Paleo Diet Videos: Dr. Joe "Fat-Then-Fit" Leonardi and Calton Nutrition
In conjunction with Barry Cripps “Thursday Link Love” I thought I’d post a few good Paleo Diet videos that I came across this week.
Paleo Diet Videos: Dr. Joe “Fat-then-fit” Leonardi
The first two Paleo diet videos are from Dr. Joe “Fat-then-fit” Leonardi, chiropractor extraordinaire, who posted two videos as a reply to Dr. Melina Jampolis. Dr. Jampolis answered a question that was posted on the CNN website:
Question asked by Courtney L. from Pittsburgh:
I am obese and have been working on losing weight for three years. I have been working with nutritionists and personal trainers instead of fad dieting. On the Web, I stumbled upon the Paleolithic (Paleo) diet. Is this lifestyle change beneficial despite the promotion of saturated fats and cholesterol?
Her basic reply was:
Hi, Courtney. I applaud you for staying away from fad diets in an attempt to lose weight. Most fad diets are simply not sustainable long term, which leads to weight regain, and their impact on overall health has not been established.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, the Paleo diet falls into the fad diet category.
I am always amused when someone refers to the Paleo diet as a fad. The Paleo diet is the basic human diet we’ve been eating for most of the last
2.5 million years. Does that sound like a fad?
She does go through some of the pros of the diet, like the elimination of processed foods and sugars, but finds many things wrong with the Paleo diet as she perceives it:
The cons are:
1. The diet eliminates dairy, an affordable and widely available source of bone-building calcium (and vitamin D when dairy foods are fortified) and protein (yes, calcium can be obtained from greens and other foods, but it is more challenging to consume adequate amounts.)
2. The diet eliminates all grains, including whole grains, which are a good source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and heart healthy fiber, and foods such as beans, peanuts and sweet potatoes, all of which have numerous health-promoting qualities.
3. The diet is high in animal protein, which could lead to an excess intake of saturated fat, resulting in elevated cholesterol levels, an increased risk of heart disease and increased risk of certain types of cancer.
4. Finally, the diet can be expensive (grass-fed, organic meats and eggs are more expensive) and inconvenient due to the limitation of food choices, both of which make this diet less practical for the average person long term.
Overall, I would steer clear of the Paleo diet, but we can take away something from our ancestors by eating foods closer to their natural state (less processed), which are more nutrient-dense and digested more slowly by the body. In most cases, they lead to better hunger control, more stable blood sugar levels and weight loss if calories are reduced and exercise is increased (as it sounds like they are in your case).
I could answer these myself by saying that dairy is a very poor source of calcium and that the push for eating calcium laden foods is over blown since calcium will not prevent osteoporosis. Or that grains are not needed at all to provide bulk or nutrition and that they contain all manner of anti-nutrients like gluten and phytates which cause more problems than they are worth. But it is more fun to let Dr. Joe tell it like it is.
Part 1
Part 2
He also expands on these videos with a blog post here.
UPDATE!
Dr. Joe Leonardi just created an additional video regarding the FDA approval of a new weight loss drug, Qnexa, and Dr. Melina Jampolis’ own approval of the use of this drug. As Dr. Joe points out obesity is not a problem that can be solved by taking a pill. It’s a matter of changing one’s diet and lifestyle.
Paleo diet videos: Calton Nutrition
My other fun Paleo diet video comes from Calton Nutrition. Mira and Jayson Calton are authors of the book “Naked Calories“. The Calton’s video is a response to Dr. Oz’s list of 99 foods he wants to see in your shopping cart. While there is much on the food list which is good, like basic vegetables and meats, there are foods that are really unhealthy. The Caltons will be going over the list and pointing out which foods are problematic and why, and making suggestions for alternatives. They start off with Jennie-O turkey sausages:
The Caltons also expand on their reply in a blog post which you can read here.
We hope you enjoyed these Paleo diet videos from Dr. Joe “Fat-Then-Fit” Leonardi and Calton Nutrition. Please leave any comments or questions below and please share these videos on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks for visiting!
