Keto and Paleo Diets: Why I Hate Them.

I understand what we eat day in and day out is VERY personal. It is not just fuel for our bodies, it is so much more complex than that. Food is tied to emotion, to comfort, to memories and so much more. I understand, it can be confusing with so much conflicting information about diet and nutrition that it’s overwhelming. That is why it is important to reach out to a professional when it comes to nutrition and diet. I try very hard to not allow the words “You should eat ….” come out of my mouth if unsolicited. It is a fantastic way to piss someone off and basically end a discussion. With that being said, I want to express how much I dislike the Paleo and Keto diets. I know this statement is about as popular as a root canal but hear me out, especially if you are thinking about trying one of these diets or are currently on one.

I dislike these diets for many reasons.

The first being that many people who recommend this way of eating are not educated in he complexities of nutrition and its effect on the body. They are often personal trainers that have read a few articles on line and think they are educated (full disclosure, I have been a personal trainer for over 10 years and I hear ketosis recommended all the time) or people on line hoping to sell food supplements, that they have no knowledge about.

Second, the mentality of the Paleo diet is just plain wrong. The caveman did not eat meat as their main fuel source. What they did eat was roots, tubers, grasses and corn, all carbohydrates. I am no anthropologist but Nathaniel Dominy is and he’s done some pretty cool research on this topic, please check it out foe more information.

Carbohydrates, is the preferred fuel source of the body because it burns clean. This means the by-product of carbohydrate metabolism is only water and carbon dioxide, which is easily dealt with by the body. When meat is broken down, the body is left with many by-products such as urea, ketones and other metabolic by-products.

When the body receives no carbohydrates, it will burn fat as fuel, this state is called ketosis. Yes, weight loss will happen, but being in ketosis is an emergency state. It is ok to be in ketosis temporarily but, not over a long period of time. With the break down of meat, assuming it is being broken down (which it probably isn’t but, that’s another blog post), the byproducts are acidic, putting the body in a constant low grade state of acidosis. In order balance out the pH of a Paleo’s blood, the body draws calcium from the bones, putting bone/joint health at risk, in addition to possible kidney stones.

Paleo and Keto supporters claim that cholesterol levels will decrease while on these diets, yes they will, but its probably not due to the massive quantities of meat being eaten but the avoidance of refined sugars and weight loss.

There has been some talk about how going on the Paleo/Ketosis diets may help with focus, memory and energy levels. I am certain that you could also experience improvements in these areas by eliminating processed/refined foods, dairy and preservatives while eating a live, whole foods diet that includes healthy complex carbohydrates in addition to addressing any digestive issues. Not by eating massive amounts of meat and fat at every meal.

If, I haven’t turned you off yet and are still reading, thank you for keeping an open mind. There is more great information on why the Paleo/Keto diets are so destructive to both the body and the planet. I urge you to go to Dr. Klaper’s website , or contact me for help in developing a well balanced, live, whole foods diet.