Paleo's dirty little secret

Wednesday, September 7, 2011
I've been on the 4 Hour Body diet for less than a year with tremendous results.  As the weight comes off I've been thinking about how to ensure that I don't plateau, and have been considering switching to a Paleo Diet as outlined in the consistently lauded book:  Paleo Diet for Athletes.

The largest criticism of the 4 Hour Body diet from the Paleo camp is the inclusion of legumes as a source of carbohydrates.  Paleo advocates including Dr. Loren Cordain claim that the high concentration of Lectin that is in legumes such as Kidney Beans can cause autoimmune complications.  However, Dr. Loren Cordain and others fail to point out that these complications have only been linked to poorly prepared legumes.  Should Paleo dieters stop eating lean chicken because of the risk of salmonella?  Lectin has also been linked to leptin resistance which can cause obesity largely based upon this study:  Lectin and Leptin. What Primal dieter experts fail to mention is that this research was primarily conducted by exposing some pigs to cereal grains and whole wheat grains in comparison to a "hunter gatherer diet" in other pigs.  Whole wheat grains and cereal grains are known to contribute to obesity primarily based upon recent Australian research on the Glycemic index, and are not advocated by the 4 Hour Body diet.  To be absolutely clear - there isn't empirical evidence to suggest that legumes low on the Glycemic index contributes to obesity.  The other concerns about the legumes advocated by 4HB mainly center  around supposed toxins in canned beans.  None of the research done applies to legumes prepared dry OR to Organic products like Trader Joe's or Eden Foods.

There isn't a sufficient argument against using legumes as a source of low glycemic carbohydrates especially for active people.  Paleo dieters are often laud the "natural" nature of their diet as one of their benefits, yet Paleo researchers warn against excessive consumption of potatoes, fruits, and nuts.  Because cavemen were obviously watching their figures!  Obviously all diets require discretion about the time and amount of certain food types.  Paleo dieting isn't pure in the sense that ALL of the foods on their diet can be eaten without regard for volume, which makes them no different than 4 hour body.  I can find just as many advocates claiming that fruits, potatoes, and nuts have harmful nutritional content when unethically/poorly prepared and contribute to weight gain when eaten in excess.

I would suggest eating a portion of food high in fiber and low glycemic carbohydrates as your last meal before exercise and lean protein.  I wouldn't eat foods dense in calories 2 hours before running, and if I were close I would choose a moderate protein based snack low in calories.  Immediately following running I would have a very small high glycemic carbohydrate and more protein.


I would also listen to these songs.  They are a more chill vibe that I like to listen to when I first start a run to find a perfect pace.