  Folks - whether you're eating paleo or not, sugar and refined carbs are NEVER a healthy choice!

If you don't believe me, read the book Sugar Blues ... It's a real eye opener!

When it comes to healthy eating, truly the disconnect between some people's words and actions is astounding.  For instance, I worked for a woman who had a myriad of health problems, one of which was gluten intolerance.  For those who aren't aware, gluten intolerance means sensitivity to wheat so it makes sense to avoid things with wheat in them if you have this condition.  Anyway, here's a meal she ordered just a couple weeks ago at an upscale coffee house ====>

Quiche, ok not so bad except the crust.  But c'mon... mac-n-cheese and cake?  Definitely not for the gluten sensitive and not even for someone trying to live a healthy lifestyle.

Ok contrast this with what I had last week when shopping with my daughter.  It's one of the few meals I've eaten out since going paleo (a kind of one month paleo celebration in fact) and it was delicious and healthy too.

Notice the lack of refined carbohydrates?  No bread or other grains in this meal... instead I opted for a double portion of veggies, which included mushrooms, onion, and zucchini on that kebab.  The steak was wonderful and yes, I ate it all!

For the uninitiated, here's what makes this meal a lot healthier than the one above.

First the complete lack of sugar makes a huge difference.  Ingesting that white poison not only causes blood sugar spikes (then crashes) but also contributes to candida overgrowth which causes a whole host of health issues.

Second, notice there are no bread or grains... i.e. refined carbohydrates.  When you eat refined carbohydrates such as bread, white rice or pasta (which by the way is made from white flour) it is digested almost exactly like sugar.  Soooo......... the body thinks its sugar.  Hmmmm, I wonder how it will react in your system?  In addition anything made with wheat flour has gluten in it and since many people have gluten sensitivity (whether they know it or not), they could be inadvertently causing themselves all sorts of problems.

If you think I'm full of it then try this as an experiment.  Completely eliminate ALL sugar and grains for 2 weeks and see how you feel.  I predict you'll notice a big difference!

Finally, I want to point out that this paleo meal of mine wasn't completely devoid of carbs.  People get worried about that, thinking paleo is akin to some no-carb Atkins knock-off diet.  While people living paleo do tend to eat fewer carbs than those who don't, most of us don't try to eliminate them completely. It's all about balance... and this meal was well balanced!

Next time you eat out - or in for that matter - take a moment to pay attention to what you're eating.  Is it really healthy, or are you deluding yourself?  C'mon... it's your health... you deserve the best :)