What If The Paleo Diet Really Could Cure Everything?
Paleo…the Cure-all
Maybe it sounds silly to some, maybe it sounds perfectly plausible to others, and maybe it sounds like an irrefutable fact to yet another group of people. I happen to be one of those people who honestly believe that the Paleo diet lifestyle could actually cure everything.
It’s a sad fact that in this day and age, there is a growing universal disconnect from our own bodies. Humans have not only forgotten that what we eat has a direct connection with how healthy we are, but many actively deny the fact. Do people really think that what they put in or on their body has nothing to do with their health? It seems that many actually do.
I was decently overweight a few years ago. It wasn’t genetics, it wasn’t my parent’s fault…..hell, it wasn’t even McDonald’s fault, it was my own damn fault for eating way too many refined carbohydrates, and generally crappy food for about 6 years. I picked up some insulin resistance, a lot of body fat, and suffered from anxiety attacks. The anxiety coupled with poor nutrition, served to aggravate a congenital heart defect that hadn’t bothered me since a corrective procedure I had in my teens. My doctor put me on Beta Blockers, which left me constantly feeling lethargic, and did nothing to help with the constant heart flutters, skips and jumps that plagued me during that time. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon an online forum, filled with people suffering from the same heart issues as me, that I realized that maybe my problem could be fixed with a simple vitamin supplement, instead of a prescription drug. I was shocked when I found that taking a magnesium supplement alleviated my heart problems in a way that no drug could. How could this be? How could a simple vitamin accomplish what a pharmaceutical drug could not? It was this discovery that began my quest for the nutritional truth, because I was suddenly aware that modern medicine obviously doesn’t have the answers for everything…or anything for that matter.
Another problem that I had is that I used to suffer with terrible allergy symptoms, ever since I moved to the U.S. That is, until I removed wheat from my diet. Conventional wisdom says that if you have allergies, you simply take allergy medication, right? Well, I guess that’s an option, but it doesn’t sound ideal to me. Why didn’t any doctor ever tell me that getting rid of allergies was as easy as getting rid of the food that causes the allergies in the first place? Did you know that wheat is responsible for the majority of seasonal allergies? You do now.
What if the Paleo Diet really could cure everything?
Ok, so people know that if they eat “too much” of the wrong foods, they will get fat. But, very few people actually know why it’s even detrimental to health to actually be fat. People don’t understand that poor dietary choices are the primary cause of cancer, heart disease, and even things that (most people believe) couldn’t possibly be related to diet, like IBS, kidney stones, gallbladder disease, and allergies etc.
I don’t believe that anything happens to us without a good reason. I don’t believe that people are just “unlucky” when they end up with cancer, or that family genetics can be blamed for becoming diabetic, or developing heart disease. As Angelo Coppola always says, “Humans are not broken by default”. Another quote I love, although I have no idea who originally said it is, “genetics load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger”. It’s true that our genetic makeup predisposes us to possibly develop all manner of diseases and disorders, but ultimately, our lifestyle (including our dietary choices) are what either allow these things to manifest, or keeps them at bay. It’s all our choice.
I often feel like someone who has information that no one else does; like I know some important national secret that sets me apart from the masses. However, in this case, the secret would benefit everyone who knows it, and the fact that most people do not know the secret means that everyone else gets to maintain the illusion of health that has been perpetrated by the American USDA. No-one wants to listen to me, because the government fills everyone’s heads with misinformation on a daily basis, like a form of brainwashing. It’s sad really, because if the well-known conventional wisdom were actually true, you’d think that the country would be getting healthier, not sicker!
When I hear someone complain (and I do, multiple times each day) about achy-joints, headaches, acne, depression, anxiety, hair-loss, poor vision, so-called “degenerative diseases”, diabetes, inability to lose weight, etc, etc, etc, I can’t help but immediately think “this person obviously eats the S.A.D.”. That’s the Standard American Diet, just in case you aren’t familiar with the “S.A.D.” acronym. The signs are always the same, and they are always obvious to someone like me. The Standard American Diet that was put into place by the USDA thirty years ago continues to produce a bunch of fat-phobic, usually sick, and usually overweight individuals, like no traditional diet has ever historically produced. The idea that saturated fats, animal proteins, and raw unprocessed products are “bad for us”, is literally killing us all slowly. Thanks USDA!
Over the last few years I have seen huge amounts of evidence that showed me that there is almost no such thing as “bad luck” when it comes to ill-health and disease. In almost all cases, if you are over-weight, or sick in basically any shape or form, it is because you are doing something wrong. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that proper diet can replace a missing arm, or fix a major birth defect after a child is born, but yes a pregnant woman’s poor diet can and does cause birth defects. Poor diet does contribute to Autism Spectrum Disorder. Poor diet does cause virtually any disease or condition you can think of. Sure it’s nice to think that maybe it was the fault of your genes, and there was nothing that you could do about your health, but the fact is that there is almost always something that you (or your parents) could have done to prevent most health issues. I know it’s hard, but people really need to take responsibility for their own actions, and stop trying to blame other people for their horrible health.
The sad fact is that we eat a lot of things that are completely unsuitable for human consumption, and always have been. Just because we CAN eat something, doesn’t mean that we SHOULD. Why do people not understand that even though something tastes good, it is still potentially killing us? Does poison have to taste bad, for us to recognize it as poison? If I could go back in time and witness the first human who decided that it would be a fabulous idea to eat wheat for the first time, I would slap them around the face and tell them “NO!”. Maybe human kind would be healthier today without wheat as a staple.
All I can tell you is, whatever is wrong with you….no matter how small or how big the problem seems, before you speak to a medical professional who is always going to push a pharmaceutical solution on you, try a nutritional intervention first. Give it a go. Go full-on Paleo for 30 days and see what happens. You owe it to yourself. Who wants to be on expensive drugs that appear to “fix” one problem while causing several others? Who wants to line the pockets of the big drug companies? I know I don’t.
Step outside of the box, drop the wheat and other gluten containing grains, throw out the dairy products for a month, and stop eating things out of a box or with a nutritional label, and SEE HOW YOU FEEL.
If things don’t change for the better, then go back to eating in the way you were before. I’m willing to bet that no matter what ails you, going Paleo WILL help it in one way or another. You’ve got to throw-out old nutritional fallacies, and know the truth that eating fat does not make you fat, Cholesterol is not your enemy, sugar is bad, and there are no such things as “healthy whole grains”. Start your health revolution now, and you’ll thank me later, I guarantee it. Follow the Paleo diet. It really could cure everything that ails you.
Whatever you do, for God’s sake quit complaining about your health issues. If you’re going to feel like shit but insist on continuing to eat pizza and pasta, because you “can’t give them up”, you’ve got no-one to blame but yourself. You have the power to make the change, you just have to decide whether being healthy, living long and feeling good, are more important to you than eating your favorite junk foods…..and then act upon it! If you’re overweight and sick, but you’re making the necessary changes, I will applaud and support you in any way I can….but if you’re sick, complaining, and unwilling to do anything about it, I’d honestly rather not hear it!
Check out my 30-Day UN-Challenge eBook, for a step-by-step guide to your Paleo intervention.
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Barry Cripps is a Paleo-based Nutrition and Wellness Consultant, who operates out of Bowling Green, Kentucky.
For more information please visit: www.undergroundnutritionist.com
People get cancer for all kinds of reason. It’s this kind of post that had me reluctant to try Paleo. Now that I”m trying the Paleo lifestyle I’m very happy with my decision, but it’s a diet, not a religion.
I’m sorry you feel that way Steve. Some people react to this kind of motivation, because people often require a wake-up call. Others don’t respond well, but that’s human nature.
I have to disagree with you there, in that although Paleo is not a religion, it is also not just a diet. A lifestyle is something that people often need to defend.
I believe that the far reaching benefits of the Paleo lifestyle are something that should be shouted from the roof-tops, at every given opportunity, until the majority actually “get it”. I feel it’s my duty to do so.
Thanks for commenting!
Barry-
You are so dead on here. I actually have to hide people from my newsfeed who complain all the time about chronic health issues, and when I tell them that going Paleo had cured my husband’s chronic reflux, paralyzed stomach, chronic neuropathy in his limbs, and chronic migraines, they tell me, “Yeah, but I couldn’t give up eating wheat. I love pizza and pasta and cupcakes.” Then more complaining.
When people are putting their preschoolers on psych med that make them and the kids literally cannot poop for weeks on end and are in an out of the hospital, and then the mom posts several times every week about how she is baking cookies because baking relaxes her, it breaks my heart for those poor babies.
Kenneth Bock, a biomedical autism, allergies, ADHD and asthma doctor has said in his book that genetics loads the gun, but your environment pulls the trigger. But when I tell people that we began following this diet (GAPS diet, actually, which is similar to Paleo/Primal) to recover my child from an ASD, (His Dx were PDD-NOS and Sensory Processing Disorder), some of them look at him now, after two years of dietary intervention and several other interventions, and do not think that he could have ever been on the spectrum to begin with. And he still has some metals issues and some muscle tone issues that cannot be fixed with diet alone, but I will never go to anther doctor who does not first and foremost believe that you are what you eat. We see Dr. Phillip DeMio in Columbus Ohio now.
Keep getting the word out, because those of us who have seen miraculous recoveries totally understand the desire to be evangelical about these things.
Thanks for the kind words….I really appreciate it!
Humanity is truly buried by poor diet, and poor information. It’s sad that we have to become “activists” for the dietary path that we choose to take, but any less than that would mean that we are neglecting ourselves and those who we care about. Because we KNOW the truth, we have a better ability than anyone else, to manage our own health, along with that of our families.
If doctors and hospitals can’t make us healthy, we can damn well do it for ourselves!
keep up the good fight!
I agree with the sentiments laid out here, however the presentation can be received as a bit crass. I’ve made approaches such as this and am hit with hard resistance that actually turned insulting. In retrospect, people become defensive when you lay it out so plainly. That being said, I cannot help but agree.
My only wish is that there be citing for these claims with good scientific data and research. This way it is more difficult to resist. Right now, it could be classed as opinion, or anecdotal claim. But then again, most people who will buy into the conceivable notion that food can be thy medicine will likely take it upon themselves to research the claims.
Though I wish more people would get on board and at least try the whole30, it’s easier to complain and resist change. So, I’ve resorted to acting as if I have no opinion in other people’s lives, and in the meantime only offer advice to those who ask how I do it. But in the end, all we can do is put the information out there and hope that we get a few bites. And turn down cookies when offered… I’m thinking anything over a 5% willingness to at least try is a step in the right direction!
Hi Jay,
I think that you’re right. At the end of the day, my writing style is something that will appeal to some, and repel others……as is the case with any individual writing style. Like you said, if my article reaches merely a small percentage of the people that read it, I count it as a win.
For some great articles and studies to back up the majority of the claims I make, please check-out my research page at http://www.undergroundnutritionist.com/research.html
Thanks for the comment!
Hi Barry, I haven’t seen your blog before, and I wanted to say thank you - I’m enjoying reading it!
Nine months ago I was obese and pre-diabetic, had IBS of 20 years duration, and multiple minor health complaints. I decided trying paleo couldn’t hurt and might help, so I’d have a go. My blood sugar stabilised within a week, my IBS was gone within a month, I’ve now lost 30kg and I’m healthier than I’ve been since I was a teenager. I have not had to go hungry or try particularly hard to achieve those results, and I love the food, too!
I’d have to disagree about curing “Everything” though. It appears paleolithic people suffered from osteoarthritis, possibly at the same rate we do, so that probably isn’t diet-related. And they did die from infectious diseases too. But I now believe paleo will prevent most chronic diseases from developing, and may even reverse some of them once established. I’m spreading the word! Hard not to when your life and appearance have changed so dramatically. Several family members and two of my friends are now doing paleo and reaping rewards.
Thanks again.
Hi Jean,
Welcome to Paleo Diet News!
I’m thrilled that you’ve found the Paleo diet and it’s done so much for you. That is just fantastic!
As for the “everything” label, I believe Barry was only referring to the diseases of “civilization”. Interestingly, you are correct when you say Paleo people had arthritis, but for different reasons. They had it because they lived an extremely physical life. Joints and tissue wore down if people managed to live without accident or infection beyond a certain age. Their physical life was hard on joints. We get it because of inflammation due to diet. Most of us are just not that physical and yet we still get it. If we eat a paleo diet and do some of the right exercise, but not to the extent of our ancestors, we would probably not get arthritis. But in reality it’s too soon to tell. The one outstanding example I can think of is Art De Vany. 70 years young with the physique and stamina of a man half his age.
Keep spreading the good word.
Thanks for visiting and sharing.
Lila
Hi Jean!
Lila’s correct…..I don’t think that the Paleo diet would make me re-grow a hand if I chopped one off…haha!
It’s great to hear that the Paleo template has done so much great stuff for you. Keep an eye on this blog, we have fun with our articles, and we drop a ton of great info at every given opportunity. Thanks for commenting!