Paleo Not Paleo Or Are You Being True to Your Inner Caveman

When I peruse all the Paleo websites and blogs, I am constantly coming across the "Is it Paleo?" proposal.  On the MDA forums, real word battles can start up by saying you've had a cookie.  "Cavemen didn't eat cookies!"  OK, I agree, and if I was a caveman (or in my case, cave woman) I probably wouldn't eat cookies either.  I also wouldn't be wiping my tush with toilet paper either. 

Eating this way is different from what your Doctor will tell you.  Yes, it tends to be a lot of meat.  Yes, not having said meat on two slices of bread makes you stand out in a crowd.  When asked, you try to explain that grains aren't good for you (you specifically and you as the human race), only to get the look that you are sad and misguided and, well, stupid.

The first problem is saying you eat a lot of meat.  The bulk of our food should come from VEGETABLES.  Yes, green stuff.  Stuff that came out of the dirt.  And no, wheat, barley, corn, oats, rice, quinoa, and all the different beans are not vegetables, they are grains and legumes, respectively.

Then, you should be eating meat. 

Forget about mentioning that you don't use vegetable oils (but they are vegetables!  NOT).  Forget about saying that eating eggs everyday (free range if at all possible) is good for you.  Forget about mentioning saturated, HEALTHY fats. These things will get you looks of shock and dispare!  As if you will drop dead of high cholesterol right in front of the Carb Cruncher you are speaking to.

But, what about our own group?  The Paleo and Primal folks we are meeting up with.  The kindred spirits that we can eat in peace with?  Nope, no happy medium there either. 

"I just made a copy of Lara Bars", you say to your Paleo pal.  "What?  All those dates!  That's too much sugar.  You aren't eating Paleo!"  All this while stuffing offal and kale in your face.

It seems that true Paleo has become an exclusive club (pun intended).  Primal folks tend to be more laid back (they eat cheese, you know!), and will let the little things slide on the 20% scale.  Paleo folks, such as myself, don't partake in cheese.  I personally don't care, I have cheese sitting in my fridge right now.  I don't eat it, but my family does.  I don't miss it, so why eat it?  And I don't hold anyone accountable for eating cheese.

I do get a bit defensive about bread, trying to keep it to a minimum in my house.  Maybe my family isn't 100% P/P, and that's OK.  It doesn't make them bad people. 

I believe that it all boils down to personal choices.  If a P/P eater eats off "protocol", that is their choice.  If they feel sick at the tail end of a Subway sandwich, bummer, that sucks.  No one should be strung up and beaten with a stick for choosing to eat grain.  Popcorn at the movies, need I say more?  Some of us can fight off the temptation, some of us can't.  On the plus side, there's no gluten in popcorn, on the downside they don't pop popcorn in coconut oil anymore.

We all have to choose for ourselves.  No one should judge or feel superior to someone else, especially over bread.  That would make us as bad a Vegans!  Oops, a bit of judgement there....

We should all keep an open mind.  One meal with white potatoes isn't the end of the world.  One cup of Starbuck's Frappacino isn't going to destroy anyone.  A scoop of ice cream will not stop the world from spinning.

Now, I know there are plenty of folks who are living as Primal as possible, barefoot or wearing Vibrams, setting up blocks or investing in a Squatty Potty, lifting rocks, and conquering playgrounds everywhere.  But, they also blog about it, and I am positive that no caveman had a computer (unless they got it from the Aliens... LOL), and that's A-OK too.  Life is for living, not being worried about being perfect.  It is our imperfections that make us wonderful.  It's our differences that make us interesting. 

You want it?  Eat it.  Then get back on the dinosaur!