|
 I
have just finished reading The
Protein Power Lifeplan by Drs Michael & Mary
Dan Eades. This book builds on the Paleolithic diet they recommended
in the well-known book, Protein
Power. This later book incorporates other lifestyle
elements into the plan, updates the diet to include some new information,
and explains a lot of the science behind their theories.
I was expecting the
book to be pretty similar to a lot of other books promoting low
carb diets, but I was pleasantly surprised. It also includes a lot
of nutritional information which was new to me, all explained in
an easy to understand way. Some of the topics covered are :
-
Why we are still
like our Paleolithic ancestors, and why many aspects of their
lifestyle are still most suitable for modern man.
-
Latest findings
on the Paleolithic diet and lifestyle - it actually consisted
of 65% animal protein and 35% plant life, not round the other
way as previously thought.
-
A likely reason
why our ancestors switched to farming and eating grains -
grains contain a natural opiate, and are addictive. This made
them seem a desirable food, even though health and life expectancy
declined after they were farmed and eaten more regularly.
-
How a high carb
diet is implicated in insulin resistance, diabetes, heart disease
and other illnesses.
-
Why a low carb
diet will stop weight gain, but may not result in much weight
loss if total calorie intake is still too high (something not
all high protein diet books tell you).
-
Why the glycemic
index is better in theory than in practice.
-
Why we don't
need mega doses of Vit C if we get enough other nutrients; and
which anti-oxidants we should take.
-
Why too much
iron is even more dangerous than too little, and what to do
about it.
-
The connections
between Leaky Gut syndrome, autoimmune disease and eating grains.
-
Tips and pointers
for incorporating the dietary changes.
-
While not supporting
vegetarianism for health reasons,
they list the necessary supplements for those choosing that
lifestyle for ideological reasons.
There are three levels
of the dietary part of the plan, depending on your level of commitment
and the health changes you want to make :
-
Hedonist
- "starter" level with the changes that will give
the most benefit with the least effort. No trans fats, potentially
rancid fats, soft drinks, diet soft drinks or aspartame.
-
Dilettante
- a "middle of the road" approach for those who are
prepared to make a few more changes without being quite as restrictive
as the Purist. As above, plus no wheat, corn, millet, rye, soy
oil, fructose, corn syrup, nitrites or MSG. Try to buy organic
& free range as much as possible.
-
Purist
- the optimum diet for health and wellbeing - the modern equivalent
of a Paleolithic diet. This avoids all grains, legumes, dairy
(except micro-filtered whey protein), processed foods, sugars
(except honey) and artifical sweeteners, caffeine and alcohol.
All food ahould be organic and free range.
Whichever level you
choose, there are 3 stages of the plan. Your carbohydrate levels
will be restricted, which will further limit your carb choices:
-
Intervention
- 7-10 g per meal & optional snack = < 40g per day. Stay
at this level till any insulin-resistance symptoms have settled
(or 1-2 weeks, if you don't have any blood pressure, blood sugar
or blood lipid problems). When you've acheived your health objectives,
or are close to your reduced weight objective, move on to :
-
Transition
- 15g per meal & optional snack = < 60g per day. Stay
here for a week or so, then move into:
-
Maintenance
- each week, increase by 5g per meal (20g per day) till reach
equilibrium. This MAY be approx equal to your mimimum protein
requirement (but not your total protein intake, if that is higher).
Stay at this level for life - or as long as you want to have
good health!
Other lifestyle aspects covered include
:
- The right kind of exercise
- Keeping your brain active
- The importance of sunshine
- Rest and relaxation
| I highly recommend
this book on Paleolithic style diet and lifestyle. I found
this to be a fascinating book, crammed full of vital nutritional
information. I particularly liked the 3 levels which allow
you to pick your level of commitment and work your way up,
or swap between them as it suits you. Points
to consider before starting the plan :
- They suggest microwaving
certain recipes for convenience. I've been down that
road a lot myself in the past, but have now become aware
of the many dangers
of microwaving. I would not recommend microwaving
food EVER now. With a little forward planning, you'll
find that you can still prepare foods quickly without
it eg. by popping that leftover quiche in the warmer
drawer of the oven before you get in the shower.
- Soy
is among the protein sources recommended. A small amount
of fermented soy (eg. tempeh, miso) is probably fine,
but not the amounts that some people recommend, specially
for men and children.
- Like most diet books,
there is little discussion about differences in metabolic
type. While this is an excellent plan for those people
who need a low carb diet, there are people who need
a higher level of carbohydrate and cannot tolerate as
much protein and fat. As always, you must monitor your
own response to any new diet. If you feel unwell after
a settling in period, you may be one of the people who
need to consider an Agriculturist
type of diet.
- There is little mention
of allergies/addictions other than grain/legumes. While
they are beyond the scope of a book of this time, you
should remember that if you don't get the results you
want from this plan, you may have other food addictions
and may want to run an Elimination
diet.
All in all, one of my favourite
low carb books. |
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