This is Part 3 in a 5 Part Series. You can view the other parts here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 4, and Part 5

In my last post about the Paleo diet here on MyFiveFingers.com, I started getting into the topic of individualizing Paleo and using the Paleo concept as a template to guide food choices as opposed to a rigid diet that you need to follow to the letter. I also introduced the concept of eating “old” foods in terms of technology and our evolution as opposed to strictly foods that were available during the Paleolithic Era.

This week, I’m going to give some solid examples of what some different Paleo diets could look like and include some details so you can see how the diets break down when you look at protein, carbs and fat.

Understanding Paleo Variations…

The following figures show a number of different variations on the Paleo diet theme. Figure 1 shows a “standard” Paleo diet that includes meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, raw nuts and seeds and some supplemental oils. Figure 2 shows an “Eskimo Style” Paleo diet that is higher in meat and fat and low in fruit. This is going to be a low carb diet and might be near ketogenic (like Atkins) depending on the vegetables and fruits chosen. Figure 3 shows a Paleo diet that includes brown rice and sweet potato or yams. This is a diet that would likely work well for a Paleo athlete with a higher carbohydrate requirement – particularly a more endurance-focused athlete.

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

Figure 3.

So, what’s your point?

The point of Figures 1 through 3 is twofold. First, I want to illustrate some varied diets that still fall under the Paleo heading. The second point I want to make is that the core diets in each figure are virtually identical. Even with some grains, cheat meals, more complex carbs or a low carb focus, the diets remain virtually identical at the core.

Carb Fueling vs. Fat Fueling…

The diets and meals that follow also raise the question of carbohydrate fueling vs. fat fueling. One of the supposed advantages of Paleo is that the lower carbs shift an athlete’s metabolism more toward using fat as fuel vs. glucose. In theory this is great and when a very low carb ketogenic diet is used this is exactly what happens. The advantages are increased fat loss as well as a nearly “unlimited” supply of fuel in the form of body fat vs. a limited amount of blood glucose.

As far as I can tell, some athletes will do better on a lower carbohydrate diet and will shift to fat fueling relatively easily. Others (like myself) will feel terrible on a very low carbohydrate diet and see a large performance decrease. I’ve spoken to athletes who feel great on very low carbohydrates and perform well on the type of diet in Figure 2. Others will suffer needlessly when carbs get too low and will do better on a diet with more carbs like the one in Figure 3.

I get more into making adjustments in carbs and fat and figuring out how best to fuel yourself in my book. For now, just understand that different people will feel better on different macronutrient (protein, carbs and fat) amounts and the major factor will be carbohydrate quantity and, to a lesser extent, carbohydrate quality.

It’s great to talk about burning body fat as a primary fuel and all the evils associated with carbohydrates. Often though, the truth lies somewhere in the middle and, in many cases, is completely dependent on the individual and the nearly infinite number of factors to do with that athlete.

The REAL point of all this

As far as I’m concerned, the point of Paleo – or any diet – isn’t to see how perfectly you can do the diet. The point is to build outstanding health and performance for yourself. If you find better health, performance and quality of life with a non-Paleo tweak here or there, that’s what you need to do. And if certain Paleo foods don’t work for you, don’t eat them.

The point isn’t to see how well you can do a static diet, the point is to create an effective, individualized and dynamic diet THAT WORKS FOR YOU PERSONALLY. I have no interest in making diet into a religion. And, truthfully, I don’t care who adopts this diet and lifestyle and who doesn’t. Not that it wouldn’t do the world a lot of good if everyone ate along these lines, I just know that not everyone is going to go Paleo or near Paleo, eat organic, local, etc.

The point is, let’s get to what works and what builds health…

Conclusion…

I hope the examples and discussion above has been helpful in getting you to think about Paleo in a different way. There are a number of different ways you can do a Paleo diet and there are even more ways you can incorporate some of the basic principles into how you’re eating now – whether it’s to transition to Paleo later or just to make your current diet work better for you.

Next week, I’ll come full circle and present some of the main advantages to adopting a Paleo diet and lifestyle.