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Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners
Should I start the Paleo diet - it seems to be healthy?
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I am thinking about doing the paelo diet. People that follow this way of eating tell me it is very good for us, and that it is about eating vegetables, protein and some fruit but to avoid wheat, sugar and pulses, and eating this way can help with inflammation in our body. I need to lose weight have IBD, diabetes and other health problems plus I also have eating issues especially when my IBD is flaring. I have read about it and it sounds like a healthy way to eat but there are people saying it is not good to eat this way I am confused why can someone advise the good or the bad to eating this way. Thank you -
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Ashleigh Keep
Dietitian
Ashleigh is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD, AN) and registered with the Dietitian's Association of Australia with experience in both clinical and private practice. Ashleigh's … View Profile
Hi there,
It's great that you're taking a pro-active approach in management of your health issues.
In general terms, the paleo diet is based around the theory that current day chronic metabolic disorders have resulted from a gene-culture mismatch and the human body’s inability to adapt from Palaeolithic times. The Palaeolithic period is was approximately 2.5 million to approximately 10,000 years ago whereby people ate primarily vegetables, fruit, nuts, insects, roots, and meat, which varied depending on season and availability. The diet tended to be higher in protein, lower in fat but with more essential fatty acids, and was lower in sodium and higher in fibre. However, it is incorrect to suggest that the carbohydrate content was low. Instead, carbohydrate came from other food sources and there was a wide range in the level of consumption which was based on location and season - basically, there was no ONE paleo diet as is recommended today.
The Paleo diet encourages foods high in protein to substitute for many carbohydrate food choices and this is not only controversial, but incorrectly glorified as being advantageous for health. Dairy foods, grains, legumes and some processed oils recommended in the Australian Dietary Guideline's are excluded from the Paleo diet. These foods contain beneficial nutrients, and are high satiety food choices.
The modern Paleo diet has been tested in very few people and only over the short term. Participants often drop out of the studies because the diet is difficult to adapt to and it is reportedly more expensive. While the emphasis on fruit and vegetables, and high- quality food choices rather than processed options is a positive feature, the diet fails to provide all nutrients as per current recommendations and excludes foods and whole food groups.
I would like to direct you to the Dietitian's Association of Australia (DAA) website who have written a fantastic article on the paleo diet including the pro's and con's.
Considering your other co-morbidities, I would also recommend you consult an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) to help you lose weight whilst also effectively managing your IBD and diabetes. Hope this helps!
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Dr Kevin Yong
GP (General Practitioner)
I have a special interest in healthy living. I am the creator of eatmovechill.com - a blog about making healthy change. I write about the … View Profile
The healthiest thing about Paleo is that it promotes consumption of natural foods and avoidance of processed food.
Other Paleo restrictions such as dairy, grains, and legumes are controversial and make the diet very difficult to stick to. I believe these food groups are much more beneficial than harmful.
I would avoid any form of restrictive diet as the brain is hard-wired to avoid discomfort and big change. You will come up against all sorts of mental barriers and in the end drop off.
In addition, if you are not careful, you may cause yourself a nutritional deficit which then results in food cravings.
In summary, a diet low in processed foods and high in natural real foods is the best start. For your IBD, you will need to systematically identify foods that trigger your symptoms. Gluten and lactose are a good place to start.
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anneHealthShare Member
Thanks that makes sense dr yYong I've have already started to avoid bread and lactose as ive been following FODMAP DIET i believe ths diet still promotes unhealthy choices such as consumption of sugar i did see a dierition when i started FODMAP but as soon as she suggested eating high fihre grains i stopped seeing her as just got over a flare and she wanted me to eat grains, high fibre, no way was i doing that, so ive been avoiding gluten and lactose. Im now thinking i will follow fodmap paelo version of the diet avoiding the grains and diary and to eat clean foods my body is able ro tolerate and processed food.
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Rebecca Mete
Dietitian
I am an Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD) who loves to provide simple, practical and relatable advice to inspire positive nutrition. With a love for good food, my … View Profile
Hi Anne,
I am glad to hear that you are beginning to identify 'trigger' foods!. The low FODMAP diet or 'Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols (FODMAP) are found in foods that we eat, and depending on the individual can cause some gastro-intestinal discomfort. This is because they can be poorly absorbed.
The low FODMAP diet is not a 'diet' per se. It is a means for people to carefully and strategically remove certain foods (high FODMAP foods) from the diet, and then gradually introduce these foods back in. The reason for this is that it helps identify 'trigger' foods, or foods that cause gastro-intestinal symptoms.
So the aim of the low FODMAP diet is to identify 'trigger' foods for you to 'aviod' or 'limit' (sometimes it is hard to aviod certain foods when eating out etc), and then implement this back into your diet. For example: Say if prior to the low FODMAP diet you were eating garlic, and during the challeneges you identified garlic as a cause for bloating, it would then be intended that you would try to limit and aviod garlic to reduce bloating. So the intent of the low FODMAP diet is not to provide information on healthy eating information.
I know that your previous experience with a dietitian may not have been the best, but i do encourage you to see another dietitian and get another perspective to help and support you with your FODMAP journey! The extra support by a dietitian may help you pin-point certain 'trigger' foods, so that you dont have to avoid whole groups of foods.
I just quickly want to highlight that grains and dairy are wholesome and nutritious foods, that contribute to a healthy diet!
Best wishes on your nutrition journey!
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HealthShare Member
Hi Anne, I've been combining a kind of FODMAP plus sugar-free diet and it's working for me. My IBS has reduced, a feel and look less bloated, and I'm getting through my day better. I think it's trial and error to see what works and what doesn't. It's a lifestyle thing, so ultimately, as the good GP has said above, it's not something that can't be sustained.
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Rebecca Mete
Dietitian
I am an Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD) who loves to provide simple, practical and relatable advice to inspire positive nutrition. With a love for good food, my … View Profile
Hi!
The great aspect about the paleo diet is that it encourages limiting intake of processed foods, or 'discretionary' foods. These foods are usually very energy dense, containing high salt, sugar and saturated fat content. So this is similar to what the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) recommends, to promote a healthy weight and lifestyle.
However, the paleo diet also calls for the aviodance of very important food groups including dairy, grains and legumes. Dairy is a very important source of calcium which promotes healthy bones, hair and nails. Findings from the recent nutritional survey has identified that Australian adults on average are not consuming the recommended amounts of serves of dairy per day, and as a consequence, increases their risk of osteoporosis and osteopenia! Additionally, grains and legumes provide a vaulable sources of fiber. Fiber is very important in the diet as it can help lower cholesterol and promotes healthy bowel function and regulation. Therefore, we really do need these foods in our diets!
I do recommend to make an appointment to see your local Dietitian to help you manage any IBS symptoms, as IBS is very individual!
Best Wishes!
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I need to add that I have a lot of diary on my diet. I have cheese of all kinds, cream and occasional milk. I find it helps fill me up, doesn't leave that nasty 'celery tummy' that eating a lot of veges leaves you. I'm following the diet as exposed by Gary Taubes in his book 'Why are get fat and what can to do about it' which disses the 'calories in-calories out' theory and talks about the way our bodies use fat and carbs, including sugar.
'Why We Get Fat' focuses on insulin’s role in obesity, discussing the damaging effects of excess carb intake. It also addresses fructose, the obesity-promoting sugar found in fruit, agave nectar, and a number of other supposedly “healthy” foods.
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Anonymous
Hi i would like to see your foodplan for fodmap /paleo menu day plan or weekly as im very time poor and 2 days weekend is not enough hours i work and travel commute so im out the door by 7.45 am and home by 8,30pm so im tired and grap the wrong foods so love to hear how you plan youe meals thanks
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